Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little

Chapter 61

Don't Go Find a Different Little Sea Otter

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

A long, long time has passed without anyone saying anything. Bai Yao has finally done processing what was just said.

The little sea otter can stay. He can stay by his side.

Bai Yao takes a deep breath. The exhale is exceptionally slow. He raises his hand alongside Mu Mu’er’s towards his lips, and quietly whispers, “thank you.”

Mu Mu’er’s hand touches his lips. Bai Yao’s mumble was not heard by Mu Yi.

“You can tell him when he’s awake. I think he’ll be ecstatic to hear,” Mu Yi looks almost drained after he has made the decision. He sounds tired, “I’ll have his things sent back here in the morning.”
“I still have work to do, and won’t be able to come visit often,” Mu Yi can’t help but want to poke Mu Mu’er’s soft little cheeks too. Mu Mu’er appears to be able to tell that this isn’t Bai Yao, though, and furrows his brows, moving away in his sleep.

Mu Mu’er is already sleeping near the edge of the bed, so Bai Yao reflexively extends a hand to support Mu Mu’er; the moment his hand connects with the boy’s head, though, Mu Mu’er immediately snuggles against it with his face.

Mu Yi looks at their closely held hands, and can’t help being slightly disappointed. After a moment, he also says, “thanks.”

“See you,” Bai Yao waves their held hands together at Mu Yi, who smiles and turns to leave. Before he’s out the bedroom, though, Bai Yao calls out, “you should stay another day. Come eat dinner tomorrow together.”

Mu Yi is surprised at the invitation. He doesn’t answer immediately, but looks quizzically at Bai Yao.

Bai Yao raises the held hands together a second time, “to say goodbye to him.”

Mu Yi stands there with eyes widened for a moment, before nodding and smiling, “sure.”

Having fallen asleep at 5 in the morning, Bai Yao wakes up after 11. It’s almost noon.

Mu Mu’er is still asleep. Bai Yao doesn’t wake him, and lies by his side for a while to observe his sleeping form.

While asleep, the boy occupies barely any ground. He utilises, at most, a third of the area of the large bed Bai Yao has. Sleeping on his side, his curled form makes Bai Yao think of a hermit crab squeezed tightly within its shell.

The boy has always slept pretty modestly, like he’s worried he’d be imposing on anyone. His hands and legs and kept close to himself, and maybe he’d wish he’d occupy zero space. Bai Yao used to find the appearance cute, but he feels much more sympathy nowadays.

He knows the boy is actually worried Bai Yao would chase him away. Even in his sleep, he’s subconsciously trying his best to please Bai Yao.

If Mu Mu’er wants to, Bai Yao will be happy to give him the entire bed, and not just the bed, but the house, the family, it can all be Mu Mu’er’s.

If he would only ask.

Bai Yao decides that he must convince him of such.

He gets up first, allowing the entirety of the bed to be Mu Mu’er’s space, and gently positions Mu Mu’er to that effect by moving his waist and legs. After that’s done, he couldn’t resist rubbing the boy’s cheeks until he makes unhappy mumbles at the disturbance.

Mu Mu’er must have been exhausted to be so deeply asleep that Bai Yao’s antics haven’t woken him up. He’s smacking his mouth in his dream and snuggling up to the pillow right now; he’s probably dreaming about food.

The little sea otter sure seems to be enjoying himself in his sleep.

Bai Yao chuckles as he walks into the bathroom to do his morning routine and change.

Worried that Mu Mu’er would panic if he does not see him when waking up, he leaves a gap in the bedroom door. Mu Mu’er will be able to hear him and know he is there.

For the rest of the morning, Bai Yao settles lazily into the sofa with a cup of coffee in hand. His only movement is reheating the cup in the kitchen when the coffee has gone cold.

He’s also kept his eye on the bedroom door throughout. It’s like his mind believes the little sea otter would just disappear into thin air if he isn’t paying attention.

It’s almost farcical, really.

About one in the afternoon, Bai Yao thinks Mu Mu’er should wake up soon and goes to the small kitchen to cook. Some ten-odd minutes later, a sleepy Mu Mu’er emerges from the room just as expected.

Bai Yao feels inexplicably relaxed at the sight. It’s as if he’s somehow a weary traveller who just returned home and his mind has shifted gears, turning serene and calm. It’s a soothing relief.

