The Gentle Man Next Door is a Rabbit - 33

  

TGMNDIAR - 33

Ye Ye fell asleep.

He didn't get to drink Xu Mu's Rich Cocoa bubble tea. He made a fuss for a while, then shifted his attention.

Bai Nian was afraid Ye Ye would be too energetic after drinking bubble tea, so he gave him the only cup of caramel milk.

Ye Ye wasn't picky, as long as it was sweet, he would drink it.

Perhaps the milk helped him sleep, as he drank about half a cup, hugged his teddy bear, and lay on the sofa, looking drowsy.

Bai Nian covered Ye Ye with a blanket, let him play by himself, and said he would bathe him later.

The game collaboration merchandise all had exclusive lottery codes, which Bai Nian discovered first. He was quite excited and asked Xu Mu to scan them to see what they could win.

Xu Mu made a sound of acknowledgement and logged into the game account to start scanning the codes.

Luck wasn't on their side; several consecutive attempts resulted in "Thank you for participating."

Bai Nian comforted him, "It's okay, maybe we'll win the jackpot next time."

"How about you try, Brother Nian?" Xu Mu whispered, "Only those outside the industry who spend money have golden fingers."

Bai Nian blinked, "Ah, is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll give it a try then." Bai Nian agreed eagerly, "Do I just press here?"

"Yes."

The screen flashed white, and special effects burst out.

Bai Nian glanced over, "Did you win something?"

"Limited return epic equipment..." Xu Mu murmured.

Bai Nian didn't quite understand, "Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, it's very good."

"Should I continue drawing?"

Xu Mu pushed the remaining merchandise towards Bai Nian.

Bai Nian chuckled, "Okay."

Next, various dazzling special effects appeared, with ridiculously high drop rates.

Xu Mu: "..." He felt a pang of envy.

"That's impressive," he said, "If it were my luck, I'd probably have to spend several times the money to get anything."

"It's okay, I'll pass my good luck on to you." Bai Nian smiled and held Xu Mu's hand, "Here, for the last draw, you try."

His slender finger gently rested on the back of Xu Mu's hand, his skin twice as pale as the hand beneath it. He aimed at the draw button and pressed it with force.

"Is it another jackpot?" Bai Nian's eyes lit up, and he looked at Xu Mu with a smile.

"..."

Xu Mu froze, feeling like his hand, which he wanted to withdraw, was as heavy as a thousand pounds, unable to move.

"Yes, it's a jackpot."

Bai Nian's smile deepened, "By the way, Ah Mu, there's a well-received movie recently released. Do you want to watch it together?"

Xu Mu's mouth moved, "Go out to watch?"

Watching a movie alone with Brother Nian...?

"It's up to you, but it's available on Star Net. I thought we could watch it at home tomorrow night. It's not as cold and it will be more comfortable."

"..."

"Ah Mu?" Bai Nian waved his hand in front of Xu Mu's eyes.

Xu Mu shifted his gaze away, "...Okay."

His heartbeat slightly accelerated, echoing in his eardrums.

Was he overthinking things? Actually, there was nothing wrong with watching a movie together, but...

"Daddy... bath..." Ye Ye mumbled, accompanied by a rustling sound.

He couldn't open his eyes, walking unsteadily, his little hand gripping Bai Nian's clothes.

"Okay, we'll bathe later." Bai Nian hugged Ye Ye and comforted him for a few moments.

Yeye's chubby face rubbed against his neck, obediently saying, "Hmm..."

...

"What's wrong?" After soothing Ye Ye, Bai Nian noticed Xu Mu's strange behavior as he kept his head down and remained silent.

"Are you feeling unwell?" He reached out to feel Xu Mu's forehead, but his temperature was normal.

Xu Mu suddenly stood up, "Since Ye Ye is sleepy, I'll go back too."

"Alright." Bai Nian unintentionally glanced at the table and reminded, "Ah Mu, you missed a few cards."

Xu Mu silently put the colored paper and holographic tickets into his bag, "Hmm, thanks Brother Nian."

"Why are you so polite..." Bai Nian couldn't help but ask, "Do you like these?"

"I do."

"I'm happy as long as you like them." Bai Nian turned on the hallway light, looking at Xu Mu with tender affection in his eyes.

Xu Mu felt flustered and took a few steps back, losing his balance and almost falling.

Bai Nian quickly supported him, "Are you okay?"

He was a bit worried, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Mu felt a bit embarrassed, "No, I was just a little careless."

"...Brother Nian, I'm leaving. Good night."

"Okay, good night."

Xu Mu stepped towards the automatic door and left, almost rushing out the door.

