A Paranoid Alpha Childhood Friend is Acting Spoiled Again - Chapter 17

Half an hour later, Fang Zhenghai left. As the butler was clearing the teacups, he looked up to see a small head peeking from behind the second-floor banister. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a knowing smile.

Nuo Fanxi understood the signal and immediately ran down from the second floor. She plopped down on the sofa, her eyes watery as she looked at the butler. “Uncle Chen, did Godmother Xiaozhu really say all those things?”

The butler nodded. “Of course…”

…Not.

Bai Xiaozhu hadn’t given him specific instructions on what to say; she simply told him to use his judgment and that it didn’t matter if he was a bit harsh. Having worked for the Tang family for so many years, the butler naturally understood the subtext of her words.

Based on the temper Bai Xiaozhu had thrown that afternoon, it was clear she wouldn’t let the Fang family off easily. It might not be as catastrophic as he had made it sound, but a stern lesson was definitely coming.

Nuo Fanxi, knowing that Bai Xiaozhu was championing her cause, smiled radiantly. “Does that mean Fang Xiaoyu won’t come looking for trouble anymore?”

The butler nodded again. “She won’t.”

That means she won’t pester Momo anymore, either! Nuo Fanxi thought happily. She would never have to see Fang Xiaoyu hovering around Momo like an annoying fly again!

Nuo Fanxi wanted to shout with joy, but she remembered she was at Tang Mo’s house and it was late. If she shouted, she might disturb the neighbors; if the neighbors complained, she’d be causing trouble for her Godmother. She couldn’t do that.

Still, it was something to celebrate. She looked around the living room and realized Tang Mo was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Momo? I haven’t seen her since I came out.”

“The Young Lady didn’t come downstairs,” the butler replied. “I haven’t seen her either. However, since you haven’t eaten dinner yet, she likely went to the second-floor kitchen to ask the auntie to cook for you.”

Nuo Fanxi looked toward the second floor. No wonder she had smelled the faint aroma of food earlier; it was coming from the upstairs kitchen.

She stood up from the sofa, but just as she was about to head up, Tang Mo emerged from the kitchen area. “Xixi! You’re still sick! Why did you run out of your room? Go back, go back!”

Nuo Fanxi hadn’t even put on a jacket when she came down; she was just wearing the autumn pajamas Bai Xiaozhu had changed her into. Perhaps because the fever had broken, she didn’t feel cold. “I’m fine now, Momo. If you don’t believe me, ask Uncle Chen. My forehead isn’t hot at all anymore.”

“That doesn’t matter. Mommy said that even if your forehead isn’t hot, you need to rest so you don’t catch another chill.” Tang Mo continued to shout from above, “Go back to your room!”

“Xixi, go back to your room for now,” the butler added.

Hearing even the butler say so, Nuo Fanxi obediently went back upstairs.

Tang Mo had the auntie bring a bowl of cooked porridge to the room. It was made with high-quality dried scallops and shrimp, along with some minced pork ribs. It was thick, fragrant, and topped with fresh scallions.

The scent hit Nuo Fanxi, and though she hadn’t felt like eating, the porridge smelled so good she couldn’t resist taking a large spoonful.

But it was too hot. The moment the porridge entered her mouth, it scalded her tongue. She had to stick her tongue out and pant to relieve the heat.

Tang Mo immediately began fanning her with her hand. “Eat slowly, eat slowly! No one is going to take it from you.”

After the pain subsided, Nuo Fanxi took a spoonful and blew on it carefully. Once it was no longer scalding, she popped it into her mouth.

“Is it good?”

“It’s delicious!”

Nuo Fanxi took another large spoonful and blew on it, but this time, instead of eating it, she held the spoon out to Tang Mo.

Tang Mo looked at her, confused. “Xixi, what are you doing?”

“When there’s something good to eat, of course we share! Besides, the auntie cooked so much; I can’t finish it alone. Eat with me, Xixi.”

The auntie had cooked a whole stone pot of it. Although the pot was only about as wide as a mirror, it was still quite a lot for a six-year-old. Since Nuo Fanxi couldn’t finish it, having Tang Mo help was the perfect solution.

Tang Mo had already eaten dinner and wasn’t very hungry, but since Xixi was insisting, she could manage a few bites.

“Then… I’ll just have a little bit. Mommy says children shouldn’t eat too much at night, or they’ll get indigestion and cavities.”

“Okay, just a little bit.”

Tang Mo leaned in and ate the spoonful Nuo Fanxi offered.

