Rat, Rabbit, And Rabbit Transformed Into Humans And Married Their Natural Enemies. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Bai Zhi instinctively looked up at Xie Yuzhan. After realizing what the other person had said, his chopsticks clattered to the floor.

His teasing had been impulsive, but Xie Yuzhan’s words sounded serious?

He stared blankly at his tiny reflection in the other man’s eyes and couldn’t help but shiver. He didn’t want to be it, wasn’t willing to be it, and couldn’t be it!

The little rabbit still had so many things to do!

How could he be swallowed in one gulp!

He had thought that CEO Xie didn’t have any carnivorous intentions toward him, maybe just plans for “processing” him, but it turned out he really wanted to eat him? A casual joke had unexpectedly revealed his true intentions!

Was the talk about civilized society not eating people just to fool him?!

Seeing the stunned Bai Zhi, Xie Yuzhan felt a little helpless. Was it still too early?

He rubbed the other man’s hair and chuckled softly, “You were joking, and my reply was, of course, just a joke too. Don’t take it seriously. Zhi Zhi is so cute, how could I let you go out alone?

“Naturally, I have to protect the little rabbit so that no one with ill intentions can snatch you away.”

Bai Zhi blinked. Was he just responding to his teasing? He was a little unconvinced, but Xie Yuzhan sounded very sincere now…

So it really was a joke?

He took a slow breath. Regardless, he couldn’t let down his guard around a natural predator. He could be close, he could play around, but he had to remain vigilant.

He had to admit one thing: he liked his current life, including the Xie family and the person who provided all of this for him.

He sighed in relief and quickly took a sip of porridge to calm his nerves. “You asked so seriously, I thought you were for real! You scared me!”

“Does that prove my joking skills are pretty good?”

Bai Zhi nodded vigorously. It must be so; it was purely a joke. He would never agree to be emergency rations. He wouldn’t do anything that cost him his life.

Life doesn’t offer a third chance; he had to cherish it.

This little incident led to a rather unpleasant dream that night. Xie Yuzhan appeared in his dream, moving closer and closer, until he bit directly into his neck…

The next second, he woke up with a start.

He gasped for breath, touching his smooth, flat side neck. Thank goodness, it was just a dream.

He frowned, recalling Xie Yuzhan’s expression before biting him in the dream. It wasn’t fierce at all; rather, it held a seductive quality. In any case, he had never seen a wolf eat with that expression.

Was it an illusion caused by his fear?

Otherwise, why hadn’t he thought about dodging or running away at all?

He shook his head, burrowed into his nest by the floor-to-ceiling window, and hugged the Pikachu plushie in his arms. He slowly calmed his breathing and pushed the strange dream to the back of his mind.

Instead of pondering vague dreams, he should focus on new recipes. That was the real, serious business.

And his efforts during this period had given him excellent returns.

He smoothly passed the preliminary round of the Vegetarian Grand Prix and felt quite good about it. However, it proved that when things go too smoothly, one must be more careful, or unexpected trouble will arise.

During the semi-finals, while trying to catch a chef who had accidentally tripped over a shelf, he was scalded on the instep by the hot water the chef was carrying. Instantly, the stinging pain from the burn almost made him cry out.

To make matters worse, the scalded area was then struck by an ornament that fell from the shelf, causing his tendons to throb with pain.

He endured the burning pain, comforted the contestant he had helped, and explained to the staff that he was fine and it wouldn’t affect the competition.

He also waved to Xie Yuzhan, who had noticed the commotion and stood up not far away, signaling him not to worry. It was just a minor issue, and they could deal with it after the semi-finals.

His dish wasn’t finished yet; he couldn’t give up halfway.

Fortunately, he successfully advanced to the finals.

Afterward, he exchanged WeChat contacts with the chef who had also advanced and offered a few more words of comfort. After they parted, he saw Xie Yuzhan approaching and took a step toward him, but that single step resulted in a stumble.

A needle-like, searing pain shot through his left instep.

If Xie Yuzhan hadn’t quickly caught him, he would have been getting acquainted with the cold floor right then.

Xie Yuzhan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He quickly assessed Bai Zhi from head to toe, recalling the small accident. He slowed his speech, asking soothingly, “Is it a scald? Or a sprain?”

Bai Zhi endured the pain in his foot and looked up. “I was scalded and hit by something, but it shouldn’t be serious… Wait! What are you doing?!”

Before he could finish speaking, he was lifted horizontally into the other man’s arms. This was a public place! Many contestants and spectators hadn’t left yet. Wasn’t this kind of embrace too conspicuous?

He was drawing attention up to the heavens!

Xie Yuzhan glanced at Bai Zhi, his tone slightly grave. “You should be concerned about your foot injury right now.”

