Chapter 67: Jiang Liannan
For now, nothing was confirmed, and Chen Wuhou desperately hoped things weren’t what he feared.
He’d just been betrayed by Su Ye. For a man, the blow was brutal.
When he reached the Jiang house, he reined in the fury rolling off him and wore the same pleasant smile he used for ordinary visits.
“Hello, Uncle Jiang.”
It was early evening, the air neither hot nor cold.
He came in and saw Old Mr. Jiang practicing tai chi in the garden.
No response.
“Uncle Jiang?” Chen blinked, then bowed again. “Hello, it’s Wuhou.”
“Mm?” The old man finally reacted. “Oh, Wuhou. You’re here?”
“Yes.” Chen said, “Can-can’s been imposing on you these days. I came specifically to thank you.”
Old Mr. Jiang waved it off. “Don’t mention it.” The boy was a good kid. That kid was quite good. The more they interacted, the more likable he became. “Come on, let’s sit inside.”
He rolled up the sleeves of his tang jacket and led Chen in.
“Alright.” Chen followed, nerves tight.
Aunt Qiu had just finished dinner. Seeing the old master, she said, “Sir, we can start. I’ll go call the gentlemen down.”
“Mm.” The old man nodded. “Wuhou, stay and have a simple meal with us, chat a bit.”
“Sure.” Chen glanced upstairs. His heart scratched and clawed to know the truth right now.
But he wouldn’t act out in front of the old man. He forced himself to wait.
“Sit.” The old man took his usual seat at the table and had Chen sit by him. “I didn’t attend your wedding, but when you married I was genuinely happy for you.”
He’d gotten divorced today.
Chen’s face was the color of old greens. There was no hiding that he’d been given a green hat.
“You know A-Nan has always liked you,” the old man said. “When I heard you were married, I honestly let out a long breath. You brat were too lacking in decency. All these years you took advantage of his soft temper. Don’t think I don’t know.”
If they were going to tear the veil, the old man couldn’t care less about niceties. He’d air years of grievance first.
“I…” Chen flushed with embarrassment. “Uncle, what are you saying? I didn’t know Lao Si liked me.”
“Bullsh*t.” The old man’s voice snapped. “He confessed at twenty, and when he was twenty-five he loaned you seventy million to start a business. You dragged your feet until last year to pay it back. He treated you that well and you never even gave him a small birthday present. Tell me I’m wrong.”
The Jiang family were all petty people. It just wasn’t obvious when relationships were good.
They were the type to reclaim gifts after a breakup. Not from stinginess, but from hate.
“I—” Chen gaped. In his wildest dreams he’d never imagined Old Mr. Jiang would scold him to his face.
“Do you know what that’s called?” Back in the day the old man had been a storm on the business field. He knew how to shake the mountain to warn the tiger. “It’s called having no conscience, being ungrateful, a white-eyed wolf.”
First, beat him down. Then scheme for his son.
“You’re being too harsh,” Chen said through a dark face, fingers balling into fists on his knees.
In forty years, few had ever criticized him so bluntly.
But the old man was an elder and a family friend. What could he do?
“You don’t admit it?” The old man’s tone cut. “Was anything I said untrue? After all Lao Si’s done for you, have you ever been truly grateful?”
“Of course I’m grateful.” Chen said, “I keep Lao Si’s kindness in my heart.”
“And how do you plan to repay it?” the old man asked.
“I don’t know what Uncle wants me to do.”
“What do you have?” The old man looked straight at him. “If it’s a person, you can’t afford it. You’re never going to be with A-Nan. If it’s money, he doesn’t need it. Giving him money only insults his feelings for you. So what can you give him?”
“I don’t know.” Chen felt his forehead heat. He wiped at sweat. “Feels like there’s another meaning in your words.” He’d been getting played from the start.
“Wuhou,” the old man said, “I’m saying this so you’ll understand. you’ve wronged A-Nan. You haven’t fulfilled your duty as an older brother. Look at him, past thirty and still a single man who hasn’t accomplished a thing. Does that sit well with you?”
If Chen Wuhou’s conscience could ache, it would’ve long ago. Why wait until today.
Since his conscience didn’t hurt, Old Mr. Jiang patted his own. Fine, mine doesn’t either.
“Dad?” Li Dong’s ankle was mostly healed today. He could manage the stairs without help. “Why’d you suddenly come?”
“I came to see you.” Chen’s gaze moved between Li Dong and Jiang Liannan, full of doubt. “You’ve been imposing on your Uncle Nan long enough. It’s time to head home.”
He still couldn’t see what, if anything, was wrong between them.
