The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 8

 

TGMNDIAR - 8

After showering, Xu Mu stepped out into the living room, unsurprised to find the lop-eared rabbit was nowhere to be seen.

He walked over to the half-open automatic door and noticed a few strands of milky coffee-colored rabbit fur caught in the gap.

"Really gone," Xu Mu sighed. It turned out the rabbit had indeed just come to his place to mooch off some "medicine."

The tips of Xu Mu's hair were still dripping water, and his shoulders were soaked. He pinched the rabbit fur absentmindedly, standing still for a few minutes.

—Hopefully it stopped being angry after leaving, right?

"Master, you should get ready for your studies," Nades gently reminded him.

"Mm," Xu Mu tucked the rabbit fur into his pocket and pressed the button to close the door.

"Master, why did you hide these few strands of rabbit fur?"

"Is this called hiding?" Xu Mu was puzzled. "I just randomly found a tin can to put it in."

But... if there were more, he could collect them to make a rabbit fur pillow or even a rabbit fur scarf.

Nades rotated his pitch-black eyes. "A rabbit fur scarf? Rabbit fur pillow?"

Xu Mu realized he said it out loud..

"Oh, I was just talking casually. I might not even collect enough rabbit fur for that."

After all, that lop-eared rabbit seemed to be of the "free-spirited" type, not intending to find a domestic owner. Xu Mu had very few chances to see it again.

Nades said, "Master, you shouldn't do such perverted things."

Xu Mu: ?

"Did you short-circuit?" He checked Nades's power source.

Nades replied, "Even if you threaten me, I won't change my mind."

Xu Mu's expression became serious. "Is the system really malfunctioning? Should I take you back to the factory for inspection?"

—Oh no, will this cost a lot of money?

Nades said, "...I was just kidding, Master. Would you like a hot cup of coffee tonight?"

It silently added a new rule to its program: ‘Master looks friendly but is cunning. Avoid unnecessary comments.’

…

Meanwhile, Bai Nian also returned to his room and quietly lay down on his bed to rest.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly woke up from his sleep.

He was able to change back from his mimicry but...

Bai Nian also touched his ears and tail, letting out a soft sigh.

He hadn't fully returned to his original state.

He tried again, but it was still not working.

Now it was 4:30 in the morning. If he couldn't return to his normal state in two hours, he would have no choice but to take a leave of absence.

Bai Nian also massaged his forehead, trying to alleviate the lingering dizziness. It felt like his nerves were being jabbed with needles, causing a faint ache.

"Cough, cough, cough..." He coughed violently several times, clutching the blanket tightly. His pale cheeks flushed with a crimson hue, and he weakly leaned against the headboard, his gaze vacant.

His two soft, furry ears drooped down, covering half of his face. His thick, long eyelashes slowly fell, casting shadows on his eyelids.

Bai Nian remained silent, hugging his knees and silently enduring the pain in his ribs caused by the coughing.

After a while, he got up, letting the blanket slip off. He casually draped a thin blanket over his shoulders, his long, fair legs smooth and bare, and he stepped on the floor with his bare feet.

As he moved around, a fluffy short tail swayed, its tip tinged with a faint coffee color.

The sound of dripping water echoed in the room, and the bathroom was filled with a faint heat. The mirror was covered with a layer of mist, reflecting a blurry figure.

Bai Nian hastily took a shower, steam enveloping him as he stepped out. His loose white shirt hung on him, with only a few buttons fastened. The hem of the shirt fell on his thighs, which had turned pink from the steam.

It was six o'clock... He sighed deeply, his hand reaching up to grab his ears, pressing them against his chin in frustration.

It seemed like he really had to take a leave of absence.

At this time, Bai Nian still couldn't fall asleep. His thoughts drifted aimlessly, and he inexplicably remembered last night's events.

He pursed his lips, scratching the blanket with his nails, feeling an indescribable sensation welling up in his heart.

What should he do...

Although the young man's words had alleviated his embarrassment and anxiety at the time, upon reflection, he couldn't help but curl his toes, unsure how to proceed in the future.

Even though the young man hadn't mocked him and had earnestly reassured him that "This is nothing," the deep-seated sense of inferiority made him feel restless. 

The scene of being discovered repeatedly played in his mind, making him feel as if he were being roasted over a fire, utterly embarrassed.

Since childhood, Bai Nian had been cautious everywhere because of his deformed body. He dared not reveal his mimicry at will, nor did he dare to get close to boys of his age. He knew that as long as he didn't actively disclose it, no one would discover the secret hidden beneath layers of clothing.

But he was still afraid. Afraid that others would find out he was neither male nor female monster, and fear their disgust and ridicule of his flaws.

"Why did it have to be like this..." Bai Nian also covered her face, feeling a hint of sourness in his nose.

But the deed had already been done, and no amount of thinking could change it.

At least the young man's attitude was good, without any cold words or sarcasm, just—

Bai Nian's eyelids trembled. What a strange hobby, liking rabbit mimicry...

