Chapter 49 Returning to the City

Chapter 49: Returning to the City

Up in the mountains, it had already snowed heavily a few times.

Thick, feathery snowflakes swirled and drifted all night long, until the next morning, when opening the door revealed a world of silver and white, silent and still.

The distant mountains, the nearby rooftops, the treetops, the field ridges—all were covered in a thick, fluffy layer of white snow.

He Angxiao grew up in the city. It wasn't like he'd never seen snow this heavy—Jiangzhou got snow too. But city snow fell among steel and concrete, traffic and crowds, quickly getting turned into dirty slush by car tires or piled up by snowplows along the curb.

Here, in this remote mountain hollow far from the noise, the snow was free and untouched.

It piled up thick on every surface it could land on, gently wrapping the whole world. Stepping on it, you could hear the crisp, soft crunch under your feet.

Even the air seemed to carry a sweet, icy freshness and the scent of dormant grass and trees.

He Angxiao thought it was amazing. Chi Luoxi rummaged through boxes and cabinets and found a thick, dark blue knitted beanie and a pair of gloves, and put them on him.

The two of them bundled up, held hands, and trudged through the deep snow toward the back mountain.

The mountain forest was silent, with barely a bird chirping—just the crunch of their boots on the snow.

Chi Luoxi led him to a sheltered little slope and stopped there. The slope was ordinary, completely hidden under the snow, so you couldn't tell its original shape.

Behind the slope, half-hidden by vines and snow, was the entrance to a small cave.

Chi Luoxi said proudly to He Angxiao, "This is where I took form. There were over a dozen radishes in our patch, but only I got the chance to transform. Pretty cool, right?"

He Angxiao looked where he was pointing.

It really was just an ordinary little slope—if Chi Luoxi hadn't pointed it out, he would never have given it a second look.

The cave behind the slope was dark and narrow, with a small entrance, even more hidden by the snow and withered vines.

The cave wasn't deep. In the faint light from the entrance, he could see a simple little shrine made of piled stones, with a dusty, peeling porcelain statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, inside.

It had probably been placed there many years ago, now long abandoned and left in desolation.

Yet it was this unremarkable little slope, this abandoned cave, this dusty statue, that had nurtured and witnessed the awakening of a little radish's hazy spiritual awareness, and its eventual transformation into a human.

A strange, fated feeling welled up in He Angxiao's heart.

He walked forward, bent his knees, and knelt in front of the little slope, his knees sinking into the soft snow.

Chi Luoxi was startled and rushed to pull him up. "What are you doing? Get up, the snow is cold!"

He Angxiao knelt in the snow, facing the slope and the cave behind it, his hands pressed together in front of his chest, his posture more upright and reverent than ever before. He said from the bottom of his heart, "Thank you for this gift from the heavens."

Thank you to this nameless wilderness, this chance encounter, all the unseen forces that somehow brought this about.

Thank them for letting this special little radish come into the world and end up by his side.

Otherwise, He Angxiao would probably have been a bachelor for the rest of his life.

Chi Luoxi stood beside him, stealthily bent down to scoop up a handful of snow, quickly shaped it into a ball in his palm, and aimed it at the back of He Angxiao's neck, exposed between his beanie and his collar.

"Trying to ambush me?"

He Angxiao had already opened his eyes, and from the snow beside him, he scooped up a handful and flung it at Chi Luoxi.

"He Angxiao! You jerk!" Chi Luoxi wiped off the snow, stomping his feet in anger, his eyes wide and round because his prank had failed.

He Angxiao had already stood up, brushed the snow off his knees, and, seeing his furious expression, burst out laughing. "Chi Luoxi, I was thanking heaven and earth for bringing you to me, and you tried to freeze me with a snowball?"

"Who told you to sneak up on me first!" Chi Luoxi refused to back down, bending down again to make a snowball for a counterattack.

But He Angxiao didn't give him the chance. He just dodged.

The two chased each other around. He Angxiao wrapped his arms around his waist, deliberately slipped, and tumbled with him into the thickest, smoothest patch of snow nearby.

They both fell into the deep snow, the soft flakes instantly burying them almost completely. He Angxiao was on the bottom, with Chi Luoxi in his arms, lying on top of him.

They lay on their backs in the snow, looking up at the gray-white sky, with a few scattered snowflakes still drifting down.

