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Chapter 153: What bad thing did you do today?
After getting off work and returning home, the first thing Huo Niansheng did was go to the study to find Chen Wengang: “What bad thing did you do today?”
Chen Wengang looked at him lightly: “Nothing serious, is it worth Mr. Huo getting so worked up?”
They locked eyes for two seconds, and unable to contain himself, Huo Niansheng burst into laughter, unable to run away in time before being lifted onto the table by Huo Niansheng.
Chen Wengang handed over all the sticker inventory, indicating he was ready for retaliation.
Huo Niansheng raised an eyebrow, flipped through them, and selected one full of little angels. He peeled off one, scrutinizing Chen Wengang’s flat chest, seemingly contemplating where to start. Chen Wengang continued to laugh, causing his entire chest to slightly vibrate.
Finally, Huo Niansheng figured out his composition, and the first sticker was placed on his heart.
Chen Wengang cupped his cheeks with both hands, looking down at him: “Is Mr. Huo also this childish?”
Huo Niansheng peeled off another sticker, placing it on his earlobe: “Did you just meet me today?”
In no time, Chen Wengang’s light-colored home clothes were covered in prints, giving him a new look. He still didn’t mind, gazing at Huo Niansheng, his eyes bright. Huo Niansheng threw the stickers onto the table, one by one, and leaned in to kiss the angel wings on his chest.
He hugged Chen Wengang gently, his lips brushing against the fabric, kissing his Adam’s apple and sucking on his lips.
Chen Wengang’s breathing became rapid, his chest tight, fingers tangled in his hair, affectionately kissing the top of his head.
Halley walked in from outside, curiously looking up for a while, its two round eyes reflecting two overlapping figures.
It nudged Huo Niansheng’s head, sniffing his trouser leg. Huo Niansheng looked down at it, smiling, “You want some too?”
Halley wagged its tail and woofed softly, not specifying what it wanted. He affectionately slapped a heart on its forehead, and Chen Wengang gave Huo Niansheng a playful kick. Halley didn’t resist; it just twitched its ears and whimpered twice.
Then, for some reason, it suddenly became excited, picking up its own toy from the floor and running around inside and outside the house.
Next, Chen Wengang received a call from Zheng Baoqiu.
She intended to buy him a wedding gift, so she asked if he preferred rubies or sapphires.
In the end, Zheng Baoqiu simply said, “Come with me! We’re so close, just choose yourself, so you won’t dislike it.”
Unable to refuse her enthusiasm, Chen Wengang spent another day accompanying her shopping.
They scoured every luxury jewelry store in the department store, but Zheng Baoqiu was picky. Brooches, collar pins, none satisfied her; either the design lacked novelty or the materials weren’t upscale enough, not suitable for gifting.
This made Chen Wengang keep persuading her, “I’ve already felt your sincerity, why bother with so much etiquette?”
Zheng Baoqiu glanced at him and solemnly said, “When Zheng Maoxun and I turned eighteen, the adult gifts others gave us filled a whole room, do you remember how much they were worth?”
Chen Wengang had forgotten, unable to answer, so he just smiled helplessly at her. She immediately hugged his arm, grinning, “Although value isn’t measured solely by money, marriage is a big event in life. You’re like a brother to me, we should still have some sense of propriety.”
Chen Wengang smiled and they moved on to the next store.
In the end, Zheng Baoqiu still hadn’t found anything satisfactory and said she would look for something at an auction.
However, Chen Wengang was taken by a brooch shaped like a gun; most jewelry designers preferred geometric patterns and natural motifs, so firearm-inspired designs were rare. This brooch immediately reminded him of Huo Niansheng, thinking of the calluses on his fingers.
Huo Niansheng enjoyed shooting and had a hobby for it. They had been together for so many years, and even Chen Wengang had become familiar with the shooting range.
Sometimes he accompanied Huo Niansheng to indulge, but he himself rarely participated. Those firearms were just tools to Chen Wengang, but to Huo Niansheng, they were beloved objects. He was familiar with various handguns, rifles, and shotguns, handling them skillfully.
Feeling intrigued, he had called the shop assistant, “Bring this one out for me to see.”
The brand was an original design by a small-scale designer, but it was still pricey.
Zheng Baoqiu had leaned over, his fingers slender, the antique silver color contrasting with his fingers, giving it a unique texture.
She had just seen it clearly when Chen Wengang had said, “Pack it up for me.”
Zheng Baoqiu had teased, “Oh, big spender.”
Chen Wengang had smiled, not retorting, and had rubbed the packaging box handed over by the shop assistant. They had taken the elevator downstairs.
Before parting at the entrance, Zheng Baoqiu had asked, “When did you plan to go home and see Dad?”
This time, Chen Wengang hesitated for a moment.
In terms of etiquette, he should have gone to see him. He still officially regarded Zheng Bingyi as his adoptive father, and with Huo Niansheng holding a wedding in the city, the media would undoubtedly have publicized it, mentioning the Zheng family again. It just so happened that Huo Niansheng had come to pick up Chen Wengang, directly agreeing on a date for the visit.
After Zheng Baoqiu had left, Chen Wengang handed the bag to him, opened the door, got in the car, and fastened his seatbelt.
Huo Niansheng had gotten in from the other side, unpacking while asking, “What’s wrong? Hesitating, afraid to go back?”
Chen Wengang had smiled teasingly, “If there’s anything to be afraid of, it’s probably you causing trouble.”
Huo Niansheng had drawled, “Oh,” putting the brooch on his chest and adjusting the rearview mirror, admiring himself, “So Mr. Chen thought it was embarrassing to bring me back to your adoptive father’s house. You should have said so earlier, I would have avoided it myself. I just agreed on a whim.”
