Facing Jiang Ling’s shock, Huo Junnian remained exceptionally calm. The expression on his face did not change much as he nonchalantly released the hand that had been gripping the youth’s waist.
Jiang Ling’s cheeks flushed a deep red as he glared at the man, both angry and annoyed. “Why are you not saying anything?!”
In all his life, even his own father had never hit him, let alone in that specific place. Only children get their butts slapped by adults. He was not a child, and Huo Junnian was not his father; what right did he have?
Although it did not hurt at all, for an eighteen-year-old youth, it was enough to cause intense shame. The action was small, but the insult was immense. It was a direct provocation to his dignity as a man. Even if the one who did it was Huo Junnian, it was unacceptable!
Huo Junnian unfastened his wristwatch. Compared to Jiang Ling’s volatility, he appeared unhurried. Placing the watch on the nearby table, he said with a slight frown, “Ah Ling, calm down.”
“Calm down? How could I possibly be calm right now?!” Jiang Ling exploded instantly. “I cannot calm down!”
Did he think he could just slap his butt and act as if nothing happened? Dream on! Without a proper explanation today, this matter was not going away. He hated this side of Huo Junnian that acted as if he did not matter at all.
Jiang Ling’s eyes darkened. He grabbed the man’s collar, pulling him close and staring directly into his eyes with a sharp gaze. They were nearly nose to nose, their breaths entangling, and the atmosphere instantly became scorched.
In that moment of eye contact, Huo Junnian’s gaze turned cold. No one had ever had the audacity to provoke him like this. He seemed to have incensed a small, angry cheetah. The youth’s hot breath sprayed across his face, and those beautiful ink-colored eyes stared at him fiercely. The tension was urgent and dangerous, as if the other party might bite his throat at any second.
It had been many years since he felt this way. For the first time, he felt intuitively that the boy from his memory who used to hug his leg and act spoiled had gradually grown into a man.
Huo Junnian met the youth’s sharp eyes. He gripped the hand that was clutching his collar. The usual gentleness vanished from his eyes, replaced by the natural posture of a superior. He tilted his chin. “What, do you want to hit me back?”
Jiang Ling froze for a moment. An image instinctively flashed through his mind, and his breathing suddenly became erratic. If he hit him back, it did not seem entirely impossible?
He asked tentatively, “Really?”
Huo Junnian laughed out loud. He stared at the youth and said teasingly, “If you have the ability to do so, then of course you can.”
Jiang Ling had a stubborn personality and hated to lose. If one wanted him to be obedient, it took more than just a few spoken words.
Jiang Ling realized he had been played again. He frowned and looked at Huo Junnian with an indignant face. “After all that, you are just messing with me?”
“I am certainly not messing with you.” Huo Junnian reached up to pull away the hand gripping his collar and lectured, “Speak properly. Do not get handsy.”
Jiang Ling’s eyes widened in surprise. “I am the one being handsy?”
The other man was clearly the one who had been handsy first! How could this person flip the script like that!
After they pulled apart, Huo Junnian began to take off his suit jacket. He raised his hand to loosen the tie that Jiang Ling had just ruffled. Jiang Ling stood there, watching the man undress. He was stunned at first, then began to feel a bit panicked.
“What, what do you want to do?”
Huo Junnian placed his jacket with his watch. He turned to look at the nervous youth and said with a smile, “Are you not unconvinced?”
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing firm, muscular forearms, and beckoned to Jiang Ling. “Your father told me before that you are quite good with your hands. Since you are not convinced, let us spar.”
“I have not exercised in a while, but it should not be hard to deal with you.”
“Ha?” Jiang Ling’s eyes flashed with astonishment.
It should not be hard to deal with you. That sentence sounded incredibly punchable, even coming from Huo Junnian.
Jiang Ling stared straight at him. “Can I assume you are intentionally trying to provoke me?”
Huo Junnian nodded nonchalantly. “Mm-hmm.”
