SES Chapter 238

Chapter 238

Seriously—like she’d be scared of him.

Mu Dai strode forward and plopped down cross-legged on the carpet. The little kid panicked. “What are you doing! You can’t sit there!”

As if fighting for territory, he pushed at her legs with both tiny hands, trying to shove her away. His face turned red from the effort, but she didn’t budge. Mu Dai was shameless—rather than moving back, she scooted even closer.

The kid got fiercer. “This is my house! You can’t sit here!”

Small body, huge voice. Mu Dai shouted even louder, “Oh, you think being loud makes you tough? What are you yelling for!”

His mouth puckered. Probably realizing he couldn’t outshout her, he started sniffling again. He grabbed a tissue and wiped his eyes. “You’re too mean. I’m not playing with you.”

Then he flopped face-down on the carpet, butt sticking up. Mu Dai stifled a laugh and lay down too, resting her head on the carpet. She heard him muttering softly, “So mean… I’ll have my mom scratch you to death.”

Mu Dai asked, “Hey, where’s your mom?”

He froze. After a while, he turned his head toward her, his cheek rubbing against the carpet. His eyes were watery and bright.

In a tiny voice, he said, “Mom doesn’t want me anymore.”

“What about your dad?”

That hit a sore spot. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. “He doesn’t want me either.”

The pitiful little face made Mu Dai’s heart ache. She reached out to pick him up. “Come on, Auntie will help you find your parents.”

She assumed he was a guest’s child.

But he refused, staring at her. “Mom said if you go with strangers, you’ll get sold.”

Pretty sharp for a little kid. Mu Dai lay on the carpet too, propping her chin on her hands and mimicking his tone. “What’s your name?”

“Yue Xiaofeng.”

“Oh.” She introduced herself. “I’m Pocket. You can call me Auntie Pocket.”

Yue Xiaofeng sat up and started digging through his clothes, turning his pockets inside out. “I have little pockets too!”

Mu Dai still wanted to carry him. “Let me take you to find your parents.”

He stuck to his principles, shaking his head like a rattle drum. “Nope. I’ll get sold.”

She thought for a moment. “Then I’ll just help you look around here. We won’t go outside—you won’t get sold.”

He considered it and suddenly felt she made sense. He stretched his little arms toward her.

Without thinking, Mu Dai picked him up. The moment she held him, her mind went blank.

He felt solid but light at the same time, soft and warm in her arms, like the gentlest little animal. His small head rubbed against her neck; the crown was still soft, his hair like spring grass—fluffy and silky.

She had never been a mother and didn’t know what a mother’s love felt like. But for a brief instant, she felt like one—like she needed to protect the child in her arms from every storm and hardship.

She had never felt anything like it before.

Yue Xiaofeng called, “Auntie Pocket.”

She snapped back to reality. “Alright, let’s go find your mom.”

Carrying him carefully, barely daring to use too much strength, she went to the front desk. Mao Ge said, “That’s Yue Xiaofeng. His parents are busy and couldn’t take him along, so they dropped him off here this morning.”

Mu Dai frowned. “How could you leave him alone in the glass room?”

Mao Ge scratched his head. “Your sister-in-law was watching him. She probably went to cook and didn’t dare bring him into the kitchen.”

The kitchen was dangerous—hot spills and sharp tools everywhere.

While talking, Mao Ge glanced down at the cabinet leg and muttered, “Maybe I should find a rope—tie one end to the cabinet and the other around his waist so he stays in my sight. That’d be safe.”

No way. Mu Dai got mad. Tying such a pitiful little kid to a cabinet? If you don’t feel bad for him, I do.

When everyone gathered in the backyard, Mu Dai showed up holding Yue Xiaofeng.

Yan Hongsand was the most excited. “Whose kid is this? He’s adorable!”

Yue Xiaofeng didn’t know if he was shy or proud. He clung to Mu Dai’s neck, burying his face in her collar and muttering, “Why are they staring at me?”

Luo Ren walked over and patted the kid’s head. “I just went to unpack for a minute, and you already have a child? How slow am I?”

Mu Dai burst out laughing. “He’s Mao Ge’s friend’s kid. I’m helping watch him—he’s so lovable, look.”

Yue Xiaofeng turned his head away, refusing to look at Luo Ren, still muttering, “These people… keep staring at me.”

Luo Ren teased him on purpose. “Like I care to look at you. You’re not even good-looking.”

That set him off. Yue Xiaofeng snapped his head up, furious. “My mom says I’m good-looking!”

That was something Yue Feng had taught him. One day, he asked, “Son, can you let people say you’re ugly?”

