ASPWL Ch22.2: God of Pure Love

Seeing Huo Ze silent, Ning Xu thought for a while and was about to speak again when his phone rang.

“Captain, let me take this call first.” Ning Xu said.

Huo Ze waved his hand, he needed time to cool down too.

Ning Xu took his phone and walked towards the vase where Ye Leyao was hiding. Ye Leyao was startled and was about to run away when she saw Ning Xu stop, not coming closer, and answer the phone: “Hello, sis?”

Ye Leyao paused.

[Ning Xing is calling! Is she about to come and catch him in the act?]

The other members of the Huo family also paused.

Then they heard Ning Xu say, “Why did you suddenly come back to the country?”

“Cheating?!” Ning Xu was shocked.

[Sure enough! Ning Xing has sensed something and is coming over!]

“I’m not at the base; I’m at the art exhibition hall,” Ning Xu frowned, “Are you coming over?”

Not knowing what was said on the other end, Ning Xu continued, “Alright, I’ll wait for you at the entrance, hurry up.”

[Things are about to get exciting.] Ye Leyao’s eyes sparkled.

Ning Xu exchanged a few more words before hanging up.

Huo Ze “happened” to walk over: “What’s wrong?”

Ning Xu looked troubled, hesitated, and then concealed half the truth: “My sister is coming over, and I want to go tell Zhao Wei…”

[If you notify Zhao Wei in advance, how are we going to catch him in the act? Captain, stop him!]

Huo Ze thought to himself that he would stop Ning Xu even without being prompted, and casually lied, “I just saw Zhao Wei busy discussing something about buying a painting.”

Ning Xu immediately frowned.

Having been with Zhao Wei for three months, Zhao Wei had told Ning Xu a lot about his “difficulties,” which was why Ning Xu agreed to lend him money. Now hearing that Zhao Wei was discussing selling paintings, Ning Xu felt hesitant; he shouldn’t disturb Zhao Wei at this moment.

Huo Ze timely asked, “What exactly is going on?”

Ning Xu shook his head, “This matter is too complicated to explain in a few words. It’s better to wait until my sister arrives.”

Huo Ze then said, “I’ll go with you.”

Ye Leyao suddenly appeared, grabbing Huo Ze’s arm: “Captain, where are you going?”

[I want to go too! Take me with you!]

Huo Ze: “…Just to the entrance.”

Ye Leyao smiled and looked at Ning Xu: “The exhibition is too boring. Can I come with you?”

Since it was just waiting for Ning Xing at the entrance, having one more person didn’t matter, and since Ye Leyao was good-looking, Ning Xu didn’t think twice and nodded.

Seeing Ye Leyao following Huo Ze and Ning Xu, Mama Huo’s eyes suddenly brightened, and she turned to look at Huo Jing.

Huo Jing slowly formed a question mark in his mind.

Mama Huo leaned in and whispered, “Can you distract Zhao Wei?”

Huo Jing frowned.

Mama Huo pleaded, “Ning Xu is really pitiful, being deceived emotionally and financially! His sister is also pitiful; eighty thousand is no small amount.”

Papa Huo reasoned, “And it also involves Huo Ze’s team. I remember they’re the top seed most likely to win the championship this season? If Ning Xu’s performance is affected because of this, Huo Ze might miss the championship again this year.”

With the situation laid out like this, Huo Jing had no reason to refuse.

He could only slowly nod, picked one of Zhao Wei’s more decent “scribbles,” and had the staff contact the artist, saying he wanted to discuss the inspiration behind the work.

Seeing Huo Jing follow the staff away, Mama Huo smiled with satisfaction, “Now it’s my turn.”

Papa Huo was surprised, “What are you going to do?”

Weren’t we just going to eavesdrop?

Mama Huo blinked, “Of course, I’m going to chat with Wen Wen and casually show concern for her son’s marriage.”

Papa Huo suddenly understood. An always proud son turned out to be a “perverted bisexual”? Wen Wen surely couldn’t stand that, right?

Papa Huo laughed, “I’ll go with you then.”

The three groups of the Huo family, each with their own mission, spread out across the exhibition hall.

After all, who hasn’t gone all out for some juicy gossip?

Ten minutes later.

A taxi stopped outside the exhibition hall.

The car door slowly opened, and a woman with strikingly similar features to Ning Xu stepped out.

