The evening apron was shrouded in a desolate orange glow. Tang Yingxue sat by the window, looking out at another jet bridge where passengers were boarding.

A man in a black coat walked across the bridge—slicked-back hair, gleaming leather shoes, his face flickering with an eerie shadow under the orange light.

Tang Yingxue’s heart skipped a beat, thinking for that instant she had seen Yu Jiaze.

But she knew it was impossible. In fact, he had been gone for one year, three months, and four days.

Her gaze wavered. When she looked again, the man who had walked across the bridge and disappeared into the cabin had an utterly ordinary face. She was too obsessed—seeing a similar black coat or catching a whiff of sharp woody cologne in a crowd would make her think in a trance that he had come.

Tang Yingxue withdrew her gaze listlessly. The opposite jet bridge had finished boarding, and her plane was being pushed back onto the runway, preparing for takeoff.

During the long, idle night flight, she pulled out an old black leather notebook from her bag.

This was one of the relics later found in Yu Jiaze’s villa, placed in an extremely hidden location.

On the first page of the notebook was a line written in fountain pen. The handwriting was very neat, the characters large—the kind of neat, oversized script only a child would produce. But the edges of the ink had blurred, making it difficult to discern what was written.

—”Bird-Keeping Diary.”

Tang Yingxue continued flipping through the pages.

“xxxx year x month x day

Today, I received a little bird! It’s a birthday present from my uncle who came back from abroad. How interesting! Finally, it’s not some boring English original book. I’ve received enough of those things—they’re so tedious I really want to burn them all in one fire (though burning them would be a waste of fire).”

“xxxx year x month x day

It’s really too interesting. This little bird can actually talk. When I entered the room, it suddenly said ‘hello’ to me. I looked left and right, even looked up at the ceiling to find who was hiding in my room. Good thing Auntie Liu didn’t see this scene. But honestly, Auntie Liu’s tone of speech isn’t as human-like as this bird’s—at least it has intonation.”

“xxxx year x month x day

The little bird not only talks but also pecks me with its little sharp beak. It has quite a temper. Is it because I said it was like a repeater? But it really is like a repeater. Besides ‘hello,’ it can’t say anything else. I need to teach it some new phrases.”

“xxxx year x month x day

Used a tape recorder to record some words for it, planning to let it listen while I’m at school. It can’t just idle around—it should study with me!”

“xxxx year x month x day

Came home from school full of anticipation… it still only says ‘hello.’ Stupid bird. But looking at me so foolishly like this, fine, I’ll let it go.”

“xxxx year x month x day

Father and Mother are arguing again. Little bird, please say a few more things so I won’t have to hear them. But you’re so stupid, can you really not learn anything else?”

“xxxx year x month x day

This time’s social practice trip went to the flower and bird market. I saw so many little birds. But none of them can compare to how beautiful mine is, so why do their cages get to be better than my little bird’s? No way, I have to buy back that most beautiful cage for my little bird to live in.”

“xxxx year x month x day

It’s very happy. It stayed in the cage all day without flying around. I knew it would like it!”

“xxxx year x month x day

The little bird seems to have gotten a bit smarter. It knew I didn’t want to talk today, so it didn’t make noise either. It even rubbed its head against my finger. So this is what being comforted feels like? It tickles.”

“xxxx year x month x day

Father asked about the little bird. Does he want to keep one too? But I’m reluctant to share it with anyone, even if he is my father…”

The diary broke off there.

After that came a long blank period. She hastily flipped through many pages and was about to close the notebook when she suddenly saw another line of writing.

The handwriting was much more mature than before, each stroke controlled and flowing freely, like carved characters. The ink marks had also blurred, but comparatively were not as difficult to recognize.

“xxxx year x month x day

A dull gray little stupid bird crashed into my arms. I kind of want to keep it. Has my aesthetic deteriorated?”

After deliberating for a long time, Yu Jiaze wrote this sentence as if possessed, then closed the leather notebook.

It was around three in the morning. He had just finished processing the documents at hand. The people setting off fireworks recklessly in the courtyard had returned to their rooms and were fast asleep. The entire villa was terrifyingly quiet.

He hadn’t expected he would dig out this leather notebook from the basement again. Although he had brought it out from the old residence when he moved out back then, he hadn’t opened it once in all these years.

Opening it and seeing the text from before, he couldn’t help but feel dazed, then slightly furrowed his brow.

So after writing this sentence with his pen and closing it, he thought for a moment, then opened it again and added another line.

“I’ll just keep it casually for fun.”

