Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Seeing Bai Zhi’s bewildered expression, Xie Yuzhan did not answer immediately. Instead, he said, “Let’s eat first. I’ll tell you after we finish.”

Heh! Playing coy now!

Bai Zhi glared at Xie Yuzhan, but he didn’t reach for his phone to check himself. He obediently started eating. Regardless of the reason, the distraction had genuinely helped him relax completely.

He waited for the other party to reveal the mystery.

After both of them put down their chopsticks, Bai Zhi glanced at the gift box placed beside Xie Yuzhan’s hand, giving him an inquiring look. He brought up the topic again, “I still don’t know what’s wrong with this gift.”

Xie Yuzhan leaned back in his chair, feeling quite pleased. Although Bai Zhi had been a little flustered at first, he had regained his composure by the end of the meal.

This was how it should be.

His fingers tapped lightly on the gift box a few times. Without dragging it out further, he said directly, “Giving a tie often means you have feelings for the recipient—I mean romantic feelings. It’s a subtle form of confession.”

Bai Zhi blinked, then blinked again.

A confession? How was he supposed to know that giving a gift involved so many complicated implications?

Humans were too complex. They always liked to attach so many symbolic meanings to a single object. Even though he had lived in human society for over a year, he still stumbled into pitfalls occasionally.

It seemed like he would never finish accumulating enough experience.

He gave a weak, helpless smile, trying to explain, “You know I didn’t mean it that way. I just… I genuinely didn’t know!”

Xie Yuzhan understood. “Of course. However, I must remind you of something else. Besides what I just said, giving a tie has another layer of meaning: it signifies the hope of tying the other person down.”

Tying the other person down? Bai Zhi thought about where a tie was worn and understood. He had to admit he was impressed by humanity’s associative abilities.

Appropriate and vivid.

He covered his face, then extended his hand. “If you’re willing, I can prepare a new gift. This one was indeed too presumptuous. I’ll take it back.”

“No,” Xie Yuzhan placed a beautifully wrapped candy in Bai Zhi’s open palm. “I like it very much. The success of a gift should be measured by whether the recipient truly appreciates it and is genuinely happy. Clearly, your choice was excellent.”

Bai Zhi looked at the candy in his palm with mixed feelings. He pushed his hand toward Xie Yuzhan and said, “I don’t eat candy. Here, take it back.”

“But a certain little rabbit’s eyes are still glued to it. Clearly, your mouth is saying one thing and your heart another.”

“…I’m negotiating with it.”

Xie Yuzhan chuckled. When he was with Bai Zhi, his mood always improved quickly—no matter how bad it had been before, the other person possessed this magical ability.

He held Bai Zhi’s hand, making him curl his fingers around the candy. “If you don’t want it, this candy will have to be thrown away. I won’t give it to a second person.”

Bai Zhi paused. Well… alright then. Waste was not a good habit, and he disliked it.

He slowly unwrapped the candy. It was pale green and tasted refreshing—mint, with a hint of creamy sweetness. It was perfect for cleansing the palate after a meal.

Once the candy had dissolved, he proactively explained, “The reason I’ve been rejecting you recently was… was an excuse.”

Xie Yuzhan acknowledged this. “I know. But it’s good that you brought it up yourself, Zhizhi. I’m not worried about you rejecting me; I’m just worried about you not telling me anything.”

Bai Zhi stared at his fingers for a moment, then looked up and said, “I thought it would be better for us to cool down.”

Xie Yuzhan was noncommittal. He gazed at those caramel-brown eyes, watching them almost greedily, unwilling to miss a single spark of light within them.

His voice deepened slightly. “Actually, more than this tie, I want another gift.”

Bai Zhi had a subtle premonition but cooperated by asking, “What?”

Xie Yuzhan’s gaze was gentle and warm. “Don’t avoid me.”

Bai Zhi’s fingers trembled slightly. This was a response to his suggestion to “cool down.” To be honest, he hadn’t expected Xie Yuzhan to be so direct. Was it perhaps due to his influence?

