SVWL Chapter 89

only 1 chapter update bc translating on my work computer is hard. I’ll update 2 chapters tomorrow.

Uncle Liu quickly sent the photos he had seen to Elder Cheng.

Cheng Qingsong looked at the photos of the two young men, his expression remaining stern in front of his subordinates.

“What’s the latest situation?” he asked.

The secretary calmly replied, “Liu-xiansheng has taken care of it. The daughter of the Kong family has withdrawn from the art school she was attending. Her family has also been blacklisted from the entertainment industry. Since the news got out, no one has bothered the young master in the county.”

“……”

The Kong family brought this upon themselves, serving as a warning to others.

After Kong Lu went to the county to cause trouble, the Kong family’s businesses suffered unprecedented setbacks. Previously, with Zhuo Yunan’s uncle’s name as their backing, the Kong family wouldn’t have faced a dead end even if they went bankrupt. However, after this incident, their last hope was crushed.

Zhuo Yunan’s career, on the other hand, was unaffected. After the incident was exposed, she garnered sympathy from netizens for being exploited by her uncle’s family. Even those who previously blamed her due to her relation to Kong Lu began to support her after learning she was forced into it.

This was, of course, the result of effective public opinion guidance and also a show of stance.

Zhuo Yunan knew how to gauge the situation and act appropriately, allowing her to continue being a big star with her career progressing further.

But Kong Lu, who overestimated herself, dragged her whole family down with her.

Liu Jianbai’s actions proved that his acceptance of the Zhu siblings was not due to any ulterior motives – he genuinely treated them as his own children.

He never interfered with normal social interactions, but if anyone approached with ill intentions, they had to consider if they could contend with a powerful entity.

Yet, the more this was the case, the more some people refused to believe it.

If he valued his godson so much, how could he let him get involved with an illegitimate child?

Even after showing him various intimate photos, he remained indifferent?

It was just that those trying to provoke him into breaking up the couple had too small a perspective. Uncle Liu was well-informed and experienced. He had even seen the live version of their relationship —what were a few photos to him?

Elder Cheng had an even broader view. Unlike others, he didn’t place as much importance on passing down the family name and the business. Both Zhu Tong and his mother had peculiar health conditions, and he was more worried that even if his grandson could have descendants, they might be frail from birth like him. Bringing a life into the world to suffer wasn’t something he wanted his grandson or daughter to repeat.

Moreover, compared to his mother, Zhu Tong’s judgment of people had not disappointed him.

A person wanting to be self-reliant and strong is much harder to achieve than to say.

Cheng Qingsong looked at the people in the photos and asked, “Is the Xia family currently involved in a lawsuit?”

The secretary replied, “Yes, Xia-zong’s wife has filed for divorce.”

Cheng Qingsong paused for a moment, “Keep an eye on it.”

“Understood.”

He wanted to see how far that young man could go on his own.

---

In a newly opened barbecue restaurant in Gongshui County, Zhu Tong couldn’t help but shiver as he stepped inside from the freezing cold outside.

They had just finished taking photos and returned, with many pictures of the two stored in their phones. Indoor shots, outdoor shots, standing, sitting, holding hands, and arms around each other…

Shao Ming seemed to have an obsession with taking photos, capturing a few shots wherever they went.

Zhu Tong felt they were drawing a lot of attention.

Especially since Shao Ming didn’t shy away at all while taking photos. Their attire was eye-catching, and their looks even more so. Coupled with Shao Ming’s naturally conspicuous actions, they walked the streets with an undeniable 100% head turn-around rate.

Zhu Tong was both nervous about encountering acquaintances or being caught by school teachers, and immersed in the new experiences Shao Ming brought him, losing track of time.

As noon approached, snowflakes indeed began to fall from the sky. The bright sky was dazzling, and looking up from the ground, the snowflakes didn’t appear as purely white as seen on TV but had mottled grey shadows.

This fascinated Zhu Tong.

He persuaded Shao Ming to stay outside for another half hour before they finally found a warm place to have lunch.

Shao Ming led him to a table, took his cold hands in his own, and with a hint of guilt on his face, asked, “Are you cold?”

Zhu Tong shook his head, “No.”

Shao Ming looked up at him, frowning, “Your face is all red, and you say you’re not cold?”

Zhu Tong replied, “The redness isn’t from the cold.”

Shao Ming: “?”

Looking past his initial concern, Shao Ming noticed Zhu Tong’s flushed face wasn’t just from the cold wind tightening his skin, but also from the barely concealed excitement in his eyes.

Without keeping Shao Ming in suspense, Zhu Tong allowed him to hold his hands and explained, “I’ve never gone out in such cold weather before.”

Even when he went to school every morning, he was always fully armed if the wind was too strong.

He had never experienced the sensation of letting go and letting the cold wind hit his face.

To be honest, it wasn’t very comfortable.

His cheeks felt painfully frozen, and when the wind was strong, it felt like it was slicing through his skin… but it was exhilarating.

Having lived cautiously for so many years, always with some degree of restraint, he found such thrilling experiences particularly appealing.

His face was flushed red from excitement.

Shao Ming felt a mix of heartache, helplessness, and a bit of regret. He thought he should have given Zhu Tong an extra scarf.

He held Zhu Tong’s ice-cold hands, rubbing them to create some warmth.

While Shao Ming was busy warming his hands without speaking, Zhu Tong continued, “I used to catch a cold just from being in the wind, but now I can roll in the snow without any problems.”

