Chapter 52

editor/TLC: serefina & Rin

When Zhang Hang returned home, Lu Chengye was already in bed. After taking a bath, he went to bed, where he smelled the faint scent of tobacco. Lu Chengye came over and sniffed him like he did before as Big Black, but couldn’t smell anything. He put his head in the crook of Zhang Hang’s neck and said gloomily, “I suddenly feel that people are inferior to dogs. When I was Big Black, I thought of becoming human every day so you would not have to work so hard. But now that I’ve become human, I think it’s better to be a dog. You lower your guard more to a dog compared with a man.”

Zhang Hang embraced his head and comforted him, saying, “I spent five years with Big Black. We met at the best of times when there was no suffering or trauma, so of course I could accept you faster. I’m different now, so you need to give me some time.”

Lu Chengye looked up at him for a while, but didn’t see any signs of deceit. Every word was entirely true. Lu Chengye gently pecked Zhang Hang’s lips, then lay beside him and quietly closed his eyes. His breathing gradually became even, but Zhang Hang could tell that he was simply pretending to sleep.

What had gone wrong? Zhang Hang turned his back to Lu Chengye. He didn’t understand.

He liked Lu Chengye very much and wanted to be with him every single day. They had been separated for five years, but they were now getting older. Each day they were together was one day less, so he hoped to be with Lu Chengye for every minute of it.

However, something was different. Even if he told himself that Lu Chengye was Big Black, Lu Chengye, as a human being, was too far from Big Black in appearance. Sometimes, when he touched Lu Chengye’s face, he couldn’t help but feel for fur. Zhang Hang knew he was instinctively looking for fur on Big Black’s face, but Lu Chengye was a human being. Where could there be fur?

Their relationship had changed, but their feelings had not. After the initial excitement of reuniting, what remained was unfamiliarity. These days Zhang Hang and Lu Chengye were inseperable. Zhang Hang wanted to merge the image of Big Black and Lu Chengye together in his mind, but there would always be some differences.

Zhang Hang wanted to hold onto Lu Chengye so that his Big Black would not disappear. But why was it that the tighter he held, the farther away he felt Lu Chengye was?

Those warm days when he and Big Black depended on each other and shared what little they had, would they really never return? He couldn’t talk to Lu Chengye now. He would hide his weakness, cleverness, and calculation in his heart. However, when faced with Big Black, he had nothing to hide.

Zhang Hang drew the quilt close, and for the first time, he didn’t snuggle up to Lu Chengye.

The next morning, Zhang Hang said the company had a problem and went out in formal clothes. Lu Chengye took out his phone and took out the phone book. Finally, he contacted the private investigator. He needed to know the truth.

–

Zhang Hang met up with a very astute-looking man who probably had the role of an assistant. It would be a lie to say Zhang Hang wasn’t disappointed, but he didn’t expect to catch the one working behind the scenes right away. After all, the other party was concealed so well it would be impossible for them to appear onstage so soon. If Lu Chengye wanted to change his will, however, he would find out who the other party was sooner or later.

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“What’s the matter?” Shen Mingfei casually put the information in front of the man and said, completely without concern, “If you are so powerful, you should know that our boss has set up a law firm which specializes in helping disabled people who have no financial ability to file lawsuits. Our firm is practically free. All workers are volunteers, and the dividends the boss makes are used basically for our wages. A lawyer’s work must be kept confidential, so it’s no surprise that we have business at hotels. As for the gifts I received, they are benefits I give to my coworkers. Our boss is charming, so the firm is basically all girls. We earn less than other lawyers, but work with righteousness. But if you want horses to run, you have to give them grass to eat. During the New Year’s festival, the boss will send us things, so what’s the big deal?”

The man was also very calm. He picked up the information and said, “Even if you don’t admit it, all I need to do is show these things to Lu Chengye. Zhang Hang is really a very noble person. The money he earns is basically from doing public welfare for the disabled. I feel ashamed of my own inferiority compared to him and admire him very much. Using your own money for public welfare doesn’t matter. It’s not good to take advantage of other people’s feelings, or use Lu Chengye’s money and have an ambiguous relationship with other people behind his back, right?”

“It won’t matter even if you show Lu Chengye,” Zhang Hang said lightly. “I’ve already told him everything, and he doesn’t doubt me. Why, do you think I’m a lawyer who would be threatened by such little tricks? Take these documents and offer to sell them to Lu Chengye. See if he believes in you or believes in me.”

Appearing confident, he finished speaking and took Shen Mingfei away with him. Shen Mingfei was a little excited from acting in front of the enemy for the first time since agreeing to the boss’s request. She jumped up and down while driving and said, “Boss, why didn’t you immediately show a scared look and promise him everything? I’ve helped you put on this charade for so long, aren’t you going to give him a taste of his own medicine? Why did you refuse?”

“Please drive well.” Zhang Hang frowned. “What kind of person do you think I am?”

“Super handsome, super smart, super capable, no man in the entire world could compare with a single one of your toes. You stand on the moral high ground and scorn them. As soon as Zhang Hang comes out, who will fight against him?” Shen Mingfei’s flattery didn’t need any written drafts.”

“If I only take half of what you said into account, that means I am very capable. And yes, a blind person can get a lawyer’s certificate, a child whose parents ignore them can be as rich as me, a person who can train people like Lu Chengye to be docile and obedient. Do you think, because of some photos and no substantial evidence, I would surrender and be arrested? You can’t believe anyone.”

