The Disliked Shou and the Charming Gong : Chapter 19: As Long As I Can See You, I’ll Even Be Your Lover

When He Ning pushed open the door, Zhou Chong and Meng Xuan were lying side by side on the bed. His gaze swept across Meng Xuan’s sleeping face, and he suddenly felt that Zhou Ji might be about to get cuckolded.

He pinched the corner of the blanket and yanked it off. Thankfully, both of them were fully dressed.

He reached out and patted Zhou Chong’s cheek. Zhou Chong woke up with a frown, and when he saw who was beside him, he jerked awake and rolled off the bed, his back hitting the cabinet with a dull thud.

That usually gloomy face was now a spectacular sight, shifting from shock to confusion to anger, changing through several colors.

He Ning turned and walked toward the door: “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Zhou Chong cursed under his breath.

When Zhou Chong came out after straightening his collar, his face wore deliberate calmness. He and He Ning exchanged a look, and they tacitly passed over what happened last night.

Just a few months ago they had been at each other’s throats, fighting so fiercely that Zhou Ji had to suggest moving out. Back then Zhou Chong had been practically insane, threatening Zhou Ji with his own life, pills scattered all over the floor.

He Ning would never forget Zhou Ji’s expression at that moment. That man who was always gentle and refined in front of him had grabbed Zhou Chong by the collar, his eyes burning with terrifying rage.

Zhou Ji’s gentlemanly composure always crumbled to pieces in front of Zhou Chong.

The moment He Ning walked through the door he instinctively pulled up his jacket collar, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Zhou Ji stood in the entryway, his gaze lingering on Zhou Chong for a few seconds, his brows slightly furrowed: “Don’t stay out so late next time. Do you want to end up in the hospital again?”

Zhou Chong tugged at the corner of his mouth: “I didn’t drink. It was everyone else drinking. Don’t worry, I value my life very much. I don’t want to die yet.”

He Ning keenly noticed that Zhou Ji was about to speak again, and immediately inserted himself between the two: “A Ji, weren’t you going out? Don’t delay your important matters. Hurry and go.”

Zhou Ji looked deeply at Zhou Chong, but ultimately said nothing and left.

Zhou Chong turned and went upstairs: “Save your fake kindness. You know very well what you were doing last night.”

He Ning frowned: “I didn’t do anything. Don’t slander me.”

Zhou Chong tilted his head and looked him over, suddenly smiling meaningfully: “That ex of yours… he couldn’t get it up, could he?”

He twirled his finger in a circle, implying something.

“Did you mess with the door lock last night?” He Ning asked directly.

Zhou Chong didn’t answer. Instead he started humming a cheerful English song, swaying his head as he went upstairs. The doctor had strictly forbidden him from touching alcohol or cigarettes, but last night he had taken advantage of He Ning’s presence to indulge.

He Ning remembered the last time Zhou Chong had to be rushed to the hospital. He had specifically told Meng Xuan to keep an eye on him. Who knew he would end up taking care of him in bed instead.

Watching Zhou Chong disappear around the stair corner, He Ning unconsciously pulled his jacket collar up again.

Wen Junhe seemed dead set on being the other man, deliberately leaving marks in obvious places.

He Ning had been too flustered when he came back. Now that he had calmed down, his mind was full of images from that night with Wen Junhe. That person’s burning hot breath, his fierce strength, and those techniques that made his scalp tingle.

The worst part was that Wen Junhe had actually told him with a straight face that he had specifically gone to watch tutorial videos.

He Ning could perfectly picture the scene. Wen Junhe sitting in front of his computer, studying them as seriously as if they were academic reports, probably even taking notes and listing out the steps one two three in perfect order.

This person’s learning ability had always been terrifying. He could grasp professional course material at a glance and draw inferences from there. But he probably didn’t know that the exaggerated performances in those videos were ninety percent acting.

Because normal people don’t do that many moves.

He Ning stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at the marks on his neck that couldn’t be covered up. He suddenly felt his temples throbbing.

What did Wen Junhe take him for?

Especially with Wen Junhe constantly emphasizing to him that he could perform. He Ning really didn’t want to recall that scene anymore.

