Chapter 41: Wagging His Tail
Seeing how kind and easygoing the man seemed, An Yi finally let go of the worry hanging in his heart. Back when he had first gone to the Huo family banquet, that whole incident had put him on display from every possible angle, and he’d already learned just how resistant the Huo family was to the idea of a male daughter-in-law entering the family.
He had never met Huo Nanxun before, so he had no idea what kind of attitude the man might hold toward him, and that was why he’d been nervous. But now that he’d seen him, he realized he had worried for nothing. This elegant old gentleman in front of him looked fairly easy to get along with.
But the truth was not as it first appeared.
The moment the words left his mouth, Huo Nanxun’s face went as ugly as if he’d just swallowed a mouthful of ash. He shut his eyes in regret. The greeting had come out entirely on instinct. When he first caught sight of the person, he hadn’t reacted in time and had honestly thought the one Huo Beixing had brought back was a girl.
An Yi’s face had many soft lines. His jawline was clear, but unlike most men’s, it wasn’t hard or sharp. His eyes were dark, bright, and a little round, curving into half-moons when he smiled. His features were bright and neat, his teeth white and even, and because his skin was so fair, it made both his eyes and his hair look especially black. The straw hat on his head pressed his hair obediently down over his forehead.
That tacky bright-red flower looked unexpectedly fitting on him. His eyelashes fluttered when he blinked, and when he smiled at someone, it was sunny and charming, the kind of face even older people would instinctively find pleasing.
If not for the fact that he was one meter eighty-two tall and his voice clearly didn’t match a girl’s, then at a glance, he really could have passed for one.
Huo Nanxun drew in a deep breath.
It was all those two rotten sons’ fault. All their fault.
One worked too much and refused to marry. The other had gotten married, but his wife couldn’t bear children. It had driven his longing for a daughter and granddaughter so badly off course that he was nearly going mad. Otherwise how could he have mistaken a boy for a girl?
It was all their fault.
He himself, naturally, had nothing to do with it.
There was another reason behind that reflex too—his previous impressions. The Huo family valued family conduct, and there was no shortage of old-fashioned feudal rubbish in the household. They believed that a man ought to look like a man. In private, no one cared how you behaved, but at least on the surface you still had to put on the proper act. Otherwise, the elders were bound to give you a talking-to.
The old master’s generation hated most of all the sight of a man lacking manly spirit. To inherit the Huo family, you had to be able to shoulder real responsibility. Imagine going out to discuss business while delicately cocking your pinky finger in the air—what kind of nonsense would that be?
So the men of the Huo family, from the youngest to the oldest, all paid a great deal of attention to their outer appearance. All of them had the habit of working out and maintaining themselves, and physically they all looked healthy and strong. On top of that, the family had been blessed with excellent body genes—broad shoulders, long legs, large frames. Add years of fitness on top of that, and every single one of them looked more solid than the next.
The kind who could punch one alien to death with each fist.
Having grown used to looking at hulking men like Huo Zhanlin and Huo Beixing all the time, Huo Nanxun’s eyes had become accustomed to that sort of visual standard. So when he turned around and saw small-framed An Yi, it was hard not to feel that he looked slight. Add in the fact that An Yi’s face was small too, and he seemed even more different. That was how Huo Nanxun had mistaken him for a girl.
Especially since Huo Beixing was still standing nearby as a comparison.
So it really wasn’t his fault for seeing wrong. There was a traceable logic to it all.
Now that he’d mishandled the initial attitude, he naturally couldn’t possibly acknowledge the other party now, much less continue giving him a pleasant expression. Huo Nanxun immediately withdrew his smile and gave a cold snort. “What kind of look is it for a grown man to wear flowers?”
Then his gaze landed on An Yi’s thin arms and slender legs.
This child was too skinny.
Had he never eaten properly before? Or did he live on nothing but porridge?
There had never been a man like this in the Huo family.
At a glance, he looked difficult to raise.
A man, and difficult to raise at that.
Divorce!
Hearing that, Huo Beixing looked over at Huo Nanxun and frowned, somewhat unhappy. “Doesn’t it look good?”
Huo Nanxun seized the chance, intending to viciously humiliate this male daughter-in-law, and said directly, “No, it doesn’t look good. Terrible taste. Ugly as death.”
