My Sweet And Submissive Bunny Won't Stop Being Clingy - Chapter 8

Wen Shuyao finished her third plate of pork belly and was gearing up to demolish the fourth.

Meng Hemian had set down her chopsticks long ago, content to just watch her eat.

A mouthful of pork, a bite of lettuce, her cheeks puffed out as she ate without pause. For a fleeting moment, Meng Hemian felt like she was looking at a huffy little rabbit, eating while simmering with a frustration that was just short of stomping its feet.

Although Wen Shuyao didn’t voice it, Meng Hemian could sense she was angry.

As for why…

Perhaps Wen Shuyao had misunderstood, did she think Meng intended to take all the rabbits away? It made sense, after raising them for so long, she naturally wouldn’t want to part with them.

“Have some lemon water.” Meng Hemian personally poured a glass of mint lemon water and handed it over.

Wen Shuyao gulped down half the glass in one go, then went right back to grilling chicken thighs. She didn’t forget to ask, “Do you want some?”

Meng Hemian shook her head, so Wen Shuyao unceremoniously sprinkled a handful of cumin and chili powder over the meat.

Meng Hemian didn’t dare say a word; she even silently ordered an extra portion of beef. Is this girl’s stomach a black hole? Did she not get enough to eat at home?

While she was lost in thought, the server delivered the food, placing it right by Wen Shuyao’s hand.

Wen Shuyao looked at the beef, then back at Meng, and her movements at the grill suddenly slowed down. She seemed to have calmed down as she cautiously placed a piece of grilled chicken into Meng Hemian’s bowl.

Then, she apologized softly, “I’m sorry… did I eat too much?”

Meng Hemian spoke calmly: “It’s not too much. As long as you’re full.”

“I don’t usually eat this much, it’s just today…” Wen Shuyao frowned in annoyance and offered, “How about… I pay for this meal?”

“It’s fine. No matter how much you eat, I can afford it.”

Meng Hemian didn’t mind at all. She slowly picked up the chicken thigh from her bowl and took a bite. The timing and seasoning were perfect, tender, juicy, and the cumin and chili were in complete harmony.

She didn’t notice the flicker in Wen Shuyao’s eyes as the girl murmured, “Meng Hemian, you’re so nice.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, a world away from her aggressive demeanor just moments ago.

After spending some time together, Meng Hemian had grown somewhat accustomed to Wen Shuyao’s coquettish tone, she no longer felt as awkward as she did in the beginning.

She thought for a moment and said seriously, “I’m the one who should apologize. I didn’t make myself clear earlier.”

“I didn’t intend to take several rabbits away. I was just having trouble choosing. My own place is small, I can’t raise that many.”

Meng Hemian tried to provide an example: “I can only provide a living area about the size of a guest room for the little rabbit.”

Compared to the grandmother’s garden, that was quite a step down.

“A whole guest room?” Wen Shuyao listened blankly, forgetting to chew her beef.

Meng poured her another glass of lemon water and asked humbly, “If I put a sponge carpet in the room, seal it off with a fence, and let it out to play occasionally… do you think that’s feasible?”

“Of course it is!” Wen Shuyao answered without hesitation.

She had thought she’d be living in a big cage! She hadn’t expected Meng Hemian to actually put serious thought into how to raise a rabbit.

However, her “position” wasn’t quite secure yet. Wen Shuyao thought secretly: Worst comes to worst, I’ll use some unconventional methods to intimidate all the other rabbits!

Human and rabbit, she wanted both. She’d work hard to ensure she eventually moved into the master bedroom!

Drinking the last drop of lemon water, Wen Shuyao finally set down her chopsticks. She curled her lips into a satisfied, exceptionally sweet smile.

“Thank you for treating me to dinner.”

“You’re welcome. It was only right.” Meng Hemian called the server for the bill.

The young server scribbled a few marks on the receipt: “Exactly three hundred and sixty.”

In Jianglou, that was considered an expensive meal, especially since Wen Shuyao ate enough for three people.

But Meng Hemian glanced at the receipt and frowned: “The price isn’t right. We added more later…”

Before she could finish, the server interrupted: “The proprietress says it’s on her.”

She gave Meng Hemian a teasing smile: “She said she hasn’t seen you in a while, that you’ve grown up so much. Welcome home.”

Meng Hemian was stunned. The “while” the proprietress referred to was actually a very, very long time.

She had gone to university elsewhere and found a job out of town. Like a migratory bird, every time she returned to Jianglou, it was only a fleeting visit. The shops she frequented as a student had long been relegated to dusty memories, yet to some people, those memories remained fresh.

Meng Hemian paid the bill and walked out of the barbecue shop in silence. Through the swirling smoke, she could see the plump proprietress enthusiastically greeting other guests.

Following behind, Wen Shuyao suddenly called out: “Meng Hemian.”

“What is it?”

“Did you live in Jianglou your whole childhood?”

Meng Hemian answered casually, “Yes, until I left for university.”

