In the early morning, the sun shines in through the window screen, and rays of it hit Xia Wan’s thin eyelids, gradually waking him up.
Rubbing his eyes, he slowly opened them, still feeling drowsy. Pulling up the thin blanket, he contemplated the idea of returning to slumber for a while. However, in that drowsy state, a sudden realization struck him – Aunt Qin was on vacation!
This thought jolted him fully awake, dispelling any lingering desire to go back to sleep.
Xia Wan wasn’t very good at cooking, and he never saw Huo Yu cook.
But from what Xia Wan knew about Huo Yu, the eldest master, his hands seemed as if they were made of ice and jade. And What’s even more interesting is he was super into keeping things super clean all the time. So, it seemed a bit strange to Xia Wan that he could actually cook.
Feeling a bit tired, Xia Wan rubbed his forehead and jumped out of bed. He quickly put on his clothes. He grabbed his phone and was all set to go out and get some breakfast for both of them to enjoy together.
The moment he took the first step on the stairs, he caught a faint sound coming from downstairs. It was like someone moving around, and at the same time, this amazing smell of food started wafting up to him.
Xia Wan took a sniff and then walked downstairs with light steps.
In the morning light, Huo Yu stood in the middle of the kitchen, facing away from Xia Wan. He had his phone in one hand and a spatula in the other. With his eyes lowered, he was really busy, but there was no rush in what he was doing.
His shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing off a strong forearm with a black watch on his wrist.
Xia Wan’s steps slowed down, and a peculiar yet comforting feeling settled in his heart. He approached quietly and heard Huo Yu’s voice on the phone—low, but it sounded strong and steady, like a rock, making him feel safe.
A peaceful feeling washed over Xia Wan’s heart like everything was quiet and comfy inside him.
With light steps, Xia Wan quietly moved closer to Huo Yu. Opening his arms, he wrapped them around Huo Yu’s thin waist from behind. Standing on tiptoes, he leaned in close to his ear and spoke in a soft, gentle voice, he greeted, “Good morning, eldest master.”
“Good morning,” Huo Yu said, his voice soft as he held the phone a bit away. Turning his head, he lightly and quickly brushed his warm lips against Xia Wan’s forehead.
In the pan, there was a sizzling sound, and one side of the steak was slowly getting darker. Right next to it, pasta was cooking on another stove.
On slightly cooler autumn mornings, the whole world felt warm and cozy due to the hot aroma and steam.
Huo Yu held the phone, listened for a bit, and then said goodbye in a low voice before ending the call.
“Why are you up so early?” Huo Yu asked as he flipped the steak in the pan. He raised his hand and gently touched Xia Wan’s eyes.
“Do I have dark circles under my eyes again?” Xia Wan asked, surprised. He had spent last night lying in bed, happily daydreaming about the future where Huo Yu would take him to eat and drink everywhere. With all that excitement, it’s no wonder he didn’t sleep well.
“No,” Huo Yu replied, “You don’t have dark circles, just a little dent.”
He added, “And it’s a bit red.”
Xia Wan didn’t directly answer Huo Yu’s question. Instead, he quietly wrapped his arms around Huo Yu’s waist, watching his skilled moves. He asked, “Eldest Master, you know how to cook?”
“When I was living abroad, I used to cook for myself,” Huo Yu shared. He skillfully placed the cooked steak on a plate and then handed it over to Xia Wan.
Xia Wan took the steak over to the dining table, and then he went to the refrigerator to pour two cups of yogurt. As he finished that, he saw that two plates of spaghetti with tomato meat sauce were already done cooking in the oven.
Seeing the delicious breakfast spread before him, Xia Wan couldn’t help but rub his hands together in excitement and said, “I’ll start first!”
“Hmm,” Huo Yu replied. Rather than laughing at him like before, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.
With anticipation shining in Xia Wan’s beautiful eyes, Huo Yu found it hard to refuse him when he looked at him like that.
