Chapter 189 – Obedient Chirp

When Jian Mo and Wu Jiong needed to bathe, they could just wash in the river.

But with the two chirps, the river wasn’t convenient—it wasn’t big enough for them. They had to find a larger lake; otherwise, the chirps wouldn’t fit.

Looking at the hazy night sky, Jian Mo said:
“How about we go to the Snowfoot Tribe? They have lots of lakes over there. We could just pick one.”

They had stayed at the Snowfoot Tribe before, so they knew the area well and exactly where the bathing lakes were.

Wu Jiong suggested:
“Let’s have Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao carry us there. We can rest by the lake for the night, and tomorrow head straight to the Rainrise Tribe.”

That was a good idea.

Jian Mo immediately agreed:
“I’ll go tell Yisen and the others, so we won’t have to come back later.”

They had already collected enough throateyes, and their belongings were packed. Whether they went back to the Nongliu Tribe or not didn’t really matter.

Wu Jiong said:
“I’ll go with you.”

Since it was already dark, Yisen wanted them to stay the night at the tribe.
“Why not go tomorrow instead?”

Jian Mo shook his head:
“It’s fine, we can see at night. Let’s leave now.”

Yisen could only say:
“Then be careful. And if you want to come back, you’re always welcome.”

So Jian Mo and Wu Jiong grabbed their washing supplies and flew off into the night.

---

That night, since they were going to bathe Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao, they chose a shallower lake.

The wild lake had a bottom full of pebbles, glittering under the moonlight. It looked very clean.

Even with the heavy bodies of Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao, the water didn’t get muddy—no clouds of dirt, just clear water.

They picked a flat spot by the shore and let Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao soak, wetting their fur before they started with the soap.

Jian Mo even pulled a comb out of his basket—planning to take this chance to comb their fur, clean it up, and get rid of debris.

Winter was coming, and they were shedding a lot. After riding them, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong usually ended up with a seat full of fur.

Of course, that was just a minor issue. Even if they shed endlessly, they’d never give up riding Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao.

Chirp-Chirp got excited as soon as it saw the water and started swimming happily.

Jian Mo called it back a couple of times but gave up when it ignored him. Instead, they started with Ying’ao.

Ying’ao sat calmly in the lake, looking both strange and funny.

Jian Mo lathered soap onto its body, piling foam on its head, and Ying’ao just sat there obediently.

It didn’t move at all—perfectly cooperative.

Even with suds on its head, it was still majestic and handsome, cool yet well-behaved.

Jian Mo couldn’t help saying:
“Ying’ao is way too obedient. If it were this good every day, I wouldn’t mind bathing it daily.”

Wu Jiong shook his head:
“That won’t work. Its fur is too thick. It can’t take daily baths.”

Jian Mo laughed:
“I’m just saying—it’s so good right now!”

Wu Jiong looked at Ying’ao and agreed:
“Very good.”

Ying’ao looked at them with big round eyes and softly called, “Chirp.”

They combed its fur bit by bit, pulling out debris hidden in the thick coat. The loose fur and twigs floated down to the lakebed.

Thankfully, this was a wild lake. Everything would decompose naturally underwater—otherwise, just cleaning up the fur would have kept them busy all night.

While they were still combing Ying’ao, Chirp-Chirp finished swimming and swam over, wanting attention.

Jian Mo grabbed its beak and pushed it back:
“No, Chirp-Chirp. Wait your turn. Play on the side for now.”

Chirp-Chirp protested, nudging his hand with its head: “Chirp.”

Jian Mo pushed it back again:
“See? I told you earlier to wash, but you refused. Now you’re jealous that Ying’ao is getting washed, huh?”

Using the water’s buoyancy, he shoved Chirp-Chirp farther away, but the bird swam right back, nudging his hand again.

It was clearly having fun.

Meanwhile, Ying’ao sat like an old grandpa, steady and unmoving in the lake.

After combing all over—even stretching to reach its head—Wu Jiong and Jian Mo let Ying’ao go ashore to rest and dry off.

Handling such a huge beast was tiring—they had to spend a long while just finishing up.

Ying’ao sat quietly by the shore, not even tempted to return to the water.

