Chapter 40 Baby, You Really Know How to Please

Chapter 40: Baby, You're Just Too Good at Taking Care of Me

He Angxiao was burning up with fever, his forehead covered with a cold towel, his body wrapped in a thick quilt, with only his mouth visible—flushed from the fever and unusually chatty.

He had fallen into a half-conscious, muddled state, his mouth never stopping, babbling endlessly.

His ramblings were random, illogical, and incoherent.

One minute it was inheritance and kept men, the next it jumped to stuff that left Chi Luoxi even more speechless.

Chi Luoxi was getting a headache from all the noise and worried that talking too much would drain his energy and keep the fever from breaking. He tried several times to get him to shut up and get some sleep.

But every time he opened his mouth, He Angxiao looked at him with the fragile, hurt eyes of a sick man.

“…Do you think I’m annoying? Too wordy? Always lecturing?”

Without waiting for Chi Luoxi’s answer, He Angxiao continued on his own, spiraling into self-pity, saying: “It can’t be helped. I’m so much older than you. By the time you’re thirty, in your prime, I’ll be nearly fifty—a washed-up old man with that old-guy smell…”

This weird age anxiety left Chi Luoxi dumbfounded. Where the hell was all this coming from? Wasn’t this the same guy who’d confidently declared that men get more valuable and desirable as they age?

Chi Luoxi thought the fever must have fried He Angxiao's brain.

And the way he talked—always contradicting himself, going back and forth—one minute brimming with arrogant confidence, like he was king of the world, the next wallowing in self-pity, feeling worthless and on death’s door.

Chi Luoxi was completely confused. He didn’t know which version of him to believe.

Chi Luoxi was starting to get anxious too. This remote mountain village had virtually no medical resources.

There was a barefoot doctor in the village, surnamed Chen, a fifty-something bachelor who limped. Word had it he'd apprenticed at a county pharmacy in his youth and knew his way around herbs. Later, he’d returned to the village and started practicing medicine with a few tattered, ancient medical books of unknown origin. He treated pigs, cows, sheep, cats, dogs, chickens, and the villagers too, for headaches, fevers, sprains, and strains.

As for his skill level—well, he never killed anyone, but he might not cure them either.

Someone as precious as He Angxiao had surely grown up under the care of the best hospitals, the most expensive medicines, and the most authoritative specialists.

If Chi Luoxi let Doctor Chen treat him, who knew what would happen? What if he force-fed him two bowls of some black, mysterious herbal sludge and something went wrong?

Chi Luoxi didn’t dare take that risk. He could only hope that He Angxiao would get his act together and shake the fever off.

Chi Luoxi tried to calm him down: “You’re not that old, really. Don’t overthink it. Just sleep for a while. Maybe when you wake up, the fever'll have broken.”

But He Angxiao, instead of being soothed, latched onto the topic of age and jumped to another thought: “I feel kinda old. You know, the first time we… you know… I saw your ID, and I almost fell to my knees.”

“I felt like such a beast.” He honestly assessed himself, but there was no real remorse in his tone—instead, there was a perverse relish. “But you were so tender, so soft, so smooth…”

“Enough!” Chi Luoxi, both embarrassed and irritated, covered He Angxiao’s mouth.

“Go to sleep. No more talking!”

Even burning with fever, his mind was still full of this nonsense.

What a beast.

Muffled sounds came from under Chi Luoxi’s hand as He Angxiao tried to speak. Soon, Chi Luoxi felt him licking his palm and pulled his hand away.

He Angxiao pleaded, “Baby, can you sleep next to me?”

“After you left, I haven’t had a single good night’s sleep. I lie awake every night until dawn. That’s why my body is so weak now. You’re my little sleeping pill. Only when you’re here can I fall asleep.”

It was true—after Chi Luoxi left, he had suffered from severe insomnia and anxiety.

Chi Luoxi felt his scalp tingle at the “baby” and “sleeping pill” endearments. He was completely uncomfortable.

Could he reason with someone delirious from fever? He Angxiao had said earlier that he was being dramatic when sick, but He Angxiao was being pretty dramatic himself.

