Rong Xu still came around noon, looking at the smiling person in front of him. It wasn’t until later that he realized Chi Han was planning to settle down here.
Chi Han moved a chair to let Rong Xu in, casually securing the wheelchair for him.
“Tomorrow is your birthday, and it’s Saturday. Shall we celebrate outside, or…”
Chi Han still hid behind the book, though the conversation seemed ordinary, it looked like they were discussing something confidential.
But it wasn’t Chi Han’s fault. It could only be said that his teachers were particularly strict when he was in school, and the head teacher liked to eavesdrop at the back door. It wasn’t even allowed to exchange whispers during class.
So, Chi Han developed a habit of using a book to cover his face whenever he spoke during class.
Rong Xu didn’t know why he felt itchy seeing Chi Han’s mysterious appearance. He subconsciously rubbed his fingertips on the armrest and lowered his voice towards the left: “At home.”
He originally wanted to suggest going to a restaurant outside, but somehow the words changed at the tip of his tongue.
Thinking about his cold and quiet home, Rong Xu pursed his lips, somewhat regretting his slip of the tongue.
Who would want to go to such a boring place?
He remembered that every time there was a birthday in the Rong family, they would invite a large group of people, making a ruckus for a whole day and night.
Does Chi Han also like such birthday parties?
Rong Xu’s eyes darkened as he looked at Chi Han, and the light inside them sank again.
Chi Han didn’t notice the change in Rong Xu’s gaze. He waited for the answer, then nodded excitedly: “Staying at home is good. Do you need me to bring anything?”
“Oh, right… Are there other people tomorrow? Should I…”
“No one,” Rong Xu quickly interrupted, his eyelashes drooping. “Only you.”
Chi Han paused as if nothing had happened and nodded with a natural smile. “So, all the food tomorrow is mine. No one will compete with me. Not bad, not bad.”
Rong Xu didn’t expect Chi Han to say that. He thought the other would show a surprised or sympathetic look.
But regardless of which, he didn’t want to see it on Chi Han’s face.
Rong Xu watched Chi Han, who didn’t even touch his notes and was planning how to spend tomorrow, and for the first time, he felt a bit excited about his birthday.
The originally detestable day seemed to have gained a bit of warmth.
Rong Xu slowly raised his hand to his lips and realized that he was probably smiling.
***
At noon, as soon as the class ended, people in the classroom rushed out like evacuating.
Chi Han packed up and prepared to go to the cafeteria. Although he was now well-off, spending hundreds of dollars on lunch was unnecessary.
A regular restaurant’s meal was enough.
“Dong.”
The moment Chi Han stood up, there was a three-layer insulated lunch box on his desk. The outside of the lunch box was even carefully wrapped in plastic wrap.
Chi Han looked to the side at Rong Xu, who was retracting his hand. Various emotions surged in his heart for a moment.
He thought that what he said yesterday was just a joke to Rong Xu, but he didn’t expect the other to take it so seriously.
Rong Xu looked at Chi Han, who stared at him without moving for a long time, feeling a bit uneasy, and lowered his head. “Eat.”
Chi Han’s heart trembled, he sat back in his seat, peeled off the plastic wrap, and opened the lid. The first layer of the lunch box was filled with braised potatoes and rice.
He continued to uncover it. The second layer revealed two plump chicken thighs and various cut fruits.
The third layer held a bowl of chicken soup.
The fragrance, accompanied by steam, rose upwards, and Chi Han’s eyes were slightly heated by the aroma.
Rong Xu held a pen, and his slightly long hair gently swayed with his movements. Seeing Chi Han hesitating to eat, he felt a bit uneasy.
“Don’t you like it?”
A muffled voice sounded, and Chi Han turned his face and fell into those ink-black eyes.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll bring something else next time.”
Chi Han looked at the stubbornness deep in those eyes and a hint of undisguised unease, and he smiled brightly.
Silly.
Being so good to others, what if he was deceived?
Chi Han picked up the chopsticks and blinked. His eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles.
