The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 22

 

TGMNDIAR - 22

"Master, have you received the school's letter?" Nades stood at the door of the bathroom.

Xu Mu was brushing his teeth, his mouth full of toothpaste foam, and he said vaguely, "Yes, I got it. The new students will start in four days. We postponed our reporting by three days, but I still have to attend the school's opening ceremony."

He finished rinsing his mouth, put away the toothpaste, soaked a towel in hot water, and put it on his face, sighing.

–- So comfortable.

"Hey, where is my college uniform mentioned in the letter?" Xu Mu asked, "I couldn't find it in the wardrobe."

Nades said, "Let me find it for you."

"Okay."

Ten minutes later, Nades held the already ironed indigo college uniform and waited in the living room.

Xu Mu unfolded the clothes, grabbed the sleeves and looked around, thinking it looked quite noble, no wonder it was called St. Petersburg University.

"Do you want to try it on? You have been working out lately, and your dietary habits have changed a lot, it might not fit well," Nades said.

"Mmm, I'll give it a try." His current physique did indeed have some differences compared to the original owner.

Xu Mu went back to his room to change, and he came out quickly. Nades was waiting at the door.

"My dear master, you look extremely handsome in this uniform," Nades said.

"Really?" Xu Mu lowered his head slightly and adjusted his tie in front of the mirror.

The suit jacket was neatly tailored, with cleverly designed details and curves. On the chest, there was a badge composed of silver, black, and brown colors, and the sleeves had buttons engraved with the university's floral abbreviation symbol topped with a crown of wisdom. The white shirt inside had a golden embroidered collar, resembling winding vines. The tie was a modest and conservative dark blue striped one.

"Of course," Nades said, "but your shoulders need a little adjustment to better highlight your handsomeness."

Xu Mu tilted his body slightly. "Hmm? Is there a problem? I think it's fine like this."

"Before, you were too thin, your arms had no muscles, and your shoulders were just right. Now with a slight change, it naturally needs some trimming and adjustment," Nades said. "You can trust my electronic eyes; it never makes mistakes."

"Alright." Xu Mu nodded and took a few steps outside.

He didn't feel any problem with his shoulders when he was standing still, but as he walked, he faintly felt tightness in that area.

"Why do I feel like this college uniform is a bit cold?" Xu Mu rubbed his arms, goosebumps forming. He opened the door and walked around the corridor on the floor, unable to stop his teeth from chattering.

"Am I not exercising enough?" he muttered to himself. "No, maybe I need to increase the intensity of my workouts."

"You can’t have beauty and warmth at the same time," Nades said. "If you want both, you'll have to spend money. Ultra-thin heating clothes are not cheap."

Xu Mu: "...Oh, then I'll just wear ultra-thin heating clothes when the time comes."

"Of course, it's also possible that you're a cold-blooded animal with poor temperature regulation abilities."

Xu Mu: "You're quite humorous." He can crack a cold joke.

"If you're really cold, you can transform the stuffed doll at home into hand warmers," Naders said. "Anyway, you love touching them so much."

"Stuffed doll?"

"The lop-eared rabbit in your room."

"Oh, that one," Xu Mu realized. "How do we do that?"

"Go get it, and I'll help you with it."

---

In the following days, Xu Mu's life continued in its usual rhythm, balancing studying and playing games to earn money at a steady pace.

"Damn!" Xu Mu muttered under his breath, watching the game screen as an ID kept swearing.

He frowned and typed a message to the individual.

[Xu: Don't mind them, let's go offline first.]

[Anonymous: I'm really fed up. Where did this idiot come from? Clearly, we were the ones who opened three locks, and we also smashed the last nine boards. He just touched the boundary, and he was considered first? Really stupid. Later, I'll report him, screw him **********]

[Xu: We'll deal with it through customer service later.]

[Anonymous: Okay, brother, thanks for your hard work. I'll give you a good review later.]

[Xu: Alright, I'm logging off now.]

Xu Mu logged off from the game and opened another page on his computer.

After hesitating for a moment, he sent a message.

[Xu: Brother Nian, are you still coughing today? Have you finished the throat lozenges?]

The same inquiry had been ongoing for several days. Scrolling up, there were several similar inquiries.

After a few minutes, he received a reply.

[Bai: Much better, just a little left.]

[Xu: Okay, if you finished them, I still have some here, or I can bring it to you later?]

[Bai: I'm still on my way home. I'll come and get it when I arrive.]

