Chapter 81
After two hours of anaerobic exercise, Yu Chen looked as though he had just been fished out of a pool of water, so exhausted that even lifting a hand felt difficult.
The afternoon sun was strong, so Yu Chen simply stayed in the lounge to catch up on sleep. He Zhen took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went back to work. By evening, he had even organized a last-minute international conference.
When they got home that night, Yu Chen looked as though his very essence had been drained by a bone spirit. He sat there with his head drooping, watching television.
He Zhen was still dealing with company matters. Though he stayed by Yu Chen’s side, his attention remained fixed on work.
Yu Chen felt a little unhappy, like a little wife resentful that her husband was neglecting her. He hooked out his foot and secretly kicked He Zhen twice, then quickly shrank back under the blanket.
He Zhen turned his head to look at him and instinctively took hold of Yu Chen’s foot. “Sleepy?”
Yu Chen frowned. “Work, work, work, all day long! You finally sit down to watch TV with me, and your mind still isn’t on me.”
He Zhen laughed, tossed his phone aside, and moved closer to hold Yu Chen while watching television together.
That action pleased Yu Chen very much. The corners of his lips lifted, and he looked like a little cat who had won a great victory, his eyes sparkling with delight.
“When I get some time, I’ll take you to an amusement park,” He Zhen said, holding Yu Chen and absently rubbing his lower belly. “Want to go?”
Yu Chen was curious. “Why the sudden idea of an amusement park?”
Places like that had long since become popular date spots for college couples. The last time Yu Chen had gone, he had still been in middle school.
“Didn’t you tell that senior of yours that you were going there with your boyfriend?”
Yu Chen suddenly understood. “Oh. Then let’s go.”
He Zhen asked, “Do you want to stay there overnight?”
Yu Chen replied, “Sure. Up to you.”
He Zhen smiled and wrapped Yu Chen in his arms. The two of them chatted idly back and forth, carrying the easy intimacy of an old married couple.
Before bed, Yu Chen complained that he was hungry, so He Zhen went into the kitchen to cook a bowl of ramen and fried an egg along with it.
Seeing how deliciously Yu Chen was eating, He Zhen leaned half against the kitchen island, resting his chin on one hand. “Is it really that good?”
Yu Chen smiled with puffed cheeks. “Anything Boss makes is the most delicious thing in the world.”
The flattery was as familiar as ever.
Yu Chen had always been like this since childhood—sweet-tongued and good at saying pleasing things.
It always made people feel that no matter how much they gave him, it still was not enough.
He Zhen walked over to Yu Chen and took a sip of the soup too. “You’ll have to brush your teeth again. No slacking.”
“Oh.” Yu Chen had not expected even that little bit of laziness in his mind to be guessed by He Zhen.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, Yu Chen had already been back at school for a week.
The course load in Yu Chen’s sophomore year was not particularly heavy. He only had one class every afternoon, and sometimes he could even sleep in.
But ever since moving in with He Zhen, Yu Chen still felt as if time had become tight. During freshman year, he had not had much to do and often followed Professor Lin around to help. Now, if he wanted to go on dates with He Zhen, he could only increase his efficiency. Whenever he was at school, he was busy to the point of nearly having his feet leave the ground, often running everywhere.
Seeing Yu Chen so rushed, Wang Lei joked, “Someone who didn’t know better would think you’ve started working off-campus. What have you been so busy with lately?”
Yu Chen sighed. “Busy falling in love.”
Actually, it was not only about dating. From time to time, he also had to help Chairman Lin carry out various tasks, acting out scene after scene with He Zhen.
Wang Lei lowered his voice and told him, “Is your white moonlight’s family especially rich? I’ve heard lots of people saying he has several cars—Maybachs, Bentleys, even a Rolls-Royce—and all the latest models.”
Thinking back, Yu Chen realized that He Zhen really did switch cars often when taking him to his morning classes. He Zhen normally did not start work until nine and had no need to hurry, but in order to drive Yu Chen to school, he could be at the company by eight every day, putting an enormous amount of pressure on many employees.
“He’s alright, I guess.” Yu Chen did not want to say too much about He Zhen’s background. He had not even revealed He Zhen’s name. He Zhen was always very cautious at the company, and Yu Chen did not want to cause him any trouble.
“Those people are jealous of you. Sometimes they say some pretty nasty things. Don’t mind it too much.” Wang Lei was afraid Yu Chen might hear rumors and gave him a warning in advance.
