Chapter 46: It’s Warmer When Two People Sleep Together

Chapter 46: It's Warmer When Two People Sleep Together

In three days, everything was ready both online and offline. Yi Yang had something important to discuss with Le Yan, who, due to a question posed by Yi Yang, pondered all day whether a romantic relationship between two men could indeed exist.

He went online, diligently researched various resources, added many new friends, and ultimately discovered a new world.

It turns out that two men can absolutely be in a romantic relationship, and not just men, but women too!

This is called freedom of sexual orientation.

Such freedom! What about rabbits and humans? Is that possible?

No, no, that's crossing species...

The rabbit, lying on the bed, scoured all channels and cleverly bought a video evidence of two men in a romantic relationship for two yuan and fifty cents from a netizen.

The video's disclaimer read: "Viewers under eighteen prohibited. Caution advised when opening, and ensure you are alone if necessary."

So professional, so meticulous!

With the same meticulousness, Le Yan pulled out his ID card, silently counted the days, and confirmed he was legally over eighteen before affirming he was alone.

He placed his phone on the pillow, sat cross-legged, and watched with the solemnity of a prayer.

The rabbit took a deep breath, fully prepared, just short of clicking the play button.

Suddenly, with a click, the door opened from the outside. Le Yan was in his own room and had locked the door, yet Yi Yang entered without any hindrance!

The rabbit, refusing to believe he was negligent, looked down and saw a bunch of keys in Yi Yang's hand... Since the video was to be watched alone, he turned off the screen, lay back, and flattened himself.

"Oh, you're being good today, sleeping by yourself?" Yi Yang sat on the bed, stretched one leg onto it, pulled a pillow to support his back, leaned against the nightstand, and patted the empty space in his arms. Hearing the noise, Le Yan slowly moved over and, after rolling twice, perfectly landed in Yi Yang's embrace.

"Do you want to sleep with me?" Le Yan knew, Yi Yang had a habit of holding something while sleeping, just as he liked being held.

"Yes, it's cold now, it's warmer when two people sleep together."

Dressed in a deep green pajama, Le Yan looked several shades fairer. Everything was fine, except for his misaligned buttons. Yi Yang undid them one by one, only to see two red marks on his chest, not like scratch wounds, so he gently touched them with his fingertip and asked, "What happened, did you scratch yourself?"

"'The showerhead went haywire, spraying water violently and fell on me.' Le Yan rubbed the spot himself. There was blood at the time, but the scar has faded a lot now."

"'That’s a water pressure issue,' Yi Yang symbolically leaned down to blow on it, then re-buttoned his pajamas in the correct order. He pinched Le Yan’s cheek playfully as usual, asking, 'Le Le, do you want to go back to Jiangbei? The zoo interview is coming up.'"

"'I want to go back.' Le Yan placed his leg over Yi Yang’s, excited at the thought of returning to Jiangbei, dreaming, 'If I pass the zoo interview, I can have a regular job, just like you, busy with things, right?'"

"'Right, and this time when we go back, Le Yan doesn’t have to be so cautious, you can be yourself however you want.'"

"'What about my ears?'"

"Hmm..." Yi Yang said with precision, "If your ears are stable enough, you won't need to wear a hat."

"But my ears aren’t that stable," Le Yan sighed quietly, rubbing his chin closer, inhaling a pleasant fragrance. Yi Yang had just showered, smelling fresh all over. The rabbit snuggled closer, sniffing intensely, "Wearing a hat is fine too, I’m used to it."

Yi Yang felt his chest warm up from Le Yan’s face rubbing against him, and he sternly pulled away, not allowing more cuddles, "First, tell me, do you want to live openly and freely in the future?"

"Yes."

"Even if it means a bit of hardship?" Yi Yang gestured with his fingers to give Le Yan some idea of the degree of difficulty involved.

Le Yan eyed the distance between Yi Yang's fingers, weighing the cost and benefit. After hesitating for a few seconds, he nodded, "Yes, I do."

"Okay."

Yi Yang took Le Le from the guest room to his bedroom. Instead of changing pajamas, he installed a listening device inside the front lapel and placed locators at the waist, cuffs, and the back of the collar.

Yi Yang explained, "Someone might take you in a car like they did that night, possibly to the research institute. But this time, Le Le, there’s no need to be scared. We have many people backing you up. Once we capture those conducting illegal experiments, you won't have to be afraid anymore."

Hearing 'research institute,' Le Yan was petrified, his face turning ashen.

Yi Yang shook him slightly, "Didn’t understand?"

"I don't want to go to the research institute..." Le Yan protested softly, "I won't go..."

