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Chapter 76: You don’t want to spend the rest of your life with me?
After hanging up the phone, Chen Wengang felt a cool dampness on his knees. He lowered his head to see irregular watermarks left by Huo Niansheng’s hair.
He grabbed a towel from Huo Niansheng’s shoulder and casually wiped his head, saying in a playful tone, “Look what you’ve done.”
Huo Niansheng held onto the towel on his head and turned over, his gaze fixed on Chen Wengang. He leaned in and kissed the watermarks on Chen Wengang’s knee.
Through the cold and damp fabric, his lips felt hot, branding onto the knee, then tracing along the inner thigh.
Huo Niansheng parted his legs, causing Chen Wengang’s heart to beat wildly. He pushed against Huo Niansheng’s shoulder, trying to evade him.
Laughing, Chen Wengang curled up in bed, but Huo Niansheng pounced on him, turning him over and pinning him down.
Chen Wengang held his face, pecking at his forehead, nose bridge, and eyelids playfully. Huo Niansheng let him kiss him in a disorderly manner.
Huo Yingfei had just stumbled upon their intimacy, thinking they were about to have a wild encounter. He couldn’t imagine Huo Niansheng had such a tender side.
The bedding was as soft as clouds, wrapping people gently like a trap that made them forget everything, unwilling to leave.
After enough teasing, Chen Wengang stretched his waist, lying on the bed, exposing his neck, and asking for a massage.
Huo Niansheng earnestly reached out to massage him, saying, “One day you’ll boss me around.”
Chen Wengang turned his head, half-smiling, his pupils twinkling, “That’s only because you gave me the courage.”
Huo Niansheng looked down at him, feeling proud, “Yeah, I gave you the courage.”
He fell silent, using his thumbs to firmly massage down along the spine. The slender shoulders responded to his movements, either contracting or relaxing depending on whether it felt sore or refreshing. Chen Wengang let out a few sighs, sounding almost like encouragement, and Huo Niansheng served him with pleasure.
When they first became acquainted, Chen Wengang was always cautious, speaking a bit louder in front of him, almost startling himself. Huo Niansheng intentionally teased him, but not to the point of seeing him constantly on edge, as that wouldn’t be interesting either.
Since when did his thoughts gradually change in nature, becoming focused on how to make him smile?
Now, he could tease him endlessly, and somehow, Huo Niansheng felt it was even better this way.
He chuckled softly, “Now you’ve got guts and big ideas. I dare not interfere or inquire anymore. You say I don’t trust you, but what about you? Can’t you trust me a bit more by now? Just say whatever you want; there is no need to always test me.”
Chen Wengang buried his face in his arms, speechless but feeling a warmth in his chest, as if he had just soaked in a hot spring.
Those little actions before, he hadn’t really thought he could completely hide them from Huo Niansheng. Like meeting Huo Jingsheng for tea, or Huo Jingsheng providing him with Huo Zhenfei’s itinerary, these weren’t particularly ingenious tactics. How could they guarantee that not a single clue would leak out? Objectively speaking, when Huo Niansheng said he was testing him, it also meant he had figured out his thoughts, which wasn’t entirely unjustified. But what did this prove, really?
Did it prove that Huo Niansheng, like in the previous life, was equally accepting of him? He knew this idea was absurd.
After massaging for a while, Chen Wengang said he had enough, and Huo Niansheng patted his back.
Chen Wengang sat up, his shoulders more relaxed, and seeing him leaning against the headboard, he reached out to massage his temples, “Shall I massage you in return?”
Huo Niansheng chuckled and adopted a relaxed attitude, “Sure, when I’m old, I’ll rely on you to take care of me.”
Chen Wengang jokingly knelt on his lap, “Isn’t that just a subtle way of saying you want to grow old with me?”
The top button of his pajama collar was undone, revealing his fair neck, and rather than focusing on the massage, Huo Niansheng’s thoughts were already elsewhere. As he spoke, his hand slowly slid inside, mischievously saying, “What? You don’t want to spend the rest of your life with me?”
