Chapter 26
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Sui Yang’s strange obsession with taking care of the LEGO toy bunny appeared to be endless.
Xie Min couldn’t help but suspect if Sui Yang’s childhood had some undisclosed psychological shadow due to a missing companion toy.
When Xie Min woke up again, he found himself lying on Sui Yang’s desk, on a small bed made of soft towels, covered with a white scarf with floral patterns typically used by girls.
Xie Min pushed with his forelimbs, and the scarf slipped off his bunny body.
He looked at the pattern on the scarf and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have a hobby of buying this?”
Sui Yang, who was busy working, looked up and told him, “It was an extra that my secretary bought for Mother’s Day last year.”
Unsure of what to say, Xie Min sat up and noticed that Sui Yang had even made a small pillow for him using tissue paper.
Sui Yang probably noticed him looking and said, “Sleeping without a pillow isn’t comfortable, right?”
“Boring.” Xie Min didn’t bother talking to him anymore, feeling like it would lower his intelligence. He jumped off the towel bed and turned to look outside the window.
The heavy rain had stopped, but the sky remained gloomy, and Yuanguang was still wet.
“What time is it?” he asked Sui Yang.
“It’s half-past five,” Sui Yang told him, “You fell asleep while watching a movie just now.”
Xie Min had completely lost any impression and couldn’t remember at which point in the movie he fell asleep. He just knew he had slept deeply and responded to Sui Yang with a simple “Okay.”
Sui Yang looked at him for a few seconds and said, “I have to meet someone later. I don’t know when I’ll be back, so I won’t take you with me.”
Xie Min made a sound of agreement, “Hmm.”
“Where do you want to stay?” Sui Yang asked him, “Living room or bedroom?”
Xie Min, not fully awake, felt groggy and said, “Actually, it doesn’t matter. I’m still a little sleepy.”
“Then I’ll put you in the bedroom,” Sui Yang said, “I’ll help you turn on the TV.”
Around six o’clock, Sui Yang left the house.
Xie Min started watching a sitcom set in a soap opera scene, dozing off and waking up intermittently.
Time passed quickly. Xie Min couldn’t tell which time he opened his eyes, but he noticed Sui Yang had returned because the bedroom light was on. The overhead light was turned off, leaving only two wall lamps.
However, the television was still on, so he perked up his ears and faintly heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom.
After a short while, Sui Yang, with a towel wrapped around his waist, drying his hair, walked to the edge of Xie Min’s bed.
He looked down at Xie Min for a moment, reached out to pick up the remote control, paused the TV, and then leaned down, gently scratching Xie Min’s bunny ears.
He didn’t even dress properly, making Xie Min feel a bit uncomfortable. Xie Min closed his eyes, remained silent, and pretended to be asleep.
Fortunately, Sui Yang didn’t call out to Xie Min. He just stood there for a moment, then left the bedside, returned wearing a robe, and lay down on the bed again.
Xie Min had checked the time earlier and realized it was already 2 a.m. He had no idea what Sui Yang had been doing tonight to come back so late.
Sui Yang moved closer to Xie Min, and Xie Min saw Sui Yang’s face up close. He suspected that Sui Yang had been drinking because his gaze seemed somewhat hazy. Sui Yang extended his hand and placed it gently on the little bunny, like a blanket, but he remained silent, quietly observing the LEGO bunny.
Xie Min endured his hand acting as a blanket for a while but couldn’t help saying, “Sui Yang.”
Sui Yang paused for a moment, and Xie Min asked him, “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Sui Yang said.
“Have you been drinking too much?” Xie Min asked.
“Yes,” Sui Yang replied in a low voice, “but not too much.”
“Today, I met an old client from the company,” Sui Yang explained in detail, his tone natural. “He was the one who signed the first major contract with Yuanguang. It’s rare for him to visit Yuanguang and have some free time, so I went to pick him up and entertain him.”
A name floated in Xie Min’s mind, but he didn’t ask it aloud. After all, he didn’t really want Sui Yang to know that he still cared.
Sui Yang turned off the wall lamp, plunging the room into darkness. Xie Min watched Sui Yang in the darkness. Sui Yang gently touched his bunny face, saying, “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Xie Min responded.
After a few minutes, Xie Min couldn’t fall asleep and heard Sui Yang calling him again, “Xie Min. Are you asleep?”
Xie Min said, “No,” and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Suddenly, Sui Yang said, “Only three days left until my birthday.”
“Do you think you can stay at Yuanguang for three more days?” Sui Yang asked him.
Sui Yang’s voice was extremely calm, making Xie Min think he was just bored and couldn’t sleep, so he wanted to chat.
Xie Min honestly replied, “I don’t know.”
“Do you really want to go back?”
Xie Min noticed that at some point, Sui Yang had moved closer, so close that he was probably less than five centimeters away from Xie Min. Because Xie Min could hear his breath, slightly heavier than usual due to the alcohol he had consumed.
