WHIF- Chapter 14

Ch. 14 Feelings

    Yang Chaosheng handed Ji Xiang the scar removal cream along with a newly prescribed medical scar gel. “This is from the doctor,” he said, “It’s best to just use one of them, or it might irritate your skin.”

    Ji Xiang, naturally following the medical advice, nodded. “Alright.”

    Still, it felt like a shame to let Director Song’s kind gesture go to waste.

    Yang Chaosheng took Ji Xiang to the law firm. Since it was just a few streets away, they arrived fifteen minutes before the scheduled 3 PM meeting.

    Ji Xiang had thought that they were too early, but as soon as they stepped out of the car, they happened to bump into Lawyer An, who was strolling over at a leisurely pace. So, he greeted An You first.

    Since both parties were already present, the 3 PM meeting started tacitly ahead of time.

    It was Ji Xiang’s first time at Shengsong. Upon entering, he found the interior much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The first floor was a standard office area. He followed Yang Chaosheng upstairs to the second floor.

    Yang Chaosheng opened the office door first. He had already asked the intern assistant to prepare tea beforehand, one cup for Ji Xiang, and one for An You.

    After sitting down, An You took a sip of tea and gave a polite thank-you before placing two identical copies of the prenuptial agreement on the desk. “You both can look them over first. If there are no objections, just fill in the blanks and sign at the end.”

    Yang Chaosheng was already familiar with the contents. He just skimmed through the pages briefly, as a formality, and then filled out the required fields and signed both copies.

    Ji Xiang accepted the papers and began reading word by word. When he came across anything unclear, he turned to An You for clarification.

    An You patiently explained each point. Yang Chaosheng sat silently across from them, not interjecting, maintaining the stance of Party A—professional and reserved, giving Ji Xiang a strong sense of security, allowing him to calmly and clearly understand all his rights and obligations in the agreement, free of any emotional interference.

    With An You’s help, Ji Xiang finished reading through the entire agreement. In his eyes, the terms were overwhelmingly lenient towards him and rather harsh on Yang Chaosheng.

    For instance:

• If Party A accrues any debt, Party B is not responsible.

• Despite Party A contributing the larger share to the shared living expenses fund, Party B would manage it.

• If Party A engages in any extramarital affairs or emotional entanglements, he must provide mental and living compensation to Party B…

    To Ji Xiang, this didn’t feel like a prenuptial agreement between two people, it was more like a one-sided promise from Yang Chaosheng.

    Noticing Ji Xiang’s uneasy expression, Yang Chaosheng finally broke the silence. “What’s wrong? Is there something you don’t agree with?”

    Ji Xiang shook his head, then after a moment, propped up the paper and pointed to a section with his index finger, asking uncertainly, “You’re sure you don’t have any issues with this?”

    His question was direct. An You, picking up on the implication, quickly clarified, “I swear I drafted this based on both of your requests…”

    He glanced at the section Ji Xiang pointed to, which was the clause about marital fidelity and compensation. “Mr. Ji only mentioned wanting to maintain independent lives after marriage. The rest, like these compensations, were voluntarily added by Mr. Yang, without conflicting with your terms, Mr. Ji.”

    He had combined both parties’ intentions into the final draft.

    Ji Xiang had no intention of questioning An You’s professionalism. He felt a bit sorry that his words came out so ambiguously. Still, he couldn’t understand Yang Chaosheng’s desire to shackle himself this way. “I already said it before, if you meet someone you truly like in the future, I don’t want compensation. Divorce isn’t that big of a deal, especially for us. It wouldn’t be a matter of who wronged whom. There’s no need to go this far.”

    Their marriage was contractual to begin with, without any emotional foundation. With nothing owed to each other, where was the need for compensation?

    “I understand,” Yang Chaosheng replied calmly. “This is my first marriage, even though it’s just an agreement and we’re only married in name, and who knows how long it’ll last, I still want to make my intentions clear: I won’t hurt you in the slightest. And these black and white words will be more convincing than any verbal promise that can change with time and circumstances.”

    He regarded this marriage with absolute seriousness and wanted Ji Xiang to feel secure and free of any worries while stepping into it with a peace of mind.

    The office fell into silence.

    Ji Xiang stared at him, stunned for a long moment, and then finally smiled. “So serious. Got it.”

    He uncapped the pen and filled in the blanks, signing swiftly and decisively.

    Yang Chaosheng’s sincerity was obvious. If he hesitated even now, he would only seem petty.

    An You then brought out a red ink pad and placed it on the desk. “Please place your thumbprints next to your names.”

    Ji Xiang and Yang Chaosheng leaned forward almost at the same time, dipping their thumbs into the red ink.

    Their fingers brushed. Ji Xiang couldn’t help but glance at Yang Chaosheng, who was already looking at him.

    “It’s done,” Yang Chaosheng said.

    “Yeah.”

    Without hesitation, Ji Xiang pressed his thumbprints on all the necessary spots first, as if trying to prove something, drawing a light chuckle from Yang Chaosheng.

