Chapter 41: Will It Hurt If I Hold You…

Chapter 41: Will It Hurt If I Hold You…

Moonlight fell into the irregular cedar forest, turning the silver light into a faint misty blue. Each plant seemed coated with a layer of frosted glass, losing its shine but retaining its texture.

The time just before dawn, a battle between light and dark, all things become witnesses, holding their breath in tension. That's why people feel oppressed and breathless.

The rabbit, having piled up leaves and twigs, now saw them scattered into disarray by his own movements. He knelt on the ground, hands propping him up, motionless as he stared in the direction of the sound.

"Is that Yiyang?"

Le Yan murmured, questioning himself. Uncertain, even if he asked, he wouldn't be sure.

Le Yan's heart was racing, his limbs tingling persistently, arms trembling as they supported him. He was covered in goosebumps, not only his hair standing on end but also the sharp, smart hairs on his rabbit ears taut... All signs indicating he was in a state of extreme panic and unease.

In such a state, hallucinations are common. Now with four ears, he was even more prone to hearing things. Since rolling down the greenery, he had heard Yiyang's voice more than once.

Each time Le Yan followed the voice, it ended in disappointment.

"Le Le——"

The mountain wind brought the call again.

"The rabbit's ears on top of his head trembled lightly, like antennas receiving signals. He straightened his back and crawled forward a few small steps, 'It’s Yi Yang…'"

"'Le Le, respond to me if you hear me—' Yi Yang had walked deep into the area, his echoing voice startling the mountain birds into flight, their wingbeats resonating in the mountains."

"It was early autumn, and the dampness in the cedar forest was heavy, the cool breeze lifting fallen leaves prickled the skin. Yi Yang, with his good physical condition and adequate clothing, didn’t feel too warm despite the walk. If Le Yan were in these mountains, injured and cold, 'pitiful' would hardly describe his state."

"Le Yan's ears twitched, his eyes widened, and he quickly scrambled up, 'Yi Yang, I’m here—ouch…'"

"The rabbit tripped over the twigs he dragged along, falling hard. His torn pajamas hardly covered anything, and his chest was scratched by sharp twigs, drawing lines of blood. Struggling to get up, he kicked away the obstructive twigs, fearing that the wandering flashlight beam and the familiar, comforting voice would disappear."

"'I’m here, Yi Yang, right here!'"

"Le Yan finally saw a person. His mouth twitched, and he didn’t know why, but instead of sweat rolling down from his forehead, tears came first from his eyes."

"All the grievances seemed to have been saved up, only to be automatically retrieved in front of a specific person. The night's accumulated grievances were too thick to cry through in time."

"The rabbit stood still, feeling that no other rabbit turned human could be more pitiable than him. His shoes were gone, and his clothes, torn by the harsh friction, hung in tattered pieces over his body."

"So, that's how much pain he was in."

"His head ached, his shoulders, arms, and even his ten fingers felt as if they were lying on pins. His legs were numb and no longer felt like his own."

"The rabbit had trouble walking steadily, wondering if his bones were broken…"

"Le Yan lifted his bright eyes, filled with confusion and grievance, locking gaze with the man drawing closer."

"He reached out, finally touching Yi Yang."

"Just a few centimeters apart, Yi Yang stopped advancing, the flashlight rolling on the ground, illuminating an unknown corner."

"'Yi Yang...' Le Yan was still unsure whether this person was real or an illusion. He raised his hand and gently touched the man's face. As his fingertips brushed the warm skin, his heart skipped a beat."

"Le Yan cautiously moved closer, 'It's really Yi Yang.'"

"'Le Le... where does it hurt? Tell me, does anywhere hurt?'"

"Yi Yang didn't dare to touch the rabbit directly. Despite the dim light, the sight of the blood on Le Yan's body was still striking. Blood covered his head, face, torso, and legs, making him look like a bloodied figure. If not for those blood-free rabbit ears, Yi Yang might have been startled by the sight."

The rabbit shook his head, reaching out to hug Yi Yang around the waist, like a disheveled, pitiful wanderer who had found a lifesaver, a shelter from the storm. Burrowing his hands, he muttered and greedily soaked in Yi Yang's scent and warmth, "Yi Yang, I've missed you so much."

"Tell me, where are you hurt? Will it hurt if I touch you...?" Yi Yang's voice was soft as the breeze, gently and slowly flowing out.

Lele is just a rabbit, so fragile that speaking too loudly might scare him to death...

"No, no injuries, just a little pain," Lele said, looking up at him. This time, even more unsure if it was an illusion, Yi Yang cried, a dampness beneath his eyes. As he lowered his head, that moisture slid down, warm to the touch.

