The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 19

 

TGMNDIAR - 19

Bai Nian opened his eyes, his consciousness hazy and heavy.

The ceiling that came into view was extremely unfamiliar, pure white, until he saw the familiar light fixture hanging in the center, and his lightly floating body finally felt the sensation of landing on the ground.

—It was his room.

Bai Nian slowly got up, the blanket slipping off as he did so, and a few strands of cold air rushed past his thin pajamas.

He wrapped himself again with the blanket, recalling the events of last night, his eyes gradually losing focus.

He coaxed Ye Ye to sleep, he suddenly staggered when he walked out of the room. Hearing the doorbell, he opened the door and saw Xu Mu. His hands and feet slowly lost strength, and then he lost consciousness. The last fragment in his memory is...

A broad and chilly embrace.

Bai Nian bit his lip. So it was the young man who brought him to the room last night?

He tried hard to remember, but no relevant fragments appeared in his mind.

Bai Nian sat still for a few minutes, but eventually gave up trying to recall the events of last night.

He casually threw on a fluffy coat and walked out of the living room.

…

In the kitchen, a tall figure and a robot stood side by side, whispering to each other.

"That's not right... didn't you say adding spinach first would make it taste too strong?"

"Master, is it possible that cooking the vegetables in clear soup extracts their flavor?"

"Don't talk nonsense... let's put that aside for now. Why is it all vegetables? We should at least add some minced meat."

"Perhaps Mr. Bai prefers vegetables more?"

"Preference is one thing, but a balanced diet of vegetables and meat is necessary."

"But you're not watching him eat every day, are you? How do you know he doesn't eat meat? Besides, it's even more uncomfortable for someone who's sick to eat meat."

"Do we need to see this? There's barely any meat, just bones. Normally—"

Ba Nian's complexion turned pale and green, various scenes of mimicry flashed in his mind, and he immediately interrupted, "Ah Mu! You... cough, cough, cough..."

He spoke in a hurry, took a deep breath of cool air, and choked several times while leaning against the door frame.

Xu Mu was taken aback, then pleasantly surprised, "Brother Nian, you're awake!"

He reached out to pat Ba Nian's back, but halfway through, he quickly withdrew his hand.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Xu Mu asked with concern.

As he bent over, the shadows fell inch by inch from above, enveloping Ba Nian within them.

He instinctively tilted his head back and took a step back. "It's okay, I just choked a bit."

Xu Mu approached, his gaze level with Ba Nian's. "Are you still running a fever?" he asked, pointing to Bai Nian's forehead. "Is it hot?"

Bai Nian replied, "It's mostly gone, it's not hot."

"That's good."

Bai Nian was about to ask about the previous night when Xu Mu quickly cut him off, "You're the one who asked me to stay. I didn't wander around, just dozed off on your sofa all night. Of course, the main reason was to make sure you were okay... I didn't touch much in the kitchen. I brought the pots and ingredients myself, I just used the stove. I was planning to finish and leave."

He paused for a moment. "I didn't cook at my house because I thought it would be more convenient to leave it in your kitchen to keep it warm in case you didn't wake up early."

Bai Nian was stunned by this long explanation, with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Oh, I see... well, thank you for taking care of me last night. I hope I didn't trouble you?" 

Trouble? 

Xu Mu's Adam's apple, which was covered by the turtleneck sweater, slid slightly. The itch from last night spread from the surface of his skin to his throat, making his throat dry.

"No," he answered without hesitation.

Bai Nian noticed the dark circle under Xu Mu's eyes and couldn't help but ask, "How long did you sleep last night?"

Xu Mu replied vaguely, "I was half-asleep, occasionally waking up to check on you."

Bai Nian frowned. "Your dark circles..."

Xu Mu rubbed under his eyelids. "Dark circles? I think I've had them for a while."

Bai Nian didn't really believe that, but since Xu Mu said so, he didn't press further. "Anyway, thank you."

Xu Mu smiled and shifted his gaze. "Hmm, would you like breakfast?"

Bai Nian nodded gently. "Yes, thank you for your hard work."

Xu Mu said, "You sit here, I'll call Ye Ye out. He was reluctant to get up in the morning. Even Karou can't coax him out of bed."

He looked at Bai Nian. "The temperature dropped quickly today. Although there's heating at home, you should wear something thicker. Thin clothes aren't warm enough."

Bai Nian tucked the slightly open collar and murmured softly, "Okay."

…

Ye Ye got up reluctantly, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He was bundled up tightly by Karou, resembling a chubby snowball.

