Prev | Table of Contents | Next
Chapter 68: Think about it and help me get him.
But he had probably figured out what was going on.
Zheng Bingyi shook his head. “Given my relationship with you and He Shibai, the alliance between our two families was originally a good thing. However, I don’t like her approach. Using coercion to achieve her goals—such a girl is hard to handle.”
He glanced at Chen Wengang. “But now that things have come to this, we can’t let it become public; it might turn into a scandal. Especially considering the recent significant support from the He family, we can’t afford to offend them. This is between the two of them, and we’ll have to leave it to fate.”
Chen Wengang showed a polite smile. “That’s true; it depends on fate. Whether it’s a good fate or a bad one remains to be seen.”
Leaving the chairman’s office, he went to the HR department to pick up a resignation form.
He filled out the form meticulously, starting with his immediate supervisor’s signature, then moving up through the chain of command, which took most of the day. Finally, he had to return to the chairman’s office to find Zheng Bingyi again. Chen Wengang watched as he pulled out a pen from his breast pocket and made a bold stroke.
Zheng Bingyi handed the form back to him. “Whatever you choose to do next, I wish you the best of luck.”
Chen Wengang nodded in acknowledgment and thanked him.
He returned to his desk, tidied it up, cleared away the unused office supplies he had received from logistics, and distributed them to others.
Finally, Chen Wengang stood there, watering the greenery, pondering if there were any unfinished tasks to hand over.
Colleagues who were close to him gathered around, discussing setting a time to have a farewell dinner for him.
Zheng Maoxun’s office seemed to crack open a bit, revealing half of his face, as if he wanted to come out but then thought otherwise and closed it shut.
After a while, Chen Wengang pushed the door and went to see him: “What’s wrong? Are you too embarrassed to bid me farewell?”
Zheng Maoxun furrowed his brow. “I just suddenly realized it’s unnecessary, isn’t it? We’ll still see each other when you go home tonight.”
Chen Wengang grinned and placed a rubber duck on top of his monitor. “Isn’t it cute? Here, this is for you.”
“What’s this?” Zheng Maohun widened his eyes. “A duck you play with during baths? How old are you to buy such a thing?”
“Don’t underestimate it.” Chen Wengang squeezed it, and it made a sound. He laughed. “This is a gift from Grace. Grace inherited it from the previous colleague, who inherited it from the predecessor… So, this duck is kind of a departmental heirloom. I’m passing it on to you, and you’ll have to continue passing it down.”
“I don’t want it; I don’t want it,” Zheng Maoxun said. “How about giving me that jumping frog of yours as a keepsake?” “No way.” Chen Wengang laughed, his eyes crinkling. “I’m taking that with me. You can’t have it.”
After the banter, he motioned for Zheng Maoxun to come closer, lowering his voice. “As I see it, if Zheng Yucheng and He Wanxin are really involved, you’ll have more chances to interact with her in the future. But she has an extreme personality, so you should be cautious.”
“Even if she’s really Zheng Yucheng’s girlfriend, it’s none of my concern. Why would I have many chances to interact with her?”
“If you want to enter a certain circle, it’s not as simple as saying you don’t want to. You and Baoqiu, didn’t you have friction with her last time? Don’t take it lightly; do you know what it means to offend the noble and not the villain? It’s because the villain can cause you harm behind your back, and being unprepared is the most dangerous.”
You’re making me nervous just listening to you describe her as a dangerous person.
“Just remember what I said. Even if I’m deceiving you, it won’t hurt to be more cautious.”
Zheng Maoxun felt strange: “But regardless of whether it’s true or not, it’s the first time I’ve heard you speak ill of someone behind their back.”
Chen Wengang smiled faintly: “Careful consideration isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right? Just consider it as me ‘leaving, but leaving with good words’.”
Zheng Maoxun: “Bah, what leaving with good words, I’ve never heard anyone say that about themselves.”
