CH 110

Chapter 110 – Can’t Smile

“How about it? Aren’t you planning to come to my house? Or do you not want me to get to know your little husband?” Sheng Jiaqi asked with a smile when Wei Chen didn’t answer.

Wei Chen immediately replied, “Li Li is currently preparing for the Dream Cup. After the competition is over, I’ll bring him over.”

Sheng Jiaqi said with a hint of surprise, “The Dream Cup? That’s no small matter. You have to let your little husband prepare well. I’ll have a celebration drink with him when the time comes.”

Although Sheng Jiaqi was not an art person, he enjoyed collecting some artworks. Regardless of whether they were works by famous artists or not, if he found them pleasing and likable, he would spend a large sum of money to acquire them. Just a few days ago, he spent millions to buy a painting from an art gallery. However, some art connoisseurs around him said that the painting wasn’t made by a famous artist and although the painting was good, it didn’t have any value as a collection. But Sheng Jiaqi didn’t care. He thought that the painting appealed to his eyes, far surpassing the works of other famous artists. When he looked at the painting, he could feel the emotions conveyed within, a strong surge directed at him. Almost at first sight, he fell in love with the painting and believed it had value as a collection.

The Dream Cup was also an art competition that he paid attention to. Every time during the final exhibition of the competition, he would choose a few paintings that he found pleasing and take them home, regardless of their ranking. As long as he liked them, it was enough.

He was looking forward to finding his favorite piece from the competition this time.

“I’ll take my leave now. If I don’t, I don’t think any of the employees here would want to go home,” Sheng Jiaqi said, getting up and patting Wei Chen’s shoulder before leaving.

After Sheng Jiaqi left, Wei Chen called Jack from Business Magazine. Once the interview time was confirmed, Wei Chen returned to his desk, finished organizing his files, and left the office.

Today was the deadline for the Dream Cup, and Chen Li prepared his painting and had Zhuge Yu send it to the local competition area.

As soon as Zhuge Yu left, Wei Chen came to pick up Chen Li. Seeing Wei Chen, Chen Li immediately walked to his side and looked at him intently, seeking praise.

“My Li Li is amazing. You will definitely achieve good results!” Wei Chen held Chen Li’s hand and said tenderly.

“Mmm, I’m amazing,” Chen Li praised himself without any embarrassment.

“I know,” Wei Chen agreed, and as a reward, he lowered his head and gave Chen Li a big kiss on the mouth.

Chen Li felt it wasn’t enough and stood on tiptoes, taking the initiative to kiss Wei Chen on the lips. Wei Chen, initially passive, became proactive, deepening their kiss. The two walked hand in hand back home.

Lu Xiuran walked out of the art studio, watching the two figures holding hands, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. Happy? You’ll be really happy to see what’s waiting for you!

*

Instead of taking Chen Li home, Wei Chen brought him to a restaurant. Today was an important day for Chen Li’s competition, so they naturally had to celebrate it properly.

In a Chinese restaurant.

Wei Chen noticed that Chen Li wasn’t interested in Western cuisine, so he tried to find a good Chinese restaurant in the capital. They went from one restaurant to another, and the taste of this particular restaurant was indeed as good as described online. By the time Chen Li finished the meal, his stomach was already full.

Wei Chen reached out and touched Chen Li’s belly, jokingly asking, “Your belly is so big now? Is it ripe yet?”

Chen Li quickly shook his head and said, “Not ripe yet!”

Even though they were adults, they didn’t have any burden when it came to making such childish jokes.

However, at that moment, Wei Chen couldn’t have imagined that the joke they made today would have a significant impact in the future. On a certain day, when Chen Li’s belly would be even bigger than it was now, when it would be ripe, Wei Chen would be completely dumbfounded.

But let’s get back to the present.

After they finished their meal and left the restaurant, they noticed that although it was snowing today, there were still many pedestrians on the streets, and there were especially many couples. Wei Chen then realized that today was Christmas Eve as he paid attention to the surroundings. Almost every store had Christmas elements. That’s when Wei Chen became aware that it was Christmas Eve.

“Lili, today is Christmas Eve,” Wei Chen said, holding Chen Li’s hand.

“Christmas Eve?” Chen Li had no concept of such things, but he felt that everything around him was lively.

“It’s like the third Valentine’s Day,” Wei Chen didn’t explain it in detail to Chen Li but gave a vague explanation, which surprisingly fit well.

Indeed, Christmas Eve was the third Valentine’s Day in China, after Valentine’s Day and Qixi Festival.

Chen Li didn’t know why it was the third, but as soon as he heard the words “Valentine’s Day,” his eyes lit up. Valentine’s Day was his and Achen’s holiday, wasn’t it?

Seeing Chen Li’s expression, Wei Chen knew what he was thinking. He held Chen Li in his arms and said, “Yes. Today is our holiday!”

