Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 21
byA sudden clap of thunder sounded, tearing through the late summer, early autumn night.
In the private club’s room, Xie Yuzhan looked toward the window at the sound, suddenly recalling the timid and easily startled little rabbit at home—a rainy night with loud thunder…
He wouldn’t be scared, would he?
He gently swirled the wine glass, pondered for a moment, and finally set the glass down. He told his two friends, “I’ve made myself clear. I’m heading back first.”
Tang Chen and Lu Yunyi exchanged glances, smiling teasingly. “Alright, it’s different when you have someone to worry about. Staying up all night will be tough now. Find some time to bring them out so we can properly meet? The last banquet doesn’t count.”
Lu Yunyi emphasized, “This is serious business.”
Xie Yuzhan stood up, understanding his friends’ meaning. “In a few days, I’ll arrange it.”
“No problem. Drive safe.”
“Okay.”
On the way back, Xie Yuzhan messaged Bai Zhi, but the other party didn’t reply. They might have been asleep, but he felt a strange sense of unease. He asked Zheng Feng to check on him. The result was—
He wasn’t in bed, and he hadn’t been found.
After checking the hallway surveillance, they found that Bai Zhi had returned to his room and hadn’t come out again. Moreover, his expression in the footage looked off—a bit anxious, and somewhat frightened.
Xie Yuzhan’s expression darkened, filled with worry and a touch of doubt. He was in the bedroom; where could he hide?
Why would he hide?
Was he truly scared by the thunderstorm?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. What if Bai Zhi really had an accident? He had only just realized his feelings, and there were so many things he wanted to do…
How could the other person have an accident?
As he walked into Bai Zhi’s bedroom, his hands hanging by his sides were trembling slightly. No, it couldn’t be. The other person had such tenacious vitality; nothing would happen to him.
Zheng Feng looked at Xie Yuzhan, his feelings too complex to describe.
It had been many years since he had seen Xie Yuzhan care about someone this much. Although he still appeared composed on the surface, he was genuinely worried and anxious underneath.
It wasn’t a bad thing.
Life couldn’t revolve solely around revenge.
But that was for later. The most urgent task now was to find Bai Zhi, confirm his condition, and ensure nothing had gone wrong.
He quickly reported, “We’ve searched everywhere we can. There are no signs of damage to the doors or windows from the inside or outside. Only one of the stuffed toys that was on the bed is missing. From all indications, Bai Zhi must still be in the room.”
Xie Yuzhan glanced at the messy bed. The missing one was the toy Bai Zhi had brought himself.
He slowly regulated his breathing, recalling the day they first met. Bai Zhi had been startled and nervous, hiding in the dim storage room. Perhaps—
It was the same today?
Hiding in some small space.
His mind settled slightly. He said, “You go out first. I’ll search again.”
Zheng Feng acknowledged him and closed the door as he left, hoping it was just a false alarm.
Outside, the rain was still pouring relentlessly, showing no sign of weakening. Xie Yuzhan called Bai Zhi’s name while searching carefully.
From the bathroom to the walk-in closet, finally, he stopped in front of the waist-high modular wardrobe.
A corner of Pikachu’s lightning tail was caught in the gap of the cabinet door.
Found him.
Given Bai Zhi’s current state, like a startled little rabbit, he didn’t rush to pull the door open. Instead, he crouched down, tapped lightly on the cabinet door a few times, and asked gently, “Little rabbit, little rabbit, will you open the door for me?”
Silence was his only reply.
He wasn’t impatient. Half a minute later, seeing the exposed tip of the tail being pulled back inside, he sighed softly and continued, “Thunderstorms are certainly unpleasant. It’s okay not to like the rain or the thunder. There’s no law or social rule that says adults can’t be afraid of these things.
“Zhi Zhi, is it dark in the cabinet? Is it stuffy?
“Do you want something to eat? A small cake, biscuits, or maybe a cup of hot milk?”
After he finished speaking, the closet remained as quiet as before.
He waited, then took out his phone, about to ask Zheng Feng to bring some food to tempt the little rabbit. A slight sound came from inside the cabinet. Then, the tightly closed cabinet door slowly opened a gap of seven or eight centimeters.
The person inside revealed half of his face.
His complexion was pale, and his expression was tense.
Xie Yuzhan instructed Zheng Feng to prepare the items, then took off his glasses. He didn’t move closer, maintaining his position, his tone still calm. “Is one Pikachu enough? Should I bring the other one over too?”
The response was still silence.
He curved his lips slightly. “Wait a moment, I’ll be back in two minutes.”
Bai Zhi stared blankly at Xie Yuzhan’s retreating back, without much reaction.
He hugged the Pikachu tightly, burying half his face in the fluff. He couldn’t quite understand why CEO Xie was so patient with him today. Why didn’t he just pull the wardrobe open after finding him?
Wouldn’t that be more direct and save trouble? Why insist on waiting for him to open it from the inside?
Was he coaxing him?
He was hesitant, uncertain, but Xie Yuzhan’s unhurried, soothing voice had genuinely given him a sense of stable certainty. It was as if with the other person present, this thunderstorm night was nothing; it couldn’t harm him in the slightest.
How could a dominant wolf allow the prey he had set his sights on to be coveted by others?
Not even the thunder from nature itself.
Yet, doubt lingered in his heart.
While he was lost in thought, Xie Yuzhan had returned and dimmed the lights in the walk-in closet. The other person handed him a cup of milk through the gap, then placed the other Pikachu plush in front of the cabinet door, asking if he wanted it.
He wanted it.
But there was no room left in the nest.
