Chapter 17: He said: Cheep
Carrying two bags of blood plasma, Yu Yan sauntered into 012’s feeding area.
He surveyed the green nest suspended between two trees, making a clicking sound of admiration.
On closer inspection, it was clearer how the ribbon-like leaves were intricately woven together, the surface smooth as if crafted by a skilled artisan.
Given that 012 had lived in the laboratory since birth and, based on his observations of the large willow tree from the day before, it was likely that he had never seen such a tree before.
Yet, in such a short time, 012 had managed to weave such a beautifully intricate nest from unfamiliar branches and leaves, showing a natural talent.
Moreover, he seemed to have a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, as the patterns in the weaving were very orderly, with no apparent mistakes.
Yu Yan moved closer to the nest. 012, who had been perched on top of the nest, had already been backing away as Yu Yan approached.
He didn’t retreat far, only keeping a watchful eye on Yu Yan and the nest, his gaze unwavering.
Yu Yan’s attention was momentarily off 012. He inspected 012’s creation with interest and reached out to touch it.
Even through the gloves, he could feel that the texture was quite pleasant—cool and smooth.
Standing as he was, he could just peek into the entrance of the nest.
The entrance was slightly small, leading to a pocket that dipped slightly downward and was somewhat dim, though the gaps between the branches and leaves allowed some light to filter through.
Yu Yan was tempted to enter and experience 012’s new home, but considering the disgust value above Yao’er’s head, he decided against competing with the poor little bird for the new house.
He pressed down slightly at the entrance and found it somewhat unstable.
“…weight is a bit too much; lying inside might cause me to fall right out.”
It was indeed only suitable for Yao’er, who could sit atop tree branches.
If Yu Yan had entered the nest and accidentally made a hole in it, 012 would probably be furious.
Yu Yan chuckled as he imagined 012 exploding with anger at the sight of the damaged nest and withdrew his hand from where he had been touching it.
He worried that if he left too strong a human scent behind, 012 might think that the nest had been tampered with by humans and refuse it altogether, which would be a waste.
He certainly couldn’t take the rejected nest home to use as a sofa.
Ahem.
Yu Yan considered himself considerate, and after giving the nest’s entrance one last look, he turned to 012 and asked, “So, do I still smell like anything today?”
He had taken a shower early that morning, and to avoid any issues with strong fragrances, he had used a scent-free body wash.
But there was a scent, and it was becoming more pronounced.
012 stood by the tree, a distance away from Yu Yan. His sharp claws dug into the tree trunk, and his wings, attached to his back, trembled like the treetop in the wind.
In a realm imperceptible to humans, his olfactory sensors were capturing the scent in the air.
After Yu Yan had entered, his scent filled the surrounding air, overpowering the fragrances of flowers, trees, and soil, becoming the most distinct signal.
All living things emit different scents, even butterflies have their own.
012 disliked humans and was supposed to reject their scent. He should have kept his distance, as he had before.
But in reality, his body betrayed his inner aversion, unconsciously capturing and collecting the scent of the person before him.
Just moments earlier, when Yu Yan had peered into the nest, 012 had even felt a strange impulse to lock him inside the nest.
Yu Yan had no idea what 012 was thinking as he stood silently under the tree, watching him. After touring the nest and leaving 012’s food, Yu Yan left the feeding area, satisfied, to get back to work.
Once Yu Yan had gone, 012 approached the nest slowly, bending down to sniff the spot where Yu Yan’s scent lingered at the entrance. He then picked up the bag of blood plasma left at the entrance.
The compressed blood plasma was cold, and 012’s mind conjured up images of warm, flowing human blood within veins.
He didn’t like the smell of human blood but was plagued by vivid, hallucination-like images.
The blood flowed beneath that person’s skin, coursing through his hands, making them feel warm.
A strange, anxious sensation surged within him. His sharp claws punctured the blood plasma bag, staining them a dark red.
012 lowered his head to lick the blood from his claws, then turned to search for the human.
He found Yu Yan sitting at a workstation on the other side of the glass, his back facing him. Without the protective suit, his short black hair was exposed.
The uniform pressed the shirt beneath, aligning with his short hair.
Yu Yan’s hair wasn’t as smooth as 012’s feathers. It hadn’t been carefully blow-dried after his morning shower, and he didn’t use hair oil like before, so some of his short hair at the back of his head was slightly disheveled.
Yu Yan seemed to be struggling with a problem, looking somewhat distressed as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, trying to relieve fatigue.
After a moment of rubbing with his long, slender fingers, he let his hand rest in place.
012’s licking of the blood plasma suddenly paused for a long time. Then, with a sudden bite, he punctured the bag and began to drink the cold blood eagerly.
Yu Yan pushed his unresolved work aside, stretched lazily, and swiveled his chair to see what 012 was doing.
He found 012 drinking the blood plasma carefully, his expression as usual, devoid of any noticeable emotion.
To Yu Yan’s eyes, it just seemed like 012 was having a meal and daydreaming.
