Ch6 Too late to cry over spilled milk.
Surprised by Xia Wan's intense reaction, Huo Yu paused for a moment as he looked at the redness around Xia Wan's eyes. Then he asked, "Are you afraid of me?"
He wasn't afraid of Huo Lin and Qiu Qi's retaliation nor was he afraid of Xia Yang, who had control over both his and his father's future.
So why did it seem like he was afraid of him now?
The more Huo Yu thought about it, the darker his mood grew.
The emotions in his deep, dark eyes became increasingly difficult to read, and slowly, the smile that had been there in them faded away.
"No, I'm not!" Xia Wan quickly stuck out his bright red tongue to show Huo Yu and muttered a bit pitifully, "I just accidentally bit myself."
He had once read in a book that when two people-especially a married couple-begin a relationship, their first conflict often sets the tone for how they will get along in the future.
So no matter how hard it was, he couldn't let Huo Yu gain the upper hand.
Huo Yu silently watched it for a moment. The tip of his tender, pink tongue now had a few traces of blood, making it look even more vivid and striking.
Lowering his gaze, he asked in a low voice, "Were you really that greedy? You bit yourself just to eat faster?"
"Is this really about being greedy?" Xia Wan murmured quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes then slowly shifted to the ring on Huo Yu's finger.
He couldn't remember the exact meaning of wearing a ring on that finger, but he figured someone like Huo Yu probably wouldn't care about such details.
Since he needed to get out of this situation, he knew he had to rely on this.
"Wearing a ring on your left hand means you're celibate," Xia Wan said, blatantly lying with a straight face. "I guess getting a marriage certificate isn't suitable for you, then?"
"Oh, really?" Huo Yu raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked at the young man in front of him. "Then why do I remember that wearing a ring on the left hand's index finger means you're single?"
Xia Wan had every reason to suspect that Huo Yu was just spouting nonsense, like he had did just a minute ago. So, he pretended to stay calm and continued to look into his gaze.
The corner of Huo Yu's mouth curled up even more. "Am I not just telling people I'm currently single and open for.... deeper conversations?"
Xla Wan: "..."
For a second, he didn't know whether to be speechless, flustered, or both.
He quietly pulled out his phone and looked up the meanings of wearing rings on different fingers.
Sometimes it's best not to dig too deep, but curiosity got the better of him anyway. As he read through the meanings of rings worn on different fingers, his eyes widened in shock. He nearly dropped his phone in shock when he saw the results.
Huo Yu was right.
"Ahem." Xia Wan put down his phone. Like an obedient and honest student, he slowly raised his two fingers in the air and asked tentatively, "Don't you think we're moving a bit too fast?"
Huo Yu looked at him and said, "Weren't you the one who said you'd help me block bad peach blossoms?"
Xia Wan did say that, but he definitely didn't mean it in that way.
If this kept up any longer, Xia Wan knew his headache would only get worse, so he took a mental step back and tried to change the subject.
Trying to calm himself, he quietly took a small bite of the fried dough stick in his hand.
After finishing the bite, he took a deep breath and looked up at Huo Yu. Trying to sound as persuasive as he could, he said, "You know, this isn't the only way to block peach blossoms, right?"
"For example?" Huo Yu asked calmly. He picked up a tissue and gently wiped the corners of his mouth, not in a rush at all. Then he leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. He raised his eyebrows at Xia Wan, clearly interested and a little amused, waiting to hear what the other party had to say.
Sometimes, beauty could really be distracting-and that's what exactly happened to Xia Wan.
Huo Yu looked so effortlessly handsome and charming that, for a moment, Xia Wan's mind went completely blank
His mind, which had been trying so hard to come up with a reasonable answer, suddenly turned into mush.
What was he supposed to say again?
Oh. Right. For example....
Still affected by the beauty, Xia Wan said in a daze, "For example, instead of actually getting married, we could just pretend to be a couple or something."
Shit!!!!!
Xia Wan panicked. What the hell did he just say?
The original plan was simple: when the Huo family would try to force Huo Yu to marry someone of their choosing, he would step in and 'save the day'-just like those movie scenes where the hero rescues the heroine at the last minute and turns everything around.
This way, not only would he have more real chances to interact with Huo Yu; furthermore, even though he was the villain, he would at least feel grateful for the help...
But now, out of all things, he had actually taken the initiative to suggest that they 'pretend to be a couple?'
