Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

In the deepest part of the winter night, the darkness was heavy and dense.

Stars silently twinkled, and countless, continuous bursts of fireworks broke the increasing stillness of New Year’s Eve, making it sufficiently loud and lively.

Bai Zhi stared blankly at the distant fireworks. Inside his heart, it felt as if a little rabbit was wildly scrambling, creating a frantic thumping sound that was louder than the fireworks filling the sky.

He quickly blinked, preventing the sudden layer of moisture that had welled up from forming droplets and falling.

He suppressed the ache in his throat and gently held Xie Yuzhan’s hand that was covering his ear. Only then did he realize his own hand was cold as ice.

He turned around, still holding the hand, and tried to curve his lips but couldn’t manage the smile he usually wore. He finally gave up, pursed his lips, and asked, “Why did you suddenly come back? Didn’t you say you were going to stay up with your elders?”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t miss the dampness around Bai Zhi’s eyes. Even if he was independent, it was normal to have some small emotions on a special holiday like the Spring Festival.

He wrapped an arm around Bai Zhi and led him back to the room, settling him on the sofa. Fruit tea was bubbling away on the table.

He poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in Bai Zhi’s hands before speaking. “The two elders said they were tired and sent me back. They said they weren’t the kind of people who needed me to keep them company for the New Year’s vigil.”

After speaking, seeing Bai Zhi looking dazed, he sat down beside him, half-embraced him, and chuckled softly. “Grandpa and Grandma have a good relationship. Me being there alone would just make me a third wheel, wouldn’t it?”

Hearing that phrase, Bai Zhi slowly recovered and couldn’t help but laugh. “I feel the same way. Aunt Lin and Uncle Zheng have a great relationship.”

Xie Yuzhan held Bai Zhi’s hand and brought the teacup to his lips. “Drink some. It will warm you up.”

Bai Zhi hummed in acknowledgment, sipping the fruit tea in small mouthfuls.

Xie Yuzhan continued, “So, the two of us can keep the vigil together. Zhizhi—or would you rather watch the Spring Festival Gala and the fireworks alone?”

Bai Zhi curved his lips, looking into Xie Yuzhan’s dark, deep eyes, and said earnestly, “I think being alone is fine, but it’s even better to have someone keep the vigil with me tonight, especially when that person is you.”

A faint light flickered in Xie Yuzhan’s eyes. He lightly kissed Bai Zhi’s forehead and said, “The honor is mine.”

“Mine too. Thank you for being willing to come back and keep me company.”

“Don’t mention it.”

It was only from this moment that Bai Zhi’s heart truly settled.

The two watched the Spring Festival Gala and chatted. When they talked about him preparing dinner with Lin Haiyan tomorrow night, Xie Yuzhan mentioned a world-class vegetarian culinary competition and asked if he wanted to participate, immediately sending him the registration link.

He looked through it and said, “It looks interesting, but this competition requires a recommendation to enter. Where would I find a recommendation? I don’t know anyone in the culinary world.”

“Your cooking skills are fine. As long as you want to participate, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Since Xie Yuzhan had said that, Bai Zhi didn’t overthink it. He didn’t want to miss out on something he was interested in. He nodded and said, “Then I’ll leave it to you. In return, I can cook whatever you want to eat.”

“Alright. Starting with tomorrow’s dinner?”

“No problem. Just name your dishes!”

Watching the lively little rabbit, Xie Yuzhan leaned back into the sofa, feeling quite pleased and relaxed. This was the happiest Spring Festival he had spent since his parents passed away.

Even the utterly boring programs on television were no longer so unbearable.

They watched the Gala together, complained or critiqued certain segments together, shared small cakes and snacks, counted down the seconds together, and crossed over from the old year—

Into the new year.

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi with a deep gaze, hiding many thoughts, and said, “Happy New Year, Zhizhi.”

Bai Zhi looked back and smiled, “Happy New Year!”

Xie Yuzhan ruffled Bai Zhi’s hair and asked, “Did you make a New Year’s wish?”

Bai Zhi tilted his head. “No, I didn’t.”

No one had ever told him that he could make a wish on New Year’s.

A subtle smile played on Xie Yuzhan’s lips. “I stopped making wishes after my parents left, whether it was for birthdays, New Year’s Day, or the Spring Festival. But today, just now, I made a wish. I hope—”

“You can’t say it out loud!”

