“Take the young master back to the old mansion.”
“Oh no! I overslept again!!”
Huo Kairan groggily opened his eyes and caught sight of the glaring “8:30” on his phone screen, instantly flustered.
His hair was still sticking up in disarray, and with a toothbrush in his mouth, he began pulling clothes onto himself. He yanked open the bedroom door
Huo Lin was sitting on the living room sofa, taking a call. Seeing him rush out in such a state, Huo Lin frowned slightly, murmured “I’ll contact you later” into the phone, and ended the call.
“Brother, were you waiting for me?” Huo Kairan asked excitedly, his voice muffled by the foam in his mouth.
Huo Lin’s frown deepened. “Don’t swallow it.”
Huo Kairan nodded obediently, turned around, and rushed back to the bathroom, where he noisily rinsed his mouth with a cup of water.
Outside the window, the first snow of the previous night had caused the temperature to plummet.
Huo Kairan hesitated for a moment in front of the wardrobe but ultimately chose the well-tailored camel-colored coat.
In the mirror, the young man appeared tall and slender, with fair skin and gentle eyes the very image of a well-behaved, sensible younger brother.
Satisfied, he adjusted his collar, fiddled with his bangs, and carefully tucked his long hair behind his ears before pushing the door open and stepping out.
Huo Lin took one look and unceremoniously sent him back inside.
“This one looks really nice.” Huo Kairan tried to argue.
But Huo Lin had already stood up, retrieved a thick down jacket from the walk-in closet, and brought out a sky-blue cashmere scarf, wrapping him up tightly without another word.
These clothes had been specially brought back from the old mansion by Huo Lin the previous night.
At the time, Huo Kairan had been afraid that going there would mean being sent away, so he stayed behind in the apartment, tossing and turning anxiously until he heard the sound of the door unlocking and saw Huo Lin acting as usual, finally allowing his heart to settle.
Huo Lin had also brought back the latest seasonal collections from various major brands, so many they were uncountable.
This man clearly had no sense of fashion or style, no understanding of design he only knew how to feel the fabric with his hands, using the most old-fashioned method to pick the thickest, warmest, and most practical clothes.
In the end, Huo Kairan stared at his room, now filled with an entire wardrobe of plain, unfashionable, and downright tacky thermal underwear and down jackets in various colors, and found himself at a loss for words.
He had originally planned to keep these clothes buried at the bottom of his closet forever, but this morning, Huo Lin had dug them out again and forced him to wear them, zipping the jacket all the way up to the top.
Sure enough, thinking Huo Lin was nice yesterday had been an illusion! Huo Lin was really annoying! He didn’t respect him at all!
Wrapped up like a stuffed bun, Huo Kairan’s mood hit rock bottom. He couldn’t even maintain his well-behaved expression and stomped angrily behind Huo Lin.
The morning air was fresh, carrying the scent of earth and melting snow, invigorating the senses.
A thin layer of frost covered the ground outside, and he walked carefully, afraid of slipping.
Huo Lin reached out a hand to him.
Huo Kairan pursed his lips and shot him a sideways glance, but when Huo Lin looked over, he obediently extended his hand, clad in a matching blue glove, and held onto his arm in a placating manner.
It seemed yesterday’s efforts hadn’t been in vain Huo Lin was no longer deliberately avoiding his closeness.
A major breakthrough!
Qin Qin’s method really worked.
This small sense of accomplishment lifted Huo Kairan’s mood from gloomy to bright.
Upon arriving at the company, he even hummed a cheerful tune, planning to learn how to make a pour-over coffee for Huo Lin today.
Huo Lin had a cross-border video conference in the morning, so Huo Kairan didn’t disturb him. Instead, he quietly fiddled with the coffee equipment in the lounge area.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated, lighting up with a text message from an unfamiliar number:
[Huo Kairan, weren’t you so arrogant? Why was the birthday banquet canceled? Did you receive the gift I sent you? Guess if it’s real or fake.]
