Chapter 10 Welcome Home
Chapter Ten:
"Hmm." Ye Qingxi smiled, acting as if he hadn't noticed anything.
"Um... why did you come out?" Mu Shaowu asked in surprise, "So fast!"
Ye Qingxi picked up the paper bag in her hand and showed it to him, "It's all packed up."
Who told you to clean up? This is giving you time and space to cry alone in secret.
Mu Shaowu was somewhat helpless. Why couldn't this child think of himself even a little bit?
"Let's go," Ye Qingxi said.
Mu Shaowu: ...
Mu Shaowu had no choice but to lead him back.
When they returned to the Mu family home, Old Master Mu had already left.
Ye Min is still undergoing final treatment. Although the hope is slim, as long as there is hope, Grandpa Mu is willing to try. At this moment, he has already gone to the hospital to accompany his old friend for his final treatment.
Mu Shaowu led Ye Qingxi upstairs and into his bedroom.
"You'll sleep with me for the next week."
Ye Qingxi: "Huh?"
Mu Shaowu turned to look at him, "Huh? You don't want to?"
Ye Qingxi was naturally unwilling. He wasn't really a five-year-old child. He was an eighteen-year-old adult. What kind of thing was it for him to sleep with Mu Shaowu?
There's no need to think about it.
“I can sleep alone,” Ye Qingxi said.
"I know." Mu Shaowu put the paper bag in his hand on the sofa and pulled him to sit down. "But you were sick last night. What if you get a fever again in the middle of the night for the next week? So I'll sleep with you for a week. If you're fine during this week, you can sleep alone from now on. If something happens, I'll be there to help you find out as soon as possible and give you injections and medicine. Don't you think so?"
Ye Qingxi: ...It seems that's true.
Even now, thinking back on what happened last night, Ye Qingxi still feels a bit of a thrill.
Children's bodies are not like adults'; they can't just tough it out and endure it.
He wasn't afraid of death, but he was afraid of being foolish, so this was the only way.
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied. "Thank you."
"No need to be so polite." Mu Shaowu reached out and pulled him into his arms. "I'm your father, so of course I have to take care of you and think about these things for you."
Ye Qingxi's body stiffened for a moment.
Over the years, he had not had any similar intimate interactions with his parents. Now, suddenly being held in Mu Shaowu's arms, surrounded by his warmth and scent, Ye Qingxi subconsciously felt some resistance.
He raised his hand and pushed Mu Shaowu, then added as if explaining, "It's too tight."
"What's so serious about this?" Mu Shaowu was completely oblivious.
He tightened his grip instantly, wrapped his other arm around Ye Qingxi, and pressed his face against hers.
"That's what I mean by 'tight'."
Ye Qingxi: !!
Even when she was a child, Ye Qingxi had never been so intimate with her parents, and for a moment she was at a loss.
Fortunately, Mu Shaowu was just demonstrating for him. Ye Qingxi and he had only just met and were not that familiar with each other yet, so he didn't dare to be too presumptuous, for fear that the child might not like him.
He let go of her hand, ruffled Ye Qingxi's hair, and smiled, "Are you hungry? I'll go get you some dessert?"
Ye Qingxi nodded quickly, afraid that he would hug her tightly again.
Mu Shaowu rubbed his head again before standing up and walking towards the door.
Ye Qingxi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him leave.
He had to admit it, his adoptive father was way too overly familiar! It was only their first day together, and he was already hugging him like that!
Even if he came back last night, saw him, and stayed with him all night, it hasn't been more than 24 hours. Why did you hug him so tightly, with your face pressed against his?
Thinking of this, Ye Qingxi raised her hand and touched the cheek that had just been pressed against hers.
It has to be said that children's skin is really good. Of course, Mu Shaowu's skin is no exception. It was actually quite soft when I touched it just now.
As Ye Qingxi thought this, she recalled the moment he had just hugged her tightly.
He reached out and crossed his arms to hug himself, but he couldn't recapture the feeling he had just had with Mu Shaowu.
