Chapter 38: Chen Wengang never complained to him.
Over the next week, Zheng Yucheng left early and returned late, working around the clock at the company and barely even coming home.
Just like in his past life, He Wanxin only sent the photos to Chen Wengang.
So far, it seemed no one else knew about the matter—He Wanxin’s goal in pulling this stunt was solely to destroy their relationship and to use it to blackmail Zheng Yucheng. But if a sex photo scandal broke out and became street gossip, it would be a devastating blow to her own reputation as well.
She wasn’t stupid, Chen Wengang knew this clearly, but whether she was crazy or not was hard to say.
With Huo Meijie discharged from the hospital and back home, Zheng Bingyi focused much less on the company, frequently making time to accompany his wife on walks.
As people age, they long for family happiness even more than when they were young. He showed extraordinary anticipation and doting affection for this youngest child. The nursery and cradle were set up early, and everything from infant clothes and supplies to a wide variety of toys were sent in one by one.
Zheng Yucheng burying his head in work without rest at this juncture could easily be perceived as him harboring resentment over the matter.
In reality, however, Zheng Yucheng no longer had any extra thoughts regarding Huo Meijie and the child.
His heart was just filled with a cold apathy—
Not to mention they didn’t even know if it was a boy or a girl yet, even if it was another younger brother, there would be a full twenty-year age gap between them. Unlike Zheng Maoxun, this little thing posed almost no threat to Zheng Yucheng’s position. Waiting for him to slowly grow up would take a very long time.
Zheng Bingyi was no fool. He was currently in his early fifties; by the time this child came of age, he would be nearing seventy.
In his future will, it would be best to allocate more gold, bonds, and real estate to the child, letting him grow up safely and become a wealthy man of leisure.
That was the logic, but for Zheng Yucheng, it was impossible to rest completely easy.
Huo Meijie, obviously, wasn’t someone who would stop whispering in her husband’s ear. There was no guarantee that in the next ten or so years, as Zheng Bingyi aged, he wouldn’t be swayed by her. If the younger one also got shares, combined with Zheng Maoxun’s, the situation could still be disadvantageous for Zheng Yucheng.
Several uncles who frequently visited the company as shareholders had all, explicitly or implicitly, advised Zheng Yucheng to make plans early.
What plans could he make?
There was no rush to marry, but he could start looking at suitable girls.
Elders always doted on their grandchildren. If he had an eldest grandson early on, his status wouldn’t be any less than that of the youngest son.
Zheng Yucheng scoffed at this idea, but when sleeping alone in his office, he found it both absurd and pathetic.
During the few days Zheng Yucheng spent escaping, no one in the outside world knew what the eldest young master of the Zheng family was going through, but certain tabloids still had fresh material.
The news of Chen Wengang “winning” a yacht from Huo Niansheng had leaked out through certain channels.
After all, there were many people present that day, and a lot of loose lips. With so many internet celebrities and models, it was hard to say who had secretly blabbed.
With added embellishments, the polite version said he won it in a bet, while the explicit version claimed Huo Niansheng was once again throwing away thousands in a high-profile pursuit of someone.
Chen Wengang saw a few newspapers; they were all printed in small, tofu block-sized blurbs. Presumably, this kind of gossip happening to Huo Niansheng wasn’t particularly new, and it wasn’t explosive enough to warrant more space. The reports referred to him as a certain Young Master Chen, without specifically revealing his name.
Therefore, he just read it and let it go, not taking it to heart.
Actually, even if his name were exposed, no one could really do anything to him. Gossip is a fearful thing; he knew this and had experienced it. Enduring strange looks from all directions was, after all, an exhausting ordeal, which is why rich people wanted to save face, and poor people wanted dignity.
But his face had truly been ruined once. He had endured it for seventeen years, and it seemed that was just how it was.
The only thing Chen Wengang wasn’t sure was a smart choice was hastily going to bed with Huo Niansheng.
A physical relationship is a form of intimacy; once it happens, something inevitably changes. At that time, he was actually far less calm than he appeared, but the arrow was already on the bowstring, and he had left himself no room for regret.
But when his clothes actually came off, he performed terribly. Chen Wengang knew he had messed it up.
That voice in his dream was like a warning from his subconscious; whether he was willing to admit it or not, he really wasn’t ready yet.
