WHIF- Chapter 25

Ch. 25 Cold-hearted

    After being ‘enlightened’ by Yang Chaosheng, Ji Xiang became noticeably more talkative at the dinner table.

    He was never the shy type to begin with, his earlier nervousness stemming from the fact that Yang Yueming, a member of Yang Chaosheng’s family, was someone he had never met before. But after engaging in a deeper conversation, Ji Xiang found Yang Yueming rather interesting.

    Though she and Yang Chaosheng appeared to have that classic sibling dynamic of bickering and exposing each other’s embarrassing stories, it was clear in her words that she deeply cared for her younger brother.

    She was six years older than him. While he was still learning to walk, Yang Yueming had already stepped up as the ‘trailblazer’ leading the way. Both siblings had their own ambitions, when her brother decided not to take on the family business, Yang Yueming shouldered it all herself. Despite walking different paths, they ultimately shared a common destination. It was easy for Ji Xiang to see that Yang Chaosheng had grown up in a home full of love.

    And truthfully, he felt a little envious of that.

    Yang Chaosheng had been paying close attention to Ji Xiang during the meal and immediately noticed a fleeting sadness in his lowered eyes. He promptly cut off Yang Yueming’s endless stories—ones that had been digging into his childhood antics since infancy.

    He tapped the screen of his phone with a knuckle, throwing Yang Yueming a clear signal.

    Of all the dishes on the table, only the clam soup had been made by Ji Xiang. Yang Chaosheng had just quietly transferred 600 yuan to Yang Yueming and had now ladled two bowls of soup, placing one in front of her.

    “Ji Xiang made this. It’s really good, have a taste,” he said.

    Yang Yueming had been confused about the sudden transfer earlier, but now, with this little nudge, she instantly understood.

    She wasn’t fond of shellfish, always finding the taste a bit too fishy. But since Ji Xiang had made it, and Yang Chaosheng had praised it, she took a polite sip.

    “It’s very fresh,” she said with a bright smile, though the salty tang of the sea lingered heavily on her tongue.

    Probably not enough ginger, or maybe none at all. She glanced at the clear broth and spotted just a few tiny floating pieces that might have been ginger slices.

    But Ji Xiang visibly lit up at the compliment. While Yang Yueming stepped away to wash her hands, he leaned closer to Yang Chaosheng and whispered, “Looks like the recipe I found online actually worked. I’ll try something different next time.”

    Yang Chaosheng smiled gently, “Alright.”

    Not long after the meal, Yang Yueming received a message and got up to leave. Ji Xiang followed Yang Chaosheng downstairs to see her off. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw someone waiting nearby.

   It was a girl with a single braid draped over her chest, the end tied with a printed ribbon. She wore round glasses which were perched on her nose and looked like a fresh university graduate. The moment she spotted Yang Yueming, her face lit up with a radiant smile and she ran over.

    Ji Xiang and Yang Chaosheng stayed a few steps behind, watching as Yang Yueming instantly shifted into a more composed demeanor before pulling the girl into a long, affectionate hug, just like a couple in the throes of early romance.

    “Chaosheng-ge.” The girl, Cheng Miaoguang, finally noticed the two of them behind Yang Yueming. She awkwardly toned down her intimate behavior, though still leaning lightly into Yang Yueming’s arms. “And this is…?”

   “Hi, I’m Ji Xiang.”

    Ji Xiang had a realization—he’d basically met the entire Yang family today.

    “Hello, I’m Cheng Miaoguang.”

    She greeted Ji Xiang warmly with a nod, then turned to Yang Chaosheng. “I’ll take Yueming-jie home now. See you next time, Chaosheng-ge.”

    “Alright, take care.”

    As Cheng Miaoguang walked off arm-in-arm with Yang Yueming, she kept whispering into her ear. Ji Xiang overheard her coaxing Yueming into going to see a newly released movie with her.

    Once the couple was completely out of sight, Ji Xiang took a step forward and asked, “So Miaoguang is Yueming-jie’s partner?”

    “Mm-hmm.”

    “Then why does she call you ‘ge’ [mfn]Usually used for Older brother, not necessarily biological[/mfn]? Aren’t the relationships a bit tangled?”

   Yang Chaosheng paused for a rare moment. “…Because Miaoguang was my junior in school. She met Yueming later.”

    Back upstairs, Yang Chaosheng shared with Ji Xiang the story of Cheng Miaoguang and Yang Yueming’s relationship.

    At first, he hadn’t approved of them. Cheng Miaoguang was thirteen years younger than Yang Yueming. Their personalities and temperaments couldn’t have been more different.

    Cheng Miaoguang was lively and innocent, while Yang Yueming was free-spirited and emotionally detached. Their life experiences were worlds apart. While Cheng Miaoguang was still a pure blank slate, Yang Yueming had already been through the darker, grayer shades of life.

    If Yang Yueming hadn’t been his sister, Yang Chaosheng admitted he would have condemned her for being immoral.

    “…But she told me Cheng Miaoguang completely defied her expectations. Like a ray of sunlight that somehow appears in the middle of a storm—unexpected, yet undeniably real. She looks delicate, but has remarkable endurance and persistence. My sister used to fly all over the country and abroad. It started out as work, but then it became an excuse—to avoid Miaoguang,” Yang Chaosheng said, a trace of helplessness in his voice. “When Miaoguang finished her internship in Tongcheng, she left my firm and followed my sister as a personal assistant. Even the low salary didn’t scare her off. She said as long as she could eat, she was happy.”

