The next day, Lin Yue Shu got up early and went to the market to buy some fresh ingredients. He slipped into the kitchen, tied on an apron, and started working with the pots and pans. Although he grew up without parents, he wasn’t particularly skilled in cooking. After his mother passed away, he was sent to a welfare institute by a neighbor. After escaping from the welfare institute, he and Xiao Man picked up trash on the streets for a few days. Eventually, they were each adopted by kind families and entered the entertainment industry, becoming famous overnight. With top chefs lining up, he never had the chance to cook himself.
Lin Yue Shu had a tutorial video playing beside him, pausing after each step. As he learned, he got frustrated. What does “a little” or “appropriate amount” even mean? Why don’t you ask for “a little” when it comes to your salary? After tinkering for half a day, he managed to make a few dishes that were barely presentable. He packed them into a thermal container and headed to Hain Group.
Getting out of the car, Lin Yue Shu looked up at the towering building of the group, his head tilted back. It was like a giant sapphire nestled in a top-tier commercial district, with countless glass curtain walls reflecting a massive forest of steel and concrete. Here, you couldn’t see the horizon, only skyscrapers growing endlessly upward and boundless ambition.
Lin Yue Shu sat on a stone bench by the flower bed at the entrance, waiting patiently. He knew that even if he asked the receptionist, he would only get the answer, “You need an appointment to see Representative Huo.” It seemed like a timeless trope in all novels, using the oppression of innocent workers to highlight the importance of the female lead or the protagonist in the male lead’s heart. Lin Yue Shu couldn’t be bothered to go in and ask; he didn’t have the habit of troubling workers. This kind of plot was really boring.
Wearing only a sweater, Lin Yue Shu sat on the cold stone bench, curling up and hugging the thermal container tightly. As the sky gradually darkened, employees left the group one after another, hurrying home to enjoy the warmth and comfort of their small homes. At nine o’clock, most of the employees had left, and the security guards took their flashlights to patrol inside. Only then did Lin Yue Shu see that tall figure stepping into the neon lights, getting into the car surrounded by the driver and secretary.
This man always looked straight ahead when walking, as if everything around him was irrelevant. Lin Yue Shu coughed twice, but Huo Yi Sen in the car didn’t hear him. However, the secretary closing the car door heard the noise, glanced over, and the next second, a look of excitement unique to CP fans appeared on his face.
“Representative Huo, it seems Mr. Lin is sitting over there,” the secretary whispered. Huo Yi Sen casually flipped a page of the financial magazine he was holding, not even raising his eyes. “Drive,” he said. The secretary, unwilling to give up, asked, “Representative Huo, should I go over and greet Mr. Lin for you?” Huo Yi Sen’s expression remained indifferent, as if he had heard something as trivial as “Representative Huo, there’s a pile of dog poop over there that needs picking up.” “Drive,” he repeated, his tone a bit colder.
The secretary didn’t dare to speak again, got into the passenger seat, and instructed the driver to drive. Lin Yue Shu watched the car gradually move away, hugging the cold thermal container. Ha, fine, Huo Yi Sen. He stood up as if to leave, but after a few moments, he sat back down.
In the car, the secretary absentmindedly reported the next day’s schedule, his gaze sneaking towards the rearview mirror. His noble and aloof Representative Huo seemed more interested in the financial magazine, engrossed in reading. The secretary’s eyes darted around, pretending to sneeze. “Driver Liu, it’s really cold today. I heard there’s going to be a big drop in temperature, and snow is coming. This winter is really unusual,” the secretary rambled on. The driver nodded, “Yes, extreme weather will last longer in the future. Representative Huo, you should keep warm.”
Huo Yi Sen kept his head down, reading the magazine, not saying a word. “Just the short walk from the company to the car froze me. My hands are still stiff. If someone sat outside for a few hours in this weather, even a healthy person would freeze,” the secretary said, placing his hands by the air vent. Huo Yi Sen, annoyed by his chatter, closed the magazine and pressed a hand to his forehead. “Turn up the music,” he instructed. The secretary quickly chose a piece of melancholic light music.
The car passed through the bustling city center, gradually moving into silence. Huo Yi Sen closed his eyes, gently massaging the web between his thumb and forefinger. He didn’t need to worry about him; after all, he had a legal husband. Outsiders worrying was unnecessary. The car stopped at a red light, and Huo Yi Sen’s frown deepened. The sudden silence, the dry air from the heater, and the occasional flash of a thin figure in his mind.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he suddenly spoke with his eyes closed, “Pull over. I need to meet a client temporarily. You two take a cab back.” The secretary was overjoyed. The driver scratched his head: So what’s my role then…? Huo Yi Sen got into the driver’s seat, started the car, and turned it around.
