Reply to Keats - Chap 61
61. Full Moon Channel
Han Jin looked at him with a complicated expression.
Chen Wan, however, didn’t feel any regret. On the contrary, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from his heart. As long as Zhao Shengge wasn’t implicated, he had no more scruples about what needed to be done.
His phone suddenly vibrated. Chen Wan unlocked it to see a notice on the screen: “The other party has recalled a message.”
The tension that had bound him tightly over the past two days suddenly eased.
Chen Wan sent a sticker: [cat peeking.jpg]
Zhao Shengge didn’t reply, so Chen Wan followed up: [What did you send?] [cat wants to know.jpg]
Zhao Shengge responded: [Sent it by mistake.]
Chen Wan pressed his lips together and asked: [Still working?]
A moment later, an out-of-context photo arrived.
It showed a wooden desk and the corner of a nameplate, likely in a conference room.
Chen Wan replied: [In a meeting? Want me to pick you up?]
Zhao Shengge said there was no need.
But Chen Wan had already made up his mind to go. He zoomed in on the photo. The logo on the nameplate and the printed header revealed the meeting’s time, location, floor, and even the conference room number. Still, he made a show of asking for permission: [cat begs you.jpg]
The meeting was probably still ongoing because Zhao Shengge didn’t reply for quite a while: [It’ll run late.]
Chen Wan scrolled endlessly through his sticker collection. He hadn’t used stickers much in the past; they were mostly courtesy of Zhuo Zhixuan, who had donated them in support of his “pursuit mission.”
After a long search, he finally found a suitable one: [cat says it’s okay.jpg]
Zhao Shengge: [….]
A moment later, another message came through: [Mm.]
It was in moments like this that Chen Wan regretted not saving more stickers. He kept flipping through the collection but found none that truly captured what he wanted to say or how he felt. In the end, he reluctantly sent: [cat loves you.jpg]
The moment he sent it, he felt it lacked maturity and considered retracting it, but ultimately didn’t.
As he was leaving, Chen Wan said, “Jin-ge, do you have any sticker packs on your phone?”
“What?” Still caught up in his emotions, Han Jin looked a little dazed.
“If you do, send them all to me.” Chen Wan pushed the door open, still fussing. “Preferably something with kittens. Thanks.”
He had a feeling that Zhao Shengge replied more readily when he sent cat stickers.
“…”
***
When Zhao Shengge finished his meeting and came downstairs, Chen Wan was waiting by the Cayenne, leaning against the door.
He wasn’t on his phone. Hands in his pockets, he stood there quietly, lost in thought. His gaze was calm and unhurried. The autumn wind lifted the hem of his long trench coat, and a few osmanthus blossoms drifted to the ground behind him. For a moment, the whole world seemed to pause.
Even from a distance, Zhao Shengge could almost smell the faint scent of osmanthus clinging to his coat. He stood there silently for a while before walking over.
Chen Wan’s eyes curved with a smile. “All done?”
“Mm.”
These days, Baoli Bay was preparing to enter the project finalization phase, and Fang Jian had been tormenting everyone daily.
Chen Wan opened the car door for him like a gentleman and said, “Get in. I’ll take you home.”
Zhao Shengge glanced at him. “I’ll drive.”
“Hmm?”
Zhao Shengge’s gaze was quiet. He tilted his head slightly and said in a low voice, “You look a little tired.”
Chen Wan was slightly taken aback.
His fingers twitched.
When Liao Quan had threatened him, he hadn’t felt anything. When Ge Xi made him wait in the lobby for hours, he hadn’t felt wronged. When Song Qingmiao called and screamed at him over the phone, he had already become numb, no longer hurt.
But within less than a minute of meeting, Zhao Shengge looked at him and said he seemed tired.
Suddenly, Chen Wan felt something—something he couldn’t quite put into words. If he had to describe it, it felt like a gentle hand softly wrapping around his heart.
Something like a warm reassurance. Very safe.
He wasn’t used to this kind of feeling. It felt foreign to him, especially coming from Zhao Shengge.
Chen Wan lowered his head with a smile, then looked up again and said, “Zhao Shengge.”
“Are you nice to all your suitors?”
“I don’t have any suitors.” Zhao Shengge looked at him. “I told you I don’t let anyone pursue me.”