But it was too overwhelming.

He even said some crazy things like a pervert.

In their usual interactions, he always appears dignified, reserved, and polite, making it completely unimaginable that he could be so crazy and bizarre in private.

Bai Nian closed his eyes and shuddered, as if still feeling the young man's reckless touches, scorching and fervent.

Perhaps every time the young man helped him, it was out of genuine kindness, but...

Was it because he loved rabbit mimicry too much that he couldn't control himself when seeing them, so he hugged and pinched them?

Bai Nian found himself unintentionally making excuses for the other person, and when he realized it, he awkwardly covered his eyes with his ears.

Wait…why is he trying to convince himself?

Bai Nian sighed in resignation, simply burying his head under the covers.

Whatever, he would deal with it when they met in person.

For now... he would pretend like nothing had happened, deluding himself.

After all, it seemed like the other person was at a loss when he cried, so he would probably avoid him too.

…

"Master, there's a delivery today," Nades dutifully stood guard at the door.

Hearing this, Xu Mu finished his morning run and responded, "Alright, where is it?"

"Here it is."

A squarely shaped iron box, a cheap disposable storage compartment commonly used for courier packages.

Xu Mu opened his optical brain, scanned the barcode generated by the order, and approached the sensor on the storage compartment. With a "beep" sound, a green light flashed.

"Only the climbing frame?" he wondered, searching through it once again but finding nothing else.

"Nades, did the robot only deliver this one package?"

"Yes, Master, there was only this one when I received it."

Xu Mu stopped searching and went directly to ask the merchant.

[Xu: Hello, I only received the rabbit climbing frame.]

[Vendor: Hi there~]

[Vendor: It might be because it exceeded the weight limit. The warehouse might have split the shipment. Could you upload the logistics number of the received item? I'll check it for you.]

Xu Muchen simply took a photo of the delivery slip and sent it over.

A few minutes later, the customer service replied.

[Vendor: Dear customer, yes, the warehouse split it into two packages~ The other one is still in transit and will be delivered shortly. Please be patient~]

[Xu: Alright, thank you.]

Buzzing—suddenly, his neural interface vibrated.

It was a call from the Muw Association.

Xu Mu casually pushed the climbing frame into the corner of the entrance hall and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Xu, I'm the head of Department A at the Muw Association. Yesterday, there was an anomaly with order number 68979. Jennifer from our system team contacted you, and this morning, the gaming platform provided a response. It was due to a built-in bug in the system, and compensation has been provided to the customer accordingly. Therefore, the frozen remuneration from last night has been deposited into your account. Please check it."

"Alright, I understand." Xu Mu was surprised at how quickly the issue was resolved, but it was a good thing after all. "Can I continue accepting orders as usual today?"

"Yes, you can."

"Great, thank you."

After ending the call, Xu Muchen returned to the living room where Nades had already prepared breakfast. 

Since he could continue accepting orders from Muw Association without spending time searching for new clients himself, he planned to finish breakfast and then start gaming to earn money.

Typically, Xu Mu would accept a maximum of five orders in the morning, but perhaps due to the events of last night, he felt a sense of financial crisis and ended up accepting eight orders consecutively, planning to squeeze in two more in the afternoon.

During this time, Nades asked him if he wanted lunch, to which he gestured that he would just have some nutrient solution.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss! Nades, be gentle!" After finishing his gaming session, Xu Mu's eyes felt sore, and he had a throbbing pain in his temples. The robot volunteered to give him a massage.

Initially skeptical, Xu Mu reluctantly agreed to try it, but quickly backed away after the experience.

"Alright, leave this job to a professional robot," Xu Mu decided.

Nades replied, "Alright, perhaps you don't like it, but I must say, the source code for my built-in massage program wasn't cheap."

"...Expensive doesn't always mean it's worth it," Xu Mu muttered.

He cracked his neck with a series of clicks and noticed a familiar ball in the living room—that belongs to his constant companion, Ye Ye.

Glancing at the time, Xu Mu decided to take the ball over to Ye Ye.

He pressed the doorbell next door, and a minute later, the front door opened.

It wasn't the familiar Kaduo.

It was Bai Nian.

Xu Mu was surprised, "Brother Nian?"

"Aren't you working today?"

Unlike his usual formal appearance in suits, Bai Nian was now dressed in loose and comfortable home clothes. His soft hair fell naturally, his chin was sharp, and his eyes were clean without glasses. Seeing Xu Mu, he seemed surprised, with a fleeting look of confusion in his eyes.

Bai Nian also hesitated for a moment, subconsciously taking a step back.

Xu Mu didn't think too much, stepping forward and handing over the ball in his hand, "Ye Ye dropped the ball last night, so I..."

His words came to a halt as he watched the pale face of the other person flush with color, accompanied by a shade of grey-blue in his eyes, veiled with a watery hue, moist and wet.

Bai Nian didn't expect the young man to come directly to his door without any hesitation, seemingly unaffected by last night's events.