Since the other party was so candid, he reciprocated with equal honesty. “Some things are impossible. No matter what, they are impossible. We, you and I, can be friends with a relatively good relationship at most.

“If you accept this, we’ll continue interacting as normal, and I won’t deliberately reject you anymore.

“And I certainly won’t hide from you.”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned closer. He took Bai Zhi’s hand and asked, “Is this unpleasant?”

Bai Zhi didn’t quite understand the meaning of Xie Yuzhan’s action, but he answered truthfully, “No, not unpleasant.”

Xie Yuzhan then rubbed Bai Zhi’s hair, stroked his cheek, and his hand moved down, rubbing the waist of the person in front of him, finally resting on his thigh, not far from the inner thigh.

He looked into Bai Zhi’s eyes and continued to ask, “How about something like just now?”

Bai Zhi pursed his lips. He understood a little now. Something like just now… when Xie Yuzhan’s hand rubbed his waist, he felt a tingling sensation that wasn’t unpleasant at all.

He had to admit it felt quite comfortable.

He sighed. “It wasn’t unpleasant either.”

Xie Yuzhan asked again, “Would you allow anyone else to touch you like this?”

“Of course not!”

“So,” Xie Yuzhan withdrew his hand, a hint of a smile in the corner of his eye. “You are denying your own feelings, Zhizhi.”

Bai Zhi frowned. After hesitating for a moment, he chose to be frank. “I am not denying my feelings for you.

“I know you are different from others, and I admit I’m not completely indifferent to you, but I don’t trust feelings like that. Love is too ethereal for me. I genuinely don’t think I need it.”

After speaking, he muttered softly, “Little rabbits don’t need love.”

Xie Yuzhan now understood completely. Knowing the situation allowed him to better plan his next step.

Bai Zhi was persistent, but so was he. If the other person insisted now that he didn’t need love, it was only because he hadn’t loved deeply enough yet, or the affection he had offered wasn’t good enough.

Life certainly didn’t stop without love. What he wanted was to add icing to the cake of the other person’s life.

It could be better, with more wonderful experiences.

After a long moment, he spoke. “Although I don’t agree with what you just said, I respect your thoughts. Just as you suggested, we’ll interact like friends—at most, the intimately close kind of friends. How does that sound?

“I said something before, and I’ll repeat it now.

“Zhizhi, you have the right to call a stop at any time. As long as you don’t want it, as long as you feel uncomfortable, you can say no to me at any time. And I won’t get angry about it, nor will I take it out on you. I promise.

“Your feelings are the standard.”

Bai Zhi listened carefully to Xie Yuzhan’s words, turning them over in his mind several times until he had heard and understood them clearly.

He curved his eyes into a smile. “Intimate friends. I like that description.”

So, it was settled. Xie Yuzhan stood up, leaned closer, and said, “Then, can I have a hug for a good friend? A hug, and I’ll forgive you for making excuses to reject me so many times before.”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. He opened his arms, tilted his face up slightly, and hugged Xie Yuzhan tightly.

The emptiness in his heart suddenly felt a little more settled.

He rubbed his face against the other person’s neck and laughed. “Thank you, Yuzhan, for being so magnanimous and not holding it against me. I promise to talk to you about things in the future and not do that again.”

“Good boy.”

After Xie Yuzhan stepped back and sat down, Bai Zhi stretched out his legs, leaned back in the chair in a relaxed manner, and happily wiggled his toes. He brought up a new topic. “The restaurant opens next Saturday. Do you have time?”

Xie Yuzhan replied, “Of course. I will definitely be there.”

Bai Zhi nodded. Even if he took ten thousand steps back, Xie Yuzhan was a very important person to him. The restaurant opening was a significant milestone in his life, and he wanted the people he valued to be by his side.

To witness everything he achieved.

The next few days, he was busy like a little spinning top, but he felt fulfilled and satisfied.

On the day of the opening, he woke up extra early, busy with the opening ceremony and entertaining friends, relatives, and industry contacts. The only thing he regretted was—

Xie Yuzhan was busy and said he would arrive later.

