NASAY CH 60

“Alright, take it.”
The old man had always been indifferent to material things. Let alone a mere ring—if Luo Xing made him happy enough, he wouldn’t even mind moving out of this house immediately.

Especially after Zhang Xiaoqian passed away, he had gone a long time without a worthy rival. Finally, he had encountered Luo Xing, and he was so delighted that he nearly forgot his own surname.

Huo Xingzhou frowned as he looked at the small box, feeling both joy and concern. It was certainly a good thing that the old man liked Luo Xing, but wasn’t this a bit too much? What about his own status?

“Alright, alright, let’s go eat.”
The old man clasped his hands behind his back, proudly leading Yanyan forward. Huo Xingzhou deliberately slowed his steps and tugged Luo Xing back.

“What’s wrong?”

Huo Xingzhou glanced toward the door, lifted his eyelids, and stood in front of him with an unhappy expression. He snorted coldly,
“Say it—who do you like the most? Huo Xingzhou.”

“Huh?”
Luo Xing was stunned. W-why?

“Hurry up and say it.”
Huo Xingzhou blocked his path relentlessly, making it clear that he wouldn’t let him go until he complied. Luo Xing couldn’t help but laugh, realizing that he was jealous again.

Luo Xing turned his head slightly, saw that Huo Jiaming had already left, and then gently tugged at Huo Xingzhou’s hand. Standing on tiptoe, he lightly kissed him on the cheek just as Huo Xingzhou was about to speak.

!

Huo Xingzhou froze for a second, then looked down at Luo Xing’s blushing, shy expression. Instantly, all his irritation was smoothed out.

Luo Xing held onto his hand, his soft palm pressing against Huo Xingzhou’s fingertips, slightly damp with sweat.
“Uh… can I say it later, tonight?”

He doesn’t dare say he likes me, but he dares to kiss me?

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. What a little treasure.

Worried that the others would be waiting, Huo Xingzhou didn’t push him further. He nodded and led Luo Xing outside, only letting go of his hand at the door.

There was plenty of time tonight. Luo Xing had unknowingly racked up so many unfair agreements throughout the day—when the time came, he’d have to beg for mercy.

With that thought, Huo Xingzhou’s mood improved dramatically. He picked up Yanyan and spun him around, making the little bean giggle uncontrollably.

Watching them from behind, Luo Xing’s initially nervous mood unconsciously eased. A faint smile appeared on his face, and when he met Huo Jiazhou’s gaze, he nodded slightly in greeting.

The moment their eyes met, Huo Jiazhou snorted coldly and turned away as if he had seen something filthy. He scoffed and said to Huo Jiayu, “I heard Grandpa gave him the ring. Didn’t I say that nothing good would come from letting an outsider in? Uncle probably just brought in a fraud to trick Grandpa.”

Huo Jiayu shot a cold, knife-like glare at Luo Xing, as if she wished she could cut a couple of pounds of flesh off him. “Look at that timid look—he’s obviously a poor kid who’s never seen the world. He probably thinks that ring is just some cheap trinket worth a few hundred bucks.”

Luo Xing noticed their glances and caught part of their conversation. Only then did he realize that the ring was actually worth a fortune. So Huo Xingzhou and the old man had been lying to him.

Luo Xing chuckled softly. These two—grandfather and grandson—were equally good at telling white lies just to get him to accept the ring.

In the past, he cared a lot about what others thought. But now, with Huo Xingzhou by his side, he constantly reminded himself that those irrelevant, hurtful words had nothing to do with him.

It didn’t matter whether these people liked him or not. What did it matter? As long as Huo Xingzhou liked him, that was enough.

“Dinner time!”
The old lady and Wu Suyan brought out all the dishes. The last soup was carried out by Huo Xingzhou.

His second aunt scoffed.
“Of course, she knows how to please the old lady. No wonder she’s favored.”

“Exactly. We, on the other hand, are straightforward and can’t learn to suck up.”

