Chapter 4 You Scan Me

Chapter 4: You Scan Me

He Angxiao stared at the fluffy head at the stairwell for a few seconds.

He strode over to that corner on his long legs.

He stopped two steps away from Chi Luoxi, looking down at Chi Luoxi, who was squatting with a phone in his hand, his little face lifted in a dazed expression.

The light came from behind He Angxiao, casting a long shadow that almost completely enveloped Chi Luoxi.

He slightly narrowed his beautifully shaped peach blossom eyes, his tone had a faintly oppressive air.

"You... heard all that just now?"

Being stared at like that by him and enveloped by his clean but clearly displeased aura, Chi Luoxi instinctively felt a bit tense. His mind raced through the survival rules Bai Man had taught him: in a place like this, the best reaction to seeing or hearing something you shouldn't is to play dumb.

So he shook his head vigorously, his expression the epitome of innocence and bewilderment, with a dazed look in his eyes. It was quite convincing.

He Angxiao looked at his silly appearance, and the tightness around his mouth relaxed. The displeasure at having been eavesdropped on mostly dissipated. He asked, "Are you from here...?"

As he spoke, his gaze quickly swept over Chi Luoxi.

Chi Luoxi was wearing a black jacket; his face, though clean, had no makeup, and his hair hung softly forward. He didn't look like one of the host boys at all.

Chi Luoxi felt that the aura emanating from this person was completely different from the murky atmosphere filled with base desires of most men and women around him.

It was very clean.

It made Chi Luoxi, whose head was aching from the various foul smells, feel an unusual urge to get closer.

Lately, Bai Man had been giving Chi Luoxi intensive training, teaching him how to distinguish high-quality men, how to pick out a potential rich backer from a pile of duds.

Bai Man had a whole system of theories.

"Wearing famous brands isn't important; knockoffs can look ninety percent similar. The key is to see where the famous brands are worn and how. Some people try to make an impression with just one or two branded outerwear and bags, but their inner layers, shoes, and accessories are all cheap fakes—obvious knockoffs. Truly wealthy people focus on details, on the overall picture. Look at his watch, belt, tie clip, cufflinks, and glasses. The more inconspicuous the small items, the more they reveal the truth."

"Poor people judge by the big and miss the small; they grab any showy big item and pile it on, afraid others won't see it. Rich people judge by the small details; the good stuff is hidden in the details, and the understated items show true class. Got it?"

Chi Luoxi listened in a fog at the time but tried to understand.

He thought using his radish spirit logic: It's probably like how radishes grow. When the soil lacks nutrients, the radish must focus all its energy on growing the main body first, directing all nutrients there. Why would it bother with pretty leaves and thin roots? Only when the soil is rich and fertile will the radish grow plump and juicy, with lush green leaves—that's real class.

Bai Man said, "Remember this, it's much more useful than memorizing those stupid liquor names. If you can spot the real fat sheep at a glance, maybe your chance to turn things around will come."

Chi Luoxi thought, surviving in the big city is really this hard.

At that moment, Chi Luoxi lifted his head and quickly compared Bai Man's theory with the man in front of him.

Shoes: polished spotless, elegant shape, looked high-class. Suit: tailored fit, fabric crisp, no wrinkles. Belt: buckle gleamed with a muted metallic sheen. Watch: the dial peeked out from under his sleeve, the design simple, but the quality was clearly not ordinary.

Two words: loaded.

And his aura was the most comfortable Chi Luoxi had felt since he started at the club. It was like a forest after rain—clear and fresh, without those murky desires and hostility.

Chi Luoxi's heart beat a little faster.

A thought popped into his head: Could this be his fated

The opportunity was fleeting.

Chi Luoxi stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, looked at He Angxiao, and mustered what he thought was the most sincere expression in his dark, glistening eyes.

"...You, you want to book me? I can sing. They all say I sing well. How about I hum a couple of lines for you?"

He Angxiao: "...Ah?"

