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Chapter 33: Can’t he even take care of this little thing?
Once Chen Wengang had settled into a more peaceful sleep, Huo Niansheng got out of bed again. He looked down at his wrinkled clothes and pants, chuckled self-deprecatingly, and tugged at his cuffs. Chen Wengang was like a puzzle to him, with numerous clues now connecting in Huo Niansheng’s mind.
For instance, there was the matter of him needing to see a doctor and get a prescription. Then there was the mysterious acquaintance with Alprazolam, a medication that, in his memory, shouldn’t be the only pill—there should be various colorful pills and capsules. He couldn’t recall anyone ever consuming such strong side-effect medications regularly. It was just a vague shadow flickering at the edge of his memory, like a figure behind frosted glass.
And what about the psychological issues? Why did Chen Wengang react so strongly when alcohol was splashed on him?
Had he experienced similar situations, suffered trauma, or been bullied?
Who was responsible for it? Zheng Baoqiu seemed oblivious, but did Zheng Yucheng know?
He claimed to be inseparable, but he couldn’t even take care of such incidents.
In any case, someone must have triggered him. A sinister look appeared in Huo Niansheng’s eyes. He refused to believe that there were no traces.
At this moment, faint knocks echoed, as if someone were cautiously tapping on the door.
Huo Niansheng went to open it.
Zheng Baoqiu stood outside, already changed into different clothes. She tried to peek inside as she moved her head around Huo Niansheng, asking, “How’s Wengang-ge doing?”
Huo Niansheng resumed his nonchalant attitude, casually smiling, “He’s fine.”
As he spoke, he walked out, casually locking the door behind him. “He’s asleep; don’t disturb him.”
Huo Niansheng had already taken two steps down the corridor, but Zheng Baoqiu remained behind, staring at the door for several moments.
Turning around, Huo Niansheng waited for Zheng Baoqiu to catch up. “Cousin, what’s the situation?”
“Not sure, probably some stress. Has anyone ever splashed something on him before?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Or something similar. Did anyone intentionally shoot him with a water gun when he was a child?”
“I don’t remember that either… Is it serious?”
“No. The doctor checked and said he’s fine.”
“That’s good.”
Zheng Baoqiu observed his expression, “By the way, we booked rooms when we arrived today. I’m in 501; Wengang-ge is in 503…”
Huo Niansheng pressed the down button next to the elevator.
The elevator coincidentally stopped on their floor, the doors opening with a ‘ding.’
Zheng Baoqiu followed him inside, and Huo Niansheng chuckled, “Baoqiu, he’s an adult now.”
As the elevator numbers changed, Zheng Baoqiu felt exposed and a bit embarrassed. Huo Niansheng continued, “He’s actually more mature than you, not a fool. He can take care of himself. Have you ever considered that always standing up for him might hurt his pride?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt his pride. It’s normal for family members to look out for each other, right?”
“Is it possible that subconsciously you still feel he’s in a weaker position in terms of status?”
“I… I don’t.” Zheng Baoqiu denied it verbally, but after some thought, she felt a bit uncertain. “Could it be?”
“Similarly, when I pursue him, it’s a matter between the two of us,” the elevator reached the ground floor, and Huo Niansheng playfully patted her head. “We’re both adults, and even if there’s something going on, it’s reasonable and legal. You don’t have to always worry that he will suffer a loss.”
“…I’m not worried that he will suffer a loss. I just think if you don’t want a relationship, don’t flirt around!” Zheng Baoqiu was startled, then realizing this, she lowered her voice and shouted from behind, “Come on, Dage, you’ll hurt others like this!”
Huo Niansheng just smiled, didn’t turn his head, and it was unclear if he heard it.
It was getting late, and the pool party was still ongoing but approaching its end. The floor was wet and slippery, covered in glitter and gold dust, resembling a champagne swamp. Some areas were half-dry, sticky, and uncertain, almost pricking the feet.
Qie Tongzhou was nowhere to be seen, probably sent back to the room by his god sister.
Li Hongqiong, however, was still on the terrace, drinking. Seeing Huo Niansheng, she approached, politely inquiring about the situation.
Huo Niansheng absentmindedly replied with a few words.
Seeing his demeanor, Li Hongqiong sneered, saying she needed to rest too.
