Lu Mingming accepted Hua Hua's overtures as a matter of course. She used her fingertips to groom the little creature's feathers and massage it, soothing its emotions over and over again.
She hummed Earthly folk songs, weaving a net of clouds that held the live stream audience and Hua Hua alike, deeply immersed in a haven of tenderness.
As the gentle flow of water streamed across its skin, everyone felt as if they were submerged in an all-encompassing ocean, with a strong pair of hands behind them, supporting them from falling.
As the song concluded, Axl seemed to awaken from a dream. The anger and resentment he carried before were all healed by the melody.
Axl, being of the bird tribe, understood that their world was incompatible with most beast-kin.
Even though he had come today to clear the name of the Nine-Tailed Fox, after watching Lu Mingming's live stream, he had to admit he was deeply moved.
Axl himself detested bathing. The innate fear of water and cats, imprinted in his very bones, had been dispelled today.
In the live stream, everyone's senses were reawakened by the whispers right by their ears.
Lu Mingming continued to hum the tune, her fingers closing the valve of the sprayer.
As parrots are naturally clean and will clean their own feathers by clear water pools, Hua Hua was exceptionally clean.
Furthermore, parrots did not require body wash, nor did Lu Mingming need to scrub with her hands. Compared to bathing the little white tiger, it saved a great deal of effort.
By the time Lu Mingming had finished bathing Hua Hua, the water in the basin remained crystal clear.
She reached for a cashmere towel hanging on a rack and wrapped the little creature in a small nest made of the towel.
Hua Hua's eyes were slightly closed, as if still lost in the lingering resonance of the song. It stood dazed on the towel, allowing Lu Mingming to dry its wet feathers.
Fearing the little one might catch a cold, Lu Mingming's movements were quick and efficient, drying the dripping feathers considerably in just a few wipes.
At the same time, a strikingly conspicuous golden bullet comment appeared at the top of the otherwise silent live stream.
【ALnr: What song is this? I haven't heard it before.】
The moment the comment appeared, Lu Mingming noticed it quickly.
This was a question she couldn't answer carelessly, as the song was one she had heard on Earth, titled "Ode to Joy."
Her movements subtly paused, and then, with a flash of inspiration, she improvised, "I randomly came across the music and have forgotten the song's name."
Lu Mingming thought: This excuse should be foolproof!
As expected, the other party asked no further questions.
Just as Lu Mingming relaxed and prepared to blow-dry the little parrot's feathers, ALnr's name reappeared at the top of the live stream.
【ALnr: Could you sing it for me if you have a chance? I really like this song. I won't mention it again if it offends you.】
After all, this was a generous benefactor who had previously sent tens of thousands of interstellar coins as gifts and had helped clarify her situation in the competition. Lu Mingming had been worrying about how to repay the favor.
Now that the opportunity had presented itself, Lu Mingming was more than happy to accept. Besides, singing a song was not a big deal.
Lu Mingming quickly nodded and said gently, "I'll sing it for you after the competition."
【ALnr: Thank you.】
So polite.
Lu Mingming gained a better impression of ALnr.
After concluding their conversation, Lu Mingming placed the little creature on a small soft stool outside the bathroom. Hua Hua was still shedding some down, and tiny wisps of fluff could be seen floating in the air towards the competition venues of other streamers.
The other streamers were either cooking, bathing, or even feeding their cubs.
All of them, who had been preparing for their own competitions moments ago, turned their heads or cast covert glances as Lu Mingming emerged from the bathroom with the parrot, curious about her results.
Cheng Shiqin, swept up in the general curiosity, also looked over. His relaxed expression shifted slightly as he caught a glimpse of Hua Hua's natural form, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Xingfuxing was sparsely populated, unlike other planets with various rare species. However, seeing creatures like a cockatiel, a white tiger, and a Samoyed together with the same person was extremely uncommon.
Cheng Shiqin had only come to the competition for casual fun, but he had unexpectedly found something interesting.
Facing the gazes of the entire venue, Lu Mingming remained unfazed. She turned and found another clean cashmere towel, carefully wiping the little creature's body.
Normally, after a bath, it was best for parrots to dry their feathers slowly under warm sunlight.
However, due to the winter chill and the time constraints of the competition, Lu Mingming had to wait until the little parrot was dry before asking staff for a small, low-power hairdryer.
The hairdryer could not be held too close, as the direct hot air on the skin would cause discomfort.