Bai Nian's hand was still hanging in the air, but Xu Mu was already gone.

What's going on... he pursed his lips. Tonight the young man was acting strange.

“Daddy…” Ye Ye called out in a sticky voice.

Bai Nian pushed aside his wandering thoughts, "Okay, I'm coming."

After busying himself for a while, he finally tucked Ye Ye into bed. Perhaps because he was tired, Ye Ye didn't even listen to a lullaby and fell asleep snoring loudly.

Bai Nian dimmed the bedside lamp and quietly left the room. He grabbed some fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Sparse white vapor surrounded him, and the water marks on the mirror and tiles blurred the outlines of objects. Bai Nian was absent-minded, thinking about the reasons behind Xu Mu's unusual behavior today.

Was he feeling unwell? Although his face showed no expression as usual, the atmospheric pressure was noticeably low...

Or maybe he didn't like the game merchandise? Was he upset because they didn't meet his expectations?

Or perhaps the gift was too sudden? Did he not like the way it was presented?

But he had agreed to watch a movie together tomorrow, it didn't seem like they were having a cold war.

Bai Nian pondered over many possibilities but couldn't find any clues.

He stared blankly at the water flowing from his fingertips, splashing onto the floor. Under the light, the dark tiles scattered with tiny specks like stars.

What should he do? They had just started dating, yet it seemed like he had already upset Xu Mu.

Bai Nian knew that the best way forward was to communicate with Xu Mu and address the issues, but he inexplicably felt hesitant. Perhaps it was better not to expose so many conflicts at the beginning. What if they ended up arguing?

He resisted the thought of this possibility and hoped it wouldn't happen.

Should he go see Xu Mu tonight? It shouldn't be a problem to be a bit clingy at the beginning of a relationship. What if Xu Mu found it annoying?

Bai Nian took a deep breath, his fair complexion tinged pink from the steamy water, his eyes glistening. He bit his tongue, feeling a slight pain.

Or maybe he should transform into his mimicry? After all, their most significant interaction during this period had been through his transformation. Xu Mu seemed more proactive when facing his mimicry. 

Usually, there didn't seem to be much change in Xu Mu's demeanor, he was always calm and composed, while Bai Nian found himself deeply immersed in the whirlpool of love. Of course, Xu Mu accepted his advances without resistance.

After much hesitation, Bai Nian finally made up his mind.

Okay, after showering, he will transform and head over.

Meanwhile, Xu Mu returned home and did nothing but stare into space. After about half an hour of fruitless pondering, he decided to stop thinking and clear his mind with a shower.

"Watching a movie..." Xu Mu closed his eyes as the hot water streamed over his head. The foam flowed down, and he wiped his face, taking a deep breath.

He seemed to have forgotten to ask what movie they were going to watch.

…

At the entrance

"Mr. Bai?" Nades opened the door, looking down and speaking to the floppy-eared rabbit, "Are you looking for my master? He's taking a shower right now."

Bai Nian had already transformed into his mimicry form, and he agilely leaped through the automatic door.

He nodded, indicating that he understood.

"Shall I take you to his room to wait?" Nades suggested.

Bai Nian hesitated.

"It's okay, master will be very happy to see you." Nades reassured him.

Bai Nian blinked and followed Nades.

Although he knew the way, he still followed along.

...

After finishing his shower, Xu Mu's hair was damp, and a water droplet slid down his chin. He casually draped a towel over his head, not rushing to dry it, but instead went to his computer and opened the downloaded study materials.

He had too much free time, which led him to think about all sorts of random things.

He wanted to fill his mind with knowledge!

"...Strange, where's the previous draft? I was halfway through drawing, did I forget to save it?"

Xu Mu frowned, hastily dried his hair, and then crawled into bed, staring intently at the screen.

His fingers flew over the keyboard as he searched through the system's cloud storage directory.

Phew, it was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, it would have been a waste of effort.

Huh? What's this?

Xu Mu noticed something furry at the foot of his bed, it was something warm.

His initial reaction was confusion. Wasn't his plush rabbit supposed to be out on the balcony drying? How did it end up on his bed?

But the next second, he realized that the texture was off.

Xu Mu picked up the unfamiliar object, his eyebrows raised in surprise—-

"Tutu?" 

Bai Nian: "..." He covered his face with his hands and quietly covered his ears in front.

Originally, he wanted to wait for the young man at the bedside, but when the other party came over and didn't see him, he swept him under the quilt.

He felt embarrassed, so he didn't make a sound and wanted to try to come out on his own.

Xu Mu held the plush rabbit in his arms, absentmindedly rubbing its head. "When did you come here?" He guessed the rabbit must have climbed through the window again.

