DLRAS Chapter 22.1

Chapter 22.1: Why do you fall in love with such a stupid kid? Does he know how to care for others?

He Wanxin’s female companion tugged at her hand and leaned in to quietly persuade her a few times.

At the same time, Chen Wengang pressed down on Zheng Maoxun’s restless hand.

Following the signal of Chen Wengang’s gaze, Zheng Maoxun looked up and met his father’s eyes. Under Zheng Bingyi’s disapproving—even reproachful—look, he pursed his lips, gave up the fight, and unwillingly tossed his paddle onto the table.

Yet He Wanxin bit down on her lip and still called out, “One million and five thousand.”

“Now that sounds more like it, Miss He,” Huo Niansheng praised. “Two million.”

He Wanxin could no longer back down. She stiffened herself and said, “Two million and five thousand…”

“Four million.”

He Wanxin’s face turned ugly.

The whispers behind her grew louder and louder.

She began to wonder whether, in those murmurs, people were discussing whether she could actually afford the sum.

For an illegitimate daughter of a great family, taking out a few hundred thousand was not difficult—move around some spending money and it could be done. But four million reached a threshold that was no longer so easy. The other members of the family had overseas trusts, investment funds, real estate, stocks…

The wealth and resources they enjoyed flowed to them continuously.

While she could only be the one holding out her hand.

Her companion could not help tugging at her again. “Why not just let it go… Think about it. If you spent a few million on a sports car, or bags, or jewelry, that would be one thing. But spending hundreds of thousands out of spite on a broken watch that isn’t even worth it—just think how you’ll explain that to your uncle when you get home.”

Her long, slender nails dug into her palm, the pain sharp in the flesh.

A cold, proud expression appeared on He Wanxin’s face. Yes—of course she could not compare with those other young masters and young ladies. That idiot she had to call brother, He Jiajun, could drown himself in wine and pleasure, gamble on the high seas, spend several million opening bottles in a single night, and not one elder would say a word.

If Zheng Bingyi had not cared so much about appearances and kept his son and daughter under control, there was no way she could have outbid Zheng Maoxun and Zheng Baoqiu.

Who, exactly, could she beat?

If she did not plan for herself, who would stand up for her? Was she simply born undeserving?

“I know Miss He is determined to win,” Huo Niansheng said. “What a pity. This item also happens to be one of my favorites, so I can’t just hand it over. If you still intend to continue, then let’s settle it quickly. There’s no need to waste any more of other people’s time.”

That drew a small ripple of laughter. Someone raised their voice and called out that he should not fight a girl over an item.

Someone else jeered and brought up Zheng Yucheng’s name, asking which side he was on exactly.

He Wanxin said nothing, but the embarrassment on her face could not be hidden.

The auctioneer finally came back to himself. “At present we are at four million. Is anyone else joining the bidding? If not, four million once—”

“Four million and five thousand,” He Wanxin said.

“Seven million.” Huo Niansheng raised his paddle.

Amid the uproar, He Wanxin stood up, threw out, “I’m going to get some air,” and strode straight out.

Behind her, the auctioneer brought down the hammer. “Sold!”

The sound echoed through the old Roman-style hall.

Walking out of the main hall, He Wanxin turned her back to the crowd. Her face was a sheet of cool calculation, not carrying the slightest trace of love.

Qi Tongzhou was thoroughly confused from start to finish, but he was so nervous that he barely dared breathe.

Ordinarily, he would have loved this kind of money-burning spectacle and enjoyed the excitement. But things were different now—he was afraid the man he admired would be angry.

The whole time, Qi Tongzhou had been secretly watching Chen Wengang’s expression. On that face, carved as if from jade, it felt as though even one extra blink of the eyelids tugged at his emotions. Yet Chen Wengang remained seated in perfect calm, untouched by favor or humiliation. Qi Tongzhou could read nothing at all.

The little farce just now was like a pebble dropped into a pond, stirring a few ripples—but it had nothing to do with him.

The auction then continued. Two more items were sold in succession, neither at a high price.

Only after no one was paying attention to their side anymore did Chen Wengang quietly rise and slip out along the wall.

Qi Tongzhou immediately wanted to follow, but was afraid of attracting attention. He dawdled for five whole minutes before sneaking out after him.

But once outside the banquet hall, he was lost. Staff were coming and going in front of him, and he had no idea which direction to search in.

Qi Tongzhou wandered through the hotel like a chick that had run away from home. Then suddenly his eyes lit up.

At the little bulging balcony ahead to the right, there was a figure in a black formal suit leaning over the railing and looking at the night view. Wasn’t that him?

