Shocking! The Protagonist of the Mpreg Story Is a Straight Man - Chapter 39

“What rabbit?”

Pei Nan leaned over to take a look. Unexpectedly, there really were several photos of a lop-eared rabbit. It looked like they were taken during his very first transformation when he had accidentally stepped on the camera in the office. The rabbit’s chest fur was a ball of white fluff, spreading out like dandelion seeds. In one photo, the rabbit was blocking the lens so tightly that one could only see its dark, beady eyes through a tiny crack.

Xue Xingya loved it beyond words. She clung to Pei Nan’s arm to watch, saying as she looked, “This little rabbit is so beautiful. Its fur looks so soft; it must be even more comfortable than Andy’s toy rabbit. Brother, is this your little rabbit? Can I see it?”

“No, this isn’t my little rabbit.”

Pei Nan quickly skimmed through the photos, his heart thumping wildly. This was something Xue Xingqi absolutely could not see. He operated the phone to return to the album, selecting those few photos to batch delete them. Seeing this, Xue Xingya hurriedly grabbed Pei Nan’s hand. “Brother, brother, can you send me a copy before you delete them? This little rabbit is too cute; I want to use it as my avatar.”

Xue Xingya’s delicate brows were furrowed, looking very disappointed. Her facial resemblance to Xue Xingqi made Pei Nan hesitate for a moment, and in the next second, he paid the price for his ill-timed soft-heartedness.

Xue Xingqi had appeared behind the two of them at some unknown point. He rested his arm on Pei Nan’s shoulder; though he wasn’t applying pressure, it made Pei Nan feel as if he were carrying a thousand pounds. “What little rabbit?”

Seeing that Pei Nan didn’t speak, Xue Xingya blinked and explained, “Nan-nan Ge has cute photos of a lop-eared rabbit on his phone. I want him to send them to me so I can use one as my avatar.”

Xue Xingqi’s hand holding his cup paused. He had come over specifically because he vaguely heard them mentioning a rabbit. He hadn’t expected it to be true. He marveled at the fate between himself and Pei Nan, and couldn’t help but wonder: was Pei Nan’s rabbit better-looking, or was his former pet, Xiao Zhi, prettier?

“Can I have a look?” Xue Xingqi stared at the red ears in front of him, asking with a light laugh.

Xue Xingqi’s posture was like he was encircling Pei Nan in an embrace. The airflow from his speech passed by Pei Nan’s ear without a bit being wasted, teasing the earlobe until it grew increasingly red. If Xue Xingya hadn’t been right there, Xue Xingqi would have truly wanted to take a bite to see if it tasted as sweet as a cherry.

Pei Nan’s eyes blinked rapidly as he covered the phone. “That rabbit isn’t mine.”

Xue Xingqi had been watching Pei Nan all along, so he naturally took in all his little movements. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said considerately, “Then let’s not look at it. It’s not good to use someone else’s little rabbit as an avatar anyway. Ya-ya, be good and go play by yourself.”

Xue Xingya looked at her brother, then at Pei Nan, and slowly stood up from the sofa. Her silhouette looked even more disappointed than before, with both shoulders slumped.

Pei Nan took a deep breath, glared at Xue Xingqi, and called out to Xue Xingya, “I’ll send you the one you like.”

“Oh yeah! Thank you, Nan-nan Ge! You’re the best!”

“It’s your brother who’s ‘good’; he really knows how to manipulate me,” Pei Nan muttered.

Xue Xingqi lowered his head, his large, fluffy head rubbing against the crook of Pei Nan’s neck. “I’m curious too. Did I mention it to you? I picked up a lop-eared rabbit before. It was very well-behaved and beautiful.”

Pei Nan’s expression was somewhat stiff. What kind of nonsense was Xue Xingqi talking about? When he was a rabbit, he wasn’t well-behaved at all; he had acted like a tyrant over Xue Xingqi’s head every day. His eyes showed a hint of scrutiny did this guy Xue Xingqi have some unknown strange hobbies?