Bai Nian remained silent, burying his face into Xu Mu's chest.

Xu Mu's heart softened as he gently spoke, "So adorable... Did you come to see me? Can I give you a kiss? Is that okay?" 

He first nuzzled his cheek against the rabbit's neck, then brought his lips close to its face, gently touching it.

Bai Nian trembled slightly, not moving, his hands tucked into his stomach, feeling a bit shy.

Sure enough, whenever they interacted through his mimicry, the young man became extremely proactive.

"So good. Let me kiss you some more..." Xu Mu murmured softly, his nose nuzzling into the plush fur, kissing even more intensely, not missing any spot, from the head, ears, cheeks, to the neck, he planted kisses repeatedly.

His hands were not idle either, freely kneading the plush rabbit's back, his fingertips combing through the inner fluff, rubbing it’s fur in circles.

So comfortable... Xu Mu couldn't help himself. He bit down on the rabbit's ear, gave it a gentle nibble, then continued kissing and stroking along its fur.

So soft, like marshmallows, the more he kneaded, the more comfortable it felt.

With a sigh, Xu Mu realized that the plush rabbit had become increasingly obedient, letting him kiss and hug it without any sign of annoyance.

Perhaps it was because they had become familiar with each other.

The curve of Xu Mu's lips couldn't be suppressed. He felt extremely pleased, accompanied by a subtle sense of satisfaction.

— To the unknown owner of this lop-eared rabbit, do you know that your rabbit is being so affectionate towards me?

For the first time, Xu Mu experienced the excitement and thrill similar to "having an affair".

No wonder the lovers in TV dramas always looked so arrogant. This feeling was indeed a bit intoxicating...

Wait, no, how could he think like this?

He just wanted to rua a rabbit after all!

Xu Mu reflected for a second, then continued kissing the rabbit.

He didn't care anymore. Kissing it was like hitting the jackpot.

"Tutu, I'm going to kiss your belly," Xu Mu whispered, pressing his face against its stomach tentatively.

Great, no resistance.

Xu Mu completely let go of his scruples and kissed the rabbit like crazy.

Ah, indeed, the belly was the softest, so warm and cozy.

He held the plush rabbit's back with one hand, his palm gently rubbed, fingertips lightly touched, while the other hand explored everywhere. First, he held its soft paws, squeezed them, then rubbed its ears, scratched along the contours, occasionally grabbing its tail, forming a perfect fluffy ball in his hand.

He gently scratched its belly, fingertips caressing, even massaging its bottom, the soft fur brushing against his palm, making it fleshy and elastic.

"So good Tutu..." Xu Mu chuckled softly.

Bai Nian's limbs went limp, already lying in the palm of the other person's hand, unable to support himself. His body trembled faintly, even his bones felt numb.

The other person touched everywhere, with a gentle strength that didn't hurt but was incredibly itchy. He felt a bit distracted, curling up involuntarily.

Xu Mu buried his face in the plush rabbit's belly, taking a deep breath. "You smell so good... Did you take a bath again?"

"It smells so good..." He sniffed obsessively, feeling relaxed and comfortable. It must be very comfortable to sleep with, right?

Bai Nian barely heard him, taking a bath...?

He felt a bit embarrassed, covering his eyes with his ears, pretending not to see or hear the question.

After all, if he agreed, it would seem like he was deliberately offering himself to the other person...

Just thinking about it made him feel ashamed to the core.

Xu Mu kissed the plush rabbit all over, then contentedly held it, lying back on the pillow, emptying his mind—

Who would understand? Kissing a rabbit was so addictive, it felt like purifying his soul, a sensation of being reborn.

If heaven allowed him to kiss rabbits for a lifetime, he would be willing to go to hell in the next life.

Xu Mu placed the plush rabbit next to his neck, closing his eyes and leaning against it.

A moving heater for the winter.

"Tutu, you're so warm..." Xu Mu kissed its head again. "But, aren’t you shedding a bit?"

He grabbed some tissues from the bedside and spat out the mouthful of fur.

Bai Nian: "..."

"Hiss!" Xu Mu's face was beaten hard, his face scratched by the other's claws. "Okay, okay, I was just kidding."

He quickly hugged the plush rabbit again, coaxing and kissing it.

Bai Nian didn't have much strength left, flopping weakly into his arms.

Every time the other person interacted with his mimicry, he was much sweeter and warmer than usual.

Was it because he was shy? He was more bold in facing his mimicry...

No, that's not it. Bai Nian glanced over, the young man had always been bold.

He's just more unrestrained now.