Indeed, when it comes to things like hugging, it's best to have someone else do it.
Wait a minute! Ye Qingxi suddenly woke up. What was he doing?! What was he thinking?!
Ye Qingxi quickly put her hands down. Really, it's all Mu Shaowu's fault. Who would hug someone so tightly right away?
Yes, it's all his fault!
The scolded Mu Shaowu was getting dessert for Ye Qingxi from the kitchen freezer at that moment.
He took a full plate and had just brought it out of the kitchen when he saw Mu Shaoting and Mu Shaoyan enter the house one after the other.
Upon seeing him, Mu Shaoting exclaimed with delight, "Brother, you're back!"
She approached Mu Shaowu and saw that he was holding a dessert. She reached out to grab a cream puff.
Mu Shaowu gently moved the plate to the other side, and Mu Shaoyan took the opportunity to raise his hand, intending to steal the mochi from the plate, but Mu Shaowu casually slapped it aside.
"Where's the gift?" Mu Shaowu looked at the two of them. "You didn't even get a gift, and you still wanted to steal my dessert?"
"What do you mean by stealing? Is it stealing your own desserts?" Mu Shaoyan retorted.
Mu Shaoting asked in confusion, "What gift? You don't have a birthday recently, what kind of gift do you want?"
Mu Shaowu: ...
Mu Shaowu was speechless. "A new member has joined the family. I have a child. Aren't you aunts and uncles going to give the child a gift?"
Mu Shaoting then realized what was happening and gave an awkward laugh, "I didn't realize."
"I can tell." Mu Shaowu said helplessly.
It's obvious that his two younger siblings were raised like young masters and misses since they were little, and they never left school. Their social interactions are simple, and it's normal for others to give them gifts. However, they do need someone to guide them in giving gifts to others.
I guess his older brother thought they were students and still young, so he didn't tell them about it, which resulted in the two of them being so incompetent that neither of them could think straight.
"Shall I buy it now?" Mu Shaoting asked him.
Mu Shaowu: "Otherwise what? I'll buy it for you?"
Mu Shaoting: ...
Mu Shaoting quickly took out her phone, opened a shopping app, and pondered, "What should I give her?"
"Brother, what did you send? What about Big Brother? Did Big Brother send anything?"
"Do you think your older brother didn't give you one? Do you think he's like you? I gave you a game console. It doesn't have to be too expensive. Xiaoxi is only five years old. Pick one that the child will like."
“The kid will like it…” Mu Shaoting thought for a moment. “Then I’ll send him a cake! I said I’d bring him a small cake when we meet again, but I forgot. So I’ll just order a big one, a three-tiered chocolate cake with four different fillings. I guarantee it will be delicious!”
"Alright then." Mu Shaowu nodded.
After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Mu Shaoyan.
Mu Shaoyan had already made his choice.
"Brother, look at this bear. It's 1.8 meters tall, super big and super soft. Kids will definitely love it. But what do you think about the color? Should we choose classic brown or pure white?"
"Let me see." Mu Shaoting leaned over and took a look. "White, I think. White looks cuter."
"But I think brown looks pretty good too, and brown is more commonly sold."
"So what if it's more? It's just that its default option is brown. Anyway, you can't go wrong by buying white."
"But……"
Mu Shaowu: "Can't you just buy both? Are you short of money?"
Mu Shaoyan smiled: "...You might not believe it, but I'm really short of money lately."
Mu Shaowu: ? ? ?
Mu Shaoyan: "How about you lend me some, bro?"
Mu Shaowu: "Heh."
He looked at Mu Shaoyan and said gently, "Anyway, I want to see both of them. If I don't, then I'll have to ask my older brother why you're being shy before the month is even over."
Mu Shaoyan: ? ? ? ! ! !
"Is this a threat? It is a threat!"
Mu Shaowu chuckled, turned around, and carried the dessert upstairs.
Left with no other option, Mu Shaoyan placed an order for both bears and chose same-day delivery.
