Let Me Ruffle Your Fur a Little

Before going to sleep every night, the couple would engage in official ‘business.’

Mu Mu’er would usually keep saying ‘touch me’ or ‘Yaoyao, hug Mu’er,’ or just make ‘mm’ sounds. Today, though, he’s quiet, and is just looking up at Bai Yao with his eyes.

Bai Yao backs out a little and caresses the little guy’s face, “what’s wrong, babe? Does it hurt?”

“No,” replies Mu Mu’er smacking his lips, and brushing his face against the hand, “Mu’er is thinking about the jelly we made today, and wants to eat them tomorrow. We made a lot, and it is bad not to eat the food we made.”

Bai Yao “…”

Then Mu Mu’er slowly blinks his eyes, asking with genuine concern, “is Yaoyao hurting?”

Therefore, Mu Mu’er ends up being on the receiving end of Bai Yao’s passion for three times in a row.

Mu Mu’er’s face currently looks like this – (?ó﹏ò?)

Bai Yao asks him, “still want the jelly?”

“No jelly… No more… Never…”

16

It was over half a year as a couple when Bai Yao finally stumbled upon the fact that Mu Mu’er is ticklish.

While sitting on the sofa watching a movie one day, Bai Yao held Mu Mu’er by the waist, and subconsciously pinched a particular location by pure coincidence. Mu Mu’er then practically shot out of Bai Yao’s lap, laughing like a maniac, threatening to demolish the house with his sound waves.

Bai Yao was spooked, and then confused, and then realised – oh, he’s ticklish there.

He seriously does suspect that Mu Mu’er hid it from him on purpose for him not to have stumbled upon it for so long.

After that discovery, Bai Yao would poke Mu Mu’er in that particular spot every two or three days, just to enjoy the little break in sound the little guy would make.

Which is terrible news for Bai Yao, who decides to exact revenge this day, by sneaking up onto Bai Yao and lunging at the snow leopard with the ferocity of a sea otter, poking everywhere with force on Bai Yao’s waist.

Bai Yao turns around, going, “mmhm?”

Mu Mu’er sulks.

Yaoyao hasn’t.
He can’t believe Yaoyao does not have a ticklish spot.

17

Spring is here, and hot baths in the bathroom will be over soon when the weather warms up even more.

Mu Mu’er appears a little worried about this, especially because Bai Yao gifted the kiddie pool he had to Jing Xiaoqing – a swimming pool of Balala the Fairies is far more suited to her newborn daughter, after all.

However, it also devastated Mu Mu’er when he thought he would never be able to swim anymore, as one of his biggest joys, outside of eating tasty food, is eating tasty food while lying on his back in the pool.

In any case, Mu Mu’er has decided to take one final hot bath before the end of the winter. Not just bathing, but also swimming in the tub, for the whole night! To make up for all the missed swimming sessions to come in the summer!

Which is why Mu Mu’er dashed upstairs right after finishing dinner, so that he could add the water to the tub quickly, and swim a little before Bai Yao notices.

Bai Yao is upstairs only after packing up everything, and when he realises Mu Mu’er isn’t at the living room, he calls out, “Mu’er?”

No answer comes. After poking his head into the bedroom, he notices the lights spilling out of the bathroom, and goes in.

It’s really warm, and the mirror is fogged already. Mu Mu’er, meanwhile, is lying on his back in the water, showing only his little head in an adorkable display.

“What are you doing?”

Mu Mu’er doesn’t want Bai Yao to know he was swimming, and just says, “… nothing.”

Bai Yao simply assumes he wants to bathe early, and starts undressing to go in with him – hey, warm water and a soft little sea otter inside. Who could resist?

He heads into the bathtub, but Mu Mu’er isn’t budging, so our man pushes him a little, “lemme in.”

Mu Mu’er is unwilling, and moves sluggishly, allowing Bai Yao in only after some time.

Bai Yao sits down and lets Mu Mu’er lean on his chest, in order to start shampooing his head for him.

