Odd Containment Specialist.

Chapter 1063 The Heart of a Flying Bird
When the two figures walked out the door, the scene blurred like broken ripples on water, and soon a new scene unfolded before Xia Shou.

On the grass, Xia Shou, wearing a mask with a smile on his face, was fencing with the young Dorian Gray. While dodging Dorian Gray's attacks, he would occasionally point out his opponent's weaknesses and tell him details that could be improved.

"Excellent, rapid progress! Yes, that's it!"

As Dorian Gray launched his final, self-sacrificing attack, Natsume sidestepped the blow at a delicate distance, causing her to lose her balance.

Just as she was about to fall onto the grass, Xia Shou reached out and gently supported her waist, regaining her balance.

Daolin frowned slightly, said nothing, but gave Xia Shou a complicated look.

"Let's take a break," Xia Shou said.

Daolin walked expressionlessly to the shade of a tree, sat down, untied his bow tie, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and roughly wiped the sweat from his neck and face.

Her manner of wiping her sweat was far more rude than that of an ordinary nobleman. In such a small detail, she didn't even seem like a nobleman, but in fact, this habit of hers was very good at winning her father's favor.

"Isn't wiping sweat like that too deliberate? There's no need for such exaggerated movements."

Is it to make your father happy? Although he pretends to scold you for not being a gentleman every time he sees you like this, you can actually sense that he prefers to see you like this rather than being charming.

"Your father is more pleased with the appearance of a rough boy than a delicate nobleman. Is it because he realized this that you've become increasingly impolite? You were clearly much cuter when you were a child," Xia Shou said.

“You’re annoying! You’re just my tutor!” Dorian Gray said coldly, his eyes flashing with anger.

A typical reckless boy's speech.

"It's your birthday today, right? Here's a gift for you." Xia Shou, wearing a crying-laughing mask, handed her a box. It was a small wooden gift box with a beautifully packaged red outer shell and tied with an orange-red ribbon.

Dorian Gray was visibly stunned when he saw the box. He then picked it up and threw it forcefully into the lake beside him. He glared at Xia Shou and said coldly, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"

After saying that, Dorian Gray raised his chin, turned around and left without saying goodbye.

In that instant, perhaps due to the effect of memory, some images flashed quickly and semi-transparently before his eyes, as if trying to help Dorian Gray fully recall his mindset and thoughts at that time.

In those semi-transparent images, Xia Shou saw Dorian Gray playing with other noble boys, and saw her looking at other noble ladies of the same age, wanting to go up and talk to them, but shrinking back.

So she could only play with other boys.

In the flickering images, she couldn't fit in with the boys, and even if she did, it was only at the beginning. In the end, the boys would discover that she was a girl and, under the pretense of playing, deliberately bump into and touch her.

Xia Shou saw Dorian Gray get into a fight with the boys because of the other party's collision. Taking advantage of the fact that girls develop earlier, she knocked the boys to the ground. However, when the parents arrived, it was Dorian Gray who was scolded by Old Gray.

Old Gray was furious about this, simply because as a "boy," it was normal for other boys to push his chest or bump into him; how could a man be so concerned about such trivial matters?

Upon seeing this, Xia Shou understood why Dorian Gray had that expression and look in his eyes when his past self caught him just as he was about to fall.

Because she knew very well that she was not a man, but a woman.

And she was also well aware that many people would see through her as a woman, at least he knew about her past as Henry.

But Dorian Gray also knew that she had to be a boy, a man, the family's hope, her father's expectation, the thin iron chain on the ankle of a young elephant.

Therefore, she must never get angry over actions that are offensive to women but insignificant to men. Even if she knows that the other person is trying to take advantage of her or is doing it intentionally, she must still suppress her anger and pretend to be used to it.

That's why she threw away the gift Xia Shou gave her. Because it was a blatant offense, even a provocation.

"Is this considered the happiest moment in life?" Xia Shou wondered, observing from the sidelines.

He saw Dorian return to his bedroom and toss and turn all night.

She couldn't fall asleep until late at night. Finally, she got up, stood in front of the full-length mirror, and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her hair had just reached past her ears, her bangs partially covered her forehead, and her chest was beginning to take shape.

Just then, Xia Shou suddenly heard Dorian Gray's voice.

It wasn't the voice of Dorian Gray that he had seen, but rather the adult Dorian Gray speaking to him from the void, close at hand:

"You probably don't know, but I was actually furious that day because you touched my waist and gave me a gift of that color. If it had been my previous tutor who offended me like that, I wouldn't have been this angry, but it was you."

My bangs and medium-length hair were only allowed by my father because you spoke up for me. Otherwise, my father would have insisted that I shave my hair completely short. So I've always felt that... you at least pitied me.

But what you did today has disappointed me.

"Well, hehe." Dorian Gray let out a nostalgic laugh.

Then, Xia Shou saw Daolin, as if he had made up his mind, open the window, and like a nimble monkey, climb the roof and jump into the garden, running all the way towards the lake in the training field.

"Where are you going?" Xia Shou asked curiously.

“Go and retrieve it,” Dorian Gray said.

"They're all gone, why bother fishing them out?"

"I don't know. At the time, I probably just wanted to know what you would give me."

In the garden, Dorian Gray jumped into the lake. Under the moonlight, her head kept diving and rising on the shimmering surface of the lake, and every now and then she would come ashore to rest for a while.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally climbed ashore with the gift box in her hand.

Upon opening the gift box, inside was a silver bracelet inlaid with colored diamonds, designed in a floral wreath style. There was also a greeting card inside; although the writing was blurry, the contents were still clearly legible.
Happy birthday, Daolin.

The bird is just in a cage, but it hasn't lost its wings.

She won't be kept in a cage forever, nor will she be released until her bird owner dies of old age.

Without a doubt, when a bird's wings shimmer with magnificent colors and its figure becomes increasingly dazzling, then one day, even if the bird owner is reluctant to open the cage, others will beg to witness the bird's beautiful flight.

Birds are born to fly.

The desire of someone who longs to witness the flight of a bird is similar to your feelings upon seeing this gift. If you don't believe me, then discard it.

—Your teacher: Henry

(End of this chapter)