The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 35

 

TGMNDIAR - 35

Xu Mu couldn't remember how he got back home from Bai Nian's place. He almost floated into the entrance hall, paying no attention to Nades inquiries.

He returned to his room, closed the door, stood still for a few minutes, and then slowly collapsed onto the bed. Cracks emerged inch by inch in his long petrified heart:

What exactly did he say!

Bai Nian's bewildered expression flashed through his mind. The more Xu Mu thought about it, the more regretful he felt. He almost wanted to turn back time and forcefully wake himself up at that moment.

—Why did he question him about the lack of emoticons? Why should he send him emoticons? Is he a three-year-old child? Is he starting to make a fuss whenever things don't go his way?

Xu Mu took a deep breath. No, it was too embarrassing to even think about. He felt like he was being scratched all over by a monkey, almost wanting to howl at the sky.

The only consolation was that Bai Nian wasn't angry. 

Bai Nian touched his head softly, his gaze tender and inclusive, speaking in a tone as comforting as a warm flame.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were waiting for that emoticon. I know now, and I'll send it to you every day from now on."

"I'll make it up to you for today too."

"Don't be upset, okay?"

Xu Mu slid his screen open, and a faint blue light reflected in his pupils.

A row of blushing rabbit emoticons flew across the screen, kissing and spinning in unison.

Not only did he make up for it, but he also sent over a dozen more.

Xu Mu buried his face in the pillow, wanting to suffocate himself.

How did he even say those words...

He pondered endlessly, unable to make sense of it, and could only painstakingly trace back to the origin.

Searching and peeling, until only dim light remained, and a pair of gray-blue eyes looked at him softly.

In an instant, his thoughts stagnated and once again plunged into chaos.

...

The next day

"Daddy!" Ye Ye happily rushed to Xu Mu as soon as he saw him leaving, skillfully climbing up his legs. "Hug."

Xu Mu quickly lifted him up, glancing at the doorway, his heart tightening. "Let's go, it's time for school."

He wasn't walking, he was speed-walking.

"Ah Mu."

Xu Mu froze, stiffly turning around. "Brother Nian, good morning."

Bai Nian smiled and waved at Xu Mu. "Good morning. Have you had breakfast?"

"I, I ate," Xu Mu's feet moved slowly, unwillingly.

"You never wear gloves," Bai Nian sighed. "Aren't you afraid of the cold?"

“...” Xu Mu blinked rapidly. "Ill wear them now."

"Try these on." Bai Nian took out a set of black plush gloves. "They generate heat, but they're not heavy. Plus, I adjusted them to fit your fingers, so they shouldn't be uncomfortable for you to wear."

Xu Mu hesitated for a few seconds. "Oh, okay." He reached out to take them, but Bai Nian stepped back.

"You extend one hand first." Seeing Xu Mu holding Ye Ye, Bai Nian decided to help him put them on.

Xu Mu slowly extended one hand, which was then gently held by Bai Nian.

His hand was dry, soft, warm—the moment their skin touched, Xu Mu shivered.

Bai Nian straightened Xu Mu's fingers and whispered, "Don't curl your fingers."

“...” Xu Mu didn't say anything, his wrist and palm almost forming a right angle.

Bai Nian chuckled. "You don't have to keep them that straight."

Xu Mu immediately relaxed his grip.

Bai Nian smiled faintly, finding Xu Mu quite adorable. He finished putting one on his hand for him. "Now, your right hand."

Xu Mu responded to each command with a corresponding action.

"Alright," Bai Nian lightly patted his hand. "Be careful on the road."

"...Okay," Xu Mu whispered softly.

Continuous warmth emanated from the inner layers of the gloves, and both hands felt hot, almost overwhelming.

"Thanks, Brother Nian, I'm off, bye." Xu Mu didn't wait for Bai Nian to reply. He hurriedly walked away with Ye Ye, as if rushing to catch an elevator, clearly impatient.

Or one could say, he was running away would be more accurate.

Bai Nian blinked, watching Xu Mu's retreating figure thoughtfully.

Was he... shy?

---

Fuxin Architectural Design Firm

"Morning, Brother Bai." Jin Fei waved enthusiastically with a bun still in her mouth.

Bai Nian smiled. "Morning."

"Morning, Brother Bai." Both Tang Wanwan and Lu Yao greeted him simultaneously.

