Chapter 148: This is the only family that is completely his.
Huo Niansheng said, “Why don’t we go buy a farm?”
Chen Wengang asked, “What farm? What are we buying a farm for?”
Huo Niansheng leaned sideways against the backrest, using his knee to nudge Chen Wengang’s knee, acting in all seriousness: “Didn’t you say the child is big now and hard to manage? Let’s buy a farm with a meadow, and then buy a hundred sheep to be its little companions, so it can grow up happily and boundlessly free.”
Chen Wengang laughed heartily, leaning against his shoulder. Taking a glance out the window, Harley was still dutifully squatting at the kitchen doorway.
There was this one time they were walking the dog and reached a vast stretch of reed beds by the river. A family from somewhere had somehow raised a little sheep, which was leisurely lowering its head to graze. Filled with curiosity, Harley circled around to sniff it, sniffing on and on without end, as if some herding instinct had been triggered, and followed it straight out for half a mile. By the time Huo Niansheng carried it back, it didn’t struggle, but its round, bead-like eyes remained longingly glued to that sheep, looking utterly pitiful.
Chen Wengang flipped over, lying back down on the bed.
Huo Niansheng stood up, changed into a set of loungewear, and leaned next to him, comfortably slumping his body over.
Each looked at their own phones. With Chen Wengang resting against Huo Niansheng’s body, his phone vibrated once, receiving a message from the head secretary. Regarding the matter of those few employees gossiping in the workplace at the Huo Group subsidiary last time, she said a reminder had already been issued, but she felt Huo Niansheng had still caught wind of something to some extent—or could at least guess something. This boss of theirs appeared careless on the surface, but was actually exceptionally meticulous; with the major and minor affairs within the company, any attempt to hoodwink him usually ended in failure. She wanted to ask if Director Huo had said anything at home.
Chen Wengang turned his face to glance at Huo Niansheng, replying to her that he hadn’t, telling her not to worry about it and to just head home after work.
A fluffy toy rabbit on the headboard suddenly tumbled head-down, landing squarely on Huo Niansheng’s face. Just as Huo Niansheng was about to take it off, Chen Wengang suddenly held it down, the rabbit’s four short legs splayed across his face, covering Huo Niansheng’s line of sight. The big boss, whom the head secretary described as being full of calculating thoughts from head to toe, didn’t lose his temper at all: “What’s wrong?”
Chen Wengang let out a laugh.
With his eyes closed, Huo Niansheng asked, “What on earth is going on?”
The rich aroma coming from the window grew stronger. Chen Wengang gave his lips a quick kiss, then got up to check the soup in the kitchen. Harley was still squatting at the kitchen doorway; its owner had taught it that it couldn’t enter, so on regular days it never crossed that boundary by even a single step.
After a moment, Huo Niansheng followed him over. Expertly heating up the oil in the wok, he stir-fried a small dish of green vegetables and tossed a plate of lotus root slices. Before bringing them to the living room, he picked up a slice with chopsticks and fed it into Chen Wengang’s mouth. The lotus root slice was crisp and sour—essentially an effect Chen Wengang could never replicate. One had to select nine-hole field lotus roots, wash away the lotus root starch, slice them evenly, blanch them in hot water, soak them in cold water, and submerge them in white vinegar for a while. Chen Wengang sometimes couldn’t wrap his head around it; Huo Niansheng wasn’t a professional chef like Lu Chenglong, so where on earth did he pick up so much expertise?
Then again, Huo Niansheng possessed an incredibly discerning palate, which Chen Wengang had witnessed with his own eyes—sometimes when they visited famous restaurants to try out signature dishes by renowned chefs, Huo Niansheng could list out the seasonings inside after just a single taste. Fortunately, his redeeming quality was that he wasn’t picky at all; whether it was an open-air street stall or back at home, he would eat Chen Wengang’s cooking, whose quality fluctuated wildly, without any fuss or putting on airs.
While the two were eating at the dining table, Huo Niansheng suddenly asked, “Are we going to the yacht club next weekend?”
“Did someone invite you?”
“Miss Li Hongqiong is hosting, inviting a few foreign clients.”
Without even thinking, Chen Wengang directly said yes, picking up another slice of lotus root.
