Almost instantly, two knocks sounded at the door.
The housekeeper had also heard the voice message earlier and shook her head with a sigh, immediately moving to answer the door.
The young girl, who had originally intended to change clothes, stopped her.
Pale fingers tugged at the lapels of her jacket, covering her chest, as her soft voice carried a hint of exasperation,
“Auntie, no need to trouble yourself. I’ll handle it.”
In the brief moment it took to walk from the full-length mirror to the door, her phone continued to buzz with vibrations, messages popping up one after another.
Jiang Youwan couldn’t even be bothered to look. Amid the ongoing knocking, she pulled the door open, her tone exceptionally cold,
“Can you stop bothering—”
The man outside stood backlit, his posture tall and straight. A deep brown trench coat suited him well, and the top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, revealing the elegant lines of his neck and his Adam’s apple.
Facing the little one who was clearly in a temper, he merely raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.
Perhaps because both his looks and demeanor were top-tier, even such a simple gesture looked particularly pleasing when he did it.
Jiang Youwan felt a bit awkward and immediately softened her tone the next second.
Her sweet, gentle voice carried a hint of bashful grievance as she greeted him softly,
“Mr. Huo…”
He simply responded with a light “Hmm,” reaching out to pat her head,
“Are you angry?”
“Not at you.”
The petite beauty lifted her small, palm-sized face, obediently answering the man’s question.
They had been meeting frequently lately, and Huo Linyuan often patted her head. Both of them had grown accustomed to this small gesture and found nothing unusual about it.
“I was quite busy today, so I didn’t get to see Wanwan during the day. I had a social engagement in the evening that just ended half an hour ago.”
The man patiently explained to her, his tone exceptionally gentle,
“Coming over so late, I hope I haven’t disturbed Wanwan?”
Hearing him speak in such a coaxing tone, Jiang Youwan couldn’t help but feel her ears grow warm again. She quickly shook her head, her delicate voice floating in the air,
“Not at all.”
In the quiet hallway, the sound of the elevator operating could be heard, along with a faint, familiar male voice that seemed to be sending a voice message.
Jiang Youwan instantly reacted, looking up toward the direction of the elevator.
Huo Linyuan followed her gaze, “What’s wrong?”
The faint male voice disappeared, followed by a “ding—” as the elevator arrived.
The young girl standing at the doorway suddenly widened her eyes.
Without even having time to think, she instinctively grabbed Huo Linyuan’s hand.
A trace of subtle surprise flickered across the tall, elegant man’s face once more. The next second, he naturally clasped her hand in return.
The broad palm of a grown man almost completely enveloped that small, soft hand. The sensation of her smooth, delicate skin against his palm momentarily left the ever-composed Huo Linyuan feeling somewhat dazed.
In that brief half-second, the lovely-faced young girl pulled him into the room by his hand.
Just as the door closed, the elevator doors slowly slid open.
Almost immediately, hurried footsteps echoed, rushing toward the direction of the door,
“Wanwan—”
Just beyond the door, Jiang Youwan was almost entirely enveloped in Huo Linyuan’s embrace.
Pressed tightly against the man’s chest, she could hear the voice of her ex-boyfriend outside the door through his steady, powerful heartbeat.
“It’s me, Wanwan. I know you’re home.”
Jiang Youwan paid no attention to what the person outside was saying. Instead, she looked down at their closely pressed bodies, feeling it was entirely inappropriate.
Instinctively, she placed her palms against the man’s arms. Even through several layers of fabric, the defined curve of his muscles beneath her hands was strikingly clear.
Jiang Youwan felt as if she had been scalded. She could only try to act as if nothing was wrong, her face flushed as she pushed against his arms, attempting to escape his hold.
The fingers resting on her back slid downward slightly. The man’s long, strong hand settled on the small of her back, the heat from his palm searing into that small patch of skin.
A soft chuckle came from above her head, followed by his low, pleasant voice, tinged with a hint of teasing.
“So, was Wanwan in such a hurry just now because she was afraid her boyfriend might see?”
He deliberately used the wrong term.
As expected, the girl in his arms forgot to struggle. She immediately lifted her snow-white face, revealing her delicate chin, and retorted with great seriousness,
“He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“Oh…”
The man looked down at her, his sharply defined face magnified before her eyes. His deep, striking features were overwhelming as he mimicked her earlier tone,
“So it’s an ex-boyfriend.”
Jiang Youwan’s face flushed instantly.
They were almost nose-to-nose, their breaths seemingly about to intertwine.
Her petal-like lips parted slightly, revealing a glimpse of a moist, crimson tongue hidden deep within her sweet mouth.
She felt clumsy, nestled in the man’s embrace, stumbling over her words as she replied,
“He… he is my ex-boyfriend…”
The man’s eyes curved into a smile again.
He was already handsome, but his usual aura was too imposing, his expression cold and aloof, like an untouchable flower on a high peak.
Now, up close and with his expression relaxed, Jiang Youwan could clearly see his distinct eyelashes, the sharp angle of his tall nose casting shadows, and even the beautifully curved thin lips that held a hint of red.
A seductive, alluring red, as if tempting someone to kiss them and discover whether they were warm or cold.
Jiang Youwan quietly swallowed.
As soon as she realized what she was thinking, her pink-and-white face quickly flushed even redder. Even the tips of her fingers resting on the man’s arm trembled slightly.
Huo Jinchen’s shouts continued outside.
But what had started as demands for her to open the door had turned into endless apologies.
Even though only a thin door separated them, even though Huo Jinchen’s voice was so loud, Jiang Youwan couldn’t absorb a single word.
Her face felt hot, and her ears were burning red.
Her heart pounded wildly, as if a lively little rabbit were leaping inside her chest, threatening to burst out.
Huo Linyuan’s face was too captivating. She didn’t dare look at him directly anymore, so she fixed her gaze on his lips and pleaded in a pitiful voice,
“Could you please let me go, Mr. Huo…”
The arm around her waist did not loosen in the slightest; the man even leaned in closer, his cool breath brushing against her ear. Even the low, trailing tone of his voice seemed to carry a small hook, plucking at the strings of her heart.
“But just now, wasn’t it Wanwan who grabbed my hand first?”
“I… I just didn’t want anyone else to see…”
The little one in his arms blushed, too shy to meet his gaze, looking utterly adorable—like a kitten that hadn’t yet been weaned, her voice so soft it seemed almost ready to melt away.
The man held her waist, asking with particular seriousness:
“Why couldn’t he see?”