Fortunate to Have You This Lifetime

No pets were allowed at the fashion show.

Purple Summers had specifically worn a black floor-length dress adorned with fluffy feathers. When Tiny, her pet crow, was perched on her shoulder, others only saw it as an accessory.

That evening, Zara Jameson picked up Purple in her car. When she saw the crow on Purple’s shoulder, she burst into laughter.

“This is fun; Jane McCain would definitely be frightened.”

After finishing her laughter, Zara admiringly remarked, “Your bird is so smart, unlike my mynah at home, which would fly far away from the cage and never obediently stay on the shoulder.”

Purple replied helplessly, “Do you think I want to bring it along? I had no choice. It squawks loudly whenever it can’t see me. It’s terrifying.”

“That’s incredible.” Zara curiously looked at the crow and reached out her hand to pet it, but the crow turned its head away disdainfully.

Purple hurriedly advised her, “You need to offer it something first.”

She took out a couple of corn kernels from her bag and placed them on Zara’s palm.

Zara held out her palm towards the crow’s beak. The crow cocked its head at her, as if to confirm that the food was for it, before gently pecking at the kernels and eating them.

“It really is smart!” Zara exclaimed enthusiastically, “It’s smarter than my pet mynah. Purple, you must train it well. A smart mynah not only talks but can also solve math problems.”

Purple:

Why would I get it to solve math problems?

When they arrived at the fashion show, Jane McCain personally greeted them. She was indeed left speechless at the sight of the bird on Purple’s shoulder.

“Well, it does match…” Jane visually assessed Purple from head to toe, murmuring her evaluation.

Today, Purple had applied a bit of makeup, accentuating her defined eyebrows and eyes. Her starry eyes twinkled when she smiled coyly. Her pet bird was anomalously well-behaved, semi-closed its eyes and nestled on her shoulder, not moving an inch. It truly looked like an adornment!

Purple had brought a gift for Jane McCain – a handbag. It was amongst the pile of clothing that Alexander Summers had gifted her. The handbag was still wrapped, never been opened.

She figured that Jane, being attuned to fabrics, would appreciate such a thing.

Jane’s face lit up immediately upon seeing it.

“This crocodile skin handbag is utterly perfect!”

Zara also leaned in to have a look. She thought the handbag was beautiful, but was Jane’s reaction a little too exaggerated?

Jane held the handbag up to her face, unable to resist caressing it, “Do you see the evenly distributed pores on it? This is saltwater crocodile skin. A handbag made from saltwater crocodile skin can stay intact for a century and it only gets more polished with use!”

Zara, clueless about it, innocently asked, “It must be very expensive then?”

“More than just expensive!” Jane defended her precious bag, passionately proclaiming, “The most valuable part of a crocodile’s skin is the belly, which is close to the ground. Add to that, the crocodile is a fighting species, so each skin usually has a scar or two. A completely unblemished belly skin, like this one, would usually be auctioned off to luxury brands. They would preserve it for their exclusive clientele!”

“Ah, I really love it!” Jane was so enchanted by her gift that she would have kissed it if it weren’t for the crowd.

She turned to Purple and sincerely conveyed her gratitude, “Thank you, Purple!”

Purple was slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t known that a simple handbag could possess such knowledge…

Jane was delighted with her favorite gift. She led her two friends into the venue, full of energy and spirits.

Today was Jane McCain’s seventeenth birthday, and the theme of the fashion show designed by her mother was also ‘seventeen’.

Models on the stage were wearing vivid and elegant dresses, while guests in the VIP seats were equally splendidly dressed.

The flashing lights were ceaseless, and the music filled the air.

Purple admired the show for a while. Worried that her crow wouldn’t able to stand the flash and noise, she excused herself to go to the restroom to take a small break.

She found a cozy sofa, sat down for a rest, and poured some water into a tall glass to feed Tiny.

Just then, she heard a conversation from behind the sofa-

“….Who is the prosecutor in charge of this case?”