“Yeah, people like her are just good at scheming. I keep hearing that she manages a lot of male artists. And that movie star—he’s so close to her. Meanwhile, Uncle is always out on business trips. I can’t believe he’s so trusting.”

“She’s ambitious, unlike us. We have no ambition, just staying at home, being good wives and mothers. We can’t compare.”

Luo Xing caught the mocking tone directed at Wu Suyan, and a small spark of anger flared in his heart.

These women were just sitting around watching TV and chatting, while Auntie and Grandma were busy preparing the New Year’s Eve feast, yet they still had the audacity to talk like this?

“What are you looking at?”
Huo Xingzhou placed the soup on the table and noticed Luo Xing staring at those gossiping women in a daze. He walked over and flicked Luo Xing’s forehead.
“Are they talking about you?”

Afraid that he would get angry and upset the elders on New Year’s Eve, Luo Xing quickly shook his head.
“No, I was looking at Yanyan.”

“I’m here, handsome brother!”
Out of nowhere, Yanyan suddenly appeared, tugging at the hem of Luo Xing’s clothes, trying to get a hug.

Luo Xing couldn’t resist Yanyan’s adorable plea. He bent down, smiling as he picked him up, and followed Huo Xingzhou to wash their hands.

—

The old man sat at the head of the table, with Huo Yansheng’s family next to him. Luo Xing sat to Huo Xingzhou’s right, with Yanyan insistently sticking close to him.

The enormous dining table was custom-made, just large enough to seat all sixteen people.

The tablecloth was brand new, and a variety of beautifully plated dishes filled the table, their aromas filling the air with the warmth of the holiday.

Although their home was in a quiet area, a few nearby households were setting off firecrackers and fireworks. The TV played the Spring Festival Gala in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere.

At first, Luo Xing was a little nervous. But as conversations flowed and Yanyan kept demanding different foods and trying to feed him, he found himself too busy to worry. Eventually, he got used to it.

Huo Xingzhou’s aunt occasionally joked about making Yanyan behave, but it was always with indulgence, letting the two of them mess around as they pleased while she smiled and chatted with Wu Suyan.

This was the first time the whole family had gathered noisily for a meal. Luo Xing couldn’t help but wonder—if he had a family, if he had grandparents from both sides, would it be like this too?

Maybe.

Huo Yansheng didn’t drink much, but during the New Year’s Eve dinner, he still had a few drinks with the old man. Although Huo Xingzhou usually acted carelessly, at this moment, he behaved properly, pouring drinks for the elders, serving food for his grandparents, and showing impeccable manners.

While feeling envious, Luo Xing also thought that Huo Xingzhou was truly a great person—not just because he was kind to him, but because he treated his elders with the same attentiveness and care.

Even if it weren’t because of love, Huo Xingzhou was genuinely a very, very good person.

By the time dinner ended, along with all the chatting, it was almost eleven o’clock. Yanyan had long since become sleepy and was now nestled in Luo Xing’s arms, unwilling to let go or be held by anyone else.

Feeling apologetic, the aunt said, “Look at this…”

Luo Xing, unable to get up, quickly looked up and said,
“It’s okay, Auntie, I can hold Yanyan. He’s not heavy.”

The aunt smiled and nodded.
“Alright then, I’ll take him to his room once he’s in a deeper sleep. Thank you.”

Luo Xing pressed his lips together, feeling a little embarrassed by her kindness and politeness. Besides Huo’s parents and grandparents, he wasn’t used to such warmth. He gave a shy nod.

Wu Suyan and Grandma were making dumplings, while the uncles and aunts, feeling sleepy, left early instead of waiting for the New Year countdown, leaving behind a messy table full of dishes.

Huo Xingzhou tidied up, taking everything to the kitchen in one go. After washing his hands, he returned to sit with Luo Xing, keeping him company until midnight.

Wu Suyan was skillfully rolling out dumpling wrappers while Grandma and Aunt sat nearby, chatting and laughing as they wrapped the dumplings.

Huo Yansheng was also talking to Grandpa about something, nodding occasionally. The whole family was enjoying a warm and lively evening together.

