Traveling Through the Book and Becoming a Cub Among the Villains - Chapter 7

No light seeped through the crack beneath the door, just as he expected. Ye Qingxi was already asleep.

Originally, Mu Shaowu hadn’t planned to disturb him.
It was late, and the kid was probably sleeping soundly. If he opened the door and accidentally woke him up, that wouldn’t be great.

Especially since he was still damp all over from the rain.

But still, Mu Shaowu was curious.

What exactly did his soon-to-be son look like?

His father only said, “Didn’t you say you liked men? Fine, I found you a son. You’re not having kids of your own anyway. Xiao Xi’s good-looking and obedient. His grandfather’s smart, too. Being your son is a bargain for you.”

Mu Shaowu had heard from his mother about his dad’s connection with Ye Qingxi’s grandfather.

He knew that Ye min had, to some degree, reshaped his father’s life.
So he hadn’t said no.

After all, it was true. He probably wasn’t going to have a child of his own.

If he was going to adopt someone’s kid, why not adopt Ye Qingxi?

When Ye Min goes, Ye Qingxi was definitely going to end up joining their family.

His dad was already 60-years-old. Even if he could still raise a child for now, once he was gone, who else would the responsibility fall to?

His older brother had a wife and child, and his family situation was… complicated. Not really suitable for adopting Ye Qingxi.

Then there was Mu Shaoting and Mu Shaoyan, both still students.

So, who was left?

Only him.

No matter how you looked at it, he was the most suitable option.

So Mu Shaowu didn’t refuse.

It’s just that his dad… was really something else. Completely unreliable.

He said all this, but didn’t even send him a single photo of the kid.

When Mu Shaowu asked for one himself, his dad actually got annoyed and snapped, “What do you need a photo for? You’ll see him when you get home! I already told you. Xiao Xi is very good-looking. You still don’t believe me? I’m telling you, he’s way better looking than you were at his age! Compared to him, you were a little ugly duckling, and he’s a little swan! You? Ugly duckling. Xiao Xi? Little swan!”

Mu Shaowu, “…..”

Mu Shaowu muttered, “If I remember correctly, the ugly duckling is the little swan. Baby swans are ugly ducklings.”

Mr. Mu promptly hung up the phone with a loud “click.”

Mu Shaowu, “……”

Whatever. He’d just take a quick look. Mu Shaowu reasoned to himself, it’d be quiet, just a peek.
He wouldn’t turn on the lights. He’d just use his phone to take a glance. Surely that wouldn’t wake the little swan from his deep sleep.

Thinking this, he stepped forward and gently pressed the doorknob.

He tiptoed inside, quietly approaching Ye Qingxi’s bed.

Lifting his phone, he tapped the screen, and the glow lit up the child’s face. And what greeted him was a face deep in slumber. The child’s eyes were closed, long black lashes resting gently against his cheeks—soft and curled, like those on a porcelain doll. He has a very upturned nose, a rosy mouth, and the fat on his face has not yet faded. He is incredibly cute.

His nose was delicate and upturned, lips a soft rosy red. There was still a baby-like plumpness to his cheeks—so adorably round it was almost unfair.

What a beautiful little swan, Mu Shaowu thought. So fair-skinned…
Even though the blanket wasn’t thick, and the room wasn’t particularly warm, the boy’s face was flushed pink—white with a hint of red.

Mu Shaowu smiled and lifted a hand to tuck the blanket around Ye Qingxi. As his fingers brushed against the child’s flushed cheek, he instantly sensed that something was wrong.

Too hot.

He immediately placed his palm against Ye Qingxi’s forehead.

To Ye Qingxi, that cool touch felt like a wave of relief.
So comfortable.

Mu Shaowu pulled his hand back and swiftly turned on the bedside lamp. He grabbed his phone and immediately called the Mu family’s doctor.
The moment the line connected, he fired off in a rush—

“The kid’s got a fever, what do I do? Should I give him medicine or get him a shot? I don’t think we have any kids’ meds at home. Can he take adult medicine? How do I give it to him?”

Family doctor, “???”

A child? A Mu family child, do you mean Qin Cheng?

“Talk!” Mu Shaowu urged impatiently.

Ye Qingxi, in a daze, vaguely sensed that someone was near him.

His eyes couldn’t open,
but he could feel a voice, somewhere close.

Yes, feel.
Ye Qingxi wasn’t even sure if he’d truly heard it, or if it was something his fevered mind had imagined.