"Are you really short of money?" Mu Shaoting finished ordering the cake and looked up at her younger brother beside her. "If you're really shy, then I'll transfer some money to you."
"No need," Mu Shaoyan said. "I just want to squeeze some money out of Second Brother."
“I knew it,” Mu Shaoting laughed. “Alright, I’m going back to my room now.”
"Mm." Mu Shaoyan nodded.
Mu Shaowu went upstairs and entered his room, where he saw Ye Qingxi sitting obediently on the sofa, just as he had left. The difference was that Ye Qingxi was holding the game console that Mu Shaowu had given him that morning.
Seeing him walk in, Ye Qingxi looked up at him.
"Is it fun?" Mu Shaowu asked as he approached.
Ye Qingxi nodded, "It is quite fun."
"Here you go." Mu Shaowu placed the dessert on the table.
Ye Qingxi glanced at the game console in her hand, then at the desserts on the table, and decided to finish the game first before eating.
"Thank you," he said politely.
After saying that, he lowered his head and continued playing the game.
Mu Shaowu: ? ? ?
Mu Shaowu asked in confusion, "You don't like sweets?"
Otherwise, with so many kinds, surely there's one he'll like.
Ye Qingxi shook her head and explained to him, "This game isn't over yet."
"Oh." Mu Shaowu understood; both of his hands were occupied, and he had no hands.
That's easy!
Mu Shaowu picked up a cream puff and fed it to Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him.
"Open your mouth," Mu Shaowu said with a smile.
Ye Qingxi: ...
"Hurry up." Mu Shaowu touched his lips with the cream puff. "If you don't eat it soon, you'll lose this game."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxi quickly lowered his head. Fortunately, his health bar was still intact, and he hadn't lost yet.
"Ah—" Mu Shaowu coaxed patiently.
Ye Qingxi almost laughed at his "Ah—".
He was about to refuse, but as soon as he opened his mouth, before he could even say "I'm not hungry," Mu Shaowu stuffed a cream puff into his mouth.
These cream puffs are made to a perfect size, just the right size for one bite.
Ye Qingxi had no choice but to start chewing.
The milky aroma instantly fills your mouth, an indescribable sweetness.
It really is quite delicious.
"How is it? It tastes good, right?" Mu Shaowu asked with a smile.
Ye Qingxi nodded, "Yes... um."
He turned to look at Mu Shaowu beside him, his mouth still full of cream puffs that Mu Shaowu had just managed to stuff in.
"Why are you looking at me? Look at your game console," Mu Shaowu reminded him.
Ye Qingxi quickly looked down, and as before, his health bar had not decreased.
Just as I was watching, the other side suddenly unleashed a powerful attack.
Ye Qingxi quickly maneuvered to dodge.
He ate the cream puff in his mouth while competing with his opponent.
Mu Shaowu was standing next to him, feeding him snacks.
At first, it was just cream puffs, but later mochi and pork floss buns were also fed to Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi was busy playing games and didn't notice that Mu Shaowu was feeding him whatever he wanted. Anyway, it was all quite delicious, and just moving his mouth didn't affect his gameplay.
After the game was over and Ye Qingxi won, he happily put down the game console and smiled.
Looking at the smile on his face, Mu Shaowu thought that he was still a child, at the age where he liked playing games—well, maybe that wasn't quite right, since he wasn't a child anymore, and he also liked playing games.
He noticed that Ye Qingxi had cream on the corner of his mouth from eating the cream puff, so he took a tissue and offered to wipe it for him.
The moment the paper touched Ye Qingxi's lips and she wiped them, Ye Qingxi suddenly stood up.
He looked at Mu Shaowu, seemingly somewhat surprised.
"I...I can do it myself."
After Ye Qingxi finished speaking, she took the tissue from his hand and hurriedly wiped her face twice.
He clutched the tissue he had used to wipe his mouth, still feeling somewhat embarrassed.
It's been so long since his parents used to wipe his mouth when he was a child that eighteen-year-old Ye Qingxi is no longer used to such intimacy.
"I'm going to wash my hands," Ye Qingxi said.