Luo Xing lowered his eyes to look at the sleeping Yanyan. The little bean’s face was soft and delicate. He seemed to be dreaming, mumbling something incomprehensible in his sleep—adorable beyond words.

He thought, If only time could stop at this moment.

“Are you tired? Let me hold him.”

Huo Xingzhou sat down beside him and reached out to take Yanyan, but the little one frowned in his half-asleep state and waved his hand, mumbling,
“No… I want good-looking brother to hold me…”

“Tsk, this little brat. Even in his sleep, he’s picky. I should just toss him outside.”

Without hesitation, Huo Xingzhou took Yanyan from Luo Xing’s arms and threatened,
“If you keep clinging to him, I won’t let you play with your handsome brother tomorrow.”

Surprisingly, whether asleep or awake, Yanyan actually settled down and snuggled into Huo Xingzhou’s embrace, falling into a deep sleep.

Luo Xing couldn’t help but laugh. He pinched Yanyan’s cheek helplessly and said,
“He’s just a kid. Why are you even jealous of him?”

“I just feel like it.”

Under the cover of the couch, Huo Xingzhou took Luo Xing’s hand and held it against his chest. Then, as if changing the subject, he added,
“Right now, I’m just a nameless, title-less stray man. You won’t even let me have a single bite—how am I supposed to survive?”

Luo Xing gave his palm a light squeeze and playfully scratched at it.

Suddenly, Huo Xingzhou remembered something and said,
“Oh, my mom asked me to tell you—Luo Zhiyuan’s donor match has been found. If everything goes well, the surgery will take place next month.”

“Really?”

Luo Xing had never mentioned it, but he had been thinking about this matter constantly. He had even considered that if no match could be found, he would discuss with Huo Xingzhou the possibility of saving him himself.

Lin Xicheng was right—Luo Zhiyuan had given him life, so he should return it. After that, they would have nothing more to do with each other.

“Yeah, my mom already informed them. They’ll be heading overseas in a few days to prepare for the surgery.”

Seeing Luo Xing exhale in relief, Huo Xingzhou continued,
“As for your mom, if she regrets what she did and asks for your forgiveness, would you forgive her?”

“How do you know?”

Luo Xing blurted out, startled.

He hadn’t told anyone about this. Even He Tingting didn’t know Huo Xingzhou, so it couldn’t have been her who said anything.

Huo Xingzhou gave him a look that said, We’ll deal with this later, then chuckled.
“What can escape me? Who am I? So tell me, has she reached out to you or not?”

Luo Xing lifted his eyes. His heart, which had been startled, gradually steadied. He shook his head slightly and lowered his voice, saying,
“Honestly, I don’t know either. She just never loved me. She treated me poorly because she was in pain herself. She gave me the surname ‘Luo,’ and in tormenting me, she was also tormenting herself.”

He didn’t want to make excuses for Zhao Jiulan, nor did he want to be entangled with her again and again, but it was something he couldn’t avoid.

No matter how many times he had wanted to sever ties, he could never erase the fact that she was his mother. He couldn’t bring himself to hate her, nor could he bring himself to forgive. He just hoped she would let go of him—and herself.

“I don’t want us to keep hurting each other,” Luo Xing murmured.

Huo Xingzhou let out a helpless, mocking laugh.
“If she were as kind as you, things wouldn’t have come to this. If you ask me, that woman should be thrown in jail to cool off. Regret? And that’s it? Just one word and everything’s supposed to be fine?”

Luo Xing’s smile faded. He looked at Huo Xingzhou’s face, then lowered his gaze.
“She just wasn’t as lucky as I was. I happened to meet someone who liked me back. Mutual love is rare in this world, but unrequited love is everywhere.”

Huo Xingzhou froze, reaching out to him.
“What did you just say?”

Luo Xing lifted his eyes and saw the intense look on Huo Xingzhou’s face. He opened his mouth, but before he could react, he asked in confusion,
“I… What did I say?”

DONG! DONG! DONG!

