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Chapter 15: But it’s not like yours—a childhood friendship.
Since the day they added each other as friends, half a week had passed, and Huo Niansheng had never spoken to Chen Wengang.
Later, the venue coordination was handled by Yu Shanding, who contacted the Zhengshi Group.
Huo Niansheng didn’t take the initiative, and Chen Wengang never thought of any reason to contact him. Chen Wengang was not good at breaking the ice, and it was even harder to initiate contact through a screen, so he remained silent. It wasn’t until today that his phone was flooded with meaningless characters and short voice messages.
Chen Wengang clicked on one of them, and all he heard were incoherent “ah, ah” murmurs.
He touched the child’s head and asked, “Did you cause trouble for your brother?”
The little one crawled into his arms excitedly, determined to snatch the phone back from him.
But after being suppressed by Lu Chenlong, he was carried to another room, “You quickly explain to him.”
Huo Niansheng’s status showed that he was online, but he remained unresponsive to the harassment.
Chen Wengang sent him a message, “Sorry, a child was playing with my phone just now.”
This time, the other party came to life. In less than two seconds, he directly made a call to him.
Chen Wengang stared at the screen displaying “Huo Niansheng” and was momentarily lost in thought.
His finger slowly moved toward the answer button and swiped.
On the other end, a soft laugh said, “Guessed it. Where did you go that your phone was snatched by a child?”
Chen Wengang opened the door, found a wicker chair in the yard, and sat down with the phone against his ear.
“He’s a friend’s little brother. I’m visiting their house.”
“Which friend? Have you known each other for a long time?”
“He’s my childhood neighbor; we’ve grown up together since we were kids.”
“That’s truly enviable,” Huo Niansheng said. “The older you get, the harder it is to make deep connections with people. It always ends up with a mutual guard. Having friends with such a long history is worth cherishing.”
Chen Wengang chuckled. Huo Niansheng also laughed, “What’s wrong? Did I say something sentimental?”
“No, it just reminded me of when I was a kid, when pocket money was scarce, and we used to buy a serving of sweet soup each to share. He always let me have the last bite, saying I looked like a bean curd. Speaking of which, I was really short back then, and he would even step up and fight for me.”
“That does sound like a great friend. Regrettably, I don’t have one like that.”
“But your relationship with Boss Yu is also good, right?”
“Boss Yu has indeed known me for a long time. But it’s not like yours—a childhood friendship.”
The door opened again. Lu Chenlong tidied up the messy tableware, went to the tap in the yard, and came out carrying a big basket of greasy dishes to wash. Seeing this, Chen Wengang stood up, saying the last sentence, “Sorry, I have something to attend to here.”
Huo Niansheng smiled and said, “We’ll chat another day. Rest early.”
However, Lu Chenlong showed no appreciation at all. He pushed Chen Wengang aside.
“Alright, go play. You washing? Look at those delicate hands of yours.”
“So domesticated.” Chen Wengang clicked his tongue twice, casually putting the phone in his pocket. However, the sink was too small to accommodate two grown men, and he couldn’t crouch down. He had no choice but to pat Lu Chenlong on the shoulder, then go back inside to deal with his little brother.
Xiao Bao played by himself in the living room. There was a sealed A4 paper on the TV cabinet. Chen Wengang took it down and glanced at it. It was a rehabilitation training plan made by a teacher from the previous rehabilitation institution.
He couldn’t be more familiar with this training system.
He held the child in his arms and showed him brightly colored number cards.
The ten numbers from 1 to 10 could be recognized by ordinary kindergarten children, but for Xiao Bao, it was as difficult as reaching the sky. He couldn’t concentrate, shaking his head from side to side, unable to stay still. Chen Wengang grabbed his little hand.
Adults had to accept a reality: if a child is a sponge, some of them naturally have poor water absorption. No matter how much effort you put in, you can’t expect them to provide satisfactory feedback. All you can hope for is a slight improvement compared to yesterday.
In other words, just to make even a slight improvement, someone needs to devote all their energy without complaints or regrets.
Huo Niansheng glanced at his phone, which displayed “in a call.”
He lazily propped his feet on the desk, listened for a while, then put the phone on speaker mode, tossing it to the side.
Just when Chen Wengang thought he had hung up, in reality, the call had been accidentally kept on all this time.
The amplified sound echoed in the office.
Quite patient, Huo Niansheng thought. Chen Wengang had been patiently teaching the little guy to count “one, two, three” for half an hour.
Finally getting to five, six, and seven, only to forget one, two, and three again.
