WHIF- Chapter 8

Ch. 08 Do you still want to call me Lawyer Yang?

    Yang Chaosheng didn’t sleep at all that night. Unable to fall asleep, he sat at his desk reviewing materials from the most recent court session. Only when the sky began to lighten did drowsiness finally start to set in.

    He had arranged to meet Ji Xiang at nine. Rarely one to sleep in, he took the chance to catch an extra hour of rest during the time he usually reserved for his morning jog. Since they had to leave by eight, he set aside another hour to get ready.

    The day he found out they’d be visiting Ji Xiang’s parents, Yang Chaosheng stopped by a store after work and, after a mix of recommendation and gentle sales push from the shop assistant, he bought a brand-new ‘ideal son-in-law’ outfit.

    A silver-gray tuxedo with a smooth, rounded collar, a wide tie with a gold-flecked black base. Standing before the mirror, he did his hair, wondering if he might be overdressed.

   Still, it was his first time visiting. A little formality wouldn’t hurt.

    When Ji Xiang got Yang Chaosheng’s call, he was brushing his teeth while racing against time to steam instant buns in the kitchen with one hand. Yang Chaosheng had arrived earlier than expected, so he quickly got dressed, grabbed the breakfast, and dashed downstairs.

    As he stepped out of the building, Ji Xiang bit into a bun with one hand while fixing the hood of his jacket with the other.

    Yang Chaosheng stood waiting by the green wall [mfn]the walls around a premise covered by moss or creeping plants, or just simply plants that are cut in the shape of a wall[/mfn]. Tall and upright, he looked similar to poplars by a lake. The moment he turned around to face him, the dazzlingly formal outfit stunned Ji Xiang into silence.

    It was the second time Ji Xiang felt like a school kid next to him. Side by side, they probably looked like a big brother walking his younger brother to school.

    Maybe it was a lawyer thing—always needing to look presentable, no matter the time or place. Ji Xiang reined in his surprised expression and walked over. “Good morning, Lawyer Yang. You look really handsome today.”

    Though… those dark circles under his eyes looked serious enough.

    Yang Chaosheng was caught off guard by the compliment but only responded with a tight-lipped smile. “Really? Thanks. You look good too.”

    “Did you eat yet? I brought an extra bun,” Ji Xiang offered politely.

    Yang Chaosheng shook his head, and Ji Xiang didn’t ask further—he was secretly delighted.

    Perfect. He hadn’t had enough himself.

    As Ji Xiang got in and buckled up, he glanced at the back seat, where rows of luxury gift boxes were neatly lined up, ranging from edible bird’s nest and donkey-hide gelatin [mfn]Donkey-hide silk gelatin, or Ejiao, is a traditional Chinese medicinal gelatin made from donkey skin, believed to nourish the blood and boost vitality.[/mfn] to silk scarves and massage tools. And that was just the portion he could see from the packaging.

    Not sure if he was overthinking, he asked carefully, “Are you heading home tonight too?”

    “No, those are all for your parents,” Yang Chaosheng said casually, glancing in the direction Ji Xiang had pointed.

    Ji Xiang then spotted a stack of colorful workbooks. “…And what’s this ‘Ultimate Practice Tests for Elementary-to-Middle School’?”

    “Oh, those are for your little sister.”

    Well, that was just evil.

    Ji Xiang stuffed the bun into his mouth, chewed, and said, “All these must’ve cost a lot. You really thought of everything, meeting the in-laws calls for gifts. Be sure to send me the bill later.”

    “It didn’t cost much,” Yang replied, tacitly accepting Ji Xiang’s use of ‘in-laws’, but clearly not wanting him to worry about money. “You’ll be meeting my parents next time too.”

    “True.” Ji Xiang tilted his head, casually scanning the back seat again while sneakily pulling out his phone to check prices online.

    Yang Chaosheng caught him red-handed and said gently, “It’s the thought that counts, not the price.”

    Ji Xiang forced a smile. Thought or not, where were these gifts ‘light’?

