Chapter 17: The Cao Thief
Zhao Ningzhuo looked at the string of huge diamond rings around An Yi’s neck and nearly got blinded on the spot. He stood there dumbstruck.
The Huo family was willing to buy this many jewels for a kept male wife who couldn’t even be presented in public?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Everyone knew the Huo family had only agreed to take a male wife because they had no other choice. Though the An family’s son wouldn’t be abused after marrying in, no one had expected him to be living in such outrageous luxury.
Looking at the expression in the other man’s eyes, An Yi once again became more certain that this person probably wasn’t Huo Beixing’s mortal enemy, but rather his friend.
Because in the other man’s eyes, he saw something beyond the pie chart—
That was… the same crystal-clear stupidity Huo Beixing had.
Zhao Ningzhuo was speechless for quite a while before finally asking, “Where did you get so many rings?”
An Yi told the truth. “Huo Beixing bought them for me.”
Zhao Ningzhuo refused to give up on his plan. “He’s harming you.”
An Yi: ?
He lowered his head and glanced at his “ten apartments.” Harming him? Wasn’t this his retirement fund?
Zhao Ningzhuo said, “He’s trying to lure you into the trap of extravagance. Once he gets better in the future, he’ll divorce you. After that, your standard of living will plummet. Then, because you can’t adapt to the difference, you’ll go astray.”
An Yi told him not to worry. “It’s okay. I deserve it.”
Zhao Ningzhuo stepped forward. “I’m helping you here.”
An Yi said, “I don’t know good from bad.”
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
How could this be?!
Everything he said was true. Not a single word of it was fake.
He had already thought it all through: as long as An Yi agreed to join forces with him, the two of them could go out together later and humiliate Huo Beixing. In return, he could guarantee An Yi a lifetime of wealth and glory afterward.
Though his intentions in the beginning really had been bad, he also genuinely pitied the guy. A perfectly good man, forced to marry into another family—what an unspeakably humiliating thing. And for the sake of family interests, too, pushed into a political marriage. If it were him, if anyone tried to make him marry a man, then even if the Jade Emperor himself came down, he still wouldn’t do it!
He had thought sincerity would be the ultimate killer move.
Turns out it was completely useless!
Damn it!
Watching the other man’s rapidly changing expressions, An Yi thought, what a shame the Sichuan opera troupe didn’t have you. The way Zhao Ningzhuo was looking at him right now was like he was looking at some fine young man led astray by money.
The little frog stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay. Don’t overthink it. Isn’t there a saying?”
Zhao Ningzhuo asked, “What saying?”
An Yi replied, “Let go of your hero complex and respect other people’s fate.”
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
Thank you. That’s so very reasonable.
If it’s a life lecture, then of course it has to come from you, little frog.
But An Yi was still a little curious. “Are you really Huo Beixing’s mortal enemy?”
Zhao Ningzhuo pulled a long face. “What else would I be?!”
An Yi asked, “Then why didn’t you take advantage of Huo Beixing turning stupid and go after his company?”
That was how business wars were always written.
When one side fell, you hollowed out his power, stole his shares, snatched his projects, then threw back your head and laughed, hahaha, until your jaw dislocated.
Zhao Ningzhuo looked disdainful. “He’s stupid now. Going after him with business-world tricks while he’s like this would be uneven competition. Even if I won, it would be a dishonorable victory. I don’t do that kind of thing.”
An Yi dragged out an exaggerated, “Oh~~~~”
Then he said, “Wow, you’re so principled~”
Zhao Ningzhuo smugly lifted his chin. “It’s nothing. Just some personal virtue.”
Damn, he looked handsome as hell.
Way too classy.
Zhao Ningzhuo stood there, basking in self-satisfaction. It was nothing, really. After all, highly educated people were all like this. If not him, then who?
An Yi kept asking questions like an eager student. “Teacher, teacher, then why are you here now to steal Huo Beixing’s wife?”
Zhao Ningzhuo answered gravely, “Isn’t his current mental age only around five to eight?”
An Yi nodded. “Yeah.”
Zhao Ningzhuo said, “When he stole my girlfriend, he just happened to be five.”
An Yi: …
Then Zhao Ningzhuo began laying out his grand revenge plan. “Huo Beixing’s current mental age can only be described as heaven helping me. This time, I’m taking back everything that belongs to me. After all, what he did before was too much. Don’t you agree?”
When Zhao Ningzhuo saw no one answering for a long time, he turned around to look.
?
Where was the person?
Only then did he see that the spot where An Yi had been standing was already completely empty.
Taking advantage of Zhao Ningzhuo turning around, An Yi had quietly slipped away.
They really couldn’t keep chatting any longer. The food would get cold.
Before An Yi returned, the dishes had already been served. Seeing that his wife hadn’t come back yet, Huo Beixing didn’t start eating either. He just sat there obediently, waiting.
