Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 69

Chapter Sixty-Nine

The rain was easing, and raindrops hitting the glass of the corridor made a continuous, fine, fragmented sound.

Bai Zhi’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He was the first to break the silence, asking blankly, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi, who was a meter away, and noticed the jacket draped over him. He was in a rather good mood. “I’ll leave when the rain stops, just in case.”

After explaining, he paused for three seconds, then countered, “Didn’t you promise me you’d go to sleep after eating? Why did you come out?”

He had a guess, but he wasn’t sure.

Bai Zhi took a slow breath. He walked up to Xie Yuzhan, raised his hand, and gently tugged at the sleeve of the other man’s shirt. He blinked, his voice low but firm. “I have something I want to give you, and I have something to say to you.”

Xie Yuzhan smoothed Bai Zhi’s slightly messy hair. As he withdrew his hand, he noticed that Bai Zhi was barefoot on one foot. After a brief thought, he simply picked the person up and said while walking back, “Let’s go back and talk.”

“…Okay.”

Xie Yuzhan carried Bai Zhi straight back to the bedroom and placed him on the bed. Then he crouched down and said softly, “Tell me. I will listen carefully.”

Bai Zhi took the key he had just received from his pocket, grasped Xie Yuzhan’s hand, and placed the key in his palm. Looking into the dark, calm eyes of the person before him, he said, “This is for you.”

Xie Yuzhan glanced at the key, then looked up at Bai Zhi. “Are you sure you’re giving it to me?”

“I’m sure,” Bai Zhi said slowly. “I don’t worry about you. This key will stay with you. If anyone can possess this spare key, I can’t think of a second person besides you.”

“The only one?”

“Yes, the only one.”

Xie Yuzhan stared intently at Bai Zhi. The other man’s caramel-brown eyes still held a lingering moisture, now shining with focused, gentle light, like stars appearing in the night sky after the clouds have parted and the rain has cleared.

They were exceptionally bright and moving.

He held Bai Zhi’s hand, slightly suppressing the emotion in his heart, and asked, “Is this what you wanted to say?”

“Not entirely.”

Bai Zhi leaned forward slightly, getting closer, and stared into Xie Yuzhan’s eyes. Even though he still had some hesitation, he wanted to tell the other man his true feelings.

He would say as much as he could.

He bit his lip, his voice very soft and low, and slowly said, “I’m not sure what I really think, and I don’t know if it will work out, Yuzhan. If… I mean if, if you are willing, could you give me some time?”

He was already nervous, and when he didn’t get a response for a long time after his words fell, he couldn’t help but panic a little.

He opened his mouth, speaking somewhat incoherently. “I’m not sure, I…”

His attempt to explain was interrupted by a tight embrace. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

He had received the response he wanted.

Xie Yuzhan straightened up and held Bai Zhi, his tone slightly raised. “Yes, of course, you can. I can give you a lifetime of time, and I am willing to wait for you for a lifetime, Zhizhi. If you can’t figure it out, take your time to think, take your time to sort out your feelings.”

“I hope that when you make a choice, it comes from your truest, most heartfelt desire.”

Bai Zhi relaxed his body, resting on Xie Yuzhan’s shoulder, rubbing against his neck. He chuckled, “Of course, I will think about it properly.”

Think clearly about their relationship.

Think clearly about their future.

Think clearly about what he truly wanted.

Thinking of this, he added, “Thank you for being willing to wait for me.”

Xie Yuzhan chuckled softly and ruffled Bai Zhi’s hair. “If we’re talking about thanks, then I also need to thank you for being willing to give me a chance, for being willing to give me this response.”

Bai Zhi buried his face in Xie Yuzhan’s shoulder and laughed muffledly. “Alright, I won’t say it anymore! Don’t worry, I won’t actually make you wait a lifetime.”

