“Mmm, it’s my lack of self-control.”
The Huo family residence was situated in an excellent location, with meticulously trimmed lawns stretching out smoothly. Precious trees maintained their elegant silhouettes even in winter, their branches still dusted with the fine snow from the previous night.
Old Chen, the gardener, was pruning the winter branches in the garden. When he saw a familiar figure stepping out of the car, he immediately set down his shears and offered a simple, warm smile. “Young Master is back!”
Huo Kairan nodded politely in his direction, his steps never pausing as he crossed through the front garden.
Every plant and tree here was familiar to him, yet after just two days away, walking through it now felt strangely unfamiliar.
No key was needed the facial recognition system silently unlocked the front door.
The air inside was filled with a faint, woody fragrance, the temple incense that Zhuang Jing loved most cool and serene, carrying a hint of Zen.
Huo Kairan took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the empty first-floor hall. Only the kitchen and dining area showed any signs of activity.
Aunt Liu, hearing the commotion, leaned out from the kitchen, wiping her hands in pleasant surprise. “Young Master is back? Madam didn’t tell me you were returning. Should I bake your favorite butter pine buns?”
“No need to trouble yourself, Aunt Liu,” Huo Kairan replied, glancing around. “Where’s Mom?”
“Madam is in the media room,” Aunt Liu answered with a smile, adding, “Would you like some hot tea to warm up first?”
Huo Kairan shook his head and headed straight for the third floor.
Pushing open the door to the media room, he found Zhuang Jing dozing off in front of the large screen playing a soap opera. In her hands was a half-knitted scarf, her chin nearly resting on the knitting needles.
He quickly stepped forward, gently taking the needles from his mother’s grasp.
Zhuang Jing woke with a start, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her son. “Ranran? Why are you back so suddenly? Your brother just came by yesterday to pick up your things I thought you were planning to stay there long-term!”
She sensed something was off. “What’s wrong? Did you have a disagreement with your brother?”
“No.” Huo Kairan didn’t want to answer. The mere mention of Huo Lin filled him with frustration, so he stiffly changed the subject, his eyes falling on the yarn in his mother’s hands. “Where’s Dad?”
“Gone fishing,” Zhuang Jing replied with a helpless shake of her head. “Even in such cold weather, he insisted on going. Said there was some rare fishing opportunity today.”
Fishing again, Huo Kairan pursed his lips.
“Mom, what are you knitting?” he asked cautiously, moving closer to his mother but not daring to nestle against her as intimately as he once had. Instead, he sat stiffly at the edge of the sofa.
His gaze fell on the tangled cashmere yarn.
There were shades of orange-yellow and deep blue, with the orange already partially knitted.
“Nothing, nothing. Just something I’m playing around with,” Zhuang Jing replied, flustered as she tried to hide the yarn behind her back.
She was an impatient person by nature and had never been skilled at knitting. Now, with several stitches already out of place and the work looking crooked, she felt too embarrassed to let her son, who had always been particular about appearances see it. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to give it to him in the end.
So much so that she didn’t notice the fleeting disappointment in Huo Kairan’s eyes there was no color he liked. This scarf wasn’t being knitted for him.
“By the way, did you send your little snake and lizard to Shiwei?” Zhuang Jing suddenly remembered.
Huo Kairan nodded, about to say he wanted to bring them back
“Then, let’s not bring it back for now, okay?” Zhuang Jing hesitated before speaking, her tone carrying a hint of negotiation. “In a few days, a new member will join our family. That child is bigger than you, so you can call him Second Brother. We know your pet isn’t poisonous, but your new brother might be afraid. What do you think?”
Finally, the formal notification had come.
Huo Kairan lowered his gaze, helplessly stood up, and froze in place.
He wanted to selfishly say he only had one brother, but the words caught in his throat.
What right did he have to say such things now?
In this household, he was the extra one.
Perhaps… he might not even have the right to stay.
The dim, yellowish light of the media room fell on his pale face, adding a touch of fragility to his already evident sickly appearance.
“Mm, I understand,” he swallowed all his words and forced a smile.