But the board had just signed a cooperation agreement with Wen Junhe’s company, and the project proposal was still warm.

When his assistant brought in lunch, he casually mentioned that Zhou Chong would also be joining the newly launched charity project tomorrow. He Ning didn’t even look up, just gave a soft “mm” while picking at his rice with his chopsticks and flipping through documents with his other hand.

The day Zhou Chong came to report for duty, he barged into the office without even knocking.

He Ning looked up from his pile of documents and saw the man leaning against the door frame, his tie hanging loosely.

“Now I’m your superior,” He Ning set his fountain pen down on the desk. “Don’t try to get chummy with me. If you’re here, you work.”

Zhou Chong stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered up to He Ning’s desk: “Putting on airs? You slack off at work playing games and leave the moment the clock strikes.”

He Ning closed the folder: “Second Young Master Zhou, you know this project is just to put up a good front for the Zhou family. What are you getting involved for?”

“You know I’m not actually interested in the Zhou family.”

He Ning leaned back into his chair, looking wary as he clutched his collar: “I’m your sister-in-law.”

Zhou Chong rolled his eyes: “You took down the camera, didn’t you?”

Seeing He Ning frown and ask what camera, Zhou Chong continued: “That night I saw your old flame carrying you away. I installed a camera in the lounge, but it disappeared.”

“Who else but you?”

Zhou Chong narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk: “That camera definitely caught you and your old flame doing the deed.”

He Ning: “Stop talking nonsense.”

“I looked into this project,” Zhou Chong suddenly leaned in. “There’s another person in charge named Wen Junhe.”

He smiled nastily: “You two making eyes at each other. If I catch you having something going on, and you dare betray my brother, you’ll die a horrible death.”

He Ning felt his “marriage” was truly pitiful. He had a meddling brother-in-law stirring trouble at home, and a third party trying to dig up the wall from outside.

He had Zhou Chong at home opposing him at every turn, staring at his every move like a mad dog. Outside there was Wen Junhe clinging to him relentlessly, openly declaring he wanted to be the other man.

He Ning couldn’t exactly tell Zhou Chong that his marriage with him was just a formality, and that his brother didn’t care whether he messed around outside or not.

But if he said that, Zhou Chong would be over the moon with joy.

He Ning was very clear about his position. As the decorative vase that the Zhou family displayed out in the open, socializing and networking was his main job. Since Zhou Ji had handed this foundation over to him to manage, he naturally had to handle those wining and dining occasions flawlessly.

The morning dew hadn’t dissipated yet, water droplets hanging from the grass tips on the golf course. This project event was scheduled for the afternoon session at the seaside hotel. He Ning’s swing was standard and beautiful, and he played two rounds with his companions.

When He Ning took off his sun hat, he caught a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Wen Junhe had arrived at some unknown point and was standing under a palm tree not far away, his gaze burning as he stared at him.

He was also dressed in casual sportswear.

Most of the attendees at this charity project were young up-and-comers. To put it bluntly, it was just a gilded social gathering that didn’t even register on the radar of real power players. He Ning really couldn’t figure out why Wen Junhe would come personally. Given his current status, sending a vice president to attend would already be giving face.

After that incident in the restroom last time, those two gossiping vice presidents had suddenly taken sick leave and hadn’t shown their faces to this day. He Ning didn’t ask, but he knew in his heart they were probably still recovering from their injuries.

“Mr. Wen, care for a swing?” Mr. Xue asked with a smile.

Wen Junhe politely declined: “My skills are lacking. I won’t embarrass myself.”

“President He is quite the expert though.” Mr. Xue looked meaningfully at He Ning. “You young people should interact more.”

The corner of He Ning’s mouth twitched. This Mr. Xue was clearly doing it on purpose. On the day of the wedding, the rumors about him and Wen Junhe had spread all over town, and Zhou Ji had spent considerable effort to suppress them. Now these shrewd business partners were all waiting to watch the drama unfold. The more he tried to avoid suspicion, the more they stirred things up.

Wen Junhe stood beside the club, his tone sincere to the point of being deliberate: “Could President He give me some pointers?”

He Ning expressionlessly demonstrated a standard swing, the club head slicing through the air with a whoosh: “See clearly?”

