Traveling Through the Book and Becoming a Cub Among the Villains - Chapter 47
During the National Day holiday, on the first day of the Golden Week, the Mu family was thrown into chaos by a loud scream.
“Aaaaaah! , you’re unbelievable!”
stared at her phone, cheeks puffed up in anger.
Seeing this, asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
“Dad, didn’t you see the messages in the group chat?” Mu Shaoting picked up her phone and started complaining to Mu Feng.
“Second Brother went abroad on vacation! Going abroad is one thing, but he even took Xi with him! Why didn’t he tell me about something this big beforehand?!”
had just come downstairs. Upon hearing that, he immediately leaned in beside Mu Shaoting, “Second Brother took Xiao Xi abroad?!”
“Didn’t you check the group chat?” Mu Shaoting said, exasperated.
There were only five people in the group, how could both of them not be reading it?!
Mu Shaoyan, “……”
He really hadn’t checked. He had just woken up, and when he opened WeChat, it was full of red notification dots. Mu Shaoyan thought it was annoying, so he simply didn’t read any of them.
“When did he decide this? Why didn’t he say anything beforehand?!”
“Exactly!” Mu Shaoting said angrily, “I was planning to take Xiao Xi to an amusement park during the break since he’d be free, now look, he’s gone, and I’m left all alone!”
“Exactly.” Mu Shaoyan was feeling a bit annoyed, too.
It was a new month, and with it came new pocket money. To thank his little nephew for keeping his secret, he had planned to take Ye Qingxi out during the break, since everyone would have time, and buy him a new toy car.
He’d already picked one out, a mini convertible sports car, super cool even in the kid version. And now? The money was here, but the person was gone.
“Why didn’t big bro give us a heads-up?” Mu Shaoyan muttered.
“Right?! And it’s not like going abroad is something we can’t do, too!” Mu Shaoting huffed, “Let’s be clear, Xiao Xi’s not just his kid. Dad brought him home, so that makes him… shared property—”
She paused, realizing that calling Ye Qingxi “property” sounded completely wrong since he was a living, breathing human being.
So she quickly corrected herself, “Shared baby!”
Mu Shaoyan, “……”
“You might as well just say shared family member.”
“Whatever, same idea.”
Mu Shaoting gave a huffy little snort, cheeks puffed out with indignation.
Mu Feng listened to the two of them going back and forth, thinking to himself, good thing Mu Shaowu ran fast.
Otherwise, this trip wouldn’t be a father-son getaway for two, it would’ve turned into a four-person father-son-uncle-aunt vacation.
Not bad either, Mu Feng thought.
Mu Shaowu was a first-time dad, after all, having someone around to help with the kid would’ve made things more secure.
But clearly, Mu Shaowu himself didn’t want that.
And Mu Feng wasn’t wrong, if Mu Shaowu had been okay with it, would he have given Mu Feng a heads-up, then slipped out of the villa at dawn carrying Ye Qingxi like a thief?
Right now, Mu Shaowu was sitting happily beside his son, enjoying the view outside the window, feeling satisfied with their two-person trip.
No Mu Shaoting, no Mu Shaoyan, perfect.
Look, he even got to wear matching outfits with his son. Hehe.
“Sleepy?” Mu Shaowu asked with concern.
“If you are, take a nap. I’ll wake you when we’re almost there.”
Ye Qingxi shook his head. He wasn’t sleepy yet, so he was leaning against the window, watching the clouds float by outside.
They were on a private jet that Mu Shaowu had borrowed from a friend.
It wasn’t that the Mu family didn’t have one, but their private jets were usually used by Mu Feng and Mu Zheng. And lately, had been the one using them the most.
So if he used one from the family fleet, it’d be hard to avoid Mu Zheng finding out.
And Mu Shaowu didn’t want his brother to know, because if he did, he was worried Mu Zheng would want to bring along, too.
He could tell now, ever since his older brother found out that Qin Cheng was his son, his desire to make up for lost time was practically written all over his face. It was like he wished he could run 48 hours straight just to carve out time to pick Qin Cheng up and have meals with him.
