Chapter 45 Baby, Help Me, Please

Chapter 45: Baby, Won't You Help Me?

Chi Luoxi rarely got all literary, pairing it with a stylish line for his Moments post.

Likes and comments flooded in. Bai Man and her city friends were the most excited, their replies flying in fast.

— Oh my god! A carrot-shaped diamond ring! So adorable!

— Damn, how many carats is that? Custom-made? Boss He really went all out.

A flood of congratulations, envy, and snarky comments all came at once.

Chi Luoxi scrolled through them one by one, couldn't help secretly rereading the comments that said the ring was pretty.

But that joy was cut short by an unexpected call.

The call was from Chun Sheng.

Oh no, he forgot to block Brother Chunsheng.

Chun Sheng knew they'd broken up and Chi Luoxi had run back to the village. He didn't know He Angxiao had followed. Chun Sheng always thought He Angxiao, that rich city slicker, had bullied his simple, naive little brother, and he had a terrible impression of him.

Chun Sheng had obviously seen that Moments post too.

As soon as the call connected, he barked, "What's up with that ring on your Moments? Didn't you tell me you broke up with that He Angxiao ages ago? Said you'd never see him again? How'd he show up in the village?"

Chi Luoxi was caught off guard by the barrage of questions, nearly dropping his phone.

He stammered, "...Brother Chunsheng, we did break up, but he knows he was wrong and he's really changed. And he gave me this ring."

"...The diamond in the middle is about as big as a fingernail."

Chun Sheng was silent for a few seconds on the other end, then said: "Chi Luoxi, are you stupid? That's all sweet talk! It's poison to corrupt your will! What kind of person is He Angxiao? He's built a huge business in the city, has more tricks up his sleeve than you've had hot dinners. He throws a few crumbs your way and you're totally lost?"

A ring's just an expensive rock, and Chi Luoxi's already won over again, losing all his principles and backbone.

Chi Luoxi clutched his phone, mumbling under his breath.

What Brother Chunsheng said kind of had a point? But He Angxiao's recent behavior really was different from before.

Chun Sheng heard him go quiet and got even angrier.

He hung up and called Chun Dama, who was still in the village. Over the phone, Chun Dama praised He Angxiao to the skies.

"Oh, Chunsheng, you have no idea, Boss He is so nice! Not an ounce of arrogance! Smiles at everyone, even helped me carry a few bags of fertilizer."

"That road he built is so smooth and straight. It'll be so convenient for us to get to town now!"

"And the way he treats Xiao Xi! He's so good to him! Boss He is really genuine!"

Chun Sheng thought, great, even his own mom's been corrupted.

He hung up, his heart feeling cold. It seemed the whole village, from the chief to the villagers—except for him—had all been won over. Only he was still holding the line, clear-eyed, seeing through the ugly truth hidden under that capitalist's fake mask.

Clutching his phone, no, he couldn't just stand by and watch Chi Luoxi walk into a trap. As soon as this tight-deadline project was done, he'd ask for leave and head back to the village.

That day, the village chief strolled over to Chi Luoxi's house, hands behind his back. He Angxiao was there too.

The chief cleared his throat and said to Chi Luoxi, "Xiao Xi, the grass on your grandpa's grave has grown wild this year, almost covering the headstone. You and I should go cut it, tidy things up, let the old man have some peace before the New Year."

Chi Luoxi nodded: "Sure, Chief, let's go now."

"I'll come too," He Angxiao said, appearing out of nowhere. "I should pay my respects at Grandpa Chi's grave. He's Luoxi's grandpa, so he's my grandpa too."

The chief: "…"

The corner of his mouth twitched.

If it were before he'd seen that shocking scene, he would've thought Boss He was a truly loyal guy, caring so much about his brother's grandpa—a real stand-up man.

But now, looking at He Angxiao's handsome, sincere face, and remembering those two figures standing so close on the back mountain, lips touching, the chief felt a mix of emotions, his old face flushing with shame.

Chi Luoxi nodded: "Okay, let's go together."

The chief's original plan was to use the grave-clearing as an excuse to get Chi Luoxi alone, ask him what was really going on with He Angxiao, and reason with him to see if he could steer the misguided kid straight.

But with He Angxiao insisting on tagging along, how was he supposed to get him alone?

So that afternoon, the three of them set off—the chief leading, Chi Luoxi and He Angxiao a few steps behind—heading toward the Chi family ancestral burial ground on the back mountain.

