My Little Happiness 我的小确幸 Chapter is 14.2

Chapter 14.2 - So Tight that Not Even Honey Can Seep Through (2)

Wen Shaoqing tilted his head and glanced behind him. Zhong Zhen was slowly trudging in after Cong Rong, still carrying the giant teddy bear on his back.

“Isn’t this a bit of a human rights violation, Lawyer Cong?” he asked.

Cong Rong’s lips twitched, and she explained coldly, “I’m not referring to Zhong Zhen. I mean the thing on his back.”

Zhong Zhen finally made it through the door and raised a weary hand in greeting.
“Hey, boss. We came to freeload some dinner.”

Wen Shaoqing nodded and said with a smile,
“Alright, eat early. After dinner, go back and work on your article.”

Zhong Zhen’s face fell instantly. He lowered his head and dragged the bear into the house.

Cong Rong sat at the dining table and stuffed the bear into the chair next to her. When Zhong Zhen was about to sit down there, she kicked him lightly.
“That’s its seat. You sit over there.”

Zhong Zhen gave a proud little snort and plopped down next to Wen Shaoqing, complaining to Rang Yi Rang (the dog),
“Rang Yi Rang, you’re so lucky. You don’t have a cousin who exploits you. Your life must be so peaceful…”

Maybe his resentment was too strong, because Rang Yi Rang looked at him and inched closer to Wen Shaoqing.

Cong Rong ignored Zhong Zhen and pointed to the teddy bear beside her.
“Let me formally introduce you—this is my pet.”
She stroked the bear’s fur and glanced at Wen Shaoqing, as if getting back at him for his earlier comment about her only being capable of raising pigs. Then she looked at Rang Yi Rang, implying: size matters.

Zhong Zhen didn’t get it, but Wen Shaoqing immediately understood. He smirked playfully.
“Oh, so Lawyer Cong prefers… big ones.”

That one sentence made Cong Rong’s face flush red, but Wen Shaoqing acted as if nothing had happened and kept playing along.
“Does it have a name?”

Cong Rong did her best to stay composed.
“Yes. It’s called Feng Feng.”

Wen Shaoqing was intrigued.
“Any special meaning?”

Cong Rong answered calmly,
“Because it’s 密不透风 (‘mi bu tou feng’—airtight). No honey can pass through Feng Feng. It belongs entirely to it.”

Wen Shaoqing sincerely praised her,
“What a great name!”
Then he turned to Rang Yi Rang and said,
“In that case, I should rename you too. You love gnawing on bones, right? From today on, you’re Xiao Wu—‘Wu’ as in ‘wu gu bu fen’ (not knowing the five grains), because you and bones can’t be separated.”

Zhong Zhen burst out laughing but got a glare from Cong Rong and quickly covered his mouth, shoulders shaking as he tried to hold it in.

Cong Rong frowned at Wen Shaoqing.
“Are you mocking its name?”

“Of course not.” Wen Shaoqing looked interested as ever.
“Would your pet like some soup?”

Cong Rong tried to suppress her irritation.
“No need. It’s hibernating and doesn’t eat right now.”

Wen Shaoqing nodded seriously,
“…As expected of a lawyer. Impressive logic.”

—

By the end of the meal, Zhong Zhen sat there looking puzzled, watching the back-and-forth between the two.
He glanced at his boss, then at his cousin.
Something’s off… Definitely something fishy going on here.

After dinner, he dragged the massive bear back across the hall. The moment they stepped inside, he couldn't help asking:
“Cousin, what’s going on between you and Professor Wen?”

Cong Rong lazily fiddled with Feng Feng.
“Nothing.”

Nothing—just a failed attempt at making a statement, leaving her bitter and frustrated.

Zhong Zhen, recalling Wen Shaoqing’s threat, crept up to her with a big smile.
“Sis… quick question. If I don’t get my scholarship or stipend next semester… will you support me?”

Cong Rong raised an eyebrow at the word “sis” and, still annoyed, reached out and ruffled his hair.
“Got exams coming up? Don’t stress too much. If you bomb them, it’s no big deal. At most, I just won’t have a brother anymore.”