When An Yi came back, Huo Beixing was using a knife and fork to cut a steak.
Although Huo Beixing was stupid now, as long as he didn’t open his mouth too much or make too many movements, most people wouldn’t notice anything strange about him at all. They definitely wouldn’t associate him with being mentally impaired.
At that moment, they were in a high-end restaurant. Since he had just finished exercising, Huo Beixing was dressed in sportswear. His figure was exceptionally striking—broad shoulders, straight back, the kind of build that made people feel safe. His looks were also one of Nuwa’s obvious favoritism projects. Maybe because of the environment he’d grown up in, even in a tracksuit, the aura around him was impossible to ignore.
Huo Beixing carefully cut up the entire plate of steak, then stretched out his long arm and set it at the seat across from him—An Yi’s seat.
An Yi saw it and was touched for a moment.
Little Huo, you really are a good boy.
An Yi went back to his seat and sat down. Seeing the steak in front of him, he thanked Huo Beixing without stinting on the gratitude. “Huo Beixing, thank you.”
A little embarrassed, Huo Beixing reached up and scratched his hair, but his eyes couldn’t stop staring at An Yi. When An Yi thanked him, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes seeming to hold a glimmer of water. When he smiled, he looked even cuter, his eyes curving into crescents. His wife’s skin was fair, which made his lips look especially red, like cherries. When he smiled, he was bright-eyed and white-toothed.
Huo Beixing stared so hard he looked a little dazed. Seeing the other man happy made him happy too, and he said, “If you like it, I’ll cut it for you again next time.”
With steak stuffed in his mouth, An Yi gave a silly grin. “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”
Huo Beixing said, “Next time when I cut it for you, you can also… also learn.”
In Huo Beixing’s mind, he could keep cutting steak for his wife forever. But he hadn’t forgotten that time they went to Grandpa’s house and someone mocked his wife.
And it had happened precisely when he wasn’t around.
He had many things to do every day, and his wife had work too. When he wasn’t by the other man’s side, he couldn’t help him cut steak. But if An Yi got laughed at for not knowing how to use a knife and fork, Huo Beixing felt bad inside, so he wanted his wife to learn.
An Yi didn’t refuse. The other man had the simple mindset of a child. Most of what he said was also for An Yi’s own good.
Huo Beixing said he wanted to teach him, and An Yi felt quite satisfied inside. After making a fool of himself at that charity banquet the first time, he had actually tried secretly learning on his own. But nobody taught him, and merely copying the motions got him nowhere. In the end, he still never learned.
Though An Shaofeng was only a bargain-bin father, Chen Lin really was a doting mother. After she discovered An Yi didn’t know how to use a knife and fork, she wouldn’t allow anyone else at the table to use them either. Everyone ate with chopsticks along with An Yi.
If anything needed cutting, the kitchen would prepare it beforehand, because she was afraid An Yi would see a knife and fork and remember how others had laughed at him.
Just as the two of them finished eating and were about to leave for home, a person suddenly appeared in front of their table.
That’s right. It was him—the tirelessly hardworking villain, Zhao Ningzhuo.
Zhao Ningzhuo was unwilling to let such a perfect chance for revenge slip away. Since his pig teammate was impossible to carry, then he’d go solo.
Nothing in the world is difficult if you have the heart for it. He refused to believe that he couldn’t beat Huo Beixing when Huo Beixing had normal intelligence, and now still couldn’t beat him when he had a child’s mind.
Life came down to two words: self-confidence!
Then he looked at An Yi, as if giving him one last chance.
Zhao Ningzhuo waggled his brows and sent over a message with his eyes. “Are you helping me or not?”
An Yi’s eyes shifted from side to side. “Not helping.”
Zhao Ningzhuo’s brows knotted into a deep furrow. “Are you sure?”
An Yi said, “Of course.”
Zhao Ningzhuo said, “If you don’t help, then I’m going to start spreading rumors!”
Zhao Ningzhuo withdrew his gaze, ready to begin his performance. Who would’ve thought that before he could even speak, Huo Beixing stood up first and looked down at him with his two-centimeter height advantage.
A completely naked provocation.
He hadn’t expected that even after turning stupid, the guy could still be this nasty. As expected, one’s true nature was hard to change.
But Huo Beixing was tall and big, and thanks to years of working out and fighting in the ring, he looked more than a whole level sturdier than Zhao Ningzhuo.
It was as if one of Huo Beixing’s hands alone could strangle Zhao Ningzhuo to death.
Zhao Ningzhuo felt a little intimidated, but he didn’t retreat. There was no such thing as fleeing on the eve of battle in his life motto!
But the very next second, a hand landed on his shoulder, and his heart jumped.
Damn, the other guy was stupid now. Would he lose control of his emotions? Did he still remember him? And if he did remember him, what if he hit him?
