“Brother, bend down a bit.”
[Young Master, I just got a new batch of black-tailed geckos. Are you interested?]
[Young Master, there’s a new snake exhibition in West Sea recently. Do you have time to go?]
As soon as Huo Kairan woke up, he was bombarded with messages, and he couldn’t help but frown.
Scrolling up to check the chat history, he wondered why this Huo Feng kept sending him annoying messages lately, always trying to get him to go out.
He reluctantly replied with patience:
[I said I’m busy, no time.]
[My brother won’t let me keep them anymore.]
Then, he promptly set the person to “Do Not Disturb.”
Time to get up and do something productive.
Right now, the most important thing was to figure out how to appease Huo Lin.
He dug out the little notebook he had coaxed from Qin Qin, flipped to the page on “How to Soothe Someone,” and his eyes landed on a line highlighted in bold:
“To win someone’s heart, you must first win their stomach.”
Although he wasn’t entirely sure what Huo Lin was upset about… he’d be generous and try to cheer him up.
Huo Kairan thought to himself.
Today, he was going all out!
After a night of heavy drinking, Huo Lin woke up slightly later than usual.
As he made his way downstairs, he saw Aunt Liu hurrying toward him.
“Oh, Young Master, you’re finally awake. Go check on the little master! He kicked me out of the kitchen early this morning and has been busy in there all by himself.” she whispered, lowering her voice. “He’s practically turning the kitchen upside down!”
Though she was complaining, her expression held both worry and an irrepressible sense of relief.
Huo Lin’s gaze shifted toward the kitchen.
The villa’s kitchen was a separate area, spacious and bright, with a large sliding glass door separating it from the rest of the house.
Through the clear glass, he could clearly see a slender figure bustling around inside.
He seemed to be wrestling with a lump of dough, his movements surprisingly exaggerated. Pots, pans, and utensils clattered noisily, and flour occasionally flew into the air, settling on his dark hair, fair cheeks, and even his long eyelashes. Paired with his focused yet flustered expression, he looked like a kitten that had fallen into a flour bin but was still struggling to get out.
Huo Lin’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he said to Aunt Liu, “Take the day off today.”
Aunt Liu, who had been about to say more, glanced between the two brothers, whose relationship seemed to be improving, and her relieved smile deepened. “Alright, alright!”
She immediately fell silent, quickly gathered her things, and even pulled away the butler, Old Wu, who had been peeking curiously from a distance.
Huo Lin raised his hand, gently tapped his knuckles against the glass door twice, and then pushed it open and walked in.
“Brother, you’re awake?” Huo Kairan looked up at the sound, his face smeared with a few white streaks, and casually remarked, “You woke up pretty late today.”
Thinking back to last night, Huo Lin’s posture stiffened almost imperceptibly, and he averted his gaze somewhat awkwardly. “What are you doing?”
“Making dumplings, isn’t it obvious?” Huo Kairan said matter-of-factly, pointing a flour-covered hand at the cutting board.
Huo Lin silently looked at the cutting board.
On it lay several suspicious-looking creations.
The dough was wet, sticky, and limp, barely wrapping around the exposed meat filling. They looked less like dumplings and more like a battered, defeated mixture of flour and meat filling.
“Are these dumplings?” His tone carried a hint of disbelief and inquiry.
“Doesn’t it look like one?” Huo Kairan, who always viewed his own creations through rose-tinted glasses, felt a bit displeased by the comment. “This is an advanced version, more artistic. It’s normal for a science prodigy like you not to understand.”
Huo Ling chuckled softly, the sternness in his eyes softening slightly. “Why are you making dumplings? It’s not New Year yet.”
Huo Kairan carefully scooped up the most intact dumpling from the cutting board with his fingertips, cradling it in his palm like a treasure as he lifted it toward Huo Ling, tilting his head up to look at him.
“To apologize. To make amends.”
Those beautiful eyes gazed up at him from below, bright and pure, without a trace of impurity.
