The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 14

 

TGMNDIAR - 14

Xu Mu finished earning achievement points at the balloon stand and handed them to Bai Nian, "Brother Nian, you take Ye Ye to play around, I'll go earn some achievement points."

Bai Nian subconsciously caught them and called out, "Wait a minute."

Xu Mu turned back, "What's wrong?"

Bai Nian hesitated, "Your hat... I should return it to you."

Xu Mu waved his hand, "No need, you wear it for now."

"I'll be back soon." After saying that, he had already run off.

Bai Nian held the baseball cap awkwardly, unsure of what to do, before slowly retracting his hand.

"Dad, it's hot," Ye Ye said softly.

Bai Nian snapped back, "Alright, let's find a place to sit first."

Ye Ye said, "Orange juice... Daddy said..."

Bai Nian wiped his forehead with a tissue and softly asked, "Did your big brother promise you to buy orange juice?"

Ye Ye nodded vigorously, solemnly correcting, "It's Daddy."

Bai Nian spoke gently, "Okay, I'll take you later."

Meanwhile, Xu Mu embarked on a frantic journey to collect points.

He tried every competitive and scoreboard-based attraction in the amusement park, determined to reap all the achievement points from each one.

By the time he had gathered enough points to redeem the life-sized toy and the fire-breathing dragon that Ye Ye wanted, it was already two hours later.

But Xu Mu didn't stop there; he continued to collect points.

Those two toys for Ye Ye were enough, but for the plush toy he wanted...

He was still far from having enough.

Bai Nian took Ye Ye to sit for a while and then played some activities suitable for children.

As the sun was about to set, Xu Mu was still nowhere to be seen.

Bai Nian also noticed that the achievement points on the account page had reached a terrifying number.

Not only could he redeem one Saiyan and one fire-breathing dragon, but he could easily redeem ten.

Bai Nian hesitated for a moment, then messaged Xu Mu.

[Bai: Ah Mu, where are you now? Are you still collecting achievement points?]

A minute later, he received a reply.

[Xu: Just finished, I am at the redemption center, i’ll be there soon.]

[Xu: Photo.JPG]

Bai Nian zoomed in on the photo, showing the service point at the entrance of the amusement park.

[Bai: I'll come find you.]

[Xu: Okay]

"Ye Ye, let’s get ready to go home," he squeezed the little hand.

Ye Ye seemed listless, drawing out his response, "Okaaay..."

Then he asked again, "Where's Daddy?"

"He's redeeming the toys. We'll go find him in a moment."

Ye Ye rubbed his eyes. "Can I see Saiya and the dragon?"

"Yes."

Ye Ye's toothy grin returned, his energy restored. "Let's go..."

---

Amusement Park Service Point

The front desk staff greeted with a smile, "Mr. Xu, there's no problem with the achievement points. The warehouse robot is helping you get the prizes."

Xu Mu nodded. "Okay, thank you."

He stood quietly on the side, waiting. Before long, he heard a loud shout—

"Daddy!"

Pedestrians passing by couldn't help but glance over.

Xu Mu turned his head, a curve lifting his lips. "Ye Ye."

He looked at Bai Nian. "Brother Nian."

Bai Nian smiled gently. "You've worked hard."

Xu Mu replied, "It's nothing."

Bai Nian asked, "I see you've collected so many achievement points. Is there a prize you want to exchange for?"

Xu Mu paused. "Yes."

"Oh, no wonder. What prize do you want to exchange for?"

Xu Mu fell into an eerie silence for a few seconds before saying, "Just one—"

"Mr. Xu, your prizes are here," the staff's voice was sweet, "Please check if there are any mistakes."

Bai Nian followed the voice and froze instantly.

Standing in the glass cabinet was a lop-eared rabbit nearly twice the size of an adult, its light beige fur smooth and silky. Its two ears drooped over its cheeks, looking incredibly lifelike.

Xu Mu looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Is this plush toy... really this big?"

The staff member replied, "Yes, Mr. Xu, after all, it's the super grand prize of our amusement park. It's worth fifteen hundred achievement points."

A subtle curve formed at the corner of Xu Mu's lips. "Hmm, indeed every point is worth it."

"Is this... the prize you want to redeem?" Bai Nian took a deep breath, forcing himself to ask.

He could feel his cheeks warming up, unable to resist lowering his head and pressing down the brim of his cap.

But realizing who the owner of the baseball cap was, he suddenly straightened up, curling his fingertips into his palm.

"Yeah, I thought it looked cute on the screen–," Xu Mu abruptly stopped himself, "Anyway, I really like it. I just don't know how it feels?"

He pondered for a moment. "The details page says the texture is extremely similar to that of a real rabbit, but it could be just a marketing gimmick, purely to attract tourists."

Bai Nian: "..."

His breath grew heavier, as if stuck in his chest, unable to come out.

"Mr. Xu, do you have a large-sized storage compartment?" the staff asked.

"Yes, I do," Xu Mu handed it over.

"Okay, I'll help you put it in," the staff said.

Xu Mu carefully placed the storage compartment, then naturally said to Bai Nian, "Brother Nian, let's go."

Bai Nian: "..." He gritted his teeth, telling himself to stay calm.

"Brother Nian?" Xu Mu was puzzled by his lack of response.

Bai Nian remained silent, carrying Ye Ye as he walked out.

Xu Mu blinked, not thinking too much, and quickly caught up.

---

At the amusement park, Xu Mu didn't feel anything wrong with his legs.

But once he arrived on the public airship and sat down in his seat. Half an hour later upon reaching the destination, he found himself struggling to stand.

—It hurts, it hurts so much!

