The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 43

 

TGMNDIAR - 43

"Has Ye Ye fallen asleep?"

"Yes, he's out like a light. He played so hard today, he crashed as soon as he finished his bath."

"Will I disturb him?" Xu Mu glanced at the closed door, not far from the bathroom.

"Don't worry, the house has good soundproofing," Ba Nian said gently. "If you need any help, just call out."

"Oh, okay."

Separated by a door, the sound of footsteps faded away.

Xu Mu's stiff shoulders relaxed, feeling somewhat dazed.

Ah, he really came over to take a shower.

He took a deep breath, looking around.

The bathroom mirror was still fogged up, water droplets trickled down, and the lingering scent of bath products filled the air, along with...

A familiar bathing fragrance.

Xu Mu struggled to maintain his composure, but his ears turned slightly red.

It was the scent that Ba Nian often had.

The difference was that usually, there would also be a hint of jasmine mixed in when they were in close contact.

The sound of the water from the shower head hitting the floor interrupted his thoughts, and a faint mist rose.

Xu Mu stopped overthinking and quickly applied shampoo and body wash all at once.

To make it quick, he vigorously scrubbed his hair and rinsed off the lather from the body wash.

In just under ten minutes, Xu Mu was done with his shower.

A warm yellow light lingered in the hallway, casting its glow along the corridor. Around the corner was the half-open door, and the light and shadow leaked out were meandering.

Before knocking on the door, Xu Mu hesitated for a moment, feeling inexplicably nervous.

"I'm done with my shower, Brother Nian."

After a few seconds, a gentle voice came from inside.

"Okay, come in."

"...Hmm, alright." Xu Mu had originally intended to just greet him and leave, but since Ba Nian said so, he pushed the door open and entered.

"Was the water temperature alright?" Ba Nian slightly turned to the side, smiling as he asked.

"Mm, it was fine," Xu Mu responded.

Ba Nian waved at him. "Come here, let me blow dry your hair."

"Okay." Xu Mu obediently sat down, ready to take the blow dryer when Ba Nian picked it up.

Ba Nian paused for a moment and then softly said, "Let me help you."

Xu Mu blinked. "No need, I can do it myself."

Ba Nian sighed inwardly at his lack of cooperation and whispered, "I'm good at styling hair. Do you want to try?"

—He wouldn't know what to do from here, so he was just trying to test him and see if the other person would accept it.

"Oh, okay," Xu Mu agreed, not knowing why he was doing hairstyling late at night, but still agreeing to it.

His wet hair was lifted up, and unconsciously, he straightened his back, his hands resting quietly on his knees.

Since coming to this world, Xu Mu had been accustomed to the quick drying of high-tech blow dryers and had never used the supposedly "gentle mode" that didn't damage the hair.

The blow dryer hummed, the breeze over his scalp wasn't too hot, the soft fingertips brushed against his scalp lightly, occasionally splashing a few drops of water onto the back of his neck.

Xu Mu's heart felt like it was being tickled by something, it was a bit itchy, but he couldn't describe the exact sensation.

What should have taken eight seconds now took two minutes, and only the roots of his hair were partially dried.

Xu Mu remained motionless throughout the process, maintaining his original posture.

“Your bangs are too long, they're covering your eyes." Ba Nian flicked his fingertips, Xu Mu's hair was slightly coarse, and after drying, it would stand up on its own. From the back, it looked a bit like it was exploding. "Let me trim them for you."

He spoke as if he were facing someone he had long been familiar with, his tone casual and intimate.

Xu Mu was caught off guard, unable to taste the deeper meaning behind it, and blurted out, "You're going to cut it?"

Ba Nian chuckled, "Do you doubt my skills?"

"Not at all."

"Then I'll cut it."

"Uh... alright."

Ba Nian indeed found a pair of scissors and pinched Xu Mu's bangs between his fingers, starting to cut with a "snip snip."

Xu Mu's blinking frequency couldn't help but increase, the cut hair falling gently, the occasional touch of the cold metal against his brow causing a faint itch in his eyelids.

Ba Nian bent down with his lips slightly pursed, his movements steady and focused.

He leaned in close, the fine hairs on his skin clearly visible, a pair of half-frame glasses perched on his nose bridge, silver wire outlining the frame, the soft light casting a warm and elegant glow.

Xu Mu stared straight ahead, his gaze traveling from the slightly upturned corners of Ba Nian's eyes, down to his fair earlobes, then further down, tracing the indigo veins along the side of his neck.

Instinctively, he searched for that black mole.

