Chapter 6: What a Head You Have

“Damn you, stop being so narcissistic.”

Lu Xiaoxi had already lost count of how many times she had blushed today.

She had never been like this before; ever since she got involved with that bastard Li Mu, her face seemed to be out of her control.

She had reason to suspect that Li Mu had mastered some method of controlling her organs.

And what was that about a token of love…

She really wanted to slap this guy away.

“What is this?”

“It’s a dog tooth bracelet I made myself. It can turn misfortune into good luck, you know.”

Li Mu was taken aback.

Upon careful thought, it seemed that Lu Xiaoxi had worn a string of dog tooth bracelets since she was little, which was said to have been made by an elder in her family.

The elders in Lu Xiaoxi’s family believed in such things, and when visiting, one could see some of their traditional decorations at home.

Now, he could still see a necklace around Lu Xiaoxi’s neck, with the end of the necklace hidden in the softness of her clothing, which was also a dog tooth. Li Mu had often taken her dog tooth out to play with in the past.

Subconsciously, he thought Lu Xiaoxi was superstitious; he didn’t know if that was right, but he had always lived scientifically, not interested in or rejecting such folk customs, and of course, he wouldn’t engage with them.

“You know I don’t believe in these things.”

Until now, Li Mu had never worn any accessories.

In his childhood, his mom had bought him a silver sheep necklace, which he had never worn. Because of this, his mom had nagged him quite a bit.

Lu Xiaoxi’s eyes were filled with anticipation.

It gave Li Mu the illusion that if he didn’t wear the dog tooth, she would cry.

“Then give it to me. Just to be clear, if it’s uncomfortable to wear, I won’t wear it.”

There were three dog teeth, one long and two short, with the tips seemingly ground down. The ends had holes drilled through them, strung together with a black-red thread, smelling somewhat fragrant, and adorned with some shiny plastic pearls.

Lu Xiaoxi’s dog tooth necklace didn’t have plastic pearls; it was likely that she had added them while making the bracelet.

It looked quite pretty and flashy.

He didn’t know what kind of thread was used, but wearing it on his hand felt completely comfortable.

Shaking his wrist, the dog teeth clinked against each other, making a small sound, which was quite fun.

Whether this bracelet could really turn misfortune into good luck was debatable, but as a decorative item, it was definitely excellent.

“How is it? Not bad, right? This is my first time making a bracelet; it took me a month!” Lu Xiaoxi puffed out her slightly heaving chest, looking extremely proud.

“You actually spent a month making this bracelet for me; I could cry.”

“Li Mu, please don’t be so narcissistic. I just made this casually. I’m going to cook now; I’ll call you when it’s done.”

Hmm?

He was sure that a bracelet made with such craftsmanship couldn’t have been made casually.

Let’s just consider it a gift.

Since middle school, they had rarely exchanged gifts.

In middle school, they didn’t even have birthday gifts; when they ran into each other, a simple “Happy Birthday” sufficed.

Watching Lu Xiaoxi close the door, Li Mu felt… why did the scene feel so warm?

Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, Li Mu took out his laptop from his backpack.

Despite his carefree demeanor, he hadn’t been idle after graduating middle school. He had worked as a summer intern on a grueling assembly line and had a part-time job at a milk tea shop, but he hadn’t stuck with either. Once, while out in heavy rain, he accidentally fell and got his leg crushed by his family’s electric bike, ultimately having to return home.

But he didn’t lie flat because of that; instead, he embarked on the path of being an online writer, now earning over three thousand a month—not much, but enough.

School would definitely be busy, so he planned to finish up in the next few days after school started and then open a new project when he had time.

Soon, a faint aroma of vegetables wafted through the crack of the door into his room.

“Li Mu, it’s time to eat!”

“Hehe, coming!”

Lu Xiaoxi had cooked three simple dishes.

For Li Mu, it was a feast.

After all, his mom’s cooking skills… barely edible was a victory.