Wen Junhe nodded thoughtfully, his fingers suddenly covering the position where He Ning gripped the club: “I think I understand.”

His fingertips brushed faintly across the back of He Ning’s hand. He Ning jerked his hand back, catching sight of Zhou Chong out of the corner of his eye. That person had arrived at some unknown point and was leaning under a sun umbrella, staring unblinkingly at this side.

He Ning quickly shoved the club into Wen Junhe’s hand: “Try it yourself.”

But Wen Junhe didn’t take it. He turned and went to the caddie to pick out a new club. When he came back, he stubbornly stood next to He Ning again, insisting that He Ning teach him hand by hand.

He Ning suppressed his anger with great effort, explaining the essentials of the swing to Wen Junhe in the most businesslike tone possible, while inwardly wishing he could swing the club right into his face.

During dinner, Wen Junhe’s gaze never left him.

Back in his hotel room, He Ning had just finished handling a few emails when there was a knock at the door. Wen Junhe stood there holding a cup of hot milk. He Ning instinctively glanced at the empty hallway, afraid Zhou Chong might suddenly pop out, and could only step aside to let him in.

“What exactly do you want?” He Ning frowned at the cup of milk.

Wen Junhe handed it to He Ning: “You used to drink this before bed every night. I remember all your habits. Before, you were good to me. Now let me be good to you.”

He Ning looked completely uninterested: “You just can’t stand seeing me doing well, can you?”

“Wen Junhe, I understand your unwillingness to accept this. You just can’t accept being dumped by me. Five years wasn’t enough for you to get over it? Now I’m married. I have a family. I’m not going to play these暧昧 games with you. If you want to chase excitement, please find someone else, okay?”

“Ningning, you’ve really changed a lot.”

Outside the hotel the lights were brilliant and parties went on nonstop. He Ning used to be someone who loved lively gatherings very much. Encountering such occasions, he would definitely jump right in and join the fun. But now he preferred staying alone in his room.

He really had changed a lot. He was no longer that naive He Ning from before.

How cruel growing up could be, he didn’t want to recall. But in strangling that inexperienced and innocent He Ning, Wen Junhe counted as one of the murderers.

Wen Junhe’s voice was hoarse to the point of begging: “Just give me one chance. Before, I was blind and foolish, easily trusting others. Only now do I understand how important you are to me.”

“I’ll give you whatever you want. I’ll treat you better than Zhou Ji does. Let’s start over, okay?”

“You once said that after we graduated, we would go skiing in Switzerland and drink hot cocoa in the wooden cabin by the ski slopes. I remember all those words.”

He Ning’s temples throbbed violently, and it was as if he could hear that recording playing in his ears again.

Han Qing had deliberately played it for him to hear. Wen Junhe’s voice when drunk carried obvious disgust.

“Being drunk means I don’t have to face that psycho rich kid’s纠缠. So free. I really can’t figure out what he has to be so cocky about. Someone like him will never have anyone willing to be with him for their whole life.”

“Psycho.”

“Disgusting. He’s completely disgusting.”

Every word was like a nail being driven into his brain.

Those words haunted him like a curse. How many nights he woke up from nightmares, and in those dreams were all Wen Junhe’s mocking eyes.

The subsequent blows one after another only made things worse.

Wen Junhe’s current deeply affectionate appearance was completely different from the person in that recording. He Ning suddenly found it laughable. Did alcohol make people tell the truth, or was the current performance more masterful?

He Ning raised his hand to cut him off: “Enough, Wen Junhe. I’m really scared.”

He was terrified. Terrified that Wen Junhe’s surface affection masked resentment hidden in the shadows. Terrified of the unwillingness and disgust concealed beneath those gentle words.

“I fell down the stairs back then. I was set up in a medical accident. The school refused to let me resume classes. The landlord ordered me to move out. At my most desperate, most helpless moment, I didn’t choose to drag you down.”

“Wen Junhe, I think in this relationship… I did everything I could and then some.”

Wen Junhe was struck speechless, his face pale.

He Ning continued: “At that time you were with Han Qing. Whether it was to provoke me or deliberately show off, you even posted photos of the two of you together. You looked like you were in a good mood, not at all like someone who couldn’t live without me.”

