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    Chapter 13: He Was Going Home Today to F*ck Chi Luoxi into the Ground

    Chi Luoxi had intended to strike while the iron was hot and keep up the momentum. Over the next few days, he persistently sent He Angxiao messages, trying to arrange swimming lessons.

    He was diligent about sending messages.

    Chi Luoxi: Mr. He, can we practice holding our breath today?

    It was often followed by an emoji of a radish propping its chin or covering its face in shyness.

    He Angxiao sometimes replied quickly, sometimes after a long delay.

    He Angxiao: Can your mouth take it?

    Chi Luoxi touched his slightly swollen lips, tapping on the screen, deleting and rewriting: Barely okay, I guess.

    He Angxiao figured Little Digger was just trying to create more opportunities for intimate contact, to soften his defenses.

    He Angxiao surrender that quickly? Dream on. He was twenty-seven, long past the age of being easily swept away by good looks and sweet talk.

    He'd seen plenty of scheming and calculation in the business world.

    With Chi Luoxi's level of skill, there was no way he'd be won over that easily.

    Besides, he'd been a bit off these past few nights. His sleep quality had declined, and his dreams were repeatedly filled with all sorts of messy scenes.

    The protagonist was always Chi Luoxi, back turned to him, twisting his slender waist, revealing large swaths of fair thighs and that arrow tattoo. Sometimes the scenes were fuzzier, more chaotic—those wet eyes, swollen lips, the sensation of that soft waist...

    He Angxiao thought he was losing his mind.

    At twenty-seven, he was acting like a horny teenager, experiencing that restless, sleepless feeling all over again. And he hadn't even been like that as a teen.

    Meanwhile, on Chi Luoxi's side, ever since "reeling in Mr. He" had been officially designated as his career, his previous job of cleaning had become hit-or-miss.

    Manager Yang quickly noticed his slacking off: "Chi Luoxi! Have you lost your mind? No mopping, no taking out the trash, no scrubbing the toilet—what do you think you're doing? You don't want this job anymore, do you?"

    Chi Luoxi: "I'm trying to reel in Mr. He."

    Manager Yang looked Chi Luoxi up and down, snorted coldly, and said with contempt, "With you? With that brain of yours and nothing to offer but your face, you think you can latch onto Master He's high branch? Fine, go ahead. Let's see what you can manage."

    The words were harsh, but at least she didn't force him to work anymore.

    Soon everyone in the club knew that Chi Luoxi had wised up and was aiming high. They all started giving him advice, sharing their experiences.

    This industry was full of success philosophies and shortcut strategies. Some people thrived, others failed. Some rose up, others faded away.

    Yang Jing got straight to the point: "Xiao Chi, listen to big brother—forget all that wishy-washy stuff! Taking it slow, building feelings? That's all bullshit. For someone at Master He's level, you gotta go for the knockout. Get yourself the most seductive, provocative outfit, stand right in front of him, don't say a word—just that look, that posture. You know, men are all driven by what's below the belt."

    Chi Luoxi listened, dumbstruck, and pulled out a small notebook to seriously write down: Sexy gear.

    Another host, more subtle in style, said slowly, "You need to be sweet-tongued. You have to compliment him, flatter him until he's swooning. Someone like Master He has seen it all. You have to be different, make him feel like he's the only one for you, unmatched in the whole world."

    Chi Luoxi nodded and wrote down: Sweet talk, tell him he's one of a kind.

    Someone else taught him how to play hard to get, how to act weak to gain sympathy. All kinds of secret tips came pouring in, leaving Chi Luoxi's head spinning.

    He wasn't very sharp to begin with, and suddenly receiving so much profound theory from different schools meant he learned it all chaotically and remembered it messily.

    He started putting his notes into practice.

    Recently, he'd noticed that Mr. He seemed quite resistant to swimming. Could it be that he'd seen through his intentions?

    So Chi Luoxi switched tactics and started arranging dinner dates with Mr. He.

    He went out to dinner with Mr. He three times. The first two times, Mr. He treated, taking him to restaurants that looked very expensive and served delicious food, but Chi Luoxi couldn't name them.

    The third time, Chi Luoxi felt it wasn't good to always let Mr. He pay; he should treat him in return—it was part of the strategy, to show he wasn't after his money.

    But his funds were extremely limited. Chi Luoxi decided to splurge and treat Mr. He to McDonald's.