The whole way, the chief felt like he had eyes in the back of his head. No, it was more like his ears were extra sharp.

Without even turning around, just from the footsteps and the occasional low muttering and soft laughter, he knew those two behind him were up to no good!

He Angxiao's hands were never still for long.

One moment he'd brush against Chi Luoxi's hand, then smoothly take it, his fingers tickling the palm. Chi Luoxi seemed to try to pull away, but couldn't, so he just let him hold on.

A moment later, He Angxiao leaned in to whisper something in Chi Luoxi's ear; the tips of Chi Luoxi's ears turned red, and he raised a hand to hit him, but He Angxiao just pinched his ear.

The chief walked ahead, occasionally glancing back, then quickened his pace, wishing he could grow wings and fly away, or instantly go blind and deaf so he wouldn't see or hear anything.

He Angxiao sighed: "…The chief walks fast, really spry for his age."

The village chief hadn't slept well the night before, plagued by dreams.

In his dream, Chi Luoxi's long-dead, somewhat stubborn old grandfather, leaning on a cane, glared at him, his bushy eyebrows bristling, yelling: "You old bastard! I entrusted my grandson to your care, and this is how you look after him? Huh? My grandson was a fine young man, liked girls! And you—what did you add to the family register? Give me back my grandson! Give me back the grandson who liked girls, dammit!"

In the dream, the chief was speechless and guilt-ridden.

When he woke up, he sat on the bed mulling it over, staring at the dim dawn light outside the window. He thought of Chi Luoxi, who'd always been fairer and more delicate than the other village boys, even prettier than many girls, and his confidence shrank even more.

Maybe Xiao Xi was never into girls in the first place? Who could blame the kid? It wasn't entirely his fault for agreeing to add He Angxiao's name to the family register, was it?

When they reached Grandpa Chi's grave, it was indeed overgrown with weeds, almost covering the low headstone.

The chief took out the sickle he'd brought and got ready to work.

Chi Luoxi also rolled up his sleeves, crouched down, and was about to help, when the shiny carrot-shaped ring on his hand caught a dazzling ray of sun.

The chief's eyes were dazzled. He squinted—good heavens, a rock that big on his hand, how was he supposed to work? Frowning, he pointed at Chi Luoxi's hand: "Xiao Xi, you're working. What's that thing on your hand?"

Chi Luoxi pulled his hand back. He really liked the ring and didn't want to take it off, but he was just about to.

"It's fine, Chief, I'll handle it," He Angxiao stepped forward immediately, then smiled at the chief. "I'll take care of this kind of work. He can just hang out."

With that, he rolled up his sleeves, grabbed the sickle, and though his movements weren't particularly skilled, he had the right attitude and worked vigorously, cutting down the waist-high weeds around the grave.

Chi Luoxi stood to the side and said to He Angxiao: "Hey… He, keep it up."

He was about to call him "honey" out of habit, but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered the village head was still nearby and forced himself to swallow the word "honey."

Village Head: "......"

He watched He Angxiao huffing and puffing as he cut the grass there, while Chi Luoxi stood by, casually bossing him around in that familiar tone—it was just hard to watch.

The village head felt his chest tighten. He silently turned around, facing Grandpa Chi’s tombstone, thinking to himself: Old Chi, look at this precious grandson of yours... well, children have their own blessings; I can't interfere anymore!

After working silently for a while, the village head cleared his throat and said to Chi Luoxi, "Xiao Xi, you’re fast on your feet. Go home and get some water."

Chi Luoxi nodded: "Sure, I’ll go get it right away."

He brushed the grass clippings off his hands, then turned and jogged off toward the village.

Once Chi Luoxi’s figure had completely disappeared, the village head slowly straightened up, propping his sickle on the ground, and fixed his gaze on He Angxiao: "Little He..."

He Angxiao turned to face the village head, his demeanor respectful: "Yes, Village Head."

When Chi Luoxi came running back with the water bottle, he thought the atmosphere felt strange.

Chi Luoxi: "Here’s the water."

He Angxiao reached out to take the bottle: "Thanks for running so fast."

The village head accepted the cup of water, tilted his head back, gulped down a large mouthful, then wiped his mouth and said, "Something came up at home, I need to go check it out. There’s not much grass left—you two young men should finish up. Remember to pile the cut grass aside to dry, don’t leave it heaped on the grave."

