WHIF- Chapter 4

Ch. 04 Human-AI Chatbot lawyer Yang

    Yang Chaosheng saying he wasn’t in a hurry was one thing—but in Ji Xiang’s mind, being forgetful and causing the other person to wait so long was a whole different matter.

    The underground parking lot at night felt a bit desolate. Ji Xiang’s hurried footsteps echoed around him, growing louder as they bounced off the empty space. After circling around several times following the signs, he ended up dizzy and disoriented.

    He did have a car of his own, but since his current apartment wasn’t far from the office, and the subway only took two stops without the hassle of rush hour traffic, he usually didn’t bother driving. As a result, he was now unfamiliar with the layout of the parking lot.

    Just as he was about to turn right to check if he was in the right area, a voice called out from the left: “Ji Xiang—”

    Yang Chaosheng stood a few steps away beside a black Volvo, waiting for him. Ji Xiang clutched the strap of his bag and jogged over.

    “I don’t come down here often, and my sense of direction is not very great, so when I was looking for the spot…”

    Ji Xiang was just about to explain when Yang Chaosheng turned and took out a bouquet of flowers from the backseat.

    Ji Xiang froze on the spot.

    “These are for you,” Yang Chaosheng said, handing him a bouquet of manta roses [mfn]this is most probably an imaginary variety of rose[/mfn]. “I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers you liked, but the florist said these are perfect for a first date.”

    Seven blooming roses—just enough to feel the weight without being a burden. Ji Xiang accepted them, stunned. What surprised him even more than receiving roses from Yang Chaosheng was the fact that he called this their ‘first date’.

    In his twenty-odd years of life, it wasn’t like no one had ever given Ji Xiang flowers before. But Yang Chaosheng was his ‘partner’—this kind of gesture was the last thing he’d expected from someone in a business arrangement.

    He’d originally imagined things going more like: the two of them casually having a meal, discussing the prenuptial agreement, then getting the marriage license and living separate, peaceful lives. Whether they shared a home or lived apart would be a matter of later negotiation, but it definitely wasn’t supposed to have this kind of personal warmth.

    Still, Ji Xiang wasn’t clueless enough to ruin the moment. Since he called it a first date… might as well see how it goes.

    “Thanks. They’re really pretty,” Ji Xiang said, gently brushing the curled edges of the petals. The fragrance, so close to him, eased his nerves. “But I came in such a rush. You brought me flowers, and I didn’t get anything for you…”

    “No need to feel burdened. I just passed by a store and thought that the flowers in that store looked very beautiful.”

    And they would really suit you.

    “…so I bought them on a whim.” Yang Chaosheng opened the passenger door for him, carefully shielding the back of Ji Xiang’s head. “Hop in.”

    Ji Xiang didn’t say more and got into the car.

    From the rearview mirror, Yang Chaosheng noticed that Ji Xiang was only wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt. Though spring was nearly over, Tongcheng’s day-to-night temperature swings were still pretty drastic. As soon as they hit the main road, Yang Chaosheng quietly rolled up all the windows.

    Ji Xiang had been gazing out the window, but when Yang Chaosheng silently closed them, he awkwardly turned his head back.

    Yang Chaosheng was sensitive to the cold—Ji Xiang couldn’t very well demand he reopen the window just because he wanted to admire the night view, right?

    Adjusting how he held the bouquet, Ji Xiang sneaked a glance at the man beside him. He wasn’t exactly the outgoing type, but he didn’t enjoy sitting in silence when alone with someone else either—it was just too awkward and boring.

    But ever since they got in the car, all Yang Chaosheng had said was a gentle reminder to fasten his seatbelt. So, Ji Xiang decided to take this step bravely.

    “You mentioned being really busy with work. Is tonight one of your rare free evenings?”

    “Not really. I can adjust my work hours.”

    “How about I treat you to dinner next time, then? I feel bad making you wait two whole hours.”

    “I wasn’t just waiting. I was in the back seat reviewing case materials.”

    Ji Xiang glanced back, and sure enough, several folders were stacked on the rear seat.

    After asking several more questions, Ji Xiang realized something crucial—Yang Chaosheng only ever answered what was asked. He never asked back.

    But communication was the foundation of emotional connection. If it was all one-way input or output, the conversation would start to feel… robotic.

    Tonight, Yang Chaosheng was giving Ji Xiang some serious ‘human-AI chatbot’ vibes—completely different from the assertive figure who’d volunteered himself during their blind date.

    He’s a lawyer—wouldn’t it be weirder if he wasn’t good with words?

    So, Ji Xiang subtly asked, “Do you prefer quietness while driving?”

    Yang Chaosheng seemed not to catch it at first and just hummed, but a few seconds later, realizing what Ji Xiang meant, he turned on the car’s audio system. “Is it too quiet? I can play some music. Though all I have are a few instrumental tracks.”

    Ji Xiang: “…”

    That wasn’t what he meant.

    Yang Chaosheng hit shuffle. Ji Xiang glanced at the screen—it was in Korean, which he couldn’t understand, but the melody felt like spring: peaceful and full of life.