She expected Wen Shuyao to follow up with questions like “Why haven’t you come back for so many years?” or “Where are your other relatives besides your grandmother?”

But Wen Shuyao just followed her like a little shadow, through quiet alleys and busy streets. Aside from that one random question, she asked nothing more.

“The wind is so damp, it might rain,” was Wen Shuyao’s first remark after that, urging: “Let’s walk faster.”

But Meng Hemian suddenly stopped and looked toward a roadside food stall.

In the bustling stall, there was one table with several empty bowls and leftover food. Only one person sat there, legs crossed, with a messy ponytail, looking utterly casual and unrefined.

She happened to look over and gave a rakish grin: “Yo, if it isn’t Little Meng and Little Yao? Just finished eating? Want to join me for a drink?”

Meng Hemian turned her steps toward the table, and Wen Shuyao quickly followed.

She greeted politely first: “Good evening, Sister Wan.”

Then, hiding behind Meng Hemian, she whispered: “I… I don’t know how to drink…”

Wan Xianyu didn’t push. She “cracked” open a beer bottle and poured a glass for Meng Hemian.

Meng Hemian said softly to Wen Shuyao, “You go back first. I’ll stay here for a bit.”

She could tell at a glance that this person was drunk, the misty eyes and the silly, none too bright grin gave it away.

Wen Shuyao hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded obediently: “Okay.”

She had only walked a few steps when she seemed to remember something and rushed back to advise: “Meng Hemian, don’t drink too much, okay?”

Wan Xianyu beat her to the punch: “Why worry about her? This one can’t get drunk even if she tries.” After saying that, she took another swig from the bottle.

Meng Hemian remained expressionless: “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Only after hearing this did Wen Shuyao finally leave, looking back every three steps.

Once her figure disappeared down the street, Meng Hemian reached out and snatched the bottle from Wan Xianyu’s hand.

Her tone was blunt: “How much have you had? You’re still drinking?”

Wan Xianyu leaned back limply against the chair and rubbed her brow. “Not that much. I had to treat a big client to dinner, couldn’t be helped.”

She was only guilty for a second before quickly changing the subject.

“Hey, hey, let me ask you, how’s that thing going? Is there a recipe or something?”

Meng Hemian picked up the glass and took a slow sip. “There is, but Wen Shuyao isn’t willing to read it. She insists I learn it myself.”

Actually, she could have found another pastry chef to do it, but Meng Hemian didn’t want to. After all, Wen Shuyao had helped her many times; she wasn’t like an outside chef.

Wan Xianyu slapped the table, suddenly getting excited: “Exactly! Little Yao would never take advantage of you.”

After praising her, she squinted at Meng Hemian.

“What about you? Can you even tell the difference between flour and glutinous rice flour?”

It wasn’t that she looked down on her, but Meng Hemian had always been the type who never lifted a finger for chores and couldn’t distinguish between types of grain, the only menus she knew were for restaurants and delivery apps.

Surprisingly, Meng Hemian replied with a straight face: “It’s going alright. I’ve made some progress; at least I can make basic shortbread now.”

“That’s because Little Yao is a good teacher,” Wan Xianyu remarked.

Meng Hemian nodded in deep agreement: “Indeed.”

Unsure if she had heard correctly, Wan Xianyu swirled her glass and sized Meng up from head to toe as if she were looking at a total anomaly.

“The sun must be rising in the west today. I actually heard you praise someone.”

Meng Hemian remained noncommittal, too lazy to argue.

The wind made the canopy of the food stall rattle and howl. The sky was dark and heavy, and the pedestrians on the street were thinning out, fearful of being trapped by the impending downpour.

However, Wan Xianyu showed no intention of leaving. She moved the beer bottle back in front of her from Meng Hemian’s reach and smacked her lips.

“Why don’t you just stay? Your grandmother left you that storefront anyway. You could rent it out or keep making pastries, it wouldn’t be too exhausting.”

It was hard to tell if this was drunken rambling, a sudden whim, or a long calculated suggestion.

Meng Hemian remained silent, seemingly unmoved.

After a long pause, Wan Xianyu let out an impatient “tsk.”

“Tell me, what do you even do in Yao City? You eat alone, spend your weekends alone, go to the hospital alone when you’re sick?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Meng Hemian was telling the truth, she had long since grown accustomed to such a life.

Even though she was well-prepared for her childhood friend’s personality, Wan Xianyu couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Fine, fine. We all know you’re the greatest. Go ahead and be a loner for the rest of your life then.”

It was truly a case of good advice falling on deaf ears. Wan Xianyu constantly worried that Meng Hemian would one day drop dead from overwork in Yao City with no one to notice.

Rumble…

Thunder rolled in from the distance, and several bolts of lightning flashed through the dark clouds.

Immediately after, pea-sized raindrops slammed onto the awning with a frantic pitter-patter. People on the street scrambled to find shelter.

Wan Xianyu continued drinking unbothered, ignoring the torrential rain outside. She even had the audacity to unilaterally clink her glass against Meng Hemian’s.