“I also feel as if nothing in the world can defeat you.” Shen Mingfei gulped. She’d seen Zhang Hang work. He didn’t talk much normally, but when he was being serious he could logically and systematically talk you to death. The entire law firm was in awe of him.

“So, only this small amount is not enough.” Zhang Hang opened the window and the wind caressed his hair. “They have to be able to find substantial evidence to completely beat me down, as well as proof I have bad intentions towards Lu Chengye. Just one is not sufficient, but put them both together, and it holds enough weight.”

“Speaking of which, boss, I remember that on your CV, your parents’ information was blank… How on earth did you become so powerful from so young?” Shen Mingfei took advantage of the work she was currently doing for the boss to ask him questions she’d always wondered about.

“I’m not powerful or strong, just…” Zhang Hang smiled bitterly and did not go on.

He was able to have today because a man gave him everything before he left the world. And when he found that person again, things felt different.

Maybe it was him who changed…

Zhang Hang knew how much he had changed over the past five years. Without Big Black, it was hard for him to trust others. In order to make himself strong as soon as possible, he had to hide himself behind a tough, ruthless shell, not letting anyone see his heart. Gradually, the surface shell eroded at his heart and made him insidious and indifferent. However, in front of Big Black, he wanted to be the gentle and strong Zhang Hang from five years ago. He always pretended, not wanting to tell Lu Chengye anything.

But, pretending wouldn’t lead to a person to actually become what they pretended to be. Instead, it made two people gradually drift apart. Sometimes, Zhang Hang longed to look for traces of Big Black in Lu Chengye. He would become absent minded and think that if Lu Chengye was Big Black, Zhang Hang would be able to tell him about his experiences over the last five years. Big Black didn’t care how mean he was, and would just lie at his feet silently, listening to him speak about happy or sad things every single day. Lu Chengye, however… he didn’t dare.

Just get used to it again, Zhang Hang told himself.

But the longer that took, the less he and Lu Chengye had to say to each other.

Since that day when he smelled the faint scent of tobacco on Lu Chengye, Zhang Hang felt that Lu Chengye was looking at him with scrutiny. He couldn’t see Lu Chengye’s eyes, however, and couldn’t be sure if they were indeed doing so. Sometimes he wanted to ask Lu Chengye why he was looking at him like this, but hesitated. In the end, he could only turn the words on the tip of his tongue into a greeting.

In addition, during the day Zhang Hang and Shen Mingfei also had to occasionally maintain a close relationship. This sort of act made him feel a little tired.

Fortunately, these sorts of days didn’t last for too long, and the other side contacted Zhang Hang for the second time. This time, however, they didn’t want to meet. Instead, they sent several photos directly to Zhang Hang’s email inbox, but Zhang Hang couldn’t see the photos. When Shen Mingfei helped him check the email, she said in confusion, “What’s this? An unknown email address has sent you several files of women’s photos. This woman is very old and looks to be about 50 years old, but you can see how beautiful she must have looked when she was young. Eh… she looks a little like you, boss…”

Zhang Hang’s expression was a bit unsightly. At this moment, his phone rang. It was an unknown number. He picked up the phone and a familiar voice sounded in his ear. “Hang Hang, It’s mom…”

Zhang Hang hung up immediately.

Seeing that the boss was angry and unreasonable, she fearfully lowered her head to reduce her own sense of existence as much as possible.

Zhang Hang turned off his cell phone and sat in bed for a while before asking, “What time is it?”

“It’s past eight,” Shen Mingfei replied in a whisper.

“Check out of the room, I’m going back.” Zhang Hang picked up his coat and directly left.

“It’s only been half an hour boss, aren’t you afraid that others might say you have ‘that’ sort of problem…” Shen Mingfei muttered to herself, then went to check out. There was no trace of Zhang Hang.

Zhang Hang didn’t go to Lu Chengye’s house, but back to the home he hadn’t returned to for a long time. He sat on the sofa, feeling slightly upset. When he stood up and walked forward, he hit the coffee table.

Covering the hit knee with a hand, Zhang Hang squatted down. He felt that his heart was a little fragile. He wasn’t strong at all. A single voice could destroy everything he’d worked so hard to build over the years.

Zhao Xiaolian… Zhang Hang sat on the floor and leaned against the sofa, feeling powerless.

He knew. Since Zhao Xiaolan was contacted by the other side he knew what she might have said, knew how he should have answered, but his memories of the past surfaced. That woman was just as selfish as before, and did not care about her son in the least. Zhang Hang understood this, but it was hard to face that the parental affection he longed for from the bottom of his heart could never be obtained.

There was a very impatient knock on the door. Zhang Hang didn’t know who it was, and didn’t want to go outside. He hadn’t been home for a long time anyway, so he’d just let the person outside think he wasn’t at home. He didn’t want to see anyone right now.

The knocking persisted for a while until it was suddenly silent. Then, Zhang Hang’s phone immediately rang.

It was Lu Chengye’s number, so Zhang Hang would answer even if he didn’t want to. He rubbed his face to make himself look more energetic, as if Lu Chengye would be able to see what he currently looked like.

“Hang Hang, open the door!” Lu Chengye’s worried voice came from the phone.

rin: sobssss let the misunderstanding resolve quicklyyyy (ohmygods sere 😂）sere: PLZ TALKKKK GUYS COMMUNICATION IS KEY (literally lmao hes stuck outside the door)bear: LCY whispering through the door: do u wanna build a snowman