He clearly didn't expect this janitor-looking boy to suddenly blurt out such a professional sales pitch.

He Angxiao was taken aback. Those peach blossom eyes gave Chi Luoxi another once-over, a gaze that was almost rude in its scrutiny, from his messy soft hair to his clean, pure face.

After a few seconds, as if intrigued, He Angxiao tested him: "Can you drink?"

Chi Luoxi: "Ah? Not bad."

His tolerance was actually decent, being a spirit, but the last time he drank, he got into big trouble, which gave him a psychological scar from drinking.

*Click.*

The door to the VIP room not far away was pulled open again from inside. A young man in a floral shirt, slicked-back hair, and a beaming face, poked his head out. It was Yang Zhou, the one who had organized the gathering tonight. He scanned around and immediately spotted He Angxiao standing in the hallway. "Boss He, what are you standing there for? Come on in."

He Angxiao said to Chi Luoxi, "I'm booking you."

He Angxiao came in with someone.

Yang Zhou acted like he'd discovered something new, his tone exaggerated: "Hey, Boss He, I thought you were just using an excuse to run to the bathroom! Turns out you were hunting?"

His gaze swept over Chi Luoxi's face and body, whistled, and his tone turned even more suggestive: "Tsk tsk, no wonder you couldn't stand those vulgar types in the box. So there's a gem like this hidden here? That little face is really something."

As he spoke, he casually reached out, made a show of slapping He Angxiao on the shoulder, half guiding, half pushing him into the room, also nudging Chi Luoxi along: "Come on, come on, Boss He, since you've found someone you like, bring him in to play together! Why stand here?"

Before Chi Luoxi could fully grasp the situation, he was brought into the VIP room by Yang Zhou and He Angxiao.

The door closed behind him, and the deafening music and mingled smells instantly surrounded him.

Seven or eight people were sitting on the sofa, only three or four of them guests; the rest were the club's host boys and girls, all with heavy makeup and flashy clothes. Chi Luoxi recognized some familiar faces among them, one holding a wine glass and chatting and laughing with a middle-aged man.

When Chi Luoxi walked in awkwardly behind He Angxiao, the room fell silent for a moment. All eyes, openly or not, focused on them.

Especially the host boys and girls, who shot Chi Luoxi a sympathetic look when they saw him and He Angxiao.

Meanwhile, He Angxiao's friends looked at Chi Luoxi with a hint of curiosity. He Angxiao was notoriously difficult in this circle. Handsome, rich, from a good family, but cold and picky, with high standards. He never gave the time of day to anyone who threw themselves at him, and he could even be a bit caustic.

Before, there were fools who tried to get close, but he mercilessly ridiculed them until they slunk away.

Everyone braced for a scene.

They figured the poor kid would end up crying from He Angxiao's sharp tongue, and He Angxiao would kick Chi Luoxi out.

But the expected drama never came.

He Angxiao brushed off the stares, walked straight to a quieter corner of the sofa, sat down, and casually loosened his collar.

Chi Luoxi

"Mr. He, your charm is really something, huh? Everyone in our private room's eyes are almost glued to you and the handsome young guy beside you. I'm sitting right here, but I've been outshone—so sad."

He Angxiao leaned back in the soft sofa, his long legs crossed, and responded nonchalantly to Yang Zhou's jealous remark: "Not at all, Mr. Yang, you're a heavyweight drinker. I can't hold a candle to you when it comes to drinking."

His gaze fell on Chi Luoxi, who was sitting upright beside him like a schoolboy in class. He tilted his chin slightly: "Well, I just found a ringer. Come on, don't just sit there—go toast Mr. Yang for me. Thank him for tonight's hospitality."

Chi Luoxi was caught off guard by being called out and tasked with the toast.

He grabbed a clean, empty wine glass from the coffee table in front of him, poured himself a full glass of amber-colored whiskey, and turned toward Yang Zhou: "Mr. Yang, here's to you. Thank you for the hospitality."