Officer Yi wept, unclear whether it was from extreme joy or relief from a narrow escape...

Yi Yang's fingertips trembled as they brushed over the fur on the top of Lele's head, a spot without blood, the only place he felt safe to touch.

He felt Lele's body shivering. Or perhaps it was he who was the one trembling.

Lele moved his head, leaning towards the palm of his hand, squinting his eyes in response to his touch, "Yi Yang, are you crying?"

"No."

"Yes," Lele said, "Your voice, it's like that when you cry." The rabbit pressed his face against him, rubbing slightly, wiping away the warmth and wetness, "Yi Yang, don't cry..."

"I..." Yi Yang clenched his fist tightly, suppressing the overwhelming sense of fortune that was flooding out from within. It was only after he relaxed the most taut nerve from start to finish and finally took a deep breath that he felt the utter freedom of a fish swimming in the depths.

He thought the little rabbit was gone, thought he had misinterpreted Shen Qing's letter, thought he had failed to live up to expectations. He truly believed that the innocent rabbit, who photosynthesized when unhappy, had lost its life right under his watch...

"Lele, tell me, does it really hurt? Will it hurt if I hold you...?" Yi Yang's barely contained tears became increasingly apparent.

"The rabbit's nose involuntarily began to sting with acid, 'It doesn’t hurt, I'm not in pain... Yi Yang, don’t cry...'"

"Le Yan didn't know what to do; this was more distressing than anything he had lost that night."

"In Le Yan’s eyes, Yi Yang had always been like a towering tree, standing firm amidst the mountains, fearless. The rabbit felt more confident because of his strength."

"But now, seeing this unbreakable man suddenly acting like an ordinary person, scared, crying, trembling, the rabbit felt a huge psychological gap. Confused and heartbroken, he clumsily imitated what he knew, rubbing Yi Yang's back, 'It's okay, Yi Yang, don’t cry.'"

"'Silly rabbit.' Yi Yang took a deep breath, his chest heaving, seemingly smiling."

"'Yes...' Le Yan admitted, but only a little."

"Because after being tricked out of the hotel and into the car, he quickly realized something was wrong. He cleverly kept his wits about him, outmaneuvered his enemies, and even found a chance to escape..."

"Such intelligence and wit were not only rare among dwarf rabbits but among all rabbits!"

"But never mind that, Yi Yang was crying, so he let it be for now."

"Le Yan said, 'I really am too stupid, you won't find another as foolish as me.' He hugged Yi Yang and nuzzled against him, 'You can hold me however you want, it doesn’t hurt.'"

"Yi Yang would never listen to him though. He pushed Le Yan gently away, took off his jacket, and put it on the rabbit. He adjusted the drawstring of the hood to a comfortable fit and tied a knot. He bent down to pick up the flashlight from the ground. Its battery was almost dead, the brightest setting barely sufficient."

"'Don’t move, let me see.' Yi Yang bent down, starting with the rabbit's arms. Despite the blood, he couldn't find a single wound."

"Yi Yang looked puzzled as he gazed at the rabbit's face, streaked with blood. He expected to find a cut as he smeared away the blood with his fingertip, but there was no wound."

"Holding the flashlight, he avoided the rabbit's eyes and carefully checked other areas – the legs and the bare feet. Without exception, there was blood but no wounds."

"He suddenly remembered the first time in Yinge Mountain when Le Yan rolled down from the forest, his feet muddy and bloody, yet with no actual wounds. The blood seemed to appear out of nowhere, as if it didn't belong to the little rabbit."

"'Le Le, you...'"

"Le Yan looked up, 'Don’t wounds on you humans heal immediately?' Carefully showing his blood-stained body, he rubbed his hand and said in an innocent and aggrieved voice, 'The wounds heal by themselves, but there’s still a little bit of pain.'"

"'Healed already?' Yi Yang was astonished, meaning Le Yan was indeed hurt, but... it had already healed..."

"Le Yan nodded, 'Why are you making that face?' He mimicked Yi Yang's surprised and shocked expression, 'Isn’t that normal? Human wounds heal too, right?'"

"'Yes, they do heal, but...' Yi Yang let out a sigh, enveloping the little rabbit in his arms, relieved yet laughing as he explained, 'In humans, healing is a long process. It’s painful, and sometimes people die from blood loss before healing. Not all wounds can heal by themselves; it’s a longer process, and even if they heal, scars are often left.'"

"'I don't seem to have any scars...' Le Yan asked anxiously, 'Am I very strange?'"

"'No, not at all strange,' Yi Yang reassured, 'You are someone favored by the heavens, and nobody would find that strange.'"

