DLRAS Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Do you really not know whether people are laughing at you?

The old helper’s face dropped into a sullen, displeased scowl.

He had served in this grand mansion for decades, and the silver hairs scattered through his head felt like individual badges of merit. Having labored for so many years, the Huo residence was his domain. To demand that he bow his head on his own turf to someone with an ambiguous, unacknowledged status felt entirely beneath his dignity.

He stood his ground without moving. Chen Wengang removed his overcoat himself, and Huo Niansheng caught it in one hand, extending his arm and holding it out in mid-air.

Three seconds later, the helper compromised. With visible reluctance, he took the coat and hung it up.

Only then did Huo Niansheng hand him the box. “At least check what kind of day it is. Uncle Zhong, your seniority is high, but don’t go over the line playing the elder card.”

Chen Wengang remained quiet, offering no comment.

The old helper took the birthday gift and walked away without looking back.

Because they had arrived early, Huo Zhenfei’s family was still in the dining room having breakfast. “Would you two like to join us for a bite?”

Huo Niansheng threw his weight back into a chair, spreading his legs in a dominant posture as he complained, “Forget it, not in the mood.”

“Oh, Uncle Zhong, right.” Huo Zhenfei had already heard about the friction at the door. “He has taken care of Grandfather for half his life, after all. Even your dad and my dad were raised under his watch from the moment they were born. He’s earned his stripes through hard work and merit; even I have to cut him some slack. Don’t go bickering with an elder.”

Huo Niansheng put on an exaggerated expression. “Years ago when I came here, it was this exact same rhetoric. How is it that it’s still the exact same pitch today? He’s practically climbed over the heads of the family; what do you mean ‘earned his stripes through hard work and merit’? You’re going to head the household and take charge in the future—can you really not manage him?”

Huo Zhenfei merely offered a mild smile. “It’s not a question of whether I can manage him or not. For the sake of the older generation’s face, one still has to show some respect for old ties.”

Huo Niansheng pinched a crab roe bun and popped it into his mouth. “If you ask me, just let him stick around a little longer, then boot him out in the future.”

He said in the future—which meant after Huo Kaishan passed away. Huo Zhenfei cast a brief glance in Chen Wengang’s direction.

“It’s not like he just started acting this way today. You never used to make things difficult for him before, so what’s gotten into you now?” He lowered his voice. “Just brought someone home, and you’re already putting on a performance of throwing a furious tantrum all for a pretty face?”

Huo Niansheng snorted in amusement. Claiming he wasn’t going to eat, he pinched another barbecued pork bun and popped it into his mouth, devouring them one by one.

Chen Wengang looked around; Jiang Cai wasn’t at the table at the moment.

Huo Zhenfei’s secretary had handled her school transfer, so she normally lived on campus, though she should have been picked up and brought back by now.

Huo Zhenfei turned toward him, clearing his throat as if by way of explanation: “She didn’t want to join us. She requested to eat in her own room.”

His son, Huo Yuxiang, was intensely curious about Chen Wengang. The little boy edged closer. “What does ‘throwing a furious tantrum all for a pretty face’ mean?”

Huo Zhenfei’s wife spoke up quite politely, offering a gentle reprimand: “Don’t be impolite.”

Her next pregnancy was already showing, her lower abdomen slightly protruding. She patted her son’s head. “Alright, once you’re done eating, go play with this brother… Uncle. It’s Uncle Chen’s first time here; why don’t you take him around the house for a tour, okay?”

Uncle Chen offered a friendly smile. Huo Yuxiang stared blankly for a second, then nodded, hopped off his chair, and grabbed his hand.

The two cousins, Huo Niansheng and Huo Zhenfei, headed to the study.

Chen Wengang looked up; on the staircase, a person dressed like a nurse walked past holding a tray.

The little boy was highly enthusiastic, leading Chen Wengang on a tour inside and outside the mansion. “Over there is the kitchen, and this side is the greenhouse… look, these are the strawberries I planted.” Huo Yuxiang rummaged around, picking up a box of marbles from the greenhouse windowsill. “Grandpa Zhong’s grandson gave these to me.”

He squatted on the ground, placing one marble in front of him, then flicked another with his thumb, causing the two glass spheres to collide with a click.

Huo Yuxiang stuck out his tongue. “Only when Feifei comes over can someone play with me. My mom says it’s unrefined and that I’d be better off spending my time practicing baseball.”

Chen Wengang smiled, squatting down as well. He gave him a wink and whispered, “I can play with you too.”

