The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 74

 

TGMNDIAR - 74

Xu Mu looked intently, then as if possessed, lowered his head and kissed the instep of Bai Nian's foot. Bai Nian's toes trembled, unable to resist shrinking back. 

Xu Mu grabbed his ankle, his fingers like steel bars, pulling it back and firmly locking it in his palm.

"Can I kiss it again?"

Bai Nian's fingertips curled, clutching the blanket. Xu Mu slowly caressed the stockings, feeling the delicate, flexible texture that carried a bit of warmth. He clasped Bai Nian's ankle with his thumb, pressing his cheek against the foot.

Bai Nian's eyes widened slightly. "What are you doing?"

"It would have been nice to have a bell," Xu Mu said calmly, lowering his eyes. "Hanging on your ankle, a little shake would make a beautiful sound. There could be one on the neck, the tail, the ears — they could all have a bell."

Bai Nian pursed his lips, pressing his foot against Xu Mu's face, and whispered, "Am I your wishing well?"

His toes touched the young man's earlobe, tapping it, which reddened enough to bleed, then continued to move. 

Alright, the other party was not as calm as he appeared.

Xu Mu smiled, got up, propping himself on his elbows, and stared directly into Bai Nian's eyes. "Thank you, Brother Nian, I really like it."

Bai Nian's eyes were moist, with a circle of red around his eyes. His back pressed against the quilt, as if lying on fluffy cotton candy. 

The young man's warm lips and tongue entered his ear, lingering on his neck, Adam's apple, and finally his mouth. His palate was repeatedly licked, spreading a tingling sensation that made his whole body feel soft.

Xu Mu brushed aside his bangs, kissing him gently.

Bai Nian felt dizzy and groggy, his eyelids felt heavy. The palm gripping his neck was damp and burning hot, causing his vision to blur and making it hard to breathe. Xu Mu used two fingers to probe his lips, Bai Nian's long lashes fluttered, and he instinctively opened his mouth to take them in before spitting them out. He frowned and turned his face away.

Xu Mu chuckled, "Brother Nian, why do you dislike yourself?"

Bai Nian looked at the ceiling and slowly closed his eyes.

...

The room's floor was strewn with the remains of the stockings. 

Xu Mu diligently cleaned up all the mess, bending down to pick up every piece. He cut off the fragments hanging from Bai Nian's legs and threw them away, then took him to bathe. 

He found some medicine and carefully tended to him before sending him back to bed.

Xu Mu couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night, he cradled Bai Nian like a treasure, examining him closely, his emotions surging excitedly. 

It wasn't until the first light of dawn appeared that he finally felt sleepy. He tightly embraced the person in his arms, burying his face in Bai Nian's neck. Their breathing gradually synchronized.

-

Bai Nian had deliberately chosen Friday night, already anticipating that he wouldn't be able to get up the next day. 

However, he hadn't expected that when he opened his eyes again, it would already be afternoon. The bedding was warm, and everything had been tidied up.

Bai Nian sat up, but his waist ached so much that he lay back down. As he recalled everything from last night, a blush slowly spread across his cheeks.

‘Ah Mu, how wild…’ he thought to himself. 

Xu Mu had been a hundred times more passionate than before. He was also more assertive than ever, not allowing any resistance. 

The contrast with his usually cold exterior was striking. Bai Nian had almost lost all ability to think, completely obeying Xu Mu's commands as if it were an innate instinct embedded in his genes.

But he liked it. That feeling... wasn't bad at all. His normally gentle boyfriend being so forceful had its own unique charm. Like a prey animal encountering danger, his natural instinct was to escape, but in a safe environment, he found himself repeatedly savoring that thrilling moment. 

Bai Nian bit his lip, the faint taste of blood seeping onto his tongue. He released his teeth, pulling the blanket over his head. In the darkness, he could clearly hear his heartbeat.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

It was rapid and intense.

...

"Did you really go to the balcony?" Xu Mu asked incredulously. Ye Ye looked at him innocently, shaking the water off his hands, and said in a babyish voice, "Cold."

"Do you think I won’t tell Brother Nian about this?"

Ye Ye's chubby little face instantly fell, his mouth pouting so much it could almost hang an oil bottle. "No... Daddy is good... don't tell Daddy!"

Xu Mu had a headache but didn't waste any more words, quickly taking the boy to the bathroom. He turned the heater to full power and used water hot enough to scald a pig, making Ye Ye wail loudly.

"Stop yelling. If your dad hears you, he won't be as nice as me; he'll just beat you."

The boy instantly quieted down, sulking as he responded, "Oh..."

