Ch8Little Wild Cat
Xla Wan swallowed nervously, feeling that this misunderstanding had to be cleared up thoroughly. He can't let it go on like this.
Just as he was about to speak and clear this out, an image suddenly popped into his mind.
It was Huo Yu from the morning -calm, relaxed, and full of confidence-when he said he would prepare two sets of agreements. He didn't rush his words or act worried at all. He was so casual, like everything was already under control.
It didn't feel like the other party was asking him to marry him. It felt like he already knew he would say yes to the proposal.
Now Xia Wan couldn't help but wonder-how much money had he actually put in that marriage agreement?
Id he really agreed to Huo Yu's proposition... then in return, he'd be getting paid for all his effort too?
He'd get money-not just for marrying someone, but also for everything that came with it. Dealing with the Huo family, pretending to be close, playing along with Huo Yu's plans...
Wasn't that basically doing a side job?
Xia Wan rested his chin on his hand, and suddenly a balancing scale appeared in his mind.
On each side of the scale sat a miniature version of himself. One had the word "love" written on his forehead, and the other had "marriage."
The "marriage" version was clearly heavier, as it easily lifted the "love" version high into the air.
If the marriage agreement really involved a large sum of money...
Xia Wan bit his lip in embarrassment and hesitation.
The little versions of himself jumped around briefly, but that moment was enough for the other three to confirm their own Judgments.
"Ohhh~~," Su Tang and Fu Ling said in unison.
Fu Ling was especially impressed. "You're amazing, Wanwan! That scumbag just got engaged, but you went one step further and got married. And not just to anyone-you married his brother! Now every time that scumbag sees you, he'll have to bow his head and call you sister-in-law."
He grew more and more excited as he spoke, and finally ended
with a passionate conclusion: "That's some next-level strategy! Very good! Wanwan, you truly deserve to be a general of our 666 dormitory-you're absolutely ruthless and cunning!"
Xia Wan was moved by Fu Ling's enthusiastic praise and for a moment, he couldn't bear to tell the truth.
"Actually, Huo Yu isn't bad. He's much more reliable than Huo Lin," Su Tang said, his tone
turning serious. "And also Huo Peixue really favour him, more than his own son. Even if Huo Yu isn't interested in the family business, someone from a background like his isn't going to face much hardship-whether be it the past or in the future."
Right after Su Tang finished speaking, the cold-faced Shen Xing, who had been quietly sitting nearby, suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
Su Tang glanced at Shen Xing out of the corner of his eye and asked, "What are you laughing at, Shen Xing?"
"It's nothing," Shen Xing replied. "I just came across a funny joke, that's all."
Fu Ling leaned over quietly toward Su Tang and whispered, "You think he's laughing at us?" His tone was full of suspicion, and his eyes glanced cautiously at Shen Xing, who still wore his usual unreadable expression.
Although Shen Xing had said he was just laughing at a joke, he clearly didn't believe him.
"Who cares? Let him do whatever he wants," Su Tang muttered, pulling his gaze away. He lowered his voice and added, "Let's just mind our own business."
Xia Wan wasn't really interested in knowing what joke Shen Xing had found so funny. Instead, he leaned in a little closer to Su Tang and asked in a soft voice, "What you said earlier about Huo Yu-was that something your aunt told you?"
Earlier, Su Tang had warned the original owner not to get too close with the Huo family, and it seemed like that warning had come from his aunt.
So now, Xia Wan wanted to know if all these things Su Tang just said were based on what his aunt had observed or heard.
Su Tang shook his head, "That's not true. My aunt isn't some meddlesome person, this is something I figured out myself through careful observation and experience."
Hearing this, Xia Wan nodded in understanding.
Based on Xia Wan's understanding, Su Tang's words seemed to express three main ideas but in his eyes, all of them were completely off the mark.
First, Su Tang believed that Huo Lin was unreliable, while Huo Yu was more dependable. But from what Xia Wan had read in the book, Huo Yu wasn't exactly someone you could call "stable" either, in fact, he was the most unpredictable person in the whole novel.