If someone with abnormal intelligence hurt someone, didn’t legal responsibility seem to be lighter?
No matter how you thought about it, he’d be the one losing out.
If Huo Beixing really did make a move on him…
Zhao Ningzhuo secretly made up his mind: if Huo Beixing hit him, he’d scream for help and make him utterly disgraced.
“Ah, I remember now!”
Huo Beixing wore a foolish grin, then grabbed Zhao Ningzhuo with his big hand and yanked him over without restraining his strength. He nearly flung Zhao Ningzhuo straight onto the table.
“You’re my good friend!”
Zhao Ningzhuo: ???
Huo Beixing looked at him. “Right?”
Zhao Ningzhuo, who had nearly become the same species as the dishes on the table: …
Right your ass.
Who the hell is your good friend?
Huo Beixing didn’t wait for an answer. Cheerfully, he introduced him to An Yi, “Wife, he’s my good friend.”
An Yi went, “Oh~~~~”
Then he asked, “So what’s his name?”
Huo Beixing flashed a radiant smile. “Little Dog.”
An Yi: …
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
Maybe this friendship was better off not existing.
He knew the other man’s name, but apparently not that well.
A gentleman may be killed, but not humiliated!
Grinding his teeth, Zhao Ningzhuo drew in a deep breath. “You—”
Huo Beixing didn’t hear him and interrupted his spellcasting. “Are you coming to my house to play tomorrow?”
Zhao Ningzhuo froze.
Huo Beixing took his stunned silence as overwhelming joy and said with a smile, “Then it’s settled. See you tomorrow.”
With that, he grabbed An Yi and prepared to head home, leaving Zhao Ningzhuo alone in a state of chaos.
Then the pie chart in his eyes began planning itself all over again.
Agreeing to go to the other man’s house didn’t actually seem like a bad thing. He’d be directly infiltrating the enemy base. If he won, then he’d be flipping the whole Huo household upside down in one go.
Just wait. He was definitely going to ruin this husband-husband relationship.
He had returned to the country. This time, he was going to take back everything that belonged to him.
After getting home, Huo Beixing went upstairs to his room to change clothes, while An Yi walked over to Uncle Zhong.
“Uncle Zhong, let me ask you something.”
Uncle Zhong replied in his slow, leisurely tone, “What is it?”
An Yi asked, “Do you know who Zhao Ningzhuo is?”
Though Huo Beixing said Zhao Ningzhuo was his friend, Zhao Ningzhuo himself insisted he was a mortal enemy. Their testimonies were a bit inconsistent. The other man seemed to have negative emotional intelligence, but back in the restaurant restroom, he had indeed tried to rope An Yi into taking revenge on Huo Beixing.
Since the man was coming over to the house tomorrow, An Yi felt it was better to ask first. Otherwise he wouldn’t feel at ease. After all, he was married to Huo Beixing now, which meant he counted as his legal guardian.
Uncle Zhong thought for a moment. “Young Master Zhao? He’s the young master’s friend.”
An Yi looked puzzled. “But didn’t some people say they were mortal enemies?”
Uncle Zhong was shocked. “Who said that?!”
Who on earth was spreading rumors!
An Yi said, “He did.”
Uncle Zhong: …
Then Uncle Zhong began explaining slowly. “Actually, only Young Master Zhao and that group of his friends think he and our young master are mortal enemies. That’s what they think in their hearts, but what they actually do is another matter.”
“Young Master Zhao grew up with our young master. In kindergarten, he used to help get meals for the young master and made sure he ate more. In elementary school, when he did homework, he never forgot to bring an extra set of practice problems for the young master. In middle school, the two of them even drank milk together every day to grow taller.”
As far as Uncle Zhong remembered, the two of them had always had a good relationship. It was only after Huo Beixing went abroad to study that they stopped keeping much contact.
An Yi’s mouth fell open. Oh~~~~
What kind of mortal enemy was this? Schrödinger’s mortal enemy?
Thinking back to Zhao Ningzhuo saying earlier that he wouldn’t take advantage of someone in trouble, An Yi guessed that maybe Zhao Ningzhuo felt that anything done without Huo Beixing present counted as taking a shortcut and wasn’t fair, so whatever he did, he always had to include a share for Huo Beixing in order to make it fair competition.
That reminded Uncle Zhong of something amusing. “But Young Master Zhao was always bad at math. In elementary school, he even got a big fat zero once.”
An Yi: !
That happened too?!
He had always thought the guy should be pretty good at math.
After all, when it came to pie charts in his eyes, he could draw them whenever he wanted.
So this was the real Zhao Ningzhuo.
The next day, Zhao Ningzhuo arrived at the gate of the Huo residence dressed neatly and properly, here to keep the appointment. He raised his hand and pressed the doorbell.
