《Becoming a Wealthy Family's Beloved After Her Rebirth》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: After Three Years, Huo Zheng Is Having an Affair</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan received a photo.


    In the photo, a tall man could be seen holding the slender waist of the woman next to him. His head was slightly lowered as he spoke to the woman with a gentle expression on his face while the woman leaned into his arms with a faint smile on her face.


    The man in the photo was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s husband, but she was not familiar with the woman. Although she was not familiar with the other woman, this was not the first time she had seen the woman. After all, she had been receiving photo after photo of this woman with her husband, and the photos, which stung her eyes, were apanied by provocative messages with a smug undertone.


    Lin Xiaowan had recognized the woman the first time she had received the photo. The woman was the ex-lover of Huo Zheng, her husband, and that woman was someone her husband could not forget.


    Lin Xiaowan switched her phone off and acted like nothing happened.


    ¡­


    When Huo Zheng finally came home, it was alreadyte at night. It was winter so the temperature was very low, especially when it waste at night. He stood at the door and rubbed his hands together to keep warm after he removed his coat. After he felt a little warmer, he looked at Lin Xiaowan, who had fallen asleep on the couch, before he slowly walked over and bent down to carefully pick her up.


    As soon as Huo Zheng picked Lin Xiaowan up, she woke up. Although he had already removed his coat, she could still smell an unfamiliar and subtle fragrance on him. She felt a sting in her heart, but she did not say anything. Instead, she raised her arms and wound them around his neck before she pressed herself closer to him in a very dependent manner. Then, she asked softly, ¡°Why did youe back sote? Have you eaten dinner?¡±


    Huo Zheng lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead before he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten. Don¡¯t wait for me and fall asleep on the couch next time. It¡¯s so cold now, and it¡¯s easy for you to catch a cold.¡±


    Huo Zheng was very strong. He walked steadily as he carried his wife upstairs to the bedroom.


    Lin Xiaowan enjoyed the chance to snuggle in his arms. She said in a coquettish manner, ¡°Then,e back earlier next time. I¡¯ll wait for you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be less busy in a few days. At that time, I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her gaze and asked, ¡°Can we go to the North Pole? I want to rx and see the northern lights.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Huo Zheng ced Lin Xiaowan on the bed and carefully covered her with the nket. Then, hey next to her and patted her gently, coaxing her to sleep, as he said, ¡°In two days, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan panicked upon hearing this. She turned to the side and hugged his waist before she said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the day after tomorrow. I want two gifts!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s birthday was the day after tomorrow. It was also their third wedding anniversary. She was afraid of what Huo Zheng wanted to tell her so she quickly said, ¡°Can you tell me after my birthday?¡±


    Huo Zheng lowered his head again to kiss her before he said, ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t talk anymore. Sleep.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan yawned and rubbed her face against Huo Zheng¡¯s expensive suit as she said, ¡°One more thing. The gift I prepared for you this year is really amazing. You definitely won¡¯t be able to guess what it is.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not say anything. He only looked at the woman in his arms gently. After she fell asleep, he got out of bed as gently as possible, afraid of waking her up, before he went to wash up and change his clothes. After that, he went to his study to deal with some unfinished work. Earlier, it had gotten quitete, and he was worried that Lin Xiaowan would be waiting for him at home so he rushed back.


    ¡­


    The next evening, Huo Zheng still did not return for dinner. Simrly, Lin Xiaowan received new photos.


    One showed Huo Zheng protecting the woman carefully as she got out of the car while the other showed Huo Zheng and the woman walking hand in hand to a jewelry store.


    Lin Xiaowan stared at her phone for a moment. After she finally made up her mind, she put on her clothes and went out. She decided to go to the address that was sent along with the photos.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan stood in the distance, but thanks to the ss door, she could easily see what was going on inside the store.


    There were a few people in the store. One of them was Huo Zheng. He was picking out a ring with the woman. The woman stretched out her hand to him as she chatted happily. He held her hand and helped her put the ring on.


    No matter how many photos Lin Xiaowan had seen, they were not as impactful as witnessing it with her own eyes.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan felt her heart sink. She stood there in a daze; her mind was empty, but her heart was eerily calm. After a while, she brought her phone out and sent a message to Huo Zheng. The winter chill caused her fingers to tremble as she typed the message, resulting in quite a few misspelled words.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Are youing back for dinner today?]


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone rang, and she received a reply almost immediately.


    [Huo Zheng: I have work to do. Sleep early. Don¡¯t wait up for me.]


    Lin Xiaowan pursed her lips. Her eyes turned red immediately as tears fell. At this time, she finally knew the reason for Huo Zheng¡¯s long hours at work and overtime, and she also found the owner of the unfamiliar scent she smelled on him.


    Lin Xiaowan had long known about Huo Zheng¡¯s first love. She had found out when they had just gotten married. At that time, she was bored so she went to Huo Zheng¡¯s study and found a book to read. When she flipped the book open, a photo of a girl fell out of the book. There was a love letter written by Huo Zheng to his first love along with the photo.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know when the letter was written, but she could feel his love, tenderness, and sincerity in the words. At that time, she felt her heart turn cold. Huo Zheng had never said such touching words to her before.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s meeting and marriage with Huo Zheng were very sudden. She still did not know why he married her. He had never told her that he liked her, let alone loved her. Nheless, he treated her very well. They had been together for almost four years now, and they had never quarreled before. He would also celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day, birthdays, and all kinds of anniversaries with her. However, the downside was that she spent a lot of time waiting for him. Although he treated her well, he was extremely busy. He rarely spent a lot of time with her. As such, she spent most of her time waiting for him¡­ only to be confronted with such a result today.


    Lin Xiaowan could not hold back her tears at all; her heart was in turmoil. She cried as she walked, wiping her tears away as they fell. By the time she stood at the intersection to wait for the traffic light to change, her sleeves were already wet with tears. She was aware of the sorry state she was in at this moment, but she really could not control her emotions and her tears. She rarely cried, and now that she was crying, she was doing it in public.


    At this time, a little girl carrying a school bag stuffed a packet of tissue into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and kindlyforted Lin Xiaowan. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. No matter what happens, things will get better.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and thanked the little girl.


    The little girl smiled at Lin Xiaowan before she quickly ran to the other side seeing that the light had turned green.


    After a few moments, Lin Xiaowan walked forward in a daze when she heard someone shouting, ¡°Move!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan instinctively stopped in her tracks and looked up nkly. The light had changed. Following that, her vision blurred, and she felt pain all over her body.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Reborn to the Time Before Her Marriage</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan coughed and tasted blood in her mouth. Just the act of coughing alone seemed to drain her strength. She struggled to open her eyes before she saw the winter sky and the bare branches of the trees that seemed to be stretching out toward her like arms, and she heard the cacophonous sounds of people screaming and cars honking around her. Her mind was nk at this moment as she shivered from the cold.


    Lin Xiaowen¡¯s tears fell again. She did not even know she had so many tears to cry. It was as though she was making up for more than 20 years of not crying at this time. When she finally calmed down a little, she thought that she must look terrible now. She was a woman who loved beauty, after all. She tried to lift her hand to wipe her face but discovered that she could not move her arm at all.


    Every part of her body hurt. Huo Zheng had taken very good care of her over the past few years, and she had grown even more delicate because of his care. Even when she had gotten a small cut on her finger, he would hold her in his arms and coax her for a long time.


    s, now that she was in so much pain, Huo Zheng was not around to hold her in his arms. He would never hold her in his arms again.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s strength gradually drained out of her body as she gradually lost consciousness. The moment she closed her eyes, she had the illusion that someone was hugging her tightly. However, she could not smell the unpleasant and unfamiliar scent.


    At the final moment before Lin Xiaowan died, she did not feel pain, only heart-wrenching sadness. Herst thought was that if she had known beforehand, she would not have gotten married.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes.


    The window was half open, and the breeze blew the white curtains up. Faint golden sunlight shone against the wall.


    Lin Xiaowany on the bed in a daze for a long time. She remembered that she seemed to have died. She could still remember the excruciating pain, the exhaustion, the confusion, and the sense of powerlessness.


    After a moment, she raised her arm and looked at her fair hand in front of her before she rxed.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    ¡­


    When Huo Zheng entered the room, he saw Lin Xiaowan sitting by the bay window and looking out the window in a daze. He walked over and hugged her.


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked and instinctively shrank away from his arms like a frightened rabbit as she looked up at him with her big eyes.


    Huo Zheng did not think much of it. He assumed she had just woken up and was still in a daze. He kissed her forehead naturally and said, ¡°Aunty said that you slept for a long time in the afternoon.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to get close to him, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own as she leaned closer to him.


    Huo Zheng hugged her and brought her to the dining room.


    Even after dinner, Lin Xiaowan was still in a daze.


    At night, Huo Zhen held Lin Xiaowan in his arms as he read an Italian book to her.


    Lin Xiaowan felt sleepy as she listened to him read. When she finally yawned, Huo Zheng bookmarked the book and put it away. He lowered his head and nted a kiss on her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her soft lips. He pressed his lips against her gently and did not move, silently asking for her permission. If she refused, he would not force her. He was a gentleman, and even in bed, he was polite and restrained.


    Lin Xiaowan moved her lips lightly as though she was acquiescing to him. She hugged him, feeling his strong back, as she raised her swan-like neck and pressed herself closer to him.


    When tears rolled down the corners of her eyes, he gently kissed them away. He hugged her and said tenderly in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan really wished she could stop her tears. However, her empty heart seemed to cause her tears to flow uncontrobly.


    Huo Zheng felt slightly helpless. He stopped and tried to pull away to see what was wrong, but she refused to let him go. Tears continued to fall as she moved closer to him and kissed him. She tormented him until he had no choice but to give in.


    ¡­


    When they were done, Huo Zheng carried Lin Xiaowan into the shower. When they came out, he helped her to dry her hair.


    When Lin Xiaowan finallyy on the bed, she moved to the corner and did not talk. She could feel Huo Zheng staring at her back for a few moments before he finally walked away.


    When she was just about to fall asleep, she felt herself being pulled into a firm embrace.


    Huo Zheng kissed her shoulder and held her hand that was gripping the nket. Then, he slid a in ring onto her ring finger.


    Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes. She watched as Huo Zheng held her hand and kissed her finger.


    ¡°It fits just right¡­¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s different from the previous life,¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself as memories of the past returned to her.


    In her previous life, Huo Zheng had given her the ring in the morning. They had been fooling around in the morning when he suddenly pulled out a ring from seemingly nowhere before putting it on her finger.


    At that time, Lin Xiaowan had been very surprised. She held his hands and asked, ¡°Are you proposing to me?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to say yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The two of them did not waste time after that and quickly registered their marriage.


    Lin Xiaowan was the only person left in her family. She did not say anything, and Huo Zheng did not ask any questions.


    When Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind returned to the present, she saw Huo Zheneg looking at her with bright eyes, as though he was waiting for her to say something. She asked hoarsely, ¡°Why did you suddenly buy a ring?¡±


    Huo Zheng rested his forehead against hers and asked, ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had no parents, no dowry, and no friends. She only had herself to rely on in her life. In her previous life, she had made a mistake.


    Huo Zheng continued to look at her tenderly.


    Lin Xiaowan suddenly turned around and hugged Huo Zheng tightly before she kissed him. She was very grateful to him during the three years they were together. Those three years were the most stable and carefree years of her life, but she really did not want to make the same mistake.


    ¡­


    Early the next morning, Lin Xiaowan was still deep in her sleep. She had fallen asleep after midnight the night before, after all. When she finally opened her eyes groggily, Huo Zheng was already awake. She instinctively reached out for a hug. It was a hidden habit from her previous life.


    Huo Zheng leaned over and hugged her. He was originally standing by the bed, and this position was awkward and tiring. He patted her gently as though he was coaxing a child.


    Lin Xiaowan pouted as she asked in a soft and sleepy voice, ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±


    Huo Zheng tried his best to sound gentle as he replied, ¡°I have to go on a business trip. Let¡¯s get married when I return.¡±


    Huo Zheng waited for a long time for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reply after he finished speaking. When he looked down at her, he smiled faintly when he saw that she had already fallen asleep again.


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan finally woke up, the sun was already high in the clear blue sky.


    It was summer now. The birds and cicadas outside were calling out with all their might.


    After she ate, she entered the study. She walked over to the bookshelf immediately and easily found the book she was looking for.


    She looked at the title of the book, The Theory of Money. She remembered the title very clearly. After all, this was the book where the photo and love letter were hidden.


    Lin Xiaowan felt slightly nervous and did not open the book immediately after taking it out. After mentally preparing herself for a long time, she finally flipped open the book. She nned to bring the photo and love letter to Huo Zheng and ask him about them after he returned from his business trip.


    To Lin Xiaowan¡¯s surprise, there was nothing hidden in the book. There was no photo or love letter.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Hello, I¡¯m Song Zhiyi</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned, staring nkly at the book. After a while, she recalled that Huo Zheng and her were not married yet. Perhaps, for this reason, there was nothing hidden in the book yet.


    There was no way for Lin Xiaowan tofort herself at all. If there was a letter now, it could mean that Huo Zheng had written the letter before he knew her or before they got together, after all. However, it was different if the letter was written after their marriage.


    Lin Xiaowan did not give up. She flipped through the pages of the book to find the photo and the love letter. However, there was nothing.


    She began to question herself.


    ¡®Maybe I wasn¡¯t reborn¡­ Could it be that I had a long dream yesterday? Perhaps, those three years are just a dream?¡¯


    However, Lin Xiaowan was not convinced. After all, the pain, the difficulty she had breathing, and the moments before her death were too real. How could a dream be so real?


    She had her fair share of vivid dreams before, and they were never so vivid. For example, she once dreamed that she was reading the newspaper in bed with her father in their old house. She was snuggled up in her father¡¯s arms and read the newspaper seriously. Halfway through, she even remembered getting out of bed to get corn candy.


    When she finally woke up, she was in a daze for a long time, unable to extricate herself from the dream. She even remembered the news she read. However, when she rushed out of her room, she discovered there was no corn candy.


    Dreams and reality were the opposite of each other. In the dream, she had all of her father¡¯s love for a short time. However, she had nothing outside of the dream.


    When Lin Xiaowan regained her senses, she carefully searched the other books on the bookshelf. However, she still did not find anything.


    ¡­


    Whenever Huo Zheng went on business trips, he would video call Lin Xiaowan every night before she went to bed. He would tell her about his day, his work, where he went, and who he had seen. It gave her a sense of security.


    It was the same this time, but after Huo Zheng finished speaking, he finally realized that Lin Xiaowan, who had been silent for a long time, was distracted. He frowned slightly. After all, she had always listened to him attentively in the past.


    Lin Xiaowan did not even realize Huo Zheng had finished speaking until he called out, ¡°Qingqing.¡±


    Qingqing was the name Lin Xiaowan had given herself. When she met Huo Zheng in the past, she had introduced herself as Lin Qingqing. Later, when he found out that her real name was Lin Xiaowan, he continued to call her ¡®Qingqing¡¯.


    Lin Xiaowan snapped back to her senses and saw the frown on Huo Zheng¡¯s face. She asked, ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She smiled sheepishly and added, ¡°You¡¯re done talking?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t listening,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Lin Xiaowanughed, pretending like nothing was wrong.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan was trying to recall the name of Huo Zheng¡¯s first love.


    ¡®Is Lin Zhiyi or Song Zhiyi? Or is it another name? However, I remember seeing this name before¡­¡¯


    For a moment, Lin Xiaowan was ovee by the urge to ask Huo Zheng about his first love. However, the words were stuck in her throat. After a long time, she only said, ¡°I had a dream. I dreamed that you didn¡¯t want me anymore.¡±


    Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and a hint of hesitance could be heard in her voice as she said, ¡°Then¡­ I died¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression darkened almost immediately. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    His tone was a little stern, which was rare.


    ¡°Why are you fierce? I already said it was a dream,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was still a little dark.


    ¡°Dreams and reality are the opposite. You won¡¯t abandon me, right?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression eased slightly upon hearing these words. He said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to die.¡±


    That seemed to be the main point for him.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded like a chick pecking at grains on the ground as she said with a sweet smile, ¡°Yes, yes, I won¡¯t die.¡±


    After the call ended, Huo Zheng still felt a little uneasy. It took a while before he finally got back to his work.


    On the other hand, Lin Xiaowan went on the Inte and searched a few names. However, there was no useful information, and the names had connections with Huo Zheng.


    ¡­


    The day before Huo Zheng returned, Lin Xiaowan received a call from an unknown number. Initially, she did not n to answer the calls. She usually did not answer calls from unknown numbers. However, she found the string of numbers familiar so she answered the call.


    ¡°Is this Lin Xiaowan?¡±


    The caller was a woman.


    Lin Xianwan¡¯s heart began to race in her chest.


    ¡°Yes.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Song Zhiyi. I wonder if Brother Huo has told you about me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. She was speechless for a moment.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses, she was already sitting in a cafe.


    At this time, a woman with curly hair and an oval face walked over and stood in front of her. The woman¡¯s makeup was exquisite, and she wore a smile on her face.


    Lin Xiaowan rose to her feet and said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Song Zhiyiughed, and a dimple appeared on one of her cheeks. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡±


    Song Zhiyi took a seat on the chair across from Lin Xiaowan. Her movements were elegant and graceful. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, causing the silver bracelets on her wrist to clink against each other.


    Lin Xiaowan studied Song Zhiyi secretly.


    ¡®So she¡¯s Huo Zheng¡¯s first love. She¡¯s so beautiful¡­ Much more beautiful than those photos¡­ She¡¯spletely different from me¡­¡¯


    When Song Zhiyi ordered a ss of iced Americano, Lin Xiaowan instinctively nced at her coconut strawberry milkshake and caramel pudding. She immediately felt like her aura was inferior to that of Song Zhiyi. She could not help but straighten her back.


    Song Zhiyi sized Lin Xiaowan up, making sure that she was superior to the person in front of her. Then, she asked slowly, ¡°Has Brother Huo ever told you about me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. She did not like the way Song Zhiyi addressed Huo Zheng; it was too intimate.


    Song Zhiyi sighed softly. A hint of sadness could be seen in her eyes as she said, ¡°He probably still mes me.¡±


    Then, she looked at Lin Xiaowan and continued to say, ¡°You must be wondering why I called you¡­ I once promised Brother Huo that even if we separate in the future, we must attend each other¡¯s weddings no matter what¡­¡±


    Song Zhiyi¡¯s tone was gentle and without hostility. She sounded just like a gentle sister. However, her words were contrary to her tone.


    ¡°Although we separated in the end, I still want to see with my own eyes if he¡¯s happy or not. I didn¡¯t bother you, did I?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt that Song Zhiyi truly did bother her.


    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t a good ex act like she¡¯s dead? Why did she show up in front of me and speak like she was dering sovereignty? How shameless!¡¯


    Naturally, Lin Xiaowan did not give voice to her thoughts. At the same time, she felt like she needed to reconsider her marriage with Huo Zheng.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: I Don¡¯t Want to Marry You</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°Then why did the two of you break up?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    Song Zhiyi, who was holding her ss of coffee, looked as beautiful as an oil painting. She smiled and replied, ¡°We found that we were more suitable to be friends and broke up peacefully.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded as she thought to herself, ¡®Friends? Earlier, you said, ¡®He must still me me¡¯. What are you trying to say?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan remained silent and waited for Song Zhiyi to continue speaking.


    ¡°I was with Brother Huo when I was in the second year of junior high school,¡±?Song Zhiyi said with a smile on her face as though she was reminiscing about some sweet memories, ¡°He was very famous in school. When he confessed to me, a group of his followers were there. I was so scared that I couldn¡¯t speak at all. I thought he was going to look for trouble with me¡­¡±


    ¡°However, despite his fierce reputation, he had always amodated me. We were together for seven years. Every time we had an argument, he¡¯de up with different ways to coax me. It was as though he had no bottom line when it came to me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan quickly calcted in her mind.


    Song Zhiyi and Huo Zheng were together in the second year of junior high school. If they were together for seven years, it meant that they had broken up when they were in university. Seven years was really a long time.


    On the contrary, from the time Lin Xiaowan met Huo Zheng to the time of her death, it had only been four years.


    Song Zhiyi and Huo Zheng were together for seven years before they realized they were not suitable for each other and decided to break up. However, they could still be friends after that. Did Huo Zheng realize that his ex was more suitable after four years with Lin Xiaowan?


    Lin Xiaowan did some calctions again.


    Huo Zheng was 26 years old this year. He should have been 20 or 21 years old when they broke up. That meant that he and Song Zhiyi broke up about five to six years ago.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me they have been in contact over the past five or six years?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan felt disgusted thinking about this.


    Song Zhiyi continued to say unprompted, ¡°Back then, he was very different from now. He still had the passion of youth. When he liked me, he wanted the whole world to know about it. He knew I didn¡¯t like eating breakfast so he brought me all kinds of food every morning just to coax me to eat. Even his family¡¯s chef at that time knew my taste in food.¡±


    Song Zhiyi covered her mouth andughed coquettishly before she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve said too much. I don¡¯t know why, but when I see you, I¡¯m reminded of the past.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled insincerely as she thought to herself, ¡®Said too much? Didn¡¯t you deliberately say all those things for me to hear? If it weren¡¯t because I believe women shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for women, I¡¯d hit you.¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan punched Song Zhiyi twice in her mind, but she remained calm outwardly.


    Song Zhiyi was slightly irritated when she saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s indifference. Then, she continued adding fuel to the fire and said, ¡°You¡¯re actually a little like me in the past. I used to like sweet drinks as well. I also liked to dress childishly. It was innocent and cute.¡±


    Song Zhiyi paused, pretending to be calm before she continued to say, ¡°When Brother Huo told me about it, I didn¡¯t believe him. Now that I¡¯ve met you, I realized he was telling the truth.¡±


    ¡®F*ck you.¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan smiled and listened to Song Zhiyi. When Song Zhiyi left, she could not help but feel both angry and sad. Huo Zheng was her first love. He had always been calm and rational when he was with her. In fact, she did not think there was anything wrong with the way they got along before this. She even liked the calmness of their rtionship, thinking that it would make their rtionship longsting. However, now that there was aparison, it had roused her dissatisfaction.


    Lin Xiaowan had never met Song Zhiyi in her previous life, but she just remembered that she had seen Song Zhiyi¡¯s phone number in her previous life. At that time, she did not hear her phone so Song Zhiyi¡¯s call ended up bing a missed call. She did not have the habit of returning calls from unknown numbers. Moreover, if it was something important, the other party would likely call again.


    She wondered if things would be different if she had answered the call in her previous life. s, she did not have the answer to her question


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan returned home, she began to look for her household registration book. She did not n to marry Huo Zheng. She wanted to find her household registration book and other important documents before she broke up with Huo Zheng.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Huo Zheng did not love her at all. He likely only wanted to marry her because she was obedient and sensible, and he was also ready to settle down.


    Meanwhile, the aunt at home; the domestic help, saw Lin Xiaowan turning the house upside down as she looked for something angrily. Seeing how Lin Xiaowan hammered the couch twice as though she was venting her anger, she concluded that Lin Xiaowan failed to find what she was looking for.


    After the aunt put the dishes on the dining table, she helped Lin Xiaowan scoop a bowl of rice as she said, ¡°Dinner is ready.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan turned her grief and indignation into appetite. In the end, she ended up eating two bowls of rice.


    The aunt was so shocked, and she quickly refused when Lin Xiaowan asked for a third bowl of rice. She asked worriedly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you full?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was indeed very full. After eating, shey on the couch, unable to move.


    The aunt did not know whether tough or cry when she brought Lin Xiaowan a digestive pill.


    Lin Xiaowan was toozy to move now so she gave up on her search. Apart from her household registration book, Huo Zheng also kept her passport and other documents that she rarely used. She thought that he likely kept them at the old house.


    ¡­


    After returning from his business trip, Huo Zheng went directly to thepany. He only returned homete at night. When he returned, he found that the lights in the living room were on, and the sound ofughter could be heard from the television.


    Lin Xiaowan had fallen asleep, curled up on the couchzily like a kitten in front of the television. As though she had heard Huo Zheng, she woke up and groggily turned the television off before she rubbed her eyes and yawned.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    When Huo Zheng tried to carry Lin Xiaowan back to the room, she looked at him in disgust and pushed him away before she told him to stay away from her.


    Huo Zheng silently took a seat next to her, wondering what he had done to make her unhappy.


    Lin Xiaowan cleared her throat. She looked into Huo Zheng¡¯s deep and dark eyes as she said, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    She thought about their time together, and for a moment, she could not bring herself to say the words ¡®break up¡¯. She could not help but feel frustrated with herself.


    ¡®Perhaps, I should ask about Song Zhiyi first? However, what can I change by asking? The two of them broke up five or six years ago. Even if he rifies things, will I still be able to continue living with him as though nothing happened?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan knew she could not do it. She had to admit that she was jealous of Huo Zheng¡¯s passionate and undisguised love in the past. She was also bothered by his seven-year rtionship with Song Zhiyi. In short, there was a huge obstacle standing between her and Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan hesitating to speak and could not help but feel slightly anxious. He was about to reach out and hug her when he suddenly froze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to marry you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not mince her words and directly expressed her thoughts.


    ¡°Qingqing¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan in disbelief.


    Lin Xiaowan red at him. ¡°Stop calling me Qingqing. Qingqing, Qingqing. I¡¯m so sick f*cking sick of hearing that every day. Don¡¯t you have anything better to say?¡±


    Huo Zheng frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t swear.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± Lin Xiaowan retorted.


    Huo Zheng was in a terrible mood. After all, he discovered that his wife was about to run away as soon as he returned. He really had no idea what went wrong.


    Just like that, the two were in a stalemate.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Huo Zheng Seeks Help</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan had always been verymunicative. When she did not like something, she would not get angry. Instead, she would tell him what she disliked so he would not do it again.


    Thinking about this, Huo Zheng forced himself to calm down and ask, ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was dark and fierce. Moreover, he was used to being in a high?and powerful position. Lin Xiaowan could not help but feel slightly frightened by his expression and aura. Nheless, she activated her skill to make trouble and said, ¡°There¡¯s no reason. I just don¡¯t want to be with you anymore.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took off her ring and ced it on the table as she said, ¡°Here you go. I¡¯m not interested in looking at wedding dresses with you. By the way, is my household registration book with you?¡±


    ¡°Qingqing!¡± Huo Zheng¡¯s voice was a little stern.


    Lin Xiaowan did not dare to look at him and quickly turned away, ignoring him.


    Huo Zheng felt a headacheing on. He wondered if Lin Xiaowan had entered the rebellious phase. After all, she had always been sensible and rational in the past. In order to figure out the thoughts in her head, he softened his tone and said, ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t child¡¯s y, Qingqing¡­¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not child¡¯s y,¡± Lin Xiaowan interjected.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out, okay? Why don¡¯t you want to marry me? Is it because you don¡¯t want a wedding ceremony? We don¡¯t have to have a wedding ceremony if you don¡¯t want one.¡±


    Huo Zheng came from a traditional family. He was the second son, and his elder brother was married. The first time he brought Lin Xiaowan home, his sister-inw had nagged him about following traditions to register his marriage and hold a grand wedding for Lin Xiaowan. His sister-inw also reminded Lin Xiaowan not to get pregnant out of wedlock. The family did not care about what people would say, but they were worried about tarnishing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reputation. In the end, Lin Xiaowan did not get pregnant out of wedlock, but Huo Zheng was about to lose Lin Xiaowan instead.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t care. I just don¡¯t want to be with you,¡± Lin Xiaowan said stubbornly. In the end, she still could not say the words ¡®break up¡¯.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this,¡± Huo Zheng said. He knew she was angry, and he really wanted to coax her. s, he did not know what to do. In the end, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. After kissing her forehead, he said, ¡°Tell me what happened, okay? Why don¡¯t you want to be with me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan struggled a few times but failed to break free. In the end, she bumped his chest with her forehead and did not reply to him.


    They remained in a stalemate for a long time. Perhaps, due to the familiarity of the embrace and howte it was, exhaustion surged through Lin Xiaowan¡¯s body, and it did not take long before she fell asleep.


    Huo Zheng sighed before he put the ring back on for her and carried her upstairs. At the same time, he thought it was fortunate that she had entrusted him to keep her household registration book and other documents.


    ¡­


    In the morning.


    The aunt was steaming beef buns in the kitchen when Huo Zheng walked in.


    ¡°Huh? Mr. Huo, you¡¯re back?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded and asked, ¡°What has Qingqing been doing over the past two days?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything out of the ordinary,¡± the aunt replied, puzzled by Huo Zheng¡¯s question. She thought about it for a moment. Lin Xiaowan had been behaving normally. The only abnormality was¡­ yesterday.


    With this thought in mind, the aunt quickly said, ¡°Now that you asked, there was something strange yesterday. Miss Lin suddenly went out yesterday, but when she returned, she was clearly furious. She rummaged through the cabs in the house, but in the end, it seemed like she couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for. Perhaps she was too angry, she had two bowls of rice during dinner. She was clearly very full so I didn¡¯t dare to let her eat anymore.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded and did not ask any more questions. Clearly, something had happened yesterday.


    ¡­


    When Huo Zheng arrived at thepany, he received a call from his older brother, Huo Cheng.


    ¡°Pay attention to the people around you over the next two days. If you discover anything, let me know immediately. Someone around me is getting restless and is about to make a move.¡±


    The two Huo brothers were Huo Cheng and Huo Zheng. Huo Cheng, the older brother, was in politics, while Huo Zheng, the younger brother, was in business. Thebination of the duo made them very powerful in the country.


    Huo Cheng¡¯s wife was Qiao You¡¯an; the youngest daughter of the Qiao family, which was a prominent family. The marriage helped to forge a strong alliance between the two families.


    The country of Shangxia, where they lived, was slightly different with distinct social rules and sses.


    Shangxia had set up the Office of Military and Political Affairs, and there had been a change of personnel recently. As such, everyone was eyeing the office covetously at this moment. The Huo family was extremely powerful so it was only natural that people were wary of them.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Huo Cheng briefly exined the situation to Huo Zheng, and when he was just about to end the call, Huo Zheng stopped him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Huo Cheng asked.


    Huo Zheng remained silent despite stopping his brother from ending the call.


    Huo Cheng waited for a while. When Huo Zheng still did not speak, he wondered for a moment if the call had ended. He nced at the screen and confirmed the call was still ongoing before he said, ¡°Spit it out if you have something to say.¡±


    Huo Zheng struggled for a moment. He was really worried that Lin Xiaowan would insist on breaking up. He really did not know what the problem was. The only person whom he could think of to ask advice from was his sister-inw, Qiao You¡¯an. In the end, he asked Huo Cheng what Qiao You¡¯an had been up totely.


    ¡°Why are you asking about my wife?¡±


    Huo Cheng was still at home at this moment. Qiao You¡¯an was doing morning exercises in the garden with their two sons who were on summer vacation. Coincidentally, she walked over at this moment to get a ss of water. When she heard his words, she asked, ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±


    ¡°My brother,¡± Huo Cheng said, ¡°He¡¯s beating around the bush just to ask what you¡¯ve been up to recently.¡±


    This was indeed strange.


    Qiao You¡¯an took the phone from Huo Cheng and asked, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something you need from me?¡±


    ¡°Sister-inw,¡± Huo Zheng greeted her politely before he briefly exined the situation to her. To put it simply, his wife was about to run away. He did not know what to do and had no choice but to seek help.


    Lin Xiaowan was not a native of the city of Sheng so she did not have many friends here. The only person she could speak to was Qiao You¡¯an.


    Lin Xiaowan and Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s rtionship had always been pretty good. Upon hearing Huo Zheng¡¯s words, Qiao You¡¯an quickly packed her bags.


    Seeing that his wife was about to rush off with their two sons, Huo Cheng asked, ¡°What about me?¡±


    Huo Cheng had been busy in the past two months. He had been busy burying mines and digging holes for his enemies. He was finally able to ignite the explosive and blew up his enemies, sessfully catching his enemies off guard. He could finally take a breather and rest for two days, but before he could even hug his wife, she had left him alone in the empty house.


    Qiao You¡¯an nced at Huo Cheng and said, ¡°This concerns your brother¡¯s lifelong happiness.¡±


    Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s sons were twins. Their nicknames were ¡®Huo Dabao¡¯ and ¡®Huo Erbao¡¯. When they heard that they were going to see Lin Xiaowan, they were very happy. After all, they liked Lin Xiaowan a lot. They carried their small bags and rushed toward their mother who was standing at the door.


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t talk to Dad anymore!¡±


    ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t open the door for strangers!¡±


    ¡°Bye, Daddy!¡±


    Huo Cheng looked at his family speechlessly. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and blocked his brother¡¯s number.


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan finally woke up, she saw two missed calls with a three-hour interval and a few messages from Qiao You¡¯an.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan quickly read the messages.


    [Qiao You¡¯an: Xiaowan, why didn¡¯t you answer my call? Are you still sleeping?]


    [Qiao You¡¯an: Xiaowan, I heard that b*stard Huo Cheng bullied you?]


    [Qiao You¡¯an: I¡¯ming. I brought Dabao and Erbao as well!]


    Lin Xiaowen sat up immediately. She ran barefoot to the railing on the second floor, which happened to face therge living room downstairs.


    As expected, Qiao You¡¯an had already arrived and was watching some melodrama on the television. The volume was turned down, and the living room was rtively quiet. There were no signs of the two children.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: He Doesn¡¯t Seem to Like Me</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The two Huo brothers lived in Sheng City. Although they did not see each other every day, they still saw each other frequently. As such, Lin Xiaowan was very familiar with Qiao You¡¯an.


    Lin Xiaowan called out, ¡°Sister!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice was soft and sweet. It even sounded a little childish.


    Qiao You¡¯an looked at Lin Xiaowan gently as though she was looking at her precious sons. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡­


    Qiao You¡¯an was not in a rush to talk about Huo Zheng. Instead, she and Lin Xiaowan brought the children to the amusement park. With her nanny and the aunt from Huo Zheng¡¯s house, it was extremely easy to look after the children.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were very fond of Lin Xiaowan. They held her hands and skipped around happily.


    After the amusement park, they went to have dinner before they finally went back.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw that Dabao and Erbao had fallen asleep in the car, she asked gently, ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you stay the night?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an still wanted to speak to Lin Xiaowan about Huo Zheng so she readily agreed.


    The two of them continued chatting before Lin Xiaowan asked hesitantly, ¡°Sister, you visited so suddenly today. Did Huo Zheng say something?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had just mentioned breaking up with Huo Zheng yesterday, and Qiao You¡¯an visited today. Moreover, Qiao You¡¯an also asked if Huo Zheng had bullied her in one of her earlier messages. The reason for Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s visit was obvious.


    ¡°Since you addressed me as ¡®Sister¡¯, I¡¯ll speak bluntly,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said before she asked, ¡°Huo Zheng said that you wanted to break up. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an was like Lin Xiaowan¡¯s elder sister. She naturally could not be unreasonable in front of Qiao You¡¯an like she did in front of Huo Zheng. However, she did not know how to answer Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s question. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°Huo Zheng doesn¡¯t seem to like me¡­¡±


    Song Zhiyi had intimately addressed Huo Zheng as Brother Huo. On the contrary, Lin Xiaowan had never addressed him in such a way before. Even after three years of marriage, she had always called him by his full name. She did not have any nickname for her husband at all.


    It was the same for Huo Zheng. He had always addressed her as Qingqing.


    At this time, Huo Zheng recalled the love letter that Huo Zheng wrote. The content was extremely mushy and tender.


    Lin Xiaowan was extremely envious. After all, Huo Zheng had never been so intimate with her.


    After a moment, Lin Xiaowan stopped herself from thinking about this matter. Otherwise, she would not be able to stop thinking about it, and it would only make her sad.


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Qiao You¡¯an asked gently as she looked at the downcast Lin Xiaowan. Lin Xiao Wan was originally in high spirits, but her mood fell as soon as Huo Zheng was mentioned. Clearly, there was a huge problem between them.


    Lin Xiaowan pursed her lips, finding it hard to speak. Perhaps she had been too reliant on Huo Zheng. After her rebirth, she really could not find any fault in Huo Zheng. The only thing that was wrong was that he had another person he liked. He was so close to another person, but he did not tell her at all. Finally, she asked, ¡°Has Huo Zheng been in a rtionship before?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an was taken aback. She did not expect Lin Xiaowan to ask this question. She tried to recall. When she first met Huo Zheng, he was still in high school. At that time, he indeed had a girlfriend. The other party did note from a prominent family, and he had brought her home before. The other party was tall and beautiful; her smile was very sweet, and she was very eloquent. She remembered the two of them were together for a long time and even nned to get engaged. However, for some reason, the two of them broke up.


    Huo Zheng was depressed for a long time because of that matter. In the early days after the breakup, he had drunk heavily. He got drunk heavily and fought outside of school all the time. Later on, he gradually recovered, but his personality changed a lot.


    ¡°Yes, but the two of them separated many years ago,¡± Qiao You¡¯an replied. She did not say much. After all, it was all in the past.


    A woman was much more sensitive. Qiao You¡¯an could tell something was wrong so she asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly ask about this? Does it have anything to do with you wanting to break up with Huo Zheng?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and asked again, ¡°Huo Zheng at that time¡­ What was he like when he was dating?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an thought about it for a moment, trying to recall Huo Zheng of the past. However, she could not seem to find the right words. In the end, she said in an uncertain tone, ¡°He was¡­ enthusiastic¡­¡±


    When Huo Zheng was young, he was straightforward and passionate about his feelings. He was like the scorching sun and acted mboyantly. He was from the mature, calm, and restrained person he was now.


    ¡­


    In the end, the mature, calm, and restrained Huo Zheng did not return home.


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up in the morning, there was no one next to her. She thought that Huo Zheng had left early so she casually asked about it at the dining table. However, the aunt said that he did not return at all.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s expression changed immediately upon hearing this. In her previous life, even before she died, he woulde back no matter what, carrying the scent of another woman. He woulde every day and had never spent the night outside. However, now, they were not even married yet, but he was already acting like this.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao could tell Lin Xiaowan was unhappy so they quickly leaned over.


    ¡°Aunty, let¡¯s go and y!¡±


    ¡°Aunty, let¡¯s go and watch a movie together?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have much of an appetite. She followed the two children to the home theatre and watched a cartoon with them.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao always felt happy when they were watching cartoons. In their opinion, Lin Xiaowan would definitely be happy after watching a cartoon with them.


    The two children let Lin Xiaowan to the couch before they diligently went to the minibar to get soda and snacks. They thoughtfully ced them next to her.


    ¡°What else do you want to eat, Aunty?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to hug a soft toy? Mommy said that girls love soft toys!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s depression was immediately swept away. She patted the couch and gestured for the two children to sit down before she said, ¡°Hugging the both of you is better than hugging a soft toy.¡±


    Upon seeing this, Qiao You¡¯an felt that the Second Master of the Huo family was not as good at coaxing girlspared to her two sons. While the others watched the cartoon, she hurried outside and called her husband.


    ¡­


    At this moment, Huo Cheng was engaged in a bitter battle with a mountainous pile of documents. If he had a tail, it would be wagging at this moment when he saw his wife calling him. s, as soon as he answered the call, he was scolded by his wife.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your brother? His wife is about to run away, but he didn¡¯t even bother toe homest night! He didn¡¯t even say anything. What? Is he trying to make his wife leave even faster?¡±


    Huo Cheng followed his wife¡¯s words and scolded Huo Zheng as well. After coaxing his wife and ending the call, he quickly unblocked Huo Zheng¡¯s number and called Huo Zheng. However, his call went unanswered.


    Huo Cheng was speechless.


    ¡®Does that b*stard want to die?¡¯


    ¡­


    Huo Zhengy in bed in a daze when he woke. His life was not a melodrama so he did not do anything like sleep with another person. It was just that he felt uneasy thinking that he had slept in a hotel instead of sleeping at home.


    He had cked out the night before.


    Something unexpected happened yesterday, and it was tricky and troublesome to resolve. Moreover, he had been feeling a little down so he drank a little more. He had gotten really drunk in the end so he asked his assistant to send him to a hotel nearby. Originally, he nned to lie down for a while before calling Lin Xiaowan. Unexpectedly, he fell asleep as soon as his body hit the bed.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Sister-inw, Long Time No See</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The first thing Huo Zheng did when he woke up was to call Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan answered the call quickly, but she did not speak. He could only hear the sound of her breathing.


    After a long time, Huo Zheng said, ¡°Qingqing, I was a little busy with work yesterday.¡±


    Lin Xianwan pursed her lips, angered by his words. Her tone was clearly not very good when she said, ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡±


    Huo Zheng was speechless. She was clearly angry.


    Lin Xiaowan sighed. There was no point in giving him the silent treatment. She said, ¡°I¡¯m really not angry. Your work is important after all.¡±


    However, Lin Xiaowan became annoyed again. She really did not know where Huo Zheng kept her important documents. Without saying another word, she ended the call.


    Huo Zheng stared at the phone screen for a while after she hung up. Despite her words, he knew she was still angry.


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng returned to thepany after he changed his clothes. He called his assistant in and said, ¡°Have a look at thetest bags and jewelry and send them to Madam.¡±


    It was not the first time Huo Zheng¡¯s assistant had to pick out presents for his boss. He nodded and quickly left. This was an easy job. Lin Xiaowan was not picky about styles or colors and was very easy to talk to. No matter what was sent to her, she was always happy.


    Not long after, Huo Zheng¡¯s phone rang. When he saw the caller, his aura changed immediately. If his subordinates were around, they would have instinctively held their breaths. He looked a little scary at this moment; his expression was extremely gloomy.


    ¡­


    In the afternoon.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were napping. Qian You¡¯an was worried that Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mood would worsen so she invited Lin Xiaowan out to go shopping. She said bluntly, ¡°Spend his money! The Huo brothers are best at making money. If you don¡¯t spend it, are you going to wait for someone else to spend it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. She had notpletely broken up with Huo Zheng yet. Who was going to spend Huo Zheng¡¯s money? Song Zhiyi? Dream on!


    ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rushed to her room and rummaged through the cabs for a long time before she found the card in a pink card holder.


    The card was given to her indefinitely by Huo Zheng. She could use it as much as she wanted, but she had never used it once in her previous life.


    ¡®If not now, then when?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan put the card in her bag and quickly went downstairs, seemingly in a better mood. She called out, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go shopping! I¡¯ll pay for everything today with Huo Zheng¡¯s card!¡±


    ¡­


    The Celine store was particrly busy today. There was a queue in front of the store, and most of the people were exquisitely dressed women. Apparently, a new line of jewelry had beenunched.


    Lin Xiaowan and Qiao You¡¯an decided to join the fun.


    When the sales assistant saw Qiao You¡¯an, she greeted Qiao You¡¯an and showed her the collection enthusiastically.


    Among the jewelry, there were rings as well. They were not very formal and were very colorful, giving off a young and casual vibe.


    Qiao You¡¯an nced at the simple tinum ring on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s finger and said, ¡°Huo Zheng is too stingy. Why did he buy such a ring to propose? When hees back, you should ask him for a shiny pigeon-egg-sized ring!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shrugged and smiled; she did not say anything. However, she clenched her hands and hid them, looking slightly ufortable. In her previous life, Huo Zheng had given her an extremely shiny diamond ring.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little lost in thoughts. In her previous life, Huo Zheng had personally worn the ring for her during their wedding. Although a diamond was just a stone, he had put a lot of effort into the diamond ring. He had looked around the auction houses all around the world before he finally chose the most beautiful one for her. When that diamond that was worth millions was handed to the designer, the designer had been worried about messing it up.


    Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng¡¯s marriage was not publicized, and the media was unaware of it. The designer only revealed the beautiful and unique diamond ring without revealing any details after obtaining permission from Huo Zheng.


    ¡­


    After leaving the mall, Lin Xiaowan wanted to get milk tea so Qian You¡¯an apanied her.


    Qian You¡¯an looked at Lin Xiaowan and asked, ¡°This ce isn¡¯t far from Huo Zheng¡¯spany. Do you want to drop by for a surprise inspection? ¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. ¡°Forget it. He¡¯s very busy.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had no interest in checking up on Huo Zheng. In her previous life, she was caught off guard. The only time she decided to check up on him resulted in her death. In this life, it was better to forget about such a thing.


    Lin Xiaowan did not check up on Huo Zheng, but Huo Zheng unexpectedly came to her. To be precise, Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi came to her unaware.


    The two of them stood at the entrance of Yiran Restaurant as they chatted. Huo Zheng¡¯s assistant was not with him so it was obvious that he was here for private matters.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s expression was a little icy while Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s expression was rather terrifying.


    Qiao You¡¯an had met Song Zhiyi before, after all. Although Song Zhiyi had changed a lot, she could still recognize Song Zhiyi. She dragged Lin Xiaowan over angrily; almost stomping holes in the ground with her high heels. She said mockingly, ¡°Oh, what a coincidence! I heard that Second Young Master Huo was very busy with work. How did he have so much time toe to Yiran Restaurant?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an usually addressed Huo Zheng by his name. It was clear that she was furious based on how she addressed him as ¡®Second Young Master Huo¡¯.


    Huo Zheng panicked for a moment when he saw Lin Xiaowan and Qiao You¡¯an, but he quickly forced himself to calm down. There were some things he could not exin clearly now.


    Song Zhiyi, who was dressed in a maxi dress, smiled gently and said, ¡°Hello, Sister-inw, long time no see.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an scoffed. Although she had a good impression of Song Zhiyi when Song Zhiyi first visited the Huo family, she had to consider Lin Xiaowan, who was now Huo Zheng¡¯s partner. She said, ¡°Who¡¯s your sister-inw? You broke up with Huo Zheng 800 years ago. Currently, apart from the family¡¯s dog, only Xiaowan can call me ¡®Sister-inw.¡±


    Huo Zheng, who had just been indirectlypared to the family¡¯s dog, was speechless.


    Song Zhiyi did not seem to take Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s attitude to heart and remained polite. She acted as though this was her first time meeting Lin Xiaowan as she extended her hand to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Are you Xiaowan? Brother Huo spoke about you many times.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not expose Song Zhiyi nor did she reach for Song Zhiyi¡¯s hand. Her expression was cold as she said, ¡°No need.¡±


    Song Zhiyi was not embarrassed. After the two women¡¯s hostile reception, she only looked at the silent man next to her with a slightly hurt expression and said, ¡°I mean no harm. Did Xiaowan misunderstand something? Brother Huo, you have to exin it clearly.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes. She remained calm as she scolded, ¡°Even perfume can¡¯t hide your foxy stench. What¡¯s the matter? You can¡¯t find another man after leaving your Brother Huo so you came back to look for him??Do you derive pleasure from having an affair with someone¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan nced at Huo Zheng before she continued to say, ¡°Or perhaps, Second Young Master Huo likes the thrill thates from two-timing me?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an looked at Lin Xiaowan in shock. After all, Lin Xiaowan was usually very soft and agreeable. She felt as though her understanding of Lin Xiaowan had been refreshed at this moment.


    ¡®You¡¯re quite good at talking!¡¯


    At the same time, doubts grew in Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s heart as well. Yesterday, Lin Xiaowan had asked if Huo Zheng had been in a rtionship before. That meant that Lin Xiaowan did not know about Huo Zheng¡¯s past rtionship. However, based on what she had seen so far, it seemed like Lin Xiaowan knew Song Zhiyi.

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: He Didn¡¯t n to Tell Her About This for the Rest of Her Life</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The atmosphere was tense.


    Qiao You¡¯an knew it was inappropriate to ask questions now so she did not say anything.


    Huo Zheng frowned. He did not like the way Lin Xiaowan spoke of him. ¡°Qingqing, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sneered.


    ¡®Is this man looking for a p?¡¯


    Song Zhiyi still did not recover from the shock. During herst meeting with Lin Xiaowan, Lin Xiaowan had been very easy to deal with. She was certain that Lin Xiaowan was very easy to bully. She did not expect Lin Xiaowan to suddenly gain a sharp tongue.


    ¡­


    The atmosphere remained tense until they reached home.


    Qiao You¡¯an received a call from Huo Cheng in the car; he was looking for her for an urgent matter. When they arrived, the chauffeur was already waiting for her. She quickly picked up her sons who had just woken up and left in a hurry.


    Before Qiao You¡¯an left, she said to Lin Xiaowan worriedly, ¡°If there¡¯s anything, talk it out. Don¡¯t act rashly, okay?¡±


    After Qiao You¡¯an left, Lin Xiaowan gave the aunt the day off.


    The aunt had always been on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s side. Although she did not know what happened, she pulled Lin Xiaowan tofort Lin Xiaowan when she saw the unsightly expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face.


    Lin Xiaowan forced a smile on her face and nodded in response to the aunt¡¯s words.


    When the house was finally empty, Lin Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief.


    Huo Zheng wanted to coax Lin Xiaowan and tried to hug her. However, just the sight of him made her angry. How could she allow him to touch her? She flung his hand away with a sour expression. She sat at the edge of the couch alone and asked, ¡°Are you going to exin yourself?¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at her with dark eyes and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just work¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed angrily. Huo Zheng¡¯s exnation did not change at all. It had always been work, work, work. Clearly, he apanied Song Zhiyi for a meal and apanied Song Zhiyi to pick out a ring in her previous life, but he always med it on work.


    ¡®Do I look stupid? Does he think he can simplye up with an excuse to fool me?¡¯


    If she did not answer that call on a whim, she would not have known about Song Zhiyi¡¯s existence. She would have happily gone to try wedding dresses with Huo Zheng. Who knew if Song Zhiyi had been among her wedding guests in her previous life?


    The more Lin Xiaowan thought about it, the angrier she became. She asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Song Zhiyi?¡±


    In fact, Huo Zheng would have found something suspicious about these words if he were not so preupied. After all, he had never mentioned Song Zhiyi before so how did Lin Xiaowan know Song Zhiyi? However, at this moment, he only assumed that Qiao You¡¯an had told Lin Xiaowan about Song Zhiyi so he did not find anything wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. There¡¯s nothing to talk about,¡± Huo Zheng said slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you unhappy.¡±


    Perhaps it would be fine if Huo Zheng did not say these words. s, his wordspletely triggered Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to make me unhappy? Then, did you think about making me unhappy when you went to see her?¡±


    ¡®When you were picking rings with her and told me you were busy with work, did you think about making me unhappy or angry?¡¯


    ¡°I went to see her because of work,¡± Huo Zheng said again.


    ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you say anything to me? Did you think I¡¯d?be happier if you secretly went to see her? Do I look happy now?!¡± Lin Xiaowan asked furiously. She mmed her hand on the table repeatedly as she spoke until it was numb and red. She could not feel any pain at all at this moment.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to ask, ¡°What kind of work requires you to keep in touch with your ex whom you¡¯ve broken up with many years before? It even requires you to have a private meal!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s parents divorced when she was young. The reason was due to her mother having an affair. Most importantly, her mother had an affair with a married man, destroying another person¡¯s family on top of her own.


    Yearster, her parents were both married to other people and had children respectively. However, who knew that they would reconcileter on?


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s stepmother found evidence of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s affair first. Although her temper was not very good, she had always treated Lin Xiaowan¡¯s father very well. In the end, she forced herself to endure this matter.


    For all these reasons, Lin Xiaowan could not tolerate or ept anything that had to do with destroying another person¡¯s family.


    At this time, Huo Zheng moved to sit next to Lin Xiaowan. Seeing that her palm was red, he quickly held her hand and rubbed it gently.


    Lin Xiaowan was annoyed at the sight of him and forcefully pulled her hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    She really felt like cursing at this moment.


    Huo Zheng leaned over and said, ¡°Your hand is hurt. Let me rub it for you.¡±


    His expression was very serious when he spoke.


    Lin Xiaowan sighed, feeling helpless. She felt as though she had punched cotton.


    Huo Zheng rubbed her hand before he lightly kissed her red palm. He said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have constant contact with her. In fact, ever since we broke up, we¡¯ve had no contact.¡±


    Song Zhiyi had once been a scar in Huo Zheng¡¯s heart. However, he had already gotten over her. Whenever he thought about her now, he was only filled with disgust. He naturally would not take the initiative to contact her.


    Lin Xiaowan took a deep breath before she said, ¡°You said it¡¯s because of work. Then tell me, what kind of work is it?¡±


    Huo Zheng fell silent again.


    There were too many things involved, and it was tooplicated. He wanted to protect Lin Xiaowan so he did not want to say too much. It was better to know as little as possible about certain things. In short, the less Lin Xiaowan knew, the safer it would be for her.


    Lin Xiaowan sneered. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll change my question. If we didn¡¯t run into each other today, when were you going to tell me about you and Song Zhiyi?¡±


    Huo Zheng could not answer this question. After all, he never nned to tell Lin Xiaowan about this for the rest of his life. He had been with Song Zhiyi for too long, and the breakup was awkward. Moreover, he knew very well that no woman would want to listen to their boyfriend¡¯s stories with their exes. Apart from that, he inexplicably did not want Lin Xiaowan to know the reason he and Song Zhiyi broke up.


    However, after what happened today, if Lin Xiaowan was persistent about this matter, Huo Zheng decided he would tell Lin Xiaowan about his past after he dealt with Song Zhiyi¡¯s matter.


    However, in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes, Huo Zheng¡¯s silence only made it seem like he cherished and cared about his past. In her opinion, it was difficult for him to talk about it because he had yet to let go.


    Finally, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re never going to tell me, are you?¡±


    Huo Zheng quickly hugged her, feeling distressed. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took a deep breath. She really did not understand herself recently. In the past, she rarely cried. However, she became fragile after dying once.


    ¡°Did you really not contact her after the breakup?¡±


    ¡°No, not even once,¡± Huo Zheng promised solemnly.


    Lin Xiaowan remained silent. Song Zhiyi had implied that she and Huo Zheng remained friends after their breakup. However, even if they were friends, it did not necessarily mean that they kept in touch. The other possibility was that Song Zhiyi was lying.


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to believe Huo Zheng, but she remembered her previous life. If Huo Zheng was telling the truth, then what was it she saw in her previous life?


    She wanted to ask more about Song Zhiyi. However, when she thought about the love letter she had read and Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s evaluation of Huo Zheng when he was young and in love, she found it hard to speak.


    Qiao You¡¯an had said that Huo Zheng was enthusiastic, passionate, and straightforward about his feelings when he was in love.


    Lin Xiaowan really could not imagine such a Huo Zheng. She would likely die of jealousy if Huo Zheng really recounted his love story with Song Zhiyi.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: All You Do Is me Your Work</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°You¡¯ll have to continue seeing her for now, right?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded with great difficulty. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him and said, ¡°What if I want to be selfish and willful? I don¡¯t like her, and I don¡¯t want you to see her even if it¡¯s for work.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Qingqing.¡±


    Huo Zheng could not let go of even the slightest thing that could be detrimental to Huo Cheng or the Huo family. If he rxed and made a mistake, the price he would have to pay would be too great. He could end up dragging the entire Huo family down.


    The Huo family had been around for centuries. The family business was notpletely clean; it had stepped into some gray areas in the past. He had yet to clean everything up, but Song Zhiyi held conclusive evidence.


    The key figures of the Office of Military and Political Affairs were about to be re-elected; this was the most crucial time. Many people had failed at the veryst moment. He had to get rid of all hidden dangers. Song Zhiyi was just bait, and the fish behind her had yet to be caught.


    Lin Xiaowan sighed. ¡°You won¡¯t tell me anything about your work and you won¡¯t stop seeing her. What if both of you decide to get together again?¡±


    After all, seven years were long and not easy to forget.


    Song Zhiyi did not even try to hide her intentions. She was clearly here for Huo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan had no confidence in herself at all.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t!¡±


    However, the way Huo Zheng readily promised Lin Xiaowan did not convince her at all.


    ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen each other after so long?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    Huo Zheng hesitated for a few seconds before he answered truthfully, ¡°This is the third time. The first time was the day before the business trip. Then the second time was¡­ yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked with a sigh, puzzled, ¡°Whether it¡¯s work or for personal matters, like you said, it¡¯s all in the past. You¡¯re my boyfriend, and you¡¯re even prepared to marry me. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were going to meet your ex?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I was afraid you¡¯d be unhappy with me.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you think seeing both of you having a meal and chatting happily as though no one is around makes me happy? Do you think I¡¯d be so happy that I¡¯d pretend like nothing happened?¡±


    Huo Zheng said firmly, ¡°We weren¡¯t chatting happily as though no one was around. We were just talking about work and¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not give Huo Zheng to finish speaking. She said, ¡°Work, work, work. All you do is me your work.¡±


    The two of them fell silent again.


    Lin Xiaowan suppressed her emotions before she calmly said, ¡°Huo Zheng, it bothers me that the person sleeping next to me is involved with a woman who clearly has a motive.¡±


    Huo Zheng realized what Lin Xiaowan was about to say and called out anxiously, ¡°Qingqing¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being impulsive,¡± Lin Xiaowan said calmly as she looked into Huo Zheng¡¯s eyes. She stayed in his embrace, and it seemed as though she had returned to her usual gentle self at this moment as she continued to say, ¡°We got together too quickly. If you think considering breaking up is impulsive, then it was even more impulsive when we got together¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t impulsive when we got together,¡± Huo Zheng hurriedly denied.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng, feeling a little tired. ¡°However, I feel that it was impulsive. Since you need to work with Song Zhiyi, I think we should take a break during this period of time.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng¡¯s rtionship was very sudden. It was summer vacation at that time. She had just graduated and had yet to find a job. As such, she decided to work part-time at the amusement park north of the city.


    One day, the amusement park had a garden party. At that time, she coincidentally ran into Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao who had gotten lost. Huo Dabao held Huo Erbao¡¯s hand and politely asked Lin Xiaowan if she could bring them to the amusement park¡¯s office. He said he was lost and wanted it to be announced on the broadcasting system.


    Lin Xiaowan took an instant liking to the two cute, obedient, and sensible children. Not only did she bring them to their destination, but she also bought them fruit juice and ice cream. The two children politely declined before they finally epted them, looking serious and cute.


    Coincidentally, Huo Zheng was the one who brought the two children to the amusement park. Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an wanted to spend a few days alone. That was how Lin Xiaowan met Huo Zheng. At that time, to express his gratitude, they even had a meal together. That was the first time she had eaten in such an expensive restaurant. She had been bbergasted when she saw the bill. What she earned in a month was not even enough to cover the bill.


    A few dayster, Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao called and invited Lin Xiaowan to their house. Initially, she declined the invitation because of work. Missing a day¡¯s work meant that she would lose a day¡¯s pay. She could not bear to part with the 200 yuan she would earn.


    At that time, Huo Dabao asked seriously, ¡°Then, can I hire you as a guest toe to my house?¡±


    Huo Erbao nodded and chimed in, ¡°Brother and I have a lot of pocket money so we can pay you!¡±


    After that, the two children really showed her their money and even asked if 5,000 yuan was enough.


    Lin Xiaowan jumped in fright when she heard their words. If she had no conscience and it was not illegal, she would have taken the money and run away. In the end, she did not ept the money from them, but she took a day off to visit them.


    Huo Zheng seemed to have heard about the matter. At that time, he waited until she was done telling them a bedtime story before he spoke to her. He asked her if she was willing to stay for a few days. It would be considered a job, and he would pay her. He had been having a hard time taking care of the children, and he was amazed by how she was able to tame the two children. He felt that it was almost magical.


    Lin Xiaowan agreed, and her short and special job ended when Qiao You¡¯an and Huo Cheng returned. However, Huo Zheng did not cut off contact after that. They continued talking until September when she told him she was leaving. At that time, he asked her if she was willing to stay. With him, she could do whatever she wanted and did not have to worry about money. After that, they got along until now¡­


    ¡­


    On the first night of their official break, Huo Zheng slept in the guest room for the first time.


    From the day they moved in, the guest room had been left empty. This was the first time they had slept in separate bedrooms under the same roof.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan had volunteered to sleep in the guest room. Although the house was bought under both their names, Huo Zheng had paid for it. She had been with him after graduating, and herst job was at the amusement park. How could she have saved up enough money to buy a house?


    Huo Zheng rejected her expressionlessly after she offered to sleep in the guest room. He watched her enter their bedroom before he went to the guest room.


    Neither of them slept well that night.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan tossed and turned in bed. Now that they had broken up, she could not continue staying here. However, the rental in Sheng City was not something she could afford. She did not have any savings after all. If she went back to her hometown, a small county in the north, she would probably not see Huo Zheng again.


    ¡­


    In the morning.


    The two of them sat at the dining table, looking tired. They ate breakfast silently.


    The aunt had already returned, and when she sensed that the atmosphere between the two was not right, she did not dare to say anything.

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: She Has Never Seen Him So Fierce Before</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan did not make things difficult for herself when she ate. After eating, she cleared her throat, seeing that Huo Zheng had no intention of speaking. She asked, ¡°Is my household registration book with you?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in the old house.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know why he kept it there, but she did not ask. She touched her nose and said, feeling slightly awkward, ¡°I¡¯ll go and get it in the next two days. You should remove my name from this house. I n to move out in two days.¡±


    ¡°Move out?¡± Huo Zhen raised his head immediately.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why are you moving out?¡±


    ¡°Uh, we¡¯ve broken up, right?¡±


    ¡®What kind of question is that? How can we still stay together after breaking up?¡¯


    Huo Zheng stared at her intently and said, ¡°You said that it¡¯s a temporary break. Where do you n to go?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head and said softly, ¡°Home.¡±


    ¡°Stay here. I won¡¯t give you your household registration book, and you¡¯re not allowed to leave,¡± Huo Zheng said, rising to his feet. His aura was so oppressive that Lin Xiaowan did not dare to raise her head at all.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s words were domineering and unreasonable, but Lin Xiaowan did not dare to refute them. Not only that, but she actually felt relieved. She thought to herself, ¡®Ah, it seems like he really can¡¯t bear to part with me.¡¯


    However, at the same time, she felt really shameless as well. She proposed to break up with him, but at the same time, she did not want to leave. It was as though she was deliberately trying to lead him on. She felt like she was really a b*tch.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan did not say anything, Huo Zheng thought that she was still adamant about leaving. When his eyes fell on the ring on her finger, he deliberately asked, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going wearing my ring?¡±


    Huo Zheng was already in a bad mood because of the breakup; his mood only worsened when Lin Xiaowan said she wanted to move out. As such, when he spoke, his words and voice were unintentionally cruel and cold in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ears. He only wanted her to stay, but in her ears, it did not sound that way.


    Lin Xiaowan was originally holding a small bowl of porridge. However, when she heard his words, she instinctively withdrew her hand and touched her ring under the table. Initially, she wanted to keep the ring even after the breakup. However, based on his words, it seemed like he was not willing to let her keep it.


    ¡®How annoying. Previously, when I returned it to him, he didn¡¯t want it. Today, he doesn¡¯t want me to wear it¡­¡¯


    Finally, Lin Xiaowan took the ring off. She ced it on the table and pushed it toward him.


    ¡®So be it. I¡¯ll just return it to him.¡¯


    Huo Zheng grew even angrier when he saw her actions. Without saying another word, he left, mming the door behind him loudly.


    Lin Xiaowan froze, shocked. He had never been so angry or fierce to her before so she was a little frightened.


    Even the aunt, who was in the kitchen, was shocked. She had never seen Huo Zheng lose his temper ever since she started working here. He was already intimidating enough on normal days, but he was even more terrifying when he lost his temper.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was alone, the aunt came over and asked, ¡°Is the porridge cold? It¡¯s bad for your stomach if you eat it cold.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan looked up, the aunt saw her eyes were red and teary.


    Lin Xiaowan wiped her tears with her sleeve. She had lost her appetite to eat. She pushed the bowl away and stood up, looking sad as she said, ¡°Aunty, have you eaten? You should eat. I don¡¯t want to eat anymore.¡±


    The aunt sighed.


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng left in the morning, and he did not return at night. However, this time, he sent an address to Lin Xiaowan, telling her that he would stay there in the future.


    Lin Xiaowan was alone at home. No matter what she did, she could not raise her spirit.


    ¡­


    The Huo family¡¯s old mansion was in the suburbs of Maple Mountain. It was very far, and Lin Xiaowan did not know the way. The chauffeur worked for Huo Zheng so he definitely would not drive her there. However, she really wanted her household registration book and other documents. In the end, after hesitating for a while, she called Qiao You¡¯an for help. Unfortunately, Qiao You¡¯an did not answer the call.


    After a few days passed, Qiao You¡¯an still did not return the call.


    Lin Xiaowan did not like to trouble others. Since the other party did not return the call, she also did not call again.


    ¡­


    Half a month passed, and Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan did not contact each other.


    Lin Xiaowan did not like going out so she was cooped up at home every day. She was often lost in her thoughts.


    Seeing the state she was in, the aunt even advised her to go for walks.


    One day, the aunt asked her, ¡°I¡¯m going to the supermarket. Do you want toe with me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan agreed. She liked snacks so she bought a lot of them.


    The aunt felt much happier when she saw this. At the same time, she sighed at how simple Lin Xiaowan was. Nheless, it was good that she could divert Lin Xiaowan¡¯s attention.


    Huo Zheng, the master of the house, had not been home for so many days. The aunt naturally knew that something had happened, but it was not her ce to ask questions. There was nothing she could do either. She could only do her best to cheer Lin Xiaowan up.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan did not stay happy for long. As soon as she arrived home, the smile on her face vanished, and she became unhappy again.


    She missed Huo Zheng very much. After all, they had been together for a while. In her previous life, Huo Zheng had long integrated with her life. Now that she was suddenly alone in a ce filled with memories, it was inevitable that she would feel sad.


    s, Huo Zheng did not contact her, and she was too embarrassed to contact him. After all, she was the one who proposed to break up. No matter how ufortable it felt, she had to get used to it.


    Lin Xiaowan flipped through the calendar and recalled events from her previous life. Her heart was extremely heavy. No matter what, she had to return to her hometown before the end of the year.


    ¡­


    Autumn arrived in just a blink of an eye.


    When the weather turned cold, Lin Xiaowan was even more unwilling to leave the house. She could sleep up to ten hours a day; it was as though she was hibernating even though it was only October. Apart from that, she also ate very little.


    Once in a while, when she went shopping with the aunt, she felt as though she was being watched. She would look around suspiciously, making the aunt nervous.


    It was the same today. Lin Xiaowan did not walk very far before the feeling of being watched and followed appeared again. However, she looked back a few times but did not see anyone. She stopped in her tracks, feeling anxious.


    The aunt did not think Lin Xiaowan was overthinking things. She had read many reports about women who lived alone being stalked, robbed, or killed. She knew this was not a small matter.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan began to feel suspicious, she had begun to pay attention to suspicious markings on the house. She even ced Huo Zheng¡¯s leather shoes outside the door just to be safe.


    After a while, nothing happened, but Lin Xiaowan still felt as though she was being watched and followed whenever she left the house.


    The aunt looked around as well. There were only a few pedestrians in the neighborhood, and it was extremely quiet. There was nothing but the sound of wind.


    The two of them continued walking forward.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was anxious, the aunt suggested, ¡°Should we call the police just in case?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and quickly pulled the aunt away. It was only when there were more people around them that she felt slightly more at ease.


    Lin Xiaowan knew that there was no point in lodging a report. The police would only think she was being paranoid and would not take this matter seriously.


    It was also for this reason that Lin Xiaowan was even more reluctant to leave the house.

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Lin Xiaowan¡¯s Birthday</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The aunt recalled the times when she went out on her own and said, puzzled, ¡°How strange. When I went out, I didn¡¯t feel anyone following me or watching me. Is the other party targeting you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have the answer to this question as well. She really wanted to move, but she did not know where to go. Even if she returned to her hometown, she did not have a ce to stay. She would have to find a house to rent first. She had checked various rental apps for ces to rent in her hometown in the north. Rentals were cheaper in a small city, and they were even cheaper ces further away from the heart of the city. In the end, she found a ce in an old neighborhood. It was a 90-square-meter three-bedroom apartment that only cost 600 yuan.


    However, every night, she would make up her mind to leave, but when she woke up the next day, she would hesitate again.


    After sending her the address, Huo Zheng did note home nor did he contact again.


    ¡­


    At this moment, Huo Zheng sat expressionlessly in Huo Cheng¡¯s office. He emitted a dark aura as he read a document.


    An intern entered the office tremblingly and reported some matters to Huo Cheng. As soon as she was done and Huo Cheng nodded, she hurried out of the office as though she had seen a ghost.


    Upon seeing this, Huo Cheng said with a helpless expression on his face, ¡°Why are you here when you have nothing to do here? You¡¯re going to scare everyone to death with that face of yours.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not reply nor did he look at Huo Cheng.


    Huo Cheng continued to say, ¡°If you really miss your wife, you can sneak back to see her. If you¡¯re worried about her, then send her somewhere far away. Isn¡¯t her hometown in the northern city? You¡¯ve broken up, and she¡¯s also said that she wanted to leave. You should let her leave. During this time, the further away she is from you, the safer she¡¯ll be.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was unsightly as he said, ¡°We didn¡¯t break up. The northern city is too far away. I¡¯m worried something will happen there.¡±


    Huo Cheng thought about it for a moment. Song Zhiyi had already met Lin Xiaowan. If they moved Lin Xiaowan too far away, it would be bad if Song Zhiyi or the people behind her decided to make a move against Lin Xiaowan. Indeed, it would be easier to keep an eye on Lin Xiaowan if she was close to them.


    Finally, Huo Cheng said, ¡°I told you to send her to the Qiao family. My wife is there anyway. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re unwilling to do so.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to get too involved with us,¡± Huo Zheng said. As he spoke, he grew frustrated again. He and Lin Xiaowan were clearly in the same city, but it had been a long time since he had seen her. Every day, he had to wrack his brain for the Huo family; he was also worried about Lin Xiaowan. Fortunately, she had always been very sensible.


    Nheless, Huo Zheng was still angry and helpless about the breakup. In his opinion, as long as he made her stay, he would not have anything to worry about after the dust settled. At that time, he would have a good talk with her and tell her everything she wanted to know. He would not hide anything from her at that time.


    The more Huo Zheng thought about it, the more he found that he could not concentrate on the document in his hands. In the end, he simply threw the document on the ground and closed his eyes to rest.


    On the other hand, Huo Cheng was not doing too well either. His position was too crucial, and many people were eyeing him from all directions now. He had to constantly guard against open and secret attacks. The mastermind behind Song Zhiyi had yet to show up, and he waspletely tied up by the information in Song Zhiyi¡¯s hands. Just like how Huo Zheng had not seen Lin Xiaowan for a long time, he also had not seen Qiao You¡¯an and his two sons for a long time now.


    Hu Dabao and Hu Erbao had been pulled out of school recently due to safety concerns. Moreover, they could not trust tutors to homeschool the two children so in the end, the task of homeschooling the children was given to family members.


    Huo Cheng thought of something at this moment and said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t me me for being nosy, but don¡¯t you still have a helper at home with Xiaowan? In my opinion, you should fire her. She¡¯s an outsider after all. If she were to be blinded by her greed, who knows what will happen.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Huo Zheng said with his eyes still closed.


    The more Huo Cheng thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He did not even know when he lost such a thick stack of documents and ount books; he had not brought them out after putting them away after all. It was highly likely that Song Zhiyi had acted many years ago when she visited the Huo family.


    Huo Cheng could not help but curse, ¡°That dogshit ex-girlfriend of yours is really a f*cking disaster!¡±


    Huo Zheng did not say anything, but his expression was dark.


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan learned that the aunt was leaving, she was shocked. She asked, perplexed, ¡°Why?¡±


    The aunt naturally did not know the reason either. She only received a call from the agency in the morning, informing her that her work was over and to move out as soon as possible. The agency even asked her if she needed them to look for a new job for her. Since her contract had yet to expire, Huo Zhengpensated her with arge amount of money for the early termination of the contract. As such, she could not even say anything.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, and she asked, ¡°Did Huo Zheng do this?¡±


    The aunt did not answer the question and left soon after.


    Lin Xiaowan was now the only one left in the huge house after the aunt¡¯s departure. Even the cook no longer came. Her three meals were now delivered by servants from the Huo family.


    She really could not figure out what Huo Zheng was up to.


    Without the aunt, Lin Xiaowan was even more afraid to leave the house. She was truly afraid of being watched. Even when she went out to throw the trash, her heart would pound in her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.


    Apart from that, Lin Xiaowan also had difficulty falling asleep. She often woke up in the middle of the night with palpitations, wondering if someone was hiding in the dark house. She would turn on the lights in her room and clutched her phone tightly, frightened out of her wits. She was overwhelmed by the urge to call Huo Zheng several times but managed to resist in the end.


    On such nights, she would sit until the sky turned bright before she allowed herself to fall asleep curled up on the couch.


    ¡­


    It was not until Lin Xiaowan¡¯s birthday that Huo Zheng returned.


    The weather was very cold now. Apart from throwing out the trash once a week, Lin Xiaowan did not go out at all.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan was hugging her knees and watching a drama on the television. She did not like watching dramas in the past due to their convoluted plots or bad storyline. However, now, they became her way to kill time.


    When the doorbell suddenly rang, Lin Xiaowan trembled and quickly muted the drama. Her heart rate quickly shot up to 180 bpm. She slowly walked to the door and looked through the peephole. When she saw that it was Huo Zheng, the tension eased immediately, and she felt dizzy from the relief.


    She held the doorknob and took a few deep breaths to calm down before she opened the door like nothing was wrong.


    When Huo Zheng saw her pale face, his heart tightened. He thought she was sick so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and stepped aside to let him in.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well,¡± Huo Zheng said. When he tried to hold Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand, she quickly avoided him.


    ¡°Maybe I slept for too long,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Lin Xiaowan missed Huo Zheng terribly. She thought about him every day. When she closed her eyes, she thought about their past, and sometimes, she would think about his past with Song Zhiyi.


    However, now that Lin Xiaowan saw Huo Zheng, she did not know what to say.


    The two of them walked into the living room.


    Huo Zheng ced the colorful bags with brand names on the ground in a row before he took a seat.


    Silence continued to permeate the house, but Lin Xiaowan felt at ease. It had been two months, and she had been living in fear. She would turn on the lights at night and check the house carefully. She would only turn off the lights when dawn came.


    With Huo Zheng¡¯s presence, even if he was only sitting silently, Lin Xiaowan felt extremely rxed. She wished she could just lie down and sleep at this moment. However, despite her wish, she asked, ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±


    Huo Zheng shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Then, after a brief pause, he added, ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon.¡±

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: It¡¯s to Ensure Your Safety</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan did not have anything to say in response. Suddenly, she recalled her birthday wish in her previous life. She suddenly blurted out without thinking, ¡°When you¡¯re done with your work, can we visit the North Pole? I want to see the northern lights!¡±


    Huo Zheng was delighted when he heard her request. He quickly said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bring you there when I¡¯m done with my work.¡±


    In his opinion, since Lin Xiaowan was willing to go on a holiday with him, it meant that she no longer wanted to break up.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes fell on the various bags on the ground and asked, ¡°Why did you bring so many things over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned. When she returned to her senses, she brought her phone out to check the date. It was indeed her birthday. She had been muddle-headed these days and had lost track of the days. She hadpletely forgotten about her birthday.


    Sensing that something was amiss, Huo Zheng asked, ¡°Qingqing, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Huo Zheng wanted to test the water so he quickly reached out to hug her. It would be best if he could kiss her as well. s, the moment his hand touched her, she shivered in fear and dodged to the side.


    Confused, Huo Zheng leaned over tofort her as he asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Qingqing? Can I hug you?¡±


    He spoke softly, afraid of further frightening her.


    Lin Xiaowan felt extremely jittery at this moment. In fact, she had instinctively dodged him. When she saw his open arms, she asked without thinking, ¡°Do you also hug Song Zhiyi like this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her, okay?¡± Huo Zheng said with a sigh as he withdrew his hands.


    It seemed as though Lin Xiaowan did not hear his words as she continued to press on. She asked, ¡°Did you meet Song Zhiyi again during this period of time?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded with great difficulty. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry, Qingqing. I have no choice but to see her.¡±


    Then, he asked again, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her anymore, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head silently.


    Huo Zheng slowly pulled her into his embrace and held her hands. Her hands were small, and her fingers were short and chubby. He found them very cute. After a moment, he asked worriedly, ¡°Why are your hands so cold?¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan did not respond to him, he continued to ask gently, ¡°What do you want to eat tonight? Pork ribs with preserved plums? Snowke Beef Tenderloin? You have to eat more vegetables. You can¡¯t be picky.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt that this was not right. How could they behave intimately like a couple when they had broken up? How could she live in his house when they had broken up?


    Finally, she mustered up her courage and said, ¡°I want to go home.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not know why she brought this topic up again. He paused for a moment before he said anxiously, ¡°Qingqing, this is your home. You promised me you wouldn¡¯t leave. Wait for me a little longer. After this matter is settled, Song Zhiyi will never appear in our lives again. At that time, if you still want to break up, I¡¯ll pursue you again, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and said, ¡°You always want me to wait for you. I want to go home.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just talk about going to the North Pole to see the northern lights? Don¡¯t you want to go?¡± Huo Zheng asked, coaxing her as though he was coaxing a child. His eyes could not hide his anxiety, but his voice was gentle.


    Lin Xiaowan had not been sleeping well recently and was in low spirits. Huo Zheng¡¯s gentle voice made her feel a little dazed. She muttered, ¡°I keep feeling like someone¡¯s watching me. Wherever I go, I feel like someone¡¯s secretly watching me.¡±


    The invisible gaze made her hair stand on end, and it almost drove her crazy.


    Huo Zheng sighed in relief when he realized this was the reason she wanted to go home. He quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. They¡¯re not bad people. They¡¯re here to protect you.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Xiaowan sobered up immediately. She suddenly pushed Huo Zheng away and looked at him in disbelief as she asked, ¡°Are they your people?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded calmly. Clearly, he did not think he had done anything wrong. He said, ¡°It¡¯s to ensure your safety.¡±


    ¡®To ensure my safety?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan almostughed out loud.


    Due to the constant surveince, she lived on tenterhooks every day. She was paranoid and uneasy, constantly tense. The eyes that stared terrified her. Now that she found out Huo Zheng was responsible for this matter, how could she not be angry?


    ¡°Ensure my safety? Why didn¡¯t you say anything if you wanted to protect me? Why right do you have to keep me under surveince or monitor me? Are you crazy, Huo Zheng? Why did you send people to keep an eye on me without telling me anything? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!¡±


    Nearing the end of her words, Lin Xiaowan screamed hysterically.


    Huo Zheng did not understand Lin Xiaowan¡¯s anger at all. He said, ¡°I¡¯m not keeping you under surveince or monitoring you. I¡¯m protecting you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt as though she was going to go crazy from anger. She did not understand how Huo Zheng could be so calm. She was so angry that her hands shook. When she saw the bags, she pushed them over and shouted, ¡°Why do I need protection? Why? Is it to stop me from going out or is it to stop me from sneaking away? I don¡¯t need this kind of protection!¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s so-called protection made her afraid to go out, afraid to sleep, and afraid of life.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair was disheveled, and her face was ashen at this moment.


    Huo Zheng did not understand Lin Xiaowan¡¯s feelings at all. He had a headache from her overreaction, but he kept coaxing her like he did in the past. ¡°Alright, alright, calm down, okay? When this matter is over, I¡¯ll send those people away.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng in disbelief. ¡°I said I don¡¯t need the protection. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, Huo Zheng?¡±


    ¡°Be good, okay? I¡¯m really trying to protect you,¡± Huo Zheng said as he leaned over to tidy her hair.


    Lin Xiaowan swatted his hand away, not holding back her strength as she did so. She said angrily, ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Huo Zheng felt a little angry at this moment. He was doing all these for her good, after all. This was an important time, and enemies of the Huo family were looking for an opportunity to make a move. He was truly worried they would target Lin Xiaowan. However, she did not seem to understand him at all. He said darkly, ¡°There¡¯s no room for discussion regarding this matter. Someone has to keep an eye on you.¡±


    Huo Zheng realized he sounded a little harsh so he quickly softened his tone and said, ¡°Xiaowan, can you please listen to me?¡±


    Seeing that Huo Zheng did not listen to her at all, she stood up angrily, intending to scold him again. Perhaps she had stood up too quickly, her vision turned ck, and she fainted.


    Huo Zheng was shocked and quickly reached out to catch her.


    Lin Xiaowan was only unconscious for a few seconds. When she regained her senses, she did not even know she had fainted; she only thought it was a bout of dizziness. When she realized she was in Huo Zheng¡¯s arms, she immediately struggled to free herself from him.


    ¡°Qingqing, Qingqing, listen to me¡­ I promise that once this matter is over, no one will keep an eye on you,¡± Huo Zheng said. He was worried she would faint again so he did not dare to hold her too tightly. He could only watch helplessly as she huddled on the other side of the couch.


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to listen to him anymore. She only said, ¡°I want to leave tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Your Father Won¡¯t Be Able to Hold On Any Longer</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng panicked. Theing days were the most critical period. He would only feel at ease if he could keep Lin Xiaowan somewhere safe. If she left and something happened, he was really worried he would not be able to protect her. His temper rose at this moment, and he said in a tone that brooked no arguments, ¡°No. Stay here obediently. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s words and tone were really unpleasant to hear. It was like an order.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this just like a house arrest?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan red at him and cursed, ¡°F*ck you! You¡¯re viting my personal freedom!¡±


    Huo Zheng lowered his head and apologized to her, but he refused to give in. However, seeing how adamant she was, hepromised reluctantly and told her that he would arrange for fewer people to keep an eye on her.


    ¡°Just two. I¡¯ll leave two people to watch over you, okay? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t allow you to go home. Just wait. When this matter is over, I¡¯ll personally send you back.¡±


    This was Huo Zheng¡¯s bottom line.


    After hearing this and venting her anger, Lin Xiaowan finally felt better and had dinner with Huo Zheng.


    The meal that was sent over was prepared by the Huo family¡¯s chef. Along with it was a chocte and strawberry cream cake to celebrate Lin Xiaowan¡¯s 23rd birthday. The cake was to her liking, and even the candles were in the shape of little animals.


    After eating the cake, Lin Xiaowan finally felt better. Her expression eased.


    Upon seeing this, Huo Zheng sighed in relief as he thought to himself, ¡®At least I didn¡¯t mess everything up¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    Over the next few days, Lin Xiaowan did not make a fuss. After thinking about it, she tried to empathize with Huo Zheng. Perhaps, he really had his reasons for his actions. Hence, she forced herself to stay in the house.


    In the afternoon, Lin Xiaowan felt uneasy and kept getting distracted. When she woke up from her nap, shey on the bed in a daze for a long time. She looked at the calendar and found that there was a week left until the marked date.


    She felt restless as though something heavy was weighing her heart down. Not only was she overly anxious, but she also felt like crying. For some inexplicable reason, she really craved the crispy and salty desserts from Huaiyang Bakery at the intersection of Yuhu Northern Road.


    Huo Zheng did not say she could not go out. Over the past few days, when she went out to throw the trash, she felt like the gazes on her were not as intense as before. However, they still gave her goosebumps.


    In the end, she decided to change her clothes and leave the house.


    The high-end neighborhood was far from the heart of the city so it was not easy to get a cab. She stood by the roadside for a while, wondering if she should call for a cab from the app instead when a low-key ck Volkswagen pulled to a stop in front of her.


    The driver was an ordinary-looking young man. His face was easily forgettable.


    ¡°Miss Lin, where are you going?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan clutched her phone tightly and did not dare to speak.


    Seeing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wariness and fear, the young man showed his ID and said, ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Huo¡¯s man.¡±


    At the same time, he dialed Huo Zheng¡¯s number. After two rings, the call connected, and the young man handed the phone to Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan called out hesitantly, ¡°Hello?¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice rang from the other end of the line.


    ¡°You can let him drive you when you go out. Don¡¯t talk to strangers. If someone calls you, just ignore them. Understand?¡±


    After that, Huo Zheng asked gently, ¡°Where are you going, Qingqing?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan let down her guardpletely when she heard Huo Zheng¡¯s voice. She replied, ¡°I want to buy something.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait at home? I¡¯ll get someone to send the things to you?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to buy it myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then, go home after you¡¯re done shopping?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    After the call ended, Lin Xiaowan got into the car and went to Huaiyang Bakery. Apart from the crispy and salty desserts, she also bought 500 grams of walnuts, a date cake, and a coconut cake. Then, she returned home without any incident.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan ate quite a lot, but her heart still felt empty. She looked at the marked date on the calendar again. In her previous life, her father passed away during this period of time.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have many contacts on her phone. Her parents had divorced early and remarried with their own respective families. She was left at her grandparents¡¯ house at that time. Her grandmother had a strong preference for boys so she would scold her for everyone to hear. At home, her grandmother would not only scold her, but scold her mother as well; her grandmother would also pick on her. Ever since she was young, she had lived such a life. At first, it was still fine when her grandfather was around. However, when her grandfather passed away when she was in junior high school, the situation worsened.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s father was so focused on his new family that he did not have time to care about her. Moreover, her aunt did not like her. Her aunt would hide all the fruits, vegetables, desserts, and biscuits she bought, and she often did not have food to eat. Apart from paying her school fees, her father had no contact with her at all.


    As for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mother, she would give Lin Xiaowan pocket money, but she was very strange. Whenever they met, she would beat, scold, and humiliate Lin Xiaowan. Lin Xiaowan really did not know what her mother was thinking.


    When Lin Xiaowan started working part-time in high school, her mother passed away from cancer. Then, when she became an adult, she changed her household register and went to Sheng City University. She had never returned since then.


    Her familial ties were not deep. She did not spend much time with her parents and rtives since she was young.


    Although she kept telling Huo Zheng she wanted to go home, she actually did not have a home in Beicheng, her hometown. Her situation in Beicheng was even worse than that in Sheng City. At the very least, there was a house under her name in Sheng City. It could be said that Huo Zheng was the only one in her heart.


    After filling herself up with snacks and desserts, Lin Xiaowan went to bed. She tossed and turned for a long time but she could not fall asleep. In the end, she found a critically-acimed foreign movie to watch.


    Halfway through the movie, her phone rang.


    Lin Xiaowan usually did not answer calls from unfamiliar numbers, but this number was from Beicheng. An ominous feeling rose in her heart immediately as she tentatively answered the call. She heard the tired voice of a woman. She knew immediately that the other person was Lin Mei, her aunt.


    ¡°Lin Xiaowan,e back. Your father won¡¯t be able to hold on any longer.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not shocked. She calmly changed her clothes and went out.


    ¡­


    Perhaps it waste at night so Huo Zheng¡¯s men let down their guard; they did not notice that she had gone out. No one stopped her as she hailed a cab. She bought a train ticket online and easily collected it when she arrived at the train station. No one stopped her at all. For a moment, she could not help but wonder what Huo Zheng meant by ¡®protection¡¯.


    The train was ted to arrive at 2.15 AM. There was still more than half an hour left so Lin Xiaowan continued to watch the unfinished movie on her phone. However, her eyes might be trained on the screen, but her thoughts had already drifted away to the past.


    A long time ago, she looked forward to the lunar new year. To be precise, she looked forward to the first seven days of the lunar new year. This was because her stepmother would bring her daughter back to her parent¡¯s house during those days, and Lin Xiaowan would have time alone with her father. However,ter on, she realized that her father did not care about her at all. Thanks to her disappointment, she gradually lost all expectations.


    Thinking about it, she had not seen her father for many years.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Lin Xiaowan Hates This ce</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan was not shocked. She calmly changed her clothes and went out.


    ¡­


    Perhaps it waste at night so Huo Zheng¡¯s men let down their guard; they did not notice that she had gone out. No one stopped her as she hailed a cab. She bought a train ticket online and easily collected it when she arrived at the train station. No one stopped her at all. For a moment, she could not help but wonder what Huo Zheng meant by ¡®protection¡¯.


    The train was ted to arrive at 2.15 AM. There was still more than half an hour left so Lin Xiaowan continued to watch the unfinished movie on her phone. However, her eyes might be trained on the screen, but her thoughts had already drifted away to the past.


    A long time ago, she looked forward to the lunar new year. To be precise, she looked forward to the first seven days of the lunar new year. This was because her stepmother would bring her daughter back to her parent¡¯s house during those days, and Lin Xiaowan would have time alone with her father. However,ter on, she realized that her father did not care about her at all. Thanks to her disappointment, she gradually lost all expectations.


    Thinking about it, she had not seen her father for many years.


    ¡­


    It took five hours for the train to reach Beicheng. Lin Xiaowan had bought the ticket for the fastest train avable.


    After getting off the train, she received a call from Huo Zheng.


    Although Huo Zheng tried his best to suppress his anger, he still sounded fierce when he asked, ¡°Lin Xiaowan, where did you go?!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was taken aback. Huo Zheng had never addressed her by her full name before.


    She thought about her previous life. During this time in her previous life, Huo Zheng was away on a business trip for two or three days. When he returned, she had also already returned from her hometown. Although he knew about it, he did not ask any questions since he saw that she did not want to talk about it.


    Lin Xiaowan followed the crowd to the exit and queued for a cab.


    On the other end of the line, Huo Zheng took a deep breath. In the morning, when the servants went to deliver food, they had said that no one opened the door. After waiting for a long time, they used the spare key to enter the house and discovered that the house was empty. What wasughable was that the two people he sent to watch over Lin Xiaowan did not even know she was gone.


    This was the first time Huo Zheng could not control his anger when faced with Lin Xiaowan. He had always been cold and harsh to outsiders. Everyone knew that about the Second Young Master of the Huo family. However, when he faced Lin Xiaowan, he would inadvertently soften.


    At this moment, Huo Zheng, who had never raised his voice at Lin Xiaowan before, could not control himself when he found out that she had gone to Beicheng without a word. He was anxious and angry.


    ¡°I told you not to leave. Why didn¡¯t you listen? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t allow you to go back. All I asked for is for you to wait. Why can¡¯t you wait?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind went nk when Huo Zheng raised his voice. She suddenly felt a little fed up. Before she could think more about it, she had already ended the call.


    The phone was silent for two seconds before Huo Zheng called again.


    Lin Xiaowan decisively switched off her phone.


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng was so furious that he threw his phone on the ground. His expression was extremely terrifying at this moment.


    The Huo family¡¯s bodyguards in charge of protecting Lin Xiaowan lowered their heads and did not dare to breathe loudly. Although the heater was turned on in the room, they felt chills running up their spines. They did not dare to exin themselves. After all, there was no doubt that it was indeed a dereliction of duty on their part. They had watched Lin Xiaowan for a long time now and knew that she did not go out other than to take the trash out. They did not expect her to suddenly leave in the middle of the night.


    Huo Cheng, who was dressed in a formal traditional metal-gray Shangxia suit, patted Huo Zheng¡¯s back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too worried. You¡¯ll be able to close the very soon. Have more confidence in yourself. It¡¯ll be fine soon. It¡¯s not a bad idea for her to leave Sheng City so you don¡¯t have to worry about her being pulled into the chaos here.¡±


    Huo Zheng rubbed his temples and remained silent.


    At this time, Huo Cheng¡¯s secretary knocked on the door and entered the room. He did not say too much and only told Huo Cheng that it was time to leave. The election was about to begin.


    Huo Cheng rose to his feet and said, ¡°Hold on a little longer. When the cab meeting ends today, the Dong family will soon disappear.¡±


    The Dong family had always been the Huo family¡¯s enemy. The mastermind behind Song Zhiyi was none other than the current head of the Dong family. The two Huo brothers had carefully set up the chess pieces. For three months and seventeen days, they had been careful as though they were walking on thin ice. Finally, they were ready to close the.


    After Huo Cheng left, Huo Zheng sat in silence for a long time. Then, he called his assistant in and told his assistant to buy him a new phone.


    Huo Zheng nced at the two bodyguards in the room, who did not dare to speak or move, and said, ¡°Scram! Look for her in Beicheng.¡±


    The bodyguards scurried away after receiving the order. When they finally left Huo Zheng¡¯s sight, theymented out loud. Although Beicheng was a small city, looking for someone without an address or clue would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. s, they were the ones who made a mistake. No matter how sad they were, they could only bite the bullet.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan took a cab back to her house in Beicheng. It was her grandmother¡¯s house. Ever since she left for university in Sheng City and changed her household register, there was no room for her there. Her grandmother had converted her room into a storage room.


    Lin Xiaowan learned that her father had a cerebral hemorrhage.


    In the morning, he had bent down to put on his shoes, but when he got up, he suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground. His daughter was home at the time. She was so frightened that she kneeled next to him for a long time, calling out to him before she finally remembered to call the emergency number.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house was located in a very old neighborhood. Most people living in the neighborhood were the elderly. They did not have many hobbies and usually gathered in groups of two or three to chat.


    Lin Xiaowan hated this ce.


    It was still early in the morning when Lin Xiaowan arrived. There were already many olddies gathered near the house. When they saw her, they fell silent and stared at her with their turbid eyes as though they were staring at something unusual.


    Lin Xiaowan walked past them expressionlessly. She was already annoyed and frustrated as soon as she arrived.


    It did not take long before the olddies began to chat among themselves again.


    When Lin Xiaowan heard her name, a rare hint of hostility shed in her eyes.


    The atmosphere in the house was somber. There were not many people, only her aunt and her family, her grandmother, her stepmother, and her half-sister. No one spoke to her, and she did not want to speak to them either. She stood at the side casually and allowed her thoughts to wander.


    There was no change in her grandmother¡¯s house at all. The scribbles she had drawn on the wall when she was young were still there. The romance novels she had bought in middle school were still kept under the ss coffee table. The cab behind the television still housed the model of a courtyard she built, but it was already covered in dust. Many things that she did not take away were still here.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s grandmother looked miserable as she cried, ¡°My son! How could he leave just like that? How am I supposed to leave? Just let me die! My life is so bitter! My son!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s aunt held Grandma Lin¡¯s hand, crying as sheforted her heartbroken mother.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s gaze fell on the girl sitting on the couch in the living room. The other party was her half-sister. Her half-sister was 12 years old; 11 years younger than her. Her skin was fair, and her eyes were like ck gems. Her thick hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Although she was very young, one could see that she would grow up into a beautiful woman in the future.


    Lin Xiaowan looked away. She did not expect that when she finally saw her father again, he would be lying in a coffin.

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Breaking News</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    After that, Lin Xiaowan and the others went to the ancestral grave to bury her father.


    The sounds of cries rang in the air. Many rtives, whom Lin Xiaowan had never met before, came and went.


    As the eldest daughter, Lin Xiaowan had to kneel to observe filial piety. Everyone was crying, but she did not shed a tear at all. Moreover, she felt the others were too noisy. Her aunt came over and said it was inappropriate that she did not cry. A few rtives, whom she was not familiar with, also came over and held her hand as though they were very familiar with her. They cried and told her how much her father loved and missed her, hoping she would cry after listening to their words. However, her expression remained cold as she kneeled silently.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s left knee was weak. She could not even go mountain hiking since it would aggravate her condition. It was November now so it was extremely cold. Even if she wore two pairs of thick pants, her legs were still stiff and painful from the cold, especially after kneeling for such a long time. If she moved even a little, her left knee would feel as though it was being stabbed by needles.


    When it was finally time to leave the ancestral grave, it was already at night. Lin Xiaowan limped into her aunt¡¯s car to return to Beicheng.


    When they were in the car, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s aunt gritted her teeth and scolded, ¡°You¡¯re already an adult so I really don¡¯t want to say anything. However, how could you act like that? Your father is gone, but you didn¡¯t even cry! Look at your sister! She¡¯s so young, but she knows how to cry. Have you forgotten about your father after being away for a few years?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s aunt continued to scold, ¡°When our rtives spoke to you, you didn¡¯t even greet them. Why are you so rude? I really don¡¯t know what you learned in school. Why are you showing such a bad expression? Your biological father is dead!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan remained expressionless. She had heard these words countless times in her previous life and had long grown tired of them. She leaned her forehead against the window.


    The night was as dark as ink. The streetlights and a few asional cars sped past outside the window.


    ¡®Perhaps, I¡¯m really an ingrate¡­¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself. She did not have any feelings for her parents at all. She was like this when her mother died as well. It was as though she was born without any sense of kinship. Even in her previous life when she died, she did not spare any thought for her family at all. She only wondered why Huo Zheng cheated on her and why he abandoned her.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan asked her to stay for seven days for the funeral rites, but Lin Xiaowan shook her head. Then, she went around to look for a house. Her search was rather fruitful. She found a ce with two rooms for 750 yuan a month.


    Thendy was rather easygoing and easy to talk to; she told Lin Xiaowan that she only needed to pay a small deposit to start renting the house.


    Lin Xiaowan did not agree immediately. After all, she still wanted to return to Sheng City to find Huo Zheng. After all, Huo Zheng had promised to cut off all contact with Song Zhiyi once the matter was over. She also wanted to hear about everything once the dust had settled.


    Since Lin Xiaowan nned to leave, she had to buy another ticket. She had just brought her phone out to buy the ticket when she saw a notification for the trending news. It was news regarding Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi.


    [Breaking News! Real-life Cindere! It¡¯s suspected that there¡¯ll be a happy asion in the prominent Huo family soon, and an insider revealed that the bride isn¡¯t from a prominent family!]


    There were many headlines and news simr to this one.


    The apanying pictures were blurry, and only one out of nine pictures showed half of Huo Zheng¡¯s face. Although it only showed a small part of his face, Lin Xiaowan could still see his high nose bridge and jaw.


    Song Zhiyi stood next to Huo Zheng. She wore an orange winter coat with a white fur cor. She leaned against him, looking frail and innocent.


    Lin Xiaowan clicked on the post with the mostments, which was also the one that broke the news. It had not been long since the post was published, but there were already more than 30,000ments. Most of them were congrattory and envious messages. A few people evenmented that they could tell the man in the pictures was handsome even if the pictures were blurry.


    [Damn, I can tell he¡¯s handsome based on his side profile. He should be the younger Huo brother, right? I remember that the older brother got married a while ago.]


    [Yes. I remember the older brother even announced that his wife gave birth safely quite a few years ago.]


    [One of them is a high-ranking official in Shangxia while the other is a sessful businessman. Whoever is able to marry into the family will definitely enjoy a lifetime of happiness.]


    [Amazing! The Huo family doesn¡¯t need business marriages with their status. This must be true love!]


    [No one would dare to publish such news if it wasn¡¯t true. What if they¡¯re sued for spreading rumors? This also showed that this news is true!]


    After reading a fewments, Lin Xiaowan thought about her previous life again. She recalled watching Huo Zheng put on a ring for Song Zhiyi from afar. In this life, she watched him do so through the phone screen.


    ¡®It seems like he lied to me again¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head to hide her red eyes. She had already experienced it once in her previous life. God even gave her a second chance. Logically, she should have run far away from Huo Zhen. She should not have listened to him no matter what he said and severed all ties with him. s, she was weak and could not bear to part with the warmth and care he gave her.


    She still remembered clearly that after she met Huo Zheng for the first time, the weather changed suddenly at the end of her shift at the amusement park. Dark clouds suddenly rolled in as thunder began to ring the air, heralding the arrival of a storm. However, she did not think too much of it; she was already used to being drenched in the rain since she was young.


    At that time, she suddenly received a call from Huo Zheng. He only said that it was going to rain soon and told her not to leave yet. He told her to wait for someone to pick her up.


    Since that day, Huo Zheng never let her get drenched in the rain again. He was the only one who worried about her not having an umbre when it was raining. There were many other small trivial things like that in their rtionship.


    For example, Lin Xiaowan did not like Sichuan pepper. Whether it was raw or cooked, she could not eat it. She had dinner once with Huo Zheng, and he quickly noticed it. He did not say anything at that time, but there had never been any Sichuan pepper in their food since then.


    Through these seemingly trivial things, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s feelings for Huo Zheng gradually deepened. She became extremely dependent on him and began to obey his every word. Since he cared so much about her, even if he did not love her, he must have liked her.


    Lin Xiaowancked love since she was young. It was not surprising that she was happy when she received just a little bit of love.


    Unfortunately, Lin Xiaolin realized that the fondness she assumed he had for her was actually nothing.


    Nheless, she still bought a ticket back to Sheng City. Her heart was calm when she left Sheng City, but it was filled with confusion and hesitation now that she was returning to Sheng City.


    ¡­


    The situation in Sheng City was not stable.


    In the end, the person who became the head of the Office of Military and Political Affairs was the current head of the Qin family, Qin Yanchuan. Qin Yanchuan was previously considered a double agent; he was on good terms with the Dong family on the surface, but he was actually on the Huo family¡¯s side.


    She still bought a ticket back to Shengjing. When she came, her heart was empty, but when she went back, her heart was filled with hesitation and confusion.


    He might not love her, but why did he lie to her?


    At this moment, Shengjing Sect did not seem to be stable.


    In the end, the person who became the head of the Cab¡¯s Military and Political Affairs Office was the current head of the Qin family, Qin Yanchuan. Qin Yanchuan was previously considered a double agent. He had always been on good terms with the Dong family, but he was actually on the Huo family¡¯s side in private.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Bargaining Chip</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    During the meeting, Qin Yanchuan led a group of people to the Office of Military and Political Affairs and protected Huo Cheng, the chief assistant of the office.


    Compared to the Huo family that had muddy beginnings, the Dong family was like a pool of dirty water. The family members all had ulterior motives, and none of their hands were clean. As soon as the meeting ended, the Dong family immediately had internal conflicts.


    In fact, Dong Xianghang knew that he had been schemed against as soon as Qin Yanchuan was elected as the head of the family. Seeing the chaos in the Dong family, he knew that he would be finished if the dirty things in his family were exposed. Hence, he quickly gathered his trusted aides and took action, hoping to pull the rig out from under his opponents. He held a copy of the Huo family¡¯s ount books; the original was with Song Zhiyi. s, he did not expect the Huo family and the Qin family to act before he could submit the evidence in his hand. He had urgently contacted Song Zhiyi then, urging her to send the evidence in her hand to the Prime Minister. However, he could not get in touch with her.


    Dong Xianghang could not help but curse.


    ¡®That damn woman was afraid I¡¯d destroy the Huo family so the copy she gave me only contained less serious evidence. She thinks she can marry Huo Zheng with this¡­¡¯


    Dong Xianghang was filled with regrets at this moment.


    ¡®I should¡¯ve known that the b*tch was unreliable. After all, she wants Huo Zheng¡­¡¯


    Dong Xianghang had escaped in the chaos after being dealt a heavy blow. At this time, he was sitting in a ck car, crossing the border of Sheng City when he suddenly saw Song Zhiyi, who seemed to be waiting for something by the roadside.


    Dong Xianghang quickly got out of the car and pped Song Zhiyi.


    ¡°You stinky b*tch! Where¡¯s the original copy of the evidence? I contacted you, but you intentionally cut off contact with me, right?¡± Dong Xianghang cursed as he kicked Song Zhiyi a few times.


    Song Zhiyi was stunned. She hugged Dong Xianghang¡¯s leg tightly as she wailed. ¡°No, no, Brother Dong. I was tricked by Huo Zheng, and the original copy was stolen by him!¡±


    ¡°Tricked? I¡¯ve lost everything now! I was hoping that you could negotiate with the Huo family using the evidence in your hands. Now you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s stolen?!¡± Dong Xianghang cursed as he kicked Song Zhiyi away, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Then, Dong Xianghang brought a gun out and pointed it at Song Zhiyi¡¯s head before he asked, ¡°You colluded with He Zhong to trick me, right? I¡¯m going to f*cking kill you!¡±


    Song Zhiyi¡¯s hair was disheveled, and her clothes were torn. All traces of her elegance had vanished at this moment. She was scared out of her wits when she saw the gun. She was like a cornered dog at this moment. Out of desperation, she said, ¡°Brother Dong, Brother Dong, I still have a way!¡±


    Dong Xianghang continued to point the gun at her as he said, ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°H-Huo Zheng has a girlfriend. They had broken up, and she¡¯s not by his side now¡­¡±


    Previously, Huo Zheng had coaxed Song Zhiyi into bringing him to her house. While she was distracted, he knocked her unconscious. When she was regaining consciousness, she had heard him on the phone. He seemed to be looking for Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°They¡¯ve already broken up. What¡¯s the point of saying this?!¡±


    ¡°No! Brother Dong, trust me. The breakup is just a coverup. As long as Lin Xiaowan is in our hands, we can use her as a bargaining chip.¡±


    Dong Xianghang looked at Song Zhiyi skeptically. ¡°The two of you have been together during this period of time. Everyone knows about it. Since the media even dared to report it, it can¡¯t be false¡­ Why should I believe you? How do I know you¡¯re not sent by Huo Zheng?¡±


    Song Zhiyi gritted her teeth upon hearing these words. ¡°He lied to me. That scumbag yed with me!¡±


    Huo Zheng only wanted to snatch back the evidence in Song Zhiyi¡¯s hands that was detrimental to the Huo family. In order to gain Dong Xianghang¡¯s trust, she told Dong Xianghang everything Huo Zheng had done.


    Dong Xianghang raised an eyebrow; his interest was piqued. He asked, ¡°What do you n to do?¡±


    Song Zhiyi heard that Lin Xiaowan was returning to Sheng City, but she did not know the time.


    However, this was a small matter. Although Dong Xianghang had fallen into such a state, he was still much better than ordinary people. Moreover, not many people knew about the conflict between the Dong family and the Huo and Qin families. Dong Xianghang might not be able to show his face in front of prominent families in Shangxia, but he still had many underlings.


    Finally, Dong Xianghang put his gun away and ordered someone to bring Song Zhiyi into the car. They were going to an abandoned farmhouse at the border of Sheng City where Dong Xianghang conducted business that could not see the light of day.


    ¡°Do you have any pictures?¡± Dong Xianghang asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Song Zhiyi quickly sent a photo to Dong Xianghang.


    Dong Xianghang zoomed in on the picture and said with a sneer, ¡°What a pretty girl. Look at you and her. Huo Zheng¡¯s luck with women is really good.¡±


    Dong Xianghang sent the photo to his assistant and said, ¡°Print this picture and give it to the others. Arrange for them to keep an eye on the airport, train station, and bus station. Whoever manages to catch her will be rewarded with¡­¡±


    Dong Xianghang paused and gestured with his hand before he said, ¡°Ten million.¡±


    ¡°Tell your men to be careful. Huo Zheng is also looking for her,¡± Song Zhiyi said.


    Dong Xianghang sneered. At this time, Huo Zheng would not dare to search for someone so openly. After all, Huo Zheng was definitely worried about him finding his weakness. As such, this would give him an advantage over Huo Zheng.


    ¡­


    After Dong Xianghang ran away, Huo Zheng and Huo Cheng returned to the family house to discuss the follow-up matters.


    Qiao You¡¯an and the Qiao family were also involved in this matter, but she knew very little about the matter. As such, she did not have much to do and was waiting for them at the house. When she saw the two brothers, she quickly ran toward them and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with the news? Which media outlet is so stupid to post about you and Song Zhiyi?¡±


    ¡°I arranged for it to happen,¡± Huo Zheng said, looking exhausted. He had lost a lot of weight in the past few days.


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Qiao You¡¯an asked in shock.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, honey. It¡¯s fake. Song Zhiyi was too vignt and guarded the evidence tightly. As such, Second Brother came up with this method,¡± Huo Cheng said, pulling his soft and fragrant wife into his embrace. Simr to Huo Zheng, he was exhausted.


    Huo Zheng brought his phone out and took a look before he said, ¡°It¡¯s been removed.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how big a ssh this news caused? People love this kind of news the most! You know it¡¯s fake, but do others know? Does Xiaowan know? I know the Huo family is important, but is there no other way?¡± Qiao You¡¯an asked. She thought that the two brothers¡¯ actions were ridiculous.


    The two men did not speak.


    Huo Cheng continued hugging his wife silently. After all, Lin Xiaowan was not his wife, and it was not his ce toment on the matter. Everything depended on Huo Zheng.


    However, Huo Zheng did not say anything. He had been quite fierce thest time he had spoken to her. After that, he had not spoken to her again.


    The two men didn¡¯t speak. Huo Cheng was fine with just hugging his wife. Lin Xiaowan wasn¡¯t his wife, so he couldn¡¯t control her. It all depended on Huo Zheng¡¯s opinion.


    However, Huo Zheng did not say anything.


    Ever since Huo Zheng called Lin Xiaowan, he couldn¡¯t help but sound a little fierce. After the call was hung up, he hadn¡¯t contacted anyone for two days.


    Dong Xianghang was a dangerous man, and he had not been caught. He did not dare to look for Lin Xiaowan openly and could only wait for her toe to him so he could exin himself.


    Qiao You¡¯an felt helpless. She knew that Lin Xiaowan had returned to Beicheng and assumed that Lin Xiaowan had run away in anger because of Huo Zheng. She said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s for her good, you can¡¯t behave like this. This isn¡¯t your first time in a rtionship. Why didn¡¯t you just take a step back and coax her?¡±

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: Huo Zheng¡¯s New Love and Old Love</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    When Huo Zheng was with Song Zhiyi, he was someone who would pluck the stars and the moon from the sky for her. He would say sweet words just to her to coax her.


    It was a good thing that Huo Zheng had matured, but he could not be too reserved in front of his girlfriend.


    Qiao You¡¯an recalled the time when she met Lin Xiaowan in the summer. At that time, Lin Xiaowan had looked downcast as she said that Huo Zheng did not seem to like her. She could not help but feel distressed for Lin Xiaowan again when she thought this.


    Qiao You¡¯an finally said, ¡°Anyway, the matter is over now. When Xiaowanes back, you must have a good talk with her. If she¡¯s angry, just bear with it. You were wrong in the first ce. Let me know if you need my help.¡±


    After a brief moment, Qiao You¡¯an added, ¡°Don¡¯t always be so secretive. You told her about your previous rtionship, right? This time, you have to make things clearer so there won¡¯t be any more misunderstandings.¡±


    Huo Zheng raised his head and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her anything.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an frowned. She thought about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words at that time, which clearly indicated that Lin Xiaowan knew Song Zhiyi. She asked, ¡°If you didn¡¯t tell her, then how did she know Song Zhiyi?¡±


    Huo Zheng could also sense that something was amiss. He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell her about it?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Why would I tell her about it? Wouldn¡¯t that just make things difficult for the both of you?¡±


    Huo Cheng looked at the two of them in confusion and asked, ¡°What are the both of you talking about?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an patted her husband¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in detail tonight.¡±


    Her woman¡¯s intuition was telling her something was wrong. Then, she and Huo Zheng began to analyze the conversations they had with Lin Xiaowan at that time. The more they spoke, the deeper their frowns became.


    ¡­


    After Dong Xianghang settled down in the abandoned farmhouse, his assistant rushed over and whispered to him, ¡°Boss, we found her.¡±


    Only two hours had passed since Dong Xianghang ordered his men to find Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°So fast? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°We found her at the train station north of Sheng City.¡±


    ¡°No one noticed anything, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan was jolted awake by some movements. As soon as she regained consciousness, the excruciating pain from the back of her head assaulted her, causing her to feel dizzy. She could hear faint voices talking next to her.


    At this time, someone casually tossed Lin Xiaowan to the ground. She was already injured at the back of her head. When she hit the ground, she could not help but cry out in pain. She tried to move but discovered that her hands and legs were retrained by hemp ropes.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    The man who tossed Lin Xiaowan to the ground walked over and sized her up. When he saw the frown on her face and the beads of sweat on her forehead, he let out a whistle and said lecherously, ¡°Your skin is so fair and tender. It¡¯s soft and smooth as well¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shrank back in fear.


    Fortunately, the man did not do anything else. He only said, ¡°Alright, stop moving around. It won¡¯t be easy for me to exin myself to the boss if something happens.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ve been kidnapped¡­¡¯


    This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first thought.


    ¡®But why?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan tried her best to recall what had happened.


    She remembered walking out of the train station. There was no fixed taxi stand so she walked around, trying to hail a cab. At that time, someone called out to her from behind. When she turned around, she saw her uncle waving at her from a distance.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mother passed away when she was in high school, she had not seen her uncle again. Although years had passed, he did not seem to change at all. Since they bumped into each other, she went over to greet him. At that time, her uncle said that he had already called for a cab and suggested that they share a cab. However, not long after that, he suddenly said that he had left something at the train station. He pointed to a ce and told her to wait for him there before he hurried away. Soon after that, she was knocked unconscious.


    ¡®Who was it?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan only felt her head ache when she tried to think about this matter.


    She did not know anyone in Sheng City except for Huo Zheng and his family. She did not have any good friends from university as well. She really could not figure out who would want to kill her.


    It was no winter. During winter in Sheng City, the temperature could drop to as low as -10 degrees Celsius. Unsurprisingly, there was no heater in the abandoned farmhouse.


    This was a nightmare for Lin Xiaowan who was tied up and lying on the ground. The chill from the cement floor passed through her thick clothes, freezing her. Due to the cold, one would be more sleepy. However, sleeping would only make one colder. To make matters worse, she could not move at all. Coupled with the excruciating pain, there were many times when she almost lost consciousness.


    Who knew how much time had passed when the old wooden door suddenly creaked open.


    Song Zhiyi, who was bundled up warmly, followed Dong Xianghang in as sheined, ¡°Why is it so cold in here?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so delicate?¡± Dong Xianghang asked. He looked at Song Zhiyi¡¯s pouty lips and licked his lips. She was rather experienced in bed, arousing his interest. As such, he treated her much better than before.


    Dong Xianghang shifted his gaze to Lin Xiaowan who was lying on the floor and said to his subordinate, ¡°Go find a stove and bring some coals over. It won¡¯t be easy for me to negotiate if she freezes to death.¡±


    Dong Xianghang crouched down to check on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s condition as he asked his assistant casually, ¡°Have you made the call?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already made the call, and Huo Zheng has already received the news. He said as long as we don¡¯t touch Lin Xiaowan, everything can be discussed,¡± the assistant replied.


    Dong Xianghang nodded. When he felt the huge bump on the back of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head, he pressed it with twisted curiosity. Then, he said, ¡°Such a huge bump. Be careful you don¡¯t beat her silly.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was quickly awakened by the pain when Dong Xianghang pressed the bump on the back of her head. She groaned in pain as she struggled to open her eyes. She did not recognize Dong Xianghang who was crouching in front of her, but she recognized the woman standing behind Dong Xianghang and looking down at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan looked at Song Zhiyi in disgust.


    Dong Xianghang looked at Lin Xiaowan before he looked at Song Zhiyi. ¡°Oh, Huo Zheng¡¯s new love and old love know each other?¡±


    Dong Xianghang, who had yet to remove his hand from the back of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head, touched the bump again. He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Your uncle is really ruthless. He¡¯s really not worried about killing you at all¡­¡±


    ¡°My¡­ uncle?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not wrap her head around these words for a moment.


    Song Zhiyiughed mockingly. ¡°That¡¯s right. For ten million, your uncle betrayed you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart sank, but she was not very sad. She did not have any feelings for her uncle. After all, she did not have much contact with him when she was young and even more so after she had grown up.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan was more focused on Huo Zheng. They had mentioned him earlier. Based on their words, she could guess that she had probably caused trouble for Huo Zheng.


    Dong Xianghang rose to his feet and said to his assistant, ¡°Take a few photos of her and send them to Second Young Master Huo. Make sure she looks miserable.¡±


    However, before the assistant brought his phone out, Song Zhiyi said in a gentle voice, ¡°No matter how you take the photo, it won¡¯t look that miserable¡­¡±


    Dong Xianghang raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What bad ideas do you have now?¡±


    Song Zhiyi poked Dong Xianghang¡¯s chest with her slender finger and said, ¡°What do you mean by bad ideas?¡± She smiled sweetly before she continued to say, ¡°Don¡¯t you mean good ideas?¡±

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: Die Together</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Song Zhiyi made no attempt to hide her words from Lin Xiaowan and Dong Xianghang¡¯s assistant at all as she said, ¡°Look at her pitiful face. I met her in the summer. Her waist was extremely slender, and her legs were very long. Young Master Dong¡­¡±


    Song Zhiyi slid her hand down Dong Xianghang¡¯s chest before she continued to say, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have a taste of both of Huo Zheng¡¯s women?¡±


    Dong Xianghang¡¯s triangr eyes shed before heughed. Then, he sized Lin Xiaowan up as though she was some kind of goods and said, ¡°Your words are rather tempting. What about it? Should I taste the both of you at the same time?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what Young Master Dong wants, of course, I¡¯ll be willing,¡± Song Zhiyi said, ¡°When we¡¯re done, we can send the photos to Huo Zheng. Do you think he¡¯ll be able to sit still at that time?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not inexperienced or innocent. She naturally knew what the two of them were talking about. Terror overwhelmed her heart, but she pretended to be calm as she red at the two people in front of her. At this time, she also roughly understood why Huo Zheng had sent people to keep an eye on her. As it turned out, she had really misunderstood him. He was not deliberately trying to monitor her movements.


    Dong Xianghangughed and patted Song Zhiyi¡¯s butt. ¡°Alright, stop trying to trick me. As soon as she opened her eyes, I already knew the two of you don¡¯t get along. There¡¯s no need to pretend like you¡¯re trying to help me. You might as well be honest and say that you don¡¯t want her to live well.¡±


    Dong Xianghang was not a lecherous man. Based on Huo Zheng¡¯s attitude, it was clear that Lin Xiaowan was of great importance. If he really did something to Lin Xiaowan, there was a chance that Huo Zheng might abandon Lin Xiaowan. At that time, he would lose his bargaining chip. He naturally would not take such risks.


    ¡°However, what you said makes sense. It¡¯ll be hard to make her look miserable in photos¡­¡±


    At this time, his subordinate had already brought the stove and coals in so the temperature in the room had risen slightly.


    Dong Xianghang had no interest in staying any longer. He said, giving all authority to Song Zhiyi, ¡°You can y with her.¡±


    Dong Xianghang raised his chin and gestured at his assistant before he continued to say, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far. He¡¯ll be watching you.¡±


    Then, he turned to say to his assistant, ¡°When she¡¯s done, take some photos and send them to Huo Zheng.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Boss,¡± the assistant replied with a nod.


    Lin Xiaowan red at Song Zhiyi. No matter how afraid she was, she refused to let it show. She did not want to show her fear in front of Song Zhiyi.


    Song Zhiyi said, ¡°Your eyes are so bright. I feel annoyed just looking at them¡­¡±


    Following that, Song Zhiyi grabbed a fistful of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair and pulled her up from the ground before she continued to say, ¡°Why does Brother Huo like you? He clearly said that he¡¯d love me forever and marry me. You¡¯re the third party who destroyed another person¡¯s rtionship.¡±


    A sharp pain spread through Lin Xiaowan immediately. She suppressed the cry of pain that threatened to spill out of her mouth before she said, ¡°Bullsh*t! Huo Zheng stopped loving you a long time ago. You¡¯ve broken up for so many years.¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan was not eloquent, her aura was not weak at all.


    Song Zhiyi chuckled and whispered into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ear, ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the news? Huo Zheng and I are getting married.¡±


    Song Zhiyi deliberately said this to stimte Lin Xiaowan. She was fooled by Huo Zheng, and she would not let Lin Xiaowan have an easy time either.


    Those words greatly agitated Lin Xiaowan. She did not say a word, but her eyes burned with mes of fury and hatred as she red at Song Zhiyi.


    Song Zhiyi raised her hand high as she said, ¡°I said earlier that I really hate your eyes!¡±


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan regained consciousness again, she had already been moved to a different ce. From what she could tell, she was likely in a cer.


    There were no windows, and the room was rtively warm. A small yellow light bulb hung in the corner of a room.


    Song Zhiyi sat on a leather couch, filing her sharp nails.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s throat was burning. She could not help but cough a few times. Her entire body shook in pain when she coughed. She must have been injured somewhere. Her breathing was not very smooth.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s fair neck was riddled with terrifying bruises, and a huge bruise could be seen on her forehead. Her left eye was bloodshot, making her look terrifying.


    Song Zhiyi slowly rose to her feet, looking elegant and beautiful. She even had light makeup on. It was a huge contrast to Lin Xiaowan. She took a few steps forward and fiddled with the projector in front of her as she said lightly, ¡°Huo Zheng doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of saving you. Lin Xiaowan, it¡¯s been almost two days, but there¡¯s no movement at all.¡±


    Song Zhiyi paused for a moment before she added in a cheerful tone, ¡°However, that¡¯s not surprising. After all, I¡¯ll be marrying him. What does it matter if his ex-girlfriend lives or dies? It¡¯s good that he didn¡¯te. Otherwise, he¡¯d find out that I lied to him.¡±


    Song Zhiyi¡¯s tone suddenly turned dark as she said, ¡°If hees, I¡¯ll make sure he dies here together with me. Who asked him to go back on his words after saying that he¡¯d marry me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan remained silent. Her head, legs, waist, and abdomen were hurting. Song Zhiyi¡¯s voice sounded muffled in her ears. Apart from the sound of her own heaving breathing, everything sounded distant to her at this moment.


    ¡°Let me show you something good,¡± Song Zhiyi said as she walked toward the weak woman in the corner and dragged her roughly toward the projector.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any strength left to struggle and could only allow Song Zhiyi to do as she pleased.


    Song Zhiyi looked at Lin Xiaowan and suddenlyughed. ¡°You look like the little kitten I used to y with. It was just like you. Ity half-dead on the ground, meowing at me. I stepped on it with my high heels just like this¡­¡±


    Song Zhiyi lifted her foot and brought it down on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s abdomen a few times before she said, ¡°Then, it meowed even more miserably.¡±


    Song Zhiyi had taken off Lin Xiaowan¡¯s coat. At this time, she was only wearing a dirty white woolen sweater that covered her body.


    Song Zhiyi¡¯s sadistic heart thumped in pleasure when she heard Lin Xiaowan groaning in pain. She said with a regretful tone, ¡°If only you could meow.¡±


    Then, Song Zhiyi yed a video.


    The unspeakable and ambiguous sound of heaving breathing filled the small room immediately.


    The video showed the figures of two people intertwined in bed. The male protagonist was none other than Huo Zheng. It was a video of him and Song Zhiyi.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°I-Impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is it impossible? Aren¡¯t you seeing it with your own eyes now?¡± Song Zhiyi said with a sneer, ¡°Since we¡¯re getting married, isn¡¯t this normal? We¡¯re both adults. Take a good look at reality.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan closed her eyes. She could not look, but she could not block out the sounds.


    Song Zhiyi locked Lin Xiaowan in the room. She did not know how much time had passed and could only hear the disgusting and lewd sounds over and over again. Even when she closed her eyes, Huo Zheng¡¯s face would appear in her mind. She tried to convince herself that everything was fake, but she could not help but believe Song Zhiyi. The conflict in her heart only intensified her pain and sorrow.


    ¡­


    Dong Xianghang had set the meeting ce for the location at an abandoned factory, which was quite a distance away from the abandoned farmhouse. When he saw that only Huo Cheng appeared, he immediately felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°Why is it only you? Why didn¡¯t Huo Zhenge?¡± Dong Xianghang asked as he raised the gun in his hand just to be safe.


    Huo Cheng looked rxed and at ease. He said lightly, ¡°What you want is fame and status in the political world. What does it have to do with Huo Zheng?¡± Then, he tapped the table and said, ¡°Sit.¡±

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: ¡°Qingqing¡±</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Dong Xianghang sized Huo Cheng up with a fierce expression, trying to figure out Huo Cheng¡¯s intentions.


    Huo Cheng shrugged nonchntly.


    ¡­


    At this time, Huo Cheng had already brought his men to the abandoned farmhouse where Lin Xiaowan was being held captive. The farmhouse was isted and seemingly empty. Only upon closer inspection could one see signs of life.


    Huo Zheng did not know where Lin Xiaowan was held. He could not hear any sound. It was too quiet.


    Qin Yanchuan, the new Chief of the Office of Military and Political Affairs, had ordered people to surround the farmhouse. He only brought two men with him when he went to Huo Zheng. He whispered, ¡°Check the back. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone in front and in the granary.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded expressionlessly. Since he had yet to find Lin Xiaowan, he did not dare to act recklessly.


    Huo Zheng could not sleep at all over the past few days. Every time he closed his eyes, he would dream of Lin Xiaowan lying in his arms, covered in blood. He would jolt awake, drenched in cold sweat as he recalled the feeling of the cold body in his arms. He felt that the dreams were ominous, and they made him afraid.


    At this moment, a trusted aide of the Huo family rushed over and said something to Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng nodded. He said hoarsely, ¡°Tell him to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Huo Zheng turned to Qin Yanchuan and said, ¡°Dong Xianghang didn¡¯t bring many men with him. The majority is Huo Cheng¡¯s men.¡±


    Dong Xianghang clearly had no intentions of negotiating properly. He only wanted to use Lin Xiaowan as a bargaining chip and was prepared to fight to death.


    At this moment, Qin Yanchuan¡¯s subordinate said, ¡°Chief, it¡¯s confirmed.¡±


    The assistant zoomed in on the photo he had just taken and continued to say, ¡°There are two people in this red house. That woman is there. As for the gray-tiled house next door, there are three people. They¡¯re ying cards. Miss Lin isn¡¯t among these people.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Qin Yanchuan frowned. Then, he looked at Huo Zheng.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Huo Zheng said coldly.


    Earlier, the Huo family told Huo Zheng that Lin Xiaowan was not among the people whom Dong Xianghang brought to the meeting ce. Dong Xianghang did not bring any women at all.


    ¡°Is she hidden somewhere?¡± Qin Yanchuan spected out loud, ¡°After all, Dong Xianghang wants to use her as a bargaining chip. He definitely won¡¯t let us find her so easily.¡±


    Huo Zheng pointed at Song Zhiyi in the photo and said, ¡°Catch her first. She definitely knows something.¡±


    Qin Yanchuan instructed his men and told them to split up to search the two ces. Then, he chuckled and said, ¡°These people really have low vignce. Did they think everything would be fine just because they have Dong Xianghang and they¡¯d already kidnapped her?¡±


    ¡­


    When the three people in the gray-tiled house saw someone charging in with a gun, they were stunned. The men of the Qin family did not say anything and simply opened fire. Since they could not kill the opponents, they only shot non-vital areas like their arms and legs.


    The opponents wailed in pain immediately.


    The thinnest man among the three held his injured leg and rolled to the side. Just as he raised his hand to rise to pull a hanging wire at the side, he was shot again. However, at the critical moment, he managed to pull the wire.


    The men from the Qin family exchanged a look, feeling that something was amiss. They were worried about explosives. They looked for cover, but after the wire was pulled, there was no violent explosion. They held their guns and looked at the trio who had fainted on the ground before they looked at each other again.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Was there a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Wait. Is that a sounding from the red house?¡±


    A faint noise rang from the two-story red house nearby, causing the men¡¯s expressions to change drastically. They quickly tied up the trio and left.


    ¡­


    When Huo Zheng and Qin Yanchuan barged into the red house, Song Zhiyi and a refined man with half-white hair were eating hotpot. When the man saw them, he reacted quickly and threw the hotpot at the duo before he pulled out the gun at his waist.


    Song Zhiyi¡¯s face turned ashen from fear, and she quickly retreated.


    It was at this moment that the trio in the gray-tiled house triggered the mechanism.


    A pungent white fog immediately filled the house.


    The sounds of objects shattering rang in the air as the refined man fired two shots at Huo Zheng and Qin Yanchuan before he stumbled to look for the gas mask.


    Qin Yanchuan coughed violently as he cursed, ¡°F*ck, what the f*ck? Why¡¯s there poisonous gas in this house?¡±


    Qin Yanchuan hurriedly closed his stinging eyes and relied on his hearing to determine the current situation.


    Meanwhile, Song Zhiyi covered her nose and her mouth. She took advantage of the chaos and hurried down to the wine cer through a secret door. Then, she quickly put on a gas mask.


    The poisonous gas also filled the wine cer.


    Lin Xiaowan was coughing violently as she struggled in pain. Blood dripped from the corner of her lips.


    ¡­


    Qin Yanchuan heard a set of footsteps quickly disappearing to one side while the other set of footsteps stopped. He quickly yelled, ¡°Huo Zheng, to the left!¡±


    Qin Yanchuan inhaled some of the poisonous gas when he spoke, and he felt his throat burn immediately. He quickly shut his mouth while he cursed the sinister Dong Xianghang in his heart.


    Huo Zheng rushed to the refined man¡¯s side and tried to disarm the other party. He gritted his teeth and fought with the other party, but the other party wore a gas mask so he had the advantage.


    At this time, Qin Yanchuan¡¯s two subordinates rushed in, but they were forced back by the thick white fog. They kept coughing as they retreated.


    ¡°F*ck, what¡¯s this?¡±


    At this time, Qin Yanchuan finally managed to put on a gas mask. When he saw Huo Zheng had fallen to a disadvantageous position, he hurried over to help Huo Zheng and held the other party down before he threw a gas mask over to Huo Zheng.


    Subsequently, Huo Zheng grabbed the refined man¡¯s neck, yanked the other party¡¯s gas mask off, and roared, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    Song Zhiyi had been in the room earlier, but she had disappeared.


    Huo Zheng was panicking, and he had lost all hisposure at this moment. The veins on his arm bulged as he held the refined man¡¯s neck, almost strangling the other party to death.


    The refined man had heard of the Second Young Master of the Huo family, but he had never met Huo Zheng before. He only worked for Dong Xianghang because of the money and was not blindly loyal. No matter what, his life was the most important. Seeing the killing intent in Huo Zheng¡¯s eyes, he was so frightened that he trembled. He coughed as he struggled to say, ¡°T-there¡­ There¡¯s a¡­ secret door next to the¡­ cab¡­ over there¡­¡±


    After that, Huo Zheng quickly knocked the other party unconscious.


    Qin Yanchuan dragged the refined man outside and tossed him to his subordinates. ¡°Keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t let him run.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chief.¡±


    After that, Qin Yanchuan returned to the house to help look for Lin Xiaowan. However, he was choked by the poisonous gas in the house as soon as he entered. He rolled his eyes and muttered, ¡°There¡¯s only one door between this ce and outside. Why¡¯s the difference so big?¡±


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng rushed down the stairs that led to the wine cer. He quickly saw Lin Xiaowan curled up on the couch. She was coughing in pain, and her body was twitching unnaturally.


    The cer was also filled with thick white fog.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart tightened as he rushed over to her. He quickly removed his gas mask. Before he put it on for her, he kissed her eyes gently. When he carried her, he did it with utmost care. He did not know her current condition and did not dare to use any force. Although his hands were trembling in fear, he held her firmly in his arms.


    ¡°Qingqing,¡± Huo Zheng whispered into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ear.


    Lin Xiaowan seemed to have heard him. Her body continued to twitch as she said with great difficulty, ¡°You¡­ Hurry up¡­ leave¡­ Don¡¯te¡­¡±


    Earlier, Song Zhiyi had suddenlye to the cer. She had untied the rope binding Lin Xiaowan earlier and dragged Lin Xiaowan to the couch when she heard movements.


    At that time, Lin Xiaowan remembered Song Zhiyiughing sinisterly as she muttered, ¡°Huo Zheng really came. He really lied to me.¡±


    After that, Song Zhiyi fled somewhere to hide. It was dark in the cer, and the only light came from the entrance. As such, Lin Xiaowan did not know where Song Zhiyi went.

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: Lin Xiaowan Is in His Arms</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    When Lin Xiaowan recalled how Song Zhiyi had said that she wanted Huo Zheng to die together with her, fear drowned her heart. She said anxiously, struggling to speak as her body was racked in pain, ¡°H-hurry up and leave¡­ S-Song Zhiyi is here¡­¡±


    Song Zhiyi was a lunatic. Lin Xiaowan was really worried Song Zhiyi would hurt Huo Zheng. She did not listen to him and left, implicating Huo Zheng as a result. If anything happened to him, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Qingqing,¡± Huo Zheng said as he carried Lin Xiaowan out, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back.¡±


    When Huo Zheng was carrying Lin Xiaowan up the stairs, Qin Yanchuan, who was standing at the top of the stairs, suddenly raised his gun and pointed in Huo Zheng¡¯s direction. He said in an unfriendly tone, ¡°You better not act rashly.¡±


    Huo Zheng froze. Then, he realized that Qin Yanchuan was not looking at him but behind him.


    Song Zhiyi had appeared at some point. She was trembling as she held a small pistol and aimed it at Huo Zheng¡¯s back.


    Huo Zheng, who was carrying Lin Xiaowan, turned to the side and sneered disdainfully.


    Song Zhiyi held the gun with both hands as she looked at him tearfully and said, ¡°If you take another step with her in your arms, I¡¯ll really shoot you!¡±


    Huo Zheng ignored Song Zhiyi. All of his attention was on Lin Xiaowan at this moment. Although there was a small heater in the cer and it was warmer than it was upstairs, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s body was extremely cold.


    Lin Xiaowan grabbed Huo Zheng¡¯s shirt. Her eyes were closed as she twitched.


    Seeing that Huo Zheng disregarded her and made his way up the stairs with Lin Xiaowan in his arms, Song Zhiyi cried out, ¡°Huo Zheng!¡±


    Song Zhiyi¡¯s voice was sharp, and it carried a hint of sorrow. As soon as her voice fell, she fired the gun.


    Almost at the same time, Qin Yanchuan who saw through Song Zhiyi fired as well, and the bullet hit Song Zhiyi¡¯s hand.


    Song Zhiyi had never learned how to shoot after all. Moreover, her hands were trembling. In the end, the bullet only grazed Huo Zheng¡¯s waist and hit the cement wall.


    Huo Zheng paused briefly in his steps before he walked out with Lin Xiaowan in his arms.


    Song Zhiyi shrieked Huo Zheng¡¯s name, holding her bloody hand.


    Qin Yanchuan jumped down and knocked Song Zhiyi out before he grabbed one of her legs to drag her up the stairs. At the same time, he muttered under his breath, ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t like me touching other women. This is all Huo Zheng¡¯s fault. I hope my wife doesn¡¯t ignore me when I get home.¡±


    ¡­


    When Qin Yanchuan¡¯s two subordinates saw Huo Zhenging out with Lin Xiaowan, they said anxiously, ¡°Second Young Master Huo, we have to leave as soon as possible. I don¡¯t know why a fire broke out upfront. If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯ll be trapped.¡±


    The duo covered their mouths and noses as they called out, ¡°Chief!¡±


    Qin Yanchuan cursed and said, ¡°Both of youe here and bring this woman out.¡±


    It would have been easier for Qin Yanchuan to carry Song Yizhi out instead of dragging her out, but he was really unwilling to carry her.


    Huo Zheng moved very quickly with Lin Xiaowan in his arms. In the end, he began to run.


    Lin Xiaowan was in a terrible state. The injury at the back of her head had worsened over the past two days. When Huo Zheng ran, she bit her lip tightly in pain, too afraid to make a sound. She had heard that there was a fire. She had already caused so much trouble for him, and she did not want to slow him down now. After all, time was of the essence now.


    Apart from two or three brick houses in the back of the farm, the other buildings were constructed from wood. As such, the fire spread very quickly.


    The farm was located in the wilderness, nestled between lush hills. The air in winter was dry and strong, further spreading the fire.


    It was difficult for the group of people to avoid the fire as they navigated their way out of the sea of mes.


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng only brought one man with him. He had just reported to Huo Cheng that the matter at the farmhouse had been dealt with when he saw the raging fire.


    He did not dare to drive in recklessly. The houses and trees were burning; he would not be able to see where he was going. Moreover, the car was not fireproof, and if it caught fire, there might even be an explosion. At that time, things would be even more difficult to deal with. As such, he could only wait anxiously and helplessly.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan felt her consciousness drifting away, and she dug her nails into her palms to stop herself from fainting. She still had many things to say to Huo Zheng. She could smell burnt wood and hear the sound of Huo Zheng¡¯s heavy breathing.


    ¡°Second Young Master!¡±


    When the Huo family¡¯s trusted aide saw Huo Zheng rushing out, he quickly leaped out of the car.


    ¡°Get in the car. Let¡¯s go!¡± Huo Zheng said, not wanting to waste time.


    Qin Yanchuan also got into the car. The first thing he did was to call his wife. When he called Gu Yuwu, his wife, his aura changed immediately. He, who was domineering outside, was like a golden retriever wagging its tail when he spoke to his wife.


    He told Gu Yuwu to contact the nearest Forest Management Department and sent her the location so they could put out the fire.


    The ce was too big, and it would be difficult to put out the fire if it grew too big. They had to put it out as soon as possible.


    While one of Qin Yanchuan¡¯s men drove the car, Huo Zheng¡¯s trusted aide saw Huo Zheng¡¯s stiff posture and the blood stain on his shirt. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Second Young Master, there¡¯s a first aid kit in the car. Do you want to bandage your wound?¡±


    Huo Zheng nced at him and did not loosen his grip on Lin Xiaowan at all as he said, ¡°Send Madam to the hospital first.¡±


    With that, the trusted aide only nodded and no longer dared to interfere.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand kept tugging at Huo Zheng¡¯s shirt. When Huo Zheng held her hand to calm her down, she struggled, trying to break free.


    Huo Zheng, who was always aloof, was very gentle when he lowered his head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where do you feel unwell?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s breathing was weak; it was difficult for her to breathe. With the gas mask, she felt even more suffocated. She shook her head and cried, ¡°No, no¡­ this¡­¡±


    Seeing that she was in great pain, Huo Zheng hurriedly helped her remove the mask.


    Every time Lin Xiaowan drew a breath, her chest ached and her throat burned. She could taste blood in her mouth. She tried to endure it as she coughed and asked, ¡°Where¡­ Where are you¡­ injured?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not injured. Don¡¯t talk. We¡¯re almost at the hospital. Do your eyes hurt? Close your eyes and rest,¡± Huo Zheng said. His usually charming voice was hoarse at this moment.


    Huo Zheng gently caressed the top of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s bloodshot left eye as he spoke.


    In fact, they were still quite a distance away from the hospital. The location of the farmhouse was very remote after all. At this time, they had not even left the wilderness.


    Lin Xiaowan obediently closed her eyes, but she shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± Huo Zheng said before he kissed her gently.


    Lin Xiaowan inhaled deeply again. ¡°You¡¯re injured. You lied to me¡­¡±


    Tears fell from the corners of her eyes as she coughed again and said, ¡°D-don¡¯t lie to me¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart ached when he saw the state she was in. He kept kissing andforting her. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. Stop talking, okay?¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan was already in his arms, he still felt panicked and anxious for some reason.


    Tears continued to fall as Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°S-sorry¡­¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: Wipe Your Tears</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize, Qingqing. Please stop talking, okay? Rest for a while. Be good and listen to me,¡± Huo Zheng said with a pleading expression.


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. Her emotions agitated, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood looked particrly stark when it stained Huo Zheng¡¯s shirt.


    Huo Zheng felt as though his heart was going to stop beating at this moment.


    Blood stained the corners of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s lips as she said stubbornly, ¡°I have to apologize. I¡¯m sorry that I misunderstood you. I¡¯m sorry for causing¡­¡±


    Before she could say the word ¡®trouble¡¯, she began to cough violently again. As she coughed, more blood stained Huo Zheng¡¯s shirt. A few drops evennded on his face.


    Huo Zheng felt his mind go nk as he held her. ¡°Stop talking. We¡¯re going to the hospital now. Be good.¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan was crying, she smiled. She did not listen to Huo Zheng and continued to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for¡­ causing you trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing. You don¡¯t have to feel sorry,¡± Huo Zheng said as he hugged her tightly and kissed her gently, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine once we reach the hospital.¡±


    These words were not only meant for Lin Xiaowan, but for himself as well. He did not know what kind of injuries she sustained. His heart was in a mess, but he pretended to be calm on the surface.


    ¡°I¡­ like you very, very¡­ much,¡± Lin Xiaowan said weakly. She held Huo Zheng¡¯s hand with all her might. Both their hands were cold at this moment.


    At this moment, she thought that she should not have faulted Huo Zheng for not saying he liked her. After all, she had never said she liked him as well.


    Huo Zheng intertwined their fingers together and said, ¡°Please stop talking. I beg you.¡±


    At this moment, he could no longer maintain hisposure. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should apologize. Qingqing, bear with it for a while. Don¡¯t talk anymore, okay? We¡¯ll reach the hospital soon.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to marry her?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked. Her voice was barely audible. She really wanted an answer.


    ¡°No, it was fake. I only want to marry you. Qingqing, I only want to marry you,¡± Huo Zheng said as he kissed her cheek. His eyes were slightly wet as he continued to say, ¡°When you¡¯re better, I¡¯ll tell you everything. I won¡¯t hide anything from you anymore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You did it for me, after all. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan tightened her grip on his hand.


    Apart from being injured, Huo Zheng had also lost some weight, and he looked exhausted. However, in her eyes, he was still very handsome.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have left without a word¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan still felt extremely apologetic.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s my fault, Qingqing. Don¡¯t apologize. I should be the one to apologize.¡±


    Meanwhile, Qin Yanchuan, who had already gotten off the phone with his wife, did not disturb the couple. He only urged his subordinate to drive faster.


    Lin Xiaowan squeezed Huo Zheng¡¯s hand. She was very happy that Huo Zheng was still willing to coax her like this. She smiled happily.


    In Lin Xiaowan¡¯s opinion, she had always caused trouble for others since she was young. She had caused trouble for her parents and her grandparents. She knew no one liked her, and she had always felt redundant. It was only after she graduated and met Huo Zheng, experiencing what it was like to be cared for that she realized how wonderful life could be.


    It did not matter if Huo Zheng liked her or not. He had treated her so well, but she still threw a tantrum and argued with him. She had caused such a huge trouble, but he did not me her and also came to save her. Not only that, but he was also willing to lower his head to coax her. It was as though he was sent down from heaven to save her. He was really very good.


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng still did not recover his senses even after Lin Xiaowan was pushed into the emergency room. When Lin Xiaowan suddenly closed her eyes in the car, it felt as though his blood had frozen in his veins. He immediately recalled the ominous dreams he had over the past few days and felt like he was about to suffocate. Fortunately, she was alive.


    Huo Cheng, who had dealt with the matter on his hand, arrived at the hospital soon after. He was shocked by his younger brother¡¯s appearance and quickly stuffed a packet of tissue into his hands as he said, ¡°Wipe your tears.¡±


    He naturally did notugh at his younger brother. If Qiao You¡¯an were in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s position, he would have cried more miserably than his brother.


    Huo Cheng could not help but feel a little emotional. It had been a long time since he had seen Huo Zheng cry. It seemed like thest time Huo Zheng cried was when he broke up with Song Zhiyi.


    When Huo Zheng recollected himself, Huo Cheng urged him to get himself treated.


    Huo Zheng looked terrible as well. There was arge patch of bloodstain on his waist. There was also blood from Lin Xiaowan on his chest. His shirt was singed, and his hair was covered in dust.


    When Huo Zheng returned, he had already changed into a new set of clothes. His expression was unfathomable, returning to the Second Young Master Huo whom everyone knew.


    ¡°He has been handed over to the Qin family,¡± Huo Cheng said, ¡°The Qin family will handle the rest of the matter. Qin Yanchuan contributed greatly in this matter.¡±


    Among the people Huo Cheng brought to meet Dong Xianghang were foreigners from Myanmar, and they were all friends of Qin Yanchuan.


    Huo Zheng nodded.


    ¡°The Dong family is crumbling. There are a few projects under him that are okay. You can take over those that are beneficial.¡±


    Huo Zheng was not in the mood to discuss work now so he did not say anything.


    ¡­


    It was gettingte, but the surgery was not over yet.


    After putting her two sons to bed, Qiao You¡¯an called to ask about the situation. Huo Cheng briefly exined the situation to her before he told her to go to sleep and not wait for him.


    After Huo Cheng ended the call, Huo Zheng told Huo Cheng to go home first.


    Seeing how anxious Huo Zheng was from waiting, Huo Cheng said, ¡°If I leave you alone, I¡¯m worried you won¡¯t be able to hold it in and cry again.¡±


    At this time, Huo Cheng remembered that Lin Xiaowan was not from Sheng City. Such a terrible thing had happened to her, and he thought that her family should be informed about it. He asked, ¡°Do you have Xiaowan¡¯s family¡¯s number? We should inform her family.¡±


    Huo Zheng shook his head slowly. Lin Xiaowan had never spoken to him about her family. Since it was a personal matter, he did not take the initiative to investigate it. How could he have her family¡¯s number?


    Huo Cheng rarely asked about his brother¡¯s personal matters. When he saw his brother shaking his head, he asked, surprised, ¡°No? Aren¡¯t both of you about to get married? Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t even met her parents?¡±


    Indeed, Huo Zheng had yet to meet Lin Xiaowan¡¯s parents.


    After thinking about it, Huo Cheng thought it was not surprising. Usually, both sets of parents would meet. Since their parents had passed away, he, the eldest brother, was the elder. If they met, there was no way Huo Zheng would not tell him.


    At this time, Huo Cheng recalled what Qian You¡¯an had told him before they went to bed. She had said that Lin Xiaowan thought that Huo Zheng did not like her. He could not help but ask, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t like Lin Xiaowan?¡±


    Huo Cheng was already upset that there was no news from the operating theatre. When he heard Huo Cheng¡¯s words, he frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°An¡¯an told me that Lin Xiaowan thinks you don¡¯t like her.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s frown deepened.


    Huo Cheng said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t me her for feeling that way. Sometimes, I even wonder if you like her or only want to find someone to marry.¡±


    Huo Cheng did not shy away from Huo Zheng¡¯s cold gaze. He did not feel that he said anything wrong.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. After all, your current state is too different from before,¡± Huo Cheng said, ¡°You only looked a little like your past self when you were so nervous and cried earlier¡­¡±

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: A Very Long Dream</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°Moreover, our circle isn¡¯t that big. There are only a few aristocratic families here. Everyone knows you have someone by your side, but no one has ever met her before. You never bring Xiaowan along when you attend events. When others try to subtly ask about it, your expression will immediately. You might not have heard the rumors outside, but it doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist.¡±


    Huo Zheng was lost in his thoughts. He had never thought about this before. It was not that he did not want to bring her to various events, but she did not seem willing. Since she was not willing, he naturally would not force her.


    At this moment, Huo Zheng¡¯s phone rang. The call was from the two bodyguards whom he had sent to Beicheng to look for Lin Xiaowan a few days ago. After Lin Xiaowan had returned, he told them to look into the matter of her return to her hometown. He wanted to know why she suddenly decided to return.


    After listening for a moment, a shocked and confused expression appeared on Huo Zheng¡¯s face.


    When he ended the call, Huo Cheng asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at the concerned Huo Cheng and said, ¡°Qingqing returned to attend her father¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Since the day they met, Lin Xiaowan had never mentioned her father to Huo Zheng. At this time, he recalled how he had lost his temper at her over the phone for the first time when he found out that she had returned to Beicheng. He felt slightly regretful at this moment.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Huo Cheng wanted to ask how much Huo Zheng knew about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s family but thought better of it.


    ¡­


    It was not until the second half of the night that the doctor came out from the operating theater.


    Huo Zheng rose to his feet immediately and clenched his hands nervously.


    The doctor looked rather rxed as he said, ¡°There¡¯s no serious problem. The patient will be sent to the ICU to be observed for 24 hours. If everything goes as expected, she¡¯ll be transferred to the general ward.¡±


    ¡°Can she be transferred to another hospital?¡±


    The hospital they were in was in the suburbs. The environment and resources were not as good as the ones in the city. The doctors, who treated Lin Xiaowan, were also brought here from the hospital in the city, which was owned by the Huo family.


    The doctor nodded. ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll have to wait 24 hours. We must wait for the patient¡¯s condition to stabilize.¡±


    Then, he looked at the two Huo brothers and said, ¡°Can I trouble her family member toe with me? I¡¯ll exin the patient¡¯s condition in detail.¡±


    Needless to say, Huo Zheng went with the doctor.


    The doctor was from the Huo family¡¯s hospital so he naturally knew who Huo Zheng was.


    ¡°Please take a seat, Mr. Huo.¡±


    The doctor told Huo Zheng about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head injury before he advised, ¡°It¡¯s best for the patient to avoid electronic devices for two months. It¡¯s best not to strain the patient¡¯s eyes as it might affect her vision. The broken capiries in her left eye will heal eventually. The process might be slow, but there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    Huo Zheng felt both relieved and worried. He asked, ¡°Why were her hands and legs twitching?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because she inhaled too much gas.¡±


    The doctor did not say what gas it was, but Huo Zheng understood his meaning.


    ¡°In addition, she suffered a serious injury on her head so she was extremely weak. The gas affected her nervous system at the time, causing the twitching. The twitching will disappear after the treatment.¡±


    ¡°However, there are some problems that you need to take note of. The patient¡¯s respiratory system and lung functions have been damaged to a certain extent. This is irreversible. It¡¯s impossible to restore them to their original state.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing the doctor¡¯s words, and his aura changed immediately. He looked a little fierce at this moment.


    The doctor was not intimidated. After all, he understood that Huo Zheng was worried. He said, ¡°Mr. Huo, let me finish.¡±


    ¡°In the future, take special care when the patient catches a cold or fever, especially when the seasons change. If the patient catches a cold, she might have trouble breathing, especially at night. As a result, it¡¯ll disrupt her sleep. I¡¯m only telling you this as a precaution. There¡¯s no need to panic. Just take the medicine ording to my prescription.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded, but his expression did not improve.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing¡­¡±


    The doctor looked a little hesitant at this moment.


    ¡°The patient¡¯s uterus suffered external trauma. Although there are ways to increase the chances of getting pregnant, it might be more difficult for her to get pregnant in the future. This doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s infertile. The chances of getting pregnant are just lower.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart felt as though it had frozen. He knew Lin Xiaowan liked children very much, but he had always taken precautions. After all, they were not married yet. Moreover, he felt Lin Xiaowan was still young and did not want her to have a child so early. He also did not want a child to disturb their lives so soon. He truly did not expect such a thing to happen.


    ¡­


    During the 24 hours of waiting, Huo Zheng received another piece of news that angered him.


    Huo Cheng was afraid that Huo Zheng would act impulsively so he quickly held Huo Zheng down and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed it. Xiaowan¡¯s uncle was blinded by greed and betrayed her for ten million from Dong Xianghang.¡±


    Huo Cheng sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve already captured him. He took the money and applied for a passport to go abroad. He¡¯s clearly guilty.¡±


    Huo Zheng closed his eyes, suppressing his urge to kill someone.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan had a very, very long dream.


    She saw her photo in the Huo family¡¯s ancestral hall, and her body was covered in white cloth.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little speechless.


    ¡®No way. Did I die so soon after being reborn?¡¯


    She still remembered leaning against Huo Zheng¡¯s chest in the car; she remembered the temperature of his body. At some point, she fainted.


    ¡®Did I die after I fainted?¡¯


    She felt a little depressed. She had just told Huo Zheng she liked him, and she wondered how he would react.


    Moreover, people were reborn to lead better lives, right? Why did she die even earlier after she was reborn?


    Soon enough, she saw Huo Zheng walking into the ancestral hall before he closed the door. No one else came in.


    Lin Xiaowan approached him and looked at him curiously.


    It was the first time she had seen him looking so dejected. He was dressed in ck, and he looked lifeless as though his wife had passed away.


    ¡®Oh, his wife really died¡­ Wait, I didn¡¯t marry him in this life¡­ Then, why am I in the Huo family¡¯s ancestral hall? I¡¯m not a member of the Huo family. How strange.¡¯


    In the very long dream, Lin Xiaowan watched as Huo Zheng sat quietly in the hall for two days without eating. During this time, Huo Cheng came once, but Huo Zheng ignored himpletely. In the end, Huo Cheng had no choice but to leave.


    Lin Xiaowan did not quite understand Huo Zheng¡¯s actions, but she really admired his courage. After all, there was a corpse lying in front of him.


    Lin Xiaowan took a seat next to Huo Zheng and asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? I¡¯m dead¡­¡±


    She made a face at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take you away with me!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Huo Zheng seemed to have sensed something. He turned slightly in her direction and froze as though he had fallen into a trance.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: Baby, It¡¯s Snowing Today</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan poked Huo Zheng teasingly. Of course, she could not really poke him and only pretended to. She said, ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re going to die?¡±


    After saying that, she hurriedly said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not cursing you to die. You have to live well.¡±


    ¡­


    On the morning of the third day, Huo Zheng rose to his feet unsteadily. Perhaps it was because he had been sitting for too long.


    Lin Xiaowan said anxiously, ¡°Be careful! What if you faint? No one will know if you faint, and I won¡¯t be able to call for help!¡±


    Huo Zheng paused for a moment before he slowly walked forward.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to chatter next to him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat? You have to take care of your body. Don¡¯t make things difficult for yourself.¡±


    Since Huo Zheng could not hear her, there was naturally no response.


    Lin Xiaowan pouted. ¡°I hate it when you don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Also, what¡¯s the point of hiding things from me? Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m unworthy of your trust? I¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stopped speaking abruptly. Her eyes widened as she stared at Huo Zheng with her mouth agape.


    Huo Zheng had leaned over and kissed the person in the coffin.


    ¡°Are you crazy, Huo Zheng? How dare you kiss a dead person?¡± Lin Xiaowan looked at him in disbelief.


    Huo Zheng pushed the white cloth aside and tidied her hair and clothes. Then, he held her hands and carefully trimmed her nails.


    Soon, Lin Xiaowan was distracted. She noticed that the her lying in the coffin only had long ck hair. Her hair now only passed her shoulder. With this, she was almost certain that the person lying there was her from her previous life after being hit by a car.


    Lin Xiaowan was terrified. She did not know what was going on. Did she imagine her rebirth to the time before their marriage? Did she truly die after being hit by the car?


    ¡­


    Later on, Lin Xiaowan found that she could not leave Huo Zheng¡¯s side at all. She followed him wherever he went, voluntarily and involuntarily. It was quite strange to see her body turn into ashes kept in a small urn with her own eyes.


    Lin Xiaowan followed Huo Zheng to the columbarium. She furrowed her brows slightly when she saw the urn being ced in the columbarium. She had forgotten to tell Huo Zheng that she wanted her ashes to be scattered in the wind. How good would it be to be free?


    She took another look at the columbarium. It was spacious and luxurious. When she thought about how Huo Zheng¡¯s ashes would also be ced here, she sighed inwardly and thought to herself, ¡®I guess it¡¯s fine for me to wait for him here. At least, he won¡¯t be too lonely when the timees¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    Initially, Lin Xiaowan thought that she would disappear now that the funeral rites were over, but she did not. She was still tied to Huo Zheng.


    A few dayster, Song Zhiyi appeared at the Huo family house. She was in a sorry state; her hair was disheveled, her face was haggards, and her clothes were torn. She was forced to kneel at the entrance of the house by the bodyguards of the Huo family.


    Huo Zheng did not look at Song Zhiyi as he removed his clothes, revealing a gray scarf.


    The scarf was the anniversary present that Lin Xiaowan wanted to give Huo Zheng. She was still a few stitches away frompleting it. s, she died before she had a chance to finish it.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little worried about Huo Zheng. She had been by his side over the past few days, and she saw that he barely ate and slept. He would lie in bed for a short while before he woke up again. Then, he would sit on the balcony and silently smoke cigarette after cigarette. He could smoke up to a few packs of cigarettes a night. In the past, he used to smoke asionally, but he took the initiative to quit after he discovered Lin Xiaowan¡¯s strange habit of smelling cigarette smoke.


    Lin Xiaowan did not like seeing him like that. She put her hands on her hips and reprimanded him fiercely. s, he could not hear at all.


    At this moment, Huo Zheng walked over to Song Zhiyi and looked down at her as he said expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t hit women.¡±


    Song Zhiyi was terrified. Her face was ashen as she begged, ¡°I know my mistake, Huo Zheng. I really know my mistake! I beg you, let me go! Let me go, Huo Zheng, for old times¡¯ sake. We were¡­¡±


    Before Song Zhiyi finished speaking, Huo Zheng suddenly grabbed her neck and said in a low and sinister voice, ¡°If you dare to mention the past, I¡¯ll end you immediately. I could overlook the fact that you tried to threaten the Huo family, but you actually dared to plot against her!¡±


    Song Zhiyi was restrained by the bodyguards and could not struggle at all. The veins on his arm bulged as her face turned red and purple. Her eyes looked as though they were going to pop out of their sockets. She was about to be strangled to death.


    Upon seeing this, the butler stepped forward and said, ¡°Second Young Master, I¡¯m sure Madam wouldn¡¯t want to see you like this.¡±


    Huo Zheng sobered up immediately. He quickly let go of Song Zhiyi as though he had been electrocuted and took a few steps back.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was watching from the side, was speechless when she heard the butler¡¯s words.


    ¡®What would you know about what I want? I¡¯m already dead. What do you know about what I want?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was also confused. Was Song Zhiyi not Huo Zheng¡¯s first love? Why was he so ruthless to Song Zhiyi? What did she miss? Why did the plot develop so differently from what she had imagined?


    Apart from confusion, there was also shock. Based on Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi¡¯s conversation, it was clear that Song Zhiyu yed a part in her death. It was not an ident. It was likely that Song Zhiyi had hired someone to hit her with a car.


    Lin Xiaowan was furious. She had been slightly confused when she was hit by a car previously. The light had been green when she first crossed the zebra crossing. At that time, she only attributed it to her bad luck and resigned herself to her fate. Who knew it was all orchestrated?


    Spurred by her anger, Lin Xiaowan rushed toward Song Zhiyi. She wanted to punch Song Zhiyi. However, she had only taken two steps when her vision suddenly blurred. She heard a loud ng before everything turned dark.


    ¡­


    A slightly hoarse voice rang in the darkness.


    ¡°Baby, it¡¯s snowing today.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s anger returned.


    ¡®Huo Zheng, who the f*ck are you calling ¡®baby¡¯? I¡¯ve never heard you speak to me so gently! Ah, I¡¯m so angry!¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan struggled to open her eyes. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a face with stubbles. The other party looked at her in surprise.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s anger erupted, and she shouted, ¡°Scumbag!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought she had shouted rather loudly, but the truth was she sounded very weak. It took her a lot of effort just to open her eyes earlier.


    Nheless, the room was very quiet so there was no doubt Huo Zheng had heard her. He froze for a moment, looking at her nkly. Then, he stiffly called the doctor over to check on her.


    After the examination waspleted, Lin Xiaowan felt more awake. She leaned against the pillow and stared into space, doubting her life.


    ¡®Did I unlock a new scenario? Am I dead or alive?¡¯

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Love Letter</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng sat by the bed and held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand.


    She was on an IV drip, causing her hand and arm to feel slightly cold. His hand was warm so she managed to draw some warmth from it.


    It was really snowing outside like Huo Zheng said. In fact, it was snowing rather heavily.


    Huo Zheng did not speak.