The New Year’s bell rang, interrupting whatever Huo Xingzhou had been about to say. He swallowed his words, glanced around at everyone busy with their own things, and seeing no one was paying attention to them, he quickly lowered his head and kissed Luo Xing.

“Happy New Year.”

Luo Xing was startled and instinctively stepped back, panic flashing in his eyes as he glanced at the elders. Seeing that no one had noticed, he let out a small breath of relief, then leaned back in, held Huo Xingzhou’s hand, and tilted his head slightly.

“Huo Xingzhou, Happy New Year.”

“Babies, Happy New Year~”

Wu Suyan brought out a few plates of dumplings and called them over to eat. Yanyan had just woken up, rubbing his eyes as he climbed out of Huo Xingzhou’s arms.

Grandma spoke mysteriously,
“I wrapped a sugar dumpling in here. Whoever eats it will have good fortune—and I’ll give them a big red envelope!”

As a little kid, Yanyan was instantly interested. With a joyful shout, he ran to the table, scrutinizing the dumplings one by one. He ate three in a row but still hadn’t found the sugar dumpling.

Luo Xing chuckled, picked up a dumpling, and took a bite. His brows suddenly furrowed, and Huo Xingzhou, thinking he had burned his mouth, grabbed his hand and hurriedly pulled him toward the kitchen.

“Here, open your mouth. I’ll—mmph!”

Just as Huo Xingzhou turned around, Luo Xing grabbed his collar and pulled him down. Their lips pressed together in an instant, and in the next moment, a piece of sweet, syrupy dumpling wrapper was passed between them.

Luo Xing’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He timidly gripped Huo Xingzhou’s arm, his toes barely touching the ground as they quivered. But his tongue was bold, pushing the entire dumpling into Huo Xingzhou’s mouth.

Huo Xingzhou swallowed it in a few quick bites, then pulled Luo Xing into his arms with one hand, shutting the door and pressing him against it with the other. He deepened the kiss fiercely, not stopping until their mouths were full of sweetness.

“Little darling, you’ve gotten bold.”

Huo Xingzhou let him go, brushing his thumb over Luo Xing’s lips, his voice husky with amusement.
“Stealing a kiss from me here, of all places?”

Luo Xing’s face burned red. He pressed his lips together, feeling the slight swelling from the kiss, and lowered his head shyly. “No.”

Huo Xingzhou tilted his chin up, smiling as he kissed him again. Then, pulling him into his embrace, he gently rubbed his knee against him and chuckled.
“Then what was that?”

Huo Xingzhou almost couldn’t take it when he heard that voice. He swallowed hard, gripping Luo Xing’s waist with one hand and kneading the dip in his lower back with increasing intensity. He coaxed in a deep voice,
“Then who am I?”

“Huo Xing…” Luo Xing had never experienced such overwhelming pleasure before. In the past, Huo Xingzhou had only teased him, stopping before it got too intense. But now, the overwhelming waves of sensation nearly drowned him. He struggled weakly, his eyes reddened with tears.

“Wrong.”

“Gege… Gege.”
Luo Xing shook his head, unable to form coherent words. His vision blurred, and he could feel the grip on his waist tightening. Even his breathing became erratic from the overwhelming sensation.

“Then let me ask you—will you be my boyfriend?”

Huo Xingzhou saw that even in this state, Luo Xing still hesitated. His brows furrowed slightly, and he reached around to the front, rubbing once more. Luo Xing’s waist arched instantly, his voice breaking into a whimper as he nodded frantically, “I agree! I agree!”

His normally soft and delicate voice carried a hint of sobs and unbearable pleasure. To Huo Xingzhou, it was more intoxicating than the strongest aphrodisiac. He could no longer hold back and pressed Luo Xing down onto the bed.

The next morning, Huo Xingzhou woke up earlier than Luo Xing for the first time. Seeing the hickeys he had left on Luo Xing’s neck and chest, he lowered his gaze and smiled, dropping kisses on them one by one. Then, he lifted the blanket and slipped downward, pulling down Luo Xing’s sleep pants to reveal the overlapping purple bruises and hickeys across his skin.

