“xxxx year x month x day

How can there be anyone in this world besides me who can make my little bird cry?”

Wu Man hadn’t been brought by Yu Jiaze to attend dinners or parties in their circle for a long time, so when Yu Jiaze suddenly notified her to attend a certain charity gala this time, she found it a bit strange.

Her intuition told her that something unusual must be amiss—Yu Jiaze definitely had ill intentions.

Had she offended him somehow again?

Sitting in the car heading to the venue, Wu Man carefully reviewed her recent behavior, but it didn’t seem like she’d touched any of his sensitive spots.

…Could it be that because this was a relatively respectable charity gala, he simply needed a tool-person female companion, nothing more?

Was she overthinking?

Yu Jiaze observed with interest the little bird whose eyes were darting around, clearly very uneasy, without telling her that Tang Jiarong was among the participants at this gala.

He had a hypothesis in his heart and wanted to use this opportunity to verify it.

The car arrived at the venue. He walked in with his arm around Wu Man’s waist, raised his eyes to scan the crowd—Tang Jiarong hadn’t arrived yet.

He instructed her imperceptibly: “Stay by my side the whole time. Don’t wander off.”

Wu Man thought he said this because he was afraid she’d be rude in this kind of setting, so she nodded to indicate she would comply.

Even without him saying so, she had no intention of wandering. If possible, she’d rather hide in the restroom until it ended. Her last experience attending this kind of charity event had already torn her apart once. Now facing a similar environment again, even just standing simply in the crowd was already an extremely challenging thing for Wu Man.

She took a glass of wine to hold in her hand, sipping from time to time, trying to ease her strained expression.

But this forced composure completely crumbled when she saw Tang Jiarong’s figure appear at the entrance.

Her wrist trembled, the wine in her glass spilled on the floor, even splashing onto her gown.

“I’ll go to the restroom to tidy up…”

Wu Man tried to flee in panic, but was held at Yu Jiaze’s side.

“I just said, no wandering off.”

He forcefully held her and walked forward. Wu Man saw that direction… was heading straight toward Tang Jiarong.

Her face turned deathly pale, her footsteps almost completely stopped, creating opposing force with Yu Jiaze as she tried to retreat.

He already understood in his heart, but pretended not to understand: “What’s going on? Suddenly can’t walk?”

Wu Man pushed him away without regard, took a deep breath and said: “I really need to go to the bathroom. My stomach hurts.”

This time Yu Jiaze didn’t stop her again, letting her flee in panic.

He watched her stumbling figure escape the venue before turning to walk toward Tang Jiarong, greeting him calmly: “Hello, Uncle Tang. Has your health been well?”

Tang Jiarong patted his shoulder: “It’s Jiaze. Haven’t seen you in a long time. My health is still good. How is your father?”

“Thank you for your concern. He’s living quite comfortably.”

“Come visit the house when you have time. I’ve been inviting you for so long, but you never come!”

Yu Jiaze smiled meaningfully: “I’ll come, definitely this time.”

After chatting a few more words with Tang Jiarong, Yu Jiaze looked at the time and excused himself to look for Wu Man.

He couldn’t find her and directly messaged to ask: “Still in the bathroom after all this time?”

She replied: “Constipation.”

“…”

Yu Jiaze laughed out loud inappropriately, drawing attention from those around him. After all, it was rare to see Young Master Yu laugh so openly in public.

Her constipation lasted directly until the event ended. Yu Jiaze didn’t expose her either, watching as she got in the car and covered her stomach, acting with great effort as if she bore deep grievances.

“Why does my stomach still feel uncomfortable?”

“Are you pregnant?”

His casual question startled her badly. She immediately shook her head with a pale face: “What are you talking about!”

“Then you just didn’t want to see Tang Jiarong?”

The completely unprepared transition made Wu Man’s panicked expression impossible to hide.

“What are you talking about? Who’s Tang Jiarong?”

She turned her head to look out the car window, her back to Yu Jiaze completely straight.

“Little bird, your acting is too poor.” Yu Jiaze shook his head. “No need to pretend in front of me. I know everything about you. This everything includes the matter between your mother and Tang Jiarong.”

“…You investigated me again?”

