TGMNDIAR - 3
Xu Mu pushed aside the grass on the green belt and quietly walked deeper.
The originally vague sounds gradually became clear.
Xu Mu stared without blinking, his heartbeat slightly quickening.
It was a cream-colored lop-eared rabbit.
It was injured, and its foot was bleeding.
"Are you okay..." Xu Mu walked very lightly, afraid of startling it.
As expected, the rabbit turned around in panic, dragging its injured leg backward.
Xu Mu dared not approach. He saw one of the rabbit's ears suddenly stand up—
This was an instinctive reaction to being startled.
Xu Mu held his breath, trying to speak in the gentlest voice possible: "Don't be afraid, let me have a look at you..."
The lop-eared rabbit froze, its nose twitching. Its gray-blue eyes darted around, blinking rapidly due to nervousness.
As Xu Mu approached closer and closer, he bent down low, lips tightly pressed together.
Just a little more, just a little more...
He seized the moment, extending his hand without hesitation. With a grab, his hand was filled with fur.
The lop-eared rabbit's back arched, instantly fluffing up. Its limbs struggled desperately, making gurgling sounds in its mouth, trembling all over.
A smile curved up at the corner of Xu Mu's mouth. So soft. The next moment, he felt the rabbit's fear and quickly loosened his grip a bit.
He tried to comfort it as best as he could, softly saying, "Don't be afraid, I just noticed you're injured and wanted to help bandage your wound..."
As he rubbed the rabbit's back gently, he swayed it lightly, using the classic technique of soothing a child.
Xu Mu had once raised a rabbit, a light gray dwarf rabbit named Dian Dian. It was very cute but not particularly docile. Occasionally, it would kick people when it was angry, and when upset, it would intentionally refuse to use the litter box, insisting on defecating on his bed.
–- He wonders how it's doing now...
He sighed. If the original owner were to swap into his body, would they treat his Dian Dian well?
That little chubby ball didn't like drinking water, was picky about grass, loved eating dried vegetables, and especially liked sweet bamboo. But sweet bamboo shouldn't be eaten too much. He hadn't done his homework before and had bought a big gift bag of rabbit snacks, using sweet bamboo as a chew stick. Actually, this stuff had a high sugar content, which could easily cause tooth decay in rabbits. If the texture was too hard, it could also cause the rabbit's teeth to become crooked.
But it loved eating it, and if it didn't eat it a few times a month, it would go on a hunger strike, even more stubborn than a Shiba Inu.
The more Xu Mu thought about it, the sadder he felt. He held the lop-eared rabbit and whispered softly, "Be good... I'll just bandage your wound, I won't do anything else, or else bleeding more will hurt..."
The lop-eared rabbit in his arms stopped moving, as if understanding Xu Mu's words. It drooped its head, the gurgling sound of anger disappearing, replaced by a slight and rapid breathing.
Xu Mu naturally sensed it.
He lowered his eyelids, his movements becoming even gentler. "Alright, I'll take you back."
-
"Welcome home master." Nades stood in the foyer, perfectly timing the activation of the floating lights.
Xu Mu hurriedly stepped in, not even changing his shoes before rushing into the living room.
"Nades, do we have a first aid kit at home?"
"Yes, we do."
"Bring it to me."
"Of course, please wait a moment."
Xu Mu carefully pulled out a mat and laid the lop-eared rabbit on it, then knelt down beside it, meeting its gaze at eye level. He whispered softly, "I'll clean your wound in a moment, it might hurt a little, but don't be afraid."
The lop-eared rabbit's nose twitched, and its chubby cheeks moved accordingly. It extended a paw and pressed it against Xu Mu's fingertip.
Xu Mu was taken aback, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
He gently held the rabbit's paw, giving it a little squeeze, feeling his heart engulfed in warmth.
So soft... it felt like cotton candy... so adorable...
Xu Mu's eyes lit up, tentatively returning the rabbit's grasp. His pupils weren't entirely black; there was a hint of green mixed in, giving off a faint coolness under the living room lights.
He stared at the lop-eared rabbit, his face devoid of expression, but his fervent emotions churned like a rushing stream, constantly washing over his heart.
If only it were his rabbit—
Xu Mu calculated the money he had earned and the amount he needed to repay debts. It seemed feasible, but he didn't know how much the basic expenses for raising rabbits were. No, he should equip them with the best.