“Oh,” Zhao Shengge added, “and the only one trying doesn’t seem to be very good at it.”
Chen Wan smiled again. “Alright. You drive.”
He pulled the keys from his pocket and tossed them over. Zhao Shengge caught them with one hand and unlocked the car.
Chen Wan got into the passenger seat and handed something to Zhao Shengge. “Herbal tea. Still warm.”
Autumn in Haishi was dry, and the locals paid particular attention to nourishing the liver and lungs.
Zhao Shengge didn’t reach for it. Instead, he leaned in and took a sip straight from Chen Wan’s hand. The corner of his lips paused mid-sip, seeming to freeze for a moment, then he pushed Chen Wan’s hand away with a completely expressionless face.
“…” Chen Wan smiled and sighed, looking at him the way one might look at a child who adamantly refused to eat carrots.
But there was nothing to be done. He simply drank the rest himself.
Both Chen Wan and Zhao Shengge were workaholics. Once the project wrapped up, they’d have to immediately begin preparing for the roadshow.
As Zhao Shengge turned the steering wheel, he mentioned a few potential event sponsors.
Minglong, of course, wasn’t short on sponsors, but this was about building momentum. It wasn’t a solo project—those above naturally wanted it to be high-profile and grand.
Chen Wan analyzed, “The Tan Group is too closely tied to Minglong commercially. Probably won’t generate any additional publicity effect. Honestly—” he paused for a moment, looking at Zhao Shengge, “I think the Yao family is a better fit.”
Marine resources involved both political and geographic considerations, and the Yao family had deep roots overseas, which was far more advantageous than the entrenched local tycoons of Haishi.
Zhao Shengge raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Chen Wan with interest.
Chen Wan silently pleaded with him not to bring up that disastrous cocktail party again and gave a helpless smile. “I’m being serious.”
Zhao Shengge let it go. He nodded with a serious expression. He actually agreed with Chen Wan’s assessment and said, “Xu Zhiying leans toward Taiji. They’re showing a lot of sincerity.”
Chen Wan’s gaze paused ever so slightly before he responded with an objective analysis. “Taiji has foreign capital involvement. That’s a strength, but also a weakness.”
Ge Xi was moving in to acquire Rongxin, which meant Taiji Capital would be in a state of instability for some time.
Chen Wan continued, “They’re not lacking in ambition. They launched a lot of projects last quarter, and in the first half of the year, they bought up quite a few small and mid-sized enterprises. If you’re considering bringing them in, it should be done cautiously.”
He paused, then added, “Of course, that’s just my personal recommendation. Ultimately, it depends on your risk control and evaluation team.”
Zhao Shengge glanced at him. “You know a lot.”
Chen Wan kept his eyes on the road ahead. “Saw it during the public disclosure.”
Zhao Shengge made a left turn and said, “There’s the latest mapping chart in the file folder. Want to take a look?”
Chen Wan took it out and unfolded it.
The seafloor topographic map showed continental shelves, rock formations, ocean ridges… He studied every piece of data, every contour line and current direction, with intense focus.
Outside the car window, lights skimmed across his profile, casting a subtle glow of longing in his eyes.
In fact, Chen Wan didn’t take Liao Quan’s threats about Xiaolan Mountain seriously at all.
But this one project he cared about deeply. Very deeply. It was their shared effort.
The Baoli Bay Wharf and the Haiyou Tunnel were among Minglong’s flagship projects for the coming years. With deep governmental collaboration and intertwined interests, there was no room for a public opinion crisis.
Chen Wan might be only a small part of this massive undertaking, but within it were countless memories shared between him and Zhao Shengge.
Work calls at 3 a.m., sitting side by side at the negotiating table, mediating with officials, refilling Blue Mountain coffee too many times to count just to stay awake… and that site survey trip to Ting Island, following Fang Jian to study the underwater terrain.
It was on that day they decided to name the Haiyou Tunnel “Full Moon Channel.”
Because the middle section of the tunnel passed through the trench of the world’s largest ocean, where the gravitational pull was especially strong and the tides were deeply influenced by the moon.
In this part of the sea, one could see more golden supermoons than anywhere else in the world. That’s why Chen Wan proposed naming Haiyou Tunnel No. 7 the Full Moon Channel.