Huo Beixing pouted. “I picked it.”
Huo Nanxun: ……
Huo Beixing: “No taste. I’m cutting ties with you.”
Huo Nanxun: ……
Who exactly had no taste here?
You unfilial brat, you shouldn’t have come at all!!!
After the greetings were over, Zhu Shu first told the two of them to go to their room and rest, and that they could come down later for afternoon tea.
The moment the words were spoken, Huo Beixing picked up the room card and led An Yi to the floor where their room was.
Once inside, perhaps because he’d already seen so much of the world by now, An Yi wasn’t especially shocked by the luxurious presidential suite.
He immediately lowered his head and smiled.
He really was getting more and more used to this sort of thing.
As expected of you, Wealthy Frog.
As soon as Huo Beixing entered the room, he went straight to the balcony and looked out at the azure sea outside.
His voice was eager and lively. “Wife, let’s go swimming later. I’ll take you.”
He remembered that An Yi couldn’t swim, which was perfect. He could teach him.
That way, his wife would definitely praise him.
Just thinking of that scene made Huo Beixing grin foolishly to himself.
Looking at the sea outside, An Yi also felt a little tempted. Without even thinking, he agreed. Though he couldn’t swim, there was a great invention in this world.
A swim ring!
When they went out later to buy one, he could also check whether there were any clothing shops nearby and pick up some everyday clothes.
—
At afternoon tea time, Huo Nanxun sat in a booth with his wife waiting for the two of them. He absolutely had to make his position clear. His son might be stupid, but he wasn’t.
Of course, he wasn’t planning to say it directly in front of everyone. After tea, he intended to find that An family boy alone, speak plainly, and make him stop entertaining any unrealistic fantasies. His own attitude represented that of most of the Huo family.
Not far away, Huo Zhanfeng came over with his youngest daughter to eat dessert, and Huo Nanxun cast over a deeply envious glance.
How wonderful.
Huo Xiaoxi was twenty-one this year, a true little cotton-padded jacket for her father. A few days ago, she had gone shell-collecting with her girlfriends and even brought back half of a dead shell for Huo Zhanfeng. That was the only spoils she had gotten, yet Huo Zhanfeng had shown it off to him for ages, saying that as children grew older, daughters still thought of their fathers, and there was no helping it—daughters were simply more considerate than sons.
Huo Nanxun had felt so envious he nearly turned green.
His own two sons? Forget shells. They wouldn’t even bring him a piece of cardboard, much less think of him.
A short while later, Huo Beixing brought An Yi downstairs for afternoon tea. He finished his own dessert, then turned his eyes to the portion in front of Huo Nanxun, which hadn’t yet been touched.
He opened his mouth directly. “I want it.”
There wasn’t a trace of room for refusal in that tone.
Huo Nanxun: “…Why don’t you take your wife’s?!”
Huo Beixing replied, “If I eat it, what’s my wife supposed to eat?”
Huo Nanxun: ……
Then what the hell is your father supposed to eat?!
Can’t you just order another one?!
An Yi noticed and looked over at Huo Beixing. “Do you still want more?”
As he spoke, he cut his own cake in half and handed one portion to Huo Beixing. “Go ahead.”
Married property belonged jointly to the couple.
Huo Beixing looked like a wagging-tail dog. “Wife, you’re so good.”
He scooted a little closer to An Yi, so happy he seemed to be bubbling over, and then immediately burst into song.
“In this world only wife is good~ Children with a wife are like little bundles~”
Huo Nanxun: ……
I think you look like a little bundle.
After singing, Huo Beixing happily turned and asked An Yi, “Wife, do I sing well?”
An Yi gave him a polite smile. “You sing well.”
But next time, please don’t sing anymore.
Watching Huo Beixing constantly showing off and currying favor, Huo Nanxun could barely stand to look. Ever since he’d gone stupid, it was as if he’d thrown away all sense of self. Sure, before, he had been wild—but he hadn’t followed around behind a man like this, wagging his tail.
Huo Nanxun was so furious at the wasted potential that he almost wished he had no such son.
What promise.
What promise!