    “So… it’s a happily-ever-after kind of story?”

    “She was more like someone who tasted every bitter moment sweetly,” Yang Chaosheng corrected. “Eventually, my sister was moved. Last year, when Miaoguang graduated, she surprised her by proposing. They got married at the end of last year.”

    “Wow,” Ji Xiang exclaimed. “She must’ve been very touched. Being able to marry the person you love, that makes her luckier than 70% of people in the world.”

    “True.” Yang Chaosheng handed Ji Xiang a bottle of juice. “But now I have a question for you.”

    Ji Xiang took the orange juice and stuck a straw in. “Go ahead.”

   “If someone, like Miaoguang, were to pursue you relentlessly—fearless and devoted, would you be moved?”

    Ji Xiang took a slow sip, then answered thoughtfully, “Probably… not? I guess it depends. I get touched by loving couples sometimes, but love isn’t a necessity for me. I focus on the person, not just the effort. If I feel no connection or chemistry, no matter how much they do for me, I’d just feel guilty and burdened. I’d want to repay the kindness and move on.”

   Yang Chaosheng stared at him silently.

    Ji Xiang tilted his head. “Do I sound cold-hearted to you?”

   “…No,” Yang Chaosheng choked slightly. “That’s perfectly fine. Your choices have their own reasons.”

   At least, until that person actually appeared, Ji Xiang would still be his legal husband.

    “Oh, by the way,” Ji Xiang shifted topics, curling up on the sofa. “Earlier I overheard Miaoguang and Yueming-jie talking about seeing a movie. Last time, those tickets you booked went to waste because of Siru. How about I treat you this time? Tomorrow I have to go pick Siru up from the hospital, but the day after’s free.”

   Yang Chaosheng didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure what was going through Ji Xiang’s mind, but this offer, along with everything else he’d just said, felt like Ji Xiang was trying to repay his affection rather than accept it.

    “But the movie you wanted to see is already off the schedule.”

   “That’s fine. This time, you choose.” Ji Xiang grabbed his phone and opened the ticketing app. “Pick whatever you want.”

   “I’m not really up-to-date on these things…”

    Ji Xiang casually draped his elbow over Yang Chaosheng’s shoulder and knelt besides him, scrolling through the current listings. “How about this comedy? The previous ones got decent reviews. Or this martial arts film?”

    He listed options while letting Yang Chaosheng choose. In the end, Yang Chaosheng picked a romance film.

    “So you do like romantic stuff,” Ji Xiang said with a teasing smile. The theater wasn’t too crowded, so he picked two seats right in the center.

   “Not particularly,” Yang Chaosheng replied softly.

    “Huh?” Ji Xiang was caught off guard. “Then why that one?”

    “Because…”

    Yang Chaosheng hesitated. Just then, his phone buzzed—someone was calling. The moment was interrupted. He picked up the phone and went to the balcony to answer it.

    Ji Xiang mulled things over for a bit but didn’t pursue it further. He noticed a message from an hour ago saying Shen Siru had already been discharged safely.

    [CilantroKiller]: I thought you were getting out tomorrow?

    [Siru]: Ugh, my butt was going numb. I couldn’t take it anymore.

    [CilantroKiller]: You went alone?

    [Siru]: Nope. Director Song happened to be around and just packed me up and took me home.

    [Siru]: He’s actually a really nice guy.

    [Siru]: Anyways, you’ll see me tomorrow!

    Ji Xiang was puzzled. Song Zheli not only visited Siru, but also handled his discharge?

    [Siru]: [Transfer: 700]

    [Siru]: Oh right, this is from the caregiver lady. She said she overcharged Chaosheng. Give this back to him. The bodyguards are gone too.

    [CilantroKiller]: Got it. Yuan You didn’t give you any more trouble, right?

    Suddenly, Siru stopped replying. Ji Xiang rested his chin in his hand, waiting. Even after Yang Chaosheng finished his call and returned, there was still no response.

    Ji Xiang added the amount and transferred it all to Yang Chaosheng.

    “What’s this 4,000 for?” Yang Chaosheng asked.

    “The refund from the caregiver, and the bodyguards you hired to watch over Siru.”

    Yang Chaosheng returned the money. “Those were family arrangements, not something you should be paying for.”

    “But—”

    “Ji Xiang, if you’re going to keep accounts this precisely, it makes me sad too.”

    Ji Xiang opened his mouth, then forgot what he was going to say.

    Yang Chaosheng had said it seriously, and his hurt expression showed it.

   In the end, Yang Chaosheng only accepted the 700 yuan from the caregiver. The once warm atmosphere now felt strained.

    Trying to change the subject, Ji Xiang said, “Oh, I made a few changes to the interior. Do you like it?”

    “I saw, it looks great,” Yang Chaosheng praised Ji Xiang without reservation. “Much better than before.”

    “Good.” Ji Xiang pointed to the wall above the sofa. “I was thinking of replacing that part too, but the area’s so big, I’m not sure what to do with it.”

    Yang Chaosheng looked up. “Why not put some photos there?”

    “Photos?”

    “Speaking of which, I have something to discuss with you.” He picked up the tablet from the coffee table. “I’ve shortlisted some wedding venues. Take a look when you have time.”

   “As for the wall photos, I was thinking we could frame some of our wedding pictures once they’re taken.”