Huo Yuxiang was delighted. He scooped out two small dirt pits in the ground, and the adult and child squatted in the greenhouse flicking marbles together. The little one knelt on the ground with his backside stuck out; by the time he remembered himself, his pants were already covered in dirt. He scrambled up, nervously patting his knees.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” he comforted himself. “It only got a little dirty. Don’t tell my dad.”

Chen Wengang laughed, gesturing for the boy to stop, and brushed the dirt off his backside for him.

Clutching his backside, Huo Yuxiang tilted his head to look up at him, feeling deeply reassured.

Chen Wengang took his tiny hand, and the two slipped stealthily back into the house.

Huo Yuxiang intended to sneak off to wash his hands, also feeling a slight urge to relieve himself. “Uncle, wait for me, I need to use the restroom.”

Chen Wengang stood by the stairwell waiting for him.

The landing featured a photo wall, and he looked up to scan the frames, which held all kinds of family portraits. Chen Wengang searched for Huo Niansheng among the faces from years gone by, but it wasn’t an easy task; Huo Niansheng’s appearances in them were few and far between.

A familiar face flashed past his peripheral vision, causing him to almost misidentify it, but looking closer, it still wasn’t him.

A youth of seventeen or eighteen, with handsome features and a pair of affectionate, sweeping bedroom eyes, stood between his parents, with three younger brothers beside him.

This must be the late Huo Fenglai.

Even knowing this man had been promiscuous and irresponsible, his physical appearance remained mesmerizing enough—affectionate and wealthy, like a singing siren. It was no wonder women had been captivated wave after wave, whether for his wealth or for his person.

Huo Niansheng closely resembled his biological father, but in terms of sheer looks, the student had surpassed the master. He seemed to have inherited all the finest genes of his parents, whereas Huo Fenglai looked comparatively softer and more feminine. Yet the pride and mockery deep within their gazes were cut from the exact same cloth.

Chen Wengang stared at Huo Fenglai in a daze, lost in thought.

At that moment, someone approached from behind: “Looking at the photos? These are all pieces of history passed down through the generations of the family.”

Chen Wengang turned his head around. Huo Yingfei was strolling over along the wall from the corridor.

He was wandering about alone. Chen Wengang took half a step back, offering a polite but perfunctory smile.

Huo Yingfei didn’t mind much, acting as if the awkward incident of being punched by Huo Niansheng had never even occurred. He pointed to a frame lower down on the wall. “The people in this family portrait are the most complete; it was taken when Grandmother was still alive. Huo Yuxiang had just been born that year.”

Chen Wengang indeed spotted Huo Zhenfei’s wife in the photo, cradling a swaddled infant in her arms.

In this photo, he finally caught sight of Huo Niansheng—hands shoved in his pockets, standing at the very edge, looking carelessly at the camera lens.

Further up were photos of Huo Zhenfei’s wedding from his youth; his bride was draped in a wedding dress, pristine and sacred, the occasion incredibly grand.

An explicit, meaningful smile surfaced on Huo Yingfei’s face as he reminisced: “That wedding of theirs—the media reported it as a ‘wedding of the century.’ Just organizing it cost a hundred million. It was a perfect match between equal families; prominent figures from politics, business, culture, and sports all showed up to offer their congratulations. That is what a wealthy family’s wedding ought to look like. Speaking of which, later on when Yuxiang was born, because a eldest grandson had been added to the family, I remember Grandfather was absolutely thrilled. The very day his name was chosen, he gifted a yacht named after him. Oh… you probably wouldn’t find that unique, right? After all, Huo Niansheng gifted a vessel to you in a similar fashion. But his scale still can’t compare to Grandfather’s. Before Sister-in-law had even finished her postpartum confinement, Grandfather directly rewarded her with a villa valued at fifty million and two hundred million in cash. Otherwise, why do you think she’s in such a rush to get pregnant again now?”

Chen Wengang had fully grasped his meaning by now, his expression turning cold.

Huo Yingfei spoke with heavy insinuation, glancing at his stomach. “So it’s a pity. If you could give birth, the family wouldn’t treat you poorly either. Don’t you agree it’s still better to be a woman? The earnings come easily, it’s perfectly legitimate, and being a wealthy matriarch is completely natural.”