Huo Niansheng could tell that there was something off about the little one. Just listening to it was irritating. This friend’s home didn’t seem as peaceful as his tone suggested. Instead, Huo Niansheng became curious about how much patience he had and how long this teaching session would last.
Until he finished reviewing two contracts, made three decisions, and replied to all emails, the little one on the other end finally gave up before the adult did.
In between, Chen Wengang switched a few small games, and they played after finishing reading a drawing book.
It wasn’t reading a complete story; it was just repeatedly reading the contents on one page.
If they turned to the next page, the little one would immediately protest with a sharp voice. It wasn’t clear where this persistence came from.
Huo Niansheng spent at least fifteen minutes listening to the phrase, “A seed travels to a distant place without the need for a car or plane,” in this soft and hoarse voice.
He handled his own business in this gentle and muted tone.
Assistant Amanda came in and was about to speak, but seeing the boss with a smile, he gestured to her with his index finger and made a “shh” sound.
She didn’t know what Huo Niansheng was eavesdropping on, but she intuited not to speak.
From the other end of the phone, someone shouted from afar, “Wengang! The water’s ready; go wash up first. Are you sleeping in the living room later, or do you want to sleep in my room together—”
The call abruptly ended.
Had the other person found out?
She thought subconsciously, and Huo Niansheng turned his gaze toward her. Finally, his feet came down from the desk, “What’s the matter?”
……
In the living room, Lu Chenlong brought unused bath towels and towels, tossing them to Chen Wengang, “Are we sleeping together in my room’s big bed?”
He thought for a moment, “But Xiao Bao also sleeps in my room. He might be noisy at night… What are you looking at?”
“My phone. I don’t know when it ran out of battery.” Chen Wengang found it strange; his phone had just vibrated, only to discover it had automatically shut down.
“Xiao Bao probably played with it too much,” Lu Chenlong said with confidence, “I’ll find you a charger.”
Lu Chenlong set up a military bed in the living room for Chen Wengang to sleep on.
He was planning to visit Uncle Chen Zeng’s house the next day, which was not too far away. Staying overnight at Lu’s house would make it convenient to get there the next morning.
Then Lu Chenlong went to the bedroom, put his little brother in the crib, managed to get him to sleep, and then slipped out again.
The two of them continued chatting throughout the night.
Lu Chenlong lay on the military bed, hands behind his head, while Chen Wengang sat curled up on the sofa. In the end, their conversation turned into boasting, and when they couldn’t boast anymore, they shared their grievances. If life doesn’t even provide a space to vent one’s grievances, then those days become truly unbearable.
Even some unknown thoughts could only be poured out during this time: “You know, the little guy was conceived before my mom got sick. Even when she found out about the cancer, she insisted on delaying treatment to give birth to him. Later, my mom was gone, but he remained like this. There was a time when I really wondered, was it worth it? I don’t know how many times I thought that if it weren’t for this little brother, maybe things would be better.”
Chen Wengang looked at him. In the night, his light-colored pupils seemed to darken.
“Don’t say such things in front of him.”
“He doesn’t understand.”
“There will be a way.”
“I’m just complaining a bit. If he remains this small forever, I can still take care of him. But what about when he grows up?”
All the grievances were left in the night, and as dawn arrived, a new day began.
In the early morning, Chen Wengang was half-asleep when he was awakened by the commotion caused by Xiao Bao.
Children who sleep early also wake up early, wreaking havoc around five or six in the morning. Chen Wengang rubbed his eyes and sat up from the military bed, finding Xiao Bao sitting on the floor nearby. Seeing what he held in his hands, Chen Wengang immediately sobered up, a sense of ominous premonition rising in his heart.
He gently leaned over, reaching out to coax, “Baby, what are you holding? Can you show me?”
Xiao Bao let out a loud, triumphant giggle, “Ah—”
Lu Chenlong had deliberately locked his phone in the only drawer with a lock at home, and yet somehow Xiao Bao managed to get his hands on it.
More outrageous than yesterday, he was even on a video call with Zheng Bingyi.
Chen Wengang couldn’t say a word, suppressing the urge to smack his forehead. He coaxed and deceived, regaining control of the phone.
Fortunately, the old man was in a good mood today, wearing a Tai Chi suit, “Wengang, why haven’t you gotten up yet?”
Chen Wengang smiled, “Yifu, good morning.”
“Morning,” Zheng Bingyi glanced behind him, “You said you were staying at a friend’s house yesterday. Is the kid from his family?”
“Yes.” Chen Wengang placed Xiao Bao on the military bed, walked to the side to speak, and lowered his voice, not letting the child hear.