"Wash your hands?" Mu Shaowu asked, puzzled. "Why are you suddenly washing your hands?"
"Eat something," Ye Qingxi said.
After he finished speaking, he looked at the plates on the table.
Upon looking at it, Ye Qingxi was surprised to find that the plate, which had been full just moments before, had become completely empty.
Ye Qingxi: Ah, this...
Mu Shaowu laughed, "No need."
Ye Qingxi: No, it's really not necessary. He's already finished eating.
Ye Qingxi felt even more embarrassed.
He looked at Mu Shaowu and wondered, "Has he just eaten?"
He was so focused on playing the game that he didn't even notice whether Mu Shaowu had eaten. Could it be that he ate the whole plate of dessert?
"Sit down." Mu Shaowu patted the seat next to him.
Ye Qingxi nodded, sat down, then remembered something and threw the tissues she was holding into the small trash can on the table.
"Still playing games?" Mu Shaowu asked him.
Ye Qingxi shook her head, "I'm not playing anymore."
"Let's look at something."
After Mu Shaowu finished speaking, he picked up his phone, opened WeChat, showed Ye Qingxi the design draft sent from the other end, and asked him, "Which one do you like?"
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
"The house you stayed in yesterday didn't have a permanent owner before, so it was decorated according to your grandfather's style. Now that you've moved in, it definitely needs to be redesigned according to your preferences. Take a look, which one do you think looks better?"
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi thought they were all unattractive.
It's not that it's bad-looking, it's just too childish.
If he were really only five years old, he would think, "Wow, how cute!"
But he's eighteen, so he'll only think it's childish.
"It's fine as it is now," Ye Qingxi said sincerely.
However, Mu Shaowu did not believe it.
What kid would like their dad's decorating style?
"How about this?" Mu Shaowu pointed to a sky-blue interior design and said, "We'll design the bed to look like a cloud, so when you sleep on it, it'll feel like you're lying on a cloud."
Ye Qingxi: Such a girlish heart, you might as well give it to Mu Shaoting.
"How about this one? The gray and white color scheme is so cool. You like cars, and this bed is shaped like a sports car."
Ye Qingxi: A chibi-style sports car? Here, take it.
"Or this one, the log forest style, it looks very fresh and natural, with little flowers, grass and trees."
Ye Qingxi: That's so natural. You can give it to your dad.
"How about this one? It's orange-yellow, looks warm and inviting, and even has little flames!"
Ye Qingxi: They almost wrote Mu Shaoyan's name on it.
"If all else fails, this will do. It's swan yellow, golden and warm. Look, there are even little golden stars."
Ye Qingxi: Isn't this perfect for his uncle? His uncle's name is full of the character for "gold".
"You don't like any of them?" Mu Shaowu continued swiping across the screen. "Then this one, starry blue, with a brilliant galaxy. When you lie in bed, you can look up and see a starry sky."
"Okay," Ye Qingxi nodded, "that's it."
"Okay," he said.
Mu Shaowu was about to introduce him to the next person when he suddenly heard him say "okay," and he almost didn't react.
"You like this?" He turned back to look at the design drawings in his hand again. "To be honest, I liked it when I first saw it too. I'll have someone come and renovate it tomorrow. You can stay here with me until the renovation is finished."
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied.
Having resolved the interior design issue, Mu Shaowu had just taken his phone away from Ye Qingxi and was about to put it down when he saw a WeChat message from Mu Shaoting.
Mu Shaoting: [Brother, what do you think would be a suitable word to write on the cake?]
Mu Shaoting: [I originally wanted to write: Welcome to our home, but is it appropriate to use "our home" here? Xiaoxi isn't really our child, and if I read it this way, wouldn't I feel even more like an outsider?]
Mu Shaoting: [Should I write: Welcome to the Mu family? Or just a simple "Welcome"? Or should I just leave it blank and leave the cake completely unwritten?]
Mu Shaowu thought for a moment, then replied, "Go home."
[Just write: Welcome home.]
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