TIL - 10

When Wen Huo brought Wen Bing home, Wen Xinyuan had also arrived. Seeing Wen Bing’s pale face, he quickly took him from Wen Huo’s hands, guiding him to the sofa: “What happened?”

Wen Bing was still thinking about the double-skin milk in the fridge. He pushed Wen Xinyuan aside, retrieved it, and handed it to Wen Huo: “Sister, take this to school to eat.”

Wen Xinyuan was displeased: “I bought that for you. Weren’t you going to eat it?”

Wen Bing shook his head: “I want my sister to eat it.”

Wen Xinyuan patted the back of his head: “Silly child, your sister has plenty to eat. Do you think she lacks money?”

Wen Bing thought for a moment and said, “I don’t lack many things either, but that still doesn’t stop you from buying them for me.”

Wen Xinyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something but ultimately didn’t.

Wen Huo saw his awkwardness and, having other matters to attend to, prepared to leave. She walked up to Wen Bing, took his phone, and pinned her number to the top of his contacts: “Call me if anything happens.”

Wen Bing smiled at her: “Mhm, mhm.”

Wen Huo stood up and, regardless of Wen Xinyuan’s attitude towards her, still bid farewell: “Dad, I’m leaving.”

Wen Xinyuan was a bit dramatic, taking a long time to grudgingly respond, by which time Wen Huo had already left.

He averted his gaze, looking at his simple son, then crouched down, and while wiping the vomit from his clothes, asked knowingly: “Bing, do you like your sister very much?”

Wen Bing nodded vigorously: “Mhm, mhm. If it weren’t for my sister, I’d be dead.”

Wen Xinyuan stopped wiping, frozen.

Back then, the children’s mother had been brainwashed and started practicing Falun Gong, buying a brazier to burn herself and her son to death.

Why not her daughter? Because the “master” at the time said her daughter was chosen by heaven, could see what ordinary people couldn’t, and was a savior.

Her son, however, was a destroyer, destined to “rainbow transform” in the air, meaning self-immolation. This would not only save all sentient beings from suffering but also cleanse his own soul, allowing him to be reborn into nirvana.

But after all, he was her own son, and she couldn’t bear to lose him, so she decided to die with him, so they would have company on the road to heaven.

Fortunately, Wen Huo discovered it in time and discarded her mother’s “tools” for “ascension.” But this still couldn’t stop a mad mother. Without the means for self-immolation, she actually tried to throw her son to his death.

Wen Huo, at that moment, somehow found the talent and strength to start Wen Xinyuan’s car and accurately caught Wen Bing as he was thrown out of the sixth-floor window. In the end, he didn’t die, but he became simple-minded.

After Wen Bing’s “rebirth,” he didn’t remember much of the past. Only Wen Huo, he remembered she had saved his life, and he would willingly give his all for her.

Wen Xinyuan let out a breath, hugged Wen Bing, and rubbed his back: “Silly child.”

Wen Bing shook his head in his embrace: “My sister is the silly one. I have you to protect me, but she only has herself. She never talks about being bullied. She used to get beaten a lot when she was little, and she has a long scar on the back of her head.”

Wen Xinyuan frowned.

Before Wen Huo returned to school, Wu Guo sent her a WeChat message: “Dinner’s on me?”

She replied more than ten minutes later: “Okay.”

Shen Cheng was no longer traveling for business, but work couldn’t simply stop, so he used his originally scheduled flight time to hold a video conference.

He had only been somewhat free in the past year. He felt that after his twenties, every day had to be used like eight days, leaving very little time for rest. Even when playing golf or working out, he was discussing business.

He had long learned to hide his emotions. In any collaboration, he could always make everyone look good without giving off a hypocritical vibe, which was truly rare. It’s important to remember that in business negotiations, the art of conversation and control of details are crucial.

Due to personal reasons, Shen Cheng’s face-to-face meeting was canceled. To apologize, he voluntarily gave up a few percentage points, and in the end, everyone was happy.

Only Shen Cheng knew that even after giving up a few points, he still profited.

This was Shen Cheng, many levels above the phrase “no shrewd businessman is benevolent.” He was the typical person who could sell others out, and they would still laugh and count money for him.

