Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Bai Zhi held his phone, staring at the sentence Lu Qinghe had sent him for a long time, until his arm holding the phone protested from the strain. Only then did he turn off the screen and set the phone aside.

He turned to look at the ceiling, repeatedly asking himself in his heart.

Does he like Xie Yuzhan?

The kind of liking one has for a lover—the kind that allows for lip-to-lip kisses and more intimate contact.

Before today, he would have answered with an unequivocal no. But now, he felt his answer was heading in the completely opposite direction. Does he like him?

Yes, he does.

No matter how slow he was regarding emotions, he could understand it from his own reactions.

The blushing, the confusion, the small bursts of happiness and excitement, the sense of security and satisfaction he could only get from that person, the inexplicable yet growing concern he felt day by day…

All of it screamed one fact at him: he liked Xie Yuzhan, the kind of liking one has for a beloved.

Falling in love with a natural enemy…

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He really was too bold. Even if it was liking, it was only a little liking, just, just a tiny bit!

Xie Yuzhan was so good. Although he was quite scary, that didn’t stop him from having a good impression of the man. It was perfectly normal to fall for him.

After a long moment, he calmed down slightly, rolled over, and stared blankly at the Pikachu plush Xie Yuzhan had given him. It was liking, yes.

So it was liking.

It. Was. Liking!

He pulled the plush into his arms and buried his face in the soft fur, hiding his flushed cheeks.

Once he truly realized this, his heart actually settled down. At least he knew what those unusual emotions were and where they came from.

It was clear and distinct. That was good.

Liking was liking. He no longer denied it, but it was certainly unexpected. After all, he was just a little rabbit ignorant of the world. How could he understand romance and love? It was quite miraculous.

It was strange, even wonderful.

But this was not a reason for him to accept it, nor would he choose to sink into the river of love because of it.

Since he had realized it and made a decision, he still wanted to make things clear to Xie Yuzhan. Even if the man’s liking for him wasn’t much, and perhaps not very serious, it still deserved respect.

At least the care he felt was genuine. Even if it was just because Xie Yuzhan didn’t like others coveting his possession, in all fairness, CEO Xie had treated him very well.

He could feel it.

Now he also saw something else: if Xie Yuzhan only saw him as a pure vase or ornament, there were many things he wouldn’t need to do, or wouldn’t do so excessively.

Therefore, respecting the other party was respecting himself.

He scrambled into a sitting position, adjusted his mood slightly, and then went up to the third floor, wondering if Xie Yuzhan was asleep.

He raised his hand to knock when he heard two sounds coming from the direction of the study nearby. He turned around and met the gaze of the person who had just emerged.

It was the person he was looking for.

He stood still, waiting for Xie Yuzhan to approach before speaking softly, “I have something I want to talk to you about. Since I’ve figured it out, there’s no need to drag it out. Let’s try to be… as straightforward as possible.”

Xie Yuzhan was in a good mood. Since the rabbit had finally understood his feelings, how far could they be from achieving a positive outcome?

However, looking at Bai Zhi’s current expression, he had a bad feeling. The other party was very calm, which wasn’t a normal reaction. Realizing they liked each other, knowing his secret crush had been acknowledged, should make him happy.

But the person in front of him wasn’t.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He said, “Before you speak, I want to tell you something.”

Distracted by this, Bai Zhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. He nodded and said, “Okay, you go first.”

Xie Yuzhan looked into Bai Zhi’s eyes and spoke slowly, “The piece I played at the Xie Corporation annual meeting has another, more widely known name. It’s called ‘Concerto of Love.’

“Zhizhi, our relationship certainly started as an exchange of interests, but things always develop and change. It’s different now, isn’t it?

“We still have a future, and plenty of time.”

Bai Zhi couldn’t deny the light stirring in his heart when he heard the name of the piece, but that couldn’t change his mind.

For him, life was paramount.

He couldn’t completely drop his guard around his natural enemy, even if the other party treated him quite well.

The little rabbit was just timid and cowardly.

