As Huo Yu remains busy each day, Xia Wan gradually adjusts to the sensation of being alone at home. The growing attachment to this “home” makes him more acquainted with the surroundings. Also being constantly busy distracts him from the previous fear he once felt.
After ending the live broadcast, Xia Wan stretched for a long time and then rubbed his slightly tired eyes.
He got up and walked to the treadmill, wanting to move his muscles and bones. The treadmill was positioned by the bedroom window, offering a view of the community’s artificial lake and the path leading to the house.
As the wind blew, Xia Wan rolled down the window screen and noticed a car light approaching from a distance on the trail.
His hand paused, and instead of getting on the treadmill again, he stood there attentively, looking down.
The bright light was getting closer and closer, and heading straight this way. Under the street light, the car slowly took a curved turn at the intersection and headed towards the underground garage.
Xia Wan’s eyes blinked with surprise. He took quick steps to go out. But soon paused, suddenly, he turned around to look at the mirror. He quickly fixed his hair. Only when he was satisfied with his appearance, he opened the door.
Huo Yu was changing his shoes at the entrance when he heard the sound of thumping footsteps on the stairs, he raised his eyes to look over.
“Eldest Master,” Xia Wan hurried down the stairs, each step quick, his hair bouncing with the same enthusiasm as his excited voice, “You’re back!”
Xia Wan’s hair was actually a little longer, but it looked good on him, making his face smaller and more handsome and delicate.
“Hmmm,” Huo Yu responded with a deep voice, unconsciously a smile appeared in his eyes, making his face soft and gentle.
“Have you eaten yet?” Xia Wan asked, taking two steps at a time.
“Did you drink something?” Huo Yu looked at Xia Wan, his tone lowered, “Be honest.”
“My legs are so long; I can easily take three steps at a time, not just the second steps,” Xia Wan said, sounding unconvinced.
Xia Wan had just finished a live broadcast and hadn’t changed out of his branded clothes. He wore a sky blue T-shirt with the brand’s logo on top and shorts below, showcasing his thin, straight legs under the bright light. As he spoke, he lifted one leg to demonstrate how long they were to Huo Yu.
Huo Yu glanced at Xia Wan with a cold expression for a moment, then calmly averted his gaze, focusing on the foot closest to him. Even that foot was mischievous, with pink toes wiggling inside yellow Pikachu slippers incessantly.
Huo Yu walked past him and placed things on the low cabinet beside the sofa, “Indeed, your legs seem to be the longest part of your body.”
While it sounded like a compliment, upon reflection, it didn’t really boast about much.
Xia Wan couldn’t help but huff in annoyance.
Looking at him, Huo Yu laughed and said in a warm tone, “Didn’t I give you a compliment?”
“Do you call that a compliment?” Xia Wan glared at him, saying, “Having the longest legs isn’t much of a compliment.”
“Indeed, everyone has the longest legs,” Huo Yu leaned closer to him. He looked down into Xia Wan’s eyes seriously, “But not everyone has dark circles as big as yours.”
“Huo Yu!” Xia Wan angrily called out his full name. He unconsciously raised his hand to cover his eyes.
Huo Yu smiled and took a quick sip, then raised his hand to gently grasp Xia Wan’s slender white wrist, moving it away from his eyes.
“Have you been too tired lately?” Huo Yu asked, his expression turning more serious.
As Huo Yu got closer, Xia Wan noticed a distinct scent, something different from his before.
Alongside the familiar woody notes and a hint of tobacco, there’s a touch of alcohol and an unfamiliar fragrance.
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.
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“So angry,” Huo Yu looked at him amusingly, thinking that Xia Wan was upset with him about the dark circles.
“Eldest Master,” Xia Wan took a step back and reminded Huo Yu, “You have to remember that you are still mine.”
Huo Yu was slightly stunned. He was amused at first, but then his heart thumped slowly as if struck by something. It grew warm, and the pace of its beating quickened.
“I don’t remember,” Huo Yu said, watching Xia Wan quietly.
Xia Wan took a step forward, holding the hand that had covered his eyes before. He smelled it and said seriously and solemnly, “You brought someone else’s scent to the home.”
He spoke with great seriousness, but after saying that, a thin layer of grievance filled his eyes uncontrollably. His pink lips tightened, yet he continued to gaze at Huo Yu with stubborn determination, showing no intention of giving in.
Huo Yu fell silent, observing Xia Wan quietly for a moment.
His gaze deepened but showed no signs of yielding. Little did anyone know, the suppressed grievance in Xia Wan’s eyes was like a sharp sword, causing his heart to ache.
For the first time, he felt doubts and hesitations about his decision. Unconsciously, he raised his hand and smelled it.
There was indeed a very faint fragrance on his hand, so subtle that he might not have noticed it if Xia Wan hadn’t mentioned it.
Huo Yu thought about it, and he figured it must have been left by one of the three people who approached him in the bar. Although he couldn’t remember who it was, but someone had touched his hand when they got close, but he quickly shook it off.
“You need to tell me what happened,” Xia Wan said reluctantly, sounding like a wife who caught their partner in an affair.
This thought caused Huo Yu to slowly look away, but a small, unconscious smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
“Huo Yu!” Xia Wan called his full name with a mix of accusations and complaints. “Why are you still laughing?”
“Why is your nose so sharp?” Huo Yu chuckled, gently pulling Xia Wan’s wrist. He explained, “I don’t even have time to eat, so how can I go out and mess around?”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Xia Wan said with frustration and anger. He attempted to free his wrist, but Huo Yu’s grip was very tight. “When a man does… that, he might be more anxious about other things than eating.”
“Oh?” Huo Yu laughed, asking with an ambiguous tone, “So experienced?”
Twice
Xia Wan’s face suddenly turned red. He had blurted it out without thinking, recalling the sight of Huo Yu’s chest that day, and now he felt like a panicked thief. Hearing Huo Yu ask this now only intensified his sense of guilt.
For a moment, he became angry. “You’re feeling guilty, so you are deliberately changing the subject,” Xia Wan accused.
Huo Yu noticed he had nearly teased Xia Wan too much, so he smiled and let go of Xia Wan’s wrist.
“I’m not fooling around with anyone.” Huo Yu said.
As Xia Wan pursed his lips. Only looking at him, Xia Wan’s blushing face appeared so pitiful yet cute that Huo Yu’s heart wavered.
Even the word “fool” now seemed strangely ambiguous in his thoughts.
“I made plans with a friend to discuss something at the bar today,” Huo Yu said. As he tried to suppress his emotions. “Someone approached and grabbed my hand, but I quickly got rid of it.”
Xia Wan blinked rapidly, a bit worried that someone else had touched Huo Yu’s hand, yet relieved that Huo Yu shook it off.
There was a hint of a smile on his face, but he bit his lip, suppressing it, and put on a confident expression. “Really?” he asked in a somewhat authoritative tone.
“Shall I swear an oath?” Huo Yu looked down at Xia Wan with a smile in his eyes. Seeing that Xia Wan didn’t speak, he raised his hand as if he was about to make a vow.
Xia Wan held Huo Yu’s hand halfway up.
Embarrassed, Xia Wan lowered his head, and his voice sounded like a mosquito humming, “No need.”
Huo Yu laughed softly from above his head, and Xia Wan realized he had been tricked again. He quietly let go of Huo Yu’s hand, and the tips of his ears burned unconsciously.
“Did you ask me something earlier?” Xia Wan asked, quietly taking a step back.
“Have you been very tired lately?” Huo Yu asked, his voice low and sweet. In contrast to Xia Wan’s fluctuating emotions, he seemed determined to remain calm.
“I’m okay,” Xia Wan replied, but thinking about his dark circles, he raised his hand and touched his eyes again. He had indeed been quite tired and stressed lately.
Even though he only promotes goods once a week, the work behind it is very demanding.
Choosing products, coordinating with brands for various cooperation aspects, doing live broadcasts, putting items on the shelves, and handling after-sales work. The workload of each item is not low.
Especially with the current surge in sales, financial matters are also in the mix.
Not many people in their circle are like him.
Typically, most individuals either sign with a company first or form a cooperation team right away, diving into things from the start.
He was unprepared, and the success came too quickly and unexpectedly, catching him completely off guard.
Now, his shortcomings are exposed. While many mature companies in this field are extending opportunities to him, he prefers to maintain the current relatively independent and free state. It’s impossible not to feel tired in this situation. However, he has his own plans, and this situation shouldn’t last for long.
