Chapter 17 Indeed, Skilled Methods

Chapter 17: Truly a Pro

He Angxiao said he would help Chi Luoxi file a lawsuit, and the next morning at the company, he contacted the legal department.

After all, they were his own people, so easy to work with and talk to.

The head of He Group's legal department, Hao Fan, looked way younger than he really was. He had a fair baby face, wore thin-rimmed glasses, and when quiet, he had a scholarly vibe, like a college kid.

But those who knew him understood that beneath his harmless facade was the shrewdness honed from years of dealing with all kinds of tricky characters.

When He Angxiao's company first took off, it got targeted. Several hard-fought battles involving intellectual property and commercial competition nearly destroyed his fledgling business. Hao Fan led the team, fighting through lawsuits to save the company.

Hao Fan was a veteran who had been with He Angxiao from humble beginnings, and was a few years older than He Angxiao.

When Hao Fan knocked and walked in, He Angxiao was standing in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, his back to the door, looking down at the ant-like traffic and pedestrians below.

The morning light pierced through the glass, coating the sharp contours of his dark gray suit jacket in a cold, hard outline.

Hearing the sound, he turned around, his face expressionless. He just lifted his chin, signaling Hao Fan to sit.

"Boss, what's so urgent?"

He Angxiao got straight to the point. He walked back to his desk, sat down, and pulled a file from the drawer. It was a copy of the contract Chi Luoxi signed with Chunhui, plus a sticky note with Chi Luoxi's name and number in He Angxiao's handwriting. He pushed the items toward Hao Fan and said succinctly, "There's something—a personal matter. I need you to handle it."

Hao Fan saw the name "Chi Luoxi" and it sounded familiar. Wasn't this the guy whose contract was as simple as a donation, paying two hundred thousand a month?

His thoughts raced, but his face stayed calm. He pushed up his glasses and carefully examined the Chunhui contract.

The more he read, the deeper his frown got.

This wasn't a contract—it was a soul-selling deal. The terms were outrageously harsh, completely lopsided. The penalty for breach was astronomically high, and there were traps everywhere, meant to screw over people who don't know the law.

"This contract is seriously problematic."

He Angxiao grunted in agreement. "He got cheated. See how far we can take this in court. Money's not the point; we need to even the score."

Hao Fan nodded right away, a smile on his baby face that didn't quite match his vibe. "Boss, rest assured. Your matters are my matters, and the boss's lady's matters are also mine! With a garbage contract like this, we'll win every time. Even if the final ruling has some discrepancies, I guarantee I can take them to the cleaners."

At the words "boss's lady," He Angxiao's brow furrowed slightly, and he corrected, "...He's not the boss lady. Forget it. He's a bit naive. He just came down from the mountains not long ago and doesn't understand a lot of things. That's why he was tricked. When you contact him, don't get into the legal jargon he won't get. Just tell him directly what to do."

Naive? Hao Fan thought. Aren't people from such places usually sharp as tacks? Truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Hao Fan nodded easily. "Understood, boss. I'll be mindful of how I communicate."

He was very professional.

Back in his own office, Hao Fan immediately sent a friend request to Chi Luoxi on WeChat using the number on the sticky note. The verification message was sent, and it was approved shortly after.

Hao Fan clicked into the other party's Moments, hoping to get a rough understanding first.

The profile picture made his mouth twitch: an over-filtered selfie: pointed chin, big eyes, glowing skin, filter so thick you couldn't see the details.

Their boss had... interesting taste. A mass-produced internet celebrity aesthetic. Not exactly the naive mountain kid he'd pictured.

Shaking off his doubts, Hao Fan opened the chat and introduced himself politely, explaining his purpose.

The other party responded quickly, with a very polite tone, lacking the arrogance or brown-nosing he'd expected from someone who had latched onto a rich man.

After chatting a bit about the contract and Chunhui's situation, Hao Fan gradually began to see the light.

This boss lady spoke simply. The simplicity felt real—he genuinely hadn't been exposed to much.

When it came to education, Chi Luoxi said he'd only finished freshman year of high school because his family was poor, and he had started working afterward.

Hao Fan took the opportunity to ask about his age, and Chi Luoxi said, "Eighteen."

But in fact, based on human years, Chi Luoxi was more than eighteen. Back then, his grandfather had deliberately underreported his age so he could stay home a few more years, adapting to human life without revealing that he was a radish spirit.

Staring at the "eighteen" on the screen, Hao Fan was silent for several seconds.

Eighteen? Almost a decade younger than He Angxiao.

What a beast. Well, rich men are rarely good people.