Qi Tongzhou cleared his throat, straightened his bow tie, stepped forward, and called out, “Wengang.”

But when the boy turned around, he immediately became embarrassed. “Sorry, sorry—I got the wrong person.”

The boy smiled faintly at him. “It’s alright.”

Qi Tongzhou gave an apologetic grin and took the chance to glance a little more closely. “Mainly because you look a bit like a friend of mine.”

The boy nodded. At first glance, he really did have a little of Chen Wengang’s feel to him—especially in terms of body proportions. Seen from behind, mistaking the two would have been completely normal. But once he got closer, he realized this one was slightly shorter. His features were good, but the flavor was not the same.

Everyone mistook people in daily life now and then, so Qi Tongzhou was not especially embarrassed. In fact, he felt relieved.

It proved he was not the kind to fall in love with every similar face he saw. See? It was not merely lust at first sight.

With that in mind, Qi Tongzhou decided to get to know him. “I’m Qi Tongzhou. What should I call you?”

The boy’s gaze politely swept over his wrist, where a bit of the watch face showed, and he answered, “Mu Qing.”

As they chatted, what a coincidence—Qi Tongzhou grew even happier. It turned out this was another member of the Zheng family circle.

If he wanted to win over the man of his dreams, should he not start with the people around him?

As Qi Tongzhou chatted with this new acquaintance, the boundary between resemblance and difference gradually became clearer.

In his heart, he separated the two of them.

When Chen Wengang spoke, his eyes rested on you in a way that was gentle as water, naturally making people feel at ease.

The boy in front of him carried a certain cool reserve and distant pride, aloof and elusive, making Qi Tongzhou think of a rare and expensive Persian cat.

When it came time to leave, Qi Tongzhou made up an excuse and added him as a friend. Once he had walked a little farther away, he opened Mu Qing’s social feed.

So he studied art. Well, that explained it. A little self-regard was perfectly normal.

Unfortunately, every post there was only about Mu Qing himself. Qi Tongzhou found no trace of the person he actually wanted to see.

After that, he wandered around the hotel another two times in complete confusion, even got lost down into the underground parking garage, and still failed to find him.

At that moment, Chen Wengang was in fact upstairs in the sky garden, enjoying the breeze, entirely unaware that Qi Tongzhou had gotten lost looking for him.

Qi Tongzhou did not come here often and was unfamiliar with the layout. He had forgotten that Crown Hotel had a famous viewing platform.

Between the three buildings ran two glass skybridges, stretching like rainbows through the air. The rooftop of the lowest building between them had been turned into an exotic little garden, with lively fountains, white statues, a wall of roses, and a black swing chair. It was dreamlike.

The sky garden lived up to its name. In every direction, the view looked like a painting, and it was also a popular internet-famous photo spot.

At this moment, however, the famous spot was empty.

Chen Wengang leaned on the swing chair, a curved new moon suspended over his head.

When he tilted his face up, the stars, the moon, and the faint glimmers from the hotel windows above all reflected in his eyes.

When they had been children, every time they came to this hotel for a banquet, they would always find time to come play here. It had been almost a fixed ritual.

Days never stopped rushing forward. Every full moon and every waning moon looked exactly the same, but children always slowly grew into adults.

The swing seat was a two-person wrought-iron bench. Chen Wengang sat in the middle, swaying gently back and forth.

About a quarter of an hour later, someone came up behind him.

As that person approached, he deliberately made a little noise with his footsteps as a warning.

Chen Wengang turned back to look and saw Huo Niansheng walking toward him through the fountain lights, unhurried, until he came to a stop behind him.

Crossing the unspoken boundary—

Huo Niansheng pressed an elbow onto the backrest, and the chain-hung bench stopped moving.

He asked with a light laugh, “Why are you swinging here all by yourself?”

Chen Wengang curved his lips too. “I got tired, so I slipped away to be lazy for a bit.”

Huo Niansheng understood. “You all worked hard today.”

But in his hand he raised a thin piece of paper.

Chen Wengang’s eyes followed his hand and saw the words at the top: Auction Sale Confirmation.

Huo Niansheng folded the paper in two, then, holding it between his index and middle fingers, slipped it into the opening of Chen Wengang’s breast pocket. The sale confirmation bought for seven million lay pressed tightly against the folded pocket square. “It’s yours now.”

Chen Wengang did not take it out. He only touched the spot over his chest. “This gift is too expensive.”

“Is it?” Huo Niansheng tilted his head and looked at him with a smile. “Is it enough to buy me a different seat?”