After washing him and dressing him in thick clothes, Xu Mu sternly said, "Don't roll around like that next time, understand? It's one thing to be dirty, but getting sick is a different matter."

Ye Ye hugged Xu Mu's neck. "Got it—"

Xu Mu pinched his cheek. "If I see it again, I'll spank you myself."

Ye Ye hummed, "Bad."

"Ah Mu..."

Xu Mu was startled. It was Bai Nian, who had just come out of the room.

"Hey, Brother Nian, are you okay?" He quickly put Ye Ye down and hurried over to hold Bai Nian's hand. "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

Bai Nian shook his head. "No." His voice was a bit hoarse.

Xu Mu quickly fetched some throat lozenges from the storage compartment and unwrapped one. "Here, this will make your throat feel better."

Bai Nian lowered his eyes and took the lozenge, feeling its coolness.

He asked, "Why did Ye Ye suddenly take a bath?"

Xu Mu hesitated for a moment, and Ye Ye immediately tugged at his pants.

"He wanted to play with bubbles, so he asked me to help him bathe."

Bai Nian patted Ye Ye's head, not suspecting anything. "I see. Make sure to keep warm."

Xu Mu coughed lightly. "Okay."

He gave Ye Ye a gentle push. "Go play by yourself."

Ye Ye hugged Bai Nian's leg briefly, then ran off with his short legs. Nades followed Ye Ye down the hall, leaving Xu Mu and Bai Nian alone.

As soon as Xu Mu made eye contact with Bai Nian, he immediately looked away, his head turning nervously in various directions, making several awkward gestures.

"Are you hungry? I, I made congee, rice noodles, soup, and rice. Whatever you want to eat, I have it. If not, just tell me, and I'll order takeout."

Bai Nian smiled. "Why did you make so much? We won't be able to finish it."

"I didn't make a lot of portions. If you can't finish it, I'll eat the rest."

Bai Nian laughed softly. "Alright."

Xu Mu stealthily reached his hand to Bai Nian's lower back and whispered, "Do you want me to give you a massage? I learned from Nades."

Last night, he had insisted on bending Bai Nian's waist into challenging positions. Reflecting on it now, he felt not only guilty but also heartache, knowing how strenuous it had been.

Bai Nian leaned into him. "Sure, but let me eat something first."

Xu Mu hesitantly wrapped his arms around Bai Nian, burying his face in his neck, inhaling deeply to take in his scent.

"Brother Nian, I really like you..." he murmured.

Bai Nian raised an eyebrow, teasingly asking, "How much do you like me? Compared to black stockings?"

Xu Mu planted a particularly innocent kiss on his cheek, their foreheads touching.

"Of course, it's you. Everything else is just icing on the cake."

He smiled. "As long as it's you, I like everything."

Bai Nian was speechless. He had intended to flirt with Xu Mu, but instead, he received such a sincere answer.

However... it was quite cute.

-

This weekend, Xu Mu was in high spirits. Whenever he had free time, he would stick to Bai Nian, constantly seeking kisses and hugs. 

He frequently used the pretext of giving a massage to satisfy his own desires. He even took the opportunity to reveal some of his personal preferences.

At first, Bai Nian responded patiently, but eventually, he pinched Xu Mu's cheeks.

"Where did you learn all these things?"

Xu Mu blinked, adopting Ye Ye's signature innocent look.

"I just looked up a bit online, you know, out of curiosity."

Bai Nian sighed, exasperated. "Forget about everything else, but this kind of full split, you need to have practiced it. My legs are old; they creak and crack just with a little stretch. I can't handle it."

Xu Mu chuckled, "I can help you stretch more regularly. With some practice, you might surprise yourself."

Bai Nian shook his head, smiling. "You really are something else."

"But you love me for it," Xu Mu quipped, leaning in for another kiss.

Bai Nian propped up his cheek, glancing sideways. "If you really want to play, you might as well get ready to send me to the hospital."

Xu Mu kissed the tip of his nose and mumbled, "I'm just mentioning it casually."

"You’re making a wish."

Xu Mu's eyes flashed. "What's the success rate of fulfilling a wish like that?"

Bai Nian asked lightly, "What do you think?"

Xu Mu asked tentatively, "Fifty percent?"

Bai Nian lay back, his toes pressing against Xu Mu's chest. "You can be bolder," he smiled, "or more assertive."

Xu Mu's eyes lit up. He suddenly grabbed Bai Nian's leg, pulling it back excitedly. "Brother Nian, you really like it when I'm rough—"

Bai Nian covered Xu Mu's face with a stuffed bear, his ears turning red. "Enough, just because you have a mouth... be more mature."