Huo Ling’s heart skipped a beat. Memories of last night’s chaotic, lingering dreams and the wave of guilt that followed surged back.
He hastily averted his gaze and rolled up his shirt sleeves. “Let me help you.”
He walked toward the sink, and the sound of running water filled the air.
Huo Kairan continued his battle with the unruly dough, following the simple principle of “add water if it’s too dry, add flour if it’s too wet.”
Suddenly, he raised both hands, covered in wet flour, fingers splayed and then curled, like a clumsy little crab, and said to Huo Ling, “Brother, wait! Help me tie up my hair first. It keeps falling down.”
Huo Ling dried his hands and walked to the storage cabinet in the living room.
Hair ties and various ribbons for Huo Kairan were always kept in every corner of the house. He pulled open the drawer. “What color?”
A crisp reply came from the kitchen. “Light yellow! It matches what I’m wearing today.”
Today, Huo Kairan wore a soft, creamy yellow sweater and a light blue apron.
He used to prefer dark colors, which made him appear aloof and unapproachable, someone not to be trifled with.
Lately, however, he often wore lighter shades, making him seem brighter and more obedient.
This was inspired by the color psychology he’d read about in a comic book.
Before, he wanted people to see him as someone not to be messed with.
But now he wanted to be a good younger brother, so his image naturally had to change too.
Huo Ling lowered his gaze, rummaging through the colorful hair accessories before pulling out a thin, light yellow ribbon.
He paused, then picked up an ordinary black hair tie from the side and casually slipped it onto his own wrist.
Returning to the kitchen, his tall figure loomed over the busy young man from behind.
“Just a low ponytail will do,” Huo Kairan said without turning around, still wrestling with the dough. Suddenly, he tilted his head and asked, “Do you know how?”
Huo Ling silently thought for two seconds before nodding somewhat clumsily.
He stood behind Huo Kairan, the two of them so close that he could almost envelop the slender figure entirely within his own shadow.
He lowered his head, his warm breath inadvertently brushing against the back of the other’s neck.
Huo Kairan unconsciously shivered slightly.
Huo Ling extended his large, slightly rough hands with distinct knuckles, his fingertips gently gathering the dark, smooth hair.
The strands felt cool and delicate, carrying the unique scent of their owner.
He took a deep breath, held it, and carefully threaded the ribbon through the gathered hair.
One hand held it steady while the other trembled almost imperceptibly, gently brushing aside the stray hairs near his ear to ensure none were missed. Finally, he tied a not quite perfect, but passable bow.
Only after completing this delicate task did Huo Ling take half a step back, finally able to breathe again.
“How does it look?” Huo Kairan tilted his head, giving it a gentle shake, the light yellow ribbon swaying with the movement.
Huo Lin’s gaze, however, fell on the exposed nape of the neck snow-white and delicate completely revealed before him as the other lowered his head. His throat felt a bit dry. “…Mm, it looks good.”
Huo Kairan immediately broke into a happy smile, tinged with a hint of pride. “C brand’s latest release this year. I bought every color.”
He paused for a moment, then suddenly looked up, a probing tone in his voice. “Brother, do you ever think. I spend too much money?”
Huo Lin had already washed his hands and was skillfully taking over the lump of artistic dough from Huo Kairan, kneading it until it gradually became firm and elastic.
Hearing this, he lifted his eyes and looked at him calmly. “Why have you been thinking like that so often lately?”
Last time they went shopping at the supermarket, he had also seemed to show similar unease.
Huo Kairan guiltily averted his gaze. Of course, he wouldn’t have thought this way before. Money had always been just a number without any real meaning to him, and his account was forever filled with endless spending money. But now it was different, and the future might be even more so. Spending money no longer felt as carefree as it once did.
“It’s just that I feel like these things aren’t really necessities. Buying so many seems a bit wasteful.”
“How are they not necessities?” Huo Lin disagreed, his tone serious. “Anything that makes you feel better is important. If you like it, buy it. As much as you want.”