Another time, Mu Shaowu thought. Another time, he and his brother could take both kids out together.
But right now, he was about to start filming. Once he left, he’d be gone for nearly four months. So more than anything, he wanted to spend time alone with Ye Qingxi, just the two of them.
Just father and son.
He gently patted Ye Qingxi’s head, and the two of them gazed out at the clouds together.
After flying for around 7 hours, the plane finally landed in a warm country. Ye Qingxi felt hot and took off his jacket. Mu Shaowu took his off, too, and just like that, their matching outfits were finally back on display.
“Come on, Xiao Xi, let’s take a picture.” Mu Shaowu said.
He pulled out his phone, held it up in front of Ye Qingxi, raised his other hand to flash a peace sign next to Ye Qingxi’s face, and took several selfies together.
Once they were done taking pictures, Mu Shaowu hailed a car and took Ye Qingxi straight to the hotel he had booked in advance.
Originally, he’d thought about bringing Ye Qingxi to a private island he’d bought in the past. But then he reconsidered, at Ye Qingxi’s age, he’d probably enjoy a lively, crowded place even more.
The private island was nice, yes, but too quiet. With just the two of them, Mu Shaowu worried Ye Qingxi might get bored.
There was plenty of time in the future. He could take Ye Qingxi there some other time.
Ye Qingxi, of course, had no idea what Mu Shaowu was planning. He was currently standing on the hotel balcony, looking out at the deep blue sea not far away.
He had to admit, this hotel Mu Shaowu booked was expensive, but definitely worth the price.
The balcony faced directly toward the ocean. The moment you opened the sliding doors, you could feel the sea breeze. And when the doors were shut, the room was perfectly quiet, completely insulated from the noise of the nearby beach.
Ye Qingxi was very satisfied.
As he admired the view, Mu Shaowu asked him, “Hungry?”
Ye Qingxi nodded.
They had only eaten one proper meal and a few desserts on the plane, so they were definitely hungry by now. Seeing this, Mu Shaowu took his hand and led him out of the hotel. The two didn’t dine at the hotel. Instead, they strolled along the street outside for a while, chose a restaurant that looked well-reviewed, and ordered a few local specialty dishes. This place was rich in coconuts, so there were all kinds of coconut-based desserts and drinks.
Curious, Mu Shaowu ordered a bunch of them and tried them one by one with Ye Qingxi.
By the end, the two packed up several of their favorites to go, and each got a freshly opened coconut to carry as they walked back.
Mu Shaowu looked at Ye Qingxi’s tiny hands hugging the oversized coconut and just thought, adorable.
He pulled out his phone and snapped several more photos of Ye Qingxi.
Once they returned to the hotel room and put the desserts in the fridge, Mu Shaowu took Ye Qingxi to a shop that sold swimsuits and flip-flops.
He bought Ye Qingxi a pair of blue swim trunks with a little cat on them, along with a pair of white ls. Only then did he start picking out something for himself. While browsing, he spotted a pair of dark blue trunks with a big cat in sunglasses that looked fierce and hard to mess with.
Mu Shaowu picked them up happily and looked at Ye Qingxi, “These look like a matching set, too, like a dad and son outfit!”
They really do, Ye Qingxi thought. Even the colors were nearly identical, his were light blue, this pair was dark blue. He couldn’t help but smile and even picked out a pair of flip-flops for Mu Shaowu that matched his own.
The two spent the day playing by the seaside, Mu Shaowu took him on a speedboat ride and even brought him to learn how to snorkel. Ye Qingxi had an amazing time. It wasn’t until the sun set that he finally returned to the hotel, took a shower, changed clothes, and headed out to a nearby restaurant for barbecue.
“There’s barbecue here, too?” Ye Qingxi said in surprise.
“Of course,” Mu Shaowu replied, “There are Chinese people here, wherever there are our people, there’s barbecue.”
By the time they arrived, the barbecue place was already bustling. Mu Shaowu led him to a small table in the corner and ordered some grilled skewers.
