Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 2
byChapter Two
After a long minute of silence, Xie Yuzhan’s expression remained calm and composed, the curve of his lips utterly unchanged. It didn’t matter whether Bai Zhi was playing games or possessed an extraordinary naivety that allowed him to wrestle with a three-year-old.
All he needed was for this marriage partner to be obedient and cooperative.
And not disrupt his plans.
He spoke, agreeing, “You are right. We live in a society governed by law, so we must convince people through reason. Naturally, we cannot casually… eat people. I don’t have such a habit.”
Bai Zhi let out a long breath and nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, no eating people. You have to keep your word, okay?”
“Naturally.”
Xie Yuzhan watched the still-nervous Bai Zhi and asked, “Are you really that afraid of me?”
Behind the person in front of him, there seemed to be a shadowy, gray wolf-like figure. Bai Zhi shrank back, his back pressing against the chair. Only when he could retreat no further did he seem to find a slight sense of security.
He continued to nod, stating frankly, “I am indeed afraid of you. It’s like… the fear one feels facing a natural predator.”
Xie Yuzhan’s gaze and demeanor gave him a feeling of extreme danger.
Wolves are different from the more direct styles of lions and tigers; they excel at lying in wait and possess the most patience. Although they may not appear overtly violent or irritable, they are cold, ruthless, and absolutely merciless.
In front of a predator whose power disparity is vast and who is highly skilled at strategizing, pretense is utterly superfluous. It’s better to be honest. Open communication is the best approach.
A natural predator?
Xie Yuzhan was somewhat surprised by the term, but fear of him was not a bad thing.
He slowed his speech, coaxing gently, “Like you, I did not willingly enter this marriage. It was merely the wishful thinking of our elders. Therefore—
“As long as you are obedient, well-behaved, and don’t do anything out of line, I will not harm you, and certainly won’t… eat you. I guarantee you can walk away from this marriage unharmed.”
Bai Zhi listened carefully to Xie Yuzhan’s words, terrified of missing any crucial information that might affect his small life.
He couldn’t afford to be careless when facing a natural predator.
After all, killing is ingrained in the bones of a carnivore; it is an unchangeable instinct.
The other party’s pace was slow, and he even detected a subtle, soothing undertone… a delusion, perhaps. However, the meaning of the words ignited a small flame of hope in his heart.
They were both victims of an arranged marriage by their elders. This was the foundation for communication. Mr. Wolf… could occasionally speak reasonably, rather than resorting purely to force.
He seized upon certain words and asked, “What do you mean by ‘walk away from this marriage’?”
Xie Yuzhan was pleased that Bai Zhi was quick on the uptake; being clever was good. He explained, “This marriage only needs to last for one year. We will divorce after a year.”
Bai Zhi’s small flame of hope instantly shot up.
He straightened his back, leaning slightly forward, his small mind spinning rapidly. “Of course, I’m willing to divorce in a year, but how can you guarantee that the elders who forced us to marry will agree?”
After all, they were currently being coerced.
Xie Yuzhan turned sideways, looking out at the height of summer through a gap in the curtains. His dark phoenix eyes held a silent but surging ruthlessness, yet his tone was completely unruffled, even softer than before. “A year is enough time to change many things.
“I will handle the Xie family side. As for the Bai family, I will deal with your parents. They will not voice any further opinions about this marriage and will not make things difficult for you. Furthermore—”
He turned back to Bai Zhi and continued, “After marriage, we will sleep in separate rooms and not interfere with each other. When we divorce, I will give you an additional sum of money as compensation for cooperating with me to maintain this peaceful marriage.”
Wow!
That thoughtful? That generous?
Bai Zhi instinctively didn’t quite believe it. “What benefit do you get? How can I trust you?”
Xie Yuzhan didn’t find anything inappropriate about Bai Zhi’s question. Asking questions now and clarifying things could prevent future trouble.
He replied, “I already made it very clear. I need a peaceful, seemingly harmonious marriage to act as a ‘smokescreen,’ to buy me time to do certain things.
“To put it more bluntly, you are a pretty ornament to maintain appearances.”
Using this expedient measure would signal to certain people that he was ignorant, unaware, and posed no threat.
Bai Zhi frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, “That makes sense. I’m not interested in what you need to do, nor do I want to know. What you’re asking, I can do. I like staying home and tending to my plants and flowers. I absolutely won’t cause you any extra trouble.
“Mr. Xie, this marriage can happen. Deal.”