    Lin Xiaowan knew that if she did not speak, he would not speak either. Hence, she took the initiative and asked perfunctorily, ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°All Heart Hospital.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked around. The room really did not look like the normal hospital ward. It was more like a nice bedroom.


    ¡°What month is it now?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked tentatively, wondering if she had been reborn again.


    ¡°December,¡± Huo Zheng said as he looked at her, ¡°You were asleep for a long time.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan tried to move. No wonder she felt sore all over. It seemed like she had been lying down for too long. She finally confirmed that she was not reborn again, and she was still in the period where she had yet to marry Huo Zheng.


    ¡®Then, what¡¯s with me turning into a ghost and following Huo Zheng? Was that really just a dream?¡¯


    She turned to look at Huo Zheng, but as soon as she turned, she met his deep and dark eyes. He was looking at her as though he was afraid that she would suddenly disappear.


    Lin Xiaowan recalled the strange dream where Huo Zheng almost strangled Song Zhiyi to death in a fit of rage. She also recalled how Huo Zheng had carried her out of the car and whispered that he only wanted to marry her.


    Lin Xiaowan was at a loss. Whether it was this life or her previous life, it seemed like there were many things that she did not know.


    She coughed lightly, clearing her throat. She was just about to speak again when she saw Huo Zheng leap to his feet, looking anxious.


    Huo Zheng touched her forehead and asked worriedly, ¡°Why did you suddenly cough? Does your throat hurt?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly stunned. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    She only felt that her throat was a little blocked, as if there was phlegm.


    However, Huo Zheng still looked worried. He turned on the diffuser at the side.


    Lin Xiaowan sniffed the wisps of mist rising from the machine. It smelled strange, but it was not unpleasant. She asked curiously, ¡°Did you add something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good for you,¡± Huo Zheng said as he poured a ss of warm water for her and held it to her mouth.


    After drinking a few mouthfuls, Lin Xiaowan moved away, and Huo Zheng set the ss down on the low cab before he focused on warming her hand, which had turned cold, again.


    Lin Xiaowan stared at Huo Zheng, who wore a serious expression on his face. She recalled what she had heard earlier and asked, slightly embarrassed, ¡°You¡­ Did you call me ¡®baby¡¯ earlier?¡±


    Huo Zheng did not respond.


    Lin Xiaowan hit him lightly with her other hand. ¡°Say something.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at her eyes that were shining with expectations and replied helplessly, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not help but straighten her back and leaned toward him. Her interest was piqued. In her previous life, Huo Zheng had addressed her as ¡®Qingqing¡¯ until the day she died. Why did he suddenly change in this life?


    ¡°Why did you call me that? Is that how you refer to me when I¡¯m not around?¡±


    Huo Zheng ignored her. He tucked the nket for her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    However, his ears were slightly red.


    Lin Xiaowan did not give up. Before her brain could stop her, she said, ¡°Why are you embarrassed? When you wrote love letters to Song Zhiyi in the past, you were even more affectionate.¡±


    Huo Zheng was stunned. ¡°You saw the love letter?¡±


    There was a love letter hidden in a book in his study. He had written it before his breakup with Song Zhiyi. They had broken up before he could give it to her. He had casually slipped it between the pages of a book he was reading at that time, and he hadpletely forgotten about it. It hady forgotten for many years.


    However, one night, after Lin Xiaowan fell asleep, he went to the study to work. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt like reading that book. When he saw the love letter, he felt guilty. At the same time, he was also d that Lin Xiaowan did note to the study and did not discover the letter. At that time, he wanted to throw the letter away, but he felt uneasy. In the end, he decided to bring it to thepany. He put it through a paper shredder until it could not be pieced back together before he finally threw it away.


    He really did not expect Lin Xiaowan to have seen it.


    Lin Xiaowan asked unhappily, ¡°What? Can¡¯t I look at it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Huo Zheng said before he added, ¡°I¡¯ve already thrown it away.¡±


    ¡°When did you write it?¡±


    ¡°¡­ A long time ago.¡±


    Seeing that Huo Zheng was so curt with his words, Lin Xiaowan felt a little angry. ¡°You still won¡¯t tell me about the matter between you and Song Zhiyi?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan recalled the days when she was held captive. Song Zhiyi not only verbally abused her, but Song Zhiyi also forced her to watch a video of Song Zhiyi and Huo Zheng. With this thought in mind, she grew even more unhappy.


    She pulled her hand away from Huo Zheng and looked away, feeling frustrated.


    Huo Zheng quickly held her hand, making sure she did not yank the needle out. ¡°Qingqing!¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice was a little loud. Lin Xiaowan was already upset, to begin with, so her eyes reddened immediately. She felt extremely aggrieved.


    Huo Zheng knew that he was a little fierce earlier so he softened his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m not scolding you. I was just afraid you¡¯d hurt yourself.¡±


    However, how could Lin Xiaowan listen to him at this moment? Her heart was filled with grievances as she sniffled.


    Huo Zheng could not help but panic. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°Song Zhiyi threatened me with evidence detrimental to the Huo family. You and I aren¡¯t married yet. If something happened to the Huo family, at least you wouldn¡¯t be dragged into it if you didn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was notforted by her words at all. Instead, she looked even sadder than before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Qingqing.¡±


    Huo Zheng held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand carefully, not knowing what to do. After a while, he called out softly, ¡°Baby¡­¡±


    His voice was slightly hoarse, but it was gentle and affectionate. He sounded extremely charming.


    Lin Xiaowan turned around to look at him with red eyes.


    After everything that happened, she had also guessed this was the reason behind Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi¡¯s frequent interactions in her previous life. However, she did not know why everything happened three years earlierpared to her previous life.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about her? You hid so many things from me. Did you want me to hear about it from other people? I know you were together with her since junior high school, and you were together for seven years before breaking up. Did you want me to find out about it from Song Zhiyi?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stared at the speechless Huo Zheng and continued to say, ¡°You said that you didn¡¯t have any contact with her after breaking up, but she told me that even after breaking up, you cared about each other¡¯s well-being. To her, I seemed to be a shameless person who hindered both of you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Huo Zheng protested.


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to listen to him. ¡°If you had told me about the two of you from the beginning, how could she have found a loophole to exploit? In fact, I didn¡¯t meet for the first time in Yiran Restaurant. She called me out a few days before that.¡±

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: He¡¯s Still Worth Keeping</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head and reflected on herself as well as she said, ¡°I was wrong as well. I should have talked to you when I learned about her existence. I always thought you loved her, not me so I didn¡¯t dare to ask.¡±


    Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s rtionship had always been strange. They did not even have a proper confession. They had moved in together in a hurry and got married soon after. He had always been polite and reserved. He was also the son of a wealthy family, and she felt that they were from different worlds. She had no confidence at all in the rtionship since the beginning. Therefore, she did not dare to ask about anything.


    When she became a ghost next to Huo Zheng, she experienced many strange and mysterious things by Huo Zheng¡¯s side. After seeing him strangle Song Zhiyi, she suddenly realized there were many things that she did not know.


    The injury on the back of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head had yet to heal. She could not help but reach up to touch it.


    ¡°Do you have a headache?¡± Huo Zheng asked nervously.


    Seeing that he changed the topic, Lin Xiaowan cried out indignantly, ¡°Huo Zheng!¡±


    Huo Zheng kissed the back of her hand and said with a sigh, ¡°After breaking up with her, I had no feelings for her anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then do you like me?¡±


    ¡°I only like you,¡± Huo Zheng replied seriously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve told you this earlier.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was still unhappy. ¡°Then tell me everything. I¡¯m not talking about the matter with her recently. I¡¯m talking about your past. I want to know. Why did you guys break up? You dated for seven years and were about to get married after all.¡±


    Huo Zheng found it hard to speak. He was the one who initiated the breakup at that time. To him, who was young and carefree at that time, it was simply a humiliating experience.


    However, seeing how concerned Lin Xiaowan was, he could only be truthful. He did not want this matter to bother her anymore. He said, ¡°I discovered she was cheating.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan found it hard to believe. Objectively, Huo Zheng was not extremely handsome, but his eyes were deep and his nose bridge was high. Nheless, he was still considered a handsome man with starry eyes. Moreover, his figure was impable. His bearing and aura were noble and extraordinary. Considering all things, even a celebrity was slightly inferior to him. How could Song Zhiyi cheat on a man favored by the heavens like Huo Zheng?


    ¡°Are you joking?¡±


    After all, that lunatic Song Zhiyi loved Huo Zheng so much that she even wanted to die with him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng found it even more difficult to speak.


    ¡°She did it with someone in the school field¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and an incredulous expression appeared on her face.


    ¡®Was there no one in their school field?


    ¡°It¡¯s not just one person. While we were dating, she was in a rtionship with several ¡®friends¡¯. Her private life was very messy. She wasn¡¯t in love with me. She wanted to climb the socialdder, and she only treated me slightly better than the others. When I was in school, I hid my family background, after all.¡±


    Huo Zheng was very confident in the past. He did not expect Song Zhiyi to be such a person. How could he ept being yed like that?


    This time, Song Zhiyi returned and threatened him because she wanted to be the young madam of a wealthy family. She returned because of his family background.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about Song Zhiyi¡¯s ¡®friends¡¯ and felt a little sympathetic for Huo Zheng at this moment. ¡°You were really miserable¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi dated for seven years. Could it be that Song Zhiyi was like this over the past seven years as well?


    At the same time, she thought that Huo Zheng was really lucky he did not catch any disease from Song Zhiyi.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses, she asked, frightened, ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re¡­ not clean¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng hurriedly said, ¡°No, no, I¡­ I have never touched her before.¡±


    ¡°You were together for seven years! Who¡¯d believe you didn¡¯t touch her!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Huo Zheng quickly exined, afraid of Lin Xiaowan misunderstanding him, ¡°I was against premarital sex back then so I didn¡¯t touch her!¡±


    When they broke up, Song Zhiyi had used this matter to make fun of Huo Zheng. He was naturally enraged at that time. However, in hindsight, he was d he did not do anything with her back then.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him skeptically; clearly, she did not believe him.


    ¡®What about the video?¡¯


    ¡°Song Zhiyi showed me a video of the two of you in bed.¡±


    Huo Zheng was furious upon hearing Song Zhiyi had shown Lin Xiaowan those disgusting things. ¡°She showed you those things?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan blinked her wet eyes at him. The broken capiries in her left eye had yet to heal, making her look very pitiful.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart softened. He leaned over and kissed her as he said, ¡°I really didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve only done it with you. Videos can be faked by AI. What she showed you was fake.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sorted the information in her head.


    Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi had dated for seven years, but Song Zhiyi was promiscuous and had multiple partners. Huo Zheng had never touched her before. After discovering her cheating, it was really impossible for them to have positive feelings for each other.


    Lin Xiaowan felt much better after thinking about it.


    ¡®He¡¯s still worth keeping¡­¡¯


    However, after a moment, she mmed her hand on the table and asked angrily, ¡°You were against premarital sex? Then what happened between both of us?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan got together with Huo Zheng in September. Only two months had passed before they consummated their rtionship. During her birthday in November, she drank a little. After gaining courage from the alcohol, she pestered Huo Zheng, and they ended up sleeping together. She was a little drunk at that time, but Huo Zheng was not drunk at all!


    Huo Zheng said guiltily, ¡°I said I opposed it in the past¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, angry and dissatisfied, ¡°I asked Sister An about what you were like when you were in a rtionship. She said you were very passionate. Song Zhiyi also said so. However, when you were with me, you were always so indifferent¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    How could he bear to treat her indifferently? However, he also reflected on himself after listening to her words.


    ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t seem to like me at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    When he broke up with Song Zhiyi, Song Zhiyi had questioned his sincerity. She also said that he was immature and clingy. She told him that no girl would be moved by such love and affection. She said his love was fake.


    At that time, Huo Zheng had sneered, acting like he did not care. However, he remembered every word.


    After being single for so many years and being immersed in the business world, he gradually became calm and reserved. He did not think that the person next to him needed him to show his affection and love to her.


    Huo Zheng told Lin Xiaowan about this earnestly and promised to change his ways.


    ¡°Tell me what I did wrong, and I¡¯ll do my best to change,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Song Zhiyi was already a thing of the past, and it was also time for him to forget those spiteful words.


    No matter what, he had wronged Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡­


    When the IV drip was empty, the nurse came over to help Lin Xiaowan remove the needle. She even brought in a beautifully wrapped apple. She stuffed the apple into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hands and said with a smile, ¡°Today is Christmas Eve. Miss Lin, get well soon.¡±

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: Fainted</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    It was already dark outside, and the snow was still falling.


    Lin Xiaowan knew it was already December, but she did not know it was already Christmas Eve. She was actually unconscious for half a month.


    After the nurse packed the things up and left, Huo Zheng continued to hold Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand, softly rubbing the needle mark on her hand.


    Lin Xiaowan saw the dark circles under his eyes and patted the bed. ¡°Come here and hug me.¡±


    Huo Zheng climbed into bed and leaned against the headboard. He held her in his arms, unwilling to let go.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. If there¡¯s anything in the future, you must tell me. You¡¯re not allowed to stay silent,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up for her checkup, Huo Zheng had already informed his elder brother and sister-inw about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s condition.


    It was already past 5 PM, and it was almost time for dinner. Qiao You¡¯an called and asked what Lin Xiaowan wanted to eat for dinner.


    Huo Zheng did not give Lin Xiaowan a chance to reply and said to Qiao You¡¯an, ¡°Make her something easy to digest.¡±


    ¡°Okay. How was the checkup? It¡¯s almost the end of the year. After she¡¯s discharged, bring her to the old house to stay.¡±


    Huo Zheng tilted his head to look at Lin Xiaowan, asking for her opinion.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded before Huo Zheng agreed and ended the call.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan leaned into Huo Zheng¡¯s arms and chatted with him.


    Huo Zheng asked if she still wanted to go to the North Pole.


    ¡°North Pole?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not busy during the New Year. I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned. This was her birthday wish from her previous life. How did he know about it? After a long time, she finally remembered that she had mentioned this in this life. At that time, he had also promised to bring her to the North Pole after he was done dealing with matters.


    Lin Xiaowan had lost her interest now. She yed with his hand for a long time before she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go anymore.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not have any objections and said gently, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hesitated for a long time before she finally sat up to face Huo Zheng.


    Although Lin Xiaowan¡¯s injuries had healed a lot when she was unconscious for half a month, they were notpletely healed. Huo Zheng did not want her to move around, worried that she would aggravate her wounds. He asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    She did not want to keep any more secrets from him.


    He sat up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pointed at him and said, ¡°So fierce.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at her helplessly.


    ¡°Let me tell you a shocking secret.¡±


    Huo Zheng immediately thought about her family members and her uncle who deserved to die. He thought that she was about to tell him about her family. Unexpectedly, she dropped a bomb on him.


    Lin Xiaowan hugged the nket and said, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t see the love letter you wrote. When I went to look for it in the book, it was already gone. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy after listening to what I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±


    Although her experience was real, she still felt that it was a little ridiculous.


    ¡°Actually, I read the letter in my previous life. In my previous life, I thought you didn¡¯t like me. I didn¡¯t dare to ask you about it. I thought you were cheating on me. After a series of incidents, I was hit by a car and died. Then, I was reborn back in time.¡±


    After listening to her, it was hard for Huo Zheng not to suspect that what she said had something to do with the injury on the back of her head.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Huo Zheng did not believe her so he did not say anything.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to say, ¡°We were married for three years, but you didn¡¯t tell me about Song Zhiyi at all in my previous life. One day, you suddenly became busy. Every time you came home, you¡¯d smell of unfamiliar perfume. Moreover, I kept receiving intimate photos of you and Song Zhiyi. I really thought you cheated on me. The day before our wedding anniversary, I saw you picking a ring for her. I was very sad at that time. When I fled, I got into a car ident while I was crossing the road and died.¡±


    She thought about everything she had seen when she was a soul and sighed. ¡°After listening to you, I guessed you were so close to her back then because she was threatening you as well¡­ However, I didn¡¯t know at that time. I thought you always liked her so I was very sad.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked very serious and a little sad when she spoke. A frown could be seen on her face as well.


    Huo Zheng reached out to smooth the frown on her face. He was about to speak when the nightmares he had when Lin Xiaowan was being held captive appeared in his mind. In the nightmares, shey in his arms covered in blood. Suddenly, he choked and could not speak.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Xiaowan looked at him, puzzled.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s head suddenly began to hurt. He massaged his temples and closed his eyes. The pain was like a tidal wave, and his ears were ringing. He was worried about scaring Lin Xiaowan so he forced himself to tell her that he was fine. However, he could not move at all. He suddenly broke out in cold sweat.


    Lin Xiaowan had never seen Huo Zheng like that before. She asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have a headache?¡±


    She began to regret telling him about her rebirth. After all, it was a matter of two different worlds. Who knew if Huo Zheng was affected by this knowledge?


    Huo Zheng¡¯s grip on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand was very tight. Although she was in pain, she did not break free and allowed him to hold her hand.


    ¡°Can you hear me? Can you let go of my hand so I can call the doctor?¡±


    Huo Zheng did hear Lin Xiaowan at all as scene after scene shed in his mind. The scene came to a stop at the moment Lin Xiaowany in the ancestral hall covered by white cloth. Then, he lost consciousness.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart raced in her chest. She panicked and called his name. It took a while before she remembered to press the bell to call the doctor.


    She was severely injured to begin with. The sudden stimtion made it difficult for her to breathe.


    When the medical staff came in, a female staff member quickly helped Lin Xiaowan to calm down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Calm down. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Take a deep breath and let yourself rx.¡±


    The other party helped Lin Xiaowan back to the bed and poured a ss of water for her.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s alright now.¡±


    After Lin Xiaowan regained herposure, she grabbed the doctor and asked tremblinbly, ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    The examination was very quick. The doctor said, puzzled, ¡°Mr. Huo is fine. He¡¯s just a little overworked. Why did he suddenly faint?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not say anything about her rebirth. She remained silent and looked at the doctor with teary eyes.


    Seeing the worried expression on her face, the doctor said reassuringly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be fine when he wakes up.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sobbed and said softly, ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±


    She really regretted her words earlier, and she vowed not to speak rashly again.


    When Huo Zheng woke up, she was going to tell him that it was all a dream she had. If Huo Zheng med her for talking nonsense, so be it.


    ¡°Alright, stop crying. Let me examine your eye.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s face and eyes were kind, and he spoke in a kind tone like that of an elder.


    Lin Xiaowan wiped her tears away and raised her head so the doctor could examine her eye.

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: You Have to Pursue Me First</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The female nurse standing at the side grabbed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s arm and eximed, ¡°Don¡¯t use so much force! Don¡¯t wipe your eyes with your hands! There are so many bacterias on your hands.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the female nurse nkly.


    ¡®Am I not supposed to rub my eyes with my hands?¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my eyes?¡±


    It was strange. She did not feel that anything was wrong with her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You just burst the capiries in your eye. Don¡¯t worry. You didn¡¯t feel ufortable when you woke up, right? Your vision isn¡¯t affected, right?¡±


    The doctor spoke as though he was talking to a child. After all, who would dislike an obedient person?


    Lin Xiaowan nodded.


    When Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an arrived, they saw Huo Zheng lying unconscious at the side and the medical staff in the room.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Huo suddenly fainted so we came to check on him. There¡¯s nothing wrong with him. Perhaps, he fainted because of low blood pressure or because he was stimted. It¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll recover by tonight or tomorrow morning¡­¡± the doctor said.


    Huo Cheng nodded in relief when he heard that there was nothing wrong with Huo Zheng.


    After the doctor was done examining Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eye, he told her that she would have to take an X-Ray a few dayster before she left. If she was worried, he told her she could get her eyes tested again. However, he assured her that nothing seemed to be wrong with her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an raised the insted lunch?box in her hand and asked, ¡°Xiaowan, are you hungry? You slept for a long time. You must be hungry. Why don¡¯t you eat something?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an wanted to set up a small table at the side of the bed, but Lin Xiaowan stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. My arms and legs are fine. Let¡¯s eat at the dining table.¡±


    The meal was made by the chef at home. There was beet meatball vegetable soup, stir-fried vegetables, steamed pigeon with eggnt, and sweet braised pear with candied dates.


    It was obvious that the meal was also meant for Huo Zheng, but he could not eat it now.


    Lin Xiaowan enjoyed the food, but she found it a little nd. She preferred food with stronger tastes.


    Qiao You¡¯an urged, ¡°Eat more. You¡¯re thin, to begin with. After lying in bed for half a month, you¡¯ve grown even thinner.¡±


    ¡°Have you spoken to Huo Zheng?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan held the porcin bowl with braised pear and nodded.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Huo Cheng asked curiously, ¡°The doctor even said he might be stimted.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stammered. In the end, she only said that they spoke about the past before Huo Zheng fainted.


    Huo Cheng asked incredulously, ¡°So did he stimte himself by talking about the past? Was he stimted by his past?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was at a loss for words. She felt that it had more to do with her talking about her rebirth. She said hesitantly, ¡°Ah, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case¡­¡±


    ¡°When did my brother be so frail?¡± Huo Cheng sat at the side, immersed in his thoughts.


    ¡­


    The couple stayed with Lin Xiaowan for a while before they finally left.


    Even when it waste at night, and Lin Xiaowan felt sleepy, Huo Zheng still did not wake up.


    The bed was big enough for two people. Lin Xiaowany next to Huo Zheng and stared at him. After she turned off the light, she tossed and turned for a while before she finally rolled into his arms.


    ¡­


    The next morning when Lin Xiaowan woke up, Huo Zheng had already woken up. He had already changed his clothes and was leaning against the headboard and working on hisptop. When he saw that she had woken up, he put hisptop aside and lowered his head to kiss her.


    Huo Zheng kissed Lin Xiaowan for a long time. When she finally regained her senses, she asked with glistening eyes, ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°I remembered a lot of things. I remembered things from our previous life,¡± Huo Zheng said. He stared at her and caressed her delicate face with his big hand. It was tender and affectionate.


    Huo Zheng hugged her and kissed her cheek before he sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    In the previous life, he lived a lonely life without Lin Xiaowan.


    After Lin Xiaowan left, he sent some to inform her family in Beicheng. At that time, he was prepared to be beaten and scolded. After all, their daughter had died by his side. Unexpectedly, his assistant returned with 200 yuan. It was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s aunt called ¡®constion money¡¯.


    It was onlyter that Huo Zheng found out that Lin Xiaowan grew up uncared for like weeds in her family.


    He saw the text messages and photos on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone during those few months. He was filled with self-me and regret in thetter half of his life. Every time he thought about it, his heart was wrenched in pain.


    He had dealt with the Dong family ruthlessly and punished Song Zhiyi cruelly. He even quarreled with Huo Cheng over the information that Song Zhiyi obtained in the past. In the end, they did not speak for almost a year. However, when it came down to it, the person he hated the most was himself.


    When he finally regained consciousness and saw Lin Xiaowan sleeping soundly next to him, no one knew how grateful he was that the heavens sent his lost treasure back to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not me him anymore. She reached out and hugged him as she said, ¡°I know you had my best interest at heart. However, I don¡¯t want to be left in the dark. Sister and¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had not addressed Huo Cheng directly for a long time so for a moment, she did not know how to address him.


    Huo Zheng looked at her patiently as he caressed her head. Due to her injury, her hair had been cut short. After half a month, it had grown a little longer. Her hair fell beneath her ears, making her look very cute.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to say, ¡°Sister An can face these things with Brother Cheng, and I can also face them with you. You can protect me, right?¡±


    Huo Zheng now controlled half of the economy in Shangxia. Very few people couldpete with him. He said, ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. She got out of his embrace before she waved her hand and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident, I¡¯ll give you a chance to pursue me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Huo Zheng was stunned.


    ¡°Pursue me,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a magnanimous expression on her face, ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was joking about breaking up, right? You didn¡¯t even confess before we got together. I¡¯ll give you a chance to pursue me now. After that, you have to confess to me. When the time is right, you have to propose to me. Oh, the proposal shouldn¡¯t be too grand. Let¡¯s just be low-key about it. I don¡¯t want too many people to be involved.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded indulgently. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say, but I have one condition.¡±


    He held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s right hand. After so many things happened, the ring was still on her finger. He said, ¡°You can¡¯t take off your ring.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    All Lin Xiaowan wanted was to make up for the things in her past life. The end result was the same. She needed a sense of security and so did Huo Zheng.

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28: Harmony (1)</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°If I¡¯m not allowed to take it off, what happens when you propose to me in the future? Where am I going to wear the other ring?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked slightly troubled as though she was seriously thinking about this matter.


    Huo Zheng felt that she was extremely cute and wanted tough. However, he was worried she would be angry so he suppressed hisughter and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m about to propose, and at that time, you can remove this ring.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it and was quite satisfied with his solution. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then, she raised her chin and said, ¡°You have to pursue me properly. Otherwise, I won¡¯t agree to marry you. It won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Huo Zheng could not conceal his smile at all. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing how he agreed so readily, Lin Xiaowan looked at him skeptically and asked, ¡°Do you even know how to pursue women? How did you pursue Song Zhiyi back then? You have to treat me 10,000 times better than you did her when you were pursuing him. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Huo Zheng replied with a nod. Then, thinking that they agreed to be honest with each other, he only hesitated a moment before he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t pursue her. She pursued me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan patted his head and sighed. ¡°You were so naive and easily deceived back then¡­¡±


    Back then, Huo Zheng was still a pure and innocent young man. He was indeed easy to deceive.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s ears turned red.


    After this ordeal, the two of them were open with each other. Not only did Lin Xiaowan change, but Huo Zheng changed as well.


    Lin Xiaowan pouted and said, dissatisfied, ¡°She addressed you in such an intimate manner, but I only addressed you by your name¡­ You allow her to call you Brother Huo. Why didn¡¯t you tell me to call you that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her to call me Brother Huo, and I didn¡¯t like the way she called me either,¡± Huo Zheng said. At the same time, he wanted to tell Lin Xiaowan to address him as ¡®Hubby¡¯ or ¡®Husband¡¯, but knowing her, she would probably hit him out of embarrassment.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll think about what to call you¡­¡±


    ¡­


    When the nurse came in with the medicine and breakfast, she saw Lin Xiaowan leaning against Huo Zheng and chatting animatedly. She smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Huo, you¡¯re awake. Do you feel unwell? You fainted suddenly yesterday. Miss Lin was very worried.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore.¡±


    It had snowed the entire night and only stopped this morning. It was overcast outside, and there was a thickyer of snow.


    ¡°Can I go out for a walk after I eat?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked the nurse.


    The nurse had been assigned to Lin Xiaowan since Lin Xiaowan was admitted to the hospital. She knew Lin Xiaowan¡¯s condition very well. When she heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words, she looked a little troubled as she replied tactfully, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do. It¡¯s a little too cold outside.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head, looking disappointed. She was born in winter, and she liked the snow. When she was born, it was snowing heavily. She thought it was a pity she could not build a snowman today.


    The nurse saw the pitiful expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, and her heart surged with motherly love. Her heart softened, and she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I talk to Dr. Zhang first?¡±


    Dr. Zhang was the kind-looking doctor from before.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes lit up immediately while Huo Zheng¡¯s gaze was icy when he looked at the nurse.


    The nurse could not withstand the pressure from Huo Zheng¡¯s gaze. She chuckled and quickly left the room. Before leaving, she reminded him that Lin Xiaowan¡¯s medicine should be taken after her food.


    ¡­


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan did not go out. Huo Zheng did not allow it.


    Moreover, when Doctor Zhang came over, he listened to her breathing with his stethoscope and rejected her request to go outside with an amiable smile on his face.


    ¡°Wait another week. If you go out now, it¡¯ll be easy for you to catch a cold.¡±


    s, the snow would already melt by next week unless it began to snow heavily again.


    Since she could not go out, she tormented Huo Zheng and asked him to cut the apple into the shape of bunnies. He did not know how to do this and could only learn clumsily.


    When his secretary and assistant came, he was finally rescued from the torment.


    ¡­


    At lunch.


    After dealing with his work, Huo Zheng asked, ¡°Have you thought about what you want to call me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan bit her chopsticks and looked at him hesitantly before she said softly, looking embarrassed, ¡°Can I just call you ¡®Brother?¡¯?


    Huo Zhengughed and kissed her. ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan stayed in the hospital for another week.


    After the 8th of the 12th lunar month, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s post-surgery wounds were almost healed. She no longer wanted to stay in the hospital and begged to be discharged. She felt that it was pointless for her to continue staying in the hospital.

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29: Harmony (2)</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng tidied up the photo album and various brushes scattered around. He was amused when he saw Lin Xiaowan carefully following the video tutorial on how to thread colored beads with a thin copper wire. He asked, ¡°Is this fun?¡±


    In addition to the photo album and brushes, there were also architectural models that were pieced together on the ground. Huo Zheng had almost moved his entire office to this ce. He would work and have meetings here every day, and his secretary and assistant had to run?back and forth every day.


    Lin Xiaowan gestured to Huo Zheng toe over before she showed him the pendant she was making. It was a talisman for examinations. She asked, ¡°Can I hang this in your car when the timees?¡±


    Of course, Huo Zheng would not say no. Let alone hanging it in his car, he would not say no even if she asked him to wear it.


    ¡°You won¡¯t let me go out for a walk even though I¡¯m hospitalized. I think I¡¯ve recovered,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, pouting.


    Huo Zheng touched the back of her head. The swelling had not gone downpletely. He said, coaxing her, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a few more days. Once the doctor says everything is fine, we¡¯ll leave, okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost the lunar new year. I don¡¯t want to spend the new year in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Huo Zheng promised.


    ¡­


    It was getting close to the lunar new year.


    Apart from Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an, Qin Yanchuan and his wife visited as well. The three men began to talk about work as soon as they met so Qiao You¡¯an chased them out to the next room.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the unfamiliar woman in front of her and smiled tentatively.


    Gu Yuwu was about the same age as Lin Xiaowan. She had almond-shaped eyes and red lips. She was extremely beautiful. She had dyed her long hair, and her makeup was exquisite. She looked like a character that had walked out of a book.


    Gu Yuwu took the initiative to speak. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your photo in Qin Yanchuan¡¯s study. You look even better in person. I have long wanted to meet you.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an had known Gu Wuyu for a long time now. Upon hearing Gu Wuyu¡¯s words, she said proudly, ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Xiaowan is usually very cute as well. You¡¯ll know it once you get to know her.¡±


    The feeling of being praised by another woman, especially a beautiful one, was very good. It was not something that could be described.


    Lin Xiaowan was not aloof. She said, ¡°You look very good too¡­ And you smell very nice as well¡­¡±


    Then, just to be fair, Lin Xiaowan turned to Qiao You¡¯an and said, ¡°Sister, you look very, very, very good too¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan used the word ¡®very¡¯ thrice to show her sincerity.


    After that, the three women quickly brought out small tes to eat the skewered octopus meatballs that Gu Yuwu brought over.


    As Gu Yuwu opened the packaging, she asked with a hint of uncertainty, ¡°Can Xiaowan eat seafood?¡±


    More than a month had passed since Lin Xiaowan¡¯s surgery. She was recovering well, but Huo Zheng was very strict with her diet. She had mentioned a few times that she wanted to eat sweet and sour prawn balls and steamed bass, but she was mercilessly rejected.


    Lin Xiaowan nced at the closed door a few times before she whispered, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowanined, ¡°Huo Zheng is too strict. He doesn¡¯t allow me to eat many things. However, the doctor said it¡¯s fine as long as I eat those things in moderation.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had only been eating very nd food. Most of her meals were soup or stir-fried dishes. The chef of the Huo family, who was paid very well, did not even put any seasoning in her meals. At this time, she really craved food like fried chicken and roast duck from the roadside stalls. She really wished she could order takeaway. However, since Huo Zheng apanied her to eat those nd meals, she could notin.


    Now that the golden and greasy octopus balls were finally ced in front of her, she naturally could not resist. When the fragrance of the mixed sauce permeated the room, Lin Xiaowan could not help but gulp a few times.


    Qiao You¡¯an saw Lin Xiaowan holding the skewer and staring at the food greedily. Despite pretending to be reserved, she could see the words ¡®I want to eat¡¯ were written all over Lin Xiaowan¡¯s body at this moment. Sheughed and said, ¡°Alright, hurry up and eat. You must be hungry.¡±


    ¡°This honey mustard sauce is very delicious. I always ask for it. Try it.¡±


    The octopus balls were stuffed with corn and chopped vegetables, and their skin was fried to crispy perfection.


    Lin Xiaowan tested the temperature and quickly took a bite before eximing, ¡°It¡¯s tasty!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes were closed, and she looked happy as she chewed on the octopus ball.


    Gu Yuwu chuckled. ¡°How cute. Xiaowan, you look just like a small animal when you eat.¡±

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30: Harmony (3)</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Gu Yuwu had brought five different vors of octopus balls, and there were six of each vor.


    Lin Xiaowan tried one of each vor. The octopus balls were not small, and it was quite filling. She still wanted to eat but was embarrassed. She asked, ¡°Where did you buy this? It¡¯s really delicious!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the stall in the alley next to a middle school on North-South Ind Bay Road. It¡¯s been around for almost twenty years. The food there is delicious, and the soup is particrly good,¡± Gu Yuwu replied. She liked seeing how happy and satisfied Lin Xiaowan looked when she was eating so she pushed another octopus ball to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Eat more if you like it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not stand on ceremony and quickly ate the octopus ball.


    The trio continued to talk, and the topic drifted to the heavy snow recently. The snow covered the city for an entire day and night, making the city look beautiful. Scenic spots in the city looked even more beautiful with the snow.


    Qiao You¡¯an chimed in, telling the others about how her sons had built a snowman in the yard.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaowan said indignantly, ¡°I wanted to go out and y with the snow as well, but Huo Zheng wouldn¡¯t let me. I wanted to build a snowman too.¡±


    Thest time Lin Xiaowan built a snowman was when she was very, very young. That year, it snowed heavily in Beicheng. At that time, her uncle brought her out and helped her scoop buckets of snow to build a huge snowman.


    Gu Yuwu could hear the disappointment dripping from Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words so she asked, ¡°I have photos of when it was snowing. Do you want to see them?¡±


    The photos were turned into a slide of video. It had more than 200,000 views, and it was uploaded to the tform, Bobo Star. The title was very direct: Snow in the Streets of Sheng City.


    The 20-minute video was divided into two parts; one showed the street during the day, and the other at night.


    Lin Xiaowan was fascinated. She watched it with rapt attention.


    The photos were very well taken. One showed a sweet potato stall at night. The stall owner stood behind the cart as it snowed, and he was rubbing his arms. Another one showed two pedestrians, probably a couple, holding an umbre as they crossed the zebra crossing. There was even one that showed small paw prints on the snow-covered ground as a cat jumped onto the roof of a car.


    While Lin Xiaowan looked at the photos, Gu Yuwu seriously spoke about angles and what shutter speed she used when she was taking the photos.


    Lin Xiaowan said sincerely, ¡°You¡¯re really awesome. The photos are all very good!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was interested, she said, ¡°You can go back to the main page. I have other street photos as well¡­¡±


    Worried that Lin Xiaowan was not familiar with the interface, Gu Yuwu leaned over and said, ¡°Click on the small white arrow in the upper left corner.¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan had never used this tform before, she had often used other video tforms to watch dramas and variety shows. For this reason, it was not difficult for her to navigate her way.


    Lin Xiaowan saw the video, Snow in the Streets of Sheng City, at the top of the page since it was recently uploaded. Soon, her attention was caught by the user information on the page. She eximed, ¡°Wow! You have more than three million followers!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scrolled down and discovered that there were only a few street photos. In fact, the number of videos, in general, was not a lot. As she scrolled down, she also saw photos of people. The number of views was quite high, and there were also manyments.


    Gu Yuwu scratched her head and said, ¡°I studied photography.


    Gu Yuwu studied photography, but after graduation, she somehow was roped into acting in an online drama and entered the entertainment industry. However, she had no interest in acting or being an actress. She was now part of themittee responsible for reforming the entertainment industry. With her background and capital, she was a domineering figure in the entertainment industry.


    In the end, photography only became Gu Yuwu¡¯s personal hobby.


    In fact, if Lin Xiaowan had gone on Whisper, thergest social media tform in Shangxia, she would have found that Gu Yuwu¡¯s fame far exceeded three million followers. There was another 0 behind the 3,000,000.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have much interest in celebrities so she was unaware of these things. Moreover, apart from that online drama and a few cameos, Gu Yuwu did not make an appearance in front of the cameras. As such, it was even more unlikely for Lin Xiaowan to know about a behind-the-scenes bigshot.


    ¡°Can I have a look at these videos as well?¡±


    Gu Yuwu replied with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan watched the videos one by one.


    Sometimes, Gu Yuwu¡¯s voice could be heard in the videos, but she never appeared in front of the camera. The photos were not taken in a studio, and they were all taken in natural settings. They depicted people living their daily lives.


    There were photos of people eating watermelons, drinking soda, ying with cats and dogs, buying fruits, and so on. Although the subject of the photos was ordinary, there was something special in their simplicity. However, it had to be said that the people in the photos were all very good-looking.

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31: Call Me Brother</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    While Qiao You¡¯an chatted with Gu Yuwi, she would look at Lin Xiaowan once in a while.


    Lin Xiaowan was engrossed in watching the videos. She also listened attentively to the exnation such as what kind of cameras and lenses were used and why they were chosen.


    After Lin Xiaowan finished watching one of the videos, Qiao You¡¯an asked tentatively, ¡°Xiaowan, are you also interested in photography?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded shyly.


    Before going to university, Lin Xiaowan also thought about studying photography. However, after thinking about it, she thought that her financial circumstances did not allow her to study art.


    ¡°You like photography? I can teach you,¡± Gu Yuwu said magnanimously.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly shook her head. She did not have the necessary equipment to do so after all.


    Qiao You¡¯an said gently, ¡°Xiaowan, if you like it, you should give it a try. If you find that you don¡¯t like itter, you can find another hobby.¡±


    In Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s opinion, Lin Xiaowan was too much of a homebody.


    Lin Xiaowan did not go out much, and she looked unenthusiastic on the few asions Qiao You¡¯an was free and invited her to go shopping. She rarely bought anything. She also did not seem to have any friends her age, and she always seemed a little lonely.


    In Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s opinion, it would be good if Lin Xiaowan could find a few hobbies and make some friends.


    After cleaning up the octopus balls, Gu Yuwu casually shared a few pieces of news and gossip from the entertainment industry.


    Lin Xiaowan usually did not pay attention to this so she was a little lost. She asked, ¡°What do you mean by on-set couples? Do they meet while filming and get together?¡±


    Gu Yuwu winked at Lin Xiaowan and said meaningfully, ¡°Something like that. It doesn¡¯t just apply to the actors and actresses. It¡¯s the production team. Filming takes at least a few months, and everyone¡¯s together all the time. Moreover, they have to film emotional scenes sometimes. It¡¯s easy to get caught up in the emotions. If they have¡­ needs¡­ they¡¯d get together¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened immediately.


    Gu Yuwu continued to say, ¡°These things are usually secret. After the filming, the crew will disband and so will the couple.¡±


    Then, Gu Yuwu put her hand to the side of her mouth and said conspiratorially in a low voice, ¡°Let me tell you another thing. Sometimes, the people involved are already married.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qiao You¡¯an rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Stop, stop! Don¡¯t lead Xiaowan astray.¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed.


    On the other hand, Lin Xiaowan was so shocked that she was at a loss for words.


    Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°Xiaowan, do you have any interest in joining a production team?¡±


    After listening to so much gossip, the entertainment industry was no longer clean in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart. She shook her head without hesitation, and in the process, the back of her head began to hurt. She instinctively raised her hand to touch it.


    Qiao You¡¯an said worriedly, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Gu Yuwu raised her hands and said with augh, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I won¡¯t tease you anymore.¡±


    After that, the trio continued to chat happily.


    ¡­


    When everyone left, Lin Xiaowan continued making the small charm. It was a little too quiet so she yed music from her phone. However, after ying the music, she began to feel restless.


    When Huo Zheng finally returned to the room with dinner, he told her to wash her hands and eat.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly washed her hands. When she returned, she asked, ¡°When can I be discharged?¡±


    When she saw the nd meal, she added unhappily, ¡°Huo Zheng, I want to eat sweet and sour prawn balls.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you secretly eat octopus balls in the afternoon?¡± Huo Zheng asked, ¡°By the way, what did you call me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan quickly corrected herself. She said in a soft voice, ¡°Brother.¡±


    Huo Zheng felt as though he was going to melt when he heard her voice.


    Although Lin Xiaowan was the one who suggested addressing him in this manner, she could not help but feel embarrassed in the beginning. After all, she had never addressed anyone in such a familiar way. However, after being reminded by Huo Zheng several times, she had already gotten used to it; she no longer felt embarrassed.


    Lin Xiaowan gestured with her hands and said, ¡°I only ate a little.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan realized that Huo Zheng seemed much easier to talk to when she called him ¡®Brother¡¯.


    Huo Zheng sighed helplessly, but his expression was very happy. He did not say anything about her eating the octopus balls at all.


    ¡­


    The lunar new year was early this year. It fell on the 21st. At this time, it was almost the lunar new year.


    Lin Xiaowan mentioned again that she wanted to be discharged.


    Early in the morning, Huo Zheng woke Lin Xiaowan up and helped her clean up before he?brought her for aprehensive physical examination.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan was injured, she would get exhausted easily, making her particrly sleepy. When she lived with Huo Zheng in the past, she would go to bed early and wake up early. However, no matter how early it was, she had never gotten up at seven AM.


    Lin Xiaowan yawned andined, ¡°What kind of doctores to work at 7?¡±


    ¡°Doctor Zhang,¡± Huo Zheng replied. Then, he added, ¡°By the way, It¡¯s already past 7.30 AM.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scoffed and said, ¡°You must have forced him toe in so early!¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan was dissatisfied that she had to wake up so early, she still followed Huo Zheng.


    ¡­


    By the time the examination was done, it was already 10 AM.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s stomach growled. She had not eaten anything since she woke up.


    Doctor Zhang gave her a packet of milk-vored shortbread that he brought out from the drawer and said, ¡°A student gave this to me earlier. You can have it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thanked Doctor Zhang, but she did not reach for it immediately. Instead, she looked at Huo Zheng.


    Upon seeing this, Doctor Zhang stuffed the pastry into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m giving it to you, not him. Why are you looking at him?¡±


    Seeing that Huo Zheng did not object, Lin Xiaowan held the pastry tightly and thanked Doctor Zhang again. Her earlier gloominess was gone, and she visibly lit up in excitement.


    Doctor Zhang said, ¡°Alright, go eat. We¡¯ll talk again when the resultes out in the afternoon.¡±


    After leaving, Lin Xiaowant quickly tore open the package that contained individual packets of pastry. The filling in the middle of the pastry was delicious, and the milky vor was strong. There were cranberries and nuts in the filling as well.


    After eating one, Lin Xiaowan reached out and asked for another one from Huo Zheng, who now held the packet of pastry. Unsurprisingly, he refused.


    ¡°Just have one first. You can eat the restter¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng held the pastry with one hand and held her hand with the other.


    ¡°Doctor Zhang gave me that,¡± Lin Xiaowanined. She looked at him meaningfully, hoping he would give in.


    Huo Zheng ignored her.


    Lin Xiaowan fumed with anger upon seeing this. After walking for a while, she shook their hands and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t really hold my hand in the past.¡±


    The two of them seldom went out together. Even when they went out, they rarely had physical contact.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32: Day One of Pursuing Her</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    They were very different at homepared to when they were out. At home, Huo Zheng liked to hold her in his arms and would frequently kiss her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    Ever since Huo Zheng dreamed about his previous life and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ident, he felt surreal. He felt as though he could only anchor himself in this reality when he held her firmly in his arms. He was afraid that if he let go, he would lose her again.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied. However, she suddenly eximed, ¡°No! You can¡¯t hold my hand now!¡±


    Huo Zheng was stunned. However, not only did he not let go, but he even tightened his grip on her hand. He asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re pursuing me now. We shouldn¡¯t hold hands or kiss when you¡¯re pursuing me.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan hurriedly added, ¡°We can¡¯t sleep together as well! You have to be a gentleman.¡±


    Huo Zheng was speechless. He really wanted to go back on his words at this moment. He finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this after eating.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, shaking their hands again, ¡°Let go of my hand first.¡±


    Huo Zheng turned a deaf ear to her words. Instead, he dangled the pastry in front of her, attempting to distract her as she said, ¡°Have another one.¡±


    However, Huo Zheng needed two hands to open the packaging. This meant he would have to let go of her hand. He paused for a moment before he said, ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who was already in the midst of reaching out for the pastry, looked at Huo Zheng in confusion. Shepletely forgot about not holding hands at this moment.


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan was about to take a nap in the afternoon, Huo Zheng wanted to hug her, but she refused him. She wrapped herself in the nket like a spring roll, leaving only her head exposed as she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at her speechlessly. Then, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this matter again.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You can¡¯t go back on your words,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, looking at him warily. Then, she raised her hand and said, ¡°I kept my words and wore the ring.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we hold hands?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not count the other times. I consider today your first day of pursuing me. How can you hold my hand or kiss me on the first day of pursuing me? You¡¯ll be just like a hooligan if you do that on the first day you pursue me,¡± Lin Xiaowan, the creator of these love rules, said.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s request did not make sense at all. She only wanted Huo Zheng to pursue her because she did not like how he was so different from the past. With her, he had always been too calm and restrained. Shecked love and only wanted him to be more passionate. This was just a little trick to warm up their rtionship. Neither of them took off their rings. No one would believe they were not together now. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell what was going on.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. Since they were on this topic now, she decided to tell him what she wanted lest she forgot about it after two days. She counted with her fingers as she said, ¡°You have to give me flowers, take me out to eat, and bring me on dates. You have to support me unconditionally no matter what.¡±


    ¡°For example, if I want to eat the milk-vored shortbread, as someone who¡¯s pursuing me, you should¡¯ve immediately offered it to me with two hands!¡±


    She said seriously, ¡°Of course, as someone who¡¯s being pursued, I¡¯ll give you gifts. I¡¯ll also treat you very, very well.¡±


    Huo Zheng was helpless. What could he do? He could only agree to her request.


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan finally fell asleep, she was tightly bound in the nket. It did not take long before she stretched her legs out, feeling hot.


    Huo Zheng carefully pulled the nket down a little so she was not tightly bound. As he expected, she began to feel cold in fewer than two minutes. He waited calmly for a while.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was cold, did not reach out for the nket. Instead, she instinctively moved closer to the source of heat next to her while she was asleep.


    With that, Huo Zheng hugged her, feeling satisfied.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan slept until 3.30 PM. When she woke up, Huo Zheng was already working.


    Late in the afternoon when it was almost time to get off work, Doctor Zhang finally came over and said the words that Lin Xiaowan wanted to hear most. She could finally be discharged.


    Doctor Zhang smiled. ¡°Are you very happy? However, after you¡¯re discharged, you must continue to take your medications. The weather is cold so you have to stay warm. It¡¯s dry during winter so make sure to stay hydrated. Eat more vegetables and fruits.¡±


    Doctor Zhang looked at Huo Zheng before he continued to say, ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the results. She¡¯s just a littlecking in nutrition. It¡¯s important for her to have a bnced diet. It¡¯s nothing serious. Just pay attention to her diet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. She needs to take more calcium supplements. The calcium deficiency is quite obvious.¡±


    After giving a few more instructions, Doctor Zhang said that Lin Xiaowan could be discharged the next morning.


    ¡­


    Huo Zheng followed Doctor Zhang into the hallway.


    After walking for a while, Doctor Zhang said, ¡°Mr. Huo, I know what you want to ask. The damage has been done. Although the chances aren¡¯t high, it¡¯s still possible for the patient to get pregnant.¡±


    After Lin Xiaowan was rescued, Doctor Zhang had already mentioned this. However, Huo Zheng had yet to find a chance to mention it to Lin Xiaowan. Earlier, Doctor Zhang also did not maintain anything about this. Now that Lin Xiaowan was about to be discharged, he wanted to know if there was any improvement. However, after listening to Doctor Zhang¡¯s words, he no longer asked any questions.


    In fact, it did not matter if Lin Xiaowan could not have children. Huo Zheng did not ce much importance on having children. However, he knew Lin Xiaowan liked children and would definitely want children of her own in the future. He was afraid that she would be depressed once she found out about her condition. Fortunately, it was notpletely impossible for her to have children; it was just that the chances were lower.


    ¡­


    On the day Lin Xiaowan was discharged, Qiao You¡¯an brought Huang Dabao and Huang Erbao, who were on winter break, to pick Lin Xiaowan up.


    The two children had not seen Lin Xiaowan for months and were excited to see her. They ran toward her as soon as they saw her.


    ¡°Sister Xiaowan!¡±


    Although the two children were young, they were as strong as wolf cubs. Huo Zheng was worried that they did not know how to control their strength. It was fine if they bumped into him, but what if they bumped into Lin Xiaowan? He quickly moved to stand in front of Lin Xiaowan and said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡±


    Huo Zheng had always been serious with the two children. They were naturally afraid of him. They stopped running immediately and said in unison, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, Huo Zheng corrected the way the two children addressed Lin Xiaowan. He said, ¡°Call her ¡®Aunty¡¯.¡±


    The two children always addressed him as ¡®Uncle¡¯, but they always addressed Lin Xiaowan as ¡®Sister¡¯. He had corrected them many times, but they always forgot about it. He was determined to change their bad habits of messing up the order of seniority.


    Only when the two children addressed Lin Xiaowan correctly did Huo Zheng allow them to hold Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hands.


    Meanwhile, Qiao You¡¯an only shook her head, finding the situation funny.


    After that, they returned to the Huo family¡¯s old residence. They had already discussed this beforehand.


    There were many people in the old residence. Qiao You¡¯an and the two children were also staying there during the children¡¯s winter break. With so many people around to take care of Lin Xiaowan, she would not be lonely.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33: What Happens During the Annual Banquet?</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng was extremely busy at the end of the year. He was supposed to go for an annual inspection this month, but due to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s current condition, he was reluctant to leave and arranged for someone to go in his ce. However, his workload did not decrease at all.


    In the past, when Huo Zheng was very busy, he would not contact Lin Xiaowan at all. When she wanted to text or call him, she would hold back, worried that she would disturb him. He naturally was unaware of this.


    However, things were different now.


    Lin Xiaowan was usually still asleep when Huo Zheng left in the morning. He would call her when he arrived at thepany to wake her up for breakfast. He would remind her to drink a ss of hot milk and not to dawdle until breakfast grew cold. He noticed that she had a habit of waiting until the meal was cold before she ate.


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up, she would take a photo, send him a message, and tell him about what she had eaten. She would also share bits and pieces of her daily life with him.


    Huo Zheng would only reply to her asionally when he was busy. They would chat intermittently throughout the day.


    ¡­


    Today, Huo Zheng returned early. When he walked into the living room, he could smell the fragrance of all kinds of food. A round te with many spicy sticks sat on the table.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan, Huang Dabao, and Huang Erbao were sitting on the carpeted floor and eating spicy sticks while they watched an old cartoon.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s vein throbbed on his forehead. ¡®Who gave her these?¡¯


    At this moment, Huo Cheng walked over with a te of fried snacks. When he saw Huo Zheng, he asked, ¡°Why did you return so early today?¡±


    When Huo Cheng set the te down on the table, Huo Zheng saw French fries and fried chicken wings. He could not identify the other fried snacks.


    Lin Xiaowan picked?up a piece of soft fried pork and stuffed it into her mouth. When she looked up and saw Huo Zheng standing nearby, she felt guilty even though his expression did not change. She quickly looked away as she thought to herself, ¡®Out of sight, out of mind.¡¯


    At this moment, Huo Dabao stood up, wiped his hands, and ran to the kitchen to get some dipping sauce.


    ¡°Why are you eating these things? Have you drunk water?¡±


    Huo Zheng felt a headacheing on.


    Lin Xiaowan wiped her hands and raised a water bottle for him to see as she said, ¡°I already drank four times today.¡±


    The water bottle disyed the measurement of the water inside. It could hold up to 550 milliliters of water. Lin Xiaowan felt that she had drunk a lot of water considering it was winter.


    ¡°Too little.¡±


    At this time, Qiao You¡¯an walked out with Huang Dabao, helping him bring a few different dipping sauces over. When she saw Huo Zheng standing while looking at Lin Xiaowan, who clearly looked aggrieved, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t let me eat any more of the snacks.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an spoke up for Lin Xiaowan immediately. ¡°It¡¯s fine to eat a little. The spicy sticks and snacks were homemade, and we only made a small portion. There¡¯s not much after sharing it with the children.¡±


    Huo Zheng frowned. He was about to speak again when his sister-inw interjected, ¡°I called the doctor and asked. He said it¡¯s okay.¡±


    With this, Huo Zheng could not say anything more and only asked Lin Xiaowan to drink more water.


    ¡­


    During dinner, Huo Zheng asked if Lin Xiaowan wanted to apany him to the Huo Corporation¡¯s annual banquet, which would take ce the day after tomorrow. He had thought about this matter a lot. Previously, Huo Cheng pointed out that he had never brought Lin Xiaowan to any events. As a result, many rumors were swirling outside. This time, he nned to bring Lin Xiaowan with him to put the rumors to a stop.


    In the past, Lin Xiaowan did not want to attend these events. Huo Zheng respected her wishes and did not force her. It was fine if she did not want to go. Moreover, he usually did not stay for long and would leave after a while.


    Currently, Lin Xiaowan had also changed. She wanted to try and enter Huo Zheng¡¯s world as well. She asked, ¡°Where is it? Do I have to dress formally?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Huo Zheng replied, ¡°I have a year-end staff meeting in the afternoon. The banquet starts at six. I¡¯ll pick you up before six?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯lle to you. It¡¯s too troublesome for you to go back and forth,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    The old residence was very far from thepany, and it would take Huo Zheng almost two hours toe and go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the driver to pick you up!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied with a nod.


    Lin Xiaowan had never attended apany¡¯s annual banquet before. She had never even attended a gathering with friends, let alone apany gathering. She could not help but ask curiously, ¡°What happens during the banquet?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. There are performances and a lucky draw.¡±


    ¡­


    On the day of the banquet.


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up from her afternoon nap, Huo Zheng¡¯s driver was already waiting for her.


    Qiao You¡¯an helped Lin Xiaowan pick out her outfit and put her hair up in a very pretty style. She said with a smile, ¡°You look beautiful. Have fun tonight.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wore a pink down jacket over her dress and wore ck over-the-knee boots that made her legs look slender and long. She wore a pair of golden tassel earrings that hung down. She also wore light makeup, making her look exquisite.


    Lin Xiaowan asked nervously before she left, ¡°Am I dressed too casually?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Most people are dressed casually as well. The event is for people to rx and socialize. You don¡¯t have to worry about anythingter. Just eat, drink, and watch the performances,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said patiently, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay with Huo Zheng, you can walk around. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be a buffet table in Marles¡¯ banquet hall. You can try to make friends or do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡­


    The Marles Hotel was the venue of thepany¡¯s annual banquet, and it was located in the heart of the city.


    When the driver pulled to a stop in front of the entrance, Lin Xiaowan saw Huo Zheng waiting for her with a smile on his face. She got off the car and rushed to him.


    ¡°Huo Zheng!¡±


    Huo Zheng caught her in his arms and caressed her head. The heater was turned on in the car so she was warm.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan was injured, her hands and feet were cold. At night, he would sit in the living room with her while she soak her feet in hot water. He nned to look for a traditional Chinese doctor to examine her after she stopped taking her medications.


    ¡°Good evening, Young Madam.¡±


    At this moment, Huo Zheng¡¯s assistant stood at the side. He was the one whom Huo Zheng often instructed to buy gifts like clothes, jewelry, bags, and shoes for Lin Xiaowan. As such, he was naturally familiar with Lin Xiaowan.


    The way the assistant addressed Lin Xiaowan was a little different. After marrying into the Huo family, Qiao You¡¯an had always been addressed as Madam. Later on, Huo Zheng brought Lin Xiaowan back, and there were two Madams in the Huo family. To differentiate the two, the assistant addressed Lin Xiaowan as ¡®Young Madam¡¯ since she was a little younger.


    Although it was said that Huo Zheng was in the stage of pursuing Lin Xiaowan, she did not shy away from this title at all. She politely greeted, ¡°Good evening, Assistant Song.¡±


    ¡­


    The banquet hall was located on the sixth floor. As Huo Zheng led his subordinates to the elevator, he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to address me as ¡®Brother¡¯?¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice was not low, and there were many peopleing and going at this time.


    Lin Xiaowan looked around before she said with a burning face, ¡°Why did you say it so loudly?¡±


    It was fine when no one was around, but she felt embarrassed now that there were others around even though there was nothing strange about the word ¡®Brother¡¯.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡± Huo Zheng asked teasingly.


    The banquet had yet to start. Many employees had just arrived after the year-end meeting.


    When the elevator door slid open, many people¡¯s attention were instantly drawn to Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan as soon as they stepped out.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Boss¡¯ Wife Is Good Looking</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Lin Xiaow11 was extremely sensitive when faced with the stares of the people sizing her up. As she had lived with her grandmother in Northern City since she was young, she would always be pointed at and gossiped about whenever she went out. Although she knew that the people who were looking at them here were only gossiping, it was torturous for Lin Xiaowan.


    She was afraid that people were talking bad about her, even though they were strangers.


    However, she still felt ufortable. She held Huo Zheng¡¯s hand tightly and wanted to run away.


    The man nced around expressionlessly. His eyes were dignified without anger. Those who worked in the Huo Corporation were afraid of being remembered by the big boss. If they were fired the next day because they had one foot in thepany first, they would quickly look away and pretend to talk to the people beside them.


    He looked straight ahead and led them around a corner, disappearing into the corridor.


    The people on the floor craned their necks and started gossiping.


    ¡°This is our Lady Boss? I¡¯ve long heard that we have ady boss, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be a youngdy! I thought she would be a good wife and loving mother, hahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Your skin is so fair. You look a little introverted.¡±


    ¡°D * mn, is this underage? It looked so small. As expected, men liked young women. Tsk tsk tsk tsk.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you envious? Even if you¡¯re envious, you should still look for one. With the big boss¡¯s looks and wealth, it¡¯s not strange for him to find any kind of person.¡±


    The person who spoke just now hammered another person.¡±I¡¯m just saying, so what if she¡¯s young? I don¡¯t like her. I have a wife and a family. Why wouldn¡¯t I like my wife?¡±


    ¡°Aiya, but thedy boss looks so cute. I¡¯m a girl who likes her so much.¡±


    Huo Zheng led his men to the lounge first.


    The cold and dignified big boss now lowered his eyes and said to the little girl beside him with a gentle expression,¡±If you feel ufortable, we won¡¯t go.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little embarrassed and muttered softly,¡±¡±Come,e,e,e,e¡±


    One of the virtues of the people of Shangxia was that they were already here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡± Huo Zheng said with a smile.¡±People are just curious.¡±¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could understand. After all, a high and mighty big boss suddenly brought a femalepanion over. If she were to be a bystander, she would also take a few more nces.


    He might even have to tell the people around him,¡±Look, the big boss actually brought a femalepanion.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t worried about these discussions. She was just afraid that people wouldn¡¯t like her, think that she and Huo Zheng weren¡¯tpatible, and secretly badmouth her.


    No malicious spections!


    Lin Xiaowan didn¡¯t allow herself to think any further and forced herself to stop thinking.


    She didn¡¯t want to be with Huo Zheng. No matter where he went, he would always be the center of attention. It was too stressful to be with him.


    Huo Zheng checked her phone¡¯s battery and signal.¡±Call me if there¡¯s anything, ore find me. Stay on this floor and don¡¯t run around, understand?¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not a three-year-old child.¡±


    Huo Zheng scratched the tip of her nose.¡±You¡¯re not as obedient as a child.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan didn¡¯t bring her bag today. She bounced away after putting her phone away.


    Apart from the formal banquet, there was also a buffet table next to the banquet hall. Lin Xiaowan was holding a small white porcin te as she ate and drank.


    The stage area could also be clearly seen from this side. On the stage, there were a few long-legged sisters who were showing off their beautiful figures dancing, causing a wave of cheers. The venue was very lively. No matter where everyone sat, there were many people holding wine sses and walking around to exchange greetings and toast.


    There was a roasted duck table with freshly freshly sliced and rolled ducks. There was no one around, so she just stood there. The auntie rolled one and she ate one. The auntie was so happy that she fed the duck enthusiastically and even asked her to go to the side to get a cup to get something to drink.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat at the banquet? The boss of yourpany is really rich. Today¡¯s menu is full of big dishes.¡±The auntie asked her.


    The banquet was held at a round table. She didn¡¯t know anyone, so she was afraid that it would be awkward if others asked her about it, or if they had seen her and Huo Zheng together. If they met again, she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Anyway, there were soft Changsha and banquet chairs to sit on. Moreover, there were also people from thepany chatting in twos and threes here, so she was not out of the ordinary.


    Lin Xiaowan didn¡¯t tell the truth. She smiled and said,¡±¡±I don¡¯t want to go over.¡±


    There were no more shredded green onions, so the auntie went to the kitchen to cut some new green onions. Lin Xiaowan didn¡¯t stand there and wait. She walked around and passed the useless te to the waiter. Then, she used a small teacup to fill two ice cream balls.


    It had been a long time since he had experienced the feeling of eating whatever he wanted!


    When he walked back, he saw a girl holding a wine ss standing at the front of the stage.


    The girl¡¯s face was a little red, probably because she had drunk alcohol. She was very familiar with him.¡±Are you here to eat roast duck too? The roast duck was really not bad! The skin is especially crispy.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was too embarrassed to say that she had been eating here for half a day.


    The girl saw the ice cream ball in her hand and asked,¡±Where did you get this? I want to eat too.¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡± Lin Xiaowan pointed and saw that the ice-cream bucket in the freezer didn¡¯t seem too obvious. She said,¡± Let me bring you there?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As they walked, the girl chatted with Lin Xiaowan. She hadn¡¯t been working at the Huo Corporation for long and thought that Lin Xiaowan was also an employee of the Huo Corporation.¡±Are you also an employee of the headquarters? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡±


    Whenever a topic that she didn¡¯t know how to answer appeared, Lin Xiaowan would choose to giggle and change the topic.


    She thought that strictly speaking, she should be considered a family member, right?


    Although Huo Zheng was still chasing after her, he could be considered as half a family member. Anyway, if nothing unexpected happened, she would probably always be with Huo Zheng.


    The girl didn¡¯t really want to find out about her background. She asked casually and started gossiping.¡±I heard that the big boss came today with his wife. Have you seen her?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart skipped a beat from the sudden question. She carefully sized up the girl beside her.¡±Have you seen it?¡±


    ¡°No, I came a littlete. Sigh, my colleague said that I came a littlete with the big boss and thedy boss.¡±


    Phew, it was still alright. Lin Xiaowan heaved a sigh of relief and said briskly,¡±¡±I didn¡¯t see it either.¡±


    ¡°I heard that thedy boss is very good-looking. I wonder if I will have the chance to see her tonight. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    The girl leaned closer to Lin Xiaowan and whispered to her,¡±¡±Let me tell you, quite a few people who saw thedy boss thought that the boss was an old cow eating young grass. Hahahahahaha. Thedy boss looked at the little girl.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t think so¡­The boss is only 25 or 26 years old this year.¡±Lin Xiaowan silently spoke up for Huo Zheng.¡± That girl must at least, um¡­You must have graduated from university.¡±


    The age difference between them was really very small! There was no generation gap!


    The girl looked at him in surprise.¡± This must be fake news. Did you see the scandal reported by the marketing ount a long time ago? The one who brought the photo and said she was getting married. That scandal has long been refuted by our group¡¯s legal department. The other party is just a scheming woman who wants to climb up the rich and powerful.¡±

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35: Miss Lin Is Too Good for Me</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    ¡°Everyone who saw the boss¡¯ wife tonight said that she looked only about 18 years old.¡±


    The rumored boss¡¯ wife, Lin Xiaowan, felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this.


    ¡®D-do I really look that young?¡¯


    ¡°Do all of you like the boss¡¯ wife so much?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just curious. Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±


    The young woman scooped a bowl of ice cream for herself and stood at the side. She continued to chat as she ate.


    ¡°Moreover, what does it matter if we like her or not? She¡¯s the boss¡¯ wife, not ours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious as well,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a straight face and nodded. Then, she spared no effort in smearing herself as she continued to say, ¡°However, I don¡¯t think she¡¯spatible with the boss. I heard that she doesn¡¯t know anything. She¡¯s not a young miss from a prominent family. She¡¯s just an ordinary person and doesn¡¯t even have a job. She spends the boss¡¯ money every day and relies on him to support her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so strange. You¡¯ve never seen her before, but why does it seem like you dislike her?¡± the young woman asked, raising an eyebrow. Then, she thought about it for a few seconds before her eyes widened and her face paled. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you tell me you have a crush on the boss?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head frantically to deny those words. ¡°No, no, no! I¡¯ve never even met the boss. How could I have a crush on him? I only heard those things from someone else.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then that person must be jealous and deliberately said bad things about the boss¡¯ wife. What¡¯s wrong with her spending the boss¡¯ money? She¡¯s so beautiful so she should spend money beautifully as well¡­¡± the young woman said. Then, she added with a disdainful expression, ¡°Let me tell you. Although I¡¯ve just started working at thepany recently, there are always people who don¡¯t know their ces and dream about marrying into a rich family. Those women are the most annoying. They belittle and trample on people of their own gender just to attract the attention of the opposite sex. That person who told you this must be making up lies before she¡¯s jealous. Women should always get along with each other.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan gave the young woman a thumbs up and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡­


    After a while, the lucky draw was finally about to take ce on the stage. The young woman wanted to see if she would win so she bade farewell to Lin Xiaowan. However, seeing that Lin Xiaowan seemed to have nowhere to go, she invited Lin Xiaowan to the table.


    Lin Xiaowan politely declined the invitation.


    The young woman said, looking slightly disappointed, ¡°Alright. By the way, which department are you from? You look very young. Perhaps, we can have a meal together when we¡¯re free.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not know about the departments in Huo Zheng¡¯spany. She had never even been to thepany before. Hence, she could onlyugh it off and say, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡±


    After that, Lin Xiaowan continued to eat for a while more before she returned to the lounge where Huo Zheng had shown her earlier.


    Huo Zheng was not around, but as soon as Lin Xiaowan entered, a waiter pushed a small cart in and brought a fruit te to her.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to eat. When she finally brought her phone out, she discovered that it was almost 8 PM.


    When Huo Zheng finally came to the lounge, Lin Xiaowan was lying on the couch watching a variety show, giggling to herself. When she saw him, she paused the show and quickly got up.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Where were you?¡±


    Huo Zheng had to go on stage to present the gifts for the lucky draw.


    Lin Xiaowan had taken off her down jacket earlier, and she was only wearing a cashmere sweater now. Huo Zheng reached into her sweater and felt her round stomach. He asked gently, ¡°What did you eat?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not always enforce the rule of ¡®You¡¯re pursuing me so don¡¯t stick so close to me¡¯. At this moment, she felt veryfortable when he rubbed her stomach so she did not say anything. She burped twice happily.


    ¡°I ate a lot of delicious food.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not go into details. There were many, many things that Huo Zheng prevented her from eating after she was hospitalized.


    In her previous life, Huo Zheng never cared about such trivial matters. She was free to do as she wanted and ate whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. However, she could not do that now.


    When he was at home, how much she could drink also depended on him. She thought that it was a little too much. The juice was freshly squeezed. There were no additives at all. Was it any different from eating fruits?


    Nheless, Lin Xiaowan also enjoyed his care. Although she would asionally protest a little and eat when he was not looking, she still liked it.


    Lin Xiaowan said smugly, ¡°I met your employees. They like me very much. They said that I¡¯m especially good-looking.¡±


    Her words were a little exaggerated. She did not meet his employees; she only met one of his employees. Nheless, it did not stop her from showing off happily.


    ¡°Everyone says I¡¯m too good for you!¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled and did notment on her words.


    Lin Xiaowan fisted her hand and pretended to hold a microphone to Huo Zheng¡¯s mouth before she asked, ¡°Do you have anyments regarding your employees¡¯ words?¡±


    Huo Zheng held her hand and said, ¡°They¡¯re right. Miss Lin is too good for me.¡±


    His voice was low and maic, and it carried a hint of joy, making Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart melt.


    ¡­


    In a blink of an eye, it was already the eve of the lunar new year.


    Everyone in the old residence was on vacation, and after having early lunch, they discussed what dumplings to make for dinner. They decided to make a few sweet dumplings for good luck.


    The Huo brothers and Qiao You¡¯an knew how to make dumplings, but Lin Xiaowan did not. Although she could wrap the fillings, the dumplings she made had very little fillings, and they were wrapped in such a way that they did not look like dumplings at all.


    Huo Cheng rolled the dough with a rolling pin and gave it to Lin Xiaowan and his two children to y with. The children, like Lin Xiaowan, did not know how to make dumplings.


    Huo Zheng learned how to make dumplings from his parents when he was young. Mrs. Huo loved dumplings so the family would always make dumplings together during the holidays.


    In the beginning, when they got together, Lin Xiaowan had been very intrigued when she saw Huo Zheng making dumplings. She felt that it was rare that a tycoon like him was so adept at making dumplings. However, as time passed, she had gotten used to it.


    After making the dumplings, they put them aside and only nned to cook them after midnight.


    Huo Cheng brought the children to the courtyard to set off fireworks.


    Huo Zheng was worried that Lin Xiaowan would stand too close to the fireworks so he nned to apany her. However, he was stopped by Qiao You¡¯an.


    When everyone left, Huo Zheng looked at his sister-inw and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an wanted to speak to Huo Zheng about persuading Lin Xiaowan to make friends and get hobbies of her own. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she has any goals in life. She¡¯s always revolving around you and doesn¡¯t have her own life at all.¡±


    In Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s opinion, a person should live for themselves, not solely for others.

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36: I Love You</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng nodded, but he still said, ¡°It¡¯s also fine if she¡¯s not willing.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s not willing, then help her find a hobby. How can you just say that it¡¯s fine? How can you be like this as her fath¡­¡± Qiao You¡¯an coughed and corrected her words, ¡°How can you be like this as her boyfriend?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an was so used to talking to her children and her husband that she almost said the word ¡®father¡¯.


    Huo Zheng understood Qiao You¡¯an cared about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s well being so he said, ¡°Thank you, Sister-inw.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an nodded and did not continue on that topic. Instead, she asked, ¡°Hey, can you help take care of Dabao and Erbao for a few days after the new year?¡±


    Huo Cheng would only start work after the 15th of the first lunar month. Hence, the couple would usually leave their children behind and spend some time alone. It was the same the summer Huo Zheng met Lin Xiaowan.


    Apart from Huo Zheng, usually the nanny would also help take care of the children.


    ¡°¡­ Alright.¡±


    ¡­


    Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an left on the second day of the lunar new year. They took the children to visit the Qiao family¡¯s house in the morning before they left on a ne at night.


    When Huo Daobao and Huo Erbao woke up in the morning and could not find their parents, they did not cry. After changing their clothes, they held hands and went for breakfast.


    Some employees in the Huo family¡¯s old residence had also returned to work.


    Huo Zheng had just brought a bowl of white fungus porridges out of the kitchen when he saw the two brothers yawning as they walked in. He praised expressionlessly, ¡°You did well changing your clothes.¡±


    The nanny who had taken care of the two children since they were young quickly brought them away to wash their faces and brush their teeth.


    Huo Zheng carried the bowl of porridge upstairs into the bedroom.


    Although the double curtains had been drawn, Lin Xiaowan was still sleeping with her face buried in the nket.


    Huo Zheng tested the temperature of the porridge before he ced it on the coffee table. After that, he went to the bathroom to wet a towel with warm water before he gently woke Lin Xiaowan up and wiped her face.


    Lin Xiaowan went to bed a littletest night. After a long time of not being together, Huo Zheng had coaxed her gently and convinced her to sleep with him. He was sessful in his quest. After the deed was done, she hadined, saying that she would not give him a chance to pursue her anymore and ming him for going overboard.


    Huo Zheng had found it funny at that time. He hugged her waist and kissed her before he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I was too restrained and reserved before this?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan bit him angrily, thinking that the man next to her was extremely annoying.


    ¡®He didn¡¯t even manage to adhere to the rule of no kissing and no hugging for long! B*stard!¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was still in a bad mood after Huo Zheng woke her up. She ate the porridge and expressed her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°You said you were going to pursue me, but you didn¡¯t pursue me at all! How could you do¡­ that¡­ when you¡¯re still pursuing me? That¡¯s something only couples do!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we a couple?¡± Huo Zheng asked, pretending to raise his eyebrows in surprise, ¡°We¡¯re wearing our rings after all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked by his shamelessness. ¡°Why are you like this? You¡¯re the one who said I couldn¡¯t take it off!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re a couple!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was rendered speechless by his words. After a while, she reached out and pinched Huo Zheng¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Did your soul get reced? You never used to talk like this.¡±


    In the past, if this happened, Huo Zheng would listen to herin in silence before he replied with an ¡®Okay. I¡¯ll pursue you after this.¡¯


    Huo Zheng cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you like it this way?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t nder me. When did I say such a thing?¡± Lin Xiaowan said. She tried to recall, but she could not remember when she had said such things. However, when she pressed him again, she was only met with silence.


    Lin Xiaowan was speechless.


    ¡®You changed so quickly?¡¯


    ¡°A-anyway¡­ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Then, she took another bite before she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anymore.¡±


    Huo Zheng finished her leftovers and remained silent.


    A thought appeared in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind at this moment. She grabbed his arm and asked, ¡°Is it because I said you were very different when you were with Song Zhiyi?¡±


    Huo Zheng only looked at her silently. However, his gaze told her that she had guessed correctly.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled, feeling that he was a little cute. She said, ¡°I like you like this. I didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t like it. I like that you openly show me affection. Song Zhiyi said that you¡¯re childish and clingy, but I don¡¯t think so. I like you being clingy, and asionally, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being childish.¡±


    Huo Zheng finally replied, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Worried that he would feel pressured, Lin Xiaowan added, ¡°Actually, if you don¡¯t want to change, you don¡¯t have to change. I¡¯m not saying you have to be as passionate and enthusiastic as you used to be. I just want you to express your love for me instead of keeping quiet and letting me guess your thoughts. It¡¯s very tiring having to constantly guess another person¡¯s thoughts.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan reached out to hug him and said, ¡°Just be yourself.¡±


    Huo Zheng returned the hug and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I like it when you show me affection,¡± Lin Xiaowan said truthfully, ¡°So¡­ So don¡¯t always leave me guessing whether you love me or not. Do you understand?¡±


    Huo Zheng lowered his head and kissed her. Then, he pulled away and whispered, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan panted slightly after the kiss. It took a while for her to recover her breath before she leaned against him and said, ¡°But you still have to pursue me.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded and kissed her again.


    ¡­


    On the night of the seventh day of the lunar new year.


    Qiao You¡¯an video-called her sons. When she was done talking to them, she asked to speak to Lin Xiaowan.


    Huo Dabao passed the tablet to Lin Xiaowan, who was fiddling with her architectural model before he helped her with the model.


    Lin Xiaowan adjusted the tablet and found a ttering angle before she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sister?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to trouble you with.¡±


    Huang Dabao and Huang Erbao were in the same ss, and there was a parentmittee in the ss. A few parents decided to organize a gathering and invited Qiao You¡¯an out to n the gathering.


    Qiao You¡¯an was usually participate in such things, but children like ying together. As such, she would not refuse a chance for the children to y together.


    Most parents naturally did not want their children to lose at the starting line. Apart from studying and attending sses, the children spent time in cram schools and also various activities. With their ¡®elite¡¯ education, there was almost no time for them to y.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little nervous. ¡°Ah, but I have never participated in this kind of parent-child activity before.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯anughed. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to attend on my behalf. I just want you to attend a meeting with them to discuss the venue and things to buy. You just need to listen to them and tell me about it; I¡¯ll deal with everything after that. Oh, remember to take note of the expenses as well.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan finally understood Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s meaning. After a while, she asked curiously, ¡°What do you usually do at such gatherings?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different every time,¡± Qiao You¡¯an replied, ¡°One summer, there was a y by the children. There was also one time when we yed parent-child games to develop the children¡¯s potential¡­ When the children were in first grade, we went on a camping trip.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was amazed. When she was in school, she only studied and went home. When she was in junior high school, she worked part-time. There was nothing worth remembering during her years in school.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37: Afternoon Tea</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    The parents had an afternoon tea appointment.


    Qiao You¡¯an temporarily added Lin Xiaowan to the parents¡¯ group chat. After receiving the address, Lin Xiaowan quickly searched it up. She saw that the ce had a high rating of 4.9 stars.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the menu and saw many exquisite drinks and desserts. The desserts were beautiful with unsurprisingly high prices. A slice of ck Forest cake that usually sold for 50 or 60 yuan was sold for 128 yuan in the shop.


    Lin Xiaowan thought to herself, ¡®It¡¯s really easy to earn money from rich people¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    It was a little cloudy on the day of the meeting. It was snowing lightly, and it was windy outside. It seemed like it would snow heavilyter.


    Huo Zheng called Lin Xiaowan from thepany and said, ¡°Remember to wear moreyers. Tell the driver to wait for you there. Don¡¯te back toote.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was dressed warmly. She sat on the low stool by the door to change her shoes. It was a little strenuous for her to bend over to change her shoes due to how thick her clothes were. She said, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Will you being back for dinner?¡±


    ¡°I think so? They said they were meeting for afternoon tea and didn¡¯t say anything about having dinner.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t eat too many snacks. Otherwise, if you don¡¯t have an appetite for dinner, I¡¯ll punish you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan agreed and ended the call.


    On the night of the annual banquet, Lin Xiaowan ate a little too much so she had slight indigestion and tulence. At that time, Huo Zheng did not say much, but his expression was a little bad. Later, when they were going to bed, he used this matter as an excuse to ¡®punish¡¯ her.


    ¡­


    The meeting with the parents was surprisingly smooth. The people who came were all mothers. Perhaps, due to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s young age, everyone was very tolerant and kind. They spoke very gently, making her feel quitefortable when interacting with them. One of the mothers even brought her daughter along.


    While they nned the gathering, Lin Xiaowan listened while she ate the desserts.


    One woman, who was clearly the leader, said, ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we organize for the children to watch a musical? We can make some snacks and glutinous rice balls ourselves.¡±


    The woman looked very much like the image of a sessful person. She was dressed in a well-fitted suit, and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail.


    Seeing how the other party took charge, Lin Xiaowan spected that the other party worked in upper management for apany.


    After everyone agreed, Lin Xiaowan nodded along. She sent Qiao You¡¯an a message, detailing the result of the meeting. Then, she bit her fork and asked curiously, ¡°Are you going to the theater to watch the children¡¯s musical?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll book a venue and invite the cast over. They¡¯ll deal with everything after that,¡± a woman replied.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡®As expected, they¡¯re really rich¡­¡¯


    Nearing the end of the meeting, there was a small incident.


    The mother who brought her daughter along was flustered when her daughter suddenly woke up from her nap and began to cry loudly. No matter how hard she tried to coax her daughter, her daughter did not stop crying.


    The mother, who looked like a sessful career woman, said, looking slightly unhappy, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you. If it¡¯s inconvenient for you toe today because of your child, you could¡¯ve just stayed home. Why did you have to force yourself toe?¡±


    The mother, who brought her daughter along, continued to coax her child and apologize profusely at the same time. She was clearly flustered and at a loss as she coaxed her child in a soft but stiff voice.


    At this moment, a mother, who was a young and beautiful model, looked at the other woman busy coaxing her child with little effect before she chimed in, ¡°Fortunately, Aubrey¡¯s mother booked a private room today. Otherwise, if we were outside, the other patrons would definitelyin about the noise.¡±


    ¡®Aubrey¡¯s mother?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan had been sitting here the entire afternoon, but she still did not know much about these mothers and their children.


    At this moment, the mother brought out a milk bottle from her bag and tested the temperature. A long time had passed since she arrived so the milk had already gone cold. Needless to say, she could not give the cold milk to her daughter.


    Seeing that the others were frowning and looking at her unhappily, the mother was at a loss. In the end, she quickly rose to her feet with her daughter in her arms and tried to coax her daughter to sleep again. She lowered her head and said humbly, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll carry her to the side and coax her. All of you can continue.¡±


    However, some of the mothers were still unhappy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you carry her outside to coax her instead? She¡¯s too noisy. We won¡¯t be to hear ourselves. How are we going to continue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    The mother touched her daughter¡¯s diaper. It was a little heavy so she guessed that her daughter must have pooped or peed. She had new diapers in her bag, and there was a couch in the private room. However, it was obvious that she could not change her daughter¡¯s diaper in the room.


    The other mothers were clearly unhappy with her. They looked at her coldly and did not offer to help her.


    The mother became even more anxious and embarrassed when she felt the cold gazes. She also began to regret attending the meeting and wondered why she was so insistent about attending it.


    Lin Xiaowan had never seen anyone coaxing a baby before and did not understand much. However, when she saw the mother keep ncing at the milk bottle on her seat, she asked, ¡°Is she hungry?¡±


    The mother walked back and forth with the baby in her arms. She did not want to go outside since it would attract even more attention. She looked a little like she was going to cry as she replied, ¡°Maybe, but the milk has gone cold.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had never given birth before and had never taken care of babies before. As such, she was not sure of the correct way to heat up milk for babies. She nced at the mothers and found all of them wore unhappy expressions on their faces and had no intention of helping at all. She suddenly felt that the mother holding her daughter was a little pitiful. She finally mustered up her courage and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask a waiter to help you heat it up.¡±


    If Lin Xiaowan were in that mother¡¯s shoes, she felt that she would definitely be sad as well if no one was willing to help her. She would probably be too traumatized to attend such meetings in the future.


    The mother, who was holding her daughter, looked visibly relieved. She said earnestly, ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan brought the milk bottle out and looked for a waiter. She exined the situation and also asked if there was a spare room. The waiter spoke to his supervisor before he led the mother and daughter to the staff lounge.


    Lin Xiaowan followed them, helping the mother carry her bag of baby¡¯s supplies.


    After they left, the other mothers began to talk about Lin Xiaowan.


    The beautiful mother who was a model asked, ¡°Is she also from the Huo family?¡±


    When Qiao You¡¯an spoke to them, she only referred to Lin Xiaowan as her younger sister. However, they knew that Qiao You¡¯an was the youngest in her family.


    The mother, who looked like a career woman, asked Qiao You¡¯an a few more questionspared to the others so she knew more than the others did. She said, ¡°She has quite a high status. Hubert¡¯s mother said that she¡¯s the Second Young Madam of the Huo family. Apparently, Second Master Huo cares for her even more meticulously than the two little heirs of the Huo family.¡±


    Hubert was Huo Dabao¡¯s English name, and Hu Erbao¡¯s English name was Herman. They went to an international school so they were given English names. However, Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an did not address their children by their English names, thinking that their children¡¯s nicknames, Dabao and Erbao, sounded more intimate. Their English names were only to make things convenient for their foreign teachers.


    ¡°Is that true? Why didn¡¯t I hear anything about the Second Young Master of the Huo family getting married?¡±

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38: The Mother Carrying Her Daughter</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    One mother pushed another yfully and asked, ¡°Why would the Huo family tell you anything if one of them got married?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you saying? I was just curious.¡±


    Someone sighed and said, ¡°Put everything else aside, this Second Young Madam is really beautiful. Her posture when she sat and ate was quite good. I really want a daughter like her. s, I only have sons.¡±


    The beautiful mother, who was a model, said a little enviously, ¡°I was looking at her earlier. She ate so many desserts without any care in the world, but she¡¯s still so slim. I craved desserts just by watching her eat so happily.¡±


    Models had to follow very strict diets to maintain their figures after all. She could only look at those desserts and did not dare to eat them at all.


    After this, the topic drifted to the mother who brought her young daughter here.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to say about Mag¡¯s mother. Why would she bring her child here today? How did she n to have afternoon tea in peace if she brought her child?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a nanny or helper at home. How could she not bring her child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if it happens once in a while, but she insists oning and bringing her child every time. Who can stand such a thing?¡±


    ¡­


    After the waiter brought Lin Xiaowan and the mother-and-daughter pair to the staff lounge, he helped heat up the milk and threw the dirty diaper away.


    The mother thanked the waiter profusely. ¡°Thank you, thank you so much. I¡¯m so sorry for the trouble.¡±


    The waiter did not take this matter to heart and replied, ¡°This is what we should do.¡±


    The waiter kindly told them to take their time and reminded them not to touch the things in the room. However, there were surveince cameras in the room so he was not worried about leaving people here unattended.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded and thanked the waiter again.


    After the waiter left, the baby finally stopped crying. At this moment, she was obediently drinking milk in her mother¡¯s arms.


    The mother was about to speak when Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to take this call.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan walked to the side and answered the call.


    ¡°Have you left?¡± Huo Zheng asked in a low and gentle voice.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the time. It was already past five.


    ¡°Not yet. Are you done with your work?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. The traffic jam is terrible at this time. Go home first. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°You should leave soon. The weather is quite bad.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll leave soon.¡±


    After Lin Xiaowan ended the call, the mother quickly said, ¡°Thank you so much for today.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, feeling a little guilty, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    All she did was ask for the waiter¡¯s help.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan remembered she had left her bag in the private room. She told the mother that she was going to get her back and asked the other party if she wanted to return to the room.


    The mother was reluctant to return to that ce that made her ufortable. She shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for a while and see if I can coax her to sleep.¡±


    ¡°How old is she?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked casually.


    ¡°A little over seven months¡­


    Lin Xiaowan could not help but feel a little worried.


    ¡®Is it really okay to bring the baby out when she¡¯s so young?¡¯


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan returned to the private room, the mothers had already finished their discussion. They filled Lin Xiaowan in on some important details.


    Since it would be rude for her to text on her phone while they spoke, Lin Xiaowan tried her best to remember everything they said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll inform Sister about it. How much does it cost?¡±


    The woman, who looked like a career woman, replied, ¡°17 children will be participating this time so it should cost about 3,000 yuan per person. If there¡¯s change, the money will be refunded; if it¡¯s not enough, then we¡¯ll have to make up for it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture.


    At this time, the waiter came in with the receipt. Clearly, the bill had been paid.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°How much was it? Let me pay you.¡±


    Usually, when the mothers met, one person would pay for the bill first before the others paid their share.


    The mother who paid the bill today did some calctions and said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent the bill to the group. You can transfer the money to me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took a look and found that it was 402 yuan per person. She felt like it was a little unfair. After all, she had eaten two slices of cake, a blueberry cheese tart, a te of savory crab biscuits, and a ss of sparkling water infused with lime and orange. Everything definitely added up to more than 402 yuan.


    However, seeing that no one said anything, she did not say anything as well.


    At the same time, she felt that the food here was really expensive. There was a pastry shop that she liked very much. A huge slice of chocte roll in that ce, which was bigger than her hand, only cost 59 yuan. A slice of taro milk cake only cost 55. Any one of the pastries there was much more worth itpared to this ce.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about the reviews she had seen. She thought about the atmosphere and environment here and thought that those who frequented this ce likely only came here to take photos.


    ¡­


    When Lin Xiaowan went out, she discovered that it was snowing heavily. Although it could notpare to the snow when she was in the hospital, there was already ayer of snow on the ground.


    Someone asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Where are you heading? Do you want me to give you a ride?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan waved her hand and said, ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    After bidding farewell, Lin Xiaowan tightened her down jacket around her and pulled down her hat before she walked along the roadside. There were many cars here so the driver had parked slightly further away.


    As soon as Lin Xiaowan opened the door, she was a man sitting upright in the backseat of the dimly lit car.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, climbing into the car.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up. Why didn¡¯t you call the driver to pick you up at the door?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a few extra steps. Moreover, I¡¯m dressed warmly.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not agree with her. He held her slightly cold hands before he handed her a hot water bottle. He was worried that she would catch a cold.


    When the car was about to drive past the ce where she had afternoon tea, Lin Xiaowan caught a nce of a mother carrying a baby at the roadside. She quickly stopped the driver and exined to Huo Zheng, ¡°I saw one of the mothers I met this afternoon.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan watched as the mother carried the baby in one hand while she tried to hail a cab with the other.


    She looked at Huo Zheng and said, ¡°It seems like she¡¯s looking for a cab. Can we give her a ride? Her baby is only seven months old. It¡¯ll be bad if such a young child catches a cold.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Huo Zheng was about to open the door and get out of the car when Lin Xiaowan grabbed his arm and stopped him. ¡°What are you doing? Stay. I¡¯ll go. You¡¯re a stranger. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯ll be suspicious if you tell her to get in the car?¡±

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39: She Doesn¡¯t Want to Marry Young</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng helped Lin Xiaowan put on her hat and gave her another jacket before letting her out of the car.


    ¡°Come back quickly.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had only taken two steps when she almost slipped. Frightened, she quickly slowed down her pace.


    Huo Zheng, who saw this from the car, frowned. He ced his hand on the car handle and began to tap on it restlessly.


    When the mother saw Lin Xiaowan, she was slightly surprised. ¡°What a coincidence. You haven¡¯t left either?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pointed at the car with the blinking indicators and said, ¡°I saw you so I came to ask if you need me to send you back. The traffic here is really bad, and it¡¯s cold.¡±


    The mother looked?hesitant. She felt embarrassed to ept Lin Xiaowan¡¯s offer since they might not be going the same way, but at the same time, it was truly not easy to get a cab here. The cab-hailing app showed that there were more than 100 people waiting for cabs.


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s inconvenient for you to stay here with your baby.¡±


    The mother was also tired from carrying her child and no longer refused. She said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan said as she led the mother to the car.


    ¡°By the way, how should I address you?¡± the mother asked, ¡°I don¡¯t even know your surname.¡±


    ¡°My surname is Lin. My name is Lin Xiaowan. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Song Mengjuan, but my friends call me Dujuan.¡±


    The driver was standing by the car. When he saw Lin Xiaowan return, he immediately opened the car door for her.


    Lin Xiaowan entered the car and even helped Song Mengjuan carry herrge bag.


    This was the first time someone had opened the car door for Song Mengjuan, and she felt very ttered. After getting into the car, she discovered that there was a dignified and aloof man in the car. Just like that, she became nervous again.


    The MVP was spacious with two rows of seats and arge empty area in the middle. Song Mengjuan sat unnaturally stiff with the child in her arms.


    This was the first time someone had opened the car door for Song Mengjuan in her life. She was very ttered. After getting into the car, she realized that there was a man with a dignified and cold face in the car. She became nervous again.


    The MPV was spacious with two rows of horizontal seats and arge empty space in the middle. She sat up unnaturally with her child in her arms.


    Lin Xiaowan allowed Huo Zheng to remove her coat for her as she asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    ¡°I live at Fengjing on Xinyang Road in the eastern district,¡± Song Mengjuan replied. Then, she asked tentatively, ¡°Is it on the way? If not, it¡¯s good enough if you drop me off at a good spot.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew the road, but she did not know where it was. However, she nodded decisively and said, ¡°It¡¯s on the way.¡±


    At this moment, Huo Zheng put away the coat and said with a straight face, ¡°Don¡¯t run next time. The road is slippery when it¡¯s snowing. Don¡¯t cry to me if you fall.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Lin Xiaowan knew he must have seen her when she almost fell. She leaned over and held his arm before she snuggled up to him.


    Huo Zheng did not say anything and only squeezed her hand. He really did not think Lin Xiaowan would watch her steps next time. He knew she would forget about his reminder. At most, she would remember for a day or two before repeating the same mistake again.


    At this moment, Song Mengjuan¡¯s daughter was awake. She looked around and amused herself. She was very beautiful. She had a pair of big eyes, thick dark hair, and red lips. When she pouted slightly, her lips looked especially beautiful just like her mother¡¯s.


    Lin Xiaowan leaned over to have a look at the child, and Huo Zheng held her waist, worried she would fall.


    The two women talked about the child for a while before the topic turned to themselves.


    Lin Xiaowan eximed in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re only 26 years old? Wow, you got married so early!¡±


    Song Mengjuan was very young, but her elder daughter was already in the second grade of primary school. This meant that she had her first child when she was about 19 years old.


    In Shangxia, the legal age for marriage for both men and women was 18. Even then, very few people would get married and give birth at such a young age. After all, at 18, most people had just graduated from high school.


    Huo Cheng, for example, was 32 years old, and his two sons were in the second grade of primary school. He was considered young among the fathers of the children in the second grade.


    The mothers who attended the afternoon tea took care of themselves very well, but quite a few of them were already almost 40 years old.


    When Lin Xiaowan mentioned the word ¡®marriage¡¯, Song Mengjuan¡¯s tense body seemed to rx as a sweet smile appeared on her face. She said, ¡°I fell in love with him so I wanted to marry him as soon as I could. He¡¯s really good to me.¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan kept looking at her child and teasing her child, Song Mengjuan asked, ¡°Do you like children?¡±


    Then, Song Mengjuan sighed and continued to say, ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t like children when I was in school. I thought they were too noisy and caused a lot of headaches. However, after I got pregnant and gave birth to my eldest daughter, I was just suddenly ovee with maternal love.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan listened attentively and said, ¡°Children are really magical.¡± Then, she added, looking troubled, ¡°Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don¡¯t. I¡¯m also afraid of them crying non-stop, but they¡¯re really cute. Perhaps, I only like obedient children who don¡¯t cause trouble?¡±


    Song Mengjuan stole a nce at the man sitting at the side. He was focused on watching Lin Xiaowan y with the child. His gaze was gentle, making her feel that the aloof man she had seen when she got into the car was just an illusion. It was not difficult to see that Lin Xiaowan and the man¡¯s rtionship was very good. Hence, she said yfully, ¡°You should give birth to a child and experience it for yourself.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan immediately waved her hands and said, ¡°No, no, no. There¡¯s a big difference between ying with a child and raising a child.¡±


    After giving birth to a baby, it was not like she could return it. She knew she was not ready to have children.


    In fact, before meeting Huo Zheng, Lin Xiaowan did not think about getting married or having children. Her original life n was to return to Beicheng after graduation and find a job there, living out the rest of her life there. She nned to save and buy a small house for herself. Then, when she retired, she would raise a kitten or puppy and spend her days gardening.


    Unexpectedly, she met Huo Zheng, got married young, and died young in her previous life. She did not want to get married young in this life and nned to date for a few more years.


    Earlier, Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was rather grim when the two women were talking about children. He only felt relieved when he heard Lin Xiaowan express that she was not ready to have children. He was determined to take good care of her health for the next two years. He would not let anything go wrong.


    During the journey, Song Mengjuan¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Her husband had just gotten off work and seeing that she was not home yet, he had called to check on her.


    When Song Mengjuan spoke to her husband, she changedpletely. Her voice and words were both sweet; she spoke like a girl in love. When she ended the call, her mood was much better than before. She said, ¡°Please drop me off at the intersection up ahead. My husband will pick me up.¡±


    When the car stopped at the intersection, Song Mengjuan bundled up her daughter tightly and thanked Lin Xiaowan a few more times before getting out of the car.


    A silver car with both indicators on was parked in front of them. A slightly thin handsome man of medium height got out of the car immediately. He helped Song Mengjuan button her down jacket and adjusted her hat for her before he took the big bag she was carrying. The two chatted as they walked to the car.


    Before getting into the car, Song Mengjuan turned around and waved at Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan returned to sit next to Huo Zheng. She felt a little emotional after seeing the loving family of three so she said, ¡°It seems like having a child is not a bad idea¡­¡±

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40: A Star-Studded G</h4>


    <h4><strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong> Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion</h4>


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart tightened upon hearing those words. However, before he could probe Lin Xiaowan¡¯s thoughts, she had already changed the topic. With that, he decided not to mention the matter for now.


    ¡­


    Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an returned on the 14th day of the lunar new year. On the morning of the 15th, they packed up and brought their children away for a holiday.


    Huo Zheng had to work that day so Lin Xiaowan was home alone. She was working on the charm that she wanted to hang in Huo Zheng¡¯s car. She had not touched it since she was discharged from the hospital. She turned on the tutorial and concentrated on making the charm.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan grew bored. Coincidentally, when it was almost noon, Gu Yuwu suddenly called her to ask what she was doing and enthusiastically invited her out.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    In fact, Gu Yuwu had an event to attend today. However, in her eyes, the event was very casual.


    ¡°The Starlight G is tonight. Do you want toe with me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not familiar with the Starlight G so she asked, ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Gu Yuwu exined, ¡°It¡¯s an event that¡¯ll be attended by many celebrities. There¡¯ll also be an award ceremony. Just treat it as a big party.¡±


    Apart from the lunar new year, Shangxia did not celebrate the Lantern Festival. In fact, Shangxia did not celebrate many festivals. The biggest event in the entertainment industry was the Starlight G, which was held during the Lantern Festival.


    Previously, Lin Xiaowan had heard a lot of gossip about the entertainment industry from Gu Yuwu. However, when she received Gu Yuwu¡¯s invitation this time, she was not as resistant as before. Instead, she was a little curious. She asked, ¡°What do you do there?¡±


    Gu Yuwu thought about it for a moment before she replied, ¡°Nothing much. The celebrities will walk the red carpet. After that, we can watch the performance and the award ceremony. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Then, Gu Yuwu added, sounding a little proud, ¡°Do you want to walk the red carpet? If you want, I¡¯ll bring you with me. I still have a little status in the entertainment industry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan eximed in shock, ¡°Are you a celebrity as well?!¡±


    Thest time they met, Gu Yuwu did not mention this at all.


    Gu Yuwu replied, sounding even more proud, ¡°Not exactly. I¡¯m a big boss behind the scenes. Many people¡¯s fates are in my hands!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mouth was agape as she listened to Gu Yuwu.


    ¡®How impressive!¡¯


    ¡°What do you think? Do you want to join me? Today¡¯s event is considered the most popr event in the industry. Almost half of the celebrities in the industry will be present,¡± Gu Yuwu said before listing a few famous names.


    In fact, Gu Yuwu had a small ulterior motive.


    She had just received a script for a drama and was in the process of casting actors and actresses. There was a small role in the drama with a very short appearance in the drama, but the role¡¯s name was mentioned throughout the drama. It was the role of a goddess.


    The goddess was described as having skin as smooth as cream and a pair of slender eyebrows and clear eyes. She was said to look young despite her age. She wore a loose pink robe with incantations embroidered with dazzling golden spiritual threads that tortured her day and night, making her look pale and frail.


    She sat on the high throne of a god expressionlessly, looking calm and aloof, but her eyes were dark gems. They were pure andpassionate. When one looked into her eyes, they would make one¡¯s heart soften involuntarily. To put it bluntly, such a role needed someone unique. Someone who looked cold but possessed a pair of bright and expressive eyes.


    Gu Yuwu had a few candidates in mind, but in the end, she thought none of them was suitable. One day, she suddenly thought of Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes were not particrly big, but they were bright and pure. One sometimes felt as though they were staring into the eyes of a puppy when they stared into her eyes, making people feel like getting closer to her.


    With this thought in mind, Gu Yuwu began topare all the actresses she met to Lin Xiaowan. As a result, she grew even more dissatisfied with the actresses she met.


    There was a young actress who became popr recently. Her appearance just met the requirements, but her eyes were wrong. Her eyes betrayed her cunning and shrewdness.


    The character of the goddess wasplex. If Gu Yuwu cast someone so scheming, no one would like the character. If the character was turned into a viin, the entire storyline would copse.


    After that, Gu Yuwu kept thinking about Lin Xiaowan. She thought about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s expressions when they were in the hospital. She really regretted scaring Lin Xiaowan with the stories from the entertainment industry.


    Gu Yuwu even called Qiao You¡¯an to test the water. Qiao You¡¯an did not seem to have any objection and told her to speak to Lin Xiaowan directly. If Lin Xiaowan agreed, the family would not object.


    For this reason, Gu Yuwu finally called Lin Xiaowan.


    The Starlight G was a good chance to observe the people in the entertainment industry up close. She hoped that she could show Lin Xiaowan that the industry was not as chaotic as it seemed. Moreover, she had also been trying to reform the industry for a while now. It was indeed much better than before.


    ¡°Won¡¯t it be too conspicuous if I follow you?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    It¡¯s just like how Huo Zheng was at the center of attention wherever he went. He was too eye-catching. As a result, Lin Xiaowan would also be pulled into the limelight. This made her nervous and afraid to speak.


    Gu Yuwu thought that Lin Xiaowan did not like the media so she said, ¡°We vetted members of the press that are allowed into the venue. They¡¯ll only take photos of the celebrities, not us.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was a little moved. The Starlight G did not sound very different from Huo Zheng¡¯s annual banquet. She had watched a lot of variety shows, a few movies, and dramas, and she liked a few shows that Gu Yuwu mentioned.


    Seeing the chance, Gu Yuwu said a few more words to persuade Lin Xiaowan. In the end, Lin Xiaowan agreed hesitantly.


    The dress code for the g was naturally different from that of thepany¡¯s annual banquet.


    After Lin Xiaowan agreed, Gu Yuwu took the initiative to invite Lin Xiaowan to her house to pick a dress. She had entire floor dedicated to storing her clothes, which varied from casual wear to evening gowns.


    Lin Xiaowan tilted her head slightly and said, ¡°I have clothes I can wear to the g at home¡­¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan had never attended such a formal and grand event, the Huo family worked with many designers. Although she did not wear them, many people would still send their custom designs to the house.


    Gu Yuwu nodded. The Huo family was not short of money so this was not surprising.


    ¡°Alright. Are you at the Huo family¡¯s old residence? I¡¯ll pick you up. If not, I can give you my address, and you can pick me up. The red carpet will start at 5 PM. It¡¯s going to be about -4 to -5 degrees; it¡¯ll be freezing cold. We can go a littleter so I can bring you in directly where it¡¯s warm.¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41: The Swan Princess

    Chapter 41: The Swan Princess


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After ending the call, Lin Xiaowan went upstairs to look for clothes. Apart from the clothes that she wore daily that were stored in the bedroom on the second floor, the rest of her clothes were stored in therge walk-in wardrobe on the third floor. The clothes there were beautifully arranged like those in a clothing store.


    Lin Xiaowan video-called Huo Zheng and told him that she was attending the g with Gu Yuwu. She also told him that she was about to pick a gown and asked for his suggestion.


    Huo Zheng nced at the weather forecast and said. ¡°The temperature is going to be about 1 to -5 degrees Celciuster¡­¡±


    ¡°Gu Yuwu said it¡¯d be very warm inside¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng frowned. ¡®How warm can it be?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan looked away when she saw that Huo Zheng did not seem too happy. Her eyesnded on a short and strappy dress that was decorated with white feathers hanging in the ss cab. She walked over and took the dress out before she asked, ¡°What about this one? It seems warm, right?¡±


    The chest area of the dress was decorated with feathers. The waistline was tightly gathered, and it was embellished with small diamonds to form a swan. The skirt of the dress was also decorated with white feathers.


    Huo Zheng did not think that the dress looked warm at all. It exposed her arms and shoulders, and the hemline did not even reach her knees. The feathers were only decorations and did not have any warming effect at all.


    Lin Xiaowan could tell that Huo Zheng was unhappy with her choice so she returned the dress to its original ce with a regretful expression on her face. She rather liked the dress, after all. She did not know where the feathers came from, but they were soft to the touch. Finally, she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you choose one then?¡±


    Huo Zheng was not satisfied with the dresses, but before he could think of an idea, his secretary brought a stack of documents in and informed him that the project manager was waiting for him in the meeting room.


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to disturb him so she quickly told him to get back to his work. She promised to send him a picture of the dress she chose and assured him that she would not catch a cold before ending the call.


    After ending the call, Lin Xiaowan looked at the white feather dress again. She took it out again, nning to change into it to see how it looked.


    After changing into the dress, she looked into the mirror. The more she looked, the more she liked it. She tiptoed before nodding to herself, thinking that it would look even better with high heels. The high heels would make her legs look even longer.


    When Lin Xiaowan changed back into her original clothes, her phone suddenly rang. She thought Huo Zheng was done with his work so quickly, but she discovered it was Qiao You¡¯an when she answered the call.


    Qiao You¡¯an had found out from Gu Yuwu that they would be going out tonight. She knew that Lin Xiaowan would need a dress so she called to see if Lin Xiaowan needed a stylist.


    ¡°Xiaowan, have you already decided on what you¡¯re going to wear tonight?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°I really like this dress with white feathers, but Huo Zheng didn¡¯t seem to like it very much. He said that it didn¡¯t look very warm.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an thought about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s description of the dress for a moment before she asked, ¡°Is the dress from A Brand¡¯s Swan Collection?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan waspletely clueless. She was not knowledgeable in this matter, and there was no tag on the dress. After a while, she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an tried to stifle herughter but failed. At this moment, she and Huo Cheng were apanying her children to a cooking ss, and they were learning how to make glutinous rice balls. The teacher was in the midst of a demonstration, and she decided to hide in a corner earlier before switching the call to a video call.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan turned her phone around and showed Qiao You¡¯an the feather dress.


    Qiao You¡¯an recognized the dress with just a nce. It was indeed the dress from Brand A¡¯s Swan Collection. She said, ¡°That¡¯s a good choice, Xiao Wan. if you wear this dress, you¡¯ll look beautiful just like a swan princess.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled proudly when she heard these words.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan really liked the dress, Qiao You¡¯an did not dissuade Lin Xiaowan. Instead, she said, ¡°I should have a white shawl there that will look good with the dress. I usually wear it with a cheongsam in autumn or winter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan listened to Qiao You¡¯an instructions and quickly looked for the shawl. She soon discovered that she had the same shawl in three colors: dark green, brownish-red, and silver-white.


    ¡°Try them all, and see which one looks the best.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan set her phone down as she looked at the shawls, unable to decide between the red and white one. She said, ¡°The red and white ones look nice. However, is red a little too eye-catching?¡±


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s eye-catching? You¡¯re so beautiful, after all. When people see you, they¡¯ll definitely praise you,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said before she suggested, ¡°However, I think you should wear the white one. The red looks a little mature, and it might age you.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any objections at all. She tried on the clothes and looked in the mirror, feeling very happy. Perhaps it was because she had never worn such clothes before.


    ¡®It really does look good,¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself happily. She was very satisfied with how she looked. Her skin was wless, her waist was thin, and her legs were long. She could not help but praise herself inwardly.


    However, Qiao You¡¯an was not done. She quickly arranged for her makeup artist to go over. She would hire this makeup artist as well before attending formal events. As such, she was confident that the other party would be able to help Lin Xiaowan with her makeup and hair.


    Before ending the call, Qiao You¡¯an said ¡°You can use the big dressing room. Most of your things aren¡¯t here yet, and I have everything you¡¯ll need there.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied with a nod.


    <li>??</li>


    It did not take long before the makeup artist arrived.


    When Lin Xiaowan was informed of the other party¡¯s arrival, she checked the time and discovered that only an hour had passed.


    The butler asked Lin Xiaowan where she would like to meet the other party, and she quickly said, ¡°Bring him to the big dressing room on the third floor.¡±


    The makeup artist usually did Qiao You¡¯an makeup and hair in his shop or Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s private residence in the city. He had only been to the Huo family¡¯s old residence once. This was his second visit, but he was still shocked by the size of the residence. From the time he entered the gates to the time he entered the house, it took ten minutes by car. The yard itself looked like a small park.


    As the butler led the makeup artist to his destination, the makeup artist asked tentatively, ¡°May I ask if my client today is the second Mrs. Huo?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an did not reveal much over the phone so he was rather curious..

 Chapter 42 - 42: Beauty and the Beast

    Chapter 42: Beauty and the Beast


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡®The second Mrs. Huo?¡¯


    When the butler heard the makeup artist¡¯s words, he felt they were a little strange. It was as though his master had married a second wife. After a moment, he said, ¡°Your client is the second madam.¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan had yet to marry into the family, the butler was confident that it was just a matter of time before it happened.


    The makeup artist could not help but feel excited upon hearing these words. It was as though he had just heard a huge gossip.


    For an aristocratic family like the Huo family, even if the media was not invited to the wedding, the family would generally release an announcement. There was no announcement so far, but it was clear that the Huo family acknowledged this new young madam.


    With this thought in mind, the makeup artist could not wait to meet Lin Xiaowan, wondering what kind of woman she was. When he thought about how aloof, serious, and even a little fierce Huo Zheng looked in public, he could not help but wonder what kind of woman could steal the heart of such a person.


    ¡®Is she a sexy and mature woman? The Second Young Master of the Huo family is extraordinary, and his aura alone makes those who stand next to him pale inparison. His wife must be just like him, right?¡¯


    Finally, the butler stopped in front of a door and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send two people up to assist you after this, Mr. Lu.¡±


    The makeup artist was pulled back to his senses and quickly said, ¡°Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.¡±


    In fact, the makeup artist had an assistant. However, seeing that he had nothing to do today, he gave his assistant a break. He did not expect Qiao You¡¯an to call not long after his assistant left. Qiao You¡¯an was aware that he did not have his assistant with him today so she must have arranged this for him.


    The makeup artist walked past two rows of disy cabs and turned a corner before he saw the person in the dressing room. He was briefly stunned as he thought to himself, ¡®Ah, she¡¯s not an aloof and sexy beauty¡­ Standing next to Second Young Master Huo, they must look like Beauty and the Beast. No, no, no, what am I saying? Second Young Master Huo is so handsome. How is he like the Beast!¡¯


    While all these thoughts appeared in the makeup artist¡¯s mind, Lin Xiaowan stood up and waved at him as she said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan expected the makeup artist to be a young woman. Who knew it would be a handsome young man?


    After exchanging greetings, the duo began to chat. The makeup artist had a good personality and was very good at making small talk. He very quickly made Lin Xiaowan feelfortable.


    When the two servants from the Huo family arrived, the makeup artist got to work as well. As he applied skincare for Lin Xiaowan, he asked, ¡°Miss Lin, do you have any idea about what kind of makeup you want today?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not very knowledgeable in this regard. Upon hearing the other party¡¯s words, she shook her head in confusion, indicating she did not have any idea.


    ¡°Then, can I have a look at what you¡¯re nning to wear tonight?¡± the makeup artist asked. He wanted to make sure that the makeup wouldplement the dress.


    Lin Xiaowan was currently dressed in two-piece pajamas with strawberry and bear prints, which looked very childish. She pointed at the feather dress and white shawl that were hanging on the rack and said, ¡°I¡¯m wearing that.¡±


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan remembered she had yet to pick out her shoes so she said, ¡°I have yet to choose my shoes. If you have time, can you help me take a look?¡±


    The makeup artist¡¯s style was very good. With just a look, Lin Xiaowan knew that he had a good sense of style and would be able to help her with her shoes.


    The makeup artist naturally did not have any objections. In fact, when he had spoken to Qiao You¡¯an earlier, she had also asked him to help Lin Xiaowan choose her essories. At the same time, he could not help but feel a little excited as well. The cost of the clothes, essories, bags, and shoes here likely added up to eight digits.


    While the makeup artist applied powder on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, he said, filled with praise, ¡°Miss Lin, your skin is really good. I¡¯m not exaggerating at all. I¡¯ve done the makeup of female celebrities, but their skin really can¡¯tpare to yours.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was embarrassed when she heard these words, but she also felt secretly happy. She said modestly, ¡°Whether their skin is good or not, they¡¯re all very beautiful. The entertainment industry is filled with many beautiful women.¡±


    The makeup artist said jokingly, ¡°That¡¯s not always the case. Some are really beautiful, but some are fake¡­¡±


    To put it more bluntly, some were natural beauty while some obtained their beauty through stic surgery.


    Lin Xiaowan only chuckled in response. She felt that if she continued on the topic, it would take a strange turn. As such, she did not say anything else.


    The makeup artist applied natural makeup for Lin Xiaowan. One could hardly see the makeup on her face, but her eyes, nose, lips, and even her jawline looked even more exquisite. Although she did not look drop-dead gorgeous, she looked very pleasing to the eye. She looked like the sweet girl next door.


    Lin Xiaowan was very pleased with the makeup. She still looked the same, but her features were more enhanced and eye-catching. Ever since she was discharged from the hospital, she felt that she looked pale and sickly, but now, she felt that she looked very energetic.


    The makeup artist looked at Lin Xiaowan carefully and asked with a smile, ¡°What do you think? My skills are not bad, right?¡±


    The makeup artist was also very satisfied with his work. Lin Xiaowan had a very good foundation to begin with, and all he needed to do was enhance her features.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded excitedly as her eyes shone with admiration. ¡°Yes! I really like it! It looks great! You¡¯re really amazing!¡±


    The makeup artist truly felt like pinching Lin Xiaowan¡¯s cheeks at this moment. She looked extremely cute, and her cheeks were so soft. In fact, while he was applying makeup for her, he had to resist this urge as well.


    ¡®Huo Zheng is really lucky to have her. He¡¯s already so old, but he manages to find such a cute young woman¡­¡¯ the makeup artist thought to himself. However, in the next moment, he apologized inwardly to Huo Zheng again.


    The makeup artist knew that Huo Zheng and Huo Cheng were about seven or eight years apart. However, perhaps it was due to his domineering aura, most people assumed he was about the same age as his brother.


    Now that the makeup was done, it was time to do Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair. However, she had to change into her dress first before she got her hair done.


    The servant silently pushed therge clothing rack into the changing room to help Lin Xiaowan change, but it did not take long for a red-faced Lin Xiaowan to chase the servant out.


    The servants of the Huo family were very meticulous. As soon as she entered the changing room, she reached out to help Lin Xiaowan remove her pajamas. Needless to say, Lin Xiaowan was not going to strip naked in front of a stranger.


    After she was chased out, the servant stifled herughter and said, ¡°Second Young Madam, please let me know if you need anything. I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan finally came out after changing, she looked at the servant in embarrassment. Then, she hugged the shawl close to her chest before she went to look for the makeup artist. She could not help but feel excited after changing into the dress..

 Chapter 43 - 43: Intricate Social Interaction

    Chapter 43: Intricate Social Interaction


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The makeup artist¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Lin Xiaowan. He finally understood why Qiao You¡¯an had called Lin Xiaowan ¡®the Swan Princess¡¯ earlier. The dress was very suitable for Lin Xiaowan. At the same time, he regretted applying natural makeup for Lin Xiaowan. He thought he should have made her look more haughty or cold. Nheless, she still looked very good like this.


    ¡°Did the shawle with the dress?¡± the makeup artist asked.


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and removed the shawl to show it to the makeup artist as she said, ¡°No. It belongs to Sister You¡¯an. Doesn¡¯t it look good with the dress?¡±


    The makeup artist nodded. Thebination of the shawl and dress looked better than he had expected. After a moment, he gestured to Lin Xiaowan to take a seat as he said, ¡°Sit down. I¡¯m going to make a little change to your makeup.¡±


    He thought that no one would be able to stop him from making Lin Xiaowan look like a noble Swan Princess today.


    The changes were very small and were limited to her eyes, eyebrows, and lips.


    As Lin Xiaowan stared at herself in the mirror, the makeup artist, who felt even more satisfied, asked eagerly, ¡°What do you think? What do you think? Can you see the difference?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a nod. She looked straight ahead before she added, ¡°I usually look at people like this¡­¡±


    Then, she raised her chin slightly before she continued, ¡°However, with this makeup, I should look at people like this¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You look like a noble princess now so you should look a little more arrogant and aloof!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re really excited.¡±


    The makeup artistughed. ¡°You¡¯re just really very suitable for this kind of makeup. I¡¯m really amazed. Moreover, your temperament is good as well. Although your aura is a little weak, it¡¯s okay. I deliberately chose a lipstick that¡¯ll help with that.¡±


    After that, the makeup artist began to work on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair.


    Although Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair had grown longer, it was still difficult to tie it up high. Initially, the makeup artist wanted to tie her hair up into a bun. However, after realizing how difficult it was, he decided to curl her hair instead. After that, he helped her put on a few silver ornaments with pearls in the shapes of leaves of different sizes. After he was done, he said, looking slightly regretful, ¡°It would be even better if you wore a tiara¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it already looks very good,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, feeling extremely satisfied. She could not suppress the smile on her face at all.


    Subsequently, the makeup artist selected a pair of crystal carrings, a red agate ne, and a pair of silver heels with tassels.


    Lin Xiaowan really liked how everything turned out. She even got someone to take a few photos for her before sending them to Huo Zheng.


    The makeup artist had taken a taxi here. As such, when Lin Xiaowan was going to look for Gu Yuwu, she gave him a ride as well.


    During the journey, the makeup artist found out that Lin Xiaowan was attending the celebrity g tonight. He asked, ¡°Miss Lin, are you preparing to debut? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be extremely popr if you decide to enter the entertainment industry!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m apanying Gu Yuwu.¡±


    The makeup artist did not know Gu Yuwu, but he had heard of Gu Yuwu. He also knew how high her status was in the entertainment industry.


    When Lin Xiaowan picked Gu Yuwu up, the makeup artist had already left.


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as she saw Lin Xiaowan. She eximed, ¡°Who are you? Why are you so beautiful?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan blushed upon hearing Gu Yuwu¡¯s words. She hurriedly said, ¡°You¡¯re beautiful as well. However, you¡¯ve always looked beautiful anyway. You¡¯re just like a fairy who descended to the mortal world.¡±


    ¡°Look at how sweet you are!¡±


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s figure was extremely good. She was currently dressed in a tight red dress that made her look very graceful. Her waist was small, and her hair was in loose waves. She wore a pair of ck high heels. All in all, she looked extremely sexy.


    Lin Xiaowan genuinely thought that Gu Yuwu looked great.


    When they arrived, the red carpet session was still ongoing.


    The car drove directly to the entrance.


    After getting out of the car, Gu Yuwu held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and led her up the long flight of stairs at the entrance. She squeezed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Your hand is so cute and meaty, I can¡¯t help squeezing it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled. Her hands were small and her fingers were short. Qiao You¡¯an had also previouslymented that her hands were like that of a child. She had always been dissatisfied with her hands. When her gaze fell on the hand that was holding hers, she saw how slender and soft it was. She said a little enviously, ¡°I like your hands. My hands don¡¯t look good at all in photos.¡±


    Gu Yuwu said with augh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take a photo for you next time, and I guarantee that you¡¯ll like it!¡±


    After entering the venue, Gu Yuwu bypassed the screen broadcasting the situation and led Lin Xiaowan to the side room before she handed Lin Xiaowan a cup of hot lemon tea. She said, ¡°Try it. There¡¯s no sugar so it might not taste good. If you don¡¯t like it, you can warm your hands with it first while I look for something else for you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan held the cup with both hands and carefully took a sip. It was a little hot, but the taste was fine. The lemon was a little sour, but the fragrance of the tea leaves made it easy to drink. Finally, she said, ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    Subsequently, Gu Yuwu led Lin Xiaowan to the side and sat down before she said, ¡°After the red carpet session is over, we¡¯ll sit in the front row. You¡¯ll be able to see the stage clearly. The seats there aren¡¯t asfortable as these ones so we¡¯ll go overter.¡±


    After a moment, Gu Yuwu added, ¡°There are snacks here. Do you want some?¡±


    The event wouldst for quite a while so the organizer had prepared some food. However, most celebrities had to maintain their figures and would eat as little as possible. As such, they barely touched the food. Even if they were hungry, they would still have to endure it.


    The number of people gradually increased, but there were not many celebrities in the side room. Most of the people in the side room were assistants or staff members.


    Most people knew Gu Yuwu, and when they saw her, they would greet her politely.


    Gu Yuwu responded to the greetings curtly as she handed Lin Xiaowan some butter cookies.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan, who was next to Gu Yuwu, watched silently. She felt that she had a new understanding of Gu Yuwu now.


    ¡°So many people know you¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu said with a smile, ¡°I have a lot of resources in the entertainment industry after all. It¡¯s only normal for them to greet me for the sake of their artistes. In fact, I don¡¯t know them very well.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan understood Gu Yuwu¡¯s words. It was nothing more thanworking. She turned her attention to the screen in the side room that broadcasted the situation outside. As she watched, she chatted with Gu Yuwu. When a male celebrity appeared, she told Gu Yuwu that she had watched all of his movies.


    ¡°You like his movies? We can take a photo with himter. I¡¯ll bring you there.


    There¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed..¡±

 Chapter 44 - 44: You Can Call Me Sister Yuwu

    Chapter 44: You Can Call Me Sister Yuwu


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Gu Yuwu kept her promise and brought Lin Xiaowan over.


    The male celebrity naturally knew Gu Yuwu. Perhaps he was rather famous so his attitude toward Gu Yuwu was more casual. He was not like those people earlier who were clearly more ttering.


    Gu Yuwu introduced Lin Xiaowan. Since she had worked with the male celebrity many times, she was also not reserved. She said, ¡°She¡¯s a very good friend of mine. She¡¯s just like a sister to me. She likes your movies very much.¡± The male celebrity had won the Best Actor awardst year, and his poprity had risen since then. However, he did not put on any air. Although he was serious, he would smile as he spoke. Not only that, but seeing that Lin Xiaowan was a little embarrassed, he even took the initiative to stand next to her so they could take a photo together.


    Lin Xiaowan could smell the faint fragrance when he stood next to her.


    After the photo was taken, the male celebrity asked, ¡°Do you want an autograph as well?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked down at her empty hands. She even left her phone in the car. In short, there was nothing for the other party to sign at all.


    Upon seeing this, the other partyughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll sign a movie poster for youter and I¡¯ll pass it to Madam Gu.¡±


    After a while, Gu Yuwu led Lin Xiaowan to the front row.


    The moment Lin Xiaowan sat down, she understood why Gu Yuwu had said that the seats were notfortable. They were hard.


    After settling down, Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°That famous male celebrity from earlier is clearly much older than you. Why did he address you as ¡®Madam Gu¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Age is not an indication of seniority in the entertainment industry. His form of address to me is a way to show respect and humility,¡± Gu Yuwu exined.


    ¡°I feel like that makes you sound older,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Gu Yuwu leaned over and said teasingly, ¡°Then how do you think they should address me so that I sound younger?¡±


    Apart from addressing Gu Yuwu by her name, Lin Xiaowan could not think of another answer to Gu Yuwu¡¯s question.


    Gu Yuwu continued to say teasingly, ¡°Nicknames can make one sound younger. If you think ¡®Madam Gu¡¯ makes me sound older, why don¡¯t you address me as Sister Yuwu? I¡¯ll sound younger that way.¡±


    In fact, Gu Yuwu had a younger half-sister. However, her younger half-sister was especially good at causing trouble and was quite evil. She liked to act pitiful and had a belly full of bad ideas. As such, Gu Yuwu could not help but feel disgusted whenever she saw her half-sister.


    On the contrary, Gu Yuwu liked Lin Xiaowan very much. Lin Xiaowan was cute and innocent. She was very happy to be Lin Xiaowan¡¯s elder sister.


    ¡°Sister Yuwu¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan called out tentatively, ¡°I¡¯m not used to calling you that way¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it eventually. In any case, I told people that you¡¯re like my younger sister. It¡¯s only normal for you to call me ¡®Sister Yuwu¡¯,¡± Gu Yuwu said.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded, feeling that Gu Yuwu¡¯s words made sense.


    The two continued to chat.


    At the same time, the celebrities began to take their seats as well now that they were done walking the red carpet.


    The members of the media also entered the hall, waiting for the event to begin.


    Lin Xiaowan looked around. Since there was a show to watch, she wanted to eat something. However, when she looked around, she discovered that no one was eating. There were many beautiful women and handsome men, standing and sitting. It was truly a feast for the eye. However, no matter how good-looking they were, none of them was eating. Finally, she asked Gu Yuwu, ¡°Can I get something to eat here?¡±


    ¡°Sure. What do you want? I¡¯lle with you,¡± Gu Yuwu replied.


    ¡°But no one¡¯s eating here. Will it be strange if I eat here?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked as she looked at the familiar faces shemonly saw on the screen.


    Gu Yuwu said with a smile, ¡°There are members of the media here after all. Celebrities are very mindful of their image. It¡¯s only natural that they¡¯re not eating.¡±


    After that, Gu Yuwu led Lin Xiaowan to the side room as she said, ¡°You can do whatever you want. There¡¯s no need to care about other people. You don¡¯t know them, and they don¡¯t know you.¡±


    After a brief moment, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°Do you know why so many people came over to greet me, but they looked a little afraid of me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head.


    Gu Yuwu smiled brightly as she patted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head and said, ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m domineering enough. They know that they can¡¯t afford to provoke me so they don¡¯t dare to provoke me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was speechless.


    ¡°What kind of expression is that? What I mean is that you should be more domineering as well. You have the support of Second Young Master Huo after all. What are you afraid of?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded before she said seriously, ¡°Okay. Then I want to eat that honey-zed fried potato!¡±


    ¡°Honey-zed fried potato? What kind of vor is that?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was also afraid it would not taste good so she only picked up two sticks of potatoes to taste them first. After taking a bite, her eyes lit up, and she brought one to Gu Yuwu¡¯s lips as she said enthusiastically, ¡°It¡¯s delicious! Try it!¡±


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s expression was a little skeptical and reluctant as she took a bite. Apart from honey, there was also the taste of cheese and cumin. Seeing that Lin Xiaowan liked it, her expression was a little strange as she said, ¡°Your taste is a little strange.¡±


    After returning to their seats, Gu Yuwu left to bring Lin Xiaowan a cup of fresh jasmine tea, worried that thetter would be thirsty.


    When she returned to their seats, Gu Yuwu saw a female celebrity dressed in a plunging ck dress sitting next to Lin Xiaowan. She was famous in the industry for her seductive figure and fox-like eyes. At this moment, she was staring at Lin Xiaowan with bright eyes.


    Lin Xiaowan felt her hair standing on end when she sensed the other party¡¯s gaze.


    Gu Yuwu was quite familiar with the female celebrity, and she knew that thetter¡¯s sexual orientation was not clear. She said teasingly, ¡°Hey, hey, that¡¯s enough. This young woman is already taken. Stop looking at her like that.¡± Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan looked at Gu Yuwu as though she had seen her savior. Emboldened by Gu Yuwu¡¯s presence, she finally had the confidence to look at the person next to her.


    The female celebrity smiled, thinking that Lin Xiaowan was really cute. She said, ¡°I was just curious. Is she a neer? Did she just debut? It doesn¡¯t look like it though¡­¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s my sister.¡±


    The female celebrity was obviously stunned by Gu Yuwu¡¯s response. She looked back and forth between the duo before she said hesitantly, ¡°Your¡­ sister?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan recalled Gu Yuwu¡¯s earlier words so she raised her chin slightly to look confident as she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t I look like my sister?¡±


    Gu Yuwu tried to hold back herughter. She was thoroughly amused by how cute Lin Xiaowan was. Then, she turned to look at the female celebrity as well.


    The female celebrity did not know whether tough or cry as she said, ¡°Yes, yes, you do look alike¡­¡±


    Naturally, the two women did not look alike. Their eyes, noses, and lips werepletely different, but since they had already spoken, what else could she do? She could only agree and nod..

 Chapter 45 - 45: Don’t Be Afraid to Fight Back

    Chapter 45: Don¡¯t Be Afraid to Fight Back


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Nothing eventful happened after that.


    There was an award ceremony after the few acts on stage.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little confused as she looked at the variety of awards that were given out. She leaned over and said to Gu Yuwu, ¡°There are so many awards¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew that there were many awards in the entertainment industry. She had seen the news about it, which was always a hot topic, on her phone.


    ¡°The awards given by different organizations have different values. Winning an award is also an affirmation of one¡¯s abilities. Apart from that, their status will also rise. They¡¯ll be able to attract sponsors.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the three young actors who were receiving awards whom she did not know. After a while, she asked curiously, ¡°What do you mean by sponsors?¡±


    Gu Yuwu exined patiently, ¡°Sponsors arepanies that choose celebrities to represent them and promote their brands. For example, Sang Xiyue is the spokesperson of the Swan Collection that you¡¯re wearing¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu rolled her eyes as she continued to say, ¡°However, I think there¡¯s something wrong with Sang Xiyue. Her brain seems a little underdeveloped.¡± Lin Xiaowan knew Sang Xiyue. Sang Xiyue was of mixed race, and she was very beautiful. However, her acting left a lot to be desired. Lin Xiaowan had watched an idol drama that Sang Xiyue acted in, Although the reviews were very good, Lin Xiaowan did not really like it.


    Coincidentally, just after the duo spoke about Sang Xiyue, Sang Xiyue walked onto the stage when the Most Popr Actress award was given out.


    Lin Xiaowan took a closer look and found that they seemed to be wearing the same dress. However, there were quite a few details that were different. She was not very sure so she asked Gu Yuwu about it.


    Gu Yuwu replied without even the need to think about it, ¡°It¡¯s the same. However, yours was custom-tailored so the details are different. Hers is likely the original. She¡¯s the spokesperson for the collection so it¡¯s only natural for her to wear one of the dresses from the collection.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Her figure is really good. Our dresses are almost the same, but there¡¯s a huge difference between me and her.¡±


    That was thest conversation the two women had about Sang Xiyue during the award show. However, unexpectedly, after the end of the show when the duo was about to leave, Sang Xiyue came over and politely greeted Gu Yuwu.


    Gu Yuwu did not have a good impression of Sang Xiyue so she only nodded perfunctorily. After that, she no longer paid attention to thetter. She whispered to Lin Xiaowan, telling Lin Xiaowan to wait for everyone to leave before leaving themselves.


    Lin Xiaowan was not sure if there was any conflict between Gu Yuwu and Sang Xiyue. However, seeing Gu Yuwu¡¯s attitude and considering her rtionship with Gu Yuwu, she naturally stood behind Gu Yuwu and looked around, not paying attention to Sang Xiyue.


    Nheless, Sang Xiyue still maintained the smile on her face. When she was on stage, she had already noticed that Ling Xiaowan was wearing the same white dress as her. She took a step forward and stood next to Lin Xiaowan before she said, ¡°What a coincidence! We¡¯re wearing the same dress from the same collection. Do you want to take a photo tomemorate this?¡±


    In fact, Sang Xiyue was not in a very good mood. In her opinion, there was nothing positive about tonight except for the award she received earlier. However, even that award was overshadowed by a new female celebrity famous for being aloof. She had yet to leave, but many people had already begun topare them, saying that she was inferior to the other party in terms of temperament and makeup. They evenmented on her age, saying that she was already beginning to decline. With all these things, how could she not be furious?


    Earlier, Sang Xiyue had seen Lin Xiaowan, who was sitting next to Gu Yuwu. She did not recognize Lin Xiaowan; it was obvious that thetter was not famous and had no fans. Unexpectedly, thetter also wore the same dress as her. Initially, she was only a little unhappy, but when she saw thements about her, an idea appeared in her mind.


    In Sang Xiyue¡¯s opinion, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s height, figure, and appearance were inferior to hers. She felt that she looked much better than Lin Xiaowan. As such, she nned to approach Lin Xiaowan, hoping that the press would pick up the news of her wearing the same dress as Lin Xiaowan. This was not only a way to keep herself in the news, but also a way for her to vent her anger, which was caused by the new female celebrity.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan, who did not expect Sang Xiyue to approach her, was stunned. Then, she instinctively looked at Gu Yuwu.


    Gu Yuwu stood protectively in front of Lin Xiaowan and said unhappily to Sang Xiyue, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for that.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you have some misunderstanding about me. I just feel really happy that someone is wearing the same dress as me,¡± Sang Xiyue said, reaching out to touch the feathers on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s skirt.


    Lin Xiaowan was very resistant to being touched by strangers. However, she could not avoid Sang Xiyue in time. Fortunately, Sang Xiyue quickly withdrew her hand.


    Sang Xiyue continued to say, seemingly sincere, ¡°The fact that we¡¯re wearing the same dress means that we have the same taste. That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Gu Yuwu crossed her arms and said with a sneer, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s true that there¡¯s something wrong with your brain. Do we know you? You just approached us as though we were very close and even wanted to take a photo. Your thoughts are written all over your face!¡±


    Gu Yuwu continued to say, ¡°If it¡¯s not clear, let me make it clear to you now that I don¡¯t like you. If you have any sense, you should get lost, understand? Let me tell you, Sang Xiyue, if you use this to stay in the news, it¡¯ll be over for you.¡±


    Gu Yuwu really hated celebrities with no talent who wanted to climb up using means like that. After she finished speaking, she held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and walked away without another word.


    As Lin Xiaowan walked, she deliberately raised her chin and straightened her back, ensuring that her aura matched that of Gu Yuwu.


    Meanwhile, Sang Xiyue did not seem upset that she was exposed. It did not matter that she failed to take a photo. After all, before approaching the two women, she had already made arrangements. The moment she had reached out to touch the feathers on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s skirt, the photos had already been taken.


    Although Sang Xiyue knew of Gu Yuwu¡¯s reputation, she was not afraid of Gu Yuwu. This was because she had never worked with Gu Yuwu before. What she knew of Gu Yuwu was from other people or the media. Moreover, she knew that everything in the entertainment industry was 30% true and 70% falsehood. As such, she was very certain that Gu Yuwu¡¯s reputation was exaggerated.


    When Sang Xiyue returned to her assistant, she told her assistant to sort out the photos that were taken. Then, she contacted a few members of the media she was familiar with to post the photos while they were hot.


    <li>??</li>


    Meanwhile, Gu Yuwu was giving Lin Xiaowan advice.


    ¡°Did you see what I did earlier? I personally demonstrated it to you. When you meet unreasonable people like her, it¡¯s fine to speak to them the way I did earlier. Don¡¯t be afraid to fight back, understand?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know if she could act the way Gu Yuwu did, but she still nodded seriously and said, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan added, filled with praise, ¡°You look so cool earlier!¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not even need to think before she spoke her mind.. It was indeed quite cool!

 Chapter 46 - 46: As Expected, Sang Xiyue Contacted the Media

    Chapter 46: As Expected, Sang Xiyue Contacted the Media


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The weather was even colder at night. When the two women walked out, the car was already parked at the entrance.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan, who was carefully walking down the stairs, seemed to have sensed something, and she looked up immediately. She saw a man standing by the car and looking at her from afar. Huo Zheng hade to pick her up.


    Gu Yuwu saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes light up as she smiled and quickened her pace. Seeing the high heels that Lin Xiaowan was wearing, she was worried that Lin Xiaowan would fall. She hurriedly reached out and said, ¡°Slow down, slow down. What if you fall?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rushed over to Huo Zheng, and he took a few steps forward, catching her in his arms. He patted her arm and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of falling?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fall,¡± Lin Xiaowan said confidently.


    Gu Yuwu rolled her eyes as she thought to herself, ¡®Who was it that almost tripped earlier after only walking two steps?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was really happy that Huo Zheng came and picked her up. It made her feel as though Huo Zheng missed her, and she had a sense of satisfaction from that.


    Huo Zheng continued to hold Lin Xiaowan in his arms while she chatted with Gu Yuwu. His attention was fully focused on her, ignoring everyone in the surroundings. A small smile could be seen on his face as he thought about his sister-inw¡¯s suggestion to him during the lunar new year. Indeed, Lin Xiaowan shoulde out more often instead of staying home all the time.


    The crowd at the venue gradually thinned and returned to its usual cold and silent state.


    Sang Xiyue left veryte. She noticed that after she asked her assistant to release the photos, her assistant had been a little absent-minded.


    When they entered the car, her assistant handed her a thermos. When she took a sip and found that the water was cold, she lost her temper. She forcefully pushed the thermos back to her assistant as she scolded, ¡°Are you an idiot? Did you not know the water is cold? You graduated from university, right? How is it that you can even get such a small thing right? What did the university teach a piece of trash like you?¡±


    Sang Xiyue¡¯s public image was that of an introvert. This was nned by herpany and her manager to hide her quick temper. In private, if she was unhappy, she would lose her temper without care.


    Sang Xiyue had three assistants, and the youngest one was the one she disliked most.


    The assistant¡¯s face was pale as she apologized profusely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I filled it up with hot water earlier. Perhaps, the thermos is broken. Next time, I¡¯ll make sure¡­¡±


    Sang Xiyue did not give her assistant a chance to finish her words. She continued to scold, ¡°Next time? This time, the water is cold. Next time are you going to burn me to death?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough, stop exining yourself. I¡¯ll just treat it as a charity, raising a good-for-nothing like you,¡± Sang Xiyue said impatiently as she looked for her phone. However, when she could not find her phone, she shouted again, ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m looking for something? If you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m looking for, then ask me and bring it to me!¡±


    At this time, the assistant was cleaning up the water that spilled from the thermos when Sang Xiyue forcefully pushed it over earlier. Upon hearing Sang Xiyue¡¯s words, she timidly asked Sang Xiyue what she was looking for.


    ¡°My phone! Isn¡¯t it obvious that I¡¯m looking for my phone?!¡±


    The assistant did not dare to say anything and handed the phone to Sang Xiyue. Usually, when Sang Xiyue attended events, her assistant would keep her phone for her


    Sang Xiyue snatched the phone away and kicked off her high heels. She found afortable position and continued to scold her assistant, ¡°So annoying. What¡¯s the use of hiring you? I really don¡¯t understand why Sister Lily hired you.¡±


    Lily was Sang Xiyue¡¯s manager. She was the one who discovered Sang Xiyue and signed Sang Xiyue. She was almost 50 years old. When Sang Xiyue faced her, Sang Xiyue would usually restrain her temper and treat her respectfully.


    The timid assistant remained silent, feeling aggrieved. She watched as Sang Xiyue yed with her phone as though she was chatting with someone. She could not help but feel a little afraid when she thought about what Sang Xiyue had ordered her to do earlier with the photos.


    When the car pulled to a stop at a traffic light, the assistant mustered up her courage and said, ¡°Sister Xiyue, I want to resign.¡±


    Sang Xiyue would usually find fault with the assistant. However, when she heard these words, there was no reaction at all. She did not even look at her assistant as she said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you want to resign. I don¡¯tck assistants like you.¡±


    The assistant quietly brought her phone out and took a look. When Sang Xiyue was about to get off the car, she said, ¡°Then, I won¡¯t being to work tomorrow.¡±


    Sang Xiyue sized her assistant up as she said mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s up to you. However, you signed a contract back then, right? If you leave so abruptly, it¡¯ll be considered a breach of contract. Your sry will be gone.¡±


    The assistant lowered her head and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sang Xiyue could not be bothered to talk to her assistant anymore and quickly left.


    When Lin Xiaowan sent Gu Yuwu home, she waited until Gu Yuwu walked into the house before she left.


    Huo Zheng adjusted the white shawl for her as he asked, ¡°Did you have fun tonight?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded and told him about the various celebrities she had seen that night, and Huo Zheng would asionally respond with words like ¡®Hmm¡¯, ¡®Is that so?¡¯, and ¡®And then?¡¯. This greatly encouraged her to continue sharing her experience with him.


    <li>??</li>


    After changing her clothes, Gu Yuwu was scrolling on her phone when she saw a headline. As expected, Sang Xiyue had used Lin Xiaowan to appear in the news.


    [The Beautiful Ambassador of Athena Versus the New Star! Who Wore It Better? The Answer Is Obvious!]


    The article was not very long, and Gu Yuwu quickly skimmed through it. The article talked about the poprity of Athena and its Swan Collection, and the brand¡¯s status in the fashion industry. Then, it began topare Sang Xiyue and Lin Xiaowan. The article also went into how Lin Xiaowan¡¯s legs were too short, her waist was too wide, and her features were mediocre before praising Sang Xiyue to the sky. The photos that apanied the article also were cleverly cropped, removing Gu Yuwu.


    After a quick check, Gu Yuwu found a few more simr articles, and the photos were simrly cropped.


    Gu Yuwu sneered as she thought to herself, ¡®The media think that they¡¯re smart and didn¡¯t dare to involve me in this matter. However, do they think that it¡¯ll be fine just because they didn¡¯t involve me?¡¯


    Gu Yuwu did not have Huo Zheng¡¯s number so she called Lin Xiaowan and asked to speak to Huo Zheng.


    At the same time, Lin Xiaowan, who had just arrived home, was puzzled by the call. However, she still handed the phone over to Huo Zheng and said, ¡°Gu Yuwu wants to speak to you.¡±


    Huo Zheng took the phone from her and said, ¡°Put on your slippers and change your clothes. I¡¯ve heated a ss of milk for you. Drink it after you change.¡± ¡°Alright..¡±

 Chapter 47 - 47: Who Is the Swan Princess?

    Chapter 47: Who Is the Swan Princess?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng could not rest assured about Gu Yuwu handling this matter alone. In the end, he told her that if Lin Xiaowan was still being ridiculed and belittled before he went to bed, he would intervene in this matter.


    Gu Yuwu checked the time before she said, ¡°Second Young Master Huo, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to bed at 10. There¡¯s only an hour left before 10. How am I supposed to deal with everything within an hour?¡±


    ¡°Figure it yourself,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Gu Yuwu was speechless.


    After ending the call, Huo Zheng went on the Inte and looked at the articles that Gu Yuwu mentioned. There were manyments under the articles. After all, Sang Xiyue had just won an award tonight, and the brand of the dress was very famous.


    Soon enough, Huo Zheng saw ament that used Lin Xiaowan of wearing a counterfeit dress. Thementer presented various pieces of ¡®evidence¡¯ that supposedly proved Lin Xiaowan was wearing a knock-off dress from Athena¡¯s Swan Collection. Thementer even said that the two women were not wearing the same dress since one of them was a knock-off and that Lin Xiaowan had deliberately done this to gain fame.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was very dark, and it took quite a lot of effort for him to suppress his anger.


    The designer of the Swan Collection had worked with the Huo family many times. In fact, the designer had helped Lin Xiaowan to make custom alterations. In short, the dress was one-of-a-kind. However, that was now being used to prove that Lin Xiaowan was wearing a knock-off dress. It was ridiculous.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan came downstairs in her furry slippers.


    Huo Zheng put his phone down and tried his best to act as though nothing was wrong. He decided to wait for her to sleep first before dealing with this matter.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at her phone that was ced at the side. Seeing that Huo Zheng had ended the call with Gu Yuwu, she casually asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    As she spoke, she walked past Huo Zheng to look for her ss of milk.


    Huo Zheng subconsciously wanted to tell her that the call was about work, but he recalled Lin Xiaowan¡¯s previous words. They had promised that they would not hide things from each other. After hesitating for a moment, he said, ¡°She was just talking to me about you.¡±


    He was not lying, but he was not very forting either.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied nonchntly. She was just about to ask why they were talking about her when she was distracted by the ss of milk the servant brought over. She asked, ¡°Oh, is that strawberry milk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Madam, have a taste and see if you like it. The chef made it himself,¡± the servant said with a smile.


    After Lin Xiaowan was discharged from the hospital, the doctor rmended that she take calcium supplements. Apart from taking calcium tablets, she had also been drinking milk every day. She did not have any problems taking the calcium tablets, but after drinking milk for a few days, she had grown sick of it. She did not like the taste of it. As such, she requested for her milk to be vored.


    Lin Xiaowan took a sip and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Seeing how fast Lin Xiaowan was drinking the strawberry milk, the servant said, ¡°Although it¡¯s delicious, it¡¯s still best to drink the milk as it is. Why don¡¯t you drink the milk as it is and have vored milk once every few days?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it the other way around? I¡¯ll have milk once every few days instead,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Can I have another ss of strawberry milk?¡±


    The servant naturally could not say much about this matter. She poured another ss for Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to let Huo Zheng have a taste,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she left to look for Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng did not have a taste of the strawberry milk. When he saw the pink milk mustache above Lin Xiaowan¡¯s lips, he kissed her instead.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face turned red, and sheined softly, ¡°Why are you like that? What if someone sees us?¡±


    Huo Zheng led her upstairs as he said, ¡°So what if someone sees us?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan red at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re pursuing me!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Huo Zheng said with a hint of helplessness, ¡°Miss Lin, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re so sincere, I¡¯ll ept your invitation, Mr. Huo,¡± Lin Xiaowan said yfully.


    ¡°Hmm, aren¡¯t you going to call me ¡®Brother¡¯?¡± Huo Zheng asked teasingly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to call you Mr. Huo now,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Huo Zheng was helpless against her. He could only give in to her. After all, he liked her so much.


    Meanwhile, Gu Yuwu had also seen the post that used Lin Xiaowan of wearing a knock-off dress. She was not angry at all. Instead, sheughed at the other party¡¯s ignorance. She was even more amused when the other party also used the white shawl as ¡®evidence¡¯.


    Gu Yuwu continued to read thements, and she was surprised to see a few people speaking up for Lin Xiaowan. There were also a few people who asked which agency Lin Xiaowan was from.


    [Are you sure it¡¯s a knock-off dress? Why do I feel like that newbie¡¯s dress is better than Sang Xiyue¡¯s dress? In any case, since the dress is from @Athena, I think it¡¯s best if they rify this matter.]


    [If it¡¯s really a knock-off dress, can someone send me the link? The dress and the shawl look amazing! ]


    [The photos are so blurry, unlike other photos from tonight¡¯s event that are in high definition. How can you even see the details of the dress from the blurry photos?]


    [Oh, I think this new star is very pretty. Who is she?]


    [How can you like someone who wears a knock-off dress?]


    [Isn¡¯t it obvious that this woman is trying to gain fame from Xiyue¡¯s poprity? @ Athena, give us an exnation! Don¡¯t pretend to be deaf and mute!]


    More and more people followed suit and tagged Athena¡¯s official ount. After all, Sang Xiyue was the brand ambassador. It was not surprising that her fans asked for an exnation from the brand.


    Gu Yuwu stroked her chin as an idea appeared in her mind. Then, she carefully wrote a few posts and posted them.


    [Let me make this clear. The Swan Princess in the photos isn¡¯t a celebrity. She¡¯s not in the entertainment industry. I was the one who invited her to the event tonight. Who knew that someone would shamelessly approach us? It seems like that person doesn¡¯t understand the humannguage and decided to make a scene.]


    [By the way, Sang Xiyue, who helped you to take those photos? You took such blurry photos of the Swan Princess, and you only photoshopped yourself. Why? Are you afraid of the Swan Princess stealing your limelight?]


    [Finally, the Swan Princess isn¡¯t wearing a knock-off dress.]


    Those in the entertainment industry knew that Gu Yuwu was very honest when she spoke. Coupled with herrge fanbase, it did not take long before her posts caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    With these posts, more and more people came to watch the show. At the same time, they all wondered about the identity of the Swan Princess..

 Chapter 48 - 48: Watching the Show

    Chapter 48: Watching the Show


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    [Her height and figure are quite good. She¡¯s fair and slender. The Swan Princess looks a little like Miss Ye!]


    [Are you serious? Ye Ye wore a ck dress tonight. If you can¡¯t tell ck from white, you should get your eyes checked!]


    [Hahaha! Thisment is so funny that it made meugh out loud!]


    Gu Yuwu thought about it and was confident that Sang Xiyue would not have any other trick up her sleeve. Then, she made a call and arranged for someone to expose Sang Xiyue and clear Lin Xiaowan¡¯s name.


    ¡®I¡¯ve already told her that if she dares to cause trouble, I won¡¯t let her go. Why didn¡¯t she listen?¡¯


    After ending the call, Gu Yuwu checked her phone again and found that the designer of Athena¡¯s Swan Collection had spoken up about the matter, making this matter an even hotter topic.


    The designer, Rar, was not from Shangxia. When the head of Athena in Shangxia was informed about this matter, he had contacted Rar immediately. There were very few people whom Rar would make custom alterations for, and with just a look, he knew that the dress was personally altered by Rar.


    Rar, who was woken up by the call, was naturally unhappy that his sleep was disrupted. He grumbled, ¡°I make custom alterations for the Huo family¡¯s young madam all the time. Although I have a good rtionship with the Huo family, I charged them a 2% craftsmanship fee for every piece.¡±


    ¡°By the way, who¡¯s the other woman? Is that the brand ambassador you chose? Hmm, it seems like she¡¯s wearing a counterfeit product. Huh? What recording? Whatever. Do what you want. You people from Shangxia are really troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going back to sleep,¡± Rar finally said before ending the call.


    Meanwhile, the head of Athena in Shangxia was shocked by Rar¡¯s words. ¡®What? The designer said that our ambassador was wearing a knockoff? And the other woman is actually the young madam of the Huo family? Since there are two young masters from the Huo family, which young madam is she?¡¯ He sighed. Initially, he thought it would be easy for the public rtions department to solve this matter. However, it seemed like it would be much more troublesome than he had expected.


    He resigned himself to his fate and got out of bed. He called the legal department of Athena in Shangxia and asked them to draft a termination contract as soon as possible.


    When the head of the legal department received the call, he thought that he was dreaming. Then, when he regained his senses, he called the public rtions department.


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you the audio file. Listen to it, and release a statement.¡±


    ¡°What statement?¡±


    The public rtions department was also very confused. They had been monitoring this matter when they suddenly received this call.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Sang Xiyue. You¡¯ll know what to do after listening to the audio file.¡±


    Meanwhile, before sending the audio file, the head of Athena in Shangxia had an idea. He wanted to contact Huo Zheng, but he did not have Huo Zheng¡¯s number. As such, he could only contact Huo Zheng¡¯s special assistant.


    Assistant Song was already asleep at this time. Unless he was busy with work, he usually had very healthy sleeping habits. On most nights, he usually went to bed at 9 PM.


    When he was woken up by the call, he was still very groggy. However, after listening to the other party, his sleepiness instantly disappeared.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    He scrambled out of bed and checked the news.


    ¡®Help! Why didn¡¯t anyone inform me of such a huge matter? What are those people in thepany doing? Don¡¯t we have people monitoring things like this 24/7? Well, I can¡¯t really me them. After all, most people have never seen the Second Young Madam¡­¡¯


    Assistant Song finally heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that this matter only blew up about half an hour ago. There was still time for him to salvage the situation. In his opinion, his boss and his boss¡¯ wife were likely unaware of this matter.


    s, he was unaware that Gu Yuwu had already called Huo Zheng.


    The other party called to ask Assistant Song if they should hide Lin Xiaowan¡¯s identity before he released a statement. After all, there had never been any news about Lin Xiaowan. It was obvious that Huo Zheng had been protecting her privacy.


    ¡°Of course. The young madam doesn¡¯t like to be talked about¡­ If it¡¯s possible, don¡¯t post the photos with the young madam¡¯s face,¡± Assistant Song said.


    The head of Athena in Shangxia naturally understood Assistant Song¡¯s intention. After apologizing sincerely, he ended the call. He edited the audio file before he sent it to his subordinate.


    It did not take long after that for Athena to release a statement.


    [We don¡¯t tolerate counterfeit products. We¡¯ve spoken to the designer of the Swan Collection and found out about a few unexpected things. First of all, we would like to apologize to the Swan Princess for this unnecessary trouble.] [@Sang Xiyue, please give us an exnation regarding your actions. You¡¯ve negatively impacted our brand, and this is considered a serious breach of contract.]


    [Our brand would also like to announce that we¡¯ll be terminating our contract with Miss Sang Xiyue.]


    Following these posts, an audio file was uploaded. It was the conversation between Rar and the head of Athena in Shangxia. Since Rar was speaking in his native tongue, trantion was also provided.


    When Gu Yuwu saw these posts, she quickly called the person whom she had called earlier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything for now. There¡¯s a huge development! Sang Xiyue is in huge trouble this time!¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what Sang Xiyue is doing. She¡¯s the spokesperson for the brand so she naturally has ess to clothes from the brand. Why did she wear a knock-off?¡±


    ¡°In any case, delete the original photos first.¡±


    After ending the call, Gu Yuwu quickly went on the Inte to watch the show.


    Initially, thements under the posts made by Athena were filled with Sang Xiyue¡¯s hardcore fans. It was likely that they did not listen to the recording and rushed to defend her blindly.


    These fans assumed that Sang Xiyue¡¯s actions that negatively impacted the brand had something to do with theparison photos since they did not listen to the recording. They defended her enthusiastically and even felt that the brand had betrayed Sang Xiyue for an unknown person.


    However, as time passed, more and more people listened to the recording. Sang Xiyue¡¯s fans were at a loss. Moreover, Sang Xiyue had remained silent. With this, her fans gradually lost their confidence.


    After Lin Xiaowan fell asleep, Huo Zheng checked his phone. Compared to thest time he checked the news, there had been an earth-shattering change. Apart from that, the photos had also been deleted..

 Chapter 49 - 49: Brain the Size of a Walnut

    Chapter 49: Brain the Size of a Walnut


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Athena was now the third most-searched topic on the Inte. The termination of the contract with Sang Xiyue was also a hot topic. Even # SwanPrincess was trending.


    Although it was alreadyte at night, many people were stillmenting on this matter. It seems like everyone was a night owl who liked watching a show.


    Huo Zheng read Athena¡¯s statement before he clicked on the recording. He could not help but raise an eyebrow after listening to it.


    ¡®He charges us a 2% craftsmanship fee for the sake of our rtionship?¡¯


    He continued to browse thements. Soon, he saw ament left by a verified ount. It belonged to a small but high-end clothing brand that specialized in traditional clothing. Qiao You¡¯an was a WIP customer of thepany. Thepany came out and stated that the shawl was from them and even thanked Lin Xiaowan for the free publicity.


    [I just took a look at the official website! The price of the shawl is too much for me!]


    [My dream of buying the same shawl has been shattered. What a shame! I really liked the shawl. It looks warm andfortable. Does anyone know where I can get something simr?]


    [To think that the shawl was used as ¡®evidence¡¯ to prove that the Swan Princess was wearing a knockoff¡­]


    [I¡¯m really curious about the Swan Princess¡¯ identity. Gu Yuwu said she¡¯s not in the entertainment industry. So is she Gu Yuwu¡¯s friend?]


    At this moment, an ount that had just been created suddenly posted a photo. The photo was not extremely clear, but it was still much clearer than the photos that were originally released. At the very least, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s side profile could be clearly seen.


    There were three people in the photo, and the angle from which the photo was taken was very good. Sang Xiyue wore a bright smile on her face while Gu Yuwu¡¯s expression was icy. Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes were bright, but her expression was wary when she looked at Sang Xiyue.


    Assistant Song, who was Huo Zheng¡¯s right-hand man, had been keeping an eye on the situation. In fact, he was not the only one. He had spoken to thepany, and there was now a team of people monitoring the situation.


    As such, the photo that was uploaded was quickly deleted.


    It did not take long for a fewizens who had seen the photo to discover that the photo was no longer avable. Some of them left ament asking about the photo. However, not many people had seen the photo so it did not generate much wave.


    Meanwhile, Sang Xiyue was in a terrible state. Her manager, Lily, had found out that she had tried to use Lin Xiaowan to be more popr and had scolded her badly.


    Lily grew even angrier when she saw the usation that Sang Xiyue had worn a knock-off dress and that Sang Xiyue¡¯s contract was going to be terminated.


    Lily mmed her hand on the table and rebuked loudly, ¡°What should we do now?! Tell me! It¡¯s not like you just debuted so how could you be so muddle-headed? Are you stupid? You¡¯re the brand ambassador. Why would you wear a counterfeit dress? If you¡¯d asked for the dress from the brand, they would¡¯ve given it to you! What were you thinking?!¡±


    Sang Xiyue felt extremely aggrieved. She was wearing the clothes provided by the brand. She did not understand how it was fake. She protested loudly, ¡°I really didn¡¯t wear a knockoff! I don¡¯t know why the person in the recording said I¡¯m wearing a knockoff! Who knows if the recording is fake!¡±


    Lily looked at Sang Xiyue as though she was a fool and said, ¡°Are you stupid, Sang Xiyue? You were their brand ambassador! Why would they falsely use you? It would only negatively impact them! Can you use your brain before you speak and act?¡±


    Sang Xiyue was naturally upset. She was thoroughly humiliated this time. If she could not give a satisfactory exnation this time, no brand would dare to approach her for endorsement.


    Lily sighed and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do now. Apologize and admit your mistake. Keep a low profile for now.¡± Then, her expression turned solemn as she continued to say, ¡°Also, we have to find out why your dress became a fake. Who gave you the dress?¡±


    It was the assistant whom Sang Xiyue disliked most.


    Sang Xiyue stammered a little as she told Lily that the assistant had made a mistake earlier so she had scolded the assistant. In the end, the assistant decided to resign.


    Lily felt her temper rise again when she heard this. She scolded, ¡°Can you control your temper? She¡¯s your assistant, not your punching bag!¡±


    After a moment, Lily felt that something was amiss. She frowned and asked, ¡°She resigned so suddenly? She doesn¡¯t even care about her sry? You said that she was the one who gave you that dress? Didn¡¯t you feel that something was wrong at all?¡±


    Sang Xiyue¡¯s brain was the size of a walnut. How could she have thought of so much? In any case, she was usually a little harsh toward her assistant, and she did not think too much about it.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Apologize first. I¡¯ll contact her,¡± Lily said. She had rushed over herete at night and was now ready to leave.


    Before leaving, Lily repeatedly reminded Sang Xiyue, ¡°Remember to apologize! Don¡¯t pay attention to what other people say, and don¡¯t provoke Gu Yuwu! If she really makes a move, it¡¯s over for you. We¡¯ll discuss what to do about the termination of the contractter. The most important thing now is to clean up your image.¡±


    Sang Xiyue replied irritably, ¡°I know.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was blissfully unaware that Sang Xiyue had been exposed for wearing a counterfeit dress. It was as though the entire matter had nothing to do with her at all. She did not usually pay attention to news from the entertainment industry and would not deliberately search for it.


    Lin Xiaowan happily dressed up and went on a date with Huo Zheng.


    After dinner, the two of them wandered the streets and ran into a street artist.


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested and pulled Huo Zheng with her to get their portrait drawn.


    The street artist looked like a college student. It was already close to the start of spring, but the weather was still very cold. Although his hands were red from the cold, it did not affect him at all as he drew and painted with watercolors. His movements were skilled and smooth.


    Lin Xiaowan was not in a hurry to leave after the portrait was drawn. She stood at the side and watched the street artist draw with great interest.


    Huo Zheng did not rush her and stood by her side patiently. Seeing how interested she was, he asked, ¡°Do you like drawing?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied.


    Lin Xiaowan had many art books at home. She also bought many art supplies such as brushes, watercolors, acrylic paints, oil painting sticks, and the likes. It was clear what her interest was.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned to the old residence, she felt that it was a little deserted. Huang Dabao and Huang Erbao started school today so they moved back to their house in the city. She also wanted to move back to their house in the city and expressed her thoughts to Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng did not reply, but he asked her if she wanted to learn how to draw instead.


