Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 28

Bai Zhi spun his little brain around at full speed, pondering what Xie Yuzhan had just said.

Fear?

That seemed to be the crux of the matter.

He looked into the dark eyes behind the other man’s glasses and explained, “I want to go south only because the environment there is better suited for growing flowers and herbs, not because I’m afraid of you and need to hide so far away.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Xie Yuzhan realized his slip-up.

But hearing Bai Zhi’s response, he felt that an occasional lapse in speech wasn’t a bad thing; at least the other person genuinely cared about his feelings, otherwise he wouldn’t be so eager to explain.

Love cannot be openly declared, but it is impossible to completely hide it in one’s words and actions.

He simply went along with it: “You can plant any flowers or herbs you like in the front and back yards of the villa right now. If there are strict requirements for temperature and light, as I said, technology can completely compensate for that. You don’t necessarily have to go south.”

Bai Zhi corrected him, “When I said going south, I meant after the divorce.”

He then added specifically, “Although you said I can plant whatever I want now, I won’t bother. If I plant too much, I won’t be able to take it with me, and you’ll have to clean it up after I leave.”

Xie Yuzhan disliked the word divorce.

Can’t take the flowers and herbs if he plants too many? Why bother taking them? Just leave the person behind.

Moreover, he was very bothered by Bai Zhi’s distance and politeness, as if he was unwilling to get too involved with him. This feeling was quite unpleasant.

He moved closer, even reaching out to press his hand on the edge of the table, effectively encircling the person leaning against the table in his embrace, even though there was no physical contact between them.

It was like a subtle hug.

His eyes lowered slightly, and he softened his tone, “Then let’s talk about the immediate situation. Zhizhi, are you really that afraid of me? Like a natural predator? Am I truly that cruel and violent?”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Xie Yuzhan’s lowered eyes were gentle, even tender, but he could see the cold severity and ruthlessness lurking deep within those dark eyes—deeply hidden, unfathomable, and his aura was powerful and dominant, giving off a strong sense of pressure.

Very dangerous.

Not someone to provoke, definitely not a benign individual.

Even with the glasses obscuring them, he could see clearly that the person in front of him was absolutely not the gentle, good-tempered gentleman others claimed him to be.

And at this moment, he had nowhere to retreat.

After a long silence, he gritted his back teeth and spoke, “Others say you are gentle and humble, but I think that’s just how you want everyone to perceive you—refined and harmless, so people won’t feel threatened.

“But—

“You are actually very patient, ruthless and decisive toward your enemies, you won’t show mercy, and you aren’t the type to drag things out.

“Refined and elegant is you, but cold and severe is also you. Everyone has many sides, and I… I can understand that. So even though you treat me quite well, sometimes I still… am quite afraid of you, afraid of your capriciousness.

“Afraid that you’ll be just as ruthless to me.”

Xie Yuzhan had a strange feeling.

Bai Zhi had indeed seen through a part of him.

He did need to cultivate an image of being gentle and unthreatening, and he certainly wouldn’t go easy on his enemies. And the other person had seen through his supposedly perfect disguise the very first time they met.

To put it more plainly, Bai Zhi saw him.

Extremely insightful.

He slowly began, “Zhizhi, you are not my enemy, nor anyone else. You are just you. I won’t treat you that way.”

Bai Zhi shook his head, his voice very small, but he still spoke honestly, “I can’t lie to you and say I believe that.”

“Because we are natural predators?”

“…Mhm.”

“Wolf and rabbit?”

“Mhm.”

Xie Yuzhan sighed slightly. He took off his glasses with one hand and placed them on the table, maintaining the posture of half-encircling the person in his arms.

Wolf and rabbit—he understood that it was just a slight metaphor for their temperaments and personalities, and it was quite apt. He didn’t deny this trait, and he admitted that wolves and rabbits were indeed natural predators.

It was certainly not wrong for a rabbit not to trust a wolf.

But this was only a metaphor after all.

He tried to explain, “I understand your point, but Zhizhi, we are human. You are not a real little rabbit, and I am not your literal natural predator. Humans can establish diverse connections, and relationships are not immutable.

“It’s fine if you see me as a natural predator now, but we can make changes.”

Bai Zhi thought about it. There was some truth to that, but he still didn’t quite agree, insisting, “I am a little rabbit. The relationship between natural predators might temporarily ease due to certain reasons, like our marriage alliance, but there will absolutely be no fundamental change.”

He couldn’t completely drop his guard around a natural predator.

Trust a bloodthirsty wolf with his whole heart? He’d be expelled from the rabbit community. There was no need to fight against his nature; it was too risky.