His mind raced through various rabbit-raising equipment, yet his expression remained unchanged.
...
So, it's a new neighbor... the lop-eared rabbit, also known as Bai Nian. He was somewhat surprised, but he also felt relieved. At least they lived nearby, making it convenient to return home when needed.
To be honest, he was a bit afraid of the young man.
It wasn't because the young man had a frightening cold demeanor; quite the opposite, Xu Mu could sense the gentleness in his actions when he picked him up, carefully avoiding touching his wound.
But...
Bai Nian lowered his eyes. He didn't know what species the young man was, but he seemed to be some kind of large bird of prey.
He instinctively felt afraid, as if it were engraved in his genes.
Especially during mimicry, this fear of facing natural enemies becomes even more acute.
Combined with the familiar sensation of pain pulsing through his body, he often endured such torment for a month.
He had little strength and didn't want to move at all.
But the feeling of being held was too strange.
—Clearly, his intention was just to tell the young man that he understood his kindness, and he wasn't afraid anymore. The trembling was just a reflexive response of his body.
Bai Nian tried to pull his hand back, but the young man held it firmly, unable to break free.
He looked at the young man, not understanding why he wouldn't let go.
He softly called out, trying to move his hand again.
…
Xu Mu started playing with the rabbit's paw, noticing that its nails were trimmed neatly, with rounded edges.
It didn't look like a wild rabbit. Could it have escaped from someone's home? Or was it abandoned?
Abandoned... that would be good. He could take care of it.
…
Seeing that he still didn't let go. Bai Nian felt helpless.
Forget it, he gave up on himself and lay back down.
Xu Mu had no idea what the rabbit was thinking, completely immersed in the fluffiness.
He also poured a glass of water for the lop-eared rabbit and placed it beside its mouth.
Bai Nian hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit thirsty indeed. He extended his tongue and licked it.
The water was sweet.
"Master, here's the first aid kit." Nades appeared from behind.
Xu Mu snapped out of his thoughts. "Okay, thank you."
He took the first aid kit and found it to be brand new and sealed.
Inside, there was a wide variety of items. Xu Mu laid them out one by one and consulted the instructions.
Hmm, it's more convenient than he imagined. There's a UV sterilizer, wound cleaning solution, and a simple healing device to promote recovery…
Xu Mu first cleaned the lop-eared rabbit's leg with the wound cleaning solution, washing away the stains and dust. Some of the bloodstains had already scabbed over, so he gently rubbed them away with tissues, being extremely careful. He also used his fingers to comb through the fur, drying it strand by strand.
Next, he turned on the UV sterilizer and shone it on the wound for about a minute. Then, he took out the healing device and aimed it at the wound.
The grim, blood-red, torn flesh slowly became clean.
Xu Mu kept a close eye on the rabbit's condition, handling it very delicately, afraid of causing it any further harm.
Luckily, the lop-eared rabbit remained silent, lying still on the soft cushion throughout the process.
Xu Mu didn't dare to be careless either. He knew that rabbits were extremely tolerant of pain and generally wouldn't scream out loudly.
Therefore, when he heard the rabbit cry out in the bushes, he guessed that it must have been in a lot of pain to cry out involuntarily.
"Does it hurt?" Xu Mu lowered his head, earnestly looking into its eyes.
Bai Nian was startled, and his ears twitched against his cheeks.
—No, it doesn't hurt, it’s much better now.
Huh? Xu Mu wasn't sure, but did the rabbit just shake its head?
He examined carefully but found no clues.
Whatever, let's just assume it shook its head.
Every competent rabbit owner must learn the art of self-pua—
Doesn't it drink water because it wants to? Doesn't it snuggle into the cushion because it wants to be with me? Doesn't it allow me to bandage its wound because it cares about me?
Xu Mu felt pleased. Ah, this rabbit is so cute.
"Can I hug you?" he asked.
Bai Nian didn't react.
"You smiled just now, i'll take it as you agreed," Xu Mu muttered to himself.
He quickly scooped up the lop-eared rabbit, skillfully avoiding its wound, and gently rested his chin on its head.
Bai Nian: "..."
Xu Mu dared not exert any force, holding the lop-eared rabbit as if cradling something fragile.
He wanted to ignore everything and just cuddle the rabbit, vigorously rub its fur, then bury his face in its soft belly and bite its round head.