Huo Xingzhou played with him under the blanket, quickly rousing him. Luo Xing rubbed his eyes, dazed for no more than two seconds before he instantly woke up in shock. He lifted the blanket to see what was happening underneath.

“You… Huo Xing… What are you doing?”
Luo Xing’s memories from the night before came rushing back. He struggled to sit up, only to be pinned down by a firm grip on his waist.

Huo Xingzhou poked his head out from under the blanket, kissed his stomach with a playful glint in his eyes, and grinned, “Good morning, wifey.”

“Don’t… Don’t call me that!”
Luo Xing’s face flushed red. He suddenly recalled how he had called him… last night. He was clearly two years older than him, so how did Huo Xingzhou know so much… so much more than him?

Last night was the first time Luo Xing had truly experienced what Huo Xingzhou meant by “helping him out.” He finally realized how completely different it was from what he had imagined.

Even though it was just with his hand, he was already completely overwhelmed. By the end, he had collapsed in Huo Xingzhou’s arms, his mind a blurry mess, unable to think about anything except the sensations consuming him.

“And now you’re getting shy? Isn’t it a bit too late for that?”
Huo Xingzhou lay on top of him, kissing his eyelids as he chuckled,
“That was just my hand. When you grow up, there will be a lot more things to experience. Are you going to be so shy that you faint?”

“There’s… more?”
Luo Xing didn’t fully understand. What he had imagined had already been completely overturned last night. Now, he didn’t dare to assume what “more” entailed. He clutched Huo Xingzhou’s arm in alarm, pressing a hand against his lips.
“Last night, you said you wouldn’t go too far. You can’t go back on your word!”

Huo Xingzhou caught his fingertip between his teeth, lightly biting down before whispering,
“I only said I wouldn’t go too far until you grew up. Baby, you don’t expect me to marry you and still be a monk, do you? Seven more months is my absolute limit.”

“You!”
Luo Xing’s face turned even redder. He yanked his hand back, squeezing his fingertips where his saliva lingered, his heart pounding.
“You actually… even counted my birthday?!”

“You schemed against me for ten years. What’s wrong with me scheming against you for seven months? I’m already at a loss.”
Huo Xingzhou scoffed, watching as Luo Xing froze for two seconds before his eyes widened in shock.

“You… You knew all along?!”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Then you…” Luo Xing instantly panicked. His body went cold, his hands and feet stiffening as the color drained from his lips. In a trembling voice, he bit his lip and asked,
“Do you… do you think I’m disgusting?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Huo Xingzhou smacked his butt in frustration and growled fiercely,
“If I hear you say something like that again, I don’t care if you’ve grown up or not—you’ll have to endure it! Instead of thinking about how to kiss me all day, you’re overthinking useless things. Do you need a beating?”

“I…”
Luo Xing was instantly at a loss for words. He had always been terrified that Huo Xingzhou would find out he’d been secretly thinking about him for so many years, afraid that he’d seem like an obsessed stalker and that Huo Xingzhou would be disgusted. But unexpectedly, he didn’t mind at all.

Huo Xingzhou, dissatisfied, bit down hard on his earlobe. The sharp pain made Luo Xing shudder, his eyes instantly brimming with tears. He had really used force—an obvious bite mark appeared on his ear.

Just as Luo Xing reached up to touch it, Huo Xingzhou grabbed his hand, stopping him. Instead, he leaned in and licked the mark lightly.
“Do you know why your mom slapped me the first time I went to your house?”

Luo Xing shook his head blankly.

“I told her that in this lifetime, you are my wife. Even if I die, I want to die in your arms.”
Huo Xingzhou lifted his gaze and looked at him steadily, enunciating every word so that Luo Xing could see the depth of his promise.
“I want you. No matter what your name is, no matter what kind of past or parents you have. Even if only bones remain, I will still have you.”

Luo Xing bit his lip hard to hold back his tears, lowering his head and leaning against Huo Xingzhou’s chest. His breath came in messy, trembling gasps. Huo Xingzhou thought he had scared him again, but this time, he refused to let Luo Xing retreat.