Uncle Zhong came to open the door.
Zhao Wenzhuo knew that Uncle Zhong had followed Old Master Huo since the early days and was deeply loyal, a capable man through and through. His grudge was only with Huo Beixing personally; there was no need to drag innocent people into it. So he maintained the proper courtesy toward the old gentleman. “Hello.”
Uncle Zhong smiled warmly. “Young Master Zhao, come in, come in. I already heard yesterday that our young master invited you over to play.”
Just then, An Yi came downstairs in casual clothes, clearly having just woken up. His hair was still messy and fluffy. When he saw Zhao Ningzhuo had arrived, he slowly lifted a hand and waved like a sloth.
“Good morning.”
An Yi had been awake for less than ten minutes. His face was still rosy from sleep. After seeing Zhao Ningzhuo, he made an effort to open his eyes wider and greeted him with a smile, like a little bear that had just wandered out of a forest strewn with morning light.
Zhao Ningzhuo stared at him for a few moments. Huo Beixing’s male wife was actually pretty good-looking. Though he was a man, he had a fair bit of beauty to him.
It was hard to put into words, but being around him just felt very natural.
Otherwise, Zhao Ningzhuo wouldn’t have tried so recklessly yesterday to pull him into his camp.
He had just been about to speak when An Yi continued, “It’s fine if it’s not good either. It’s already morning anyway.”
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
Following Uncle Zhong inside, Zhao Ningzhuo could tell that Uncle Zhong was deliberately trying to beautify Huo Beixing’s image in his mind, speaking of how well the two of them got along.
Uncle Zhong said, “When the young master said yesterday that you were coming today, he was thrilled.”
An Yi nodded like a pecking chick and immediately played along with Uncle Zhong. “Exactly. He was so happy he couldn’t sleep all night, just thinking about you coming over to play.”
At that moment, Huo Beixing came downstairs. When he saw Zhao Ningzhuo standing in the living room, he looked completely baffled. Zhao Ningzhuo looked up and saw him too.
Huo Beixing asked, “Why are you in my house?”
An Yi: …
Uncle Zhong: …
Zhao Ningzhuo: ……
To hell with your “good friend”!!!!
Luckily, Huo Beixing did remember that the other man was here to play. After breakfast, he began entertaining him.
Zhao Ningzhuo had originally planned to carry out his scheme, but who would have thought Huo Beixing would start taking him to play something as childish as origami.
Still, looking at Huo Beixing’s clumsy movements, Zhao Ningzhuo let out a cold snort. This time, he was definitely going to win.
Very soon, Huo Beixing folded a hat and placed it on Zhao Ningzhuo’s head.
Zhao Ningzhuo’s hand, which had been folding a space rocket, froze in place. He looked up at Huo Beixing in disbelief.
Huo Beixing ignored him. The paper moved quickly through his hands, folding and flipping, and before long he had another one done. He jumped to his feet and ran eagerly over to An Yi, who was watching TV off to the side, and offered it up like he was seeking credit.
“Wife, this is for you.”
An Yi put it on with the grandeur of a newly enthroned emperor.
Wealthy Frog.jpg
If Huo Beixing had a tail right then, it definitely would have been wagging like mad.
An Yi sprawled on the sofa, watching the two overgrown children over there folding paper. No matter how happy they looked, he had no intention of joining in.
Because…
Because he didn’t know how. 🙂
Zhao Ningzhuo had not expected Huo Beixing to fold one for him first, then one for his wife. This was clear proof that brothers ranked above wives. Watching Huo Beixing come back, he told him to fold one for himself too.
Zhao Ningzhuo pursed his lips, took the one off his own head, and said, “You can wear this one.”
Folding one was kind of a pain.
Huo Beixing looked disgusted. “No. Yours has creases.”
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
Dog bastard!
Did you hear that?! Dog bastard!!!!
Huo Beixing looked at the rocket Zhao Ningzhuo had folded. “What did you make?”
Zhao Ningzhuo answered, “The Tyrant.”
Huo Beixing said, “That’s so cool.”
A smug smile appeared on Zhao Ningzhuo’s face. “Of course.”
Looking at the other man’s innocent gaze, Zhao Ningzhuo suddenly felt like getting revenge on him didn’t really mean much. After all, what did a fool understand?
Thinking about it now, nursing a grudge for twenty years had really just been an obsession in his own heart. At first he hadn’t taken it seriously, but later he kept comparing himself with Huo Beixing at every turn, and because he kept losing, it stayed lodged in his mind.
Now that he thought about it, it was childish to the extreme. Huo Beixing had never actually wanted to compete with him, nor had he made things difficult for him everywhere. He was just a bit of a bastard as a person.
After a few seconds of silence, Zhao Ningzhuo asked, “Do you still remember stealing my girlfriend when we were kids?”