Once afternoon tea was over, Huo Nanxun began to act. He had spent years dominating the business world. What sort of storms had he not weathered? Dealing with some young boy from a mountain ravine was as easy as crushing an ant beneath his foot. With the slightest bit of strategy, he could make this brat wake up to reality.
Huo Nanxun rose to his feet and said coldly, “An Yi, come with me.”
Because Huo Nanxun directly called him by name, and as this was their first time meeting today, An Yi simply assumed the man wanted to know him a little better. He didn’t think too much of it. After all, Huo Nanxun had made a decent first impression on him, and he found him fairly easy to get along with. Judging from the way the man was standing, he was about to head out, so An Yi promptly put his big red flowered straw hat back on his head.
Even Little Frog approved of it.
Seeing this, Huo Beixing immediately stood up. “I’m coming too.”
Huo Nanxun snapped, “What are you coming for?”
Huo Beixing replied, “I’m going with my wife.”
Huo Nanxun said, “Your wife doesn’t need you following him. Go stay somewhere cooler.”
If Huo Beixing came too, then this whole outing was certain to collapse. No matter what, he absolutely couldn’t let him come along.
So Huo Nanxun stood at the door waiting. The moment An Yi came out, he led him in the direction of the beach.
This stretch of beach had been contracted by the hotel, so only hotel guests could access it. At a glance there weren’t too many people on it, but not too few either, most of them young.
Huo Nanxun took him walking a little farther along the seaside, conveniently enjoying the ocean breeze as well. Since it was An Yi’s first time seeing the sea, his spirits were excited, and everything felt new and curious. Tentatively, he used his jio to test the seawater with his foot. It was icy and cool. If not for the fact that he couldn’t swim, he would’ve flung himself into a passionate, fiery American-style embrace with the ocean right then and there.
Huo Nanxun mulled over his choice of words for a moment, then prepared to strike. The plan was to dismantle the other person from spirit to soul.
In a quiet, deliberate tone, he began, “You’re called An Yi, right? I’ve heard your current job is as a designer in some nameless studio, and your works aren’t particularly famous either. As for your ability and future prospects, I won’t make a final judgment. But the Huo family has always been strict with its own people. Results like yours wouldn’t even count for anything among the younger generation. Of course, I have no expectations that you’ll improve either. After all, everyone has their limit. And the reason I don’t place any hopes in you is because I fundamentally do not recognize your right to enter the Huo family. I hope you remember that clearly. What the Huo family needs is someone capable, not merely someone with the right birth chart.”
Huo Nanxun was extremely satisfied with this perfect speech. As soon as he finished, he turned his head, intending to observe the other person’s reaction.
Only to discover that the space beside him was completely empty.
No one there~~~~
Huo Nanxun: ……
Where was he?!!!
Huo Nanxun hurriedly spun around, only to see An Yi crouched not far away, still wearing his big red flowered hat, digging furiously into the sand with both hands.
A moment later, he seemed to find something. Sitting down right there on the beach, he lifted the item high. Once he got a clear look at it, his eyes lit up and his mouth rounded into an O.
Earlier, while walking, An Yi had suddenly felt something poke the sole of his foot. Lowering his head, he spotted a hard little corner sticking out of the sand. The sunlight hit it and reflected a sort of iridescent glow. It was some rare thing he had never seen before. Since it was his first time at the beach, he was curious about everything, so he immediately dug it out.
After all, his foot couldn’t be poked for nothing.
Holding the object, wearing his big red flowered hat, An Yi looked up at Huo Nanxun.
“Dad, what’s this?”
He knew the thing in his hand was a shell, but the color looked so strange and beautiful. It wasn’t like the white shells he’d seen in pictures before.
Huo Nanxun walked over and glanced at it. “This is a purple shell. It comes from shellfish that live in the deep sea. It’s famous for being purple all over, and it’s relatively rare.”
When he heard that, An Yi looked at him with open gratitude and generously praised him. “Dad, you know so much.”
Caught by the admiration in An Yi’s eyes, Huo Nanxun froze for a second. Then, because the boy so clearly hadn’t seen much of the world, he forced a stern face and said, “That’s nothing special. Anyone can know it if they learn a bit.”
An Yi examined the purple shell carefully. “This is the first shell I’ve ever seen. And it’s purple too.”
