WHIF- Chapter 3

Ch. 03 I’m not going anywhere

    “What? Are you saying you’re getting married already?!”

    “Whoa… can you not yell so loudly!” Ji Xiang quickly covered his friend’s mouth and sneaked a glance at the frosted glass window. “It’s lunchtime—there are people walking by outside.”

    Shen Siru clasped his hands together and shuffled over in small steps. “Sorry, sorry. But seriously—is this for real? You two just hit it off on a blind date and even moved this fast?”

    Ji Xiang nodded solemnly. “Strictly speaking… we didn’t exactly meet through a blind date.”

    He recounted the surreal encounter at the cafe to Shen Siru. Judging from his friend’s expression, Ji Xiang could tell—yeah, to a normal person, this probably sounded completely unrealistic.

    “You guys…” Shen Siru clicked his tongue twice. “I’ve seen impulsive, but this is next-level impulsive. You barely know anything about him and you’re already ready to get married? Ji Xiang, you’re something else.”

    He gave Ji Xiang a thumbs up.

    Ji Xiang sighed and turned to make himself a coffee. “I really don’t want to go on any more blind dates. I swear, that matchmaker must have it out for me.”

    Shen Siru burst out laughing. His favorite Monday work ritual was hearing Ji Xiang’s wild blind date stories—so ridiculous that he once joked, “A few more of these and you’ll complete the Shan Hai Jing collector’s edition [mfn]The Shanhaijing is a richly illustrated, modern Chinese translation of the ancient mythological text Classic of Mountains and Seas.[/mfn].”

    Of course, there had been some normal people in the mix, but Ji Xiang rarely felt a spark with them. He didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, so if they got along decently, he’d just add them on WeChat. His friend list was now a living exhibit of past dates.

    “Why don’t you tell your mom?”

    Shen Siru slung an arm over Ji Xiang’s shoulder. As an omega, he was shorter than Ji Xiang, so the gesture took some effort.

    “I don’t want to worry her. Chenchen’s health hasn’t been great lately either.” Ji Xiang patted Shen Siru’s hand. “And don’t force the arm around me. BOs [mfn]Betas and Omegas[/mfn] shouldn’t do unsolicited physical contact.”

    “Come on, we’ve been bros for years—we even wore the same pants before we differentiated, and you’re fussing about this?” Shen Siru scoffed. “But seriously, why is your sister always sick? No offense, but it’s not like you wanted to go on those blind dates. And no one in your family even checks out your matches? This is your life we’re talking about. Isn’t your mom being a bit too… hands-off?”

    Ji Xiang tasted his coffee, found it too bitter, and tossed in two sugar cubes. “Chenchen’s still a kid. And I’m fine. I’m already 29—almost thirty. I can’t keep running home to whine to my mom about everything.”

    Shen Siru pouted and said nothing. As an only child, he couldn’t quite grasp Ji Xiang’s tolerance.

    Especially considering that Ji Chenchen was his half-sister.

    “Alright, alright, I know you’re worried about me. Don’t look so glum. How about I treat you to that spicy chicken pot you’ve been craving all week?”

    Ji Xiang understood that Shen Siru was just looking out for him, but to him, digging too deep into things wasn’t necessary. Living in the moment was more his style.

    “Fine, but I want the deluxe set.”

    “No problem.” Ji Xiang smiled. “But I’ll probably have to work late tonight. Is saturday okay? Pretty sure I won’t have any more blind dates this week anyway.”

    He had only agreed to marry Yang Chaoshen last night, and hadn’t had the chance to tell his family yet. The weekend seemed like the right time.

    “Work overtime every day and one day your hair’s gonna quit on you.” Shen Siru folded his arms and examined Ji Xiang. “I’ve got some anti-hair loss products a brand gave me—they work pretty well. I’ll bring them when we eat.”

    “Thanks.” Ji Xiang instinctively touched his hairline and laughed. “I should get going. Still need to revise the proposal—the client’s not happy with anything.”

    Shen Siru made a gesture to cheer him up. “Go get ’em! Ji Xiang never gives up!”

    Ji Xiang made an ‘OK’ sign and left, taking the elevator back to the ninth floor.

    His friendship with Shen Siru was kind of amazing—they’d grown up together, gone through school side by side, and even ended up working at the same company.

    The company was a rising star in the advertising media world. But, they were in different departments: Shen Siru in administration and Ji Xiang in creative planning.

    If not for Shen Siru, Ji Xiang might’ve already left. The pay and benefits were decent after a few years, but the constant overtime could wear anyone down.

    He clipped on his ID badge, set his ceramic mug on his desk, and got to work revising the proposal they had just discussed with the client that morning.

    This project was for Yuman, a top-tier skincare brand. The team had already submitted five rough promotional outlines, which were all rejected.

    This latest version finally seemed promising, so Ji Xiang had to move fast. They even held an impromptu meeting that afternoon to make updates.

    “Ji Xiang.”

    As the meeting room cleared out, Ji Xiang was packing up when someone called his name.

    “Director Song.” Ji Xiang turned. “Something else?”

