Chapter 9: Mu Mu’s Best Friend
Mu Mu closed the door, squatted down to change into his fluffy slippers, and placed his white sneakers neatly facing the door, then straightened the large black athletic shoes next to them before standing up.
He shuffled in his oversized slippers to the corner of the living room, took off his backpack and hung it on the clothes rack, which was already laden with clothes like a Christmas tree. Then, humming a slightly off-key tune, he walked through the narrow living room toward his small bedroom.
Passing a slightly ajar door emitting a faint light, he heard a man’s voice from inside.
“So cheerful at this hour? Won the lottery?”
Mu Mu was startled by the sudden voice, his neck shrinking slightly, then a wide smile spread across his face.
He pushed open the slightly ajar door, half his body peering inside. He saw Zheng An, wearing pajamas and sitting on the bed, drinking nutrient fluid, his brows curved in a smile. With a surprised expression, he asked, “An An, you’re not asleep yet? Can Mu Mu come in?”
Zheng An seemed not to have heard Mu Mu, his eyes fixed on the smart device screen in front of him.
After about a minute or two, noticing Mu Mu still standing half in and half out of the door, smiling foolishly, he knew the little fool must have encountered something, and it was the kind of thing he absolutely had to share.
Zheng An diverted some attention to Mu Mu, saying in a gruff tone, “When did I ever say you couldn’t come in? And when have you ever not come in?! Little fool always gets the benefit and acts coy.”
Zheng An’s tone was far from gentle. Any other person would have retorted.
But Mu Mu was a soft-spoken, easy-going person. Hearing Zheng An allow him to enter, he only smiled even wider.
He squeezed next to Zheng An, looking at two bizarre-looking, blue-skinned, multi-legged, skinny, horribly deformed star beasts battling fiercely on the screen, letting out a small gasp.
“An An, why are you watching star beast fights again? It’s so cruel.”
“If you think it’s cruel, don’t watch it.” Zheng An threw the empty nutrient fluid bag onto the cluttered table beside the bed. Perhaps he thought his tone was too harsh, or for some other reason, he patiently explained, “This is a star beast competition, an official competition. The odds are very high.”
The smile on Mu Mu’s lips completely disappeared. He frowned disapprovingly at Zheng An, “You’re gambling.”
His appearance was already delicate and cute, his voice soft and sweet, like rainbow-colored cotton candy in a high-end candy shop window. Even when he frowned, he didn’t have much authority.
Moreover, Zheng An and Mu Mu had been roommates for eight years and wasn’t afraid of Mu Mu. Not only was he not afraid, but he would also retort.
Zheng An patted Mu Mu’s back. The force was well-controlled; a soft “pat” was heard but it didn’t hurt.
He said impatiently, “What gambling?! Don’t talk nonsense!”
Mu Mu seriously countered, “You said so yourself, the odds are very high, isn’t that gambling?”
Zheng An was momentarily speechless, scratching his nose, and looking away. Because Mu Mu was right. No matter how official the star beast competition was, it was essentially a form of gambling.
Wealthy nobles and middle-class people could treat it as recreation, but for poor people like them, who had to budget even their nutrient fluid, it was absolutely something they couldn’t afford.
Zheng An knew this, but the temptation to win was too great. Who wouldn’t want to get rich overnight? Zheng An certainly did.
Seeing Zheng An silent, Mu Mu knew he had guessed correctly, and earnestly advised, “An An, gambling is bad. It’s easy to lose everything. It’s better to work several jobs.”
Zheng An watched as a blue-skinned star beast on the screen landed a heavy punch, sending the eight-armed star beast flying five meters away, crashing into the protective wall and becoming part of it. He cheered excitedly.
After his exclamation, he realized he was being too obvious, and pretended to clear his throat, casually ruffling Mu Mu’s short curly hair.
“I know, bro. It’s just an official competition, so I tried my luck. I won’t do it again. Hey, don’t talk about me, how about you? You’re humming songs back late at night. Did you win the lottery?”
Mu Mu was simple-minded and vaguely understood that Zheng An was deliberately changing the subject, but mostly thought that Zheng An was concerned about him.
His serious expression instantly changed. He moved closer to Zheng An, smiling sweetly, “I didn’t buy a lottery ticket. But it’s like I won the lottery! Hehe, a guest gave me star coins! So many star coins!”
Zheng An had just casually asked, but he didn’t expect such explosive news. Losing his composure, he ignored the star beasts fighting on the smart device screen, turning to look at Mu Mu.
“Didn’t you tell me you were in the hall? Do they collect tips in the hall? Wait a minute! You wouldn’t have… sold yourself, would you?! Didn’t you tell me that your nightclub is very proper, no shady business?”
Zheng An’s questions were like a barrage, making Mu Mu unsure which to answer first. He stammered for a long time, unable to explain clearly, becoming anxious, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
Zheng An, after all, was ten years older than Mu Mu, having seen and experienced more. He understood the dirty minds of powerful men and knew that they liked handsome boys like Mu Mu.
Even if most people preferred physically healthy individuals, there might be a group of perverts who liked disabled, simple-minded boys like Mu Mu.
The more Zheng An thought about it, the more frightened he became. Seeing Mu Mu silent, he anxiously said, “Why aren’t you talking again? Is your hearing aid malfunctioning? Did you not hear what I just said? I’ll say it again.”
As he spoke, he leaned closer to Mu Mu’s ear, intending to repeat his previous questions.
Mu Mu quickly stopped him, “I heard you. You asked too many questions at once, Mu Mu didn’t know how to answer.”
Zheng An glared at Mu Mu impatiently, “Then answer one by one.”
Mu Mu first lifted his injured leg, placing it on Zheng An’s bed, rolled up his loose pants, revealing his small leg covered in dark scratches.
Zheng An was startled and leaned closer to examine the wounds. Seeing that the wounds weren’t deep and had already formed a thin layer of dark red scabs, he slightly relaxed.
“What happened? Did a customer beat you? Or were you bullied by a coworker?”
Mu Mu nodded and shook his head, recounting the evening’s events from beginning to end to Zheng An.
After listening, Zheng An let out a long breath and cursed, “Those rich people are so despicable! They bully people because they have money! Ptui! 10,000 is too little! You’re such a fool, why didn’t you ask your boss for more?”
Mu Mu earnestly said, “The boss gave me extra overtime pay.”
Zheng An almost fell over from anger, exasperatedly poking Mu Mu’s forehead, “You’re really a fool! A complete fool!”
He wanted to say something more, then closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, “Forget it, I don’t want to bother with you! It’s not my body that hurts anyway! Suffer yourself!”
Before Zheng An finished speaking, he saw Mu Mu spread his arms, giving him a big hug, “An An, thank you for caring about Mu Mu, it’s good to have you! You are Mu Mu’s best, best, best friend!”
Zheng An impatiently pushed Mu Mu away, glaring at him with his three-white-eye look, waving him off, “Who’s your friend?! I only share a room with you because I have no choice! After you’re done, quickly go back to your room and don’t disturb my sleep!”
Although Zheng An sounded harsh, a blush crept onto his cheek hidden beneath his messy hair.
He didn’t really think about it; if he didn’t consider Mu Mu a friend, how could they have lived together for eight years?
Mu Mu knew that Zheng An was soft-hearted beneath his harsh words, so he wasn’t unhappy at being scolded. He gave Zheng An a sweet smile and said, “Mu Mu is going to sleep now, An An, you should go to bed early too, we have work tomorrow! Goodnight!”