Chen Wengang had laughed, “I think Mr. Huo was just talking nonsense every day.”
Huo Niansheng had chuckled, leaning over, but had kissed him on the cheek.
He had reached out and trapped Chen Wengang in the passenger seat, “According to Uncle’s expectations, you’d better behave yourself. He wouldn’t mistreat you now. He’d introduce you to a girl with a good background. You could talk to her about marriage, and you could avoid struggling for the rest of your life. Were you willing?”
Chen Wengang had pushed him away, “The more you said, the more outrageous it got. Just drive already.”
Huo Niansheng had let go, sitting back and starting the engine, “So following me had the same effect, why not?”
Chen Wengang had simply ignored him, his eyes looking out the window and his mouth curving slightly upward.
They got home, as usual cooked, walked the dog, and in the evening strolled by the river with Halley.
The square was filled with familiar neighbors who gathered together, talking animatedly, as if something new had happened.
As Chen Wengang walked by, he overheard a bit of conversation. A new mother he knew told him mysteriously, “It seems someone jumped into the river!”
Chen Wengang was surprised, “Really?”
She didn’t have any details either and, pushing her baby stroller, went off to gather more second-hand gossip.
Later, they ran into Lu Chenlong, who was out for a walk with his younger brother, and he provided more details, “No one jumped into the river! How did the story get so exaggerated?” He lowered his voice and told Chen Wengang, “One of my store’s purchasers happened to see it. Actually, Cheng Bo was messing around with investments. His unreliable project got him scammed, resulting in losing most of his family’s savings. His wife nearly went crazy, and the couple fought by the river, threatening to kill themselves—one threatening to jump into the water, the other threatening to run into the road. The police arrived and broke it up, but it got spread around as a suicide attempt.”
Huo Niansheng chuckled lightly, “So much excitement? It seems like we missed out.”
Lu Chenlong clicked his tongue and shook his head, leading his brother to say, “Missing it is probably a good thing. From what I heard, Cheng Bo dragged a few old classmates into it. You know them, Wen Gang. Huang Jian and a few others invested in his project. Now who knows if they have anything left?”
As they chatted and walked, the evening breeze blew gently. During their conversation, they realized they had all been approached by Cheng Bo for investments. Neither Lu Chenlong nor Chen Wengang had believed him, so they weren’t involved, but they felt a sense of relief as they strolled until around nine o’clock, then went home.
Life in the old city was as calm as ever. A small business owner being scammed was like a whirlwind passing through. Many of Cheng Bo’s classmates, friends, and relatives were involved, persuaded by him to invest, losing varying amounts of their wealth.
After the police took on the case, they conducted interviews one by one. For a while, people often saw officers visiting around Jiangchao Street. However, in such cases, it was uncertain how much of the losses could be recovered, leaving some happy and others sad.
In his elementary school classmates’ group, Chen Wengang had seen heated arguments lasting several days, as people bickered back and forth.
All these bits and pieces brushed past their lives.
Chen Wengang hadn’t expected preparing for a wedding to be so hectic. If he had known, he might have regretted impulsively deciding to have it, especially not during his doctoral studies—
The result was that today, the store called to inform him that his and Mr. Huo’s suits were nearly ready and needed them to come in for fittings. Tomorrow, the wedding planning team had an appointment to confirm the guest list and venue booking.
Huo Niansheng was enthusiastic, seeming to enjoy the whole process and participating tirelessly.
When Chen Wengang got home from work, he asked Huo Niansheng, “Why is tomorrow’s schedule filled up again? What are we doing?”
Huo Niansheng smiled and shook his phone at him, “Zheng Baoqiu asked when you’re going back to the Zheng family. Did you forget?”
Only then did Chen Wengang remember. He slapped his forehead and sweetly praised, “Good thing you’re on top of it. See, nothing slips through.”
Huo Niansheng saw through him immediately, pulling him into his arms, “Sweet-talking me, but you didn’t really pay attention, did you?”
The two sides set a time and chose a weekend for their visit.
In the Zheng family’s living room, Zheng Bingyi made tea, pushed two cups over, and sat with a stern expression, neither showing approval nor verbal opposition.
Huo Meijie sat to the side, her expression somewhat peculiar. She fidgeted with her shawl and muttered a few words: “How do two men have a wedding?” “Are they going to wear wedding dresses too?” “Isn’t it embarrassing and making people laugh?”
Zheng Bingyi still did not speak, and Huo Niansheng only smiled, calmly sitting on the sofa next to Chen Wengang.
No one spoke, and the atmosphere grew more tense. Huo Meijie glanced at her nephew, her expression appearing conflicted.
She neither liked nor disliked Chen Wengang. She knew they had lived together for several years. A romantic relationship was one thing, but having a wedding in broad daylight inevitably made her uneasy, feeling it was somehow inappropriate.
At this moment, Chen Wengang noticed the new little family member, who was still unsteady on his feet, tottering around the room with the nanny chasing after him. The child ran towards Chen Wengang and hugged his leg. After hesitating for a moment, he picked up the child.
Zheng Baoqiu laughed crisply, breaking the silence, “Dad, you should drink less tea. We’ve told you, drinking too much is not good for your health.” She turned and smiled, “Wengang-ge, you should come more often; otherwise, little brother won’t recognize you in the future.”
She gave a look, and Zheng Bingyi nodded, “It’s rare for you to come home. Stay for dinner before you leave.”
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“Huo Meijie sat to the side, her expression somewhat peculiar. She fidgeted with her shawl and muttered a few words: “How do two men have a wedding?” “Are they going to wear wedding dresses too?” “Isn’t it embarrassing and making people laugh?” What an annoying b***h! Not sure how her daughter turned out to be such a normal person in this damn family.