Chapter 47: 39

Chapter 39

Tell Him that Mu'er Likes Yaoyao

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

 

Bai Yao immediately leaps off the couch, but he’s too late. Mu Mu’er’s silhouette is already heading down the stairs.

With someone downstairs, Bai Yao cannot simply head down as a snow leopard. He makes a hasty low growl to call Mu Mu’er back, but it is too quiet for Mu Mu’er to hear, given that he doesn’t want whoever’s downstairs to hear him.

What if there’s a bad person outside? What if they’re armed? Mu Mu’er will be in danger alone.

Bai Yao starts to consider whether it’s better to head downstairs as a snow leopard or transform and head down naked.

“Auntie Zhang!”

Mu Mu’er has already opened the door before he could come to a decision and greeted the lady outside. This relieves Bai Yao a lot.

He lies flat on top of the stairwell, which allows him a peek into the backdoor and a corner of the kitchen.

Auntie Zhang brought over persimmons she cultivates herself in her own garden for Mu Mu’er to try.

Mu Mu’er mimics Bai Yao, telling her “do come in” quietly while helping carry the bag for her clumsily.

He’s moving about so haphazardly that he even trips on the sill and falls forward. Fortunately auntie Zhang was right there by him to help prevent him from faceplanting on the ground outside.

Bai Yao almost leaps down the stairs seeings this from the second floor.

“Oh, calm down a little, dear,” auntie Zhang, worried, holds Mu Mu’er by the hand and heads inside with him.

“Auntie Zhang, have you eaten yet?” Mu Mu’er might not even be aware of what this phatic expression means, but he’s heard Bai Yao greet auntie Zhang and grandpa Xü this way, so he mimics the behaviour. His sound is a bit too soft, and the emphasis is on the wrong syllable, making it sound less like a question.

Auntie Zhang is clearly amused, and she pats her hand on Mu Mu’er’s head, “of course, of course.”

She then praises him rather emphatically, “you sure are suiting up today! Energetic!”

Mu Mu’er smiles a little and blushes.

He is wearing an overall today with a white T-shirt underneath. He looks clean and fresh, like an undergraduate freshman, perhaps.

“Yaoyao gave it to Mu’er, he said it looks good!”

Auntie Zhang gives him her thumb, “yes, you look handsome!”

She then looks around, and seeing that it was Mu’er who opened the door for her, asks, “where’s xiao-Yao, then?”

“Yaoyao is not home. Mu’er is,” Mu Mu’er explains while taking auntie Zhang inside, “Mu’er is watching for Yaoyao; there is also big cat!”

Auntie Zhang doesn’t think too much of it, as the town is home to a number of stray cats. Perhaps one has wandered near the restaurant and is playing with Mu Mu’er; that said, she wasn’t expecting Bai Yao to leave Mu Mu’er at home alone.

Mu Mu’er really likes auntie Zhang, meanwhile. He’s happy to see her, mostly because she brings tasty food with her every time, and also partly because her smile is really gentle. It makes him feel warm.

Bai Yao often teases him by asking who he likes best in the town. Mu Mu’er would count on his fingers. The big cat, auntie Zhang, Miss Strawberry – he means Jing Xiaoqing – and grandpa Xü.

Bai Yao is quite surprised he remembers her so fondly, and even ranks her third on the list of his favourite people.

When auntie Zhang has taken a seat, Mu Mu’er tries to clumsily make tea for her. He tries to do it like Bai Yao does, turning on the electric kettle, pouring water in halfway, and then waiting for it to boil.

You are reading story Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little at novel35.com

Then he moves on to the small cans of tea leaves in the kitchen cabinet. Mu Mu’er does not know the difference between them, so he takes a wooden one that he thinks is the prettiest, with some snow-in-summer painted on.

The can actually contains black tea leaves. Mu Mu’er scoops up a small spoonful, and puts them in a glass teapot, then tiptoes to retrieve a clean glass for auntie Zhang.

