Chapter 29: I Truly Like You
“You’re awake? Do you feel any discomfort? Are you hungry?” Yan Gui Xing helped Mu Mu sit up, and, concerned about his comfort, thoughtfully placed two pillows behind him so he could lean against them.
After doing so, Yan Gui Xing thought smugly, “I’m quite talented at caring for others, it seems.”
Looking at the child with his hair messed up by him, wearing his shirt, sitting obediently on his bed, Yan Gui Xing found him extremely pleasing.
At that moment, Yan Gui Xing thought, “This must be the joy of keeping a pet.”
“Milk or toast? Or soymilk, fried breadsticks, custard buns? The anesthetic is just wearing off; I don’t know what you can eat. I’ll have Xiao Ting ask Gongsun.”
Yan Gui Xing was about to get up to call Xiao Ting when Mu Mu, sitting on the bed, saw him move and quickly grabbed the ruffled sleeve of his apricot shirt.
Yan Gui Xing paused, his gaze softening as he looked at Mu Mu, asking, “What’s wrong? Is there something else you want to eat? It’s alright, tell me, and I’ll have Xiao Ting prepare it.”
Mu Mu, looking at Yan Gui Xing’s constantly moving mouth, only made out the words “want to eat,” he blinked blankly, pointed to his ear, and said in a volume he thought was appropriate.
“Mr. Yan, have you seen Mu Mu’s hearing aid?” Fearing Yan Gui Xing might not know what a hearing aid was, he used gestures and words, “It’s this big, a semi-transparent little thing that goes in your ear. Without it, Mu Mu can’t hear what Mr. Yan is saying.”
Mu Mu thought his voice was loud enough for Yan Gui Xing to understand.
But in reality, his world was too quiet, making it difficult to judge the volume. His voice was thin and small, and his pronunciation wasn’t quite accurate. Even if Yan Gui Xing had excellent hearing, he had to guess what Mu Mu was saying.
Only when Mu Mu pointed to his ear did Yan Gui Xing fully understand what Mu Mu wanted.
He remembered that when he brought Mu Mu back, the hearing aid had been clutched tightly in Mu Mu’s hand.
When Gongsun was treating Mu Mu’s injuries, he gave Yan Gui Xing the hearing aid, and he had casually put it in his pants pocket.
Pants? Yan Gui Xing glanced toward the bathroom. Xiao Ting usually collected dirty laundry at 10:30 AM; it was only 10:00 AM now, so those pants should still be in the laundry basket.
“Wait a moment, I’ll get it for you.” Yan Gui Xing then realized that Mu Mu couldn’t hear him, so he pointed to Mu Mu’s ear, then to the bathroom, indicating that he was going to fetch it.
Mu Mu then released Yan Gui Xing’s sleeve and softly said thank you.
Yan Gui Xing found the hearing aid in the bathroom laundry basket. It was his first time seeing one, and he curiously picked up the small object, examining it in the light for a long time, unable to understand how such a small thing could enable hearing.
He returned the hearing aid to Mu Mu, watching him put it in his ear, then thanking him again with clearer pronunciation.
“Thank you, Mr. Yan, for keeping Mu Mu’s hearing aid. Without it, Mu Mu really wouldn’t be able to hear anything.”
Mu Mu openly revealed his disability to Yan Gui Xing, and this honesty, while surprising Yan Gui Xing, made him like Mu Mu even more.
“Can you hear after putting it on?” Yan Gui Xing asked curiously.
Mu Mu nodded vigorously, smiling, “Yes! I can hear very clearly.”
This made Yan Gui Xing even more curious. He touched Mu Mu’s ear where the hearing aid was placed and asked, “Just putting it in the ear canal like that, doesn’t it hurt?”
The sensitive earlobe was warmed by a temperature that wasn’t his own, causing a tingling numbness. Mu Mu laughed, his almond-shaped eyes curving into a smile, as he shrank his neck but didn’t dodge.
Perhaps because of Yan Gui Xing’s repeated rescues, even the previous incident of being paid for company was overshadowed by Yan Gui Xing’s godlike arrival last night.
The kind-hearted Mu Mu only remembered the kindness of the handsome Mr. Yan in front of him, forgetting that he had coveted his body.
“It doesn’t hurt. But it’s a little uncomfortable when you first use it. It’ll be fine once you get used to it,” Mu Mu felt the fingers on his earlobe change to gently kneading his earlobe. The calluses on the fingertips scraped against the skin, causing a tingling itch. He laughed and pleaded, “Mr. Yan, don’t rub Mu Mu’s ears anymore, it’s itchy.”
Yan Gui Xing was already aroused by Mu Mu’s soft voice. He lowered his eyelashes, hiding the darkness in his eyes, afraid of scaring Mu Mu.
He joked with Mu Mu a few more times, seeing that Mu Mu had completely lowered his guard, and then revealed his true intentions.
“By the way, Mu Mu, the doctor said you have a fractured fifth rib on your left side, multiple soft tissue contusions, and the facial injuries might leave scars. He advised you to rest and avoid excessive exercise during recovery.”
