“Let’s go.” Zuo Zhu cast one last glance at Zhao Siyu in the thick fog, “Thinking too much won’t bring her back.”
Lin Tianming gritted his teeth and pulled Liu Minmin along, following Huo Fu forward.
When they entered the village, the vehicles couldn’t get through the narrow path, so they had parked the cars five or six kilometers away. Now, they had to hike back to retrieve them.
Fortunately, the rest of the journey went smoothly, and they found the two cars they had left behind without incident.
There were only four of them now, so they only needed one car to return.
Lin Tianming volunteered to drive, with Liu Minmin in the passenger seat, and Huo Fu and Zuo Zhu sitting in the back.
The car glided steadily through the mountainous terrain. Lin Tianming stole a glance at the resting Huo Fu in the rearview mirror and asked cautiously, “Brother Huo, where are you planning to go next?”
Zuo Zhu, playing a watermelon-slicing game on her phone without looking up, replied, “Of course I’m going home with you, gotta meet my parents, right?”
Lin Tianming frowned, “Aren’t you an orphan?”
Zuo Zhu suddenly sliced a bomb in the game, her movements stiff, “Oh really? Hahaha, I’m in a good mood, even forgot I don’t have parents.”
Lin Tianming and Liu Minmin: “…”
Zuo Zhu nudged Huo Fu, letting him answer.
Huo Fu opened his eyes: “To A City.”
“That works perfectly, we’ll go to A City together.” Lin Tianming said happily, relieved that Huo Fu would be with them in case anything else happened.
The drive back was smooth, and after more than a day on the road, they successfully reached A City.
Back in the modern city, seeing Huo Fu’s ordinary appearance, Lin Tianming finally put aside the last bit of doubt he had held in the village.
He truly saw Huo Fu as the demon catcher who had been trapped in the village and only now able to return.
The thought of parting made Lin Tianming a little reluctant.
“Brother Huo, how about giving me your contact info? I’m afraid we might not see each other again.”
Zuo Zhu, familiar with the story, knew there was no need to be so sentimental, as the next entanglement was coming soon.
Lin Tianming dropped Huo Fu and Zuo Zhu at a location as instructed, refraining from asking too much about Huo Fu’s residence, and after obtaining the contact info, he left with Liu Minmin.
Zuo Zhu finally returned to the modern city and deeply missed bubble tea, hot pot, ice cream, and spicy skewers. During those few days in the mountain village, they had survived only on the dry, tasteless rations they brought themselves.
“So, where should we go now? How about my rented apartment?” Zuo Zhu suggested excitedly.
“No need.” Huo Fu glanced at her, “Come with me.”
Instinctively, Zuo Zhu wrapped her arms around his, only to meet a light, indifferent gaze.
“Hahaha, habit,” Zuo Zhu awkwardly let go.
With Lin Tianming and Liu Minmin gone, she no longer had to pretend as before.
When she released him, Huo Fu looked at her again, expression still calm, but his arm remained in place.
Understanding immediately, Zuo Zhu held onto him again, pressing her body close.
“Then let’s go!”
This guy was secretly reserved but not boring.
Following Huo Fu, Zuo Zhu was led through winding streets to a small villa.
She frowned, “You’re not planning to break into someone’s home, are you?”
“You talk too much,” Huo Fu said coolly.
Zuo Zhu: “…”
How dare you start disliking me now?
She stood pouting beside him as he pressed the doorbell.
Soon, a man dressed as a butler appeared behind the door bars, looking at Huo Fu with suspicion.
He had already seen the visitors outside through the surveillance camera when the doorbell rang.
After several glances, he hurried out.
“You… you’re the young master?” Uncle Zhang’s eyes were full of disbelief.
Huo Fu pressed his lips together and said, “Uncle Zhang, I’m back.”
At that, tears streamed down the butler’s face.
He rushed to open the door and grabbed Huo Fu’s hands: “Young master, I’ve been searching for you for eleven years. You’re finally back!”
Eleven years felt endless; he had thought about finding the young master who had been abducted day and night.
With the household gone and distant relatives indifferent, only he had searched tirelessly, a needle in a haystack.
Seeing Huo Fu through the surveillance camera, he recognized the familiar features of the young master.
“Uncle Zhang, let’s go inside.” Huo Fu patted his hands.
“Yes, yes, inside first!” Uncle Zhang hurried in, only to notice Zuo Zhu holding onto Huo Fu.
“Who’s this?”
Zuo Zhu glanced at Huo Fu, waiting to see how he would introduce her.
“A friend, she helped me get back.”
Uncle Zhang was not blind; seeing Zuo Zhu clutch Huo Fu’s arm, he immediately understood.
“All right, all right!” Tears of joy and excitement filled Uncle Zhang’s eyes, “Come on in!”
Inside the villa, Huo Fu asked Zuo Zhu to stay in the living room while he followed Uncle Zhang to the study.
Zuo Zhu guessed he would tell Uncle Zhang about the past years.
But from the brief introduction, it seemed Huo Fu had no intention of revealing the darkest truths to Uncle Zhang.
Indeed, talking about being tortured to death and turning into a demon would terrify the elderly man.
Zuo Zhu wandered around the villa, unable to hide her envy.
Damn! She had thought Huo Fu was a poor little guy needing her help, yet in the blink of an eye, he had a huge villa!
So that card about the traffickers he had shown her before was just a ruse!
This three-story villa’s living room was five times the size of her rented apartment, with a small garden and a swimming pool behind it, in one of the best districts of A City.
While drawing her comics, she never imagined giving her male lead such a detailed background, yet the world filled in this villa automatically.
She returned to the living room, peeled a banana, and ate it.
Her “son’s” house was basically her own!
How shameless of her, yet so satisfying.
She glanced up to find Huo Fu and Uncle Zhang on the second-floor corridor.
Huo Fu stood by the railing, looking down at her and twitching his fingers.
Zuo Zhu thought he was calling her and ran up eagerly.
But then she overheard Uncle Zhang giving careful advice:
“Young master, stop looking into those people. Since you’re back, live quietly and don’t provoke them… Eleven years ago, they abducted you in secret. Now they’ve grown powerful; if you confront them, there’s no way you’ll win.”
Uncle Zhang’s words were heartfelt but reflected reality.
Eleven years ago, Huo Fu’s parents died in a car accident. Distant relatives bullied the young Huo Fu and seized the family fortune.
The young Huo Fu had sought justice but was abducted before he could achieve it.
Even now, challenging those who had become powerful would be impossible.
“Listen to me, young master. Let’s live quietly. I have some funds left from your mother, enough to invest in small ventures.”
Zuo Zhu, hearing this, felt a fresh wave of jealousy.
She ran up, immediately drawing Uncle Zhang’s attention.
Seeing her, Uncle Zhang shifted his advice: “Even if not for yourself, think of Miss Zuo. Now that you’re together, wouldn’t a stable life be perfect?”
Zuo Zhu: …
Thanks for the invite. We never got together; she was just a midnight snack for the demon.
Midnight snacks don’t have a future.