Zhong Zhen froze, then shot to his feet.
“Cousin, I still have an article to write—I’ll be going! I’m really busy these days, so don’t come looking for me!”

And off he fled to catch up on his assignments.

---

After the failure of her “pet protest,” Cong Rong launched a cold war campaign against Wen Shaoqing.

But Wen Shaoqing, of course, kept provoking her.
Every time he took Rang Yi Rang out for a walk and ran into Cong Rong, he would ask with fake innocence:

“Aren’t you taking Feng Feng out for some fresh air?”

At first, Cong Rong was so mad she could’ve spat blood. But after being asked enough times, she learned how to respond calmly:

“It’s afraid of the cold.”

“It caught a cold.”

“It’s a homebody bear.”

“It’s hibernating.”

Eventually, even making up excuses became too tiring. Now, whenever she ran into him, she just gave him a perfunctory smile and said nothing more—her whole attitude screaming: I don’t know you. Don’t talk to me.

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Unrequited Love 暗恋橘生淮南 Chapter 32.1

Chapter 32.1 - Wake up from a Long Dream (1)

The relaxed dinner atmosphere was still disrupted by that inexplicable memory from Luo Zhi. But unlike their first meal together, the silence this time wasn't awkward — rather, it carried a sort of leisurely, tacit understanding.

“Speaking of essays, I remember you were really good at writing them in high school.”

Luo Zhi suddenly looked up, startling Sheng Huainan.

“Come on, I just praised you once — are you really that excited?” he laughed.

Luo Zhi withdrew her gaze and asked softly, “Did you ever read them? Be honest.”

Sheng Huainan was a bit confused but still answered truthfully, “Back then, the school’s language department often handed out model essays for us to read. I honestly didn’t read a single one — I used them all as scratch paper since the backs were blank. Sorry.”

“What’s there to apologize for? Essays are all the same — fake and cliché,” Luo Zhi lowered her head and said hurriedly.

“I skipped class today and also postponed the meeting with Tiffany and Jake. If you’re free tomorrow night, could you go see Jake? He really misses you.”

“Sure,” Sheng Huainan smiled.

Under the streetlamp near the dorm building, he suddenly stopped and pulled out a large paper bag from his backpack.

“I bought this the other day when I passed by a bookstore. I was going to give it to you another time, but I got excited this morning and just brought it along. Carrying it all day nearly killed me.”

Luo Zhi’s eyes widened as she took the heavy paper bag — six thick volumes: the complete works of Kahlil Gibran.

He carried them all day? Is he out of his mind? She was speechless and didn’t know whether to act angry or happy.

“I... I really like Gibran... I love Sand and Foam... Is your back okay?”

Her stammering seemed to make Sheng Huainan particularly happy. He affectionately ruffled her hair, not caring whether the gesture made her even more shy.

“As long as you like it.”

Suddenly, the sound of clattering came from behind. Luo Zhi turned around and saw a girl in a purple wool coat kicking a bicycle.

The girl looked up — it was Zheng Wenrui.

Luo Zhi became a little uneasy and asked softly, “Your bike broke?”

“The chain came off,” Zheng Wenrui didn’t look at her and kept fiercely kicking the bike’s rear wheel, making loud clattering noises.

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone try to kick the chain back on,” Sheng Huainan was still smiling, but his eyes narrowed slightly — for the first time, Luo Zhi realized how intimidating he could be when his demeanor turned cold. Zheng Wenrui took a deep breath and raised her head. In the moment her eyes met Luo Zhi’s, Sheng Huainan suddenly put his arm around Luo Zhi’s shoulders and led her away, turning the corner straight toward the dorm entrance.

Luo Zhi stood on the steps in front of the dorm. Not far away, Zheng Wenrui was still furiously kicking the bicycle, as if it had become a stand-in for someone she wanted to kick. Saying goodbye suddenly felt awkward. Luo Zhi averted her gaze from Zheng Wenrui and saw Sheng Huainan looking at her with concern.