What was going on with him? Was he out of his mind? How could he say something like that so casually?
His older brother always told him, in negotiations, you need to push things to the extreme-either lower your offer as much as possible or raise your demands very high. That way, you can see how far the other person was willing to go.
How could he forget something so important!!!
Now, Xia Wan had become a victim of the very business rule his brother always warned him about.
He resentfully chewed the fried dough stick in his mouth.
He had been completely deceived!
But now it was too late to cry over spilled milk.
"Oh," Huo Yu's smile deepened, a rare warmth brightening his usually calm face. For the first time, he genuinely seemed pleased in front of Xia Wan. "However, pretending to be a couple and actually getting a marriage certificate-they come at different prices, you know."
"Money?" Xia Wan's eyes widened involuntarily.
He instinctively wanted to ask how much it would be, but he hesitated, opening his mouth only to close it again.
What was the difference between this and selling oneself?
If he was still the same Xia Wan who was affluent and had everything in the palm of his hand-in this situation, he would have just calmly written a check and pushed it toward Huo Yu, then condescendingly asked, "Is this enough?"
But alas, times had changed, and this could only happen in his dreams. Not to mention, a real man must know when to bend and when to stretch.
The bottom line was he was broke.
Right now, the only thing he could do was to go along with whatever happened, especially since he didn't have enough cash to fight back.
Just endure, because this time too will pass.
"If the price is different," Xia Wan said as he took a slow sip of soy milk, leaving his rosy lips stained white, "then I'll think about it."
Huo Yu wasn't sure if Xia Wan was truly clueless or just playing along, but so far, he felt like he had the upper hand. His face was calm and confident. There was even the slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
However, the next moment, his gaze fell on Xia Wan's rosy lips, stained white from the soy milk. For a brief moment, his eyes lingered there, a flicker of something unreadable flashing across his face.
Quickly, he looked away and cleared his throat, like he was trying to cover up the sudden change in his mood. His voice got a little lower then before. "Think carefully about it."
This time after eating, Xia Wan didn't fight to do the dishes like the night before.
He absent-mindedly packed up his things and was just about to say goodbye when Huo Yu interrupted him.
"Let's go together." Huo Yu said as he came down from upstairs, his figure once again carrying that calm, woody scent.
"No need," Xia Wan replied cautiously.
He had just been tricked by Huo Yu and was still feeling the sting of it. He couldn't let his guard down so easily again.
"I checked-there's a bus that goes straight to the art academy," he added, trying to sound casual, but his tone still carried a hint of wariness.
"I'm not doing you any special favor," Huo Yu said as he lowered his head to change his shoes, ignoring the young man's little tricks. "I just happen to be passing by the Academy, so, I can still drop you."
"Oh." Xia Wan paused to think.
There really wasn't any good reason to refuse, since they were heading to the same place. So, he agreed. As they were about to leave, he suddenly stopped and turned back. "Huo Yu, can I have some of the snacks that are in the kitchen?"
Huo Yu: "..."
Huo Yu was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Help yourself."
After getting positive response, Xia Wan's eyes lit up with joy.
He felt a burst of happiness inside and almost wanted to jump up and down like a kid. But
he quickly caught himself, knowing it wouldn't be very polite. So instead, he took steady, careful steps toward the kitchen, making sure not to skip, hop, or show too much excitement as he walked.
Huo Yu couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face as he watched Xia Wan walk off happily.
He kept watching until the cheerful figure disappeared from sight.
He thought Xia Wan would grab a handful of snacks, maybe even stuff his pockets like a little squirrel. But to his surprise, the man came out just a moment later-with a bag of potato chips in one hand and a piece of chocolate in the other. The smile tugging at his lips was impossible to miss, like he was secretly overjoyed but trying hard not to show it.
Huo Yu: "..."
That's it? All that excitement... for this?
Today, Huo Yu wasn't driving Shen Yan's car. Instead, he showed up in a shiny royal blue supercar. The car was very flashy and stood out a lot, which didn't really fit with his usual calm and quiet personality at all.
Xia Wan obediently sat in the passenger seat, and couldn't help himself anymore. He quickly tore open the packet of potato chips. The wrapper made a loud crinkling noise as he pulled it apart, followed by the satisfying crunchy sound.
"It's really delicious," he said. He Instantly regretted of not taking a few more flavors.
