“Ah Jiu was so happy just a moment ago.”
Shi Yu looked at Ah Jiu’s peaceful sleeping face, a flash of conflict in his eyes.
Mo Yuan gazed at Ah Jiu’s slightly trembling eyelids and spoke decisively, “Then I will tell him.”
Ah Jiu gradually opened his eyes. The moment he awoke, he searched for a familiar figure, yet he could not find a trace of his mother, as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.
“Brother Shi Yu, where is my mother?” Ah Jiu furrowed his brows aggrievedly, tugging at Shi Yu’s hand.
“She has left, and she will never return.”
Mo Yuan spoke without any warning. His blunt words startled Shi Yu.
“Senior Brother!”
Shi Yu hurried to check Ah Jiu’s reaction, but there was no crying or fussing as he had expected; the boy simply lowered his head.
Shi Yu called his name softly, “Ah Jiu?”
The child raised his head, his eye rims slightly red. “I know. Mother cannot come back.”
Ah Jiu tried his best to suppress his sobbing, yet he could not hold back the overflow of tears.
Mo Yuan spoke coldly from the side, “If you want to avenge your mother, you must make yourself strong.”
Shi Yu looked at Mo Yuan, feeling puzzled. He did not understand why the other man suddenly had such an intense emotional outburst.
Mo Yuan did not say anything more and turned to leave.
By the time Shi Yu had settled Ah Jiu down, the sky had grown dark. When he walked outside, he glimpsed Mo Yuan standing quietly there, appearing as though he had been waiting for a long time.
Shi Yu walked behind Mo Yuan and gazed at his cold back. “Senior Brother, what is wrong with you?”
Mo Yuan turned his head. His usually bold and flamboyant face appeared somewhat desolate at this moment, and his peach-blossom eyes were filled with disappointment.
Mo Yuan looked like an abandoned puppy as he begged humbly, “A-Yu, can you walk with me for a while?”
Shi Yu nodded slightly, and the two walked toward the distant town.
The town seemed to remain immersed in the darkness brought by the epidemic, having not yet recovered from that state.
The streets were empty, with no pedestrians in sight. The shops along the road were all tightly shut, with only a few establishments still open.
Mo Yuan led Shi Yu slowly into a tavern that looked decent enough.
“Waiter, two pots of wine. A-Yu, you have never had a drink, right? Give it a try.”
Mo Yuan seemed to have returned to his bright and flamboyant self, looking at Shi Yu with a smile in his eyes.
Not long after, the waiter brought up two pots of wine. “Please enjoy, guests.”
Mo Yuan poured a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp.
“Slow down!” Shi Yu frowned slightly, looking at Mo Yuan’s rapid movements.
“What is actually wrong with you today?”
Mo Yuan drank another cup, his peach-blossom eyes slightly red as he looked up at Shi Yu. “I do not think I have ever told A-Yu about my childhood.”
Shi Yu did not drink; he simply sat there quietly, listening.
“My father died of illness when I was two, and my mother was driven out of the household. We clearly did not offend anyone, so why did they not let my mother go? Why did they have to harm her?”
At this moment, Mo Yuan looked like a discarded puppy, piteously questioning the world.
Shi Yu did not know what to say to comfort him. He himself was still feeling low because of the death of Ah Jiu’s mother.
He took a large gulp of wine, wanting to calm his own turbulent emotions.
A burning sensation traveled down his throat, causing Shi Yu to cough a few times.
Mo Yuan immediately became nervous, sitting down beside Shi Yu and asking with concern, “How is it, A-Yu? Are you alright?”
Shi Yu dodged Mo Yuan’s hand as he tried to take the wine cup away. His cheeks were flushed red, and he looked intoxicated. “Do you not want to drink? I will keep you company.”
“A-Yu, you are drunk.”
Mo Yuan’s mood had improved slightly. He looked at the little kitten who had become dizzy after just one cup, feeling amused, yet also annoyed at himself for bringing him out to drink.
Shi Yu swayingly raised a hand to touch his own head, his eyes filled with confusion. “Something is going to grow on my head.”
“What?”
