Chapter 26 Those Not of Our Kind Are Bound to Have Different Hearts

Chapter 26: Those Not of Our Kind, Their Hearts Are Different

He Angxiao had finally gotten through the brutal but brief two-day separation. Now came Saturday and Sunday, a full two-day holiday. No work, no social obligations, no that annoying Hua guy—just him and Chi Luoxi, the two of them.

They could stay home, or take Chi Luoxi to some quiet, romantic place, enjoying a pure, ambiguous, and romantic world for two.

He Angxiao had big plans, already sketching out several options in his mind: a rooftop restaurant with a panoramic view of the city, or that vacation villa in the suburbs.

He came home buzzing with excitement, ready to announce the weekend plans, when Chi Luoxi, nestled in his arms, looked up and said, "Honey, tomorrow's Saturday. I made plans with Teacher Hua to go to the botanical garden together."

He Angxiao: "...Go where?"

Chi Luoxi: "The botanical garden. That big one in the city. Teacher Hua said he used to go there often when he had nothing to do."

Actually, Hua Ai had gotten to know a few plants there that had already developed a bit of spiritual awareness. He could talk to them, and Hua Ai said it would be good for Chi Luoxi to get to know them.

In such a big city, it wasn't easy to run into other monsters—ah no, other creatures who'd turned human.

He Angxiao was annoyed hearing this. What was all this? What kind of spell did that Hua guy cast on Chi Luoxi? On a weekend off, instead of hanging out with his actual husband, he wanted to go off with some random teacher to some random botanical garden to look at random plants.

"You two are just teacher and student. Is it necessary to make special plans to hang out during your off time?"

He Angxiao was displeased. Chi Luoxi looked puzzled: "But Teacher Hua is a good person. Honey, I didn't think you'd interfere with who I make friends with."

Chi Luoxi remembered something and muttered under his breath, loud enough for He Angxiao to hear: "Looks like Mr. Han was kind of right."

Mr. Han? Which Mr. Han? Han Wenbin!

He Angxiao: "What did he say to you again?"

Damn that Han Wenbin, always hanging around like a ghost.

Chi Luoxi: "Before, when Mr. Han gave me a ride, he told me you'd definitely try to control who I make friends with and keep me from talking to others. I said you were a very tolerant and generous person, and that before you didn't let me contact the Chunhui people because they weren't good people, not that you'd lump everyone together without telling good from bad... Looks like he was right."

He Angxiao: "…………"

Tolerant and generous? That hypocrite Han Wenbin, actually bad-mouthing him in front of Chi Luoxi.

He Angxiao said stiffly: "...Of course I'm very generous."

Under Chi Luoxi's hopeful, clear-eyed gaze, He Angxiao reluctantly managed to say, "Come back early then."

Chi Luoxi nodded at this: "Thanks, honey. I promise I'll be back early!"

He said this, then quickly leaned in and pecked him on the jaw. Then, like a bird released from a cage, he happily ran off to the room to prepare what he needed for tomorrow's outing.

As he turned around, the corner of Chi Luoxi's mouth curled upward.

Mission accomplished!

He didn't fully get why He Angxiao was so hostile to that seemingly polite Mr. Han, almost to the point of paranoia.

Chi Luoxi had discovered this by accident. Whenever He Angxiao showed excessive attention and interference in his life, just bringing up Mr. Han would get a really interesting reaction out of He Angxiao. He'd easily agree to stuff he normally wouldn't.

Chi Luoxi had tried this tactic several times, and it worked every time.

He felt a little bad using Mr. Han, but it was He Angxiao's own fault for being so fixated on him.

Whatever Han Wenbin said, He Angxiao automatically opposed, making his disapproval clear.

As for Mr. Han himself, Chi Luoxi actually thought pretty well of him.

He'd been pretty kind to Chi Luoxi back when Chi Luoxi was at Chunhui.

After that ride home, Han Wenbin occasionally sent him messages. The messages weren't out of line or flirty—just normal friendly contact.

Han Wenbin was very attentive. He remembered the flavors Chi Luoxi said he liked. When he saw new, well-reviewed restaurants or local snacks, he'd casually send links or pics, adding a note like "This place looks good. You can try it sometime."

When he found out Chi Luoxi liked plants, he'd also share posts from gardening bloggers and beautiful photos of flowers and plants.

He was one of the few people in Chi Luoxi's contact list who actively shared little life updates with him and showed interest in his preferences. But whenever He Angxiao saw it, it always sparked a mini storm.

