Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 49

Chapter Forty-Nine

Four eyes met, and silence blanketed the floor.

Bai Zhi froze, holding the tray, unable to move forward or retreat, feeling intensely awkward.

He had no doubt that if he tried to run, Mr. Wolf would catch him even faster and pin him down instantly with a paw.

Running was the worst possible option.

He blinked, his lips pressed into a tight line, and said, “Aunt Lin was bringing you a late-night snack, and I just happened to see it… Um, why don’t you drink some porridge first?”

Xie Yuzhan put down his wine glass, rose from the table, and slowly walked toward the tense little rabbit.

Stopping a step away, he lowered his gaze to meet Bai Zhi’s. His expression was detached, and his tone held no particular emotion as he asked, “Since you’re so afraid, why didn’t you run?”

Bai Zhi’s eyelashes fluttered. He tried to keep his voice steady and said, “I have something I want to tell you. I’ll leave after I’ve said it.”

Although the person in front of him felt dangerous, they were currently in a safe period. The other party wouldn’t do anything to him, right? Probably. Mr. Wolf wasn’t someone who acted rashly based purely on impulse.

Xie Yuzhan chuckled softly, his expression softening slightly. “Zhi Zhi has a lot of courage. You deserve praise.”

Bai Zhi’s breathing eased. Being praised for courage by Mr. Wolf felt a little strange.

He steadied himself, walked around Xie Yuzhan, and placed the tray on the table. He repeated, “Have something to eat first? No matter what, there’s no need to be hard on your own body. Your health is your foundation.”

Xie Yuzhan closed his eyes, adjusted his emotions, and then turned around. After sitting down, he gestured to the seat beside him. “Sit. Don’t worry, I won’t eat you.”

Bai Zhi flushed. Xie Yuzhan’s voice held a soothing, teasing lilt, which also made him relax.

He sat down as instructed. Watching Xie Yuzhan begin to eat the porridge, he remained silent, simply observing him quietly.

The other party’s expression concealed a restrained hatred, along with irritation and anger. These emotions, individually, were quite uncommon for CEO Xie, and mixed together…

He could only think of one answer.

Both remained silent, but the atmosphere was no longer as frigid as when Bai Zhi had first entered the study. Although not light or warm, it maintained a delicate balance.

Bai Zhi thought for a moment, then stood up and said, “I’m going to step out for a moment. I’ll be right back. Wait for me!”

Xie Yuzhan watched Bai Zhi’s retreating back. Only after hearing the sound of the door opening and closing did he lower his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips.

He didn’t want the other person to see him in this state, yet he greedily desired companionship. Bai Zhi seemed to be responding purely based on instinct, asking nothing, guessing nothing, and managing to restrain his curiosity.

That was rare.

Bai Zhi returned to the third-floor study at a quick pace after retrieving his items. Under Xie Yuzhan’s gaze, he hid his hands behind his back and walked around the sofa.

He crouched down to conceal himself, then extended his hands above the sofa, revealing the hand puppets he was wearing.

Xie Yuzhan looked at the fluffy wolf and rabbit puppets and couldn’t help but smile. Bai Zhi hadn’t even started his performance, yet his mood had already improved considerably.

Bai Zhi cleared his throat and used different voices to play both roles—

Mr. Wolf: I’m hungry. Do you have anything to eat?

Bunny: I have lots of grass. Do you want some? I can share it with you if you do~

Mr. Wolf: Dear little bunny, wolves are carnivores. We don’t eat grass.

Bunny: Hmm—well, I have lots of candy! Have some candy? Eating sugar will stop you from being hungry, and it will also put you in a good mood!

Mr. Wolf: Alright, candy works too.

Bai Zhi manipulated the puppets, the left one babbling, the right one babbling.

After delivering the wolf’s line, he knelt on one knee on the carpet, straightened up, revealing a pair of bright eyes, and returned to his normal voice, asking, “Brother Yuzhan, would you like some candy?”

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi—the fluffy, soft brown hair, and those honey-brown eyes that sparkled brightly under the light. The sight traveled from his eyes to his heart, and the icy lake within him seemed to be covered in sunlight.

That flowing light streamed from the other person’s eyes into his heart.

It felt warm and intimate.

He curved his lips and said, “Of course. The candy Zhi Zhi gives must be very sweet. It would be a shame to miss it.”

