Chapter 105: I hope the shelf life of marriage is longer.
To make follow-up appointments with the family doctor more convenient, they moved back to the Yunding Building for the time being.
Originally, the apartment only had housekeeping services arranged by the property management on a regular basis. Huo Niansheng hired a live-in housekeeper to take care of Chen Wengang. The long-vacant nanny’s room was finally put to use. On the day they arrived home, the housekeeper boiled water with pomelo leaves, and Chen Wengang, feeling amused, reached in to wash his hands.
If it hadn’t been for him stopping him, Huo Niansheng would have likely snapped a photo on the spot and sent it to Zheng Yucheng as a show of force.
Of course, he didn’t send it, but he really did hold up his phone to take the picture.
Huo Niansheng had already made up his mind: “From now on, we should have a family photo wall.”
The television was on, and a host and expert were still discussing the phenomenon of social bullying: “This type of bullying and oppression caused by unequal power between individuals exists not only in schools, but in every specific community; for example, the workplace, and even prisons…”
Following the sound, Chen Wengang subconsciously turned his head to look.
Suddenly, Huo Niansheng turned his head back: “No thinking allowed—right now, what were you just thinking about?”
Chen Wengang paused, facing him honestly: “I was just thinking about what this professor said, about the issue of bullying.”
Huo Niansheng scrutinized him for a moment before letting go: “Did something like that happen when you were in school?”
Chen Wengang’s mood actually became somewhat gloomy: “Not when I was in school, but I have seen it.”
As they spoke, the two sat on the sofa, and Chen Wengang naturally leaned into Huo Niansheng’s arms: “Burning with cigarette butts, beating, insults, sexual abuse… The expert is right; this is a serious social problem that should be taken seriously and cleaned up.”
Huo Niansheng offered his arm for him to lean on: “Where did you see it?”
Chen Wengang kept his eyes fixed on the screen, replying: “I forgot.”
Huo Niansheng seemed to have asked casually. He adjusted his posture and didn’t push for an answer.
But deep down, he didn’t believe it—if he saw it, how could he forget? Given Chen Wengang’s temperament, how could he not have intervened?
Unless it had happened to him personally.
Chen Wengang lay in his arms for a while, listening to the heated debate on TV, and thinking about things from the past.
He poked Huo Niansheng intermittently—this was a small tic he had when he was preoccupied.
When Huo Niansheng looked down again, Chen Wengang had changed positions in his arms, turning to lie on his stomach.
“Actually, in my opinion,” Chen Wengang suddenly spoke up, “besides hosting a few exhibitions and printing a few magazines, your family’s foundation should consider taking this opportunity to put some effort into this area. I know of a public welfare organization that provides legal aid to victims of bullying.”
Huo Niansheng patted his back: “Sure. Later, I’ll grab Huo Zhenfei, and you can bring it up with him.”
Chen Wengang looked up to meet his eyes: “I’m just joking. I’ve already figured out that I’m afraid he can’t make the final call either.”
The housekeeper cooked excellent meals, especially slow-boiled soups. While recuperating, Chen Wengang had nothing to do, so he learned to cook from her at home.
She was a diligent, middle-aged woman who was a bit talkative and loved to chat. She had an endless stream of gossip on her lips, and within a week, Chen Wengang knew her hometown relatives’ relationships inside and out. The housekeeper would occasionally be startled or surprised. With her around, the home never felt cold; the volume of her voice alone could fill this apartment, which was so empty it echoed.
That was, except when Huo Niansheng returned.
The housekeeper was still a bit wary of this employer. Whenever he arrived, she would quickly finish what she was doing and silently retreat to the nanny’s room to disappear. For this reason, Chen Wengang teased Huo Niansheng, saying he should reflect on why innocent women and children were afraid of him—Jiang Cai had been one of them before.
Huo Niansheng laughed it off, though it reminded him of something.
Two days later, Jiang Cai took leave from her boarding school to visit and greet Chen Wengang.
Since she was already there, she didn’t mention at all that she had been ordered to come. She asked about his health and showed concern, acting as if she had a particularly good conscience.
One day, the doorbell rang. As soon as the housekeeper saw who it was, she panicked again, nervously running to tell Chen Wengang that there was a bald man who looked like a fierce demon at the door.
Chen Wengang opened the video doorbell and saw Kang Ming’s signature bald head, saying he was there to take orders if needed.
The next time he went out, Kang Ming began following him everywhere again, or driving him directly.