Mu Mu’er is quite relaxed, and so starts to twist and twirl his body about; Bai Yao has to start chasing after his head with his hands. To the right, and Bai Yao follows; to the left, and he follows, again.

“What’chu moving about for?” Bai Yao wonders, pinching the boy on his waist.

Mu Mu’er just lets slip, “to swim.”

He is looking back at Bai Yao with innocent eyes, only remembering he wasn’t planning on letting Bai Yao know after a few seconds.

Bai Yao is laughing in the meantime, as he recalls the little guy’s charade when he just entered the bathroom as well. A silly little sea otter in the water playing with the bathtub like a swimming pool.

“Together?” Mu Mu’er asks, trying to look a little more dignified and save his image from the laughter.

Bai Yao doesn’t have the heart to refuse, of course.

Which is why the two ends up swimming a whole night in the bathtub quite too small for this use.

18

The two have already married, and so Bai Yao wants Mu Mu’er to call him hubby instead.

Mu Mu’er can’t seem to remember it though, and he’d forget a few times after Bai Yao last told him all the time, reverting back to ‘Yaoyao.’

He thinks that he might need to lead by example to get him to get used to the term of address. Therefore, that evening, while he is doing accounting for the restaurant, and Mu Mu’er is reading comics on the bedroom floor, Bai Yao calls out, “darling.”

No answer comes.

Bai Yao raises his voice, “darling!”

Still nothing.

He can see the feet on the bedroom carpet from his angle. It’s swinging around a little, too, like saying, ‘darling who? Not Mu’er, anyway!’

Defeated, Bai Yao calls out, “Mu’er.”

Finally, there is noise from the bedroom. The feet retracts, and a few seconds later, Mu Mu’er runs out, asking, “Yaoyao called Mu’er! What is it?”

“Call me hubby.”

Mu Mu’er follows the request, “hubby.”

Bai Yao, satisfied with this ‘victory,’ rubs the little guy on the head while pulling him into an embrace.

Soon, though, he hears Mu Mu’er say quietly, “Yaoyao hubby.”

Bai Yao “…”

What, the little guy has a few other hubbies than him?

19

During Chinese New Year, they didn’t manage to buy a train ticket, so Bai Yao couldn’t take Mu Mu’er to Xishi and visit Mu Yi.

After the New Year, and before the extended holidays end, Bai Yao couldn’t just let the restaurant stay closed through the lucrative season. Therefore, after the students and adults return to school and work during the middle of February, he is finally able to close the restaurant for the duration needed to go on a short trip to the city.

Mu Yi apparently moved out of the city to live in a country mansion close by a year ago. Mu Mu’er is also excitedly blabbering when heading to visit him, talking about snacks and stuff he can share with his older brother.

When Bai Yao grabs the bag of snacks away from Mu Mu’er, he kept giving puppy dog eyes to Bai Yao until it was returned.

They arrive, and push on the doorbell. Some dozen seconds later, Mu Yi comes to the door himself.

“Gege!” Yells an excited Mu Mu’er, hugging Mu Yi, “Mu’er missed gege.”

Bai Yao also calls out, “ge.”

Mu Mu’er quickly goes to share the bag of half finished sweet potato slices he didn’t finish in the car, and shoves it in Mu Yi’s lap, “for gege!”

Others might think cheaply of such snacks, but certainly not for Mu Mu’er, to whom the bag constitutes quite the honourable offering.

After that, Mu Mu’er hops in, leaving Bai Yao to tow their suitcases, and Mu Yi holding the bag of chips at the door.

Bai Yao extends his hand, “I’ve told him to eat less, but he wouldn’t listen. Anyway, I can take it.”

Mu Yi, though, moves his hand away, “I don’t mind having what he left over.”

There are actually butlers and nannies for the mansion, but Mu Yi would give them paid holidays when Bai Yao and Mu Mu’er comes. He’s worried Mu Mu’er would feel uncomfortable around strangers, and besides, the mansion truly does feel homely when there are only the three of them inside.