    ¡°Learn how to draw?¡±

 Chapter 50 - 50:1 Just Want You to Have Fun

    Chapter 50:1 Just Want You to Have Fun


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can learn whatever you like.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had never thought about learning to draw. Although she liked it, she felt that it was impossible to make it part of her life. She was not hardworking by nature. She was satisfied with having food and a roof over her head. Her only goal in life was to live.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly telling me this?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, confused. She thought that Huo Zheng thought she was too idle every day.


    ¡°I just thought you liked it. You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to. If you don¡¯t want to learn how to draw, what about singing or dancing? What about mathematics? I can teach you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not like mathematics since she was young. She would have a headache when she encountered a mathematical question in the past. Moreover, the mathematics that Huo Zheng mentioned definitely was not the simple mathematics she knew. Who knew how difficult it would be?


    She shook her head. ¡°No, no, no, I definitely don¡¯t want to learn mathematics.¡±


    As for the others, she could consider them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to go back to school or anything. I just want you to have fun. I want you to go out more and make a few friends. I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll feel lonely,¡± Huo Zheng said, ¡°You were very happy when you went out with Gu Yuwu, right? I hope that you¡¯ll be happy every day.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Xiaowan realized that she had been overthinking things. Sheughed and said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like me being too idle every day.¡±


    Huo Zheng patted her head and said, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Well, since we¡¯re on the topic, I don¡¯t mind learning how to draw. However, I don¡¯t have any foundation. I don¡¯t even know how to sketch. I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can learn.¡±


    ¡°What if the teacher is fierce? I want a gentle and patient teacher.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan suddenly changed the topic and asked, ¡°Then, can we move back to the city tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before going to bed, Huo Zheng meticulously massaged Lin Xiaowan¡¯s calf and feet. He had learned the technique from a few professionals to improve her blood cirction. Her feet were cold so she soaked them in warm water before going to bed as well.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s hands were smeared with medicinal oil, and the pressure he exerted with his huge and warm hands was neither too light nor too heavy.


    Lin Xiaowan yawned and said, filled with praise, ¡°You get extra points for this. The progress bar of your pursuit has moved forward a little. When the progress bar is full, I might allow you to propose to me.¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to work hard to fill up the progress bar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll depend on your performance,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Just as she was about to fall asleep, Lin Xiaowan suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily have to learn how to draw now. Learning to y the guitar sounds cool too. In any case, I haven¡¯t decided yet so don¡¯t look for teachers yet.¡±


    Huo Zheng ced her feet on the bed and covered them carefully with the nket as he said, ¡°Alright, take your time.¡±


    After the two of them moved back to the house that they previously lived in, Huo Zheng told Lin Xiaowan that he had hired a new nanny, who woulde in the afternoon.


    Before the nanny arrived, Gu Yuwu called.


    ¡°Xiaowan, do you remember Sang Xiyue?¡± Gu Yuwu asked excitedly.


    Based on Gu Yuwu¡¯s tone, Lin Xiaowan knew that something must have happened. She asked, ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Previously, Huo Zheng had told Gu Yuwu not to let Lin Xiaowan know that she was secretly photographed and used to increase Sang Xiyue¡¯s poprity. Apart from that, he also gave Assistant Song a bonus,mending Assistant Song for his swift actions. He also arranged for people to continue monitoring the situation, making sure that Lin Xiaowan would not be implicated in this matter.


    Gu Yuwu was very sensible and did not mention this matter. She onlyughed and said, ¡°Do you remember that Sang Xiyue wore the same dress as you? As it turns out, the dress is an imitation that her assistant¡¯s friend made. She was plotted against by her own people!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the brand ambassador? Why did her assistant do something like that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s no longer the brand ambassador for Athena. The brand has already announced the termination of their contract with her. She deserves it! Not only did she treat her assistant like a ve, but she was also verbally abusive to her assistant!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so serious? That sounds pretty sad. How¡¯s the assistant now?¡±


    ¡°The assistant has already resigned. Sang Xiyue apologized for this matter, but she didn¡¯t seem sincere at all. There were a few mistakes in her first apology statement, and she was mocked byizens for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the assistant resigned. Although the assistant¡¯s actions weren¡¯t right, I can understand her. If I was treated like a ve and was scolded every day, I would¡¯ve done the same thing,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    ¡°You? Forget it. With your meek personality like amb, you can only bleat,¡± Gu Yuwu said teasingly with a smile, ¡°In any case, Sang Xiyue deserves it.¡±


    This was simply retribution. Sang Xiyue treated her assistant badly and insulted her assistant, which in turn caused her assistant to retaliate.


    After a moment, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I need your help with. I hope you¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have a script for a fantasy drama. There¡¯s a character that¡¯s very suitable for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Do you want me to act? I don¡¯t know how to act.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a few scenes. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know how to act. Come and give it a try. This role is very simple,¡± Gu Yuwu said, trying to persuade Lin Xiaowan.


    Gu Yuwu knew that Lin Xiaowan was soft-hearted and did not have any thoughts of her own. As long as it was not something that she was particrly resistant to, Lin Xiaowan would likely agree. Moreover, she could tell that Lin Xiaowan did not hate the entertainment industry after bringing Lin Xiaowan to the event.


    Gu Yuwu continued to say, ¡°There are only a few lines for that character. If it¡¯s too difficult for you, we can get a voice actor to dub over you¡­¡±


    If these words were heard by people from the entertainment industry, their jaws would have dropped to the ground. They would have doubted their ears and wondered if Gu Yuwu had been possessed. After all, she was known to pursue perfection, and it was a huge taboo for her when actors forget their lines.


    Previously, there was a male celebrity who was praised to the sky by his fans. He was very confident about his skills, but he ended up forgetting his lines. He was scolded a few times, but he refused to make any effort. In the end, he was directly fired and thrown away by Gu Yuwu. It did not matter that he had a backer. Even his backer had to lower his head and be respectful when faced with Gu Yuwu.


    Under normal circumstances, there was no celebrity who dared to forget their lines when participating in the projects that Gu Yuwu invested in..

 Chapter 51 - 51: I’ll Praise You Every Day From Now On

    Chapter 51: I¡¯ll Praise You Every Day From Now On


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan liked watching movies and dramas. Although she was not a professional, she still had some basic knowledge. She said, ¡°Get a voice actor to dub over my voice? That won¡¯t do. How can I not memorize the lines?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you agree?¡± Gu Yuwu asked, trying to tamp down her excitement now that sess was close at hand.


    ¡°I¡­ I guess so,¡± Lin Xiaowan said awkwardly. In fact, she was quite interested in acting. In any case, it was all for fun. Just like how painting and singing were fun, acting was also fun.


    However, after she impulsively agreed and calmed down, the more Lin Xiaowan thought about it, the more she doubted if she could do the job.


    Although Gu Yuwu said the job was very simple and that there were not many lines, she knew that facial expressions and one¡¯s gaze were very important in acting. Even some professionals who had taken acting sses were ridiculed for their bad acting. Then could someone like her, who had no experience at all, do it?


    At the end of the day, what Lin Xiaowancked was confidence. She knew that arge part of it was due to her family and the environment she had grown up in. Although she tried her best to hide it, she could not get rid of her sense of inferiority.


    She tried convincing herself not to care too much about other people¡¯s opinions of her, and she had been doing well in the past few years. However, she was still afraid of being around a lot of people. It was still okay she could blend into the crowd and stay unnoticed, but if she were the center of attention, her mind would go nk and her heart would race. All she could was smile stiffly. She was a little afraid of being stared at.


    In her previous life, due to her request, there were no guests at her wedding. There were only her, Huo Zheng, and the officiant.


    The more Lin Xiaowan thought about it, the more she felt that she had made the wrong decision. She should not have agreed to Gu Yuwu¡¯s request.


    Lin Xiaowan sighed as her thoughts inexplicably drifted back to her marriage in her previous life. Once again, she felt that Huo Zheng was very good. He did not ask too many questions and would acquiesce to her requests. Thinking about it, she thought that she was a little unreasonable.


    When Huo Zheng got home from work, he saw Lin Xiaowan curled up in the corner of the couch, looking depressed.


    Upon seeing him, Lin Xiaowan threw the pillow in her arms away and said, ¡°I want a hug.¡±


    Huo Zheng knew that something must have happened when he was away. He strode over and bent down to pick her up.


    Lin Xiaowan hugged his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.


    Huo Zheng sat on the couch with her in his arms before he said gently, ¡°Qingqing, you seem a little unhappy? Do you want to tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan mumbled before she told him about Gu Yuwu¡¯s request.


    ¡°Are you unhappy because of this matter? If you really don¡¯t want to do it, you can still refuse. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, feeling conflicted, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid I won¡¯t be able to act well with everyone staring at me. At the same time, I want to be praised.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was afraid of being the center of attention, but she also liked people praising her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough, but at the same time, it¡¯ll be a pity if I don¡¯t do it,¡± Lin Xiaowan said softly and sighed, looking confused, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what I want either.¡±


    It was a rare and precious opportunity to be able to try new things.


    Huo Zheng chuckled and said gently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You should have a try. If you still feel that you¡¯re not good enough after trying, you can speak to Gu Yuwu. She¡¯s your friend after all. Friends should be understanding of each other, right? If you really feel like you don¡¯t know how to tell her, just tell me, and I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°I think I¡¯ll do it. They don¡¯t know me anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter even if I don¡¯t perform well.¡±


    Huo Zheng thought about it for a moment before he said, ¡°Let¡¯s just take it one step at a time and set a small goal for yourself. You said that all you needed to do was sit there, right? Then let¡¯s just focus on that. Then, you¡¯ll deal with the rest as theye.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sighed and said, ¡°Alright.


    Huo Zheng kissed her forehead and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be amazing.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him with a grin and hugged him tightly as she said, ¡°I really like it when you praise me!¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s contradictory personality of wanting to be noticed and praised but also afraid of being noticed was partly due to her sense of inferiority. She needed a lot of love and adoration, and she needed constant encouragement from people around her. These were things she had always desired.


    However, she had never been loved or cared for, and she was also despised by her family since she was young. Not only that, but the people around her also liked to stare at her and gossip about her. As time went on, she grew more and more timid and also felt inferior. She always felt like people disliked her. That was why she was afraid of being around a lot of people.


    Huo Zheng looked at her smiling face and smiled as well. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll praise you every day in the future.¡±


    The Huo family raised their children by giving them a lot of encouragement. Huo Cheng and Huo Zheng grew up under constant encouragement and praise. This was also the case for Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao.


    For example, when the two children came downstairs in the morning for breakfast, Huo Cheng and Huo Zheng would praise them for changing their clothes on their own.


    In the past, Huo Zheng treated Lin Xiaowan like a normal person. She had always been sensible so he did not think that there was anything wrong with her. However, now that there was no longer any misunderstanding or estrangement between them, he realized that she was in fact very naive andcked confidence.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was now in a better mood, Huo Zheng changed the topic and asked her about the new nanny.


    Lin Xiaowan quite liked the nanny who came over today and told Huo Zheng about it. Her surname was Wu, and she had a 14-year-old daughter at home. She was friendly and had a good personality. She used to work in the cafeteria of a kindergarten. All in all, she was gentle and efficient.


    ¡°Alright, as long as you like it.¡±


    After that, Huo Zheng led Lin Xiaowan to the kitchen.


    ¡°What did the chef cook today?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s unhappiness seemed to vanish as soon as food was mentioned.


    ¡°There¡¯s yogurt sd shrimp. I secretly tried one earlier! It was delicious!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯ll try it too¡­¡± Huo Zheng said as he brought her to the sink, ¡°Wash your hands first..¡±

 Chapter 52 - 52: An Extremely Powerful Backer

    Chapter 52: An Extremely Powerful Backer


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan was not wearing her slippers so Huo Zheng asked her to step on his feet. She said, ¡°Does it hurt? It¡¯s fine to stand on the floor. It¡¯s warm since there¡¯s heating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Huo Zheng said, ¡°You¡¯re very light anyway. You need to eat more.¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed. ¡±1 want to eat cake!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    There were still a few roles that had yet to be cast in the fantasy drama. The production team was going to hold an audition so Gu Yuwu asked if Lin Xiaowan wanted toe and have a look. With this, Lin Xiaowan could also familiarize herself a little.


    After agreeing, Lin Xiaowan recalled that Huo Zheng said friends could show their vulnerabilities to each other so she said to Gu Yuwu, ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience in acting at all, and there are many people in the production team. I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t feel too burdened. You just need to have fun,¡± Gu Yuwu said reassuringly, ¡°Moreover, so what if you can¡¯t act well? There are many celebrities who can¡¯t act as well. If it really doesn¡¯t work, you can just quit. It¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Gu Yuwu spoke very nonchntly as though this was really a trivial matter. For this reason, Lin Xiaowan felt much more at ease after listening to Gu Yuwu.


    There were many people at the audition.


    Lin Xiaowan followed Gu Yuwu into the audition room, and Gu Yuwu introduced her to a few people. Gu Yuwu told everyone that she was her sister and asked them to take care of her.


    Lin Xiaowan stood quietly next to Gu Yuwu and smiled. She was still very nervous even though everyone looked at her kindly. Fortunately, the audition started very quickly, and everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the audition. With this, she was able to rx a little.


    The main leads and important supporting roles had already been decided so the audition today was mostly for minor roles with a few scenes.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know most people who came, and she only recognized a few of them, but she could not recall their names.


    As she continued to watch the audition, Lin Xiaowan also deeply understood the difference in acting skills in the entertainment industry. There were people who could not act at all. When she watched an awkward performance that made people cringe, she even arrogantly felt that she could do better.


    Naturally, there were also those who acted very well. After their introductions, they seemed to change into another person as they got into character. Their acting was extremely convincing. Although there were many people in the room staring at them and whispering, they could ignore the distraction and focus on acting.


    Lin Xiaowan really admired these people a lot.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Gu Yuwu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s really interesting,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied.


    At this time, the audition was almosting to an end so there were not many people left.


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°I¡¯ll get a copy of the script from the scriptwriterter. I¡¯ll show the goddess¡¯ scenes. When you go back, you can slowly go over them first.¡± Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Gu Yuwu cleared her throat and said, ¡°However, there¡¯s something I need to tell you in advance. There¡¯s a reason why I said it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t memorize your lines¡­¡±


    Despite the weak and young appearance of the goddess in the drama, her personality was aloof and arrogant. After all, she possessed supreme divine power. It was due to a curse that she had fallen to such a state and regressed to the appearance of a young girl.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice was too soft and did not fit the character. For this reason, Gu Yuwu suggested dubbing.


    Lin Xiaowan did not mind it at all. ¡°Okay!¡±


    After the audition ended, the director walked over with the script and said, ¡°Young goddess, you have to visit us often!¡±


    ¡°Eh? You know that I¡¯m ying the role of the goddess?¡±


    The director said with a smile, ¡°Of course. President Gu told us long ago that her younger sister will be ying the role of the goddess.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ Does this mean that everyone here knows about it as well?¡±


    ¡°Almost everyone knows¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned. When she had met the production team, she assumed that they did not know her. After a moment, she frowned in confusion and asked, ¡°President Gu? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Gu Yuwu raised her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Why do they call you President Gu?¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled and said, ¡°Because I¡¯m an investor.¡±


    Not only was Gu Yuwu an investor, but she was also the producer. She had the most say in the entire production team.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaowan felt as though she had found herself an extremely powerful backer.


    ¡®How amazing!¡¯


    Following that, they studied the roles of the goddess.


    The goddess appeared very early in the drama, but she only existed in other people¡¯s words and memories. She was extremely feudal, selfish, and had double standards. She would convince others to do things that were not right for the sake of the world and encouraged them to sacrifice themselves meaninglessly to help others.


    The source of her curse, which caused her pain, was an immortal who had fallen into the abyss of the demon world because of her.


    The immortal¡¯s lover was a very rabbit demon. The demon was captured by the goddess to ensure that the divine realm was not contaminated by the outside world. The demon was then sent to a ce called the Twilight of Immortals to be cleansed of her demonic power for 4.9 days before she could be reunited with her lover. As a demon, one could imagine how painful the cleansing process was.


    Apart from that, the goddess also imprisoned the immortal in a divine realm for viting the divine rule. He was soaked in a liquid that corroded his divine power every day, and it was extremely difficult to leave this ce. When he finally escaped, he risked his life to save his lover. s, when he found his lover, she had been tortured to the brink of death. When she saw him, before her soul scattered, she only said, ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Following that, the immortal sacrificed his divine power to ce a curse on the goddess before he fell to the demon world with great hatred.


    Meanwhile, the goddess did not think that she did anything wrong at all. She felt that her actions were for the couple¡¯s own good. When she saw that the immortal had turned demonic, she only said disdainfully, ¡°Fool.¡±


    The only time the goddess appeared outside of people¡¯s words and memories in the drama was close to the finale. The protagonists had something to ask of her so they went to meet her. The goddess could perceive everything in the world and knew their intentions so she said some arrogant words to dissuade them.


    The protagonists were strong and tenacious, after all. How could they be persuaded by her? It was only normal that theypletely ignored her..

 Chapter 53 - 53: Let Me Have a Look!

    Chapter 53: Let Me Have a Look!


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The script did not go into the thoughts of the goddess in the end. In any case, after a one-on-one conversation with the son of heaven whom she thought the most highly of, she sighed and ended up helping him to resolve the predicament before disappearing.


    Lin Xiaowan had to admit that she did not quite understand everything. However, she could tell the character of the goddess was stubborn and feudal. Although she was a goddess above everyone, she was also a little ignorant and bad.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a long time before she said, ¡°This goddess seems to hate seeing others live well¡­:


    The goddess¡¯ scenes mostly had to do with the source of the curse, but there were quite a few scenes that depicted the way she did things. As Lin Xiaowan said, many of her actions were targeted at people who lived blissfully.


    The director, who liked the character of the goddess who was not too involved in the main storyline but was mostly in the side story, said, ¡°To put it bluntly, she¡¯s a little twisted. The more she wants something, the more she can¡¯t get it. Not only that, but what she can¡¯t get, she finds that others can easily get them.¡± ¡°What is it that she wants?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    The director replied, ¡°That¡¯s a good question. You¡¯re the goddess. What do you want?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought that the goddess was jealous. She was jealous that others could love and be loved while she was alone. She sat on a high throne and looked down on all living beings without anyone to talk to. Others were afraid of her, respected her, or disliked her, but none of them was willing to stand next to her.


    ¡°How did she be a goddess?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked curiously.


    The director said with a hint of pity, ¡°She was sacrificed by her family after she was chosen by the heavens. In fact, although her appearance in the drama isn¡¯t a lot, she¡¯s mentioned many times by others.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested in the character. After she returned from the audition, she began to read the thick script from the beginning. She went to bed veryte because she was reading the script.


    Huo Zheng urged her a few times to go to bed, but she did not listen. She was very close to the finale and there were only a few pages left after all. Hence, she quickly leaned closer to him and coaxed him softly. It was really not easy for her to get Huo Zheng to agree to let her sleep a littleter.


    In the end, after she finished reading the script, she found that she could not sleep. She was sad and upset because of the bad ending. Some of the main characters were separated, and none of them had a perfect happy ending!


    Lin Xiaowan threw herself into Huo Zheng¡¯s arms and began to cry loudly as she scolded the scriptwriter.


    The drama was actually quite old-fashioned. There were nine young people with different personalities who became friends by ident. All of them had different identities from a wealthy young master to a little beggar. They killed demons together and grew closer and closer; some of them even fell in love. After that, due to an ident in the divine realm, the goddess came and convinced a few people to sacrifice some people to fix the ident. Subsequently, many bad things happen in the divine realm and the demon realm one after another. The protagonists naturally hated the goddess¡¯ style of doing things. Because the realms were in turmoil, they worked together to save the world. They also woke up those who were brainwashed by the goddess.


    The protagonists continued doing this until one day, a new demon king appeared in the demon realm. He wanted to destroy the world, and it was actually because of the goddess. The more they learned about the goddess, the more they hated her. However, as though the goddess was mocking them, she no longer appeared. On one hand, they wanted to persuade the demon king to surrender and stabilize the realms, but at the same time, they wanted to overthrow the goddess¡¯mander. It was a difficult task to take down the goddess. After all, she had lived for a long time, and there were too many people who brainlessly believed and supported her.


    What followed was a long journey to protect the realms and take down the goddess. The protagonists¡¯ rtionships continued to improve. There was love and friendship between them, bing like a family. However, the goddess began to target them at this time. They resisted the goddess, and grew stronger in the process. In the end, they managed to obtain a divine spark and go to the divine realm. It was there that they met the goddess in person and ended the goddess¡¯ tyranny.


    However, that was not the end. After that, they realized that the turmoil was not over yet. They had experienced wars and tragic sacrifices, and in the end, only a few survived. After that, they realized that they could not live carefree lives. There were countless small worlds under the divine realm that needed governing and protection from powerful people. They were no longer as carefree as when they were young and could do as they pleased. They were now immortals with responsibilities.


    It was also then that these new immortals discovered that there were no new people in the divine realm for tens of thousands of years. There was only the goddess looking down on everything, but she had already disappeared.


    The final oue was that the remaining four people guarded their respective worlds. Due to their immortality, they lived forever in loneliness.


    Lin Xiaowan found the ending hard to ept. Sheined, ¡°Why can¡¯t they just stay together in the divine realm and find people with the potential to be immortals? Why do they have to separate? Why can¡¯t they be together?¡±


    Huo Zheng did not know what to say tofort her so he only hugged her and stroked her back silently.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan, who felt extremely ufortable, fell asleep.


    When the first day of filming started, Lin Xiaowan followed Gu Yuwu and the production team enthusiastically. Her scenes had not been arranged yet so all she had to do was follow Gu Yuwu for now.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was with the production team, thought to herself excitedly, ¡°Let me have a look! Let me have a look! Where are the protagonists?¡¯


    On the first day of filming, the first of the leading actors Lin Xiaowan saw was a young actor who was a child star. Lin Xiaowan had seen his movies and dramas before so she was rather familiar with him. He was dressed in a blue robe, and he yed the character of a wealthy young master among the nine people. He was one of thest people who died tragically in the end.


    Following that, the leading actors arrived in an orderly manner. Everyone took a photo for the opening of the film. There were so many people that they had to stand in four or five rows.


    Lin Xiaowan did not seem ufortable surrounded by so many people this time when she took the photo. There were so many people in the photo that it would be difficult to pick her out from the crowd.


    After that, she sent Huo Zheng the photo along with a message.


    [Can you find me in the crowd?]

 Chapter 54 - 54: Seriously Observing and Learning

    Chapter 54: Seriously Observing and Learning


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan had only sent that photo casually. However, she soon discovered that Huo Zheng was serious about looking for her in the photo. When she received his reply, half a day had already passed. She wondered how long he took to find her.


    Lin Xiaowan praised him seriously before telling him to work hard and not ck off.


    [Huo Zheng: It¡¯s time for me to get off work. What time will you be back?]


    It was especially busy on set, and it was normal to film night scenes. She was now in a filming studio on the outskirts of Shengjing, and it was a long journey back home. She had followed Gu Yuwu here today and forgot to ask about the schedule today.


    Gu Yuwu spent most of her time with the director. Lin Xiaowan could not understand the professional jargon they used and grew bored after a while. In the end, she stayed with the other staff members.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I came with Gu Yuwu today. I don¡¯t know when we¡¯re leaving. I¡¯ll askter.]


    [Huo Zheng: Get the driver to pick you up.]


    Lin Xiaowan felt reluctant since the location was quite a distance away. After a while, she jogged over to Gu Yuwu.


    When Gu Yuwu saw Lin Xiaowan, she felt a little helpless. She smoothed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s messy hair and asked teasingly, ¡°Oh, you still remember to look for me?¡±


    In the beginning, Lin Xiaowan had stayed close to Gu Yuwu. However, after filming started, she did not know where Lin Xiaowan went. She thought that Lin Xiaowan had lost her way, and after asking around for a long time, she found out that Lin Xiaowan was wandering around and having fun.


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°In the future, when you¡¯re leaving, you have to tell the people around you in advance, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied with a nod before she asked, ¡°Are you going backter or will you be staying here?¡±


    The production team had booked three floors of a nearby hotel for the actors and production team.


    Gu Yuwu thought that Lin Xiaowan wanted to leave. She looked at the time and thought that Lin Xiaowan was not neededter so she said, ¡°You want to leave? I¡¯ll bring you backter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. If you¡¯re busy with work, I can ask the driver to pick me up.¡±


    Gu Yuwu chuckled. ¡®Tin not too busy. We¡¯ll be filming in the studio for a period of time. The actors have already nned how much they¡¯ll shoot in a day. The earlier we finish filming, the earlier well be done.¡±


    Today was the first day of filming, and the few scenes they were shooting today involved actors who were remarkably skilled.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan told Huo Zheng that there was no need to send the driver.


    <li>¡ö ?</li>


    Gu Yuwu was in a good mood today. Most of the actors were old friends whom she had worked with before, and they were all very skilled. With very simple adjustments and littlemunication, they could easily film a scene without many takes.


    When they were leaving, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°How long will we be filming in the studio?¡±


    Gu Yuwu opened the car door and urged Lin Xiaowan to get in before she replied, ¡°For a while. We¡¯re shooting part of the interior scenes in the studio. Did you see the green screen earlier? It¡¯s for the convenience of post-production. At the end of March or the beginning of April, we¡¯ll move to Yingshui in Nan¡¯an Province to shoot outside.¡±


    Gu Yuwu continued to say, ¡°The scenes of the goddess will be shot in the studio. However, it¡¯s fine if you want to go to Yingshui to have a look. I¡¯ve been there before for an inspection, and the scenery is very good.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°How did you feel on set today?¡± Gu Yuwu asked.


    ¡°Very good! The staff members even praised me for being beautiful! They said that if I start acting, I¡¯ll be a big star,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, happy that she was praised, ¡°I was very impressed as well when I watched the actors. There was so much equipment and people around, but they weren¡¯t affected at all. Their movements and speech weren¡¯t stiff. They were really amazing!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had been seriously observing and learning. Although it was only a day, she learned that being afraid of this and that would not produce any results at all.


    Gu Yuwu smiled. ¡°The people today are professionals. You haven¡¯t seen a lot so you don¡¯t know that people like them are rare. There are also people who have so many bad takes that filming could go on for a long time. In any case, if you¡¯re interested, you cane more often to watch.¡±


    It would be Valentine¡¯s Day soon. Seeing that Lin Xiaowan had been going to the set every day, Huo Zheng asked her one night, ¡°Will you be going to the set tomorrow as well?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was applying skincare and did not think much of his question. She replied, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s quite fun to watch the filming. Perhaps I¡¯ve been going so often, I¡¯m no longer as nervous when surrounded by a lot of people.¡±


    Seeing that she already had ns, Huo Zheng hesitated for a moment. In the end, he did not say anything.


    The next morning, Lin Xiaowan found arge bouquet of champagne roses and arge bottle of perfume on her dressing table. The perfume was a Valentine¡¯s Day limited edition perfume.


    Only when she saw these things did realization dawn on Lin Xiaowan. She checked the calendar and confirmed that it was Valentine¡¯s Day.


    Initially, she nned to do something with Huo Zheng on Valentine¡¯s Day. However, after the Lantern Festival and filming started, shepletely forgot about this.


    ¡®No wonder Huo Zheng was asking about my n yesterday¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little embarrassed. She had forgotten, but he had remembered. He clearly wanted to spend time with her, but he did not say anything. Since he had left for the office, she quickly called him.


    The call connected swiftly, and they were both silent for a moment.


    In the end, Huo Zheng called out, sounding puzzled, ¡°Qingqing?¡±


    ¡°What day is it today?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked despite already knowing the answer.


    Huo Zheng paused for a moment. ¡°Valentine¡¯s Day?¡±


    ¡°Since you knew, why didn¡¯t you say anythingst night? I forgot, but you could¡¯ve reminded me,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    ¡°You have ns, after all. I don¡¯t want to mess up your n.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes. ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m going to get angry.¡±


    Huo Zheng remained silent, not sure what he had said wrong. After thinking about it for a moment, he apologized. He had forgotten where he had read it, but it was said that if one¡¯s girlfriend was angry, one should apologize first.


    ¡°Please, I didn¡¯t call to hear your apology, Brother,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, feeling slightly speechless. An idea suddenly appeared in her mind, and she pretended to say cutely, ¡°Brother, why are you apologizing? Do you not want to spend Valentine¡¯s with me? I understand. You don¡¯t love me anymore. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll feel better after crying for three hours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Huo Zheng said. Although there was no one in the office, he still lowered his voice as he continued to say in a hoarse voice, ¡°Speak properly.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan instantly returned to normal as she said teasingly, ¡°Huh? You seemed to like it though.. Don¡¯t tell me you like this?¡±

 Chapter 55 - 55: I’m Going On a Date

    Chapter 55: I¡¯m Going On a Date


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng¡¯s face turned red from her teasing, and he was too embarrassed to speak.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to tease him, ¡°Brother, why are you ignoring me? It¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day today, and I miss you so much. Don¡¯t you miss me?¡±


    Huo Zheng took a deep breath before he ended the call.


    Huo Zheng had never hung up on Lin Xiaowan before, whether it was this life or her previous life. This was a first.


    Lin Xiaowan could not help butugh. She quickly called Gu Yuwu and told Gu Yuwu that she would not be going to the set today.


    Gu Yuwu was not surprised at all. ¡°I was wondering about this before when you told me that you were going to the set on Valentine¡¯s Day. As it turns out, you forgot.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan remembered that Gu Yuwu was a married person so she asked curiously, ¡°What about you? Are you going to the set on Valentine¡¯s Day?¡±


    Gu Yuwu nced at the dog in human form staring at her before she said in a helpless tone, ¡°Yes, but my husband followed me to the set. I¡¯ll be leaving early.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan finally ended the call, she saw that she had missed a call from Huo Zheng. He probably called back after seeing there was no reaction from her after he hung up on her. Apart from a missed call, there was also a message from him.


    [Huo Zheng: Who are you talking to? Are you going out today?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I want to watch a movie with you. Don¡¯t rent out the entire theatre. Let¡¯s buy couple seats and watch it with a group of people¡­]


    Lin Xiaowan rarely watched movies with Huo Zheng. She had only watched movies with him a few times, and she discovered that he was not very interested in watching movies. Whether it was a horror movie, a romantic movie, or aedic movie, he did not have much of a reaction. His expression remained serious throughout the movie as though he was watching some serious documentary. Not only that, but they mostly watched movies in private theatres or in their home theatre. The atmosphere was different from watching it in a cinema. Apart from that, it was tragically funny when she tried to discuss the plot with him. For all these reasons, she rarely asked him to watch a movie with her.


    After thinking about it for a moment, Lin Xiaowan sent another message.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯ll buy the tickets. You¡¯re unreliable, and I don¡¯t trust you to do it.]


    This was the first time Huo Zheng was called unreliable. He did not know whether tough or cry as he agreed to her request. After that, he called his assistant and secretary and told them to put the documents away, which were just handed over to him, away.


    The assistant thought that Huo Zheng had already finished going through the documents so he said, ¡°The general manager of Tuyuan just called to invite you out for lunch to discuss the cooperation.¡±


    Huo Zheng rose to his feet and put on his coat as he said curtly, ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    The assistant nodded and checked Huo Zheng¡¯s schedule before saying, ¡°You¡¯re free tomorrow morning. WIKA wants to have a conference call with us, and they¡¯re free to do it any time so we can do it now.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at his assistant with a hint of pity as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time today.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡± the assistant asked, stunned, ¡°There¡¯s nothing on your schedule now. Did I miss anything?¡±


    Meanwhile, the secretary had just skimmed through the documents. He was in charge of the internal work of thepany and also handing tasks from the upper management to the lower management. When he first came in and saw the neat stack of documents, he had already felt that something was amiss. When Huo Zheng was speaking to his assistant, he had briefly flipped through the documents and found that there was no signature on them. He asked politely, confused, ¡°The documents seem¡­ untouched?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded, looking a little proud as he said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going on a date.¡±


    As he walked to the door, he pointed at the documents and said before he left, ¡°I¡¯ll leave these to you.¡±


    Assistant Song stared at the closed door in shock. ¡°The boss actually skipped work so openly?!¡±


    The secretary massaged his temples as he said, ¡°I was hoping to get off work early so I can have a candlelight dinner with my girlfriend tonight.¡±


    ¡®Great. The boss is free and happy, but who knows how long I¡¯ll have to work overtime today?¡¯


    The secretaryined, ¡°Don¡¯t workers deserve to celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day as well?¡±


    Assistant Song was single. He naturally was unaware that it was Valentine¡¯s Day until he heard the secretary¡¯s words. It was not strange to him that Huo Zheng left to celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day with Lin Xiaowan. He calmly changed Huo Zheng¡¯s schedule and left to arrange everything.


    When Huo Zheng was waiting for the elevator, he received a message from Lin Xiaowan.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Are you still at thepany? Don¡¯t work anymore. I¡¯m going to do what I want today. I¡¯m going to bring you out to y. I¡¯m already on my way to you. I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance of thepany. I¡¯m driving the huge silver Mulsanne.]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I meant the driver is driving, not me. Don¡¯t worry.]


    Lin Xiaowan did not have a driving license and usually traveled using public transportation in the past.


    Huo Zheng smiled as he read her messages. He went to the ground floor and took a seat by the window where he had a good view. The window was a one-way ss so he could sec the situation outside clearly.


    When the receptionist saw Huo Zheng, she hurried over and asked, ¡°President Huo, would you like something to drink?¡±


    Huo Zheng waved his hand. ¡°No need. I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡±


    The receptionist was at a loss. Although Huo Zheng refused, she still served him a ss of water in the end. She did not know his preference so it was safest to go with a ss of water.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Huo Zheng said with a slight nod.


    The receptionist blushed and quickly returned to her post with her heart thumping wildly.


    ¡®Heavens! Although the boss looks cold, he¡¯s really polite. However, his aura is so strong that I don¡¯t dare to look at him at all! I wonder who he¡¯s waiting for? After all, he personally came down here to wait for the other party¡­¡¯


    Huo Zheng was waiting, and so was the curious receptionist.


    After a while, a silver Mulsane slowly pulled to a stop in front of the entrance.


    A smile appeared on Huo Zheng¡¯s face immediately, and his aura seemed to soften. Just as he stood up, he saw the back door of the car open. He saw a young woman dressed in an apricot trench coat alighting from the car, and he was filled with anticipation. He wondered if she would take the initiative to look for him in thepany. Lin Xiaowan rarely came to hispany so he really wanted to use this chance to show everyone that she was the wife of the boss of Huo Group.


    s, Huo Zheng¡¯s expectations were dashed. After alighting from the car, Lin Xiaowan suddenly ran to the side after closing the door.


    Huo Zheng shook his head helplessly and quickly walked out. When he walked out, he finally saw what Lin Xiaowan was doing. At the intersection nearby, she was buying cotton candy from a stall..

 Chapter 56 - 56:1 Like Brother the Most

    Chapter 56:1 Like Brother the Most


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When the driver saw Huo Zheng, he got out of the car and greeted him before he opened the car door for him.


    Huo Zheng nodded and said, ¡°Wait in the car. I¡¯ll wait for the madam.¡±


    The driver quickly returned to the driver¡¯s seat.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan returned with her cotton candy. When she saw Huo Zheng, she quickly stuffed it into her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s too sweet,¡± Huo Zheng said with a frown. After all, cotton candy was made of sugar and had no nutritional value.


    Lin Xiaowan scoffed and carried the cotton candy into the car.


    Huo Zheng followed her in and asked, ¡°Do you like the cotton candy or the roses?¡±


    Huo Zheng was naturally talking about the champagne roses that he had given her this morning.


    Lin Xiaowan decided to give him more sweetness on Valentine¡¯s Day so she kissed him and said, ¡°I like Brother the most!¡±


    In Huo Zheng¡¯s opinion, even honey was not half as sweet as Lin Xiaowan.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s gaze softened, and he felt his heart melting. He quickly leaned over and kissed her again.


    It had only been about five minutes since Huo Zheng left, and the receptionist had been secretly observing him the entire time. She could not sec what happened in the car, but she could clearly see the change in Huo Zheng¡¯s expression and his interaction with the mysterious young woman.


    She was extremely excited. She thought that it was unfortunate that it was working hours now so she had no one to share her excitement with.


    She tried to calm down for a long time, but she kept recalling what she had seen. In the end, she quickly entered the group chat with a few dozen people and sent a few messages consecutively.


    [Receptionist: Guess what I saw? The boss actually left during working hours to meet a mysterious woman!]


    [I¡¯m so excited right now! It¡¯s too bad no one was around, and I was the only one who saw it!]


    [The boss hugged the woman and even ate the cotton candy she handed over! After that, the two left in the car affectionately!]


    Only a few minutes had passed when the replies came.


    [Little Zhang: I just came out from the morning meeting. Which boss are you talking about?]


    [Little Wu: Are you talking about President Huo? You¡¯re saying he¡¯s not single?]


    [Little Liu: Didn¡¯t President Huo bring his girlfriend previously to the annual g? Is it the same woman?]


    [Little Zhang: Where are you? This is big news!]


    It took a long time before the receptionist finally replied.


    [Sorry, I was busy with work earlier.]


    [Yes, I¡¯m talking about President Huo! I didn¡¯t see the woman during the annual g so I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re the same person. The woman today was standing too far away so I didn¡¯t have a good look as well! (crying).]


    [She¡¯s slender and very fair. It¡¯s sunny today so she looked like she was glowing under the sun!]


    [Little Wu: I just came to the toilet to gossip. What else do you have?]


    [Little Liu: Your description matches the woman from the annual g. ording to one of our colleagues, President Huo¡¯s femalepanion was extremely fair and beautiful.]


    The receptionist continued to type on her phone.


    [The boss was really gentle! He waspletely different from his usual aloof and taciturn self!]


    [Little Zhang: How could he treat his girlfriend the way he treats us? (sigh) Today is Valentine¡¯s Day. The boss is probably going on a date!]


    [Little Liu: Tell me more. I¡¯m going to post it on ourpany¡¯s forumter! Hehehe!]


    [Little Wu: Stop cking off. In any case, tell us more! I¡¯ll read it when I¡¯m done with my work! ]


    [Staff Xiao Wu: You can¡¯t ck off anymore. Say more. I¡¯ll read it at noon.]


    Lin Xiaowan brought Huo Zheng to a crowded mall in the city center. The cinema was located on the fourth floor of the mall. She passed her bag to him and said seriously, ¡°As a boyfriend, you have to take the initiative to carry your girlfriend¡¯s bag.¡±


    Huo Zheng was more than 1.8 meters tall. No matter how one looked at it, he looked a little funny carrying a small sequined bag. However, he did not refuse and allowed Lin Xiaowan to mess with him.


    When they arrived at the fourth floor, the smell of snacks permeated the air. Although it was a working day, there were still quite a lot of people because it was Valentine¡¯s Day.


    The two of them picked up their tickets from the machine. There was still half an hour left before the movie started.


    Lin Xiaowan nced at the food counter a few times before she cleared her throat and said, ¡°You know, you have to be more proactive when you¡¯re out on a date with a girl. I¡¯ve already bought the tickets¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan gestured with her hand before she continued to say, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you do something in return?¡±


    Huo Zheng naturally knew what she was thinking. He extended his hand with his palm facing up as he said, ¡°If you want to eat snacks, you¡¯ll have to pay for them, right?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not follow his train of thought and assumed that he wanted her to pay for the snacks. She looked at him foolishly and said, ¡°My wallet is in the bag.¡±


    Huo Zheng sighed before he leaned over and held her hand. He said, ¡°The payment is holding hands. Why are you so slow?¡±


    Huo Zheng spoke very affectionately to her, and Lin Xiaowan found it rather novel. He had never spoken like that in the past. He had really changed and did seem so reserved anymore. She quickly reached out to hold his hand before she said, ¡°You¡¯re the slow one. You¡¯re the slowest person in the world!¡±


    Huo Zheng only smiled at her and did not say anything.


    Lin Xiaowan had chosen a highly-rated romance film. In the past, she rarely watched romance films. She thought that they were too fake and unrealistic, and she could not rte to them at all. However, she thought differently now that Huo Zheng had changed. She was actually looking forward to watching the movie with him.


    Lin Xiaowan hugged the bucket of popcorn and French fries to her chest and ate them with relish as she said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like the movie or have any opinion, you can tell me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Huo Zheng said as he lifted a cup of milk tea and ced it by her lips, ¡°Have a sip. You can¡¯t drink this often. You have to drink more water.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan quickly took a few gulps. She felt very happy until the second half of Huo Zheng¡¯s words quickly deprived her of her happiness. She said happily, ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like I drink this often!¡±


    Huo Zheng wanted to say again that there was no nutritional value, but he did not want to spoil the mood. Finally, he said, ¡°You can tell the chef at home to make it for you.


    ¡°How can it be the same?¡± Lin Xiaowan protested, ¡°Moreover, you shouldn¡¯t snatch business opportunities away from the milk tea vendors!¡±


    Huo Zheng felt helpless; there was nothing he could do about her. If the doctor had any concerns about her health during her checkup in a week, he would have to be stricter with her..

 Chapter 57 - 57: Next Life

    Chapter 57: Next Life


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The couple seats were in thest row. Lin Xiaowan chose the seats in the middle. Apart from a young couple on the left, the other seats were empty.


    The young couple was wearing matching jackets, and Lin Xiaowan felt a little envious. Unfortunately, Huo Zheng rarely dressed so casually. He lived in his suits almost all year round. During autumn and winter, he would add a cashmere coat. The colors of his clothes were usually dark, making him look very mature.


    Huo Zheng noticed that Lin Xiaowan kept sneaking nces at him so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan cast a sidelong nce at him and said, ¡°You said you¡¯re 26, right? Your birthday is in June. This means that you¡¯ll turn 27 soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡¯27? I supposed he won¡¯t dress in that kind of casual clothes, right?¡¯ Lin Xiaowan sighed inwardly, feeling a little regretful. When she met Huo Zheng, he was already the president of thepany. She could not help but wonder how he looked dressed in his uniform when he was young and carefree. He was likely as eye-catching as he was now.


    ¡°There are three months left until then. Is there anything you want?¡±


    Huo Zheng had nevercked material things since he was young. Lin Xiaowan knew she would have to work hard when looking for a gift for him.


    The two-hour movie ended very quickly.


    When Lin Xiaowan was researching movies to watch, she had read the reviews for this movie. She had seen many reviewers say that they were very touched by the movie and that it reminded them of their youth. At that time, she did not think much about the reviews at all.


    However, when she watched the ending now, she could not ept it and could not help butin, ¡°Why aren¡¯t they together? How can they not love each other? Did the second female lead write the script?¡±


    The movie was very melodramatic. The male and female leads were childhood sweethearts, and the male lead had been especially good to the female lead since they were young. He took care of her very well, and they got together naturally. However, after they got engaged, a female schoolmate from the past suddenly appeared next to the male lead. He treated the other party very well, and all his meticulous care for the female lead seemed to have been given to the other party. When the female lead found out about it, she thought about it the entire night before she talked to the male lead. In the end, she decided to part ways with him.


    In fact, the male lead was just used to having the female lead around. He realized that his feelings for the female lead were familial, not the love between a man and a woman. He only figured this out when he met the second female lead, who made his heart race. He was stilling to terms with this when his talk with the female lead finally made him face his true feelings honestly.


    In the end, the female lead went abroad to further her studies, leaving the ce that made her sad. At the same time, the second female lead confessed to the male lead in the end.


    The only thing that barely appeased Lin Xiaowan was the fact that that was where the movie ended. It did not show if the male lead epted the confession or not. Those like her who could not ept the ending could only console themselves in this manner.


    Lin Xiaowan thought to herself angrily, ¡®I don¡¯t understand why this movie is highly rated! The plot is too melodramatic!¡¯


    On the contrary, Huo Zheng was very calm. The couple seats were connected so he lifted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s legs and ced them on hisp. She was wearingmbskin boots today, and the shoces hade undone so he slowly tied them for her.


    The couple on the left was just about to leave when the girl saw this scene. She nudged her boyfriend with her elbow and said, ¡°Look at how good her boyfriend is!¡±


    The boy smiled sheepishly and quickly held his girlfriend¡¯s hand.


    At this time, the ending theme song was still ying on the screen, showing many stills of the male lead and the female lead when they were young.


    Suddenly, Lin Xiaowan was a little curious, and she asked a deadly question. ¡°Hey, if Song Zhiyi were the second female lead and I were the female lead, would you like me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. However, this is just a movie. Don¡¯t take it so seriously,¡± Huo Zheng said helplessly. No matter whether it was real life or the movie, he would always love her.


    After the theme song ended, Lin Xiaowan finally rose to her feet. Huo Zheng helped her tidy her clothes and wiped her hands with wet tissues before he took the initiative to throw the trash away.


    Lin Xiaowan touched his coat pocket and eximed in surprise, ¡°You actually brought wet tissues?¡± Then, she added in a regretful tone, ¡°If only I had met you when I was still in school.¡±


    Huo Zheng replied in a low voice, ¡°In our next life¡­¡±


    ¡®In our next life, I want to meet you earlier so I can protect you¡­¡¯


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan thought of something and asked, ¡°Hey, how¡¯s Song Zhiyi now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps she¡¯s in prison,¡± Huo Zheng replied vaguely.


    Huo Zheng was not telling the truth.


    Initially, Song Zhiyi was imprisoned in Qin Yanchuan¡¯s territory ording to Huo Zheng¡¯s instructions. At a fixed time every day, food would be brought to her.


    After dealing with the Dong family, Huo Zheng showed up and took Song Zhiyi away. He brought her to the ce where Lin Xiaowan was once imprisoned before he tied her up and tossed her in there. He could not find the poisonous gas that Dong Xianghang prepared back then so he asked someone to make something simr before releasing it inside.


    The wound on Song Zhiyi¡¯s hand had not been treated so it was festering and turning necrotic. It was already bad when she was imprisoned in Qin Yanchuan¡¯s territory, and her situation took a turn for the worse in this ce. At first, she kicked up a fuss, crying and screaming. However, in just half a day, the poisonous gas had affected her greatly. She could hardly speak and see. Even her hearing and sense of smell were greatly dulled.


    Huo Zheng hated Song Zhiyi to the core and did not want her to have an easy or quick death. As such, every day, someone woulde to treat her and bring her food before the torture started all over again. If she refused to eat, they would force her to eat through feeding tubes.


    After two weeks of torture, Huo Zheng finally returned her after two weeks of living hell. Qin Yanchuan then handed her over to the police with more than ten charges, including kidnapping and attempted homicide.


    Song Zhiyi died on the eve of the lunar new year. Perhaps due to the festivity, the management was a bitx. While people were not looking, she went to the highest floor and jumped to her death.


    When Qin Yanchuan informed Huo Zheng about it, he had responded indifferently. However, he would asionally fall into a trance, surprised by his own ruthlessness. At the same time, he also wondered if he was only together with Song Zhiyi in the past because she had pursued him relentlessly and enthusiastically. Just like Lin Xiaowan¡¯s assessment of him, perhaps he was really too gullible when he was young.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan looked at the w machine on the first floor filled with small plush toys and said, ¡°Huo Zheng, let¡¯s y that! Have you ever yed with a w machine? It¡¯s said that newbies are especially lucky!¡±


    Huo Zheng returned to his senses and saw Lin Xiaowan skipping toward the counter to exchange for game coins. He followed her and said tenderly, ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not mean to lie to Lin Xiaowan. He just did not want her to know about those filthy things. He also had his own selfish reason. He was afraid that she would be afraid of him if she knew what had happened.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan was not the only one who felt regretful. Huo Zheng felt regretful as well. How good would it be if he had met her when he was in school? Fortunately, he still met her in the end. It was not toote for him to love her..

 Chapter 58 - 58: Looking for a Job

    Chapter 58: Looking for a Job


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The two of them were out the entire day.


    Lin Xiaowan felt extremelyzy the next day. When she got up early in the morning, she squinted her eyes sleepily and quickly sent a message to Gu Yuwu saying that she would not be going to the set today. After sending the message, shey back down in bed and nned to continue sleeping.


    At this time, Huo Zheng, who had just gotten dressed, walked in. He saw herzing in bed and leaned over to kiss her before he said, ¡°Remember to cat breakfastter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hummed twice.


    ¡°I have a gift for you. It¡¯s on the table outside.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes. She looked half-awake as she yawned and asked, ¡°What gift? Didn¡¯t you already give me one yesterday?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was still sleepy so she did not listen to Huo Zheng¡¯s words carefully. She hugged the nket and fell asleep in just a few seconds.


    At 8.30 AM, the new nanny knocked on the door to wake Lin Xiaowan up. Huo Zheng had instructed her to wake Lin Xiaowan up so she would not skip breakfast.


    Lin Xiaowan checked her phone first and saw Gu Yuwu¡¯s teasing reply. After getting out of bed, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. When she walked outside, she finally saw an exquisite box on the small coffee table. It was only then that she remembered Huo Zheng¡¯s words earlier in the morning. She took a closer look and found that it was a Patek Philippe watch.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know why Huo Zheng would suddenly give her a watch. She took a photo and sent a message to him to ask about it. His reply came very quickly. He sent a photo of his hand; he was wearing a watch that was quite simr to hers. They were global limited edition couple watches.


    Lin Xiaowan was delighted when she saw this and quickly sent him another message. She was naturally delighted that he took the initiative to buy a couple¡¯s items.


    To be honest, the watch was not very appropriate for work nor was it in the style that he usually liked. However, he had done this for Lin Xiaowan. He had noticed her looking at the couple who wore matching outfits yesterday and understood her thoughts.


    [Huo Zheng: If you like it, we can wear matching clothes as well. I¡¯ll leave it up to you. It doesn¡¯t just have to be clothes. You can buy whatever you want.]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯ve just given you extra points for this, and I¡¯m giving you more points!]


    The clothing brands that Huo Zheng wore were all exceptional. She had been with him for about five years so her standards had also risen. She was browsing around when a his-and-hers coat caught her eye. However, she felt a little speechless when she saw the price.


    Huo Zheng had supported her since she graduated. She was a little worm with no ambition and was just muddling along in life. However, at this moment, she felt that maybe she should look for a job.


    ¡®However, what can I do?¡¯ Lin Xiaowan frowned in confusion.


    In the past, she had studied business administration, thinking that she would work as a secretary after graduation. However, she met Huo Zheng after that and had lived a carefree life since. Thinking about having to work from nine to five and maybe even overtime, she was subconsciously resistant to the idea. She would no longer be able to sleep in or do whatever she wanted.


    Lin Xiaowan sighed.


    A few dayster.


    Gu Yuwu called Lin Xiaowan and asked her toe to the set.


    Lin Xiaowan perked up and asked, ¡°Is it time for me to shoot my scenes?¡±


    Gu Yuwu replied, ¡°No. I need you to sign a contract and calcte your sry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be paid?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Did you think actors act for free?¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan arrived, she followed Gu Yuwu to a room. She was shocked when she saw how much she was going to be paid.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually getting paid tens of thousands of yuan?!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not even a celebrity, but she was getting paid so much. She could not imagine just how much famous celebrities earned. It must be in the millions or tens of millions.


    ¡®No wonder everyone wants to be a celebrity!¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was aplete amateur. How could she be paid so much? She only paid so much thanks to Gu Yuwu¡¯s care for her. Since Gu Yuwu would be paying the sry, who dared toment about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s pay?


    Lin Xiaowan excitedly signed her name on the contract.


    Gu Yuwu was amused by her. ¡°I haven¡¯t even exined the details of the contract to you yet, but you¡¯ve already signed it. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll sell you off?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan giggled. ¡°There¡¯s so much money. It¡¯s fine even if you sell me!¡±


    Gu Yuwu shook her head helplessly before she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine that you act this way with me. However, you mustn¡¯t be like this in the future, especially when dealing with others. You have to get awyer to take a look at the contract first and make sure there¡¯s no problem before signing it, understand?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think there would be another asion where she had to sign a contract again. After all, she was not working. Moreover, if there was a next time, she had a feeling that it would also be with Gu Yuwu. For this reason, she did not take Gu Yuwu¡¯s words to heart. At this moment, her entire person was bubbling with happiness. It was as though she had discovered a treasure.


    ¡°You¡¯re so happy with the tens of thousands of yuan?¡± Gu Yuwumented, puzzled.


    After all, the wealth that the Huo family had umted over the generations was unimaginable. Not only that, but if Huo Zheng were to make a move, it was likely that the entire economy in Shangxia would be affected. Just one of Huo Zheng¡¯s custom cars was at least eight figures. Even his cufflinks could be put up for auction. So why did Lin Xiaowan look as though she was in dire straits?


    Gu Yuwu asked skeptically, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Huo Zheng let you spend money?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was still immersed in happiness. When she heard Gu Yuwu¡¯s question, she was stunned. ¡°He does.¡±


    Apart from the ck card that Huo Zheng gave her when they met, he also gave her another card that was bound to her phone. He had taught her how to bind the card to her phone. Arge amount of money would be credited into the ount. At that time, he had casually said that it was her pocket money. She had been dumbfounded when she saw the amount of money. Her daily expenditure was not even a fraction of what was given to her every time.


    Gu Yuwu frowned. ¡°Then why does it seem like you¡¯re in need of money?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not the case,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, looking embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve never earned so much money on my own before. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a little excited.¡±


    The money she earned in school when she worked part-time was very little. She had never earned more than 200 yuan a day.


    After a moment, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Speaking of, I¡¯ve been looking for a job recently. Do you have any rmendations?¡±


    Gu Yuwu looked at her skeptically and asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re really not short of money?¡±


    Seeing that Gu Yuwu was skeptical and worried, looking as though she was going to fight with someone on her behalf, she hurriedly said to reassure Gu Yuwu, ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t been working. It was fine before, but now that I think about it, it¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you have anything you like to do or want to do?¡± Gu Yuwu asked.


    This question silenced Lin Xiaowan immediately..

 Chapter 59 - 59: Learning to Draw

    Chapter 59: Learning to Draw


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a long time. She sadly realized that she did not have anything she liked that could be turned into a job.


    Seeing her silence, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°You have to choose a job that you like. Otherwise, every day will be a torture. Do you have any hobbies?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about her hobbies before she said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t seem to be good at them though¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about that? You can always learn!¡±


    ¡®But what should I learn?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little troubled. She liked drawing, but she also liked musical instruments and photography. Learning how to farm or bake sounds fun as well. She sighed heavily.


    Gu Yuwu looked at her with a questioning gaze.


    Lin Xiaowan reflected on herself and said with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m too indecisive and fickle-minded. I want to learn everything¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. It¡¯s not fickle or indecisive; it¡¯s called having a wide range of interests. Moreover, you have to try many things to find out what you like.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded thoughtfully and asked, ¡°Did you try a lot of things before?¡±


    Gu Yuwu thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°Of course. I wanted to learn many things when I was a kid¡­ Hmmm, when was it¡­ I think when I was in the second or third grade, I insisted on learning how to y the drums. I thought it¡¯d look cool for a girl to y drums.¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed before she continued to say, ¡°However, after a few months, I quit because I fell in love with Latin dance costumes. After that, I went to learn Latin dance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. Iter found Latin dance sses tiring so I stopped going. Not long after that, I saw a ssmate of mine who always participated in chesspetitions. I thought he looked really impressive and cool so I learned that as well!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened, and she felt a little envious. It was amazing that Gu Yuwu could learn whatever she wanted. Not only did she feel stupid because she had a difficult time learning in school, but she also did not have the money for tuition, let alone for hobby sses.


    Gu Yuwu thought about her past willful self, and many memories flooded her mind. Looking back, she realized she had many experiences when she was young. She said, ¡°I learned chess for a few years and quit when I was in the sixth grade. At that time, I wanted to learn to y the piano because I thought that I¡¯d look like a princess.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, I also picked up drums again and worked very hard. I even formed a band with a few of my ssmates in junior high school. We even participated in manypetitions and won many awards!¡±


    Up until now, Gu Yuwu still had yet to speak about photography so Lin Xiaowan was curious how Gu Yuwu became interested in photography.


    Coincidentally, Gu Yuwu said at this time, ¡°During the summer break in my first year of high school, I visited a meadow. It was evening when I arrived. I remember I was amazed when I got out of the car and looked at the sky. With the way the clouds were scattered in the sky at sunset, it felt as though I was looking at two worlds. One side of the sky was blue while the other side was tinged with red and orange from the setting sun. At that time, I thought to myself it would be a pity not to capture such a scene. Gradually, I began to learn photography. This hobby continued even after I graduated from university¡­¡±


    At night.


    Lin Xiaowan moved to Huo Zheng¡¯s side and leaned against him, looking listless.


    Huo Zheng, who was reading an industry analysis report, pinched her nose and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You can continue reading your report. I¡¯ll watch you.¡±


    The report was written in a foreignnguage with professional jargon. It would have been strange if Lin Xiaowan could understand it.


    Huo Zheng put the report aside. Thinking that Lin Xiaowan was bored, he said, ¡°I heard you earned a lot of money today.¡±


    ¡°These words sound really strangeing from you. You earn much, much, much, much, much more money than me,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, repeating the word ¡®much¡¯, ¡°When you praise me like that, it doesn¡¯t sound sincere.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sincerely praising you.¡±


    After a moment, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°I want to learn how to draw.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded without hesitation. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll look for a teacher for you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I also want to learn photography.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I also want to learn to y the piano!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°What about learning how to y drums?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan reached out and patted his body with a suspicious expression as she said, ¡°Is there a recorder hidden on you? Do you only know how to say the word ¡®okay¡¯?¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at her indulgently and said, ¡°You can learn whatever you want. Why reason is there for me to say no?¡±


    <li>??</li>


    The next day, Huo Zheng really found a teacher for Lin Xiaowan.


    The other party was an old professor from the Shengjing Academy of Fine Arts. She was a kind-looking olddy. She was thin and small, and she was dressed very well. She was a fashionable olddy. Despite her age, she was strong. When she spoke, she was very gentle.


    When she was approached by epting a student, she did not agree immediately. Instead, she said she wanted to meet Lin Xiaowan first before making a decision.


    Huo Zheng asked Lin Xiaowan if she wanted to meet the professor, and Lin Xiaowan was shocked.


    ¡°You found a teacher so quickly?!¡±


    They had just spoken about this the night before, and the conversation was very casual. He continued to ask about what she wanted to learn, and she kepting back to drawing and painting. Before they could talk more about it, she had fallen asleep. She did not expect Huo Zheng to work so fast.


    ¡°This teacher is very good at drawing portraits as well. Why don¡¯t you meet her first?¡±


    In the end, they met in an empty studio in the Shengjing Academy of Fine Arts.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any experience at all, and she was going to meet such a professional as soon as she started. It was not surprising that she was nervous. Her starting point was too high after all.


    The professor did not put on any air and looked at Lin Xiaowan kindly as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Why don¡¯t you tell Grandma why you want to learn painting and drawing?¡±


    ¡®Grandma?!¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan became even more nervous. Was it not impolite to address the other party so casually?


    ¡°I¡­ I just think that paintings are very beautiful. The mix of colors is really beautiful,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, not knowing how to express her thoughts.


    The professor smiled kindly and handed her a sketchbook and a few art supplies. ¡°Just draw or paint something for me to have a look.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan really had no experience at all. She had briefly experimented with acrylic paint; that was all. She knew nothing about drawing or the various media of painting.


    She instinctively looked at Huo Zheng for help.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can draw whatever you want.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan still did not dare to move. She looked at the smiling professor nkly.


    The professor said encouragingly, ¡°Just draw. This sketchbook belongs to you now so you can do whatever you want. It doesn¡¯t matter even if you fill the entire page with colors without drawing..¡±

 Chapter 60 - 60: Young People Are Really Amusing

    Chapter 60: Young People Are Really Amusing


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan began to draw and paint. She drew a colorful abstract flower. If it was hung up for exhibition, one would not know what it was without an exnation.


    The old professor looked quite satisfied. ¡°This little girl¡¯s painting is quite unique. She¡¯s quite good.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know the reasoning behind the praise, but she was still happy to be praised.


    After that, the two chatted. It was a simple question-and-answer session. After that, the professor epted her as a student.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not bad. From now on, you¡¯ll have to address me as teacher,¡± the old professor said with a smile, ¡°If you want, you can also call me Grandma. I have a few students who address me as Grandma Hong.¡±


    The professor¡¯s name was Hong Minhua.


    After that, Hong Minhua gave Lin Xiaowan a name card. The name Xiao Han was printed on it, and there was also a string of numbers.


    ¡°This is my student. He¡¯s the most patient one among all my students. I don¡¯t know what kind of art style you like, but his foundation and sketches are top-notch. Let him teach you the basics first. I¡¯m old so I don¡¯t have the mindset of young people like you. If you have any questions, you cane to me. Don¡¯t feel embarrassed. When you¡¯ve learned the basic brush strokes, I¡¯ll teach you some color techniques.¡±


    Hong Minhua brought her tablet out and skillfully opened his social media QR code and said, ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll give you my contact information.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, reaching out to Huo Zheng to ask for her phone. She had handed her bag to him earlier.


    This was Hong Minhua¡¯s first time epting a student who did not go through the systemic learning process. She had more than ten students, and all of them were art students. Lin Xiaowan was naturally different from those people.


    When Huo Zheng contacted Hong Minhua previously, he had told her that there was no need to be too strict with Lin Xiaowan. After all, it was not like Lin Xiaowan was going to make this a career or hoping to gain fame and sess. Instead of saying she was teaching Lin Xiaowan, it was more like she was asked to look after a good friend¡¯s child. For this reason, she did not assess Lin Xiaowan like she would her students and only treated Lin Xiaowan as a junior.


    Lin Xiaowan listened to instructions very well. She had a keen sense of colors and had her own ideas. However, if she were to be judged professionally, she definitely was not qualified to be a student of Hong Minhua.


    Nheless, Hong Minhua quite liked Lin Xiaowan. She was very satisfied that the younger generation took an interest in art.


    After exchanging contact details, they had lunch together. It was only then that Lin Xiaowan found that Hong Minhua had known the Huo brothers for a long time now. She sighed inwardly, ¡®It seems like everyone from aristocratic families run in the same circle¡­¡¯


    During lunch, Hong Minhua grew fonder and fonder of Lin Xiaowan as they spoke. She only had a son, and her son and daughter-inw also gave birth to a son. She really wished she had a daughter or granddaughter whom she could spoil. It was not that she did not like boys, but it would be perfect if she had a girl as well.


    Apart from that, it was not like there were no girls at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s age around her. However, girls raised in aristocratic families were very serious and ambitious. To put it bluntly, they were not fun to y with and could not be teased casually. This set Lin Xiaowan apart from them.


    Hong Minhua picked up a piece of vegetable with her chopsticks and ced it in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s bowl as she said, ¡°Eat more vegetables.¡±


    Hong Minhua saw the reluctance on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, but in the end, thetter still nodded and thanked her softly. Then, thetter lowered her head and ate the vegetables obediently like a hamster.


    After that, Hong Minhua looked at Huo Zheng and hinted to him to pour some drinks for Lin Xiaowan.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw the ss, she quickly held it with both hands and gulped it down to wash off the taste in her mouth. Then, she looked at the dishes on the table and bit her chopstick, wondering what to eat next.


    ¡®How amusing¡­¡¯


    At this moment, Huo Zheng patted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bite the chopstick.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied, looking aggrieved.


    ¡®The professor is still here. Can¡¯t he just let it go for this once? Can¡¯t you see the professor isughing at me? There¡¯s also the drinks earlier. Why did he pour me such a small ss when we ordered a big jug? Why can¡¯t I have more? Why did he ce the jug on his side? He must be enjoying this, right?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan felt like deducting all his points at this moment.


    Hong Minhua¡¯s gaze softened even more as she thought to herself, ¡®How cute!¡¯


    Hong Minghua picked up a piece of honey-zed pumpkin for Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Thank you, Teacher!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal,¡± Hong Minhua said, ¡°Just call me Grandma Hong. That¡¯s good enough.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt awkward and wondered if it was appropriate. However, when she saw the expectant expression on Hong Minhua¡¯s face, she said shyly, ¡°Thank you, Grandma Hong.¡±


    After lunch, Hong Minhua only had one thought in her mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s good to have a young girl to tease¡­¡¯


    ¡°If you have any problems,e and look for Grandma. If you have nothing to do, you can also look for me,¡± Hong Minhua said, a little reluctant to part with Lin Xiaowan. Her attitude had changedpletely.


    If Lin Xiaowan were to draw an abstract andpletely unrecognizable flower in front of Hong Minhua now, she would not only say that Lin Xiaowan had a unique insight. She would have praised Lin Xiaowan as an artistic genius.


    In Hong Minhua¡¯s opinion, she was teaching a junior, not a student. It was only natural to give a little encouragement when teaching a junior. So what if thepliment was a little exaggerated?


    Hong Minhua¡¯s grandson was in his second year of high school. She calcted his age and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s age before she sighed in regret.


    ¡®s, the age isn¡¯t suitable¡­¡¯


    Later on, Lin Xiaowan forgot about the shy name card that Hong Minhua gave her. She only remembered it when Hong Minhua sent her a message saying that she had told Xiao Han to expect her call. Then, she quickly sent a reply.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Yes, Teacher.]


    Lin Xiaowan even added a cute emoji.


    At the same time, Hong Minhua showed her grandson the message and said, ¡°Look, look at this cute emoji! I can even imagine how cute she looks when replying to my message!¡±

 Chapter 61 - 61: She’s a Saint

    Chapter 61: She¡¯s a Saint


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Hong Minhua¡¯s grandson was very disdainful and had no interest in it.


    Hong Minhua¡¯s grandson was very tall. He was very athletic and was particrly good at ying basketball. Girls would oftene to watch his games. Some of them would even give him gifts. He was always surrounded by girls, and he felt like they were too noisy. Even his username was ¡®Women Are So Annoying¡¯.


    When his father found out about it, his father hadughed at him, saying that he did not know how to enjoy his high school life.


    Lin Xiaowan added Xiao Han¡¯s contact information before she sent in a message. To show her friendliness, she even sent him a cat emoji.


    [LinXiaowan: Hello!]


    [Xiao Han: Hello. Teacher has already told me about your situation. When is it convenient for us to meet?]


    [Xiao Han: You don¡¯t have any foundation at all, right?]


    Although Hong Minhua had said that Xiao Han was patient and had a good temper, Lin Xiaowan still could not help but feel a little nervous when she saw the second message. She was worried that the other party would despise herck of foundation. What if the other party did not want to teach a stranger?


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s back was very straight as she typed her reply.


    [Lin Xiaowan: That¡¯s right. I have no foundation¡­¡±


    [Xiao Han: That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s start by understanding different types of painting media. Do you have time tomorrow?]


    ¡®Hm? His attitude is really good!¡¯


    To begin with, texting was not as good asmunicating face-to-face, but when Lin Xiaowan saw thetest reply, she rxed immediately.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Give me a minute. Let me check.]


    Lin Xiaowan had not been to the set for two days. Thest time she called Gu Yuwu, she learned that she might be filming her scenes soon. She quickly called Gu Yuwu to check her schedule.


    Gu Yuwu had not heard from Lin Xiaowan for a few days so she asked, ¡°What have you been up to the past two days?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan told Gu Yuwu about Huo Zheng finding her an art teacher. Sheughed and said, ¡°My teacher asked one of her students to teach me the basics. The student asked if I have time tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We definitely won¡¯t be filming tomorrow. Today¡¯s Friday¡­ Hmm, I¡¯ll speak to the director and arrange for you toe on Monday. At that time, you¡¯ll try on your costumes and makeup so we can see if there¡¯s any problem. You can get a feel for things first¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, then keep me updated!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After ending the call, Lin Xiaowan replied to Xiao Han. They agreed on a time and ce to meet. He asked her where she was staying and if it was convenient to meet at Nanhu Road.


    [Xiao Han: Shall we meet at the studio on 77 Nanhu Road?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Okay! What should 1 bring?]


    Lin Xiaowan had seen art students carrying huge bags with their easels and painting supplies in the past. She wondered if she should buy more art supplies.


    [Xiao Han: It¡¯s fine. Just bring yourself.]


    After that, Lin Xiaowan had nothing to do so she searched Hong Minhua for more information. When the results returned, she was shocked.


    As it turned out, the teacher Huo Zheng found for her was one of the heads of Shangxia Artist Association. She was also the vice president of Shengjing Art Association, and she had her own teaching and research office in Shengjing Academy of Fine Arts.


    Apart from personal information, there was also a long list of Hong Minhua¡¯s credentials.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The article listed Hong Minhua¡¯s works that won numerous awards. The list of awards she had won was seven or eight lines long. Her works were exhibited both locally and internationally. There was a link to the photos of her paintings.


    ¡®She¡¯s a big boss!¡¯


    After looking through Hong Minhua¡¯s works, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart thumped heavily. She really did not expect Huo Zheng to find her such an outstanding teacher. She sighed when she thought about how terrible her painting was today. She did not even know how to hold a brush properly. She wondered what kind of benefits Huo Zheng gave Hong Minhua to make I long Minhua ept her as a student. Moreover, Hong Minhua even praised her.


    Lin Xiaowan felt crying as the pressure on her grew. At the same time, she felt incredibly lucky. Fortunately, Hong Minhua had entrusted her student to teach her the basics first. 0then-vase, she would feel incredibly nervous about being taught the basics by someone like Hong Minhua.


    Lin Xiaowan felt like she had taken advantage of Hong Minhua. Her students were all talented and likely fought hard to be her students. However, she was given a shortcut.


    Lin Xiaowan closed the browser page and felt that sometimes people should not be too curious. Before searching Hong Minhua, she only thought that Hong Minhua was a very good person for epting her as a student. However, knowing what she knew now, she wanted to cry but had no tears. She thought that Hong Minhua was not just a good person, she was practically a saint for epting her as a student.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan thought about searching Xiao Han¡¯s name, but she quickly dismissed the idea after two seconds and put her phone down.


    ¡®Forget it. What if I find information 1 can¡¯t ept again¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was supposed to meet Xiao Han at 9 AM.


    After having breakfast with Huo Zheng, she suddenly transferred tens of thousands of yuan to him.


    Huo Zheng looked at the amount of money she transferred him before he looked at her with question marks above his head.


    Lin Xiaowan coughed and said, ¡°This is your service fee. I hope you¡¯ll continue to work hard.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not know whether tough or cry when he heard these words.


    ¡®Continue to work hard? What am 1 supposed to do? Find you more art teachers?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan had transferred Huo Zheng the exact amount of money that she would be paid for her role as the goddess. However, she had yet to receive her sry. After all, she had not even begun filming yet. The money was transferred from the daily card Huo Zheng gave her. To put it bluntly, she had transferred Huo Zheng¡¯s money to Huo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan did not sound very confident as she said, ¡°You can use the money to buy something for yourself to eat¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng did not refuse her and epted the money. At the same time, he decided to buy some cakes for her beforeing hometer..

 Chapter 62 - 62: Junior Sister

    Chapter 62: Junior Sister


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan arrived at Nanhu Road, she discovered saw that building no. 77 was called Unnamed. Unsure, she took a photo and sent it to Xiaohan along with a message.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Is this the ce? ]


    [Xiao Han: Yes. Have you arrived? I lle out and get you.]


    Lin Xiaowan got out of the car and stood by the roadside for less than a minute before a tall boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes walked out. He was wearing a dark sweater and a jacket. He looked around, and when he saw there was only one other person present, he quickly strode over to Lin Xiaowan.


    At the same time, Lin Xiaowan was stunned.


    Xiao Han is a man?¡¯


    When Xiao Han appeared in front of her, he smiled kindly, faintly revealing a canine tooth on one side as he asked, ¡°Are you Lin Xiaowan?¡±


    ¡°Ah, 1 am,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, slightly embarrassed, ¡°I thought you were a girl. ¡®


    Xiao Hanughed. ¡°Why did you think so? This is the first time someone has thought so¡­¡±


    Xiao Han usually posted a few photos in his social circle, and there were quite a few photos of him in the circle. As such, his gender was very obvious. It was the first time that someone thought he was a girl.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know how to respond. When she heard the name Xiao n<sup>1</sup>, she felt that the name belonged to a girl. Moreover, she usually did not post anything in her social circle so she rarely checked others¡¯ social circles.


    After the small interlude, Xiao n led Lin Xiaowan into the studio and said, ¡°This studio belongs to Teacher Hong. Many students usuallye here for lessons or to practice before their exams. However , Teacher Hong herself rarelyes here.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied. She thought that the studio¡¯s name, Unnamed, was quite interesting. She thought it gave off vibes simr to Untitled Poems¡¯ by Li Shangyin.


    The studio was decorated very tastefully. It was colorful, and there was a wall that disyed the students¡¯ award-winning works.


    As they chatted, Lin Xiaowan discovered that Xiao Han had already graduated. She assumed he was still a student due to his youthful appearance. She said, ¡°You¡¯ve graduated? Then, I¡¯m not disturbing your work, am 1?¡±


    ¡°No. Moreover, most of my work is done here.¡±


    They walked to the end of a corridor and turned a corner before entering a small room with a huge window facing north. The room was not tidy. The faint smell of sandalwood mixed with paint and thinner permeated the air, and painting tools and various materials were scattered around the room. Many paintings were also hung on the wall. Although it looked messy, everything seemed to have its own order. Two easels were lined in front of the window, and the canvasses on them had already been painted on.


    Xiao Han nned to familiarize Lin Xiaowan with the basic tools first so he brought three pieces of paper out and said, ¡°Feel it, and see what the difference is¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan touched them carefully and said, ¡°This one seems to be smoother¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Xiao Han nodded before he exined, ¡°Watercolor paper is usually divided into three types. The one that feels smoother is called wood pulp paper, and it¡¯s also slightly harder. The roughest one is called cotton pulp paper; it¡¯s much softer, and it also has the best absorption among the three types of paper.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°Oh, what about the third one?¡±


    ¡°The third one is a blend between wood and cotton pulp. It falls between the two,¡± Xiao n said. After that, he brought out five brushes of different sizes and showed them to Lin Xiaowan as he said, ¡°Look at these five brushes. What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan studied the brushes carefully and seriously for a long time before she said with uncertainty, ¡°Their sizes are different?¡± She reached out to poke them and continued to say, ¡°They¡¯re all hard.¡±


    Xiao Hanughed. ¡°It¡¯ll be soft when you soak in water.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan really did not know what the difference was. She said, ¡°The thickness is different? I really don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Then, she picked the biggest brush and said, ¡°This one is square, and the others are pointy¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the square one is called a t brush,¡± Xiao n said. Seeing that she was most interested in the t brush, he started by introducing the t brush first.


    After introducing her to the brushes, Xiao Han then showed her different types of watercolors and other media.


    Lin Xiaowan was dizzy from all the information. Her attitude of a bad student showed up when the sun shone into the room, making it warm. She yawned twice, looking sleepy as she listened. When she thought about the types of paper that Xiao Han introduced in the beginning, she could no longer remember anything. She sighed and murmured to herself, ¡°There are so many things¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was feeling a little hungry, and she suddenly asked, ¡°What are you going to have for lunch?¡±


    Xiao Han seemed unaffected by the abrupt change in topic. ¡°Hmm? I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± He nced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was now 11.30 AM so he said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lin Xiaowan agreed immediately. There were many options when eating outside. She quickly brought her phone out to check if there were any good restaurants around as she asked, ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    Xiao Han was amused when he saw how energetic Lin Xiaowan became when lunch was mentioned, no longer looking as listless as before.


    Initially, Xiao Han only nned to casually order takeout for lunch. However, seeing how expectant Lin Xiaowan was, he asked, ¡°Is there anything you feel like eating? I¡¯m quite familiar with this area.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was someone whose eyes were bigger than her stomach. Apart from that, she also had a tough time deciding on what she wanted to eat.


    Seeing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s indecisiveness, Xiao n asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out and have a look?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a hurried nod before she added, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to lunch!¡±


    Xiao Han chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can still afford to pay for lunch. Moreover, you¡¯re Teacher Hong¡¯s student. This means you¡¯re my junior sister. I low can 1 let my junior sister treat me to lunch? 1 should be the one treating you.¡±


    The driver parked the car at the entrance of the studio. When he saw Lin Xiaowan walking out, he came out and opened the car door for Lin Xiaowan.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m not going back yet. 1 just came out for lunch. You don¡¯t have to wait for me here. Go and eat. I¡¯ll let you know when it s time to leave.¡±


    The driver nodded but did not leave. He returned to the car and continued watching the livestream that he had been watching earlier.


    In fact, the driver¡¯s work was usually very leisurely. When he was waiting for his employer or when his service was not needed, he could do whatever he wanted as long as his work was not affected..

 Chapter 63 - 63: Chicken Mushroom Soup Noodles

    Chapter 63: Chicken Mushroom Soup Noodles


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Is he your friend?¡± Xian Han asked, slightly confused. The driver was a middle-aged man. No matter how he looked at it, the age did not seem to match. However, the middle-aged man seemed too young to be Lin Xiaowan¡¯s father.


    ¡°No, no, he¡¯s my driver. He usually fetches me around when I go out,¡± Lin Xiaowan exined as she followed Xiao Han down a small path.


    ¡°I see,¡± Xiao Han said with a nod.


    The small path was bustling and noisy,pletely different from the quiet Nanhu Road.


    After walking a few steps, Lin Xiaowan smelled a distinct and alluring fragrance in the air, which caused her stomach to growl. She gulped and said, ¡°Something smells good¡­¡±


    It was very obvious when she gulped. She was so attracted by the fragrance that she stood still for a long time. She sniffed and looked around like a dog, trying to determine the source of the fragrance. There were many small shops here so it was a little difficult for her to determine which shop the fragrance came from.


    Xiao Han frequented this ce all the time so he understood with just a nce. He said, ¡°I think you¡¯re looking for Fan Jixian Restaurant. Do you want to have a look?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked around for the restaurant that Xiao Han mentioned, but she did not see it. ¡°Where is it? I don¡¯t see it¡­¡±


    Xiao Han quickly led the way.


    Even before they reached the entrance of the shop, Lin Xiaowan had already confirmed that the fragrance indeed came from the shop. The closer they got, the stronger the fragrance was. When they reached the entrance, she felt as though an invisible hand was pulling her into the restaurant.


    Xiao Han said, ¡°Fan Jixian serves freshly stewed chicken soup every day at noon, and it¡¯s famous for its chicken mushroom soup noodles.¡±


    The restaurant was an old and famous noodle shop with two floors. As soon as one stepped into the restaurant, one could feel the weight of time. The shop was passed down for three generations. It started with just a small stall by the roadside, and therge pot of chicken soup ced at the side had a fragrance that could spread for ten miles.


    Lin Xiaowan could not wait to enter the restaurant, but she restrained herself and asked Xiao Han politely, ¡°Do you mind eating here or do you want to eat something else?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat here. I¡¯ll have some noodles,¡± Xiao Han replied.


    When they entered the restaurant, the smell of the chicken soup was even stronger.


    Apart from the signature chicken mushroom soup noodles, there were other kinds of noodles as well.


    A leaderboard hung on the wall behind the counter. A small line of words could be seen at the bottom: Every Monday, the data will be reset. It disyed the sales volume of the different varieties of noodles on the menu for the week. The chicken mushroom soup noodle was far ahead of the other noodles, and their sales were a digit more than the Yangchun noodles that were in second ce.


    After Lin Xiaowan ced an order for arge serving of chicken mushroom soup noodles, she saw the number next to the chicken mushroom soup noodles on the leaderboard increase by one, and she was amused.


    After Xiao Han ced his order, Lin Xiaowan ordered a bottle of soda and asked, ¡°Do you want a drink?¡±


    Xiao Han shook his head and asked thedy behind the counter how much it was.


    Thedy behind the counter asked, ¡°Are you paying separately or together?¡±


    Xiao Han and Lin Xiaowan both replied in unison to pay together, but Xiao Han was a step slower than Lin Xiaowan. While he was bringing out his phone, Lin Xiaowan had already paid the bill.


    Lin Xiaowan looked triumphant, clearly happy that she beat Xiao Han to pay the bill first. She asked, ¡°Where should we sit?¡±


    Xiao Han did not know whether tough or cry when he saw this, and he quickly led her to a table.


    Thedy boss of the shop opened the old-fashioned soda bottle for Lin Xiaowan and gave her a straw before she said, ¡°Our chicken soup is free. You can try itter. It¡¯s delicious, and a hundred times better than soda.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded as she took a big gulp of the soda. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After taking a seat, Lin Xiaowan sent a message to Huo Zheng, telling him about the noodle shop.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯m waiting for my food. The noodles smell extremely good. I wonder if it¡¯ll taste good as well.]


    At this time, Xiao Han said, ¡°I already said that I¡¯ll treat you to lunch, but you still paid for it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan deliberately rushed to pay for the food. She said tactfully, ¡°You¡¯re teaching me so it¡¯s only right that I treat you to lunch.¡±


    Xiao Han propped his chin on his hands and looked at Lin Xiaowan.


    They were sitting by the window, and the sunlight streamed in, shining on Lin Xiaowan. She held the soda bottle and drank it all in one go. When she was done, she turned to the side before letting out a small burp.


    At this time, Xiao Han asked, ¡°Why did you want to learn how to paint?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°I just think it¡¯s very beautiful. I¡¯ve always been interested in painting. It¡¯s just that 1 never had a chance to learn. I thought about it and felt that it¡¯s never toote to learn¡­¡±


    In fact, when Xiao Han learned that Hong Minhua wanted him to teach a friend¡¯s friend the basics, he was slightly unhappy. It was still a long time before the academy would recruit students, but Hong Minhua epted the other party as a student so he thought that the other party must have an extraordinary background. Not only that, but the other party also did not have any foundation. It was obvious that the other party was not like Hong Minhua¡¯s other students.


    He also assumed, for some reason, that the other party was a child. He was not good with children and would subconsciously treat them coldly and perfunctorily. At that time, Hong Minhua had told him that the other party was a young woman about his age, and he also realized he had assumed wrongly.


    When he finally met Lin Xiaowan, he was quite surprised. Just as Hong Minhua said, she was very well-behaved. He had told her there was no need to bring anything, but she still brought a bag of supplies. He thought that she looked very cute when she waited for him by the roadside earlier, looking at a loss.


    With that, he quickly epted this ¡®illegitimate junior sister¡¯.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan who had finished the bottle of soda contemted whether she should get another drink or listen to thedy boss¡¯ suggestion and try a bowl of chicken soup. However, she felt like she should finish her noodles first before drinking the soup. In the end, she decided to get a bottle of vored milk.


    Upon seeing this, Xiao Han suddenly smacked his forehead. ¡°Are you very thirsty? I¡¯m sorry I forgot to offer you water earlier. We have a water dispenser in the studio.


    Lin Xiaowan was indeed thirsty, but it had nothing to do with whether he served her water or not earlier. She replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just really like these drinks.¡±


    ¡°You should drink less sugary drinks. If you drink too much, your teeth will fall out,¡± Xiao Han said jokingly.


    Lin Xiaowan had just unscrewed the cap and had taken a big gulp when she heard this. She froze, not sure if she should continue drinking or not.. She was in a dilemma for a moment before she defended herself with great difficulty, ¡°I¡­ I rarely drink them¡­¡±

 Chapter 64 - 64: Even a Goddess Needs Makeup

    Chapter 64: Even a Goddess Needs Makeup


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When they returned to the studio in the afternoon, Lin Xiaowan asked Xiao Han, ¡°When can 1 start to paint?¡±


    Xiao Han handed her a pencil and said, ¡°We can do it now. Let¡¯s start with basic sketching.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Do I need to learn sketching before learning how to paint with watercolor?¡±


    Xiao Hanughed. ¡°Of course. No matter what, you need to know how to sketch at the very least. You don¡¯t have to be very good. You can learn the structures of things and shading¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan held the pencil as though she was writing, waiting for Xiao Han to tell her what to do next.


    However, when Xiao Han saw the way she held the pencil, he could not help butugh. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hold it like this. Rx. Drawing is a very rxing activity.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lin Xiaowan looked a little embarrassed. She followed his example and quickly adjusted her grip.


    When it was dusk, Xiao Han turned on the lights in the studio. He stretched and said, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. I didn¡¯t expect your endurance to be so good.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled. She naturally had a lot of patience for things that she was interested in.


    Xiao Han said, ¡°We won¡¯t spend too much on sketching. You should familiarize yourself with it first. After that, 1¡¯11 teach you how to sketch the human body.¡±


    As he led Lin Xiaowan out, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a drawing book for line practiceter. You can practice your strokes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We can continue the lesson tomorrow if you don¡¯t have any ns. Or you can contact me whenever you¡¯re free,¡± Xiao Han said.


    ¡°Okay, thank you!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have much to do every day. As such, over the next few days, she would wake up and finish her breakfast before messaging Xiao Han to ask if he was free for lessons.


    It was not like Xiao Han had never taught students before. He worked in the studio, and there were also sses being held at the studio. However, this was the first time he was asked every day if he was free for lessons. As time passed, he began to look forward to the notification on his phone every morning.


    After a few days of lessons, Gu Yuwu informed her that she would begin shooting her scenes soon.


    Lin Xiaowan felt like a long time had passed since she had gone to the set. Now that she heard that filming was about to start, she could not help but feel nervous.


    ¡°Come over tomorrow. You can try on the costumes to familiarize yourself with them. You should also get to know a few of the leads. There¡¯s one who¡¯s a little difficult, but she¡¯s preupied with the other actors so you don¡¯t have to worry. Just follow me tomorrow, and I¡¯ll introduce you.¡±


    After that, Lin Xiaowan informed Xiao Han that she would not be able to go for her lesson tomorrow. However, she did not specify the reason.


    Xiao Han was also very understanding. As adults, they had their own things to do. Nheless, he still felt a bit disappointed. He quickly replied to her and did not ask any questions.


    He sighed inwardly. ¡®1 guess there won¡¯t be any notification tomorrow.¡¯


    Gu Yuwu picked Lin Xiaowan up in the morning. She had told Lin Xiaowan not to put on any makeup.


    ¡°Today, you¡¯ll try on the makeup for the goddess,¡± Gu Yuwu said, pinching Lin Xiaowan¡¯s cheek, ¡°I told you not to put on makeup today because it¡¯ll end up getting removed anyway. By the way, you have really good skin.¡±


    When they arrived, the main leads were already in the midst of filming.


    Lin Xiaowan searched through her rather bad memory, but she could not figure out which scene they were filming today. After all, filming was never done ording to the sequence of the plot.


    ¡°You see that young master? With him at the center, the one standing on his left is the first female lead, the one on his right is the second female lead, and the one behind him is the third female lead,¡± Gu Yuwu said as she pointed at a few people in the distance.


    The first and second parts of the drama were arranged ording to the number of scenes the characters had.


    Lin Xiaowan could easily match the three women with the three female characters in the drama. She recognized two out of the three women. The first female lead was the youngest person to win the Best Actress award for a movie. The other person she recognized was the third female lead who looked aloof. She had watched a few of the third female lead¡¯s works, and she found thetter very unique. She even searched for the other party¡¯s edits on the Inte.


    ¡°The person in front of the young master is the fourth male lead. You see the person sitting at the side? He¡¯s the male lead, but he¡¯s not filming now. As for the sixth male lead, he¡¯s not here today. Even if he were, you won¡¯t recognize him since he¡¯s a newbie,¡± Gu Yuwu said before adding, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to do your makeup first.¡±


    ¡°Do goddesses also need makeup?¡±


    Gu Yuwu chuckled. ¡°Of course. What if you don¡¯t wear makeup and the others look better than you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Even goddesses need makeup.¡±


    The costume for the goddess was ratherplicated.


    Lin Xiaowan put onyers of clothes which were finally topped with a pink and white wide rope. After putting on her costumes, she felt like she had gained several kilograms. She was also wearing a huge golden headpiece on her head. Although it was not made from real gold, it was still very heavy.


    Lin Xiaowan raised her hand to support the headpiece, feeling as though it was going to fall.


    Currently, her makeup was notpleted. Based on the character of the goddess, she had to have golden patterns painted on her neck, arms, and bare feet. These were the incantations of the curse. Since they were not filming her scenes today, they did not draw the golden patterns. It would be too long of a process after all.


    When she came out, she seemed to be glowing.


    Gu Yuwu pped her hands and said, ¡°You¡¯re really suitable for this role! You look so beautiful!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very beautifully dressedpared to the leads. After all, the leads were mostly fighting and killing on their journey to the divine realm. Their makeup and costumes naturally reflected that. Thisparison also served as a contrast to her role as the goddess.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan asked in confusion, ¡°Why don¡¯t the goddess wear shoes?¡±


    In the drama, the goddess did not wear shoes.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan sat at the side, trying to immerse herself in the character as the filming went on.


    There were not many people around at this moment since they were busy with filming the scenes so she was very rxed. She brought her phone out to take a selfie. After all, how often would she be dressed in such a manner? Moreover, the makeup artist and a few people had praised her for her beauty earlier so she was feeling a little proud.


    At this moment, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Let me show you the script. You might need to filmter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan swayed her feet as she asked in confusion, ¡°I thought you said that I won¡¯t have to film today?¡±


    Meanwhile, Fu Hua, one of the costume designers, stroked her chin, sizing Lin Xiaowan up. After a moment, she tied a string of small silver bells around Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ankle.


    Lin Xiaowan stopped swaying her feet and asked, ¡°This¡­ Won¡¯t this make too much noise when filming?¡±


    The divine realm was vast, but there was only the goddess alone in the divine realm. Later on, when the main leads came, there would only be ten of them altogether. If she made the slightest moment, the bells would ring immediately.


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and added, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it affect the majesty of the goddess?¡±


    Gu Yuwu looked at Lin Xiaowan, feeling very satisfied. She felt as though she was looking at the goddess herself at this moment.


    Fu Hua, a middle-aged woman, studied Lin Xiaowan again with the character of the goddess in mind. Although she felt that the anklet was aesthetically pleasing, it indeed did not suit the aloof character of the goddess. She removed the anklet and said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not very suitable.¡±


    Gu Yuwu had a few things to discuss with the scriptwriter. She handed the script to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with the plot for now. Just try to get a feel of the state the goddess is in¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a nod. Her expression turned serious, and she straightened her back as she looked through the script..

 Chapter 65 - 65: Curiosity

    Chapter 65: Curiosity


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End loss Fantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan gradually became immersed in what she was doing.


    When the filming on the other side waspleted, a few staff members moved the filming equipment and props over to the room she was in.


    By the time Lin Xiaowan noticed this, there were already many people around her. She held the script, feeling a little lost. Seeing that there were so many people, she was not sure if she should continue sitting here or change ces.


    The staff members also did not expect there to be another person and were slightly stunned when they saw her. As they worked, they could not help but nce at her.


    Lin Xiaowan bit her lip. She felt ufortable being stared at, but she tried not to show her difort. She tried to force herself to calm down, telling herself that she would also be stared at by so many people when filming started for her.


    She hyped herself up as the staff members moved the props and examined the set. After a moment, she leaned forward and asked the person closest to her, ¡°Are you filming here?¡±


    ¡°Not now. We¡¯re setting up first to shootter,¡± the staff member replied.


    Lin Xiaowan was rather surprised that the staff member seemed rather nervous speaking. Thetter¡¯s eyes darted all over the ce, shuffling her feet and twiddling her fingers. For some reason, seeing that thetter was also like her, she felt less nervous. With this, she could not help but smile.


    The staff member, also a young woman, saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful. What role are you ying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just ying a small role,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied vaguely. She was not sure if she could casually reveal her role.


    The staff member seemed to understand and did nor ask any questions. She smiled before she left to work.


    Lin Xiaowan felt less nervous after this encounter. After thinking about it for a while, she mustered up her courage and raised her head to look around, observing the people in the room. It did not take long for her to discover that she was nor rhe only person who felr ufortable.


    A few people who met her gaze smiled at her while a few, who were even more nervous than her, hurriedly averted their eyes. However, no matter how they were, none of them showed any malice or disdain. They mostly only looked at her with surprised or curious gazes.


    Lin Xiaowan found that she did not mind these gazes as much as she thought she would.


    At this moment, the director walked in and saw Lin Xiaowan sitting leisurely with her chin propped on her hand. She held the script with one hand while she swayed her feet. He did not walk over and continued to observe her. He could somewhat see where Gu Yuwu wasing from, but he did not agree with herpletely.


    Gu Yuwu had expressed to him that she wanted to add more scenes for Lin Xiaowan. She suggested adding a plot that contrasted the goddess¡¯ aloof character. She wanted to show the goddess¡¯ liveliness and innocence when the goddess just ascended to the divine realm. She wanted to show the transformation of the cheerful goddess to the cold and emotionless goddess in theter stage.


    Since filming had only started not long ago, it was not impossible to change the script. However, after careful consideration, the director decided nor to add more scenes for the goddess. In his opinion, if they were to shoot the origin of the goddess, it would take away the mystery of the goddess. Moreover, it also felt very forced to him.


    After thinking about it for a long time, he looked for Gu Yuwu and expressed his thoughts to her before he said, ¡°It¡¯ll be better if we film that scene as an extra. I think that rhe effect will be much better than incorporating it into the drama.¡±


    Gu Yuwu nodded, agreeing with the director.


    The director smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good working with you, President Gu. At least we canmunicate effectively to solve problems. It¡¯s really great.¡±


    The director was sincere. In other production teams, the words of the investors were like imperial edicts. Investors would add people or scenes as they pleased without asking for opinions. Sometimes, the entire production would be greatly affected because of this.


    Gu Yuwu, on the other hand, was very different. Her existence was reassuring, and she seemed genuinely interested in the filming. Moreover, she always discussed her ideas with the crew and did not unterally impose her idea on them.


    Gu Yuwu looked at the directors from the corners of her eyes. She did not dwell on his words. She said casually, ¡°My temper has calmed down a lot over the past two years. You should know what it was like in the past.¡±


    Indeed, Gu Yuwu was rather fierce in the past. During filming, she was even scarier than the director. As soon as she opened her mouth, many people would feel ashamed. She did not hold back and would even drive away terrible actors after she scolded them. If they still wanted to cause trouble, she would not hesitate to deal with them. Once she made a move, there would be a bloody storm.


    Everyone in the industry knew what kind of person Gu Yuwu was. No matter how famous and glorious someone was, if they joined her production, they still had to act dutifully.


    Gu Yuwu rose to her feet and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look. Let¡¯s see if the goddess has adapted to her role.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was doing well initially, but the appearance of a few other people made her nervous again.


    The main leads usually would not wander around after they were done shooting their scenes. They would get their makeup touched up and rest.


    When Chang Ning, the third female lead, heard the crew talking about how beautiful the goddess was, she grew curious. She had filmed a few scenes in the divine realms before this, but rhe goddess had yet to show up. She asked a few people about it, but no one knew anything. After finding out that the goddess was on set today, she wanted to have a look since she was on a break. However, she was too embarrassed to go over directly.


    Chang Ning looked aloof and arrogant so many people assumed she had a bad temper. However, the truth was she had a very good personality. She was especially good to those around her.


    Chang Ning looked for He Qianyuan, another lead, to join her.


    He Qianyuan was new to acting, and she was two years younger than the twenty-year-old Chang Ning. For this reason, she found it difficult to refuse Chang Ning when Chang Ning invited her to look for Lin Xiaowan. Moreover, she was not resistant to the suggestion and was on a break so she nodded in agreement.


    The duo had just taken a few steps when they ran into a few male actors. They were rather young. When they heard that the duo was going to look for the goddess in the drama, they were also interested and decided to tag along.


    Lin Xiaowan was happily observing the others when she saw a few main leads walking in. She was stunned and froze immediately.


    The few of them saw Lin Xiaowan as soon as they entered. With the unique and gorgeous pink and white robes that were embroidered with golden threads, coupled with the gorgeous golden headpiece that was sparkling under the light, she looked extremely eye-catching. She waspletely different from what they had imagined when they discussed the plot..

 Chapter 66 - 66: Chang Ning

    Chapter 66: Chang Ning


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Gu Yuwu arrived, she saw a few people surrounding Lin Xiaowan and chatting with her.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was surrounded and sitting on the mock throne, felt slightly helpless. She looked at them and listened silently. It was obvious that she did not know what to say.


    Gu Yuwu saw Chang Ning leaning next to Lin Xiaowan and felt more assured. She knew that Chang Ning was in fact very down-to-earth and had a good personality. Thetter was not scheming and was very good at maintaining the atmosphere. She strode over and asked, ¡°Have you gotten familiar with everyone?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as someone she knew arrived. With someone to rely on, she immediately lost her timid appearance.


    After chasing the others away, Gu Yuwu informed once again that the filming of her scenes would only start tomorrow. She took a seat next to Lin Xiaowan and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not that scary, right? The number of people when filming tomorrow is more or less the same. The only difference is they¡¯re working now, but tomorrow, their focus will be on you while they work.¡±


    After that, Gu Yuwu continued to say, ¡°Come on, show me how you look as a goddess.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not very good at meeting people¡¯s eyes. It was even more difficult for her to look at someone condescendingly and arrogantly. As such, she stared ahead at the ground and pursed her lips slightly. After a moment, she felt a little discouraged and said, ¡°1 think 1 need to work harder. What if I don¡¯t do well tomorrow? With so many people staring at me, I¡¯m afraid 1 won¡¯t perform well.¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan already had a certain understanding of the character she was ying. She also had her own idea on how to interpret the character. However, no matter what, she had no foundation in acting at all. Along with a few other personal reasons, it was only natural that shecked confidence.


    Gu Yuwu thought about it for a moment before saying, ¡°You have a one-on-one scene with the priestess tomorrow. You just met her. Chang Ning is ying the priestess. You can try practicing with her.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew that watching and experiencing it for herself was very different. She gritted her teeth and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Chang Ning yed the part of the third female lead. She was arrogant and cold, and it seemed like she could see through things with just a nce. Her words were also blunt and cold. However, in fact, she was very considerate and cherished the people around her a lot. She was the kind of person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°There¡¯s be a lot of scenes during tomorrow¡¯s shoot. There will be a lot of takes. There will be people with cameras next to you to take close-up shots¡­¡± She gestured around at the staff members and continued to say, ¡°I won¡¯t ask the staff members to leave when you practice with Chang Ning so you can get used to it, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to test herself as well so she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Gu Yuwu praised her immediately. ¡°You¡¯re doing great, Xiaowan. You sat here in your costumes in front of so many people, and you were also okay with being watched. You even agreed to practice with Chang Ning. It¡¯s already very impressive. Don¡¯t worry about doing well. You¡¯ve already done very well.¡±


    Gu Yuwu gave Lin Xiaowan a thumbs-up when she spoke.


    A smile appeared on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face immediately. Clearly, she liked being praised.


    When Chang Ning appeared again, she was still wearing a blue brocade robe and ck boots. The brocade robe was embroidered with a soaring white crane. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with a red crown. She was dressed very differently from the other two female leads. She was dressed more valiantly.


    ¡°Hello, Goddess, we meet again!¡±


    Chang Ning strode over with a smile on her face. Although they had just met, there was no sense of alienation at all.


    Lin Xiaowan tidied her clothes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you with this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. It¡¯s my honor to be able to practice with you,¡± Chang Ning said as she moved to stand in front of Lin Xiaowan.


    As soon as she stood in front of Lin Xiaowan, her smile vanished immediately, and her tone was a little disdainful as she said, ¡°May I know why the Divine Goddess wishes to speak to me in private?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked by Chang Ning¡¯s abrupt change in attitude. It took a while for her to realize that Chang Ning had gotten into character. Fortunately, her script was flipped open to the page of this scene. She nced at it and stammered, flustered, ¡°Y-you¡­ You seem to have forgotten your duty as a priestess.¡±


    After saying this, Lin Xiaowan immediately covered her face and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. 1 was caught off guard earlier.¡±


    Chang Ning smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is very normal. Everyone¡¯s like this in the beginning.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was truly shocked by the speed that Chang Ning got into character. During the first few days of filming, she did not see Chang Ning act. Today was the first time she had seen Chang Ning acting. Chang Ning was calm,posed, magnanimous, and brave.


    Chang Ning was very different from the character she yed, but she could get into character so quickly. She was rxed, and her control was very good. Her emotions were also very good. All in all, she grasped her character very well.


    Lin Xiaowan took a deep breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡±


    The two young women practiced over and over again even though it was just a very brief scene. Although Lin Xiaowan only had a few lines, Chang Ning patiently apanied her to practice. They even discussed the character of the goddess and the reason why the goddess decided to sacrifice her divine bone to help everyone in the end.


    Lin Xiaowan shared her thoughts. ¡°I think the goddess doesn¡¯t like her life very much. Look, the cultivation world is so big, and there are countless sects. As such, the divine realm must be even bigger. However, she¡¯s alone in such a huge ce; there¡¯s no one around her at all. There¡¯s nothing she can do but watch what¡¯s going on in the lower realm every day.¡±


    Chang Ning nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s what 1 thought as well. When we opposed her and she stopped helping us to kill demons, 1 suspect that she did it out of boredom and just wanted to see us in a sorry state.¡±


    Chang Ning nudged Lin Xiaowan and asked teasingly, ¡°Tell me, what are you thinking? Did youugh out loud when you saw us fleeing for our lives, injured? Was it amusing?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan instinctively shook her head. ¡°No, no, not at all¡­¡±


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan could recite her lines smoothly, but when faced with Chang Ning, her aura was still a little too weak. She was supposed to be the goddess, but her aura was suppressed by Chang Ning. If there were other people in the scene, it might not be too bad. However, in a one-on-one scene with Chang Ning, the difference in aura would be very obvious.


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little discouraged. She asked curiously, ¡°How did you do it? You¡¯re able to get into character so quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about your state of mind,¡± Chang Ning said seriously, ¡°I think I¡¯m Feng Xiaohe. When I say my lines, I¡¯m Feng Xiaohe. 1 don¡¯t treat you as Lin Xiaowan, but I treat you as the goddess.¡±


    Feng Xiaohe was the name of Chang Ning¡¯s character in the drama.


    ¡°You have to think of yourself as the goddess to y this role well,¡± Chang Ning said, ¡°In fact, it¡¯s a little like ying a murder mystery game. Have you yed it before?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head, but she roughly understood Chang Ning¡¯s meaning.


    Chang Ning clicked her tongue. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, let¡¯s y together next time. You¡¯ll understand what 1 mean then.¡±


    Chang Ning continued to say, ¡°Let me give you a simple example. When we discussed the plot, stop referring to the goddess as ¡®she¡¯, and use T instead.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°1 feel like the divine realm is really lonely. 1 helped you in the end, because without my help, all of you would be forced to separate. All of you would be doomed to guard the realms and experience the same loneliness as 1 did¡­¡±


    Chang Ning pped her hands and looked at Lin Xiaowan with approval as she said, ¡°Good job!¡±

 Chapter 67 - 67: Rehearsing the Lines With Huo Zheng

    Chapter 67: Rehearsing the Lines With Huo Zheng


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan felt inspired. When she returned home at night, she brought the script with her, hoping to rehearse with Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow, flipping through the script.


    ¡°Which character should I y?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was most familiar with Feng Xiaohe, whom Chang Ning yed. She pointed and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s rehearse these lines.¡±


    ¡°This seems to be a female character?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Brother, you won¡¯t mind it, right?¡±


    As time passed, Lin Xiaowan had grown more and more unrestrained when she was with Huo Zheng. When she needed something, she would address him as ¡®brother¡¯. Even her tone would change when she spoke to him.


    Faced with this, Huo Zheng was helpless against her. He was in a state where he was ruthlessly controlled by the word ¡®brother¡¯.


    Huo Zheng held the script and slowly read out the lines that Lin Xiaowan had pointed out earlier. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her indifferently as he said, ¡°I wonder what the goddess has to say to me in private?¡±


    The script was not rigid. As long as the lines retained their original meaning, it was fine to change them asionally. For example, when Lin Xiaowan was rehearsing with Chang Ning during the day, Chang Ning would change her lines, but the meaning was still the same.


    Lin Xiaowan was surprised by Huo Zheng¡¯s performance. He had said the lines very naturally. He leaned against the couch and rested his elbow on the side; his posture did look awkward at all. For a moment, her brain seemed to have short-circuited, causing her to forget her lines. She blushed and said, ¡°Let me look at my lines again.¡±


    Huo Zheng silently watched as Lin Xiaowan took a seat, cleared her throat, and read the lines a few times. After a moment, he read his lines again.


    Lin Xiaowan tried to immerse herself in her character. She furrowed her eyebrows and said disapprovingly, ¡°You seemed to have forgotten your responsibility as a priestess. You¡¯ve sullied your divinity by hanging around those people.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Huo Zheng replied indifferently, ¡°Divinity is meaningless to me, and I¡¯ve never cared about being a priestess.¡±


    Then, Huo Zheng looked up with a glint in his eyes and an insouciant smile before he continued to say, ¡°However, I do have a way to change the goddess¡¯ opinion of me.¡±


    ¡®Huh? Why is this line so different from what I remember?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan moved closer to Huo Zheng to have a look at the script.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan took the initiative to move closer to him, he lowered his head and gently kissed her ear.


    Lin Xiaowan felt his warm breath, and she shivered, struggling to read the script in her hand. This script was the one that Gu Yuwu had asked the director to give her, and she had read it page by page earlier. She did not remember reading such messy lines.


    Huo Zheng chuckled and whispered in her ear seductively, ¡°Since the goddess thinks I¡¯ve sullied my divinity, if I sully the goddess¡¯ divinity, the goddess won¡¯t think that way anymore.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan jolted as though she had been electrocuted. Her ears were red as she tried to push Huo Zheng away andined, ¡°Why did you change your lines? Feng¡­ Feng Xiaohan isn¡¯t a hooligan like you¡­¡±


    Huo Zhengughed. ¡°Can¡¯t 1 even kiss you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no kiss in the script!¡± Lin Xiaowan said indignantly, ¡°How dare you kiss the goddess! I¡¯m going to deduct your points! Moreover, Feng Xiaohe is a female character. Why are you reading her lines as though she¡¯s a man?¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression did not change at all, and he continued to hold her in his arms. He said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not good at acting, after all. Qingqing, you think too highly of me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! You clearly acted very well earlier.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s powerful andzy aura when he read his lines earlier was even better than hers. However, it might also have something to do with his personality. He was usually high and mighty and domineering, used to giving orders at work.


    Thinking about this, Lin Xiaowan had a sh of inspiration. She thought she could try to imitate Huo Zheng¡¯s cold and aloof image when working. She quickly expressed her thoughts to him.


    Huo Zheng nodded and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you follow me to thepany to observe how I work?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pushed Huo Zheng away and said, ¡°1 decline.¡±


    Huo Zheng was puzzled.


    Lin Xiaowan ignored Huo Zheng. She grabbed the script that had been left at the side, humming a tune as she went upstairs.


    Huo Zhengughed. He calmed down his restless heart before he read the news report.


    The next day, Lin Xiaowan left in the same car as Huo Zheng.


    When they arrived at Huo Zheng¡¯spany, Huo Zheng got out of the car reluctantly. He knew that Lin Xiaowan was going to film her scenes for the first time today, and he wanted to watch her. He had mentioned it to her, but he was ruthlessly rejected. After getting out of the car, he still did not give up and asked, ¡°1 really can¡¯t take a look?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, not giving in. She pried his hand off the car door, chasing him away as she said, ¡°Alright, hurry up and go to work.¡±


    Huo Zheng knew she probably felt shy and embarrassed so he could only give up, feeling regretful.


    On the other hand, Lin Xiaowan, who was in the car, saw his aggrieved and helpless expression and could not help but feel a little guilty. She said, ¡°After I get my makeup done and change into my costume, I¡¯ll send you a photo.¡±


    Huo Zheng was unaware of her thoughts, and he just nodded.


    While Lin Xiaowan was on the way to the set, she received a call from Qiao You¡¯an.


    Qiao You¡¯an and Gu Yuwu kept in contact from time to time. As such, she knew that Lin Xiaowan had been going to the set so she called to ask about it.


    ¡°How do you feel? Do you feelfortable? Did anyone bully you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s quite fun. 1 think acting is interesting.¡±


    Sheughed and continued to say, ¡°Perhaps 1 find it interesting because the role isn¡¯t difficult. I just need to sit and say my lines.¡±


    ¡°If you find it interesting, you can ask Gu Yuwu to keep an eye out for suitable roles for you. Our family doesn¡¯t dabble in the entertainment industry. Gu Yuwu is a professional, and she has an entertainmentpany.¡±


    Compared to acting, Lin Xiaowan felt like she was more interested in the murder mystery game that Chang Ning mentioned. ording to Chang Ning, the game was a role-ying game. Everyone would be given a role, and it would only take a few hours toplete the game. It could satisfy one¡¯s interest without taking too much time.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied before she asked, ¡°Sister, have you ever yed a murder mystery game?¡±


    This was the first time that Qiao You¡¯an had heard of this. She asked, ¡°No. What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a game where everyone is assigned a role, and the objective is to find the murderer. 1 haven¡¯t yed it before either. Someone in the production told me about it,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she seized the opportunity and asked, ¡°Shall we find time to y this game?¡±


    It was rare for Lin Xiaowan to suggest such a thing so Qiao You¡¯an did not refuse her. She said, ¡°That sounds like a good idea. If youe across such a thing again in the future, we can y it together..¡±

 Chapter 68 - 68: Huo Zheng Is Like a Lion

    Chapter 68: Huo Zheng Is Like a Lion


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Lin Xiaowan arrived at the set, she got her makeup done. The entire process took more than four hours toplete. Her makeup was not very different from yesterday, but it took more time today to paint the golden incantation on her body.


    When filming finally started, Lin Xiaowan discovered that although her role had very few scenes, it would still take a long time to film a scene. In fact, this did not have much to do with her because she was just sitting and reciting her lines. However, the lead actors were different. They had to be filmed from different angles, and they had to repeat their lines over and over again, which took a lot of time.


    In the end, the scene took half the afternoon to shoot.


    When Lin Xiaowan was filming thest shot, she raised her hand to her mouth and lowered her head before she yawned. After that, she looked around carefully, afraid of being discovered. Fortunately, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the group of passionate and fierce protagonists.


    After so many takes, Lin Xiaowan was no longer as energetic as she was in the beginning. She propped her elbows on the side and said her lines coldly and nonchntly before staring at the others.


    The filming process was not as difficult as she had imagined, and she said her lines without any difficulties. However, in the beginning, her voice trembled slightly when she said her lines due to nervousness. She was not so good that she could pass with just one take. Nheless, Gu Yuwu and the director still praised her performance.


    Apart from that, she also found that it was not as interesting as she had imagined. In the past, she had asionally watched some behind-the-scenes videos and found them interesting. It was verymon for actors to forget and say the wrong lines, and everyone wouldugh about it. She had found it interesting at that time. However, now that she was experiencing it for herself, she found it different. It was not that it was not interesting, but after repeating it so many times, she grew bored.


    At the same time, the director was watching everything from behind the cameras. He inevitably saw Lin Xiaowan secretly yawning and acting as though nothing happened, and he thought that it fitted the scene perfectly. He reyed it again and asked another person, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°The timing of her yawn is perfect. It shows her indifference to themon people and her boredom after living a long and lonely life. Moreover, this is a long shot. Microexpressions aren¡¯t really important. This small detail is just nice. It¡¯ll make people wonder why the seemingly indifferent goddess chose to help everyone in the end instead of destroying the world.¡±


    The director nodded in agreement. He said, ¡°1 feel like the character of the goddess will attract a lot of fans after the drama airs even though the goddess¡¯ scenes aren¡¯t a lot.¡±


    The goddess was a tragic character, to begin with. However, her selfishness and jealousy made her seem less tragic. However, the way Lin Xiaowan yed the role seemed to give the aloof goddess a little more humanity, which made the character more likable.


    The more the director watched, the more satisfied he felt. He said, ¡°The casting for the goddess is really good. I was afraid that the character would only be seen as a viin and that people would forget about her origin¡­¡±


    The director felt that there was no longer any need to worry about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s acting. Moreover, her voice would be dubbed over by a voice actor. There was really nothing that could be done about this. After all, although she looked and acted the part of the goddess, her soft voice did not match the character at all.


    When the filming of the scene ended, Lin Xiaowan quickly received her sry from the production team. Although she had generously transferred the money to Huo Zheng before this, she still wanted to give him something. After all, she rarely gave him anything. There were not many things that Huo Zheng needed, and she also had limited experience in giving gifts.


    She was troubled by what to buy for Huo Zheng for a while, but she finally had an idea during one of her lessons with Xiao Han. She suddenly thought of painting something for Huo Zheng.


    She thought about painting a lion dressed in a ck suit and a tie, which was supposed to represent Huo Zheng, casually holding a bouquet of flowers. In her opinion, he was like a lion, the king of beasts. He was imposing and majestic in her eyes.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s birthday was in two months, and she felt that she would definitely be able to learn more by then from Xiao Han and Hong Minhua.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Han put down his brush and looked at the distracted Lin Xiaowan before he asked, ¡°Junior Sister, it seems like you have something on your mind today?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses. She smiled sheepishly when she realized that she had been caught distracted while in ss. She said shyly, ¡°I was just wondering when I¡¯ll be able to start painting.¡±


    So far, Lin Xiaowan had only been learning how to sketch and shade. She had yet to use watercolors. She could not wait to fill her sketches with color, which would give her a sense of aplishment and happiness. Initially, she had been very interested in her ck-and-white sketches. However, as time passed, she grew bored and could not wait to move on.


    Lin Xiaowan put the pencil in her hand down and rxed her posture as she said, ¡°I want to learn how to paint¡­¡±


    She found watercolors very beautiful.


    Seeing this, Xiao Han persuaded her patiently. ¡°Just practice the basics for two more days, okay? With a solid foundation, it¡¯ll be easier for you in the future¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt rather unwilling. However, she did not reveal her true thoughts since she was not very familiar with Xiao Han. In the end, she was too embarrassed to say anything and could only continue drawing.


    If Xiao Han were Huo Zheng in this situation, she would not have picked up her pencil. Instead, she would have gone over and persuaded Huo Zheng to let her paint. She would be able to do what she wanted to do instead of continuing to draw.


    Perhaps it was due to her restlessness and boredom, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s sketches became rather messy.


    Xiao Han could only sigh helplessly when he saw her sketches. It was obvious that she was not very passionate about art. At most, she was just slightly interested. For someone like him who was passionate about art and was inexplicably obsessed with it, he should have felt angry about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s halfheartedness. However, when he watched her sketching unwillingly, he only felt helpless and thought that she was a little cute.


    Xiao Han shook his head and dismissed the strange thoughts in his mind before he finally said, ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t want to draw, we can end our lesson earlier today.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Xiaowan stopped her movements. She did not put the pencil down, but she did not continue drawing either. Instead, she only looked at him with the pencil in her hand..

 Chapter 69 - 69:1 Thought You Were Single

    Chapter 69:1 Thought You Were Single


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End less Fantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan looked as though she was trying to figure out whether Xiao Han meant what he said or if he was angry. She asked tentatively, ¡°1 really don¡¯t have to draw anymore?¡±


    As soon as her voice fell, her phone began to ring. With this, she longer cared about what Xiao Han thought. She smiled tteringly at him before she rose to her feet and went to the side to retrieve her phone. When she saw the caller, her smile bloomed like a flower on her face. Her boredom and listlessness from earlier seemed to vanish without a trace at this moment.


    She had just been thinking earlier that she wanted Huo Zheng to try the noodles from the noodle restaurant. Previously, she thought about buying the noodles back for him, but she knew it would not taste good if she had ordered takeout. Even after the chef ar home reheated the noodles, they would nor taste the same.


    She felt a little unsure when she told Huo Zheng about the noodles. After all, he was used to eating the best delicacies in the world. He might not be willing to apany her to eat in such an ordinary restaurant. However, contrary to her expectations, as soon as she mentioned it to him, he agreed readily. He was also curious about the noodle restaurant she frequented during her lessons.


    Ever since she ate at the noodle restaurant, she returned every time she had lessons. She was the kind to eat the things she liked over and over again until she had enough.


    Lin Xiaowan knew that Huo Zheng was calling her because it was almost time to pick her up. She asked, ¡°Are you here? Or are you just leaving? There aren¡¯t many parking spaces near the restaurant. Why don¡¯t you park near rhe studio, and we¡¯ll walk there?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m only on my way now¡­¡±


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan returned to her seat happily.


    Now that Lin Xiaowan had ended the call, Xiao Han asked tentatively, ¡°Based on your phone call, it seems like you have ns after this?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°Yes. Do you want to join us for a meal? I¡¯ve told him about you so he knows all about you.¡±


    After her first lesson, Lin Xiaowan had told Huo Zheng about her mistaking Xiao Han for a woman. He also told him that Xiao Han had graduated and was someone with a bright personality.


    Xiao Han was slightly surprised when he heard her words. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Is he your friend or¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment, biting the pencil before she said, ¡°1 guess you can say that he¡¯s my boyfriend.¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan told Huo Zheng to pursue her first, in front of others, she still gave him an identity. In any case, Huo Zheng did not have to know about it. Moreover, although he was pursuing her, the way they interacted did not change at all.


    Thinking about this, Lin Xiaowan suddenly added, ¡°However, he¡¯s in the process of pursuing me. I can t let him know that I¡¯ve already acknowledged him as my boyfriend. Otherwise, he¡¯ll becent.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were single,¡± Xiao Han blurted out, surprised.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan instinctively raised her hand to show him her ring as she said, ¡®Tm wearing a ring.¡±


    She did not understand why he would think she was single.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice,¡± Xiao Han said awkwardly. After all, her ring was in and ordinary. Many people wore rings so he assumed it was just an essory.


    Apart from surprise, there were some subtle feelings in Xiao Han¡¯s heart as well. It felt as though his bubble had burst after listening to her words.


    Huo Zheng arrived very quickly. He sent Lin Xiaowan a message when he was outside the studio.


    Lin Xiaowanpletely forgot about her lesson as soon as she learned that Huo Zheng had arrived. She happily packed her things as she asked, ¡°Senior Brother, do you want to eat with us? Let¡¯s go and have some noodles! ¡±


    Xiao Han struggled for a few seconds. In the end, he could not suppress the curiosity in his heart. He really wanted to see what kind of person Lin Xiaowan<sup>1</sup> s boyfriend was. He wanted to go, but he felt embarrassed. As such, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to eat with your boyfriend¡­ Is it really okay for me to join both of you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think too much of Xiao Han¡¯s words. She replied casually, ¡°Why is it not okay? You¡¯re just joining us for a meal.¡±


    After a moment, she added, ¡°When you meet himter, don¡¯t let him know 1 referred to him as my boyfriend. He¡¯s not done pursuing me yet. His surname is Huo. I think you should be about the same age as him. How old are you?¡±


    Xiao Han helped her carry her bag and replied, ¡°I¡¯m 26 years old this year.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him in surprise before she sized him up. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell at all. You look quite young, like a university student. Huo Zheng is turning 27 soon. You don¡¯t look the same age at all. Has your birthday passed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my birthday is in the first month of the lunar year,¡± Xiao Han replied. After listening to Xiao Wan¡¯s description of Huo Zheng, he became even more curious.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s pretty early,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, bouncing down the stairs.


    When they emerged from the studio, Lin Xiaowan sprinted over and pounced on Huo Zheng who was waiting for her by the car, giving him a big hug. After that, she gave a brief introduction.


    ¡°This is my senior brother, Xiao Han.¡±


    As soon as they appeared, Huo Zheng had already discreetly sized Xiao Han up. He smiled politely and extended his hand as he said, ¡°I¡¯m Huo Zheng.¡±


    Xiao Han smiled, revealing his canine tooth. He looked like a very bright and sunny boy as he said, ¡°I heard a lot about you from Junior Sister. She said that we re about the same age, but we don¡¯t look like it at all. I was very curious. However, I understand what she meant now. Mr. Huo looks promising and capable, unlike me. We re about the same age, but I¡¯ve still yet to make any achievements.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not think much of these words and said perfunctorily, ¡°You¡¯re overpraising me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not like small talk the most. She knew it was necessary but she found it boring. She was worried the two would continue chatting here so she urged, ¡°Come on. Let s go and eat.¡±


    Out of habit, Lin Xiaowan held Huo Zheng¡¯s hand and chattered on and on about how delicious the noodles were. She would also ask for his opinion every once in a while.


    Thedy boss of the noodle restaurant was already familiar with Lin Xiaowan. When she saw thetter, she greeted thetter in a familiar manner, ¡°You¡¯re here early today.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± LinXiaowan said with a nod. She looked at the menu and discovered two new spring dishes: the ssic braised meat noodles and eggnt sauce noodles. Although she did not understand what the two new dishes had to do with spring, she was still very interested in trying them.


    Thedy boss asked, ¡°What do you want to ear today?¡± Then, she nced at Huo Zheng, who was standing next to Lin Xiaowan, before she asked, ¡°You brought a new friend today?¡±

 Chapter 70 - 70: Human Anatomy Class

    Chapter 70: Human Anatomy ss


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan ordered two small bowls of noodles. During her first visit, she had ordered arge bowl and was unable to finish it. Ever since then, she only ordered small portions of the noodles.


    Huo Zheng nced at her from the corners of his eyes and asked, ¡°Can you finish it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head and said righteously, ¡°I can¡¯t, but you¡¯re going to help me.¡±


    Huo Zhengughed and did not refute her words. Instead, he seemed pleased by her words. He asked gently, ¡°Then, what else should 1 order? Do you have any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°The chicken mushroom soup noodles are the best! The soup is really delicious as well.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded and ordered as she had suggested.


    After the three of them sat down, Lin Xiaowan looked at the drinks before she looked at Huo Zheng and said hesitantly, ¡°I want a drink¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the soup is delicious? Why do you want a drink?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯repletely different!¡±


    ¡°Do you always order these drinks when you eat here?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan blinked and smiled, attempting to cover up. Ever since she started her lessons, she woulde here and eat every time. Not only that, but she would order all kinds of drinks as well. The milk tea and soda were very satisfying.


    Xiao Han previously said that Lin Xiaowan would lose her teeth if she drank too many sweet drinks. However, this time, he put in a good word for her. He said, ¡°Young women like drinking sweet drinks. It¡¯s okay to drink them once in a while.¡±


    It would have been fine if Xiao Han did not speak up, but Lin Xiaowan felt even guiltier after listening to Xiao Han¡¯s words. She usually ate with Xiao Han so he knew very well if she only drank sweet drinks asionally or not.


    Huo Zheng looked at Xiao Han with a faint smile before he shifted his gaze to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not have any sweet drinks today. Why don¡¯t you apany me to drink the chicken soup? You personally rmended it to me, after all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not protest and nodded readily. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Meanwhile, Xiao Han touched the tip of his nose awkwardly and did not say anything else.


    After lunch, Xiao Han finally showed mercy. He did not insist on Lin Xiaowan practicing the basic line strokes anymore and began to teach her how to draw the human body.


    ¡°Can¡¯t 1 use watercolor when 1 draw?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°No, you have to draw first,¡± Xiao Han replied.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan found drawing the human body much more interesting than sketching still life to practice her basic lines.


    At the beginning of April, the production team hadpleted the filming in the studio, and they were prepared to film outside.


    Gu Yuwu called Lin Xiaowan and asked if she wanted to go on vacation for two days.


    Over the past few days, Lin Xiaowan had been immersed in her lessons. She thought about Gu Yuwu¡¯s invitation for a moment before she finally decided not to disturb thetter. She said, ¡°You¡¯re going to work, not y. I¡¯ll only be disturbing you if I tag along.¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not force her and said, ¡°Alright. Focus on your art lessons then. Let¡¯s meet up when I return.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had been learning from Xiao Han for some time before Hong Minhua suddenly appeared at the studio one day. The fashionable olddy wore an elegant corduroy dress and paired it with a cardigan, carrying a silver leather bag.


    Hong Minhua looked at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s recent works and said, ¡°They¡¯re pretty good.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very modest. She was very aware of her ability after all. How could she dare to be arrogant in front of Hong Minhua? She replied, ¡°They¡¯re okay. Brother Xiao Han taught me a lot, but I¡¯m a bit slow.¡±


    Hong Minhua knew that Lin Xiaowan had been drawing the human body based on the models in the studio. To make things more convenient, she said, ¡°Xiaowan, why don¡¯t you attend the human anatomy ss at Shengjing¡¯s Academy of Fine Arts?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too fast?¡± Xiao Han asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s learning this as a hobby so there¡¯s no need to be so meticulous about her learning process,¡± Hong Minhua said. Then, she looked at Lin Xiaowan before she continued to say, ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of time to practice after you attend the ss. What do you think?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was confused. ¡°What¡¯s the human anatomy ss for? Am I just drawing humans?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s apulsory ss for art students. It¡¯s different from the studio where you¡¯re drawing based on mannequins. During the ss, someone wille and model for you. You¡¯ll find a suitable angle at that time and draw what you see from that angle,¡± Hong Minhua exined.


    Lin Xiaowan felt that it was not difficult. Moreover, it sounded more interesting than listening to Xiao Han¡¯s teachings in the studio day after day. For this reason, she readily agreed. ¡°Okay. When should I start? Do I start immediately?¡±


    At this moment, Xiao Han said, looking troubled, ¡°But I haven¡¯t taught Junior Sister the necessary basics for that. 1 haven¡¯t even exined anything about human anatomy sses to her.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What exnation is needed for the ss?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, perplexed.


    Hong Minhua said, ¡°During the human anatomy sses, the model will be naked. Is this okay with you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was undoubtedly shocked. When she returned, she looked up human anatomy sses, and just as Hong Minhua and Xiao Han had said, it was indeed amon thing.


    This was the first time that Lin Xiaowan, an unofficial art student, heard about nude models. She called Hong Minhua and apologized for her reaction. After all, she could not conceal her shock at all when she first heard about it from Hong Minhua. After reading about it, she decided to call Hong Minhua and asked if she could still attend the ss.


    Hong Minhua was slightly surprised. She was also very pleased with Lin Xiaowan¡¯s decision. She said, ¡°Alright. Tomorrow¡¯s human anatomy ss will start at 1.30 PM. You¡¯ve been to Shengjing¡¯s Academy of Fine Arts, right? I¡¯ll be at the academy tomorrow. Come find me first, and I¡¯ll bring you to the ss. My office is at the end of the corridor near the studio where we first met.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan noted these things and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t find me, just call me, okay?¡± Hong Minhua said.


    ¡°I understand. Good night, Grandma Hong!¡±


    After ending the call, Lin Xiaowan looked for Huo Zheng to share this big news with him. She was both nervous and excited. Hong Minhua told her that there were not many students in the ss and that she could seize the opportunity to make friends if she wanted to. Otherwise, she could just concentrate on the ss. Hong Minhuai also told her that there was no need to feel pressured because there were senior students who would attend the ss just to have a look so it was not unusual to have unfamiliar faces during the ss.


    Lin Xiaowan had already thought about it. She nned to arrive early tomorrow so she could find an inconspicuous corner to sit in. She felt a little excited thinking about what she was going to draw.


    Huo Zheng silently listened to Lin Xiaowan and only frowned slightly. He restrained himself and did not object to her decision or say words she might not like to hear. The human body was beautiful and a work of art. There was no need to be so narrow-minded.


    In the end, he patted her head gently and said, ¡°Alright, remember to tell me all about your sses tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a nod. Even if he did not say this, she would still share her experience with him when she returned..

 Chapter 71 - 71: Be Brave, Be Brave

    Chapter 71: Be Brave, Be Brave


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan arrived early as nned the next day. When Hong Minhua saw her, she instinctively looked up at the clock on the wall. It was only half past twelve.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. Have you eaten yet?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan carried her backpack. Her hair had grown a little longer, and she tied it into two low ponytails. She wore a brown sweater with oversized overalls paired with a pair of white sheepskin boots with bows. She also essorized her outfit with a pair of pearl earrings. She looked like a good student, whom teachers loved.


    She tugged at the straps of her backpack, standing upright as she replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten earlier.¡±


    With that, Hong Minhua brought her to meet the teachers, and after greeting them, she led Lin Xiaowan to the ssroom.


    A few easels were already set up in a few different positions. There were not many of them, which left plenty of empty space.


    Hong Minhua told Lin Xiaowan that there was no fixed position and that she could simply choose a position.


    As nned, Lin Xiaowan chose a corner to sit in.


    After Hong Minhua helped Lin Xiaowan set up everything, thetter sat on the bench and sent a message to Huo Zheng.


    [Lin Xiaowan: There¡¯s no one in the ssroom yet. I¡¯m ready! 1 feel nervous and excited!]


    [Lin Xiaowan: What should I say if another student greets me? Can 1 just say I¡¯m a student from another departmenting to have a look?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Today¡¯s ss is for second-year students. They must be very good at drawing. I¡¯ve only begun learning, and I¡¯m not very good at drawing.] [Lin Xiaowan: Wow! A student just came in! She¡¯s a girl!]


    Lin Xiaowan did not have anything to do now. She did not y any games or read her novels. Feeling uneasy, she sent a few messages to Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s meetingsted until noon. After lunch, the meeting continued. While the person in charge was talking, his phone rang a few times. He muted his phone, but he could not help but have a look at the messages.


    The corners of his lips curled up as he read the messages, surprising many people who were sitting around the conference table.


    The female student who just entered was chewing bubblegum and talking on the phone. When she saw an unfamiliar face in the ssroom, she was slightly surprised. She stopped talking and paused in her steps before she retreated outside to confirm she was in the right ce. Then, she ended the call and switched to messages instead.


    The clicking noises rang in the air, and Lin Xiaowan found the sound rather pleasant to hear.


    The female student looked at the ss schedule and the group message with an uncertain expression on her face. After confirming that she was truly at the right ce, she sighed in relief. At the same time, sheined to her ssmates, saying that she would note so early the next time. She thought she had entered the wrong ssroom due to the unfamiliar face.


    Lin Xiaowan was initially very nervous. However, after being ignored, not only was she not disappointed, but she even felt relieved. She preferred being ignored.


    When the ss was about to start, more and more people entered the ssroom. They greeted each other. Some of them chatted while some of them yed with their phones.


    Lin Xiaowan hid behind the easel. When people looked at her, they would smile amiably, and she would also return the smile. After that, they would look away first. For some reason, she felt more at ease when this happened.


    In fact, she had noticed this when she was on set. Many people were usually more nervous than her when they looked at her. Perhaps, this was the reason she was not very afraid. Moreover, Gu Yuwu told her before that most people were just curious and did not have ill intentions. As such, there was no need for her to panic.


    At this moment, she did not panic, and she felt like she was very brave.


    Soon enough, the teacher and the model arrived.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the teacher attentively, and the teacher even wondered if something was wrong. However, in the next moment, she lost all of her courage when the teacher instructed the model to remove her clothes and instruct the students to start drawing.


    The model was a fifty-one-year-old middle-aged woman. Her skin was sallow, and she was thin, looking a little malnourished. There were many wrinkles on her forehead and the corners of her eyes. Her ribs were also very distinct, and she had a long scar on her stomach. She was very calm, and it was clear that this was not the first time she was doing this. She was very rxed and calmly got into afortable position with a slight smile on her face.


    The moment the model removed her clothes, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face heated up. She lowered her head and pretended to focus on the drawing paper. When she looked up again, she did not dare to look at the model directly. Instead, she looked around and discovered that she was the only one who felt ufortable. A boy sitting not far from her had already begun to draw.


    It was very quiet now. There was no sound ofughing or conversation. Everyone was seriously drawing.


    Lin Xiaowan gradually calmed down. She raised her pencil, feeling a little helpless. She took a few deep breaths to calm down again as she told herself inwardly, ¡®There¡¯s nothing to feel embarrassed about. The model, the students, and the teacher aren¡¯t embarrassed so why should I feel embarrassed? Be brave, be brave!¡¯


    The position Lin Xiaowan had chosen was not bad. Although it was in a corner, she still had a direct view of the model. She could see the model very clearly.


    Lin Xiaowan mentally prepared herself for a very long time before she began to think about how to draw. As time passed, she gradually became immersed in drawing. When she looked up again, she no longer looked as ufortable as before. She was focused on thinking about the perspective and drawing.


    The teacher observed Lin Xiaowan from time to time and even took the time to send a message to Hong Minhua.


    [The teacher: Although it¡¯s her first time attending this ss, her performance is not bad.]


    Hong Minima¡¯s reply came swiftly.


    [Hong Minhua: I¡¯m not surprised. I¡¯m confident about my ability to judge people after all.]


    Lin Xiaowan did not need to hand in her work to the teacher. Instead, she only needed to show it to Hong Minhua. Even then, the teacher gave her a lot of advice.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw the other students¡¯ words, she could not help but exim, ¡°Wow!¡±


    She had thought her own drawing was quite good earlier. However, now that she had seen the other students¡¯ works, she realized that her drawing was truly terrible. In a daze, she said bluntly, ¡°My drawing is terrible.¡±


    The teacher seemed to disagree and said seriously, ¡°Teacher Hong told me that you only learned how to draw recently. Considering that, you¡¯re already very good. Don¡¯t belittle yourself. Look, the way you handle the shadow here is very good. As a whole, your drawing is very good. It¡¯s okay to admire others, but don¡¯t belittle yourself, okay? Admire yourself more.¡±


    Although the teacher¡¯s voice was not gentle and was even a little harsh, her words seemed to have a magical effect on Lin Xiaowan.


    She felt like she had learned a lesson again.


    ¡®That¡¯s right.. It¡¯s okay to admire myself more¡­¡¯

 Chapter 72 - 72: He’s Dressed Like He’s 37

    Chapter 72: He¡¯s Dressed Like He¡¯s 37


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When they were at home at night, Lin Xiaowan recounted her experience animatedly to Huo Zheng and showed him her sketch.


    Hong Minhua did not grade Lin Xiaowan¡¯s work. She only exined things to her in detail and gave her homework.


    Since Hong Minhua did not need Lin Xiaowan¡¯s sketch, Lin Xiaowan asked if she could bring her sketch back.


    Huo Zheng listened attentively as she spoke. After she carefully unrolled her sketch as though it was a treasure, he said, praising her sincerely, ¡°It looks great. Your drawing is really good, little painter.¡±


    Although his words were few, his expression and his tone were sincere.


    Lin Xiaowan was very satisfied and did not quibble with him.


    Since she did not have to attend ss at Shengjing¡¯s Academy of Fine Arts every day, she could still go for lessons at Unnamed Studio with Xiao Han.


    Hong Minhua originally intended to let Lin Xiaowan follow so Lin Xiaowan would not trouble Xiao Han. Moreover, Xiao Han was going to participate in apetition and would soon be busy. It would be troublesome if he also had to teach Lin Xiaowan.


    However, Xiao Han did not think much of it and even specially told Hong Minhua to let Lin Xiaowan continue learning at Unnamed.


    Lin Xiaowan chatted with Huo Zheng every day about the smallest things so Huo Zheng was naturally aware of this matter as well. While she chatted with him, she worked on the homework that Hong Minhua gave her. She sat in front of an easel not far from the desk in the study while he sat at the desk to work.


    After a while, Huo Zheng stopped working and said, ¡°Actually, we can build a studio for you at home.¡±


    Their house wasrge enough, and they had a few empty rooms. Apart from the bedroom, there were also guestrooms and the nanny¡¯s room. They also had a home theatre and a gym. There was also a storage room where Lin Xiaowan kept the models she built and various toys.


    Currently, they had two unused rooms. Of the two, one hadrge windows and a balcony, allowing sunlight to stream in. There was not much furniture in the room as well. All in all, it was suitable to be converted into a studio.


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan replied after thinking about it for a moment.


    ¡°With that, you also don¡¯t have to trouble others. You can tell the driver to send Teacher Hong here,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Lin Xiaowan followed Hong Minhua for sses twice a week, and they would usually use an empty studio in Shengjing¡¯s Academy of Fine Arts. Apart from that, she also did not need to go to Unnamed. It was indeed more convenient to have a studio at home.


    With a studio, she did not need to wake up early. She could sleep in until 9 AM. and after having breakfast with Huo Zheng, she would go to the studio while he went to work.


    However, the disadvantage was that she could no longer eat and drink whatever she wanted for lunch. The chef was carefully selected by Huo Zheng, and he was very particr about nutrition.


    Lin Xiaowan had just gone for a checkup two days ago. There was no serious problem with her health. She was just a little thin and slightly anemic. All in all, she was in quite good health after recuperating, which meant that she did not have to be too restrained when it came to her food.


    Fortunately, most of the time she only needed to act coquettishly with Huo Zheng before he gave in and allowed her to eat whatever she wanted.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan nodded seriously and said, ¡°I think your suggestion is very good. Then, how should we turn the room into a studio?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it,¡± Huo Zheng said, standing up to get her a ss of water.


    Lin Xiaowan did not think much of it. When he was around, he would always urge her to drink more water.


    ¡°What are you painting today?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan showed him her painting.


    Although she was not very good, and the colors looked messy, Huo Zheng still praised her very seriously. He had taken art sses when he was young as well, dabbling in many many things. Unlike Hong Minhua who would point out her mistakes and advise her, he would ignore the ws of her work and only praised her. He did not use any fancy words and alternated between ¡®good¡¯, ¡®it looks great, and ¡®awesome¡¯.


    Lin Xiaowan decided to stop painting for now. After washing her brushes, she asked, ¡°How long will it take to set up the studio? It won¡¯t be so fast, right? In that case, I¡¯ll go to Unnamed tomorrow.¡±


    She looked at Huo Zheng and continued to ask, ¡°Should I get a gift for Senior Brother Xiao Han? After all, I¡¯ve troubled him for so long.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded as he helped her to clean up her art supplies.


    ¡°What should I get him?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Art supplies? Lighter? However, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him smoking¡­¡±


    Feeling a little jealous, Huo Zheng asked, ¡°Why weren¡¯t you this meticulous when getting gifts for me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan giggled. ¡°Alright. When I buy him a gift, why don¡¯t I get you a gift as well since it¡¯s convenient.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s convenient?¡± Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow, and his gaze turned dangerous.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly changed her words. ¡°When I buy you a gift, I¡¯ll conveniently buy him a gift as well?¡±


    Huo Zheng replied reluctantly, ¡°That sounds better.¡±


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan bought a set of watercolors for Xiao Han. Thanks to the shop owner¡¯s rmendation, she also bought a movable mannequin for herself.


    As for Huo Zheng, Lin Xiaowan yed it safe and bought him a pair of sneakers from Louis Vuitton. She also bought a pair of matching ones. She put quite a lot of thought into picking out the pair of shoes. It was simple, and it was ck and white. In her opinion, it would be easy to match the shoes. After a moment, she even thought she could help him pick his clothes to match the shoes.


    When Huo Zheng returned, she saw two pairs of matching sneakers at the entrance. One of them was clearly not in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s size. He did not think too much of it and asked, ¡°You bought him a pair of shoes?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes and said, ¡°How would I know the size of his feet? Moreover, if I bought it for him, why would I disy it at the entrance?¡± Realization dawned on Huo Zheng immediately. ¡°Couple¡¯s shoes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What do you think of the shoes?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Do you want to try them?¡±


    Huo Zheng tried on the sneakers, which contrasted greatly with his ck suit and tie. The sneakers were made of leather, and they were veryfortable. After trying them on, he said with a smile, ¡°I usually wear sneakers when I work out.¡±


    There were sneakers in the cab at the entrance of the gym at home, and he only wore them working out. It had been years since he had worn them out. Due to work, he was usually dressed rather formally. As time passed, he gradually got used to wearing suits and leather suits all the time. Even the designers would send him simr things every season.


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°How can you wear this to work out? By the way, the style and colors of your clothes in the wardrobe are too monotonous.¡±


    She reached to pinch his cheek before she continued to say, ¡°You¡¯re only 27 years old, but you dress like you¡¯re 37. Even your eldest brother looks younger than you.¡±


    Huo Zheng was silent for a moment, trying to recall the times he was with Huo Cheng.


    ¡®Is Brother dressed very young? I don¡¯t think so, right? With his job, he¡¯s dressed even more formally than me¡­¡¯


    After a moment, Huo Zheng¡¯s thoughts drifted to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s young and energetic senior brother, and he could help but feel displeased. He thought that if Lin Xiaowan liked it, he did not mind changing the way he dressed..

 Chapter 73 - 73: You’re So Handsome

    Chapter 73: You¡¯re So Handsome


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan brought the gift to Xiao Han and told him that she would not being back in the future, Xiao Han felt a little disappointed and even tried to persuade her to stay.


    However, Lin Xiaowan was not persuaded by him. She only gave him the gift and expressed her gratitude.


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite. There¡¯s no need for this.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally insisted that he ept the gift. She said, ¡°No, 1 feel extremely sorry for troubling you for so long. Moreover, I bought this for you. I don¡¯t have any use for it.¡±


    With this, Xiao Han finally epted the gift. After that, he told her that she could look for him if she ever needed help.


    Lin Xiaowan thought he was only being courteous because of the gift so she only nodded perfunctorily.


    It was not difficult to set up a studio at all. In just two days, Huo Zheng told Lin Xiaowan she could use the studio. He also prepared all kinds of drawing paper and canvases for her and installed professional lighting.


    The easel had been moved to the studio. There was a small desk at the side, and a daybed near the window so she could rest. There was also a shelf filled with all kinds of art-rted books.


    Lin Xiaowan was quite satisfied with how it turned out.


    After the studio waspleted, the driver would pick Hong Minhua up two days a week. When she came over and saw the studio, she nodded in approval.


    Huo Zheng decided to take a day off and go shopping with Lin Xiaowan. Initially, he nned to ask his assistant to make arrangements and get designers to send the clothes to the house. However, Lin Xiaowan thought that was boring so she pestered him and asked him to go shopping with her.


    Huo Zheng naturally did not refuse her, especially when he saw how much she wanted it. Moreover, it had indeed been a very long time since they had gone shopping together. However, it waspletely beyond his expectations that his sister-inw, Qiao You¡¯an, would also join them.


    When Qiao You¡¯an learned from Lin Xiaowan that Huo Zheng wanted to change the way he dressed, she was very excited and decided to join in the fun.


    When he saw Qiao You¡¯an at the entrance of Burberry, he could not help but stiffen.


    ¡°Sister-inw.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an came alone since her two sons had to go to school. However, when the two children heard she was going shopping without them, they were naturally unhappy.


    Lin Xiaowan let go of Huo Zheng¡¯s hand and happily ran to Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s side, holding Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s arm.


    Huo Zheng walked behind them, looking like an aloof bodyguard.


    Although Lin Xiaowan went shopping often, she still found it difficult to adapt to the shopping experience in a luxury store. Instead of trying on the clothes, they picked out the clothes they liked before models would model the clothes for them.


    Huo Zheng stood next to the two women and acted like a human pir. He allowed Lin Xiaowan to select all kinds of clothes and measure them against him. If they liked it, the sales assistant would note it down and let the model change into the clothes.


    Qiao You¡¯an casually picked out a baseball cap, thinking that it would suit Huo Cheng. When she saw how enthusiastic Lin Xiaowan was, she said teasingly, ¡°Previously, you weren¡¯t so enthusiastic when I invited you out shopping. Look at how enthusiastic you are now that you¡¯re shopping for Huo Zheng.¡±


    Previously, Lin Xiaowan had casually downloaded a game of dress-up on her phone. She did not think too much of it and felt that it was good to kill time. However, today, she really felt the fun of ying dress-up.


    Apart from Burberry, they also went to many other stores.


    In the end, Qiao You¡¯an teased Lin Xiaowan again. ¡°Wow, Xiaowan, youined after walking a few steps when we went shopping. However, you don¡¯t seem tired even after walking 10,000 steps today, huh?¡±


    In fact, this was normal. This was the difference between doing something one was interested in and something one had no interest in. One would have no patience at all when doing something one was not interested in. On the contrary, no matter how hard it was, one would enjoy it if one was interested.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still dare to act like the next time youe out with me,¡± Qiao You¡¯an warned jokingly.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled sheepishly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare, 1 don¡¯t dare!¡±


    When they were home, Lin Xiaowan made Huo Zheng try on the clothes.


    The 1.9-meter-tall man felt slightly ufortable when he put on his new clothes. He was wearing a ck T-shirt, a dark brown vintage jacket, ck pants, and a pair of brown boots, revealing his wide shoulders and long legs. Just a casual nce was enough to attract people¡¯s attention.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw him. She pped her hands and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re so handsome!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan circled him, studying him. She thought he looked fresh. The way he was dressed made him look gentler, and his aura softened a lot as well.


    Lin Xiaowan kept praising him. They had shopped for half a day, and it seemed like it was all worth it. She quickly instructed him to change into the other clothes so she could have a look. She had bought shirts and sweaters in different colors such as dove grey, white, and yellow-and-blue. She also bought casual khaki pants for him.


    As time passed, Huo Zheng no longer felt ufortable. He began to feel as though he was back in school. After all, when he was in school, he did not have to dress rigidly. His habit of dressing formally only started when his parents passed away in his third year of university and he had to take over Huo Corporation.


    Every time Huo Zheng changed into a new set of clothes, Lin Xiaowan would take a photo and send it to the Huo family¡¯s group chat so Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an could have a look.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were also in the group chat, but they were not good at typing. As such, they would usually send voice messages or call directly. The two children were not very interested in what Huo Zheng was wearing. Instead, they were more interested in asking when they could y with Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s excitementsted until she went to bed at night. She praised him again, ¡°You¡¯re like a walking clothes rack. You look handsome no matter what you wear. Don¡¯t just wear suits all the time.¡±


    Huo Zheng asked, ¡°Since I¡¯m so handsome, can 1 be Miss Lin¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was briefly stunned.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t agreed yet.¡±


    Only then did realization dawn on Lin Xiaowan. Previously, she had told him to pursue her when she was in the hospital. She also told him to confess to her again.


    Lin Xiaowanughed before saying arrogantly, ¡°That¡¯ll depend on Mr. Huo¡¯s performance.¡±


    Huo Zheng stared at her for a moment before he lowered his head to kiss and asked, ¡°What do you think of this performance?¡±


    When he spoke, his lips were very close to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ears. She felt that his maic voice seemed capable of bewitching people. She quickly shrank back and pushed him away as she said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan continued to say, ¡°You¡¯re being a hooligan now!¡±


    ¡°What if 1 insist on being a hooligan?¡± Huo Zheng asked with a chuckle.


    Lin Xiaowan pretended to look troubled before she finally said, ¡°Then I guess I can only let you be Miss Lin¡¯s boyfriend. That way, you won¡¯t be a hooligan.¡± Huo Zheng¡¯s smile widened immediately. He felt that the woman in his arms was really cute..

 Chapter 74 - 74: The Shut-In

    Chapter 74: The Shut-In


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan leaned against Huo Zheng¡¯s arm and asked curiously, ¡°Why do you usually dress so formally? Do you like it that much?¡±


    In her opinion, it did not matter if he liked to dress formally. It would be good enough for him to dress in a casual manner asionally when he went out with her.


    In fact, Huo Zheng did not have much of a preference when it came to clothes, especially when he was younger. Most of his clothes were already matched before they were hung in his wardrobe. The clothes were sent to him by designers, and he did not personally choose them. Moreover, dressing formally was more of a necessity because of work.


    Huo Zheng replied lightly, ¡°I dress formally for work¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him quietly for a moment before she suddenly asked,


    ¡°Can I ask you how your parents passed away?¡±


    However, immediately after asking this question, she was worried that it would make him sad so she quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s fine you don¡¯t want to talk about it! The question just suddenly appeared in my mind!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan only knew that he had taken over Huo Corporation in a hurry after his parents passed away. He had yet to graduate from university at that time, and he had to devote himself to thepany. He never knew the reason for his parents¡¯ death.


    Huo Zheng stroked her hair and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Apart from a hint of sadness, there was also admiration for his parents and their rtionship when he thought about them.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s health had always been poor. She was also a lot older than my father. In the end, she died of illness. After her death, my father resigned and let me manage the affairs of thepany. Since I had already been learning to manage thepany, it didn¡¯t take a lot to get used to it. I also knew the shareholders. Apart from that, my father also taught me a lot so it did not take long for me topletely familiarize myself with thepany.


    ¡°How old were you at that time?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°I was in my third year in university.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded and continued to listen attentively. She thought Huo Zheng¡¯s parents had died at the same time. As it turned out, that was not the case.


    After checking that Lin Xiaowan was fine, Huo Zheng continued to say, ¡°A yearter, on the anniversary of my mother¡¯s death, my father took his life. He arranged everything and left a will behind.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan eximed softly, surprised by the sudden turn of the story. Then, she reached out to hug Huo Zheng and gently patted his pack, clumsilyforting him in her own way.


    Huo Zheng smiled and kissed the top of her forehead before he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Outsiders were blindsided by it, but my brother and I weren¡¯t extremely surprised. He left a short letter for us, telling us not to be sad because he went to look for the person he loved.¡±


    Huo Zheng rarely reminisced about the past. After all, the past could not be changed. What was the point of reminiscing about the past? However, at this moment, he could not help but think about the first year after his mother¡¯s death.


    His mother¡¯s death was not unexpected because she had been ill for a long time. Therefore, although he and Huo Cheng were sad, they managed toe to terms with her death.


    However, it was different with his father. His father seemed to age greatly and rapidly after his mother passed away. His father would not allow anyone else to clean their bedroom or touch and move the things in their bedroom. It was as though he was trying to forcefully stop time in the bedroom.


    Huo Zheng identally came across a letter from his father to his mother by chanceter on. His father had earnestly asked his mother to wait for him, hoping to reunite with her in death. His father had loved his mother too much.


    Ever since the room was converted into a studio and Hong Minhua came over to teach her, Lin Xiaowan had nothing else to do. Just like that, she became a shut-in again.


    There was a housekeeper to clean the house, and a chef to cook their meals. With this, she really had nothing to do.


    Even Aunt Wu, the nanny, felt like Lin Xiaowan was too much of a homebody. Usually, she would go square dancing at night. In the morning, she would go to a small park nearby to practice Tai Chi with other elderly people.


    This morning, when Aunt Wu saw Lin Xiaowan yawning after breakfast, she advised Lin Xiaowan to go for a walk.


    ¡°It¡¯s neither hot nor cold now; the weather is good. Why don¡¯t you go for a walk, Miss Lin? It¡¯s good for your health to bask in the sun. It¡¯ll help with your bone maintenance.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rubbed her stomach,pletely uninterested. She felt that lying down after eating was the happiest thing in the world. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to move¡­ Moreover, I did bask in the sun.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan liked to sleep by the bay window in the afternoon. She would wear her eye mask and hug her life-size plushie to sleep. The noon sun made her feel warm and cozy.


    Aunt Wuughed. ¡°You look like a kitten when you do that.¡±


    After Aunt Wu swept the floor and watered the nts, she walked around the house and confirmed that there was nothing else that needed to be done. After that, she changed her shoes, preparing to go out. She asked, ¡°I¡¯m going to the supermarket. Miss Lin, do you want toe with me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan quickly got up. She had not had any snackstely so it was time to go shopping. She hurriedly said, ¡°Of course! Let¡¯s go to the baking shop!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan quickly went and changed. When she came downstairs, Aunt Wu asked, ¡°Miss Lin, is there anything you want to buy from the baking shop?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan recently went to the website Gu Yuwu had shown her previously. She had set baking as her preference so she was shown many videos of Eastern and Western desserts. She even saved the videos in a ylist and named it, ¡®I Can Do It If I Put My Mind to It¡¯.


    ¡°I want to buy some supplies. I want to try baking,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    When Aunt Wu came for the interview, she had brought her certificate with her. She was a certified traditional pastry chef in Shangxia. When she was working in the kindergarten, she was responsible for making desserts for the children.


    ¡°Aunt Wu, you have experience so you must help me,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Aunt Wu was naturally happy to show off her skills and readily agreed.


    ¡°Of course!¡±

 Chapter 75 - 75: Making a Small Cake

    Chapter 75: Making a Small Cake


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan and Aunt Wu bought many things in the end.


    After putting everything away, Lin Xiaowan was so tired that she no longer wanted to move. When the chef came over to make lunch, she took a few bags of chips and went to the studio.


    After lunch, she did not take a nap. Instead, she practiced sketching for a while before she remembered the baking supplies she bought earlier.


    In the kitchen.


    Lin Xiaowan decided to make a no-baking Oreo cake.


    Aunt Wu only knew how to make traditional pastries. This was also her first time trying to make a Western cake. After watching the tutorial video, she also felt that it was very simple. With this, she felt reassured and helped Lin Xiaowan.


    Even without experience with Western pastries, Aunt Wu was still experienced after all. She would asionally give Lin Xiaowan advice and teach thetter how to measure the ingredients.


    In the end, the cake turned out quite good in both appearance and taste.


    ¡°Is this really your first time?¡± Aunt Wu asked, slightly surprised.


    Lin Xiaowan picked an angle and took a photo, filled with a sense of aplishment. Then, she began to praise herself. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m quite talented?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re very talented, Miss Lin,¡± Aunt Wu said.


    The mold Lin Xiaowan bought was not big so the cake was about five inches in size.


    After Lin Xiaowan ate half of it, Aunt Wu put it in the refrigerator and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat it tomorrow. If you eat too much, you won¡¯t be able to eat dinner.¡±


    In the evening.


    Lin Xiaowan took a photo and sent it to Huo Zheng, but thetter was probably busy so he did not reply. Lin Xiaowan said to Aunt Wu, ¡°Take the cake out for Huo Zheng to try after dinner.¡±


    However, Lin Xiaowan was very excited, and in the end, she brought the cake out herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it out first. He can have a taste when hees back.¡±


    Huo Zheng only saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s message when he got off work. After replying to her, he did not receive a reply from her. When he got home, he saw half a cake on the dining table. There was even a small conspicuous bite at the corner. He was a little puzzled. He saw Aunt Wu and the chef cooking in the kitchen, but he did not see Lin Xiaowan. He thought that she must be holed up in the studio or the storage room.


    ¡°Mr. Huo, you¡¯re back,¡± Aunt Wu greeted Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng nodded and headed upstairs.


    At the same time, Aunt Wu called out, ¡°Mr. Huo, Mr. Huo!¡±


    Huo Zheng turned around and looked at Aunt Wu expressionlessly, indicating for her to speak.


    Aunt Wu hurried over, bringing the cake over on a porcin te with a fork lying at the side. The little fork still had remnants and Oreos and cream cheese on it. She said, ¡°Miss Lin made this cake today. She ate half of it and left the other half for you. She was so excited so she brought it out earlier. However, after a while, she took a bite. In the end, this is all that¡¯s left. If you came back a littleter, Miss Lin would¡¯ve eaten thisst bite. Mr. Huo, hurry up and try it.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not expect Lin Xiaowan to make the cake herself. When she sent him the photo, she did not say much. He thought that she was just telling him that she had cake today.


    Huo Zheng nodded before he asked, ¡°Is she upstairs?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the studio trying to draw, but she¡¯s very distracted. It¡¯s as though her soul has been seduced by the cake. She¡¯de down every few minutes,¡± Aunt Wu replied.


    Huo Zheng could not help but smile. Then, he used the fork that Lin Xiaowan used and ate thest bite of the cake. As soon as the cake entered his mouth, he paused briefly. However, his expression did not change at all as he put the small fork back on the te. It was a little too sweet for him. It seemed like Lin Xiaowan had used quite a bit of sugar.


    However, he knew that Lin Xiaowan had a sweet tooth. Hence, this amount of sugar was just nice for her.


    After that, Huo Zheng went to look for her at the studio..

 Chapter 76 - 76: Making Meat Floss Bread Rolls

    Chapter 76: Making Meat Floss Bread Rolls


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan¡¯s sess with the no-bake cake, she seemed to have awakened some hidden desire. She would go to the kitchen every day; her desire to bake was out of control. Apart from cakes, she would also make bread, biscuits, and other pastries. However, it was not a sess every time. For example, she failed many times when trying to bake the most basic chiffon cake. However, this did not affect her passion for baking. She would still eat the failed product happily. If it was a sess, she would even send them to Qiao You¡¯an.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were naturally delighted. They were little gluttons, after all. When they came home from school, their mouths would water when they saw the pastries that Lin Xiaowan sent over. After that, they would tter her in the group chat.


    The two children got along with Lin Xiaowan very well because they shared simr hobbies such as watching cartoons and eating snacks. Moreover, perhaps Lin Xiaowan was a little slow, the two children, who were much more mature than ordinary kids, loved the feeling of being admired and respected when they were with her. For all these reasons, they really liked her.


    On this day, Hong Minhua arrived a littlete due to her research. As soon as she entered the house, she could smell the fragrance in the air. She felt as though she had walked into a bakery. She asked curiously, ¡°Is she making something again today?¡±


    Aunt Wu brought the guest slippers out for Hong Minhua as she replied, ¡°Yes, Teacher Hong. She made bread rolls today. You came just in time. Come in and have a taste.¡±


    Aunt Wu followed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s example and addressed Hong Minhua as ¡®Teacher Hong¡¯ as well.


    After changing her shoes, Aunt Hong put her small bag down and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to join the fun.¡±


    In the kitchen.


    Apart from meat floss bread rolls, Lin Xiaowan made mangoyer cake as well. At this moment, she was carefully holding a palm-sized bread roll in her hands that were d in disposable gloves. She applied ayer of sd dressing on the sides of the bread roll before she filled it with a lot of meat floss.


    On the te next to her, there were already quite a few finished products.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw Hong Minhua, she was surprised since she did not hear the doorbell ring. She quickly called out, ¡°Teacher Hong, you¡¯re here! Come and have a taste of the bread rolls I made today!¡±


    Hong Minhua said with a hint of disapproval, ¡°Did you forget again? You can call me Teacher when we¡¯re in ss. However, when we¡¯re not in ss, you should call me Grandma Hong.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Hong,¡± Lin Xiaowan called out obediently.


    Hong Minhua had tasted the food Lin Xiaowan made a few times now so she did not stand on ceremony. She took a small te and spoon from the side over.


    The bread rolls were still warm. They were soft, moist, and very fragrant. The dressing was generous, and the sweetness of the dressingplemented the saltiness of the meat floss very well.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Hong Minhua expectantly. She had done her best today. She felt that the bread rolls she made today were especially tasty.


    Hong Minhua gave Lin Xiaowan a thumbs-up. Her smile was very wide as she said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious! I¡¯m not exaggerating, but I think you can even sell them!¡± Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaowan could not wait for Huo Zheng to get off work so he could try it. It was not enough to send a photo. In the end, she decided to pack the bread roll in a takeaway box and send it over to him. She also did not forget about Qiao You¡¯an. In fact, she gave Qiao You¡¯an even more bread rolls. Her takeaway boxes were all newly bought. After she folded them and stuck a small sticker on them, they really looked like the ones in dessert shops.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite well prepared. Do you want to open up a dessert shop?,¡± Hong Minhuamented casually.


