That hand was pale and slender, with fingernails that were round and glossy, tinged with a pink hue—absolutely beautiful.
So…
“Mr. Huo!?”
Wen Yuan was startled. She was already in mid-air—Huo Shengye had actually picked her up! A princess carry…
Fortunately, there were no people or cars on the road at that moment, and fortunately, Song Huiyue was busy arranging household matters inside the house.
If Wen Yuan had been seen by acquaintances in such a situation, she would have been utterly mortified.
But as fate would have it, just as Wen Yuan turned around, she saw the door of the neighboring villa open, and Qiu Lening walked out from inside.
Wen Yuan felt slightly embarrassed and instinctively buried her face into Huo Shengye’s chest. “Someone’s coming…”
Whether it was Wen Yuan’s imagination or not, at that moment, she suddenly heard Huo Shengye chuckle softly. It was a gentle laugh, very charming and captivating.
Huo Shengye gently placed Wen Yuan onto the seat but did not immediately leave. “I carried you, Yuan’er.”
So?
Wen Yuan glanced through the window at Qiu Lening next door. Qiu Lening looked over curiously, clearly puzzled by the presence of this car.
The feeling of being seen by a familiar person in such a scenario made Wen Yuan feel extremely shy. She didn’t care what Huo Shengye wanted to say anymore.
She leaned forward and—peck!
Wen Yuan kissed Huo Shengye’s cheek, making an audible sound. When she spoke again, her voice was so shy it seemed about to cry.
“Alright… Mr. Huo, don’t tease me anymore. Let’s get in the car and go.”
So soft, so obedient—he wanted to kiss that little mouth until it swelled.
Wen Yuan trembled slightly under his gaze, pursed her lips, and launched a pitiful attack.
From childhood to adulthood, her family and close friends couldn’t stand seeing her like this.
She wondered if it would work on Huo Shengye…
It seemed it did. Huo Shengye closed the car door and got in from the other side, his movements swift and decisive. Soon, the car was on the road.
“Don’t cry. I haven’t bullied you, Yuan’er.”
Huo Shengye pressed a button, and the partition in the luxury car rose, instantly enhancing the privacy of the rear compartment. He pressed another button, and the window curtains automatically closed.
Wen Yuan quietly moved closer to the window. He clearly had bullied her—what nonsense about not bullying her.
And besides, the sun wasn’t particularly strong now. Why close the curtains?
The absolutely private, confined space suddenly reminded Wen Yuan of some vague images, not very clear, but…
“Uncomfortable?”
But they were unpleasant memories.
Seeing Wen Yuan’s face suddenly pale, Huo Shengye worriedly asked, “Is the air conditioning too cold?”
“No.” Wen Yuan shook her head, but Huo Shengye had already picked up the communicator and instructed the driver to raise the air conditioning temperature a bit.
In fact, Wen Yuan was recalling that night in U Country, with that unfamiliar man. She remembered being with that man in a car…
That man wore a black suit, somewhat similar to Huo Shengye’s current attire, but it clearly couldn’t have been Huo Shengye.
Wen Yuan calmed herself, sat upright, and pulled open the curtains slightly to look at the scenery outside.
The curve of the young girl’s cheek was also adorable. Seeing Wen Yuan’s complexion return to normal, Huo Shengye was less worried but still said, “If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me anytime. Don’t force yourself, okay?”
“I’m fine. Maybe just earlier… well, I was a bit afraid of heights.” Wen Yuan offered a somewhat absurd excuse.
Huo Shengye paused slightly but clearly took it seriously.
“Alright,” he said, “I’ll be mindful from now on. Before hugging Yuan’er, I’ll let her know first, hug her gently, and not suddenly. Is that okay?”
Wen Yuan nodded, “Mm.”
Like a little rabbit, so obedient. Huo Shengye felt his heart soften, leaning closer to Wen Yuan and kissing her cheek, only to be met with a glance from the girl as she turned her head away.
Perhaps because Huo Shengye had instructed beforehand, the car maintained a steady speed throughout, never driving too fast.
Wen Yuan hugged a cushion and leaned against the seat, gradually feeling drowsy. She was prone to getting sleepy easily in cars.
Especially when no one was talking in the car, she tended to fall asleep quickly—though only in cars belonging to people she was somewhat familiar with.
In ordinary taxis, she wouldn’t dare to let herself get sleepy.
“Yuan’er, if you want to sleep, go ahead. There’s still some time, no rush.”
The Wen family villa was located in District B of the capital, while tonight’s banquet was held at a seaside resort hotel in District K.
District K was the area in the capital with the largest concentration of leisure and entertainment industries, and it was also the region connecting the capital with several nearby cities. At night, it was vibrant and bustling, filled with neon lights and lively activity.
Although both places were clearly within the capital, District B and District K were actually quite far apart. Coupled with traffic congestion on various routes, traveling between them took quite a bit of time.
Wen Yuan leaned against the seat and fell asleep. Huo Shengye gently opened the car drawer on his side, took out a thin blanket, and draped it over Wen Yuan.
Wen Yuan stirred slightly, murmuring softly, but she seemed comfortable and didn’t wake up.
18:30
The car arrived at the destination, and the driver’s report came through the communicator. Huo Shengye acknowledged with an “Mm.”
Wen Yuan was still asleep. Lu Ming got out from the front passenger seat, and Huo Shengye pushed open the car door. Lu Ming promptly pulled it fully open.
Huo Shengye bent down, carrying Wen Yuan along with the thin blanket, and stepped out of the car.
Lu Ming whispered to Huo Shengye, “Huo Shengye, the organizers have arranged a lounge for you, just ahead.”
“But the banquet is about to start soon. You should probably…”
“Hm?” Huo Shengye’s tone lifted slightly at the end.
Lu Ming hurriedly lowered his head a bit more. “No, no, Sister can sleep as long as she wants.”
Huo Shengye walked forward carrying Wen Yuan and glanced at Lu Ming. “Tell the organizers to delay the banquet by twenty minutes.”