The Villainess's Heartthrob Script: I Can Talk to Animals

Chapter 617: Chapter 617: What Am I Raising You For?

The moonlight was exceptionally bright tonight, and the stars twinkled gently.

Renee Jennings stood by the window, sizing up Zephyr. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Hey, what are you doing here again? Another case to report?"

"CHIRP?" Zephyr tilted his head, declaring matter-of-factly, "Can’t I come if there’s no case? This falcon wants meat."

Renee: "Where am I supposed to get meat from?"

Zephyr: "There’s meat in the kitchen. You go cut it."

Renee: "..."

’This guy has some nerve.’

Considering Zephyr’s contribution to the last case, Renee Jennings chuckled. "Come with me."

She led Zephyr downstairs.

When they reached the living room, she saw Michelle Fuller and her brother sitting on the sofa looking dejected.

"What’s wrong with you two?" Renee Jennings asked, amused.

Michelle Fuller looked up and sighed. "Renee, Hank and I just weren’t born to cook."

Renee Jennings agreed with that.

After all, for a young master and lady born with silver spoons in their mouths, learning to cook was no easy feat.

"So is Zane cooking now?" she asked.

"Yeah." Sean Fuller’s tone was filled with shame. "Aunt Rae is helping too."

"Where’s my dad?"

Michelle Fuller: "Your dad went upstairs to take a shower."

Blueberry chimed in at the perfect moment: "Meow~ Dad was starving, he’s sneaking snacks in his room~"

Renee Jennings couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Michelle Fuller blinked her eyes. "Renee, what are you laughing at?"

"It’s nothing. I’m going to the kitchen to get some meat for Zephyr." Renee Jennings glanced over and saw that Zephyr had flown off to bicker with Slider again.

She shook her head helplessly and walked toward the kitchen.

**

Inside the dilapidated old house, even the lights were pitifully dim.

Willow sat cross-legged on a floor covered in pieces of plastic flowers. In front of her was a small stool with a wrinkled notebook on it.

Her small, calloused hand held a ballpoint pen, and she painstakingly copied out an ancient poem, her expression exceptionally focused and serious.

Glenn’s stomach was rumbling. He sat to the side, gnawing on a flavorless white steamed bun, his childish face full of grievance. "Why isn’t there any meat to eat today?"

The movement of Willow’s hand paused for a moment. Without a word, she lowered her head and continued writing.

Seeing this, Glenn asked, his face full of confusion, "Sis, Dad won’t even let us go to school anymore. Why are you still writing?"

To be honest, he was happy about not having to go to school.

He didn’t like school at all. He didn’t want to go, and he didn’t want to do homework.

Hearing this, Willow turned to look at her brother, her thin face showing determination. "Mom said that knowledge can change a person’s destiny."

"Why?" Glenn asked.

Willow bit her lip, not knowing how to explain.

To be precise, she didn’t know why knowledge could change a person’s destiny either.

But since her mother said it, there had to be a reason.

Because she knew her mother would never lie to her.

Thinking of this, Willow said softly, "You’ll understand in the future."

Glenn pouted and went back to gnawing on his bun.

After a while, footsteps sounded from the hallway outside.

Willow immediately hid the notebook in front of her and started doing her craftwork.

A moment later, the door didn’t open. Willow’s tense nerves relaxed, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Glenn grinned. "It’s not Dad."

"Yeah," Willow replied. She didn’t go back to writing, though, instead lowering her head to string the plastic flowers.

James Yelric didn’t come back all the way until bedtime.

Willow lay in bed with her brother, unable to stop thinking about their mother, her tears soaking the pillow.

’Mom has been gone for nineteen days.’

’Mom, I miss you so much...’

「The next day」

Willow got up as the first light of dawn broke.

She yawned as she washed the rice.

Inky was woken by the noise. It stood on the windowsill, watching her, its small eyes filled with great big confusion.

’Shouldn’t this kind of thing be left to adult humans?’

’Kids should sleep more so they can grow tall.’

Willow noticed the little bird outside the window too and mumbled, "You seem to come to our house a lot these past two days."

Inky jumped in fright when it heard her words.

’Could this human child understand animals, just like Renee?’

Inky chirped, "Hello, this is Inky. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

After hearing its chirps, Willow just calmly lowered her head and continued with her tasks.

’So she can’t understand after all.’

Willow pressed the "congee" button on the rice cooker and went back to the living room to start her craftwork.

After a little while, a sound came from the other room.

Willow’s previously relaxed back immediately tensed up.

About a minute later, the door opened from the inside, and James Yelric walked out wearing a pair of boxer shorts.

Willow glanced up at him before quickly lowering her eyes, saying obediently, "Good morning, Uncle."

James Yelric scratched his head and went into the bathroom.

A moment later, an irritable curse came from the bathroom, "Fuck! It’s fucking clogged again!"

Willow trembled with fear.

James Yelric came over with a dark expression and said to her, "The toilet’s clogged. You go fix it."

Hearing this, Willow said in a trembling voice, "Uncle, Mom never taught me how to unclog a toilet..."

Before she could finish, James Yelric kicked her, roaring in anger, "You can’t fucking do anything! What the hell am I raising you for? If you don’t know how to unclog it, then use your fucking hands!"

Willow was kicked to the ground, scraping her palm raw on the rough floor, but she got back up without a sound.

She struggled to suppress a sob. "I’m sorry, Uncle. I’ll go do it right now."

With that, she lowered her head and ran into the bathroom.

Inky saw this and was so angry it wanted to peck someone.

’That male is horrible! How could he bully a child?’

Seeing James Yelric about to leave, Inky was determined to get revenge for poor Willow. It quickly called for its companions.

In less than a minute, a dozen or so other birds had gathered by its side.

Inky told its companions its plan.

Just as James Yelric got downstairs and stepped into an open area, the flock of birds launched their attack.

Some birds pooped on his head, while others pecked at his neck with their sharp beaks.

James Yelric was furious. He flailed his arms to drive the birds away, spewing a constant stream of filthy curses.

Willow fetched bucket after bucket of water to flush the toilet, but it wouldn’t go down.

She was drenched in sweat from exhaustion. Staring at the sewage constantly overflowing from the squat toilet, her face was a mask of despair and devastation.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Why don’t I know how to unclog a toilet?"

"Mom, I really miss you so much..."

This scene nearly broke Inky’s heart.

It instructed its companions to watch over the two siblings while it spread its wings and flew off in another direction.

**

Renee Jennings was up bright and early again today, driving Glenn Zane to the wholesale farmers’ market.

She went to the spot where Willow and her brother had set up their stall the other day, but she didn’t see the two small, frail figures.

’Did they not come today?’

Renee Jennings waited for a while, then walked over to a nearby fruit stall. She bought a few things and asked the owner, "Ma’am, what time do that brother and sister who sell fruit usually set up their stall?"

"Well, it’s almost eight o’clock." The stall owner glanced at her watch, her tone clearly surprised. "They’re usually here long before now. This is a real surprise! The sun must be rising in the west!"