The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 53

 

TGMNDIAR - 53

Xu Mu had an exceptionally joyful weekend. Who would understand how blissful it is to unabashedly cuddle a bunny every day, holding a soft and fragrant rabbit?

“Brother Nian, can you make your ears and tail appear?”

Under the warm blanket, Xu Mu hugged Bai Nianye from behind, resting his chin on the other's shoulder.

Bai Nianye, who was drawing, responded with an “Mm.”

Two fluffy ears popped out, and a tail emerged, gently brushing against Xu Mu’s knee, then settled obediently on top.

Xu Mu immediately grabbed the tail, giving it a rub, and whispered, “Brother Nian, I heard rabbit tails can move, but yours doesn’t seem to at all. 

Bai Nian’s hand paused, and he asked gently, “Do you want to see?”

Xu Mu cleared his throat, “No, I was just curious.”

Bai Nian chuckled, his tail sweeping to the right and then retracting.

“Is this what you meant?” Bai Nian asked.

Xu Mu quickly nodded.

“Alright, you can touch it.” Bai Nian continued drawing.

Xu Mu placed his hand on the tail immediately. The fluffy tail had curled into a ball, feeling wonderful to the touch. People always have a contrary nature; when it’s straight, they want to see it curled, and when it’s curled, they want to straighten it.

Back and forth, Xu Mu played to his heart’s content.

Bai Nian indulged him, occasionally glancing over with a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“How much longer do you have to draw?” Xu Mu lazily wrapped his arms around Bai Nianye’s waist. “Your client sure has a lot of demands.”

The communicator buzzed incessantly.

Bai Nian responded to the messages, speaking gently, “Are you hungry? Wait a little longer, I’ll make you something—”

Xu Mu said curiously, "I'm not hungry. I just don't want you to get too tired; you've been drawing for hours."

As he spoke, he frowned, "Maybe you should draw at the desk. You don't have to accommodate me."

Xu Mu had casually mentioned wanting to cuddle all weekend. Bai Nian was originally planning to work overtime in the study, but ended up snuggling under the blanket with him instead.

"I want to hold you more too," Bai Nian said softly.

It was his first time drawing in bed, and the experience felt fresh. Of course, the most special part was having his boyfriend by his side, making the drawing more enjoyable.

"...Oh." Xu Mu blinked, feeling strangely happy.

He leaned in close to Bai Nian’s neck and took a deep breath.

It smelled so good.

Xu Mu spaced out for a while, feeling euphoric.

"Brother Nian," he called out, "I'm with you not because I want you to cook for me, but because I like you. And besides, there's also Nades... Of course, I think your desserts are the best in the world—"

"I know," Bai Nian gently interrupted, saving his work on the screen before turning around.

"Seeing you enjoy the food I make makes me happy. If you can love it for a lifetime, I'll be even happier."

His hand rested on Xu Mu's cheek, fair and slender with well-defined knuckles.

His warm lips brushed against Xu Mu's cheek, stopping at his lower lip, lightly nibbling before releasing.

Their eyes met.

"... " Xu Mu was caught off guard, his heart skipping a few beats. His gaze shifted, and the hands around Bai Nian’s waist fidgeted nervously.

"I'll love it in the next life too," he said.

Bai Nian nestled into Xu Mu's embrace, his ears wrapping around Xu Mu's neck as he chuckled softly.

"Ah Mu," Bai Nian sighed softly, "I’ve noticed that sometimes you’re unbelievably bold, like when you hugged me the first time we met, but other times, you’re incredibly shy."

He paused, then added, "Maybe it's... a bit of a mix of perverted innocence?"

Xu Mu: "..." He wasn't!

The first time they met, he thought it was just a rabbit!

But he couldn’t explain, so he had to accept the "pervert" label.

"Maybe I'm just more daring when it comes to mimicry."

Bai Nian looked at him thoughtfully.