He was stunned when he received the message. If the other party said he was busy, he was truly busy. He hoped he could still make it.

However, the gift arrived on time. During a break after lunch, he unwrapped it and looked inside. It was a customized set of Pikachu kitchenware, including everything from knives to various pots and pans, even a cutting board. Xie Yuzhan said it was for him to use in the restaurant’s small kitchen when developing new dishes.

It was thoughtful and considerate.

Lu Qinghe noticed his friend looked a bit disappointed and knew instantly what was going on.

He couldn’t help but tease, “I don’t see you unhappy when anyone else doesn’t show up, but because CEO Xie isn’t here, our little rabbit looks so wronged he’s about to shed golden tears. And you still claim you have no feelings? I don’t believe a single cent of that.”

Bai Zhi, while arranging the newly received kitchenware, said frankly, “I didn’t say I have no feelings for him. It’s just not the kind of love where I can’t live without him. We aren’t suitable. Being friends like this is great.

“Maybe I’m just suited to being single.”

Lu Qinghe shook his head, unconvinced. What was suitable for single life? That only applied when one hadn’t met the right person yet.

They would wait and see.

Bai Zhi quickly adjusted his mood. There were still many things to attend to.

At three in the afternoon, an unexpected person arrived: Liu Ye.

She came with her child, presented an opening gift, and said she wanted to talk to him. He asked Lu Qinghe to look after the main hall and took Liu Ye and her son upstairs to the reception room.

With the mother’s permission, he also got a small cake for Bai Ziqi.

After they sat down, Liu Ye spoke first. “I plan to divorce Bai Enfan. I’m taking Ziqi. If they don’t agree, I’ll expose the evidence of his infidelity and ruin the Bai family’s reputation.”

Bai Zhi watched Liu Ye for a few seconds. Her mental state was much better than before—she looked more energetic and vibrant.

He replied, “Even if Bai Enfan is unwilling and insists on a scorched-earth approach, Bai Jishan won’t let him ruin the Bai family’s reputation, which they’ve cultivated for years. You’ve found their Achilles’ heel.”

Liu Ye looked at her son, then turned to Bai Zhi, smiling softly. “I have you to thank for this. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to make up my mind.”

Bai Zhi waved his hand. “I only spoke my mind. The key is that you were able to listen and actually take action. You found the evidence of the affair yourself, didn’t you?”

Only those willing to save themselves can be saved.

Liu Ye smiled. After deciding to divorce, she felt unprecedented relief. She had taken the right step; she should have done this sooner. Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

She took out a USB drive, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Bai Zhi. She explained, “I noticed a few things during my years in the Bai family. Besides the evidence of Bai Enfan’s infidelity, this also contains some evidence of commercial irregularities committed by him and his father.

“I kept a backup. This is the original file. Take it. It might come in handy later.”

Bai Zhi hesitated. “This…”

Liu Ye rubbed Bai Ziqi’s hair, her expression gentle yet firm. “You don’t know how much you’ve helped me. I have nothing else to repay you with. This is a small token of my appreciation.”

Bai Zhi looked at the USB drive on the table, then at the mother and son, whose demeanor was vastly different from before. He smiled. “Alright, I’ll accept it then. I’ll transfer the money I promised you in the next few days. We’ll be even.”

“I’ve saved up some money over the years…”

Bai Zhi insisted, “Consider it a savings fund, for a rainy day. You’ll need money for many things once you move abroad. Just think of it as allowing me to accept this bargaining chip with a clear conscience?”

Liu Ye thought about it and didn’t refuse again.

The two exchanged a smile and didn’t discuss the Bai family further.

After seeing the mother and son off, Bai Zhi was busy again all afternoon. Every so often, he would glance outside. It wasn’t until nine in the evening that he finally sighed. Well, since he hadn’t arrived yet, he probably wouldn’t come today.

He turned, intending to signal everyone to close up, when the corner of his eye caught sight of a familiar car. He focused his gaze—it was the Xie family’s!

