Since Bai Yao said 20 minutes, Mu Mu’er has been counting the seconds quietly, occasionally looking back at the clock to see if a minute has passed.
He really thinks the minutes pass by too slowly. If only Bai Yao would be pushing the door in after a blink.
He swings his legs a little on the table, imagining what food Bai Yao will cook tonight, when the doorbell suddenly rings.
Mu Mu’er immediately perks up, assuming Bai Yao has come back, only to remember that Bai Yao will not push the doorbell, because he has a key.
This morning, auntie Zhang came to bring steamed buns to him as breakfast, and ate with him with a smile until he finished before leaving. She’s probably not coming back this soon.
Mu Mu’er is going to ignore it. Bai Yao has told him not to open the door for strangers.
Two minutes later, though, the doorbell rings again. He can’t help but be curious, so he heads downstairs to peep outside. It should be ok, he’s not going to open the door.
Downstairs, Mu Mu’er sneaks a peek outside from the side window of the restaurant. If the person doesn’t turn, they won’t see him.
It’s certainly a complete stranger. Pretty thin, wearing a graffiti art T-shirt and cargo pants. He also has a silvery white hoodie. What hair is visible is dyed a bluish grey.
He’s definitely not from the town.
Sometimes, there are customers who don’t know the hours of the restaurant and came early.
Bai Yao used to tell them that the restaurant isn’t open yet, but now he’s already stuck an ‘Open Hours’ notice on the door. Now, no one will push the doorbell when the restaurant is closed.
The person clearly sees the open hours, but isn’t leaving. After standing by the door for a few moments longer, he starts circling around towards the backyard. Mu Mu’er follows, and sees him studying Mu Mu’er’s swimming pool with curiosity.
Mu Mu’er is a little distressed.
He doesn’t mind other people looking at his swimming pool, but he also has his treasured seashell hidden under it!
Is he trying to steal his seashell?! No, don’t steal his seashell!
He waits for a moment longer, but the person is now poking at his swimming pool, very close to where his seashell is. If he just lifts it a little, he’ll see it directly.
Mu Mu’er couldn’t hold it in anymore, and opens the door to run to him. He tries to make his voice as stable as possible, and he tells the person, “we are closed today.”
He’s not too happy that the person touched his swimming pool either, so he looks quite sad. He also adds, very meekly, “don’t take Mu’er’s seashells…”
The person seems wholly surprised someone suddenly spoke up behind him. His eyes are widened, and he looks poised to run away.
Mu Mu’er wasn’t expecting such a drastic reaction either, and, equally shocked, he looks about to cry.
They both freeze in place after, looking at each other, nonplussed.
The other person recovers himself far sooner than Mu Mu’er did, and is rubbing his chest in relief.
“Yes, I know, I saw the notice outside,” he smiles at Mu Mu’er, “I’m here for the owner.”
Then he introduces himself, “I’m Wen Yue,” after which he adds, “a mountain hare.”
Wen Yue has a truly divine look. In fact, he looks almost downright androgynous. His face is white and clearly well-kept. It is no exaggeration to say he practically exudes the aura of a harmless little bunny.
Mu Mu’er almost thought he was a jiejie when the deeper tone of voice tells him he’s a gege instead.
He remembers he has to be polite, and so leans and nods, “hello.”
Wen Yue.
He thinks he’s heard the name somewhere, but he cannot remember. After thinking for a while, nothing comes up. He only knows the man is Wen Yue, and he introduced himself with the character meaning ‘rabbit.’
So Mu Mu’er can’t help but connect him to his favourite mobile game, and he asks, “Moon Rabbit… is that you?”
Wen Yue, confused, tilts his head, “huh?”
Then he changes the topic immediately, jumping to the reason he came all this way, “the restaurant’s owner, Bai Yao, you know him, right?”
Mu Mu’er immediately smiles at the name. He knows him, he knows him very well. He sleeps and holds hands with him.
