Chapter 64

Chapter 64

"Yes, I just moved in. My name is Nevi. Nice to meet you, Wenoy." Nevi smiled politely at the neighboring male through the garden fence.

Wenoy stared at Nevi, and it was visibly apparent that the smile on his face deepened considerably.

He paused, a faint blush spreading across his face from excitement. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, "Nevi, actually, I know who you are. I'm your fan—I've always loved your livestreams. The baby food you make looks so delicious. You're really amazing. I have no talent whatsoever when it comes to cooking—I've followed your video tutorials several times and never quite got it right. Just now, I actually recognized you at first glance. I saw that you paused your livestream these past couple of days and was worried something might have happened to you. I never expected you and the cubs to move in right next door to me. This is... just unbelievable."

Seeing how excited yet cautious Wenoy looked, Nevi was somewhat surprised but didn't harbor any suspicion at all. The smile on Nevi's face gained a bit more sincerity. "If you ever run into any trouble making baby food, you can come find me! And next time I livestream, would you like to try some of the pastries I make?"

Toward this newly acquainted neighbor, perhaps because he was a fan, Nevi's attitude was warm and friendly.

"R-really? Thank you so much, Nevi! I'm honored!" After a moment of shock, Wenoy looked flattered and excited.

With that, Wenoy quickly said "hold on" and hurried inside to grab a basket, then quickly picked a variety of fresh fruits from his own yard.

A moment later, Wenoy came back with a basket full of fruit and offered it to Nevi, speaking sincerely, "Nevi, these are some new high-nutrient fruit varieties I grew myself—great for the cubs. If you don't mind, please accept them as a welcome gift for the cubs."

Wenoy's gift came at just the right moment, and Nevi had no reason to refuse. He accepted the basket graciously and said with a smile, "Thank you, Wenoy. You're really impressive—these fruits look delicious."

Nevi wasn't exaggerating. The colorful assortment of fruits in his hands looked fresh and juicy, carrying a unique fruity aroma that smelled amazing.

Bai Bai, who had been pressing his chubby cheeks against his dad's shoulder and wouldn't budge, seemed to catch the scent. He sniffed, his round, shiny eyes fixed on the basket in his dad's hands.

He clearly wanted some, but with a stranger around, shy Bai Bai couldn't bring himself to ask, so he just stared longingly.

"This is Bai Bai, right? He looks so... cute." Wenoy looked at the chubby, fair-skinned cub in Nevi's arms who was facing away from him, about to compliment him, but suddenly locked eyes with Bai Bai, who just happened to turn around.

The instant Wenoy saw Bai Bai's face, his eyes narrowed and his expression froze.

But he hid it well.

And Nevi, whose attention was currently on the cubs, didn't notice Wenoy's brief reaction at all.

"Yes, Bai Bai is rather shy. Since we're in a new place, he's been clinging to me more. Mei Mei is outgoing and lively—he's still running around the house right now." Nevi sounded a bit helpless, but his face and eyes were full of undisguised love and adoration for his cubs.

Nevi picked a small fruit and tried it. The moment it hit his mouth, he was blown away by the rich flavor and sweet freshness.

If his earlier praise was partly just being polite, now Nevi meant it from the bottom of his heart. "Wenoy, the fruits you grow are really delicious! They're way better than what they sell at the store. You're truly amazing!"

Nevi washed a portion of the fruits on a small plate, giving some to Bai Bai while calling out for Mei Mei inside.

Soon, with the sound of "pitter-patter" footsteps getting closer, Mei Mei ran out with flushed cheeks, all hot and sweaty, pouncing on Nevi's leg.

"Daddy! Like, like the new house!"

Mei Mei looked up, his face full of joy as he gazed at his father.

"Okay, I'm glad Mei Mei likes it! Daddy and Bai Bai like it too. Come here, let Daddy wipe your sweat and wash your hands. The big brother next door brought us lots of yummy fruit—does Mei Mei want some?" Nevi gently pulled out a handkerchief, wiped Mei Mei's hands and face, while Little Blue brought over a clean towel to soak up the sweat and tucked it behind Mei Mei's back.

Only then did Mei Mei seem to notice the unfamiliar big brother nearby and Bai Bai happily munching on fruit.

Mei Mei's eyes immediately lit up. Compared to some stranger, the fruit was way more appealing to him. Nevi barely managed to get Mei Mei to wash his hands before the little chubby legs went running over to Bai Bai.

The moment Mei Mei took his first bite, his eyes went wide in surprise. His chubby cheeks puffed in and out as he chewed, and before he even swallowed, he mumbled, "Dada, fruity soooo good!"

Nevi patted Bai Bai and Mei Mei on the head and said with a smile, "The big brother next door gave these fruits to Bai Bai and Mei Mei. You two should say thank you to him!"

The moment he finished speaking, Bai Bai and Mei Mei both looked up at Wenoy in the distance. A shy voice and a loud, clear little voice mixed together as they thanked him at the same time.