He quickly walked out and saw Xie Yuzhan stepping out of the car. He wanted to hug the other person, but Xie Yuzhan handed over a pile of things first, aborting the embrace.

He didn’t mind much. He greeted Zheng Feng, who was accompanying him, and then looked at the items in Xie Yuzhan’s hands. He laughed.

It was milk tea and small cakes!

Xie Yuzhan ruffled Bai Zhi’s hair. “Midnight snack. Eat it with your friends and the staff. You must have been exhausted today. Go home and rest early tonight.”

Bai Zhi’s smile froze. Looking at the still-impeccable curve of Xie Yuzhan’s lips, he asked doubtfully, “Aren’t you joining us? You came all this way just to deliver a midnight snack?”

Xie Yuzhan stood by the car door, watching Zheng Feng open the trunk to unload the milk tea and desserts for the others, with no intention of going inside.

He explained, “The project team at the company is still waiting for me. I’m genuinely very busy today, but I still wanted to come and congratulate you in person. The restaurant decor has great style. A high-mountain meadow-themed vegetarian restaurant—it’s very unique.”

Bai Zhi pouted slightly. If Xie Yuzhan said so, there was nothing he could do.

He feigned a sigh, then couldn’t help but smile. “I’m very happy you came. Today was perfect. Thank you for the opening gift. I love it. So many pieces, so complete, and customized. You must have been preparing it for a long time?”

Xie Yuzhan curved his lips. “If you like it, then my effort was worth it.”

“Of course I like it!”

Bai Zhi’s eyes curved into crescents, but looking at Xie Yuzhan, he felt something wasn’t quite right. He asked hesitantly, “Are you feeling unwell? You look a little pale.”

The lighting outside the shop was dim, making it hard to see clearly, but the other person’s complexion seemed a bit pale? His voice also sounded off, slightly hoarse.

He looked a little listless.

Xie Yuzhan’s expression remained unchanged as he explained, “I’ve just been busy the last few days and haven’t slept much. I’ll be fine after I finish up and rest.”

Bai Zhi’s doubts weren’t entirely dispelled. He confirmed, “Really?”

“Really, don’t worry,” Xie Yuzhan gestured toward the restaurant. “Go on. Your friends and staff are waiting for you. Go home and rest early after you finish.”

Hearing Xie Yuzhan’s repeated instructions, Bai Zhi sighed, then smiled again. “Alright, alright, I know. You too—you need to rest well after you finish working. Work is never-ending. How does that saying go? Health is the capital of revolution.”

“Naturally,” Xie Yuzhan replied, his gaze lingering on Bai Zhi’s face. He lowered his voice slightly. “Then… good night, Zhizhi.”

“Good night.”

Bai Zhi stood at the doorway, watching the car drive away. He felt a strange sense of unease in his heart. This feeling persisted until he got home, washed up, and lay in bed.

He tossed and turned like a pancake for over half an hour, unable to sleep. He hugged the Pikachu plushie and stared blankly at the rabbit-holding-the-moon nightlight on his bedside table.

After making the nth pancake, he finally couldn’t lie still anymore. He jumped out of bed, changed his clothes, and hailed a taxi, giving the familiar address.

He had just taken out his phone, intending to ask Lin Haiyan about his nagging suspicion, when a message from her popped up first.

She asked if he was asleep.

Of course not.

After sending that reply, several messages quickly flooded in from her side. When he read them clearly, his eyebrows furrowed. Good heavens! He knew his intuition wouldn’t be wrong!

Lin Haiyan was complaining to him!

Xie Yuzhan had been running a fever for three days—the kind that intermittently spiked to thirty-nine degrees! Three days! And he refused to take medicine!!

Refused. To. Take. Medicine!!!

Wonderful. And he had the nerve to tell him to take care of himself, repeating it five, six, seven, eight times. How was he taking care of himself?

It wasn’t about getting sick—no one wanted to get sick—but he refused to take medicine! He dared to throw a tantrum and refuse medicine!

Just you wait.