He Angxiao narrowed his eyes coldly: "This Han Wenbin, is he that close to you? Always sending this useless stuff. Delete it, so it stops bothering you."

Chi Luoxi felt his husband was always making him do stuff that'd offend people.

Mr. Han hadn't done anything wrong. He just shared some tasty food and nice pictures. How was that annoying? And deleting it? That'd be so rude.

Besides, Chi Luoxi's contact list was already sparse. After the lawsuit with Chunhui ended and he cut ties, Manager Yang, He You, and that whole crowd—either they deleted him or he blocked them. Leaving even fewer people.

Mr. Han was one of the few who still reached out, liked his posts, and left comments.

They had small arguments about this—not really fights, just He Angxiao going on while Chi Luoxi occasionally shot back.

Chi Luoxi had expressed his views very seriously: "Honey, I really value the friends in my contact list. There aren't many left. Mr. Han is a good person. Every time I post on Moments, he gives me a like and often comments. You never like my posts."

At the end, he sounded really upset and aggrieved.

Chi Luoxi really put effort into curating his Moments and sharing his life.

Every time he went out with He Angxiao or took a nice photo at home, he'd carefully pick nine pictures to make a nine-square grid collage, then rack his brains to write a caption he thought was quite literary.

And He Angxiao was often on his phone looking at Chi Luoxi's Moments—Chi Luoxi had seen it with his own eyes several times. He would even zoom in on the photos, but he never liked them, let alone commented.

Once, Chi Luoxi posted a photo of himself watering the greenery on the balcony. Under his care, He Angxiao's few potted plants had grown lush and vibrant, way healthier than before.

Chi Luoxi was very proud.

But by evening, there still weren't any likes or comments. Chi Luoxi couldn't help himself. That night, curled up in He Angxiao's arms, he asked softly, "Honey, did you check my Moments today?"

He Angxiao "mm-hmmed," not saying much.

"Then why didn't you like it?" Chi Luoxi looked up, confused.

He Angxiao said, "Sometimes when I see your posts, I get flashbacks of my grandma's posts."

Chi Luoxi was furious. He pursed his lips tightly, let go of his arms around He Angxiao's waist, turned his back to him, and curled himself into a ball.

He Angxiao watched Chi Luoxi wrap himself up like a ball. He wanted to explain, but seeing Chi Luoxi's turned back, he was too proud to back down. He said "Go to sleep," turned off the light, and hugged Chi Luoxi curled into a ball.

Chi Luoxi felt both wronged and angry. He Angxiao was basically calling him tacky, saying his posts had no style and looked like an old person's.

He Angxiao's Moments were all about forwarding obscure industry articles. Sometimes they were as simple as a location and a landscape photo. Chi Luoxi would like them even though he didn't understand them.

The more Chi Luoxi thought about it, the more he felt that He Angxiao was the one who should be removed from his contact list.

But Chi Luoxi only dared to think this in his heart.

Asking him to actually delete He Angxiao? He didn't dare.

The next day, when Chi Luoxi woke up and opened WeChat, it almost crashed—He Angxiao had stayed up all night liking and commenting on every single one of his posts.

Only then did Chi Luoxi decide to forgive He Angxiao.

Saturday morning, the sunlight was just right, and the breeze was gentle.

The garden was bursting with green, all kinds of plants, some I knew, some I didn't, growing wild in their carefully laid-out spots.

The air smelled like dirt, grass, and a little bit of flowers.

Hua Ai walked around like he owned the place. He led Chi Luoxi away from the crowded main paths and turned into a few quieter, more densely vegetated corners.

He stopped under a trellis covered in climbing roses. The hydrangea there seemed to sway even though there was no wind, its petals trembling slightly.

Chi Luoxi could sense that this hydrangea had this faint, hazy spiritual energy, different from ordinary plants—like a sleeping baby's soft, faint breathing.

"This is Axiu. Her spiritual awareness just barely opened up. She's still kind of out of it, but she can vaguely sense her surroundings. She likes sunlight and likes hearing people talk," Hua Ai introduced.

A few steps later, beside a cluster of tall, thick-leaved banana trees, a few elegant tuberoses were about to bloom. At the tips of their slender stems, milky white buds gave off a sweet, delicate smell.

Hua Ai said a soft hello to them, and the tuberoses' leaves rustled back.

"This is Wanwan. She's a little more spiritually aware than Axiu. She likes the night dew and moonlight," Hua Ai said to Chi Luoxi. "It's a shame that in a big city, the spiritual energy is all mixed up and the air is too polluted. For them to truly awaken and take form is incredibly hard. Just keeping this tiny bit of awareness is hard enough."

