Faced with the caramel-scented orange pheromones exploding into the sea breeze and the shutter clicks from the media zone that sounded like they could flip the sun itself, the atmosphere on the red carpet tightened to the breaking point.
Shen Qingzhou's fingernails dug deep into his palms. If he had a test tube in his hand right now, he wouldn't hesitate to smash it onto the head of the perpetrator beside him. The mental imprint on the inside of his suit flickered in the wind like an arrogant declaration, showing the whole world exactly how the cold, aloof "Father of Blockers" had been thoroughly plundered and possessed inside that seaside villa last night.
The live stream comments crashed in that single second; the screen was completely obscured by walls of "AHHHHH" and "Is this something I can watch without paying?"
"Professor, don't be angry, don't be angry. Getting worked up is bad for your health, and it won't look good if the cameras catch it..."
Seeing his professor's handsome face cooling to the point of freezing, Huo Xingran's powerful survival instinct instantly conquered his guilt. He took a long stride, and instead of retreating from the flashes, he turned sideways with aggressive force, using his tall, broad shoulders to block Shen Qingzhou completely from view.
The next second, under the stunned gaze of countless reporters, Huo Xingran reached out, cupped the back of Shen Qingzhou's head, and buried his face in the crook of the professor's neck in a move that was both brazen and possessive.
He whispered into Shen Qingzhou's ear in a sticky, pleading tone audible only to them: "My fault, my fault. I'll let you do whatever you want when we get back. But for now... Professor, just play along. We have to prioritize the 'big picture'."
Having said that, Huo Xingran suddenly lifted his head, arched a brow at the volley of cameras, and flashed a smile. His handsome face, usually kept perfectly disciplined by the rules of the Life Sciences Institute, now revealed a brazen, wild streak typical of a top-tier tycoon heir.
He wrapped one arm around Shen Qingzhou's rigid waist, intentionally showing off the fir-scented cufflinks on his sleeve to the cameras, and spoke generously into the microphone:
"Friends in the media, stop guessing. The research on blockers at the Life Sciences Institute is indeed rigorous, but as Professor Shen's sole lifetime assistant, my self-control during my rut... clearly requires more deep and execution-oriented 'clinical guidance' from Professor Shen after the wedding. Our time on the red carpet is limited today; neither my academic achievements nor my private 'marks' are open to groundless speculation. Thank you for your cooperation."
These words both confirmed the absurdity of last night and ruthlessly dumped all the responsibility and fallout onto his own head.
After a brief silence, the media zone erupted in cheers and catcalls a hundred times wilder than before. Reporters who had expected to see an "Iceberg Professor lose his temper on the spot" never imagined they would be fed such a hardcore, high-purity serving of "dog food."
Held in Huo Xingran's arms, Shen Qingzhou was surrounded by the familiar, somewhat overbearing scent of orange candy. Although his earlobes were turning red enough to bleed, upon hearing the words "sole lifetime assistant," the phoenix eyes hidden in the shadows finally softened with helplessness.
He extended his right hand from his sleeve and twisted the side of Huo Xingran's waist, lowering his hoarse voice: "...We'll settle this when we get back."
"I'm ready whenever you are, Professor Shen." The large golden retriever lowered his voice, smiling so hard his invisible tail was wagging into a blur.
Having finally crossed the red carpet, they entered the main venue.
Haicheng's iconic white waves churned in the distance, and the main tables were already filled with dignitaries from Beijing and Haicheng. At the very front of these VIPs sat Huo Xingchen, the helmsman of the Huo Group.
He was holding a delicate champagne flute, his meticulously groomed hair unmoved by the sea breeze. His deep, dark eyes—similar to Huo Xingran's but immeasurably steadier—were locked onto his younger brother, who had been grinning like a fool the moment he stepped off the red carpet.
Beside Huo Xingchen, Lu Yu sat in a tailored deep-gray suit, his long fingers holding a hefty cowhide folder. There was a playful, spectator-like glint in his amber eyes as he arched a brow at Shen Qingzhou.
Huo Xingran led Shen Qingzhou over, just about to call out "Brother," when he saw Huo Xingchen set down his champagne flute with deliberation.
Click.
The base of the glass hit the marble tabletop with a crisp, cold sound.
Huo Xingchen lifted his eyes. Although his powerful top-tier Alpha mental energy was restrained, the pressure of someone long accustomed to the peak still made Huo Xingran instinctively shrink his neck.
"A lively walk on the red carpet," Huo Xingchen's voice was low and cold, revealing no emotion. "Because of your 'brilliant speech' just now, the Huo Group's legal department has received three urgent inquiry calls from partner consortia in the last ten minutes. They are very concerned about whether the future decision-maker of Huo Biotech truly has zero self-control when facing his spouse."
"Brother, that was the rut; it's a force majeure..." Huo Xingran argued weakly, hiding behind Shen Qingzhou.
"Which is why, before the next force majeure occurs, the legal department has prepared a new supplementary agreement for you."
Huo Xingchen didn't even blink. He turned and took the heavy cowhide file from Lu Yu, tapping it with his fingertip. The header on the first page read in bold black type: "Ultimate Management Clauses Regarding Mental Power Overflow and Behavioral Restrictions for Mr. Huo Xingran After Marriage."
"In light of the fact that the applicant, Huo Xingran, exhibits uncontrollable, excessive behavior and mental imprint leakage during specific periods (such as ruts and early marriage), which seriously affects the academic image of the Huo Group and the Life Sciences Institute, the following restrictions have been enacted in a joint evaluation by the legal department and Dr. Lu Yu."
Huo Xingchen flipped to the first page and read coldly:
"First: If any irreversible imprints appear on Professor Shen's body or clothing due to loss of mental power control after the wedding, all quarterly dividends will be forfeited, and a mandatory one-month 'separate sleeping and celibacy period' will be enforced, monitored by Dr. Lu Yu."
"Second: Given the overuse of punctuation and emotional overload, all public social media accounts will be jointly supervised by the 301 Laboratory and the Huo PR department. Except when necessary, no emotional statements containing phrases like 'he is as well' or 'I love you all' may be posted independently."
"Third..."
"Brother! Brother! My dear brother!" Huo Xingran freaked out upon hearing "one month of separate sleeping." He let go of Shen Qingzhou's hand, nearly ready to throw himself at Huo Xingchen's feet. "This isn't reasonable! This is an infringement on basic post-marital human rights! Professor, please, say something—this is our shared career..."
Shen Qingzhou had already taken the red pen handed to him by Lu Yu.
Professor Shen lifted that cold, elegant face. Even though his voice still carried the hoarseness of last night's absurdity, his phoenix eyes shone with intense, rational light. He looked past Huo Xingran and, with practiced ease, signed his name with a flourish in the "Approver" section of the document.