With that, he gave He Angxiao one last meaningful look, without waiting for a reply, turned around with his sickle, and walked slowly back along the path.

Chi Luoxi immediately sidled up next to He Angxiao, tugged at his sleeve, lowered his voice, and asked anxiously, "Honey, what did the village head tell you? I felt the atmosphere was off."

He Angxiao: "The village head knows about us."

Chi Luoxi’s eyes widened: "Huh? Is the village head really that perceptive? How could he tell?"

He thought their secret was just between the two of them, but even the village head had managed to figure it out. Then he grew anxious and grabbed He Angxiao’s arm: "He didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?"

He Angxiao: "No, don’t worry. With your hubby here taking care of it, the village head is already half won over."

Chi Luoxi looked at him with suspicion.

He knew how persuasive He Angxiao could be—he could sell ice to an Eskimo: "Honey, please don’t say crazy things to the village head. I still have to live in this village, you know."

He Angxiao said earnestly, "Don’t worry, baby. What we talked about was very adult—the village head is a sensible man, and we communicated smoothly."

Chi Luoxi thought that sounded pretty reassuring.

The village head was indeed a respected elder in their village, a man whose word was law, and He Angxiao came across as steady and reliable to outsiders.

In reality, the village head had tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping until dawn.

He thought long and hard, replaying everything he had seen and heard over the past few days—He Angxiao’s actions, Chi Luoxi’s reactions, and that scene at the back mountain—over and over in his mind.

Finally, he had to admit a rather frustrating, helpless truth: he really couldn’t seem to break them apart.

Forget about what kind of person He Angxiao was for a moment; the fact that he’d built a long-desired asphalt road for the village as soon as he arrived was a real blessing to the whole community.

Which villager didn’t give him a thumbs-up? Could he, as village head, turn a blind eye to that kindness, ignore that debt of gratitude, and force himself to be the villain who splits them up?

Besides, anyone with eyes could see He Angxiao was serious about Chi Luoxi.

He might be an elder, but he wasn’t Chi Luoxi’s blood relative. After Grandpa Chi passed away, he looked after the boy more out of a sense of community duty. And Chi Luoxi—he’d watched him grow up; the kid seemed soft on the outside, but he was stubborn to the core, and once he set his mind on something, not even a team of horses could change his mind.

Grandpa Chi used to sigh all the time, saying his grandson looked gentle but was actually tough and headstrong.

On one side, He Angxiao had done a great service to the whole village and seemed genuinely attached to Chi Luoxi; on the other, there was his worry as an elder for the younger generation’s future happiness. The scales just wouldn’t balance no matter how he tilted them.

The village head realized he’d been outmaneuvered by He Angxiao from the very beginning.

This guy never needed his approval or opposition.

So the real story behind that "adult conversation" was actually this—

The village head leaned on his sickle, looked at He Angxiao, and got straight to the point: "Little He, I know about you and Little Xi."

He Angxiao was caught off guard: "Oh... this... Village Head, I..."

The village head waved his hand: "You young people’s affairs—I’m an old man, I don’t really understand, and I don’t want to meddle. But I’ll tell you this: if you dare to treat Little Xi badly, if you make him suffer even a little, or make him shed a single tear, it won’t just be the Chi Family Village that won’t let it slide—Little Xi himself will be the first to hold you accountable."

He Angxiao: "...Why would you say that, Village Head?"

He’d expected the village head to bring up family background, money, and those worldly gaps, not this.

So the village head began recounting Chi Luoxi’s glorious history.

Starting with when he was eight years old and the village was slaughtering the New Year pig. The pig broke free and ran wild through the village; even the adults couldn’t control it for a moment. But Little Chi Luoxi, that little tyke, somehow got incredible courage, timed his chance, leaped forward, and latched onto the pig’s hind legs, eventually pinning the pig down.

Then when he was ten, a thief from town sneaked into the village to steal something and bumped into Chi Luoxi.

The thief, seeing it was just a kid, bolted. Chi Luoxi grabbed a fire poker by the door and chased after him. The thief ran out of the village and into the mountains, thinking he could lose the kid. But Chi Luoxi knew those mountains like the back of his hand and stubbornly chased him over three mountains.

In the end, the thief collapsed on the ground begging for mercy; the villagers and later the police caught him red-handed. Chi Luoxi even received a commendation from the town police station for that.