Xia Wan quickly cut a little piece of steak with a knife and fork and took a bite. The steak was super soft, and the juice in it was just right. With some black pepper, it tasted really yummy and delicious.
“Delicious!” Xia Wan cheered, holding the knife and giving a thumbs up to show just how much he enjoyed the food.
“Be careful not to scratch your face,” Huo Yu said. He reached out and took his hand and put it down. He smiled and added, “You don’t have to exaggerate it.”
“It’s true!” Xia Wan’s lips had a bit of sauce, and his eyes got wide. The way he looked so sure reminded Huo Yu of the younger Xia Wan, who used to watch other kids with marshmallows with big, wanting eyes from a corner.
“Yeah,” Huo Yu nodded. Leaning over, he used his fingertips to gently wipe the corners of Xia Wan’s lips, getting rid of the bit of sauce. With a sweet smile, he said, “Anything you want to eat, I’ll make it for you.”
“Really? Huh?” Xia Wan was flattered, “Eldest Master so good.”
“Yes,” Huo Yu responded in a low tone, his face showing a serious and sincere expression.
…..
As October was about to end. As it was wrapping up, Xia Wan and his studio friends were gearing up for the super busy sales time in November. Everyone was working extra hard and busier than ever.
Many brands that Xia Wan’s studio had partnered with before reached out, wanting to be the first for promotions during Double Eleven. They even offered better prices than usual to secure priority.
While Xia Wan was caught up in all this busyness, he got a call from Wen Yunzhi.
During the phone call, Wen Yunzhi shared that Xue had an idea to try a new online promotion method this year.
Apart from the company’s own online promotion, they were also thinking about involving a few popular influencers for a try. Naturally, Xia Wan was the first one they thought of.
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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“Auntie,” Xia Wan hesitated a bit, “Isn’t Xue already doing enough marketing on its own?”
“Your uncle and aunt also have to keep up with the times” Wen Yunzhi explained, “Even Grandpa has this idea this year.”
“Hmm~” Xia Wan’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
“What’s going on?” Wen Yunzhi laughed on the other end of the line. “You don’t like us suggesting this?”
“Of course not,” Xia Wan quickly denied, couldn’t help but laugh, and apologized, “The Xue family has a mature team. I shouldn’t have doubted your decision.”
Then he asked, “Which product lines does Auntie want to promote?”
“I can’t tell you on the phone,” Wen Yunzhi said, “I’ve asked Wenxuan to pick up Tangtang after school. You should come over today, and we can discuss the details over dinner.”
“Okay.” Xia Wan responded.
Lately, He and Huo Yu have been glued to each other. With work at its busiest and the need to be with Xia Chengzhang on Sundays, he hadn’t visited Huo’s house in a while.
“By the way, Auntie,” Xia Wan shared, “My dad has decided on a place. After I wrap up my work in the next two weeks, let’s plan a family get-together in mid-November.”
Wen Yunzhi paused for a moment before saying, “Okay.”
After ending the call, Xia Wan quickly sent a message to Huo Yu, letting him know about his plan to visit Xue’s house tonight.
Huo Yu had hired a driver, but he still liked driving himself when not drinking. He quickly replied to Xia Wan’s message, mentioning that he would send someone to pick him up from Xue’s house.
In the evening, Xia Wan and Su Tang went to Xue’s house. They played a couple of chess games with Xue Zhen before heading to the restaurant to have dinner with the Xue family.
The Xue family was very kind to him, making him sometimes feel like they treated him even better than they treated Su Tang.
Xia Wan was really careful about how Su Tang felt, but it wasn’t like he was trying too hard. It felt super nice like they had been friends for a long time. They just clicked, and there was no awkwardness or gap between them.
After the meal, the nanny brought dessert, and the family moved to the tea room.
Xue Wen picked a plan and handed it to Xia Wan. When Xia Wan opened it, he saw that this promotion plan covered a lot of the Xue family’s product lines. However, most of the focus was on one or two representative products in each line, with the main highlight being on accessories.