He shook his head, trying to keep his tone level, and looked back into Xie Yuzhan’s dark eyes, stating clearly, “Our relationship is just a marriage of convenience with a time limit set from the start. We divorce when the year is up. That won’t change.”

After saying this, he could clearly feel Xie Yuzhan’s gaze darken, but he still pressed on, confirming, “I believe this is still our mutual understanding?”

Xie Yuzhan remained silent, his gaze firmly locked on Bai Zhi.

He hadn’t been wrong in his earlier assessment. The other party simply didn’t trust him, didn’t believe this relationship could have a good outcome. So even if there were feelings, he wasn’t willing to be with him.

Bai Zhi could feel the air around them slowly solidifying. Xie Yuzhan’s gaze on him made him feel like prey locked onto by a hunter, ready to be swatted or bitten to death if he made the slightest move.

Ahem.

It was modern society. It shouldn’t be that bloody or brutal.

After a tense silence, Xie Yuzhan removed his glasses. In the time it took for his eyelids to drop and lift, he had adjusted his emotions.

His expression was gentle, and his tone was relaxed and natural. “That is, of course, our mutual understanding.

“However, before that, Zhizhi, if you aren’t repulsed or bothered, why not enjoy this relationship first? Things can remain as they were before today. The choice of whether to do certain things is yours—for example, the hug before bed every night.

“If you don’t like it, I won’t force you to do anything.

“Regardless of the future, a time-limited marriage doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t create good memories.”

Bai Zhi blinked in surprise. He was completely unexpected by Xie Yuzhan’s proposal. No anger? No denial?

Sure enough, the Wolf Lord couldn’t be judged by conventional thinking.

Enjoy this relationship that was destined for divorce? Have a time-limited romance? Maintain the original mode of interaction? There was nothing wrong with that. This was exactly what he wanted!

Maintaining the status quo was excellent.

There was no need to crave more.

He had originally envisioned the worst-case scenario: being treated purely as a decorative tool, only needed to serve as CEO Xie’s arm candy when required, with minimal communication otherwise. He hadn’t expected this!

Xie Yuzhan had given him the best option.

Focus on the present, cherish what they had now.

The other party certainly had magnanimity, which also suggested that he wasn’t that deeply in love with him… right? That was good. A little affection, but not too much. It was good for both of them—easy to pick up, easy to let go.

Neither of them needed to carry any psychological burden.

They could simply treat each other as travel companions for a certain stage of life. To have met and created many shared memories during their brief intersection was enough.

He should be content.

Thinking this, his mood lightened considerably. He relaxed his brows, stepped forward, and hugged Xie Yuzhan tightly. He announced, “Yes, of course, I want that! The goodnight hug must happen every day, and if we miss one, we have to make it up! Not a single one can be missed!”

Listening to the slight lilt in Bai Zhi’s voice caused by his emotional fluctuation, Xie Yuzhan wrapped his arms around the person in his embrace. In his eyes, which Bai Zhi couldn’t see, dark currents surged.

A deep, profound darkness.

If he hadn’t said that, the timid little rabbit probably would have distanced himself immediately. Persuading him to enjoy the present was merely a temporary measure. It wouldn’t be too late to reveal the truth on the day of the planned divorce.

Not confident enough? Then he would cultivate their relationship further.

Lacking a sense of security? Then he would give him more care and companionship.

When the feelings were strong enough, the concerns would naturally dissipate. Chasing a small, timid, and fast-running rabbit required enduring patience. Even if he couldn’t keep him when the year was up, he wouldn’t give up.

He had set his sights on him, acknowledged him, and he wouldn’t let go.

He had a lifetime.

Having spoken openly with Xie Yuzhan, Bai Zhi felt much lighter. His steps were springy as he went downstairs.

He wouldn’t truly walk into a relationship of love. Having even a little experience was rare enough. He would cherish it. He didn’t need to aspire to more. Having two friends and things he enjoyed doing was enough to satisfy him.

Love?

That thing was unreliable, changed too quickly, and carried too much risk. It was not in the little rabbit’s life plan.

Over the next few days, he observed Xie Yuzhan. Nothing seemed amiss. Their interactions remained the same. The frequency of head rubs hadn’t decreased, and not a single goodnight hug was missed. This allowed him to completely relax.