Yu Chen had always been mentally resilient. Curling his lips carelessly, he said, “How nasty can it get? At worst they’ll say I’m being kept.”
Wang Lei lifted a brow. “Pretty smart of you.”
“Let them say whatever they want.” Still, this did serve as a warning for Yu Chen. One of these days he would have to remind He Zhen to wear a mask more often. Or maybe he should just start taking a taxi to school.
Seeing Yu Chen chatting so lively over there, Song Wenjing could not help feeling curious about how Yu Chen had gotten connected to the lab over the summer.
He had heard from Professor Lin that the project team Yu Chen joined was a national key research group. Even the most outstanding graduate seniors had had to pass through layers of selection to get in.
That afternoon, just after class, Yu Chen received a message from Chairman Lin.
He had placed the phone Chairman Lin gave him in the storage room at home, while his watch was linked to WeChat. That way, he could receive messages in real time while also ensuring he would not be monitored.
Chairman Lin had assigned him a new task: steal the construction blueprints for the Haisheng Tower project, one of Hefeng Group’s most important projects this year, and send them under the name of He Zhen’s private email account to another unfamiliar address.
Yu Chen frowned slightly. Judging by the email address, it appeared to be overseas. Haisheng Tower was the most important project Hefeng Group had taken on in the past ten years. The building’s model drawings were top-level confidential material. Leaking them abroad, where they might be used for unknown purposes, could, to put it seriously, land someone in prison for a very long time.
Haisheng Tower was expected to rise eighty-eight stories. If anything went wrong once it was put into use, the consequences would be extremely severe.
Yu Chen did not go home. Instead, he immediately took a taxi to He Zhen’s company.
Perhaps Chairman Lin was afraid Yu Chen might have reservations, so he had specially added, “If you complete this task, I can pay you every last bit of the money.”
Yu Chen hesitated for a moment, then replied, “We can discuss the money later. He’s been watching me closely lately, so payment can wait until afterward.”
Seeing how much Yu Chen trusted him, Chairman Lin smugly believed victory was already in his grasp. He could hardly wait to witness just how spectacular He Zhen’s downfall would be.
…
On the other side, Yu Chen had already told He Zhen about the new task.
He Zhen’s expression was dark, and his features turned even colder and sharper.
What disgusted him was not only Chairman Lin’s despicable methods. If Chairman Lin truly was colluding with foreign companies, then what he was betraying was not just the group, but the nation’s interests as well.
Recently, He Zhen had been secretly investigating all the dirty things Chairman Lin had done. Concealing project deficits and falsifying work quantities to siphon off enormous sums of money were already nothing much by comparison. He had even long since transferred all his family members and assets abroad.
If He Zhen’s guess was correct, once Chairman Lin got the chairman’s seat, his next step would be to sell off the group’s shares to foreign capital.
For years now, Chairman Lin had been secretly colluding with overseas investors.
Seeing how silent He Zhen had become, Yu Chen leaned over and rested his head on He Zhen’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. At least we know his plan ahead of time. You still have me with you.”
He Zhen clasped Yu Chen’s hand, his cool and steady eyes carrying a complicated emotion. “This task is very difficult. Stall him first. Keep dragging it out until he grows impatient, then make your move. Once you send it successfully, we’ll act out a scene where I discover what you’ve done, but it’s already too late.”
Yu Chen nodded. “And then you’ll send me away?”
“Mhm.” A trace of guilt flickered through He Zhen’s eyes. “You’ll have to put up with this for a while. Once I’ve handled everything, I’ll come bring you back.”
Yu Chen was in good spirits, arching a brow with a smile. “Then I’ll just take a few days off and treat it like a vacation.”
Thinking of how Yu Chen’s studies would be affected, the pain in He Zhen’s face was impossible to hide. “Sorry. From childhood until now, I’ve always ended up making you suffer because of my affairs.”
“Not at all!” Every one of Yu Chen’s scheming little thoughts was practically written all over his face. “You’ll just have to treat me especially, especially well from now on, got it? Does this make us a couple who went through hardship together?”
“Oh, wait.”
Yu Chen blushed awkwardly. “A couple in hardship.”
“Mhm.” He Zhen lowered his lashes, his thumb brushing over Yu Chen’s ring, while something pricked lightly at his heart.
“This weekend, I’ll take you to the amusement park.”