Chi Luoxi was tired too, standing by the bed. “Just for a little while. Go to sleep now.”

Then he took off his shoes, lay down on the outer edge of the bed, still clothed, as far from He Angxiao as possible, leaving a clear divide between them.

He Angxiao seemed very satisfied with this concession. Carefully, he scooted closer to Chi Luoxi until their arms, separated by fabric, lightly touched. Feeling the clean, warm scent of Chi Luoxi beside him, he let out a long, satisfied sigh and finally closed his eyes.

The exhaustion from the high fever and Chi Luoxi’s sedative-like presence seemed to work.

He Angxiao’s breathing gradually became steady and even.

His mouth finally stopped its nonsense.

Chi Luoxi was sleepy too. He had planned to sleep for just five minutes and then leave, but sleepiness washed over him like a tide, and he drifted off deeply.

When He Angxiao woke up, it was already dawn.

The rain had stopped at some point. Outside the window, the gray sky showed a pale, grudging sliver of sunlight—not warm, but at least brought light.

The air was still cold and crisp, carrying the sharp freshness of a mountain forest after rain.

He moved his body and felt much better than the night before. His head was no longer so dizzy and throbbing; the aches and fatigue had eased significantly. He reached up and touched his forehead—it was warm, but no longer burning.

The fever had broken.

He Angxiao turned his head to look beside him.

Chi Luoxi was lying next to him, fast asleep. He was on his side, facing He Angxiao, half his face buried in the pillow. His thick, long eyelashes cast a small fan-shaped shadow under his eyelids. His lips were slightly parted, revealing a tiny bit of white teeth. His cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow from deep sleep. He looked obedient and completely defenseless.

He Angxiao just stared at him for a long time.

The relief from the fever breaking and the infinite contentment of seeing Chi Luoxi’s sleeping face mingled together. It made all the trouble and misery of the journey, and last night’s suffering, worth it.

Chi Luoxi had slept well. When he opened his eyes, he found that He Angxiao had already gotten up. He felt a little hungry.

He walked into the main room but didn’t see He Angxiao.

Puzzled, he heard a suppressed, intermittent cough coming from the kitchen, along with an acrid smell of smoke.

Chi Luoxi quickly hurried to the kitchen doorway.

There was He Angxiao, squatting in front of the earthen stove, his back to him. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was holding a handful of dry firewood, trying to shove it into the firebox.

A few sticks inside were smoldering weakly, belching out thick clouds of smoke without any visible flame. Choking on the smoke, He Angxiao kept coughing while stubbornly adding more wood.

Chi Luoxi stood at the door, watching He Angxiao, who was coughing from the smoke. “What… are you doing?”

Hearing his voice, He Angxiao turned around. His face and hands were smudged with black ash. “…Making you breakfast. I saw you do it yesterday.”

Chi Luoxi walked over, took the firewood from He Angxiao’s hand, and took his place. First, he pulled out most of the firewood that had been stuffed in so tightly it only smoked and wouldn’t catch.

Then he picked up the fire tongs and carefully poked around among the remaining wood, creating space for air to circulate.

Chi Luoxi picked up some drier, thinner pine needles and dead leaves from a basket nearby, lit them with a match, and placed them in the hollowed-out space.

Bright orange flames cheerfully licked at the dry kindling, crackled softly. Chi Luoxi slowly added more dry pine branches, and the fire grew stronger, then he unhurriedly placed the logs on top.

Chi Luoxi patted the dust off his hands and stood up, a smug look on his face: "See? You have to hollow it out in the middle for the fire to catch. If you just stuff it in too tightly, it only smokes and won't light."

He Angxiao: "...Baby, you're amazing. You teach me, I'll pick it up quick."

In this world where Chi Luoxi had grown up, like a fish in water, He Angxiao was now a bit like the Chi Luoxi who had first arrived in Jiangzhou—clumsy and unfamiliar with everything, completely clueless about city rules.

But Chi Luoxi wasn't as annoyingly impatient as He Angxiao had been.

Wasn't this karma, with roles reversed?

Chi Luoxi was magnanimous: "It's fine, I'm a very kind person, I won't scold you. After all, everyone has a first time, and it's normal not to know. We mountain folks aren't like you city people."

