◎ The Bunny Queen and the Wolf ◎

Chen Fang and the headband stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked at her and asked a soul-searching question, “So, you want me to wear this… and then… hmm?”

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t initially understand what he meant by his hesitant words. Of course, she had bought the headband for him to wear and show her, but she was worried he wouldn’t wear it. That’s why she had even prepared some sweet treats for him. It wasn’t until she saw the deep, swirling emotions in his eyes that she realized what he meant by the “and then” and the questioning “hmm.”

Without hesitation, Tao Xiaoxi threw the mask at him and, with a low voice that almost sounded like she was about to scold him, said, “Why do you always think everything leads to that direction? You’re just… you’re even worse than a rogue!”

Chen Fang caught the mask and twirled it in his hands. “Tao Xiaoxi, it’s not that I’m thinking bad thoughts; it’s just that…” He looked her up and down. On such a night, dressed in this outfit, wearing that cute headband, and moving around in front of him, any man would… well… “I can’t help but think bad thoughts.”

The smile in his eyes made Tao Xiaoxi’s teeth itch with annoyance. She no longer had anything to throw at him, so she took off the headband from her head and threw it at his irritating face before turning and heading to the bedroom.

Chen Fang quickly followed her, but she blocked him at the closet door. He leaned against the doorframe and asked, “Are you angry?”

There was no answer from inside. After a few minutes, the door opened, and she came out in her pajamas, completely covered from neck to toe, not giving him any room for inappropriate thoughts.

Chen Fang pinched her stiff little face. “Are you really angry?”

“Mmm.” Tao Xiaoxi nodded and emphasized, “Really angry.”

He pretended not to see the faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips and continued with her angry script. “Then what can I do to make you not angry?”

Tao Xiaoxi kept her face straight and stared at him.

“Should I wear this for you?” He raised the mask in his left hand.

But Tao Xiaoxi’s eyes landed on the headband in his right hand. Suddenly, she didn’t want to see him wearing the wolfdog mask anymore.

Chen Fang noticed where her gaze was directed.

Without waiting for her to say anything, he firmly rejected, “Tao Xiaoxi, don’t even think about it.”

Tao Xiaoxi countered, “You know what I’m thinking?”

Chen Fang didn’t fall for it. “I don’t care what you’re thinking. You’d better keep it to yourself.”

Tao Xiaoxi muttered under her breath, “You said you were going to coax me, but you can’t even keep your word. How am I supposed to trust you in the future?”

That remark… Chen Fang couldn’t argue with it. After all, he had just made a promise, and if he broke it now, it would mean he had gone back on his word.

“Change it.” He took a step back, willing to change into anything, as long as he didn’t have to wear that bunny headband. It was as if he were being asked to die.

Tao Xiaoxi pretended to hesitate. “Fine, but you have to follow my orders. You’ll do whatever I say.”

Chen Fang nodded in agreement.

Tao Xiaoxi sat on the bed. She initially wanted to sit cross-legged but felt it wasn’t imposing enough, so she crossed one leg over the other, folded her arms over her chest, and tilted her chin up. “First, you put on the wolfdog mask.”

Chen Fang looked at her. “It’s a wolf, not a wolfdog. This is clearly a wolf, where’s the dog in it?”

Tao Xiaoxi raised her chin even higher. “Are you going to wear it or not?”

She was really wordy.

Chen Fang clicked his tongue, “Fine!” How could he not wear it? He had already dug himself into this hole, now he had to play along and be the wolf.

Chen Fang put the mask on, thinking it was finally over. But he had forgotten that Tao Xiaoxi had said “first.” Once the mask was on, there would naturally be a next step.

“Now take off your coat and shirt.” Tao Xiaoxi immediately gave her next order.

Chen Fang’s gaze paused for a moment behind the headband. “Are you sure?”

“Quick,” she urged.

Chen Fang’s laughter came through the mask, low and husky. “No one can take off their clothes faster than I can.”

Tao Xiaoxi didn’t respond to his teasing and kept her commanding tone. When he finished the second step, she immediately gave the next order. “Now put your coat back on.”

“Huh?” Why take it off just to put it back on?

But since he had come this far, he would just go along with her.

Chen Fang put the coat back on. “Button it up or leave it open?”

Tao Xiaoxi shot him a glare. “When do you ever button your coat?”

No matter what type of coat—overcoat, down jacket, or jacket—whether it had zippers or buttons, in his mind, they were all just air. His clothes were always open, and sometimes she felt sorry for him being cold, but he always claimed he was too hot and would get warm if he dressed too much.

Chen Fang slightly unbuttoned the coat, revealing his tanned abs. “I had to ask, so I can cater to your preferences.”