Yu Chen’s lips curved upward. “Sounds great.”
The amusement park was crowded over the weekend. He Zhen bought VIP tickets, so the two of them did not have to stand in line and breezed through every attraction with ease.
Yu Chen had a wonderful time. He even specifically hired a photographer and took many couple photos with He Zhen.
There were photos of them wearing Mickey ears, photos of them sharing cotton candy, and one of Yu Chen carrying a LinaBell backpack while making He Zhen carry him…
Scrolling through the photos, Yu Chen smiled brightly. “Boss, pick one to use as your lock screen. After all, your current role is the male lead who was tempted by my beauty.”
He Zhen readily agreed. “What about you? Want to change yours too?”
“Not yet.” Yu Chen muttered, “I’ll change it after that old man Lin is caught.”
Actually, he was also worried his classmates might see it and recognize He Zhen’s identity.
“Boss, this one of you wearing the headband is really cute.” Gathering his courage, Yu Chen added, “I’m going to hang it in our bedroom in the future!”
He Zhen raised a brow. “Looking for a beating, are you?”
After watching the parade float procession, the two of them prepared to go have a big meal nearby.
But as soon as they reached the parking lot, a strange man appeared in front of them.
The man carried himself with great poise, and his handsome features bore about fifty percent resemblance to He Zhen’s. The difference was that his face held more traces left by time.
He Zhen silently gazed at the man. A few seconds later, he withdrew his eyes. “Chenchen, let’s get in the car.”
Yu Chen was still staring at the man when the man spoke gently, “Xiao Zhen, can Dad have a meal with you?”
A flash of astonishment crossed Yu Chen’s eyes.
He Zhen’s father had really come back.
If this had been the He Zhen of high school, perhaps he would have shown obvious disgust and furiously told He Jingyue to get lost.
But the He Zhen of today was calm in a way that was almost frightening.
Afraid He Zhen might be provoked, Yu Chen tightly gripped his arm, worried that he might start arguing with He Jingyue.
Unexpectedly, He Zhen’s expression remained especially calm, as indifferent as if he were facing an unimportant stranger. “Fine.”
Yu Chen looked surprised, but He Zhen turned and rubbed his head. “Don’t worry. We’ll have a meal with him.”
Yu Chen nodded. “Okay.”
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was beyond heavy.
He Zhen held Yu Chen’s hand as the two of them sat opposite He Jingyue.
He Zhen truly had inherited his looks from his father. Though He Jingyue was already past forty, his exceptional appearance and innate air could still not be concealed.
He Jingyue looked gentle and asked the two of them what they wanted to eat.
Yu Chen did not dare say a word. The whole time, he held tightly to He Zhen’s hand and nervously studied him.
“If you want something, order it.” He Zhen took the iPad and helped Yu Chen choose dishes. “You said yesterday your stomach didn’t feel good, so don’t eat anything spicy for now.”
Yu Chen nodded slowly, secretly watching He Jingyue’s expression from the corner of his eye. He wondered how surprised He Jingyue would be upon learning his son had a boyfriend.
Watching the interaction between the two of them, He Jingyue smiled gently. “Xiao Zhen, can you introduce this child to Dad?”
Without lifting his head, He Zhen said coolly, “My boyfriend.”
There was no surprise in He Jingyue’s eyes. He nodded with relief. “It’s good to have someone by your side.”
Hearing that, Yu Chen felt a surge of anger.
What kind of loving father act was He Jingyue trying to put on here?
After nearly twenty years of no concern and no contact,
what right did he have to act like an elder?
“Dad has always been keeping an eye on you, including when you went to MIT. In the middle, you went to England to see your maternal grandparents, right? After you left, Dad went too. They’re both doing very well.”
He Zhen gave no response. He simply kept helping Yu Chen order dishes, as though these matters had absolutely nothing to do with him.
“I know you hate Dad. All these years I wanted to come home and see you, but your grandfather wouldn’t allow it.” He Jingyue looked despondent. “When I left home back then, your grandfather was furious and would not allow me to have anything more to do with the He family. He was truly angry with me.”
After finishing the order, He Zhen poured Yu Chen a cup of warm water. “And then? What are you trying to say?”
He Jingyue stared at the pair of eyes so identical to his own, his voice thick with emotion. “I want to come back and make it up to both you and your grandfather. I don’t expect either of you to forgive me, but I want to do my part for you.”