When he went to work in the afternoon, Chen Wengang saw his eldest sister Zheng Dongqing’s husband, Xiang Hao, at the company.
This brother-in-law could be considered handsome, except for a hairline that was receding a bit prematurely.
He had come to ask Zheng Yucheng for a favor. Regarding the batch of American agricultural products before the holiday, Zheng Yucheng had helped him figure out an alternative solution. Chen Wengang didn’t specifically ask about the details, but when Xiang Hao saw him, he always showed a hint of fawning: “Wengang, come visit Dongqing when you have time.”
Out of politeness, Chen Wengang agreed verbally.
As coincidence would have it, the very next afternoon, he actually ran into Zheng Dongqing at the department store.
Chen Wengang had gone there to get his watch calibrated by a clerk. Zheng Dongqing was shopping alone, carrying several bags in her hands. All by herself, she looked somewhat lonely.
When she saw Chen Wengang, she still had her usual soft-spoken demeanor, asking about his studies and life.
Chen Wengang helped her carry her things and stayed with her for a while longer.
Zheng Dongqing invited him to the rooftop Belle Palace for afternoon tea.
After they were led inside and seated, two wealthy socialite wives who knew her happened to be nearby. They came over to say hello with feigned surprise, their tone dripping with sarcasm—
“Dongqing, long time no see! Why haven’t you made time to hang out with us?”
“Are you just focused on being a good wife and mother at home now? Oh, wait, you don’t even have kids yet. Why are you cooping yourself up at home like a faded housewife?”
“I heard your husband’s business isn’t doing well. Is it a cash flow problem or what? Do you want us to introduce him to some financing channels?”
“Oh my, we know your family’s situation, you don’t have to foot the bill. We’re all just coming out to get together and have a good time, right?”
Chen Wengang stood to the side. He could hardly interject in this war between wealthy wives, and even he was dragged in and mocked a bit. Finally, he called a waiter over, and using the excuse that the AC was too strong at their table and the ceiling was leaking, they moved to a seat further away.
Zheng Dongqing blinked at Chen Wengang and handed him a napkin: “With all their chattering, they ended up catching you in the crossfire.”
Chen Wengang smiled gently and told her not to take it to heart. The wealthier the circle, the clearer the chain of contempt.
Those two socialite wives were the typical stuck-up sort. In truth, during his years at the Zheng household, he had encountered his fair share of similar faces. Especially in his first two years, when Zheng Yucheng took him out to make friends, those friends would show one face to Chen Wengang in person, and another behind his back.
A thousand people have a thousand faces; from Zheng Yucheng’s perspective, he couldn’t see this side of them, making it difficult for him to empathize.
Chen Wengang never complained to him about it.
Later, Zheng Yucheng assumed he was just aloof and couldn’t get along with his friends, but he didn’t force the issue anymore.
Zheng Dongqing picked up the bone china teapot and poured tea into his cup, but her mind was very clear: “Wengang, since I married your brother-in-law, it’s a case of ‘if you eat salted fish, you must put up with the thirst’. I chose this myself; it has its pros and cons. Do you remember a while back, when even buying an evening gown required Dad’s intervention? When Uncle Lin showed up at my door, my heart felt so complicated I couldn’t speak. But when I got home that night, your brother-in-law drew a footbath for me and massaged my shoulders. I knew then that I still wanted this kind of ordinary married life.”
After she finished speaking, she pursed her lips in a certain direction: “Look, like those two from just now. They might be dripping in jewels, but let me tell you, not a single one of their husbands isn’t fooling around outside. Not a single one. They know it themselves, but they just turn a blind eye. As long as their position as the main wife is secure, what does it matter if their husbands play around outside? What else can they do? Divorce does them no good at all.”
Zheng Dongqing said, “If I hadn’t married Xiang Hao back then, there’s a ninety-nine percent chance I would have eventually married someone exactly like that.”
Chen Wengang offered a comforting remark: “You and brother-in-law had a long courtship that blossomed into marriage. It’s different.”
But Zheng Dongqing said, “No, as long as you’re married, you’ll have the urge to get a divorce eight hundred times. No one is an exception.”
Chen Wengang was taken aback, unable to answer. He had never been married, after all, and only faintly substituted Huo Niansheng into the thought… but it was still hard to imagine.
