DLRAS Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Just consider me love-struck.

After everyone left, the spacious apartment was left with just the half-siblings who barely seemed related.

Alone with Huo Niansheng, Jiang Cai couldn’t help but feel nervous. She didn’t even realize she had stood up. “Uh…”

Huo Niansheng took off his dark suit jacket, casually hung it by the door, and gave her a light glance.

“What are you afraid of? I don’t bite.”

As the owner of the apartment, he walked toward the bar as if no one else were there. Jiang Cai turned to watch him as he opened the glass cabinet, carefully selected a bottle of brown liquor, and poured himself a glass. Then he bent down to get ice from the small fridge.

“Want some?”

Only then did she snap out of it and realize he was asking her. She smiled awkwardly, “I’m not of legal drinking age.”

Huo Niansheng responded with an “Oh,” bringing the glass to his lips with a half-smile. “What’s the matter, so obedient?”

His face almost read, “How could you be so obedient?” Jiang Cai stiffened, thinking over each word before speaking. Skipping classes and drinking had been routine for her, and she couldn’t even remember how long it had been since she last touched alcohol under such strict supervision.

But she didn’t dare touch Huo Niansheng’s drink, afraid it was a trap. “No, no, if Chen-ge smells it when he gets back… I wouldn’t be able to explain.”

Huo Niansheng leaned against the bar, chuckled, and stared at her with a deep gaze for a few seconds before looking away disinterestedly.

Jiang Cai felt a chill run up her spine.

Staying in Yunding Tower these days had been generally relaxed. There was food and drink, and she didn’t have to endure any mistreatment. Chen Wengang was generally kind except when he forced her to study. Sometimes, Jiang Cai even had the illusion that their relationship could be harmonious.

But as soon as Chen Wengang left, that illusion vanished completely.

Jiang Cai felt she must be foolish to think she could talk about any familial affection with Huo Niansheng.

She was clearly facing a beautiful yet dangerous beast, while she herself was like a small omnivorous animal, such as a lynx or a fox, surviving in the predator’s territory. Life could go on for the time being, but it was wiser not to confront the predator head-on.

Suddenly, Huo Niansheng asked, “How are you two getting along?”

Jiang Cai replied cautiously, “Pretty good. Chen-ge has been taking good care of me.”

Huo Niansheng nodded. “With Grandfather’s recent passing and all the attention from outsiders, once things settle down, you can go back to school.”

“Okay… That’s true,” Jiang Cai responded.

Huo Niansheng continued, “Don’t cause him too much trouble normally. I’m your real brother, so you can come to me if you need anything.”

Jiang Cai didn’t dare to acknowledge him as her biological brother. “No need, no need. I’ll study hard and try not to cause any trouble… if possible.”

***

Several lights were out in the underground garage, making the illumination a bit dim. “Looks like you didn’t have a smooth day today,” Chen Wengang said as he held Huo Yuxiang’s hand, passing the child’s hand over to Huo Zhenfei.

“Get inside first,” Huo Zhenfei said as he took his son and tucked him into the car. “I need to talk to your uncle for a moment.”

Huo Yuxiang didn’t dare to disobey. He pressed his little face against the car window, watching them walk a short distance away, his lips moving silently.

“Did you know ahead of time?” Huo Zhenfei felt a vague sense of being played.

“Mr. Huo’s will won’t be publicly disclosed; it’s a family matter,” Chen Wengang replied. “Even Huo Niansheng didn’t tell me as much as you have. I still don’t know what I’m not supposed to know.”

“Then let me tell you more. The will’s property distribution is pretty much what we expected, including the shares in the overseas trust. Grandfather did indeed specify an additional 2% for Huo Niansheng, effective once he gets married. There’s also an extra condition: if he has a son with his wife, the dividends from those shares will go to her as a reward.”

“And then?” Chen Wengang didn’t seem surprised by this.