Mu Mu clearly hadn’t realized he was so seriously injured. He exclaimed in surprise, lowered his head, and tentatively touched his chest with the hand hidden under his long sleeve.
A sharp, piercing pain shot from the point of contact, spreading throughout his body. Mu Mu’s face instantly paled, and a layer of fine cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
In the blink of an eye, the little fool on the bed had broken into a cold sweat, his eyes red-rimmed. Yan Gui Xing didn’t know whether to laugh at him or scold him for his recklessness.
Before Yan Gui Xing could decide whether to comfort Mu Mu, Mu Mu moved again.
He extended his hands from his long sleeves, skillfully unbuttoned his shirt, and with some urgency pulled it apart, revealing his thinly bandaged chest and the bruised shoulders and collarbone.
“Oh, it’s quite a serious injury,” Mu Mu murmured softly, looking at the white bandages on his body.
Yan Gui Xing—well, Yan Gui Xing didn’t know what expression to make anymore. The raging fire within him was extinguished by Mu Mu’s successive actions.
He moved from the small stool to the bedside, pulled the wide-open shirt, pulled Mu Mu towards him, and buttoned his shirt one by one.
“Put on your clothes. You’re injured now, your resistance is weak, and you’re easily susceptible to catching a cold. Be good, don’t worry me.”
Yan Gui Xing’s voice was inherently magnetic and elegant. When he used a gentle tone to say “be good,” it was as if the person he was addressing was a treasure he cherished and held close to his heart, making it hard not to be moved.
Even Mu Mu, who wasn’t very knowledgeable about love, couldn’t help but feel his heart race.
He tucked his small hands into his long sleeves, his fingertips touching the expensive, soft fabric, and nodded obediently.
Yan Gui Xing, seeing Mu Mu’s obedient appearance completely tucked into his clothes, was in a good mood. His palm, as if magnetically drawn, once again landed on the soft hair, gently rubbing it twice.
But expecting Mu Mu to stay shy for long was impossible; he was still worried about his injuries.
He suddenly looked up, pushing away the hand on his head, his small face crumpled into a frown, his hands clutching his sleeves, urgently asking.
“The doctor said I can’t exercise, but did he say anything about working?”
Yan Gui Xing recalled Mu Mu’s various part-time jobs, displeasure flickering in his eyes, but his expression remained unchanged. “The nightclub job? You shouldn’t do that. Nightclubs have all sorts of people, the air isn’t good, and accidents are easily to happen. It’s not conducive to your recovery.”
Mu Mu puffed out his cheeks and whispered, “It’s not that job. Mu Mu was fired by the boss; I’m not working there anymore.”
Yan Gui Xing asked knowingly, “Is that so? But it’s good that Mu Mu isn’t working at a nightclub. Those places are easy to encounter bad people.”
For example, himself.
Mu Mu’s not-so-sharp mind was occupied with what jobs he could and couldn’t do, not enough to ponder the meaning behind Yan Gui Xing’s words or any implied meaning.
He counted on his fingers, listing one by one the jobs he had done, and could find again, asking Yan Gui Xing until he got a negative answer for all of them. He despaired.
Not working meant no money, and no money meant…
Mu Mu’s face blanked out, as if struck by lightning. He murmured, “It’s over. Mu Mu can’t work, he’ll have nowhere to live, no nutrient solution to drink, he’ll starve to death.”
Yan Gui Xing subtly raised his eyebrows, the curve of his lips widening, his dark eyes filled with determination.
He enveloped the tightly clenched fist through the fabric of the clothes, coaxing gently, “Mu Mu can live at my house.”
Mu Mu looked at Yan Gui Xing in a daze, “Live at Mr. Yan’s house?”
Yan Gui Xing nodded, continuing to coax, “Yes, live with me. Mu Mu, do you remember? I said I wanted to take care of you.”
Mu Mu blinked, and the memory of being paid for company, retrieved from his brain’s recycle bin, was automatically restored. His gaze towards Yan Gui Xing contained resistance, and the hand that was tightly clenched retracted.
“No, Mr. Yan, you don’t like Mu Mu; Mu Mu can’t be with you. Mu Mu only accepts a relationship based on love.”
Yan Gui Xing felt the hand pulling away from his palm and Mu Mu’s refusal caused his brow to twitch, a trace of anger in his eyes, and an inexplicable fire in his chest.
Like, like, like again!
If he didn’t like him, he wouldn’t obediently follow him, would he?! It’s just like! What’s so hard to say? Does saying he likes him really mean he likes him?
Ridiculous!
Yan Gui Xing concealed the anger in his eyes, maintaining his gentle, good-guy persona. His sea-green eyes gazed deeply at Mu Mu, like a lake under the afternoon sun, so soft it could drown a person.
“Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough last time, causing you to misunderstand. I don’t want to pay you for company; I genuinely like you and want to take care of you.”
Mu Mu frowned, asking uncertainly, “Mr. Yan wants to have a relationship with Mu Mu? The kind with the intention of marriage?”
Screw the marriage certificate!
Yan Gui Xing smiled and nodded, “Yes, Mu Mu, will you accept me? Let me take care of you?”
【Author’s Note】: Yan So-and-So confessed (not really)