He had perfectly inherited his mom’s cooking skills, even surpassing her.

With someone cooking at home, as long as it wasn’t inedible, it was far better than takeout or instant noodles.

To be honest, Lu Xiaoxi’s cooking was quite good; he finished a bowl of rice in just a few bites.

He saw Lu Xiaoxi pull out a bottle of bright red chili sauce from her bag, carefully twist it open, and scoop a big spoonful into her bowl, mixing it evenly, creating a bowl of red rice.

Li Mu’s Adam’s apple bobbed; he could smell the strong aroma of chili coming from her side.

He and Lu Xiaoxi were incompatible in many ways, especially in taste; he preferred light flavors, while Lu Xiaoxi couldn’t live without spice.

It was clear that Lu Xiaoxi was intentionally catering to his taste; none of the three dishes had any spiciness.

Eating chili sauce could easily cause heat, and given the amount Lu Xiaoxi consumed, a normal person would already have a face full of acne, but Lu Xiaoxi’s face was smooth, as if it could bounce back if pinched.

By the time he finished one bowl, Lu Xiaoxi had already finished two. When he started on his second bowl, she had already polished off three large bowls, leaning back in her chair, rubbing her belly with a look of satisfaction.

From time to time, she would use her chopsticks to pick up a little side dish and pop it into her mouth…

?

This little one had always been such a big eater since childhood.

Lu Xiaoxi’s small mouth was greasy, her little face slightly chubby with baby fat, and a few strands of fine hair stuck to her face, unaware. If he could pinch it, it would definitely feel great; if he could kiss it…

Li Mu was taken aback.

How could he have such thoughts?

Who was she? She was the one with whom he had lost touch since middle school, the one who had become a stranger in middle school, the Little pig Lu who had grown up next door and was just a “good friend.”

“You…” The little piglet patted her round belly in satisfaction, let out a burp, and wanted to ask Li Mu how her cooking was, but saw that he was staring at her in a daze.

Staring made her face turn red; she suddenly realized something and hurriedly grabbed some tissues to wipe the grease off her mouth.

Having eaten so satisfyingly, she hadn’t noticed these little details for a moment, making Li Mu laugh at her. He would definitely use this to tease her later.

“Your cooking is really good; make more next time. I love it.”

The expected teasing didn’t come.

Lu Xiaoxi blinked her beautiful eyes.

She felt that the current Li Mu was somewhat unfamiliar.

“Have you been possessed?”

“Little pig Lu, if you’re free, go boil some water.”

Hearing Li Mu call her that, Lu Xiaoxi felt relieved; he was still the familiar Li Mu.

Since he didn’t bring up her greasy mouth, there could only be one reason.

He must have been impressed by her cooking, the kind that made him genuinely admire her.

Thinking of this, Lu Xiaoxi felt inexplicably happy, her smile couldn’t be contained, and she cheerfully ran to the bathroom to turn on the water heater.

Li Mu finished eating and casually washed his bowl.

“Do you want to shower first, or should I?”

“I’ll go first!” The water temperature reached sixty degrees, and Lu Xiaoxi hugged her clothes, shyly walking out of the room.

The bathroom door was made of frosted glass, a common type of door, but it made Lu Xiaoxi feel troubled.

It was fine being alone, but since Li Mu was here, what if he had some thoughts while she was showering?

Although Li Mu was serious, he could sometimes be a bit carefree.

Little girls were always very cautious…

“Are you not going in? Are you waiting for me to go in with you?” Li Mu looked at her strangely; this little one had been standing at the bathroom door for a minute.

“Li Mu, please don’t be so perverted!”

Lu Xiaoxi’s face turned red as she hurried into the bathroom and locked the door, finally feeling a bit safer.

While showering, she occasionally glanced at the door, checking if a shadow was standing there…

Hmph, if Li Mu dared to peek, she would tell Aunt Su and make this idiot explain himself to her.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie