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Chapter 155: It turns out you really are hiding your true capabilities.
Half of the wedding photos were taken in the studio, and half were shot outdoors. To match the theme, the outdoor location was an abandoned chapel by the sea.
Strictly speaking, they weren’t really wedding photos, since there wasn’t a wedding dress involved—though the photography assistant did have a spare veil, which was unexpectedly blown high into the air by a gust of wind and landed between the two being photographed.
At that moment, Chen Wengang was turning his head to look at Huo Niansheng, and the photographer immediately clicked the shutter.
This became his personal favorite shot, saying the lighting and composition were perfect and that it was impossible to replicate that exact effect.
Photographer Chris, who had won the IPA International Photography Award’s “Photographer of the Year” in the professional arts category, enjoyed capturing natural moments. The entire portrait shoot was relaxed without forcing the subjects into stiff, unnatural poses. The main planner joked with Chen Wengang, saying that the photographer was satisfied with them too, mentioning they had a sense of storytelling. If the subjects had been slouching or stiff, they would have had to be contorted into awkward positions. In the end, when the photos were developed, both sides were mutually satisfied, producing masterful results.
The photographer personally delivered the photos to Chen’s home and was invited to stay for a meal.
There were also a few bonus shots from that day—the veil ended up on Halley’s head at the end of the shoot, with its nose poking out from underneath, causing everyone to laugh and capturing another great moment on camera.
This photo earned a spot on the Chen family’s photo wall, with Chen Wengang taking down one of his street photos to replace it.
The photographer, intrigued, picked up Chen’s photo: “Did you take these street photos yourself?”
Chen Wengang took it back with both hands: “Just random shots, not professional.”
“But they’re quite good, did you study art?”
“I do have a bit of a foundation.”
“That’s great; you understand aesthetics. With more practice, you’ll get the hang of aperture, shutter speed, and lenses. There’s no real division between amateurs and professionals.” The photographer, hands behind his back, admired the photo wall. “Especially these black and white ones, they have a bit of a Cartier-Bresson feel. Actually, my favorite genre is documentary photography. Whether it’s street photography or family portraits like these, behind each one is a unique story. I’ve always believed that the language of the lens is the best way to record human life and express personal emotions. That’s why I always like to take the liberty of looking through people’s family albums wherever I go.”
“We have more in the house, feel free to look.” Chen Wengang said with a smile. “But I need to start cooking, can you handle spicy food?”
“I can.” The photographer replied, “My stomach can handle anything around the world, I’ve even eaten spicy sauce made from insects in Mexico!”
The photographer stayed for a meal, looked through the albums, and with the host’s permission, took a few photos before leaving satisfied.
Later, the digital versions of the photos were sent over, and Chen Wengang and Huo Niansheng looked through them on the computer, selecting which ones to print.
A couple of days later, when a subordinate was reporting for work, they noticed two new photo frames on Director Huo’s desk.
The chief secretary privately consulted with Amanda: “Is it necessary to prevent any gossip among the employees?”
Amanda didn’t pay it much mind: “Why, has anyone said anything inappropriate?”
“No, not at all, just being proactive.” The chief secretary covered her mouth. “It’s just that it looks… doesn’t it…”
“Looks like a wedding photo?” Amanda whispered back. “It actually is a wedding photo. Director Huo put them up himself, you can’t stop people from talking, he might even want to show off. If it’s not too malicious, just guide everyone to say nice things, maybe he’ll be so happy he’ll increase the year-end bonuses.”
“Haha, really getting married?”
“It’s not ‘getting,’ they already secretly got married abroad a long time ago, just making up for the ceremony.”
“Oh wow, Mr. Chen last time… they’re really low-key. I need to think if I said anything I shouldn’t have.”
“Let me tell you something.” Amanda looked around, lowering her voice even more. “Of course, it’s just a feeling, but when these two first met, I felt like they should have been together long ago. How did this love marathon go on for so long? Their feet must have calluses by now.”
Chen Wengang brought Halley to work at the Nian Gang Foundation, and Halley rushed into the small building ahead of him.
As he entered the lobby, he was surprised to see Pan Zhengyang there as well.
It was lunch break, and Pan Zhengyang was sitting in the reception room, surrounded by many colleagues who hadn’t started work yet. The reception room table was covered with colorful cakes, and laughter filled the air. Pan Zhengyang stood up and gave Chen Wengang a friendly smile, “Long time no see.”
Chen Wengang smiled back and nodded at him, “It’s rare to have you visit, Mr. Pan. What’s this?”
He was carrying a not-so-small paper bag, and Pan Zhengyang’s gaze naturally shifted down to it. Halley tried to sniff at it, so Chen Wengang switched hands to avoid him. Pan Zhengyang chuckled and made a few clicking sounds towards Halley, who rudely responded with a big sneeze.
A colleague explained the origin of the sweets on the table, “Through our recent collaboration, Mr. Pan noticed that many children in welfare homes never have a chance to celebrate their birthdays, some don’t even have a confirmed birthday. He proposed that we reach a pilot agreement with several welfare homes to provide small cakes for the children each month. We were just discussing the specifics of how to provide them.”
Chen Wengang joked lightly, “That’s a good deed. Regardless of whether it works out, thanks in advance to Mr. Pan.”