Chen Wengang smiled and shifted a little to the left, freeing enough room for one person. Huo Niansheng went around half a circle and sat beside him, naturally resting his arm across the back of the bench. In that posture, it looked as though he had half-gathered Chen Wengang into his embrace, unspeakably ambiguous and intimate.

Chen Wengang pushed backward with his feet on the ground, and the swing bench resumed a slight swaying motion.

“Are you really going to pay this money?” Chen Wengang asked, confirming with him. “If you want to default on the bid, there’s still time. I can go back and work something out for you.”

Huo Niansheng was generous about it. “Once the hammer falls, there’s no regretting it. How could there be any private cheating after that? Even if tonight had gone to ten million, it still would have been a charitable sum that ought to be donated. Let’s just say I’m grateful to Miss He for giving me a chance to contribute to society.”

“Miss He should thank you too. Her objective today was achieved as well. Thanks to your seven million, she spent nothing herself, and tomorrow she can appear in the papers for free too, portrayed as someone whose deep devotion drove her to a reckless outburst for the sake of a handsome man.”

“You understand her that well?”

“Not exactly. It’s only that anyone with eyes can see she’s very ambitious. She has her own way of doing things. I won’t judge.”

Huo Niansheng looked at him for a moment, then laughed lightly. “And here I thought you were sitting here all alone feeling hurt, so I came to cheer you up.”

Chen Wengang said, “Of course I’m happy if someone stands up for me. Without you, who knows how this would have ended today.”

“That’s because you live too cautiously,” Huo Niansheng said, then suddenly changed tack. “Other than this, was there nothing else you liked?”

“No.”

“If there was something you wanted, you should have told me earlier.”

Chen Wengang only smiled. “Right now, from head to toe, everything I’m wearing was given by you.”

That seemed to add a trace of satisfaction to Huo Niansheng’s expression.

Suddenly he took Chen Wengang’s right hand and tugged his sleeve up a little, revealing the black watch underneath. With a finger, he tapped the Jaeger-LeCoultre. “This part still feels a little lacking.”

A key expression of a mature man’s taste and wealth was his wrist. There were not many types of jewelry a man could wear, and one of them was a watch. But twenty-year-old Chen Wengang had not yet reached the stage where he needed to emphasize status and prestige. For him, a watch worth tens of thousands was already enough. “What’s wrong with this watch? I’ve worn it for years. It’s easy to match with clothes.”

“It’s not bad. It’s only a matter of what suits and what doesn’t,” Huo Niansheng said. “I have one there that would suit you better.”

“I appreciate the kindness,” Chen Wengang said. “Young Master Huo is generous with his gifts. I already can’t repay all the favors I owe you.”

“Then don’t repay them.” Huo Niansheng laughed softly. “To spend a fortune in exchange for a beauty’s smile—I’ve always thought that was worth it.”

He stared at Chen Wengang with burning eyes, and the meaning behind that gaze could no longer be concealed.

The cool wind brushed softly over them.

He turned Chen Wengang’s chin toward him, his thumb gliding over his cheek and then downward.

It came to rest against those soft lips, carrying a hint of flirtatious, affectionate familiarity.

Huo Niansheng’s movements were smooth and natural, making him look like a seasoned veteran of romantic games, someone well-practiced in bombarding others with sugar-coated attacks.

He was the sort to let a person taste a brief sweetness, leave behind one beautiful and unreal memory, and then pull away the moment the dew evaporated.

Chen Wengang’s breathing stopped.

Huo Niansheng sensed every trace of his unease and trembling.

Yet he only continued in a soft, seductive voice. “You don’t have to insist on living so loftily detached. Look at everyone else—being a little more reckless isn’t such a big deal. You have the capital for it. With this face alone, you could make many people willingly do all sorts of things for you. Me, for example—I’m one of them. Whatever you want, I’m willing to satisfy you. Wengang, I’ve said this many times. I’m not joking.”

Chen Wengang lifted his eyes and asked him, “What if I no longer had this face?”

Huo Niansheng froze.

Perhaps because it was getting late, the fountain’s water and lights suddenly shut off at the same time. The pearl-like spray scattering over the pool ended abruptly.

In the darkness, the rose wall in the distance became a stretch of black shadow. The flowers hung their heads, and the pool fell into sleep.

Chen Wengang’s expression returned to normal. There was neither smugness nor mockery on his face, only the same calmness as always.

Though his tone had been that of a question, he was not truly waiting for an answer.

Or perhaps he did not know whether he could wait for one. With no expectation, there would be no disappointment.

And for a moment, Huo Niansheng said nothing. His gaze only drifted downward, almost unconsciously, below Chen Wengang’s chin.