“Isn’t it great?” Nuo Fanxi asked.

Tang Mo ate this porridge often, and while it was indeed good, anything eaten too frequently can lose its charm. But when Nuo Fanxi asked, she nodded vigorously. “Mhm, it’s great!”

The two girls finished the small pot of porridge, alternating spoonfuls. Worried that Nuo Fanxi might catch a cold if she went out, Tang Mo took the pot back to the kitchen herself to be washed. She washed her own hands as well before returning to the room.

By then, Nuo Fanxi was already in bed. she had deliberately made space for Tang Mo. Seeing her friend return, she patted the empty spot and called out, “Momo, come quickly! Let’s sleep together!”

“Xixi, I can’t sleep with you tonight.”

Nuo Fanxi’s face fell. “Why?”

“Mommy said you haven’t fully recovered,” Tang Mo explained. “She said if I sleep with you, I’ll disturb your rest. Mommy specifically told me before she left that I can’t sleep with you tonight.”

Tang Mo’s room was next door. This room was kept specifically for Nuo Fanxi whenever she came over to play.

“But I don’t have a fever anymore!” Nuo Fanxi pressed her hand to her forehead to check her temperature. After a moment, she lowered it and beckoned to Tang Mo. “Momo, come feel it. I’m not lying, the fever is really gone.”

Tang Mo walked over and felt her forehead. It was indeed cool. “Oh, it really is.”

“See! I told you!”

“But… Mommy said I can’t sleep with you just for tonight.”

“I know why.”

“You do?”

Nuo Fanxi said, “Godmother Xiaozhu is worried I’ll give you my germs. That’s why she won’t let us sleep together.”

Tang Mo hadn’t thought of that; she just assumed her mother wanted Nuo Fanxi to get better faster. But since her mother’s words usually had a reason behind them, Nuo Fanxi’s explanation made sense to her.

“Then you should go back to your room, Momo. It wouldn’t be good if I gave you my cold.” Nuo Fanxi belatedly covered her mouth and scooted back. “I’ll just sleep by myself. Go on, go back, don’t let me catch you!”

Tang Mo was full and had no desire to sleep yet. She leaned against the edge of the bed and looked up at Nuo Fanxi. “It’s okay. We just shared the same spoon for porridge; if I was going to catch it, I would have caught it already. I’m not sleepy. Xixi, will you tell me a story? Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Chen always tell me bedtime stories. Can you tell me one too?”

Nuo Fanxi slowly lowered her hand from her mouth. It sounded reasonable. She crawled back to her original spot. “Okay, come up. I’ll tell you the story of the Princess and the Seven Dwarfs.”

“But I’ve already heard that one. I want something else.”

“Then… how about Rapunzel?”

“No, no,” Tang Mo shook her head. “I’ve heard all the foreign fairy tales, and they’re so boring. Xixi, tell me a domestic fairy tale.”

Nuo Fanxi scratched her head. “But we don’t really have ‘fairy tales’ like that. Fairy tales are mostly from other countries. We have fables.”

Tang Mo thought about it. “Is there a difference? Aren’t they both just stories for kids?”

This was a difficult question for a child, but fortunately, Nuo Fanxi had asked her mother about it before and remembered the distinction.

“They’re different,” Nuo Fanxi explained, sounding like a little teacher. “Fairy tales always have happy endings, like Snow White staying with the Prince. But fables are different; they teach kids lessons. Like the fable my Mommy told me about Sima Guang breaking the vat—it tells us that even if we’re little, we’re very smart and can think of clever ideas that adults can’t.”

Tang Mo seemed to understand, nodding along. “Then tell me a fable Godmother Wanqing told you. I want to hear it.”

Seeing Tang Mo still squatting by the bed, Nuo Fanxi patted the spot beside her urgently. “Momo, stop squatting! Come up here, and I’ll tell you.”

Tang Mo obediently climbed onto the bed, took off her shoes, and lay down.

Nuo Fanxi lay down beside her. They lay shoulder to shoulder, their watery eyes staring up at the ceiling.

After a while, Nuo Fanxi turned her head to start the story, but she saw that Tang Mo had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. Her breathing was steady, and she wasn’t mumbling in her sleep. She had likely been so exhausted from taking care of Xixi all day that her eyelids had finally given in.

Nuo Fanxi sat up quietly and whispered “Momo” twice. Seeing no response, she carefully tucked the blanket around Tang Mo, then lay back down and fell asleep hugging her friend.