With that, without waiting for Yang Zhou's reaction, he really downed that full glass of strong liquor like it was water, gulping it down in a few swallows.

The liquid burned down his throat—he winced at the burn, a familiar sensation that seared all the way to his stomach. Chi Luoxi frowned slightly but quickly suppressed it. He set down the glass, wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and the glass was empty. A faint flush quickly rose on his face, his eyes glistening with moisture from the alcohol's sting.

The private room went silent for a moment, then a few whistles and low laughter erupted.

Yang Zhou was also stunned for a second, probably not expecting the boy to be so bold. Then he burst into laughter, clapping his hands: "Not bad, kid! You're a straight shooter! Mr. He, you found a good ringer!"

He Angxiao raised an eyebrow, watching Chi Luoxi's cheeks flushed red—it was quite amusing.

Chi Luoxi's gaze swept over the coffee table and landed on the fruit in the platter. He asked with simple concern, "Do you want something to eat? Drinking without eating something will upset your stomach."

Where the hell did this little weirdo come from?

When Chi Luoxi saw that he wasn't taking the cantaloupe, he didn't mind. He naturally withdrew his hand, crunching on it himself. He turned sideways to face He Angxiao, like a nosy old lady doing a survey: "What's your name?"

He Angxiao replied, "My last name is He."

"Oh, Mr. He." Chi Luoxi nodded, making a mental note.

Then, without any small talk or beating around the bush, he looked straight at He Angxiao: "Are you... loaded?"

He Angxiao: "…………"

Is this how people flirt now? Skipping hello and jumping straight to how much you're worth?

He Angxiao leaned back slightly, sinking into the soft sofa as he looked at Chi Luoxi. His eyes showed more appraisal and amusement, and his tone was unreadable: "Oh? Curious about that?"

Chi Luoxi nodded: "Can I add you on WeChat?"

He Angxiao didn't answer, but instead asked back, "What's your name?"

"Chi Luoxi. Chi as in 'late,' Luo as in 'radish,' Xi as in 'happiness.'" Chi Luoxi introduced himself very seriously, even spelling it out in case He Angxiao didn't understand.

"Your real name?"

"Yeah." Chi Luoxi nodded again, his eyes pure and clear.

He Angxiao said nothing more. The private room was filled with shifting lights and blaring music.

He Angxiao admitted he let Chi Luoxi get close purely because he thought he was easy on the eyes.

Tsk. What a blatant little gold digger. So obviously fishing for his bank account—how could He Angxiao, in a dive like this, full of sketchy people, casually add an unfamiliar, oddly behaved, and clearly motivated stranger's WeChat?

He wasn't stupid.

Just as He Angxiao had already slapped the label of "low-tier gold digger" on Chi Luoxi—not worth worrying about, but fun enough to mess with—

Chi Luoxi suddenly spoke again. He leaned in closer and said sincerely to He Angxiao, "Mr. He, you're the first unique person I've seen here in ages."

"You're so pure," Chi Luoxi continued, staring unblinking at He Angxiao. "Completely different from those people. They're all chaotic—just looking at them is uncomfortable. But you're not."

Chi Luoxi's eyes held pure, untainted admiration: "And you're really handsome."

He Angxiao: "…………"

When Chi Luoxi said this, his face showed no flattery—just a natural, admiring tone like someone discovering something beautiful.

Those eyes were too pure. Pure enough that He Angxiao believed he spoke the truth.

The air went still for a few seconds.

Only the background music droned on tirelessly.

Then He Angxiao moved. He put down his crossed legs, leaned forward slightly, and closed the distance toward Chi Luoxi. He extended his hand, palm open—fingers long and clean, nails neatly trimmed.

"Phone," he said.

Chi Luoxi: "...What?"

He Angxiao: "Phone. Take it out."

Chi Luoxi finally caught on and pulled out his phone.

He Angxiao called up his QR code: "You scan me."

Author's note:

Peacock He: Nice eye

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Little Radish: I was just stating some facts, why is he so happy?