Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Silence spread through the large private room.

Bai Zhi stared at Xie Yuzhan. Speak! Hurry up! Was he really expected to accept that ridiculous title?!

Xie Yuzhan naturally received Bai Zhi’s look, but he didn’t think the title was inappropriate. Logically, morally, publicly, and privately, it was fine for Tang Chen to address him that way.

The only issue was that it was perhaps a little premature.

He patted Bai Zhi lightly on the shoulder, signaling him not to worry, then looked at his friend and said, “Tone it down. Zhizhi is thin-skinned.”

Bai Zhi pursed his lips and lowered his eyes slightly to avoid eye contact with the two people opposite him. He wasn’t thin-skinned, was he? He was just timid.

Although he began to doubt whether his decision to gather information was correct, he adopted a ‘when in Rome’ attitude and decided to just endure it. It was just one meal.

Since he was already here, he couldn’t leave empty-handed.

The first rule of survival on the Rat-Rabbit Grassland: never go out without bringing something back, whether it was a few flowers or a few blades of grass to fill the larder.

Tang Chen smiled and apologized readily, then continued, “I often hear Yuzhan talk about you. We didn’t get to chat much at the banquet before, so today is our first formal meeting.”

Bai Zhi gave a vague acknowledgment, then shot a questioning look at Xie Yuzhan beside him. What exactly did he tell his friend about him?

It felt strange.

After they were seated, Lu Yunyi introduced, “Yuzhan booked this Cantonese restaurant today. He said you prefer lighter flavors. Oh, and their sweet soups are absolutely divine. You must try them later; it would be a shame to miss out.”

Sweet soup?

Bai Zhi loved that! He smiled, looked at Xie Yuzhan next to him, and whispered, “Can… can the sweet soup be served first? Like a pre-meal dessert?”

If it was served later, he wouldn’t get to eat it if he left halfway through.

Xie Yuzhan knew exactly what Bai Zhi was plotting, but he went along with it smoothly, saying, “Of course. Order whatever you want.”

Bai Zhi saw that the sweet soup portions weren’t large and figured he wouldn’t eat much of the main dishes, which included both meat and vegetables. So, he simply ordered more desserts: red bean and osmanthus rice cake soup, mango pomelo sago, and fig and snow pear sweet soup—one of each. He took a bite. Mmm~

Who could refuse such sweet, sticky desserts!

Drinking these in autumn was very nourishing and comforting.

One couldn’t be an ordinary person and be friends with Xie Yuzhan, so his initial preparations were indeed excessive. His two friends were quite friendly to him, especially Tang Chen, who was cheerful and talkative. He was a lion, but he also had a Golden Retriever side.

Eating and chatting, he unconsciously relaxed.

When they talked about their university years abroad, he seized on a point Tang Chen made and asked, “If you were roommates, was Yuzhan the same back then as he is now?”

Tang Chen swirled his wine glass, glanced at Xie Yuzhan, who was drinking juice with Bai Zhi, and countered, “The same as now in what way?”

Bai Zhi scooped up some braised pumpkin. The sweet, fragrant texture made him lower his guard slightly. “I mean… was he also as particular and demanding as he is now?”

Huo!

Lu Yunyi thought Bai Zhi was incredibly brave and daring to ask such a direct question right in front of Xie Yuzhan. Now he understood how his childhood friend’s partner liked to play hardball.

Bai Zhi had a strange ability: his directness didn’t feel offensive. His expression and tone were serious yet natural. This was truly a talent.

Being straightforward didn’t mean low emotional intelligence or lack of sense.

Tang Chen looked at Xie Yuzhan and asked with a smile, “Can I talk about this?”

Xie Yuzhan calmly placed a piece of steamed spare rib on the little rabbit’s plate. “There’s nothing that can’t be said.”

Seeing this action, Tang Chen instantly understood: he didn’t even use the serving chopsticks!

Double standards!

What extreme standards? When you meet someone you like, can you still have standards? Standards are just excuses for rejection, meant for outsiders!

He got the message. He tapped his wine glass on the table and began to complain, not without a hint of accusation, “The same. He was exactly the same back then.

