The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 45

 

TGMNDIAR - 45

"Good morning, my dear master." Nades glanced at the time. "If I'm not mistaken, it's only five in the morning. Why are you up so early?"

Xu Mu turned his head slightly, scissors in hand, snipping away at his sideburns in the mirror.

"Morning," he said nonchalantly. "Guess."

Nades: "To cut your hair?"

Xu Mu didn't respond, continuing to focus intently on styling his hair.

Once he finished styling, he wiped his hands covered in hair product and began to style his hair. He lifted the roots at the front, styling a few strands to decorate the left side of his forehead, before finally spraying copious amounts of hairspray to set it.

"Nades, next time, buy unscented hairspray," Xu Mu frowned.

"Yes, master."

"Nades, where did I put the clothes and accessories I bought before?"

"Just a moment, please."

A few minutes later, Nades returned. "Master."

Xu Mu changed into a dark brown vintage leather jacket with a matte finish. He tilted his chin up slightly, putting on a black obsidian earring on one side as he looked into the mirror.

He took it from Nades' hand. "Thank you."

Nades remained curious, still standing at the doorway.

Xu Mu didn't say anything either, picking up a multicolored geometric necklace and putting it on. The combination of Klein blue and silver shimmered under the lights.

He also chose a skull ring and a double-layer Mobius ring, wearing them on his index finger one by one.

"Wow! Amazing, master, you've changed your style!" Nades praised.

"Do you think it's cool?"

"Super cool!"

"Rebellious?"

"A bit rebellious!"

"Mature?"

"It’s alright."

Xu Mu glanced sideways. "What do you mean 'alright'?"

"It means not very mature," Nades said, "Your face fits your age very well."

Xu Mu pursed his lips, feeling annoyed.

After a while, he said, "Oh, I want breakfast, Nades."

"Now?"

"Yeah."

"You look tired yet energetic. Don't you want to take a nap?"

"Not tired," Xu Mu said, leaning back to the mirror, examining himself.

He had only dozed for two hours last night and didn't feel particularly sleepy, so he decided not to sleep at all.

Nades remarked, "You have heavy dark circles under your eyes."

Xu Mu frowned, indeed they were quite prominent.

"Is there anything at home that can cover up dark circles?" he asked.

"Do you mean cosmetics?" Nades asked.

"Yeah."

"We don't have any."

Xu Mu fell silent, then took out his light brain, browsing the delivery platform for a runner to fetch a set of makeup products within half an hour.

He offered a generous reward, and it was snatched up almost immediately.

“Besides looking tired, is there anything wrong with my clothes?"

Nades said, "Aren't you cold? There might be light snow today."

"Oh, that's not a problem, I am wearing a fleece inside." If you want style, you can't ask for warmth.

Nades: ?

How much fleece is inside?

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"...Alright."

"Oh, by the way, master, the pipe repairman will arrive at eleven this morning. Can you give me permission to let them in?"

"Okay, I'll log into the system later. The new water heater should arrive this afternoon, remember to sign for it."

Nades hesitated, then spoke again, "What brand did you buy this time?"

"... " Xu Mu pondered for a moment, "I bought three brands, just in case."

"I heard they're niche products, not relying on fake reviews to boost sales."

"Alright, master, I hope it meets your expectations. Also, we received a reply regarding the complaint about the previous water heater, and the merchant is willing to compensate. I took the liberty to accept the money."

Xu Mu nodded expressionlessly, "You made the right decision."

"Thank you for your praise," Nades bowed, "I'll go make breakfast for you."

---

Seven o'clock.

Xu Mu appeared at the door on time, but didn't see Ye Ye waiting.

He took a deep breath and cautiously pressed the doorbell.

Half a minute later, the door opened, revealing Bai Nian.

Xu Mu reflexively smiled, "Brother Nian—"

"Why are you...?" Bai Nian paused, his gaze shifting to Xu Mu's ears and neck, then slowly lowering his eyelids. "Didn't you see the message I sent you?"

Xu Mu grew nervous, "What, what?" He frantically opened his light brain.

Bai Nian said calmly, "Because it's the Snow God Festival, the kindergarten has a two-day break, so Ye Ye doesn't need to go today."

