Chapter 16

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An Interest in Nannan

Nannan was already being very careful, but he still stumbled a few times, bruising his tender and delicate baby skin. His face squeezed in pain.

“Ouch, I’m soon going to die from all this stumbling.” He kicked the short staircase in front of him and got up annoyed.

“Ouch, why are there thorns in the flowers planted here?” Nannan jumped a few steps back and rubbed his pricked arms.

“Ouch, damn pillar. Do you want to hit me to death?” Nannan slapped the pillar in front of him, his entire person was feeling really unwell now.

The hidden secret guard was astounded seeing all the Homerian struggles of that small figure under the moonlight. He genuinely wanted to go out and tell him that if he kept mumbling in such a loud voice the entire Mo residence would soon be awakened by it and come here to watch him.

But what a pity, Master Mo has already told them to ignore this kid, and he must have even been the one who told the boy… the location of their Lord’s room. But if he had done it intentionally, he wasn’t sure.

As a matter of fact, to have that many people trying to set a trap to catch this little wannabe thief… was shameful.

Ye Xiudu’s hearing was extremely sharp, so all of Nannan’s rumblings fell into his ears. it’s just that… he started wondering if his previous decision was actually right. How could this kid look more like he swaggered in here just to test his patience instead?

After wandering about for more than an hour, due to the poor visibility, Nannan finally reached the door to Ye Xiudu’s room.

The whole room was dark, Nannan leaned a bit inside and looked around but, as he didn’t see anyone, he became happy and decided to sneak in.

“Strange, it’s so late. Where did that uncle go?” Nannan stood in the middle of the room, while Ye Xiudu was still sitting in the corner, smiling slightly at the child.

“Forget it, it’s better that he’s not here. I’m not looking for him in any case.” Nannan took a few steps onward, pulling from his pocket a small Night Pearl and illuminating his way.

(TL: If I was Ye Xiudu I would immediately become suspicious of this kid’s identity after he pulled this night pearl out. I read that this type of item was so expensive and rare that only a few families outside royalty could get their hands on one of them.)

Opening his little hands, the natural light from the night pearl spread around the room, making it a bit brighter to Nannan’s eyes. That included, of course, the black panther squatting in the corner that stared straight at him.

Nannan’s eyes grew greedy on an instant, after pulling a bigger bag from his back he took out a carrot from inside and squatted near the panther.

“Be good, don’t make noise, don’t call for other people. I’ll give you something delicious.”

The panther lazily looked at the kid who was holding a carrot in his hands expecting to lure it with it…. and was really confused. Is this kid trying to insult this panther’s dignity? Just which panther in the world would eat carrots?

Ignoring him, the Panther’s eyelids lowered again.

Nannan moved a bit forward, still squatting, and put the carrot closer to the panther’s mouth. “Lil’ panther, just see how nice I am to you. Although we only met once I felt as if we’ve known each other for decades. I even took some good things to share with you. Aren’t you even a bit moved right now? Ah, that’s not it, it’s not like you really need to be moved. But if you are… then you have to listen to me, ok?”

The black panther didn’t even move its eyelids, ignoring him completely.

Nannan still didn’t give up, still holding out his carrot to lure it: “Hey, we are friends right now, aren’t we? Then you wouldn’t mind if I rode on your back, right?”

Ye Xiudu couldn’t help but let out a silent smile. If the panther wasn’t already familiar with Nannan’s scent, he was afraid that this guy would have become food for the animal. Just how could a carrot actually be used to attract it?

Nannan has always been able to grasp other animals’ intentions. So, he thought that if this panther didn’t have the intention of attacking and biting him, it was because of its silent approval of him. So, even if he didn’t try to give it a carrot, he would still go and try to ask it for a ride.

The panther was unused to anyone but Ye Xiudu’s proximity, so it immediately shooked its head impatiently.

Nannan felt that this was a sign of friendliness, so he kept on climbing on its back, excited. When he finally managed to sit still on its back, he let out a breath.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to stroll around outside and see the world. Don’t worry I’ll buy you delicious food when we meet my mother. My mother will certainly buy you lots and lots of delicious carrots.”

There was a momentary panic in the panther’s eyes as it thought ‘lots of carrots?’, doesn’t this kid thinks that he has already insulted it enough?

The animal was absolutely fed up with the kid, if it wasn’t for his owner’s order, he would definitely throw this kid out of his back. One must know that this panther has always been so glamorous, noble and solitary, except for his owner, nobody has ever even leaned in on its back.

(TL note: In the raws, Ye Xiudu really rides this panther’s back. But honestly? I think that’s too unlikely in real life. Is there such a big panther that can carry a fully grown-up man? So, I adapted to only have Nannan ride on it, and that adult male? Just leaning on it is ok, I guess.)

Patting the panther in its hindsight Nannan ordered: “Let’s go, but quietly, ok? We cannot disturb anyone.”

The black panther was very unwilling, turning its head towards its owner in the inner room as if accusing him of letting this child insult its intelligence. But since there was no movement, the panther let out an indignant sigh and carried Nannan out while feeling helpless.

The secret guard saw the little guy riding the panther out of the room and his jaw dropped in amazement.

The Lord’s panther… it had always forbidden the entrance of strangers in the Lord’s inner room. Even Master Mo and the other three weren’t able to go near it. So how could this child ride on its back in such a leisurely and carefree way today?

The guard glanced at the other guards hidden around and watched the panther carry Nannan away on its back.

A while later, the door of the dimly lit room opened again and from it, Ye Xiudu walked outside, crossing his hands behind his back without a word.

Mo Xian walked to his side quietly. Nodding slightly “Lord.”

“Hm, you follow him.”

Mo Xian nodded in agreement: “Yes.”

After speaking his body moved quickly, leaping a distance of dozens of meters at once, following Nannan’s trail quietly, leaving the Mo residence.

Ye Xiudu pursed his lips, feeling unused by the absence of the panther beside him.

Still, he was too interested in that child. Even having a rarely seen patience towards him. As long as his identity was clean, he would certainly like to keep him by his side so he could give him a good education and nurture him well.

But if he had another purpose in coming to the Mo Residence…

Well, then it would be a pity.

The sky in the distance gradually turned brighter as the light of dawn reached the Mo residence. Ye Xiudu stood outside for a while before going back into his room.

Without the panther’s presence, his alertness grew even more than normal.

Hopefully, Mo Xian would be able to uncover something. 5 days later, they would set off to return to the capital and he didn’t want anything else to happen until that time comes.

It’s just that some things are such, the less you wish for something, then more likely it’ll come.

At the light of dawn, Shen Ying came over in a hurry.

Translated by C, The Apostle of Coffee

Edited by NoveLeo, Life is a Drama