***
The streets below Zheng’s building were still bustling with traffic, with an ice cream truck across the street blaring its horn. Chen Wengang bought an ice cream cone, suddenly feeling a strange sense of relief but unsure where to go next. He looked around, not sure if the bald guy was still there. Normally, when he was at work, the bald guy would be loitering around downstairs.
But the bald guy wasn’t really one for conversation, and he didn’t know who else he could confide in with this vague sense of melancholy. Everyone had their own things to deal with, so bothering them unnecessarily seemed pointless.
In the end, he finished his ice cream.
A while back, reporters were always lurking nearby, eagerly waiting, but now no one was staking out anymore, although the headlines of a few financial magazines at the newsstand still covered the shipwreck incident involving Zheng. Since the incident occurred, there has been incessant criticism and questioning in society, with sensationalist headlines accusing the heartless boss of disregarding human life while more serious media discussed flaws in Zheng’s management.
So resigning at this time was a bit impulsive.
Zheng was going through a rough patch, and even Chen Wengang, one of his “own people,” was washing his hands of it. This signal would inevitably make his colleagues think more, potentially shaking their morale. Zheng Bingyi advised him to leave without much persuasion, which could be considered fulfilling his obligations.
By the time he finished his ice cream, Chen Wengang had some clear thoughts in his mind.
Huo Niansheng parked his sports car by the side of the street, got out of the car, and held a large bouquet of champagne roses in his right hand.
He walked toward Chen Wengang, acting in an assertive manner. It was unknown whether it was the car or the person who attracted more attention: “Shall we go somewhere for dinner?”
Chen Wengang approached, took the flowers, and smiled helplessly at him, “Can you be a little more low-key?”
Huo Niansheng was unabashed, smiling without saying a word, and instead proudly ushered him into the car.
They went to a restaurant run by Russians, where the receptionists were all tall, fair-skinned Russians, rolling their tongues to welcome them.
The last time Chen Wengang had eaten Russian food was with Li Hongqiong, and the taste of the borscht soup had stuck with him. He mentioned it to Huo Niansheng once, and Huo Niansheng brought him here. At least when it came to wining and dining, this playboy was always on point.
Huo Niansheng propped up his fork and listened with a smile as Chen Wengang shared what he had been up to lately.
Of course, there was no need to delve into the resignation from Zheng anymore. Chen Wengang had plenty of other topics to chat about; he knew many volunteers and encountered all sorts of stories. For example, there was a group distributing condoms to teenagers for disease prevention:
“They spent about an hour talking to this boy, explaining why even guys need to use protection, but all he kept saying was, ‘But I can’t get pregnant.’ He looked about sixteen or seventeen, still in high school. After finally getting through to him and him promising to be more careful, about six months later, he called the volunteers again for help, asking if… Sometimes it’s exasperating and amusing at the same time; you can’t help but laugh.”
Chen Wengang pulled out his napkin, glanced at him, and asked, “Do you mind talking about this over dinner?”
Huo Niansheng chuckled, “Go on. We’re all adults here, there’s nothing we can’t handle.”
Chen Wengang leaned on his chin and looked at him, “Maybe my stories are boring to you.”
Huo Niansheng smiled, “Your stories are never boring to me, no matter when.”
After dinner, they strolled around for a while. Huo Niansheng got a box of condoms and whispered in Chen Wengang’s ear, “We need protection, right? See, I listen carefully to everything you say and remember it.”
Chen Wengang smiled.
Huo Niansheng gently caressed him, and they kissed in the hotel’s high-rise room.
After he went to the bathroom, Chen Wengang sat up in the sound of water, wanting to search for cigarettes in Huo Niansheng’s pocket, but found nothing.
He sniffed Huo Niansheng’s clothes, still smelling that familiar woody scent. It had been a long time since he had smelled tobacco. Chen Wengang had to walk to the balcony empty-handed and look at the night view.
He understood some things in his heart. Perhaps Huo Niansheng now liked having a clean and clear lover. In Huo Niansheng’s mind, he was probably this kind of figure: gentle, kind, and unconcerned with worldly matters, which made him feel relaxed and protective.