Over the next few days, Hao Fan studied the contract and had several calls with Chi Luoxi, getting the full story of what Chi Luoxi had experienced at Chunhui. Gradually, he had a good grasp of the situation.

Hao Fan explained his initial findings in the simplest terms.

"... Mr. Chi, based on the information we've gathered and the nature of this contract, I believe we can take this case to court. Moreover, I think our chances of winning are very high."

"Not only will the contract itself be ruled invalid, but we can also claim compensation for the wages you were previously docked, as well as damages for emotional distress. In simple terms, we can get your rightful money back."

Chi Luoxi listened very attentively.

When Hao Fan spoke, he occasionally threw in technical terms like civil capacity, fair contracting rights, manifest unfairness, fraud, duress...

Chi Luoxi didn't understand a single one.

But he was still thrilled. "Lawyer Hao, you're amazing! You know so much!"

Hao Fan was a bit embarrassed by such a direct and sincere compliment and humbly said, "Not at all, just doing my duty. It's my responsibility."

Knowing he could get his money back lifted Chi Luoxi's spirits considerably.

That evening, when He Angxiao returned home and had just changed his shoes at the entrance, Chi Luoxi came running from the living room like a joyful little bird, thudding all the way. Before He Angxiao could even stand up fully, Chi Luoxi threw himself into his arms, wrapping his arms around He Angxiao's waist.

He Angxiao staggered back half a step from the impact and instinctively reached out to steady Chi Luoxi by his shoulders. Looking down, he saw Chi Luoxi lifting his face, eyes bright as if they had caught stars, his face unabashedly excited and elated.

"Honey, Lawyer Hao told me today. He said we can sue and win! I can get my money back!"

"He also said a lot of things I didn't understand, but I thought it was so impressive. Honey, it's great to be educated, great to know the law," he looked up at He Angxiao with longing. "I want to be educated too in the future. I want to understand many things. That way, I won't be bullied or tricked so easily."

He Angxiao was hugged tightly. He reached down and lifted Chi Luoxi up, his legs wrapping around He Angxiao's waist like a koala.

Listening to Chi Luoxi's rambling but energetic words, feeling the unreserved joy and dependence emanating from the body in his arms, the irritation from work fatigue strangely dissipated.

He Angxiao kissed Chi Luoxi twice.

He thought to himself, sometimes being bullied or tricked wasn't entirely due to lack of education.

There are plenty of educated, high-degree beasts in human clothing out there who can still be screwed over without a trace.

Chi Luoxi: "Honey, do you think I can become a lawyer someday, like Mr. Hao?"

He Angxiao said slowly, "Well, a lawyer? Sure, you can start now, study every single day without fail, pass all the exams you need to, and memorize all the books you have to. If you're lucky, maybe on the day I kick the bucket, I'll get to see you holding your lawyer's license."

Chi Luoxi: "..."

He puffed out his cheeks, eyes wide, feeling that He Angxiao was underestimating him.

Chi Luoxi hadn't had much schooling, but that was because he hadn't realized the importance of learning before. Now, things were different. He had Mr. He, a place to live, food to eat, and no longer had to worry about surviving.

He needed to learn something—pick up a skill he could live on—in these five years.

That way, if Mr. He ever stopped liking him, he could rely on himself to survive, and live better than he did with his grandfather.

Hao Fan contacted Chi Luoxi again to meet at the chain coffee shop downstairs from He Angxiao's company for a face-to-face chat.

The meeting was set for the morning, with sunlight streaming through the huge glass curtain wall, filling the room with light.

He Angxiao drove him over.

"Right in there, by the window," He Angxiao said, tilting his chin toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of the coffee shop, where the view was best and most visible.

"I'm going upstairs to handle some things. I'll come down later. If I haven't come down by the time you're done talking with Lawyer Hao, call me. I'll be upstairs. Don't wander off. There are lots of people and cars around here."

Chi Luoxi nodded, clutching the file bag that held the old Chunhui contract and some miscellaneous evidence, and got out of the car.

He Angxiao was wearing a custom-made iron-gray suit today, with a light blue shirt underneath, no tie, the top two buttons undone, revealing a hint of collarbone.

One hand rested casually on the steering wheel, his profile sharp in the interplay of light and shadow.

Chi Luoxi looked at him, his voice soft: "Mm, I understand, hubby. I'll call you when I'm done."

Chi Luoxi watched the car start up again, turn a corner, and enter the underground parking lot of the towering office building next door.

He stood there until the black car's taillights completely disappeared from sight, then turned around, hugged the file bag, and pushed open the heavy glass door of the coffee shop, stepping inside.

The wind chime on the door let out a crisp tinkle.

The cool air hit him, carrying a stronger aroma of coffee and pastries. Following He Angxiao's instructions, Chi Luoxi found the window-side booth for two.