Although he knew these words were based on the premise that he was Huo Lin’s younger brother, Huo Kairan still felt a warm, fuzzy happiness hearing them now.
He raised both hands covered in flour, clumsily shaping his thumb and index finger into a small heart.
“Love you, brother!”
Huo Lin lowered his head. The unstyled hair at his forehead naturally fell forward, a few stray strands just covering the faint redness at the tips of his ears.
With Huo Lin taking over, the dumplings were soon finished.
Each dumpling Huo Lin made was plump and upright, with perfectly even pleats textbook-level precision.
As for Huo Kairan’s creations, some resembled boats, others ingots, and a few even looked like steamed buns. Their common trait was that they were all stuffed to bursting, and it was a small miracle none of them had split open.
“In the end, they’re all going into our stomachs anyway. What’s the difference?” Huo Kairan protested.
Huo Lin glanced up and replied mildly, “After all, they are ‘works of art.'”
Huo Kairan was left speechless. He huffed softly and turned his head away.
However, in the end, none of these “works of art” ended up in his bowl they all went into Huo Lin’s stomach.
Watching Huo Lin finish every single dumpling he had made, Huo Kairan began to take it for granted that he had captured his brother’s heart through his stomach. Happily propping his chin on his hands, he moved on to the next topic. “It’s the weekend today, so you don’t have to go to the company, right?”
Huo Lin picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth. “Didn’t someone say last night that they wanted me to spend more time with them?”
Huo Kairan was surprised. “You remember that?”
Then he muttered under his breath, “It’s so unfair. I black out as soon as I drink, while some people remember everything even when they’re drunk.”
Huo Lin looked up. “Because I wasn’t drunk.”
“Really?” Huo Kairan leaned in curiously, his eyes sparkling. “Then what are you really like when you’re drunk? I’ve never seen it.”
What would someone as rigid, meticulous, and restrained as Huo Lin be like without his senses? Would he roll on the ground? Bump into walls? Would he also end up covered in bruises?
“Want to know?” Huo Lin’s voice dropped slightly.
Huo Kairan immediately nodded eagerly, like a little chick pecking at rice.
Huo Lin averted his gaze, his tone returning to its usual flatness, even carrying a hint of warning:
“You’d better not see it.”
Hope shattered.
Huo Kairan pouted, muttering discontentedly, “I don’t want to see it either, so mysterious.”
After a chaotic meal of dumplings.
The doorbell rang at just the right moment.
Huo Kairan trotted over to open the door, where Song Shiwei stood outside.
He wore a light green windbreaker, a bulky professional hiking backpack on his shoulders, and pushed up his glasses, speaking succinctly: “Everything’s ready. We can set off.”
Huo Kairan’s eyes lit up. He turned and grabbed Huo Lin’s arm. “Brother, you promised to spend the weekend with me. Let’s go camping!”
He thought to himself, with the real young master’s return imminent, he absolutely had to win Huo Lin over completely in these last two days!
Just as he was brimming with ambition, Huo Lin poured cold water over his head.
“Huo Kairan,” Huo Lin frowned, his tone serious and disapproving, “It’s winter. You want to go camping?”
Huo Kairan was prepared. He poured out the arguments he’d rehearsed all night: “What’s wrong with winter? Am I just supposed to stay cooped up in this boxy house all winter? Can’t I get up early to watch the sunrise and morning mist, or set off fireworks and count stars at night?”
“And the weather forecast said it’ll be sunny for the next two days!”
“Come on, I won’t get sick again. You know, after every serious illness, my body is actually at its best my immunity is strongest! If not now, when?”
“Shiwei is an experienced camper, very skilled. Safety won’t be an issue at all! He’s prepared all the gear. Everything’s ready, just waiting for your nod!”
He circled Huo Lin like a little bird, chattering away, appealing to both reason and emotion: “You work every day and never make friends, right? Let’s go relax together.”