“Although we each had our own room, he had high environmental standards.

“No cats or dogs in the apartment—they shed fur. No noise after ten at night. Don’t throw clothes randomly on the sofa. Don’t wander around the living room in pajamas. Dirty clothes must be washed by the next day at the latest. Laundry must be collected promptly after drying. Don’t litter snack bags. Trash must be taken out daily. Dishes can’t be left unwashed overnight…

“He even did something awful once: waking me up at two in the morning to wash dishes!

“Heaven knows how fussy this guy is. Life isn’t a thesis; he nitpicks everything! He’s a complete late-stage obsessive-compulsive.”

While listening, Bai Zhi had finished his spare rib. He glanced at Xie Yuzhan, who wasn’t angry at all.

They were truly good friends.

He nodded in agreement. “That does sound very demanding. It’s too restrictive. So why were you willing to live with him? Neither of you lacks money.”

The Xie, Tang, and Lu families were all prominent in their circles. Studying abroad, buying a villa would have been a trivial matter. Why did they live in an apartment?

And share it?

That was unusual.

Tang Chen glanced at Xie Yuzhan. Seeing no reaction, he continued, “The villa was too big. It would have been too lonely with just the two of us, so we chose an apartment near the school. It had more life. The key thing is!

“Yuzhan is a great cook!

“You wouldn’t know, but abroad, even the best Chinese restaurants are lacking. Getting authentic hometown flavors is incredibly difficult. So, just to occasionally mooch a meal, being demanding was a small price to pay.

“I haven’t tasted it in years, though. I really miss it.”

Eh?

Bai Zhi looked at Xie Yuzhan in surprise. “You can cook? You never mentioned it.”

Xie Yuzhan chuckled lightly. “I’ve been busy since returning to China, so I haven’t cooked much. If you want to try it, I’ll make something for you.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes curved into a smile. “Great! If CEO Tang misses it so much, your cooking must be exceptionally good. Besides, demanding people are bound to strive for perfection in everything they do. I trust your culinary skills.”

Xie Yuzhan curled his lips. Back when he was abroad, he only cooked occasionally to give himself something different to do.

After spending too much time in social settings, cooking alone allowed him a brief moment of peace. The saying that food heals the heart was true.

Of course, receiving a compliment and a vote of confidence from Bai Zhi now was an unexpected bonus.

He said, “Then you pick the dishes.”

“Okay!”

Tang Chen seized the opportunity to interject, but he didn’t ask Xie Yuzhan; he asked Bai Zhi, “Can I get an extra set of chopsticks and a bowl? Good sister-in-law!”

Bai Zhi paused, glanced at Xie Yuzhan, and received a look that told him to handle it himself. He widened his eyes and said seriously, “No, there are only two sets of tableware at home.”

Don’t call me sister-in-law!

Tang Chen insisted, “I’ll bring my own utensils!”

Lu Yunyi, in a relaxed posture, lightly kicked Tang Chen’s foot and chimed in, “Give it a rest. Do you really want to be a third wheel that badly?”

Tang Chen smiled and waved his hand. “I’ve wanted to be this third wheel for a long time.”

Lu Yunyi knew what Tang Chen meant. And wasn’t he the same?

Xie Yuzhan was too solitary, and his mental burden was heavy. They knew the root of the problem, but they couldn’t always bring it up. Now that there was such a straightforward little rabbit by his side, being a third wheel?

Not a problem at all.

Bai Zhi didn’t quite grasp the meaning of that sentence, but he didn’t overthink it. He just assumed Tang Chen really wanted to eat Xie Yuzhan’s cooking.

As they ate and chatted, he did learn some things about Xie Yuzhan by following the conversation, such as the fact that he was ascetic and had never been in a relationship, and that CEO Xie played the piano very well and liked collecting antique books… He felt quite rewarded.

Coming here today was worth it.

However, unexpectedly, the food at this restaurant was very much to his liking. Both the meat and vegetable dishes were delicious. The result was—

He was too full for the sweet soup.

Holding his small spoon, he frowned slightly, stirring the remaining half bowl of snow pear sweet soup. The others had put down their chopsticks long ago.

