Little Duckling - Chapter 14

Why is this person still teasing me from behind…?

Just minutes earlier, Jian Xin had been sitting on a hospital bed, happily clicking on tonight’s episode update with Yao Wenqian by her side.

She never could have imagined that barely two minutes after watching the sponsor’s ad—in the blink of an eye—the tiny screen on her phone would suddenly expand exponentially!

It wasn’t just the drama’s visuals that had changed; everything around her had transformed.

Before her loomed a massive curved screen.

At her feet lay a blue-and-white keyboard.

And her body was being gently held by a pair of cool hands, the thumb rhythmically stroking the feathers on her chest.

In the drama, the protagonist was tending a campfire, gazing at the night sky, and sharing unspoken feelings.

The visuals and dialogue perfectly matched what she had seen before she arrived here.

To be honest, this all felt too sudden. Jian Xin hesitated to believe it was real.

She slowly closed her eyes, listening to several lines of dialogue before cautiously opening them again.

Good. It wasn’t an illusion. She had indeed become a duck again.

Synesthesia Transmigration—unlimited round trips, huh?

Excellent, simply excellent!

She couldn’t help but wonder: why would a duck be sitting at a computer desk at precisely 7 PM, eagerly catching up on a TV series?

Yao Wenqian was right beside her, for crying out loud!

She’d been suddenly transported here without warning. What must Yao Wenqian be seeing from her perspective?

Jian Xin felt a pang of worry, but there was no way to return immediately. With a sigh, she adopted a “what’s done is done” attitude and continued watching the show.

Whether she was human or duck, it didn’t make much difference.

After all, she’d planned to watch the series anyway.

The only difference was that her viewing companion had changed from the chatty Yao Wenqian to her ex-girlfriend, Yan Lu, who was not only quiet but also spoke a language she didn’t understand.

Well, might as well make the best of it.

On the bright side, Yan Lu might be sarcastic toward an ex, but she certainly wouldn’t be sarcastic toward a duck.

Yan Lu watched the show quietly, unlike Yao Wenqian, who constantly wore her emotions on her sleeve and would even analyze the differences between the TV adaptation and the original novel.

Perhaps it was the quiet that allowed Jian Xin to become even more engrossed in the story than usual.

As she watched, a layer of mist blurred the Little Duck’s vision.

Ugh, what’s going on here…?

The beginning was all sweet and funny, but as the foreshadowing unraveled, Jian Xin realized that even those sweet moments and jokes had hidden knives.

As the end credits rolled, Jian Xin felt, for the first time, utterly grateful to be a duck.

She would have been mortified if she’d been caught crying like a baby over a TV drama adapted from her ex’s novel!

Thinking this, Jian Xin instinctively reached up to wipe her tears, but the moment she lifted one wing slightly, she remembered she was a duck, not a human. A duck’s wing couldn’t reach its face—she’d have to twist her head instead!

After a brief mental freeze, Jian Xin curved her neck, twisted her head sideways, and rubbed her tears against her wing.

Yan Lu sighed softly, closed the webpage, and casually stroked Jian Xin’s neck from top to bottom. The sudden touch startled Jian Xin, who was frantically trying to erase all evidence of her tears.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Lu asked, her own eyes still slightly red, tears yet unwiped as she tilted her head to study her duck from the side.

Damn it, I’ve been caught!

How embarrassing… no, how duck-embarrassing!

Without a second thought, Jian Xin instinctively buried her head under her wing.

Unfortunately, the duck’s neck was too short to completely tuck its head in.

The skin around the duck’s eyes was slightly yellow, as if it had been wet.

Yan Lu frowned and gently touched the duck’s chest with her fingertip, confirming it was indeed damp.

“Why are you suddenly crying?” she asked softly, her eyes filled with concern. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Hearing this, Jian Xin immediately straightened up.

Right, why am I so nervous?

The duck can’t possibly understand the TV show. If it’s crying, she’ll naturally assume it’s feeling sick!

But Jian Xin felt perfectly fine. She needed to explain quickly to prevent Yan Lu from worrying unnecessarily in the middle of the night.

After a moment’s thought, Jian Xin stood up from the table and, under Yan Lu’s anxious gaze, let out a loud “Quack!”

To reassure Yan Lu, she made the sound with such force and clarity that even she was startled by its penetrating power.

However, Yan Lu clearly didn’t understand what the little duck was trying to convey. Her concern deepened. “Should we take it to the hospital?”

The hospital? At this hour?!

Growing frantic, Jian Xin craned her neck and began quacking wildly.

“Gah gah, gah gah!” Yan Lu, don’t worry, I’m not in any pain at all!

“Gah!” No need to go to the hospital!

“Gah ah—” Ya Ya here is perfectly healthy!

As she continued to quack, she was about to hop around to prove her good health.

But before she could even start hopping, Yan Lu scooped her into her arms and gently rubbed her little head.

“Is it the computer radiation or the dampness in the room these past few days?” Yan Lu murmured softly as she stood up and quickly turned on the dehumidifier.