That night, they imitated other couples and did things that couples would do. Occasionally, they would exchange passionate kisses. The colorful lights and Christmas trees on the streets became their best decorations.

It was a night filled with excitement, and by the time they returned home, it was already past midnight.

After they arrived home, they took a shower and embraced each other while sleeping.

Chen Li fell asleep first, and Wei Chen held him in his arms, gently kissing his forehead before falling asleep himself.

The next morning, Wei Chen prepared an apple and a Christmas gift for Chen Li.

Wei Chen went out early to buy the apple, and he bought the Christmas gift when Chen Li wasn’t paying attention.

Chen Li sat at the table and had the apple for breakfast, cutely munching on it. Wei Chen sat beside him, watching Chen Li eat the apple. He silently held Chen Li’s other hand and put the Christmas gift he bought the previous day on Chen Li’s ring finger.

“Lili, Merry Christmas,” Wei Chen said, lifting Chen Li’s hand and gently kissing his ring finger.

Chen Li now had a ring on his ring finger, a simple design without any elaborate decorations, just a circle of white gold.

“I’m sorry, I just remembered yesterday that we didn’t have wedding rings, so I bought a pair at the mall. Let’s wear these for now. In a few days, I’ll have a new pair designed. I want to firmly lock you in,” Wei Chen said, looking deeply into Chen Li’s eyes. “So, Lili, would you be willing to wear this ring on my hand?”

Chen Li finally noticed a ring on the table, and Wei Chen extended his hand towards himself. Without hesitation, Chen Li placed the ring on Wei Chen’s ring finger, following Wei Chen’s example and kissing his ring finger. Then, Chen Li said, “I’ve got you too.”

“Yeah, you’ve got me,” Wei Chen replied, getting up and embracing Chen Li in his arms, a smile brimming in his eyes.

In the future, whenever Chen Li recalled this scene, it would bring a sweet yet slightly annoyed feeling. He blamed his own naivety for easily falling into Wei Chen’s grasp.

But that’s a story for later.

After spending a short while being affectionate in the restaurant, they realized it was time for work and school.

Wei Chen had an appointment with the journalist from Business Magazine today, so he couldn’t be late. After dropping Chen Li off at Q University, Wei Chen went straight to the company. Shortly after he arrived, the journalist from Business Magazine also arrived.

Wei Chen conducted the interview in his office on the sofa. Business Magazine truly lived up to its reputation as the largest magazine in the country. The questions asked were highly professional and of a high standard. They didn’t provide a draft in advance but dove right into the interview. If one was not well-prepared, they would struggle to keep up with Business Magazine’s demands.

Fortunately, Wei Chen was steadfast, with a strong and dense core. No matter how challenging or professional the questions Jack asked, Wei Chen’s responses were meticulous and perfect, leaving a great impression on Jack.

It was a mutually enjoyable interview. Jack asked with enthusiasm, and Wei Chen answered flawlessly. Jack even felt that this interview didn’t require any editing and could be published as it was. When the interview was over, Jack made another request, “Director Wei, we intend to feature you as the cover personality for this issue. Would you be available to do a photoshoot for the magazine cover?”

Being chosen as the cover personality, Wei Chen was somewhat surprised, but he didn’t show it on his face. He responded, “Mr. Jack, when would be convenient for you?”

“We’ll accommodate Director Wei’s schedule,” Jack said with a smile.

“In that case, let’s do it in my office,” Wei Chen suggested, not wanting to make an additional trip.

“We already had that in mind. To make the best use of Director Wei’s time, I brought the photographer with me today,” Jack replied.

They reached an agreement and immediately began preparing for the magazine cover photoshoot in the office. However, the photographer soon encountered a problem—Wei Chen didn’t know how to smile.

The theme for their cover was to portray Wei Chen’s vibrant side, as he was only twenty-four years old, a prime time of life. The intention was to convey both composure and vitality, which weren’t contradictory.

“Director Wei, could you smile a bit?” the photographer sought help from Jack. Having spent a long time with Wei Chen, he had noticed that Wei Chen had never smiled. He always had this serious and unsmiling expression.

“I’m sorry,” Wei Chen apologized with a hint of regret. “For certain reasons, I can’t smile.”

Jack immediately apologized, “We should be the ones apologizing. We didn’t understand the situation beforehand.”

“It’s my fault for not explaining clearly,” Wei Chen said, trying to force a smile, but he couldn’t control the muscles in his mouth.

After learning about the situation, Jack and the photographer quickly came up with an alternative plan. They realized that when Wei Chen stood silently, staring in a certain direction with a serious expression, his presence was exceptionally strong. So they decided to capture that powerful aura.

The photographer, true to their reputation as Business Magazine’s photographer, captured Wei Chen’s aura perfectly without the need for any post-processing. Just by looking at the photo, one would feel a sense of solemnity and difficulty breathing.

“Perfect!” Jack couldn’t help but applaud.