“Thank you, Big Brother Mumu!”
The little girl, Qiqi, hugged her recovered Pomeranian, Nuomi, tightly, her cheeks flushed red.
Bai Jimu stood with his hands on his hips, wearing a smug “praise me quick” expression.
Behind him, that fluffy tail popped out uncontrollably, wagging happily back and forth.
“Little Bi, tail.”
A flat voice came from behind the counter.
Bai Jimu jolted and quickly retracted his tail, looking back guiltily with a grin. “Hehe, Bro, I wasn’t paying attention.”
Luckily, Qiqi was still immersed in the joy of finding her dog and didn’t notice the conversation between the two.
After sending off the profusely thankful Qiqi, the clinic returned to its usual quiet.
Business at “Baizhou Hall,” located right next to the vegetable market, was always lukewarm like this.
“Bro, how’s the little Cockatiel doing?”
With Qiqi gone, the clinic was quiet again.
Most of the time, the clinic was quite idle.
Only a few scattered people had come in since opening.
Bai Jimu peeked at the little Cockatiel lying on the velvet cloth.
Compared to when it was first brought back, the bird was in slightly better condition, though it still looked like it wasn’t long for this world.
Bai Yanzhou looked at the listless little bird, his brow furrowing slightly. He walked over, his finger lightly touching the faint rise and fall beneath the bird’s sparse feathers.
“Physical weakness can be treated with medicine,” he said calmly. “But if it has given up the will to live, even the best medicine is useless.”
The little Cockatiel seemed to understand, or perhaps it just didn’t care. It buried its head deeper into its wing, refusing to even open its eyes.
Bai Jimu watched with heartache. He transformed into his Beagle form, approached carefully, and gently nudged the Cockatiel’s wing with his nose, making low, comforting sounds.
The Cockatiel just shrank back slightly, giving no response.
In the days that followed, Bai Jimu spent all his free time accompanying the little Cockatiel.
He found fresh millet and fruit, cut them into small pieces, and brought them to its beak.
He played soft music, and he even learned to use a soft brush to gently groom its bare back.
Most of the time, the Cockatiel just passively accepted it, occasionally eating a bite or two, but those black eyes remained empty and lifeless.
It would still unconsciously peck at the few feathers it had left, leaving new wounds.
Bai Yanzhou watched silently.
During his daily checks, he would linger a moment longer, infusing a thread of cool demonic energy to protect its weak heart meridian.
One afternoon, sunlight spilled through the window onto the floor.
Bai Jimu squatted beside the Cockatiel, holding a small bell.
“Look, this rings.” He shook the bell gently. “When you get better, I’ll take you outside to fly. There are trees, flowers, and lots of fun things out there.”
The Cockatiel remained motionless.
Bai Jimu didn’t get discouraged. He continued talking to himself. “I used to think I was unlucky too. Why did other dogs have homes, while I was stuck getting poked with sharp needles every day and eating terrible medicine? Until I met Bro…”
He began to tell his story, from being a laboratory Beagle to being adopted by Bai Yanzhou, from a clueless little demon to gradually learning how to transform.
He talked about the people and animals coming and going in the clinic, the illnesses cured, and the warm encounters.
“Living is hard,” Bai Jimu nudged the Cockatiel gently with his nose. “But good things will happen. Just like I met Bro, and just like you met us.”
The Cockatiel’s body moved slightly.
Bai Jimu keenly sensed this subtle change.
He narrated with even more enthusiasm, sharing the little joys of life: the first time he successfully helped Bro fill a prescription, the first thank-you from a young patient, even the simple pleasure of chasing butterflies in the yard.
Gradually, the Cockatiel lifted its head.
Although the movement was slow and hesitant, it was definitely listening.
Standing in front of the medicine cabinet, Bai Yanzhou appeared to be sorting herbs, but he was actually monitoring the situation.
Seeing the Cockatiel finally respond, a glint of relief flashed in his eyes.
A few more days passed.
Under Bai Jimu’s persistent companionship, the Cockatiel began to show obvious changes.
It would actively eat a few bites of food and occasionally preen its remaining feathers.
Although it would still zone out from time to time, the dead silence in its eyes had faded, replaced by a cautious expectation.
One morning, when Bai Jimu went to check on the Cockatiel as usual, he found it tilting its head, intently watching the sparrows hopping on the tree branches outside the window.
“Do you want to go out and see?” Bai Jimu asked softly.
The Cockatiel turned its head, looked at him, and nodded slightly.
Bai Jimu was overjoyed. He carefully cupped the bird in his hands and walked to the window.
Warm sunlight fell on the Cockatiel’s bare wings. It squinted, feeling the long-lost warmth.
“When your feathers grow back, you’ll be able to fly just like them,” Bai Jimu said, pointing at the sparrows.
The Cockatiel let out a weak chirp, as if in response.
Bai Yanzhou had appeared behind them at some point.
“Since you want to fly, you must heal your body first.” He handed over a small bowl of special medicinal porridge. “Eat this.”
