The temperature around Shi Yu seemed to drop by several degrees instantly, and he glared fiercely at Mo Yuan.
“Wishes do not come true if you speak them aloud.” Shi Yu’s face was cold and detached, his tone sinking lower. He clearly had no intention of fulfilling Mo Yuan’s wish.
“How can that be! My wish depends on A-Yu to help me realize it, and A-Yu will surely agree. Does A-Yu not wish to be with me forever?”
Shi Yu looked at him calmly and said coldly, “No.”
Before he could finish the word, Mo Yuan took a sudden step forward and firmly covered Shi Yu’s lips with his hand.
Mo Yuan looked at Shi Yu with scorching intensity in his eyes. “A-Yu always says things he does not mean. I do not like hearing that, so take it back.”
“…”
Shi Yu listened to Mo Yuan, feeling helpless inside. In his mind, he could not help but recall Mo Yuan’s original mischievous nature. This person was truly different from when they first met; he was simply impossibly childish.
Mo Yuan’s actions looked aggressive, but he actually used very little force. Shi Yu tilted his head and backed away, taking the opportunity to escape from those magical claws that had also taken the chance to pinch him a few times.
“Does A-Yu really not like me?” Mo Yuan stood there with his head lowered, his voice filled with slight choking and grievance, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Shi Yu did not know how to respond for a moment, so he could only try to coax him. “I do not dislike you.”
“If you do not dislike me, that means you like me.” Mo Yuan’s eyes flashed, and a cunning smile instantly blossomed on his face as he carefully observed every subtle movement Shi Yu made.
“Stop being so conceited.” Seeing Mo Yuan’s acting skills, which were akin to changing faces, Shi Yu felt that his moment of softheartedness just now was truly unnecessary.
Mo Yuan carefully observed Shi Yu and found that not only was there no expression of annoyance, but there was even a hint of pleasure.
“Anyway, A-Yu likes me. I am giving this braided bracelet to you, and you must like me forever.” Mo Yuan took out the bracelet tied with a fluorite, spread it on his palm, and wore a look of smug triumph, clearly begging for praise.
The shimmering light of the fluorite reflected into Shi Yu’s ink-colored eyes, bringing a bright spark to his deep gaze.
Mo Yuan took Shi Yu’s slender hand and carefully put the bracelet on him.
“I picked this from the Celestial Stone on the back mountain when I was studying the Art of Stargazing.”
“Zemian Zun only allowed me to pick this one stone, so A-Yu must keep it safe.”
Shi Yu gently rubbed the fluorite with his finger, watching the light flicker in response to his movements; it was truly beautiful.
“What is the use of this stone?”
“Zemian Zun said this stone can predict fortune, so you should keep it with you so I can worry less.” Mo Yuan’s peach-blossom eyes were locked onto the exquisite and eye-catching person beside him, as if he were a rare, world-unique treasure that he feared might be snatched away by someone else.
“Mo Yuan, I am not as weak as you imagine.” Hearing the purpose of the fluorite, Shi Yu wanted to take the bracelet off and return it to him.
Mo Yuan had been studying the Art of Stargazing for many years, and his practice of sect techniques had become lax; he clearly needed this stone more.
“But having A-Yu wear it gives me peace of mind, otherwise I will be constantly worrying about you every moment.” Mo Yuan looked up sincerely, the shimmer in his eyes filled with lingering affection, tugging at the heartstrings.
“Fine, as long as you are happy.” Shi Yu was burned by the intense emotion in the puppy-dog eyes and quickly withdrew his gaze.
But as soon as he lowered his head, the scorching gaze that had been fixed on him seemed to heat up even further.
“A-Yu has already accepted the gift, so can Shixiong’s wish be fulfilled by A-Yu now?” Mo Yuan raised his eyes slightly, as if searching for something in Shi Yu’s thick, black hair.
“A-Yu was cuter when you were little. You were so obedient back then; you would agree to whatever Shixiong said.”
“You are as noisy as you were when you were a child.” Shi Yu calmly glanced at the puppy, moved himself away from his heated gaze, and prepared to turn and leave.
Seeing that his little kitten was about to slip away, Mo Yuan hurriedly reached out to grab him.
