“No more let’s go home.”
The air in the private room suddenly froze.
“Kairan, did you hear something?” Gao Chaoguang asked nervously, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his shirt.
“No.” Huo Kairan leaned against the doorframe, his gaze drifting past him before finally settling on Jiang Xu’s stiff face.
He suddenly curved his eyes, breaking into a smile. “It’s just… I thought I heard someone mention my name? And Linjiangyuan?”
He tilted his head as if trying to piece together a memory, speaking slowly but with each word crystal clear. “Jiang Xu, you said your friend lives in Linjiangyuan? Which house is it. I’ve been hearing dogs barking at night recently, and it’s keeping me awake. If your friend works for the property management, could you ask them to do something about it?”
“Pfft!” A stifled snicker came from the corner.
Jiang Xu’s face instantly flushed a deep, ugly red, a mix of shame and anger. “What nonsense are you talking about! My friend is obviously a homeowner!”
“Homeowner?” Huo Kairan blinked in confusion, his slender, pale fingers counting one by one, looking as innocent as if discussing the weather. “But only two families live in Linjiangyuan. How come I’ve never seen your friend? Unless.”
He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. “He’s living in someone’s garage after digging a hole?”
The moment his words fell, the entire room fell dead silent.
So, Linjiangyuan wasn’t even some high-end residential area it was a private enclave for just two top-tier wealthy families.
Thus, Jiang Xu’s vivid boasting now sounded as absurd as a clown’s solo performance.
Jiang Xu’s face alternated between red and white, especially under the suppressed snickers, making him wish he could disappear into the ground.
Drunk and overwhelmed by humiliation, he lashed out with a venomous insinuation. “Yeah, of course you’d know… Hah, who knows how you found out.”
“You really have a way with words.”
Huo Kairan suddenly laughed, strolling leisurely to the table. He picked up the wine decanter, and the crimson liquid traced an elegant arc as it poured into the wine glass.
Under the light, he swirled the glass with his fingertips, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
“Jiang Xu, you might not have heard of me.” He lifted his gaze, the smile at the corner of his lips both dazzling and malicious. “But in Xihai, anyone who hasn’t heard my name. well, it just shows the circles you move in aren’t exactly impressive.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist
The entire glass of red wine cascaded down over Jiang Xu’s head.
The dark red liquid, like blood, streamed down his hair and face, soaking his shirt and dripping onto the floor with a steady patter.
Jiang Xu was completely stunned.
His mouth hung open, eyes wide, a picture of incredulous absurdity.
Huo Kairan casually tossed the empty glass onto the floor.
A crisp clang echoed as glass shards scattered everywhere.
He took two steps closer, his slender, pale fingers gently patting Jiang Xu’s wet cheek as if observing some rare specimen.
“You’re really the most gossipy man I’ve ever met.”
The series of humiliations flowed seamlessly. After all, Jiang Xu was just a college student nearing graduation. His mind went blank, forgetting even anger, leaving only stunned bewilderment.
The room was deathly silent, everyone holding their breath.
Gao Chaoguang’s throat felt dry. After a long moment, he finally spoke hoarsely, “Kairan, how could you.”
“How could I be that kind of person? Do you even know me?” Huo Kairan suddenly turned to him, his damp eyes gazing earnestly as he repeated the question, “Gao Chaoguang, do you know me?”
Gao Chaoguang was pinned in place by the shimmering light in his eyes, his face flushing slightly. “Wh-what?”
Huo Kairan lowered his lashes and let out a soft, somewhat hollow laugh. “It feels like today is the first time I’ve truly met you.”
As he finished speaking, the effects of the alcohol seemed to surge up completely.
He swayed slightly, barely managing to brace himself against the table edge. His head drooped, consciousness blurring back into a dazed state as he instinctively reached for the wine bottle, intending to pour another glass.
“You’re finished! Huo Kairan! I’ll make sure you can’t survive in Xihai!” Jiang Xu finally snapped out of his stunned stupor, trembling with rage as he rolled up his sleeves, his finger nearly jabbing into Huo Kairan’s nose.
“I’d like to see who dares.” A low, icy voice sounded from the doorway. A hand reached out from behind Huo Kairan, firmly snatching away the wine bottle he had just touched. “Still drinking?”
Everyone turned toward the voice to see a tall, imposing man standing behind Huo Kairan, though no one had noticed his arrival. Dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, his features were sharp and his gaze profound, exuding the commanding presence of someone long accustomed to authority.
Half a step behind him stood an expressionless assistant and a middle-aged manager who kept wiping sweat from his brow.
Most of the young people in the private room, who had yet to truly enter society, had never encountered such a scene. Under that indifferent sweep of his gaze, they felt their breath catch, instinctively rising to their feet one by one.
Huo Lin paid no attention to anyone else.
He raised his hand, using his thumb to gently wipe away a trace of wine from the corner of Huo Kairan’s lips, the motion practiced and natural.
Only then did he lift his eyes to look at Jiang Xu, who stood opposite him, drenched in red wine and utterly disheveled.
Meeting those unfathomably deep eyes, Jiang Xu felt as if he had been doused in ice water. Most of his drunkenness evaporated, replaced by a chill that shot up his spine.
“Just now,” Huo Lin began, his tone as calm as if stating a fact, “was it you spreading rumors?”
Jiang Xu’s legs went weak, his tongue tangling. “N-no, sir! You’ve misunderstood, I was drunk and talking nonsense.”