The little rabbit was starting to feel anxious.

Xie Yuzhan knew what Bai Zhi was thinking. He leaned closer and asked softly, “If you don’t want to waste it but can’t finish it, should I help you drink it?”

When he said this, the other three were stunned.

Tang Chen and Lu Yunyi almost looked like they had seen a ghost. Not using serving chopsticks was one thing, but what was this? What was he doing?!

Was this still their obsessive-compulsive and germaphobic CEO Xie?

Bai Zhi quickly recovered from his surprise. Good, of course, it was good!

But.

He quickly spun his little brain. Xie Yuzhan hadn’t revealed the true nature of their marriage to his two friends. They thought their relationship was quite good, and CEO Xie had just given him this signal, so—

Did he need to put on a bit of a show?

These were his best friends, one a childhood friend, the other a university roommate. Should the display be deeper than what he showed in front of outsiders?

Meaning, a more harmonious? Even intimate? relationship?

Got it.

Since he was asking Xie Yuzhan for help, he needed to show the appropriate attitude. He had indeed ordered too much sweet soup, and he couldn’t finish it but didn’t want to waste food.

He quickly adjusted his state. He didn’t need to think hard to know that this was a good time to act spoiled. He tried his best to recall how young animals behaved in the nature documentaries he’d watched—

Humans were generally very tolerant of young animals, especially cute ones.

Should he try to imitate that a little?

He should make good use of this attractive appearance.

He gently bit his lip, blinked his eyes, leaned over, and intimately linked his arm through Xie Yuzhan’s. He rested his head on the man’s shoulder, rubbed lightly, and lowered and elongated his voice, saying, “Yuzhan Gege—

“I ordered too much, didn’t I? Can you help me finish it? I don’t want to waste food; that would be such a pity, and it’s not a good habit.

“Next time, I’ll know to order less, and we can add more if needed.”

So obedient. Xie Yuzhan rubbed Bai Zhi’s hair. The delicate, soft texture gave him a momentary illusion that this was truly a little rabbit acting spoiled, though there was a hint of cleverness in his eyes.

Very smart.

He let go after rubbing enough and said, “I’ll help you finish it this time. Next time, if you want to try several flavors, we can share.”

“Mhm, mhm, mhm, okay.”

Bai Zhi agreed, watched Xie Yuzhan take the bowl of sweet soup, and sighed in relief. But he remained leaning against him. Well, Mr. Wolf’s shoulder was very reliable, and it felt quite safe.

The other two had used their maximum self-control not to jump up.

The wise do not fall into the river of love—that was absolutely true!

Could dating really change a person so much? They had never seen Xie Yuzhan act so intimately with anyone. Leaning on him? Head rubs? Even helping to eat food that had been touched? And using the same dessert spoon?

The world had truly gone mad in a way that single people couldn’t understand.

Lu Yunyi glanced at Tang Chen. Wasn’t he a master of romance? Analyze this for us—what was CEO Xie thinking?

Tang Chen gave him a look of helplessness mixed with relief. Analyze? Analyze what? No need for analysis. Veterans of romance rely on technique, but pure love doesn’t need it. Pure love is self-taught.

He simply met someone he liked.

Just ship it.

Lu Yunyi silently sighed, a slight upward curve returning to his lips. Perhaps it really was fate. He couldn’t explain it otherwise.

Their conversation today was long, and it was clear that Bai Zhi was very pure, even quite naive in some ways, and lacked social experience. But he was definitely not some silly, sweet airhead, nor was he a mediocre vase.

Of course, he was quite sweet.

Otherwise, how could his childhood friend, whose heart was solely focused on revenge, have become so intoxicated with sweetness?

After finishing the last dessert, the four chatted for a while longer before concluding the meal.

As they walked downstairs, Tang Chen pulled Xie Yuzhan ahead, saying they needed to discuss work. Bai Zhi looked at Lu Yunyi beside him, sensing that the other man had something to say.

He waited patiently.

If the enemy doesn’t move, I don’t move. Respond to all changes with no change.

Lu Yunyi had a good impression of Bai Zhi. Although the other party was a little nervous, he was able to endure and remain composed.