Huo Niansheng lazily extended a hand, waved at her, then put it back in his pocket and wandered off to another place as if on tour.
His gaze searched through the crowd, and he suddenly caught sight of a figure, the same one from the restroom incident earlier in the night—the little model.
Huo Niansheng squinted and stared at the other for a few seconds.
The model sensed something and turned around to find him.
The boy felt elated and hurriedly approached, “Mr. Huo.”
Huo Niansheng leaned closer, the vulgar scent drifting into his nostrils. The model, with a throaty voice, said in a sticky and sultry manner, “Mr. Huo, haven’t you found any excitement yet?”
Huo Niansheng forced a smile, and the other interpreted his silence as agreement.
“My skills are excellent; you really should give it a try. Don’t rush to refuse. I can give you a performance…” he said, making a suggestive gesture: “You can decide after that, okay?”
Huo Niansheng narrowed his eyes and assessed him, “Where do you want to perform?”
It seemed like he didn’t have the patience to find a room.
The most secluded place recently—
The model instinctively gestured toward the direction of the restroom.
Huo Niansheng chuckled, “Your preferences are quite special.”
The model blushed, looking embarrassed, and was about to change his words, but Huo Niansheng continued, “Alright, your seduction skills aren’t impressive enough. Go find someone else to play with. But I heard you also have tactics to deal with your peers, right?”
The little model hesitated for a moment, stealing a glance at Huo Niansheng.
Huo Niansheng took out a metal lighter, flipping it open and then closing it, making a crisp sound. The metallic material reflected a glint of cold light.
***
As the night deepened, most of the party attendees had left, leaving only a few tipsy individuals lingering by the poolside.
Yu Shanding found some romantic company, reclining in a chaise lounge by the poolside with a beautiful woman, enjoying the breeze, not in the mood to move.
Holding their respective glasses of wine, they drank together under the moon. Suddenly, Yu Shanding felt a shadow behind him sneakily moving away.
He was puzzled, didn’t even see clearly whether it was a person or a ghost, and couldn’t be bothered to pay much attention.
After a while, two slightly intoxicated people came over, complaining about losing something.
The commotion they caused was too loud, shattering the fragrant and tender atmosphere. Yu Shanding couldn’t pretend not to have noticed anymore. He cursed his bad luck, wondering why he had to stay here for this. He gestured to the beautiful woman to go back to the room while approaching the two noisy individuals.
Upon inquiry, he learned that they had lost their phones, which were indeed valuable possessions. This prompted Yu Shanding to involve several staff members in the search, creating a bustling and determined group on a mission.
With no clues in sight, another young man came over, furrowing his brows slightly: “I’ve lost my phone too.”
Yu Shanding touched his forehead, vaguely recalling who this guy was—Zheng’s nephew, named Mu or something like that.
“What model, what color?” He asked, “Did you lock it in a cabinet tonight?”
“Black,” Mu Qing glared at him, “I’ve been carrying it on me.”
“So, it just disappeared recently?”
“It probably hasn’t been long, but it’s already turned off. It seems like the thief is targeting me and my friends.”
There were still no clues indicating why the phones went missing. But Mu Qing insisted it was a thief, and it made sense—three people who knew each other losing items simultaneously suggested the likelihood of a thief.
However, most of the people at the yacht club weren’t likely to steal such trivial possessions. What could be their motive?
Almost all the tables, chairs, benches, and even potted plants near the venue had been turned upside down, yielding no results.
One of the victims, already quite drunk, lost patience and insisted on searching everyone personally.
He was drunk to the point of confusion. Yu Shanding thought that most of the people who should leave had already left. Where should he find someone to search for?
Mu Qing remained relatively polite, calmly asking Yu Shanding, “Can we check the surveillance footage?”
Yu Shanding pouted, gesturing in the direction of the staff.
The staff hurriedly said, “Of course, we can retrieve it from the security department.”
After another round of searching, the results were disappointing. The surveillance system here was a bit outdated, with incomplete coverage. Even the areas covered by the cameras were too dark and crowded, with people entering and exiting, going ashore, and swimming. It was challenging to identify anything in the video.
The drunk man, having lost his patience, exploded in anger, threatening to complain about their useless surveillance system.
Mu Qing’s expression turned cold. “This is not just about money. A phone holds crucial information, and if it falls into the wrong hands, it could lead to serious trouble. I suggest you all think of a solution, or else I might just have to call the police and conduct a thorough search on everyone.”
