Chapter Forty-Three: The Parrot Song King (Please Recommend)

After completing his discharge procedures and bidding farewell to the two nurses, Xie Jing left the hospital with Huang Ling in a carefree manner, under their sympathetic gazes.

September in Shaqun City was truly scorching; the sun hung high overhead, donning its brightest attire, displaying its most passionate side to humanity.

Xie Jing recalled that the last time he had walked out of this hospital was around this same time last year.

Even though the heat outside was oppressive, it did nothing to dampen his good mood.

“Let’s go! Time for a bowl of noodles!”

There were always small eateries clustered around the hospital entrance, selling all kinds of food. Rice noodles, being the city's specialty, were naturally a must.

When Xie Jing pulled Huang Ling into a noodle shop and they sat down, she finally shook herself free from her dazed thoughts.

She remembered every word she’d said, every thought that had crossed her mind. Silver Tongue was no puppet magic; it merely influenced a person’s thinking to a certain extent, leading to misjudgments. It would never cause such unscientific things as memory loss.

However, when this skill was cast by Xie Jing on an ordinary person like Huang Ling, especially with the luck-boosting buff in play, it could truly unleash its full potential.

Watching Xie Jing slurp his noodles with gusto, Huang Ling was momentarily stunned. Yet, instead of telling him to return to the hospital, her lips curled into a genuine, heartfelt smile.

In that instant, she felt Xie Jing was right. Even if death was inevitable, one should face it with joy. Waiting to die in a hospital—what a painful existence.

Xie Jing was so startled by her smile that he paused mid-bite, eyeing her suspiciously. Had she been rendered silly by his Silver Tongue?

“What are you smiling at? Eat!”

Huang Ling pushed her untouched noodles toward him. “I already ate before coming. I can't eat anymore—you have it.”

“Oh.” Xie Jing made no pretenses. Truth be told, he never stood on ceremony with Huang Ling. He quickly finished his own bowl and then took hers, continuing the feast.

“Where to next?”

“Let’s go home first. I want to see what state you’ve left my place in!”

Draining the last of the broth with a satisfied slurp, Xie Jing set his bowl aside.

Having a bit of money, he had bought an apartment in Shaqun City some time ago. He had intended to make his mark on the world and achieve some modest goals, but fate had dealt him a cancer diagnosis.

Huang Ling had always kept a key to the place and usually stayed there.

As a junior at Shaqun Agricultural University, her course load was much lighter than in her first two years, giving her plenty of time to live at home.

“Don’t you have classes this afternoon?”

Huang Ling shook her head, falling in step with Xie Jing. “No. Our classes are few now—mostly research labs. The experimental fields our research team has cultivated are maturing and need no further supervision from me.”

She hailed a taxi, gave the driver their address, and they sped toward their destination.

Xie Jing’s apartment was in Hualai District, conveniently close to the university, which was precisely why he’d chosen it—to make things easier for Huang Ling.

For this younger sister, Xie Jing had always tried his best, not for any other reason, but simply to repay the kindness of Huang Ling’s parents, who had raised him.

Of course, Xie Jing wasn’t the sort of fool protagonist who kept a girl by his side purely out of platonic intentions. He did want to cultivate feelings between them. Yet, despite being childhood friends, he’d never really felt much romantic affection for her.

Still, over the past year, Huang Ling’s meticulous care had moved him, stirring faint ripples in his heart.

But just as things seemed promising with Huang Ling, Xie Jing had transmigrated…

…and met someone like Akane Kamizera, the perfect Japanese girl.

Gentle, beautiful, an amazing cook…

He glanced at Huang Ling beside him.

In terms of looks, they were evenly matched, but in temperament… she was nowhere near as gentle.

As for her cooking… well, it hovered somewhere between deadly and a guaranteed stomachache.

After a ten-minute ride, they arrived at Xinyu Garden Community.

It was a mid-range residential complex aimed at ordinary folks, but the landscaping and management were good; there were plenty of trees, and the fitness and entertainment facilities were comprehensive.

Xie Jing’s apartment was on the fifth floor, over ninety square meters—spacious enough for one, or even for him and Huang Ling together, without any inconvenience.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

The place was spotless, everything neatly arranged—a clear sign that the resident cared deeply about quality of life.

A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air—the scent of Huang Ling herself.

“Wow, wow, someone’s back! Someone’s back!” a shrill voice piped up nearby.

“Shut up!” Xie Jing slapped the birdcage. Inside, a white parrot beat its wings furiously, struggling to keep its balance.

“You dare hit me, the King Pigeon?” the parrot glared at Xie Jing with its big round eyes.

“Does this thing still think it’s a pigeon?” Xie Jing pointed at the parrot, turning to Huang Ling.

“You have no idea,” Huang Ling replied, stepping forward and giving the cage another smack.

“On China’s seventieth anniversary, this guy made a racket in the house, claiming he’d spotted several pretty female pigeons and begged me to let him go. No idea where he picked up such bad habits.”

She shot Xie Jing a meaningful look, while he scratched his head and stroked his chin, feigning absent-mindedness.

“But really, thanks to Song King, the place hasn’t felt so empty without you. It brought life to the house and kept me company for ages—it’s become like family to me.”

She gently patted the cage, her eyes shining with comfort and gratitude.

Inside, the parrot Song King hopped up and down, shattering the brief tranquility.

“Wow! You wicked woman, how dare you hit me?”

“Just try moving again and see what happens, you shrew!”

“I’m not to be trifled with—I’ll flap my wings all night and drive you crazy! Just try me!”

…

Huang Ling quietly took down the cage and shot Xie Jing a grim smile.

“So, what’s for dinner tonight—steamed or braised? I heard parrot meat is pretty plentiful.”

But, for the sake of both the parrot’s life and his own safety, Xie Jing persuaded her to spare Song King.

Then, she turned on the TV and set the birdcage directly in front of it.

She tuned in to Animal World, choosing the bird episode.

That familiar voice of Zhao Zhongxiang floated from the screen: “Spring is the best season for animals to mate. In Africa, white-headed parrots attract each other and build nests together…”

Before long, the sound of sobbing came from the cage.

…

PS: Just a note—starting today, my second recommendation goes live. New book recommendations—I don’t have the app, which means I have to rank at least fourth to advance, and that requires at least 200+ favorites a day. Given that I’m barely getting forty a day now, my chances of advancing are slim. Honestly, there’s not much to say; I just wanted to get this off my chest. Writing novels is truly a thankless task—it’s impossible to please everyone, and the difficulty is beyond words. But keep going, young man!