He spoke first. “When they were studying abroad, Tang Chen living with Yuzhan was not primarily for the free meals; that was just a superficial excuse.”

Hmm?

Bai Zhi looked at Lu Yunyi in confusion, then shifted his gaze to Xie Yuzhan ahead. Hmm—an elegant person was pleasing to the eye even from behind.

He followed the other man’s lead and asked, “Why do you say that? Was there another reason?”

Learning more about Xie Yuzhan was his most important goal today, so he had to cooperate.

Lu Yunyi looked at the two men ahead, his voice still carrying a light, elusive smile, but his eyes held a hint of seriousness. “Because of worry, because of fear.”

Bai Zhi frowned immediately, repeating in confusion, “Worry, fear?”

“Exactly,” Lu Yunyi paused, then continued, “You need capital to reclaim what is yours. Yuzhan leaving the country also meant leaving most of Xie Minghong’s surveillance. With the help of my father and Yuzhan’s maternal grandparents, he quickly built his own network, but—

“He was less than twenty years old at the time.

“No one can truly understand how immense his pressure was. All we could do was look after him more in daily life.”

Mainly, they worried about his emotional state and feared he might do something foolish to hurt himself.

As it turned out, Xie Yuzhan was more resilient than they thought. But after enduring that period of low spirits, busyness, and tension, it became difficult even for them to see into his dark eyes.

They wanted to do something, but didn’t know how to start.

Bai Zhi tried hard to understand Lu Yunyi’s words. He knew the conflict between the Xie uncle and nephew stemmed from Xie Yuzhan’s parents and the Xie Group, but this past was new to him.

Lu Yunyi was right; there was no true empathy in the world.

But one didn’t need to think hard to know how much pressure Xie Yuzhan was under, and how agonizing and difficult his life must have been, even though he never said a word.

After a long silence, when they reached the ground floor lobby, he asked, “Why are you telling me this?”

Lu Yunyi smiled leisurely. “Yes, I shouldn’t have told you this. It’s not good to speak too deeply when we’re not that close.”

Bai Zhi heard the drawn-out tone and understood that Lu Yunyi wasn’t going to say more. That was fine; he had already gotten what he wanted… information, for lack of a better word.

Everyone had an untold, difficult past.

Even though he didn’t know the details, just thinking about it felt hard, even suffocating. If it weren’t for Xie Yuzhan’s nature, he might not have made it through.

The wolf possessed sufficient patience and tenacity, never giving up.

On the way back, Xie Yuzhan glanced at Bai Zhi in the passenger seat and asked, “What did Yunyi talk to you about downstairs?”

Bai Zhi wasn’t surprised by the question; it would have been strange if Xie Yuzhan hadn’t noticed anything. He slowly rubbed his stomach; he had eaten a little too much.

He thought for a moment, summarized, and added a slight extension. “He said you had a tough time and asked me to treat you better.”

He felt that some of what Lu Yunyi and Tang Chen said probably boiled down to that.

Xie Yuzhan chuckled lightly, not in a bad mood. “Just do as you wish.”

“Of course.”

Xie Yuzhan then asked, “Did you gain anything tonight?”

Bai Zhi nodded. He certainly did, quite a lot, but he also had one major doubt.

Adhering to the principle of not going to bed with unanswered questions, he asked directly, “They are your best friends. Why didn’t you tell them that our marriage is purely a transaction for mutual benefit?

“They seem to have misunderstood something and think we have a good relationship. Otherwise, otherwise, CEO Tang wouldn’t have called me that. It’s quite…

“Embarrassing.”

Xie Yuzhan couldn’t help but laugh. He gets shy? He understood perfectly why he felt that way.

He reassured him, “They didn’t misunderstand. They are just happy to see it happen.”

Bai Zhi didn’t understand this. He thought and thought, and finally decided that the two friends probably just wanted to see Xie Yuzhan’s rare moment of fun, teasing, and joking. Anyway, he didn’t feel any danger.

Then it didn’t matter.

Let everyone think what they wanted, as long as it didn’t affect him, and as long as they didn’t call him that again!