Last night had already happened. His parents and elders all liked him. He believed that was enough to support Luo Xing, enough for him to finally embrace him.

Luo Xing felt his nose burn, a tidal wave of emotion surging from his chest. The way Huo Xingzhou had taken care of him so attentively throughout the journey—the man who was usually so proud and carefree had been so cautious and gentle with him, afraid that he would suffer even the slightest injury.

At this moment, all of his doubts and hesitations vanished like smoke. Who cared what the world thought? Who cared whether others accepted them? Nothing could stop him anymore!

He could no longer hold back. Wrapping his arms around Huo Xingzhou, he burst into tears. This was the person he had secretly loved and remembered for ten years—the person he had forced himself not to respond to, yet who had cared for him so devotedly, without a single complaint.

Time and again, Huo Xingzhou had reassured him: he didn’t mind his past, he liked him, he wanted him.

Even the strongest walls had crumbled under his persistent tenderness, melting into a soft pool of spring water.

The memories Luo Xing had carefully guarded for seventeen years finally overlapped with reality. From this moment on, all the thorns in his path bloomed into flowers, waving to him in the gentle breeze. The wind was soft, embracing him completely.

Huo Xingzhou didn’t smile as arrogantly as usual. Instead, he gazed seriously into Luo Xing’s eyes, his voice so low that Luo Xing could barely hear it.
“So… from now on, I’m your boyfriend, right?”

Luo Xing couldn’t help but laugh at his cautious tone, but his heart also ached. This proud man, in the face of love, had been treading on thin ice all along. The one who was truly anxious and afraid… was Huo Xingzhou.

For the first time, Luo Xing took the initiative. He leaned in and kissed Huo Xingzhou on the eye.
“Yes. Boyfriend.”

Huo Xingzhou let out a long, slow breath, as if afraid of waking from a beautiful dream. He pulled Luo Xing tightly into his embrace.
“My little darling.”

By the time they went downstairs, Huo Yansheng had already driven the old master back from offering incense to their ancestors.

Wu Suyan was in the kitchen helping Grandma make dumplings. According to Jiangcheng’s customs, one had to eat vegetarian dumplings on the morning of the first day of the new year. Huo Xingzhou, however, was in such a great mood that he didn’t want to eat anything at all—he just wanted to hug Luo Xing and announce to the whole world that he had a boyfriend.

Before stepping out of the room, Luo Xing covered his mouth and warned him,
“When we go out, you’re not allowed to kiss me, not allowed to hold my hand, and absolutely not allowed to tell them about our relationship.”

Huo Xingzhou grumbled in protest, unwilling to agree. But Luo Xing leaned in close to his ear, softly calling him “gege” several times in a sweet voice, coaxing him for a long time before he finally relented, albeit reluctantly.

Luo Xing, pressing down his lingering embarrassment, finally steadied himself. He took Huo Xingzhou’s hand, stretched out his arms, and washed his face for him, speaking softly,
“Grandpa and the others are old. They won’t be able to accept it right away. It’s the New Year, let’s not shock them, okay?”

Huo Xingzhou closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of being taken care of. He hummed

hummed in response.

Luo Xing continued,
“And about your mom… can we wait a little longer before telling her? I want to… wait until everything with my mom is settled first.”

“Are you afraid your mom will cause trouble for my parents?”
Huo Xingzhou pulled the towel away, wrapped his arms around Luo Xing’s waist, and pressed him against the sink, gently wiping his face.

“Mm, I like Uncle and Auntie… In the future, they will be my parents too, so I don’t want them to suffer or be hurt because of me, okay?”

Huo Xingzhou was already used to indulging Luo Xing. Feng Jia often said he would obey almost anything Luo Xing said. Now, hearing him speak so softly and carefully, even if Luo Xing had asked for his life, he wouldn’t have hesitated.

“Alright, I’ll handle the big things, and you can decide the small ones.”

“Big things?”
Luo Xing didn’t quite understand and repeated in confusion.

