The Little Duck 9

Chapter 9

The summer sun streamed through the balcony into the study, golden and a little dazzling.

Jian Xin slowly cracked open her eyes and let out a big yawn.

It was a rare night without dreams. With no alarm clock, she had slept until she woke up naturally, and she felt exceptionally refreshed.

Ever since becoming a beast of burden, Jian Xin hadn’t had such a peaceful sleep in a long time.

This was undoubtedly something that put her in a good mood.

—Provided she wasn’t a duck, locked in a duck cage.

That’s right, she was still a duck!

The Corgi outside the cage was gone, but she was still in this wretched cage!

Heavens knew the faint sense of doom Jian Xin felt in her heart the moment she opened her eyes and saw her surroundings.

She was still too naive, actually thinking that this time, like the last, she would return to her own body after a single night’s sleep.

Looking at the sun, it was clearly well past noon.

If she was still here, what was happening to the “her” in the hospital bed?

In the eyes of others, was she in a coma again, or would she be seen as a sleepy patient?

But no matter how much a person liked to sleep, they couldn’t possibly sleep through an entire day, right?

The more Jian Xin thought, the more anxious she became. In a moment of carelessness, she let out a high-pitched cry.

That cry was not quiet. It was sharp and piercing. Even she was startled after making it.

However, the room was empty. Neither Yan Lu nor the dog named Xin Xin responded to her cry.

Why no response?

Jian Xin hesitated for a while, then tried tilting her head back and quacking a few more times—still no response!

This is bad, no one’s home…

She had almost forgotten, Yan Lu was supposed to go to the hospital to see her today.

She’s not already on her way, is she?

Sigh, I was the one who asked her to come yesterday… I can’t just be sleeping and ignore her when she comes all this way, can I?

Even if, even if that’s not important, that body still needs to eat, drink, and relieve itself, right?

She couldn’t stay here, she shouldn’t stay here, and she didn’t want to stay here at all!

But how on earth could she go back?

The Call duck in the cage grew anxious, so anxious that it didn’t even notice it had pooped.

With her wings behind her back, her neck slightly craned forward, her two little orange webbed feet began to pace back and forth in the duck cage.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from the living room.

Jian Xin instantly flapped her wings and started to cry out.

“Quack ahh—” Yan Lu, is that you?

“Ugh ahh quack quack—” Hurry up and let me out!!

“Quack quack quack wo wo wo ahh ahh—” Even if you’re going to see me, take me with you!!!

The moment Yan Lu walked in, before she even had a chance to change her slippers, she heard her duck squawking like mad in the study.

Hearing the sound, Xin Xin wagged its tail and rushed back into the house, urgently “leading” its owner by the leash to Cauliflower, and started pawing at the duck cage with its two short front legs.

“Woof! Woo woof woof!” It pawed and barked, turning its head to look at Yan Lu.

“Quack?” Jian Xin tilted her head in confusion.

“Alright, alright, I’ll let Cauliflower out right now,” Yan Lu said, crouching down and unlatching the cage door.

Jian Xin was about to go out when Xin Xin stuck its head into the cage, blocking her only exit.

“Quack ahh—” Get out of the way, I want to get out!

Not only did Xin Xin not back away, but it also pushed its head further forward, its nose gently touching the duck’s chest.

Jian Xin jumped up with a “quack”!

After a brief moment of terror, she came to her senses. Still shaken but unwilling to back down, she furiously pecked the large dog head in front of her six or seven times!

The duck’s attack was tinged with emotion. Xin Xin yelped with a “woo” and pulled its head back, looking aggrieved.

As someone who had been afraid of dogs since childhood, winning a battle against a naughty dog for the first time, Jian Xin suddenly felt a surge of joy!

For a moment, she even felt that the sunlight shining on her had transformed into a golden suit of armor, symbolizing victory!

The duck’s heart swelled with pride.

She stood on her tiptoes, flapped her wings, looked at Xin Xin with a “quack,” and strode out of the cage with her head held high.

Unexpectedly, just as she stepped out of the cage, before her feet were even steady on the ground, a small but powerful dog paw swiped her hard on the back of the head from behind!

The next second, she felt her center of gravity shift, and she tumbled head over heels with a plop.

—Her little wings, tucked behind her back, were even splayed out by the fall!

This is outrageous… outrageous bullying of a duck!!

Jian Xin stood up shakily. Just as she was about to turn around and retaliate, she felt a tightness on her back, and her feet instantly left the ground.