    He thought McDonald's was great—burgers, fries, cola, lots of variety, tasty, and most importantly, he could afford it.

    So Chi Luoxi mustered his courage and said to He Angxiao, "Mr. He, let me treat you to dinner today!"

    He Angxiao raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and nodded.

    Then Chi Luoxi took him to a spotless, bustling McDonald's in the city center.

    They arrived during dinner rush, and the place was packed with parents and kids, young couples, and students who had just gotten out of class. The air was thick with the smell of fried food mixed with ketchup and milk.

    He Angxiao stood in front the counter, saying nothing, just raising an eyebrow at Chi Luoxi: Are you sure?

    Chi Luoxi didn't catch the hint and eagerly asked him, "Mr. He, what do you want? A double cheeseburger? Or a Big Mac? With fries and Coke?"

    He Angxiao was silent for a few seconds. "...I don't like fast food."

    Chi Luoxi was stunned for a moment, inwardly grumbling. Mr. He was so picky—such good food and he wouldn't eat it. "Then what do you want to eat?"

    As soon as he asked, he regretted it. He was afraid He Angxiao would name some high-end restaurant he'd never heard of that was bound to be ridiculously expensive. Then he'd probably have to wash dishes in the back kitchen for a lifetime to pay it off.

    Chi Luoxi had a sudden inspiration. Eating out was too expensive; buying groceries and cooking at home would save a lot of money. "Then forget about this. Let me cook for you."

    He Angxiao looked at him, somewhat surprised. "You can cook?"

    Chi Luoxi: "Yes, I'm a great cook."

    Chi Luoxi wasn't lying about that. In the mountains, since his grandfather was old, he had been the one doing most of the cooking. It was all simple countryside home cooking, but it tasted good. And in the mountains, they could only burn firewood; in the city, they had natural gas—so convenient. On his days off, he always cooked for himself.

    He Angxiao: "Fine."

    Chi Luoxi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, How much can groceries cost? The market was his turf; there was one near the club, good and cheap.

    But he clearly underestimated Mr. He's spending habits. He Angxiao didn't take him to any market. Instead, he drove directly to a large, art-gallery-like upscale supermarket nearby.

    The air was filled with a mix of high-end fragrance and freshly baked bread. Smooth jazz played in the background. There weren't many customers, and they were all well-dressed, moving at a leisurely pace.

    Chi Luoxi was a bit dumbstruck as soon as he walked in.

    He Angxiao was clearly familiar with the place. He pushed a gleaming shopping cart and headed straight for the fresh produce section. He picked items quickly—vegetables had to be organic, with various foreign-language certification labels on the packaging; meat had to be from specific regions, looking several times more expensive than regular meat. He didn't even glance at the prices before tossing things into the cart.

    Even the seasoning brands had price tags with so many zeros that Chi Luoxi's eyes spun.

    Chi Luoxi followed behind him, wincing in pain every time he saw something go into the cart.

    People were divided into classes, fine. But even vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, and milk had to be ranked as high or low?

    Weren't these just radishes and cabbages? How could they be so much more expensive here?

    He felt sorry for his wallet and thought Mr. He was too wasteful. So, when He Angxiao wasn't looking—while he turned to check other shelves—Chi Luoxi sneakily and quickly swapped the organic vegetables and imported meats in the cart for what looked like the same thing but was much cheaper regular versions.

    His movements were furtive, like a thief's.

    At checkout, the cashier announced a total, and He Angxiao wondered why it was so cheap this time.

    Chi Luoxi said to the cashier, "I'll pay."

    He Angxiao glanced at him. "Put it on my card."

    Chi Luoxi quickly pressed his hand down. "Mr. He, I said I'd treat you this time. Let me pay. You've treated me so many times already."

    He Angxiao didn't insist.

    After shopping, He Angxiao drove and brought Chi Luoxi back to his usual apartment. It was close to his company, and he lived there alone most of the time, occasionally hiring a cleaner or having a private chef cook for him. Few outsiders ever came in.

    It wasn't until Chi Luoxi, carrying bags of groceries, walked in as if it were his own home—casually changing into the spare slippers by the door, finding the kitchen, pulling an apron off the hook, tying it around himself deftly, and starting to organize the ingredients on the counter—that He Angxiao realized belatedly—

    Uh-oh.

    He seemed to have let this Little Digger right into his house without thinking.

