Lin Chaochao lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep… her mind completely occupied with thoughts of Huo Nanting.
As a result, when morning came, she was rewarded with two big dark circles under her eyes.
When Lin Chaochao left her room, she noticed that Huo Nanting’s door was closed. Recalling some of the events from the previous night, she decided not to provoke him again.
After all, the banquet wasn’t until the evening, so the daytime hours were all hers. Lin Chaochao found a small restaurant and ordered something to eat to tide herself over.
The place was relatively close to her school, so she decided to head over to campus after eating.
Meanwhile, Huo Nanting had just finished a video conference in his room. He walked to Lin Chaochao’s door and knocked three times lightly—no answer. He knocked again—still nothing.
Huo Nanting didn’t have the woman’s contact information, and it took some effort before he finally got it from Wang Kai.
At that moment, a text message popped up on Lin Chaochao’s phone, asking, “Where are you?”
Seeing that it came from an unsaved number, she ignored it.
Less than two minutes later, her phone rang. “It’s me. Where are you?”
Recognizing the voice, Lin Chaochao realized it was Huo Nanting. She quickly replied, “President Huo, I’m sorry, I thought it was spam. I’m out right now.”
Not getting the answer he wanted, the man pressed on. “Where? Give me the address.”
Lin Chaochao said, “Chelman Academy.”
Huo Nanting had never been to that school. He looked up the location on his phone and instructed his driver to take him there.
Lin Chaochao gazed at the place she knew better than anywhere, a flood of emotions washing over her. During her university days, she had been busy with coursework, pulling all-nighters on design drafts for competitions.
She walked to a plaza on campus and spotted a flock of white doves lingering there. She crouched down to feed them.
A group of doves gathered around her, and the scene was truly a sight to behold.
Huo Nanting spotted her from a distance, pulled out his phone, and secretly snapped a few photos.
Then he strode toward her. The man wore a camel-colored overcoat over a black sweater, his expression cold and aloof…
The woman hadn’t expected Huo Nanting to come looking for her. She was somewhat surprised, yet at the same time, she didn’t really want to face him.
Just then, a boy on a bicycle came speeding up from behind her, shouting, “Move! Get out of the way!” while struggling to control the handlebars. He looked like a novice rider who wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, and it seemed he was about to crash straight into Lin Chaochao. The man rushed forward, grabbed Lin Chaochao by the arm, and pulled her into his embrace.
He looked down at her and asked, “Are you alright?”
The bicycle didn’t touch the woman and instead crashed directly into the bench ahead.
Lin Chaochao broke free from the man’s touch and stepped back to keep her distance. “Thank you, President Huo. I’m fine.”
She turned and walked ahead, with Huo Nanting following behind her. And so the two of them strolled along the campus path, one in front of the other, like a couple.
“Miss Lin, it seems I don’t have your WeChat yet.”
Lin Chaochao thought to herself, Didn’t he already have my phone number? Why would he need WeChat too? Since that’s what she thought, she said it out loud.
“Miss Lin, don’t overthink it. It’s to ensure smooth cooperation with President Gill tonight—adding each other on WeChat will make communication more convenient.”
Lin Chaochao figured that since it was for work, adding her boss on WeChat was fine. She took out her phone and said, “President Huo, I’ll scan your code.”
Only Lin Chaochao, who had her head lowered, failed to notice the smile at the corner of Huo Nanting’s mouth.
It was getting late, and the two walked back together. As the president of Jingbei Huo Corporation, Huo Nanting was undoubtedly the center of attention at tonight’s banquet.
“Miss Lin, as my companion for this evening, I’ll need you to come with me to pick out a gown.”
“Of course, President Huo,” Lin Chaochao nodded in reply. She had attended banquets of all sizes before and knew the etiquette well.
Following that, Lin Chaochao accompanied the man to an upscale luxury boutique.
The sales assistant presented several gowns, but they were either too extravagant or had plunging necklines and open backs—none of which appealed to Lin Chaochao.
She then walked to the other side, wanting to browse on her own. After careful consideration, she selected three styles that suited her.
The first was a dark red one-shoulder floor-length gown. From the shoulder to the chest, it was adorned with shimmering red crystals, like a river of stars. The red accentuated Lin Chaochao’s fair complexion and beauty. The waist was cinched, and the skirt hugged her hips tightly, revealing her elegant curves. The only flaw was that the waist was a bit loose, not quite fitting her measurements.
She went to try on the second one—a pale pink dress with a hint of cheongsam styling. The collar was slightly open, teasingly revealing her charming collarbones. The hem fell just above the knee, and the sleeveless design showcased Lin Chaochao’s slender, fair arms. However, the soft pink color felt a bit too playful and cute, lacking sophistication. Lin Chaochao was still not quite satisfied.
She tried on the last one—a simple white long dress.
There was no jewelry or diamond embellishment anywhere on it. It featured an off-shoulder design, with the highlight being an embroidered butterfly on the chest, so lifelike it seemed to carry a touch of vitality. The fitted waist perfectly highlighted Lin Chaochao’s gentle and graceful temperament.
Simple yet not ordinary, and it wouldn’t steal the spotlight from the hostess of the banquet. Lin Chaochao looked at herself in the mirror with relative satisfaction, then turned around and asked the man,
“President Huo, what do you think of this one?”
Not far away, the man was on the phone. Hearing the woman’s voice, he turned to look—and was indeed even more captivated. It was a moment before he averted his gaze from her.
“Go with this one. It’s beautiful.”
He then said a few more words into the phone before hanging up. A dark undercurrent stirred in his eyes, and some unidentifiable emotions began to take root in his heart.
“Wow, wow, wow—I was wondering who could possibly get President Huo to personally track me down. This beautiful lady is clearly no ordinary person,” Owen teased as soon as he walked in.
Owen was good friends with Huo Nanting and He Zheng—the three of them were known as the iron triangle. He was a renowned makeup and styling artist in the fashion circle, and happened to be vacationing nearby when Huo Nanting called him over.
Seeing Owen arrive, Huo Nanting stood up and took the initiative to introduce them. “This is Owen, my good brother.”
“And this is Lin Chaochao.”
“So, pretty miss, what’s your relationship with my brother Ting?” Owen asked directly in front of them, driven by his gossipy curiosity.
Lin Chaochao felt a bit embarrassed by the question. She thought for a moment and was about to answer.
But then Huo Nanting kicked him straight in the leg, urging him, “Mind your own business. Go get to work.”
Owen understood immediately—this guy probably hadn’t won her over yet. So he let out a couple of chuckles
and led Lin Chaochao to the dressing room.
“Miss Lin, you’re very beautiful. You and my brother Ting make a perfect match.”
“Thank you, Teacher Owen. I’m just an employee of Huo Corporation—it’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of.” Lin Chaochao replied politely.
“No, no, no—you don’t know him yet. If it were an ordinary relationship, he wouldn’t have asked me to come. He’s not the type to meddle in other people’s business.” Owen pursed his lips as he spoke. He knew Huo Nanting too well—he must have taken a liking to her.
After hearing Owen’s words, Lin Chaochao felt a little uneasy.
She sat there, letting everyone paint and draw on her face.