    He then found himself really liking the song. The title also had a Chinese translation: ‘Spring, Cherry Blossoms, and You.’

    That caught Ji Xiang off guard. He hadn’t expected Yang Chaosheng to have this type of song in his playlist. The phrase ‘unexpectedly adorable’ immediately came to mind.

    “It’s not the kind of thing I’d imagine you listening to. Kinda girly,” Ji Xiang said casually.

    But something about that sentence seemed to fluster Yang Chaosheng. Though he didn’t outwardly show it, his words came out faster as if he was trying to clarify. “My sister borrowed my car before—her partner must’ve added the songs.”

    “Oh, you have a sister? How much older than you?” Ji Xiang looked right at him, watching his expression. “I’ve got a younger sister too. Much younger.”

    “Uh… six years older,” Yang Chaosheng replied, his voice half-drowned by the gentle rise and fall of the music.

    “I’ve got a question,” Ji Xiang said.

    “What is it?”

    He paused the music. “Am I terrible?”

    “No,” Yang Chaosheng said, confused. “Why would you say that?”

    Now you know how to ask questions? Ji Xiang thought wryly.

    “Then why were you constantly ending the conversation without ever asking me anything back?” he said patiently. “Like just now, I said I have a little sister. You could’ve asked, ‘How old is she?’ or ‘What’s her name?’—things like that.”

    They stopped at a red light. The soft glow lit up Yang Chaosheng’s side profile, highlighting his sharp features.

    He’d thought not prying was a way of showing respect. But maybe… it wasn’t.

    After a pause, Yang Chaosheng said, “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

    Ji Xiang sighed, “But if you don’t ask, I will just assume you don’t care—or aren’t interested. It makes me feel like I’m just rambling on my own.”

    “That’s not it,” Yang Chaosheng said quickly. “So, how old is your sister? What’s her name? Do you think I could meet her sometime?”

    “Look at you, Lawyer Yang. Learning to apply new knowledge already,” Ji Xiang chuckled, relaxing into the seat. “Her name’s Ji Chen, she’s seventeen years younger than me—still in sixth grade. We’re half-siblings. My mom had her in her second marriage.”

    “And yes, if you want to meet her, I’ll bring you someday—when the time is right.”

    Yang Chaosheng continued to ask, “When would that be?”

    Ji Xiang was pleased by the effort—even if the question was a little clumsy, it was still progress. “Like when we meet each other’s parents before the wedding, or visit each other’s families after marriage. But before that, we should get the prenup sorted out first.”

    Yang Chaosheng nodded. In order to prevent the atmosphere in the car from getting cold, he asked again, “So… why did you agree last night, all of a sudden?”

    He meant it out of concern—was Ji Xiang struggling to sleep?

    Ji Xiang answered straightforwardly, “I just figured it out and told you, that’s all. Hope I didn’t wake you up. I wasn’t trying to.”

    Last night, he’d just gotten off a call with his mom. It had started out as small talk, but quickly turned into an interrogation about last week’s blind date.

    Right after that date, Ji Xiang had told the matchmaker plainly that there was no need to introduce anyone else.

    He hadn’t said anything harsh, but the matchmaker apparently still tried to push for another meeting with Zhao Yuancheng. Ji Xiang shot that idea down immediately.

    Offended, the matchmaker tattled to Ji Xiang’s mother, accusing him of being picky and hard to match—so much so that her reputation was now on the line. Naturally, his mother came straight to him for answers.

    Ji Xiang briefly described some of the awful people he’d met. He thought that would buy him a few days of peace. Instead, she immediately suggested another match from a different friend.

    He was beyond tired of this cycle. Right after hanging up, on impulse, he called Yang Chaosheng.

    Later that night, lying in bed wide awake, Ji Xiang began to regret it—but it was too late. Yang Chaosheng had answered his call immediately, and before Ji Xiang could even speak, had greeted him by name.

    There was no turning back.

    So, Ji Xiang had no choice but to push through and say he’d made up his mind: he was in. He agreed to marry Yang Chaosheng, to appease their families, forming a partnership with him.

    Because really, what excuse could he give for calling someone at that hour?

    But truth be told, Ji Xiang had already started to waver before that call.

    Marriage is marriage. Whoever you end up with, life goes on. And if you stay single, you’ll just get nagged about it. At least Yang Chaosheng was available now—why not go with the option right in front of him?

    “Oh right,” Ji Xiang added, “how did you know it was me calling last night? I hadn’t even said anything then.”

    “Because during this period, you’re the only person I gave my number to.”

    Everyone else was saved under his contacts—family, friends. The only ones without names were the numbers that Yang Chaosheng gave unilaterally. And he was also waiting for Ji Xiang’s call, so that he could legitimately break into Ji Xiang’s life.

    Ji Xiang bit his lip. If Yang Chaosheng hadn’t answered so openly and looked so earnest, he might have suspected the guy of playing a bit too smooth.

    How did he manage to make something sound so proper and righteous, yet so… intimate?

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The author has something to say:-

Xiao Yang:- I am afraid my wife will misunderstand me, so I need to explain it urgently. Also I am too nervous to get along with my wife, I am not a Human-AI Chatbot.