He climbed onto the chair but didn't immediately start eating breakfast. Instead, he rested his head on the table, his nose and mouth hidden under his scarf.

"Ye Ye, what would you like to eat?" Xu Mu asked.

Ye Ye seemed to be in a daze, blinking his eyelids.

"Brother is asking what you want to eat. Did you hear?" Ba Nian gently stroked his head.

Ye Ye slowly got up. "What... is there?"

"We have vegetable porridge, noodles, rice, and some buns and cakes." The first few items were prepared by Xu Mu and Nades together, while the buns and cakes were bought from outside.

"Cake..." Ye Ye extended his little hand, pointing to the black chocolate cake. "I want this one."

"Okay." Xu Mu handed it to him, along with a glass of milk.

Xu Mu asked Bai Nian what he would like to eat.

Bai Nian pondered for a moment before asking, "Which dish did you make?"

Xu Mu felt a bit embarrassed. "The porridge, I guess. Nades was in charge of the other dishes."

"Okay, then I'll have the porridge," Bai Nian smiled. "I'll see if Ah Mu's culinary skills have improved."

Xu Mu served a bowl of porridge and placed it in front of him.

Bai Nian held the spoon and gently blew on it, dispersing a faint wisp of steam.

"How is it?" Xu Mu also held a spoon, looking expectantly at Ba Nian.

Bai Nian struggled to swallow, his taste buds detecting a peculiar flavor.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't delicious either.

The young man indeed lacked natural cooking talent.

"It's okay," Bai Nian tactfully commented, "but you put too much cabbage. You could reduce it next time."

Xu Mu felt relieved. "Hmm," he replied, preparing to taste it himself—

Oh, it's awful.

*Cough... Cough... Cough...* His face contorted, nearly causing him to spit it out.

Xu Mu awkwardly took Bai Nian's tissue and said with complexity, "Brother Nian, perhaps you shouldn't eat this. It really tastes terrible."

He placed the dishes prepared by Nades in front of Bai Nian, along with the buns and cake.

Bai Nian, feeling helpless, reassured him, "It's not that bad. The taste is indeed strange, not necessarily terrible. Perhaps you didn't add enough seasoning, or maybe there was too much cabbage. The bitterness of the amaranth juice mixed in, making it... unique."

Xu Mu: "..."

"Thank you, Brother Nian," he thanked him, he said it in a nice way to save face..

---

After the small mishap during breakfast that day, Xu Mu didn't linger and took Nades back home.

In the following days, Xu Mu didn't see Bai Nian and Ye Ye again.

The former was busy with work, leaving early and returning late, while the latter caught a slight cold due to the sudden drop in temperature and couldn't go out to play, having to stay at home.

When Kadou told Xu Mu about this, Ye Ye made a short video call with a deliberate posture, speaking with a nasal tone.

"Daddy... I'll get better soon, and then I'll come back. You wait..."

Before Ye Ye could finish, Bai Nian's gentle voice intervened. "Ye Ye, don't hide the medicine under your pillow. You have to swallow it."

Ye Ye pouted. "Oh..."

Xu Mu chuckled. "Ye Ye, you have to take your medicine properly. If you don't, you won't get better, and then you won't be able to play with me."

Ye Ye covered his face with the cap of his hat and mumbled, "I know... I'll take the medicine..."

At that moment, Xu Mu didn't feel much, but in the following days, he began to feel somewhat uneasy.

With Ye Ye being sick, he hardly left the house. Ba Nian was also busy with work, especially during this time. Apart from Kadou's frequent visits, Xu Mu hadn't seen him, nor had he tasted Bai Nian's homemade desserts and dinners.

"Sighing is the beginning of aging in life, Master," Nades said solemnly.

Xu Mu's mouth twitched.

Nades asked, "Is it because we don't have enough money to pay off debts?"

"It's not that."

"Are you perhaps encountering difficulties in learning?"

"It’s not that either," Xu Mu replied.

"In that case, it must be because school is about to start, and your aversion to studying is acting up," Nades concluded firmly.

Xu Mu remained expressionless. "Don't try to guess my thoughts randomly." The conversation was getting more absurd by the minute.

Nades persisted, "Alright, but I still have to remind you, there's only one week left until the end of summer vacation. Do you remember that you need to retake six subjects, otherwise you'll be expelled? It's a significant matter."

Xu Mu retorted, "I remember. Otherwise, what was the point of studying so hard during the summer?"

"Who knows?" Nades replied. "After all, I shouldn't be randomly guessing your thoughts."