At the time, Yue Xiaofeng was sucking on a lollipop and, thinking he should be modest, answered softly, “Maybe…?”

“Absolutely not!” Yue Feng said. “You were born to your parents. If someone says you’re ugly, they’re saying your parents are ugly. You can be ugly, but your parents can’t—so never let anyone call you ugly.”

Ji Tangtang, passing by, had been speechless. “What kind of logic is that?”

…

Luo Ren was startled by the kid’s outburst. Behind him, Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua burst into laughter.

Even though he knew he shouldn’t take it seriously, Luo Ren wanted to knock the kid down a peg—clearly too spoiled at home. The world was harsh, and someone had to be the first to pour cold water on him.

He said, “Just because your mom says you’re good-looking doesn’t mean you are. Whether you look good is up to other people.”

Yue Xiaofeng puffed up, then finally shot back, “You’re the good-looking one!”

Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua laughed even harder. Yue Xiaofeng hugged Mu Dai’s neck and turned away from Luo Ren, muttering again, “Bullying me… my mom will scratch you to death.”

Did his mom really like scratching people that much? Mu Dai imagined long fingernails leaving five bloody streaks.

Luo Ren gritted his teeth but couldn’t do anything about the little brat.

Yan Hongsand urged everyone, “Let’s go! We said we’d go out and have fun.”

At the entrance, Yue Xiaofeng struggled in Mu Dai’s arms. “Not going out—I’ll get sold!”

Who were his “own people”? Uncle Mao and Aunt Mao. If he went out, it had to be with them.

Mao Ge wasn’t totally comfortable either. Even though these people were vouched for by the fortune-teller, they were still strangers. How could he let his precious little kid be taken away by people he barely knew?

With no choice, Mu Dai set Yue Xiaofeng down. After walking a few steps, she heard him call from behind, “Auntie Pocket.”

She turned around. He was clinging to the high doorway threshold, only his little head visible, chin resting on the edge. He looked pitiful, rubbing his eyes again.

Her heart melted. If she left, Mao Ge might really tie him to a cabinet leg.

She ran back and picked him up again. The kid beamed, calling softly, “Auntie Pocket,” and planted a kiss on her cheek.

A child’s kiss—warm, soft, and slightly ticklish—sent her heart soaring, like gentle hands lifting her straight into the sky.

She turned to Luo Ren. “Maybe I won’t go. I’ll stay here and wait for you guys. The old town all looks the same anyway—I grew up in Lijiang, and I’m already tired of it.”

Yan Hongsand protested, “No! We have to go together!”

Mu Dai said, “We’re together all the time anyway.”

But it wasn’t the same. This trip had special meaning—their first outing together purely for fun. Yan Hongsand wanted everyone to do everything together. How could Mu Dai be missing?

Seeing her disappointment, Luo Ren went to talk to Mao Ge about taking the kid along. He explained that their luggage was in the rooms, their homes were in Lijiang, and the fortune-teller knew where they lived—they wouldn’t run off with a child. With five pairs of eyes watching him, nothing would happen.

Feeling awkward for seeming distrustful, Mao Ge finally relented and gave Yue Xiaofeng a pep talk. “They won’t sell you—and they’ll bring you back. Uncle Mao checked—they’re not bad people.”

And so the whole group set off.

The old town looked a lot like Lijiang but felt more relaxed. Tourists filled the streets without crowds; shops lined the roads without aggressive sales. Music drifted through the air. A Bai vendor roasted sticky rice cakes on a grill until golden and crisp, filling them with sweet sesame sugar or savory fillings depending on the customer’s request.

Yan Hongsand was the most excited, darting from stall to stall. Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua wandered behind, stopping often and gradually falling back. Only Luo Ren stayed beside Mu Dai. Since she was carrying Yue Xiaofeng, she was distracted, and Luo Ren had to keep pulling her aside so she wouldn’t bump into people or trip.

As they passed another shop, someone behind them said, “That family of three is really good-looking.”

A family of three? Who’s a family with that little brat?

Luo Ren tried to frown—but couldn’t help smiling.

Naturally, he wrapped an arm around Mu Dai’s shoulders.

Yue Xiaofeng, who had been resting on her shoulder, lifted his head, glanced at him, then stared at Luo Ren’s arm. With great effort, he pried the arm away.

Luo Ren couldn’t believe his eyes.

Was this kid trying to get himself killed?

He said nothing. After a moment, he casually put his arm back again.

Yue Xiaofeng raised his head once more, stubborn as ever. Gritting his teeth and turning red with effort, he used all his strength to push the arm away again.