With these words, Huo Mingjun was first stunned, and a faint smile immediately appeared on his face.
Xie Guan didn’t inquire about the right or wrong reasons. Right from the start he set the tone, stating that regardless of whether Huo Mingjun was justified or not, being at this place meant “suffering.” In just one sentence, he unabashedly revealed his protective nature, suggesting that Huo Mingjun’s favoritism went so far as to cross the Pacific Ocean.
However, people are not like plants; modesty and rationality are often a facade put on for others. After all, who doesn’t wish to be unconditionally favored and protected by others?
Huo Mingjun had too much on his mind, and he couldn’t disclose everything to Xie Guan. However, with Xie Guan’s remark, he found some minor details to complain about, such as encountering pretentious people, the many rules, and internal power struggles. Being here to recuperate wasn’t peaceful.
“This young master’s temper,” Xie Guan chuckled, “When you’re unwell, everything seems irritating. Once you recover, all these troubles will disappear.”
Xie Guan knew nothing about the feuds among these wealthy families, and he could see that Huo Mingjun was just using the topic to vent. The root cause was not in these small matters he mentioned. So, he changed the subject, “You always say your cough is an old ailment. Is it a residual effect from the injury that year? Can it be cured?”
Huo Mingjun took a sip of water and suppressed the dryness in his throat. “Back then it was both a gunshot wound and exposure to rain. I was sent to the provincial capital after being rescued, but the surgical skills at the time were only so-so, and there was some damage left. It’s not serious, just a few weeks of coughing each spring and autumn.”
“That’s too much suffering,” Xie Guan said, “and you can’t touch cigarettes, alcohol, or spicy foods. I guess the doctor doesn’t allow you to go out. I’m afraid even the pollen from poplar trees and dust could irritate your trachea.”
“You’re currently in a free-range state,” he bluntly remarked, “No one watches over you regularly. It all depends on self-discipline. I haven’t seen you avoiding situations involving smoking and drinking, let alone regular health check-ups and maintenance. If you continue like this, you’ll inevitably fall ill sooner or later.”
Huo Mingjun wryly smiled, “Well, I am sick now.”
It’s not that he didn’t consider taking care of his health, but work was unavoidable. As for medication, dietary adjustments, and overall well-being, no one at home paid much attention. Living alone, he often neglected these aspects.
“Money may be endless, but your body is your own. While you’re still young, take better care of yourself,” Xie Guan didn’t delve deeper into advising, just touching on the topic briefly. After a momentary pause, he smiled again, “The phrase ‘money may be endless’ is something only you can say. For others, it’s more like ‘money ran out, let’s make more.'”
Huo Mingjun got used to his teasing and glanced at him indifferently.
At this moment, the housekeeper knocked on the door and brought in tea and fruits, neatly arranging them on the table. The conversation stopped. Huo Mingjun remembered the thermos flask Xie Guan brought and opened the lid. The hot and fragrant steam wafted into their noses.
Xie Guan said, “This is a lily bulb quail soup that’s been stewed overnight. I had to leave early today, so I didn’t have time to prepare the other two dishes. I’ll make up for it when I come back.”
Before Huo Mingjun could speak, the butler asked, “Young Master, shall I take it to the kitchen for you?”
Xie Guan glanced at the expressions of the two and understood that the Huo family held themselves in high regard and probably wouldn’t want Huo Mingjun touching things brought in from outside. Without making a fuss, Xie Guan subtly urged, “The soup is still hot, it just came off the stove before I left. If you don’t mind, you can taste it while it’s still warm.”
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.
When Huo Mingjun’s eyes met his, they exchanged a knowing glance. Given Xie Guan’s youthfulness, he inferred from Huo Mingjun’s mention of the Huo family’s “many rules” and the housekeeper’s behavior that Huo Mingjun faced many restrictions while recovering at home. Taking advantage of the opportunity to playfully undermine the butler’s authority, he spoke up.
Wlf Xejc jikjsr ofia atja Leb Zlcupec agfjafv tlw ilxf j mtliv, yea tf kjrc’a wemt yfaafg tlwrfio. Lf mbeivc’a rajcv rfflcu batfgr yflcu wlragfjafv jcv kbeiv ijrt bea lwqeirlnfis. Pc gfjilas, tf kjr delaf lwwjaegf. Leb Zlcupec mtemxifv lckjgvis yea vlvc’a rabq tlw ogbw yflcu wlrmtlfnber. Pcrafjv, tf kfca jibcu jcv rjlv, “Tbe’nf kbgxfv tjgv.” Ktfc, tf aegcfv ab atf tberfxffqfg jcv rjlv, “Xb ofamt j ybki obg wf.”
