After a deep and satisfying sleep, Xia Wan was awakened by the ringing of his phone. Groggily, he reached out and fumbled for it several times before finally grasping the device.
“Hello,” his voice sounded heavy with sleepiness and tiredness, making it kind of soothing and oddly satisfying to listen to.
Huo Yu, standing near the gates of the Academy of Fine Arts, resisted the urge to scratch his ears and hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Are you resting?”
“Yeah,” Xia Wan replied after a moment, still half-asleep. Even though he couldn’t see it, Huo Yu could imagine how he was too sleepy to open his eyelids.
He glanced at his wristwatch and saw it was only 3:30 in the afternoon; it was indeed early.
“Go back to sleep,” Huo Yu said softly, “It’s nothing important.”
Xia Wan mumbled in response, but the call remained connected.
For some inexplicable reason, Huo Yu held onto the phone, reluctant to end the call.
He thought Xia Wan had fallen asleep again, but soon after, he heard some movement from the opposite side.
It seemed like Xia Wan turned over and was changing clothes.
Soon a faint voice came through in the background: “Wanwan, are you awake?”
“Hmm,” Xia Wan’s voice remained lazy, accompanied by a small yawn, “Lingling What time is it?”
“It’s just past three-thirty,” the other person’s voice sounded somewhat distant and vague.
“Three-thirty?” Xia Wan’s voice suddenly perked up, sounding more awake.
“Oh my god, oh my god” he exclaimed, “Why did I sleep so long? I wanted to wake up early in the afternoon to paint for a bit.”
“But if you’re tired, you should rest properly,” the person called Ling Ling opposite him said. “You can draw anytime.”
The phone felt warm in his hand, and Huo Yu suddenly felt like he was eavesdropping on Xia Wan’s private moment.
His lips, initially curved by the seemingly unimportant conversation. He raised his finger and ended the call.
It was still early, so Huo Yu glanced at the Academy of Fine Arts once more before opening his tablet to review several investment plans for Shenzhou.
But he had barely grazed through them when the phone placed on the passenger seat rang again, displaying Xia Wan’s name.
Huo Yu picked up the phone once more, asking, “What’s up?”
Xia Wan’s voice came through the phone, this time fully awake, and he addressed, “Eldest Master.”
“Hmm,” Huo Yu placed the phone on speaker, continuing to read the plan while listening to Xia Wan.
“Since we’re meeting your uncle tonight,” Xia Wan inquired, “What should I wear?”
“Nothing too fancy,” Huo Yu’s fingers paused on the tablet. “It’s just a family dinner; you can dress casually.”
“What about this?” Xia Wan suggested, “Of course, it’s better to dress more formally when meeting elders for the first time. How about we coordinate and wear matching outfits?”
As he finished speaking, he seemed to chuckle, his voice carrying a playful tone that brushed across one’s ear like a gentle breeze.
“Sure, why not,” Huo Yu replied after a brief pause, putting the tablet aside. “I’ll pick you up later.”
“I’ll come over myself,” Xia Wan insisted, “No need for Eldest Young Master to make the trip.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Huo Yu glanced once more at the Academy of Fine Arts’ entrance, seemingly lost in thought. “I am working nearby. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
Wlj Qjc vlvc’a gfoerf jcswbgf jcv rjlv tjqqlis, “Ktfc P’ii ub. P mjc ralii qjlca obg j ktlif.”
Ljio jc tbeg ijafg, atf qtbcf gjcu jr qgbwlrfv.
Leb Te’r nblmf mjwf atgbeut, mifjg jcv iluta, “P’w tfgf.”
“Cigluta,” Wlj Qjc tegglfvis rfa vbkc tlr qjlcaygert. “Qjla obg wf; P’ii yf gluta bea.”
He rushed to the bathroom to wash his hands, tidied his hair, and grabbed his backpack before heading out.
“Is Huo Yu coming to pick you up?” Su Tang couldn’t help but ask as he observed Xia Wan’s anxious movements.
“Yes,” Xia Wan replied in a hushed tone, “Huo Yu is taking me to dinner with his uncle.”
In recent days, news of Yan Rui’s transfer was no longer a secret, and Su Tang also had heard it when Wen Yunzhi and Xue Chong mention it.
Rumor has it that there are three fires when a new official takes office, and during this time, all businesses tread cautiously, fearing they might get caught in the flames.
The Xue family was no exception.
“My aunt…” Su Tang began to speak but then halted, waving his hand dismissively, “Never mind, go ahead.”
“Goodbye,” Xia Wan hastily waved back, opening the door and making a quick exit.