Bai Zhi quickly interrupted. “If you say it, it won’t come true. I know that.”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t believe in that. Aside from matters of life and death, whether a wish came true depended more on what the person who made the wish did, rather than relying on divine blessing or vague luck.

But he didn’t want to argue. This wish was bound to come true.

He hoped that the next Spring Festival, the one after that, and every Spring Festival for the rest of his life, could be spent with the person in front of him.

He changed the subject. “Alright, I won’t say it. Then Zhizhi, remember to make a wish.”

“Mhm!”

Bai Zhi’s wish was very simple: to smoothly complete this contractual marriage, regain his freedom after the divorce, and happily and healthily do the things he wanted to do.

Of course, he also hoped his friends would always be well, and their friendship would last forever.

As for other things…

He looked at Xie Yuzhan with a hint of confused contemplation. The other party might genuinely like him a little, but it definitely wasn’t true love; it would only be a fling.

He wouldn’t take it seriously.

And he absolutely wouldn’t fall for the other person. A little rabbit didn’t need love; it wasn’t edible.

If they could become friends who occasionally chatted and met for meals after their marriage partnership ended, that would be good enough.

The rabbit’s main philosophy was to be optimistic and focus on the present.

After the New Year’s bells chimed, urged by Xie Yuzhan, he successfully climbed into bed before one o’clock and slept straight through until ten o’clock on the morning of the first day of the New Year. If he hadn’t been thinking about exchanging New Year’s gifts, he would have wanted to stay in bed longer.

After groggily washing up, he changed clothes and picked up his phone from the bedside. Suddenly, he noticed something new in his line of sight. He focused his eyes—oh my goodness!

By the floor-to-ceiling window, on the shelving unit, there was a soft, sprout-green rug, and on top of it sat a duckling-yellow—

Nest!

It was huge, the kind you could crawl into entirely!

He cheered, kicked off his shoes, and dove straight into the nest. Inside, there were many plush toys of various sizes, from Pikachu to little penguins, little rabbits… and a small snack cabinet, three fluffy blankets…

It was simply a rabbit’s happy nest!

After enjoying the novelty, he grabbed the Pikachu from the nest and headed out. Xie Yuzhan was sitting formally and reservedly on the sofa in the second-floor lounge area, flipping through a large, heavy book.

Bai Zhi immediately gave him a bear hug and laughed, “Is that nest my New Year’s gift?! I super, super, super—love it!”

Xie Yuzhan put down the hardcover book he had managed to move away in time and smoothed Bai Zhi’s hair. The other party’s good mood was obvious. He smiled too. “Then my preparation wasn’t wasted.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes were sparkling with little stars, and his voice was still a bit shaky. “This is my favorite gift I’ve ever received, my absolute favorite, no exceptions!”

“I’m glad you like it. We can’t have you hiding in the closet every time you’re upset or nervous. A little rabbit baby can’t be without an actual den, can it?”

Listening to Xie Yuzhan’s deliberately drawn-out, affectionate, and teasing tone, Bai Zhi’s eyes curved into crescents. “Brother Yuzhan is always so thoughtful.”

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi and held out his hand. “So, where is Brother’s gift?”

Bai Zhi slapped his forehead and jumped up. “I was so busy being happy! I’ll go get it now!”

He scurried off and quickly returned with the gift, handing it to Xie Yuzhan. “Take a look and see if you like it.”

Under Bai Zhi’s nervous and expectant gaze, Xie Yuzhan opened a long, rectangular gift box. Inside was a pair of glasses with a delicate chain.

The fine gold wire frames were scholarly and elegant, and the chain used deep blue gemstones, giving it a profound and calm look. The overall aesthetic perfectly matched his taste.

Bai Zhi explained, “I need to tell you something. I secretly took a pair of glasses from your walk-in closet to get a sample, so the new ones would fit you better. Then I quietly put them back.”

Xie Yuzhan happened not to be wearing glasses. He tried them on and said, “They suit me very well. Zhizhi is very meticulous. Also—”

He leaned in slightly closer, his eyes filled with an indescribable yet tangible amusement. “It wouldn’t have mattered if you hadn’t put them back. There’s nothing you can’t take from me.”

Bai Zhi paused, feeling that Xie Yuzhan’s words carried a subtle double meaning, but perhaps he was just genuinely generous towards him and didn’t care about material possessions.

He mumbled an acknowledgment, then said blankly, “You look really good wearing these.”