"I've been playing with you for so long, I don't feel like studying anymore..." Xu Mu murmured, "Can I just keep holding you?"

Not studying?

That won't do. Bai Nian immediately turned his head and jumped onto Xu Mu's chest, patting his face with his hands.

Get up, hurry up and study!

Thinking the plush rabbit was playing with him, Xu Mu lifted it up, placing it on his neck and then began rubbing it’s face.

Bai Nian was caught off guard and didn't react in time and ended up being manipulated like this.

Xu Mu! What are you doing?

He kicked Xu Mu in embarrassment.

Xu Mu squinted, then placed the plush rabbit back on his face, burying his nose in its fluffy belly.

Bai Nian: "..."

He couldn't believe it and couldn't help but kick him a few more times.

Xu Mu tilted his head back, his Adam's apple moving slightly.

Ah, being stepped on feels so comfortable.

Bai Nian fell silent.

To think he was enjoying it... he reluctantly stopped, realizing he had underestimated the young man's preversion.

"Not stepping anymore?" Xu Mu lazily asked.

"..."

"Alright." Xu Mu regretfully put the plush rabbit back into his arms. "Let's start studying."

Bai Nian leaned against Xu Mu's chest, right where his heart was, thumping strongly and powerfully.

He heard the sound of the other person speaking, causing his chest to vibrate and his eardrums to buzz.

"Accompany me to draw... Tutu."

Bai Nian didn't struggle, he just shifted to lean against Xu Mu's back.

Xu Mu smiled. "Do you want to watch too?"

Bai Nian looked up, curious to see what Xu Mu was drawing.

Thinking the plush rabbit was curious, Xu Mu showed it to him.

Bai Nian glanced over and his expression turned serious.

He jumped up, stepping on Xu Mu's shoulder and lightly patting his cheek—

How did you learn? How could you get such a simple perspective wrong?

Xu Mu was puzzled, tilting his head slightly. He didn't do anything wrong, did he?

Why was the rabbit kicking him again?

Bai Nian also tapped on the board and glared at him.

What are you staring at! This part is wrong!

Xu Mu held the plush rabbit's paw. "Be gentle, don't hit it too hard."

Bai Nian: "..."

Xu Mu leaned down to kiss the plush rabbit's paw, then kissed its foot.

Bai Nian was a bit annoyed. Kissing the hand was one thing, but why the foot too!

Xu Mu thought the plush rabbit was shy because of the kisses, so he stopped and continued drawing. Because the plush rabbit kept tapping on the lower left corner of the board, he instinctively took another look—

It seemed he had made a mistake.

Xu Mu adjusted his drawing immediately.

Bai Nian felt relieved to see that Xu Mu had finally noticed the problem. He continued watching Xu Mu draw, tapping the board each time there was an issue, feeling somewhat frustrated:

The dashed lines and solid lines are mixed up!

How careless, how could the dimensions be wrong?

Such wild ideas... but the structure won't hold up. Well, he's still learning, so it's forgivable.

Read the question properly! They asked for three underground ventilation openings, you can't ignore that just because it's not common!

...

Xu Mu noticed a pattern: every time the plush rabbit tapped the board, there happened to be a mistake in the drawing.

Was it a coincidence? He pondered slowly, thinking it was possible.

If it wasn't a coincidence, could it be that the plush rabbit was his lucky charm for architecture?

—--Next time, he will bring Tutu to the exam, and he won't have to worry anymore.

Bai Nian felt a pang of anxiety at first, but as he continued watching, he gradually felt better. The young man's studying seemed to be improving, as he didn't make the same small mistakes again.

Satisfied, Bai Nian nodded and relaxed back onto the bed.

Seeing that the plush rabbit had stopped fussing, Xu Mu thought it might be tired, so he shifted it to a more comfortable position—his knee. With one hand supporting the plush rabbit, and the other holding the pen to draw, the only sound in the room was the rhythmic tapping of the pen against the board.

From Bai Nian's perspective, he could see half of Xu Mu's face, with his slightly lowered eyelashes, sharp jawline, and prominent Adam's apple. The shifting shadows cast by the flickering light added an extra layer of allure to his features.

Mesmerized, Bai Nian unconsciously used his tail to brush against Xu Mu's wrist. 

Xu Mu felt it’s smooth fur, and gently scratched under the plush rabbit's chin.

Bai Nian melted into Xu Mu's hand, his ears trembling softly. While Xu Mu remained focused on the drawing, whenever he encountered a challenge, his hand resting on the plush rabbit would subconsciously move, as if kneading a stress ball, providing a comforting sensation.