He Angxiao listened to his deliberately affected tone and lowered his head in shame under Chi Luoxi's gaze.

Obviously, Chi Luoxi's words reminded him, with a sense of superiority, of his past self, back in Jiangzhou, facing the clumsy and clueless Chi Luoxi who was new to city life—that sense of superiority, mixed with a teasing attitude.

Now the roles were reversed.

In Chi Luoxi's home turf, this city man had become the clueless, incompetent fool.

"...You really are magnanimous." He Angxiao sincerely confessed, "I really was petty and full of myself before."

He admitted it so directly that Chi Luoxi just snorted a couple of times.

He thought He Angxiao would get defensive and keep arguing.

At that time, He Angxiao hadn't really meant to mock or tease Chi Luoxi—well, maybe just a little.

But mostly it was because Chi Luoxi was just so adorable, so cute that it was hard not to want to tease him.

He Angxiao admitted he was actually quite mean, with a mean streak deep down—he loved to mess with and tease, especially Chi Luoxi.

He knew that what he had done and said had caused Chi Luoxi real pain, and that couldn't be wiped out with just a sorry.

Chi Luoxi couldn't forgive him that easily either.

Him leaving was the worst punishment he could have. Chi Luoxi had left behind everything he had given him, untouched, at home, taking nothing with him.

Thinking about this made He Angxiao's heart ache again. He would rather Chi Luoxi had taken those things, sold them, blown it all—but he didn't want anything, and he didn't want him either.

He Angxiao's cough hadn't fully cleared up; he still coughed lowly from time to time, but compared to last night when he was half-dead, he was much better. The fever had broken, he had more energy, and having slept well, his strength had recovered.

He remembered the nonsense he'd babbled while feverish, and his face heated up again from embarrassment. So humiliating and so dramatic.

He Angxiao tried to salvage a bit of dignity, said lightly: "I was talking nonsense from the fever last night. Our family genetics are actually pretty long-lived—my great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather both lived into their eighties and nineties. My grandfather just liked to drink too much. I'm pretty healthy to begin with, so I won't die that easily."

Chi Luoxi was chopping vegetables and didn't look up: "Got it."

Breakfast was quickly made. Though simple, it was steaming hot and fragrant, especially inviting on this cold mountain morning.

He Angxiao had a better appetite than the night before; he ate a bowl of congee and a steamed bun with some vegetables.

After the meal, He Angxiao was still coughing softly.

Chi Luoxi looked outside. The rain had stopped, and though the sky was still gray, at least it wasn't raining anymore. The mountain path should be less muddy than yesterday.

"You're still coughing a bit. I'll get you some cough medicine." Chi Luoxi announced, "I need to go down the mountain anyway, to the town to buy a new phone."

He Angxiao's heart stirred. Chi Luoxi was going down the mountain.

He looked down at himself—the ridiculous white fleece pajama pants. He didn't even have a decent set of clothes to wear outside.

He Angxiao had never had to worry about what to wear when going out in his entire life. His walk-in closet was always full of the latest, best-fitting clothes and shoes. Money could solve almost every problem in his past world.

But here, in this remote, isolated mountain village, money seemed useless. Even with all the money still in his phone, He Angxiao couldn't conjure up a clean, warm set of clothes and shoes to wear out.

For the first time, He Angxiao felt so clearly what it meant to be in a world where money couldn't reach—like a modern person who had stumbled into a primitive tribe, armed with advanced tools and knowledge, yet unable to meet even the most basic needs.

He Angxiao said, "Can you buy me a set of clothes? Anything is fine, just something thick to wear outside. And a pair of shoes too—you know my size."

"And also buy yourself a new phone, okay? Use the money from my phone. I'm afraid if I buy one and bring it to you, you won't use it."

Chi Luoxi looked at the phone he handed over: "No need, I have money. I earned it myself."

Chi Luoxi changed into a pair of yellow rain boots, picked up a small bamboo basket hanging by the door, and slung it diagonally over his shoulder.

Once he was ready, with the basket containing an umbrella on his back, he also put on a white beanie.

