It was rare for Cheng Huanzhen to hear Uncle call him “big nephew” again, acknowledging his identity directly. His mood improved slightly, and his patience for requesting a hug was extended a little.

Cheng Huanzhen said reluctantly, “Then let’s go somewhere else to hug.”

He took Uncle into the car and drove to a deserted alley outside the villa area.

Seeing Cheng Huanzhen still wanting to drive deeper in, Lin Chen immediately stopped him: “It’s not like we’re doing something shameful. As long as A’Shao doesn’t find out, it’s fine.”

Hearing this, Cheng Huanzhen’s mood worsened.
His lips pressed tightly into a straight line, and he gave a simple, emotionless response: “Mn.”

He turned off the headlights and killed the engine expressionlessly, then got out and sat in the back seat. Uncle was already leaning his elbow on the car window, tilting his head, waiting for him.

Uncle wasn’t wearing perfume today.
Uncle was still wearing the clothes bought by the Wen family.
Uncle was even meeting him using the identity of Wen Shaozhuo’s twin brother right now!

The emotions suppressed since last night, mixed with the complicated and unhappy thoughts of the moment, compressed into a powerful explosive force.
This force drove Cheng Huanzhen to plunge headfirst into Uncle’s arms the moment he closed the car door!

The instant he threw himself into the embrace, Uncle’s whole body was knocked back slightly into the leather seat, an involuntary, muffled groan escaping his chest.

“…What’s your zodiac sign? A bull? Using so much force?” Uncle’s voice sounded a bit hoarse. A palm that didn’t belong to him pressed against his forehead, trying to push his head away.

But Cheng Huanzhen wasn’t happy today. Very unhappy.
He didn’t want to be pushed away by Uncle at all, so he squeezed his head even harder against the side of Uncle’s neck.

He wasn’t happy, wasn’t happy, really wasn’t happy!
But he didn’t want Uncle to discover his emotions, so he could only quietly grind away the bad mood through his actions.
He hugged Uncle tightly, nuzzling him—cheek, nose tip, eyelashes, rubbing incessantly against the side of Uncle’s neck.

Uncle’s body had always been thin, so thin that with just this hug, his entire frame was easily enveloped in Cheng Huanzhen’s arms.

Uncle seemed somewhat helpless about his behavior, yet he was so patient and tolerant, placing his palm on the back of Cheng Huanzhen’s head, stroking him unhurriedly in the direction of his hair growth.

Uncle lowered his eyes and asked him, “What’s wrong today? Unhappy?”

When Uncle spoke, his chest vibrated slightly, sending tingling sensations through Cheng Huanzhen’s own chest and heart.

Cheng Huanzhen buried his head in the hollow of Uncle’s shoulder, remaining silent. He didn’t know how to tell Uncle about his unhappiness, so he could only hug and nuzzle more forcefully.

Uncle stroked him slowly and sighed softly: “Alright, alright, from hugging to rubbing—people who don’t know better would think I did something to you. Get up a bit, tell me what’s going on.”

Uncle pushed himself up forcefully from the seat, leaning his back against the car door, then using the leverage from the door, placed his palm on Cheng Huanzhen’s forehead again.

Uncle’s voice was calm and gentle: “If you don’t answer, I won’t let you hug anymore.”

These words worked like magic.
Cheng Huanzhen’s body stiffened. He hugged Uncle silently for a while, then finally, slowly and reluctantly, lifted his head a little.

He asked hoarsely, “Uncle, why do you treat us differently?”

Uncle paused: “Huh?”

Cheng Huanzhen said, “Back when you were my uncle, you left home by yourself. I searched for you for a whole year before you acknowledged me. But now, you took Wen Shaozhuo to run away from home with you.”

The car lights were completely off. He could only use the moonlight filtering in from outside the alley to trace Uncle’s surprised and beautiful brows with his gaze.
Watching, watching, he couldn’t help but nuzzle his cheek into the hollow of Uncle’s neck again.

He liked hugging Uncle like this.
Hugging. Hugging. Hugging forever.
He said dejectedly, “So I’m not happy, Uncle.”

Uncle was stunned for a long time, then suddenly held his forehead and laughed low. His chest vibrated more noticeably, tickling Cheng Huanzhen’s heart into beating faster.

Uncle asked with a smile, “You’re unhappy just because of this?”