Huo Beixing shook his head. “I don’t remember. But I’m sorry.”
He truly didn’t remember any such thing, but if he had really done it, then he should apologize. Madam Zhu Shuxu had told him that when you do something wrong, the best thing is to apologize. Otherwise, as time goes by, you’ll lose a lot of things.
That single “I’m sorry” made Zhao Ningzhuo suddenly let go of it.
“It’s okay.”
Then he started chatting with Huo Beixing. “Actually, your wife is pretty good-looking too. Congratulations on getting married.”
After hearing that, Huo Beixing turned to look at him. “Then do you like him?”
Zhao Ningzhuo replied, “Yeah, I do.”
The moment he said it, even he froze, then turned stiffly to look at Huo Beixing.
Huo Beixing still looked as innocent as ever, and Zhao Ningzhuo let out a sigh of relief.
He probably hadn’t thought too much about it. Makes sense. Mentally, the guy was only a little brat between five and eight years old now. How could he understand all that love stuff?
Who knew that in the very next moment, Huo Beixing raised a hand and snatched the hat off Zhao Ningzhuo’s head.
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
Then he crushed his space rocket in one squeeze.
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
My Tyrant!!!!!
Huo Beixing looked at Zhao Ningzhuo with his whole body on guard. He didn’t want to play with him at all anymore. His entire face practically said, get out of my house.
Then he got up and stomped into the kitchen.
Zhao Ningzhuo turned to An Yi with a look of helpless appeal.
Teacher An Yi expressed his view: “It’s fine. Small scene. He’ll forget about it by himself in a minute.”
Very soon, Huo Beixing came back carrying their afternoon tea and snacks. He had brought Zhao Ningzhuo’s share too, which seemed to mean he wasn’t holding much of a grudge.
Huo Beixing set down the tray and started distributing the snacks on it. He gave An Yi his first, then took his own, and gave Zhao Ningzhuo the last one.
Three portions, divided evenly.
Only, when Zhao Ningzhuo looked at the steamed bun in his hand, he sank into deep thought.
The Huo family was such a huge and powerful clan, and this was the kind of plain, unadorned thing they ate?
A steamed bun counted as a snack?!
Zhao Ningzhuo turned to look at Huo Beixing and noticed the difference between theirs. Huo Beixing had a pastry. He had staple food.
Zhao Ningzhuo immediately lodged a protest. If every man isn’t for himself, then heaven and earth destroy him. “Why is my snack different from yours?”
Huo Beixing bit into his cream bun. “It’s not. They’re the same.”
Bullshit!
Then why didn’t his have filling?
Zhao Ningzhuo asked, “Is that cream in yours?”
Huo Beixing lied with a straight face. “No. Mine isn’t cooked.”
Zhao Ningzhuo asked, “Then why is mine cooked?”
Huo Beixing replied, “Yours is healthy.”
Zhao Ningzhuo craned his neck to look at the powdered sugar on An Yi’s pastry. “Then what’s that on his?”
Huo Beixing said, “Ice.”
Zhao Ningzhuo asked, “Then why don’t I have any?”
Huo Beixing replied, “Afraid you’ll get diarrhea.”
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
If you don’t want to let me eat it, then just say so!!!
Zhao Ningzhuo angrily ate his steamed bun. At least the black tea was fine.
By the time they finished afternoon tea, it was almost time for Where Does the Runaway Bride Run To? to air. An Yi had planned to stay on the sofa and watch the drama when the phone beside him suddenly rang.
The Number One Great Beauty in the Universe.
It was Gu Lingling calling. It was probably about work.
An Yi picked up the phone and got up, intending to go back to the study. After taking one step, he turned back to glance at Huo Beixing and Zhao Ningzhuo.
Thinking of the afternoon tea incident just now, Zhao Ningzhuo was still a guest no matter what.
An Yi instructed them, “You two have to get along nicely, okay?”
Huo Beixing smiled at An Yi and said, “We will.”
He looked utterly innocent and harmless, as if he posed no danger at all.
Zhao Ningzhuo: …
We will your ass.
He only wanted to go home.
Who would have thought that after An Yi left, Huo Beixing stopped giving him a hard time and instead asked if he wanted to watch the drama.
Seeing no immediate threat, Zhao Ningzhuo relaxed a little. “Whatever.”
Though he normally never watched TV dramas at all.
Huo Beixing used the remote to switch to the channel airing Where Does the Runaway Bride Run To?
Seeing that ridiculous Mary Sue title, Zhao Ningzhuo’s brow twitched. “Damn, who wants to watch this crap?”
But Huo Beixing had no intention of changing the channel. His attention was fixed on the screen. Zhao Ningzhuo looked conflicted. How was it that after turning stupid, the guy only watched weird stuff?
You watch it if you want. Anyway, I’m not watching.
Half an hour later.