"Okay (okie), thank you, big brother (bwother)!"

Wenoy stared without blinking at the two beautiful, well-behaved cubs who looked so much alike. His deep blue eyes darkened. He swallowed and spoke in a near whisper, sounding sincere. "Nevi, Bai Bai and Mei Mei are beautiful and healthy—you've done a great job taking care of them."

Such well-behaved, adorable cubs... he... wanted some too.

Then Wenoy turned back to Nevi and smiled like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Nevi, I'm just glad you and the cubs like them! There aren't many people living around here, but I've got a lot of fruit trees, and they're right in the middle of harvest season. I was actually worried I wouldn't be able to eat all the fruit myself! If you ever want some, just say the word—there's plenty to go around!"

Before Nevi could answer, Mei Mei, who had heard "plenty to go around," whipped his head around with sparkling eyes. "Okay! Thank you, big brother!"

Nevi chuckled, a little embarrassed. "Then thanks, Wenoy. Do you have any pastries you like?"

Over the shoulder-high fence, Nevi and Wenoy kept chatting.

Wenoy was friendly and funny, and talking with him was easy and never awkward.

Even though they'd just met, Wenoy felt like an old friend Nevi had known for years.

As a result, Nevi's good impression of this neighbor and fan kept growing fast.

But as they talked, Nevi noticed that Wenoy's gaze kept drifting to the cubs sitting there eating their fruit. Even though he tried to hide it, his face still showed a hint of hesitation.

"Wenoy, is there something you want to say?" Nevi waited, and when Wenoy didn't seem to want to speak up, he decided to just ask.

Wenoy was startled, surprised that Nevi had noticed something was off.

He went quiet, his eyes visibly struggling for a long moment before he finally spoke, hesitantly. "Nevi, I've known about you for a long time, but you've only just met me. I know it's sudden to ask out of nowhere, but... Nevi, you mentioned in your livestream that your husband is temporarily away for certain reasons. Can I ask if the cubs look a lot like your husband?"

In an instant, Nevi's face went completely blank.

His heart started pounding hard and fast.

Even though Wenoy hadn't finished, Nevi instinctively knew where he was going with this.

Nevi barely remembered nodding.

He only remembered Wenoy's hesitant but clear voice.

"Nevi, um, I'm not totally sure, but I think I might have seen the cubs' dad or relatives somewhere? Would you mind telling me a bit about your husband?"

*

"Uncle Luo Luo, where... are we going?"

The still-sleepy Bai Bai was curled up drowsily in Nevi's arms, while the energetic, chubby Mei Mei in Barlow's arms had his face pressed against the hovercar window, staring at the scenery going by in wonder.

"Mei Mei, be good and keep your voice down, okay? Let Daddy and Bai Bai rest a bit more. Today, Daddy and Uncle are taking you two for a checkup..."

Barlow and Mei Mei's voices drifted in and out of Nevi's ears, getting fainter and farther away.

Nevi leaned against the car window, eyes shut tight, with dark circles from exhaustion.

Even though his body was tired, his mind wouldn't stop racing.

That day, after he'd left out some details and somewhat urgently described Aesop's condition and looks, a look of surprise and confusion had come over Wenoy's face.

While Nevi waited in full anticipation, Wenoy hesitated for a moment, then said he'd look into it more carefully and get back to Nevi with details later. Beyond that, Wenoy refused to say anything more.

Because he was worried it might just be a false lead, and he didn't want Nevi to get his hopes up for nothing.

But under Nevi's persistent questioning, Wenoy still revealed a bit more—the female he had learned about had suffered severe head trauma and seemed to still be undergoing treatment.

Just that piece of information alone made Nevi tremble all over, losing his composure to the point of nearly shedding tears.

He had almost no doubt that the female Wenoy mentioned was his Aesop!

After all, whether during his livestream or just now, he had never revealed the fact that Aesop had been injured!

Wenoy said he needed to return to his family to look into the specifics—that female was just the son of a friend his mother rarely kept in touch with, and he wasn't familiar with him, having had little contact with or knowledge of him in daily life.

If it weren't for the striking resemblance to the kids, he might never have thought of this insect at all.

Since Wenoy left home, Nevi's attention had been almost entirely fixed on the neighbor's place. He was restless, constantly checking for any sign of activity next door.

But for two whole days, Wenoy never returned, and the lights in the neighboring room never came back on.

And Nevi hadn't had a good night's sleep for two nights straight either.

He kept thinking about how Aesop was doing now. Was the injury severe? Were there any aftereffects?

When would Wenoy come back?

And also, no matter how hard Nevi tried to ignore it, when Wenoy heard Nevi confirm that the female was indeed his mate, what was that odd, instinctive look of shock on Wenoy's face supposed to mean?

*

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Author's note:

Thank you all so much for your support! I'll keep working hard!