“Is this kid…?”
“Yeah, he’s a bit special. So sorry for the disturbance.”
“What’s there to worry about? It’s a pity; the kid looks quite cute. You call him Baby?”
Chen Wengang stepped aside from the camera, introducing them to each other, “Because his nickname is Xiao Bao (Baby/Treasure), and his full name is Lu Chenyong.”
He stepped back, and the camera shook a bit, getting closer so Zheng Bingyi could see the child, “Baby, look here, say hello to Grandpa.”
Xiao Bao called him Gege, and he called Zheng Bingyi Yifu. it wasn’t like he could demote Zheng Bingyi to a lower generation; it was just a bit messed up, but it was what it was.
Xiao Bao’s gaze wandered, not knowing which direction to enthusiastically grab at, “Grandpa, hehe, grandpa.”
Zheng Bingyi was in good spirits, truly like a benevolent grandfather. He turned the camera in another direction and said, “Say hi to Uncle too.”
Chen Wengang only then noticed that Zheng Yucheng was also beside him.
The two locked eyes across the camera.
Zheng Yucheng gave him a faint smile.
At this moment, the door behind Chen Wengang opened.
Right in front of Zheng Yucheng, a dark-skinned young man yawned continuously as he walked out.
Lu Chenlong wore a loose old T-shirt as pajamas, army-green boxers with the hem lifted high, casually touching his own abdominal muscles, “Who are you video calling so early in the morning? Is it that person of yours again? Hey, hey, phone, phone, I’m in the shot!”
The camera quickly returned to its normal position. Zheng Bingyi chuckled, “It looks like it’s not very convenient early in the morning. Let’s hang up, Wengang.”
The video feed disappeared, along with Zheng Yucheng’s complex expression.
Zheng Bingyi glanced at his son and said, “It’s rare for you to get up so early; accompany me for some boxing.”
Zheng Yucheng didn’t say anything; his expression was unclear. He bent down to put on his sneakers. His father had already pushed open the door, and he hurriedly stood up to follow.
Outside, a sparrow flapped its wings and flew out of the branches.
Lu Chenlong, surprised to learn everything, lifted Xiao Bao, “Little brother, you’re becoming quite clever, huh?”
Xiao Bao giggled joyfully, laughing like a simple sunflower.
Occasionally, in moments like this, it was hard to tell that he was a different kind of child.
Lu Chenlong scratched his head, “He probably keeps seeing me open the drawer; he knows where the keys are. It looks like I need to find a new hiding spot.”
Chen Wengang viewed this positively, “So, he can observe independently, mimic adult behavior, and remember simple pattern passwords. With consistent intervention, there’s a good chance for improvement.”
“Listen to you, Dr. Chen.” Lu Chenlong took it as consolation without taking it too seriously. However, kind words are always pleasant to hear. He pointed to Chen Wengang and whispered to Xiao Bao, “Stick with this gege. He’s good to you. Maybe we should just follow him from now on.”
After washing up, Lu Chenlong went to the kitchen to prepare a simple breakfast, frying eggs, cooking porridge, and bringing back buns from the restaurant the day before.
The restaurant didn’t sell leftover food. Lu Chenlong usually shared the remaining ingredients with the staff and brought some home for breakfast and dinner.
Xiao Bao held a porcelain bowl. The sparse porridge had barely been touched when he spilled it all over himself.
Lu Chenlong’s expression instantly turned distressed—visions of him being a little sunflower or little flower were all illusions. Trouble was the real deal. He wished this scene wouldn’t happen a hundred times a day at home.
With a sigh, he put down his chopsticks to clean up. Chen Wengang lent him a hand, helping to carry the child to the yard for a cleanup. Lu Chenlong went back inside, found a shirt, and changed his little brother. Meanwhile, Chen Wengang had conveniently washed the dirty clothes with water and soap.
Lu Chenlong looked embarrassed, “Just give it to me!”
He snatched the wet clothes, gave them a twist, and hung them on the wire. Chen Wengang wanted to say something but ultimately didn’t, just poking him in the waist. Lu Chenlong understood, “If there’s really an issue, I’ll come to you. Nothing serious; just go on quickly.”
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Poor boy for parents can be more difficult for a sibling who is barely getting by 💔
Xiao bao really drove the plot forward in both threads in just 12 hours. Lmao, let’s go baby boy!
I was ready for relationship angst, but I wasn’t expecting the “special ed child” angst. Even if nothing really bad happens, I can’t help but feel sad about everything. Xiao Bao and all the children like him deserve better. I think this chapter was realistic though, despite the romantic coincidences.