Chapter 41: 36.1

Chapter 36.1

A Magic Trick for You

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

 

The next day, for the first time, Mu Mu’er is awake before Bai Yao is.

When the snow leopard finally wakes up, Mu Mu’er averts his gaze, a little shy. The big cat doesn’t seem offended, though, so Mu Mu’er looks back at him, and can’t hold himself back from feeling the plump, round ears.

Mu Mu’er has longed for the big cat’s ears for a long time, and has stared at it the entire time after he’s awake. It feels like it’d be soft, so soft, and he wants to touch it so much.

Before the big cat is fully awake, though, Mu Mu’er doesn’t dare touch it either. He has just been staring and imagining.

He really, really wants to touch it.

And also to pinch it. And maybe see if he can remove a handful of fur.

Bai Yao is feeling a little itchy from being scratched, and in his half-slumber, twitches his ears by reflex. Mu Mu’er gets spooked and immediately retracts his hand in fear. Did he hurt the big cat?

He still wants to touch him more, though.

Bai Yao doesn’t know what he’s thinking, so simply assumes he’s bored lying down. He stretches himself, and swings his tail about while lazily yawning.

It was quite hot last night. His fur is too thick for the tropical summer. Not to mention the little furnace of a boy in his lap. He didn’t sleep well.

Retaining his form, he leaps nimbly off the bed, takes a few steps… and, failing to adapt to the length of his tail in time, he steps on his own tail and hissed in pain.

He will be butt naked if he just turns here, so Bai Yao jumps into the wardrobe as a snow leopard, and transforms, gets dressed before walking back out.

Mu Mu’er is still blanking out looking at the wardrobe with sleepy eyes.

He watches as the big fluffy cat he hugged all night walks into the wardrobe, only for Bai Yao to walk out from it. His eyes widen, as if he just saw scallops sprouting legs and walking.

“Wh-where is the big fluffy?” Mu Mu’er sits up straight while rubbing his eyes, trying to look behind Bai Yao and see if he is hiding it behind his body.

“Why was Yaoyao in the wardrobe…”

He is wearing Bai Yao’s T-shirt for pyjamas, so it’s some sizes too big. Part of the collar has slipped down his shoulder, revealing part of his delicate, exquisite collarbone. Then there are the loose locks of hair hanging around above his head from his sleep. Cute.

Bai Yao walks to the bed to straighten Mu Mu’er’s clothes for him with a smile, then combs his hair for him. Though the locks would jump back up again and again no matter how much he pushed, so Bai Yao gives up the thought soon enough.

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Mu Mu’er still looks like a sleepyhead right now, so Bai Yao chuckles and asks, “what? Are you not happy to see me?”

Mu Mu’er immediately shakes his head, to show that he is very happy to see Bai Yao.

“Happy! Happy to see Yaoyao. Yaoyao is good,” he mumbles, and then politely adds, “good morning to Yaoyao.”

Bai Yao is amused by the rapid-fire sentences; however, Mu Mu’er is not smiling alongside him, but seems to have fallen into thought in the meantime on the bed.

It’s the group of sea otters on the beach. They are sprawled on the beach, sunbathing, and grooming their fur drenched from last night.

Mu Mu’er’s face sours almost imperceptibly seeing them.

“Didn’t float away,” he mumbles, “still, here.”
“I don’t like floating away. Away into very, very, very far oceans.”
“I have to swim back, back to home. Very tired.”

Bai Yao is able to piece together what all the snippets point to. So he lifts Mu Mu’er by his little chin gently, that they see each other eye-to-eye, and tells him, “make sure to stay far away from those sea otters, ok?”
“Not just other sea otters. But, if someone is rude to you, or says bad words, Mu’er, you must also stay far away. Ignore them. If you want to play at the beach, make sure you tell Yaoyao, got it?”

Mu Mu’er nods obediently, though whether he understood is anyone’s guess.

“Good boy.”

After the downpour last night, the sky has brightened up somewhat. The weather forecast still projects rain for the coming days, but there are already gaps in the clouds through which sunlight is shining. The fog around the air is cool and slightly denser than usual, and raindrops indistinguishable from the morning dew are still hanging from leaves. The foliage appears more vibrantly green after the big wash, and the whole town smells almost fresher than before.

It seems, however, the whole incident last night is still affected Mu Mu’er. He is rather reserved the whole morning, merely sitting immobile on the chair in a corner of the restaurant.

Bai Yao even made his favourite seafood fried rice, but even that fails to cheer Mu Mu’er up. He eats the meal slowly, until he finishes, and he resumes blanking out with his head on the table.

Bai Yao can’t help but feel heavy in the chest, too. After cleaning the dishes, he sits down next to Mu Mu’er, and asks, “Mu’er, what are you looking at?”

Mu Mu’er does not answer for a long time. When Bai Yao thought he would not get an answer, there comes a meek “… island.”

Bai Yao also looks out the window. The clouds have dissipated contrary to the forecasts, and the fog has cleared up entirely. The island in the far distance is highly visible.

Since he moved to the town, Bai Yao has never made his way to the island. Though he knows it by reputation – when the weather is clear, the campers on the top of the mountain there can see a whole tapestry of stars dotting the night sky, almost within reach of their hands. They sleep with the starry sky as their blanket.

Some of the locals also believe it to be a holy site for couples. Make a wish on the stars and the Moon, and their love will never waver ’til death does them apart.

After Mu Mu’er has answered, he returns to his melancholic staring session, with his chin on the back of his hand, and his eyes half shut, like he’s powering down.

Some time later, he makes a long, weary sigh like that of an old grandma, or like that of a little sea otter unable to find his beloved seashell.

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