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Chapter 147: Mr. Pan, you mean that you want to emulate the wealthy.
Chen Wengang was a bit stunned: “What is this?”
Looking again, beside the rose, there was also a bag of candies and a card.
He stepped out, and at his colleague’s desk, things were also bustling. Just then, Pan Zhengyang arrived, preceded by staff from the foundation, accompanied by a secretary and driver—quite a grand entrance.
Pan Zhengyang smiled, “Last time, the project for the employment of intellectually disabled individuals, I found it very meaningful.”
Chen Wengang responded with a casual “Oh”: “Mr. Pan, you really shouldn’t have gone through the trouble. Gifts are unnecessary—”
Pan Zhengyang interjected, “It’s no trouble at all. These are candies and pastries from our own brand under Dayang, meant to introduce our new products to everyone and promote them.” He joked with the others, “If you find them tasty, feel free to support us and indulge in more consumption.”
The crowd chuckled in agreement. Chen Wengang gave him a glance.
Pan Zhengyang continued explaining his purpose: “Previously, our cooperation in the field of promoting employment for intellectually disabled individuals was very meaningful. I personally find it very meaningful. Not to brag, but Dayang Group has always been a socially responsible enterprise, and I greatly admire the solid and steady style of your foundation. If there are suitable projects, why not give us an opportunity for additional funding?”
With both cooperation and potential funding sources, the foundation hosted them according to the prescribed standards, booking a private room at the Wanghai Restaurant.
Wanghai Restaurant belonged to the Lu family, a century-old renowned establishment. It had good face value without being too extravagant in terms of expenses, offering good value for money. To avoid suspicion, when the foundation was established, Chen Wengang had sold his shares in the restaurant back to Lu Chenlong.
Two black cars drove away downstairs—one for Pan Zhengyang and one for the foundation. Chen Wengang found an excuse not to accompany them.
Halley came to work with him, squatting at his feet, earnestly staring at the wall.
His colleagues upstairs were already familiar with it, laughing heartily as they passed by, squatting down to play with it.
Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, Pan Zhengyang and his team returned to discuss the project again, and he seized the opportunity to have a private chat with the deputy secretary-general.
Chen Wengang pushed the flowers aside, saying, “Perfect timing. I was just thinking of sending someone on an errand. Mr. Pan, you can take these back yourself.”
Pan Zhengyang picked up the card inside and chuckled, “Yellow roses represent friendship. There’s no need to be so suspicious.”
As he tried to walk around the table, a dog blocked his path, Halley sniffling at his pants leg and sneezing loudly.
Chen Wengang looked at him and said, “Is that so? I’m not sure. Normally, I don’t pay much attention to these things.”
Pan Zhengyang wanted to say something more, but Chen Wengang had already picked up his pen, bowing his head to write, indicating that he was busy.
With lowered eyes, he looked elegant and quiet from the side. Pan Zhengyang paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled, taking back the flowers and the card.
However, Pan Zhengyang was not discouraged. He started sending yellow roses and desserts every now and then.
He made a grand gesture of sending them to everyone in the entire building, making it known to all colleagues at the foundation that the CEO of the cooperating company was interested in Deputy Secretary Chen. Not only that, but a young man also came to the door, specifically asking for Chen Wengang.
The security guard found his behavior suspicious and didn’t let him in. He then went to wait in the parking lot until he finally caught sight of him, standing with his chin up, warning Chen Wengang and Pan Zhengyang to keep their distance.
Chen Wengang sized him up; he was dressed casually in a hoodie and jeans, looking somewhat like a college student.
The day after this little incident, Pan Zhengyang came to apologize in person.
Chen Wengang was curious: “What exactly is your relationship?”
Pan Zhengyang said, “To be honest, we’ve really broken up. It’s just that the young lad isn’t mature, a bit difficult to handle, and not quite willing to accept reality.”
Chen Wengang raised an eyebrow, squinting at Pan Zhengyang, playing with a pen in his hand.
Sunlight shone on his desk from the side, also casting onto his cheeks. His usual refined and elegant demeanor seemed to have disappeared that day, replaced by a more aggressive demeanor, making people suddenly realize that they had underestimated him as someone easy to deal with.
Instead, Pan Zhengyang became more thoughtful, smiled, pulled a chair over, and sat down across from his desk.
Pan Zhengyang said, “This lad is a student my family sponsored before. Haha, to tell the truth, ever since my family became wealthy, we’ve been building bridges and sponsoring hometown students. These charitable deeds have always been ongoing. Later, when I took over the company, we continued to do so. That’s how I met him. This lad is quite competitive; he got into this university here. We got along well for a while, but that’s about it. You also know that not all relationships can last till the end, right?”
Chen Wengang placed the pen on the paper: “But it sounds like a pity. So why didn’t it work out in the end?”
Pan Zhengyang said, “After all, he’s young and possessive, always checking my whereabouts and my phone. If I went out for social events, I’d receive a dozen calls bombarding me in one night. Over time, anyone would get tired. It’s understandable, right?”
Chen Wengang said, “Doesn’t that mean you didn’t give him a sense of security?”
Pan Zhengyang shrugged: “I believe that adults should find their own sense of security. Depending on others for it is useless. He has graduated and is working now, but he still hasn’t realized this. Even coming to you like this in a childish manner, it just shows that maturity and age don’t necessarily correlate.”
He looked deeply at Chen Wengang and said, “For Xia Qing’s behavior, I apologize once again on his behalf. But I do admire your mature personality. Although it is unfortunate to be rejected, isn’t it true that everyone has a chance to strive for someone they like?”