"You left in a hurry last night, and I forgot to tell you, so I sent you a message this morning."

Left in a hurry... Xu Mu froze.

Lowering his voice, he said, "Uh, I didn't check my messages this morning, sorry."

Bai Nian shook his head, "It's okay."

After a moment of silence, Xu Mu spoke up, "It’s nice that the kindergarten has a two-day break unexpectedly. With the weekend, Ye Ye gets a four-day holiday."

Bai Nian asked, "Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Alright, go to class then. Be careful on the way."

"Okay, got it."

As the automatic door closed, Xu Mu's shoulders suddenly relaxed.

He leaned against the wall, lost in thought, his gaze falling on the floor of the corridor.

Brother Nian's mood seemed really low today, he did not show a single smile.

-—You left in a hurry last night, and I wasn’t able to tell you.

Xu Mu hesitated, thoughts swirling in his mind.

He faintly realized that the other party seemed to be upset because of last night's incident, because he suddenly... left?

...

Bai Nian returned to the living room, still in a daze for a few seconds before continuing to tidy up the half-arranged tabletop.

His movements were swift, and the toys were neatly packed away.

The glass window was slightly opened, allowing a cool breeze to tousle his hair, his skin pale and cold.

From behind came Ye Ye’s sleepy voice, asking for milk.

"Did you brush your teeth?"

Ye Ye opened his mouth, "Ah—my teeth are white."

"You're so good." Bai Nian ruffled his hair. "Let me warm it up for you."

As Ye Ye held his milk and ate his bread, Bai Nian put on a khaki wool coat, gloves, and a scarf.

Click, the button of his glove was fastened. Bai Nian silently pondered; today... Ah Mu seemed dressed a bit thinly, and he didn't wear gloves either.

He lowered his gaze, a shadow passing over his eyelids.

Bai Nian was getting ready to leave for work.

"Daddy's leaving, Ye Ye, you be good at home and listen to Kaduo, okay?"

Ye Ye hopped off his chair, planting a kiss on Bai Nian's cheek. "Daddy, bye-bye, Ye Ye will be good."

Bai Nian smiled, his features softening.

As the automatic door opened, a cold wind rushed in.

Bai Nian's steps halted, looking bewildered towards the doorway. "Ah Mu? Why are you still... Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

Xu Mu leaned against the side of the door, one leg bent, and the motion-controlled light above his head lit up, illuminating his face, highlighting his sharp jawline.

Seeing the other person, his slightly furrowed brows relaxed as he calmly said, "I don't have class this morning, so it's fine to go a bit later."

Bai Nian approached slowly. "The temperature is a little bit cold today."

Xu Mu responded slowly, "Ah, I know, I'm not cold."

Bai Nian glanced at his red ears and nose, pursing his lips. "Where are your gloves?"

Xu Mu felt around his storage compartment bracelet. "Here."

"Why aren't you wearing them?" Bai Nian asked.

Xu Mu explained, "...They don't match my outfit."

Bai Nian's lips pursed even tighter. "Aren't you cold wearing this? It's thin and doesn't block the wind. And it might snow later, you don't even have a hat."

"The hat is in the storage compartment."

"What about the scarf?"

"In the storage compartment..."

"... " Bai Nian sighed softly. "Should I still praise you then?"

Xu Mu startled, "No."

Bai Nian sighed, "Let's go, take the elevator."

Xu Mu nodded and followed behind.

The elevator's numbers kept changing.

Ding

"Brother Nian, did I not behave properly when I saw your mimicry for the first time?"

Bai Nian was somewhat surprised by the sudden mention of this matter by the other party. He paused for a moment before stepping into the elevator.

Xu Mu followed closely behind.

The automatic doors slowly closed, shutting out the rushing cold.

"You were quite enthusiastic," Bai Nian remarked.

Xu Mu felt embarrassed, "Oh, sorry, my behavior earlier was indeed over the line. You should have stopped me back then, I..."

He couldn't continue, feeling uneasy and anxious.

The question just now was impulsive, and he hadn't thought about how to explain his actions to the other party.