Xu Mu felt a chill run down his spine. "Well, uh, Brother Nian, I'm thirsty. I'll go get a glass of water."

"Alright." Bai Nian smiled and slowly withdrew his hand from under Xu Mu's shirt, casually asking, "Do you usually have the habit of working out?"

Xu Mu responded a bit late, "Yes."

Bai Nian lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes gently covering his eyelids.

"It feels good. I like it a lot."

Xu Mu's eyes widened slightly, and he stammered a bit.

"Th-then I'll keep working hard..."

In an instant, he already knew what to do next—

Get a gym membership, work out, and train like crazy!

…

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Xu Mu was pondering if it would be too soon to suggest living together.

It seemed a bit too fast.

Even though they were just separated by a wall and saw each other every morning and night, he just couldn't stop wanting to see him.

Unlike the secret longing during their ambiguous phase, dating made him even more eager.

He just wanted to stick together.

Buzz buzz buzz—his communicator vibrated.

[Bai: Have you arrived at school?]

Xu Mu immediately replied:

[Xu: Yes, has Brother Nian arrived at the company too?]

[Bai: Yes, I'm here.]

[Bai: It's raining a bit outside, and it might get colder in the next few days. Make sure to wear more clothes.]

[Bai: Ideally, you should wear as much as Ye Ye does, until you don’t feel cold anymore.]

Like Ye Ye?

Xu Mu thought: That's not going to work. What kind of handsome guy with overflowing hormones would wrap himself up like a ball?

[Xu: Um... I will.]

[Bai: Study well. I'm going to work now.]

[Xu: Okay.]

[Bai: Love heart spinning.jpg]

Xu Mu's lips curved into a smile, and seeing the blowing-kiss rabbit doubled his happiness.

He replied with a emoticon version of a green bamboo viper blowing a kiss.

Oddly enough, the more he looked at the ugly thing, the more he liked it.

Xu Mu rested his chin on his hand, daydreaming, as the classroom's noisy background faded into nothingness.

He missed Brother Nian so much...

If they lived together in the future, could he share a room with him?

Brother Nian would probably agree...

He felt so comfortable holding him, especially at night, warm and cozy.

If Bai Nian was in his mimicked form, he'd be even softer. Sleeping with his face against him would be incredibly soothing.

Xu Mu thought back to Friday night.

A slight feeling of regret washed over him.

If only he had acted then—

Logically, their first time shouldn’t be rushed, but looking back, he felt he had missed a perfect opportunity.

Because once that moment passed, bringing it up later just wouldn't feel right, especially since they had just started dating. It would seem too rash.

Like a reckless kid.

This wouldn’t do. Xu Mu silently reminded himself that, despite living through two lifetimes, and even though this was his first time dating, he needed to stay calm and composed.

— But he really liked Brother Nian.

"Xu Mu," Lou Haoyu called out to him.

"Hmm? What's up?" Xu Mu looked up.

Lou Haoyu said, "You're smiling so creepily."

Xu Mu: ?

"Oh."

"That's all you have to say?" Lou Haoyu clicked his tongue. "I really should have taken a picture of you just now."

"..."

Xu Mu ignored him.

Instead, Lou Haoyu got even more interested. He put an arm around Xu Mu’s shoulder, "What good thing happened? Tell your brother about it."

He was genuinely curious. Normally, Xu Mu always wore a deadpan expression, his words were always lukewarm, and when he did say something, it was often a cutting remark that left people reeling.

Xu Mu slowly brushed him off, "It is something good."

Lou Haoyu was stunned, giving Xu Mu a once-over, "Are you possessed?"

Xu Mu replied, "I'm in a relationship." He couldn't suppress the smile spreading across his face.

Lou Haoyu: !!!

"You—you succeeded in becoming a stepfather?"

Xu Mu paused, "Something like that."

Lou Haoyu didn't bother probing into the subtle implications. He quickly asked, "Is it the neighbor who came to see your performance last time?"