Since he had promised, Pei Nan didn’t bother to hide from Xue Xingqi. His earlier behavior and language had been too agitated anyway; it was just a rabbit. Even if Xue Xingqi recognized it, what could that prove? He opened his phone to the photo of the fluffy white chest and AirDropped it directly to Xue Xingya.

“Wait, this rabbit… why does it look so much like mine?” Xue Xingqi’s eyes widened. He swiped through the photos and actually saw a familiar, chewed-up silk banner in the background. “Nan-nan, did you see it in this office?”

Xue Xingqi stared into Pei Nan’s eyes. “This banner was the one it bit, right?”

Pei Nan hadn’t expected Xue Xingqi to actually recognize it. He rubbed his nose and admitted, “Yeah.”

Xue Xingqi took out his own phone to show Pei Nan. “My Xiao Zhi—Xiao Zhi is the name I gave it—you encountered it even earlier than I did.”

Xue Xingqi noticed the time the photo was taken. A thought flashed through his mind, but it was too fast for him to catch. He only sighed with extreme regret. “It’s a pity it ran away later. I looked for it for a long time but couldn’t find it. I often think about it; how could a lop-eared rabbit survive outside? I wonder if someone picked it up. I still keep its food bowl and toys.”

Pei Nan nodded silently. Indeed, he had seen them; Xue Xingqi had kept an entire room dedicated to rabbit supplies.

Seeing Xue Xingqi’s nostalgic look, Pei Nan felt compelled to offer some comfort. “Lop-eared rabbits are so cute; I’m sure someone was willing to take responsibility for the rest of its life.”

“I hope so. If we could bring it here, we could take care of it ourselves.” Xue Xingqi toyed with Pei Nan’s hand.

Pei Nan took Xue Xingqi’s hand and placed it on his own stomach. “Forget it, you’ll have someone to take care of in the future.”

Xue Xingqi smiled tenderly. Xue Xingya, not knowing what riddles the two older brothers were speaking in, spoke up to assert her presence. “Brother, aren’t you busy anymore?”

“What is it?” Xue Xingqi glanced at his sister.

“I still want to watch Nan-nan Ge play games.” Xue Xingya sat back down on the sofa.

“He’s not playing games anymore. He’s going up to rest with me. Go play by yourself.” Xue Xingqi used a bit of force to help Pei Nan stand up.

Pei Nan looked at the young girl, then at Xue Xingqi, and eventually stood up obediently. “Looking at a phone screen all the time is bad for your eyes. Ya-ya, go play for a while.”

Xue Xingya knew she couldn’t win against her brother and left with her precious rabbit photo.

Xue Xingqi also took Pei Nan upstairs to rest. “She’s at an age where she’s quite rowdy. If you stay down there to play with her, she’ll pester you until dinner. You had the nerve to scold her just now, but your own eyes are almost closing. I’ll close the curtains; take a good nap.”

“I’m alright. I’m just used to taking afternoon naps at home. Once that wave passes, I won’t be that sleepy anymore.” However, as soon as Pei Nan finished speaking, he let out a yawn, lacking any credibility. Yet, Pei Nan insisted stubbornly, “That was just a regular yawn; it doesn’t prove I’m sleepy.”

Seeing this, Xue Xingqi squeezed his palm and smiled. “I know you’re not sleepy. It’s me who’s sleepy. Stay with me while I sleep for a bit.”

Only then did Pei Nan nod.

In fact, he had noticed it himself. Ever since Christmas, he seemed to have suddenly entered a different stage. Not only could he eat more, but he was always unable to wake up from his sleep. The conditions that typical pregnant people experience were gradually appearing in him.

Xue Xingqi likely noticed as well. After all, Pei Nan would sleep for hours on end. Before sleeping, they would be in a sweet embrace, but by the time he woke up, he would be the only one left on the bed.

It was the same now. Just as he lay down holding Xue Xingqi, his still-conscious mind became muddled. He drowsily burrowed into the crook of Xue Xingqi’s neck, as if he couldn’t be comfortable unless he was leaning against him.

