DLRAS Chapter 30

Chapter 30: If you want to come, you can ask for the room card from the front desk.

Zheng Yucheng was standing by the window, gazing out.

Chen Wengang deliberately stepped heavily to make a bit of noise. “Are you and Zheng Maoxun alright?”

Compared to his younger brother, Zheng Yucheng was calmer. “I didn’t seek him out for a fight. When it comes to clients, I certainly know what’s important and what’s not. What I needed to correct was Zheng Maoxun’s attitude. Firstly, Novel Steel already has a shipping company they regularly partner with; this time was just a temporary booking, and they might not sign a long-term contract with us. It’s not a good habit to treat things as a done deal beforehand. Secondly, he can’t use that attitude toward his own sister and brother-in-law. Even if Dad were here, he wouldn’t disrespect his daughter and son-in-law without a word of warning.”

Chen Wengang closed the door behind him. “Not necessarily.”

Zheng Yucheng frowned. “What did you say?”

Chen Wengang explained, “Your brother-in-law is undeniably good to your sister, but in the past few years of running his company and making investments, whatever he touches seems to lose money. Last time your sister needed to buy a gown, money was tight. Yifu might have wanted to give him a subtle warning, to prevent a situation where ‘a bowl of rice creates a benefactor, but a bucket of rice creates an enemy’.”

Zheng Yucheng gave a bitter smile. “Given the situation, do you think I don’t know my brother-in-law isn’t cut out for business? But he and my eldest sister have been married for years; what can be done? If Dad wanted to warn him, there are plenty of other ways. He didn’t have to hit him where it hurts.”

Chen Wengang probed slightly, “Is his company’s financial situation really that desperate?”

Zheng Yucheng showed him his call log. “To be honest with you, when he called me, his voice was choked with tears. His cash flow is actually about to snap, and he was counting on these one or two major clients to keep him afloat. He didn’t dare let Dad know, so please keep this between us.”

This was not a matter for Chen Wengang to comment on, and of course, he didn’t have the idle time to go play informant.

He had only asked the extra question because Zheng Dongqing, as the eldest sister, had treated him quite well in the past. Emotionally, Chen Wengang didn’t want to see her suffer, but unfortunately, her husband was a devoted husband in every way except business, where he was like useless mud that couldn’t support a wall. Every family has its own difficulties.

Turning his head, he noticed Zheng Yucheng looking at him with a complex, hard-to-read expression.

Chen Wengang pulled his thoughts back. “What’s wrong? Is there another problem?”

Zheng Yucheng said, “I was just wondering if one day, you might have a moment where you don’t stand by my side.”

Chen Wengang raised an eyebrow. The fluorescent lights cast a pale hue and a faint blue shadow over his face.

For a moment, Zheng Yucheng was actually intimidated by his expression, but he couldn’t read what was in his mind.

He wanted to find the shadow of the youthful boy he had grown up with in him, but he couldn’t, leaving his heart feeling defeated.

Zheng Yucheng would probably never have the chance to know that, in his past life, there indeed was a Chen Wengang who always stood by his side—but that person had vanished forever. When Zheng Yucheng needed him, he was there; when the company was in trouble and needed someone to step up, he squeezed out his last drop of residual value.

It was only when he stood alone in court that Chen Wengang realized one thing.

It was Zheng Yucheng who hadn’t stood by his side first.

Chen Wengang suddenly smiled. “We aren’t kids anymore, why talk about taking sides? Be more mature.”

Zheng Yucheng turned his face away. At the edge of the coffee table stood a 22-inch suitcase. He was scheduled to leave directly after work to head to the airport with two company vice presidents and the business team. Tonight, after midnight, he would likely be on a red-eye flight.

Before leaving the office, Chen Wengang wished him a smooth trip.

Zheng Yucheng didn’t remind him, but the only thing he heard was, “Happy birthday.”

This was a profoundly terrible birthday for Zheng Yucheng.

Setting aside the hours-long flight delay at the airport, even after boarding—despite being in business class—he couldn’t entirely escape the torment of a crying toddler and turbulence. By the time they entered Singapore and checked into the hotel, all team members were practically too exhausted to keep their eyes open.

He forced himself to report his itinerary to Zheng Bingyi, who simply told him to observe and learn as much as possible.

His younger sister, Zheng Baoqiu, remembered to video call him to wish him a happy birthday.

Chen Wengang was beside her and exchanged a couple of light pleasantries.

Zheng Baoqiu sharply picked up on a clue. “Did you guys have a fight?”

They both simultaneously denied it.