“Wu-ge, why so polite all of a sudden?” Jiang kept a good distance from Li Dong, walked over, and took a seat.
“He starts school the day after tomorrow,” Chen said. “It really isn’t right to trouble you any longer.” Once they got home, he’d grill his son properly.
“You said on the phone you got divorced?” Jiang switched the topic.
“What?” Old Mr. Jiang was startled. “Wuhou divorced?”
Not good.
“Mm.” Chen nodded, bracing himself. “Uncle, I signed the divorce agreement today. I’m in a foul mood. If I’ve been out of line, please forgive me.”
This brat… had probably come to tangle with his son again.
“Why the divorce?” The old man’s stare sharpened. “What about your child?” Wasn’t she four months along?
Chen sighed. “It wasn’t my child.”
Li Dong’s brow lifted. Looked like he’d guessed right. In the original book, Su Ye’s loss was a blessing in disguise.
“Not your child?” Jiang’s mouth fell open. “She lied to you?” He might not love Chen anymore, but when something like this happened to someone familiar, he still felt a shared outrage.
“Don’t bring it up.” Chen turned to his son. “Can-can, come sit and eat. I’ll take you home after.”
“Okay.” Li Dong nodded.
He chose a seat a respectable distance from Jiang but still within line of sight.
“How’s the reading?” Chen asked.
“Not bad,” Li Dong said.
His son’s cool attitude finally rattled him.
He reflected, briefly, that he had indeed neglected Can-can lately.
Mostly because he figured he could still father children. The next one would be more perfect.
That Chen Can being an illegitimate son wasn’t exactly glorious to say out loud.
Who’d have thought the fetus wasn’t his at all. Chen felt every organ want to explode.
“Alright, let’s eat.” he said.
Jiang ate miserably. After several days of kissing and cuddling, being seated this far from his husband soured everything.
Food turned to wax in his mouth.
With his boyfriend sitting beside his boyfriend’s father, he didn’t even dare throw a flirty glance.
Worse, once this meal ended, the other would leave.
Jiang shoveled rice grain by grain, wishing he could eat until the end of time.
“Uncle Nan,” Li Dong set down his chopsticks, “could you help me upstairs to pack?”
“Mm?” Jiang nodded hard. “Okay.” He looked a little lost and pitiful.
“This kid…” Chen stood first. “I’ve got him, I’ve got him. Let your Uncle eat.”
…Damn it. Infuriating.
Jiang watched, eyes longing, as Chen helped his husband upstairs. “Dad, do you think Wu-ge found something out?” he whispered.
“Most likely.” The old man sighed. “Since he just divorced today, give it a few days. Let Can-can start school smoothly, then find a time to talk.”
“Okay…”
Li Dong came down with his things packed.
Jiang stood and looked at him, eyes hot, everything said without words.
“I’m going.” Li Dong made a discreet gesture that meant call me.
Chen hustled him toward the car. “Uncle, Lao Si, I’ll take Can-can home. We’ll visit another day.”
“Drive safe.” Jiang followed them out, not daring to stare too blatantly at Li Dong.
“Alright, head back.” Chen gave Jiang a complicated look. “Take care of yourself.” He’d taken the old man’s words to heart.
And because he suspected an ambiguity between Jiang and his son, alarms screamed inside him.
“Wu-ge,” Jiang called, “you too. Take care of yourself.” He had support now, while Wu-ge was the one left alone. That’s what you call tables turning.
In the car, father and son were silent for five or six minutes.
“Ahem, Can-can,” Chen spoke first, “are you angry with me?”
“Mm? What would I be angry about?” Li Dong asked.
“Your dad got married, then divorced,” Chen glanced over, “and I truly didn’t spare the energy to care for you. That’s on me. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
“I’m an adult now,” Li Dong met his eyes. “I don’t need anyone worrying about me. I can handle myself.”
Hearing that made Chen both relieved and complicated.
Back home, the more he thought, the worse he felt. He grabbed his keys and left again.
“Dr. Wang,” he mumbled into the phone, “I want… that kind of test. Can we do it now?”
Chen residence.
Li Dong sat at his desk. Diagonally was a camera. Straight ahead, a screen.
“Can-can.” Uncle’s face filled two-thirds of the display. “Uncle Nan misses you very much right now.” He leaned in to pucker at the lens. “Can I see you again before you start school?”
Faced with professional-level clinginess, Li Dong trembled. “Aren’t you looking at me right now?”
Really an old enchantress. During those days living at his house, he was nearly clung to death.
“It’s not the same.” Jiang propped his chin and stared. “I want the real you, where I can kiss and hug you.”