    Lin Xiaowan really wanted a dessert shop of her own. It did not have to be very big. What was important to her was the disy. This was because the thought of filling the disy with all kinds of cakes and bread made her happy. She could imagine standing in front of the disy as the scent of the pastries permeated the air.


    Hong Minhua was very observant. When she saw the expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, she suddenly felt the bread roll meat floss was not as fragrant as before. She asked, ¡°What? Did I really hit the nail on the head? Do you really intend to open up a dessert shop?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan giggled.


    Hong Minhua looked at Lin Xiaowan with a helpless expression, She reached out and tapped Lin Xiaowan¡¯s forehead. She grumbled a little but she could not hide her affection as she said, ¡°You¡¯re lucky Mr. Huo had already spoken to me in the beginning and told me that you¡¯re only learning art as a hobby. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve hit your palm, you fickle-minded fellow.¡±


    Hong Minhua was naturally just joking. The pair of hands that learned to draw were so precious.. How could she hit Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hands?

 Chapter 77 - 77: Pastries from the Lady Boss

    Chapter 77: Pastries from the Lady Boss


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Lin Xiaowan got to know Hong Minhua, she realized that Hong Minhua was really gentle and approachable. Hong Minhua did not put on air at all even though she was a big shot in the industry. For this reason, she was much more rxed when getting along with Hong Minhua.


    Lin Xiaowan pouted and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be willing to do that, Grandma Hong.¡±


    ¡°Grandma Hong might not be willing, but Teacher Hong might,¡± Hong Minhua said jokingly with augh. Despite her words, it was just as Lin Xiaowan said; she was definitely not willing to do it. After all, in her eyes, Lin Xiaowan was very cute, yful, and sensible. Lin Xiaowan even knew how to make various kinds of pastries. Most people would be willing to let Lin Xiaowan do whatever she wanted.


    After eating a meat floss bread roll, Hong Minhua said, ¡°In any case, you just started taking art lessons. Even when you don¡¯t have sses, you have to remember to practice, understand?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lin Xiaowan nodded vigorously and said, ¡°I really like drawing and painting. I¡¯m not doing it half-heartedly. I¡¯m serious about learning, and I usually practice when I don¡¯t have sses.¡±


    Hong Minhua patted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head affectionately and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Alright, let¡¯s start our lesson.¡±


    At the Huo Corporation¡¯s headquarters.


    Huo Zheng read the message and shook his head with a smile. Then, he dialed Assistant Song¡¯s number and asked thetter to get something from the first floor.


    Assistant Song had run this errand many times so he knew what it was. He did not ask any questions and happily agreed.


    Because Huo Zheng usually sent Assistant Song to get the pastries, Lin Xiaowan would usually also include a share for Assistant Song. She was unaware that Huo Zheng had more than one assistant so she was also unaware that Assistant Song¡¯s colleagues would look at him jealously and curiously every time she sent pastries over.


    Huo Zheng was not usually strict with his subordinates as long they did not neglect their work andpleted their work on time. In general, the work environment was rtively rxed. For this reason, Assistant Song¡¯s colleagues were very unrestrained and would often threaten or bribe him to share the pastries with them. After all, who would not want to try thedy boss¡¯ cooking?


    When the receptionist on the first floor received the takeout boxes, she called the president¡¯s office. Then, she quickly brought her phone out and took two photos as she waited for Assistant Song to arrive.


    Initially, when the receptionists first received the pink takeout boxes and saw that it was for Huo Zheng, they assumed that it was a gift from some rich young woman. After all, there were cases of rich young women giving Huo Zheng gifts in the past. However, when they informed Assistant Song about it, he would tell her to throw them away or return them if they were too expensive.


    However, the first time this happened, Assistant Song personally came down to receive the package with a smile on his face. He even told them to inform him immediately the next time they received simr packages. Most importantly, he told them that if the person who delivered the package was a beautiful young woman, they had to try and make the other party stay no matter what.


    Initially, the receptionists did not understand. When it happened the second time, they finally could not help but ask Assistant Song about it. When they found out that thedy boss personally made the pastries, they could not help but look forward to the pastries. It was a pity they did not have a share of it. They were really envious of Assistant Song who was given simr treatment as their boss; they also wanted thedy boss¡¯ pastries.


    However, the receptionist on the first floor was unaware of Assistant Song¡¯s pain and joy in the president¡¯s office. Every time there was a package for Huo Zheng, his colleagues would gather around him.


    The receptionists were very enthusiastic and curious. Every time there was a package for Huo Zheng, they would wait for Assistant Song toe down, hoping he would open the package to let them have a look. After that, they would all take photos.


    With this, the number of people who wanted to eat thedy boss¡¯ cooking grew day by day.


    s, Lin Xiaowan did not personally send the packages until now. When everyone discussed this matter, they could only dig out information from a few people who attended thepany¡¯s annual g.


    When Assistant Song arrived at the front desk, three people on duty gathered around him immediately.


    ¡°Assistant Song, you must show us what¡¯s in the package today!¡±


    They had already turned their cameras on.


    Assistant Song was also very cooperative. He opened the package so the others could take a look before he briskly walked to the elevator.


    After that, the receptionist quickly reported her findings in the group chat.


    [Receptionist: Ahh! Thedy boss sent snacks for afternoon tea again! They¡¯re meat floss bread rolls. The fillings and the dressing are really generous!]


    [Employee 1: Who¡¯s jealous?]


    [Employee 2: Me! Me! I¡¯m so envious of those working in the president¡¯s office! I¡¯m so envious of Assistant Song! [crying emoji)]


    The receptionist almost cried tears of envy as she continued chatting.


    [Receptionist: Moreover, I saw the portion that thedy boss gave Assistant Song today is much more generous than what she gave the boss! The boss actually lost today!]


    [Employee 3: Ah! I¡¯m going crazy! I want to eat the pastries made by thedy boss!]


    [Employee 2: Since Assistant has such a big portion, it doesn¡¯t matter if I ask for a bite, right?!]

 Chapter 78 - 78: Meeting Someone New

    Chapter 78: Meeting Someone New


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s desire to open up a dessert shop grew. s, contrary to her desire, her baking was not consistent; sometimes it was a sess, and sometimes it was a failure. There was a time when the glutinous balls she made turned green. At that time, the chef did not know whether tough or cry when he saw it.


    When Huo Zheng learned about her desire to open a dessert shop, he said with a smile, ¡°You can open the shop next to thepany. There are many people in thepany who want to eat the desserts you make.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡±


    If she opened up a dessert shop, she would definitely be at the store to sell the desserts. What if Huo Zheng¡¯s employees came to watch her? It would make her extremely nervous. What if she gave the wrong change? What if they thought her desserts were not delicious? However, there was also a possibility that they would not recognize her.


    ¡®That¡¯s right! Only a few people have seen me before! I¡¯m not a celebrity or anything so how could people recognize me?¡¯


    With this thought in mind, Lin Xiaowan no longer felt nervous.


    Hong Minhua had to leave for a business trip, but before she left, she did not forget to give Lin Xiaowan homework.


    Initially, Hong Minhua wanted Lin Xiaowan to join the students from a ss to go out and sketch. However, Lin Xiaowan was hesitant. In the end, she had no choice but to give Lin Xiaowan more homework.


    Although the homework seemed like a lot, it was really not much. Lin Xiaowan managed to finish it in a few days and returned to the kitchen again.


    Whenever the chef was around, the chef wanted to help Lin Xiaowan. However, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s skills were really average. She did not even know how to cut meat. She looked at the meat for a long time, but she could not find its grain. Even after the patient chef taught her in detail, she still could not find the grain of the meat.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan was too embarrassed to trouble the chef to help her so she silently retreated when it was time for the chef to cook.


    On a Saturday morning.


    Qiao You¡¯an called Lin Xiaowan and asked, ¡°Xiaowan, you were thinking about opening up a dessert shop, right? Why don¡¯t I bring you to meet a business partner?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡®Do I need a business partner?¡¯


    This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first time having afternoon tea with wealthydies. She was very nervous even though Qiao You¡¯an was with her. She held her bag with both hands and greeted everyone ording to Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s instructions.


    Apart from Qiao You¡¯an, the otherdies were quite a bit older than Lin Xiaowan. Lin Xiaowan could not help but feel as though she was of the same generation as Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao when she was with them.


    Thedies were friendly and did not put on air. One of them, Zhu Yingyue, was the business partner that Qiao You¡¯an previously mentioned.


    Zhu Yingyue was a full-time housewife. She graduated with a master¡¯s degree and married her husband a few years after she graduated. She was 27 years old when she got married so she was a little anxious to have children.


    Unfortunately, the more anxious she was, the more fruitless her quest to have children became. Finally, after two years of marriage, she finally gave birth to a daughter. When her daughter turned four, she gave birth to a son.


    Zhu Yingyue had never worked before and had been focused on taking care of her family. She lived a good life and had a lot of help at home so she was quite rxed. The only thing was that her husband was very busy and rarely came home. Fortunately, her husband was quite good to her as well. He would remember events like birthdays and anniversaries and would n all kinds of surprises for her. This made up for his shoring.


    Zhu Yingyue had nothing to do when her children were in school. Thinking that was once a top finance student, she wanted to be by her husband¡¯s side and be a capable assistant. However, her husband refused her by giving her all sorts of excuses. At that time, she began to feel that something was amiss. It had to be said that a woman¡¯s sixth sense was terrifyingly urate. She soon found out that her husband had an affair with his secretary. Not only that, the two even had a family; the secretary had given birth to his child.


    Needless to say, Zhu Yingyue was shocked by her discovery..

 Chapter 79 - 79: Zhu Yingyue

    Chapter 79: Zhu Yingyue


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhu Yingyue was truly blindsided by this. After all, she could not tell that something was going on when the secretary came over for dinner in the past. The secretary was polite just like an ordinary employee.


    Zhu Yingyue was unsurprisingly angry and wanted to leave, but her husband brought out their premarital agreement. It was then that she remembered that if she divorced him now, she would not get a single cent. She had not worked for over ten years and did not have any savings.


    It was easy to go from being impoverished to being rich. However, it was difficult to go from being rich to being impoverished. She thought about it for a long time before she finally chose to tolerate her husband. Her husband was also shameless and continued on as though nothing had happened.


    Life went on as usual, and he continued to celebrate all kinds of events with her. The only difference was her husband no longer used work as an excuse when he was spending time with his mistress. He would tell her bluntly to be more magnanimous. After all, he could see that Zhu Yingyue was unable to let go of the luxurious life she was living, and he was right. Moreover, she was not a very prideful person, to begin with.


    Lin Xiaowan was greatly shocked after hearing the story.


    ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    Zhu Yingyue smiled, looking nonchnt as though she did not have a care in the world. She replied, ¡°Nothing happened. I didn¡¯t divorce him until now and I¡¯m just continuing on with my life¡­¡±


    Then, she added self-deprecatingly, ¡°You might look down on me. After all, sometimes, I also look down on myself. My husband cheated on me, and the third party even gave birth to a child. However, I actually tolerated it because he¡¯s rich.¡±


    At this time, thedies were gathered in an exclusive clubhouse. It had all kinds of facilities there. For example, they were now in a private semi-open kitchen making butter biscuits as they chatted. If they needed anything, they only needed to call, and the butler would send whatever they needed over.


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly waved her hand and said, ¡°No, no, everyone has their own reason for doing things. Who am 1 to judge?¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan felt that she had a lot inmon with Zhu Yingyue. Thetter got married not long after graduation and had never worked before. She met and got together with Huo Zheng as soon as she graduated, and not counting her part-time job, she had never entered the workforce before. Although she had not married Huo Zheng yet and had no intention of doing so for now, if nothing went wrong, she would marry Huo Zheng in the end. She really could not imagine being with another person other than Huo Zheng.


    After thinking about it for a while, Lin Xiaowan concluded that the most important thing was to make money. With enough money, she would be able to do many things with confidence.


    After a pause, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly think of opening a dessert shop?


    Zhu Yingyue ced the dough in the freezer and as she said with a bitter smile, ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t even consider this in the beginning.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue was a top financial student when she was at university. Naturally, the first thing she thought of was getting a job rted to finance. However, she was forty this year and had zero relevant work experience. When she tried looking for a job, she was met with failure over and over again. Among the jobs she applied for, she was only called back for interviews with smallpanies. However, after her interview, she realized howpletely out-of-depth she was professionally.


    Zhu Yingyue really regretted getting married so soon after graduation. However, after returning home, when she was served by the help at home and saw the steaming food on the table, she felt that it might not be that bad to turn a blind eye to things, living life without worrying about food, shelter, and clothes.


    Zhu Yingyue did not go into details and simply said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find a job rted to my major. Moreover, I¡¯m interested in desserts. I¡¯ve learned baking for a while so I thought it might be a good idea to open up a dessert shop.¡±


    Then, Zhu Yingyue asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m curious as well. Why do you want to open a dessert shop?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked a little embarrassed as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend Huo Zheng¡¯s money all the time. I¡¯ve been spending his money until now. I¡¯m jobless so he has been supporting me.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been married to my husband for so many years that I thought it only right for me to spend his money¡­ However, when something happened, I finally realized that I really have no one to rely on¡­¡±


    The two of them got to know each other today, but they did not talk much about the dessert shop. They exchanged contact information and agreed to meet again when they were free.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned, she was absent-minded. She would look at Huo Zheng asionally.


    However, when Huo Zheng asked her about it, she would only shake her head and said that she was fine.


    She was thinking about the future. She thought about what would happen in ten years. If she did not change and gave birth to a child, doing whatever she wanted and spending Huo Zheng¡¯s money, she wondered if Huo Zheng would fall in love with another person. What would happen if he did?


    She did not discuss this matter with Huo Zheng. After all, this was just her thoughts and spections. She could not simply jump to conclusions..

 Chapter 80 - 80: Qingqing, Come Here

    Chapter 80: Qingqing, Come Here


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan did some calctions. She was only 24 years old this year. Even if she only lived until she was 60, there were still 36 years left. Could Huo Zheng really love her for so many decades? If Huo Zheng fell in love with someone else and no longer wanted her, what would she do?


    Lin Xiaowan sighed heavily. For some reason, she was not very optimistic about evesting love. After thinking about it for a while, she managed to calm down and even felt that she was thinking too much. After all, what was the point of worrying about something that might or might not happen? Was it not too good to live life in the present?


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s gaze inadvertently drifted to Huo Zheng again.


    Huo Zheng noticed her gaze, and his already straight back straightened even more. His eyes were trained on the article disyed on the tablet, but he could not read a word at all.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng¡¯s side profile. His jawline was extremely distinct. He had a high nose bridge and a pair of bright eyes. There was no doubt that he was extremely handsome. Although he was usually expressionless, his expression was very gentle whenever he looked at her.


    Although Huo Zheng was dressed in a ck long-sleeved shirt with two buttons undone, Lin Xiaowan knew he had a very good figure as well. His abdomen and chest were muscr; he had wide shoulders and narrow hips.


    Even during intimate moments, he was very considerate of her. She waspletely under his control when she was with him.


    Meanwhile, Huo Zheng could feel Lin Xiaowan¡¯s gaze sliding down his body. Although she was only studying him in a daze, he could not help but feel a trace of heat.


    Lin Xiaowan waspletely unaware of this and continued to size him up. In the end, she felt like she gained much by being with such an extraordinary man. At the same time, she was also determined to change. She had been working hard recently, and she even dared to act in a drama.


    After thinking things through, Lin Xiaowan stood up and said in a leisurely tone, ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs to drink milk.¡±


    Huo Zheng watched her leave. After she vanished out of sight, he closed the new articles.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned, Huo Zheng said with a serious expression, ¡°Qingqing,e here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    ¡°What happened today?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was unaware that Huo Zheng had noticed that something was wrong with her earlier. Moreover, she had already thought things through. Hence, she said, ¡°Nothing much. Why?¡±


    Huo Zheng was silent for a moment. After he studied her expression, he confirmed that she was not lying. Then, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve been acting weird since you came back.¡±


    ¡®What? Was I so obvious?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s gaze was dark as he called out, ¡°Qingqing.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses. She was worried that he would misunderstand so she hurriedly exined, ¡°I was just thinking about a problem, but I¡¯ve already figured it out.¡±


    Huo Zheng stared at her silently.


    Lin Xiaowan felt guilty the longer he stared at her. After all, how could she tell him that she felt that he might cheat on her in the future? She had no basis for this thought at all.


    When Huo Zheng saw Lin Xiaowan averting her eyes guiltily, he became even more suspicious. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not dare to look at Huo Zheng. She pretended to cough twice before she lowered her head and vaguely replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I went out with Sister You¡¯an today, right? I heard one of thedies¡¯ stories so I began to overthink things¡­¡±


    ¡°What story?¡±


    Huo Zheng was determined to get to the bottom of the matter today.


    ¡°Why are you so interested in another person¡¯s story?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked defensively, seeing how persistent Huo Zheng was.


    Lin Xiaowan was panicking inwardly, but Huo Zheng was very calm. He continued to look at her silently. In the end, she could no longer endure it and quickly put away her ws and waved the white g. She said, ¡°Alright, alright, I admit I was thinking about a bunch of nonsense.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan briefly told Huo Zheng about what happened to Zhu Yingyue. She also told him about what she had been struggling with the entire night.


    After listening to Lin Xiaowan, Huo Zheng felt a little hurt. He asked, ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll cheat on you?¡±


    Seeing that Huo Zheng was upset, she quickly pounced over to hug him and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. 1 don¡¯t know why I¡¯d think that as well¡­¡±


    She stammered as she exined, ¡°I¡­ But 1 thought things through after a long time. In the end, I¡­ 1 concluded that you wouldn¡¯t do such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°However, from what you told me, it seems like you don¡¯t really believe in your own conclusion¡­¡± Huo Zheng said unhappily. Moreover, when she said she had thought things through and figured it out, it was nothing more than her concluding that she would be able to live well alone in the future if something happened. He was naturally upset by herck of confidence in him.


    Apart from being angered by her distrust, Huo Zheng also thought about why she had such thoughts. Finally, he asked seriously, ¡°Did 1 not give you enough sense of security?¡±


    ¡öOtherwise, why would she have these thoughts?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan tilted her head and thought about it. In the end, she said, ¡°I feel secure enough, 1 think.¡±


    However, she did not sound very certain when she spoke.


    Huo Zheng sighed heavily before he gently pushed her away. ¡°Sit properly. I have a few questions for you..¡±

 Chapter 81 - 81: Why Is This Girl So Lovable?

    Chapter 81: Why Is This Girl So Lovable?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°If, ording to your imagination, after being married for so many years, I suddenly tell you that 1 like someone else, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Breakup,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied. In her mind, there was only one answer.


    ¡°I said after being married¡­¡± Huo Zheng emphasized the word ¡®married¡¯.


    ¡°Get a divorce,¡± Lin Xiaowan said weakly.


    It was not good to bring up the past, but at this moment, Lin Xiaowan could not help but think about her previous life. Although she knew that everything that happened in her previous life was just a misunderstanding, she still could not help thinking about it.


    If Huo Zheng and Song Zhiyi were really together, if she was not hit by a car, if Huo Zheng really asked for a divorce¡­


    Thinking about it, Lin Xiaowan thought that she really divorce him and returned to her hometown to spend the rest of her life alone.


    Huo Zheng was very dissatisfied with her answer. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Very well.¡±


    Perhaps he did not restrain or his expression was a little unsightly, Lin Xiaowan patted the back of his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re a little fierce now.¡±


    Huo Zheng was stunned. When he recovered, he held her hand gently and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Then, he asked another question. This time, in a softer tone. ¡°What if 1 refuse to give you anything after the divorce, and you have to leave with nothing?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about her question. Although it was hypothetical, she still felt sad when she thought about it. After a moment, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. After all, it¡¯s all your money.¡±


    The house, the car, and the money all belonged to Huo Zheng in the first ce. It was quite understandable if he did not want to give her anything.


    Huo Zheng did not expect that Lin Xiaowan would be so calm and epting. It was as though it was a matter of course that she did not receive anything. He could not help but say, ¡°Qingqing, you can¡¯t think that way. How can you ept it just like that? If you were penniless and jobless, have you ever thought about what would happen?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan mulled over his words seriously. If she was penniless and jobless after being abandoned, what would she do? Perhaps, she should find a job first. Could she be a dishwasher? Or perhaps she could look for a part-time job? In short, it did not matter what job it was as long as she could earn money. As for where to stay, would amodation be provided for temporary workers? Perhaps, she could temporarily live in a shelter? When she saved enough money, she would return to her hometown. However, there was nowhere else for her to go even if she returned to her hometown; she did not even have a home there. She was an unwanted child after all.


    Nearing the end of her thoughts, her eyes turned red. She could ept being penniless. After all, as long as she was willing, she would be able to find a job to support herself. She could also ept not having a ce to say. After all, she could sleep anywhere. However, what she could not ept was being alone again. She would return to being lonely and helpless, living her life shrouded in a cloud of fog. The world was so big, but no one wanted her. It would just be like the first twenty-one years of her life; no one wanted her.


    Thinking about this, tears welled up in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes. She widened her eyes to stop her tears from falling, but she failed miserably. It was as though she could already feel the loneliness. She was extremely sad.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head was lowered so Huo Zheng could not see her expression. However, when he saw her heavy breathing, he could tell that something was wrong. He ignored her resistance and made her raise her head. When he saw her face was wet with tears, his heart ached. He pulled her into his arms and said gently, ¡°Alright, alright, 1 won¡¯t talk about this anymore.¡±


    He sighed and continued to say, ¡°None of that would happen. 1 love you very much.¡±


    Huo Zheng was rarely so straightforward. As such, she cried even harder when she heard those words.


    No matter what, the world would continue spinning, and the sun would continue to rise. However, Lin Xiaowan felt that she really could not go on without Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng felt that he had made her cry so he continued to coax her gently. He thought she was crying because of what he had said. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I was wrong, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was emotional, but she calmed down very quickly. She sniffed and said with teary eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. It¡¯s just that¡­ If you don¡¯t want me, then 1¡¯11 be alone. No one wants me. 1,1 just felt a little sad when I thought about that.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s breathing hitched slightly, and his heart softened.


    ¡®Why is this girl so lovable?¡¯

 Chapter 82 - 82: Meeting Again

    Chapter 82: Meeting Again


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng said seriously, ¡°However, 1 still have to tell you. No matter what, you still have to fight for yourself, understand? You can¡¯t just go along with everything others say.¡±


    Although his expression was serious, his voice was gentle, and the love and affection in his eyes could not be hidden at all.


    ¡°Even if, I say if, we get married and I fall in love with someone else,¡± Huo Zheng said. He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully before he continued to say, ¡°You should quarrel with me, scold me, or hit me. In short, you have to fight for your own interest, understand?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he instantly regretted it. He felt like he did not articte his thoughts properly. In the end, he said, ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t wrong you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little unreasonable if I act like that?¡±


    Huo Zheng nced at her and said lightly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re unreasonable.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned by his words. After a long while, she said, ¡°Well said. If you work a little harder, you can officially be my boyfriend.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Huo Zheng said with a frown, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already acknowledge me previously?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, breaking free of his embrace, ¡°You¡¯re still in the trial period. If you don¡¯t perform well, see if I don¡¯t fire you¡­¡±


    Huo Zhengughed and shook his head. He did not argue with her and let her be.


    A few dayster, Zhu Yingyue took the initiative to contact Lin Xiaowan, saying that she wanted to meet to talk about the dessert shop. She proposed to meet at her house.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have a good impression of Zhu Yingyue who cheated so she asked tentatively, ¡°Will you be home alone?¡±


    Zhu Yingyue¡¯s tone was a little bitter even though she tried to be nonchnt. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s at work.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not help but feel sorry for Zhu Yingyue since she could hear Zhu Yingyue¡¯s bitterness. It was likely that her husband was not busy with work.


    Zhu Yingyue¡¯s house was close to Huo Zheng¡¯spany. It was located in a very expensive area that was quiet, beautiful, and green. The residential area was separated from the noisy downtown area.


    Although Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng lived in a high-rise building, the environment around the building was also verdant and beautiful. However,pared to this ce, it was still quite far from the city. There were not many people, and getting food delivered could also be difficult.


    Zhu Yingyue¡¯s home was very lively because of her children. Toys and all kinds of children¡¯s things were scattered everywhere. Although it was messy, it was clean. The color of the house was very warm and cozy, and it was clear that it had been carefully decorated.


    After changing into the guest¡¯s slippers, Lin Xiaowan handed the gift she had brought over for her visit.


    Zhu Yingyue did not expect Lin Xiaowan to give her a gift, and she was pleasantly surprised.


    Zhu Yingyue did not have many friends all these years. She mostly interacted with other mothers, and it could get quite exhausting since they had a tendency topete, which was annoying.


    Lin Xiaowan told Zhu Yingyue about her thoughts after she spoke to Huo Zheng. She said, ¡°You¡¯ve been married to him for so many years. How can you just ept him cheating on you? You should make a scene and fight for your own interest.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue was dressed in a long green dress today. Her ck hair was carefully pulled to the back, making her look gentle and elegant. However, there was a hint of sorrow in the depths of her eyes, making her look a little bitter.


    Lin Xiaowan stared at Zhu Yingyue and discovered that thetter had quite a bit of white hair hidden among her ck hair. Her expression was calm, but she was inwardly frightened. In her mind, only middle-aged people would have white hair. She did not expect Zhu Yingyue to already have white hair. After all, Zhu Yingyue did not look her age, and she had the unique charm of a mature and intellectual woman.


    Zhu Yingyue looked at the young woman who spoke to her seriously, and she felt mncholic. She felt that Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words were very naive, but she also envied Lin Xiaowan for retaining her naivete, still untainted by the passage of life and time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about our premarital agreement first,¡± Zhu Yingyue said with a hint of self-mocking, ¡°Even if I make a fuss, what capital do 1 have to make a fuss with him? I¡¯m not capable. My parents also can¡¯t help me. Will he give in just because I make a fuss? If 1 make a fuss, he¡¯s probably going to make things even more difficult for me. I¡¯m materialistic after all¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know what to say to these words.


    Upon seeing this, Zhu Yingyue realized she had let her emotions get the better of her. Sheughed and led Lin Xiaowan to the kitchen as she said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s forget about him. I baked a cake today.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue invited Lin Xiaowan over today because she had thought about it and decided to open up a shop. She wanted to explore Lin Xiaowan¡¯s thoughts again.


    Lin Xiaowan was usually indecisive. However, if someone had a definite direction and idea, she would follow along. To put it bluntly, she was a fence-sitter without a backbone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to do after opening the shop,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, looking slightly embarrassed.. She did not hide her shorings as she continued to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do ounting, and I don¡¯t have relevant management experience¡­ If we open a shop together, can I just stay in the shop and sell our goods?¡±

 Chapter 83 - 83: The Secretary

    Chapter 83: The Secretary


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Zhu Yingyue met with Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng to further discuss the matter, Zhu Yingyue was much more cautious and would think twice before speaking due to Huo Zheng¡¯s presence.


    Lin Xiaowan took the lion¡¯s share of the capital. Although Zhu Yingyue kept saying she was a materialistic woman, Zhu Yingyue was very clear and easygoing in regard to money. Moreover, Lin Xiaowan did not have to worry about the management of the shop and hadplete freedom. If she wanted to sell the desserts, she could do it. If she did not want to do it, she did not have to do it.


    Huo Zheng was very satisfied after reading the contract. There were no ws and everything was very clear. It was obvious that Zhu Yingyue had gotten a professional to draw up the contract.


    When Huo Zheng finally agreed, Zhu Yingyue sighed in relief inwardly. When Huo Zheng went out to make a call, leaving only her and Lin Xiaowan, she felt the atmosphere be lighter immediately. She inhaled deeply and said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Second Master Huo is really imposing. Don¡¯t you feel pressured when you¡¯re with him?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not empathize with Zhu Yingyue at all. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel any pressure at all when I¡¯m with him.¡±


    If anything, Lin Xiaowan was the one who put pressure on herself. Huo Zheng did not expect anything from her, but she would always overthink things.


    As for Zhu Yingyue, she felt that being around someone as imposing as Huo Zheng was very oppressive. Moreover, based on the couple¡¯s interaction, she could tell that Huo Zheng was the dominant one. During the meal, Lin Xiaowan rarely had to raise her chopsticks since Huo Zheng would pick the dishes for her, and he even controlled the amount of fruit juice she drank. Under such circumstances, she could not help but wonder if Lin Xiaowan was truly happy.


    However, although Zhu Yingyue had her doubts, she was very tactful and did not say anything. After all, that was a matter between the couple.


    In fact, Zhu Yingyue was overthinking things. On the surface, it seemed like Huo Zheng controlled Lin Xiaowan¡¯s life. However, that was only because Lin Xiaowan gave him that control. If anything, it would have been easy for Lin Xiaowan to wrestle the control away from him.


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°Why do you call him Second Master Huo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone calls him, right?¡± Zhu Yingyue said with a hint of uncertainty. She had heard many people referring to Huo Zheng as Second Master Huo.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s curiosity did not dissipate. When she reached home, she asked Huo Zheng about it.


    Huo Zheng also did not have the answer to this. He did not know when people began to call him Second Master Huo. After thinking about it carefully, he thought that it probably started when Huo Cheng began to handle important matters of the country. Huo Cheng was among the group of power who had control of central power so people began to address him as Master Huo. Perhaps for that reason, considering he was Huo Cheng¡¯s younger brother, when people met him, they began to refer to him as Second Master Huo.


    Lin Xiaowanmented, ¡°It sounds really imposing and intimidating¡­¡±


    The store that they bought for the dessert shop was originally a clothing store. It would take a long time for them to renovate it.


    Zhu Yingyue used her free time to study and learn how to improve the store.


    Lin Xiaowan would often hang out with Zhu Yingyue, and the more she did so, the more familiar she became with thetter¡¯s children.


    During the weekend, Lin Xiaowan and Zhu Yingyue tried making bubble tea together. The two children were at home, watching cartoons in the living room. It was supposed to be a peaceful afternoon, but Zhu Yingyue¡¯s husband suddenly returned.


    It was already bad enough that he returned unexpectedly, but he actually brought his secretary with him.


    The secretary was dressed professionally. She had a voluptuous figure, and her chestnut brown hair hung down in front of her chest. She also had a very expressive face.


    Knowing that Zhu Yingyue would not wee her, the secretary stood at the door and did note in. She wore a gentle smile on her face and did not seem to mind Zhu Yingyue who was looking at her with resentment and disgust.


    Lin Xiaowan sized the secretary up curiously. The other party even nodded politely at her and acted magnanimously. It seemed like the other party did not feel guilty at all for ruining someone else¡¯s family. The other party looked especially open and aboveboard.


    Lin Xiaowan felt that the secretary¡¯s mentality was truly extraordinary.


    Zhu Yingyue¡¯s husband returned to get his work documents. He went upstairs and came down in a hurry. Before he left, he even had time to tease his two children. He even wanted to hug Zhu Yingyue before he left, but she pushed him away.


    When he reached the door, the secretary reached out and adjusted his tie and cor. After that, he put his arm around her waist and left. When they reached the car, he even opened the car door for her.


    Zhu Yingyue watched the entire process expressionlessly.


    Even after Lin Xiaowan got home, she was still dumbfounded by what she had witnessed. She quickly told Huo Zheng about what happened before she grabbed his cor and asked him fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you also have such a flirtatious secretary?¡±


    Huo Zheng raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as he said, ¡°My Secretary-General is a man.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan raised an eyebrow.. ¡°Secretary-General? Does this mean you have a lot of secretaries?¡±

 Chapter 84 - 84: Daily Life

    Chapter 84: Daily Life


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The Huo Corporation was a huge enterprise with many subsidiarypanies. It was only natural that Huo Zheng had more than one secretary. He had many things to deal with every day, and if he had just one secretary, the other party would definitely burn out.


    ¡°There are eight secretaries under the Secretary-General.¡±


    ¡°So you have nine secretaries in total?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had only met Assistant Song. After finding out that Huo Zheng had so many secretaries, she could not help but ask, ¡°Then, do you have a lot of assistants as well?¡±


    ¡°Assistant Song is the only one who liaises with me.¡±


    In other words, Huo Zheng had other assistants as well, but Huo Zheng did not have much contact with them. It was the same for the secretaries as well; they usually did not have many chances to interact with Huo Zheng.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t youe to thepany to have a look?¡± Huo Zheng suggested.


    Lin Xiaowan was not interested at all. She said without hesitation, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    In her opinion, it would be boring to visit thepany. Everyone would be working, and what was she going to do? Stand by the window and look at the scenery? Or should she act like the boss and inspect the employees? Forget it. If anything, the employees were more likely to inspect her.


    At the beginning of June, Gu Yuwu returned from filming. She knew that Lin Xiaowan was preparing to open a dessert shop so she went to have a look.


    Lin Xiaowan was very enthusiastic when she showed Gu Yuwu around, exining in detail the division ofbor.


    Gu Yuwu nodded and said, ¡°The location is very good. I¡¯m sure that many wille when you open your store.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯ll be people whoe just to satisfy their curiosity as well¡­¡±


    The matter between Zhu Yingyue and her husband was not out in the open, but those in the same circle were vaguely aware of it. Although they were aware of it, they also tactfully remained silent. Since the people involved seemed to havee to an agreement, outsiders naturally would note up and cause trouble for no reason. At most, they would gossip about it among themselves.


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°That¡¯s right. There may be people who¡¯lle just to see you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled and said, ¡°After all, you have Huo Zheng. There are only advantages and no disadvantages if they get close to you¡­ You might know this yourself, but you¡¯re quite famous in the circle of aristocratic families and celebrities. You don¡¯t attend many events and the Huo family also rarely mentions you so people are even more curious about you¡­¡±


    As they walked down from the second floor, Gu Yuwu suddenly had an idea. She said, ¡°When the timees, you can turn the second floor into a VIP area for those wealthydies. Create a separate price list for the. For example, a slice of cake on the first floor cost 18 yuan, but it¡¯ll cost 78 yuan on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It won¡¯t look good for the store if this gets out. Moreover, those people might not evene. The second floor is so spacious. If thosedies you mentioned didn¡¯te, it¡¯ll be a waste of space,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, refusing decisively.


    Gu Yuwu smiled and did not say anything.


    Those wealthydies were idle and could be found everywhere. What kind of status did the Huo family have? Many families could notpare to the Huo family at all. Now that an opportunity to build a connection to the Huo family was given to them, how could they not seize it? It was likely that many were eager toe and get to know Lin Xiaowan.


    When the two of them stood at the door, Gu Yuwu took a few steps forward and pointed to a seat by the window as she said domineeringly, ¡°You¡¯ll have a private room on the second floor, right? Save this window seat for me, do you hear me? I want to be the first patron of your shop.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    In June, the weather in Shengjing was quite good, and it was suitable for traveling.


    Gu Yuwu wanted to take photos so she brought Lin Xiaowan out with her to have fun. The model this time was someone Lin Xiaowan was familiar with; it was none other than Chang Ning, the actress who yed a valiant character in the fantasy drama.


    Chang Ning was dressed casually today, and her short hair fell around the nape of her neck. All in all, she looked good. She leaned against the entrance of the subway stationzily. Her head was lowered, and she was wearing a mask. She was looking at her phone expressionlessly at this moment.


    Seeing that Chang Ning was unaware of their presence, Gu Yuwu quietly raised her camera and took a photo of Chang Ning.


    ¡°She looks so cool like this¡­¡±


    Chang Ning looked aloof and distant. She did not look like she was waiting for someone. Instead, she looked like she was waiting for her subordinate.


    However, when Chang Ning looked up and saw the two young women, the aloof expression on her face vanished immediately. Her eyes curved immediately. Even if her mouth was covered, it was clear that she was smiling. She no longer looked as unapproachable as before. She straightened her back as they walked over.


    Chang Ning was dressed in her usual attire today, looking cool and cool. She casually leaned against the entrance of the subway station, her short ck hair messy around her neck. She had her head lowered and a mask on her face. She was holding her phone in one hand and looking at it expressionlessly.


    Based on Gu Yuwu¡¯s style, they took the photos casually. There was no fixed location or setting. They wandered around and took photos as they went..

 Chapter 85 - 85: Happy Birthday!

    Chapter 85: Happy Birthday!


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Apart from Chang Ning¡¯s solo photos, they also took photos in groups of two and three. There were also solo photos of Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s favorite photo was the one Gu Yuwu took for her when she sat by the window eating half a watermelon with a silver spoon, looking very energetic. She specially asked for the photo and used it as her profile picture on her social media.


    Apart from photos, Gu Yuwu also took videos. She nned to choose a few photos and give them to her models.


    Lin Xiaowan was not very willing to appear in front of the camera. As such, Gu Yuwu edited Lin Xiaowan out of the video as much as she could. Mostly, only Lin Xiaowan¡¯s back, hands, or legs could be seen, and only her voice could be heard.


    Lin Xiaowan was very photogenic. Previously, when Lin Xiaowan was filming for the character of the goddess, Gu Yuwu had already noticed that. Although Lin Xiaowan had never gone through training and was reserved, she generally looked beautiful in front of the camera no matter the angle. One of the reasons was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s good posture. When she was feeling shy, she would not dare to look at the camera. She would lower her head, but her shoulders and back were straight.


    Gu Yuwu sighed when she edited the video. If it was possible, she really wanted to leave Lin Xiaowan in the video so everyone could see.


    Lin Xiaowan had been very busy recently. Apart from the dessert shop, she was also busy drawing and painting for Huo Zheng.


    After Hong Minima returned from her business trip, she brought Lin Xiaowan outside to sketch.


    The location was not far, and it was also in Shengjing. However, it was not in Shengjing¡¯s Academy of Fine Arts. Instead, it was at the sports department next door. They were sketching in the sports stadium to practice sketching the movements and expressions of others.


    The two of them sat on a bench next to the basketball court. The weather was quite hot so the boys wore sleeveless shirts when they yed basketball.


    It was not surprising that everyone¡¯s figures were really good since they were from the sports department. When they lifted their hands casually to wipe the sweat off their faces, the hem of their shirts would rise a little.


    Lin Xiaowan was in a daze as she watched them. She secretly took a photo and cropped out the subjects¡¯ faces. Unafraid of death, she did not only send the photo to Huo Zheng, but she even added a drooling emoji.


    [Huo Zheng: ?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I think these people¡¯s figures aren¡¯t as good as yours.]


    [Huo Zheng: Oh?]


    Huo Zheng¡¯s birthday banquet was held three days in advance. In her previous life, after getting married, she only attended the banquet once. She found it boring so she never went again.


    To put it bluntly, the banquet was a chance for people to socialize and build connections. At that time, she stood next to Huo Zheng silently and maintained a smile on her face the entire night. She felt her facial muscles were stiff from smiling for so long. She also had to make sure that her etiquette was right. Although Huo Zheng did not move around a lot, he would be the center of attention wherever he went. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him, and it made Lin Xiaowan feel very pressured.


    Moreover, the banquet aside, she would have dinner with Huo Zheng again to celebrate his birthday. This also contributed to the reason she stopped attending the birthday banquets.


    In fact, in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s previous life, many people misunderstood and assumed that Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng did not get along because she only attended his birthday banquet once. Moreover, Huo Zheng did not know about the rumors since no one dared to say anything to him. However, even if he knew about the rumor, he was not the type to rify the rumors. At most, he would frown, causing others to misunderstand even more that the two did not get along.


    It was the same this year. When Huo Zheng asked if Lin Xiaowan would attend the banquet, she said no. Not only did she refuse him, but she alsoined, ¡°It¡¯s too boring. Most of the guests only know how to tter you, and most of the time, I don¡¯t even understand your conversation. Apart from that, it¡¯s also very tiring to stand all night.¡±


    Huo Zheng had already expected her refusal, and he also did not force her. This kind of banquet was indeed very boring. Nheless, he would still ask for her opinion every time.


    Lin Xiaowan had already finished sketching the gift for him. She had hidden it from him all this time, but at this point, she could not help but want to keep him in suspense. She asked, ¡°Guess what gift I prepared for you?¡±


    Recently, Lin Xiaowan had been visiting Zhu Yingyue¡¯s house a lot. Apart from that, she would either visit the shop or learn from Hong Minhua as usual. There was nothing special about her days. For this reason, it was quite hard for Huo Zheng to guess.


    Lin Xiaowan said smugly, ¡°You can¡¯t guess, right? 1 won¡¯t tell you now. You¡¯ll see it for yourself when the timees.¡±


    Although the birthday banquet was held at the Huo family¡¯s old residence, Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an would not be present.


    Apart from the birthday banquet now and the Huo Corporation¡¯s annual g, Huo Zheng did not attend any events. Many people wanted to meet him, but they could not find him. As such, the birthday banquet was their chance.


    Gu Yuwu was present at the birthday banquet as well. Qin Yanchuan stood next to her like a guard dog, ring at the members of the opposite sex who dared to approach her. If they spoke to her, he would drive them away with his sharp tongue.


    When Huo Zheng finished dealing with a guest with a cold expression on his face, Gu Yuwu went forward to toast him before she asked, ¡°Xiaowan didn¡¯te?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded as he held his ss with no intention of drinking. He only nodded and did not say anything else.


    Gu Yuwu smiled before she scolded, ¡°Only Xiaowan can stand you.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not think too much of it. He naturally would not treat outsiders the same way he treated his precious Lin Xiaowan. If Lin Xiaowan were to ask him why someone was absent, he would definitely patiently exin it to her. ¡°Do you want to hike at night and watch the sunrise from the mountain?¡±


    Not quite understanding why Gu Yuwu would invite him, Huo Zheng only nced at her and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Qin Yanchuan snorted and said with augh, ¡°Alright. We¡¯re taking your wife away. When the timees, don¡¯t cry and beg us to bring you along.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at Gu Yuwu.


    Gu Yuwu held back herughter and said, ¡°In fact, 1 haven¡¯t asked Xiaowan yet. I nned to ask her today. Since I ran into you first, 1 decided to ask you first.¡± It had been a long time since Gu Yuwu filmed a daily vlog. After uploading Chang Ning¡¯s photos and video, many expressed their desire to see her daily life. She was rather free recently so she decided to go out and y, filming a vlog while she was at it.


    Huo Zheng remained silent, indicating that he would wait for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s decision.


    Three days after the birthday banquet was Huo Zheng¡¯s birthday.


    The family decided to have dinner together.


    Lin Xiaowan chose the venue, which was rmended by Gu Yuwu. It was a private restaurant in the east of the city that was close to the public. The menu would also change every day. The customers would have to eat whatever was on the menu; they could not pick and choose. She only needed to make a reservation before going.


    Early in the morning, Lin Xiaowan seemed even more excited than the birthday boy. As soon as she woke up, she pounced on him and kissed him twice before she cheerfully wished him a happy birthday..

 Chapter 86 - 86: Preparing for a Picnic

    Chapter 86: Preparing for a Pic


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng hugged Lin Xiaowan.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan took out a birthday hat from somewhere and put it on his head.


    After breakfast, she led him to the studio and showed him his present.


    The majestic lion in the painting was dressed in a ck suit, but his pants were switched to Hawaiian floral shorts. A golden flower brooch could be seen on the jacket pocket, and the lion held a bouquet of flowers.


    The background of the painting was inspired by the garden in the Huo family¡¯s old residence. Lin Xiaowan made many changes to it.


    The lion¡¯s expression was serious like that of Huo Zheng. It took a long time for her to draw the eyes. She found it difficult to draw Huo Zheng¡¯s deep eyes so she could only focus on using colors to add depth to them. She had asked Hong Minhua for advice as well when she painted this.


    After shepleted the painting, she carefully framed it.


    ¡°Is that supposed to be me?¡± Huo Zheng asked as he held her in his arms.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like you?¡±


    Huo Zheng and the lion stared at each other. After a while, he nodded and said with augh, ¡°Yes, it does.¡±


    When the couple returned home from dinner, Lin Xiaowan saw that her painting had been hung above the counter in the dining room. Its spot was very conspicuous, and the painting could be seen as soon as one entered the room. Obviously, Huo Zheng had instructed someone to hang it here.


    Lin Xiaowan was very satisfied. After admiring it for a long time, she said to


    Huo Zheng confidently, ¡°I¡¯ll paint you a better one in the future.¡±


    Before going to bed, Lin Xiaowan said, looking a little embarrassed, ¡°Since it¡¯s your birthday, I¡¯d like to announce that you¡¯re now officially my boyfriend.¡±


    Huo Zheng kissed her and whispered, ¡°Okay.¡±


    It did not really matter to Huo Zheng, to be honest. In his opinion, they had never broken up and had always been together.


    After Huo Zheng¡¯s birthday, Lin Xiaowan agreed to go hiking with Gu Yuwu.


    The weather was just nice and not too hot, about 25 degrees Celcius. Just hiking seemed boring so they decided to have a pic during the day.


    They decided to have a pic in a farmhouse in the western suburbs of Shengjing. This ce was also not open to the public, and it was also rmended by Gu Yuwu.


    The owner of the farmhouse was a couple from the entertainment industry. The mistress of the house liked flowers so there were many flowers around.


    The scenery was different each season. There was also argeke where they could fish. All in all, it was a very suitable ce to rx.


    The couple rarely came to the farmhouse so they would allow close friends toe over to rx. Although they were rarely around, they hired people to clean and maintain the ce.


    When Gu Yuwu first mentioned hiking to Lin Xiaowan, she also told thetter about filming a vlog. After all, she was worried that it would make Lin Xiaowan ufortable. She assured Lin Xiaowan that she would not film her face.


    Lin Xiaowan did not think much of it. In fact, she felt that it was meaningful to record her life.


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s vlog started with the two of them preparing food for the pic in Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng¡¯s house. To be precise, they were only helping the chef prepare the food.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan decided to open a dessert shop with Zhu Yingyue, she had been learning to make desserts with the chef. Although she could not be considered very good, the desserts she made were considered presentable.


    After the Huo family¡¯s chef made the food, he would pack it up for them as well to be eaten tomorrow. They decided to prepare the food at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s house because the kitchen here was veryplete.


    Gu Yuwu pointed the camera at the chef and said, ¡°This is the chef in charge of our pic food¡­¡±


    The chef had participated in many prestigiouspetitions before so he was even more natural in front of the camera than Lin Xiaowan. He was very amiable and waved at the camera before he lowered his head to prep the ingredients.


    ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll add an introduction for you,¡± Gu Yuwu said. After all, she still needed to edit the video.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be famous at that time,¡± the chef said with a smile.


    Lin Xiaowan rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands, ready to help the chef. She was in high spirits. She said confidently, ¡°I can do simple work. I can definitely do it!¡±


    When learning to make desserts from Zhu Yingyue, Zhu Yingyue would always praise Lin Xiaowan.


    However, the chef had seen Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ¡®skills¡¯ before so he could not help but feel skeptical when he heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words. Fortunately, they were cooking with semi-finished food products today. After taking everyone¡¯s skills into consideration, he chose a few simple dishes.


    The chef gave Lin Xiaowan the broli and asked her to cut it into small pieces.


    Lin Xiaowan had to take care of herself in the past. After so many years, she still knew how to cut broli. She cut off the root with a sharp knife before cutting it into small pieces.


    The chef, who was deboning the chicken at the side, praised Lin Xiaowan when he saw her. ¡°Miss Lin, you¡¯re doing quite well this time.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said earnestly, ¡°Actually, I really know how to cook. It¡¯s just that the food I make isn¡¯t very delicious or professional.¡±


    For ordinary people, they would cut vegetables and meat at will. Most people would not care if they were cutting against the grain of the meat or not, and they also would not deliberately learn how to cut cucumbers into diamond-shaped slices.


    The chef liked Lin Xiaowan¡¯s passion for learning and her indomitable spirit.


    As such, he was very willing to teach her. He said, ¡°Let me teach you the secret to cutting onions without tearing up¡­¡±


    The chef brought the onions that had been cut in half out of the fridge and said, ¡°All you have to do is freeze it in advance. With that, your eyes won¡¯t tear up when you cut the onion.¡±


    Gu Yuwu raised her camera and said, ¡°I¡¯ll include this scene in the videoter¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, the chef said, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s also another way that everyone might be more familiar with. After all, very few people would keep onions in the refrigerator, right?¡±


    The chef found a small basin and filled half of it with water. After putting the onions in, he said, ¡°Just cut the onions in water. You have to use a basin that will allow you to cut the onionsfortably. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be troublesome to cut the onions.¡±


    The chef cut the onions and continued to say, ¡°Look. This basin is a little small so it¡¯s harder to cut the onions.


    Gu Yuwu eximed, ¡°Wow! It doesn¡¯t look hard for you at all. As expected of a chef.¡±


    The chef said, ¡°If you think this method is a waste of water, there¡¯s another way.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked seriously.


    ¡°If you heat the onions in a microwave, the high temperature would destroy the alliinase in the onions. With that, your eyes won¡¯t tear up when you¡¯re cutting them.¡±


    The chef continued, ¡°There might be people who don¡¯t have microwaves at home. They can choose the other methods instead.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she eximed, ¡°Wow! You¡¯re really knowledgeable!¡±


    The chef did not think too much of it and said modestly, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m a chef, after all. It¡¯s natural to know these small things. The majority of chefs know these things as well.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rubbed her hands together and said excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m going to learn from you whenever 1 have time in the future! I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    The chef paused for a moment before he said tactfully, ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Miss Lin to help me.¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed when she heard the underlying meaning of the chef¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. This was the first time she discovered that the chef who came to cook every day was a little humorous..

 Chapter 87 - 87: Look at Our Shoes!

    Chapter 87: Look at Our Shoes!


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Early in the morning, there were already a few people in the kitchen.


    Aunt Wu stood at the door worriedly. The two young women insisted on doing it themselves so she could only watch them. She held the camera, not daring to move as she said anxiously, ¡°Wait. Wait for the pot to heat up! Don¡¯t put cold water on it! That sauce has to be mixed again!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan filled the takeout boxes with desserts. She had a lot of beautiful takeout boxes now that she was going to open up a dessert shop. She said with a smile, ¡°Aunt Wu, you¡¯re too anxious.¡±


    It was not even 10 AM when Huo Zheng came downstairs.


    Qin Yanchuan whistled when he saw Huo Zheng and said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally willing to remove your suit? 1 thought it was glued to your body!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan helped Huo Zheng pick out the clothes he wore today. He wore a white shirt, a windbreaker, and a pair of casual pants. As for the shoes, he wore the couple¡¯s shoes she bought previously. The outfit softened his aura greatly.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan ran over and lifted her foot slightly before she said proudly, ¡°Look at our shoes!¡±


    At the same time, Gu Yuwu stepped forward and covered Qin Yanchuan¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°1 don¡¯t dare to let Yanchuan see this.¡±


    Gu Yuwu and Qin Yanchuan had never worn matching items before. She knew Qin Yanchuan was the king of jealousy, and if he saw Lin Xiaowan and Gu Yuwu¡¯s shoes, she did not know how he would kick up a fuss.


    Qin Yanchuan was not stupid nor was he blind. The couple in front of him was standing together, and their shoes could not be more obvious. He felt a little envious, and he called out, ¡°Baby, I¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s expression changed and she said through gritted teeth, ¡°Can you speak properly?¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not know where Qin Yanchuan learned it from. He did not call her by her name and would keep calling her ¡®baby¡¯ day in and day out.


    Qin Yanchuan was a prominent figure. In front of others, he was stern and aloof, but he waspletely different when he was with his wife. He said, ¡°No.


    1 want to call you ¡®baby*. Baby, Baby, Baby¡­¡±


    Then, Qin Yanchuan continued to say with an aggrieved expression on his face, ¡°Look, they¡¯re wearing matching shoes! I want to wear matching items as well!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was at a loss. Suddenly, a small light bulb lit up in her mind, and she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I remove my shoes, and you can wear them?¡±


    H ii


    Gu Yuwu said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need for that.¡±


    Huo Zheng was speechless. Then, he looked at Qin Yanchuan with aplicated gaze, his meaning was very obvious.


    Upon seeing this, Qin Yanchuan said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Do you think 1 want to wear matching shoes with you?!¡±


    The group of four drove to the western suburbs on their own and did not call for a driver. Excluding Lin Xiaowan, all of them knew how to drive.


    It took less than two hours to drive to the farmhouse in the western suburbs. When they arrived, it was just in time for lunch.


    The farm was beautiful, and the house was gorgeous. At the entrance, there was a map of the farm on a block of stone.


    Behind the house, there was a quiet bamboo forest. After walking past the bamboo forest and turning right, one would see theke. A narrow red wooden bridge with a small and exquisite pavilion at the end of it extended to the heart of theke. On both sides of the narrow bridge were clusters of white water primrose.


    On the left of the bamboo forest, there was a hot spring. However, since it was summer now, none of them was interested in soaking in the hot spring.


    The caretaker of the farm had already set up everything for them. There were all kinds of things like a barbecue stove, karaoke machine with sound systems, fishing rods, baskets, and the likes.


    Huo Zheng poured some warm water for Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Drink some water.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s cup was very cute. It was one of those straw cups that was very popr among kids. Her cup was very big and could hold a liter of water.


    After drinking water, Lin Xiaowan ran to the side to fiddle with the karaoke machine with Gu Yuwu.


    It did not take long before Huo Zheng brought a te of fruits over. He knew that Lin Xiaowan wanted to eat snacks, but if she ate snacks now, she would ruin her appetite for lunch.


    As expected, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°1 want to eat that chocte oatmeal cake.¡±


    ¡°Eat some fruits first.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew that Huo Zheng would not allow her to eat the cake now so she said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°You can have some yogurt.¡±


    After Huo Zheng fed her a cherry, she shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    The yogurt was homemade. There was very little sugar added, and it was a little sour.


    Lin Xiaowan had been eating a lot of desserts recently. It was not too long ago that she had a toothache. After seeing the dentist, he had told her to cut down on her sugar consumption.


    At this time, Gu Yuwu took photos conscientiously. At the same time, she clicked her tongue and said in admiration, ¡°See how caring this kind of boyfriend is?¡±


    Unwilling to be left out, Qin Yanchuan tried to attract his wife¡¯s attention. He said loudly, ¡°I want to eat chocte oatmeal cake too!¡±


    Gu Yuwu rolled her eyes and said, ¡°We have a lot of meat. Eat the meat!¡±


    Yesterday, the chef had prepared a lot of meat skewers for them. Those that were marinated with spicy sauce were packed separately. There were also vegetables. There was a lot of food that they could eat to their hearts¡¯ content.


    While the men barbecued the meat, Lin Xiaowan, who lost interest in the karaoke machine, wanted to go fishing. Seeing how eager she was, Gu Yuwu volunteered to teach her.


    However, Gu Yuwu herself did not have much experience. She knew they had to prepare the bait and such. Previously everything had been prepared for her, all she needed to do was to hold the rod and wait for the fish to take the bait.


    The two young women crouched down and watched a tutorial video.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan, who was watching the video, suddenly said, ¡°I want to eat roasted potatoes!¡±


    Gu Yuwu was stunned by the abrupt change in topic. After a moment, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we brought any. I¡¯ll call the caretaker to ask.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. After that, she rolled up her sleeves and touched the bait. After a moment, she said seriously, ¡°It looks like meatballs. The color and feel are quite simr¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed. ¡°Are you very hungry?¡±


    Coincidentally, a gust of wind brought the fragrance of roasted meat over. It was as though an invisible hand had reached out and turned Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head to the source of the fragrance.


    Huo Zheng was very meticulous with everything he did. Perhaps it was due to his elegant and noble temperament, although he was just grilling mushrooms, he looked as though he was conducting some amazing experiment.


    Lin Xiaowan sniffed a few times before she said, ¡°It smells so good¡­¡±


    The two young women quickly grew bored of fishing. After throwing the bait into theke, they waited. After sitting for a while, there were still no movements, and Lin Xiaowan began to yawn, looking drowsy.


    Lin Xiaowan ate from the te of fruit, ignoring her fishing rod. At the same time, she would also feed Gu Yuwu.


    Gu Yuwu was amused by Lin Xiaowan.. She said, ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten yet, but you¡¯re already sleepy?¡±

 Chapter 88 - 88: A Small Seashell Brooch

    Chapter 88: A Small Seashell Brooch


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The two men were surprisingly good at looking.


    After lunch, they went to look at the sea of flowers at the front. Apart from that, there were also exotic flowers that were grown in a huge ss greenhouse. There were rocking chairs and tables in the greenhouse for resting as well. There was also a box with many things inside to help one pass the time.


    Lin Xiaowan had brought her sketchbook and her pencil when she came out today. She sat cross-legged to sketch while Gu Yuwuy on the hammock. This was the homework that Hong Minhua had given her; Hong Minhua wanted her toplete three sketches. Although she was not very good at drawing, this homework was not difficult for her.


    They had plenty of time now. They nned to hike the famous Mount An in the neighboring city. However, they were only going to hike at night. It would take five hours to hike to the peak to watch the sunrise. As such, they were not in a rush.


    In the evening, the few of them went to the beach. The waves gradually receded from the show, and the surface of the sea reflected the colors of the fiery sunset. Even the clouds were tinted with the fiery hues. All in all, it was very beautiful.


    Lin Xiaowan stood barefooted on the wet sand.


    Upon seeing this, Huo Zheng picked up her shoes and said, ¡°Be careful of your feet. Don¡¯t get cut by sharp stones.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s skin was very delicate. With just a little force, it would leave a red mark. It was very easy for her to cut her skin and get injured.


    Lin Xiaowan carried a small bucket and chased after the retreating waves as she replied, ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡±


    Gu Yuwu picked up a small crab and showed it to Lin Xiaowan, saying, ¡°Look. It¡¯s still spitting out bubbles.¡±


    The crab was really small, only the size of a thumb. It was ying dead on Gu Yuwu¡¯s palm, looking lifeless.


    Lin Xiaowan poked it and asked, ¡°Can this be eaten?¡±


    Gu Yuwu casually released the crab back into the shallow water and said, ¡°There¡¯s no meaning in eating such a small crab¡­ Why do you always think of food when looking at things?¡±


    After that, Gu Yuwu added, ¡°You¡¯re not picky with food as well. You¡¯re really easy to raise.¡±


    Earlier in the afternoon, the caretaker at the farm had brought a small basket of sweet potatoes. They were very small and were a variety that was developed by some agricultural institute. There were ten of them in the basket, and Lin Xiaowan alone ate half of them enthusiastically.


    Lin Xiaowan said defensively, ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­¡±


    Going to the beach was not part of the n. They were making their way to Mount An when they passed a small section of the coast. As the sun was setting, they stopped the car to have a look. They also bought a small bucket. Since the tide was receding, perhaps they could find things on the beach. Many marine creatures would also be stranded on the beach because they could not keep up with the retreating speed of the tide.


    Lin Xiaowan picked up a handful of seashells and ced them in the stic bucket.


    Gu Yuwu could tell that Lin Xiaowan liked seashells very much so she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go to that shopter. They can turn the seashells into anything you want such as nes, bracelets, and the like¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°That sounds great. However, will they be able to send it to me?¡±


    Otherwise, it would be too troublesome to return to this ce to collect the item. After all, they were no longer in Shengjing City¡¯s territory. It was quite a distance away from Shengjing.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The weather in June was not like midsummer. After sunset, the sky would still be bright for a long time in midsummer. Now, the sky would turn dark as soon as the sun set.


    Lin Xiaowan carefully selected a few small seashells and took them to the shop to turn them into earrings.


    There was one that was especially beautiful. Its teeth were white with a green-ck grain. It looked like it was glowing when the light shone on it. The patterns were exquisite as well, and the edges were round and smooth. Lin Xiaowan waited for it to be polished before taking it away. She wanted to make a brooch or cufflinks for Huo Zheng without it. Cufflinks usually came in pairs so she was not sure if the shell could be cut into two.


    When Gu Yuwu saw Lin Xiaowan carefully putting the shell in the innermost part of her bag, she asked curiously, ¡°Are you bringing this one back as a souvenir? It¡¯s pretty.¡±


    Although the seashell was very pretty, it did not seem like it would make a good decorative piece due to its size.


    Lin Xiaowan looked around before she leaned over and whispered into Gu Yuwu¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you know any designers?¡±


    ¡°What kind of designer?¡±


    ¡°A jewelry designer. I want to make a brooch out of this seashell.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about this seashell?¡± Gu Yuwu asked before adding, ¡°If you like brooches, I¡¯ll bring you to buy them in the future.¡±


    At this time, they had already gotten into the car. Lin Xiaowan looked at the two men who were talking in the front seats. Seeing that they were not paying attention, she exined to Gu Yuwu, ¡°No. I want to give it to Huo Zheng.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rarely gave Huo Zheng anything. After all, his starting point was too high, and she did not know what to give him. Huo Zheng did not seem to like anything, and he also did not seem to have preferences. After thinking about it, it seemed to her that he did not have any hobbies as well. Most men in theirte twenties like ying football and such, but Huo Zheng seemed to either be working or spending his time with her.


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°1 think it¡¯s too in as well. I wonder if gemstones could be embedded on it¡­¡±


    However, the gemstones that could match Huo Zheng¡¯s status were all expensive. Hence, Lin Xiaowan was not very sure about this idea.


    Upon hearing those words, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°Do you have a budget?¡±


    Even without the cost of the raw materials, the fee for the craftsmanship of a well-known jewelry designer was not to be underestimated.


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head nervously. ¡°Is it very expensive?¡±


    Gu Yuwu thought about the price based on her experience before she said, ¡°It¡¯s not expensive for the Huo family, but¡­ it might be quite expensive for you. I¡¯ll ask around for you when we get back.¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan could also look for lesser-known jewelry designers in the industry. There were many young designers who were talented as well. It was just that they had not gotten a break yet.


    There were quite many people who came to climb Mount An at night. After all, it was Friday. About 90% of them were young people, and they looked like university students. Apart from that, there were families with the elderly and children, some even brought their pets. Everyone was talking andughing.


    Lin Xiaowan bought two glowing bunny ears clips. After she and Gu Yuwu put it on, they leaned their heads close to each other, and she took a photo with Gu Yuwu¡¯s phone.


    Gu Yuwu edited the photo a little before she asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Can I post this on my social media?¡±


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s photography skills were good, and her editing skills were also good. Li Xiaowan really liked Gu Yuwu¡¯s style of photography the moment she saw it. The photo was taken beautifully and was only shared among close friends so Lin Xiaowan did not mind and nodded.


    The two young women walked side by side as they climbed up the mountain.


    Meanwhile, Huo Zheng carried her bag and her water bottle for her. Lin Xiaowan wanted to carry the water bottle, but it was rather heavy since it was still filled with water. For this reason, Huo Zheng sized her up for a moment before he said, ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Although he did not say anything, the meaning of his gaze was obvious to Lin Xiaowan. Seeing how proactive he was as a boyfriend, she did not refuse and said as she gestured with her hands, ¡°Alright, alright, you can do it, you can do it..¡±

 Chapter 89 - 89: Nighttime on the Mountain

    Chapter 89: Nighttime on the Mountain


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan clicked her tongue and thought to herself, ¡®If 1 wasn¡¯t worried about tiring this ungrateful man, would I be so considerate?¡¯


    The group had rested before they hiked up the mountain. It was already close to midnight when they began their hike. However, the liveliness of the people in the surroundings made people forget about the time.


    Gu Yuwu took a few photos before she stuffed her camera in her back. After that, she stuffed her bag into Qin Yanchuan¡¯s hands and patted him on the head as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t fall too far behind. 1¡¯11 take more photos after we¡¯ve walked for a bit.¡±


    Qin Yanchuan hugged her and kissed her before he said, ¡°Are you looking down on your husband? 1 hold the record of carrying your things for more than ten kilometers!¡±


    Mount An was not very high in altitude, but Lin Xiaowan¡¯s stamina was really poor. In the beginning, she could still stride forward valiantly, but it did not take long before her legs started aching.


    In the beginning, there was a long slope, and it was easy to walk. However, strictly speaking, this part of the journey could not be considered climbing the mountain.


    After walking for ten minutes and climbing a few steps, the path suddenly became narrow. Next to the streetmp, there was a blue street sign.


    [Congrattions on reaching the starting point. There are still 6,217 steps waiting for you!]


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she eximed, ¡°If this is the starting point, then what was it before? The road to the starting point?¡±


    Huo Zheng handed Lin Xiaowan her water bottle so she could have a drink as he asked, ¡°Tired?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took two sips and conveniently hung the water bottle around her neck. She stretched her arms and legs as she said, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    After a moment, she added, ¡°Six thousand steps don¡¯t seem like a lot¡­ How high is the mountain?¡±


    ¡°The mountain is not very high. It¡¯s not very steep, and it¡¯s not dangerous¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s fighting spirit was reignited after hearing this, and she said, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Huo Zheng reached out and said, ¡°Water bottle.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not give it to him. ¡°I can carry it. It¡¯s more convenient this way.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not insist this time. However, he kept an eye on her. As she walked the bottle would sway, and the strap would rub against her neck. It did not take long before a light red mark appeared at the back and sides of her neck. He was walking behind her so he saw everything clearly when they passed by the streetmps. After holding it in for a long time and seeing how ufortable she was, he could not help but take the water bottle from her.


    Lin Xiaowan was puzzled. After all, it was just a water bottle. It was not hard to carry it. Nheless, she had to admit that it was morefortable after he took the water bottle from her.


    After more than an hour of walking and stopping, Lin Xiaowan felt that she could not move anymore. She was shocked when she discovered that among the four of them, she was the only one who was tired. The other three looked very rxed.


    ¡®How can this be?!¡¯


    The further they went up, they saw that apart from one or two peddlers at the designated areas, there were only the steps and the hikers. There were no more streetmps as well. Apart from the moonlight, the only source of light was the shlight in the hikers¡¯ hands.


    Lin Xiaowan rested for two minutes before she looked at her current location on her phone. She almost fainted when she saw that she was still very close to the starting point. She had walked for more than an hour, but she had only advanced less than one centimeter on the mobile map.


    ¡®No, this map is definitely inurate!¡¯


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    Upon hearing this, some kind of hidden energy surged up in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s body. She raised her head, unwilling to admit defeat as she said loudly, ¡°I¡¯m not tired! 1 can do it!¡±


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you can¡¯t walk anymore, we can take a car up there.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly tempted, but she quickly insisted she was not tired again. They had already started climbing. If she took a car now, she would feel as though she had climbed in vain so far. However, she also felt that the speed of climbing the mountain was very slow. Every time they took a break, she was the only one panting and gasping for breath. The other three also took care of her and apanied her when she rested.


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little apologetic for dying the others so she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait for me. You can go ahead first, and I¡¯ll catch up to you.¡±


    Huo Zheng only looked at her silently as he helped her tidy up her air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Gu Yuwu said with a smile, ¡°Our main goal is to watch the sunrise, not climb the mountain. Climbing the mountain is just part of the journey. Riding the car up the mountain is also an experience. Moreover, 1 haven¡¯t seen the mountain road at night.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not very keen about taking a car up the mountain. They had been hiking in the dark so she assumed that there would be no streetmps if they drove up as well. She thought it would be dangerous driving without any streetmps to light their way. She did not notice that the path up the mountain for cars had streetmps when they passed by earlier.


    Lin Xiaowan tried to reduce the time she took to rest and gritted her teeth as she continued to climb up silently. She was originally wearing a thin coat, but because it was too hot, she tried to remove it a few times. However, Huo Zheng kept stopping her. She naturally felt a little unhappy.


    It was June now. The weather was good during the day, but at night, the mountain wind was cold.


    Lin Xiaowan wore a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pants. She felt that her clothes were sweaty and sticking to her skin, making her feel ufortable. She looked at the three people with a hint of admiration. They could even chat while they climbed the stairs. On the contrary, she felt as though she did not have enough oxygen. She really wished she could just lie on the ground and close her eyes at this moment.


    Gu Yuwu held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and cheered thetter on. ¡°You can do it. Let¡¯s sit down and rest up ahead. 1¡¯11 buy you an ice cream. Don¡¯t worry about Huo Zheng.¡±


    Huo Zheng had rejected Lin Xiaowan¡¯s request to have ice cream earlier. He had filled her water bottle with warm water he had gotten from the peddlers earlier. She was naturally unwilling to drink the warm water. She was already feeling hot and sweaty in the first ce.


    Lin Xiaowan looked up and saw a bustling crowd at the end of the steps where arge resting area was located. After taking a seat, she touched the water bottle. Seeing that the water was no longer warm, she hurriedly drank from the bottle, gulping most of it down.


    Huo Zheng frowned. However, seeing that she was ignoring him, he did not say anything. He waited for her to finish drinking before he filled half of the bottle with hot water.


    Lin Xiaowan was so tired at this moment that she did not even bother to protest at this moment.


    Gu Yuwu returned after buying a bowl of creamy and fruity shaved ice and sat next to Lin Xiaowan. Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was as angry as a pufferfish, she said with a smile, ¡°Are you still angry at Huo Zheng? Don¡¯t be angry. Let¡¯s eat something to relieve your anger.¡±


    It was now past 3 AM, and they were already almost at the halfway point. There was still plenty of time left.


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to eat, but she was worried that it was too cold. She looked a little pitiful as she scooped small bites and waited for them to melt a little before she ate them.


    Gu Yuwu did not care about these things. She often ate whatever she liked, and she never had any problems. Nheless, she was still worried about Lin Xiaowan and did not dare to let thetter eat too much. She said, ¡°Just eat a little, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very easygoing. She nodded, looking satisfied.


    Gu Yuwu was in fact about the same age as Lin Xiaowan. However, the former spoke and acted like an elder sister. As for Lin Xiaowan, whether it was her temperament or anything else, she appeared much more childish. Moreover, it seemed like the older she got, the more childish she became. Her lost childhood seemed to return after she grew up and was in her twenties. Time seemed to be going backward for her. While others grew up, she seemed to be going back in time..

 Chapter 90 - 90: Serious and Gentle

    Chapter 90: Serious and Gentle


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    At this moment, Huo Zheng held the pink water bottle in his hands, gently and humbly filling it up. It did not fit his image at all. Although he still looked unapproachable, he did not have his icy aura when he was working. When he returned, he saw a huge bowl of shaved ice on the table. He paused in steps and stared at Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head and bit her spoon, feeling inexplicably guilty and irritated.


    Upon seeing this, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so strict. She only had a few small bites to satisfy her cravings.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scooped another spoonful and slowly savored it. Her head remained lowered. Although she could feel the burning gaze on her, she ignored it and did not look at him. She was still angry after all. At this moment, her gazended on her shoes; her shoces hade undone at some point. She stared at it for a moment, feeling a littlezy to bend down and retie them. She was exhausted to begin with, and just the thought of bending down made her feel even more exhausted.


    Huo Zheng noticed this as well. He walked over and crouched down in front of her before he silently tied her shoces.


    Although no one was paying attention to them, Lin Xiaowan still felt a little embarrassed. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Huo Zheng held her ankle carefully as he tied her shoces. He looked up at her, her figure clearly reflected in his eyes, as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan withdrew her leg and said with a scoff. ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you.¡±


    Huo Zheng rose to his feet and sat next to her before he asked, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you talk to me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like talking to you.¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan did not seem very angry, Huo Zheng rxed. He said with a chuckle, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re angry with me?¡±


    Huo Zheng watched her continue to eat the shaved ice bit by bit, and he could not help but say, ¡°Eat less.¡±


    He was worried Lin Xiaowan would feel unwell after drinking cold water and eating shaved ice after exercising. It would be difficult to seek medical treatment on the mountain, after all.


    Meanwhile, Gu Yuwu, who had been watching the amount that Lin Xiaowan ate, finally pulled the bowl in front of her. She said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll eat the rest.¡± Although Lin Xiaowan was reluctant, she did not protest. She was not greedy, and she knew her limit. It was okay now that her cravings were satisfied. She watched Gu Yuwu eat. In just a few bites, thetter had already finished almost half of it. She felt her teeth ache when she watched Gu Yuwu eat.


    The group rested for nearly 30 minutes. Lin Xiaowan felt rather embarrassed. She felt that if she continued to sit and lean against Huo Zheng like this, she would not want to leave for the rest of the night. In the end, she forced herself to continue the journey.


    Lin Xiaowan soldiered on to the Sky Gazing Gate. After passing the Sky Gazing Gate, it would be the final stretch to their destination to watch the sunset. Unfortunately, this path was difficult to walk on. The stairs were high and steep. Every step was almost knee-high so one would have to raise their legs very often.


    Lin Xiaowan found it difficult to climb up. Seeing this, Huo Zheng carried her up the final steps. Initially, she was unwilling. However, when she discovered that Huo Zheng was only breathing a little heavily after carrying her, she felt much more at ease. At the same time, she also secretly made up her mind to exercise more after she returned.


    As they climbed higher, the temperature would drop. Although they did not need thick coats like in autumn and winter, they needed a light jacket to keep warm.


    Lin Xiaowan was wrapped up in her jacket as shey on Huo Zheng¡¯s back. She leaned against his head and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    Huo Zheng was not wearing a jacket at all. His movements were agile, and his footsteps were steady as he carried her. He replied in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hugged his neck tightly and yawned, rubbing against him like a cat.


    Huo Zheng tilted his head to look at her before he said, ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, then go to sleep.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rubbed her eyes drowsily. Since earlier, she had wished to lie on the ground and closed her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her body was tired. However, now that she was lying on his back, she was not very willing to go to sleep. She said softly, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still some time left before the sun rises¡­¡±


    The sun rose rtivelyte at this time. Although the sky was already beginning to brighten, it would still take a while for the sun to rise.


    After going up another flight of stairs, Lin Xiaowan wanted to get off Huo Zheng¡¯s back. There were many people climbing up. Many elderly people relied on their walking sticks to climb up, and even children were climbing up on their own, using their hands and feet. She was the only one who was being carried up, which attracted many people¡¯s attention.


    Lin Xiaowan felt embarrassed and shameless. Even if Huo Zheng did not show it, he must be tired. Even if she was not very tall and was very thin, she was still an adult after all.


    Sensing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s restlessness, Huo Zheng did not stop moving. He only asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Since they were on the stairs, Lin Xiaowan did not dare to struggle, afraid that they would fall. She only said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired anymore. Let me down. I can walk on my own.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re arriving soon.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Since we¡¯re arriving soon, let me walk. I can¡¯t let you carry me when even children are climbing up on their own.¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled softly and asked, ¡°Are you worried that 1¡¯11 be tired?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pouted. ¡°No.¡±


    Although that was the case, Lin Xiaowan did not want to say it out loud.


    Meanwhile, Gu Yuwu and Qin Yanchuan moved very quickly. They were already waiting for the two at the finish line.


    Qin Yanchuan put a jacket on his wife and crouched down to massage her calves enthusiastically. He asked, ¡°Honey, are you tired? Shall we sit for a while? Why don¡¯t you let me carry you? Look at Huo Zheng carrying his wife.¡± Gu Yuwu really could not understand her husband. ¡°What¡¯s there topare? Xiaowan is a little weaker so she needs to be carried, but I¡¯m not tired at all.¡±


    Gu Yuwu and Qin Yanchuan had grown up together. He knew that she was very athletic and exercised a lot since she was young. As such, she was rather strong.


    Qin Yanchuan hugged his wife and rested his head on her shoulder,ining. In any case, he was envious of Huo Zheng.


    Gu Yuwu rubbed Qin Yanchuan¡¯s head, amused. ¡°Don¡¯t look so depressed.¡±


    ¡®This man is really two-faced. When he¡¯s at work, he¡¯s really ruthless. However, he acts coquettish in front of me all of the time¡­ He really doesn¡¯t act like the head of the Office of Military and Political Affairs in front of me¡­¡¯


    Gu Yuwu brought her camera out and began to take photos again.


    In the distance, a tall man turned his head slightly to the side, attentively listening to what the person on his back was saying. His expression was serious and gentle as the woman on his back whispered something to him. Her face was slightly red, and her expression was slightly helpless.


    In the end, Huo Zheng carried Lin Xiaowan all the way up. He only put her down when they reached thest step of the flight of stairs. Then, he held her hand and supported her as she took thest step. This was because she had insisted on taking thest step. She said that she would feel a sense of aplishment by doing so.


    Huo Zheng did notment on her words and only supported her to climb thest step.


    At this moment, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°I just took a photo of both of you. Have a look..¡±

 Chapter 91 - 91:1 Like You Too

    Chapter 91:1 Like You Too


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were already many people gathered at the best spot to watch the sunrise. The area near the cliff was extremely crowded so they found another ce, which was less windy, in the end.


    After waiting for a moment, the sun was finally rising in the east. At first, the sun was still hidden in the thick clouds, only radiating a soft red light.


    Everyone raised their cameras at the same time, waiting for the perfect moment to capture the scenery.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know how to take photos. She stood next to the two men, who were of no help, before she shuffled over to Gu Yuwu¡¯s side.


    The sun rose very quickly. The red light grew brighter and brighter as a small ball of me gradually came out from behind the clouds. It was dazzling and eye-catching.


    Huddled in Huo Zheng¡¯s embrace, Lin Xiaowan watched the sunrise,pletely entranced by the sight. This was the first time she had seen the sun from such a high altitude. Although Mount An was not very tall, she still had the illusory feeling of standing above the clouds at this moment. Looking at the sunrise from here felt as though she was watching the sun being born from the ground.


    ¡°Have you seen the sunrise from the top of a mountain before?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked Huo Zheng.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Huo Zheng was in school, his ss would often have activities for the students. Although he was not very interested in those activities, Song Zhiyi liked them. As such, he would often apany her.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied. She knew what was going on and did not ask any more questions.


    In just a moment, the sun hung high in the sky, returning to the appearance that everyone was familiar with.


    Huo Zheng raised his hand and gently stroked Lin Xiaowan¡¯s cheek with his index finger as he said in a low voice, ¡°1 like you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked up at him and smiled. ¡°I like you too.¡±


    Out of the three assignments that Hong Minhua gave Lin Xiaowan, she onlypleted two. Thest one was drawn based on her memory after she returned from watching the sunrise. It was also the piece that was praised by Hong Minhua.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this one is different from all your other works?¡± Hong Minhua asked.


    ¡°No. How is it different?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    ¡°You have to go out and sightsee more,¡± Hong Minhua said.


    Lin Xiaowan understood Hong Minhua¡¯s meaning.


    After returning from Mount An, Lin Xiaowan also came up with a training n. She wrote her n down on a whiteboard and even decorated it with cute doodles.


    Huo Zheng took a look and said skeptically, ¡°Wake up at 6 AM? Running from 6.15 AM to 7 AM?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan usually woke up at 7.30 AM. Even then, when Huo Zheng urged her to wash up, she could hardly open her eyes and would grumble unhappily, still groggy. If Huo Zheng had a meeting and left early, she wouldze in bed until about 8.30 AM before the nanny woke her up.


    No matter how Huo Zheng thought about it, he did not think the n was going to be a sess.


    Lin Xiaowan pointed at the schedule and said weakly, ¡°There are postscripts.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at the postscripts, and he found them amusing. ¡°So you¡¯re going to walk instead of run?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lin Xiaowan exined, ¡°I haven¡¯t run in a long time. When I was in school, 1 even failed the 800-meter run. Since I¡¯m just starting, 1 can¡¯t make things too difficult for myself.¡±


    Apart from running, Lin Xiaowan also nned to do a few fitness exercises and stretching exercises before bed. Her schedule was rather packed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to run to exercise. You can do other things as well,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Lin Xiaowan did not exercise at all prior to this. She would not be able to endure it if she started with such a high-intensity n.


    ¡°I went to the gym to have a look. I saw the spin bike. It looks interesting,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Huo Zheng was usually the only one who used the gym. The housekeeper would go in once in a while to clean it. As for Lin Xiaowan, she had always stayed as far away as she could from the gym. She only went there today to have a look before making her training n.


    There was some basic equipment inside such as a treadmill, a spin bike, and dumbbells. These were also the only things she recognized. She was unfamiliar with the other things there.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll wake you up tomorrow morning?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    Huo Zheng did not usually wake up at 6 AM; he usually woke up at about 6.30 AM. He would exercise for a while, shower, and change his clothes before he woke Lin Xiaowan up for breakfast.


    Lin Xiaowan agreed without thinking too much about it.


    Despite Lin Xiaowan¡¯s enthusiasm, she could not wake up the next morning at 6 AM.


    The curtains were drawn in the bedroom. It was not bright yet so themp in the room was lit.


    Huo Zheng called out to her a few times, but she only burrowed herself deeper into the nket. In the end, she simply covered her head with the nket.


    Amused, Huo Zheng pulled the nket down gently and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to wake up early and run?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan remembered that she nned to wake up at 6 AM to exercise today. However, she really could not open her eyes now, let alone lift the nket off her body. In the end, she said reluctantly, ¡°Let me sleep for another five minutes. I¡¯ll get up after that.¡±


    However, after five minutes passed, Lin Xiaowan wanted to sleep for another five minutes. Huo Zheng tried to wake her up with great difficulty two more times before he kissed her and said, ¡°Go to sleep. You can start your n tomorrow.¡±


    However, Lin Xiaowan was not very willing to give uppletely. She muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll do itter.¡±


    Huo Zheng no longer disturbed her sweet dreams. He turned off the rm clock she had set and tiptoed out of the room.


    However, after he left, Lin Xiaowan found it hard to fall asleep. She closed her eyes andy in bed for a long time, but she still could not fall asleep. After a while, she hugged the nket and sat up. It seemed like once Huo Zheng was not around, she could not fall asleep for some reason.


    Before Huo Zheng left, he had switched off the bedside light. At this time, the only light in the room came from the balcony.


    Lin Xiaowan grabbed her phone and checked the time. It was 6.23 AM. It was still very early. In the end, she resigned herself to her fate and got up.


    Huo Zheng was surprised when he saw her entering the gym.


    ¡°Why are you up?¡±


    Naturally, Lin Xiaowan did not say that she could not fall asleep after he left. Instead, she said proudly, ¡°I said I would get up early.¡±


    Huo Zhengughed before he taught her how to warm up first.


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested in the spin bike so he let her use it after warming up.


    The spin bike looked unassuming, but Lin Xiaowan soon realized that it was not as easy as it looked. After all, if it was easy, it would not count as fitness equipment.


    Lin Xiaowan cycled for just a while before she slowed down and gradually stoppedpletely. She sat there and watched Huo Zheng do pull-ups.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re handsome.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to exercise?¡± Huo Zheng asked with a hint of helplessness.


    After doing a few sets of pull-ups, Huo Zheng waved Lin Xiaowan over to the treadmill.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Can we adjust the speed? What¡¯s the slowest speed? Can I walk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Give it a try?¡± Huo Zheng said as he helped her get on the treadmill and adjusted the speed for her..

 Chapter 92 - 92: Cheng Ruitong

    Chapter 92: Cheng Ruitong


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After exercising, Huo Zheng showered before he went to look for Lin Xiaowan. He found her on the couch, looking as though she was going to fall asleep. When Lin Xiaowan saw him approaching, she continued to lie on the couch, looking boneless, as she reached for him.


    ¡°Hug.¡±


    Huo Zheng hugged her before he carried her up. He supported her back and bottom with his hands to prevent her from falling. Although the dining room was not far at all, she had fallen asleep in his arms when they arrived.


    ¡°Why is she so sleepy today?¡± Aunt Wu asked, puzzled.


    Although Lin Xiaowan had a hard time getting up early in the morning, she had never been carried to the dining room half asleep.


    Aunt Wu looked at the time and found that it was still rather early.


    Huo Zheng patted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face gently to wake her up.


    When Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes, she found that she was already in the dining room. She quickly sobered up and got out of Huo Zheng¡¯s embrace before she took a seat, sitting upright.


    Upon seeing this, Aunt Wuughed and teased her, making her feel embarrassed.


    After breakfast, Lin Xiaowan waited for Huo Zheng to leave before she went to the studio to draw and paint. However, she began to yawn as soon as she sat down.


    ¡®It hasn¡¯t even been two minutes since I got here¡­ This won¡¯t do¡­ How can 1 produce good work if I¡¯m not in a good state?¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself, justifying her decision before going back to bed.


    At night.


    Lin Xiaowan sat on the bed. When she saw Huo Zheng, she said with a straight face, ¡°1 don¡¯t think the training n is very well thought out¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes as she erased her n on the whiteboard.


    She had already experienced the pain of waking up early. If she had to wake up early every day, she would only suffer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll modify the nter before I continue¡­¡±


    Two dayster.


    Gu Yuwu called Lin Xiaowan and asked, ¡°1¡¯11 take you out to experience another sport. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°Archery. Are you interested?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan readily agreed, curious.


    The venue was located in a club. Apart from archery, there was also a shooting range, a boxing ring, a go-karting track, and the likes. There was also ake for boating at the back.


    When Gu Yuwu led Lin Xiaowan in, Gu Yuwu met many familiar faces.


    One of them was a young woman who pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. Her skin was good, and her figure was very good. Her expression was indifferent as she raised her hand and nocked the arrows. Even when she released the arrows and hit the bullseye, her expression did not change.


    Gu Yuwu smiled and greeted the other party. ¡°What a coincidence. 1 didn¡¯t expect to meet the workaholic President Cheng here on a weekday.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong nodded at Gu Yuwu in response. Although her face was expressionless, her voice was gentle as she asked, gesturing at Lin Xiaowan, ¡°This is?¡±


    ¡°This is my sister, Lin Xiaowan. I brought her here to y today.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong studied Lin Xiaowan from top to bottom. A hint of skepticism could be seen in her eyes, but she did not say anything.


    Gu Yuwu turned to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Come and say hello to Sister Cheng. She¡¯s the president of Chenghong Technologies, Cheng Ruitong.¡±


    ¡°Hello, President Cheng,¡± Lin Xiaowan greeted with a smile.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Cheng Ruitong said with a nod, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re at work.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan tilted her head, shifting her gaze from Cheng Ruitong to Gu Yuwu.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to dwell on her words. She¡¯s like this to everyone she doesn¡¯t work with. Not only is she good at archery, but she¡¯s also good at riding horses and shooting. If we¡¯re lucky enough to meet her again, 1¡¯11 ask her to teach you how to ride.¡±


    ¡®How impressive!¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself as her eyes widened.


    Cheng Ruitong¡¯s personality is very different from her aloof appearance. She was very casual and friendly even though it was their first meeting. She asked, ¡°Is this your first time here, Xiaowan?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded.


    ¡°Are you leaving soon? If you¡¯re not in a hurry, why don¡¯t you teach us the basics of archery?¡± Gu Yuwu asked.


    Cheng Ruitong looked at Gu Yuwu, raising an eyebrow slightly. They were all in the same circle, and she knew Gu Yuwu was not uninitiated in these things. Even if Gu Yuwu was not very skilled, Gu Yuwu was familiar with it. There was no need for her to teach Gu Yuwu the basics.


    As though she could read Cheng Ruitong¡¯s thoughts, Gu Yuwu added, ¡°Well, I mostly want your help to teach Xiaowan. She¡¯s aplete newbie.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong looked at Lin Xiaowan who was standing obediently at the side. In her eyes, Lin Xiaowan looked very tender, and her facial features were delicate. At this moment, she was looking around curiously. Seeing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ruddy cheeks, she felt like pinching them to see if they were as soft as they looked.


    Finally, Cheng Ruitong replied, ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush. 1 just arrived not long ago.¡±


    Then, Chen Ruitong said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°You don¡¯t have to address me as President Cheng. You can just call me Sister like Yuwu does.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was delighted that she had gained another ¡®sister¡¯. She smiled and called out sweetly, ¡°Sister Cheng.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong nodded and waved Lin Xiaowan over. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan quickly walked over to Cheng Ruitong¡¯s side. When she smelled Cheng Ruitong, she thought of winter. She thought about the snow falling heavily in the morning, opening the door, and seeing a red plum blossom tree standing in the yard. This was the feeling that thetter¡¯s scent evoked.


    Cheng Ruitong was extremely tall. She was almost 1.8 meters tall, which was quite rare for women. Inparison, Lin Xiaowan looked even more petite standing next to her.


    While Cheng Ruitong taught Lin Xiaowan how to draw the bowstring, Lin Xiaowan could not help but sniff around. Upon seeing this, Cheng Ruitong asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was a little embarrassed that she had been discovered. She replied sheepishly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just thought that your perfume smells really good. I really like it. Where did you buy it?¡±


    ¡°My good friend made it for me. If you like it, I¡¯ll give you a bottle,¡± Cheng Ruitong replied.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan hurriedly said. She thought she would buy it herself once Cheng Ruitong told her the brand of the perfume. However, the perfume was especially given to Cheng Ruitong by a good friend, she did not think it was appropriate to ept it. After all, this was only their first meeting, and they were just acquaintances at best.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My friend will be very happy if she knows that someone likes the perfume she made,¡± Cheng Ruitong said.


    ¡°No, no, 1 don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Although she was very tempted, she felt it was a little inappropriate. After thinking about it for a while, she asked, ¡°Does your friend sell the perfumes she makes? 1 can buy it.¡± ¡°She does, ¡°Cheng Ruitong said before she added, ¡°However, she doesn¡¯t sell the perfume you like.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little regretful, but she still asked for the other party¡¯s contact number.


    Although Cheng Ruitong looked aloof, she was very patient and helpful.


    Usually, Cheng Ruitong¡¯s friend only sold the perfumes she made to her friends. It was not her main business, and perfumery was just a hobby to her. Cheng Ruitong showed Lin Xiaowan the website. However, the fragrances were all sold out and had to be pre-ordered..

 Chapter 93 - 93: This Is a Dessert Shop, Right?

    Chapter 93: This Is a Dessert Shop, Right?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After all, Cheng Ruitong was the president of apany. She was naturally busy. Before Lin Xiaowan¡¯s arrow could hit the target, Cheng Ruitong received a work call and had to leave.


    Lin Xiaowan looked reluctant as she waved at Cheng Ruitong. ¡°Goodbye, Sister Cheng!¡±


    Cheng Ruitong smiled and said, ¡°See you next time!¡±


    Meanwhile, Gu Yuwu, who was standing at the side, watched the duo¡¯s interaction. She had seen them exchanging contact details earlier; it was clear that the duo had gotten closer. At this moment, she cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Sister Cheng, you didn¡¯t say goodbye to me! I¡¯m still here!¡±


    Cheng Ruitong chuckled and said, ¡°Goodbye, Yuwu.¡±


    Gu Yuwu was just joking with Cheng Ruitong. She said, ¡°Alright, alright, since you¡¯re busy, you better go¡­¡±


    After Cheng Ruitong left, Gu Yuwu took over and yed with Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested, but she was also confused. She asked, ¡°Is this also considered a form of exercise? It¡¯s not tiring at all.¡±


    Previously, Lin Xiaowan noticed that Gu Yuwu was not out of breath at all when they climbed Mount An. From the beginning until the end, Gu Yuwu was very rxed. If she was not present, she felt that Gu Yuwu, Qin Yanchuan, and Huo Zheng would be able to climb to the top without resting. The trio¡¯s stamina was amazing.


    On the other hand, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s legs were extremely sore after she returned from the hike. Nheless, she still gritted her teeth and came up with a training n. s, her training n failedpletely.


    Her sore legs only reminded her of the hard work, but she forgot that hard work was also part of the process.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re only doing this for fun, there¡¯s not much exercise involved,¡± Gu Yuwu said before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to exercise?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded bitterly. ¡°I feel like I should exercise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. However, you¡¯re a little too thin. Are you usually picky with your food?¡±


    ¡°No, and 1 eat a lot as well,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied.


    She aimed at the target and released an arrow at this moment. As expected, her posture was not quite right, and shecked strength. Before the arrow even touched the target, it fell to the ground again. However, the distance between the arrow and the target was much closer than before. Moreover, it was not like the arrows fell short of the target every time. She had hit the target twice before this.


    Gu Yuwu pped her hands and said, ¡°Not bad, not bad. You¡¯ve improved a little.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan picked up another arrow and said, ¡°Although I look thin, there¡¯s no problem with my weight. Previously, when I went for a checkup, the doctor said that my weight is okay!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Gu Yuwu looked surprised. She held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have any meat here.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shrugged. Then, she thought of something and asked, ¡°Oh, right. When will the fantasy drama start airing?¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled. ¡°Not so soon. It¡¯ll be aired in December or after mid-January¡­¡±


    ¡°So long? 1 thought I¡¯d be aired soon after the filming waspleted,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? There are many things to do apart from filming. Moreover, after post-production, it has to be sent for review. The process of reviewing also takes a while,¡± Gu Yuwu replied.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned home, she thought about the vlog Gu Yuwu had filmed during their trip. She kept checking Gu Yuwu¡¯s page the first two days after the trip. However, Gu Yuwu did not post the vlog. When they met earlier, Lin Xiaowan nned to ask about it, but shepletely forgot about it.


    Lin Xiaowan logged into her ount before she went to Gu Yuwu¡¯s page. This time, Gu Yuwu finally uploaded her vlog.


    Gu Yuwu had told Lin Xiaowan that she would not reveal Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face so Lin Xiaowan was very assured. However, even if her face was not revealed, she was still very curious since this is the first time she appeared in a vlog. Moreover, although her face was not revealed, her voice could be heard, and her body could be seen. She wanted to see what others thought of her.


    The number of views for the video was very high. Gu Yuwu¡¯s followers had increased since thest time Lin Xiaowan logged in.


    Lin Xiaowan watched the ten-minute vlog that Gu Yuwu uploaded.


    Apart from the chef that helped them prepare the food for the pic, almost everyone in the vlog was ¡¯headless¡¯. One person evenmented jokingly, ¡°When I have money, I¡¯ll definitely buy a few ¡®heads¡¯ for President Gu!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan watched the video with great interest. At the end of the video, she discovered that Gu Yuwu had included a photo of her and Huo Zheng at thest step of the stairs when Huo Zheng was carrying her. However, both of their faces were covered with cartoon stickers.


    Gu Yuwu had sent the original photo to Lin Xiaowan, and Lin Xiaowan had used it as her screensaver. It was clear that she really liked the photo a lot.


    Most of thements were directed at Gu Yuwu, but there were also a fewments directed at the other three people. There were quite a lot ofments, and Lin Xiaowan sighed in relief when she saw that there were no negativements.


    At the beginning of July, Lin Xiaowan and Zhu Yingyue¡¯s dessert shop finally opened for business.


    Zhu Yingyue did not personally make the desserts. Instead, she was in charge of the main operations of the shop. If she had to make pastries as well on top of taking care of her children, it would be too tiring for her.


    The shop was big so they needed more than one patissier. They also hired more than ten workers.


    Lin Xiaowan was a silent partner. She did not have much to do and only had to show up on the opening day.


    The name of the shop was given by Lin Xiaowan. It was very simple and direct; it was called Dessert Shop. The signboard was white, and the words were yellow. There were a few pictures of desserts on it as well. All in all, it was simple and direct.


    When Lin Xiaowan stood at the entrance and looked at the signboard, she felt a little speechless.


    ¡°The dessert shop looks expensive¡­ Will people evene in?¡±


    However, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s worries were proven to be unfounded. The wealthydies came in waves. Apart from the wealthydies, there were also wealthy men dressed in suits and leather shoes.


    The shop was located by a busy street. There were not many parking spaces. If one came early, perhaps one would be lucky to find a parking space. Otherwise, one could only park by the roadside. There were all kinds of luxury cars parked near the shop. If one did not know better, one would think there was an event for the wealthy.


    Lin Xiaowan stood behind the counter as she watched women and men of a certain age chatting merrily as they made their way upstairs, led by a staff member. She could not help but feel perplexed.


    ¡®What¡¯s happening? This is a dessert shop, right? Why isn¡¯t there a single youngster here?¡¯


    Based on the appearances of the customers, they did not seem like they were here to buy desserts. Instead, they looked more like they were here to discuss business cooperation..

 Chapter 94 - 94: Everyone Is in Their Thirties and Forties

    Chapter 94: Everyone Is in Their Thirties and Forties


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The second floor of the dessert shop had private rooms, but they were separated by partitions. Since the rooms were not fully enclosed, there was not much privacy. They could easily see who was next to them as long as they stood up and walked a few steps. Apart from that, if they spoke too loudly, they could be easily heard by others.


    For this reason, the customers did not stay for long. They sat down for a while and made small talk before they left. Before they left, they did not forget to bring their unfinished pastries with them.


    Gu Yuwu had something to do so she arrived a littlete. When she arrived, it was already dinner time. She saw Lin Xiaowan resting her chin on her hands and leaning against the counter, looking bored, as soon as she entered. She walked over and knocked on the counter as she said teasingly, ¡°What are you doing? Are you sure you¡¯re open for business?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses. When she saw Gu Yuwu, she perked up immediately. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    Gu Yuwu nodded and asked, ¡°How are the sales today? It seems a little deserted on this floor.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sighed. ¡°The sales are good, and the desserts are selling well¡­¡± ¡°Then, why are you sighing?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said as she furrowed her brows slightly, ¡°I¡¯m just confused. Everyone who came in today is in their thirties and forties¡­ Are they really here for the desserts?¡±


    The dessert shop had a membership system. Members would get a 15% discount. This was amon sales tactic. Almost all the customers who went upstairs today became members and topped up their cards. However, strangely, when they were reloading their cards, they felt that the amount of money was too little. It seemed as though they could not wait to put a lot of money into their cards.


    Gu Yuwuughed and said, ¡°Let me have a look at the membership.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan handed it over to Gu Yuwu, still perplexed.


    Lin Xiaowan did not envision a luxury dessert shop when she opened it. The shop was decorated brightly and renovated in such a way that allowed sunlight to stream into the shop. Soothing music was also yed in the shop. Lin Xiaowan envisioned the shop to be a ce where lively young people hung out. Apart from that, the prices of the desserts were also jointly decided by her and Zhu Yingyue. Although the ingredients they used were expensive, the prices of the desserts were very reasonable.


    After bing a member, one could choose to reload the card with a minimum of 30 yuan and a maximum of 3,000 yuan.


    Unexpectedly, the customers who came today asked very kindly if they could apply for ten membership cards and reload each card with 3,000 yuan. They said they wanted to give the cards to their family and friends.


    When Lin Xiaowan told Gu Yuwu about this, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°Then what did you say?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything since they weren¡¯t asking me. What else can the staff say?¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Then, she imitated one of the salesclerks¡¯ expression and tone as she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but the membership is bound to your phone number. When your family and friendse, they can apply for a membership with their phone numbers.¡±


    After that, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Did they reallye for the desserts?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Gu Yuwu asked beforeughing.


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes. ¡°Obviously they didn¡¯t!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s rtionship with Huo Zheng was not a secret, and it was also not a secret that she opened a dessert shop. It took quite a while for them to open the shop due to the renovation. As such, there was a lot of time for the news to spread.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the point of theming today? They¡¯re not familiar with me, and I¡¯m not familiar with them. There¡¯s no point in theming today¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan spent most of her time behind the counter today, observing the situation. When the customers came today, they were led upstairs by a worker, and the worker would take their orders upstairs.


    Zhu Yingyue did not even show her face. After all, she was responsible for things like finance and management.


    Those people wanted to use Lin Xiaowan to get closer to Huo Zheng, but they did not have a chance to do so at all.


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Who said there¡¯s no point? If there¡¯s a chance in the future, they can use this as a chance to make conversation¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shrugged. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand them.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing that they came. They came to help you make money.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°You have a point. However, 1 hope the desserts don¡¯t go to waste¡­¡±


    The men and women who came always packed the desserts before they left. Lin Xiaowan was puzzled. If they were going to take the desserts away, what was the point of sitting down? Why were they sitting down without eating the desserts?


    At this time, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°Did you save my seat for me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°Of course! 1 remember it¡¯s the one by the window.¡±


    Gu Yuwu walked to the disy and said, ¡°Let me see what¡¯s delicious. I¡¯ll have some desserts before dinner. After I¡¯m done, let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°The patissiers were hired by Zhu Yingyue. They¡¯ll take turns working. Today¡¯s patissier is a handsome foreign middle-aged man. The desserts and pastries he made are really, really, really delicious! 1 had so many of them today!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was like a mouse that had fallen into a rice pot today. She ate to her heart¡¯s content. She really wished she could eat here for three meals a day every day.


    Gu Yuwu shook her head and said, ¡°You should restrain yourself a little. Also, be careful that you don¡¯t suffer from tooth decay.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lin Xiaowan said as she led Gu Yuwu upstairs.


    The decorations upstairs were slightly different from those downstairs. Carved mahogany partitions separated the tables. For privacy, curtains hung at the entrance of the booths. The style of the curtains was very cute, and it was obvious that Lin Xiaowan had chosen them.


    A dark green floor-length muslin curtain with tassels hung by the window. The table next to the window was also the table that Lin Xiaowan had reserved for Gu Yuwu.


    In the end, Gu Yuwu and Lin Xiaowan did not have dinner together. Huo Zheng came over to pick Lin Xiaowan up.


    Lin Xiaowan had been texting Huo Zheng the entire day, telling him about everything that had happened today. However, it did not stop her from her repeating a few important points to him when she saw him again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± Huo Zheng said indifferently.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in agreement. ¡°1 know. 1 don¡¯t know them so I¡¯m just watching the show. However, although 1 don¡¯t know them, 1 know the purpose of their visit.¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed before she continued to say, ¡°When I¡¯m watching them, it makes me feel like I¡¯m sober while they¡¯re all drunk¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you tired today?¡± Huo Zheng asked with a gentle smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired at all. By the way, Sister Cheng¡¯s friend came as well today. She is the one who makes perfumes. I told you about this before. She said that she would make changes to Sister Cheng¡¯s perfume for me so it¡¯ll be unique¡­¡± ¡°Cheng Ruitong?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lin Xiaowan nodded and asked, ¡°Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve cooperated before.¡±


    ¡°Sister Cheng wanted toe today, but she was too busy with work. In the end, she sent someone to bring me a gift..¡±

 Chapter 95 - 95: The Shop Gains Fame Online

    Chapter 95: The Shop Gains Fame Online


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    On the second day of opening, there were still many people in their thirties and forties. After the first day¡¯s chaos and confusion, the workers were able to deal with them with ease today.


    Lin Xiaowan was still standing behind the counter. Qiao You¡¯an nned to bring her two children today so she was waiting for them.


    Qiao You¡¯an could note yesterday so she sent a gift first.


    This was also in line with Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wish. After all, many people knew the members of the Huo family. If Qiao You¡¯an had shown up yesterday, everyone would definitely surround Qiao You¡¯an, and Lin Xiaowan would not be able to watch the show in peace yesterday. Even when Huo Zheng came to pick her up yesterday, she asked him to wait in the car and did not allow him toe into the shop.


    Qiao You¡¯an chose a time when there were fewer people before she came. After waking the children up from their nap, she brought them over to the desserts shop at about 3 PM.


    When Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao saw Lin Xiaowan, whom they had not seen in a long time, they greeted her enthusiastically.


    ¡°Sister Xiaowan!¡±


    Amused, Qiao You¡¯an said to her two sons, ¡°The two of you dare to call her ¡®Sister Xiaowan¡¯ only when your uncle isn¡¯t around. Otherwise, he¡¯ll scold both of you again.¡±


    Huo Dabao made a face before he rushed to the disy and said, ¡°Sister Xiaowan, there are so many delicious desserts! Since you¡¯re here every day, do you eat them every day?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said excitedly, ¡°Of course! There¡¯s no one to tell me no so I can eat whatever I want!¡±


    Huo Dabao took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet fragrance in the air before he said again, ¡°It¡¯s summer vacation now. Can wee over every day to y?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an reminded her son, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. You won¡¯t be free every day even though it¡¯s summer vacation.¡± Then, she asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°There¡¯s a horse stable in Beichen Oasis. Do you want to go?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan crouched down and brought the cakes and pastries that Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao liked as she replied, ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to ride horses¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Someone will teach you. The horses in the stable are all trained and gentle.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had never ridden a horse before so she agreed after giving it some thought. As she led Qiao You¡¯an and the two children upstairs, sheined about the strange customers again before she said, ¡°They don¡¯t know me well, but they should know you, right?¡±


    There were not many people upstairs at this time. Lin Xiaowan brought the others to Gu Yuwu¡¯s reserved seat. This was the only booth that was covered with a floor-to-ceiling curtain, which highlighted its uniqueness.


    Qian You¡¯an replied, ¡°They know me, but I might not know them. These people speak with hidden meanings so I don¡¯t really like dealing with them. Don¡¯t worry. If they try to approach you, don¡¯t panic. If you don¡¯t want to deal with them, just ignore them.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in understanding.


    When Zhu Yingyue and Lin Xiaowan opened the dessert shop, they did not have any special ns for the second floor. However, after the opening, many people liked going there.


    The men and women in their thirties and forties came and left very quickly. Who knew who helped promote the shop, but suddenly, there was an influx of young girls who visited the dessert shop, taking photos and signing up to be members. There would be even more of them during the weekends. There were also a few handsome young men in their groups. They would order the desserts and a pot of tea, chatting for a long time. If there were no seats on the second floor, they would sit and wait on the first floor. All of them wanted to sit on the second floor. As such, the first floor, which was also a ce to enjoy the desserts, became more like a waiting room.


    Lin Xiaowan was puzzled by this phenomenon. Before the shop was due to close the next day, she walked around the shop, but did not find what was so special about the second floor.


    Zhu Yingyue sent Lin Xiaowan an article along with a message.


    [Zhu Yingyue: Our dessert shop seems to have be very popr online. Perhaps, we should change our marketing strategy.]


    Lin Xiaowan was even more puzzled when she read the article.


    The post was posted in a lifestyle app with many rmendations, which became popr two years ago. When it first became popr, Lin Xiaowan downloaded it as well. However, she was soon put off by the exaggerated and sometimes false advertising on the app. The advertisements were all hidden, and the promotional text was too exaggerated. Most of the advertisements had the same temte. They did not look sincere, and they were not unique.


    For this reason, Lin Xiaowan was initially unhappy when she saw that the dessert shop was rmended on the app. It felt like that dessert shop had be cheaper.


    The photos that apanied the post showed the second floor and a few desserts. It was filled with praise, emphasizing the value, taste, and appearance of the desserts. The article was so good that Lin Xiaowan wondered if it was really referring to her shop for a moment.


    After reading the article, Lin Xiaowan searched for the dessert shop online and found many articles promoting it. After that, she sent a message to Zhu Yingyue.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Are you the one who promoted our shop?]


    [Zhu Yingyue: No. I checked and saw our sales were very good so I¡¯m not in a hurry to promote it.]


    [Zhu Yingyue: However, a few days ago, I was checking our reviews and found all these posts and articles. The post I sent you is the most popr one. The poster is rather popr. Her contents usually show her daily life. She seems like she¡¯s from a wealthy family. She probably visited our shop after hearing about it.]


    [Zhu Yingyue: Do you remember her?]


    There were too many people who visited the shop every day. Moreover, Lin Xiaowan was not someone who greeted the customers enthusiastically. She could not even remember most of their faces, let alone have any impression of them.


    [Lin Xiaowan: No.]


    In Zhu Yingyue¡¯s opinion, this was a positive thing. She felt that they could use this opportunity to attract a wider range of customers.


    As for Lin Xiaowan, she felt that the shop already had many customers as it was, but she still agreed with Zhu Yingyue. After all, Zhu Yingyue was in charge of the shop¡¯s operation. Moreover, the more customers there were, the more money they would make. Why would she have any objection?


    Apart from this matter, Zhu Yingyue also spoke to Lin Xiaowan about her n. She wanted to decorate the booths on the second floor in different styles, and she also wanted to start a reservation system for the second floor, which she wanted to make exclusive for members. Apart from that, she also wanted to add minimum spending for those dining on the second floor.


    With this, customers had to be a member to be seated on the second floor. After bing a member, customers had to spend a certain amount of money as well to sit on the second floor.


    After hearing about these additions, Lin Xiaowan was slightly worried. After all, it seemed like they were making customers spend more money.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Won¡¯t this make our reputation fall?]

 Chapter 96 - 96: Membership System

    Chapter 96: Membership System


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The dessert shop had not been open for a long time. It was just starting to be famous, and if they were to make changes ording to Zhu Yingyue¡¯s suggestion, Lin Xiaowan was worried that no one woulde.


    Zhu Yingyueughed at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s naivety. She said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know better than me why we have so many customers as soon as we opened for business. As long as you¡¯re around, you don¡¯t have to worry about not having customers.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue continued to say, ¡°Even if people object to it, it¡¯ll only be temporary. Moreover, after we make these changes, it¡¯ll also help us gather more quality customers. By the way, I¡¯m guessing those people promoting our shop probably know you¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly surprised. She did not think of this at all. She assumed that only those slightly older customers had ulterior motives. She did not think that those young girls and young men had those thoughts as well. Nheless, it was not a bad thing. She did not think much about it and let Zhu Yingyue do what she wanted.


    Zhu Yingyue created a public ount on Speaker, a social media tform. The first thing she posted was the changes to the second floor. She even bought some traffic, which attracted a lot of attention andments.


    Due to the renovations on the second floor, it was closed for a few days.


    Lin Xiaowan downloaded Speaker and went to have a look. There were manyments, and most of them were negative.


    Many passersby mocked the dessert shop, saying that the desserts were ugly and that they were money hungry. Some people even wondered why there had to be an exclusive system for the second floor when it was just a dessert shop for people to enjoy desserts.


    There were also people who said that they nned to visit the dessert shop but changed their minds after learning about the changes.


    Some people who had already visited the dessert shop also ndered the desserts, saying that the desserts were not delicious and the ingredients used were not good. In conclusion, they said they would not visit again in the future.


    Lin Xiaowan was naturally unhappy. The patissiers they hired were all very skilled. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they would serve Western desserts, and they would serve Shangxia desserts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. In her opinion, everything was delicious.


    Lin Xiaowan took a few screenshots and sent them to Zhu Yingyue.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Are thesements really not a problem?]


    Zhu Yingyue did not seem to care at all.


    [Zhu Yingyue: It doesn¡¯t matter. Look at thementers. Almost none of them are our target audience.]


    [Zhu Yingyue: Moreover, I¡¯ve made it clear that the changes only apply to the second floor. Nothing has changed on the first floor. In any case, those who want to go to the second floor will still go to the second floor. This won¡¯t affect anything.]


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it and agreed with Zhu Yingyue. There was nothing to worry about. Even after the changes on the second floor, there would not be fewer customers.


    Moreover, not all thements were negative. There were many people who were quite supportive, especially those who had visited before. They knew that the second floor would be redecorated, and they would no longer have to wait for a long time to go to the second floor now that a reservation system was in ce.


    Zhu Yingyue was in charge of the second floor¡¯s renovation. However, she still kept Lin Xiaowan in the loop.


    Lin Xiaowan also did not ask many questions since she trusted Zhu Yingyue.


    The day before the renovation waspleted, Zhu Yingyue added Lin Xiaowan as an administrator of the dessert shop¡¯s ount.


    Speaker users could not add each other as friends, but they could follow each other¡¯s ounts.


    Lin Xiaowan searched for Huo Zheng and discovered he was not Speaker. There were only ounts of Huo Corporation and its subsidiarypanies.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a personal ount?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked Huo Zheng, ¡°I saw many presidents and CEOs have their own personal ounts. They also have a lot of followers¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng had no interest in such things. Needless to say, thepany ounts were all handled by relevant employees. He did not see a need for him to have an ount.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan searched for Gu Yuwu, and she was shocked when she saw that Gu Yuwu had 4.0 million followers. She quickly clicked on the ¡®follow¡¯ button, and she became an inconspicuous follower among the 40 million followers.


    Lin Xiaowan used the default profile picture, which was of a robot. She did not have many photos on her phone, after all. After scrolling through her photo album for a long time, apart from photos of desserts, she found that she only had photos from her trip to Mount An. Initially, she wanted to use the photo of her and Huo Zheng, but suddenly, she felt like she wanted to keep the photo to herself.


    ¡®What should I use as my profile picture?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to use cartoon avatars. In the end, she decided to use the photo of an inanimate object as her profile picture. She wandered around the house, looking for things she could use as her profile picture.


    Meanwhile, Huo Zheng watched Lin Xiaowan wander around the house like a headless fly. One moment, she took photos of a basket of fruits, and the next moment, she took photos of the flowers on the table.. Finally, he could not help but ask in confusion, ¡°Qingqing, what are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 97 - 97: She Only Calls Him ‘Brother’ When She Wants Something

    Chapter 97: She Only Calls Him ¡®Brother¡¯ When She Wants Something


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan took a flower out of the vase before she raised her hand, taking a photo. However, no matter how many photos she took, she was not satisfied. She found her hand and fingers were small and chubby.


    When Lin Xiaowan turned around and saw Huo Zheng, an idea appeared in her mind. She skipped over and said, ¡°Sister Zhu made me an administrator of the dessert shop¡¯s ount on Speaker. I just created an ount so 1 was thinking about what photo 1 should use for my profile picture.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan held Huo Zheng¡¯s hand. His fingers were slender and well-defined, and his hand was much bigger than hers. Veins could also be seen on the back of his hand.


    The contrast between their hands was especially obvious in the camera. Seeing this, she could not help but say, ¡°My hand is so fair¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very pale, and she was particrly eye-catching when she stood under the sun. It was as though she was glowing.


    Huo Zheng smiled and held her hand. He watched as she tried to find a good angle to take photos of their hands.


    Finally, Lin Xiaowan found a photo she was satisfied with. She added a filter before she uploaded it.


    Lin Xiaowany on the bed and continued to look at her phone.


    Seeing this, Huo Zheng reached out for her phone and said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie down and y with your phone.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan let go of her phone, letting Huo Zheng take it. When she saw him locking the screen and putting it on the bedside table, she reminded him, ¡°Charge my phone. It¡¯s almost out of battery.¡±


    Huo Zheng turned off the bedsidemp andy down before he said, ¡°Charge it tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said worriedly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the equestrian club with Sister You¡¯an tomorrow. Will I have time to charge it?¡±


    Huo Zheng kissed her forehead and tucked her in as he said, ¡°There¡¯ll be enough time.¡±


    The next morning, Huo Zheng woke up early to exercise. He nned to have breakfast with Lin Xiaowan before they made their way to the equestrian club.


    Recently, Lin Xiaowan had beenzing in bed and sleeping in. It was no different this morning. Huo Zheng kissed her and gently coaxed her to wake up.


    When they were having breakfast, Qiao You¡¯an called Huo Zheng when she discovered she could not get through to Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°I forgot to charge my phone!¡± Lin Xiaowan eximed, smacking her forehead.


    Just as she was about to get up, Huo Zheng stopped her. He told her to eat her breakfast while he went to get her phone for her.


    Lin Xiaowan hugged Huo Zheng and gave him a kiss, saying, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so nice!¡±


    However, before Huo Zheng could hold her and kiss her back, she had already returned to her seat, happily eating her breakfast. Heughed softly when he saw this.


    She would only call him ¡®Brother¡¯ when she needed something. Otherwise, she would call him Huo Zheng. What a cunning girl!


    During the journey, they passed by the dessert shop that had been renovated twice. Seeing that it was open, Lin Xiaowan wanted to go in and buy some desserts for the two children.


    Huo Zheng did not tell the driver to pull over. Instead, he said, ¡°Eating too many desserts will cause one¡¯s teeth to fall.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly unhappy, but she did not protest. Seeing that the driver was in a difficult position, she gestured for the driver to continue driving as she said, ¡°Alright, alright. We won¡¯t buy any desserts. There are not many desserts at this time anyway.¡±


    The patissiers started work at 8.30 AM, and it was only 9 AM now. As such, there were really not many desserts at this time.


    Lin Xiaowan showed Huo Zheng her pearly white teeth and said, ¡°Look! My teeth are fine! They¡¯re not going to fall. I brush my teeth for at least two minutes every time.¡±


    Huo Zheng only tapped the tip of her nose and did not say anything.


    Sometimes, he wondered if it was a good idea for Lin Xiaowan to open a dessert shop. It was good that she was keeping herself busy. She had also beenpleting the assignments that Hong Minhua gave her in the shop. However, her passion for desserts was a little too much. It was not just a novelty. Her love for desserts seemed to grow stronger by the day. Sometimes, she ate desserts as though they were rice.


    This gave Huo Zheng a headache. However, there was nothing he could do about it. He could not say no to her at all when she hugged him and called him ¡®Brother¡¯. He could only sigh and give in to her, making sure her three meals were nutritious enough.


    Lin Xiaowan would listen to Huo Zheng most of the time. When she did not listen to him, she would take the initiative to admit her mistake before she acted coquettishly with him.


    Lin Xiaowan put on a full set of protective gear. After all, it was her first time riding a horse. When she came out after changing, she saw Huo Zheng waiting for her not far away with a brownish-gray horse.


    Seeing that Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were not around when she had just seen them a moment ago, she asked Qiao You¡¯an, ¡°Where did Dabao and Erbao go?¡±


    ¡°They left with the coach.¡±


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were with their coach, apanied by their nanny. Moreover, this was not their first time riding a horse. As such, Qiao You¡¯an felt assured even though this was a new race track.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see themter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan found it difficult to get on the horse. She did not dare to pull the reins tightly, afraid that she would hurt the horse. With one foot on the stirrups, she tried to lift her other leg. s, before she could go any further, she fell again.


    Qiao You¡¯an chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t think so much. If you fall, we¡¯ll catch you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was timid. Fortunately, the horse had a very good temper. It stood there obediently, swishing its tail as she tried to get on it. For the first time, she realized how tall horses were. She looked at Huo Zheng subconsciously, asking for help.


    The equestrian coach alsoughed. Then, he left and returned with a small stool, which seemed like the ones used in ancient times to get on and off a carriage.


    Lin Xiaowan felt embarrassed.


    The stool was about knee-high. She supported herself using Huo Zheng¡¯s arm and stood up shakily. After that, the coach handed the reins to her and patted the saddle before he said, ¡°Hold onto this ce. It should be easier to cross over if the position is higher.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan gritted her teeth, determined to use more strength this time. With Huo Zheng¡¯s support, this time she sessfully got on the horse¡¯s back. She could not help but feel scared when she saw how high she was sitting. Moreover, there was no protection on both sides. However, despite feeling scared, she also felt eager to ride a horse.


    Since she was a beginner, the coach held the reins and led the horse for her around the field a few times. She was naturally not allowed to ride alone. Even Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao who had ridden horses before were not left alone and had a coach apanying them.


    While the equestrian coach led the horse around, he also told Lin Xiaowan what to take note of..

 Chapter 98 - 98: Wrapped in His Arms

    Chapter 98: Wrapped in His Arms


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    For example, the coach told Lin Xiaowan that she could gently squeeze the horse¡¯s sides to increase its speed, and he also taught her how to change the direction of the horse using the reins.


    Huo Zheng rode on the horse alone and leisurely followed next to them. His face was expressionless, and his eyes were fixed on them, looking just like a bodyguard.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s riding speed was basically the same as someone walking briskly. She gradually learned some skills as she sat on the horse¡¯s back. She was a little unsatisfied and wanted to go faster, but she did not dare to leave the equestrian coach¡¯s side.


    Let alone her, even the equestrian coach did not dare to leave her side. After all, falling off a horse was not a trivial matter.


    Lin Xiaowan watched as Huo Zheng leisurely rode his horse to the side and let it graze the field. An idea appeared in her mind, and she leaned forward slightly and asked the coach, ¡°Can two people ride on a horse?¡±


    The equestrian coach did not know why Lin Xiaowan asked this. He only hesitated for a moment before she replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    In fact, this depended on the rules of the equestrian club. There were many people who did not know how to ride but wanted to experience the feeling of galloping on the horse. For this reason, a coach would ride with them.


    ¡°Then, can 1 ride with another person? I see there¡¯s a huge track over there. Can we go there?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked again. She loosened her grip on the reins and pointed in a certain direction before she quickly held the reins tightly again.


    The equestrian coach looked in the direction she pointed before he nodded. He thought to himself, ¡®This young woman is quite bold. That ce is a free racing track, and it¡¯s very vast¡­¡¯


    The equestrian coach said, ¡°If you feelfortable now, I can take you there now.¡±


    ¡°How do two people ride on a horse? Is it simr to how people ride on horses in dramas?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s simr,¡± the equestrian coach said with a smile. He sounded a little proud as he continued to say, ¡°I have a master, and he¡¯s very good at horseback riding. He used to teach celebrities how to ride.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she asked, ¡°Can I ride with my boyfriend? 1 want to ride with him.¡±


    The equestrian coach looked a little troubled when he heard this. The equestrian club had just opened for business, but he knew the people who came here were all extraordinary; they were either noble or wealthy. It would be bad if something happened.


    In the end, the equestrian coach expressed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wish to Huo Zheng and Qiao You¡¯an, asking for their opinions. If they decided that they did not his assistance, they would have to sign an agreement.


    Since Lin Xiaowan had to wait for a while, she wanted to get off the horse first. She handed the reins to Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng patted her and got her to move forward a little. Then, he pulled on the reins before he flipped over neatly onto the horse.


    When the horse felt the extra weight, it raised its head and neighed, giving Lin Xiaowan a fright.


    After getting onto the horseback, Huo Zheng pulled Lin Xiaowan into his embrace. Seeing how nervous she was, he grinned before he spurred the horse on. After a while, he mischievously pulled on the reins to make the horse raise its front hooves.


    Lin Xiaowan hugged him and eximed softly.


    Upon seeing this, Qiao You¡¯an, who was watching, said anxiously, ¡°Watch out! Don¡¯t hurt Xiaowan!¡±


    Huo Zheng did not say anything, but the smile on his face became even more obvious. He lowered his head and gently kissed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s cheek, trying tofort her.


    Qiao You¡¯an rolled her eyes. At the same time, she felt slightly relieved as well. Huo Zheng did not avoid public disys of affection now, which was simr to his past self who was carefree and rxed.


    By the time the coach returned with the agreement, the couple was nowhere to be seen in the enclosed track. He was naturally anxious.


    The couple could not wait any longer. Lin Xiaowan egged Huo Zheng a little, and Huo Zheng spurred the horse on, galloping away.


    In the end, Qiao You¡¯an could only sigh and sign the agreement on Huo Zheng¡¯s behalf.


    Meanwhile, Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were riding happily when Huo Erbao decided to get some water because he was thirsty. It was at this time that he saw the couple riding a horse on the field. Filled with excitement, he called out to his elder brother, ¡°Brother, Little Aunt is riding over there!¡±


    When Huo Zheng was present, the two children would obediently address Lin Xiaowan as ¡®Little Aunt¡¯. When Huo Zheng was not present, they would address her as ¡®Sister Xiaowan¡¯. It could be said that they were quite skilled at ¡®obeying in the open and opposing in the dark¡¯.


    The equestrian club upied a huge piece ofnd. It was located in a remote suburb. Apart from Beichen Park, which was crowded during the weekend, it was rtively quiet here. For this reason, the equestrian club provided a good run for the horses even if it was notparable to the real grasnd.


    After Huo Erbao called out to Huo Dabao, Huo Dabao looked over and immediately saw the couple. He said excitedly, ¡°1 want to go there too!¡±


    The nanny heard this and tried to dissuade them. ¡°You¡¯re both still young. If you ride like them, your little butts will hurt for a few days.¡±


    The two children really wanted to gallop on the horse like Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan. In the past, they were led around on the horses by their equestrian coach, andter on, they were allowed to ride without being led around. However, they had never ridden freely in such a manner. It was because they had never tried it before that they were eager to try it now.


    In the end, the nanny had no choice but to call Qiao You¡¯an over.


    When Qiao You¡¯an heard that her two sons wanted to ride on the open track, she was going to object initially. However, after thinking about it, she hesitated. The two children wanted to do this because they had never tried it before. Even if she told them it was not suitable for them to do so, they would not believe her. After all, they had both taken riding lessons and could ride horses; they would definitely question why they could not ride the horses in the open track. In conclusion, it would be very difficult to dissuade them.


    Seeing that Qiao You¡¯an was wavering, Huo Dabao seized the opportunity and said pleadingly, ¡°Mom, please! It¡¯ll be okay!¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an looked at the equestrian coach standing at the side and asked, ¡°Is it safe for children their age to ride there?¡±


    Although there were no rules prohibiting that, the equestrian coach was a little hesitant. ¡°We don¡¯t have the experience of riding horses like that with children. Moreover, due to their age, even if we bring them along to gallop on the horses, we won¡¯t dare to go too fast.¡±


    Huo Dabao tried topromise, saying in a childish voice, ¡°What about doing just onep around the track?¡±


    In the end, Qiao You¡¯an gave in to the mo children.


    The equestrian coaches chose new horses and brought the children with them to the open track.


    Before getting on the horse, the two children kissed their mother loudly. ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t youing to y with us?¡± Huo Dabao asked.


    Qiao You¡¯an knew how to ride horses. In the past, when Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao had riding lessons, she would go for a ride as well..

 Chapter 99 - 99: Horse Racing; Uncle Cheated

    Chapter 99: Horse Racing; Uncle Cheated


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End less Fantasy Trantion


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch both of you first. 1¡¯11 take a look after this to see if there¡¯s any suitable horse/¡¯ Qiao You¡¯an said with a smile as she stood on the sidelines, looking at her two sons who were sitting with their respective equestrian coaches on the horses¡¯ backs.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan was no longer nervous after riding a fewps. All that was left was happiness. When she saw the two children, she was even happier, wanting to see who could ride faster. Aftering to an agreement with the others, she patted Huo Zheng¡¯s arm and whispered to him, ¡°Don¡¯t go too fast. Be a little slower than them.¡±


    After all, the duo was still young.


    ¡°I know,¡± Huo Zheng said, squeezing her hand.


    The two children were very excited. It was the first time they were doing this, after all. They felt like they had benefited from Lin Xiaowan this time. If Lin Xiaowan were not here, they knew their mother would not allow them to y like this.


    Huo Dabao pointed in the direction of the lounge chairs and parasols, which were in the resting area, and said loudly, ¡°Little Aunt, let¡¯s start from there and make a huge circle back!¡±


    At the same time, Huo Dabao drew a huge circle with his finger.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°Alright. If you win, 1¡¯11 give you a gift card!¡±


    This was an ongoing game between Lin Xiaowan and the children. Although she usually listened to Huo Zheng, most of the time, she did as she pleased when it came to her daily entertainment. To try and get closer to the two children, she would give them gift cards in exchange for certain tasks.


    For example, when Lin Xiaowan was toozy to move, she would call the two children over to help her get something. In exchange, she would give them gift cards. The content of the gift cards was different. For example, they could use it to redeem a chance to eat spicy sticks or snacks that they could not usually eat.


    Lin Xiaowan made these gift cards herself, and they could only redeem the cards from her. Sometimes, she would reuse the gift cards.


    The gift cards were considered a rtively huge treat for the two children. Apart from special asions, Lin Xiaowan rarely gave them gift cards. As such, they were naturally very interested in obtaining the gift cards and the rewards they carried.


    After Lin Xiaowan finished speaking, Huo Dabao said spiritedly and valiantly in his childish voice, ¡°Okay! My brother and I definitely won¡¯t lose!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled wickedly and said, ¡°If 1 win, i¡¯ll use the gift cards myself!¡±


    After that, she acted like a viin andughed sinisterly a few times.


    Huo Dabao urged his equestrian coach, ¡°We mustn¡¯t lose!¡±


    With that, the two children took off first.


    Lin Xiaowan patted Huo Zheng and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go after them!¡±


    Huo Zheng rode to the starting point that Huo Dabao had chosen earlier. However, before he even reached the starting point, he took the lead and galloped away first. As he passed by the two children, he said to them in a deep voice, ¡°Thepetition starts now.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not stop at all as he spoke.


    Upon seeing this, Huo Dabao shouted indignantly, ¡°Uncle, how can you be so shameless?! We haven¡¯t reached the starting point yet! ¡±


    Huo Erbao said anxiously to his equestrian coach, ¡°Hurry up and chase after them! We have to overtake them!¡±


    The equestrian coach also felt very helpless. He could only mp the horse¡¯s sides with his legs to increase the speed slightly. s, the speed was reallyckingpared to Huo Zheng¡¯s speed.


    Huo Erbao was so anxious that he tried to get up, frightening the coach.


    The equestrian coach reprimanded Huo Erbao lightly and told him to sit properly.


    ¡°Hurry up and chase after them! Look, they¡¯ve run so far away! We have to surpass them!¡±


    The equestrian coach really wanted to curse at Huo Zheng. The elders of other families would be worried about their children in this situation, but Huo Zheng did not seem worried about the children at all.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan saw Huo Dabao s angry expression from afar. She pped Huo Zheng¡¯s arm and said angrily, ¡°Have you forgotten what you promised me earlier?¡±


    Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow and asked nonchntly, ¡°What did 1 promise you earlier?<sup>1</sup>¡®


    ¡°You promised¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she suddenly trailed off. It seemed like she had suggested going a little slower, and Huo Zheng only expressed that he understood; he did not explicitly promise he would do so.


    Lin Xiaowan pretended to bite him before she said, ¡°You¡¯re really unreasonable!¡±


    Huo Zheng did not care at all. He only chuckled and said happily, ¡°Next time, when we have the time, we ll ride on the grasnd. You¡¯ll like it even more¡­¡±


    In Huo Zheng¡¯s opinion, this ce was still too small.


    Unsurprisingly, Lin Xiaowan won in the end,


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were rightfully indignant and wanted to argue with Huo Zheng, saying that they should race again fair and square.


    Lin Xiaowan felt that the suggestion was eptable, but Huo Zheng did not want to entertain them at all. He helped Lin Xiaowan off the horse as he said, ¡°I¡¯m tired now.¡±


    Although Huo Zheng said he was tired, his expression and his actions did not show it at ail. On the contrary, he seemed energetic, clearly in a good mood.


    Lin Xiaowan did not feel anything when her adrenaline was surging earlier. However, the moment she got off the horse, her legs softened.


    Huo Zheng quickly grabbed her, helping her to steady her footing.


    After regaining her footing, Lin Xiaowan felt that her thighs and butt were hurting. Initially, she still nned to persuade Huo Zheng to race with the two children again, but with the pain, she immediately dismissed that idea.


    To appease the two children, Lin Xiaowan waved her hand and said, ¡°Your uncle broke the rules this time so it doesn¡¯t count. I¡¯ll still give each of you a gift card when we go back.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan added loudly, ¡°Both of you should have won. Your uncle only won because he broke the rules!¡±


    Although the two children, who were intelligent, could see through Lin Xiaowan¡¯s intention, they were tempted by the gift cards so they did not say anything. Moreover, they agreed with Lin Xiaowan; if their uncle did not cheat, they would have won. With that, they epted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words and obediently got off their horses.


    As soon as the two children dismounted from their respective horses, they grimaced in pain.


    ¡°Ouch! My butt hurts!¡±


    ¡°My butt hurts too! Mom, 1 can¡¯t walk!¡± Huo Erbao said with a pout.


    In the end, when they left, Qiao You¡¯an and the nanny each carried a child while Huo Zheng carried Lin Xiaowan..

 Chapter 100 - 1oo: Professor Hong’s Daughter

    Chapter 1oo: Professor Hong¡¯s Daughter


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The group left in different cars.


    Huo Zheng carried Lin Xiaowan into the car and kissed her before he said teasingly, ¡°You¡¯re just as childish as Dabao and Erbao.¡±


    ¡°How am I childish?¡± Lin Xiaowan protested.


    Huo Zheng smiled and did not say anything. He only stroked her head and helped her massage her legs.


    In the evening, Zhu Yingyue sent a message to report the business for the day. It was filled with string after string of numbers, and honestly, Lin Xiaowan did not understand anything. In any case, based on the numbers at the bottom, she could still tell that the turnover was pretty good.


    [Zhu Yingyue: As expected, the changes we made didn¡¯t affect us.]


    [Zhu Yingyue: Moreover, Xiao Liu told me that the second floor is fully booked for the next three days.]


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly surprised by this. She checked Speaker and discovered that she had more than 99 notifications on the app. Puzzled, she clicked on the notification button and discovered that most of the notifications were from members of the dessert shop¡¯s page. There was one notification that indicated she had been mentioned in a post.


    She clicked on the notification hesitantly. The post was an advertisement for some facial cleansers. She did not bother reading through hundreds ofments. After all, she was not interested. She quickly clicked on the return button and returned to the notification page.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s followers suddenly rose from 0 to 36. She did not think much about it, assuming they were just followers of the dessert shop. She cleared her notifications and quickly exited the app.


    Lin Xiaowan nned to go to the dessert shop the next day, but she could not get out of bed the next day. Her back, legs, thighs, and butt hurt just like the time when she returned from Mount An. For a moment, she felt like she did not go horse riding and had climbed Mount An again.


    Lin Xiaowan did not make things difficult for herself. She was not in need of money, after all. With that, shezed around for another week before Qiao You¡¯an called her to meet at the dessert shop.


    The employees of the dessert shop knew that Lin Xiaowan was the boss. She did not put on air and had a good temper; she spoke slowly and softly and was not aggressive at all. For these reasons, they liked her a lot.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan waved and asked, ¡°Is my sister-inw here?¡±


    After asking that, she realized the employee probably did not know who she was referring to so she added, ¡°Her surname is Qiao.¡±


    There were not many people with this surname. The employee did not even need to check the reservation list. She remembered it as soon as Lin Xiaowan mentioned it.


    ¡°So that gentle woman is your sister-inw. Yes, she¡¯s upstairs.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan made an OK gesture. When she passed by the disy, she saw the blueberry cheesecake and brought it up with her.


    Qian You¡¯an came with two women, one of whom Lin Xiaowan had met previously. The two of them were dressed conservatively and sat upright. Their hair was tied up meticulously, they smiled without showing their teeth, and they ate very slowly. Their mannerism was typicaldylike behavior of Shangxia.


    After the renovation, the privacy on the second floor had been enhanced. Zhu Yingyue had hired someone to design theyout, and Lin Xiaowan also liked the design a lot. Previously, when Lin Xiaowan came over to have a look, it had not taken shape yet. She was really surprised now that she saw thepleted work.


    Each booth had its own style and decoration. The curtains, chairs, tables, and the like were all reced. Each of the booths was exquisite.


    Qiao You¡¯an was seated in the corner. An exquisite purple nt and a bonsai stood in the corner as decorative pieces while the ceiling was decorated with golden stars. Silver ornaments in the booth created a feeling that transported away from Shangxia.


    It was a rather good ce to take photos.


    When the three of them saw Lin Xiaowan, they waved and smiled at her, gesturing for her to take a seat.


    Qiao You¡¯an introduced the older of the two women, saying, ¡°This is Professor Hong¡¯s daughter, Madam Zheng. You can just call her Aunt Zheng.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan ced the blueberry cheesecake in the middle of the table before she took a seat next to Qiao You¡¯an. Then, she said with a smile, ¡°Hello, Aunt Zheng.¡±


    Subsequently, Lin Xiaowan looked at the other woman, whom she had met once. Despite only meeting the other party once, she remembered that the other party was Aunt Zhang. She said politely, ¡°Hello, Aunt Zhang.¡±


    Aunt Zheng smiled as she looked at Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°My mom often mentions you to me. I¡¯ve even seen your paintings. You should visit when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Recently, Lin Xiaowan was not very focused on painting. When Hong Minhua saw her, Hong Minhua would sigh andin that her heart was only with the dessert shop. When she heard Aunt Zheng¡¯s words, she could not help but feel slightly guilty.


    The two women were like elders. They asked how the dessert shop was doing and told her that their friends who visited the shop praised the shop¡¯s delicious desserts and unique decorations.


    Lin Xiaowan said truthfully, ¡°Actually, Sister Zhu is the one who did everything. I didn¡¯t do much.¡±


    ¡°When we came, we saw many people downstairs. It seems like business is booming.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an said, ¡°The patissiers that she and Zhu Yingyue hired are top-notch. The ingredients they used are also high-quality, and the desserts are delicious. However, it seems like she¡¯s worried about people spending too much money so the price is very low as well. How can there not be many people?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan blushed slightly when she heard Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s words. ¡°Sister¡­¡±


    The three womenughed seeing that Lin Xiaowan was embarrassed.


    Aunt Zheng had a very good impression of Lin Xiaowan. She said, speaking up for thetter, ¡°That¡¯s also a way to earn money. In any case, she¡¯s young so she still has time to learn.¡±


    Meanwhile, Qiao You¡¯an noticed Lin Xiaowan staring at the desserts on the table so she said, ¡°Alright, we should let Xiaowan eat. Look at her eyes. She can¡¯t even look away from the desserts.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, the other two women quickly pushed a few desserts toward Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°Eat more. We¡¯re old now so we don¡¯t eat much.¡±


    Seeing that there were no drinks on the table, Lin Xiaowan took the initiative to ask, ¡°What would you like to drink? I¡¯ll get them for you.¡±


    The drinks selection in the shop was not very wide; there were only tea and fruit juices. One could count the variety of drinks with one hand.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really like sweet drinks. Do you have any rmendations for us?¡± Qiao You¡¯an asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s summer now. Would you like to have green tea or jasmine tea? Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure not to add sugar to the pot of tea.¡±


    The women were not picky so in the end, Qiao You¡¯an chose green tea for them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have green tea. To make it more refreshing, I¡¯ll add mint leaves as well.


    They¡¯ll help with dispelling the heat..¡±

 Chapter 101 - 101: The Boss’ ‘Friend’

    Chapter 101: The Boss¡¯ ¡®Friend¡¯


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan left to get the tea, Aunt Zheng said, ¡°She¡¯s really cute and considerate. I can¡¯t help but be gentle when I¡¯m talking to her.¡±


    Aunt Zhang chimed in, ¡°I felt the same way when 1 first met her. She¡¯s really beautiful and kind.¡±


    Then, Aunt Zhang said to Qiao You¡¯an, ¡°You should persuade Second Young Master Huo to bring her out more. She¡¯s so precious. He can¡¯t always hide her at home.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an exined, ¡°She doesn¡¯t really like going out that much. It¡¯s useless to speak to him. His wife has the final say at home.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhang asked, ¡°By the way, when did Xiaowan and Second Young Master Huo get married? Why didn¡¯t we hear anything about it?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an shook her head andughed. ¡°They¡¯re not married yet. From the looks of it, they¡¯re not in a hurry to get married.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an had spoken to Huo Zheng about this previously. In her opinion, the duo¡¯s rtionship was very stable, and even if they were not in a hurry to get married, it was a good idea to get engaged first and let the outside world know about it. At that time, Huo Zheng wanted to wait a little longer. It was almost August now; perhaps, it was almost time.


    Aunt Zheng said, ¡°Young people nowadays prefer to get marriedter. My child is the same. He¡¯s not young anymore, but he doesn¡¯t even have a female friend around him, let alone a girlfriend.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯anughed. ¡°You¡¯re too anxious. 1 remember your son is only in his third year of high school. He¡¯s probably focused on studying now.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was about to go to the kitchen to get tea bags when she was stopped by one of her employees standing behind the counter. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The employee replied, ¡°When you went upstairs earlier, someone suddenly came over and asked me if the person who went upstairs was you. I asked, but he didn¡¯t give me a reason. I felt that it was really strange so I told him it wasn¡¯t you. I just said that you were a friend of the boss.¡±


    The employee continued to say, ¡°After that, he asked me when you woulde, but 1 said I wasn¡¯t sure and that you rarely came to the shop. After that, the few of them left regretfully.¡±


    ¡°The few of them?¡± Lin Xiaowan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°There were three of them,¡± the employee said with a nod.


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect this. Nheless, she was very satisfied with the employee¡¯s perfunctory response to them. She gave the other party a thumbs-up and said, ¡°Well done! If anyone asks in the future, you can just say that to them.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the employee sighed in relief. Then, she said, clearly more rxed now, ¡°Alright. By the way, what are you doing? Do you need my help?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan raised the teapot in her hand and said, ¡°No need. My sister-inw and her friends don¡¯t like sweet drinks so I¡¯m making a pot of tea for them. It¡¯s very simple so 1 can do it myself.¡±


    After a moment, she added, ¡°I think there are many customers who don¡¯t like sweet drinks as well. Perhaps we should consider adding only tea with nothing else to the menu¡­¡±


    Zhu Yingyue and Lin Xiaowan were open to listening to their employees¡¯ opinions and suggestions. If they had any good ideas, they were wee to speak to the duo.


    The employee nodded in agreement. ¡°I agree. There were quite a few customers who asked us to rmend drinks that weren¡¯t so sweet. I think it¡¯s a good idea to serve in tea.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll speak to Sister Zhu about this¡­¡±


    After Lin Xiaowan was done making the mint green tea, she carried the pot of tea up to the second floor. When she was walking up the stairs, she saw a beautiful woman standing at the stairwell, texting on her phone.


    When the woman saw Lin Xiaowan, her eyes lit up, and she extended her jade-like arm to stop Lin Xiaowan. She asked curiously, ¡°Are you Lin Xiaowan?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan studied the other party carefully. Seeing that the other party did not seem to harbor any ill intentions, sheughed a little awkwardly and feigned ignorance as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just working here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you,¡± the beautiful woman said with an apologetic smile on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied before she hurried away.


    After Lin Xiaowan entered the booth, the beautiful woman still stood in the same ce, typing on her phone.


    Meanwhile, the other customers who had been paying attention to the movements outside began to discuss among themselves.


    ¡°Did you see that? She entered that booth again¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I saw her bringing a pot of tea to Madam Huo¡¯s booth. I think she¡¯s Second Madam Huo¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go down and ask again¡­¡±


    One of them went down to inquire about the matter and returned, looking skeptical and confused.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The employee said that it was not her. She¡¯s just a friend who came to help¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it makes sense if she¡¯s a friend. Otherwise, how could she be acquainted with Madam Huo if she was just a simple employee of the shop?¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t talk about this anymore. By the way, the desserts here are really good. I¡¯m going to buy some backter. My girlfriend likes them.¡±


    The older men and women who visited the shop initially came to get closer to Lin Xiaowan. However, after their visit, they discovered that the desserts were truly delicious, and there were many varieties. Not only that, but the prices were extremely low, especially for them. With this, many of them became loyal customers.


    It rained a lot during summer in Shengjing. For several days in a row, it was cloudy in the afternoon. After that, there would be heavy rain.


    When the weather was bad, there would be fewer customers at the shop.


    Lin Xiaowan also did not go to the dessert shop when the weather was bad. She stayed at home, chatting on the phone or painting in the studio.


    Previously, Lin Xiaowan had found a unique and beautiful seashell on the beach. She hadmissioned a jewelry designer to make it into a brooch after she returned. It was almost finished, and the designer sent her a photo, asking her to have a look.


    Gu Yuwu helped Lin Xiaowan get in touch with the jewelry designer, and the price was very low. After all, the other party was still a student. However, despite being a student, the other party had won a fewpetitions. Although the other party was not famous, her designs were very unique and beautiful.


    When Lin Xiaowan looked at the designer¡¯s portfolio, she felt that the other party was really talented. Moreover, perhaps she was new, her attitude was also very good. For all these reasons, Lin Xiaowan agreed to work with her.


    The jewelry designer was not based on Shengjing so Lin Xiaowan had to send the seashell over. The designer also selected the gemstones that would be embedded into the seashell. After Lin Xiaowan confirmed it, she got to work immediately.


    The jewelry worked very quickly. As soon as she received the seashell, she got to work immediately..

 Chapter 102 - 102: LinXiaowan Is Shocked

    Chapter 102: LinXiaowan Is Shocked


    Trantor: Endless Fantasy Trantion Editor: End less Fantasy Trantion


    The most expensive part of the brooch was the few small gemstones. Although it was not her money, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart ached when she thought about the tens of thousands of yuan she spent on them.


    After she was done discussing the matter of the brooch, Lin Xiaowan had nothing to do so she went on Speaker. She found that she had a few more followers. With this, she was reminded that she had followed Gu Yuwu as well. She quickly clicked on her list of followers and took a screenshot of Gu Yuwu¡¯s name before she sent it to Gu Yuwu.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Are you busy? Hurry up and follow me!]


    Gu Yuwu was likely busy so she did not reply for quite a while.


    Lin Xiaowan waited for a while before she went to Gu Yuwu¡¯s page. Previously, she only looked at it briefly. Since she had nothing to do now, she took her time to see what was on Gu Yuwu¡¯s homepage. At this time, she also realized that every user s follower list was visible. With this, she quickly sent another message to Gu Yuwu.


    I Lin Xiaowan: Forget it, pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. Don¡¯t pay attention to me. ]


    Gu Yuwu had a lot of followers, and they were not something Lin Xiaowan couldpare to; they were inpletely different leagues. Moreover, most of the people who followed Gu Yuwu had a certification mark next to their names, they were definitely not ordinary people.


    For this reason, Lin Xiaowan felt that it was too abrupt to ask Gu Yuwu to follow her.


    Lin Xiaowan curiously looked at Gu Yuwu¡¯s followers. She discovered that she did not know anyone. After all, the celebrities she knew were limited to those who acted in dramas and movies that she had watched.


    Gu Yuwu had a lot of posts, and thetest one was a poll.


    Lin Xiaowan took a look at the names of rhe celebrities in the poll and randomly voted for one. Although she did not know what it was about, she could roughly guess that Gu Yuwu was turning a novel into a movie. She had no interest in novels so she did not read the post carefully.


    After that post was a series of four photos of desserts. They were taken the day Gu Yuwu visited the dessert shop.


    Gu Yuwu even captioned the photos.


    [I came to eat desserts at my sister¡¯s new dessert shop! If you mention my name, the boss will give you a discount! Consider this my treat! *ughing emoji J


    Lin Xiaowan liked the post before she scrolled down.


    Gu Yuwu reposted an article on thepletion of the filming of the fantasy drama. She only used a simple thank you emoji to caption it.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at thements to see everyone¡¯s opinion of the drama.


    [Netizen 1: **** you! I¡¯ve had enough of the **** projects you chose! To think you dare to im to be a producer! You¡¯re just so-so! You even dared to kick our queen out of the production team! What a ***!]


    [Gu Yuwu: Where did this animale from? Why didn¡¯t your master tie you up properly? Get lost.]


    Gu Yuwu also added an emoji of someone kicking another person with the text T*ckYou!¡¯.


    [Netizen i: F*ck you! Who do you think you are?! Do you really think our queen like your stupid drama?! You¡¯re a piece of shit! ]


    [Gu Yuwu: Have you seen the drama? Why are you so angry? If I¡¯m a piece of sh*t, what does it matter if she was kicked out of the production team? Don¡¯t be so angry now. Later, you¡¯ll have a real reason to be angry! ]


    [Netizen i: What right do you have to deprive our queen of acting? You¡¯re viting her personal freedom!]


    [Gu Yuwu: Oh, report it to the police then! I


    [Passerby 1: Hahahaha]


    [Passerby 2: Viting personal freedom! Hahaha! I¡¯mughingout loud!]


    [Passerby 3: Who¡¯s that person¡¯s queen? I¡¯m curious¡­]


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked. She also could not figure out the words were reced by ***. Apart from that, she was also curious about the identity of the queen¡¯ that was mentioned in thement. After scrolling down a little, she finally found her answer.


    [Passerby 4:1 solved the mystery. Zhao Zihan was initially considered for one of the roles. However, she was arrogant because of her fame, was difficult to work with, and also did not listen to advice from the production team. As a result, she was kicked out!]


    [Passerby 5: Is that what happened? Hahaha! She was pretending to be so busy that she couldn¡¯t participate in the drama! As it turned out, she was kicked out! ]


    [Passerby 6: I¡¯m amused!]


    Lin Xiaowan could not help butugh as well.


    There were other fans of celebrities thatmented as well, rmending their favorite celebrities to Gu Yuwu.


    Gu Yuwu also replied to ament from a fan that said his or her favorite actress was beautiful, cute, and kind.


    [Gu Yuwu: Oh, but she has terrible acting skills. |


    Gu Yuwu also replied to ament from a fan who asked Gu Yuwu to give his or her idol a chance, saying he had unlimited potential and that he was still young.


    [Gu Yuwu: Young? He¡¯s 35 years old this year and has been in the industry for eight years! He wants to participate in my movies? Keep dreaming! ]


    Many people would alsoment after Gu Yuwumented.


    This was the first time Lin Xiaowan had seen Gu Yuwu speaking venomously. It was very different from the Gu Yuwu she knew. However, she had to admit that this version of Gu Yuwu was very attractive and charming.


    With this, she quickly sent another message to Gu Yuwu.


    [Lin Xiaowan: You¡¯re so charming when you scold people!]


    Meanwhile, Gu Yuwu was finally free. When she picked up her phone and read Lin Xiaowan¡¯s message, she paused for a moment before she tried to remedy the situation.


    [Gu Yuwu: Don¡¯t read! My image of a gentle and friendly sister is gone!]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Toote! It has turned into an imposing image! ]


    Gu Yuwu was filled with the urge to make the posts with negativements only visible to herself at this moment. She thought about it for a moment as she looked at her huge list of followers. Then, she sent Lin Xiaowan a message. [Gu Yuwu: What¡¯s your username? ]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯m Xiaowan!]


    Gu Yuwu searched for Lin Xiaowan and discovered that Lin Xiaowan was following only two ounts. Upon seeing this, she gritted her teeth and followed Lin Xiaowan with tears in her eyes.


    [Gu Yuwu: Promise me you won t go on any archeological missions anymore! ]


    [Lin Xiaowan: What does that mean?]

 Chapter 103 - 103: Gu Yuwifs Character Collapses

    Chapter 103: Gu Yuwifs Character Copses


    Trantor: End Less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End LessFantasy Trantion


    I Lin Xiaowan: Archeological missions? 1 didn¡¯t go on any archeological missions¡­ ]


    Gu Yuwu wore a bitter expression on her face as she opened the browser and searched for the meaning of the phrase before copying and pasting it to Lin Xiaowan.


    [Gu Yuwu: It¡¯s a phrase used in the circle. It means you shouldn¡¯t dig up news, photos, posts, and the like from the past . J


    [Lin Xiaowan: Oh¡­J


    Curious, Lin Xiaowan sent another message.


    I Lin Xiaowan: What circle? Is it the entertainment industry?]


    Gu Yuwu: Something like that. You can just treat it as the entertainment industry.]


    Lin Xiaowan waspletely unaware of Gu Yuwu¡¯s grief and indignation due to her character¡¯s copse, and she was happily sending messages to Gu Yuwu.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Alright, I¡¯m going to dig up your history then! I


    After that, Lin Xiaowan went on Speaker again. She found Gu Yuwu¡¯s venomous tongue interesting. Thetter was good at scolding people without going over rhe limit; she was like an expert. Moreover, this also showed how eloquent Gu Yuwu was. She was really impressed.


    in fact, Gu Yuwu had always been a tyrant in the entertainment industry. Even in the early days, herments were filled with ***. Later on, she grew even more adept at scolding people and began to domineeringly crush the naysayers.


    Moreover, Gu Yuwu was not alone. Many of her followers were young girls. They were not just ordinary fans. They had been fans of idols for a long time so theirbat ability online was very powerful.


    Lin Xiaowan grew even more engrossed as she read thements. Not only was the way they scolded people interesting, even the way they praised people was interesting.


    [Netizen 1: Sister Gu, are you single? I¡¯m the type that¡¯s easy on the eye. I may look ugly at first, but the more you look at me, the more good-looking you¡¯ll find me! You¡¯ll be blinded by love soon! (rose) (rose) (rose)]


    [Gu Yuwu: We¡¯re notpatible! ]


    [Netizen 2: Sister, cheap love is everywhere! Join hands with me and dere war on this era of cheap love! [rose in mouth) ]


    [Gu Yuwu: Yourment is better than the one above!]


    [Netizen 2: Thank you for praising me, Sister! (heart eyes) However, I copied myment from somewhere else! Hehehe! ]


    [Netizen 3: Sister, let¡¯s eat a family bucket together! This way, well be a family! (kiss)]


    [Gu Yuwu: What¡¯s that? I¡¯ve not heard of it!]


    Lin Xiaowan continued reading until the sky turned dark and Huo Zheng came home. When she saw him, she ran into his arms immediately.


    Huo Zheng hugged her and said, ¡°Be careful. What if you fall?¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you look at the road when you walk?¡±


    Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t look at the road?¡¯<sup>1</sup>


    ¡°If you look at the road, how could you have bumped into¡­ my heart!¡±


    Huo Zheng was briefly stunned. When he recovered his senses, heughed. After a while, he said, ¡°Sister-inw called me earlier to look for you. She said that she couldn¡¯t get through to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I was charging my phone earlier so I didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan still hung on Huo Zheng like a ko bear as he walked into the walk-in wardrobe. He ced her on the couch at the side before he removed his jacket and tie.


    ¡°Why was Sister-inw looking for me?¡±


    Huo Zheng took out a set of casual clothes as he replied, ¡°There¡¯ll be a birthday party soon, and she wants me to bring you along¡­¡±


    in fact, Huo Zheng had summarized what Qian You¡¯an said. What Qiao You¡¯an meant was that everyone wanted to meet Lin Xiaowan and was curious about her. It was not good for him to keep hiding her from everyone. After the dessert shop opened for business, she had be quite a hot topic in the circle. Everyone had heard of her, but they had yet to meet her. As such, their expectations rose. Moreover, those few women who met her before would praise her to the sky, malting the others even more curious.


    This was normal. It was difficult for those to marry into wealthy families to keep a low profile after all.


    Although Qiao You¡¯an had repeatedly emphasized that Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan were not married yet, saying it was normal for young couples to stay lowkey, many people still felt that the couple had secretly registered their marriage. There were even rumors that it was an arranged marriage that was set up long ago and that there was no love between the couple. They thought that this was rhe reason Huo Zheng did not bring Lin Xiaowan out.


    Qiao You¡¯an was both angry and amused when she heard the rumors. She tried exining initially, but in the end, she was toozy to bother with them.


    ¡°Birthday party? Whose birthday party? Sister-inw?¡±


    ¡°No. He could be considered a good friend in the circle. His surname is Bai, and their family deals with electronics,¡± Huo Zheng said, exining it as best as he could.


    ¡°Uh,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied, showing that she did not know the other party.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s hand that was unbuttoning his shirt suddenly paused. He looked at the woman who was curled up on the couch, watching him with sparkling eyes. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you sure you want to watch me change?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think much of it at first, but upon hearing his words, she quickly rose to her feet and red at him reproachfully before she ran away. If she stayed, something might happen.


    After Huo Zheng changed his clothes and walked out, Lin Xiaowan continued their previous topic. She said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. There¡¯ll be many people among the guests who have visited the dessert shop. If I go, won¡¯t they recognize me?¡±


    Most importantly, she had gotten her employees to lie that she was just a friend¡¯ of Lin Xiaowan helping our at the shop. If she attended the birthday party, would her lie not be exposed?


    Lin Xiaowan sighed heavily. As expected, a lie would need more lies to cover it up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go then,¡± Huo Zheng said. He did not think the birthday party was a big deal, but there was something else. He continued to say, ¡°The daughter from the Bai family really likes the desserts from your shop so she wanted to ask if your shop would cater for the party?¡±


    Bai Xinting has a strange prejudice against Zhu Yingyue so she did not want to get in touch with thetter. However, she could not get in contact with Lin Xiaowan. She tried sending Lin Xiaowan a message on Speaker, but the message was left unread. She did nor dare to rashly look for the fierce Second Master Huo¡¯s wife so she looked for Qiao You¡¯an first.


    Huo Zheng added, ¡°Sister-inw said that she particrly likes the French desserts made by one of your patissiers.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not make the decision on her own so she said, ¡¯¡¯I¡¯ll speak to that patissier tomorrow before I call Sister-inw..¡±

 Chapter 104 - 104: Perfunctory

    Chapter 104: Perfunctory


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Coincidentally, the dessert shop was selling French desserts the next day. Although the patissier was not a native of Shangxia, he was very fluent in itsnguage so there was no barrier inmunication.


    Upon hearing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s request, he smiled, revealing the wrinkles on his forehead, as he asked, ¡°Sure. When do I have to be there?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had asked about this yesterday. The party was on Friday night the week after next. If the patissier agreed to go, the shop would have to close early in the afternoon. However, she did not mind it.


    Lin Xiaowan texted Zhu Yingyue, asking if she could borrow the patissier for a day.


    [Zhu Yingyue: Do whatever you want. You can make decisions yourself. Just let me know about it.]


    Zhu Yingyue was also very easygoing.


    The patissier from Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shop was not the only one who was hired. After all, it was a huge banquet, and they would need a lot of desserts.


    Before the birthday party, Lin Xiaowan followed the patissier there to have a look out of curiosity.


    Bai Xinting enthusiastically showed everyone the kitchen they would be working in and showed them the banquet menu as well. She also took the initiative to assign 16 helpers to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s patissier. After all, Lin Xiaowan only gave her patissier an assistant.


    What made Lin Xiaowan feel even more embarrassed was the fact that she had met Bai Xinting before. Bai Xinting was the beautiful woman whom she had met at the stairwell in the dessert shop previously. At that time, she had lied to Bai Xinting.


    However, Bai Xinting did not seem angry. Instead, she said with a gentle smile, ¡°As expected, you¡¯re Lin Xiaowan.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was so embarrassed that she did not know what to say. Sheughed before she exined earnestly, ¡°1 didn¡¯t mean to lie. 1 was just trying to avoid trouble.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand,¡± Bai Xinting said. She was very understanding.


    ¡®Is it really okay?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan remained silent. Bai Xinting was smiling so warmly at her that she felt even more embarrassed and guilty. For this reason, she somehow promised Bai Xinting in a daze that she would attend the birthday party. She could not refuse the other party and could onlyugh stiffly and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll attend the party.¡±


    As soon as Lin Xiaowan left, she began to hesitate and regret her decision. When she saw Huo Zheng, she asked for his opinion.


    ¡°Just do what you want. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t go,¡± Huo Zheng said. Then, he thought of a sentence he had read before but disagreed with. However, he felt that he could use it now to reassure Lin Xiaowan so he said, ¡°Most agreements between adults are just perfunctory.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him skeptically as she asked, ¡°Then, are your agreements with CEO Li, CEO Wang, CEO Zhao, and the other CEOs perfunctory?¡±


    Huo Zheng was rendered speechless. Naturally, those agreements were not perfunctory. Moreover, people in his position hated going back on their words or making casual promises.


    Sometimes, one might speak casually, but the listener might take it seriously. If one did not watch one¡¯s words when speaking, it would be easy to make mistakes.


    Huo Zheng tried his best to defend himself. ¡°The situation is different.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to attend the birthday party because she knew she had to watch her words and actions very carefully. It was ufortable and tiring. Another reason for her reluctance was the lie she told at the dessert shop.


    Lin Xiaowan looked a little depressed as she snuggled into Huo Zheng¡¯s arms and said, ¡°I have something to tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan told Huo Zheng about how she had lied about being someone else when asked.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Huo Zhengughed.