"Fine," Xu Mu said reluctantly.

Ding-dong—the doorbell rang.

Xu Mu went to answer the door, finding a delivery robot waiting outside.

"Hello, please sign here for your delivery," the robot said.

Xu Mu bent down slightly, his pupils meeting the scanner's, and there was a beep as the red light flashed.

"Thank you," Xu Mu said as he took the storage compartment.

"Thank you for using Weian Express. Have a pleasant day!" the robot chirped before leaving.

Xu Mu took out the items from the storage compartment one by one and found it to be the adult rabbit care kit he had ordered half a month ago. 

Last time, only a climbing frame was delivered, and the customer service had assured him that the other items were in another package and were being transported.

After waiting for several days without any news, Xu Mu went to inquire again. The customer service said the package was confirmed lost and would be resent.

So, Xu Mu waited until now to receive this package.

He swiftly unpacked it, checked everything once, and found the quantity was correct, and the quality was also good.

Based on his past experience and the name on the box, Xu Mu roughly judged the approximate use of the goods.

It’s quite comprehensive. Xu Mu sighed, surprised to find a high-tech rabbit spirit soothing device.

Has this world evolved to the point of providing psychological comfort to animals?

Are there still animal psychologists among veterinarians? This thought flashed through his mind and quickly disappeared without a trace.

"Do they also include rabbit snacks..." Xu Mu pondered for a second and put it into his usual storage compartment.

Next time he meets a lop-eared rabbit, he'll take it out and give it to them.

Hopefully, they'll like it.

However, in this cold weather, the owner of the lop-eared rabbit probably won't let it roam freely.

Every time Xu Mu thinks that the lop-eared rabbit actually has an owner, he feels empty inside.

Perhaps this is what people often call fate.

Xu Mu didn't know why, but he didn't have an urgent desire to raise other rabbits; instead, his heart was set on that lop-eared rabbit.

He has a strange liking.

…

On the other side, Bai Nian, who was being mentioned by Xu Mu, sneezed.

He adjusted the thin blanket on his shoulders, his cheeks adorned with furry ears, and gave a shake. Behind the chair, a pointy rabbit tail quietly fell down and lightly brushed against the chair leg.

Bai Nian didn't know what was happening but for the past few days he frequently shifted between forms, even in his human form, his ears and tail couldn't retract.

He had to apply for remote work, staying in his study to sketch, barely going out.

Partly because of the cold weather and not wanting to move, and partly because...

Bai Nian paused with the pen he held, leaving a black dot on the blank canvas.

He snapped out of it, noticing the dirt on the canvas, and pressed the undo button.

If the young man were to see him in his mimicry form, he would probably hug and cuddle with him endlessly.

He behaved differently when facing him in his human form, the young man's insane obsession with his mimicry form was beyond abnormal, even calling it a perversion would be an understatement.

...But normally he's so gentle, humble, and polite, as normal as can be.

"Master, the tarts in the oven are ready," Kadou knocked on the door, reminding him.

Bai Nian replied, "Okay, I'll be right there."

Kadou followed suit, "Should I still take a portion to Mr. Xu next door?"

"Yes."

"If Mr. Xu asks about you and the young master, should I give the same answer as before?"

Bai Nian paused for a moment, "For Ye Ye's sake, tell him he’s almost over his cold and will be able to go out to play tomorrow. As for me... it's the same as before, busy with work, leaving early and returning late, so it’s hard to meet people."

"Understood, master," Kadou noted.

"Don't forget the soy milk box and taro milk tea," Bai Nian carefully selected the tarts with pleasing shapes, placing each one in the insulated box, "Okay, take them over now."

"Yes, master."

...

"Oh, thank you for your hard work, Kadou," Xu Mu's hair was messy, like wild weeds. He had gaming headphones around his neck, transparent gaming glasses perched on his nose, with dazzling lights reflecting a myriad of colors on his face.

"Please send my thanks to Brother Nian." he asked, "By the way, how's Ye Ye's health?"

"The young master's cold is almost gone, he'll be able to come out and play tomorrow," Kadou said.

Xu Mu smiled, "Really? That's great."

"Is Brother Nian still very busy?" It had been several days since he last saw him.

Kadou replied, "Yes, master is very busy, he leaves early and comes back home late, and basically can't be seen."

Xu Mu sighed, "Tell Brother Nian to take care of himself."

"Okay, Mr. Xu."

"Goodbye," Xu Mu waved, preparing to close the door.

"Goodbye, Mr. Xu."

…

The next day...