Zhao Ningzhuo covered his face in emotion. “This is just too moving.”
Huo Beixing nodded in agreement.
Zhao Ningzhuo offered his post-viewing thoughts. “I feel so bad for the male lead’s brother. Loving and not getting it in return—I hope he gets a good ending.”
“Absolutely not!” Huo Beixing held a different opinion. “He wants to steal someone else’s wife.”
First speaker for the opposition, Zhao Ningzhuo: “But didn’t he fail to steal her? He realized he was wrong and stopped, didn’t he?!”
First speaker for the proposition, Huo Beixing: “Then he’s still a bad person.”
Zhao Ningzhuo: “He’s clearly a good person.”
“Bad person!”
“Good person!”
“Bad person!”
“Good pers—ahhh!!!”
Before Zhao Ningzhuo could finish, Huo Beixing smacked him.
Zhao Ningzhuo’s eyes widened. He stared at Huo Beixing in disbelief. You dare hit me?!
Then he sprang up and started fighting with him.
Ten minutes later…
Huo Beixing asked again, “Is he a good person or a bad person?!”
Zhao Ningzhuo cowered in a corner. “Bad person.”
That was more like it.
Huo Beixing was very satisfied with his answer.
But because his nose had accidentally hit the coffee table during the scuffle, Zhao Ningzhuo had tears springing out on the spot.
Looking at Huo Beixing’s smug expression, he was so mad his teeth itched.
“You got into a fight. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell your mom?!”
Huo Beixing looked disdainful and muttered, “I’m not a three-year-old child.”
Zhao Ningzhuo shouted, “Then I’ll tell your wife!!!”
Huo Beixing froze instantly.
All at once, he remembered what An Yi had told him yesterday in the changing room at the boxing gym.
Don’t fight so casually.
He had promised his wife. But just now he had gotten physical with Zhao Ningzhuo. He had broken their agreement.
Would his wife stop liking him for not keeping his promise? Would he refuse to have children with him now?
Huo Beixing instantly looked like life had lost all meaning. That handsome face of his went dazed.
“No… no…”
He pulled his mouth wide, terrified. “Don’t tell my wife, don’t!”
Watching the six-foot-two giant suddenly turn into a whimpering crybaby, Zhao Ningzhuo: …
Zhao Ningzhuo had never imagined that after being bullied to tears by this guy at age five, twenty years later he would get his revenge in exactly this way.
Sure enough, according to the law of conservation of energy, once he finished crying, it was Huo Beixing’s turn to cry.
—
An Yi returned to the study and answered the call.
“AN YI!!!!!”
A white flash instantly streaked through his mind. His ears buzzed like a television that had lost signal.
This little froggy’s ears are about to go deaf…
Gu Lingling’s surging, impassioned voice burst out of the phone speaker like a volcanic eruption.
“Do you know?! Do you know?!”
An Yi said, “I don’t know, I really don’t know.”
What exactly had happened?
Gu Lingling could barely suppress her excitement. “Do you remember the business card that little staff member gave us after we went to the brand headquarters for product selection?”
An Yi answered, “I remember.”
Though their designs hadn’t been chosen, their design style—and their shameless spirit—had successfully caught the attention of the creative director.
So when they left, he had given them a business card.
Gu Lingling had originally assumed that a creative director from such a major brand giving them his card was one of those things that happened one second and was forgotten the next. After all, they were just a newly established little studio. So what if their style was a bit fresh? The design world was not lacking in bold and novel things. She had thought it was just polite talk, but unexpectedly, today the assistant really had called Pink Crystal Girl’s Heart.
Gu Lingling relayed what had been said on the phone to An Yi. “Recently, a luxury brand rented a whole piece of land and is planning to hold a fashion show. They’ve already invited big names and producers from the fashion world, and that creative director was also invited to attend. He said he could bring a few extra people, and we got picked!!!”
The expression on An Yi’s face became animated too. “Really?!”
Such a pie-from-the-sky opportunity had actually landed on them.
Generally speaking, to be invited to this kind of fashion show, you either needed status in the fashion world, or background and standing. At the very least, you had to have commercial value.
And Pink Crystal Girl’s Heart had perfectly avoided all three.
What a coincidence. 🙂
Perfectly avoided every single one.
Gu Lingling said, “The assistant said the entry passes will be mailed to me tomorrow.”
With those passes, not only could they watch the show, they could also visit backstage. Pink Crystal Girl’s Heart would definitely benefit enormously from going. The amount they could learn would be immeasurable!
This was a broad and glorious road for their hard work upward, a priceless learning opportunity that couldn’t be forced.
Among the countless people struggling forward, this chance had fallen to Pink Crystal Girl’s Heart.
For a moment, An Yi’s hand holding the phone trembled lightly. When such an opportunity landed right in front of you, anyone would be overjoyed to the point of dizziness.