“I really like it! How did you know I love braised potatoes with meat!”
Rong Xu breathed a small sigh of relief, and the corners of his lips slightly curved.
Fortunately, he liked it.
“By the way, Rong Xu, what are you having for lunch? Why don’t we eat together? I haven’t touched anything here.”
Chi Han took out a pair of new chopsticks from his bag and handed them to Rong Xu, also bringing a bottle of milk that was left unopened from yesterday.
Rong Xu shook his head and whispered, “I had a late breakfast. You go ahead and eat.”
He pushed the bottle of milk back, and his dark pupils stared at Chi Han, like ink that couldn’t disperse.
“This was bought for you.”
All for you.
Chi Han held the bottle of milk, and his heart thudded heavily.
…Damn, what is this feeling of being electrified?!
Well, no wonder he’s the future villain who will captivate thousands of noble girls. Is he already so good at flirting?
Chi Han silently opened the milk and took two sips, feeling a sense of having a grown-up son at home.
***
Dinner ended under the butler’s resentful gaze. Chi Han glanced guiltily at the dining table.
There were even fewer dishes moved on the table than yesterday.
“Um… Uncle Wu, put the remaining dishes in the fridge. I’ll eat them when I wake up tomorrow morning.”
The butler sighed, immersed in the sadness of his declining culinary skills, unable to extricate himself.
Chi Han coughed awkwardly, not knowing how to address this situation.
Is my desk mate recently feeding me?
Why is he feeding me?
Because I act poor and genuinely don’t like the cafeteria food?
Chi Han closed his eyes. He didn’t want another person to bring him lunch in the afternoon.
Next time, I should ask the butler to make fewer dishes.
Close to nine o’clock, Chi Han, dressed in casual attire, arrived at the International Grand Hotel. The tenth floor here was the venue for the Jade Art Exhibition.
After taking the elevator up, as soon as he entered, what greeted him was a dazzling and magnificent array of lights.
Countless jade treasures were placed in glass containers of various shapes, and numerous lights reflected their beauty in every detail.
Chi Han took a deep breath, somewhat shocked. It seemed like he had only attended a few such large exhibitions before.
At a glance, there were jades of various qualities.
Chicken oil yellow, ice type, bean green, red mineral…
Even the extremely precious blood jade was present!
Chi Han swallowed, eagerly starting to examine each one from the beginning.
***
Compared to Mr. Rong’s birthday banquet, this exhibition seemed much more casual. Everyone was dressed casually, holding the promotional flyers given at the entrance.
“Brother Qing, is that person Chi Han? The one who was mentioned in the box last time, the one that Fang Jingluo likes?” A guy leaned over and looked for a while, then turned to the guy next to him with dyed yellow hair, trying to please him.
Li Qing, dragged here by his family from the bar tonight, already had an unpleasant complexion. Upon hearing the name “Chi Han,” his face became even more unsightly.
“Chi Han? What’s that useless thing doing here? Damn, I haven’t settled the score with him from last time!” Li Qing’s anger surged as he remembered being challenged by Chi Han in front of everyone that night.
His eyes turned, and as he looked at Chi Han, who was alone. A strange smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
“Hey, go check if he came alone tonight. I want to give him a big surprise!”
A few minutes later, the guy came back from the first floor and nodded at Li Qing, “Brother Qing, he came alone!”
Li Qing laughed sinisterly, malice filling his eyes, “Find someone to lure him to the warehouse on this floor. I can’t let him off easily.”
…
Tonight’s jade exhibition featured a total of 120 items, ranging from earrings to ornaments, covering a wide array.
Many carvings were unfamiliar to Chi Han.
Looking at the collection prices, it made people dizzy with all the zeros.
Chi Han stood next to a coral jade statue, and a slight suspicion flashed in his heart as he observed the man who claimed to be in charge of the exhibition.
Could that buyer really have recognized him?
It seemed unlikely… he only revealed his hands!
“Someone is waiting for me?” Chi Han asked.