Mo Yuan froze for a moment, then immediately reacted. He hurriedly found the proprietor and requested a room.
Just as he gently placed Shi Yu on the bed, a pair of cute kitten ears suddenly popped out.
Mo Yuan hurriedly closed the door, fearing that anyone else might see this treasure he cherished.
The little kitten was truly uncomfortable from the heat on the bed, his skin flushed from the alcohol.
“Cat ears, do they look good?”
Shi Yu sat up restlessly, his gaze bright as he looked at Mo Yuan, his thin lips gently pursed.
He tugged at Mo Yuan’s hand, relentlessly and foolishly questioning him, seemingly refusing to give up until he received an answer.
“Look good. A-Yu is the best looking.”
Mo Yuan watched the little kitten, his breathing gradually becoming rapid, and the corners of his eyes stained with a hazy crimson.
He held the little kitten, whose body was gradually sliding downward, gazing at him with endless longing. The little kitten in this state was simply too enticing.
The muddled little kitten seemed to notice Mo Yuan’s direct gaze at this moment. He laughed wantonly and pulled Mo Yuan’s hand onto his own head.
“Let me let you touch them.”
Seeing the muddled and cute appearance of the little kitten, Mo Yuan licked his thin lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. He followed Shi Yu’s lead and gently touched the tips of his ears.
Feeling the soft fur being brushed under his hand, his heart stirred involuntarily. He raised his eyebrows, curving his lips in pleasure.
The little kitten looked at his pleased expression, proudly lifting his head, his cat ears twitching slightly along with him.
“A-Yu is truly well-behaved.”
Mo Yuan raised his hand to gently pat Shi Yu’s head, but he did not make any other moves.
“A-Yu is drunk. Rest early!”
Shi Yu was clearly very dissatisfied with this suggestion and turned his head to refuse Mo Yuan.
“Do you not like me?”
Shi Yu seemed to have suddenly thought of this possibility, and his tone gradually became dejected.
Mo Yuan’s neck was suddenly gently rubbed by that warm, soft cheek, and he began to wonder if he was hallucinating.
The little kitten pressed tightly against Mo Yuan’s neck, appearing extremely reliant. The fur on his ears brushed against Mo Yuan’s skin from time to time, making one’s heart itch.
Feeling the little kitten’s closeness, Mo Yuan felt a ripple in his heart.
He gently patted Shi Yu’s back. “How could I not like you? I like A-Yu very much, but you are drunk now and need to rest well.”
Shi Yu’s eyes flickered with grievance; he did not seem to fully believe Mo Yuan’s words.
“Then why do you not continue touching my ears?”
Mo Yuan smiled helplessly. He knew that Shi Yu was in a state of drunkenness and might be more emotionally sensitive.
He decided to let Shi Yu calm down first and said softly, “How about you let me touch them when you wake up tomorrow? Be good and go to sleep now.”
Listening to Mo Yuan’s words, Shi Yu became a bit quieter, his eyes gradually closing as he seemed to become sleepy.
Mo Yuan carefully laid Shi Yu flat and covered him with the quilt.
Watching Shi Yu’s peaceful sleeping face, Mo Yuan gently stroked Shi Yu’s hair, a smile in his eyes.
“I am afraid you will not be like this when you wake up tomorrow.”
Time passed second by second, and the room was quiet, with only Shi Yu’s light breathing audible.
Mo Yuan’s heart also gradually calmed down, and he enjoyed this moment of tranquility and warmth.
He watched Shi Yu quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness and love, sitting by the bedside to guard Shi Yu all night long.
Unknown how much time had passed, Shi Yu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and the slight headache from the drunkenness caused him to hum in discomfort.
Mo Yuan, feeling Shi Yu’s movement, woke up and called his name softly, “A-Yu, are you awake?”
Shi Yu slowly opened his eyes and saw Mo Yuan sitting by the bed, a look of confusion on his face.
Mo Yuan asked, “How do you feel? Are you still uncomfortable?”
Shi Yu shook his head. “I am fine.”
Slowly, he remembered the broken fragments of memory, and his face turned slightly red, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Last night, I…”