It was about a centimeter away from his Adam's apple, it lay right across a winding vein.

"Done." Ba Nian looked at it with satisfaction, "Looks good, right?"

"Mm."

"You're saying it's good without even looking?" Ba Nian chuckled lightly.

Xu Mu averted his gaze. "It shouldn't be ugly."

As he spoke, he opened the lens of his light brain camera.

"Not ugly, right?" Ba Nian tilted his head, leaning closer to the screen with Xu Mu.

"It’s not ugly." Xu Mu smoothed his hair, which had simply been cut shorter. He had kept it longer before to make it easier to curl.

"Really?"

"Mm." Xu Mu thought for a moment. "Just a bit of a messy fringe."

He turned his head to fix the side again, and the effect was achieved.

—It looked good, but it was difficult to manage.

"You look good with your forehead showing," Ba Nian said, his gaze unwavering as he lightly played with Xu Mu's bangs.

Xu Mu pushed his hair back and raised an eyebrow. "Like this?"

A buzz cut?

"Close, but don't press it down completely," Ba Nian adjusted it a bit. With his cold and stern brows, there was an indescribable sense of arrogance when he glanced casually at people.

"Thin out the sides a bit more, make the temples more defined, with sharp angles. It'll emphasize your jawline and complement your temperament, especially when you're not speaking or smiling."

Xu Mu: "..." Oh, he understood now. It was an American-style slip back.

He looked at Ba Nian with a complicated expression.

Ba Nian's heart skipped a beat under Xu Mu's gaze, and he let go as if he had been burned. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just a little surprised by Brother Nian's aesthetics."

"What aesthetics?" Ba Nian looked puzzled.

Xu Mu raised an eyebrow but didn't answer.

After a while, he said, "A bit edgy? And a little bit cool?"

Ba Nian stumbled over his words, "Not exactly, as long as it’s good-looking, that's all."

"Oh."

A strange silence lingered.

Xu Mu drifted off, realizing he wasn't that type. It felt like what Ba Nian appreciated was more of a...

Sunny bad-boy type?

That’s a bit difficult to handle.

He was quite the homebody, not at all bad, and definitely not stylish. His personality was miles away from being sunny.

Their age gap of more than ten years was noticeable, and many times, he could feel the other's patience and tenderness—

Like how he treated Ye Ye.

Xu Mu clenched his jaw. This wouldn't do.

Although he hadn't figured out how to handle this relationship yet, his heart was gradually leaning towards one side, wanting to take the first step.

Of course, he didn't know how to take that step yet.

But being seen as a younger brother was definitely not acceptable!

Throughout history, there have been three classic rejection lines:

"You're a good person."

"I think we're better off as friends."

"I only see you as a brother/sister."

"Ah Mu," Ba Nian said softly, "do you want to take a look at the photos we took tonight? We were supposed to look at them after dinner..."

"Oh, sure." Xu Mu didn't mind, following Ba Nian to change seats.

The desk was a bit messy, with small ornaments at the front toppled over in a row. Draft papers were scattered everywhere, and five graphic drawing tablets were emitting dim light.

Ba Nian tidied up a bit and explained, "I tend to get a bit neglectful when I'm working. When inspiration strikes, I prefer to record it with pen and paper, so it gets messy."

"That's normal. Mine is even messier."

"How's this semester going for you?"

"Alright."

"The second year focuses more on building models, and many courses require practical skills. Have you encountered any difficulties?"

"..." Xu Mu sighed softly. "Everything is difficult."

He wasn't interested in architecture at all and had only spent a short time studying it during the summer vacation to pass the exams.

To be honest, architecture was quite boring. He even thought about just returning to his old job of playing games after graduation. At least he had loved games.

Ba Nian frowned and said seriously, "Ah Mu, you can come to me for help."

Xu Mu paused, "I know, I—” he hesitated, “It's not so much about how difficult it is to learn, but more that I don't really like architecture."

"When I initially chose architecture, it was purely by accident. I didn't even think I could... well, study architecture."

"But since I've chosen it, I don't want to drop out. If I want to get my diploma, I just have to grit my teeth and continue."

"And I feel like I really don't have any talent in architecture. They say this field requires creativity, but I'm struggling even just to imitate others."

Ba Nian patiently listened, then simply reached out and patted his head.

"From what I understand, you just want to get your degree, right?"

Xu Mu was surprised by the gesture. He wasn't often treated like this, almost like a silent comfort, a consoling form of encouragement.

He nodded, "More or less."

"Have you considered changing majors?"

Changing majors?

"I'm not really interested in anything else."