Huo Lin looked at Song Shiwei, who had shown up at the door with all the gear prepared clearly not a last-minute decision and took a deep breath. “So, after sneaking out to get drunk last time, now you’ve learned to act first and ask for permission later. Huo Kairan, you…”
“are getting too clever.” Huo Kairan dragged out the words, finishing the sentence before Huo Lin could.
Huo Lin: “…”
Huo Kairan blinked, deploying his final move. He gently tugged at Huo Lin’s sleeve, softening his voice with a hint of a pitiful nasal tone:
“Let’s go, brother… We’ve never gone out to have fun together, not once in all these years. I’m so pitiful.”
A few hours later, the car left the city behind. The winding mountain road gradually left the noise and bustle in the distance.
Finally, they stopped at an open campsite nestled against the mountains and facing the water.
Two figures were already waiting at the campsite.
When Sun Jiajia saw Huo Lin stepping out of the car, he froze completely.
“Um… young master,” he said, on the verge of tears, “you didn’t say Mr. Huo was coming.”
How was this any different from being forced to work overtime on the weekend?
“And I even dragged Wang Zhi along,” he nudged Wang Zhi, who was standing ramrod straight beside him, seeking agreement. “Wang Zhi, right…”
Wang Zhi had already instinctively pulled out a notebook from his backpack and stepped forward. “Mr. Huo, since you’re here, about the integration of the AI with the F1 chip’s software interface.”
Sun Jiajia: Traitor.
Huo Lin’s gaze swept coolly toward Huo Kairan, who had started avoiding eye contact. “And this is what you call ‘making friends’?”
Huo Kairan guiltily lowered his head.
Qin Qin’s secret manual contained a technique called the “Environmental Double Standard Method”
Place the target in a group setting, then quickly build rapport and create a unique sense of belonging by treating them distinctly differently from others.
Since his parents had already switched sides to the true young master, he wanted to win Huo Lin over to his own camp. He had planned this for a long time, finally coming up with this camping trip with friends.
But the problem was he didn’t have many friends… and neither did Huo Lin.
So it turned into.
A company team-building event.
Huo Kairan quickly tried to stabilize the situation: “Alright, alright, Wang Zhi, we’re here to relax today, no work talk!”
Wang Zhi complied immediately, closing his notebook: “Yes, Young Master.”
Huo Kairan scratched his head: “Um, just call me by my name.”
Sun Jiajia and Wang Zhi exchanged a glance, then simultaneously looked toward Huo Lin. Only after he nodded did Sun Jiajia smile and comply: “Alright, Xiao Ran.”
Huo Kairan, acting like a little adult, organized the activities: “Everyone, loosen up a bit, relax, just like Brother Shiwei.”
Song Shiwei had already set up the barbecue grill and canopy in the distance. Hearing this, he looked up and gave them a gentle smile.
Coming from a scholarly family, Song Shiwei naturally carried an air of gentle refinement, but those who knew him well were aware that he also loved the outdoors and adventure, often setting off on a whim with just a backpack.
Huo Kairan often felt that, despite not being born into a wealthy family, he had a bit of a free-spirited, wandering aura.
With an experienced hand in the group and everything well-prepared, things didn’t descend into chaos.
The campsite was perfectly chosen sheltered from the wind, facing the sun, with a babbling stream nearby.
Though it was winter, the sun was generous today, casting a warm glow that made the cold feel distant.
Not far away stood a massive ancient ginkgo tree, most of its golden leaves already fallen, blanketing the ground in a thick layer.
Huo Lin wouldn’t allow Huo Kairan to participate in physically demanding tasks like setting up tents, so Huo Kairan happily took it easy. He ran under the ginkgo tree, picking up beautifully shaped fallen leaves, and begged Song Shiwei to teach him how to weave a wreath.
Song Shiwei’s fingers were nimble, and in a flurry of movement, a delicate and lovely ginkgo leaf wreath took shape.
Huo Kairan watched, dazzled, but his own attempts were clumsy. After struggling for a while, he barely managed to create a loose, somewhat abstract piece.
“Xiao Ran, want to try it on?” Song Shiwei suggested with a smile.