He let out another ill-intentioned sigh. “Too bad for you, though—you’re at a massive disadvantage from a biological standpoint. You and Huo Niansheng claim to be married, but at best it’s just a form of self-consolation. Did he trick you so well that it felt real, or did you actually believe it yourself? Sneaking off abroad, holding a ceremony in secret, without a single important guest present—do you two call that a marriage or playing house? He treats you like this, so it doesn’t look like he holds you in particularly high regard. Do you truly not know whether others are offering blessings or just watching a comedy show? To put it bluntly, Huo Niansheng’s domestic civil registry still lists him as unmarried. Even if he goes ahead and marries a woman, it wouldn’t count as bigamy. You’d better think it through carefully.”

Inside the study, Huo Zhenfei flicked his cigarette ash. “Let’s leave it at that then.”

Huo Niansheng uncrossed his legs, rose to his feet, tugged down the hem of his jacket, and gave him a look.

The two exited the study one after the other, heading downstairs. From a distance, they saw more than one person standing at the corner.

Chen Wengang suddenly felt a firm grip under his armpits as his feet left the floor—Huo Niansheng had approached from behind, playfully hoisting him up in one motion. Chen Wengang had been scowling with knitted brows at Huo Yingfei, but at this, he let out a startled gasp, lowering his voice to chide him: “What are you doing? Stop messing around, put me down quickly.”

Huo Niansheng complied and set him down, resting an arm heavily across Chen Wengang’s shoulders as he sneered at Huo Yingfei in a cynical tone: “Are you envious of being a woman, or are you envious of getting two hundred million handed to you? If you want it so badly, why don’t you go find a wife yourself—never mind, it would be quicker for you to just snip off what’s down there.”

Standing behind, the two had caught a portion of the conversation just now. Huo Zhenfei felt a bit displeased hearing his own wife and child brought into it, so he didn’t interject, causing the atmosphere to freeze momentarily. Huo Yingfei’s face dropped, his eyes darting around.

Just then, Huo Yuxiang came running back from the restroom. “I want to fly too!”

Reading the room, he stole a glance at his father, his tone softening slightly: “Cousin-uncle… I want to too.”

Huo Niansheng arched an eyebrow, scooped him up under his arm, and charged downstairs, prompting a thrilled shriek from the boy.

Huo Zhenfei followed behind, raising his voice to reprimand his son, telling him not to shout inside the house.

Chen Wengang quickened his pace to keep up with Huo Niansheng. The entrance area was noisy as the butler led in a few more younger members of the Huo family, and the group exchanged looks.

Those individuals stepped forward to exchange greetings, their curious and probing gazes darting toward Chen Wengang.

Huo Niansheng had claimed to have traveled abroad to marry someone, and that marital partner capable of snagging a playboy like him had practically taken on the reputation of a vixen in the rumor mill. Some had heard of it before, while others were entirely clueless.

Regardless of which category they fell into, they couldn’t help but look closer to see what this male Daji looked like.

Huo Niansheng was averse to socializing, so carrying Huo Yuxiang on his shoulders, he headed out to the backyard. Huo Yuxiang hadn’t forgotten Chen Wengang, extending a hand to urge him to follow.

Chen Wengang offered a smile, closing the glass door behind him with his hand, leaving behind a tall, slender silhouette.

The banquet commenced at noon.

Huo Kaishan’s physical condition was frail, requiring quiet rest, so he hadn’t come down even after everyone had gathered.

A sick patient couldn’t bear noise, so although this birthday was hosted with grandeur, there was no crowded scene of abundant guests and friends. The only ones present to offer birthday wishes were a handful of sons and grandsons—mostly male members of the Huo family, barely filling a single table. Even the daughters who had married out hadn’t been called back.

Chen Wengang sat next to Huo Niansheng; were it not for this arrangement, he might have had to sit face-to-face with Huo Meijie.

The sole granddaughter present was Jiang Cai, who didn’t trudge out from her room until it was time to eat. This time, the adolescent child couldn’t be blamed for being anti-social; she and Chen Wengang had become the two most conspicuous presences at the table, with pair after pair of eyes testing their depths.

The kitchen served a tureen of fish maw, sea snail, and chicken soup to everyone, but the supply ran out right before reaching the two of them.

Huo Niansheng slid his own soup tureen in front of Chen Wengang, lifting his head as several gazes quickly retracted.

Chen Wengang shook his head quietly. “Drink it yourself.”

Huo Niansheng’s expression remained indifferent as he scooped a spoonful and brought it to his lips. “It’s nothing special, just taste it.”

Huo the Third Uncle noticed this interaction, pinching his brow as he turned his head to ask, “What’s going on now?”

