Chapter 218: Chapter 157: The Parrot "Bullying" Incident
Filled with doubt, Yang Qi circulated his Magical Power, quietly activating the Basic Spirit Communication Technique.
"Hey pal, what are you playing at?"
Yang Qi asked casually through the bars of the enclosure.
"Playing?!"
Hearing this, the expressions of Cheng Yao, the keeper Xiaozheng, and the two Veterinarians standing beside them all turned bizarre. They stared at Yang Qi in astonishment.
"Liangzai" was already plucking its own feathers—a clear act of self-harm. The situation was critical, yet Yang Qi was asking what it was "playing" at?
Even if he could really communicate with animals, wasn’t that opening line a bit too tone-deaf? ’Could Yang Qi actually be wrong this time?’
Just as doubts were creeping into everyone’s minds—
"Chirp~!"
"Liangzai," who had been focused on pecking the feathers on its chest, suddenly froze. Then, with a SWISH, it snapped its head up.
Its round, intelligent eyes locked precisely onto Yang Qi outside the enclosure. There was no pain or irritation in its gaze, but rather a sense of curiosity and liveliness.
It cocked its head, a short, strange gurgle rumbling in its throat. Immediately after, clear, human-like words poured out in a rapid stream.
"Hey there, handsome guy."
"You’re really handsome."
"Have we met before?"
"Wanna play together?"
???
Cheng Yao, Xiaozheng, the Veterinarians, and even the nearby tourists who had been straining their ears to listen were all stunned.
Their mouths hung open in shock, their expressions shifting from worry to utter astonishment and confusion in an instant.
’What... What is happening?’
When others had tried to greet or coax "Liangzai," it had ignored them completely, focused only on its "self-harm" by plucking its feathers.
But Yang Qi had said just one sentence, and "Liangzai" reacted immediately?
And it even complimented Yang Qi on being handsome?
Although, Yang Qi was, in fact, handsome.
It wanted to play together?
Judging by these "words," was it really "playing" by plucking its own feathers?!
They knew "Liangzai" was an exceptionally smart parrot, one that sometimes acted like a "big shot," but playing by plucking its own feathers...
’Are you serious?’
That’s a bit too hardcore!
For a moment, the crowd didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Many of them looked at Yang Qi with admiration. Even a parrot could be charmed by his good looks.
Yang Qi, however, remained perfectly calm, as if "Liangzai’s" reaction was exactly what he had expected.
He spoke again through the Spirit Communication Technique, his tone a mix of helplessness and persuasion, "Pal, why did you start playing by plucking your feathers? That’s not a game you should be playing."
"Because it’s fun."
"Liangzai’s" tone was carefree and lighthearted. As it "spoke," it lowered its head again and gave its feathers a symbolic peck, as if to prove how fun the "game" was.
"Wanna join me?"
"I don’t think it’s fun at all."
Yang Qi retorted decisively, pressing for the key information. "Why did you suddenly start playing like this? You never used to do this."
Hearing this, "Liangzai" let out a series of chirps and gurgles that sounded meaningless to outsiders, but in Yang Qi’s ears, they formed clear words.
"Just felt like playing."
"Learned it from another bird."
"You don’t have feathers, handsome, so you can’t play."
"What a shame~"
Yang Qi automatically ignored the last two "pitying" remarks about his lack of feathers, sharply catching the key piece of information: "Learned it from another bird."
"Which bird did you learn it from?"
Yang Qi immediately pressed, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Have you been out of this enclosure? Did you see another bird plucking its feathers?"
As Cheng Yao and the others listened to Yang Qi ask "Liangzai" these questions, they watched in confusion as "Liangzai" turned around, flapped its wings once, and shifted its body to the right. It pointed its vibrant beak toward the adjacent cage, all while letting out another stream of chirps and gurgles.
"That bird over there."
"Over there, see it?"
"Look how well it’s playing, so focused."
"Handsome, you wanna give it a try?"
"Ah! Forgot you don’t have feathers, handsome. You can’t play~"
"What a shame, what a real shame."
"..."
Ignoring "Liangzai’s" repeated expressions of "pity," Yang Qi immediately turned his head. He followed the direction "Liangzai" was pointing toward an adjacent, larger cage that was also part of the parrot exhibit.
Inside that cage lived a dozen or so smaller but equally colorful Red-breasted Parakeets. Some were preening on perches, others were playing with each other, and some were pecking at the grain in the feeding troughs.
Yang Qi’s gaze swept across them quickly.
Soon, in a relatively remote and dimly lit corner of the cage, he found the target "Liangzai" had been talking about—the one "playing" by plucking its feathers.
It was a scrawny Red-breasted Parakeet with somewhat dull plumage, huddled all by itself.
Its head was bowed, its slender beak mechanically pecking, again and again, at the feathers on its own chest.
The spot it was pecking, which should have been covered in beautiful crimson feathers, was now sparse and patchy. With his sharp eyesight, Yang Qi could even faintly see the pink skin underneath.
And on the perch and ground beneath it lay a scattering of small red and green feathers.
’Found it!’
The real "patient" was here.
"Liangzai" was just being an unruly kid. It had seen its neighbor’s baffling behavior, thought it looked "fun," and decided to copy it—a classic case of monkey see, monkey do!
"Thanks, ’Liangzai’."
Yang Qi looked away from the other cage and back at the big, drama-loving, copycat parrot to thank it. Then, his tone turned serious as he solemnly warned, "But plucking your feathers isn’t fun at all. Think about it. Your beautiful, bright green feathers are so gorgeous, so magnificent!"
"If you pluck them all out and go bald, how ugly would that be? Will people still think you’re handsome? Will they still clap for you?"
"Really?"
"Liangzai" stopped pecking, cocked its head, and looked at Yang Qi with a dubious expression. A hint of uncertainty had crept into its voice.