If he didn't mention his rebirth, it seemed like... he could only admit to being a pervert.

"I did try to stop you," Bai Nian said softly, "But you sounded so pitiful, saying you really liked rabbits and just wanted to hug them, and that a basket of them would make you happier than giving chocolate to Ye Ye. What could I do? Besides, isn't mimicry communication a trend among you young people? I'm not that rigid..."

He trailed off, feeling slightly reluctant to admit that he was indulging in the other's ambiguous attitude because he had something to hide.

Xu Mu listened with a stiff expression, thinking: As expected, his speculation last night was correct. The other party really just saw him as a child and didn't take it to heart.

"I'm sorry..." he apologized, bowing his head.

"It's okay. I also want to thank you for helping me several times, and also, I remember the words of comfort you gave me." Bai Nian looked at Xu Mu quietly. "But why did you suddenly ask about this? Why are you apologizing?"

Xu Mu hesitated, "..." Because I just found out that rabbit was you.

But the words of comfort...

The frequency of Xu Mu's blinking increased. Was it when he unintentionally found out about the other's bisexuality?

Bai Nian turned his head away. The light in the elevator was cold, but his light brown hair, under a certain angle, shone with a gentle sheen.

"It's strange..." he murmured softly, "Is this related to you leaving last night? Did you suddenly not want to be a pervert anymore?"

The words "pervert" hit Xu Mu like a blow, and the next moment, he caught the emotions in Bai Nian's words.

"Brother Nian, were you angry last night?" Xu Mu asked.

Bai Nian looked at the digital keypad, the reflection clearly showing his face.

After about half a minute, he finally spoke. "I wasn't angry, I just sometimes don't quite understand your actions."

"Do you not like floppy-eared rabbits anymore?"

"I thought... you wanted to hug me last night, but you left."

After Bai Nian finished speaking, he breathed a sigh of relief, as if releasing accumulated courage, and the partially closed shell of his emotions instantly sealed shut.

Xu Mu hesitated, his ears turning slightly red, as he struggled to maintain composure.

"I like... um, no, I... I really had something to do last night..."

Bai Nian glanced at him steadily, not pressing further. "Alright, I understand," he said, curling his fingers. "Next time, don't suddenly turn cold for no reason."

“...” Xu Mu slightly widened his eyes.

Ding—the elevator reached the first floor, some people were waiting outside.

The two of them tacitly stopped talking and walked out together.

"Next time, don't wear such thin jackets. You're already cold-blooded, with poor temperature regulation," Bai Nian's gaze fell on Xu Mu's earlobe. "The earrings you're wearing are quite nice."

"R-really?"

"Your hairstyle looks good too," Bai Nian remarked.

The curve of Xu Mu's lips couldn't be suppressed, but remembering he had to maintain a cool and aloof appearance, he immediately flattened it and responded with a casual "Hmm".

Bai Nian pinched Xu Mu's necklace between two fingers. "Is this supposed to match?"

The distance between them shortened, and Xu Mu's eyelids fluttered. "Yes."

Bai Nian hooked his finger on the necklace, smiling as he asked, "Is your neck protected from the wind?"

Xu Mu felt the cold chain pressing against the back of his neck, involuntarily leaning forward as his heart rate slowly soared. "Protected."

"Protected and still trying to look cool?" Bai Nian's eyes curved even more, his voice soft.

Xu Mu's Adam's apple bobbed. "Not trying to look cool, it's a new style... um, a new style."

This time, Bai Nian laughed out loud.

Xu Mu held his breath, dazedly thinking: He looks so handsome when he laughs...

"Here, take this," Bai Nian handed over a storage compartment.

"What is it?" Xu Mu asked slowly.

"A small dessert," Bai Nian replied gently.

"Also, remember to wear a scarf, hat, and gloves later, okay?"

"Okay..."

The sound of the wind howling in his ears grew louder, chilling and piercing, like unsheathed cold blades.

But a small opening in Xu Mu's heart let in a warm breeze.

He thought: Do I really have to choose between the two possibilities as the netizens suggested?

As the saying goes, start as friends, become brothers, and finally become close brothers.

—Can't he create conditions for both to coexist?

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