Really now, as if she was afraid of him.

Mu Dai boldly stepped forward and sat cross-legged on the carpet. The little guy became anxious: “What are you doing! No sitting!”

As if fighting for space, his two small hands desperately pushed at Mu Dai’s legs, trying to push her out. His face turned red from the effort but he couldn’t budge her. Mu Dai was equally thick-skinned – not only did she not retreat, she even scooted forward a bit.

The little guy became fiercer: “This is my home! No sitting!”

Though small, his voice was quite loud. Mu Dai shouted even louder than him: “So what if your voice is loud? What are you yelling about!”

The little guy’s mouth began to quiver. Probably feeling he couldn’t out-shout her, he started sobbing again. He pulled out a tissue to wipe his eyes and said: “You’re too mean. I won’t play with you.”

Having said this, he flopped face-down on the carpet with his bottom sticking high up in the air. Mu Dai suppressed her laughter and leaned over, pressing her head to the carpet to hear his low muttering: “Too mean… I’ll have Mommy scratch you to death.”

Mu Dai said: “Hey, where is your mommy?”

The little guy stopped moving. After a while, he quietly turned his head to look at her, his small face rubbing against the carpet edge, his two eyes like ink drops in clear water, glistening.

He said in a tiny voice: “Mommy doesn’t want me anymore.”

“What about Daddy?”

This really touched on his sorrow. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand: “He doesn’t want me either.”

Poor little thing. Mu Dai’s heart ached terribly. She reached out wanting to hug him: “Come, auntie will take you to find Mommy and Daddy.”

She assumed he was some guest’s child staying at the inn.

The little guy refused, staring at her steadily: “Mommy says if you go with strangers, you’ll be sold.”

Quite alert. Mu Dai also lay down on the carpet, propping her chin with her hand and mimicking his way of speaking: “What’s your name?”

“Yue Xiao Feng.”

Oh, Mu Dai introduced herself: “I’m called Pocket. You can call me Pocket Auntie.”

Yue Xiao Feng sat up and reached into his clothes pocket, pulling the pocket inside-out: “I also have a little pocket.”

Mu Dai still wanted to hug him: “Let me take you to find Mommy and Daddy.”

Yue Xiao Feng held firm to his principles, shaking his little head like a rattle drum: “No, I’ll be sold.”

Mu Dai thought for a moment: “I’ll just take you to look around here, won’t go outside. Can’t be sold if we don’t leave.”

Yue Xiao Feng thought about it and suddenly felt what she said made perfect sense. His two little arms reached toward her.

Without thinking, Mu Dai instinctively picked him up. In that instant, her mind went blank.

How to describe it – he was heavy yet so light, snuggling in her arms, sweet and soft like the most docile little animal. His small head nuzzled against her neck, the top of his head still soft, his hair like the downy grass of spring, tender and smooth.

She had never been a mother and didn’t understand what a mother’s love was like, but for that instant, she suddenly felt like a mother – with that sense of mission to protect the little one in her arms from harsh winds, frost, dust, and snow.

This feeling and flutter was completely new to her.

Yue Xiao Feng called her: “Pocket Auntie.”

Mu Dai came back to her senses: “Yes, let’s go find Mommy.”

She carried Yue Xiao Feng very carefully, not daring to use too much force, and went to the front desk. Brother Mao said: “That’s Yue Xiao Feng. His parents are busy and it wasn’t convenient to take him along, so they dropped him off here this morning.”

Mu Dai thought it was too careless: “How could you let him play alone in the glass room?”

Brother Mao scratched his head: “I had your sister-in-law watch him, but she probably went to cook. Can’t let the little guy in the kitchen.”

The kitchen was a place where you could poke, bump, spill, or burn yourself – too dangerous.

As he spoke, he looked down at the counter base and muttered to himself: “Maybe find a rope, tie one end to the counter leg and the other around his waist, so wherever he goes he’s within my sight. That would be secure.”

How could that work? Mu Dai was angry. Tying such a poor little thing to the counter leg – even if you don’t feel sorry for him, I still do.

Gathering in the backyard, Mu Dai came carrying Yue Xiao Feng.

Yan Hongsha was most excited, circling around Mu Dai and calling: “Whose child is this? So adorable!”

Yue Xiao Feng, whether from shyness or pride, hugged Mu Dai’s neck and wouldn’t let go, burying his small face in the hollow of her neck and muttering: “What’s this? Always looking at me.”

Luo Ren walked over, patted the little guy’s head, and asked Mu Dai: “I just went to my room to unpack for a bit, and you already have a kid – just how slow am I?”

Mu Dai burst out laughing: “He’s Brother Mao’s friend’s child. I’m helping take care of him for a while. Look how lovable he is.”

Yue Xiao Feng turned his head away, not letting Luo Ren look, continuing to mutter: “These people always looking at me.”

Luo Ren deliberately provoked him: “Do I care about looking at you? You’re not even good-looking.”

This really stirred up a hornet’s nest. Yue Xiao Feng immediately raised his head, fierce as could be: “Mommy says I’m good-looking!”

This was also something Yue Feng had taught him. One day he had educated him: “Son, can you allow others to say you’re not good-looking?”

At the time, Yue Xiao Feng was sucking on a lollipop and probably felt one should be modest, so he answered very quietly and shyly: “I… guess so.”

“Absolutely not!” Yue Feng said. “You were born to Daddy and Mommy. Saying you’re not good-looking is saying Daddy and Mommy aren’t good-looking. You can be not good-looking, but Daddy and Mommy can’t be not good-looking, so you absolutely cannot let people say you’re not good-looking.”

