Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The sky outside the window remained dim and oppressive, while the room was silently illuminated by cold white light, making every breath feel heavy.

Bai Zhi steadied himself slightly, lifted his foot, and stopped half a step away from Xie Yuzhan. He called out softly, “Yuzhan?”

Xie Yuzhan responded, taking off his glasses with a sigh. “I’m sorry…”

Bai Zhi answered that apology with a hug.

He opened his arms and embraced the man before him, gently stroking the slightly tense curve of his back—likely due to anger, hatred, or the unwillingness to accept the injustice of fate.

He whispered, “You don’t need to apologize. No matter what, this is not your fault.”

Xie Yuzhan slumped his shoulders slightly, leaning against Bai Zhi’s shoulder, half-closing his eyes as he silently let out a breath. A trace of weariness surfaced in his cold, desolate eyes.

He wrapped his arms around Bai Zhi and said, “Thank you for coming with me on this trip.”

Bai Zhi shook his head. Due to the position of the hug, it was like rubbing against Xie Yuzhan. He comforted him, “You don’t need to thank me either. I came with you because I wanted to. You don’t need to say thank you for something done willingly.”

Xie Yuzhan remained silent, tightening his embrace.

Was he tired? From the age of twelve until now, after so many years, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t tired at all. It was only the obsession to avenge his parents that kept him going.

Friends and family had always been by his side, but the person in front of him was different.

In front of Bai Zhi, his exhaustion and weariness, his anxiety and restlessness, were all safely accepted. He could expose more without burden, and even those hidden, subtle corners could accept the other’s presence.

This feeling was wonderful.

Even though they hadn’t known each other for long.

But closeness and distance were not entirely measured by time.

Bai Zhi quietly let Xie Yuzhan hold him until the other man voluntarily released his arms. Only then did he move his slightly stiff body; even the soles of his feet felt numb.

The two sat down on the sofa. He handed over a glass of water and asked slowly, “Did you get all the evidence?”

“Yes, we have both the evidence and the confessions.”

“Next—”

Xie Yuzhan turned the water glass. His gaze was cold and sharp. “We will verify all the facts and related materials again to ensure a single, decisive strike that is foolproof. After that comes the shareholder meeting in July.

“Xie Minghong cares about face. Before he goes in, I will take away the thing he values most.”

Bai Zhi nodded. Those who commit wrongs must pay the price.

Both legally and socially.

He added, “Actually, those things were never his to begin with. You aren’t ‘taking away’ anything; you are ‘taking back,’ retrieving what originally belonged to you. It’s returning things to their rightful owner.”

Xie Yuzhan curled his lips. “You’re right. It is indeed about putting everything back where it belongs.”

“Mhm,” Bai Zhi leaned closer, pressing against Xie Yuzhan’s arm, his eyes curving slightly. “Just do what you want to do. We are all here for you.”

Xie Yuzhan paused, turning to look at Bai Zhi. The other man’s expression was open and firm, his eyes shining brightly.

He held the hand of the person beside him, his voice softening. “Wait for me to handle these matters.”

Bai Zhi continued to nod. The reason Xie Yuzhan cooperated with Xie Minghong’s suggestion of marriage was for this final moment. Once the old events came to light and everything was settled, their marriage should end.

But there was still some time before that. He would cherish it.

After returning, Xie Yuzhan did not come home for three consecutive days. Initially, Bai Zhi didn’t feel anything, as CEO Xie had explained and requested leave, and he had agreed to disturb the other party as little as possible.

But after not seeing him for a few days, his heart felt empty, as if a piece was missing.

Afternoon tea didn’t taste as sweet and fragrant.

He couldn’t sleep soundly either, always dreaming of playing hide-and-seek with Mr. Wolf, but he couldn’t find him anywhere. This feeling was terrible.

By the morning of the fourth day, he finally couldn’t sit still. Xie Yuzhan was busy and not coming home, but he could go see him!

How about delivering afternoon tea? Then he could see if he could persuade him to come home that evening. However, before lunch, he received a message from CEO Xie saying that his maternal grandparents had invited them home for lunch, and he would come back to pick him up before going to the elders’ place.

Oh!

This was truly a pillow delivered right when he was sleepy. Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!

He quickly changed his clothes and went to the sunroom to select a few pots of adorable little flowering plants that were already budding.

After getting into the car and settling the gifts, he looked at the person in the driver’s seat. After a few days apart, Xie Yuzhan looked quite well, though his expression carried a hard-to-detect trace of fatigue.

Others wouldn’t notice; they would still see CEO Xie as utterly elegant from head to toe. But Bai Zhi could see the weariness hidden beneath that refinement.

He clearly hadn’t rested well.

He was working his mind and body hard.