Chen Wengang felt it wasn’t necessary, but Huo Niansheng had been overcompensating lately; he wouldn’t let him go out alone, or he wouldn’t let him wander around at all, forcing him to accept the fate of being cooped up at home to recuperate. In the end, they each took a step back, and things stayed that way for the time being.
The days were more or less the same—spend the morning reading a book, spend the afternoon buying ingredients and cooking a meal, and wait for Huo Niansheng to come home in the evening to eat together. The day would just slip away.
Come to think of it, the attendance policy of the Huo Foundation was truly loose. Chen Wengang had been absent for so long, having only reported to Fang Qin that he needed sick leave, and to this day, no one had urged him to return to work.
Fang Qin did, however, bring her son, Huo Yuxiang, to visit.
The little boy brought a brand-new model to give to Chen Wengang, though in reality, he was abusing his position—he had applied for funding from his parents to buy what he wanted, only to have Chen Wengang accompany him to play with it later.
The mother smiled and scolded: “He’s never been like this with his father or me.”
Chen Wengang smiled: “Children are naturally more relaxed in front of strangers. You are his parents, so you must be stricter with him.”
Fang Qin asked: “Do you like children? Then, what about you and Niansheng in the future?”
Chen Wengang remained calm: “We won’t have children. Look at him; he’s not the type who could be a father either.”
After the mother and son left, Chen Wengang was alone in the apartment. The housekeeper had gone out to buy groceries, and Huo Niansheng hadn’t returned home yet.
He went to the study and opened the computer to browse the daily financial news as usual, his eyes turning serious.
The media coverage regarding the unexpected aftermath of the Zheng and He engagement banquet had come to an end—
There were no major issues with the investigation report into the Zheng family’s ship collision. Management lapses certainly existed, but rectifications had been made at the time. The group itself had paid compensation and accepted penalties, having borne the corresponding responsibilities. Now that the attacker refused to let go, it was out of personal grievances; while the family tragedy was lamentable, the act itself was illegal, and it was only a matter of waiting for the court to hand down its verdict.
Instead, the He family had fallen into a larger輿論 (public opinion) storm.
Not only was He Wanxin’s bullying scandal widely publicized, but some of He Wanjun’s old, dusty history was also dug up.
Although it was still within a range that the He family could smooth over, a proper, strong-strong alliance engagement having turned out like this meant that talking about “good news” was just a farce. Zheng Bingyi would likely have a continuous headache over this.
After the engagement banquet, He Wanxin hadn’t appeared in public, mostly hidden away by her family, who had ordered her not to show her face.
When Huo Niansheng returned, Chen Wengang had already closed the computer and was boiling soup.
He hadn’t specifically searched or asked whether Zheng Yucheng was still going through with the marriage.
The soup pot was bubbling with heat. Huo Niansheng walked over and asked instead: “When is your class reunion? Is it coming up soon?”
Chen Wengang was stunned for a long time before he remembered what he was talking about—the one he was forced to attend after bumping into Cheng Bo on the street.
Cheng Bo still remembered it, and had indeed urged him a few more times recently. He chuckled: “I’m in this state and I still have to go?”
Huo Niansheng hugged his waist: “Idle is idle. I’m curious what the bridesmaid he intends to introduce to you is like.”
In the end, he went—Chen Wengang was bored staying at home, and Huo Niansheng was still harboring resentment that someone was plotting to seduce him into cheating, so he insisted on going to see. When they arrived at the reunion location, most of the faces were already unfamiliar. They met the girl Cheng Bo intended to introduce, but Chen Wengang had dressed plainly—arriving in a simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans, his hair still messy.
Cheng Bo felt he was unpresentable, but seeing that he had bumped his head, he didn’t say much: “Remember to dress up properly next time.”
Chen Wengang held back a smile and said: “Okay.”
A class reunion years after graduation was no different from a large-scale bragging event—showing off jobs, income, partners, children… When Chen Wengang introduced Huo Niansheng as his friend, if others asked about cars or houses, he would answer vaguely. Usually, in such situations, not answering directly meant they didn’t have them.
He played the part of a “green leaf” perfectly for the whole evening, and in the end, Cheng Bo lost interest, and it fizzled out.
However, this did remind Chen Wengang of something.
After returning, he conducted an inventory and disposal of his personal assets.
The villa Zheng Bingyi gave him had completed the title transfer. Some said he was lucky—in a sense, that couldn’t be denied. Many people, like his uncle Chen Zeng, might work for a lifetime and still not earn such a villa. He obtained all of this simply because he had been Zheng Bingyi’s foster son for over ten years.
