New Partner?

Wen Chengze had not expected the place Cheng Liang wanted to take him to would be a club.

"This club hasn't been open for long, but it's very popular. In the past few years, it's become the biggest club in Haicheng." Cheng Liang introduced the place as he led Wen Chengze inside.

"Someone like you, who looks like a total homebody, should get out more and see the world."

As they spoke, the two had already entered the main hall.

It was called a club, but the first floor was actually no different from a bar. The private rooms and such were on the second floor.

Cheng Liang had come with a plan today, so he had arranged to meet the others in the main hall and had no intention of going upstairs.

It was already fairly late when they arrived, and some people were dancing.

Wen Chengze neither liked nor disliked places like this. After all, when he had been abroad, he occasionally went to quiet bars for drinks.

Still, he tried to stay away from people. He did not like being touched by others.

"Why are you guys so late?"

Cheng Liang took off his coat and smiled. "I was waiting on the little ancestor while he ate."

Wen Chengze kicked him. "Nonsense."

The others laughed along.

"Xiao Ze, see what you want to drink. Order whatever you like—the big brothers are treating today."

Wen Chengze raised a brow. "My brother probably doesn't know when he suddenly gained several younger brothers."

The others were left speechless.

Although they spoiled Wen Chengze too, compared with Wen Chenglin's reckless devotion to his younger brother, they still fell short.

If Wen Chenglin found out they were teasing Wen Chengze like this, he would wipe them out afterward.

"It was just a slip of the tongue. Lord Xiao Ze, in your great magnanimity, could you spare us?"

Wen Chengze gave a soft hum and casually ordered a drink.

Although they had not met often before, some bonds were simply there. They did not need to be maintained through frequent meetings.

So, when the group gathered together, there was no awkwardness.

As one of them poured drinks, he asked, "Why did Xiao Ze suddenly decide to develop in the entertainment industry? Your brother was willing to let you enter that big melting pot?"

"It's nothing. I just thought it would be fun." The fewer outsiders knew about the Zhong Household's affairs, the safer it was.

"I think if Xiao Ze just stood there with that face of his, he'd definitely become a top star."

Wen Chengze narrowed his eyes slightly, picked up an orange from the fruit platter, and threw it straight at the man. "Brother Sang Hua, do you think I'm just a pretty face?"

The man hurriedly caught the orange, swiftly peeled it, then respectfully handed it to Wen Chengze. "How would I dare? I was praising you for being handsome. Among all of us who grew up together, aren't you the best-looking one?"

The others immediately began jeering. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sang Hua, do you have to be such a suck-up?"

To their surprise, Sang Hua proudly put his hands on his hips. "Don't think I don't know that all of you secretly worship Xiao Ze's looks. Who was it that insisted on confessing to Xiao Ze when we were kids, then went home crying one after another after finding out Xiao Ze was a boy?"

"Fuck! That was years ago, and you're still bringing it up to mock us?"

In an instant, Sang Hua became the target of everyone's attack.

Wen Chengze laughed from the side.

He quite liked this relaxed atmosphere between brothers.

In just that short while, the club's atmosphere grew increasingly lively, and more and more people took to the dance floor.

As he drank, Cheng Liang studied Wen Chengze from the corner of his eye.

He had not brought Xiao Ze to this bar merely because the atmosphere was good. Most of the people here were open-minded and liked to have fun.

There were quite a few gay people here too.

He had looked around earlier. There should be plenty of them. Xiao Ze would probably notice, right?

Perhaps heaven itself was helping Cheng Liang, because at that moment, a same-sex couple passed in front of them with their arms around each other.

The entire table fell into a strange silence for a moment, then everyone tacitly turned to look at Wen Chengze.

Wen Chengze was leisurely sipping his drink. When he suddenly noticed everyone looking at him, he asked innocently, "Why are you looking at me?"

"It seems we forgot something."

Cheng Liang stared at Wen Chengze from the side without speaking.

Instead, Sang Hua, who had started the conversation, carefully said, "Xiao Ze, we forgot to tell you that there are quite a lot of gay people at this club too."

Wen Chengze set down his glass. "Mm."

"Mm? That's your reaction?" Sang Hua's eyes widened.

Wen Chengze raised a brow. "What's so surprising about that? There are plenty of same-sex couples abroad too."

Only then did the others suddenly remember. Right, Xiao Ze had been abroad all these years. How could he not know about such things?

"Whew, you have no idea. When we found out a new club had opened here, we came over all excited to have fun, only to nearly have our worldview shattered."

Though this group were all young masters from wealthy families, they were actually more well-behaved than the next. The oldest was only two years older than Wen Chengze.

They were all still under their Lineage's protection, and the more powerful the Lineage, the stricter they were with their descendants. It was only in the past two years that their families had loosened up a little.

Every last one of them was incredibly innocent.

Now that they had brought up the subject of homosexuality, Cheng Liang felt his chance had come.

"Then after Xiao Ze spent so many years abroad, did you find yourself a boyfriend?"

The moment Cheng Liang asked, everyone's eyes drifted back to Wen Chengze.

Though they were not gay themselves, they were somewhat curious about that circle, and some had even looked into it.

At that moment, everyone suddenly realized that someone like Xiao Ze was clearly the perfect catch in the gay community.

Still, they admired Cheng Liang for asking such a question. He really dared to directly ask a man whether he had a boyfriend.

"No."

Yet to everyone's surprise, Wen Chengze merely gave a light reply.

"Xiao Ze, you really don't think that question is strange?"

"I don't. Men have asked for my contact information before too, but I wasn't interested, so I turned them all down."

"You not only have great luck with women, you even have great luck with men! Women don't fancy me, and now even men don't want me!" Everyone at the table began wailing again.

Wen Chengze's brows curved faintly.

When boys got together, they talked about nothing more than careers, romance, and a few other things.

There was not much for this group to discuss when it came to careers, so naturally, they talked more about romance.

After they had a little more to drink, their words became even less restrained.

Wen Chengze listened from the side.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Cheng Liang immediately said, "I'll go with you."

On the way, Cheng Liang chatted with Wen Chengze.

"Judging by Xiao Ze's attitude, you don't seem to be opposed to homosexuality?" Cheng Liang considered his words for a long time before asking.

"Mm, I'm not opposed."

He was more than merely not opposed. He had even done that sort of thing with a man he had met only once. If he claimed he was opposed to it, even he would not believe himself.

Having gotten his answer, Cheng Liang suddenly stopped and looked at Wen Chengze with a faint flush on his face. "Then..."

He had only spoken one word when a low, hoarse voice interrupted him.

"New partner?"