Su Tang had initially wanted to discuss Wen Yunzhi’s invitation for them to be guests at his home on weekends. However, upon further consideration, he decided not to bring it up now.
The sample had already been selected and sent to the testing agency for expedited processing. Su Tang believed that the results would be available tomorrow. He couldn’t help but wonder how devastated Wen Yunzhi would be if the results showed that Xia Wan was not Ake. Seeing Xia Wan in such a situation would only make matters worse.
Perhaps it was better to wait for the results before discussing their plans.
Su Tang idly twirled his pen, growing a bit restless, and eventually laid his head down on the table.
Xia Wan hurried out of the school gate and spotted Huo Yu’s car in the distance.
Huo Yu was driving a black Mulsanne, the same model as Xia Wan’s brother used to have, and its license plate number was also easy to remember. Xia Wan had memorized it the first time he saw it in the garage.
“Eldest Master,” Xia Wan greeted with bright eyes, a hint of sweat on his forehead, appearing full of energy.
“Did you sleep well?” Huo Yu glanced at him and asked immediately.
Xia Wan pursed his lips and smiled. His formal clothes were all at Huo Yu’s house, so he inquired, “Are we heading home?”
“Yes, going home,” Huo Yu confirmed and started the car.
There were fewer people on the road at this time, and the car moved swiftly. As he drove, Huo Yu cast a calm glance at Xia Wan. He actually wanted to ask about Xia Wan’s recent live broadcast, to confirm if Xia Wan knew someone named YZ and what their relationship was.
However, he hesitated, realizing that he had never told Xia Wan that he watched his live broadcasts. It made him feel a bit awkward to bring it up now.
Then there were those comments.
Although the PR department had cleaned up all the unsavory remarks, Huo Yu still wanted to know if Xia Wan had seen them.
Huo Yu couldn’t help but wonder how Xia Wan would feel if he saw those comments. Would Xia Wan be as disgusted as he was? If it was him he would have been disgusted by such comments. He hoped that Xia Wan hadn’t seen them at all.
But then, considering even Shen Yan had seen those comments, the likelihood of Xia Wan coming across them was quite high.
Huo Yu struggled internally, his thoughts in turmoil. However, when he glanced to his side, he noticed that Xia Wan had taken out a bag of nuts from his backpack without a care. Xia Wan deftly opened the package and savored a nut with relish.
“This pecan fruit smells amazing.” Seeing Huo Yu driving the car, Xia Wan picked one up and reached it towards Huo Yu’s lips, but then suddenly pulled his hand back halfway.
She almost forgot that Huo Yu had mysophobia.
“Eldest Master,” Xia Wan shifted his tactics, raising the bag of nuts and thoughtfully squeezing the opening. “Want to try some?”
Huo Yu glanced at him, and for some reason, his initially calm eyes turned cold. “No, thank you.”
“Fine,” Xia Wan withdrew his hand with a touch of annoyance and muttered, “If you don’t want to, just say so. Why are you so fierce?”
Huo Yu choked on his words, momentarily taken aback.
Go ahead and eat it. Here he was death worried about him. The concerned person in this whole situation was not taking things seriously, the only thing he worries about is eating radish! Does he really treat people as objects? Huo Yu thought.
“Eldest Master,” Xia Wan said while munching on his snack, “Can I video call with my father for a bit?”
“Of course,” Huo Yu replied.
“Then,” Xia Wan puckered his lips and raised his face slightly, “Could you make your expression a bit more relaxed or approachable? I’m afraid my dad will worry if he sees you looking so stern.”
“Am I really that intimidating?” Huo Yu squinted his eyes.
“Yes,” Xia Wan nodded firmly.
“Then why aren’t you afraid of me?” Huo Yu retorted.
“That’s because I’ve spent a long time with you, Eldest Master, and I know the kind-hearted person behind that stern face,” Xia Wan explained, “But my father might worry that we’re arguing or something if he sees you like this.”
“So, what am I then?” Huo Yu asked casually.
“Eldest Master is, of course, a wonderful person, with a warm heart behind that serious demeanor, like a bodhisattva…” Xia Wan seized the opportunity to flatter him.
“Alright,” although Huo Yu’s voice remained cool, a small smile crept onto his face, and he gently scolded, “Enough of that nonsense.”
With a smile on his face and a sense of relief that Huo Yu’s expression had softened, Xia Wan confidently initiated a video call request to Xia Chengzhang.
In truth, although he had exaggerated a bit, it wasn’t a complete lie. Initially, influenced by the book’s portrayal of Huo Yu, Xia Wan had indeed been quite afraid of him. However, as they continued to interact, he realized that despite Huo Yu’s often cold exterior, he was surprisingly tolerant in many ways.