Yi Yang anticipated this reaction, continuing patiently, "Even if you go, it won't be for long. We'll be there too. Do you think I would let anything happen to you?"

"No, you won't."

"Right, I won't let anything happen to you. Rather than let them scare you every now and then, it's better to end their hopes in one go. Le Le, you just need to go with them once, and our job is to get evidence of their illegal experiments. Once we have that, we've succeeded."

Le Yan remained skeptical. If anyone else said these words, they would sound like empty promises, but the person in front of him was indeed the most trustworthy Yi Yang, "So, is this what you've been busy with these past few days?"

"More or less. I thought about other methods, but without you, they won't expose themselves easily. Le Le, I know you're scared now, and I understand and hate to put you through this. But I thought it over, and it's better to be scared once than to live in fear every day, right?"

"Right…" Le Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, nervously opening and closing his feet, as if his rabbit ears, if present, would have been standing erect. Le Yan asked, "So, I just need to sleep here and wait, but what about you?"

"I will receive a phone call, then leave."

"Leave…" Le Yan fell silent again, this silence laden with more anxiety than before, facing it alone was too frightening for the rabbit…

Yi Yang, fearing his silence, rubbed his shoulders, explaining, "I will leave, but I won’t really be gone. I'll be nearby, secretly accompanying you."

The rabbit felt like crying, slumping over, curling up by the pillow, hands tucked in front, not even wanting to spare Yi Yang a glance.

Even the smartest rabbit at heart is still timid. But if it meant only being scared this one time to be worry-free in the future, Le Yan felt he could endure it.

"I'm going to sleep now, you can leave if you want." Le Yan said with his eyes closed, resigned as if accepting his fate, his fluttering eyelashes belying any intention of sleeping.

Yi Yang felt a bitter ache in his heart, having seen Le Yan suffer once, he couldn't bear to let him go through it again. If he could, he would willingly take Le Yan’s place, but unfortunately, they bore no resemblance in shape or appearance.

"Le Le." Yi Yang called out to him, pulling up the blanket and embracing him along with it, "Le Le, more than anyone, I wish for your safety. Will you trust me this time?"

"I trust you," Le Yan sincerely replied.

"Then smile for me."

"Ha ha." Le Yan obediently complies, forcing a grin and squinting his eyes, performing a smile for him.

Yi Yang feels even more troubled, pinching Le Yan's chin and looking at his sweet, pretty face. He pauses for a few seconds before planting a kiss on the rabbit's lips, a gentle and lingering kiss, unlike the quick pecks of the past. It's a kiss filled with affection and desire.

The rabbit struggles to breathe for a few seconds, and Yi Yang quickly withdraws, still cradling his face. "Le Le, have you thought about the question I asked you?"

"I have." Le Yan licks his lips, his heart racing uncontrollably. "Just a little more to go."

He needs to watch the video first to give Yi Yang a precise and thoughtful answer.

Yi Yang, relieved, says, "Cooperate with me this time, and I'll agree to whatever you say afterward. How about that?"

"Agree to everything?" Le Yan won't be shy about it.

"Everything."

Once Yi Yang leaves, Le Yan turns off the lights and covers himself with the blanket, growing increasingly anxious as he waits alone.

He thought he would stay awake out of fear, but ironically, the opposite happened. He didn't know how he lost consciousness, only to wake up later in a moving car.

The only person on the bus that Yue Yan had met before was Yan Xing, the butler's son. They had spoken a few times in the garden and encountered each other in the living room.

Because Yue Yan was unusually quiet upon waking, compared to last time, Yan Xing turned to scrutinize him and asked, "R133?"

Yue Yan didn't respond, so Yan Xing called out again.

"What?" Yue Yan seemed to realize that 'R133' was referring to him. Knowing he was being bugged and that there were others besides Yi Yang listening, he was cautious about what to say and thus didn't acknowledge the nickname. "Yan Xing, why am I in your car?"

"Stop pretending, R133. You're that rabbit."

"No, I'm not." Yue Yan, short on words to deny further, felt a slight panic, although he knew everything was part of the plan and the likelihood of an accident was minimal. Still, he couldn't help sweating coldly.

The car's navigation wasn't displayed this time, leaving him unsure if they were headed to the research institute.

After several unpleasant conversations, Yue Yan couldn't hold up, or perhaps couldn't control himself, and fell asleep again. He felt he slept a long time, but woke still in the car.

The driver had changed to an older man wearing glasses, who looked kind when silent.

The car stopped in a dark forest, the tires crunching gravel, and the rabbit looked up to see a two-story building with lights on in the woods.

