Thousands Of People Thought Of Him - Chapter 16

Group Project

Realizing that Ying Fusang wasn’t joking, the tit panicked and quickly stood up, flapping its wings. No matter how much it chirped “chee-chee” and “tweet-tweet,” the other party remained unmoved and had already begun looking up the appropriate rescue hotline.

Tit: !!

Just as Ying Fusang was organizing what he wanted to say on the call, he suddenly felt a breeze brush past. He turned his head—only to see the little bird, who’d looked half-dead a moment ago, suddenly flap its wings and take off from his palm without looking back.

The tit’s flight looked smooth and steady—it really didn’t seem injured at all?

“It’s gone, huh…”

Only after even its shadow had disappeared did he finally take off his gloves and continue walking toward the school gate.

He had been delayed quite a while today. When Ying Fusang got home, it was later than usual. But oddly enough, this time, he didn’t receive Shi Suying’s usual “reminder” the moment he stepped through the door.

She was on the phone and didn’t even glance at him. Judging by the conversation, it sounded like she was speaking with Ying Chenglang.

Ying Fusang didn’t stop, heading straight upstairs.

He turned on his desk lamp and began reviewing the problems he’d gotten wrong. Just as he was writing the second one, a sudden noise came from the direction of the window.

Ying Fusang put down his pen and walked over to check.

“Tweet-tweet—”

It was one of those cases of hearing someone before seeing them—except, this time, it was a bird.

“You again…?”
Looking at the gray-blue tit banging its little head against the windowpane, Ying Fusang was full of questions. Still, not wanting it to knock itself out, he hesitated for a moment and then opened the window.

The moment the window opened, the tit immediately rode the breeze and swooped into the room.

Once inside, it didn’t fly around aimlessly. It perched neatly on the windowsill right in front of Ying Fusang and lifted its little head.

Ying Fusang had already noticed something in its beak. He gently took the piece of paper from beneath the tit’s beak—and was met with a happy “cheep-cheep” in response.

Only then did he realize there wasn’t just one piece of paper.

“Exotic Pet Medical Report? Virus Screening and Health Assessment Results?”
The content looked surprisingly legitimate, as if the bird had actually gone to a clinic to get tested.

Ying Fusang looked at the bird with increasing suspicion.
“…Have you achieved sentience or something?”

This was getting way too bizarre.

The tit also seemed confused about why the human still didn’t understand it. Flapping its wings, it started gesturing frantically—nearly speaking out loud in frustration.

Suddenly struck by an idea, Ying Fusang asked,
“You’re trying to say you’re healthy and safe? That you want me to keep you?”

The tit stopped gesturing and nodded its head.

My delusions really are getting worse, huh…
Ying Fusang thought to himself silently.

“But keeping a wild animal without permission is neither legal nor proper.”
He quickly found the relevant clause in the Wildlife Protection Act.

Tit: “……”

Its beady little eyes sparkled with intelligence. It suddenly flew onto Ying Fusang’s shoulder and pointed its wing toward the bottom line of the page on his phone screen, which read:
“Temporary rescue of injured or ill gray-blue tits typically does not constitute a legal violation.”

Ying Fusang clearly noticed the bird was about to flop over and fake being sick again. He sighed,
“Forget it. If you want to stay, then stay.”

The one he saw at school might have been a real tit. But the one in front of him now—rationally speaking—was obviously a figment of his imagination. If that’s the case, there’s no point overthinking it.

Besides…

Maybe it’s no surprise it feels familiar. This imaginary bird gives him the same comforting feeling that Qi Xingwen used to—even though there’s no real resemblance.

Though the bird was imaginary, Ying Fusang still took full responsibility. He found a cardboard box as a temporary nest, placed a small water dish inside, and considered adding food. But to avoid attracting cockroaches, he decided to hold off for now.

After everything was set up, he sat back at his desk. As he turned a page, his wrist was briefly exposed, and the coins on his bracelet clinked softly.