The Cockatiel looked at the porridge, then at Bai Yanzhou, and finally lowered its head to eat.
This time, it ate earnestly and with effort.
Bai Yanzhou watched it, his tone calm but gentle. “From today on, your name is Xiao Xuan (Little Xuan). Baizhou Hall is your home.”
Xiao Xuan lifted its head, its bright black eyes shimmering with gratitude.
It chirped softly, as if accepting the name.
Bai Jimu wagged his tail beside them, smiling until his eyes were mere slits.
He knew that this once-despairing little bird had finally found the courage and reason to live.
Days turned into weeks.
With Bai Jimu’s patience and Xiao Xuan’s rekindled will to live, its physical condition improved significantly.
New downy feathers slowly grew in, covering the originally bare skin. Although it was still far from having a beautiful coat of feathers, at least it was no longer ugly.
It started reacting to Bai Jimu’s teasing, chirping softly when he approached, and attempting to flap its wings, even though it couldn’t fly yet.
Those beady black eyes gradually gained spirit, though they still held a trace of timidity.
Bai Yanzhou observed all of this.
One night, the clinic was closed, leaving only them inside.
Moonlight spilled through the window lattice, casting a clear glow.
Bai Jimu had reverted to his Beagle form and was dozing by Xiao Xuan’s nest, his tail occasionally swaying lazily.
Bai Yanzhou walked to the birdcage and gazed quietly at the sleeping Cockatiel.
He could sense that the faint spark of intelligence within the little guy, nurtured by these days of care and driven by its own will, had stabilized and even grown a little.
The time had come.
He gently opened the cage door and scooped Xiao Xuan out with soft movements.
Startled awake, Xiao Xuan blinked blankly.
Upon seeing it was Bai Yanzhou, it didn’t struggle but sat docilely in his palm.
It trusted the person who had given it a second life.
Bai Yanzhou brought it to the courtyard and placed it on the stone table, bathing it in the bright moonlight.
“Intelligence has opened, earthly ties are not severed. Since you have the heart to live, I will lend you a hand.”
Bai Yanzhou’s voice sounded exceptionally clear in the silent night, carrying an ancient and mysterious power.
He formed his fingers into a brush, a point of soft, pure light condensing at his fingertips—not sharp demonic energy, but a more primordial power of enlightenment.
He gently tapped that point of light onto Xiao Xuan’s forehead.
The light absorbed instantly.
Xiao Xuan’s body was enveloped in a soft halo, and its form began to undergo a miraculous change within the light.
The sheen of feathers faded, limbs reconstructed, outlines elongated…
When the light dispersed, there was no longer a Cockatiel on the stone table, but a little boy who looked about seven or eight years old.
He wore a small, light gray outfit transformed from his feathers, and his hair was the same color, lying softly against his forehead.
His small face was a bit pale, his features delicate.
A pair of large, round black eyes was currently filled with confusion and bewilderment.
He looked down at his small hands, then touched his face, seeming unable to comprehend what had happened.
Bai Jimu had woken up long ago and was staring at this scene with his jaw dropped, forgetting even to wag his tail.
The little boy tried to open his mouth, wanting to speak, but only managed a few broken syllables: “I… I… Th-thank… thank you… M-Mr. Bai…”
His speech was stuttered, marked by obvious pauses and repetitions.
It seemed controlling these new vocal organs was still difficult for him.
Realizing he wasn’t speaking fluently, he lowered his head in embarrassment, his small hands nervously clutching the hem of his clothes.
A flash of understanding crossed Bai Yanzhou’s eyes.
The form taken after enlightenment was related to one’s nature.
This childish appearance and the stutter likely reflected the inner trauma that hadn’t fully healed, and his latent insecurity.
“No matter. You will adapt in time,” Bai Yanzhou said, his tone still flat but without harshness. “Since you have taken human form, from now on, you will be called Bai Xuan.”
Bai Jimu finally reacted, excitedly transforming back into human form and rushing over.
He circled Bai Xuan, looking him up and down, his face full of undisguised surprise. “Wow! Xiao Xuan, you turned into a human! So cute! It’s just the talking…”
Realizing something, he quickly stopped himself and scratched his head. “It’s okay, it’s okay, take your time. When my brother taught me, it took me ages to learn too!”
Bai Xuan looked up at Bai Jimu’s brilliant smile, then stole a glance at the calm-faced Bai Yanzhou.
The apprehension in his heart eased slightly.
He tried hard again, speaking word by word: “Th-thank… you… Bro… Brother. Thank you… Bro M-Mumu.”
Although he still stuttered, the gratitude was incredibly sincere.
Bai Yanzhou nodded slightly. “From now on, follow Little Bi. Learn the rules of the clinic first and do what you can.”
“Mmhmm!” Bai Xuan nodded vigorously, a shy smile—his first real smile—blooming on his small face.
He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer the abandoned parrot waiting in despair for death.
He was Bai Xuan, a member of Baizhou Hall.