Ning Xu immediately walked towards her: “Sis!”

Ning Xing quickly walked up, gave Ning Xu a hug, then glanced quickly at Ye Leyao and Huo Ze, and asked in surprise, “Which one is your boyfriend?”

Ning Xu quickly explained, “Neither, one is my captain, and the other is the captain’s younger brother.”

Ning Xing realized her mistake and embarrassedly smiled at Ye Leyao and Huo Ze.

Ye Leyao had been observing Ning Xing all along, thinking she was very beautiful, standing out in a crowd, and indignantly commented:

[Zhao Wei is a scumbag!]

The voice was so loud.

The Huo family members in the exhibition hall all heard it.

Huo Jing knew that he had delayed long enough, so he directly interrupted Zhao Wei’s endless chatter: “I’ve got a rough idea. I’ll have my assistant contact you later.”

Zhao Wei was overjoyed: “About the price…”

“Easily done,” Huo Jing quickly got up and walked out of the private room, “Just discuss it with my assistant.”

After all, he wasn’t actually going to have his assistant contact Zhao Wei to spend a fortune on a piece of junk.

Zhao Wei beamed, no longer having that previous high-and-mighty demeanor, and quickly followed: “Alright, Mr. Huo, take care.”

Huo Jing had just come out of the private room when he ran into Papa Huo, Mama Huo, and Wen Wen beside them.

Seeing Huo Jing and Zhao Wei, Wen Wen smiled and waved at them: “Our Zhao Wei’s matter is settled, but your Huo Jing’s isn’t, right?”

Mama Huo nodded: “Yes, he has his own ideas, so we don’t interfere much.”

Wen Wen disapprovingly shook her head: “As parents, you still need to pay attention. What if he ends up like your second son…”

Huo Jing frowned.

Mama Huo directly interrupted coldly: “Alright, let’s not talk about Huo Jing. Tell me more about your future daughter-in-law.”

The future daughter-in-law Mama Huo was referring to was naturally Ning Xing.

Zhao Wei didn’t expect they would talk about Ning Xing and showed a fleeting unnatural expression, which he quickly suppressed.

Mentioning Ning Xing, Wen Wen’s face was full of pride, starting to boast: “My Xiao Xing, she’s really filial and kind! Last year, our family really went through…” Wen Wen shook her head, unwilling to elaborate on her family’s hardships, “It was really thanks to Xiao Xing. Without her help, our Zhao Wei wouldn’t be able to hold this exhibition today.”

Mama Huo nodded perfunctorily, then subtly led them towards where Ye Leyao and the others were.

She asked casually, “So why haven’t we seen your Xiao Xing?”

Ye Leyao’s voice came:

[So that idiot Zhao Wei has been hiding his return to hold an art exhibition from Ning Xing, while telling Ning Xu that he came back to see Ning Xu?]

Papa and Mama Huo instantly understood.

So that’s how it is.

Wen Wen smiled: “Isn’t it because Xiao Xing is too busy with work? She couldn’t come back with us…”

Mama Huo’s eyes were full of disdain, but she didn’t expose it.

At ten in the morning, the art exhibition hall reached its peak in visitor numbers.

Not only were there artists with deep appreciation for art, but also numerous journalists and media reporters, and even some self-media bloggers carrying equipment.

On their way, Papa and Mama Huo encountered at least ten reporters with cameras and five or six live-streaming influencers.

The closer they got, the clearer Ye Leyao’s voice became:

[Ning Xing has only been with Zhao Wei for six months? No wonder. One thinks they haven’t been together long enough to be stable, the other thinks online dating isn’t reliable. Plus, Zhao Wei keeps brainwashing them, so they haven’t introduced each other’s romantic partners. Naturally, they don’t know they’re dating the same person.]

[Zhao Wei came back to hold an art exhibition. Ning Xing wanted to come with him, but Zhao Wei was reluctant. A woman’s intuition told her that Zhao Wei was hiding something, so she hurried back.]

[I have to say, Ning Xing’s intuition is spot on!]

At the corner near Ye Leyao, Mama Huo stopped first.

Wen Wen beside her asked, “Do you like this painting?”

Ning Xu’s voice came from the other side: “First, see my boyfriend? Sis, don’t you want to…” Ning Xu didn’t say the word “catch in the act.”

Ning Xing smiled: “I’m already back in the country, there’s no rush. Besides, I don’t even know where his exhibition is.”