Not that that makes the mansion feel any smaller, as there are actually four floors – the second and third floor contains things like the study, bedrooms, library, and even a gym. It’s also got a basement and its own pool and garden.

The last few times they came to visit, Bai Yao would sleep in separate rooms from Mu Mu’er, since he is lodging in the little guy’s brother’s mansion, after all.

Although he would also secretly sneak Mu Mu’er to his bedroom to sleep together after Mu Yi is asleep, and also secretly sneak the sleeping Mu Mu’er back in the morning.

This time, though, after Bai Yao has carried their luggage upstairs, Mu Yi mentions from behind, “you should sleep in the same room, you know. It must be tiring carrying people around at midnight.”

Bai Yao “…”

He should really have transformed into a snow leopard to carry Mu Mu’er around. His meat pads would have muffled his walking greatly.

And he could simply carry Mu Mu’er by the nape back to his bed and into his quilt.

That night, though, when Bai Yao has turned off the lights and got back onto the bed, Mu Mu’er doesn’t go pull his hand as usual. Bai Yao turns around to see what the little guy is up to.

He’s staring straight into his palms. One wonders what is going through his little head again.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Yao also gives his own hand a thorough examination, but finds nothing of note.

Mu Mu’er seems hesitant, before finally asking Bai Yao, “would gege be unable to sleep without anyone to hold hands…?”

Mu Yi is yet unmarried. Bai Yao doesn’t even know if he has a girlfriend or even someone he harbours feelings for.

Since Bai Yao doesn’t know how to answer, he decides not to answer.

The next day, they head downstairs together, and Bai Yao holds Mu Mu’er’s hand by habit, which reminds the little guy of his older brother’s hand situation once more.

“Yaoyao,” Mu Mu’er says apologetically, “Mu’er won’t hold hands now. Gege might be sad if he sees.”

He adds, “he doesn’t have a Yaoyao.”

Bai Yao doesn’t refute the idea. He caresses the little guy on the head before following him into the dining room.

After breakfast, Mu Yi goes out for a smoke on the balcony. Mu Mu’er is happily checking on the pretty flowers and plants in the garden, which are growing quite well now that it’s almost spring. He is guessing which ones will bloom the most beautiful flowers.

Bai Yao knocks on the balcony, and heads in after Mu Yi turns around, “ge.”

“Yeah?” Mu Yi raises his chin at him.

Since Bai Yao isn’t exactly great at speaking in riddles, he simply leans on the fence and tells him, “your younger brother was worried you have no one to hold hands with when sleeping.”
“Sure you don’t have an ideal sister-in-law in mind yet for him?”

Mu Yi has a grey coat on his shoulders, while wearing a black T-shirt inside with the sleeves rolled up to his arm, revealing part of his well-defined lower arm.

Bai Yao doesn’t think that Mu Yi is difficult to speak to after getting to know him over the past year. He’s quite terse with words for sure, but he’s not a bad person.

And given his good looks, while Bai Yao wouldn’t claim to understand what women look for in men these days, he would wager that Mu Yi probably wouldn’t be lacking in prospective partners.

Mu Yi doesn’t answer immediately, but retrieves his pack of cigarettes and hands one over.

Bai Yao says, “he’s not a fan of the smell. I’ve quit.”

Mu Yi chuckles and takes it back, “no wonder he’s fallen for you in the end.”
“I suppose I need some more time. I don’t need her to be powerful or connected, but simply to be gentle and understanding,” he says slowly and almost casually, “if I find her, do come visit with Mu’er. They’d be in-laws too, after all.”

Since he knew Mu Yi, Bai Yao has learned that he did not marry or consider children because of Mu Mu’er. Still, he didn’t know Mu Yi is still too worried about his younger brother to settle down.

Despite his faults, Bai Yao is grateful that Mu Yi is Mu Mu’er’s older brother. He cares about Mu Mu’er just as deeply, and Mu Mu’er is never alone.

“Worry not. Mu’er has me,” Bai Yao makes a promise, “you never have to worry that he might be alone one day, because he will always have my hand to hold.”