That voice sounded anxious, but… nice.

A voice he’d never heard before. A stranger’s voice. He faintly sensed footsteps, then something soft and cool pressed gently against his forehead.

So comforting.

After that, someone seemed to be wiping his arms and legs, wiping down his body with gentle, careful movements.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

Half-lost in the haze, Ye Qingxi suddenly felt pain, like a sharp needle pricking into his skin.

He let out a faint whimper.

Mr. Mu, anxious, said, “Be gentle, can’t you hear him whimpering?”

Dr. Zhang, in the middle of administering the injection, “….”

Mu Shaowu, “???”

He turned to look at his father, a strange expression on his face, equal parts disbelief and confusion.

Seriously?
Was this still his dad?

Back when he was a kid, forget getting shots. Even when he broke a bone and had to get a cast, just crying out a little would earn him a look of disdain from his father, who’d say things like,

“A real man doesn’t flinch at pain. You call this crying? What kind of man are you?”

And now here he was, “Be gentle, can’t you hear him whimpering?”

Unbelievable.

No wonder they called him the little swan. Of course, he wasn’t the same as him, the ugly duckling.

Dr. Zhang finished pushing the medicine and pulled out the needle.
“I’ll prescribe some medication. Once he wakes up, have him take it.”

“Okay,” Mu Shaowu said quickly. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

“What exactly happened?” Mr. Mu asked, frowning with worry.
“He was perfectly fine when we had dinner tonight. How did he suddenly spike a fever?”

“Children’s bodies are not as strong as adults’. They’re more fragile, and with the weather flipping between hot and cold lately, fevers and colds are very common. Nothing to worry about.”

Mr. Mu was very skeptical, “Really?”

“Yes.” Doctor Zhang nodded, left some medicine for Ye Qingxi, and then left.

Mu Shaowu stood up and politely saw him out the door.

“I’m sorry to have you come here so late at night. Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s okay.” Doctor Zhang smiled. “I’ll bring over some common children’s medications tomorrow. You can keep them on hand, makes it easier if there’s a cold or fever next time.”

“That would be great.”

“I really didn’t expect this,” Dr. Zhang teased. “Mr. Mu, becoming a dad? How many girls’ hearts do you think just broke tonight?”

Mu Shaowu chuckled lightly. “No worries. With Xiao Xi being this cute, they won’t be heartbroken when they see him—they’ll just ask him, ‘Sweetheart, what kind of sack do you like best?’”

“I can’t believe that you, Mr. Mu, are going to be a father. This will break the hearts of many young girls.” Doctor Zhang teased him.

Doctor Zhang laughed heartily a few times but soon stopped laughing. “Then I’ll go back first. You should go back as well and have some rest.”

Mu Shaowu nodded, closed the door, and went upstairs again.

Entering the guest room next to his own again, he saw his father still sitting at the bedside, gently patting over the blanket with slow, steady motions.

“Go get some sleep,” Mu Shaowu said softly. “I’ll stay with him.”

Mr. Mu turned his head and shot him a glare.

Mu Shaowu, “…..”

“Tell me, what time did I tell you to be home?” Mr. Mu asked, voice low.

Mu Shaowu, “…..”

He knew it.

As long as he came home while his dad was still awake, he was done for. Originally, when he got home, his father had already gone to bed. But who would’ve thought Ye Qingxi would fall sick? And with no children’s medicine in the house, he had no choice but to call the family doctor.

Once Dr. Zhang came and they started moving around, it didn’t take long before his dad woke up too.

It was only because Doctor Zhang was here just now, and Ye Qingxi’s illness was serious, otherwise his father would have scolded him long ago.

“I had that event contract signed a long time ago,” Mu Shaowu said. “I couldn’t just cancel it.”

“Why not?” Mr. Mu said, completely unreasonable.
“So you’d lose some money, what, you can’t afford that?! Is any event more important than your future son?! Everyone else was here, and only you weren’t. What do you think that child is going to feel? Think he might wonder if you don’t want to be his dad? Think it might hurt him?! He’s not even your biological kid—he needs you to be twice as attentive! And now this? How’s he ever supposed to get close to you?!”

Mu Shaowu was stunned.

His dad… cared about this kind of thing?! In all his life, he never knew his father would actually think about whether a child would feel hurt or want to bond with him. Wow. Growth. Not bad, Old Mu! Just a few months, and you’ve matured this much?