“Of course,” he says cheerily, “Yaoyao is a very good person.”
The term of address sheds some of the smile away from Wen Yue’s expression. He thinks and says, “yes, he is.”
Mu Mu’er becomes even happier knowing this person also knows Bai Yao. He decides to forgive him for poking his swimming pool and trying to steal his seashells, and asks, “do you want to come in? Mu’er can give you water.”
His difference in manner of speech becomes evident. Wen Yue is a little surprised, before smiling slightly stiffly, nodding, “sure.”
Mu Mu’er leads Wen Yue into the restaurant and pours a warm glass of water for him. He was going to add a slice of lime inside, the way Bai Yao does for visitors, but he doesn’t know how to make a lime into that. He also knows he should not throw an entire lime inside, and gives up.
Worried Wen Yue may be thirsty, he pours a full glass of water, and carefully brings it outside.
“Does Wen Yue-gege want water or juice?” Mu Mu’er puts the glass of water on the table, “Yaoyao made passionfruit juice. He put it in the fridge. Mu’er will get it for Wen Yue-gege.”
Before Wen Yue can answer, the boy is already turning to head to the kitchen.
Wen Yue stops him, though, asking, “what is your relationship with him?”
Wen Yue’s voice is gentle. Mu Mu’er is reminded of a sugary syrup, not too sticky, just sweet enough. Very comfortable to listen to.
“Yaoyao is Mu’er’s…” Mu Mu’er trails off a little, wondering which word to use, when Wen Yue assumes he’s finished.
The man looks up and down Mu Mu’er, before raising his chin almost by reflex, and smiling.
“When he’s back, can you tell him I’m looking for him?” Wen Yue smiles, “tell him I miss him, and I am at the inn down south. I’ll wait for him there if he wants to come visit.”
Mu Mu’er looks a little less comfortable with the conversation. That’s when Wen Yue adds, with a chirpy tone, “oh, right, I’m his ex-boyfriend, by the way.”
Since Bai Yao said 20 minutes, Mu Mu’er has been counting the seconds quietly, occasionally looking back at the clock to see if a minute has passed.
He really thinks the minutes pass by too slowly. If only Bai Yao would be pushing the door in after a blink.
He swings his legs a little on the table, imagining what food Bai Yao will cook tonight, when the doorbell suddenly rings.
Mu Mu’er immediately perks up, assuming Bai Yao has come back, only to remember that Bai Yao will not push the doorbell, because he has a key.
This morning, auntie Zhang came to bring steamed buns to him as breakfast, and ate with him with a smile until he finished before leaving. She’s probably not coming back this soon.
Mu Mu’er is going to ignore it. Bai Yao has told him not to open the door for strangers.
Two minutes later, though, the doorbell rings again. He can’t help but be curious, so he heads downstairs to peep outside. It should be ok, he’s not going to open the door.
Downstairs, Mu Mu’er sneaks a peek outside from the side window of the restaurant. If the person doesn’t turn, they won’t see him.
It’s certainly a complete stranger. Pretty thin, wearing a graffiti art T-shirt and cargo pants. He also has a silvery white hoodie. What hair is visible is dyed a bluish grey.
He’s definitely not from the town.
Sometimes, there are customers who don’t know the hours of the restaurant and came early.
Bai Yao used to tell them that the restaurant isn’t open yet, but now he’s already stuck an ‘Open Hours’ notice on the door. Now, no one will push the doorbell when the restaurant is closed.
The person clearly sees the open hours, but isn’t leaving. After standing by the door for a few moments longer, he starts circling around towards the backyard. Mu Mu’er follows, and sees him studying Mu Mu’er’s swimming pool with curiosity.
Mu Mu’er is a little distressed.
He doesn’t mind other people looking at his swimming pool, but he also has his treasured seashell hidden under it!
Is he trying to steal his seashell?! No, don’t steal his seashell!