“Young Master,” the housekeeper looked troubled and earnestly advised, “It’s not yet the proper time for a meal. Eating too much can harm the body. How about I take it downstairs and keep it warm. Then you can have it during lunchtime?”
“A prestigious family does indeed prioritize their way of living.” Xie Guan picked up a piece of fruit with a toothpick but didn’t put it in his mouth. He twirled it in his hand leisurely and continued, “It seems like maintaining health in this mansion mainly involves going hungry. Mingjun has lost quite a bit of weight compared to before. Although one should watch their diet while recovering, he needs to keep up with nutrition while he’s ill. Not to mention just having a sip of soup, it wouldn’t be excessive even if he ate five meals a day.”
Huo Mingjun silently lifted the teacup, covering the corner of his mouth where a smirk was forming.
The butler blushed at his words, ready to retort, but Xie Guan calmly interjected, “After all, the digestive system can’t take over the respiratory system. No matter how health-conscious you are, you have to consider the body’s condition. You can’t… what’s that chengyu again… reverse black and white?”
Holding back a smile, Huo Mingjun asked, “”Neglect the essentials and focus on trivial details?”
“It’s somewhat like that, but there’s an even more accurate term… What’s that phrase again?”
“Overwhelm the important with the trivial, like distracting guests to overshadow the host?”
Xie Guan snapped his fingers, “Exactly! Just like that example.” He smiled apologetically at the butler, “Sorry, I’m not well-educated. Excuse my ignorance.”
The two of them bantered playfully, and the butler’s face turned as colorful as a rainbow after the rain, showing a mix of emotions. He hastily excused himself, claiming he needed to “fetch utensils,” and quickly slipped away with his tail between his legs.
Xie Guan leisurely finished eating the fruit, “The on-the-job training in your family isn’t very effective. He ran away after just a few words. He still needs to improve his tolerance.”
“He’s used to relying on seniority. The housekeeper has been with our family for over twenty years, and treats himself as half a member of the Huo family. Usually, no one dares to contradict him,” Huo Mingjun chuckled, “Encountering someone with a sharp tongue today caught him off guard.”
Xie Guan glanced at him, “Can you stop putting on airs with that smug face? You talk about me being good at retorts, but I wonder which chengyu dictionary you’ve mastered. Your responses were surprisingly smooth.”
Huo Mingjun harbored long-standing dissatisfaction with the housekeeper. His relationship with family members was delicate, especially with his biological father, Huo Zhongchen. Although he wielded considerable power in the Hengrui Group, he couldn’t escape being held back by the older generation. With the lingering influence of his grandfather, the housekeeper’s favoritism toward Huo Zhongchen made life uncomfortable for him in the family. Despite Huo Mingjun refraining from causing trouble due to his grandfather’s authority, this old fellow repeatedly crossed the lane.
If this happened during the years when Huo Mingjun harbored the greatest resentment, he might have ordered someone to drag the butler to the street on the spot. However, in the past couple of years, his temper gradually mellowed. He seldom got angry over trivial matters, and since he moved out and didn’t reside at home, it allowed the old housekeeper to stay until now.
However, Xie Guan’s unexpected perceptiveness was remarkable. Huo Mingjun only mentioned a few words about the situation, but Xie Guan immediately grasped the underlying conflict between them. He not only pinpointed the tension but also cleverly struck a few comments, hitting the butler’s sore spots. If the butler didn’t find an excuse to leave early, continuing the conversation might have left him gasping for breath.
“By the way,” Huo Mingjun recalled the earlier conversation, and then asked with a faint smile, “What did you just call me?”
Xie Guan, who spoke without thinking, inadvertently uttered the words “Mingjun.” Now realizing his mistake, a stiff smile appeared on his face. “Slip of the tongue, just a slip of the tongue.”
Huo Mingjun said, “It’s fine, call me that again.”
Xie Guan, who usually addressed him as “Boss Huo” or “Mr. Huo” in a mixed manner, found it awkward to use the regular form of address. He hesitated and said, “…Mingjun?”