Having even a little trust in him already took a lot of courage.

Xie Yuzhan gazed into Bai Zhi’s eyes. The distance between them was only about ten centimeters. The other man’s stubbornness was clearly visible, but he wouldn’t give up because of this insistence.

Any trait has two sides, and Bai Zhi’s vitality was likely related to this stubbornness.

His voice deepened slightly, “Everything in the world is constantly developing and changing, Zhizhi. If you don’t try, how will you know it definitely won’t change?”

Bai Zhi was firmly held in place by Xie Yuzhan’s gaze. He frowned and thought carefully. In fact, the other man was right. Except for natural laws like the rising and setting of the sun, most people and things change.

Not changing is rare.

Seeing Bai Zhi’s slight wavering, Xie Yuzhan’s tone lifted slightly, carrying a subtle, persuasive encouragement. He continued, “If you try, even if you fail, you won’t regret or feel sorry when you look back years later. Otherwise—

“You might think, if I had really tried back then, would the result have been different? Would the future have been completely different?

“Just so that your future self won’t have such doubts, and to remove uncertainty from this relationship, let’s try and see if we can make you stop being afraid of me. How about that?”

As Xie Yuzhan’s words fell, the study immediately fell silent.

It was so quiet that Bai Zhi could almost hear his own breathing.

Xie Yuzhan’s tone was slow, his gaze gentle yet completely unmasked the cold severity and gloom within. He was clearly dangerous, and the bunny’s instinct screamed at him to quickly flee the predator’s sight, the faster and farther the better, but—

He couldn’t deny the fluttering in his heart.

Xie Yuzhan’s words moved him. If he looked back twenty years from now, would he regret not having tried his best today?

He couldn’t be sure.

One step forward might be an abyss, or it might lead to unexpected gains, but either way, it would allow him to see all the possibilities of this relationship, preventing him from having the thought, “If only I had done something differently.”

Of course, the premise of taking a step forward was that he could retreat at any time.

He said with a little uncertainty, “Try… I’ll try, but! I can back out anytime I want.”

This meant he was convinced.

A slight smile appeared in Xie Yuzhan’s eyes, the severity receding. His voice subtly lifted, “Of course, that’s fine. I made the suggestion, and you decide whether to accept it. You can call a halt anytime, back out anytime, and end this attempt anytime.

“I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

A faint light flickered in Bai Zhi’s eyes. Well, he had been persuaded.

Then he would temporarily trust Mr. Wolf’s suggestion. As long as trying wouldn’t lead to dying, then trying was okay. Safety first. Occasionally dipping one little foot outside the safe zone to test the waters seemed quite stimulating.

He steadied himself and said, “As long as you can keep your word, then I’ll try.”

Xie Yuzhan chuckled softly, “I promise, you won’t regret today’s decision.”

Bai Zhi didn’t respond. He hoped so. It was better not to speak too absolutely. He was just trying; as for the final result…

They would see when the time came.

Xie Yuzhan straightened up, pulling back a little distance. He said, “Since Zhizhi has agreed, then don’t be so polite with me in the future. There is no such thing as ‘trouble’ or ‘inconvenience,’ only ‘willingness’ or ‘unwillingness.’”

Bai Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, put down the potted plant, and stood up straight as well. “Got it. I’ll try my best.”

He wasn’t resistant to trying new things or accepting new changes.

The two chatted for a while longer before saying goodnight and separating. Of course, they didn’t forget their nightly hug. It wasn’t a tight embrace, but a shallow, brief hug.

Chest to chest, the warmth and breath of another person so close—this was an absolutely novel experience for him, and the feeling wasn’t bad.

He liked this hug.

To be precise, he liked Xie Yuzhan’s embrace. Mr. Wolf was frightening, but his dominance and severity were also a source of security.

He was just a little bunny repeatedly hopping on the edge of being gobbled up!

The main theme was excitement.

That night, with the bunny nightlight accompanying him, he had no dreams and slept soundly. He woke up naturally when the sun rose, and when the whole bunny went downstairs, he was refreshed and radiant. Give him a pair of wings and he could take off right there!

Xie Yuzhan was already eating breakfast. He greeted the other man and sat down in his seat. When Lin Haiyan placed the plate down, she whispered something in his ear that greatly surprised him.

A surprise first thing in the morning.

He looked at Lin Haiyan in astonishment. She was smiling brightly and didn’t say anything more.

Watching Lin Haiyan, whose back even radiated good cheer, he felt a little bewildered, wondering what she was so happy about. But that wasn’t important; what mattered was what she had just said!