Sipping his soup, Huo Niansheng suddenly brought up: “Actually, I think that place is quite nice. Why don’t we hold our wedding there next time?”
Chen Wengang’s hand paused, and he looked at him with a smile: “No way, did that paparazzi finally buy you over?”
Huo Niansheng said, “The credit can’t be attributed to him; I figured it out myself. It’s a wedding after all, who would complain about having it too many times?”
Chen Wengang held his bowl, sipping his soup slowly, mouthful by mouthful. The bowl obscured his expression, but as he gazed at Huo Niansheng, his eyes crinkled into beautiful crescents.
Once they finished eating, Huo Niansheng cleared the dishes and placed them into the dishwasher. While Chen Wengang was wiping the table in the living room, the ground in the courtyard suddenly became sparsely wet, and within less than half a minute, rain began falling from the sky. As the pattering sound echoed, Harley, who had been digging holes in the flowerbed outside, ran back into the house under the curtain of rain along with Huo Niansheng.
Leaning against the doorframe, Huo Niansheng urged Chen Wengang: “Well, what do you say?”
Squatting down to wipe Harley’s paws, Chen Wengang laughed, “Is Young Master Huo really this eager to marry me?”
Huo Niansheng squatted beside him, extending his hand to shake paws with Harley: “Because you’re good-looking?”
Chen Wengang let go of the paw, raising his eyebrows at him. He looked into Huo Niansheng’s eyes without saying a word, but the expression on his face was lively, carrying a half-smile whose meaning was self-evident. Harley lowered its head, enthusiastically licking Chen Wengang’s fingers.
Huo Niansheng offered a lazy smile: “What, I didn’t lie to you. Even back when you had a bit of a scar, you were still quite good-looking.”
With his eyes cast down, Chen Wengang pulled out another pet wet wipe: “Then you must be a bit blind.”
Huo Niansheng squinted at him and thought for a moment: “Then let me rephrase it—how about having a good figure?” He poked Chen Wengang’s lower back. Chen Wengang shook his head with a smile, ignoring him as he held Harley and went to the sofa to watch television. He pressed the remote control twice, and the evening news suddenly skipped to an animated program, causing Harley to bark happily. Understanding its intent, Chen Wengang stayed on this channel for it to watch, casually picking up a professional textbook from the coffee table.
His profile while reading was always exceptionally serene, carrying a beauty that brooked no disruption. When Huo Niansheng said he looked good even with a scar, it was entirely heartfelt; sometimes when Chen Wengang was reading in the study and he stood outside, he wouldn’t even know whether he should step inside.
Huo Niansheng quietly leaned against the doorframe, gazing at the falling threads of rain. The rain grew heavier, showing no sign of stopping; it seemed there would be no need to walk the dog tonight. He withdrew his gaze. Opposite him was an old-fashioned chest of drawers, upon which sat ceramic ornaments, flanked by Harley’s fish oil and calcium liquid.
Roughly any property under Huo Niansheng’s name was more luxurious than the Chen family’s old residence, and any place capable of housing him would have plenty of people to walk the dog for him. Yet he was solely passionate about marrying into the Chen family, living in their house, requiring no servants, and doing everything with his own hands, attending to matters personally. However, Huo Niansheng didn’t consider it a hardship; he was actually a lucky and self-aware person. He had enjoyed excellent resources since childhood, and correspondingly, never proactively wished to have it both ways—demanding both a complete set of parents to enjoy the warmth of family affection, and the treatment of a wealthy young master. He possessed the capital to play through life and had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, yet it amounted to nothing more than that. So he was naturally passionate about marrying Chen Wengang; this was the only family member who belonged completely to him. It was something he had found himself, and once grasped, he had no intention of letting go.
Chen Wengang lifted his head to glance at him: “What are you standing there for?”
Huo Niansheng smiled and said, “Contemplating life.”
Chen Wengang also laughed: “I’ll give you ten yuan. Is that enough to tell me?”
Huo Niansheng smiled, “It’s too profound; ten yuan isn’t enough.”
Chen Wengang let out a snort, handing the remote control to him: “Then once you’re done contemplating, the TV is yours to watch.”
Harley immediately whipped its head around, its gaze burning. Huo Niansheng laughed, “Alright, alright, let me contemplate for a bit longer.”
