CH 19

The only items that need to be packed are those that were in his backpack. They were the same items that were there when he first came, and it will be the same items when he will leave, no more, no less, as if he had never been here.

Ning You sat in the living room, idly watching Li Mu’s back as he cooked, and inexplicably felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Not wanting to continue in a daze, he came to the kitchen and asked Li Mu, “Will it be late for us to come back later?”

“Yes.” Li Mu replied, still with his back to Ning You. 

“Then I’ll go take a shower first.” Ning You went to the sink to get a towel, “It’ll get so cold by the time we return at night.”

The newly built shower room hasn’t been used yet. Although Ning You contributed very little, at least it is the fruit of his and Li Mu’s joint labor.

Not long after, the sound of rushing water hummed from outside the kitchen window. Li Mu turned his head to see, but apart from the mist floating out of the wooden shower room, he couldn’t see anything else.

Realizing that he was behaving strangely, Li Mu withdrew his eyes and concentrated on the ingredients in his hands.

But before long, a few small stones suddenly flew outside the window, hitting the window glass with a crisp ringing sound. Li Mu turned to see where the sound was came from, only to see Ning You showing half of his face from behind the curtain of the bathroom, constantly waving to him.

Quick, come, over.

Ning You said to Li Mu with a mouth shape.

“What’s wrong?” Li Mu approached the window and asked directly. 

Shhh.

Ning You made a hand gesture, then waved at Li Mu again, asking him to go over.

Baffle, Li Mu took off his apron and went around from the entrance to the outside. As soon as he walked to the edge of the bathroom, he saw a naked and wet white swan rushing out from behind the curtain who jumped directly onto him.

“What are you doing…” 

Li Mu’s first reaction was to hold Ning You’s buttocks, because Ning You’s legs were tightly clamped around his waist, and his hands firmly around his neck.

But the touch of the slippery Q-ball in his hand made him suddenly feel that this posture was inappropriate, and he changed to supporting Ning You’s lower back.

“Hush!” Fear made Ning You cling to the lifeline in front of him with all his strength, “There are snakes!”

Li Mu opened the bathroom curtain and had a look. He found that there was indeed a one-meter-long brocade snake near the door. He didn’t know why Ning You didn’t allow him to make a sound, it felt as if as long as he spoke, the snake would lock the two of them. 

But in fact, this snake is not poisonous at all.

“Why are you so timid?” Li Mu put his left arm around Ning You, and found a wooden stick with his right hand.

He poked the snake in the head with the stick, and the snake immediately wrapped itself around the stick. Then he raised the wooden stick and threw it hard in the distance, along with the snake thrown into the woods.

“It’s okay.” Li Mu withdrew his eyes from afar and looked at Ning You who was shrinking in the crook of his neck. 

Ning You obviously didn’t dry his body before he ran out. There was water all over his body, which soaked Li Mu’s clothes.

“Did you get rid of it?” Ning You turned his head and carefully checked the surroundings around the entrance of the bathroom.

“Xba glv bo la.” Ol Ze rjlv, “Valii cba mbwlcu vbkc?”

Rlcu Tbe kjr ralii cba ja fjrf, jcv fzqjcvfv atf rmbqf bo lcrqfmalbc. 

Ol Ze, ktb kjr agfjafv jr j qliijg, lcmgfjrlcuis ofia atja atlr qbraegf kjrc’a gluta. Qlat tlr ogff tjcv, tf mijrqfv Rlcu Tbe’r xcff, ygbxf la bea rilutais, jcv jrxfv, “Cgf sbe ublcu ab ygfjx ws kjlra?”

The white swan looked weak, but he didn’t expect his legs to be so strong.

“Sorry, I’m afraid of snakes.” Ning You explained, and added, “Can you put me inside the bathroom?”

When he ran out in fear just now, Ning You’s movement was unbelievably fast, and he believed that Li Mu didn’t have time to see anything. 

But if he jumps off Li Mu now, then he will never show the speed he just did, and in any case, Li Mu will see his back —— that is, his ass.