Ning Xu thought it made sense, so he picked up his phone to call Zhao Wei.

The phone rang, and Ye Leyao keenly noticed the ringtone was just ahead, quickly pulling Huo Ze forward.

Ning Xu and Ning Xing followed.

In the next moment, the four of them bumped into Mama Huo’s group.

[Here we go.]

Zhao Wei picked up the phone and saw the contact, answering without thinking: “Hello?”

Ning Xu had already seen Zhao Wei and immediately hung up, waving: “Zhao Wei!”

Ning Xing looked up, and in the next moment, the smile on her face froze.

Zhao Wei looked over, his gaze first landing on Ning Xu. He was about to greet him with a smile when he realized something, looking in Ning Xing’s direction.

Their eyes met.

Zhao Wei panicked instantly, instinctively wanting to turn and run.

Seeing Ning Xing in front of her, Wen Wen was also surprised: “Xiao Xing, didn’t you say you were too busy with work and didn’t have time…”

Before she could finish, Ning Xing stepped forward and slapped Zhao Wei hard across the face.

Ye Leyao: [Oh snap!]

Papa and Mama Huo simultaneously covered their mouths.

Satisfied.

“Zhao Wei! Are you crazy?!” Ning Xing’s tears flowed instantly, her voice trembling.

Ning Xu froze for a moment, confused and puzzled: “Sis… you know…” Ning Xu choked and looked at Zhao Wei, “Zhao Wei, what’s going on?”

Covering his red and swollen face, Zhao Wei hadn’t thought of an explanation when Ning Xing, with red eyes and a grievance in her voice, said: “Xiao Xu… don’t you understand? We’ve both been deceived by him.”

In an instant, Ning Xu understood everything, his face turning pale. He looked at Zhao Wei in shock, seeing a trace of undisguisable panic on his face.

Ning Xu’s heart sank, and he couldn’t stop trembling: “So… Zhao Wei, you’re also my sister’s boyfriend?”

[Yes, yes, exactly! He got straight to the point!]

The sudden turn of events left Wen Wen, who hadn’t reacted yet, seeing her cherished son get slapped in public by her valued future daughter-in-law.

Wen Wen exploded in an instant and stepped forward to push Ning Xing: “Ning Xing! What’s wrong with you?!”

[Why are you in such a hurry? You’ll have your own moment of madness later, old hag!] Ye Leyao’s tone was dissatisfied.

Huo Ze almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Well scolded, scold more, love to hear it!

Ning Xing was pushed back a big step and directly laughed: “I’m going crazy?”

She pointed at Zhao Wei, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Wen Wen: “Do you want to ask your son what he did?”

As a qualified princeling’s mother, one must follow the principle that no matter the time, no matter the matter, as long as the “prince” is wronged, the princeling’s mother must defend the “prince” to the end.

So Wen Wen almost didn’t hesitate and sternly said: “No matter what he did! You shouldn’t have hit my son in public! Otherwise, I will—” She raised her hand.

“What do you want to do?!” Ning Xu stepped forward and directly shielded Ning Xing behind him, his face gloomy.

Ye Leyao couldn’t help but tightly squeeze Huo Ze’s arm: [Ahhhh, Ning Xu is indeed a good person! Although he’s a top-level love-struck fool, he firmly defends his sister! Much better than that idiot Xu Chen!]

Papa Huo, Mama Huo, and Huo Jing all nodded in agreement.

Only Huo Ze wore a pained expression, whispering through gritted teeth: “Can’t you squeeze your own arm?”

Ye Leyao blinked apologetically at him.

Wen Wen glared at Ning Xu angrily: “What do I want to do? Ning Xing hit someone first and ruined our exhibition. I can call the police and have her arrested!”

“Fine, call the police.” Ning Xing was genuinely upset; tears kept falling, and her voice was trembling. She never thought that Zhao Wei would have the nerve to date her while secretly being with her younger brother!

But she also thanked him for his brazen audacity, otherwise, they wouldn’t have known how long they’d be kept in the dark: “I also want to ask the police if pretending to be single and asking for large transfers from me and my brother counts as fraud.”

Wen Wen’s face changed: “What do you mean?”