Zhao Shengge had said, “That’s a meaningful name.”
When he read the words “full moon,” Chen Wan had seen the vast universe and twinkling stars reflected in his eyes.
To him, Zhao Shengge himself was the full moon over the sea.
This project was the result of his, their, everyone’s tireless effort. Chen Wan wouldn’t tolerate anything that might jeopardize it.
He’d been studying the map for a while when Zhao Shengge reminded him, “Chen Wan, your phone’s ringing.”
It was Song Qingmiao. Chen Wan answered in front of him, exchanged a few brief words, then hung up.
A moment later, another message came in, but Chen Wan didn’t check it. When he looked up, he realized the car had stopped in front of his apartment.
Zhao Shengge tilted his chin and said, “I’ll take the car. You go in and get some sleep.”
There were dark circles under Chen Wan’s eyes. He clearly hadn’t been resting well.
But Chen Wan didn’t get out. He turned to face Zhao Shengge, his dark, glossy eyes fixed on him in silence, unmoving.
Zhao Shengge rested one hand on the window and asked calmly, “What is it?”
“Zhao Shengge.” Chen Wan suddenly leaned in closer, one hand braced on the center console. The darkness in his eyes full of stubbornness as he asked softly, “Can I kiss you?”
“We didn’t kiss today.”
Before Zhao Shengge could respond, he added, “We didn’t kiss yesterday either.”
Zhao Shengge didn’t say yes or no. He lowered his gaze, looked at him for a moment, and asked, “Chen Wan.”
“Have you successfully pursued me?”
Chen Wan slowly shook his head.
Zhao Shengge said, “There wasn’t a kiss yesterday because you didn’t come.”
Chen Wan nodded, acknowledging his mistake.
Zhao Shengge asked again, “You really want one?”
Chen Wan nodded a bit more vigorously.
Zhao Shengge said, “Come here.”
Chen Wan immediately leaned in, placing both hands on Zhao Shengge’s shoulders, lightly gripping them.
Seeing how awkward his posture was, Zhao Shengge wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him onto his lap, kissing him gently at first, then more deeply.
Zhao Shengge’s expression remained calm, but the kiss was forceful, his arm tight around Chen Wan’s waist, making Chen Wan let out a sound.
Chen Wan clung to him even tighter, thinking to himself that he had to win Zhao Shengge over soon. He couldn’t let anything hurt him. He wouldn’t feel at ease until he had Zhao Shengge securely in his hands.
But the kiss didn’t last long. Zhao Shengge cupped the back of Chen Wan’s neck, applying a light but firm pressure, and said, “That’s it for today. Try a little harder tomorrow.”
Chen Wan felt a bit satisfied, but also a little disappointed. Still, he responded obediently, “Okay.”
When it came time to get out of the car, he moved a bit too slowly, wondering if there was any way they could do it today. He really wanted to see that fierce expression of Zhao Shengge’s again.
Maybe he just hadn’t tried hard enough. Then he’d try a little harder tomorrow.
Zhao Shengge watched him in silence. He could sense the chaos swirling in Chen Wan’s mind, though not all of it was clear. After a pause, and without really offering an explanation, he said, “Fang Jian’s testing you tomorrow.”
He and Xu Zhiying had been put through the wringer these past two days.
That finally made Chen Wan give up and get out of the car. “Alright, then I’m heading up.”
Zhao Shengge knew Chen Wan would try to watch him drive away, so he simply pulled out and left.
***
Chen Bingxin’s call came sooner than Chen Wan had expected.
Dexin Estate was hidden behind towering trees, its pavilions built in the architectural style brought by immigrants from the Nanyang region during the Republican era. Rounded windows and steep roofs intermingled with British features from the Queen’s period. From a distance, it looked like some monstrous relic from a forgotten time—mismatched and unnatural, baring its teeth and maw, endlessly devouring the flesh and soul of generation after generation forced to live within.
The last time Chen Wan had been summoned back was during the Ghost Festival. It felt unreal that half a year had slipped by so quickly.
That enormous beast stood in silent opposition to him in the distance. Chen Wan had thought he’d escaped. Turns out, he hadn’t.