“There are no big things in our family.”
Huo Xingzhou ruffled his hair, messing it up into a tangled mess, then added with a grin,
“So I’ll listen to you in everything.”

“You’re talking nonsense again.”
Luo Xing, feeling shy, pushed him lightly, snatched the towel from his hand, roughly wiped his face, and then washed and hung the towel back up.

Huo Xingzhou went downstairs first and happened to run into Wu Suyan, who had come back to grab something. Seeing him come down with a smug expression, she sneered,
“Wipe that look off your face. You’re practically glowing with smugness.”

“Mom, you have a daughter-in-law now.”
Huo Xingzhou lazily walked down the stairs with his hands in his pockets, looking completely at ease as he watched Wu Suyan freeze in place. He had already thrown all of Luo Xing’s instructions out the window.

“Really?”
Wu Suyan’s eyes lit up with excitement. She grabbed her son’s shoulders and asked eagerly,
“Tell me, how did things progress so fast? When will he start calling me ‘Mom’? No, no, I need to prepare a red envelope first.”

“He told me not to tell you, so just pretend you don’t know for now.”
Huo Xingzhou glanced toward the stairs, then suddenly had an idea and lowered his voice,
“Mom, listen, here’s what you should do…”

---

“Hey, you there!”

Huo Jiayu called out, but when Luo Xing didn’t stop, she picked up a small stone and threw it at him.

The stone happened to hit the back of Luo Xing’s head. Startled, he turned around and asked,
“Hello, do you need something?”

Huo Jiayu scoffed coldly and walked toward him with an expression of disgust. Since yesterday, Huo Xingzhou had been stuck to him like glue, making it impossible for them to find an opportunity.

Now that Huo Xingzhou had finally been called away by Grandpa to handle something, Huo Jiayu immediately stepped forward.

“Hey, hand over the ring.”

The moment she spoke, Luo Xing already knew what she was talking about—the ring Grandpa had given him.

“The ring was given to me by Grandpa. I won’t give it to you.”
Luo Xing met their eyes fearlessly, standing firm.
“If Grandpa wants it back, I’ll return it to him.”

“Given to you?”
Huo Jiayu let out a cold laugh, her eyes full of contempt.
“Do you even know how much that ring is worth? You don’t seriously think it’s just worth a few hundred bucks, do you? That’s the Huo family’s heirloom. Who do you think you are? Don’t you feel guilty holding onto something like that?”

Huo Jiazhou’s expression changed.

“My grandfather! Old people are just like children; they act on impulse. But that thing really shouldn’t be in your hands. You’re just Xingzhou’s classmate, yet you’re holding onto our family heirloom. That’s inappropriate.”

Luo Xing frowned. He had already realized yesterday that the ring was valuable, but he hadn’t expected it to be the Huo family’s heirloom. Just because he had played a few games of chess with the old man, the latter had given it to him.

This was… too hasty.

Huo Jiaming, who had been silent all this time, moved his lips and said,
“You should hand it… hand it over.”

Luo Xing bit his lip, looking at Huo Jiazhou’s seemingly kind expression, then at Huo Jiayu, who stood with her arms crossed, casting a cold, contemptuous glance at him—almost as if she were looking at a beggar.

He recalled last night when these two had spoken ill of Huo Mama behind her back. Their vile slanders still echoed in his ears. Luo Xing let out a light chuckle.

“I’ll return the ring to Grandpa, but not to you.”

“You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
Huo Jiayu’s eyes turned cold as she lunged forward to hit Luo Xing.
“What kind of thing are you? Running to someone else’s house like a beggar during the New Year, taking someone else’s possessions and refusing to let go. Don’t you have anything of your own? Have you never seen money before?”

Luo Xing swiftly dodged her strike, but Huo Jiaming suddenly grabbed his arm. Huo Jiayu took the opportunity to slap him hard across the face, making his right cheek go numb.

Huo Jiazhou pulled out his wallet, took out a stack of red banknotes, and contemptuously flung them at Luo Xing’s face with a sneer.

“You want money? Name your price. How much do you want to hand over the ring?”