The place was packed almost entirely with Chinese folks. Listening to the familiar languaaround him, Ye Qingxi thought to himself, the internet really didn’t lie, Chinese people are truly the world’s largest group of street roamers.
Tonight, the barbecue shop had live entertainment. While they were eating, the stage lit up, and a beautiful girl in a dazzling dance costume began performing. Before long, she pulled one of her partners up with her, and the two started singing together.
The atmosphere instantly grew even livelier.
Ye Qingxi was immersed in the energy, gently nodding his head to the music as he listened.
As he was bobbing along, a server carrying a box came over to their table.
“We’re starting the raffle! Pick a number,” the server said with a cheerful smile.
“What’s the prize?” Ye Qingxi asked curiously.
“Free meal,” the server said with a smile, “In a moment, the boss lady will go on stage and draw a lucky number. Whoever draws the same number as her gets their meal for free. But—only one draw per table!”
Hearing that, Ye Qingxi turned to look at Mu Shaowu.
Mu Shaowu smiled and said, “You draw. Kids have better luck, who knows, you might just win.”
Ye Qingxi didn’t really believe that, but since Mu Shaowu told him to do it, he didn’t hesitate. He reached his hand into the box.
It was a good number: 66.
Mu Shaowu smiled, “Told you kids have good luck. Even if you don’t win, this number is still super lucky.”
Ye Qingxi thought so, too.
He didn’t take it too seriously and went back to eating his barbecue.
By the time they were almost full, the boss lady finally got up on stage and cheerfully announced, “Alright, alright! The big prize is coming!”
Everyone immediately looked toward her, waiting for her to draw today’s lucky number.
She didn’t waste time, she had a server bring the box on stage, reached in, and pulled out a slip of paper.
She slowly unfolded it, smiling as she said, “15!”
“It’s me! It’s me!”
Ye Qingxi turned around and saw a tall boy wearing glasses shouting excitedly.
He clapped along enthusiastically, not feeling disappointed at all, he just enjoyed the lively atmosphere.
The boss lady also clapped and added with a smile, “When you’re away from home, everyone’s a friend. Meeting fellow Chinese in a foreign country really makes me happy. Since you’re all supporting my place and recommending it to other Chinese folks, I won’t be stingy, today, I’ll give away two more free tables!”
“Yeah!” someone in the crowd shouted supportively.
“Alright, one more free meal for table number 66, wishing everyone smooth success! And one for table number 88, wishing everyone wealth and prosperity!”
Ye Qingxi, “!!!!!”
He looked down at the slip he had just drawn. There it was, black ink on white paper: 66.
Mu Shaowu chuckled, “What did I say? Didn’t I say kids have great luck? Looks like our little Xiao Xi isn’t just a genius, he’s a little good-luck charm, too~”
Ye Qingxi couldn’t help but laugh.
He hadn’t expected to be this lucky, to have the boss decide to give away extra prizes, and for his number to be such an auspicious one.
“Where’s table 66?” the boss lady called out from the stage.
Mu Shaowu tilted his chin toward Ye Qingxi as a signal, “Raise your hand.”
Ye Qingxi, “????”
“Why aren’t you raising your hand?”
“Because your daddy’s a celebrity,” Mu Shaowu said matter-of-factly, “Didn’t you notice I purposely picked the most hidden corner and even wore these huge glasses?”
Ye Qingxi, …Fair point.
So he raised his little hand. Unfortunately, he was small, and his arms were short, from afar, it really wasn’t very noticeable.
So Ye Qingxi simply stood up.
That did the trick, the boss lady spotted him.
“Oh! Such a cute little one! You’re so adorable, Auntie will throw in two more bottles of coconut juice just for you!”
Ye Qingxi, “????”
Ye Qingxi quickly waved his hand to indicate that he didn’t need it.
But the server still brought the coconut juice over and placed it on their table.
“Thank you,” Ye Qingxi said politely.
He handed one bottle to Mu Shaowu and started drinking the other himself.
