DLRAS Chapter 159 [If Never Missed]

Chapter 159: Just pretend nothing happened.

Chen Wengang remained silent for a long duration.

Seeing that he refrained from speaking, Huo Niansheng continued, “Do you happen to harbor any thoughts regarding this?”

Chen Wengang interrupted him: “Young Master Huo.” He weighed each of his words with absolute precision. “Our relationship is entirely inappropriate.”

Huo Niansheng inquired, “To which specific relationship of ours are you currently referring?”

Chen Wengang found himself entirely tongue-tied once more. Rubbing the corner of his brow, his mind felt as though it had grown thoroughly rusted, actively resisting any further attempt to function.

Throughout these past two days, he had been drifting along in a completely dazed, muddled state. There were an assortment of matters he was entirely incapable of untangling, and he possessed absolutely no avenue to confide in anyone or seek assistance, leaving him with no choice but to bottle everything up within his heart. To make matters worse, Zheng Yucheng was relentlessly throwing tantrums and giving him the cold shoulder; in his frantic efforts to maintain a veneer of domestic harmony, Chen Wengang had already grown thoroughly exhausted from coping.

Huo Niansheng appeared to let out a subtle laugh, merely stating, “We won’t be capable of untangling this while conversing blindly like this anyway. It would be preferable to have a proper discussion face-to-face.”

They settled upon an appropriate venue, selecting none other than the identical hotel suite from the previous occasion—which turned out to be a room Huo Niansheng had secured under a long-term lease.

This was hardly an ideal location; if given an alternative, Chen Wengang harbored absolutely zero desire to be cooped up in a single room with this wealthy playboy ever again. Yet the matters they required to discuss were fundamentally private and entirely illicit; regardless of whether they selected a restaurant or an open-air venue, they could never completely eliminate the peril of being overheard by outsiders.

Huo Niansheng swung the door open. He appeared immaculately groomed, with not a single element out of place, as he stepped aside to permit Chen Wengang’s entry.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

Chen Wengang stepped into the room. The sky outside was somewhat overcast; consequently, despite the window curtains being drawn wide apart, the interior illumination remained thoroughly poor, cloaking the space in a dim haze.

At this juncture, it suddenly occurred to him that a sealed room didn’t necessarily guarantee absolute privacy. Huo Niansheng resided here routinely; he could effortlessly conceal a hidden camera anywhere within the premises, ensuring their conversation would be recorded word-for-word to serve as absolute leverage to control Chen Wengang.

Yet turning the thought around, if the other party truly intended to resort to blackmail, they would have recorded whatever was necessary during their illicit encounter that night long ago.

Huo Niansheng flipped a glass tumbler over, lifting a glass pitcher to pour some water. Within the transparent container, two slices of lemon floated lazily at the surface.

Chen Wengang tilted his head upward to observe his movements, his mind simultaneously flooded with an assortment of chaotic notions, yet simultaneously remaining entirely blank and vast.

Huo Niansheng approached, placing the tumbler down atop the coffee table situated right before Chen Wengang. Suddenly, he extended his hand toward Chen Wengang’s face.

Chen Wengang subconsciously leaned his upper body backward to avoid the gesture.

Nevertheless, the hand ultimately came to rest right against his forehead.

Huo Niansheng inquired, “Do you have a fever?”

Chen Wengang ran his tongue over his dry, cracked lips.

Falling ill was an absolute reality; a severe hangover coupled with a one-night encounter, followed by returning home to subject himself to a cold shower and sleeping with damp hair—the various factors combining to successfully trigger a raging high fever by the subsequent day. Uncle Lin had summoned the family physician to administer an injection, yet he had refrained from making a public declaration, leaving the remaining members of the household entirely unaware of the development.

He remarked, “It is of no consequence. Let’s direct our attention to official matters.”

“I ought to deliver a formal apology first,” Huo Niansheng stated immediately upon taking his seat. “Regarding the events of the past night, I am fully aware that I have offended you. How are you holding up?”

“It doesn’t quite qualify as an offense; I simply drank to absolute excess myself,” Chen Wengang articulated at an unhurried pace, stealing a brief glance at Huo Niansheng. “However, it is my personal belief that if an individual truly loses absolute consciousness from drinking, it is fundamentally impossible to engage in reckless behavior under the influence.”

“You are entirely correct,” Huo Niansheng responded. “There simply exists absolutely no justification; I happen to harbor a certain fondness toward you, and I was operating under a stroke of wishful thinking. You were thoroughly intoxicated, yet I remained perfectly awake; I should have fully comprehended that the words uttered by an inebriated individual hold absolutely no weight, yet I chose to treat it as though you had offered absolute consent anyway.”

Chen Wengang anchored his gaze upon him, looking somewhat astonished, while a complex cocktail of alternative sentiments surged within his heart, though he remained entirely incapable of discerning their exact nature.

A specific incident from the distant past resurfaced in his mind.

During those days, Chen Wengang was merely a primary school student, while Huo Niansheng was likely around seventeen or eighteen years of age. Having triggered a severe scandal involving the harassment of a female classmate, his family members had swiftly sent him abroad. Naturally, the various media outlets had subjected him to relentless public condemnation and severe character assassination, branding him with labels such as “lascivious” and “lecherous.” Although it appeared that just the previous year, that specific narrative had experienced a fresh reversal—one of Huo Niansheng’s cousins had been subjected to formal sexual harassment accusations by numerous women in his circle, triggering an absolute sensation once more. The media had swarmed the development, digging into historical incidents and somehow managing to overturn the verdict on the past scandal, unearthing reality to reveal that the actual perpetrator back then had been none other than that specific cousin. Yet truth and falsehood remained entirely entangled; to this day, some chose to believe it while others remained skeptical, and rumors of every variety abounded.

Regarding Huo Niansheng, Chen Wengang had historically refrained from evaluating him with the absolute worst intentions.

Yet when all was said and done, he remained thoroughly unfamiliar with this playboy, possessing absolutely zero understanding of the man’s genuine character.

Prior to his arrival today, Chen Wengang had envisioned thousands of potential attitudes from the other party, including the absolute worst-case scenario. Following Huo Niansheng’s formal return to the country, Chen Wengang had encountered him on a mere handful of occasions; in his existing impression, the other man consistently projected an aura of casual indifference and sharp sarcasm, behaving as though absolutely no one was worthy of entering his field of vision. For an individual who held himself in such exceptionally high regard to completely discard his posture and openly concede his blunder at present was a development that bordered on entirely abnormal.

Paradoxically, it left Chen Wengang feeling completely at a loss, rendering him incapable of uttering a single word.

Nevertheless, he harbored no desire to introduce unnecessary complications: “If it is permissible, I desire for this entire development to be completely put behind us, never to be uttered again.”

Huo Niansheng offered a subtle smile: “It is hardly too late for you to summon the authorities at present; I have absolutely no intention of altering my narrative or recanting my statement.”

Keeping his eyes lowered, Chen Wengang murmured, “Summoning the authorities won’t be necessary after all.”

Huo Niansheng appeared to completely pierce through his underlying line of reasoning: “Why is that? Do you harbor a distaste for creating a massive scandal? Or are you simply terrified of provoking me?”

Chen Wengang responded, “We are both consenting adults; in the eyes of any outsider, the entire affair would look entirely mutual. Esculating such a trivial matter to the police department only to draw the attention of journalists would ultimately strip away the dignity of everyone involved.”

Upon hearing this, a look that hovered between a smile and a smirk materialized across Huo Niansheng’s features; he appeared to be subjecting Chen Wengang’s facial expressions to an exceptionally intense, serious scrutiny.

Chen Wengang shifted his gaze to avoid locking eyes with him. It wasn’t as though he genuinely felt content or harbored zero resentment; it returned to the identical reality—he simply couldn’t afford to pursue the matter.

He maintained a high level of vigilance toward the man sitting before him, turning exceptionally cautious. Chen Wengang refrained from consuming even a single sip of the water Huo Niansheng had poured; the more sincere and considerate the other party behaved, the more thoroughly unnatural the scenario appeared. How could an individual suddenly exhibit a demeanor that stood in absolute opposition to his routine character?

Unless it was being intentionally manufactured to fulfill a specific objective.

Based on Chen Wengang’s extensive experience dealing with these wealthy young masters, one must absolutely never underestimate what fresh form of amusement they might be seeking to extract. Supposing he took a step forward to contact the police, what guarantee existed to ensure this specific individual wouldn’t take a step back to completely reverse his statement and accuse him of filing a false police report?

Even if he genuinely resorted to such measures, what recourse would Chen Wengang possess? He could only exhaust every effort to avoid exposing any further vulnerabilities to the other party.

“Since we have clarified our positions, I shall take my departure first.”

“Do you harbor absolutely no desire to listen to my explanation?”

“There is no necessity for that either. As long as Young Master Huo concurs, we shall behave as though absolutely nothing transpired; the fewer words exchanged regarding the matter, the better.”

“Understood. I shall escort you out.”

“There is no need to trouble yourself.”

Chen Wengang rose to his feet, hesitating for a brief moment before ultimately inquiring, “Furthermore—did you happen to capture any inappropriate recordings or photographs that day?”

Huo Niansheng offered a faint smile: “I did.”

Chen Wengang’s eyes widened in instant shock. Before he could formulate a physical response, Huo Niansheng immediately added, “I am merely deceiving you.”

He flashed his mobile phone directly before Chen Wengang’s face: “Look at how terrified you appear. I harbor absolutely no hobby of that nature, nor would I ever stoop to executing an action completely devoid of class. Feel free to inspect it personally.”

Lowering his head, Chen Wengang accepted the device. Huo Niansheng went so far as to extend his arm over to assist him in unlocking the screen.

Nevertheless, Chen Wengang let out an internal sigh; holding it in his palm, executing an inspection felt entirely inappropriate, yet refraining from it felt equally awkward. Shaking his head, he returned the mobile phone to Huo Niansheng’s hand.

Suddenly, a sharp crack of thunder echoed outside the window, instantly followed by a torrential downpour. Within a mere half-minute, winding tracks of water commenced snaking across the window panes.

The meteorological forecasts had made absolutely zero mention of precipitation; alternatively, Chen Wengang’s mental state had been entirely too dazed to notice. Having arrived entirely empty-handed, he possessed no umbrella. Huo Niansheng stepped over to the window; the downpour was descending with immense, rapid violence, appearing almost as though a massive chasm had opened in the heavens, cloaking the entire city in a dense white haze.

Turning his head, he called out to Chen Wengang: “Given the sheer scale of this downpour, remain seated for a while longer. Once it subsides, I shall coordinate for someone to escort you back.”

Chen Wengang stepped closer to evaluate the conditions, yet remained resolute in his intent to depart: “The front desk routinely provides umbrellas; I shall simply step downstairs to secure one.”

Huo Niansheng reached out to intercept him. Attempting to maneuver past him, Chen Wengang’s shoe caught right against the perimeter of the carpet, causing him to suddenly stumble heavily forward. He was instantly caught and stabilized by Huo Niansheng’s grip.

Grabbing hold of his arm, Huo Niansheng remarked with absolute clarity, “Can you truly not tolerate remaining in my presence for even a single minute?”

Chen Wengang reflected internally that he remained entirely incapable of discerning whether this man was actively attempting to maneuver him into exposing information.

Nevertheless, he returned to take a seat upon the sofa. The branches of the trees below were swaying violently from side to side; venturing outdoors under a deluge of this magnitude would render an umbrella entirely useless anyway.

