Chapter 76: New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Time quickly arrived at Chuxi, New Year’s Eve. Wen Yuhuai had been out of contact with his family for several months. After thinking it over, he decided to give them a call.
The phone rang twice before it was picked up. On the other end, Jiang Jing’s cold, aloof voice came through: “Who is this?”
Wen Yuhuai blinked slowly, holding the phone to his ear. He called out, “Mom.”
The other side went silent instantly. After a long moment, there was the sound of panicked footsteps, followed by Jiang Jing’s voice, filled with disbelief: “Xiao Huai?”
Wen Yuhuai’s voice was gentle. “Mom, it’s me.”
Jiang Jing: “Where have you been all these days? You didn’t even call home. I called Xingjian and Yanxiu, and they said you were in a bad mood and went traveling to clear your head.”
Wen Yuhuai couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. “Is that what they said?”
There was another moment of silence. A few seconds later, Wen Chenglin’s voice came through the phone. “What exactly is going on? Why did you leave Beijing so suddenly, and why didn’t you come to Shencheng?”
Wen Yuhuai massaged his temples. In the end, he didn’t tell the truth and used the same excuse he had given Lin Shiyu. “I had a falling out with them. A complete and total break. We won’t be in contact anymore. I just found a place to stay for a while to avoid them.”
Wen Chenglin’s brow furrowed deeply. “How could you just fall out like that?”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: Did you do something to make them unhappy?
Wen Yuhuai let out another cold laugh, unable to control his emotions. “I didn’t do anything wrong. They were the ones who went too far.”
Jiang Jing had been listening by the side. Hearing this, she glared at Wen Chenglin and snatched the phone away. She walked toward the bedroom, her tone as gentle as if she were coaxing a child. “Mom knows you wouldn’t do anything to stick your neck out. Can you tell me? Why did you fall out with them?”
Wen Yuhuai’s hand tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white with force, but he couldn’t squeeze out another word.
He knew exactly why Jiang Jing was asking.
In the circle of Beijing’s wealthy elite, there were only a few families. The Fu family was undoubtedly at the top of the pyramid, not just because of their wealth, but because of their power.
Because of that, Fu Xingjian could recklessly allow his motorcade to block traffic on a main road and pull or delete city surveillance at will. It was all because of that word: power.
The Gu family wasn’t bad either; their real estate business was everywhere, and few in Beijing were wealthier. As for the Song family, they were gaining momentum in emerging industries and intended to expand abroad. Though they weren’t as strong as the others yet, they were a force to be reckoned with.
By comparison, the Wen and Lin families were somewhat ordinary. Jiang Jing’s questioning was based on the relationships between these families, fearing that they might become enemies.
Wen Yuhuai took a deep breath, finally regaining his composure. “It’s nothing. It’s just me personally not associating with them anymore. It won’t interfere with your business cooperation. Besides, isn’t our family’s industrial center gradually shifting from Beijing to Shencheng? Our personal relationships won’t affect much.”
Jiang Jing could tell he was intentionally changing the subject and didn’t press further. She only asked, “Where are you now? It’s almost the New Year. Are you coming back to Shencheng?”
Wen Yuhuai: “I won’t be back for now. After some time, I’ll go to Shencheng to find you.”
Again, not receiving the answer she wanted, Jiang Jing instinctively frowned and asked once more, “Where are you now?”
Wen Yuhuai didn’t hide it from her. He said directly, “Haishi.”
Jiang Jing breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you with Shiyu?”
Wen Yuhuai gave a soft “Mm.”
Jiang Jing didn’t ask anything else, only saying, “Alright, I feel at ease with the two of you together. Today is Chuxi. Remember to have your New Year’s Eve dinner. Okay, I’ll hang up now. Remember to call me if anything happens.”
Wen Yuhuai hummed in response and waited for her to hang up.
The moment the call ended, Jiang Jing’s expression turned cold.
She knew her son. Although he was a bit of a playboy usually, he wasn’t a bad person. His temper was easygoing, and he never messed up on important matters. He wasn’t the type to intentionally make enemies.
So, was it really those two from the Fu and Gu families who had done something excessive?
To make Wen Yuhuai say he would never associate with them again… just what had they done?
Jiang Jing couldn’t sit still. She got up and left the room to find Wen Chenglin in the living room.
“Lao Wen, call those two boys in Beijing and ask them what exactly happened…”
Outside, the sky was gradually darkening. The two of them prepared a table for New Year’s Eve dinner at home.
Of course, Lin Shiyu was the head chef. Wen Yuhuai couldn’t even be considered an assistant.
The dishes were sumptuous, all made according to what they liked to eat. There was everything. Lin Shiyu even opened a bottle of wine.
Wen Yuhuai really hadn’t had a drink in a long time, so he couldn’t help but feel a bit of a craving. He had two glasses. It wasn’t until he was slightly tipsy that he remembered to ask, “When does the fireworks show start?”
Lin Shiyu held his wine glass, gently swirling the liquid. “Nine o’clock.”
Wen Yuhuai checked the time and said with a slight delay, “Then it’s not too late.”
It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet.
However, he still picked up the pace. “There will definitely be a lot of people today. Let’s eat quickly and find a good spot.”
Lin Shiyu listened to him. If he said fast, they went fast; if he said slow, they went slow.
The two of them left the house a little after eight. However, since they had both been drinking, they couldn’t drive. In the end, they spent a long time waving down a taxi. By the time they reached the Waitan, it was already packed with people.
Wen Yuhuai simply gave up. “Forget it. Let’s just stand in the back. It’s the same wherever we stand. The fireworks are in the sky, not on the ground.”
Lin Shiyu still followed his lead, his hand resting lightly on Wen Yuhuai’s shoulder to keep him close, preventing him from being bumped by the crowd.
Wen Yuhuai, having had some wine, was indeed a bit unsteady. He didn’t notice the small gesture and instead leaned against him for support.
The fireworks show soon began.
A sharp whistling sound pierced through the clamor as clusters of fireworks exploded in the deep blue night sky, so bright that people had to squint.
The scene was incredibly magnificent. Many people took out their phones to take pictures. Because of this, Wen Yuhuai didn’t notice a camera being secretly aimed at him.
Beijing.
Fu Xingjian looked at the photo sent to his device with a dark, sinister expression. The two of them were embracing as they watched the fireworks in Haishi, their posture as intimate as a couple.
Didn’t he say he didn’t like men?
What, I’m not good enough, but he is?
Fu Xingjian closed his eyes for a long while before opening them again, scrutinizing the photo on the screen, looking at the half-profile of the face that haunted his dreams.
After staring for another two seconds, with a loud bang, he smashed the device in his hand and let out a cold laugh.
They had let him go intentionally because they were afraid of pushing him too far, afraid he might do something drastic.
The purpose was to give him time to relax and think about their relationship.
It was not to send him into the arms of another man.
Especially a man who coveted him just as much as they did.
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