Huo Kairan’s pupils contracted sharply. His hand trembled, and hot water splashed from the spout, scalding the back of his hand. The pain twisted his face into a grimace, but he had no time to care about it now his heart pounded violently.
If Zhang Zhen discovered he wasn’t truly a member of the Huo family…
He instinctively touched his legs. He had broken Zhang Zhen’s leg, how would the vengeful Zhang Zhen retaliate against him?
Huo Kairan pursed his lips, his mind unsettled, and brought the freshly brewed coffee to Huo Lin’s desk.
Huo Lin was conducting the video conference in fluent German, his deep voice echoing through the office.
A pair of porcelain-white hands suddenly entered his line of sight.
Those exceptionally beautiful hands were holding the cup directly, the fingertips so red they seemed to drip blood.
“Hiss…”
The coffee was too hot, and Huo Kairan withdrew his hands too quickly as he set it down, causing it to spill onto the desk.
Panicked, he clumsily tried to find a tissue to wipe it up.
“Who told you to do these things?” Huo Lin immediately grasped his wrist.
Those always steady eyes now rippled with concern, locking onto his reddened fingertips.
His expression was more serious than Huo Kairan had ever seen.
Huo Kairan froze in place.
The man rolled up his sleeve, carefully examining the pale skin of his forearm before his gaze settled on the obvious burn on the back of his hand.
The air instantly grew tense.
Huo Lin quickly said something to the person on the video call, closed his laptop, and with a stern face, pulled Huo Kairan into the restroom. He turned on the faucet, letting cold water run over the burned area.
Then, with practiced ease, he retrieved the first aid kit, pressed Huo Kairan onto the sofa, and carefully applied burn ointment.
In his haste, he didn’t notice he was using too much force.
Huo Kairan winced and pulled his hand back.
“So you do feel pain.” Huo Lin looked up at him, his eyes dark and intense, but his movements gentled slightly.
Was Huo Lin angry?
Huo Kairan’s hand already hurt, and now he was being treated so sternly. His eyes reddened slightly, but he held back his tears, murmuring softly, “I’m sorry.”
This apology only made Huo Lin’s expression grow even darker.
His face was like frost, as if a storm were brewing, but he took a deep breath to suppress it, his voice restrained:
“Ranran, why did you suddenly decide to do this?”
“ I just wanted to be good to you.” Huo Kairan forced a well-behaved smile, anxiously clutching Huo Lin’s sleeve as if it were his only lifeline. “Brother…”
When Huo Lin looked at him in silence, his narrow eyes slightly lowered, always carrying a hint of scrutiny from someone in a position of authority. It made Huo Kairan feel as transparent as if he were standing there naked.
His breathing grew rapid, his back sinking into the soft sofa, yet he felt a chill run down his spine.
Huo Lin gazed at his younger brother’s frightened and uneasy expression, finally stepping back, closing the first aid kit, and asking no further questions.
Huo Kairan was about to let out a sigh of relief, thinking he had passed the test.
Just then, the office door was knocked, and Assistant Wang pushed it open, his expression grave as he whispered a few words into Huo Lin’s ear.
A sharp, icy glint flashed in Huo Lin’s eyes. “Those old fools.”
The man stood up, his tall figure casting a cold, sharp silhouette under the light.
Just as he was about to step out of the office, he suddenly turned back.
“Ranran, you can do anything you want.”
But then his tone shifted
“On one condition: you must not harm yourself.”
“Go back to the old house.”
His voice was firm and left no room for argument.
Huo Kairan looked up in disbelief, unable to understand why Huo Lin had suddenly changed his attitude.
With just a casual remark and a last-minute change of heart, he could effortlessly destroy all of Huo Kairan’s efforts!
Two days of trying to please him had gone to waste. Huo Kairan could no longer hold back his temper, his reddened eyes filled with anger. “You said you wouldn’t drive me away! You liar! I’m not going back!”
But this time, no matter how much he resisted, Huo Lin’s attitude remained unusually resolute, even coldly instructing his assistant:
“Take the young master back to the old house.”