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Chapter 58: On the contrary, your side is the calmest.
Li Hongqiong held a tall glass and walked along the red carpet, with a layer of peach-colored liquid inside, the rim of the glass reflecting the overhead lights.
Huo Niansheng leaned against the railing, one arm draped back, while the other hand held a whisky glass.
She asked curiously, “What were you and Zheng Yucheng whispering about inside?”
“Nothing much, just reminiscing about the old days.”
“I can’t imagine you having ‘old days’.”
“There are many things you can’t imagine about me. You probably can’t even imagine me being a decent boyfriend,” Huo Niansheng raised his glass to her, observing her speechless expression, “At least I can play that role somewhat decently—do you want a drink?”
“No, thank you,” Li Hongqiong said, raising her eyebrows with a hint of disdain. “Keep your peat monster to yourself.”
“I actually think this flavor has a story to it,” Huo Niansheng remarked.
Their friends came and went, laughter erupting from somewhere nearby, indicating some amusing conversation.
Li Hongqiong paused beside Huo Niansheng, and the two engaged in small talk about other matters. Eventually, the conversation circled back to Zheng Yucheng, who had just left.
What puzzled Li Hongqiong was, “Is he getting close to He Wanxin again? I thought that’s no longer possible.”
Huo Niansheng replied, “I’m not really sure about that. I rarely pay attention to irrelevant gossip.”
Li Hongqiong responded to his nonsense with her usual disdain, then chuckled, and emptied her glass.
As far as she saw it, He Wanxin was playing a game against the odds—
Being an illegitimate daughter herself, she managed to secure the trust of her biological father and her half-brother, which was no small feat. Now, as a young lady of the He family, with extensive business cooperation between the Zheng and He families, marriage was the most powerful way to solidify their collaboration. Zheng Yucheng was the most suitable match she could have chosen—a promising future, emotionally driven, and if she could handle him, she could reach the sky in a single step.
Previously, He Wanxin had remained steadfast in her infatuation with Zheng Yucheng, causing quite a stir. Although it wasn’t particularly pleasing to the eye, it served a purpose. Now, even if there were other eligible girls within the He family, they wouldn’t dare compete with her for love.
However, every advantage has its drawbacks. Zheng Bingyi might not appreciate a daughter-in-law who doesn’t know her place, and he would surely consider this when making his decision.
Perhaps because of this, after eliminating external threats, she had recently started to behave. Li Hongqiong heard that He Wanxin had been enthusiastically involved in charity work lately, sometimes attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies for environmental organizations, sometimes fundraising for the renovation of public libraries, in short, keeping herself busy.
Some prioritize love above all else, while others only love money and power. But who knows who will ultimately get what they want.
Li Hongqiong turned her gaze to Huo Niansheng and suddenly said, “If the child adopted by Mr. Zheng had been a girl instead of a boy, maybe things wouldn’t be like this now. Which one do you think he would prefer for a daughter-in-law? Someone with a good family background? Or someone who’s a good homemaker?”
Huo Niansheng glanced at her casually but firmly and said, “I think your hypothesis is all nonsense.”
***
Driver Lao Li opened the door for Huo Niansheng. He sat in the back seat and heard the other party asking: “Mr. Huo, where are you going tonight?”
Huo Niansheng was about to say Yunding Tower, but suddenly changed his words: “Let’s go back to Yushui Bay.”
Yunding Tower was the apartment he had taken Chen Wengang to last time. Yushui Bay was the old mansion of the Huo family.
On the way, Huo Niansheng closed his eyes to rest, with just a hint of tipsiness that wouldn’t quite make him drunk.
Tonight he met Zheng Yucheng, drank alcohol, and employed psychological tactics, but he didn’t manage to extract anything substantial from the other party. Indeed, Zheng Yucheng was somewhat evasive, and it couldn’t be denied that his friend didn’t regard Chen Wengang highly.
However, the damage on the internet didn’t provide Huo Niansheng with concrete evidence.
This sense of frustration was rare for him. Or perhaps it could only indicate that Zheng Yucheng was simply unaware of these matters.
Huo Niansheng smirked.
Chen Wengang’s panic disorder didn’t arise out of nowhere.
It was also difficult for him to dismiss that dream as just a nightmare. Whenever Huo Niansheng closed his eyes, the heavily scarred Chen Wengang appeared more like a vivid memory, constantly hovering threateningly above him.
Huo Niansheng didn’t dwell on trivial matters often and rarely tortured himself for unnecessary things, but this became one of them.
But it didn’t matter. Being a foolish worrier was still better than being a regretful fool.
The driver stopped the car at the entrance and said, “Mr. Huo, we’ve arrived.”
In that instant, as he entered, Huo Niansheng suddenly thought that if there was any threat to Chen Wengang, it might very well originate from within the Huo family. With Huo Kaishan gone, anything could happen.
He frowned for a moment, then relaxed.
In the living room, his cousin Huo Zhenfei was lecturing his son in a strict manner, “So why can’t you pass?”
The seven or eight-year-old boy, seeing Huo Niansheng enter, immediately cast a pleading look, “Uncle…”
Huo Niansheng smiled, “That’s probably enough. At this age, do you really think it’s necessary for him to learn Latin?”
Huo Zhenfei sat upright like a stern father, “I’m doing this for his own good. He’ll thank me when he grows up.”
Currently, the old mansion housed Huo Niansheng’s third uncle’s family. Huo Zhenfei was the only child of the third uncle and was thirty-five years old this year.
Huo Niansheng’s third uncle married early, and his son followed his father’s example and married early as well. With the addition of the little one in front of them, there were four generations under one roof.
Huo Niansheng wasn’t particularly fond of children, but his attitude toward life somehow made children think he was cool.