By this time, Lin Yue Shu was almost frozen stiff, his teeth chattering, and his exposed fingers red and swollen, the knuckles tinged with a bluish hue. But this time, he had won the gamble again. The black car stopped in front of him, the window remaining tightly closed. He knocked on the window, holding the thermal container. “Representative Huo?” Huo Yi Sen rolled down the window, his side profile sharp and cold. “Get in.”
Lin Yue Shu handed over the thermal container. “No need, I just came to bring you something. I made some food as a thank you for your help.” Huo Yi Sen’s gaze dropped to the hands holding the thermal container, red and swollen from the cold wind. His sharp brows furrowed even deeper. After a long pause, Lin Yue Shu heard him say something inexplicable, “Do you know, seeing you makes me very irritated.”
Lin Yue Shu fiddled with the thermal container. “I know, so I wanted to invite you to dinner, but considering your mood, I just…” He pushed the thermal container forward. Huo Yi Sen didn’t respond, nor did he look at him. He pressed the lock button, then unlocked it, locked it again, and unlocked it again, repeatedly. Lin Yue Shu understood his meaning, obediently opened the car door, and got in.
Huo Yi Sen finally took the thermal container, opened it for a glance, and then changed the subject, “Why didn’t you go inside to sit?” “No appointment, can’t see you, right?” Huo Yi Sen didn’t say anything. After a while, he closed the thermal container and placed it on the passenger seat. “It’s already cold.” Lin Yue Shu blinked, “Huh? The seller said this thermal container can keep warm for twelve hours…” “Enough,” Huo Yi Sen interrupted him. “Don’t do anything unnecessary. Just buy me a cup of coffee, and that’s it.”
Lin Yue Shu nodded, maintaining a calm exterior while his heart was bursting with joy. He had just learned some new positions from a short video yesterday and planned to practice them well tonight. The two of them entered a café and sat down. Lin Yue Shu asked Huo Yi Sen if he wanted any snacks. Huo Yi Sen told him to decide, so he acted like a diligent little puppy, running to the counter to order.
Once Lin Yue Shu left, Huo Yi Sen’s body relaxed a bit, leaning back in his chair, idly scrolling through his phone. Occasionally, he would glance up and see Lin Yue Shu standing at the counter, seriously pondering the menu. The not-so-thick loose sweater wrapped around his thin body, and when he raised his hand, the sweater bunched up, outlining a slender waist. His fingers, reddened by the cold wind, occasionally rubbed together, trembling as they pointed at the menu.
Huo Yi Sen averted his gaze, taking a deep, heavy breath. In his entire life, no one had ever made him feel so agitated. Seeing the other’s red, swollen fingers annoyed him, and remembering that he was already married also annoyed him. This agitation seemed unrelated to dislike, only an indescribable mix of emotions raging in his mind.
“Hey, isn’t that Reporter Yang? Long time no see, where have you been making money?” A loud voice suddenly called out from behind. “Haha, Old Li, fancy meeting you here. How did you know I was making money?” A familiar voice followed. Huo Yi Sen’s brow twitched, and he turned to look. After a brief moment of thought, he remembered who the man in the vest with a small mustache behind him was. He had seen him at the Weibo Night, the paparazzo who had blackmailed him and Lin Yue Shu with their censored intimate video.
Huo Yi Sen sat up straight, his fingers lightly tapping the table. He wasn’t interested in their conversation, but the voices were too loud, forcing their way into his ears. The paparazzo spoke boldly, “Making money is all about luck. In our line of work, you have to find those ruthless people.” His friend asked, “What do you mean?” “You know that little celebrity who’s been quite popular online lately, Lin Yue Shu, right?” As soon as he said this, Huo Yi Sen’s eyes shot up.
“Back then, he gave me a censored intimate video of him and Representative Huo, asking me to play along in a scene. I thought it was just acting, but damn! He knelt right there, scared me so much I almost knelt down with him.” “Wow, that’s ruthless. No wonder a nobody like him got a top luxury endorsement. You have to be ruthless to succeed.” “That’s nothing. I followed him for a few days and found out he’s really good at manipulating people. Didn’t he offend the vice president of Alder Jewelry before? He was about to get into trouble, but after a drink, he made himself allergic and deliberately bumped into Representative Huo’s car, and then, well…”
“Impressive, introduce him to me. Let’s make money together.” “No way, this little celebrity spends millions at a time. I’m afraid you can’t handle such sudden wealth.” “You’re stingy.” Huo Yi Sen slowly raised his eyes—standing in front of him was Lin Yue Shu, who had returned from ordering. He was holding a tray, his slightly unfocused eyes not knowing whether to look at him or the two people behind him chatting away.
Lin Yue Shu felt like hitting someone. This damn paparazzo, not only did he take the money without a hitch, but he also turned around and sold him out. He needed to find a way to get the money back. But right now, that didn’t seem to be the main point.
Author’s Note: