“I do want it—I never said I didn’t.”
Jiang Luo spoke, his mind fully present now, his words normal again. “I’m just… really surprised. You could’ve given me anything, but a whole factory? That nearly knocked me over.”
“It’s just… so shocking.”
Huo Zongzhu had been a little uneasy earlier, thinking Jiang Luo might not want the factory. Now hearing him, he relaxed and smiled. “Then that’s fine. If you want it, take it.”
“You’re going to be even busier now—flying to Shenzhen and all.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll manage the factory well.”
“You’ll definitely make plenty of money.”
Jiang Luo’s words sounded normal, but inside, his heart was a fluttering mess. That strange, overflowing feeling—what was it?
No matter how he tried, Jiang Luo couldn’t figure it out. All he could think about was that feeling. As for the fact that he now had another factory in his hands, he didn’t dwell on it too much.
He thought: Giving me a factory… at this level of scale… could Huo Dad possibly… like me?
Yes, Jiang Luo noticed this. Smart as he was, logically deducing both forwards and backwards, he could consider all possibilities—but quickly, he dismissed the idea.
Not only because of his previous life, but also because Jiang Luo himself was attracted to men.
If Huo Zongzhu were the same as him, two people on the same wavelength, close, even living together, he would have sensed it by now.
But all this time, Jiang Luo hadn’t doubted Huo Zongzhu’s orientation or noticed anything unusual.
So he discarded the theory that Huo Zongzhu liked him, and returned to pondering the strange, overflowing feeling in his chest.
He tried to analyze it, but couldn’t. Eventually, he gave up and turned his attention to the factory itself.
That evening, Jiang Luo went to Huo Zongzhu’s room. They sat on the sofa together, Jiang Luo resting his shoulder and arm against Huo Zongzhu, talking about the factory.
“So… what made you decide to give me a factory?”
“You had already decided during New Year, right?”
Huo Zongzhu explained for himself: “I thought you’d need a factory in the south. Shenzhen is a special economic zone, business conditions are favorable, the government supports development, and it’s just starting to grow. Having a factory here gives you space to expand.”
Jiang Luo nudged him with his shoulder. “You’re really this good to me, huh?”
“How much did it cost?” he asked. “A few million?”
Huo Zongzhu: “Don’t worry about money.”
Jiang Luo, blunt as ever: “I’m that important to you, huh? You go to all this trouble, give me something so extravagant…”
Huo Zongzhu turned to him: “It’s an investment. There’s profit in it.”
“Stop it.”
Jiang Luo nudged him again: “You just want to do something nice for me.”
Huo Zongzhu couldn’t help smiling. He’d been worried that giving a factory might make Jiang Luo suspect things he shouldn’t, but he was also pleased Jiang Luo understood his intentions and sincerity.
He didn’t say anything further—just lifted his arm and pulled Jiang Luo close.
This gesture wasn’t unusual between men, but in daily life, it wasn’t something casually done.
Jiang Luo didn’t know when he had started liking being this close. Huo Zongzhu went along with it, sometimes letting affection take over and holding him, deepening their closeness.
Jiang Luo rested in Huo Zongzhu’s arms. “Why did you give me a factory… such a big one?”
Huo Zongzhu looked at him: “As long as you like it, that’s enough. Don’t overthink it.”
Jiang Luo joked: “We might as well do a DNA test, huh?”
“You feel more like family than actual family,” Huo Zongzhu said with a smile. Jiang Luo sometimes had the ability to sweet-talk in a way that reached straight to someone’s heart.
Then he asked: “You don’t like me, right?”
Huo Zongzhu: “…”
Jiang Luo pressed: “You like men?”
Huo Zongzhu paused in his mind but answered calmly: “No. I don’t.”
“Really?”
Jiang Luo was blunt. “With the kind of factory you gave me, if I were a woman instead of a man, I’d definitely think… maybe you like me and are about to propose.”
Huo Zongzhu smiled, a little weary inside. He couldn’t admit anything, knowing Jiang Luo was teasing.
Sure enough, Jiang Luo added: “I’m a man… and right now, I want to marry you.”