There is no ceiling light installed in the bathroom for the time being, and the light is very dark, which gives Ning You a lot of sense of security.

“What, you’re running around naked with your bare ass and you’re still afraid I’ll look at you?” Li Mu naturally knew what Ning You was thinking and stood still without moving.

“I didn’t run naked.” Ning You loosened Li Mu’s neck and looked at him face to face, “That was a special circumstance just now.” 

“Special circumstances and not running naked?” Li Mu just couldn’t stand the fact that daxiaojie was deceiving himself, he slapped Ning You’s bare smooth thighs from bottom to top and asked, “What is this?”

“Li Mu!” Ning You subconsciously straightened his lower back and rubbed his body upward, “I’m going to get angry!”

The fair chest suddenly neared his lips. Li Mu’s original intention was just to refute Ning You’s denial of running naked. Who would have thought when he slapped him down, unexpectedly he’d be the one to be stunned.

He hurriedly threw Ning You into the bathroom, and Li Mu returned to the cabin without looking back. 

The bonfire party in the village was held at 9:00 pm. This time, Li Mu didn’t ride a horse, but drove Ning You to the foot of the mountain.

A two-person tall bonfire was lit in the open space next to the health center, and the villagers of Tuva village in traditional costumes were singing and dancing around the bonfire.

It was obviously a picture with an ethnic scene, but the background music was classic disco. Ning You found it interesting and stood outside the campfire, clapping his hands while shaking from side to side.

“Is today a special day?” Ning You asked. 

“Not really.” Li Mu said, “They often hold bonfire parties, and if they were to find a theme, it would be to thank nature for its gifts.”

Ning You nodded, and his gaze continued to drift towards the crowd.

A woman danced a solo dance by the campfire, with graceful movements and a valiant posture. Ning You recognized that it was Doulan, Chief Lin’s daughter. He subconsciously wanted to ask about the little fox, but in the end he shook the idea.

“Do you want to go over and play?” Li Mu asked. 

“Forget it.” Ning You stopped clapping his hand, “I’ll just take a look.”

During company dinners, colleagues will also play some small games, and Ning You has always been a spectator. It’s not that he doesn’t get along well with others, it’s just that he is used to showing people in an elegant and poise image, and others wouldn’t expect to see a laughing expression on his face.

However, this time, Li Mu didn’t allow Ning You to be a quiet bystander. He pulled Ning You into the crowd and danced a simple dance with the villagers.

Raising his hands, kicking his legs, and beating to the rhythm of the music, although Ning You is nothing short of a dancing idiot, after groping awkwardly for a while, he still kept up with everyone’s movements. 

Surrounded by basically unfamiliar faces, in the midst of this completely unfamiliar environment, Ning You completely let go of himself and followed the villagers with laughter, feeling the enthusiasm brought by the bonfire.

This feeling is rather beautiful. It turns out that people can be happy without restraint, and can release their emotions to their heart’s content.

After getting tired of playing, Ning You and Li Mu sat on a double chair on the outskirts of the open space. Li Mu brought two bottles of beer and asked Ning You, “Can you finish one bottle?”

“Yes.” Ning You took the beer from Li Mu’s hand. 

The villagers who didn’t enjoy being alone were still reveling around the bonfire, and the noisy air seemed to be separated by an invisible wall, forming a closed and quiet space around the double chair.

The two clinked their beer bottles and looked at the lively scene in front of them. No one spoke, and they breathed calmly in a tacit understanding.

After a while, the beer bottles in their hands gradually reached the bottom. Ning You suddenly turned his head and looked at Li Mu beside him and said, “Thank you.”

“Thanks for what?” Li Mu swallowed the last sip of beer, and his adam’s apple slid up and down with his movements. 

“All of this.” Ning You said, “Thank you for saving me.”

“Don’t mention it.” Li Mu said.

Ning You didn’t withdraw his gaze, but looked straight at Li Mu’s side profile. After a few seconds, Li Mu realized Ning You was looking at him, so he also turned his head and met Ning You’s gaze.