Jiang Ling tilted his chin, his eyes showing no sign of retreat. “Then let us do it. If I lose, we will call what just happened even.”
The feeling of being looked down upon was truly unpleasant, especially when the person doing it was Huo Junnian. Anyone else was fine, but not him. Jiang Ling’s fighting spirit was ignited. The thought of pinning Huo Junnian down made him feel excited.
He tucked one hand into his pocket, scanned the room, and said casually, “I assume I will not have to pay if things get broken here?”
Huo Junnian raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Of course not. Give it your best shot.”
Jiang Ling looked over, the light in his eyes startlingly bright. His lips curled into a smirk, and he spoke with the typical arrogance of a youth. “Uncle, I will not show any mercy.”
Huo Junnian beckoned him again. “Come on. Stop talking.”
Huo Junnian had learned boxing in his younger years and was quite skilled. Although he had been busy lately and rarely found time to practice, he maintained a fitness routine, so his skills had not diminished much. He figured dealing with a kid like Jiang Ling who had just turned eighteen would be manageable.
However, during their first exchange, he was surprised to find that Jiang Ling’s skills were unexpectedly good. They went back and forth for a round; both were cautious and left no openings.
“I did not expect you to be so capable.” Huo Junnian gradually began to take it seriously. As he struck out, he started to warm up. “When did you learn this? Did you not say you were a good boy who studied hard at home?”
He directly exposed the fake persona the youth had previously crafted. Jiang Ling did not answer, merely mimicking the man’s earlier “Mm-hmm.” He dodged a punch and returned the provocation. “Uncle, are you unable to keep up? Your breathing is very heavy!”
Huo Junnian’s eyes narrowed slightly. Although he knew the little rascal was saying it on purpose, he still did not like hearing it. His expression remained unchanged, still smiling, but his punches became faster and harder. His tone grew even gentler. “Ah Ling, do not be afraid. I will let you know in a moment whether your uncle is capable or not.”
“I shall wait and see.”
Jiang Ling dodged and looked for a chance to attack. He realized Huo Junnian had not been bragging; the man was indeed strong. He was a bit rusty, but his punching angles were tricky. One careless move and Jiang Ling would be caught.
The two went back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand. The battle became heated. In this relatively small meeting room, collisions were inevitable. Tables and chairs made loud, crashing sounds.
Outside, Secretary Li stood dutifully at the door after closing it. Another secretary, Aily, arrived as well. She saw her colleague standing by the door with a heavy heart, looking worried.
“Dear, what are you doing here? Where is President Huo?”
Secretary Li was so tense she barely dared to breathe. She was startled by Aily’s sudden appearance. She quickly covered Aily’s mouth and whispered, “Shh, be quiet.” She pointed at the meeting room. “They are both inside.”
The next second, a loud bang came from the door, making both of them widen their eyes in shock. Aily looked at the vibrating door and panicked. She remembered she had been called back to deal with the boss’s ex-lover.
She looked at her colleague helplessly and whispered, “What are they doing in there?”
Are they rekindling an old flame with such intensity? Aily was frightened by her own imagination and shook her head, trying to convince herself that President Huo was not that kind of person.
Secretary Li, remembering Huo Junnian’s earlier anger and hearing the current commotion, said worriedly, “Should we call an ambulance?”
Aily could not help but gasp. “Is it that intense?”
Inside the room, it was a mess. Most of the tables and chairs were overturned. The two men, who had been cautiously testing each other from a distance, were now locked in a fierce struggle.
“I thought you would pretend for longer. I did not expect you to show your true colors so soon,” Huo Junnian said as he caught Jiang Ling’s attacking hand.
Jiang Ling understood immediately. He frowned, feeling annoyed. “Since you knew I was pretending, why did you not say so earlier?”
Huo Junnian raised an eyebrow. “Because Ah Ling was very cute like that.”