He took a sip of the sweet black rice porridge to calm himself, then looked at Xie Yuzhan and asked, “That steamed egg custard last night was delicious. The texture was delicate and the flavor was great. I really liked it. Could Aunt Lin make another serving at noon?”

Xie Yuzhan certainly didn’t think repeating the compliment was redundant. It sounded good, he liked hearing it, so he encouraged more.

He looked calm and said, “Perhaps you could consider having it again in the evening? I’d like to try it too. That way Aunt Lin only needs to make it once.”

“I can have one serving at noon and another in the evening.”

“…You like it that much?”

Bai Zhi finished the small, delicate pan-fried buns with three fresh vegetable fillings in two bites and nodded earnestly, “I like it that much.”

As the words left his mouth, he felt that Xie Yuzhan’s aura brightened even more, like… He pondered, and half a minute later, his eyes suddenly lit up. It was like a peacock spreading its tail!

Aha~

Aha, aha, aha~~

Had he discovered something incredible!

Xie Yuzhan calculated his work schedule for the day. He could spare the time to come back at noon and make it in time. “Alright, I’m not busy today. I can come back for lunch.”

He still wasn’t going to say anything? Bai Zhi finally couldn’t hold back his smile.

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi, whose glass-like eyes were narrowed in a smile, and quickly realized what was happening. Recalling their conversation, he understood. Lin Haiyan must have spilled the beans when she put down the plate.

Bai Zhi shook his spoon, his voice tinged with laughter, “I won, didn’t I?”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t feel like he had lost. He replied, “You won, but the most important thing is that you like it. That’s what matters.”

Bai Zhi confessed, “I really like that steamed egg custard. It tastes better than what Aunt Lin made before. But this isn’t something worth hiding, is it? Why didn’t you tell me? You did say you could cook for me, but I thought that was just polite talk said in front of your friend.”

He hadn’t truly believed it.

Xie Yuzhan was uncharacteristically silent.

Why didn’t he say anything? Naturally, he had his reasons.

To gradually make a person accept his presence and eventually become inseparable from him, diet is a very direct and crucial aspect. The most basic issue of food is the most suitable for subtle influence.

By not saying he made it, Bai Zhi would feel freer to order.

He just hadn’t expected Lin Haiyan to expose this point directly. But it didn’t matter. Now that he knew, that was fine. The little rabbit liking it was what mattered most.

He explained, “It was just a trivial matter. I didn’t get around to mentioning it yesterday. If you want to eat it in the future, you can tell me. Don’t feel like you’re bothering me, and certainly don’t feel embarrassed. After all, cooking is one of my few hobbies.”

Of course, he omitted the prefix “down to earth.”

Before yesterday, he hadn’t stepped into a kitchen for several years.

Bai Zhi nodded, “Then that works out perfectly.”

Xie Yuzhan smoothly changed the topic, “Last night we reached a mutual decision to try and see how to make you…”

He gave Bai Zhi a light look, and his tone became lighter, carrying a hint of elusive meaning as he finished the rest of the sentence, “…make you stop being afraid of me.”

Bai Zhi felt his fur almost stand on end from Xie Yuzhan’s look. It was… a little like looking at locked-on prey. Yet, the other man’s eyes and tone were composed, not revealing anything, which made him suspect it was his own illusion.

He took a deep breath. It was fine, it was okay, no problem. He wouldn’t eat him right now, and they had just made an agreement last night!

He responded, “Right. So, do you have any good ideas? We can try them.”

Very good. Xie Yuzhan naturally took over the conversation. He said, “I do have an idea. Zhizhi, you said your fear of me is the kind of fear one has for a natural predator. This is mostly subconscious, a conditioned reflex. So, we can try desensitization therapy—repeatedly and gradually exposing you to the person or thing that frightens you. Slowly, you’ll adapt.

“In short, we need to interact more.”

Afraid of him? Just interact more.

This was the first time Bai Zhi had heard of desensitization therapy, but it sounded very scientific and direct.

He confirmed, “Interact more? We live together now, so our interaction isn’t exactly little, is it? How else can we interact more? Talk more, or something else?”

Xie Yuzhan put down his chopsticks, slowly wiped his hands, stood up, and unhurriedly smoothed out the slight wrinkles in his suit. Then he walked over to Bai Zhi, bent down slightly, and leaned closer to the person who was looking up at him. He said, “How about we start with a kiss?”

Watching Xie Yuzhan’s exquisite face approach, Bai Zhi’s heart immediately sped up. A kiss?

Start with a kiss?

Wouldn’t that be starting off too intensely?!