"Ye'er, will Dad scold us when he comes back?" Luo Feng looked at Luo Ye who was sitting on the sofa playing with Little Seagull, worry plastered on his face.
"Don't worry, Dou Dou is so obedient, Dad will like her!" Luo Ye tapped on Little Seagull—now named Dou Dou's little head: "You little thing, why do you keep following me? It's so weird, do you really like me that much?"
This little creature was indeed strange. It had flown away with a flock of seagulls but later returned alone to her side. It followed her wherever she went.
If someone approached, it would flutter away, but once it felt safe, it would come back to Luo Ye's side. Not wanting this lonely little thing to get hurt, Luo Ye decided to take it home and named it Dou Dou – she would tease it, and it would follow her back, hence the name Dou Dou.
"Chirp chirp…" Dou Dou's little eyes glistened as it proudly puffed out its white chest and sang a tune that only it could understand.
"Why does it like Ye'er so much?" Luo Feng scratched his nose, puzzled. When they got home, Luo Ye bathed Little Seagull and dried it with a blow dryer, and the little thing didn't struggle at all, which was quite astonishing.
"Who knows, in my heart, I didn't really want to bring it home to raise. Seagulls are migratory birds; once domesticated, it's hard for them to survive when they return to the wild.
But since it's not yet mature and was all alone, I feared it might get caught by someone with bad intentions after we left. Instead of letting that happen, it's better to bring it home with us. At least it likes me, and I certainly won't let it become someone's meal."
Luo Ye tapped on Dou Dou's white little chest: "You proud little thing, did you lose your parents and now you're seeking warmth from me?" That might be the only explanation.
"Chirp chirp chirp…" The sound of Dou Dou's singing rose again, perhaps explaining the reason, or maybe just a habit of the animal, but unfortunately, no one could understand this song.
"Dou Dou, I don't want to cage you up, nor do I want to lock you in a cage. You can freely move around this house, but you can't knock things over, you can't mess up the house, and you have to go to the bathroom when you need to relieve yourself, okay?" Luo Ye said as she patted its head: "I must be silly, how could you understand? Never mind, I'll teach you slowly. Luckily our mom is kind and has a gentle temper, so there shouldn't be a problem."
Luo Feng sat opposite, watching his sister jabber away with Little Seagull and couldn't help but laugh: "Ye'er, what if it's in danger when you bring the dog back after the summer vacation?"
Luo Ye raised her little head proudly: "Hmph, the little ones I raise are all very spiritual; they will definitely become good friends!"
"Uh… Ye'er, I understand why it likes you now, you two really resemble each other!" Luo Feng collapsed onto the sofa, laughing, as the proud look on his little sister's face was exactly like that of Little Seagull!
"Brother, you're asking for it!" Luo Ye ran over and pinned Luo Feng down, giving him a sound beating. Dou Dou quickly flew onto Luo Feng's head and started pecking at his neck.
"Ye'er, Ye'er, get your Dou Dou to stop, hahaha… Ye'er… I'm sorry, please get Dou Dou to stop, hahaha…"
"Dou Dou, stop it!"
As Luo Ye's words fell, Dou Dou flapped its little wings and, proudly puffing out its little chest, landed next to Luo Ye's feet and stood there like a little gentleman without moving.
"Dou Dou is so smart!" Luo Ye praised while gently touching Dou Dou's back feathers. Knowing how to peck people to be ticklish but not painful, this little thing was really endearing.
"Bro, get up!" Luo Ye's voice suddenly became serious.
Luo Feng looked at Luo Ye with some unease: "What's the matter, Ye'er?"
Luo Ye looked seriously at Luo Feng: "Brother, didn't you ask me if I don't like Liang Jing? That's right, I don't like her, and I hope you will stop associating with her in the future, can you do that?"
"Why... why?" Luo Feng scratched his head in frustration: "But, I promised her that if she has any questions she doesn't understand, she can ask me."
"You can break your word to anyone else, but to her, you can!" Luo Ye's voice carried a hint of coldness, and surprise flashed in Luo Feng's eyes: "Ye'er, why do you dislike her so much? Compared to Zhuang Meili, I think she is more deserving of sympathy, Ye'er..."
"Brother is trying to say, when did I become so heartless?" Luo Ye's lips curled into a sneer: "The world is full of people who deserve sympathy, I am just an ordinary individual.
Moreover, she may not even be deserving of sympathy. You've only met with her once, do you really believe everything she says? As a person, you need to learn to discern."
"Could her saying that she can't afford to attend school be false? But her hands are truly frostbitten, right?" Luo Feng rubbed his head, a look of confusion on his face.
"Ah!" Luo Ye sighed heavily: "Brother, it's true that she can't afford school, and her hands are indeed frostbitten, but these are not necessarily reasons for sympathy.
Eight or nine out of ten construction workers can't afford school and hence work outside in the wind and snow during winter. It's likely not just their hands that are frozen. What's there for brother to discuss?"
"This..."
"I know, my question is a bit tough, but that's the reality. We are not saviors, nor can we be angels. Hold back your overflowing sympathy until you truly have the ability to help others within your means. Can you do that?"
"I can..." Luo Feng hesitated: "Ye'er, but I feel that her character is very similar to that of Ye'er from before, I have an inexplicable feeling of closeness, don't you feel it, Ye'er?"
"No, that's where brother is mistaken!" Luo Ye emphasized seriously: "From now on, brother, you cannot have any contact with Liang Jing whatsoever. If I find out that you didn't listen to me, you'll bear the consequences!"
"What consequences could there be?" Luo Feng shrank back slightly: "What if she comes to me with questions? I promised, I can't just avoid her, can I?"
Luo Ye glanced at him sidelong: "The consequence is either her or me, not both. As for her looking for you, it's okay to avoid her even if you promised, understand?"
"Understood!" Luo Feng quickly nodded.
Luo Ye thought for a moment and then looked at Luo Feng: "Brother, if you don't like Zhuang Meili, don't give her false hope. If you do like her, treat her well and don't drag things on ambiguously, girls can't handle that."
"I can't really say whether I like her or not; she's been pursuing me for a long time, and I don't seem to hate her, but..." Luo Feng glanced cautiously at Luo Ye: "But after meeting Liang Jing today, I realized I might like Liang Jing even more."
Luo Ye made a stop gesture: "There's no room for discussion on this, let's leave it at that!"
"Alright!" Luo Feng looked helplessly resigned, not understanding why his sister disliked Liang Jing so much.
"Brother, you'll understand one day!" Luo Ye sighed deeply: "She's not the type to endure loneliness and work steadfastly. Her ambition doesn't suit brother!"
Luo Feng smiled and stroked his sister's forehead: "I'll listen to Ye'er, so stop sighing, or you'll turn into an old lady!"
"Who's turning into an old lady?" Accompanied by the sound of a door opening, Wen Xin walked in, and when she got close to Luo Ye, Dou Dou, seemingly terrified of being squashed, flapped its wings and flew onto Luo Ye. The feeling was as if it were scared of being stepped on to death! Awkward!
Nuannuan's second update has arrived. Special thanks to "ぐ戀貓﹏", "Gui Ye", "Xianyun Xiaoduo", "Military House 88688" for the PK tickets, and a special thanks to "Chang Li", "Heart-piercing at 2 a.m." for the rewards! Love you all!