Huo Lin had no patience for excuses. He tilted his head slightly. “Wang Zhi.”
The assistant behind him immediately stepped forward.
“Take down this student’s name, school, and major.” Huo Lin’s voice was clear and cold, echoing in the silent room. “Issue a formal lawyer’s letter from the Huo Group’s legal department. Charge him with defamation and damaging commercial reputation. What he slandered was not just my brother, Huo Kairan, but the personal and family reputation of the Huo family’s future heir.”
That string of words rolled through the room like thunder.
All the students stared wide-eyed, their gazes shooting toward the beautiful young man leaning listlessly against the table.
Was this for real?
At that moment, Manager Zheng finally caught his breath. Having overheard most of the situation at the door, he was now dripping with cold sweat. His eyes fell on Gao Chaoguang, and he exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? Xiao Gao? What are you doing here?”
Gao Chaoguang quickly responded respectfully, “Manager Zheng.”
Manager Zheng was a shrewd man. His eyes flicked between the icy Huo Lin, the drunken Huo Kairan, and the conflicted Gao Chaoguang, quickly piecing together the situation.
With a touch of appreciation for talent and a desire to ease the tension, he smiled apologetically at Huo Lin and said, “Mr. Huo, this young man is Gao Chaoguang. He’s one of the most outstanding interns from this year’s campus recruitment at Yunke, very capable. I had no idea he was classmates with the young master what a coincidence.”
As soon as these words were spoken, suppressed whispers erupted among the classmates:
“A manager from Yunke is being so polite to him. Is he really the big boss?”
“Mr. Huo… the Huo Group. Yunke is just one of the companies under the Huo Group, right? Oh my god, Huo Kairan is actually.”
“He lives in Linjiangyuan. He’s the young master of the Huo family?! And Jiang Xu said he was being kept?!”
“He’s actually our classmate. This is clearly the crown prince going incognito to experience life.”
“Jiang Xu really kicked a titanium alloy plate this time.”
“Honestly, standing together they look so compatible, it’s easy to misunderstand.”
Jiang Xu, standing nearby, heard every word clearly. The last trace of color drained from his face, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.
Gao Chaoguang watched Manager Zheng, whom he had always revered, adopt an almost subservient posture in front of Huo Lin, and his heart sank straight down.
“Mr. Huo?”
Huo Lin didn’t spare him a glance. He reached out, his calloused fingers pinching the back of Huo Kairan’s neck, his tone unreadable. “Weren’t you going to say goodbye to your dear class monitor?”
But Huo Kairan turned around and buried himself in Huo Lin’s embrace, rubbing his cheek against the fabric of his suit in a placating manner, mumbling vaguely, “Don’t want to Let’s go home.”
Huo Lin seemed satisfied with this answer, his expression softening. He bent down, his arm firmly sliding under Huo Kairan’s knees, and lifted him horizontally into his arms.
Huo Kairan naturally wrapped his arms around Huo Lin’s neck, feeling somewhat weary, and buried his flushed face into the crook of the man’s shoulder.
Gao Chaoguang clenched his fingers, his nails digging into his palms. Seeing the scene before him, his heart felt as if it were being twisted by something.
He suddenly took a step forward, mustering every ounce of courage, and looked directly at Huo Lin. “Please wait! I can I speak with Kairan alone for a moment? I can explain!”
Huo Lin raised his eyes. “No.”
Seeing that Huo Lin was about to take him away, Gao Chaoguang’s voice trembled as he made one last effort. “I believe that even if you are his brother, you shouldn’t make decisions for him.”
Huo Lin finally stopped in his tracks.
He slowly turned around, his deep blue eyes like a frozen lake.
“Before this,” Huo Lin began, his voice tinged with mockery, “what did you think our relationship was?”
Gao Chaoguang’s face paled, his lips moving soundlessly.
“Even trust between friends shouldn’t be so shallow as to shatter at the slightest doubt,” Huo Lin concluded, each word piercing. “So your affection is worthless. Your explanation is unnecessary.”
“Proud of your so-called deep feelings, moved only by your own delusions.”
Gao Chaoguang stood frozen as if struck by lightning, his ears ringing.
“My brother has always had poor judgment in choosing friends, and you’ve upset him.” Huo Lin cast a final glance at the ashen-faced Gao Chaoguang and instructed Wang Zhi, “Handle it as I said. No settlements accepted. Also, Gao Chaoguang’s internship at Yunke is revoked effective immediately.”
“Yes, Mr. Huo,” Wang Zhi replied promptly, his gaze toward Jiang Xu already that of someone looking at a defendant with a sealed fate.
Jiang Xu’s legs gave way, and he slumped into the chair like a pile of mud, his mind filled only with the deafening roar of despair. A lawyer’s letter, How much would he have to pay in compensation.
Manager Zheng let out a heavy sigh, shooting Gao Chaoguang a look of exasperation, as if disappointed in his failure to live up to expectations. He lowered his voice and said, “Xiao Gao, how could you be so foolish! That was Mr. Huo from the Huo Group, which is above Yunke, and the young master of the Huo family. If we had managed to get close to them, we would have been set for life…”
Gao Chaoguang stood there, utterly dejected, his gaze fixed on the two receding figures as he murmured repeatedly, “The Huo Group… the Huo family.”
I finally know who you are.
But the distance between us has grown even greater.