TGMNDIAR - 21
"Are you really not coming with me?" Xu Mu stood in the hallway, changing shoes. "I'll wrap you up in a little blanket, and I'll tuck you into the pocket of my hoodie. It'll be nice and warm."
The lop-eared rabbit, sitting on the armrest of the sofa with its back to Xu Mu, didn't respond.
Undeterred, Xu Mu continued to heap compliments and offers.
The lop-eared rabbit simply grabbed its ears, covered them, and ignored him, hiding behind the sofa.
Xu Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Was it still angry?
—The more he coaxed, the more it bristled.
"...Alright, if you don't want to go, then don't. It's fine. This kind of weather is more suitable for staying at home anyway."
The temperature on the planet of Wei De was generally low throughout the year. Even in early autumn, after a few heavy rains, there was a sense of impending winter, which was quite intimidating.
"Tutu, do you want me to send you back later?" Xu Mu asked. He still didn't know who the rabbit's owner was, where they lived, or what their real name was. Naturally, he couldn't help but be curious.
—He’s definitely not jealous of the rabbit's owner!
"Are you... glaring at me?" Xu Mu hesitated, uncertain.
Bai Nian pursed his lips and remained silent.
If negative energy could materialize, there would be dark clouds swirling over his head.
"Are you still angry because I looked at your teeth?" Xu Mu sighed helplessly. "I was just concerned about you, okay? I admit my approach was wrong, and I'll correct it next time."
He suspected that the lop-eared rabbit was upset because he had been too rough when opening its mouth, which irritated him, leaving him simmering with frustration.
Bai Nian no longer believed any of Xu Mu's assurances, finding them utterly unreliable.
Tentatively, Xu Mu reached out his hand. "Come on, let me carry you back—?"
The lop-eared rabbit dodged, then leaped forcefully, landing on his shoulder.
Xu Mu marveled, This rabbit has quite a jumping ability. No wonder it climbs onto the balcony every day.
The next moment, his face was slapped randomly.
"Ouch!" Xu Mu couldn't help but lean back, but he was afraid that the lop-eared rabbit might lose its balance, so he kept one hand hovering to support it.
Clearly, Bai Nian had not grasped Xu Mu's good intentions.
"Alright, Tutu, don't be angry," Xu Mu sighed.
Although the lop-eared rabbit's nails were trimmed and not sharp, and its force was somewhat restrained, the cumulative effect of a dozen or so pats was hard to ignore.
Finally relenting, Bai Nian descended from Xu Mu's shoulder back onto the sofa armrest.
Facing the French windows, Xu Mu straightened out his wrinkled collar.
He said, "Tutu, I'll give you a little blanket later and then take you home. Of course, if you change your mind halfway and want to go to the shopping center with me, I—"
There was no sound for a while. Xu Mu turned his head, only to freeze in place.
The milk coffee ball rabbit was nowhere to be seen, only a chilly breeze sneaking in through the crack in the door.
Ah, it had left.
"Nades, you should have told me," Xu Mu said. "With this weather now, it's too cold for Tutu to be out alone."
At least he would give the lop-eared rabbit a blanket.
Nades: "...Master, please don't be so domineering."
Xu Mu: "Is another part of you malfunctioning?"
Nades: "Alright, master, you're right. I'll tell you next time."
He quietly inputted into the program: Self-domineering, unwilling to listen to any opinions.
Xu Mu left the house.
He quickly bought what he needed, browsing through the list provided by Nades, making selections efficiently, heading to the checkout, preparing to return home.
On the way, Xu Mu noticed a scarf shop with exquisite decorations and a warm, cozy atmosphere.
He paused for a moment, contemplating.
Before long, he turned into the shop through the automatic glass door, which chimed with an electronic sound.
"Welcome~"
The salesperson greeted Xu Mu with a smile, "Sir, hello! What can I help you with today?"
Xu Mu looked around and asked, "Do you have any smaller scarves and plush neck rings?"
"How small do you need it to be?"
Xu Mu gestured with his hands.
The salesperson suddenly realized, "Oh, I see, you're looking for something for a cub?"
Cub? Xu Mu was puzzled for a moment, but considering the size of the rabbit, there wasn't much difference between it and a cub.