Hearing this, Chen Wengang was stunned, feeling a surge of emotions as if waves were crashing inside him. Suddenly, he slipped out from under Huo Niansheng’s arm, got off the bed, and said something about brushing his teeth before rushing to the bathroom.
Huo Niansheng was left speechless, knocking on the door from outside, “Hey, darling, is that how you repay me?”
Chen Wengang raised his voice and said, “You go to sleep first! We still have to talk about Jiang Cai tomorrow!”
In the end, he still let Huo Niansheng in, experiencing a reunion after a short separation, but neither of them mentioned the phrase “spend a lifetime together” again. It was as if they were afraid of regret.
When they came out, the room was dark. Huo Niansheng waited for him to get into bed and then turned off the bedside lamp, saying, “Let’s sleep.”
***
He held Huo Niansheng tightly in his arms, who was sleeping deeply and soundly. Huo Niansheng showed no signs of waking up, not even when Chen Wengang got out of bed.
The journey from Zhang City wasn’t far, just half an hour by high-speed train, but with consecutive days filled with various meetings, banquets, and events, Chen Wengang knew Huo Niansheng must have been busy. He lay at the bedside, gazing at Huo Niansheng’s face, with memories of the previous night swirling in his mind. After a while, he kissed Huo Niansheng on the forehead, got dressed, and went out for a walk.
The resort was surrounded by a tranquil environment, with lush greenery and melodious birdsong overhead.
Chen Wengang strolled along the path by the wooden bridge. At intervals on the bridge railing, there were inscriptions of poetic phrases. He glanced up and saw a line from Shakespeare:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou owest.
But at least this summer was already halfway over.
Passing by a vast artificial lake, a row of giant rocks led to the center of the lake.
In the middle of the lake, there was a solitary figure. As he approached, it looked like Jiang Cai.
He paused his steps briefly. There wasn’t necessarily a need to disturb her, but she was leaning over, staring into the water, appearing both self-pitying and distressed.
Chen Wengang hopped from one rock to another, reaching the one where she was crouching. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Jiang Cai glanced at him and said, “Can’t you see for yourself?”
Chen Wengang remained calm, hands in his pockets. “I understand you’re not feeling well.”
Jiang Cai hugged her knees, turning her head back to the lake and muttering, “I’m sorry.”
Surprisingly, Chen Wengang was taken aback.
Impatiently, she continued, “Alright, Eden has been lecturing me for days, saying I’m blunt and only make my situation worse or something like that. But I’m not completely insensitive.”
Chen Wengang pondered for a moment, then sat down beside her with crossed legs. “Where’s your mother?”
Jiang Cai: “She sneaked out early to consult with a lawyer.”
The mother and daughter stayed in the same room, sparing others from witnessing a full-scale confrontation here.
But Jiang Cai still seemed disdainful. “Do you think she’s crazy? Is it so important for her to make me acknowledge my roots?”
Chen Wengang said, “Her emotions are understandable. Maybe she’s afraid her health won’t hold up, and she wants you to have a support system.”
Jiang Cai glared at him, and he continued to explain, “As you’ve seen, for the Huo family, the easiest thing would be to throw money at you and be done with it. If you’re left alone in the future, they might give you a flat to live in or send someone to take care of you until you’re an adult, but they won’t acknowledge you. They might offer you a little favor, enough to sustain you for twenty years or even a lifetime. But if you’re left all by yourself, whatever favors they’ve given you, they can take back as they please. What your mother is demanding now is that the Huo family must accept your identity. That’s what they were arguing about yesterday.”
Jiang Cai said, “That’s all her wishful thinking.”
Chen Wengang asked, “What are your thoughts then?”
Jiang Cai vented, “I don’t have any thoughts.”
“Alright, let’s go eat first,” Chen Wengang said, noticing her confusion.
As they headed back to find the restaurant, they encountered Huo Niansheng coming down from the guest room floor. Chen Wengang approached him, and without hesitation, Huo Niansheng planted a morning kiss on his lips.