Bai Zhi smiled, walked around the sofa, and sat beside Xie Yuzhan. He took off the puppets, pulled a few pieces of candy from his pocket, and offered them. “Apple, strawberry, and lemon. See which one you like.”

Xie Yuzhan chose a strawberry hard candy and then asked, “Which flavor do you like best?”

“I like them all.”

Xie Yuzhan picked up an apple-flavored one, unwrapped it, and fed it to Bai Zhi. Then, he slowly and deliberately ate his own candy. It was sweet and sour with a milky strawberry flavor—sweet but not cloying.

Just like the feeling the person in front of him gave him.

After finishing the candy, he took the puppets Bai Zhi had placed on his lap, put the wolf one on his hand, and began to fiddle with it. His voice lowered, but remained relatively steady. “My parents died together in a private plane crash. This was orchestrated by Xie Minghong to seize control of the Xie Group’s interests.

“No matter how meticulously something is done, if it happened, it will leave clues. The police investigated back then and closed the case as an accidental tragedy.

“I know very well that it wasn’t.

“These past years, besides focusing on my career, I’ve been investigating. Yesterday, I received a piece of intelligence: the plane crash is inseparable from the aircraft maintenance technician at the time. Perhaps he tampered with it in secret, but he vanished years ago. Finding him is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“And the evidence is only missing this one link.”

Bai Zhi listened. It was indeed about Xie Yuzhan’s parents.

He put the bunny puppet on his hand and gently tapped the wolf’s forehead. “But you won’t give up searching.

“And you will definitely find him. You humans have a good saying: Sincerity can move mountains. You’ve invested so much; you will certainly achieve the result you want.

“Your uncle and aunt will bless you with success.”

Xie Yuzhan looked at the two puppets touching each other. After a moment, he turned to Bai Zhi. The other person spoke with certainty and seriousness, his eyes shining brightly. The more he looked, the more radiant and brilliant they seemed.

Success? It would happen.

He replied, “Xie Minghong will pay the full price for what he did.”

“Mhm!”

Xie Yuzhan sighed softly, then continued, “The day my parents had their accident, the weather was beautiful. Before they boarded the plane, they promised me we would go boating together when they returned, but…

“That goodbye was the last time I saw them.”

The feeling he had when he learned of his parents’ death—he had recalled it countless times over the years. It pierced him repeatedly in his dreams in the dead of night. When he woke up, he could only tell himself again and again that he must have revenge.

This journey has been long and dark, but thankfully, he had reached the eve of dawn.

Bai Zhi could now fully understand Xie Yuzhan’s aversion to sunlight. “It’s like how I have a complex about thunderstorms. I dislike them, even fear them a little. But disliking something is fine. It doesn’t matter. Your feelings come first.”

Life still moves forward. Perhaps one day, he wouldn’t be afraid of thunder and rain anymore, and the other person wouldn’t reject sunny days.

Xie Yuzhan listened and acknowledged him.

He stroked Bai Zhi’s cheek, leaned closer, and pressed his forehead against the other’s. He whispered, “Thank you for being willing to come close to me at a time like this, for not running away, for not prying. Zhi Zhi, you are very brave, and—

“Everything is just right.”

If it had been another person, or another approach, the atmosphere between them might not be what it was now.

His turbulent, tormented spirit seemed to finally find a moment to breathe, a brief respite that kept his mind from being constantly steeped in a bitter, icy lake.

Bai Zhi curved his eyes, relaxing as well, and replied naturally, “Of course I’ll stand by you. I won’t run away.”

He didn’t even need to think to make that choice!

Xie Yuzhan curled his lips, turned his head, and pulled Bai Zhi into his arms. His lowered eyelids concealed the silently surging emotions within his eyes.

Fervent affection and joy intertwined, wrapped in a frantic possessiveness. On this late winter, early spring night, they vigorously grew into sturdy branches, forming a magnificent, silent, and glorious canopy.

Waiting only to blossom and bear fruit.

Never had he desired a person so intensely.

He wanted this person.

He wanted this person to belong completely and utterly to him, branded with his exclusive mark, to be with him forever, inseparable even by life or death.

Bai Zhi sensed the change in Xie Yuzhan’s emotions, likely due to the profound impact of his parents’ situation.