"It's for a lop-eared rabbit," he explained.
The salesperson nodded, "Got it, please wait a moment."
Ten minutes later, a large sum of money was debited from Xu Mu's account.
However, his storage compartment was now filled with scarves, gloves, little clothes, small shoes, and other items suitable for a lop-eared rabbit.
Xu Mu returned home, handed the ingredients to Nades, then headed straight to his room.
He took out a lint roller, rolled over the rabbit fur on the bed and sofa, and collected it neatly.
— The box already had a pile with a thin layer of rabbit fur.
"Dear master, forgive me for being presumptuous, but I am connected to your account, and I just saw that you spent a lot of money. Would you mind telling me what you bought?"
Xu Mu carefully closed the box, not paying much attention, and casually replied.
Nades, "..."
Xu Mu, seeing no response from behind, asked what was wrong.
Nades hesitated to speak.
Forget it, unpleasant truths might lead him to be sent to the factory for repairs as soon as he mentions it to the master.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to understand the situation."
In the afternoon, Xu Mu met Ye Ye to play ball as agreed, and spent several hours playing with the child who hadn't been out for a long time.
Ye Ye's face was flushed, excitedly shouting and jumping around, then pounced on Xu Mu, "Daddy, Daddy!"
"Hey." Xu Mu patted his head, "Was it fun?"
Ye Ye nodded heavily.
"In the future, pay attention to your health. If you accidentally get sick, you must obediently take your medicine to get better, okay?"
Ye Ye answered loudly, "Okay!"
As the sun set, the chilly wind froze everything completely.
Xu Mu took Ye Ye back home, and as usual, Kadou came to the door to inquire and brought two dinners.
"Mr. Xu, you've worked hard," Kadou said. "By the way, the master has a bit of a cold, so he won't be joining you for dinner."
Xu Mu was taken aback, "Is it a sequelae from the last fever?"
Kadou said, "Maybe so. Whenever master encounters cold weather, his throat gets itchy and he easily gets sick. We couldn't find out the cause, but maybe resting more will help."
Xu Mu frowned, pondering in his mind, "Alright, I understand."
…
On the other side, in the study,
Bai Nian told Kadou to explain his cold vaguely, but it wasn't entirely a lie.
Because of what happened last time, he genuinely wanted to avoid the youth.
However it was true that in the past few days, he has indeed been coughing.
It may be that he caught a cold and didn't fully recover that day from getting soaked in the rain and having a fever. His body doesn't feel uncomfortable anymore, but his throat easily gets irritated by cold winds, causing him to cough.
Bai Nian also doesn't think it's a big deal. After all, compared to hormone imbalance and frequent mimicry transformations, this cough is completely trivial.
He has been taking vitamin supplements for several days in a row, hoping to rely on his own immune system.
–
After dinner, Xu Mu sent Ye Ye back next door, and Kadou took over, expressing thanks in a formalized manner.
Xu Mu smiled and said, "You're welcome."
After leaving, he didn't immediately go home, but put on a hoodie, hat, and mask, with his hands in his pockets and went out for a walk.
The evening temperature dropped quickly. It was clearly autumn, but it gave Xu Mu a sense of early winter.
He tightened the collar of his hoodie, his exhaled breath forming mist, sparse and drifting.
Following the navigation of the Star Network, Xu Mu took a late-night public hovercraft to a rather desolate alley.
"Young man, what do you want to buy?"
Xu Mu said, "I have a list of Chinese medicines here. Can you make throat lozenges urgently tonight?"
"I'll take a look."
A few minutes later, the person opposite nodded, "It's possible."
Xu Mu asked, "When can it be ready?"
"Is it urgent?" the person across from him asked.
"Yeah."
Taking a puff of smoke, the person said, "It's a cough caused by cold wind, right?"
"Right."
"Your prescription won't harm anyone, but it's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause."
Xu Mu didn't comment. Truth be told, if it were anything else, he might not be so sure, but with this prescription…
He simply said, "Sorry for the trouble."
"Alright, leave me your address, and I'll have it delivered by the local logistics tomorrow morning."