Yan Xing half-dragged him out of the car, slightly roughly, and said, "We're far from Yicheng, and the signal is bad in these deep woods. Don't think about running; we can't predict what wild animals might emerge from the forest."

"This is kidnapping!"

"Yes, it's kidnapping." Yan Xing, who normally looked gentle, seemed out of character with such harsh tones and reckless expressions.

"Does Butler Yan know about this?" Yue Yan asked.

"Stop talking about useless things. Whether my dad knows or not is none of your business!"

"Oh." He was so fierce that Yue Yan, afraid of being hit, backed down immediately.

This place was indeed remote. As soon as the rabbit got out of the car, the exposed skin on his hands and feet was bitten by mosquitoes, causing both pain and itchiness. He had to stop frequently to scratch, eventually causing several red welts to form.

"Where are we?" Yue Yan asked.

Yan Xing chuckled, "The laboratory. You should be familiar with it, R133."

"Why should I be familiar with a laboratory? And what does this 'R133' you keep mentioning mean? Is it some kind of code for communication? I don't understand..."

"You'll behave once we're inside." Yan Xing considered this trip a mission, his main goal to deliver a living person. After that, he had no further role, pondering how much money he would make from it.

Suddenly, Yue Yan said, "According to Article 239 of the Criminal Law, kidnapping someone for ransom or as a hostage is punishable by ten years or more in prison or life imprisonment, and may include a fine or confiscation of property..."

"Shut up, did I ask you to tell me that?" Yan Xing didn't want his mood spoiled.

"Oh." Yue Yan's intelligence found no use for the first time...

The rabbit's ears were extremely sensitive, and now, besides their footsteps, he heard nothing else. Yue Yan was anxious, wondering if Yi Yang had followed them or lost track...

At his most anxious, he discovered that the group was leading him underground. The brightly lit two-story building was a decoy; the real core was underground...

Every laboratory researching rabbits was similar, with a distinct scent of experimental reagents detectable only to sensitive rabbits. As they descended in the elevator, this pungent smell wafted in through the gaps, familiar to Yue Yan, who kept swallowing saliva.

It felt like returning to the underground laboratory in Yin Ge Mountain, giving Yue Yan the illusion that he had never truly escaped.

Instinctively, a rabbit should struggle fiercely to escape such an unsettling environment, but Yi Yang's words still echoed in his ears, and he had to follow the plan and obediently go to the laboratory.

The elevator doors opened, and several people in white lab coats were waiting at the entrance. Yue Yan immediately spotted Dr. Zhou and his students, including the girl who had given him a bottle of water at Yin Ge Mountain, wearing goggles. She clearly remembered Yue Yan too, her face showing surprise.

"Finally here, everyone get ready, let's start."

Start what?

Ready to start what?

The rabbit maintained a calm facade but was actually too frightened to speak or resist. He was pushed onto a slick, white bed and restrained by straps on his limbs. As he lay down, he coughed several times, his complexion gradually turning pale and ashen.

"Yi Yang..." he whispered softly, seeing someone preparing to inject him, possibly with an anesthetic or something else. The needle released gas before finally spraying out a liquid, which made tears stream down his face.

"Wait, someone's followed us!" someone shouted. All the researchers instinctively paused their actions as the voice continued, "There are police, Yan Xing, you’re seeking death by bringing them here!"

"How is that possible? Impossible! I deliberately avoided..." Yan Xing was utterly bewildered, eventually turning his suspicion towards Yue Yan, "Was it you?"

Yue Yan was busy choking back sobs, ignoring the others.

He heard several complaints, then the violent sound of doors being kicked in, police sirens, and announcements of being surrounded. Everyone in the laboratory worked in unison, burning documents in a race against time.

Tied up, Yue Yan could do nothing but watch as a wall of fire rose before him. Just like before the explosion in the underground lab at Yin Ge Mountain, it had started with a fire...

The rabbit's brain began to suffer from lack of oxygen, and he could no longer hear anything, only the rising flames threatening to engulf him.

"Le Le!" Yi Yang burst in, wrapped in a drenched coat, only to find a small white rabbit sprawled out on the bed.

Tiny, perhaps no bigger than a palm, with those familiar pink, pointed ears - it was Yue Yan...

Hearing the familiar voice, the rabbit's eyes shot open. He scrambled up, whimpering and spinning in place, then froze in shock at his own voice and appearance, before collapsing back onto the bed.

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Rabbit: It's over, it's really over.

Yi Yang cradled the rabbit in his palm: Such a tiny bundle?