The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 11

 

TGMNDIAR - 11

"Here, let me cover you with a small blanket."

"Should I change the direction of your tail? It must be uncomfortable being pressed by the pillow."

"The fur on your back is messy, let me comb it for you."

...

Xu Mu kept fussing around, always wearing a mysterious smile on his lips.

He gently touched the lop-eared bunny's ears with his fingertips, they were soft, warm, and fuzzy.

"Ah, so adorable..." Xu Mu couldn't help but squeal, his voice as soft as it could possibly be. "Can I give you a name?"

Bai Nian: ...

He maintained a wooden expression, lying flat on the blanket, no longer wanting to entertain Xu Mu's "two-faced" behavior.

He had come to understand one thing—

Xu Mu drew a clear line between humanoid and mimicry forms. The former was polite and respectful, while the latter was all about letting loose and being crazy.

"Should I just call you Tutu then?" Xu Mu curved his fingers, sliding down along its ears. "But it seems like you don't even want to respond to that..."

Bai Nian recoiled his hand slightly, thought angrily: He wouldn't respond even if he called him.

Xu Mu sighed. Did the lop-eared rabbit have its own name? 

He paused, his expression changing. Was this someone else's pet rabbit?

He scrutinized it, noting its neatly groomed fur without any knots. Despite its milky coffee color being less prone to stains compared to white, lighter shades would definitely leave traces if it roamed in the wild.

"I'll just touch your hand, nothing else," Xu Mu whispered, cautiously grasping the lop-eared rabbit's paw and inspecting it thoroughly. It was indeed clean.

There were two possibilities: one, it had been abandoned before, and its previous owner was a resident of one of the nearby buildings, so it lingered around the area; two, it had escaped on its own and enjoyed wandering around, and its owner didn't mind as long as it returned home.

The first possibility seemed unlikely, considering the bunny had a bit of flesh on its body and didn't feel like just bones.

So that left option two.

So, was his place one of the spots where the lop-eared rabbit came to play?

Xu Mu pondered, his eyes flickering. It wasn't out of the question.

He pressed his tongue against his teeth, the sharp sensation bringing a faint ache.

—He just feared he might lose control and pluck the bunny bald.

Bai Nian felt a chill run down his spine, belatedly lifting his head to find Xu Mu's expression growing increasingly cold and dark, his pupils deepening to a point that sent shivers down his spine.

He froze, wanting to step back.

The young man, what mimicry was he after all...

Bai Nian felt like he was entangled in something, his breath becoming slightly constrained.

"Tutu, can I help you groom your fur?" Xu Mu inched closer, his tone gentle, his movements incredibly slow.

Before Bai Nian could fully register what was happening, Xu Mu had already pressed his face against his.

The warmth of the young man's palm contrasted with the coolness of his cheek.

Bai Nian's eyes widened, reflexively trying to move backward, but without success.

Because behind him was the pillow, he ended up sinking half of his body into the softness of the pillow.

Xu Mu seized the moment, observing Bai Nian's reaction while extending his hand to hover just one centimeter above the fur.

"You're not saying anything, so I'll take that as a yes?" 

Bai Nian: "..."

How could he speak in this state? The young man was completely pretending to be crazy!

Xu Mu was well aware that Bai Nian couldn't speak, so those questions were actually meaningless. 

He tried to convey a sense of safety to the rabbit through his voice, gradually getting closer in the process. He observed the rabbit's every move, looking for any signs of fear-induced "flying ears," any growls of anger from the throat, or any trembling from fear.

"Good Tutu, I won't do anything, just touch you, really, I promise..." He murmured softly, shortening the distance. The fur brushed against his fingertips, causing a subtle itching sensation.

Xu Mu successfully touched him! 

The smile on his lips deepened as he gently stroked Bai Nian's side, feeling the warmth of his fur. Unable to resist, he brought his face closer, tentatively rubbing his nose against Bai Nian's nose. The brown triangular nose twitched, and a few long whiskers tickled his cheek.

Bai Nian was stunned.

After a few strokes of the fur, Xu Mu backed away and looked at Bai Nian's reaction.

Hmm... What kind of reaction was this?

Bai Nian didn't arch his back in anger, stamp his feet, or growl menacingly. He didn't even tremble in stress, his breathing didn't quicken. Instead, he stared blankly in one direction, completely motionless.

Xu Mu hesitated, gently calling out, "Tutu?"

Bai Nian still didn't move.

Xu Mu pursed his lips, unsure. Was Tutu scared by him?

—Impossible, he didn't do anything, just touched him a little and rubbed his face under the blanket.

"Tutu?" Xu Mu leaned closer, "What's wrong?"

Bai Nian also suddenly came to his senses and subconsciously used his hand to push away Xu Mu's face. The soft fur brushed against his skin, and Xu Mu held his breath, even feeling the urge to let the lop-eared rabbit do it again.

