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Chapter 56: Such a young life is not lived without struggle.
The rain finally stopped.
As the destination drew nearer, the street scenes became more familiar, and Chen Wengang actually realized where they were going.
He pressed the button for the 33rd floor, and the elevator doors opened with a ding, leading directly to the foyer of the apartment.
Huo Niansheng used his fingerprint to unlock the door, and an unbeatable view of the river greeted them. Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded almost half of the living room, providing an incredibly wide and breathtaking view. Chen Wengang stood in the foyer without moving; his shoe soles were covered in mud, while the camel-colored carpet inside was as clean as new.
Huo Niansheng brought him a pair of slippers, and at that moment, his phone rang.
It was Chen Xiangling calling Chen Wengang, sounding a bit anxious: “Brother, have my parents been looking for you recently?”
“Don’t worry,” Chen Wengang said warmly. “They didn’t? Did something happen?”
“They asked me if I received my internship salary and seemed to want me to hand over the money to the family… I don’t know how to hide it.”
“I advised your dad last time to leave you some money, and he agreed. Why suddenly ask you for your salary?”
“That’s also why I called you… Something might be wrong at home. That’s what I guess. A few days ago, I called home to ask if there was any flooding, and Guang Zong and Yao Zu said it seemed like someone was asking my dad for money. But they couldn’t explain it clearly.”
“This is something for the adults to handle; you don’t need to worry. Just focus on your studies and don’t tell them where you live or where your school is.”
“Okay… Why do you sound a bit nasal? Are you getting a cold recently?”
“A little, but it’s nothing. Anyway, let me handle whatever is left with them.”
Huo Niansheng listened to his comfort for a long time and remained patient until the moment he hung up, then he carried him directly to the bathroom.
Chen Wengang was pressed against the door panel. “What’s wrong? Are you angry again?”
Huo Niansheng pressed down on him with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “What do you think?”
Chen Wengang was trapped in the confined space, the man’s breath lingering in his own. Finally, with no third person present, Huo Niansheng’s movements were slow, gradually rolling up his clothes and pushing them up to his chest.
Chen Wengang turned his head slightly, a hint of color appearing on his face, feeling embarrassed to look into the mirror.
Huo Niansheng pointed at the location of his heart with his index finger and said, “Darling, I’ve been away for so long; I didn’t expect to come back and find you wearing a bunny costume at home waiting for me—at least, I definitely didn’t expect to see you wearing another man’s clothes while getting a shot at the hospital. Of course, I admire your bravery. Can you just tell me, with so many people you care about, is there still a place for me among them?”
After saying this, he saw Chen Wengang furrowing his brows, looking at him somewhat dazedly.
Seeing Chen Wengang like this also left Huo Niansheng puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
Chen Wengang wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face in his shoulder, not saying a word.
For a moment, Huo Niansheng suspected he might start crying again. He pulled him up but couldn’t discern any expression, which made Huo Niansheng reluctant to tease him further. He just held him close and patted him, saying, “Alright, alright… I was just teasing you. Why are you taking it seriously?”
Chen Wengang lowered his head to his neck and asked softly, “How do you know I don’t have you in my heart?”
“Do you?” Huo Niansheng smiled and asked, “Are you sure?”
“I do,” Chen Wengang said, “No one is more certain than me.” How else could he be certain? he wondered. Should he cut open his heart to show him?
Huo Niansheng’s eyes deepened, and he kissed him eagerly. One hand held the other, pressing against the tiles. Soon, his back was against the cold tiles, a chill creeping up quickly, causing Chen Wengang to shiver involuntarily.
Huo Niansheng came back to his senses and stopped playing around, taking off his clothes from his head.
After a pause, he casually tossed them into the laundry basket.
He turned on the heater, twisted a warm towel, and said, “Don’t shower yet; you might get a fever again. Just dry your hair.”
When Chen Wengang came out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe, Huo Niansheng was sitting on the sofa in the living room, drinking.
Outside the window, the sky had darkened after the rain; the post-rain sky was vast. There were no lights on indoors. The long sofa was neatly arranged facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, the dark carpet absorbing most of the reflection, and a telescope stood at the edge, its lens facing the sky outside.