“I will never forgive Han Qing for what he did in this lifetime.”

Now Wen Junhe stood before him saying things like “I can’t live without him.” It was simply absurd and laughable.

Those words of disgust were still ringing in his ears, and now he was putting on a devoted lover act.

He Ning looked at Wen Junhe’s reddened eye rims, but ultimately hardened his heart: “You want to be with me that badly?”

Wen Junhe’s heart leaped rapidly.

“I do. You probably won’t believe me, but Ningning, I really can’t live without you. I’ll be with you from now on.”

“Any identity is fine?” Wen Junhe: “What?”

He Ning leaned close to his ear, his palm caressing Wen Junhe’s face, his movements gentle, but his words were completely emotionless and frivolous: “Fine then. Then you can only be my lover. A lover who forever stays in the shadows, on call whenever I need you, someone to relieve my desires. If you’re willing, you can stay tonight.”

That night, Wen Junhe ultimately left.

He Ning picked up the cup of milk and took a sip. The temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. Outside the window the neon lights still flickered, and the crowds on the beach were still celebrating, making the room seem even quieter.

He Ning shook his head, thinking that if Wen Junhe really was going to degrade himself like this, he wouldn’t know how to deal with it instead.

He Ning understood Wen Junhe too well. He was proud to his bones. How could he possibly lower his head to be a lover hidden in the shadows? Moreover, the current Wen Junhe was no longer that helpless youth from back then. He had his own career now. Wherever he went, he was the center of attention.

Sure enough, he had scared him off.

In the days that followed, Wen Junhe never appeared again.

He Ning’s tense nerves finally relaxed. At last, peace and quiet.

During those days, Wen Junhe was constantly distracted. During meetings he would stare blankly at documents, occasionally his gaze drifting, revealing a rare vulnerability.

The live broadcast of the Zhou Corporation’s new product launch dinner party was playing on the big screen in the city center.

Wen Junhe stopped at a red light, looked up, and saw He Ning holding Zhou Ji’s arm, the two of them sharing a smile full of默契. When reporters asked about their love story, the sweetness at the corners of He Ning’s eyes and brows was all too familiar to him. Only this time, the object of that smile had changed to someone else.

His fingers unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel, leather making a faint rubbing sound.

The He Ning who once had eyes only for him was now showing that same smile to another person.

Wen Junhe pulled out his phone. He edited for a long time before finally sending a text message. The cold light from the screen reflected on his face, revealing a few traces of loneliness. The traffic began to move, and the honking from the car behind startled him awake.

When he looked up again, the big screen had already switched to an advertisement. He Ning’s figure had vanished without a trace.

Right after finishing the interview, He Ning glanced at his phone and clearly showed a stunned expression, then quickly adjusted his expression to face Zhou Ji.

A week later, on a rainy day, Wen Junhe suddenly had Secretary Xun clear his entire afternoon schedule after the morning meeting ended. He had other arrangements. When the secretary asked if he needed a car prepared, he shook his head, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of his phone.

The rain curtain enveloped the entire city, water droplets winding down the glass windows of the office buildings.

In the underground parking garage, a black sedan was slightly shaking in a dark corner. The Wen Junhe who had been in a suit and tie at the meeting just moments ago now had his collar wide open, an expensive necktie wrapped around a slender wrist. He knelt on one knee on the leather seat, his normally meticulously combed hair falling in strands, covering his reddened eye corners.

The sound of rain beating against the roof of the car masked other noises.

The condensation on the car windows blurred the boundary between inside and outside. Only two overlapping figures could be vaguely seen.

Wen Junhe’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, his neck pulling into a tight line as he swallowed. Those hands bound by the necktie suddenly tightened, grabbing the back of his head and tugging at a clump of hair. The force wasn’t heavy, but it made Wen Junhe pause for a moment.

“Wen Junhe! Are you sick! Getting horny the moment we meet.”

“Wasn’t it you who said to be your lover?”

Wen Junhe leaned down, his forehead pressing against the hollow of He Ning’s neck, his burning breath spraying against that patch of skin, murmuring: “It doesn’t matter. As long as I can see you, I’ll even be your lover.”