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Chapter 105: I hope the shelf life of marriage is longer.
To facilitate follow-up visits with the family doctor, they moved back to Yunding Tower for a while.
Originally, the apartment only had housekeeping personnel arranged by the property management to come regularly. Huo Niansheng hired a live-in nanny to take care of Chen Wengang. The idle nanny room was put to use for the first time. On the day they arrived home, the nanny boiled water with pomelo leaves, and Chen Wengang, half-laughing, put his hands in to wash them.
If it weren’t for his stopping, Huo Niansheng might have taken a photo on the spot to send to Zheng Yucheng as a show of defiance.
Of course, he didn’t send it, but he did take the photo with his phone.
Huo Niansheng had already thought it through: “We should have a family photo wall in the future.”
The TV was on, and the host and experts were still discussing the phenomenon of social bullying: “This kind of bullying and oppression caused by power imbalances between people not only exists in schools, but also appears in every specific community, such as the workplace, and even prisons…”
Following the sound, Chen Wengang instinctively turned his head to take a look.
Suddenly, Huo Niansheng turned his head back: “No thinking allowed—right now, what were you just thinking?”
Chen Wengang paused, honestly facing him: “I was just thinking about what this professor was saying, the bullying issue.”
Huo Niansheng scrutinized him for a moment, then let go: “Did this happen when you were in school?”
Chen Wengang’s mood actually turned somewhat somber: “Not when I was in school, but I’ve seen it.”
While speaking, the two of them sat on the sofa, and Chen Wengang naturally leaned into Huo Niansheng’s arms: “Using cigarette butts to burn, beatings, insults, sexual abuse… The expert is right, this is a serious social problem and should be taken seriously and addressed.”
Huo Niansheng let him lean on his arm: “Where did you see it?”
Chen Wengang’s eyes were fixed on the screen, and he said, “I forgot.”
Huo Niansheng seemed to be just casually asking, adjusted his posture, and didn’t continue to press for details.
But in his heart, he didn’t believe it—having seen it, how could he forget? Given Chen Wengang’s temperament, how could he not have stopped it?
Unless it had happened to him personally.
Chen Wengang lay in his arms for a while, sometimes listening to the heated debate on TV, sometimes thinking about past events.
He gently poked Huo Niansheng now and then, a small gesture he made when he had something on his mind.
When Huo Niansheng looked down again, Chen Wengang had changed his position in his arms, now lying face down.
“Actually, if you ask me,” Chen Wengang suddenly spoke, “instead of just holding some exhibitions and printing a few magazines, your family’s foundation should consider using this opportunity to make some efforts in this area. I know a charity organization that provides legal aid for victims of bullying.”
Huo Niansheng patted his back: “Sure, when we get back, grab Huo Zhenfei and bring it up with him.”
Chen Wengang looked up and met his eyes: “I’m joking. I already understand, I’m afraid he doesn’t have the authority either.”
The nanny was an excellent cook, especially good at making rich, slow-cooked soups. During his recovery, with nothing else to do, Chen Wengang learned to cook from her at home.
She was a diligent middle-aged woman, a bit chatty, and liked to talk about endless trivial family matters. In less than a week, Chen Wengang had become well-versed in the majority of her relatives back home. The nanny would also be occasionally startled by little things, and with her around, the house never seemed quiet. Her voice alone could fill the spacious, echoing apartment.
Except when Huo Niansheng came home.
The nanny was somewhat apprehensive of this employer; whenever he arrived, she would quickly finish what she was doing and quietly retreat to the nanny’s room. Because of this, Chen Wengang would tease Huo Niansheng, saying he should reflect on why innocent women and children were afraid of him, just like Jiang Cai before.
Huo Niansheng laughed it off, but it did remind him of something.
A couple of days later, Jiang Cai took leave from her boarding school to visit Chen Wengang.
Since she was already there, she didn’t mention that she had been ordered to take leave. Instead, she expressed concern and care, acting particularly conscientious.
One day, the doorbell rang outside, and the nanny got startled again, nervously running to tell Chen Wengang that a fierce-looking bald man was at the door.
Chen Wengang opened the video doorbell and saw Kang Ming with his signature bald head, saying he was there to follow orders.
When he went out again, Kang Ming resumed following him everywhere or directly driving him.
