Two Unfitting Ages

Kesi only narrowed her eyes at the beaming little boy, or Mu Luming, as he called himself. Despite the ring of baby fat that softened the edges of his tiny face and the high-pitched quality of his voice, he had a certain aura to him that did not quite fit his supposed physical age.

She couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly it was, but all she knew was that he seemed more mature and older than a mere seven years old.

"So, we're going to play a little game here called 'I ask, and you answer in a few words.' I just want to get to know you a little bit better."

Her proposal was more of a statement than a question, much less a seeking of opinions.

Seeing him give a small nod, she immediately began asking the questions at a rapid-fired pace. Her ultimate goal would be to catch him off guard, in the case that he had fabricated a part of his identity.

"So where did those men come from?"

"I don't know."

"So why were they chasing after you?"

"Someone wants me dead."

"Where are you from?"

"Where you are from."

"As in?"

"Here."

"Where are your parents?"

"One is dead, and the other wants me dead."

"How old are you again?"

Almost out of no where, Kesi tossed the question back at Mu Luming, hoping to spot the slightest flickering change of emotion.

Sadly, his expressions remained the same as before as he grinned in response to every single question.

"I'm seven years old."

"One last question. Where did you learn to speak and act like this?" Suddenly, Kesi was at a loss for words. "Well…like this…? Talking like a little womanizer before you even have a head full of hair."

His face lit up in confusion. After a moment, a crestfallen look replaced the dazed look as he bit his lips. Especially under the shadows, he looked like a little puppy who had just been scolded to not run around and dig dirt holes in the garden.

"I'm sorry." His voice was genuine. "I thought that all women liked to be spoken to in that way. Or at least, that's what all of the stories I've read say."

Standing up a bit straighter and pushing a stray strand of hair from his face, he assumed a forced solemn look. He inhaled, forcing his voice to deepen as he dropped every syllable down an octave. "Well, woman. Your actions have piqued my attention, and since you have saved me, I shall repay my debts as all of the stories have declared: by owing myself to you."

Kesi couldn't take it anymore. The mere sight of a little boy feigning to be a man, especially a sappy one found in a romance novel that impressed himself more than he aroused anyone else, was too much for her to bear. While she couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard, she doubled down in pure chuckles and giggles until it hurt to breathe.

"What… type… of books do you read?" She wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

"Well, woman, that is none of your concern. Just don't hurt yourself, or my heart will be the one that is bleeding on the inside." He continued, pacing back and forth as he combed through an imaginary beard.

"Stop… I can't take… it… anymore." Kesi could barely keep her words together and making sense.

Scampering back to her side, the little boy took her hands again, rocking it back and forth. "I'm really sorry though. I won't do it again if you don't like it. I really thought that that's what all of the novels had said to do once you've taken a liking to someone."

Kesi hadn't noticed the sun dipping towards the horizon before, and only when his eyes sparkled under the setting sun did she realize that a whole day had passed.

In all seriousness, she dipped down to the floor so that she was eye level with Mu Luming. "Listen, you don't owe your life to anyone, absolutely no one. Even if I have saved your life, that doesn't mean that your life is now mine. Remember?"

Somehow, she no longer knew if she was talking to the little boy or to herself. As long as she had remembered, she was told that she owed her entire life to her agency since they had fished her off the streets. And frankly, she was sick and tired of those words.

If she was going to save someone in this life, she had a very clear target in mind. The fact that she turned young around him must have meant something, right?

She hit her head, realizing that she had forgotten a very important piece of advice. "Oh, and if you act like a novel character in real life, you're going to get beat up. So when you find your future little wife, make sure to switch up your tactics a little bit." Lightly, she flicked his forehead. "Maybe just stick to acting cute. You seem to be pretty good at that."

His frown broke into a smile, like the rainbow after a storm, and blushes of embarrassment crawled up his cheeks.

"I'll stay away from the novels by the side of the streets from now on. But I wasn't kidding about you looking fine even when you become older."

Almost as if to illustrate a point, he let go of Kesi and slipped to the other side of the alleyway. On cue, Kesi's body began to degenerate, and by this point, even without looking, she could tell that she had the biological age of a 74 year old.

"See?" The little boy waved his hands excitedly. "You're still dazzling to look at."

Kesi had wanted to retort that it was literally because the sunlight shone against her face, nearly blinding her, but the innocent look on the boy's face forced her words to herself.

For a few moments, she wondered what she could say next.

"Than—"

"Nanny Rong, what are you doing here of all places?"

"We've been looking for you all over!"

Two very very familiar voices sounded out of no where.