DLRAS Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Is ten seconds enough time to think about it?

Chen Wengang followed Yu Shanding into the elevator, watching as the other man pressed the button for the 5th floor, which was labeled “VIP Entertainment Hall.”

Yu Shanding was working for Huo Niansheng. Chen Wengang had come today knowing he would face difficulties and was mentally prepared. At first, he had just wanted to come and keep an eye on things, to prevent Yu from giving the young woman a hard time. He also wanted to meet this old friend, Yu Shanding, to find a channel to Huo Niansheng. But he never expected Huo Niansheng himself to be here.

Among the so-called upper-class of Jincheng, Yu Shanding’s wealth was the kind that couldn’t be shown in polite society. He came from a humble background, and no matter how generous he was with his money, countless people still laughed behind his back, calling him a dog raised by Huo Niansheng. He himself was likely well aware of this.

In fact, in his past life, Chen Wengang had gotten along quite well with him—that was later on. To say Yu Shanding was a good person was a stretch, given his appearance, but he wasn’t without his merits. At the very least, he was righteous and filial. After Huo Niansheng passed away and left everything to Chen Wengang, Yu Shanding no longer wanted to work for him and offered to leave. At the time, Chen Wengang didn’t stop him. Righteousness is often found among the common folk; Yu Shanding served Huo Niansheng, and with his object of loyalty gone, of course he would leave. It was only later, through a series of coincidences, that the two were brought back together.

Chen Wengang didn’t really think he had done anything special, but he still remembered Yu saying, “Mr. Chen, I, Yu Shanding, may not be very educated, but I am not the kind of person who doesn’t repay a kindness. You took care of my family, and I have seen your character. If you don’t mind, consider me a friend from now on. If there’s anything you need me for, if you tell me to go east, I won’t go west.”

Before Chen Wengang died, the two would still talk about Huo Niansheng when they drank together. Chen Wengang would always watch Yu Shanding pour a cup onto the ground first. For that cup of wine, he was grateful. But their friendship had been so long that he had almost forgotten what a rogue this man had been in his younger days.

Yu Shanding pushed open the door to the entertainment hall, and Chen Wengang followed him in. The room was utterly silent.

The entertainment room was large, but only a portion of it was lit. Darkness and light mingled indistinctly on the gold-and-red floral carpet. Mahjong tables and coin pushers were hidden in the dark half, while a crystal chandelier illuminated three side-by-side pool tables.

A man was bent over one of the tables, playing pool. In the vast hall, he was the only one, entertaining himself. With a sharp crack, the balls collided, and a red ball dropped into a pocket. The sound echoed in the empty room, making it feel even more spacious.

The man straightened up. Seeing Chen Wengang, his peach-blossom eyes suddenly curved into a smile. “Wengang.”

Huo Niansheng was very enthusiastic. “What brings you here?”

Yu Shanding put on an exaggerated expression of “the great flood has washed away the Dragon King’s temple.” “So, Little Chen, you know CEO Huo… well, this is really something!” He slapped Chen Wengang on the back, and Chen Wengang couldn’t be bothered to hold a grudge against him.

He just stared back, his mind completely blank, having forgotten the purpose of his visit. For a moment, he felt as if he were being pulled into the vortex of those eyes. His heart felt both sour and swollen.

Suddenly, a pool cue was held out in front of him. Huo Niansheng smiled at him. “Do you know how to play?”

“…A little.” Chen Wengang reached out and took it. His voice was very soft, as if he were afraid of disturbing this dream.

“Then how about a game?” Huo Niansheng returned to the table, inviting him. “I was just getting bored by myself.”

“Since you’re a friend of CEO Huo’s, everything can be easily discussed. Little Chen, you two chat.” Yu Shanding tactfully left. Before he went, he made a “six” gesture near his ear. “I’ll be in my office. Give me a call if you need anything, I can come up anytime.”

Huo Niansheng gave up the spot next to the cue ball, gesturing with his eyes. Chen Wengang let out an imperceptible breath and put down the cue. He took off his suit jacket and looked around, but finding no suitable hook, he placed it on a nearby chair. Then he walked back, dressed only in a white shirt and black trousers, and inspected the cue from tip to butt.