“Quack?” She subconsciously turned her head to look.

It was Yan Lu, holding her by the wings and gathering her into her arms.

Yan Lu rubbed the duck’s head. “What’s wrong, Cauliflower? Were you scared because you woke up and no one was home?”

“Quack—quack quack quack ahh—” It’s not that I was scared, I’m just anxious.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. I just took Xin Xin downstairs for a couple of walks. Aren’t I back now?”

“Quack quack ugh ugh-ong, quack ahh ahh ahh!” What’s the use of you being back? The problem now is that I can’t go back.

“Are you hungry?” Yan Lu glanced at the duck feed on the floor. “The new food won’t arrive until tomorrow. Can you make do for one more day and eat a little?”

What food? Mealworms?

—You call that food?

I’m just saying, let’s not with that stuff.

Even if you use cute repetitive words, the duck will only turn its head completely away!

Seeing this, Yan Lu could only sigh. “Alright, alright, you don’t have to eat it…”

Jian Xin breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Has our Cauliflower secretly become a spirit?” Yan Lu poked Cauliflower’s white chest, looking troubled. “Suddenly becoming so picky.”

Jian Xin: “…”

I don’t know if your duck has become a spirit, but I’m definitely about to become a spirit.

Haha, the spirit of a mental patient.

“Her appetite has been poor these past two days. Could it be because it’s too hot?” Yan Lu stroked the duck’s wing, thought for a moment, and asked softly, “Does Cauliflower want to play in the water?”

“Quack?” Jian Xin was on alert.

No, no, no, it’s not a problem with the heat!

Isn’t there air conditioning? I’m not hot, I don’t need to play in the water!

“I knew you wanted to play in the water,” Yan Lu muttered, carrying the duck out of the study. “Mommy will take Cauliflower to play in the water right now.”

“Quack—” Hey, this is like a chicken talking to a duck, uh… a duck talking to a human!

Where are we going to play in the water? I’m scared of water, hey!

Jian Xin flapped in Yan Lu’s arms, but her strength was limited, and she couldn’t break free from her hands.

Soon, she was placed in a very large bathtub by Yan Lu.

She was terrified. She stuck her butt up, flapped her wings, and tilted her head back to jump out of the tub.

But just as her wings started to flap, she was pushed back down by Yan Lu with one hand.

The next second, cold water started gushing out from around the tub, instantly submerging her webbed feet and rising past her chest.

“Quack ahh ahh!!” Let me go, I’m a land duck!

Jian Xin panicked. Seeing the water getting deeper, she quickly stood up straight and tilted her head up high.

“Why are you standing so straight? Float,” Yan Lu laughed, reaching into the water and lifting the little duck’s round belly from below.

“Quack!” How do I float?!

Jian Xin felt like she was going crazy. She subconsciously wanted to escape, but found that the water was already very deep. With a slight movement of her legs, her whole body lost its balance, and even her wings were not very useful.

“Quack ahh ahh ahh!!” Help me, Yan Lu!!!

At that moment, an adult Call duck began to thrash about in a panic in the half-filled bathtub!

However, the person she was calling for help not only had no intention of saving her but also took an enamel cup with a cartoon duck head printed on it and started scooping water and pouring it on her!

She splashed water everywhere, and that person even said with a grin, “You’re so energetic today. It feels like after your bath, you’ll be ready for another ten rounds with Xin Xin.”

Hearing its name, Xin Xin happily poked its head through the door. “Woo woof! Awoo~ woof woof woof!”

Jian Xin: “…”

This woman is getting revenge on me, she must be getting revenge on me!!!

It’s because back then, back then I was the one who broke up with her!!!

Even though she never really had me in her heart, the person who gets dumped is bound to have some resentment—I get it, I get it all!!!

The car accident, turning into a duck, it’s all my retribution!!!

Jian Xin had a mental breakdown while desperately thrashing in the water.

As she thrashed, she found that she seemed to be floating steadily on the surface of the water.

Jian Xin: “…”

The duck that had been desperately thrashing just a moment ago suddenly calmed down. It blinked its beady eyes, tilted its head, and gently flapped its wings.

A stream of water was poured over her head.

She wiggled her feet, and her body smoothly turned halfway in the water. She froze for a moment, then wiggled her feet again—the entire duck glided forward a good distance.

Jian Xin: “!!!”

Amazing! There’s a day when I too can learn to swim!