Bai Zhi stared at Xie Yuzhan’s slightly tense face for a moment, then silently buried his face in the man’s shoulder. As long as he couldn’t see, he wouldn’t feel embarrassed. He would just pretend everyone else was air!

With this distraction, the pain in his foot even felt a little numb.

Xie Yuzhan carried Bai Zhi into the venue’s lounge, which included a shower room. He settled the young man on a high stool, then knelt down and carefully removed his shoe and sock. The sight that met his eyes was a patch of angry red, dotted with several mung bean-sized blisters.

He adjusted the cold water and, after instructing Bai Zhi to bear with it, began rinsing the scalded area.

It was only early March. Although the indoor heating was strong, this didn’t mean that continuously rinsing one’s foot with cold water was easy to tolerate.

Especially for a pika-rabbit who was sensitive to both cold and heat.

The chill crept up from his foot, and Bai Zhi couldn’t help but shiver. The next second, a jacket still carrying the other man’s body heat was draped over his shoulders. He took a breath and looked at Xie Yuzhan, whose expression remained serious.

He mumbled softly in defense, “It’s really nothing. Just a minor scald, it will heal quickly. It’s just… it’s cold…”

As he spoke, under the gaze of the man in front of him, he inexplicably felt guilty and trailed off.

Xie Yuzhan looked at Bai Zhi with a sense of helplessness, but more so, affection. He understood the other’s persistence and could only instruct, “Rinse it for a little longer. I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

“Mhm.”

Bai Zhi responded obediently. As Xie Yuzhan stood up, he gently tugged on his clothes, staring at his red foot. His voice was so low it was almost drowned out by the sound of the running water. “Come back quickly.”

Xie Yuzhan paused, sighed silently, rubbed Bai Zhi’s hair, and adjusted the jacket around him. “Alright, just two minutes.”

“…Mhm.”

Bai Zhi listened as the footsteps faded, clutching the jacket draped over him. The surrounding air was filled with a clean, soothing scent, just like the feeling Xie Yuzhan usually gave off—elegant and enduring.

He couldn’t quite place the scent. It was primarily woody, perhaps from a custom detergent, or maybe a high-end perfume.

The sophisticated Great Peacock always favored these things, and they suited him perfectly.

When he came back to his senses, he realized he had brought the sleeve of the jacket to his nose.

A sudden flush of heat.

He quickly released the sleeve and refocused his attention on his foot, continuing to stare at it and counting the seconds. If Mr. Wolf didn’t return soon, the little rabbit would freeze solid!

The moment Xie Yuzhan entered the room, he saw Bai Zhi stealthily trying to pull his foot, which was still under the running water, backward.

He placed a cup of hot milk tea in the other man’s hand and gently but firmly held the pale ankle.

Caught in the act, Bai Zhi pretended nothing had happened, blinking innocently. He took a large sip of the milk tea. It was warm and effectively eased his tension.

Xie Yuzhan didn’t expose his little trick. He continued rinsing for a few more minutes before turning off the cold water. “If someone hadn’t endured the pain for so long, it might not have been this serious.”

Bai Zhi’s gaze was slightly evasive. He insisted, “I definitely had to finish the competition first! And it’s not that serious anyway, just a small scald.”

Xie Yuzhan sighed again. The little rabbit’s mouth was the toughest part of him.

He dried Bai Zhi’s foot, placed it on his own lap, disinfected it, applied ointment, covered it with gauze, and secured it with tape. When he looked up, he realized the person who had been quiet for a while was now covered in tears.

His gem-like, clear eyes were red and swollen.

He was crying silently.

Xie Yuzhan quickly stood up and wiped the tears from Bai Zhi’s face. “Is there somewhere else you feel uncomfortable? Or if your foot hurts too much, we’ll go to the hospital.”

Bai Zhi shook his head slightly, clutching the milk tea cup in one hand and Xie Yuzhan’s jacket in the other. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he mumbled softly, “It hurts. No hospital. Go home…”

Xie Yuzhan lost all his temper when faced with Bai Zhi’s tearful eyes. Whatever the other man wanted, he was willing to give.

He assessed the severity of the foot injury. The small blisters hadn’t broken, and he had already applied medicine. If he truly didn’t want to go to the hospital, it wasn’t a major issue. The tears were likely because the cold water had been turned off, and the burning sensation had returned.

Or perhaps he was just sensitive to pain.

He curled his finger and wiped the dampness from Bai Zhi’s eyes again. Watching the young man squint, his voice was filled with indulgence and affection. “Alright, since the little ancestor has spoken, I’ll listen to you. But you must promise me one thing: you have to be obedient when we get home.”

Bai Zhi nodded repeatedly, afraid Xie Yuzhan would change his mind. “Mhm, don’t worry, I’ll definitely be obedient!”