So, he had always been indulged and sheltered by Huo Niansheng.
If possible, Chen Wengang wouldn’t mind living a simple life, studying diligently at school, doing research, and working in his familiar field. But if the situation didn’t allow him to stay aloof, then there was nothing he could do.
The incident at Zheng’s company and the approach of He Wanxin seemed to be reminders of this, making him inevitably cautious. Chen Wengang sighed at the glass and began to draw patterns bit by bit. The situation and relationships of the Huo family gradually became clear in his mind.
Huo Kaishan would pass away, Huo San would ascend, but disaster would still strike the Huo family. Since his rebirth, Chen Wengang has refrained from interfering in Huo Niansheng’s life because signs of crisis have not yet emerged. Even if there was a shadow in his heart, one couldn’t condemn events that hadn’t happened yet.
But when it came down to it, did Huo Niansheng have his own ideas, and did he have to be so honest?
***
Huo Jingsheng was surprised when he received a call from Chen Wengang, asking in a sarcastic tone, “Why would you want to see me?”
Chen Wengang’s voice carried a hint of warmth, “Second Young Master Huo, it’s been a while. Can we find a place to chat?”
“Why do you think I would chat with you?”
“Don’t be so rude. Last time you asked me to meet, didn’t I also cooperate?”
Huo Jingsheng still agreed, anyway, he just wanted to see what kind of medicine Chen Wengang was trying to sell.
Chen Wengang remained calm and composed. The day before the appointment, he visited Tongtong and Diandian at the Love Home.
Diandian suddenly cried when she saw him, and Chen Wengang squatted down and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Tongtong handed over the teddy bear he had given her last time. He looked it over and saw that its clothes were torn and the seams were coming apart. After taking it back, the staff had to wash and dry it, and other children also passed it around to play with, sometimes causing damage in minutes.
Chen Wengang brought a small stool and sat down, threading the needle, while Diandian lay beside him, watching him sew the skirt.
Director Liu brought a stool over, saying, “She doesn’t let others sew; she complains that others don’t sew well. She’s been waiting for you specifically.”
Chen Wengang replied, “It’s not that others don’t sew well. It’s part of the ceremony. Whoever buys it should sew it, right?” Tongtong nodded, displaying the logic of a child: “You’re its mommy!” So, taking care of it should also be his responsibility.
Chen Wengang replied, “That’s right. It’s a shame I’m a man, but I’ll be the daddy then, okay?” Diandian chuckled through her tears, chatting and laughing with her little friends.
The next day, he changed his attire, appearing refreshed and renewed as he confidently arrived at the tea house where he had agreed to meet Huo Jingsheng. Huo Jingsheng arrived late with an air of arrogance, and Chen Wengang stood up, calmly inviting him to take a seat.
Huo Jingsheng said to Chen Wengang, “I don’t have much time. Speak quickly.”
Chen Wengang remained composed, pouring tea for him, and said, “Let’s speak plainly. I’ve thought over what you said last time, but I have a question. You seem keen on seeing your elder brother marry someone, right?”
Huo Jingsheng sat up a bit, asking, “What are you trying to say?”
Chen Wengang continued, “You mentioned it was because the elders are concerned about his marriage. But what benefit does it bring to you if he ends up with someone from a powerful background? Obviously, none. But what if he continues to be irresponsible? You would probably prefer that, wouldn’t you?”
Huo Jingsheng glanced at him sideways.
Chen Wengang smiled warmly, “Exactly, that’s what I mean. I don’t want to see him marry someone else in the future, and I’m guessing you wouldn’t either. Consider helping me bring him down; what do you say?”
Huo Jingsheng pondered for a moment, then chuckled and put his legs down, “Haven’t you already brought him down? What else are you talking about?”
Chen Wengang was straightforward with him, “That’s not enough. Don’t you know how fickle he is? He has an attention span of three minutes. Talking about emotions is too elusive, and he can change his mind at any moment. I also want some assurance that I can keep him in check.”
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