He turned flirty at the drop of a hat. Did he consider how it felt on this side of the screen?
If Li Dong hadn’t encountered an even flirtier mature shou in a past arc (Xi Xingling: are you talking about me?), he might not have been able to handle a nearly-forty little princess.
“Alright, I’ll come tomorrow.” A husband should grant his spouse’s small wishes.
“I miss you right now,” Jiang said.
“What do you want me to do right now?” Li Dong glanced at the sky outside and rolled his eyes where the camera couldn’t catch.
“Hmph…” Jiang lounged back, glaring without speaking.
“Pretty uncle,” Li Dong said, “you’re still pretty even when you’re staring at me through your nostrils.”
“Get lost…” Jiang grabbed a pillow and tossed it at the camera, flustered.
Li Dong hung up while he was distracted and let Uncle stew.
At the hospital.
“Mr. Chen, have you abstained for a week?” Dr. Wang asked.
“Yes.” As he got older, his drive had dulled.
Plus, Su Ye had been pregnant. He wasn’t scummy enough to cheat right after marriage.
“A semen analysis is quick,” Dr. Wang said. “Wait here. We’ll have the results soon.”
“Alright.” Chen sat and reached for a cigarette.
He remembered he was in a hospital and put it away.
Pretty nurses walked by yet he felt nothing. From the moment he stepped inside, a bad feeling sat in his gut.
“Mr. Chen.” Dr. Wang brought the sheet over. “Take a look.” He already pitied the man. Cuckolded by his wife, and now low sperm quality. Having children would be hard.
Chen’s fingers shook around the page. Cold sweat kept beading on his forehead.
So this might be his only son in this lifetime.
Late that night.
Li Dong got up to use the bathroom and heard noise in the living room.
“Dad?” He stood on the stairs and looked down. The place was a mess, and Chen had a bottle in hand.
Tsk. Drinking away his troubles.
Li Dong figured he was brooding over the green hat. He walked over to say a few consoling words, but Chen grabbed him.
“Can-can, Dad won’t marry again,” he hiccupped. “Everything in the Chen family is yours.”
“What happened?” Li Dong crouched in front of him. “You went out just now. Where’d you go?” He’d come back like this. “The hospital?”
Chen let out a long breath and put the bottle to his lips.
“Don’t drink that much. It’s bad for you,” Li Dong said.
“Can-can,” Chen suddenly slung an arm over his shoulders, “Dad only has you.” From now on, they’d rely on each other. He decided silently that he’d treat his son very, very well starting today and make up for his past negligence.
“Don’t overthink it.” Li Dong patted the dejected man’s shoulder. “Put the bottle down and get some rest.”
“Alright…” Chen suddenly felt his son had grown up, and he himself had gotten old.
As if overnight, the once high-spirited version of himself had become the past.
It happened so fast you couldn’t catch it, yet you had to accept it.
The next day, Li Dong drove out to pick up Jiang, then headed near Z University to look at apartments.
“How about this? Small unit, two bedrooms and a living room, big balcony.” Sitting shotgun, Jiang scrolled the listings with those elegant fingers. “But the décor’s too basic. Since you’re about to start school, we should find something move-in ready.”
“You decide.” Li Dong parked near the bar so Uncle could compare on his phone, then they’d go check one out.
Anyway, today wasn’t really about touring units. Uncle just wanted to stick to him.
“Why aren’t you more invested?” Jiang said. “It’s our love nest.”
All the more reason to choose carefully. He’d looked all night and still couldn’t decide.
After they got out, Jiang held his phone in one hand and Li Dong’s arm in the other, stroll-clingy as they walked into the bar.
“Morning, Boss.” The front-desk girl smiled, then froze. Holy— “…”
That little delicate cling-thing was their boss?
“Morning.” Jiang noticed her and said, “Right, let me introduce someone.” He pointed at Li Dong. “This is my boyfriend, Chen Can.”
Li Dong had already shown his face in front of Gao Yue. Thanks to Gao Yue’s big mouth, the circle knew Jiang had found himself an excellent boyfriend.
The staff had heard customers gossip and vaguely knew the boss had a boyfriend.
“H-hello.” So it was this handsome guy!
She remembered Li Dong well. He’d floored her at first glance. She hadn’t expected him to become the boss’s boyfriend so soon.
She knew it. If you could walk into Cat Ears, odds were you bent.
“Hi.” Li Dong smiled and kept an arm around his shameless uncle as they moved on.
“Here.” Jiang pulled his husband into the private room and promptly started undoing his pants.