Ji Tangtang passed by from the side, speechless, and finally said: “What kind of logic is that?”

…

Luo Ren was startled by Yue Xiao Feng’s reaction. Behind him, Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua were both laughing.

Knowing he shouldn’t take it seriously, he still wanted to deflate the little guy’s spirit a bit. He probably got too spoiled by his parents usually and was lawless – but society was realistic and would splash cold water on you sooner or later. Luo Ren decided to be a pioneer and be the first to splash.

He said: “It’s not that just because your mommy says you’re good-looking, you’re definitely good-looking. Whether you’re good-looking or not, others have to say so for it to count.”

Yue Xiao Feng puffed up angrily and after a long while squeezed out: “You’re the good-looking one!”

Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua burst into laughter. Yue Xiao Feng hugged Mu Dai’s neck and turned away, refusing to look at Luo Ren again. Mu Dai heard him muttering quietly again: “Bullying me… Mommy will scratch you to death.”

Did Yue Xiao Feng’s mommy really like scratching people? Mu Dai clicked her tongue – she must have long nails, one scratch leaving five bloody marks.

Luo Ren gritted his teeth, helpless against the little imp again.

Yan Hongsha urged everyone: “Let’s go, let’s go. We agreed to go out and play.”

At the door, Yue Xiao Feng struggled in Mu Dai’s arms: “Not going out, I’ll be sold.”

Who were his own people? Uncle Mao Mao, Auntie Mao Mao. If going out, he could only go with his own people.

Brother Mao wasn’t very comfortable either – although these people were friends vouched for by Shen Gun, it was their first meeting after all. People’s hearts are hidden behind their stomachs – how could he dare let half-familiar people carry away this precious little treasure?

Unable to help it, Mu Dai had to put Yue Xiao Feng down. After walking just a few steps, she heard him calling from behind: “Pocket Auntie.”

Looking back, Yue Xiao Feng was clinging to the doorframe, looking pitiful. Brother Mao’s inn was an old house with a high threshold. The little guy only showed his head, his chin resting on the threshold edge, looking miserable as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand again.

Mu Dai’s heart ached terribly. She thought that once she left, Brother Mao was so careless he might really tie Yue Xiao Feng to the counter leg.

She ran back and picked up Yue Xiao Feng. The little guy was overjoyed, sweetly called “Pocket Auntie,” hugged her neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek with a smack.

A child’s kiss, warm and soft with a hint of tickle, made Mu Dai’s heart soar like being gently lifted by tender hands, rising up and up, straight to the clouds.

Turning to Luo Ren, she said: “Maybe I won’t go. I’ll just wait here for you all. The ancient city all looks the same anyway. I grew up in Lijiang and got tired of seeing it long ago.”

Yan Hongsha was anxious: “No way, we have to play together.”

Mu Dai said: “Aren’t we together all the time anyway?”

That was different. Yan Hongsha stamped her feet anxiously. This time had special meaning – it was the first time several people were traveling together purely for fun. She wanted everyone to stick together, even if it was just sitting in a row eating fruit. Whatever they did had to be unified – how could they be missing Mu Dai?

Luo Ren understood Yan Hongsha’s thoughts and went to discuss with Brother Mao whether they could take the little guy out.

He said their luggage was all in the guest rooms, their home was in Lijiang, Shen Gun knew the address – they wouldn’t run off with the little guy. Besides, five pairs of eyes watching one child would definitely prevent anything from happening to him.

It made him seem quite distrustful. Brother Mao felt embarrassed by his words and took the initiative to do Yue Xiao Feng’s ideological work: “They won’t sell you, they’ll bring you back. Uncle Mao Mao has thoroughly checked – these aren’t bad people.”

Finally, they set out in a grand procession.

The ancient city was very similar to Lijiang, but with a few more touches of leisure and contentment. There were tourists on the streets, but it didn’t seem crowded. Shops lined both sides, but they weren’t eager to drum up business. Both guests and hosts were at ease. Music from DJs drifted through the streets. Local Bai people grilled rice cakes – glutinous rice patties like New Year cakes spread on racks, grilled to a crispy golden brown. According to customers’ requests, they would add sesame sugar powder or salty shredded vegetables with sauce.

Yan Hongsha was most excited, darting between various stalls, finding everything fresh. Yi Wansan and Cao Yanhua walked and stopped intermittently, gradually falling behind. Only Luo Ren stayed by Mu Dai’s side. Carrying Yue Xiao Feng inevitably divided her attention, so Luo Ren had to pull her from time to time to prevent her from being bumped by people or remind her to watch her step.

When they passed by a shop again, a voice drifted from behind: “This family of three all look so good-looking.”

Family of three? Who was family with that little brat?

Luo Ren wanted to frown but couldn’t help smiling.

Very naturally, he reached out to put his arm around Mu Dai’s shoulder.

Yue Xiao Feng, who had been lying on Mu Dai’s shoulder, raised his head, glanced at him, then stared at his hand on Mu Dai’s shoulder. Huffing and puffing, he removed his hand.

Luo Ren could hardly believe his eyes.

This little brat – did he have a death wish?

He didn’t make a sound. After a while, he quietly put his arm around her again.

Yue Xiao Feng raised his head again, unyielding. He pried at his hand, gritting his teeth, face red from effort, using all his nursing strength, and pushed it down again.