On the dark green felt, there were actually only the black and white balls left, positioned at a very tricky angle. Sinking it in one shot would be difficult. While Chen Wengang was studying the balls, Huo Niansheng was studying him. Long legs, narrow hips, the man was as straight and tall as the cue stick.

He leaned against the table, bent over, placed the cue on his hand bridge, and aimed, his movements swift and clean, not like an amateur. The crystal chandelier above cast a pure white glow. Although it was top lighting, the countless glass pendants diffused the light into a soft and elegant radiance, which didn’t detract from his beauty but rather seemed to cast a soft-focus filter over him. Huo Niansheng’s heart stirred. He had seen many beauties, but he alone had an indescribable sense of fragility about him. How to describe it? Probably like the crystal chandelier on the ceiling—dazzlingly brilliant when hanging high, but if it should unfortunately fall—

Crack!

The white cue ball sent the black ball forward. Propelled by the impact, the black ball hit the cushion, rebounded, and its speed gradually slowed due to friction. It rolled to the edge of the pocket and slowly dropped into the ball return.

Chen Wengang straightened up and tilted his head slightly toward him, his pupils reflecting the image of the crystal chandelier.

Huo Niansheng smiled and flattered him. “That doesn’t look like you only know ‘a little’.”

Chen Wengang’s lips curved slightly as he said, “Thank you.”

The balls were gone. Huo Niansheng stood his cue to the side and bent down to retrieve the colored balls one by one. Chen Wengang also reached his hand into the channel under the table. He held the balls, placing them two by two into the triangular rack.

Their fingers accidentally brushed against each other. Chen Wengang quickly pulled his hand back as if splashed by hot water. Last time, he had looked at Huo Niansheng’s hands; this time, Huo Niansheng noticed his—fingers like carved scallion roots. Chen Wengang had a pair of hands that clearly had never done rough work. His ten fingers were fair and slender, the nails glossy and full, trimmed neatly.

This made Huo Niansheng ask with great interest, “Have you studied piano?”

Chen Wengang knew why he asked. Countless people had told him that God had given him a pair of hands meant for playing the piano. He subconsciously glanced down at them himself. “A little.”

In truth, if his biological father were still alive, he probably would neither have learned to play the piano nor would his hands be so delicate. He would have lived with his father, dependently, and sensibly handled the household chores—cooking, laundry—while his father was at work. His entire life would likely be completely different from now, but he couldn’t imagine what that would be like.

“Another ‘a little’?” Huo Niansheng found it amusing. “Your ‘a little’ clearly has no credibility.”

“This time it’s really just a little,” Chen Wengang insisted. “I only learned the basics. I play very mediocrely.”

“It’s a pity Boss Yu doesn’t have a piano here. Otherwise, we could make a bet to see if you’re telling the truth.”

“Wouldn’t that mean I get to decide who wins and loses?”

“If you say you decide, then you decide.” Huo Niansheng arranged the colored balls into an equilateral triangle. “As long as I can afford to lose.” Neatly arranged, he took a step back and, with a smiling expression, let Chen Wengang break.

Chen Wengang placed the cue ball on the table and arched his back. With a crack, the colorful balls scattered like a goddess scattering flowers.

The next shot was Huo Niansheng’s turn. But Huo Niansheng was more focused on chatting with him. “By the way, who did you learn this from?”

Chen Wengang told the truth. “There was a snooker interest club at school in middle school. I actually haven’t played in a long time.”

“You like snooker?”

“It’s alright.” It was Zheng Yucheng who liked it; Chen Wengang had joined to accompany him.

“I heard from Baoqiu that when Zheng Yucheng was in school, he even competed in a junior snooker tournament.” Huo Niansheng smiled, chalking the rubber tip of his cue. “Looks like he might be more interested. How did he do in the competition?”

“I think it was okay,” Chen Wengang said vaguely. “I don’t remember the specifics. He was really just playing for fun.”

Huo Niansheng let out an ambiguous chuckle from his nose. Unconsciously, he moved closer to Chen Wengang, resting his right hand on the table, revealing the strong muscles of his forearm. Chen Wengang also smiled, but his body tensed up. At the same time, a lost and subtle feeling arose in his heart.