   A rough estimate put their value at nearly two months of his own salary.

    He was doomed when it came time to return the gesture.

    Ji Xiang’s stepfather didn’t live in the city’s Jintai District but in a suburban villa area. The drive took about half an hour. As they neared, Ji Xiang tried calling Ji Shuyu, but she didn’t pick up. Instead, his stepfather returned the call to ask where they were.

    “We’re almost there—at the intersection by the crabapple trees.”

   “Alright, I’ll wait for you at the gate,” Wan Wenqi said. “Your mom just went to pick up Chenchen from her class and isn’t home yet.”

    “That’s fine, I see you. Thanks, Uncle Wan.” Ji Xiang hung up and rolled down the window, waving to the man standing just outside the flower bed.

    Wan Wenqi waved back and motioned for Yang Chaosheng to park on the empty patch just outside the gate.

    Ji Xiang got out first, greeted him sweetly, then turned to beckon Yang Chaosheng over. Without a word, he took Yang Chaosheng’s arm and slipped seamlessly into a full-on acting mode, “Uncle Wan, this is my boyfriend, Yang Chaosheng.”

    Yang Chaosheng stiffened at the contact, his gaze flicking to Ji Xiang’s hand around his arm.

    “This is my stepfather, Mr. Wan Wenqi,” Ji Xiang said, looking at Yang Chaosheng.

    Yang Chaosheng met his eyes, snapping back to focus. He quickly extended a hand to Wan Wenqi. “Hello, Uncle.”

    “Hello, hello. What a fine young man,” Wan Wenqi said warmly. He then turned to Ji Xiang. “I told your mom this morning she should stay home to welcome you while I picked up Chenchen. But she insisted and Chenchen got upset with me this morning and demanded her mom to go instead. Don’t mind her, Xiao Xiang [mfn]Literal translation ‘little Xiang’, just a way that elderly address young people[/mfn].”

    “It’s alright. I don’t mind,” Ji Xiang replied. “When will Chenchen be back? It’s been a while since I last saw her.”

    “Should be soon. She misses you terribly,” Wan Wenqi said, waving them in. “Come on inside.”

    Yang Chaosheng nodded. “Uncle, I brought some gifts, they’re in the car. I’ll grab them. You two go on in.”

    Ji Xiang had taken a step into the yard when he remembered how full the backseat was. It’d take Yang Chaosheng several trips on his own.

    He then told Wan Wenqi, “I’ll help him.”

    He jogged after Yang Chaosheng’s retreating figure and called out in a clear, even voice, “Lawyer Yang, let me give you a hand.”

   Yang Chaosheng turned around, catching sight of Ji Xiang running towards him through the sunlight. It perfectly mirrored the dream he once had during a midday nap long ago, surrounded by a mountain of exam papers.

   In that moment, his dream came true.

    Even if he knew deep down that this was just another self-deceiving fantasy born of a hopeless, hidden crush.

   Yang Chaosheng opened the car door and handed a few of the lighter boxes to Ji Xiang, who stood at the ready. In a low voice, he asked, “Do you still want to call me ‘Lawyer Yang’?”

    Ji Xiang realized he’d slipped up and glanced nervously towards Uncle Wan.

    Wan Wenqi, who had been unsuccessfully trying to call them back, was now walking over with a resigned look. Apparently, he hadn’t noticed the slip. “Come now, you didn’t have to bring gifts just to come home…”

   “They’re from Chaosheng. A little token of goodwill,” Ji Xiang quickly said, switching to the more familiar name. It wasn’t intimate, but Yang Chaosheng already felt content.

    “They’re from both of us,” Yang Chaosheng echoed from behind.

    Unable to win against the two young men, Wan Wenqi let them be. It finally took three trips to carry everything into the living room.

    Wan Wenqi was soon cradling a set of purple clay teacups, delighted, as he invited Yang Chaosheng to sit and enjoy some tea. But just then, a loud voice rang out from the garden, “Big Brother!”