He didn't notice that the plush rabbit was trembling like a sieve. 

Bai Nian tried his best to avoid it, but Xu Mu's hand was incredibly nimble, continuously scratching his belly, sending shivers down his spine.

Finally, the hand stopped moving. Xu Mu finished the drawing and checked the time. He still had enough time to watch a high-quality lecture.

Putting one earphone in his right ear, he leaned against the headboard to listen to the lecture while placing the plush rabbit in the crook of his arm. With one hand stroking its back and the other scratching its belly, he kept his eyes on the screen without missing a beat.

Bai Nian arched his back, shuddering as a sharp tingling sensation overwhelmed him, making his mind feel fuzzy and his reactions sluggish.

No, he had to push the young man away. If this continued...

The high-quality lecture was delivered by the same old professor as last time—slow-paced but thorough. Whenever Xu Mu encountered something he didn't understand, he would skip ahead a bit.

After focusing for a while, he finally grasped the content. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and his hand became more nimble again.

Bai Nian felt dazed. The narrow space of Xu Mu's arm, the dim light, and the warmth from the surrounding cotton and heater made it feel like his blood was boiling.

His hands circled around, skimming over every part of his body with light touches, yet causing ripples.

He trembled even more violently.

As the video approached its end, the old professor had basically covered all the knowledge and began chatting with the students. Xu Mu had originally intended to close it, but then he heard a key phrase—

"...Yes, I had a very talented student before, who won the Bescay Gold Award for design in his junior year... Who? I showed you his photo last time. Ah, I see some of you mentioned his name. Yes, it's Bai Nian... Have you looked up his work? It's excellent... Haha, if any of you become teachers in the future and happen to meet an exceptionally talented student, you'll want to remember his name for the rest of your life..."

Xu Mu listened intently, even more focused than during the lecture.

The old professor talked proudly, he was clearly fond of his accomplished disciple.

The more Xu Mu listened, the more fascinated he became, his hands clenching tighter. There was only one thought in his mind: "Brother Nian... “ he's really amazing.

Suddenly, a short, sharp cry rang out.

It came from the lop-eared rabbit.

Xu Mu paused, feeling something a bit sticky between his fingers. His immediate reaction was that the rabbit was startled, so he quickly picked it up, wrapped it in a blanket, and asked softly, "Tutu, what's wrong?"

The lop-eared rabbit remained silent.

Xu Mu checked the blanket again but found nothing wrong. He carefully peeled back the blanket and sniffed gently, detecting no unusual odor.

Xu Mu pondered for a moment, realizing it might not be what he initially thought...

Bai Nian felt a bit desperate, feeling embarrassed. How could he... 

He remembered that moment when the other suddenly called his name.

Embarrassment and shame flooded his heart.

"Nades, please bring a basin of warm water," Xu Mu instructed.

A few seconds later, Nades voice came from outside.

"Okay, Master."

"And bring a towel, a comb, and a piece of unscented natural soap," Xu Mu added.

"Understood, Master."

Xu Mu removed his earphones, and the screen automatically dimmed. Then, he adjusted the lighting and increased the room temperature.

Throughout the process, his expression remained calm, showing no signs of surprise.

Bai Nian also heard the movement and cautiously stole a glance. He widened his eyes abruptly. 

What was Xu Mu doing?!

Xu Mu lowered his gaze, his nose twitching as he sniffed the clear liquid.

"Master, should I leave the basin inside or outside?" Nades asked cautiously.

"Bring it over here," Xu Mu replied.

"Okay." Nades carried the items and stood respectfully to the side.

"Thank you for your hard work..." Xu Mu paused. "Why did you add rose petals to the basin?"

"It's romantic, my dear Master," Nades said with emphasis.

“...” Was he seriously ill? He just wanted to groom the rabbit.

"Do you need me to stay?" Nades inquired.

Xu Mu's mouth twitched. "You can leave."

"Understood, Master."

Click— the automatic door closed.

Xu Mu brought the basin of warm water over, steam rising faintly, and the light scent of roses masking the subtle hint of musk.

"Tutu, I'll help you groom your fur," Xu Mu offered.

Bai Nian refused, turning his back.

Xu Mu paused, contemplating for a moment. "Or would you prefer to do it yourself?"

The rabbit moved slightly.

It understood? Xu Mu thought, Oh, it's quite shy.

He sat on a chair, head lowered. "Here, do it yourself."

A few minutes later, Xu Mu heard the sound of the basin being moved. When all was quiet again, he turned around.

There was no sign of the rabbit.

Xu Mu was startled, then glanced towards the half-opened window.

Only a gentle breeze remained.

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