Second, Su Tang said Huo Yu wasn't interested in the Huo family business.
But Xia Wan knew that wasn't true at all. Huo Yu might act indifferent on the surface, but deep down, he was extremely calculating and scheming. His interest in the family's affairs ran much deeper than anyone could Imagine.
And third, Su Tang thought Huo Peixue truly doted on Huo Yu.
From the outside, it certainly looked that way Xia Wan had even seen with his own eyes how Huo Peixue threw money around for Huo Yu without hesitation. But something about it didn't sit right with him.
Was Huo Peixue really that loving? Or was he just putting on a show, trying to make it look like he cared about Huo Yu in front of others?
This was something that Xia Wan still didn't know for sure.
But judging from the conversation between Huo Lin and Huo Yu last night and Huo Lin's threatening tone, things were by no means as simple as they seemed.
In his eyes, the entire Huo family was made up of actors. Fooling kind-hearted and trusting people like Su Tang was nothing more than child's play to them.
"Wanwan, you worked very hard yesterday," Fu Ling said cheerfully with a grin on his face. It was obvious he had been enjoying the gossip just now.
He climbed down from the top bunk in just a few quick moves and patted Xia Wan lightly on the shoulder. "You should rest properly today-don't worry about anything. I'll go get lunch for everyone. You just sit back and relax, okay?"
"Great!" Su Tang was moved by their roommate's thoughtfulness and love, he gave Fu Ling a big thumbs-up.
Then, without holding back, he started listing the dishes he wanted to eat. "I want braised pork, spicy shredded veggies, winter melon chicken, a side of crispy cucumber, and a serving of rice. What about you, Wanwan?"
"I want braised pork," said Xia Wan, who had been listening quietly. As soon as he heard the mention of braised pork, his attention was instantly caught. "And... um..."
Just as he was about to continue and list the rest of his order, Su Tang suddenly cut him off.
"No," Su Tang interrupted before Xia Wan could finish. "After that, you have to eat something light today."
Xia Wan: ".."
No, this matter needed to be clarified as soon as possible.
"The thing is... it's like this..." Xia Wan raised his voice slightly, trying to organize his thoughts as he prepared to explain everything
But as soon as he began to speak, the entire room fell silent, and three pairs of eyes turned to stare at him once again.
Under their intense stares, Xia Wan put on a gentle, warm smile and finally blurted out, "I'm not married."
"Ohhh--"
Fu Ling was the first to react, a knowing smile spread across his face. "Not married, got it. I understand now, say no more!!"
"Yeah," Su Tang said with a small smile, "you just stayed at Huo Yu's house for one night. That's all, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
Xia Wan let out a sigh of relief and nodded quickly, over and over, like he was afraid they wouldn't believe him.
Just when he thought the misunderstanding was finally cleared up, Su Tang's expression suddenly turned serious.
"Then you still need to eat something light," Su Tang said firmly, as if the situation had already been completely confirmed in his mind.
Xia Wan: "..."
Alright, he'd just eat whatever they gave him.
"Hmm-" Fu Ling hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question he had been holding in his heart for a long time, "Wanwan, um... did it feel good?"
While Xia Wan was unknowingly getting himself into deeper trouble with his own words, Huo Yu had just walked out of the art gallery.
He saw several missed calls on his phone screen, most of them were from Huo Peixue and his secretary.
Huo Yu glanced at the series of missed calls on his phone, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. After a moment, he finally tapped on the most recent number and returned the call.
"Xiao Yu," Huo Peixue's affectionate voice came through as soon as the call connected. His tone was gentle, almost indulgent, like a parent speaking to their favorite child.
"Did you go to the gallery again today?" Huo Peixue asked.
Langqiao was a gallery that Huo Yu had loved visiting since he was a child. But even though it was still called Langqiao, it had become very different from what it used to be.
Ever since it was acquired a few years ago, Langqiao had transformed from a small, unknown gallery into a globally recognized chain with branches all over the world.