Xu Mu was lost in his imagination, his mind wandering.
Bai Nian watched the young man in disbelief—
What was he doing?
Bai Nian couldn't help but tremble. The young man's scalding skin pressed against him, the stubble on his chin prickling his head. It felt like a tingling electric shock, with a continuous flow of warmth spreading throughout his body, as if he were about to burst into flames.
He felt a bit embarrassed and a bit angry.
"...I'm lucky I found you. If I hadn't, you would've been lying all alone in the bushes, which would've been dangerous..." Xu Mu rambled on, his tone unconsciously tender. "What if I hadn't found you? Would you have bled to death? Lying there all cold and lonely the whole night..."
Back when he lived alone, he enjoyed talking to Dian Dian like this, treating it like a child.
His friends used to tease him about talking to his rabbit, saying he seemed possessed or something... Xu Mu pondered for a moment, what was it they called him?
Oh, the man rabbit hugger.
He chuckled inwardly. What did his friends know? Rabbits, being such adorable creatures, deserved to be treated gently.
Bai Nian looked at the young man, his expression full of uncertainty, trying to lift his head to get a better look.
—Yet, the young man's face remained extremely stern.
High cheekbones, deep eye sockets, a cold gaze from under slightly raised eyebrows, a straight and prominent nose, and thin, slightly curved lips.
The tall and handsome young man looked just as he did at first glance.
It was unexpectedly surprising.
Clearly, he spoke so sentimentally, worried about him being alone all night with his injured foot, even fearing something might happen to him...
Cold on the outside, soft on the inside. Bai Nian concluded.
However, why did he feel the young man was somewhat familiar, like he had seen him somewhere before?
No, wait, it should be his voice that was familiar.
He seemed to have heard it somewhere...
Finally, Xu Mu had cuddled enough. He secretly rubbed the drooping ears and the corners of his mouth almost couldn't contain his smile.
So adorable, he wanted to kiss it.
No, he can't, he might scare it. What if it gets stressed?
"By the way, are you a boy or a girl..." Xu Mu suddenly remembered something.
Bai Nian widened his eyes in terror and struggled desperately.
Xu Mu was puzzled. "Huh? What's wrong?"
He reached out to touch the lop-eared rabbit's back but couldn't.
The rabbit desperately dodged, arching its back tightly.
Xu Mu dared not make any more movements and asked cautiously, "Is something wrong? Are you..."
"Ding-ling-ling~ It’s time for study time. Please enjoy your time in the ocean of knowledge!" The reminder bell chimed punctually, echoing in the living room.
Xu Mu felt extremely conflicted, reluctantly getting up in the end.
"You rest for a while first," he took a deep breath, "I have something to do. I'll come find you later."
He really wanted to bring the rabbit into the room, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself.
As much as he loved the rabbit, he couldn't get too obsessed.
Bai Nian: "..." He needed to leave quickly.
His gaze swept around, spotting the glass door to the balcony with a gap. He made a mental note.
"Nades, could you take care of things here for me?" Xu Mu instructed.
Nades gracefully performed a gentleman's bow. "Of course, Master. Rest assured, I will take good care of our esteemed guest."
Xu Mu: ?
"Did the Nades short circuit? Did it really just bow?" Xu Mu muttered to himself.
"...Hmm, alright."
---
Three hours later
"Finally done..." Xu Mu pressed his temples, feeling the soreness slowly dissipate.
He stretched lazily, thinking of the lop-eared rabbit in the living room, a smile spreading across his lips.
Xu Mu briskly walked out of the room, clearing his throat. "Tutu, what are you up to? Do you want to..."
The cool evening breeze took advantage of the dark night, gently caressing the beige curtains with the shimmering moonlight cascading down, the pearl tassels brushing against the floor, making a tinkling sound.
The lop-eared rabbit was nowhere to be seen on the cushion.
Xu Mu paused, subconsciously calling out, "Tutu?"
No response.
A few seconds later, Nades said, "Master, he's already left."
Left?
Xu Mu felt disappointed. "Where did it go?"
"To the balcony," Nades replied. "I suggested using the main door to our guest, but he insisted on using the balcony."
Xu Mu didn't pay much attention to Nades's words and swiftly slid open the balcony door.
The faint scent of night-blooming orchids wafted into Xu Mu's nostrils.
He felt a sense of loss.
Ah, his rabbit had gone.
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