“Before raising a pet, knowing her basic situation—isn’t that perfectly natural?”

Wu Man’s spine trembled. She turned her eyes sideways, her gaze like a knife.

“What do you want to know?”

“That man who was once married to Wu Yulan isn’t your father at all.” Yu Jiaze casually dropped the bombshell. “Tang Jiarong is, right?”

“Wrong.” She denied without blinking.

Yu Jiaze pretended to understand: “Oh, then I was overthinking. Just now when I was chatting with Tang Jiarong, he mentioned inviting me to visit. I was thinking maybe it would be better not to bring you, but since it’s not what I thought, then bringing you should be fine, right?”

He discussed with her seriously, but his tone was full of malicious amusement at having her in his grasp.

“…Is this fun for you?”

Wu Man couldn’t bear it any longer and raised her volume, revealing her extremely disordered emotions.

Yu Jiaze gripped the back of her neck, soothing and coaxing: “Why is my little bird getting upset? It’s just accompanying me to a meal. I’ve never seen you react this strongly before.”

Wu Man closed her eyes and let out a long breath, no longer pretending.

She knew deeply that she’d been seen through. Continuing to pretend was meaningless.

“He’s not my father.” She said decisively. “I’ve only seen Tang Jiarong twice. The last time I saw him was also at a similar charity event.”

Recalling that scene, her eyes still uncontrollably became sore.

She couldn’t describe the feeling at the time—probably like a believer who’d lived devoutly on some faith, watching helplessly as the temple they worshipped collapsed before their eyes.

“And then? What did you say to each other?”

“I didn’t even get close to him.” Wu Man lowered her head, picking at her palm, her tone very calm: “His secretary found me first.”

Having said this much, Yu Jiaze immediately understood.

He looked at Wu Man with lowered eyes, curled in shadow. Perhaps it was the light being too dim, but it suddenly made him feel dazed, seemingly seeing his childhood self.

The speeding street surface, the pitch-black back seat of the car—he as a child had sat in that same posture.

He asked the driver: “Didn’t Father promise to pick me up today? Why did you come instead?”

The driver showed a helpless expression, carefully glanced at the rearview mirror, and answered honestly: “Sir never told me there was any change of plans today. Of course I still came to pick up Young Master.”

The young child silently stared at the perfect-score test paper in his palm, slowly crumpling it into a ball.

The car was terrifyingly quiet. The driver turned on the radio, which also overlapped with today’s radio—forever reporting traffic congestion. But being inside felt empty, as if the entire city was desolate, no cars, no lights, no people.

A city that had been vacant for many years, only to unexpectedly have a bird fly recklessly in.

Equally lonely, Yu Jiaze grabbed her from the sky and pulled her into his arms.

Neither of them spoke again. Wu Man buried her face in his windbreaker, soon dampening the fabric.

Yu Jiaze’s gaze drifted into the distance as he whispered very softly: “Silly little bird.”

They embraced like this, silent the entire way.

After some time passed since the charity event, Tang Jiarong hadn’t forgotten their verbal agreement and sent invitations to Yu Jiaze and Father Yu to come for a meal together.

It wasn’t like there hadn’t been such occasions before, but Yu Jiaze had always declined with various excuses, letting the two old men get together for tea, chess, and fishing while he didn’t participate.

Therefore, when he agreed to go together this time, it made Father Yu feel somewhat surprised, saying condescendingly: “Not bad, you’ve made some progress. Not so willful anymore.”

Willful?

Yu Jiaze curved his lips in a smile. He hadn’t known how to write those two words since age three.

They drove to the Tang family’s vacation villa in the suburbs. Tang Jiarong had people receive them. Accompanying him was his wife, and the two welcomed Father Yu and Yu Jiaze’s arrival together.

Tang Jiarong said proudly: “Old Yu, your trip here is really worth it. I haven’t even enjoyed this hot spring villa myself since buying it, and I’ve already invited you over.”

Father Yu snorted: “You think I don’t know what you’re scheming? You want to pull me in as an LP for that new project of yours, right?”

“You… just arrived and already talking business. No fun.”