After eating and drinking their fill, Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaowu left the barbecue shop together. They walked side by side on the road back to the hotel.
Mu Shaowu held his hand, and Ye Qingxi continued sipping the coconut juice he hadn’t finished.
Big hand holding little hand, Ye Qingxi felt Mu Shaowu’s palm was soft, warm but not sticky. It made him feel safe.
A warm breeze passed by, making them feel slightly tipsy from the comfort of it all. Ye Qingxi looked up and saw the bright moon and twinkling stars.
Suddenly, he thought of the song Pei Liang had played before, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
“Daddy, do you know how to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?”
Ye Qingxi suddenly thought of that once wildly popular parent-child variety show from long ago.
But unlike the theme song from that show, Mu Shaowu didn’t say, “I don’t know~” in a bashful tone.
Instead, he proudly declared, “Of course I do.”
Then Mu Shaowu began to sing,
“Twinkle twinkle little star, Bright and shiny from afar, Shining down from way up high, Like small eyes up in the sky.”
“As the sun sets in the west, Crows fly homeward to their nests, Stars are blinking, winking, too, Sparkling till the morning dew.”
“Twinkle twinkle little star, Xiao Xi’s walking near and far, On the road back home tonight, Had such fun, what pure delight.”
“Moon is rising nice and slow, Xiao Xi’s steps begin to go, Stars are blinking up above, Lighting Xiao Xi’s path with love.”
Ye Qingxi couldn’t help but laugh, “Daddy, when you used to sing at those New Year’s galas… was it really live?”
“Of course not,” Mu Shaowu replied, “It was pre-recorded.”
Then he caught himself, “Wait—Ye Xiao Xi, what are you trying to say with that question?”
“Nothing~” Ye Qingxi blinked innocently, “I’ve just never heard Daddy sing at a New Year’s gala before, so I was curious.”
Hearing his soft, sweet little voice, Mu Shaowu immediately melted and let it slide.
“You’ll hear me sing during the New Year’s gala this year.”
“The pre-recorded version?”
Mu Shaowu, “……”
He had a strong feeling his son wasn’t just innocently asking to hear him sing.
He scooped Ye Qingxi up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, “Live version.”
Ye Qingxi, “???!!!”
Ye Qingxi was stunned, No way, with Mu Shaowu’s singing voice, a live performance?!
“Daddy, maybe… just stick with the pre-recorded version,” Ye Qingxi said sincerely.
Mu Shaowu, “……”
He leaned close to Ye Qingxi’s ear, “Then Daddy will give you a live version right now!”
And with that, he sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” all over again.
Ye Qingxi listened silently, took a couple sips of the coconut juice in his hand…
He smacked his lips thoughtfully, Mmm… sweet.
“Daddy, your singing is actually… pretty good,” Ye Qingxi said, going completely against his conscience.
Mu Shaowu, “????”
Mu Shaowu was overjoyed, he had thought his son disliked his singing!
“Then Daddy will sing you another one!”
Ye Qingxi, “……”
He had no choice but to pick up his coconut juice and keep drinking.
Coconut juice could be drunk in excess, words, not so much.
See? He thought to himself. This is karma coming back at me.
Poor ears of mine…
Yet despite all his inner complaining, the corners of Ye Qingxi’s lips still curled up.
His dad might not sing well, but honestly… he was pretty cute.
Author’s Note:
Mu Shaowu nodded frantically: That’s right!
Mu Shaowu: This National Day is super happy!
Mu Shaoting/Mu Shaoyan: We are not happy!
Mu Shaowu: Then I will post a circle of friends to make you happy?
Mu Shaoting/Mu Shaoyan: …
[Your friend Mu Shaoting/Mu Shaoting has blocked your circle of friends]
Ye Qingxi’ s phone watch received a WeChat message: [When will the baby come back? Aunt/uncle misses you so much QAQ]
Xiaoxi: … But I just played for a day and
Storyteller CloudyPastels's Words
Translator:nMu Shaoyan QAQnThe twinkle twinkle little star part was so cute~n