At this moment, it was still Yu Shanding, who had sharp eyes, who finally noticed something unusual beneath the pool. “Hey, what’s that down there?”
Upon hearing this, everyone rushed over, leaning in to get a closer look.
The light reflected off the water, making it challenging to see clearly. Mu Qing’s friend squinted through the blurry vision when suddenly he felt a push from behind and plunged headfirst into the water, creating a splash.
The staff hurriedly worked together to pull him out, and as he coughed up a pool of water, the combination of alcohol in his system led to a mess of vomit all over the place.
The vomit splattered onto his pants, causing Mu Qing’s expression to subtly change. With a hint of disgust, he took a step back, unable to avoid the unfortunate aftermath.
His furrowed brows betrayed his annoyance, and the staff, though not vocalizing their reluctance, were equally unwilling to take a plunge into the water.
In the end, it took some time to drain the pool before the unidentified object was retrieved.
It turned out to be the phones of the three of them.
To be honest, it was Yu Shanding who secretly pushed him. Mainly because, with just a glance, he saw the culprit who had splashed Chen Wengang bending over in front of him. If he had to design revenge specifically, it would be a bit troublesome. But when the person was right in front of him, why not seize the opportunity?
This matter needed to be made known to Huo Niansheng.
However, Yu Shanding had no clue about the mastermind who threw the phones.
He vaguely thought about the sneaky movement earlier but shook his head. He couldn’t recall, feeling like he might be overthinking.
Just as he was contemplating, Huo Niansheng suddenly called. He could hear the chaotic background noise and asked, “Why are you still there?”
Yu Shanding distanced himself a bit and explained the situation to him.
Huo Niansheng responded with a nonchalant “Hmm” and an indifferent attitude. “You don’t need to accompany them in the search; it’s none of your concern. You’re here for reception, not to be their babysitter. Go back upstairs sooner. Let them deal with it themselves.”
***
Chen Wengang moved beneath the blanket.
It was Huo Niansheng’s low voice on the phone that had awakened him. Opening his eyes, he checked the time and realized he had only slept for a little over an hour.
Surprisingly, his mind felt much clearer. The quality of this short nap seemed to rival a night of deep sleep.
Extending a hand from under the covers, he received a smile from Huo Niansheng, who quickly ended the call. “Did I wake you up?”
Chen Wengang shook his head.
Huo Niansheng shifted down from the bedhead, reached over the blankets, and pulled him into an embrace through the covers.
Chen Wengang turned over, finding a comfortable position and resting his chin on Huo Niansheng’s neck.
Huo Niansheng’s embrace was as broad and warm as he remembered.
It was a moment that evoked a sense of nostalgia.
This was a moment he had once been willing to trade everything for but could never attain.
However, with alcohol spilled on him, making his clothes sticky and unpleasant, Chen Wengang quickly detected a mixture of alcohol, sweat, and sea salt scent on himself. As he lowered his head to inspect, just about to display a slightly wrinkled expression, Huo Niansheng beat him to it with a laugh: “You just lie on my bed like this and sleep without a word. I haven’t even said anything, and you’re already finding fault with yourself?”
Chen Wengang also chuckled, lifting the blanket to get up. “I’m going to take a shower.”
Putting on his shoes, he stepped off the bed and out of the bedroom, heading straight for the front door. As his fingers touched the doorknob, a large hand intercepted him.
Chen Wengang turned over, found a comfortable position, and rested his chin in the hollow of Huo Niansheng’s neck.
Huo Niansheng pressed him against the door, his voice carrying a teasing tone, “Going for a shower, huh? Why run so far?”
A curve appeared at the corner of Chen Wengang’s mouth. “I’ll go back to my own room to shower.”
Huo Niansheng retorted, “I have a bathroom here too.”
Chen Wengang was flipped over by him. Huo Niansheng lowered his head, kissing his forehead and then tracing along his nose to find his lips.
Chen Wengang couldn’t help but grab his arm.
However, after just two seconds, he pushed Huo Niansheng away.
“I’m going to take a shower.” Chen Wengang smiled helplessly. Who could bear facing someone in such a disheveled state? Huo Niansheng might be able to, but he couldn’t. “I can’t stand this smell of alcohol for even a second.”
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