“Mr. Huo…”
Ruan Yao’s voice was soft, trembling slightly with nervousness.
Qin Feng was the first to notice her, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he immediately turned his gaze toward Huo Yanzhi.
Gu Huai removed his hand from Huo Yanzhi’s shoulder, raising an eyebrow as he looked over the beautiful girl who had suddenly appeared before them with keen interest.
Huo Yanzhi, who had been about to get into the car, paused.
He slowly turned around, his dark eyes shifting toward her. Those eyes were like bottomless whirlpools, instantly locking Ruan Yao in place.
“Is there something?”
His voice was just as steady and pleasant as it had been on stage earlier, but now, as the two words left his lips, they seemed to have been carefully shaped by his tongue, carrying a polite yet distant tone.
Ruan Yao felt her cheeks flush under his gaze, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat.
She took a deep breath and extended the black long-handled umbrella toward him with both hands.
“Mr. Huo, thank you for your help that night. I’m returning this umbrella to you.”
Gu Huai’s eyes darted between Ruan Yao’s flushed face and Huo Yanzhi’s indifferent expression, his curiosity growing even more apparent.
Beside them, Qin Feng’s expression turned subtly complicated, as if he had something to say but held back.
Ruan Yao waited nervously, her heart full of anticipation.
This close, he would surely be able to see her clearly.
She watched as Huo Yanzhi’s gaze swept over her face, finally settling on the umbrella and lingering for three seconds.
In those dark eyes, there seemed to be no emotion at all.
Then, he gave a slight nod, the corners of his lips even curving into a faint, formulaic smile, his tone so calm it bordered on elegance.
“It’s just an umbrella. There’s no need to return it.”
With that, he politely averted his gaze, said “Let’s go” to Gu Huai beside him, and bent down to get into the car without another word.
Gu Huai whistled, got into the car, and winked at Huo Yanzhi, who was resting with his eyes closed beside him.
“That was harsh, President Huo. That pretty girl clearly has feelings for you—look at how flushed her face was. You really don’t know how to be gentle with a lady.”
Huo Yanzhi leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed, saying nothing.
On his crossed legs, his slender, well-defined hand unconsciously tightened its grip, pressing a faint crease into the expensive fabric of his suit pants.
“You’re overthinking it,” he said softly.
It sounded like a sigh, or perhaps a reminder to himself.
Qin Feng gave Ruan Yao an apologetic yet helpless look before turning to get into the car as well.
The car door closed, shutting everything out.
The black Bentley drove away smoothly, merging into the traffic and quickly disappearing from sight.
Ruan Yao stood frozen in place, staring in the direction the car had gone, still holding the umbrella in her hand.
“Yaoyao!”
Ruan Sheng’s voice came from behind her. He hurried over, having witnessed the final moments of the scene.
He looked at his sister’s despondent expression, then at the umbrella in her hand, and finally at the license plate of the Bentley that had sped away, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“Holy crap,” Ruan Sheng’s voice changed pitch, “the friend you mentioned before… was Huo Yanzhi?”
Inside the car, Ruan Sheng glanced at his sister in the passenger seat.
Ruan Yao rested her head against the cool car window, watching the lights and shadows flash by outside. She clutched the black long-handled umbrella tightly in her arms, her entire demeanor radiating gloom.
Ruan Sheng freed one hand and tapped the steering wheel.
"Alright now, it's just returning an umbrella, and he didn't want it back? What's the big deal? Why do you look like you just got your heart broken?"
Ruan Yao didn't speak, only tightening her arms around the umbrella a little more, her expression looking even more aggrieved.
Seeing her like this, Ruan Sheng thought it was just a young girl being thin-skinned, feeling embarrassed after being publicly snubbed in front of so many people.
He cleared his throat and, to cheer up his sister, began effortlessly talking bad about Huo Yanzhi.
"I say this Huo Yanzhi isn't all that great either. So young, and his memory's already this bad. Something that just happened two days ago, and he can't remember it today. What's he going to do when he gets old? Probably end up drooling all day from dementia."
Seeing she still wasn't responding, Ruan Sheng's gaze fell on the umbrella in her arms.
"And this umbrella, pitch black and ugly as sin, totally doesn't suit our little princess. Don't hug it like it's some treasure. I'll buy you one studded with diamonds later, guaranteed to be beautiful."
"That's not it." Ruan Yao suddenly spoke up, her voice soft, carrying a clear note of defense. "He doesn't have a bad memory; he's just too busy."
Seeing her defend Huo Yanzhi, Ruan Sheng looked incredulous, finally sensing something off.
The penny dropped with an almost audible click in his mind.
