DLRAS Chapter 153

Chapter 153: What bad thing did you do today?

The moment Huo Niansheng returned home from work, the very first thing he did was head to the study to find Chen Wengang. “What mischief did you get up to today?”

Chen Wengang cast a calm glance at him. “What is the grand affair that makes Young Master Huo flare up so furiously?”

He locked eyes with Huo Niansheng for two seconds before failing to contain himself, bursting into a helpless fit of laughter. Before he could make a run for it, Huo Niansheng scooped him up and set him down onto the desk.

Chen Wengang surrendered all his remaining stash of stickers, signaling that he was at Huo Niansheng’s mercy for whatever retaliation he saw fit.

Huo Niansheng raised an eyebrow, flipping through the collection until he selected a sheet entirely filled with little angels. Peeling one off, he directed a scrutinizing gaze toward Chen Wengang’s flat chest, seemingly contemplating where to begin his work. Chen Wengang was still laughing, the slight vibrations echoing through his entire chest cavity.

Ultimately, Huo Niansheng settled on his composition, pressing the first sticker right over the center of Chen Wengang’s heart.

Cupping Huo Niansheng’s cheeks with both hands, Chen Wengang looked down at him from above. “Is Young Master Huo also this childish?”

Huo Niansheng peeled off another little star sticker and pressed it onto his earlobe. “Is this your first day knowing me?”

Before long, Chen Wengang’s light-colored loungewear was covered in prints, giving him a completely renewed appearance. He remained entirely unbothered, gazing at Huo Niansheng with crinkled eyes and bright, glittering pupils. Huo Niansheng tossed the sticker sheet onto the desk, leaning in to plant individual kisses over the angel wings on Chen Wengang’s chest.

He gradually drew Chen Wengang into a full embrace, his lips brushing against the fabric as he moved up to kiss his Adam’s apple, before capturing and sucking gently on his lips.

Chen Wengang’s breathing steadily quickened, a tender ache swelling within his chest. He threaded his fingers through Huo Niansheng’s hair, affectionately returning a kiss against the crown of his head.

Harley strolled in from outside, tilting his head curiously to observe them for a moment, his round, glassy pupils reflecting the two overlapping silhouettes.

He nudged Huo Niansheng with his head and lowered his nose to sniff at his trouser leg. Looking down at the dog, Huo Niansheng laughed, “You want one too?”

Harley wagged his tail and let out a sharp bark, though he didn’t specify what he wanted. With a soft smack, Huo Niansheng pressed a heart-shaped sticker right onto the top of his forehead. Chen Wengang laughed and gave Huo Niansheng a playful kick. Harley remained perfectly cooperative, offering no resistance whatsoever; his two ears twitched slightly as he let out a couple of soft whimpers.

Then, for some inexplicable reason, he was suddenly seized by a wave of excitement. Chomping down on his toy from the floor, he began executing a frantic, high-speed parkour routine inside and outside the rooms.

Shortly after, Chen Wengang received a phone call from Zheng Baoqiu.

She intended to buy him a wedding gift, so she called to ask whether he preferred rubies or sapphires.

As the conversation progressed, Zheng Baoqiu simply declared, “Just come out with me! We’re so close anyway; pick it out yourself so you don’t end up disliking it.”

Unable to decline her enthusiastic hospitality, Chen Wengang carved out another day from his schedule to accompany her for a shopping trip.

They scoured every single luxury jewelry boutique inside the department store building. Zheng Baoqiu possessed highly critical taste; whether it was brooches or lapel pins, not a single piece met her satisfaction. They were either devoid of design innovation and too mainstream, or the materials used lacked sufficient quality, making them inappropriate as a formal gift.

This prompted Chen Wengang to repeatedly persuade her, “I’ve already accepted your kind intentions. Why put so much emphasis on keeping up appearances?”

Zheng Baoqiu shot a glance at him, speaking with an air of mock solemnity, “Back when Zheng Maoxun and I celebrated our eighteenth birthdays, the coming-of-age gifts other people sent us literally piled up to fill an entire room. Do you still remember how much they were worth?”

Chen Wengang had actually forgotten and couldn’t provide an answer, merely offering her a helpless, smiling glance. She immediately locked her arm through his and giggled, “Even though value isn’t entirely measured by money, marriage is a momentous event in life. You’re my older brother; you can’t be completely lacking in pageantry.”

Chen Wengang smiled, and they moved along to the next boutique.

By the end of the day, Zheng Baoqiu still hadn’t selected anything satisfactory, declaring that she would look around at upcoming auctions instead.

Chen Wengang, however, caught sight of a brooch shaped like a handgun—most jewelry designers favored geometric patterns or flora and fauna, making firearm-inspired designs quite rare on the market. This brooch reminded him of Huo Niansheng at first glance, recalling the calluses lining his fingers.