Shao Ming was slightly taken aback and looked up at him.

Zhu Tong remained silent, an unspoken understanding passing between them about what each wanted to say.

Zhu Tong’s health had always been a concern for both of them—one didn’t speak of it, and the other didn’t ask.

After a pause, Shao Ming smiled and asked, “You insisted on coming to this barbecue place just to prove that?”

To prove that his health had indeed improved?

Zhu Tong shook his head again, “No, proving it once is enough. I wanted to come here because I wanted to be with you.”

Shao Ming raised his eyebrows slightly.

Zhu Tong explained, “I used to be sick and missed out on many experiences. There are things I’ve never done, foods I’ve never tasted, and I want you to be there with me for all of it…”

Saying such things suddenly felt a bit strange, and Zhu Tong couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

But he spoke earnestly.

The more time he spent with Shao Ming, the more he realized he couldn’t live without him.

He believed Shao Ming felt the same way.

After taking photos together and watching the snow outside, Zhu Tong thought, how wonderful it is now.

But the better things were, the more he feared the consequences if he couldn’t complete his mission. He feared the possibility of not being there, of only being able to accompany Shao Ming for less than a year.

He was afraid the memories they were creating would turn into a source of pain for Shao Ming, that the photos they took would become tools of nostalgia and sorrow.

He realized that more than fearing death, he feared making Shao Ming sad.

So he couldn’t let himself die.

He was eager to eliminate Shao Ming’s “concerns.”

The sudden words, although spoken quietly, carried a significant impact.

Shao Ming’s grip on his hands tightened slightly, and he couldn’t help but bring Zhu Tong’s hand to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss. “Little Young Master, are you… confessing to me?”

Zhu Tong looked puzzled for a moment.

Confessing… hadn’t he already confessed?

Seeing his confusion, Shao Ming momentarily reined in his turbulent emotions, controlling himself as he squeezed Zhu Tong’s hand and said, “We should talk about this when we get home.”

—Preferably in bed, so he could let his inhibitions run wild.

Zhu Tong didn’t understand and asked anxiously, “Why do we need to talk about it at home? I want you to come home with me after the final exams… don’t you want to?”

Shao Ming: “…”

He felt an intense urge to facepalm.

Couldn’t this Little Young Master choose a better time and place to tease him?

But speaking of which, this was already the second time Zhu Tong had invited him.

Why was he so eager for him to meet his family?

Shao Ming admitted he was nervous, but he hadn’t shown any signs of anxiety in front of Zhu Tong.

Was it Zhu Tong’s perceptiveness, or something about the system he had?

Shao Ming leaned towards the latter; he was increasingly convinced that Zhu Tong’s undisclosed mission involved him.

“I want to,” Shao Ming said. “Why wouldn’t I? Didn’t I already agree last time?”

Zhu Tong: “…”

‘Agreeing is one thing, but your “concerns” haven’t been resolved.’

Zhu Tong said, “Last time we didn’t set a specific time, so it doesn’t count. Let’s agree now, on the first day of the break, you’ll come home with me. If you agree, you can’t back out.”

Shao Ming pretended to ponder, “What if… your family doesn’t like me?”

Zhu Tong said, “How could they not?”

Shao Ming replied, “How could they? Every time Uncle Liu sees me, he has a stern face.”

As he spoke, he mimicked Uncle Liu’s expression every time he saw him.

It was quite accurate.

Zhu Tong stifled a laugh.

He really didn’t understand why Uncle Liu, despite not opposing his time spent with Shao Ming, always had a stern look when he saw Shao Ming.

“Uncle Liu is…” Zhu Tong hesitated for a while, “Uncle Liu is just a bit serious. He doesn’t dislike you, but my grandpa will definitely like you, he…”

As he spoke, Zhu Tong suddenly thought of his grandfather’s perpetually stern face in front of outsiders.

This… seems a bit difficult.

After covering his hands for a while, Zhu Tong’s hands gradually warmed up. Shao Ming habitually squeezed his fingers into the gaps between his, feeling low-spirited as he said, “What if your grandfather gives me a check and asks me to leave you?”

Zhu Tong: “…”

His grandfather wouldn’t be so old-fashioned!

Knowing he was being theatrical, Zhu Tong said strangely, “Grandpa wouldn’t do that.”

Shao Ming said to himself, “If that’s the case, then I can only apologize to him and take the initiative to cook the raw rice first¹cooking the raw rice = having premarital sex, in the context that after the sex, they’ll have to get married..” 

Zhu Tong: “…”

Is this some kind of old-fashioned melodrama?

Zhu Tong paused and suddenly asked, “How do you cook it?” 

Shao Ming was startled, his theatrics momentarily forgotten, he turned his head slightly puzzled and said, “…You don’t know?”

Zhu Tong shook his head slowly.

He really didn’t know.

He had learned quite a bit of physiological knowledge regarding how sex works, but he only understood what this phrase meant in the context of men and women.

But both he and Shao Ming were guys… so how could the “raw rice” be cooked? Wasn’t their relationship already “cooked”? 

Shao Ming: “…”

—He seemed to have forgotten something important.

He forgot to expand his boyfriend’s knowledge in the physiological aspect of same-sex intimate relations. 

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  cooking the raw rice = having premarital sex, in the context that after the sex, they’ll have to get married.