He Zhen’s sharp eyes locked onto him. “How do you plan to do that?”
He Jingyue sat motionless. “I’ve heard it hasn’t been easy for you to support Hefeng. I plan to come into the company and help you.”
At his side, Yu Chen’s left hand quietly clenched into a fist. With his lips pressed tight, he asked He Zhen, “Boss, can I say something?”
This was a matter between father and son, and he had not wanted to interfere. But He Jingyue was simply too infuriating.
He Zhen looked at him. “Of course.”
Yu Chen took a deep breath, then looked at He Jingyue with open contempt. “Uncle He, I want to ask you something.”
He Jingyue said, “Mm, go ahead.”
“You said you wanted to see He Zhen, but Grandpa stopped you. Have you ever thought about why Grandpa stopped you? When you left behind your three-year-old child and went abroad to enjoy life with your lover, did you ever think of coming back to see whether He Zhen, left without either parent caring for him, was doing alright?”
He Jingyue frowned. “I wanted to take Xiao Zhen with me. Grandpa wouldn’t allow it.”
“Why should he have allowed it?” Yu Chen was shaking with anger. “He Zhen’s mother had just died, and you immediately went abroad to settle down with your so-called first love. How could Grandpa possibly have trusted you? For all anyone knew, He Zhen might even have been abused by the two of you!”
Displeasure appeared in He Jingyue’s eyes. “He’s my son. How could I possibly abuse him?”
“You could abandon your own son for another woman and leave a three-year-old child to develop depression, with no one taking proper care of him. What is there that you couldn’t do?” Yu Chen did not want He Zhen to be the one forced to speak of these painful things. In one breath, he poured out all the grievances on He Zhen’s behalf.
“Depression?” Shock filled He Jingyue’s eyes.
“See? If you really cared about him, how could you not even know he’d been ill?” Yu Chen’s tone dripped with mockery. “The more grand and noble your words sound, the faker they become. Even taking ten thousand steps back, even if Grandpa disagreed, that still wasn’t a reason for you to abandon your child! All these years, you never fulfilled any of a father’s responsibilities. And now you suddenly come back—what, do you expect He Zhen to play father-and-son affection with you? You want to help in the company? If you truly wanted to help, you should step back into the second line and advise He Zhen quietly, not return to the company with such fanfare and continue holding power in your hands!”
Being scolded so fiercely by a junior like Yu Chen made He Jingyue lose face. In a cold voice, he said, “I want to hear Xiao Zhen’s thoughts. Let him speak.”
He Zhen lifted a hand and soothingly patted Yu Chen, signaling for him not to get worked up.
“What Yu Chen said is exactly what I think.”
At this point, He Zhen no longer felt disappointment toward the man before him—only disgust. “If you want to go back to the company, then take it up with Grandpa. Don’t come here and put on a hypocritical act in front of me.”
He took Yu Chen’s hand and said to the waiter, “Please pack up the dishes we just ordered.”
After saying that, he nodded once more at He Jingyue. “Remember to pay the bill.”
The two of them walked out of the private room. He Zhen did not forget to take the food with him. Yu Chen kept looking at him, feeling that He Zhen was almost too calm today.
Once they stepped out of the restaurant carrying the bag, Yu Chen wrapped himself tightly around He Zhen’s arm and whispered, “Boss, do you want a hug from me?”
He Zhen stopped in his tracks and slowly met Yu Chen’s eyes.
“If you’re sad, you should let it out. If you keep it bottled up inside, you’ll get sick.”
He Zhen suddenly smiled, his palm cupping Yu Chen’s face. “I’m not sad. Don’t worry.”
Yu Chen clearly did not believe him. “Boss, we’re so close. You don’t have to save face with me. If you’re sad, just say it.”
He Zhen shook his head and drew Yu Chen into his arms, his chin lightly rubbing against Yu Chen’s soft hair. “I’m really not sad.”
After today’s little performance from He Jingyue, all He Zhen felt was amusement.
Watching He Jingyue act had been no different from watching a clown.
He guessed He Jingyue had already run into a wall with Old Master He and had no other option left, which was why he had come to find him.
Cherishingly, He Zhen kissed Yu Chen’s hair. “The love I lacked growing up was already filled completely by you. I’m very content.”
“From now on, let’s live our own lives well.”
“As for those clowns, there’s no need to pay them any mind.”