Xie Yuzhan noticed Bai Zhi’s gaze fixed steadily on him. He gave the other man a gentle smile and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me after a few days? Zhizhi, you’ll hurt my feelings if you look at me like that. We’ve been chatting a lot on WeChat.”

“Chatting on WeChat isn’t the same as seeing you in person, is it?”

“…No, it’s not the same.” Xie Yuzhan pressed, “So what have you been looking at since you got in the car?”

Bai Zhi pursed his lips and said seriously, “If Grandpa and Grandma hadn’t called us, I was planning to bring you afternoon tea today. Not seeing you for a few days doesn’t mean I don’t recognize you; it means I missed you.”

Xie Yuzhan’s breathing hitched. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. Such a direct hit… who could withstand that!

So, at the next intersection, he immediately turned the car into the auxiliary lane and parked in a roadside spot. Then he unbuckled Bai Zhi’s seatbelt and said, “Come here and hug me.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes suddenly lit up, the caramel color within them instantly flowing.

He swiftly lifted his legs and climbed over. Xie Yuzhan cooperated by adjusting his seat back a little. Bai Zhi sat directly astride his lap. Hmm—the space was just right, the posture was just right.

He nestled into Xie Yuzhan’s arms, rubbing against the hollow of his shoulder. His tone lifted slightly as he asked, “Then did you miss me?”

Xie Yuzhan held the person sitting on his lap. Bai Zhi’s voice seemed to have a little hook, making his heart itch.

He rubbed the other’s hair. The texture was as fine and resilient as always, fitting perfectly between his fingers.

He lowered his voice and said, “During breaks from work, I sent someone quite a few messages, asking if he was eating well, if he was resting on time like a good boy, and if his work was going smoothly…

“The deeper the night, after everyone else had left, the more I wanted to hear his voice, thinking about how to make up the goodnight hugs I owed him for several days.

“I even wanted to hold him close and sleep a deep, undisturbed sleep, ignoring everything else.

“Zhizhi, who do you think I was thinking about?”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. Xie Yuzhan’s voice was slightly husky. Listening to it at such close range made his earlobes tingle and feel very hot.

Mr. Wolf was too naughty!

His mouth moved faster than his brain, and their current position made it too easy. He bit Xie Yuzhan’s neck with an “aow” sound, even grinding his teeth a little. When he reacted and sat up to look, sure enough, there were several red teeth marks!

He blinked, looking at Xie Yuzhan, then at the teeth marks. He silently pulled out a wet wipe and tried to clean them, but the marks wouldn’t rub off.

He bit his lower lip, took a breath, and tried to justify himself. “That hug just now counts as making up for the goodnight hugs from the past few days. As for biting you just now—

“That’s the interest you paid me!

“You’re not allowed to bite back, okay!”

Hearing Bai Zhi’s final emphasized sentence, the gloomy emotions Xie Yuzhan had accumulated over the past few days dissipated.

Yu Fei was right: sincerity and cuteness heal everything.

He continued to rub Bai Zhi’s hair, then carefully tidied it up. When he spoke again, his tone was lighter. He agreed, “Alright, alright, we’ll call it interest. How about a kiss instead? I won’t bite you.”

Bai Zhi pursed his lips. This time, he thought for three seconds and didn’t refuse.

He tilted his head and leaned in. “Here, you can kiss my cheek…”

Xie Yuzhan placed his hand on Bai Zhi’s back, affectionately rubbing cheeks with him, and finally placed a light kiss near his earlobe. He asked, “Did I keep my word?”

Bai Zhi’s hands rested on Xie Yuzhan’s shoulders. He pulled back, rescuing his ear, and muttered under his breath that this was worse than a bite!

As long as he didn’t bite his neck!

He cleared his throat, pressing down on Xie Yuzhan’s hand resting on his lower back. He urged, “Yes, you did. Hurry up and let go. If we delay any longer, we’ll miss lunch. Grandpa and Grandma are waiting for us to eat together!”

“Okay.”

Xie Yuzhan agreed, but he rubbed Bai Zhi’s waist one last time before letting go. Watching the segment of supple, narrow waist revealed as the other climbed back into the passenger seat, he composed himself and sighed silently.

To see but not be able to eat was indeed tormenting.

Just a little longer.

The two elders lived in the near suburbs, in an older but well-maintained villa area that felt very lived-in.

When the car stopped in front of a two-story villa, Bai Zhi glanced into the small courtyard and immediately felt a sense of familiarity. It was surrounded by flowers and plants, had a small pond, and many vegetables were growing—lively and comfortable.

When Luo Shuyue and Deng Bo saw the couple, they immediately noticed a change; they were closer than the last time they met.

It wasn’t hard to tell. Xie Yuzhan was the grandson they had watched grow up. When had he ever looked at anyone with such a gentle gaze? The kind that made him want to hide the person away.

