Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Xie Yuzhan hadn’t anticipated the villa’s constant temperature and humidity system failing. It underwent regular annual inspections, yet the problem still arose without warning.

Zheng Feng intended to bring Bai Zhi a portable air conditioner. He knocked on the door but received no answer.

That shouldn’t be right.

He was near the staircase and came up to check when he heard the noise. Realizing something was wrong, he opened the door directly. When he saw the person curled up against the wall, his gaze suddenly darkened.

Bai Zhi’s face was slightly tilted up, deathly pale with a hint of blue. His lips were purplish-blue, and his breathing was shallow and rapid. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, soaking his bangs. His eyes, usually bright, were now veiled with a layer of moisture, making him look weak and helpless.

He was barely breathing, devoid of any vitality.

Xie Yuzhan quickly checked Bai Zhi’s condition; it looked like asphyxiation.

He scooped up the person, who was groggy and close to losing consciousness, and headed out. “Get the oxygen machine. We’re going to the hospital,” he told Zheng Feng.

Zheng Feng’s expression was serious. He efficiently complied, thankful that the house was relatively well-stocked with medicine and equipment.

By the time he carried the small oxygen machine to the garage, Xie Yuzhan had already settled Bai Zhi in the back seat. He handed over the equipment and, without delay, quickly got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

The nearest hospital was less than ten minutes away.

Yet, those ten minutes felt agonizingly long.

Xie Yuzhan held Bai Zhi, letting him lean against his chest to facilitate oxygen delivery. Listening to the rapid breaths beside him, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

The night outside the window was deep. The dim yellow light of the streetlamps shone in, the light and shadow rapidly rotating as the car moved. He only wished the car could go faster, even faster…

In his hazy state of consciousness, Bai Zhi had a dream.

He dreamt he was back on the grassland, transformed into a pika.

The scorching sun beat down overhead. There was no water, and the flowers and grass were wilted. He couldn’t even find a burrow and was about to be baked into jerky. He struggled to open his eyes, and the first thing he saw was pure white.

He blinked his sore eyes, taking a long time to regain his senses.

When Xie Yuzhan appeared in his line of sight, he softly murmured, “Where is this? Am I still alive?”

Xie Yuzhan silently let out a breath, lowering his voice to reply, “We’re at the hospital. You’re still breathing. You’re perfectly fine.”

Bai Zhi’s brain felt like it had crashed. When it restarted, it stuttered and lagged badly.

He touched his face; it was warm. The room temperature was just right, no longer the stuffy, hot environment of last night. He was indeed whole and perfectly fine.

He blinked, and his memory slowly returned. “Last night…”

It was then he realized his voice was hoarse, as if polished by sandpaper—a small, broken gong of a voice. He definitely wouldn’t be able to stream for a few days until it recovered.

Xie Yuzhan adjusted the hospital bed, helping Bai Zhi sit up, then handed him a cup of warm water. “You had symptoms of asphyxiation. The doctor has run all the necessary checks, and everything is fine. I initially worried it might be a heart issue, but fortunately, it wasn’t.”

Bai Zhi cupped the water mug with both hands, taking small sips. His throat felt much better once it was moistened.

He was still bewildered, asking with lingering fear, “So… what happened to me?”

Heat sensitivity? But heat sensitivity shouldn’t lead to such severe consequences… right? He truly felt like he was about to die last night.

Xie Yuzhan sat on the chair by the bed, his expression and demeanor relatively calm. He explained, “The doctor suspects it might be due to psychological reasons. Detailed examinations and a psychological evaluation are needed to confirm.”

Psychological factors?

Bai Zhi frowned, thinking carefully. Normally, a person wouldn’t be brought to the brink of asphyxiation by temperatures over thirty degrees Celsius. A bunny would suffer, or even die, but a human wouldn’t.

So—

Did his pika life habits cause a psychological suggestion after he transmigrated into a human body? And did that manifest physically?

He couldn’t be sure, but since his body was fine, he didn’t want to undergo any extra checks or the messy psychological evaluation. He absolutely refused. What if a psychologist noticed a flaw…

He didn’t want to be dragged off to a lab for various studies.

He chugged the rest of the water in the cup, placed the mug on the bedside table, and said, “Thank you for saving me last night. I’m fine now. Can we go home? I don’t like hospitals; the smells are too mixed.”

The smell of disinfectant was obvious, and although he hadn’t seen blood, the faint scent of gore was also unpleasant. He didn’t like it. He preferred the fresh scent of flowers and grass.

Xie Yuzhan pondered for a moment. “Alright, but eat breakfast first.”

“Okay.”

Only then did Bai Zhi realize it was morning. His stomach was empty and desperately needed warm food for comfort.

Xie Yuzhan glanced at his watch, then stood up. “I’m heading to the company now. Uncle Zheng is here, you can find him if you need anything. Aunt Lin is also on her way and is bringing you breakfast.”