The snowflakes fell slowly, landing on their faces and melting instantly, bringing a cool, ticklish feeling.

Chi Luoxi said, "Honey, it's so beautiful."

He Angxiao replied, "Yeah."

The world was vast, the snowfield silent. In this pure white, there were only the two of them, nestled together.

The day they returned to Jiangzhou was a rare clear day.

The sun after the snow was cold and bright, shining on the still-unmelted snow, reflecting a dazzling light.

Chi Luoxi insisted on bringing all sorts of things—big bags and small packages.

There was smoked bacon and sausages that Chun Dama had cured for him, wrapped tightly in dried lotus leaves; sun-dried mushroom slices and black fungus from the village chief's family, fragrant and aromatic…

All sorts of things filled several large woven bags and sacks.

He Angxiao looked at the mountain of local specialties and felt his forehead twitch.

He tried to negotiate with Chi Luoxi: "Baby, we can just take a few representative items. So much—we won't be able to finish it, and it'll go bad."

Chi Luoxi counted on his fingers: "If we can't finish it, we can share it. Nana, Sister Riley, and Lawyer Hao—they've been working so hard with you. Let's bring them some things from our mountains to try."

He Angxiao reached out and pinched his cheek, amused. "Well, well, you're really getting into the role of the boss's wife, huh? Already thinking about how to win people over for me?"

Chi Luoxi's face reddened even more at the pinch. He swatted his hand away and mumbled, "Who's trying to win people over for you?"

In the end, all those local specialties were taken away. He Angxiao resigned himself to being a porter.

The car drove out of Chi's Village, along the newly paved asphalt road, heading to Wushan Town, and then from Wushan Town to a neighboring city that had an airport.

When they got to the airport and had to check in the luggage, the pile of local specialties indeed became a problem.

Overweight. Oversized.

He Angxiao was a platinum card holder with the airline, so he had access to the VIP channel and extra baggage allowance, but even that couldn't withstand Chi Luoxi's moving-style packing. In the end, he paid a hefty surcharge for the excess baggage to get it checked.

Chi Luoxi felt like he had caused trouble for He Angxiao.

He Angxiao said, "It's okay. As long as your husband can solve it, it's not trouble, got it?"

Chi Luoxi felt that He Angxiao looked incredibly handsome, in waves.

This was Chi Luoxi's first time flying. He was curious about everything at the airport—the huge glass curtain walls, the bustling crowds, all kinds of shops, and the boarding jet bridge.

Because of the excess baggage delay, they missed first class and had to rebook on the next available economy flight.

The economy-class seats were cramped, far from comfortable for someone with He Angxiao’s height and long legs.

As the plane took off, the powerful thrust and the feeling of weightlessness startled Chi Luoxi, who tightly gripped He Angxiao's hand.

Once the plane leveled off, Chi Luoxi's tension gradually eased, replaced by curiosity. He pressed his face against the small window, gazing at the cotton-candy-like sea of clouds outside.

A flight attendant pushed the drink cart down the aisle.

He Angxiao only asked for water, but ordered juice and snacks for Chi Luoxi. Chi Luoxi took them, sipping slowly while his eyes remained glued to the window.

When the plane finally reached a steady cruising altitude, the window showed an endless sea of clouds like giant cotton mountains, with sunlight painting the wings a dazzling gold.

Chi Luoxi finally calmed down from his initial excitement and nervousness. He turned his head to look at He Angxiao, who was resting with his eyes closed, and whispered, "Honey, I guess I'm the first radish ever to fly?"

He Angxiao opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him.

A mountain radish spirit had not only taken human form but also boarded this giant steel bird soaring ten thousand meters high, flying through the clouds alongside a human.

This was a groundbreaking first in the evolutionary history of radish spirits.

He Angxiao was amused by his peculiar sense of honor and said in a low voice, "This is nothing. Later, honey, I can send you to space to see the moon. Then you'll be the first radish in space."

Chi Luoxi's eyes widened even more: "Really? Honey, can you really send me to space?"

He Angxiao replied, "Yeah, once I earn a bit more money and grow the company a bit bigger."

Chi Luoxi was generally satisfied with this flight experience.

The flight attendant wore a pretty uniform, spoke softly, and had a sweet smile. Although the in-flight meal was simple, it tasted decent, with his favorite yogurt and small cake.