“Could you say that louder?” Mu Shaowu teased with a grin.
“Maybe loud enough for Xiao Xi to wake up now and ask me himself?”

Mr. Mu was so furious he grabbed the nearest object, ready to throw it at him—but then remembered the sick child in the next bed.

He reluctantly restrained himself.

Lowering his voice, he said, “You’ve seen Xiao Xi now. Before he really gets to know you, give it to me straight, are you actually willing to raise him properly? If you’re not, I’ll do it myself. When Xiao Xi grows up, he’ll still have your brother. No need for a big-shot celebrity like you to worry about it.”

Mu Shaowu replied, perfectly composed, “Well, when he grows up, he won’t just have my brother—he’ll also have Shaoting and Shaoyan. Of course, no need for me to step in.”

Mr. Mu, “……”

Mu Shaowu saw the look in his father’s eyes—like he wanted nothing more than to punch him. And suddenly burst into laughter.

Mr. Mu couldn’t hold it in anymore.
He gave him a hard kick, nearly sending Mu Shaowu flying.

“Easy there, Dad,” Mu Shaowu grinned as he rubbed his leg.
“You trained when you were younger—if you cripple me with a kick like that, how am I supposed to take care of your little swan, your precious son?”

“Don’t need you to,” Mr. Mu huffed arrogantly.

“Come on,” Mu Shaowu said with a laugh.
“I took the high-speed train, transferred in the rain in the middle of the night, all just to rush home before dawn and surprise him when he wakes up.”

He sat down at the edge of the bed, still rubbing his leg, his voice soft as he explained,

“I didn’t want to miss it either. But the event schedule got moved, and both things ended up clashing. There were so many people involved, if I didn’t show up, it wasn’t just about money. It would’ve thrown off everyone’s plans—the setup, the follow-up, all of it.”

“Besides, if I wasn’t worried about the child and wanted to see him so late at night, you would still be sleeping soundly, how could you know that he was sick? I’m back now, and I came back after changing trains and traveling a lot. Doesn’t this prove that I care about you, my little swan?”

Mr. Mu raised his eyebrows, “Why? Should I thank you?”

“That’s not necessary. Just don’t take back my custody. Look, I’ve even prepared a gift for him.”

Mu Shaowu said this, pointing his index finger at his bag.

“What is it?” asked Mr. Mu.

“Don’t worry about it. He will definitely like it.”

Mr. Mu looked at the smile on his face and listened to his words, and then he reluctantly felt relieved.

He turned to look at Ye Qingxi, who was still sleeping. He reached out and touched his forehead; it was no longer as hot as before.

This is Ye Min’s only grandson, and it is also the only and last thing he asks of him.

Mu Feng didn’t want to disappoint his old friend, so when he took over Ye Qingxi, he decided that no matter what, he must take good care of this child.

Technically, the boy would be raised by Mu Shaowu, but in reality, he would be raised here in the old house, under his roof, and his watchful eyes.

The guardianship was just in name. After all, Mu Shaowu insisted on being gay, and the child had lost his father. The two of them paired together, father and son, on paper. Each filled a role, and it all balanced out.

But that was the extent of it.

“There’s no way,” Mu Shaowu huffed.
“You really think so little of me? I may be a rookie dad, but I swear—he’ll like me.”

“If one day,” Mu Feng said slowly, “Xiao Xi doesn’t like you… Or you stop liking him… Then I’ll raise him myself.”

Mr. Mu gave him a disdainful once-over, “You?”

“Who else but me?” Mu Shaowu said, arms crossed.
“Come on, stop worrying already. Go back to bed. At your age, staying up late, how are you going to raise Xiao Xi? Honestly, I’m not even sure you’ll live long enough to see him grow up.”

Mr. Mu was so furious that he almost kicked him again.

“I’ll still be alive long after you’re dead!”

“Well, that’s great,” Mu Shaowu said with a grin.
“I plan to live another 60 or 70 years myself. You better keep up.”

Mr. Mu, “…..”

Without another word, he stood up and headed for the door.

Any more conversation, and not only would he not live another 60 or 70 years, his second son might not make it either!

Unbelievable.

One-after-another, they were all born just to test his patience.

No wonder people say, ‘Children are debts you never finish paying back.’

Author’s Notes:

Mr. Mu: Except for Xiaoxi, no one in this family is worry-free.

Ye Qingxi, who was waiting to die, said: … [Smile.jpg]