He didn’t understand many emotions, but in love, there probably wasn’t a need for so much back-and-forth thanking. Just as Xie Yuzhan had said before, there was no need to say thank you for things done willingly; saying it made things feel distant.

They should keep each other’s kindness in mind and repay it with love.

The little rabbit was working hard to learn.

After hugging for a while longer, he released his arms but kept his hands on Xie Yuzhan’s shoulders, asking, “It’s too late. Why don’t you stay? You can sleep in the guest room.”

Xie Yuzhan flicked Bai Zhi’s nose and asked with a smile, “Aren’t you worried about inviting a wolf into your house?”

Bai Zhi gave a soft huff and looked away. “I’ve already given you the key, why would I be afraid of inviting a wolf into my house? If you have the guts, devour me today! Save me the anxiety!”

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi’s delicate profile, stood up, and then bent down to kiss his eyes, his smile full of indulgence and helplessness. “Alright, alright, don’t worry. Although I really want to devour the little rabbit right now, it’s not time yet.”

Listening to the obvious intimacy in Xie Yuzhan’s tone, and the hidden ambiguity, even Bai Zhi, as slow as he was, could sense that the “devour” they were talking about might not mean the same thing.

He hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t have the nerve to ask.

After exchanging goodnight kisses, once Xie Yuzhan left, he hugged the suit jacket and burrowed under the covers. He grabbed his phone and opened a search engine. Looking at the information that popped up, he blinked, then blinked again.

It actually meant that?!

When one person tells another they want to devour them, it means courtship? It’s… it’s another way of referring to a certain intimate act?!

Oh my god—

By the grace of the Rabbit God, how could a simple, cute little rabbit possibly understand that meaning! It wasn’t in his dictionary; it was completely beyond the scope!

Thinking back to his previous conversation with Xie Yuzhan about “devouring,” and then looking at the jacket in his arms that he had already crumpled, no, he felt like he was going to explode from the heat. What must the other man think of him!

Heaven and earth could bear witness, he didn’t have the slightest intention of flirting!!

It was over. This was something he couldn’t explain away.

In a panic, he tossed his phone aside and pushed the jacket out from under the covers. The entire rabbit curled up, eyes tightly shut. That… they should just pretend it never happened! Just gloss over this whole thing!

As long as he didn’t overthink it, there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Steady, the problem wasn’t big.

He spent a long time giving himself a pep talk, managing to calm his breathing. Excellent. Sleep. Everything would be fine after a good night’s sleep.

He stealthily reached out, pulled the jacket he had just pushed away back to him, and hugged it.

After an unknown amount of time, once the tension and shyness passed, he suddenly started laughing. His heart felt lighter than ever before.

Aside from the embarrassment, he was just happy.

Very, very happy.

He slept well that night, except that just before waking up, he had a dream. The dream was full of hanky-panky, which he definitely couldn’t recount!

Ahem.

The information he had just looked up made him feel very awkward facing Xie Yuzhan. He didn’t know where to look. Fortunately, the other man didn’t press the issue, otherwise, the little rabbit might not have been able to eat breakfast.

Breakfast was delivered by Lin Haiyan, who also brought clothes for Xie Yuzhan. When he handed the jacket back to Aunt Lin, he felt a little reluctant, but the next words from CEO Xie made him forget about the jacket.

Xie Yuzhan leaned close to Bai Zhi’s ear and teased, “The real person is right here, and you’re having a dramatic farewell with a jacket. Zhizhi, you’re going to hurt my feelings.”

Bai Zhi glared at him. He held back for a moment, then couldn’t resist, saying directly, “Is your jealousy this blatant now? That’s your own clothes!”

Xie Yuzhan calmly held Bai Zhi’s hand, ate the small siu mai that Bai Zhi had already taken a bite of from his chopsticks, and then said composedly, “I’d rather you hold me while you sleep.”

Bai Zhi’s eye twitched slightly. When a reserved and subtle person suddenly starts playing hardball, it’s really hard to handle!

