Pats Little Shrike's Tail - Chapter 125

Chapter 125

With the familiar ‘ding-dong’ sound of a payment notification, Shen Qingyi led Shan Ling out of the antique shop.

Trailing behind them was Hu Aicai, keeping a short distance.

It wasn’t that Hu Aicai harbored any ill intentions; it was simply that there was only one path out of the alley. Unless one flew out, everyone had to take the same route.

Shan Ling held the takeout bag and occasionally looked back at Hu Aicai.

Hu Aicai, with her wine-red long hair, was dressed casually today in a black hoodie, jeans, and combat boots. She walked leisurely with her hands in her pockets, the books casually tucked under her arm. When she felt Shan Ling’s gaze, she looked up and slightly tilted her head.

Shan Ling quickly turned her head like a startled bird, sticking close to Shen Qingyi, almost pushing her against the wall.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Qingyi reached out and wrapped an arm around Shan Ling’s waist, comforting her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Shan Ling looked at Shen Qingyi. Although she knew that if Hu Aicai wanted to harm her, Shen Qingyi likely couldn’t do much, she also felt immensely secure just hearing Shen Qingyi say those words. Naturally, she wasn’t as afraid of Hu Aicai behind her anymore.

The other woman was only a half-fox, after all. What was she so afraid of?

Even if it came down to a fight, she could still fly, couldn’t she?

Thinking this, Shan Ling’s attitude improved significantly. When she looked back at the woman with the wine-red hair again, she wasn’t as flustered as before.

Hu Aicai saw the little mountain sparrow look back at her again. This time, there was no panic in the little sparrow’s eyes, but Hu Aicai could still tell that the little sprite was afraid of her.

Despite being so timid, she still glared at her—this spirit made Hu Aicai find her very interesting.

Such interesting little sprites are rare now, Hu Aicai thought wistfully.

But she didn’t approach Shan Ling. She knew the other woman was timid, and that last bit of composure was entirely faked. If she rushed up to strike up a conversation, she would likely scare the little one into reverting to her original form.

Hu Aicai remembered what her grandfather said: many sprites coexisted in human society, and they had an unwritten rule: no initiative, no forcing, no interference.

It was enough for everyone to mind their own business. She had no need to interfere in the affairs of others.

The three people, each with their own thoughts, continued walking back along the alley. The surrounding tall buildings blocked the sunlight. Hu Aicai looked at the plants whose growth was stunted due to the lack of sun, gently stroked their branches, and looked forward to the arrival of spring to bring them a different kind of vibrancy.

No matter how long the alley, it eventually came to an end. Shen Qingyi and Shan Ling walked out of the alley and crossed to the other side. Their car was parked there, and since it was still early, they planned to go shopping elsewhere.

Coincidentally, Hu Aicai’s car was also parked across the street, so the three walked together for a short distance.

Shan Ling occasionally looked back at Hu Aicai, her eyes full of curiosity and vigilance. Hu Aicai was helpless, smiling bitterly and saying nothing, instead running her hand through her wine-red long hair and pretending to look boredly at the surrounding scenery.

Shen Qingyi was expected to walk away with Shan Ling, but to Hu Aicai’s surprise, the two stopped not far from her and both turned to face her.

“Miss Hu,” Shen Qingyi, holding Shan Ling’s hand, said to Hu Aicai, “I apologize for not greeting you earlier.”

Hu Aicai stopped when she heard this, looking at them in confusion.

Just a moment ago, they seemed intent on keeping their distance, so why were they suddenly speaking to her now?

Shen Qingyi smiled and told Hu Aicai, “Actually, I stopped to thank you. If you hadn’t helped with those two fish, we really wouldn’t have been able to take them.”

Professor Hu was too old. He couldn’t lift those two fish yesterday; it was Hu Aicai who helped them package them and put them in the trunk. Shen Qingyi had thanked her for this already, but thanking her again made Hu Aicai think there must be something else she wanted to say.

“It was no trouble at all. My grandfather is old. It’s perfectly normal for me to help him with things like that,” Hu Aicai looked at the two women and said, “Does Miss Shen have something she wants to talk to me about?”

“It’s nothing, really.” Shen Qingyi glanced at the books Hu Aicai was holding under her arm and asked, “What area of intangible cultural heritage are you preserving, Miss Hu?”

“I’m not a preserver yet, just helping out with miscellaneous tasks at the organization,” Hu Aicai said. “If you’re asking which organization I work at, I won’t hide it. There’s a private intangible cultural heritage organization in this city, and that’s where I currently work. The organizer is a friend of my grandfather, and I’m just there to learn.”

Shen Qingyi nodded upon hearing this and told Hu Aicai, “I don’t know much about intangible cultural heritage. Regarding the book I saw at Professor Hu’s house, I wanted to ask if a suitable restorer has been found yet?”

Hu Aicai shook her head. She looked at Shen Qingyi, likely understanding what she meant.

Shen Qingyi must be hung up on that book and wanted to know the situation since they ran into each other today.

Hu Aicai was a smart person. She knew that some skilled people are very sensitive about their reputation. It was rare for someone as young as Shen Qingyi to be invited to her grandfather’s house. Since Shen Qingyi was interested in the book, she was happy to talk to her about it.

“We haven’t found a suitable person yet. My grandfather has contacted many people these past few days, but they all couldn’t do anything with that book,” Hu Aicai looked at Shen Qingyi and said, “If Miss Shen changes her mind and is willing to take it on, I’ll tell my grandfather when I get back.”