    ¡°I just blurted it out without thinking back then¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to worry or feel embarrassed. It¡¯s just a harmless joke,¡± Huo Zheng said. He did not think it was a big deal at all, but seeing how worried she was, he asked, ¡°Would it be better if 1 apany you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew Huo Zheng rarely attended such events. The events he attended were usually very formal where they discussed business cooperation. Therefore, she did not expect him to go with her.


    Lin Xiaowan put her thumb and index finger together before she said, ¡°I feel just a tiny bit better¡­¡±


    Huo Zhengughed and did not say anything seeing that she was in a better mood.


    A few days before the birthday party, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s custom brooch finally arrived. It looked even more exquisite and beautiful than the photos that the designer had sent her.


    After processing, the seashell¡¯s patterns were even more obvious. The embedded gemstones also set off the seashell beautifully. She excitedly showed it to him, saying that it was her gift to him.


    When Huo Zheng apanied Lin Xiaowan to attend the Bai family¡¯s birthday party, he wore the brooch. To match the brooch, he wore a light blue shirt. Ever since he had taken over Huo Corporation, he had rarely dressed in light colors. Perhaps that was why he was even more eye-catching than the head of the Bai family today.


    Lin Xiaowan, on the other hand, wore a light pink dress. The two of them looked like a match made in heaven.


    With Lin Xiaowan around, everyone could see that Huo Zheng was in a good mood.


    When the couple handed the gift to the butler, Lin Xiaowan could clearly see the butler¡¯s probing gaze. She straightened her back and boldly met his gaze. She was much more courageous than before, especially after she started working at the dessert shop.


    Although she was still nervous on social asions like this, she was still able to act confidently.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan whispered to the man next to her, ¡°It seems like many people are looking at you¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng adjusted her hair ornament and replied, ¡°They¡¯re also looking at you.¡±


    When he saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s tense expression and her eyes darting around, he asked, ¡°Are you very nervous?¡±

 Chapter 105 - 105: She’s My Wife; We’re Not Married Yet

    Chapter 105: She¡¯s My Wife; We¡¯re Not Married Yet


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t feel that nervous,¡± Lin Xiaowan said proudly, ¡°I¡¯ll just look at whoever looks at me, and make them feel embarrassed.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Huo Zhengughed.


    The birthday party was actually rather boring, but there were many delicacies.


    Huo Zheng held a te and followed Lin Xiaowan. When he saw her picking something up, he would move the te over at the right time.


    Lin Xiaowan took a bite of the cheese berry tart before she gave a small piece to Huo Zheng and said, ¡°This was made by my patissier.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really like desserts,¡± Huo Zheng said. Despite his words, he still held her hand and lowered his head to put the cheese berry tart into his mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t like it? Then why are you eating it?¡± Lin Xiaowan said sarcastically. Then, she warned, ¡°Be careful. There might be poison on the spoon.¡±


    Huo Zheng felt that Lin Xiaowan was not very smart. Amused, he asked, ¡°Then did you test the poison for me earlier?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not react for a moment. Indeed, she had taken a bit of the tart first. If there was poison, she would be the first to be poisoned.


    ¡®Damn it!¡¯


    ¡°Eat less. You have an appointment with the dentist in a few days.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had only been eating desserts. Huo Zheng could not understand why she loved sweet things so much. Now that she opened a dessert shop, she had been eating them every day. Even then, it was not enough.


    Huo Zheng sounded like a nagging father as he continued to say, ¡°You have to eat more vegetables and fruits to be healthy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not unhealthy though?¡± Lin Xiaowan nced at him and counted with her fingers as she said, ¡°I ate grapefruit, watermelon, and honeydew today. 1 also ate a lot of vegetables for lunch.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had fried chicken for lunch today.


    Huo Zheng was silent for a moment, wondering if the vegetable she was referring to was the small portion of lettuce next to the fried chicken that was more like a garnish.


    ¡°Come and have lunch with me tomorrow,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    The dessert shop was close to the Huo Corporation; it was only a ten-minute walk away. It was not impossible for them to have lunch together if Lin Xiaowan was willing.


    However, Lin Xiaowan was unwilling. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to eat whatever she wanted. She could not allow someone to ruin her happy time! If she ate by herself, she could drink milk tea and fruit juice at the same time. After her meal, there were also many desserts for her to choose from. She was simply too happy. Could she eat like that if Huo Zheng was around? Of course not.


    Finally, someone approached Huo Zheng to talk to him. The other party held a champagne flute and bowed slightly before he said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Second Master Huo attended an event like this. Why did you suddenly attend Old Bai¡¯s birthday party today?¡±


    Today¡¯s birthday party was in honor of the head of the Bai family. He was in his fifties and had started hispany from scratch. Others would always praise him when they mentioned him. He was bold and knew how to seize opportunities. s, although he was outstanding, he still could notpare to Huo Zheng. They were inpletely different leagues.


    Huo Zheng looked at the other party silently. It was obvious he did not want to talk to the other party.


    Lin Xiaowan bit her spoon as she watched. Seeing Huo Zheng¡¯s tant disregard for the other person, she even felt that Huo Zheng was too arrogant.


    On the other hand, the man did not look annoyed at being ignored. Instead, he smiled and continued to ask, ¡°Who¡¯s this person next to you?¡±


    The man already had a guess in his heart, but he still asked such a question. Just as expected, Huo Zheng did not ignore this question.


    Although Huo Zheng looked aloof, he could barely hide the gentleness in his voice as he said, ¡°My wife.¡±


    With this, the man said tteringly, ¡°No wonder. Both of you look like a match made in heaven! You really look good together.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan choked before she corrected, ¡°We¡¯re not married yet.¡±


    The man paused for a fleeting moment. However, he was quite quick-witted. He said, ¡°You¡¯re not even married yet, but you look like you¡¯re married. This means that your rtionship is very good! In my opinion, after you get married, your days will definitely be full of love and prosperity.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew the words the other party said, but when she strung them together, she found them incoherent.


    Huo Zheng looked at the man in front of him and said with a faint smile, ¡°Thank you for your auspicious words.¡±


    The man holding the champagne flute was very observant. Seeing that Huo Zheng was no longer as aloof as before, he put down his ss and brought his business card out, respectfully handing it to Huo Zheng. He was also very tactful. Although he wanted to get close to Huo Zheng for work-rted matters, he did not talk about work at all. He said, ¡°This is my contact information. If I¡¯m lucky enough to attend Second Master Huo¡¯s wedding in the future, I¡¯ll definitely remember it for the rest of my life. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a grand wedding to remember, filled with love and sincerity.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at the man silently. The man had been bowing from the beginning until now.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan could not hold back and burped after she drank the orange juice too quickly.


    At the same time, Huo Zheng took the business card and ced it on the small table in front of him without looking at it. Instead, he looked at Lin Xiaowan and patted her back gently as he said in a gentle but reproachful tone, ¡°Drink slowly. Don¡¯t drink anymore after this.¡±


    In front of outsiders, Lin Xiaowan was too embarrassed to act coquettishly and ask for more. Before she lowered her head to eat the chocte cake in front of her, she stiffly replied, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Huo Zheng picked up the business card he had just put aside. When he looked up again, his gentleness when faced with Lin Xiaowan was gone. He said expressionlessly to the man, ¡°You¡¯re quite eloquent.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not understand the meaning behind these words; she only thought Huo Zheng was praising the man. She quietly watched as the middle-aged man straightened his back and smiled.


    Overjoyed, the man raised his ss and said, ¡°Thankyou, Second Master!¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded silently.


    The man had achieved his goal, and he knew he should stop while he was ahead. He knew that if he stayed any longer, he would only be annoying. Hence, he quickly said before he left, ¡°Then 1 won¡¯t disturb Second Master Huo any longer.¡±


    As soon as the other party left, Lin Xiaowan leaned against Huo Zheng and asked curiously, ¡°Why does he look so happy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Huo Zheng replied with a straight face.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng skeptically. She suspected that he was lying, but she had no proof.


    ¡°Are you done eating?¡± Huo Zheng asked, picking up the te and preparing to stand up.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan quickly grabbed his arm and shook her head. ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    After that, she said, ¡°That person from before oftenes to the dessert shop as well, and he had seen me before. However, he did not say anything earlier¡­¡±


    This was what a smart person would do.


    The man had already seen through Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ¡®friend¡¯ at the dessert shop as the Second Madam of the Huo family. However, he knew exposing her would only make things awkward so he wisely pretended not to know her at all. He was quite capable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him..¡±

 Chapter 106 - 106: We’ll Get Married in the Future

    Chapter 106: We¡¯ll Get Married in the Future


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Although they were sitting in a rather inconspicuous ce, they still attracted many people¡¯s attention.


    After the tactful struck up a conversation and left, he was stopped by a few people after he had just taken a few steps.


    ¡°What were you talking about earlier? Second Master Huo looked much more amiable than usual. Teach me.¡±


    The man smiled mysteriously and did not say anything.


    There were guests who had visited the dessert shop before. The observant ones had long noticed that the person next to Huo Zheng was the person who had been helping out at the shop.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that woman next to him?¡±


    The man nced at everyone and smiled before he said politely, ¡°There¡¯s only one person whom Second Master Huo would bring here¡­¡±


    The others naturally understood the meaning of these words.


    Among these few people, the person who was most anxious earlier wore a dissatisfied expression on his face as he said unhappily, ¡°1 knew she wasn¡¯t just a simple helper at the shop! Who does she think she is to act so arrogant? Isn¡¯t she just relying on the Huo family to act that way?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the man, who had just sessfully handed his business card to Huo Zheng and seemed to have left a good impression on Huo Zheng, did not change his expression, but he skillfully distanced himself from the other party. A person who spoke without thinking would get into trouble sooner orter. There was no need for him to befriend the other party.


    After giving his speech, the head of the Bai family also came over to speak to Huo Zheng. To be honest, he did not expect that his daughter would be able to invite Huo Zheng to his party. He raised his ss and toasted Huo Zheng, finishing it in one gulp before he said, ¡°Second Master Huo, thank you foring today.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s appearance at this birthday party would definitely make things easy for him in the future when he wasworking. For this reason, despite being the star of the party, he took the initiative toe to see Huo Zheng.


    The head of the Bai family¡¯s appearance and temperament were very different. His face looked gentle, and his skin and lips were slightly pale. He looked like a weak and frail young master in ancient dramas. He did not look his age at all. Although he was in his fifties, he did not look much older than a man in his thirties. He took very good care of his appearance.


    After a brief moment, he raised his ss and looked at Xiaowan before he asked, ¡°This must be Second Master Huo¡¯s wife, right?


    Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan as though he was asking silently with his eyes, ¡°How are you going to reply?¡±


    Huo Zheng had been refuted by her earlier so he did not rush to respond this time.


    Lin Xiaowan cleared her throat awkwardly before she said, ¡°We¡¯re not married yet.¡±


    Then, as though she was worried Huo Zheng would misunderstand, she quickly added, ¡°But we¡¯ll get married in the future.¡±


    However, as soon as Lin Xiaowan finished speaking, she felt that her words were inappropriate.


    Upon hearing this, the head of the Bai family¡¯s eyes shed slightly. He praised her before he asked to attend the wedding in the future. He could tell that Huo Zheng did not object to her words. He also did not continue on this topic. He only raised an eyebrow slightly and said, ¡°Second Master Huo¡¯s wedding will definitely be iparably grand in the future.¡±


    After that, he did not beat around the bush and said directly, ¡°1 really didn¡¯t expect Second Master Huo toe today. It¡¯s my honor to be able to speak to you. If you need any partners to cooperate with in the future, I sincerely hope that you¡¯ll give small families like us a chance. I¡¯ll be eternally grateful to you.¡±


    His words and tone were very pleasant to the ears. He made a small request in such a rxed manner. It was as though if Huo Zheng was willing to help him, he¡¯ll ept it. If Huo Zheng was not willing, he also would not pester Huo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression did not betray his thoughts. He only nodded and said in a deep voice, ¡°Master Bai, you¡¯re too polite.¡±


    After that, the head of the Bai family left with his personal assistant to chat with the other guests.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan noticed that although no one approached them, most of them were pretending to pass by, trying to eavesdrop on them. She said to Huo Zheng, ¡°Do you know when they address you as Second Master Huo, 1 feel like I¡¯ve gone back in time by a few hundred years. You¡¯re just like a feudal lord.¡±


    Apart from that, Lin Xiaowan felt that the title ¡®Second Master Huo¡¯ made him seem decades older.


    ¡®Ah, it really doesn¡¯t sound good¡­¡¯


    After a moment, she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell that when Elder Brotheres out to socialize, everyone addresses him as Master or Eldest Master?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Huo Zheng replied with a nod..

 Chapter 107 - 107: Cheng Ruitong Reprimands Her Employee

    Chapter 107: Cheng Ruitong Reprimands Her Employee


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End toss Fantasy Trantion


    Hlio Cheng was a member of Shangxia¡¯s government. He was very busy with work and rarely participated in social gatherings. Qiao You¡¯an was the one responsible for the Huo family¡¯s external rtions. On the rare asion when Htio Cheng had time, he would apany his wife.


    Lin Xiaowan imagined that if Huo Cheng was here with Huo Zheng today, everyone would toast them and bow respectfully as they called out, ¡°Master Huo, Second Master Huo!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan found it very strange.


    Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng did not n to stay for long. After speaking to the head of the Bai family, they were ready to leave.


    When they walked to the garden in front, Lin Xiaowan saw Cheng Ruitong talking to someone. The other party, whose head was lowered like a quail, seemed to be an assistant or secretary. All in all, the duo¡¯s expressions did not seem too good at this moment.


    Cheng Ruitong also did not expect to run into Lin Xiaowan here. She was briefly stunned. When she recovered, she adjusted her expression and took a deep breath. After that, she called out, ¡°Xiaowan.<sup>11</sup>


    The other party, who was being reprimanded after making a mistake earlier, did not even dare to breathe loudly. Although he was a grown man, he felt like he was going to cry from being scolded. He was slightly curious when he heard that his boss¡¯ wife had be less cold. As such, he snuck a nce to see who the other person was. No matter who it was, he felt extremely grateful.


    When Cheng Ruitong scolded someone, there was no fluctuation in her tone as well. However, it was thisck of fluctuation that made her scary. It was as though the other party was going to be dismissed and kicked out like trash in the next moment, unable to see the sun again.


    At this moment, Huo Zheng had walked away to answer a work call.


    ¡°Am I disturbing you?¡±¡® Lin Xiaowan asked hesitantly.


    ¡°No,¡± Cheng Ruitong said before she nced at her employee, whom she thought was dumb, and decided to let him off for now. She said, ¡°Correct your mistakes. 1 want to see the amended work tomorrow.¡±


    The employee felt as though he had been pardoned. He could not react for a while, stunned.


    Is she going to let me off just like this?¡±


    He sighed in relief inwardly before he said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong warned coldly, ¡°If you make such a low-level mistake again, your position will be given to another person.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time. Don¡¯t worry, President Cheng. I admit this was my mistake so please deduct my sry this month,¡± the employee said. He was not unwilling at all. To be fair, although the work could sometimes be difficult and time-consuming, it was pretty good to work for Cheng Ruitong.


    Although Cheng Ruitong was aloof and taciturn, she was very easy to talk to most of the time. Unless one crossed the line, most of the time the employees would only be reprimanded and punished fairly if they made a mistake. However, it had to be said that Cheng Ruitong was very scary when she was reprimanding her employees.


    Most importantly, Cheng Ruitong paid her employees well. Naturally, it was also because of their capabilities that they were paid well.


    Upon hearing her employee¡¯s humble words, Cheng Ruitong frowned slightly and said, ¡°No need.¡±


    The employee still wanted to insist, but when he saw the annoyance and impatience in his boss¡¯ eyes and the young woman standing at the side, he felt like his presence was quite redundant. In the end, he decided it was best for him to leave immediately and work overtime to correct his mistake.


    Before leaving, he snuck a look at the fairy-like woman who had saved him, but when he had a good look, he eximed in surprise. He had seen her before. In the end, he could not help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re the employee from the dessert shop?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect the other party to recognize her. She said, ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I see. Your desserts are really too delicious! My wife and daughter love them! They say that your dessert shop is the best in Sheng]ing,¡± the employee said. He was actually a loyal customer.


    The employee sighed as he continued to say, ¡°My wife oftenments the fact that your dessert shop doesn¡¯t do delivery. She said that your business would be even better if you did that.¡±


    Indeed, although it was a little troublesome, the dessert shop¡¯s business would be even better if they provided delivery service. However, the patissiers were already very busy. If they offered delivery service as well, the patissiers would be very tired. Moreover, they did notck profit. In short, Zhu Yingyue felt that it was unnecessary.


    Lin Xiaowan was very warm and friendly when faced with customers who simply liked the desserts and had no ulterior motives. As such, she exined the situation a little to the employee.


    The employee expressed his understanding, and just as he was about to speak again, he noticed his boss¡¯ expression had gradually darkened. With that, he immediately said goodbye and ran off.


    ¡®That was a life-or-death moment! My life is more important than desserts!¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s sote, but you¡¯re still dealing with work matters,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. At the same time, she thought to herself, It¡¯s really not easy being a big boss. Huo Zheng¡¯s the same. He¡¯s always busy dealing with all kinds of things.¡¯


    Cheng Ruitong replied, ¡°It was an emergency. He made a mistake at work.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong s tone softened a lot when she spoke to Lin Xiaowan. However, her face was still expressionless. Many people were afraid of her because of this and assumed she was very arrogant, bur this was not the case at ail.


    After a moment, Cheng Ruitong added, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the time to visit your shop, but my assistant bought the desserts for me a few times. They were delicious.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was a little surprised. Previously, Cheng Ruitong had sent a gift through her friend during the opening ceremony. She had sent a message to express her gratitude and did not have any contact with Cheng Ruitong after that. She assumed that Cheng Ruitong did not like desserts. She had once suspected this was amonality between CEOs and presidents; they did not like sweet things.


    ¡°Oh, you should¡¯ve told me! I would¡¯ve sent you more,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Then, a hint ofint could be heard in her voice as she continued to say, ¡°I sent you a message before, but you didn¡¯t reply. I thought you didn¡¯t like desserts.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong did not have any impression of this so she brought her phone out to have a look. Indeed, Lin Xiaowan had sent her messages.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯ve received your gift! Thank you!]


    I Lin Xiaowan: Also, I¡¯ve received the perfume your friend made! I tried it out! It¡¯s really fragrant, and I really like it! ]


    Apart from that, Lin Xiaowan also sent two photos to apany the messages.


    Seeing that the messages were sent quite a while ago, Cheng Ruitong said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was very busy that day. 1 probably forgot about them because I didn¡¯t reply immediately.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly said, ¡¯ It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to say sorry. This is a very, very small matter..¡±

 Chapter 108 - 108: But I Have Beauty

    Chapter 108: But I Have Beauty


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan was slightly affected by the matter. She was a sensitive person, after all. When Cheng Ruitong did not reply to her messages, she did not dare to ask any questions or send another message since they were not very familiar with each other. However, she would secretly wonder if she had something wrong that made Cheng Ruitong dislike her.


    Naturally, if it was someone she was familiar with like Huo Zheng, she would pester him, ask him why he did not reply, and if he was working. She would even joke with him.


    If she did not meet Cheng Ruitong by chance today and mustered up her courage to ask about it, they would likely lose contact.


    ¡°Are you still learning archery?¡± Cheng Ruitong asked before she said, ¡°1 have free time in two days. Do you want to go to the club with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but my performance isn¡¯t very good. 1 still can¡¯t hit the target,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, feeling slightly embarrassed as she said these words, ¡°Of course, I want to go with you if you have free time!¡±


    Cheng Ruitong nodded expressionlessly. However, inwardly, she thought that it was so good to speak to a soft and beautiful girl.


    At this time, Huo Zheng finally returned. When he could not find Lin Xiaowan in her original position, he looked around briefly before he saw her. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said happily, ¡°I saw Sister Cheng so I came over to say hello.¡±


    When faced with the opposite sex, Cheng Ruitong was the same. She was aloof and expressionless. She said politely, ¡°President Huo, long time no see.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded in response. After all, they had cooperated before. He also knew Cheng Ruitong¡¯s usual style very well so he did not bother to be polite. He held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan allowed him to hold her hand. She waved at Cheng Ruitong with her other hand and said, ¡°Sister Cheng, 1¡¯11 leave first!¡±


    Cheng Ruitong nodded. ¡°Bye, Xiaowan. I¡¯ll see you next time!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled sincerely. ¡°Alright!¡±


    After parting ways, Huo Zheng asked teasingly in a low voice, ¡°Did you secretly make an appointment behind my back?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it secretly! You were busy earlier,¡± Lin Xiaowan said righteously, ¡°Moreover, don¡¯t you know about it now?¡±


    ¡°Sister Cheng? You address her so intimately,¡± Huo Zheng said as he opened the car door for Lin Xiaowan. After they both got into the car, he added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me Brother any more?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to!¡± Lin Xiaowan said, making a face at him and sticking her tongue out.


    Subsequently, Huo Zheng kissed her.


    When Lin Xiaowan got out of the car, she was dizzy. She could not even differentiate between north, south, east, and west. Her legs were weak, and she was carried into the house by her boyfriend in the posture one would carry a child.


    Lin Xiaowan wrapped her arms around Huo Zheng¡¯s neck and expressed her displeasure. ¡°In the dramas, the CEOs and the presidents would carry their girlfriends like princesses. Why do you carry me like this?¡±


    He held her bottom with one and supported her back with the other. He raised his eyebrow and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you jump into my arms like that?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lin Xiaowan denied.


    Huo Zheng was magnanimous and did not argue with her. No matter what, she was always right.


    Before going to bed, Lin Xiaowan thought of something and asked worriedly, ¡°Does this mean that 1 can no longer work at the dessert shop?¡±


    Although no one dared to approach her tonight, there must be guests like the tactful man who recognized her from the dessert shop. Even if there were not many who recognized her, it would not take long before word of it spread to everyone.


    ¡°You can do whatever you want,¡± Huo Zheng said reassuringly, ¡°If you click with someone, it¡¯s not a bad idea to befriend them. If someone makes you feel ufortable, you can just ignore them.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll take a few days off. Maybe after things settle down, they¡¯ll forget about it¡­¡±


    After that, Lin Xiaowan showed Huo Zheng her homepage on Speaker and said, ¡°Look! There are so many people following me. 1 wonder if all of them are trying to get close to you?¡±


    Huo Zheng took a look and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think more than a thousand people are following you just because of me¡­ You should be more confident. They¡¯re following you because of you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan locked her phone and said skeptically, ¡°But I have nothing, they have no reason to follow me¡­¡±


    After putting her phone aside, she cupped her face with both hands before she said with a cheeky smile, ¡°Oh, wait, 1 do have something. 1 have beauty!¡±


    Huo Zheng hugged her, amused.


    A few dayster, Cheng Ruitong kept her word and invited Lin Xiaowan out.


    Lin Xiaowan had not been to the dessert shop over the past few days and had been cooped up at home. She had been feeling bored so she agreed quickly.


    Cheng Ruitong was dressed in a simple white shirt and ck pants, and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. When she saw Lin Xiaowan, she smiled and opened the passenger seat door for her. When Lin Xiaowan got into the car, she said, filled with praise, ¡°Your outfit looks cute.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wore a straw hat with arge light green bow. She wore a cream V-neck shirt and matching pants. She looked very lively and energetic.


    When Lin Xiaowan casually ced her bag in the back seat, it caught Cheng Ruitong¡¯s eye, and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? A frog?¡±


    The dark green leather bag was small. It was clearly not functional, and it was more of a decorative piece. At most, it could hold a mobile phone.


    ¡°No, I was told it¡¯s a small crocodile!¡± Lin Xiaowan fastened her seatbelt before she looked at Cheng Ruitong expectantly as she asked with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t it cute?¡±


    Cheng Ruitong avoided Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes as she replied, ¡°Mm.¡±


    It was in fact rather ugly.


    Before she drove, Cheng Ruitong nced at the bag again.


    ¡®Forget it. It¡¯s not that ugly. Looking at it closely, it¡¯s quite¡­ cute¡­¡¯


    Cheng Ruitong asked, ¡°Where did you get this from?¡±


    ¡®Is it okay to sell such a bag? Was she cheated?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°It¡¯s from Saint Laurent. This is a limited-edition gift. The salesperson said there were also a bear and a frog. 1 want them all. She said she¡¯ll give them to me next time. Do you want one as well?¡±


    ¡®So it¡¯s a gift¡­ That¡¯s right. They wouldn¡¯t be able to sell it anyway. It¡¯s better to give it away¡­¡¯


    Cheng Ruitong shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong felt that she had refused too quickly so she added, ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong had always dressed very simply. This kind of decorative bag needed to be carefully matched or else it would look very out of ce.


    Lin Xiaowan did not think much of it and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Indeed, it did not match Cheng Ruitong¡¯s style..

 Chapter 109 - 109: You’re Not Allowed to Look

    Chapter 109: You¡¯re Not Allowed to Look


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The club that Cheng Ruitong brought them to was close to an amusement park. She was clearly a regr here. As soon as she walked in, a well-dressed man greeted her warmly and asked what she wanted to do today.


    Cheng Ruitong nodded before she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to call anyone today.¡±


    Usually, when Cheng Ruitong came, someone would be at her beck and call. Sometimes, the other person would even apany her to experience the thrill of racing. There was a specially approved racing track on the winding mountain road behind the club. Safety measures were naturally taken.


    The two women went to the archery range first.


    Lin Xiaowan only tried archery once. After the first time, she no longer had any contact with it. She had forgotten everything she had learned.


    ¡°Have you forgotten the movements I taught you?¡± Cheng Ruitong asked, patting Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shoulder.


    After that, Cheng Ruitong patiently taught Lin Xiaowan the correct posture, how to exert her strength, and how to aim at the target. Although she was expressionless, her tone was kind.


    With Cheng Ruitong¡¯s guidance, Lin Xiaowan pulled her hand back and released the arrow. With a swoosh, it hit the target. Although it was mostly due to Cheng Ruitong¡¯s help, she was still delighted and proud. After all, it was her first time hitting the target.


    ¡°Wow! This is amazing!¡±


    It was unknown if she was praising others or herself.


    Cheng Ruitong let go of Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Try it yourself.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan adjusted her posture again and took aim. With a swoosh, the arrow was released. After a short while, it fell to the ground weakly. Without Cheng Ruitong¡¯s help, the arrow she shot could not even touch the target.


    Lin Xiaowan puffed her cheeks up and said, ¡°There must be a problem with the arrow. I did everything correctly.¡±


    Everything was done perfectly, and yet, she still could not touch the target. The problem must be with the arrow, not her.


    Cheng Ruitong could not hide her smile at all. ¡°Well, let¡¯s try again. The arrow earlier has a problem¡­¡±


    The arrows were all mass-produced. How could there be anything wrong with them? Moreover, many people had used them withoutints. Cheng Ruitong¡¯s words were nothing more than to coax Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan was also easy to coax. With just a few words, she would be happy.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan fired a few shots consecutively but still failed to touch the target.


    Before Lin Xiaowan could say anything, Cheng Ruitong said expressionlessly, ¡°It¡¯s the arrow¡¯s fault. They¡¯re too light.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan¡¯s arrow finally touched the target, Cheng Ruitong said with a straight face, ¡°Xiaowan, you¡¯re progressing very quickly. Other people have toe a few times before they can even hit the target.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt satisfied with her progress today and pestered Cheng Ruitong to y a few more rounds.


    The venue was cold and quiet, but at this time, a few people came in, making the ce livelier. They were all young people, and based on their conversation, it seemed like they were here toplete and ce bets.


    There was an electronic board at the side that disyed the time of the match and the yers¡¯ scores.


    Lin Xiaowan had seen one of the people who came in before on the Inte. He was a wealthy young master and was famous for being a womanizer. He was not a celebrity, but he had a lot of followers online. It was rumored that he had an affair with all the women around him. In short, she did not have a good impression of the other party.


    The other party¡¯s hair was dyed golden brown and carefully styled. He wore a gaudy flower shirt and left a few of his buttons unbuttoned, exposing his tan chest.


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly looked away after a moment.


    A few of them knew Cheng Ruitong so they came over to greet her respectfully.


    Cheng Ruitong was not enthusiastic. She nodded in response but did not say much.


    The womanizing young master, a son of a real estate tycoon, recognized Lin Xiaowan. He was also present at the Bai family¡¯s birthday party. He could not help but ask Cheng Ruitong, ¡°She¡¯s from the Huo family, right?¡±


    Seeing that the other party recognized her, Lin Xiaowan thought to herself, ¡®How did 1 get recognized and remembered by such a yboy? How terrifying!¡¯


    Cheng Ruitong did not answer the other party. Instead, she asked, ¡°What are youpeting in?¡±


    Another young man scratched his head andughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯re going topete in archery. Sister Cheng, do you want to join us?¡±


    Seeing the curiosity in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wide eyes, Cheng Ruitong asked, ¡°What¡¯s the prize?¡±


    The young man pointed outside and said, ¡°A new car. There are only twenty models in the world. My brother just got them for me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was astonished when she heard this. She took another nce at the handsome young man.


    The car was a limited-edition car. Even if he did not mention the brand or model, it was obvious that it was expensive. However, he casually used it as a prize. It was as though it was not a real car but a toy car.


    The young man saw Lin Xiaowan sizing him up, and he responded with a smile. Then, he looked at Cheng Ruitong and asked hopefully, ¡°Sister Cheng, do you want to join us? Let¡¯s race. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve yed with you, Sister Cheng.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong came with Lin Xiaowan today. She was not sure if Lin Xiaowan would be interested in this so she politely declined the other party.


    Lin Xiaowan did not y anymore. She sat and watched the others draw the bowstring and shoot the arrows with relish. She still remembered the first time she saw Cheng Ruitong; Cheng Ruitong stood expressionlessly, hitting bullseyes over and over again as though she had a grudge against the target.


    Lin Xiaowan said, filled with praise, ¡°Sister Cheng, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re as good as you.¡±


    Cheng Ruitong only smiled in response.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan wondered if Huo Zheng knew these things. He had a good figure, with broad shoulders and long legs. If he stood there in his suit with a bow and arrow, he would definitely be 800 times more good-looking than this group of people. After a moment, she furtively studied the group of people and found that only the son of the real estate tycoon had a slightly better figure. Needless to say, the other party still could notpare to Huo Zheng.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned, she immediately ¡®reported¡¯ everything that happened while she was out. Then, she asked brightly, ¡°Do you know archery as well?¡±


    Needless to say, Huo Zheng knew archery. He said, ¡°Next time, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Then, he asked, ¡°Why were you looking at a shirtless man?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was speechless.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Who was shirtless? He wore a Hawaiian shirt with big flowers, and he just didn¡¯t button his buttons properly.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression remained indifferent, but his words were rather unreasonable. ¡°In any case, you¡¯re not allowed to look.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes. ¡°The ce isn¡¯t very big, and he was just standing there. It¡¯s hard not to look at him.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan poked him before she continued to say, ¡°President Huo, you¡¯re really unreasonable.¡±


    President Huo, who was unreasonable, only hummed in acquiescence..

 Chapter 110 - 11o: When Did You Start the Anthropomorphic Series?

    Chapter 11o: When Did You Start the Anthropomorphic Series?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Gu Yuwu had participated in the filming of a variety show in the countryside. After the filming waspleted, she was not in a hurry to go back and stayed for a few days. Coincidentally, she received a call from Lin Xiaowan, asking about fun things to do.


    Gu Yuwu thought about it for a moment before she replied, ¡°Shengjing is only that big. There aren¡¯t that many fun things to do. Do you want to go out and y? At the end of the month, there¡¯s a music festival at the sports stadium. Do you want to go?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have much interest, and after Gu Yuwu asked a few questions, she truthfully confessed that she wanted to spend time with Huo Zheng.


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°I was going to invite you out today. It¡¯s fine if you bring President Huo along.¡±


    ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in Shengjing.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan heard this, she felt that it was not appropriate. After all, Huo Zheng was extremely busy with work. If he had to travel for a few days, he would have even more work. He was already tired, to begin with. In the end, she declined Gu Yuwu¡¯s invitation.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan created an ount on Speaker, she would asionally post her paintings. She recently discovered a new hobby, that was to paint the desserts in the shop into various personified figures. The style was not exquisite, but they garnered quite a fair bit ofments.


    Gu Yuwu had also reposted her post before so her posts were quite popr.


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan went through Gu Yuwu¡¯s pastments, they had been following each other and attracted many people¡¯s attention.


    Gu Yuwu was in the entertainment industry after all. Initially, people assumed that Lin Xiaowan was an up-anding celebrity, but when they followed her ount, they only saw paintings. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ount was also not verified; it was just an ordinary ount. However, since Gu Yuwu was following her, they paid more attention to her. Perhaps, she would debut in the future.


    Lin Xiaowan usually did pay attention to the notifications on Speaker. In the beginning, she would read thements and even liked them. Later on, she gradually lost interest. On the other hand, she was slightly interested in the private messages received, especially the ones that asked about her painting or sent her pictures of artworks.


    Today, Lin Xiaowan received a question about art that she did not quite know the answer to. As such, she took a screenshot and sent it to Hong Minhua.


    [Hong Minhua: Little darling, when did you get a Speaker ount? Why didn¡¯t you tell Grandma so Grandma can follow you?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I just got it recently. The dessert shop has an ount so I created one as well.]


    Hong Minhua answered the question that Lin Xiaowan sent her before asking for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s username. Not long after, Lin Xiaowan gained another follower.


    Hong Minghua looked at the paintings that Lin Xiaowan posted before she sent Lin Xiaowan a message.


    [Hong Minhua: When did you start this anthropomorphic series? You¡¯re quite creative¡­]


    Lin Xiaowan felt nervous, like a student whose homework was being checked by a teacher.


    [Lin Xiawaon: 1 just drew them when I was inspired¡­]


    Ever since the Bai family¡¯s birthday party, Lin Xiaowan always picked a time when there were fewer people to go to the dessert shop. Every time she went, her employees would tell her that people had been looking for her. When her employees told them that she was not around, they did not seem to believe her employees. As a result, she felt quite pressured and ended up hiding in the kitchen most of the time. She would take photos of the freshly baked desserts and upload them to the shop¡¯s Speaker ount.


    There was amunal phone with the shop¡¯s Speaker ount, and it was kept behind the counter. Whoever was free would take a photo and upload it to the ount.


    During that time, when Lin Xiaowan was free, she would draw the desserts in anthropomorphic states. Unexpectedly, Hong Minhua would praise them.


    [Hong Minhua: The colors are bold, which is good. However, some lines and details can¡¯t be improved. The strokes are a little immature, but you¡¯ve made great progress since the time you started.]


    [Hong Minhua: Are you interested in participating in apetition?]


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the message. She had only begun to take lessons not long ago. Moreover, she had learned it very casually as a hobby.


    When she had created her ount on Speaker, she had listed art as her interest. For this reason, Speaker would usually rmend art-rted posts to her. She had seen some artworks that wonpetitions, and she knew her artwork was far from beingparable to them.


    [Lin Xiaowan: No, no, no! I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. How can Ipete when the others are all professionals?]


    ¡®How can my half-baked artwork be worthy?¡¯


    [Hong Minhua: It¡¯s not a professionalpetition. It¡¯s just a casualpetition for entertainment.]


    [Hong Minhua: Don¡¯t be nervous. In any case, thepetition is not happening any time soon. When the timees, 1¡¯11 tell you more about it. You have your own style in this series, but your foundation is still weak. I¡¯ll give you more basic homework after this.]


    Lin Xiaowan had never missed her art lessons with Hong Minhua. She would hand in her homework once a week. She did very well, and Hong Minhua also praised her for having a good sense of colors more than once.


    In Hong Minima¡¯s opinion, if a good seedling like Lin Xiaowan could persevere, she would have quite a lot of achievements in the future.


    However, Lin Xiaowan did not take the praise to heart.


    Hong Minhua had also seen Lin Xiaowan¡¯s attitude, and she knew that Lin Xiaowan was not passionate about art and was not ambitious. Lin Xiaowan was already very satisfied with being praised and had no desire to improve. For this reason, she was also veryx with Lin Xiaowan.


    However, the sudden appearance of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s anthropomorphic paintings made her think twice.


    Hong Minhua continued to look through Lin Xiaowan¡¯s paintings before she left ament on a post, pointing out a few of her shorings and areas that needed improvement. Of course, she also did not forget to praise Lin Xiaowan so Lin Xiaowan would not feel discouraged.


    [Hong Minhua: Now that I¡¯ve given you ideas on how to improve, do you think you can apply the changes to one of your paintings?]


    [Hong Minhua: You can just pick the one you like most and make the changes¡­]


    Lin Xiaowan looked at thement in horror. Hong Minhua was a prominent figure after all. Moreover, the post thettermented on was thetest one. There was noment apart from the one by Hong Minhua.


    [Hong Minhua: Little darling, for this week¡¯s homework, draw ten sketches of people in motion.]


    Lin Xiaowan could not pretend not to see her teacher¡¯s message so she could only reply bitterly.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Yes, Grandma.]


    She even added a pouting emoji at the end..

 Chapter 111 - 111: Of Course Not

    Chapter 111: Of Course Not


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan selected a painting and changed it ording to Hong Minhua¡¯s instructions. Then, she sent the picture to Hong Minhua.


    Her anthropomorphic series was created on canvas with her brushes. She did not have much experience initially, and her details were crude.


    Hong Minhua replied very quickly.


    [Hong Minhua: This is very good! Use this as a guide. However, the others have to be better than this one.]


    [Lin Xiaowan: I understand-]


    A few dayster, Gu Yuwu finally returned. She had a live broadcast, and seeing that Lin Xiaowan was bored, she invited thetter to join her.


    Lin Xiaowan was not very keen. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. You have so many fans. There¡¯ll definitely be a lot of peopleing to watch you. They might not even like me. It¡¯s best that I don¡¯t go.]


    However, after rejecting Gu Yuwu¡¯s invitation, Hong Minhua called and invited her to her house.


    Lin Xiaowan had a hard time socializing with a group of elders so she also rejected Hong Minhua. However, Hong Minhua did not give up.


    [Hong Minhua: There are no outsiders. Your senior brother, Xiao Han, will being as well. He just won the grand prize. You can also discuss things with him.]


    Lin Xiaowan was still unwilling.


    [Lin Xiaowan: All, we¡¯re not on the same level. What¡¯s there to discuss?]


    In the end, Hong Minhua pretended to be angry, and Lin Xiaowan had no choice but to agree. After agreeing, she sighed heavily. If she had known this, she would have epted Gu Yuwu¡¯s invitation. At least, when she was with Gu Yuwu, she could still fool around.


    Hong Minhua called Lin Xiaowan on the day of the visit. It was nothing urgent. She only wanted Lin Xiaowan to bring some desserts from the shop over. She had not eaten the desserts for a few days and had a huge craving now.


    Lin Xiaowan said tactfully, ¡°Although you look very young for your age, you should still consider your age. It¡¯s best to eat fewer of these things¡­¡±


    Although Lin Xiaowan also wanted to eat the desserts, she had to be more considerate of others.


    Hong Minhua did not mind Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words. ¡°What kind of excuse is that? I¡¯m in excellent health. 1 can eat anything I want!¡±


    Hong Minhua also did not hesitate to use Xiao Han as an excuse as she said, ¡°Your senior brother was away from Shengjing previously so he has yet to try the desserts from your shop. You have to bring them here for him to try.¡±


    Although Hong Minhua looked strong and healthy, Lin Xiaowan had heard from Hong Minhua¡¯s daughter, an elegant woman, previously that Hong Minhua¡¯s blood sugar level was very high. She looked helpless when she spoke about how she failed to control her mother¡¯s diet.


    People with high blood sugar levels should not eat too much food with high sugar content. Let alone desserts, even the consumption of fruits such as watermelons and peaches had to be controlled.


    Lin Xiaowan was unaware of this before so whenever Hong Minhua came over in the past, she would happily let Hong Minhua try all the desserts she made. However, now that she knew better, she naturally could not turn a blind eye to it.


    She said gently, ¡°Grandma Hong, why are you still so willful at your age? Why don¡¯t we do this? During our next lesson, 1¡¯11 bring you some salty pepper cakes.¡±


    Hong Minhua retorted, ¡°What¡¯s so delicious about salty pepper cakes? By the way, what did your patissier make today? Previously, I saw there were ckcurrant cheesecakes and salted egg almond cream rolls. Can you bring them for me today?¡±


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan was already in the car. She had already told the driver in advance to bring her to Hong Minhua¡¯s house. The dessert shop was not on the way at all.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t 1 personally bake you a sugar-free cake?¡±


    Since the dessert shop hired patissiers, Lin Xiaowan had not made anything herself recently. She was not very sure if she would be any good so she added, ¡°However, 1 can¡¯t guarantee the taste.¡±


    Hong Minhua sighed and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said so much, what else can I say? 1 continue to insist, then won¡¯t I really be willful?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said sweetly, ¡°I was just talking nonsense earlier. Grandma Hong is not willful. Grandma Hong is the best!¡±


    ¡°Your mouth is really sweet! Alright,e quickly! There¡¯s no one at home, and your senior brother hasn¡¯t arrived yet. I¡¯ll wait for you..¡±

 Chapter 112 - 112: Hello, Senior Brother Xiao Han

    Chapter 112: Hello, Senior Brother Xiao Han


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Apart from being a guest, there was another reason for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s visit. Hong Minhua indeed had the intention of letting Lin Xiaowan participate in thepetition to gain experience. After all, Lin Xiaowan trulycked experience. Her life was leisurely, and she did everything ording to her preferences. If she was not interested in something, her expression, which made her look pitiful, would show it.


    Xiao Han, on the contrary, had participated in countlesspetitions, big and small, and had won many awards.


    Hong Minhua wanted someone to exin the matter to Lin Xiaowan and see if Lin Xiaowan would change her mind.


    Lin Xiaowan and Xiao Han arrived at Hong Minhua¡¯s house almost right after each other. The duo had not seen each other for a long time.


    Lin Xiaowan looked up and called out softly, ¡°Hello, Senior Brother Xiao Han.¡±


    Xiao Han said with a smile, ¡°Hello, Junior Sister.¡±


    Hong Minhua did not care much about formalities. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Alright, alright. There¡¯s no need to be so polite here. It¡¯s not the first time you meet each other.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who was much more familiar with Hong Minhua now, put her bag down and showed Hong Minhua something on her phone. She said, ¡°I recently found a patissier who makes pastry at home. His recipes look simple. Grandma Hong, have a look at what he¡¯s making today.¡±


    Hong Minhua put on her reading sses. After all, she was already old. She needed her sses to have a clearer look.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Han looked at his junior sister who was talking intimately to his teacher in a low voice and was a little lost in thought.


    Lin Xiaowan seemed gentle and harmless. She always had a smile on her face. Her face seemed to always be glowing. When she spoke, it was slow and soft with a lilt at the end of her words. It made people pay attention to her.


    Hong Minhua did not like savory snacks so she chose steamed white sugar cake.


    Seeing Xiao Han standing at the side silently, Lin Xiaowan called out twice to him to ask for his opinion, but he did not respond to her. In the end, she walked over and waved her hand in front of him as she called out again, ¡°Senior Brother Xiao Han?¡±


    Xiao Han returned to his senses and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Why are you in a daze? I¡¯m going to make steamed white sugar cakes with Teacher. What do you think?¡±


    Xiao Han smiled, revealing his canine teeth, and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. I¡¯ll help out. Although I don¡¯t know much about these things, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to help.¡±


    They needed a lot of sugar to make steamed white sugar cake. Hong Minhua did not have enough at home, and she had already instructed someone to help her buy it. However, the other person had yet to arrive. Seeing there was time, she rose to her feet and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Follow me to the studio. Since we have some time now, let your senior brother help you?¡±


    ¡°Junior Sister, how¡¯s your lesson going? If you have nothing to do, you shoulde to the studio,¡± Xiao Han said.


    Xiao Han would not stay in the studio for too long. Thepetition he had just participated in was very important, and the winning work was ready to be exhibited and auctioned off. There was a foreign art gallery that wanted to work with him, and he also wanted new experiences to broaden his horizon.


    Hong Minhua chimed in, ¡°Your senior brother has a lot of experience withpetitions. You should listen to what he has to say about them.¡±


    Then, Hong Minhua sounded a little proud as she looked at her favorite student and continued to say, ¡°Xiaowan doesn¡¯t have time to y around. After all, she¡¯s the boss of a shop now and has a lot of things to do¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt very guilty when she heard these words. After all, she was not busy at all. Zhu Yingyue was the one who was really busy. She was just a silent partner. Recently, she did not even visit the shop much.


    Meanwhile, after hearing Hong Minhua¡¯s words, Xiao Han looked slightly surprised. He asked, ¡°Junior Sister is nning to participate in apetition?¡±


    It was only natural for Xiao Han to be surprised. After all, Lin Xiaowan had only started taking lessons recently. If Hong Minhua rmended someone to join apetition, it meant that the other person was very talented. He could not help but wonder how much Lin Xiaowan had improved for Hong Minhua to rmend Lin Xiaowan to participate in apetition..

 Chapter 113 - 113: The Venus Hope Competition

    Chapter 113: The Venus Hope Competition


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After chatting for a while, Xiao Han finally understood that it was not that Lin Xiaowan had improved greatly or rapidly. Thepetition that Hong Minhua wanted her to participate in was not what he had imagined either. However, this was only natural since the two of them walked different paths.


    Lin Xiaowan was different from Xiao Han. She was not doing this for recognition. She was only adding colors to her life by participating inpetitions or winning prizes.


    Hong Minhua instructed Lin Xiaowan to show her anthropomorphic dessert series to Xiao Han.


    The ws in her painting were obvious. There was not much problem with the details, but the backgrounds were a little nd. She was good at painting the subject, but the backgrounds were quite nd and not eye-catching enough.


    Xiao Hanmented, ¡°Your use of colors is quite creative.¡±


    For example, for the fruits on the desserts, Lin Xiaowan painted orange strawberries, pink pineapples, purple mangoes, and red avocados. She also mixed several colors together. Each character was vibrant and vivid.


    Xiao Han liked her bold use of colors.


    After a moment, Xiao Han asked Hong Minhua, ¡°Teacher, are you thinking about letting Junior Sister participate in the Venus Hope Competition?¡±


    The scope of the Venus Hope Competition was very broad, and the rules were not rigid. It was different from professionalpetitions. Generally, the participants were amateurs. Thepetition focused on creativity. In short, if one felt that one was creative, one could participate. The winner would be selected based on their creativity.


    The Venus Hope Competition was usually held around the new year. It was not even September now so there was still a long time to go.


    ¡°You think she¡¯s suitable for thatpetition as well, don¡¯t you?¡± Hong Minhua asked.


    Xiao Han nodded in agreement. ¡°Junior Sister¡¯s style is indeed suitable for thatpetition.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally had never heard of thepetition before. She listened to the duo talk for a long time in confusion before she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Venus Hope Competition?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had no intention of participating in apetition. She did not understand them and was afraid it would be troublesome. Apart from that, she also felt that she was not skilled enough to participate in apetition. This feeling only grew stronger after she saw Xiao Han¡¯s award-winning work.


    Xiao Han put his phone down and exined, ¡°The Venus Hope Competition isn¡¯t a professionalpetition. It¡¯s very casual, and the rules are not rigid at all¡­¡±


    After that, he showed the works from the previous Venus Hope Competition to Lin Xiaowan on his phone.


    ¡°Have a look¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to the prize of thepetition. She eximed, ¡°Wow! The prize is really good!¡±


    The Venus Hope Competition was funded by a wealthy businessman so it did notck money. The top three winners of thepetition would receive a prize of 300,000 yuan, 200,000 yuan, and 100,000 yuan in cash respectively. Those who won various subsidiary titles would also be rewarded with 10,000 yuan in cash each.


    Hong Minhua seized the opportunity and tried to tempt Lin Xiaowan. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Apart from the cash prize, the first-ce winner will also receive a mystery gift.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡®The prize is too good! Senior Brother Xiao Han said that it¡¯s not a professionalpetition, but the prize is so amazing! What are the prizes like then for professionalpetitions? Senior Brother Xiao Han participated in so manypetitions. Doesn¡¯t this mean that he had won a lot of money?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan felt a little dizzy, thinking that painting could also be a source of ie.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan had a slight misunderstanding. Not everypetition was as generous as the Venus Hope Competition. Otherpetitions were more about recognition.


    At this time, Xiao Han said, ¡°It¡¯s called a mystery gift because the gift each year is different¡­¡±


    The organizers of the Venus Hope Competition would create a poll half a year in advance to decide on the mystery gift. Many people, even those who had no intention of participating in thepetition, would vote for the mystery gift to join in the fun.


    Just like that, Lin Xiaowan was sessfully attracted.


    Seeing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reaction, Hong Minhua knew there was an 80% chance that Lin Xiaowan would participate in thepetition.


    One of the voting channels for the mystery gift was on Speaker.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the five options that the organizers of thepetition had given and marveled at how luxurious they were. When she swiped down to read thements, she saw many bizarre rmendations as well.


    Thementers¡¯ IP addresses would be disyed so Lin Xiaowan could see that thementers were from all over the world. Thement section was really lively.


    Lin Xiaowan was very excited. She decisively clicked on the ¡®Other¡¯ option on the poll before shemented, ¡°Fly to the moon to watch a meteor shower!¡±


    At the same time, Gu Yuwu received a notification about a friend¡¯s activity on Speaker. She casually clicked it and saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯stest activity on Speaker.


    Gu Yuwu briefly read about the Venus Hope Competition. After understanding what it was about, she could not help butugh and left ament.


    [Gu Yuwu: The organizers are asking for suggestions for the prizes, not unrealistic dreams! Hahahahaha!]


    After that, she sent a message to Lin Xiaowan, asking thetter why she suddenly voted on the poll and if she intended to participate in thepetition.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan, who was making steamed white sugar cakes with Hong Minhua and Xiao Han in the kitchen, did not see Gu Yuwu¡¯s message because her phone was not with her.


    Hong Minhua watched as Lin Xiaowan added the sugar in a stingy manner. She said, displeased, ¡°You¡¯re adding too little sugar. Add more for me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan controlled the amount of sugar she used strictly. She said seriously, ¡°No. You can¡¯t have too much sugar.¡±


    The olddy put her hands on her hips and said, ¡°I¡¯m just going to eat a little. The dosage doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan remained unmoved. She watched the video and proceeded to the next step as she said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not going to listen to you.¡±


    Xiao Han, who was helping by the side, could not help butugh at the duo¡¯s interaction.


    Meanwhile, Hong Minhua could only give up. ¡°Fine. After all, since you treat me as your grandma, 1 can only listen to you¡­¡±


    While they made the desserts, Hong Minhua called Lin Xiaowan using various nicknames such as Little Cutie and Darling. It could be seen that she was very fond of Lin Xiaowan.


    After a while, Hong Minhua recalled the nk backgrounds of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s painting so she said, ¡°You should go out more often. Perhaps the scenery will inspire you. Don¡¯t always stay at home..¡±

 Chapter 114 - 114: Anthropomorphic Desserts?

    Chapter 114: Anthropomorphic Desserts?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Gu Yuwumented on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s post, Gu Yuwu¡¯s fans grew even more curious about Lin Xiaowan. Some of them went to her homepage and saw the posts of artworks as well.


    [Fan #1:1 guess the two of them are friends. Moreover, 1 think the two of them are quite close. After all, Sister Gu rarely takes the initiative to interact with others.]


    [Fan #2: She¡¯s definitely not a celebrity. Is she an artist?]


    [Fan #3: Can I just say something about the anthropomorphic desserts she painted? They¡¯re really good. Her use of colors is also very interesting, and she has her own style in mixing colors.]


    [Fan #4:1 also think they¡¯re friends. Their IP addresses show that they¡¯re both in Shengjing.]


    [Fan #5:1 really like her paintings. The more I look at them, the more I like them! I really wish I could buy them!]


    [Fan #6:1 looked at her follower list. She has many influential and wealthy people following her. She must be a wealthy youngdy as well¡­]


    [Fan #7: Huh? Did all of you just find out that Lin Xiaowan is a good friend of Sister Gu? She¡¯s the owner of a dessert shop!]


    Previously, Gu Yuwu had posted about the dessert shop. As such, many of her local fans visited the dessert shop.


    [Fan #7: Hahaha, 1 thought everyone knew about this! Lin Xiaowan is very beautiful, and she¡¯s kind and soft-spoken as well! The dessert shop is not far from mypany so I¡¯ve visited before! ]


    [Fan #8: Am I on the 2Gwork? Why didn¡¯t I know about this at all?]


    Someone posted a screenshot of Lin Xiaowan being listed as an administrator of the dessert shop¡¯s homepage. Her nickname was ¡®Little Boss¡¯.


    Gu Yuwu was not a member of the page. After all, apart from posting the daily desserts, the other main function was to help customers make reservations. People like Gu Yuwu who was acquainted with the owners naturally did not have to make reservations. Moreover, she also had her own designated table there and could visit at any time.


    [Fan #9:1 know about the dessert shop, and 1 know Sister Gu has been there. However, 1 just found out that Sister Gu is a good friend of the owner¡­]


    [Fan #10: Me too! 1 thought she only posted about the dessert shop because the desserts there are good. I¡¯ve been a few times so 1 can testify to that. The prices are very reasonable as well¡­]


    [Fan #11: Oh, more information ising out!]


    [Fan #12: People in Shengjing, raise your hands! I have a question. If I visit the dessert shop, will 1 meet Sister Gu by chance?]


    [Fan #13: The possibility is very low. Moreover, Sister Gu only sits on the second floor. You need to make reservations to sit on the second floor, and you need to be a member to make reservations. I¡¯ve inquired before, and there was a several-weekwait¡­]


    [Fan #14: Are the desserts really delicious? I saw that the shop didn¡¯t have any bad reviews, but I didn¡¯t know if the reviews were real¡­]


    [Fan #15: The desserts are really delicious, and they¡¯re not expensive at all! Not only that, but they used good ingredients as well. They sell Western desserts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and local traditional desserts on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Don¡¯t go on Sunday. They¡¯re closed on Sunday.]


    The topic gradually turned to desserts, but not everyone was interested in this. When a few people saw the dessert-rtedments, they could not help but remind the others.


    [Fan #15: Be careful. Sister Gu doesn¡¯t like fans to dig into her private life.]


    [Fan #16: Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re just curious. Moreover, we¡¯re discussing the dessert shop. It can¡¯t be considered digging into her private life! Anyway, I can¡¯t wait to visit the dessert shop!]


    [Fan #17: We¡¯ll wait for your news! Remember to report back after your visit! You have to give us an honest review! If the desserts are delicious, I¡¯ll visit the shop as well!]


    Lin Xiaowan stayed at Hong Minhua¡¯s house until after dinner. Hong Minhua said that she would be having dinner alone; her family members were busy. For this reason, she decided to apany Hong Minhua.


    When the cook served the food at 6 PM, there was a suddenmotion at the door. A momentter, a young man with chestnut-brown hair appeared. He was wearing a sports jersey and sneakers. He did not look surprised when he saw there were other people. He only said, ¡°Grandma, you have guests today.¡± The young man had met Xiao Han before so he naturally greeted thetter. ¡°Hello, Brother Xiao Han!¡±


    After that, the young man waited for Hong Minhua to introduce him to Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect another person to appear. Seeing how the other party was very casual and familiar with Hong Minhua, she guessed that the other party was Hong Minhua¡¯s grandson. After all, the other party was too young to be Hong Minhua¡¯s son.


    Hong Minhua was surprised to see her eldest grandson. She asked, ¡°Why did you suddenlye back at this time? Have you eaten? Do you want to join us?¡±


    After that, Hong Minhua smiled and said, ¡°This is Lin Xiaowan. 1 mentioned her to you before. Quick, say hello.¡± Then, she looked at Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°This is my grandson, Zheng Xiangming.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sister Xiaowan,¡± Zheng Xiangming greeted Lin Xiaowan obediently.


    Lin Xiaowan waved at him and smiled amiably. ¡°Hello!¡±


    Zheng Xiangming had just returned from ying basketball, and he had cycled home. He was feeling unbearably hot at this moment. Even after drinking arge ss of ice water to quench his thirst, he was not in the mood to chat much. He quickly rushed upstairs to take a shower.


    Lin Xiaowan waited until Zheng Xiangming went upstairs before she asked, ¡°Grandma Hong, how old is your grandson? He¡¯s really tall!¡±


    Zheng Xiangming was indeed very tall. He was tanned, and his physique was very good. He was the kind of boy who was really popr. When he yed basketball, many girls woulde to watch him.


    ¡°He¡¯s in his third year of high school. His grades aren¡¯t too good, but they¡¯re not too bad as well. All in all, we don¡¯t have to worry much about him.¡±


    Hong Minhua had a son and a daughter-inw. Her son-inw was often away from the country due to work, and her daughter-inw was usually alone. Zheng Xiangming grew up freely since his mother did not have any strict requirements for him. For that reason, everyone was satisfied that he grew up well and did not go astray.


    The only thing Hong Minhua was not satisfied with was that Zheng Xiangming did not have many friends of the opposite gender.


    It was only now that Lin Xiaowan found that Aunt Zheng, whom she had met at the dessert shop previously, was Hong Minhua¡¯s daughter-inw, not her daughter. The mother-inw and daughter-inw had a very good rtionship so they were not different mothers and daughters.


    Lin Xiaowan eximed, ¡°He¡¯s only in his third year of high school, but he¡¯s so tall?! He¡¯s at least 1.8 meters tall!¡±


    Xiao Han said, amused, ¡°The time of a boy¡¯s growth is usuallying to an end in the third year of high school. His height isn¡¯t very rare¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded.


    ¡®That¡¯s right.. He¡¯s about to turn 18¡­¡¯

 Chapter 115 - 115: Fashion Designer

    Chapter 115: Fashion Designer


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zheng Xiangming came downstairs after washing up and changing his clothes. He looked very young.


    When the servant saw the young master sitting at the table, the servant hurriedly brought over a bowl and chopsticks.


    Ever since Zheng Xiangming came downstairs, his gaze would drift toward Lin Xiaowan from time to time, looking like he was hesitating to say something.


    Seeing this, Hong Minhua asked curiously, ¡°Why do you keep looking at Xiaowan?¡±


    Zheng Xiangming was eating when he heard his grandmother¡¯s question. When he looked up and saw three pairs of eyes looking at him, his face flushed red immediately. He saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s confused expression and was worried she would misunderstand him so he hurriedly exined, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve seen Sister Xiaowan before. I¡¯ve been to her dessert shop. The girls in my school like the desserts there a lot. However, our sses usually end veryte so there are very few chances for us to buy the desserts.¡±


    Zheng Xiangming was not very close to his female schoolmates. He did not like interacting with them very much. However, he had heard them talking about the dessert shop many times so it left an impression on him.


    This was the second time Lin Xiaowan met a stranger who was filled with praise for the dessert shop. She was unsurprisingly delighted. At the same time, she also gained a new understanding of the word-of-mouth marketing strategy.


    Lin Xiaowan understood the problem that Zheng Xiangming brought up as well. She asked, ¡°Are any of your schoolmates a member of the shop? You can make reservations for the desserts in advance.¡±


    Zheng Xiangming¡¯s face was still red. He nodded and continued to eat.


    Hong Minhua knew it was not good to continue teasing a boy of Zheng Xiangming¡¯s age so she did not continue teasing him. However, she found his attitude toward Lin Xiaowan a little amusing. This was the first time he had seen him blushing because of a girl.


    Hong Minhua really liked girls like Lin Xiaowan who was gentle and respectful. When they first met, she even wished Lin Xiaowan could be part of her family, wanting to matchmake Lin Xiaowan with her eldest grandson. s, her grandson was a little young, and Lin Xiaowan was also taken. Nheless, she could not help but wonder if her grandson had a crush on Lin Xiaowan.


    In the end, Hong Minhua could not hold back and decided to test the water. She said casually, ¡°In fact, Mingming, it¡¯s also appropriate for you to address Sister Xiaowan as Aunt Lin.¡±


    Zheng Xiangming looked up in confusion, and he also saw the confused expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face. Although he did not know what his grandmother was up to, he still obediently called out, ¡°Aunt Lin.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was in a daze. Although Zheng Xiangming was in the third year of high school and was younger than her, she was only 24 or 25 years old this year. She was not at the age where a high school student needed to address her as ¡®Aunt¡¯.


    Hong Minhua did not think too much about this. When she saw that Zheng Xiangming did not have any resistance toward the form of address, she also realized that she had thought too much. She used themunal chopsticks and picked up a piece of fish for Lin Xiaowan. She said affectionately, ¡°Eat more. This fish doesn¡¯t have many bones.¡±


    ¡®Oh,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied in a daze. She still had not recovered from being called ¡®Aunt¡¯. If Zheng Xiangming was in third grade, she would not have reacted this way.


    When Lin Xiaowan came home, she finally saw Gu Yuwu¡¯s message. She told Gu Yuwu that she was not sure yet if she was going to participate in thepetition and that she had just voted for fun.


    When Gu Yuwu heard that Hong Minhua asked Lin Xiaowan to go out more for inspiration, she asked, ¡°Are you interested in going to the countryside with me? We¡¯ll stay for a night at most.¡±


    The ce Gu Yuwu mentioned was a very simple vige. It was not in Shengjing, but in a remote area in the south.


    ¡°Why are you going there?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think Gu Yuwu would go to a southern vige just for a holiday.


    ¡°I¡¯m going there for a photoshoot. I found a good subject.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had never been to such a faraway ce before. Thinking that she had nothing much to do, she agreed.


    After Huo Zheng learned about this, he silently checked his work schedule. After confirming that he did not have spare time to apany her, he could only give up regretfully.


    Before Lin Xiaowan left, he helped her pack her luggage.


    Lin Xiaowan originally nned to pack only two sets of clothes, her toiletries, and herrge water bottle. After all, Gu Yuwu said they would be staying a night at most. However, Huo Zheng disagreed. He packed all kinds of things for her like insect repellent, hydrating balm, powder, cold medicine, fever-relief patches, and medicine for indigestion. Not only that, but he also packed her a set of bedsheets and pillowcases.


    Apart from that, Lin Xiaowan also packed her art supplies since she nned to look for inspiration during her trip. There were her drawing board, brushes, paints, and various tools.


    Seeing this, Huo Zheng sighed and said, ¡°Bring an assistant with you.¡±


    He could not but worry about her.


    Lin Xiaowan refused Huo Zheng¡¯s suggestion immediately.


    When she got into Gu Yuwu¡¯s car, sheined immediately, ¡°Huo Zheng is so annoying. I packed so many snacks, but he didn¡¯t allow me to bring them! He took all of them out!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had spoken to Gu Yuwu previously so she knew that the vige they were visiting was very simple. There was only one small shop in the vige where the vigers bought necessities like rice, flour, grain, oil, daily necessities, and snacks. The nearest supermarket was dozens of miles away.


    They set off early in the morning and only arrived at the vige when the sun was setting. It was also at this time that Lin Xiaowan met the person Gu Yuwu mentioned previously.


    The other party was a tall and thin man. He was casually dressed in a sweatshirt and a straw hat. His trousers were rolled up a few times, and he wore a pair of stic sandals on his feet. He looked a little reserved with his hand sped together. His face was weathered, and his hands and feet showed that he worked a lot.


    Gu Yuwu was very enthusiastic and kept praising the man. Although the man was taciturn, he responded to all of Gu Yuwu¡¯s words. Apart from that, he also looked slightly proud when she praised him.


    In fact, the man was a fashion designer who also walked the runway as a model. Whether it was the clothes he designed or the venues of his show, they were all very unique.


    Lin Qing, the fashion designer whom Gu Yuwu liked, raised his hand and pointed to arge open space and said, ¡°Park your car there.¡±


    To get to his house, they needed to climb up many steps and cross a few small roads. These ces were not essible by car so they could only park the car and walk.


    After Lin Xiaowan got out of the car, she stood next to Gu Yuwu after she got her luggage and studied the vige..

 Chapter 116 - 116: A Simple Village

    Chapter 116: A Simple Vige


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The vige was close to the mountain, and there were lush green nts everywhere. There was a stream flowing beside it, and the water was crystal clear. All in all, it was a beautiful ce with mountains and rivers. If there was anything bad about it, it would be the level of poverty here.


    Most of the vigers were elderly people, women, and children. There were very few men. Most of the men had left the vige to earn more money.


    Perhaps, the first step to improving the vige would be to build a road first.


    Lin Xiaowan was dizzy from the bumpy journey. She did not have car sickness, but she felt like vomiting from all the walking. She carried her art supplies and her luggage, which was rtively light.


    Inparison, Gu Yuwu had more things to carry. After all, she was here to take photos of Lin Qing. She brought many props with her, and most of them were heavy.


    The Gu family¡¯s driver had driven the women here. Seeing that they could not drive to their destination, he helped carry Gu Yuwu¡¯s luggage. He inhaled sharply as soon as he picked up Gu Yuwu¡¯s luggage. It was obvious that it was not light.


    Lin Qing stopped the driver. He took the initiative to take the luggage as he said, ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Lin Qing also helped Lin Xiaowan with her luggage.


    Lin Xiaowan adjusted her clothes, which were slightly messy. When she saw Lin Qing carrying the two pieces of luggage, she hurriedly chased after him as she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mine isn¡¯t heavy. 1 carry it myself!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt embarrassed and did not want to trouble others.


    Gu Yuwu also did not expect Lin Qing to be so proactive. She said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s too much for you to carry two alone.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯re not heavy,¡± Lin Qing said nonchntly. He did not let go as he continued to say, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed. After all, you are helping me to take photos. I haven¡¯t even thanked you yet. Carrying these is nothing¡­¡±


    When they were approaching a few steps up ahead, Lin Qing easily picked up the luggage as he reminded, ¡°The steps are narrow here. Be careful.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect such a thin man to be so strong. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the man¡¯s arms. Although he was thin, his arms and legs were muscr.


    They walked for a long time before they finally arrived at the vige. It was after dinnertime. They saw elderly people sitting on small stools and chatting. They were holding cattail leaf fans, which were rare nowadays, swatting mosquitoes away.


    The summer heat had dissipated a lot now that it was September. The wind was refreshing after sunset; the cool weather was rather enjoyable.


    Lin Xiaowan could tell that many of the olddies were talking about them. This was not surprising since there were not many new faces in the vige. Let alone olddies who had nothing to do and loved to gossip, even ordinary people would discuss this matter.


    Lin Xiaowan thought that she would be under immense pressure from all the scrutiny if she lived here. It was just like when she was in her hometown.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Lin Qing, who was silently walking in front of her. His face was expressionless, and beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead. She could not tell what he was thinking, and she wondered if he minded being the topic of discussion.


    In any case, she did not like being the topic of discussion. Although they were strangers, it was difficult for her to maintain a good expression when she vaguely overheard their messy spections and discussions.


    Lin Qing¡¯s house was very far away. It was his ancestral home. There were chickens and ducks in the front yard, and a big dog was tied near the entrance. A small vegetable plot could be seen next to the house. Apart from a red pepper nt, it was impossible to tell what the other nts were despite their different leaves. There were also rows of flowers at the side.


    When the big dog saw people approaching, it barked and stood up.


    Lin Qing stretched his leg out and gently pushed the door open before he said to the two women, ¡°It¡¯s a little messy inside.¡±


    After that, Lin Qing said something to the dog in a low voice, and the barking stopped. The dog only wagged its tail happily after that.


    The dog did not look fierce so Lin Xiaowan tried to get closer to it. It did not bark, and it wagged its tail even harder than before.


    Seeing this, Lin Qing said, ¡°Rhubarb has a good temper. You can y with her, but don¡¯t feed her anything. If you don¡¯t do it correctly, you risk getting bitten.¡±


    There was not even a clinic in the vige. If someone was bitten, it would be very troublesome to seek treatment.


    After obtaining permission from Lin Qing, Lin Xiaowan patted the dog¡¯s head gingerly. However, she did not dare to get too close. After all, she had never owned a dog before. Although she was interested, she was still a little afraid due to herck of experience.


    At this moment, Gu Yuwumented, ¡°Your courtyard is really well taken care of.¡±


    Lin Qing put down the things in his hands and asked, ¡°Are both of you okay with sharing a room?¡±


    Although the house was not small, there were not many rooms. The first floor had a guest room and a living room, and the second floor was Lin Qing¡¯s room. The kitchen and the storeroom were on the left side of the first floor.


    Gu Yuwu asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Xiaowan, are you okay with sharing a room with me tonight?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who had crouched down to look at the chickens in the coop while she carried her art supplies on her back, said, ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very curious about this ce. She looked at the chickens and the ducks before she counted how many little red peppers had grown.


    After a while, Lin Qing came out with a pole and a bucket.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Fetch water,¡± Lin Qing replied.


    There was no running water in the vige so Lin Qing had to fetch water for daily use such as cooking and washing.


    Lin Xiaowan was curious again. She asked, ¡°Can Ie with you?¡±


    Despite being surprised, Lin Qing said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Then, he asked hesitantly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you put your things down first?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had been carrying her art supplies since she had gotten out of the car, and Lin Qing did not know what she was carrying and wondered if she was tired.


    Lin Xiaowan almost forgot that she was carrying her art supplies on her back. She quickly said, ¡°Oh, wait for me! I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    After that, Lin Xiaowan jogged into the house and found the room. She put her things down and said to Gu Yuwu, ¡°I¡¯m going to fetch water with Lin Qing!¡±


    Gu Yuwu only shook her head and smiled when she saw Lin Xiaowan skipping away. After that, she lowered her head and sent a message.


    [Gu Yuwu: Your little darling has arrived safely. She¡¯s following my friend to fetch water. The signal here is not good. 1¡¯11 tell her to call you when she returns.]


    Earlier, Huo Zheng received a message from Lin Xiaowan, telling him that she would be walking to the vige. After that, he did not receive any other messages from her. He could not get through to her phone either. Worried about her, he had contacted Gu Yuwu..

 Chapter 117 - 117: Red Exclamation Mark

    Chapter 117: Red Exmation Mark


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The well was located by a winding road. There were quite a few olddies sitting by the well at this time. They were in the midst of a discussion when they saw Lin Xiaowan and Lin Qing. They fell silent immediately and looked at the duo with curious gazes. If this happened in the past, Lin Xiaowan would have felt extremely nervous being stared at like this. However, now, she only looked up and met their eyes silently.


    The olddies probably did not expect Lin Xiaowan to boldly meet their eyes so they averted their eyes one after another and looked around before their eyes fell on Lin Xing, who was drawing water with a hemp rope tied to the bucket. They did not say anything, but they exchanged meaningful looks with each other.


    For some reason, Lin Xiaowan felt that their gazes were not very friendly. Since they had arrived, she had a feeling that the majority of the vigers did not seem to like Lin Qing. Moreover, she had overheard a few criticisms as well. She felt that his current state was like when she was living in her hometown. She was also extremely unpopr there. When the olddies there saw her, they would criticize her behind her back, not daring to question her directly. Their eyes were like searchlights, staring at her from afar.


    However, Lin Qing did not seem to care about other people. He remained expressionless and turned a blind eye to those olddies. As he fetched water, he said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°The well water here is very cold. If the weather is hot tomorrow, we can soak the watermelon in cold water before eating it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan no longer paid attention to the olddies. She crouched down and looked at the bucket before she asked, ¡°Can 1 drink this water directly?¡± ¡®Mineral water should be like this, right?¡¯


    Lin Qing shook his head and said in a slightly regretful tone, ¡°It¡¯s better not to drink it directly now. It would have been fine if it was ten or twenty years ago.¡±


    Not only was the water different from before, but people¡¯s stomachs were also weaker now. It would probably make one sick if one drank the water directly now.


    Lin Qing filled two buckets of water before weighing them and lifting them. He squatted down and leaned sideways, easily carrying the pole on his shoulders. The two buckets only swayed slightly, and no water spilled from them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Lin Qing said.


    ¡°All, okay!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan skipped as they returned, looking at the roadside flowers and plucking them. After a while, she seemed to think of something and asked, ¡°Our surnames are Lin. Did your Lin family originate from Shuangmu?¡±


    Lin Qing smiled. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Perhaps, we share the same ancestors from 500 years ago!¡±


    Thinking that she had not seen any fruit shops since she arrived, Lin Xiaowan asked again, ¡°Does the small shop in the vige sell fruits?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan loved eating fruits, especially in the summer. When she was bored, she would look for fruits to eat.


    Lin Qing carried two buckets filled with water, but his steps were light and agile. The distance between each of his steps was alsorge, and Lin Xiaowan had to walk quickly to catch up with him. Despite all of this, he was not out of breath at all when he replied, ¡°No. I nted the watermelons myself.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan carefully recalled theyout of Lin Qing¡¯s courtyard before she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any watermelons earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not in the yard. I have a fruit and vegetable garden at the back as well.


    I usually grow my own vegetables and fruits to eat. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll bring you to have a look.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested. ¡°Okay!¡±


    When the duo returned, Gu Yuwu was holding a camera and taking photos. When she saw Lin Qing carrying water into the house, she quickly pressed the shutter. As he walked in earlier, there was a ray of light that shone over.


    When Gu Yuwu saw Lin Xiaowan following Lin Qing to the kitchen, she said, ¡°Huo Zheng couldn¡¯t get in touch with you so he contacted me. If you¡¯re free now, hurry up and call him back.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have pockets today. After getting out of the car, she had put her phone away in Gu Yuwu¡¯s bag. After Gu Yuwu¡¯s reminder, she turned back and asked for her phone from Gu Yuwu.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the house. However, the signal here isn¡¯t very good. You might not be able to hear clearly. In any case, give it a try.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan found her phone, she saw that there was only one pitiful bar that was lit. She saw two missed calls and a few messages from Huo Zheng.


    [Huo Zheng: Watch your steps when you walk. If your things are too heavy, walk slowly. Don¡¯t trip.]


    [Huo Zheng: Give me a call when you arrive, okay?]


    After another 15 minutes, seeing that there was no reply, Huo Zeng sent another message again.


    [Huo Zheng: Have you arrived?]


    After another 15 minutes, he sent a message again.


    [Huo Zheng: You haven¡¯t arrived?]


    Perhaps he had already contacted Gu Yuwu, there was no more message after that.


    Lin Xiaowan replied with a cute cat-poking-its-head-out emoji first.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯ve arrived.]


    However, the message and the emoji were not sent immediately, and the buffering circle at the end of the messages did not disappear for a long time. After a long time, a red exmation mark appeared at the end of the emoji, indicating that she had failed to send the emoji. Only the message was sent out. Just as Gu Yuwu had said earlier, the signal here was bad.


    However, it did not matter that the cat emoji was not sent. After Huo Zheng finally received a reply, he quickly called his girlfriend, whom he was worried about.


    When the familiar string of numbers appeared on her phone, Lin Xiaowan immediately answered the call.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said before frowning. She could only hear Huo Zheng¡¯s voice intermittently, and there was a buzzing and crackling noise.


    This was the first time she had encountered such a situation. She called out a few times, ¡°Hello? Can you hear me? The signal here isn¡¯t good so I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stood up and raised her phone before she paced around looking for signal. However, it was still the same. She still could not hear him clearly and could only ask again, ¡°Hello? Can you hear me? The signal is too bad. I¡¯ll hang up first and send you a message.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sighed. ¡®I wonder if I can even send messages¡­¡¯


    It took a few tries before she sessfully sent him a message, telling him that the signal was very bad.


    At the same time, she also received a message from Huo Zheng. He could not hear her earlier so he could only send her a message, asking about what she had said earlier..

 Chapter 118 - 118: Unique Fashion

    Chapter 118: Unique Fashion


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan confirmed that Huo Zheng had received the message before she put her phone away. At this moment, she really felt as though she had returned to the 2G era with monthly traffic of 30 million.


    When Huo Zheng saw the message from her, he felt a little helpless for a moment. He also did not expect the signal to be so bad. To think there was a ce with such poor signal.


    Lin Xiaowan exchanged a few messages with Huo Zheng with great difficulty for a while before she finally lost her patience. Then, she sent a final message, which was fortunately sessfully sent.


    [Lin Xiaowan: 1 don¡¯t want to talk anymore! I¡¯m going to look around!]


    After that, Lin Xiaowan put her phone away and left.


    At the same time, Huo Zheng, who was in his office in Shengjing, called his phone through the internal phone. After giving Lin Xiaowan¡¯s location to Assistant Song, he said, ¡°Check this ce out, and write me a simple report.¡±


    Assistant Song was perplexed when he received such a random task. When he recovered he asked, ¡°When do you want the report?¡±


    ¡°Today,¡± Huo Zheng replied. He looked at the time before he added, ¡°Before you get off work.¡±


    Assistant Song looked at his inhumane boss in disbelief before he left the office.


    ¡®What does he mean by before 1 get off work? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that 1 have some unfinished work, 1 would have already gotten off work!¡¯


    Assistant Song gritted his teeth and began to look through the information.


    For dinner, they picked fresh vegetables from Lin Qing¡¯s vegetable garden. The fruit and vegetable garden wasrge, and Lin Qing nted a variety of things. Although there were not many of them, there was a wide variety. The fruits and vegetables grew well, but they were not very big in size. In fact, they were a little small


    When Lin Xiaowan saw Lin Qing¡¯s watermelons, she found that the watermelons Lin Qing mentioned when they were by the well earlier were the size of a grapefruit. Apart from that, the rinds of the watermelon were very thin. Nheless, they were extremely sweet, juicy, and delicious.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the colorful fruits and vegetables in the garden when she suddenly thought of something.


    ¡®Perhaps I can draw anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables? Teacher Hong said that my background was monotonous and boring. Perhaps, I can draw inspiration from the scenery here as well¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was not in a hurry to take action. She took a few photos from different angles and thought about the content and scope of her painting. She had forgotten to look at the specifications of the Venus Hope Competition, but she wanted to make her painting bigger.


    At night, Lin Qing filled a thermos bottle with hot water.


    Thest time Lin Xiaowan had seen this kind of gaudy and old-fashioned thermos with flowery patterns was at her grandmother¡¯s house. Her grandmother did not have a water dispenser and could only use a thermos. However, at that time, her grandmother did not even let her use the thermos, and she could only drink cold water all year round.


    While Lin Xiaowan was showering, she suddenly realized that she did not bring her pajamas. When she came out of the shower, she opened her luggage, nning to find a random piece of clothing to wear. However, as soon as she opened her luggage, she saw a new set of pajamas. It was Huo Zheng who had packed it for her.


    Lin Xiaowan tried to send him a few cute messages to express her gratitude, but in the end, she only managed to send a message that only contained a kissing emoji. It did not take long before she gave up. It was too taxing to send messages.


    When it was time to sleep, Lin Xiaowan marveled at Huo Zheng¡¯s foresight again. Fortunately, he had helped her pack mosquito repellent spray and bracelets. There were too many mosquitoes in the mountain vige.


    Gu Yuwu put on the mosquito-repellent bracelets on her wrists and ankles before she sprayed the mosquito repellent around the bed. At the same time, she said, ¡°1 have to say, Huo Zheng¡¯s image in my heart has never been so high before¡­¡±


    ¡®That Qin Yanchuan, why didn¡¯t he check my luggage?¡¯


    Due to the poor signal, Lin Xiaowan had no way to express her love and gratitude to her boyfriend. She felt like it was inappropriate toin about it to Gu Yuwu since it would seem like she was showing off.


    In the end, she drafted a message on her phone, typing out everything she wanted to say so she could show it to Huo Zheng when she returned.


    The next day, Gu Yuwu got to work quickly. After all, the main purpose of her visit was to do a photoshoot.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw the various ¡®fashionable¡¯ clothing that Lin Qing designed, her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. His clothes werepletely different from what she was used to. They were made from things like stic bags, stic bottles, paper wrappings, and fertilizer sacks with the word ¡®carbamide¡¯ on them. All in all, Lin Qing used many waste materials to design his clothes. However, it had to be said that his design was very good.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan had another experience that made her admire Lin Qing even more.


    Most of the clothes that Lin Qing designed were dresses. Due to the material he used, they looked very sexy. However, when he put them on, he did not feel embarrassed at all, and he looked very graceful. It was like he was not restricted by gender at all.


    Lin Xiaowan watched in admiration as Lin Qing strutted around the clothes he designed. He ced his hands on his hips, and he held his head high. When he walked, it felt like his entire person was glowing. He looked confident and proud.


    When Lin Qing saw Lin Xiaowan staring at him with her mouth agape and eyes filled with shock and disbelief, heughed and asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m strange?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head frantically and said, ¡°No, no, no! In fact, I think you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    At the same time, Lin Xiaowan also understood why the vigers disliked Lin Qing.


    In this remote and backward mountain vige, Lin Qing was undoubtedly strange in the eyes of the elderly people. After all, he did not fit the image of a ¡®man¡¯ that they knew. After all, he wore dresses.


    Lin Xiaowan felt as though her eyes had been opened. She was truly d she followed Gu Yuwu here.


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s shutter did not stop moving, and she kept praising Lin Qing. She did not need to deliberately guide him since he was very photogenic. His expressions, his poses, and his unique clothes were very good.


    ¡°Do you really have no intention of making a debut? There aren¡¯t many people like you in the entertainment industry. You¡¯re really very unique.¡±


    Gu Yuwu was attracted by Lin Qing¡¯s uniqueness the moment she saw him. In his video, he spoke very little, and his expression was always the same.


    Most of thements under his videos were not very pleasant. However, whether it was encouragingments or hatements, he did not respond to them at all. He just posted videos of him or other people wearing the clothes he designed.


    When Gu Yuwu contacted him, she was not very confident that he would agree to her request. It took a long time before she received a reply from him. She had also asked back then if he had any interest in joining the entertainment industry, and he refused her.


    At this time, just like before, Lin Qing still refused her. He shook his head and said, ¡°The entertainment industry isn¡¯t for someone like me. It doesn¡¯t suit me.¡±


    Suddenly, Lin Xiaowan could no longer hold back her curiosity so she asked, ¡°Why did you choose to live here?¡±

 Chapter 119 - 119: One Must Be Content

    Chapter 119: One Must Be Content


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were not many people living in a small vige. Every move one made would be quickly known by everyone. There was no privacy here, it was difficult to make friends here, and it was difficult to get recognized here.


    Lin Qing¡¯s reply was very simple. He said, ¡°The expenses here are low, and I don¡¯t need to pay rent.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ 1 feel like the vigers here are a little strange¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan said vaguely. She did not directly say that she felt that the vigers did not like him.


    Nheless, Lin Qing understood her meaning immediately. His expression was rxed as he replied, ¡°Perhaps no one likes me here, but so what? I don¡¯t know them so it doesn¡¯t matter if they like me or not. Moreover, no matter how much they talk about me behind my back, they don¡¯t dare to do anything in front of me. Since they don¡¯t do or say anything in front of me, I¡¯ll just pretend like 1 don¡¯t know anything¡­ I¡¯m doing what I want to do. I¡¯m not breaking thew ormitting a crime. Why should I care about what others think of me?¡±


    Then, a rare shy and embarrassed smile appeared on Lin Qing¡¯s face as he continued to say, ¡°Moreover¡­ Didn¡¯t I meet the two of you who admire me?¡±


    Lin Qing was not like this in the beginning. His original intention of moving to this ce was to escape the strange gazes that were cast on him. However, after moving to this remote ce, he was even more depressed. The people here were even more excessive. They had nothing to do since they were old. They would sit together every day to gossip.


    Lin Qing considered leaving this ce for a long time before he decided against it. Where could he go if he left? He was not very cultured, and he did not want to give up the only thing he loved. Fortunately, as time passed, he no longer cared about what people thought of him.


    Gu Yuwu and Lin Xiaowan originally nned to leave in the afternoon. However, the weather forecast was not very good at night. It was already dangerous to drive at night, but coupled with bad weather, it would be even more dangerous. For this reason, they decided to stay another night.


    There was a huge cement rooftop balcony above the second floor. It was usually used to dry grains, but Lin Qing did not use it for this purpose. Instead, he built a small shed on it and left it at that.


    That night, the three of them had a barbecue on the rooftop balcony.


    The chicken and duck meat were from the chickens and ducks Lin Qing raised, and the fish were the ones he fished himself. Just like before, the vegetables and fruits were from his garden.


    However, Lin Qing did not use many seasonings. He usually ate light food and ate simple meals. So there was only oil, salt, and soy sauce in his house.


    From the rooftop, they could see the houses around them clearly. They could also see the people walking on the street or cooking in their yards.


    Despite the poor signal, Lin Xiaowan liked it here. She sat on the rooftop and drew a picture of Lin Qing¡¯s house.


    Lin Qing liked it very much and asked if he could give it to him.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied. An embarrassed expression could be seen on her face as she continued to say, ¡°However, 1 only drew this casually. Let me draw another one for youter¡­¡±


    ¡°No need. I think this one is very good,¡± Lin Qing said.


    Gu Yuwu took a sip of watermelon juice before she said, ¡°After 1 return, I¡¯ll make you a photo album. I¡¯ll also pick the photo you like the most so 1 can print it and frame it for you. You can hang it in your house.¡±


    Gu Yuwu nned to send these things to Lin Qing by express delivery, but it was inconvenient for him to receive packages since there was no courier service in the vige. He would have to go to the nearest town to pick up his packages. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°When the timees, 1¡¯11 arrange for someone to send the things here so you don¡¯t have to go and get them yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lin Qing said gratefully.


    Later in the night, it began to rain, and water began to leak into the second floor.


    Lin Qing ran up and down to find containers to collect the water.


    Lin Xiaowan was usually a light sleeper when sleeping in unfamiliar ces. The house was not soundproof so even the slightest movement would wake her up. After waking up, she decided to go out and have a look. As soon as she left the room, she saw Lin Qing. She looked at her watch and saw that it was 2 AM. She could not help but ask softly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Lin Qing asked in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s a leak upstairs so I¡¯m cleaning up.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just a light sleeper,¡± Lin Xiaowan said as she shook her head. Looking at the things in his hands, she asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    Lin Qing was about to refuse when he thought about the situation upstairs. Hence, he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, then I¡¯ll appreciate it¡­¡±


    Normally, if it rained, Lin Qing would move and sleep in the other room. However, Gu Yuwu and Lin Xiaowan were upying the room today. Initially, he thought that it would be fine since the rain was not heavy. Who knew that in the middle of the night, not only did the water leak in the room, but it also leaked onto his bed?


    Lin Xiaowan followed Lin Qing to the second floor.


    It was very spacious and simple. Things were piled up everywhere just like a waste recycling station. However, to Lin Qing, these were not waste materials, these were materials for his designs. They were like treasures to him. Perhaps it was due to the leakage, the things were covered in transparent stic sheets.


    Seeing Lin Xiaowan looking around, Lin Qing kicked the thing next to his foot away before he said awkwardly, ¡°The second floor is a little messy.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not mind it at all. She shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. My old room was even messier than this. There was no ce to walk around at all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s old room in her grandmother¡¯s house was very small. It was already filled to the brim with just a bed, a wooden desk, and a bulky old-fashioned wardrobe. The wardrobe was filled with her grandmother¡¯s things so her clothes would be piled up on her bed during the day and on the chair at night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me move the bed.¡±


    The water leakage on the side of the bed was particrly serious. The wall was very wet, and the bed was also very wet.


    Lin Qing ced a small stic container to collect water. Based on the sound, the water was dripping very quickly, which also meant that the leakage was very bad.


    The two of them stood facing each other with Lin Qing¡¯s bed, which had a metal frame, between them.


    Lin Qing was afraid that Lin Xiaowan would hurt herself so he said, ¡°Look at the round knobs. Just grab them. The bed isn¡¯t heavy. Let me turn it around first before we move it to the side..¡±

 Chapter 120 - 120: You’re Being Perfunctory!

    Chapter 120: You¡¯re Being Perfunctory!


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan followed Lin Qing¡¯s instructions and helped him move his bed.


    After that, Lin Qing took a stic container and quickly reced the old one with it.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll clean up the rest myself. You should go to sleep.¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan still wanted to chat with him a little more. People like Lin Qing were very likable. However, she really did not know how to tell him she wanted to talk some more; she was also afraid of disturbing him. In the end, she said good night to him before she went downstairs.


    She could not fall asleep after she returned to her bed. She wanted to send a message but remembered the poor signal. As such, she began to draft out a message containing everything she wanted to say and saved it, nning to show it to Huo Zheng when she returned.


    The next day.


    Gu Yuwu and Lin Xiaowan set off early in the morning. When they left, Lin Qing was mixing cement in the yard to fix the leak. It seemed like he was really all-rounded.


    Lin Qing helped them carry their luggage just like when they came and walked them to the car.


    ¡°Be careful on the road,¡± Lin Qing said as he waved his hand. He did not ask them to visit again nor did he show any signs of reluctance. He just smiled and waved at them.


    They had left very early; it was only a little past 6 AM. Most of the vigers were still sleeping soundly. Only a few people could be seen strolling around. Only the sounds of birds chirping and roosters crowing could be heard. However, it was not noisy at all. Instead, it seemed to make the ce even quieter.


    Lin Xiaowan woke up after midnight, and she tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep after she returned to her bed. She did not get to sleep for long before Gu Yuwu woke her up. She leaned against the car window, still sleepy, as she watched Lin Qing¡¯s figure disappear from sight. For some reason, she felt that Lin Qing looked a little lonely.


    Lin Xiaowan yawned and closed her eyes, but when she woke up, they were already on the highway.


    Seeing that she was awake, Gu Yuwu, who was working on herptop, asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Previously, Gu Yuwu wanted to do a live broadcast in Lin Qing¡¯s ce, but she discovered that the signal was too poor. There was no way she could do a live broadcast there so she could only give up. Fortunately, she shot many videos that she could use. She had obtained Lin Qing¡¯s permission beforehand to use them.


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head in response to Gu Yuwu¡¯s question before she wrapped herself in the nket and looked at her phone. She did not know where she was now, but the signal had returned. She replied to Huo Zheng¡¯s message first before shey down and browsed the Inte.


    Upon seeing this, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie down and look at your phone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied. She twisted a few times, looking like a baby silkworm before she sat up.


    She looked at the photos she had taken previously, and many ideas for her painting raced through her mind. This time, it was not just characters, but also the scenery she had seen in the vige. She recalled what Hong Minima said about going out more often to find inspiration and thought that this was what Hong Minima meant.


    Gu Yuwu worked on editing the videos she had taken for a few days, in the end, the video she edited was more than 30 minutes long. Before posting it, she sent it to Lin Xiaowan first.


    [Gu Yuwu: There¡¯s a shot of you in the video, but I¡¯ve already censored it for you. See if it¡¯s okay.]


    After sending the video, she called Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan had been bursting with inspiration after she returned from the vige. She had been holed up in the studio since her return. When she received Gu Yuwu¡¯s call, she was still in a daze.


    ¡°So you were taking videos as well? 1 thought you were only taking pictures¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan watched the video from the beginning until the end. She did not appear much in the video. Gu Yuwu had edited the video carefully. Most of the time she only appeared in the shot because Lin Qing was in the shot, but Gu Yuwu had covered her face with an emoji,


    [Lin Xiaowan: You edited the video very well!]


    There were scenes of Lin Qing picking fruits and vegetables, him showing off his clothes, chatting, eating barbecue together on the rooftop, and so on. There were also scenes of Lin Qing catching the chickens and Lin Xiaowan drawing. At the end of the video, there were also two edited photos of Lin Qing.


    After posting the video, Gu Yuwu also tagged Lin Qing in thement section so he could watch the video. For this reason, Lin Qing¡¯s number of fans increased along with his poprity. One of the main reasons for this was his unique temperament.


    When some people saw a person whose face had been censored in the video, they were naturally curious.


    [Fan #1: Who¡¯s that? Is she an assistant?]


    When Gu Yuwu was working on set, she had a young female assistant who had just graduated. She had appeared in a few of Gu Yuwu¡¯s videos, but her face was not hidden.


    [Fan #2: No. Sister Gu wouldn¡¯t have censored her face. It¡¯s probably a friend or a passerby¡­]


    [Fan #3: That person¡¯s face is censored with the word ¡®viger¡¯. However, is she really a viger?]


    [Fan #4: What kind of viger would wear something from A Brand¡¯s summer collection? Her voice is very pleasing to the ears. It¡¯s soft and sweet.]


    [Fan #5:1 can tell that girl likes Lin Qing a lot! She stuck to him so closely!


    Hahaha! She seemed very eager to help as well, but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t of much help in the end! Hahaha!]


    [Fan #6: Yes! She looked really eager and happy to help! Even if she didn¡¯t know anything, she still wanted to help! It¡¯d make you feel guilty if you refused to let her help you!]


    When Lin Xiaowan saw thements, she was shocked. She quickly took a screenshot and sent it to Gu Yuwu.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I was clearly very serious about helping Ling Qin!]


    [LinXiaowan: Lin Qing!]


    Because she was too quick, she even spelled Lin Qing¡¯s name wrongly, making Gu Yuwuugh.


    Lin Xiaowan was the kind of person who could not bear to see others busy themselves with matters rted to her. She felt guilty enjoying the fruits of other people¡¯sbor. It made her feel uneasy so she felt like she had to help out. She did not expect that her help would be seen as a hindrance.


    Lin Xiaowan sent a crying emoji to Gu Yuwu.


    [Gu Yuwu: Yes, yes, you were very serious. ughing emoji*]


    [Lin Xiaowan: You¡¯re just being perfunctory. *crying emoji*]


    [Lin Xiaowan: It¡¯s fine, I understand. Don¡¯t worry about me. 1¡¯11 be fine after crying for two hours!]


    Gu Yuwu took a screenshot of their chat and even posted it online. She naturally hid Lin Xiaowan¡¯s name and profile picture. She uploaded the screenshot along with the caption: Don¡¯t talk about the little darling like that. She¡¯s clearly helping him seriously! Hahaha!


    Many peopleughed when they saw this. Some even wondered if Lin Xiaowan would cry even more when she saw this post. At the same time, people also became even more curious about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s identity.


    Gu Yuwu responded to ament asking about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reaction to the post and asked if thetter would cry.


    [Gu Yuwu: Probably not. She doesn¡¯t really use Speaker that much.]


    [Fan #1: I¡¯m going to make a bold and blind guess that she¡¯s the artist that Sister Gu posted about previously. There was a scene in the video that showed her drawing. Among the people Sister Gu interacts with, Xiaowan is the only one who draws..]

 Chapter 121 - 121: Touching Souls

    Chapter 121: Touching Souls


    Trantor: End Less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After guessing for a long time, there was no result. In the end, this matter passed, reced by discussions about Lin Qing.


    Just as Gu Yuwu had said, Lin Xiaowan did not check her Speaker ount. Afterining to Gu Yuwu, she threw this matter to the back of her mind. After returning from the vige, she looked at the information regarding the Venus Hope Competition. After confirming the basic requirements, she quickly made a sketch.


    When she was done, she quickly asked for Hong Minhua¡¯s opinion.


    Lin Xiaowan nned to draw Lin Qing wearing his own design while the background would be his fruit and vegetable garden. She nned to turn the vegetables and fruits into anthropomorphic characters as well.


    Hong Minhua did not find any problem with her idea and even gave her a few pointers.


    Lin Xiaowan noted Hong Minhua¡¯s pointers down seriously.


    Hong Minhua suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°There¡¯s an art exhibition in two days. 1¡¯11 be busy, but you can go with your Senior Brother Xiao Han to broaden your horizons.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied with a nod.


    The venue for the art exhibition was a remote exhibition hall. A stone path led to the small entrance, and if one did not pay attention, one would miss it.


    After parking the car in the underground parking lot, Xiao Han opened the door for Lin Xiaowan.


    The entrance of the art gallery looked deserted, but when they entered, it was apletely different world.


    The interior was stylish, and the ceiling was very high.


    People gathered in groups of twos and threes, whispering to each other.


    The atmosphere was quiet and elegant.


    One of the people from the organizingmittee with white hair was very enthusiastic after he was introduced to Lin Xiaowan. He asked, ¡°When did Professor Hong ept a new student? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly exined, ¡°I¡¯m not a professional. It¡¯s just that my boyfriend has a good rtionship with Professor Hong so she¡¯s kind enough to teach me. My skills are only average.¡±


    The other party did not seem to care about this. Heughed heartily and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so modest. Professor Hong doesn¡¯t have many students so I¡¯m just asking out of curiosity.¡±


    After that, the other party added, ¡°Alright, let your senior brother bring you around and introduce you to the others. Your senior brother is a neer whom everyone is optimistic about!¡±


    The paintings that were being exhibited were also for sale.


    Xiao Han brought Lin Xiaowan around as they discussed the different techniques of each painting and the meaning behind them.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded as she listened, looking as though she only half-understood what he said. Her expression was a mixture of awe and confusion. If she hade on her own, she would not have learned so many things.


    However, it did not matter if she understood the meaning the artists were trying to convey or not. She found all of the paintings beautiful.


    A few of Xiao Han¡¯s paintings were also part of the exhibition. The one they were looking at had a strong sense of conflict. The background seemed to be of a war-torn ce, but the subject was a little girl with pigtails sleeping soundly on thep of a woman, who wore a slight smile and calm expression on her face.


    Lin Xiaowan did not understand the painting much. She only felt that it was very impressive.


    Xiao Han said, ¡°The most important thing in painting is emotion. If you draw without emotions, even if the final product is beautiful, you¡¯ll find that it can¡¯t touch people¡¯s souls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to brag, but this is the painting that won me an award previously. 1 like it very much. Every time I see it, I feel like I¡¯m the best artist in the world,¡± Xiao Han said with augh.


    Lin Xiaowan still did not know how to paint with emotions. Perhaps this was the difference between her and professionals. She would paint based on her inspirations and her likes. Sometimes she liked the things she painted, and sometimes she would throw away the things she painted.


    Xiao Han¡¯s other painting that was part of the exhibition depicted a garden. There were many colorful flowers, and the painting looked very lively. In the sky, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. It was so realistic that it looked as though it was a photo.


    Lin Xiaowan could not help but marvel at the painting. She sighed and said sincerely, ¡°You¡¯re really amazing.¡±


    Xiao Hanughed it off and said, ¡°Why are youparing yourself to me? It¡¯s fine as long as you can surpass yourself. We¡¯re on different paths after all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in agreement. She thought his words were reasonable.


    When they left, it was a little cloudy.


    Lin Xiaowan checked the weather forecast and saw that there was a high chance that it would rain. For this reason, she wanted to go home as soon as possible. She did not like being outside when it rained.


    The duo walked along the path in the garden that led to the parking lot. They had just taken a few steps when Lin Xiaowan saw Gu Yuwu.


    Gu Yuwu was with a few men and women, and one of them was holding a camera. They seemed to be filming something.


    Lin Xiaowan paused in her steps. She was not far from Gu Yuwu, and as long as Gu Yuwu turned slightly, she would be able to see Lin Xiaowan. She was not sure if she should go over and greet Gu Yuwu since Gu Yuwu seemed to be engrossed in filming.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan had stopped walking, Xiao Han asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. Before she could reply, Gu Yuwu suddenly turned around and saw her.


    Gu Yuwu waved at Lin Xiaowan. Before walking over, she said to the people around her, ¡°I¡¯m going to greet my friend.¡±


    When Gu Yuwu walked over, she looked at Xiao Han for a moment before she asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°This is Teacher Hong¡¯s student. We came to have a look at the art exhibition today.¡± Then, she asked Gu Yuwu, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan and Gu Yuwu were standing out of frame at this moment. She saw a few people holding treats in their hands and a cage.


    Gu Yuwu replied, ¡°Catching a cat. There¡¯s a stray cat here, and I¡¯m here to join in the fun.¡±


    ¡°Catching a cat? Why are you filming it?¡±


    Gu Yuwu exined, ¡°They¡¯re filming content for their social media ounts. They usually filmed themselves helping strays. That¡¯s what they¡¯re doing today.¡±


    The cat they were trying to catch today was a female stray cat. She had carried her kittens here. This was nothing. The problem was the female cat had somehow crawled into a crack in the cement wall..

 Chapter 122 - 122: The Big-Eyed Cat

    Chapter 122: The Big-Eyed Cat


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Under normal circumstances, there was no need for them to catch the cat. However, the girl who reported this matter told them that the cat became aggressive and even attacked people after it had kittens. The residents nearby hadined about it due to its aggressive nature. If they did not catch the cat and bring it away, there was a possibility that the cat would be killed.


    After some consideration, they decided to bring the cat away. However, it was just as reported; the cat¡¯s temper was really quite¡­ fierce. It looked weak and pitiful, but it would bend its back, and its hair would stand on ends as it hissed, looking as though it was going to attack at any given moment as soon as they approached.


    ¡°The cat is hiding inside with her kittens. You can¡¯t see them now. I took a short video earlier so you can have a look,¡± Gu Yuwu said.


    The stray cat had white fur, and despite being dirty, it was very good-looking. Its eyes were big and green, and its ears were slender.


    Lin Xiaowan, who had been drawing a lot recently, suddenly thought of a pitiful young woman with messy hair wearing a white dress when she looked at the cat. She thought to herself, ¡®Wow! I¡¯m really good at imagining things¡­¡¯


    Meanwhile, the few people from the Animal Rescue Association were still trying to lure the cat out. However, it was extremely vignt. Itpletely ignored the treats and the food in front of it.


    This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first time seeing such a scene so she was a little reluctant to leave. She asked, ¡°Can I stay and take a look?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t have anything to do today. Let¡¯s go for a mealter?¡± Gu Yuwu replied. Then, she remembered that Lin Xiaowan came to look at the art exhibition so she looked at the time before she said, ¡°At this time, you should be done with the art exhibition, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were on the way to the underground parking lot actually,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she turned to Xiao Han and continued to say, ¡°Senior Brother, I won¡¯t leave with you.¡±


    Xiao Han looked at the sky worriedly before he said, ¡°Alright. However, the weather is bad. You guys should leave early.¡±


    After Xiao Han left, Lin Xiaowan was worried she would disturb the live broadcast if she went over to take a look. She felt more at ease when she found out that they were only filming.


    The white female cat sat next to her kittens as she looked around vigntly. From time to time, it wouldfort the kittens that were mewling.


    Lin Xiaowan could not see clearly so she tiptoed to have a better look. She asked, ¡°How many kittens are there?¡±


    The female cat had chosen to make its nest in a hole in the cement ground. There were pieces of rotten wood around the opening, slightly concealing the situation inside. It was dark and almost nothing could be seen.


    The female stayed in the hole, refusing toe outside.


    Previously, the rescuers had used a small torchlight to see the situation inside. However, the female cat was particrly sensitive to light so they only took a quick look.


    One of the people replied to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°It seems like there are three or four of them? However, I¡¯m not too sure since we didn¡¯t have a good look.¡±


    Just as everyone was thinking of ways to lure the cat out, a slender Dragon Li cat with stripes suddenly walked toward the hole where the female cat and treats were.


    Everyone was slightly stunned.


    ¡°Eh? Is this one a stray as well?¡±


    The rescuers observed the new cat for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It doesn¡¯t seem afraid of humans¡­¡±


    Previously, the girl who reported this matter also said that there were a few domestic cats in the area. However, she was not sure if they belonged to a family or if they were raised collectively by themunity.


    The Dragon Li ate the cat food in a leisurely manner. After taking a few bites, it began to meow. It looked at everyone before it turned its attention to the female cat.


    No one acted rashly and continued to observe the situation.


    After a while, someone spected out loud, ¡°Perhaps the two cats know each other¡­ After the Dragon Li cat came, the female cat didn¡¯t seem as nervous as before¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed and chimed in, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the father of the kitten! In fact, this Dragon Li cat is quite handsome!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the Dragon Li cat for a long time, but she still could not figure out its gender. She asked, ¡°How can you tell its gender?¡±


    Gu Yuwu said with a smile, ¡°1 was just guessing as well.¡±


    The cats meowed at each other, and at this point, it was clear that they were familiar with each other. After a long time, the female cat finally raised its tail and deigned to take a few steps out of the hole. Its small steps were graceful and elegant, making it look just like a littledy. At the same time, it also did not forget to stare at the two-legged beasts around her.


    After dawdling for a long time, the female cat finally sat down next to the Dragon Li cat and lowered its head to eat. It had only taken two bites of the canned food when a p of thunder rang in the sky. Shocked, it leaped up, but before it ran away, a huge fell down and urately captured it. The did not only capture the female cat, but it captured the Dragon Li cat as well.


    The rescuers also did not expect the woulde in handy at this moment.


    The female cat kept struggling and crying while the rescuers put on gloves so they could carry it into the cage they had prepared.


    On the contrary, the Dragon Li cat was like a little fool. It did not resist when it was carried, and it stared at everyone with its bright eyes in a daze as though it did not know what was happening.


    The rescuer who was carrying the Dragon Li cat turned it around to have a look before heughed and said, ¡°This is also a female cat. It¡¯s not the kittens¡¯ father.¡±


    The thunder was like a warning. As soon as they had settled the two cats down, bean-sized raindrops began to fall. They barely had time to react before it rained heavily as the sounds of thunder continued to ring in the sky.


    Gu Yuwu hurriedly pulled Lin Xiaowan away and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the car first.¡±


    ¡®If Huo Zheng finds out that his beloved was drenched in the rain, it¡¯d be terrible¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan, who was still thinking about the cats, said, ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to bring the kittens away?¡±


    As soon as Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice fell, the rescuers alsopleted the distribution of work. Two of them carried the cages and prepared to leave.


    ¡°Get into the car first. We¡¯ll bring the kittens over..¡±

 Chapter 123 - 123: Just Like a Little Black Mouse

    Chapter 123: Just Like a Little ck Mouse


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End Loss Fantasy Trantion


    The cat cage was not covered and offered no protection from the rain. The rain was so heavy that the Dragon Li cat was meowing miserably. On the other hand, the white cat sounded a little hoarse as it meowed tremblingly, which sounded pitiful and creepy at the same time.


    Gu Yuwu grabbed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and ran to the car.


    The person who ran the fastest was rhe cameraman. As soon as rhe rain fell, he instinctively protected the camera and ran away. After making sure the camera was safe, he returned with something to block the rain.


    Gu Yuwu hade in these people<sup>1</sup> s car. The car was parked near the entrance instead of the underground parking lot. She did not stop as she pulled Lin Xiaowan into the car.


    Lin Xiaowan was panting from exhaustion after running. She gasped as she said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to run so fast¡­¡±


    It took a long time before her heartbeat returned to normal.


    The rain was so sudden and heavy that a few of them were drenched. There was nothing to dry themselves with in the car so Gu Yuwu handed a few sheets of tissue and said, ¡°Use this first.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wiped her face, still exhausted. ¡°Goodness! I¡¯m going to die from running so hard!¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed mercilessly. ¡°Your physical strength isn¡¯t good enough. We only ran a short distance. 1 remember that after climbing the mountain, someone swore to exercise!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt guilty when she heard these words. She had long forgotten about her exercise n. She only persisted for a few days before she gave up. On the first day; she felt like her n was so strict and decided to make changes to her n. However, after that, she did not go through with her n. She felt ashamed when she thought about this.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone rang. It was not affected by the rain at all. Although her expensive bag was not waterproof, it had twoyers of protection. Unsurprisingly, the call was from Huo Zheng.


    Seeing that it was raining, Huo Zheng called to ask if Lin Xiaowan had gone home. He knew she was going to the art exhibition today.


    ¡°Are you still out?¡±


    ¡°Yes. 1 ran into Sister Yuwu after the exhibition. A few people were rescuing strays so 1 stayed behind to watch.¡±


    Currently, Lin Xiaowan no longer felt awkward about addressing Gu Yuwu as Sister Yuwu¡¯.


    After listening to Lin Xiaowan, Huo Zheng looked outside the window. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, making it dark. Although it was only 4 PM, it looked as though it was already 7 or 8 PM.


    After a moment, Huo Zheng asked, slightly worried, ¡°Are you drenched?¡±


    He knew she would definitely catch a cold if she ran around in wet clothes.


    Lin Xiaowan knew that he was going to lecture her so she said vaguely, ¡°I¡¯m in the car with Sister Yuwu.¡±


    It was true that she was in the car, but she did not say if she was in the car before or after it rained.


    Huo Zheng looked at the time again before he said, ¡°1 11 tell the cook to boil some ginger soup for you. Remember to change your clothes if it¡¯s wet.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could hear the disapproval in his voice, but she did notin. Instead, she said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do itter. There are quite a few people in the car.¡±


    Huo Zheng asked where she was going, but she did not know either. She asked Gu Yuwu before she gave Huo Zheng the address of the Animal Rescue Association.


    ¡°Someone will send you clothes there.¡±


    ¡°Bring a set for Sister Yuwu too!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Huo Zheng said helplessly.


    When Lin Xiaowan ended the call, a rescuer returned with the kittens. Her attention was immediately diverted, and she leaned over to have a look.


    There were four thin and weak kittens. Although they were wrapped in a nket, they were still wet from the rain, causing their fur to stick to their bodies. They huddled together and cried intermittently. Who knew if they were cold or frightened, but they were trembling violently? All in all, they looked extremely pitiful.


    ¡°Uh! They¡¯re not pure white!¡± Lin Xiaowan eximed.


    One of them even looked like a little ck mouse.


    The kittens were very young. Xo one could tell now if there was anything wrong with them. They were quickly ced with their mother.


    Perhaps the white cat was tired or perhaps it no longer sensed danger, but it had stopped howling.


    The Animal Rescue Association was different from what Lin Xiaowan had imagined. It was quite near the art gallery, and it upied arge area. A cute signboard that read The Loving Home of Pets¡¯ hung at the door.


    At this time, it was no longer as dark as before. The rain was also much lighter even if it was windy. However, the temperature had dropped a lot.


    There was no umbre in the car so the driver drove to the entrance directly so they could run into the building.


    A gray Mulsanne with both indicators shing was parked near the entrance as well.


    At this time, one of the rescuers who was about to open the door noticed the other car. ¡°Hmm? Why do we have visitors at this time? Did we have an appointment with someone who wants to adopt a stray?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who was looking at the kittens, turned around as soon as she heard these words. She saw the license te and confirmed that it was Huo Zheng¡¯s car.


    When Gu Yuwu saw the car, shemented, ¡°Wow, your boyfriend is really fast!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not recognize the person who got out of Huo Zheng¡¯s car with a ck umbre, but the other party seemed to know her. He greeted her first before he handed her a paper bag. He said that there was a thermos of ginger soup that Huo Zheng had instructed him to buy when he was on the way here.


    The thermos was huge, and there was enough for the soup to go around. Everyone had a small bowl each, but there was still some left in the end.


    The kittens were given a quick basic examination. Apart from being slightly malnourished and having ear mites, they were healthy. After drying up and drinking their fill, they closed their eyes and fell asleep.


    Meanwhile, rhe female cat was quiet during the journey here, but as soon as she entered the door and was taken care of, it turned aggressive immediately. It was rather heartless and scratched the vet when the vet was examining it.


    Lin Xiaowan crouched down and looked at the kittens. They were very fluffy after they were dried. She stroked them gently and thought about raising a cat.


    The kittens were almost three months old, but they looked small due to ack of nutrition. Their bones were quite prominent.


    Only the Dragon Li cat and the kittens were ced in the cattery. The white cat was ced in the observation room alone not only because of its aggressive behavior but also because it was showing symptoms of a fungal infection..

 Chapter 124 - 124:1 Want to Raise a Cat

    Chapter 124:1 Want to Raise a Cat


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were two members of the Animal Rescue Association in the room. One of them was carrying the Dragon Li cat while the other was busy keying in information about the cats on theputer. No one knew if the Dragon Li cat was a stray cat or a domestic cat, and it did not have any distinct marks on its body. For this reason, when the weather improved tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, they would have to return to ask the people nearby.


    A few of them gathered to name the kittens. Since they could not determine when they were born, the Animal Rescue Association gave the kittens small identity rings ording to their sizes. There were four of them, and the youngest one was a female with gray and ck fur.


    As for the other three kittens, they were males.


    The female kitten looked the most unkempt among the four kittens. Its fur was messy, and even after it was cleaned and dried, its fur was fuzzy, just like a dandelion. It was not as beautiful as its siblings. In fact, it could even be said that it was a little¡­ ugly¡­ but cute.


    The prettiest one was the second kitten, which resembled a little cow. Its face and body were round, and it was also the liveliest. When they were drying it, it kept jumping around and meowing. They named it Little Cow even though it was not a moo cat.


    The female kitten was given the name Little Chestnut because its coat resembled that of fried chestnut.


    Lin Xiaowan really wanted to adopt Little Chestnut. Its personality was theplete opposite of that of Little Cow. From the moment it got into the car to the Animal Rescue Association, it did not struggle nor did it make it sound when it was held. When they let go of it, it would curl up silently at the side.


    Lin Xiaowan found Little Chestnut adorable so she took a photo and sent it to Huo Zheng.


    [Lin Xiaowan: 1 want to raise a cat! Can I raise a cat? *crying emoji*]


    They were looking for people to adopt the kittens. Lin Xiaowan thought about her condition and felt that she met the requirements. It should be okay for her to raise a cat. Nheless, she still had to ask for Huo Zheng¡¯s opinion. If Huo Zheng disagreed, then she would give up on this idea.


    Unexpectedly, Huo Zheng was focused on another matter.


    [Huo Zheng: Did you change your clothes? It just rained. Don¡¯t turn on the air conditioner. It¡¯s easy to catch a cold.]


    It was already the beginning of autumn. Although it was windy and raining outside, the temperature was quite high. It was impossible not to turn on the air conditioner.


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ying dumb.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Yes, I¡¯ve already changed my clothes. Hurry up and looked at the photo of the kitten I sent you! ]


    After a moment, Huo Zheng replied.


    [Huo Zheng: It¡¯s up to you. If you like it, then you can raise it.]


    Huo Zheng never had any interest in these things so he did not have any opinions about it. However, he thought it would be good for Lin Xiaowan to raise a cat since it could cultivate her sense of responsibility.


    He erged the photo that Lin Xiaowan sent him and looked at it carefully before putting it away.


    With this, Lin Xiaowan knew that Huo Zheng had agreed to her request. She looked for someone from the Animal Rescue Association and happily expressed her intention of adopting a kitten.


    Upon hearing this, Gu Yuwu stroked her chin and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. I can visit you next time to y with the kitten.¡±


    The staff members of the Animal Rescue Association had a good impression of Lin Xiaowan. One of them asked, ¡°Have you ever raised a cat before? Do you have any experience?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s living conditions were not very good in the past. It was difficult for her to raise herself, let alone raise a cat. How could she have any experience? She could only shake her head and replied truthfully, ¡°No.¡±


    However, this was not a dealbreaker. It did not matter even if she did not have experience.


    The staff member asked a few more questions such as if she was living alone or with others, if she was allowed to raise pets at home, and so on. As for her living environment and finances, the staff member was not very worried. After all, they had seen the clothes that Huo Zheng had sent her. The clothes were clearly expensive. With one look, one could tell that Lin Xiaowan¡¯s living conditions were not bad. It was definitely not a problem for her to raise a cat, finance-wise.


    The staff member was more concerned about another matter.


    ¡°You can be impulsive when raising pets. You have to be responsible for your pet. It might be naughty, and it might also get sick. You¡¯ll have to take care of it¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied seriously, ¡°I think 1 can do it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also another important thing. We¡¯ll have to visit our adopted cats and dogs asionally. Are you okay with this?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think there was anything wrong with this so she nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    The other party asked, ¡°So which one do you want to adopt?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pointed at the kitten and said, ¡°Little Chestnut.¡±


    After that, the other party told Lin Xiaowan that they would help her care for the kitten temporarily and could not give it to her immediately. After all, not only did Lin Xiaowan not have the necessary things to raise the kitten now, but the kitten was also a little weak. It had to be kept under observation for a while. Moreover, it was likely that Lin Xiaowan did not know how to take care of such a small and weak kitten.


    Before signing the adoption agreement, she was also told that the Animal Rescue Association would visit her house in person.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly messaged Huo Zheng, rying everything to him.


    It did not take long before he replied.


    [Huo Zheng: You can decide on these matters.]


    Huo Zheng did not care about matters like this and felt that Lin Xiaowan could do whatever she wanted as long as she was happy.


    The weather was not good today, and it was already gettingte. It was definitely not appropriate for a home visit today. For this reason, she scheduled the home visit for another day.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s initial n to have dinner with Gu Yuwu alone was canceled. Since it was still raining, they ordered food and ate at the Animal Rescue Association.


    Two dayster.


    When the weather took a turn for the better, Lin Xiaowan received a call from the Animal Rescue Association asking if they could visit today.


    ¡°Of course, you can. I¡¯ll inform the security guard after this. What¡¯s your license te number?¡±


    The vehicles that entered Lin Xiaowan¡¯s neighborhood were strictly checked. Unregistered vehicles were prohibited from entering.


    The two members of the Animal Rescue Association who came to visit were also the ones who named the kittens the other day. They were quite familiar with Lin Xiaowan and were very friendly when they met.


    As soon as they arrived, they knew that there was no problem with Lin Xiaowan¡¯s living environment.


    Shengjing was a ce where every inch ofnd was expensive. Considering the size of her house and the location of her house, which was in the city center, the kitten would surely live a good life as long as Lin Xiaowan was willing to spend time taking care of it.


    Lin Xiaowan showed the duo the space she had set up for the kitten in the living room. A scratching post and a variety of toys could be seen.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t bought the cat litter, cat food, and the like. I nned to buy those things when I pick up the cat¡­¡±


    Since the Animal Rescue Association sold all kinds of pet necessities, Lin Xiaowan nned to buy everything in one go when she picked up the kitten..

 Chapter 125 - 125: Distracted by the Kittens

    Chapter 125: Distracted by the Kittens


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The duo from the Animal Rescue Association did not have a problem with Lin Xiaowan¡¯s n.


    One of them said, ¡°You can get the kitten vinated and dewormed at Furry Love Veterinary Hospital on Huaijing Road. We have a partnership with the hospital. Do you know where that is? It¡¯s not too far from here¡­¡±


    After that, the other party added, ¡°Naturally, this is just a suggestion. You can choose to go to another vet¡­¡±


    The Furry Love Veterinary Hospital was a partner of the Animal Rescue Association. Previously, the Animal Rescue Association had filmed a cute pet documentary there.


    The hospital was very big; it had three floors. It was located at the intersection, and the huge blue and white signboard was very eye-catching.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°I know where it is. Its location is very convenient.¡±


    Apart from finalizing the adoption today, the duo from the Animal Rescue Association also had another small request.


    One of them exined, ¡°There¡¯s another matter. We¡¯re quite active on social media. Recently, we posted a video of the rescue. After that, we received a message from someone who also wanted to adopt Little Chestnut. We said that Little Chestnut has already been adopted, but the person said that he was willing to pay for Little Chestnut. The problem is that someone thenmented that everything was just an act to raise the price of Little Chestnut.¡±


    ¡°We were wondering if we could film a short video of you and Little Chestnut when you bring it home. At that time, we¡¯ll also film us finalizing and signing the adoption agreement to prove ourselves.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have much of a problem with this, but she was concerned about one thing. She said, ¡°1 feel a bit shy to be on camera. However, I¡¯m fine with it as long as you mosaic my face and name on the agreement.¡±


    Since they nned to use this as evidence, the agreement would naturally be shown to everyone.


    ¡°Of course. This is a matter of your privacy after all.¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan really could not understand the minds of those people whomented on the video. After all, they did not mention money at all during the entire process. However, just because someone expressed their willingness to pay for Little Chestnut, the matter blew up.


    ¡®How strange¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan was also not sure if the short video would be able to solve this matter. After all, if those people really wanted to look for trouble, they would not believe it no matter what. Moreover, it was likely that they would be even more skeptical since her face and name would be hidden.


    In any case, Lin Xiaowan did not express her opinion to the duo. In any case, it was not a big problem, and it did not matter to her. After that, she asked about the Dragon Li cat and Little Chestnut¡¯s mother.


    ¡°The mother has yet to recover from her fungal infection so she¡¯s still living in istion in the small room,¡± one of them said, ¡°She¡¯s still very vignt and wary. It¡¯s as though she thinks we¡¯re bad people. Every time we checked on her or applied medicine for her, she¡¯d struggle and scratch us. It didn¡¯t help when we showed her the kittens as well. She has a really bad temper¡­¡±


    ¡°As for the Dragon Li cat. We¡¯re also looking for someone to adopt it. We returned to the ce we found her and asked around; we confirmed that it¡¯s also a stray cat. It only appeared recently. However, seeing how docile it was and how it didn¡¯t seem afraid of us, we suspect that it had an owner before. We just don¡¯t know if it was abandoned or if it ran away¡­¡±


    After a while, the chef and a few of his students arrived with all the ingredients needed for today. When he saw so many people, he asked, ¡°Should I make more food for dinner tonight?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan invited the duo to stay for dinner, but they refused her politely. She could not help but feel slightly regretful. After all, the chef was a master of various cuisines; his skills were top-notch. She felt that it was a pity that they could not eat the food he cooked.


    Seeing that the chef was about to get busy, the duo felt that it was not appropriate to stay any longer. They rose to their feet and prepared to leave.


    As the host, Lin Xiaowan saw them out.


    When the duo arrived at the entrance, they saw shoes, which clearly belonged to a man. With this, they remembered that Lin Xiaowan was living with her boyfriend.


    One of them asked worriedly, ¡°Your boyfriend isn¡¯t home? Is he okay with cats?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already spoken to him about this!¡±


    Previously, she had decided to custom-make the scratching post, and she had asked Huo Zheng about it. At that time, he had said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. You can do whatever you want.¡±


    Despite how perfunctory his reply sounded, seeing how serious Lin Xiaowan was, he also listened very attentively.


    Before they left, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Can 1 go over to visit the kitten?¡±


    Huo Zheng had never seen Little Chestnut before so he did not know how cute it was. In her opinion, once he saw it, he definitely would not be so indifferent anymore/


    The duo naturally had no objections.


    ¡°Of course, you cane anytime. We have people there every day.¡±


    A few dayster.


    When Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan visited the Animal Rescue Association in the afternoon, the kittens had just returned from getting their vination shots.


    The Dragon Li cat lived in the same room as the kittens. At this time, it was wearing an Elizabethan cor around its neck. Just as the others said, it was really not afraid of humans at all. As soon as Lin Xiaowan entered the room, it meowed affectionately and rubbed itself against her leg as though it was weing her. After that, it jumped to the side to y.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw the Elizabethan cor, she asked curiously, ¡°Why is she wearing that thing?¡±


    ¡°She was spayed two days ago. The cor is to prevent her from licking or biting her wounds,¡± the staff member said with a smile.


    At this time, the staff member finally noticed the tall and handsome man dressed in a suit standing next to Lin Xiaowan.


    Seeing this, Huo Zheng nodded slightly as a greeting. Then, he shifted his attention back to Lin Xiaowan who had run off to y with the cats.


    Life at the Animal Rescue Association was good for the kittens. They ate well and slept well. In just a few days, they had grown visibly.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart softened immediately when she saw the kittens.


    ¡°They grew so fast! They¡¯re much cuter and healthier now!¡±


    ¡®Cats grow and change just like humans!¡¯


    ¡°Can I carry them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can. Moreover, the kittens¡¯ ws aren¡¯t that sharp yet so you don¡¯t have to worry. However, after bringing Little Chestnut back, don¡¯t forget to trim her nails regrly.¡±


    Since Lin Xiaowan arrived, she hadpletely thrown Huo Zheng to the back of her mind.


    Seeing that she had no intention of making introductions, the staff member felt that it was a little awkward.. As such, she asked, ¡°This person is¡­¡±

 Chapter 126 - 126: Brother, Do You Mind?

    Chapter 126: Brother, Do You Mind?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan, who was carrying Little Chestnut, almost forgot about Huo Zheng. She said, ¡°Oh, this is my boyfriend. He came with me to see the kitten!¡± With this, the members of the Animal Rescue Association finally had a chance to say hello to Huo Zheng.


    Huo Zheng nodded politely and stood silently next to Lin Xiaowan. He watched Lin Xiaowan y with Little Chestnut, and a hint of a smile could be seen in his gaze.


    However, when the people from the Animal Rescue Association saw how aloof Huo Zheng was, they could not help but wonder if he was really okay with raising a cat.


    ¡®Why does he look like he doesn¡¯t like cats? Look, the kittens are meowing and taking the initiative to rub against his legs, but he¡¯spletely indifferent to them. He didn¡¯t even spare them a nce! He¡¯s just staring at his girlfriend!¡¯


    Indeed, while almost everyone¡¯s attention was on the cats, Huo Zheng was only staring at Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡®Alright, his girlfriend likes cats, and he likes his girlfriend. In a way, it can be considered that he likes cats as well¡­¡¯


    The members of the Animal Rescue Association silently convinced themselves before they asked Lin Xiaowan if they could film a short video.


    Lin Xiaowan did not want to let go of the kitten. She held Little Chestnut in her arms as she crouched down to y with the others. Even the Dragon Li cat came to her side and yed with her.


    She was a little taken aback when she heard the question. When she recovered, she asked, ¡°What are we filming? The signing of the adoption agreement?¡±


    ¡®Didn¡¯t they say that they wanted to film at the house when 1 bring the kitten back?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. We just want to film both of you ying and interacting with the cats.¡±


    The staff member who spoke was a young girl. Perhaps it was her first time doing this, she looked a little embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯ll just take a few minutes. We n to edit it and post it with our daily videos¡­¡±


    Although the young girl did not say it explicitly, Lin Xiaowan knew that it was likely to prove that she was really adopting the kitten and that the entire thing was not staged. At this time, she really felt that it was really tiring to face thoseizens on the Inte.


    The Animal Rescue Association was clearly doing a good deed. Not only were there no benefits, but they also had to justify themselves and prove themselves to others.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was silent, the young girl quickly said, ¡°I won¡¯t show your faces. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not mind, but she did not know how Huo Zheng would feel about it. She tilted her head and asked, ¡°Brother, do you mind?¡±


    The first rule was to address Huo Zheng as ¡®Brother¡¯ when she wanted something. Otherwise, she would only address him as Huo Zheng.


    How could Huo Zheng refuse her when it was such a trivial matter? He smiled gently and asked, ¡°When have I ever said no to you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scoffed disdainfully, showing her disbelief. She said, ¡°It has happened many, many times. For example, at noon today, I said I wanted to eat desserts, but you said no.¡±


    Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow and looked at her.


    They had lunch near Huo Zheng¡¯spany earlier. After lunch, the waiter brought the dessert menu over. When Lin Xiaowan said that she wanted to have the mango ice cream, he had refused her. In the end, she had to pick something else.


    Although it was for her own good, Lin Xiaowan was very self-righteous. She felt that she waspletely in the right. As for Huo Zheng, he naturally gave in to her and epted that he was in the wrong, regardless if he was right or wrong.


    When the young girl from the Animal Rescue Association saw this scene, the tiny doubt in her heart also vanished.


    ¡®What¡¯s there to worry about? It doesn¡¯t matter at all if he likes cats or not. As long as his girlfriend likes them, it¡¯ll be fine.¡¯


    The person who filmed the video was the same person who was filming when they were rescuing the cats. He was mainly responsible for the association¡¯s social media.


    Just as the young girl said earlier, the filming was very short. When it ended, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll be posting this on Speaker and Bobo Star. Do you have ounts? Do you want me to tag you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about her Speaker and Bobo Star ounts. Previously, she had signed up for Bobo Star because of Gu Yuwu. Her ount only followed Gu Yuwu, and she did not post anything at all. Apart from watching Gu Yuwu¡¯s videos, she did not really use Bobo Star. She thought that this was a good chance for her to use it.


    She gave her username, which was ¡®I¡¯m Lin Xiaowan, to the other party, and they began to follow each other.


    Before Little Chestnut arrived, Lin Xiaowan went shopping with her sister-inw, Qiao You¡¯an. Hong Minhua¡¯s daughter-inw, Mrs. Zheng, also joined them.


    While they were chatting, Mrs. Zheng also invited Lin Xiaowan to attend Hong Minhua¡¯s birthday party.


    It was only then did Lin Xiaowan know that Hong Minhua¡¯s birthday wasing up.


    ¡°It¡¯s so sudden! 1 had lessons yesterday, but Grandma Hong didn¡¯t say anything about it to me!¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a pout. She puffed her cheeks up just like a pufferfish.


    Mrs. Zheng chuckled and pinched her cheek before she said, ¡°She probably forgot to tell you. A few days ago, she said that she was going to personally deliver the invitation to you.¡±


    Hong Minhua was turning 66 years old.


    This was the first time Lin Xiaowan was celebrating the birthday of someone at Hong Minhua¡¯s age. Not only was Hong Minhua her teacher, but she was also very close to Hong Minhua. As such, it was only natural for her to give Hong Minhua a birthday present. However, after thinking about it, she still could not figure out what to give Hong Minhua.


    When she asked Huo Zheng about it, he also did not know the answer to her question. In the end, he said, ¡°Just let Assistant Song handle this.¡±


    Assistant Song had been working for Huo Zheng for many years. He knew what kind of gifts were given at social events like this. Previously, he was also the one who handled Hong Minhua¡¯s birthday gifts.


    However, Lin Xiaowan refused Huo Zheng¡¯s suggestion. She said, ¡°Assistant Song can help you prepare your gift, but I¡¯ll handle mine on my own. I can¡¯t be perfunctory about her gift.¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled. ¡°Perfunctory?¡±


    ¡°Grandma Hong is very kind to me. It feels insincere if I let Assistant Song help me get a gift for her. It¡¯s not appropriate¡­¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was very serious, Huo Zheng said helpfully, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask her which painter she likes? Maybe you can give her a painting.¡±


    The painting naturally could not be casually bought. It had to be meaningful and special.


    Lin Xiaowan thought it was a good idea. However, after a beat, she asked, ¡°Won¡¯t be it too obvious if 1 ask her this?¡±


    Huo Zhengughed. ¡°Qingqing, are you still nning to surprise her?¡±


    In his opinion, since Lin Xiaowan was going to give Hong Minhua a gift anyway, it did not make a difference if Hong Minhua knew it in advance or


    not..

 Chapter 127 - 127: Charity Auction

    Chapter 127: Charity Auction


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°It¡¯s just that 1 feel like it¡¯ll be nicer if you don¡¯t know what kind of gift you¡¯ll receive. If you already know what it is, there won¡¯t be any joy in receiving gifts,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    It was the first time Huo Zheng had heard such words, and he found them refreshing. Then he recalled that whenever he received gifts from Lin Xiaowan in the past, they had always been a surprise.


    The next day, Huo Zheng had arranged for someone to inquire about Hong Minima¡¯s preference. After obtaining the information, he passed it over to Lin Xiaowan.


    Although Hong Minhua was getting on in years, her hands were steady, and her eyes were bright. When she had the time, she would asionally practice calligraphy. As such, she also collected calligraphy paintings. It was a good idea to take this into consideration when buying a gift for her.


    Lin Xiaowan was not familiar with calligraphy at all. The paintings that Hong Minhua collected were not ordinary. Moreover, the calligraphy paintings thetter collected were painted using traditional ink sticks that were ground on inkstones.


    It was not easy to find good calligraphy paintings. Those really precious ones were antiques, likely already in the possessions of collectors or museums.


    Nheless, Lin Xiaowan did not let Huo Zheng help her and took full responsibility. She did some research and found a lot of information. However, good calligraphy paintings were really hard to find, and she barely found one that she was satisfied with. However, it was being auctioned off overseas. The time of the auction was inconvenient as well. As such, although there were only two days left, she still had no clue at all.


    Seeing that she was troubled, Huo Zheng suggested, ¡°The paintings, the ¡®Auspicious Sun on Mount Lu¡¯ and ¡®Beautiful Snow on a Winter Night¡¯, that you showed before are very good. They¡¯re worth collecting, and they¡¯re also in line with Elder Hong¡¯s taste.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sighed and said with a pout, ¡°Alright. If 1 can¡¯t find anything else by today, 1¡¯11 look at those paintings.¡±


    The two paintings were put up for sale, and Lin Xiaowan saw them by chance previously. She had shown them to Huo Zheng and also spoke with the seller. However, after considering it, she took a step back.


    Sometimes, things just happened coincidentally. When Gu Yuwu learned that Lin Xiaowan was looking for calligraphy paintings recently, she sent Lin Xiaowan a couple of photos in the afternoon.


    The photo was that of a calligraphy painting. There was a square stamp with round edges at the bottom, and the words ¡®A Hundred Years of Longevity¡¯ were written on both sides in beautiful calligraphy. The bottom was slightly worn, but this was not a problem at all.


    [Gu Yuwu: Do you like this piece? It was made by Wu Shenbo during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. It¡¯s definitely authentic.]


    Lin Xiaowan had done a lot of research so she knew who Wu Shenbo was. He was a calligrapher who was on par with the famous Cheng J unfang. There was almost no historical record of Wu Shenbo, and his works were even rarer.


    Lin Xiaowan was naturally excited.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Wow! Wow! Wow! Where did you find this? I think it¡¯s great! Is this from a private collection? Hurry up and tell me!]


    It could be seen by the three exmation marks that she was excited.


    Gu Yuwu wanted to save the trouble so she called Lin Xiaowan immediately.


    ¡°There¡¯s a charity auction tonight. The work belongs to a celebrity who¡¯s putting it up for auction. A booklet of all the auction items was distributed earlier¡­¡± Gu Yuwu said, ¡°This came at just the right time for you. I¡¯ll check the celebrity¡¯s background after this. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡±


    The celebrity had not been in the entertainment industry for long, and her background was clean. It did not take long for Gu Yuwu to obtain the information.


    After calling Lin Xiaowan back, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Today¡¯s charity auction will be broadcasted live. I don¡¯t know the reason for it, but if you attend, you might be caught on camera.¡±


    Gu Yuwu knew that Lin Xiaowan did not want to show her face, especially at such a public event. As such, she quickly made this matter clear to Lin Xiaowan before anything else.


    As expected, Lin Xiaowan hesitated briefly when she heard these words. However, she soon decided that it was not a big problem. No one knew her, and even if they knew her, who cared who she was?


    In any case, she was not afraid of being seen by others now. If people talked about her, then so be it. As long as they did not do it in front of her, she would pretend not to know anything. There was no need for her to overthink this matter and create trouble for herself.


    She was no longer bothered by things like that. She was upright, and there was nothing for her to be afraid of. If anyone dared to do anything unreasonable, she would deal with it.


    Moreover, there would be a lot of people in attendance. She might not even be filmed. After all, many celebrities would attend the charity auction. Whether it was a live broadcast or not, the cameras would definitely follow the celebrities.


    Lin Xiaowan was quite self-aware. Who would film her for no reason? At most, the camera would sweep past her when filming Gu Yuwu.


    Later in the evening.


    After Lin Xiaowan called and informed Huo Zheng about this matter, he, who was still busy with work, asked someone to send the invitation to Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan asked in confusion, ¡°This is the entertainment industry¡¯s charity auction. Why does the Huo family have an invitation to this kind of event?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by ¡®your Huo family¡¯?¡± Huo Zheng chided gently.


    Lin Xiaowan amended her words and said, ¡°Oh, does our family have business in the entertainment industry?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Huo Zheng replied.


    Whether it was the entertainment industry or not, it was only natural that someone like Huo Zheng received an invitation. Although it was a charity auction, many connections could be established during the event.


    However, usually, Huo Zheng did not attend these events.


    When they arrived at the venue of the auction at night, Lin Xiaowan realized that her invitation was different from that of Gu Yuwu.


    The staff member was also taken aback when he saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s invitation. He did not expect such a young woman to hold an investor¡¯s invitation card. His attitude changed immediately, and he prepared to lead Lin Xiaowan to the VIP seats.


    Gu Yuwu had already expected this when Lin Xiaowan told her that Huo Zheng had sent an invitation card to her. She raised her hand to stop the staff member and said, ¡°No need. She¡¯s with me. We won¡¯t sit there.¡±


    The seats were naturally different for different invitation cards.


    Gu Yuwu naturally had sat in the VIP seats for investors before. However, she found it boring. The only advantage was that it was very private.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan was not sure how much the calligraphy painting would cost. After all, it was an auction. Hence, she brought out Huo Zheng¡¯s ck card for the second time. Thest time she used it was when she went shopping with Qiao You¡¯an after she was reborn..

 Chapter 128 - 128: Is He Crazy? He Keeps Increasing the Bid by

    Chapter 128: Is He Crazy? He Keeps Increasing the Bid by


    Only 1,000 Yuan


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were many people exchanging greetings in the auction hall.


    Lin Xiaowan instinctively held Gu Yuwu¡¯s hand. In a crowd, she had a long-standing habit of grabbing the arm or holding the hand of the person she was with.


    Gu Yuwu did not find this strange. There was nothing wrong with holding hands after all. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the front where we can see the auction clearly.¡±


    After picking a good seat, Lin Xiaowan looked around curiously.


    The venue was beautifully decorated, and the auction had yet to start. Many people were chatting in groups of twos and threes.


    After the person who came to greet Gu Yuwu left, Lin Xiaowan leaned over. It was quite quiet although there were many people so she lowered her voice and asked, ¡°This is very different from the auctions I looked up online.¡±


    There was a huge stage and many LED screens in the hall. Many cameras were also set up all over the ce. Instead of an auction, it looked more like a party.


    Gu Yuwu smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that there are many celebrities in attendance today. It¡¯s a charity auction, but putting on a show is also important for them. Nheless, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, the money will go to charity¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was deep in thought.


    While they sat in their seats, an endless stream of people came over to greet Gu Yuwu. Some of them were people Lin Xiaowan had seen in movies or dramas, and some of them she did not recognize at all.


    When the auction was about to start, Lin Xiaowan saw a woman who was vaguely familiar. She touched Gu Yuwu¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Look over there. Isn¡¯t she that person who wore a simr dress as mine a while ago?¡±


    Gu Yuwu turned to have a look.


    Indeed, it was Sang Xiyue. She was wearing a long white dress with blue flowers today. Her long ck was flowing and glossy. A faint smile could be seen on her face; although it looked perfunctory, the arc was just right and beautiful.


    Lin Xiaowan took a few more nces. After a moment, she said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t look as unpleasant as before¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know how to describe her feelings either. This kind of thing was very abstract, to begin with. In any case, now that she saw the other party again, she felt that the other party did not look as scheming as before. The other party looked no different from the elder sister next door.


    Gu Yuwu remarked indifferently, ¡°She probably learned her lesson¡­¡±


    After Sang Xiyue was exposed for wearing a knockoff, she lost almost all of her endorsement deals, especially her fashion endorsement deals. Needless to say, this created a huge obstacle in her career.


    Sang Xiyue¡¯s temper was not good, to begin with. She was also not very good at doing things. When the scandal broke out, many people seized the opportunity and struck while she was down, exposing the truth. As a result, her poprity fell sharply.


    Gu Yuwu also knew that lluo Zheng must have intervened at that time. Otherwise, Sang Xiyue would not have fallen so quickly. Thetter had no support, resources, and no skills. For a long time, she disappeared from the public¡¯s eye.


    This time, it was likely that Sang Xiyue wanted to use the name of charity to gain some favorable points for herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. Just watch the show.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked away.


    The live broadcast had already begun. After a long speech, the auctioneer did note on stage. Instead, someone came up to perform.


    Lin Xiaowan found this puzzling.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this an auction? Why is there a performance?¡¯


    The calligraphy painting Lin Xiaowan wanted would be put up for auction rather early. She was not interested in the singing and dancing at all. Finally, after a while, the auction finally started.


    When it was time for Lin Xiaowan to bid, she hurriedly put her auction paddle up.


    The starting bid for Wu Shenbo¡¯s Longevity painting started at slightly over 80,000. Lin Xiaowan had some research before this, and she knew the price could be considered cheap. However, she did not expect to sessfully bid for it in just a few tries. She knew that people would keep bidding for it until it reached a high price.


    The other party only increased the bid slightly. When she bid for 150,000, the other party would bid 151,000; when she bid 200,000, the other party would bid 201,000. Even when she increased the bid to 220,000, the other party only increased the bid by 1,000 yuan.


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes, feeling speechless. She raised her bid, and as expected, the other party followed. She could not help but feel annoyed, wondering if the other party was toying with her.


    ¡°Is this person crazy? He keeps increasing the bid by only 1,000 yuan! Is he toying with me?¡±


    Gu Yuwu turned around and saw the other party was a young man dressed in casual clothes. He looked extremely ufortable, and his face was a little red. He raised his paddle and leaned to the side slightly to talk to the person next to him.


    The person on his left was a bald middle-aged man wearing sses. He looked kind, but Gu Yuwu thought he looked a little pretentious.


    Lin Xiaowan raised her paddle. This time, she increased the bid by 1,000 yuan as well. She was annoyed. She could feel everyone¡¯s curious gazes on her at this time.


    Gu Yuwu frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s a young boy. I¡¯ve never seen him before so I don¡¯t know who he is either¡­¡±


    Based on his casual attire, it was likely that he was not from the entertainment industry.


    After a while, the calligraphy painting was finally auctioned off at 337,000 yuan. In the end, it still fell into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hands. The other party finally stopped bidding.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was fed up, turned to look at the other party. Based on Gu Yuwu¡¯s description, she easily found the young man who was dressed casually. When she saw the other party, she was momentarily stunned, and her anger had nowhere to go.


    ¡°My goodness, he looks underage! His face is so red, and he looks like he¡¯s about to cry! Did he cry because he failed to bid for the painting? It can¡¯t be right?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked in slight disbelief.


    However, in the next moment, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s expression turned a little smug as she said, ¡°Hmph! Cry then. It¡¯s useless anyway. That thing is mine now!¡±


    After the auction for the painting ended, they still had to go through the payment process before they could get their hands on the item. Hence, although they had achieved their goal, they still could not leave yet.


    At some point, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s attention was caught by a bottle of red wine.


    When Gu Yuwu saw her raising her paddle, she asked, ¡°Why are you bidding for the red wine?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the booklet in her hand, which was opened to the page of the red wine. She said, ¡°1 know this wine. When I spent the new year at the old residence, we had this wine.¡±


    The age of the wine that was being auctioned off was not as old as the one she had so Lin Xiaowan was not particrly anxious about it. Moreover, although the wine was rare, it was still in cirction.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to say with a smile, ¡°I want to buy it for Huo Zheng. The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. We can drink it at that time.¡±


    This time, it was different from when she was bidding for the calligraphy painting where only two people were bidding. Many people were interested in the wine so there were many people bidding for it.


    After a few rounds, Lin Xiaowan stopped bidding for it. She propped her chin up with one hand, feeling bored.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡±


    ¡°Let them bid for a while first..¡±

 Chapter 129 - 129: They’re the Same Person

    Chapter 129: They¡¯re the Same Person


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The live broadcast on the Inte was very lively. As society developed faster and faster, live broadcasts had be a mainstream trend. One of the reasons for the broadcast was due to the exposure of a charity that made fake donations and pocketed the funds. With the live broadcast, they could also prove the authenticity of the charity auction.


    Although the cameras did not focus much on Lin Xiaowan, there were a few people who spoke about her. This was mostly due to her seat.


    [Hey, who¡¯s that girl sitting next to Gu Yuwu?]


    [That girl next to Gu Yuwu is so pretty. When the camera panned over to Sister Yuwu earlier, 1 saw her. Her skin is glowing!]


    [Perhaps she¡¯s a rookie. 1 saw Gu Yuwu talking to her earlier!]


    [Sister Gu isn¡¯t so free that she has time to look after a newbie like that. Their seats are near those famous celebrities. Perhaps she¡¯s a lesser-known celebrity from a smallpany?]


    [Can I just say that she¡¯s really pretty? Although she¡¯s not the stunning kind, the more I look at her, the more I like her!]


    [I agree! Although I¡¯m a girl, I like her look a lot. She looks kind, and her eyes are sparkling. She looks very gentle with no attack power at all. She¡¯s definitely very popr among girls!]


    [I want to know more about her! If she¡¯s a celebrity, I¡¯ll be her fan immediately!]


    [Even as a man, 1 like her very much!]


    [I still prefer a cool and valiant person like Sister Gu!]


    [I just looked through Sister Gu¡¯s social media, but there¡¯s no sign of this girl. Thetest post is still that of Lin Qing.]


    The discussions in thement section moved very quickly. It did not take long before they began to discuss Lin Qing¡¯stest videos and designs. When the camera turned to the stage for the performance, the topic also quickly turned to performance.


    When the topic returned to Lin Xiaowan again, it was when she was bidding for Wu Shenbo¡¯s Longevity painting.


    Lin Xiaowan had forgotten about the live broadcast since no one talked about it. Moreover, the cameras were ced far away in discreet positions. Shepletely forgot that the cameras were filming everything.


    Since Lin Xiaowan was bidding, when the cameras turned to her, they did not sweep past her like before. This time, her face was clearly shown. Naturally, they also showed the young boy seated at the back who was also bidding.


    However, since this was an auction, the cameras focused more on the items that were put up for auction.


    Just like Lin Xiaowan, the audience also found the style of bidding strange.


    [I can tell that the little beauty is speechless. I¡¯m also speechless. What¡¯s the other party trying to do?]


    [It¡¯s been 8oo rounds! The time that passed is enough for Tang Sanzang toplete his pilgrimage to the West and deliver the Buddhist scripture. How long is this going tost?]


    [I¡¯m going to die ofughter! The little beauty raised the bid fiercely in the beginning, but now she has also fallen into the other party¡¯s rhythm¡­] [Hahahahaha! When the camera zoomed in, I caught her rolling her eyes! It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s annoyed!]


    [Hey, you see that person who starred in The Boys Next Door? Is that person next to him Qian Yiran who stole the limelight in that talent show? Who¡¯s that middle-aged man seated with them? Is he their father? 1 saw the three of them talking earlier!]


    [No way. Qian Yiran said on the show that her father is just an ordinary worker.]


    [I¡¯m a fan of hers, and 1 feel a littleplicated right now. 1 suspect that the middle-aged man is Qian Yiran¡¯s backer.]


    The screen was filled with many question marks about thisment.


    [What??? You can¡¯t speak without evidence. That¡¯s terrible behavior!]


    [Considering how she has been in the limelight recently, I feel like this might be possible¡­]


    [Wow, I can watch a show just by watching this live broadcast! ]


    [Things are getting interesting. Who¡¯s that boy who blushed when he was bidding? Does anyone know him?]


    [I don¡¯t know who the red-faced boy is, but someone seems to have found who that little beauty next to Sister Gu is.]


    [Am 1 the only one here who¡¯s interested in the items that are being auctioned?]


    [I just went on Speaker, and I saw posts about that mysterious little beauty. Not only are you guys watching the live broadcast, but all of you even have time to be Sherlock Holmes?]


    Someone had analyzed the photos of Lin Xiaowan from Lin Qing¡¯s video back then that only showed her slender neck and her corbone. Theypared it to the screenshots of her at the auction. They confidently concluded that they were the same person.


    Some people found this ridiculous and made it known in thement section.


    [Just by looking at the neck and corbone you came to this conclusion? I¡¯ll only believe it if Gu Yuwu confirms this herself!]


    [It¡¯s not impossible. After all, it¡¯s not difficult to identify a person by their chin or eyebrows. As such, it¡¯s not impossible to identify someone based on their necks and corbones.]


    [Does this mean she¡¯s not a celebrity? She¡¯s sitting with Sister Gu because they¡¯re friends?]


    [She could also be rted to Sister Gu. In the video, she called Sister Gu, ¡®Sister¡¯.]


    [Stop specting blindly. Who cares who she is? Can¡¯t you just admire her beauty quietly?]


    [In any case, the two of them have something inmon. Their skin is glowing. Based on that alone, 1 feel like there¡¯s a high possibility that they¡¯re rted!]


    Lin Xiaowan was unaware that she was in danger of being exposed. At that time, she was focused on the bidding. She raised her paddle, and when she lowered it, she met the gaze of a bidder sitting on the other side.


    The other party smiled at her politely, and she returned the smile. She felt that the entertainment industry was really small.


    The other party was the yboy in a flowery shirt whom she had met when she went out with Cheng Ruitong. Today, he was dressed decently in a suit, and his hair was also meticulously styled. He looked mature today.


    Someone ced a bid at this moment. When Lin Xiaowan heard the 1,000 increase, the corners of her lips twitched. Contrary to her expectations, when she turned around, she discovered that the red-faced young boy from before was not the one doing the bidding. Instead, it was a dignified young girl sitting next to him.


    The young boy was nowhere to be seen, and the seat next to him, which was upied by the bald middle-aged man, was also empty. It was likely that he had left early.


    The girl was none other than Qian Yiran, who was being discussed earlier. When she saw Lin Xiaowan looking at her, she straightened her back and smiled with a hint of pride.


    Lin Xiaowan was baffled when she saw the other party¡¯s smug smile. She did not think too much of it and withdrew her gaze.


    In the end, it was the rich young master who won the bid for the red wine.


    After the banquet ended, there was a small after-party. Lin Xiaowan was not interested in it. She would not be able to fill her stomach at such a party, and the people there also spoke with hidden meaning. Just thinking about it made her feel bored. After she went through the formalities, she asked Gu Yuwu if thetter was nning to stay back..

 Chapter 130 - 130: Isn’t the Opportunity Here?

    Chapter 130: Isn¡¯t the Opportunity Here?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Gu Yuwu stretched and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not staying. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    The live broadcast had already ended.


    Lin Xiaowan had just taken a few steps when she saw the handsome young master standing nearby. When he saw her, he approached her.


    He stood at an appropriate distance and said politely, ¡°Mrs. Huo, it seems like you like the bottle of red wine a lot. 1 wonder if you¡¯ll ept it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked horrified when she heard this. She recalled the rumors about him being ambiguous with members of the opposite sex, and she said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t ept it. By the way, my surname is Lin, not Huo.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan grabbed Gu Yuwu¡¯s hand tightly before she asked, ¡°You¡­ Why are you giving it to me?¡±


    She was so nervous that even her long-lost ent from her hometown came out.


    Hai Linzhi, the wealthy young master, said with a shrug, ¡°I just want to be friends with Miss Lin. Will you give me a chance, Miss Lin?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaowan looked even more horrified.


    ¡®No way. He can¡¯t really like me, right? After all, he addressed me as Mrs. Huo earlier¡­ He must know about my rtionship with Huo Zheng¡­¡¯


    Gu Yuwu looked at Hai Linzhi as though she was looking at a fool. She said bluntly, ¡°Are you sick? Did you not take your medicine today? Should I punch you twice to cure you of your illness?¡±


    Seeing the familiar way Gu Yuwu spoke to Hai Linzhi, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    Gu Yuwu replied, ¡°Our social circles ovepped after all. It¡¯s hard not to know each other¡­¡±


    Seeing how nervous Lin Xiaowan was, Gu Yuwuforted her as she said, ¡°His name is Hai Linzhi. He¡¯s the vice president of his family¡¯spany. Don¡¯t judge him by his frivolous words and actions. He¡¯s not a bad person.¡±


    Hai Linzhi smiled, looking more sincere. He asked, ¡°Shall we get to know each other?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hesitated for two seconds.


    At this time, Gu Yuwu took the lead and replied, ¡°Get to know each other my as*! Don¡¯t lead her astray. Nothing good wille from being involved with you.¡±


    Hai Linzhi feigned an injured expression on his face as he said with a sigh, ¡°My heart really hurts after being criticized by a beautiful woman.¡±


    The corners of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s lips twitched. In the end, she did not ept the bottle of wine. Afterpleting the payment procedures, she still could not figure out Hai Linzhi¡¯s purpose in approaching her. She did not believe it was just to befriend her.


    As though Gu Yuwu could read Lin Xiaowan¡¯s thoughts, she patted the wary Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Hai Linzhi probably wants to build a good rtionship with you because of Huo Zheng. He doesn¡¯t have much say in his family. Recently, one of his projects was rejected. With his status, it¡¯s hard for him to build a connection with Huo Corporation. He¡¯s probably trying to go about it in a roundabout way.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan grew even more worried when she heard these words. She said, ¡°Then I have to stay away from him even more. What if he uses me, and it affects Huo Zheng?¡±


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Hai Linzhi is a good person. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s also very capable. 1 know a little about his project. There are many advantages, but it¡¯s difficult to execute. Moreover, his family is quite conservative¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu had known Hai Linzhi for a long time so she was familiar with his character.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded thoughtfully. She dispelled some of her concerns after listening to Gu Yuwu¡¯s words. Then, she considered mentioning this matter to Huo Zheng so that he could take note of it.


    At this moment, Gu Yuwu thought of something, and she said, ¡°I just realized that he really chose the right time to approach you. I know him well enough.


    He took advantage of the fact that I¡¯m with you and approached you. He knew that even if you were wary of him, I¡¯d definitely tell you about him and the purpose he approached you.¡±


    Then, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°After listening to me, did you consider telling Huo Zheng about this or ask Huo Zheng what he thinks about Hai Linzhi?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in confusion. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Look, if you did that, even if Huo Zheng didn¡¯t know Hai Linzhi, he would learn of Hai Linzhi¡¯s name from you. Perhaps he might even ask someone to look up Hai Linzhi¡¯s project. If Huo Zheng thinks the project is not bad, then Hai Linzhi¡¯s chance wille¡­¡± Gu Yuwu said, looking slightly impressed, ¡°That kid is not bad¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan still looked a little confused as she asked, ¡°Then should 1 tell Huo Zheng about Hai Linzhi or not? Moreover, will the project you mention negatively affect Huo Zheng?¡±


    Gu Yuwu replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll affect him. After all, your Huo Zheng is also a cunning old fox. He knows how to judge what¡¯s right or wrong. If you want to speak to him about it, then just do it. Just treat it as giving Hai Linzhi a chance. After all, Hai Linzhi is capable.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded before she said with a sigh, ¡°Hai Linzhi is really different from the rumors¡­¡±


    Hai Linzhi¡¯s image had always been one of a carefree yboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and y.


    Gu Yuwu, who knew a little of the inside story, said, ¡°His family situation is a littleplicated. He¡¯s probably hiding his edges and biding his time¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled as she continued to say, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the rumors about him being a yboy. 1 know the rumors said that he has a lot of girlfriends and that he¡¯s a yboy. That¡¯s just the surface of things. In private, he¡¯s actually quite traditional¡­¡±


    After Hai Linzhi, who was in a good mood, left, he handed the bottle of red wine to his subordinate, instructing his subordinate to send it to Huo Zheng along with a handwritten note.


    He knew very well everything depended on whether he could seize this opportunity. If he seeded, he would have the courage to go all out.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned, she told Huo Zheng everything and asked for his opinion.


    ¡°Will you look into his project?¡±


    ¡°That depends on his character and his project¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rested her chin on her hands, feeling unhappy that she had been used. She said with a sigh, ¡°It seems like Sister Yuwu was right. It doesn¡¯t matter if you know him or not, at the very least, you know his name now after I told you about everything¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. If he¡¯s really capable and smart, I might give him a chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan reached out to hold Huo Zheng¡¯s face and kissed him before she said, ¡°In any case, it¡¯s fine as long as 1 don¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡±


    In Lin Xiaowan¡¯s opinion, Hai Linzhi should be a good person, and most importantly, he was smart. He knew when to retreat and when to advance. His jokes were just right, and his words did not hold any hidden meaning. Although he had his own ns, he was rather sincere as well.


    The next day, Huo Zheng received a bottle of red wine, which was sent to thepany. A hint of approval could be seen in his eyes after he read the apanying note.


    Subsequently, he asked Assistant Song to investigate some matters.


    Hai Linzhi¡¯s note read: I¡¯m very sorry for using Miss Lin to introduce myself to you, Second Master Huo. I hope that you¡¯ll convey my apologies to Miss Lin. This gift is just a small token of my apology. If there¡¯s a chance next time, I¡¯ll apologize in person.


    Indeed, Hai Linzhi was very smart.


    Huo Zheng was not a cold-blooded demon. He was willing to give such a person an opportunity to cooperate..

 Chapter 131 - 131: 66th Birthday

    Chapter 131: 66th Birthday


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Very soon, it was Hong Minima¡¯s 66th birthday.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan had long received a personal invitation from Hong Minima. The invitation was exquisite. At that time, Hong Minhua even told her to not bring any gifts and that her presence was enough. Needless to say, it was impossible for her not to bring any gifts. No matter what, she had to express her gratitude. Moreover, she had already gotten the other party a gift. There was no reason for her not to give it to the other party.


    Lin Xiaowan got up early in the morning. While she was deciding what to wear, she saw Huo Zheng getting ready for work. She asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to work today?¡±


    Huo Zheng buttoned his shirt. After he was done, he stood at the side, waiting for Lin Xiaowan to pick a tie for him. Upon hearing her question, he asked in return, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I go to work today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Grandma Hong¡¯s birthday party today. Aren¡¯t youing with me?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    Huo Zheng leaned over and kissed Lin Xiaowan while she put on his tie for him before he replied, ¡°That¡¯s tonight, right?¡±


    In other words, he could get a lot of work done during the day.


    In fact, Huo Zheng rarely attended events like this in the past. Usually, he would send someone to deliver the gift, and no one would say anything about it. However, the situation was different now. He was naturally willing to attend such an event because of Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan selected a few pieces of clothing, but she was not too satisfied with them. She wanted to wear something that would match Huo Zheng. However, his clothes were all dark while hers were light.


    She thought of something at this moment and asked, ¡°By the way, what are you giving Grandma Hong?¡±


    Huo Zheng was putting on his watch when he heard her question. He smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m giving her the painting, Auspicious Sun on Mount Lu.¡±


    This was what Lin Xiaowan nned to give Hong Minhua if she could not find anything better. Although it was not her first choice, its value could not be underestimated. In fact, it was even more valuable than Wu Shenbo¡¯s Longevity painting that she had bid for. Previously, Huo Zheng had told Assistant Song to obtain the painting for him.


    Lin Xiaowan pinched him lightly when she heard his words. She said jokingly, ¡°Hey! You benefited from my research!¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled. Before he left, he asked, ¡°Shall we go together? 1¡¯11 get the driver to pick you upter¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°Okay, pick me up at the dessert shop.¡±


    She had not drawn any anthropomorphic desserts recently, and she wanted to practice more for the Venus Hope Competition. However, when she thought about how she would have to bring her dress and shoes to the dessert shop with herter to change before the party, she changed her mind. She said, ¡°Forget it. Pick me up at home.¡±


    At night.


    When they arrived at the banquet hall, Lin Xiaowan handed the gift to the person standing at the entrance as per customs.


    Upon seeing this, the Hong family¡¯s butler did not put the gift away with the other gifts. He said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll personally bring Miss Lin¡¯s gift to Old Madam¡¯s room.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who addressed Hong Minhua as Grandma Hong, was not used to hearing thetter being addressed as Old Madam.


