The White Moonlight Stole Away the Little Substitute – Chapter Thirty-Two

“Mr. Mu has arrived.”

In a warmly decorated reception room, a woman wearing rimless glasses smiled and said to Mu Nanqiao: “Your changes are gratifying.”

Mu Nanqiao stood and shook her hand. He was a bit amused to hear her say this. “What you said makes me feel as if I was very uncooperative before.”

The woman was Mu Nanqiao’s psychiatrist, and had treated him two years ago. They were still abroad at that time, and Mu Nanqiao was studying for graduate school.

This person, who was somewhere between a boy and a young man, looked personable and was polite and courteous. He was perfect and dazzling, explained his problems clearly, and seemed to be very cooperative.

But such patients were often the most difficult type.

On this day two years later, they were in a different country. She was pleasantly surprised by the changes in Mu Nanqiao, and asked as if chatting with a friend: “Are there any changes in your life? Are you in love?”

It was originally just a joke. In the past two years of contact, she had found that it was difficult for Mu Nanqiao to accept intimate relationships, including those with his beloved parents. Even though Mu Nanqiao had never resented his parents, in his unknowing subconsciousness, the young man had hoped that his father would wake up soon, but had been disappointed time and time again, and kept himself closed-off.

Unexpectedly, Mu Nanqiao nodded and smiled. A joyful light shone from his eyes, causing his young and handsome face to come to life.

“Yes, ah, I am in love.” When he mentioned that person, his stern features softened. “He is a very good boy.”

The doctor was sincerely happy for him. Mu Nanqiao’s illness was not due to physical causes. To put it in easy and simple to understand terms, it was a mental illness. Now that the knot in his heart had loosened, the dawn of hope shined in.

After this visit, Mu Nanqiao chose a bouquet of flowers at the flower shop downstairs. The hydrangeas were blooming just right at this time in clusters of pink and blue. He simply wrapped them up, put them in the passenger seat, and drove home.

The Garden Community was a small, old area, so parking spots were difficult to find. Mu Nanqiao drove a short distance in the direction of Hengjin Secondary School, found a parking space, and parked the car. Two sneaky shadows appeared in the rearview mirror.

One of them was slender and was wearing a white-lapeled sweatshirt and a peaked cap on his head to conceal his face. His clothing looked familiar, and his figure even moreso. Mu Nanqiao laughed, and was about to get out of the car and greet his little deer when he saw Lu Qi’s awkward posture.

He was limping, and was helped by another person to sit on the edge of a flower bed by the roadside.

Mu Nanqiao’s smile froze and turned into a frown.

His car had been sent for maintenance, and he drove his dad’s car when he got off work today. Lu Qi clearly didn’t recognize him. He had his back turned to the car and was murmuring to another person. 

Another person who was connected to Mu Naiqiao was Xiu Hengxing, the person who was in charge of the rescue center. 

He lowered the car window and heard the conversation between the two people.

Xu Hengxing said: “You’ve been hanging around for half an hour. Are you going home or not?”

“I’m going home, ah.” Lu Qi said this subconsciously, then hesitated and whispered: “But how do I tell Mu Nanqiao about this foot…..”

“Right now, you look like a child who got into trouble and is afraid of going home and being beaten.” Xu Hengxing said admiringly, “Just tell the truth. You were trying to save a stray puppy, not climbing over someone’s wall. What are you so afraid of?”

“I’m afraid he’ll be worried, and I feel like he’ll be angry, ah…..” Lu Qi kicked a small rock with his other foot, lowering his head to say, “But I also have to return home, he’s been very clingy the past two days…..”

Xu Hengxing: ……

He hated couples who had no sense of propriety and dished out dog food at every turn.

Sitting in the car, Mu Nanqiao sighed helplessly and opened the door to get out.

Lu Qi saw Xu Hengxing’s eyes suddenly light up. He was almost excited to the point of incoherency, and ultimately called out “Daddy” with great emotion.

With that expression, Lu Qi unhesitatingly thought that the other’s biological father was there, since Xu Henxing’s home happened to be nearby. So he turned around and said: “Hello, Uncle…..”

