Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Xie Yuzhan walked closer, his movements practiced as he draped an arm over Bai Zhi’s shoulder, pulling the other man slightly into his embrace.

He lowered his eyes and softened his voice, asking, “I got off work early today and was planning to take you out for dinner, but Uncle Zheng said you had gone out, so I came to pick you up.”

Bai Zhi quickly glanced at Xie Yuzhan and instantly realized that this was yet another instance of them acting affectionate in front of outsiders.

Thinking of the other man’s earlier comment about “being biased,” he basically understood what Mr. Wolf meant. Since he had conveniently shown up, could he ask the other man for a favor?

He was truly fed up with Bai Enfan, who was more annoying than Director Fox threatening the lives of bunnies on the savanna, and he didn’t want to get tangled up with him any further.

He and Xie Yuzhan were a married couple and should naturally stand on the same front. Bai Enfan’s words were a slight against their relationship, and President Xie would not agree with them, both emotionally and logically.

So, today was a perfect opportunity delivered right to his doorstep. He could borrow the big shot’s hand to teach this elder brother, who insisted on playing the part of a loving sibling, a lesson.

Even if their marriage was a fake alliance, the marital relationship itself was real. Regardless of the future, the Xie family was currently a big tree that could shield him from the wind and rain.

He didn’t have time to dwell on the embarrassing emotions from last night; he needed to focus on the present.

Composing himself, he looked up at Xie Yuzhan, his eyes slightly lowered, his lips pursed. His voice dropped as he carefully modulated his tone, saying, “I hadn’t planned on going out today, but Big Brother and Sister-in-law invited me, so I specifically came out to meet them. I never expected them to actually criticize our relationship!

“They are so mean!

“You would still treat me well even without the Bai family backing me, wouldn’t you?”

After speaking, he blinked his eyes, staring intently at his nominal partner. The wolf was very smart; he should understand what he meant, right?

Xie Yuzhan curved his lips. This little bunny, acting so vulnerable and innocent, was indeed pitifully endearing.

Very cute.

He pinched Bai Zhi’s cheek, his tone gentle and intimate, “Of course. I value you as a person, not the Bai family. Without them, I would still treat you well. After all, Zhizhi is so well-behaved and kind; how could I bear to do anything that would make you unhappy?”

Xie Yuzhan’s tone, full of deep affection and utterly natural, made Bai Zhi involuntarily shiver. His hairs were standing on end. Good heavens, Mr. Wolf’s acting was much more convincing than his!

Anyone who didn’t know better would think the other man was madly in love with him!

The kind who would give his life for him!!

He used the motion of nodding in agreement to break free from the man’s hand, then obediently leaned into his embrace. He didn’t forget to shoot a provocative and disdainful look at Bai Enfan, drawing out his words as he said, “So, I would never do anything to betray my own side. The Xie family is my real home.”

Ew~~

That was too saccharine!

The way he dragged out his words and modulated his voice gave him goosebumps.

But! Seeing Bai Enfan’s face instantly turn pale, he felt a surge of satisfaction. That cowardly bully of a bastard! Jump around, go on, jump! He didn’t dare refute a single word in front of Xie Yuzhan!

Bai Enfan rarely found himself in such an awkward position. Suppressing his anger, he explained to Xie Yuzhan, “My little brother and I were just having a small tiff, President Xie, please don’t misunderstand. Now that you two are married, both the Bai family and the Xie family are his home. There’s no such thing as taking sides; we are all one family.”

As he spoke, he signaled to Liu Ye to quickly say something nice and not remain silent.

Liu Ye received her husband’s reminder, but she said nothing, merely pulling Bai Ziqi closer to her side. She knew that going against her husband would not end well for her, but seeing the man who was always bossy at home get deflated made her happy.

After that one look, Bai Zhi stopped looking at the Bai family members. Looking at them too much was bad for his eyes.

He tugged at Xie Yuzhan’s sleeve and said, “Shall we go? Didn’t you say we were going out for dinner? Where are we eating?”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t bother engaging with Bai Enfan further. He switched from holding Bai Zhi’s shoulder to holding his hand, and they walked out together.

Bai Zhi didn’t forget to pay for his latte and pastry. Business was business; he didn’t want to take advantage of the Bai family in this way.

Stepping out of the tea restaurant, the sun was setting in the west. The residual warmth of the sunset felt slightly hot but quite comfortable on his skin, which lifted his mood a little, though not completely.

The driver who had brought Xie Yuzhan had already left. The two walked hand-in-hand to the car parked across the street. Just as they were about to get in, he glimpsed a bakery on the roadside—

Exquisite desserts were displayed in the floor-to-ceiling glass window.

As he looked, he felt that the small cake he had eaten earlier wasn’t enough.

Xie Yuzhan released Bai Zhi’s hand, only to find that the other man hadn’t let go. He turned his head to look and saw him staring longingly at the dessert shop across the street, as if his soul had been hooked away—a genuine little kid.

His eyes were sparkling, his desire obvious.

Xie Yuzhan reminded him, “Didn’t you already eat something just now?”

Bai Zhi snapped back to attention and turned to meet Xie Yuzhan’s gaze, explaining, “Normally, one small cake would be enough, but Bai Enfan is so annoying. Spending time with him puts me in a bad mood, so one small cake naturally isn’t enough.”

Bad mood?