Xie Yuzhan pinched Bai Zhi’s cheek, then leaned back, satisfied, and said in a lighthearted tone, “That is the most sincere compliment I have ever received.”

Bai Zhi instinctively refuted, “That can’t be…”

But then he thought about it. Perhaps due to his status, few people would dare to compliment him directly, but they must praise him behind his back. He was indeed very handsome and good-looking…

Anyway, any compliment fit him.

Speaking of which, Bai Zhi usually stayed home and was used to his freedom, but Xie Yuzhan rarely had a few days off. Aside from visiting his grandparents and Uncle Lu’s family once each, the two of them stayed home for the rest of the time.

Xie Yuzhan would watch nature documentaries with him, and he would accompany Xie Yuzhan to watch movies, read books, and tinker with the plants together.

He was also very enthusiastic about developing new vegetarian recipes. After all, he had decided to participate in the competition, so he considered this early preparation.

He dragged Xie Yuzhan to taste-test. He had to admit that Xie Yuzhan truly understood a bit of everything and could give him precise and appropriate feedback. Coupled with Lin Haiyan’s input, he actually managed to develop some decent dishes.

However, when cooking for Xie Yuzhan, he was no longer limited to making vegetarian food taste like meat. He also made openly pure vegetarian dishes, which the other party accepted well.

In return, CEO Xie would coax him into eating meat, preparing a large number of reasons about balanced and healthier nutrition to persuade him.

Zheng Feng’s assessment of this was that they were mutually corrupting… no, they were happy to share and were very considerate of each other, which was good.

Xie Yuzhan merely smiled helplessly at this. He didn’t have much fondness for various grasses and plants, or the current array of creative vegetarian meals; they took up too much of Bai Zhi’s energy.

Yet, the other party genuinely loved it.

So, while supporting him, he could only try to help Bai Zhi diversify his focus and not concentrate excessively on those two things.

After arranging the competition entry, he suggested to Bai Zhi that he could open a vegetarian restaurant. Since he liked it, expanding appropriately wasn’t a bad idea, but the key was Bai Zhi’s own consideration.

Bai Zhi strongly agreed with the idea. His live streaming was quite stable now, freeing up time and energy to do other things. Life was about experience, and he could start preparing after the Lantern Festival.

However, it would have to wait until after the vegetarian competition.

You have to eat one bite at a time and tackle one task at a time.

Xie Yuzhan returned to work on the fourth day of the New Year. After marveling at CEO Xie’s diligence, Bai Zhi also started making a rough plan for the year. Having a direction was good; the specifics could be adjusted flexibly. Being constrained by too many rules would surely make him feel suffocated.

After the Lantern Festival, the New Year celebrations were essentially over. Besides his daily live streams and caring for the plants, he continued to research new recipes.

That day, he mixed a new sauce and made a mixed vegetable dish. After tasting it, Xie Yuzhan gave his usual feedback and suggestions. Bai Zhi nodded and carefully took notes, but!

Despite the other party concealing it well, he noticed something was off. Xie Yuzhan hadn’t eaten much.

Xie Yuzhan was in a bad mood.

He asked about it, but the other party evaded the question, clearly unwilling to say anything. Bai Zhi touched his nose, wisely choosing not to press further, but he felt uneasy in his heart.

Xie Yuzhan had excellent emotional control and was skilled at lying low and enduring. What kind of matter could affect him so much and yet he refused to speak about it?

He had a bad feeling.

His live stream was scheduled for the evening. After he finished broadcasting at 9:30 PM, he thought about it and decided to go find Xie Yuzhan. Even if he didn’t ask what happened, he had something he wanted to say to him.

As soon as he stepped out the door, he ran into Lin Haiyan carrying a tray. On it was a small ceramic pot and some small side dishes.

He took the tray, noticing Lin Haiyan’s expression of wanting to say something but holding back. He didn’t ask further; this matter ultimately rested with Xie Yuzhan.

He knocked and walked into the study, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the person at the desk.

It was the first time he had seen Xie Yuzhan like this.

The room was filled with the smell of alcohol. CEO Xie, usually elegant and self-possessed, was holding a wine glass. His glasses were tossed on the desk, his tie was ripped off, and his collar was open. His eyes were cold and stagnant, like dead water in a deep forest. His entire being was steeped in an atmosphere of low spirits and irritability.

Quiet and still, yet utterly dangerous.

His throat tightened. Had he come at the wrong time?