Jiang Cai had seen Huo Niansheng many times at the special education school, but knowing him now as her brother completely changed her mindset. It felt awkward and uncomfortable. Yet Huo Niansheng merely glanced at her, showing no interest, before shifting his gaze elsewhere.
Chen Wengang tugged at him, prompting Huo Niansheng to give her a smile. However, the intense mockery in his smile was better off not being shown.
Jiang Cai was momentarily taken aback, pursing her lips. It wasn’t exactly a disappointment; she hadn’t expected him to be a good companion from the start.
Currently, the resort only had one breakfast restaurant open, but it offered a rich variety of buffet options.
Chen Wengang and the others arrived first, grabbing some food and finding a seat by the window.
Luo Suwei also came down, pouring herself a glass of milk and grabbing two slices of cake before approaching them. “Good morning.”
Then Huo Zhenfei accompanied his father downstairs, and Chen Wengang observed them from afar.
He had seen them yesterday already; the members of the Huo family present here were basically the same as his impressions from his previous life.
Third Uncle Huo had dyed his hair jet black, looking much younger than his actual age. Some would even believe he was just in his early forties.
As for Second Uncle Huo, silver threads were mixed in with his hair, and his face had more wrinkles. Each line on his face seemed to hide a cunning and sly fox-like nature.
But in reality, from the moment he laid eyes on him, if looks could kill, Chen Wengang had already drawn several lines on his face.
He could forgive He Wanxin, but he would never forgive this old scoundrel.
In his previous life, after a police investigation, it was revealed that Second Uncle Huo had colluded with pirates for several years. They caused a cruise ship accident while their family members were out at sea. Apart from Huo Niansheng, Third Uncle Huo and Huo Zhenfei also tragically died. When the investigation results were disclosed, it shook society. The Huo family lost a significant number of elite talents. If it hadn’t been for this, the downfall of the Huo family wouldn’t have been so easy.
There was an indescribable chill in Chen Wengang’s eyes, and suddenly someone bumped into him.
Huo Niansheng chuckled in his ear, “Who are you glaring at with such resentment?”
Chen Wengang closed his eyes, and then a smirk appeared on his lips. “No one. You’ve got it wrong.”
Huo Yingfei walked in just as their eyes met. He snorted and grabbed a plate from the waiter.
Ignoring him, Huo Niansheng handed Chen Wengang a bowl of steamed eggs. “Who eats fried rice this early in the morning?”
Chen Wengang had clearly struggled with the two scoops of soy sauce fried rice for a while. When he finally tasted it, it turned out to be greasy. After poking it with his chopsticks a couple of times, he sighed, “Forget it, let’s not waste it.”
Huo Niansheng took his plate, scooped up a bit for himself, and then placed it back in front of Chen Wengang.
Jiang Cai’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She wasn’t staring at Chen Wengang, but at Huo Niansheng. That high and mighty attitude he displayed just now seemed so fake!
Jiang Cai had seen Huo Niansheng come to the school, but she hadn’t seen how they interacted privately. She also knew about many unwritten rules in society and had read novels, which led her to speculate darkly about their relationship. In her mind, she categorized it as “keeping.”
However, her limited experience hadn’t prepared her for this kind of “keeping,” and she wasn’t quite sure anymore.
Jiang Wanxia wasn’t present; she said she couldn’t eat this or that, so the restaurant made a special meal just for her.
The negotiations continued in yesterday’s presidential suite.
Today, when Huo Niansheng arrived, Chen Wengang also went into the study and sat next to him.
Author’s Note:
“But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st.”
This line is quoted from Shakespeare’s sonnet, and the translator of this version is unknown.
Note: Modern society still has pirates. Some may operate individually, while others are part of organized criminal gangs. The ones closest to us are likely scattered across the Malacca Strait and the entire Southeast Asian region. For example, Filipino pirates are notorious for crimes such as bombing attacks, extortion, and kidnapping.
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For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
I know Huo Niansheng doesn’t owe anything to anyone, but would it cost him so much to be “nice” to that girl? Even in a fake way. He knows what a disgusting dude his father was.