    Song Zheli walked over and took out a small bottle from his suit pocket. “You looked like your eyes were bothering you—you kept rubbing them in the meeting. This might help.”

    Ji Xiang hadn’t expected Song Zheli to notice something so minor. Truth be told, he had been staying up too late recently. “Thanks.”

    “Your team’s done a lot for the Yuman campaign. Once this wraps up, take some time to rest. And if anything gets too tough, just say so. I can assign someone else to liaise with them. No need to burn out.”

    Song Zheli glanced at the eyedrops in Ji Xiang’s hand. “Want me to help?”

    Ji Xiang blinked, then waved his hands. “No, no, I’ll do it myself in a bit. Thank you, Director Song. How much was this? I’ll transfer it to you.”

    “No need—we’ve worked together long enough. Don’t be so formal.”

    Ji Xiang took out his phone and joked, “Come on, fair is fair. I’ve eaten plenty when you treat us to meals, haven’t I?”

    His phone had been on silent most of the day. Unlocking it now, he noticed a message from Yang Chaosheng which was sent around 1 p.m.

    [Yang Chaosheng: Are you free tonight? I want to take you to dinner—and maybe go over the prenup details.]

    Ji Xiang felt a headache coming on. Life had a way of throwing everything at you all at once. He was already swamped with work but also felt bad about declining.

    [CilantroKiller [mfn]Should I keep it as ‘CilantroKiller’ or change it to ‘CorianderKiller’? Do let me know.[/mfn]: Probably working late tonight, sorry.]

    Yang Chaosheng replied almost instantly.

    [Yang Chaosheng: That’s okay. I’ve got no plans tonight. What time do you think you’ll be done? I can come pick you up.]

    Ji Xiang hesitated. Estimating his workload, he gave a rough answer.

    [CilantroKiller: Maybe around 7 or 8? I’m afraid you will be hungry— we can just meet without eating.]

    As if waiting for Ji Xiang to finish texting, Song Zheli spoke up again. “Since you’ve been working so hard, how about I treat your team to a late-night bite? There’s a new BBQ place on Xifu Road. A friend of mine said it’s good.”

    [Yang Chaosheng: No problem. That’s not too late. I’ll make a reservation and pick you up at 7.]

    Ji Xiang replied with a quick “Okay,” then turned to Song Zheli. “That’d be great—they’ll be thrilled. Thanks, Director Song. But I won’t be joining tonight. Got something else going on.”

    “What kind of important thing makes you skip BBQ?” Song Zheli feigned shock.

    Ji Xiang just blinked innocently. “Personal stuff.”

    “Really not coming? We’ll probably still be there if you show up later.”

    [Yang Chaosheng: Do you prefer Chinese or Western food?]

    [Yang Chaosheng: Could you send me your office location?]

    Ji Xiang shook his head, distracted as he replied to the messages. “Next time, for sure.”

    [CilantroKiller: [Location shared]]

    [CilantroKiller: Chinese.]

    [Yang Chaosheng: Got it.]

    Song Zheli watched him closely, his eyes narrowing slightly with amusement. “Ji Xiang… something going on? You dating someone?”

    Ji Xiang froze, like a student suddenly called out in class. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. Was he dating Yang Chaosheng?

    Technically… no. But also yes—they were about to register for marriage. But there was no love. Just mutual benefit.

    Seeing Ji Xiang at a loss, Song Zheli laughed nervously. “…Who is it? You’ve never mentioned anyone before.”

    “Uh… not really a someone—just a friend. We had plans to meet up tonight.”

    ‘It would be too cold to call him a stranger, but also too warm to call him a boyfriend,’ Ji Xiang thought. ‘Friend’ was just right.

    “Really?”

    “Of course,” Ji Xiang said confidently. “Next time there’s such a good thing, I definitely won’t miss it.”

    Song Zheli chuckled and waved. “Alright then, go on. You and I will hang out some other time.”

    Their relationship wasn’t exactly close, but Song Zheli was easy to get along with. Ji Xiang was used to his casual tone and saw no reason to overthink it.

    As the sun dipped and the city dimmed, Ji Xiang and his team finally finished the proposal and sent it off. By then, it was well past the time he’d told Yang Chaosheng.

    Once Ji Xiang got busy, everything else slipped his mind. When he saw the clock pointing to 9 p.m., he bolted for the elevator, like a sudden gust of wind, startling his coworkers.

    Yang Chaoshen had messaged him two hours ago saying he was in the parking lot. Panicked, Ji Xiang dialed his number while staring at the descending elevator numbers.

    The call connected after just one ring.

    “Hello?”

    Somehow, Ji Xiang could hear the exhaustion in that one word. The guilt hit him like a truck. “I’m so sorry… I lost track of time. I should’ve messaged you—”

    Yang Chaosheng cut him off gently. “It’s okay. I’m at Parking Lot C6. Take your time.”

    The moment the elevator doors opened, Ji Xiang dashed out.

    The call was still connected, and Yang Chaoshen must have heard the rush.

    “No need to hurry,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”