In his previous life, Xu Mu studied computer science because everyone said the internet was booming and it could make money. Plus, he had student loans to pay off, so naturally, he prioritized majors that could earn him money and applied for computer science.

During his first year of college, he worked hard to maintain a top GPA, aiming for scholarships, actively participated in various competitions to build up his resume, and worked part-time to cover living expenses and save up for his future.

Playing games was his passion, and live streaming was just a coincidence. But gradually, it started to flourish. Compared to odd jobs, it seemed that he could earn more from gaming companionship, live streaming, and creating game strategies.

By the time he was in his final year of college, he had earned enough money to pay off his loans and buy a small property in the outskirts of the city.

Facing a crossroads in life, Xu Mu was actually quite bewildered. It seemed like he couldn't play games forever, but he didn't know what else to do either. So, he chose to continue his studies, somewhat avoiding thinking about the future.

After graduating, Xu Mu worked hard to get his diploma. He didn't have much interest in delving deep into his field of study, so he continued with gaming live streams, planning to reconsider his options when he turned thirty.

Xu Mu's real dream, if he had one, was probably to stay at home for the rest of his life, playing games, watching movies, sleeping whenever he wanted, and waking up whenever he felt like it.

Sometimes, he could spend a whole day at home rearranging his gaming room, playing with game figurines, or building keyboards, enjoying himself.

He never expected that one day, at the age of twenty-seven, he would arrive in a new world and even become a new species.

"Do you have anything you like? Or something you want to do in the future?" Bai Nian asked. "Anything goes, it doesn't have to be related to your major in school. Even if you like selling cotton candy, it's fine."

Xu Mu smiled and joked, "Then I'll start a business selling sweet potatoes in the future."

"Well, that's possible," Bai Nian pondered. "But running a business also requires some know-how and initial capital. If you're really serious about it, I can—"

"Hey hey, Brother Nian, I was just kidding," Xu Mu chuckled. "Let's talk about it later, there’s no rush."

"Right, no rush," Ba Nian softly repeated, gently looking at Xu Mu.

He stood up, bent down, one knee against the edge of the chair, and hugged Xu Mu. He whispered, "But Ah Mu, if you encounter any difficulties, you can always tell me."

“...” Xu Mu's heart suddenly raced, he felt his heart pulsing in his eardrums. He wanted to lift his hands, but then quietly put them back down.

It's strange how at certain moments, Bai Nian can deliver a soul-stirring blow to him without any defense, shining brightly without blinding, unbelievably gentle, making him indulgent yet nostalgic. It's a subtle and unique feeling that only arises with this person.

"Thank you, Brother Nian," Xu Mu said softly, "you're really kind."

Bai Nian rested his chin on Xu Mu's shoulder and gently said, "Ah Mu, you're also very kind."

He liked the passion hidden within the young man's shell. When it surged, it was like a volcanic eruption, but when it gradually subsided, it became so fitting and stable.

Undeniably, when the other person comforted him and whispered sweet words, it felt like he was falling into a jar of honey, feeling all soft and filled with indescribable joy and excitement.

But during their frequent interactions, he mostly enjoyed the little things like having meals and chatting with Ah Mu. If he didn't receive his confession, he might have hesitated to take the first step, but ultimately, he would.

...

"I've exported all the photos and selected some that I think look good," Bai Nian said, swiftly operating the screen with his fingers.

"Mm," Xu Mu clenched his fist against his lips, pretending to remain calm.

There was nothing strange about him on the surface, but in fact he was replaying the hug just now in his mind.

He actually hugged him like that…

Xu Mu's mind wandered, lost in thought. 

However, Bai Nian was so thin, he was wearing loose home clothes, and he had a slim waist. When he hugged him, there was still plenty of room to hug him in one hand.

"There were a few that have bad angles and poor lighting, but you look very handsome in them," Bai Nian sat down, propping his chin, looking expectantly at Xu Mu. "What do you think? Ah Mu."

Xu Mu: "...” Wow! Such an ugly snake.

"Mm, you're right, Bai Nian's photography skills are really good," he quickly glanced at the photos and immediately looked away.

Bai Nianye's smile deepened. "Ah, so you think so too. Let's continue then."

The photos on the screen continued to cycle through, without exception, with the protagonist always being that green snake. Occasionally, other animals appeared, but the focus was always on Xu Mu.

Xu Mu's mood was complex, yet he also felt joyful.

Well... at least Brother Nian loves his mimicry and genuinely finds it handsome. In another sense, his chances of future success are evidently much greater.