“I’m sorry, Cauliflower. Mommy shouldn’t have made you watch dramas with me. You don’t even understand them, and now your eyes hurt…”

“Gah gah gah gah—”

Exactly! You shouldn’t have made Cauliflower watch dramas! It’s why I ended up transmigrating here for no reason!

“Gah—gah ahhh gah uh—”

But don’t feel too guilty. I’m not uncomfortable at all. I’m crying only because the plot you wrote is too heartbreaking, thank you!

Truth be told, she was starting to feel hungry from all the crying.

“Gah!” Jian Xin flapped her wings and stretched her neck toward the ground.

Her unconsciously arched rear seemed to have four large characters written on it: “Put me down!”

Yan Lu sensed the Little Duck’s eagerness to get down and immediately crouched down, releasing her grip.

As soon as the Little Duck touched the ground, she waddled past Xin Xin, who was sleeping in the duck nest, and hurried to the bowl of duck feed to eat.

Seeing this, Yan Lu let out a sigh of relief.

If Cauliflower still has an appetite, he must not be seriously ill.

The Little Duck’s eyes are particularly sensitive to humidity. The dehumidifier in the house had been purchased specifically for her. Her sudden tears earlier likely meant Yan Lu had forgotten to turn it on for the past few days, making the humidity uncomfortable for her.

Yan Lu sighed again and followed Cauliflower, crouching down behind him. She gently poked his little wing with her finger and murmured to herself:

“Mommy’s been so busy these past few days, I forgot to turn on the dehumidifier and made your eyes uncomfortable…”

“But since you’ve already cried, I’ll just pretend you were crying along with me while watching my drama.”

“Qian Qian told me she really likes my dramas. Do you think she likes the stories themselves, or Little Yu?”

“Or maybe she likes both… But her kind of liking is always so simple. Once the story is over, it’s over.”

“She’ll praise you, loudly and enthusiastically, but that’s all she’ll do…”

Duck tilted her head, letting out a confused “Quack.”

Jian Xin didn’t understand, but she had something to say:

Honestly, once you’ve finished reading something, you’ve finished reading it. What more do you want?

Are you upset she didn’t reread it multiple times and write a thousand-word review?

Besides, praising someone loudly enough should be enough!

Do you really need to consider the beauty of your words or ensure your praise strikes their soul?

Poor cousin, completely unaware of her cousin’s behind-her-back gossip.

I’ll never understand these literary types, Jian Xin thought. Always so sensitive about everything.

Still, since the great writer was in a bad mood and the family dog was asleep, she’d reluctantly offer some comfort.

The next moment, Little Duck stopped eating, turned, and nestled against Yan Lu’s feet, her tiny head tilted up as she gently nudged her palm.

That night, it was unclear whether the duck had comforted its owner, or whether the owner had convinced herself she’d comforted the duck. In the end, both duck and human returned to their proper places, their hearts strangely at peace.

The duck retreated into the doghouse as her owner settled down at the computer.

The familiar clatter of typing filled the room, just as it always did.

This should have been an ordinary night, no different from any other time Jian Xin had transmigrated here.

But tonight, Yan Lu had changed her playlist.

One familiar yet long-unheard song after another played, leaving the duck huddled in the doghouse feeling dazed.

If the music she once loved merely left her feeling disoriented, the sudden appearance of one of her own songs on the playlist sent a shock through her.

How is this possible? she thought. We broke up so long ago, yet Yan Lu still has my song on her playlist…

And it was even that embarrassing relic from college—that terrible little song with its uncorrected vocals. Even Jian Xin herself refused to listen to it now. Why would Yan Lu keep it around?

Could it be… to reminisce about her?

Please, she scoffed inwardly. Even a strand of hair could tell you that’s impossible.

Jian Xin pondered this for the length of half a song.

She realized she had every right to suspect that Yan Lu hadn’t even recognized her voice in the song!

Yes, that’s the only explanation!

In this ruthless world, the woman cared only for her novels, always indifferent to Jian Xin’s music. If a song’s metadata didn’t explicitly list Jian Xin’s name, it was perfectly normal for her not to recognize Jian Xin’s voice.

As Jian Xin realized this, a sudden discomfort settled in her heart.

Unable to cover her ears, she stormed out of her doghouse, her tiny wings fluttering behind her, and curled up on the balcony.

I’m not angry, she insisted to herself. I just want to sleep here and see if tomorrow’s sunlight might trigger a Synesthesia Transmigration back to my world.

That’s right. She absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely could not possibly be upset over something as trivial as her ex not recognizing her voice!

Okay, time for bed. No more thinking about Yan Lu!

Wait a minute… the more Jian Xin thought about it, the more she realized Yan Lu’s words to Duck over an hour ago had actually been a subtle dig at her.

Jian Xin: “……”

It’s been years since we broke up! Why is she still talking behind my back like that?

Little Duck took a deep breath, stretched her neck forward, and rested her beak on the ground.

She looked like a dead bird.

From a crumpled heap, she had collapsed into a long, limp line.