    There were not many familiar faces at the birthday party, and Gu Yuwu was not in attendance. Previously, she had said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°It¡¯s so boring. If I go, I¡¯ll only have to make small talk. Moreover, I¡¯m not involved in my family¡¯s business. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Today, Hong Minhua was dressed in a bright and elegant red dress. It was a traditional Shangxia dress, and it was simr to what Mrs. Zheng, her daughter-inw, liked to wear. It was obvious that Mrs. Zheng had helped her dress up today.


    Speaking of Mrs. Zheng, Lin Xiaowan learned not long ago that the former had the same surname as her husband. Her husband¡¯s surname was also Zheng.


    Not long after, Hong Minhua gave a short speech before she happily went over to cut her cake. After that, it was time for everyone to socialize.


    Although Lin Xiaowan did not know anyone, everyone knew Huo Zheng. s, he had no intention of socializing today. Those who wanted to strike up a conversation with him were deterred by his cold expression. In just a while, no one dared to shamelessly approach him anymore.


    Nheless, this did not stop others from talking about him. Seeing that Huo Zheng had no intention of socializing, two people stood in the distance and discussed among themselves.


    ¡°That woman next to him is the boss of the dessert shop, right? 1 told you about her previously, but you didn¡¯t believe me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. However, 1 heard she hasn¡¯t been going to the shop recently¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that has anything to do with Second Master Huo. By the way, I heard that she has a high status in the Huo family¡­¡±


    ¡°Did they get married? I haven¡¯t heard any news about that though¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. My wife ran into Mrs. Huo once. Mrs. Huo said that the young woman has no intention of getting married yet since she¡¯s still so young¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was eating a small slice of cake at this moment. Seeing how different Huo Zheng was from his usual gentleness, she said teasingly, ¡°You were so fierce earlier.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression softened when he looked down at Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°But I¡¯ll never be fierce to you¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan continued to enjoy the food at the banquet. The food was exquisite and delicious, thanks to Hong Minhua who was a foodie. There were many of them that she had never seen before.


    While the couple chatted softly among themselves, she suddenly felt a gaze on her. When she looked up, she saw Hai Linzhi standing not far away, smiling at her.


    Hai Linzhi was dressed in a shy casual suit with a peony pinned on his chest pocket. He looked rather frivolous.


    Lin Xiaowan was speechless. She had met Hai Linzhi thrice, and each time, he was dressed in different styles. It was truly unpredictable.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng had noticed him, Hai Linzhi walked over. He raised the ss in his hand and said, ¡°Miss Lin, I¡¯m sorry about what happened at the auction previously.¡±


    Hai Linzhi¡¯s attitude was neither servile nor overbearing. His voice was gentle, and his expression was sincere, making it difficult hard for people to dislike him.


    After listening to Gu Yuwu¡¯s exnation and Huo Zheng¡¯s words, Lin Xiaowan was no longer wary of Hai Linzhi. However, she still scoffed and looked away.


    Huo Zheng smiled and squeezed her hand.


    Hai Linzhi scratched his nose awkwardly.


    In fact, after Gu Yuwu praised Hai Linzhi in a roundabout manner, Lin Xiaowan was not really angry with Hai Linzhi.


    Hai Linzhi seemed to know this, and he continued to say, ¡°Initially, I wanted to apologize to Miss Lin after I left that day. However, I didn¡¯t have Miss Lin¡¯s contact information. As such, 1 could only wait for the right time to apologize..¡±

 Chapter 132 - 132: Playboy Spotted With a Mysterious Woman?

    Chapter 132: yboy Spotted With a Mysterious Woman?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan did not make things easy for Hai Linzhi, picking at his excuse. She said, ¡°You know Sister Gu, right? You could¡¯ve asked her for my contact information¡­¡±


    Han Lizhi coughed before he said awkwardly, ¡°I did, but she didn¡¯t want to give it to me. She was worried that¡­ I¡¯d schemed against you again¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wanted tough when she saw the slightly embarrassed expression on Hai Linzhi¡¯s face. However, she forced herself to hold back herughter and pursed her lips. After a long time, she said, ¡°Sister Gu was right. 1 wouldn¡¯t have given you my contact information either. Who asked you to scheme against me?¡±


    ¡°Alright. In any case, 1 came today to apologize,¡± Hai Linzhi said. He did not force her to ept his apology. He continued to say, ¡°However, if 1 had to do it all over again, I would probably do the same thing¡­¡±


    Seeing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s widened eyes, Hai Linzhi said with a smile, ¡°After all, 1 have to fight for my own opportunities!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng, who had remained silent all this time, before she said seriously, ¡°It seems like what you said is true. He¡¯s really smart.¡±


    Hai Linzhi was indeed slightly troubled earlier. In the end, he decided to be candid, hoping that it would dispel Lin Xiaowan¡¯s prejudice against him. He was very observant and good at seizing opportunities. When he heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words now, he also knew that the unhappiness in her heart had mostly dissipated. He seized the chance and asked, ¡°Then, Miss Lin, are you willing to give me your contact information now? I promise I don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Seeing this, Hai Linzhi also knew he had no chance. He said, ¡°Alright. Then I can only ce my hopes on Second Master Huo.¡±


    Then, he looked at Huo Zheng and said, ¡°I hope that my apology is satisfactory to you.¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded.


    After the banquet ended, Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan stood at the entrance, waiting for their car. Coincidentally, they ran into Hai Linzhi again. Or perhaps, Hai Linzhi had been waiting for them all along.


    However, Hai Linzhi did not continue to pester Lin Xiaowan. He only gave her a small gift and said, ¡°This is a small token of apology.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him suspiciously as she said, ¡°Can I open it now? If it¡¯s very expensive then I don¡¯t want it. In fact, I¡¯m not really angry. I¡¯ve heard about you¡­¡±


    Hai Linzhi gestured to her, indicating that she should open the gift as he said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small gift.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan opened the small box, she saw a small pendant inside of a popr cartoon character. It was very cute. It was not expensive, but it was not easy to buy it in the country.


    Lin Xiaowan liked the gift a lot. She said, ¡°Alright, 1¡¯11 ept your gift.¡±


    Following that, Lin Xiaowan told Hai Linzhi to wait for a moment. She retrieved her phone from her bag. The dress she had worn did not have pockets after all. Then, she waved her phone at him and asked, ¡°Do you want to exchange numbers?¡±


    At this time, Huo Zheng narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°My dear, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to ask for another man¡¯s number in front of me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at him fearlessly. She pretended to think about it for a moment before she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Why don¡¯t you get into the car first and pretend not to know anything?¡±


    Naturally, Huo Zheng was only joking with her. When he heard her response, he could only smile helplessly. He could only spoil his girlfriend.


    No one expected that their interaction at the entrance would be captured by the paparazzi. It did not take long before photos were posted on the Inte. The photos¡¯ caption read: yboy Spotted Behaving Intimately With a Mysterious Woman!


    Hai Linzhi almost spat out blood when he was notified about this matter by his public rtion team. The first thing he did was clicked on the contact he had just added not long ago and sent a message along with a row of an emoji that showed someone kneeling on the ground.


    [Hai Linzhi: I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lin. Please tell Second Master Huo not to give up on me!]


    At the same time, he wondered inwardly, ¡®When the media take photos like this, don¡¯t they usually approach the party involved to ask for money first?! Don¡¯t they only release the photos when they can¡¯t get any money? Which amateur paparazzi did this?!¡¯


    Previously, Hai Linzhi did not care about the rumors about him. He did not bother paying the media off when his photos were taken. After all, he wanted to establish his image as a yboy to confuse his enemies. However, this time, he felt like he had shot himself in the foot.


    Needless to say, Hai Linzhi was furious.


    Lin Xiaowan did not check Speaker regrly so she was unaware of thetest gossip. When she received Hai Linzhi¡¯s message, she was puzzled and asked Huo Zheng about it.


    ¡°What does Hai Linzhi mean by this? Why is suddenly apologizing to me?¡±


    Huo Zheng was puzzled as well.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Did something happen? Why are you suddenly apologizing to me?]


    At the same time, Hai Linzhi was being scolded by Gu Yuwu over the phone.


    Gu Yuwu was in the entertainment industry after all. She naturally had a team of people who monitored the news. Moreover, the people around her knew about her rtionship with Lin Xiaowan. As such, she was quickly informed about the news.


    As soon as she learned about this, she rolled up her sleeves andmented on the photos, ridiculing the photos and the news¡¯ authenticity, before she called Hai Linzhi.


    Hai Linzhi did not dare to defend himself and could only say bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. The photos were taken at the entrance of the banquet hall. 1 didn¡¯t expect them to make headlines¡­¡±


    The only thing Hai Linzhi was thankful for was that the photos were not trending a lot.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan quickly went on Speaker and looked at the real-time entertainment news. She felt that something was amiss.


    Huo Zheng was next to her so he quickly saw the photos taken by the paparazzi.


    Lin Xiaowan was speechless when she saw the photos. However, when she recovered, shepletely missed the main point. She zoomed in on the blurry photos as she said, ¡°What do you think? Although the photos look blurry, 1 think 1 look quite good.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not respond. He was looking at the nine photos seriously.


    Lin Xiaowan did not take this matter seriously at all. After all, there were many rumors about Hai Linzhi in the past, and she had seen a few of them. She was not upset and only found it a little funny. However, seeing that Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was not too good, she assumed that he was upset. After thinking about it, she thought that it made sense. After all, his girlfriend was being linked to another man on the news.


    Lin Xiaowan put her phone down and decided to coax Huo Zheng first. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. Based on Hai Linzhi¡¯s reaction, it¡¯s likely that he didn¡¯t expect this as well. I¡¯ll ask him to rify this matterter. I have an ount on Speaker so I¡¯ll rify this matter as well.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan feigned anger as she scolded, ¡°Those people are really blind! How were we behaving intimately? Nonsense!¡±


    In fact, Huo Zheng was upset because of a wholly different reason.. He was also present at the time the photos were taken, but why was it that only a little of his shoulder could be seen in the nine photos? Who taught the paparazzi to take photos like that?

 Chapter 133 - 133: It Seems Like Someone Is Jealous

    Chapter 133: It Seems Like Someone Is Jealous


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan found out why Huo Zheng was upset, sheughed.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so cute!¡±


    Huo Zheng called the public rtion department of Huo Corporation and quickly issued an order.


    Meanwhile, after Hai Linzhi was thoroughly scolded by Gu Yuwu, he logged onto his Speaker ount, intending to rify the matter and teach the shameless paparazzi a lesson. However, when he was signed in, he almost fainted. The poprity of this topic had shot up to third ce.


    Gu Yuwu was not the only one who had gotten involved. Even Huo Corporation¡¯s official ount hadmented on the photos.


    [Huo Corporation: Why is that only a little of our President Huo¡¯s shoulder could be seen in the photos? Young Master Huo, don¡¯t you think this is a little unfair?]


    [Hai Linzhi: This has nothing to do with me! 1¡¯11e and apologize in personter! ]


    Hai Linzhi really felt like throwing up blood at this moment. Why was he always apologizing? It was the paparazzi¡¯s fault!


    He could not help but feel slightly anxious. After all, the Huo Corporation¡¯s ount usually only posted serious and business-rted matters. Thisment was a deviation from the ount¡¯s usual post so Hai Linzhi knew that Huo Zheng must have something to do with it.


    ¡®Damn it! If he thinks that I have a hand in this, it¡¯ll be over for me!*


    With this thought in mind, Hai Linzhi typed furiously on his phone.


    [Hai Linzhi: I was shocked and speechless when 1 saw these photos. Obviously, apart from me and Miss Lin, Miss Lin¡¯s boyfriend, Mr. Huo, was also present at the time the photos were taken. We were at the entrance of the hotel because we coincidentally attended the same banquet. Previously, I had a little personal conflict with Miss Lin so I approached her to give a small token of apology. Mr. Huo Zheng was present the entire time we interacted.]


    After posting that, Hai Linzhi looked at the cursed headlines again. Feeling dissatisfied, he posted again.


    [Hai Linzhi: We were NOT behaving intimately! We¡¯ve only met twice before this! The media should stop making up stories!]


    Lin Xiaowan refreshed the page and saw all the rification posts. In the end, she decided not to get involved since the matter had been resolved. She was more concerned about Huo Zheng¡¯s feelings. However, she had to admit that his reaction was really cute.


    She put her phone away and looked at Huo Zheng. She looked like the cat that got the cream as she asked knowingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Huo Zheng pretended not to understand and only said, ¡°It¡¯s time for bed.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan chuckled. As she was thinking of ways to continue teasing Huo Zheng, she received another message from Hai Linzhi.


    [Hai Linzhi: Miss Lin, I really had nothing to do with this matter. Please don¡¯t be prejudiced against me because of this matter.]


    Lin Xiaowanughed as she showed the message to Huo Zheng and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Huo Zheng took the phone and ced it on the table as he said, ¡°Work is work.¡±


    In short, he knew the matter had nothing to do with Hai Linzhi, and he would not confuse work matters with personal matters.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at her phone that had been taken away before she snuggled under the nket. Then, she asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we reply to the message? Otherwise, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to sleep tonight.¡±


    Huo Zheng sneered. Obviously holding a grudge, he said, ¡°With this serving as a reminder, he¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡±


    At the same time, this piece of news was gaining more and more traction. After all, many people were browsing the Inte at this time. The time was just right; everyone was browsing on their phones before going to bed. Naturally, there were many people who were watching the show.


    [Netizen #1: Wait, wait, wait. This matter is progressing too quickly! Hahaha! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Young Master Hai so humble¡­]


    [Netizen #2: Can he not be humble? The other party is the Huo Corporation after all!]


    [Netizen #3: I¡¯m going to die fromughter. The Huo Corporation¡¯s posts are usually very serious. It seems like the employees were instructed to do this! Most importantly, why does thement sound so¡­ sour? It seems like someone is jealous!]


    [Netizen #4: So the protagonist of this scandal is thedy boss of the Huo Corporation? She¡¯s really lucky! She caught two big fish! Hai Linzhi¡¯s background is not ordinary either¡­]


    [Netizen #5: ??? What nonsense are you spouting??? Didn¡¯t you see Young Master Hai¡¯s rification?]


    [Netizen #6: Don¡¯t bother with that person. She¡¯s clearly jealous! Although the photos are blurry, it¡¯s obvious that thedy boss is beautiful.]


    [Netizen #7: Does Sister Gu know thedy boss? She scolded the paparazzi earlier. She¡¯s really good at scolding people, and it¡¯s so satisfying to watch. I haven¡¯t seen Sister Gu scolding people like that for a long time now¡­] [Netizen #8: Sister Gu has restrained her temper a lot after she got married. 1 have to say that love really changes people¡­]


    [Netizen #9: The photos are blurry, but I can¡¯t help but find thedy boss a little familiar. Where did I see her before?]


    [Netizen #10:1 just saw a postparing these photos to the screenshot from the charity¡¯s live broadcast a few days ago.]


    [Netizen #11: Really? 1¡¯11 go and have a look!]


    [Netizen #12: Damn, it¡¯s really! Someone alsopared the photos to the screenshots taken from Lin Qing¡¯s video! So the person Sister Gu mentioned is thedy boss of the Huo Corporation?]


    [Netizen #13: President Cheng Ruitong just liked Sister Gu¡¯s post! It seems like all wealthy people run in the same circle! ]


    [Netizen #14: Can we please discuss thedy boss¡¯ beauty? I really like the way she looks. She has big eyes, and her face is slightly chubby. She looks a little like an arrogant ragdoll cat.]


    [Netizen #15:1 agree! The more I look at the photos, the more 1 feel she¡¯s beautiful.]


    [Netizen #16: Someone found her ount on Speaker. Go and have a look!]


    Lin Xiaowan was woken up by her phone ringing the next morning.


    Huo Zheng had already left for work at this time.


    She got up and looked for her phone. She was puzzled when she saw it was Gu Yuwu. She could not figure out why Gu Yuwu was calling her so early in the morning.


    ¡°Hello, Sister Yuwu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Upon hearing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s soft and nasally voice, Gu Yuwu knew that Lin Xiaowan was not fully awake yet. She said, feeling slightly guilty, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You know how we followed each other on Speaker?¡± Gu Yuwu said, slightly embarrassed, ¡°Imented on the photos yesterday, and some people made the connection from my previous posts. They¡¯ve found your ount as well.¡± Lin Xiaowan was still slightly groggy, unable to fullyprehend Gu Yuwu¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean? How was my ount discovered?¡±


    ¡°The paparazzi took photos of you and Hai Linzhi, right? Someone made the connection that you were the one sitting next to me during the auction afterparing photos and that you¡¯re Huo Zheng¡¯s girlfriend. They found your ount through my ount¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt speechless when she heard these words..

 Chapter 134 - 134: Little Chestnut Is Patrolling Its Territory

    Chapter 134: Little Chestnut Is Patrolling Its Territory


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End lessFantasy Trantion


    Huh? Was 1 filmed during the auction?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked skeptically, ¡°I thought the cameras were only focused on the celebrities¡­¡±


    Hmm¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was a little worried. She asked, ¡°Then will peoplee to my page and scold me?¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not know whether tough or cry upon hearing this. ¡°What are you thinking? You have no idea how many people like you! Even if there are people who don¡¯t like you, sowhat? You¡¯re not money, it¡¯s impossible for everyone to like you. No, in fact, there are also people who dislike money!¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed before she continued to say, ¡°However, due to discovery, even more people know that you¡¯re the boss of the dessert shop. 1 think that your dessert shop is about to experience another wave of poprity!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not mind this. She said, ¡°Sister Zhu will be happy then. With this, she¡¯ll be able to save some money from advertising¡­¡±


    The dessert shop¡¯s dividends were paid seasonally. It had only been a month since autumn began, and Lin Xiaowan had just received her first pay. However, she had to pay a high amount for taxes. It was her first time paying taxes, and she felt distressed by the sum of money she had to part with.


    After ending the call with Gu Yuwu, Lin Xiaowan logged into her Speaker ount, feeling both excited and nervous. However, in just a moment, her phone froze. She had gained too many followers and received too many messages. In just a night, she gained more than 100,000 followers.


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan searched yesterday¡¯s hot topic again to see how things developed. Only then did she discover how lively it had beenst night after she went to bed.


    When she returned to her page again, she saw that there were thousands ofments under the poll that she had reposted from the Venus Hope Competition ount. She did not dare to reply to any of thements. If she had known so many people would see it, she would not have made such a ridiculous wish like watching a meteor shower on the moon. It would have been less embarrassing if she had said she wanted to be rich overnight.


    Seeing thements that wereughing at her, she could only pretend like she did not see them.


    Later in the day, Lin Xiaowan received a message from a member of the Animal Rescue Association. The other party also included a short video.


    [Staff member: Miss Lin, the video has been posted. Don¡¯t worry. We made sure to protect your privacy. 1


    Lin Xiaowan logged into Bobo Star to look at the video. Apart from the scenes of her and Huo Zheng visiting Little Chestnut, there were also scenes of other owners adopting the shelter¡¯s cats and dogs. It also showed the daily lives of the pets in the shelter and the pet getting vinated.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ount on Bobo Star was still anonymous; it was still a safe zone. She only had a few followers due to Little Chestnut.


    After waiting a few days, the custom-made scratching post finally arrived. It came with a small bed that was in the shape of a cat¡¯s paw. It was soft and cute.


    After the scratching post was assembled, Lin Xiaowan visited the Animal Rescue Association. Before bringing the kitten home, she bought some necessities first. She bought a litter box, more scratching posts, toys, water and food dispensers, and so on. She also bought a lor of cat food and treats. In short, everything was ready, and she was just waiting to bring the kitten home.


    The day when Lin Xiaowan picked the kitten up, the staff member also gave her a vination booklet and exined to Lin Xiaowan that the kitten should be vinated every year.


    Lin Xiaowan bought two kinds of litter boxes, an open and closed one. The kitten seemed to prefer the open one.


    Lin Xiaowan crouched down and watched the kitten in the litter box,ughing. ¡°This is a little cute.¡±


    The staff member took a picture of Lin Xiaowan shoveling the cat litter for the first time.


    Little Chestnut had met Lin Xiaowan many times so it was already familiar with her. As such, it would not be particrly nervous although its living environment would change soon.


    Lin Xiaowan fed it some cat treats and yed with it for a while before she prepared to leave.


    Before leaving, the staff member used dragon fruit juice on Little Chestnut¡¯s paw and stamped its paw on the adoption agreement. After that, Little Chesnut tried to lick its own paw, but Lin Xiaowan quickly wiped Little Chestnut¡¯s paw clean.


    ¡°We ll post the video tonight. You can watch it then,¡± rhe staff member said.


    This staff member liked Little Chestnut a lot. She had been ying with it since it came to the shelter. She kept praising its unique appearance and how cute it was; she seemed even more excited than Lin Xiaowan.


    Apart from that, Lin Xiaowan was also informed that Little Chestnut was a long-haired cat. It was about four months old, and when it reached puberty, its hair would start growing. However, there was also a possibility that its hair would grow a littleter. She was also reminded tob Little Chestnut¡¯s hair after it started growing.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded as she listened to the other party¡¯s advice.


    At night, the Animal Rescue Association posted the video they had taken during the day and tagged Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ount on Bobo Star.


    Lin Xiaowan did notment on the previous video, but this time, shemented on this video.


    [I¡¯m Xiaowan: I¡¯ll treat Little Chestnut well!]


    When she logged in again before going to bed, she discovered that she had received many likes and replies. Many people asked if she could post more videos of Little Chestnut in the future and said that they would be Little Chestnut¡¯s aunts and uncles.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little troubled by this. She did not have much experience taking videos, but it should be fine to take photos. She replied very truthfully.


    [I¡¯m Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have much experience taking videos, and 1 don¡¯t know how to edit them. I¡¯m not sure that it¡¯ll work. ]


    With Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reply, thement section became livelier. Everyone said that it was okay and that they only wanted to see the cat.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan decided to only film the cat and did not appear in the videos. She thought about it and filmed a short video of Little Chestnut the next morning before uploading it to Bobo Star.


    In the video, Little Chestnut was seen running and sniffing around. When it got tired, it drank a few mouthfuls of water. It also showed the nanny teasing it with a toy. There was also a scene showing it lying with its belly up on a desk, basking in the sun.


    Lin Xiaowan spent a lot of effort on rhe video and even added music to it. When she watched the finished product, she was inspired and thought of a caption: Little Chestnut Is Patrolling Its Territory..

 Chapter 135 - 135: His Status Has Dropped?!

    Chapter 135: His Status Has Dropped?!


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s post did not have a high number of views. However, it waster reposted by the Animal Rescue Association. Who knew if it triggered some magical mechanism, but the number of views suddenly increased.


    [Netizen #1: Ah, Little Chestnut!]


    [Netizen #2: You seem to be adapting to your new home well. You¡¯re so lively!]


    [Netizen#3: Help! Little Chestnut sounds so cute when it meows! I wish I can have ten kittens!]


    [Netizen #4: This ball of fur is so cute!]


    [Netizen #5:1 can tell that Little Chestnut¡¯s mom really doesn¡¯t know how to take videos! The camera is shaking so much!]


    [Netizen #6: What kind of cat is this? Its fur color is so unique!]


    [Netizen #7: Little Chestnut¡¯s home is so big. There¡¯s so much space for it to y! Life must be good!]


    [Netizen #8: It¡¯s just an ordinary stray kitten. It probably takes after its father. Who would¡¯ve thought that its mother is pure white? Little Chestnut doesn¡¯t resemble its mother at all!]


    [Netizen #9: Even the color of Little Chestnut¡¯s eyes is different. The mother cat has big green eyes, but Little Chestnut¡¯s eyes are dark blue, 1 think?]


    When Lin Xiaowan saw thements, she picked up Little Chestnut and studied it for a long time. Little Chestnut¡¯s eyes were big as well. However, rather than calling them dark blue, they were more ck with flecks of blue.


    After posting that video, Lin Xiaowan felt like her mission was over. She did not care about anything else after that and began her blissful daily life of painting and ying with Little Chestnut.


    Huo Zheng soon realized that his status in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s heart seemed to have dropped. Her attention waspletely taken away by Little Chestnut. This was especially true when Little Chestnut grew older, and its fur began to grow. Lin Xiaowan would hold the kitten andb its fur very often. A loving smile could be seen on her face as she made ns for what to feed it every day.


    In the past, when Huo Zheng returned from work, Lin Xiaowan would run over and hug him. However, now, when he entered the house, only the nanny would greet him and help bring him his slippers. As for Lin Xiaowan, if he did not look for her, she would not take the initiative toe to him. Even when they were eating, she would y with Little Chestnut. It was as though he had be invisible.


    One day, after Huo Zheng got off work, Aunt Wu opened the door for him and handed him a cup of honey pomelo tea.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting colder and colder. Autumn and winter are the times when it¡¯s easiest to catch a cold¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng drank two sips before he asked, ¡°Is Qingqing ying with the cat?¡±


    Aunt Wu smiled. ¡°She¡¯s painting. She said she wants to paint the cat.¡±


    Huo Zheng paused, feeling a small hint of dissatisfaction.


    Since Lin Xiaowan began to learn painting, she had only painted a portrait of him once. He had carefully framed it and disyed it at the old residence. However, the cat had only entered their lives a while ago, but she was already painting it. In the future, would the kitten¡¯s status surpass his?


    Huo Zheng thought about this matter as he went upstairs to change.


    A small gate was installed at the staircase to prevent Little Chestnut from running to the second floor now that it had grown older. Lin Xiaowan even decorated the gate, and it was rather cute.


    Based on Little Chestnut¡¯s age, it was possible for it to run around. However, it seemed to be aware that, and its range of movements had always been limited to the first floor. She did not try to go upstairs at all.


    Initially, Little Chestnut still looked a little ugly. However, after two months, its fur had grown very thick and shiny, and its color had darkened a lot. Its size also grew rapidly, and it was not a big cat.


    Lin Xiaowan loved Little Chestnut so much that she wished she could cuddle it every day. Perhaps the kitten was used to her, it was especially coquettish with her. It was not aloof and would meow whenever it could not see humans. Even when it yed, it would y where it could see people.


    At this time, it was not even six months old. Thinking about this, Lin Xiaowan drew a little girl wearing a straw hat and ying in the garden. She kept Little Chestnut¡¯s ck-and-blue eyes, grayish-ck pointed ears, and furry tail. The style of the painting was simr to the lion painting she painted of Huo Zheng.


    When Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s unfinished painting of Little Chestnut, he felt quite unhappy.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan heard a sound and turned around. Seeing that Huo Zheng had returned, she put down her brush and pulled him over.


    ¡°Look! I¡¯m painting Little Chestnut!¡±


    Little Chestnut was entertaining itself at the side, chasing its own tail.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Huo Zheng replied. He nced at Little Chestnut before he told Lin Xiaowan to wash her hands and get ready to eat. If it were up to him, she would not pick up the brush again tonight.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone rang, reminding her to go to the Venus Hope Competition¡¯s official website to download and print the registration form. When she went to the official website, she saw that the registration would open three dayster, which happened to be Monday.


    Just as she was about to put her phone away, she remembered that video she posted on Bobo Star a while ago. When she took a look, she was shocked by the number of views. Previously, it only had a few thousand views, but today alone there were more than 100,000 views. It seemed like Bobo Star had inexplicably promoted her video.


    Lin Xiaowan showed her phone to Huo Zheng as she eximed, ¡°Wow! Look!


    So many people viewed Little Chestnut¡¯s video!¡±


    Apart from the views, Lin Xiaowan also gained more than 200 followers. There were also manyments.


    She looked through thements. Most of them praised how cute Little Chestnut was, and there were some who said that Little Chestnut was ugly but cute. Many people also asked why there were no more videos and updates of Little Chestnut, expressing their wish to see Little Chestnut.


    ¡°Everyone wants to see Little Chestnut! I¡¯ll take a video tomorrow! Hmm, but what kind of video should I take of her?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan returned to the main page of Bobo Star and began to look up videos of pets for inspiration.


    From the beginning until now, Huo Zheng was ignored by Lin Xiaowan. He could no longer endure it and reached out to cover her phone as he asked in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m sitting next to you. Why are you ignoring me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not notice anything and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t ignore you. Didn¡¯t I just tell you about Little Chestnut¡¯s fans?¡±


    ¡®How can it be like that?¡¯


    Huo Zheng took her phone away from her.


    Lin Xiaowan watched him ce her phone on the bedside table before she asked, ¡°Are we going to sleep now? Aren¡¯t we going to read a book first?¡±


    Previously, Huo Zheng and her would read a book together before bed to improve her oralmunication skills.


    Huo Zheng turned the light off before he said in a low voice, ¡°No, we¡¯re not sleeping yet.¡±


    Realization dawned on Lin Xiaowan in the next second when Huo Zheng leaned over and kissed her..

 Chapter 136 - 136: A Video of Little Chestnut Eating

    Chapter 136: A Video of Little Chestnut Eating


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The next day, Lin Xiaowan logged into Bobo Star and changed her username to ¡®I¡¯m Little Chestnut¡¯. Initially, she wanted to change it to ¡®Little Chestnut¡¯, but that username had been taken. After that, she also changed the profile picture. After that, she prepared to take a video of Little Chestnut. She nned to film Little Chestnut eating.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s original n was to let Little Chestnut sit in front of its small bow while she introduced Little Chestnut¡¯s food. After that, she would ce the food in the bowl and let Little Chestnut eat. She nned to end the video with a shot of the empty bowl.


    After Lin Xiaowan brought different kinds of cat food out, she sat cross-legged after positioning her phone. Then, she asked Aunt Wu, who was looking at something on her phone, ¡°Will my face be captured like this?¡±


    Aunt Wu, who was sitting on a small stool, made an ¡®okay¡¯ gesture as she replied, ¡°No. It¡¯ll be fine even if you move around a little¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked Aunt Wu to click the button to start recording before she patted the cushion next to her and called out affectionately, ¡°Little Chestnut,e and eat!¡±


    Most people¡¯s voices would change when they speak to their pets, and Lin Xiaowan was not an exception.


    Little Chestnut walked over and rubbed itself against Lin Xiaowan. It meowed a few times and let Lin Xiaowan pat it before it sat down elegantly. It even licked its paws and looked at Lin Xiaowan after sitting down.


    Although Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face was hidden, this was the first time she was taking a video of herself. For this reason, she was a little stiff.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan first took out a small piece of cooked chicken breast meat and waved them at the camera before she tore it into small strips.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with the chicken meat first. Little Chestnut likes it a lot.¡±


    Then, what happened subsequently was out of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s expectations. Little Chestnut did not wait and immediately ate the chicken as soon as she ced it in its bowl.


    In fact, this was only normal. After all, Lin Xiaowan did not specially train Little Chestnut. Usually, it would eat when the food dispenser dispensed food or when it was called to eat after the food was prepared. asionally, she would also hold the treats in her hand and feed them to Little Chestnut as she yed with it. In short, there was no such thing as waiting before eating.


    Lin Xiaowan was taken aback by the unexpected turn and could not decide if she should put the remaining strips of chicken meat into the bowl or not. However, after Little Chestnut emptied the bowl, it took the initiative to raise its head and eat the strips of chicken meat in her hand.


    Aunt Wuughed out loud. ¡°We forgot that Little Chesnut is not used to waiting when it eats¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a shrug. In any case, the result was the same. Whether Little Chestnut waited or not, the food would still be eaten in the end.


    After Little Chestnut was done with the chicken breast, Lin Xiaowan held a few small cubes of freeze-dried egg yolk and let Little Chestnut eat them off her hand. Subsequently, she opened a can of venison and vegetables.


    The entire process showed Lin Xiaowan cing food in Little Chestnut¡¯s bowl, and Little Chestnut eating from the bowl.


    After a short while, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Alright. Shall we have some goat¡¯s milk today as well?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rose to her feet to prepare the goat¡¯s milk. However, Little Chestnut, who was eating, suddenly looked up and meowed loudly in protest. ¡°Hmm, is Little Chestnut unhappy? Don¡¯t you want to drink goat¡¯s milk? It was just delivered this morning. It¡¯s very fresh!¡±


    Aunt Wu thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°Should we give it camel¡¯s milk? She¡¯s been drinking camel¡¯s milk recently. However, yesterday, when I gave her goat¡¯s milk in the morning, it took a long time before she finally drank it. She doesn¡¯t seem to like it¡­¡±


    The camel milk was sent by Gu Yuwu and was specially formted for cats. Someone rmended it to her, and she sent it over as a gift to Little Chestnut.


    Who knew if Little Chestnut understood their words or not? However, it meowed a few times after Aunt Wu finished speaking before it buried its face in the bowl again.


    Now that Little Chestnut had grown up, it began to eat slowly. Unlike when it just arrived, it would gobble up its food quickly as though it would starve to death if it ate any slower.


    ¡°Hmm? Does she understand us?¡± Lin Xiaowan was surprised.


    Aunt Wu also found it strange. She stood up and said, ¡°1¡¯11 prepare the milk.¡±


    While Aunt Wu prepared the milk, Little Chestnut was almost finished with the food in the bowl. When it was done, it sat down and meowed at Lin Xiaowan.


    After the camel¡¯s milk was served, Little Chestnutpped it up.


    When Little Chestnut was done, Lin Xiaowan grabbed a wet wipe and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wipe your mouth after you¡¯re done.¡±


    Little Chestnut sat there without moving while Lin Xiaowan wiped its mouth. This was something especially magical since no one taught Little Chestnut. Previously, she would wipe its face and mouth after it finished its meal. As time went out, it would sit quietly after it was done with its meal.


    It was also at this point that Lin Xiaowan ended the video. She took a look. Although it was a little slow and dragging, there was no other problem. She quickly cut out some useless scenes and sped up the video with an editing app before she posted the video. Her caption was also very simple: My Breakfast.


    Lin Xiaowan had already decided that this ount would be Little Chestnut¡¯s ount that followed its daily life.


    The number of views increased very slowly.


    Lin Xiaowan waited expectantly for a while. After quite a few minutes, there were no likes orments. She thought that it was normal and no longer paid attention to it, tossing her phone to her side.


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up from her afternoon nap, she logged into Bobo Star again. There were not many views, but there were a fewments.


    [Netizen #1: Ah, it¡¯s Little Chestnut! It¡¯s grown so big! It¡¯s much fluffier than before, and it looks better than before!]


    Lin Xiaowan was about to reply when she recalled that the ount belonged to Little Chestnut. For this reason, she replied to thement as though she was Little Chestnut.


    After she was done, she went downstairs to look for the cat. As soon as she went downstairs, she saw shards of a broken porcin vase, and Aunt Wu was sweeping them up.


    When Aunt Wu saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s bare feet, she quickly said, ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll use the vacuum cleaner after this to make sure there aren¡¯t shards left on the floor.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    Meanwhile, Little Chestnut ran over to Lin Xiaowan as soon as it saw her. It meowed over and over again, sounding a little aggrieved.


    Aunt Wu sighed. ¡°She jumped onto the disy cab and identally broke the vase. She seemed to be shocked and frightened by the loud noise¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know whether tough or cry when she heard this. She crouched down andforted Little Chestnut.


    This matter was quickly thrown to the back of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind. She cuddled Little Chestnut on the couch as she read thements people left under the new video. After reading ament, she asked Little Chestnut, ¡°Do you have anything to say about this?¡±


    Immediately after, she asked, ¡°Oh, is that what you want to say?¡±


    In the beginning, Little Chestnut would meow in response as though it understood Lin Xiaowan. However, after a short while, it grew bored and ran to the side to y with the cat teaser toy that was stuck to the floor-to-ceiling window, ignoring Lin Xiaowan.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan continued to pretend to be Little Chestnut and replied to thements tirelessly..

 Chapter 137 - 137: Little Chestnut, the Live Streamer

    Chapter 137: Little Chestnut, the Live Streamer


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Lin Xiaowan was done replying to thements as though she was Little Chestnut, she went to do her own things. She had been quite busy recently. After all, she would be participating in a paintingpetition. She had been practicing diligently.


    On Monday, when the poll ended, Lin Xiaowan downloaded the registration form, filled it out, and submitted it.


    Apart from giving her a few tips, Hong Minhua did not interfere with her work. After all, this was not a formalpetition. There was no need for her to interfere too much.


    Although the number of views was not as high as that of the first video, it still had about 10,000 to 20,000 views. There were also dozens ofments.


    Lin Xiaowan decided to record another video of Little Chestnut eating. As she fed Little Chestnut, she also directly responded to some of thements from the previous video.


    As she fed Little Chestnut a small piece of steamed pumpkin, she said, ¡°Little Chestnut doesn¡¯t usually eat a lot, and she¡¯d stop once she was full.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about going hungry. I also have an automatic food dispenser for her that¡¯ll dispense food for her at set times,¡± Lin Xiaowan said as she fed Little Chestnut small pieces of cooked shrimp and beef.


    As she was feeding Little Chestnut vegetables, she said, ¡°Hmm, Little Chestnut is just an ordinary kitten with long fur. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s of a particr breed¡­¡±


    When she was done, she showed her empty hands and the empty bowl as she said, ¡°Alright, mealtime is over!¡±


    After Aunt Wu stopped the recording, she said worriedly, ¡°Little Chestnut broke another set of crystal sses today. My heart ached when I saw it. The ss set was really beautiful, but now, it¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    Little Chestnut meowed a few times at the side. Although it could not understand, it looked as though it was trying to defend itself. Its expression also looked a little serious as it meowed.


    Lin Xiaowan stroked Little Chestnut as she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just remove those fragile things or move them to another ce. It¡¯s still so young¡­¡±


    Back then, the designer had decorated the house. There were all kinds of decorations in the house, and some of them were ced in tricky ces. It was inevitable that Little Chestnut, who liked running around, would knock a few things over. Moreover, it was not like Little Chestnut deliberately knocked those things over. It could not be med for knocking things over.


    Aunt Wu naturally did not have any opinion about this matter. She had only casually said those words. After all, she was not the owner of the house and was just working here. If the owner was fine with it, then that was all there was to it.


    The number of views for the videos was not high as well, but it would still attract people once in a while. Quite a few people were amused by Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reply.


    [Netizen #1:1 just read the replies. It seems like it¡¯s in the tone of Little Chestnut!]


    [Netizen #2: This is Little Chestnut¡¯s ount after all. Little Chestnut is really beautiful now. Her fur is a little curly. She looks like a little delicate princess. 1 love it!]


    [Netizen #3: She¡¯s so smart! What kind of peerless princess is this?]


    [Netizen #4: This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a cat burping!]


    [Netizen #5: Little Chestnut is so cute. I want to kiss her to death!]


    [Netizen #6: Her sitting posture is really elegant, and she eats so slowly and gracefully! *kiss emoji*]


    [Netizen #7: Hahaha! Who would¡¯ve thought that such a beautiful princess used to be the ugliest in the litter?]


    [Netizen #8: Nonsense! Little Chestnut was not ugly when she was young! She looked unique!]


    [Netizen #9: She only looked ugly because her fur was messy. I¡¯ve never seen a cat with such messy and unruly fur. Thanks to Little Chestnut¡¯s mother, Little Chesnut¡¯s fur grew so beautifully. In any case, Little Chestnut is really cute. She¡¯s like the ugly duckling that turned into a swan! ]


    [Netizen #10: What¡¯s this? A new kitten? It¡¯s so cute! 1 want to kiss it!]


    When Lin Xiaowan logged in again, Little Chestnut already had about 980 followers. If she worked a little harder, it would not be long before Little Chestnut had a thousand followers.


    Lin Xiaowan read thements and found that a few of them were quite amusing. Regardless of whether Little Chestnut could understand or not, she would carry it and read a few cutements to it.


    After posting another two videos, Lin Xiaowan began to feel tired. Although it was not difficult, she found it troublesome.


    On this day, she was ying with her phone when she identally clicked on a live broadcast. With this, an idea suddenly came to her, and she wondered if she should let Little Chestnut do live broadcasts on its own. She thought the idea was feasible. In any case, this was Little Chestnut¡¯s ount, and she was only helping it to post videos for this.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan bought a mini camera that Little Chestnut could wear around its neck. After checking the rules for live broadcasts on Bobo Star and verifying her ount, she connected the Bluetooth camera.


    This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first time doing so she was not very sure. She asked Aunt Wu to watch the live broadcast.


    ¡°Aunt Wu, can you see the live broadcast on your phone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I can see it clearly.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan named the live broadcast, ¡®A Day in the Life of Little Chestnut¡¯.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the number of viewers. There were currently three viewers, and there was noment at the moment. Then, she ced her phone that was connected to the camera on the table and left to do her own things.


    The live broadcast showed Little Chestnut¡¯s point of view.


    After reading the rules of the live broadcast on Bobo Star, Lin Xiaowan knew that whether anyone watched the live broadcast or not, as long as itsted a certain amount of time, she would receive a small amount of money from Bobo Star as a form of encouragement.


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not care about money. She was not doing this to make a living after all.


    Lin Xiaowan was painting in the studio when she heard a faint knocking sound. She looked up and saw that two hours had passed since she started painting.


    Aunt Wu came in after knocking on the door and said, ¡°I was ying with Little Chestnut. The camera on her neck is a little hot. Should I take it off?¡±


    ¡°A little hot? I¡¯ll go downstairs right now. Does she look ufortable? Let¡¯s take it off first.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect the camera to have a problem. She had never encountered such a thing before so she was afraid that it would hurt Little Chestnut.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t show any difort nor did she look like she wanted to take it off,¡± Aunt Wu said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just take it off first.¡±


    Aunt Wu went downstairs and removed the camera from Little Chestnut¡¯s neck.


    She did know much about technology and did not turn the camera off. She only put it on the table after she removed it..

 Chapter 138 - 138: Little Chestnut’s Dinner

    Chapter 138: Little Chestnut¡¯s Dinner


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan picked up Little Chestnut and asked worriedly, ¡°Hmm, do you feel ufortable?¡±


    Little Chestnut naturally did not understand Lin Xiaowan and only meowed cutely.


    Seeing that there was nothing unusual about Little Chestnut, Lin Xiaowan stroked it for a while before putting it down. Then, she went to check on the camera, which had been linked to her phone. She was afraid of being scalded so she touched it gingerly. Even then, she was still surprised by how hot it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot! It could have burned Little Chestnut¡¯s neck! Is this the quality of an expensive camera?¡±


    Aunt Wu leaned over and touched the camera as well before she remarked, ¡°Why does it feel hotter than before?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said worriedly, ¡°It won¡¯t suddenly explode, right?¡±


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan nced at the live broadcast and was taken aback. ¡°All, there are so many people?¡±


    At this time, there were more than 1,000 viewers.


    [Netizen #1: Oh, it seems like the owner finally noticed us!]


    [Netizen #2: When will the live stream continue? I like this point of view!]


    [Netizen #3:1 prefer to look at the cute little baby!]


    [Netizen #4: It seems like something happened.]


    [Netizen #5: The camera is hot.]


    [Netizen #6:1 want to see Little Chestnut! * throws tantrum*]


    Fortunately, the camera was aimed at Little Chestnut¡¯s living area.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the statistics and the viewers. It was rather lively in the live broadcast room. She had earned more than ten yuan in two hours.


    When she read thestment, she exined, ¡°Since this is Little Chestnut¡¯s ount, I thought I¡¯d let her do a live stream on her own.¡±


    However, she had ignored the fact that people could not see Little Chestnut since the camera was ced on its neck.


    ¡°The camera is really hot. Although Little Chestnut didn¡¯t show any difort, I won¡¯t let her wear it anymore¡­¡±


    Seeing that so many people wanted to see Little Chestnut, Lin Xiaowan called out for it.


    Little Chestnut¡¯s living area was not small. She called out a few times, looking for it, before it finally meowed delicately. However, it still did note over.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone off to y. I¡¯m going to disconnect this camera first, and broadcast live with my phone. It¡¯ll save me the trouble of recording videos.¡±


    With just a little searching, Lin Xiaowan figured out how to turn off and disconnect the camera.


    Just as Lin Xiaowan turned the live broadcast on again, Little Chestnut finally appeared. Perhaps it did not see Lin Xiaowan after Lin Xianwan called for it so it took the initiative to run over.


    The clingy kitten stuck close to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s calf and rubbed against it.


    Lin Xiaowan chuckled softly and aimed the camera at it as she stroked it with her other hand.


    Little Chestnuty down and meowed, looking extremely cute.


    [Netizen #1: Why is this kitten so clingy?]


    [Netizen #2: Does such a cat really exist?]


    [Netizen #3: Such a kitten is born to be kissed!]


    [Netizen #4: She¡¯s so good at acting cute! She sounds so cute as well!]


    Netizen #5: My unfilial cat only cares about eating!]


    [Netizen #6: What kind of cat is this? Its fur is curly, long, and fluffy. Its color is also quite unique. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it¡­]


    [Netizen #7: Little Chestnut is just an ordinary local cat. It used to be a stray before it was adopted.]


    Lin Xiaowan was teasing Little Chestnut with a cat teaser when Aunt Wu brought Little Chestnut¡¯s food over.


    ¡°Her food is ready¡­¡±


    It was time for Little Chestnut¡¯s dinner.


    Lin Xiaowan sat cross-legged on the floor and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll end the live broadcast after Little Chestnut is done eating.¡±


    She ced the phone at the side. It only showed Little Chestnut, and she could be seen at all.


    The amount of food Little Chestnut ate was not a lot, but there were a lot of varieties. As it grew older, the variety only grew. The chef would even put ingredients aside to cook for it.


    Lin Xiaowan adjusted the ceramic bowl that contained Little Chestnut¡¯s food before she looked at the other bowl that contained mixed fruit juice.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what¡¯s for dinner today,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she asked Aunt Wu, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s freshly squeezed juice. I¡¯ll give you a sster,¡± Aunt Wu replied.


    Little Chestnut¡¯s tail swayed in the air as it sat in a dignified manner. It meowed softly as it looked at Lin Xiaowan.


    [Netizen #1: Little Chestnut¡¯s food is really varied!]


    [Netizen #2: It¡¯s as though Little Chestnut is a baby!]


    [Netizen #3:1 agree! In fact, when I watched the previous videos, I thought that a lot of Little Chestnut¡¯s food is like food that little children eat!]


    [Netizen #4: The cat¡¯s food is better than mine¡­]


    [Netizen #5: Not only does it eat better than me, but it also eats healthier than me. I¡¯m so jealous!]


    [Netizen #6: How obedient! It even knows to stay still when its mouth is being wiped!]


    [Netizen #7: The owner¡¯s hands are so fair and pretty!]


    [Netizen #8: If you look at one of the previous videos, there was a scene where the sun was just shining in at the right angle. Little Chestnut¡¯s mother¡¯s hands looked like they were glowing!]


    [Netizen #9: I¡¯ve seen how Little Chestnut looked at the beginning. I really can¡¯t believe it¡¯s the same cat.]


    [Netizen #10: It grew into a beauty!]


    [Netizen #11: This shows how much one¡¯s living conditions can impact one¡¯s life¡­ Such is life¡­]


    [Netizen #12: To thementer above, do you feel philosophical just by looking at a kitten???]


    Lin Xiaowan sat by Little Chestnut to feed it so she did not read thements.


    However, Aunt Wu, who saw them, read thest two to Lin Xiaowan, amused.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Just look at Little Chestnut.¡±


    Then, she scratched Little Chestnut¡¯s chin and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Little Chestnut?¡±


    Little Chestnut purred a few times in response.


    Soon enough, it was time for Lin Xiaowan to submit her painting for the Venus Hope Competition. She was not particrly satisfied with her work, but it was the best she could do.


    The prizes for the winners had not been announced yet. Although she did not think she had a high chance of winning, she was still very curious about the prizes.


    After the artworks were submitted, it was time for the public to vote. It was open to everyone, and it was like a pre-selection round. More than half would be able to advance to the next round. The final results would be announced after the new year.


    The weather was getting colder and colder so the indoor heating was turned on. It was dry in the north so the humidifiers on both the living room and the bedroom were turned on as well.


    One day, when Huo Zheng was away on a business trip, Lin Xiaowan forgot to turn on the humidifier before she went to bed. When she woke up, she discovered that something was wrong..

 Chapter 139 - 139: Do You Want to be Taught a Lesson?

    Chapter 139: Do You Want to be Taught a Lesson?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan was burning. Not only that, but her voice also became hoarse. Normally, a fever did not alwayse with a sore throat. However, her respiratory tract had been damaged once and was especially fragile. As such, it was easily affected.


    Back then, Lin Xiaowan was still unconscious, and the doctor spoke to Huo Zheng about her condition. As such, she was unaware of her condition. She only thought she had eaten too many snacks.


    Aunt Wu stewed pear soup with lily treme, lotus seed, and rock sugar for her, which was especially soothing to the throat.


    The weather was cold, and Lin Xiaowan was not very willing to leave the house to see a doctor. Moreover, she assumed she would be fine after a day.


    Aunt Wu could not persuade her so she secretly told Huo Zheng about it when she saw Lin Xiaowan continuing to eat potato chips. There was nothing she could do about it. Lin Xiaowan only listened to Huo Zheng. Even then, as soon as Lin Xiaowan acted coquettishly with him, he would give in to her.


    At night, Huo Zheng arrived a few hours earlier. As soon as he entered the house, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first reaction was to hide the junk food. She was having fried chicken and a hamburger for dinner.


    Huo Zheng smiled.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan was live streaming. Ever since the camera heated up, she no longer put it on Little Chestnut. She was busy and did not buy a new camera. asionally, she would use her phone to live broadcast. The camera would be focused on the scratching posts so she did not need to do anything. It was just that the shooting range was limited, and Little Chestnut did not appear often in front of the camera.


    Now that she had submitted her artwork, she had more free time so she had been looking at mini cameras online. She could not decide on which one to buy so she put it on hold.


    In the living room, Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng, whose expression was a little unhappy, guiltily.


    Little Chestnut leaped over suddenly toward the scratching post, and a robust figure appeared on the live stream. However, as it leaped up, its furry tail identally knocked over a porcin decorative item.


    A loud noise rang out immediately near Huo Zheng.


    Little Chestnut jumped up, frightened by the sudden noise.


    Lin Xiaowan was also startled.


    Many exmation marks could be seen in thement section at this moment, especially from those who also had cats themselves.


    ¡°How many things has it broken until now?¡± Huo Zheng asked, massaging his temples.


    Lin Xiaowan casually ced her phone on the coffee table with the camera facing up. The only thing that could be seen was the huge crystal chandelier and the high ceiling.


    Lin Xiaowan felt extremely guilty for eating and drinking without care in Huo Zheng¡¯s absence. The packaging of the burger and remains were still on the table, and she instinctively wanted to tter Huo Zheng.


    However, as soon as she rose to her feet, Huo Zheng said in a low voice, ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Her feet were bare, and the floor was cold. Although there was heating on the floor, Huo Zheng still could not help but frown when he saw this scene. He asked, ¡°Where are your slippers?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan tried to hide her feet as she said hoarsely, ¡°In the bedroom¡­¡±


    Before Huo Zheng went to the bedroom to get her slippers, he reminded her, ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t step on the shards of ss. I¡¯ll settle the score with youter.¡± [Netizen #1: Is that Little Chestnut¡¯s father?]


    [Netizen #2: Yes. Little Chestnut¡¯s father seems to be very busy with work. He usually doesn¡¯t show up in the live broadcasts. He only appeared once before. However, his deep voice is very recognizable.]


    [Netizen #3: His voice sounds very good!]


    [Netizen #4: I¡¯m going to die fromughing too much.]


    [Netizen #5: Little Chestnut¡¯s mother sounds like she¡¯s panicking. By the way, the perspective of the camera is very unique¡­]


    At this moment, Aunt Wu quickly came over and cleaned up the ss shards.


    Lin Xiaowan curled up on the couch and ruffled the furball as she said with a sigh, ¡°Your mother is going to be taught a lessonter¡­ When your fatheres down, I¡¯ll tell him these are all for you. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll tell him to give you a bigger y area in the future!¡±


    Little Chestnut meowed a few times, and Lin Xiaowan considered it an acquiescence. She had forgotten that her phone was still broadcasting at this moment.


    [Netizen #1: Little Chestnut¡¯s mother is a little cute! Hahaha!


    [Netizen #2: Poor Little Chestnut!]


    [Netizen #3: Little Chestnut¡¯s mother¡¯s voice is so soft. She¡¯ll definitely sound good when she cries. Hehe!]


    [Netizen #4: Wake up! This is a cat live broadcast!]


    [Netizen #5: Do you hear Little Chestnut meowing? It¡¯s judging you!]


    Little Chestnut continued to meow, acting coquettishly to Lin Xiaowan.


    When Huo Zheng came down, he did not only bring Lin Xiaowan¡¯s slippers, but he brought the trash bag in the bedroom down as well.


    Lin Xiaowan held her breath and stopped petting Little Chestnut immediately when she saw this. She had eaten spicy sticks and some jelly yesterday night, and she had thrown their wrappings in the trash can.


    Aunt Wu brought honey water and left to throw the trash while Huo Zheng sat down next to Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°Drink some.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took the cup, looking extremely obedient at this moment.


    Little Chestnut had never been very close to Huo Zheng. As soon as he sat down, it jumped off the couch arrogantly to y by itself. It was safe for it to y since Aunt Wu had already cleaned up the ss shards.


    ¡°You ate these things when I wasn¡¯t around, huh? Did you think I would not know when the chef did note?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head and protested weakly, ¡°The chef came in the afternoon.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at the lunch menu and said, ¡°Sweet and sour tenderloin, pork strips stir-fried with fish sauce, and chicken feet? The only vegetable you had was the spinach and egg dish. Even then, 1 heard you didn¡¯t eat the spinach.¡±


    ¡°Spinach is bitter and not tasty¡­¡±


    ¡°When did you go to the supermarket to buy these snacks?¡±


    When Huo Zheng left not long ago, the chef made some healthy snacks without preservatives. That was it. However, when he returned, he saw that there were a lot of spicy snacks, jelly, chips, and biscuits. It was no wonder that he was angry.


    ¡°After dinner yesterday,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied honestly.


    Huo Zheng pulled her into his arms before he lowered her head and whispered into her ear, ¡°Do you want to be taught a lesson?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ears turned red immediately. ¡°No.¡±


    Ever since Lin Xiaowan was hospitalized at the end ofst year, Huo Zheng had been quite strict with her diet. It had been almost a year, but he did not rx at all. She could only eat the food outside a few times, and she was about to die from her cravings.


    ¡°I want to eat octopus balls,¡± Lin Xiaowan said when she recalled the octopus balls that Gu Yuwu bought her previously.


    ¡°You still dare to make a request? I¡¯ll bring you to the doctor tomorrow.¡±


    Huo Zheng thought about the time she was hospitalized. At that time, the doctor told him that Lin Xiaowan had to be extra careful when she had a fever or caught a cold since it might affect her respiratory system. As such, he could not help but worry.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a mild fever. There¡¯s no need to see a doctor,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. She did not think it was serious.


    ¡°Be good and listen to me,¡± Huo Zheng said, coaxing her, before he kissed her forehead..

 Chapter 140 - 140: Move to a Bigger Place

    Chapter 140: Move to a Bigger ce


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The snacks and the unfinished hamburger that Lin Xiaowan bought were mercilessly taken away by lluo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan tried to grab a bag of potato chips as she asked, ¡°Can, can we keep one at least?¡±


    lluo Zheng narrowed his eyes. ¡°Let go. I¡¯ll consider letting you eat it after your throat recovers.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the empty table and sighed.


    ¡°Alright, go brush your teeth and wash up before you sleep.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan failed to carry out her original n to me Little Chestnut. She felt that Huo Zheng was not really angry. He did not raise his voice at all; in fact, it was rather gentle. At most, his expression was a little serious.


    Lin Xiaowan had been thinking about a matter recently. She decided to mention it to Huo Zheng at this moment. She said, ¡°1 want to use one of the rooms for Little Chestnut. I¡¯ve been doing live broadcasts of Little Chestnut recently. It¡¯ll be easier to film Little Chestnut in a roompared to the living room.¡±


    In fact, their house was not small. Even Aunt Wu had a room in the house for the asional times she stayed over. However, the other rooms were all in use. There was Huo Zheng¡¯s gym, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s storage room where she built the building blocks and kept them, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s studio, and the home theater.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°I¡¯ve not used that small room where I keep my building blocks for a long time now. I can tidy the room up and turn it into a yroom for Little Chestnut.¡±


    Huo Zheng was not willing to touch Lin Xiaowan¡¯s room for a cat. He did not respond to her request and only said, ¡°Go brush your teeth first.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan grabbed his hand and shook it. ¡°Can I turn that room into Little Chestnut¡¯s yroom?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Huo Zheng replied with a hint of helplessness.


    It was rare for Huo Zheng to reject her so decisively so she was momentarily stunned. She asked with widened eyes, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The room is yours,¡± Huo Zheng said. He did not exin too much. However, seeing how much she wanted a yroom for Little Chestnut, he asked, ¡°Should we move to a bigger ce?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I have a three-story house in Xilin Imperial Garden. Although it¡¯s empty, someone has been cleaning it regrly. It¡¯s quite close to the central area of Shengjing; it¡¯s a quiet ce in the downtown area,¡± Huo Zheng said, ¡°However, it was built quite a while ago so the facilities are old. The heating system there has yet to be turned on this year. We¡¯ll need to check the ce out first. If we decide to move, we can do it after the new year.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was quite hesitant. She did not really want to move.


    Huo Zheng leaned over and easily carried Lin Xiaowan, who was acting shamelessly on the couch. He held her waist with one hand and her butt with the other, carrying her to the bathroom to wash up before sleeping.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have the habit of ying with her phone, and she did not keep it with her everywhere she went. As such, her phone was left on the coffee table in the living room, forgotten.


    A momentter, the lights in the living room were turned off. It was pitch ck, and only a few asional sounds of movements from Little Chestnut could be heard. After a while, it fell silent.


    However, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s live broadcast was still on. Since it was pitch ck, there was no difference whether it was on or not.


    [Netizen #1: It seems like Little Chestnut¡¯s motherpletely forgot about the live broadcast.]


    [Netizen #2: It¡¯s obvious that the couple has gone to bed.]


    [Netizen #3: It¡¯s already midnight after all.]


    [Netizen #4: Sigh. I didn¡¯t get to hear Little Chestnut¡¯s mother cry when she was scolded. Little Chestnut¡¯s parents are so gentle when they talk¡­]


    [Netizen #5: Put away your dangerous thoughts!]


    [Netizen #6: Little Chestnut¡¯s father has a really nice voice. It has the charm of a mature man¡­]


    [Netizen #7: Ahhh! I understand what you mean!]


    [Netizen #8: Little Chestnut¡¯s father really dotes on Little Chestnut¡¯s mother. As soon as he arrived, he went to get slippers for her. He even spoke to her about eating too many snacks and wants her to see a doctor tomorrow. You can see he really cares about her.]


    [Netizen #9: Yes, yes, yes! Not only that, but when she suggested converting her room into a yroom for Little Chestnut, it¡¯s obvious that he refused because the room belongs to her. He even wanted to move so she did not have to sacrifice her room!]


    [Netizen #10; If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly, he mentioned Xilin Imperial Garden, right?]


    [Netizen #11: I¡¯ve never heard of it. Why?]


    [Netizen #12: Xilin Imperial Garden is one of the most central locations in Shengjing. You can look it up yourself.]


    [Netizen #13:1 can only say that even if you have money, you may not be able to live there. It seems like Little Chestnut¡¯s parents are not ordinary people¡­]


    [Netizen #14: Alright, alright, let¡¯s just focus on the cat. Don¡¯t think too much when you¡¯re looking at cats!]


    [Netizen #15: Seeing that there¡¯s no sound, Little Chestnut is already asleep. Moreover, we can¡¯t see anything!]


    The phone screen was on the entire time. After some time, a warning notification, indicating the battery was low, popped up. Not long after, the battery was exhausted, and the phone automatically shut down. With that, Little Chestnut¡¯s live broadcast also came to an end.


    The weather was getting colder and colder. Now that it was December, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s birthday was fast approaching.


    Thepany was very busy since it was the end of the year. Huo Zheng worked non-stop for half a month before he could take a few days off to celebrate Lin Xiaowan¡¯s birthday.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a birthday present for you,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    They were catching a flight today.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s throat had fully recovered. Recently, she did not have much to do. It was too cold so she did not go to the dessert shop. She did not want to leave the house at all. At this time, she had just woken up from her nap. Her face was red from sleep.


    Huo Zheng could not but reach out to stroke her cheek.


    She yawned and rubbed her eyes before she let Huo Zheng help her put on a white wool sweater. She said, ¡°You haven¡¯t told me where we are going. Why are you being so mysterious?¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled as he helped her put on her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck.


    Lin Xiaowan tugged at her scarf andined, ¡°There¡¯s no need for it to be so thick. It¡¯s not cold in the car and on the ne.


    She waddled like a penguin when she walked due to theyers of clothes she was wearing.


    ¡°The weather is bad, and the wind is strong.¡±


    Their destination was Chahar.


    When theynded and disembarked from the ne, they got into the car and drove for a few hours, leaving the city. After a while, onlyrge expanses of grasnds could be seen on both sides of the road.


    It was already past 8 PM at this time. During winter, the sky had already long darkened at this time. However, in Chahar, it had only turned dark not long ago.


    As the car sped past, goldenmps hanging on nomadic tents could be seen asionally.


    Lin Xiaowan had never been to such a ce before. She leaned against the car window and looked outside curiously. Although it was winter, thend was not barren.


    It became more and more deserted as they drove.


    Seeing this, an idea appeared in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind. She turned around and asked the man who was hugging her, ¡°Are we going to stay in a tent?¡±


    It would be ufortable to live in a tent during winter so Huo Zheng did not have such a n.. However, seeing the interest in her eyes, he asked, ¡°Do you want to stay in a tent?¡±

 Chapter 141 - 141: Watching a Meteor Shower

    Chapter 141: Watching a Meteor Shower


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. I was just asking. Let¡¯s just follow your n,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    In the end, they drove to Chahar¡¯s Kongjing Salt Lake. It was a very remote ce, but the closer they got, the more lights they could see. The orange-red lights were not very bright, and they illuminated the horses that were wandering the grasnd.


    Before getting out of the car, Lin Xiaowan was wrapped tightly by Huo Zheng.


    There were tents set up in the open space, and some professional equipment had been set up. A few people were scattered here and there, and the low sounds of conversations could be heard in the air. A few people were even broadcasting live.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan felt that her initial guess was wrong. She looked at the time; it was already past 10 PM. Normally, this was when she would start getting ready for bed. Earlier, when they were in the car, Huo Zheng had already told her that they would not be following their normal routine, meaning they were staying upte today.


    It was unknown what the horses wore, but when they walked, there was a faint but clear tinkling sound.


    The stars in the sky were exceptionally bright without the pollution of lights. This ce was far from the city after all.


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°What are we doing here?¡±


    Huo Zheng gave a few instructions to the two people who followed him here. When he walked over to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s side, he happened to see a faint light shing past in the sky before disappearing. He asked with a smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to watch a meteor shower? I can¡¯t bring you to the moon for now, but I can still satisfy your wish to see a meteor shower.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked. She looked at him and asked, ¡°We¡¯re really going to watch a meteor shower?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan always thought that she could only watch meteor showers with some sophisticated and expensive equipment. She was unaware that all she had to do was look up.


    At this time, Huo Zheng¡¯s two employees had already set up two reclining chairs in a strategic ce. There was also a small wooden table next to the chairs. Some preserved fruits and snacks had already been ced on the table as well. The snacks were kept in transparent containers. It was obvious that they were made by the chef and could not be bought outside.


    The sound of someone doing a live broadcast drifted over. The other party was ying music and interacting with the viewers from time to time.


    Lin Xiaowan leaned back on the chair, satisfied. Huo Zheng had brought her a nket and a pillow so it was extremelyfortable.


    When she finally saw the meteor shower, she was slightly stunned.


    Meteor showers in real life werepletely different from those shown on television.


    In the dark sky dotted with stars, a thin line appeared briefly before disappearing quickly.


    Lin Xiaowan was so stunned that she did not even have time to make a wish. Nheless, she still felt very moved.


    ¡°So a meteor shower looks like this¡­¡±


    Seeing the dazed expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, Huo Zheng asked with a smile, ¡°What do you think it looks like?¡±


    ¡°Not like this,¡± Lin Xiaowan murmured. Then, she leaned on him before she said with a smile, ¡°I really like lying here and watching the meteor shower¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at the faintly lit clock on the wooden table. There were still 47 minutes left before her birthday. He asked softly, ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy at all. Are you sleepy? Do you want to take a nap?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡±


    The two of them exchanged a few words before an extremely beautiful meteor with a green tail streaked across the sky and disappeared into the pitch-ck night.


    A smallmotion could be heard when it fell.


    Just like before, Lin Xiaowan did not have time to make a wish. She looked at the man who was holding her and asked, ¡°Did you make a wish?¡±


    Huo Zheng paused for a moment before he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not surprised by this. Perhaps it was due to the environment, her mind could not help but drift a little. In fact, Huo Zheng¡¯s answer did not matter to her. Her question was just a precursor to what she wanted to say.


    ¡°I wanted to make a wish earlier,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°However, I couldn¡¯t think of any wish.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I thought about it, but 1 realized that somehow all my wishes in the past have been fulfilled,¡± Lin Xiaowan said solemnly.


    Huo Zheng moved closer, curious, before he asked softly, ¡°What wishes did you have?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ For example, a long time ago, before I met you, I wished that 1 had enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Had enough?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I had nothing at that time. That was why I wished I had enough to eat when I¡¯m hungry, had money to see the doctor when I was sick, had a ce to sleep when I was sleepy¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you can always find a new wish¡­ For example, you can wish for health so you won¡¯t fall sick¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded, agreeing with him. A few meteors fell while she said, ¡°Then when the next one appears, I¡¯ll wish for us to be healthy.¡±


    Personally, Huo Zheng did not believe in such things. He firmly believed that his fate was controlled by himself. It was better to depend on himself than on some strange beliefs. However, after listening to Lin Xiaowan, he did not say anything and nodded obediently.


    Before midnight arrived, Lin Xiaowan finally managed to make a wish, wishing for both her and Huo Zheng to be healthy and safe.


    Huo Zheng nced at the ticking clock before he withdrew his hands from Lin Xiaowan and rose to his feet. He exined, ¡°I¡¯ll go get something.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not ask about it and only said with a nod, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Huo Zheng went to the car and returned very quickly. His expression was calm, but his palms were slightly sweaty. He crouched down in front of Lin Xiaowan as he calmly said, ¡°Your shoces are undone¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan watched as he ced her foot on his thigh and lowered his head as he seriously tied the shoce of her calf-length boot for her..

 Chapter 142 - 142: Fifteen Minutes Past Midnight

    Chapter 142: Fifteen Minutes Past Midnight


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng was rarely nervous. He crouched down in front of Lin Xiaowan and held her hand gently.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked when she saw that he was not himself.


    Huo Zheng brought out a velvet octagonal box that he had hidden for a long time. He opened it, revealing a simple ring before asking gently, ¡°Do you want to get engaged to me? I know you¡¯ve agreed, but I want to make it formal¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the ring curiously. ¡°When did you buy it?¡±


    The jewelry that Huo Zheng gave her naturally could not be bought outside. It was unique and custom-made. This meant that it would take some time due to the preparation needed. Putting other factors aside, with how picky Huo Zheng was, it must have taken a long time before he approved the design. One could only imagine how many drafts the designer had to submit to the cold Huo Zheng for approval. It was likely that the designer felt like punching Huo Zheng many times during the process.


    Huo Zheng stroked her hand gently. He did not answer. Instead, he asked in return, ¡°Have you thought about your answer?¡±


    Then, without waiting for her reply, he took the ring out and put it on her finger. He kissed the back of her hand gently after that and said, ¡°It looks good on you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wait for my answer?¡±


    Huo Zheng replied confidently, ¡°You¡¯ve already agreed before this¡­¡±


    He returned to his seat and pulled her into his arms. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her gently before he said, ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    It was fifteen minutes past midnight; it was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s 24th birthday.


    The meteors were still falling in the sky.


    Lin Xiaowan was wrapped in a small nket as she nestled in his arms. She stretched her arm and looked at the ring on her finger. She suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already give me a ringst year?¡±


    At that time, she had just been reborn. Huo Zheng had proposed with that ring, and when she wanted to break up with him, she had returned the ring. At some point, the ring was thrown away because of Song Zhiyi. In any case, her finger had been empty since she woke up in the hospitalst year.


    ¡°Is this the same as that one?¡±


    ¡°No. That ring isn¡¯t good, and it¡¯s inauspicious,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Although it was winter, the temperature in Chahar¡¯s Kongjing Salt Lake was not too cold. Lin Xiaowan found it veryfortable to curl up in the recliner.


    ¡°I often saw stars in my hometown when I was young,¡± Lin Xiaowan suddenly said.


    Apart from that one time when Huo Zheng investigated her, he had never taken the initiative to ask about her past. This was also her first time taking the initiative to talk about it.


    ¡°Beicheng is my hometown. It was still a county when I was young. At that time, many people would sit outside during summer nights to enjoy the breeze. As soon as you raised your head, you¡¯d be able to see many stars in the sky¡­¡±


    ¡°I lived there for many years, and my time there feels distant to me. It seems like there¡¯s nothing worth remembering there for me,¡± Lin Xiaowan slowly said.


    She was the only one left in the family. She did not regret leaving home. After she was admitted to university, apart from studying, she worked part-time jobs, focusing on earning money. The part-time jobs in Shengjing paid twice as muchpared to Beicheng. However, expenses and rent in Shengjing were not as low as in Beicheng. Fortunately, she lived on campus so she did not have to worry about rent. The fee was only a few hundred yuan a year. At that time, although she was very frugal, she did not feel like she was suffering.


    ¡°However, everything seemed to have changed for the better after 1 met you,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Then, she said with a scoff, ¡°However, we have to exclude that time when your detestable ex-girlfriend appeared.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention her. It¡¯s unlucky,¡± Huo Zheng said before kissing her.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she asked, ¡°Did you only buy one ring? Am 1 the only one wearing a ring? Are you single?¡±


    ¡°¡­ 1¡¯11 wear it when we go back¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng made a pair of rings. However, he only brought one here. Although he had spoken confidently earlier, he was in fact a little uncertain in his heart.


    The two leaned against each other and whispered to each other as they watched the meteor shower.


    After a while, a live streamer walked over and asked if it was okay if they appeared in his broadcast.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng.


    The other party was a middle-aged man with a mustache. He looked kind and honest. He exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your faces won¡¯t be seen since it¡¯s so dark. 1 just want to film in this direction¡­ 1¡¯11 be filming from over there. The camera will be mostly focused on the sky. 1 just thought the background here is better than that of the monotonous mountain. Moreover, I really like your setup here. It¡¯s caught my eye since earlier.¡±


    A warm orangemp hung next to the duo as they sat onfortable recliners with a round wooden table at the side. It looked very cozy, and the atmosphere was warm.


    From the perspective of the camera, such a small corner under the night sky was like a painting.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. In fact, it did not matter. It was truly dark, and it would be difficult to see them.


    Since Lin Xiaowan did not have any objections, Huo Zheng naturally did not have any objections either.


    The man¡¯s live broadcast was usually rted to astronomy. He brought all kinds of equipment here this time. After setting up the live broadcast again, he took a photo of the duo with an instant camera before he jogged over to show it to them.


    The photo only showed their backs and the vast sky.


    Lin Xiaowan liked it very much. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really beautiful. Thank you.¡±


    The man nodded politely before he returned to his original position.


    As it grewter, the wind began to blow. At some point, Lin Xiaowan had fallen asleep while she watched the meteor shower. Since they were not staying in a tent, Huo Zheng did not wake her up and carried her into the car, making their way to the amodation that had been arranged.


    Since Huo Zheng took a few days off, they had time to explore Chahar. However, there was not much to see in winter since the scenery was not as vivid as it would be during spring and summer.


    The activities during winter were the usual snowboarding, ice-skating, soaking in hot springs, and the like..

 Chapter 143 - 143: You’re Quite Lucky

    Chapter 143: You¡¯re Quite Lucky


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In fact, Chahar¡¯s Kongjing Salt Lake where the couple watched the meteor shower was very famous for its snowy scenery in winter. However, the temperature was rtively high over the past few days. Let alone snow, even dark clouds could not be seen.


    The first thing they did after returning to Shengjing was to pick up Little Chestnut from the pet shop.


    The pet shop was located close to their house. Many people in their residential area would send their pets here. The shop also had in-house vets so it was very reassuring.


    After staying in the pet shop for three or four days, Little Chestnut was very clingy. When it saw Lin Xiaowan again, it purred and rubbed against her for a long time, following her wherever she went.


    Lin Xiaowan reached out and tapped Little Chestnut¡¯s forehead as she said, ¡°Little Chestnut, you¡¯re too loud¡­¡±


    Little Chestnut ignored Lin Xiaowan and continued to meow.


    After ying with Little Chestnut and feeding it treats, she went to look for Huo Zheng, asking him to wear his ring.


    Huo Zheng chuckled and did as he was told before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.


    Lin Xiaowan painted the photo that they had taken in Chahar¡¯s Kongjing Salt Lake. She added Little Chestnut into her painting as well. She painted Little Chestnut lying on a small bedzily as it ate its treats.


    She was very satisfied with the photo and the painting so she posted both to her Speaker ount.


    It had been a while since she updated her ount. She had spent most of her time rxing recently. After submitting her artwork for the Venus Hope Competition, she did not do much apart frompleting the homework given by Hong Minhua.


    Ever since her Speaker ount was exposed, her followers had increased by dozens of times. When she posted the photo and painting, there were many likes andments. Some people even reposted them.


    Under the photos, she wrote, ¡®When 1 was watching the meteor shower, a kind man took this photo. I really liked the photo so 1 painted it when I got home. Naturally, I have to add my beloved Little Chestnut into the painting¡¯.


    [Netizen #1: Wow, is the starry sky real? It¡¯s too dreamy!]


    [Netizen #2: There are two people in the photo! Look at that jawline! Did thedy boss go on a trip with President Huo?]


    [Netizen #3: The photo is really good. It even captured the falling meteor. Ahhhh, I¡¯m so envious!]


    [Netizen #4: Did the president try to satisfy his wife¡¯s wish? Where was that? They didn¡¯t really go to the moon, did they?]


    [Netizen #5: There was a meteor shower a few days ago. This has to be the end-of-the-year Geminid meteor shower.]


    [Netizen #6: Damn! I saw @XiaoMingtheAstronomyGuide broadcast the Geminid meteor shower. 1 saw a scene of this photo at that time! As it turns out, it¡¯s President Huo and thedy!]


    [Netizen #7: You mean,dy boss? I can see how excited you are based on your typo.]


    [Netizen #8:1 saw that as well! I thought the photo looked a little familiar, but I couldn¡¯t recall where I¡¯d seen it until you mentioned the meteor shower!] [Netizen #9: So the kind man she mentioned is Xiao Ming?]


    Lin Xiaowan rarely paid attention to Speaker ount. After posting the photo and the painting, she put her phone aside immediately. She was naturally unaware that Xiao Ming, a popr astronomy influencer, had liked and reposted her post.


    [Xiao Ming the Astronomy Guide: I didn¡¯t expect the couple I met to be President Huo and his wife. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve taken advantage of President Huo¡¯s luck and made a wish to earn more money next year!]


    Xiao Ming had millions of fans. He was very popr and influential. Initially, nothing much happened after he reposted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s photo and painting. However, due to various factors, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s Bobo Star¡¯s ount, or to be precise, Little Chestnut¡¯s ount, was found.


    This was thanks to aizen whose ability was like that of Sherlock Holmes.


    [Netizen #1: Hey, the cat¡¯s color and fur are really unique. It resembles Little Chestnut. Is it Little Chestnut from Bobo Star?]


    With this, Little Chestnut¡¯s ount was exposed.


    [Netizen #1: The cats look the same. Moreover, Little Chestnut¡¯s mother said that she would be away for a few days so there¡¯d be no live broadcasts. Everything matches! ]


    [Netizen #2: Oh my gosh! Is Little Huhu¡¯s mother thedy boss of Huo Corporation?!]


    [Netizen #3: It seems like Little Chestnut has been adopted into a wealthy family! ]


    [Netizen #4: If this is true, then based on that time when thedy boss forgot to turn off the live broadcast, their rtionship is super sweet!]


    [Netizen #5:1 remember! President Huo was really gentle to his wife!]


    [Netizen #6: Somehow 1 feel happy seeing how everyone¡¯s so shocked!]


    After two days, Lin Xiaowan prepared to start a live broadcast for Little Chestnutt. When she logged into Bobo Star, she was surprised by the countless messages andments she received.


    Initially, she thought it was because her videos had been rmended by Bobo Star. As such, she was stunned when she saw the messages andments referring to her as Huo Zheng¡¯s wife and asking about her trip.


    After a while, she also discovered that many of these people came here from Speaker, and an ominous feeling rose in her heart. When she finally logged onto Speaker and understood what happened, she was speechless.


    ¡®Why is the Inte so small? These cat lovers aren¡¯t just watching cat videos on Bobo Star, but they¡¯re also active on Speaker!¡¯


    For a moment, Lin Xiaowan could not decide if she should continue with the live broadcast or not. Or perhaps she should return to recording videos of Little Chestnut¡¯s meals. However, she was ratherzy to edit the videos, especially after she had experienced the convenience of live streaming.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan chose to put her phone away. In her opinion, it was not shameful but useful to run away. She decided to pretend to be dead and pretend like she knew nothing.


    Gu Yuwu was in the entertainment industry. Hence, she paid attention to what was happening on the Inte regrly. Although the news of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s encounter with Xiao Ming and the exposure of her ount on Bobo Star was not trending, she was aware of it since she followed Lin Xiaowan. After all, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s posts would appear on her feed.


    When Gu Yuwu called Lin Xiaowan, she sighed emotionally and said, ¡°1 have to say that you¡¯re quite lucky. To be precise, you¡¯ll be considered very lucky if you¡¯re in the entertainment industry. Look at how popr you are¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was horrified when she heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the entertainment industry!¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed out loud. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m just saying..¡±

 Chapter 144 - 144: Her Voice Sounds Coquettish

    Chapter 144: Her Voice Sounds Coquettish


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Apart from that, Gu Yuwu had another reason for calling Lin Xiaowan.


    The fantasy drama that Lin Xiaowan had a cameo in was about to be broadcasted; it should air after the new year. Although it had not aired yet, it was already quite popr. Six episodes would be broadcasted every week, and it would not take long for her scenes to appear.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll experience how it feels to see myself on television then¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you a small clip of your scenes so you can listen to the domineering voice of the voice actress!¡±


    The clip was not very long, but it took several minutes before it was sent.


    Lin Xiaowan felt slightly strange when she saw herself. She also felt like she did not fit in with the style of the main characters. Her costumes were borate and exquisite. However, this was only normal since she yed the character of the only goddess left in the world. The role did not require any acting skills from her. It was fine as long as she did not make any big mistakes.


    When Lin Xiaowan heard the dubbing for her lines, she fell silent.


    ¡®Why does it sound so dramatic?¡¯


    Gu Yuwu seemed to have calcted the time before she sent her a message.


    [Gu Yuwu: Are you done watching it? What do you think?]


    Although Lin Xiaowan felt that the dubbing was out of character, she knew it was only because she was not used to it. At the same time, she also felt slightly guilty for not being able to say her lines.


    [Lin Xiaowan: It looks good. My performance seems¡­ okay?]


    Gu Yuwu was not stingy with her praise.


    [Gu Yuwu: I think your performance is good. This is the advantage of having no experience. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re acting. Hahaha.]


    [Gu Yuwu: Do you feel like dubbing is incongruent with your face?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: What do you mean?]


    Lin Xiaowan did not understand the term.


    Gu Yuwu did not say anything and only sent her another clip. It was the same as before, but the voice was now different. It was much more childish, not as calm and domineering as before. She sounded like the girl next door.


    Lin Xiaowan thought the voice matched her appearance, especially her face that still had a little baby fat. However¡­


    [Lin Xiaowan: Don¡¯t you think the voice sounds a little young? After all, the character is that of a goddess, and she¡¯s lived for so many years. It¡¯s impossible for her to sound like a young and lively girl, right?]


    Although Lin Xiaowan had forgotten most of the scenes of the goddess, she still remembered the major key points.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Moreover, the goddess lives in the divine world alone. She¡¯s lonely with no one to talk to or y with. Although the second voice matches my appearance better, it doesn¡¯t seem to match the character.]


    [Gu Yuwu: We had a few voice actresses say those lines, but we weren¡¯t very satisfied. These two are the best. *sigh*]


    [Gu Yuwu: Why don¡¯t you try to say the lines?]


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked when she saw the second message and wondered if Gu Yuwu was joking.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Huh? Are you serious? I¡¯ll probably sound like a little maidservant that the goddess kidnapped and brought to the divine world to y with.]


    Lin Xiaowan refused several times, but in the end, she could not say no to Gu Yuwu. In exchange, Gu Yuwu promised to help her cover up in front of Huo Zheng when she ate spicy sticks. With this, she was sessfully lured into the recording studio.


    In the recording studio.


    The voice actress who dubbed the goddess¡¯ character was also present.


    When Lin Xiaowan found out that the two contrasting voices she heard before were from the same person, she was filled with admiration. With a professional in front of her, she became even more embarrassed, which affected her performance.


    In the end, Gu Yuwu brought her to an empty studio and passed the script to Lin Xiaowan before she said, ¡°Alright, try doing this alone. If you don¡¯t understand anything, let me know, understand? Make a signal. I can see you from outside.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lin Xiaowan replied, holding the script.


    Now that she was alone in the recording booth, she was much more rxed. She flipped through the script and recalled the feeling of being a goddess. While she quickly went through the plot, the recording device was already on.


    When Lin Xiaowan started, she spoke slowly, afraid of making mistakes. However, when she spoke, her pitch would rise a little and fall, making her sound very coquettish.


    She did not feel anything when she was saying her lines. When she was done, she gestured to Gu Yuwu, looking embarrassed.


    Gu Yuwu could not help butugh when she listened to Lin Xiaowan. She put her arm around Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shoulders as she said, ¡°The voice sounds right this time. However, the aura of a goddess isn¡¯t there. It¡¯s just as you said¡­¡±


    However, when the voice actress heard it, she had her own opinion. She said, ¡°I think Miss Lin¡¯s habit of speaking in a high-pitch tone enriches the goddess¡¯ character. The contrast between the voice and the character is quite good.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan waved her hands and said, ¡°No, no, you can just address me as Xiaowan.¡±


    After all, the other party was a professional and a senior.


    The voice actress was very gentle and magnanimous. She said kindly, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve met you and heard you say the lines, 1 kind of understand the problem with the previous dubbing. I have an idea. I¡¯ll try recording the lines again.¡±


    The voice actress practiced a few times before she started recording. She did not imitate Lin Xiaowanpletely and only drew inspiration from it.


    Lin Xiaowan did not understand anything. She only felt that the other party was really amazing.


    This version did not sound lively or young, but it was calm and cold with a hint of arrogance. However, after talking to the priestess, she sounded different.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know how to describe it. In any case, she did not sound so high and mighty anymore.


    On the other hand, Gu Yuwu still felt that voice did not match the character. However, she had to admit that thetest version was the most pleasing to the ears so far..

 Chapter 145 - 145: A Hickey

    Chapter 145: A Hickey


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In the end, the professional version by the voice actress was still chosen. However, Gu Yuwu saved Lin Xiaowan¡¯s version as well, thinking about releasing it as a bonus when the time came.


    Lin Xiaowan said, puzzled, ¡°These things are usually rted to the main characters. 1 only have a few minutes of screen time. There¡¯s no need to do this, right?¡±


    ¡°This is your first time acting, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, this will also be the only time, right? You can keep it as a souvenir. 1¡¯11 edit it before sending it to you. You can listen to it when you¡¯re old¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stroked her chin. She felt that Gu Yuwu¡¯s words made sense.


    The lunar new year was fast approaching.


    The Huo family nned to officially announce Huo Zheng¡¯s engagement to their social circles. However, they respected Lin Xiaowan¡¯s opinion and did not hold a public engagement ceremony.


    However, Huo Zheng felt that it was not that good if there was no news about the engagement at all. After all, who knew if people who were not afraid of death would create rumors? As such, he posted a picture using his personal social media ount.


    Usually, Huo Zheng¡¯s social media ount was managed by thepany. This was also the first time he had posted something unrted to thepany.


    The photo only showed two hands intertwined. The morning sunlight shone through the gap between the curtains into the dimly lit room. Lin Xiaowan was still sleeping in Huo Zheng¡¯s arms. He had held her hand and deliberately chosen an angle that showed their rings before taking a photo.


    Although he respected her opinion and did not make a big deal out of the engagement, he felt like he had to make some sort of announcement to the outside world that she was now his. He could not just cover everything up.


    Once the photo was posted, it became a hot topic immediately. Moreover, thements on this topic were a little¡­ inappropriate.


    Huo Zheng rarely appeared in public events so he rarely made the headlines. Unless it was business-rted, he usually maintained a low profile.


    However, his post this time generated a lot of interest because not long ago theizens were already discussing this topic. This was all thanks to the meteor shower incident when Lin Xiaowan¡¯s social media was exposed after Xiao Ming, a popr astronomy influencer, reposted her post.


    Now that so many people knew that Lin Xiaowan was the wife of the president of the Huo Corporation, it was only natural that Huo Zheng¡¯s post would cause amotion. After all, the post was also reposted by the Huo Corporation¡¯s official ount.


    The most ridiculous thing was that someone zoomed in on the photo, adjusting the exposure of the photo and such, to have a better look. After that, the person quickly left ament, revealing that a hickey could be seen on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wrist. Moreover, judging from the color, it seemed new.


    After that, the discussion in thement section became even livelier. Even the number of reposts went up greatly.


    When Huo Zheng found out about this matter, his expression darkened immediately. He quickly ordered for the photo to be deleted. s, it was useless to delete now. It had already spread on the Inte.


    Lin Xiaowan did not think much of this matter. Sheughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Deleting it is only going to make people talk about it more and make them think that something happened.¡±


    She had also seen the discussion online. She was amazed by theizen¡¯s rich imagination and ability toe up with stories.


    Huo Zheng narrowed his eyes as he held her in his arms. He said in a low voice, ¡°But something did happen.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes when she heard this.


    Huo Zheng had taken the photo the day after they were engaged. It was impossible that nothing happened the night of the engagement. At that time, he had said something that made her feel embarrassed so she quickly covered his mouth. Unexpectedly, he smiled and shamelessly left a hickey on her wrist.


    Finally, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°In any case, this is not my fault.¡±


    Huo Zheng was quite traditional in certain aspects. It was not surprising that he was upset that his mistake had caused such amotion. The bedroom was dark, only faintly lit. He was so focused on finding a good angle that he did not pay attention to anything else.


    Huo Zheng leaned down and kissed Lin Xiaowan before he said teasingly in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s your fault.¡±


    After the photo was deleted, the discussion continued for a while. There were also conspiracy theories about the drama of the rich and powerful, but no one paid attention to them. All the maliciousments were also quickly dealt with.


    In a blink of an eye, it was already close to the lunar new year. ording to Shengjing¡¯s customs, this was the beginning of the new year. It was also the time when families reunite.


    After waking up in the morning, Lin Xiaowan packed up before she brought Little Paste back to the old residence.


    The Huo family¡¯s old residence was big. It was not difficult to find a spacious room for Little Chestnut there. She had previously informed the housekeeper that she would be bringing Little Chestnut so a room had already been prepared for Little Chestnut.


    Previously, Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao had gone abroad for a winter camp after their vacation. They had just returned the day for the lunar new year. When the two little children met Little Chestnut for the first time, they were extremely excited and mored to y with it.


    Little Chestnut had always been reserved and introverted. Moreover, this was also the first time it met the two children. It could not withstand the children¡¯s enthusiasm and quickly meowed, pouncing into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s arms and burying its head in her arms like a frightened child.


    Lin Xiaowan gave the children cat treats as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you her favorite treat. She¡¯s very easy to bribe with food. Once she¡¯s gotten familiar with you, you¡¯ll be able to y with her.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked down at the cat in her arms. She was not too worried since it seemed to be in a good state.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were very experienced in dealing with small animals. Theyy on the ground, looking like caterpirs as they tried to bribe Little Chestnut with food. After a while, when Little Chestnut looked morefortable, they tried to touch its fur and its little paws with their small hands.


    Huo Dabao, who was touching Little Chestnut¡¯s paw, asked curiously, ¡°Aunt, Little Chestnut is so big. What kind of cat is she? I have never seen such a huge cat¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a stray cat. As for its size¡­. Maybe it¡¯s just growing?¡± Lin Xiaowan said, looking uncertain when she spoke.


    In fact, she was also confused about Little Chestnut¡¯s size. Little Chestnut¡¯s mother¡¯s size was normal. In fact, after a bath, it even looked a little small.


    Little Chestnut had enough exercise, and its diet was also just right. A physical examination also showed that there was nothing wrong with its health. It was not fat, but its size was really quite big. At that time, it was already almost twice the size of its mother.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan, who was puzzled, brought Little Chestnut to the Animal Rescue Association to ask about the growth of Little Chestnut¡¯s siblings..

 Chapter 146 - 146: Focus on Little Chestnut

    Chapter 146: Focus on Little Chestnut


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: Endless Fantasy Trantion


    In fact, Little Chestnut¡¯s size was not unique among its siblings. Although the other siblings¡¯ sizes were not out of the ordinary, there was one that was bigger than ordinary cats just like Little Chestnut.


    At that time, the vet examined Little Chestnut and concluded that it probably carried some genes of the Maine Coon based on its ears¡¯ shape, ws, and fur.


    Lin Xiaowan did not care about this. In any case, there were all cats. As long as Little Chestnut was healthy, it did nor matter.


    Meanwhile, with rhe treat in hand, the children finally won Little Chestnut s favor, and they soon became familiar with each other.


    After staying for two days in the Huo family¡¯s old residence, Lin Xiaowan decided to stream the daily life of Little Chestnut again.


    However, due to the exposure of her identity, her ount on Bobo Star had gained a lot of followers. It was no longer as simple as before. She decided that she would continue to broadcast asionally. If people wanted to look ar Little Chestnut, they would be able to look at it. If not, it did nor matter to her. It was not like she was relying on this to feed herself.


    Simr to before, Lin Xiaowan used her phone for the live broadcast.


    Little Chestnut¡¯s designated room in the old residence was huge. There was a floor-to-ceiling window that allowed sunlight to stream into the room, and it was meticulously decorated. Even the area where rhe cat litter was ced looked more like a small indoorndscape than a cat toilet.


    There was also a custom-made cat tree and a running wheel in the room so Little Chestnut could y. There were even nts in the room to purify the air.


    Needless to say, the room had also been safety-proofed so there would be no hidden danger.


    All in all, the room was very suitable for live broadcasting.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao had heard about this from Lin Xiaowan previously, and they were familiar with the term live broadcast¡¯.


    ¡®I know what¡¯s a live broadcast! You can show others what you¡¯re doing live through a tform!¡± Huo Dabao said at that time, showing off his knowledge.


    ¡°You¡¯re so smart,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a smile, ¡°There are many people on the Inte who like Little Chestnut and want to know how she¡¯s doing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this. However, 1¡¯11 have to be careful not to show your faces if you¡¯re around¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! It doesn¡¯t matter if our faces are shown,¡± Huo Erbao said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Huo Dabao chimed in, ¡°Mom often rakes photos and videos of us. We¡¯re used to it.¡±


    Needless to say, Qiao You¡¯an would not turn on a live broadcast of her children. The videos and photos she took were to record the children s lives and growth. asionally, she would let the children video call their grandparents who missed them.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Naturally, she was just being perfunctory. She knew it would not be good to expose Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao s faces in front of the camera. After all, Huo Cheng¡¯s identity was special, and the Huo family had always valued privacy


    Lin Xiaowan did not notify anyone that she was going to start a live broadcast. She woke up after a nap and made the decision on a whim. She also waited when the two children were asleep to do a live broadcast. With this, she did not have to worry about the two children being caught on camera.


    As usual, when the live broadcast started, there were nor many people.


    Lin Xiaowan sat on a beanbag in the middle of the room, looking as though she was boneless as she held her phone.


    When rhe live broadcast started, a notification would be sent to the followers with the title of the live broadcast at the top. Apart from that, Bobo Star would also rmend the live broadcast to other users based on the data it collected.


    Needless to say, it did not take long before the viewers flooded thement section with theirments.


    [Netizen #1: Oh my gosh! Finally, a live broadcast!¡±


    (Netizen #2:1 get to see what the little darling is doing again! ¡±


    [Netizen #3: Is it my imagination, or has she grown again?]


    [Netizen #4: Does it really have its own room? ]


    [Netizen #5: Sigh, a cat has a better life than me¡­]


    [Netizen #6: The room is amazing. There are all kinds of toys for Little


    Chestnut to y with. There are even nts!]


    [Netizen #7: Wow!]


    [Netizen #8: President¡¯s wife, please show yourself!]


    [Netizen #9:1 want to see the president¡¯s wife! *drool*]


    [Netizen #10: I¡¯ve been waiting for so long! There¡¯s finally a live broadcast! I want to see beautiful women!]


    [Netizen #11: Everyone, please remember that this is a car live broadcast! ]


    Lin Xiaowan read some of thements with a slight frown, asionally replying toments.


    I Lin Xiaowan: Little Chestnut is indeed a little bigger, but she¡¯s still beautiful, right?]


    [ Lin Xiaowan: This ount belongs to Little Chestnut, and it¡¯s for cat lovers. Don¡¯t think about anything else. ]


    I Lin Xiaowan: I didn¡¯t decorate this room. 1 brought Little Chestnut here for the lunar new year. 1 was surprised as well when I saw the room ]


    The number of viewers was much higher than before. With more people watching the live broadcast, Bobo Star would rmend it more to other users. There were even people who gave gifts during the live broadcast.


    There were still people asking Lin Xiaowan to show her face, but most people chose to ignore them.


    Lin Xiaowan also stopped responding to thements. She was focused on Little Chestnut.


    [Netizen #1: Hahaha, there¡¯s nothing for Little Chestnut to break here!]


    [Netizen #2: Indeed, indeed! This room is very cat-friendly! I


    Seeing this, Lin Xiaowan felt the need to rify.


    I Lin Xiaowan: Its not Little Chestnut¡¯s fault. After all, those things were out in the open. Little Chestnut is usually very obedient.]


    At this time, Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao suddenly came into the room. They heard the noises and ran over to look for Little Chestnut. Their newly established friendship with the cat was very strong.


    Lin Xiaowan lowered the camera a little. Despite rhe children saying it did not matter, it was better to pay attention to the children¡¯s privacy.


    Unsurprisingly, the viewers were curious about the two children. Although they could not see the duo¡¯s faces, they could hear rhe cute voices and see the duo¡¯s cute and furry pajamas,


    [Netizen #1: Two cute dumplings! Who are they? Do President Huo and wife already have children?! ]


    [Netizen #2: I knew it! How could the Huos allow someone unknown woman to marry into their family? As it turns out, it¡¯s because she has children!]


    [Netizen #3: ??? Don¡¯t simply spout nonsense here, okay?]

 Chapter 147 - 147: Passing the First Round of Selection

    Chapter 147: Passing the First Round of Selection


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Seeing the huge misunderstanding, Lin Xiaowan quickly responded.


    [Lin Xiaowan: The two children belong to my sister-inw. They came to y with Little Chestnut.]


    After that, Lin Xiaowan ignored the subsequent strangements.


    Not long after that, she ended the live broadcast. She did not live broadcast very often, and each time, the duration was not very long. Under normal circumstances, it would not exceed two hours.


    The viewers were already used to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s behavior so they did not think much of this. They also knew that she would only asionally reply to thements, and most of the time, they were rted to Little Chestnut.


    Close to the lunar new year, the fantasy drama Gu Yuwu invested in also began airing. It did not take long before it became popr.


    In the beginning, Lin Xiaowan was unaware that the drama had started airing. When she was watching television with Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao, she came across an advertisement for the drama. She only found out about it after she spoke to Gu Yuwu.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me it started airing!¡± Lin Xiaowan said, feigning a shocked and hurt tone.


    Gu Yuwuughed. ¡°I told you about it previously! 1 said that it¡¯d begin to air somewhere in January. Look at the calendar. When it started airing, it was the first weekend of January.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rarely watched dramas so she had indeed forgotten about this matter. As such, she could only give up her act. She said, ¡°It aired so quickly. 12 episodes have been aired so far. Doesn¡¯t this mean it won¡¯t be long until the finale airs?¡±


    Gu Yuwu did some calctions before she replied, ¡°1 guess. Six episodes are aired every week. It¡¯ll take about a month for the drama toplete airing. You should be able to see yourself on TV in another two weeks.¡±


    After two weeks, It would be the end of the lunar new year and the start of the Lantern Festival.


    During this time, Lin Xiaowan also received a confirmation e-mail and a phone call from the Venus Hope Competition, informing her that her artwork had passed the first round of selection and that they were now in the second round of selection.


    Many artworks had passed the first round of selection since the first round was based on the public¡¯s votes on the Venus Hope Competition¡¯s official website.


    After Lin Xiaowan was notified of this, she logged onto the website. She was shocked when she saw her artwork was actually ranked quite high. Initially, she did not have any expectations for thepetition. However, after seeing this ranking, her heart could not help but give birth to some expectations.


    Since the first round was based on the public¡¯s vote, Lin Xiaowan thought that her painting happened to match the public¡¯s preferences.


    It was a littlete when Huo Zheng returned from work. His annual leave for the lunar new year would officially begin today.


    When he entered the huge suite-like bedroom in the old residence, he walked past the small living room and made his way to the bedroom. When he saw the warm light from the bedsidemp, he knew that Lin Xiaowan was still awake.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly ran toward him when she saw him.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    Huo Zheng reached out and pinched her cheek, saying, ¡°Staying upte again? It¡¯s almost midnight.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. I wanted to wait for you toe back.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Huo Zheng knew that Lin Xiaowan usually stuck to her routine. When it was time, she would automatically feel sleepy. Unless something happened, it was rare that she could not fall asleep.


    As expected, Lin Xiaowan nodded and said, ¡°Yes! 1 have something 1 want to share with you!¡±


    Huo Zheng removed his coat and leaned against the headboard of the bed with her in his arms. Seeing the excitement on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, he asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan showed him the e-mail from the Venus Hope Competition on her phone and said, ¡°Look! My artwork passed the first round of selection!¡±


    Then, she opened the official website and showed him the poprity rankings as she said, ¡°I¡¯m ranked 17th!¡±


    Huo Zheng had seen her artwork before she submitted it. However, he still looked at her artwork, which was disyed on the website, carefully. His expression was also serious as he read thements below it. After that, he said sincerely, ¡°Qingqing, you¡¯re really amazing. You only started taking lessons not long ago, but you already managed to pass the first round of selection of apetition. You¡¯ll definitely be even more amazing in the future.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very pleased with Huo Zheng¡¯s attitude. He was not perfunctory at all. He listened to her attentively, and his words were also sincere. Satisfied with the praise, she said, ¡°Alright, go and take a shower. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Then, she hid under the nket and waited until Huo Zheng came to bed before she went to sleep.


    In the morning, the weather was not very good. It was gloomy. The weather forecast said that it was going to snow.


    Lin Xiaowan and the two children helped the butler paste auspicious couplets and decorate the house.


    The old residence upied a huge expanse ofnd. There were several small houses in thepound, and there was also a small hall that was used to honor their ancestors. Asphalt roads snaked around thepound, leading to various buildings in thepound.


    Thepound was also decorated with festive rednterns.


    At six, the chefs began to cook. Before this, the chef had submitted the dinner menu, and it was approved by Qiao You¡¯an. There were all kinds of dishes: sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Just cold dishes alone, they had four. Fortunately, although there were many dishes, their portions were small.


    The Huo family was quite traditional. After dinner, they would watch the Spring Festival G on television after dinner.


    The employees who chose to work instead of going home for the holidays would also eat at this time and celebrate the lunar new year in their living quarters. It was rather lively as well.


    At some point, Huo Cheng went to the wine cer and brought out a bottle of wine that he had obtained from an auction. He said that he had treasured it a lot and could not bear to drink it before this.


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to try the wine, but she only got a small sip from Huo Zheng¡¯s wine ss. In the end, she was given a ss of fizzy c. Based on this, it could be seen that her treatment was simr to that of Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao.


    At this time, Qiao You¡¯an was holding her wine ss and looking at Lin Xiaowan who was sitting next to her two sons. Seeing how well they got along, her gaze was gentle and affectionate.


    ¡°This is the first time Xiaowan is officially celebrating the lunar new year with our family. In the future, there¡¯ll be one more person in our family¡­¡±¡®


    This might be the case for Qiao You¡¯an, but for Lin Xiaowan, who had been reborn, this was definitely not the case. If she counted the times during her previous life, this would be her fourth new year with the Huo family..

 Chapter 148 - 148: The Eve of the Lunar New Year

    Chapter 148: The Eve of the Lunar New Year


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The four adults and two children clinked their sses together.


    When Lin Xiaowan met Huo Zheng¡¯s eyes, he smiled at her before he raised the ss to his lips. She was not sure how much he remembered of the past, but now, it was no longer important to her. Her memories from this life were slowly recing those from the past.


    She leaned over to Huo Zheng and said, ¡°I want another sip.¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan who was acting coquettishly. Although his voice was gentle, it was firm as well as he said, ¡°You¡¯ve already agreed that you¡¯d only take one sip. You already had a sip earlier.¡±


    The atmosphere was very casual. They chatted as they ate and drank just like an ordinary family.


    After a while, Huo Cheng suddenly said, ¡°Since both of you are engaged, we should hold a banquet so no one will specte and create rumors¡­¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an had almost forgotten about this matter. She knew Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan had gone to see the meteor shower a while ago. She had also seen their rings so there was no need to ask too much. She only needed to take a look at Huo Zheng to obtain the answer. When she heard her husband¡¯s words, she nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that Huo Zheng has a ring on his finger, even if others don¡¯t take the initiative to ask, they also know what¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    Seeing the hesitant expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, Qiao You¡¯an said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want a huge banquet. We¡¯ll just hold a small banquet after the new year. We can¡¯t let outsiders specte about this matter. It won¡¯t be good for your reputation.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an was sincerely thinking on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s behalf. In her opinion, if Lin Xiaowan was willing, it would be better if Lin Xiaowan could marry Huo Zheng immediately.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked Huo Zheng. She was no longer very resistant to such things, but she was still a little ufortable when she thought about how everyone would stare at her as though she was a rare animal.


    Huo Zheng thought about it for a moment before he said, ¡°I want to make this public and official so others won¡¯t talk or specte about you.¡±


    Due to the power and status of the Huo family, all their movements were subjected to public scrutiny. In Huo Zheng¡¯s opinion, if he did not make things clear, it would only make people gossip more.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s background was ordinary; she was not from an aristocratic family. It was inevitable that people would gossip about the difference in their status and background. Huo Zheng naturally did not want her to be subjected to malicious spections.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before asking, ¡°What will the engagement banquet be like?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an replied, ¡°There won¡¯t be a lot of people. Just some friends. The media won¡¯t be present.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s not too grand. We¡¯ll do as you said then, Sister-inw. We can announce it officially during the banquet. We¡¯ll discuss the restter.¡±


    Dinnersted until past nine. After that, Huo Zheng, Lin Xiaowan, and the two children set off fireworks in the courtyard.


    Huo Cheng, who was usually in charge of the entertainment during the lunar new year, had bought a lot of fireworks.


    Lin Xiaowan and the two children huddled together while Huo Zheng lit the fireworks.


    After lighting them, Huo Zheng ran back and pulled Lin Xiaowan into his arms.


    Lin Xiaowan liked looking at beautiful things like this. The fireworks Huo Cheng bought were very unique and much more beautiful than the ones she had seen. She raised her phone and recorded a short video before posting it on Speaker.


    Although it was the eve of the lunar new year, everyone seemed to be on their phones. Not long after Lin Xiaowan posted, manyments came pouring in. All sorts of people gathered in herment section and started another round of discussion.


    After midnight, Lin Xiaowan climbed into bed and looked at thements.


    [Netizen #1: Doesn¡¯t Shengjing¡¯s policy forbid fireworks? How dare you light fireworks so openly? You haven¡¯t even married into a wealthy family yet, but you¡¯re already showing off! I¡¯m going to report this!]


    Many people replied to thisment. Some agreed, some disagreed, and some were only curious.


    Lin Xiaowan was aware of Shengjing¡¯s fireworks policy. However, fireworks were only prohibited in the city center. The Huo family¡¯s old residence was miles and miles away from the city center so it was not illegal to set off fireworks.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Shengjing only banned fireworks in the city center. We¡¯re in the suburbs so it¡¯s fine.]


    The other party seemed to be paying close attention to thement section. As soon as Lin Xiaowan replied, the other party¡¯s reply came almost immediately.


    [Netizen #1: Let alone Shengjing, in the entire Shangxia, who doesn¡¯t know the Huo family? The Huo family is so rich, how can they live on the outskirts of the city? Who are you trying to lie to?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong with living on the outskirts? Moreover, did you buy the house? Am I staying in your house?]


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reaction now was much better than before after reading so manyments.


    Many peopleughed when they read herment. Only a few people acted in an extreme manner. As for those who also lived in Shengjing, seeing that the other party was so stubborn, they also spoke up for Lin Xiaowan.


    [Netizen #1: I¡¯m speechless. Why can¡¯t rich people live on the outskirts of the city? They can live wherever they want. The older generation in Shengjing lived on the outskirts of the city. It¡¯s normal to spend the lunar new year there. What¡¯s so hard to understand?]


    [Netizen #2: I¡¯m dying ofughter. It¡¯s just past midnight, but there are already all sorts ofments¡­]


    After thinking about it for a moment, Lin Xiaowan clicked on the profile of the other person who was very persistent in finding fault with her. The ount was created a while ago, but there was no information or post at all. Clearly, the other party really hated her or the Huo family.


    To be on the safe side, Lin Xiaowan waited for Huo Zheng to finish washing up before she spoke to him about this matter.


    Huo Zheng looked at thements and was not worried at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get someone to check the ountter.¡±


    Then, he took the phone away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at it anymore. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°But, 1 don¡¯t usually stay upte. It¡¯s almost 1 AM now, but I¡¯m not sleepy at all. Moreover, 1 ate so much earlier¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan said softly.


    Huo Zheng was helpless when faced with her. In the end, he silently passed her a digestive pill..

 Chapter 149 - 149: Acting Coquettish

    Chapter 149: Acting Coquettish


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Since it was the eve of the lunar new year, Huo Zheng was not as strict with her diet as he usually was. After dinner, she continued eating snacks until it was time to brush her teeth. After eating so much, it was not strange that she felt bloated.


    Huo Zheng held her in his arms and gently rubbed her stomach with his warm hand. He asked, ¡°Still not sleepy?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was indeed very energetic. She did not even yawn once. She nodded and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you read to me like you do at home?¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice was very pleasing to the ears. His voice was steady and calm when he read. Although he usually read foreign and financial books and Lin Xiaowan did not understand anything, she found his voice soothing.


    Huo Zhengughed softly when he heard her. He said, ¡°At this time, there¡¯s a better way for you to fall asleeppared to that.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was full andzy so her reaction was a little slow. She only reacted when Huo Zheng¡¯s hand on her stomach slid across her waist. She shivered immediately. She nced at the clock before she said, ¡°It¡¯s already 1 AM¡­¡±


    She knew Huo Zheng really well. If she followed his wish now, she definitely would not be able to wake up in the morning.


    Huo Zheng moved his hand to the back of her neck and raised her head before he leaned down to kiss her. Then, he said, coaxing her, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t have to wake up early tomorrow. We don¡¯t have to visit anyone either¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hesitated for a moment before she gave in to him.


    It had been a while since the duo had any intimate time. Huo Zheng managed a huge corporation, and it was only normal that he was extremely busy, especially before the holidays. He woke up early every day and came homete. He would fall asleep in seconds after getting into bed.


    In short, Lin Xiaowan did not have any reason to refuse him, and it did not take long before she could no longer think about anything else.


    On the first day of the lunar new year.


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up, she thought that it was dawn. However, when she nced at the clock, she discovered that it was already past two in the afternoon.


    Lin Xiaowan was still very groggy. The curtains in the room were drawn so the room was only faintly lit. It was snowing outside so the sky was dark as well, making the room even darker.


    She did not know what kind of medicine Huo Zheng had takenst night, but he was very energetic. Perhaps it was just because they had not been intimate for a long time. In the end, she had to plead for mercy. She was so tired when it ended that she did not even know when she fell asleep.


    Although it was past 2 PM, she still felt a little sleepy. However, she was not hungry. When she was half-awake in the morning, Huo Zheng had fed her something. She smacked her lips. She had no impression of what she had eaten at all.


    Lin Xiaowan got up and fumbled around for her phone. Before sleeping, Huo Zheng would usually ce her phone far away, afraid that it would disturb her.


    She pulled the curtains to the side and found her phone on the shelf.


    Outside the window, huge snowkes fell from the sky. It had been snowing for a while so there was a thickyer of snow on the ground.


    Lin Xiaowan took her phone from the shelf and looked at it. There were a few new year¡¯s greetings from the filming crew, and there was also a message from Gu Yuwu asking where she was and if she was doing anything today. Cheng Ruitong also sent her a personal message, and she made a note to reply to the other party.


    Qiao You¡¯an also sent a message.


    [Qiao You¡¯an: Xiaowan, when you wake up, eat the warm soup and porridge we left for you in the kitchen. There are also dumplings we made in the morning, yellow rice cakes, and glutinous rice balls. The chef is working today. Just tell him to prepare those things for you. Just treat this as your home. Don¡¯t be shy.]


    [Qiao You¡¯an: I¡¯ve already told Huo Zheng about this, but 1 was worried he¡¯d forget about it so I decided to remind you. We¡¯ve gone out with Dabao and Erbao so there¡¯s no one at home. Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll be back in the afternoon.]


    Lin Xiaowan could not help but smile when she saw how Qiao You¡¯an treated her like a child.


    When Lin Xiaowan went to change, she was stunned when she saw herself in the mirror. She did not feel itst night, but there was a particrly distinct handprint on her waist. When she saw it, she could not help but curse at Huo Zheng inwardly.


    After she changed, Huo Zheng entered the room and hugged her.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan originally nned toin about his behaviorst night, but when she looked at him, her words were stuck in her throat. This was because she had seen the huge bite mark on his chin. She looked away guiltily, trying to pretend she did not see it.


    Huo Zheng did not let her get away with it. He held her waist and asked, ¡°Did you see it? This is evidence of your evil deed¡­¡±


    ¡®Look at how he¡¯sining first!¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan stepped on his foot and red at him. ¡°How dare you talk nonsense? Whomitted evil deeds?¡±


    s, her voice was soft, and she looked harmless. Huo Zheng was even more amused when he heard her words. After helping her put on her slippers, he carried her to the kitchen downstairs.


    The Huo family¡¯s old residence was big so there were always employees around all year round. The difference was whether there were more or fewer people depending on the asion.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was being carried, was embarrassed and blushed when she saw the employees.


    ¡°Let me down. 1 can walk.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not let her go. He did not even pause and carried her straight to the dining room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Brother and Sister-inw often do this. They¡¯re used to it.¡±


    While Lin Xiaowan was eating, Huo Zheng gave her a red packet. This was not the first time she received a red packet from him. He had given her onest year as well. Instead of cash, her red packet contained a card.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother. You¡¯re the best,¡± Lin Xiaowan said coquettishly.


    Seeing that there was no one in the dining room, Huo Zheng leaned over and kissed her. After that, he did not let her go. Instead, he pulled her over onto hisp and hugged her as she continued to eat.


    After the meal, Huo Zheng showed Lin Xiaowan the interior design for the house in Xilin Imperial Garden, which was being renovated. The design was simple with muted colors. At this time, it was only equipped with basic furniture and appliances. There was no need for major renovations, and they only needed to decorate the house and buy furniture.


    Lin Xiaowan did not need to do much. She only needed to look at the designs to see if she liked them.


    A weekter, Lin Xiaowan received a notification from the Venus Hope Competition, informing her that she had advanced to the next round again.


    She was ying with Little Chestnut when she received the call. She was a little shocked when she heard about it.


    ¡°I managed to advance to the next round again? How many rounds are there in total?¡±

 Chapter 150 - 150: The Engagement Banquet

    Chapter 150: The Engagement Banquet


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    On the other end of the line, a woman replied gently, ¡°Thest round will begin after seven days. We¡¯ve officially invited experts in the art world to judge the artworks. The final results will be out after that.¡±


    ¡°I called you not only to announce your advancement to the next round, but to also inform you that the final round will be conducted live. The judging and the scores will bepletely transparent to be fair. Do you have time toe to the venue?¡± the other party said before informing Lin Xiaowan about the time and location.


    The venue was the studio of Shengjing Broadcasting Tower.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. She said, not in a hurry to confirm her attendance, ¡°1 can¡¯t confirm it now. Can 1 let you know at ater date?¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll send you an e-invitationter. At that time, you can confirm your attendance. We¡¯ll also have someone send you a physical invitation, the other party said, ¡°Oh, right, you can also bring your family and friends. Just fill in the number of people you n to bring at the bottom of the invitation before sending it back to us. However, the maximum number of people you can bring is only three.¡±


    After the call ended, Lin Xiaowan quickly checked her e-mail. The Venus Hope Competition¡¯s invitation for the finals was already in her inbox.


    When Huo Zheng returned, Lin Xiaowan ran over impatiently.


    ¡°Huo Zheng!¡±


    Huo Zheng opened his arms and hugged her tightly. Then, he tapped her forehead lightly as he said, ¡°You didn¡¯t wear your house slippers again.¡±


    It was not too bad if they were at home, but there was no floor heating in the old residence. She would get cold whenever she walked around barefooted, but she never learned her lesson.


    ¡°Let me tell you something,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, showing him the e-mail, ¡°Look, I advanced to the next round again. A staff member of the Venus Hope Competition called me today and asked if 1 could attend the final round.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Huo Zheng said. After taking a seat on the couch with Lin Xiaowan in his arms, he read the e-mail and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have much to do that day. Do you want to go?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve seen the other participants¡¯ artworks. 1 don¡¯t think I¡¯ll win. It feels like there¡¯s no point in going¡­¡± Then, she asked curiously, ¡°What will it be like?¡±


    ¡°The judges will probablyment on the artworks since you said it¡¯ll be broadcasted live. They¡¯ll likely show the artworks along with the artists. If you don¡¯t like it, then don¡¯t go,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    When Lin Xiaowan was reminded that it would be broadcasted live, she no longer wanted to go. ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯ll definitely show the participants. I think 1 won¡¯t go.¡±


    There might be quite a number of people watching the live broadcast. Not many people might know her name, but her face had be quite recognizable. She did not like appearing in front of the camera.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan typed out a short and polite reply before she declined the invitation.


    Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng still had to wait for a while before they could move into the house in Xilin Imperial Garden. For this reason, they had been staying in the old residence for this period of time. She spent her days ying with Little Chestnut along with Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao.


    The Lantern Festival was in two days.


    The two children were given a task toplete during their winter vacation. They decided to make dumplings. As long as they took photos and wrote in their diary, this homework would be consideredpleted.


    Lin Xiaowan recalled the years when her grandfather was still alive. Due to his weak digestive ability, he would mix millet flour with a little glutinous flour and brown sugar to make brown sugar glutinous balls. They were not very sweet, and the skin was soft. It might not be as delicious as ordinary glutinous balls, but the taste is very unique. She asked tentatively if she could make them.


    Qiao You¡¯an readily agreed and prepared the ingredients for Lin Xiaowan.


    On the day of the Lanter Festival, Huo Zheng decided to work from home. When everyone was done with their work, they gathered to do this ¡®homework¡¯ together.


    While they were chatting, Qiao You¡¯an mentioned the engagement banquet.


    She said, ¡°When spring arrives, you should attend Fashion Week with me. It¡¯s a good chance for you to look at new clothes. We need new clothes for the engagement banquet after all. You can pick the ones you like first. After all, it¡¯ll take a while for them to send the clothes over.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not find the recipe for the glutinous balls her grandfather made so she decided to go with her instincts. At this moment, she was filling a mixing bowl with water to make the dough. When she heard Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s words, she paused for a moment. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t we usually have banquets after the Lantern Festival? There¡¯s no need to deliberately organize an engagement banquet. We can just announce it during one of those banquets.¡±


    ¡°You have to have an engagement banquet. We can¡¯t do it so casually,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said, worried that Lin Xiaowan would be wronged.


    Lin Xiaowan did not pay much attention to this matter. In her mind, this was just a small matter. She said softly with a hint of pleading, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to, Sister-inw. I don¡¯t think it needs to be so grand. We can just simply announce it.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an found it hard to refuse Lin Xiaowan so she turned to re at Huo Zheng. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you making a sound?¡±


    Huo Zheng helped Lin Xiaowan wipe off the flour on her hand. He did not seem to mind his sister-inw pushing the matter to him. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s just do what Qingqing wants.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an felt a little helpless when she heard this. Regarding matters like this, Huo Zheng usually followed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wish. As for Huo Cheng, she knew she would not be able to help her in this matter.


    Qiao You¡¯an thought about it for a moment. In the end, she could only say, ¡°Let¡¯s just get this matter done when springes. Don¡¯t dy this matter.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in agreement.


    For wealthy families, an engagement or marriage was not so simple. There might be other factors involved such as their families¡¯ interests and the like. However, Lin Xiaowan was alone. In her opinion, there was no need for her to have a grand engagement banquet.


    The Sunday after the Lantern Festival was the final round of the Venus Hope Competition. The artworks that made it passed the first two rounds would be evaluated on the spot that day.


    The event would start at 10 AM.


    Lin Xiaowan clicked on the link to the live broadcast that was posted on the Venus Hope Competition¡¯s official website.


    The official website had a list of the artworks that had advanced to the final round. In total, there were 30 artworks. Lin Xiaowan was ranked 17th so she figured that her artwork would be evaluated sometime in the afternoon.


    In the venue, apart from the judges and the participants, there was also the audience. Although their number was not high, there were still at least 100 of them..

 Chapter 151 - 151: Worst Case Scenario

    Chapter 151: Worst Case Scenario


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After the introduction of the program, the host introduced the 30 participants one by one. The camera would then pan to those who were present.


    Upon seeing this, Lin Xiaowan sighed in relief, thinking that it was a good thing that she decided not to go. Moreover, there were cameras everywhere in the studio. She knew how observant theizens were. If she appeared on camera, there was a chance they would discover the video and make the connections again.


    The judges¡¯ evaluations were naturally very helpful. However, after listening for a while, Lin Xiaowan was confused by the professional terms they used.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Huo Zheng since he knew today was the final round of the Venue Hope Competition. However, she soon discovered it was Hong Minhua, whom she had not seen in half a month.


    ¡°Happy new year, Grandma Hong,¡± Lin Xiaowan said softly as soon as she answered the call.


    Hong Minhua chuckled and said, ¡°Happy new year! When are youing back from the Huo family¡¯s old residence? I¡¯ll give you a red packet when our lessons resume.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll being back soon,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Then, she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Grandma Hong? Why did you suddenly call me?¡±


    ¡°I saw the artwork you submitted for the Venus Hope Competition. Your painting is very good,¡± Hong Minhua said with a smile. She was clearly satisfied with the artwork Lin Xiaowan submitted.


    Lin Xiaowan tried to adhere to the principle of fairness as much as she could. Apart from showing her draft to Hong Minhua in the beginning and listening to the other party¡¯s suggestions for improvement, she did not ask for any help after that. The entire thing waspletely her own creation.


    It was her first time painting so many details. It was very different from her previous paintings of various sceneries and anthropomorphic characters.


    Lin Xiaowan was satisfied with the artwork she submitted, but the feeling of being praised by Hong Minhua gave her a different feeling. After all, a professional praised her work. It was definitely something to be happy about. Even if she did not win, it did not matter.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled and said sweetly, sounding a little shy, ¡°Thank you for your praise, Grandma Hong.¡±


    After praising Lin Xiaowan a few more times, Hong Minhua said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the other works as well. Yours is very good. Although it¡¯s a little difficult to win the first prize, it¡¯s not impossible. In any case, whether you win or not, I hope you won¡¯t be discouraged or sad, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not care about this. ¡°Grandma Hong, I know. I don¡¯t worry.¡±


    There were a lot of participants, and many of them did not even pass the first round of selection. This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first time participating in thepetition, even if it was not a professionalpetition, it was already impressive that she made it to the final round.


    After a short break in the middle of the show, the second half of the evaluation and scoring resumed.


    The full marks were 10.


    The judges¡¯ evaluation of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s artwork was quite positive, but they also mentioned many areas that needed improvement.


    Lin Xiaowan listened attentively and agreed with them. Before the final score was announced, she could not help but feel nervous.


    The judges gave their respective marks, and the full score was taken from the average.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s artwork scored 8.647. Among the paintings that had been evaluated until now, her painting was ranked third. For now, the highest-scoring painting had a score of 9.724, which was close to the full score. The second painting scored 9.335. Lin Xiaowan, who was in third ce now, was far behind the first two. This also meant that her current rank was very unstable. After all, there were still more than a dozen participants behind her who had yet to be evaluated. Not only that, but there was a person among them whose artwork Hong Minhua thought would get the highest score.


    Nheless, Lin Xiaowan was very satisfied with her score. She returned to the official website to look at the awards that would be given, she found that in the worst-case scenario, she would still get a constion prize.


    After looking at the list of awards, Lin Xiaowan felt sleepy. It did not take long before she leaned against the couch and fell asleep with a soft pillow in her arms.


    When the servants came over to change the tea, they tried their best not to disturb her sleep. One of them adjusted the heating for her and also covered her with a small nket.


    Lin Xiaowan was very friendly to the employees and spoke very sweetly to them. She was very easy to get along with and did not put on airs. As such, most of the employees had a good impression of her and liked her a lot.


    Lin Xiaowan was woken up by a phone call. She wokeup in a daze, thinking it was the rm. It took a while before she realized that it was a call from Huo Zheng.


    She asked sleepily, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why did you call me?¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled. He did not expect her to be sleeping at this time. ¡°Qingqing, were you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, no, I¡¯m watching the final round of thepetition¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan said, but when she looked at the huge screen in front of her, she eximed in surprise, ¡°Eh? It¡¯s already over!¡±


    Huo Zheng could not help butugh seeing how muddle-headed she was, thinking that she was really cute. ¡°You even fell asleep watching your ownpetition?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, embarrassed, ¡°1 didn¡¯t expect it as well¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wondered how she fared in the end. In any case, she was sure she would at least win the constion prize. Perhaps due to her certainty, she was not nervous at all and fell asleep.


    ¡°Qingqing, you¡¯re really amazing. Not only did you get fifth ce, but you also won the Most Creative award in thepetition.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡®1 managed to ce fifth?¡¯


    When she submitted her artwork, she also submitted a brief exnation of the inspiration behind her artwork. She had been inspired by Lin Qing, but for privacy reasons, she had omitted Lin Qing¡¯s name when she wrote about her inspiration.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before you¡¯ll be able to win the grand prize. You¡¯re the best. It seems like I¡¯ll have to think about how I can reward you,¡± Huo Zheng said before asking, ¡°Do you want to open a studio?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan refused him immediately. ¡°No, that¡¯s so troublesome! Painting is a hobby for me. I won¡¯t feel like painting anymore if it feels like work. It¡¯ll be boring.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Since you have your own ideas and opinions about this, I can only think of another reward.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the time and asked, ¡°Were you watching the live broadcast in the office?¡±


    ¡°I only watched your part and the ceremony at the end,¡± Huo Zheng replied truthfully. Heughed as he continued to say, ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to call you after I saw the results. I didn¡¯t expect to wake you up from your sleep.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scrunched up her small nose before she said, ¡°You¡¯re the boss, but you¡¯re setting a bad example for your employees. You actually cked off at work.¡±


    ¡°Your matters are more important than this¡­¡±

 Chapter 152 - 152: Cute?

    Chapter 152: Cute?


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The phone callsted for half an hour before Huo Zheng was reminded of a meeting by his assistant.


    After that, Lin Xiaowan looked at the Venus Hope Competition¡¯s official website. After the live broadcast ended, the winners were also listed on the website. Apart from that, the mysterious prize for the winner was also revealed. It was a paid family trip abroad, which included air tickets, amodations, and expenses. A tour guide and interpreter would also apany them during the trip. It would definitely be an enjoyable trip.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the person who ced first. As expected, it was the person whom Hong Minhua had mentioned earlier. The work was initially ranked 26th ced first with a score of 9.892.


    The colors were bold, and the lines were delicate. The painting was vivid and neat. It was almostparable to that of a professional. No one would expect that the artist was a deliveryman who loved painting. This proved that one could not judge a book by its cover.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly received an e-mail from the Venus Hope Competition. After filling out the form, all she had to do was wait for the 10,000 yuan she won from the Most Creative award to arrive.


    A staff member of the Venus Hope Competition also called Lin Xiaowan to ask if they could put her artwork up for sale in the gallery. Naturally, the profits would go to the artist. This was advantageous to the participants since the paintings could be sold at a high price.


    Nheless, Lin Xiaowan refused without taking much time to consider it. She wanted to frame the painting and give it to Lin Qing. It was also a form of support and affirmation for Lin Qing¡¯s choice of hobbies and life.


    The time for the Huo family¡¯s banquet had been set.


    Qiao You¡¯an invited Lin Xiaowan to fly overseas with her to attend Fashion Week before that. She nned to buy a few dresses for Lin Xiaowan.


    After announcing their engagement, Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng would move into their new home in Xilin Imperial Garden.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s award-winning artwork had been entrusted to Huo Zheng. He had asked someone to choose a good wooden frame for it.


    Two days before Lin Xiaowan left for Fashion Week with Qiao You¡¯an, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s character in the fantasy drama suddenly gained some poprity.


    At this time, there were only a few episodes left. It was finally revealed that Lin Xiaowan¡¯s character was the mastermind behind the scenes. Interestingly, the character had always been cursed at, but after her appearance, her image seemed to have improved.


    Lin Xiaowan nestled in Huo Zheng¡¯s arms as she watched the drama with him in the home theater.


    Although Huo Zheng did not know the full plot, he had briefly flipped through the script before. After all, he had helped Lin Xiaowan rehearse previously so he had some impression of it.


    He stroked her cheek with his thumb as he said, ¡°You look very beautiful, and your acting is good as well. Do you like acting?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes. ¡°What acting? I only sat there and said a few words. Moreover, 1 only appeared for a few minutes¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng smiled and did not respond to these words. Instead, he asked again, ¡°Do you like acting? If you do, 1 can get someone to find you a good role that won¡¯t be tiring¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. She felt that it would be quite stressful to be under scrutiny all the time, especially when the cameras were constantly trained on her. Finally, she said, ¡°No. I think it¡¯s very interesting to watch the filming process though. Perhaps when Sister Yuwu is filming again, 1¡¯11 follow her to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Okay, as long as you like it,¡± Huo Zheng said. As long as she was happy, he did not have any objection.


    Gu Yuwu sent a message to Lin Xiaowan. She was the one who told Lin Xiaowan that the goddess had be rtively popr. Since it was about 8 PM, she did not call, worried that she would disturb Lin Xiaowan¡¯s dinnertime.


    Lin Xiaowan logged onto Speaker. When she filmed the character of the goddess, she had not been exposed yet. After attending the charity auction with Gu Yuwu, many people knew what she looked like. After the fantasy drama began airing, people began to specte again.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯stest update on Speaker was the list of winners of the Venus Hope Competition. Her name was listed as Xiaowan, without her surname. With so many pieces of evidence, it would only take a short time before some observantizen pieced the puzzles together. As such, she took the initiative to say that she had participated in apetition. She wanted to write something since it was her first time participating in apetition and winning a prize. However, after thinking about it for a long time, she did not know what to say so she could only give up.


    Whether it was Huo Zheng, Qiao You¡¯an, Huo Cheng, Gu Yuwu, or Hong Minhua, the few people who were close to her had already praised her to the sky. With so much praise and encouragement, she could not help but overthink. She was worried that if she said too much on the Inte, people might misunderstand and think that she was showing off.


    After all, even the first person who won first prize did not even have a Speaker ount. The second-prize winner only posted a short message to express his gratitude. With these two people as aparison, Lin Xiaowan felt that she was too ostentatious.


    Currently, arge number of people who had watched thetest episode flooded Lin Xiaowan¡¯sment section.


    [Netizen #1: Wow! What kind of goddess is she? She even knows how to paint! How impressive!]


    [Netizen #2: Imagine this. There¡¯s no one in the divine realm except for the goddess. Imagine her holding her chin and painting in the divine realm because she¡¯s bored. It¡¯s a little cute, right?]


    [Netizen #3: She¡¯s so cute! The divine realm only has the goddess. Think about it, what else can she do but torment the main characters and toy with them?] [Netizen #4: Moreover, the goddess seemed to have seen the errors of her way in the end and saved everyone!]


    [Netizen #5: Don¡¯t you think her behavior is like that of a child who has been ignored and is only seeking attention?]


    [Netizen #6: The goddess looks so cute sitting there¡­]


    Lin Xiaowan read thements with her mouth agape.


    ¡®Cute?¡¯


    She recalled the goddess was supposed to be cold, ruthless, and decisive. Why did the goddess suddenly be cute? She wondered if her acting skills were that bad. However, no one said anything when she was filming. She was really puzzled when she thought about this..

 Chapter 153 - 153: Stunned

    Chapter 153: Stunned


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The character of the goddess was also hyped up by the production team. Seeing that the public¡¯s response was very good, they released a few of the behind-the-scenes clips and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice acting.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice waspletely different from the character she yed. Her voice was soft, to begin with, and she had no experience in voice acting. She sounded soft and slightly awlward when she said the lines,pletelycking the aura of a goddess. Instead, just like somements said, she sounded more like a child who had been ignored and was seeking attention.


    Many people who leftments in Lin Xiaowan¡¯sment section went to the drama¡¯s official ount to discuss the plot and the characters. After all, the finale wasing up, and everyone was following the drama closely.


    Inparison, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s participation in the Venus Hope Competition did not receive much attention. After all, it was just a localpetition in Shengjing, and she did not even rank first. It naturally could notpare to a drama that was being aired nationally.


    A small number ofments did discuss the Venus Hope Competition. However, the number was so small that thements about the fantasy drama easily drowned thements


    Qiao You¡¯an left the children behind and brought Lin Xiaowan with her for Fashion Week two days before it started.


    Fashion Week was a grand event in the fashion world. Many people would attend it, and the media would be there taking pictures and interviewing people.


    Lin Xiaowan and Qiao You¡¯an avoided the attention and entered through the back entrance. The show was from a foreign brand that had been around for a long time.


    Lin Xiaowan knew a little about the brand. She had quite a lot of clothes from the brand in her wardrobe.


    The brand had been around for hundreds of years, and in recent years, its clothes and essories became even more popr.


    Lin Xiaowan asked Qiao You¡¯an, ¡°Sister-inw, there¡¯s a celebrity couple behind us. Do you know them? I¡¯m certain the media will definitely take pictures of them. 1 heard their wedding will be held in a castle. Everyone said that the castle belongs to the actor. He¡¯s very rich.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan was gossiping, her ent from her hometown came out a little.


    Qiao You¡¯an nced at her and patted her head as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that rich. It isn¡¯t that easy to earn money in the entertainment industry. Moreover, one¡¯s poprity in the industry can fall in just a blink of an eye.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an knew a little about the castle wedding. The actress was quite ostentatious after all. She thought she was marrying into a rich family, but things were not as morous as they seemed. Moreover, the castle did not belong to the actor.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded, only half-understanding as she said, ¡°But 1 think it¡¯s quite easy to earn money in the entertainment industry. Just a movie can earn them tens of millions¡­¡±


    ¡°The industry is veryplicated, and there are many factors involved. If you want to act, look for Huo Zheng or Gu Yuwu, okay? Don¡¯t mess around on your own. You¡¯re so innocent that you¡¯ll be easily cheated.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. I don¡¯t want to act anyway. It¡¯s so scary to be stared at by so many people while filming.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯anughed. ¡°What¡¯s so scary? 1 saw the little goddess was acting very freely.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt embarrassed talking about this. Sheined, ¡°Sister-inw, you¡¯re teasing me again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you. The two little kids at home like it very much. They said you¡¯re as beautiful as a fairy,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said with a smile.


    The duo attended many shows for two days and bought quite a lot of things.


    Coincidentally, although the duo avoided the media, Lin Xiaowan was captured in the photo of a group of celebrities while she was covering her mouth as she wasughing and speaking to Qiao You¡¯an.


    A few observantizens immediately noticed the ¡®young goddess¡¯ who recently appeared on television.


    Lin Xiaowan only had a small cameo in the drama. She had never acted before that, and she was also not part of a managementpany. Not only that, she also did not have an extraordinary background. For this reason, many people began to wonder how she could attend Fashion Week.


    Some people spected that it was due to Gu Yuwu¡¯s good rtionship with Lin Xiaowan. They said that Gu Yuwu introduced her to influential people in the industry, hoping to use Lin Xiaowan in some way. In short, they spoke as though they knew what was happening.


    There were even a number of people who said that Lin Xiaowan was able to attend Fashion Week and wear branded clothing because she had a sugar daddy.


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned when she saw thesements. She was eating with Qiao You¡¯an when she found out about this.


    Qiao You¡¯an was naturally unhappy. Sheined about Huo Zheng immediately. ¡°What is Huo Zheng doing? Why aren¡¯t his subordinates monitoring the news online?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was also displeased that Gu Yuwu was dragged into this matter. ¡°Why are they talking about Sister Yuwu like that? They¡¯re really ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Someone probably doesn¡¯t like Gu Yuwu and took this opportunity to cause trouble for her. You don¡¯t have to worry too much. You don¡¯t know what Gu Yuwu is capable of.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pouted. ¡°But we can¡¯t just let them get away with this, right?¡±


    At the same time, Qiao You¡¯an sent a message to the family group chat, scolding Huo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan also sent a message, expressing her unhappiness about Gu Yuwu being dragged into this matter.


    Huo Zheng did not care about this. He only said, ¡°It¡¯s the entertainment industry after all. They like making mountains out of molehills. I¡¯ll remove the newster.¡±


    ¡°But 1 don¡¯t like them talking about Sister Yuwu like that. It¡¯s so unpleasant.¡±


    Gu Yuwu was apanying her dear husband on a trip. The time difference was huge where she was. Based on the time, she was likely sleeping at this moment and was unaware of the rumors that were being spread about her.


    When Gu Yuwu and her husband were dating, she had strictly told him that he was not to interfere in her life in the entertainment industry whether it was good or bad. As such, he had always been like an invisible person in this regard.


    Qiao You¡¯an looked at Lin Xiaowan who was reading thements angrily. Her face was puffed up, and she looked extremely cute.


    Qiao You¡¯an said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry. Just say whatever you want to them. There¡¯s no need to be so conflicted.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scoffed, putting her phone away as she muttered, ¡°Ha, 1 hate brainless people the most! What sugar daddy? I really hate people who make spections maliciously!¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an said, trying to appease her, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a photo with me? Why don¡¯t you post it for everyone to see? Let them know you don¡¯t have a sugar daddy.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was still thinking about how to respond when she heard Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s words. She paused for a moment. Indeed, they had taken a lot of photos during their trip. She had even carefully edited them before sending them to the family¡¯s group chat.


    Lin Xiaowan said hesitantly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad for you? You rarely appear in the media after all.¡±


    It was not just Qiao You¡¯an. The two Huo brothers were the same. They rarely posted photos of their private lives.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Our photos are beautiful.. What¡¯s wrong with letting people see


    them?¡±

 Chapter 154 - 154: The Wedding Gift

    Chapter 154: The Wedding Gift


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    [Lin Xiaowan: 1 attended Fashion Week with my sister-inw and ordered a few beautiful dresses! We also ate many delicious things. One of the restaurants was strongly rmended by a designer!]


    Lin Xiaowan posted two photos of her Qiao You¡¯an. One was of them at one of the shows, and the other was of them eating at a restaurant, showing many delicacies on the table. She had previously sent the photo to the group chat, making the four men of the Huo family envious.


    Needless to say, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s post quickly attracted a lot ofments.


    Unexpectedly, someone said that the photos only proved that Lin Xiaowan attended Fashion Week with a family member. The other party pointed out that Lin Xiaowan did not say anything about Gu Yuwu ¡®pimping¡¯ her out or that she had a sugar daddy, saying that her silence was acquiescence.


    Lin Xiaowan frowned and quickly responded to thement.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Sister Yuwu and my sister-inw are friends as well. We all know each other. Where did this brainless persone from? Go away! ]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Sister Yuwu is away on a trip with her husband. They should be sleeping now. I¡¯m going to tell her about thister!!!]


    Lin Xiaowan added three exmations to show her seriousness to those who were making wild spections.


    However, someizens seemed to miss the point and focused on a rather strange thing.


    [Netizen #1: Eh, your tone is like a child who has been bullied and is going toin to an adult.]


    [Netizen #2: So cute! That¡¯s right. All those brainless people should go away! Let these beautiful women live their lives!]


    [Netizen tty 1 can just imagine the goddess¡¯ face that still has a little baby fat and her voice when reading herments. There¡¯s no lethality at all when she said those harsh words! ]


    Although Qiao You¡¯an media presence was quite low, Huo Cheng was a prominent figure after all. He would even appear in international news sometimes. No matter how low-key she was, as his wife, people still knew her.


    Therefore, it did not take long before people recognized Qiao You¡¯an in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s photos.


    Lin Xiaowan said nervously, ¡°Sister-inw, so many people are talking about you now. Will this affect you? Should I delete this post and post something else?¡±


    At this time, the two women were applying skincare products on their faces before going to bed.


    Qiao You¡¯an said nonchntly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. When your engagement to Huo Zheng is announced, even more people will know about this. If you delete it now, people are going to specte again and say you¡¯re feeling guilty.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was confused. ¡°Why would they think I feel guilty?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an exined, ¡°Think about it. After posting photos with me, you deleted them before posting something else. People would think you were lying and felt guilty so you deleted the photos.¡±


    ¡°Ah, why is it soplicated? There are too many twists and turns.¡±


    However, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s little worry quickly disappeared.


    After Qiao You¡¯anforted Lin Xiaowan, she washed her face before she logged onto her ount and reposted the photos with a hugging emoji. After that, she did not forget to remind Huo Zheng not to act rashly.


    Although Huo Zheng did not fully understand Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s meaning, he still listened to her advice. After all, she was not only his sister-inw, but he knew she also cared about Lin Xiaowan. There was no doubt that she would not do anything that harmed the family.


    After attending the shows, the two women finally flew back.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s award-winning painting had already been framed in a beautiful and exquisite frame. As soon as she returned, she contacted Lin Qing and told him that she was going to send him the painting. Coincidentally, Lin Qing had a small request.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re in Shengjing,¡± Lin Qing said, ¡°Can you send some flower seeds?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally agreed. ¡°What kind of flower seeds do you want?¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine. You can pick whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Qing was pleasantly surprised when he received the painting. He really liked it, especially the elves and gnomes in the fruit and vegetable garden. It made him feel warm thinking about being surrounded by so many cute little creatures.


    The Huo family¡¯s banquet was fast approaching.


    Due to the time constraint, some of the dresses Lin Xiaowan bought had yet to arrive. In the end, she chose to wear a dusty blue tufted dress with delicate gauze and star-like embellishments. It entuated her wless skin.


    Huo Zheng hugged her waist and said unhappily, ¡°You¡¯re too skinny. Where does the food you eat go?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan spun around in front of the mirror. ¡°1 don¡¯t think so. 1 think I look good like this.¡±


    Huo Zheng took the ne from her hand and helped her put it on. He lowered his head and carefully fastened the sp for her. The ne was from Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s collection. It had an excellent emerald pendant. She paired it with a pair of earrings and bracelets, which were a wedding gift from Qiao You¡¯an.


    Huo Zheng said, ¡°Your aesthetics are weird. You¡¯re too skinny.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan snorted softly. She said with a pout, ¡°You¡¯re the one who has a weird aesthetic. Your clothes are always ck, dark blue, or gray.¡±


    The stylist had applied light makeup for Lin Xiaowan. The coral lipstick she applied was glossy, making her look especially cute when she pouted.


    Huo Zheng lowered his head and kissed her lightly. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you help me pick out my clothes, Qingqing? I¡¯ll wear the clothes you pick for me from now on.¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan did not have confidence in this aspect. After all, the few times she had dressed him, she had chosen extremely casual and youthful clothes. It was a far cry from his mature and steady image at work.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, pushing him away, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t kiss me. You¡¯re going to ruin my lipstick.¡±


    Huo Zheng smiled and did not say anything. However, he intentionally rubbed his face against hers.


    The banquet was held in the huge banquet room at the Huo family¡¯s old residence.


    Not many people were in attendance, and those who were invited were close family friends and business partners. The guests were carefully selected by Qiao You¡¯an and Huo Cheng. It could be said that those who were invited to the banquet were also those who would be invited to the wedding.


    The reason the number of guests was small was due to their consideration of Lin Xiaowan. They knew she was nervous in a big crowd so they only invited those closest to them.


    The banquet usually had more guests since its purpose was to interact with their peers. However, despite the number of guests, it seemed to be grander than before. As such, many guests were confused. However, after asking around, they found out what was going on.


    For now, Huo Cheng was still main character in the banquet room. A few of his close friends gathered around him, trying to ask him about this matter..

 Chapter 155 - 155: Playing With Little Chestnut Together-

    Chapter 155: ying With Little Chestnut Together-


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Coincidentally, some of them had visited Lin Xiaowan¡¯s dessert shop two days ago.


    ¡°My wife loves the dessert shop a lot. She always goes there for afternoon tea with her friends.¡±


    Huo Cheng said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s much more convenient for us. We can eat all kinds of cakes and desserts that Xiaowan makes herself. Many of them are not for sale.¡±


    Huo Cheng sounded a little like he was bragging just like a parent who was proud of his child.


    Another person asked, ¡°Howe Second Mrs. Huo hasn¡¯t been going to the shop recently?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something that just happened. She¡¯s been busy with other things recently.¡± ¡°Busy with other things? 1 heard that she won an artpetition recently.¡±


    ¡°I wonder when President Huo and the youngdy got together? It seems very sudden. Which family is she from?¡±


    The title ¡®President Huo¡¯ was used exclusively for Huo Zheng since he managed the entire group. On the other hand, Huo Cheng, who was a prominent figure in the political world, was usually addressed as Mr. Huo.


    ¡°The Huo family never cares about these things. We¡¯ve known Xiaowan for a long time now. She¡¯s not a youngdy from a prestigious family; she¡¯s only from an ordinary family. In the end, everyone¡¯s the same after all. We¡¯re all ordinary people from ordinary families.¡±


    In fact, Huo Cheng¡¯s words were very modest. If the Huo family was considered ordinary, then what about ordinary people?


    Nheless, everyone could see that Lin Xiaowan was extremely favored by the Huo family.


    In the huge changing room upstairs.


    Qiao You¡¯an knocked on the door.


    ¡°Are you done changing, Xiaowan?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly pushed the man next to her away and replied, ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯m done.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an walked into the room. She was wearing a champagne-colored slim-fitting dress. She looked like an elegant and intellectual beauty.


    Lin Xiaowan was instantly mesmerized by Qiao You¡¯an. She eximed, ¡°Wow! Sister-inw, you look extremely beautiful!¡±


    ¡°What a sweet mouth,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said with a smile, ¡°Gu Yuwu is here. She¡¯s talking to President Cheng of Chenghong Technology on the balcony. She was worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to find herter so she sent me here to tell you about this.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan held Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Okay. By the way, what should I doter? Is it enough for me to just show my face?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was worried you¡¯d feel ufortable. Let Huo Cheng and Huo Zheng deal with it. You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±


    The media was not invited to the banquet, after all.


    During the banquet, Lin Xiaowan held Huo Zheng¡¯s hand the entire time. asionally, when they spoke, he would lower his head slightly and look at her with a gentle expression on his face. Based on his attitude, many things were obvious.


    Lin Xiaowan could feel many people¡¯s eyes on her. She was a little reserved, but she was not as afraid of being stared at as before. After a short while, she lifted her dress slightly and went to the balcony to look for Gu Yuwu. After chatting for a while, she sent someone to tell Huo Zheng that she and the others were going to see Little Chestnut.


    Since the women were together, Huo Zheng did not want to disturb them. He only said to the employee in a low voice, ¡°Get the kitchen to prepare some light snacks and send them over.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not eat much, and he was worried she would be hungry.


    Cheng Ruitong had seen videos of Little Chestnut, and this was her first time meeting it. For this reason, she was shocked when she saw therge furball.


    ¡°I thought it was quite big when I saw it in the videos. However, it¡¯s even bigger than 1 imagined.¡±


    Little Chestnut¡¯s temperament was quite good. It was cute and not afraid of strangers at all. It circled the few of them curiously and even took its toys over to y with them. Its huge fluffy tail pointed up, looking like a feather duster.


    Gu Yuwu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s so soft!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°It¡¯s suspected that Little Chestnut¡¯s father is a Maine Coon. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so big.¡±


    In fact, Little Chestnut looked big because of its fluffy fur as well. Its fur was soft and felt extremely good to the touch. Lin Xiaowan particrly liked hugging Little Chestnut when she was watching movies, stroking it endlessly.


    After a while, Gu Yuwu asked Lin Xiaowan if she had been on Speaker recently. Lin Xiaowan shook her head slightly and said, ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of things going on recently. I¡¯ll be moving to Xilin Imperial Garden soon. I¡¯ve been decorating Little Chestnut¡¯s room recently. 1 saw a lot of cat supplies, and 1 really like all of them.¡±


    The house in Xilin Imperial Garden was big. An entire floor had been cleared out to be used as Little Chestnut¡¯s room. It even came with a few rooms. Lin Xiaowan had also hired a groomer toe over regrly to groom Little Chestnut.


    After saying that, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Did those nonsensements affect you?¡±


    Cheng Ruitong was the president of apany, after all. She had so many things to do every day that she wished she could clone herself. Apart from work matters, she rarely paid attention to other matters. As she teased Little Chestnut, she asked, ¡°What nonsensements?¡±


    Gu Yuwu scoffed disdainfully before she said, ¡°Your family worked fast. When 1 woke up, nothing was left. However, one of my employees took screenshots so 1 scolded them one by one.¡±


    After that, Gu Yuwu briefly exined that she was used of being a ¡®pimp¡¯ and that she was looking for a sugar daddy for Lin Xiaowan. She also told about how some people actually believed these ridiculous and groundless usations.


    ¡°I really hate people who spout nonsense like this. It¡¯s not just thoseizens, but I hate people who are like this in real life as well,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Back when she was staying with her grandmother, the old women in the neighborhood loved to gossip the most. Her life at that time was not peaceful, and she could not even exin herself. For this reason, she hated people who made up ridiculous rumors the most.


    Although the matter was already over, Lin Xiaowan puffed her cheeks up and said sullenly, ¡°I¡¯m still angry whenever I think about it. I¡¯m going to post a photo after this!¡±


    With an idea in her mind, Lin Xiaowan took a photo of Gu Yuwu and Cheng Ruitong ying with Little Chestnut. She also asked Gu Yuwu to take a photo of her as well. She deliberately hid their faces. After that, she posted the few photos on Speaker.


    [Lin Xiaowan: ying with Little Chestnut together-]


    ¡®Hmph, since those evil people like to specte so much, then let them specte! I won¡¯t say who is in these photos¡­¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself smugly. Even if the others could guess that one of the people in the photos was Gu Yuwu, they definitely would not be able to guess that Cheng Ruitong was also in the photos..

 Chapter 156 - 156: The House in Xilin Imperial Garden

    Chapter 156: The House in Xilin Imperial Garden


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Although the media was not invited to the banquet to keep things low-key, the Huo Corporation¡¯s official ount gave everyone a red packet with 666 yuan the next day. Thepany even gave out desserts during afternoon tea. The desserts were from Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shop.


    The employees who received the red packets were extremely surprised and happy. They asked about it before their superior identally leaked the matter. With this, the employees found out that red packets were a gift from the president to celebrate his engagement.


    Lin Xiaowan was unaware of this. After posting the photos to Speaker that day, she had cleaned up her inbox. It was also at that time that she discovered a message from a small snackpany asking if she could design a logo for their brand.


    Thepany was not very famous. Lin Xiaowan searched for relevant information and saw that thepany was registered not long ago. Clearly, they had only started their business recently. They mainly sold processed fruit products such as canned fruit, dried fruit, and fruit syrup. Although their sales volume was only average, the number of positive reviews was quite high. Even the negative reviews were only rted to problems with the shipping and packaging. After reading the reviews carefully, she found that everyone liked their products.


    Lin Xiaowan replied to the message, and the other party quickly called back.


    The snackpany was called The Laughing Buddha. They wanted a monkey in their logo because the three founders of thepany were born in the year of the monkey. They were all fresh graduates so the budget given to Lin Xiaowan was not much. For this reason, the person who reached out to Lin Xiaowan felt slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Well send you some of our products so you and your friends can try them¡­¡±


    To Lin Xiaowan, money was not an important matter now. There was another thing that made her feel hesitant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never designed a logo before so 1 don¡¯t know if I can do it well. However, I¡¯m quite interested in this. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll sketch out a draft for you to see first.¡±


    The other party said, filled with praise, ¡°We¡¯ve seen your painting that you won an award for, and we really like your style.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was surprised that the other party contacted her because of the artwork she submitted for thepetition. She felt a surge of joy from being recognized.


    Lin Xiaowan quickly went to work andpleted the first draft quickly.


    The little monkey she drew carried a small cloth sack over its shoulder. It had a strawberry in its mouth and carried various fruits in its hands. The small cloth sack was also filled with fruits. Even the ne around its neck was made of litchi.


    Lin Xiaowan showed Huo Zheng the first draft and asked, filled with anticipation, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It looks good and cute. The other party will definitely like it.¡±


    Huo Zheng, who was not very eloquent, tried his best to sound sincere. His expression was also serious as though he was looking at a billion-dor contract.


    After that, Huo Zheng said, ¡°We¡¯re moving tomorrow. Everything has been packed. 1¡¯11 get the driver to send you there tomorrow. Also, see if you have left anything behind.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied with a nod as she hugged her sketchbook to her chest.


    ¡°Alright, you can continue drawing tomorrow. Go to sleep now, okay?¡± Huo Zheng asked, bringing her pajamas over.


    The deadline given by the other party was especially lenient. She had a week to show the other party the first draft so she was not in a hurry.


    The next day.


    They moved to the house in Xilin Imperial Garden. It was really big. The front yard and backyard were filled with newly nted flowers and nts; they were lush and full of vitality. After all, spring was the season of growth


    Aunt Wu had also moved in and was waiting for Lin Xiaowan at the door.


    Their things had been sent over in advance, and Little Chestnut¡¯s room was also almostpleted.


    Lin Xiaowan carried Little Chestnut and got out of the car. After that, she put Little Chestnut down so Little Chestnut could explore the new ce. Then, she turned to look at Huo Zheng, who was in the midst of a conversation, and asked, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    Huo Zheng was talking to a man and a woman at this time.


    The man was a little older and a little overweight with an obvious beer belly. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit. All in all, he looked jolly and kind.


    On the other hand, the woman looked very young; she was probably in her early twenties. She was dressed very fashionably, and her make-up was exquisite. Her hair was curled, and she wore her sunsses on top of her head. At this time, she held the arm of the man next to her.


    Upon hearing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s question, Aunt Wu shook her head. ¡°I think they¡¯re here to give President Huo a gift. When we were moving two days ago, they came once. The man wanted to talk to President Huo but was rejected. I don¡¯t know why he came he again today¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°Is that his daughter?¡±


    The young woman looked like she was at least 20 twenty years younger than the man. It seemed logical for her to be the man¡¯s daughter.


    Aunt Wu almost burst outughing, but she quickly held it in. Then, she leaned closer to Lin Xiaowan and whispered, ¡°I received them when they first came. They¡¯re a couple¡­¡±


    In fact, calling the duo a couple was over-simplifying things. Aunt Wu had seen many people in her life. With just a nce, she could tell that one of them was not really willing. In any case, their rtionship was clearly not simple.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise upon hearing those words. She thought to herself, ¡®With this age gap¡­ It seems like they really love each other for them to be together¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan no longer paid attention to this matter after that. She was just curious to see visitors as soon as she moved in. After asking about it, she threw the matter to the back of her mind.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pond over there. I¡¯m going to put these fish in. Miss Lin, do you want toe and take a look?¡± Aunt Wu asked, holding a small jar in her hands. There were another seven or eight jars on the ground. Each jar contained a different fish.


    ¡°Who bought them? Huo Zheng?¡± Lin Xiaowan was slightly curious.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aunt Wu said, ¡°Thendscapingpany President Huo hired said that it¡¯d be good to raise fish in the small pond to add to the scenery¡­¡±


    Aunt Wu continued to say, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see? The person who brought the fish over just left. He was very careful with all of them. It¡¯s obvious that the fish are not only beautiful, but they¡¯re expensive as well.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know much about fish, but it did not stop her from nodding her head approvingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Little Chestnut into the house first before going to the small pond with you. Are we going to feed the fish? 1 want to feed the fish!¡±


    At this moment, Little Chestnut ran over to Huo Zheng and circled him curiously.


    Huo Zheng was already familiar with Little Chestnut at this point. He listened to the man ttering him as he calmly bent down to pick Little Chestnut up. However, Little Chestnut ignored him and quickly slipped away from his hands..

 Chapter 157 - 157: Designing a Logo

    Chapter 157: Designing a Logo


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan had just walked over at this time, and Little Chestnut immediately ran over to her, acting coquettishly. As soon as she bent down, Little Chestnut leaped into her arms.


    When the rotund man saw Lin Xiaowan, the smile on his face widened before he said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of the Second Madam. 1 finally got to meet her. Hello!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly overwhelmed by the other party¡¯s enthusiasm. She hesitated, wondering if she should reach out to shake the other party¡¯s hand. However, Little Chestnut was very big now, and it was difficult to pull her hand out at this moment. Then, she looked at Huo Zheng for help.


    Huo Zheng wrapped his arm around her waist. Although he was expressionless, his gaze was gentle. He ignored the man in front of him and asked Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Have you gone in to take a look? If there¡¯s anything missing, get someone to send it over.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stroked the cat in her arms and said softly with a hint of excitement, ¡°1 haven¡¯t gone in yet. I¡¯m going to follow Aunt Wu to release the fish in the pond after this.¡±


    After that, she added, ¡°I saw Little Chestnut run here earlier. 1 was worried she would run away so I¡¯m going to put her in the house first.¡±


    Perhaps women were sensitive to each other. Lin Xiaowan could tell that the young woman, who was holding the rotund man¡¯s arm, was paying close attention to her and Huo Zheng¡¯s simple conversation. Although the other party was quite discreet, she could still sense a hint of hostility. The other party¡¯s gaze was simr to those who used to gossip maliciously about her in her hometown.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little curious and puzzled. After all, she was certain this was her first time meeting the other party.


    When Lin Xiaowan looked up, the young woman was not afraid at all. She smiled and said, filled with praise, ¡°Your cat is really beautiful. When I¡¯m free, can Ie over and y with your cat?¡±


    The young woman seemed to realize her words were a little abrupt after she finished speaking so she quickly added, ¡°I have a cat too. However, it¡¯s just an ordinary cat. It¡¯s not as beautiful as yours. What kind of cat is this? Was it expensive when you bought it?¡±


    The young woman spoke so much that Lin Xiaowan did not know how to respond for a moment. After a short moment, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it. 1 adopted it. Ordinary cats are also very beautiful. No, all cats are beautiful.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have a very good impression of the young woman due to the hostility she sensed from the other party. As such, she naturally did not want to have any further intersection with the other party if possible. It would be troublesome if the other party visited using Little Chestnut as an excuse.


    Huo Zheng could tell Lin Xiaowan was unwilling. Without giving the young woman a chance to speak again, he hugged Lin Xiaowan and said gently, ¡°Alright, you can go in first. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to release the fish with Aunt Wu?¡±


    As soon as Lin Xiaowan left with Little Chestnut, his gentle aura vanished immediately, and he was back to looking aloof.


    The rotund man came hoping to get the Huo Corporation to invest in his project. However, after listening for a while, Huo Zheng already found many ws with the projects. It was definitely not a promising project. He did not want to waste his time listening to the other party anymore and said a few words to send the other party away.


    The man, who wanted to cooperate with Huo Zheng, naturally had an ulterior motive. Hispany had suffered a loss and urgently needed investment. On the surface, thepany seemed stable and prosperous, but only he and a few of his confidants knew that thepany was losing money. At this rate, it would not be long before thepany went under. For this reason, he was very reluctant to leave. After all, it would not be so easy for him to meet Huo Zheng again.


    After listening to the young woman¡¯s earlier words, an idea appeared in the rotund man¡¯s mind. He quickly said, ¡°You just moved here so I¡¯m sure you have many things to deal with. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. If you don¡¯t mind, she¡¯lle over and y with the cat when she has the time.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Huo Zheng said lightly before sending the duo away.


    The man¡¯s surname was Li, and he was known as Old Mr. Li. He knew his ce and did not continue to pester Huo Zheng. After he left with Lu Yingxin, his little lover, his expression was no longer amiable like before. He shook off Lu Yingxin¡¯s hand and warned her, ¡°Do you want to cling to a rich and powerful person? Keep your greedy eyes away from President Huo. He¡¯s not someone you can afford to provoke.¡±


    The smile on Lu Yingxin¡¯s face froze for a moment. However, she recovered quickly and reached out to hold Old Mr. Li¡¯s hand again as though nothing happened. She said ingratiatingly, ¡°Hubby, what are you talking about? 1 don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about your filthy thoughts,¡± Old Mr. Li said with a sneer, ¡°You also have a cat? What cat do you have? Weren¡¯t you just trying to get closer to him?¡±


    Lu Yingxin giggled. She did not seem to care that they were still outside as she deliberately leaned against Old Mr. Li¡¯s body and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m the cat¡­ Doesn¡¯t Old Mr. Li like this cat?¡±


    Old Master Li¡¯s breathing quickened. He tightened his hold on her and said meaningfully, ¡°See how 1 deal with you when we get home.¡±


    The house in Xilin Imperial Garden was big. The room with the best lighting on the first floor was used as Lin Xiaowan¡¯s studio.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have much to do after moving. Aftermunicating with the person from The Laughing Buddha, the snackpany, she devoted herself to sketching the logo.