He waits for a moment longer, but the person is now poking at his swimming pool, very close to where his seashell is. If he just lifts it a little, he’ll see it directly.
Mu Mu’er couldn’t hold it in anymore, and opens the door to run to him. He tries to make his voice as stable as possible, and he tells the person, “we are closed today.”
He’s not too happy that the person touched his swimming pool either, so he looks quite sad. He also adds, very meekly, “don’t take Mu’er’s seashells…”
The person seems wholly surprised someone suddenly spoke up behind him. His eyes are widened, and he looks poised to run away.
Mu Mu’er wasn’t expecting such a drastic reaction either, and, equally shocked, he looks about to cry.
They both freeze in place after, looking at each other, nonplussed.
The other person recovers himself far sooner than Mu Mu’er did, and is rubbing his chest in relief.
“Yes, I know, I saw the notice outside,” he smiles at Mu Mu’er, “I’m here for the owner.”
Then he introduces himself, “I’m Wen Yue,” after which he adds, “a mountain hare.”
Wen Yue has a truly divine look. In fact, he looks almost downright androgynous. His face is white and clearly well-kept. It is no exaggeration to say he practically exudes the aura of a harmless little bunny.
Mu Mu’er almost thought he was a jiejie when the deeper tone of voice tells him he’s a gege instead.
He remembers he has to be polite, and so leans and nods, “hello.”
Wen Yue.
He thinks he’s heard the name somewhere, but he cannot remember. After thinking for a while, nothing comes up. He only knows the man is Wen Yue, and he introduced himself with the character meaning ‘rabbit.’
So Mu Mu’er can’t help but connect him to his favourite mobile game, and he asks, “Moon Rabbit… is that you?”
Wen Yue, confused, tilts his head, “huh?”
Then he changes the topic immediately, jumping to the reason he came all this way, “the restaurant’s owner, Bai Yao, you know him, right?”
Mu Mu’er immediately smiles at the name. He knows him, he knows him very well. He sleeps and holds hands with him.
“Of course,” he says cheerily, “Yaoyao is a very good person.”
The term of address sheds some of the smile away from Wen Yue’s expression. He thinks and says, “yes, he is.”
Mu Mu’er becomes even happier knowing this person also knows Bai Yao. He decides to forgive him for poking his swimming pool and trying to steal his seashells, and asks, “do you want to come in? Mu’er can give you water.”
His difference in manner of speech becomes evident. Wen Yue is a little surprised, before smiling slightly stiffly, nodding, “sure.”
Mu Mu’er leads Wen Yue into the restaurant and pours a warm glass of water for him. He was going to add a slice of lime inside, the way Bai Yao does for visitors, but he doesn’t know how to make a lime into that. He also knows he should not throw an entire lime inside, and gives up.
Worried Wen Yue may be thirsty, he pours a full glass of water, and carefully brings it outside.
“Does Wen Yue-gege want water or juice?” Mu Mu’er puts the glass of water on the table, “Yaoyao made passionfruit juice. He put it in the fridge. Mu’er will get it for Wen Yue-gege.”
Before Wen Yue can answer, the boy is already turning to head to the kitchen.
Wen Yue stops him, though, asking, “what is your relationship with him?”
Wen Yue’s voice is gentle. Mu Mu’er is reminded of a sugary syrup, not too sticky, just sweet enough. Very comfortable to listen to.
“Yaoyao is Mu’er’s…” Mu Mu’er trails off a little, wondering which word to use, when Wen Yue assumes he’s finished.
The man looks up and down Mu Mu’er, before raising his chin almost by reflex, and smiling.
“When he’s back, can you tell him I’m looking for him?” Wen Yue smiles, “tell him I miss him, and I am at the inn down south. I’ll wait for him there if he wants to come visit.”
Mu Mu’er looks a little less comfortable with the conversation. That’s when Wen Yue adds, with a chirpy tone, “oh, right, I’m his ex-boyfriend, by the way.”