However, his feet seemed to stumble on something, and he fell straight toward Shi Yu, pinning him against the tree trunk. This sudden turn of events instantly brought the distance between the two of them closer, and warm breath sprayed onto Shi Yu’s face, bringing a slight itch.
“You.”
As soon as Shi Yu spoke, he felt a change on top of his head; light ink-colored furry ears emerged.
“Your ears are so well-behaved!” Mo Yuan lowered his voice and leaned close to Shi Yu’s cat ears, his lips parting slightly as if bewitched.
Shi Yu felt Mo Yuan’s movements, and waves of surprise rippled through his ink-colored eyes.
He actually licked the cat ears!
Taking advantage of Shi Yu’s stunned silence, Mo Yuan took advantage of the situation and gently bit down on one. The originally smooth fur gradually clumped together as a result of his movements, looking somewhat messy and disheveled.
Watching the cat ears he had ravaged and flattened, Mo Yuan’s peach-blossom eyes carried a hint of desire. “So cute.”
This slight sensation made Shi Yu’s heart stir; he felt something swaying behind him.
Mo Yuan looked at the tail swaying with slight excitement in front of him, stunned into silence for a moment, yet his hand involuntarily began to reach toward that fluffy tail.
This time, Mo Yuan finally fulfilled his wish and touched the tail or rather, the tip of it.
The moment he touched the tail, it gave a light flick and dodged him.
Shi Yu finally realized the situation and hurriedly pushed Mo Yuan away.
“What are you doing?”
“A-Yu, let me explain. I tripped over a stone just now; it was not on purpose.” Mo Yuan hurriedly explained.
Hearing this, Shi Yu turned his head to look at the road behind him. It was a flat green field; where would a stone come from?
His cold, ink-colored eyes glared at Mo Yuan again; he clearly did not believe his nonsense for a second.
“A-Yu, you must believe me. It was only because I like you so much that I bit you.” Mo Yuan’s voice grew lower as he spoke, knowing he had gone a bit too far this time, and he was afraid that Shi Yu would hate him for it.
Looking at the pitiful puppy, Shi Yu felt an urge to comfort him.
A breeze began to blow, and Shi Yu’s heart gradually calmed down; his ears and tail retracted.
“Forget it, let us go back.” Shi Yu said in a flat tone and turned to walk down the mountain.
Mo Yuan followed closely, his heart still relishing that heart-pounding moment.
A-Yu must like me too, otherwise why would he not be angry?
As he thought about it, his thin lips began to smile foolishly, making a silly sound.
“Fool.” Shi Yu looked at the silly puppy beside him and scolded him with a soft laugh.
“Even if I am a fool, I am A-Yu’s fool. Anyway, you must remember to let me see your cat ears every day from now on!” Mo Yuan did not care about Shi Yu’s scolding at all; he even felt this was a term of endearment, and became even more shameless.
Shi Yu raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with a smile. “That depends on your behavior.”
That one short sentence instantly tore a hole in Mo Yuan’s heart.
“Then A-Yu has agreed.”
A-Yu had finally relented; how could he not be excited?
Shi Yu paid no mind to the person standing there in a daze, hooking his lips in pleasure, and continued walking toward his residence. The road was unusually quiet.
It was not until Shi Yu returned to his quarters and said goodbye to Mo Yuan, preparing to close the door, that Mo Yuan finally made a move, stopping Shi Yu from shutting it.
However, after stopping him, Mo Yuan was unable to say a word, rocking back and forth on the spot, at a loss for what to do.
“Does Shixiong have something else to say?” Shi Yu looked at the person in front of him with amusement, waiting quietly for his reply.
“A-Yu, happy birthday! Rest early.” Mo Yuan held it in for a long time but still could not say anything substantive, nor could he articulate his current feelings. He left those words behind and hurried away.
“You.”
Shi Yu watched the figure fleeing in a panic, his eyebrows raised slightly, his eyes filled with a smile.
Puppies are better when they are a bit dull; they are not noisy or troublesome. Perhaps I might grow to like him, too.
The figure, gradually fading into the distance, seemed to be quietly imprinted in Shi Yu’s mind at this moment, even etched into his heart, unable to be forgotten for a long time.