What did he mean “just because of this”? …This was clearly a huge deal!
Cheng Huanzhen pressed his lips tightly together, not making a sound.

Uncle chuckled softly, “But you clearly know my purposes were different these two times. How can you compare them like that?”

Cheng Huanzhen said, “But from the perspective of objective facts, Uncle, you treated us differently.”

Uncle lowered his eyes, looking into his pupils, and asked peacefully, “Then right now, someone is hugging me in the car and knows my identity—isn’t this also a kind of different treatment?”

The real Uncle was always this unhurried, peaceful, and calm.
Cheng Huanzhen had never seen Uncle excited or angry about anything. Even when displeased or delighted, Uncle’s emotions never lost control.

Just watching him made Cheng Huanzhen want to hug him tighter.
But as soon as his head tried to rub, Uncle’s finger tapped on his forehead. Uncle looked down at him with a smile, waiting for his answer.

So strange, so strange, so strange.
He was originally very unhappy. He was so unhappy he wanted Uncle to hug him tightly in the car forever. Uncle clearly hadn’t given any answer he wanted to hear.
But why?
Uncle saw his emotions, Uncle asked about his emotions, and he… seemed not so unhappy anymore.

Replacing it was a strange emotion that made him too anxious to calm down.
This emotion fermented in his heart, quickly spreading to his body and brain.
It cleared his mind, leaving only one thought remaining in his entire brain:
Want. Want. He wanted Uncle!

Want what kind of want? He didn’t know.
Maybe hug tighter. Maybe nuzzle against Uncle’s neck again.
Rub Uncle’s cheek. Rub Uncle’s ear. Rub Uncle’s chin. Rub Uncle’s nose tip. Rub Uncle’s eyes, hands, feet, abdomen, heart.

But if he didn’t finish answering, Uncle wouldn’t let him rub.
Forced to endure, Cheng Huanzhen answered hoarsely, “Such different treatment can exist, Uncle.”

Uncle narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly about to ask another difficult question targeting his answer.
Cheng Huanzhen didn’t want to answer questions; he just wanted to be close to Uncle.
Before Uncle could speak, he grabbed Uncle’s finger, gently folded it into a fist, and moved it away from his forehead.

He nuzzled against Uncle’s neck again, cheek to cheek, nose tip to ear tip, driven entirely by that strange emotion, sticking closely to Uncle skin-to-skin.

Uncle took a half breath, but ultimately, it turned into a soft sigh.
Uncle patted his back gently: “The golden retriever my family used to keep wasn’t as clingy as you. Didn’t you say you just wanted to hug me?”

Hearing this, Cheng Huanzhen only heard one meaning.
Uncle was tolerating him; Uncle was accepting him!
Cheng Huanzhen’s mood improved.
Cheng Huanzhen: “Uncle, you said it. If the mood is good, then hug. My mood is very good now, so I want to hug even harder.”

Uncle sighed: “I said… fine.”

Lin Chen patiently let him hug.
Under the dim moonlight, his gaze quietly scrutinized the young man rubbing and hugging him.
Most of the time, Cheng Huanzhen was silent and quiet, showing neither emotion nor desire. But every time he was in front of him, Cheng Huanzhen’s emotions, energy, and attention would burst out unreservedly. Just like now, pouring all of it onto him.
Who wouldn’t be happy being liked and needed?
However, did such liking and need mean that when he taught Cheng Huanzhen to learn desire and face himself back at home, he didn’t teach well enough?

Lin Chen was a bit troubled. Cheng Huanzhen’s overly enthusiastic behavior was about to spark fire from friction on his still-young body.
He immediately grabbed the back of Cheng Huanzhen’s collar and forcefully peeled the person off him.

Cheng Huanzhen’s voice was hoarse, calling out somewhat unhappily, “Uncle.”

Lin Chen hardened his heart and said, “You’ve already hugged me for half an hour. If you hug any longer, I’ll have to charge by working hours.”

Cheng Huanzhen’s eyes widened. Whether it was Lin Chen’s illusion or not, he felt Cheng Huanzhen’s gaze brightened a bit.
Cheng Huanzhen asked, “Can I, Uncle?”

Lin Chen: “…No. If I don’t go back, A’Shao will get suspicious.”