The Xue family’s accessories, unlike those of Yan Yu, mainly consist of sunglasses, scarves, hats, bags, and more. They are positioned as high-end products.
This was also the reason why Huo Yu has always wanted to cooperate with the Xue family.
Whether it was working together on a show or helping each other with promotions, as long as the Xue family was willing, they could quickly make Yan Yu’s products more popular and improve their image with people.
However, later on, because of Xia Wan, Huo Yu chose not to pursue this direction.
After carefully reading the business plan, Xia Wan looked up and asked, “Uncle, aunt, is it okay if I pair the accessories with other brands?”
Pairing different brands and products has become Xia Wan’s promotion style, and the results have been quite successful.
“Of course,” Wen Yunzhi and Xue Chong exchanged glances, sharing smiles. They both nodded immediately and said, “You can decide by yourself.”
Feeling a bit shy, Xia Wan asked, “Can I pair it with Yan Yu’s jewelry?”
Even though Yan Yu’s recent reputation was really good, some products were even running out. Xia Wan still thought the questions she asked were a bit selfish, which was very obvious.
Wen Yunzhi couldn’t hold back a laugh when she saw Xia Wan’s reserved and cautious expression. She found it amusing.
“Why wouldn’t it be allowed?” She said with a smile, “Yan Yu has been so popular recently. So, if we team up, who knows who will benefit more from it?”
Xia Wan pursed his lips and absentmindedly rubbed his fingertips.
Even though Yan Yu’s brand started early, it faced a downfall halfway and now lags far behind the Xue family.
He was well aware of this and felt even more grateful for the current situation.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Xia Wan said in a soft, grateful tone. His cute smile conveyed a genuine appreciation as if he recognized and valued the care given to him.
Wen Yunzhi looked at Xia Wan, and suddenly her heart felt a bit sad. Even Xue Chong couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness in his heart.
No one really understood the depth of their love for Xia Wan and how much they wished to give him the world. However, due to various reasons, they had to suppress those feelings and cover everything up with business matters.
Yet, he would only feel a deep sense of gratitude towards them.
“Are you done talking?” Su Tang walked in with a bucket of ice cream and sat down next to Xia Wan. “Wanwan, try some ice cream. It’s chocolate flavor, and it’s super sweet.”
Just as Xia Wan was about to mention that they were still in the middle of a conversation, Xue Chong intervened, saying, “Go ahead and eat. Let us know later what information you need. We’ll fully cooperate with you, and your uncle and aunt trust your decision for specific arrangements.”
This implied that there was no need for further discussion, and full authority was given to Xia Wan to make arrangements as he saw fit.
Xia Wan was a bit surprised when he heard this, and it really touched his heart.
And that night, Huo Yu wasn’t just sitting around either. He personally went to a coffee shop near the capital.
The coffee shop was quite old, and the wooden sign had been stained with the marks of time. It simply had a few words, “East District Coffee,” engraved on it.
Even at night, there were a lot of people in the shop. Zhang Nan was behind the counter, holding a narrow-mouthed pot, slowly pouring water into the filter cup.
As the hot water flowed in, the steaming coffee grounds started giving off a rich and delightful aroma, filling the air with the inviting smell of freshly brewed coffee.
Huo Yu did not say anything. He remained silent and stood quietly in front of the counter. It wasn’t until the cup of coffee was finished that Zhang Nan raised his eyes and looked over.
“Mr. Huo,” Zhang Nan smiled, “I was trying to figure out if the person who contacted me earlier is connected to you, and it looks like my guess was correct.”
Huo Yu nodded and asked, “Can we talk?”
Zhang Nan handed over the task he was working on to the clerk, removed his apron, and left his place. Huo Yu followed him, and they entered Zhang Nan’s office, taking seats across from each other.
Shortly after, a clerk entered with two cups of coffee.