This outfit was really country, a world away from the stylish, fashionable Chi Luoxi in the city.

But oddly enough, it didn't look bad on Chi Luoxi. The hat covered a small part of his face, adding a touch of country boy's freshness and a lazy, casual vibe.

He Angxiao stared at him, momentarily unable to look away.

Chi Luoxi didn't look at him. He pulled out his brick phone from his pocket, called Uncle A, and said to He Angxiao, "If you need anything, or if you feel unwell, call me."

To be honest, Chi Luoxi wasn't worried at all that He Angxiao would stay here long.

In Chi Luoxi's eyes, a spoiled city person like He Angxiao, used to urban luxury and convenience, could only last a few days in this poor mountain valley. Once the novelty wore off, unable to bear the isolation and hardship, he would naturally leave and slink back to his glittering world.

Chi Luoxi was actually looking forward to him leaving soon.

He Angxiao watched Chi Luoxi leave, then went back inside and cleaned his own shoes.

He Angxiao picked up his heavy hiking backpack and pulled out the heavy pro laptop. He plugged it in and pressed the power button.

The screen lit up, and the familiar interface appeared.

He Angxiao tried to connect to the internet. The signal flickered painfully between "No Service" and a weak one or two bars. Web pages loaded extremely slowly, often stalling or dropping down to 3G.

Chi Luoxi's house was tiny—the living room connected to two bedrooms and a kitchen; everything could be seen at a glance.

He Angxiao looked around, and his eyes landed on a small incense burner and a black-and-white photo frame on the cabinet in what was now Chi Luoxi's bedroom. The elderly man in the photo smiled kindly, with gentle eyes.

That was Chi Luoxi's grandfather.

He Angxiao walked in, picked up a thin, unused incense stick from next to the small incense burner.

Holding the incense, he bowed three times respectfully to the old man in the photo, his attitude more nervous and sincere than ever. Clearing his throat, he spoke in a tense but earnest voice: "Hello, Grandfather. I am He Angxiao. I am Chi Luoxi's boyfriend. We almost got married."

"I'm a man. I hope that doesn't bother you. I will treat Chi Luoxi well from now on. I will never bully him or let him suffer. My family is small—just me and my grandma. My parents don't control me; we barely talk. No one will ever make things difficult for Chi Luoxi or cause him any trouble, don't worry."

He Angxiao clasped his hands together and bowed to the photo: "Grandfather, May your spirit in heaven bless us, keep us happy and loving, and let us stay together forever."

After saying this, he bowed again, and then went to insert the incense stick into the burner.

But the incense, which had been burning brightly just a moment ago, had its glowing red tip go out without any warning.

He Angxiao: "…………"

An inexplicable chill ran down his spine.

Chi Luoxi's grandfather wasn't dissatisfied with him, was he?

He quickly picked up another incense stick and lit it: "Grandfather! Please don't be angry! Let me explain!"

"I know I'm a man, and I can't let Chi Luoxi marry, have children, and continue the family line like a normal person, but think about it, Grandfather: Chi Luoxi isn't an ordinary person either—he's a radish! If you wanted him to find a woman, would they produce another radish? That doesn't make scientific sense, and it doesn't follow species rules, right?"

"So gender really isn't the issue. What matters is that I'll treat Chi Luoxi well. I'll do everything I can to love him, protect him, take care of him, make him happy, and give him a good life. I swear it!"

He stared at Grandfather's photo with earnest eyes.

The incense in his hand rose in a straight line of blue smoke, and it didn't go out again.

It seemed Grandfather had listened? At least he wasn't openly opposing it anymore.

Grandfather actually disliked him for being a man!

Although he grudgingly accepted it in the end, the way Grandfather treated him differently still left He Angxiao feeling sour and upset.

He came from a good family, was handsome, and capable—when had he ever been rejected like this?

In his heart, He Angxiao still held reverence for the village where Chi Luoxi grew up. A place that could nurture a radish that came to life—could it be ordinary? There must be something special about it.

The time waiting for Chi Luoxi to return became exceptionally long.

The room was too quiet.

At first, He Angxiao tried to do some work on the laptop with its intermittent signal, but after loading for a long time, he simply gave up, turned off the computer, sat back on the bed, and stared out the window in a daze.