Neither of them moved and just looked at each other in silence. 

Ning You didn’t know what Li Mu was thinking, but he had a lot of emotions in his heart, and he also had a lot to say to Li Mu. All the emotions finally converged into a deep reluctance to part. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but at this time a cold wind blew, making him shudder involuntarily.

These days, this forest is cooling down every night. It didn’t feel very obvious when he was dancing just now, but now Ning You only trembles from the cold.

Li Mu unzipped his jacket, opened the lapels on both sides, and said to Ning You, “Come here.”

Ning You immediately jumped into Li Mu’s arms, embraced his waist, put his head on his shoulders, and smelled him vigorously. 

The jacket was closed again, and although the wind was leaking from top and bottom, Ning You felt extremely warm.

“Li Mu.” Ning You called out.

“Hmm?” Li Mu responded.

“Can I not go back?” Ning You asked. 

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“No.”

“Oh.”

Don’t know how long it took, but the villagers started to go home one after another. Li Mu looked at the top of Ning You’s furry head and asked, “Back to the mountains?” 

“Good.” Ning You said and stood up, but his body fell to the right uncontrollably.

Li Mu hurriedly held Ning You, and said, “Are you all right?”

“This beer is getting a little on my head.” Ning You blinked hard, “I usually drink two bottles and I’m fine.”

“This is the deadly Great Wusu.” Li Mu said. 

Xinjiang’s deadly Great Wusu —— The trademark LOGO reads “NSNM” upside down, the legendary “Kill you”.

Ning You shook his head. He was indeed a little dizzy, but it was tolerable, at most he was only slightly tipsy.

Li Mu looked at the villagers who had not yet dispersed, and wanted to pick Ning You up, but felt it inappropriate, so he squatted down in front of Ning You, patted his back shoulder, and said, “Come up.”

Ning You jumped up with a whoosh. 

Li Mu carried Ning You on his back and walked towards the parking place. Ning You shook his calves in boredom and asked Li Mu, “Can I sleep in bed tonight?”

Knowing that Li Mu wouldn’t easily agree, he added, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Li Mu breathed out angrily and responded, “Okay.”

It only takes a few minutes to drive up the mountain. 

After parking the car, Ning You didn’t move, just looked at Li Mu like that.

Li Mu is considered to have figured out Ning You’s temperament. This white swan is usually finicky, but he becomes more finicky after drinking.

He consciously went around to the passenger seat and carried Ning You back to the cabin.

At this time, it was past midnight. Although Ning You was already exhausted, he still didn’t forget to wash and came to the sink to brush his teeth. 

Just brushing, and his head fell forward. Li Mu had to reach out to block the glass window to protect his forehead.

“Thank you.”

Ning You thanked Li Mu in a good manner, then returned to the living room, took off his outer clothes and snuggled under Li Mu’s blanket.

This side, Li Mu also quickly washed up, came to the bed to turn off the lights in the house, and lay down in the quilt where Ning You usually sleeps. 

“Li Mu.” Ning You lay on the side and looked at Li Mu who was sleeping on the floor and said, “You didn’t take a bath.”

“I bathed the day before yesterday.” Li Mu said. The environment here is very dry. He doesn’t have to take a bath every day like Ning You. It’s common for him to take a bath once every three or four days.

“But I wanted to peek at you while you showered.” Ning You whispered.

“……” Li Mu was silent for a moment, “Go to sleep.” 

“You are so dirty, you don’t take a shower.” Ning You buried the lower half of his face in the quilt and took a deep breath, “Your quilt stinks too.”

“Then come down and sleep on the floor.” Li Mu suggested.

“Don’t.” Ning You hugged Li Mu’s quilt tightly, “I’m going to sleep here.”

Li Mu didn’t answer any more, at this time Ning You suddenly lifted half of the quilt and asked Li Mu, “Do you want to come up and sleep with me?” 

The room was completely quiet, and after a while, the sound of Li Mu turning over and lying on his side could be heard.

He turned his back to Ning You and not in the least bit sleepy voice he said, “Good night.”