WHIF- Chapter 13

Ch. 13 You are my legal partner

    As soon as Ji Xiang got into the car, he noticed that Yang Chaosheng’s playlist had been updated again.

    The other had carefully curated a string of upbeat songs—from The Next Second to One Day, each one dripping with an unmistakable air of sweet, tooth-rotting ambiguity.

    Ji Xiang hummed along for a bit and then asked, “You… in a really good mood today?”

    Yang Chaosheng was still lost in the memory of just before they got in the car, Ji Xiang pulling him aside and introducing him to someone else as his boyfriend. He thought that was a moment he’d never forget for the rest of his life.

    Ji Xiang was just… so good.

    “Lawyer Yang?” Ji Xiang called out hesitantly when he didn’t get a response.

    “Huh? Oh, yeah,” Yang Chaosheng snapped out of his daydream. “Sorry, what did you say just now?”

    “I was just asking casually. You seem really happy today—did something good happen?”

    In his heart, Yang Chaosheng answered: Not only did I become your boyfriend, I’m also going to marry you one day. Does that count as something good?

    But he didn’t dare say that out loud. So, he gave a more roundabout excuse, “I just thought, after we get married, I won’t have to deal with my family constantly nagging me to settle down anymore. That alone is enough to make me happy.”

    Ji Xiang found that answer a little out of character for Yang Chaosheng, but surprisingly… also kind of cute. The updated playlist had already betrayed the man’s true mood completely.

    “Oh right, were you feeding cats just now?” Yang Chaosheng asked.

    “Mm, all strays,” Ji Xiang nodded. “They’ve got nowhere else to go, and a lot of them wander around this area. I’ve seen quite a few of them before. I don’t know about other places, but our company doesn’t shoo them away. So, whenever I see them, I feed them a little. Life’s hard for cats too.”

    Ji Xiang pulled out his phone and started flipping through photos, occasionally showing a few to Yang Chaosheng, almost all of which were of different cats. If you downloaded Ji Xiang’s entire photo album, it’d be enough to publish a whole book just consisting of cats.

    Yang Chaosheng could sense the overflowing affection in those photos, “You really like cats, huh?”

    “Yeah! Some people say cats are mean, but I think once they get to know you, they’re actually pretty affectionate and smart, just like people.”

    Yang Chaosheng recalled that Ji Xiang’s place didn’t have a single trace of a cat. With how much he clearly adored them, it was strange he hadn’t adopted one. “Never thought about keeping one yourself?”

    Ji Xiang pouted a little, clearly frustrated. “I have… I actually had a ragdoll cat [mfn]A Ragdoll cat is a breed of domestic cat known for its gentle, calm temperament, striking blue eyes, and plush, semi-long haired coat. – Google[/mfn] before, called Niannian. I had her for two or three months. But then Chenchen was born, and she was seriously allergic to cat fur, her whole body would break out in rashes. In the end, I had no choice but to give Niannian away. After I moved out, Chenchen would sometimes come stay with me during school breaks, so having a cat has remained just a thought.”

    He looked a little regretful, but then comforted himself. “But maybe it’s for the best. Keeping a cat is a big responsibility. Back then I was still in school, and Aunty Fang had to help me with everything—feeding, cleaning, grooming, shots, deworming…”

    Yang Chaosheng listened quietly as Ji Xiang listed off all the things to consider when owning a cat. He sounded so thorough, so practiced, as if he’d etched the entire process into memory.

    What kind of person remembers all these little things so clearly?

    Maybe Ji Xiang had imagined it all a thousand times, if Niannian had stayed, if he could one day afford to raise another cat… what he would do differently.

    Yang Chaosheng knew Ji Xiang came from a reconstituted family. Ever since that dinner at Ji Xiang’s house, he hadn’t stopped feeling sorry for him.

    His father wasn’t his biological dad, and his mother focused all her attention on the younger daughter. Ji Xiang, the older brother, had to be the one, loving and protecting. He lost his cat and his mother’s preference at the same time.

    Ji Xiang had been talking for quite a while when he noticed Yang Chaosheng had gone quiet. Feeling awkward, he asked, “Did I bother you?”

    “No,” Yang Chaosheng said sincerely. “I was listening very seriously. If I weren’t driving, I’d probably be looking into your eyes right now.”

    So, you could see how much love and tenderness I hold for you.

    Ji Xiang always got a little overwhelmed when Yang Chaosheng suddenly dropped a heartfelt line out of nowhere. When he didn’t know how to respond, he’d just laugh awkwardly and change the subject as if nothing happened.

    At the hospital, Ji Xiang went straight to the surgery department to have his stitches removed. The process was quick, done under twenty minutes. Though he only furrowed his eyebrows slightly from the mild pain, Yang Chaosheng thought he was scared and stayed with him the entire time, even shielding his eyes. The nurse who was removing the stitches kept wanting to say something, but held back.

    Forget it, she thought. What can she say about the sweet antics of a young couple?

    After the stitches came out and the post-care instructions were given, Yang Chaosheng took Ji Xiang to collect a pile of ointments.

    He even put the scar cream given by Song Zheli into the bag. Yang Chaosheng, sharp-eyed, asked, “Was this prescribed?”

    “Oh, Director Song gave it to me just now. Said it was for scars,” Ji Xiang explained.

    “Mind if I take a look?”

