Chapter 314 – My Dear CEO Wife – A Melodramatic Love Story (14)
The consequence of a hangover is a headache.
Although Bai Tang had only one cocktail, he couldn’t handle alcohol at all, so the aftereffects hit him harder than usual.
“A He~” The boy’s almond-shaped eyes were misty, glistening with tears, and his headache made him frown slightly.
“Headache, huh?” Wen Changhe had already anticipated this and had the butler prepare some hangover tea.
Watching the boy gulp down the tea, Wen Changhe asked, “Will you still sneak drinks next time?”
The boy shook his head vigorously. “I thought it was tea—the name sounded nice.”
Long Island Iced Tea—if you don’t know it’s a cocktail, you’d naturally think it’s some kind of special tea.
Wen Changhe smiled helplessly, his slender fingers tapping the boy’s forehead. Sneaking drinks and still acting innocent?
Wen’s parents had spent a sweet and romantic day together and only returned home the next afternoon, faces glowing with happiness.
As soon as Mother Wen got home, her first thought was to look for Bai Tang.
Father Wen wasn’t jealous at all; on the contrary, he was grateful for Bai Tang’s cooperation. After yesterday, he realized that in his wife’s heart, he was still the most important person.
As the highly sought-after young president of the Wen Group, Wen Changhe often appeared on the covers of major magazines and newspapers.
This time was no exception. News of Wen Changhe losing his temper for a young man and smashing up a bar quickly trended online and appeared in magazines.
Since it had been late at night and the bar was dimly lit, the only thing visible was that the person Wen Changhe had protected was a boy. In the blurry photo, one could just make out the boy’s delicate features.
Speculations spread rapidly—who could make Wen Changhe lose his composure like that?
Some said the boy was the son of an influential figure, someone Wen Changhe needed to please. Others claimed he was Wen Changhe’s secret lover, that the boy had been harassed in the bar and, being drunk, a fight broke out. Still others whispered that the boy was Wen Changhe’s boyfriend—after all, Wen Changhe was thirty and had never been seen with a woman. Maybe he preferred blue eyes to red lips…
Online opinions were divided, though most leaned toward the third explanation. After all, Wen Changhe came from an influential family, and few would dare to curry favor with him so blatantly.
Many people left comments under Wen’s Weibo post, but there was no official response. A few hours later, the situation took an even deeper turn.
A photographer who claimed to frequent the internet celebrity street released several photos. The main subject was none other than Wen Changhe himself—alongside a young man no one had ever seen before.
The young man had delicate features, soft facial contours, and, most notably, a pure and untainted air about him.
Setting everything else aside, just from his looks and demeanor alone, not only could Wen Changhe like him—anyone would find him attractive.
People tried to learn more about the boy, but Bai Tang was well protected by Wen Changhe. Meanwhile, Qiu’er and Xiao A didn’t want outsiders disturbing Bai Tang’s life for the time being. They knew that where there’s fame, there’s criticism—it was inevitable.
Zu Shuang’s department was now managed by Wen Changrou. Confident that she could manipulate Wen Changrou at will, Zu Shuang practically strutted around the design department with her head held high.
Xiao A, who had been observing the so-called female lead, remarked to Qiu’er, “I’ve never seen such a stupid female lead.”
She couldn’t even pull off the “pure and innocent” or “green tea” act. Calling her a “pure and innocent green tea” was an insult to the term—at least the truly “pure and innocent” type could come across as genuine and unpretentious to the opposite sex. But Wen Changrou had managed to offend almost everyone in the design department, regardless of gender.
Like a new broom sweeping clean, Wen Changrou suddenly abandoned her usual complacency and began reorganizing the lazy employees—though her real target was Zu Shuang.
It didn’t take long for Zu Shuang to notice that the department manager had grown colder and was often singling her out. Playing the victim before Wen Changrou no longer worked; while Wen Changrou would comfort her, she never stepped in to defend her as she once had.
“Rou Rou, what have you been busy with lately?” This was the third time Zu Shuang had approached Wen Changrou that month. This time, she changed tactics—not complaining right away, but speaking under the guise of concern.
“It’s alright,” Wen Changrou replied, rubbing her temples. “I’ve been selecting designers to form a new team to participate in an international design competition six months from now…” Due to the sudden increase in workload and her lack of experience, her pace had slowed—better that than making mistakes.
Zu Shuang’s eyes lit up. The international design competition was highly prestigious, held once every three years, and the winner’s name would be engraved on the design world’s wall of honor.
Intrigued, Zu Shuang asked softly, “Changrou, have you chosen your design team yet?”
Wen Changrou looked down at the documents, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips. The fish had taken the bait.
She looked up at Zu Shuang, a trace of helplessness in her eyes. “Not yet. Although the designers in our department are all quite skilled, their work tends to be too formulaic. I’m worried they lack creativity. Design competitions demand originality and innovation.”