Zhuang Jing was a straightforward person. Seeing her younger son, for once, not throwing a tantrum, she watched his retreating figure while continuing to knit a scarf and murmured, “Huh? That’s strange.”
He had agreed so easily she had even prepared a few other backup plans.
But Zhuang Jing quickly stopped overthinking it and repeatedly praised, “He’s grown up, he’s grown up! As expected of my son, so kind-hearted!”
The next moment, she realized she had knitted another row incorrectly and couldn’t help but feel a bit frantic.
Huo Kairan returned to his room, gently closed the door, shutting out everything outside.
He threw himself onto the soft bed, and the tears he had held back for so long finally rolled silently from his eyes, leaving dark stains on the expensive silk sheets.
The room was utterly silent.
There was no longer Xiao Bai crawling over to comfort him, rubbing his cheek with cool scales or shaping its tail into a heart.
Huo Kairan had never been an optimistic person, and having grown up in a sheltered environment, he had never faced such a massive crisis before.
Now, he couldn’t help but imagine the worst and most unfavorable outcomes.
As he cried, countless terrifying scenes flashed through his mind:
For example, he would leave Xihai with his precious pets, but before reaching his biological parents’ home, wild people from the mountains would snatch Xiao Bai away and stew him for food.
Or perhaps, his biological parents weren’t good people. In winter, they would force him outside to wash clothes until his hands were covered in frostbite, and they wouldn’t even give him food.
Or maybe, the children in the mountains wouldn’t like him. They would hold hands, surround him, and call him a cripple, even tying his protective little snakes into knots!
These horrifying images surged uncontrollably like a tide, making him shudder.
No! Huo Kairan abruptly sat up and wiped away his tears.
Perhaps it was the strength of a “father” even if it was for Xiao Bai, Xiao Lan, Xiao Huang, and Xiao Lü, he had to pull himself together!
He fiercely wiped the tear stains from his face, ultimately placing all his hopes on his eldest brother.
He sent Huo Lin several messages in a row, pestering him.
Only after receiving Huo Lin’s affirmative reply did he feel at ease, nestling into the blankets to catch up on sleep.
These past few days, waking up early and staying up late, constantly on edge, he hadn’t slept well at all.
Back in a familiar environment, Huo Kairan quickly closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Huo Kairan suddenly opened his eyes, jolted awake from a nightmare.
Barefoot, he rushed out of his bedroom and leaned against the corridor railing, looking down.
The entire villa was shrouded in darkness. Outside the window, the last remnants of the late afternoon light were fading, swallowed by oppressive, heavy clouds.
Huo Kairan stood frozen in place, not daring to move an inch, as if still trapped in the nightmare he had just escaped. The darkness seemed to swallow him whole, leaving his chest tight and his limbs heavy and stiff.
He couldn’t escape. He couldn’t move.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from the entrance.
A figure in a black wool coat with a suit collar stepped inside, bringing with him a swirl of snowflakes.
The clouds seemed to part.
“Brother!” Huo Kairan shouted, scrambling down the stairs almost in a tumble. The uneven sound of his footsteps echoed sharply in the silent villa.
Huo Lin had just entered when he was tackled into a tight embrace
He instinctively caught the person but gently pushed him back a little. “I’m cold.”
It had started snowing again outside, and Huo Lin’s coat was still dusted with icy snowflakes.
Huo Kairan, however, ignored this and hugged him again, shivering from the cold but refusing to let go.
Only then did Huo Lin notice that he had run down barefoot. He immediately took off his cold coat and tossed it in the entrance, then scooped the young man up in his arms.
The entire villa was heated, but Huo Kairan was only wearing thin pajamas, his frame so slender he seemed almost skeletal.
Huo Lin’s arms were strong; he could easily carry the young man with one hand.
Still dazed, Huo Kairan let Huo Lin carry him all the way back to the third-floor bedroom and gently lay him on the soft bed.
Huo Lin tucked him in, his gaze lingering on the young man’s overly thin frame. His pale face made his tear-stained eyes look even redder, and the two pitiful tear moles beneath his lower lashes seemed even more striking, as if they had endured hardship.
He said softly, “Didn’t you say you didn’t cry?”
Huo Kairan turned his head away, sniffled, and stubbornly insisted, “I didn’t cry.”