She smiled: “But whatever. No matter how incompetent Xiang Hao is, at least he won’t cheat. To put it a bit more ruthlessly, as long as my maiden family is here, your brother-in-law wouldn’t dare cheat. Inside and outside the home, what I say goes. My parents-in-law, my brother-in-law, relatives, and friends—no one dares to give me grief. Wengang, I am a simple-minded person; living my days like this is enough for me.”
The two stopped talking about unhappy things and chatted about family matters for a while.
Later on, Zheng Dongqing said, “But a person still needs something to do. Recently—well, not recently, starting from last year, actually—I’ve been in contact with some autism charity organizations, regularly going to help them out.”
To Zheng Dongqing’s surprise, Chen Wengang was not unfamiliar with this field. When the topic shifted to autism intervention therapy systems, his knowledge was even professional. When discussing case experiences, he sounded as if he had been deeply involved in this field for years.
Zheng Dongqing was surprised he cared about these things.
Before she got married and they lived together, she had high hopes for this younger brother. His grades were excellent, and he was modest. With Zheng Bingyi’s careful cultivation, he would undoubtedly become a capable key player in the Zheng corporation in the future, destined for great success.
She never expected to hear faint rumors recently that he was leaving.
Zheng Dongqing had indirectly asked about this, and from their chat just now, she seemed to have found some answers.
Dedicating oneself to public welfare was actually a highly favored activity in so-called “high-society wives’ circles.” Even the two wealthy wives from earlier had promoted certain charity projects as a way to support their husbands’ careers. But in truth, one didn’t have to be someone’s wife to do such things; everyone just had their own ambitions.
Having agreed to chat more when they had the chance, Zheng Dongqing called her husband to pick her up towards the evening.
In the fading daylight, Chen Wengang parted ways with her at the entrance of the department store. He stood on the steps and watched Xiang Hao get out of the car, take the shopping bags, and hug his wife, giving her two big kisses. Zheng Dongqing smiled and waved at Chen Wengang.
Declining his brother-in-law’s slightly overly attentive offer to give him a ride, Chen Wengang was just about to hail a cab when he suddenly received a call from an unknown number.
The person on the phone asked him to walk a little further ahead, where a black Bentley was parked by the side of the road.
The car windows were tinted with privacy film, making it impossible to see inside.
But the driver was standing outside, and he swiftly opened the car door for him, revealing an empty interior.
The burly driver politely made a gesture: “Mr. Huo has invited you to go over.”
Chen Wengang asked, “Which Mr. Huo?”
The driver replied mechanically, “You will know when you get there.”
Playing games. Chen Wengang scoffed: “It’s Huo Jingsheng, isn’t it?”
The driver’s deliberately intimidating expression stiffened for a moment, proving he had guessed right.
The driver didn’t know how he had guessed it. Keeping a stiff face, he neither confirmed nor denied it: “Mr. Huo means no harm, you’ll know when you get there. Besides, in broad daylight, we couldn’t possibly take you anywhere illegal.”
Chen Wengang finally smiled at him: “I’ll make a phone call to tell my family.”
The driver took a half-step back: “Please, go ahead.”
The one who answered the phone was Zheng Baoqiu: “Huo Jingsheng? What does he want with you?”
Chen Wengang answered vaguely: “I’ll probably know when I get there.”
“Are you coming back home to sleep tonight then?”
“Not necessarily. You don’t need to leave the door unlocked for me.”
To Zheng Baoqiu, Huo Niansheng’s younger brother was also technically her cousin by blood. But there is always a difference in closeness; she was only familiar with her eldest cousin, and her relationship with her second cousin was much more distant. As for the bunch of illegitimate children further down the line… there was basically no relationship to speak of.
Zheng Maoxun happened to be next to her watching TV and overheard a little: “Our cousins are all weirdos, why are they all acting stranger and stranger lately?” But then he suddenly had a wild idea: “Chen Wengang couldn’t have been kidnapped, could he? Talking nonsense on purpose.”
Zheng Baoqiu rolled her eyes: “You watch too many cop movies.”
Zheng Maoxun snorted dismissively: “Is it really impossible? Sending a secret code to the family when in danger.”
Zheng Baoqiu suddenly revealed a smug smile: “Of course we’ve had a secret code for a long time. It’s just that you were excluded from it.”
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Author’s note:
Zheng Baoqiu towards her second brother: There is some familial affection, but not much.
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