Jian Mo patted it gently:
“Stay here. We’ll wash Chirp-Chirp now. If you’re sleepy, go ahead and nap.”

Ying’ao chirped in response.

At once, Chirp-Chirp rushed to take its place in the lake, waiting impatiently: “Chirp!”

Wu Jiong and Jian Mo returned to wash it.

Chirp-Chirp loved being the center of attention. It sat still, eyes shining, urging them on.

When Jian Mo soaped it, Chirp-Chirp even called: “Chirp.”

Jian Mo couldn’t resist praising it:
“Good Chirp.”

It was the first time he had called it that. Hearing the praise, Chirp-Chirp’s eyes shone brighter: “Chirp-Chirp!”

“Sit still, we’ll scrub you properly.”

Compared to Ying’ao, Chirp-Chirp had way more debris stuck in its fur—twigs, leaves, mud. Jian Mo was amazed it had managed to collect so much.

He patted its round belly:
“Dirty Chirp.”

Chirp-Chirp didn’t mind and chirped in a string, like singing.

Wu Jiong laughed:
“Sounds like it’s singing.”

Jian Mo smiled:
“I knew something about its chirping sounded funny—turns out it really does sound like a song.”

Chirp-Chirp: “Chirp!”

On shore, Ying’ao was nearly dozing off in the breeze, while they struggled to finish scrubbing Chirp-Chirp.

The water was cold, but Chirp-Chirp was so huge that Jian Mo was sweating from the effort.

At last, when they were done, Jian Mo lifted his sore arms and said tiredly:
“Go on up—we’ll dry you off. Time for sleep.”

Chirp-Chirp obediently waddled ashore: “Chirp.”

They dried it as best as they could, then left it be.

---

With both beasts done, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong went farther away to wash themselves.

Under the moonlight, Jian Mo stood waist-deep in the lake. His slender frame was outlined in silver, his muscles beautifully defined above the water, leaving the rest hidden below—enticing.

Wu Jiong’s hot hands slid onto his narrow waist, almost encircling it completely.

The water was cold, but Wu Jiong’s palm burned.

Eyes closed, washing his hair, Jian Mo muttered:
“Don’t mess around.”

Wu Jiong kissed his ear.

Jian Mo’s protest softened:
“Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao are nearby. What if they see?”

Wu Jiong said:
“Then let’s go further.”

“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble coming back?”

“No, it’ll give the wind time to dry our hair.”

Jian Mo stopped objecting. The scenery was too beautiful, and the wilderness too quiet. It would almost feel wasteful not to do something.

So Wu Jiong shifted into his giant wolf form, carried Jian Mo across the lake, and found a secluded spot at the foot of the snowy mountain.

Ying’ao stirred, opened its eyes, and saw they hadn’t gone too far. It shut them again.

Chirp-Chirp was already asleep, curled into a fluffy ball, completely oblivious.

The snow mountain loomed silently, dusted white down to its waist. The cold air made their skin feel hotter, pressed close together.

It was more thrilling than at home.

Wu Jiong held Jian Mo tightly, and the cold was forgotten.

They stayed out half the night. By the time they returned, their hair and fur had dried in the wind.

Jian Mo rinsed again to remove the lingering scent, leaving only soap and herbs on his skin. It smelled faint and pleasant.

The giant wolf lay down beside the two chirps. Jian Mo crawled onto its back with a blanket, wrapped himself up, and quickly fell asleep.

The sound of four steady breaths joined the lake’s waves, becoming part of the night—and a memory to look back on one day.

---

Because they slept so late, Jian Mo woke late the next morning.

Wrapped in a blanket, nestled in the wolf’s fur, he opened his eyes to see Chirp-Chirp and Ying’ao swimming.

Ying’ao was farther out, while Chirp-Chirp stayed closer, splashing energetically.

Jian Mo admired its strokes—it was surprisingly lively.

Spotting Jian Mo, Chirp-Chirp called loudly:
“Kyah!”

Yawning, Jian Mo asked:
“Why so excited?”

The wolf also woke, swiveling its furry ears toward the noise. Frowning, it said:
“Doesn’t sound like excitement from seeing us.”

Jian Mo covered his mouth with his hand:
“Then what is it?”

The wolf narrowed its eyes:
“Looks like… a fish is biting its butt?”