Xu Mu was surprised. So fast? Should he mention it? With the advancement of technology, even traditional Chinese medicine has gone cyber.
"Okay, thanks."
The person raised a hand, "Swipe here"
"Okay."
–
The Next Day
"Okay, Daddy has to go to work now. You be good at home," Bai Nian kissed Ye Ye's forehead.
"Okay... Bye, Daddy," Ye Ye obediently tiptoed to let Bai Nian kiss him.
After resting for a few days, yesterday was Bai Nian's last day off.
Before leaving, Bai Nian inexplicably hesitated for a moment. He glanced at the door next door, but no one came out.
Without lingering further, he hurried to the elevator.
Ding— the number changed to "1".
Bai Nian stepped out of the elevator and froze as he looked up.
"Brother Nian, good morning," Xu Mu had just finished his morning run outside, sweat glistening on his forehead, chest gently rising and falling.
People who were coming and going were all wearing long sleeves and pants, some even had jackets on.
But Xu Mu was different, in gray short-sleeved sportswear and a black sports headband holding back his hair. His brows were stern, with a hint of youthful vigor.
Over the past month, especially in recent days, Xu Mu had been engaging in high-intensity workouts.
He felt that the original owner's body was too weak. He was naturally tall, but as skinny as a pole. After Xu Mu took over, he ate abundantly, especially seafood, to regain some flesh.
Now, through a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises, Xu Mu was starting to see the outline of the physique he desired.
"Ah Mu," Bai Nian involuntarily uttered his name, feeling a tremor in his heart.
"Brother Nian, are you going to work?" Xu Mu asked casually.
"Yeah... Are you back from your run?"
"Mm-hmm," Xu Mu nodded. "By the way, Brother Nian, I heard from Kadou that after you have a cold, you often cough when exposed to cold wind. Is that true?"
"Yes. But I'm actually much better now."
Xu Mu retrieved a box from the storage compartment and handed it to him. "I had a friend who had the same problem. He often took these lozenges to relieve coughing, and they worked well. But you still need to be careful, avoid getting soaked in the rain, and protect yourself from the cold wind."
He paused, "There might be some issues with your immune system."
Bai Nian's long eyelashes fell slightly. He held the cool box in his hand, its edges smooth and rounded, so he wouldn't get scratched even if he exerted force.
"Okay, thank you."
"I checked today's weather forecast. There might be rain on the way. Did Brother Nian bring an umbrella?" Xu Mu asked.
Bai Nian was taken aback. "No..."
Xu Mu replied, "Oh," and continued, "Remember to bring one regularly. Just in case you get caught in the rain again... Last time was unavoidable, but it would be too regrettable if it happened again."
He slid his finger across the screen and took out a compact umbrella, handing it to the other person.
Bai Nian subconsciously took it. "Th-thank you."
"Yeah, no problem." Xu Mu stepped aside to let him pass, politely bidding farewell. "Be careful on the way."
Bai Nian shifted his gaze away, softly saying, "Goodbye."
—
At Fanxin Architectural Design Firm:
"Hey, the weather was fine today, but why is it raining again?"
"It's not too bad, just brief rain. Has it stopped now?"
"Hopefully it won't rain when we get off work."
"But the temperature dropped so quickly."
"Yeah, it's supposed to be autumn, but it feels like winter."
…
Jin Fei, eating a sandwich, noticed Bai Nian at the workstation opposite.
"Brother Nian, did you forget to bring an umbrella?"
"I brought one," Bai Nian replied softly.
Jin Fei pointed at his shoulder. "But it's a bit wet here."
Bai Nian tilted his head slightly. "It's fine."
As soon as he finished speaking, he coughed a few times.
"Are you still not fully recovered?" Jin Fei asked with concern.
She knew he had taken a few days off sick.
"It's almost gone," Bai Nian smiled.
Without saying much more, he sat down at his workstation and silently started drawing, focusing on his work.
Occasionally, Bai Nian would still cough a few times.
Almost imperceptible, most of it was swallowed back down his throat.
"Brother Nian, good morning," Jiang Yuntao walked over, handing him a cup of water. "I noticed you've been coughing. Would drinking some ginger tea help?"
Bai Nian looked up, smiling gently. "Okay, thank you."