“Mhm, you go ahead.”

Bai Zhi looked at the composed Xie Yuzhan and didn’t think much of it. Although he had seen him last night, it was most likely Zheng Feng who drove him to the hospital. CEO Xie probably just came to visit out of courtesy as a cohabitant before going to work?

The key was maintaining the facade of a harmonious relationship. If he hadn’t shown up, the act would have been exposed, so he had to make the trip.

It was just a persona, just a performance.

Watching Xie Yuzhan leave, he yawned lazily. He wouldn’t stream today. He would go back, catch up on sleep, and recharge. One day wouldn’t make a difference.

He reached for his phone and messaged his assistant: streaming paused for one day.

Just as he put his phone down, Zheng Feng entered. He smiled and greeted him, “Thank you, Uncle Zheng, for taking me to the hospital last night. Did you stay up all night too? That must have been tough, thank you!”

Zheng Feng paused, quickly realizing that Bai Zhi had completely misunderstood.

He set up the small table, placed the items he was holding on it, and only spoke after opening the containers. “It was Yuzhan who brought you last night. I only acted as the driver. He was the one looking after you the entire way to the hospital. The doctor said that if you hadn’t received oxygen in time, the consequences could have been quite serious.

“He also stayed up with you all night. He asked me to buy this pudding. He remembers you saying that eating something sweet can lift your spirits.”

This left Bai Zhi completely stunned.

Staring at the wobbly, cute, head-only Pudding Dog in front of him, his emotions were incredibly complex. How could it have been Xie Yuzhan? How could Mr. Wolf have looked after him and stayed up all night?

What was his motive?

What was he doing?

Playing the role of a harmonious couple? This was going too far! He couldn’t understand it. Everything felt illogical. Could Xie Yuzhan have been heat-addled just like him?

The person suspected of being heat-addled was indeed in a complicated mood, even more so than Bai Zhi.

On the way to the company, Xie Yuzhan closed his eyes, feeling quite fatigued.

He didn’t quite understand his actions last night. He had already walked out of the ward, yet he turned back and told Zheng Feng to rest. He didn’t know why he had done that. Some things didn’t require his personal attention.

Since Bai Zhi’s condition was stable and he was fine, arranging for a nurse or having Zheng Feng stay would have sufficed. Why did he spend the entire night with Bai Zhi?

In the quiet second half of the night, watching the person sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed, his mind was remarkably calm—a tranquility mixed with relief after experiencing turmoil.

Bai Zhi might like him, but that didn’t mean he had to reciprocate.

The elder who watched him grow up had teased him about his urgency before leaving the room, and he realized his concern for Bai Zhi was beyond what he had planned. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t encountered this type of person… maybe.

Besides, if the other party had an accident, it would implicate him and cause him trouble.

What else could it be?

After Bai Zhi finished breakfast, the three of them headed home. The unanswered questions in Bai Zhi’s mind reached a peak upon their arrival.

Many workers were busy moving in and out. Zheng Feng explained that they were installing an independent air conditioning system as a backup plan. If a similar incident to last night occurred again, this system could be activated immediately.

This, too, was something Xie Yuzhan had arranged.

Bai Zhi’s frown deepened completely now. He had to ask Xie Yuzhan for a clear explanation when he returned, or he definitely wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight!

He spent the entire day in bed, except for lunchtime. Because his mind was preoccupied, his sleep was neither deep nor restful—half-asleep and half-awake, barely counting as bed rest.

He was woken up at six in the afternoon by the sunset glow. He took a shower and wandered down to the entrance, standing there waiting for someone.

Lin Haiyan came over and slipped him two small cookies, saying he looked like a ‘husband-gazing stone’.

He blushed and quickly waved his hands in denial. Watching Aunt Lin walk away with a smile, he felt overwhelmed. He wasn’t waiting for his husband; he was waiting for his cohabitant to come back and answer his questions!

Nothing else!

He ate the small cookie in a huff. Hmm—it tasted like vegetables. Delicious.

Finally, the car drove into the manor villa. He watched intently until it stopped outside the portico.

Watching the person step out of the car and approach, he slowly took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and spoke first. “CEO Xie! I have a very important question for you!”

Looking at the revitalized Bai Zhi, Xie Yuzhan’s lips curved slightly. His tone was relaxed and knowing. “You won’t be able to sleep tonight if you don’t ask?”

Bai Zhi nodded.

Xie Yuzhan asked again, “Didn’t you catch up on sleep at home during the day?”

Bai Zhi shook his head. “I didn’t sleep deeply.”

He truly couldn’t rest with something on his mind. Xie Yuzhan actually knew what Bai Zhi likely wanted to ask, but he played along. “What do you want to ask?”