The village head narrated these stories vividly, his intention being to intimidate He Angxiao with these heroic deeds—to show that Chi Luoxi, though soft-looking, had a backbone and would fight back when pushed too far; he wasn’t someone to be messed with, and He Angxiao had better treat him right.

He Angxiao listened with great interest, the smile on his lips growing wider. So Little Chi had been that fierce and hot-headed since childhood, that lovable goof.

In the end, the village head made He Angxiao swear a solemn oath at Grandpa Chi’s grave. He made him promise before Grandpa Chi’s tombstone that he would treat Chi Luoxi well for the rest of his life and never betray him.

He Angxiao stood ramrod straight, all traces of his usual playfulness gone, his expression solemn and serious as never before. He gazed at the plain tombstone they had cleared, as if he could see through it the old man he’d never met, who raised Chi Luoxi.

He raised his right hand: "Grandpa Chi above, I, He Angxiao, hereby swear that I will be devoted to Chi Luoxi with all my heart, and will never betray him. If I break this oath, may I lose everything I have."

He said "lose everything I have" — for He Angxiao, a self-made man who valued his career and wealth immensely, that was about the harshest curse he could imagine.

When Chi Luoxi heard He Angxiao’s casual retelling of this part, he panicked: "Hubby! How could you swear such a terrible oath? Our family's future depends on you earning the money! At my current pace, I think I’ll be lucky to find a proper job by the time I’m thirty."

He Angxiao: "...Don’t worry, your hubby can support you even when you’re sixty."

That day at the grave, the village head had told He Angxiao more than just that—there was a deeper, heartfelt speech.

That part, He Angxiao chose to keep to himself, not telling Chi Luoxi.

Some heavy things didn't need to burden him as well.

After finishing his warnings, the village head fell silent for a long time.

He looked at Grandpa Chi’s plain tombstone, then at the distant, rolling mountains that had nurtured the Chi Family Village for generations. His gaze grew distant and complex.

When he spoke again, his voice had dropped significantly.

"Old Chi's grandson..." The village chief chose his words carefully, speaking with some subtlety. "Everyone knows he didn't come easy, and he doesn't look like him either."

"When he was brought back, he was already three or four years old." The village chief continued. "Back then, Old Chi had lost his son and daughter-in-law and was all alone. Suddenly, he brought back a child. We were all startled at first, worried he might have gone crazy missing his grandson, stolen him from someone, or bought him from a trafficker. He swore to me he couldn't do such a despicable thing. He quietly told me he found him. I secretly inquired for a long time, in the nearby villages and towns, but no one had reported a missing child. Only then did I believe it; it was probably an abandoned baby."

"He was a decrepit old man, barely surviving himself. How could he know how to care for a child? At first, he just carried him, on his back, even for farm work, even for gathering firewood in the mountains. The child didn't cry or fuss, so quiet it was almost eerie. Xiao Xi developed very slowly. He couldn't even speak at four or five, and he had a vacant stare. We privately said the kid might be slow. Probably, that's why his parents heartlessly abandoned him."

"But Old Chi refused to believe it. He taught him word by word, tirelessly, facing a child who didn't respond to him. Just a few simple words, he repeated them over and over, hundreds of times a day. By the time Xiao Xi was six, he finally stuttered out his first 'Grandpa.' Old Chi was overjoyed that day, carrying Xiao Xi around the village, telling everyone he met: 'My grandson can call me Grandpa! He's not stupid.'"

"Two more years passed. At eight, Xiao Xi began to write his own name crookedly, his handwriting was like chicken scratch. But Old Chi treasured it, squatting beside him, laughing so hard he cried."

The village chief's voice choked up as he said this.

He took a deep breath, turned his head, and fixed a piercing gaze on He Angxiao. That look no longer had the softness of recalling the past, only the solemnity of an elder.

"Xiao He, I'm telling you this not to make you pity him. I want you to know—don't think that because Xiao Xi has no parents and only a long-gone old grandpa, he's alone and easy to bully, rootless. Old Chi is gone, but we're still here. The whole village is his family, his roots."

"Before he passed, Old Chi was so sick he couldn't get out of bed, but he still forced himself to visit nearly every household in the village, one by one, entrusting them: 'My little Xi, in the future, please look after him more. That child is sincere. Don't let anyone bully him.' An old man about to die, doing all this for his grandson... a grandparent's love is just like that."