Luo Xing shook off Huo Jiaming’s grip, staring directly into Huo Jiazhou’s eyes. He didn’t touch his injured face; instead, he smiled slightly.

“I don’t know the monetary value of this ring, and I’ve never thought of finding out. But I know one thing—it’s not as precious as Grandpa’s sentiment.”

His gaze swept over the three of them.

“You three are not worthy of being Grandpa’s grandchildren.”

“What did you say?!”
Huo Jiayu shrieked, cutting him off. She attempted to slap him again, but this time, Luo Xing caught her wrist.

She struggled and screamed,
“Jiazhou! What are you standing there for?!”

Huo Jiazhou’s eyelids lifted coldly as he looked down at Luo Xing from above, his voice nearly inaudible.

“And what are you? Whether we’re worthy or not, we are Grandpa’s real grandchildren. But you? You’re just something for Huo Xingzhou to play with. Disgusting.”

Luo Xing’s fingers loosened suddenly, and Huo Jiayu immediately pulled away, hiding behind Huo Jiazhou, panting heavily. She repeated,
“Exactly! You’re just something for Huo Xingzhou to play with… wait, what?!”

Her expression froze as if she had been struck by lightning. She pointed at Luo Xing, then at the house, her lips trembling. It took her a long time to process before she blurted out,
“You mean… they—”

Huo Jiazhou sneered, his sharp words stabbing into Luo Xing’s heart like knives, each syllable dripping with malice.

“I came back last night to get something and happened to see them kissing in the kitchen. It made me sick. Two men shamelessly doing that kind of thing in the kitchen—disgusting.”

Luo Xing’s fingers turned cold. He hadn’t expected anyone to have seen him with Huo Xingzhou last night.

He didn’t care about being humiliated, whether it was through words or disdainful gazes—he could endure it all. But they were not allowed to insult Huo Xingzhou!

Gritting his teeth, he spat out each word:

“Don’t you dare talk about Xingzhou!”

Huo Jiazhou had always been jealous of Huo Xingzhou. Among their generation, Huo Xingzhou’s family was the wealthiest. He was a notorious playboy, yet Grandpa and Grandma doted on him the most.

Meanwhile, Huo Jiazhou, from his parents down to himself, had never been favored by Grandpa.

Seeing how fiercely Luo Xing defended Huo Xingzhou, he became even more disgusted and deliberately mocked,
“What, did I say something wrong? A proper man, yet instead of liking women, he’s a disgusting pervert who likes men. Isn’t that filthy? I bet he’s done that with you, right? He’s cheap, and you’re even cheaper.”

“Pretty brother! You—”

Yan Yan, who had been looking for Luo Xing but couldn’t find him, had wandered over. Just in time to witness Huo Jiayu slap Luo Xing across the face, the little boy was so frightened that he burst into tears and stumbled as he ran back.

Huo Xingzhou had just finished helping Grandpa with something and was looking for Luo Xing when he saw Yanyan running back, sobbing uncontrollably. He immediately picked him up, gently wiping his tears away with a smile.

“What’s wrong? Who scared our little treasure? Tell your big brother, and we’ll go teach them a lesson.”

Yanyan was terrified, sniffling as he struggled to get his words out.

“Pretty brother… sister…”

Huo Xingzhou pieced together the keywords and immediately frowned.

“Pretty brother and sister were together?”

Yanyan nodded frantically.

Yesterday, Huo Xingzhou had warned Luo Xing that their family didn’t have much of a relationship with their uncles and aunts, and that his cousins were nothing good. He had told Luo Xing not to pay attention to them.

Luo Xing was the type to avoid trouble whenever possible, always keeping his temper in check. If anything had happened, it was definitely because they had provoked him first.

Huo Xingzhou wiped Yanyan’s tears and asked,
“Did the sister hit Pretty Brother?”

The moment he finished speaking, Yanyan wailed loudly.

Huo Xingzhou’s expression darkened instantly. Without another word, he rushed in the direction the little boy had pointed.

They were asking for it!