It was complete relaxation.

No phone, no emails—time seemed to lose its meaning here, becoming slow, a luxury to squander.

He had lived for nearly thirty years. From childhood to adulthood, he seemed always pushed and driven forward by all kinds of things: studies, career, responsibilities, desires... His nerves had never truly relaxed.

Even during those relatively leisurely times with Chi Luoxi, there was always a string taut in his heart.

But now, in this old mountain village house, cut off from all contact with the outside world, He Angxiao actually felt an unprecedented tranquility and relaxation seeping from the depths of his soul.

No need to think about anything, no need to manage anything—just wait.

Wait for that young man carrying a bamboo basket to return from that wet mountain path.

This pure, extreme sense of relaxation that came just from waiting for someone felt unfamiliar and novel to him.

As he waited, drowsiness crept over him.

He hadn't fully recovered from his illness, his body still somewhat weak. He Angxiao wrapped himself up in the blanket and unknowingly fell asleep again.

This sleep was exceptionally deep and sweet, dreamless, with only boundless dark, warm tranquility.

Soon after, He Angxiao woke up again.

Chi Luoxi came back humming a song, brimming with lively energy from his successful outing.

Now the basket was stuffed full, and Chi Luoxi's face bore a healthy flush from exertion: "I'm back!"

He Angxiao looked at him—so vivid and lively, as if he had brought the vitality of the whole mountainside back home—and felt that the emptiness in his chest from waiting was instantly filled.

Chi Luoxi put down the basket and began to take things out one by one.

First, he took out a brand-new smartphone box, wrapped in another layer of plastic bag. Chi Luoxi held it in his hands, fondly stroking the smooth packaging, before carefully setting it aside.

Next were food items: mung bean cakes and peach shortbread cookies wrapped in oil paper, several packs of candy, and two large bags of crispy scallion-flavored crackers—all Chi Luoxi's own favorites—plus some meat and ribs.

He Angxiao was sick, wasn't he? Chi Luoxi figured he needed to get some nutrition into him. After Grandfather passed away, his family hadn't raised chickens or ducks anymore. He could buy some eggs from Auntie Chun or the lady next door.

He Angxiao stood aside, watching his busy little figure, and asked: "Baby, did you buy me clothes?"

Chi Luoxi took out and arranged the food and meat, then reached into the bottom of the basket, saying: "Don't rush, they're at the bottom."

As he spoke, he pulled out a large, bulging white plastic bag. Opening it, he took out a neatly folded thick army-green military overcoat, a fleece-lined gray insulated pants, and finally a pair of black winter athletic shoes that looked very sturdy and durable.

Chi Luoxi shook open the military overcoat: "You're tall, so it'll definitely look good on you—windproof and warm. I wanted to buy one before, but I'm too small to wear it. Lucky you."

He Angxiao: "…………"

Chi Luoxi: "I also bought you several pairs of underwear and socks, all the brands you usually wear."

He Angxiao mechanically took the pile of clothes that looked very rustic but were thick and clearly warm, and hearing Chi Luoxi say they were the brands he usually wore, felt a slight warmth in his heart.

Chi Luoxi could even think of such details—he treated him so well.

Chi Luoxi had already nimbly pulled out two plastic bags and tossed them to He Angxiao.

He Angxiao opened them, looking with a complicated expression at the underwear with the CK logo and the socks with Adidas's three stripes: "...How much were these?"

Chi Luoxi said mysteriously: "The underwear was twenty yuan each, the socks ten yuan for three pairs. I know you're particular, so I specifically asked the boss if they were fake, and he said they were clearance stock from a closing counter. They should be no different from what you used to wear."

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

He Angxiao opened his mouth: "...Baby, you really know how to take care of a person."

Author's note: This He Angxiao is really lucky, even wearing big-name brands.

Our Little Luobei hasn't forgiven yet—it's a matter of principle. But he can't just ignore him either. Little Luobei is a very kind person, because He Angxiao was quite good to him before. After putting on this outfit, He Angxiao becomes a true daughter-in-law of Chi Family Village.