Chen Wengang felt it was unnecessary, but during this time, Huo Niansheng was being somewhat overprotective, not allowing him to go out without an escort. He had to either obediently accept being confined at home to recuperate or negotiate a compromise. In the end, they settled for the latter, temporarily.
Every day was more or less the same—spending the morning reading a book, the afternoon buying ingredients and cooking a meal, and in the evening, waiting for Huo Niansheng to come back and eat together. That was how the day passed.
Speaking of which, the attendance system of the Huo Foundation was indeed lax. Chen Wengang had been absent from work for so long, only notifying Fang Qin that he needed sick leave, and no one had urged him to return to work.
Fang Qin did come to visit him with her son, Huo Yuxiang.
The little boy brought a brand-new model to give to Chen Wengang, but it was actually for himself. He had used his parents’ money to buy what he wanted and then had Chen Wengang play with him.
His mother jokingly scolded, “He never behaves like this with me or his dad.”
Chen Wengang also smiled, “Kids are naturally more relaxed in front of others. You and his dad are his parents, so you must discipline him more strictly.”
Fang Qin asked, “Do you like children? What about you and Niansheng in the future?”
Chen Wengang calmly replied, “We won’t have children. You see, he’s not someone who can be a father.”
After the mother and son left, only Chen Wengang was left in the apartment. The nanny had gone out to buy groceries, and Huo Niansheng hadn’t come home yet.
He went to the study and turned on the computer, as usual, browsing through the daily financial news, his expression turning serious.
The media coverage of the aftermath of the engagement banquet accident involving the Zheng and He families had come to an end—
The investigation report on the Zheng family’s boat collision incident didn’t reveal any major issues. There were certainly some management oversights, but corrective measures had been taken at the time. The group itself should compensate where necessary and face appropriate penalties, having already accepted corresponding responsibilities. Now, the unwillingness of the assailant to let the matter rest was driven by personal grievances. Although the family tragedy was lamentable, their actions had already crossed into criminal territory and awaited judgment by the court.
Instead, the He family had been caught up in a larger wave of public opinion.
Not only was the scandal of He Wanxin’s bullying widely publicized, but also some of He Jiajun’s past unsavory incidents were dug up.
Although still within the manageable range for the He family, the engagement between two powerful families had turned out like this. Discussing any favorable news now would just be a smokescreen; Zheng Bingyi was likely to be plagued by headaches over this matter.
After the engagement banquet, He Wanxin had not appeared in public places. Most likely, she had been hidden away by her own family, ordered not to show her face.
When Huo Niansheng came back, Chen Wengang had already turned off the computer and was cooking soup.
He didn’t specifically search or inquire about whether Zheng Yucheng was still going to marry.
As the soup pot boiled with steam, Huo Niansheng walked over and casually asked, “When is your class reunion? Is it coming up soon?”
Chen Wengang was stunned for a while before he remembered what he was referring to—the last time he ran into Cheng Bo and was forcibly invited to attend.
Cheng Bo also remembered this incident and had recently reminded him a few times. Chen Wengang chuckled, “Do I still need to go when I’m like this?”
Huo Niansheng hugged his waist, “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings. I’m curious about the bridesmaid he wants to introduce to you.”
In the end, he went—Chen Wengang was bored at home, and Huo Niansheng was worried about someone trying to seduce him into infidelity, so he insisted on going to see for himself. When they arrived at the gathering, most of the faces were already unfamiliar, and Chen Wengang saw the girl Cheng Bo intended to introduce. However, he showed up in plain clothes, just a regular long-sleeved shirt and jeans, with his hair all messy.
Cheng Bo felt embarrassed to show him off, but it wasn’t good to say anything since he had hit his head. “Remember to dress up nicely next time.”
Chen Wengang suppressed a smile and said, “Sure.”
The alumni reunion, after many years since graduation, was nothing more than a large-scale show-off event—showing off jobs, income, partners, and children… Chen Wengang introduced Huo Niansheng as his friend, and when others asked about his car and house, he evaded the questions, typically in such situations, not directly answering meant there was none.
He spent the whole evening being a green leaf for others, and in the end, Cheng Bo lost interest, and it all ended there.
However, this did remind Chen Wengang of something.
After returning home, he went through a thorough inventory and disposal of his personal assets.
Zheng Bingyi had completed the transfer of the villa he gave to him. Some people said he was lucky, which couldn’t be denied in some sense. Many people, like his uncle Chen Zeng, might struggle their whole lives and still not be able to afford such a villa. Yet, he received all of this just because he had been Zheng Bingyi’s adopted son for over ten years.