    This was the first time someone had hired Lin Xiaowan to do such a thing. As such, she was filled with enthusiasm.


    The snackpany initially thought the entire process would take about a month. However, from the time the first draft was submitted to the time the final draft was submitted, only two weeks had passed. Since the logo was an original work, it cost a little more.


    When the other party saw the first draft, he had given Lin Xiaowan a 30% deposit. After the final draft was submitted, he readily transferred the remaining payment to her. He really liked the little monkey that Lin Xiaowan drew. Although thepany was not well-off, they did not dy the payment at all.


    Lin Xiaowan was very happy with the other party¡¯s attitude. After getting paid, she called Huo Zheng excitedly.


    ¡°Huo Zheng! I made money! I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not conceal her happiness at all. Although this was not her first time getting paid, she felt as though she had just started working and had just received her first pay.


    Huo Zheng happily agreed before he said, ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to talk to me? You¡¯ve been holed up in the studio recently. You were even busier than me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled sheepishly. Indeed, she had not paid much attention to Huo Zheng over the past two days. She had been focused on designing the logo. After all, if nothing unexpected happened, thepany would use the logo for a very long time. Even if there were changes in the future, it was likely that the changes would not be big. Hence, she was very focused when designing it, paying attention to all the details.


    ¡°What should we eat tonight?¡±

 Chapter 158 - 158: The Young Woman from the Other Day

    Chapter 158: The Young Woman from the Other Day


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°I should be the one asking you that. After all, I¡¯m the one treating you to a meal.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. However, you¡¯re not allowed to pick somewhere extremely expensive!¡± Lin Xiaowan quickly said, ¡°Nevermind, you don¡¯t have to think about it. I¡¯ll do the choosing instead!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Then will youe and pick me up from work, Qingqing?¡± Huo Zheng asked gently. Then, he quickly added, ¡°Sister-inw often goes to pick Brother up from work.¡±


    In fact, Huo Zheng was not being very truthful. Qiao You¡¯an did not go to Huo Cheng¡¯s office if there was nothing important.


    Lin Xiaowan did not think too much about it and said, ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll tell the driver about this.¡±


    Late in the afternoon.


    The driver was waiting while Lin Xiaowan was choosing what shoes to wear at the entrance.


    At this moment, Aunt Wu came over and said there was a visitor looking for Lin Xiaowan. The other party was Lu Yingxin, the young woman from the other day, so she did not dare to casually let the other party in.


    Lin Xiaowan put her shoes on as she asked hesitantly with a frown on her face, ¡°Did she say why she came?¡±


    Aunt Wu replied, ¡°She carried a cat with her. She said she wanted the cats to socialize. I guess she means that she wants the cats to y together¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had sensed the other party¡¯s bad vibes so she was naturally not willing to meet the other party. She asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the driver? In the front porch?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan called the driver and asked the driver to wait for her in the underground garage. She could directly take the elevator down to the garage in the house. With this, she could avoid the other party.


    After ending the call, she said to Aunt Wu, ¡°I don¡¯t know her. Just tell her that I have something to do and that I have to leave. Don¡¯t let her in.¡±


    Aunt Wu had spent quite some time with Lin Xiaowan so she had a certain understanding of Lin Xiaowan. As soon as she heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words, she naturally knew Lin Xiaowan¡¯s meaning.


    After Lin Xiaowan left, Aunt Wu walked to the gate and said in a neither servile nor arrogant manner, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss. Second Madam has something to do and has already gone out.¡±


    It had been ten minutes since Aunt Wu went in and came out again. Lu Yingxin knew that Lin Xiaowan was likely unwilling to see her. It did not matter if Lin Xiaowan had gone out or not, and it did not matter if it was true or not. No matter what, the result would be the same: she could not enter the house.


    Lu Yingxin had noticed a silver Maybach parked on the front porch earlier when she arrived. However, in fewer than two minutes, it drove away. She surmised that the driver was picking up Lin Xiaowan.


    Thinking about the big house, the luxury car, and how Lin Xiaowan had a driver to drive her around, Lu Yingxin felt extremely jealous and envious. She felt that it was extremely unfair. They were clearly about the same age. Why did she have to work so hard to please and tter a fat old man only to get a bag while the other party could just sit back and enjoy all the wealth and glory? Moreover, previously, she was also scolded by the old man for having filthy thoughts.


    The more Lu Yingxin thought about it, the more unwilling she felt.


    ¡®He¡¯s just a man no matter what. I don¡¯t believe that a man can remain unmoved when faced with temptation¡­¡¯


    With this thought in mind, Lu Yingxin adjusted her expression and said with a polite smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll visit again next time. I saw that there¡¯s a cat here the other days so 1 thought we¡¯d be able to exchange tips on raising cats¡­¡±


    Lu Yingxin stroked the cat as she spoke. The cat had orange fur and round eyes. It was small and looked listless. Perhaps it was wary of the environment, it looked a little nervous as well.


    Although Aunt Wu thought that there was no need for Lu Yingxin to visit again, she still smiled when she sent Lu Yingxin away.


    When Lu Yingxin returned home, she casually tossed the small orange cat aside. It was not easy for her toe to Xilin Imperial Garden. Old Mr. Li had bought a house here, and she had to beg him every time she wanted toe over. The security of Xilin Imperial Garden was very tight so she could not casuallye over on her own.


    Initially, after convincing Old Mr. Li to let here over, she thought she would be able to get closer to Lin Xiaowan. Unexpectedly, she failed to even see Lin Xiaowan, let alone speak to Lin Xiaowan.


    Lu Yingxin found the cat to be an eyesore. She had bought the cat from a market for a very low price. In her eyes, it was thin and ugly. It did not want to get close to her at all. It trembled in her arms when she carried it.


    ¡°Stupid cat! You¡¯re really ungrateful! If I didn¡¯t buy you, you would¡¯ve been abandoned!¡± Lu Yingxin said angrily as she kicked the cat.


    The little orange cat yowled. After a while, it crawled over shakily to drink some water in a small bowl. Then, it curled up into a ball andy still.


    On the way to the Huo Corporation, Lin Xiaowan bought a bouquet of flowers. She was not very sure if Huo Zheng liked flowers. However, women were always happy to receive flowers. Although he was a man, she thought that he should be happy too.


    Before she arrived, she received a call from Huo Zheng.


    ¡°Qingqing, where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting at the traffic light near the intersection. I should arrive within ten minutes.¡±


    Huo Zheng replied, ¡°Okay. I have ast-minute meeting. I¡¯ll tell my assistant to wait for you at the entrance. Come up and wait for me, okay?¡±


    Every time Huo Zheng spoke to Lin Xiaowan, his voice was gentle. It sounded like he was coaxing her.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s fine if you have work. There¡¯s no rush,¡± Lin Xiaowan said easily.


    The doorman recognized Huo Zheng¡¯s car and number te. The car had just pulled and had yet to stoppletely when he had already stepped forward to open the door. When he saw a slender hand reaching out, he was stunned and instinctively looked up.


    Lin Xiaowan held arge bouquet of flowers and smiled at the doorman, revealing her dimples. She said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the doorman quickly said before he added tentatively, ¡°S-second Madam?¡±


    Before Lin Xiaowan could reply, Huo Zheng¡¯s assistant, who was waiting at the entrance, walked over. ¡°Hello, Second Madam.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded at the doorman again before she left with the assistant. Since it was still within working hours, the employees were still around. When the receptionist on duty saw Huo Zheng¡¯s assistant leading a young woman holding a bouquet of flowers to the elevator, she perked up immediately. She did not waste time and sent a message to the group chat.


    [Receptionist: Second Madam is here! The president¡¯s assistant brought her to use the president¡¯s special elevator! She¡¯s holding a big bouquet of flowers.. *crying tears of excitement*]

 Chapter 159 - 159: How Much Did We Earn?

    Chapter 159: How Much Did We Earn?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    [cking Employee #1:1 heard that the actress of the goddess is the Second Madam! Is it true? Is it true?]


    [cking Employee #2:1 have the same question!]


    [Receptionist: I think so. After all, the make-up of the goddess was very different. Although they¡¯re the same person, I feel like the goddess is a little prettier¡­]


    [cking Employee #3: The Huo family is a noble family. Why did the president allow his wife to enter the entertainment industry? Look at how different Madam Huo is. I really don¡¯t understand why the president would marry such a woman! ]


    [cking Employee #4: Hahaha! Are you jealous? Are you dying from anger because you failed to marry the president? Hahaha! The president doesn¡¯t even know you exist. Even if he doesn¡¯t marry Second Madam, he still won¡¯t marry you!]


    [cking Employee #5: Don¡¯t say anymore. I¡¯m sitting next to her. Her expression is extremely ugly now! Hahaha!]


    Lin Xiaowan was quickly brought to Huo Zheng¡¯s office by his assistant.


    The receptionist on Huo Zheng¡¯s floor saw Lin Xiaowan, and her eyes lit up immediately.


    There were also a few secretaries and assistants on the floor, and their number was small.


    Fortunately, they were seated a distance away, and Lin Xiaowan could avoid the awkwardness of having to greet everyone. Nheless, she was still very very tense. She could feel everyone¡¯s burning gaze when she walked past. She heaved a sigh of relief when she finally entered the office. She felt as though she was a thief sneaking into Huo Zheng¡¯s office, trying to avoid being discovered.


    The assistant coughed lightly and said, ¡°Second Madam, what would you like to drink? President Huo said the weather is still cold so you can¡¯t drink cold drinks. How about some warm milk?¡±


    ¡®Who would drink warm milk at this hour?¡¯


    ¡°No,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before asking, ¡°What else is there? I want to drink lemonade.¡±


    The assistant said sympathetically, ¡°Hot lemonade won¡¯t taste good. Are you okay with that, Second Madam?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I have it at room temperature?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked in shock.


    ¡®Why must it be hot?!¡¯


    ¡°Room temperature is still quite cold so¡­¡± the assistant said, looking helpless.


    Lin Xiaowan pursed her lips. If she had a tail, it would droop in disappointment at this moment.


    The assistant suggested, ¡°What about some hot milk tea?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°That sounds good. Is there anything to eat? Chips? Some other snacks?¡±


    The assistant looked at Lin Xiaowan meaningfully, and she wilted immediately. She understood. Huo Zheng had already instructed the other party not to give her any snacks.


    After the assistant left, Lin Xiaowan punched the soft pillow angrily to vent her anger.


    ¡®This is outrageous! Huo Zheng is too stingy!¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan felt like fainting from her anger. Huo Zheng had always paid attention to her diet since she was a little weak. If she ate too much, it would cause indigestion and tulence. In short, she had stomach problems so he paid more attention to her diet. Not long ago, he coaxed her into agreeing to only have cold drinks during summer. In a moment of confusion, she had promised him. After that, she really regretted it. She wanted to break her promise several times after that but failed to find a chance to do so. Now that she thought about it again, she really wanted to bite him in anger.


    ¡®How can I only be allowed to drink cold drinks in summer?! Ahhhhhh!¡¯


    After the special assistant served the milk tea, she tasted it. She was rather satisfied. Due to how delicious it was, she soon forgot about her anger.


    At this moment, the phone in her bag, which had been casually tossed aside, rang once. Before she could retrieve her bag, it rang again.


    Lin Xiaowan found it strange. After all, her social circle was very small. She usually did not receive many calls. Soon enough, she discovered it was Zhu Yingyue.


    Zhu Yingyue was the one who opened the dessert shop with Lin Xiaowan, and she was in charge of the operation of the shop and capital management.


    ¡°Hello, Sister Zhu. Is everything okay?¡±


    Zhu Yingyueughed when she heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice. She said, ¡°I just transferred the dividends to you. Did you receive the message from the bank yet? Guess how much we earnedst quarter?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had no concept of this at all. However, based on Zhu Yingyue¡¯s tone, it seemed like they had earned a lot. She asked, ¡°200,000?¡±


    ¡°The turnover is 2.93 million.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought she had misheard Zhu Yingyue. ¡°Sister, did you mistakenly add another zero? We just opened the dessert shop not long ago Moreover, 1 remember the turnoverst time was not even a fraction of this, right?¡±


    Zhu Yingyue said happily, ¡°With you as a living advertisement, how can we not make money? Moreover, how can that be considered a lot? One of your limited edition bags or your haute couture dresses probably cost much more than that¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt embarrassed when she heard these words. She only said sheepishly, ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Zhu Yingyue was in a good mood. Now that she was making money, she also had much more confidence. She no longer had to bow her head and asked for living expenses from her cheating husband. She had gained the confidence to live independently. With a little more time, when she had more chips in her hand, she would definitely get a divorce.


    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re free? I want to treat you to a meal. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good! However, I can¡¯t do it today. 1 have ns today. Why don¡¯t we do it on another day?¡±


    ¡°Okay! Think about what you want to eat!¡±


    After ending the call, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s smile did not fade. She opened the message on her phone, and when she saw the amount of money she received, her eyes widened. Her mouth was also so wide open that it could fit a duck egg. ¡®There¡¯s more than 700,000 yuan! Am 1 going to be rich? Is this the feeling of making money? 1 can¡¯t believe I made this money on my own!¡¯


    Huo Zheng¡¯sst-minute meeting ended quickly. When he walked into the office, he saw Lin Xiaowan curled up on the couch with a shocked expression on her face. As he walked over, he loosened his tie. There was no need to be too formal since they were going to eat.


    ¡°Qingqing, what are you looking at?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was startled by him. When she recovered, she jumped up and hugged him as she said excitedly, ¡°Huo Zheng! I made money! I made money!¡± Huo Zheng did not forget to praise her first before asking questions.. ¡°Qingqing is really amazing!¡±

 Chapter 160 - 160: New Shop?

    Chapter 160: New Shop?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan hugged Huo Zheng and showed him the bank notification on her phone. She said, ¡°It¡¯s the dividends from the dessert shop. We earned more than 700,000 yuanst quarter. Wow! It really increased by many times!¡±


    The first time Lin Xiaowan received the dividends it was only a few tens of thousands yuan. In just a few months, it had increased tenfold.


    Huo Zheng smiled sincerely and said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Qingqing. You¡¯re really good at making money.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not take the credit. It was not because she was humble; it was because she was very aware of her abilities. She said, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. This is all thanks to Sister Zhu. She¡¯s really awesome. By the way, she said that she wants to treat me to a meal.¡±


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan finally remembered the bouquet of roses she had ced on the table. She quickly gave it to Huo Zheng as she said, ¡°This is for you! There¡¯s also this painting. You can disy it in your office!¡±


    Previously, Huo Zheng had mentioned that he wanted her to paint something for him so he could disy it on his desk. He only mentioned it once, and seeing that there was no movement from Lin Xiaowan after that, he assumed she had forgotten about it. He did not expect her to quietly bring it to him.


    She painted a cartoon character, and it seemed out of ce in Huo Zheng¡¯s office. Moreover, he ced it in such a conspicuous ce on his desk. When others approached his desk, they would be able to see it at a nce.


    Huo Zheng held the roses in one hand and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand in the other as he said, ¡°We¡¯ll follow your arrangements today?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lin Xiaowan said happily.


    The next two days were cloudy and rainy just as the weather forecast had predicted. However, when Lin Xiaowan woke up from her afternoon nap today, she found that the sky had cleared up. When she looked out the window, she saw a few people in the front yard, looking after the flowers and nts that had been transnted.


    Huo Zheng did not care much about the flowers and nts. He only felt that the front yard was empty so he hired andscaping team to deal with it. Lin Xiaowan also had no experience with taking care of flowers and nts. Seeing how expensive the flowers and nts were, she also got Huo Zheng to hire someone to take care of them.


    At this moment, Little Chestnut was on the second floor. When Lin Xiaowan went down, she saw that the cameras were already turned on. It was live streaming, working hard to earn money for its own food.


    Before moving in, the cameras had already been installed. There were several of them ced in different positions, and they would move up, down, left, and right, following Little Chestnut¡¯s movements. All she needed to do was to choose which camera to turn on using herputer. It was very convenient.


    After asking Aunt Wu which camera was turned on, Lin Xiaowan found a blind spot before she began to y with Little Chestnut, teasing it with a cat teaser wand. It yed until it was dizzy.


    Lin Xiaowanughed. ¡°You¡¯re so silly.¡±


    Recently, Little Chestnut had been shedding a lot so fur could be seen all over the ce.


    [Netizen #1: Ahhhh, you can¡¯t y with Little Chestnut like that! Let me do it!]


    Lin Xiaowan yed with Little Chestnut for a while before she finally left. After that, she called Zhu Yingyue, asking if thetter was free to have dinner together.


    Zhu Yingyue agreed immediately. ¡°Of course, 1 have time. If you didn¡¯t call me,


    1 would¡¯ve called you. I¡¯m in the shop now. Should 1 pick you up?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she asked, ¡°Where are we eating?¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m treating you, you can choose the ce.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to pick me up. Moreover, Xilin Imperial Garden isn¡¯t that far from the dessert shop.¡±


    ¡°Alright. There¡¯s no need to rush. We still have plenty of time until dinner.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    It was quite cold outside after the rain. The temperature that had risen a few days ago had dropped again. Although the sun was out, the temperature was only slightly over io degrees.


    Lin Xiaowan wore a thick sweater over a woolen dress and paired them with calfskin shoes to keep warm. Before leaving, she sent a message to Huo Zheng.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I¡¯m having dinner with Sister Yingyue tonight. You¡¯re on your own for dinner tonight-]


    Huo Zheng shook his head and smiled seeing how Lin Xiaowan spoke like a parent who was leaving her child behind. He reminded her toe back early and did not say anything else.


    The driver was waiting for Lin Xiaowan on the front porch instead of the basement garage. As soon as she stepped outside, she was greeted by the cold spring breeze. She felt d that she had dressed warmly.


    Since the heater was on in the car, Lin Xiaowan removed her coat after a few minutes. When she arrived at the dessert shop, she almost forgot about her coat. Fortunately, the driver reminded her.


    As soon as Lin Xiaowan walked into the dessert shop, she could smell the sweet fragrance of pastries. It was 5 PM now, and a batch of freshly baked desserts had juste out of the kitchen. There were many people queueing up at this moment.


    One of the employees noticed Lin Xiaowan and waved at her.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re here. Do you want anything to eat?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan peered into the kitchen and asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to eat?¡±


    ¡°Sugar fritters,¡± the head patissier said as he handed a tray of pastries over.


    The pastries were deep-fried until they were golden yellow. They were crispy on the outside and soft and sweet inside with a unique fragrance.


    Lin Xiaowan carried a te of pastries over to Zhu Yingyue.


    Zhu Yingyue smiled when she saw Lin Xiaowan. ¡°Greedy little cat. You only know how to eat when you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how strict Huo Zheng is with my diet¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a pout.


    Zhu Yingyue smiled in response to her childish words before she said, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, let me tell you about my ns.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What are your ns?¡±


    Zhu Yingyue heard that the shop next door would be empty soon. As such, she wanted to open a shop where people could sign up for baking sses. She nned to organize group activities from time to time as well.


    Lin Xiaowan did not doubt Zhu Yingyue¡¯s abilities. After listening to Zhu Yingyue¡¯s ns, she nodded and asked, ¡°Okay. How much do we need?¡±


    Zhu Yingyue did not expect Lin Xiaowan to trust her so much. Warmth suffused her heart immediately, and she was even more determined not to let Lin Xiaowan down. She said, ¡°I have enough money. However, there¡¯s something I need to trouble you with.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked as she munched on the pastry.


    Zhu Yingyue needed Lin Xiaowan to look for qualified patissiers to help with the baking sses. After all, many of the customers were quite wealthy, and their expectations were a little high.


    ¡°I have to trouble you to help me look for a few experienced and capable patissiers for the baking sses. It¡¯s best if they know how to make desserts from different countries..¡±

 Chapter 161 - 161: I’m Lu Yingxin

    Chapter 161: I¡¯m Lu Yingxin


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan was not very confident about the task given to her. She said, ¡°But I don¡¯t know anyone. The best patissier is already working in our shop. The next best patissier 1 know is you, Sister.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue blushed upon hearing these words. How could shepare to an internationally recognized patissier? Although she felt that Lin Xiaowan was overestimating her ability, she could tell that Lin Xiaowan was sincere in her praise. It made her heart bloom with joy.


    After a moment, Zhu Yingyue said truthfully, ¡°President Huo has a lot of connections. I won¡¯t hide it from you. In fact, I have a few candidates in mind. However, I¡¯m afraid they might not want to work in a small shop like ours. Hence, I thought it¡¯d be better if you speak to them. Perhaps they¡¯ll be more inclined to join us on ount of President Huo.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any objections so she agreed. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Just send me the list of candidates. I¡¯ll try and talk to them.¡±


    After discussing the matter of expanding the business, Zhu Yingyue asked Lin Xiaowan what thetter wanted to have for dinner.


    Lin Xiaowan, who had just finished eating the sugar fritters, perked up immediately. She asked, ¡°Sister, are you particr about food?¡±


    Although Zhu Yingyue was rather wealthy, she lived a rather low-key lifestyle. She did not care much about her food and clothes. She said, ¡°No. I can eat anything as long as it¡¯s not too spicy.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Zhu Yingyue with bright eyes as she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat at food stalls? There¡¯s a food street in the university area!¡±


    Zhu Yingyue did not mind this, but she was slightly surprised by Lin Xiaowan¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Why did you think of going there? What do you want to eat? I don¡¯t mind eating there. I eat junk food every now and then¡­¡±


    Seeing that Zhu Yingyue had no objection, Lin Xiaowan became even happier. She counted with her fingers as she said, ¡°I want to eat fried chicken wings, octopus balls, ice cream, fried yogurt slices, oden¡­ 1 want to eat everything!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes lit up as she continued to say, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a small stall there that sells meat pie! The meat pies there are extremely delicious. I wonder if the olddy is still selling meat pies there¡­ The meat pies there are the best in the capital! If the stall is open, I want to eat five!¡±


    Seeing how much Lin Xiaowan praised the stall, Zhu Yingyue also began to crave it. She said, ¡°Alright, then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan rose to her feet immediately.


    Seeing how excited Lin Xiaowan was, Zhu Yingyue said with a helpless smile, ¡°Put on your coat. I saw you didn¡¯t wear your coat earlier when you came into the shop. It¡¯s cold now. Remember to wear your coat, understand?¡±


    The shop was rather warm so Lin Xiaowan did not wear her coat. If it were not for Zhu Yingyue¡¯s reminder, she would not have put on her coat until she felt the cold wind again.


    Before leaving, Lin Xiaowan picked up her te and returned it to the kitchen. While she was talking to one of the employees, she was suddenly interrupted.


    ¡°Miss Lin, what a coincidence! Do you like the desserts here as well?¡± a surprised voice said from the side.


    Lin Xiaowan turned around and saw the young woman she saw the day she moved into the house in Xilin Imperial Garden. Previously, the young woman had alsoe to visit her once but was turned away. As soon as she saw the other party, she really wished she could escape.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know the other party, and she knew that it was not good to judge a book by its cover. However, she could not help but feel a sense of aversion toward the other party. Since there were many people around, she could only smile politely and say, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    It was obvious that Lin Xiaowan did not really want to talk, but Lu Yingxin did not care at all. She seized the opportunity to talk to Lin Xiaowan, saying, ¡°I brought my cat to visit you previously, but you weren¡¯t home. 1 didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. It seems like we can be considered fated, right?¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed awkwardly. ¡°1 guess.¡±


    Seeing how ufortable Lin Xiaowan was, Zhu Yingyue said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The traffic will be badter.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Lin Xiaowan nodded vigorously before she said to Lu Yingxin, ¡°I have other things to do so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    ¡°May I ask where Miss Lin is going? It¡¯s almost time for dinner. I know a delicious Western restaurant nearby. How about I treat the two of you to a meal? I really want to be friends with Miss Lin,¡± Lu Yingxin said enthusiastically as though she could not hear the refusal in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words.


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly annoyed by Lu Yingxin¡¯s inability to take a hint. She said, ¡°Perhaps another time. The two of us have ns today.¡±


    Lu Yingyin did not give up and decided to give it another try. ¡°Then can I visit you tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? I¡¯ll bring my kitten with me, and we can talk about cats.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had a problem saying ¡®no¡¯ to people. She was defeated by Lu Yingxin¡¯s enthusiasm and could only nod reluctantly. However, she regretted it as soon as she nodded.


    Lu Yingxin saw the regret on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, but she naturally would not let Lin Xiaowan go back on her words. She quickly brought her phone out and said, ¡°Can I have your number? With this, I don¡¯t have to worry about visiting when you¡¯re not around. In fact, it¡¯s not a big deal, but I just feel bad for my kitten. Ah, 1 just realized I didn¡¯t tell you my name. I¡¯m Lu Yingxin.¡±


    ¡®If you feel bad for your kitten, then you should just stay at home. Can¡¯t you tell that I¡¯m unwilling?¡¯ Lin Xiaowan thought to herself.


    In the end, they exchanged numbers. Otherwise, Lin Xiaowan was really worried Lu Yingxin would visit over and over again until she seeded. That would not be good for the cat either. Previously, she heard from Aunt Wu that Lu Yingxin carried the cat over without any protection.


    After the two of them left, Zhu Yingyue asked, ¡°What¡¯s with her? She¡¯s a little too enthusiastic about you. It¡¯s like a tiger seeing meat.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. 1 only met her once on the day I moved into the house in Xilin Imperial Garden. I saw her for five minutes at most. I really don¡¯t understand her.¡±


    Initially, Lin Xiaowan wanted to say that she had a bad impression of Lu Yingxin and that she felt that Lu Yingxin was up to no good. However, on second thought, she felt that she did not know Lu Yingxin well enough to judge her.


    In any case, the small episode was quickly thrown to the back of her mind. When they arrived at the food street, Lin Xiaowan was like a mouse that had been thrown into a bucket of rice.


    The first stall at the entrance sold fried chicken and fried squid, and Lin Xiaowan happily queued up for them..

 Chapter 162 - 162: Do You Fell Unwell?

    Chapter 162: Do You Fell Unwell?


    Trantor: Endless Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhu Yingyue, who treated Lin Xiaowan as a little sister, said worriedly, ¡¯¡¯Button up your coat, it¡¯s so windy here. You were sweating in the car earlier. If you don¡¯t keep warm now, you¡¯ll catch a cold.<sup>11</sup>


    ¡°I know, 1 know.¡±


    The heater in the car was turned on high so Lin Xiaowan did not feel that cold after alighting from the car.


    At 7 PM, Huo Zheng called Lin Xiaowan. At this time, Lin Xiaowan had already eaten quite a bit. She had already eaten three meat pies that she had been craving and fried chicken.


    Since Lin Xiaowan was not at home, lluo Zheng did not go home and decided to work overtime.


    ¡°Have you eaten?<sup>11</sup>


    Since it was a video call, Lin Xiaowan hurriedly handed the ice cream cone in her hand over to Zhu Yingyue before answering the call. She also gestured to Zhu Yingyue, asking thetter to hide it from lluo Zheng before she briefly pointed the camera at Zhu Yingyue.


    ¡°I¡¯m preparing to ear. I¡¯m going to have curry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not mention the fried chicken drumsticks and wings or fries that she had eaten.


    Despite all her efforts, Huo Zheng still caught sight of the ice cream in Zhu Yingyue¡¯s hand. He asked with a frown, ¡°Are you having ice cream? It¡¯s still so cold out¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not dare to admit to that. She said guiltily, choosing to be half truthful, ¡°I, I¡¯m sharing it with Sister Yingyue¡­ 1 didn¡¯t eat much.¡± Then, she gestured with her hand, showing how little she had eaten.


    Huo Zheng nodded. It was impossible to tell if he believed her or not. He continued to ask, ¡°What else did you eat? Don¡¯t eat anything too spicy or oily. If you really want to eat them, ask the chef at home to make them for you, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who had already eaten most of these things, nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± When she finally ended the call, the ice cream was about to melt. She quickly took the ice cream and ate it,pletely disregarding Huo Zheng¡¯s words. Zhu Yingyue said, slightly worried, ¡°You promised President lluo earlier¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a pout, ¡°You don¡¯t know this, but I rarely eat these things. It¡¯s fine just this once¡­¡±


    Inwardly, she promised herself that she would admit her mistakes to Huo Zheng with tears in her eyes when she got home.


    ¡°As long as you know your limits. 1 can¡¯t stop you,¡± Zhu Yingyue said helplessly. s, Lin Xiaowan was someone who did not know her limits.


    Lin Xiaowan returned home satisfied. As soon as she entered the house, Huo Zheng hugged her. When he touched her round belly, he said helplessly, ¡°Why did you ear so much? Did you forget what the doctor said previously?¡± However, knowing that he would not get an exnation about this matter, he changed the topic and asked, ¡°Did you enjoy yourself tonight?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan leaned against him as though she had no bones. She looked pleased as she said, ¡°I did! 1 want to eat fried chicken wings and fries tomorrow! How can French fries be so delicious? How can there be such delicious things in the world?¡±


    lluo Zheng knew that she had already eaten those things earlier. Hence, he said immediately, ¡°No.¡±


    Since Lin Xiaowan had eaten many things that she could not usually eat today, she did not make a fuss when Huo Zheng rejected her. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    In the middle of the night.


    Huo Zheng felt something was wrong when he was woken up by Lin Xiaowan burrowing into his arms. She was moaning and holding her stomach. Her face was flushed, and ayer of sweat could be seen on her forehead and temples. ¡°Stomachache?¡±


    He hugged her and rubbed her stomach gently as he kissed her forehead. However, he was shocked as soon as his lips touched her forehead. She was burning. lie asked worriedly, ¡°Do you feel unwell anywhere else?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan suspected that her stomach hurt because she had eaten too much oily stuff with additives after not eating them for a long time. She was in so much pain that she could only sniff and say, ¡°No.¡±


    lluo Zheng wanted to get a thermometer to measure Lin Xiaowan¡¯s temperature, but as soon as he got up, Lin Xiaowan tightened her hold on him. He patted her back gently as he whispered, ¡°Be good, okay? You have a fever. If the temperature is too high, we ll have to go to the hospital.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was especially clingy when she was sick. She hugged lluo Zheng and refused to let go.


    Seeing the tears in her eyes, Huo Zheng was helpless. In the end, he wrapped her up in the nket and carried her after he called Aunt Wu.


    lluo Zheng carried her downstairs and ced her on the couch.


    Aunt Wu, who was staying on the first floor, rushed over with the medical box. She asked, ¡°Why did she suddenly catch a fever? It must be the weather. The weather has been hot and cold recently¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s temperature was 38.5 degrees Celcius. Huo Zheng wanted to bring her to the hospital, but she was unwilling. After all, her stomach was not as painful as before, and she did not feel any other difort. She yawned and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital. 1 want to go back to bed.¡±


    The medical box was very well-equipped. Huo Zheng carefully looked at several types of medicine and read the instructions before he found the medicine for fever and stomachache for her. Then, he told Aunt Wu to go to bed first before bringing Lin Xiaowan back to the bedroom.


    ¡°Drink some water before you go to sleep, okay?¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded weakly.


    Huo Zheng held the ss to her mouth and fed her. After the ss was empty, he leaned over and kissed her before he said, praising her, ¡°Qingqing is so obedient.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, embarrassed, ¡°Don¡¯t praise me at a time like this. It¡¯s just drinking water. Why do you act like I did something amazing¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had been yawning non-stop when she was downstairs. However, after drinking water and chatting, she was no longer as sleepy as before. Moreover, her stomachache came in waves. Although it was not particrly painful now, it was hard to ignore.


    Huo Zheng was not sleepy as well, lie ced his hand on her stomach and slowly massaged it for her. At the same time, he asked, ¡°What did you eat earlier, huh? Tell me who ate ice cream earlier when 1 called you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hesitated for a moment before she said, ¡°Alright, 1 admit it. I ate the ice cream.¡±


    Huo Zheng knew her very well. Usually, she would only listen to him asionally when he was around. However, when she was alone, how could she control herself? He continued to ask, ¡°What else did you eat?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ That¡¯s it?¡±


    Huo Zheng was both angry and amused.. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

 Chapter 163 - 163: You’re Going to Be a Vegetarian Tomorrow

    Chapter 163: You¡¯re Going to Be a Vegetarian Tomorrow


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan leaned over and kissed Huo Zheng¡¯s chin before she said ingratiatingly, ¡°I don¡¯t usually get to eat those things after all. I thought it¡¯d be fine to eat it once after so long¡­ 1¡­ Perhaps 1 was too excited and ate, uh, a little too much¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like 1 don¡¯t let you eat them at all. You have to pay attention to the ingredients and quantity. Look at the consequences of your actions. You¡¯re sick now.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, licking her lips, ¡°I want to have oden tomorrow. That¡¯s okay, right? It¡¯s homemade after all. The ingredients are fresh, and the chef will make the soup so there are no additives.¡±


    Huo Zheng pinched her cheek, angry that she could still think of food at this moment. He said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be a vegetarian tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan kissed him and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.


    The two continued to chat for a while before Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Seeing that the person in his arms was about to fall asleep, Huo Zheng stopped teasing her and gently patted her to sleep.


    However, just as Lin Xiaowan was about to fall asleep, she suddenly felt a wave of nausea. The acid in her stomach seemed to surge. She got up, covered her mouth, and quickly ran to the bathroom. She was in such a rush that she did not wear her slippers at all. When she stepped on the cold tiles in the bathroom, a chill quickly spread up her feet.


    Huo Zheng reacted quickly and followed her into the bathroom. He carried her up after she vomited. He frowned when he checked her temperature again; it had risen.


    Lin Xiaowan winced, and ayer of cold sweat appeared on her face again. She whimpered, saying, ¡°My stomach hurts again.¡±


    The pain was even more intense than before. It felt as though her intestines were twisted. She had always been a little delicate when she was with Huo Zheng. As long as he was around, even a little pain seemed unbearable. With such excruciating pain, her tears fell immediately.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart ached when he looked at her. He kissed her as he said, coaxing her, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital, okay?¡±


    The house in Xilin Imperial Garden did not have medical equipment. Even if he invited the private doctor over, the other party would not be able to examine her properly. It was better for them to go to the hospital.


    The People¡¯s Hospital.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s temperature was taken again when she was at the hospital. It had risen to 39 degrees Celcius. After the examination, she was diagnosed with acute enteritis, which also caused her fever.


    The doctor who treated her was the same one who treated her in the past. He looked at her and said with a sigh, ¡°Acute enteritis is a rtivelymon digestive disease. There¡¯s no need to worry too much. It happens when you eat food contaminated with bacteria or viruses.¡±


    ¡°Originally, you already have chronic gastritis. However, judging by the scans, your stomach condition is not bad. You have to continue taking care of it. Pay attention to what you eat. Thest time 1 saw you, 1 remember you had irritable bowel syndrome as well¡­ Don¡¯t take this lightly just because you¡¯re young, understand?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan, who was in Huo Zheng¡¯s arms, lowered her head as she listened to the doctor obediently. She nodded like a chick pecking at grains as she said, ¡°Yes, yes, I understand.¡±


    She seemed like she was reflecting on herself, but in fact, she did not listen to anything at all.


    In the end, it was already close to dawn when everything was done. When the sun was about to rise, Lin Xiaowan finally fell asleep. Even when she was asleep, she was clinging to Huo Zheng, refusing to let him go.


    When she woke up again, it was already noon. She was woken up by the fragrance of food. When she opened her eyes, she discovered she was in a room painted in a warm color.


    A thermal lunch box sat on the small dining table next to the bed.


    At some point, Gu Yuwu and her husband hade over. They were sitting on the couch with Huo Zheng at this moment, talking in low voices.


    Lin Xiaowan sat up.


    With just a slight sound, Huo Zheng stood up and strode over immediately. He touched her forehead as he said, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes were glued to the lunch box at this moment. ¡°It smells so good¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng pinched her cheek lightly. ¡°There¡¯s no chicken wings, French fries, or oden today.¡±


    Aunt Wu had personally cooked millet porridge for Lin Xiaowan. Honey, red dates, longan, and pumpkin were also added into the porridge. She even packed small porcin bowls with cartoon characters for Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked Huo Zheng.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Huo Zheng replied as he peeled a boiled egg for her.


    Lin Xiaowan ate two mouthfuls of porridge before she blinked and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be even more delicious if there¡¯s fried dough stick¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed at her. ¡°You¡¯ve already woken up, but you¡¯re still dreaming¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan puffed her cheeks up angrily while Huo Zheng looked at her with a gentle smile on his face.


    Lin Xiaowan was not satisfied with just a bowl. She looked at the lunch box eagerly as Huo Zheng put the small bowl away. Clearly, he had no intention of giving her another bowl. She knew she was in the wrong. After all, she did not pay attention to what she ate and fell sick as a result. For this reason, she did not make a fuss and ask for more.


    Gu Yuwu leaned against the bed and said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the western suburbs of Shengjing soon. The film studio wants to film aedy set in ancient times. Do you want toe with me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought Gu Yuwu wanted her to y some role again so she quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°Ah, no, no. There¡¯ll be too many people watching me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to act. However, you can try on those wide-sleeved costumes for fun if you want¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested in this. ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s fine. Since you¡¯re filming an ancient movie, this means we can take photos of the set as well! Let¡¯s take photos there¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Yuwu nodded.


    Lin Xiaowan had to stay in the hospital for observation.


    Since there was a small kitchen in the suite, Aunt Wu called Huo Zheng, asking if there was a need to send the chef over.


    Lin Xiaowan no longer had a fever now. Her stomach still hurt slightly, but the doctor said it was normal. She would be fine after two days.


    Huo Zheng wanted to tell Aunt Wu to send the chef over. After all, in his opinion, it was best for Lin Xiaowan to stay in the hospital for another night just to be sure. However, before he could say anything, Lin Xiaowan quickly said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll go home and eat.¡±


    In the end, Huo Zheng spoke to the doctor, and after confirming everything was okay, he brought Lin Xiaowan home.


    When they were in the car, Lin Xiaowan saw the dark expression on Huo Zheng¡¯s handsome face. She leaned over and kissed his chin before she asked, amused, ¡°President Huo, why are you pulling a long face? Are you angry?¡±


    ¡°I dare not,¡± Huo Zheng said as he kissed her. Even if he was angry, it would dissipate when faced with her.


    Lin Xiaowan was very sensible at this time. She said, ¡°I was wrong this time. Don¡¯t be angry, okay? 1¡¯11 pay attention to what I eat in the future.¡±


    Huo Zheng said in a low voice, ¡°You only know how to act cute in times like this¡­¡±

 Chapter 164 - 164: Opposing Magnetic Fields

    Chapter 164: Opposing Maic Fields


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Lin Xiaowan returned home, Aunt Wu told Lin Xiaowan that Lu Yingxin hade looking for her in the afternoon. Aunt Wu said, ¡°I told you weren¡¯t around, but it seemed like she thought that you refused to see her. She tried to call you, but the call didn¡¯t go through. When she left, her expression was not very good.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had left her phone in the room yesterday since they were in a rush to go to the hospital. Naturally, she could not answer any calls. When she saw the two missed calls on her phone, she felt very resistant about returning the calls. She felt that she would only be looking for trouble if she returned the calls. At the same time, she also felt that it would be rude to ignore the calls.


    When Huo Zheng came out of the bathroom, he saw Lin Xiaowan looking at her phone with a troubled expression on her face. He asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lu Yingxin. Do you remember her? She called me, and 1 don¡¯t know if 1 should return her calls.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    Lin Xiaowan tilted her head and said, ¡°Lu Yingxin. She¡¯s that beautiful woman who visited when we moved in.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan told Huo Zheng about how Lu Yingxin had visited again and how she had run into Lu Yingxin at the dessert shop.


    Huo Zheng shook his head and said, ¡°1 don¡¯t remember her.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan also found out that the man who came with Lu Yingxin that day was staying in Xilin Imperial Garden. After finding out that Huo Zheng had moved to Xilin Imperial Garden, the other party visited, hoping that Huo Zheng would invest in his project. She also found out that Huo Zheng had refused the other party and did not have any interaction with the other party since then. Huo Zheng did not even remember the man¡¯s name.


    ¡°Then why did Lu Yingxin look for me so often?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    Although Lin Xiaowan was clueless, Huo Zheng naturally knew that Lu Yingxin had ulterior motives. After thinking about it for a few seconds, he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to speak to her, then just ignore her. There¡¯s no need to force yourself to cater to others.¡±


    ¡°Alright, 1 understand,¡± Lin Xiaowan replied.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan did not return the calls, and Lu Yingxin did not take the initiative to look for or call Lin Xiaowan again.


    Lin Xiaowan assumed the matter would end like this, but after half a month, when Gu Yuwu brought her to the western suburbs, she ran into Lu Yingxin again.


    When Lu Yingxin saw Lin Xiaowan, she did not bring up the matter before. Her beautiful face was exquisitely made up, and her smile was bright as she said, ¡°What a coincidence. We meet again.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan felt that the world was very small at this moment. She smiled and asked, ¡°Are you filming here? So you¡¯re an actress?¡±


    Lu Yingxin wore a pink dress. Lin Xiaowan did not know if it was the makeup or something else, but she felt that Lu Yingxin looked much more pleasing to the eye than before. To be precise, she did not feel a sense of aversion toward the other party anymore. She said sincerely, ¡°This style suits you a lot. You look very beautiful.¡±


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Thank you for yourpliment.¡±


    Gu Yuwu had just returned from getting the staff member¡¯s pass when she saw Lin Xiaowan talking to Lu Yingxin. She asked, slightly surprised, ¡°You know her?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to say no, but Lu Yingxin was faster. She said with a smile, ¡°Yes. I just met Miss Lin not too long ago. 1 didn¡¯t expect to meet her here.¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not want to talk to Lu Yingxin anymore so she said, ¡°I think they¡¯re looking for you. You should go over first.¡±


    After Lu Yingxin left, Gu Yuwu hung the staff¡¯s pass around Lin Xiaowan¡¯s neck. Then, she looked in the direction where Lu Yingxin had gone and asked with a hint of disdain, ¡°How did you meet her?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not wait to explore the filming set. She held Gu Yuwu¡¯s hand as they walked. She said, ¡°I think she lives in Xilin Imperial Garden with her boyfriend. When I moved there, she and her boyfriend came to look for Huo Zheng.¡±


    Gu Yuwu rolled her eyes. It was obvious that she did not like Lu Yingxin very much. She said, ¡°How could she possibly live there?¡±


    Lu Yingxin was just a small celebrity who had participated in a talent show a while ago. However, she was eliminated quite early. Herpany did not seem to have any intention of supporting her, and she very quickly found a sugar daddy for herself.


    Gu Yuwu did not say any unpleasant words to Lin Xiaowan. She only said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s her boyfriend. He¡¯s just an¡­ investor. She probably found a ¡®way¡¯ for herself¡­¡±


    Although Gu Yuwu¡¯s words were vague, Lin Xiaowan understood them. She was not a fool after all. She was slightly shocked. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like her very much. What¡¯s wrong? Is her acting bad?¡±


    Gu Yuwu had a headache when she heard this. ¡°How should I put it? Although she used her connections to get this role, her acting skills are not bad. 1 heard that she took acting sses before this so her skills barely passed. She¡¯s just a supporting actress so she doesn¡¯t have many scenes. Moreover, to be honest, she¡¯s quite hardworking. She¡¯s not a burden to the team. She¡¯s also very good with her words and knows how to do things¡­¡±


    ¡°However, after observing her for a few days, I feel that she¡¯s a little¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°I feel she¡¯s a little too fake¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ears perked up immediately. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s wearing a mask. Although she smiles at everyone, it doesn¡¯t feel real¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded vigorously in agreement and said in a low voice, ¡°I feel the same way! When I first met her, I was actually a little repulsed by her. I felt that what she said was different from what she thought¡­ It¡¯s really strange. It¡¯s not like I know what she¡¯s thinking, but 1 just have this gut feeling¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sighed and continued to say, ¡°I saw a video two days ago. It said that people have maic fields, and sometimes they repel each other. Perhaps our maic fields repel each other so 1 feel a sense of repulsion toward her.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not say anything more. Lu Yingxin¡¯s performance was actually quite good. She did not act ostentatiously, and she was also hardworking. Although she did not have many scenes, she would sit and watch others act when she had the time, learning from others.


    ¡®Perhaps our maic fields just repel each other¡­¡¯


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about her anymore. When you¡¯re done looking around, 1¡¯11 bring you to look at the costumes. The quality of the costumes this time is very good. The designer we found is very skilled. The clothes are all exquisite. You¡¯ll definitely like them.¡±


    ¡°Okay. This ce is perfect for painting. The scenery is so good. I¡¯ll bring my sketch pad tomorrow and paint something for you, okay?¡±


    Recently, she did not have any lessons with Hong Minhua. However, when she encountered problems, she would still ask Hong Minhua for advice. When Hong Minhua was free, Hong Minhua would also look at her paintings..

 Chapter 165 - 165: The Palace Maid of an Imperial Concubine

    Chapter 165: The Pce Maid of an Imperial Concubine


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In the next few days, Lin Xiaowan tried on different costumes and took beautiful photos. She also brought her sketchpad to Gu Yuwu¡¯s lounge. She would draw when she was inspired. When she was not, she would take photos.


    Gu Yuwu had also been taking a lot of photos. She had not updated her Bobo Star ount since the new year. Since she had taken many photos of Lin Xiaowan, she asked if she could upload them.


    Lin Xiaowan had been wearing wide-sleeved dresses, and she was very satisfied with them. She was also satisfied with the photos. It was not the first time her face was exposed on the Inte, and she was no longer afraid of people talking about her. As such, after only a brief moment of hesitation, she agreed.


    After agreeing, an idea appeared in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind. She said, ¡°There are period costumes for men too. 1 wonder if Huo Zheng would take a photo with me? Look at the stone bridge over there. Imagine if 1 held an umbre and walked past him. Wow, what a fateful scene. It¡¯d make for a good photo!¡±


    The more Lin Xiaowan thought about it, the more excited she became.


    Gu Yuwu did not know whether tough or cry when she heard these words. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for your President Huo.¡±


    They were on set, after all. If someone of Huo Zheng¡¯s status came, and the filming crew found out about it, they might not only make a big fuss, but they might even cause trouble.


    ¡°What do you mean by making things difficult?¡±


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll take photos of both of you. There are too many people here. If the two of you take photos here, it¡¯ll cause too much of amotion. It¡¯s fine to take photos of you alone, but if you invite your President Huo here, there¡¯ll be people crowding around you no matter where you go.¡±


    There were a lot of people in the filming crew. No matter where they went, there would be no peace.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it and agreed with Gu Yuwu. If Huo Zheng came, he probably would not be happy as well. Finally, she said, ¡°Alright, forget it then.¡±


    At dusk, the weather was extremely good. Colorful clouds could be seen in the sky at this moment.


    The crew would be filming a big scene with a lot of people, and Gu Yuwu asked Lin Xiaowan if she wanted to be an extra in the crowd.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be ying a pce maid, and all you have to do is stand in the crowd. You don¡¯t have any lines, and the camera won¡¯t be focused on you.¡±


    With that, Lin Xiaowan became the pce maid of an Imperial Concubine.


    The scene was set at a grand banquet. There were many people present. Rows of tablesden with food had been set up beforehand. The food was ancient cuisine that had been carefully prepared by those who studied it. Every one of them was exquisite.


    Lin Xiaowan wondered how the food tasted. During her break, she took photos of what she thought would be delicious and sent them to Huo Zheng.


    When Huo Zheng got off work after listening to a report, he looked at his phone and found that he had over 30 photos of all kinds of dishes. Before he could ask about them, Lin Xiaowan sent him a message.


    [Lin Xiaowan; The food looks so delicious!]


    After that, she sent a photo of herself along with a message.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Today, I¡¯m the pce maid of an Imperial Concubine-]


    The filming ended when it was dark.


    Lin Xiaowan had grown tired from listening to the actors reciting their lines.


    Gu Yuwu came over as soon as filming ended and asked, ¡°Are you hungry? It¡¯s already sote.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t very hungry at first. However, looking at all the delicious dishes on the table, 1 became hungry¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu brought Lin Xiaowan to the changing room and said, ¡°Let¡¯s change your clothes. I¡¯ll take you out for dinner.¡±


    Then, she looked at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face for a moment before she asked, ¡°Did the makeup artist touch up your makeup?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The actress ying the Imperial Concubine even gave me peanuts and almond crisps to eat! They¡¯re delicious.¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled. ¡°That actress is a good person. She has a good personality. I¡¯ve known her for a few years. If you like her, you can have dinner with her in the future. She likes good girls like you.¡±


    After changing her clothes, Lin Xiaowan sent another message to Huo Zheng, saying that she would not be going home for dinner. Then, she asked Gu Yuwu, ¡°How did you get here today? Are we eating somewhere nearby, or are we driving? The driver sent me here today, and he¡¯s waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to a small restaurant nearby. It¡¯s owned by a couple, and it¡¯s been around for a long time. The food there is really delicious.¡±


    The two women walked to the restaurant instead of taking the car, which was parked a small distance away. After all, they were at a filming set, and the car could not be simply parked.


    Before the two women finished eating, it rained unexpectedly.


    Originally, they were going to film a night scene at the market where there would be a dragon and lion dance. It was a very lively scene. Seeing that the weather was very good in the evening, everyone assumed the weather would be good at night. Unexpectedly, it rained.


    The spring rain was not heavy, it was just a drizzle. However, whether the rain was heavy or not, they would not be able to film tonight.


    Gu Yuwu felt a little regretful after she received the call from the director informing her that filming had been canceled. She said, ¡°Filming has been canceled. You won¡¯t be able to see the dragon and lion dance you¡¯ve been looking forward to¡­¡±


    Thest time Lin Xiaowan had seen a dragon and lion dance was when she was young. Many years had passed, and she had not seen it again. As such, she was looking forward to seeing it tonight. She asked, ¡°Then are they filming that scene tomorrow night? If they are, let me know. I want to see it.¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll let you know when the timees. I¡¯ll let you be an extra so you¡¯ll have a clear view of the dragon and lion dance.¡±


    At this moment, Huo Zheng called.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m eating with Sister Yuwu. Have you eaten?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten,¡± Huo Zheng replied before asking again, ¡°Did you bring an umbre?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked outside the window before she replied, ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t raining when we came out. However, it¡¯s only drizzling. It¡¯s fine even if 1 don¡¯t have an umbre. Moreover, I¡¯m wearing a coat and a hat today.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice turned a little serious as he said, ¡°You were sick not long ago, but you seemed to have forgotten about it. Get the driver to pick you up at the entrance.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stuck out her tongue and said, ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    However, despite her words, Lin Xiaowan did not call for the driver to pick her up. After dinner, she held Gu Yuwu¡¯s hand and ran back. She said happily, ¡°Wow, this feels like the time when I was still studying and 1 had to brave the rain after ss¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember Sister Qiao said that you studied at a university in Shengjing?¡± Gu Yuwu asked.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. She felt a little embarrassed when this matter was mentioned. She said, ¡°When 1 took the college entrance examination, there was a change in the system. The cutoff score was especially low so I was epted into the university.¡±


    At that time, the country separated liberal arts and sciences. Not only that, but the country also changed the scoring system. These changes were all beneficial to Lin Xiaowan.


    The rain was very light. The two women ran and quickly arrived back on set.


    Gu Yuwu looked at Lin Xiaowan. Thetter¡¯s coat was slightly damp, but she wore a hat so her hair was dry. After a moment, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you an anti-cold medicine. Eat it before you leave..¡±

 Chapter 166 - 166: Coincidence?

    Chapter 166: Coincidence?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan and Gu Yuwu walked in, they ran into Lu Yingxin at the corner of the corridor.


    Lu Yingxin was especially excited as though she had encountered a windfall. However, when she saw Lin Xiaowan, her expression became a little unnatural. Following that, she quickly calmed down, no longer looking as excited as she did before. Nheless, she still could not hide that she was in a good mood. She asked, ¡°Sister Gu, Xiaowan, you haven¡¯t left yet?¡±


    Over the past few days, Lin Xiaowan often saw Lu Yingxin on set. asionally, they would greet each other. They could not be considered close, but their rtionship was much better than before when Lin Xiaowan kept avoiding Lu Yingxin.


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°1 was having dinner with Sister Yuwu earlier. I¡¯m leaving soon.¡± Then, she asked, ¡°You look happy. Did something happen?¡±


    Lu Yingxinughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. After all, it¡¯s not been confirmed. Once it¡¯s confirmed, I¡¯ll share the good news with you!¡±


    After a short conversation, Lin Xiaowan and Gu Yuwu resumed their journey back to the lounge. As soon as they opened the door, they saw Huo Zheng, who was dressed in a suit, sitting on the couch and waiting for Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, slightly surprised.


    ¡°I came to pick you up.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was wearing a khaki-colored coat today. As such, the wet marks were very obvious. With just a nce, Huo Zheng knew that she did not ask the driver to pick her up. Sometimes he would have a headache when his words went in her left ear and out of her right ear. He sighed and asked, ¡°What did you promise me over the phone earlier, huh?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said shamelessly, ¡°I forgot.¡±


    Huo Zheng took off his suit jacket and put it on her. Then, he tapped the tip of her nose and said, ¡°If you fall sick again, you¡¯re not allowed to cling to me and act cute.¡±


    Gu Yuwu handed Lin Xiaowan the medicine to prevent a cold as she asked casually, ¡°President Huo, how did you find my lounge? You came all the way here, and no one stopped you or asked any questions? This isn¡¯t a ce where people cane as they please after all¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan as she took the medicine, saying, ¡°A staff member brought me here. The people here are very enthusiastic.¡±


    The journey to Gu Yuwu¡¯s lounge was not long. The person who had brought him here tried her best to find a topic to talk about with him. Even if he did not respond to her, she would continue talking on her own. In the beginning, he thought the other party knew him, but after observing the other party for a while, he dismissed that thought. He assumed the other party was just naturally enthusiastic and friendly.


    The filming crew was staying in a hotel near the filming set. Although filming had been canceled, it was normal for staff members to be busy on set. For this reason, Gu Yuwu did not find Huo Zheng¡¯s words strange. As she packed her things, she said, ¡°President Huo, you look noble, after all. With just a nce, people can tell you¡¯re not ordinary. It¡¯s only normal for people to want to get close to you.¡±


    At this moment, Gu Yuwu suddenly paused when a thought appeared in her mind. Then, she asked tentatively, ¡°Do you still remember what the staff member who led you here wore?¡±


    ¡°1 didn¡¯t pay attention. 1 think she was wearing a baseball jacket. Her hairstyle is like those from ancient times,¡± Huo Zheng replied. Then, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Gu Yuwu recalled what Lu Yingxin wore earlier when they ran into her. Lu Yingxin was wearing a baseball jacket, and her hairstyle was still from when she was filming. She said, ¡°That¡¯s Lu Yingxin.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Huo Zheng frowned, puzzled.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan chimed in, ¡°Lu Yingxin?¡± Then, she asked Huo Zheng, ¡°You didn¡¯t recognize her? You met her at the gate of our house previously. She¡¯s the person 1 told you about previously.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember her.¡±


    Huo Zheng had to meet a lot of people every day. Moreover, he did not pay attention to Lu Yingxin when they met previously. Not only that, but Lu Yingxin had also put on makeup tonight.


    Gu Yuwu muttered to herself, ¡°I keep feeling like something¡¯s not right. How did she meet you?¡±


    Perhaps it was a coincidence. When Huo Zheng arrived, he hade in with an umbre. The driver waited for him in the car. As soon as he walked in, he saw Lu Yingxin. Based on her hairstyle, he assumed that she was part of the crew and would know where Gu Yuwu¡¯s lounge was so he asked her about it.


    Lin Xiaowan did not take this matter to heart. She said, ¡°It¡¯s probably just a coincidence. 1 saw her a lot during the past few days I was here. There¡¯s nothing strange about it. Moreover, her attitude is quite good. In any case, there¡¯s no need to pay attention to such a small matter. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Gu Yuwu still had something to do so she did not leave with them.


    The rain outside was getting heavier.


    Huo Zheng held the umbre with one hand and wrapped the other around Lin Xiaowan¡¯s waist as they walked toward the car. He said, a little dissatisfied, ¡°Be careful not to step into a puddle. If you wet your shoes, you¡¯ll feel ufortable. I haven¡¯t been keeping an eye on you recently. Why do you look thinner? Have you not been eating well outside?¡±


    Lin Xiawaon red at him andined, ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense. How could I lose weight in just a few days? 1 even weighed myself yesterday. My weight is the same. Don¡¯t wrongly use me!¡±


    ¡°Your weight is the same? Then not gaining weight is the same as losing weight,¡± Huo Zheng said with a straight face.


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Then, she deliberately stepped on a small puddle of water, sshing water on Huo Zheng¡¯s leather shoes.


    Huo Zheng patted her waist and asked, ¡°Are you losing your temper?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan only scoffed in response.


    It was a little windy at night so Huo Zheng tilted the umbre before he asked, ¡°The rain is getting heavier, and it¡¯ste now. Should we just stay here for the night?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not particr about where she slept so she agreed. ¡°Okay, then tell the driver who brought me here to stay the night as well. It¡¯s quite far for him to drive back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    As they got closer and closer to the main road, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s sharp eyes noticed that not far from where Huo Zheng parked the car, a person stood under a parasol tree with her back facing them. She said, ¡°That seems to be Lu Yingxin¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng did not respond.


    As the duo approached, Lu Yingxin heard the sound of footsteps. When she turned around, she saw two people sharing an umbre.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you! I was wondering if it was you. Why are you here? You didn¡¯t bring your umbre?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked. She knew there were always umbres in the car so she added, ¡°We have an extra umbre in the car. Let me get it for you.¡±


    Lu Yingxi lowered her head slightly. Her long hair was damped and tucked behind her ears. She raised her eyes, looking pitiful and slightly embarrassed to be seen in such a sorry state, and said, ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯m actually trying to hail a cab. 1 didn¡¯t expect it to be so difficult to find a cab here. I¡¯ve been waiting for ten minutes, but I¡¯ve not seen a cab at all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the pitiful Lu Yingxin before she looked at Huo Zheng. She could not help but pity Lu Yingxin a little, but she felt that it was difficult for her to decide if they should give Lu Yingxin a ride.


    Seeing that the couple was silent, Lu Yingxin asked tentatively, ¡°Xiaowan, if it¡¯s convenient for you, can you give me a ride? You can drop me off at a busier intersection.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Huo Zheng, asking silently with her eyes, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    After a moment, three people got into the car.


    Lin Xiaowan handed Lu Yingxin some tissue paper and said, ¡°Wipe your face first.¡±


    Then, she poured a ss of warm water from the dispenser in the car and handed it to Lu Yingxin as she said, ¡°It¡¯s really not easy to get a cab when the weather is bad..¡±

 Chapter 167 - 167: The Man of Her Dreams

    Chapter 167: The Man of Her Dreams


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    This was the most expensive car that Lu Yingxin had sat in. The spacious and expensive care made her even more envious of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s life.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Where do you live?¡±


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan recalled Gu Yuwu¡¯s words. Previously, Gu Yuwu had said that it was unlikely that Lu Yingxin was staying in Xilin Imperial Garden. As such, she subconsciously asked, ¡°Are you also staying in Xilin Imperial Garden?¡±


    Lu Yingxin wiped the rain off her face and nodded. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not staying there today. Just drop me off at an intersection. 1 need to get something from another house.¡±


    Lu Yingxin was naturally lying. It was difficult to buy a house in Xilin Imperial Garden. She had neither money nor status so how could she stay there? She had only stayed there twice, and even then, she had to beg Old Master Li to let her do so. She deliberately lied to Lin Xiaowan to increase her value and also to satisfy her own vanity.


    Lu Yingxin had long figured out that most of the people staying in Xilin Imperial did not know their neighbors. The houses were far apart, and the privacy was very good.


    As expected, Lin Xiaowan did not notice that Lu Yingxin was lying. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, let the driver send you to your destination. We¡¯re staying in a hotel nearby tonight so we won¡¯t be with you¡­ There¡¯s an umbre here. Remember to take it with you if it¡¯s still raining.¡±


    Initially, Lin Xiaowan nned to ask the driver to stay in the hotel as well. However, since they gave Lu Yingxin a ride, she did not think it was appropriate to drop Lu Yingxin off at the intersection when it was raining. At the same time, she also nned to speak to the driver aler. She wanted to tell the driver that if the rain was too heavy, just send Lu Yingxin to a nearby hotel and that he could also stay at the hotel.


    When the car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, the rain had gotten heavier. The sky was pitch-ck, and it was extremely windy.


    Seeing this, Lu Yingxin seemed to have found another excuse for herself. She wanted to see if she could obtain a free room for herself before the couple got out of the car. She said, feigning a considerate tone, ¡°I can get off here. I should be able to get a cab nearby. There¡¯s no need to trouble the driver to send me off. It¡¯s too troublesome. Moreover, the weather is bad now. It¡¯s not safe to drive.¡±


    As she spoke, Lu Yingxin pretended to open the door. However, the expensive car¡¯s door handle had rows of buttons on them. Although there were symbols on the button, she really could not figure out which one would open the door.


    Lin Xiaowan noticed Lu Yingxin¡¯s helplessness and quickly pulled the other party back. ¡°No, how can 1 let you go on your own? What do you need to get from your house? Is it important? If it¡¯s not, why don¡¯t you stay here for the night?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had seen the weather forecast so she knew the rain was only going to get heavier.


    Lu Yingxin naturally knew how to seize the opportunity. Although she could not wait to agree, she hid her enthusiasm. She only said, ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± After all, it was just an excuse.


    Lu Yingxin pretended to look troubled as she said, ¡°However, I don¡¯t think this suggestion is feasible. I didn¡¯t bring my identity card with me. 1 need my identity card to book a room, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can use the electronic identity card on your phone,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    With this, Lu Yingxin no longer feigned reluctance and agreed immediately. She was extremely happy at this moment, but she pretended to be very embarrassed for having to trouble Lin Xiaowan. She even said that she wanted to treat Lin Xiaowan to a meal to thank Lin Xiaowan. She did not forget to say that she hoped Lin Xiaowan would not refuse her.


    When the doorman opened the car door, Huo Zheng got out of the car first. Then, he tightened Lin Xiaowan¡¯s coat as he said, ¡°Be careful not to catch a cold¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan held Huo Zheng¡¯s hand. At this moment, he was only wearing a shirt; his suit jacket had been given to Lin Xiaowan. Seeing this, she said softly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t catch a cold either¡­¡±


    Lu Yingxin, who was following two steps behind the duo, finally dared to size Huo Zheng up. She looked at his tall figure and handsome side profile, thinking that he was really the man of her dreams.


    After Lu Yingxin entered the room, she threw herself on the small couch. She thought about Huo Zheng¡¯s deep and sexy voice and the way he silently walked next to her when she led him to Gu Yuwu¡¯s lounge. She could not help but giggle. It was as though she could already see herself dating him.


    She brought her phone out and saw that there were dozens of messages in a six-person group chat. Feeling satisfied, she quickly reported to her best friends about her encounter tonight.


    In fact, it was not a coincidence that Lu Yingxin met Huo Zheng on set earlier. It was also not a coincidence that she was standing under the rain near his car. She naturally did not know that Huo Zheng woulde to the filming set, but she found out from the security at the entrance of Xilin Imperial Garden that Huo Zheng¡¯s car had left shortly after returning. Considering the bad weather and the fact that Lin Xiaowan was still on set, she boldly spected that Huo Zheng wasing to pick Lin Xiaowan up.


    Seeing that there was no harm in waiting to confirm her guess, she pretended to y with her phone as she stood near the entrance of the filming set. She was worried that Huo Zheng would ignore her, but fortunately, no one was around due to the bad weather. As such, he had no choice but to ask her for directions.


    Before she waited for Huo Zheng, Lu Yingxin had also considered all possibilities. If someone asked her why she was standing alone, she would say that she was waiting for someone. However, if Huo Zheng came and ignored her, she would pretend to be an enthusiastic staff member and ask him if he was looking for someone. However, it seemed like luck was on her side tonight. Huo Zheng actually approached her to ask for directions.


    Huo Zheng had no intention of chatting with her at all. Although she tried her best to find a topic to talk about, he ignored herpletely. When they arrived, he only thanked her politely.


    After that, Lu Yingxin nned to leave, satisfied with her gains for tonight. However, when she walked to the main road, she recognized Huo Zheng¡¯s car and license te number. With that, she changed her mind. It did not matter if she had to stand in the rain if it meant she could get to know Huo Zheng and leave an impression on him. As long as she managed to leave an impression on him, she was confident that she could approach Huo Zheng step by step.


    After a while, Lu Yingxin called room service and ordered a cup of brown sugar ginger tea. She did not forget to order some for Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan as well. She wanted to use this opportunity to cement her image as a considerate and thoughtful person.


    s, imagination had always been much more beautiful than reality.


    In reality, as soon as Lu Yingxin stepped out of the elevator and the elevator door closed, Huo Zheng said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Stay away from that person in the future.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was confused. ¡°Why?¡±


    Then, she added, ¡°In fact, we¡¯re not very close. It¡¯s just that I see her a lot recently on set so we¡¯re just a little more familiar with each other..¡±

 Chapter 168 - 168: A Satisfying Bath

    Chapter 168: A Satisfying Bath


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Previously, Lin Xiaowan had told Huo Zheng that Lu Yingxin was a little enthusiastic. At that time, Huo Zheng had sensed that something was wrong so he asked his assistant to investigate Lu Yingxin. Later on, when his assistant was reporting the results of the investigation to him, his assistant had mentioned Lu Yingxin¡¯s rtionship with Old Master Li.


    Lu Yingxin could not even be considered a lover of Old Master Li. Their rtionship was purely a transaction. One gave money and resources while the other sold herself.


    Huo Zheng also knew the other party did not live in Xilin Imperial Garden. Old Master Li had provided her with a house in another high-end neighborhood.


    Unfortunately, Huo Zheng did not recognize Lu Yingxin. Otherwise, he would not have had any interaction with her at all earlier.


    However, it had to be said that the results of the investigation did not have any issues rted to Lu Yingxin¡¯s character or morals. Moreover, her background was quite clean, and she graduated from a famous university.


    Despite that, Huo Zheng was still prejudiced against Lu Yingxin. In any case, he did not n to tell Lin Xiaowan about these things since it would only make her feel troubled.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Most people in the entertainment industry are not simple. It¡¯s best not to get close to them. When you make friends, you have to be discerning. Do you understand?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in agreement. She knew that the entertainment industry was chaotic. Although she did not pay much attention to celebrities, she had seen quite a few ridiculous headlines about celebrities.


    As soon as they entered the room, Huo Zheng urged her to take a hot shower.


    She did not bring a change of clothes or pajamas with her, and Huo Zheng did not want her to wear the hotel¡¯s robe. As such, he called the concierge and asked for someone to buy them for her.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan had just hung up her clothes when an idea appeared in her head. She walked over to Huo Zheng who was running a bath for her before she hugged his waist. Then, she deliberately said in a delicate and pretentious voice, ¡°President Huo, I really didn¡¯t mean toe into your room! Please let me go!¡±


    Huo Zheng nced at the hands around his waist and gulped. Then, he said cooperatively, ¡°No. Who knows if you did it intentionally?¡±


    Seeing that he was cooperating with her act, she grew even more enthusiastic. She moved closer and said, ¡°President Huo, what must 1 do before you¡¯ll let me leave?¡±


    Huo Zheng felt his blood surge seeing the woman in front of him enthusiastically role-ying. He pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°What?


    Didn¡¯t you think of the consequences before entering my room?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that! I, I have someone 1 like. President Huo, please don¡¯t do this,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, pretending to struggle and refuse. She pretended to cry, but she could not hide the smile on her face at all. She was clearly enjoying herself.


    ¡°Someone you like? Who do you like?¡± Huo Zheng asked. He said these lines smoothly as though he had heard them before. He trapped her with one arm while he lifted her chin with his other hand before he continued to say, ¡°You can only like me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not help butugh out loud. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his throat before she said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve liked you for a long time. I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t like me so 1 came up with this n. I¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her words, Huo Zheng, who could no longer endure it, grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard.


    Lin Xiaowan was kissed until she was out of breath. She gripped the front of his shirt tightly, and her body leaned against his softly. When she regained her senses, she was already sitting on hisp.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s hands moved around her body as he kissed her ear. A teasing smile could be seen on his face as he whispered in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°You¡¯re getting bolder.¡±


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang.


    With that, Huo Zheng forced himself to calm down. He quickly carried her into the bathtub and said, ¡°Soak in there for a while.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s skin was slightly red. Her face was also red, and her eyes were slightly teary from being kissed so hard. As she sat in the bathtub and looked at him expectantly, Huo Zheng felt like he was going to die, and it took a lot of effort for him to walk away.


    Initially, Huo Zheng thought that the hotel had sent someone to bring the new clothes over. To his surprise, it was room service. The hotel employee had brought a pot of brown sugar ginger tea.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Huo. Miss Lu from Room 1104 ordered a pot of brown sugar ginger tea and told us to send it to your room.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s face was expressionless. He ced the pot of tea on the cab near the entrance. He had no intention of letting Lin Xiaowan drink it. However, after taking two steps, he paused. He lifted the lid of the pot and saw that there was also poached egg in the brown sugar ginger tea. Thinking that the tea had been sent to the room directly from the kitchen and that Lu Yingxin had no contact with it at all, he decided to let Lin Xiaowan drink it. After all, it could indeed ward off the cold. There was no harm in giving her some.


    With this, Huo Zheng brought the pot of tea to the bar and kept it warm.


    At this time, the doorbell rang again. This time, another hotel employee came to deliver the clothes.


    When Huo Zheng finally returned to the bathroom, Lin Xiaowan was about to fall asleep. She asked sleepily, ¡°The clothes are here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After cing the clothes in the disinfection cab, Huo Zheng walked over. Looking at the yawning Lin Xiaowan, he asked, ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that you were gone for a long time, and I was bored.¡±


    Huo Zheng smiled slightly. After he stepped into the bathtub, he dropped a kiss on her neck and said, ¡°You won¡¯t be bored now¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ We¡¯re still in the bathtub¡­¡±


    He held her waist and pulled her into his arms as he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    She held onto his arms, and her knuckles turned white from the force.


    All in all, Huo Zheng was very satisfied with their bath.


    When everything was said and done, Huo Zheng helped Lin Xiaowan put on her pajamas before he carried her to the bed. She leaned against him softly and quietly. Seeing how cute she was, he lowered his head and kissed her again.


    At the same time, Lin Xiaowan smelled a sweet fragrance in the air. She asked, ¡°What¡¯s that smell? Did you buy something delicious?¡±


    ¡°Lu Yingxin sent a pot of brown sugar ginger tea over. Do you want to drink it in bed or in the living room?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan decisively chose to stay in bed. As soon as Huo Zheng ced her on the bed, she sighedfortably. Then, sheined, ¡°My knees and waist hurt¡­¡±


    The surface of the porcin bathtub was hard after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll massage them for youter¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng hugged and coaxed her for a while before she finally stoppedining. After that, he heated the brown sugar ginger tea before bringing it to Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan listened to the sound outside and said, ¡°It¡¯s still raining, and the wind is really strong. Previously, when the weather was bad, Little Chestnut would sleep with us. 1 wonder if she¡¯ll look for Aunt Wu tonight.¡±


    Little Chestnut was very clingy with Lin Xiaowan. If Lin Xiaowan was not around, it would look for Huo Zheng. Only if the two of them were not around would it look for another person.


    ¡°Eat the poached egg as well,¡± Huo Zheng said. At the same time, he sat on the edge of the bed and massaged her knees slowly. He did not forget to say, ¡°Your feet are sticking out of the nket again. You have to keep them warm.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not pay attention to his words at all. She held the small bowl and brought the poached egg to her mouth. Then, she said, ¡°There are two of them. I¡¯ll give you one..¡±

 Chapter 169 - 169: Her Dress Was Caught in the Wheel

    Chapter 169: Her Dress Was Caught in the Wheel


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The next day, the weather was good, and the rain could no longer be seen. With that, the night filming also resumed.


    In the afternoon, Gu Yuwu called Lin Xiaowan.


    ¡°Hello, beautiful! Do you want to watch the dragon and lion dance tonight?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied happily, ¡°Yes, yes! When will you start filming? Should Ie over now?¡±


    ¡°You cane now. It¡¯s quite hot now, but it¡¯ll be cold at night. Remember to bring a jacket,¡± Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re at the entrance. I¡¯lle out and pick you up.¡±


    When the two women met, Lin Xiaowan eximed, ¡°Wow! Why did you change into the costume as well? Do you have a role as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be an extra with you. Why? Don¡¯t you want to be with me?¡± Gu Yuwu said teasingly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, Don¡¯t simply use me!¡±


    As Gu Yuwu led Lin Xiaowan in, she said, ¡°Later on, we¡¯ll film the night scene on the other side of the street. They¡¯re packing up over there and filming other scenes first. I¡¯ll bring you to change your clothes first.¡±


    The weather at night was good. The moon was bright, and the stars dotted the sky. After the heavy rain the night before, the temperature also rose. There was only a slight breeze.


    The street was lined with strings of rednterns. The extras were walking around the street. Some of them were pedestrians, and some of them were vendors hawking goods at the side of the street. The scene was very lively.


    The scenes were filmed separately. With the actors and the staff members present, it was even more lively. It was as though it was really the Lantern Festival.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair was long, and it was tied into two cute buns. She wore a gray dress. At this time, she was looking at exquisite and beautifulnterns with Gu Yuwu. Some of them had a riddle on them.


    Gu Yuwu picked a bunnyntern for Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan held it and looked at the warm yellow light excitedly. Although she liked it a lot, she asked worriedly, ¡°Is it okay for us to just take it away? Do we have to pay for it?¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed, amused. ¡°They¡¯re all props. There¡¯s no need to pay for it.¡±


    With that, Lin Xiaowan carried thentern around happily.


    When the scene of the dragon and lion dance was about to be filmed, the extras gathered and several of them cheered loudly.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan saw an extra who was also ying a pce maid, holding a piece of osmanthus cake. The other party even gave her a slice of cake.


    Lin Xiaowan had no resistance toward food. After eating, she was not satisfied. She asked, ¡°Where did you get this? Did you order it? I want more. It¡¯s warm and delicious.¡±


    The extraughed and said, ¡°No. We¡¯re filming a scene at the night market. There are so many stalls here. Some of the food is fake, but some is real. I asked for this at the bridge over there. They won¡¯t eat it after filming. It¡¯s a waste not to eat it now.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan made a mental note of this, nning to have a lookter.


    The dragon and lion dance was not as simple as Lin Xiaowan thought. There were many characters present so the dance could not be filmed in one shot. Hence, the dance was frequently interrupted.


    After a while, Lin Xiaowan lost interest. She tilted her head and asked Gu Yuwu softly, ¡°Sister, do we have to wait until they¡¯re done filming before we can leave?¡±


    Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to watch anymore? There¡¯s no need for us to wait. We¡¯re just extras after all. It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re here or not. With so many people, no one would be able to tell even if we¡¯re absent.¡±


    They were not standing in an obvious position, to begin with. With that, Gu Yuwu led Lin Xiaowan away.


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°There are so many extras here. Do you think some of them will sneak away like us?¡±


    Gu Yuwu had never thought about this before. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s not like the extras came to perform for free. They¡¯re paid for this. I remember all the scenes you acted in so you¡¯ll be paid as well. When everything is done, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you. In any case, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll sneak away. After all, they won¡¯t be paid if they sneak away.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Gu Yuwu continued to say, ¡°Moreover, many extras like acting and want to be celebrities. Even if the cameras briefly sweep over them, they¡¯ll feel proud when they see their faces in the movies or dramas.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    Then, she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go to that stall to see if there are any more cakes.¡±


    An I-knew-it expression on Gu Yuwu¡¯s face immediately upon hearing these words. Sheughed and said, ¡°This is not a real night market. The pastries are also props. However, if you want to eat them, I¡¯ll get some for you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan really liked the set of the streets in ancient times. Some ces were empty since they were not being used for filming at the moment. It made them very suitable for taking photos.


    ¡°This ce is really suitable for taking photos. Will they demolish the set after they¡¯re done filming?¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was interested, Gu Yuwu said, ¡°Phones can take good photos as well. Do you want me to take a few photos for you?¡±


    Gu Yuwu was very good at photography. No matter what equipment she used, the final work would still be stunning.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not like being in front of the camera. In the past, she would avoid cameras. Let alone cameras, she would even avoid meeting people¡¯s eyes. However, unknowingly, at some point, she began to like seeing different versions of herself in photos. Now, when she talked to people, she could also look them in the eyes. Perhaps the people around her were always encouraging her with kind words, she slowly became more and more confident.


    They had just taken a few photos when a staff member saw Gu Yuwu and ran over. ¡°Sister Gu, you¡¯re here. I have something to discuss with you about the props. Are you free now?¡±


    In a few days, they would be filming a riding scene in the grasnd. However, there were some problems with the props. Gu Yuwu knew about this as well. After the staff member finished speaking, she looked at Lin Xiaowan and asked, ¡°I have something to deal with. Do you want toe with me, or do you want to look around on your own for a while?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just look around on my own¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. The staff members are nearby anyway. Did you bring your phone? If you can¡¯t find your way back to my lounge, call me, or get someone to bring you there,¡± Gu Yuwu said, looking like a worried parent.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    After Gu Yuwu left, Lin Xiaowan walked around on her own. She looked at the props curiously.


    At this moment, a staff member was pushing a small wheelbarrow. His head was lowered, and he was looking to the right. As such, he did not notice Lin Xiaowan who was on the left. When he pushed the wheelbarrow forward, for some reason, the hem of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s dress was caught in the wheel. Upon seeing this, he apologized profusely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t see you.¡±


    The staff member looked very honest, and he was not very old.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t move first. Let me see if I can pull your dress out.¡±


    As he spoke, he crouched down, blocking Lin Xiaowan¡¯s line of sight. He did not think too much about it and directly yanked Lin Xiaowan¡¯s dress that caught between the axis of the small wheels..

 Chapter 170 - 170: Stupid

    Chapter 170: Stupid


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan was also shocked by the ident, but she reacted quickly and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    She quickly bent down and put the smallntern aside, wanting to have a look.


    The staff member was so nervous that his palms were sweating. He did not dare to look at Lin Xiaowan and kept fiddling with the wheel and the dress.


    Lin Xiaowan was unaware of the other party¡¯s nervousness, and she could not reach out to help him. She asked, ¡°How is it? Can you pull it out?¡±


    The staff member nced at her from the corners of his eyes. Seeing that she did not notice anything and that she looked more curious than anything else, he calmed down a little. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to deal with. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    As he spoke, his eyes darted around. When his gazended at the end of the path, he saw Lu Yingxin. He sighed in relief immediately and rxedpletely. If Lu Yingxin did not show up, he would not have been able to do this. If it were not for the fact that Lu Yingxin offered him a lot of money, he would not have been willing to do this.


    Lu Yingxin pretended as though she just happened to walk past this ce. Her scenes had already ended during the day, and she was dressed in her own clothes at this moment. She ran over and asked, ¡°Xiaowan, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pointed at the hem of her dress and said, ¡°The dress is a little long, and it got caught in the wheel.¡± Then, she asked casually, ¡°You don¡¯t have scenes to film?¡±


    Lu Yingxin took the initiative toe over and help out enthusiastically. She said, ¡°That¡¯s right. My scenes ended during the day. Since I have nothing to do now, 1 can help you.¡±


    The staff member hurriedly stood up and said with an apologetic expression on his face, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I, I still have something to do¡­ Can 1¡­¡±


    Lu Yingxin quickly replied, ¡°Of course, you can go first. It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think it was a big deal so she nodded as well. ¡°Yes, yes. If you have something to do then you can go ahead first.¡±


    After the staff member left, Lu Yingxin took the initiative to put the jacket on her waist on the ground before she said, ¡°It must be tiring for you to stand like that. If you don¡¯t mind, you can sit on my jacket.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s back was indeed a little sore. She was forced to bend down and could not move freely because her hem was caught in the wheel. At most, she could only squat down, which would get tiring after a while as well. However, when she looked at the light blue jacket on the ground, she said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. Don¡¯t put your jacket on the ground. It¡¯s dirty.¡±


    Lu Yingxin did not mind at all. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve already ced it on the ground anyway. It¡¯s fine. Just sit down.¡±


    As Lu Yingxin spoke, she used a little strength and pressed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shoulders with both hands so Lin Xiaowan would sit.


    After sitting down, Lin Xiaowan felt much better so she no longer refused. She was already sitting on the jacket anyway. It would be a little pretentious if she kept refusing. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the jacket with meter. 1¡¯11 return it to you after I wash it.¡±


    Lu Yingxin was overjoyed. This was good. It would give her an excuse to visit Lin Xiaowan¡¯s house. Naturally, she hid her excitement and pretended to be indifferent as she said, ¡°It¡¯s ok. Let¡¯s talk about thister. Let me see how to remove the hem from the wheel first. This is the film¡¯s costume, right? Are you acting as an extra again?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°Yes, but it was only for a short while. They haven¡¯t finished filming yet, but 1 snuck away.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan sounded a little embarrassed as she spoke andughed a few times.


    After a long time, Lu Yingxin was still trying to remove the hem from the wheel with no sess. She even removed the props in the wheelbarrow andid it on its side, but the hem was still firmly caught in the wheel. She could not help but curse inwardly at the staff member.


    ¡®Why is it so tight? I told him to do it casually!¡¯


    Finally, Lu Yingxin sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s really not easy. My legs are numb from squatting. Let me stretch them for a while.¡±


    Lu Yingxin had been squatting the entire time she tried to remove the hem from the wheel, and her back and legs were a little sore. She looked at Lin Xiaowan, who was sitting on the ground, and could not help but curse at Lin Xiaowan even though she was the one who told Lin Xiaowan to sit. In her mind, she thought that Lin Xiaowan only cared about her ownfort and did not care if she was tired.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan saw that Lu Yingxin¡¯s hands, which were originally, had be dirty after touching the wheel and the axles. She felt very apologetic and quickly moved aside to make space for Lu Yingxin. She said, ¡°Rest for a while. Sit here.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Lu Yingxin did not sit down. Instead, she squatted down again and said, ¡°No need, no need. The faster we get this done, the earlier you can go home.


    With this, Lin Xiaowan was even more grateful to Lu Yingxin. During the process, she tried to help Lu Yingxin several times, but she was stopped by Lu Yingxin.


    Lu Yingxin was especially considerate of Lin Xiaowan. She said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. My hands are already dirty anyway. 1¡¯11 do it. Don¡¯t dirty your hands.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s EQ.was not particrly high. Perhaps if it was another person, he or she would still reach out to help. However, Lin Xiaowan was the kind of person who would do as she was told without thinking too much about it. Since Lu Yingxin told her not to touch it, she would not touch it. However, when she thought about itter, she would feel bad and think of a way to treat the other party better. To put it bluntly, she was not very smart. In the workce, she could even be called dumb. She was the kind who was easily led by the nose and would be gossiped about.


    This was very in line with Lu Yingxin¡¯s n to make Lin Xiaowan feel bad so she could get closer to Lin Xiaowan and enter Lin Xiaowan¡¯s life.


    After a long time, Lu Yingxin finally managed to loosen the hem a little. At this time, the dress was already very wrinkled. She said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s getting looser¡­¡± However, Lu Yingxin still failed to remove it. In the end, she ran out of patience and sat down for a moment. She brought her phone out and asked, ¡°Let me rest for a moment. Do you want milk tea? 1¡¯11 treat you to milk tea.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was tempted. Her heart wavered, but she was still hesitant. ¡°You¡¯ve already spent so much time helping me. 1 should treat you instead. However, my phone isn¡¯t with me.¡±


    Lu Yingxin was speechless when she heard this. In this age and time, there were still people who did not carry their phones with them everywhere they went. She did not think that Lin Xiaowan was lying. After all, a cup of milk tea did not cost much, and Lin Xiaowan did notck this bit of money.


    Finally, Lu Yingxin took a seat next to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just a cup of milk tea. At most, you can treat me next time. What kind of milk tea do you want?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had no preference so she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. I¡¯ll have whatever you¡¯re having. Thank you so much. 1¡¯11 treat you to a meal next time.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lu Yingxin said. This time, she did not stand on ceremony. In her opinion, the ces where Lin Xiaowan would take her were all high-end ces. She had a beautiful n in her mind. Lin Xiaowan was an easy person to manipte. When the time came, she would drop some hints. Perhaps at that time, she would be able to eat at an exclusive restaurant. For example, there was a courtyard house in the heart of the city that only served a table of old Shengjing cuisine every day. It was a ce where Old Master Li could not enter even if he worked hard for 8oo years. Perhaps she could eat there.


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°They do delivery here?¡±


    ¡°They can even deliver food to the mountaintop. Why can¡¯t they deliver it here?¡±


    After ordering the milk tea, Lu Yingxin finally rxed. She sat next to Lin Xiaowan and said with a sigh, ¡°My family is urging me to go on blind dates again. How annoying.¡±


    Then, Lu Yingxin asked, ¡°Xiaowan, how did you meet President Huo?¡±

 Chapter 171 - 171: We*re Not Good Friends

    Chapter 171: We*re Not Good Friends


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan briefly told Lu Yingxin about how she had found Dabao and Erbao, who were separated from Huo Zheng at rhe amusement park.


    ¡°How lucky,¡± Lu Yingxin said. Other people would not be able to tell if she was talking about how lucky Dabao and Erbao were to be found by Lin Xiaowan or how lucky Lin Xiaowan was to have met Huo Zheng.


    Lu Yingxin asked again, ¡°Then how many years have you been dating President Huo? Have you not considered marriage yet?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did some mental calctions, excluding her previous life. She said, ¡°It¡¯s been more than two years. As for getting married, there¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Since they had gotten engaged, Huo Zheng did not seem to be in a hurry to get married. Since Lin Xiaowan wanted to keep things small, apart from some good friends and business partners, not many people knew they were engaged. After all, there was no announcement to the media. As such, Lu Yingxin was also unaware of the engagement. In her mind, she was gloating, thinking that Huo Zheng had no intention of marrying Lin Xiaowan.


    Outwardly, Lu Yingxin frowned, seemingly worried for Lin Xiaowan. She asked, ¡°The Huo family is a wealthy family after all. Are there many rules to marry into the family?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Previously, my sister-inw told me that the Huo family doesn¡¯t have any rules regarding that. They don¡¯t care about these things, especially in regards to rtionships.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not mention the twists and turnsst year regarding Song Zhiyi.


    Lu Yingxin asked a few more questions about Lin Xiaowans rtionship with Huo Zheng, and she felt even more confident the more she listened to Lin Xiaowan.


    At this moment, Gu Yuwu appeared. She walked over, saying, ¡°After 1 was done with my work, I waited for you in my lounge for a while. 1 thought you got lost. As it turns out, you haven¡¯t even left the original ce. Why are you sitting on the ground and chatting? Don¡¯t you feel cold?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan moved her butt aside a little and gestured as she said, ¡°Lu Yingxin put her jacket on rhe ground.¡±


    Then, she told Gu Yuwu about how her hem was caught in the wheel and that Lu Yingxin helped her for a very long time but still failed to remove it.


    Gu Yuwu had no choice but to interact with Lu Yingxin due to work, but she could not help but dislike Lu Yingxin. After listening to Lin Xiaowan, she nced at Lu Yingxin. Then, she squatted down and asked, ¡°It¡¯s still not out? Let me take a look.¡±


    Gu Yuwu was very efficient. She tugged at it a few times. Seeing that it could not be removed, she immediately called someone in charge of the props to bring a pair of scissors over.


    ¡°Scissors? Are you going to cur it off?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°Yes. Otherwise, 1 don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll have to stay here,¡± Gu Yuwu said. She knew that Lin Xiaowan was worried about damaging the costume so she exined, ¡°It s fine. We have many costumes like this. Moreover, this kind of small damage is within expectations.¡±


    The milk tea was sent to the entrance, and a staff member brought them in.


    T hinking that Lu Yingxin not only helped her for so long but even treated her to milk tea, Lin Xiaowan went to the lounge to get her bag before bringing her phone out to exchange contact information with Lu Yingxin.


    Lu Yingxin noticed that the bag that Lin Xiaowan casually ced at the side was from a famous foreign brand. She had seen that bag featured in a magazine, and she knew the variation of Lin Xiaowan s bag was not even avable in the country. Many people could not buy it even if they had the money.


    Lu Yingxin was extremely envious. If she were in a rtionship with Huo Zheng, she might even be able to buy a limited edition bag, let alone this bag. After all, Huo Zheng was from the Huo family. There were very few things he could nor buy.


    Lin Xiaowan brought Lu Yingxin¡¯s jacket back. Two dayster, after washing it, she took the initiative and called Lu Yingxin, asking when Lu Yingxin would be free or when Lu Yingxin would be at home so she could send the jacket over.


    Since Lu Yingxin did not live in Xilin Imperial Garden, she found an excuse and said she was not around. Then, she turned things around and asked when Lin Xiaowan would be at home, saying that she woulde and pick the jacket up.


    Lin Xiaowan felt bad when she heard this. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t appropriate. I should send it to you instead. There¡¯s no need for you toe personally.¡±


    Lu Yingxin could not wait to go to Lin Xiaowan s house so how could she care about these things? She said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it. If you treat me as a friend, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡±


    Lu Yingxin calcted the time carefully and said, ¡°I still have something to do now. How about this? I lle at 5 to get rhe jacket. If you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll bring my cat over to y with yours as well!¡±


    It was close to dinner time at 5 PM. In Lu Yingxin¡¯s opinion, if she went at this time, with Lin Xiaowan¡¯s personality, Lin Xiaowan would definitely ask her to stay for dinner. If she stayed for dinner, she would definitely be able to see HuO Zheng.


    As expected, upon hearing these words, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°In that case, you should stay for dinner. Don¡¯t worry, I ll still treat you to a meal next time. This meal doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you,¡± Lu Yingxin said.


    Lin Xiaowan asked a few questions about Lu Yingxin¡¯s food preferences before ending the call.


    Subsequently, Lin Xiaowan made her way to the kitchen from the living room. She made a simple note about Lu Yingxin¡¯s food preferences.


    Upon hearing themotion, Aunt Wu came over. She asked curiously, ¡°Do we have guestsing for dinner?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Lu Yingxin. Aunt Wu, do you still remember her? She visited me before. She¡¯s the one who brought a cat with her,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Aunt Wu was slightly surprised. ¡°I remember. It¡¯s really hard to forget her. How did the two of you be good friends in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not good friends. She helped me a little when we were on set. Due to some circumstances, her jacket got dirty because of me. She was supposed toe over to pick up her jacket, but she wanted to bring her cat over to y as well. Since she¡¯sing at 5,1 asked her to stay for dinner.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Aunt Wu said and did not say anything else.


    Lin Xiaowan realized that the people around her, whether it was Gu Yuwu, Huo Zheng, or Aunt Wu, did not seem to like Lu Yingxin. She was a little curious as to the reason why. She could not help but ask, ¡°Aunt Wu, you don¡¯t seem to like Lu Yingxin much. Why?¡±


    Aunt Wu found it difficult to answer this question. She frowned for a long time before she said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like her. In any case, I¡¯m old. Perhaps old people are more particr about affinity. For some reason, 1 just don¡¯t find her pleasing to the eye. I can¡¯t exin it.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. Although she was not prejudiced against Lu Yingxin like before and did not even mind having a meal with thetter, she still could not get close to Lu Yingxin. Perhaps their maic field repelled each other or their auras did not match..

 Chapter 172 Her Name Is Mimi

    172 Her Name Is Mimi


    After ending the call, the first thing Lu Yingxin did was to get a cat. She did not know what happened to the sickly orange cat from before. One day, when she returned, she found the cat lying on the ground and meowing. It did not move and did not want to eat. At that time, she did not think much of it. Unexpectedly, it died the next morning. She took the orange cat out and simply threw it into the garbage can. At that time, it was useless to use cats to get close to Lin Xiaowan so she was not in a hurry to buy another one. However, after receiving Lin Xiaowan''s call today, she suddenly remembered she did not have a cat. In any case, it was not a problem since it was not difficult to buy a cat.


    Lu Yingxin had her own assistant. Originally, she nned to ask her assistant to buy her a beautiful cat with a good personality. However, she remembered that Lin Xiaowan''s employee had seen the dead orange cat before. With this, she could not just simply get another cat. In the end, she had no choice but to buy the cat herself. Fortunately, orange cats were verymon. Moreover, the employee likely did not see the cat clearly. It was okay to buy one that looked simr.


    ¡­


    At 5.15 PM, Lu Yingxin rang the doorbell of Lin Xiaowan''s house in Xilin Imperial Garden.


    They could remotely open and close the gate and see the people at the entrance from inside the house. When Aunt Wu saw Lu Yingxin, she opened the gate for thetter. When she saw the cat in Lu Yingxin''s arms, she took a few more nces.


    Lu Yingxin noticed this and felt a little guilty. However, she did not show it on her face. Instead, she smiled and asked, "Aunty, what''s wrong? Don''t worry. Mimi has been vinated. She''s very healthy."


    In fact, Lu Yingxin was simply talking. She had only gotten the cat an hour ago. She had not even given it a name until now nor did she know if it had been vinated. She had spontaneouslye up with the name ''Mimi'', and she did not know whether it was healthy or not.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I just thought it looked very small. It''s still a kitten, right? Come in,e in," Aunt Wu said.


    Lu Yingxin changed into the guest''s slippers and asked, "Where''s Xiaowan?"


    "Miss Lin is on the second floor. Follow me. I''ll bring you there," Aunt Wu said, leading Lu Yingxin.


    Lu Yingxin could not help but look around. She looked at the shoes on the shelf. There were many shoes in different styles, and she had seen Lin Xiaowan wear a few of them.


    Lu Yingxin looked at the exquisite decorations in the house. She found them low-key but luxurious. She looked at the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, gorgeous crystal chandelier, and vast space. The living room was not very tidy. There were a few cute plush toys on the couch, and snacks could be seen on the coffee table. The living room was filled with vitality, showing signs of life.


    Almost every detail of the house was to Lu Yingxin''s liking. She looked at everything greedily and covetously and could not help but fantasize about living here.


    ¡­


    Lin Xiaowan wasbing Little Chestnut''s fur at this moment. She had seen a video recently and wanted to collect Little Chetnut''s fur and use it to make a plush toy. As such, she had been diligentlybing Little Chestnut''s fur and collecting its fur that had shedded.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw Aunt Wu leading Lu Yingxin over, she quickly stood up. "You''re here."


    When she saw the orange curled up in Lu Yingxin''s arms, she was a little surprised. "Wow, what a tiny kitten! It looks about three to four months old. Am I right? It''s so cute!"


    Lu Yingxin bent down and ced the orange cat on the ground before she said, "How is it cute? Yours is cuter. It''s really beautiful and cute. I can tell at a nce that it''s raised really well. You''re amazing."


    These words were sincere. Lu Yingxin indeed liked Little Chestnut. Its fur was long and slightly curly, and its eyes were big and round. It looked noble and beautiful. When it meowed, it looked and sounded very cute. It was not an exaggeration to say that it looked like a cat princess.


    Lin Xiaowan squatted down and tried to pat the little orange cat. She asked, "My cat''s name is Little Chestnut. What''s your cat''s name?"


    Lu Yingxin had simplye up with the name earlier. She had toe up with an excuse for the name. She said, "I''m not very good at naming so I simply named it Mimi."


    "It''s still a good name. It sounds cute," Lin Xiaowan said.


    After the little orange cat was ced on the ground, it stood there uneasily and did not dare to move. Its tail was tightly tucked between its legs, and upon closer inspection, one could even see it was trembling slightly. It was clearly very afraid of Lin Xiaowan.


    When Lu Yingxin saw how disappointing the cat was behaving, she quickly exined, "Mimi usually stays at home and rarely goes out so she''s very timid."


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in understanding. "Yes, yes. Moreover, cats are afraid of unfamiliar environments. They behave like that when they''re in an unfamiliar environment¡­"


    At this time, Little Chestnut, who was lyingfortably on a pet hammock, jumped down after seeing an unfamiliar person and an unfamiliar cat in its territory. It stood in the distance and watched.


    Lin Xiaowan rose to her feet, intending to get some treats. She did not know how old Mimi was, so she asked, "How old is Mimi? Can she eat treats now?"


    Lu Yingxin naturally had no idea when a cat could start eating treats. However, she answered, "Yes, she can."


    When Little Chestnut heard the word ''treats'', it immediately ran to Lin Xiaowan and began to purr.


    After getting the treats, Lin Xiaowan sat cross-legged on the ground. She called out to Lu Yingxin, "Don''t just stand there. The floor has been cleaned. I usually sit on the floor. If you''re not used to it, you can sit on this small stool."


    Lu Yingxin thought about it for a moment. In order to get closer to Lin Xiaowan, she decided to sit on the floor as well.


    Little Chestnut kept nudging Lin Xiaowan''s hand with its head.


    Lin Xiaowan fed Little Chestnut a treat andughed. "You little glutton, we have to wait for your¡­"


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to say ''little sister'' seeing that Lu Yingxin''s cat was called Mimi. However, just to be sure, she asked, "Is Mimi a boy or a girl?"


    "It''s a girl," Lu Yingxin said, looking at Little Chestnut. She really liked Little Chestnut, but it did not care about her at all and kept circling Lin Xiaowan. It even ignored the little orange cat.


    After a moment, Lu Yingxin asked, "Can I touch Little Chestnut?"


    "Give her a treat first so she can familiarize herself with you. She doesn''t like strangers touching her. If she eats the treat, you can touch her," Lin Xiaowan said, "By the way, Mimi is really obedient."


    At this time, Mimi was already eating the treat that Lin Xiaowan fed it. It was not vignt at all. When it smelled the treat, it could not wait to eat at all. It looked quite thin, but it could eat a lot.


    In fact, Mimi was really hungry. Before it was bought, it had topete for food with other cats. It was thin and small so it naturally could notpete with the others. Moreover, it was also beaten.


    Moreover, since Lu Yingxin bought it until now, she did not even give it a sip of water, let alone food.

 Chapter 173 How Many Cats Does She Have?

    173 How Many Cats Does She Have?


    Perhaps Little Chestnut was with its mother for a period of time and was used to living outside. As long as there was someone it trusted and was familiar with, it would be very rxed regardless of its environment. However, it did not get close to humans easily.


    It was the same today. Although Lu Yingxin was almost lying on the ground coaxing Little Chestnut with treats, Little Chestnut only allowed Lu Yingxin to touch it twice before it ran away. However, Lu Yingxin was not only not angry, but she continued to try to get closer to it.


    Seeing how much Lu Yingxin liked Little Chestnut, Lin Xiaowan thought that the former had to be a cat lover.


    Little Chestnut, who had always been doted on, seemed a little unhappy that Lin Xiaowan was only ying with the little orange cat. It ran over and pushed the orange cat away before it rubbed itself against Lin Xiaowan as though it was begging for attention from Lin Xiaowan.


    The little orange cat did not dare to resist and had no intention of fighting back. After it was pushed aside, it got up and let out a soft cry.


    Lin Xiaowan felt that it was very cute and a little pitiful. She rubbed Little Chestnut''s head and chided gently, "What did you do?"


    ¡­


    At 6 PM, Aunt Wu came up and told them that dinner was ready.


    Lin Xiaowan was afraid that Little Chestnut and Mimi would fight if she left them alone. Although Little Chestnut was usually docile and obedient and Mimi looked timid, no one knew what would happen if they were left unattended.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan ced Mimi in a room that was used as an examination room. There were a few simple pieces of equipment inside. A vet woulde over regrly to examine Little Chestnut. However, Little Chestnut was not very weing to the vet and would show a bitter expression whenever one came.


    Lu Yingxin looked at the second floor that was filled with cat supplies and toys. There were also cute signs hanging on the ss doors of different rooms. There was a grooming room, an examination room, and there was even a wardrobe. Seeing all these things, she could not help but feel envious of a cat. She said, "These are all for Little Chestnut? Her life is really good."


    Lin Xiaowan only smiled and did not say anything else. Huo Zheng was the one who arranged all these things. He probably had never done something like that before so he simply added all kinds of things.


    ¡­


    When they went downstairs, Huo Zheng happened to walk out of the cloakroom on the first floor. He did not look as indifferent as he usually did. When he was at home, he was more rxed and gentle; he did not look so difficult to get close to.


    Lu Yingxin found it difficult to look away from Huo Zheng. However, she was afraid that Lin Xiaowan would discover her actions so she forced herself to look at Lin Xiaowan. s, her eyes would still drift to Huo Zheng from time to time. After a moment, she revealed a smile, which she had practiced many times in front of the mirror, and looked straight into Huo Zheng''s dark eyes as she said, "Hello, President Huo. We meet again."


    Huo Zheng did not want to talk to Lu Yingxin. He only nodded at her coldly in response before he looked at Lin Xiaowan and asked, "Why aren''t you wearing your house slippers? It''s not summer yet, 14:54


    and the floor is very cold."


    As he spoke, he went to the cab near the entrance and took out a pair of fluffy slippers. Then, he waved Lin Xiaowan over and helped her put on the slippers. In ordance with the principle of not lecturing his wife in front of others, he only pinched the tip of her nose slightly and gave her a warning look.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled and did not take him seriously. She asked teasingly, "So does this mean I can go barefoot in the summer?"


    "No, you have to wear it all year round."


    Lu Yingxin did not care that Huo Zheng treated her coldly. She still maintained a smile on her beautiful face as she walked to Lin Xiaowan''s side.


    Upon seeing Lu Yingxin, Lin Xiaowan recalled that she had yet to tell Huo Zheng about Lu Yingxin''s visit. At the same time, she remembered Huo Zheng telling her not to get close to Lu Yingxin. As such, she quickly exined the purpose of Lu Yingxin''s visit.


    "I brought her jacket back to wash two days ago. She came over to pick it up and brought her cat over to y. As such, I asked her to stay for dinner," Lin Xiaowan said in a low voice before asking, "What''s wrong? You don''t mind, do you?"


    Huo Zheng had heard about Lu Yingxin''s enthusiastic help a few days ago so he did not say anything.


    ¡­


    During dinner, Lu Yingxin deliberately sat with her back straight and ate slowly. She chewed a long time before she swallowed a small amount of food. Inparison to Lin Xiaowan who was picky with her food, she felt that she surpassed Lin Xiaowan in all aspects, be it her sitting posture, manner of eating, and everything else.


    Huo Zheng did not even bother to nce at Lu Yingxin from the corners of his eyes; he did not spare her a nce at all.


    As for Lin Xiaowan, she knew Huo Zheng would not be strict with her when outsiders were around so she was especially unrestrained.


    Seeing the various meat dishes on the table, Huo Zheng naturally understood Lin Xiaowan''s thoughts. He could only helplessly indulge her, vowing to let her eat more vegetables the next time.


    ¡­


    After the meal, Lu Yingxin did not stay any longer and left very quickly.


    Lin Xiaowan politely sent Lu Yingxin to the door with Huo Zheng by her side.


    The sky was dark, and it was a little windy at this time. Worried that Mimi would catch a cold, Lin Xiaowan even gave Lu Yingxin a new pet carrier.


    Lin Xiaowan stood at the door and asked, "Are you staying in Xilin Imperial Garden tonight?"


    Lu Yingxin did not have a house here so how could she stay here? However, due to her vanity, she said, "Yes, yes. Alright, I''m leaving now. Go in first!"


    Xilin Imperial Garden was very private. The houses were very far apart. As such, it was impossible for Lin Xiaowan to tell if Lu Yingxin really went back to her house in Xilin Imperial Garden or not. This was also one of the reasons Lu Yingxin felt at ease lying.


    However, Lu Yingxin was unaware that Huo Zheng had investigated her and was aware of everything. He had long known that she did not live in Xilin Imperial Garden.


    Nheless, Huo Zheng did not expose Lu Yingxin''s clumsy lie. After Lu Yingxin walked away, he put his arm around Lin Xiaowan''s shoulder and asked, "She''s already left. Why are you still looking? It''s windy outside. Let''s go in."


    Not long after they entered the house, Aunt Wu came over and pulled Lin Xiaowan to the side, looking mysterious.


    "What''s wrong, Aunt Wu?" Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    Aunt Wu looked like those female students who loved to gossip at this moment. She asked, "Miss Lin, do you know how many cats Miss Lu has at home?"


    Lin Xiaowan did not know why Aunt Wu would ask this. She recalled her conversation with Lu Yingxin earlier. She remembered Lu Yingxin said it was her first time raising a cat and that she had no intention of raising another one.


    "I think she only has one cat. She said it''s her first time raising a cat," Lin Xiaowan replied.


    Aunt Wu''s eyes widened in surprise. Then, she said, "Miss Lin, don''t me me for thinking too much. However, I suspect the cat she brought over earlier isn''t the same as the one she brought over previously."


    "Huh? How can it be?" Lin Xiaowan said, confused.

 Chapter 174 - 174: Cat Swap

    Chapter 174: Cat Swap


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Aunt Wu was very confident. She said, ¡°It¡¯s true! Although she only stood at the gate at that time, I noticed that one of the cat¡¯s paw pads was ck. Although 1 can¡¯t remember which one it is, when I fed Little Chestnut earlier, I fed Mimi as well. At that time, 1 took a look. Not one of Mimi¡¯s paw pads was ck at all. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my imagination. I have a strong feeling that this cat is different from the one before!¡±


    Indeed, the orange cat from before was a little bigger than Mimi. It was also a little longer than Mimi.


    Lu Yingxin also knew about the difference in the cats¡¯ sizes. However, she was confident that Aunt Wu did not see the orange cat clearly previously since she was holding it in her arms at that time. For this reason, she did not care about the difference in sizes, let alone the colors of their paw pads. Who knew Aunt Wu would be so observant?


    Lin Xiaowan had never seen the previous cat before so she was a little skeptical. She asked, ¡°Could you have seen it wrongly?¡±


    Despite her question, Lin Xiaowan did not think Aunt Wu was lying. After all,pared to Lu Yingxin, Aunt Wu had been with her for a long time, and she trusted Aunt Wu. It was just that she found this matter strange.


    ¡°I¡¯m old, but not that old. My brain and my eyes are working fine,¡± Aunt Wu said.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled, ¡°Then in your opinion, does she have two cats?¡± Aunt Wu had spent some time thinking about this matter earlier. She said, ¡°I felt a little suspicious and was thinking about it when I fed the cats earlier. 1 remember the cat previously was very thin, and it didn¡¯t look very healthy¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps she changed the cat because the cat from before¡­¡± Aunt Wu spected out loud. She paused briefly to check Lin Xiaowan¡¯s expression before she continued to say, ¡°Because the cat before is already dead¡­¡± Meanwhile, Huo Zheng, who was watching the news, heard this and raised an eyebrow.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened as she said, ¡°How can this be? 1 saw her ying with Little Chestnut in the afternoon. She seemed to really love cats. As you know, Little Chestnut doesn¡¯t like strangers. However, she was very patient and didn¡¯t seem angry at all.¡±


    Aunt Wu gently patted the back of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Look at her cat. It¡¯s so thin and weak. She should know that cats are afraid of unfamiliar environments. If she really loved the cat, why wasn¡¯t she worried about agitating her cat?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s impression of Lu Yingxin had improved greatly because of thetter¡¯s help when they were on set. However, after listening to Aunt Wu¡¯s logical analysis, she felt that Aunt Wu was right.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Little Chestnut isn¡¯t afraid of unfamiliar environments as long as we¡¯re around so 1 overlooked this point,¡± Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Mimi looks weak. When I touched her, she was trembling a lot. She was clearly frightened, but she didn¡¯t dare to move at all. 1 thought it was only afraid of strangers, but in hindsight, it¡¯s clearly more than that¡­¡±


    The more Lin Xiaowan thought about it, the more shocked she was. Finally, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask her about it if I have the chance. Filming will wrap up next month. I¡¯ll ask Sister Yuwu about it. Perhaps I¡¯ll attend the closing ceremony of the filming.¡±


    ¡°You have to be wary of others,¡± Aunt Wu advised earnestly.


    Lin Xiaowan scratched her head. She could not figure out why Lu Yingxin would say that it was her first time raising a cat or why she reced the dead one with a new one and pretended that they were the same.


    A week passed.


    Zhu Yingyue had already bought the shop next door, and she began her n to expand the business. While the shop was being renovated, she wanted to ask Lin Xiaowan for more ideas on what they could do.


    Recently, Lin Xiaowan did not paint much. She only painted a few watercolor paintings when she was on set. When she received Zhu Yingyue¡¯s call, she thought that she might find inspiration by going over to have a look. Perhaps she could draw a few anthropomorphic construction tools.


    When she left Xilin Imperial Garden, the security guard at the entrance recognized the car¡¯s license te. He asked, ¡°It¡¯s so bright out today. Are you going out to y, Miss Lin?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not find the question strange. She answered casually, ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the shop to do something.¡±


    The shop next door wasrger than Lin Xiaowan had imagined, and it also had two floors. The original fixtures had already been dismantled, and everything had been cleared.


    ording to Zhu Yingyue¡¯s n, the ingredients and finished products would be disyed downstairs. When the time came, they would also disy the patissiers¡¯ certificates. They would disy the menu so customers could choose what they wanted to make. The prices would also be clearly listed.


    Lin Xiaowan thought that the ce was very big.


    The second floor was much more spacious than the first floor. There were different rooms of different sizes, and they were very well-equipped. Thergest room in the innermost area would be used to host small events.


    After Zhu Yingyue told Lin Xiaowan about her idea, she led Lin Xiaowan away and said, ¡°These are my ideas. Xiaowan, let me know if you have any ideas as well.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any ideas. She shook her head and said, ¡°I think your ideas are very good, Sister. However, is our budget enough?¡±


    ording to Zhu Yingyue¡¯s n, the first floor would be mainly used as a disy area. Moreover, they had spent a lot on the renovation. If they used the ingredients next door here for people to choose, the price definitely would not be cheap.


    Zhu Yingyue did not seem worried about the budget at all. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a problem. The dessert shop is popr. We won¡¯t have a problem paying for this. As long as the environment and our service are good, we don¡¯t have to worry about not having customers. Moreover, we have many loyal fans of the dessert shop. There¡¯ll be nock of customers. Don¡¯t worry. You just need to sit back and wait to receive money.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue was indeed a top finance student. She analyzed everything logically and systematically, including the customers.


    The signboard for the dessert shop was very simple, but Zhu Yingyue nned to have more embellishments for the signboard of this shop.


    The two women went out to look at the storefront to discuss the signboard. As soon as they stepped outside, Lin Xiaowan saw Lu Yingxin, who was looking at her phone. Lu Yingxin seemed to be waiting for someone at this moment.


    Lin Xiaowan immediately thought about the ¡®cat swap¡¯ incident that Aunt Wu mentioned. She paused in her tracks, thinking if she should pretend like she did not see Lu Yingxin or if she should greet Lu Yingxin.


    However, before Lin Xiaowan could make up her mind, Lu Yingxin had already seen Lin Xiaowan. She smiled and quickly walked toward Lin Xiaowan..

 Chapter 175 - 175: The Creative Space

    Chapter 175: The Creative Space


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Lu Yingxin said. She was dressed in sportswear today, and her hair was pulled up into a bun; she looked energetic and youthful. She seemed to have learned a new makeup technique. The corners of her eyes that were originally raised made her look sharp, but now, she looked much gentler. Recently, she had considered going overseas to get stic surgery. In her opinion, Lin Xiaowan was average in all aspects, but she was envious of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s bright and round eyes. She felt that if she had eyes like Lin Xiaowan, Huo Zheng would like her more.


    Lin Xiaowan was naturally unaware of Lu Yingxin¡¯s thoughts. She put the matter of the cats aside and greeted thetter.


    Lu Yingxin gestured at the bag in her hands and said to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°I queued up for a long time to buy these. 1 originally nned to share them with my friend, but my friend suddenly stood me up. Do you want to try them?¡±


    The bag was lined with an oil wrapper. One could easily smell the fragrance of its content, but there was no indication of what it was from the bag.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Five Fortune tbread. I bought them from an old shop on Huaihai Road. 1 bought the ones with shrimp and meat fillings. They¡¯re really delicious,¡± Lu Yingxin said. Then, she took out a piece for Lin Xiaowan before she said, ¡°Here, try it. I can¡¯t finish two servings on my own so 1 want to share them with you. I waited in line for two hours for them.¡±


    Needless to say, Lu Yingxin did not make any ns with her friend at all. She heard from the security guard in Xilin Imperial Garden that Lin Xiaowan had gone to the dessert shop so she quickly came to wait for Lin Xiaowan. On the way here, she had been thinking of ways to get closer to Lin Xiaowan, and coincidentally, she passed by the tbread shop. Also, she did not queue up for the tbread and bought it from someone else at a high price. She sent her assistant to do it since she was too embarrassed to do it herself.


    In Lu Yingxin¡¯s opinion, although she did not gain a lot of fans after participating in a variety show, she believed that she was a little famous. Moreover, her first movie was about to premiere. When the movie premiered, and if this matter was exposed, it would be difficult for her to exin herself, and it would bring a host of trouble to her. For this reason, she had asked her assistant to discreetly buy the tbread from someone.


    Lu Yingxin had a scale in her heart. She thought that this was only a small price to pay. When she became Mrs. Huo in the future, she could buy the entire shop if she wanted to, let alone the Five Fortune tbread.


    With this thought in mind, Lu Yingxin¡¯s smile grew brighter when she looked at Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan could not resist Lu Yingxin¡¯s enthusiasm so she could only ept it. She said, ¡°Thank you so much. I haven¡¯t even treated you to a meal yet, but you¡¯ve already treated me to a meal¡­¡±


    Lu Yingxinughed. ¡°This is just a small matter. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Needless to say, only Lu Yingxin herself knew if this was a small matter or not.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the time and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no time like the present. 1¡¯11 treat you to a meal today. Are you free tonight?¡±


    Lu Yingxin was very eager. She said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m an idle person.¡±


    However, after that, Lu Yingxin pretended to say, ¡°But don¡¯t force yourself. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy, right?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan told Lu Yingxin to wait for her at the dessert shop for a while. She even personally brought thetter over and told an employee to put everything Lu Yingxin ordered on her tab.


    When Lin Xiaowan came out, she saw that Zhu Yingyue was still waiting for her at the entrance of the new shop. She ran over and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister. I wanted to have dinner with you tonight, but it seems like we can only do it another time.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue did not mind at all. She said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can eat together at any time. If you have something to do, go ahead.¡±


    Zhu Yingyue threw this matter to the back of her mind and pulled Lin Xiaowan over to look at the storefront. She said, ¡°The two shops havepletely different concepts so we can¡¯t possibly call this the dessert shop as well. Moreover, it¡¯ll be awkward if our customers enter the wrong shop¡­ I¡¯m really not good at naming. Xiaowan, why don¡¯t youe up with a name?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was also not talented in this regard. She stroked her chin as she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just call it the Creative Space? After all, we¡¯re providing baking sses to our customers. It involves a lot of creativity¡­¡±


    ¡°The Creative Space¡­ Hmm, alright. Let¡¯s go with this name then,¡± Zhu Yingyue said.


    Seeing how quickly Zhu Yingyue agreed, Lin Xiaowan felt nervous and hesitant. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is too hasty? Shouldn¡¯t wee up with a few more names?¡±


    Zhu Yingyue said with a smile, ¡°You cane up with more names if that¡¯s what you want. I have no objection to that¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaowan said decisively, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Let¡¯s just go with the Creative Space. It sounds good.¡±


    After that, Zhu Yingyue spoke about the patissiers. She had not sent Lin Xiaowan the list, and Lin Xiaowan had been going to the filming set recently. Since they met today, she decided to discuss the matter again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. After all, the shop is still being renovated. We have time to look for good patissiers,¡± Zhu Yingyue said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry, then I¡¯m not in a hurry. Anyway, just send me a message if you need anything. However, if you send me an e-mail, remember to call me. I don¡¯t usually check my e-mails,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    Zhu Yingyue made an ¡®okay¡¯ gesture as she said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan and Zhu Yingyue¡¯s discussion about the shop was almost over, Lin Xiaowan called Huo Zheng and informed him that she would not be going home for dinner.


    When Huo Zheng received the call, he was about to get off work and leave. Upon hearing that Lin Xiaowan was not having dinner at home, his smile drooped a little as he said, ¡°You¡¯re eating out with your friend? Remember to watch you eat, okay?¡±


    Then, Huo Zheng lowered his voice before he continued to say, ¡°If 1 find out that you didn¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll punish you.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ears turned red. She knew what Huo Zheng meant by ¡®punish*. She decided to be magnanimous and not quarrel with the 30-year-old man. She coughed lightly and said, ¡°By the way, I¡¯m having dinner with Lu Yingxin.¡± Huo Zheng frowned as soon as he heard these words. He did not understand why Lin Xiaowan was with Lu Yingxin again. ¡°Why are you with her again?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan told Huo Zheng about their coincidental encounter at the entrance of the dessert shop and even told him about the Five Fortune tbread. Then, she said, ¡°The Five Fortune tbread is really delicious. I didn¡¯t know about it before.. Let¡¯s buy some next time!¡±

 Chapter 176 - 176: Treating Lu Yingxin to a Meal

    Chapter 176: Treating Lu Yingxin to a Meal


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan only briefly mentioned the Five Fortune tbread. Without waiting for Huo Zheng¡¯s response, she continued to say, ¡°Previously, I told Lu Yingxin that I would treat her to a meal. I even mentioned it again when she visited our house. I felt bad so I invited her out tonight.¡±


    Huo Zheng asked worriedly, ¡°Where are you going to eat?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not in a hurry to go to the dessert shop. She replied, ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet. Since I said I¡¯m going to treat her, it¡¯s more appropriate if she chooses the ce.¡±


    Huo Zheng said, ¡°Alright, alright. Send me the address once you¡¯ve decided, okay? 1¡¯11 pick you up when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, looking troubled, ¡°The driver is with me. The driver can just send me back. There¡¯s no need for you to go to so much trouble.¡±


    The duo chatted for a while more. When Huo Zheng heard the sound of a car honking from Lin Xiaowan¡¯s side, he urge her to go and eat before ending the call.


    As soon as the call ended, Huo Zheng called his assistant over with a dark expression on his face. He said, ¡°Go and investigate Lu Yingxin again. Be more thorough when you check her recent movements.¡±


    Ever since he heard Aunt Wu¡¯s spections about the cats, Huo Zheng felt even more strongly that something was amiss. Moreover, there were too many coincidences with Lu Yingxin. Although Shengjing City was not big, it was not small either. How was it possible for Lu Yingxin to run into Lin Xiaowan so frequently?


    ¡°Bring me the resultster,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Assistant Song¡¯s reaction was a little slow. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t he going home to have dinner with the Young Madam?¡¯


    Huo Zheng nced at Assistant Song expressionlessly, and Assistant Song straightened his back and quickly said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring it over as soon as there¡¯s a result.¡±


    With that, Assistant Song quickly slipped away.


    ¡®Damn it! It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t go home. But is there a need to scare me like that?!¡¯


    In the dessert shop.


    When Lu Yingxin saw Lin Xiaowan walk in, she quickly rose to her feet and asked, ¡°Are you done? I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at the empty table in front of Lu Yingxin and asked, ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t order anything earlier? By the way, what do you feel like eating? Don¡¯t be polite with me. Just tell me what you feel like eating¡­¡±


    Lu Yingxin had been sitting there for a long time, looking through a list of restaurants in Shengjing. There were a few restaurants that she had begged Old Master Li to bring her to before this. In her opinion, the restaurant at the top of the list had to be the best and the most expensive. For example, the private restaurant that she wanted to go to did not have many introductions.


    Upon hearing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words, Lu Yingxin pretended to look troubled as she said, ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t have any preference. However, my husband made a reservation at Mriai Waki previously, but he had some work to do at thest minute so the reservation was canceled. Why don¡¯t we eat there?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had never heard of the restaurant before. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s just go there if that¡¯s what you want. Do we have to make a reservation?¡±


    Old Master Li rarely went out in public with Lu Yingxin. The number of times they ate outside could be counted on one hand. She only heard of the restaurant, and she had casually made up a story about having a reservation there. As such, she was not certain if they had to make a reservation. However, based on how exclusive it was, she was sure that they would need to make a reservation. As such, she said confidently, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked Lu Yingxin to spell the name of the restaurant before she looked up the restaurant¡¯s phone number. However, when she called to make reservations, an employee told her that they were no longer taking reservations. With that, she regretfully conveyed the result to Lu Yingxin.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to another restaurant. It¡¯s not like we have to go to this restaurant,¡± Lu Yingxin said with a smile on her face. However, inwardly, she thought that Lin Xiaowan truly lived a good life by relying on Huo Zheng. She knew that if Huo Zheng had personally called, there would be no need for them to make a reservation at all. Not only that, but if she were with Huo Zheng, she was sure he could bring her to restaurants where ordinary people could not even enter.


    Lu Yingxin felt extremely indignant. She could not help but wonder again how Lin Xiaowan managed to capture Huo Zheng¡¯s heart, and why it was not her. In her opinion, she was not inferior to Lin Xiaowan at all. In fact, she felt she was prettier than Lin Xiaowan and that she was more suited to stand next to Huo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan naturally did not know much about dining outside. She had not even heard of the restaurant that Lu Yingxin mentioned. However, she thought Lu Yingxin¡¯s standard should be rtively high. As such, she tried her best to recall the good restaurants that she had been to with Huo Zheng and Gu Yuwu. After thinking for a while, she still could not think of anything so she asked, ¡°Is there anywhere else you want to go?¡±


    Lu Yingxin naturally had a backup n. However, she pretended to think hard before she asked tentatively, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the Sea Cloud Pavilion?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked up the restaurant on her phone again. This was another restaurant that she had never heard of. She asked again, ¡°Do we need to make reservations?¡±


    ¡°The restaurant is quite big. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have a table for us,¡± Lu Yingxin said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look first. The Sea Cloud Pavilion is quite near.¡±


    Before leaving, Lin Xiaowan gave Lu Yingxin a lot of desserts from the shop. She knew that Lu Yingxin was not a member so she gave her a membership card and even charged the card to the highest limit for Lu Yingxin, paying for it out of her own pocket.


    The Sea Cloud Pavilion was big. As Lu Yingxin said, there was no problem for them to eat there without making a reservation.


    When they arrived, Lin Xiaowan asked for a private room, and after taking a seat, she sent Huo Zheng the restaurant¡¯s address.


    Huo Zheng was still working at the office. When he saw the message, he quickly replied.


    [Huo Zheng: Don¡¯t eat raw seafood. Your stomach is weak. You can only eat cooked seafood, understand?]


    The Sea Cloud Pavilion was famous for its raw seafood, especially its raw lobster. Huo Zheng was worried that she would not listen to him again.


    Fortunately, Lin Xiaowan had never been too enthusiastic about raw seafood. She quickly responded to his message.


    [Lin Xiaowan: 1 know, I know-]


    When the waiter brought the menu over, Lin Xiaowan did not take it. Instead, she gestured to Lu Yingxin to take it as she said, ¡°Since I¡¯m treating you, you should order. I don¡¯t know what you like to eat.¡±


    Lu Yingxin did not stand on ceremony with Lin Xiaowan. She looked at the menu for a moment before she asked the waiter, ¡°Do you have any rmendations?¡±


    The waiter skillfully rmended a few popr dishes. Among them were raw fish and raw lobster.


    Lin Xiaowan had no interest in them, but seeing that Lu Yingxin was interested, she naturally did not object.


    This was Lu Yingxin¡¯s first time eating out with Lin Xiaowan so she felt that she should not be too presumptuous. She ordered a Monte Carlo sea bass before she handed the menu to Lin Xiaowan and said, ¡°Even if you¡¯re treating me to a meal, you should order what you like as well.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said with augh, ¡°I¡¯m more interested in desserts.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the waiter quickly said, ¡°We have the winter gummy bear dessert in our restaurant that¡¯s popr with young people. Those who¡¯ve tried it all praised it. Would you like to try it?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded decisively before she asked Lu Yingxin, ¡°Do you want to try it as well?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lu Yingxin replied. She naturally would not refuse..

 Chapter 177 - 177: Fleas

    Chapter 177: Fleas


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The waiter asked if they wanted to order more main dishes so Lin Xiaowan looked at the menu and said, ¡°Blue lobsters and barbecued pork noodles? I want to try it. Are you okay with it?¡±


    Lu Yingxin, of course, had no objections. She nodded every time Lin Xiaowan asked for her opinion.


    Lin Xiaowan flipped through two more pages before she asked, ¡°I want soup. Do you have any preference?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± Lu Yingxin said.


    Lin Xiaowan was a ssic example of someone with big eyes and a small stomach. She wanted to eat everything she saw. As such, when she went out, she usually let others do the ordering. She was only responsible for eating. Since she was ordering today, it was not surprising that she could not make up her mind.


    ¡°Seahorse pigeon soup? How interesting. I didn¡¯t know that seahorses are edible. Let¡¯s try it,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    After cing the order, the waiter served them fruits before the meal started. There were strawberries, blueberries, and peeled lychees on the exquisite te.


    As they chatted, Lin Xiaowan kept thinking about the matter that Aunt Wu mentioned. In the end, she could not help but ask, ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your little orange kitten? Has it grown in size?¡±


    At this moment, Lu Yingxin was showing off the fact that she was eating in Sea Cloud Pavilion to her friends in a group chat. When she heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s question, her hands that were typing paused for a moment. Then, with a smile on her face, she lied with a straight face, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy recently, and I¡¯m often not at home. 1 was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to care for it so my friend¡¯s helping me to temporarily care for it.¡±


    The orange cat stayed awake untilte in the night and kept meowing. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s house was not big. Even if she locked the cat up in the furthest room, she could still vaguely hear the cat meowing at night. The sound was sharp, making her annoyed. She was also worried that the neighbors wouldin. As such, she simply brought the kitten outside and left it there. In her opinion, the cat was useless to her. If she needed it, she could simply get another one.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. She did not know what else to ask so she only said, ¡°Bring Mimi to y the next time you¡¯re free. Since both of us are staying in Xilin Imperial Garden, it¡¯s not too troublesome. Moreover, cats need to socialize as well.¡±


    Lu Yingxin naturally could not easily agree to this. She said, ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t live in Xilin Imperial Garden so it¡¯s a little inconvenient¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not very good at speaking, to begin with. She could not directly ask Lu Yingxin if the cat Lu Yingxin brought over the first time was the same one she brought the second time. She also could not ask if Lu Yingxing¡¯s first cat died. However, she was also not good at talking in a roundabout manner.


    Fortunately, the meal went smoothly. During the meal, Lu Yingxin would take the initiative to find topics to talk about. Logically speaking, the two got along rather harmoniously, but for some reason, Lin Xiaowan felt a little uneasy.


    When the meal was finally over, Lin Xiaowan felt relieved. She naturally did not dare to show it on her face. She was not confrontational after all and was worried that Lu Yingxin would notice. It was ufortable for her to be around Lu Yingxin alone.


    When the waiter appeared to lead them out, Lin Xiaowan rxed greatly now that she was no longer alone with Lu Yingxin.


    When the driver opened the car door for Lin Xiaowan, she politely said to Lu Yingxin, ¡°Get in the car. We¡¯re both going to Xilin Imperial Garden anyway.¡±


    Lu Yingxin did not live in Xilin Imperial Garden. How could she go back with Lin Xiaowan? She could not possibly go to Old Master Li¡¯s house. If she went to his house without any notice, he definitely would not let her off easily.


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s lying skills were so good that she did not even need to think about it. She said with a straight face, ¡°You go ahead. I still have something to do. 1 n to visit Mimi at my friend¡¯s house.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally no longer said anything upon hearing these words. After bidding farewell, she left.


    Lu Yingxin waited until Lin Xiaowan¡¯s car was out of sight before she hailed a cab.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned home, she realized that it was already quitete, but the housekeeper was still cleaning the house. When she heard the heart-wrenching yowling noises on the second floor, she quickly ran upstairs, shocked.


    When Little Chestnut saw its mother, it no longer yowled. Instead, it meowed cutely, sounding a little aggrieved.


    Little Chestnut¡¯s toys and belongings had been cleared away, and someone was spraying something everywhere at this moment. There was the smell of wormwood and a strange smell that permeated the second floor.


    Little Chestnut was yowling earlier because it was forced to take a shower by the vet and Aunt Wu.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, stunned.


    ¡®The new year has passed, but we¡¯re doing spring cleaning now?¡¯


    Huo Zheng was in another room, putting away Little Chestnut¡¯s toys and daily necessities. When he heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice, he walked out. He smelled like wormwood as well.


    Lin Xiaowan scrunched up her face when she smelled it.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s expression was quite unsightly at this moment. He came over and held her hand as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs first.¡±


    As soon as they went upstairs, Huo Zheng pushed her to the bathroom to shower.


    Lin Xiaowan grabbed him and asked in confusion, ¡°Wait, wait. What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    Huo Zheng had been suppressing his anger ever since he came home. When he saw the confused expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face, he was even more disgusted with Lu Yingxin. It was truly difficult for him to control his emotions so his voice was a little dark as he said, ¡°There¡¯s a flea infestation. Aunt Wu saw fleas on Little Chestnut in the afternoon and arranged for people to clean them up.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked. ¡°Fleas? How¡¯s that possible? Ever since we moved here, Little Chestnut hasn¡¯t been anywhere else. Not only do we frequently spray her with flea repellent, but she also hasn¡¯t gone out at all. How can there be a flea infestation?¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at Lin Xiaowan silently for a long time. After a while, he sighed helplessly and asked, ¡°So what do you think is the reason?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that Little Chestnut hade in contact with Lu Yingxin and Mimi. She asked in disbelief, ¡°It¡¯s from the kitten that Lu Yingxin brought over?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other possibility,¡± Huo Zheng said confidently, determining the source of the flea infestation.


    Lin Xiaowan was a little scared. ¡°I, I¡¯ve been ying with Little Chestnut frequently! Don¡¯t tell me I have fleas as well? You, do you have fleas?¡±


    Seeing the pitiful and aggrieved expression on her face, Huo Zheng quickly hugged her. However, just as he was about to kiss her, she pushed him away.


    ¡°What are you doing? If there are fleas, won¡¯t it be contagious?¡±


    Huo Zheng said, amused, ¡°We¡¯re fine. It¡¯ll be obvious if you have fleas. Does your scalp feel itchy recently?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ But what if I feel itchy after showering?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked pitifully.


    Huo Zheng sighed. ¡°Forget it. Qingqing, go and shower first.¡±


    Huo Zheng threw away the clothes she wore immediately. He also went to the walk-in wardrobe on the fourth floor and brought a set of new clothes over for Lin Xiaowan..

 Chapter 178 - 178: Lie

    Chapter 178: Lie


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan returned to the second floor, Little Chestnut had already been washed and dried. It had also been treated with flea medicine.


    There was still a strong smell of disinfectant mixed with wormwood on the second floor, and the smell was a little pungent.


    Little Chestnut had to move temporarily. All its daily necessities had been moved to an empty room on the first floor. It was originally a guest room, but now it had turned into Little Chestnut¡¯s territory.


    Lin Xiaowan asked nervously, ¡°Is the infestation very bad?¡±


    Aunt Wu was extremely dissatisfied with Lu Yingxin now. As soon as she sent the vet away, she looked for Lu Yingxin toin. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. The vet said that it was good that we discovered it early. Otherwise, we might even have to shave our heads if we were infected. Miss Lin, tell me. Little Chestnut has always been very clean. How could there be fleas? It must be thatdy who brought her cat over previously. There must be a problem with her.¡±


    Aunt Wu liked Little Chestnut a lot and would y it from time to time. Sometimes it was as though she treated Little Chestnut like her granddaughter. She was usually gentle and moderate. It was rare for her toin and be impatient like she was now.


    Aunt Wu knew Lin Xiaowan had dinner with Lu Yingxin earlier so she asked, ¡°Miss Lin, you had dinner with her earlier, right? Did you ask her about the cat?¡±


    From the moment Lin Xiaowan found out about the fleas, she had already suspected Lu Yingxin. Previously, she did not think too much about it. However, now that she thought about it carefully, she felt that her distrust toward Lu Yingxin had grown significantly, and she felt that something was very wrong.


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°I did ask her, but I didn¡¯t get any useful information.¡±


    Then, she added, ¡°Her answers were vague. Initially, I invited her to bring her cat over again. At that time, we can observe her and her cat. However, thinking about it now, fortunately, she didn¡¯t agree.¡±


    Aunt Wu was even more anxious than Lin Xiaowan. She said, ¡±1 hope she doesn¡¯te again. The first time, she brought fleas with her. Who knows what she¡¯ll bring next? We have to disinfect the house properly. After all, fleas multiply quickly. I don¡¯t think we should keep Little Chestnut¡¯s things.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. She refused the invitation. She said that she was too busy to take care of the cat so she sent it to her friend¡¯s house temporarily. However, I have a feeling that she no longer intends to raise it.¡±


    Aunt Wu rolled her eyes. Her dislike for Lu Yingxin was obvious. She said, ¡°It¡¯s good if she doesn¡¯t raise the cat. It¡¯s so skinny and pitiful, and it even has fleas. She doesn¡¯t know how to care for it at all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan went to the guest room to look at Little Chestnut. Perhaps it was suddenly caught and given a bath at night, it meowed pitifully, looking aggrieved, when it saw its mother. It rubbed against her leg as though it was asking to beforted.


    Lin Xiaowan picked Little Chestnut up and hugged it before she gave it a treat and said, ¡°Little Chestnut, do you want a treat?¡±


    ¡°Little Chestnut is still the best,¡± Aunt Wu said.


    At this time, Huo Zheng walked over and stroked Little Chestnut. However, Little Chestnut pped his hand away with its paw before it pointed its butt at him, determined to ignore him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked in confusion.


    Usually, Huo Zheng did not y with Little Chestnut much, and he also did not feed it treats. Lin Xiaowan had always wondered how Huo Zheng could remain so stoic when faced with such a cute cat. Perhaps that was why Little Chestnut was not very close to Huo Zheng. In any case, Little Chestnut usually ignored him, but it would still allow him to pet it. This is the first time that it refused Huo Zheng.


    Aunt Wu chuckled when she heard Lin Xiaowan¡¯s question. She said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she forced to take a bath earlier? It was Mr. Huo who caught her. She must be holding a grudge against him.¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed.


    When Little Chestnut was young, it did not resist bathing. However, ever since its fur had grown, it became resistant to bathing. Perhaps it was because its body would be heavy when it was wet. In any case, it did not matter since cats did not need to shower as frequently as dogs did.


    Lin Xiaowan handed Huo Zheng a treat and said, ¡°Here you go. You can bribe Little Chestnut.¡±


    Huo Zheng silently extended his hand to Little Chestnut. Although it was dissatisfied with Huo Zheng, when it saw the treat, it did not stand on ceremony and began eating. It even meowed when it ate.


    Lin Xiaowanughed. ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s saying.¡±


    Huo Zheng was both helpless and amused. ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s scolding me.¡±


    When they went to bed, Lin Xiaowan voiced her suspicion to Huo Zheng. She asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that Lu Yingxin doesn¡¯t live in Xilin Imperial Garden at all?¡±


    However, after she said that, she doubted herself again. She said, ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t make sense either. Otherwise, how could shee in and out so easily if she doesn¡¯t live here? The security here is quite strict after all.¡±


    In addition to ess cards, there was a facial recognition system in ce for owners. When visitors came, their information would be recorded, and the security guard would also call the owner they were visiting before they were let in. Otherwise, they would not be able to enter at all.


    ¡°Oh, right. Perhaps her husband lives here?¡± Lin Xiaowan said when she recalled the man she had seen with Lu Yingxin the first time they met.


    Huo Zheng rubbed Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head. More than once, he felt that Lin Xiaowan was really silly and cute. He said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t live here. I felt that something was wrong before so I¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng hesitated for a moment before he said, ¡°I asked around about her.¡± ¡°Huh? Then why did she say that she¡¯s living in Xilin Imperial Garden? No wonder. Thest time it rained, she said she was not going home when we wanted to send her home. It was the same tonight. When I said I¡¯d send her home, she said she had something to do.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not figure out why Lu Yingxin lied. It was too tiring to lie, after all. One would have toe up with more lies just to maintain the first lie. With that, one would be lying all the time.


    With this thought in mind, Lin Xiaowan began to feel like this was not the only thing that Lu Yingxin lied about. For example, the matter regarding the cat. If it was as Aunt Wu said, if Mimi was not the first cat Lu Yingxin brought to the house, what happened to the first cat?


    Lin Xiaowan tried to be optimistic, thinking that perhaps Lu Yingxin had given the first cat to a friend.


    ¡°If I had known, I would have insisted on sending her back. At least, 1 would¡¯ve known where she lived!¡±


    Huo Zhengughed. ¡°What are you going to do even if you know where she lives?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan froze.


    ¡®Indeed. What can 1 do?¡¯


    After a moment, Lin Xiaowan clenched her hands and said, ¡°If I see her again, I¡¯m going to ask her directly about the cat!¡±


    Although she could call Lu Yingxin, she preferred tomunicate directly.


    Perhaps it was thew of the universe, but when Lin Xiaowan wanted to meet Lu Yingxin, she could not meet Lu Yingxin at all. Until the end of May, she did not see Lu Yingxin again. Lu Yingxin did call her once, but she did not know what Lu Yingxin wanted because she did not answer the call..

 Chapter 179 - 179: Denial

    Chapter 179: Denial


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng had gone on a business trip a few days ago. Coincidentally, Gu Yuwu¡¯s filming had ended, and there was a party. Since Lin Xiaowan had nothing to do, she decided to attend the party with Gu Yuwu.


    At the party tomemorate thepletion of filming, Lin Xiaowan met Lu Yingxin.


    The party was very lively. When Lu Yingxin saw Lin Xiaowan, she came over to greet Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan smiled stiffly. She did not want to make things awkward in such a public setting, but she still could not help but ask, pretending to be casual, ¡°You¡¯ve been so busy. How¡¯s Mimi doing?¡±


    How could Lu Yingxin know what happened to the cat she had abandoned? However, she was not flustered at all and lied with a straight face. She said, ¡°Remember 1 told you my friend was helping me to look after it? My friend likes Mimi a lot. Considering how busy 1 am most of the time, 1 decided to let my friend raise Mimi.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked skeptically, ¡°Do you really like cats?¡±


    In Lin Xiaowan¡¯s opinion, if Lu Yingxin really liked cats, she would not have given it away so easily. Moreover, it did not seem like she missed the cat at all. In fact, she looked very nonchnt about it.


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s expression stiffened. She did not expect Lin Xiaowan to say such a thing. However, she quickly recovered and said, ¡°Of course. Why would you ask such a question?¡±


    There were many people at the party. Seeing that Lu Yingxin was so insistent, Lin Xiaowan no longer said anything about the cat. However, she recalled another matter and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back together after the party. After all, we¡¯re staying in the same ce. It¡¯s much more convenient for us to go back together.¡±


    Lu Yingxin smiled and said shyly, ¡°I¡¯ll have to refuse. My boyfriend is picking me upter.¡±


    For once, Lu Yingxin was notpletely lying. She had an appointment with Old Master Liter so his driver would be picking her upter.


    Nheless, Lin Xiaowan no longer believed Lu Yingxin¡¯s words. She nodded and said skeptically, ¡°I see.¡±


    Soon after Lu Yingxin excused herself, Gu Yuwu, who had left to speak to a young actress, returned. As she looked at Lu Yingxin¡¯s graceful back, she said unhappily, ¡°Why do you always talk to her? That person has evil intentions. It¡¯s better to stay away from her.¡±


    Thinking about how long Gu Yuwu had been in the entertainment industry, Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Is Lu Yingxin married? She looks quite young.¡±


    ¡°Married? Who did she marry?¡± Gu Yuwu asked, confused.


    Lin Xiaowan replied, ¡°She just said that her husband will pick her upter.¡±


    ¡°Husband? I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s just her¡­ lover. She¡¯s a rookie. She just participated in a variety show, but she¡¯s not very popr and has no acting experience. Why do you think she¡¯s able to act in a famous director¡¯s movie? Isn¡¯t it because someone opened the back door for her?¡± Gu Yuwu said. She did not shy away from speaking about this matter, but she still chose her words carefully.


    ¡°The first time I met her, she was holding a man¡¯s hands. Later on, she mentioned that he was her husband. So was she lying?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t trust her. I didn¡¯t like the moment 1 met her. For some reason, I just don¡¯t like her,¡± Gu Yuwu said.


    After the party ended, Gu Yuwu sent a good friend of hers from the entertainment industry to the door while Lin Xiaowan waited for the driver on the other side. At this time, Lu Yingxin approached her and greeted her again. Since no one was around, Lin Xiaowan could not avoid Lu Yingxin and could only respond to Lu Yingxin.


    After a brief moment, Lin Xiaowan deliberately asked, ¡°When did you get married? I didn¡¯t expect you to marry so young¡­¡±


    Lu Yingxin ran her fingers through her hair and thought about it for two seconds. In the end, she did not have the courage to further lie about this matter so she could only say, ¡°Ah? I¡¯m not married yet.¡±


    Lu Yingxin tried to save the situation and continued to say, ¡°The term ¡®husband¡¯ can be used even if you¡¯re not married. It¡¯s more like a term of endearment.¡±


    Then, Lu Yingxin asked curiously, ¡°Then how do you usually address President Huo?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it and suddenly realized that she did not have any terms of endearment for Huo Zheng. She said, ¡°I usually call him by his name.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not say that when she needed something, she would call him ¡®Brother¡¯. When she did not need anything, she would call him ¡®Huo Zheng¡¯.


    Upon hearing this, Lu Yingxin¡¯s imagination ran wild again. In her opinion, Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s rtionship must not be very good since Lin Xiaowan did not even have a term of endearment for Huo Zheng. It seemed to her that Huo Zheng did not like Lin Xiaowan very much as well.


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s mind continued to wander. She thought about how great it would be if Lin Xiaowan was not around. Without Lin Xiaowan, she could be Mrs. Huo. She would be able to spend endlessly and do whatever she wanted.


    Lu Yingxin naturally did not like her current situation. In order to have better opportunities and resources, she had to serve a middle-aged man with a big belly. Not only that, but Old Master Li did not respect her at all and had strange interests. She was disgusted when she thought about him. At the same time, she thought to herself resentfully, ¡®Why is Lin Xiaowan so lucky?¡¯


    At this time, a car honked twice as it turned around a corner.


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s hand suddenly felt restless. She wondered if Lin Xiaowan would die if she pushed Lin Xiaowan out at this moment. Without Lin Xiaowan, she would be able to marry Huo Zheng and live a good life.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s head was lowered. She was sending Huo Zheng a message. When she sensed a burning gaze, she looked up curiously.


    Seeing this, the corners of Lu Yingxin¡¯s lips curled up into a friendly smile.


    On the contrary, Lin Xiaowan smiled stiffly in response, feeling awkward.


    When the driver arrived, Lin Xiaowan inexplicably gained some courage. Before entering the car, she suddenly looked at Lu Yingxin and asked, ¡°Mimi isn¡¯t the same cat that you brought over the first time to my house, right?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lu Yingxin¡¯s heart tightened, and her mind began to race. She said, ¡°What do you mean, Xiaowan? The first time 1 came to your house was when 1 brought Mimi, right?¡±


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s evasive reply made Lin Xiaowan even more suspicious. Indeed, the first time Lu Yingxin actually visited and entered the house was with Mimi. However, Aunt Wu had told her that Lu Yingxin had tried to visit prior to that. Clearly, Lu Yingxin was feigning ignorance. With Lu Yingxin¡¯s reply, she had almost no doubt now that Aunt Wu¡¯s suspicion was right. Lu Yingxin must have swapped her cats.


    When the driver came over to open the door for Lin Xiaowan, she said to the driver gently, ¡°Wait a minute. 1 still have a few things to say.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Lu Yingxin and saw thetter holding her phone nervously. It was obvious that thetter was lying. She said, a little angry, ¡°Don¡¯t try to y games with me. Didn¡¯t you try to visit once with a cat? 1 was busy at that time so we didn¡¯t meet in the end. However, my employee saw you and the cat. It¡¯s not the same cat as the one you brought over that time.¡±


    Lu Yingxin did not expect Aunt Wu to be so observant. However, she still said stubbornly, ¡°Your employee? How does she know if it¡¯s the same or not? What if she saw wrongly?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan grew angrier when she heard Lu Yingxin denying it. She said, ¡°It¡¯s not just that. You don¡¯t even live in Xilin Imperial Garden, do you? In any case, I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. You know very well if it¡¯s the same cat or not.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan recalled Aunt Wu¡¯s words. She thought that Lu Yingxin would no longer want to speak to her after this. As such, she said without reservations, ¡°The first cat was extremely frail. Who knew if you changed it because something happened to it? Did you abandon it or something?¡±


    The more Lin Xiaowan spoke, the more agitated she became. She said, ¡°Moreover, the cat you brought over had fleas. It even infected Little Chestnut. If you¡¯re a cat lover, how could the cat you raised have fleas? Fortunately, you gave the cat to your friend. Otherwise, 1 don¡¯t know how miserable it would be with you.¡±


    After saying that, Lin Xiaowan got into the car, leaving Lu Yingxin in a daze..

 Chapter 180 - 180: A Chance

    Chapter 180: A Chance


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lu Yingxin stood rooted to the ground for a long time. She only returned to her senses when her phone rang, and Old Master Li asked where she was in an unhappy tone.


    When Old Master Li saw Lu Yingxin, his expression was very dark, and he pped her. It caused her to almost lose bnce.


    Lu Yingxin was stunned. Her ears rang as she looked at him in shock.


    Old Master Li had never been so angry with Lu Yingxin before. In fact, he did not look too bad. He was just like an ordinary middle-aged man. However, due to his anger at this moment, he looked a little scary.


    He bellowed, ¡°What did you do behind my back? Thepany has gone through so many difficulties before finally obtaining a chance to discuss investment with Huo Corporation. However, before anything coulde to fruition, the Huo Corporation suddenly didn¡¯t want to talk to us! Now, thepany is going bankrupt! Do you understand? Thepany is going bankrupt!¡±


    Lu Yingxin was at a loss and confused. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and she looked pitiful as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Old Master Li grew even angrier. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything? The employee from the Huo Corporation said that my lover was very capable. Isn¡¯t it obvious that you¡¯d done something? I told you long ago that Huo Zheng isn¡¯t someone you can afford to provoke. Why didn¡¯t you listen?¡±


    Lu Yingxin had tried to get close to Lin Xiaowan without Old Master Li¡¯s knowledge. After all, she knew he did not have a good temper. If he had known, she knew the result would be bad for her. She naturally did not dare to tell the truth and said half-truthfully with tears streaming down her face, ¡°I-I only met with that Lin Xiaowan a few times¡­ 1, 1 really didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡±


    Old Master Li was furious. Hispany had been counting on this project to make aeback. However, now hispany was going under. Once it was liquidated, he would really have nothing left.


    He had not been with Lu Yingxin for long. Initially, he thought that she was self-aware and well-behaved. However, after getting to know her, he knew that he had misjudged her and that she had a lot of thoughts in her mind. Nheless, he turned a blind eye to it, thinking that she would at least know her limits. Who knew she would be so reckless?


    Old Master Li picked up a soft leather whip at the side and brought it down hard on Lu Yingxin. He had a special hobby, to begin with. As such, there were many ¡®torture devices¡¯ such as this in his house.


    Lu Yingxin could only beg for mercy. ¡°Please! 1 really didn¡¯t do anything! Stop hitting me, stop hitting me! ¡±


    Lu Yingxin instinctively dodged, but this only made Old Master Li angrier.


    ¡°You sl*t! How dare you dodge! You¡¯re still denying it? Do you think Huo Zheng and his wife are stupid?¡±


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s hatred for Lin Xiaowan reached unprecedented heights at this moment. Previously, she was only jealous that Lin Xiaowan was with a man like Huo Zheng. However, now she med Lin Xiaowan for all her misfortunes.


    Lu Yingxin cried as she said, ¡°It¡¯s Lin Xiaowan! It s all her fault! She must have said something to Huo Zheng! It¡¯s all her fault!¡±


    Although Old Master Li had met Lin Xiaowan before, he did not know her name. When he heard Lu Yingxin¡¯s words, he hit even harder as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about her. All I know is that it¡¯s because of you that my f*eking project failed!¡±


    As Lu Yingxin was hit, she thought about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s sweet smile and Lin Xiaowan¡¯s good life, making her mind grow even more and more twisted.


    By the time Old Master Li vented his anger, it was alreadyte at night. He did not even spare a nce at Lu Yingxin. After all, he had no feelings for her, to begin with. He naturally did not pity her. He only scoffed at her coldly before he left to take a shower and change his clothes.


    When he came out, he stood by the bed and looked down at Lu Yingxin as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. No matter what method you use, think of a way to get my investment back. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude to you.¡±


    With that, he left.


    In Xilin Imperial Garden.


    Lin Xiaowan was watching a movie in the home theater, holding Little Chestnut in her arms. Shey on the couch sideways as she held Little Chestnut and watched the movie.


    Due to the smell of the wormwood and disinfectant from the repeated disinfection on the second floor, Little Chestnut was still staying on the first floor.


    Perhaps Little Chesnut was still traumatized by her sudden bath a few days ago, it had lost weight even though it was eating well.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan s lit up.


    Lin Xiaowan took a look and was puzzled when she saw that it was a message from Lu Yingxin.


    [Lu Yingxin: I¡¯m sorry. I really know my mistake. Can we have lunch tomorrow? Hl exin everything to you in Jiyu Courtyard. Please give me another chance. I beg you. After exining everything, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. I¡¯ve already been punished because of this. Give me a chance to exin to you. ]


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s words seemed sincere, and she seemed remorseful. Lin Xiaowan read the message a few times and could not figure out what Lu Yingxin meant when Lu Yingxin said she had already been punished. In the end, she sighed and replied with one word.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Okay.]


    ¡®Let¡¯s see what she has to say..¡¯


    The next day.


    Lin Xiaowan arrived at the meeting ce.


    Jiyu Courtyard was a small restaurant, and it looked like a farmhouse. There was a big dog there as well. It wagged its tail and stared ar Lin Xiaowan.


    When Lin Xiaowan waved her hand, rhe dog ran over ro her and rubbed itself against her happily.


    The restaurant was not in a central area, and it was quite remote. Very few people came here for lunch. When thedy boss saw Lin Xiaowan, she came over to greet Lin Xiaowan and asked, ¡°How many of you are having lunch here? What would you like to eat?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not know if Lu Yingxin had arrived. She asked, ¡°Did you a pretty girl? She¡¯s about my age.¡¯<sup>1</sup>


    Thedy boss did not even need ro think about it. After all, there were nor many people at noon. She replied, ¡°No. There¡¯s only a table of men drinking.¡±


    However, immediately after that, thedy boss thought of something. She wiped her hands before she went to get a booklet. After taking a look, she asked, ¡°Is your friend¡¯s surname Lu? Ady with the surname Lu made a reservation and said that her friend¡¯s surname is Lin. She told us to bring you in first when you arrive..<sup>1</sup>¡®

 Chapter 181 - 181: Losing Consciousness

    Chapter 181: Losing Consciousness


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Lin Xiaowan heard this, she said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan followed thedy boss into a small private room that Lu Yingxin had reserved.


    The building was all made of wood. Even the furniture was made of wood.


    The private room was upstairs, and a tree stood outside the window. The window was open, allowing the cold breeze to blow in. It was very refreshing andfortable.


    Lin Xiaowan said, filled with praise, ¡°The location is very good. It¡¯s not hot at all.¡±


    The temperature outside was 30 degrees Celcius. It was hot outside, but it was rather cool in the room.


    Thedy boss quickly brought the menu over and said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s only cool now. It¡¯ll get hotterter. When winteres, it¡¯ll be very cold. In winter, we serve chicken and fish hotpot. For now, we have stewed chicken and fish.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan flipped through the menu. Apart from the signature stewed chicken and fish, there were alsomon and inexpensive stir-fried dishes. After a while, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for my friend to arrive before I order. Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    Thedy boss nodded and brought over a ss and a jar of water before she went downstairs.


    After a while, Lu Yingxin, who arrivedte, came with two cups of milk tea and ice cream in her hands. As soon as she entered the private room, she ced everything on the table before she prostrated herself on the ground in front of Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mouth was agape as she looked at Lu Yingxin in shock. She scrambled to her feet and tried to help Lu Yingxin up as she asked, ¡°W-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s no need to bow so respectfully!¡¯


    Lu Yingxin burst into tears. ¡°I know I did something wrong. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t live in Xilin Imperial Garden. 1 didn¡¯t care for the first cat well enough, and it fell sick and died. I was afraid that you¡¯d dislike me because of that so I got another cat. I didn¡¯t dare to tell you about it!¡±


    For a moment, Lin Xiaowan did not know what to say. In the end, she said, ¡°Get up first. T-this is not a life-threatening matter. Get up first. Don¡¯t be like this.¡± Inwardly, Lu Xiaowan thought, ¡°Is she going to die? What¡¯s wrong with her?


    Didn¡¯t she deny it vehementlyst night? Why did her attitude change so drastically?!¡¯


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s knees seemed like they were glued to the ground. Lin Xiaowan tried to pull her up, but she failed.


    Lu Yingxin cried and said earnestly, ¡°Please forgive me. Although 1 lied, I didn¡¯t do anything to harm you! It¡¯s just that I really liked you as soon as I saw you. I only wanted to be friends with you!¡±


    After much persuasion, Lu Yingxin finally got up. After taking a seat, she continued to cry softly before she told Lin Xiaowan some half-truths about why she had lied.


    Lin Xiaowan took a sip of the milk tea as she listened. After that, she asked in disbelief, ¡°So you did all that just to be friends with me? That¡¯s all?¡±


    Lu Yingxin said through her tears, ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if President Huo misunderstood me. Perhaps that¡¯s why he did that¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did what?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lu Yingxin said, but she was interrupted by her phone ringing. Before answering the call, she said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I have to take this call. It¡¯s very important.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded in understanding. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lu Yingxin left the room with her phone. As soon as she left the room, the miserable and pitiful expression on her face vanishedpletely. In fact, no one called her. She had set an rm. She turned off the rm and stood in the hallway for a moment.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiaowan looked at the steamed chicken and two stir-fried dishes on the table that had been served while Lu Yingxin was giving her passionate speech earlier. They werepletely untouched, but Lin Xiaowan had already drunk a lot.


    Perhaps the temperature was just right, after sitting for a while, Lin Xiaowan began to feel sleepy. Her vision grew more and more blurry. She felt that something was wrong and tried to stand up. She was horrified when she discovered that she had no strength at all. She could not even move, let alone stand up. She tried to call for help but found that she was unable to do so.


    Ayer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead as she tried to struggle and call for help. However, in just a moment, she could no longer hold on and fell unconscious.


    Lu Yingxin waited for about ten minutes in the hallway. When she entered the room and saw Lin Xiaowan lying on the table, a strange smile appeared on her face.


    ¡®As long as I can get rid of Lin Xiaowan, I¡¯ll be able to be with Huo Zheng. At that time, 1 won¡¯t have to serve that disgusting old man with a strange fetish anymore!¡¯


    Lu Yingxin was very happy when she imagined how she would be able to torture Old Master Li when she became Mrs. Huo. She would return to him all the harm that he had caused her.


    Lu Yingxin had bought some sedatives meant for animals beforehand. Since it could be bought over the counter, she obtained it easily without having to provide any information. However, she did not have any other ns beyond knocking Lin Xiaowan out.


    ¡®How do I get rid of her?¡¯


    Lu Yingxin sat next to Lin Xiaowan and looked at thetter¡¯s face, which looked tranquil at this moment. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s skin was fair, and when the sunlight shone in, even the fine hair on her face could be seen.


    Lu Yingxin felt like she was going to go crazy from jealousy.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone, which she had casually ced on the table, rang.


    Lu Yingxin took a look and saw that the call was from an unknown number. She casually rejected the call before she pressed the button on the table.


    Soon after, thedy boss entered the room and asked if there was anything she could help with.


    Lu Yingxin looked very natural as she said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯d like to pay for the bill.¡±


    ¡°The total is 163 yuan. I¡¯ll give you a discount. You only need to pay 160 yuan,¡± thedy boss said. When she saw the dishes on the table, she asked, ¡°Do you want to take the food away? The dishes look untouched. Are they not delicious?¡±


    Lu Yingxin feigned a helpless expression on her face as she helped Lin Xiaowan up and said, ¡°It¡¯s all because of my friend. She hasn¡¯t been sleeping well recently. She just sat down for a while before she fell asleep. The food is delicious. However, it won¡¯t be convenient to bring them with me since 1 have to carry her out. We¡¯lle again next time.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± thedy boss said, sending them out.


    When thedy boss reached out to hold Lin Xiaowan, intending to help carry her, Lu Yingxin was frightened. She was worried that thedy boss would notice that something was wrong so she hurriedly said, ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t like people touching her. It¡¯s fine. Now that she¡¯s asleep, I don¡¯t want her to wake her up. After all, she hasn¡¯t been sleeping well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, 1 see¡­¡±


    With that, thedy boss no longer tried to help. She followed Lu Yingxin downstairs and stopped near the reception desk. As Lu Yingxin left, she said, ¡°Take care..¡±

 Chapter 182 - 182: Splash!

    Chapter 182: Ssh!


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After Lu Yingxin and Lin Xiaowan left, thedy boss went back to work. When she saw her husband, she said, ¡°One of the youngdies who came earlier was really strange. They didn¡¯t order any alcohol, but she seemed drunk. She even passed out.¡±


    Her husband did not think much of it and only said, ¡°Perhaps she drank before she came.¡±


    It was noon, and the sun was shining brightly. Thedy boss was not in a hurry to clear the table since there were not many customers at this time.


    In the private room, the phone, which Lu Yingxin had forgotten to bring away, lit up again. A string of unknown numbers called again. After ringing for a while, the phone screen turned dark before it lit up again.


    Lu Yingxin did not go far. After leaving the restaurant, she slowly made her way to the back of the restaurant through a very small path. When she walked to the end of the path, she saw ake.


    ¡®As expected¡­¡¯ Lu Yingxin thought to herself. Earlier, when she was standing in the hallway, she had stood by the window. She could smell a kind of dampness in the air so she guessed that there had to be ake nearby.


    Earlier, Lu Yingxin had drugged Lin Xiaowan¡¯s milk tea. For convenience, she bought milk tea that was not in a sealed cup. Previously, Lin Xiaowan had eaten and drank everything she had given her without any vignce. As such, she knew that Lin Xiaowan would drink the milk tea she brought without any suspicion.


