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Chapter 5: A combination of smoke, seaweed, iodine, and seaside campfires.
When the sky began to brighten, Chen Wengang was awakened by a nightmare. He collected himself, still feeling a sense of loss, and proceeded to go to school as usual.
Like all the younger members of the Zheng family, he didn’t stay in the dorms; instead, he commuted to the university when he had classes.
Chen Wengang and Zheng Yucheng were both majoring in business management. They often attended classes together, and they would frequently discuss topics while driving in Zheng Yucheng’s commonly used silver BMW, a vehicle that always attracted attention among the students.
Chen Wengang wasn’t sure when it started, but some people began digging into his true background, claiming that he wasn’t as well-off as he appeared and was merely wearing the façade of a wealthy individual.
Alternatively, there were doubts about his opportunism, and opinions varied greatly. There were all sorts of gossip and rumors.
In today’s class, Chen Wengang was the only one present. He sat in the front row, listening to the lecture, but he was aware that students on the forum were discussing him.
The student forum at Jin City University was officially affiliated with the school, and each student could only register one account with their student ID. The chat area prohibited mentioning names and personal information, but students found ways to tiptoe around the rules using various abbreviations, nicknames, and aliases, always on the verge of breaking the rules.
———
7L: One of them showed up for class today; I couldn’t tell what mood he was in. The other one didn’t come with him. Did they have a fight when they went back?
12L replies to 7L: It took me a while to figure out who you’re talking about. Maybe he just came for the class; why overthink it?
23L: Are you talking about C? In the recent drama, isn’t he the third party in a love triangle? How can he have the audacity to come to class like nothing happened? If I were him, exposed in a cheating scandal, both reputation and dignity torn apart, I’d hide at home and never show my face.
30L replies to 23L: Wait, something like that happened? Spill the tea!
34L replies to 30L: You haven’t seen it yet? Someone recorded a video; it’s quite sensational.
45L: I can’t find it anymore. Since last night, all the videos related to personal accounts have been ordered to be deleted. Heard it’s pressure from the school board, with notifications going from department heads to counselors telling students not to spread it anymore. Well, there’s some influence behind the scenes.
51L: Deleting them won’t help. I still have it on my phone. If anyone wants it, leave your email.
59L replies to 45L: Ah? So well-connected? Rich second generation? Then he’s actually quite pathetic. Where did the rumors about him pretending to be rich come from? Is it true or false? Any enlightenment?
69L: Are you guys talking about the C I’m imagining? He can’t be that kind of person. He’s very good-looking, with a good temper. We had classes together last semester, and I was even thinking of getting his number.
73L replies to 69L: Good looks don’t mean anything. You girls just follow your values and judge by appearances.
80L replies to 73L: Are you a guy? You’re not even as good as C. He’s at least more successful, wealthier, and maybe even taller than you—are you six feet tall? If not, you’re just here criticizing girls.
———
Students were a group of people who were either extremely busy or extremely idle, and the forum was a gathering place for the latter.
But not all students have the habit of browsing the forum.
In his previous life, Chen Wengang rarely visited, and neither did Zheng Yucheng. They were the type to be extremely busy, spending less time at school than at the company. While other students were busy participating in clubs, socializing, and engaging in community service, Chen Wengang spent his first two summer vacations at the port, watching workers handle container loading and unloading and dealing with sea breezes and sun exposure every day.
His social circle wasn’t large, centered around Zheng Yucheng. During school, he never thought about making a splash or being all-around. After a few years of post-graduation, these posts full of gossip would just be a pile of old data.
Chen Wengang leaned on his hand, swiping the phone screen while pondering all of this.
In reality, the situation was better than Chen Wengang had imagined. Not everyone was outright condemning him. In his previous life, when someone falsely accused him of using improper means to gain academic benefits, it caused a huge uproar among students. The Academic Committee had to form an investigation team, which took a long time to clear his name. Unfortunately, it also caused him to miss the deadline for applying to the master’s program. He now realized that the forum was relatively normal before that incident.
Except for a few persistent accounts continuously exposing his information, he suspected Mu Qing might be among them, but he wasn’t sure which one.
Chen Wengang decided not to dwell on it and closed the forum page.
Finding out who was behind the accounts was a simple task; the challenge was how to handle it after finding out. But there was still time; there was no need to rush.
***
After class, Chen Wengang, carrying his textbooks, headed to the east gate of the university as planned. The Lincoln from the Zheng family was parked across the street.
The driver waited in the car, and Zheng Baoqiu waved to him from beside the car door, “Wengang-ge, over here!”
Chen Wengang got in the car, and next to Zheng Baoqiu was an additional companion, a pure white poodle lying in a cage, licking with its tongue.
This poodle was raised by Mrs. Zheng, Huo Meijie. It had pure blood, complete certificates, and even won awards internationally. It took a lot of effort to bring it home, making it extremely precious. There was usually someone responsible for regularly taking it to grooming sessions.
Today, this task fell to Zheng Baoqiu.
She played with the little dog: “Coincidentally, I heard Qin-jie was scheduling a time with the pet store before going out. She said she wanted to send it for grooming. Since it’s on the way, I brought Yoyo along. Is it okay if we drop it off at the pet store on the way?”
Chen Wengang had no objections, and he played with the dog through the cage.
The little poodle extended its tongue to lick his fingers, inevitably making him miss Halley.
Halley was Chen Wengang’s dog, a German Shepherd given to him by Huo Niansheng in his previous life.
The German Shepherd, known for its stature and strength, was just a puppy when Huo Niansheng brought it to Chen Wengang. It was only this big at the time.