“Hey…” Li Dong tilted his chin up and kissed him, pinching as he did. “You little menace, it’s barely morning and you’re already hunting.”
“Mmph…” He loved that domineering, untamed kiss, as if he’d be devoured. It was scary and delicious.
“Enough.” After a few minutes, Li Dong released him, patted his cheek, and said, “Keep scrolling listings. I’m going out front for a drink.”
Jiang latched on from behind. “I’ll go with you.”
Li Dong took the hand around his waist. Smooth and soft, it more than earned the ‘old enchantress’ nickname.
“I want to stick to you every day.” Jiang sat on Li Dong’s lap on the barstool. “If only you could graduate sooner.”
Sadly, his boyfriend was only twenty. The gap was criminal.
“Mm.” Li Dong sipped. “Yours still tastes better.”
“Then I’ll—”
“Don’t.” Li Dong’s arm tightened around his waist. “You’re for me to spoil, not to mix drinks for me.”
Jiang said nothing more and melted against him. He swore, even if the other ever suggested breaking up, he’d cling shamelessly and never let go.
Under the envious, jealous, hateful gazes around them, Jiang blissfully compared listings, carefully picking their future love nest.
After weighing it all, Li Dong made the call and set up a viewing.
The unit matched the photos. Both were satisfied.
“Let’s get the paperwork started,” Li Dong said.
The little details took all afternoon.
Jiang didn’t have much experience with this. He’d been about to call a lawyer for advice, then realized Li Dong handled it with ease, thorough in every respect.
Compared to other twenty-year-olds, he was far more mature.
Jiang’s heart twinged. He felt the way Can-can had turned out was thanks, in quotation marks, to the family environment.
Chen Wuhou had been a father for twenty years but never done the job properly.
“Let’s go.” At that in-between hour, Li Dong asked, “My place or yours?” He didn’t want a hotel. It felt like a hookup, it’s not romantic.
“Yours,” Jiang said.
At this time, Chen was probably at the office.
Li Dong thought the same. They returned to the Chen house. Chen wasn’t home.
“Hurry upstairs. Uncle’s missed you all day.” Jiang hooked his arm around Li Dong’s neck, itching all over.
“Look how riled up you are.” Li Dong scooped him up in a bridal carry, took a few steps, then asked, “Do you eat with your food going straight to a puppy’s belly?” One-eighty in height and this light.
“Pah, you’re the one feeding puppies.” Jiang’s fingers traced the back of his neck. “You said I had meat the other night.”
“Oh, right.” The feel had been very good.
He was tall with a small frame. Born to be a shou.
A car engine sounded outside. Chen’s sedan pulled in.
He got out and glanced at the car beside it.
Around nine this morning, he and Li Dong had left around the same time.
The kid hadn’t said where he was going, but at least he wasn’t a party animal. Rarely did he stay out overnight.
When Chen stepped into the upstairs hall, he frowned. “This brat…” Bringing a girl home again, loud as thunder.
“Can-can… ah…”
“What am I?”
“Husband… mm…”
Chen’s eyes flew open. He thought he’d heard Jiang Liannan’s voice.
Impossible.
He pressed his cheek to Li Dong’s door and listened.
The fierce battle poured into his ear and then came a voice that made his blood boil.
“I can’t… Can-can, spare your Uncle Nan…” He’d know that voice even if it turned to ash. “Lao Si, you—” Rage flared. His hand clenched.
That shameless man was mewling and cooing at his son.
Bang, bang, bang! Chen pounded the door. “Chen Can, open up!”
Silence inside.
“Huh?” Jiang’s face went from red to white.
“It’s fine.” Li Dong wrapped him first thing, calm and gentle. “I’ll handle it. Hide under the covers and don’t come out.”
When Chen got no answer, his foot replaced his fist. One kick and the door flew open.
Li Dong had just pulled on briefs. His upper body was bare. “You kicked my door. Was that necessary?” He strode forward, tall and solid, blocking the way. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Move!” Chen lunged for the bed and ripped off the pale blue comforter.
Jiang snatched a pillow and covered the telltale marks. “Wu-ge…” Shame warred with a touch of defiant fatalism.
“Jiang Liannan, you f*cking b*tch!” Chen snarled, snatching up the ashtray to smash it forward.
“Uncle—” Li Dong moved in a flash, wrapping Jiang in a bathrobe and rolling them both to the floor.
Author's Note:
【Devastatingly Insane Mini Theater】
Uncle Lian: “My little stubbornness is to continue sleeping with your son.”
Scum Dad: “Why don't you just die!”
【Kneeling begging for nutrient solution~~~Babies~~~~】
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