Sui Yang, under the influence of alcohol, became more persistent. Without immediately hearing Xie Min’s answer, he began to press, “Do you?”
“I don’t know,” Xie Min added, “I don’t know if going back would still be painful.”
“If it’s painful, you can come back and be my Xiao Tu at home,” Sui Yang said, moving closer to him.
Something touched Xie Min’s bunny face and then moved away, probably Sui Yang’s fingers.
“I can’t be a LEGO bunny forever,” Xie Min honestly said, “But it’s been nice at your home. Thank you.”
He felt more uncertain at Yuanguang, though it didn’t mean he was completely unhappy.
Compared to the repetitive mechanical work inside the real Xie Min’s body day after day, being a LEGO bunny in Sui Yang’s home seemed somewhat more interesting.
However, he was no longer a child, and life had to go on. He couldn’t rely on others for his own existence, and escapism wouldn’t solve anything.
Sui Yang fell silent for a moment and said, “Xie Min, how about picking a cake for me tomorrow?”
“Huh?” Xie Min couldn’t understand why Sui Yang’s thoughts had suddenly become so scattered.
In reality, Xie Min didn’t really want to because he thought it would be simpler to just choose a regular gift for Sui Yang instead of going through the process of picking a cake and celebrating his birthday. Besides, there didn’t seem to be much to choose from when it came to cakes.
However, since Sui Yang was about to celebrate his birthday, Xie Min agreed immediately. “Sure, I can do that. What kind do you like now?”
Sui Yang replied, “Anything is fine.”
That evening, Sui Yang acted strangely, repeatedly calling Xie Min’s name and asking questions about Xie Min’s past life.
Xie Min responded with counter-questions, realizing that Sui Yang seemed reluctant to talk about himself. Their conversation became somewhat awkward and dry.
Strangely enough, Xie Min didn’t feel too uncomfortable despite the oddness of the situation.
Sui Yang asked Xie Min about his university grades and which places he had visited.
He inquired about Xie Min’s favorite places, whether Xie Min kept in touch with old classmates.
Sui Yang asked about Xie Min’s preferred restaurants and favorite cuisines.
As Sui Yang continued speaking, his voice started to show signs of drowsiness.
Xie Min thought Sui Yang became talkative after drinking, and there was a certain loveliness that didn’t match his age and appearance. Xie Min couldn’t help but wonder if Sui Yang acted this way toward everyone when he was drunk.
Had anyone else ever encountered Sui Yang in such a drunken state?
Finally, Sui Yang fell asleep first, and Xie Min heard the sound of rain outside again.
The rain must have been heavy, but the sound of it was gentle.
Doing a quick calculation, Xie Min had spent a considerable amount of time in Yuanguang.
He felt that the city no longer repelled him as much and had many advantages.
For example, the air was good, and the city was modern. According to the weather forecast, even when it rained in Yuanguang, it wouldn’t be as cold as in Yuhai.
Before falling asleep, he began to think about what kind of cake he would pick for Sui Yang if he remembered the cake tomorrow when he was sober.
Then he sank into sleep, gradually consumed by pain.
This pain was different from before. It felt incredibly real, as if it signaled the end of a sheltered time.
Xie Min’s limbs felt heavy, as if they were buried in the ground. He struggled to open his eyes and saw the dimly lit hospital room at night.
The monitor flickered, and the room was dim and quiet. The caregiver curled up on the companion bed, and Xie Min caught a glimpse of her back.
Xie Min’s throat was dry and painful, unable to make a sound or summon the strength to call for help. He remained stunned for an unknown period until the sky began to grow brighter.
The caregiver woke up and walked over, surprised to see Xie Min with his eyes open, immediately calling for assistance.
Xie Min could only feel the noise surrounding him, both the doctor who rushed in and the chaos of it all. Even when he closed his eyes, he couldn’t shut out these jumbled noises.
Chi Yuan arrived, looking pleasantly surprised. He let out a big sigh of relief and said, “The chairman is on his way to Yuhai.” He added, “That’s great, Mr. Xie, you’re finally awake.”
The sun rose in Yuhai, shining brightly through the window. The hospital room was filled with its radiance, making the bed rails, the wooden tea table across, the colorful fruits, and the black television screen all appear illuminated.
Xie Min still felt intense pain. He sensed his own extreme weakness and suffering.
Realizing that he might actually be fully conscious this time, Xie Min found himself wanting to close his eyes and return to the little bunny that could dissolve the pain.
He even started to wonder if, by enduring even more pain, he might still have a chance to go back.
In truth, Yuhai was still the place Xie Min detested the most.
He longed to transform back into the LEGO bunny, squatting in Sui Yang’s home, filled with cameras, and hopping around on Sui Yang’s desk.
Or perhaps being carried in Sui Yang’s pocket to work.
Because as a little bunny, he wouldn’t get tired or hungry, and for those precious few days, Xie Min finally felt that he wasn’t as lonely.
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