Chapter 5: 5

The Huo family’s main house was an hour’s drive from the Chu residence. It was closer to the city center, and also closer to the private school where Ye Ci was currently studying, making it more convenient to attend school.

The main building where the previous patriarch had lived was weathered. It did not show signs of decline, but instead embodied the weight of several generations of the family’s noble ancestry. Two annex buildings for servants were attached to both sides of the main house, hidden among fountains, pastureland, and well-manicured garden shrubs. Chu Wenlin’s house looked a little shabby in comparison.

Ye Ci got out of the car, and several servants trotted out to quietly carry the luggage. The housekeeper, Uncle He, smiled kindly. Afraid that Ye Ci would be uncomfortable, Huo Tinglan had instructed him to deliberately not use post-marriage addresses such as “Mr.”, but to instead call him “Young Master Ye.” He led Ye Ci into the main building and came to the bedroom specially remodeled for him.

The square footage of the bedroom was more than double that of his small room in the Chu residence. It was said to have been renovated, but the main changes were the furniture and decorations. All of the best environmentally friendly materials were used, and a professional team had also been hired to remove all harmful substances from the decorations. Even an Alpha’s dog nose could not detect the slightest odor.

The main colors of light blue and warm gray gave off a simple and clean sense of youth. Smart central air-conditioning was readily available, and there were separate areas for sleeping, playing, and studying in the bedroom. This was Huo Tinglan’s intent – Ye Ci was new here, and if something was lacking, or if there was something he wanted to do, he may not dare to voice it. If the functionality of the bedroom was more complete, he would feel a little less awkward.

There were several brand new skateboards hanging on the wall behind the bed, and on the left side of the display case was a row of star-autographed F1 models. There was even an autographed F1 helmet that was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in Paris last year. On the right side was a stack of painted models such as mecha race cars, still in the packaging. A huge projection screen hung on the wall opposite the bed, connected to several game consoles. A row of light-colored ash bookshelves stood against the wall in the study area, half full of books. Most were famous Chinese and foreign books, and high school study materials . . . .

There was a lot of stuff in the bedroom, but it didn’t feel cluttered. Every detail was an attempt to please a boy of Ye Ci’s age . . . . no, it was as if it was precisely made for Ye Ci himself.

Ye Ci was stunned as he looked around the room. He liked everything in here, but he just stood frozen in the doorway, motionless.

He didn’t truly think that such a well-decorated bedroom would have anything to do with him.

“This is your room, I got someone to redesign it.” The design plans were made by Huo Tinglan himself, and he was familiar with every corner of it. The furnishings in the room, the bedding and books, and even the clothing, shoes, socks, and underwear in the closet . . . . no matter how big or small, everything was chosen by him. In order to avoid Ye Ci’s suspicion, he looked around slowly, pretending to be unfamiliar with it. “I didn’t know what a boy your age would like, and time was limited. I’ll let you look around at the layout, and you can tell me if you need anything, don’t be polite . . . .” Seeing Ye Chi standing at the door, unmoving, his dashing black eyes look straight at him as he said, “Come in.”

Ye Ci didn’t want to appear timid, so he straightened up and stepped inside. It didn’t take long for him to lose his courage again, and he didn’t know where to place his feet.

He knew that according to the marriage agreement, he would live in the Huo residence long-term, and that before Ye Hongjun’s condition was stable, he would not file for separation. He calculated that it was necessary for him to live here for three to five years, and he also knew that for Huo Tinglan, renovating the room was just a matter of following the agreement. But in his opinion, this kind of treatment was still too . . . . elaborate.

The grandness of it left him at a loss.

Seeing that Ye Ci was so restrained that he was about to become a sculpture, Huo Tinglan thoughtfully did not linger. After a few simple explanations, he took Uncle He away and closed the door.

Ye Ci watched him leave, and noticed that the door frame was also installed with the kind of anti-theft latch commonly found in hotel rooms. He didn’t know if they were in every bedroom in the house or if Huo Tinglan saw past his defenses and put it there so that he could sleep at night with peace of mind. . . . as if emphasizing that he wouldn’t do anything at night.

It should be . . . . in regard to . . . .

Ye Ci grasped his hair, restless with anxiety and inexplicably embarrassed.

. . . . . . 

Uncle He left first to prepare dinner. Huo Tinglan had replaced a few chefs some time ago, and at present, all of the chefs were specially poached from elsewhere by Uncle He according to his instructions and given high salaries. Those people started work soon after, but Uncle He was not at ease and had a habit of monitoring them when they prepared meals in the morning, noon, and evening.