Bai Nian nodded. "Morning."

He sat at his desk, not rushing to start working.

For no reason at all, he thought of Xu Mu.

The next moment, a faint smile appeared on his lips as he opened the pinned chat.

[Bai: Are you in the class?]

[Bai: Heart circle launch Kiss.jpg]

A few seconds later.

[Xu: I'm here]

[Xu: Heart circle launch Kiss.jpg]

Bai Nian was momentarily stunned, the curve of his lips widening. Thinking about the youth's stubborn and repeated inquiries from last night, he felt his heart softened.

Perhaps... Ah Mu just wasn't good at expressing himself, but in reality, he cared about every detail in their relationship just like Bai Nian did.

Undeniably, Bai Nian's restless heart found stability because of the other person's seemingly childish concerns.

He knew that people who in love who are anxious and worried—

It wasn't just him.

"Brother Bai, did something good happen?" Jin Fei couldn't contain her curiosity and blurted out her question.

"What?" Bai Nian didn't quite catch on.

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Lu Yao couldn't resist joining in. "Yeah, Brother Bai, you seem to be in a good mood today."

Bai Nian smiled gently. "Do I?"

Jin Fei: "Yes, you've been smiling all day today."

Bai Nian touched his own face. "Is it that obvious?"

"It’s not that obvious," Tang Wanwan turned around. "It's just that spring is in the air, you know?"

She even stood up, spreading her arms wide to mimic the blossoming of flowers.

"Alright, let's get back to work," Bai Nian chuckled helplessly. "Stop gossiping about me."

Tang Wanwan stuck out her tongue. "Okay, Brother Bai."

---

At noon, Bai Nian had completed about half of the anticipated workload. He flexed his wrist, ready to put down his pen and go for lunch.

Lu Yao stopped him. "Brother Bai, Lily, the boss's secretary, contacted me. She said she sent you a message and asked you to reply as soon as possible."

Bai Nian returned to his desk. "Okay."

He opened the work email that he hadn't checked all morning, and at the top was "Lily."

Bai Nian quickly scanned through the contents and got the gist of it.

The message mentioned that there was an industry exchange event tonight, and the boss wanted him to attend. Lily asked if he had time.

Bai Nian stepped out into the corridor and dialed Lily's number directly.

"Hello?" A brisk female voice answered.

"Lily, it's me. I wanted to ask, what's the main agenda for tonight's exchange event?"

"It's nothing much, really," Lily replied. "Just some companies from the industry visiting UDEX Planet for inspection. Someone organized a last-minute exchange event, and the renowned architect, Andre, was invited to share his experiences. The event is private, but the boss sees it as a rare opportunity and values you, so he asked me to inquire if you're available."

Bai Nian's expression remained calm as he lightly tapped his knuckles against the windowsill.

Andre... indeed, he's a very accomplished master architect. He's kept a low profile in recent years, so I wonder who managed to invite him.

"Brother Bai?" Lily called out when she noticed his silence.

"Alright, what time and where tonight?" Bai Nian asked.

"I'll send you the invitation later," Lily replied.

"Okay, thanks."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Nian checked the invitation.

Time was a bit tight—

It seemed he needed to go home for lunch first to get a more formal suit.

---

Following his usual routine, Xu Mu picked up Ye Ye and went home for lunch.

Sometimes Ye Ye wanted him to stay, so he'd accompany him in the neighboring apartment, but if not needed, he'd return home.

"Big spaceship, flying in the sky!"

"Mm-hmm, very impressive."

"Daddy... Maya, Saiya... whoosh!"

"Okay, I'm Maya, and you're the super warrior, Saiya."

"No... not warrior Saiya, not Saiya!" Ye Ye corrected seriously.

Xu Mu had learned a set of perfunctory tricks when dealing with children. "Alright, alright, you're Saiya, not warrior Saiya."

"I am!"

"Yes, you are."

Ye Ye pouted, clearly sensing the adult's lack of attention.

Xu Mu entered the entrance hall after entering the password, habitually calling out, "Kaduo, we're back—"

"Brother Bai?" He froze.

Bai Nian had just grabbed his suit, preparing to head back to the company.

He smiled. "Hi, Ah Mu, welcome back."

Xu Mu hesitated. "Um, I just picked up Ye Ye, and he wanted me to play spaceship with him, so I came over here."

