Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Xie Yuzhan naturally saw the burning intensity in Bai Zhi’s eyes. He didn’t pull away when the other man leaned in, instead, he steadily and securely wrapped his arms around him.

His eyes lowered slightly as he dipped his head—

Bai Zhi gripped Xie Yuzhan’s tie with one hand and rested the other on his shoulder. He tilted his head up and leaned in, giving his “lover” one last gentle kiss on the lips.

Xie Yuzhan held Bai Zhi’s waist, his fingertips tingling slightly from the force of his grip.

He stroked the other man’s hair with his free hand, and when the kiss ended, he pulled Bai Zhi fully into his embrace.

Bai Zhi allowed the overly long hug. He rested his head on Xie Yuzhan’s shoulder, his heart feeling sour and astringent.

Such an outstanding person would soon have others by his side. That person would hug, kiss, and engage in all kinds of intimate actions and gestures with someone else, but he couldn’t say anything.

He had no right.

He had made the choice himself; he couldn’t blame anyone. This was the price he had to pay, and he had to bear the bitterness alone.

After the hug, he saw Xie Yuzhan into the elevator and then stood upstairs watching the car drive away. He watched for a long, long time, until his legs and feet started to feel numb, before he slowly went back inside.

Standing in the living room, he looked out the sunny window and rubbed his face.

He probably needed a period of transition now. After all, they had lived together for a year, and he had only been in human society for that long.

He needed to take a breath, then pull himself together and move forward.

It wasn’t like they would never see each other again.

He finished packing the few remaining items, took a nap, and then called Lu Qinghe over for a visit. The two of them decided to have dinner together.

At the dinner table, when his friend mentioned Xie Yuzhan, he admitted frankly, “We’ll take some time before we go through with the divorce procedures. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just need to adjust. Life is beautiful; it’s not just about marriage and love.”

Lu Qinghe stared at Bai Zhi for a while. The other man seemed very composed, but he wasn’t entirely without disappointment.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling quite emotional.

He had only recently learned that Bai Zhi and Xie Yuzhan’s marriage was a contractual one. To be honest, it didn’t seem like it. The two of them really didn’t resemble the kind of arranged contractual marriage he knew about; their feelings seemed too genuine.

He chose his words carefully. “I’m actually very surprised that you two are separating and getting a divorce. But… as long as you’re happy. Make sure you’ve thought it through and won’t regret it.”

“Of course. I know what I want.”

Lu Qinghe shrugged, his expression unreadable. “I don’t think CEO Xie will truly give up.”

“He certainly isn’t someone who gives up easily, but I’ve made it very clear to him that we can’t be together,” Bai Zhi paused, then continued, “He’s a smart person; he knows when to cut his losses.”

Lu Qinghe sighed deeply. “Silly little rabbit, when smart people act foolishly, it can be truly earth-shattering.”

Bai Zhi stated confidently, “He won’t. He was just playing around with me; his feelings aren’t that deep.”

Hearing this, Lu Qinghe was speechless. Xie Yuzhan was just playing around? Perhaps he was simply ignorant, but he had never seen this kind of ‘playing around.’ The investment was far too significant.

Looking at Bai Zhi, whose mindset and condition seemed alright, he felt relieved but sighed yet again. As long as his friend wasn’t hurt, perhaps things would work out eventually.

Go, CEO Xie.

After eating and chatting with Lu Qinghe, Bai Zhi saw him off and then started his live stream. Tonight… maybe he should just stay up all night?

Meanwhile, at the Xie residence.

Xie Yuzhan had just finished a drinking session with two friends. Upon arriving home, he went straight to Bai Zhi’s room.

He only turned on some ambient lighting and slowly walked around. Most of the furnishings were still there, but without the most important person, the room felt empty and lifeless.

Fortunately, Bai Zhi had taken all the gifts he had given him. This offered a small measure of comfort.

Bai Zhi wasn’t completely indifferent to their relationship.

He sat on the bed for a long time, then finally opened the Hundred Herbs Garden live stream. The familiar, pleasant voice immediately filled the air, as lively and energetic as ever.

He watched for a while, then lay down on the bed, closing his eyes and continuing to listen.

Bai Zhi was still the same adorable, chatty little chatterbox, explaining the change in the live stream background, saying he had moved. He also mentioned that tonight’s stream would be longer and talked about future plans—he would be busy with the restaurant and might not be able to stream every day…

The clear, gentle sound of Bai Zhi’s voice was in his ears, and beneath him were the bedclothes that still held the residual warmth of the other man’s body. Lying there, accompanied by the lonely moonlight, it felt as if he could still be close to the person who wasn’t currently by his side.

Missing him was a constant shadow.

He pondered. Although Bai Zhi’s initial occasional acts of kindness were driven by fear of him, it was undeniable that they had gradually developed feelings for each other during their time together. This was definitely not a small amount of feeling, not for either of them.

He would make Bai Zhi understand his feelings and also make him see his own heart clearly.

Bai Zhi called him a wolf, and he didn’t deny it. A wolf possessed excellent patience. Even if what lay ahead was a long endurance race, he would not concede an inch. After all, the person he loved was waiting at the finish line.

He would walk toward him, step by step.

Before that, there would be many nights that had to be spent like this. After an unknown amount of time passed, a soft sigh escaped into the dim light and heavy darkness, like a deep, surging tide of love.