Huo Niansheng had no memories of his rebirth—they had shared a bed for seven years, and if he had, it would have been impossible for him not to notice—but facing this version of Huo Niansheng, whose every word and action was filled with aggression, he found himself struggling to fend him off.

Chen Wengang was too tense. Standing within half a meter of Huo Niansheng, he even held his breath. Huo Niansheng, on the other hand, was completely uninhibited, freely revealing his true nature. The one without memories was the happy one. In this life, he no longer had to hide his carefulness in every gesture because of Chen Wengang’s disability.

Chen Wengang, distracted, missed a shot. Huo Niansheng stopped provoking him with conversation. For a while, the only sound in the entertainment hall was the crisp sound of colliding balls. However, this silent, turn-by-turn playing seemed a bit strange.

Finally, Chen Wengang took the initiative to speak, finding another topic. “Is this place not open to the public?”

Huo Niansheng said, “Boss Yu’s hall is currently closed for renovations. I have a good relationship with him, so I’m just borrowing the place to kill some time. By the way, Yu Shanding called me before he came up just now and said you were looking for me about something.”

Chen Wengang could only smile. “I originally came to try my luck with him.”

Huo Niansheng asked, “What is it exactly? Why don’t you tell me?”

Chen Wengang told him about the banquet hall situation, omitting the beginning and end, and not mentioning Mrs. Zheng. After listening, Huo Niansheng didn’t respond. It was his turn. He bent down, concentrating on his aim. Seeing this, Chen Wengang didn’t speak to disturb him and just watched quietly from the side.

After aiming for a long time, Huo Niansheng finally made his shot. It was a brilliant combination shot; a chain of collisions produced several crisp sounds. Only then did he speak slowly, “That is a bit troublesome. I do need to use it, and the invitations have already been sent out.”

This time it was Chen Wengang who didn’t answer. He was thinking about what to say. On one hand, he knew Huo Niansheng was just putting on airs; on the other hand, he had indeed come looking for him, and it was hard to explain clearly whether he admitted it or not in one sentence.

Huo Niansheng reminded him, “It’s your turn.”

Chen Wengang bent over as told and chose a nearby blue ball. He messed up again; the rubber tip grazed past the cue ball, a complete miscue. It was because Huo Niansheng had enveloped him from behind. “This time you’ve pleased Zheng Yucheng. How will he thank you?”

Chen Wengang froze, not even understanding the words in his ear for a moment. He was no longer an inexperienced young man, yet he was more nervous than the first time he had faced this. Chen Wengang propped himself up on the pool table, vaguely feeling like a lamb caught by the scruff of its neck.

The hunt had begun the moment he walked in. Huo Niansheng was a leopard resting in the night, opening its narrowed eyes to watch the prey that had strayed into its territory.

A hand crept onto his lower back. Through the shirt tucked into his belt, a thumb sensuously caressed his supple waist. “Their old Zheng family matters, I’m not really that concerned,” Huo Niansheng whispered in his ear, a hint of playfulness in his tone. “Whatever banquet hall you want, I’ll let you have it. But when you ask for a favor, you have to show some sincerity, right? How about this, you keep me company for one night?”

Chen Wengang struggled, forcing his body to turn around. But the other man didn’t give an inch, their faces were almost touching, nose to nose. Huo Niansheng’s hand was still on his waist, with no intention of retracting it, and his knee had unknowingly wedged between his legs.

Chen Wengang was almost pressed down onto the pool table, his body leaning back slightly. To maintain his balance, he could only support himself by putting his hands back, grabbing the edge of the table. The hard wood pressed into his palms. He accidentally pressed on a ball, and it rolled away with a soft rumble.

“Don’t worry, no one will ever know,” Huo Niansheng said. “Spend the night here, and I’ll send you back tomorrow.”

“You…” Chen Wengang pushed him. “Move.”

“Of course, this sacrifice is a bit big, isn’t it.” He thought for a moment, then laughed to himself. “You can also propose other conditions. I’m always very generous with people. You can say whatever you want. But my patience is limited. I can only give you, say, ten seconds. Is ten seconds enough time to consider?”

Chen Wengang glared at him. Huo Niansheng looked back as if it were very funny, twirling a lock of his hair with his fingers. “Shall I start counting?”

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Author’s Note:

The most high-end hunter ______.

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