Huo Niansheng possessed a playful nature and a deep passion for shooting. Having been together for so many years, even Chen Wengang had become thoroughly well-acquainted with the shooting ranges.

He occasionally accompanied Huo Niansheng to satisfy his cravings, though he rarely took the field himself. To Chen Wengang, those firearms were merely objects, but the gaze Huo Niansheng directed at them was filled with absolute fondness. He was intimately familiar with various small-caliber pistols, rifles, and shotguns, handling them with seamless precision.

Amused by the piece, Chen Wengang called out to the sales assistant, “Could you please take this one out for me to look at?”

This brand belonged to a niche designer’s original label, but it still carried a hefty price tag.

Zheng Baoqiu leaned her head over. Set against his slender fingers, the distressed antique silver finish exuded an exceptionally distinct texture.

The moment she got a clear look at it, Chen Wengang said, “Please wrap it up for me.”

Zheng Baoqiu teased, “My word, look at you, wealthy and overbearing.”

Chen Wengang smiled without refuting her, lightly rubbing the packaging box handed over by the assistant as they took the lift downstairs.

Before parting ways at the entrance, Zheng Baoqiu asked, “When do you plan to head home and see Dad?”

This time, Chen Wengang hesitated for a brief moment.

In terms of etiquette, a visit was indeed appropriate. He still nominally recognized Zheng Bingyi as his adoptive father, and with him and Huo Niansheng holding a wedding ceremony in the city, the media would inevitably publicize it, and would bound to mention the Zheng family again. Just then, Huo Niansheng arrived to pick Chen Wengang up, directly answering on his behalf by promising they would visit on a selected date.

After Zheng Baoqiu departed, Chen Wengang handed the shopping bag over to him, opened the car door, climbed inside, and fastened his seatbelt.

Huo Niansheng slid into the driver’s seat from the other side, unboxing the package as he asked, “What’s the matter? Why the hesitation? Is it possible you’re actually afraid to go back?”

Chen Wengang smiled and chided gently, “If there’s anything to be afraid of, it’s mostly fear of you tag-along causing trouble.”

Huo Niansheng let out a drawn-out “Oh,” holding the brooch against his chest to gauge the fit. Pulling down the rearview mirror, he admired his own reflection. “So Young Master Chen feels that bringing me back to your adoptive father’s house is too embarrassing to present. You should have said so earlier; I would have bowed out to avoid causing awkwardness instead of flatteringly agreeing just now.”

Chen Wengang laughed, “I think you, Young Master Huo, are the one spouting absolute nonsense day in and day out.”

Huo Niansheng let out a soft chuckle, but leaned across to plant a firm kiss on his cheek.

He extended an arm, pinning Chen Wengang within the passenger seat. “According to your uncle-in-law’s expectations, your best course of action would be to behave obediently. He wouldn’t treat you poorly now; he could introduce you to a young lady from a well-connected background. You’d talk of marriage with her, and you could save yourself a lifetime of struggle for the remainder of your days. Would you be willing?”

Chen Wengang pushed him away. “You’re getting more and more ridiculous. Hurry up and drive.”

Huo Niansheng released his grip, settling back into his seat to fire up the engine. “Therefore, by staying with me, you achieve the exact same outcome. Why not rejoice in the convenience?”

Chen Wengang simply chose to ignore him entirely, turning his eyes toward the scenery outside the window as a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

They arrived back at their home, proceeding with their usual routine of cooking meals and walking the dog. During the evening, they led Harley along the riverbank to enjoy the cool breeze.

The square was filled with familiar neighborhood residents who had gathered in small clusters, murmuring animatedly as though some fresh piece of news had broken out.

Passing through the crowd, Chen Wengang caught fragments of the chatter. A newly minted mother he recognized informed him mysteriously, “It seems someone jumped into the river!”

Chen Wengang was startled. “Surely not?”

However, she couldn’t offer any concrete details either, pushing her baby stroller along to chase down further secondhand gossip.

Shortly after, they encountered Lu Chenlong taking his younger brother out for a stroll, who finally broke down the situation with greater precision: “What do you mean someone jumped into the river! How does information get so wildly distorted?” Lowering his voice, he told Chen Wengang, “The procurement staff from my shop happened to witness it firsthand. It was actually Cheng Bo messing around with investments. That unreliable project of his got completely fleeced by sharks, and he lost nearly his entire family fortune in it. His wife nearly went mad with rage, and the couple ended up locked in a life-and-death struggle right by the riverbank. One threatened to plunge into the water while the other threatened to throw herself onto the main road. It took the arrival of the police to pull them apart, but somehow it got passed around as a suicide.”

Huo Niansheng smiled faintly. “Such a lively affair? It seems we missed out on the spectacle.”