The water is boiling by now, and so Mu Mu’er turns it off, before reaching out for the kettle.

Bai Yao’s heart almost sinks. What if he scalds himself?! He should not have watched and just transformed and head downstairs as quickly as he could. It’d be unthinkable if the little sea otter ends up with blisters because of it.

Fortunately, auntie Zhang came to check up on Mu Mu’er, and stopped him before he could grab the kettle, “Mu’er! Careful, let auntie Zhang help you. This is very hot, so you want to touch it very carefully.”

She pours the water into the teapot and makes some tea for herself.

Knowing that Mu Mu’er isn’t a fan of the bitterness, she takes a persimmon out of the bag and washes it, plucks the stem away, and hands it to him.

Mu Mu’er takes the persimmon and looks at it. He’s practically drooling, but refrains from eating. He tries giving it back to auntie Zhang, “auntie Zhang should eat first.”

Auntie Zhang shakes her head, though. She gives Mu Mu’er the persimmon back with a smile, “auntie Zhang has many persimmons at home – a whole tree of them! I can eat them at home.”

Even though auntie Zhang tells him so, Mu Mu’er still does not eat, and uses his clothes to wipe the persimmon clean again and again, holding it in both hands, and mumbles to himself, “then I will give it to Yaoyao.”

Auntie Zhang smiles at the sentiment, but also feels a little sorry for the boy, “auntie Zhang still has a lot. Yaoyao will also get some when he is back. Mu’er can eat first.”

Mu Mu’er remains unconvinced. Auntie Zhang has to show him the big bag of persimmons she brought before he would start eating.

They’re sweet, and taste similarly to apples, but with a unique aroma. Mu Mu’er likes sweet food very much, so he stops talking and focuses on eating.

After finishing the persimmon with little bites after bites, he takes another one out of the bag, and washes it under the water like auntie Zhang did. Then he carefully lifts it up with both hands once more.

Mu Mu’er explains to auntie Zhang when he sees her looking, with a big, big smile, “this one is for Yaoyao.”

Auntie Zhang says, with an imperceptibly sorry tone for him, “you are such a good boy.”

She will end up staying for a while downstairs. Mainly because Mu Mu’er is spending quite some time telling her about all the interesting things that happened this week.

Well, interesting to him and possibly no one else, but this is all the world to him.

From the curry seafood fried rice Bai Yao made him two nights ago, to the fresh leaves growing on the jatropha curcas plant in the garden, all things that Mu Mu’er remembers fondly over a long, long time.

“There was heavy rain! Very, very heavy rain. Mu’er was not scared, because Mu’er was hugging big cat.”

Recently, Mu’er has been conveying himself better, but when he speaks rapidly, the words and meanings start to get jumbled together. Still, one can tell he was definitely happy.

“On the tree in the garden! Yaoyao gave bubbles to Mu’er! We blew bubbles!”

Auntie Zhang understands, and patiently listens to Mu Mu’er’s stories, and gives him well-timed encouragements.

Mu Mu’er truly does not ask for a lot. When auntie Zhang smiles at him, he becomes happy in turn. His world is very small, small enough that the small town of Qiaohai could fit comfortably inside, alongside all the people that have treated him well, and Bai Yao, and his treasured shells. All together, they fill up whatever gaps remain.

While chatting with auntie Zhang, he happens to think of something, and his voice slows down a little.

His favourite person is Bai Yao. He really likes him. He likes him even more than the big cat, auntie Zhang, Miss Strawberry, and grandpa Xü, all added together!

He likes him so much, he wants to hug him whenever he sees him. He wants to see him every day.

He should have answered Yaoyao when he asked.

Mu Mu’er thinks about it again and again so that he would remember. He must go to Yaoyao later, and tell him how much he likes him.

You can find story with these keywords: Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little, Read Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little, Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little novel, Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little book, Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little story, Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little full, Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little Latest Chapter