Later, when he realized that the situation hadn’t reached a point where Huo Yu’s darkening point, he felt incredibly fortunate and excited.
Since then, he genuinely hoped that Huo Yu would continue to improve in every aspect.
It was not just because they were partners in profit, but because he genuinely cared for Huo Yu.
Unconsciously, his wariness and fear towards Huo Yu gradually faded away, reaching a point where he quite enjoyed teasing others without hesitation.
Xia Chengzhang’s illness had helped Xia Wan see that beneath Huo Yu’s cold exterior, there was a warm heart. He was no longer afraid of Huo Yu; in fact, he felt incredibly safe when he was close to him.
Because whether it was Xia Yang or Huo Lin’s side causing troubles, Huo Yu would always be there to support him without hesitation.
“I’m not just saying that,” Xia Wan smiled unconsciously and looked up at Huo Yu while waiting for the video call to connect. “Eldest Master is genuinely a great person.”
Huo Yu glanced at him, his fingers lightly curling around the steering wheel.
It seemed that because of Xia Wan’s words, the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind all day had gradually settled, like the waves gently lapping the shore after the low tide.
Comforting and soothing.
Xia Chengzhang answered the call promptly.
Xia Wan continued to chat with his father while nibbling on his snacks, inquiring about how he was feeling and if he had eaten well.
Xia Chengzhang responded to his questions in kind and eventually chuckled, “Why do you still treat me like a child?”
He also inquired, “Is Xiao Yu with you?”
“Okay,” Xia Wan said, “He’s driving, so I won’t let him talk to you.”
“Safety first, safety first,” Xia Chengzhang said quickly.
Xia Chengzhang knew Xia Wan was going to meet Huo Yu’s uncle tonight. He advised, “Be polite when you meet your elders tonight.”
“Of course,” Xia Wan smiled, “I’m always well-behaved. Huo Yu’s uncle will surely like me.”
“Confident as always,” Xia Chengzhang chuckled.
“Dad, we’ve arrived at Huo Yu’s house. Listen to Uncle Zhang carefully and call me if you have any questions, alright?”
“I understand,” Xia Chengzhang said, “Go on.”
Xia Wan ended the video call, exited the car with Huo Yu, and they both headed upstairs to their respective bedrooms.
Xia Wan didn’t have many formal clothes, and the ones he did have were the ones Huo Yu had chosen for his when she attended a banquet at the Huo family last time.
Xia Wan had quietly chosen one of them in his mind, which was more formal yet not too stiff, with a touch of youthful liveliness.
However, when he opened the wardrobe, he was surprised.
Compared to the empty scene when he left last time, the closet was now almost full of clothes, most of which still had the tags attached.
And almost every one of them was worth a lot of money.
He blinked slowly, feeling his heart beat faster, and his palms grew sweaty.
Did Huo Yu buy all of these for him?
The wardrobe was stocked with casual, formal, sporty, and trendy clothes, even accessories and underwear.
Xia Wan’s cheeks felt warm, and he rubbed his ear before leaving the room.
Xia Wan hesitated outside Huo Yu’s partially open bedroom door. He took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door.
However, maybe due to his nervousness, the door swung open more than intended, revealing Huo Yu inside.
Huo Yu was in the middle of changing his clothes. With his back facing towards Xia Wan, displaying well-defined muscles with each movement.
Xia Wan’s throat went dry, and he struggled to find words as his thoughts momentarily escaped him.
Sensing the presence, Huo Yu turned slightly.
Xia Wan blinked nervously, he wanted to explain, but no sound came out from his lips.
Huo Yu’s body was a work of art, each muscle sculpted to perfection. Every line on his body, whether from head to toe or front to back, seemed like it was crafted by a master sculptor, making him incredibly handsome.
However, there was one exception – a scary scar on his chest. This scar stood out starkly against the backdrop of his otherwise flawless physique.
Hmm is it from the accident that caused his parents’ deaths? I can’t remember if he was with them at that time… That’s the only reason I can think of
I don’t think so. I think this is the time when he was abroad and his uncle arranged it. Because before transmitting Xia Wan said that Huo Yu was a sadist and villain. So the question is how he became a villain. Maybe he learnt about his parent’s accident truth and on top of that his uncle would have died if not for Xia Wan. Because Huo Lin’s father arranged this whole accident
Thank You for the new chapter (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
I don’t think that scares are really usually look that bad
Thank you for your translation ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
You see………..I initially saw ‘sparkly’ instead of ‘starkly’ and my mind went “hold up, this ain’t no Edward Cullen type of thing” so I reread the sentence 😂
Iconic 😂