Tang Jiarong laughed heartily. His wife beside him immediately picked up the conversation: “Since Jiaze also came this time, I should have had Tangtang come too, so the two families’ children could meet and get to know each other.”

Yu Jiaze nodded politely: “Meeting you is the same. Looking at your features, there’s no difference from a young lady.”

Mrs. Tang was flattered to the point of blooming, covering her mouth to laugh. Before she could laugh twice, the smile froze on her lips.

Because Yu Jiaze continued: “But sometimes a woman’s aging isn’t in her features, but in her spirit.”

“What does Jiaze mean by this?”

Mrs. Tang’s expression clearly became displeased.

“Oh, I mean to say that Uncle Tang is busy with his career outside, while you alone manage all the big and small matters inside and outside the Tang household. Doesn’t that drain your spirit? If some sticky flies latch on, driving them away can be truly troublesome.”

The previously pleasant atmosphere was twisted by Yu Jiaze’s sarcastic remark into a hemp rope. The varied expressions of the other three intertwined together, forming a tangled picture.

The instigator acted as if unaware, continuing: “Flies don’t land on seamless eggs. I imagine Uncle Tang being such an upright and glorious person absolutely wouldn’t bring you this kind of trouble. He must be deeply devoted to you.” He emphasized the words “deeply devoted,” his tone quite serious, yet the more serious, the more sarcastic. “So it’s not without reason that you look so young.”

These words seemed superficially all praise, but just made people uncomfortable.

Father Yu knew best what kind of person he was—completely giving backhanded compliments, finding roundabout ways to irritate people.

Father Yu imperceptibly suppressed his anger, not wanting to lose face in front of outsiders, saying simply: “Jiaze, I forgot to bring the two gifts I prepared. Go home and personally retrieve them for Uncle Tang and the others.”

Yu Jiaze shrugged, left without objection, turning to leave.

The next day, when Father Yu returned from the hot spring villa, he called Yu Jiaze to the study and locked the door.

As soon as the door locked, a slap landed squarely on Yu Jiaze’s face.

“You’ve really made something of yourself, huh?!” Father Yu’s palm hurt from hitting, and he shook his hand while pacing back and forth in the room. “I just praised you before going out, and you deliberately go against me, don’t you?”

“Father is overthinking.”

Yu Jiaze didn’t move a muscle, not even furrowing his brow.

“You’re really something. I didn’t know you were interested in other people’s household affairs?”

“In our line of work, isn’t gossip a basic subject?”

Hearing his flippant answer, Father Yu’s anger flared up, and he backhanded another slap.

“Face the wall and reflect here! I see you’re just asking for suffering!”

Father Yu pressed the window remote control. The security shutters extended from inside, and the entire room slowly gathered into a black coffin.

Only then did Yu Jiaze’s feet stagger half a step.

He looked at the heavy door being closed, as if becoming again the child locked in here over a decade ago.

But he’d long stopped being afraid.

Was the old man still living in the past? Same old routine, day after day, year after year, without any creativity.

Yu Jiaze stepped on the soft carpet, sat in the study’s spacious leather chair in the darkness, and leisurely spun around in a circle. Only the air still carried a faint smell of smoke. He held his breath, thinking how could there be something as disgusting as nicotine in this world.

From this point of view, he was indeed asking for suffering.

But his heart felt very satisfied at this moment, so he didn’t mind.

Thinking of Tang Jiarong’s awkward old face at that time, Yu Jiaze’s shoulders trembled in the darkness, unable to help laughing out loud. His fingers stroked the chest of his shirt—this was the one worn at that charity event. The spot he touched seemed to still retain traces of the little bird’s dampness.

Yu Jiaze was locked by Father Yu in the lightless study for a full day and night, not a drop of water passing his lips. When he finally got out, he ran into his nominal stepmother on the stairs.

She was startled, then put on a very concerned appearance: “You must be hungry. Stay and eat something before leaving? I’ll have Auntie Liu cook now.”

“I am quite hungry.” His stomach unhelpfully growled twice. “But seeing your face is too appetite-spoiling.”

Having said this, he walked away, leaving the iron-faced woman frozen in place, grinding her teeth.

He drove toward the villa direction but temporarily changed his mind and headed toward Wu Man’s residence.