"Thanks for your trouble," Bai Nian nodded. "I came back to grab something. Oh, by the way, I have a networking event tonight, it might run late, so you don't have to wait for me."

Xu Mu restrained the urge to ask further. "Okay, got it."

Bai Nian's gaze fell on Xu Mu's hand, his expression softening.

Xu Mu clenched his fist and then abruptly released it. Feeling the other's gaze, he cleared his throat. "The gloves... they're really warm."

Bai Nian smiled. "That's good."

He took a step forward, holding Xu Mu's hand, his slender fingers fitting into the palm.

The plush gloves were warm, surely something Ah Mu liked.

Bai Nian murmured softly, "Remember to wear them often in the future, don't let yourself get cold. I have to go now, bye."

Xu Mu's whole arm stiffened, his mouth opened slightly, and he managed to steady his voice, "Okay, bye..."

Click— the automatic door closed, and Xu Mu suddenly snapped out of his daze.

His hand, suspended in midair, dropped down, his muscles feeling numb, slightly twitching.

He lowered his head slowly, furrowing his brow.

Something wasn't right.

Why did his hand keep getting numb?

Last night, when they watched the movie, the other person got tired and rested their head on his shoulder, maybe it pressed on his blood vessels, causing numbness.

He wore the gloves in the morning to protect them from the cold wind, as it could freeze his blood vessels and cause numbness.

But just now, the other person checked the temperature of his gloves—

Why did it get numb again?

Was there something wrong with his body...

Xu Mu felt anxious. No, he needed Nades to schedule a physical examination for him when he got back.

He needed to find out what the problem was.

---

In the evening, Ye Ye had dinner at Xu Mu's house.

Nades cooked, but Ye Ye was picky, refusing this and that, making Xu Mu quite distressed.

"Daddy's still not back..." Ye Ye finished his meal, sitting boredly on the sofa, kicking his legs back and forth.

Xu Mu silently agreed in his heart: Yeah, it's almost nine o'clock, and Brother Nian still hasn't come back. What kind of networking event runs this late?

"Master, it seems Mr. Bai has returned," Nades stood at the entrance. "I heard the door next door opening."

Xu Mu's spirits lifted, and he gently shook Ye Ye in his arms. "Ye Ye, your daddy's back."

Ye Ye instantly became alert. "I-I want to go home..."

"Okay, I'll take you home now."

Xu Mu hurriedly put on his shoes and headed straight for the door.

"Brother Nian!"

Bai Nian leaned against the door, holding his forehead, squinting slightly, his gaze unfocused. He was wearing a more formal suit than usual, noticeably more dignified in style.

His elbow rested on the door, arching his back, the curvature of his back was arched, and the outlined waistline was extremely thin, extending down below.

Bai Nianwas still sober, just a bit flushed from alcohol, a rosy hue on his fair skin, with a slight drunkenness in his brows and eyes, exuding a charming allure.

He murmured softly, "Ah Mu..."

Xu Mu handed Ye Ye over to Nades, rushing forward to support him. "Are you drunk?"

"Not too much," Bai Nian spoke softly, his voice slightly slurred. "Just a bit dizzy, I took some sobering medicine, I feel much better now."

So the medicine didn't work? Xu Mu frowned. "Let me help you."

Bai Nian didn't resist. He could walk fine, but he didn't mind being supported by his younger boyfriend.

Bai Nian's arm wrapped around Xu Mu's neck, his face leaning against it, gently rubbing against it. "Thank you for your hard work, Ah Mu..."

Xu Mu tensed his jaw, feeling a tingling sensation on his neck as Bai Nian's breath brushed against him. He walked stiffly, his waist stiff. He walked just like Nades, walking straight ahead without turning.

Xu Mu busied himself, handing Bai Nian water, blankets, and towels, and also directing Kaduo to help take care of Ye Ye, supervising Ye Ye's bathing and bedtime.

When he finally emerged from the room, he found that the person who should have been lying on the sofa was nowhere to be seen.

Xu Mu searched around and found Bai Nian on the balcony. He was about to walk in when he realized something was wrong and stopped in his tracks.

---

"I'm taking Ye Ye back," Qin Tongfei didn't beat around the bush, stating it bluntly.

Bai Nian pressed his temple, the communicator by his ear flashing green. "...Reason?"