But he certainly couldn’t live there. Chen Wengang found an agent and listed the villa.
He was a person who knew his own limits. When the moon is full, it begins to wane. Since Heaven made it too easy for him to obtain certain things, he needed to disperse them.
In the past, when he was a student, he had sporadically done some sponsorship activities, such as for students in mountainous areas, mainly using his pocket money and red packets from holidays, donating whatever surplus he had. But now, Chen Wengang’s net worth was different—the villa’s market value was as high as ten million. Once he had this money in hand, plus the annual dividend from shares, he was already an “invisible” wealthy person.
Investing in fixed assets for value preservation and using the interest for sponsorship was a more sustainable approach.
Huo Niansheng knew about these things and brought a broker to help him manage his assets.
By now, his friends outside had long been spreading the word, saying that he was head-over-heels for the person at home, wanting the stars and the moon for him, doing whatever he wanted without ever saying “no.” This time, Huo Niansheng’s doting was even more foolish: “I know some friends and investment institutions. When you graduate in the future, I can start a foundation for you. You can decide for yourself what field you want to work in.”
It sounded like a tall tale, but Chen Wengang’s heart skipped a beat, filled with an incredibly complex mixture of emotions.
He adopted a joking tone: “The Huo Foundation belongs to your whole family. What would your own one be called?”
Huo Niansheng lay on the bed with him, not paying attention to his expression: “Take your time thinking about it. Whatever you call it is fine.”
It wasn’t until his hair had grown back that Chen Wengang returned to work at the Huo Foundation.
Before returning to work, Zheng Baoqiu accompanied him to the mall to do his hair.
In fact, two months had passed; his injuries had healed long ago. Chen Wengang had mostly been idling at home, handling his own affairs. His hair hadn’t been cut, so new hair had grown in the shaved areas, while the rest had grown too long, resulting in uneven lengths.
The stylist had good skills and a deft touch, managing to restyle his hair into layers. The stylist was also diligent, complimenting him as a “handsome guy” and “beautiful man” endlessly, with only one flaw: a keenness for upselling. In the end, Zheng Baoqiu told him to take two bottles of the recommended imported styling spray.
Taking advantage of the stylist turning away to find tools, Chen Wengang whispered: “That’s how they trick you into spending money.”
She lowered her voice beside him: “He complimented you for half a day; isn’t it worth buying something?”
Chen Wengang smiled and looked in the mirror: “By the way, tell him not to use a scented one; unscented is fine.”
Zheng Baoqiu teased: “Why get it at all? Don’t people say that married people don’t care about their image?”
Chen Wengang laughed: “Well, I still hope the shelf life of marriage is a bit longer.”
The two strolled around the mall for a while, and Zheng Baoqiu suddenly told him: “My father is considering calling off the engagement with He Wanxin.”
Chen Wengang said: “That’s probably for the best. They shouldn’t have been forced together in the first place, and it’s already quite unsightly that it ended up like this.”
Zheng Baoqiu sighed: “But they still have to consider the face of their old friends. So, how to put it—it’s calling off the engagement with He Wanxin, not the He family. There’s a chance they might introduce another young girl to my brother to see if they can match them up again.”
Perhaps for Zheng Bingyi, it was more to his liking; he hadn’t been satisfied with this prospective daughter-in-law to begin with and had only reluctantly agreed. Now, the engagement was formally cancelled, but the cooperation wasn’t considered a failure; the He family had other young women of appropriate age who could be introduced to Zheng Yucheng.
But for He Wanxin, it was undoubtedly a failure.
Chen Wengang paused. He said to Zheng Baoqiu: “You should still advise Zheng Yucheng. He’s young anyway. I think he’d best figure out what kind of life he wants to live before deciding on marriage, and not turn himself into a cheap joke.”
When he returned to the Huo Foundation, everything was as it had been.
Fang Qin’s assistant, Xiao Gao, actually had some situational awareness. He had called a few staff members in advance to decorate Chen Wengang’s workstation and intended to express a welcome when he arrived. But Chen Wengang arrived at 8:30 AM, and there wasn’t a soul on the 19th floor except for the cleaning staff.
At 9:30, when Xiao Gao arrived, he felt a bit awkward: “Chen-ge, you’re here so early—shouldn’t you be resting well?”
Chen Wengang glanced at him, not caring about all those bells and whistles: “I’ve rested enough. Please bring me the documents from this period that haven’t been processed yet.”