This address carried a hint of testing and a touch of shyness. Huo Mingjun’s heart skipped a beat hearing it. He quickly averted his gaze, lowered his eyelids, and responded gently, “Yes.”
Xie Guan continued, “Mingjun.”
“Yes.”
“Mingjun.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Mingjun, ah.”
“Are you done?”
Xie Guan innocently remarked, “I don’t know why, but every time I call you Mingjun, I feel like following it up with ‘You should be more careful.’ Why do I have this strange illusion?”
Huo Mingjun: “…”
He must have had too much of the quail soup to think that this troublesome guy knows what “shyness” is.
After sitting together for a while, Xie Guan stood up and bid farewell as lunchtime approached. Huo Mingjun said, “I won’t keep you for lunch, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I’ll have the driver take you. Best of luck with the press conference. We’ll catch up when you return from the film set.”
“I haven’t thanked you for the clothes yet,” Xie Guan said, “In times of need, you helped me out. Next time I’ll treat you to four dishes and one soup.”
Huo Mingjun replied, “It’s my congratulatory gift for your first press conference as a lead actor. The media cares about the brand of the clothes, and being a bit conspicuous won’t hurt your career.”
“Yeah, I know,” Xie Guan nodded. “But about the watch…”
Huo Mingjun knew what he wanted to say. “It’s okay, it was a gift from someone else. I can’t wear it regularly; it makes me appear less steady. You’re still young, and that style suits you.”
Unable to argue with him, Xie Guan sighed and said, “You casually spent over a million. Even if you have money, it shouldn’t be spent like this.”
“Honestly, spending it on you isn’t considered extravagant,” Huo Mingjun smiled, “Xuan Du Films invested tens of millions, and a little more won’t make a difference. Besides, I’m also one of the investors. In the future, I’ll rely on you to carry the box office. I’m just investing in your future success.”
Xie Guan also laughed, “You must know I have a famous reputation in the entertainment industry, right? I’m notorious for targeting investors.”
Huo Mingjun: “…”
He casually closed the door in front of Xie Guan, saying, “Since that’s the case, let’s silence you on the spot, no need to wait until the Chinese New Year.”
On April 5th, the press conference was successfully held, and at the end of the month, the film version of Rising Tide of the Blue Sea officially started shooting at the Z Province Film and Television Base.
As a historical martial arts film, Rising Tide of the Blue Sea required extensive set and scene designs, and Director Bai Luzhou had strict demands on the actors. Before Xie Guan joined the crew, Director Bai warned him about the challenges. He was mentally prepared for hardship, but only when he arrived did he realize his preparation was far from sufficient.
The weather was scorching, and the living conditions were ordinary, but these were all minor matters. The most challenging aspect was the extended night shoots and continuous set changes, leading to insufficient sleep and tremendous pressure. Every day, they memorized lines and performed stunts, handling retakes until it was almost unbearable. The female lead was scolded to tears multiple times by the director, wiping her tears only to start again.
Xie Guan and Ji Feng, the two male actors, didn’t cry, but Director Bai had no sympathy for them either. Except for the extremely challenging actions, they were required to perform each martial arts scene themselves. The two characters they portrayed were arch-enemies in the story, engaging in fights every day. Apart from avoiding greetings on the face, their bodies were covered in bruises.
Huang Cheng came prepared with a lot of sprays and ointments for treating bruises and injuries. Xie Guan grimaced as he asked Huang Cheng to help apply medicine to his back, all the while reminding him, “Don’t go reporting to Huo Mingjun.”
Huang Cheng saw that Xie Guan was so thin that his ribs were almost protruding, and thought “If the boss comes to investigate later, his heartache will be for you, while his anger will be for me. The report still needs to be submitted.”
He readily agreed on the surface, “Okay, I won’t say anything.”
But before he could make the report, earth-shattering news broke on Huo Mingjun’s side.
On June 20th, in Pingcheng City, G Province, the “Yihe Yipin” shopping center invested and constructed by Hengrui Group experienced a large-scale power outage. As customers were evaluating, a corridor bridge suspended in the middle of the shopping mall suddenly collapsed. Panic triggered a stampede, resulting in two deaths, five severe injuries, and many others injured to varying degrees.
The news sent shockwaves across the country.
Hengrui Group and Huo Mingjun were suddenly thrust into the spotlight.
I smell some kind of sabotage…
Seems like Huo Mingjun’s family is not a very loving one…