“Then, what I wanted to know if you knew is this: Huo Niansheng has been backed by an investment firm called Renault for the past two years, which has been acquiring shares from the secondary market to counterbalance our faction and our second uncle’s faction. What we didn’t anticipate was that Huo Niansheng had another card up his sleeve… or rather, we didn’t anticipate he would register 2% of his shares in your name. Do you understand what this means? You’re now a major shareholder in Huo Corp. You can vote at the shareholders’ meeting.”

“We signed some agreements before we got married,” Chen Wengang recalled. “At that time, I thought he wanted to hold the shares in my name.”

“So you didn’t know the details? Or did you just not read carefully what you signed?”

“I did browse through it at the time. But honestly, back then, I would have signed anything he gave me without question.”

“You really never doubt him,” Huo Zhenfei said with a speechless tone.

“Just consider me love-struck,” Chen Wengang could only smile.

Huo Zhenfei let out a long sigh, took out a cigarette, and Chen Wengang politely declined his offer to smoke.

The lighting made their faces appear ghastly pale.

“Alright…” Huo Zhenfei lit his cigarette and took a puff. “Now that things have come to this, there’s no need to dwell on the unnecessary. The situation now boils down to this: if the family and other shareholders covet that 2% voting power and try to pressure or lure Huo Niansheng into marriage, they’ll have to consider your thoughts. If you’re not happy, you can always take your 2% stake and join my second uncle. You win some, you lose some.”

Chen Wengang even managed to crack a joke: “Well, it does create a dynamic equilibrium.”

Huo Zhenfei blew out a smoke ring. “This is a serious matter.”

Chen Wengang toned down his gentle demeanor. “Just say what you want to say.”

“Firstly, I hope to get a promise from you that you won’t form any alliance with my second uncle and his people,” Huo Zhenfei smiled, then muttered to himself, “But seeing how sincerely you treat Huo Niansheng, I guess that won’t happen.”

“Probably,” Chen Wengang replied.

Huo Zhenfei sighed helplessly and stared at him with sincere eyes. “Wengang, is there even a slight possibility that you could understand, or perhaps tolerate this situation? If I can guarantee that Huo Niansheng only needs to go through the motions? Besides the formalities and the wedding day, he won’t even have to meet his supposed spouse, let alone have children. We just need to…”

Chen Wengang looked apologetic. “There’s no such possibility.”

Huo Zhenfei could only force a smile. “I see.”

They fell into silence once again, and this time it was Chen Wengang who broke it: “You’re not planning to try to convince me again, are you?”

Huo Zhenfei’s cigarette was almost finished. “I’m just unwilling to give up, trying one last shred of hope. Since your attitude is so resolute, what’s the use of me persisting? I have to talk to you about these matters behind Huo Niansheng’s back.”

Chen Wengang narrowed his eyes at him. “Even so, I should be very angry with you. How dare you bring this up to me? Do you even realize what you’re saying? You’re asking my partner to deceive me, betray me, abandon me, and become a person deserving of public condemnation, all for your own benefit. Mr. Huo, do you think everyone is beneath you? We’ve known each other for so long, your occasional friendliness, as if you’re on my side, does it make you think I would compromise for your grand plans?”

Huo Zhenfei remained silent for a moment.

Chen Wengang looked at him with some contempt.

Before walking away, Huo Zhenfei stopped him. “You’ve misunderstood me on one point. I am a businessman who prioritizes interests, that’s true, but not all of the friendliness I’ve shown you is fake. From my standpoint and responsibilities, I need to do some inappropriate things, test, and guard against, but that doesn’t mean I personally dislike you. If possible, let’s not sour our relationship.”

As they returned to the car, Huo Zhenfei started the engine, and Huo Yuxiang pressed down the car window, waving goodbye to Chen Wengang.

“Uncle Chen, can I come again?”

“Of course,” Chen Wengang’s gentle expression returned. “You’re always welcome to visit.”

“What about tomorrow? My model is still upstairs and needs to be tidied up.”