The youth's cold, sharp features remained unchanged, with dark pupils mixed with a hint of emerald green in the blackness.

Bai Nian's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic as he continued to step back.

Xu Mu's eyebrows lifted slightly, and he quickly reached out to grab the person, "Careful, there's a cabinet behind you..." might bump into it.

His warm palm held him firmly, his fingers as tense as steel rods. In an instant, Bai Nian's mind rang sharply, his blood pressure skyrocketed, his blood flowed backwards in his body, and everything went black before he collapsed, unable to hold on any longer.

Xu Mu was taken aback, hastily catching the person. Before he could speak, the light on the other person's wrist emitted a beeping alarm, and the medical robot in the living room went into action.

"Hello, sir, I am Lola, the exclusive medical robot of the owner. Please help me carry the owner to the sofa."

Xu Mu didn't dare to delay and quickly followed the instructions.

"Do we need to take him to the hospital?" He had already activated his lightbrain, searching for how to call an ambulance.

Lola said, "Please remain calm. The data assessment on my end indicates that everything is within a safe range."

Xu Mu worriedly asked, "Really? Why did he suddenly faint?"

Lola replied, "That is the owner's personal privacy, and I'm afraid I cannot answer."

Xu Mu tried to remain composed, "So there's no problem, right?"

"Daddy..." Ye Ye stumbled out of the room, staring blankly at the scene, as if sensing something, then pouted and threw himself onto the sofa.

Xu Mu quickly picked up Ye Ye, afraid he might hit Bai Nian.

"Be good, everything's fine. Daddy Nian is just taking a nap because he is a little tired. Don't worry." He tried his best to calm the child's emotions.

Ye Ye wrapped his arms around Xu Mu's neck and whispered, "Okay... Daddy sleeps..."

Ten minutes later,

Bai Nian woke up.

The first thing he saw was the ceiling. He sat up and found Lola, the medical robot, beside him.

"Master, you're awake," Lola said. "You fainted briefly due to emotional excitement. How are you feeling now?"

Bai Nian pressed his fingertips against his forehead and replied softly, "I'm okay, just a bit dizzy..."

"Brother Nian!" Xu Mu called out from the kitchen, still holding Ye Ye in his arms.

He quickly walked over and handed Bai Nian a cup of warm water, asking with concern, "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

Bai Nian stiffly took the water and moved his lips, "I'm... I'm okay."

Ye Ye opened his arms, "Daddy... hug..."

Bai Nian hurriedly put down the cup, ready to go and hug him, but Xu Mu waved him away disapprovingly.

"Brother Nian, you just fainted," he coaxed Ye Ye, "Ye Ye brother wants to hug you more, is that okay? You can hug Daddy later, okay?"

Ye Ye nibbled on his finger, blinked his big eyes, and whispered, "Okay."

Bai Nian was lost in thought, gazing at the scene before him.

Xu Mu lifted his gaze and caught Bai Nian's eyes, who hastily looked away.

Xu Mu carefully considered his words, "Brother Nian, about your health..." Was there an illness that caused you to faint suddenly?

He hesitated whether to ask, because it was the other person's privacy.

But Bai Nian thought Xu Mu referred to last night's incident.

His back stiffened as he thought of his deformed body, unable to help but interrupt, "Yes, it's a condition I've had since birth. I've been planning to undergo surgery, but now, because of some things... Well, as you can see, I frequently lose control like this... I..."

So he was indeed ill. Xu Mu's gaze turned compassionate. Did he faint anytime and anywhere?

"That's too dangerous," he said. "What if something goes wrong on the way to work?"

"I take medication before going to work," Bai Nian replied, lowering his eyes.

"Ah, I see," Xu Mu fell silent for a moment, then said earnestly, "Brother Nian, if something like this happens again, let Lola or Kaduo inform me. I want to help in some way."

He thought for a moment, then worried that the other person might feel embarrassed, and gave an example, "For instance, I can help take care of Ye Ye."

Bai Nian's lips moved slightly, and he whispered something.

Xu Mu didn't hear clearly, "What?"

"...Could you not touch me next time?" Bai Nian whispered softly.

Xu Mu froze, not quite understanding. After a moment of thought, he uncertainly said, "Did I scare you?" 

—It seemed as if the other person fainted suddenly because he tried to reach out to him…

Bai Nian fell silent.

Xu Mu's face displayed pure confusion, innocence, and a hint of subtle grievance, as if he didn't realize his actions were too much. 

Suddenly, he couldn't bear it. In truth, the other person hadn't really done anything too out of line. Perhaps some people didn't see anything wrong with playful hugs, but he had limited contact with others, so he found it hard to adjust. 

Of course, accidentally discovering his secret was unexpected, and the other person had already apologized. He shouldn't hold onto it any longer.

"It's not... just..." Bai Nian hesitated, struggling to articulate his thoughts.

Xu Mu leaned in, looking directly into his eyes. "Brother Nian, whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm listening."

Bai Nian lowered his gaze.

He said, "A little contact is fine, just don’t go too far..."

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