Xu Mu twisted Bai Nian's arm back gently, pulling him into his embrace. He cupped Bai Nian's chin, his thumb pressing against his throat, and kissed him fiercely. Their lips ground together, turning Bai Nian's lips a swollen, rosy red, with a trail of clear saliva dripping down his chin.

Tears glistened at the corners of Bai Nian's eyes. He closed them, leaning softly into Xu Mu's embrace.

-

Xu Mu's life was getting more and more comfortable, except for one troublesome matter: Ye Ye's constant rolling around in snow water on the balcony. 

No matter how many times Xu Mu warned him, Ye Ye wouldn't listen. 

Xu Mu had spanked him a few times, each time resulting in the boy crying and pleading, "...Don't tell Daddy."

Finally, Xu Mu had an epiphany. The kid wasn't afraid of him spanking him; he was afraid of Bai Nian's punishment. 

So, when Xu Mu once again caught Ye Ye playing in the snow and brought him inside and hearing him sneeze, he decided it was time to stop spoiling the child.

—-Yes, he realized he was too much of a "kind father" and not enough of a "strict father." He needed to be like Bai Nian, who would break the bamboo stick if necessary.

Ye Ye cried loudly, his red eyes filled with resentment as he looked at Xu Mu, seemingly questioning why he was being punished so harshly this time. 

Xu Mu gave a sinister smile, "Not only did I spank you hard, but when Brother Nian comes back tonight, he will spank you too."

A double punishment would make it memorable.

Ye Ye was stunned.

"Alright, finish crying and then have lunch." Xu Mu stood up coldly. "You need to be full to have the strength to handle tonight's spanking."

Ye Ye wailed louder, crying incessantly. Xu Mu ignored it, letting it go in one ear and out the other.

Eventually, Ye Ye seemed to realize something and stopped crying. 

Xu Mu thought the boy had resigned himself to his fate, until—

He saw Ye Ye skipping dinner, got Nades to give him an early bath, and then, hugged his teddy bear, and ran off to bed early.

That's when Xu Mu understood the boy's clever plan.

Xu Mu was delighted and called for Nades. "Give Ye Ye some nutritional liquid before he 'sleeps,' but otherwise, don't bother him."

"Yes, master."

When Bai Nian returned home in the evening, Xu Mu told him about the situation. "...he's probably pretending to sleep now."

Bai Nian rubbed his forehead. "This kid, really—"

Xu Mu cut in, "Blame me. I shouldn't have let him play with the ice from the beginning."

"It's not your fault. The more you try to stop him from doing something, the more he wants to do it."

Bai Nian rolled up his sleeves. "I'll go take a look."

"Okay."

Click— the suspended lamp turned on.

Ye Ye lay completely still, his eyes tightly closed, only his eyelids flickering nervously.

Bai Nian approached and called out, "Ye Ye."

No response.

"Are you asleep?" Bai Nian asked softly.

Still no response.

Xu Mu became interested and suddenly said, "Brother Nian, I heard that when a child is asleep, if you lift his leg, it won't fall down, but if he's pretending, it will."

Bai Nian was taken aback, then smiled and actually lifted Ye Ye's leg.

Xu Mu said slowly, "Alright, Brother Nian, you can let go now and see if it falls down."

Bai Nian released his grip.

Ye Ye's leg hung in mid-air.

Xu Mu: Pfft.

No, he can't laugh.

He cleared his throat. "Brother Nian, I also heard that if a child is asleep, when you help him sit up against the bed, he will bend forward by himself."

The smile on Bai Nian's lips deepened. Just as Xu Mu said, he helped Ye Ye sit up against the bed.

A few seconds later, Ye Ye hugged his knees and bent forward on his own.

Xu Mu couldn't hold it in any longer, suppressing his laughter in his throat.

"Well, it seems he's really asleep. Brother Nian, let's go, let's not spank him for now."

Bai Nian couldn't contain his laughter either, and he agreed, "Okay, let's not."

Click— the suspended lamp turned off again.

Xu Mu and Bai Nian walked out of Ye Ye's room together, closing the door behind them. They silently returned to their own room.

"Hahaha, I can't, I'm dying of laughter..." Xu Mu hugged Bai Nian, rubbing his chin against his neck, laughing uncontrollably. "Why is Ye Ye so funny..."

Bai Nian also chuckled, trying to hold back his laughter with clenched fists.

Xu Mu laughed until his stomach hurt. Finally managing to stop, he locked eyes with Bai Nian.

Then they started laughing again.

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