His entire leg felt like it had lost its skeletal support, the soles of his feet ached, his calves felt as heavy as lead, and even a slight movement sent a sharp pain shooting through his head.

Seeing Xu Mu not leaving, Bai Nian asked, "What's wrong?"

Xu Mu's face stiffened slightly. "I feel... the moonlight tonight is quite beautiful."

Bai Nian was momentarily taken aback and instinctively looked towards the porthole. The sun had nearly set, leaving the sky engulfed in deep ink, with the moon hanging high and bright.

"Indeed, it's quite round," he said softly.

Xu Mu nodded solemnly.

Bai Nian continued, "We have a public botanical garden on the rooftop. You can go up there to enjoy the moon whenever you have free time."

His emotions had calmed down along the way, and he could now speak calmly.

"But for now, we need to go. The airlock will close in half a minute."

Xu Mu finally stood up, his back soaked with cold sweat. "Hmm, let's go."

He forced himself to walk steadily, making sure he didn't show any signs of discomfort.

Bai Nian didn't notice anything unusual; he walked slowly with the drowsy Ye Ye in his arms.

They arrived at their doorstep.

Bai Nian asked, "Do you want to come over for dinner later?"

Xu Mu's expression remained calm as he politely declined, "No, I have some personal matters to attend to. I'll just use a nutrient solution to solve it. I won't come over for dinner tonight.”

"Oh, I see. Do you need me to—"

"No need." Xu Mu cut him off. "Brother Nian, you must be tired today as well. Get some rest early. Good night."

"Okay, good night." Bai Nian was about to step into his house.

He seemed to feel something from the slight clicking sound, glanced over from the corner of his eye, and was stunned.

Xu Mu exerted considerable effort to step into the house, he almost lost his balance and nearly fell face-first.

His brows furrowed tightly as he limped through the doorway on the final step.

With a click, Bai Nian snapped back to reality, he pieced together Xu Mu's odd behavior in his mind. The truth slowly unfolded before him.

So, it wasn't about the moonlight being beautiful; it was because he couldn't walk properly due to overexertion?

His emotions instantly became subtle and complex.

The face of a young man is sometimes—

Thick yet thin.

...

Bai Nian couldn't shake off his concern; he kept thinking about this matter.

After helping Ye Ye bathe and soothing him to sleep until his breathing became steady, Bai Nian tiptoed out of the room.

Should he go or not?

Bai Nian couldn't stop agonizing over it. After sitting idly for a few minutes, he finally decided to go check on Xu Mu.

But the thought of the huge rabbit plush from the afternoon made it difficult for him to move his legs and knocked on the door next door.

Or... he could sneak a peek?

In his mimicry state, he can hop onto the neighbor's balcony to take a quick look and then leave.

The more Bai Nian thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. After hesitating for a moment—

A light beige lop-eared rabbit leaped out from the windowsill, causing the sheer curtains to flutter in the wind, and the light purple tassels to rustle softly.

...

"Ah!!!" Xu Mu cried out in pain. "Nades, be more gentle!"

Nades's mechanical arm remained motionless. "Master, don't you have any understanding of your own physical condition? How could you still..."

"Nades, are you trying to change owners?" Xu Mu stared blankly at the ceiling. "If you want to, just say so. I'll send you back to the factory tomorrow—Ah!"

Nades sighed. "I'm just trying to help you loosen your muscles and promote blood circulation. Instead of being grateful, you threaten me?"

Xu Mu struggled to prop himself up. "Who threatened you?"

Nades didn't respond. Instead, he swiftly wrapped Xu Mu's calves with cylindrical, cold covers, emitting flashes of red light. Countless tiny needles protruded from the inner wall and pierced his skin.

Xu Mu closed his eyes, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, his calves trembling.

"What is this?"

"It's something that helps you recover and has benefits," Nades meticulously explained. "Although the therapeutic device can temporarily relieve pain, it's only a temporary fix. It's better to take this opportunity to shape your physique and strengthen your muscles and bones."

Xu Mu murmured, "Is it true?"

"My dear master, I would never deceive anyone, especially not you."

Xu Mu chuckled, not entirely convinced.

Nades added, "There's about three minutes left. Hang in there."

Xu Mu remained silent. His calves had almost no sensation, but from his knees to his thighs and even his abdomen, there was a faint warmth and a tingling sensation.

"Okay," Nades calmly removed the covers. "You can get up and walk now."

Xu Mu got off the couch and took a few steps, he was extremely surprised.

It really didn't hurt much anymore, only a slight soreness remained.

"Amazing," he marveled, taking a few more steps around the living room.

Suddenly, Xu Mu stopped, staring fixedly at the balcony.

"Tutu?" he murmured.

Outside the glass window,

Bai Nian was about to leave, relieved to see the young man go from lying down for treatment to walking around on the ground. He sighed with relief.

He jumped onto the railing, roughly estimating the landing point on the opposite side. Just as he was about to jump, he found himself suspended in midair.

"How did you get here?" A low voice, tinged with amusement.

Bai Nian froze, falling into a warm embrace.

Xu Mu held the lop-eared rabbit's butt with one hand and stroked its back with the other hand, he lifted his arm, his gaze meeting the rabbit's eyes.

"Tutu..." Xu Mu thought the lop-eared rabbit had come specifically to play with him. Seeing it not resisting his approach, he felt both surprised and delighted.

Unable to resist, he pulled the rabbit closer and kissed its ears.

Feeling it wasn't enough, he planted another kiss on its head.

"Mwah." The sound was light but crystal clear in the darkness of the night.

"So cute." Xu Mu's lips curved upwards, unable to suppress his joy. "Such a cute rabbit was caught..."

He teased playfully, with a smile on his face that couldn't be suppressed at all.

"I want to kiss you bald."

...

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