Putting that aside, Xie Yuzhan changed the subject. “You ate quite a bit tonight. Do you want to take a walk before going back? There’s a small park nearby, and a night market, if you’d like to browse.”

Bai Zhi quickly adjusted his mood. A walk was fine. He had eaten too much, and strolling outside would be good.

But.

He looked at Xie Yuzhan suspiciously. “I don’t think you would like a place like a night market. It’s loud and bustling. It doesn’t suit you. You seem more suited to quiet, elegant places, like concert halls or art galleries.”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t deny it. “I do appreciate musicals and plays more. But, Zhizhi, don’t you think it’s interesting to occasionally try things outside your usual interests?

“There might be unexpected surprises.”

Eh? Bai Zhi was a little surprised, but why not?

Xie Yuzhan usually wouldn’t go to a night market. Bai Zhi himself didn’t go out often and had never been to a night market. Should he check it out?

He nodded. “Last time you invited me to the Vegetarian Culture Festival, I had a great time. This time you say the night market is worth visiting, so let’s go see.”

Xie Yuzhan signaled a turn and asked with a smile, “You trust me that much? You’re not worried I might be plotting something bad?”

Bai Zhi glanced at Xie Yuzhan and snorted. “No worries. I’m still useful to you.”

The slightly arrogant look of the person beside him made Xie Yuzhan’s heart itch.

After parking the car, he reached out and hooked Bai Zhi’s chin, gently scratching it. “I truly need you. I can’t leave you, I can’t be without you. So relax.”

Don’t be afraid of him.

Bai Zhi didn’t pull away from Xie Yuzhan’s hand. There was no need to avoid something that made him comfortable. He might as well enjoy the small perks of this marriage.

When the other man withdrew his hand, he added a time limit. “For now.”

No threat for now.

Xie Yuzhan didn’t explain. Now was not the time to be serious or lay all the cards on the table.

Enough quantitative change leads to qualitative change. He understood this principle and was willing to spend the time and effort, as the person before him was worth it.

The two got out of the car, walked through the quiet little park in the night, and arrived at the bustling, vibrant night market street filled with the smell of food.

Bai Zhi’s eyes were sparkling. He looked around, finding everything novel. Many things he had only heard of or seen online, but never witnessed in person. The key was the aroma floating in the air.

Warm, noisy, and extremely tempting.

He was already full, overly full, but smelling the food made him feel like he could eat a little more. Anyway, they were going for a walk, so no fear. When faced with delicious food, eat first, worry later.

Xie Yuzhan had said they could share. He didn’t hold back. One portion was too much, but sharing was just right, mainly for tasting.

From candied hawthorns to roasted chestnuts, then soft, sweet roasted sweet potatoes, and steaming hot oden. The oden was too spicy but incredibly fragrant. He rinsed it in water before eating, but it still made him tear up. Fortunately, Xie Yuzhan quickly handed him yogurt.

It saved the rabbit’s life.

He exhaled, holding the sweet and sour strawberry yogurt, and looked contentedly at the bright lights and lively scene. He smiled and said, “Doesn’t it feel pretty good to occasionally come to a place like this to eat and wander, CEO Xie?”

Xie Yuzhan watched Bai Zhi. His eyes were bright and full of smiles. His fair cheeks were flushed from the spicy oden, and his pale pink lips were moist and red.

He looked quite delicious.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and replied, “It feels pretty good. Of course, if I weren’t accompanying you, I wouldn’t come here. I don’t have the leisure for it.”

Bai Zhi shrugged. He was about to suggest walking back when his gaze unexpectedly caught sight of a small stall selling rabbit heads.

His heart trembled. He focused his eyes—good heavens! Braised rabbit heads, spicy rabbit heads, five-spice rabbit heads… and spicy diced rabbit, hand-shredded rabbit legs…

Oh my heavens! Buddha, Guanyin, Jade Emperor, Laozi!

Rabbit slaughter!

Eating rabbits, eating little rabbits!

His hands couldn’t stop shaking. He wanted to run, but his legs went soft, and the next second, the world spun. All these different ways to eat rabbit!

It was going to kill the rabbit QAQ!