It was like a wild, rebellious kitten that suddenly realized it had done something wrong. It did not dare to approach directly, so it disguised itself, hid its sharp claws, and pretended to be a gentle, obedient cat to try and act cute to get away with it. Even if the disguise was clumsy and full of holes, it was effort spent specifically for him. Even if Huo Junnian knew the truth, he could turn a blind eye and pretend not to see.
If Jiang Ling was willing to keep pretending, Huo Junnian was willing to stay in the role of a gentle and tolerant elder. But now, the kitten was angry for some reason and refused to pretend any longer, baring its claws and hissing at him.
“Cute my ass!” Jiang Ling exploded at those words and glared at the man. Him, cute? That was the most ridiculous joke he had heard all year.
“Uncle, have you run out of energy? If you have, just admit defeat,” Jiang Ling snapped through gritted teeth, his eyes red.
Huo Junnian smiled. “I only said one thing and you are already angry? Are you that difficult to tease?”
“I am not!” Jiang Ling pursed his lips, refusing to admit it.
Huo Junnian took the opportunity to pinch Jiang Ling’s face and corrected him, “Also, using foul language is not good. Fix that bad habit next time.”
Jiang Ling twisted his head away, swiping Huo Junnian’s hand aside. “Why do you care?”
“Yes, I care,” Huo Junnian admitted without hesitation. “Your father entrusted you to me; naturally, I must fulfill my responsibility.”
Jiang Ling was speechless. “You are so wordy. You still have not managed to beat me after all this time.”
Huo Junnian steadied his breathing. “Fine. Since Ah Ling is looking forward to it, I will not disappoint you.”
He shifted his offensive strategy, becoming much faster. Soon, they were entangled again. At this moment, both were drenched in sweat. Their clothes were soaked, and their white shirts had become semi-transparent. Their blood-pumped muscles stretched the thin fabric into full, rounded shapes.
Jiang Ling was suppressing one of Huo Junnian’s strikes when he turned his head and saw this high-impact visual. His pupils shrank. He always knew Huo Junnian had a good body, but he did not expect this. His throat moved instinctively as he swallowed. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his focus.
Just as he was about to counterattack, his neck was suddenly hooked. He lost his balance, and his head dove straight toward the man’s firm, rounded chest.
Jiang Ling’s gaze went blank. Time seemed to slow down, frame by frame, impacting his brain until everything went dark. His high nose bridge poked into the tight, full muscle. It did not hurt; instead, it was exceptionally soft and bouncy. There was no foul smell of sweat, but a fresh and elegant fragrance.
This seemed to be Huo Junnian’s unique scent. He had never smelled it on anyone else. It was a woody fragrance mixed with the faint scent of orchids. From a distance, it was just a light cedar scent, but now that they were so close, mixed with the heat of the body, it smelled different. The air he inhaled through his nose and mouth felt a little sweet.
While he was dazed, a hoarse and magnetic voice rang in his ear, accompanied by a hot breath that swept past his side.
“Ah Ling, do you yield?”
His scalp went numb instantly. A faint current of electricity shot from his tailbone to the top of his head. Even his toes curled up, and his whole body trembled. From his neck to his cheeks, Jiang Ling turned a complete, vivid red. He gritted his teeth and shouted, “I do not yield!”
Yield my ass! If he had not been distracted, how could he have been pinned down?
However, just as he shouted those words, he felt the arm around his neck tighten slightly. The contact area on his cheek became larger. The softness and warmth instantly enveloped his nose and mouth. The edge of his lips brushed against a firm point. That crushing sensation of contact made him go completely blank.
“Do you still not yield?”
Jiang Ling felt all the blood in his body rushing upward. His mind was a blank space. He felt heat in his nasal cavity, and soon, a metallic sweetness filled his mouth.
At that moment, Huo Junnian also sensed something was wrong. He quickly released his grip and looked down, only to see a startling streak of red.