Huo Tinglan didn’t leave, but quietly stood outside Ye Ci’s room.

Through repeated coaxing and deceiving, he had finally brought him home.

. . . . It felt like kidnapping a child.

The corners of Huo Tinglan’s lips tilted up slightly, somewhat self-deprecating.

A little Omega in the early stage of secondary differentiation, his pheromones were still weak. Only a faint wisp of warm vanilla could be vaguely caught from the crack in the door.

The scent of Ye Ci in his memory.

Huo Tinglan took a deep breath and silently pressed his forehead against the door, caressing the door panel with his fingertips as if stroking the teenager’s emaciated spine.

As a top Alpha, Huo Tinglan’s five senses were extremely sensitive. He could clearly hear the slight noises Ye Ci made in the bedroom.

Ye Ci was walking around with the mentality of being under someone else’s roof. His steps were very light, like a kitten, stopping and going curiously.

He was very greedy for the things in the showcase, but just stood there looking at them for a while until he was satisfied. Then he conscientiously went to the writing table in the reading area and took reference books out of his school bag, stacking them on the table.

Then, there was a soft sigh.

The rustle of pages turning.

The crisp click of a ballpoint pen.

It was probably due to the new environment that he temporarily couldn’t read the book, and the movement in front of the desk stopped after a while.

Then, from inside the room came the small sound of a zipper sliding and polyester fabric swishing.

This was the sound of . . . . undressing.

Possibly to change into comfortable house clothes.

Huo Tinglan closed his eyes.

He shouldn’t be here anymore.

Five years of loving marriage had gone up in smoke and only existed in memory. To Ye Ci, he was now just an unfamiliar Alpha, but he was standing outside the door full of unspeakable love, eavesdropping on the subtle noises caused by the rubbing of fabric in the room. . . . it was rather distasteful, behaving like an old scoundrel. Huo Tinglan was self-deprecating, but his feet took root. In an ironed suit and trousers, he was firmly stuck in place, a neatly-dressed scoundrel.

At this time, Ye Ci was halfway through dressing and stopped abruptly.

More cat-like footsteps sounded, getting closer and closer.

Huo Tinglan held his breath and was about to back away, but suddenly there was a “click” from behind the door. Two crisp sounds rang . . . . the lock and the anti-theft latch, Ye Ci did it in one go.

“. . . . . .”

Huo Tinglan was stunned for a moment, and then snorted.

This . . . . was he afraid of him rushing in?

Huo Tinglan’s chest was hot and rapidly heaved up and down twice. It was like his unspeakable thoughts had been seen through.

– – He would like to.

. . . . . .

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The next day, Ye Ci woke up late.

Seeing that it was almost time to leave and there was no movement in Ye Ci’s bedroom, the housekeeper, Uncle He, had to knock on the door himself to wake him up.

Breakfast was ready. Ye Ci hurriedly washed up and changed clothes, and sat down at the table, rubbing his foggy eyes.

He hadn’t rested well last night, and his sleep was light and fragmented.

Years of lacking a sense of safety in life caused him to take longer than the average person to familiarize himself with the new environment. His nerves were also tense after going to bed, and the first night in a new place was definitely not a good night’s sleep.

Ye Ci’s breakfast was already placed on the dining table.

Huo Tinglan knew Ye Ci’s preferences like the back of his hand: His appetite was larger than the average Omega, and he preferred meat. In particular, he liked to eat fish, shrimp, crab, and other seafood. He liked sweets and tropical fruits, and he couldn’t put the brakes on his mouth after a bite of ripe pineapple shakya[1]. . . . the chef got a detailed list. The two small workers who began the work got up before dawn to dismantle the crabs, and brought three small pots of fresh crab material to the national first-class pastry chef specially poached by Huo Tinglan, and he steamed two drawers of xiaolongbao[2]. Crab meat, crab roe, and soft crab shell were the three fillings, each with its own flavor. Uncle He originally wanted to take credit, but he didn’t expect Ye Ci’s lack of interest in the xiaolongbao. He controlled himself, averted his eyes from it, and only went to scoop up the fish filet porridge.

After scooping up a bowl, he drank the porridge and picked up a few side dishes with chopsticks.

“Young Master He doesn’t like eating crab?” Uncle He asked anxiously.