“Call Little Yao and ask her to bring an umbrella.”

Meng Hemian shook her head without a second thought: “I won’t trouble her.”

Wen Shuyao was terrified of thunder. Meng had known that since the girl’s first day there.

So, Meng Hemian decided to wait for the rain to let up before leaving. At worst, she would just run back and take the soaking.

However, the rain showed no signs of slowing down.

The sky opened up, and the once bustling street was cleared in an instant, leaving only a few unlucky souls like her trapped under the shelter.

Among them, of course, was Wan Xianyu.

Wan Xianyu took a leisurely sip of her beer and said snidely, “Hehe, why don’t you just go back by yourself then?”

Meng Hemian didn’t bat an eye: “Aren’t you stuck here too? What’s the difference?”

The smile on Wan Xianyu’s face froze.

She retorted defiantly, “I can have my family come pick me up!” After a few seconds, she added, “When they get here, you can come with me. I’ll drop you off first.”

Meng Hemian remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.

“Cheers!” A cheer erupted from the neighboring table.

Looking over, it was a group of college students on a trip, excitedly clinking glasses and cheering. The bolder ones were jumping into the rain to splash in the puddles.

This thunderstorm was an accident. Unlike those students, Meng Hemian hated accidents. To her, they represented the unpredictable and the uncontrollable.

She reached out to catch a few drops: “I’ll just run back, it’s not far. Stop drinking and head home early.”

With that, she prepared to step into the curtain of rain.

“Hey, wait!” Wan Xianyu hastily set down her bottle and pulled her back. “Look who that is.”

Across the street was a familiar figure. The wind was strong, and she was gripping the umbrella handle tightly, walking somewhat slowly.

She crossed the road, walked down the long street, navigated around the cluttered tables and chairs, and came to a stop right in front of Meng Hemian.

“I made it in time,” she let out a long sigh of relief.

Before Meng Hemian could say anything, Wan Xianyu chimed in: “Little Yao, you came to bring us an umbrella? Hard work, hard work. Make sure Meng Hemian thanks you properly later.”

“Oh,” Wen Shuyao finally reacted, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I left in a hurry and only brought one umbrella.”

She must have just gotten home and changed clothes before rushing back out with an umbrella to find Meng Hemian.

Wan Xianyu watched as Meng Hemian took the umbrella from Wen Shuyao, ready to leave, a display of cold blooded ruthlessness.

Wen Shuyao suggested softly, “Maybe we could squeeze….”

Before she could finish, Meng Hemian interrupted: “No need. Her family is coming to get her.”

Wan Xianyu was speechless. Great, in the end, I’m the only one left looking like a fool.

“Fine, fine,” she waved them off, slumping back into her seat. “Go on, everyone just leave.”

Wen Shuyao looked back worriedly: “Is it really okay to leave her?”

“It’s fine. If she can still make jokes, she isn’t that drunk.”

Lightning flashed, and a dull crack of thunder exploded overhead.

Wen Shuyao huddled closer to Meng Hemian, trying her best to hide under the umbrella. She had left in such a rush that she only grabbed a small umbrella. With the wind blowing so hard, the only way to stay dry was to press close together.

Meng Hemian looked straight ahead, holding the umbrella perfectly level, showing no reaction at all.

Wen Shuyao bit her lip, recalling the techniques Tu Shanxiu had taught her: “Cling to her, hug her, find every possible way to get close!”

She struggled to come up with an excuse: “It… it seems a little cold.”

With the wind and rain so fierce, the temperature had dropped rapidly.

Meng Hemian tilted the umbrella toward Wen Shuyao. The girl was only wearing a light camisole dress, if she didn’t stay warm, she might catch a cold.

“You should have put on a jacket before coming out.”

Wen Shuyao was busy thinking about how to initiate contact, but being interrupted like this, she pouted and explained.

“I was worried about you. I felt like if I didn’t hurry, you would have run back through the rain.”

She had been trying on the clothes Tu Shanxiu sent her. When the rain started, she hadn’t thought twice before grabbing an umbrella and heading out.

Lightning lit up the sky for a brief second, making Wen Shuyao’s heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she reached for Meng Hemian’s hand to seek protection.

But her fingertips retracted as soon as they touched. She asked very carefully, “Can I hold onto your sleeve?”

“If you’re scared, you can grab my arm,” Meng Hemian replied almost instantly.

Wen Shuyao could hardly believe it. Is progress this smooth? This fast?

She was a bit dazed and didn’t notice the tree branch hanging low in front of her.

“Watch out.”

Seeing this, Meng Hemian wrapped her arm around Wen Shuyao’s waist, pulling her closer. Her movement was light, a brief touch that was gone as soon as it happened.

But Wen Shuyao’s face flushed red instantly, and she had to bite her lip to keep from letting out a soft moan.

Heaven knows how shocked she was right now. What is going on! Why is the body’s memory so strong?

I’m supposed to be the one seducing Meng Hemian, not the one being seduced by her!