    The door had been left open. Ji Xiang turned just in time to be tackled by Ji Chen, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

    The eleven or twelve-year-old girl had her hair in a bun and was shorter than her peers. Her round, fair face was buried in his coat as she clung to him without letting go.

    “Well, if it isn’t our beautiful Chenchen,” Ji Xiang crouched down and gently pried her off. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you yelling for me a second ago?”

    Ji Chen glared up at him, her lips pouting. “How long has it been since you came home? Don’t you miss me at all?”

   Ji Xiang chuckled. “Didn’t I just come back last month? Missing me already?”

    “I used to see you every day when I was little!” she complained.

    “That was before I started working. Now I come back during the holidays—with red envelopes, too.”

    Ji Shuyu walked in slowly behind her and scolded, “Didn’t I tell you not to run? Your brother’s not going anywhere.”

   “Mom,” Ji Chen straightened up.

    Yang Chaosheng, who had been chatting with Wan Wenqi, had been keeping an eye on Ji Chen. When he heard her call ‘Mom’, he walked over to Ji Xiang’s side. “Hello, Auntie. I’m Ji Xiang’s boyfriend, Yang Chaosheng.”

    Ji Shuyu nodded slightly. Her expression gave nothing away, but she politely told him to sit and make himself at home before heading into the kitchen.

   The housework was usually handled by the helper, Aunt Fang. Ji Shuyu rarely cooked herself. Ji Xiang could see that she seemed to be avoiding people, and he guessed that it was most probably Yang Chaosheng.

    Yang Chaosheng was sharp-eyed and considerate. He tugged on Ji Xiang’s wrist and said, “I’ll go chat with her and improve my impression of her.”

    Ji Xiang hesitated, but Yang Chaosheng gave him a reassuring look. He then let him go.

   After Yang Chaosheng left, Ji Xiang sat in his seat and chatted with Wan Wenqi. But Ji Chen kept tugging at him to go outside. Eventually, Wan Wenqi had to let him go with a laugh.

    Spring was in full bloom. Ji Chen pulled Ji Xiang to a corner in the garden, pointing at the blue snow flowers blooming on the wall. “Look, that’s the flower Mom planted.”

   “It’s beautiful,” Ji Xiang praised. “Then did Chenchen remember to water it for her?”

    “Of course!” she said proudly. Then her face turned secretive. “Actually, I planted flowers for you too—the ones you like.”

    “Oh? Where?” Ji Xiang glanced around.

    Truth be told, he didn’t even know what flowers he liked the most.

    Ji Chen silently led him towards the swing and pointed to a hidden cluster of daisies. “Here!”

    He saw the tiny daisies swaying around the swing and was instantly pulled back to his childhood. Memories that had long faded suddenly returned in vivid clarity.

    “Mom keeps looking at the old photo albums. One day I saw a picture of you as a kid, sitting on the swing surrounded by daisies, and there was a big brother behind you, pushing you,” Ji Chen said with a smile. “I got it right, didn’t I?”

    “…Yeah.”

    “I want to sit on the swing too, with you. I’ll behave. We don’t need anyone to push us, we’ll swing together.”

    A sudden warmth bloomed in Ji Xiang’s heart. He rolled up his sleeves and held her hand. “Alright.”

    “Big Brother.”

    “Yeah?”

    “Mom really misses you,” Ji Chen said softly. “And I do too.”

    “…Mm.”

    “I know I’m not your real sister and my dad isn’t your dad. And you probably have another brother who’s even closer to you, but I’ve never met him.” She leaned against him. “Still, I see you as my closest and most important big brother.”

    Ji Xiang’s voice turned firm. “What nonsense… Ji Chen, don’t talk like that. Your mom is my mom too. You are my real little sister.”

    “But I feel like… you’re not happy in this house.”

    The swing suddenly creaked sharply. Before Ji Xiang could react to protect himself, he subconsciously took Ji Chen into his arms, shielding her.

    With a crash, they fell onto the grass. Ji Xiang had taken the full impact on his back, holding Ji Chen tightly the whole way down.