Huo Yu glanced at him from the side, noticing the regretful look on Xia Wan's face that said more than words could. He couldn't help but laugh out loud. Then he reached out his hand and said, "Share some with me."
Xia Wan: "..."
Now he regrets more for not taking more bags.
Now he really wished he'd grabbed more bags.
After a moment, Huo Yu felt something light touch his palm. He pulled his hand back and saw a single potato chip resting there -thin, slightly curled and more particularly very small. It was as if it had been carefully chosen.
"Just one piece?" Huo Yu asked.
"Isn't one enough?" Xia Wan scooted a little farther away, eyeing him warily.
Though the bag had looked full, once he opened it, it was basically all air. There was barely anything inside!
What a scam. Just like Huo Yu-the ultimate scammer, Xia Wan thought angrily.
Maybe his tone had been a little too sharp, because Huo Yu paused for a moment before replying, "It's enough."
Xia Wan breathed a sigh of relief. As he carefully ate the potato chips, he took out his phone and started scrolling through the news.
After going through some entertainment and economic headlines, Xia Wan suddenly saw a familiar photo appear on his screen it was Huo Lin, who was standing next to a middle-aged man who looked pretty much like him.
It must be Huo Lin's father, Huo Peixue.
Alongside the photo of the two men, there was another picture beside it.
It was a luxury car valued at tens of millions, its bright yellow paint shining vividly. The car's vintage design made it stand out-both classic in style and flashy enough to catch everyone's attention.
The car was a rare limited edition, with only a few models existing anywhere in the world. Huo Lin had been wanting this car for quite some time, and now that he finally had it, it gave him plenty why not to show it off to everyone.
Xia Wan casually scrolled down at the news article, expecting it to be just another piece about Huo Lin showing off. But as he read on, he quickly realized the content was nothing like what he had expected..
The article quoted Huo Peifeng saying that he had bought the new car as a gift for his nephew, who had just returned to China.
What a touching display of uncle-nephew affection-so generous it practically sparkled.
The comments section beneath the article was filled with admiration and envy.
Xia Wan scrolled down to see the comments.
[What a generous and thoughtful uncle!]
[Mr. Huo really knows how to spoil his nephew. That car must have cost a fortune!]
[Mr. Huo is so kind to his nephew.]
[Huo Yu is really lucky to have such an uncle.]
[Not everyone is this lucky. Huo Yu's relationship with his uncle must be amazing.]
[Huo Yu is practically living the dream-good looks, a powerful family, and now the limited edition car. What more could you want?]
[For those who kept saying the Huo family mistreated Huo Yu and didn't treat him well, I guess this serves as a good slap in the face.]
[Mr. Huo, are you missing another nephew?]
[Uncle Huo, I am your other long-lost nephew! Please look for me too!]
[Adopt Me, Uncle Huo!]
[Nephew No. 243 Reporting for Duty!]
"Huo Yu," Xia Wan said between crunchy bites, "your uncle got you a new car. It's really cool."
Listening this Huo Yu's eyes darkened. Though his hands gripping the steering wheel remained steady as rocks, a mocking smile slowly appeared on his lips.
With a ding, Xia Wan's cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
He took it out and saw the new message on WeChat.
Little Sweet Tang Guo: [Baozi, are you okay?]
It was the original owner's roommate, Su Tang.
Xia Wan didn't quite understand what Su Tang meant so he replied with a question mark.
Big bowl of sweet tea: [?]
Little Sweet Tang Guo: [I just heard from my cousin about Huo Lin's engagement. Are you okay?]
Big bowl of sweet tea: [I'm okay. Don't worry, let's talk about it later when I come back.]
"Huo Lin again?" Huo Yu asked casually. He kept his eyes on the road, but his voice sounded like he was trying to find out more.
"No," Xia Wan immediately said. "It's my roommate."
Just then the phone rang again. This time Su Tang sent a voice message.
In order to prove to Huo Yu that the other party was indeed not Huo Lin, Xia Wan clicked on the voice message, and Su Tang's youthful voice rang out:
[Baobeeeeiiiii- do you know you've become the femme fatale of the elite circle? Huo Lin and Huo Yu, those two brothers, are fighting over you-they've fallen out and turned against each other, becoming bitter enemies who are ready to tear each other apart just for you!!]
Xia Wan:".."
Wait what?!