The tit, still perched on his shoulder, stared at the bracelet for a while. Then it nuzzled Ying Fusang’s neck, letting out a soft “cheep.”

“You can see it again?”
Ying Fusang muttered to himself, then removed the bracelet without hesitation and locked it away in the same cabinet as the fairy tale book.

The tit’s eyes went wide in shock.

…

Once May arrived, time felt like it was on fast-forward. Some students buried themselves in studying, others gave up entirely. Tensions were high, and the identity of “competitor” seemed to be magnified.

Ying Chenglang also became busy with his studies and stopped going out of his way to bother Ying Fusang. As for Fang Baiyu, although his presence still made Ying Fusang uncomfortable, he had more or less gotten used to it.

And the fake tit—Ying Fusang had told it to stay at home and fly away immediately if anything bad happened. Surprisingly, the bird actually listened, which led Ying Fusang to believe he’d gained better control over his mental state.

A peaceful and fulfilling month passed quickly.

Soon, the college entrance exam arrived.

That day passed uneventfully. Ying Deqing and Shi Suying offered a few words of encouragement over breakfast. Since Ying Fusang and Chenglang were assigned to the same test center, they were driven there together by the family driver.

When the exam began, Ying Fusang was calm. There were no unexpected question types—it all felt like things he had practiced countless times before.

Three days later, the gaokao finally came to an end.

The very next day, the school held its graduation ceremony.

The ceremony itself was nothing special. If Fang Baiyu hadn’t sat next to him and started talking, Ying Fusang would’ve mentally checked out completely.

During a break, while Fang Baiyu had gone to the restroom, a girl with a low ponytail hesitantly walked up to Ying Fusang.

Her expression was awkward and a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, Ying… I actually think you’re a really good person. I just… never had the courage to talk to you.”

It took Ying Fusang a few seconds to process. He was surprised, but he shook his head and said,
“It’s alright. I hope you get into your dream school.”
To avoid sounding cold or abrupt, he even offered a small smile.

The girl was briefly stunned, then smiled back and replied,
“You too!”

..

During the summer break, the next big task was filling out college applications.

Ying Fusang had no strong preferences, so he followed Ying Deqing’s suggestions when choosing his major.

Unsurprisingly, he was accepted into his first-choice university. Coincidentally, Fang Baiyu ended up not only in the same university, but also in the same major.

Meanwhile, Ying Chenglang had underperformed on the exam and messed up his application. As a result, he locked himself in his room for days.

Near the end of the summer, ignoring Shi Suying’s objections, Ying Deqing took Ying Fusang to his company and had a secretary give him a full introduction to the company’s operations.

Ying Deqing had originally intended to accompany him, but partway through he received a phone call. His expression changed, and he left in a hurry.

To be honest, Ying Fusang had no real interest in business management. This visit was bound to earn him another “lecture” from Shi Suying when he got home.

Once they were done, the secretary led him to the elevator to leave.

While waiting, Ying Fusang suddenly noticed someone walking out of the chairman’s office. The person was dressed discreetly—sunglasses, mask, hat—the full disguise. Instead of taking the elevator, they hurried into the stairwell.

Judging by the person’s build, Ying Fusang couldn’t help but think of the woman he’d once seen—Ms. Qin.

But she was already gone. He looked away.

…

September arrived. University began.

Ying Fusang had now been taking care of this fake tit for quite some time. Though it was a figment of his imagination, he was surprised to find that if he didn’t prepare food, the bird would actually seem sluggish. So, in the end, he bought bird food anyway.

Even though the university was in City A, Ying Fusang didn’t plan to apply for commuter status.

“I’m off to school now. I’ll probably only be back on weekends or during holidays.”
Would this imaginary companion disappear completely now that he’d be away for long stretches?

The tit seemed to understand. Its beady eyes filled with sadness and reluctance.

Ying Fusang gently patted its head.
**“You look pretty lively—