    Ji Xiang handed it over without a second thought.

    “The doctor mentioned that your skin scars easily. This might not be suitable,” Yang Chaosheng said after reading the label. Then he gathered all the ointments. “Wait here for a bit. I’ll check with them to make sure none of these conflict.”

    Ji Xiang was a bit taken aback. He hadn’t even considered that. Still, he nodded and watched Yang Chaosheng walk back towards the surgical building.

    Thinking Yang Chaosheng wouldn’t be back for a bit, Ji Xiang decided to hit the restroom. He quickened his pace down the corridor.

    “Excuse me, coming through!”

    There was a sudden commotion behind him. Ji Xiang turned and moved aside for the medical staff. Just as he slowed, he accidentally collided with someone turning the corner.

    The man was wearing a white coat and walking briskly. He hadn’t even slowed down when rounding the corner, resulting in the opening of the folder in his arms, papers scattering everywhere.

    Though Ji Xiang was a bit sore from the hit, the other guy didn’t seem to fare much better. As he rubbed his shoulder and knelt to gather the papers, Ji Xiang bent down to help.

    The A4 papers were packed with text. Ji Xiang grabbed one that looked like a report and spotted a familiar name at the top.

    Yuan You.

    His fingers paused, only for the paper to be snatched away by the doctor.

    The man clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed, and snapped, “Don’t look at things you shouldn’t.”

    Ji Xiang hadn’t done it on purpose, but the man’s tone irritated him. Still, since he had seen something he shouldn’t have, he just said, “Sorry,” and let it go.

    The doctor didn’t respond, just dusted off his papers and rushed towards the elevator.

    When Ji Xiang returned to the waiting area, he rubbed his sore shoulder and mulled over that familiar name.

    Could be just someone with the same name…

    He recalled Shen Siru’s downward spiral after the college entrance exams. He’d lost a lot of weight in just a short time. Though he never said outright that it was because of Yuan You, based on the things he yelled about his ex afterward, it was likely that Yuan You had done something to betray him.

    Ji Xiang regretted not doing more. He and Shen Siru had been in different classes back then. If he said he was fine, he didn’t press further, trusting their bond as childhood friends. If something was wrong, he would’ve told him—at least, that’s what he believed.

    He only found out he was dating someone because he stumbled upon it; after all, the truth doesn’t stay hidden forever.

    From Yuan You’s clothes and mannerisms alone, Ji Xiang could tell what kind of person he was, a pampered rich boy with a rebellious streak, looking at people with that air of superiority. Ji Xiang didn’t like him from the start.

    Looking back, Shen Siru had indeed been off throughout that final year of high school.

    He always looked sleep-deprived, got called into the office often. Ji Xiang would see him there almost every morning when handing in homework.

    Once, in the middle of the night, he called him, completely drunk in some shady bar in Tongcheng. He claimed he was working part-time, saving money to buy his boyfriend a gift.

    An absurd excuse, but Ji Xiang believed it, only advising him to focus on school.

    Later, still uneasy, he introduced him to a safer weekend job at a convenience store he used to work at.

    But he never took it.

    To Ji Xiang, Shen Siru was someone who was fully committed when it came to love. It was just a shame he gave his heart to the wrong person.

    When Yang Chaosheng came back, he found Ji Xiang looking unusually serious, eyes locked on some random spot on the floor, absent-mindedly rubbing his shoulder.

    He walked towards him and naturally took over, kneading Ji Xiang’s shoulder a few times. “What’s wrong? Sore shoulder?”

    “Just bumped into someone earlier. No big deal,” Ji Xiang waved it off and smiled playfully. “Lawyer Yang, you’re really something, good with money, great cook, and even knows massage. Whoever marries you will be lucky.”

    “If you think it’s lucky, then that’s enough,” Yang Chaosheng said seriously. “After all, the one marrying me… is you.”

    “Me?” Ji Xiang pointed at himself. “I meant the person you will really fall for one day, someone you would truly want to spend your life with.”

    Yang Chaosheng pressed his lips together. “…Until that person comes along, you’re my lawful partner.”

    Ji Xiang made a playful clicking sound with his tongue. “Wow, such a smooth talker. You sure you’ve never dated before?”

    “Never. I swear, I’ve never even gotten a love letter.”

    Seeing how eager Yang Chaosheng was to prove himself, Ji Xiang raised his hands in surrender. Sometimes he really shouldn’t tease this guy, he took it way too seriously.

    “I was joking. Even if you had dated, so what? Everyone’s had a failed relationship or two. It helps you grow, learn to become immune to heartache.”

    Ji Xiang said it with Shen Siru in mind. But Yang Chaosheng misunderstood.

    He realized he was starting to feel jealous of anyone who had ever shared any part of Ji Xiang’s past, even if they didn’t exist. Just the idea of someone hurting Ji Xiang made a kind of sourness rise in his chest that he couldn’t control.

    In his mind, anyone who had hurt Ji Xiang didn’t deserve him. In fact, no one was good enough for Ji Xiang.

    Not even Yang Chaosheng himself.

    He was just a selfish man who’d stumbled onto this chance and now clung to it like a thief.

---

The author wants to say something:

Xiao Yang went home tonight and couldn’t sleep all night, wondering what to do. How to prove to Ji Xiang that he had never been in a relationship and had never accepted a proposal from anyone before.