"Mm."

Lou Haoyu gasped, "Wow, you only chased for a short time, and you already succeeded..."

Xu Mu was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Lou Haoyu blurted out without thinking, "You seem like an anti-romance type. The other person is a lot older than you and probably isn't interested in some inexperienced college student..."

Realizing his mistake, he hurriedly tried to cover up, "Hey, hey, hey, I was just talking nonsense, just spewing gibberish."

Xu Mu expressionlessly replied, "Oh."

Lou Haoyu laughed awkwardly.

He tried to shift the conversation to lighten the mood, "Well, I remember your neighbor—no, now your boyfriend—is quite famous in the architecture industry. He’s a young prodigy. Our architecture concepts professor, Jack, even mentioned him in class before. It seems like you won't have to worry about your assignments or graduation..."

As he spoke, genuine envy crept into his voice.

"Really, it must be nice to have someone you can ask for help whenever you don't understand something, without worrying about annoying them. You can share your problems, stay up late working on projects together, and find inspiration together... Man, it makes me want to find someone too."

Xu Mu: "..."

He was speechless, "Your perspective is quite unique."

Lou Haoyu defended himself, "Isn't it true?"

Xu Mu was silent for a moment, thinking about how Bai Nian had helped him with his assignments before, his expression complex.

"Not necessarily, it's actually a bit embarrassing to ask too much."

Lou Haoyu said, "That's just because you're newly dating. You'll feel more comfortable as you get closer."

Xu Mu felt a subtle shift in his emotions.

Not really, they had been dating for a month already.

But Lou Haoyu didn’t know that.

---

Fuxin Architectural Design Firm

"Brother Bai, it’s a good thing you didn't go to that team-building event Old Gao organized on Saturday, it was awful!" Jin Fei gritted her teeth. "We tolerated him using our break time for team building, and we put up with entertaining clients, but using the team-building budget for it is just too stingy!!!"

She was seething with anger, her face dark and her hair almost standing on end.

Bai Nian was surprised, "Weren't you supposed to go to the hot spring town?"

Jin Fei's smile was strained. "Yes, the golf course next to the hot spring town. We ended up being ball retrievers."

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became, muttering a curse under her breath.

"Exactly!" Lu Yao slapped the table, joining Jin Fei in complaining.

Tang Wanwan sighed, "When Sister Kaiwen was in charge, our team-building budget was turned into cash bonuses. Now, Old Gao's idea is just disgusting."

Jin Fei hugged a pillow and wailed, "Oh heavens, I want to quit so badly. Money, please rain down from the sky."

Lu Yao clasped her hands together, "Welcoming the God of Wealth, may the wealth come quickly! Open!"

Tang Wanwan joined in the prayer.

Jin Fei collapsed weakly onto the table, "And on Saturday, we even ran into executives from Huanyu who came for an inspection. Old Gao had to go up and greet them, insisting on scheduling future meetings..."

She suddenly fell silent, her eyes darting to Bai Nian.

— Jin Fei remembered that Brother Bai had jumped ship from Huanyu.

Many people privately speculated why Bai Nian would leave a promising future at Huanyu for their firm.

After all, Fuxin's reputation, scale, and development couldn't compare to Huanyu, an industry benchmark. At best, it was a niche boutique firm.

Bai Nian paused briefly but quickly regained his composure. He lowered his head slightly, his soft hair falling over his forehead, the reflection from his glasses obscuring half his face.

Seeing that Bai Nian showed no reaction and continued working, Jin Fei sighed in relief and scratched her head. "Anyway, after work, I just want to go home. Who wants to have dinner with colleagues?"

Lu Yao said, "Old Gao probably wants to make connections for the new big boss or, rather, to curry favor with both sides."

Tang Wanwan was curious, "Why?"

Lu Yao tapped her nose, "This is a little rumor going around from the branch office."