Shen Qingyi was indeed wavering. She didn’t have many hobbies. Due to her health, she couldn’t engage in exhilarating activities. Skydiving and bungee jumping, which many rich second-generation individuals enjoyed, were unsuitable for her. Only brewing coffee and reading were things she had loved for many years.

Restoring that Nüshu book was genuinely difficult. Shen Qingyi hesitated for a moment but didn’t immediately agree. She only told Hu Aicai, “I plan to visit Professor Hu again when I have time in the next couple of days to discuss it with him. Could you please relay a message to him, asking when he would be available for a meeting?”

“That’s easy,” Hu Aicai took out her phone, offered it to Shen Qingyi, and said, “Add me as a friend. I’ll ask him when I get back and let you know directly.”

Shen Qingyi also took out her phone and added the other woman as a friend, saying politely, “Thank you, Miss Hu.”

“No need to be so polite. In fact, you would be doing us a favor,” Hu Aicai exchanged a few courtesies with Shen Qingyi, then tilted her head to look at the little mountain sparrow who had been standing stiffly beside them. She smiled sweetly and said, “And this is… Miss Shan, right? Would you mind adding me on WeChat?”

Shan Ling froze upon hearing this.

Why do you want to add my WeChat? What do you want to do to me!

Shan Ling immediately imagined a scenario where Hu Aicai, lacking food reserves, started plucking her feathers and roasting her into a crispy, delicious roasted mountain sparrow.

The moment this thought occurred, Shan Ling was terrified. Her feigned bravery vanished, and she whimpered and hid behind Shen Qingyi.

Hu Aicai was slightly taken aback by Shan Ling’s intense reaction. She knew little birds were timid, but she hadn’t expected Shan Ling to be this timid. It was just an offer to add her as a friend. Why did she react as if Hu Aicai was about to eat her immediately?

Amused and helpless by Shan Ling’s reaction, Hu Aicai looked at her and coaxed, “You don’t need to be so afraid of me. I just feel it’s rare to meet a partner… of a similar age in this city, so I wanted to make friends with you.”

Shan Ling didn’t poke her head out upon hearing this, only clinging tightly to Shen Qingyi’s clothes, but she stopped crying.

Hu Aicai couldn’t see her from this angle. Shan Ling was completely hidden by Shen Qingyi’s figure. Hu Aicai could only vaguely see her legs—long and slender, very much like the legs of the little birds she remembered.

“I think you should have this feeling too,” Hu Aicai’s voice softened as she told Shan Ling, “It’s hard enough for people like us to meet, and even harder to meet someone of a similar age. I was born in the city and have never been back to the countryside. So, if you don’t mind, we could get together often.”

Hu Aicai thought for a moment and added, “If you’re not comfortable, I won’t push it. I respect your choice.”

After a long while, Shan Ling tentatively poked her head out, looked at Hu Aicai, and whispered, “We’ll really just be friends?”

Not taking her as a food reserve or anything?

Hu Aicai was slightly surprised by her question, then seemed to understand. The corners of her mouth curved up, and she told Shan Ling, “Yes. Are you willing?”

Shan Ling fell silent. She also felt it was difficult to meet a peer in the city. Although Nuo Nuo and Xu Wen-tao were her friends, some things just couldn’t be discussed with them.

If she could have a sprite friend, she wouldn’t have to talk to the little birds all day. She could share her secrets and have some common topics.

It wasn’t that Shen Qingyi wasn’t good enough—Shan Ling thought Shen Qingyi was more than adequate. But she was human, and although they were dating, she couldn’t tell her everything. Some things were better kept from humans.

Shan Ling clutched Shen Qingyi’s shirt corner, thought for a long time, then pulled out her phone. Hiding behind Shen Qingyi, she told Hu Aicai, “Then, you can add me.”

Hu Aicai couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curved. She thought this little mountain sparrow was genuinely cute, a rare kind of purity that made Hu Aicai inexplicably feel like she was looking at a small, lively animal.

After adding both of them, Hu Aicai left.

Watching the wine-red hair disappear from sight, Shen Qingyi turned to Shan Ling and asked, “Are you sure you want to add her?”

Shan Ling looked at Hu Aicai’s profile picture on her phone—a cartoon red little fox. The little fox’s big eyes were bright and moving, and its mouth was turned up high, looking very happy.

“Huh?”

Hearing Shen Qingyi’s question, Shan Ling was a little confused, looking at her and wondering, “Is… that not okay?”

Shen Qingyi pursed her lips and didn’t answer. She couldn’t restrict Shan Ling’s friendships, but she inexplicably felt that the look in Hu Aicai’s eyes when she looked at Shan Ling was strange. At Professor Hu’s house before, Hu Aicai’s expression and eyes were distant, as if she were uninterested in everything.

But today was different. Shen Qingyi noticed that Hu Aicai’s eyes sparkled when she looked at Shan Ling.

This made her feel that something was odd, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

“Nothing,” Shen Qingyi eventually didn’t say anything more. She just told Shan Ling, “Let’s find somewhere to eat first.”

“Okay.”

Shan Ling followed Shen Qingyi toward the car, and on her phone, she quickly added a name to her newly added friend: “Little Fox Sprite.”

With such a cute name, Hu Aicai shouldn’t be so scary anymore, right?

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