Chapter 54: Pet Goat Milk
Early the next morning, Li Nuo was awakened by the sound of pots, pans, and dishes clattering in the kitchen.
He opened his sleepy eyes and reached for the phone beside him, only to discover that his arms and legs were tightly wrapped around by someone.
That person was An Ran'er, who was still fast asleep.
She was hugging him tightly like a koala clinging to a tree branch, making it impossible for him to move.
The sight instantly drove away all of Li Nuo's sleepiness and left him feeling nervous and embarrassed.
Not wanting to wake An Ran'er, he carefully loosened her arms little by little.
After freeing one hand, he slowly moved her leg off his body as well.
Only after finally escaping from her embrace did he let out a sigh of relief.
Looking at An Ran'er as she turned over in her sleep, Li Nuo's face became slightly red.
So the feeling he had in his dream last night, that someone was hugging him, had not been an illusion at all.
Someone really had been hugging him.
Watching An Ran'er curl up and hug the edge of the blanket, Li Nuo guessed that she probably had a habit of holding onto something while sleeping.
He remembered reading discussions about this on online forums before.
People often said that those who slept like this usually lacked a sense of security.
"So Classmate An is actually someone who lacks a sense of security?" he thought.
Ever since he met her, he had always believed that An Ran'er was a very confident and strong-willed girl.
He had never imagined that she might also have a vulnerable side.
Thinking carefully about the conversation she had with Yu Haoshen in the practice room that day, Li Nuo guessed that she might be hiding some painful memories in her heart.
But she was unwilling to tell him about them.
Yu Haoshen probably knew about it, though.
Maybe he could find an opportunity to ask him someday, assuming he was willing to talk about it.
Thinking back to the day An Ran'er said she would protect him during music class, Li Nuo's heart trembled slightly.
If it were me, I could probably protect her too, right?
After letting his thoughts wander for a while, he shook his head and headed downstairs.
When he entered the living room, he immediately understood why there had been so much noise in the morning.
An Ran'er's mother was standing in the kitchen, busy cooking.
She was frying eggs and sausages, toasting bread, and had already prepared four cups of hot milk on the dining table.
Wait... milk?
Li Nuo suddenly thought of something.
He hurried into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
The two cartons of pet goat milk that had been inside were gone.
When he looked toward the trash can, he saw the empty cartons lying neatly inside.
It was obvious now.
The four cups of hot "milk" on the table had come from the two cartons of pet goat milk he had stored in the refrigerator.
At that moment, An Ran'er's mother turned around carrying toast, fried eggs, and sausages.
Seeing Li Nuo standing there in a daze, she smiled.
"Oh! Xiao Nuo, you're up early. Since you're awake, go wash up first. Breakfast will be ready soon."
When Li Nuo did not answer, she noticed that he was staring at the cups on the table.
"Is something wrong with the milk?"
"I bought that for Roubao..."
"Roubao? Xiao Nuo, do you want to eat meat buns?"
She looked even more confused.
"Roubao is my pet cat..."
Li Nuo replied helplessly.
Only then did she remember that there was indeed a black-and-white cat in the apartment.
"You mean this milk isn't for people?"
"Yes. Also... it's not cow's milk. It's goat milk."
"Uh..."
She looked embarrassed.
"I didn't pay attention when I was cooking. Sorry, Xiao Nuo."
"Well, it's already been heated, so there's nothing we can do now. I'll just buy more next time."
"Then... this milk—ah, I mean, goat milk..."
She pointed at the cups on the table and gave an awkward smile, though she was secretly nervous.
"Can people drink it?"
"It should be fine. It's made to a standard that's safe for people too."
"Whew, that's good."
Only after hearing that did she finally relax.
The reason she was so nervous was because she had already drunk an entire cup earlier.
She had no idea it was originally meant for a pet.
………………………
By seven o'clock in the morning, An Ran'er and her father had already gotten up and finished washing up.
The two sat down at the dining table and happily ate the eggs and sausages.
After finishing, they picked up their cups and drank the hot milk.
Throughout the whole meal, An Ran'er's mother kept watching them with an awkward smile.
Both father and daughter found her behavior strange.
"Mom, is there something on my face?" An Ran'er asked.
"Huh? N-no, of course not."
"Then why do you keep staring at me?"
"Well... um..."
Her mother hesitated.
"I just think you've become even prettier lately. And since we're leaving soon, I wanted to look at you a little longer."
"Mmm... Dad... also thinks you've become much prettier than before."
An Ran'er's father agreed while chewing a piece of toast.
"Oh..."
An Ran'er looked at them suspiciously. Then she noticed that both her mother's cup and Li Nuo's cup were empty.
"Why aren't you two drinking milk?"
"Huh? Oh, Mom already finished hers."
Her mother quickly answered.
"I-I finished mine too."
Li Nuo immediately followed.
"Is it really that hot today? Why are both of you sweating so much?"
Looking at their strange expressions, An Ran'er felt that something was definitely off.
"Huh? Are we? I don't think so. Right, Xiao Nuo?"
Her mother looked away while speaking.
"Uh... right."
Li Nuo lowered his head and avoided eye contact.
"Something's wrong."
An Ran'er narrowed her eyes.
"Are you two hiding something from me?"
"Oh, Ran'er, you're overthinking things. Why would Mom hide anything from you? Stop imagining things and finish your breakfast before school."
Since her mother refused to explain, An Ran'er turned toward Li Nuo.
"Classmate Li Nuo, I assume you wouldn't lie to me, right?"
"I..."
Under her intense stare, Li Nuo immediately became nervous. He looked toward An Ran'er's mother as if asking for help.
Seeing that the secret was about to be exposed, An Ran'er's mother instantly switched into acting mode.
She covered her face and pretended to cry.
"Ran'er, you don't even trust your own mother anymore? Mommy is so sad. Boo hoo..."
Seeing her mother start another dramatic performance, An Ran'er immediately gave up.
"Alright, alright. I believe you, okay?"
After saying that, she finished her cup of milk and left the table.
Only after she stopped asking questions did her mother secretly make a victory sign toward Li Nuo.
An Ran'er's father watched the whole thing in complete confusion, his head full of question marks.
……………
Under the dining table, Roubao was elegantly licking the goat milk from his pet bowl.
The cat looked completely satisfied and deeply enjoying every sip.