Chi Luoxi said, "Hey there, I'm Chi Luoxi—a radish."

That faint spiritual ripple seemed to perk up a bit, as if responding to him.

Hua Ai told Chi Luoxi that these friends actually envied them for being able to take human form, to move freely, see a wider world, and experience more things.

Chi Luoxi replied, "Being human has its own stresses too. You gotta eat, learn a ton of hard stuff, deal with all kinds of people. But..." He looked at the vibrant plants before him, then thought about his own life now. "Being a plant and being a human both have their upsides, I guess. Plants are chill, but they're stuck in one spot. Humans get tired, but they can go wherever, make new friends, and have someone to keep them company."

The two strolled through the botanical garden, stopping every so often. Mostly, Hua Ai talked softly, pointing things out, while Chi Luoxi listened and looked around curiously.

Just as they were about to head to the next section, Hua Ai spotted a fork in the path out of the corner of his eye. He elbowed Chi Luoxi, tilted his chin toward something, and said playfully.

"...Xiao Luo, look over there—isn't that Mr. He?"

Chi Luoxi followed his gaze.

Not far off, under a big camphor tree, stood a tall, fit guy.

He was wearing a plain black tracksuit, but it fit him well, showing off his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

He had a black baseball cap pulled low and a black mask tight over his face. In his hand, he held a brochure from the entrance, holding it up like a shield. Compared to the relaxed tourists around him, his whole 'secret mission' look stuck out like a sore thumb.

That build, that vibe—Chi Luoxi knew it way too well.

Chi Luoxi: "That's my husband, no question."

He Angxiao actually thought his disguise was pretty solid. He'd deliberately put on a tracksuit he never wore, fully decked out with hat and mask.

He was just passing by, happened to stop in for a walk—definitely not because he was worried about Chi Luoxi being alone with that Hua guy, and definitely not to spy.

But when he saw Chi Luoxi and Hua Ai walking together, laughing and talking, he was pissed. If that Hua guy tried anything, tried to cuckold him, He Angxiao would turn him into plant food.

Just as He Angxiao was hiding behind the brochure, his mind a mess and jealousy boiling over, his vision suddenly cleared.

The brochure in front of his face was pulled down from above.

Chi Luoxi's face, beautiful and totally unbothered, looked at him confused: "Babe, if you wanted to come to the botanical garden, we could've come together. Three people even get a group discount!"

He Angxiao: "..."

But He Angxiao was still He Angxiao—thick-skinned and shameless. After a moment of stiffness, he pulled down his mask, forced a tight smile, and said casually, "What a coincidence. I was just passing by too. Saw the nice weather and figured I'd take a walk."

And so, what was supposed to be a private outing for two turned into an awkward trio.

Chi Luoxi walked in the middle, with Hua Ai still smiling gently on his left, and He Angxiao, now unmasked but clearly annoyed, on his right.

Chi Luoxi, easygoing and used to He Angxiao's quirks, quickly cheered up again. He chatted with Hua Ai about the plants they'd seen on the left, then reached for He Angxiao's hand on the right, pointing out flowers and trying to get his husband involved.

Though He Angxiao's face remained sour, he let Chi Luoxi hold his hand and occasionally glanced in the direction Chi Luoxi pointed.

By noon, they found a restaurant inside the botanical garden to eat.

The place was relatively quiet, with green partitions between tables for decent privacy.

After ordering, Chi Luoxi said he needed to use the restroom and got up to leave.

The table was left with just He Angxiao and Hua Ai sitting across from each other.

The atmosphere instantly grew more tense.

Two men—one cold and domineering, the other flamboyant and handsome—their eyes met briefly in the air, then looked away.

An undercurrent of silent rivalry filled the space.

Finally, Hua Ai broke the silence. He picked up his water glass and said, "Mr. He, you really don't need to be so wary of me."

"Xiao Luo and I are just a normal teacher-student relationship, plus we're friends who get along. I see him as innocent and adorable, so I treat him like a younger brother, looking out for him—that's all."

He Angxiao thought to himself, *Chi Luoxi is innocent and adorable? You don't need to tell me that.* He controlled his expression, leaned back in his chair, and adopted a relaxed posture: "I'm not wary at all, Teacher Hua. You're overthinking it. I just had nothing to do today and felt like getting some fresh air. I usually sit in the office too long, staring at computers and documents—my neck's not great. A walk and some fresh air do me good."

Hua Ai smiled, thinking he'd never seen someone so full of it, and didn't pursue the topic.