Chen Wengang smiled: “I’m not sure if you actually like me or if you just prefer the Zheng family more.”
Pan Zhengyang explained: “No offense intended. I am indeed more practical, someone who values both sides. But, of course, I’m primarily interested in you. This time, it’s not just a casual attitude. I’m seriously considering a long-term, stable relationship—”
Chen Wengang interrupted with a smile: “No offense taken. I’m quite used to it. In aristocratic marriages, it’s all about matching social status; everything else can be put aside. So, Mr. Pan, are you trying to emulate aristocratic marriages and pursue a budget version?”
After saying “budget version,” Pan Zhengyang squinted at him and remained silent.
Halley didn’t understand what they were saying; it was lying bored on the ground, yawning.
The door to Chen Wengang’s office was half-open; a colleague peeked in, wanting to deliver some documents. Halley bounced up, grabbed the papers in its mouth, and gave them to Chen Wengang. The colleague was already used to it; they just laughed and praised, “Good boy,” then withdrew their heads.
Pan Zhengyang also moved; he smiled, didn’t say anything, and made a clicking sound with his mouth, Halley glanced at him inexplicably, then lay back down at Chen Wengang’s feet.
Chen Wengang finished handling some piled-up work and returned to Jiangchao Street around four o’clock.
He opened the car door, and Halley hopped down joyfully with its harness on.
Seeing that it was still early, Chen Wengang took Halley to a spacious area by the river for activities. Halley was growing fast, changing its appearance every ten days to half a month. Chen Wengang was always afraid that he couldn’t satisfy its exercise needs. As long as the weather permitted, he wished to walk it three times a day. He even brought his work outdoors. While the dog was happy, it also required more effort.
With the frequency of Chen’s family walking the dog, within a few kilometers, almost everyone knew Halley. Under the shade of trees, a group of elderly people were enjoying the breeze, and there were also elementary school students on swings. Upon seeing Halley, they all called it over, as Halley had a mild temperament, allowing both old people and children to pet and hold it as they pleased.
Several children dug through their pockets for a long time, finally pulling out candies to feed it. “Does the dog want to eat? They’re so sweet!”
“Are you silly? Dogs don’t eat candy. Look at mine; I brought it some ham sausage from home.”
Halley was extremely disciplined; as long as it wasn’t its owner feeding it, it didn’t even sniff the food.
Chen Wengang laughed and intervened, “It’s not hungry right now, it doesn’t need to eat. Why don’t you guys play with it instead?”
One child offered his brother’s skateboard, which he had sneaked out—this was Halley’s recently acquired new skill. It would stand on the skateboard with three legs, leaving one leg on the ground to push a few times, then it would step on the board and glide along. Ever since it learned this skill, it has become a well-known star in the area. Many adults and children would specifically come by to see if it was there while taking a walk.
Grandma Zhou was also there, waving for Chen Wengang to come over. After rummaging through her bag for a while, she gave him two lotus pods.
“These were just sold at a stall, particularly fresh. Take them back, peel the lotus seeds, and make soup.”
Chen Wengang smiled and agreed. Grandma Zhou then asked, “Aren’t you busy with your studies lately?”
He replied, “It’s okay, manageable.”
Grandma Zhou slapped her thigh, “Just now, we were talking about you. Recently, those brats from the Fang family don’t know what’s gotten into them. They keep saying you’re rich but stingy, refusing to lend them money or help them. I told Mr. Fang that if his grandson thinks like that, he should go back and scold him. Their money didn’t come from stealing, why are you guys bothering them?”
Chen Wengang chuckled, saying it wasn’t a big deal.
Grandma Zhou continued, “I know you’re the young master of the Chen family’s business. I usually don’t tell others about it. You guys are so low-key. These young kids—each one of them isn’t working hard, just wanting to take advantage; if they bask in the limelight, they won’t achieve anything.”
Chen Wengang smiled. He sat on a stone bench, holding the lotus pods in his hand. Halley was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic admirers, gliding on the skateboard with great vigor. As they ran further away, he waved to Grandma Zhou, got up, and chased after them.
When Huo Niansheng returned home, the yard was filled with a fragrant aroma, with a clay pot sitting on the stove, but the kitchen was empty.
The pot was filled with soup. After two years of practice, Chen Wengang could handle a pan a bit, his cooking skills were mediocre, edible but not as delicious as what Huo Niansheng made. Making soup was his specialty; it didn’t require much skill, just enough patience.
Halley crouched at the kitchen door, looking as if it was seriously observing the pot. Huo Niansheng lifted the lid to check, then put it back and ruffled its head. He walked into the bedroom, where Chen Wengang was lying face down on the bed, looking tired.
Huo Niansheng chuckled, “What’s wrong with you?”
Chen Wengang said, “The kid is getting bigger and harder to handle. It’s even more energetic now, I really can’t keep up with it.”
With a sudden weight in his hand, Huo Niansheng placed a piece of chocolate in his hand.
Chen Wengang slowly got up, thinking of the chocolates Pan Zhengyang had been sending every day. Subconsciously, he glanced at the label. Of course, it had nothing to do with Dayang. It was imported dark chocolate. He unwrapped it and put it in his mouth. As he looked up, Huo Niansheng was sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling at him.
Chen Wengang bit into the chocolate and offered it to Huo Niansheng, who naturally took half from his mouth.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, incredibly gentle. Chen Wengang hugged his head, fingers entwining in his hair. They kissed gently, the taste of bitterness lingering in their mouths.
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