The movement of his Adam’s apple rose and fell like a small peak. The black bow tie sat beneath the collar, neatly cinching that long, pale neck.

At this distance, he could undo it with the slightest movement of his fingers.

Suddenly Chen Wengang stepped off the swing, shattering the image. “It’s almost over downstairs. If we don’t go back now, someone will notice.”

A faint smile rose to Huo Niansheng’s lips, though it did not seem to reach his eyes.

He followed close behind. Then suddenly both his arms wrapped around Chen Wengang from behind.

The weight of the man leaned against him. Huo Niansheng touched his Adam’s apple and murmured at his ear, “I’m afraid that if I said it, you still might not believe me… But no matter what you look like, to me you’d still be a beauty.”

The most moving thing was always the careless, irresponsible love talk of a rake.

Chen Wengang’s footsteps paused slightly, leaning back against the solid warmth of the chest behind him.

A faint mist quietly spread. He closed his aching eyes.

No one knew—not even Huo Niansheng ever would—that inside him was a hollow that could never heal.

At this moment, a thousand feelings suddenly poured into it, yet he could not tell whether they were sorrow or joy.

And then he heard Huo Niansheng say, “Looks like it really is late getting back. Seems someone’s come to arrest you.”

With one movement of his hand, he still mischievously tugged the black bow tie loose.

Zheng Yucheng appeared from the direction of the rose wall, his expression dark. “Huo Niansheng, that’s enough.”

Chen Wengang stood between the two of them. Zheng Yucheng’s gaze fell on his now-empty collar, then curved away and stabbed coldly toward Huo Niansheng behind him.

The one being questioned remained perfectly courteous. “Don’t get angry yet. Take it slow and tell me what’s wrong. Why are you getting so upset?”

Zheng Yucheng clenched his teeth.

Why was he upset?

He had come to find Chen Wengang, only to arrive and see Huo Niansheng stuck to him like glue, touching him all over. Was he not supposed to be angry?

Zheng Yucheng said coldly, “First of all, let go. If the other party isn’t willing, then what you’re doing counts as sexual harassment.”

Chen Wengang frowned and rebuked him, “Enough.”

Huo Niansheng obediently let go. “I’ll try to pay attention next time.”

Zheng Yucheng continued, “Secondly, during the auction today, whatever your purpose was in pulling tricks…”

Huo Niansheng placed the loosened bow tie into Chen Wengang’s palm and slipped his hand into his pocket, then let out a scornful laugh. “This is your Zheng family auction, and you’re accusing me of playing tricks? If there’s any rigging in there, shouldn’t you know better than I do? Everyone bid, and the highest bidder won. What exactly is the problem?”

Zheng Yucheng took a deep breath. A nameless fire burned through his insides, but he suppressed the urge to lash out and straightened his expression.

“Listen to me first. I know you’ve always had conflicts with He Jiajun. If today you wanted to embarrass his sister, I understand. And anyway, you’ve already had enough of the spotlight.”

Huo Niansheng gestured for him to continue.

Zheng Yucheng said, “But there’s nothing special about that watch itself. If possible, I hope you can sell it to me.”

After a brief moment of thought, Huo Niansheng answered, “I can. But I don’t do business at a loss. One price: eight million.”

“…You!”

“What? Now you’re hesitating?” Huo Niansheng’s tone was teasing. “Then isn’t this just you trying to please the person in your heart while not wanting to spend the money?”

“This is pure nonsense. That’s not the point at all.” Zheng Yucheng knitted his brows. “Yes, maybe to people like you, some things are trivial—just props for showing off and winning a contest. But have you ever considered that, to someone else, they might carry very important meaning?”

At the side, Chen Wengang suddenly curved his lips. “Forget it. There’s no need to stir up so much trouble over just me.”

He took the sale confirmation from his breast pocket and handed it back to Huo Niansheng.

A trace of surprise crossed Zheng Yucheng’s face.

Huo Niansheng did not take it. Instead, he smiled, his voice warm and soft. “If I gave it to you, then it’s yours. I was only joking with Yucheng.”

That said, he still took the paper between his fingers from Chen Wengang’s hand. “Right—though there is one thing I forgot to ask. Does the buyer have to collect the item in person? Just to be safe, maybe I should go pick it up myself. Wengang, can I give it to you the next time we meet?”

Before Chen Wengang could answer, Huo Niansheng leaned close beside his cheek and said something in a voice only the two of them could hear.

“Also—how did you end up falling for such a blockhead? A hot-blooded brat this impulsive—does he even know how to cherish someone?”

Chen Wengang shot him a quick glance.

Huo Niansheng tucked away the confirmation slip, patted his shoulder, and took his leave.

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