Just then, a commotion from the next table caught their attention.

It was a couple, likely lovers or spouses, young and intimate. The woman was picking up a piece of food, laughing as she brought it to the man's mouth. They exchanged a smile, the atmosphere syrupy sweet. Clearly in the throes of a passionate romance. The woman also went to the restroom, and the man answered a phone call. The caller seemed to invite him out, but the man said he was with his wife and had no time.

Hua Ai's gaze lingered on the couple for a moment, then he spoke: "Mr. He, don't you think men whose whole lives revolve around their wives are really pitiful?"

"It feels like they have no sense of self at all. No personal hobbies, no independent space, no private time—all gone. The center of their life, their joys and sorrows, all tied to another person. Don't you think so, Mr. He?"

He Angxiao: "...Haha, yeah."

He Angxiao could tell Hua Ai was mocking him.

But He Angxiao found he couldn't even muster a strong rebuttal. Because he realized he could barely remember, aside from work, Chi Luoxi, and the necessary socializing and obligations, what personal hobbies he had anymore.

Gourmet food? Travel?

Those were things Chi Luoxi liked.

He Angxiao suddenly realized that, at some point, the focus of his life, his daily anticipation after work, his emotional ups and downs, many of his decisions and plans—all revolved around Chi Luoxi without him even noticing.

Alarms blared in He Angxiao's mind. He was only twenty-eight, in his prime—a rising star in the business world, a future luminary turning heads, a calm and composed strategist. His life should be vast, full of challenges and conquests, commanding attention on a higher stage.

Instead of settling into a cozy but terrifying routine at twenty-eight, like being all settled down with a family and a cozy home.

Every day after work, all he wants is to go home, and when he gets home, he wants to see Chi Luoxi, then eat together, watch TV, sleep... repeating the cycle.

This is terrifying.

He Angxiao thought, how could he lose his edge so fast, like a wild beast that's been tamed and lost its wildness, only wanting to guard the warmth of its den?

No, he had to get back a bit of his old self, and stop this.

On the weekend, He Angxiao's manly self-awakening moment arrived. He ditched his previous clingy phase, where he wanted to keep Chi Luoxi in his pocket 24/7, and instead dragged a sleepy-eyed Chi Luoxi out to play golf.

Chi Luoxi only knew golf from TV, seeing a bunch of people holding long clubs, slowly strolling around on a green lawn.

He'd rather sleep in at home, but He Angxiao insisted he accompany him, so Chi Luoxi had to change into a brand-new white polo and khakis that He Angxiao had prepared for him, put on a matching sun hat, and headed out with him.

When they got to the course, it looked just like it did on TV.

Endless, perfectly manicured green lawns, glowing softly in the sun, with rolling hills and little ponds scattered around.

Chi Luoxi watched He Angxiao swing, the little white ball arcing gracefully into the distance, over and over.

Chi Luoxi watched for a while, found this sport, which felt just like weeding in the mountains, totally boring, and felt his eyelids getting heavy. The sun was warm, the grass was soft, and he yawned.

"Babe, I'm a little sleepy. I'm gonna go sit over there for a bit." Chi Luoxi pointed to the white lounge chairs under the sunshade not far away.

He Angxiao: "Mm, go ahead. Don't wander off."

Chi Luoxi, relieved, quickly trotted over, lay down on the soft lounge chair, got comfortable, pulled his hat brim down over his eyes.

On the other side, He Angxiao looked like he had a grudge against the lawn, his swings getting more and more forceful.

He felt like he was finding a bit of his old self.

All morning, He Angxiao, alone on the empty course, silently played God knows how many holes.

Chi Luoxi woke up once, squinted, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

He really didn't expect that this so-called elegant city sport could be so down-to-earth and full of manual labor.

Watching his husband's strong, muscular arms swinging the club in the sun, Chi Luoxi thought drowsily, with a body and strength like that, if he went back to Mist Mountain with him to help with the farm work, he could probably plow their few acres of crappy land in one morning.

But Chi Luoxi was no slouch either. Back in the mountains, he was strong, and his grandpa always said he could do the work of two men. He could knock out those farm chores in half a day.

Around noon, He Angxiao finally got tired of hitting balls. He put his club away and walked over to the lounge chair.

"Wake up, time to head back."

Chi Luoxi woke up, sat up, and rubbed his eyes.

He Angxiao shoved his club into Chi Luoxi's hands, pointing his chin at the tee box not far away: "Come on, give it a try. It's easy, just take a swing."

Chi Luoxi: "I don't know how, babe."

