Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Unripe
Yu Zhizhi was just about to change her shoes when the phone rang. She hesitated for a moment before walking over to the sofa.
Sometimes, Luther would call her about relatively important matters.
"Hello?" Yu Zhizhi answered the phone.
But the voice she expected to hear—Luther’s—wasn’t there.
The other end of the line was eerily silent.
Yu Zhizhi waited patiently for a moment, then whispered, "Hello...? Can you hear me?"
Louis stood nearby, his gaze lowered to the phone. It displayed [Unknown Number].
At the doorway, Yusen asked coolly, "Are we going?"
"Coming~"
Yu Zhizhi hung up.
’Maybe the signal’s bad, or someone just dialed the wrong number.’ She didn’t give it another thought, simply walking to the door and bending down to put on her shoes.
「Elsewhere.」
The Duke sat in the pool, watching as the sky darkened and clouds began to gather.
The call had finally connected.
He heard the young female’s soft, gentle voice, which he hadn’t heard in so long.
At that moment, the Duke found himself unable to say a single word.
Then, a man’s voice came through the line.
"Are we going...?"
’The Housekeeper?’
’Or the Mermaid she bought?’
A hint of displeasure slowly surfaced in the Duke’s golden, slitted pupils—
’His disobedient little rabbit had gone to the Moon Rising Empire and was now living it up, a lover on each arm.’ She was having the time of her life.
His hand, submerged in the water, slowly clenched into a fist.
SPLASH—
Fat raindrops plummeted from the sky, plopping into the steaming pool one after another and quickly becoming one with the hot spring.
Amid the steam, a tail covered in dark, mysterious scales was faintly visible...
「Zero Star Street.」
Snow had fallen all night.
Every household was clearing the snow from their doorsteps. Yu Zhizhi carried a small bucket filled with snow-shoveling tools.
Her steps were brisk as she left a trail of footprints on the white path.
Yusen followed behind her.
His gaze fell upon the red scarf the young woman wore. She walked ahead so casually, as if completely unafraid of what he might do to her.
Today, she hadn’t fed him his medicine, nor had she put him on a leash before they left.
’How utterly reckless.’
Yu Zhizhi had actually wanted to play in the yard, but Louis had [written] that they should go somewhere farther.
It was more spacious and secluded there, which was necessary for it to count as a "date."
At the thought of a "date," Yu Zhizhi slowed her pace.
She switched the small bucket to her other hand.
Gradually, she slowed enough for Yusen to catch up, and they began walking side by side.
His curly brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail, adding a touch of elegance and nobility. The young man’s ice-blue eyes betrayed no emotion as he stared at the snow on the ground, the murmurs of the residents on the street reaching his ears.
"—Look, the Rabbit Clan Lady is out with her Mermaid."
"But why isn’t he on a leash?"
"We need to stay away from him."
"Mommy, that man is so pretty."
"Being pretty doesn’t matter. Mermaids are vicious and cruel by nature. You must never go near him."
Yu Zhizhi heard them too.
She glanced at Yusen uneasily, but his expression was placid, his eyes reflecting the snow. The wind lifted the bangs from his forehead, revealing a profile so stunningly beautiful it took her breath away, no matter how many times she saw it.
Yu Zhizhi pursed her lips. She quietly reached out and hooked her finger around the young man’s hand.
Yusen felt the young female’s touch.
He glanced at her impassively.
The young female walked on his right, her head slightly bowed. A faint blush dusted her porcelain-white cheeks like a fine rouge. Her long, curly lashes trembled like butterfly wings, veiling her bright, sparkling eyes.
The little rabbit’s lips were pursed. Her fingers, which had been hooked around his, slowly, tentatively, slipped her small, cold hand into his palm.
’...What is she doing?’
The Mermaid was slightly stunned.
Yu Zhizhi stared straight ahead, stepping through the snow and feigning ignorance. To an outsider, seeing her and Yusen "holding hands," it would look as if they had a wonderful relationship.