Xu Mu's lips curved up slightly, and he quickly replied.

[Xu: Alright.]

[Xu: How about dinner tonight? Nades said he wants to make hot pot, it'll be more lively with more people.]

[Bai: Sounds good.]

[Xu: Okay.]

Xu Mu lay back on the lazy sofa, the plush lop-eared rabbit in his arms. He held its little paw and talked to it.

"Xiao Zong, there will be three of us for dinner tonight at my place," Xu Mu named the lop-eared rabbit in his room.

The lop-eared rabbit remained motionless, silently radiating heat.

Xu Mu's palm felt hot, so he switched to using the back of his hand against the plush rabbit.

These days, the temperature had been quite low, and Xu Mu had grown fond of the rabbit-branded "hand warmer", even cuddling with it while sleeping.

However, if it were a real rabbit, it would probably be even more comfortable.

Xu Mu buried his face into the plush rabbit's belly. Because it was near the heating device, it was scorching hot, becoming painful after a while.

"It's still better with the bunny. It's warm when sucking, softer, and won't burn you," he sighed, his face nestled against the short tail.

Nades had done a very successful transformation; even the tail had warmth.

Unlike the center of the belly, which was too hot, the tail was at a standard 37 degrees.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Biu!!!" The door of the room was pushed open by a toy car, and Ye Ye sat on top of it, squealing wildly.

Xu Mu rubbed his forehead. "Ye Ye, you're getting bolder and bolder in my house."

He was completely unlike the quiet and shy Ye Ye he first met.

Ye Ye revealed his gap-toothed smile and opened his arms wide. "Hug!"

While Xu Mu said this, his hands honestly reached out. "Hug, come here."

"Your dad will be here later, and if you keep misbehaving, you'll get scolded," Xu Mu said.

Ye Ye pouted. "I know..."

"Your palms were hit yesterday, do you want to be punished again?" Xu Mu raised an eyebrow.

Ye Ye lowered his head. "Dad is usually... gentle..."

Xu Mu chuckled and pinched his nose. "Yes, your dad is gentle, but when you make mistakes, shouldn’t he educate you?"

"Yeah..."

"And getting angry isn't good for your health. Don't make Dad angry in the future, okay?"

"I know! I won't make Dad angry!" Ye Ye nodded vigorously.

Xu Mu patted his head. "Good boy."

---

"Brother Nian, are you off work?" Xu Mu hurriedly went to open the door when he heard the doorbell.

Bai Nian had just finished work, he was wearing a light brown coat over a standard dress shirt. His complexion was a bit pale, with a pointed chin, and his black-framed glasses covered most of his face, but his voice was as gentle as usual.

"Ah Mu," he smiled, "Did Ye Ye cause you any trouble?"

"No," Xu Mu shook his head, "He's very well-behaved."

Bai Nian sighed helplessly. "You spoil him."

"Dad!" Ye Ye ran over and crashed into Bai Nian's arms.

Bai Nian effortlessly lifted him up and walked into the entrance.

"Nades has already prepared the soup base," Xu Mu said.

"It looks like I'm the only one left then," Bai Nian said softly. "If you and Ye Ye are hungry, you can eat first."

Xu Mu looked at him seriously. "Both Ye Ye and I want to wait for you."

Bai Nian awkwardly looked away. "Alright."

"Ye Ye, go wash your hands first," Xu Mu said, "and clean your little bowl while you're at it, and bring it out."

"Okay." Ye Ye obediently followed Nades into the kitchen.

"Brother Nian, where do you want to sit?" 

"Anywhere is fine."

With the heating on indoors, Bai Nian took off his coat and hung it on the arm of the sofa.

The large pot in the center of the dining table was steaming, with bubbles bubbling up, illuminated by the warm yellow light from above, giving it a glossy shine.

"Brother Nian, what would you like to eat?" Xu Mu, eager to try his hand at cooking, asked.

"Anything is fine."

Picking from experience, Xu Mu picked out a few dishes that Bai Nian often enjoyed. "Then I'll start cooking."

Bai Nian took a sip of tea, as if to conceal his surprise. He ran his finger along the rim of his cup. "Why did you suddenly invite me to dinner?"

Xu Mu looked up. "No particular reason, I just felt it's too boring to eat alone. Oh, wait, I mean for two people."

"It's still boring with just me and Ye Ye," he said casually, as if discussing the weather. "It's been a long time since I had dinner with Brother Nian."