“Hubby.”
He immediately added: “Anything else you want to give me? Go ahead and give it all at once. Land in Shenzhen, buildings… whatever you like.”
Huo Zongzhu smiled, gently scratching Jiang Luo’s face with his finger. He knew these words were playful, but he liked it anyway.
In some sense, the closeness and intimacy between them now was the result of Huo Zongzhu’s careful, tacit encouragement.
“Manage the factory well,” Huo Zongzhu said, reaching up to pat the back of Jiang Luo’s head.
“I know,” Jiang Luo replied, pinching Huo Zongzhu’s chin.
And as it turned out, Huo Zongzhu was impressively thorough in his thinking and planning.
The next day at noon, Huo Zongzhu took Jiang Luo to a local restaurant to meet some people.
Beforehand, he hadn’t said much—just mentioned meeting a few business owners, and Jiang Luo didn’t ask further.
Just before entering the private room, Huo Zongzhu asked: “Remember those Zhou clan clothing factory owners? I showed you their profiles.”
Jiang Luo paused. “You’re taking me to meet them?”
Inside the room, sure enough, the faces matched the photos he’d seen.
The owners warmly shook hands with both Huo Zongzhu and Jiang Luo, clearly familiar with Huo Zongzhu.
As they sat, after some awkward small talk in Mandarin, Jiang Luo realized Huo Zongzhu indeed knew them.
One owner mentioned: “When the Zhou clan ancestral hall faced demolition, Mr. Huo really went all out to help us save it. Our whole family is very grateful to him.”
Jiang Luo was impressed again—Huo Zongzhu had brought him along to make connections.
Midway through the meal, when the topic turned to Jiang Luo’s new factory in Shenzhen, one Zhou clan member said: “If you need help, don’t hesitate. We’ll assist you.”
Talking about the Guangzhou wholesale markets, another said: “If anyone else comes in, we won’t agree. But if it’s Mr. Huo’s brother, we must welcome him. We’ve also heard Jiang Luo is talented—your designs sell well in Haicheng. If we make similar clothing, please be generous and let us earn a bit too.”
The discussion went smoothly. Jiang Luo knew that with Huo Zongzhu paving the way, his business in Shenzhen would be much easier.
Seizing a quiet moment, he clinked his filled cup gently against Huo Zongzhu’s. “Huo Zongzhu… how can I ever repay such a favor?”
“After this, I’ll give you a foot massage,” Huo Zongzhu teased.
Jiang Luo pretended to raise his cup.
“Stop drinking,” Huo Zongzhu said, taking the cup. “You’ve had enough. Drink more and you’ll get drunk.”
Then softly: “Who’s going to give me a foot massage? You?”
“Sure,” Jiang Luo said, pretending to reach under the table.
“That’s enough.”
Huo Zongzhu smiled: “Eat some food. Finish that bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, sober up, and fill your stomach.”
After the meal, back at the hotel, walking through the lobby, Jiang Luo felt thrilled thinking about the new factory and his future in the south. He loosened his tie and sang as he walked:
“Sweet, so sweet, your smile is so sweet, like flowers blooming in the spring breeze…”
Truly, life felt like a spring breeze.
Huo Zongzhu looked at him, equally happy and gentle.
Jiang Luo, slightly drunk, followed Huo Zongzhu to his room, bending over the sofa, draping himself over Huo Zongzhu’s shoulders from behind, humming: “Huo Zongzhu… you’re so good to me. I almost want to marry you.”
“Maybe you should consider being my husband,” he teased. “I can be your wife. Really. Look at me—I’m good-looking, fair-skinned… long legs too.”
Huo Zongzhu laughed, stroking his face affectionately. “Looks like you’re pretty drunk.”
But later that night, lying alone in his room, Jiang Luo couldn’t fall asleep despite the alcohol. He kept thinking about that strange, overwhelming feeling he couldn’t name.
What is it?
His mind was filled with Huo Zongzhu—every expression, every movement.
Sleep wouldn’t come.
The next morning, at the breakfast table, Jiang Luo kept yawning.