    With the agreements signed, An You’s task was complete. He handed each of them a copy and left. Yang Chaosheng saw him out while Ji Xiang stayed in the office, glancing around.

    The decor was minimalist with a vintage touch. Ji Xiang stood up from the sofa and circled around the desk. Amid the neatly stacked files, he quickly noticed something out of place, a small teddy bear.

    It was the return gift he had given Yang Chaosheng.

    He hadn’t expected Yang Chaosheng to keep it in his office, especially in such a prominent spot, within easy view during work. Clearly, he appreciated the gift.

    Ji Xiang smiled faintly and poked Mr. Bear’s cheek with his finger.

    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Ji Xiang turned and saw a young woman holding a folder.

    Jian Xin blinked nervously, afraid of disturbing someone. “Sorry to interrupt… Wasn’t Director Yang just here?”

    “He just stepped out for a moment. Why don’t you wait for a moment?” Ji Xiang replied awkwardly, stepping aside.

    “Okay, sure.”

    Jian Xin placed the folder on the desk but kept sneaking glances at Ji Xiang.

    She had just returned from a field visit, and by the time she got to her desk, Lu Fei had already spilled the latest gossip: Director Yang had brought someone in to sign a prenuptial agreement.

    Without a second thought, Jian Xin rushed up with her day’s materials, pretending she needed Yang Chaosheng to review them, just to catch a glimpse of his rumored partner.

    Doesn’t seem like an omega… she thought, secretly eyeing Ji Xiang. But she had to admit, ‘good-looking people always hang out with other good-looking people’ was a universal truth.

    If she had the money, she’d definitely launch Yang Chaosheng and his partner as a celebrity couple.

   Ji Xiang, pretending to look at the file cabinet, was actually watching her reflection in the glass. Sensing her scrutiny, he decided to act rather than be passive and turned to start a conversation. “Are you Director Yang’s assistant?”

    “Yes, I’m Jian Xin.” Emboldened by Ji Xiang’s friendly tone, she asked, “Are you… Director Yang’s partner?”

    Before Ji Xiang could respond, Yang Chaosheng returned.

    He nodded at Jian Xin, who quickly updated him on her fieldwork.

    Ji Xiang tactfully stayed quiet and looked out the window, letting his thoughts drift.

    Seeing him, Yang Chaosheng interrupted her report. “Do you have something urgent later on?”

    Ji Xiang, halfway through mentally counting the tree leaves, turned his head. “No.”

    “Then let me give you a ride home once I finish here, alright? Just ten more minutes.”

   Ji Xiang blinked. “No worries, really. I can just head back on my own. I stayed in case you had anything else to say to me…”

    “I do,” Yang Chaosheng said seriously. “I want to ask about your thoughts on the wedding.”

    Jian Xin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

    If her boss hadn’t been standing right there, she would’ve already pulled out her phone to drop this bombshell in the group chat. That this pure, distant, unattached Director Yang was actually getting married!

    “…Then maybe I should take a look around?” Ji Xiang didn’t want to interrupt Yang Chaosheng’s work. “Mind if I explore the firm a little?”

   “Of course. Need someone to show you around?”

    Ji Xiang wasn’t some big shot inspecting the place. There was no need to waste anyone’s time. “No, no need.”

   “Alright. There’s a lounge at the end of the hall on the first floor, just take a right. You can wait there if you get tired.”

   Ji Xiang nodded and left the office.

    He didn’t disturb anyone in the work area. On the way in, he’d already noticed the lawyer introductions lining the corridor. He retraced his steps and stopped in front of Yang Chaosheng’s profile.

    At the top was his ID photo with a white background, looking expressionless, conquering the camera with that flawless face alone.

   The description below was brief but succinct. Ji Xiang hadn’t known Yang Chaosheng had earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees abroad.

    Shengsong had only been around for five years, yet he had managed it with remarkable success. An You had once mentioned in passing that Shengsong’s win rate and reputation in the legal field were among the best.

    Ji Xiang studied that photo, trying to peer into the past, trying to imagine Yang Chaosheng during his school days.

    Since he lacked any real references, he just mentally dressed him in his own high school uniform. Surprisingly, it suited him. And somehow, the face felt… familiar.

    But with Yang Chaosheng’s looks, there was no way he would just be an another forgettable face. Because of that, Ji Xiang started wondering if they’d met somewhere before.

    “Ji Xiang?”

    But then, a stranger’s voice pulled him back. He turned around and saw someone he didn’t recognize.

   Cao Zhimian had rushed to the firm after hearing the gossip in the group chat. To his surprise, he actually got to see the person who had haunted Yang Chaosheng’s dreams for over a decade.

    Ji Xiang eyed him warily. This guy’s vibe was way too similar to Yuan You’s, he instinctively didn’t like it. “…And you are?”

   “Hi, I’m a friend of Yang Chaosheng’s,” the man replied with a grin. “Cao Zhimian. I’ve been hoping to meet you in person for a long time.”