Tao Xiaoxi’s posture was very proper, and her expression was serious, though she was thinking a little bit less proper. Still, it wasn’t too inappropriate.

How to say it, him half-undressing in the coat felt completely different from half-undressing in a shirt.

In a shirt, it looked more mischievous.

But with the coat, it brought out a cold and tough vibe unique to him. His chest, half-covered, rose and fell slightly. Finally, Tao Xiaoxi understood why ancient people described the pipa half-hidden.

Chen Fang let her eyes roam freely over every inch of him.

“Do I look good?” he asked, returning the question she had asked him earlier.

Tao Xiaoxi hesitated slightly before reluctantly nodding. “It’s okay.”

Chen Fang yanked the headband off his head. He had been wearing it for so long that he had sweated on his forehead. She replied with “okay.” She really was something else.

Tao Xiaoxi lay back down on the bed, wrapping herself in the blanket. “I’m going to sleep now. You go take a shower. I’ve made plans with A Jian to go to the building materials market early tomorrow.”

Chen Fang gritted his teeth. It was impossible for him to let her fall asleep so easily.

***

Tao Xiaoxiao received a WeChat message from her Tao Xiaoxi early in the morning. It was a picture, and her sister asked if she could paint it onto nail tips.

Tao Xiaoxiao studied it carefully, then replied, “I think I can. I’ll give it a try.”

After finishing her conversation with her sister, Tao Xiaoxi set off for the building materials market. This time, they were there to select tiles. Pictures always had some color differences compared to the actual items, so she decided to go with A Jian to choose the samples in person. It was better to get it right the first time, to avoid the trouble of going back and forth.

After leaving the market, A Jian took the tiles back to his store, while Tao Xiaoxi drove to the place A Jian recommended for making the store sign. She hadn’t settled on a name for the store yet, but last night, inspiration struck, and she even came up with a design for the sign.

Tao Xiaoxi arrived at the store close to noon, but the workers had gone out for lunch. She had eaten a little too much in the morning and wasn’t hungry yet, so she stayed behind to watch the door. While doing so, she browsed the internet to find stores that sold dolls, wondering if she could custom-make some dolls.

A few stores quickly responded, and she was in the process of communicating with customer service when she heard some noise outside. Thinking it was A Jian and the others returning, she glanced up and saw a group of scruffy young men sneakily peeking inside.

“Who are you looking for?” Tao Xiaoxi asked, her heart racing a bit. Her hands quickly grabbed her phone and dialed A Jian’s number. He was nearby having lunch, and if anything happened, he would be able to come over quickly.

One of the young men, with yellow hair, grinned. “Hey, miss, is there a net cafe around here?”

There was indeed a net cafe on this street, but it was a bit far from her shop, at the end of the street. She pointed them in the right direction. The men thanked her and then left.

Tao Xiaoxi felt she might have overreacted. She couldn’t judge people based on their appearance. She didn’t think much of it and continued discussing the doll orders with the store.

A couple of days later, Tao Xiaoxiao brought her newly-made nail plates to show Tao Xiaoxi. “It probably won’t be as detailed as the drawing, but the general idea can be done.”

Tao Xiaoxi looked at the nail plates and was impressed. They were much better than she expected. She couldn’t help but praise her sister, “Xiaoxiao, you’re amazing! This is already great!”

“Hehe.” Tao Xiaoxiao shyly flicked her hair. “It’s just okay. Actually, sister, you could draw a simplified cartoon version. It might look even better on the nails.”

Tao Xiaoxi, encouraged by her sister’s praise, was brimming with new ideas.

After thinking for a moment, Tao Xiaoxi grabbed a piece of paper and simplified some details. She quickly sketched out a cartoon of a pink rabbit wearing a crown, snuggling up to a fierce-looking wolf.

“How about this?” she asked.

Tao Xiaoxiao nodded enthusiastically. “It’s super cute! The first time I saw this drawing, I thought it was amazing. The soft, cute rabbit and the fierce big black wolf—it’s such an adorable contrast, yet strangely harmonious. I can even see a hint of tenderness in the wolf’s fierce eyes.”

Curious, Tao Xiaoxiao rested her chin on her hand and asked, “Sister, how did you come up with the idea of pairing a wolf and a rabbit together?” She really wanted to ask if this represented you and Brother-in-law.

Tao Xiaoxi cleared her throat. “Well, it just came to me when I was thinking about the store name.”

Tao Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up. “You’ve figured out the store’s name?”

Tao Xiaoxi smiled and replied, “How about ‘Queen Rabbit and the Wolf’? What do you think?”

Tao Xiaoxiao repeated the name aloud, her eyes shining. “It’s like something from a fairy tale—romantic and easy to say. The soft, cute rabbit is the queen, and she can even conquer the fierce wild wolf. Wow, it sounds so cool!”