He instructed his assistant to find Wu Man a room and had her move in.

Then he never sought her out again.

The assistant thought the boss had forgotten about this person, but at the tedious, repetitive banquets, facing so many women throwing themselves at him, he showed no interest and didn’t accept any of them.

Too many people beat around the bush with him, wanting to probe Yu Jiaze’s thoughts. He could only steel himself and cautiously test Yu Jiaze, saying: “Tomorrow is Young Master Qi’s birthday party. Would you like to bring a female companion? I’ve listed several candidates for you. Would you like to take a look?”

He looked out the car window: “Isn’t there already one?”

“You mean… Wu Man?” The assistant was careful. “Then I’ll contact her.”

Yu Jiaze closed his eyes, silent for a moment, then said lazily: “No need.”

“You mean…?”

Yu Jiaze furrowed his brow: “Being an assistant requires not just a mouth, but also a brain.”

The assistant immediately fell silent. He probably understood that Yu Jiaze had decided to go alone.

The next evening, Yu Jiaze indeed went to the birthday party alone. Everyone had beautiful women at their sides, only he had no one beside him.

Someone curiously came over to ask: “Young Master Yu, everyone brought playthings. Where’s yours?”

The birthday boy, Young Master Qi, suddenly interjected into the conversation, his smile teasing: “You’re too uninformed. Our Young Master Yu has taken in a celestial beauty. He hasn’t changed in these days, which is unprecedented for him. So he’s treasuring her closely and won’t bring her out for us to see.”

The other playboys were all waiting for Young Master Qi to start the conversation, and hearing this, they all chimed in.

“Oh my, she must be a great beauty!”

“Young Master Yu’s taste goes without saying.”

“What show was she in? If I can’t see her in person, let me watch her on TV to satisfy my craving!”

Yu Jiaze took a sip of champagne and lightly swept his gaze over the laughing crowd: “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Am I such a stingy person?” He lowered his head and pressed his phone a few times. “I’ve called her over. She’ll arrive shortly.”

“Young Master Yu is so generous!” Young Master Qi whistled and rubbed his hands together, already ignoring the bare-chested woman beside him.

On the other end, Wu Man had just finished bathing when she received a text message from Yu Jiaze.

“Xiao Zhou will pick you up in a bit. Wait at the villa. No need to put on makeup. He’ll also bring you the clothes to wear.”

At the same time, the assistant also received orders from the boss.

“Go pick up Wu Man. Before picking her up, buy her an ugly set of clothes.”

…Ugly clothes?

Seeing the content of the message, the assistant showed an extremely confused expression.

How ugly exactly?!

But he didn’t dare ask again and turned to Baidu for help. In the end, he nervously bought from a roadside export clothing store a cultural T-shirt with “I love Beijing” in large red characters on a white background that was so tacky it hurt the eyes, paired it with fluorescent green harem pants, and finally bought a pair of pink plastic slippers. He haphazardly put together an outfit.

Wu Man, receiving this outfit, could no longer be described as confused.

She raised her head and asked him sincerely: “Are you sure you didn’t take the wrong clothes?”

The assistant guiltily turned his face away and nodded, already prepared in his heart to pack up and run at any moment.

Wu Man didn’t understand what kind of arrangement this was, but bit the bullet and put it on. She consoled herself internally that extreme tackiness was trendy—who knows, wearing this to fashion week might even earn praise.

However, obviously only she thought this way. The assistant beside her desperately held back laughter, his face twitching as he delivered her to the villa.

Before the car even approached, the deafening sound system and screaming could be heard along the way. The villa stood brightly lit in the night, making Wu Man’s heart sink with foreboding.

She thought she was just meeting Yu Jiaze alone and hadn’t expected such a grand scene.

“The boss and the others are all on the top floor.”

The assistant drove to the underground garage and turned off the engine, indicating with sympathetic eyes for her to go up.

Wu Man’s heart went cold.

She had already guessed what kind of trick this was—probably the boring hobby of high society. Calling someone over to make a fool of themselves in public, witnessing human dignity being crushed and trampled to obtain supreme pleasure.

She had chatted with a small production crew’s screenwriter before, and the screenwriter had instilled in her a sentence she’d read in a book.

The book said: “Some people are stuffed to death, some people starve to death. Injustice has already divided and packaged the world, and nothing is distributed fairly, except sorrow.”

But she felt it was wrong. Even sorrow in the world was unfair—the extra bit of sorrow for those who starved to death was added by those who were stuffed to death.

What could she do? She could only first not be crushed by sorrow, then not starve to death.