Huo Lin reached for a tissue to wipe his eyes, but Huo Kairan dodged, only now feeling a belated sense of embarrassment. “There was no one at home. I woke up and there was no one, that’s why I was like this,” he emphasized.
Huo Lin patiently replied, “It started snowing again outside. The servants are building a snowman in the yard. Mother went to the activity club to rehearse her dance, and Father is still fishing in the neighboring city.”
Huo Kairan nodded.
Come to think of it, Huo Lin was the only one in the family who worked.
Zhuang Jing had been a ballet dancer in her youth and was now a leader in square dancing, rehearsing rain or shine every day. After nearly bankrupting the Huo Corporation, Huo Guoxun had developed a psychological aversion to business and handed the company entirely to Huo Lin, becoming an avid fisherman who often drove dozens of kilometers in search of so-called fishing paradises.
As for him, after finishing the college entrance exams, he had spent his days eating, drinking, and having fun, idling away his time.
Suddenly, it dawned on him… Huo Lin might seem successful, but in reality, he had the hardest life of them all.
Huo Kairan blinked his swollen eyes, this time feeling genuine reverence for his older brother.
He leaned forward and hugged Huo Lin tightly, saying in a coquettish tone, “Brother, you’re so good.”
“I’m not good enough.” Huo Lin lowered his gaze, placing his hands on his knees. His breathing was so suppressed it almost trembled. He took a deep breath and finally buried his face in the young man’s neck, letting the soft strands of hair tickle his nose.
Huo Kairan felt his shoulders growing heavier. The warm breath against his neck made him a little ticklish. He had hugged Huo Lin a few times before without issue, but this time the atmosphere felt a bit strange, so he let go.
“Did the shareholders give you a hard time? I heard Dad say they can be really scary.”
Huo Lin thought for a moment and said lightly, “No, they were quite easy to talk to.”
Huo Kairan leaned closer to him and said earnestly, “If you find it too much to handle, I can help you too.”
Huo Lin suddenly turned serious and refused outright, “No.”
This person was being annoying again! Huo Kairan thought angrily.
He had offered to help out of goodwill, only to be rejected so bluntly.
Feeling his pride wounded, he put his hands on his hips and started bringing up old grievances, pushing Huo Lin away. “You didn’t keep your word! I haven’t forgiven you yet!”
One moment he was softly saying how great his brother was, and the next he was turning hostile.
Huo Lin couldn’t help but chuckle, letting his younger brother push him away from the bedside.
He took the opportunity to crouch down, kneeling on one knee on the soft carpet, and looked up at the sulking figure on the bed.
Huo Kairan lifted his chin, glancing down at the man by the bed.
When he saw Huo Lin take out a valuable gemstone earring, his eyes lit up slightly.
“Is this for me?” he asked, trying to suppress his delight and keeping a straight face.
Huo Lin: “Mm.”
“Are you apologizing to me?” Huo Kairan pressed further.
Huo Lin: “Mm.”
Huo Kairan pursed his lips and lifted his chin haughtily. “Alright then, help me put it on.”
Huo Lin paused for a moment, his fingers clenching slightly before relaxing.
Finally, his calloused fingers carefully picked up the exquisite and luxurious ruby earring. With his other hand, he clumsily brushed Huo Kairan’s long hair behind his ear, taking some effort to fasten the earring properly.
The young man’s face was cool and composed, his features delicate. His nearly translucent fair skin made the vibrant ruby on his earlobe stand out even more.
The long tassel hanging below swayed gently under the light, looking as enchanting as a bewitching spirit in the night.
Huo Kairan examined himself in the mirror, clearly quite satisfied with the gift.
Though he had a quick temper, he was also easy to appease, and soon forgave all the unpleasantness.
But he still wanted to know the reason. “Why won’t you let me go to the company? I just wanted to help you.”
Huo Lin seemed to snap back to reality, his deep blue eyes shifting.
“With you at the company,” he turned his face away, “I’d get distracted.”
“Is it my fault?” Huo Kairan narrowed his eyes, the ruby on his earlobe gleaming under the light.
Huo Lin’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. “Mm, it’s my lack of self-control.”