"Are there fleas on the sofa?" Nades was mopping the floor and pointed out, "It seems like you can't sit still, you keep jumping up."

Today, Xu Mu clearly tidied up a bit. He wasn't wearing casual pajamas but a simple and stylish windbreaker. His unkempt hair at home was now neatly combed, and the ends were carefully styled, quite grand.

"Why hasn't Ye Ye come yet?" Xu Mu propped his chin with one hand, the pen spinning and flipping between his fingers. "Does he not like playing with me anymore?"

Nades glanced at him, "Don't worry, Ye Ye will definitely appreciate the effort you've put into dressing up and will be here soon."

Xu Mu: "...Why do you sound so cryptic? Do I look strange now that I've dressed up?"

"No. Not strange."

Xu Mu: "Then what do you mean?"

"My meaning is, Ye Ye will like you."

Xu Mu's lips curled slightly, "Well, I've always been quite popular with kids. Nades, are you jealous of me?"

Nades sneered, "Putting aside other matters, my dear master, could you please tell me why, when that child comes over to play, you have to dress up like a peacock?"

Xu Mu was bewildered, "What do you mean by 'peacock'? Isn't this just normal attire for going out?"

"Besides I haven't seen Ye Ye for several days. Now that I finally see him, should I just go out looking unkempt? Shouldn't I tidy up a bit?"

As he spoke more confidently. He continued, "Nades, am I not making sense?"

Nades: "...Ha."

The robot stopped arguing with his master and continued diligently with his work.

Xu Mu couldn't sit still and decided to go next door to see Ye Ye.

—Hmm, it's not good for kids to stay cooped up at home all the time.

After ringing the doorbell, Xu Mu waited for the door to open. He thought, if everything goes as usual, it would be Kadou who answered the door.

And indeed, it was Kadou.

"Mr. Xu, hello."

Xu Mu nodded, "Sorry to disturb you, Kadou."

This time, there was a little tail following behind the robot.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Ye Ye came bouncing over, dressed like a ball, and ran straight towards him.

Xu Mu crouched down, opened his arms, and hugged Ye Ye, lifting him up playfully.

"Do you miss me?" he asked with a smile.

Ye Ye replied loudly, "Yes!"

Xu Mu asked again, "How much do you miss me?"

"Very, very much!" Ye Ye exclaimed.

"Do you want to play ball?" Xu Mu asked.

"Yes!" Ye Ye’s eyes lit up.

Xu Mu chuckled and asked, "What about your dad?"

"Oh, he's at work," Ye Ye answered himself.

Ye Ye tilted his head, then suddenly grabbed Xu Mu's hand and led him inside, continuously calling out, "Daddy... Daddy..."

Xu Mu didn't understand, but he followed along, thinking that Ye Ye missed Bai Nian since he was calling out like that.

"Do you miss daddy?" Xu Mu asked.

Ye Ye kept repeating, "Daddy... Daddy... let’s go..."

Xu Mu began to suspect that Ye Ye was leading him to Bai Nian's room.

"Daddy!" Ye Ye stopped and pointed into the room.

Xu Mu, willing to play along with the child, leaned in, "Okay, so where's your daddy hiding...?"

He froze, "Tutu? What are you doing here?"

Bai Nian: "..."

With one foot already over the railing of the small balcony, Bai Nian was preparing to escape from the room.

Unexpectedly, the young man came over much faster than he imagined.

Bai Nian only regretted not hearing his footsteps earlier, or perhaps he should have been more alert amidst Ye Ye's increasingly frantic calls.

Xu Mu approached slowly, speaking softly, "Tutu, come down first, it's dangerous up here. How many times have I told you not to casually go out onto the balcony? Don't rely on your ability to jump and disregard your safety..."

He automatically filled in the blanks in his mind about the circumstances of the lop-eared rabbit being here—

No wonder the rabbit stopped coming to him. He had thought the owner was keeping it inside, but now it seemed the lop-eared rabbit had been wandering around, having long forgotten about him.

Xu Mu's heart shattered. Did the lop-eared rabbit grow tired of playing with him?

Even though last time it left on good terms. Didn't it kick his hand, implying it would come to play with him again next time?

He swiftly brought the lop-eared rabbit down and looked at it softly, "You liar..." It hadn't even been that long, and it had already stopped coming to see him, even though they got along so well before.

Bai Nian felt guilty and couldn't meet Xu Mu's eyes.

—Ah, he shouldn't have lied and said he was going to work.

Xu Mu lowered his gaze; the fickle rabbit didn't care about him at all.