He waves to greet him with a bright smile, “good afternoon, Mu’er.”

Mu Mu’er stands dazed in the living room with his hair a nest-like mess. He hasn’t the faintest idea that it’s well past noon, and just quietly greets Bai Yao the way he normally does, “morning, Yaoyao.”

“Did you sleep well?” Bai Yao asks gently.

However, Mu Mu’er does not respond at all. Bai Yao is cutting spring onions on the chopping board, and is about to turn his head to check, only to receive a powerful hug. Mu Mu’er is hugging him from behind with as much force as he can muster. He does not speak.

“Mu’er, if you keep pulling on Yaoyao, Yaoyao won’t be able to cook delicious food for Mu’er.”

No matter what Bai Yao says, though, Mu Mu’er wouldn’t let go. His height being shorter, his head is sticking to his shoulder blades.

He’s also snuggling, possibly intending to fuse their bodies together. Or turn into a little kangaroo that can enter a pocket on Bai Yao and sneak inside.

“Mu’er is a good boy. Yaoyao, Mu’er can be even more of a good boy,” some time later, Mu Mu’er mumbles, “Yaoyao, does Yaoyao like a very, very good little sea otter? Mu’er is one.”

Sounds like Mu Mu’er is deeply afraid of Bai Yao looking for a new sea otter. It seems he’s interpreted Bai Yao letting him leave with Mu Yi as a sign that he’s lost favour, or has become fond of another little sea otter on the beach.

Then Mu Mu’er appears to recall that he didn’t make good on the promise he made yesterday that he would go back to Bai Yao that night. Mu Yi did not let him, so he was not back on time.

Mu Mu’er then bites his lips to apologise to Bai Yao, “Mu’er did not, did not find Yaoyao last night on time. Mu’er is sorry.”

It’s not even his fault. Mu Mu’er should not be apologising. Bai Yao’s heart aches.

He sighs and puts his chopping knife down, and turns around within Mu Mu’er’s tight hug.

Now the boy is hugging Bai Yao face-to-face, and he looks up at him, his chin now planted on his chest.

There are tears in the doggy eyes. He looks cute as always, but it’s clear he’s also trying to curry favour with Bai Yao. He’s carefully appealing to him.

Bai Yao can’t possibly try to pry Mu Mu’er’s arms away forcefully, so he can only hold his wrist, and slowly coo him into letting go. Yet the gesture still makes Mu Mu’er’s eyes redden and he looks like he would cry the next second.

“Mu’er, are you crying?” Bai Yao asks gently.

The boy did not cry once in front of his older brother, but seeing Bai Yao after everything again has made him tearful once more. His lips tremble a little.

He wants to tell Bai Yao he did not cry even if he did not see Bai Yao the whole day, but the moment he speaks, he is practically whimpering.

“Not crying,” he says.

This is painfully pitiful.

“Not crying?” Bai Yao uses his thumb to wipe a tear flowing down the boy’s cheek for him, “then are Mu’er’s eyes raining?”

The joke does not elicit the usual chuckle.

Mu Mu’er is no longer looking up at Bai Yao, but down. He wants to hide his face.

Tears continue running down his cheeks. Bai Yao’s fingers are also wet, and there is a moment when Bai Yao feels like kissing Mu Mu’er on the cheek to see if the tears are salty.

Right now, Bai Yao can’t see the boy’s eyes, especially when he’s purposefully avoiding eye contact.

Without hesitation, Bai Yao lifts Mu Mu’er by the armpits up onto the kitchen counter to sit.

The counter itself reaches Bai Yao’s waist in height; Bai Yao himself is over 1.9 metres tall, and so the counter’s quite high off the floor as well.

Mu Mu’er now sits a little taller than Bai Yao, and Bai Yao is standing between his legs, now supporting him by the waist. Their faces are close together, with Bai Yao looking up a little towards him.

“Mu’er, can you tell Yaoyao what you are thinking about?” Bai Yao holds Mu Mu’er’s chin still with his hand to look him in the eye and ask.

Too tall to avoid eye contact, Mu Mu’er can only settle for looking at Bai Yao. His eyes look lost, and he resembles a little hedgehog lying on his back and revealing his tummy in confusion.

“Yaoyao wants Mu’er to go…” he asks, sadly, “Yaoyao, do you not like Mu’er anymore?”