Chapter 9: Coco

That night, various media outlets reported on the bastard and his crew. The provincial TV station had the longest coverage.

In addition to footage of the arrests, they dug up a long list of prior offenses. Between all the charges, there was more than enough to put them away for a long, long time.

Zhou Yi watched the live news with pure delight, tying a leash to the chair leg and hauling Facai and the rest over to contribute to the viewership ratings.

Tang Yuanzhou came over after finishing a tattoo and found himself staring at a room full of cats and dogs, unsure where to put his feet.

He leaned his shoulder back against the wall and asked Zhou Yi, “What’s going on here? A military parade?”

“How could a great nation like ours raise a cowardly soldier like Facai, so pathetic yet so addicted to showing up?” Zhou Yi was barely containing her excitement as she embellished the whole story about the bastard and his crew for Tang Yuanzhou.

After listening, he glanced at her dismissively and said, “That’s Mu Qinglin’s doing. What are you so worked up about?”

Zhou Yi slumped into the chair, hands clasped over her stomach, her tone serene and unhurried. “You don’t understand…”

Without me, would Mu Qinglin care about this mess?

No…

She did it because of me.

Because of me!

Honestly, Mu Qinglin was pretty decent.

Zhou Yi thought to herself, secretly pleased.

Yang Ling came out carrying a bag of apples and little boots. Seeing Zhou Yi’s grin reaching the sky, she asked curiously, “What are you grinning about?”

Zhou Yi said nothing. She shifted aside to make room at the table for Yang Ling and asked, “Taking these to school tomorrow?”

Yang Ling: “Yeah. You’re still doing the greeting cards?”

Zhou Yi: “Mm…”

Tomorrow night was Christmas Eve. Every year, Yang Ling prepared little boots and apples for the kids in her class, along with handwritten greeting cards. The workload was enormous.

In past years, Tang Yuanzhou would help.

Last year he was tied up with work, so the task fell to Zhou Yi. She wrote and drew without cutting any corners, and the final results spoke for themselves. Compared to Tang Yuanzhou’s rigid, formal blessings, the kids preferred Zhou Yi’s cute little cartoon portraits.

The two of them worked until well past midnight.

The next day, Zhou Yi was so exhausted she could barely get out of bed. She dawdled until noon before hunger dragged her downstairs.

“Little Hei, is there any food left?” Zhou Yi asked, standing by the door.

“There is, there is…” Little Hei promptly grabbed a takeout bag from the table and handed it to Zhou Yi. “Here. Braised spare ribs. Brother specially ordered them for you.”

“Ah…” She had just finished digesting yesterday’s batch, her stomach still remembering the flavor, and now another round. This was a bit extravagant.

Zhou Yi popped the food into the microwave and sat at the table, eating with full concentration.

When she tossed bones into the trash, she spotted something that had fallen near the table leg.

She bent down to pick it up.

“What are the odds…” Zhou Yi was speechless.

It was one of the greeting cards she’d drawn last night.

Yang Ling must be over there doing inventory right about now.

Zhou Yi quickly called Yang Ling and told her not to hand them out just yet.

When kids threw tantrums, it didn’t matter whose name was on the list; every single one counted.

Zhou Yi didn’t even finish her meal. She threw on her down jacket and rushed out to deliver it.

Heavy snow was still falling outside. Hailing a cab was next to impossible.

Zhou Yi stood by the roadside until her feet went numb, and not a single empty cab stopped. Nobody was taking ride requests online either.

Maybe she should drive without a license and take Tang Yuanzhou’s car?

Forget it. The provincial TV station was right in front of her. Getting caught would be humiliating.

She stomped her numb foot hard, wincing at the pain.

“Sister Mu, isn’t that Zhou Yi?” Little Liu pointed at the taxi stand by the roadside.

Mu Qinglin had been looking at her phone. She looked up at his words.

What, is she putting on a show?

“Go pull the car around,” Mu Qinglin said, handing the keys to Little Liu.

Little Liu: “Sure. Want me to park in front of her? She looks like she’s waiting for a ride. Should we give her a lift?”

Mu Qinglin: “Since when are you so observant?”

Little Liu cupped his fists in a salute. “You flatter me, Sister Mu.”

Mu Qinglin stuffed her phone into her pocket and walked toward the roadside through the wind and snow.

Zhou Yi was already numb with cold and didn’t notice the movement behind her.

Suddenly, something hit her on the head.

Zhou Yi froze mid-stride and thought, The snow must have bent the treetops.

Thwack. A second one.

That tree deserved to be chopped down. It was nothing but bare branches and dead leaves. It couldn’t even hold a bit of snow. What was the point of keeping it?

Thwack. A third one.

“Okay, that’s enough!” “Hm?” A cup of hot cocoa pressed against Zhou Yi’s lips, sealing up every last complaint in her belly. Even her brain seemed to go into lockdown, empty and blank. She stared at Mu Qinglin for ages without a reaction.

“Don’t want it? Then I’ll drink it myself.” Mu Qinglin made as if to take it away.

Zhou Yi instantly snatched the cup, popped the lid, and drank a full circle around the rim.

Mu Qinglin watched, somewhat stunned.

She was only joking. She wasn’t actually going to take it back. Zhou Yi didn’t need to mark her territory like a dog leaving a ring of slobber.

Actually, Zhou Yi just wanted to drink it but it was too hot.

She was literally about to freeze to death…

“Going somewhere?” Mu Qinglin collected herself and asked Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi held the paper cup in both hands, slurping away. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Could you at least pretend the free drink softened you up? I just said nothing at all.” Mu Qinglin changed tack before Zhou Yi’s glare could land. “Where to?”

Zhou Yi: “West University Affiliated Kindergarten.”

