ADTCP Ch57

This morning, Zhu Wensheng actually saw that Zhu Guanqing had called him.

Ever since he split with Si Shu years ago, Zhu Guanqing had been a here-one-minute, gone-the-next kind of figure, only showing up when the Zhu Wensheng grandparents forced him to. He seemed to have forgotten he even had a son. He’d never spent a cent on Zhu Wensheng; instead he was forever dragging various young models and minor starlets to all-night parties, flying around the country with them. He burned through the family wealth the grandparents had built with hard work, drinking, feasting, living idly.

He’d hardly contacted Zhu Wensheng all these years. Any “care” or “looking after” was pathetically scarce, basically nonexistent.

Their father-son relationship was extremely distant, and Zhu Wensheng had no desire to entertain him, so he didn’t even pick up, he simply ignored the call.

He figured there was a decent chance the call was a misdial. Maybe the man had finally cured his “can’t-have-kids” issue and had spawned a bunch of little siblings for him out there.

But soon enough, Zhu Guanqing called again, and even texted an exclamation-point command, “Pick up!” With a deepening crease between his brows, Zhu Wensheng still hit the power button and blacked out the screen.

He thought that would be the end of it. He didn’t expect that as soon as he arrived at the club at noon, he’d see a Rolls-Royce parked by the curb, plate number: five eights.

The window was cracked for air. A chauffeur sat in the front, and in the back a curvy young woman was smiling sweetly as she spoke. She looked about the same age as Zhu Wensheng.

Probably his fleeting, in-name-only… new stepmom.

Zhu Wensheng’s body went rigid. His fists tightened at his sides; almost without thinking he turned to leave the club. At that moment, Li Min, who’d seen him on the security monitor, hurried out, exasperation on her face: “…Please.”

Zhu Wensheng drew a long breath and kept his temper in check where he stood.

Li Min rushed up and sighed. “Ah-Sheng, you know I can’t help it. If you don’t show up today, he said he’ll just sit here all day. I can’t exactly have him thrown out…”

After all, Zhu Guanqing was his biological father, and the club was Lei’s business; she could get dragged into trouble at any time.

Zhu Wensheng knew that, so he didn’t make it hard for her. Forcing down the churn of emotions, he spun on his heel and strode into the club.

The other fighters had already been shooed from the pro wing to outside. Once the door shut, the cavernous training room held only two people: Zhu Wensheng and Zhu Guanqing.

Construction materials and unused tools from the renovation were piled around, dust hanging in the air. The fighters’ gear lay scattered on the floor; the room looked like a mess.

Lounging with idle ease in the head coach’s chair, Zhu Guanqing toyed with his phone, lifted his eyes to Zhu Wensheng, and spoke with open nitpicking and disdain: “So this is where you usually hang out?”

Since the age of six, Zhu Wensheng had barely seen him, only running into him at the occasional family gathering the grandparents demanded. Even the man’s face had grown blurry in memory, but the moment he opened his mouth, the familiar put-downs and sneers hit like a wave, no warmth in the greeting at all.

“Yeah,” Zhu Wensheng said, expressionless. “Say what you came to say.”

“Not even a ‘hello’? No manners at all.” As if oblivious to the fact he’d never greeted his own son either, Zhu Guanqing’s face darkened. He slapped the table hard. “Of course I’ve got something to say. You know what you did, don’t you?!”

What he did…

Zhu Wensheng gave him a level look. “I’ve already made up my mind. Much clearer than you.”

“Hah, ‘made up your mind’, nonsense!”

Eyes raking Zhu Wensheng up and down, the older man’s gaze held open disdain. “Never imagined you were into taking the low road. A son of the Zhu Wensheng family groveling for some man, pouring tea, playing the servant. Crooked, shameful, nothing like a real man!”

The knuckles of Zhu Wensheng’s hands went chalk-white. He hadn’t wanted to speak, but after holding it in he finally shot back: “And what counts as a ‘real man’, being like you and screwing your secretary?”

Hit where it hurt, Zhu Guanqing’s face twisted at once. He almost lunged to slap Zhu Wensheng, but whatever he thought of held him back. He leaned into the chair again, feigning nonchalance. “Isn’t that normal for men? Better than skulking around with a man. Did you see the woman in the car outside?”

For once, disgust slipped across Zhu Wensheng’s face. It was unbelievable the man had the nerve to bring her up.
His stomach heaved; buried memories from childhood began to roil up, gnawing at him with pain.

A young, pretty secretary, heavy with child, barging in, sobbing and demanding a title; the elegant, mild Si Shu shattering, stunned to the point of nearly fainting… All that chaos, madness, and pain sprang from one thing: Zhu Guanqing’s inability to keep his pants on. Zhu Wensheng looked at him the way one looks at a dead man, and said coolly, “Mm. Your new secretary.”

“No, not my new secretary. Yours.” Zhu Guanqing rose unhurriedly, even wearing a hint of a smile. “Didn’t you see? I’m giving you a woman.”

…

A flare of absurdity and fury surged up from Zhu Wensheng’s core. For a second he wondered if he’d misheard. Two beats later: “…What?”

“I said, I’m giving you a woman, ” He dragged out the last word for emphasis. “You want to be with that man? I won’t stop you. But remember: with him, it’s just for fun. As long as you’ve got money, you can switch partners whenever you want. Don’t forget you’re a Zhu. Play, fine, but you’re not spending your life with another man. You’ll be marrying a woman…”

“Shut up.” Zhu Wensheng’s eyes were black and bottomless, equal parts absurd and laughable. “Don’t you find yourself disgusting? You think everyone is as cheap and shameless as you, faithless, fickle?”

“Take that woman and get out. Don’t ever appear in front of me again.”

“…You!” The smile vanished from Zhu Guanqing’s face. Being called out like that must have felt like a slap. He shot to his feet with a cold laugh and strode a few steps toward Zhu Wensheng. “What do you think you are, mouthing off to me like this? Don’t want me around? Then don’t you dare take a single coin from the family! I won’t leave you a cent!”

Zhu Wensheng’s motion paused. He lowered his head slightly and looked at him, voice deep. “…That’s your only way to threaten me?”

Failing to catch the meaning in Zhu Wensheng’s tone, the older man assumed he’d finally scared him and felt a wash of triumph. “You want your cushy life with your boyfriend? Easy, just listen to me. Do as I say. Take that woman outside and-”

“Afraid your wish won’t come true.”

Zhu Wensheng fixed him with a long look. “Didn’t Grandpa and Grandma tell you? I’ve already decided to give it all up.”

Give up the ‘Crown Prince’ status. Give up the glittering titles. Be a fighter, and Tao Zhen’s boyfriend.

That was the solution he’d mentioned to Zhao Zhao a couple of days ago.

“…”

Give it all up?

Zhu Guanqing froze, then finally realized, Zhu Wensheng meant he didn’t care about the Zhu Wensheng family money.

But how could that be?

Who in this world doesn’t care about money? Born with a silver spoon, how could you just throw it away? Is that even possible?

A lifetime of debauchery had taught Zhu Guanqing that money was everything. He’d never faced a situation like today’s. His confidence faltered; after a moment he rallied with bluster: “Oh? So you don’t want the Zhu money, meaning you’re cutting ties with us.”

“What is it then, are you closer to your grandparents, or did your mother get in touch? You think she likes you so much? When she abandoned you and went abroad alone, weren’t you crying your eyes out?”

“Clutching her thigh, begging her to take you too, and what did she do? She just, ”

Zhu Wensheng’s jawline tightened.

Once upon a time, hearing this would have played right into the man’s hands, anger, sorrow… His pain was always the spice that excited Zhu Guanqing.

But today, for whatever reason, he was unusually calm. Even hearing it, he didn’t get angry. He only looked at him, quiet and steady.

“…”

Smug anticipation drained from Zhu Guanqing’s face when he got no reaction at all, as if he’d punched cotton. Suspicion and rage ebbed, replaced by a vague, creeping panic. He realized a serious possibility: Zhu Wensheng might actually mean it.

He really might be giving it all up.

“…So you’re really dead set on being with him, aren’t you?” Zhu Guanqing’s lips moved, filled with a fury he couldn’t quite name. “How can you be gay! You’re my only son, do you want the Zhu Wensheng family to die out?!”

Zhu Wensheng still said nothing.

“You can’t do this! Son… I’m being serious,” Zhu Guanqing was truly rattled now. “How much are you going to give up for him? All that, for a man?”
“How can you not marry or have children? Look… I won’t make you be with that woman. Stay with the one you like, but you must bring us a child, can you do that? That’s my only request! Really!”

A moment ago he’d been cocky and triumphant; now that his own face was on the line, panic leaked through, even if it still came wrapped in that hateful superiority.

“Sorry, my boyfriend and I can’t have a child,” Zhu Wensheng looked at him with a hint of mockery. “You can have one yourself.”

“…”

Infertility was the one sore spot Zhu Guanqing found unspeakable in his life. Now that his own son had dragged it into the light, he exploded, cursing like a madman.

The same old spiel, laced with filth, Zhu Wensheng was used to it; it barely registered.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw it was a call from Tao Zhen; only then did his expression shift.

Zhu Guanqing was still ranting. Zhu Wensheng cut him off with a curt “shut up,” and answered. He hadn’t expected that taking Tao Zhen’s call would hand the other man an opening.