Xue Xingqi never rejected this “sweet burden.” He rubbed Pei Nan’s slightly long hair and stroked the back of his round head, coaxing him to sleep in no time.

The sleeping Pei Nan was very well-behaved. He didn’t snore loudly, nor did he like to move around much. At most, he would roll over, but in the end, he would always roll back into Xue Xingqi’s arms. Every morning when he woke up, the sense of satisfaction Xue Xingqi felt from seeing Pei Nan by his side was something nothing else could replace.

Xue Xingqi watched Pei Nan quietly for a while. Once he was sure he was sound asleep, Xue Xingqi also closed his eyes, holding Pei Nan as they fell into a sweet dreamland.

After the last small holiday ended, the school began organizing final exams.

Despite Pei Nan’s lack of energy, having a “cheat-code” boyfriend to predict the exam questions allowed him to complete the finals very smoothly. When he walked out of the exam hall, he was exceptionally happy. Seeing Xue Xingqi waiting for him outside, he hugged him directly. “I think I did really well!”

“Let’s go celebrate.” Just as Xue Xingqi finished speaking, he saw Chen Bin and invited him along. “Chen Bin, want to join us?”

“No thanks, Great God Xue. I’ve booked a high-speed rail ticket for this afternoon. Time is tight and the task is heavy; I need to hurry and pack to go home. I’ll thank you two for the tutoring favors when I get back!” Chen Bin was very perceptive; there was no way he would interrupt a date between Great God Xue and Father Nan. He immediately made his escape.

Pei Nan was used to it and led Xue Xingqi straight out.

That evening, they ate the spicy hotpot Pei Nan had been craving for over half a month. Pei Nan’s lips were red from the spice, yet he refused to stop, constantly asking Xue Xingqi to put more items into the spicy pot. It made Xue Xingqi regret bringing him.

“The doctor said you shouldn’t eat food that is too stimulating; it’s bad for your body.” Xue Xingqi held down the chopsticks Pei Nan was extending. “Nan-nan, how about we come back next time?”

“No, I want to eat it today.” Pei Nan rubbed his stomach. “What if it’s not me who wants to eat it, but them?”

“If they want to eat it, it’s even worse. Why should I indulge them if it makes you suffer?” Xue Xingqi became even more firm about not letting Pei Nan pick up food.

“Fine, fine, it’s me who wants to eat it, alright?” Pei Nan admitted through gritted teeth, forcing himself to say nice things to Xue Xingqi. “Just once. Just this once. Please let me eat.”

Xue Xingqi had no way of dealing with Pei Nan. He could only turn his face away so he wouldn’t be bothered while waiting for Pei Nan to finish.

As a result, not long after getting home, Pei Nan’s stomach began to ache. He was sweating profusely from the pain. The physical sensation made Pei Nan feel that something major was wrong. He wanted Xue Xingqi to leave the room, but how could Xue Xingqi leave at a time like this? He wished he could pack Pei Nan up and teleport him to the hospital.

“Nan-nan, don’t be afraid. I’ve contacted the doctor and an ambulance. You’ll be fine.” Xue Xingqi held Pei Nan’s soft body, his heart aching so much it felt like it was tearing.

“Nan-nan, can I carry you?”

“Nan-nan??”

“Nan-nan!!”

Pei Nan wanted to speak to Xue Xingqi, but he truly had no strength left. Curled into a ball in Xue Xingqi’s arms from the pain, Pei Nan finally lost control and completed the entire process of transforming from a human to a rabbit right in front of Xue Xingqi!

Xue Xingqi looked at the forearm-length lop-eared rabbit in the middle of the bed, and a flash of realization hit him.

No wonder Pei Nan didn’t want him to see the rabbit photos. No wonder Pei Nan’s behavior had been unnatural back then. It turned out there were traces all along.

He didn’t even have a psychological hurdle. He carefully picked up the sleeping rabbit and kissed its warm rabbit ears, as if he easily accepted the fact that Pei Nan could turn into a rabbit. “The lop-eared rabbit indeed isn’t Nan-nan’s.”

“The lop-eared rabbit is mine.”

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