Wu Man got out of the car with her head held high and chest out, patted her face, and charged up to the top floor with an imposing manner.

The second she appeared, everyone’s eyes turned to her in unison, and undisguised mocking laughter rose and fell.

Only one person sat leisurely at the bar by the pool, slowly and methodically turning his head last.

He glanced up and down at her outfit, using the wine glass to cover his slightly upturned lips.

Yu Jiaze put down his wine glass, extended his index finger and beckoned, signaling Wu Man to come over.

However, all of Wu Man’s attention was attracted by the pool before her eyes. The indifference and ease she had been pretending crumbled in this moment.

Therefore, she couldn’t see anything. Her hands went cold, and her feet unconsciously stepped backward.

Her body wanted to turn and flee in this moment, but her gaze met Yu Jiaze’s in the distance. Meeting his seemingly emotionless pupils, she was pinned in place.

He wasn’t a vulgar cabaret boss, nor a nouveau riche producer.

He was Yu Jiaze, someone she couldn’t afford to offend but who had also given her a lifeline. Life had already beaten her many times. If she challenged him again, she might not survive with just a bruised and swollen face.

So she couldn’t escape. No matter what, she had to hold on.

Young Master Qi, also sitting at the bar, raised his eyebrows and smiled: “Your taste has changed drastically. This one is quite unique.”

Yu Jiaze remained noncommittal, one hand touching the pinky ring, still staring at Wu Man in the distance. Her face was pale as she shrank into a corner, trying to stay as far from the pool as possible, as if some man-eating ancient beast was hidden there.

He pressed down the doubt in his heart imperceptibly and replied: “That’s why I felt it wasn’t necessary to bring her out. A buzzkill.”

“Then why keep her?”

“Taming is a very interesting thing.”

Young Master Qi nodded thoughtfully: “True. In that case, Young Master Yu won’t mind if I help you train her a bit? Your current plaything really doesn’t understand the rules.”

Only then did Yu Jiaze shift his gaze to look at him, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile as he responded lazily: “Don’t go too far.”

The fingers that had just been slowly turning the ring sped up.

Young Master Qi released the woman he was holding and walked toward Wu Man, saying in a nonchalant manner: “New here, right? I’m today’s birthday boy. Everyone has to toast me. And you arrived late… tsk, but I’m very tolerant of beauties. Go to the bar and personally get me two glasses of wine, and we’ll toast together.”

Wu Man suppressed her trembling legs, didn’t move, and instinctively looked in Yu Jiaze’s direction.

Young Master Qi shifted left a step to block her view: “Your master just personally agreed to lend you to me for a while. You don’t need to read his expression.”

The last bit of color drained from her face. She paused, then gritted her teeth and walked toward the bar.

Yu Jiaze watched Wu Man walk toward him around the very edge of the pool. The hand turning the ring finally loosened, changing to hands folded together, as he gave a cold snort, neither light nor heavy: “Only now you know to come over?”

Wu Man said nothing, her expression cold as she asked the waiter for two glasses of wine.

Yu Jiaze’s face darkened. He reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her in front of him.

He asked incredulously: “Throwing a tantrum at me? What right do you have?”

She glared back at him unflinchingly: “Of course I have the right. During this time, haven’t I been ‘lent out’ by you? What are you then? You’ve seen enough of the joke just now, haven’t you?”

Yu Jiaze suddenly felt dazed.

He suddenly had the feeling from many years ago, when his little bird pecked his skin with its little sharp beak. It didn’t actually hurt, but he remembered it for a long time.

Because it was so vivid.

During his moment of distraction, Wu Man broke free and walked toward the other end of the pool, trembling as she carried two glasses of wine.

When Yu Jiaze came back to his senses, what met his eyes was the scene of Wu Man being pushed into the pool.

He sat in his seat without moving, his index finger lightly tapping the bar counter, looking around at the surrounding noise and laughter.

He also laughed indifferently. Good, disobedient pets needed to suffer a bit. He still felt this degree was too gentle.

However, the person in the blue pool flailed in the water a couple of times, called his name briefly twice, then began to sink.

Young Master Qi squatted by the shore with interest, turned his head toward Yu Jiaze’s direction and said: “Is she having a drama addiction flare up? My pool is only about a meter deep!”

Yu Jiaze propped up his chin and pondered: “The little thing is a bit naughty.”

Seconds passed, quickly exceeding the maximum time for holding one’s breath. The people on shore all changed their expressions.