“Tomorrow works. I’ll go upstairs later and let your uncle know,” Chen Wengang replied.

“What about in the future? Can you take me with you when you go clamming?”

“What clamming?” Chen Wengang was puzzled.

“It’s what Uncle mentioned before, that you guys go clamming. Remember to bring me along when the time comes.”

Chen Wengang understood and smiled, waving at him. “Sure, we can do that. Let’s wait for a school holiday.”

The elevator returned to the upper floor, and Chen Wengang opened the door. Huo Niansheng was standing by the bar, sipping on a drink.

On the other hand, for some reason, Jiang Cai, standing in front of the fluent kitchen counter, had a tense expression on her face as she cut a cucumber into irregular cylindrical pieces.

Chen Wengang was taken aback. “What are you doing?”

Jiang Cai turned her head to look at him. “Oh… I saw you taking out the vegetables, aren’t you cooking? She couldn’t help jumping up and saying, “I’ll help,” when Huo Niansheng moved, and now she found herself in this situation.

Chen Wengang chuckled, shaking his head as he took the knife from her hand. “Cucumbers aren’t cut like this. Step aside, let me do it.”

He instructed, “Scoop a box of rice from the rice container. You know how to cook porridge, right? Add more water, the water level in that pot.”

Jiang Cai quickly took off the apron and handed it to him. Chen Wengang put it on, lifted the knife, and flattened the cucumber.

Huo Niansheng put down his glass and walked over to him. Jiang Cai quickly placed the inner pot into the rice cooker and made an excuse to leave.

Chen Wengang couldn’t understand why this girl suddenly acted like a mouse seeing a cat when she saw her own brother.

Huo Niansheng just lowered his head to undo the belt of the apron around Chen Wengang’s waist and re-tie it. “You tied this so tightly, it’s almost like a knot.”

Chen Wengang just smiled, “Let’s have something light for dinner tonight, a cucumber salad and a preserved egg with tofu. Is that enough?”

Huo Niansheng lowered his head to smell his neck, finding him enticing, “I’m fine with that.”

Chen Wengang grabbed two more cucumbers, “Let’s also add a sausage and scrambled eggs. You haven’t been eating well these days.”

Huo Niansheng chuckled softly in his chest, “How did you become so domesticated?”

He deliberately loosened the belt of the apron, then tightened it again. Chen Wengang felt his back being loosened and tightened alternately, too lazy to care how he was being played with. He just turned his head and stuffed a piece of cucumber stem into Huo Niansheng’s mouth.

“I definitely don’t have the talent to be a chef,” Chen Wengang said as he opened the fridge, casually tossing Huo Niansheng off his back, then smiled at him, “But learning some simple home-cooked recipes isn’t difficult. We can’t always eat out, it’s not healthy.”

After dinner, Jiang Cai, in order to show her active participation in household chores, threw all the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher and then hurried back to the guest room.

The carpet in front of the sofa was covered with wooden model parts, and half of the music box had just taken shape.

Chen Wengang leaned against the small bar, and Huo Niansheng poured him a small glass of whisky.

The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder, and Chen Wengang drank up the layer of liquid at the bottom of the glass, feeling the peaty flavor fermenting in his mouth, his body warm and cozy, reaching a pleasantly tipsy state, even forgetting the resentment he had towards Huo Zhenfei just now.

“That’s it, your nephew will come to play again tomorrow.”

“His dad didn’t object, so I have no objections either,” Huo Niansheng joked.

“What about you?” Chen Wengang nudged him, his eyes soft, “Why didn’t you discuss these things with me beforehand?”

“It’s my fault,” Huo Niansheng admitted directly, lowering his head to kiss his shoulder, “I should have been open with you, right? Sometimes I really wish you didn’t have to face anything, just waiting for me at home every day. I know this kind of imagination is very crude.”

“Just stay in your imagination,” Chen Wengang pushed his head away, “What will your third uncle do next?”