However, he couldn’t live there. Chen Wengang found a real estate agent and put the villa on the market.
He was a self-aware person. When wealth accumulates, it often leads to loss. If heaven granted him things too easily, then he needed to give some away.
In the past, when he was a student, he had done some sporadic charity activities, such as helping students in mountainous areas. He mainly used pocket money and the lucky money he received during festivals, donating some when he was well-off. But now, Chen Wengang’s financial situation was different— the market value of the villa reached tens of millions, and when he received this money, along with the annual dividends from his shares, he could already be considered a wealthy person, albeit in disguise.
Investing fixed assets to preserve value and using interest for charity was a more sustainable approach.
Huo Niansheng knew about these matters and brought in a broker to help manage his assets.
Now, rumors had spread among their friends that he spoiled his partner at home, giving them everything they wanted and never saying no. This time, Huo Niansheng’s incompetence was even worse: “I know some friends and investment institutions. When you graduate, you can establish a foundation for yourself. You can decide what field you want to work in, and you’ll have the final say.”
It sounded like a tall tale, and Chen Wengang’s heart skipped a beat, feeling incredibly complex, a mix of emotions.
He joked, “The Huo Foundation belongs to your family. What would you call your own?”
Huo Niansheng was lying with him on a bed, not noticing his expression. “Take your time to think. You can call it whatever you want.”
It wasn’t until his hair had grown back that Chen Wengang returned to work at the Huo Foundation. Before going back to work, Zheng Baoqiu accompanied him to the mall to get his hair done.
It had actually been two months by this time. If you were to say his injuries had long since healed, Chen Wengang had mostly been loafing around at home, taking care of his own affairs. His hair hadn’t been cut throughout this time. The shaved area had grown new hair, while the rest had grown too long, resulting in an uneven length.
The stylist was skilled and managed to restore some layers to his hair. She was also very flattering, praising him incessantly as handsome and charming, with only a habit of eager promotion. In the end, Zheng Baoqiu asked him to take two recommended imported styling sprays.
While the stylist turned around to fetch some tools, Chen Wengang whispered softly, “This is just a ploy to get you to spend money.”
She replied in a hushed tone, “After praising you for so long, don’t you think it’s worth buying something?”
Chen Wengang smiled and looked at himself in the mirror. “Oh, and tell him not to get the scented ones. Unscented will do.”
Zheng Baoqiu teased, “Why did you still take them? Don’t people say that married people stop caring about their appearance?”
Chen Wengang chuckled, “Well, I still hope for a long marital bliss.”
The two of them wandered around the mall for a while, and Zheng Baoqiu suddenly told him, “My dad is considering breaking the engagement with He Wanxin.”
Chen Wengang said, “That’s for the best. They shouldn’t have been forced together in the first place. It’s already unsightly how it turned out.”
Zheng Baoqiu sighed, “But they still need to consider their old friendship. So, how should I put it, it’s rejecting He Wanxin, not withdrawing from the He family. They might even introduce other young ladies to my eldest brother to see if they can make another match.”
Perhaps it was actually to Zheng Bingyi’s liking. He was never satisfied with this prospective daughter-in-law and had only reluctantly agreed to the marriage. Now that the marriage was being dissolved in a dignified manner, the cooperation wasn’t considered a failure. There were still other eligible girls in the He family who could be introduced to Zheng Yucheng.
But for He Wanxin, it was undoubtedly a failure.
Chen Wengang paused, then said to Zheng Baoqiu, “You should advise Zheng Yucheng. After all, he’s still young. I think he’d better figure out what kind of life he wants before deciding on marriage. He shouldn’t turn himself into a cheap joke.”
When he returned to the Huo Foundation, everything was the same as before.
Fang Qin’s assistant, Xiao Gao, actually had some foresight. He had called a few employees in advance and spruced up Chen Wengang’s workstation, intending to welcome him when he arrived. However, Chen Wengang arrived at 8:30 in the morning, and there was no one on the 19th floor except for the cleaning staff.
At 9:30, when Xiao Gao arrived, he felt a bit embarrassed. “Chen-ge, you’re here so early. Aren’t you supposed to rest well?”
Chen Wengang glanced at him, not caring for all the fancy gestures. “I’ve rested enough already. Can you bring me the documents that need to be dealt with during this time?”
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