    Watching Chi Luoxi roll up his sleeves, revealing two pale forearms, focusing on preparing the ingredients while humming a tuneless little song, he actually looked quite domestic, gentle and virtuous.

    While washing vegetables, Chi Luoxi even turned his head and smiled brightly at He Angxiao, who stood at the kitchen door with a subtle, puzzled expression. "Mr. He, go ahead and work on your stuff. I'll call you when it's ready. It'll be fast!"

    The displeasure and wariness that came from having an intruder in his home now felt somewhat misplaced.

    Chi Luoxi was definitely trying to use warmth and domesticity to soften him up, make him think he was a sweet, homey guy, and lure him into a tender trap.

    He really underestimated He Angxiao.

    He Angxiao had seen it all.

    To his surprise, Chi Luoxi really could cook—exceptionally well.

    The simplest home-style dishes: a plate of stir-fried seasonal greens, perfectly timed—the leaves were bright green and glossy, crisp and refreshing, with the natural sweetness of the vegetables, even more delicious than what many high-end restaurants served. A plate of braised pork ribs, tender and full of flavor. And a bowl of tomato and egg soup, clear broth with finely beaten egg ribbons, the sourness of the tomato and the umami of the egg blending perfectly. Just looking at it made him hungry.

    He Angxiao hadn't planned to eat much, but when he finally put down his chopsticks, he realized he'd eaten two bowls of rice.

    For He Angxiao, who usually controlled his diet meticulously, this was a first for him.

    Seeing that He Angxiao had finished and seemed quite satisfied, Chi Luoxi felt the timing was right. The atmosphere was good; he could strike while the iron was hot and make his request.

    Chi Luoxi rested his chin on his hand. "Mr. He, by the way, do you have any thoughts about me in that way?"

    He Angxiao was just picking up his water glass. "...What way?"

    Chi Luoxi was taken aback. What way? Wasn't it obvious? He'd been fishing for days. He thought Mr. He was sometimes a bit dense; he couldn't read between the lines.

    "Like, wanting to sleep with me."

    "Pfft—cough, cough, cough—!"

    He Angxiao had just taken a sip of water and choked on it. The glass nearly slipped from his hand, spilling some water and wetting the front of his shirt.

    Chi Luoxi was startled by his intense reaction. He jumped up, grabbed a few tissues, and handed them over. "Mr., Mr. He, are you okay? Sorry, I, I didn't mean to scare you..."

    Sure enough, Mr. He was scared.

    But was what he said really that shocking?

    He Angxiao coughed for a good while before calming down. He took the water Chi Luoxi offered, drank a few sips, and wiped his mouth and the wet spot on his chest with the tissues.

    Chi Luoxi never failed to surprise him.

    "...What do you mean?"

    Seeing that He Angxiao had calmed down, Chi Luoxi said, "Mr. He, you're a good person. You're honestly the best person I've ever met. Could you take me away from Chunhui? I don't want to stay there anymore. Last time you asked if I was willing to rot there—now I'm not willing. I don't want to end up there."

    "You're the only one who can save me." Chi Luoxi's voice dropped. "Are you really not interested in me? Mr. He, I really like you."

    He Angxiao played it cool, sizing Chi Luoxi up. "...I have very high standards in that regard. Appearance, physique, intelligence—all have to pass."

    Chi Luoxi listened.

    Appearance? Physique? He thought he was okay in those two areas. But intelligence...

    A wave of grievance surged in Chi Luoxi's heart. Sure enough, being uneducated and stupid—in the big city, he was looked down on everywhere. Even when trying to hook someone, he was rejected for not being smart enough. It wasn't something he could control.

    If he were smart, would he have been tricked by He You into signing that contract and ended up in this mess?

    Clearly, he was rejected.

    Mr. He really had no interest in him that way.

    He thought about it. Bai Man and the others had taught him so many techniques to hook someone: how to act cute, how to play weak, how to create opportunities, how to play hard to get. But they never taught him what to do if the other party looked down on his intelligence.

    Hadn't they all said that men liked sweet, simple people? Why didn't it work with Mr. He?

    Then Chi Luoxi remembered: a few days ago, he'd met someone at the club. A client who came for business talks. He looked refined, wore gold-rimmed glasses, spoke gently. And most importantly, the vibe around him was clean, similar to Mr. He's, making Chi Luoxi feel comfortable.

    That man was lost, couldn't find his private room, and happened to run into Chi Luoxi, who was mopping the hallway. He asked politely.