Gu Lingling added, “Oh, right, the assistant also said on the phone, how’s the sweet girl in our studio doing? Said that as fellow sweethearts, they were checking in. Since when did our studio even have a sweet girl?”
An Yi: …
That would be me.
Gu Lingling said, “Never mind that for now. Let’s have the studio gather tomorrow and discuss the whole show-attending thing properly.”
An Yi said okay. After hanging up, a smile curved his lips, and he threw himself backward onto the sofa in a leap of faith.
Everything was getting better.
He had known it. As long as he got through those earlier hardships, everything would get better.
He couldn’t help thinking of that time when he had just learned someone had stolen his identity. Even now, thinking back on it still made his heart pound with lingering fear. If he really hadn’t been able to withstand the blow and had mentally broken down, then none of what he had now would exist.
An Yi stayed in the study being happy for a long while before finally going downstairs to see what Huo Beixing and Zhao Ningzhuo were doing.
Who would have thought that only Huo Beixing remained on the living room sofa? Zhao Ningzhuo was already nowhere to be seen.
An Yi asked in confusion, “Where’s Mr. Zhao?”
Looking guilty, Huo Beixing said, “He went home.”
An Yi said, “Left in such a hurry? I thought he’d stay for dinner.”
Huo Beixing avoided looking at An Yi, pressing his lips together without saying anything.
Half an hour earlier, after turning into a whimpering crybaby, Huo Beixing realized that no matter what he said, Zhao Ningzhuo was determined to tell his wife about the fight.
And he had even said in a nasty tone, “Your wife doesn’t want you anymore.”
How could that be allowed?
So Huo Beixing changed his strategy and began taking a roundabout approach to save the situation. Since he couldn’t stop someone from tattling to his wife, then he’d just solve the tattler.
So Zhao Ningzhuo had been thrown out the door by Huo Beixing, and the driver had been ordered to hurry up and take him home.
Zhao Ningzhuo: 🙂
You sore loser.
Serves you right that your wife won’t bear you children!
Though he had chased the man away, Huo Beixing still felt guilty for lying to An Yi. His heart felt uneasy. Lying to people wasn’t a good thing. Madam Zhu Shuxu had taught him that if you lie to others, someday others will lie to you too.
What if his wife found out he had lied to him and stopped liking him?
Huo Beixing felt deeply unsettled inside.
“Wife.”
Hearing him suddenly call out, An Yi turned his head. “What’s wrong?”
Huo Beixing looked conflicted. His tall body edged closer to him. An Yi felt a little hot and shifted away. With this back-and-forth movement, An Yi successfully scooted himself right off the sofa and onto the floor.
An Yi: 🙂
So when Big Brother Huo sat on the ground back then, it really did hurt, huh.
Seeing that, Huo Beixing hurriedly reached out and fished An Yi back up. “Wife, are you okay?”
An Yi replied, “I’m fine.”
A mature adult would be fine.
Huo Beixing let out a breath of relief, though not completely, and looked at An Yi urgently. “Wife, will you always like me?”
Looking at his uneasy expression, An Yi asked, “What’s wrong?”
Huo Beixing said, “Nothing. I just want you to always like me. Is that okay?”
With his simple childlike mind, the things he said were only seeking a sense of security.
An Yi didn’t hesitate. He treated it like coaxing a child. “Of course it’s okay. We’re already married. I’ll always like you. Don’t I always split food in half with you and not with anyone else?”
Thinking about it, that did make sense. Only then did the huge stone in Huo Beixing’s heart finally fall away.
“Wife, you’re so good to me. In the future, I’ll definitely repay you fiercely.”
An Yi asked, “How will you repay me?”
Huo Beixing said, “I’ll have a soccer team with you.”
An Yi: …
No thanks. Generally speaking, when you do good deeds, you don’t ask for repayment. Little Froggy doesn’t ask for repayment either.
Early the next morning, when An Yi was heading out, it just so happened that Huo Beixing was also leaving for class. The driver first took Huo Beixing to the swimming center, then followed the address An Yi gave and dropped him off at the city center park.
Today the sun was shining brightly, the breeze was gentle, and even the little birds flying overhead seemed to be congratulating him.
Handsome boy, your studio’s luck has turned.
The Pink Girl’s Heart studio was spread all over the city; one could even say it had no fixed abode. In Lin Jiu’s chuunibyou declaration, wherever they were, that was where Pink Crystal Girl’s Heart was.
An Yi hadn’t walked far in before he saw Gu Lingling and Lin Jiu waiting under a tree. Hearing footsteps, they both raised their heads and looked toward him.
The sound of the wind moving through the air brushed past their ears.
The two of them smiled and opened their arms toward An Yi.
“Come.”
An Yi didn’t hesitate in the slightest and ran straight to them.