To attract investment, the Li Group had invited foreign brands to conduct an inspection. Some executives of the inspection team brought along their families, so Miss Li invited friends to keep them company, booking the entire venue of the yacht club. By the next weekend, Chen Wengang and Huo Niansheng headed there together.
Facing the immense beach, blue sky, and white clouds, Harley went wild with joy, letting out a series of howling barks toward the sea as it dashed about in high spirits. Harley possessed a sort of cross-border popularity; several young foreign gentlemen enthusiastically played fetch with it on the beach, tossing branches.
The crowd laughed and bantered, returning after thoroughly enjoying themselves. Miss Li Hongqiong walked over with a smile, introducing both sides to each other. Dressed respectably, Chen Wengang extended his hand with a smile. Huo Niansheng draped an arm around his shoulder as several friends joked with them.
In the evening, Li Hongqiong hosted a bonfire party on the beach, setting up four or five wire grills and preparing several massive platters of ingredients for a BBQ. Everyone personally joined in. Chen Wengang stood to one side, brushing sauce and honey onto chicken wings, preparing the food items. Someone was fooling around and bumped into him forcefully; caught off guard, he had a smudge of grease rubbed onto his clothes. That person merely slanted a glance at him, without uttering a single word of apology, before continuing to laugh and chat with his friends.
As it turned out, Li Hongqiong happened to witness this: “Zhang Mingxian, what are you doing? Are you looking for trouble?”
Only then did that young scion named Zhang Mingxian offer a highly insincere apology, and Chen Wengang said nothing. With Huo Niansheng’s social circle, he would participate whenever he could; capable of both presenting himself gracefully in public and working in the kitchen, he accompanied Huo Niansheng to make public appearances, attending cocktail parties, evening banquets, and social engagements. He was familiar with these occasions and knew how to behave with propriety, yet there was a disparity in social standing between the two of them, so ultimately there were always people who felt he had married above his station—an unavoidable mindset. Taken to a slightly more extreme point, like last time, they viewed theirs as a kept relationship, requiring no special respect toward him.
After a while, Huo Niansheng returned from walking the dog on the beach, turning on the tap to wash his hands. Li Hongqiong nudged him with her elbow, saying a few words—likely filing a complaint on Chen Wengang’s behalf. Huo Niansheng raised his eyebrows. Just as the skewers on the wire mesh were mostly done and people began eating one after another, a sudden pop echoed; it turned out he had shaken open a bottle of champagne. Zhang Mingxian was sprayed dead-on by the champagne. Supporting his chin, Huo Niansheng laughed: “A slip of the hand, a slip of the hand. My apologies.”
Young Master Zhang offered a couple of awkward laughs, not daring to flare up, and ran back soaking wet to change his clothes.
Chen Wengang was caught between tears and laughter: “Aren’t the two of you childish?”
Huo Niansheng sat back beside him: “Alright, childish it is.”
Li Hongqiong chuckled, “Oh, don’t worry, everyone can take a joke.”
The bonfire party didn’t draw to a close until midnight, and the crowd returned to their respective rooms as the plaza gradually fell silent. Li Hongqiong leaned against the railing, holding a slender lady’s cigarette between her fingers as she puffed out clouds of smoke. As Chen Wengang passed by, she suddenly called out to him.
A trace of a smile surfaced on her face: “That German Shepherd of yours is quite nice.”
Chen Wengang smiled, “Yes, sometimes it’s even a bit more mature than Niansheng.”
Li Hongqiong burst out laughing. Once she finished laughing, she took a puff of her cigarette, sizing Chen Wengang up: “People always say raising a pet can change an owner’s personality. It seems there’s some truth to that; with this dog, you’re much more lively than before, which is great.”
Chen Wengang also leaned against the railing: “Was I too gloomy in the past?”
Li Hongqiong stared at the glowing tip of her cigarette: “Not exactly, just too introverted, and your whole being looked a bit sickly. Unhealthy. I’m praising you here, keep it up.”
Chen Wengang offered a slight smile: “Thank you, Sister Hongqiong.”
Li Hongqiong said, “Remember how I used to advise you that integrating into Old Huo’s circle wasn’t that simple? Looking back over these years, it seems what I said wasn’t entirely accurate. Since the two of you are genuinely good together, whenever people say a little something on occasions like this, don’t take it to heart either.”
