TRSBPASO 61

Around five in the afternoon, Ji Yunchuan, hands in his pockets and humming a tune, arrived at Huo Group.

He made his way straight to Huo Jihan’s office.

When he stepped inside, he didn’t see Huo Jihan. Instead, he saw Li Feng tidying something up.

Ji Yunchuan looked surprised. “Where’s my Huo Ge? He left this early today?”

Huo Ge was a total workaholic. Normally, he wouldn’t leave until after six. Yet today, it was barely past five and he was already gone.

Li Feng stood up straight with a glass jar in hand and greeted him. “Young Master Ji.”

When Ji Yunchuan got a good look at what was in Li Feng’s hands, he asked curiously, “What are you doing with that jar?”

Li Feng smiled and explained, “Before President Huo left, he told me to put these stars from the coffee table into this jar and place it on his desk.”

Ji Yunchuan, a natural gossip-lover, immediately leaned over.

What kind of stars needed to be specially placed on the desk? There had to be a story here!

He walked over, picked up one of the stars, and saw that it was just an ordinary paper star. There’s nothing particularly special about it.

He turned to Li Feng and asked, “What’s the deal with these stars? Are they really worth putting in such an expensive jar?”

If he remembered correctly, that glass jar was some kind of collectible from an auction. Just in terms of value, it was way more precious than these little paper stars.

Li Feng said, “Mr. Lin folded them.”

Ji Yunchuan froze. “Sister-in-law made them? He came to the office?”

Then he suddenly realized, “No wonder Huo Ge is treating these stars like treasures. Tsk, tsk… couples really do live in a world of their own.”

Li Feng smiled and continued tidying up the stars.

He put all of them into the jar, sealed the lid, and placed the jar neatly on Huo Jihan’s desk.

Soon, both Li Feng and Ji Yunchuan left the office and shut the door behind them.

Inside the office.

That jar of stars sat quietly on the desk.

They looked completely out of place among the cold, lifeless piles of documents, but somehow, the presence of that jar brought a gentle warmth to the whole space.

Meanwhile—

Lin Yi was accompanying Huo Jihan to a business banquet.

Huo Mianmian had already been sent home early by bodyguards.

Lin Yi didn’t have much feeling about the upcoming banquet. He was just tagging along with Huo Jihan and didn’t need to do anything—no small talk, no networking. He was just there to enjoy the food and drinks.

Honestly, not having to do anything but still getting to eat good food? That was a pretty sweet deal.

Before long, the two of them arrived at the five-star hotel where the banquet was being held.

Just before getting out of the car, Lin Yi asked, just to be safe, “Hey, are you sure I don’t need to do anything later?”

He never forgot that agreement he signed with Huo Jihan—he would cooperate when necessary. He was more than ready to do his part.

Huo Jihan replied, “No need. Just do whatever you like.”

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.

So this time, Huo Jihan really just wanted him to be part of his world.

With that thought, Lin Yi smiled and said, “Alright, then I’ll just do my thing later.”

“Mm.”

Soon, the two of them walked into the hotel lobby together.

The lobby was already bustling.

Everyone here was a person of influence—wealthy, powerful, the kind whose words carried serious weight.

This wasn’t the kind of event you just casually threw together. Everyone here came with a clear goal. For building connections.

The whole hall was brightly lit, full of clinking glasses and low murmurs. It was the stage of the elite.

The moment Lin Yi and Huo Jihan stepped in, the whole hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward them.

Naturally, everyone’s attention first landed on Huo Jihan. In fact, most of the people here had come because of him. Long before this banquet, they had pulled every string they could to confirm he would be attending. Now that he was here, everyone was itching for a chance to speak with him.

Huo Jihan was dressed in a sleek black suit, his expression cold as ice. His eyes were like voids, and the aura around him was chilling and powerful.

The moment he appeared, it felt like the air in the entire hall slowed down.

Everyone instinctively straightened up, subconsciously even softening their breathing.

But—who was the young man beside Huo Jihan?

Aside from a few people who had seen Lin Yi before, most of the crowd had no idea who this unfamiliar face was.