Through the camera, Zheng Yucheng saw the background behind them: fine, snow-white sand, the azure sea and sky in the distance, dotted with white sails.

He was already trying his hardest to restrain himself from interfering with Chen Wengang’s freedom. Knowing Chen Wengang had accepted Huo Niansheng’s invitation, he hadn’t even asked a single question, but that didn’t stop jealousy from gnawing at his heart.

At this moment, Zheng Yucheng even regretted his feigned generosity.

He hung up the video call, tossed his phone on the bed, and, exhausted to the extreme, found himself suffering from insomnia.

Under the sun umbrella, Zheng Baoqiu leaned back in a lounge chair. “I really don’t understand you two.”

Chen Wengang smiled, not arguing, and handed her a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

The vacationing crowd, however, was full of joy. People were playing volleyball on the beach, riding dune buggies, and the air was filled with bikinis and cheerful laughter.

The yacht club was a high-end establishment in Jin City. Not only did it provide docking and maintenance services for yachts, but it also boasted upscale restaurants, a spa, swimming pools, a gym, a golf course, and even offered mountain climbing and horseback riding. It was considered a premier vacation destination.

That was why Zheng Baoqiu and Chen Wengang had arrived early, taking advantage of the morning before the sun got too harsh to play in the water by the beach.

Although Huo Niansheng had booked the venue, he might not even recognize everyone who came. People had invited friends who invited other friends; otherwise, the place was too big, and with too few people, it would feel too desolate to be fun. It was said that Yu Shanding had even hired a band and models to arrive in the afternoon.

Zheng Baoqiu scrunched her nose and whispered to Chen Wengang, “Did you know, Mu Qing is actually coming too.”

Chen Wengang didn’t mind. “Is he? He didn’t mention coming with us.”

Zheng Baoqiu said, “That’s perfect. I didn’t want him in my sports car anyway. He said another friend invited him.”

Zheng Baoqiu slathered on a thick layer of sunscreen and dove into the sea hugging a surfboard, while Chen Wengang stayed under the sun umbrella to watch her.

He rested his sunglasses atop his head and looked around, but Huo Niansheng never made an appearance on the beach.

By noon, the UV radiation began to intensify. Unwilling to stay outdoors any longer, Zheng Baoqiu discussed heading to the restaurant for lunch with Chen Wengang.

The two of them first went to their respective locker rooms to shower.

Chen Wengang washed off the salty, fishy smell brought by the sea breeze, got dressed, and walked out while drying his hair.

The towel obscured his vision. Someone was walking toward him head-on. He didn’t notice, and the person didn’t dodge; instead, they moved in the same direction toward him.

Chen Wengang bumped right into him and instinctively apologized, “Sorry—”

The other person reached out an arm and wrapped it around his waist.

Huo Niansheng’s voice was husky, carrying a smile. “Baby, did you miss me?”

Hearing his voice clearly, Chen Wengang hugged him back without a second thought. This small burst of enthusiasm even startled Huo Niansheng a little.

Huo Niansheng lowered his head, and Chen Wengang compliantly tilted his face up, letting him kiss his forehead.

Huo Niansheng held him with one arm while gently stroking his still-damp hair with his other hand.

After a moment, like a small animal, Chen Wengang hesitantly nuzzled his lips against his cheek and nose.

Warm breath puffed against his neck; it was hard to tell if this was an intimate touch or a light, soft kiss.

Huo Niansheng teased in a low voice, “Is this a case of absence making the heart grow fonder?”

Chen Wengang replied, “No.”

It wasn’t an absence, nor were they newlyweds.

If he were a captive bird, Huo Niansheng was his old forest.

Huo Niansheng pressed him against a row of lockers, and the two embraced like that for a moment. Familiar scents lingered in the narrow space.

This place wasn’t secure; someone could walk in and see them at any moment. Huo Niansheng stood with his back to the door, hiding Chen Wengang in his arms.

Chen Wengang didn’t care. He rested his chin against the crook of Huo Niansheng’s neck, pressed tightly against him in both body and soul.

Huo Niansheng laughed softly. “I have a long-term suite here, room 707.”

He told Chen Wengang, “If you want to come, you can ask the front desk for a room key.”

The unspoken understanding between adults was clear. Since both parties were willing—

Chen Wengang’s heart pounded wildly.

Huo Niansheng let go and patted his back. “Are we eating together later?”

Chen Wengang smiled. “I can’t leave Baoqiu behind. I’ll go find her first.”

“Perfect. I have a friend here too. The four of us can eat together.”

Chen Wengang waited at the entrance of the women’s locker room for Zheng Baoqiu, who had taken her sweet time showering.