The longer one works, the more one develops a personal style and a fixed mindset. To adapt to the themes assigned by the international design committee, designers need flexible thinking. Therefore, past winners tend to be either seasoned designers with enough experience to break free from their habitual patterns, or newcomers brimming with imagination. However, most winners are the former; only a few belong to the latter group.
This year’s design competition differs from previous years — this time, team participation is required. She knows her own capabilities well; winning an award on her own is practically impossible. But a team is another matter. Only the members themselves know how much effort each person contributes. If she joins the team, with Wen Changrou backing her, she figures no one will dare say a word.
Having grasped the situation, Zu Shuang coquettishly hinted to Wen Changrou that she wanted to contribute to the company’s success.
Wen Changrou, ever the “understanding” one, caught her meaning and said, “Shuang Shuang wants to participate in the competition too, hmm? This isn’t a decision I can make alone, but I’ll be sure to recommend you to the board.”
Having achieved her goal, Zu Shuang didn’t linger. She left Wen Changrou’s office briskly, her steps light and confident.
After confirming that Zu Shuang had completely gone, Wen Changrou pressed the internal line and called for the design department manager.
She opened a folder containing the profiles of every designer in the department. At the top, in the upper-right corner, was a photo of Zu Shuang, smiling radiantly.
“Being too greedy isn’t good…” Wen Changrou muttered under her breath.
Outside, the frenzy to dig up information about Bai Tang continued to spread. Not wanting Bai Tang to become the target of endless speculation, Wen Changhe decided to hold a press conference — but only after obtaining Bai Tang’s consent.
The purpose of the conference was to clarify why Wen Changhe, as president of the Wen Group, had caused a scene at the bar that night, and to explain the situation’s impact on the company’s image.
At the press conference, reporters were seated according to arrangements made by Wen Group’s staff, waiting for the main figures to appear.
Before long, the tall and handsome Wen Changhe led Bai Tang — dressed in a matching suit — out from backstage.
Flashlights went off in a frenzy, causing a brief stir in the crowd, though the scene soon settled back into order.
The two took their seats, Wen Changhe still holding Bai Tang’s hand.
It wasn’t Bai Tang’s first time attending a press conference with her husband, but surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces, he couldn’t help feeling nervous.
“Hello, everyone. Welcome to today’s Wen Group press conference…” The host introduced the topic of the event. “Now, let’s hand the stage over to our CEO, Mr. Wen.”
Having long been accustomed to public appearances, Wen Changhe remained perfectly composed. He first gave a clear and concise account of the incident at the bar, then explained the police station’s mediation results. He presented the hospital’s medical expense records, along with a statement from the bar owner. The evidence was thorough and transparent, leaving the reporters who had hoped to stir trouble with nothing to exploit.
Finally, the reporters found their angle — Bai Tang.
“Mr. Wen, was your fight at the bar related to Bai Tang? What is your relationship?”
Despite extensive digging, the only thing they had managed to uncover was the boy’s name — Bai Tang — a testament to how well Wen Changhe had protected him.
Wen Changhe smiled. “Tang Tang is my partner — the person I’ll spend my life with. Tell me, if your partner were harassed by a stranger with bad intentions, wouldn’t you find it unbearable and step in to protect them?”
Wen Changhe’s words landed like a thunderclap.
The rumored cold and possibly impotent president of Wen Group was not only in a relationship — but with a man. And now, they were even announcing plans to marry.
Sensing the explosive headline, the reporters eagerly scribbled in their notebooks and pressed on with their questions.
“Mr. Bai Tang, how did you and Mr. Wen first meet? How did your relationship begin?”
“Mr. Bai Tang, are you and Mr. Wen truly together out of love, or is there some kind of deal—or another motive?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Wen—”
Having shifted away from the bar incident, the reporters now focused relentlessly on the couple’s relationship, determined to pry out more details.
“Ahem…” Bai Tang tapped the microphone, and, encouraged by Wen Changhe’s steady gaze, spoke up boldly.
“First of all, thank you, everyone, for coming to today’s press conference~”
His soft, sweet voice immediately quieted the restless crowd.
“My meeting with A He was a little different from most people’s—well, rather unusual~” Bai Tang recalled those days when his soul had followed Wen Changhe—days of silent agony, when he could see him but not touch him. But in the end, they had found their way to each other.
The man and the boy exchanged smiles, the air between them shimmering with invisible pink bubbles, as though the rest of the world had melted away.
“I was in a car accident once, and A He saved me,” Bai Tang said after a brief pause. He couldn’t mention the soul part, of course, but the rest was fine. “After that, we fell in love at first sight. Yes, just like you’re imagining—a completely melodramatic, love-at-first-sight story.”
His sweet, almost childlike voice carried a sincerity that made even the seasoned reporters soften. The story sounded absurdly melodramatic, yet strangely, as they listened, they found themselves thinking—I believe in love again.
It was ridiculous, yes—but also oddly romantic.
Author’s Note :
Though melodramatic, it’s still sweet!