Chi Yu is a two-hundred-year-old Red Luan, a divine bird from East Asian mythology traditionally associated with marriage and romance. Having taken human form at age ten, he now operates an online dating and matchmaking company in the mortal realm, using big data to help humans find partners while contributing to societal marriage rates. His ancestor, Feng Chuchu, is a five-hundred-year-old Red Luan who has never taken human form or found a mate. Because Red Luan birds sustain their spiritual power through romantic union, Chuchu’s inability to find a partner threatens his very existence. The clan, desperate to save him, sends him to the human world with a collection of aphrodisiacs and tonics, instructing him to find a destined partner. Chi Yu, though exasperated by Chuchu’s incompetence and lack of cultivation, agrees to help locate the bird’s true love using his company’s algorithms.
Feng Chuchu is directed to Ling City Ancient Alley, a historic district preserved amidst modern skyscrapers due to the presence of a prestigious antique shop owned by a mysterious and wealthy figure known as Mr. Cang. Upon arriving in the snowy alley, Chuchu searches for his mate among the pedestrians but finds none suitable. Starving and vulnerable, he spots a young boy feeding sparrows and lands to eat the moldy chicken feed. The boy, however, is not kind; he uses the feed as bait to lure small birds into shooting them with a homemade crossbow tipped with a pen nib. Chuchu, oblivious to the danger, is targeted by the boy and his father, Old Wang, who run a local flower and bird shop. They intend to capture the rare red bird to sell it for a substantial profit, believing it to be a valuable exotic parrot.
During the chase, Chuchu flees into the street and collides with the windshield of a black sedan. The car stops just before hitting him, and Chuchu clings to the windshield wiper. Inside the car sits Cang Yun Chi, the enigmatic owner of the antique shop and the source of the ancient alley’s prosperity. Cang Yun Chi is a man of immense power and wealth, known only to appear rarely. When he looks out at the red bird, he feels an immediate, inexplicable pull. Chuchu, driven by instinct, perceives Cang Yun Chi’s vigorous life force and recognizes him as his destined mate. The bird begins to display courtship behaviors, puffing his chest and spreading his tail feathers, hoping to attract the man’s attention.
Old Wang and his son approach the car, claiming ownership of the bird and demanding compensation from Cang Yun Chi for the accident. They attempt to scam the wealthy antique dealer, inflating the bird’s value and blaming him for the damage. Cang Yun Chi remains calm and detached. He inspects the paper arrow used by the boy, which bears a second-grade math test with the name Wang Xiaoming clearly written on it. He uses this evidence to expose the boy’s attempt to hunt the bird, shifting the dynamic from a simple traffic dispute to a confrontation involving attempted fraud and animal cruelty. Old Wang panics and tries to flee, but Cang Yun Chi stops them, revealing that he knows the bird is not theirs and that the scratches on his car were caused by the boy’s aggressive actions, not the bird’s.
Chuchu, desperate to protect his newfound mate from the scammers, jumps down from the car and lands at Cang Yun Chi’s feet. He chirps loudly, trying to explain that he is not property and that he is there for the man, not the money. Despite the chaos, Cang Yun Chi’s gaze remains fixed on the small red bird. The encounter marks the beginning of an unusual bond between a divine spirit and a powerful human. Chuchu, who has spent five hundred years alone, has finally found his match, but his lack of worldly knowledge and cultivation leaves him vulnerable. Cang Yun Chi, intrigued by the talking bird and the strange connection he feels, decides to intervene, taking the bird under his protection while dealing with the fraudulent shop owners. The story sets the stage for a romance that bridges the gap between the mythical and the mortal, as Chuchu must learn to navigate the human world while Cang Yun Chi uncovers the secrets of the divine creature who has entered his life.