“Don’t be scared,” he said.

His warmth instantly lifted her spirits. She nodded, hugged the paper bag tighter — the sharp corners of the books dug into her stomach, but she didn’t feel any pain. Smiling, she nodded again and said, “Really, thank you so much.”

He stood there leisurely with his hands in his pockets. “I should be the one thanking you. I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. We’ll go see Jake tomorrow afternoon, right? You must be tired too — go get some rest.”

The dormitory’s main door clicked shut and automatically locked, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he gestured with his mouth for Luo Zhi to go in first. She clasped her hands behind her back, lowered her head and smiled like a shy bride, then looked up and nodded at him before turning and walking away in big strides.

However, the rattling sound of the bicycle chain still clung to her relentlessly as she turned the corner and ran into the hallway.

She closed her eyes and told herself:
You did nothing wrong.

The next day at noon, just as she was about to text Sheng Huainan to tell him the meeting time for the afternoon, he texted her first:

“Something came up. I can’t make it. Sorry.”

Abrupt and brief. Luo Zhi stared at the message for a long time, feeling a bit troubled. She replied with a simple, “It’s okay, take care of your things,” then began to worry — if she bailed on Jake again, those two kids might just drag her into their little storage room at home and let the dogs loose on her.

She made a phone call. Zhu Yan had gone to Shanghai, and Mya told her she was just about to get in touch. The two kids had slight fevers and were already at the clinic with the nanny. She didn’t need to go over that afternoon.

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Unrequited Love 暗恋橘生淮南 Chapter 31.2

Chapter 31.2 - Story Sister (2)

“I never liked asking why when I was little. Grown-ups always said, ‘You’ll understand when you grow up,’ so I held tightly to the belief that growing up was the answer to everything. I would remember everything I didn’t understand back then—really remember it—and wait for adulthood. Maybe that’s why I recall those memories so clearly. An elder once said that obsession often begins this way—because even a sensible child can’t fully comprehend things.”

Sheng Huainan’s eyes flickered for a moment, but Luo Zhi didn’t notice. She continued:

“So even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, I didn’t ask why.”

“Story Sister said, ‘If you two like each other, I don’t mind. But why treat me like this?’”

“The pretty girl snapped back, ‘Don’t pretend you don’t know or don’t care. Don’t you like XX? You think I don’t see it? The things you’ve done—spreading rumors, trying to turn us against each other—you think I don’t know?’”

“Story Sister got flustered immediately and said, ‘Who says I like him?’”

“The boy—XX—who had been standing silently on the side trying to look cool suddenly spoke up and said, ‘Can you really say you don’t like me?’”

At that point, both Luo Zhi and Sheng Huainan burst out laughing.

“Looking back now, their expressions and tone were so childish and theatrical. Even the whole argument seemed secondary—it was more about finally getting a chance to act like the dramatic adults they’d seen in TV dramas.”

“But still, you can’t deny that they were really serious about it.”

“I was serious too. Those two also had a little sidekick—just one. I didn’t talk much, but I was known around the courtyard for having a sharp tongue. I was one of those kids who acted like a sweet kitten around adults but turned into a hawk when dealing with other children. So the other little girl and I joined the fight—but our opponent was that little sidekick.”

“Our verbal battle was basically a constant loop of ‘Why are you helping them and not Story Sister?’ ‘Because I want to.’ ‘Your want is crap.’ ‘I’ll knock you into next week,’ and so on. But in the end, we won. We won gloriously.”

“Story Sister lost miserably. She ran off somewhere I couldn’t find her to cry. She was especially kind to me—kinder than to anyone else—but all I could do to help her was use childish insults.”

“I still remember the stories she told me—like the one about the female college student who, during an experiment, cooked and ate a wolf’s brain, and then started sneaking into the lab every midnight to eat corpses. And the one about the angel who fell in love with a mortal and cut off her over-a-meter-long golden hair for him, only to end up dying. Or the story about the village at the base of the rainbow bridge, where the most beautiful boy in the world lived... and many more.”

