Chapter 13: My Name is Yan Gui Xing
“So Mr. Y is Mr. Yan! I’m so slow, I didn’t even realize!” Mu Mu’s eyes sparkled the moment he saw Yan Gui Xing, like a scattering of starlight, a wide smile gracing his lips.
His surprise and joy were completely genuine, softening Yan Gui Xing’s expression and bringing a smile to his eyes that he didn’t even realize.
“What a coincidence, we meet again,” Yan Gui Xing said, though his expression and tone betrayed no surprise whatsoever. His acting was terrible, but Mu Mu was slow-witted and didn’t notice.
Suddenly encountering this kind Mr. Yan in a completely unfamiliar environment, Mu Mu’s joy filled his not-so-bright mind, erasing the warning from just hours ago to stay away from Mr. Yan.
He hurried towards Yan Gui Xing, his eagerness like a stray dog spotting a familiar person on the street; his invisible tail practically whirring like a propeller.
But just as his toes were about to touch the rose-red velvet carpet, he stopped abruptly.
Mu Mu looked down at his worn, yellowish-white sneakers, stopped just short of the rose-red carpet. Though clean, the scuffed rubber and yellowed areas showed their age, looking cheap and ugly compared to the vibrant rose-red carpet.
The two yellowed rubber toes scuffed against each other, then retreated half a step.
Mu Mu looked up, his clear, innocent, and slightly timid gaze first falling on Yan Gui Xing.
The light in the private room last night was dim; Mu Mu hadn’t fully seen Yan Gui Xing’s face, only that he was beautiful, strikingly handsome.
The afternoon sun streamed in from a huge bay window, casting a thin, shimmering golden carpet on the antique white floor.
Yan Gui Xing stood in the transition between light and shadow, his features no longer simply richly beautiful, but sharp and edged, like a drawn sword, extremely aggressive.
Yet he was wearing a relaxed silk shirt, the deep V-neck revealing attractive, toned muscles. Paired with high-waisted black trousers, he was the spitting image of a nobleman from a painting.
Mu Mu tilted his head slightly, observing the house’s furnishings and decor.
Ivory white and gold formed the base colors, accented by the intensely colored rose-red velvet carpet. The tones were soft yet luxurious, a sophisticated and ornate Rococo style.
A beautiful person in a beautiful house—nothing unusual.
But this beautiful person in this beautiful house was eerily beautiful, like some man-eating monster and his mysterious lair.
Mu Mu’s animal instincts sent out signals of fear and flight.
Mu Mu lowered his head, no longer daring to look at Yan Gui Xing’s face, subconsciously hugging his lunchbox tighter, and softly said, “What a coincidence, I didn’t expect it to be Mr. Yan. Thank you for saving me yesterday, Mr. Yan, and thank you for letting me deliver food today.”
Mu Mu’s shyness and apprehension were subtle, like a kitten raising its paw, thinking it’s threatening, but to others, it’s just playfully batting.
Similarly, to Yan Gui Xing, Mu Mu was soft and harmless, a kitten he could crush with one hand.
He feigned disappointment, saying, “Why so formal? We’ve met twice in less than 12 hours. I’m heartbroken, I thought Mu Mu and I were already quite familiar.”
Mu Mu nodded in agreement at the first half of the sentence, but upon hearing the “quite familiar” part, he shook his head earnestly, saying slowly, “Mu Mu and Mr. Yan aren’t very familiar yet. Mu Mu doesn’t even know Mr. Yan’s name.”
Yan Gui Xing was stunned. He, a five-star general of the Empire, the highly decorated commander of the Fourth Legion, the notorious star master of Liuli Star—how could anyone on Liuli Star not know him?
He narrowed his eyes, his green orbs darkening as he scrutinized Mu Mu, trying to find any trace of pretense on that innocent face, proof that Mu Mu, like everyone else, was playing hard to get.
But he found nothing.
Mu Mu wasn’t pretending; he genuinely didn’t know who he was.
Come to think of it, it made sense. Mu Mu, a simpleton who worked multiple jobs just to survive, didn’t pay attention to anything beyond his own survival, preferring to busy himself into a solitary island. Not knowing who he was was perfectly normal.
And that was precisely what Yan Gui Xing found appealing about him.
The gloom on Yan Gui Xing’s face vanished, replaced by a gentle smile. He said, “My apologies for not introducing myself. Hello, Mu Mu, my name is Yan Gui Xing.”
As if worried Mu Mu didn’t know the characters in his name, he thoughtfully explained, “Yan, as in the bird, a swallow. Gui, as in return, to return. And Xing…”
Yan Gui Xing paused, a flash of viciousness in his eyes. His gentle tone overlapped with a harsh female voice echoing in his mind, “Xing, as in punishment.”
[“Just punish him. After all, he’s the illegitimate son you had with that woman you cheated with, a child born of betrayal and sin. The character ‘Xing’ suits him. Let him remember what he is, to prevent any inappropriate thoughts.”]
“Yan Gui Xing, Mr. Yan,” Mu Mu, unaware of Yan Gui Xing’s aversion to his own name, repeated it in a soft voice.
Due to his poor hearing, his tone was light and airy, like honeyed clouds floating in the air, surprisingly soothing to Yan Gui Xing.
After calling out Yan Gui Xing’s name, Mu Mu seemed to have touched a nerve, feeling embarrassed. He shyly lowered his head, and when his gaze fell on the lunchbox, he finally remembered why he was there.
“Mr. Yan,” Mu Mu raised his lunchbox, asking, “Where would you like me to put this? There’s soup, it’ll get cold if it’s not drunk soon, and it won’t taste as good.”
Yan Gui Xing gestured towards the dining area on the other side, “Put it on the table over there.”
Mu Mu nodded in agreement, but just as he was about to step forward, he hesitated, looking at the luxurious carpet. He looked at Yan Gui Xing expectantly, asking, “Mr. Yan, can Mu Mu step on the carpet?”
“Feel free,” Yan Gui Xing made a “please” gesture, indicating Mu Mu could do as he pleased.
Mu Mu was about to step onto the carpet, but feeling sorry for the beautiful carpet, he took off his canvas shoes, revealing socks with a puppy pattern, and stepped onto the carpet in his socks.
Yan Gui Xing was accustomed to luxury, and the carpet wasn’t just for show. The short pile was soft and plush; Mu Mu could feel the softness even through his cheap socks.
If only I could touch it, the thought sprouted like a weed, itching at Mu Mu’s heart, making him look down at the red carpet every couple of steps.
Lost in thought, Mu Mu didn’t see a foot sticking out; before he could react, he had tumbled, along with his lunchbox, onto Yan Gui Xing.
The six dishes and one soup, meant to stay neatly in the lunchbox, had escaped their prison, vying to spread across Yan Gui Xing’s white shirt, turning it into a tablecloth.
“Oof!” Yan Gui Xing gasped in pain, his beautiful features contorting in discomfort.
The sight of the beautiful man suffering made Mu Mu’s heart sink and his eyes redden.
Most importantly, he had knocked over the customer, spilled their meal all over them, and possibly burned them.
He was done for! He was really done for this time!