That was the time when Chen Wengang’s willpower was at its lowest. Issues of depression and anxiety tormented both him and Huo Niansheng. He was unwilling to go out, afraid to see people, avoiding social interactions, and becoming increasingly isolated.
One day, Huo Niansheng came to visit him, bringing along this little thing.
Chen Wengang still remembered how Huo Niansheng cradled the tiny dog, saying, “They say it grows up in the blink of an eye; just feed it casually, and it will become very protective of its owner.” The puppy wanted to lick his hand, and Huo Niansheng brought it over to comfort Chen Wengang: “Look at its appearance. What name do you think suits it?”
Chen Wengang hesitated, and before he knew it, Huo Niansheng had placed the dog in his arms, a warm bundle of fur snuggling against his chest.
Instinctively, Chen Wengang held onto it, and it made whimpering sounds.
The name Halley was eventually chosen by Huo Niansheng, but it was Chen Wengang who gradually raised it with his own hands.
Huo Niansheng invested as much money and effort in Halley as Mrs. Zheng did in her precious pet. He hired a retired training instructor to train it according to police dog standards. Halley turned out to be an excellent soldier, faithfully guarding Chen Wengang throughout its life.
Even after Huo Niansheng was gone, it continued to stick closely to its owner.
Everyone in Jin City, even those who had only heard Mr. Chen’s name, knew that one of his distinguishing characteristics was that he always carried a leash with him. The German Shepherd followed him, alert and docile, staring intently at anyone who approached, both vigilant and gentle.
For Chen Wengang, there would be no better dog than Halley in this world.
When they arrived at the department store, they dropped Yoyo off at the pet grooming center.
Zheng Baoqiu chattered away, discussing with Chen Wengang what kind of welcome gift would be suitable. “What do you guys usually need? Ties? Belts? Wallets? I thought about it for a long time. Doesn’t it all sound like Father’s Day gifts for your dad?”
Chen Wengang had an idea in mind. Behind the department store, he took Zheng Baoqiu directly to the Whisky House.
There were various bars along this street, and shops exclusively selling liquor were clustered here.
Giving someone a wallet or a tie might not be appreciated or even used. Buying a bottle of their favorite liquor, on the other hand, was likely to be enjoyed.
After some consideration, Zheng Baoqiu thought the choice of alcohol was a good one, but she suggested, “Isn’t red wine more common? I know the owner of that shop over there; they have good connections. Last time, they even got a bottle of real 1974 Romanée-Conti for my dad!”
Chen Wengang smiled: “How about checking both and comparing them before deciding?”
Zheng Baoqiu agreed.
Although they visited a few shops, they ended up returning to the Whisky House.
Seeing Chen Wengang holding the bottle of Macallan with a focused expression, Zheng Baoqiu felt inexplicably that this was the right choice.
Even Zheng Baoqiu found herself strangely certain about this choice of gift, though it was a risky one. “But this whisky is heavily peated—”
Unless one was intimately familiar with the other person’s preferences, the taste of peat was divisive, much like cilantro: loved by some and detested by others.
Those who love it felt that the strong, smoky flavor was the essence of whisky; otherwise, what was the point of drinking whisky?
Those who detest it felt that drinking it was akin to consuming disinfectant steeped in an ashtray, and the smell was like burning a pile of tires.
Taste was a very personal thing, and Zheng Baoqiu had never gone drinking with her cousin, so it was normal that she did not know it.
As for Chen Wengang, when he recalled, he realized that he became aware of Huo Niansheng’s taste primarily due to the liquor cabinet in his house.
Living at Huo Niansheng’s place for a long time, he had never paid attention to the liquor cabinet until one day when he couldn’t sleep until the early morning. Huo Niansheng had confiscated all his cigarettes as he had to undergo surgery repeatedly. Huo Niansheng was not around that day, and Chen Wengang recalled the rows of bottles downstairs and hoped to find some solace in alcohol while the owner was absent.
But to his surprise, Huo Niansheng was already there, sitting alone at the small bar and drinking.
That day, Huo Niansheng opened a bottle of Scotch whisky. The crystal bottle sparkled under the laser lights, and the glass was filled with amber liquid, topped with a perfect round ice ball. That glass was called a whisky tumbler, specifically designed for drinking whisky, with a thick bottom to accommodate ice.
“What’s wrong?”
“…”
“Did you hear my footsteps and specifically come downstairs to welcome me?”
“No, actually, I was just checking if there was any alcohol.”
“The doctor told you to quit smoking and drinking.”
“I know. Sorry. Good night.”
Chen Wengang turned to go back upstairs when Huo Niansheng suddenly stopped him and said, “Come here.”
He pulled Chen Wengang into his arms, holding him close, and whispered in his ear, “You can break the rules a bit, but don’t drink too much.”
Chen Wengang sat on Huo Niansheng’s lap and tasted a blend of smokiness, seaweed, iodine, and the scent of a seaside bonfire in his mouth.
That was the heavy flavor of peat.
The memory scenes swayed and shattered, yet numerous details remained vivid and abrupt. Moonlight draped over them like a layer of white gauze. Huo Niansheng didn’t lift that veil but instead unveiled his robe.The moonlight covered them like a layer of white veil, and Huo Niansheng did not remove the veil, but opened his nightgown. This memory belonged to an earlier time in their relationship when Chen Wengang’s face hadn’t fully healed, he didn’t know Huo Niansheng as well, and Halley hadn’t even been born yet.
Chen Wengang said to Zheng Baoqiu, “It’s okay.” He told the shop assistant, “Just wrap it up with this.”
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For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
Please don’t drop this.
I really want to see what it will be like to meet again 🤩
Thanks for the update 🤗 🤗
Wahh, I’m excited for the reunion! 😢