He Angxiao's embrace was warm, comfortable to lean on while sleeping; even if the seat was a bit narrow, squeezing together was actually kind of nice.

Overall, if he could rate it, Chi Luoxi silently gave this sky adventure a five-star review.

Points to deduct? None for now.

If he had to nitpick, the time was a bit short—he hadn't had enough of the clouds.

The plane landed. After picking up their annoying luggage, they walked out into the arrivals hall. The driver was already waiting at the door.

It was the same familiar driver—the one who, on the day He Angxiao had told him to pick up Chi Luoxi, accidentally drove Chi Luoxi, who had already packed his bags intending to run away, all the way to the high-speed rail station, which indirectly led to He Angxiao’s later thousand-mile chase to win him back.

When the driver saw He Angxiao and Chi Luoxi walking side by side, especially when he saw Chi Luoxi, his expression instantly turned a bit complicated, with obvious respect and a hint of guilt.

He hurried over: "Mr. He, Mr. Chi, you must be tired from the trip. Happy New Year, Happy New Year!"

That day, He Angxiao only told him to pick someone up and bring them to the estate, without specifying what it was about. His tone was the same as usual when picking people up. How could he have known that the boss was planning to propose, and he had sent the surprise straight onto a high-speed train heading away from Jiangzhou?

If this were ancient times, it would probably be a grave military blunder.

When the driver later learned the truth, he didn't sleep well for days, feeling he had ruined his boss’s big plan.

As the old saying goes, it's better to tear down a temple than to break up a marriage.

Chi Luoxi remembered this driver uncle. The last time he took him to the station, he was also very friendly and enthusiastic. He replied warmly, "Uncle, Happy New Year! Don't you get time off for the New Year? You had to come pick us up; thanks for going out of your way."

The driver was originally from Jiangzhou, his home right in the city. He took time out specifically after receiving the call from He Angxiao needing the car. Partly because He Angxiao paid him well, and partly because he wanted to make up for his earlier mistake and do a good job this time.

He Angxiao imposed a strict confidentiality order on everyone in the know, forbidding anyone from mentioning to Chi Luoxi that he had collapsed and been hospitalized the previous time Chi Luoxi left.

He was determined to become a stable, healthy, and reliable man.

The first thing He Angxiao did upon returning to Jiangzhou was visit his usual private styling studio to have his hair, which had grown a bit too long and unruly in the mountains, trimmed and styled.

Every strand was now in its proper place.

Then, He Angxiao changed into a flawlessly pressed black cashmere overcoat, a perfectly fitted dark gray cashmere sweater, and a pair of handmade leather shoes polished to a mirror shine.

The aura that had been absent for so long radiated from He Angxiao as he stepped back into the world.

Chi Luoxi watched this transformation with a hint of nostalgia, fondly recalling the version of He Angxiao from the mountains—which Chi Luoxi called the 'kind' version.

Now, with his hair immaculately slicked back, his coat crisp, his expression aloof, and his eyes sharp and penetrating, he looked every inch the cold-hearted, scheming capitalist villain from a TV drama.

Chi Luoxi also got a haircut.

In the mountains, it had been inconvenient to trim, so his hair had grown long, his bangs nearly covered his eyes. The stylist simply trimmed the length a bit and thinned it out, making his hair look fresher and fluffier, accentuating his clean, delicate features and making him appear both well-behaved and spirited.

Once they were both ready, they took some carefully selected New Year treats from the village and went to visit Grandma He to wish her a Happy New Year.

As the car pulled into the courtyard, Chi Luoxi immediately spotted Lailai, wearing a festive red padded jacket with a golden bow tied around her neck, sitting by the door with her tongue out.

“Lailai!” Chi Luoxi crouched down.

Lailai bounded over, nuzzling his hand affectionately and circling his legs, letting out joyful whines.

Grandma He and A Meng had already prepared the meal. A Meng had no husband or kids; over the years, she had stayed by Grandma He’s side, more like family than hired help.

Her face broke into a wide smile when she saw He Angxiao and Chi Luoxi, and she hurried to invite them inside.

Grandma He, wearing a dark red Chinese-style cardigan, with her silver hair neatly combed, looked in good health. As she sat on the living room sofa, her eyes softened when she saw Chi Luoxi, and she beckoned him over.