Tao Xiaoxi hadn’t thought about it that deeply, but hearing her sister’s explanation made it sound even better.

“I’ve contacted a doll factory. We can custom-make a batch of ‘Queen Rabbit and Wolf’ dolls. We can display them in the store—they’ll be both our signature items and great gifts. Cute little dolls like these are bound to be popular.”

Tao Xiaoxiao clapped her hands. “Sister, you’re so clever! You have so many ideas.”

Even though the store hadn’t opened yet, the sisters were already praising each other. But in reality, starting a business and opening a store needed constant encouragement from each other. If they kept getting discouraged, the store might never even open.

This was Tao Xiaoxi’s first time opening a store, and she had no experience. She could only experiment, trying out ideas that fit within a controllable budget. With so many nail salons around, they needed a unique feature to stand out. The service was one part, and the uniqueness was another. They had to have something memorable from the very first impression.

She planned to apply her expertise in nail art by designing animated characters on nails. As she looked at the sample, she was pleased with how cute the designs turned out.

Back in school, there was a strict rule that prohibited things like nail art. Meng Qing was even stricter, forbidding her to paint her nails, even during holidays. So, Tao Xiaoxi would secretly paint her toenails under the blanket with a flashlight, not to show anyone, but just for herself. Whenever something upset her, changing the nail color would somehow make her feel better.

As she grew older, this became a habit. While she rarely did her fingernails, she often played with her toenails. Such a simple thing could bring her so much joy, so it became a part of her routine.

“Ugh, I have to make another set of these when I get home. They’re so cute, I want to put them on myself!” Tao Xiaoxiao grabbed her sister’s hand, admiring the nails more and more.

Then, she suddenly seemed to remember something and sighed. “Ah, every time I go home, I get a headache. My mom’s going to start nagging me about blind dates again.”

Tao Xiaoxi looked at her sister with a troubled expression, and although she felt a little guilty, she couldn’t help but laugh. She had been in the same situation when her mom forced her to go on blind dates. It felt like she was about to lose her mind back then.

“How about you stay for dinner tonight? You can head back later, and avoid hearing Aunt’s endless chatter,” Tao Xiaoxi suggested.

Tao Xiaoxiao first smiled, then shook her head. “Forget it, I’m a little scared of my brother-in-law, and I don’t want to be a third wheel for you two.”

Tao Xiaoxi laughed. “He’s not that scary. He won’t be back tonight, so you can stay and eat without worry.”

Before Tao Xiaoxiao arrived, Chen Fang had called. He said he had to go to the city immediately for a dinner with a developer. He also had a project bid to submit early the next morning, so he wouldn’t be back tonight. Tao Xiaoxi thought about sending him a change of clothes, but he said there was no need—he had spares at the office and didn’t have time. Besides, he couldn’t be late for the dinner, so Tao Xiaoxi didn’t bother.

When Tao Xiaoxiao heard that her scary brother-in-law wouldn’t be coming home, she almost jumped for joy. This meant she could avoid her mother’s nagging at the dinner table.

The old lady had gone to visit her rural friends, so it was just the two of them for dinner. They ate until nearly eight o’clock, and only when Tao Xiaoxi received a tip-off from her dad about her mom going out to dance did she dare head home.

Without Tao Xiaoxiao’s chattering, the room became instantly quiet. Tao Xiaoxi turned up the TV volume a little. She hadn’t felt anything special when he was away for a whole week during his business trip to the south, but now, with him away for just one night, she felt a strange emptiness in her heart.

At this time, he should still be at the dinner table. Tao Xiaoxi gathered the clothes on the balcony, ironing the ones that needed it and neatly folding the rest, putting them back in the closet. An hour had passed without her noticing.

Time is strange. When you want it to pass quickly, it drags on. When you want it slow, it seems to race ahead.

Tao Xiaoxi went to the bathroom, turned on the bathtub faucet, added bath salts and essential oils, and lit the aromatherapy candles. She was about to relax when her phone buzzed.

She wiped her sweaty face, tried to focus, and answered the call. “You haven’t returned to the hotel yet?”

If he were back, he’d definitely want to video call.

Chen Fang heard her sleepy voice and softened his gaze. “Not yet, just took a break during intermission.”

“That’s tough.” Tao Xiaoxi wanted to pat his head. After all, not many people liked business socializing.

Chen Fang chuckled. “That’s why I’m calling you, to get some energy from you for the second half.”

“Okay, how do I give you energy? Should I sing you a cheer song?”

Chen Fang laughed louder. “Tao Xiaoxi, are you sure you’re singing to cheer me on?”