When they regrouped, standing next to Huo Niansheng was his friend—a beautiful woman with a very strong presence, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She narrowed her eyes, assessing Chen Wengang for a moment, then, observing ‘ladies first’, extended a hand to Baoqiu. “Hello, my name is Li Hongqiong.”

Zheng Baoqiu shook her hand, her eyes curving into crescents. “Hongqiong-jie, I’ve heard of you. My dad praises you for being very formidable in business.”

Li Hongqiong smiled. “You flatter me. Your father was definitely just being polite when he said that. You shouldn’t take it seriously.”

Zheng Baoqiu complimented her, “It’s true, he even uses you to motivate my brother, which is why your name has been ringing in my ears.”

Li Hongqiong was well acquainted with Huo Niansheng. Because Zheng Baoqiu was young, she didn’t usually run in the same circles as her. But it wasn’t a lie that she had heard of her, nor was her admiration fake. Among the four major shipping tycoons—Zheng, Huo, Li, and He—the daughter of the Li family was famously known as a heroine who outshone men.

Chen Wengang also shook her hand and introduced himself, but Li Hongqiong looked at him with profound meaning.

The assessing look became increasingly obvious.

Chen Wengang wasn’t sure if she had heard of him from somewhere, but he knew of Li Hongqiong.

In his past life, she was the high-born heiress rumored to be the most likely candidate for a marriage alliance with Huo Niansheng.

Even though Chen Wengang never left the house, he had seen rumors about the two of them in gossip magazines. Men should marry when they come of age, and women the same; for a while, reporters were overwhelmingly speculating that a happy occasion between the two was near. They spoke with such certainty that it seemed the time and place for the engagement banquet had already been set.

If one day Huo Niansheng had suddenly appeared on TV to announce his marriage, Chen Wengang wouldn’t have found it surprising.

Flipping through those magazines, he actually found it hard to describe what he felt inside. He looked down on himself a bit; like a dodder plant, he could only survive by clinging to Huo Niansheng. Even if Huo Niansheng were to marry, he was powerless to do anything but continue hiding in the shameful shadows. Privately, Chen Wengang had actually made plans to leave; he didn’t want to—and couldn’t—endure a second He Wanxin.

But in the end, those two never got together.

Li Hongqiong continued being her CEO, and Huo Niansheng continued being his playboy. It wasn’t that they were a mismatch—marriage alliances were about interests, not feelings. Wealthy couples sharing a bed but living separate lives were a dime a dozen. It could only be said that neither of them wanted to live that way.

As for the reasons, the paparazzi had fabricated plenty of inside stories, even throwing in some deeply passionate, dramatic versions of love and hate.

Chen Wengang had read one that dragged him into it, claiming that Young Master Huo’s exclusive devotion to a mysterious underground lover was completely unacceptable to Miss Li, and that this was the real reason. For Young Master Huo to never abandon this underground lover, even if they were ugly, must mean it was true love; and Miss Li’s inability to tolerate it might also have been because she had genuinely caught feelings. In the end, they were fated to meet but not to stay together. In short, there were many absurd tales.

The four of them had lunch in the Ocean Restaurant, decorated to look like an aquarium.

After the meal, Zheng Baoqiu went to the restroom. Huo Niansheng stepped outside to take a call, leaving Chen Wengang and Li Hongqiong standing alone at the restaurant entrance.

Li Hongqiong tapped her knuckle against the massive glass tank, eyeing the jellyfish swimming inside, and asked, “What are you guys doing this afternoon?”

Following Zheng Baoqiu’s lead, Chen Wengang called her “Hongqiong-jie” and said they had no plans yet.

“June—call me by my English name. A little girl calling me jie is sweet, but hearing it from a guy is just weird. I don’t like it.”

Chen Wengang smiled gently and apologetically. At that moment, Zheng Baoqiu pushed the door open and came out, asking, “I’m here! Where are we going?”

“Do you usually exercise?” Li Hongqiong thought for a moment. “Do you want to go mountain climbing with me and Old Huo?”

“It’s too sunny. I don’t want to get tanned as dark as coal,” Zheng Baoqiu said. “I’ll just play tennis with Wengang-ge.”

“What are you guys talking about? Looking for fun?” Huo Niansheng walked over, completing the group.

“Sort of,” Li Hongqiong looked at him. “Do you want to join their activity, or should we head up the mountain as originally planned?”

“I’ll respect the elderly and care for the young,” Huo Niansheng laughed. “The youngest decides. Whatever Baoqiu chooses, I’ll go along with it.”

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