They all reached the same conclusion—this man was stunning. And not just regular good-looking, but the kind of striking beauty that hits you like a wave. Especially those eyes, half-smiling and almond-shaped, like peach blossoms—utterly disarming.

Huo Jihan’s aura was sharp and icy, while the young man beside him carried a faint smile, his expression casual and relaxed, exuding an easygoing and almost lazy charm.

Their auras were polar opposites, yet when they stood together, they somehow looked perfectly matched. It was as if they were born to be side by side.

Everyone silently agreed. This young man had to be someone important tonight.

After all, for someone to accompany Huo Jihan to such an occasion, their status was beyond question.

Before long, a circle of people surrounded them, all trying to strike up a conversation with Huo Jihan.

“President Huo, you’re here.”

“President Huo…”

Lin Yi stood by and listened for a while.

After a bit, realizing there wasn’t much for him to do, he decided to sneak away and see what good food he could find.

But before he could take a single step, a group of people surrounded him.

And they were… giving him gifts?

These people clearly came prepared. Antiques, calligraphy, gift cards, collectibles—they brought out all sorts of things.

They knew Huo Jihan never accepted gifts, so they cleverly shifted their strategy to Lin Yi.

Seeing all this, Lin Yi blinked in surprise.

Of course, he didn’t accept anything right away. Instead, he turned to look at Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan said to him, “If you like them, take them.”

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at that.

If it was a question of whether he liked them—well, who wouldn’t?

What normal person could stay indifferent to all these nice things?

Since Huo Jihan gave the green light, Lin Yi had no reason to be polite!

With that thought, Lin Yi decisively accepted the gifts.

In no time at all, he had racked up quite a haul.

Lin Yi was thrilled. So tagging along with Huo Jihan came with perks like this?

He would definitely have to make sure he got invited next time too!

From that point on, Lin Yi really had nothing else to do. After all, he didn’t know a thing about business.

Those people only gave him gifts to get closer to Huo Jihan anyway.

With nothing better to do, Lin Yi walked off with an armful of gifts.

He first stored them away, then began wandering around the banquet hall.

This event was absolutely top-tier in every way.

The venue was extravagantly decorated, and naturally, the food matched that standard.

To cater to all the guests’ tastes, a long row of buffet tables had been set up, featuring gourmet dishes from all over the country—guests could help themselves to anything they liked.

Lin Yi picked out two hairy crabs and some shrimp, poured himself a glass of juice, then carried his plate over to an empty sofa area and sat down to enjoy the meal at his leisure.

Once he finished eating, Lin Yi slouched back on the sofa, zoning out.

His gaze drifted aimlessly, eventually landing on Huo Jihan.

At that moment, Huo Jihan was surrounded by a group of people.

He looked indifferent, speaking only occasionally in brief, concise sentences.

But every word he said was weighty—any single sentence might shift the future of the business world.

He was the kind of top-tier figure who held immense power, capable of making big decisions.

The people around him listened attentively, afraid to miss even a single word.

Lin Yi watched Huo Jihan, watching that man at the very center of power, and for a moment, that feeling of distance crept in again.

Then he remembered how not long ago, he had been sitting in Huo Jihan’s office, handing him a jar full of folded stars. That sense of distance slowly faded away.

It really did feel like they were gradually becoming part of each other’s worlds.

Still, Lin Yi didn’t think too much of it.

After all, they lived under the same roof. It was only natural to learn more about one another—maybe that would even help them get along better.

With that thought, Lin Yi raised his juice and took a slow sip.

Ah, so sweet.

He should go find more food.

After all, eating, drinking, and having fun were his top priorities in life!

By the time the banquet ended, it was already past eight in the evening.

Lin Yi and Huo Jihan left the banquet hall together and got into the car.

Huo Jihan sat in the driver’s seat. Before starting the engine, he turned and looked at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi, caught off guard by the look, paused mid-motion while fastening his seatbelt and asked instinctively, “What is it?”

Huo Jihan’s expression had clearly softened compared to when they were in the hotel. He looked at Lin Yi and asked, “How did you feel about tonight?”

Lin Yi answered honestly, “Pretty good. I actually kind of like these kinds of events.”