    Chi Luoxi gave him directions.

    Probably thinking Chi Luoxi was young and doing a part-time job because his family was poor, the man kindly took out a few hundred-yuan bills from his wallet and pressed them into Chi Luoxi's hand as a tip, telling him to buy some good food.

    Chi Luoxi was surprised at the time. He remembered the man introduced himself as Han Wenbin. He even added Chi Luoxi on WeChat, saying he could come to him if he ever needed help.

    Chi Luoxi hadn't thought much of it, just felt he'd met another good person.

    Now that He Angxiao had rejected him, he figured if it wasn't working with Mr. He, maybe he could try Mr. Han? Mr. Han seemed like a good person too, clean, and seemed pretty rich.

    This kind of thing couldn't be forced. If Mr. He didn't like him, he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket. He had to try multiple paths.

    With that thought, Chi Luoxi's disappointment lessened. He looked at He Angxiao, his expression resigned and calm. "...Alright then, sorry, Mr. He. Just pretend I never said anything."

    He Angxiao: "..."

    Chi Luoxi seemed to accept reality quickly. No crying or pestering. The sense of control and smugness He Angxiao had felt now felt a bit unsettling.

    Giving up that easily?

    Wasn't he supposed to cling, to wheedle, to use every trick to win him over? It had barely begun, and this Little Digger had no perseverance. What could he ever achieve?

    Chi Luoxi cleaned up the dishes and left. He Angxiao offered to drive him.

    Chi Luoxi: "...No need, Mr. He. I'll take the bus back. I've learned how to ride the bus recently."

    Over the next few days, Chi Luoxi indeed stopped coming to find He Angxiao. Their WeChat chat remained as silent as death.

    He Angxiao thought to himself, Chi Luoxi gave up at the first sign of difficulty.

    He really had no resilience at all. He always looked down on people who gave up so easily.

    He Angxiao told himself this might be Chi Luoxi's playing hard to get—deliberately ignoring him to make him uncomfortable, to make him think of Chi Luoxi, and then when he couldn't resist looking for him, Chi Luoxi would act coy and negotiate terms.

    He couldn't take the initiative; otherwise, Chi Luoxi would definitely have him under his thumb.

    Thinking like this, He Angxiao's inner restlessness seemed to find a reasonable outlet. He decided not to let Chi Luoxi have his way and to stay patient.

    But then another two days passed, and Chi Luoxi remained completely silent.

    He Angxiao's certainty started to waver. Had he really given up? Just because of that remark about his IQ being subpar? This little fool had too much pride. Or maybe he'd found another target.

    But then he remembered Chi Luoxi saying that in the club, he was the only one he found clean. Yet a place like that club was a mix of all sorts of people—who knew if there was someone else who seemed clean on the surface but was actually full of ulterior motives? That little fool was so naive, so easy to deceive. What if...

    Not necessarily. Chi Luoxi couldn't even string together a proper conversation with people, unless someone had a peculiar taste. But what if someone had a taste just like his?

    At this thought, He Angxiao couldn't sit still anymore.

    He grabbed his car keys and decided to head over to Chunhui to check things out. Not to find him—just passing by.

    He drove to Chunhui without giving any advance notice, walking inside casually as usual. The lights were dazzling, music blared from some private rooms, and the air was thick with the mingling scents of alcohol, perfume, and desire.

    Frowning, He Angxiao turned a corner in a relatively quiet corridor leading to the staff rest area—and saw Chi Luoxi.

    Standing opposite Chi Luoxi was a man, slightly bent forward, as if saying something to him.

    The man had his back to He Angxiao, so he couldn't see his face, but he had a tall, slender figure, wore a tasteful casual suit, his hair was impeccably styled, and the exposed bit of his wrist showed an expensive watch.

    He tilted slightly toward Chi Luoxi, standing close, with a posture that carried a gentlemanly closeness without being overly intrusive.

    And Chi Luoxi was looking up at the man, his expression serious and a little shy, much like the way he usually looked at He Angxiao.

    The man said something, and Chi Luoxi nodded, then actually gave him a slight, shy, clean and handsome smile.

    He Angxiao's steps halted instantly.

    He stood there, a distance away, watching the two people standing opposite each other at the corner of the corridor.

    So it wasn't playing hard to get.

    He'd found a replacement!