The sofa was dark brown leather, soft and comfortable.

He carefully placed the file bag on the empty seat next to him, then picked up the drinks menu pressed under a crystal plate and started flipping through it.

Vivid pictures, all sorts of fancy names for coffees and teas that were hard to pronounce, along with exquisitely made, mouthwatering photos of cakes and desserts.

Chi Luoxi's gaze lingered on a gold-leaf-covered mousse cake for a while.

Just then, his phone screen on the table lit up. It was a WeChat message from He Angxiao, just two words: "Arrived?"

Chi Luoxi immediately picked up his phone and replied: "Arrived, hubby. I'm in my seat."

He Angxiao: "Mm, order whatever you want to drink."

Chi Luoxi hesitated because there were so many delicious-looking things.

After a moment of deliberation, he opened the chat with He Angxiao, pressed the voice message button, leaned close to the mic, and negotiated: "Hubby, I saw a cake and an orange juice that look really yummy. Can I order them?"

Not long after the message was sent, He Angxiao's reply came—a voice message.

Chi Luoxi tapped it and held the phone to his ear.

He Angxiao's voice came through the earpiece: "Order whatever you want to eat. No need to ask me."

Chi Luoxi felt reassured. He called over the waitress in her uniform and apron, pointed at the pictures on the menu, and said cheerfully, "Hi, I'd like five of these."

The waitress was surprised: "Sir, this is an ice cream mousse, it's cold. Five? Are you sure you can finish them?"

Chi Luoxi nodded, said he could, then after ordering his own: "And my husband..."

He remembered He Angxiao was still upstairs and might come down later: "What coffee do you have that's good here?"

The waitress, a young girl with a standard smile, followed his lead: "Our classic Americano or latte are both good. Would you like me to order one for you?"

Chi Luoxi said: "Then a latte, please, less sugar. Thanks. You can bring the ice cream first. My husband will be here soon."

"Okay, please wait a moment." The waitress took the menu away.

Before He Angxiao came down, Chi Luoxi had finished his five ice creams and ordered another gold-leaf chocolate mousse cake.

He must have come up directly from the underground parking lot via the elevator without his jacket, wearing only that light blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing a well-defined wrist and an expensive watch.

He Angxiao walked straight over and sat down opposite Chi Luoxi.

As soon as he sat down, before he could say anything, Chi Luoxi proudly told him, "Hubby, I ordered you a latte, less sugar. The waitress said it's good."

He Angxiao hummed in acknowledgment, then noticed someone nearby looking at Chi Luoxi.

Chi Luoxi was wearing a white sailor-collar short-sleeve shirt today, with a thin light gray knit cardigan over it, a pair of slim-fit light blue jeans, and clean white sneakers.

All the clothes were sent by He Angxiao, tailored to Chi Luoxi's measurements. The brands were ones Chi Luoxi didn't recognize, but the fabric and cut were impeccable. Wearing them, Chi Luoxi perfectly highlighted the clean, youthful aura between a teenager and a young adult, and somehow acquired a touch of refined elegance from being lavishly cared for.

His hair had long since been dyed back to black at a high-end salon He Angxiao had taken him to, soft and smooth against his forehead, making his skin look even fairer and his features more defined.

He sat there quietly, his profile against the bright light outside, long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyes, a straight nose, and naturally light pink lips slightly pursed. At first glance, he really looked like a beautiful, melancholic youth from a well-off, sheltered family, untouched by the world.

But only He Angxiao knew that this melancholic beauty was currently resting his cheek on his hand and watching a cartoon.

The waitress soon brought over a latte.

Chi Luoxi: "Hubby, have a drink."

He Angxiao recalled the waitress's subtle, gossipy glance when he came in, and Chi Luoxi's instinctive "hubby" just now.

He was silent for a few seconds, then leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice to a volume only the two of them could hear, and said to Chi Luoxi, "In public, don't call me hubby."

It was just... improper.

Not appropriate.

Chi Luoxi, who had been secretly eyeing the tiramisu the customer at the next table had just been served—looking delicious—was startled. He turned his head, confused, and looked at He Angxiao: "Then what do I call you?"

He thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Should I call you Mr. He?"

Recently, He Angxiao had been especially fond of setting some inexplicable rules for Chi Luoxi, like "no more than five complaints a day"—Chi Luoxi felt he was just talking normally, not complaining at all.

Then there was "no acting too cutesy in bed"—Chi Luoxi felt even more wronged. That wasn't being cutesy; it was crying and begging for mercy, but in He Angxiao's ears, it was too seductive and deliberate.