Not only that, it had also become the go-to platform for discovering and signing new talented artists worldwide, giving emerging painters a major stage to showcase their work and gain recognition.
In addition, it had grown to cover things like buying ancient artworks, holding exhibitions, and running other art-related activities.
Considering the rapid rise of Langqiao after it was acquired a few years ago, many in the art and business world believed that the people behind it must be incredibly powerful-likely with deep connections and significant resources.
The gallery had gone from a small, unknown space to a globally recognized brand almost overnight, with branches opening in major cities and partnerships with top-tier artists and
collectors.
Naturally, this sparked endless curiosity and speculation.
Yet despite all the attention and rumors, to this day, no one truly knows who the real owners of Langqiao actually are.
"Yeah," Huo Yu responded calmly. "Sorry for making Uncle worry. I got completely lost in the art-didn't even realize my phone was ringing."
He had just had a little face off with Huo Lin yesterday, it was obvious that Huo Peixue was calling to check on him.
"Uncle is very happy that you love art so much," Huo Peixue said. "But now that you're back, you should come home and visit us."
"Mm." Huo Yu replied simply, "I'm going to visit grandpa at the hospital tonight, and tomorrow I'll come see you and aunt."
"Good," Huo Peixue said. After a few more words, he hurriedly hung up the call.
Huo Yu gave a quiet laugh, but his face didn't show much emotion. He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat as he leaned back into the driver's seat.
With one hand, he took out a cigarette and lit it, the faint glow briefly illuminating his face.
As thin wisps of smoke curled in the air around him, he stared out through the windshield in silence.
It wasn't until the smoke had filled the entire car that the phone rang again.
This time, it was Shen Yu calling.
"I called you earlier," Shen Yan's voice came through. "Why didn't you answer?"
"I was at the gallery," Huo Yu replied quietly.
"Oh." Shen Yan paused for a moment, then asked in a gossipy and teasing tone, "So... how was it between you and Xia Wan last night? How did things go between you and him?"
"What do you mean, 'how was it'?" Huo Yu asked. "Nothing happened last night."
"If nothing happened, how could that kid be so bold?" Shen Yan clicked his tongue in disappointment-not because he didn't believe Huo Yu, but because there was no juicy gossip.
"Tsk, I was expecting something exciting! You know I've got an insider at the Academy of Fine Arts, and his version was completely different..."
"What happened?" Huo Yu raised his eyebrows slightly. As he listened to Shen Yan continue chattering on the phone, he opened the video Shen Yan had sent him while he was still abroad and began watching it again-this time more intently.
The video was taken by Shen Yan as a joke when Xia Wan and Huo Lin attended a banquet together.
In the video, that child was neatly dressed and stood next to Huo Lin, with a look of helplessness and confusion clearly written on his face. It was obvious that he didn't feel comfortable being there.
While everyone else sat still, he kept getting up and sitting down -either pouring wine for Huo Lin or lighting his cigarettes. What was worse, Huo Lin forced him to drink just to save face. Even though he looked uncomfortable and in pain, he didn't dare to resist...
The video does not have sound, it was like a silent film, making it even more depressing to watch.
Through the thin smoke, Huo Yu stared at Xia Wan's slightly pale face in the video. No matter how long he looked, the boy in the footage didn't seem like the same chile he had come to know.
"You don't know how arrogant and impressive he was today," Shen Yan exclaimed. "He humiliated Zhou Shui right outside the school gate. Honestly, I wouldn't have believed it if he weren't relying on your power."
"Oh? If I don't give him power, who else will? Huo Yu's lips curled up slightly.
And just like this, any lingering discomfort or irritation caused by Huo Peixue was completely washed away by that sharp-tongued, fiery little wildcat, Xia Wan.
He slowly raised his hand and pressed out the half-smoked cigarette, his voice carrying a soft, genuine smile. A rare warmth flickered across his face as he leaned back with ease. "There's still a lot more to come, just wait and see."