When he turned his head, he faced a pair of beautiful fox-like eyes. The person they were speaking of just now was standing before him, holding a bunch of blooming hydrangeas in his hand with a helpless smile on his handsome face. He walked over, reached out his hand, and gently tapped his forehead. “Hello, little friend.”

Xu Henxing: Blegh! This stinky couple! His eyes!

Mu Nanqiao turned to regard Xu Hengxing and nodded. The minion Xu Hengxing laughed again. There was no other way. He had to accept reality. The rescue center was short of money, so whoever fed him was his mother, and whoever gave him money was his father. There was no shame in this at all.

“Thank you for sending him back.” Mu Nanqiao said: “If there is nothing else, I will take him home.”

Xu Hengxing: “It’s fine, it’s fine, do as you please.”

After speaking, he quickly left.

Two people were left, one standing and one sitting. Mu Nanqiao reached out and turned the peaked cap in the other direction, revealing an anxious face. Lu Qi began to twist his fingers again, trying to hide his injured foot behind the other one.

Mu Nanqiao squatted down. Grasping his foot, he carefully took off his sneaker, pushed up his trouser leg, and pulled off his sock.

Lu Qi curled up his toes in embarrassment and said in a low voice: “I had an X-ray. The bones weren’t injured…..and it doesn’t hurt…..”

Mu Nanqiao grasped his calf and looked around. The ankle was swollen and faintly bruised. He sighed and patted Lu Qi’s calf with a pap.

It didn’t hurt at all, but that crisp sound was particularly embarrassing. There was a sense of shame similar to when a child made a mistake and was beaten by his parents. Lu Qi’s face went red. He withdrew his foot and whispered: “It hurts……”

“How about you go home early to rest since your foot is hurt.” Mu Nanqiao rubbed the area he had just patted, then bent down with his back to Lu Qi. “Let’s go home.”

Lu Qi laughed mischievously and hooked his arms around Mu Nanqiao’s neck, using his strength to hang onto his back. 

Mu Nanqiao handed him the hydrangeas, picked up his sneaker and clasped it on the crook of his leg before walking back slowly.

Likely because the tail-tip of summer was passing by leisurely, the weather was very good today. The temperature was very high, and his bare foot didn’t feel cold. Instead, a bit of a cool breeze blew over his sole, making him feel itchy. Lu Qi looked at the ardently blooming hydrangeas in his hand, and his downcast mood due to the injury blew away with the wind.

He leaned close to Mu Nanqiao’s ear and asked in a low voice: “Are you angry?”

Mu Nanqiao said: “I was just wondering whether to use this matter to make a request that you stop participating in rescue activities.”

Lu Qi felt that this was not possible, and was about to reason with him when Mu Nanqiao spoke again: “But if this is something you feel is meaningful, let’s donate another batch of protective gear.”

He made a tiny mwah against that cold earlobe. Lu Qi said: “Boyfriend, you are so kind.”

Mu Nanqiao really couldn’t bear being teased, so he hefted this person up. His ear that had been kissed felt a little hot.

But Lu Qi wasn’t finished speaking, and said earnestly: “Since you were worried when I was injured, you must practice with boxing gloves next time, ah. I was also very worried when I opened the bandages and saw your hand last time.”

He also took the opportunity to teach someone a lesson. Mu Nanqiao grasped his legs and gave an amused hum. 

. . . . . . .

Lu Qi’s foot was injured. Although no bones were hurt, the doctor still advised him to stay in bed as much as possible. He shouldn’t ignore a small problem until it became a big problem, otherwise it would be troublesome if he habitually sprained his foot in the future.

Afraid that the two little cats would cause trouble, Mu Nanqiao brought the two piglets to the company the next day.

In order not to disturb others, Mu Nanqiao placed Xiao Sanhua and the little black pig in the lounge next to the office. Because this lounge was next to the general manager’s office, employees rarely came there for a break. After all, no one would fish for personal gain right under the boss’s nose.