Seeing that no amount of abuse moved Zhu Wensheng, Zhu Guanqing turned his fire on Tao Zhen, calling him a shameless home-wrecker, a gold-digging slut.

For the first time all day, Zhu Wensheng lost his temper. His face darkened, eyes locked on the older man. “Apologize.”

Of course he wouldn’t. He doubled down, saying worse. Infuriated that his “own” son was backtalking on behalf of an “outsider,” he finally lifted his hand, as if to slap Zhu Wensheng like he used to when he was a child.

But he’d forgotten, Zhu Wensheng wasn’t a child anymore. He wasn’t alone anymore.

Before that slap could fall, Tao Zhen’s shout stopped him.

Zhu Wensheng didn’t have time to wonder how much Tao Zhen had seen or heard, only that the ladder outside was unstable; a worker had fallen from it before. Afraid Tao Zhen would have an accident, he dashed out. The two of them clung together for a moment, as if the hug could erase what had just happened, but Zhu Guanqing’s bellowing dragged him back to reality.

And now, at last, Tao Zhen asked, “For me, what have you given up?”

The blond boy’s eyes burned, as if seeing through every fig leaf: “Your status and standing, and the Zhu Wensheng family’s enormous wealth?”

…Tao Zhen had guessed it.

He’d found out, after all.

Zhu Wensheng pressed his lips together, at a loss for words, head down like a child caught doing wrong.

He truly hadn’t wanted Tao Zhen to know any of this.

So long as he could keep being with Tao Zhen, he could forgo everything, money and status that others would kill to have.

He’d already decided this when he spoke to Zhao Zhao: he had no “switched-at-birth” excuse to lean on, no tidy rationale to win forgiveness. The best course was to make the old lie true.

Even if Zhao Zhao, and everyone else, called him insane.

But even with all his maneuvering, he was late.

Tao Zhen already knew it all.

Jiang Shan was the cautionary tale. She’d shown him what happens if the truth is discovered before the confession, you end up shattered, begging… No one likes being lied to, being played.

Now, it was too late.

Zhu Wensheng drew a breath. His face had gone a little pale; he forced up the corner of his mouth. “…Yes.”

Tao Zhen lifted his gaze. “So, you’re the so-called crown prince, the boss of Z Era.”

Zhu Wensheng closed his eyes for a beat. “Yes.”

“You’ve had money all along, way more than me.”

“…”

“That shirt I bought you, it was flashy and tacky. You didn’t like it at all, that’s why you didn’t want to take it, right?”

Zhu Wensheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He didn’t know how to answer, but he didn’t dare hide anything anymore, not even the tiniest detail.

After a moment, he shut his eyes briefly and gave a small nod.

Tao Zhen went quiet too, watching him. The air turned heavy.

Several seconds ticked by. Zhu Wensheng stood there like a convict awaiting sentence, faint panic on his face, until Tao Zhen finally couldn’t help it, he sighed softly and took two steps forward.

Zhu Wensheng’s eyes shut by reflex.
He didn’t dare look, didn’t dare see the disappointment.

But in the next second, there was warmth around his waist.

A clean, warm body crashed into his arms, fitting there perfectly. Fluffy hair brushed his cheek; hot, damp lips pressed to his, tasting faintly of salt.

Zhu Wensheng froze, eyes flying open, staring into Tao Zhen’s limpid, inky pupils.

“Are you dumb or what, Zhu Wensheng?” Tao Zhen’s voice wobbled with a hint of tears. “You didn’t even like that shirt, and you still wore it?”

“Are you a dummy? You are a dummy! With all that money at home, why twist yourself into knots just to be ‘kept’ by me? Plenty of people can’t get their hands on what your family has, and you, why are you throwing it away?!”

March’s spring breeze was warm and gentle; sunlit gold flowed like water.

Tao Zhen’s blond hair stuck up in messy tufts; his small, pale face was dotted with pitiful tear-beads.

Zhu Wensheng’s near-frozen fingers slowly came back to life. He smoothed Tao Zhen’s hair, and after a few seconds said in a low voice, “…That shirt was from you.”

“You wanted to see me wear it, so I wore it.”

“…”

Half crying, half laughing, Tao Zhen fisted Zhu Wensheng’s collar, unusually fierce. “So if I tell you to do something, you just do it? Since when is that how it works! You trust me that much? What if I forced you to choose between fighting and me, what would you pick?”

Zhu Wensheng didn’t hesitate. “You.”

Tao Zhen blinked, then wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “…Don’t talk nonsense!”

Zhu Wensheng held his gaze, solemn and sincere. “It’s not nonsense.”

That’s truly how he felt.

Before Tao Zhen, fighting was the most important thing in his life. After he fell in love with Tao Zhen, his dream changed, his dream became Tao Zhen.

Love and dreams have a pecking order.

Tao Zhen will always be his number one.