Pan Zhengyang laughed, “Of course, we can discuss the other details slowly. Personally, I believe health concerns must be addressed. I brought these cakes for everyone to taste. I’m confident in both the flavor and ingredients. Wengang, why don’t you try one first?”
The familiarity in his tone and the tender voice were somewhat excessive. Some people turned their heads to look at Pan Zhengyang.
Previously, everyone knew about him pursuing Chen Wengang, and with sweet gestures sent from upstairs to downstairs, it wasn’t a secret.
Chen Wengang was momentarily stunned but then smiled, “It seems I’ll be overshadowed by Mr. Pan today.”
Pan Zhengyang maintained his smile.
He placed the bag on the table, “I originally planned to give everyone wedding candies. But…”
Before he finished, the colleagues were already abuzz, voices rising and falling, the room suddenly boiling over—
“How could you spring a wedding on us like this? Such a big event, and you didn’t tell anyone?”
“Not cool, treating us like outsiders.”
“Wearing a ring for years, finally tying the knot?”
“Hurry up and reveal, making it seem like a secret mission. Who exactly is Mr. Chen’s partner? Are there any photos?”
Chen Wengang just smiled as he unwrapped the package, surrounded by the crowd. Inside his big paper bag were individually wrapped chocolates in black boxes, beautifully packaged. As he distributed them, the two photo frames at the bottom were revealed.
Huo Niansheng had taken two to his office, and before coming, Chen Wengang hesitated for a moment before packing the other two.
Their relationship was low-key but not deliberately secret. Several close colleagues already knew, and out of respect, those in the know hadn’t spread the word. But no matter when Huo Niansheng was his beloved, it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
Pan Zhengyang, holding a box of chocolates he received, pointed at the photo frames with his chin and said, “So, these are the photos?”
Chen Wengang took out the photo frames and displayed them to everyone.
As he turned the frames around, his heart suddenly began to pound, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.
There was a moment of silence around him. With a soft smile, Chen Wengang gently touched Huo Niansheng’s face in the photo with his fingertip, his gaze incredibly tender, “It wasn’t a deliberate secret, it’s just that the sponsor doesn’t come around often, so we don’t get to work together much. We’ve always worn our rings, next time we’ll definitely treat everyone to a meal.”
His colleagues came back to life, and the frame was suddenly snatched away, “Is this really our big boss?”
“Really? Let me see.”
“I don’t believe it, just someone who looks similar.”
“Stop it, it’s definitely him.”
“Who’s got a phone? Come on, let’s search and compare right now.”
Chen Wengang was still smiling when a colleague grabbed him from behind, locking an arm around his neck: “You still have the nerve to smile! If this isn’t called hiding, what is it? Come clean, do you have any other secrets to confess?”
Surprised as they were, after a few years of working together, they had become very familiar with each other, so it didn’t take long for everyone to accept the reality.
Pan Zhengyang, being an outsider to this camaraderie and chemistry, stood silently, unable to join the conversation.
Squeezed in the middle, Chen Wengang jokingly pleaded for mercy: “Yes, yes, I really am a privileged insider. I didn’t get promoted before because I didn’t want everyone to focus on my excellent work abilities, so I kept my identity hidden. Now that it’s the right time, it’s all out in the open. Please forgive me, continue to focus on work, and don’t impeach me.”
The afternoon was incredibly busy, with the Deputy Secretary-General’s office crowded with colleagues coming one after another to question Chen Wengang, almost to the point where no work was getting done. It wasn’t until the end of the day that things gradually quieted down.
After six thirty, the building emptied out, and Chen Wengang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He shut down his computer and called for Halley.
He walked the dog out of the small building and saw someone standing in the garden, looking down at their phone near the entrance.
Chen Wengang paused for a moment but kept walking slowly towards him, calling out, “Mr. Pan.”
Pan Zhengyang looked up at him and smiled faintly, “I couldn’t tell, you really are hiding your true capabilities.”
Hearing this, Chen Wengang also smiled and said, “Mr. Pan, do you like that phrase, or can’t you think of any other words? How many times have you used this phrase to describe me?”
Pan Zhengyang squinted, “Maybe I just can’t think of any other suitable descriptions.”
He glanced at the sky and said, “I didn’t even notice it’s getting dark.” Then he pointed at his feet and said, “I’ve been standing here all afternoon, searching for your boyfriend’s name and the origins of your foundation. Only now do I realize that I hadn’t seen through it. At first, I thought you were just a doctoral student working part-time here. Later, I discovered, oh, you’re actually connected to a wealthy family. I was interested in you but didn’t understand why you’d forgo a life of luxury to treasure an ordinary boyfriend. Of course, you hinted that he must have some exceptional qualities, but I chose to ignore that. It’s only now that I realize—I don’t remember faces well, even though I’ve seen him in person, I didn’t recognize him. I’ve certainly heard of Mr. Huo’s name, but when they said ‘Mr. Chen,’ I had no idea it was you. Nian Gang, it turns out this is your family’s business, maybe even something he established just to make you happy. I get it, these are indeed things I can’t compare to.”
Chen Wengang, a bit helpless, said, “I think you don’t actually get it.”
Pan Zhengyang asked, “Really?”
Halley yawned and started scratching the ground out of boredom. After a while, he ran to the other side. Chen Wengang switched the leash to his other hand and said, “Yes, but it doesn’t matter now. Mr. Pan, you should head home early.”
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