    Chi Luoxi hadn't gone to see He Angxiao these past few days because he genuinely felt awkward, even embarrassed. He'd finally mustered up the courage to throw himself out there, only to be bluntly rejected with a line about high standards and insufficient IQ.

    He figured Mr. He must think he'd gone bad, that he was shameless, willing to use any means to leave the club. Mr. He, so upright, so clean, such a good person—he must have looked down on him.

    Maybe he even regretted being so kind to him before—treating him to meals, teaching him to swim.

    Since Mr. He had no interest in him like that and even looked down on him for being dumb, then Chi Luoxi would be too clueless to bother him any further.

    Having his offer rejected was embarrassing enough; he couldn't keep pestering him and become a nuisance.

    So Chi Luoxi decided to just stay away quietly.

    Like his grandfather said: you can't force a melon to be sweet.

    Mr. He was a good person; he couldn't repay kindness with resentment.

    As for leaving the club, he'd think of another way.

    This Mr. Han seemed like a nice guy too, quite clean. Maybe he could give it a try? Chi Luoxi had sent him a message saying the club had a promotion—spend ten thousand and get thirteen thousand in credit. Mr. Han had said he'd come by another day.

    Chi Luoxi felt he was pretty good at judging people. Both Mr. He and Mr. Han were good people.

    So when He Angxiao stormed up to him like a whirlwind, Chi Luoxi was incredibly surprised and also a little guilty. He blinked, looking at He Angxiao's face—even in the dim light, it was hard to miss its gloom and anger—and asked in a small voice, "Mr. He? Why, why are you here?"

    Han Wenbin, standing opposite him, also turned his head at the sound. Seeing He Angxiao, his face showed surprise before he put on a polished social smile: "President He? What a coincidence. You here to have fun too?"

    Oh, so they knew each other.

    Chi Luoxi thought to himself that Mr. He's friends sure seemed to be just like him—rich and classy.

    And He Angxiao's mood looked really low. Better to make himself scarce first; he'd already embarrassed himself enough a few days ago.

    "Mr. He, Mr. Han, you two enjoy yourselves. I'm going to get back to work."

    With that, he tried to slip away.

    But He Angxiao reached out and grabbed his wrist, not even glancing at Han Wenbin, just staring at Chi Luoxi: "What's the hurry? Join us."

    Han Wenbin's smile didn't waver, but a hint of understanding and amusement flickered in his eyes.

    He looked at He Angxiao's hand gripping Chi Luoxi's wrist, then at Chi Luoxi's flustered, hesitant expression. Tactfully, he smoothed things over: "Yeah, Xiao Chi, why don't you join us. It's just a few familiar people—President He is hardly a stranger."

    Han Wenbin turned to He Angxiao: "President He, any plans today? If not, why not come in and sit for a while?"

    He Angxiao didn't reply. He just pulled Chi Luoxi along and, without a word, headed toward the private room where Han Wenbin and his group were.

    Chi Luoxi had no choice but to follow.

    Once inside the room, there were indeed several people already there—men and women, all dressed sharply, drinking and chatting in a lively atmosphere.

    When they saw He Angxiao enter, someone who knew him immediately greeted with a smile: "President He! Rare guest. What brings you here today?"

    Han Wenbin explained with a laugh: "I ran into President He outside, so I invited him in to sit with us, to liven things up."

    He Angxiao ignored the greetings. He just pulled Chi Luoxi over to a corner of the sofa and pressed him down to sit beside him.

    The music in the room was loud, and the lighting was dim and ambiguous.

    He Angxiao leaned sideways, bringing his mouth close to Chi Luoxi's ear, and whispered through gritted teeth, a voice only the two of them could hear: "Just because I rejected you, you went and found someone else? You're that desperate, huh? You did it on purpose."

    Chi Luoxi was taken aback by the question, then realized what he meant. He said quietly, "...Mr. He, you're a good person. You don't feel that way about me. I won't force you, really."

    He Angxiao: "..."

    Quite considerate of him.

    Seeing that He Angxiao didn't respond, Chi Luoxi thought he was still angry and continued in a low voice: "I know you only helped me out of pity—buying me meals, teaching me to swim. A lot of people look down on those of us who work here. I haven't been down the mountain long, but I understand that much. Mr. He, we can still be good friends. Next time you come, I'll sing for you again. I've been studying hard lately. I believe I'll be able to leave here soon."

    Chi Luoxi was trying to give them both a graceful way out, to salvage a bit of their friendship.