"Yaoyao, be honest with me. You're not… interested in that Huo Yanzhi, are you?"
Ruan Yao's cheeks warmed at his question, but she still answered.
"Is that not allowed?"
Ruan Sheng's hand jerked, nearly swerving the steering wheel.
His little sister really dared to think big.
What kind of family was the Huo family?
What kind of family were they?
Compared to the Huo family, theirs wasn't even a fraction; there was simply no chance.
Looking at his sister's earnest expression, Ruan Sheng couldn't bear to tell her the harsh truth and discourage her, so he switched tactics, desperately trying to dissuade her.
"Tsk, what's so good about Huo Yanzhi besides being rich and good-looking? He's clearly a workaholic, cold as ice, probably has some psychological issues too. Would someone like that know how to cherish his wife?"
The more he spoke, the more convinced he became, continuing to scare her.
"Besides, our little princess is so pretty and adorable, and he didn't even give you a proper glance? What kind of eyesight is that? I bet he probably doesn't even like women."
"He's not," Ruan Yao retorted. "He's not like what you said."
And he cherishes his wife very much.
Ruan Sheng found this somewhat amusing. "How would you know?"
Ruan Yao's gaze drifted away. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cold umbrella handle.
She whispered, "I just know."
Seeing her like this, Ruan Sheng felt utterly exasperated.
He sighed, making one last attempt.
"Fine, even if he doesn't like men, he definitely doesn't like your type. Didn't you see how he acted just now? Like you were a complete stranger. Listen to me, give up on him quickly. Let's find someone else."
Ruan Yao ignored him, her gaze fixed on the black umbrella in her arms.
The handle was cold, with a metallic texture. She gently stroked it with her fingers.
In her past life, Huo Yanzhi never let her touch such cold things.
She remembered one late night, waiting for him to finish work in his study, bored out of her mind. Barefoot on the carpet, she had used her toes to nudge the base of a metal sculpture.
He ended his video conference and, without a word, walked over, bent down, scooped her up into his arms, and strode back to the bedroom.
His embrace was warm, like a blazing fire.
He placed her on the bed without turning on the lights, warming her cold feet with his hands by the moonlight.
"Don't touch anything cold from now on." His voice was muffled against the crook of her neck, carrying a scorching warmth.
He loved holding her, with a force that seemed intent on melding her into his very bones and blood.
He said she carried a scent that brought him peace.
Recalling these moments, the tips of Ruan Yao's ears flushed uncontrollably.
How could Huo Yanzhi not be drawn to someone like her?
He clearly adored her to the core.
In the reflection on the car window, the joy on her face quickly faded, replaced by a hint of melancholy.
In truth, in her previous life, she and Huo Yanzhi had enjoyed a relatively harmonious period as newlyweds.
During those first few months of marriage, though she felt uneasy, Huo Yanzhi had treated her exceptionally well, and the elders of the Huo family had cherished her as if she were their own daughter.
She had even begun to slowly open her heart to him.
Until that day, when she accidentally discovered a file of investigative materials about her in Huo Yanzhi's study.
Every detail of her life from childhood—photos, every report card from school, even her food preferences, allergies, and where she went to paint—was meticulously documented.
On the back of each page, dates and locations were noted in fountain pen, the handwriting as sharp as the man himself.
Before she could examine them closely, Huo Yanzhi returned.
When she pressed him for answers, he refused to explain.
Instead, he carried her out of the study, using his actions to silence all her questions.
Afterward, consumed by anxiety, she confided in Shen Yu, who then guided her step by step into completely misunderstanding Huo Yanzhi.
Now, however, Ruan Yao felt none of the fear she once had.
She still didn’t know why Huo Yanzhi had investigated her back then.
But she was certain he meant her no harm.
Most importantly, that investigative report suggested Huo Yanzhi’s feelings for her might not have been love at first sight—perhaps he had taken an interest in her long before.
Then why?
Why, in this life, did he act so distant and aloof?
Ruan Yao couldn’t make sense of it.
She could only guess that perhaps, in her previous life, Huo Yanzhi had begun investigating her after this point in time.
Or maybe there were other reasons she was unaware of.
But regardless, a person’s preferences are ingrained in their very bones, difficult to change—especially for someone with a personality like Huo Yanzhi’s.
Even if they started over, he would still be drawn to her.
So it didn’t matter if he was cold and distant now.
Because she had long since settled her own feelings.
As Ruan Yao pondered how to create another opportunity to meet him, Ruan Sheng beside her suddenly hissed, as if remembering something.
He turned his head, his suspicious gaze sweeping over Ruan Yao’s face.
"That’s odd," Ruan Sheng frowned, his tone peculiar. "Weren’t you in love with Shen Yu?"