The Mermaid’s gaze shifted from her face to her rabbit ears, which had turned a faint shade of red.
Her small, cold hand was soft in his grasp.
He couldn’t help but feel a pang of tenderness.
Despite having little warmth himself, he gently squeezed the young female’s hand. As they walked on through the snow, braving the cold wind, it somehow didn’t seem so cold anymore.
’We’re just sharing warmth.’
Yusen looked at the path ahead. He had only been living on human legs for a few days, and every step felt heavy.
They finally arrived at an empty area at the intersection of Zero Star Street.
Far from the crowds of beastkin.
A snow-covered streetlamp stood silently.
The sky was still bright, and the area was deserted.
The tall building looming in the distance was the command center, monitoring all of Paradise’s districts.
Yu Zhizhi let go of his hand and crouched down, using the small shovel she had brought to start digging in the snow. Her rabbit ears twitched, and a happy smile graced her face.
’In her past life, she had always been in the hospital. She couldn’t go out at all during the winter, unable to bear even the slightest chill.’
’Let alone play in the snow.’
The last time she’d played in the snow was with Louis, in their own yard.
And now, it was Yusen.
Yu Zhizhi wanted to take him out to lift his spirits.
"Spending time alone will bring you closer—"
Those were the words Louis had written on the screen.
Yusen watched as the young woman earnestly built a snowman.
In a trance, he recalled his childhood, sitting on a Glacier, clutching a freshly packed ball of ice and snow, quietly gazing at the frozen horizon.
He had always been waiting.
The tides rose and fell. Spring came and went, then came again.
He waited, every single day.
Yu Zhizhi built two simple snowmen. They had fluffy bodies and round, snowball heads that she hadn’t had time to give faces to yet.
The young female suddenly smiled. She pointed at the two short snowmen, tilted her head back, and said sweetly:
"This one is Sensen, and this one is Zhizhi."
Yusen’s thoughts were interrupted. He looked down at them. "They’re ugly."
He said bluntly.
"No, they’re not." Yu Zhizhi was very fond of the little snowmen she’d made. She started cutting a carrot into small pieces and pressing them onto the snowballs’ heads.
That just made them look even uglier.
Yusen crouched down and began packing the soft, fluffy snow bodies she had made, making the snowmen a bit more refined.
’The young female wore her heart on her sleeve.’
’Her clumsy attempts to please him, her naive desire to close the distance between them...’
’Even if she was just playing a part.’
’Even if she harbored some wicked intentions.’
’Even if she might one day die by his hand.’
’Or he, by hers.’
But, at least for now...
...he wasn’t alone.
A little rabbit was building a snowman with him.
The Mermaid sat in the snow, carefully carving a carrot with a small knife, the corners of his mouth turning up in an unconscious smile.
...
It was late when they returned to the cabin. Yu Zhizhi, her face flushed from the cold wind, eagerly ducked into the warmth of the house.
Before coming back, she had even had dinner with the Mermaid.
There was a small, cozy restaurant on Zero Star Street. And though Yusen had been silent throughout the meal, Yu Zhizhi still felt his gaze had been softer than usual.
After getting back, Yu Zhizhi took a shower.
Yusen went up to the attic.
Louis was nowhere to be found.
With a towel draped over her hair, she walked over to the sofa. She suddenly remembered the silent phone call she’d gotten just before they left.
After a moment’s hesitation, Yu Zhizhi picked up the white phone and called the number back.
BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...
Just as she was about to hang up, someone on the other end suddenly answered.
Just like earlier, no one spoke. Only the faint sound of running water could be heard.
Yu Zhizhi asked softly, "Hello? May I ask who you’re calling for?"
Just as she was thinking the connection was bad again...
...she suddenly heard a low, raspy chuckle. "...Heh."
A familiar voice spoke into her ear.
"Hello, I’m looking for a little rabbit who’s run away from home. Is she there?"