Lu Mingming set the hairdryer to the lowest setting and held her hand in front of it to test the temperature of the hot air.
Confirming the temperature was suitable, Lu Mingming then held the hairdryer about two fists' distance away and blew warm air onto Hua Hua's wet feathers.
The little creature, being intelligent, closed its eyes and turned its head away, preventing the strong gust of wind from entering its eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
As the down feathers fluttered, the little creature gradually became fluffy and soft, resembling a puffed-up ball of glutinous rice, or a soft banana boat when viewed from the side.
Although its feathers were significantly drier, the process made the little creature lose its dignified appearance from before the bath.
Now, Hua Hua looked as if it had been rumpled by hand, with stray feathers sticking out in every direction, making the little creature appear rather disheveled.
"Let's see, our second streamer has finished bathing the cub. Is it time to send it for scoring now?"
The host, always observant of Lu Mingming's progress, promptly approached and asked.
This statement, broadcast through the microphone to the entire competition venue, prompted the media to ready their cameras, and the other competing streamers began to feel anxious again.
If it were any other streamer, they might have felt pressured and given up at this point, allowing their cub to go for scoring with a messy coat of feathers.
Although the bathing requirement would be met, they would certainly not receive a high score.
Lu Mingming had no intention of doing so.
Hua Hua possessed incredibly clean and beautiful gradient feathers, as well as a crest resembling feathered wings. It would be a waste not to groom it properly.
However, due to long-term nutritional deficiency, the little creature's feathers were not only brittle but also somewhat dull. Combined with their messy direction after the bath, it made him appear rather pitiful.
"Excuse me, I think it might take a little longer. Just a bit more finishing up."
Lu Mingming politely declined the host's suggestion to go for scoring, desperately racking her brain for memories of styling dogs and cats. She mustered her courage and asked for the smallest comb available.
She decided that today, she would give the little creature a handsome hairstyle.
Once this was done, Lu Mingming would have a legitimate reason to try her hand at styling her own two little cubs at home!
Lu Mingming turned the hairdryer back on to its lowest setting and held it between her neck and shoulder.
The comb she had obtained was about the length of a toothpick, densely packed with teeth, which was exactly what Lu Mingming wanted.
She had the little creature stand on her finger, the warm breeze gently blowing. With her other hand, following the texture of the parrot's feathers, she continuously used the comb to smooth and loosen each layer of down.
Lu Mingming's styling for Hua Hua primarily focused on two aspects: first, the glossiness of the feathers, and second, the tail feathers.
She didn't know anything more.
After nearly five minutes of effort from Lu Mingming, the little creature began to show its beauty.
The little one's pale eyes sparkled, and it alertly surveyed its surroundings. Its red claws gripped Lu Mingming's finger like strong hooks. It held its head high, looking very proud.
Notably, while its body was covered in gradient feathers, its pair of wings were a vibrant blue-green. From its back to its tail, the feathers were neatly and uniformly gathered into a proper fan shape, appearing like unsheathed blades upon closer inspection.
A large patch of fluffy, light-colored down puffed out on the little creature's chest, making anyone who saw it want to poke their finger in and feel if they would sink into the feathers.
Yet, Lu Mingming was still not satisfied, feeling that something was missing.
The little creature meticulously preened its feathers. She slowly walked in a circle around Hua Hua, searching for imperfections.
Feathers neat, tail feathers gathered, claws clean... what else could it be?
Suddenly, Lu Mingming stopped, a flash of inspiration striking her—the crest on its head!
If the little creature's crest were styled, it would truly be magnificent!
With a new plan in mind, Lu Mingming quickly picked up the hairdryer again, directing it from top to bottom, front to back, grooming the clump of ruffled blue-green down on Hua Hua's head to stand up high.
Under her careful attention, that cluster of feathers became layered, neatly arranged backwards, with the edges slightly curled inwards, forming a cute semi-heart shape, adding a touch of spirit to the little creature.
Axl was absolutely stunned, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
Could bird grooming really be developed to this extent?! It was like a completely different bird!
Unable to control his excitement, he momentarily forgot the original purpose of his visit to Lu Mingming's live stream. He directly pressed the gift button, sending out ten fireworks displays consecutively.
Such excellent grooming skills were too great a loss if they didn't become popular!
Similar to Axl, the host, gripping the microphone, lost control of his emotions for the first time, expressing obvious admiration:
"This is perfect! I believe this cub can participate in a beauty pageant!"