He picked up another siu mai, took a bite, and fed it to the other man, his expression complex. “I hope you bring back the previous CEO Xie.”

Xie Yuzhan ate the half siu mai, then curled his lips and said, “The current ‘CEO Xie’ is the ‘previous CEO Xie’ you mentioned. I’ll try my best to switch between them appropriately and naturally.”

Bai Zhi nodded seriously, wiggling his toes under the dining table.

He didn’t really want to say it, but this version of Xie Yuzhan… there was nothing wrong with him. They were all good, each in their own way, and all very likable. It was just that the current one made the little rabbit more…

More easily embarrassed.

Finally, he only emphasized that Xie Yuzhan still owed him a breakfast, and the other man readily agreed.

After breakfast, he saw Xie Yuzhan out, all the way to the elevator. After waving goodbye, he stared blankly at the elevator numbers. When the number dropped to the basement level, he turned and walked to the window, watching the familiar car drive out of the underground parking lot and merge into traffic.

He only withdrew his gaze when the car was completely out of sight.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, which were filled with the bright, splendid sunshine of a summer morning. He seriously considered how to persuade Xie Yuzhan to keep a few sets of clothes here.

Would the guest room be too humble for CEO Xie?

All in all, he was very satisfied with his current life. It was a two-point line between the restaurant and home, occasionally meeting friends, and occasionally having a meal with Xie Yuzhan. Of course, eating out was rare; they mostly cooked at home.

When he was busy in the kitchen with Xie Yuzhan, he even felt a sense of home.

A completely unfamiliar word.

It gave him a sense of groundedness and stability.

Could this be the answer to the questions he had been pondering?

He shook his head. He couldn’t figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. He agreed with one thing Lu Qinghe had said: when you don’t know how to choose in matters of the heart, letting nature take its course is not a bad idea.

Time always leads the lost to the right path.

Just wait a little longer.

That day, he had arranged to meet Liu Ye at the restaurant. She had already divorced Bai Enfan and was leaving the country today. This was likely the last time they would meet face-to-face.

Liu Ye warned him with concern, “When Bai Enfan and I were arguing, he mentioned you. He said that if it weren’t for you, the Bai family wouldn’t be where they are now, and he harbors considerable resentment towards you.”

“But actually, this has nothing to do with you. They brought it upon themselves.”

“However, you still need to be careful. I worry that the Bai father and son might scheme behind your back. They are not reasonable people.”

Bai Zhi nodded. “I will be more vigilant, thank you.”

Liu Ye shook her head. She was the one who should be saying thank you. Without Bai Zhi, she wouldn’t have been able to take the step of divorce.

Now that she had truly walked away, she realized life was a vast expanse.

She couldn’t help but sigh. “Love and marriage are truly marvelous things. If you meet the right person, you see the beauty of the whole world in their eyes. If you meet the wrong person, it’s just day after day of endless suffering. Clearly, my relationship belonged to the latter.”

Bai Zhi comforted her, “Fortunately, you have a new start now. And, think about Qiqi. He is probably compensation from the heavens. Leaving the Bai family is good for you, and the child will be better off too.”

Liu Ye thought about her son’s previous arrogance and his current sensibility. Comparing the two, she deeply agreed.

But mentioning the past, she still felt a bit bitter. “People really change. When we were dating, Bai Enfan was very good to me. I truly believed he was the right person to entrust my life to. Who would have thought everything would change after marriage?”

“Those past times feel like a beautiful dream I had, but that dream suddenly turned into a nightmare.”

Bai Zhi mused, “It’s also possible he was good at hiding it, very good at maintaining appearances, and only revealed his true colors after marriage.”

“That’s possible, but none of that matters now. Bai Enfan is in the past,” Liu Ye adjusted her mood, feeling relieved. “I changed Qiqi’s surname to mine. I hope the child won’t turn out like his biological father.”

