Their location was quite secluded, and the Zhang family members who had helped them earlier looked fierce. As a result, on their first night, they didn't have many neighbors visit.
However, the simple warmth of the village couldn't be contained for long. Seeing that the new family had settled in peacefully and the "gangsters" were nowhere to be seen, villagers began to arrive one after another.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty were still adhering to their "excellent" habit of not getting out of bed until noon. To their surprise, they were woken up by incessant knocking at five or six in the morning. As they sprang from their beds, Wu Tianzhen momentarily thought the damned Bronze Gate had returned.
"Damn it, you scared the life out of me!" Fatty wiped his face with his large white undershirt, still feeling uneasy. He got out of bed intending to check on Zhang Qiling's room, only to see Wu Tianzhen coming out after checking.
"It's okay, Little Brother is still here." Wu Tianzhen had thick dark circles under his eyes, clearly not having slept enough.
"Damn it, Fatty's going to see who these daredevils are, daring to knock on your grandpa's door! I—" Fatty grumbled as he walked to the door. With a bang, he pulled it open, ready to fight.
But the moment he saw the situation before him, his unfinished sentence got stuck.
A large group of villagers at the door were already chatting happily. Seeing that the door was finally open, they eagerly pushed forward.
"Here, take this!" A plump auntie, beaming with a smile, her outer jacket still smelling of cooking oil, shoved a bunch of green onions she was holding into Fatty's arms. Without any pretense, she walked straight into the house, acting as if she already owned the place.
Following her lead, the crowd, like athletes hearing a starting gun, began piling pumpkins and carrots into their hands haphazardly. In no time, they were overloaded.
"What the hell!" Wu Tianzhen had a bunch of chilies shoved in front of his nose. The spicy scent entered his nostrils, forcing a contorted expression onto his face.
He lowered his voice and spoke to Fatty, his tone laced with alarm: "...What's going on? Are we suddenly surrounded by social terrorists?"
Fatty didn't have time to reply. He exclaimed "Wo cao!" and rushed back into the house in a few strides. By the time he struggled to the front of the crowd, the overly familiar villagers had already finished touring their bedroom and were eager to open Xiao Zhang's door!
"Don't open it, don't open it!" Fatty jolted and blocked the door with his broad back. The door was immediately and completely covered. "Brothers and sisters, you really can't open this door. How about we have some drinks and chat in the courtyard?"
As Fatty tensed up, the flab that had previously subsided immediately returned, making him look a bit intimidating again. The villagers were instantly stunned. At first glance, the scene looked like arrogant thugs threatening innocent villagers.
Sensing that things were going awry, Wu Tianzhen quickly walked over, trying to explain that the person inside was a patient and needed rest. Just then, Maotuan, who had been in the courtyard, was woken by the noise and slowly crawled out of its nest.
Maotuan: The hunt begins!!!
"Wo cao, don't you dare!!" Wu Tianzhen's mind raced, and he saw through Maotuan's increasingly bright eyes what was about to happen. He tried to stop it in vain—
But clearly, pets followed their owners. If he couldn't stop his owner, he certainly couldn't stop the pet.
The sheer audacity of a crazed blue rabbit was fully displayed. Wu Tianzhen could barely hear Maotuan's rampant chirps before a blue blur was all he saw.
In the blink of an eye, all the items the villagers had brought were devoured by Maotuan. They didn't even spare their jackets and shoes, which were gnawed at several times by Maotuan's steel teeth.
The room instantly turned into a "joyful" ocean. A group of people squeezed together, pushing each other, and began a "happy" rabbit-catching team-building activity amidst curses.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty, caught off guard, were hit on the head several times by spatulas waved by the aunties. They scrambled out of the crowd and could only watch from afar as the blue rabbit made three swift entries and exits, displaying incredible agility.
"...Fatty, I don't think this situation can be controlled anymore." Wu Tianzhen stared blankly, slapping his face, deeply regretting not having leashed the rabbit.
Fatty sighed and picked up a cucumber from the ground, wiping it and taking a bite.
Then, with a creak, the door that had been tightly shut suddenly opened halfway.
A pale arm reached out from the door and precisely grabbed the bouncing blue rabbit.
Zhang Qiling was wearing only a coat over his white inner garment, looking quite slender. However, upon closer inspection, faint muscle contours could still be discerned. He tilted his head slightly. His exceptionally fair complexion, accentuated by the slightly blueish circles under his eyes, was particularly striking, exuding a formidable sense of tranquility.
The noisy scene instantly froze, as if a scorching ember had been thrown into a pool of ice water.
"Little Brother, you're awake!" Fatty felt a bit guilty that he had woken him up. "How are you? Are you hungry? Do you want some breakfast?"
Hearing this, Zhang Qiling's vacant expression changed slightly. He slowly looked over, as if carefully identifying Fatty's face, and then slowly shook his head.
Wu Tianzhen noticed that even in this situation, Zhang Qiling's other hand was still firmly gripping the white knife.
"Here..." Zhang Qiling leaned against the door, straightened his back, and lifted Maotuan, handing it to the approaching Fatty.
His voice was still a bit hoarse, it was unclear if he hadn't fully recovered or if it was normal after waking up. In Zhang Qiling's hand, Maotuan instantly became docile, appearing like a cute plush rabbit toy.
Fatty took the rabbit and then watched as Zhang Qiling calmly scanned the people before him and quietly closed the door again.
After he went inside, the crowd remained silent for a few seconds.
Wu Tianzhen had intended to use this opportunity to explain properly and ask the neighbors to be quiet. However, for some reason, after the villagers reacted, their expressions suddenly became even more excited, and they left one after another at an unprecedented speed.
"...What's going on?" Wu Tianzhen was truly perplexed. "Could it be that they were scared by Little Brother?"
"That shouldn't be it. It might be a little more plausible if they were scared by you, Fatty."
"Wo cao, do you look down on the handsome and dashing Fatty?" Fatty felt his appearance had been challenged. He grumbled a few times, too lazy to ponder the villagers' intentions. He scratched his head and planned to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Then, in the afternoon, they understood the reason—
In the afternoon, Zhang Qiling was still asleep, but the matchmakers who had come for him were almost breaking down the door.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty: ...
Wu Tianzhen forced a smile and refused a matchmaker who tried to introduce a partner to him, feeling that his life had become dim and meaningless.
...This can't go on any longer. If this continues, how can Little Brother rest properly?!
...They had to show their strength, they had to roar, they had to display their unapproachability!
The next day, visitors found a large sign hanging at the entrance of the house—
"Foul Rabbit Inside, Please Do Not Approach"
Maotuan, temporarily tied to the door and baring its teeth menacingly: ...Cao (a plant that rabbits like).