"Le Yan lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes fluttering gently like fans, seemingly bashful."

"'Really?' the rabbit asked, 'But Yi Yang, you never find me strange either. I have ears and a tail, and you’ve never seen anyone like me before. But you treat it as normal. You don’t mind that I am a dwarf rabbit. You said I am favored by the heavens. You’re gentle like Teacher Shen’s hands. He favors me, and so do you. It's not the heavens that favor me, but you both.'"

"'Alright, I’ll carry you. Let’s go home,' Yi Yang’s voice softly reached the rabbit’s ears, tinged with tenderness."

"He happily accepted all of Le Yan’s assessments and saw no need to refute them. The rabbit’s feelings were always straightforward, clear about love and hate."

"Le Yan always maintained his innocence, even after just experiencing a life-threatening escape. He still managed to comfort others leisurely, broad-minded and not holding grudges. How could anyone bear to let such a rabbit suffer?"

"Yi Yang crouched down a bit, waiting for Le Yan to climb onto his back. He handed the flashlight to Le Yan to hold, 'Watch our steps, or we both might stumble.'"

"'Yes!' Le Yan agreed while swinging his legs, turning the flashlight on and off to test its brightness. With one arm around Yi Yang’s neck, he adjusted the flashlight, then leaned down, resting his body on Yi Yang’s shoulder."

"The rabbit wanted to talk to Yi Yang, so he asked, 'How did you find me so accurately? Was it because of telepathy?' Le Yan covered his chest, feeling his heartbeat, 'If that's the case, it's amazing. I want to learn that too.'"

"'Learn… telepathy?' Yi Yang tilted his head slightly, meeting Le Yan's eager face, a mix of helplessness and amusement in his voice, 'Let me think how to explain it to you.'"

"'Is it difficult?' Le Yan persisted, then firmly added, 'I want to learn it.'"

"Yi Yang: 'That term is akin to what we often call intuition, premonition, or sixth sense. It's a kind of magical transmission of thoughts and feelings. I don't think it can be learned as a skill.'"

"'Why not?'"

"Yi Yang: 'It’s something of mystical nature, exists if you believe, doesn't if you don't. It’s rather broad and subjective, or perhaps a kind of… superpower?'"

"'Ah...' Le Yan seemed to half-understand."

"'But actually, if you don’t think of it as a skill, just as a term, it can be very romantic.'"

"Le Yan tilted his head, lying on the back, only able to see Yi Yang’s profile. With curiosity in his dewy eyes, he asked, 'How is it romantic?'"

"'Human telepathy is often prefixed with love. The brain's activities produce electromagnetic waves, and sometimes these waves are perceived and received by others. Combined with the psychological concept of empathy, two people in love often understand each other without the need for the five senses. This kind of understanding is romantic and is also telepathy.'"

"Le Yan's eyes sparkled, 'That’s amazing!'"

"Yi Yang smiled, his eyes briefly showing affection. He quickened his pace, knowing that even if there were no wounds on the rabbit's body, a full check-up was still necessary as a precaution."

"Le Yan moved his head forward, his clear eyes full of a thirst for knowledge, pleadingly looking at Yi Yang."

"'What? Still want to learn?' Yi Yang stared into his beautiful eyes for a few seconds, 'Think carefully, once you learn, you won’t be a silly rabbit anymore, you'll evolve into a superstitious rabbit. Always muttering mystical chants.'"

"'Ah?' The rabbit was utterly confused, and to him, the incomprehensible often seemed advanced. He admired Yi Yang immensely, 'That sounds complicated. I'll learn it later.'"

"'You’re not allowed to learn.'"

Lele paused, then asked, "You mentioned love earlier. Telepathy between two people in love – what kind of love is this, and who are these two people?"

"Want to know?" Yi Yang teased him, "Call me Yi brother."

"Yi brother, Yang brother, Brother Yi Yang."

Lele's voice was soft, but each word was clear and firm.

Yi Yang, having made the request, found himself blushing at the call of the unabashed rabbit. He coughed, turned his face away to focus on the path, while explaining to the rabbit.

The love of family, the love of friends, the love between a man and a woman.

He said, love varies, yet it's also the same.

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Mini-drama aside:

The rabbit rummages through boxes and finds a cultivation diary: What a treasure!

Yi Yang ruthlessly snatches it away: This is getting more and more absurd, now you want to become immortal!

A few days later, the rabbit finds a Buddhist cultivation book: This—

Yi Yang doesn’t wait for him to open it, snatching it away instantly: What have I done to you that you want to become a monk?

The author laughs wildly: Who dares to say my writing is short and lacking now!