HSS CH53

Chapter 53: Where Did I Go Wrong?

The entire auditorium suddenly fell silent as everyone followed Huoyuchuan’s gaze to Lin Miao. Lin Miao stared blankly at the hand Huoyuchuan extended to him, momentarily stunned and unsure how to react. He just numbly reached out his hand in return.

Huoyuchuan grabbed it and pulled him out of the auditorium. The crowd behind them erupted into a commotion as they finally realized that the boyfriend Huoyuchuan had mentioned was the same person featured in the “hotly discussed” photos on the school forum over the past few days. In other words, the other man in the photo was Huoyuchuan himself.

The people who had been cursing “disgusting” and “shameless” were none other than the “distinguished guests” invited by their principal, the outstanding young entrepreneur of City A, and many students from their school applied for positions in his company every year.

Amidst the noisy chatter, there were also some excited voices: “It’s true! We’ve really found the real deal!”

“His boyfriend is so handsome too!”

“So Huoyuchuan is the man in the car!”

“This is who I should be shipping, waaaah…”

Lin Miao followed Huoyuchuan out of the auditorium and saw that he was silent and seemed unhappy. He tugged at his sleeve and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Huoyuchuan didn’t respond, just continued to walk in silence, pulling him along.

Lin Miao thought about what he had said on stage and worriedly muttered, “Why did you suddenly say that? Everyone knows now…”

Huoyuchuan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him, “So what if they know? Am I not allowed to be seen with you?”

Lin Miao quickly shook his head, “No, it’s not that…”

Huoyuchuan: “Why didn’t you tell me about the photo thing?”

Lin Miao was taken aback, “You already knew?”

He whispered, “I was afraid you’d be upset. The comments were really harsh.”

Huoyuchuan looked at him, “You don’t feel upset being cursed at alone?”

“I’m fine,” Lin Miao said, “But you have a company. If it affects your company, that would be bad.”

Huoyuchuan didn’t say anything, just stared at him intently for a moment before continuing to walk, pulling him along.

They left the school gate and got into the car to go home. The entire way, Huoyuchuan didn’t speak another word.

Lin Miao was confused, not understanding why Huoyuchuan was so angry, sitting in the car like a statue of ice.

After they got home, Huoyuchuan took off his tie and went upstairs. Lin Miao followed and coaxed him, “Huoyuchuan, don’t be angry…”

Huoyuchuan: “Why should I be angry?”

Lin Miao wasn’t quite sure, but he had heard that when a boyfriend is angry, admitting fault would help, so he obediently said, “I was wrong.”

Huoyuchuan threw the tie on the bed and turned to look at him, “Where did you go wrong?”

Lin Miao thought for a moment. The only thing that happened today was the photo incident, so he probably was angry about that.

He said sincerely, “I should have told you about the photo sooner.”

But Huoyuchuan still wasn’t satisfied, “What else?”

What else? Lin Miao couldn’t think of anything and hesitated, “Is there…… anything else?”

Huoyuchuan picked him up and pressed him onto the bed.

“Huoyuchuan?”

The warm breath covered him, claiming his lips and tongue, intruding rudely.

Huoyuchuan kissed fiercely, stirring his tongue, over and over again, deeper and deeper.

Lin Miao’s mouth couldn’t close from the kissing, and his lips felt a bit sore.

He made a few “muffled” noises, and Huoyuchuan finally released his lips, kissing his chin, then his neck, and bit lightly but firmly on his collarbone.

Lin Miao dodged, “Huoyuchuan, it hurts……”

Huoyuchuan looked up and pressed his voice again, “Where else did you go wrong?”

Lin Miao’s eyes brimmed with tears, and he said weakly, “W-where?”

Huoyuchuan’s gaze deepened, his eyes clouded with the sight of the person beneath him, as if suppressing something.

He grabbed the blanket and covered them both.

“Huoyuchuan, um……”

Lin Miao felt a chill below in the chaos and mumbled, “Huoyuchuan, my pants……”

Huoyuchuan grabbed his leg, his heavy breathing and palm equally hot, his voice hoarse and deep, “Hold tight.”