“I really liked that older girl. She loved to dream. She swore all those stories came from books—but she’d always forget the book titles. In truth, all of those were dreams she wove herself. She was that angel. She met that boy. Nowadays we’d just call it daydreaming, or 'YY.' But I don’t know if you’ll understand—she actually had a very rich inner world. She was just... far too lonely.”

“But now that I think about it, maybe she was too absorbed in her own stories. She became more and more withdrawn. The other kids didn’t like the stories she told—they were too creepy, too dark. And it seemed like her classmates at school didn’t like her much either. So, I was the only one who often sat with her. But there was a six-year age gap between us. It was hard to be real friends. I couldn’t save her from her loneliness.”

“A neighbor once told my mom it’d be best if I stayed away from her. That her father had mental problems and no one really looked after her.”

“Thankfully, my mom didn’t stop me from spending time with her. But honestly, I don’t even remember what Story Sister looked like anymore. I only remember that final day—when I was moving back to my grandmother’s place. I was sitting in the front passenger seat of the moving truck, and when I looked back, she and a bunch of wild kids were waving at me. She was crying. I cried too. She said, ‘Luoluo, you’ll definitely do well in life. Luoluo, don’t forget the stories I told you. Don’t forget me.’”

“She even said... I might be the only person in the world who remembers her.”

“When I got to high school, whenever I had to write essays—narrative or argumentative—I’d make up all kinds of things. If the teacher asked which famous person I got a certain anecdote from, I’d say, ‘I read it in a book, but I forgot the title.’ Honestly, I picked up quite a few bad habits from her. Like overthinking. And lying.”

Luo Zhi paused and looked at Sheng Huainan, who was deep in thought. She asked, “Was that really boring?”

He shook his head solemnly. “Not at all.”

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My Little Happiness 我的小确幸 Chapter is 14.1

Chapter 14.1 - So Tight that Not Even Honey Can Seep Through (1)

Cong Rong ran home in a panic, sat on the sofa, and started ranting about Wen Shaoqing.
What on earth had gotten into her back then? What was all that nonsense about "cultured and refined," "gentle and modest," "warm and delicate"? Lies—all lies!
He must have drugged the food during that dinner years ago!

She recalled how that man had shouted at her just now, and she'd fled in total defeat. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got—her brain actually hurt from rage. She grabbed her phone and called Zhong Zhen.

“Go buy me the biggest stuffed teddy bear you can find, and bring it to my place tomorrow night! No refusal allowed—or I’m cutting your allowance in half next month!”

Zhong Zhen was racking his brain writing an article and was stunned when he heard this.
“A teddy bear? Whose birthday is it?”

“No one’s. I’m raising it as a pet!” She hung up right after saying that.

Zhong Zhen stared at his phone, frowning.
A woman reaching a certain age and still single... something’s not right.
Maybe he should stop by the hospital tomorrow and see if there were any eligible men for his cousin.

---

The next afternoon, just after 5 p.m., Zhong Zhen scratched his head anxiously outside the operating room. The moment he saw Wen Shaoqing come out, he rushed over.

“Boss, can I get off work a little early today?”

Wen Shaoqing had just completed two surgeries. He tilted his head, stretching his neck, and gave Zhong Zhen a lazy glance.
“The boss isn’t off work yet, and you want to leave?”

“It’s not that…” Zhong Zhen tugged at his hair. “My cousin’s forcing me to go buy her a bear. If I don’t go soon, the store’s going to close.”

Wen Shaoqing raised an eyebrow.
“What does she want a bear for?”

“No idea.” Then something suddenly occurred to Zhong Zhen, and he blurted out,
“By the way, boss, do you happen to know any single men around my cousin’s age?”

Wen Shaoqing narrowed his eyes.
“What are you up to now?”

“Don’t you think my cousin’s been acting weirder and weirder lately? I’m pretty sure it’s because she doesn’t have a boyfriend. I need to help her out.
You know so many people—there has to be someone suitable. I heard your college dorm was really famous. Did your roommates all have girlfriends?”