Uncle Zhong stepped forward, hesitating briefly before bowing to explain, “The kitchen must have miscalculated the head count.”

Huo Third Uncle knitted his brows, offering a blunt reprimand. Having his face slighted in public, the old helper looked embarrassed and resentful. The soup was exquisite, packed with gelatin, rich and sweet, but it didn’t taste pleasant to the people drinking it. The kitchen quickly replenished two tureens of soup. Jiang Cai put on an indifferent expression, pushing hers away aggressively. Chen Wengang teased near Huo Niansheng’s ear: “You’d better watch out for whether someone spat inside.”

Huo Niansheng let out a sudden chuckle.

Just then, the nurse wheeled Huo Kaishan in.

He sat at the head of the table, surveying the dining spread. Behind his sunken eye sockets protruded a pair of turbid eyes, his sallow face looking entirely haggard.

Huo Kaishan was frighteningly thin now, resembling a skeleton wrapped in a layer of skin.

In the morning, Huo Yuxiang had secretly confided to Chen Wengang that he found his great-grandfather very scary. His parents had made him go accompany him to make the elder happy, but he hadn’t even dared breathe loudly inside that massive, oppressive bedroom, though he hadn’t dared mention this to anyone else.

Chen Wengang sat beside Huo Niansheng, keeping a low profile while the rest of the group put on lively smiles to listen to the birthday guest’s speech.

Huo Kaishan raised his glass with a trembling hand, uttering a few words of encouragement to the younger generation, though his mind could still be heard to be clear.

The table was filled with dishes perfect in color and aroma, but they tasted entirely bland—low in oil and low in salt, prepared completely according to the specifications of a patient’s meal.

The sons and grandsons used tea to substitute for wine, rising one by one to offer standard blessings of longevity and fortune that had long lost their novelty.

The meal wrapped up quite quickly due to Huo Kaishan’s lacking energy.

Only when it was Jiang Cai’s turn to stand up did her mind go completely blank facing that fragile, dying face; she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Previously, everyone in the world had been eager to remind her that her ability to step through this front door relied entirely on a single benevolent thought from the patriarch, and that she needed to be deeply grateful—

Yet she only managed to squeeze out a difficult, “Happy birthday.”

It didn’t matter anyway. Huo Kaishan was wheeled back to his room, his back hunched, the blessings of fortune and longevity unable to nourish his desiccated body.

After the meal, the group cleared out from the table. As Chen Wengang sat in a daze, Huo Niansheng whispered in his ear, “Let’s go, head up to my room to rest for a bit.”

Chen Wengang still recognized the path leading to his bedroom.

The location wasn’t particularly choice, situated near the very end of the corridor, with relatively ordinary ventilation and lighting. In his past life, Chen Wengang had also visited the Huo residence—in the capacity of an unwelcome intruder. Only at that time, strictly speaking, this room no longer belonged to Huo Niansheng; it had been cleared out and scrubbed clean by the helpers. A person no longer present in the world naturally had no need for his own space.

As for the present, Huo Niansheng’s room didn’t actually possess any distinctive character. The decor style was just as ancient as the main hall, with the solid wood flooring and deep gold curtains establishing a dark primary tone. Not many items were displayed outside, but it didn’t convey a highly organized impression either; only a slight untidiness indicated that someone resided within. The bookshelves held no decorative ornaments, with rows of decorative, leather-bound tomes behind the glass—classics by famous authors with gilded spines that had likely never even been pulled out. Only two rows of wine magazines appeared to have been personally flipped through by the owner.

Yet within this mansion where twilight was approaching, only this small realm counted as Huo Niansheng’s own territory, bearing his unique scent.

The moment Chen Wengang entered the room, his entire frame relaxed; there were no longer any searchlight-like gazes fixed upon him here.

He threw himself onto Huo Niansheng’s large bed.

The quality of the furniture was exceptionally solid; this solid wood bed was spacious and heavy, featuring four towering bedposts with the bed curtains gathered and tied to one side. Chen Wengang’s body relaxed and his mind felt at ease. Huo Niansheng sat down as well, sinking into the plush mattress beside him.

A warm chest pressed against Chen Wengang’s hair. Lazily hooking one leg over Huo Niansheng’s thigh and waist, he turned over again, burying his face in his chest. Recalling something, Huo Niansheng left his side and rose, heading to the bookshelf to retrieve a photo album.

“What is this… you as a child?”

“Yes.”

Feeling indolent, Chen Wengang propped up his head with one bent arm, extending his other hand: “Let me see.”

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