Two minutes later, a mother and daughter passed by. The little girl looked curiously at the distant scene of apparent atavism.
“Mommy, what are they doing?”
The mother looked at the three primitive humans making monkey noises: …
Could she say she didn’t understand either?
Maybe the three of them just had a deep love for ancient civilization.
Once the celebration was over, the three of them held an important meeting under the tree about attending the show. Everyone spoke in turn, and after setting a few small goals, they disbanded and agreed to stay in touch by phone.
Lin Jiu asked, “What if we can’t reach each other by phone?”
An Yi said, “Then we’ll write letters.”
Gu Lingling asked, “What if we can’t reach each other by letter either?”
Lin Jiu raised his hand. I know this one.
An Yi said, “Comrade, go ahead.”
Lin Jiu made a heart shape in front of his chest. “We’ll be connected by telepathy.”
Gu Lingling: …
Don’t say I know the two of you.
On the way back, An Yi bought a popsicle from a small roadside shop and decided to walk home.
He was still secretly delighted over the opportunity the studio had received. While waiting at a traffic light, he saw a familiar figure across the street.
Wasn’t that little dummy?
Huo Xiao was holding a sheet of paper in his hand, looking troubled, his brows tightly furrowed as he stared down at his phone, as if he were in a difficult situation.
Huo Xiao took a deep breath, then dialed his father’s number.
The call was answered quickly.
A steady, seasoned voice came from the receiver. “Have the competition results come out? What prize level?”
Huo Xiao found it hard to say. He had thought he had victory in the bag, but his score had missed first prize. He had been one point behind the top scorer. He had never allowed this kind of mistake to happen to himself. He felt ashamed, and he couldn’t bring himself to tell his father, who had always placed such high hopes on him.
Huo Xiao didn’t show his dejection. His voice was calm. “No. It was second prize.”
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. “Next time, you need to work harder, understand?”
Huo Xiao answered, “Yes.”
He didn’t want this kind of thing to happen again either. He could clearly do better.
“Huo Xiao, you also know that our family has never lacked hardworking people. I hope you won’t make this kind of mistake again.”
Huo Xiao promised, “I won’t.”
But that one phrase, “our family,” placed invisible pressure on him. He wanted so badly to stand out in the exceptionally talented Huo family. He wanted to catch up to the pace of his elders, but sometimes even taking a breath felt exhausting.
After hanging up, Huo Xiao looked down at the test paper in his hand.
Two points short of full marks.
It really was…
“You actually did really well.”
Huo Xiao’s pupils contracted. He whipped his head around and saw An Yi’s mysteriously silly smile.
An Yi smiled like a fool. “Hi~ cousin-in-law’s younger cousin.”
Huo Xiao: …
Who is your cousin.
He had been about to leave. How had he run into him here?
But An Yi started walking beside him.
Huo Xiao frowned. “Why are you following me?”
An Yi: ???
Because this was the direction home.
He had just come over to greet an acquaintance out of politeness when he saw him, only to find the other man staring gloomily at his test paper.
No sooner had Huo Xiao finished speaking than his stomach let out a loud growl. His face instantly flushed red, and he turned to leave.
But An Yi caught hold of him. “Let’s go eat something.”
It was just about noon anyway, and he was hungry too.
Huo Xiao said, “Why should I go with you?”
An Yi said, “My treat.”
Huo Xiao wanted to refuse, but An Yi didn’t give him the chance to speak. He pointed at the test paper. “You did well on your exam. As a reward, your elder is taking you out for food.”
Huo Xiao stood there, stunned for a moment, unable to believe what he had just heard.
Fifteen minutes later, the two of them were sitting by the window in McDonald’s.
Huo Xiao: …
His expression looked ugly. “Why did you bring me to a place like this?”
An Yi glanced around. The smell of fried chicken filled the air. A place like this? Wasn’t it pretty good?
An Yi said, “What’s wrong with it? It’s nice, isn’t it?”
For the children back in mountain villages, if they could eat even one bite of this so-called fried chicken fast food, they’d be over the moon. An Yi had been curious too, so after being dragged into the big city, he ended up eating fried chicken and burgers every now and then.
It really was addictive.
An Yi got up to fetch their food from the counter. When he came back, Huo Xiao was still wearing a sour expression.
With a lofty sense of principle, Huo Xiao declared, “I don’t eat junk food.”
An Yi lowered his head and looked at the fried chicken and cola in his hands. “This isn’t junk food.”
Huo Xiao said, “There’s nothing healthy about it.”
An Yi muttered, “What’s unhealthy about it? It’s whole wheat. There isn’t even any KFC in it.”
Huo Xiao: …
Author’s Note:
Huo Dashan: I will repay you handsomely in the future.
Little frog: How will you repay me?
Huo Dashan: Do it fiercely.
Little frog: Ribbit ribbit ribbit? ? ?