After all, not only was there good food, but he also got to collect a whole pile of gifts.

Huo Jihan gave a small nod, then asked again, “Any other thoughts?”

Lin Yi looked puzzled. “What kind of thoughts?”

Huo Jihan enunciated slowly, “Did you feel like you understood me a bit more?”

His voice was already deep and smooth, but when he softened it like that, it had a charm that was unexpectedly seductive and magnetic.

Lin Yi hadn’t expected that question and couldn’t help but laugh, then replied, “Yeah.”

He really did have a better sense of who Huo Jihan was now.

Huo Jihan gave a small smile. “That’s good.”

Moments later, the car started moving.

It looked like it might rain tonight. The Sky was dark and heavy, and the wind was picking up.

But inside the car, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable.

—

That day.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian went to check on their melon field.

After some time, the melon vines they had planted were now covered in lush green shoots—it was easy to imagine the scene of big, ripe melons growing in the near future.

However, one of the vines seemed off for some reason. It looked wilted and droopy.

Huo Mianmian squatted down and carefully examined the wilted seedling, even reaching out to touch it.

This one couldn’t wither!

Otherwise, his Xiao Ba wouldn’t get to eat lots of delicious watermelon in the future!!

With that thought, Huo Mianmian immediately stood up and said to Lin Yi, “Xiao Ba, wait for me. I’ll be right back.”

And with that, he took off running.

Lin Yi had no idea what he was up to, so he just waited.

He casually sat down on the grass, legs crossed, one hand propping up his chin, lazily waiting.

A few minutes later, Huo Mianmian came back.

No one knew where he had found it, but he was now holding a small watering can. He walked straight over to the wilted seedling and began watering it.

Squatting there, small as ever, Huo Mianmian looked absolutely adorable as he carefully poured water over the plant.

Lin Yi couldn’t help but smile as he watched.

Tsk tsk, his little darling really was growing up—already so thoughtful.

Huo Mianmian made sure to water the seedling thoroughly. Then he looked up seriously at Lin Yi and said, “Xiao Ba, I’ll come water them every day from now on. I won’t let the seedlings wilt.”

His voice was soft and milky, but the way he made that promise was completely sincere—too much contrast, too much cuteness.

Lin Yi smiled and said, “Alright, thanks for your hard work, Mianmian. This melon patch is counting on you from now on!”

Huo Mianmian nodded firmly. “No problem.”

He even clenched his little fist, as if cheering himself on.

Watching this, Lin Yi felt like he was melting from the inside out.

It was just too cute!

At noon, Huo Mianmian went down for his nap.

Lin Yi played on his phone for a while.

That’s when he found out a new café had opened nearby.

Apparently, the café focused on high-quality coffee, promising satisfaction for every coffee lover.

Lin Yi wasn’t really into coffee, but he did love trying new things.

After all, as a true salted fish, his life revolved around eating, drinking, and having fun.

So he got ready and headed out toward the café.

After walking for over twenty minutes, he arrived.

Just from the design of the storefront, Lin Yi could tell the place had taste.

He walked in and ordered a latte.

While waiting for it to be made, he found a seat by the window and sat down.

The café was fairly busy, with people coming and going.

Lin Yi glanced around casually.

That was when he spotted a familiar face.

Huo Shi.

Standing among the people waiting in line, tall and lean, Huo Shi stood out easily. Of course, with the Huo family’s genetics, his looks were nothing short of exceptional.

He was standing there casually, wearing Bluetooth earbuds, and looking down at his phone with a cold expression.

Before long, it was his turn to order.

After placing his order, he looked around for a seat. As he turned his head, his eyes met Lin Yi’s.

Their gazes locked.

A moment later, Huo Shi was the first to look away. He walked toward a different table.

Lin Yi didn’t think much of it.

After all, he and Huo Shi weren’t close.

So he looked away too.

A moment later, the chair across from him was pulled out—and someone sat down.

Lin Yi looked up.

That face of Huo Shi’s left a lasting impression. A pale skin, narrow eyes, and a sharp, youthful edge in his gaze that made it impossible to ignore.

Sitting across from him now, Huo Shi looked straight at him and said—

“Sister-in-law?”