That wasn’t what Huo Tinglan put on the list for the back kitchen.

“. . . . it’s okay,” Ye Ci said vaguely.

Uncle He had served the Huo family for most of his life. He had a bright mind, and could see that the status of this young master in the eyes of the master was quite unusual. He didn’t dare to neglect him at all, persuading carefully: “This is what Mr. Huo ordered the kitchen to prepare for you, just thinking that you would like it . . . .”

Ye Ci hummed softly, still drinking porridge and eating vegetables.

Uncle He was in a dilemma when Huo Tinglan walked down from the second floor into the dining room.

He must have just rushed through a shower. The hair across his forehead fell naturally, and was particularly jet black because of the moisture. His face was handsome and dazzling, and the wrists extending from the cuffs of his bathrobe had distinct blue veins. This was his state after waking up in the morning and exercising.

– – Those desires that were particularly tumultuous in the early morning had to have an outlet.

Ye Ci immersed himself in eating and pretended not to notice his arrival, when in actuality, his ears were almost standing up like a rabbit in a hole who had spotted an eagle.

An Alpha’s pheromone concentration briefly increased after exercise, and the strong fragrance of tequila scorched Ye Ci’s exposed skin, irritating it and turning it excessively red.

Faced with the highly erosive pheromones of an A+ grade Alpha, even an Omega that matched him 100% needed an adjustment period.

“Morning.” Huo Tinglan’s gaze fell gently on the tip of Ye Ci’s hot red ear.

Ye Ci swallowed a big mouthful of porridge with difficulty, and pretended to be calm: “Morning.”

Huo Tinglan couldn’t bear to see Ye Ci so nervous that he couldn’t eat well. Just as he was about to withdraw, Ye Ci pushed the bowl away and stood up, saying inarticulately: “I . . . finished eating.”

In a hurry, he was reluctant to waste food and drank the bowl of porridge into which his spoon had been dipped. He gobbled down the last few sips, his cheeks bulging slightly.

“You’re finished . . . .” Huo Tinglan paused. Sweeping his eyes across the two drawers of xiaolongbao, he was slightly startled. He had conjectures in his heart, but didn’t show it on his face, and just said lightly, “How are you such a picky eater?”

“I’m going -” Ye Ci hurriedly grabbed his school bag. “ – I’m going to be late.”

He was used to living a poverty-stricken life. From a young age, resources had been deficient and his mother’s huge medical bills weighed heavily on his heart, the road ahead uncertain . . . . on the occasion that he saw such costly and exquisite food, he didn’t dare to move.

He was afraid of remembering the taste of good things, in case he would miss them often in the future.

The more desires someone had, the weaker they were.

“Don’t be in such a hurry, just ask the driver to drive faster.” Huo Tinglan looked at him with a soft heart. “Bring some milk and fruit to eat on the road . . . .”

Uncle He chased after him and stuffed the bottled milk and sealed box that had been prepared in advance into Ye Ci’s arms. In the box was sliced fruit, cored and peeled and cut into small pieces. Ye Ci took it in a daze and slipped away.

If it weren’t for manners, he feared he could have run a 100-meter sprint.

Huo Tinglan sighed deeply.

Ye Ci’s vigilance seemed to be stronger than in the previous life. But those pale eyes that kept stealing glances at him were also much more lively and bright than in the previous life.

Timid, but also bright. The flames burning in his eyes had not gone out.

. . . . . . 

On the other side, Ye Ci got into the car, sat in the back seat, and finally caught his breath.

Faintly, the aggressive fragrance of tequila still lingered in his nose.

He lowered the window a crack and looked down at the sealed box that he had received at some point.

He didn’t eat his fill that morning, and his belly was still half empty. After hesitating, he opened the lid and looked at the fruit inside.

The milky white lumpy flesh, which he had never seen before, smelled a bit like a pineapple.

Ye Ci picked up a piece doubtfully and turned it left and right.

. . . . What was this thing?

Ten minutes later, the car slowly parked diagonally opposite the school gate, and the driver went around back to open the door: “Young Master Ye, here we are.”

In the back seat of the car, Ye Ci glanced at the driver as if waking up from a dream.

Immediately, he wiped the milky white juice of the pineapple sakya from his lips and hurriedly stuffed the empty box into his school bag as if he was guilty of something.

[1] A green-skinned hybrid fruit that tastes like pineapple mixed with other flavors. ⮐

[2] A kind of steamed dumpling. ⮐

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