"No reason, he's my child."

"Tell me honestly, what are you planning to do?"

"It doesn't matter," Qin Tongfei said coldly. "I will come to take the child away."

Bai Nian lowered his voice. "Tongfei, you're twenty-two now, don't be so childish. Ye Ye isn't an object. You abandoned him without any burden, and now—"

"Shut up! Stop trying to lecture me. You're not my brother, and I'm not your sister. We don't share the same parents!" Qin Tongfei's tone was icy, clearly disdainful. "I don't need a brother like you, especially you."

Bai Nian took a deep breath. "Fine, I'm not, but Tongfei, if you want to take Ye Ye away, you have to give me a reason."

---

"Who was that on the phone just now?" Xu Mu asked casually, pretending not to notice.

He was in the living room, vaguely hearing voices. His intuition told him that the conversation wasn't very friendly, as if they were arguing.

Bai Nian hadn't said anything since he came back, his brows furrowed, looking a bit absent-minded.

"Um, I'm not really curious, just... I noticed that Nian doesn't seem to be in a good mood since you came back," Xu Mu said, a bit tiredly.

"It's my...," Bai Nian said, lips moving slightly, but he didn't finish his sentence.

"It's Ye Ye's mom. She wants to take Ye Ye away, but I'm worried..." 

He didn't know why she suddenly wanted to take Ye Ye away, but he had heard recently that there seemed to be some turmoil with Ye Ye's biological father's family, involving disputes over inheritance and heirs, and it wasn't stable. 

He asked Qin Tongfei for the reason, but she refused to answer.

Bai Nian had a bad guess in his heart, but he didn’t have any evidence..

Xu Mu hesitated. "Does she want to fight for custody with you?"

—Ye Ye's mom, isn't that Brother Nian's... ex-wife?

Xu Mu pursed his lips slightly, feeling inexplicably choked up.

Bai Nian was startled, suddenly realizing that he had never talked to the young man about this matter.

"Ye Ye isn't my child. After Tongfei, Ye Ye's mom, abandoned him, my mom took care of him at first. But Ye Ye was attached to me, so I've been taking care of him. I treat Ye Ye as my own child..." 

Xu Mu's mind raced like lightning. Wait a minute, Ye Ye is not Brother Nian's child, but the child of his ex-wife...

An astonishing conjecture formed in his mind, and Xu Mu's hand trembled slightly.

Brother Nian got cheated by his ex-wife? And he's been selflessly taking care of her child? And now she wants to take the child away?

"Brother Nian!" Xu Mu looked at Bai Nian's pale face, he was unwilling to let him continue to expose his emotional wounds. He spoke gently, "I understand, you don't need to say anymore, I understand."

Bai Nian didn't actually know what the young man understood, but he was too tired today. The socializing, the alcohol, and that phone call had left him unwilling to say anything more. They could talk about the rest later. Right now, all he needed was a comforting embrace.

"Ah Mu."

"What's wrong?" Xu Mu responded immediately.

"I want to hug you."

"Ah." Xu Mu was stunned, looking at Bai Nian's tired expression, guessing that he needed a shoulder to lean on.

He swallowed hard and asked, "O-Okay, how should I hug you?"

Bai Nian smiled slightly. "Just a hug, how else could you hug?"

"..." Xu Mu chuckled awkwardly, his heart was racing and his palms were sweating. He felt a bit flustered.

Bai Nian got up and sat beside Xu Mu, opening his arms and slowly leaning in.

He buried his face in the other's shoulder, a clean soap scent that belonged to the young man filled his nose.

Gradually, his heart began to quiet down.

Xu Mu's hands, suspended in mid-air, seemed a bit awkward, neither here nor there, as if parachuting without finding the right direction.

Finally, he gently rested them on Bai Nian's back.

He didn’t exert any force, just lightly embracing him.

His arms began to feel a familiar numbness.

"Ah Mu."

Xu Mu's throat was dry, "Hmm..."

"Your heart is beating too fast..." Bai Nian murmured, "It's a bit noisy."

Xu Mu was stunned. After a few seconds, he straightened his lips and softly defended himself.

"It’s too hot, I can't help it."

Bai Nian chuckled lightly, finding the young man truly adorable.

But he accepted this excuse, responding with tolerance and tenderness:

"Okay, it's just because it's too hot."

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