Huo Yu lifted the cup, took a sip, and smiled, “This Geisha coffee is lightly roasted, brewed with hot water at around 90 degrees. It has a nutty and floral flavor. Your coffee-making skill is really impressive.”
Zhang Nan laughed, “Mr. Huo knows a lot.”
Huo Yu shook his head and smiled a bit, “I used to enjoy trying different coffee mixes, but I had to stop when I got busy.”
Then he got to the point, saying, “I came here to discuss something with you. I want to talk about acquiring shares.”
“My dad said back then that Mr. Huo was really nice to him,” Zhang Nan paused, lifting the cup to take a slow sip, “and the price Mr. Huo offered was fair and reasonable. Logically, I should have sold the stocks.”
This time, when he mentioned Mr. Huo, he was referring to Huo Yu’s father, Huo Peifeng.
Huo Yu chose to stay quiet, understanding that Zhang Nan had more thoughts to share and waiting for him to continue.
“It was mostly my dad’s idea,” Zhang Nan smiled, “I’ve witnessed a lot of unfair situations, so I have to think about what’s best for me and maximize my interests.”
“You’re right,” Huo Yu agreed, “Feel free to propose any conditions.”
“Before the Huo family faced difficulties, I never thought about giving up the stocks,” Zhang Nan explained, “Now that the Huo family has started a new project, it wouldn’t make sense for me to let go of the stocks.”
Zhang Nan wasn’t sure about Huo Lin’s new project in the beginning.
After all, the Xia family put all their money into this project. If something goes wrong Xia’s family would be losing everything. And this was his best chance to get the design studio back for his uncle.
But things didn’t go as Zhang Nan expected. Just when he thought the Xia family’s decline was certain, Huo Lin’s project actually started working normally.
“Do you truly think Huo Lin’s project can reverse everything?” Huo Yu smiled unconsciously, “Why not consider it as an opportunity to return to the way things used to be?”
Zhang Nan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and then he smiled and said, Zhang Nan squinted a bit, then smiled and said, “If the Huo family can’t make it, and it goes back to you, Mr. Huo, then I might not want to sell it. Because with your skills and influence, you could make the Huo family even better.”
Huo Yu lowered his eyes and smiled once.
This was indeed the main reason why he faced many challenges when trying to buy shares from shareholders.
To be precise, he unknowingly became his own biggest obstacle.
Some shareholders were even holding shares, waiting for his return.
“What if I can help your uncle regain control of the Xia family’s design studio?” Huo Yu inquired, “Would your response still be the same?”
Zhang Nan stopped and thought for a while. Dealing with this situation was challenging for him, but it was easy for Huo Yu.
Huo Yu added, “Moreover if there are chances later on, I can return the three percent of the shares to you at the initial price.”
Zhang Nan squinted and questioned, “Why would such a good thing happen?”
At about nine in the night, the driver went to pick up Xia Wan from Xue’s house. When he got back home, Huo Yu wasn’t there yet.
Xia Wan sat downstairs, reading the plan letter that Xue Wenxuan gave him while he waited for Huo Yu to return.
While he was halfway through reading, the door finally opened.
It got chilly, so Huo Yu put on a long beige jacket. The jacket’s simple shape made him look slim and tall. There was a little happiness in his expression, but it was not as obvious as Xia Wan’s.
“Eldest Master,” Xia Wan hurriedly set down his things and walked over as soon as he saw him. “I’ve got good news to share with you.”
“Yes,” Huo Yu reached out and hugged Xia Wan, preventing him from moving forward due to the momentum.
Just when Xia Wan got steady, he heard Huo Yu’s phone ringing really fast. The ringtone sounded super urgent.
He stepped back and said, “You answer the phone first.”
Huo Yu glanced at his phone and nodded. The call was from Wei Qian.
“I’ll go to the study first,” Huo Yu said, his little finger gently hooked into Xia Wan’s palm, making Xia Wan’s heart itch. “Come find me on the third floor later.”
Huo Yu laughed and said, “I also have good news to tell you.”
“What’s the good news?” Xia Wan leaned in eagerly, not bothering to wait for Huo Yu to answer the phone.
Huo Yu playfully tapped Xia Wan’s forehead and said, “I’ll tell you when you come upstairs later.”
He then answered the phone and went upstairs.
Xia Wan thought it was unusual to see Huo Yu showing his feelings like this, and it made him feel a bit confused.
He went to the kitchen to make a cup of warm milk, then went upstairs holding the cup in one hand and the plan in the other.
Huo Yu was almost finished talking on his phone, he waved at Xia Wan as soon as he saw her entering the room.
When Xia Wan put down his milk cup, and at the same time, Huo Yu ended his phone call.
“What’s the good news?” Huo Yu said with a smile, turning his head to look at Xia Wan. His eyes sparkled with happiness as he raised his face a little.
Huo Yu looks very handsome at the moment, shining like a star and enchanting everyone with his captivating charm.
Xia Wan made a little pout with his lips, looked down with a shy expression, and then handed over the plan to Huo Yu.
Huo Yu opened it and took a look at it, then teased him: “So awesome? Our Xia Wan’s anchor career is going to be upgraded again”
“I want to promote Yan Yu’s products together.” Xia Wan couldn’t hide his excitement and stared at Huo Yu’s eyes, “What do you think?”
“Did the Xue family agreed?” Huo Yu remained silent for a moment, then carefully went through the plan book.
“Of course, they said yes!” Xia Wan giggled, “Auntie and Uncle told me I can take care of everything.”
Huo Yu smiled at Xia Wan, but deep down, he knew that the Xue family’s apparent agreement was just a trick to get Xia Wan involved and spend money on him.
Yet, Xue Chong and Wen Yunzhi, as parents, had their own intentions, and Yan Yu shouldn’t exploit the situation.
Xia Wan was so delighted that Huo Yu found it difficult to turn him down.
He pressed his lips together and nodded, “Alright.”
“I want a reward, eldest master!” Xia Wan said right away.
“You quote the price,” Huo Yu said with another smile, letting Xia Wan decide.
“I don’t need money,” Xia Wan said, leaning in and gazing at Huo Yu. The warmth in Huo Yu’s eyes made him feel almost like melting, their breaths so close they could hear each other.
“What do you want, then?” Huo Yu gently touched Xia Wan’s cheek and asked in a deep voice.
“I want you,” Xia Wan murmured, his voice soft as he swallowed nervously. Looking into Huo Yu’s eyes, he asked, “Is that okay?”
“Am I more special than money?” Huo Yu asked, tilting his head with a little smile. His eyes looked even more serious and thoughtful.
“It’s almost like having money,” Xia Wan said, suppressing his laughter.
Then in a soft whisper, Huo Yu said, “But I’m already really rich but there’s only one eldest master.”
“How much money do you have?” Xia Wan asked, his curiosity evident in his tone as he awaited Huo Yu’s response.
Huo Yu laughed lightly at his question, and without hesitation, he took Xia Wan into his arms.
“It’s all for you.” He whispered. He hugged Xia Wan around his waist and let him sit on the edge of the desk. Then, he raised his hand to squeeze his chin and kissed him heavily.
TN
Happy Christmas 🎄 in advance!!!
💖💖💖💖
So sweet! Happy Christmas, thanks for the chapter and the fluff!!
They’re so sweet. I love them so much. Thank you for the chapter and Happy Christmas to you!!
I tried to donate to your kofi but the PayPal link doesn’t work. Please fix it. Thank you very much. Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄
Hi, actually I’m facing some issue with PayPal and I’m trying to see if I can accept payments from another payment gateway.
Thank You for the new chapter ٩(*ゝڡ◕๑)۶♥ Wishing You a very Merry Christmas! ❤
Can’t stop laughing at the concept of having steak and spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast… as well as cooking the spaghetti in the oven