Huo Niansheng held a glass with just a shallow layer of liquid left inside.
Chen Wengang walked over and called out, “Why are you drinking now?”
Huo Niansheng turned around, extending his hand to him, “Come here.”
Chen Wengang’s hand was held, and he sat in his embrace. Huo Niansheng hugged him, tilted his head back, finished the drink, and placed the glass on the small table.
Chen Wengang followed his gaze outside, seeing the floor-to-ceiling windows like a movie screen. The lights of the distant city formed a sea of stars—deep, faint, and hazy. The sea seemed to flow back into the sky, full of mysterious implications, dizzying if stared at for too long. And they were like passengers on a lonely boat, drifting with the currents in the cold, silent sea, with only each other.
When Huo Niansheng lowered his head again, Chen Wengang’s gaze had returned to his face.
The silvery moonlight and the vast sea of stars seemed to pour into his eyes at that moment, and he gazed quietly at Huo Niansheng.
Unable to resist, Huo Niansheng reached out to trace his features, suddenly feeling a bit tipsy from the alcohol. He was indeed a little drunk.
Biting his ear, he asked Chen Wengang, “Do you like this apartment?”
Chen Wengang countered, “Do you often stay here?”
Huo Niansheng placed his hand on his waist, sliding suggestively, his voice low, “I liked the light and the view when I bought this place, but after living here for a while, I stopped paying much attention. It just feels a bit empty living alone… and the space is too big.”
“Well, that’s easy to fix…” Chen Wengang turned around to whisper in his ear, his breath blowing into Huo Niansheng’s ear, “I’ll spend money to fill every corner with money trees for Master Huo… Wishing the boss continuous success and prosperity.” With that, he laughed in his arms.
Huo Niansheng chuckled and grabbed him, and the two of them rolled around on the sofa, ending up on the floor, dizzy, with their hips and legs bumping together and their chests pressed against each other. Huo Niansheng was on top of him, and Chen Wengang pushed him away with a smile, “Stop fooling around. You’re too heavy; get up.”
His moist lips brushed against his temple, “How long has it been since we last did it?”
Chen Wengang looked back tenderly and said, “I’ve always given you the chance.”
Huo Niansheng kissed him and said, “Come, sleep with me for a while. I’ve driven 500 kilometers with Lao Li in shifts.”
The two of them went to the master bedroom and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Huo Niansheng had thought Chen Wengang might hesitate about the bed, but he didn’t. He curled up in Huo Niansheng’s embrace, breathing peacefully.
When Huo Niansheng opened his eyes again, he didn’t know how many hours he had slept. The clock on the bedside table was stopped, and his arms were empty.
The bedding beside him was in disarray.
He hesitated for a moment, got out of bed, and heard some noise coming from outside.
Walking out, he found Chen Wengang in the dining room, sitting beside the central island with his back to him. In the darkness, Huo Niansheng saw his silhouette and inexplicably felt a sense of loneliness and a strange sadness. Chen Wengang held a martini glass, gazing out at the starry sky.
Huo Niansheng walked over to hug him, “What are you doing up?”
Chen Wengang heard his footsteps, turned his gaze back, slightly lowering his head, and subtly turned his face away to the other side.
As they faced each other, illuminated by the light from outside, Huo Niansheng suddenly saw his face clearly.
With the bridge of the nose as the boundary, the right side of Chen Wengang’s face, from forehead to neck, was uneven, with black and red scars that had not yet healed.
Common sense judgment indicated that it resembled some kind of chemical burn.
However, Huo Niansheng didn’t feel shocked or horrified because it was a known fact. He felt extreme pain in his heart, but the more painful he felt, the less he could show it. Because the person in front of him was more distressed and frightened than him. He had to be the calm one.
Huo Niansheng put on a smile on his face as if nothing was wrong, “You always stay up late like this, and the wounds won’t heal easily.”
Chen Wengang sat quietly, still staring at the cup in his hand, not speaking or acknowledging him.