Yu Yan watched with interest, as if observing a small animal’s feeding video, for a long time before returning to his work.
During his next break, he noticed that after finishing his meal, 012 was busy again at the nest. He had reinforced the delicate nest with two additional layers.
Yu Yan nodded in approval, thinking, ‘Pursuing perfection, Yao’er, that’s a good habit.’
Not only did 012 reinforce the nest, but he also adorned the outside with flowers.
Yu Yan watched the process from outside the glass.
012 flew around the feeding area, stopping in front of a large cluster of winter bells. After examining them for a while, he picked the perfectly blooming flowers and wove their stems into the gaps of the nest, making them look as if they had grown there naturally.
Yu Yan was almost ready to applaud 012’s sense of aesthetics and meticulousness.
At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
‘Do male birds decorate their nests like this to attract mates?’
Of course, the courtship and reproduction aspect had nothing to do with 012. As a mutant bred in a laboratory, he had no peers and generally wouldn’t experience mating seasons.
When subjected to stimulants in Zhou Xiangcheng’s lab, 012 had not shown any mating behavior but rather became aggressive and bloodthirsty, attacking all nearby living things.
This indicated that he lacked those instincts.
Even if he were to return to the wild, it was unlikely that he would develop reproductive urges on his own.
So, 012’s behavior was likely just a nesting instinct.
The fact that he liked to decorate his little nest with beautiful flowers showed that he was quite the aesthetic little bat-bird.
“Knock knock.”
Yu Yan approached the glass, tapping on it to catch the busy 012’s attention.
012 dropped down from the top of the nest, observed from a distance for a moment, then walked over to the glass to face Yu Yan.
“Do you like flowers? How about I bring you a big bouquet tomorrow when I come to work? You can use them to decorate your home.”
Yu Yan was just caught up in the moment and had no expectations of receiving any feedback from 012. After he finished speaking and was about to leave, he noticed that 012 had unconsciously followed him around the feeding area.
012 trailed behind him for a while, only stopping when they reached the end of the feeding area.
Yu Yan couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re so eager for those flowers, huh? Following me around with those hopeful eyes… Alright, I promise I’ll bring you a big bouquet tomorrow.”
However, when Yu Yan entered the lab the next morning, he arrived empty-handed, looking quite nonchalant.
When 012 saw him enter, he immediately turned his gaze toward him. Yu Yan pretended not to notice and deliberately walked back and forth outside 012’s feeding area.
012 flew over from the nest and approached the glass, following Yu Yan’s movements. Yu Yan, however, made no reaction.
“Kriiiik.”
012’s sharp claws scraped against the glass, producing a series of irritating noises.
Yu Yan pretended to notice him for the first time, looking confused, and then had a sudden realization. He slapped his forehead and said, “Oh, did I forget to bring you those flowers I promised yesterday? I completely forgot!”
After a moment of eye contact, Yu Yan couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer and smiled, saying, “Just kidding. I bought them, they’re being disinfected, and I’ll bring them to you soon.”
“…”
“Really, I’m not lying. Why are you still staring at me? I’m really not lying.”
“…”
Finally, Xiao Gao wheeled in a cart full of flowers into the lab, and 012’s intense gaze shifted away from Yu Yan.
Yu Yan felt as though he had been silently reprimanded by 012’s gaze for three minutes.
The cart full of flowers was placed in 012’s feeding area, and 012 diligently adorned every flower onto the nest, transforming the green nest into a vibrant floral sphere.
It seemed that 012 was finally satisfied and ceased further modifications to the nest.
Completing the “new home” should have been a cause for celebration, but 012 soon began to show signs of agitation. He no longer stayed in the corner for long periods but flew around the confined space restlessly.
Yu Yan thought he was just too excited and was flying around the feeding area, marveling at how lively he had become.
During a nap in his office, Yu Yan was abruptly woken by a loud thud. He found that 012 had flown into the glass, and it finally dawned on him that something was wrong.
“012, did you just crash into the glass?”
After the collision with the glass, 012 didn’t seem to have been harmed. He pressed his forehead against the glass and stared fixedly at Yu Yan.
With the close proximity, Yu Yan could see 012’s throat quivering slightly, as if something inside was trying to produce sound.
“Senior Kang,” 012 said, mimicking the way Su He usually called him, even using a similar intonation.
Then he said, “Dr. Kang,” imitating Xiao Gao’s way of addressing him.
Although the titles were incorrect, it was still moving to hear his “pet” make an attempt to call him using words for the first time.
“How about calling me ‘brother’? Or ‘Third Brother’ if you prefer,” Yu Yan suggested sincerely. “If you call me Third Brother, I’ll bring you beautiful flowers and honey tomorrow,” he coaxed.
012 stared at him, his throat continuing to quiver. Then, encouraged by Yu Yan’s hopeful gaze, he emitted a sound:
“Cheep.”
It was a soft, bird-like chirp.