He handed the concluding work to his assistant and asked his driver to take him to Taihe Courtyard.

He changed into his workout clothes, then did half an hour of cardio and half an hour of weights. Finally, he stood in front of the full-length mirror, took a look, wasn’t quite satisfied, and then swam for another half an hour.

The housekeeper handed him a towel and added: “Sir, have you not been sleeping well lately?”

Shen Cheng took the towel: “Why do you say that?”

The housekeeper spoke honestly: “If you weren’t sleeping well, why would you do such intense exercise? Don’t you usually get tired after exercising and then rest? Sir, don’t work too hard.”

Shen Cheng suddenly didn’t know how to respond and simply changed the subject: “I’ll be leaving soon. You don’t need to prepare dinner for me.”

The housekeeper saw he didn’t want to talk and didn’t ask further: “Yes, sir.”

She was the mother of one of Shen Cheng’s employees. That employee suffered from depression in his early years, met some extreme sports enthusiasts, and later, while doing extreme sports with them, accidentally fell from a 140-meter windmill and died.

A single mother who lost her son, her source of livelihood, and the meaning of her life, was also prepared to follow him. It was Shen Cheng who gave her a job, giving her something to hold onto, which allowed her to survive.

This was also why Shen Cheng regularly arranged psychological check-ups for his employees, in addition to physical ones; he didn’t want tragedy to repeat itself.

Actually, this wasn’t pure kindness. Shen Cheng, this person, was too astute. For him, he would generally do things that were sure to yield a profit without loss.

Precisely because he handled this matter so beautifully, he was noticed by the founder of that extreme sport, the current leader of Gumball 3000. This top-tier illegal racing event led by him now had an inside man: Shen Cheng.

Shen Cheng emerged from the pool and changed into casual clothes. He looked relaxed and pleasing to the eye, especially when he put on his 160,000 yuan glasses, his demeanor instantly refined.

He checked his attire one last time in front of the mirror, then dabbed some perfume on his cuffs and collar before leaving.

As soon as he got in the car, Cheng Cuo called: “Brother, did you expose my clients to my arch-rival?!”

Before his video conference, Shen Cheng had indeed given Cheng Cuo’s client information to a competing psychological studio: “Mhm.”

Cheng Cuo cried: “Do you know how hard I’ve worked to get these few clients, brother? Don’t mess with me. They’re how I make a living.”

Shen Cheng said: “Tell me what illness Wen Huo has, and I’ll introduce you to some new clients.”

Cheng Cuo knew he shouldn’t have gloated. He was now regretting it immensely: “No, brother, why does it have to be an illness? Can’t we just be friends?”

Shen Cheng was very confident: “She doesn’t have time for friends.”

Cheng Cuo found this so amusing he almost choked: “Well, perhaps, um, you don’t know her deeply enough. Maybe, just maybe, Wen Huo isn’t quite what you imagine?”

Shen Cheng frowned.

For his own sake, Cheng Cuo still betrayed Wen Huo: “Brother, let me tell you, Wen Huo is a VIP at many of the nightclubs you know.”

Shen Cheng’s brows furrowed even deeper.

Cheng Cuo continued: “Don’t you know the little wildcat of the nightclub? She’s an amazing dancer; she’s never lost a battle. Back then, when she couldn’t sleep, she used to go clubbing every day. That’s how I met her, at a club.”

This was also true. The two met at a nightclub, exchanged WeChat, and then Wen Huo saw from his朋友圈 that he was a psychologist and went to him for her insomnia.

Cheng Cuo only mentioned this point, avoiding the topic of what exactly Wen Huo’s illness was. Shen Cheng was still in a state of upheaval and didn’t notice.

The call ended. Shen Cheng was enraged again. How many secrets had Wen Huo kept from him?

The driver saw Shen Cheng’s grim face in the rearview mirror and instinctively shrank towards the car door. The Shen Cheng he knew, once angered, could kill without a trace.

Shen Cheng called Wen Huo, but the call couldn’t connect, meaning she had blocked him.

He then sent her a WeChat message, and a red exclamation mark immediately appeared, indicating she had deleted him from WeChat as well... Finally, he called her dorm, fabricated an identity, and finally managed to get her location. He told the driver: “Pangu 7 Star.”

