Wang Yun entered the kitchen in a daze, and his mind went blank as he watched the little Zhuque chattering incessantly, trying to get a few more bites of the river shrimp.

"How can it talk?"

It's so surreal.

Gao Ping didn't know how to put it, but when he first saw the little Vermilion Bird, his reaction was no better than Wang Yun's.

The kitchen was crammed with five people and a bird, so cramped that there wasn't enough room to turn around.

Cheng Baidong then led the little Zhuque, who was causing trouble in the kitchen, out of the kitchen. Gao Ping, who couldn't cook, was also kicked out.

After the two people and the bird left, the kitchen suddenly felt much more spacious.

At the same time, Wang Yun started talking non-stop.

"Xiao Qiao, what's going on? How can there be birds in this world that can talk like people? It's so strange."

Fang Qiao shook her head: "I don't know, I was confused too."

Xiao Jing leaned closer and whispered, "Sister-in-law, Sister Xiao Yun, isn't this bird similar to a parrot? I heard that parrots can talk too."

“It’s different,” Fang Qiao said. “Parrots can only mimic a few specific words. This bird is different; it’s very intelligent, like a child.”

“Yes,” Wang Yun nodded, “It’s very smart. It will even try to please you in order to get a few more bites.”

Xiao Jing nodded as if she understood, then asked anxiously, "Since this bird is so magical, will we be arrested if we find out about its existence?"

"Probably not. You heard what Director Qin said just now. He didn't mean that." Fang Qiao paused for a moment, then said, "Since we're here, let's make the best of it. No matter if it's a divine bird or a monster, there are people watching us. As long as we obediently follow the leaders' orders and keep our mouths shut, trouble won't come our way. We can just close the door and live our own lives."

After chatting for a few minutes, the three of them quickly prepared the remaining dishes and brought them to the table.

There are three meat dishes: braised fish, braised pork, and deep-fried river shrimp; two vegetarian dishes: stir-fried green peppers and eggs, and steamed eggplant with minced garlic; and a bowl of meatball soup.

Six dishes, served with fermented cornbread, were more than enough for Fang Qiao.

Unexpectedly, the little Vermilion Bird, despite her small appearance, had a huge appetite. Not only did she finish all the dishes Fang Qiao had given her, but she also cleaned up all the leftovers on the table after the meal.

They devoured it all in no time, leaving not a single piece.

Fang Qiao originally planned to chop up the remaining half-bowl of braised pork and make roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) for dinner, but now there's only an empty plate left.

The key point is that Little Vermilion Bird still said with lingering satisfaction, "I'm not full."

Fang Qiao: "..."

While washing dishes in the kitchen, Wang Yun couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Is that a Vermilion Bird? Are you sure it's not a Taotie?"

Fang Qiao was speechless.

After the meal, Wang Yun was taken by Gao Ping to the office building to find Factory Director Qin.

Little Zhuque was also called in for a talk by Cheng Baidong.

Cheng Baidong asked Xiao Zhuque to go out and pretend to be mute, but Xiao Zhuque refused.

So Cheng Baidong used coercion and enticement, and finally made a deal by offering to provide him with all his meals every day.

Fang Qiao sat by the window, watching the man and bird arguing not far away, and found it extremely funny.

Going back a day, she never imagined she would one day witness such a magical scene.

The little Vermilion Bird, having eaten and drunk its fill, wanted to take a nap.

It flapped its wings and flew around the room, finally finding a spot—An'an's crib.

Fang Qiao shook her head: "No, the crib is for babies to sleep in. You are a bird, you can't sleep in a baby's crib."

The little Vermilion Bird didn't understand: "I've only been out of my shell for a week, I'm a baby too, why can't I sleep in a crib?"

It's only been a week since it hatched?

Fang Qiao looked at it and saw that it could fly and talk, and was as clever as a three or four-year-old human child. She never expected that it had only been a week since it hatched.

Fang Qiao racked her brains to find a reason to refuse: "You are a fledgling, not a baby."

"Is it because I didn't become a child?" Little Vermilion Bird said aggrievedly, "But I also want to transform. However, there is too little spiritual energy in this world. I was able to hatch thanks to a wisp of Cheng Baidong's essence blood. I don't have any extra power to become a child."

"This world has too little spiritual energy?" Fang Qiao's eyelids twitched. "The world you used to live in had plenty of spiritual energy?"

The little Vermilion Bird nodded irritably: "Yes, yes, but that world is about to collapse, and my people are almost wiped out, so I had no choice but to come here."

"I see." Fang Qiao nodded thoughtfully, and seeing that Xiao Zhuque looked sad, she didn't ask any more questions.

She got some scraps of cloth from Xiaojing, stuffed some cotton underneath, and made a little nest in An'an's crib.

She beckoned Little Vermilion Bird over and said softly, "You can sleep here."

Little Vermilion Bird immediately perked up and circled around Fang Qiao twice: "Thank you, beautiful sister, you're so kind."

Fang Qiao smiled and said, "Go to sleep."

The little red bird landed in the nest of the crib and closed its eyes shortly afterward.

Fang Qiao tucked the blanket around An'an, who was sleeping at the head of the bed, then looked at the two brothers in the double crib next to her, and turned to walk out of the inner room.

Cheng Baidong was already waiting outside. He had finished talking to Xiaojing alone. Xiaojing understood the implications and raised her hand to promise that she would keep her mouth shut and not reveal a single word.

Fang Qiao walked over and sat down next to Cheng Baidong.

Cheng Baidong raised his hand and cast an isolation array to block the Vermilion Bird's divine sense and prevent eavesdropping.

"What's going on with this Vermilion Bird? Why didn't you mention it in the communication talisman?"

"I can't say," Cheng Baidong explained. "Of the people who went to the Northeast this time, apart from Gao Ping, I can't fully trust the other eight. With the resurgence of spiritual energy, people's minds have become more active. The people in charge all have their own ulterior motives, so we have to be cautious."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!