Feeling Like He'd Been Tricked

That night, the starry sky was vast, with the Milky Way stretching across it, and the moon was very round.

A Sisi breeze rustled through the treetops, and the sounds of birds, animals, and frogs filled the air.

A campfire was burning, and an unidentified, large, meaty leg was dripping with oil. Beside it, a rabbit with gleaming eyes and drooling incessantly, its ears tucked behind its head, was swallowing its saliva without flinching.

Next to the young rabbit was an old rabbit. Although it pretended to be profound and very calm, a closer look would reveal that it was constantly swallowing.

"You idiot, how much longer?"

The pleasant atmosphere suddenly shattered at this moment. Ye Chen twisted his fleshy legs, clenched his fists tightly, and his eyelids twitched incessantly.

"Doudou, Grandpa has always taught you that you must stay calm and not rush into things."

Beside them, Elder Rabbit pulled out a pair of glasses from somewhere, put them on his nose, and began lecturing Bai Doudou.

"Ye Chen, are you done yet?!"

One second he was highly respected, the next his image was shattered.

"Can't you two respect yourselves? Isn't radish your favorite food?"

Ye Chen slapped away Bai Doudou's outstretched hand, giving her a lecture filled with disappointment and frustration.

"Ahem, it's fine to change things up occasionally!" Old Elder Rabbit blushed and pushed up his glasses.

"Enough with the nonsense, get back to work."

On the contrary, Elder Rabbit was tactful, while Bai Doudou used foul language from the start, making herself seem like Ye Chen's boss, acting arrogantly.

"Bai Doudou, let me tell you, I've really put up with you for a long time."

Ye Chen spoke slowly and deliberately, gritting his teeth, wishing he could strangle this idiot to death.

"You idiot, if you're unhappy, just keep it to Rabbit Lord."

Waving her hand dismissively, Bai Doudou looked at Ye Chen with disdain.

"Bai Doudou, I'll curse you! You're a rabbit, you're a rabbit, you need to understand, you're a rabbit."

"What's wrong with the rabbit? What did the rabbit do to you? It's photoshopped."

"All you ever say is 'p, p,' have you no shame?"

"How shameless of you, Rabbit Lord! I know, you're jealous of Rabbit Lord's handsomeness. You, you're jealous of me, aren't you?"

"Heh, you think I'm jealous of you? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself? Those front teeth of yours look like Nezumi's, shifty-eyed."

"Ye Chen, you can insult my soul, but you can't insult my front teeth. If Rabbit Lord off, I'll fight you."

"Oh ho, getting desperate? Come on, bite me! Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, so come on!"

Ye Chen stretched out his hand and leaned close to Bai Doudou, taunting her.

"Hmph, I almost fell for your trick! I, the handsome and dashing Rabbit Lord, would never be provoked!"

She opened her mouth, her front teeth about to bite down, but in the end, her bright red eyes darted around, and Bai Doudou tilted her head back, her chin facing Ye Chen.

"Hey, Elder Rabbit, your grandson..."

Suddenly, Ye Chen sighed heavily, looking at Elder Rabbit with sympathy. He simply twirled his hand around his head, conveying his meaning without needing to say a word.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault for not raising him well."

Taking off his glasses, the Elder Rabbit looked frail and wiped away his tears, as if he were crying.

The sudden scene made Ye Chen open his mouth, and for some reason, he felt sad.

"Actually, Bai Doudou can still be remade."

Seeing the pitiful Elder Rabbit with teary eyes, Ye Chen offered some words of comfort.

"It's beyond saving. Look at yourself, this isn't a rabbit at all!"

As if he had lost all hope of living, Elder Rabbit pointed to the side, holding a roasted leg, and like a tractor, used his big front teeth to gnaw off a large chunk of the meat.

Unable to bear looking at it, Ye Chen swore that this was the most peculiar rabbit he had ever seen, completely transcending the genetic makeup of the rabbit species and reaching a new realm.

"Elder Rabbit, you've really suffered."

Walking up to Elder Rabbit, Ye Chen patted him on the shoulder, everything understood without a word.

"Since then, this guy lost his parents, and the outside world is so dangerous, so I've been raising him alone here in seclusion for over ten years. He's grown up, but I don't know when it started, something went wrong here."

Elder Rabbit pointed to his head, tears streaming down his face.

"I know he's always been curious about the outside world, and being lonely for so long has made him act abnormally."

"Then why didn't you let him leave?" Ye Chen asked, puzzled. "His strength is already quite formidable."

"Given his personality, how long do you think he could survive at sea?"

With a fierce gaze, Elder Rabbit stared intently at Ye Chen.

Startled, Ye Chen twitched his lips and coughed to ease the awkwardness.

"It seems you already knew the outcome."

"Take things slowly, there will always be a solution." Ye Chen could sense the sadness in Elder Rabbit; it was a kind of familial affection that reminded Ye Chen of his own parents.

For a moment, Ye Chen was lost in his memories, nodding as he thought about the Elder Rabbit.

"That's great, you agreed! Thank you, thank you for saving my poor child. With you here, I can finally relax."

Startled, Ye Chen snapped out of his reverie and saw Elder Rabbit gripping his hand tightly, his expression agitated, tears streaming down his face.

Wait, I agreed? I agreed to what?

Ye Chen stared wide-eyed, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.

"Then, Elder Rabbit, what did I promise?!" Ye Chen broke free from Elder Rabbit's grasp, his heartbeat slowing down.

"I just asked you if Doudou would be living with you from now on, and you nodded in agreement. Thank you so much!"

"Wait, when did I agree to that?" A chill ran through Ye Chen, as if he'd seen a ghost. If that idiot followed him, he wouldn't even know when he died.

"Doudou, come here quickly! Ye Chen promised you, you'll go with him whenever he goes to sea!"

Ignoring Ye Chen's question, Elder Rabbit affectionately beckoned to Doudou, whose mouth was full of grease.

"Really?" Excitedly, Bai Doudou puffed out her cheeks and chewed incessantly, her words barely audible.

"Hey! I'm perfectly sober."

"Doudou, once you're out there, be careful in everything you do, and don't be reckless."

"Yes, I understand, Grandpa."

"Hey! You two, listen to me!"

"When you're out in the world, you can't trust anyone. You need to listen to Ye Chen. Grandpa saved his life; he won't abandon you."

The father and son then began discussing preparations for their voyage in front of Ye Chen.

Ye Chen tried to join the conversation, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Ye Chen sat down listlessly, feeling utterly hopeless, as if his parents had died.

He could refuse; no one could force him if he didn't want to. But as Elder Rabbit said, his life had been saved by the other party. Most importantly, Ye Chen genuinely didn't dislike Bai Doudou.

"Grandpa, I can't bear to part with you!" Suddenly, Bai Doudou burst into tears and hugged the Elder Rabbit tightly.

"Silly child, haven't you always longed for the outside world? Grandpa will be here waiting for you. If you miss Grandpa in the future, just come back and visit."

"But Grandpa!"

Seeing the father and son embracing and crying, Ye Chen twitched his lips. He, the person involved, hadn't even given his consent yet, and the other party had already made their decision.

"Ye Chen, I only have one grandson. For the sake of me saving your life, please take him with you to see the world!"

Finally, Elder Rabbit looked at Ye Chen with a pleading expression, his sincerity evident.

With a sigh, Ye Chen simply nodded. Perhaps, with this fool by his side, his journey wouldn't be so lonely.