He felt really sad.

"Tutu, don't you think you owe me something?" he deliberately raised his voice, pretending to be pitiful, "I'm so sad..."

Bai Nian: "..."

He glanced over quietly and quickly looked away again.

He thought: How can he make it up to him? Should he... give himself to the young man?

Xu Mu was surprised to find that the lop-eared rabbit in his arms today was unusually obedient.

He tilted his head, put his feet together, held his drooping ears with both hands, and rubbed them against his cheeks, blocking most of his eyes.

"Tutu?" Xu Mu leaned in tentatively, gently teasing its face with his fingertips, then running them along its neck and back to groom its fur.

Still, it didn't lift its head.

Xu Mu pressed his face against it again, rubbing it gently. When he turned his head, he noticed the lop-eared rabbit didn't make a sound, didn't struggle, and its feet didn't kick.

Has the temperamental rabbit changed its nature?

The curve of Xu Mu's lips turned up, suppressing the excitement in his heart. His hand quietly shifted position, inching closer to a new target.

This time, he pressed his lips against the lop-eared rabbit's sensitive ears, giving them a light touch, twice, then immediately pulling away.

The delicate blood vessels in the rabbit's ears were lined with red-like threads. Applying even a little pressure would trigger its trembling.

Bai Nian shivered for a moment but suppressed the instinct to retreat.

The sensation of touching one's own ears versus someone else's ears was like night and day.

Even though Xu Mu's hands felt nothing special when he rubbed them, it was completely different for him.

Just a touch, and it felt like a gentle current was flowing, spreading through his whole body. His limbs seemed to be filled with a soft, fluffy sensation.

Bai Nian buried the hand he was clutching in his stomach, suppressing the tremble in his spine as he slowly leaned into Xu Mu's hand.

He closed his eyes, resigning himself. It didn't matter; he could consider it a form of socializing through mimicry.

Although he still didn't know what the young man's mimicry felt like.

So good. Xu Mu pressed his tongue against his teeth, thinking that since it hadn't kicked him, maybe he could...

Try playfully biting its cute little head?

Xu Mu didn't dare to look again, afraid of being tempted.

He went to find Ye Ye but found the child had already disappeared.

He stepped out of the living room and saw Ye Ye riding a toy car.

Xu Mu stopped Ye Ye and cleared his throat, "Um, Ye Ye, can I play ball with you in an hour, no, two hours?"

Ye Ye hugged the mini version of Saiya he got from the amusement park exchange booth and blinked, "Okay..."

He stared at the lop-eared rabbit in the other's arms and mumbled, "Daddy... leaving... when will you come back..."

Thinking Ye Ye was calling for Bai Nian, Xu Mu patted his head and said, "Daddy's busy. He'll be back at the same time as before, maybe later. Don't be afraid, don't cry."

Ye Ye said, "Not crying, not afraid... Ye Ye is strong..."

Xu Mu smiled, "Yes, Ye Ye is strong."

Bai Nian witnessed the whole thing, feeling a bit embarrassed as he shrunk into the young man's arms, tightly covering his ears.

Xu Mu was oblivious to this, humming a tune in his heart as he took the lop-eared rabbit home.

He didn't forget to playfully tease the rabbit as he opened the door, "Be good, I won't hurt you. Next time you can come and play with me. I have plenty of time..."

Bai Nian could only sigh; the young man was always noisy whenever he faced his mimicry.

On the contrary, he is usually cold and taciturn, and his emotions and anger are invisible...

Smack—The more Xu Mu looked at it, the more he liked it. He boldly planted a kiss on the lop-eared rabbit's head.

Bai Nian: "..."

Xu Mu took a deep breath and muttered to himself.

"Tutu, why do I always act like a pervert when I'm with you... Don't be afraid, I just can't control myself."

He lifted the lop-eared rabbit, pressing his forehead against its, looking serious.

"After all, I'm still young, only nineteen. You have to bear with me."

As for being twenty-seven in his past life? That didn't exist.

Bai Nian stared at Xu Mu, their eyes meeting.

He couldn't take it anymore. Was it okay for him to act recklessly just because he was young? Forgetting he still had his rabbit ears, he raised his hand and gave the youth a hard slap on the mouth.

Xu Mu only felt the soft fur brushing against his lips, sending a tingling sensation.

He murmured, "So soft..." Indeed, the brief contact earlier didn't allow him to fully appreciate the beauty of the ears.

If he put the rabbit's ears in his mouth it would be very comfortable, wouldn't it?

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