This was good.

The essence of love was possessiveness, after all; the elders understood this too.

The four of them ate lunch together. Many of the vegetables were freshly picked from the small courtyard that morning, very fresh, and completely to Bai Zhi’s liking. He ate happily and enjoyed chatting with the elders.

During the meal, Luo Shuyue brought up a matter: she wanted to invite him to serve as the Honorary President of the Vegetarian Culture Association.

He thought about it and politely declined. He believed in doing things within his capability, and if he took that position, it might be a bit undeserved.

But Xie Yuzhan said he could do it.

He picked up a king oyster mushroom for Xie Yuzhan and gave him a questioning look. What did he mean?

Xie Yuzhan explained, “Serving as Honorary President can provide endorsement for the vegetarian restaurant you are about to establish. Of course, you can also bring exposure and promotion to the association. It’s mutually beneficial; they benefit from your popularity too.

“Furthermore, the Honorary President does not participate in most daily affairs. There are fewer ties between the two parties, making it controllable.”

Luo Shuyue agreed, “Yuzhan is right. They also consider traffic and reputation. It’s a win-win.”

Bai Zhi ate the yam ball Xie Yuzhan had put on his plate, thought for a moment, and nodded. He smiled sweetly, “In that case, thank you, Grandpa and Grandma, for making the connection for me!”

Deng Bo waved his hand, glancing at his grandson. “Family doesn’t say thank you. If you really want to thank us, just come back more often to see this old man and woman.”

Bai Zhi looked at Xie Yuzhan, giving him a meaningful look. Hurry up, this is a clear hint!

Xie Yuzhan calmly continued eating, offering no response.

Bai Zhi paused, lifted his foot, and stepped on Xie Yuzhan’s foot. Then he turned to Deng Bo and replied, “Don’t worry, we will come back to spend time with you whenever we have time.”

Deng Bo nodded, adding, “Just you come. The one who can’t talk doesn’t need to come.”

Bai Zhi choked up, looking again at the person beside him who had been silent for a while.

Only then did Xie Yuzhan slowly open his mouth. “Zhizhi can’t come alone; he doesn’t drive, so I have to bring him. So please relax, don’t get angry when you see me. It’s not good for your health.”

Deng Bo was finally satisfied and instructed Bai Zhi, “About driving, if you want to learn, learn. If you don’t want to, then don’t. Let him drive you wherever you need to go.”

Bai Zhi was a bit confused by the dynamic between the grandfather and grandson. He subconsciously explained, “Yuzhan is sometimes quite busy, I…”

“What is he busy with…”

“Are you going to let the child eat or not?”

Bai Zhi looked down, focusing on his food, and took a bite of the meatball Xie Yuzhan fed him.

Deng Bo interrupted his attempt to defend Xie Yuzhan, and Luo Shuyue interrupted Deng Bo. Okay, the chain of command in this family was very clear; he understood.

After lunch, at Luo Shuyue’s suggestion, Xie Yuzhan took Bai Zhi upstairs to his room—

To take a nap.

A nap wasn’t strictly necessary, but Bai Zhi was very excited about going upstairs. This was the room Xie Yuzhan had lived in since childhood! He wanted to see it!

Xie Yuzhan saw Bai Zhi’s excitement and was in a good mood. Only when someone cared would they be interested in his past.

Opening the door, Bai Zhi surveyed the room. It was a cozy, simple cream and beige color scheme. There were many bookshelves, stacked from floor to ceiling, which visually felt a bit cramped but was mitigated by the decor and color palette.

The afternoon sun of early spring shone through the window, making the entire room warm and somewhat lazy.

What attracted him most was the rug and sofa placed by the window. They looked especially comfortable, making him want to lie down and soak up the warmth. Perhaps a nap wouldn’t be bad either?

Thinking this, he did exactly that.

Sinking into the soft sofa, the entire rabbit relaxed.

Sensing Xie Yuzhan’s gaze, he looked up, stretched out his hand, and tentatively invited, “Yuzhan Gege, do you want to sunbathe together? It’s warm and cozy~”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t really want to nap; he had never had that habit.

He particularly disliked sunbathing.

He looked at Bai Zhi’s smiling eyes. The sunlight fell directly into them, making the naturally warm caramel-brown color shine with a clear brilliance, warmer and brighter than the sun itself.

Who could refuse such eyes?

After a minute of staring, he walked closer, took Bai Zhi’s hand, and said in a steady tone, “Then you have to give me a kiss first.”

Bai Zhi paused. Hey! Was he addicted to kissing now?!

Whether he wanted to sunbathe or nap, Bai Zhi didn’t care! Now he was setting conditions… Wait, was this setting conditions? It seemed more like he was directly making a request—was he, was he pouting?

Huh?

Was this subtle pouting?!