Considering that Huo Yu had never watched his live broadcast and had no time to do so, Xia Wan explained to him seriously:
“I’ve been doing a good job with the live broadcast recently, and I’m really busy, but my roommates may also join in to help and share some of the work for me. If the workload will be bigger in the future, I considered setting up a studio of my own.”
Huo Yu heard Xia Wan’s words and slowly suppressed what he was about to say before it left his lips.
While Xia Wan was doing the live broadcast, Shen Yan had actually considered signing him at Shenzhou.
Huo Yu thought that Xia Wan was doing it casually for a short period—not finding it tiring and considering it a way to make extra money. It seemed more like treating live broadcasting as a form of enjoyment.
Thus, Huo Yu rejected Shen Yan’s offer.
After all, Shenzhou has many other highly popular anchors. Once Xia Wan signs a contract, regardless of any special treatment the company offers, he would feel somewhat constrained.
But things are different now.
Xia Wan was becoming more and more popular, selling more products, and finding more partners. The work has become too much for him alone, and now he needs help. Having capable assistants and a team will help him do even better.
Therefore, just two days ago, Huo Yu spoke to Shen Yan about forming a small team for Xia Wan in Shenzhou to handle the workload on his behalf.
It’s not only for Xia Wan’s well-being but also for his long-term growth and development.
However since Xia Wan already had his plans, Huo Yu temporarily put things on hold regarding Shenzhou.
“So determined?” He said, raising his hand and gently rubbing Xia Wan’s hair.
Xia Wan tried his best to break free from Huo Yu’s grasp. He intended to remain modest, but in the end, his eyes couldn’t help but reveal a glint of pride.
“Yeah,” he nodded emphatically, “I’m awesome, right?”
“Absolutely,” Huo Yu smiled, “Congratulations.”
Huo Yu added, “Let me know if you need help. I might not be good at everything, but I know some people.”
“Yes,” Xia Wan nodded happily, adding, “Didn’t I go to Xue’s house with Tangtang two days ago? Aunt Wen mentioned she has an accounting firm that can help me with financial issues. Once the financial problems are sorted, the rest would become much easier.”
Huo Yu watched Xia Wan for a while but did not say anything. Sure enough, just like him, the Xue family was also paying attention to Xia Wan’s every move.
“Is something wrong?” Xia Wan asked. He was confused by Huo Yu’s reaction. The Xue family was very kind to Xia Wan. When Wen Yunzhi suggested it, he found it difficult to refuse.
Also, Huo Yu had been busy lately, working late every day, Xia Wan forgot to mention this matter to him.
“It’s nothing.” Huo Yu said, “It’s just the Xue family. Tell me what others say later.”
After he finished speaking, he went to pour a glass of water and said to Xia Wan: “Go to sleep when you are tired. What are you doing standing here?”
Xia Wan hadn’t been getting enough sleep lately, but since Huo Yu had come back early, he was a bit reluctant to sleep right away.
“I’ll heat up the food for you before going to bed,” he said.
“Just you?” Huo Yu glanced at Xia Wan from top to bottom, his eyes carrying a subtle expression.
“What’s wrong with me?” Xia Wan immediately stepped forward, entering a state of readiness.
Huo Yu laughed: “Can you do it?”
“Don’t underestimate me,” Xia Wan walked to the kitchen. “I’ve been helping Aunt Qin recently. Do you even know how good I am?”
“Then let me see how good you are,” Huo Yu followed with a half-smile, leaning on the kitchen door frame.
Xia Wan snorted, then grabbed an apron and put it on.
When he turned around, Huo Yu’s eyes suddenly narrowed, becoming deep and dark.
The apron covering Xia Wan’s shorts resembled a skirt, exposing only snow-white slender legs.
Xia Wan lifted his chin slightly, whether he was intentionally provoking or not. He asked, “Eldest Master, don’t just stand there. Come and help me tie the belt.”
Thank You for the new chapter (o´〰`o)♡✲ﾟ*｡
Thank you! This story helps me to ease my mind, away from acads…
Thanks for the chapter 🙂
A small correction to the sentence about the apron so it makes more sense:
“The apron covering Xia Wan’s shorts resembled a skirt, exposing only snow-white slender legs.”–> the way it is now it looks like legs resembled a skirt 🙂
Done_ thanks for suggesting 😄