    He Angxiao listened to his words, and the fire inside him only burned hotter.

    Stay calm, He Angxiao. This might be a new trick from this Little Digger—acting all mature and sensible, retreating to advance, stirring up feelings of guilt and protectiveness to make you take the bait.

    Chi Luoxi glanced at the fruit platter on the table. There were a few new plums on it. After saying so much and feeling nervous, his mouth felt a bit dry, so he casually picked one up and popped it into his mouth.

    The moment the plum entered his mouth, an overwhelmingly sour, tooth-aching tang exploded in his mouth and shot straight up to his head. Caught off guard, Chi Luoxi’s entire face scrunched up, and his eyes instantly welled up.

    Just then, He Angxiao’s cold voice rang in his ears, rather cruelly: “Is that so? Then I won’t come anymore. Did you think I actually enjoyed being here?”

    Not come anymore?

    Chi Luoxi felt the bitter sourness seemed to seep from his tongue into his heart.

    Mr. He wasn’t coming anymore.

    Mr. He was the first—and the only—person who had been so kind to him since he came down from the mountain.

    Now even this faint, last thread of connection was about to be severed?

    Chi Luoxi’s heart ached more than when Manager Yang scolded him, when He You cheated him, or when customers bullied him.

    He didn’t want to lose his composure in front of Mr. He. Chi Luoxi decided to draw a line under this short-lived bond.

    He forced himself to swallow the plum that was so sour it made him want to cry: “Mr. He, then let me sing you a song, one last time. Thank you for being so good to me all this time.”

    He Angxiao didn’t look at him, his demeanor icy: “…Go ahead.”

    Chi Luoxi stood up, walked over to the small karaoke station in the private room, scrolled through the screen a few times, and picked a sad song he'd recently heard online that seemed perfect for a goodbye—"Your Promise."

    The prelude began, a slow, slightly mournful piano piece.

    Chi Luoxi picked up the microphone, his eyes on the scrolling lyrics on the screen. His voice was already nasal and hoarse from the sour plum and his low mood.

    He sang earnestly, trying his best to perform this final song well.

    When he reached the line, “After I say goodbye and leave you, this memory can be kept, that beautiful feeling from the beginning… we live our separate lives,” the tears he'd been holding back, from the sour plum and his sadness, finally spilled over.

    Tears, without warning, spilled from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto the back of the hand holding the microphone.

    In his mind, Chi Luoxi was still thinking: Who the hell bought this fruit? Is there someone from Yunnan here? He’d watched short videos before, and only people from Yunnan eat these insanely sour plums dipped in chili powder.

    It was just too sour.

    He Angxiao had been watching him the entire time.

    From the moment Chi Luoxi stood up, chose a song, and started singing the first line, his gaze never left him.

    The room’s lighting was dim and the music was loud, but his eyesight was sharp.

    He clearly saw the single, glistening teardrop at the corner of Chi Luoxi's eye catch the dim light and roll down.

    Chi Luoxi must be heartbroken.

    After all, he liked He Angxiao so much and was even singing a breakup love song to him.

    How pitiful he looked.

    He lost all reason.

    All those tactics—playing hard to get, not making the first move, giving up the advantage—were shattered in an instant by that single tear.

    He Angxiao stood up abruptly, knocking over an empty glass nearby; it landed on the carpet with a dull thud, but he paid it no mind.

    He strode over in a few steps, and under the astonished gaze of everyone in the room, he grabbed Chi Luoxi's wrist, snatched the microphone, and tossed it onto the sofa. Then, pulling Chi Luoxi—still dazed, with a tear-streaked face—he turned and walked out.

    “President He?” “President He? What’s wrong?”

    Someone in the room asked.

    Without turning back, He Angxiao said: “Sorry, I’m heading out. Put today’s bill on my tab.”

    He pulled Chi Luoxi through the corridor, walking quickly and urgently. Chi Luoxi, practically having to jog to keep up, was still in a fog of confusion.

    As they reached the lobby, they ran into Manager Yang. Seeing He Angxiao with a frosty expression, dragging a red-eyed Chi Luoxi, she forced a smile and started, “Mr. He, what is...”

    Without even glancing at her, He Angxiao held out his hand: “Perfect. Give me your phone.”

    Manager Yang paused, then pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it over.

    He Angxiao took it, quickly dialed a number, and spoke rapidly.