He raised his hand, hesitated, and then gently patted the other person’s back, treating it as comfort for the little boy who had suddenly lost his parents and was bearing immense pressure.

And, of course, for the CEO Xie in front of him.

He hoped everything would go smoothly. Some hurdles had to be overcome to move forward. After being blocked for so many years, there had to be a resolution for his own sake.

And Xie Yuzhan was willing to tell him these things. Did that mean he considered him a decent friend? At worst, it was still what he had previously thought: he posed no threat, so CEO Xie felt comfortable revealing some things.

He hoped it was the former.

The two didn’t bring up the investigation again. They chatted about unrelated trivialities, such as what they would eat for breakfast tomorrow, or what movie they would watch next… They talked until eleven o’clock.

Finally, Xie Yuzhan suggested they go to bed, bringing the conversation to an end.

Bai Zhi watched him close his laptop, turn off the study light, and then escorted him all the way back to the bedroom. Only after hearing CEO Xie promise to rest immediately did he breathe a sigh of relief and head downstairs to sleep.

He’s a grown man, yet he makes a bunny worry so much!

The worried Xie Yuzhan, after arranging the subsequent investigation, finally had the mental capacity to think about the future—the future after the old grievances were settled.

He asked Tang Chen to find a suitable piece of land to build a base for cultivating high-altitude plants, especially snow lotus. He needed to plant a lot of it. Bai Zhi loved eating it, and controlling the source would be safer. Bai Zhi could eat it as a meal if he wanted; there would be plenty.

It was a way to cater to his preferences.

Thinking about the little rabbit seriously munching on petals was very endearing.

His two friends consistently teased him, saying he was like an old house catching fire—completely smitten, commonly known as having a love-struck brain. He didn’t care. The treasure he held dear deserved all the pampering in the world.

Bai Zhi was worth it.

Although he wasn’t fond of the other person’s grass, he enjoyed planting grass and flowers for the one he loved.

Bai Zhi knew nothing about the base. Recently, he had been busy perfecting his vegetarian dishes.

Since he decided to enter the competition, he naturally had to prepare seriously. He could accept failure after trying his best, but he didn’t want to have regrets due to haste or carelessness.

The competition was in the city, which was convenient. He originally thought Lin Haiyan accompanying him would be enough, but during dinner that evening, Xie Yuzhan said he had already adjusted his work schedule, clearing a few days to accompany him for the entire duration.

Hearing this, the rice cake he had just picked up dropped back onto his plate.

He frowned slightly. “I know you’re always busy. The whole thing will take several days, not just a morning or an afternoon. Are you sure?

“I don’t want to trouble you too much. Besides company matters, you have other things to worry about. You’re already very busy and tired.”

A hint of a smile crossed Xie Yuzhan’s lips. He accepted Bai Zhi’s thoughtfulness and concern.

He reassured him, “As long as the time is managed properly, I won’t be too busy or tired. You are also very important to me. I am happy to accompany you.”

“But…” Bai Zhi still felt something was off and pressed on, “If you don’t go to the company for several days, won’t Xie Minghong cause trouble for you?”

At the mention of that name, a flash of disgust crossed Xie Yuzhan’s eyes, quickly settling back into calmness. “Don’t worry. He very much hopes to see me drowning in romance. He would be even happier if I only held a nominal position and didn’t go to the company at all.”

To sideline him, to drive him out.

His good uncle had been planning this for years.

Bai Zhi thought about it. Xie Yuzhan marrying him according to Xie Minghong’s arrangement was meant to lull the other party into a false sense of security, using himself as a smokescreen. So, was CEO Xie saying and doing this now possibly part of the plan?

It must be.

He smiled and teased, “Alright, then we’ll go together, CEO Xie—

“You’re going to accompany me throughout this public event. Are you planning to keep a close eye on your emergency rations? Don’t want to lose them, do you?”

Emergency rations? Xie Yuzhan paused. Where did Bai Zhi get that idea? But…

It was certainly a very cute way of putting it.

He leisurely put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth and hands, and stood up. He walked over to Bai Zhi, bent slightly, and looked into those glass-like eyes. His voice held a hint of laughter as he countered, “Zhi Zhi, by asking that, are you willing to be my ‘emergency rations’?”

To be eaten when the time was right.