The girls immediately gathered together, eager to hear the gossip.

They chattered excitedly, occasionally letting out gasps of surprise.

Bai Nian pursed his lips, the tip of his pen hesitating slightly, causing the usually straight lines to become crooked.

He snapped out of it and quickly erased several strokes.

Later that evening, Xu Mu, as usual, went to pick up Ye Ye from kindergarten.

Along the way, Ye Ye spotted candy strawberries and refused to move, sitting down and hugging Xu Mu's leg.

Xu Mu sighed, "Fine, I'll buy some."

Ye Ye shook his head, "Daddy wants some too."

"Daddy likes to eat them."

Xu Mu chuckled, "Come on, do you think I'll fall for that trick again?"

Ye Ye pouted, "You don't believe me... hmph, you'll regret it!"

Xu Mu took a deep breath.

Five minutes later, he came back with ten strings of candy strawberries.

Xu Mu maintained a neutral expression; just in case Brother Nian likes them.

Back home, Bai Nian was already in the kitchen.

"Brother Nian!"

Bai Nian tilted his head, offering a gentle smile, and leaned back to accept the young man's enthusiastic kiss. 

Their tongues lightly touched, slowly intertwining, and the air seemed to thicken with their closeness.

"Daddy!" Ye Ye trotted over, "Hug... hug..."

Xu Mu, being tall with long legs, blocked a large part of Bai Nian's figure, so from Ye Ye's perspective, it looked like two adults hugging each other. Naturally, he wanted a hug too.

Bai Nian's lips had a slight blush, glinting with a moist sheen under the lamplight. He softly said, "Come."

Ye Ye happily opened his arms.

Xu Mu smoothly took over the cooking, stirring a few times. He asked Bai Nian if he liked candy strawberries.

Bai Nian was taken aback, his gaze falling on the candy crumbs around Ye Ye's mouth, feeling amused and exasperated.

"I don't like them, it's Ye Ye who likes them."

Xu Mu remained composed, giving a nonchalant "Hmm."

With lightning speed, he gave Ye Ye's bottom a smack.

Ye Ye puffed up his cheeks, "Daddy... bad."

Xu Mu smirked, "If you dare to lie to me again next time, I'll give you a few more."

Feeling guilty, Ye Ye didn't dare to look at Xu Mu, burying his face in Bai Nian's shoulder and presenting his bottom to Xu Mu.

Bai Nian chuckled, "Ye Ye?"

Ye Ye mumbled, "I'm sorry, Daddy, I was wrong."

Xu Mu said, "It's okay. The rest of the candy strawberries belong to me now."

Ye Ye felt angry but didn't dare to speak up.

Bai Nian suddenly asked, "Are the candy strawberries sweet?"

Curious, Xu Mu tried one too. "They're okay, quite sweet from the maltose."

"What about the strawberries?"

"Juicy, but compared to the sugar, they're not as sweet."

Bai Nian smiled, "Did you try one?"

"Yeah, one."

"No wonder just now..." Bai Nian paused, "I tasted sweetness."

Xu Mu thought for a moment, then covered Ye Ye's eyes with his hand and leaned forward.

With his breath brushing against Bai Nian's lips, he calmly said, "There's also a taste of strawberries, try it again."

Bai Nian curled his fingers slightly, closing his eyes.

As the kiss ended, Xu Mu asked in a hoarse voice, "Can you taste the strawberries?"

Bai Nian didn't answer, but a blush appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Like the full-bodied juice of a strawberry dripping onto them.

Xu Mu released his hand covering Ye Ye's eyes and continued cooking.

A faint sound of a machine rang out in the small kitchen space.

"Ah Mu..." Bai Nian spoke up.

Xu Mu immediately listened attentively.

Suddenly, he felt a buzzing sensation in his eardrums.

He frowned, what was that sound?

"...Zi zi... Ah... Zi zi... Ah..."

How strange, was he having tinnitus?

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