    “Riley, it’s me, He Angxiao. Listen, come to Chunhui Club now. Use my personal account to handle something: settle all outstanding debts for a person named Chi Luoxi here, including the penalty fees. Yes, all of it. This number is the contact you'll be dealing with. Do it immediately.”

    With that, He Angxiao shoved the phone back into the still-stunned Manager Yang’s hands and declared decisively: “Whatever Chi Luoxi owes you, I’ll cover. I’m taking him with me.”

    His whole operation was smooth and swift. From grabbing the person, pulling him away, making the call, giving orders, to finishing—it took barely a minute or two.

    Chi Luoxi was completely dumbfounded. He stared blankly at He Angxiao, then at Manager Yang, who was still holding her phone, equally shocked, trying to process the phone call she had just heard.

    Without another word to Manager Yang, He Angxiao pulled Chi Luoxi and strode briskly out of the gilded grand entrance of the Chunhui Club.

    The cool night air hit them, mingling with the city’s mixed smells of daily life.

    He shoved Chi Luoxi—still in a state of shock and confusion—into the passenger seat of his black sedan. The action was less than gentle, even a bit rough.

    Then he got into the driver’s seat, slammed the door shut, and the engine roared to life. The car shot into the night traffic like an arrow from a bow.

    Inside the cabin, silence reigned, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner.

    Chi Luoxi remained frozen in the position he had been pushed into, his face still streaked with tears, expression completely blank and bewildered. He hadn’t yet recovered from the sudden, almost kidnapping-like turn of events.

    He Angxiao stared straight ahead, one hand on the wheel, the other fidgeting with his collar in irritation.

    He turned his head to glance at Chi Luoxi. That small face still bore tear stains and lingering shock, lips slightly parted, like a frightened little animal.

    The unease He Angxiao felt from his impulsive actions faded a little at the sight.

    Feigning casualness and calmness, as if he had done this many times, he said: “That crappy place you live in—is there anything there? I’ll have someone come with you tomorrow to move your stuff. I’ll give you a card later.”

    Chi Luoxi was still out of it.

    It felt like his soul was still floating outside his body.

    He Angxiao snapped his fingers sharply in front of Chi Luoxi’s face.

    Startled by the sound, Chi Luoxi flinched slightly, and his gaze finally refocused on He Angxiao’s face.

    He Angxiao: “Chi Luoxi, give me a reaction. Are you stupid? Starting to come back to your senses? Do you still recognize who I am?”

    Chi Luoxi blinked. Looking at the side of He Angxiao’s face, he recalled what had just happened, and thought, how could a person be so handsome? All the messy, forcibly ingrained seduction techniques and notes from his notebook flashed through his mind like a carousel.

    He parted his lips, and in a soft, nasal voice that sounded lost and dependent, he called out hesitantly, "...Husband?"

    Those two words struck He Angxiao like a thunderbolt, instantly igniting the fuse in his heart that had long been stretched to its breaking point, on the verge of snapping.

    All his rationality, caution, and that damned patience went up in smoke, gone without a trace before that naive yet seductive "husband."

    He Angxiao stared at Chi Luoxi's tear-streaked face, eyes dazed, lips parted, unconsciously letting those two words drop so innocently and seductively, and felt a surge of heat shoot up from his gut, instantly burning throughout his body, burning through every last bit of his patience and self-control.

    He couldn't hold back anymore.

    He would make Chi Luoxi pay for that reckless "husband."

    He was going to go back and fuck Chi Luoxi so hard tonight!

    -----------------------

    Author's note: Little Crab: Fucking an idiot is immoral.

    President He: I can't stand it anymore.

    Little Radish: My husband is so handsome.

    Now Little Radish sees that He guy through rose-colored glasses—he's adorable, lovable, and obedient. But once he finds out He's a total bad guy, President He's gonna be in deep shit.

    From now on, it'll be a shameless couple mode. President He is a real bastard, but he'll make sure Little Radish gets payback. There's no angst in this story—just a couple bickering, like a pair of "No-Brain and Grumpy."

    Taking two days off to keep up my 1,000-word daily minimum. On the day the clip goes up, I'll make up with three updates! Thank you all for your support. Next chapter, I'll feast on Little Radish hard, hehehe. This couple really knows how to play.

    The lyrics quote from "Your Promise" by Hamingway. The inspiration for this book came from listening to this song. It's a very nice song, originally very literary. I don't know how I came up with such a silly and absurd story.

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