Mingjun’s smile sharpened like a knife.
Poppy inhaled deeply, determined. “Wo… m—”
Minghua nodded encouragingly.
“Mao Poppy.”
Silence. Then Mingjun exploded. He collapsed backward onto the bench wheezing, a bun rolling out of his hand.
“She… sh-she said, ‘I cat Poppy!” He was gasping. “She’s a cat. A cat, Poppy.”
Poppy’s eyes flew wide. “What? What did I say?”
Minghua slapped a hand over her own face. “Oh no. Oh, Poppy. I-I explained it badly.”
Mingjun was howling. “Mao means cat. You just said, ‘I am cat Poppy.’”
Poppy turned crimson. “Minghua! You said it was like meow!”
“I meant thetone, not the word!” Minghua protested, flustered. “Tone. Not vocabulary!”
“I just called myself a cat!” Poppy groaned.
Mingjun rolled on the bench, kicking his feet. “Best. Day. Ever.”
Poppy glared murderously. “If you tell Mingxi—”
“Oh, he’s definitely hearing this,” Mingjun wheezed.
“Mingjun, I swear—”
Minghua shooed him off like an annoying bird. “Go away if you’re not helping!”
Mingjun scampered off, still laughing so hard his tailsbobbed like flags.
Minghua turned back to Poppy, cheeks pink from secondhand embarrassment.
“Poppy… I am so sorry. That was my fault. But truly… your willingness to try… That honors us more than perfection ever could.”
Poppy’s mortification softened into a shy smile. “You really think so?”
“I know so,” Minghua said warmly. “Now, one more time. Slow, careful.Wo. Jiào. Poppy.”
Poppy inhaled. “Wo… jiào… Poppy.”
Minghua lit up. “Beautiful!”
A faint cackle echoed somewhere from the back garden.
Poppy groaned. “I hope Mingxi never finds out.”
Minghua looped her arm through Poppy’s, guiding her gently toward the lantern light.
“Come. I’ll teach you how to greet the elders next. And absolutely nothing that sounds like a cat.”
Mingjun sprinted across the courtyard like a fox kit with a secret too big for his body to contain.
“Mignxi. Mignxi,” Mingjun wheezed, skidding to a stop so abruptly his tails fanned out like startled plumage.
