Chapter 87: A Winter Weekend at Home

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the end of December had arrived. The year-end wind carried a biting chill into every corner of the city.

It was another lazy weekend. Outside, a light rain fell as the wind howled. Inside, the heater kept the room warm and cozy, shutting out all the cold.

On the sofa, the two of them lounged on opposite ends. Su Muxue leaned against the left side, holding a book, her hair spread over her shoulders, curled up in a soft cushion.

Luo Xiaoyun sprawled on the right, sinking into the sofa with her legs propped on the armrest, in a very unladylike pose.

Since winter began, the weather had grown colder by the day. The two of them had completely lost any desire to go out, sticking to the principle:

“If you can lie down, don’t sit; if you can stay home, don’t go out.” Huddling at home, basking in the sun, petting the cat, and scrolling through their phones was the coziest way to spend the weekend.

A small calico cat was lying on Su Muxue’s chest, curled into a little fur ball, its tail resting under her chin, purring as it dozed.

Nearly two months had passed, and Nuomi had grown from the size of one palm to two palms. Its fur was still fluffy and soft, and it was round and chubby.

“Nuomi, come here to me~” Luo Xiaoyun turned sideways and called out softly to the cat lying on Su Muxue’s chest, her voice full of expectation.

Nuomi slowly lifted its little head, glanced at Luo Xiaoyun, then slowly turned its head away, as if saying “No way.” It nuzzled closer into Su Muxue’s neck, curled up even tighter, looking perfectly content, which made Luo Xiaoyun fume.

Luo Xiaoyun couldn’t understand why Nuomi had been so partial to Su Muxue since it came home. She was the one who fed it cat food and formula on time every day, played with it with the feather wand, and brushed its fur.

Yet the little thing was always more clingy with Su Muxue, especially fond of lying on Su Muxue’s chest, barely even looking at Luo Xiaoyun.

“You little ungrateful thing!” She sat up, grabbed Nuomi by the scruff, and lifted it in front of her. “Who do you think feeds you every day? Who gives you drinks? And this is how you treat me?”

Little Nuomi dangled in the air, its small legs instinctively kicking, struggling towards Su Muxue, its little head craning in that direction.

But no matter how it struggled, it couldn’t break free from Luo Xiaoyun’s grip. After a while, seeing it was useless, it stopped resisting, hanging limp with its eyes half-closed, looking utterly resigned, as if to say, “Do what you want.”

Seeing it so resigned, Luo Xiaoyun’s anger immediately dissipated, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

She gently placed Nuomi on her lap, held it with one hand, and scrolled through her phone with the other, absentmindedly stroking its fur, pinching its little ears and paws, kneading it freely.

Nuomi lay on her lap, eyes closed, ears drooping, too lazy to resist, completely “forced to work,” looking both cute and funny.

Just then, Luo Xiaoyun’s phone vibrated. A message popped up on the screen with the note “Her Majesty the Mother”, a voice message from her mom, Shen Zhiyao. Luo Xiaoyun tapped it, and her mother’s gentle, concerned voice came through: “Xiaoyun, I haven’t seen you in a while. Mom misses you. It’s cold now, have you been keeping warm?”

Hearing her mother’s familiar voice, Luo Xiaoyun quickly pressed the voice button: “Mom, didn’t we just video call last week? That was just a few days ago. I’m wearing thick clothes, and besides, we have the heater on, so I’m not cold. Don’t worry.”

A few seconds later, Shen Zhiyao’s voice came back, with a hint of playful complaint:

“It’s not the same! I can see you in the video but I can’t touch you. I just miss my little Xiaoyun. I want to hug you. I’ve researched a few new recipes, and I’ll make them for you when you come home.”

Luo Xiaoyun rolled her eyes in exasperation and replied: “If you want a hug, go hug Dad. He’s your husband, not me.”

“Your dad?” Shen Zhiyao’s tone immediately fell, full of resignation. “He works overtime every day, leaves early and comes back late. He doesn’t even have time to talk to me properly. No fun at all.”

Luo Xiaoyun laughed and replied: “Then go play with big brother. He dotes on you the most. He’ll definitely keep you company.”

This time the voice message came faster, with a hint of disdain:

“Your big brother started his own company. He says he wants to take it public through his own efforts. He’s completely immersed in his career. I don’t know what got into him. If he’s not going to inherit the family business properly, why bother fussing? I haven’t seen him in almost a month.”

Luo Xiaoyun chuckled. She knew her big brother’s personality well. He was stubborn as an ox. Once he set his mind on something, he would see it through. She sent another message: “What about second brother? He’s usually the most free. You could ask him to go shopping or have afternoon tea with you.”

“Your second brother is quite the wanderer,” Shen Zhiyao said, her tone full of resignation and a bit of complaint. “He’s out having fun every day, hardly ever home. Sometimes I can’t even find him. He’s probably out partying somewhere.”

Luo Xiaoyun: “Then go out and have fun yourself. Go shopping with your girlfriends, buy some clothes, have tea. That’s much more relaxing.”

There was a two-second pause, then a voice message came. Luo Xiaoyun tapped it, and a slightly plaintive yet playful voice came through:

“That’s no use for me. At my age, I don’t have that much energy to go out and have fun. I get tired after a short walk. I just miss my little Xiaoyun.”

Luo Xiaoyun nearly dropped her phone. She quickly sent a voice message: “Stop, stop, stop! Mom, I’ll come home during the New Year holiday in a few days and keep you company. I’ll bring you good food. Okay?”

“That’s more like it! My little Xiaoyun is the best!” Shen Zhiyao’s tone instantly brightened. “Alright, alright, I won’t keep chatting. I’m going shopping with my good friends. Remember to come home early for New Year!”

Luo Xiaoyun: …

Su Muxue leaned over from the side and glanced at the chat history. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Your mom is really cute.”

“She’s cute, but sometimes she’s a bit…” Luo Xiaoyun searched for the right word and finally said, “Like a kid.”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Underdog Connection

ChaebolContemporaryObsessiveLove

Read Now →
Not interested