He held the glass cup with both hands, sipping the hot milk in small mouthfuls. From his palms to his mouth, and down to his stomach, everything felt warm and comforting.
Mr. Wolf must have a gentle side when dealing with friends and family. Perhaps, on this rainy night, he had shared a little bit of it with him?
That would explain the other person’s unusual gentleness and patience.
After finishing the cup of milk, he handed the glass back to Xie Yuzhan and whispered, “I want it, but… there’s no room for it in here.”
Xie Yuzhan placed the glass aside, feeling a bit confused. The half-height wardrobe where Bai Zhi was hiding wasn’t small; it could easily accommodate an adult plus two or three large plush toys.
It must just be an excuse to resist.
He chuckled softly and asked, “The space isn’t small. How could there be no room? How about this: I’ll help you put it away?”
Bai Zhi pursed his lips. This meant he had to open the door.
But Xie Yuzhan’s words were pleasant, and his tone was comfortable to listen to. So… he would just open the door.
He slowly pulled the cabinet door open, then handed the Pikachu he was holding over. Next, he scrambled out of the cabinet using his hands and feet. He had been curled up for a long time, and his legs felt sore and weak. He sat down on the carpet and turned back to look at the spot where he had just been. “See for yourself.”
Xie Yuzhan’s gaze followed Bai Zhi. Seeing that his condition was relatively stable, he shifted his attention to the wardrobe. When he looked, he paused.
How should he put it?
The wardrobe was indeed stuffed full. There were blankets and many clothes, which had been arranged into the shape of a nest. The hollow in the center truly only had enough space for the already slender Bai Zhi and one Pikachu.
He thought for a moment. Instead of helping the other person stand up, he sat down right next to him—
It didn’t matter.
Bai Zhi was slightly surprised by Xie Yuzhan’s action. This person, whose elegance was ingrained in his bones, who was so fastidious and particular, was just sitting on the carpet with him?
Huh?
This didn’t fit his persona!
What happened to the outwardly refined and polite, but inwardly cold and ruthless character? From the moment he entered the closet until now, was he dreaming?
Xie Yuzhan glanced at Bai Zhi, then his gaze fell on the nest constructed from blankets and clothes. “So, what exactly are you doing?”
His tone was natural, without prejudice or annoyance, as relaxed as if this were just casual chatter between friends.
Bai Zhi felt somewhat uncomfortable. He crossed his legs, still hugging one plush toy, and placed the other one Xie Yuzhan had brought into the nest—or rather, his den.
He calmed his breathing and said, “I don’t like thunderstorms. I really hate them. A nest… gives me some sense of security.”
Xie Yuzhan understood: nesting.
He asked again, “You do this whenever you feel upset or nervous?”
Bai Zhi hummed a nasal sound in response. It was a habit left to him by his pika-rabbit genes, and it was wonderfully effective at soothing his emotions, preventing him from getting so nervous that he couldn’t breathe.
Xie Yuzhan chuckled lightly. “It’s a very cute habit. As long as it works.”
Bai Zhi nodded. “It works.”
Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi. The hair on his forehead was slightly damp, and his eyes, likely because they had gathered some tears, were even more luminous. Compared to usual, he had an added sense of fragility.
Extremely beautiful, and extremely vulnerable.
Like a defenseless little rabbit, obedient and innocent. Come to think of it… some of his habits really did resemble small animals, such as this nesting behavior.
He smoothed Bai Zhi’s hair back from his forehead and comforted him, “It’s alright now. The rain will stop in about half an hour. Do you want to take a shower first? You’ve sweated quite a bit.”
Bai Zhi shook his head. Moving out of the nest was already the limit of the rabbit’s effort; he didn’t want to move.
He would wait until the rain stopped.
Bai Zhi’s resistance was obvious. Xie Yuzhan didn’t force him, but he was still worried that sweating might make him catch a cold. He slightly raised the air conditioning temperature, draped a thin blanket over him, and stayed with him until the rain stopped.
Bai Zhi finally sighed in relief. He went to take a shower, then slowly climbed into bed. The sudden relaxation of his tense emotions left him utterly exhausted.
He belatedly noticed Xie Yuzhan, who hadn’t left, and tilted his head in confusion. “Thank you for staying with me. Good night.”
Xie Yuzhan understood. This was a prompt for him to leave, but he couldn’t fully relax yet. Bai Zhi’s voice was slightly hoarse, and he didn’t look like he was completely fine.
He rubbed the other person’s hair, dimmed the bedside lamp, and replied softly, “Alright, good night. Sleep now.”
Then he left the bedroom, but he didn’t actually go to rest. Instead, he went to the study to read a book.
Zheng Feng brought Xie Yuzhan a cup of tea. Seeing the other person’s distraction, he didn’t ask or say anything extra.
He was truly invested. If this had happened even a day ago, he wouldn’t have believed Xie Yuzhan would stay up all night for anyone. Bai Zhi was an exception, and possibly the only one.
Who said you couldn’t fall in love while seeking revenge?
They weren’t mutually exclusive.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, Xie Yuzhan hadn’t absorbed any content; he hadn’t even turned a page. Realizing this unusual fact, he frowned slightly, closed the book, and stood up. After a pause, he sat back down.
After a long moment, he took off his glasses and placed them on the desk.
Ultimately, he couldn’t help it.
Forget it, he sighed silently, but his eyes held a look of indulgent amusement. All in all, he was relieved. If he was smitten, then so be it.
He returned to Bai Zhi’s room, walking softly. When he reached the bed, he used the dim light from the bedside lamp to examine the sleeping person and immediately noticed something was wrong.
The other person’s breathing was rapid, and his face was flushed. When Xie Yuzhan reached out to touch him, he was burning hot.