Lin Miao felt a wave of dizziness, only feeling the heat between his legs……

The blanket bulged, mixed with uncontrollable panting and fragmented noises, rising and shaking……

The next morning, Lin Miao nestled in the blanket, watching Huoyuchuan get dressed by the wardrobe, and grumbled, “My thigh seems to have chafed a bit, it hurts.”

Huoyuchuan walked over and reached for the blanket, Lin Miao quickly held it, “W-what are you doing?”

Huoyuchuan said matter-of-factly, “I’m going to check and put some ointment on it.”

Lin Miao held it tightly, “I-I’ll do it myself, just give me the ointment.”

Huoyuchuan looked at him and didn’t move.

Lin Miao pulled the blanket up to cover half his face, leaving only a pair of round eyes exposed, and asked him, “So, are you not angry anymore?”

Huoyuchuan said, “I’m not angry at you.”

Lin Miao: “Then who are you angry at?”

Huoyuchuan: “Myself.”

Lin Miao asked in confusion, “Why are you angry at yourself?”

Huoyuchuan bent down and hugged him, saying in a muffled voice, “Can you…… rely on me a little more?”

Lin Miao was stunned, “What?”

Huoyuchuan buried his face in his neck and said, “No matter what happens, tell me first. Don’t think about whether it will trouble me or affect the company……”

“In my eyes, you are the most important.”

Lin Miao’s heart pounded, his chest feeling as if filled with warm soup, cozy and warm.

He nodded gently and said, “I understand.”

Huoyuchuan asked, “Can you do that?”

Lin Miao replied, “I can…… I guess.”

Huoyuchuan let him go, “Then move the blanket, I’ll put the ointment on you now.”

Lin Miao: “……” Wasn’t that a bit too quick of a turn?

When Lin Miao arrived at school, Jiang Leming told him that the post about him and Huoyuchuan on the forum had been deleted. It seemed that Principal Wang had ordered it to be removed overnight and had scolded several school leaders.

Lin Miao checked the forum and saw that the post was indeed gone. Instead, there were new comments like “Fish and Miao CP,” “Fish’s Miao,” “Clanging and Carrying the Banner,” and “Shipping So Hard.” Before he could click on them, a message came in from an unfamiliar number.

He opened it and saw that Lv Hanxiu had invited him to meet after class at a café off-campus.

Lin Miao looked at the message. He had guessed some of it already—the angle of the photo clearly exposed him while conveniently hiding Huoyuchuan.

The intention was obvious.

Sure enough, when Lin Miao met Lv Hanxiu, she admitted it right away. The photo on the forum was posted by someone she had hired.

“I don’t want to do anything,” she said, “I just hope you can leave Huoyuchuan.”

The sunlight outside was bright, illuminating the café brightly. Lin Miao sat by the glass window, looking at the photos Lv Hanxiu had placed on the table, all of him and Huoyuchuan, holding hands, hugging……

He looked up and said slowly, “I won’t leave him.”

Lv Hanxiu’s eyebrows furrowed, “I can post once, I can post twice, three times……”

“Then post,” Lin Miao muttered, “Everyone already knows.”

Lv Hanxiu: “……”

Suppressing her anger, she continued, “He’s just infatuated with you for the moment. How long can it last? Every man eventually settles down. He still has to marry Miss Zhao.”

Lin Miao said, “He won’t.”

Lv Hanxiu snorted coldly, “Do you think he’s truly devoted to you?”

She took out another stack of photos from her bag and spread them on the table.

The photos showed Huoyuchuan and Miss Zhao, behaving intimately, even kissing.

“He’s been stringing you along while also courting Miss Zhao,” Lv Hanxiu said indifferently, “You don’t even realize you’ve been deceived, still playing the part of undying love.”

Lin Miao stared at those photos without speaking.

“Don’t be too heartbroken,” Lv Hanxiu said, almost sympathetically, “I’m doing this for your own good. It’s better to find out early and leave than to waste years of feelings later.”

She acted self-righteously, saying, “Even though he’s my son, I can’t bear to see you……”

“Aunt,” Lin Miao suddenly said, “These photos, they’re photoshopped, right?”

Lv Hanxiu’s face froze, “Wh-what photoshopped…… What nonsense?”

Lin Miao pointed to the kissing photo, his face turning red as he said, “Huoyuchuan doesn’t kiss like that.”

Lv Hanxiu: “……”