“Aunt Wen, are you pretending not to understand or do you really not understand?” Ning Xu’s face was pale. Despite still being in anger and betrayal, he knew he had to protect his sister at this moment, his voice was cold, “You wouldn’t still be in the dark about your good son, would you? Don’t you know…”

“Ning Xu! I beg you, don’t say it!” Zhao Wei panicked.

Ning Xu didn’t pause at all and finished in one breath: “Your idiot son was dating me while also having a relationship with my sister, right?”

Wen Wen froze on the spot.

Her mind was buzzing.

What did she just hear?

The commotion had already drawn a crowd, and many people surrounded them.

Zhao Wei and Wen Wen’s life-sized standees were still displayed at the exhibition entrance, so the people around instantly recognized them.

Upon hearing Ning Xing’s explosive revelation, the onlookers gasped.

“Two-timing?”

“Bisexual?”

“And with siblings?”

“What a shameless scumbag?”

Wen Wen finally snapped out of it: “You all stop talking nonsense! My son is not a pervert!”

Wen Wen’s face was full of panic, she didn’t even care to look at Ning Xing and Ning Xu, and directly lunged at a nearby journalist recording: “You stop filming!”

[Tsk tsk tsk, weren’t you just saying others were crazy? How come it’s your turn so quickly?]

Papa Huo and Mama Huo stepped back.

Wen Wen’s madness was amusing, and they wanted to watch from a distance.

“Not a pervert?” Ning Xu laughed angrily, “So what proof do you want to see? The abs photos he sent me or the flirty texts, or maybe the transfer records?”

Wen Wen felt a chill all over, she shook her head vigorously, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Ning Xu and Ning Xing: “Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Wei behind her for help: “Xiao Wei, you, you quickly say, quickly say they must be lying, right? You’re not a pervert, you’re not gay, right?”

She poured all her energy into denying it. Her most proud and flawless son, how could he be gay?

Wen Wen kept shaking her head. No, she would never admit her son was gay.

Zhao Wei was still covering his face. Hearing Wen Wen’s words, he shuddered and didn’t dare to look up.

They were surrounded by people there to see the exhibition, many fellow artists, and not a few media reporters and bloggers, who were not only watching but also pointing their cold cameras at him.

If today’s incident spread, he’d be finished!

Not to mention holding another exhibition, he probably wouldn’t be able to sell a single painting…

His dream was to be a painter. If he couldn’t sell his paintings, how could he survive?

Thinking about the future he was about to face, Zhao Wei felt a blackness in front of his eyes.

So—

He couldn’t admit it.

Yes.

Zhao Wei’s eyes suddenly lit up, as long as he didn’t admit it, everything would be fine!

“I…” Zhao Wei put down his hand, quickly glanced at Ning Xing and Ning Xu, then swiftly looked away, looking at Wen Wen, his voice weak: “I… I’m different from them, I’m not a gay pervert…”

[What do you mean gay pervert?]

[Being gay is just a sexual orientation, my eldest, second, and third brothers and I are all gay, how are we perverts? Are we more perverted than you, a big liar who cheats on both sides and scams money?]

[Ridiculous!]

Ye Leyao’s voice was puffed with anger.

Papa and Mama Huo were extremely shocked.

Eldest and third sons are also gay?

Huo Jing and Huo Ze exchanged looks, equally bewildered.

How did they not know they liked men too?

However, Ye Leyao was indeed right. They didn’t have a throne to inherit, so what if they liked men?

Ning Xu and Ning Xing were both infuriated by his shameless words, but before they could say anything, the onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore:

“What era are we living in, and there are still idiots who don’t respect other sexual orientations?”

“So all that talk about respect and equality you advocated abroad was just lip service? You yourself are actually someone who discriminates against homosexuals?”

“Very disappointing… Caught two-timing on the spot and still trying to argue, how can someone have such poor character?”

“Scumbag.”

The simple word seemed to hit a nerve in Zhao Wei, who suddenly screamed: “Don’t talk nonsense! I’m the God of Pure Love! Do you know you can be sued for slander for saying such things?!”

Ye Leyao’s pupils widened:

[God of Pure Love?]

[That insults pure love!]

[If the true God of Pure Love were real, he would have to report it to the police overnight!]

Ye Leyao was furious and suddenly remembered something:

[Oh right! I remember now, Zhao Wei is not only a scumbag, but he also played around a lot and even uploaded a lot of… videos himself?]

[So… they should be findable?]

Huo Ze’s eyes lit up.

That would make things even easier.