The little assistant went to buy cat supplies, then took a short video and sent it to the group the boss wasn’t in, announcing that this was the princess of the Mu family and her consort.

Therefore, there were always people outside the blinds. Mu Nanqiao asked the assistant curiously: “Don’t they usually not dare to come up here?”

The little assistant said: “Cats embolden the timid. Workaholics don’t have time to take care of kittens, so this opportunity to pet cats for free is truly rare.”

Mu Nanqiao frowned.

The little assistant quivered, fearing that the boss was unhappy, and added: “After finishing the work at hand, of course.”

“Tell them to be careful.” Mu Nanqiao continued to look at the computer. “Xiao Sanhua was a stray before and is very fierce. Take caution not to get scratched. Also, it is strictly forbidden to feed her. She’s been losing weight recently.”

“Okay, Boss.”

Ever since the boss fell in love, he had become more humane!

. . . . . . .

During lunch break, Mu Nanqiao went to see the little pigs and make a video for Lu Qi. When he pushed the door open and walked in, Xiao Sanhua was lying in a young woman’s lap. There was a lot of cat hair visible to the naked eye on the woman’s pink skirt. While striking poses and taking photos with Xiao Sanhua, she saw Mu Nanqiao come in and swiftly greeted him before slipping away. 

Mu Nanqiao thought for a moment and sent a message to his assistant, asking him to remember to buy a lint roller and put it at the door.

Xiao Sanhua stepped on the table and looked at Mu Nanqiao with dissatisfaction.

On the other hand, Xiao Hei huddled in the corner and meowed twice.

Mu Nanqiao reached out and touched Xiao Sanhua. He was not beaten violently by a meow meow fist, so he patted the little cat’s round body with confidence and hesitantly pinched her flesh. “What kind of mixed bloodline do you have? You’re so big…..”

Commenting on a lady like this made Xiao Sanhua particularly unhappy, so she gave him a meow meow punch. For the sake of the small human with big eyes, she just barely stretched out her melon seeds, and after the photo was taken, she ran away with a meow.

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and took a photo of Xiao Sanhua and the eunuch Xiao Hei playing with a ball. He also took a photo of the red back of his hand and sent it to Lu Qi.

[(Image) (Image) ]

[Baby, I was bullied by a cat (little dog crying.jpg)]

After a moment, Lu Qi replied to him:

[Don’t provoke her]

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows. Relying on the little cat’s inability to type, he unscrupulously distorted the facts:

[I didn’t provoke her, she hit me for no reason (little dog crying.jpg)]

Lu Qi was sitting on the small sofa, eating the fruit that Mu Nanqiao had cut for him before he left. His leg was propped up on a chair with thick cushions on one side as he imagined how Mu Nanqiao was typing, perhaps acting coquettishly with no expression on his face. His lips could only curl up.

[Then what are you going to do, ah? (Little cat is confused.jpg)]

After waiting for a long time, Lu Qi had almost come to the conclusion that Mu Nanqiao was busy when his phone vibrated. 

He had called directly. Lu Qi picked up the phone and asked faintly as he chewed some fruit: “What’s the matter, Boss Mu?”

“I just suddenly figured out why Xiao Sanhua doesn’t like me.” Mu Nanqiao sighed despondently. “Lu baby, it’s true that I stepped on her tail this morning, but the kitchen is only so big and it’s such a mess. It’s hard for me not to step on her…..”

“Meow~”

Cough.” There was a rustling sound as Mu Nanqiao seemed to stand up. “Look, in the end, there are too many overlapping territories.”

“En…..” Lu Qi thought it made sense. Ending the cat-dog war was a problem. “Then what do you think…..”

“Let’s change our place of residence.” Mu Nanqiao was persuasive, his low, lazy voice carrying a sort of addictive magic. “I have a penthouse at Prosperous Cloud. I can give Xiao Sanhua a whole room.”

Lu Qi: ……

The hidden intentions were finally exposed, ah. That didn’t take very long.


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Chapter Thirty-One << Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirty-Three

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