Bai Zhi rarely mustered the courage to take a step closer, tilting his face up to look at the slightly taller Xie Yuzhan. He spoke quickly and clearly. “Thank you for taking me to the hospital yesterday and staying with me all night, but there’s one thing I can’t figure out.

“I can understand you and Uncle Zheng taking me together—someone needed to look after me on the way. But!

“After I was fine, why did you still stay up with me all night? That doesn’t seem to fit CEO Xie’s temperament, does it?

“We agreed to just pretend to be superficially harmonious fake lovers. Why did you do that for me?”

Facing the little rabbit who was directly voicing his confusion, Xie Yuzhan wasn’t annoyed. There were too many people and situations involving pretense, so this kind of directness was rare and valuable.

He explained, “To be frank, Bai Zhi, you are interesting.”

Huh? Bai Zhi was startled. What did he mean, he was interesting? What kind of explanation was that?

Xie Yuzhan continued, “Initially, I truly didn’t want to talk much with you; there was no need for much communication even living together. But now, it seems that even if this marriage is just a false pretense, I believe you are someone worth associating with.

“It’s not unusual to show a little extra care for someone you approve of.”

Bai Zhi thought carefully. Being approved of was certainly a good thing, but when that approval came from a natural predator, the feeling was very subtle.

Was the effect of the ‘love meal’ truly so immediate?

The netizens were geniuses!

“Someone worth associating with”—that was good enough. Wasn’t that the same as improving their relationship? Exactly! His safety index just shot straight up.

Since the love meal worked, he needed to keep it up.

He let out a long sigh, his entire rabbit self relaxing. “That’s good, that’s good. I just thought it would be nice if we could coexist peacefully.”

Xie Yuzhan was noncommittal. Peaceful coexistence? It seemed they had already achieved that.

But perhaps it was more than just that.

As they walked toward the dining room together, he reminded him, “Uncle invited us to dinner this Saturday night. Arrange your time in advance.”

Bai Zhi acknowledged this. He didn’t have a good impression of Xie Minghong and his wife. They seemed gentle, humble, and approachable, and they did charity work, but he always felt they harbored ill intentions and were extremely hypocritical.

The cunning kind.

But he still had to maintain appearances for this year. They had agreed he couldn’t drag CEO Xie down.

He asked, “Do we need to bring gifts for the elders?”

He looked at Xie Yuzhan. The other party’s expression hadn’t changed, but he felt the aura around him had cooled slightly. He could understand why. If he had to eat with people he disliked, or even hated, and pretend to be a good nephew, he wouldn’t be happy either.

It must be tough.

He would definitely cooperate fully where needed. Besides, the other party had said he was someone worth associating with. He couldn’t let down that approval!

Xie Yuzhan replied, “I will prepare the gifts.”

“Do I need to wear formal attire then?”

“No need,” Xie Yuzhan glanced at Bai Zhi. “What you are wearing now is fine. It’s not a public banquet, so you don’t need to dress formally.”

His current simple, casual style was perfectly fine.

Bai Zhi curved his eyes. That was good. He still felt more comfortable and at ease in casual wear.

He could now coexist relatively peacefully with Xie Yuzhan… probably. However, facing people like Xie Minghong, he still needed to be on high alert, making sure not to reveal any ‘rabbit feet’.

Before leaving that day, besides tucking his mini plushie into his pocket, he also brought a box of hard candies.

He loved small cakes and cookies, and various candies too. Eating some sugar when nervous was helpful, and candy was easier to carry than cakes or cookies.

Pikachu plushie plus candy—double assurance. He felt secure.

Xie Yuzhan came back to pick him up for dinner with his aunt and uncle today. There was no driver, just the two of them.

After getting into the passenger seat, he quickly sensed that something was off. The other party’s mood didn’t seem great? On the surface, he was calm and elegant as always, and his glasses truly seemed to serve as a disguise.

It made it hard to see the true thoughts in those eyes.

But!

His intuition was rarely wrong. Xie Yuzhan seemed subtly irritated, with a well-hidden layer of disgust.

He kneaded the little Pikachu plushie with both hands, his mind filled with scattered thoughts.

Xie Yuzhan’s irritation and disgust were likely related to Xie Minghong and his group?

He couldn’t think of anything else. And the upcoming dinner depended on Xie Yuzhan to manage it. After all, he didn’t know much about the so-called aunt and uncle, and he didn’t want to engage much.

If CEO Xie was in a good mood, his state would naturally be better. Then, facing potential difficulties and targeting, he could help shoulder a lot of the burden. After all, he couldn’t ignore him; they were a harmonious couple~

So—

Should he try to cheer him up?

Having decided on the direction, he started thinking about how exactly to do it. The space in the car was limited, and there was nothing he could use… Wait a minute!

He had brought a small box of hard candies.

Sugar, dopamine—you’re the one!