But then again, what exactly is Brother Nian's mimicry...?

"Ah Mu, what variety of bamboo leaf green snake are you?" 

"White-lipped." 

"White-lipped bamboo leaf green snake?" Bai Nian also pondered, "It doesn't seem entirely like it. Your physique seems broader, um, a bit stronger than the usual White-lipped. Are you a mixed species?"

"... " Xu Mu really didn't know.

"I don’t know, maybe. I'll ask Nades later." 

Bai Nian nodded.

The two continued to look, probably about a hundred photos.

Xu Mu felt that several were duplicates, but when he mentioned it, Bai Nian resolutely pointed out the differences in lighting, expressions, and forms, and picked out the best-looking one.

Xu Mu couldn't help but study them, but he felt vaguely uncomfortable. 

Oh well, if it's different, then it's different.

"It feels like the times are indeed changing. Back in our time, we wouldn't have had such mimicry performances. Sometimes, telling each other about our mimicry forms would feel embarrassing." Bai Nian sighed. "People's minds are more open now. It's a good thing to show each other’s mimicry openly."

His eyes lit up, staring straight at Xu Mu. "Ah Mu, I really like your mimicry. Can I hug you more in the future?"

Xu Mu felt a bit embarrassed. "... you like my mimicry? Um, sure." He couldn't help but be curious, hesitatingly asking, "Brother Nian, your mimicry..."

Perhaps because the other had mentioned "liked" earlier, it was now an inappropriate time to ask, but Xu Mu found it hard to suppress.

Bai Nian also paused for a moment, then suddenly realized, thinking that Xu Mu wanted to play with his mimicry but was too embarrassed to ask.

—-- Well, this kind of "embarrassment" always occurs when he's in human form.

"Um, sure, should I transform now?" 

Xu Mu widened his eyes, feeling that something was off but unable to articulate it. 

"Um, okay." 

Bai Nian pursed his lips and smiled, "I used to think you were a bit strange when you faced my mimicry—"

"It’s strange, but now I can understand. It's really interesting to hug and play with." 

Xu Mu:?

"You haven't hugged my mimicry in a long time." Bai Nian's tone had a hint of complaint. "Last time I came to see you, you actually closed the windows. Why? Were you in a bad mood?"

He slowly undid the two buttons on his collar, making it easier for his mimicry to crawl out from the neckline.

Xu Mu listened in confusion. His gaze inadvertently swept over the other's neck, the collarbones were crystal white, with a delicate sheen.

Xu Mu froze, immediately averting his eyes.

"Ah Mu..."

Xu Mu turned his head, his fluttering clothes fell onto the chair, revealing a familiar floppy-eared rabbit crawling out from the neckline.

Its furry ears hung on both sides, and its milky coffee-colored tail swayed.

Xu Mu was stunned.

He seemed to hear a cracking sound, click-clack, as his brain buzzed.

Floppy-eared rabbit...

That adorable floppy-eared rabbit...

It was Brother Nian?!!!

Bai Nian thought the young man would be excited to hug him, but—

Why was he so still?

He tilted his head, pondered for a moment, then jumped onto Xu Mu's knee and patted him on the hand.

‘Ah Mu?’

Still no response.

Bai Nian pursed his lips, a bit annoyed. He leaped up, stepping on the other's shoulder. As he couldn't find his balance, he swayed.

Xu Mu instinctively reached out, his muscles acting on their own, and he ended up embracing Bai Nian.

Bai Nian found a comfortable position and nestled into his hand slowly.

His face brushed against the back of Xu Mu's hand, and he lowered his head, giving it a little kiss.

A soft touch flashed by, and Xu Mu slowly lowered his head, his expression blank.

He awkwardly called out, "Brother Nian..."

The floppy-eared rabbit scratched his ears, gave him a glance, as if in response.

Xu Mu: "..."

Click-clack—The monument of human morality, shaky and about to collapse, shattered completely.

He thought of the things he had done, and his hands began to tremble.

What! Have! I! Done?!

Memories flashed by like a whirlwind. On the first day, he hugged, buried his face in it’s belly, kissed, pinched the floppy-eared rabbit. The second time, he even looked at its... 

The countless excessive actions, all the shameless and bizarre words he uttered, how shameless and natural he used to be with the rabbit, but now he just wanted to die.

A tsunami of shame overwhelmed him, heavy and suffocating, entwining him like vines—

He felt as if he were suffocating.

Xu Mu was numb.

Ha, ha, ha...

His expression twisted as he cursed himself:

You despicable, shameless, and perverted super freak.

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