At this point, Wen Shaoqing’s brows furrowed slightly. He asked quietly,
“What did you say?”

Clueless as ever, Zhong Zhen missed the warning signs and continued,
“I said, maybe one of your roommates or someone you know—ideally someone who also studied law, so they’ll have something in common.”

Roommate. Preferably law major.

Wen Shaoqing suddenly narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Did you finish writing your article? I want it published this month.”

Zhong Zhen’s jaw dropped.
“This month? It’s already the end of the month!”

Wen Shaoqing gave him a casual glance and said in a threatening tone,
“Seems like you have a lot of free time. I want to see that article published before the end of the month. If you don’t, your grades this semester won’t look too good. And forget about next semester’s scholarship or stipend.”

Seeing Zhong Zhen’s terrified face, Wen Shaoqing finally felt a little better. He walked away slowly, leaving Zhong Zhen standing there stunned, deeply reflecting:

When did I offend Wen Shaoqing?!

---

After briefing the on-call doctor about the surgery patient, Wen Shaoqing finally got off work. As he neared home, he happened to see Zhong Zhen struggling out of the subway station with an enormous teddy bear. The brown bear was draped over his back, completely obscuring him from view. From a distance, it looked like a zombie teddy bear on the move.

Wen Shaoqing slowed down and rolled down the window.
“Going to your cousin’s place? Come to my house later for dinner—bring your cousin too.”

Zhong Zhen was already having a hard time. He’d had to take the subway because he couldn’t get a cab, and people had been staring at him and the bear the whole way. Just thinking about carrying it all the way to the residential complex made him want to cry. Seeing Wen Shaoqing, he immediately pleaded,

“Boss! Give me a ride!”

Wen Shaoqing looked him up and down, then gave him a warm smile.
“Nope.”
With that, he rolled up the window and drove off.

Zhong Zhen stared in stunned disbelief as the car turned the corner and disappeared, feeling utterly betrayed.
Isn’t a doctor supposed to have a heart like a parent?
There’s no way we’re blood-related—no way!

---

Over half an hour later, Zhong Zhen finally arrived at Cong Rong’s place, dragging the teddy bear behind him. When Cong Rong opened the door, she looked annoyed.

“Why are you so late?”

All the bottled-up frustration inside Zhong Zhen burst out. He collapsed on the sofa with a pout, sniffing dramatically, his face screaming: I’m hurt, but I won’t say it unless you ask.

Cong Rong sighed. Reluctantly, she asked,
“What’s wrong?”

In that instant, Zhong Zhen sprang to life. Tears and snot flew as he wailed about how huge the bear was, how embarrassing it was to be stared at, and how he’d offended his boss just to leave early and buy the thing.

Cong Rong was distracted, busy playing with the teddy bear and only half-listening. In the end, she didn’t even look up when she said,
“Okay, I’ll give you half more allowance next month.”

Zhong Zhen’s face lit up.
“Really?!”

Looking at this walking cartoon character, Cong Rong truly didn’t know what to say.
How did two serious, dignified people like Aunt and Uncle end up with someone like him?

Now that his mood had done a complete 180 thanks to the promise of extra pocket money, Zhong Zhen became curious.
“Cousin, why did you buy the bear?”

Cong Rong thought for a moment.
“To make a statement.”

Zhong Zhen didn’t get it, but before he could ask, he looked at the time and jumped up.
“It’s getting late! Professor Wen invited us over for dinner—let’s go.”

“No!” Cong Rong frowned and refused, but then something occurred to her. She pointed at the teddy bear sprawled on the sofa.
“Wait! We’re going. And you’re carrying the bear.”

Zhong Zhen flinched at the sight of the oversized teddy bear.
“What for?”

“We’re introducing it to the neighbor.”

Zhong Zhen was speechless.
Since when did my cousin become so childish?

When Wen Shaoqing opened the door, he saw a very spirited Cong Rong walking in front. She looked nothing like the disheveled, flustered woman from the day before.
She walked past him without even glancing at him and pointed behind her.
“My pet.”

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