Mu Qinglin’s idle gaze settled on Zhou Yi’s face for a few seconds. “What are you going there for?”

Zhou Yi: “Tang Yuanzhou’s wife is a teacher there. She left one of the Christmas greeting cards she prepared for the kids at home last night. I’m delivering it.”

After saying this, Zhou Yi jogged in a half circle around Mu Qinglin and planted her upwind.

Mu Qinglin’s expression twisted for a split second, barely suppressing the urge to turn around and leave.

The team-issued windbreaker was in the car. Right now she was wearing just a sweater, a V-neck at that, showing her collarbones. She was cold too.

Very cold…

“Sister Mu…” Little Liu pulled the car to the roadside and rolled down one window. “You driving or me?”

Mu Qinglin: “I’ll drive…”

“Okay…” Little Liu hopped out and greeted Zhou Yi warmly. “Long time no see.”

Zhou Yi smiled with crinkled eyes. “We literally saw each other yesterday.”

Little Liu: “Haha, right. Hey, that milk tea looks pretty good.”

Zhou Yi: “This is hot cocoa.”

Little Liu: “Oh? Did I get it wrong?”

Zhou Yi: “You sure did…”

Their utterly substance-free conversation made Mu Qinglin’s ears ache. She hurled the remaining snowball at the back of Little Liu’s head and jerked her chin toward the car. “What are you two standing around for? Need me to send an invitation to get in?”

Little Liu answered instantly, “No need!” Then he whipped into the back seat like a gust of wind, leaving Zhou Yi facing an impressive blast of cold air.

“And you?” Mu Qinglin asked.

Zhou Yi was building up to a sneeze, her expression dazed. “What about me?”

“Want me to carry you in with a palanquin and eight bearers?”

“??” What did that mean?

“Sister Mu wants to give you a ride. Come on, get in,” Little Liu said, leaning on the car door. “The front seat’s been saved for you.”

The disbelief on Zhou Yi’s face lasted only two seconds before she scrambled into the car faster than Little Liu.

“Sorry for the trouble. Thank you,” Zhou Yi said sincerely.

Mu Qinglin: “Mm…”

…”…” Was that it? Was “you’re welcome” really that hard?

Fine. She was in someone else’s car, so she’d let it go.

The car soon merged onto the main road. Zhou Yi checked the direction and confirmed it was toward the kindergarten. She settled back in her seat and resumed sipping her hot cocoa around the rim.

Then she heard Little Liu mutter from the back: “Sister Mu, next time can you aim somewhere other than my head? Snow got all down my collar…” Zhou Yi whipped her head toward Mu Qinglin, her expression grave. “Did you hit my head too?”

Mu Qinglin gripped the steering wheel, eyes on the road. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb…” Zhou Yi held up an OK sign. “Three hits total. If it wasn’t you, I’ll chop off these fingers and hand them over as specimens.”

Without turning her gaze, Mu Qinglin freed one hand, pushed Zhou Yi’s fingers back down, and said in a coaxing tone, “Be good. I’m driving. No snow chains.”

“…” Be good my foot!!

The snowy roads were treacherous. Mu Qinglin drove a solid half hour before they reached the kindergarten.

Once the car was parked, Zhou Yi opened the door and got out.

To her surprise, Little Liu got out too.

Zhou Yi was a little touched and hurriedly said, “You don’t need to walk me in. It’s just a few steps.”

Little Liu looked confused. “I’m not walking you in. Sister Mu and I are going to the kindergarten too.”

Sister Mu?

Also?

Zhou Yi heard the third car door slam and craned her neck around to watch Mu Qinglin walk to the back and retrieve equipment from the trunk.

Little Liu helped out while continuing to chat with Zhou Yi. “There was that story about teachers physically punishing kids here before. We’re doing a follow-up today.”

Zhou Yi said nothing, her eyes locked on Mu Qinglin.

So it was on the way.

Hit her on the head first, then tricked a “thank you” out of her without saying a word second.

Really?

Mu Qinglin could feel Zhou Yi’s death stare without even looking up. It was scorching and heavy.

The moment the tailgate closed, Mu Qinglin sighed and looked up to meet Zhou Yi’s gaze. She could practically read the big letters on her forehead: Am I really that fun?

If she wasn’t fun, Mu Qinglin wouldn’t have played the same game twice.

Though she was starting to have a few regrets.

Mu Qinglin walked up to Zhou Yi, glanced at the paper cup in her hand, and said, “Want another one?”

Zhou Yi’s face was blank. “Are you missing some hard lessons from life?”

Today’s interview had been prearranged with the kindergarten director. The whole thing took under two hours and went very smoothly.

Seeing that there was still time, the director asked Mu Qinglin if she could film some of the Christmas event footage to boost positive publicity.

Mu Qinglin didn’t refuse.

The snow was still falling in thick, swirling flakes. It was cold, certainly, but the blanket of white created exactly the fairy-tale atmosphere kids loved, so the event wasn’t moved indoors.

When Mu Qinglin and Little Liu arrived at the playground, the children were having a blast. They’d surrounded a teacher dressed as Santa Claus. Some were yanking the beard, others were pulling hair, and two had decided Santa was a tree, clambering up her body.

Even from a distance, Mu Qinglin could feel the teacher’s desperate wish for eight arms. Caught off guard in every direction, the teacher lost balance and fell flat on her back, nearly buried under a barrage of snowballs from all sides.

The playground erupted in laughter.

“Little Liu, get a close-up,” Mu Qinglin said.

Little Liu acknowledged and ran over with the camera.

Mu Qinglin strolled leisurely behind, occasionally snapping close-up shots.

Her lens swept past Santa, who had given up struggling and was lying flat on the snow. Mu Qinglin adjusted her focus twice.

Well, well. Look who this is.