His fingers pressed against his cheek, the strange sensation like an electric current, causing emotions to surge and bubble up.

"Uncomfortable? Unhappy? Scared?" Xu Mu squeezed the rabbit's hand, chuckled briefly, "Okay, my bad, you can do it again."

Bai Nian: "..." He suspected that the youth had some serious issues.

He pulled his hand back, and the other party didn't insist, easily retracting it. Bai Nian didn't have the energy to argue with Xu Mu. He folded his hands into his stomach and decided to turn a blind eye.

Xu Mu thought the lop-eared rabbit wanted to sleep. "Tired?"

Bai Nian ignored him.

"It's indeed not early." Xu Mu muttered to himself, then tucked the blanket for it, dimming the brightness of the bedside light. "Goodnight."

Bai Nian resignedly closed his eyes. Forget it, let's just sleep. He'd recover his strength tomorrow morning and sneak away again—-

He stiffened as he felt his body suspended in mid-air, placed on something soft, while a warm breath floated over his head.

Xu Mu was satisfied and muttered to himself, "It should be more comfortable lying on a pillow."

He lightly rubbed his chin against the rabbit's head. "Goodnight,Tutu."

Xu Mu was considerate, trying his best not to disturb the lop-eared rabbit, allowing it to feel at ease in its surroundings. After doing all this, he didn't move again, closed his eyes, and began to drift off to sleep.

Awesome, he has a rabbit to sleep with tonight.

...

In the middle of the night, the curled-up lop-eared rabbit suddenly opened its eyes. It moved its hands, and the blanket covering it fell off. Its vision was blurry at first, but gradually, it blinked and everything became clear again.

Bai Nian felt a continuous warmth enveloping his back. He turned his head and saw Xu Mu's enlarged face before him.

At some point, the other person extended an arm, enveloping the lop-eared rabbit within his arms, with its head pressed against the arm, emitting a steady breath onto the rabbit's nape.

Bai Nian froze for a few seconds, feeling a slight itch on his back. He carefully wriggled out from Xu Mu's arms, and his ears hanging on both sides swayed slightly.

"Mmm..." came a low, muffled hum.

Bai Nian quietly glanced over, seeing that Xu Mu was still asleep. He steadied himself and continued to slip away.

Finally, he leaped out of that warm spot.

Then, without looking back, he dashed out of the room and jumped back to his own home from the balcony.

…

The Next Day

Xu Mu's biological clock woke him up right on time. Just as he opened his eyes, still groggy, he subconsciously reached out to touch the pillow beside him.

But there was nothing there.

He was fully awake now, sitting up abruptly.

"Gone..." Xu Mu exhaled deeply, holding his head in his hands as he stared blankly ahead.

He picked up the blanket, it was soft and fluffy, just like the fur on the lop-eared rabbit.

Knock, knock, knock—

"Master, are you awake?" Nades called out.

"Yes," Xu Mu replied.

He got out of bed, washed up, and saw the pair of glasses on the table. He picked them up, intending to return them to Bai Nian later.

Today was Saturday, and Xu Mu had already planned his entertainment for the day—less studying, more lounging around, playing games just for fun without thinking about making money. 

Since he had to accompany Ye Ye to a themed event on Sunday, he decided to indulge a bit today and reduce his studying to just a little.

After finishing breakfast, Xu Mu went to knock on the door next door.

"Morning, Brother Nian."

Bai Nian gripped the doorframe and replied hoarsely, "Morning."

He was wearing a loose-fitting white cotton long-sleeved shirt, the style accentuating his slender, bony frame as the hem hung down.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" Xu Mu noticed the exhaustion in Bai Nian's demeanor, faint hints of dark circles under his eyes.

Bai Nian pursed his lips. "It's okay."

Sure enough, the young man's expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened last night.

What a seamless transition in attitude.

It's as if he's a different person.

"Oh, okay, Brother Nian, take care of yourself," Xu Mu didn't dwell on it too much, handing over the glasses, "You forgot these last night."

"Thanks," Bai Nian said quietly, lowering his gaze and reaching out to take them.

In the moment before their fingers touched, Xu Mu remembered Bai Nian's mention of "distance." He flipped his hand, and the glasses fell into Bai Nian's palm.

Bai Nian's eyelids fluttered, and he closed his hand around them.

It felt so strange, so different from last night, as if encountering a second personality of the other person.

He asked, "Anything else?"

"Nothing," Xu Mu replied.

Bai Nian nodded. "Alright, thanks."

"Not at al—" Xu Mu froze, his words cut off as the automatic door closed.

Was it just his imagination?

Bai Nian seemed to be holding back something.

He pondered for a moment, recalling their conversation from last night, and suddenly it all made sense.

Xu Mu thought, It must be Ye Ye being mischievous and making Brother Nian upset. 

Ah, what a rascal.

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