Tao Xiaoxi was tone-deaf. She couldn’t even sing “Happy Birthday” in tune. Most people didn’t know this about her, but back in high school, her class did a chorus performance for the school anniversary. After several practices, they still couldn’t stay in sync. The music committee was so serious about it that they made each student sing alone, and corrected them. That’s when Tao Xiaoxi became famous for her off-key singing. She still remembered the amused faces of everyone at the time.

“Hey! Chen Fang, how dare you complain about my singing!”

Chen Fang quickly apologized. “I was wrong, how could I complain about my wife’s singing? Go ahead, I’ll be all ears.”

Tao Xiaoxi smirked.

She opened her mouth, but then hesitated and closed it. Forget it, she wasn’t going to sing. Not to mention whether his ears could handle it, her own ears wouldn’t be able to.

She changed the topic. “Guess what I’m doing?”

Chen Fang guessed, “Drawing some indecent pictures again?”

Her drawings were all very proper. What did he mean by “indecent”?

Tao Xiaoxi stretched her leg out from under the bubbles and took a photo to send him. “Look at your phone.”

Chen Fang pulled his phone away from his ear and opened the WeChat interface.

His throat tightened instantly.

Her smooth, fair leg was covered with sparkling bubbles, reflecting a rainbow of colors under the light.

He opened the window to let in some cool air.

“Taking a bath?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. It feels really nice, like all the toxins are being drained out of me.”

“Tao Xiaoxi,” he said in a husky voice, like the night outside the window, “When I get back, I’ll join you and detox together.”

“Oh.” Tao Xiaoxi skimmed her hand through the water. “Tomorrow’s probably not possible, I’ve already detoxed today, but the day after tomorrow should be fine.”

Chen Fang scratched his brow with his finger and smiled silently. She really was… more daring over the phone.

“How about I come back now? I should be there in two hours.”

The sound of Tao Xiaoxi splashing the water grew louder. “By the time you get here, the water will be cold.”

“It’s fine, even if it’s cold, we can heat it up again.”

…

Tao Xiaoxi gave up. She shouldn’t challenge a rogue. She changed the subject. “When will you be back tomorrow?”

Chen Fang didn’t drag it out. “It’s not certain yet. I’ll see how things go. I might not even be able to come back. If I do, it’ll be really late.”

“Oh, if it’s that late, don’t rush back. Driving at night isn’t safe.” Tao Xiaoxi tried to hide her disappointment, making her voice sound lighter.

“I’ll see how it goes. I’ll call you tomorrow. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I need to go–” She didn’t finish her sentence before hearing someone calling his name.

The phone was muffled, and she couldn’t hear what was being said.

After a moment, his voice returned. “I have to go, sleep early, don’t soak too long, and check if the doors and windows are locked before going to bed.”

“Oh.”

“Tao Xiaoxi, when I get back, we’ll detox together.”

The sound of the call disconnecting followed.

Tao Xiaoxi had a restless sleep, filled with many dreams that she couldn’t remember upon waking. Her mind felt exhausted, heavy, and groggy.

This morning, she was heading to the hospital to visit Jiang Youlin’s mother. Two days ago, Aunt Jiang had slipped on the stairs and injured her back. She’s now hospitalized at the second hospital. Aunt Jiang has always been kind to her, and since Jiang Youlin can’t come back for work reasons, it’s only right for her to visit the elderly lady.

The hospital was crowded, and the elevator was even more packed. Her phone kept ringing in her bag. With both hands full, she could only follow the crowd and go down to the next floor. Her mother had called several times, and Tao Xiaoxi feared something was wrong, so she quickly called back.

Two people were walking towards her from the hallway—it was Zhao Yijiang and Zhou Ying. Tao Xiaoxi waved to greet them, intending to ask why they were at the hospital. But before she could, Meng Qing answered the phone with a sharp tone. She spoke rapidly, “Tao Xiaoxi, I told you you’re like spilled water, and here you are proving it! Chen Fang’s car accident is such a big deal, and you didn’t even tell your dad and me! You go to the second hospital, are you trying to keep it from us? I had to hear it from someone else that my son-in-law is in the hospital. Is that how you see us, like we’re strangers?”

Tao Xiaoxi was stunned by Meng Qing’s frantic yelling. She wanted to respond, “What car accident? He’s fine. He’s in the city, and I just talked to him this morning. Where did you hear this from, shouting at me like that?” But all the words she planned to say were blocked by the people who walked past Zhao Yijiang and Zhou Ying.

She wanted to tell Meng Qing, “There’s no need to be so angry. If you’re this upset, should I even be alive?”

In the end, she only forced a smile and said nothing.

She found it a bit ridiculous. She wasn’t sure if the current situation was more absurd or if the things she had said the night before were funnier.

Or maybe… her being here was the real joke.