Looking out at the rippling horizon, Huo Nanxun said, “You’re lucky. Usually, this kind of shell can’t be found.”
An Yi asked, “Really?”
“Of course.”
If anyone could just find one whenever they wanted, then what kind of rare shell would it be?
The next moment, An Yi said, “Then you can have it, Dad.”
Huo Nanxun froze. “What?”
An Yi reached out and stuffed the shell into Huo Nanxun’s hand. “This is for you, Dad. I’ll find another one later. I heard you can find conchs too, and they say if it’s a really big conch, you can hear the sound of the sea inside it. Is that true?”
Like some endlessly curious child, An Yi circled around Huo Nanxun peppering him with questions.
Of course not. People only say that to fool children.
Huo Nanxun was just about to open his mouth and shatter the other person’s fantasy when he met An Yi’s expectant, obedient little face.
He really did look so much like a daughter…
“Dad, can you really hear it?”
Huo Nanxun said, “…You can.”
After that, Huo Nanxun ended up walking up and down the beach behind An Yi, stopping every so often.
“Dad, what’s this?”
“Dad, can you eat this?”
“Dad, this is so amazing!”
“Dad, look, look…”
Though in the end they didn’t find any more shells, nor any conch, Huo Nanxun still followed behind him giving him explanation after explanation, completely forgetting what he had come out here to do in the first place.
An Yi was considerate and obedient to an extreme. Every time he saw something, he looked for Huo Nanxun first, asking him what it was. Huo Nanxun almost felt as though he’d become a father for the third time, teaching someone again.
Looking at the admiring smile on An Yi’s face, Huo Nanxun felt as though he himself had grown taller.
Wasn’t this a hundred times better than those two damned brats?
If only An Yi were a girl, it would be even better. Then he’d resemble a daughter even more.
So much so that by later on, Huo Nanxun had become positively serene, holding the shell An Yi had found for him.
When they returned to the hotel, he didn’t throw the shell away or toss it aside somewhere. Instead, he placed it carefully on the table in the lounge area.
Not long after An Yi came back with him, Huo Beixing dragged him off to the beach again to build sandcastles.
Huo Zhanfeng entered the VIP lounge and spotted Huo Nanxun at once. Walking over, his gaze fell on the shell sitting on the table. “Where did that purple shell come from?”
Yesterday, Huo Nanxun had been the one listening to him show off the half-shell his daughter had picked up.
Half a shell—did that even count as a shell?
Huo Nanxun laughed a few times and said with deliberate nonchalance, “Oh, nothing much. An Yi came over today, didn’t he? He found it just now on the beach. Lucky boy, he actually found a purple shell. Then he gave it to me.”
Huo Zhanfeng thought back to the engagement banquet and remembered An Yi. “That child found a purple shell and gave it to you? Why didn’t he keep it for himself?”
In full Versailles mode, Huo Nanxun replied, “I don’t know why he insisted on giving it to me. The child’s just filial, and there’s really nothing I can do about that. I didn’t want to take it at first. Oh right, what kind of shell was it again that Xiaoxi picked up for you yesterday?”
Huo Zhanfeng: ……
Damn it, he’d really managed to show off.
Winning back one round from Huo Zhanfeng made Huo Nanxun feel refreshed all over. The more he looked at the purple shell on the table, the more pleasing it seemed.
Truly, though this child An Yi didn’t have much life experience or any real accomplishments, he treated people with a very genuine sincerity.
He’d grown up in the mountains and this had been the first shell he’d ever seen. Instead of keeping it, he’d given it to him.
Really, how thoughtful.
Huo Nanxun took a sip of black tea.
There was only this one purple shell.
His foolish son probably didn’t even have one.
Huo Nanxun felt secretly pleased.
Just then, that foolish son returned from outside, intending to grab some water to take back out for An Yi.
Around his neck hung a string of brightly colored shells, which An Yi had just gathered, threaded together, and hung around Huo Beixing’s neck.
As he passed Huo Nanxun, his gaze landed on the lone purple shell sitting on the table.
The two locked eyes.
Huo Beixing curled his lip in open ridicule.
“Heh.”
Huo Nanxun: ……