So Huo Zhenfei’s son, Huo Yuxiang, stuck to him a lot, “Uncle, when will you take me out to play?”
A slender figure suddenly flashed through Huo Niansheng’s mind.
A smile crept onto his lips, “Whenever there’s a chance. I’ll introduce you to some new friends.”
Huo Zhenfei sent his son upstairs and sat down face to face with Huo Niansheng at the bar.
“A drink?”
“No, thanks. I’ve had quite a bit tonight.”
So Huo Zhenfei poured himself a drink and said, “I really have to thank you. Recently, things have finally settled down without endless scandals.”
Huo Niansheng raised an eyebrow, “Are you teasing me?”
Huo Zhenfei said, “It’s true. Grandfather’s critical illness news has already dealt a big blow to investor confidence, and then Fourth Uncle’s divorce scandal came out. Honestly, I was most worried that you wouldn’t stay out of trouble, but when push came to shove, you’ve been the most subdued.”
Huo Niansheng chuckled lightly, “Aren’t you afraid my past will be dug up?”
Huo Zhenfei looked at him and said, “Actually, we all know, back then…”
Back then, Huo Niansheng’s biological father, a notorious philanderer, died under questionable circumstances, living a scandalous life even in death. In short, he went to the underworld early and maintained his reputation as a flirtatious ghost. Huo Niansheng and Huo Jingsheng were essentially orphaned, left to be raised by nannies within the large family.
Among their generation, Huo Zhenfei was the eldest. Below him was the son of First Uncle Huo, Huo Yingfei, who was of similar age to Huo Niansheng.
Huo Zhenfei still remembered how, for some reason, Grandfather Huo Kaishan always had many grievances against Huo Niansheng.
In contrast to Huo Niansheng, there was Huo Yingfei, a graceful and gentle young man. Huo Kaishan once praised this grandson as “gentle and courteous, a true gentleman.” But the problem lies precisely here. The more Huo Yingfei demonstrated his understanding of propriety and etiquette, the more it contrasted with Huo Niansheng’s unruliness.
Over time, Huo Zhenfei seemed to have noticed the pattern: First Uncle Huo often slandered Huo Niansheng in front of their grandfather.
However, what was strange was that he didn’t target Huo Jingsheng much, perhaps because Huo Jingsheng was younger and remained relatively uninvolved.
The incident occurred during Huo Yingfei’s coming-of-age birthday banquet, when he invited classmates and friends to celebrate at home. A large group of teenagers, many of whom had some alcohol, stayed overnight in the guest rooms. On the first day, a girl came out crying, claiming she had been molested during the night.
The surveillance footage only captured a figure entering her room, and both Huo Niansheng and Huo Yingfei’s silhouettes matched the figure.
Their body types were the only ones that matched.
First Uncle Huo swore to Huo Kaishan, “Yingfei couldn’t possibly do such a thing.”
Third Uncle Huo said: “The girl couldn’t recognize who she was even after drinking. Maybe it was done by an outsider. We need to find more evidence.”
At this time, Huo Jingsheng suddenly said: “I saw my dage yesterday… leaving the room in the middle of the night and quietly entering her door.”
Huo Zhenfei can still recall the scene at that time. After Huo Jingsheng finished speaking, he closed his mouth tightly and lowered his head. Huo Niansheng didn’t defend himself at all. He kept leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a careless smile: “Have you finished talking? It had nothing to do with me.”
He turned and walked away, causing Huo Kaishan to slam his teacup, “If we don’t handle this scoundrel, he’ll be out of control!”
Since there was no substantial evidence of assault, no DNA test was conducted, and the woman didn’t want to make a scene to avoid damaging her reputation. In order to cover up this potentially scandalous situation, the Huo family showed a genuine willingness to settle privately and sent Huo Niansheng abroad to avoid trouble.
Huo Zhenfei overheard First Uncle Huo suggesting this to Huo Kaishan outside the study.
As he turned around, he noticed Huo Yingfei had also appeared behind him at some point, still wearing his genteel smile.
“It’s just a pity for that girl, enduring injustice and having to swallow her grievances,” Huo Yingfei patted Huo Zhenfei’s shoulder, “He’s the one who caused this mess, yet we have to cover it up for him. There’s no other way, since he’s family… Wouldn’t you agree?”
But after Huo Niansheng went abroad, he seemed to give up on himself altogether. He didn’t keep in touch with his family much, and Huo Zhenfei only received news about him through various rumors. It was said that he indulged in debauchery, spending his days and nights in revelry, neglecting all responsibilities.
Gradually, whenever Huo Niansheng was mentioned, it was always about the Huo family producing another prodigal son.
The former one was his father.
Reflecting on the past, Huo Zhenfei felt a tinge of regret, setting his cup down and scrutinizing his cousin with narrowed eyes.
Now, ten years had passed, and countless events had occurred in between, many of which had experienced various changes. For example, despite the clumsy framing and accusations from back then, upon reflection, many aspects naturally couldn’t hold up. Also, Huo Yingfei’s sexual harassment of several female students during his college years, which led to his tarnished reputation, was frequently ridiculed by tabloids. Over the years, he no longer pretended to be a gentleman.
Huo Zhenfei sighed, “I know you dislike those self-righteous moralists because of Huo Yingfei…”
Huo Niansheng countered, “Not entirely.”
Huo Zhenfei raised an eyebrow, “Who was the last one to mock others, the ones who appear righteous but are full of hypocrisy?”
Huo Niansheng shrugged indifferently, “Huo Yingfei is Huo Yingfei, and others are others. I don’t believe in guilt by association. My tastes may have changed now, preferring those who are noble, refined, and uninterested in fame and fortune.”
Huo Zhenfei’s gaze became probing, “I can tell something’s up with you.”
Huo Niansheng didn’t deny it.
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