This was only the first day of separation.

And tonight, he didn’t sleep at all.

Bai Zhi streamed for most of the night, finally ending the broadcast at three in the morning at the urging of his viewers. But even after ending it, he couldn’t sleep at all, so he simply went out and tidied up the herbs on the terrace outside the living room again.

Facing the morning light, he slowly took a deep breath. His chaotic and anxious mood finally calmed down significantly, and he managed a smile.

Slowly but surely. Now, he needed to get some sleep first.

Three days after moving into the new place, he finally started to adjust to the new environment. This was much slower than when he was a hamster rabbit. Perhaps as a human, the attachment to a place ran deeper.

Humans are creatures of emotion, after all.

He and Xie Yuzhan still chatted every day, joking around as usual, but he always felt a certain distance—a distance he himself had created. Thinking about it made him a little depressed.

But overall, things were okay.

Both of them had started new lives.

Besides streaming and monitoring the flagship store’s operations, he was busy with the restaurant’s renovation, leading a very fulfilling life. As for Xie Yuzhan, although the transition of power was already very smooth, there were still many things to handle, keeping him busy as well. And—

Xie Yuzhan was redesigning the glass dome lounge.

He was happy for Xie Yuzhan. When the space was finally redecorated, it would likely be the moment when the ruin in the other man’s heart was completely rebuilt.

It needed time.

Time was the best medicine for many things.

There was one other thing: Xie Yuzhan had asked him out several times, but he hadn’t agreed. He was running out of excuses, either saying he was busy, too tired and needed rest, or simply that the weather was bad and he didn’t want to go out.

Xie Yuzhan probably knew he was just making excuses, but he didn’t call him out on it.

He wanted both of them to slow down and calm down before meeting again, so they wouldn’t cross the boundaries of friendship—a cooling-off period after a breakup, so to speak.

One day, just as he was leaving the nearly finished restaurant, he received a message from Bai En’yan, asking him out to dinner. She said she needed his help with something.

He didn’t refuse. It was the first time his sister had asked for a favor, and he would definitely help if he could. She had supported him a lot, both in the past and now, especially recently with the renovation, offering him many suggestions and helping him contact a designer to consult on the design.

He couldn’t stand idly by, both emotionally and logically.

However.

This matter was indeed difficult to manage.

Because, to be precise, Bai En’yan wasn’t asking him for help; she was asking him to ask Xie Yuzhan for help.

As a jewelry designer, she had her eye on a set of precious raw stones held by a powerful figure. Money alone wouldn’t secure them; the person was unwilling to sell.

He had earned a lot of money from his online store, but he hadn’t expanded his network much. He first approached Lu Qinghe, but unfortunately, that powerful figure had no connection with the Lu family.

However, his friend reminded him that Xie Yuzhan should have connections and might know the person.

Fine, he was back where he started.

In his helplessness, he had to awkwardly and reluctantly tell Xie Yuzhan about the matter. After all, he had refused to meet him several times, and his first communication was to ask for a favor, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Fortunately, Xie Yuzhan didn’t ask many questions or make any teasing remarks. He handled the matter efficiently.

Afterward, he, Xie Yuzhan, and Bai En’yan had dinner together. Just as the dishes were served, his good sister received a phone call saying there was an issue at the studio. Then, ignoring his pleading gaze, she grabbed her bag and left gracefully, leaving him alone with the person he least wanted to be alone with right now.

He gripped his chopsticks, rigid all over. He wanted to leave, but he couldn’t possibly do so.

This rabbit was having a hard time!

Xie Yuzhan slid the pre-meal dessert closer to Bai Zhi, saying gently, “The Lime Mousse. It’s this restaurant’s highly acclaimed dessert. Try it.”

Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. A sharp person was indeed a sharp person. Xie Yuzhan’s words and actions were still so thoughtful. After eating the small cake, his mood completely relaxed.

He glanced at Xie Yuzhan. It had been a while since they last met, and the other man was as elegant and refined as ever, a pleasure to look at. Hmm—he might be able to eat an extra bowl of rice during this meal.

He pulled his stray thoughts back and said seriously, “Thank you for your help this time.”

As he spoke, he handed over a gift box he had prepared earlier. “This is a thank-you gift, a small token of my appreciation.”

Xie Yuzhan took the gift box but didn’t look at it, keeping his gaze fixed on Bai Zhi. He said, “It was just a small effort. Why are you being so formal with me? I told you, you can come to me for anything. I am willing to help you.

“And you don’t need to say thank you for something I do willingly.”

Bai Zhi shook his head. “It’s not formality; it’s courtesy.”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t insist. He asked, “May I open it now?”

“Yes, please.”

Only then did Xie Yuzhan shift his gaze from Bai Zhi to the gift box in his hand. After opening it, he paused, and a slight upward curve appeared on his lips. This, huh.

He looked up at Bai Zhi, who wasn’t meeting his eyes much, and asked, his voice carrying a subtle, amused laugh, “A tie. Does Zhizhi know what it means to give me this item?”

Huh?

Bai Zhi was stunned, turning a bewildered look toward Xie Yuzhan. Wasn’t it just a perfectly normal gift? What kind of meaning could it have?

But Xie Yuzhan’s expression made him feel like he might have given the wrong thing…

What was wrong with it?