However, Huo Niansheng knew that beneath that indifferent shell was an anxious soul, lost, frightened, and exhausted. His slender back seemed unable to bear any more weight, with no one to rely on beside him and no glimpse of tomorrow.
In such a young life, he hadn’t lived without effort, and then, abruptly, all brilliance was extinguished in an instant.
Huo Niansheng held him quietly, stroking his back, comforting him as if he were a frightened child.
But his chest was filled with an incredibly calm anger, almost touching something, Zheng Yucheng, and—
“…Niansheng!”
Huo Niansheng suddenly woke up. Chen Wengang was tightly holding his hand, and the bedside lamp was on.
He opened his eyes and met Chen Wengang’s worried gaze, “Did you have a nightmare?”
It took Huo Niansheng a while to regain control of his limbs. He raised his hand and touched the face in front of him.
The skin beneath his hand was warm. Smooth, delicate, and flawless. He hadn’t experienced any terrifying encounters. Huo Niansheng breathed a sigh of relief and sat up. Only then, realizing that he was covered in cold sweat, he almost shivered.
Chen Wengang looked at him, feeling Huo Niansheng’s expression was profound and unfathomable, scrutinizing him with a slightly unfamiliar gaze.
This made him uneasy, so he reached out to touch the other’s forehead and asked, “Are you feeling unwell? Did I infect you?”
“What did you just call me?” Huo Niansheng’s voice was hoarse from waking up, “Say it again.”
“What do you mean, say it again?” Chen Wengang didn’t understand, “Niansheng? Huo Niansheng?”
Huo Niansheng rolled over, and without hesitation pressed him down, “I want you.”
“Now?”
Chen Wengang was caught off guard, and his robe was forcefully pulled open by him.
Caught off guard, his lack of resistance was seen as acquiescence. Eventually, Chen Wengang gave up struggling, accepting his fate. However, Huo Niansheng only scrutinized every inch of his body with his eyes. For a while, Chen Wengang felt like he had become a teddy bear, being examined upside down. He didn’t even know what Huo Niansheng was looking for, whether it was a lost button or a loose thread on his clothes.
Finally, Huo Niansheng freed himself from the nightmare, letting Chen Wengang lie on top of him, his arms wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly.
Chen Wengang, still feeling confused, asked, “Not doing it? What’s wrong with you?”
Huo Niansheng diverted the conversation, “Speaking of which, did anyone bully you when you were in school?”
Chen Wengang thought for a moment, “Yeah, there were some.”
“What did they do to you?”
“They gave me nicknames, hid my homework, stole my things, framed me…”
“Do you remember who they were?”
“What are you getting at? It’s all been resolved… ” Chen Wengang looked at him suspiciously, not wanting to cause trouble, “I’m fine; I’m not a fool to let people bully me. There’s nothing to worry about now.”
Huo Niansheng observed every subtle expression on him, reluctantly believing him a little, and let him go, “Okay, let’s sleep.”
The clock on the bedside table pointed to three in the morning. It was still early morning, and they could sleep for a few more hours.
Chen Wengang suddenly sat up and reached for his phone, “I almost forgot. Remind me to take leave from work tomorrow.”
Huo Niansheng lazily set the alarm, “I’ve already sent a notice. Most areas of the city have suspended classes and work.”
Chen Wengang snuggled back into his arms, “Still need to confirm with the boss…” He closed his eyes again, his voice weakening.
After a while, Huo Niansheng checked his forehead and couldn’t resist looking at his face again. The person beside him had fallen asleep, so he slid down a bit and suddenly sat up, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and typed “precognitive dreams” into the search bar.
The phone screen reflected two bright spots in his eyes. After browsing for a while, it was all nonsense.
Huo Niansheng chuckled self-deprecatingly, put his phone back, turned off the bedside lamp, rolled over, and hugged the person tightly in his arms.
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oh my gooodddd he sees the previous life????!?!?!?!?!?!?!??
I wonder if Huo Niansheng will eventually “remember” everything or if he will just have some random dreams. This is one of the few cases where I’m not sure if I want him to remember because I doubt his memories will have any positive impact other than distress.