She’d been preparing for a new role recently, staying in the house reading the script.

Yu Jiaze guessed she must have messed up her sleep schedule and definitely hadn’t gotten up yet. So he went straight up to the second-floor master bedroom, pushed open the door, and a familiar smell of smoke drifted out.

Having smelled this smell again after not very long, Yu Jiaze immediately exploded.

His face cold, he strode to the bedside and grabbed Wu Man by the hair, yanking her out from under the covers.

Wu Man instantly woke up, eyes wide open, blinking twice, saying confusedly: “You… what’s wrong…?”

He said loudly: “Who told you to smoke?”

She reacted for a few seconds, explaining not too sharply: “The role I’m taking on is a bit complex. It’s about to start filming so I’m a bit anxious… so I smoked a few cigarettes.”

“I told you I extremely hate this smell.” He yanked her hair again, meeting Wu Man’s eyes with a threatening stare. “Why are you so disobedient?”

Wu Man’s lips trembled slightly. Under the tense atmosphere, Yu Jiaze’s stomach growled loudly again.

Like hearing a life-saving bell, she quickly said ingratiatingly: “You haven’t eaten breakfast yet? I’ll order takeout for you right now!”

“Not eating. Full of anger.”

Wu Man raised her finger: “I promise I won’t smoke next time.”

“You think I’ll still believe you?” Yu Jiaze sneered coldly. “Since you’re anxious about filming and want to smoke, then don’t take this role.”

Wu Man completely panicked now. She’d read the script over and over many times, memorized the lines until she could recite them backwards, just waiting for the cameras to roll.

She was anxious, but that was because this was the most interesting role she’d taken in her acting career so far. She was afraid to perform it, but even more afraid not to.

How could he so easily destroy all her efforts with just one sentence?

Last time when he’d also caught her smoking, he hadn’t been this violent. She didn’t understand why this time was unforgivable, requiring such a huge price.

“I really won’t… I’m sorry… I really won’t smoke again.”

She was incoherent, eager to fight for her chance.

Yu Jiaze paid no attention, took off his coat and flopped onto the bed, saying wearily: “I’m tired, need to sleep. Don’t disturb me. We’ll talk about the rest when I wake up.”

No matter how anxious Wu Man was, she could only fall silent now, biting her teeth as she closed the door and left. After spending all this time with Yu Jiaze, she knew that adding fuel to the fire would only make things worse for herself. Going along with his wishes and waiting until he was happy—perhaps then there’d be room to negotiate.

“Wait.”

Yu Jiaze’s sudden voice made her think there was a turning point, and she turned around full of expectation.

“Open the window before you go.”

…Did this smell make him so unbearable?

The more he showed resistance to smoke, the more hopeless Wu Man felt.

She opened the window. Just as she was about to draw the curtains, Yu Jiaze stopped her: “No need. Leave it like this.”

“…Are you sure? Sunlight will come in.”

“I know.”

Several rays of sunlight shifted around the bedroom through the curtain gaps. Yu Jiaze frowned deeply from the glare, yet stubbornly turned away, insisting on maintaining the light while sleeping.

Lunatic.

Wu Man could only think of this word to describe Yu Jiaze’s peculiarity.

She closed the door in confusion, went downstairs, sat in the empty first-floor living room, feeling restless and really wanting to smoke a cigarette to relieve herself. But thinking that it was the damned cigarettes that led to the current situation made her even more restless.

But in the end, what fault did cigarettes have? They were innocent.

Wu Man looked at the thick stack of scripts on the coffee table, lines marked with highlighter, dog-eared corners, and dense character annotations. Her nose tingled.

The harsh white daylight outside, Wu Man followed this ray of light looking at the tightly closed door on the second floor, helplessly covering her eyes.

Behind the heavy door, Yu Jiaze was sinking into dreams.

He dreamed that he and Wu Man were sitting in a driverless vehicle, with only the two of them around, nothing else.

Wu Man was still crying. He took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

He heard himself speak in an unprecedentedly gentle tone: “Don’t cry anymore, little bird. I’ve already taught that old man a lesson for you.”

His little bird looked at him and smiled through her tears.

Thank you, she said.