It would have been a pity if those things had stopped.

On another note, he could sense that Xie Yuzhan had been busy lately. The man hadn’t avoided or hidden anything from him; he had proactively explained what he was working on.

The Xie Corporation’s annual shareholder meeting was in July. If everything could be prepared before then, it would be the perfect opportunity to take down Xie Minghong in one fell swoop.

The crucial issue was that the chain of evidence was missing a vital link: the aircraft maintenance technician they had been searching for was still missing.

Time was running out.

After consideration, Xie Yuzhan released a rumor that he had obtained decisive evidence of Xie Minghong’s murder of his brother and sister-in-law, forcing the man to contact the long-hidden technician himself.

A guilty conscience, rattled by such rumors, quickly fell into the trap. After so many years, the psychological pressure on Xie Minghong must have been immense. As long as Xie Yuzhan remained at the company, he couldn’t fully relax for a single day.

By tracking Xie Minghong’s movements, they did indeed find the person.

Xie Yuzhan planned to meet the technician personally. Bai Zhi accompanied him. Regardless of what happened in the future, it was good to provide some companionship while it was within his power.

Upon arrival, Xie Yuzhan chose to speak with the technician alone.

He, Lu Yunyi, and a few others waited outside, mostly silent. The atmosphere was heavy.

He looked out the window. It was early summer, but the day was unusually gloomy. The entire sky looked troubled, as if the seasonal clock had been messed up, instantly reverting to deep winter.

After watching for a while, he lowered his head and continued kneading the Pikachu plush Xie Yuzhan had given him.

The death of Xie Yuzhan’s parents was the deepest scar in his heart. Now, reopening the cold case was like cutting the scar open and exposing it to the light of day. Even knowing it was necessary, it was bound to be incredibly painful.

Lu Yunyi glanced at Bai Zhi nearby. To be honest, he was surprised the man had come along.

Willingness to come meant worry, meant he couldn’t let go, which meant there were still feelings.

He calculated the time. Once this matter was settled, it would be close to their first wedding anniversary, roughly as they had initially planned. But the variable was the feelings involved.

Xie Yuzhan had become serious about this marriage of convenience. So, divorce? It was impossible. He knew his friend’s temperament well.

What about Bai Zhi?

He had a vague, uneasy feeling. This cautious little rabbit was not someone who could be confined by rules. Any reaction from him wouldn’t be surprising.

He only hoped the matter could be resolved smoothly. After all these years, Xie Yuzhan needed to find closure for himself. After that…

He dared not speculate about what came next.

People who suddenly complete a major task they have been planning for years often fall into a period of confusion or even aimless emptiness. He certainly didn’t want Xie Yuzhan to face divorce at that time. When someone who hasn’t been easily moved by love finally gets serious, they tend to become more desperate and attached.

He knew how tense and stressed Xie Yuzhan had been all these years, and he understood that his friend had truly taken Bai Zhi to heart. If they actually divorced, it would be another kind of withdrawal of support from his life.

He worried about Xie Yuzhan’s emotional state.

He hoped everything would go smoothly.

A person who had walked through a long, dark night deserved to be rewarded with a sunny, warm dawn and a brand new beginning.

Bai Zhi was anxious. When he heard the door open, he instinctively stood up. Xie Yuzhan came out first, his expression cold and showing no obvious emotional fluctuations.

But this only made him more worried.

Lu Yunyi stepped forward first and exchanged a look with Xie Yuzhan. He patted his friend’s shoulder, then walked into the room to handle the follow-up matters.

Tang Chen was staying behind. Lu Yunyi came along partly to clean up and partly because he was concerned about Xie Yuzhan’s condition.

Fortunately, Bai Zhi was here.

With the click of the door closing, only Bai Zhi and Xie Yuzhan remained outside.

Bai Zhi gripped the plush toy in his hand. Although the Wolf Lord was expressionless, his entire aura was cold, sharp, and sinister, making him feel a deep, instinctive fear. However—

He felt he had to do something.

Right now, at this very moment.