He knew the cunning Mr. Wolf wouldn’t help him selflessly, but precisely because the wolf had something to gain, Bai Zhi felt reassured. For people without emotion, value exchange is the most secure arrangement, and he understood that.
Surviving for a year to gain freedom was a profit for him.
And!
Just don’t cause trouble—that requirement was practically non-existent!
He would just stay home with his plants. What trouble could he possibly cause? What kind of mess could he make? Bad things wouldn’t happen! He was already starting to look forward to life after a year.
The little wind of freedom blowing—blissful.
He was momentarily distracted when an intensely present gaze snapped him back. The moment their eyes met, his breathing nearly stopped.
Xie Yuzhan had leaned in close sometime without him noticing. The distance between them was only about ten centimeters—too close, too close, too close. So close that Bai Zhi could see a tiny reflection of himself in the other man’s dark eyes.
With nowhere to hide now, he instinctively closed his eyes and shouted, “Don’t come any closer!”
Looking at Bai Zhi, whose breathing was ragged and voice trembling, Xie Yuzhan let out a soft chuckle, feeling inexplicably good. The sunlight fell on the other man’s hair, reflecting a warm, golden-brown sheen, making it look somewhat fluffy.
He truly resembled an easily startled little rabbit. He himself was truly… wicked.
Perhaps he had been single for too long? He actually found this little vase quite cute and had the urge to ruffle his hair. The texture must be quite nice.
He lowered his gaze, stood up, and slowly adjusted his cufflink. “Don’t be nervous. I told you I won’t eat… you.”
Bai Zhi glared at him. “Please stop emphasizing that, Mr. Xie!”
He understood, understood, understood. It was best to hear such sensitive words as little as possible. He absolutely did not want to be eaten. This time, he was going to live safely!
The smile on Xie Yuzhan’s lips became more pronounced. Since they had to spend a year together, an interesting soul was always better than just a good appearance. That would be too mediocre and boring.
He turned to leave, reminding him, “Let’s go back, lest the elders worry.”
Bai Zhi stared at Xie Yuzhan until the other man opened the door and walked out. Only then did he jump off the chair, straighten his clothes, and follow him back to the private room, maintaining a two-meter distance.
He just needed to get through the rest of the meal.
Thanks to Mr. Wolf, who was better at talking and handling social situations than he was, being so thoughtful and smooth that no one could find fault. Bai Zhi was happy to relax. Since he wasn’t the real protagonist of this dinner, he didn’t bother to interject much.
The elders of both families chatted well, and he also added Xie Yuzhan on WeChat—they were soon-to-be partners, after all.
On the way home, he clutched his phone, listening to Bai Jishan’s arrangements.
The marriage between the Xie and Bai families was to be low-key, with no wedding ceremony. The official reason given was that the young people didn’t like it. He had no objection to this; he personally disliked noisy crowds.
Besides, this wasn’t a real marriage or true love.
It was just a transaction where both parties got what they needed.
A formality would suffice.
However, the marriage certificate still needed to be obtained, otherwise, it would be hard to fool the elders. He suggested to Xie Yuzhan that they could get a fake one—they could find someone online to make it—but the other party refused, saying he didn’t want any slip-ups.
Fine. For the sake of freedom a year from now, he would cooperate.
The week before they registered the marriage, he stayed home, his activity mostly confined to his room. But with the internet, he wasn’t bored. He watched documentaries on social humanities, videos on life hacks, and researched many suitable plants and flowers to raise… he was very fulfilled.
On the day they were scheduled to register, Xie Yuzhan came to pick him up, saying they should go before closing time when there were fewer people. This suited him perfectly.
As he tidied himself up before leaving, he hesitated for a moment but ultimately brought a Pikachu plushie, about fifty or sixty centimeters tall.
He loved this electric mouse with its yellow fur, brown back markings, and zigzag lightning tail. He had loved it the moment he saw it. It was a little like him, and the crucial thing was!
It was super cool how it could use electricity to protect itself!
Going out in the hot weather was not very friendly to a mouse-rabbit. He didn’t feel comfortable, and being alone with Xie Yuzhan in the small space of the car made him even more nervous. Bringing the Pikachu plushie along might help alleviate some of his anxiety.
When Xie Yuzhan saw Bai Zhi, he was a little surprised.
He looked at the very noticeable Pikachu in the other man’s arms and asked, “Did you forget to leave the plushie in your room?”
Bai Zhi hugged Pikachu, sat in the passenger seat, quickly buckled his seatbelt, and said rapidly, “I suggested sitting in the back before, and you said that would be too distant. Since I agreed to sit in the passenger seat, don’t fuss over a small issue like bringing Pikachu!”