Cheng Huanzhen lowered his eyes in disappointment.
He whispered, “I asked Father about your rates, Uncle.”

Lin Chen was surprised for a moment: “You really asked? Cheng Zhaorui… your father just told you?”

Cheng Huanzhen was silent for a moment, then answered honestly, “My father has never had strong resistance against skillful interrogation, Uncle. Don’t trust his ability to keep information confidential too much.”

Lin Chen: “…”
Lin Chen laughed: “Alright. You’re amazing for getting it out of him.”

Cheng Huanzhen didn’t want an “amazing” evaluation.
He said dejectedly, “But I don’t have enough money yet. It’ll take at least a few years to earn ninety million… Uncle, can you let me owe it for two years? In two years, I’ll pay you back with interest?”

Lin Chen blinked: “You really want to spend this money on me? I told you, if you just want to be friends with me, you don’t need to do this.”
Lin Chen: “Besides, I charge annually.”

Cheng Huanzhen pursed his lips: “But if I don’t do this, you’ll become someone else’s brother, younger brother, someone else’s uncle.”
He lowered his eyes and said softly, “I want you to be just my uncle.”

Lin Chen realized: “Oh, a professional buyout—”
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he knocked hard on Cheng Huanzhen’s head with his knuckles: “Does Old Master Cheng know you’re such a spendthrift? Also, I run a legitimate business; I don’t sell my body!”

Cheng Huanzhen was kicked out of the car in pain and confusion.
After blowing in the cold wind for three minutes, his brain finally cleared up a bit. He suddenly remembered—that was clearly the car he drove here!
And that would clearly be money he earned himself; he wasn’t being a spendthrift!

Cheng Huanzhen went up to argue with Uncle, but Uncle got out of the car before him and closed the door backhand.

Uncle said, “Almost forgot the main business I came to you for. Calculate the villa rent for me at market price. I’ll go back and get reimbursement from the two Wen bosses for the rest; no need to save money for them.”
“Also, if you have any leisurely positions where one doesn’t need to clock in and the monthly salary doesn’t exceed three thousand, feel free to recommend them to me.”

Uncle threw down these words with a smile, urged him to go home because it was late, and left with a toss of his head.

…

Cheng Zhaorui hadn’t slept well these days.
Every night lying in bed, turning left, he remembered the terrifying scene of his son interrogating him about the professional acting agent without warning. Turning right, he imagined the terrifying scene of his father interrogating him about leaking commercial secret amounts.
Tossing and turning, he got insomnia.

Tonight was the same. When he got up in melancholy to sit in the living room and ponder life because he couldn’t sleep from worry, it was already 2:00 AM.
His son didn’t come home again today.
Sigh, he must have been hurt by them hiring someone to impersonate his uncle back then. He wondered how to coax his son to turn the page on this matter…

Just then, the sound of a car approaching from afar rang out outside the house. The door opened soon after, and the young man he thought wouldn’t return tonight appeared at the doorway.

Cheng Zhaorui was startled, subconsciously straightening his back in nervousness.
However, looking closely, he saw his son changing shoes absentmindedly, then walking straight into the house, as if completely failing to notice the outside world or him.

Cheng Zhaorui: “?”

Cheng Zhaorui felt something wasn’t quite right. He frowned, stared at his son for three seconds, and suddenly asked aloud, “Are you in love?”

His son turned back blankly and puzzledly, greeting him politely: “Father?”
And skipped his question.

Cheng Zhaorui stared at his son, wanting to say something but stopping.
Thinking it over, he felt his son was already this age and probably didn’t need him to say nonsense.

His son waited for three seconds. Not receiving any words, he politely bid farewell, turned, and continued up the stairs in a trance, stepping into the hallway, preparing to enter his room—

Cheng Zhaorui followed his son all the way, staring left and right, his face flushing red from holding back a bellyful of words.
Finally, realizing his son intended to just go into his room, turn off the lights, and sleep, he couldn’t hold it back anymore.

He stopped his son in front of the door.
Cheng Zhaorui: “You’re going to sleep just like this?”

His son turned back puzzledly again: “Yes, Father. What’s wrong?”

Cheng Zhaorui: “…”
Cheng Zhaorui’s expression was complex. Even opening his mouth, he felt he wasn’t acting much like a father. He lowered his voice and reminded very kindly: “Shouldn’t you go take care of that first?”