"Just swing, it's fine." He Angxiao stood behind him, adjusting his stance and grip like a hands-on coach. "Like this, aim at the ball, and swing as hard as you can."

Chi Luoxi said "Oh," and imitating what he'd seen He Angxiao do, gripped the club tight and swung it with all his strength.

The little white ball sitting on the tee was like it got hit by a cannonball, instantly turning into a white blur you could barely see, shooting off at a speed and angle that completely defied golf norms.

Whoosh, it disappeared behind the rolling green hills in the distance, without a trace.

Chi Luoxi blinked, confused, staring in the direction the ball had vanished: "...Babe, I told you, I'm really strong."

He Angxiao really couldn't figure out why Chi Luoxi, who usually seemed so soft and fragile, had such strength in his hands.

He silently took his club back: "...How do you have so much strength?"

Chi Luoxi: "Babe, I used to do a lot of farm work in the mountains, digging the ground."

He Angxiao, seeing Chi Luoxi's small frame, immediately felt sorry for him and stopped dwelling on the issue.

Thankfully, after that golf weekend that felt like hoeing two acres of land, He Angxiao really began to put his determination to find his male self into practice.

He no longer came home on time after work like before, wanting to keep Chi Luoxi tied to his belt. Instead, he started going out for social engagements frequently, sometimes having to go to the company on weekends for something urgent, or meeting friends to play cards or discuss business.

Then He Angxiao discovered that none of it was as interesting as Chi Luoxi.

While inhaling secondhand smoke from bald, potbellied bosses and listening to vulgar jokes at the dinner table, He Angxiao thought, why the hell was he suffering this? Was his former self really that great? He used to be extremely disgusted with everything around him due to lack of sleep, but lately he seemed much more peaceful and kind, because he could just go home and cuddle with Chi Luoxi.

He Angxiao thought, he had suffered for so many years, what was wrong with living a good life? If he had no self, so be it; he probably didn't need a self that much.

On Chi Luoxi's side, it was much quieter. At first, he was a bit unaccustomed, but he thought He Angxiao must be really busy, with work and social obligations.

When Hua Ai came to teach, he didn't see that annoying figure as often as before. Chi Luoxi saw him out, and he casually asked about it.

Chi Luoxi told him that He Angxiao had been very busy lately and often wasn't home, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment but more understanding and resignation.

Hua Ai raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, thinking that He Angxiao had actually taken his words to heart. A playful glint flashed in his beautiful, slightly upturned eyes, and he said in a half-joking, half-encouraging tone: "Xiao Luo, if you ask me, if you had a bit of ambition, you'd just completely win him over."

Chi Luoxi looked at him blankly: "Win over? Win over what?"

"Win over He Angxiao." Hua Ai said it as if it were obvious. "Do you want to stay like this forever? You two could have a stable, long-term relationship, and it wouldn't be hard for you, right?"

Hua Ai thought He Angxiao seemed quite eager to settle down.

But Chi Luoxi shook his head, his expression worried, and said very quietly: "Teacher Hua, my husband is really afraid of anything 'forever.'"

"And besides, I'm different. I'm a spirit. My husband can't accept that. What if I scare him to death? My husband is sometimes actually a bit fragile."

Chi Luoxi remembered the time He Angxiao fainted.

Hua Ai looked at him, so worried as if He Angxiao were a delicate flower that would break at a touch: "How do you know he can't accept it?"

Hua Ai remembered the madman, who, upon learning he was a flower spirit, wasn't scared but instead got excited, saying Hua Ai was a treasure specially bestowed by heaven, a spirit belonging only to him.

Chi Luoxi: "...Actually, I tested him before."

It was a long time ago, one evening when the two were cuddling on the sofa watching TV. An old show about ghosts and monsters was playing. The plot was cliché, but Chi Luoxi's heart was pounding.

He pretended to ask casually: "Honey, what would you do if you met a monster?"

He Angxiao, playing on his phone, said coldly: "Kill it."

No hesitation at all.

Chi Luoxi didn't give up and pressed further: "What if that monster was actually cute and kind, had never hurt anyone, and had even helped people? Would you still kill it?"

He Angxiao: "Kill it too. After all, those not of our kind are bound to have different hearts!"

Chi Luoxi: “…………”

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Author's note: Zhanlang He (Wolf Warrior He).

Boss He briefly regained a sense of being single and realized what a miserable life he used to have—he was completely taken in by Hua Ai.

In Little Luobei's eyes, his husband is quite fragile.

Everyone, please read at 7:00 PM from now on. I sometimes need to revise, and a revision can take a long time.