Xie Yuzhan didn’t let Bai Zhi touch the ground and carried him directly to the car. He took some ice from the car’s mini-fridge, wrapped it in a towel, and handed it to Bai Zhi. “Apply a cold compress. It will help relieve the burning pain.”

Bai Zhi responded weakly, curling the shoeless foot onto the edge of the seat and carefully applying the cold compress. Although it was cold, the pain quickly subsided.

Xie Yuzhan wrapped a blanket around Bai Zhi. After settling everything, he started the car.

On the way back, he kept an eye on the person beside him. Bai Zhi was sipping the milk tea intermittently, his other foot was also bare, and he was curled up in the seat. Wrapped in the fluffy blanket, he looked even more like a large ball of fluff.

He was just too listless.

Xie Yuzhan brought up future plans, trying to distract Bai Zhi. “I understand you don’t want to give up halfway, but Zhi Zhi, there will be many different competitions in the future. How about resting first? Competing requires standing for long periods, which will be a great test for your foot.”

“No way.”

Bai Zhi refused without hesitation. His drooping ears instantly perked up. He insisted, “I love this! I’m halfway through; it would be a shame to give up now. I’m not that delicate. I’ll rest tonight, and I’ll be fine tomorrow morning!”

“Oh—”

Xie Yuzhan drew out the sound, looking at Bai Zhi’s still-moist eyes. He asked, feigning confusion, “Who was just crying with a face full of tears? Hmm? Crybaby Zhi Zhi, being stubborn isn’t a good habit.”

But it was very cute.

That stubborn look when he glanced up, and the curve of his lips when he pressed them together, were so adorable they were worth a cargo ship full of candy.

Of course, this didn’t change his mind. Withdrawing from the competition and participating later was the best solution. There was no need to endure discomfort to persist. A poor state would greatly affect his performance.

Bai Zhi bit down on the milk tea straw and ground his teeth, muttering softly, “I cried because it hurt, but it won’t hurt forever. Once I’m done crying, I’ll go back to what I was doing.”

Xie Yuzhan knew his suggestion had been futile.

He couldn’t persuade Bai Zhi at all. The young man possessed the most delicate and beautiful face, a slender and lean physique, but also the most resolute mind. He was opinionated and very persistent, which was precisely his most precious quality.

He was the person who could move him.

His gaze held a gentle smile, even a sense of shared pride. “Then we’ll do as you wish. Leave the rest to me.”

Bai Zhi looked over, puzzled. “The rest?”

Xie Yuzhan reached out and ruffled Bai Zhi’s hair, keeping a slight mystery. “I asked Uncle Zheng to prepare something. You’ll see it tonight. It’s very practical.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes lit up. Whatever it was, he had confidence in Xie Yuzhan’s taste. But what he saw with his own eyes still exceeded his expectations.

It was a pair of fluffy, winter rabbit-ear flip-flops!

And a pair of thick, soft, loose-fitting split-toe knitted socks!

Under Xie Yuzhan’s urging, he tried on the shoes and socks. And honestly, they were perfect! The scalded area wasn’t rubbed at all. They were comfortable, good-looking, soft, and very warm.

He looked at his feet, then at Xie Yuzhan. The thought of such an elegant and dignified person preparing these fluffy items for him made him laugh uncontrollably. It was incredibly heartwarming.

His mood instantly improved.

He finally managed to stop laughing, cleared his throat, and winked at Xie Yuzhan. “Thank you. Yuzhan Gege is the most thoughtful! I will do my best.”

Xie Yuzhan watched Bai Zhi, feeling as if the little stars in his eyes had jumped onto his head with that wink… Perhaps the young man’s smile was too bright, causing him to have such an illusion.

He messed up Bai Zhi’s hair, watching him squint his eyes. “Just do your best.”

“Mhm!”

Bai Zhi participated in the competition mostly out of interest; winning was a bonus. All he could do was take it seriously and do his utmost.

The result was unexpected: he was one of the three gold medal winners.

Wow!

He instinctively looked toward Xie Yuzhan in the VIP section, flashing him a bright, brilliant smile. His chin was slightly raised, showing a hint of pride. The little rabbit was amazing!

And Mr. Wolf gave him an approving smile and generous applause, which made him happier than the gold medal itself.

The chef he had met through his small act of kindness won the silver medal. The two celebrated with a hug. Although the process had its twists and turns, the result was perfect.

They got along very well and continued chatting excitedly after the subsequent award ceremony, discussing everything from vegetarian cuisine to future plans.

He was only jolted back to reality when an arm wrapped around his shoulder from behind.

He turned to look at Xie Yuzhan, intending to greet him, but the words caught in his throat.

CEO Xie had seemed fine just a moment ago. What was wrong now?

He looked like he had eaten an unripe lime and was suffering from the bitterness. How had he provoked him?