The man in a white shirt revealed a professional smile, gesturing for Chi Han to follow him.
Chi Han scrutinized him and asked, “Who wants to see me?”
The man’s eyes flickered slightly, and he calmly said, “I can’t reveal his identity. The boss just instructed me to bring you over.”
Chi Han felt a bit skeptical. Could it really be that person?
After a moment’s thought, Chi Han nodded and walked with the man.
Li Qing, standing in the corner, saw Chi Han being led away, and his eyes became even more malicious.
As Chi Han walked further, he felt that something was off. A wealthy buyer would surely book a private room to wait for him, wouldn’t they?
Why is the place getting darker as I walk?
Chi Han stopped in his tracks and turned to walk back.
Something wasn’t right; he was probably deceived!
Just as he turned the corner, a bucket of water came pouring down on him, catching Chi Han off guard and soaking him from head to toe.
The water, as if frozen, dripped incessantly from his hair and collar. The corridor’s cold air cut through his body like a knife.
“Li… Qing…”
Chi Han shivered slightly, his voice icy.
Li Qing tossed aside the water bucket, lifted his chin, and grinned, “How’s that? Enjoying yourself?”
He gestured with his eyes to his sidekick and the hired man to grab Chi Han.
He couldn’t believe that three people couldn’t handle one Chi Han!
But Li Qing never expected that the hired man would casually shrug and say, “Sorry, little brother. The money you gave me was only enough to bring him here. The rest is up to you.”
Li Qing stared in disbelief at the man leaving gracefully, too furious to find words.
“You… you…!”
Chi Han brushed his soaked hair back, his fists clenched tightly.
He smiled ominously at Li Qing, “Come on, let me give you a taste of it too.”
Soon after, the corridor echoed with pig-like screams.
***
Fifteen minutes later, Chi Han kicked both of them into the cold storage room, locking the door behind them.
Originally, these two had planned to lock Chi Han, soaked as he was, in the cold storage for a few hours. Their intentions were downright vicious.
Chi Han chuckled coldly.
Have fun in there yourself!
After calling the butler, Chi Han hurriedly took the elevator down. The soaked clothes clinging to him attracted numerous glances along the way, but Chi Han didn’t have the time to care about what they were thinking now.
He felt like he was about to freeze to death if he didn’t change his clothes.
The refrigeration air conditioner at the cold storage door was no joke.
However, despite Chi Han’s haste, he ended up running a fever by the time he reached home.
Before passing out from the fever, Chi Han had only one thought in his mind.
Oh no… I hope I can still make it to Rong Xu’s birthday tomorrow.
***
In the private room, Fang Jingluo lifted his lips, listening to the man reporting the recent events. He sipped his champagne and smiled, “So, Chi Han is now soaking wet and locked in the cold storage by Li Qing?”
The man nodded respectfully, showing none of the cunning he had just displayed in front of Li Qing.
“Yes, Young Master. Everything went as you arranged. I watched Chi Han get splashed with cold water before coming back. I guess that kid is probably scared now. It’s perfect for you to go over now. I’ll bring Li Qing here. People should face the consequences when they make mistakes.”
Fang Jingluo smiled satisfactorily.
During this time, he had been busy finding a jade designer, and as soon as he had some free time, Chi Han practically delivered himself into Fang Jingluo’s hands.
Thinking that those eyes, so similar to Xu Ting’s, might look at him with tears and gratitude after being rescued from Li Qing’s punishment, a hidden corner of Fang Jingluo’s heart felt quite relieved.
“Let’s go and rescue that little sparrow.”
A few minutes later, the cold storage door opened slowly.
As Fang Jingluo expected, the moment the door opened, a pair of eyes, glistening with tears, looked towards him. Right after, a slender figure rushed into his arms, shouting with gratitude, “Brother Fang! My dear brother! From now on, whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do it!”
Fang Jingluo clenched his teeth in anger, his eyes filled with coldness.
“…Zhang Jin, throw him back in!”