Xie Yuzhan could tell Bai Zhi was very nervous, likely still because he was afraid of him.
Looking at the person practically glued to the car door, he started the car, his tone steady. “It’s fine to bring it today, but you cannot bring it to formal events that require our public attendance in the future. You should get used to interacting with me beforehand. I don’t want any unnecessary slip-ups.”
Bai Zhi frowned slightly and hugged Pikachu tighter.
He didn’t particularly like Xie Yuzhan’s tone. It sounded calm but was actually quite indifferent. He wasn’t asking the other person to show any emotion—they were just plastic partners for a year, no need—but!
He could hear the warning implicit in the words.
He let out a soft huff and looked out the car window. “Don’t use that warning tone with me. I know what’s important, and I will try not to hold you back, Mr. Xie. To be frank, I need something from you, and similarly, you need my cooperation. I should remind you of one thing: this is a collaboration.”
He wasn’t an idiot. He understood this much.
Don’t think about tricking him or manipulating him.
Xie Yuzhan glanced at the person beside him. Bai Zhi was wearing a simple beige short-sleeved shirt today, looking fresh and soft, matching the color of his eyes and hair well. Under the diffused sunlight nearing five in the afternoon, he looked like a soft, creamy milk candy.
It was rare for someone to make him think of such things.
He was in a good mood and replied, “It is my good fortune that you are not as foolish and ignorant as the rumors suggest.”
Bai Zhi shot him a look, wanting to retort, but then realized the other person wasn’t wrong. Based on what he had learned recently, the original owner was generally perceived as a person without malice, without brains, and without temper—a triple-negative person.
He pursed his lips and said, “Then put away your warnings and reminders, and save them for yourself to pay attention to.”
Xie Yuzhan was not annoyed by this retort.
Bai Zhi was afraid of him, but that didn’t conflict with his cleverness and intelligence. That was good. At least he wouldn’t have to worry too much about his cohabitant doing something stupid to disrupt his plans.
Having reached this point, there could be no mistakes.
However, he was immediately shown a side of Bai Zhi that was beyond cleverness.
They arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau exactly at five o’clock. It was near closing time on a weekday, so there weren’t many people, allowing them to complete the procedures quickly. However, the person who was supposed to register the marriage with him started throwing a small tantrum.
Bai Zhi hugged Pikachu, tilted his face up, and glared at Xie Yuzhan, who had opened the car door for him. He insisted, “I want to bring Pikachu inside!”
The electric-powered darling truly gave the little rabbit a super sense of security. Pika Pika!
For a moment, Xie Yuzhan thought he was babysitting. Although his expression was unperturbed, he felt a flicker of annoyance. “You are a twenty-two-year-old adult, not a two-year-old child.”
“I am!”
Bai Zhi’s rabbit life was less than two years old. How was he not a child?
Xie Yuzhan took off his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses. He didn’t continue to argue about age, instead saying, “We are here to register our marriage. If you bring such a large plushie inside, there aren’t many people now, so you won’t be surrounded, but do you want to become the subject of gossip among the staff during their tea breaks?”
Bai Zhi stated frankly, “No, but I also don’t want to be too nervous.”
This directness left Xie Yuzhan somewhat speechless. He was used to pretense and beating around the bush. It was rare to encounter such a straightforward person who voiced whatever he was thinking.
This courage in expression was uncommon.
He put his glasses back on, his mood somewhat softened. He bent down, looking at Bai Zhi, who was frozen in place. He didn’t want to continue the standoff, so he reached out to unbuckle the other man’s seatbelt.
But.
The next second, Bai Zhi’s hand pressed down on his.
A touch of softness, a touch of trembling, and a touch of stubbornness.
He looked up, staring at the person whose face was slightly pale, his tone deepening. “Let go.”
Waves of coldness surged up Bai Zhi’s tailbone, and cold sweat was about to break out. Good heavens, this distance was even closer than the last time in the utility room!
He could feel the other person’s breath!
Icy and scorching.
He bit his lip, suppressing the urge to scream. When he was a mouse-rabbit, his cries could deter his own kind, but they would absolutely not scare away a natural predator. Instead, they were the “dinner bell” for the predator.
Think, you idiot!
Quickly, what should I do!
The other person’s eyes were deep and obscure, the danger self-evident. Was he angry? Was he going to break the agreement? He didn’t want his second life to end like this!