“Something really happened, didn’t it…”

Young Master Qi coughed awkwardly twice and was about to point to someone beside him to jump down and check the situation when a faster figure flashed before his eyes, black silk sinking into the deep blue water.

After a moment, Yu Jiaze surfaced holding the unconscious Wu Man. He swept back his wet hair, his eyes gloomy as he stared at the people on shore.

Young Master Qi shivered and laughed dryly: “Young Master Yu, you didn’t predict this situation yourself either. You can’t blame me for this. Besides, it’s just a small plaything. You wouldn’t get angry with your buddy over this, would you?”

Yu Jiaze stared directly for several seconds, then broke into a smile. The neon lights by the pool hit his face—half was colorful and bright, half was a blurred shadow.

He hummed in agreement: “Of course not. But it looks like I have to go back first. Leaving this appetite-spoiling little thing here and bringing bad luck to the birthday boy wouldn’t be good.” He climbed out of the pool, dripping wet, looking exactly like a water ghost, and added grimly:

“Bringing bad luck—who knows, the birthday might turn into a death anniversary.”

He brought the unconscious person back to the villa and called his exclusive private doctor to examine her. The doctor said there was nothing seriously wrong with her body. The drowning was probably due to some mental shock, but that wasn’t within his professional scope, so he couldn’t help.

Hearing this, he curled his lip disdainfully. What major mental problem could there be? What a fragile little bird.

When he finished handling a round of work and returned, Wu Man was still sleeping, but sleeping very restlessly, muttering something incoherently.

Yu Jiaze leaned down his ear and vaguely heard her sleep talk.

“Mom, I’ll learn… Mom, I can’t… can you not… head…”

He was slightly stunned, straightened up, and held her hand that was flailing about with her soft cries.

Wu Man seemed to sense someone holding her, and her furrowed brow slowly softened.

After a long while, her eyelids trembled a few times and she suddenly opened her eyes.

He didn’t have time to withdraw his hand, but his face remained composed as he smiled lightly: “What did you dream about? You kept holding onto my hand and wouldn’t let go.”

Wu Man asked groggily: “…Was it me holding you?”

“Otherwise? And you held on especially tight.”

Embarrassment flashed across Wu Man’s face, and she immediately let go.

Yu Jiaze glanced at her released fingers, his voice cooling several degrees.

“I’m asking you, what did you dream about?”

Wu Man didn’t answer. The air stagnated. This moment was more suffocating than being underwater.

She took a big breath and said: “Just dreamed about learning to swim when I was little.”

“You learned to swim? Then why can’t you swim now?”

“…That time I almost died.” Wu Man showed a mocking smile. “Someone held me down in the water. I couldn’t go up, couldn’t go down. I thought at the time, if I were really a fish, maybe I could live a bit happier.”

Yu Jiaze’s ice-cold knuckles touched her pale cheek: “The person who held you down was your mother?”

Wu Man looked up in surprise, surprised that he had guessed it right away, and even more surprised that he wasn’t shocked by this fact at all.

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

His knuckles moved from her cheek to her lips. It was hard to tell what he was thinking—his eyes had no focus.

After a long while, Yu Jiaze sighed without any emotion: “Tsk, how pitiful.”

Hearing this, she seemed to feel humiliated and turned her face slightly to the side.

“No need for fake concern.”

“How is it fake?” His eyes were tinged with amusement. “You ruined someone’s birthday party, and I haven’t even blamed you yet. This is my pity for you. You really don’t know what’s good for you.”

Wu Man’s expression froze.

“Will you dare listen to others next time?”

“…”

She bit her lower lip and forced out a sentence: “Strictly speaking, I was clearly listening to you.”

Yu Jiaze finally hummed in satisfaction.

“Remember this sentence. From now on, you can only listen to my words, mine alone.” He picked up a bowl of Chinese medicine from the bedside, making a gesture to have Wu Man take it.

She immediately panicked, grabbing his departing fingers and saying dependently: “I’m sorry, I’m really afraid of water.”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

“My fear of water is the same as my fear of medicine. If I drink it, I’ll definitely pass out again!”

Yu Jiaze finally laughed in a muffled voice.

“If you dare pass out, I’ll force another bowl down you.”

“…”

“Must I drink it? I’m not even sick…”

He didn’t speak, using action to replace his answer.

After forcing the entire bowl of medicine down Wu Man’s throat, Yu Jiaze wiped the bitter corner of her mouth with his fingertip while mentioning casually: “You’re destined never to become a fish.”

“Huh? What?”

He leaned down and kissed her dazed forehead.

“Because you’re destined to become my little bird.”