After the others left, he glanced at the cup of ginger tea but didn't touch it, continuing to work on his sketches.
Buzzing—his optical brain received a message.
Bai Nian casually glanced at it, his hand pausing.
It was from Xu Mu.
He had sent the lozenge formula to him, suggesting that if he was worried, he could take it to the hospital to see if it was safe. He also included a list of contraindications.
Bai Nian stared at the screen for a few minutes, hesitating with his fingertips.
[Bai: Okay, thank you]
A quick response came from the other side.
[Xu: Hmm. You're welcome. I hope it helps, Brother Nian.]
Bai Nian stared into space for a moment before retrieving the box from the storage compartment.
He opened it, revealing a row of translucent white porcelain bottles.
Bai Nian hesitated for a moment, then unscrewed the lid to reveal the pale yellow lozenge inside.
He took one out and popped it into his mouth.
It had a slight sweetness, mixed with a hint of the bitter taste of the herbs.
It wasn't unpleasant.
But it certainly wasn't delicious either.
Yet, perhaps it was psychological, Bai Nian indeed stopped coughing.
…
Jiang Yuntao went to the tea room, passing by the workstations of Design Department 2. He casually glanced at Bai Nian's workstation.
The cup of tea remained untouched, the water level still at the same spot between his two fingers.
Jiang Yuntao flattened his lips.
He's really hard to figure out…
Despite appearing so gentle and approachable, he was unexpectedly aloof—
He didn't allow others to step in even a fraction.
–
In the evening, in Ye Ye's room:
"Where did you get that from, Ye Ye?" Bai Nian asked gently.
"Daddy... gave it to me..." Ye Ye replied.
Bai Nian paused, smiling as he gently stroked Ye Ye's head. "Do you really like it, Ye Ye?"
"Yes... I like Daddy," Ye Ye grinned, exaggeratingly spreading his arms wide. "I like... Daddy... this much!"
Bai Nian fell silent for a moment. Softly, he said, "Okay, I understand."
Ye Ye continued, "Tomorrow... pick leaves, Daddy, together."
"Mm."
"Daddy, I... also want to see... blue crystals... yay! Happy!" Ye Ye widened his eyes, showing a hint of cuteness.
"Okay, we can do that the day after tomorrow," Bai Nian covered Ye Ye's eyes with his hand. "Is Ye Ye a good boy?"
"Yes!"
"A good boy needs to sleep early, okay?"
"Okay... Goodnight, Daddy."
"Goodnight."
Bai Nian hummed a lullaby, the melody soothing. Ye Ye held onto his hand, yawning, his eyelids slowly drooping, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
The gentle singing abruptly stopped.
Bai Nian gazed at Ye Ye's sleeping face, slowly thinking: that young man really know how to capture hearts.
He lightly pinched Ye Ye's chubby cheeks and murmured softly, "Maybe I should just package you up and give you to him..."
He never stopped talking about him.
—He was coaxed to the point where he couldn’t find north, constantly thinking about it.
Bai Nian became absent-minded, thinking about various things that happened before.
Another voice in his mind spoke, almost mocking: Aren't you just like him?
Bai Nian felt a bit annoyed but couldn't express it outwardly.
Because that voice wasn't entirely wrong.
It seemed like he kept lowering his own bottom line.
Why though…
Bai Nian pursed his lips. Perhaps it was because the young man was too good at coaxing people.
Every time he tested the boundaries, pushed forward, no matter how angry he was, the other person would always accept it with a smile, and come up with all sorts of pitiful words to beg for forgiveness and soothe him.
What the other person was best at was, after causing mischief with his mimicry, he would appear again as if nothing happened, showing the most courteous attitude, adhering to the most appropriate rules, without a single fault to be found.
Bai Nian had been squatting for a long time. When he stood up, he staggered, his thighs feeling sore and numb.
He adjusted the sleep lamp in the room to its dimmest setting and tiptoed out of the room.
The box Xu Mu gave him was still on the living room cabinet, emitting a strange glow under the suspended light.
In the darkness, some emotion was fermenting, stirring up a pool of turmoil.
His mouth moved slightly, softly murmuring.
"Xu Mu..."
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