    At this moment, Lu Yingxin was in a good mood. After all, she was about to get rid of an eyesore, someone whom she was intensely jealous of.


    Lu Yingxin found a few huge rocks nearby before she stared at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ankles for a long time. She looked around for suitable tools before she squatted down and looked at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shoces. Lin Xiaowan was wearing a pair of sneakers today. Theces seemed strong and long enough.


    Lu Yingxin was not worried that Lin Xiaowan would wake up. After all, she worried that Lin Xiaowan would quickly regain consciousness so she was rather heavy-handed when she drugged the milk tea with sedatives. Fortunately, the milk tea was very sweet so Lin Xiaowan could not taste anything strange with it.


    Lu Yingxin tied the heavy rocks to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ankle using the shoces. She was not very skilled so she only tied the rocks to one ankle. She stood up and dusted her hands, thinking that it was enough before she started dragging Lin Xiaowan to theke. With a ssh, she threw Lin Xiaowan into theke. The surface of theke rippled, but there was no movement after that.


    Apart from the drag marks on the ground, no other traces could be seen.


    In a coastal city.


    Huo Zheng could not get through to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s phone, and he began to feel uneasy. When he called Aunt Wu and learned that Lin Xiaowan had gone out but had yet to return, he grew even more uneasy.


    Lin Xiaowan had never rejected his call before. Moreover, after rejecting his call, she did not answer his subsequent calls. It was too suspicious.


    In fact, this was one of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s peculiarities. Her phone¡¯s address book was empty; she did not save anyone¡¯s number. Hence, no matter who called, her phone would only show a string of unknown numbers. Lu Yingxin, who was unaware of this, was very smug when she rejected the call.


    Huo Zheng tugged his tie, frustrated, before he massaged his temples.


    At this time, Assistant Song knocked on the door and entered. ¡°President Huo, Mr. Zhao, the driver, is on the line.¡±


    When Huo Zheng could not get in contact with Lin Xiaowan, he had asked Assistant Song to find out which driver drove Lin Xiaowan out today.


    Huo Zheng asked coldly, ¡°Is Young Madam with you?¡±


    The driver straightened his back when he heard Huo Zheng¡¯s voice. He replied, ¡°No. Young Madam went to eat with someone. The car couldn¡¯t enter the small street so she told me to wait at the entrance. I¡¯m still waiting for her.¡±


    Huo Zheng pinched the bridge of his nose. He could not help but panic; he had an ominous feeling that something had happened. He said, ¡°Go and look for her now. Don¡¯t end the call.¡±


    ¡®Who did she have lunch with?¡¯


    Huo Zheng¡¯s mind kept spinning. Aunt Wu did not know whom Lin Xiaowan was having lunch with since Lin Xiaowan did not say anything before she left. However, this was unlike Lin Xiaowan. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s social circle was not big at all. When she went out, she would usually go out with Gu Yuwu. However, if she went out with Gu Yuwu, she would definitely tell Aunt Wu. Not only that, but she would even tell Aunt Wu where she was going.


    ¡®Unless she doesn¡¯t feelfortable about telling Aunt Wu about the person she was having lunch with¡­¡¯


    There was only one person. It was the person whom Aunt Wu hadined about to Lin Xiaowan, someone whom Aunt Wu disliked. It was none other than Lu Yingxin.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s sense of unease continued to grow. He hoped that he was overthinking things.


    Meanwhile, the driver on the other end of the line could tell from Huo Zheng¡¯s tone that something was wrong. He was very nervous and quickly ran into the restaurant. Since it was the only restaurant around, there was no need for him to look around. When he went to inquire, he felt as though he was going to faint when he heard the answer. He said anxiously, ¡°President Huo, the owner said that Young Madam left about ten minutes ago.¡±


    Huo Zheng cursed and smashed the ashtray on the table on the ground, but he quickly forced himself to calm down.


    The driver on the other end of the line said, ¡°There¡¯s only one path leading away from the restaurant. 1 was at the entrance earlier, but I didn¡¯t see Young Madam or any suspicious peoplee out. The restaurant is called Jiyu Courtyard. I¡¯m going to search the surroundings now.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not end the call. As he wore his Bluetooth earpiece, he said to Assistant Song, ¡°Book the earliest flight back to Shengjing for me. If there¡¯s no flight, get the flight route approved and send the family¡¯s private ne over to pick me up.¡±


    Assistant Song left immediately and got to work.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s work here was almost done. Originally, he nned to return to Shengjing tonight. However, now, he did not want to stay a second longer. At this moment, he regretted leaving Lin Xiaowan alone. After all, she was so naive that he needed to take care of her at all times. She would have been fine if he had stayed by her side.


    On the other end of the line, the driver said again, ¡°President Huo, I found a pair of pink sneakers! They¡¯re size 36. They belong to Young Madam!¡±


    In the next moment, the driver said, panicking, ¡°I think 1 found her!¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he asked, ¡°Where?¡±


    The driver¡¯s lips moved, but no sound came out. He ced his phone on the ground and quickly dove into theke, holding his breath.


    The driver was not just a driver. He was also skilled inbat so he could protect his employer if necessary. It was only natural that he knew how to swim.


    ¡°Speak!¡±


    Huo Zheng did not receive a reply from the driver and could only hear the sound of water sshing. He felt like he was going to go crazy from anxiety..

 Chapter 183 - 183: Rescue

    Chapter 183: Rescue


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng did not dare to end the call. He kept tapping the table with his fingers anxiously. He was so flustered and panicked that it took a while before he remembered to call his brother who was in Sheng Jing.


    Huo Cheng was on his lunch break at this moment. When he received Huo Zheng¡¯s call, he was very rxed. However, as soon as he heard his younger brother¡¯s panicked and helpless voice, he tensed up. When he realized the gravity of the situation, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Calm down. Tell me the location. 1¡¯11 go there now.¡±


    Huo Zheng took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. He said, ¡°The driver told me he¡¯s at a restaurant called Jiyu Courtyard. 1 don¡¯t know exactly where it is. There¡¯s only one street that leads to it. The driver went to look for her in the area, and then I heard the sound of water sshing. Brother, 1 have a really bad feeling about this¡­¡±


    Huo Cheng quickly looked up the restaurant on his phone. The restaurant was located in quite a remote area, and it would take at least half an hour for him to arrive. He no longer wasted time and quickly made his way there.


    When the secretary-general saw Huo Cheng leaving with his car keys, he quickly said, ¡°Mr. Huo, we have a meeting with the military this afternoon. We¡­¡±


    Huo Cheng did not wait for the other party to finish speaking as he said, ¡°Postpone the meeting. I need to deal with an urgent matter¡­¡±


    ¡°All? Alright, I¡¯ll postpone it immediately¡­¡±


    Huo Cheng drove the car with a special license te exclusive to members of the cab. With this, things were much more convenient. In emergencies, he could bypass traffic lights and the speed limit. No one would pull him over as well.


    Meanwhile, Huo Zheng paced around anxiously. He was extremely worried that something had happened to her, and at the same time, he was determined to teach her a lesson about being more vignt once everything was over.


    At this time, the driver finally spoke from the other end of the line. He said, gasping for breath, ¡°P-president Huo, Young Madam is in a bad condition. 1, I¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was unconscious after being drugged. After she was thrown into theke, she did not put up a struggle at all and did not hold her breath. As such, she had inhaled arge amount of water. It was critical that she was resuscitated as soon as possible.


    When the driver saw her, he did not even dare to go to the surface to catch his breath. He knew that time was of the essence. He quickly swam over and pulled her up. Fortunately, the rocks that were tied to her ankle did not hinder him. It was also because of this that he managed to save her in one go.


    However, when the driver brought Lin Xiaowan up, she was not breathing. This was the first time he had faced a life-or-death situation. He was so panicked that he could not even speak properly. He listened for the sounds of heartbeat for a moment before he asked tremblingly, ¡°W-what should I do? 1,1 can¡¯t hear her heartbeat. That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. 1 should perform CPR!¡±


    Huo Zheng felt as though his heart was going to leap out of his chest when he heard the driver¡¯s words. It was not difficult for him to roughly piece together a picture of what had happened based on this. At the very least, he knew that Lin Xiaowan was drowning earlier. He did not know how long she had been underwater. If it was just for a short moment, it would be easy to save. Otherwise¡­


    The driver was performing CPR at this moment, and he hadpletely forgotten to call the emergency number first.


    Huo Zheng was the one who called the emergency number in the end. In the end, an ambnce was dispatched from the nearest hospital.


    One needed strength to perform CPR. After diving into theke and saving Lin Xiaowan, he quickly performed CPR. He had no time to catch his breath at all. Despite his exhaustion, he continued to work hard until Lin Xiaowan finally spat out a mouthful of water. He quickly turned her sideways and listened for her heartbeat.


    ¡°Her heart is beating! It¡¯s beating, but she¡¯s still not breathing.¡±


    At this very moment, Lu Yingxin, who was hiding, watched the entire thing silently. Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was about to be saved, she held her breath and quietly took a few steps back before she quickly ran away with all her might.


    It was impossible for a person to run without any sound. However, the driver was only one person after all. He was focused on saving Lin Xiaowan now. Although he heard the sound, it was impossible for him to chase after Lu Yingxin.


    Huo Zheng called Huo Cheng again.


    ¡°The ambnce has been dispatched from the Sixth People¡¯s Hospital. It¡¯s the nearest hospital. Brother, you have to help me¡­¡±


    Huo Cheng stepped on the elerator again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    When Huo Zheng finally arrived in Shengjing, it was alreadyte at night.


    Lin Xiaowan was currently in the intensive care unit, and her condition was not very good.


    The driver had already been examined at this time.


    Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an were also present, talking in soft voices.


    Huo Zheng looked haggard, and his tense expression made him look even colder than usual.


    Huo Cheng stood up when he saw his younger brother. He said, ¡°Her lungs aren¡¯t in a good condition. She has pulmonary edema and pneumonia. However, she¡¯s fine for now. The doctor will discuss the details with us after this¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng did not rx at all. Instead, he asked, ¡°Did you catch the culprit?¡±


    Huo Cheng shook his head. ¡°My people haven¡¯t found Lu Yingxin¡­¡±


    After a brief pause, Huo Cheng asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Lu Yingxin?¡±


    Apart from speaking to the driver, Huo Cheng also sent people to speak to thedy boss of Jiyu Courtyard. Although the person who made the reservation was surnamed Lu and was described to be a beautiful woman, these things were not conclusive evidence.


    Huo Zheng nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no one else but her¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng looked at the person lying in the intensive care unit before he quickly went to the doctor¡¯s office.


    In addition to pneumonia and pulmonary edema, Lin Xiaowan also had acute renal impairment and respiratory failure. Although her vital signs were stable for now, she still had to be kept under observation in case there were other seque. In short, the doctor could not guarantee anything for the time being.


    Amidst all these things, the sedative that she had been drugged was the most minor.


    When the doctor saw Huo Zheng and the others listening attentively and that the expressions of sorrow on their faces were not fake, he could not help but lecture them. ¡°The patient¡¯s lungs aren¡¯t good, to begin with. Although she has received very good treatment, her lungs can¡¯t afford to suffer repeated blows like that. You have to pay more attention to this¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowany in the intensive care unit for three days before she finally regained consciousness. She was in a daze when she opened her eyes. Clearly, she did not understand her situation.


    Huo Zheng stood by the bedside and held her hands. He choked, unable to speak.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any memories of what happened at all. Thest time she remembered was eating at Jiyu Courtyard. However, after a while, she very vaguely remembered being submerged in water. She had very briefly regained consciousness. Her body had gone into survival mode as she inhaled water, but due to the sedative, she quickly fell unconscious again.


    When she woke, she was already in the hospital. She had no idea how dangerous the past three days had been..

 Chapter 184 - 184: Hospitalized

    Chapter 184: Hospitalized


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng had not shaved for the past two days, and his chin was covered in stubbles. He lowered his head and gently rubbed his chin against Lin Xiaowan¡¯s palm, causing her tough from the ticklish sensation. However, as soon as the corners of her lips curled up, she coughed violently. The pain in her lungs and trachea caused her face to scrunch up.


    Huo Zheng had been on tenterhook over the past few days. As soon as he heard coughing, he quickly called the doctor over, afraid that something would happen to her.


    After regaining consciousness, Lin Xiaowan also had to undergo a few specific tests. After that, she was transferred out of the Sixth People¡¯s Hospital to the All Heart Hospital, where she was previously hospitalized.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan was sitting up. Qian You¡¯an was feeding her a bowl of nourishing soup and telling her about what had happened. It was only then that she found out that she had nearly died.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Huo Zheng?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s speaking to the doctor,¡± Qiao You¡¯an replied. However, when she thought about how the tall man had to lower his head as he was lectured by the doctor, she could no help but add, amused, ¡°To be precise, he¡¯s being lectured by the doctor.¡±


    The doctor in All Heart Hospital was the one who treated Lin Xiaowan previously. He was her attending doctor after the incident with Song Zhiyi. Back then, he had carefully reminded Huo Zheng that Lin Xiaowan had to be extra careful due to thesting damage to her lungs. He had told Huo Zheng that Lin Xiaowan could not afford any more damage to her lungs, and at that time, Huo Zheng had earnestly vowed that he would not let anything happen to Lin Xiaowan. However, in such a short time, Lin Xiaowan was admitted to the hospital because she almost drowned to death. One could only imagine what it did to her lungs. As such, he could not help but reprimand Huo Zheng.


    The seque of drowning were very obvious. Although Lin Xiaowan was sedentary, her breathing was rtively fast. Her heart rate could go up to 130 bpm even when she was not doing anything strenuous. Apart from that, her cough also did not go away.


    Lin Xiaowan stayed in the hospital for three weeks. During that time, Huo Zheng did not leave at all. The living room in her ward had turned into his office. Even when he absolutely had to leave, he would not be away for more than two hours. Not only that, but during the time he was away, he would constantly call her.


    Currently, Lin Xiaowan still had to undergo a few more checkups. If there were no major problems, she could be discharged and go home.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan noticed that Huo Zheng was not in a good mood after answering a call. She asked curiously, ¡°Who called?¡±


    Huo Zheng went over to hold her hand and kissed it before he said, ¡°It¡¯s Gu Yuwu¡¯s husband. Lu Yingxin hasn¡¯t been caught yet. He called today to discuss something with me.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked, confused, ¡°Why did Lu Yingxin do this?¡±


    Huo Zheng shook his head. What was Lu Yingxin thinking? No conclusive motives were found after the investigation. However, while Lin Xiaowan was hospitalized, he had a lot of time to think and came out with a few guesses. He said, ¡°Lu Yingxin bribed the security guards in Xilin Imperial Garden. Her reasons for befriending you are unknown, but they¡¯re definitely not pure¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had told Huo Zheng about what Lu Yingxin said when they were in Jiyu Courtyard. Needless to say, Huo Zheng did not believe Lu Yingxin at all.


    ¡°President Li isn¡¯t her boyfriend. The two of them are in a¡­ transactional rtionship. Perhaps she¡¯s jealous of us¡­¡± Huo Zheng said.


    ¡°Transactional rtionship?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan still had another two more checkups so Huo Zheng said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after your checkup¡­¡±


    At this time, Huo Zheng had already brought her to the consultation room.


    After the checkups werepleted, Lin Xiaowan returned to her ward. She was still thinking about Huo Zheng¡¯s earlier words.


    At this time, many of Huo Zheng¡¯s employees were in the living room of the ward, reporting their work to him. He even had an online meetingter in the afternoon.


    There was nothing for her to do in the hospital. Her movements were greatly restricted now so she spent a lot of time drawing and painting. As such, her ount on Speaker was updated quite regrly with various watercolorndscape paintings.


    Lunch was prepared by the chef in the ward. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ward was indeed luxurious. It was not much different from a small single-person apartment. It naturally came with a kitchen of its own.


    While Huo Zheng was busy with his meeting, Lin Xiaowan stayed in the kitchen with the chef. Many of the ingredients had already been prepped before they were brought over so the chef only needed to cook them. Seeing Lin Xiaowan tailing him, the chef gave her a pear and told her to sit on a small stool to peel the pear.


    As usual, Lin Xiaowan told the chef what she wanted to eat. As she peeled the pear, she said, ¡°I want to drink pear smoothie today¡­¡±


    The weather had been getting hotter and hotter recently. Afraid that she would catch a cold, Huo Zheng did not turn on the air conditioner and only left the fan on. Although it was not too hot, Lin Xiaowan still craved something cold.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to say in a low voice, ¡°1 haven¡¯t had cupcakes in a while¡­¡±


    The chef turned down the fire on the stove to slowly simmer the food in the pot. Then, he said, ¡°Young Madam, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t eat whatever you want for the time being.¡±


    All of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s food was now cooked based on the list that the nutritionist at the hospital had given them. What she ate every day was clearly listed. Let alone smoothies and cupcakes, even sweet potatoes were deemed too sweet for her.


    Lin Xiaowan pouted and asked, ¡°I should be able to eat pears, right?¡±


    ¡®Pears can nourish the lungs and stop coughing¡­ It should be fine, right?¡¯


    The chef took the small pear she peeled and sliced it into pieces before cing them on a small te. After cing a small fork on it, he said, ¡°Yes, but the amount is restricted¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng ended the meeting for lunch and ate with Lin Xiaowan.


    At this time, Lin Xiaowan could no longer suppress her curiosity. She asked, ¡°Can you tell me now? What kind of transactional business is it?¡±


    Huo Zheng tapped her te and said, ¡°Eat first.¡±


    Seeing that she was eating, he continued to say, ¡°Lu Yingxin participated in a variety show, and she met President Li because of the show. He¡¯s not dating her. He¡¯s¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng paused, trying to find the right words to make it less explicit.


    Lin Xiaowan asked tentatively, ¡°Is he her sugar daddy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Huo Zheng said with a nod. Then, he asked, slightly unhappy, ¡°Do you know what a sugar daddy is?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°I know! I read a lot of news in the entertainment industry. There were many stories about how sugar daddies became true loves and such. The stories were all very dramatic¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of things have you been reading?¡± Huo Zheng asked, feeling speechless.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not important! Tell me about Lu Yingxin and her sugar daddy. Why did she do this?¡± Lin Xiaowan urged.


    Huo Zheng sighed helplessly. ¡°Finish the soup in your bowl. It¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    Then, he said, ¡°Lu Yingxin is no different from an object to President Li. Moreover, he doesn¡¯t have a good temper. He often beats and scolds Lu Yingxin.¡±


    Huo Zheng did not tell Lin Xiaowan that Old Master Li also liked to humiliate Lu Yingxin in the bedroom.


    Although Old Master Li did not take Lu Yingxin seriously, he still had a rtionship with Lu Yingxin after all. As such, after shemitted this crime, he was attacked by the Huo family. Unable to find Lu Yingxin, Huo Zheng vented all his anger on Old Master Li.


    When Old Master Li heard about what Lu Yingxin had done, he was so frightened that he told Huo Zheng everything about Lu Yingxin from the beginning until the end..

 Chapter 185 - 185: Give Little Chestnut Away?

    Chapter 185: Give Little Chestnut Away?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Lu Yingxin is probably jealous of our rtionship so she did those things,¡± Huo Zheng said. He did not tell Lin Xiaowan that Old Master Li emphasized that Lu Yingxin deliberately tried to get close to Lin Xiaowan because Lu Yingxin wanted to seduce Huo Zheng.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded, looking a little down. ¡°I see. So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    After a moment, she asked again, ¡°So there¡¯s no trace of Lu Yingxin at all since then?¡±


    Huo Zheng fed Lin Xiaowan a small mouthful of vegetables before he said, ¡°No. We¡¯ve checked the airports, train stations, bus stations, banks, and hotels, but there¡¯s no trace of her at all¡­¡±


    Naturally, there were ways to get around undetected. Lu Yingxin could have hired an unlicensed car. There were also buses which could be paid for in cash. In any case, it was hard to say if she had left Shengjing.


    Apart from that, apart from the kitchen and the counter, there were no other surveince cameras in Jiyu Courtyard.


    After looking through the footage from the surveince cameras on the streets, they only saw her appearing once for a few minutes before she disappeared again. There were at least thousands of surveince cameras in Shengjing. It was impossible to look through all the footage.


    On the day Lu Yingxin met Lin Xiaowan for lunch, she withdrew 50,000 yuan in the morning. In Huo Zheng¡¯s opinion, as soon as the money was used up, Lu Yingxin would have to go to the bank again. In short, he would be able to find her eventually.


    Lin Xiaowan recalled that Lu Yingxin had a role in Gu Yuwu¡¯s movie. Although it was not an important role, she still had a lot of scenes. She asked, ¡°Then will this matter affect the release of the movie?¡±


    Huo Zheng was not familiar with matters regarding the entertainment industry so he said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Gu Yuwu about this.¡±


    Gu Yuwu had visited Lin Xiaowan twice. The first time she visited, Lin Xiaowan had just regained consciousness and was still in the Sixth People¡¯s Hospital. She was understandably furious and kept cursing Lu Yingxin.


    After two days, Lin Xiaowan was finally discharged from the hospital. The doctor prescribed medicine for her pulmonary cirction and respiratory system before she left, and she had to take them twice a day. Fortunately, they were in the form of pills so she was not averse to taking them.


    On the first day she returned home, Lin Xiaowan lost her temper at Huo Zheng. That was because Huo Zheng mentioned that he wanted to give Little Chestnut away. She looked at Huo Zheng with eyes widened in disbelief as she asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    The second floor had been thoroughly cleaned, and it became Little Chestnut¡¯s territory again. With this, it had a wider range of movements.


    Lin Xiaowan had not seen Little Chestnut for almost a month. As soon as she reached home, she kicked off her shoes and wanted to go upstairs to see Little Chestnut. However, before she could do so, Huo Zheng stopped her. After that, he said those incendiary words.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s breathing rate was already rapid, to begin with. Now that she was stimted, she began to cough and have trouble breathing. Not only that, but her heart rate shot up as well.


    Huo Zheng naturally did not dare to make her angry. He quickly held her in his arms and stroked her back as he said, ¡°Qingqing, calm down. Listen to me first, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pushed him away and shouted, ¡°1 don¡¯t want to listen to you!¡±


    Huo Zheng remained patient and continued to coax her. ¡°Okay, okay. Speak softly, okay? Otherwise, you¡¯ll hurt your throat. Just give me a chance, and listen to me, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was furious. She turned her head away and ignored him. She knew that Huo Zheng was never enthusiastic about Little Chestnut. He was indifferent to both cats and dogs. However, she had raised Little Chestnut for quite a while now, and she could not ept the fact that he suggested giving Little Chestnut away. She felt that he did not respect her and that he was unreasonable.


    Huo Zheng pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead gently. Then, he tried to reason with her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to the doctor. With your current condition, raising will increase the burden on your lungs and trachea. If Little Chestnut¡¯s hair enters your lungs, it¡¯s very easy for your lungs to get an infection due to the bacteria the hair might carry¡­¡±


    Little Chestnut had long fur, after all. It was constantly shedding. Whenever it moved, fur would flutter in the air. Moreover, this was after Lin Xiaowan¡¯s regr and careful grooming.


    Lin Xiaowan was very resistant to the suggestion. She said emotionally, ¡°Little Chestnut is very clean! She doesn¡¯t have any bacteria!¡±


    Huo Zheng tried to think of another solution. He said, ¡°1 can¡¯t bear to give Little Chestnut away as well, but we don¡¯t have a choice. Why don¡¯t we get another cat? We can get a hairless cat, a Sphynx?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes reddened when she heard him casually talking about getting another cat. She tried to hold back her tears, but it was useless. It did not take long before tears streamed down her face.


    Huo Zheng quickly wiped her tears away, feeling his heart ache. He said helplessly, ¡°I was wrong, 1 was wrong. Don¡¯t cry, okay? It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took a deep breath. Tears continued to stream down her face as she said stutteringly, ¡°H-how can you rece Little Chestnut casually? I want Little Chestnut!¡±


    Lin Xiaowan grew sadder and sadder as she spoke. At this time, it was no longer purely about Little Chestnut. She was reminded of the puppy she once had.


    At that time, she had just moved out of her grandmother¡¯s house, and the condition of the house she rented was not very good. There was no heating during winter, and the air conditioner was broken so they could not be used in summer. The winter in her hometown was bitter and cold. She had covered herself with two nkets, but they were not enough to keep her warm. She endured untilte winter before she brought the puppy with her back to her grandmother¡¯s house. She thought that she would stay for two months and leave once the weather was no longer so cold.


    Her grandmother hated the dog very much. She constantly referred to it as ¡®little bastard¡¯. In fact, Lin Xiaowan felt that she perhaps her grandmother was also calling her ¡®little bast*rd¡¯. Apart from that, she was forced to keep the dog in a very small cage when she went to sses. It barely had enough space to stand up and turn around.


    Her grandmother had also fed the dog with wild vegetables and dirty water when she was away. She only found out about this when she came home from sses early one day.


    In the end, only two weeks had passed when she received a message from her father saying that he had given the dog away. She still remembered it clearly. At that time, it was 7.30 PM. She had just bought some vegetables and a four-inch chocte cake from the supermarket. It was her birthday. It was also at that time that she received her father¡¯s message.


    The more Lin Xiaowan thought about it, the sadder she became. She could not help but worry that Huo Zheng would secretly give Little Chestnut away when she was not home and that she woulde home to an empty second floor.


    Lin Xiaowan cried very hard. Her face turned red, and she struggled to breathe. Her heart was also beating rapidly in her chest.


    Huo Zheng waspletely flustered. He hugged and kissed her, trying to calm her down and coax her. He said gently, ¡°I was wrong, 1 was wrong. Baby, don¡¯t cry, okay? We won¡¯t give Little Chestnut away.¡±


    He felt like his heart was going to break from her tears..

 Chapter 186 - 186: Apologizing

    Chapter 186: Apologizing


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng did not know how to say sweet words to coax Lin Xiaowan. He could only kiss her gently and apologize at the same time.


    Meanwhile, Aunt Wu stood far away. It was naturally inappropriate for her to interfere in their affairs. However, she could not help but re at Huo Zheng. After all, Lin Xiaowan had just been discharged and had not fully recovered, but as soon as Lin Xiaowan got home, he made her cry. Needless to say, under normal circumstances, she did not dare to re at Huo Zheng.


    After Huo Zheng coaxed Lin Xiaowan for a long time, she finally stopped crying. Her round eyes were red, and there were still tears in them. Her voice was soft and low as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡±


    Huo Zheng wiped the sweat off her forehead and handed her a ss of warm water as he said humbly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡±


    ¡°How could you even think of giving Little Chestnut away? You¡¯re really terrible! Little Chestnut doesn¡¯t like you anymore either!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I was wrong¡­¡±


    The man, who was swift and decisive outside, did not dare to defend himself at all at this moment. He hugged Lin Xiaowan and humbly admitted his mistake.


    After crying and calming down, Lin Xiaowan was much more rational. She understood that Huo Zheng made such a suggestion for her sake. She knew Huo Zheng was not like her father. She knew Huo Zheng cared for her and would not send Little Chestnut away when she was not around.


    In any case, Huo Zheng did not dare to mention giving Little Chestnut away again.


    After lunch, Huo Zheng apanied Lin Xiaowan to take a nap. He had not been able to rest well recently. Perhaps it was because he was home, he was not very vignt and fell asleep easily.


    When he woke up, he saw Lin Xiaowan lying next to him, watching a movie with her headphones on. He pressed the pause button and removed her headphones before he unpaused the movie again. He rubbed her ears gently as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t wear the headphones for too long.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stopped watching the movie and snuggled up against him as she said, ¡°I was afraid I¡¯d wake you up.¡±


    Huo Zheng wrapped his arm around her waist. She had lost a lot of weight after the drowning incident. The weight she had gained during winter hadpletely disappeared. He kissed her and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    After her nap, Lin Xiaowan recalled how she had cried and lost her temper earlier and felt that she had been unreasonable. She said to Huo Zheng nicely, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to give Little Chestnut away, okay? At most, 1 promise I won¡¯t rub my face against her belly, okay?¡±


    This was a habit of Lin Xiaowan. When she yed with Little Chestnut, she would sometimes nuzzle Little Chestnut¡¯s belly.


    Huo Zheng stroked her long hair and said, ¡°You can¡¯t carry and hug her all the time¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan raised her head to look at him before she touched his face and said, ¡°Does this mean you won¡¯t give her away?¡±


    Huo Zheng knew that if he insisted on sending Little Chestnut away, Lin Xiaowan would die of sadness. However, he was also worried that keeping Little Chestnut would aggravate Lin Xiaowan¡¯s condition.


    Seeing that there was no response, Lin Xiaowan pouted. However, she did not cry like before. She pleaded sadly, ¡°Please don¡¯t give Little Chestnut away.¡±


    Huo Zheng could not bear to see her like this. He hugged the delicate woman in his arms tightly and said with a sigh, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t give her away.¡±


    Then, he also reminded Lin Xiaowan not to carry and hug Little Chestnut too often and to have less intimate contact with it.


    Lin Xiaowan nodded and agreed to go for checkups regrly as well.


    Meanwhile, Little Chestnut, who was basking in the sun on the second floor, waspletely unaware that its life had nearly changed.


    Two dayster.


    After Lin Xiaowan took her medicine at night, Huo Zheng brought a bottle of medicinal oil over to give Lin Xiaowan a massage. She was already weak, to begin with. Now that it was July, it was getting hot. It was even hotter because the air conditioner was not turned on. This could not be helped, if the air conditioner was turned on, Lin Xiaowan would be cold in just a short moment.


    After speaking to the doctor, Huo Zheng decided to massage Lin Xiaowan¡¯s feet every night before going to bed.


    Over the past few days, Huo Zheng had been working from home. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s time with Little Chestnut had also been reduced. There was once when Little Chestnut approached her and rubbed against her leg, but just as she was about to pick Little Chestnut up, she heard Huo Zheng, who was next to her, coughing lightly. With that, she could only give up on carrying Little Chestnut.


    Lin Xiaowan watched as Huo Zheng meticulously massaged her feet. She curled her toes and asked, ¡°Huo Zheng, do you dislike Little Chestnut?¡±


    Huo Zheng rarely yed with Little Chestnut in the past. The few times he did, it was only to apany her. The number of times he took the initiative to y with or pet Little Chestnut was almost negligible.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    It was not that Huo Zheng disliked cats and dogs. Perhaps it was just his nature, but he was just indifferent to them. Although he had had pets before, he did not have any special feelings for them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking too much,¡± Lin Xiaowan muttered.


    ¡°I just think that no animal is more important than your health. However, I failed to consider your feelings. I promise 1 won¡¯t give Little Chestnut away, okay?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not intend to force Huo Zheng to cultivate feelings with Little Chestnut. She only pouted for a while before she threw this matter to the back of her mind.


    Another two days passed.


    After staying home for a few days, Lin Xiaowan finally realized that something was wrong.


    When she woke up in the morning, Huo Zheng carried her to the bathroom to wash up. While she was brushing her teeth, she seemed to have thought of something and said, ¡°You¡¯ve not gone to thepany recently¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded. He felt that Lin Xiaowan was not truly safe unless he was around. She was not very sharp or smart, to begin with. What if something happened again when he was not by her side?


    Although Huo Zheng did not think Lin Xiaowan was very sharp, she was actually quite sensitive and observant about some things. When she saw his secretary bringing a pile of documents over during breakfast, she could vaguely sense something.


    Huo Zheng told his secretary to wait in his study first while he apanied Lin Xiaowan for breakfast.


    ¡°Why are you working from home these days?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    He asked in return, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that I¡¯m spending time with you?¡±


    In fact, Huo Zheng was very busy even when he was at home. His employees woulde to the house early in the morning, and they would only leave at night. Sometimes, after he apanied Lin Xiaowan to bed, he would go to his study for online meetings. After all, the Huo Corporation was a bigpany. There were many things that he needed to deal with.


    One day, after waking up in the morning, Lin Xiaowan yawned and said, ¡°I have nothing to do at all recently. 1¡¯11 apany you to thepany. Your office has such a big window. I¡¯ll draw by the window.¡±


    Huo Zheng agreed and brought her to thepany. After parking his car, he took his exclusive elevator up to his office.


    His employees naturally did not know that their boss could not leave his wife¡¯s side recently so he brought her to work.


    The couple had discussed this beforehand. As such, Huo Zheng had already asked someone to prepare things for Lin Xiaowan in his office. For example, an easel had already been ced by the window, and there was a small bench for her. A soft carpet also had been ced on the floor next to the window..

 Chapter 187 - 187: On Tenterhooks

    Chapter 187: On Tenterhooks


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    This was not the first time the people in the president¡¯s office had seen Lin Xiaowan. When the receptionist in the president¡¯s office saw Lin Xiaowan, she even smiled teasingly. Naturally, there was no malice.


    Lin Xiaowan did not draw by the window for long. She spent most of her time nestling on the couch while she watched shows or movies on her table. She was worried about disturbing Huo Zheng so she used her headphones instead. However, he would always remove her headphones, saying that it was fine to put it on speaker. In the end, she decided topromise by reading novels instead. She did not read them seriously and would skip many pages, only reading scenes she was interested in.


    However, seeing that she was lying down and reading, Huo Zheng was still dissatisfied. He reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t lie down and look at your phone. You¡¯re going to spoil your eyes. It¡¯s not good to look at your phone for too long.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had no choice but to sit up properly. After a while, she walked to his side and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Sometimes, Huo Zheng would wear a pair of sses when he was reading. She felt he looked a little different from usual.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s eyes were deep, and his eyebrows and nose bridge were very distinct. When his lips were pursed, he looked very aloof. However, when he wore sses, he looked gentler.


    Huo Zheng pulled her into his arms and showed her the document he was reading. It was filled with foreign words. He asked, ¡°Can you read this?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan shook her head honestly before she said, ¡°I want to eat potato chips and plum cake.¡±


    Huo Zheng said, ¡°I don¡¯t have that here. I¡¯ll get my assistant to make you a ss of orange juice, okay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a pout. She rolled her eyes before she continued to say, ¡°Sister Zhu said the shop next door has been renovated. I want to have a look.¡±


    Huo Zheng asked with a straight face, ¡°Do you want to have a look at the shop, or do you want to take the opportunity to eat desserts?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wheedled and said, ¡°But I really want to eat them¡­¡±


    Due to the recent incident, Lin Xiaowan would always cough and feel ufortable when she ate things that were too sweet or too salty. Moreover, the doctor said that she was susceptible to tracheitis. As such, Huo Zheng had grown even stricter with her diet. It was not that he did not allow her to eat what she wanted, but the amount she was allowed to eat was very small, and she was not satisfied with it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the chef to bake some cookies for youter, okay?¡± Huo Zheng asked patiently while he reviewed the document at the same time.


    Lin Xiaowan was not satisfied with just a few small cookies. Moreover, the chef would deliberately reduce the sugar. For someone with a sweet tooth, it naturally could not satisfy her cravings at all.


    Lin Xiaowan no longer wanted to disturb Huo Zheng¡¯s work so she went to the side and drew.


    Perhaps Huo Zheng texted his assistant, it did not take long before the other party entered with a te of cut fruits.


    Lin Xiaowan stopped drawing and moved over to eat the fruits.


    Huo Zheng reminded her, ¡°Eat less. If you eat too much, your stomach will hurt again. When the timees, I won¡¯t care about you when youin¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan ignored him. She brought her phone out and drew a rabbit beating up a big bad wolf. After that, she drew the big bad wolf being tied up and thrown aside while the rabbit sat at a table filled with delicacies, eating and drinking its fill. When she was done drawing, she was in a much better mood. She quickly uploaded her drawings.


    Recently, her updates had been very frequent. They were very random. Some werendscape paintings and some were anthropomorphic characters. However, this was the first time such a cute shortic had appeared on her page.


    Gu Yuwu, who had been quite free recently, saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯stest post andughed. She quickly left ament under the post.


    [Gu Yuwu: It seems like the rabbit is really displeased with the big bad wolf¡­]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Very displeased¡­]


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ount was no longer a secret. Although her followers had not risen recently and her followers were not as many as that of Little Chestnut, she could still be considered an inte celebrity. Most of her followers were only there for her paintings, which made her feel a little proud. In her opinion, it meant that her painting skills had improved, and she was slowly gaining recognition.


    After replying to Gu Yuwu¡¯sment, she remembered the matter regarding Lu Yingxin and the movie so she sent Gu Yuwu a message.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Sister, when will the movie be released?]


    [Gu Yuwu: Why? You can¡¯t wait to see yourself on the big screen? Don¡¯t worry.


    It¡¯ll be released inte July during summer break.]


    [Lin Xiaowan: Then what about Lu Yingxin¡¯s scenes?]


    [Gu Yuwu: Don¡¯t mention her name. It¡¯s bad luck to mention her name! It¡¯s too bad we haven¡¯t found her yet. What she did was attempted murder. It¡¯s a pity there was no surveince camera near theke. Nheless, I¡¯m sure that once she¡¯s captured, she¡¯ll be sentenced to life in prison!]


    [Gu Yuwu: In any case, she won¡¯t affect the movie. She¡¯s been paid for her work, and everything else has nothing to do with her.]


    In Shangxia, thews treated performers and their works separately.


    [Lin Xiaowan: I see. As long as it doesn¡¯t affect the movie premiere.]


    [Gu Yuwu: Where are you? I¡¯ll secretly bring you out for a good meal.]


    Lin Xiaowan was moved to tears when she saw this message.


    [Lin Xiaowan: In Huo Zheng¡¯s office.]


    Gu Yuwu was speechless.


    [Gu Yuwu: You must be joking. He even brought you to work so he could keep a close eye on you. How scary!]


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s husband had connections with the Huo family. She had heard a little about this matter from her husband. She heard that Huo Zheng rarely went to thepany after Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ident. The few times Huo Zheng really needed to leave, he woulde out and return quickly. Even then, he would call Lin Xiaowan to ask what she was doing. It seemed like he could only rest assured when he heard her voice. He had been on tenterhooks since the ident.


    Gu Yuwu felt that Lin Xiaowan was quite pitiful.


    [Gu Yuwu: The rabbit is really miserable!]


    Lin Xiaowan turned around to look at Huo Zheng. In fact, her diet aside, she did not feel that she was miserable. She was not someone who liked to go out in the first ce. It was not bad to stay with Huo Zheng in the office.


    At this time, Huo Zheng looked up and reminded her again. ¡°Don¡¯t lie down and look at your phone.¡±


    During the first two days, Lin Xiaowan was cooped up in Huo Zheng¡¯s office.


    On the third day, she became familiar with the people in the president¡¯s office and even learned to sneak to the pantry to eat like a little mouse. There were all kinds of tea, coffee, milk, fruits, and snacks there for the employees. There was also a lot of instant food such as instant rice, instant soup, instant noodles, and so on. The employees would heat them up in the microwave when they wanted to eat them.


    After Lin Xiaowan became familiar with those people, when she saw anyone going to the pantry, she would follow them eagerly, hoping to get a bite or


    two..

 Chapter 188 - 188: Secretly Eating

    Chapter 188: Secretly Eating


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    As usual, Lin Xiaowan was drawing by the window today. She was drawing a cartoon portrait of Huo Zheng¡¯s secretary.


    At this time, Huo Zheng was leaving his office. His secretary-general held a document, following half a step behind him. He had yet to discover she had been secretly eating. After all, every time she ate, she would make sure that she left no traces behind. As for Huo Zheng, he was just relieved that she was getting along with the people in the president¡¯s office.


    Huo Zheng paused in steps before he said, ¡°When the assistantes overter, tell him what you want for lunch. 1 have a meeting to attend.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was overjoyed when she heard these words. Every time Huo Zheng had a meeting, it was a great opportunity for her to secretly eat snacks. She nodded energetically and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Not long after Huo Zheng left, a secretary brought out a bag of fish balls, and another person brought out mango fudge.


    Lin Xiaowan was like a mouse that had fallen into a rice bucket, happily eating the things she was given. She had not been eating for free. In exchange for the food, she had been drawing cute portraits of Huo Zheng¡¯s employees. Apart from that, she would also bring delicious food from home and share it with them. She did not favor anyone. Even the receptionist received gifts from her.


    One of the secretaries took a photo of the portrait that Lin Xiaowan had drawn for her and sent it to the group chat. After that, she quickly sent a message, which sounded quite smug.


    [Employee #1: Don¡¯t be jealous. The Young Madam drew a portrait of me!]


    News of Lin Xiaowan apanying Huo Zheng to thepany had already spread throughout thepany. However, since she had been taking the private elevator, which only a few people with high position had ess to, not many people had seen her.


    Unlike the others, the people in the president¡¯s office saw Lin Xiaowan a lot. Those who had already received their portraits from her would always unt how cute and likable Lin Xiaowan was, how soft her cheeks were when they pinched them, and how bright her eyes were.


    Coincidentally, Huo Zheng saw the photo that was sent to the group chat today.


    There were not many people from the upper management in the group chat, but the secretary-general was in the group chat. Coincidentally, when he clicked on the photo, Huo Zheng saw it.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s eyes narrowed immediately. Perhaps others would focus on how cute the portrait was, but his eyes were focused on the fish balls and small cookies in the cartoon portrait. He even noticed that the cookies were dipped in chocte sauce. In just a moment, his expression darkened.


    Huo Zheng nced at this secretary-general, who was following him, and asked thetter to enter the meeting room first. Then, he rolled up his sleeves and went upstairs to look for a certain someone.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s return to the president¡¯s office caught everyone off guard. However, they did not think too much of it. They were unaware that Lin Xiaowan was restricted from eating certain food. No one even knew about the drowning incident from a while ago. They only thought that she was cute and pitiful. Moreover, she was their boss¡¯ wife. As such, they naturally gave her food.


    When Huo Zheng arrived, Lin Xiaowan was in the midst of eating a barbecue-vored fish ball. He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes as he wiped the oil off her lips and asked, ¡°Is it delicious?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not dare to nod. She shook her head and quickly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not delicious. 1 just¡­ wanted to have a taste.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    The secretary at the side saw how pitiful Lin Xiaowan was, looking like a kitten that was picked by the scruff of its neck, and could not help but speak up for Lin Xiaowan. ¡°President Huo, Xiaowan is so thin. It¡¯s fine for her to eat some snacks. Moreover, we didn¡¯t buy too many food with additives¡­¡±


    The other party quickly swallowed the remaining words when he saw the dark expression on Huo Zheng¡¯s face.


    The atmosphere was a little cold.


    Seeing that the others did not even dare to breathe loudly at this moment, Lin Xiaowan tugged at Huo Zheng¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be so fierce.¡±


    Huo Zheng said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m not. 1 don¡¯t dare to be fierce to you at all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan knew she was in the wrong so she did not dare to say anything else. She was too greedy after all. She really loved to eat. Although Huo Zheng controlled her diet strictly, he usually would indulge her and give in to her when she wheedled and pouted. However, she did not dare to do such a thing now.


    Huo Zheng brought Lin Xiaowan into his office before he asked his assistant to bring warm water in a thermos sk. Then, he said, ¡°Reflect on yourself here. Make sure you drink all the water before I return from the meeting.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan replied listlessly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Huo Zheng had to return to the meeting. He could not make the others wait for him. Even if he was the president, it was inappropriate for him to do so. Before he left, he looked at the people in the president¡¯s office coldly. He really wanted to deduct their bonus, but he knew it was not appropriate to do so because of his private matter. Finally, he said, ¡°She¡¯s not in good health. She was just discharged from the hospital a while ago. Don¡¯t give her any snacks.¡±


    When Huo Zheng left, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    One of the secretaries looked at the closed door and said, ¡°The boss¡¯ wife is really pitiful¡­¡±


    Another person muttered unhappily, ¡°How can he treat his girlfriend like that? Look at how scared our little treasure was. She didn¡¯t even dare to smile anymore.¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan was around, the atmosphere in the office was much more rxed. Huo Zheng was also easier to talk to, and he was not as fierce when he spoke to them. For this reason, they privately referred to her as their little treasure.


    An assistant adjusted his ck-rimmed sses, thinking about something. After a moment, he said, ¡°Believe it or not, the president will have to coax the little treasure in the end.¡±


    The few of them recalled the interaction between Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan and smiled. No matter how aloof their boss was, he could not maintain this aloofness for more than three seconds in front of his beloved.


    Lin Xiaowan sat in the office, flipping through a book. Recently, in order to encourage Lin Xiaowan to look at her phone and tablet less, Huo Zheng installed a small bookshelf in his office and bought her various novels, magazines, andics.


    Initially, she had trouble concentrating, worried that she really angered Huo Zheng. After a while, when Assistant Song entered the office and asked her what she wanted to eat for lunch, she gradually forgot about Huo Zheng.


    When Huo Zheng returned from the meeting, he saw Lin Xiaowan on the soft couch. Her face was buried in a pillow, and she was sleeping soundly.


    At this time, Assistant Song walked in. When he saw Huo Zheng, he called out in a low voice, ¡°President Huo. The food has just been sent over. It¡¯s still warm.¡± ¡°Give it to me,¡± Huo Zheng said, taking the food from Assistant Song before he waved the other party out.


    At this time, a few people were chatting in the dining room. When they saw Assistant Song, they quickly waved him over.


    ¡°Assistant Song, is the president still angry?¡±


    Assistant Song was not around when Lin Xiaowan was caught eating in the morning. He only returned to the office earlier to order lunch for Lin Xiaowan. He thought about the situation in the office earlier and said, shaking his head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.. We were all worried that the boss would quarrel with Xiaowan¡­¡±

 Chapter 189 - 189: I’ll Go Even Further Than This

    Chapter 189: I¡¯ll Go Even Further Than This


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Assistant Song thought about Lin Xiaowan¡¯s soft temper. Would she quarrel with Huo Zheng? How could that be? Huo Zheng would be the first to admit defeat and start coaxing her if she felt wronged.


    Huo Zheng touched Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand and her naked curled up feet. The air-conditioning in the office was low. Even though she was wearing a long-sleeved jacket, it was still a little cold.


    He covered her with a towel and sat at the side, gently opening the lunch box. The hotel that ordered the food was usually nearby, so the delivery was very fast and convenient.


    Lin Xiaowan was still worried that Huo Zheng woulde back and settle the score with her. The dishes she ordered for lunch were all very light. There was a vegetable roll with fresh prawns, a braised vegetable heart, and a mutton with garlic sprouts. The soup dish was melon and pigeon soup, and even the noodles were coarse grain rolls.


    Usually, when she had no choice, she would reluctantly take a few bites.


    Huo Zheng shook his head helplessly andughed.


    The moment the lunchbox was opened, an alluring and delicious smell wafted out. Before Huo Zheng could wake her up to eat, Lin Xiaowan sat up while yawning.


    The little girl rubbed her eyes, her head still in a daze. When she saw Huo Zheng sitting beside her, she habitually leaned over to hug him.


    Huo Zheng held her in his arms and wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes when she yawned.¡¯Tf 1 sleep now, will I be able to sleep at noonter?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was stunned for a while before recalling that Huo Zheng had asked her to reflect on herself before he left for the meeting. Hence, she said,¡±¡±You¡¯re not angry anymore?¡±


    Huo Zheng brought his men to wash their hands. He pinched her cheeks, which were red from being buried in the pillow.¡¯Tm not angry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said,¡±There is clearly one, and it¡¯s very fierce.¡±¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re not obedient at all?¡± Huo Zheng sighed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been more active than me in thepany these past two days. You came here just to steal food, didn¡¯t you?¡±¡±


    After washing their hands, the two of them sat back at the table. Huo Zheng passed her the chopsticks. It was unknown whether he was praising her or not.¡±Did your taste change this afternoon? You don¡¯t eat sweet or spicy food anymore?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan didn¡¯t want to bother with him and continued eating by herself.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    The little girl slowed down again.


    The lunch break was very long. After the meal, Huo Zheng looked at the report for a while and then took the others to the resting room for an afternoon nap.


    Back then, when she had just woken up, she had said with certainty that she could fall asleep. However, Lin Xiaowan was not sleepy at all now. Huo Zheng closed his eyes to rest while she yed with his fingers.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s hands were wide and thick, easily wrapping around hers. After a while, he turned around in his arms and poked his corbone lightly with his fingers. Huo Zheng opened his eyes helplessly and stopped her from moving her little paws.


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan closed her eyes and pretended to be honest.¡± No, I fell asleep very quickly.¡±¡±


    Huo Zhengughed and reached his hand into her loose clothes. He pinched her gently and Lin Xiaowan was about to open her mouth to make a scene when her lips were sealed.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep,e y something else.¡± Huo Zheng whispered.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan huddled in his embrace and tugged at his cor tightly. Her face was flushed red as she whimpered.¡±Not at home¡­The curtains, oh, the curtains weren¡¯t drawn¡­ Be gentle, be gentle.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was both excited and nervous. Huo Zheng¡¯s secretary or assistant, or even the manager of a department, would sometimese into the office to deliver documents in the afternoon. The door to the lounge was not locked, so she was especially afraid that someone would suddenly enter the office.


    Even though the person would not enter the lounge even if she went into the office to deliver the documents, she was still extremely nervous.


    Huo Zheng bit her ear and kissed her gently.¡±¡±Why are you so nervous, baby?¡±


    However, her actions were not gentle at all.


    Lin Xiaowan red at him with tears in her eyes and gritted her teeth with his neck hatefully. However, Huo Zhengughed out loud.¡± If you don¡¯t listen to me in the future and eat whatever you want, I¡¯ll¡­¡± His voice was even lower as he whispered into the little girl¡¯s ear,¡± I¡¯ll be even more overboard.¡±¡±


    After a good afternoon nap, Huo Zheng tucked everyone in and changed his clothes. He then continued his afternoon work in high spirits.


    However, after this warning, the few people in the CEO¡¯s office did not dare to feed her anything. This made Lin Xiaowan very depressed for a few days.


    The weather was getting hotter and hotter, but Lu Yingxin had not been found. The Huo family had arranged for many people to look for him. Recently, there had been some progress, but they did not know where Lu Yingxin was hiding.


    Huo Zheng was obviously not in a good mood after picking up the phone. He scolded the person on the phone coldly and hung up the phone, still emitting a cold aura.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s diet had been a little more rxed recently. The range of snacks she could provide had increased significantly. She no longer needed to take her medicine. She just needed to slowly recuperate and was digging for watermelon balls to eat.


    She saw Huo Zheng¡¯s handsome face darken after he answered the phone. It was obvious that he was upset and could not continue with his work. She leaned over and fed him a watermelon ball.¡±What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Lu Yingxin was seen in a remote vige, but after searching around, there was no trace of him.¡±Huo Zheng frowned.¡± The owner of the shop in the vige said that she had seen her before. She bought a lot of food. I¡¯m afraid she went into the mountains.¡±¡±


    Lin Xiaowan couldn¡¯t understand. Why did she enter the mountain? Is she a savage?¡±


    She had seen a report about a fugitive who had lived in the mountains for more than ten years. He was found by chance and was arrested. At that time, she could not understand how she could survive in the mountains.


    ¡°She probably wants to climb over the mountain and go to Jiangning City on the other side.¡± Huo Zheng shook his head.¡±


    Huo Zheng had just heard a list of her purchases. The Ministores in the vige did not issue an receipt unless it was specified. The shop owner had only recalled what she had bought ording to his memory. It was a big bag of bread and biscuits.


    There were also two shlights with threerge batteries. Because very few people bought so many batteries at once, the shop owner took a few more nces at Lu Yingxin. Just these two nces were scolded by Lu Yingxin, so the shop owner had a deep impression of her.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first reaction was:¡± That¡¯s so dangerous. Not all the mountains are safe, right?¡±


    Even if there weren¡¯t any lions or tigers, there would most likely be snakes, wild boars, or wild pheasants. Even if it was a wild pheasant, Yingga wasn¡¯t easy to deal with. In any case, Lin Xiaowan was quite afraid of pointy-mouthed chickens and ducks.


    ¡°She¡¯s thinking too simply.¡± Huo Zheng sneered.¡±


    Not to mention Jiangning City, even if she ran out of the country, as long as she swiped her ID card or entered the bank, the Huo family at the ends of the earth would be able to catch her. She had underestimated the power of the Inte.


    Unless she could endure not touching the savings in her bank card for the rest of her life and be an illegal household for the rest of her life.


    Huo Zheng ate another watermelon ball that Lin Xiaowan had fed him and barely managed to feel better. However, when he thought of the suffering that Lin Xiaowan had suffered because of him, he wanted to chop that audacious woman into pieces..

 Chapter 190 - 190: Summer

    Chapter 190: Summer


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In just a blink of an eye, it was already summer break. Summer had arrived in Shengjing. Gu Yuwu¡¯s movie was also about to be released. Recently, the trailers were yed very frequently, and there was also a lot of publicity about it.


    Today, Lin Xiaowan was supposed to go for a follow-up checkup. Due to how hot it had been, she had been moring to eat something cold. However, she would cough as soon as she ate something cold so Huo Zheng did not allow it. In the end, the duo came to apromise and agreed that if the doctor did not have any objection, she would be allowed to have a ss of smoothie every day.


    Huo Zheng did not hesitate to agree. After all, he knew what the oue would be. Even if she didn¡¯t cough, the doctor still would not allow her to have a ss of smoothie every day due to her weak stomach.


    As expected, when they went to get the medical report in the afternoon, the doctor rejected Lin Xiaowan¡¯s small request decisively.


    When Lin Xiaowan was hospitalized, she would pester the doctor, asking if she could eat this and that. As such, the doctor had grown immune to her tactics and had no problem refusing her.


    Although Lin Xiaowan was very unwilling, she could only smile at the doctor.


    The doctor said, ¡°There¡¯s no point in looking at me like that. No means no. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t eat cold or spicy food. Fortunately, you don¡¯t smoke and drink¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan lowered her head, looking guilty.


    Huo Zheng smiled and held her hand. He did not say anything. After all, he knew that she liked to drink sweet fruit wine and sweet alcoholic drinks. She treated them as though they were ordinary drinks. One time, he was very busy so he did not notice until muchter that she had secretly drunk more than half a bottle of sweet wine. After teaching her a lesson, all the alcohol in the house was locked in a cab.


    When the movie was released, Huo Zheng apanied Lin Xiaowan to watch it.


    When she saw herself on the screen, she pointed it out to Huo Zheng.


    ¡°Look behind the Imperial Concubine. I¡¯m one of the pce maids. Do you see me?¡±


    Huo Zheng recognized her at a nce. Her skin was wless, and her eyes were bright. When she stood with the others, she stood out a lot.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s attention soon shifted to the Imperial Concubine. She said, ¡°The Imperial Concubine is really friendly, and she speaks really gently. She even gave me some snacks. They were really delicious.¡±


    Needless to say, Lu Yingxin also appeared in the movie. Although she did not y a major role, she had quite a few scenes. She yed an innocent and beautiful princess in the movie. Although her acting was not particrly bad, she had no experience after all. As such, her performance was stillcking.


    Huo Zheng looked at Lu Yingxin murderously when she appeared on the screen.


    Lin Xiaowan whispered, ¡°I saw her act when I was on the set. At that time, I thought she was not bad. However,pared to the others, the difference is quite big¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng covered her eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look. It¡¯ll ruin your eyes.¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed, amused. She ced her hand on his hand that was covering her eyes and said, ¡°By the way, I tried on the costumes for the movie. Sister Gu Yuwu even took photos and videos of me. She said 1 can post them after the movie is released. I¡¯ll show them to youter¡­¡±


    After the movie premiere, Huo Zheng bought thousands of movie tickets and asked his assistant to distribute them to his employees. Although Lin Xiaowan was just an extra, he still wanted to support her.


    The employees were confused. They could not understand why they were suddenly given movie tickets.


    At the same time, somehow, someone found out that Huo Zheng had bought a huge number of movie tickets, and this matter quickly made the headlines. It became a hot topic in the industry.


    Some people spected that the boss of Huo Corporation must have taken a liking to one of the actresses in the movie. As such, he bought so many tickets to support the actress. They spected online that the actress was the second female lead. She was a neer, but her performance was quite outstanding.


    When Gu Yuwu learned about this, she quickly made her stance clear.


    [Gu Yuwu: Who came up with this nonsense? Are you crazy?]


    Soon after that, the Huo Corporation¡¯s official ount alsomented on the matter.


    [Please don¡¯t misunderstand. The boss¡¯ wife was an extra in the movie so the boss bought tickets for the people in thepany.]


    With this, the rumors quickly died down. However, it did not take long for theseizens, who loved to gossip, to find another thing to discuss.


    [Netizen #1: I¡¯ve watched the movie three times, but 1 still can¡¯t figure out which one is President Huo¡¯s wife.]


    [Netizen #2: Why are you looking for her? Will the Huo Corporation pay you if you spot her in the movie?]


    [Netizen #3: What a joke! The president¡¯s wife is an extra in a movie? Is the Huo family making things difficult for her? Is she going to stop drawing and be an actress?]


    [Gu Yuwu: Go away. Xiaowan came to visit the set and decided to take on the role of an extra for fun. If you¡¯re jealous, get lost!]


    When Lin Xiaowan learned about this, she said with a sigh, ¡°The entertainment industry is full of bloodshed. It¡¯s really scary.¡±


    After that, Gu Yuwu also posted the video she had taken of Lin Xiaowan without covering thetter¡¯s face. She was clearly showing everyone that Lin Xiaowan only visited the set to have fun, not act.


    After Lin Xiaowan sent the video to Huo Zheng, she found that he was distracted. It did not seem like he was looking at the video she had sent him. As such, she leaned over and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Lu Yingxin didn¡¯t go to Jiangning. It seems like she¡¯s been hiding in the mountains. Someone saw her in the vige again.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s really living in the wild?¡± Lin Xiaowan was shocked.


    Huo Zheng sneered. ¡°She can still ess the Inte there even though the area isn¡¯t very developed. She probably knows that the movie has been released and that her scenes weren¡¯t cut. She thinks that everything¡¯s fine now.¡±


    Then, he frowned before he continued to say, ¡°Be careful in theing days. I¡¯m worried she might look for you and do something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been by your side recently. I¡¯ve not been anywhere without you,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    In the video that Gu Yuwu posted, it showed Lin Xiaowan wearing various costumes from the movie. The costume that caught everyone¡¯s attention was, coincidentally, one of the costumes of the beautiful princess, who was yed by Lu Yingxin.


    The beautiful princess wore the costume when she got married in the movie. Unlike most ancient wedding garb, the dress was ck with gold trimmings.


    Many peoplemented that Lin Xiaowanpletely crushed Lu Yingxin when she wore the dress, saying that she looked much better than Lu Yingxin. Some people even said that she was a better match for the male actor.


    Lin Xiaowan looked sweet, and her smile was cute and lively. In theizens¡¯ opinion, she was a much better choice to y the role of the princess. In their opinion, Lu Yingxin¡¯s sweetness was too fake. Some people evenmented that Lin Xiaowan should have been given this role considering how suitable she was.


    A few people also said that it was understandable that she was not given a big role. After all, she was going to marry Huo Zheng. It seemed like wealthy families did not like actresses very much. They even went so far as to use famous models and actresses as examples..

 Chapter 191 - 191: Finding Lu Yingxin

    Chapter 191: Finding Lu Yingxin


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Theizens were naturally thinking too much. In fact, no one in the Huo family cared about this matter at all. When they saw her on screen, they would deliberately call her just to praise her.


    Lu Yingxin had been disconnected from the outside world for more than a month, and she could not endure it anymore. When she found out that the movie had been released, she finally came out of hiding. The movie was very popr, and she dreamed about making it as a big star.


    The first thing she did was buy new clothes and take a shower. However, she had no idea that as soon as she swiped her card, she hadpletely exposed herself.


    It waste at night when Huo Zheng received the call.


    Lin Xiaowan was not in a deep sleep. As such, when the phone rang, she was jolted awake. Perhaps it was because she was suddenly awakened, she seemed frightened.


    Seeing her trembling, Huo Zheng hurriedly patted her back and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my phone.¡±


    He was annoyed with himself. He had ced the phone on the bedside table and forgot to mute it.


    Lin Xiaowan could not fall back asleep after she woke up. She waited for Huo Zheng to end the call before she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Although Huo Zheng was very busy, very few people would call him sote in the night.


    Huo Zheng hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should tell Lin Xiaowan about it.


    Seeing hisck of response, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Huo Zheng covered her with the nket as he said softly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to bed first? I have to go out for a while.¡±


    He hesitated for a moment before he said, ¡°I¡¯ve found Lu Yingxin.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was yawning, but when she heard this, she perked up again. She said, ¡°But it¡¯s raining¡­ In any case, 1 want to go with you.¡±


    It had been raining a lot recently. It would start to get windy in the evening before it rained at night. asionally, there would be thunderstorms.


    Huo Zheng had been hesitant about telling her about this matter because he was worried that Lin Xiaowan would want to follow him. The weather was bad, and he was afraid that she would catch a cold. Moreover, he did not want her to stay up all night for this matter. It was 11 PM now. If it were not for the phone call earlier, she would be sound asleep in his arms at this moment.


    Liu Xiaowan leaned against him and said cutely, ¡°Let mee with you¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng patted her gently and replied, ¡°You should rest. Moreover, it¡¯s still raining outside.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to follow you¡­¡±


    The more Huo Zheng refused, the more Lin Xiaowan wanted to follow him. She refused to go to sleep and asked him excitedly, ¡°What is Lu Yingxin doing? Where is she? Are you going to the mountains to look for her? Didn¡¯t you say the vige is in a very remote ce? It¡¯s very dangerous to go into the mountains when it¡¯s raining, right?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan chattered non-stop, rendering Huo Zheng speechless. Finally, he said, ¡°No. She appeared in the suburbs of Shengjing and swiped her card at a mall. She¡¯s watching a movie now.¡±


    Huo Zheng was thinking about how to deal with this matter at this moment. Shengjing was a city that never slept; this also applied to the suburbs. Even close to midnight, many people were out. For this reason, he knew he could not rashly rush in and capture Lu Yingxin. For now, he told his men to wait and keep an eye on Lu Yingxin.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled, ¡°She¡¯s been in hiding for so long. Why did she suddenlye out of hiding? Moreover, she didn¡¯t even bother toy low aftering out¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng did not respond to her question. Instead, he said, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    In the end, Huo Zheng could only bring Lin Xiaowan with him.


    Although Lin Xiaowan had been in Shengjing since she started attending university, there were still ces she had never been to in the city. The ce that Huo Zheng brought her to tonight was such a ce.


    At the same time, after watching the movie, Lu Yingxin felt very satisfied with her performance. However, while she was watching the movie, she went on the Inte and saw the video of Lin Xiaowan trying on the movie costumes. She burned with anger when she saw people saying that Lin Xiaowan looked better than her. In her opinion, Lin Xiaowan had deliberately done this to embarrass her.


    When she stepped out of the cinema, Lu Yingxin¡¯s keen senses told her that something was wrong immediately.


    Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan sat in an SUV outside the mall. The car yed a soothing melody, which made Lin Xiaowan feel sleepy. It did not take long before she finally fell asleep.


    The air conditioner¡¯s temperature was quite high. The window was rolled down slightly to let in some air. In such an environment, Lin Xiaowan could not sleep well. She kept tossing and turning.


    Huo Zheng sighed and moved his arms to change into a morefortable position to hug her. He really did not know why she insisted on following him out.


    As soon as Lu Yingxin stepped out of the mall, she suddenly ran away with all her might.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s men were watching her so how could they allow her to escape so easily?


    A few burly men rushed over and quickly captured her before dragging her into a ck car. She did not even have a chance to shout for help.


    Seeing this, Huo Zheng narrowed his eyes and sighed in relief.


    At this time, someone knocked twice on Huo Zheng¡¯s car window.


    Huo Zheng slowly moved Lin Xiaowan aside, but as soon as he moved, Lin Xiaowan woke up. She rubbed her eyes and asked in a daze, ¡°Is she out?¡±


    Huo Zheng stuffed a pillow into her arms and covered her with a small nket. Then, he kissed her eyes and said, ¡°Yes. Stay here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Be careful, okay?¡± Lin Xiaowan said softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no danger at all,¡± Huo Zheng replied with a gentle smile.


    As soon as Huo Zheng opened the car door, someone raised a ck umbre and sheltered him from the rain.


    Huo Zheng quickly strode over to the car where Lu Yingxin was being held.


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s mouth was gagged as soon as she was pushed into the car; she could not make a sound at all. She trembled in fear. Although she was restrained, she struggled desperately as though her life was on the line.


    When Huo Zheng entered the car, he sized her up.


    Lu Yingxin whimpered as soon as she saw Huo Zheng. The expression on her beautiful face changed immediately, and her eyes seemed to light up.


    ¡°You can¡¯t talk, but you¡¯re still so noisy,¡± Huo Zheng said frostily. He looked at her as though she was nothing, and the disgust in his eyes was tant.


    In the early years of the Huo family, when the Huo brothers¡¯ father was still around, they had a lot of underground business dealings. Due to this experience, his heart had grown cold and hard.


    ¡°Our society is governed byw, after all. Logically speaking, 1 should just send you to jail,¡± Huo Zheng said expressionlessly, ¡°However, 1 feel that it¡¯s too easy for you. If I don¡¯t take revenge personally, I¡¯ll feel dissatisfied.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had a good temper. She did not hold grudges and forgot about things quickly. On the contrary, Huo Zheng did not have such a good temper. To be precise, apart from his family, he never had a good temper with other people.


    In the end, Huo Zheng asked someone to send Lu Yingxin to the Huo family¡¯s old residence first. Before his men sent her away, he said, ¡°I¡¯m never one to hit women. Nheless, I¡¯m afraid Miss Lu will have to suffer today..¡±

 Chapter 192 - 192: Pressed Under the Water

    Chapter 192: Pressed Under the Water


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When Huo Zheng returned to the car, Lin Xiaowan was wrapped up in the small nket and leaning against the car door, looking at her phone. She looked listless probably because she was sleepy. After all, it was past midnight, and it was past her bedtime. The short nap earlier was not enough to wake her up.


    When Huo Zheng opened the car door, the strong wind blew in apanied by the sound of heavy rainfall. He quickly closed the door and removed his jacket. Although he had an umbre, his jacket was slightly wet. After that, he pulled her into his arms and took her phone away. He said gently, ¡°You¡¯re holding the phone so close to your face again.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did notin about her phone being taken away. She shifted into a morefortable position and rubbed her eyes as she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Lu Yingxin?¡±


    ¡°I sent her to the police station so she can be punished by thew.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why did you have toe here then?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked in confusion.


    ¡°I was worried she¡¯d run away again,¡± Huo Zheng replied. Then, he chuckled and asked, ¡°Then why did youe with me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not reply. She snuggled against him in his arms. She did not say that she was worried he would do something bad if she was not around. She felt uneasy so she wanted toe along.


    ¡®It seems like 1 was thinking too much¡­¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan took her phone from Huo Zheng again. She was reading the messages in her inbox. After Gu Yuwu posted the video, she received a lot of messages. Most of them were very nice so she liked reading them. After a while, she asked curiously, ¡°If Lu Yingxin goes to jail, will she be considered to have left the entertainment industry? Will she have to hold a press conference and make a statement? I see that many celebrities like to hold press conferences when something happens.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so concerned about her?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    The next day, Lin Xiaowan was still sleeping when Huo Zheng left the house. It was rare that he did not bring her with him. Before he left, he kissed her face, but she did not react at all.


    Huo Zheng did not go to thepany. Instead, he went to the Huo family¡¯s house.


    Latest night, Lu Yingxin was brought to an empty shed behind the main house. The windows in the shed were nailed shut, and the entire ce was tightly locked. It was summer now so it was extremely hot there. After staying there the entire night, she was almostpletely exhausted.


    As soon as the door opened, light streamed in. Although the breeze that blew in was hot, she crawled over quickly as though she had seen some life-saving medicine. However, because she was tied up, her movements were strange and funny.


    The two men who entered the shed dragged her out as though they were dragging a pig. Her mouth was still gagged so she could only whimper in a hoarse voice. The duo ignored her and did not slow down at all until they reached the edge of a pond.


    Huo Zheng stood quietly under the shade of a tree by the pond. There was a fan blowing in front of him, and he looked rxed. However, his expression was cold and even a little cruel, making people afraid to look at him directly.


    When Lu Yingxin saw Huo Zheng, she struggled even harder, and her voice also grew louder.


    Huo Zheng only nced at her before he shot a look at the two men.


    Following that, Lu Yingxin¡¯s face was ruthlessly pressed into the pond.


    In fact, the pond was not deep. If she had stood in the pool, the water would only reach her waist. The water was clear. Arge number of pink lotuses sat on top of it while fish swam freely.


    However, none of the people present were here to look at the lotuses or the fish.


    When Lu Yingxin¡¯s face was pressed into the water, she struggled fiercely and even destroyed a few lotuses in the process. She felt dizzy, and her ears were ringing. She tried to hold her breath, but she could only do it for so long. Just as she was about to faint, the person holding her head down suddenly yanked her hair and pulled her out of the water.


    Huo Zheng said calmly, ¡°Remove the gag from her mouth.¡±


    As soon as the gag was removed, Lu Xingyin started screaming hysterically. ¡°You¡¯remitting a crime! 1¡¯11 call the police! I¡­¡±


    Before Lu Yingxin finished speaking, her head was pressed into the water again, causing the surface to bubble and ripple.


    After repeating this countless times, Lu Yingxin also lost her strength to struggle. When the person holding her let her go, she copsed at the side of the pond, motionless and looking miserable..

 Chapter 193 - 193: Premeditated Murder

    Chapter 193: Premeditated Murder


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lu Yingxin was on the verge of losing consciousness. She felt her entire body turn cold. She trembled violently as she choked on water, looking pitiful. s, none of the people present cared about her, treating her like air.


    After a while, Huo Zheng walked over and came to a stop about a meter away from Lu Yingxin. He said, ¡°It¡¯s hot in the summer now. Miss Lu should be veryfortable now after taking a dunk in the water.¡±


    How could Lu Yingxin respond to him now? She was dizzy. When Huo Zheng¡¯s voice entered her ears, she was terrified. However, there was nothing she could do; she waspletely helpless.


    Huo Zheng stared at Lu Yingxin. Still not satisfied, he ordered, ¡°Tie her hands and feet and throw her in.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had suffered so much, but Lu Yingxin was only choking on water. With this, how could he vent his anger?


    When Lu Yingxin heard Huo Zheng¡¯s ruthless words, she was frightened out of her wits. The men had already stepped forward at this time to execute Huo Zheng¡¯s orders. Who knew where she found her strength, but she found the strength to beg Huo Zheng to let her off. Her red and swollen fingers were about to touch Huo Zheng¡¯s shoes when he took a step back expressionlessly, avoiding her. She kept shouting and pleading in fear. Her ck hair was in a mess at this moment, and she looked like a lunatic.


    At this moment, Huo Zheng¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He nced at his phone, and his expression softened when he saw the number disyed on the screen. He nced at Lu Yingxin who was still shouting and ordered someone to cover her mouth before he answered the call.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice was no longer cold. It was affectionate and gentle as he asked in a low voice, ¡°Qingqing, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up and discovered that Huo Zheng was not around, she was surprised. After all, during this period of time, he brought her with him wherever he went. For this reason, she called him. At this moment, she was eating. She did not have much of an appetite so she ate very slowly. As she ate, she asked, ¡°Did you go to thepany?¡±


    Although Huo Zheng could not see Lin Xiaowan, his indifferent expression softened as he replied vaguely, ¡°I have something to do today, but I¡¯ll be back soon. Have you eaten?¡±


    Recently, the weather had been hot, and Lin Xiaowan had not been eating properly.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m eating now.¡±


    After exchanging a few more words, Huo Zheng ended the call. His expression changed immediately, and he said with a hint of impatience, ¡°Throw her in.¡±


    Now that Lin Xiaowan had woken up, he did not want to waste time here.


    The Huo family had nurtured loyal people. Now that Huo Zheng had given them an order, they did not care about being gentle to the fairer sex. They quickly tied up Lu Yingxin¡¯s hands and feet with a hemp rope and threw her into the pond.


    Lu Yingxin could not move and could only sink into the water in despair. When she could no longer hold her breath, water surged into her lungs as she breathed, creating bubbles.


    Huo Zheng calcted the time. After about two minutes, he said, ¡°Bring her up. Don¡¯t let her die.¡±


    With that, the two men stepped into the pond and scooped Lu Yingxin out of the pool.


    Lu Yingxin gasped for breath. Her chest was in so much pain, and she felt like it was about to explode. The buzzing sound in her ears was sometimes high and sometimes low. Although she did not know what happened after she tried to drown Lin Xiaowan, she knew that Huo Zheng was doing this to avenge Lin Xiaowan.


    Looking at Lu Yingxin¡¯s half-dead appearance, Huo Zheng felt a little better. He could not be bothered with her anymore. He said, ¡°Send her back, and get a doctor to look at her.¡±


    Lu Yingxin had to be healthy so she could be convicted and live the rest of her life behind bars.


    In fewer than three days, Lu Yingxin was arrested for premeditated murder.


    When the news was released, the movie was still ying in the cinemas. The movie was already popr, to begin with. As soon as the news broke, it became a hot topic immediately.


    Although there was no official announcement yet, everyone was excitedly watching the show. An ount had posted about it, and the post was very well-written. There was even a blurry photo attached to the post. It showed Lu Yingxin being arrested. Although the photo was taken from a distance away, one could see her frail body and the lifeless expression on her face.


    [Netizen #1: This is the only time Lu Yingxin is popr¡­]


    [Netizen #2: She must be the first person to fall as soon as she debuted.]


    [Netizen #3:1 don¡¯t think she has any fans at all. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s urate to say that she had debuted. At the most, she was just an idol trainee.]


    [Netizen #4: That¡¯s right. When the movie first premiered, someone said this as well. Because she was an idol, not an actress, there were even people who praised her acting skills. I remember people saying that she was very hardworking when she was filming the movie.]


    [Netizen #5: Can someone tell me what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s with the charge of premeditated murder?]


    [Netizen #6: Who did she try to kill? It¡¯s such a huge matter, but it was only exposed after she was caught. Why are they covering this matter so tightly?] [Netizen #7: Which agency does Lu Yingxin belong to? Did the agency release any statement? Where¡¯s her manager? Where¡¯s the PR team? Did theypletely give up on her?]


    [Netizen #8: Haha! Who can deal with this PR disaster?]


    This matter was really shocking. Moreover, such a thing was rare in the entertainment industry. It was not surprising that this matter was highly discussed by everyone.


    Lin Xiaowan was reading aic book when she found out about this matter. She had picked up her phone, intending to y some songs, when she saw the notification on her phone. When she saw the headlines, she suddenly sat up straight.


    Huo Zheng looked up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan stammered, ¡°Lu, Lu, Lu Yingxin has been caught?¡±


    Huo Zheng was amused. ¡°Why are you so surprised? Weren¡¯t you there when we caught her?¡±


    ¡°All, right, right,¡± Lin Xiaowan said. She finally remembered that she had gone with Huo Zheng to catch Lu Yingxin. However, she did not see Lu Yingxin with her own eyes at that time so it did not feel real to her.


    Lu Yingxin¡¯s team did not only consist of her manager. She had a few other people working for her as well. When she first disappeared, the Huo family had sent people to keep an eye on those people who had contact with her.


    However, Lu Yingxin was quite vignt. She hadid low for more than a month and did not contact anyone at all. She did not even contact her parents, who were honest farmers in her hometown. At that time, the Huo family had also sent people there, but there was nothing at all.


    When Lu Yingxin¡¯s manager found out about this matter, she immediately contacted thepany. The matter continued to escte, and in the afternoon, she and thepany finally released a statement. They stated that they had been unable to contact Lu Yingxin after the filming of the movie wrapped up. She even attached a screenshot of their chat. It showed her sending Lu Yingxin many messages that Lu Yingxin did not reply to. In short, she and thepany were saying that they werepletely innocent and had no knowledge of this matter.


    Inparison, the official ount of the movie reacted faster. Not long after the news broke, a statement was released, expressing their shock and disappointment regarding Lu Yingxin¡¯s actions and apologizing for their bad casting choice.


    The statement was released so quickly that some people wondered if the statement had been written in advance.


    Gu Yuwu knew about what Huo Zheng had done to Lu Yingxin before he sent Lu Yingxin to jail. In the spirit of avenging Lin Xiaowan, she quickly announced that among those who scolded Lu Yingxin, one thousand people would be chosen and rewarded with a thousand yuan.


    When Lin Xiaowan found out about this, she joined in the fun as well..

 Chapter 194 - 194: This Matter Is Over

    Chapter 194: This Matter Is Over


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was only at night when the police force in Shengjing released the relevant official documents. The official documents clearly stated that Lu Yingxin had been arrested for a criminal offense, but they did not borate on the details. Lin Xiaowan asked Huo Zheng, ¡°Will she be tried for this? Does this mean that everything about me and her will be revealed in court?¡±


    Huo Zheng had already considered this problem. He gently stroked Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair and said, ¡°The trial won¡¯t be made public. There won¡¯t be news about her after this. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Just as Huo Zheng said, Lu Yingxin¡¯s matter went silent after some time.


    It was only when Lin Xiaowan went shopping with Gu Yuwu that she learned that Lu Yingxin¡¯s trial had ended and that Lu Yingxin had been sent to the women¡¯s prison in the west of the city.


    As Lin Xiaowan looked at a gemstone cufflink, she said, ¡°The matter ended so quickly. She¡¯s still young. I hope that she¡¯ll repent before she¡¯s released in the future.¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled and did not say anything. In her opinion, based on what she knew about the Huo family, it would be difficult for Lu Yingxin to be released from prison.


    ¡°What do you think about this ruby cufflink? Does it suit Huo Zheng?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked.


    The two women continued to shop and chat. At some point, Huo Zheng called to ask where Lin Xiaowan was. He also urged her to drink more water and not drink cold drinks. The phone callsted for twenty minutes, and Lin Xiaowan nodded the entire time.


    When Huo Zheng¡¯s nagging finally ended, Gu Yuwu was speechless.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this man a little too long-winded?¡¯


    Lin Xiaowan, on the other hand, did not mind Huo Zheng¡¯s nagging. However, when she thought about Huo Zheng¡¯s recent behavior, a slightly troubled expression appeared on her face as she said, ¡°I feel like Huo Zheng has been acting a little strange recently. It¡¯s as though he¡¯s doing something behind my back.¡±


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s ears pricked up immediately. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Put everything else aside, yesterday, when I woke up from my afternoon nap, he was on the phone. However, as soon as he saw that 1 was awake, he hurriedly ended the call. Moreover, the call was clearly not rted to his work. I asked him about it, but he was very vague about it,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a pout.


    Gu Yuwu recalled that Huo Zheng¡¯s representative had previously bid for a few precious stones at an auction, and she had a vague guess in her heart. However, she did not say anything about it and only saidfortingly to Lin Xiaowan, ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. You should know very well what kind of person your President Huo is.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m curious. A few days ago, Assistant Song came to the house and showed him something. It was covered in a velvet cloth. I didn¡¯t even get close to it, but Assistant Song quickly put it away. He¡¯s never been like this before. Recently, he suddenly became mysterious and secretive¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu patted Lin Xiaowan¡¯s back gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll help you observe him even though I rarely see him.¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed after she said that. Then, she recalled something and said, ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you say two days ago that you wanted that idol¡¯s autograph? There¡¯s an event in two days. Her group will be participating as well. Do you want to attend the event?¡±


    ¡°In two days? 1 have to ask Huo Zheng first. He¡¯s not very willing to let me go out by myself. However, it should be okay since I¡¯m with you,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    The idol that Gu Yuwu mentioned was very popr. She debuted as the center of the group and was very good at singing and dancing. Recently, she had even acted in a web drama. Although her acting was not outstanding, it was not terrible.


    There were 11 people in the group, and the other ten were not very popr. She was the only one who was famous due to her beauty.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan was not one to chase celebrities. She wanted the autograph for someone else.


    Huo Zheng had been bringing Lin Xiaowan to thepany recently. As such, the employees in the president¡¯s office and the employees who often came to the president¡¯s office knew who she was. Since she began to draw portraits for the people in the president¡¯s office, she would also draw them for other employees who requested them.


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to give the autograph to a manager of a department in Huo Zheng¡¯spany. He was a meticulous young man. She knew that he liked the idol very much. Seeing that his birthday wasing up, she wanted to give him the idol¡¯s autograph as a birthday present.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know much about these things so she asked, ¡°What kind of event is it? Will it be fun?¡±


    Gu Yuwu said with a smile, ¡°To be honest, not really. It¡¯s actually for a variety show. Not many people will be present. We¡¯ll be filming a promotional video for the pilot episode. After that, we¡¯ll go and eat hotpot.¡±


    As soon as Lin Xiaowan heard the word ¡®hotpot, she said happily, ¡°Okay, okay. Hotpot sounds good! I want to go!¡±


    Then, she continued to say, ¡°Let me think about what 1 should tell Huo Zheng. 1 definitely can¡¯t tell him that we¡¯re going to eat hotpot. Otherwise, he won¡¯t let me go. Two days ago, 1 told him 1 wanted to eat hotpot. He said the weather was very hot so he didn¡¯t allow me to eat.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought that she would have to expend a lot of effort to get Huo Zheng to agree, but unexpectedly, he nodded after thinking about it for a moment. He had agreed so quickly that Lin Xiaowan was in disbelief for a moment.


    ¡°Ah? Really? Then 1¡¯11 tell Sister Yuwu now?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Huo Zheng said before he added, ¡°However, don¡¯t stay out toote. When the timees, tell the driver to wait for you there. Also, you must answer my calls, understand?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had a new driver. The driver was already working for the Huo family before this. Apart from driving, he was very skilled inbat as well. Huo Zheng was worried that something would happen to Lin Xiaowan again so he changed her driver. The driver used to be the captain of the Huo family¡¯s security team, and he had won many awards for his martial arts.


    Lin Xiaowan felt that it was a waste of his talent for him to be her driver.


    After listening to Huo Zheng¡¯s words, she did not find anything wrong with them so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    With this, she threw the matter to the back of her mind.


    On the day of the event.


    When Lin Xiaowan and Gu Yuwu arrived, the others were in the midst of filming. Apart from a few young people, there were also a few veteran celebrities present on the scene. They were a mix of hosts, singers, and actors. The atmosphere was quite rxed.


    Lin Xiaowan did not usually watch variety shows; she had only watched a few popr ones. Seeing all these people, she could not help but ask curiously, ¡®What variety show is this? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen it before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lifestyle variety show. It hasn¡¯t aired yet so it¡¯s only natural that you¡¯ve not seen it before,¡± Gu Yuwu replied with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, no wonder.¡±


    With the few famous celebrities present, the variety show should be very popr. If it had already aired, Lin Xiaowan felt that she would have at least heard about it.


    The filming venue was very big.


    The hotpot was set up on a long table. More than ten people sat together, but it was not crowded. As they ate, the cameras were filming from the side.


    Gu Yuwu had told Lin Xiaowan not to worry about the cameras. Even if the two of them were caught on camera, they would be edited outter.


    Gu Yuwu also introduced Lin Xiaowan to one of the hosts and a veteran celebrity whom she was familiar with. She said, ¡°This is Xiaowan, my little sister.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was like a child following her parents to visit friends. She stayed next to Gu Yuwu¡¯s side and smiled as she greeted everyone..

 Chapter 195 - 195: Waiting for You to Come Home

    Chapter 195: Waiting for You to Come Home


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan did not think about how she was going to ask for an autograph before she came. In the end, she could only look at Gu Yuwu meaningfully for Gu Yuwu¡¯s help.


    This was also the first time Gu Yuwu was meeting the young girls. She was very friendly and smiled at them kindly as she said, ¡°Xiaowan came to ask for your autographs. Please fulfill her wish after we¡¯re done with the hotpot.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled brightly at the girls.


    The girls also smiled and nodded in return. They were naturally very happy. They even felt grateful, seeing that they had a fan.


    After chatting for a while, Lin Xiaowan eximed, surprised, ¡°Ah, all of you are only 18 years old?¡±


    ¡®No wonder they look so young¡­¡¯


    One of the girls with cute chubby cheeks and two pigtails said with a smile, ¡°They¡¯re 18. I¡¯m 20!¡±


    As for the idol, whose autograph Lin Xiaowan wanted, she was the youngest in the group. She had just celebrated her 18th birthday not long ago. She had long curly hair, and her face was exquisite. She was just like a doll, and she spoke very sweetly.


    After getting along for a while, Gu Yuwu¡¯s celebrity friends also rxed. They did not put on any air and would even help pick food for Lin Xiaowan. They were more like kind elders so she was not very nervous.


    After eating for a while, Lin Xiaowan noticed that the girls seemed to be more reserved than her. At this time, the cameras had been removed, and the staff members had already left to eat, but the girls still did not look rxed.


    Lin Xiaowan felt that even when the girls were eating, they looked as beautiful as a painting. After a while, she said, ¡°You guys eat so little.¡±


    The girls were still growing at the age of 18, but they were eating so little. Lin Xiaowan wondered if they were full after eating so little. However, on second thought, the girls were all idols. They probably needed to eat less to maintain their figure.


    One of the girls, who was eating boiled green beans, sighed upon hearing Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words and said helplessly, ¡°What can we do? Let me tell you a secret. If we eat too much and gain weight, we¡¯ll be fined.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked. ¡°What? That¡¯s so terrifying! But you¡¯re already so thin¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had just eaten a fishball, and at this moment, she still had many things cooking in the small hotpot in front of her.


    This was the first time Lin Xiaowan had been so close to idols. The girls were really thin. Their hands and feet were very slender.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about how Huo Zheng always said that she was too thin whenever he hugged her. She thought that she should let him see for himself what it meant to be thin. After thinking about this, she thought about Huo Zheng and the fact that he did not know that she hade to eat hotpot today. She felt a pang of guilt, but it did not stop her from stuffing a piece of tofu into her mouth.


    After the meal, Lin Xiaowan received the girls¡¯ autographs. Not only that, but she was pleasantly surprised when she also received a set of photo cards and a yet-to-be-released album from them.


    When Lin Xiaowan returned, Huo Zheng was not at home. When they spoke on the phone, he had told her that he had a meeting at thepany and that he would be homete. She did not mind this and was even a little d. After all, she still smelled a little of hotpot.


    After taking a shower, Lin Xiaowan yed with Little Chestnut for a while before she felt sleepy. Aunt Wu and the others had gone to bed early, and it was very quiet at this moment. She hugged Little Chestnut, and it did not take long before she fell asleep on the cat bed that she had bought for Little Chestnut.


    Lin Xiaowan had chanced upon the cat bed when she was browsing the Inte. Due to Little Chestnut¡¯s size, which was bigger than ordinary cats, she decisively bought thergest size. In the end, when she received the goods, she was dumbfounded. The cat bed was more than one and a half meters in length and width. Let alone Little Chestnut, even a full-grown Husky would be able to sleep on it with plenty of space to spare.


    It was already past midnight when Huo Zheng returned. He assumed that Lin Xiaowan was already asleep, but when he went to the bedroom, he found that only the bedsidemp was turned on, and no one was on the bed. He panicked and quickly called her phone. In the next moment, her phone rang from under the nket.


    Since the phone was here, it meant that she was at home. With this, Huo Zheng slowly calmed down. Lin Xiaowan would not leave her phone at home if she had gone out.


    Huo Zheng nced at his watch. It was almost one in the morning. After giving it some thought, he went downstairs. As expected, he found her sleeping soundly on the second floor.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes were closed, and she held Little Chestnut loosely in her arms.


    When Little Chestnut heard the noise, it opened its eyes, and its fluffy tail swayed from side to side in a leisurely manner. However, when it saw that it was Huo Zheng, it leaned closer to Lin Xiaowan and looked away disdainfully. s, it did not even have time to make itselffortable before Huo Zheng scooped it up and ced it on the mat at the side.


    Little Chestnut flicked its tail angrily and meowed before it leaped away.


    Huo Zheng bent down and carried Lin Xiaowan in his arms.


    At this moment, Lin Xiaowan opened her eyes in a daze. When she saw Huo Zheng, she wrapped her arms around his neck before closing her eyes again.


    He patted her butt lightly and reprimanded her in a soft voice, ¡°I just took my eyes off you for a while, and I couldn¡¯t find you when I returned.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said sleepily in a soft voice, ¡°I was just sleeping with Little Chestnut¡­¡±


    As he carried her, he said teasingly, ¡°You have a bed, but you came topete with the cat for its bed¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan yawned and snuggled closer to him before she said softly, ¡°I was waiting for you toe home¡­¡±


    Seeing how cute she was, Huo Zheng decided to forgive her for secretly eating hotpot. He even heard that she had drunk lemonade. For this, she would not be allowed to drink cold drinks this week.


    Saturday morning.


    When Lin Xiaowan got up, she put on a half-sleeved robe over her silk slip. She looked around and found Huo Zheng picking up clothes in the cloakroom.


    A few days ago, a warning had been issued about the increase in temperature.


    It was so hot that she did not want to go outside at all. She had not been going to thepany with Huo Zheng. Apart from that time she sent the autographs and photo cards to his employee, she had been staying at home.


    Huo Zheng tried to persuade her to go to thepany with him, but he was not sessful. In the end, he could only give in to her and repeatedly reminded her to let him know where she was going if she was going out.


    Seeing Huo Zheng picking out clothes, Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°Are you attending an important event today?¡±


    Usually, their clothes would be sent to the house every season, and the stylist would also match the clothes for them. Lin Xiaowan was quite interested in this, but Huo Zheng did not care at all. He was not picky with clothes and usually wore whatever had been matched for him. It was rare for him to be choosing his clothes like he was doing now.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to say, ¡°What¡¯s so hard to choose? Apart from the difference in material, they all look the same¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng turned to her and asked with a smile, ¡°Qingqing, can you choose a tie for me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°1 don¡¯t have an eye for things like this. I know nothing about style, material, and so on. You¡¯re not allowed to say anything if you don¡¯t like what I picked.¡±


    Huo Zheng buttoned his shirt as he said, ¡°I won¡¯t. Moreover, you have good taste.¡±


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan chose a in dark red tie and clumsily tied it for him.


    Huo Zheng sat on a stool as he looked at her with a tender smile on his face. asionally, he would reach up and help Lin Xiaowan to prevent her from tying the tie into a dead knot..

 Chapter 196 - 196: At the Restaurant

    Chapter 196: At the Restaurant


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After tying Huo Zheng¡¯s tie, Lin Xiaowan adjusted his cor and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. Why are you suddenly picking out clothes on your own?¡±


    Huo Zheng lowered his head and kissed her before he said, ¡°I have something important to do today.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan assumed that he had some important business discussion and did not think too much about it.


    In the afternoon, Gu Yuwu suddenly visited. She said that she had made a reservation for dinner, but her husband suddenly had something to attend to so she wanted Lin Xiaowan to apany her for dinner.


    Gu Yuwuughed and said, ¡°You have to dress up.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s concept of dressing up was very vague. She had been to many fine-dining restaurants, but she usually did not pay much attention to what she was wearing. She did not specially dress up, and she had never been stopped from entering the restaurant.


    Lin Xiaowan asked with a slight frown, ¡°What should 1 wear?¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled and said, ¡°What about this dress?¡±


    Gu Yuwu chose a white dress with a square neckline and a huge bow at the waist. The dress was from a new collection, and it was sent over just a few days ago. Lin Xiaowan looked very cute in the dress.


    The weather was hot now so Lin Xiaowan pulled her hair up into a high bun. She essorized with a pair of small pearl earrings.


    Lin Xiaowan did not pay much attention to the bags she used when she went out. Sometimes, she would even leave her bag in the car. At this moment, she paced back and forth in front of the bag cab before she said, ¡°Since we¡¯re only going out for a meal, 1 don¡¯t need to bring a bag, right?¡±


    Gu Yuwu, who was looking at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s shoes, said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to bring a bag. Come here. 1 think this pair of Mary Janes is quite cute.¡±


    The shoes had cross straps, and the heels were a few centimeters tall. There were small diamonds on the buckles. All in all, they looked beautiful.


    After Lin Xiaowan put everything on, Gu Yuwu looked at her ¡®masterpiece¡¯ and nodded in satisfaction before she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan recalled that Huo Zheng had repeatedly reminded her to let him know before she went out so she called him.


    As soon as the call connected, Huo Zheng asked, ¡°Are you going out with Gu Yuwu? Have fun.¡±


    After exchanging a few words, Lin Xiaowan ended the call and said, slightly in awe, ¡°He¡¯s amazing. He knew I was going out with you before 1 even said anything.¡±


    Then, Lin Xiaowan added, ¡°By the way, he didn¡¯t find out about us eating hotpot previously. It seems like I can call you when I have cravings in the future. This is great.¡±


    Gu Yuwu smiled guiltily. She was too embarrassed to admit that she was a traitor. Moreover, seeing how happy Lin Xiaowan was, she could not bear to tell her that Huo Zheng had long known about the matter.


    In fact, even if Gu Yuwu did not say anything, the driver definitely would have told Huo Zheng about it. As long as Huo Zheng asked, the driver would reveal everything without hesitation.


    The restaurant was in an inconspicuous vintage building in the city. The name of the restaurant was written in English. It was very quiet.


    The duo walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor where the dining area was. It did not look like a restaurant at all, and it looked more like someone¡¯s living room. Apart from a dining table, there was a couch, a small coffee table, a bookcase, a television, and the like. The ceiling was very high, and a huge and intricate crystal chandelier hung from it. All in all, the ce was decorated very tastefully.


    The sound of ssical music yed in the room as the waiter led the duo to the table. After that, he brought all kinds of snacks out. There were chips, popcorn, and cookies.


    Another waiter brought a pot of ck tea over. The teapot and the teacup were also very pretty. They had golden trimmings. They looked like the kind of tea set that was used during afternoon tea for nobles.


    Lin Xiaowan said with a sigh, ¡°There¡¯s a reason why this restaurant is expensive¡­¡±


    Gu Yuwu said, ¡°It¡¯s not just that. You have to make a reservation at least three months in advance. The restaurant only serves one table of guests a day.¡±


    Based on what had been served so far, it was clear that the restaurant served Western cuisine. Lin Xiaowan was not very enthusiastic about the food, but she was very interested in the snacks.


    At this time, a waiter brought out a few crystal tes filled with different fruits. After putting them down, he said with a smile, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, please press the button.¡±


    It was still early. The days were longer during summer. Dinner was usually at 6.30 PM or 7 PM. At this time, the golden sunlight streamed in through the huge window.


    Lin Xiaowan ate the chips, looking like a hamster. She said, ¡°They¡¯re still warm. 1 can taste cumin in them. I wonder if they made it themselves.


    Gu Yuwu said, amused, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly think they bought a packet of chips and served it to us, right? That wouldn¡¯t be right considering how expensive the food here is¡­¡±


    The two women were not in a hurry to eat. They sat and chatted.


    Lin Xiaowan also did not forget to share her experience. She took a few photos and sent them to Huo Zheng, praising the restaurant¡¯s good atmosphere. She also honestly told him that she was eating snacks and promised to drink more water.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s reply came quickly.


    [Huo Zheng: Do you like the restaurant?]


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan was busy eating and typing on her phone, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°What are you doing? Are you chatting with your President Huo?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. ¡°Yes. He said he¡¯ll look for more restaurants like this¡­¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many restaurants like this in Shengjing. There¡¯s one that¡¯s slightly simr, but it serves local dishes. Its location is quite remote. I¡¯ll give you the boss¡¯ contact informationter. After all, the restaurant¡¯s opening hours aren¡¯t fixed.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The duo continued to chat, and at some point, they began to chat about Gu Yuwu¡¯s married life.


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°How long have you been married?¡±


    Gu Yuwu did not even need to think about it before she replied, ¡°Five years. Our fifth wedding anniversary was just a few days ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you get married so early?¡±


    In fact, many people in the country tended to marryte and have childrente. Although one could legally get married at the age of 18, many people only got married around 30 years old. Lin Xiaowan always felt that she got married too early in her previous life.


    Lin Xiaowan continued to ask curiously, ¡°How did you meet? Tell me!¡±


    Gu Yuwuughed and said, ¡°I was going to ask about your opinion on marriage. Why did you suddenly shift the topic to me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan loved listening to other people¡¯s love stories. She leaned over and shook Gu Yuwu¡¯s arm as she said, ¡°Tell me, tell me, I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, but there¡¯s really nothing special about our story,¡± Gu Yuwu said as she thought about it carefully, ¡°I¡¯ve known since 1 was young. I really don¡¯t remember how 1 met him. However, I remember that I once snatched a bar of chocte from him and nearly made him cry.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had seen Gu Yuwu¡¯s husband before. The other party was tall, tan, and muscr. She had heard from Huo Zheng that although the other party always wore a smile on his face, he was not to be trifled with. He was also the Chief of the Office of Military and Political Affairs. It was difficult to imagine such a person crying when he was young..

 Chapter 197 - 197: Diamond Ring

    Chapter 197: Diamond Ring


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°As it turns out, you¡¯re childhood sweethearts,¡± Lin Xiaowan said enviously. She asked, ¡°Then as both of you grew older, you fell in love and got married?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Yuwu said with a nod and a smile.


    In fact, it was not as simple. Gu Yuwu¡¯s love life was a little bumpy. However, she did not mention them since she did not want to dwell on those messy and trivial matters. She changed the topic and asked, ¡°What about you? You and President Huo are engaged now. Have you started nning your wedding?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think about marriage yet. She felt her current life was very satisfying. In her past life, she got married early. Her life now was much better than her previous life. She had a cat, learned how to paint, and opened up a dessert shop. She was no longer afraid of being in a crowd, and she no longer cared about what others said or thought about her. She even learned how to enjoy and eptpliments from others. All of these things were made possible thanks to Huo Zheng. He was indeed a very good partner.


    Seeing Lin Xiaowan in a daze, Gu Yuwuughed. ¡°Why are you in a daze?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan returned to her senses and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about marriage yet.¡±


    Thinking that Lin Xiaowan belonged to the type that was content to stay in a rtionship without getting married, Gu Yuwu asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you thought about it? Do you not want to get married?¡±


    Gu Yuwu was worried that Lin Xiaowan would feel pressured by this question so she added, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to get married. After all, many people chose to say unmarried¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think about this matter much. However, now that Gu Yuwu brought the matter up, she gave it some thought. She said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to get married. I think it¡¯s fine either way¡­¡±


    After a moment, Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°Is there any difference between getting married and not getting married?¡±


    Gu Yuwu¡¯s married life had always been very good. Although she would asionally quarrel with her husband, most of the time, her marriage life was happy and blissful.


    ¡°Yes and no? There¡¯s no real answer to this question, to be honest. In any case, I¡¯ve been married for quite a few years now. As I grow older, I also have different opinions and thoughts about many things.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan seemed to only understand half of Gu Yuwu¡¯s words, but she still nodded.


    Seeing that Lin Xiaowan had been eating snacks non-stop, she was worried that it would ruin Lin Xiaowan¡¯s appetite for dinnerter. She said, ¡°Alright, alright, if you continue eating, you¡¯ll be too full to have dinner. Take a break.¡±


    After that, Gu Yuwu said, rising to her feet, ¡°Excuse me for a moment. I need to make a call.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had two more cookies after Gu Yuwu left. At this moment, a waiter walked in. After nodding and smiling at Lin Xiaowan, he lit the candles on the long table.


    The room became cozy under the warm lights from the candles. The fading sunlight streaming in through the window and candlelight gave the room a very soft and romantic atmosphere.


    Lin Xiaowan was beginning to feel bored when the door was pushed open. She looked up, thinking it was Gu Yuwu. However, she soon realized the person who entered the room was Huo Zheng.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Huo Zheng was amused by her reaction. ¡°Why are you surprised? You didn¡¯t expect to see me, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I expect to see you here? By the way, why are you here? Where¡¯s Sister Yuwu?¡±


    Huo Zheng led her to the long table and helped her to her seat. Instead of sitting across from her, he took a seat next to her. After all, he knew she preferred that they sat closer to each other. He naturally did not have any objections to this matter.


    Lin Xiaowan did not have time to ask any questions before the waiter began to serve the appetizers. They were the usual foie gras and caviar.


    ¡°How does it taste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a nod. Then, she asked, ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you have something important to attend to?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it important to have dinner with you?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not believe Huo Zheng at all. After all, they often had dinner together. She asked again, ¡°Then where did Sister Yuwu go? She said she was going to make a call earlier.¡±


    ¡°She has something to do.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan narrowed her eyes and studied Huo Zheng¡¯s face. Then, she raised her fork and said, ¡°Tell me honestly. What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re behaving suspiciously.¡±


    Huo Zheng coughed and said, looking slightly unnatural, ¡°I have something to ask you. But let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    The dishes were served in an orderly manner to ensure their taste would remain optimal.


    After listening to these words, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mind was no longer on eating. She put down the cutlery in her hands and leaned over, acting cute as she said, ¡°Tell me first. What is it? What do you want to ask me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask youter,¡± Huo Zheng said. At this moment, he was a little nervous, and his palms were slightly sweaty.


    Lin Xiaowan pouted. She was even more curious seeing how evasive Huo Zheng was. She said, ¡°No. Tell me. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? What do you want to ask? You can¡¯t keep me in suspense like that¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng coaxed her and promised her that he would exin everything to her after they ate.


    In the end, Lin Xiaowan could only eat, still feeling unwilling. As she ate, she thought the food here was indeed very delicious. Moreover, the restaurant paid a lot of attention to the ingredients that were used. Then, she inevitably thought about Gu Yuwu. She found it hard to believe that Gu Yuwu suddenly left because Gu Yuwu had something to attend to.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Where did Sister Yuwu go? I don¡¯t believe that she left because she has something to do.¡±


    ¡°She really has something to do,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    Lin Xiaowan took a bite of the tender veal before she said, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not get an answer until after dessert was served.


    The waiter served a pot of almond tea and various exquisite desserts.


    Lin Xiaowan rubbed her hands and began to dig in. However, not long after that, her spoon hit something hard. Curious, she dug it out and discovered that it was a diamond ring.


    It was a huge princess-cut diamond ring. It was extremely dazzling.


    She looked at Huo Zheng as he took the ring from her and wiped it clean before handing it back to her again.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Huo Zheng asked.


    Lin Xiaowan withdrew her hand and recalled her earlier conversation with Gu Yuwu. At the same time, a guess appeared in her heart. ¡°This is for me?¡±


    Huo Zheng rxed at this moment. Based on her expression, it was clear that she did not have any resistance or disgust toward the ring. He smiled gently and said, ¡°Who else if not you?¡±


    In the next moment, he asked, ¡°Qingqing, shall we get married?¡±

 Chapter 198 - 198: A Drone and Fireworks Show

    Chapter 198: A Drone and Fireworks Show


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Huo Zheng¡¯s voice was tender and intimate as he spoke into Lin Xiaowan¡¯s ear. It was an affectionate whisper between lovers.


    Although they had been together for a long time, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face still heated up. Sheughed awkwardly and asked, ¡°Who taught you this method? It¡¯s a little cheesy.¡±


    Despite her words, the corners of her lips were curled up. She was clearly very happy.


    Huo Zheng knew this and did not mind her words. He held her soft hand and helped her put on the ring.


    Lin Xiaowan finally understood why Gu Yuwu asked for her opinion regarding marriage. No wonder the other party left to make a phone call and did not return. It seemed like everything had been nned in advance. She looked at the ring on her finger and asked, puzzled, ¡°Why did you have to make such a huge roundabout and ask Sister Yuwu to invite me out first?¡±


    ¡°So she can find out about your opinion and thoughts regarding this matter,¡± Huo Zheng replied.


    Lin Xiaowan thought about something else and asked again, ¡°Is it really difficult to make reservations here?¡±


    The food was truly delicious, and the atmosphere was good as well. It was a pity that Gu Yuwu could not try it.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Huo Zheng said with a smile, ¡°asionally, I can pull some strings.¡±


    ¡°Then, if 1 had told Sister Yuwu I didn¡¯t want to get married, wouldn¡¯t your preparation be in vain?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be in vain no matter what. If you didn¡¯t want to get married, then we¡¯d treat it as a normal dinner,¡± Huo Zheng said. Then, he asked tentatively, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember what day it is today?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a long time, but she was still clueless. She asked, ¡°No, what day is it today?¡±


    Huo Zheng smiled and avoided the question. Instead, he said that he had another gift for her to celebrate his sess.


    ¡°What gift?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked curiously.


    Huo Zheng held her hand and stood up before he said, ¡°It¡¯s not here.¡±


    Huo Zheng brought Lin Xiaowan to the amusement park where they first met.


    It was brightly lit at night. The lights were dazzling. It was very lively since it was open until midnight.


    Lin Xiaowan naturally remembered this ce. ¡°Wow, I haven¡¯t been here in a long time. Did you hide your gift here? What is it? Is it an ice-cream truck?¡±


    After all, she had bought ice cream for Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao when they first met.


    Huo Zheng pinched her nose lightly and said, ¡°Stop dreaming.¡±


    Huo Zheng led Lin Xiaowan to a castle, which was not open to the public, near the heart of the amusement park. The huge fountain in the square in front of the castle was where all kinds of activities were held.


    This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first time entering this ce. It was not very big inside. He led her to the balcony on the second floor that was filled with flowers. Although it was not very high, the view was very good.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, slightly impatient, ¡°Where¡¯s the gift?¡±


    Huo Zheng gently covered her eyes with his hands before he slightly raised her head. He said, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to see your gift after this¡­¡±


    ¡°How am I going to see the gift if¡­¡±


    He was covering her eyes after all.


    Before she could finish speaking, he suddenly removed his hand and held her waist.


    A streak of golden light shot up into the dark sky. With a boom, fireworks bloomed. After that, fireworks shot up into the sky one after another, exploding in gorgeous colors.


    The people in the amusement park looked up and admired the fireworks, thinking that it was an event.


    Lin Xiaowan watched with her mouth slightly agape. After a moment, she eximed, ¡°Wow!¡±


    The fireworks suddenly changed positions; one on the left and one on the right. In between them, dots of white light appeared, forming a date. Below the date, the dots of white light formed the picture of a man, a woman, and two kids in the middle.


    It was a drone show.


    Those who did not know better might think it was a family of four, but Lin Xiaowan knew better. Her eyes lit up immediately.


    Huo Zheng looked at the enlightened expression on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face before he lowered his head to kiss her and asked, ¡°Do you remember now?¡±


    On this day three years ago, Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng met for the first time. The two children depicted in the sky were Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao, whom Lin Xiaowan found when they were lost.


    Lin Xiaowan¡¯s face was slightly red. ¡°Y-you still remember?¡±


    Huo Zheng stroked her cheek and said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not a forgetful and silly fool, after all.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan naturally knew Huo Zheng was referring to her. She puffed her cheeks up and red at him. Instead of looking fierce, she only looked cute as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not a fool!¡±


    Huo Zheng only smiled in response. Inwardly, he thought to himself, ¡®I didn¡¯t name names. Why is she rushing to admit she¡¯s the fool?¡¯


    The fireworks continued to explode in the sky. At the same time, the drones began to change their formation. The date changed from three years ago to today, and the picture below changed to that of a traditional ring and a man proposing to a woman on his knee.


    Lin Xiaowan said with a pout, ¡°It¡¯s not urate. After all, President Huo didn¡¯t kneel down when he asked me to marry him.¡±


    Huo Zheng¡¯s smile widened. He released his hold on her waist. Without any hesitation, he fell to one knee and held her hand that was wearing the ring.


    Lin Xiaowan was shocked. ¡°Get up quickly. I was just joking with you!¡±


    Huo Zheng kissed the back of her hand and said, ¡°Miss Lin Xiaowan, will you marry Mr. Huo Zheng?¡±


    Then, without waiting for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s reply, he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do even if you disagree. You¡¯ve already put on the ring.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was amused by his roguish behavior. She said, ¡°I agree, I agree. Hurry up and get up.¡±


    In the end, the drone and fireworks show made the headlines. After all, it was too conspicuous.


    In the beginning, only people in Shengjing knew about this matter, but it did not take long before it spread even further. In just a while, many people were fervently discussing this matter.


    Lin Xiaowan only found out about it during breakfast. It was Gu Yuwu who had forwarded the news to her.


    [Gu Yuwu: Your President Huo is really amazing. He¡¯s secretly showing his marriage to everyone.]


    [Lin Xiaowan: We haven¡¯t started nning our marriage yet. By the way, where did you go yesterday? The food was really delicious. Let¡¯s go together next time¡­]


    [Gu Yuwu: I was just a tool yesterday. Fortunately, President Huo is considerate. I¡¯ll be having dinner there tonight with my husband, courtesy of President Huo. Otherwise, I¡¯d suffer a loss..]

 Chapter 199 - 199: Video

    Chapter 199: Video


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    There were a lot of discussions on the Inte, but such matters would usually die down after a period of time.


    In the afternoon, Gu Yuwu forwarded a video to Lin Xiaowan. It was not very long; only about 20 seconds. The video had been forwarded andmented on more than 10,000 times.


    [Gu Yuwu: Hey, hey, this is the both of you, right? F*ck, this is so romantic!]


    Lin Xiaowan did not even need to watch the video to know that it was indeed her and Huo Zheng. The cover of the video showed them on the small balconyst night, watching the fireworks.


    Lin Xiaowan clicked on the name of the person who had posted the video. It was a girl who was at the amusement park yesterday. Along with the video, the girl posted, ¡®I suspect this couple is the culprit behind yesterday¡¯s drone and fireworks show. I was recording the fireworks, but unexpectedly, I caught the couple on camera. The woman tilted her head and said something before the man, who was hugging her, went down on one knee and kissed the back of her hand!]


    Many locals in Shengjing alsomented on the video.


    [Netizen #1: The castle is usually not open to the public. You¡¯re right. The drone and fireworks show likely has something to do with them! I guess the man was proposing to the woman yesterday, right?]


    One thing that confused theizens was the drone show. Why were there two children three years ago, but the children disappeared three yearster? There were many people who wondered if it was a mistake.


    The girl muted the original sound of the video and picked a song to go with it. Initially, fireworks could be seen in the sky, but when the camera panned to the castle, Lin Xiaowan could be seen talking to Huo Zheng on the balcony. Shortly after that, Huo Zheng could be seen getting down on his knees. Based on how shaky the video was, it could be seen that the person who was taking the video was very excited. However, due to how shaky the video was, everyone had to zoom in to have a good look.


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect to be caught on camera. However, she had to admit that they looked really good. Beneath the fireworks, there were warm lights. Two people stood on the balcony, surrounded by flowers and their petals. Apanied by the music, the atmosphere looked very good and romantic.


    Lin Xiaowan liked and downloaded the video before sending a message to Gu Yuwu.


    [Lin Xiaowan: Wow, the video looks really good!]


    When Lin Xiaowan showed the video to Huo Zheng, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think about this. I should have hired someone to take videos of us. With that, we can look back on this memory¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not think much about this. She waved her phone and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have this video.¡±


    The video was filmed from quite a distance away. Even if people zoomed, under the cover of the night and dazzling lights, it was difficult to see their appearances clearly. No one would recognize them unless they were familiar with the couple. For this reason, Lin Xiaowan was not worried about being discovered.


    However, reality proved that she had underestimated the observation skills of theizens.


    When Lin Xiaowan woke up from her afternoon nap, she was still thinking about the video. She was inspired to paint the scene.


    At this point, she had posted many cartoon paintings on her Speaker ount, all based on her daily life with Huo Zheng. Huo Zheng was the big bad wolf while she was the little rabbit. Sometimes when Huo Zheng did things she did not like, she would draw the rabbit teaching the wolf a lesson.


    She got her tools ready before she logged into Speaker. However, the moment she logged in, she discovered that her identity had already been exposed. Many people leftments on her page, asking if the woman standing on the balcony in the video was her. There were also many people who tagged in thement section of the video.


    Lin Xiaowan hurriedly sent a message to Gu Yuwu.


    [Lin Xiaowan: What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on? Why did so many tag me in thement section? What should I say? It¡¯s not appropriate for me to deny it, right? Should I just honestly admit it? However, that¡¯s embarrassing¡­]


    Gu Yuwuughed when she saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s message.


    [Gu Yuwu: Why should you deny it? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s something shameful. Moreover, what¡¯s so strange about people recognizing you? It¡¯s not the first time you appeared on the Inte.]


    [Gu Yuwu: Don¡¯t worry. This won¡¯t affect you in real life. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a celebrity. Take me for example. When we go out, have you ever seen peopleing up to me?]


    [Lin Xiaowan: That¡¯s true¡­]


    [Gu Yuwu: In any case, it¡¯s up to you. Do whatever you want. Theizens¡¯ enthusiasmes and goes very quickly anyway. In fewer than three days, most people will move on to another matter.]


    [Gu Yuwu: You should speak to your President Huo. I think he really wants to announce the sess of his proposal in a high-profile manner.]


    Huo Zheng did not go to thepany today. He had gone to the study for an online meeting after napping with Lin Xiaowan. It was not over yet so Lin Xiaowan did not n to disturb him over such a small matter.


    With that, Lin Xiaowan watched the video again.


    She recalled that when she had just been reborn, Huo Zheng had brought a ring out and said that he wanted to marry her. At that time, she was sad and disappointed in him; she wanted to avoid making the same mistake again. However, in the end, she still agreed to marry him in this life.


    At this time, she suddenly remembered Huo Zheng¡¯s recent sneaky behavior. She could not sit still anymore and lost her mood to draw. She rose to her feet immediately and went to the study to look for him. When she reached the door of the study, she suddenly calmed down. She paced back and forth, unable to decide if she should go in or not.


    The soundproofing of the house was very good. It waspletely impossible to hear what was going on in the study.


    Lin Xiaowan still had not made up her mind when the door suddenly opened.


    As soon as Huo Zheng opened the door, he saw Lin Xiaowan¡¯s bare feet. She was biting her nails at this moment. He raised an eyebrow and carried her as he said in a deep voice, ¡°You forgot your house slippers again.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was already used to his behavior. She wrapped her arms around his neck and asked, ¡°Are you done with your meeting?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why were you standing in front of the study?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had almost forgotten that she hade to aggressively question him. When she heard his words, she recalled the urgent matter. She looked at him solemnly and asked, ¡°I¡¯m here to question you! You better tell me the truth!¡±


    ¡°You came to question me?¡± Huo Zheng asked as he brought her to put on her slippers.


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Speak. What shameful things were you doing sneakily recently?¡±


    Huo Zheng paused for a moment. Thinking that there was no need to hide the matter from her now, he said, both helpless and amused, ¡°I was nning the proposal. In order to surprise you, 1 naturally had to hide things from you.¡±


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan already had a vague guess about this. However, she still had questions. She said, ¡°Previously, I saw you and Assistant Song looking at something. Why did you immediately put it away as soon as you saw me?¡±


    Huo Zheng hesitated for a moment before he answered truthfully, ¡°1 was just looking at some gemstones. I bought a few at different auctions. Apart from the ring, 1 also wanted to make you a set of jewelry.. You can wear them during our wedding¡­¡±

 Chapter 200 - 200: Registering the Marriage

    Chapter 200: Registering the Marriage


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    When the topic suddenly turned to their marriage, Lin Xiaowan stammered, ¡°W-wedding? We¡¯ve not nned anything yet, right? You haven¡¯t mentioned anything to me at least¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng smiled. ¡°It¡¯s only natural to get married after 1 officially proposed to you. Previously, I didn¡¯t know what you were thinking. 1 thought that if you didn¡¯t want to get married, I¡¯d give the jewelry to you as a birthday present.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan asked curiously, ¡°Why did you think 1 didn¡¯t want to marry you?¡±


    Huo Zheng hesitated briefly before he replied, ¡°A long time ago, you said that you didn¡¯t want to get married.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan could not remember if she had said such a thing, and she still could not recall it after thinking about it for a long time. In the end, she decided that Huo Zheng was making things up. She refused to admit that she had once said she did not want to get married.


    ¡°You must have remembered wrongly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I remembered wrongly,¡± Huo Zheng said easily. This did not matter to him. After all, the most important thing is that Lin Xiaowan had agreed to marry him.


    After a brief moment, he asked again, ¡°So what were you doing at the door of the study?¡±


    With this, Lin Xiaowan recalled the video. She told him about it and showed him thements.


    Huo Zheng was not unhappy at all. Just as Gu Yuwu had said, he was quite happy to be recognized.


    During dinner, the Huo Corporation¡¯s official ount reposted the video and confirmed theizen¡¯s spection.


    [The couple in the video is indeed our boss anddy boss. As for the drone show, there was no error. The two children are the children of Eldest Master Huo and Miss Qiao You¡¯an. Three years ago, ourdy boss found the two lost children in the amusement park. That was how she met our boss.


    P.S.: Last night was indeed a marriage proposal, and it was a sess.]


    The next day.


    Lin Xiaowan followed Huo Zheng to thepany. When they entered his office, he took a thick folder out of the drawer, showing all kinds of jewelry designs and gemstone cutting designs.


    Huo Zheng held Lin Xiaowan in his arms as he flipped through the pages for her to see.


    There were all kinds of designs and gemstones of different colors. Some of them detailed the cut, color, and quality of the gemstones. Some pages had a big X on them, indicating that the designs had been rejected.


    ¡°1 have no eye for jewelry design so I left it to a few designers.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan flipped through the pages. She was even more clueless about such things. She could only say whether they looked good or not. After looking through, she did not find any design that did not look good. Even the ones that Huo Zheng rejected still looked exquisite in her eyes.


    ¡°Qingqing, is there any that you like?¡± Huo Zheng asked before he slowly exined, ¡°This set is created by an up-anding designer. His designs are very unique. As for this one, it¡¯s designed by a well-established and famous designer. This one¡­ It was designed by a foreign designer. He pays attention to the details, and his designs are exquisite¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had difficulty choosing. All of them looked good, and she could not make up her mind at ail. Finally, she said jokingly, ¡°It¡¯s too difficult to make a choice. Why can¡¯t I have everything?¡±


    Huo Zheng smiled. ¡°You can have everything if you want. They were originally for you. However, you have to choose the one you like the most for our wedding. As for the others, they¡¯ll be made into everyday jewelry for you¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan thought about it for a moment before she said, ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we choose the most expensive one? Which one is the most expensive one?¡±


    Huo Zheng was not sure as well. ¡°The emerald and ruby one should be the most expensive.¡±


    Huo Zheng was not present when he acquired the gemstones. After all, the auctions were held all around the world. As such, it was only normal that he did not know much about the gemstones.


    Lin Xiaowan was not very interested in the emerald. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go with the ruby set? I don¡¯t think emerald suits me. 1 think it¡¯s more suitable for Sister-inw.¡±


    The emerald¡¯s dark color was not very suitable for Lin Xiaowan¡¯s youthful and lively aura. It suited someone with experience and elegance.


    In fact, Huo Zheng had emphasized to the designers that his wife was young, and he did not want designs that were tooplicated.


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°This is good. When the timees, Sister-inw can wear the emerald, and I¡¯ll wear the ruby. It¡¯ll look quite matching!¡±


    Huo Zhengughed. ¡°You¡¯re getting married to me. Why are you trying to match with Sister-inw?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan did not expect him to say this. She replied teasingly, ¡°Oh, then you should have the emerald. When the timees, why don¡¯t you wear a pair of emerald earrings and a ne to match mine?¡±


    Huo Zheng coughed and said. ¡°The emerald is indeed a good gift for Sister-inw.¡±


    Then, he asked, ¡°What about the design?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was conflicted. ¡°All of them look good. 1 can¡¯t make up my mind at all.¡±


    It did not matter if Lin Xiaowan could not make up her mind. Huo Zheng showed the ruby to a few people and asked them to hand in drafts of their designs again. In any case, the wedding was not happening so soon so he had plenty of time to decide.


    If it were not for the fact that Huo Zheng was paying them a lot, the designers would have thrown the drafts that had been amended countless times in Huo Zheng¡¯s face.


    Huo Zheng was incredibly hard to please. However, the designers also knew that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a piece of art using a top-grade gemstone. If their design was chosen, it would be a big deal. For this reason, all of them worked very hard.


    After a few days, Huo Zheng finally chose a design that he was satisfied with. Lin Xiaowan liked the design too. The design was from a young designer who was quite famous domestically.


    Now that this problem had been solved, Huo Zheng began to think of other things.


    After dinner, Lin Xiaowan was watching a variety show on the couch.


    Huo Zheng was reading the news on his table as he peeled nuts and ced them on a small te in front of Lin Xiaowan. When there was an intermission, he stopped what he was doing, leaned over, and pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled.


    Huo Zheng held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hand, which was the one where she wore a ring, and kissed it. Then, he asked, sounding slightly aggrieved, ¡°You¡¯ve already epted the ring. When do you n to register our marriage? Don¡¯t you want to marry me?¡±


    Lin Xiaowanughed. Her mind was still on the variety show so she replied casually, ¡°1 didn¡¯t say 1 don¡¯t want to marry you. Why did you say such a thing? You didn¡¯t mention this matter as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded before she reacted.. ¡°Huh? What?¡±

 Chapter 201 - 201: Wedding Discussion

    Chapter 201: Wedding Discussion


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The weather was very good on the day they registered their marriage. They had made an appointment in advance and went early in the morning. Who knew what Huo Zheng was worried about, but he held their identity cards tightly in his hands.


    When Lin Xiaowan saw this, she teased him about it.


    Both of them were dressed in white today. When they took a photo, Huo Zheng held Lin Xiaowan¡¯s waist. He could not hide his good mood at all.


    When they left the Civil Affairs Bureau, Lin Xiaowan took a photo of the marriage certificate and sent it to the family¡¯s group chat, showing it to Qiao You¡¯an and Huo Cheng. Then, she sent it to Gu Yuwu. However, not long after that, Huo Zheng quickly took the marriage certificate away from her.


    ¡°What are you doing? They gave us two certificates. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have one,¡± Lin Xiaowan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll lose it. I¡¯ll keep it for you,¡± Huo Zheng said calmly.


    Lin Xiaowan only rolled her eyes in response and did not say anything else.


    As soon as they got their marriage certificate, Huo Zheng was very enthusiastic and asked Lin Xiaowan where she wanted to hold their wedding. He also asked about what kind of wedding she liked, saying that he would get a designer to design the dress for her.


    Lin Xiaowan had never thought about these matters until now. She said, ¡°We¡¯re not in a rush, right? Will there be a lot of people in attendance?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want a lot of people, then we won¡¯t invite a lot of people. This is not an issue at all so let¡¯s just do it ording to your preference,¡± Huo Zheng said.


    During the weekend, Huo Zheng, Lin Xiaowan, Qiao You¡¯an, and Huo Cheng brought Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao out for dinner. At some point, the adults began to discuss the wedding, agreeing that it was better to start nning.


    Qiao You¡¯an said, ¡°There are many things to consider when nning a wedding. It¡¯s already September. Both of you should start nning now. If you don¡¯t want to hold the wedding this year, then you can consider holding the wedding spring of next year. I¡¯ll help you look for auspicious dates¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng urged Lin Xiaowan to eat her vegetables before he replied, ¡°We don¡¯t n to invite a lot of people. Qingqing doesn¡¯t want a big wedding.¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an asked Lin Xiaowan about her ns, but Lin Xiaowan had no ns at all. Lin Xiaowan had not given this matter many thoughts.


    In the end, Qiao You¡¯an said, ¡°In any case, the wedding is between the two of you. It¡¯s all up to you. You can do whatever you want. However, don¡¯t forget to inform us once you¡¯ve made up your mind.¡±


    Then, Qiao You¡¯an said to Huo Zheng, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite with me and your brother. Let us know if you need help. Remember to ask for Xiaowan¡¯s opinion before you make a decision.¡±


    In Qiao You¡¯an¡¯s eyes, Lin Xiaowan had a soft personality and did not have any opinions of her own. However, Huo Zheng was different. He was decisive and could be opinionated at times, meddling in Lin Xiaowan¡¯s affairs. She was worried that Lin Xiaowan would amodate Huo Zheng too much and that Lin Xiaowan would keep quiet even if she had any opinions or if she was dissatisfied. At that time, Lin Xiaowan could only be silently unhappy. In any case, in her opinion, they were only getting married once in their lives. No matter what, it was important for both of them to be happy. They had to be considerate of each other.


    ¡°I know,¡± Huo Zheng said with a smile.


    With the support of her sister-inw, Lin Xiaowan straightened her back and raised her chin, looking very pleased with herself.


    Huo Cheng said, ¡°Remember to give me a list once you¡¯ve finalized the guests. Those old fellows keep asking me about this. I¡¯m annoyed just listening to them¡­¡±


    When Huo Cheng and Qiao You¡¯an got married, it was a very grand event. After all, both of them were from prominent families. Even the media was invited to their wedding. As such, they asked if the couple nned to invite the media to the wedding.


    Lin Xiaowan did not want this so Huo Zheng said, ¡°No. There¡¯s no need to invite the media. I¡¯ve already nned to hire a photographer and videographer for the wedding¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said with a nod.


    The designer who was selected to design Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wedding attire was an old friend of Qiao You¡¯an. He was an elderly gentleman. When Qiao You¡¯an got married, he was also the one who designed her wedding dress. He rarely worked now, and his most recent piece came out two years ago.


    Qiao You¡¯an brought Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan to the old man¡¯s studio so Lin Xiaowan could have her measurements taken before they discussed the design.


    The old man was in his sixties. He had salt and pepper hair, and his body was very fit. He was dressed very well, and he looked refined. As he took Lin Xiaowan¡¯s measurements, his granddaughter stood at the side and took notes seriously.


    ¡°Have you thought about what kind of design you want? What kind of embellishments do you want? What about color and length?¡±


    There were many photos of celebrities and models wearing the old man¡¯s designs on the wall. They were all wearing gorgeous gowns. Some of the photos looked old, and some were new.


    There was also an old photo of the old man holding a trophy when he was young, smiling brightly after winning an award. His other hand held the hand of a young woman who was dressed in a beautiful gown. Based on how the photo was hung alone, it was clear that the photo was special.


    Lin Xiaowan was very interested in the photo. After getting her measurements taken, she looked at the photo.


    When the old man saw her looking at the photo, he said with a smile, ¡°That was the first time I won an international award. My wife apanied me at that time, and it was also the first time we took a photo together. It¡¯s been nearly fifty years since then¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan took a closer look at the young woman in the photo. She had short hair and was petite. One of her hands was held by the old man, and her other hand was resting on his arm. She looked shy as she smiled.


    Since Lin Xiaowan had arrived at the studio, she had only seen the old man and his granddaughter. She could not help but ask tentatively, ¡°Why isn¡¯t your wife here?¡±


    ¡°She passed the year beforest,¡± the old man said. He paused and sighed softly before he said again, ¡°I was nning to retire and spend time with her after one final show. Because it was myst show, I was particrly focused on my work so I neglected her. I didn¡¯t even know that she was feeling unwell. One night, she was home by herself, and she fainted in the shower. She had a cerebral hemorrhage and never woke up again after that¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was not good atforting people. She could only say clumsily, ¡°At least she didn¡¯t suffer too much.¡±


    The old man nodded.


    Huo Zheng saw that Lin Xiaowan seemed slightly down when speaking to the old man. He was naturally worried so he quickly walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you guys talking about?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan hesitated for a few seconds, not knowing if she should bring up the matter again in the old man¡¯s presence.


    Before she could make up her mind, the old man said with a smile, ¡°Xiaowan saw my wife¡¯s photo so we were just talking about it. Let¡¯s go over there and sit down. We can look at the material first.¡±


    The few of them sat down and discussed the design of the wedding attire for a long time. It was only when the sun was about to set that they finally agreed on a preliminary design.


    On the way back, Qiao You¡¯an also mentioned the old man¡¯s wife. She had known the old man for many years so she knew a thing or two about him. She said, ¡°He and his wife came from poor families. You should know how expensive it is to study fashion design. His wife gave up on her studies and worked very hard to earn money to support him during those years. Later on, he became famous, and their lives improved. Their rtionship had always been very good and loving..¡±

 Chapter 202 - 202: The Wedding Date Has Been Set

    Chapter 202: The Wedding Date Has Been Set


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In the end, the wedding was scheduled for April, in the early spring of the following year. The weather would be temperate and the flowers would be blooming at that time. With this, they could take their time to n and prepare for the wedding. In the end, they decided to look for a wedding nner to help them with the preparation.


    As for the venue of the wedding, Huo Zheng nned to find someone to build a mansion by the sea, in a forest, or on a private ind. However, Lin Xiaowan shook her head and waved her hands when she found out about it. She thought it would be too wasteful.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a long time for the construction to bepleted, right? Moreover, what are we going to do with it after the wedding?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can use it as a holiday home in the future,¡± Huo Zheng replied.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯ll be empty most of the time, and it¡¯ll cost a lot to maintain it. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Lin Xiaowan said before she added, ¡°I think we can just rent the venue. What do you think?¡±


    Huo Zheng did not agree with this, but he did not want to refuse her too directly. After all, it would make it seem like he was too domineering. Hence, he decided to use his brother as an example to refuse her. He said, ¡°When Brother and Sister-inw got married, they bought an ind and spent a year decorating the venue¡­¡±


    Back then, Huo Cheng had spent more than 200 million to buy the ind, and that was excluding the construction and everything else.


    A few days ago, Qiao You¡¯an had mentioned this ind when they met.


    Lin Xiaowan red at Huo Zheng and hit him lightly before she said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that the ind is open to tourists now? Brother and Sister-inw didn¡¯t let the ind go to waste. They¡¯re making money¡­¡±


    Huo Zheng was not focused on the key point. He pulled her into his arms and asked, ¡°You call Huo Cheng ¡®Brother¡¯, but you won¡¯t call me ¡®Brother¡¯?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan wanted to hit him again. ¡°Why are you focused on this?¡±


    The longer she was with Huo Zheng, the more shameless he became. He was no longer serious or aloof when he was with her. In her previous life and during the time when she had just been reborn, he had always kept a straight face and was very taciturn. It was as though that version of him was a fake.


    In the end, after much discussion, Lin Xiaowan got her way, and they decided to rent the venue. The venue was in a manor in a private forest overseas.


    The manor belonged to a very good friend of the Huo family. It was a typical ancient manor. Its design wasplicated and gorgeous. It was mostly vacant and served as a holiday home or a ce to hold parties.


    When the other party found out about Huo Zheng¡¯s intention to borrow it for the wedding, he agreed without hesitation. He even said that there was no need to pay him rent to use it. Not only that, but he also told Huo Zheng that they could use the staff members there.


    Huo Zheng expressed his gratitude by giving him a 10% profit from thetest cooperation project.


    The reason Huo Zheng had given in to Lin Xiaowan was due to a few casual sentences from Huo Zheng.


    At that time, Huo Cheng had said, ¡°If Xiaowan wants to rent the venue, then so be it. You¡¯re her husband. Why do you have to be at odds with her over such a small matter? If you really want to own your wedding venue, then just buy it¡­¡± Huo Zheng nodded. He felt that Huo Zheng¡¯s suggestion was quite good.


    Meanwhile, the enthusiastic and friendly owner of the manor had no idea that his manor had already been coveted by others.


    The shop next to the dessert shop had already opened.


    Lin Xiaowan had fun in the shop, making various desserts with the patissier. She had beening to the shop a few days in a row.


    It rained in the afternoon when Huo Zheng¡¯s car pulled up to the entrance. His assistant hade to deliver the wedding ns to Lin Xiaowan.


    Lin Xiaowan, who was secretly eating a small cake, hurriedly put the cake away and wiped her mouth when she saw the assistant. She asked, ¡°Assistant Song, why did you suddenlye?¡±


    Before Assistant Song could reply, she added guiltily, ¡°There¡¯s a new vor of cake so I was just testing it¡­¡±


    She had been going out a lot recently without Huo Zheng and had eaten too many sweet things and snacks. She also drank iced sparkling drinks, which caused her teeth to ache. One night, she was greedy and ate half an extra bowl of rice and meat. As a result, she vomited in the middle of the night until she was dizzy. For two to three days, she had a stomachache and a toothache.


    Huo Zheng did not say anything, but the faint reproach in his gaze was obvious. Seeing this, Lin Xiaowan felt guilty and took the initiative to admit her mistake.


    However, Lin Xiaowan¡¯s self-control was truly too poor. Without Huo Zheng around, she could not help but eat. At this time, she was worried that Assistant Song would tell on her so she quickly exined herself.


    Assistant Song smiled, pretending he did not see it. He handed her the proposal and a tablet as he said, ¡°President Huo wants me to deliver wedding ns to you. He¡¯s gone through them, and these are the few that he had selected. He wants you to choose from them¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan scrunched up her face and said, ¡°No need, no need. Huo Zheng can decide on this matter.¡±


    Huo Zheng was an incredibly difficult client. He was very picky and controlling when it came to things like the color schemes, the varieties of flowers, the custom-made fireworks, and even the way the tes were arranged. He even controlled what kind of decorative tip was used to apply icing on the cake.


    Lin Xiaowan had apanied him a few times to deal with these things before fleeing. She thought she had sessfully gotten away, but unexpectedly, Huo Zheng asked Assistant Song to send the proposal to her.


    Meanwhile, Assistant Song turned a deaf ear to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s words and focused onpleting the task Huo Zheng had given him. He said, ¡°Young Madam, President Huo wanted to know what you want to have for dinner, and he also asked me to send you back after this.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan pouted and followed Assistant Song into the car.


    When Lin Xiaowan arrived at thepany, Huo Zheng was in a meeting. There were also two people waiting in the reception room.


    When Lin Xiaowan walked past the two people, she turned slightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Assistant Song, is Huo Zheng very busy today? There are still people waiting for him in the reception room.¡±


    It was almost 6 PM, after all, and she wondered if Huo Zheng could get off work on time.


    When Assistant Song left to look for Lin Xiaowan, there was no one in the reception room. As such, he did not know the purpose of their visit. After bringing Lin Xiaowan into the office, he went out and asked around.


    When Assistant Song returned to the office, Lin Xiaowan had already made herself a cup of milk tea. It was the kind made with instant milk tea powder and syrup. She also did not forget to add ice cubes to her drinks.


    Lin Xiaowan had been here many times and had long familiarized herself with the people in the president¡¯s office. She was veryfortable and was not as reserved as she was in the beginning. She even drew on mugs and gave them to the people in the president¡¯s office. Everyone¡¯s mug had a cartoon portrait and their name on it. Huo Zheng had one too, but he did not usually use it. He would only use it once in a while when his assistant made coffee for him. When she came, she would serve milk to him in the mug, but most of the time, he would coax her into drinking the milk instead.


    Assistant Song sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Young Madam, you¡¯re drinking this again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve not been drinking milk tea recently,¡± Lin Xiaowan said confidently, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since 1 had milk tea.¡±


    As an employee, Assistant Song could only persuade her. After all, he could not tell her what to do. In the end, he said, ¡°President Huo¡¯s meeting will take a while. Do you want to go to the reception room? The people who came are here to discuss President Huo and your wedding attire¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 203 - 203: Wedding Dresses

    Chapter 203: Wedding Dresses


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    The person who came was the pupil of the old gentleman, the designer whom Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng had previously visited. The old gentleman had sketched three drafts, but he was out of town due to some matters so he sent his pupil to discuss the matter with Lin Xiaowan and Huo Zheng. He would also participate in the discussion via video callter.


    As for the other person, she was an intern, a lively young girl.


    Lin Xiaowan felt her head ache as she listened to the other party talk and circle some details on the sketch. When she was asked if they should start the meeting, sheughed dryly and did not let the other party call the old gentleman.


    She said, ¡°In fact, I think all of them look good. 1 don¡¯t have an opinion about this, and I¡¯m not very knowledgeable. Let¡¯s just continue this discussion when Huo Zhenges over.¡±


    The young designer smiled when he heard this. He thought Lin Xiaowan was very cute. He chatted with her for a while and showed her other wedding gowns in the studio. Seeing that she was interested, he told her more about them.


    The trio chatted happily, and the atmosphere was not awkward at all.


    Assistant Song personally brewed tea for the two guests. In fact, this was not part of his job scope. However, he had been with Huo Zheng for a long time, and he knew very well that different people were treated differently. Moreover, since Lin Xiaowan was present, it was not appropriate for him to serve her as well.


    Lin Xiaowan wanted the milk tea she had yet to finish so she said, ¡°My milk tea is still in the office. If Huo Zheng sees itter, he¡¯ll scold me. I better finish it¡­¡± Assistant Song added jasmine flowers to the tea and said, ¡°I¡¯ll add a little honey for you, Young Madam. It¡¯s healthier for you to drink this. It¡¯s also quite sweet¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan liked sweet things. It did not matter if it was food or drinks. As such, she did not protest and nodded.


    Huo Zheng¡¯s meeting was an impromptu one. It was not very long, but it was not short either. When he finally came to the reception room, about an hour had already passed. He took a seat next to Lin Xiaowan and exchanged pleasantries with the other party.


    Huo Zheng was thirsty so he took a sip from Lin Xiaowan¡¯s cup. Immediately after that, he frowned slightly and said, ¡°So sweet?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan had added a lot of honey in her tea. She gestured with her hand to show that she had only added a little bit of honey and said guiltily, ¡°I only added a little bit of honey¡­ It¡¯s because you don¡¯t really eat sweet things so you feel like the tea is very sweet. In fact, it¡¯s not very sweet at all¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan spoke very confidently as though it was true.


    Assistant Song asked Huo Zheng what she wanted to drink, but Huo Zheng waved his hand and told him to get off work.


    Huo Zheng looked at the time and asked the young designer and the intern, ¡°Are both of you busy after this? If not, why don¡¯t we talk over dinner?¡±


    After all, the discussion would take a while, and Huo Zheng did not want to dy Lin Xiaowan¡¯s meal.


    The young designer shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m quite free.¡±


    After that, Huo Zheng apanied Lin Xiaowan to his office to get her bag. When he entered, he saw the milk tea on the coffee table. Since there were other people around, he did not say anything about this matter. However, he did nce at her.


    Lin Xiaowan giggled and feigned ignorance.


    Huo Zheng held her bag with one hand and held her hand with the others when they left.


    It was verymon for people to discuss business over dinner. However, when Huo Zheng learned that the old gentleman would be participating in the discussion via video call, he felt that it was a little inappropriate to let the other party watch them eat.


    In the end, Huo Zheng decided to make the video after they finished dinner. As such, after discussing the details of the wedding dress and the changes to be made, it was already quitete.


    After the discussion, the old gentleman, who was wearing a pair of presbyopic sses, chuckled and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make the changes to the dress ording to our discussion today. After that, we¡¯ll discuss details such as thece, pearls, diamonds, and the like.¡±


    Apart from the white wedding dress, Lin Xiaowan also had a few other dresses made. There was also a traditional one. Apart from that, the old gentleman also designed another simpler dress for Lin Xiaowan. She would be wearing the second dress after the main ceremony in the morning was over to entertain the guests during the reception. The dress fell to her calves. It was sleeveless, and the neckline was round.


    In fact, Lin Xiaowan still needed an evening gown for the banquet at night. However, she felt that the dress did have to be custom-made. It was fine to buy a ready-to-wear one.


    There was still more than half a year left before the wedding so there was no rush. As such, Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. You can take your time.¡±


    The old man removed his presbyopic sses and said, ¡°Even if you want to rush it, you won¡¯t be able to. The dress is embroidered by hand, after all¡­ In fact,pared to the traditional one, the white dress is easier to make¡­¡±


    The traditional wedding dress would be embroidered with the noble pattern of a red phoenix facing the sun. There were also small embroideries of auspicious symbols and of butterflies flitting around a hibiscus. It looked lively and cute and did not look too solemn. Apart from that, it would also match Huo Zheng¡¯s traditional wedding attire. The two sets of traditional wedding attire were woven with red and silver thread. All in all, they were luxurious and magnificent.


    After a week, Huo Zheng finally approved theyout of the venue. Since the venue was not in the county, the team of wedding nners had flown there to have a look first. They would be decorating the venue ording to Lin Xiaowan¡¯s preference, which was a floral fairytale theme. After looking at the venue, they had a better idea of how to set up the ce. As expected of the professionals Huo Zhen hired, the draft itself was already very beautiful and exquisite.


    In fact, Huo Zheng felt that it was a little too shy, but Lin Xiaowan really liked it. As such, he could only nod and agree. However, he was still very strict and controlling when it came to the small details.


    One day, the Huo family gathered at the old residence.


    Huo Dabao and Huo Erbao were about to start school again, and they pestered Lin Xiaowan to help them with one of their homework. They had to draw a picture each and decided to draw Little Chestnut.


    While Lin Xiaowan helped them draw the picture, they yed with Little Chestnut, chasing it. It did not take long before the cat¡¯s fur began to fly in the air.


    When the two brothers went downstairs to look for fruits to eat, Little Chestnut meowed at Lin Xiaowan. It was as though it was scolding Lin Xiaowan for not helping it earlier when it was chased by the two brothers.


    Recently, there were not many live broadcasts of Little Chestnut. There would only be live broadcasts when it was eating, and most of the time, this matter was dealt with by Aunt Wu.


    When Lin Xiaowan, who was drawing, saw Little Chestnut meowing at her angrily, she casually stroked it and said, ¡°What a fierce kitten¡­¡±


    Little Chestnut meowed again in response..

 Chapter 204 - 204: We’re Choosing the Invitation Card So Early?

    Chapter 204: We¡¯re Choosing the Invitation Card So Early?


    Trantor: End Less Fantasy Trantion Editor: End less Fantasy Trantion


    Little Chestnut had grown bigger again. A few days ago, it went for a physical examination and was deemed healthy. However, the vet suggested that they spayed it unless they nned to let it breed. Lin Xiaowan recalled the advice from before and nned to send Little Chestnut to be spayed.


    At this time, Qiao You¡¯an called from rhe house¡¯s internal line and asked Lin Xiaowan toe downstairs. She wanted to discuss the wedding invitation with thetter.


    When Lin Xiaowan walked over, she saw different kinds of invitations lying on the table.


    Qiao You¡¯an gestured for her to take a seat and said, ¡°Have a look. Tell me which one you like. After you pick ir out, I¡¯ll send the invitations to be printed before we send them out.<sup>11</sup>


    ¡°We<sup>1</sup> re choosing the invitation so early?<sup>1</sup>¡® Lin Xiaowan asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide now. Just have a look first. If you don¡¯t like them, at least we ll have time to find one that you like,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said, ¡®Ey the way, we should go to rhe wedding venue to have a look. There¡¯s a two-month difference in the temperature between that ce and here. When you get married in April, the flowers will be in full bloom at the manor¡­¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an continued to say, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. 1 still have to remind Huo Zheng to take wedding photos with you. He also needs to buy you a set of gold jewelry. Oh, right, there¡¯s also your evening gown¡­ Fortunately, we still have time.¡±


    Ever since the wedding date was set, Qiao You¡¯an had been focused on Lin Xiaowan¡¯s wedding. It was as though she was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s mother. She was meticulous and considerate when helping Lin Xiaowan with the wedding. After all, she really liked Lin Xiaowan.


    Qiao You¡¯an did some calctions and said, ¡°Fashion Week will start in two weeks. Why don¡¯t we go and have a look? We can invite Yuwu toe with us as well¡­¡±


    This was Lin Xiaowan¡¯s first time nning a wedding after all. She felt dizzy when she heard Qiao You an s words. She muttered, ¡°There are so many things to do¡­¡±


    After dealing with the wedding dress and the wedding venue, Lin Xiaowan thought that all she had to do was wait for the day to arrive.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s a lot?¡± Qiao You¡¯an asked with a smile before she said, ¡°That¡¯s not all. We still have to choose the party favors for the guests. We also have to decide on the menu for the banquet and reception. We still have to decide who to invite. There¡¯s also the matter of choosing tableware¡­¡±


    Qiao You¡¯an said to reassure Lin Xiaowan, ¡°You and Huo Zheng don¡¯t have to worry about the hosts, photographers, makeup artists, and so on. I¡¯ll take care of them for you. Don¡¯t worry. I ll definitely hire the best.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan looked at Qiao You¡¯an with her mouth agape. Thinking about how much preparation was needed, she asked, ¡°There, there won¡¯t be many guests, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t we briefly discuss this before? We ll only invite good friends. After we have a tentative list, Lino Zheng will show it to you. At that time, if you feel there are too many people, we can make amendments. It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Qiao You¡¯an said reassuringly.


    ¡°In any case, let¡¯s look at the invitation cards first.¡±


    There were so many things that Lin Xiaowan was in a daze. Fortunately, they still had a lot of time and were not in a rush. Just as Qiao You¡¯an had said, they were preparing now so they did nor have to rush.


    Lin Xiaowan did not know where Qiao You¡¯an had obtained the invitation cards.


    There were more than a dozen of them on the table. Apart from traditional-looking invitation cards, there was one that was rolled up in a wooden tube and one that resembled a letter. All in all, all of them looked exquisite.


    ¡°I like all of them. What should 1 do?¡±


    Qiao You¡¯anughed. ¡°Just pick all the ones you like. You can slowly use them for other purposes such as your first-anniversary party, your tenth-anniversary party, your twentieth-anniversary party, and so on.¡±


    ¡°But I still have to choose one for the wedding, right? I can¡¯t make up my mind.¡±


    The two women continued to discuss the matter. After a while, Lin Xiaowan looked around. Apart from a few employees, she did not see anyone else. She asked, ¡°Where did Huo Zheng and Huo Cheng go? Dabao and Erbao aren¡¯t here either¡­¡±


    ¡°The two of them brought the children to y basketball outside. It¡¯s good for them to exercise.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. After picking a few invitation cards that she liked, she said, ¡°Let Huo Zheng see which one he likes¡­¡±


    ¡°You should pick the one that you like. As long as you like it, Huo Zheng won¡¯t say no.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded inwardly. However, she also trusted Huo Zheng to choose the most exquisite one. After all, he had been very meticulous with nning the wedding, and everything he chose was the best and rhe most expensive.


    Lin Xiaowan looked at a few invitations that were sealed with wax. It was her first time seeing such a thing so she was very curious. She asked, ¡°Did you get the seals and wax made?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This seems to be trendy recently¡­¡±


    There were different kinds of seals. One was simple and circr, and another was in the shape of a rose. The wax also came in different colors such as gold and rose pink.


    At night, Lin Xiaowan showed Huo Zheng the invitation cards. Huo Zheng nced at them briefly before he took a bottle of moisturizer and said, ¡°They¡¯re all good. You can choose what you like.¡±


    It was just as Qiao You¡¯an had predicted in the afternoon.


    Lin Xiaowan found it difficult to decide. In the end, she felt that she liked the red hardcover invitation the best. When she opened it, ir was like a beautifully crafted notebook Although she did nor know what material it was, she found it veryfortable to touch.


    After getting the moisturizer, Huo Zheng also took our Lin Xiaowan¡¯s pajamas. He said, ¡°Come and take a shower.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan reached out for her pajamas and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to shower with you. You should use the other bathroom.¡±


    It would take a long time if she showered with Huo Zheng. She had suffered several times and was not easy to fool now.


    Huo Zheng did not protest and left to take a shower. When he returned, he brought a hairdryer over and helped Lin Xiaowan dry her hair. As hebed and dried her hair, he said, ¡°Your hair has grown a lot. Do you n to let ir grow longer?¡±


    The ends of her thick and ck hair were slightly curled.


    He lowered his head and kissed the top of her head before he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you grow it out?¡±


    He had never expressed any opinion regarding the length of Lin Xiaowan¡¯s hair before. Hence, she was rather surprised by these words. She asked curiously, ¡°Why do you suddenly like long hair? What¡¯s wrong with shorter hair?¡±


    Huo Zheng said with a smile, ¡°If you have long hair, you¡¯ll have more choices of hairstyles for the wedding. 1 want you to look your best on that day..¡±

 Chapter 205 - 205: Wedding Planning

    Chapter 205: Wedding nning


    Trantor: End less Fantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Lin Xiaowan did not have any objection. However, she said, ¡°If 1 don¡¯t cut my hair until April, it¡¯ll be very long at that time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you feel it¡¯s too long at that time, you can get it trimmed.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with a nod.


    After the team of wedding nners inspected the venue, they returned and came up with an idea.


    The manor was really big. It was a Western-style building with a huge fountain, awn, and a swimming pool outside. There was also a very tall yellow maple tree with a swing hanging under it. The wedding would be held on thewn.


    The butler showed the wedding nners the blooming flowers. It was truly like a world of flowers. Flowers covered the walls that were lined with flower beds at the bottom. Even the handle of the swings had vines and flowers snaking around it.


    The wedding nners nned to add small animals and other elements to the design. All in all, it was like a world from a fairy tale.


    When Huo Zheng looked at the initial n, he felt that it was too childish and shy. However, he knew Lin Xiaowan would like it so he sent the rendered photos to her.


    As expected, Lin Xiaowan really liked the colorful and flowery design.


    Huo Zheng had some work that required him to go overseas so he brought Lin Xiaowan with him. He nned to seize the chance to have a look at the manor to put Lin Xiaowan at ease.


    Lin Xiaowan was not very gifted withnguages; she was only average. She was worried about having anguage barrier whenmunicating with the staff members overseas when she got married. However, when she arrived, she discovered that half of the people were from Shangxia, and the other half, who were foreigners, spoke thenguage of Shangxia fluently.


    One day, when Huo Zheng had spare time, they looked around the manor.


    ¡°Is your friend a foreigner?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked curiously.


    Huo Zheng nodded. ¡°Yes. However, his wife is from Shangxia. Perhaps that¡¯s why he admires our culture and food.¡±


    In fact, Huo Zheng¡¯s friend had gotten together with his wife because of Shangxia¡¯s delicious food. It was said that to win someone¡¯s heart, one must start with the stomach. He had sessfully pursued his wife with his superb cooking skills.


    When they were overseas, Huo Zheng received an email from the jewelry designer, who would be designing Jewelry using the gemstones Huo Zheng had obtained at various auctions. It had been a long time since they discussed this matter so Lin Xiaowan had almost forgotten about it. The email the designer sent was the final draft of the set of Jewelry.


    Lin Xiaowan leaned against Huo Zheng and said, ¡°They¡¯re so beautiful¡­¡±


    Speaking about this matter, Huo Zheng was reminded of something. He said, ¡°When we go back, we need to buy a set of gold Jewelry. Gold ne, gold earrings, gold bracelets, and gold rings¡­¡±


    This was an old tradition of Shengjing. Before getting married, the bride had to have a set of gold Jewelry. The bride did not have to wear it, but the bride could not go without it. Whether the jewelry was pure gold or gold-ted, regardless if it was expensive or not, it was important because it represented the importance of the bride. However, many people had no interest in this tradition and would forgo it.


    The Huo family was rather traditional in this regard. Apart from gold jewelry, the couple also needed other wedding supplies.


    Previously, Qiao You¡¯an had mentioned the gold jewelry to Lin Xiaowan. Lin Xiaowan thought they still had time so she didn¡¯t expect Huo Zheng to mention it soon and even intended to buy it when they returned to the country.


    Lin Xiaowan asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to buy them? It¡¯s only September now. It¡¯ll just be lying around for a long time after we buy them¡­¡±


    The matter was naturally not as simple as Lin Xiaowan thought.


    Huo Zheng exined, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to buy it immediately. We¡¯ll look at the designs first, and then, we¡¯ll get them custom-made.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan nodded. The entire process would take at least a month.


    When the couple returned to Shengjing, before going to buy the gold jewelry, they went to the old gentleman¡¯s studio first.


    The old man had alreadypleted the white dress. However, this was just the base. The embellishments had yet to be added. He wanted Lin Xiaowan to try it on first so he could make adjustments as needed.


    The white fabric was simple. After she changed into the dress, the old gentleman tightened the fabric around her waist and her shoulders a little. As he fiddled with the hem and tail of the dress, he asked if Lin Xiaowan was going to wear ts or high heels, and if she were wearing heels, how tall would her heels be?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about that yet¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was at a loss and looked to Huo Zheng for help. After all, they had yet to discuss the wedding shoes.


    The old gentleman exined, ¡°If you¡¯re wearing heels, we can make the hem two inches longer. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be easy for you to trip. If you¡¯re wearing ts, then it¡¯s best to shorten the hem by a centimeter or two..

 Chapter 206 - 206: School Uniform?

    Chapter 206: School Uniform?


    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After the hot and humid weather of summer passed, autumn finally arrived. The weather was refreshing, and it was very suitable to go out.


    Huo Zheng had been working overtime for a week, and he finally had time to go out with Lin Xiaowan today. They were not going to buy wedding shoes today. Instead, they were going to visit traditional jewelry shops in Shengjing and look at gold jewelry. After deciding on the designs they liked, they would then visit the wedding photography team. They did not want to shoot the wedding photos only in Shengjing. They also wanted to shoot in other cities.


    Huo Zheng had been working overtime previously so he could spend more time with Lin Xiaowan in the future. This would give him time to rx when they left to take wedding photos. In fact, after getting together, they did not go on holiday much. The biggest reason was that Huo Zheng was too busy with work. After all, he was in charge of the Huo Corporation. He had to attend many meetings and deal with various projects. From time to time, he would have to go on business trips to other cities or countries. Due to hisck of time, Lin Xiaowan would go to thepany to apany him. Nheless, the couple was very happy.


    The jewelry shop that Huo Zheng and Lin Xiaowan visited was in a very small courtyard with a pond. It was surrounded by three huge buildings on the sides. It was not a chain store, and it was the only one in Shengjing. It specialized in making gold and silver jewelry for newlyweds. There were a few designs to choose from, and it could be seen that the designs had been around for a long time.


    After choosing the design and paying the deposit, the couple finally left.


    Lin Xiaowan tugged at Huo Zheng¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°So all we need to do now is wait?¡±


    Huo Zheng nodded.


    ¡°Then, how is he going to contact you when it¡¯s done?¡± Lin Xiaowan asked, puzzled. She did not see Huo Zheng leaving his contact information behind at all. Not only that, but he was also not as fussy as he was when choosing the jewelry. It seemed like he was very confident in the craftsmanship of the shop. Not only that, but it seemed like he had a lot of trust in the shop as well. They had brought gold bars of their own to be forged into jewelry. After weighing them, the other party estimated the price. Huo Zheng did not even ask any questions before he agreed.


    Huo Zheng held her hand and reminded her to pay attention to the steps under her feet before he said, ¡°They have our address. They¡¯ll send it to the house when it¡¯s done.¡±


    Then, after a brief pause, Huo Zheng asked, ¡°Qingqing, should we buy a wedding house? Do you have any idea about what kind of house you like?¡±


    Then, he added hesitantly, ¡°But with all the construction and renovation, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have enough time¡­¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was puzzled. ¡°Why do we need to buy a new house?¡±


    Huo Zheng did not say anything else. As such, Lin Xiaowan took it that Huo Zheng had mentioned it on a whim and did not take it to heart.


    The wedding photoshoot was scheduled for October, and there were still two weeks left.


    They had a total of seven sets of clothes for the photoshoot. Three sets would be shot at Shengjing while the other four would be shot in famous tourist cities in the south. The photoshoot would all be done outdoors. There was a ck gauze dress that Lin Xiaowan would wear during a night shoot in Shengjing, and there was a traditional Shangxia dress that she would wear when shooting in a garden. There was also a white dress with a long train that she would wear on the beach, a red dress, a green dress, a blue dress, and another ck dress.


    Lin Xiaowan had selected all the clothes for the photoshoot. After learning about the wedding photoshoot, she had been asking for advice from Qiao You¡¯an and Gu Yuwu in their group chat. She would send them all kinds of photos of the clothes and ask for their opinions.


    Huo Zheng did not express any opinions. He only smiled as he watched her choose the dresses. His clothes were much easier to choosepared to those of Lin Xiaowan. Apart from the traditional attire, he could simply wear his own clothes. They were not out of ce at all.


    Huo Zheng sat on the couch, asionally sipping ck tea and reminding Lin Xiaowan to drink water. He was like a big boss who hade to inspect his employees.


    After Lin Xiaowan was done talking with a member of the photography team, she turned around and saw Huo Zheng sitting on the couch. An idea appeared in her mind immediately. She turned to the staff member and asked, ¡°Is there a limit to how many sets of clothes I can choose? Can I add more?¡±


    In fact, seven sets of clothes were a lot. The studio was high-end and expensive. One of their photographers had even won numerous awards. For this reason, their prices were quite high. Many celebrities and important people were among the clients. Even then, they usually did not have so many changes of clothing.


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± the staff member replied with a nod. Even if it was rare to have so many sets of clothing, as long the client had money, they naturally would not refuse. Let alone adding more clothing, even if the client wanted to buy all the clothes in the studio and stop others from using them, they would not refuse as long as they werepensated.


    At this time, Huo Zheng looked at the time and said, ¡°Qingqing,e over and drink some water before you continue looking.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan walked over and drank a ss of water before she looked at Huo Zheng and said, ¡°Look, I drank it all. Isn¡¯t it great?¡±


    Huo Zheng praised her out of habit. ¡°Yes, yes. You can have one spicy stick as a reward this week.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan was slightly speechless. Huo Zhen had been bribing her with small rewards recently, and she fell for it every single time. However, she did not want this kind of reward this time. She said, ¡°I want to change the reward. It¡¯s rted to you. Promise me first.¡±


    Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow. He did not know what she was thinking, but he still nodded indulgently. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Let¡¯s take photos in school uniforms, okay?¡±


    Huo Zheng was speechless. He was in his thirties, but she wanted him to wear a set of school uniforms for their wedding photoshoot.


    Seeing that Huo Zheng did not reply, Lin Xiaowan pouted and shook his hand as she said, ¡°Please? You just promised me earlier.¡±


    However, Lin Xiaowan was not someone who would force others to do things they did not like. As such, after saying that, she was afraid that Huo Zheng would be troubled so she quickly added, ¡°Well, think about it first before you reject me. We don¡¯t have to do it if you really don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Huo Zheng stroked her head and said with a hint of helplessness, ¡°I haven¡¯t even rejected you, but you¡¯re already saying this?¡±


    Lin Xiaowan smiled foolishly and replied, ¡°I was just worried you¡¯d be troubled by this¡­ I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult position.¡±


    Huo Zheng chuckled and tapped her nose lightly. He always liked making little actions like that, and Lin Xiaowan had already gotten used to it.


    On the other hand, the staff members exchanged a look after being blinded by the disy of affection between the couple.


    Huo Zheng said, ¡°If you want to take photos in school uniforms, then let¡¯s do it¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, the studio did not have any school uniforms. It was not a very popr concept in the studio after all. With this, Lin Xiaowan could only give up on the idea. She felt a little regretful. Although she had bought Huo Zheng a few sets of casual clothes and sportswear, it would be different if he wore a set of school uniforms..


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