“Grandma, Happy New Year! Wishing you good health and all the best!” Chi Luoxi said sweetly.

“Good, good. Your being here makes me happy.”

Grandma He produced two red envelopes that she had prepared earlier. She handed one to He Angxiao first. “Angxiao, another year older. May everything go smoothly.”

He Angxiao accepted it with a respectful thank-you.

Then Grandma He took out the other envelope, noticeably thicker than the one she had given He Angxiao, and placed it in Chi Luoxi’s hands. “Xiao Chi, this is from Grandma. It’s your first time celebrating the New Year here at home. Consider it for good luck. Don’t be shy.”

Chi Luoxi held the thick stack and looked at He Angxiao.

He Angxiao nodded, signaling him to accept it.

Only then did Chi Luoxi, cheeks flushed, murmur, “Thank you, Grandma.”

For dinner, they would have dumplings. A Meng had kneaded the dough and prepared the filling. Chi Luoxi volunteered to roll out the dumpling wrappers.

The dough obeyed his hands perfectly, thin and even. Even A Meng praised his skill.

When wrapping the dumplings, Grandma He specially washed a few coins and hid them inside several dumplings, saying with a smile, “Let’s see who’s lucky enough to find the lucky coin. May the coming year bring prosperity and peace.”

Chi Luoxi ate eagerly. After only a few dumplings, he bit into something hard.

As for He Angxiao, he ate slowly and methodically, finishing most of the dumplings on his plate without finding a single coin.

Chi Luoxi looked at the three coins in front of him, then at He Angxiao’s empty plate, blinked, and put a dumpling from his bowl onto He Angxiao’s plate.

He Angxiao did indeed get a coin in his.

After He Angxiao returned to Jiangzhou, his parents sent a perfunctory greeting.

He Angxiao’s father divorced his mother and quickly started a new family, with a new wife.

That afternoon, the sunlight was lovely.

Chi Luoxi was free, so he went with A Meng to the nearby supermarket to buy some daily necessities and fresh ingredients. When they came back, Chi Luoxi saw an unfamiliar black car parked at the gate.

A Meng glanced at the license plate, frowned slightly, and said softly to Chi Luoxi, "It’s Mr. He’s father, here to see the old lady."

Chi Luoxi looked up at the second floor of the villa.

As A Meng parked the car, she said, "He’s been here before, even brought his new wife. Grandma was so angry she didn’t let him in, yelled at him right in the yard. You have no idea—when Mr. He was a child, those two were both ruthless. Once, Mr. He was sick with a high fever, and the babysitter called them. One said he was in a meeting, the other said she was busy. They passed it off to each other, and in the end, Grandma rushed back home. Since then, she completely cut ties with them, only acknowledged Mr. He as her grandson."

Chi Luoxi felt both sad and confused: "But He Angxiao is their child—they gave birth to him, brought him into this world. Why would they treat him like this?"

His grandfather found him as a child; his grandfather wasn’t his biological grandfather, but he gave him unconditional love.

He couldn’t understand how biological parents could be so cold and even heartless toward their own child.

A Meng shook her head and sighed: "Sometimes, that’s how people are. When hearts grow cold and feelings fade, when a husband and wife can’t stand each other, they see their child, who shares both their blood, as a burden. All they see is their new life and new love, and their hearts harden and become cruel."

"But Mr. He is a good boy. I’ve watched him grow up to where he is now. It hasn’t been easy. He’s ambitious, filial to Grandma, but it’s just that he was unlucky in family ties."

Chi Luoxi got out of the car holding a kumquat tree.

He looked up at the second floor.

He Angxiao stood by the window, hands in his trouser pockets, standing quietly, lost in thought.

Hearing the car below, He Angxiao looked down.

When his eyes caught Chi Luoxi holding the kumquat tree and looking up at him, the somewhat vacant expression on his face melted like thin ice under sunlight, disappearing without a trace.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile, and he waved at Chi Luoxi.

In that instant, Chi Luoxi felt that He Angxiao seemed to light up.

It wasn’t the sun.

Chi Luoxi held the potted kumquat tree laden with golden fruits. The winter sunlight fell on him and on the little gold oranges in his arms, painting a warm glow on his fair cheeks and soft hair.

He seemed to radiate sunlight.