Bai Nian couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. "I-is that so?"

"Yeah, I like being with Brother Nian—" Xu Mu used to be accustomed to eating alone or ordering takeout, but since coming to this world and meeting Bai Nian and Ye Ye, he realized that his old habits felt a bit lonely.

He found that he actually enjoyed the atmosphere of several people eating together, but he never had the chance to try it before. However, now, Bai Nian and Ye Ye gave him a warmth that felt like home.

Several people gathered around the table, chatting endlessly, with the bright lights casting a glow akin to a fireplace.

He didn't know how to describe it, but he felt peaceful and content inside.

Xu Mu didn't continue, simply saying, "That feeling is very pleasant, I’m very happy."

He looked straight at Bai Nian, who seemed to be scorched by the young man's gaze and stiffly looked away.

After the last plate of tofu was served, Xu Mu placed the dishes down.

He said to Bai Nian, "We haven't seen each other much lately, Brother Nian."

Bai Nian took a few more sips of tea and said softly, "...I was busy with work."

"Work is important, but you should also take care of your health. Your throat really isn't sore anymore, right?"

The heat from the pot kept blowing towards Bai Nian's side, fogging up his glasses, making everything blurry.

Unable to see clearly, Bai Nian took off his glasses.

"I really don't have a sore throat anymore," he said. "Why would I lie to you about this?"

"I have no choice, Brother Nian is too stubborn," Xu Mu stood up. "Your hand has been bleeding since earlier, but you didn't say a word."

Bai Nian froze, one hand instinctively reaching over, feeling a slight sting, accompanied by a bit of moisture.

The skin broke, and there was a bit of blood seeping out.

Xu Mu retrieved the first aid kit and placed it on the table. He sat next to Bai Nian and casually remarked, "Another act of bravery?"

Bai Nian's eyelids trembled slightly. "Sort of. Today on the public shuttle, there was a person who grabbed a child's seat and spoke rudely. I went up to argue with him. I didn't get into any altercation, but I ended up hitting the cabin board."

"I see," Xu Mu nodded, gesturing for Bai Nian to raise his hand. "That could still count as a badge of honor for a hero."

Bai Nian's Adam's apple moved ever so slightly. "Don't talk nonsense."

"Yeah, I was just talking nonsense," Xu Mu said.

From Bai Nian's perspective, he could see the distinct contours of the young man's angular features: high cheekbones, long eyelashes, straight nose, and thin lips pursed into a cool arc.

Bai Nian felt inexplicably flustered. "I'll be more careful next time."

Xu Mu lifted his eyelids. "You're really something, Brother Nian."

Bai Nian wasn't sure, but there seemed to be a hint of playful teasing in the young man's words, which quickly dissipated.

Like a stone dropping into a pond, leaving no trace, only layers of ripples.

Xu Mu said, "Come a bit closer, turn your hand inward towards me."

Bai Nian reached over and turned his palm over.

"Not like that," Xu Mu scratched the soft flesh of his palm with his fingertips. "What I meant is, position your tiger's mouth towards me, so it's easier for me to apply the medicine."

Bai Nian's ears turned slightly red. "Alright, I understand."

Xu Mu cleaned the wound with antiseptic solution, wiping away the remnants of dried blood with a damp tissue, handling it gently. Then he opened the UV sterilizer, shining it on the wound for half a minute, followed by using a therapeutic device on the wound, and finally applied waterproof bandages.

"There, all done."

Bai Nian thanked him, and Xu Mu replied casually, asking if the bandage was too tight and would affect eating.

"It's fine, you've wrapped it really well," Bai Nian recalled the previous two times when he simulated injuries, and Xu Mu had wrapped them with such care. "Did you learn how to bandage systematically before?"

Xu Mu smiled. "How could I have learned systematically? I... " He paused for a moment. "I practiced a few times and gained some experience."

"How did you practice?" Bai Nian subconsciously asked.

Xu Mu thought of the plush bunny, and the curve of his lips couldn't contain his smile. Even the sharpness in his eyes softened a bit.

"I practiced on a rabbit."

Bai Nian's eyes widened, a bit dazed. His gray-blue irises were no longer concealed by the lenses, seeming to be veiled in a faint mist.

Slowly, a blush crept onto his pale face, like a pink smoke bomb that suddenly exploded when the afterglow of sunset casting upon wispy clouds

It was a color that no brush could replicate.

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