He Angxiao stood there, listening quietly. A wave of hot, bittersweet emotion washed over him.

He had always known that Chi Luoxi was raised by his grandfather, that the bond between them was deep, but he had never imagined the story behind it—a stubborn, lonely old man giving boundless love, relying on each other in a remote mountain village, in the clumsiest yet most resilient way, to create a miracle called home.

And only He Angxiao and the late Grandpa Chi knew the truth was perhaps stranger. Chi Luoxi wasn't an abandoned baby. He was a Radish Spirit that had stumbled into vaguely taking human form.

His slowness and silence were because he was new to human form and didn't yet understand human language. It was Grandpa Chi's day-by-day, year-by-year patience, care, and teaching—like sunlight and rain on this special little radish—that truly nurtured him into the Chi Luoxi of today, who laughs and makes noise.

It wasn't that Grandpa found a child; it was that Grandpa grew this child with unconditional love.

He Angxiao was shaken to his core.

Looking at the simple tombstone, he could almost see the hunched old man tirelessly talking to a silent little child.

So ordinary, yet so great.

He Angxiao said, "Village Chief, rest assured, I will never let him down. Not in this lifetime."

The road was finally finished.

A straight, new asphalt road lay quietly among the green mountains like a black ribbon, gleaming in the sunlight. He Angxiao had finally bought a water heater.

This was a huge celebration for Chi Family Village. The whole village decided to make it lively and hold a simple road-thanking feast, also to thank He Angxiao.

The feast was set in Chun Dama's courtyard.

Her yard was the biggest, enough for several tables. The dishes were contributed by every household—chicken, duck, fish, meat, mountain delicacies and wild vegetables—piled high on the tables.

The wine was homemade rice wine from the village, fragrant and had a strong kick.

From respected elders to sturdy men, to half-grown boys, everyone came with wine bowls to toast He Angxiao.

He accepted every toast, a proper smile on his face, speaking gracefully, making everyone feel respected. He had a good tolerance for alcohol, but he couldn't withstand this wave after wave of enthusiasm. By the end, his eyes were clearly getting unfocused.

Chi Luoxi didn't sit at He Angxiao's table. He always sat at the kids' table.

He Angxiao was truly drunk. In the end, he was helped back to Chi Luoxi's little courtyard.

Once inside, with the door closed, Chi Luoxi quickly wrung out a hot towel to wipe his face. As he approached, He Angxiao, who had been lying on the bed, his eyes hazy from drink, suddenly opened his eyes. Though still a bit tipsy, they were much clearer.

He grabbed Chi Luoxi's wrist holding the towel, pulled him onto his lap, wrapped his arms around his waist, buried his face in Chi Luoxi's neck, took a deep breath of his scent, and then laughed in a muffled voice: "Baby... I did a good job pretending, didn't I?"

Chi Luoxi was stunned, then it dawned on him that He Angxiao wasn't drunk to the point of unconsciousness.

Chi Luoxi: "And here I was worried about you. Wash your own face. You stink of alcohol!"

But He Angxiao didn't let go. Instead, he tightened his arms, holding him closer. He lifted his head, his lips brushing Chi Luoxi's earlobe, his breath hot, carrying the sweet smell of wine, his voice low, in a whiny, shameless tone: "Baby... I think I've been poisoned again..."

He Angxiao had been through a lot since going up the mountain.

He had been bitten by some unknown poisonous bug, breaking out in a rash that itched for days. He had been bitten by a snake. At first, he blamed it all on Chi Luoxi, claiming he had told the mountain bugs to bully him.

Chi Luoxi was speechless and feeling horribly wronged.

Chi Luoxi asked irritably: "...Where were you bitten this time?"

He Angxiao took Chi Luoxi's hand, but instead of leading it to his arm or leg, he pulled it downward, guiding it to a place no bug should ever bite.

It was indeed swollen, and not small.

Chi Luoxi: "...."

He tried to pull his hand back, but He Angxiao held it tight, immovable.

He pressed his hot lips to Chi Luoxi's burning ear, his breath scorching, completely shameless: "This place is really swollen, baby. Be kind... help me the same way you helped me on the mountain that day—sucking out the snake venom, okay?"

"Please..." He Angxiao rubbed against him, his voice full of longing and torment: "...Your husband really feels awful."

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Author's note: Next chapter will briefly cover the detox process.

President He finally gets to take a bite of that radish.