Chi Luoxi had gotten used to He Angxiao's ever-changing rules. He thought rich people really had too many hang-ups.

And besides, was He Angxiao getting sick of him? He kept nitpicking everything.

He Angxiao was not satisfied. "Try something else."

Chi Luoxi blinked, thought hard. "Then how about... 'Bro'?"

That 'Bro' was even more lethal than 'Husband'—it sounded even more like being coy, with a secret, forbidden intimacy.

He Angxiao felt like he had dug a hole for himself. This 'Bro' was no less dangerous than 'Husband'—in fact, it was even more provocative and suggestive.

He stared at Chi Luoxi for two seconds, then gave up and spat out two words. "...Never mind."

Call me whatever you want.

As soon as Chi Luoxi heard He Angxiao say "never mind," he knew his little moodiness had passed.

He Angxiao sat across from him, watching Chi Luoxi's carefree demeanor. He glanced at his watch. Hao Fan should be arriving soon.

He had planned to sit for a while, take a look at Chi Luoxi, then once Hao Fan came, give a few instructions and leave. He lifted a hand to call the waiter to pack up his latte and take it upstairs to drink.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he happened to glance toward the café window.

People came and went on the sidewalk, all in a hurry.

But not far from their floor-to-ceiling window, a guy holding his phone up caught He Angxiao's attention.

The camera was pointed right in their direction, and he wasn't even trying to be subtle.

Chi Luoxi's outfit today, combined with his strikingly eye-catching face, naturally drew people's eyes.

But He Angxiao's brows furrowed immediately. He disliked this kind of uninvited, prying gaze, and even more so, he hated anyone pointing a camera at Chi Luoxi.

He regretted his decision to leave Chi Luoxi alone downstairs. What a huge mistake.

If he had known, he might as well have brought him upstairs to his office. Sure, it might have caused some gossip among the company, but at least right under his nose, nobody would have dared to be that obvious.

He shot a cold look at the man outside who was still holding up his phone. The man, sensing He Angxiao's icy stare, guiltily lowered his phone, turned around, and hurried away.

He Angxiao withdrew his gaze and looked back at Chi Luoxi.

Chi Luoxi, oblivious to all this, was looking down, playing a simple match-three game on his new phone.

Without a word, He Angxiao reached out, picked up the white baseball cap on the table, and placed it on Chi Luoxi's head.

The hat was a bit big, instantly covering most of Chi Luoxi's face.

"Huh?" Chi Luoxi was startled out of his game, looking up, confused as he pushed the hat up slightly. "Babe? Are you going to work?"

He thought He Angxiao was about to leave.

He Angxiao didn't answer his question. Instead, he jerked his chin at the seat next to him. "Keep the hat on. Don't take it off. Come sit here."

Though Chi Luoxi didn't understand why, he obediently said, "Oh," pulled the hat lower, then picked up his phone and scooted over to He Angxiao's original spot.

He Angxiao extended an arm, draped it over Chi Luoxi's shoulder, and pulled him closer, letting Chi Luoxi lean halfway against him.

Chi Luoxi automatically adjusted to a more comfortable position, resting his head on He Angxiao's shoulder, and continued playing his phone game. He was used to snuggling up to He Angxiao.

Chi Luoxi looked up at He Angxiao.

He Angxiao lowered his head and warned him very seriously, "In public, no kissing."

Chi Luoxi thought to himself that he hadn't been planning to kiss him—he was just looking at He Angxiao.

It was at that moment that Hao Fan pushed open the café door and walked in.

He showed up on time. His eyes swept toward the booth by the window. First, he spotted his boss, He Angxiao. Then his eyes moved down and landed on the pretty boy half-embraced by He Angxiao, a white baseball cap pulled low over his head, revealing only a small portion of his face.

That pretty boy was looking down, totally focused on poking at his phone screen, his whole posture one of total relaxation and dependence, leaning against He Angxiao.

Hao Fan stopped in his tracks. He nearly thought he was imagining things.

He adjusted his glasses and took another careful look.

Yes, it was indeed their usual deadpan boss.

And yes, there was indeed someone snuggled up to the boss.

Though he couldn't see the full face, the clothes, the vibe, and the boss's rare, protective stance said it all.

Hao Fan's mind was instantly flooded with admiration for the young boss's partner's skills.

In broad daylight, in a bustling high-end café, sitting so openly close, with an arm around the shoulder, and the boss acting like it was the most normal thing in the world, totally ignoring everyone else.

How completely bewitched had this usually aloof, self-restrained boss become?

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

Author's note: Little Luobei: Just by breathing.

He: Such skill.

And just like that, he's throwing himself at him.

Hao Fan: This new spouse sure has a way.