Huo Kairan held the wreath with a hint of pride. “This one is for my brother.”
He dashed over and stopped in front of Huo Lin, who was securing the tent ropes.
Huo Lin set down his tools and looked up.
His little brother was bundled in a fluffy, soft white down jacket, only his tender face peeking out. Behind him stretched the vast mountain scenery and a sky full of golden leaves. With his hands hidden behind his back, holding his little secret, his eyes sparkled.
“Brother, bend down a bit.”
Though Huo Lin didn’t know what he was up to, he obediently leaned forward slightly.
Sun Jiajia and Wang Zhi were still hammering in the stakes nearby. Wang Zhi said something that made Sun Jiajia burst into laughter.
Seeing this, Huo Kairan deliberately cleared his throat: “Ahem!”
After successfully drawing everyone’s attention, he placed the wreath on Huo Lin’s head and announced loudly, “Brother, I only made this for you!”
For a moment, the air around Huo Lin seemed to freeze imperceptibly.
He lowered his gaze slightly, looking at the face before him tilted upward, filled with anticipation and a hint of smug pride.
His heart felt as if gently tickled by a soft feather, followed immediately by a surge of scorching warmth.
That flower crown seemed to carry a burning temperature, making his ears flush with heat.
His usually stern brows and eyes softened unconsciously, his lips pressed into a restrained straight line, yet unable to suppress the almost flustered tremor deep in his gaze.
He thought, his younger brother was sometimes just like a clumsy yet sincere little animal finding what he believed to be the most precious pinecone and eagerly presenting it as a treasure.
The sharp-witted Sun Jiajia immediately caught onto this subtle atmosphere and enthusiastically chimed in:
“Wow! I’m so jealous of President Huo! None of us have a flower crown personally woven by a younger brother!”
Huo Kairan’s “double-standard script” concluded perfectly in his mind. Satisfied, he nodded as if having accomplished a great task, then turned and skipped away.
Huo Ling, however, kept his gaze fixed on that lighthearted figure for a long time.
His fingertips unconsciously rubbed together, as if still able to feel the rough texture of the leaves and the lingering warmth left behind belonging to another person.
Only Song Shiwei, who had been quietly adjusting the charcoal fire nearby, let her gaze drift quietly between the Huo brothers. A trace of almost imperceptible worry and contemplation flickered across her gentle brow.
Meanwhile, Sun Jiajia nudged Wang Zhi with his elbow: “Hey, Wang Zhi, your ID says you’re younger than me, right? Rounding it off, you’re practically my younger brother too! Go on, make me a ginkgo leaf crown as well! Make it big!”
Wang Zhi responded with an expressionless roll of his eyes.
As the two joked around, Sun Jiajia looked into the distance where Huo Kairan was talking to Song Shiwei and sighed sincerely: “You know, Xiao Ran is really so sweet and gentle. He’s nothing like the rumors outside the ‘Jade-Faced Asura,’ the ‘Little Tyrant of the West Sea,’ or the ‘Leg-Breaker.’ I really misunderstood him before. So pretty and considerate I wish I had such an adorable younger brother too.”
“Adorable and gentle?” Wang Zhi’s mind instantly flashed back to a scene in a private room where the young man, smiling, poured an entire bottle of red wine over someone’s head.
He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately swallowed his words, only letting out a vague “Hmm.”
The tents were soon set up, and the sky gradually took on the hues of dusk.
The dry branches Song Shiwei had gathered were piled in the center of the clearing. With a crackle, the campfire ignited, its leaping flames dispelling the chill of the winter night and illuminating the young faces gathered around.
Skewers sizzled on the grill, their aroma filling the air. Just as the atmosphere was at its best, an unexpected guest arrived at the campsite.
The sound of a car engine grew closer, its headlights cutting through the deepening darkness before finally stopping not far away.
Huo Kairan followed the sound and saw the person stepping out of the car a face that appeared honest, dutiful, and even somewhat timid.
It was Huo Feng.