Xie Yuzhan followed up, asking, “Then do you want a head pat?”

Bai Zhi stared at Xie Yuzhan for a moment. So proactive? It would be a loss not to accept. He nodded and cooperatively leaned closer to the other man. “Yes, I want a head pat!”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t move immediately. He glanced at the dessert shop and continued to ask, “Head pat or small cake, which do you choose?”

Ah? Bai Zhi paused. Which one to choose?

He frowned, thinking carefully. A head pat was certainly nice; he liked it when Xie Yuzhan patted him. It was comforting and improved his mood. But the small cake was equally tempting. He couldn’t make a choice, so—

He curved his eyebrows, his tone rising as he said, “Can I have both? Both!”

When you can’t make a choice, you shouldn’t force yourself to choose. It wasn’t necessarily an either/or situation; as long as the person in front of him was willing, he could have both.

The sun was setting, and the summer sunlight was still intense and bright, refracting off the glass window in brilliant orange-red hues. Bai Zhi stood against this backdrop, drawing more attention than the myriad colors of the sunset.

He looked warm and soft, like a painting.

Watching him, for a moment, the clamor of people and traffic disappeared. The world suddenly fell silent, everything else faded, and only Bai Zhi’s smile remained vivid and bright.

He raised his hand and rubbed the other man’s hair, which felt warm and fine. “Zhizhi is very well-behaved, so naturally you can have both, and I can give you everything. I’ll buy the cake; consider it your reward.”

Bai Zhi leaned into, rubbed against, and nudged Xie Yuzhan’s palm, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he asked, “Why are you rewarding me?”

Xie Yuzhan withdrew his hand. No reason, he just wanted to give a reward.

He led Bai Zhi into the bakery, skipping the question entirely. Releasing his hand, he said, “Choose for yourself, but you can’t eat too much tonight. Aunt Lin is already preparing dinner.”

The little bunny cherished food; he had never seen him leave leftovers.

Bai Zhi nodded repeatedly, “Understood. I’ll eat less cake, just buy a small one. I’ll buy biscuits for the rest, which I can save and eat slowly. I’ll eat a proper dinner when we get back.”

He didn’t ask the previous question again. On second thought, he could probably guess the answer: the kindness and indulgence were mostly for the sake of putting on a show for others, playing the part of a harmonious couple.

They were outside, after all.

He understood.

Standing across the street, the three members of the Bai family watched the intimate interaction between the two. Liu Ye looked relieved, while Bai Enfan’s face was as black as the bottom of a scorched pot.

Everyone knew Xie Yuzhan was refined but maintained a great distance. His willingness to engage in such close contact now spoke volumes.

They hadn’t expected their little brother, whom they had always treated as a mediocre vase, to actually have such skill.

Sending him off for the marriage alliance had been a loss.

Bai Zhi was having a wonderful time. This was no less exciting than throwing a bunny into a garden or a meadow. Since President Xie was treating him, he would naturally take everything he liked!

On the way back, the sunset outside the window was brilliant but not scorching. The air conditioning in the car was set to the perfect temperature. A single small cake rested on his lap, and beside him was a bag filled with various small biscuits and other dry pastries. The air was filled with a light, sweet fragrance.

He gently swayed his head to the rhythm of the piano music. The outing had been well worth it~

Xie Yuzhan was half-hidden in the dimness, his peripheral vision constantly tracking Bai Zhi beside him. The other man was enveloped in the sunset, sparkling all over. Those eyes, already bright, were further illuminated by the sunlight, becoming even more dazzling.

Just watching him made Xie Yuzhan feel quite good.

Bai Zhi inhaled the aroma of the sweets for a while, finally unable to resist opening a box of carrot-shaped sliced biscuits. After picking up a piece, he thought of Xie Yuzhan beside him and naturally offered it over, asking, “Want to try some?”

Xie Yuzhan turned his head, his gaze starting from the small biscuit, gradually moving up, and finally resting on the smiling face.

Bai Zhi’s mood must have been exceptionally good right now. Happy dopamine was bubbling up. Not only was he unafraid of Xie Yuzhan, but he was also actively sharing his snacks. His courage had grown significantly.

He didn’t take the biscuit. “I don’t have a habit of eating snacks between meals.”

Bai Zhi shrugged. He didn’t insist; everyone had their own habits. He replied, “Then next time.”

He then munched on two small biscuits himself, feeling a bit emotional. “The Bai family is truly a bunch of oddballs. I don’t know if you noticed, but the mother has no backbone, only revolving around her husband and eldest son.

“And the highly-regarded eldest son? He looks decent and polite on the surface, but privately, he resorts to violence against his wife and child. It’s disgusting.”

Their schemes made the Bai family members more afraid of the light than bats.

Xie Yuzhan wasn’t surprised by Bai Zhi’s words, but the other man’s attitude was puzzling.

He watched the profile of the person beside him and asked, “It’s understandable that your relationship is poor and you dislike the Bai family, but why do you speak of them with such a detached attitude, as if they were strangers?”

It was normal to have love or hate, but Bai Zhi’s tone was distant, as if he wasn’t related to Bai Enfan and the others at all, like a completely uninvolved bystander.

That was too strange.

The moment his words fell, the look Bai Zhi turned toward him carried a hint of panic and confusion, which further confirmed his suspicion—

Something was definitely off.