Chi Luoxi waved back vigorously at He Angxiao, the leaves and fruit of the kumquat tree shaking. A Meng laughed, saying, "Stop shaking it, or the fruit will fall off."

Chi Luoxi and A Meng carried the things inside.

Just as they reached the door, they almost collided with someone coming out.

It was He Angxiao’s father.

He looked to be in his fifties, well-preserved, dressed elegantly, his features somewhat similar to He Angxiao’s, but with the worldly experience of middle age and a certain aloof seriousness in his brow.

Beside him was a woman, much younger, wearing a tailored red cashmere coat, with delicate makeup and high heels. But her face clearly showed displeasure, her lips pressed tight, her eyes blazing with impatience and anger.

His father was coaxing her in a low voice, his tone placating. The woman wasn’t having it; she shook off his hand and clicked her heels briskly toward the door, passing Chi Luoxi and A Meng without even a glance.

His father followed right behind, nodding to A Meng and Chi Luoxi as a greeting, then hurried after the woman.

The black car soon drove away, disappearing beyond the courtyard gate.

Sure enough, at dinner, Grandma He’s face was gloomier than usual, and she spoke less. She kept heaping food onto both their plates but ate very little herself.

Before bed that night, Chi Luoxi took a shower, put on his soft pajamas, and climbed into bed. He Angxiao was leaning against the headboard, holding a financial magazine, but his eyes weren’t focused on the pages; he seemed distracted.

Chi Luoxi snuggled under the covers, snuggled up to him, looked up at He Angxiao’s soft silhouette in the dim light of the bedside lamp.

He suddenly reached out and touched He Angxiao’s chin.

He Angxiao snapped out of it, looked down at him, his gaze softening: "What’s wrong?"

Chi Luoxi looked at him and said, "He Angxiao, I don’t have a mom or dad. My grandfather found me and raised me, so I don’t know what it’s like to have parents."

He Angxiao was startled, not knowing why he brought this up.

Chi Luoxi continued firmly, "He Angxiao, you’re a child worth loving. You’re smart, capable, good-looking. You must have been especially smart and cute as a child, a very, very good child. No matter what your parents think, that’s the truth."

Listening to his artless comfort, the gloom from that afternoon’s unpleasant visit instantly vanished.

He Angxiao pulled Chi Luoxi into his arms: "My dad is about to have a new child. That’s why my grandmother was angry today."

"Actually, in the past, I would have felt pretty bad about it. I would have wondered if I was really that unworthy, that they couldn’t wait to start a new life even before the divorce was final."

"But now I suddenly feel it doesn’t matter. They live their new life, with their new family and new child. I live mine—with my grandmother, with you, with my own career and people I care about. We’ve long been on completely different paths. Why should I torment myself with their choices and happiness?"

"But Chi Luoxi, even though I’ve come to that realization, I still feel a bit uncomfortable. Will you comfort me? I want you to say something sweet."

Chi Luoxi wanted to comfort He Angxiao, but he was terrible with words. He stammered quietly.

"Don’t worry... Even if they have a new kid... they won’t be better than you. Your dad will find out soon enough—the new kid definitely can’t compare to you."

He Angxiao deliberately asked, "Why? How do you know? What if it’s a genius? Smarter than me?"

Chi Luoxi said seriously, "Because... your dad is old now. He’s definitely not as healthy as when he had you. The new kid won’t be as smart, as good-looking, or as capable as you."

He Angxiao looked at Chi Luoxi’s earnest face—his "I’m being totally sincere" look—and finally couldn’t hold back his laughter. A real, full laugh that shook his shoulders.

"You're something else..." He Angxiao laughed so hard he was out of breath. "Defending me like this? You even came up with that reason?"

Chi Luoxi felt a bit embarrassed by his laughter and buried his face in He Angxiao’s chest, flustered and embarrassed: "...You’re just a jerk! I never talk bad about people, but for you I did... and you’re laughing at me!"

He Angxiao stopped laughing and said seriously, "Alright, no more laughing. Let’s sleep."

But when the covers were pulled up, Chi Luoxi could feel He Angxiao still snickering under the covers, making it shake.

Chi Luoxi: “......”

Author’s note: Little Radish: So infuriating, He Angxiao.

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President He: From this moment on, I’ll be a man of emotional stability.

Little Radish holding a kumquat tree is so cute. President He wants to die from cuteness again.