Lu Chenlong clicked his tongue and shook his head, holding his brother’s hand. “Missing it is a blessing rather than a pity. From what I managed to dig up, Cheng Bo even dragged several old classmates down with him. You know them, Wengang—Huang Jian and a few others all invested into his project. Now, it’s anyone’s guess if they even have a pair of trousers left to their names.”

The group chatted as they walked under the gentle evening breeze. Once they compared notes, they realized that Cheng Bo had actually approached nearly all of them seeking investments. Fortunately, neither Lu Chenlong nor Chen Wengang had trusted his pitches, thereby escaping any involvement. After sharing a round of sighs over the misfortune, they wandered until around eight or nine o’clock before returning to their respective homes.

Life in the old urban district usually flowed like still water, and the incident of a small-business owner being swindled in an investment felt like a brief, passing whirlwind. This was primarily because many of Cheng Bo’s classmates, close friends, relatives, and neighbors were entangled in the mess, having been persuaded to join the venture, suffering varied degrees of financial ruin.

Once the police accepted the case, they conducted door-to-door interviews and investigations. For a period, personnel clad in police uniforms could frequently be seen walking the rounds around Jiangchao Street. However, regarding a case of this nature, no optimistic or definitive answers could be provided as to how much of the losses could actually be recovered, leaving some families in despair while others clung to hope.

Within his primary school classmates’ chat group, Chen Wengang observed both factions locked in a war of words for several days, creating quite a tumultuous spectacle.

An array of incidents, both grand and small, brushed past the periphery of their lives.

Chen Wengang had never imagined that preparing for a wedding would keep him so overwhelmingly occupied. Had he known it would turn out this way, he might have even regretted his impulsive decision to hold the ceremony—at the very least, he wouldn’t have chosen to schedule this ritual during his doctoral studies.

The reality of his current situation was striking: today, a phone call from the boutique notified them that the initial baste of his and Mr. Huo’s suits was ready, requiring their physical presence for a fitting to make adjustments. Tomorrow, the wedding planning team had scheduled an appointment to come over and confirm the guest list and venue bookings.

Huo Niansheng, conversely, was brimming with enthusiasm, seemingly treating the entire affair as an entertaining project, throwing himself into the process with unflagging interest.

Returning home from work, Chen Wengang asked Huo Niansheng, “How did tomorrow’s itinerary get filled up again? What are we supposed to be doing?”

Huo Niansheng smiled, shaking his mobile phone at him. “Zheng Baoqiu asked when you were going back to the Zheng family. Have you completely forgotten?”

Only then did Chen Wengang remember. He tapped his forehead, offering a sweet compliment: “Fortunately I have you to worry over these things. Look at that—flawless execution.”

Reading right through him, Huo Niansheng locked him in a tight embrace. “Coaxing me with sweet words, but you didn’t actually invest any heart into it, did you?”

With the schedule coordinated, they selected a weekend to pay their formal visit.

Inside the living room of the Zheng residence, Zheng Bingyi brewed a pot of tea and slid two cups across the table. His expression remained majestic and authoritative, bearing neither an air of approval nor any explicit words of opposition.

Mabel Huo sat to one side, a look of distinct awkwardness coloring her features. Clutching her shawl, she muttered a few complaints: “How are two men supposed to hold a wedding?” “Are they both going to wear wedding gowns?” “Allowing others to watch a farce—isn’t it far too embarrassing?”

Zheng Bingyi still refrained from speaking, while Huo Niansheng merely maintained his smile, sitting composedly on the sofa right beside Chen Wengang.

With everyone maintaining their silence, the atmosphere grew increasingly taut. Mabel Huo cast a glance at her nephew, her expression appearing somewhat conflicted.

She couldn’t be said to truly like Chen Wengang, nor did she strictly dislike him. They had cohabitated for several years, a fact Mabel Huo was well aware of. A relationship between lovers was one matter, but holding a wedding ceremony in broad daylight inevitably caused her to murmur inwardly, feeling that it was ultimately a mismatch.

Just then, Chen Wengang caught sight of the newly arrived toddler of the household. His footing was still unsteady, and he was tottering frantically across the floor with the nanny chasing relentlessly behind his backside. As Chen Wengang sat there, the child charged straight over, wrapping his arms tightly around his thigh. After a moment’s hesitation, Chen Wengang scooped the child up into his arms.

Zheng Baoqiu let out a crisp laugh, shattering the heavy silence filling the room: “Dad, you should drink less tea as well. I’ve told you repeatedly that drinking too much is equally bad for your health.” Turning her head, she smiled, “Brother Wengang, you need to visit more often, otherwise your little brother won’t even recognize you in the future.”

Only after she dropped a meaningful wink did Zheng Bingyi nod his head. “It’s rare for you to make a trip back. Stay and have a meal at home before you leave.”

Support me on Ko-fi