The driver nodded and started the car.

Jufu Garden, on the second floor of Pangu 7 Star Hotel.

Wu Guo was interning at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and had an intern’s salary, but it wasn’t much. Treating Wen Huo to a 500 yuan per person buffet was quite a luxury.

But that wasn’t Wen Huo’s concern. She rarely sympathized with the price someone paid for a moment of glory. It was as if everyone had to go through it: if you wanted to be prominent in public, you had to suffer in private. There was nothing to feel sorry for.

Wu Guo asked Wen Huo: “You agreed to have dinner with me. It’s surely not as simple as just dinner.”

Wen Huo nodded: “I want to know Professor Yang Yinlou’s schedule. There are some things I’d like to ask him about.”

Wu Guo had an “I knew it” expression: “Why?”

Wen Huo mixed her sauce: “Hm?”

Wu Guo wiped his hands, rested his elbows on the table, and looked at Wen Huo: “Why are you looking for the professor?”

Wen Huo admitted: “I’m actually looking for Professor Yang’s mother. I can’t tell you the specific reason, but rest assured, I have no ill intentions.”

Wu Guo believed her. Even though she said nothing, he still believed her: “What’s in it for me if I help you get an appointment with the professor?”

Wen Huo had heard Shen Cheng talk about Wu Guo’s shortcomings: “I can help you broaden your perspective. You can come to me whenever you’re stuck in a dead end. You know my biggest advantage is having many ideas.”

Wu Guo snapped his fingers: “Okay, deal.”

Wen Huo seemed to have anticipated this outcome and calmly drank her wine.

Wu Guo still looked at her: “You’re really smart, completely different from the academic girls I imagined.”

Wen Huo smiled: “That’s because you’ve met too few academic girls. The girls around me can each hold up half the sky.”

Wu Guo believed this too. He poured some wine, ready to clink glasses with her: “Hope to get to know them all.”

Wen Huo said nothing, just clinked her glass with his.

After dinner, Wu Guo called a cab, and Wen Huo waited by the roadside.

Wu Guo saw she was lightly dressed and offered her his jacket. She was initially going to refuse, but after seeing a familiar license plate, she graciously accepted and even smiled at Wu Guo.

Wu Guo also smiled: “You know you’re beautiful, right? If you smile at me like that, I won’t be able to control myself.”

Wen Huo walked two steps closer to him: “Do you think I’m beautiful?”

Wu Guo’s heart pounded. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol: “Wen Huo, don’t try to test a man’s beastly nature; you won’t be able to handle it. When a man goes wild, it’s very dangerous.”

Wen Huo knew this. She had seen too much of the dangerous Shen Cheng in the past; she was immune: “Dangerous?”

Wu Guo was still rational and took a step back: “How about we get to know each other better? And you’re not entirely sober right now. Once you’re sober, you won’t think I’m...”

He hadn’t finished speaking when Shen Cheng walked over, grabbed Wen Huo’s arm, and started to leave.

Wu Guo was stunned, but he recognized Shen Cheng’s face: “Prof... Professor Shen...”

Wen Huo struggled hard: “Let go of me!”

Shen Cheng dragged her to the car and pushed her inside.

The driver, seeing the situation, sensibly got out of the car. But he didn’t expect that as soon as he got out, Wen Huo would lock the car, trapping Shen Cheng outside.

Shen Cheng’s face was grim: “Open the door!”

Wen Huo refused to open it and didn’t even look at him, instead waving goodbye to Wu Guo.

Shen Cheng was furious: “Wen Huo, I’ll say it again, open the door!”

Wen Huo didn’t open the door. She even had time to scroll through her Moments. After a while, a call came. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the number and answered.

On the other end was a very anxious woman’s voice.

After listening to her, Wen Huo smiled faintly, her back to Shen Cheng, and said to the woman: “You tell me to seduce, I seduce. You tell me to stop, I stop. Ms. Han, that’s not how business is done.”

The voice on the other end said through gritted teeth: “Then what do you want?”

Wen Huo touched her lips: “Gotta pay more.”

“Fine!”

Wen Huo hung up, turned around, and opened the car door.