“By staying away from the Bai family, he naturally won’t.”

“Mm.”

Liu Ye thought for a moment, then added, “If I had a little more courage, I could have divorced earlier and wouldn’t have suffered for so many years. I’m not a brave person, but this act of courage was worth it. At least it gave my child and me a hopeful second half of life.”

Only by bravely ending the past can one embrace a new beginning.

Bai Zhi listened, feeling a subtle stirring in his heart. Courage? Be more courageous?

The two chatted for a while longer, and then Liu Ye left. Watching her back, he felt genuinely happy. Thinking of Bai Enfan’s impotent rage, he also felt a sense of vindication.

No matter how he looked at it, it was a good thing.

With Liu Ye and her son on his mind, he didn’t go home but busied himself experimenting with new dishes in the restaurant’s small kitchen.

At 8:30 PM, he received a message that Liu Ye had landed safely. He sighed in relief, replied to her message, hoping that everything would get better and continue to improve from this new starting point.

This matter had reached a good conclusion.

However, his mind had been a mess since the morning.

As he had told Liu Ye, humans are better at disguising themselves than animals. Often, their impression of a person is based solely on past experience, which can lead to being deceived by appearances.

He had seen through the sharp ruthlessness hidden beneath Xie Yuzhan’s refined and elegant facade from the beginning. But now he knew that the refinement and elegance were also an essential part of the other man’s nature, not just an appearance, a disguise, or a mask.

He had considered Xie Yuzhan a wolf based on the natural instinct he possessed as a pika-rabbit.

This instinct had saved him many times in his rabbit life, but now he was a human, a person with more complex emotions who needed to deal with more complicated environments and situations. Was it appropriate to still act entirely according to pika-rabbit behavioral rules?

Shouldn’t he focus more on the real Xie Yuzhan in front of him, rather than the “natural enemy” he had preconceived?

He had always felt he should focus on the present, but had he truly been paying attention to the person in front of him?

In all fairness, aside from being a bit sharp-tongued and threatening him initially, Xie Yuzhan had never done anything to harm him. Instead, he had constantly looked after him, even protected him, and treated him very well. Was it fair to treat such a person as a “natural enemy” and be wary of him?

Even if Xie Yuzhan truly had the aura of a wolf, why couldn’t he believe that the other man was a good wolf?

Why couldn’t he believe that the other man was genuinely willing to retract his sharp claws for the sake of loving him?

Could he trust the other man’s love?

Should he be more courageous?

This series of questions stumped him. His head was buzzing, as if a whole spring’s worth of bees were circling him, preventing him from hearing any clear sound.

It was getting late, and he had a small meeting with the staff tomorrow morning, so he decided to sleep in the staff lounge to save the hassle of going back and forth. However, he didn’t sleep soundly.

Around 1 AM, he was suddenly woken up by the noise downstairs and the shriek of an alarm.

He grabbed his phone and went downstairs. He immediately saw Bai Enfan, who was drunk and reeking of alcohol, along with three other people, smashing things in the ground floor lobby.

He quickly realized this was an act of venting frustration.

He couldn’t just stand by and watch his restaurant be vandalized. If someone came looking for trouble, he had to fight back! Fight back immediately, he couldn’t tolerate it one bit!

He instinctively grabbed a table leg that had slid to his feet and charged forward—

With a clatter and crash, Bai Enfan and his group left the Hundred Herbs Garden restaurant, battered and bleeding profusely.

Bai Zhi stood at the doorway, fiercely throwing down the pitifully broken table leg. Faced with provocation, the brave pika-rabbit had defended his territory and achieved a complete victory!

He pulled out his phone, intending to call the police, but first saw his hands covered in blood. Covered in blood…

Blood…

A sudden wave of dizziness hit him. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor.

In his daze, he forgot to call the police and instead dialed Xie Yuzhan’s number. Hearing the other man’s voice, he felt a wave of relief, and then lost consciousness…