Huo Niansheng remarked that Chen Wengang was still actively running a fever, instructing him to desist from acting out of pure spite to inflict self-torment, stating they weren’t characters performing in some dramatic prime-time television serial.

Since the dialogue had advanced to this specific juncture, Chen Wengang was left with no choice but to comply. Huo Niansheng proceeded to pour him a fresh glass of water.

Suddenly, the other man spoke: “The day before yesterday, an urgent crisis materialized at the Zhangcheng corporate offices, requiring my immediate presence; consequently, I was delayed by two days before setting out to locate you. Yet reflecting upon it with absolute honesty, that also serves as a convenient justification to flee. At that moment, I was fully aware that I had executed an exceptionally improper action, and I simply lacked the courage to instantly materialize before your eyes. I preferred to remain in a state of waiting to see whether you would contact the authorities or secure legal counsel, rather than directly confronting your condemnatory gaze. Therefore, every word I have articulated is entirely factual.”

Chen Wengang froze momentarily, shifting his gaze elsewhere: “I am hardly worthy of securing this degree of consideration from Young Master Huo.”

Huo Niansheng locked his gaze deeply upon his face: “My intent to formally pursue your heart is equally genuine. Do I happen to possess an opportunity to do so?”

Chen Wengang let out a soft sigh: “I possess absolutely zero understanding as to what your underlying objective truly is. However, if it is possible to avoid any mutual entanglement, it would be preferable to remain entirely separate.”

An absolute silence descended between the two, leaving nothing audible save for the relentless drumming of the rain. The downpour outside persisted with immense fury, showing absolutely zero signs of losing momentum.

The room appeared to have transformed into a massive ark, carrying just the two of them as sole survivors, yet entirely devoid of any living creatures to propagate life.

Chen Wengang remained curled upon the sofa. Eventually, the intensity of the downpour commenced a gradual decline. Huo Niansheng initiated a phone call: “I have coordinated a vehicle to escort you back.”

Chen Wengang declined: “Now that the rain has subsided, there is no necessity for that.”

Huo Niansheng clarified, “It is not my personal vehicle; it is a ride-hailing service. Go ahead; I shall transmit the license plate details to your mobile phone.”

Chen Wengang experienced a thoroughly subtle sensation; it appeared as though the specific notions occupying his mind and the exact details he harbored reservations about were consistently captured by the other party with absolute precision a step ahead. If a compatibility of this nature manifested between casual companions, it would inevitably culminate in an instant, lifelong bond. Yet when facing Huo Niansheng, it merely left him viewing the man as intensely complex.

Upon arriving outside the hotel lobby, Chen Wengang discovered that the vehicle Huo Niansheng had requested belonged to the absolute highest tier of service; a Bentley sat waiting for him by the curb.

Subsequently, Chen Wengang consciously chose to dismiss this entire memory. A single night of passion was fundamentally a development that could never embrace the light of day; once the sun emerged, it was destined to completely evaporate.

Nevertheless, Huo Niansheng appeared to have refrained from abandoning his objective to treat him as a target for romantic pursuit. From time to time, he dispatched floral arrangements to Chen Wengang, though he maintained a final boundary of discretion—refraining from any ostentatious display and leaving the deliveries entirely devoid of a signature, prompting Chen Wengang’s classmates to playfully label the sender as the “anonymous individual.”

On occasion, Chen Wengang received text messages from Huo Niansheng extending invitations to head out for entertainment; on every single instance, he formulated a response claiming prior commitments, never once attending an engagement.

Time progressed rapidly, and in a flash, the winter vacation drew near. In accordance with established protocol, Chen Wengang and his peers were scheduled to rotate into a fresh corporate department within the Zheng Corporation to advance their internships.

He had originally been managing his departmental rotations alongside Zheng Yucheng, entering and exiting the corporate premises in unison. Yet because a severe rift had developed between the two, Zheng Bingyi appeared to harbor an intent to establish an absolute separation between them, inquiring as to which specific department Chen Wengang desired to enter.

Chen Wengang selected the shipping docks.

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