TRSBPASO 66

Around eight o’clock in the evening, the old Huo family residence was brightly lit.

Huo Jihan had just arrived not long ago and was immediately surrounded by a group of Huo family members.

These people feared Huo Jihan, but at the same time, they tried to curry favor with him.

Everyone knew clearly that Huo Jihan was now the one in charge of the entire Huo family. Only he had the power to decide the fate of every Huo family member.

The Huo family was involved in a wide range of industries, including finance, high technology, and the entertainment industry, with various forces intricately intertwined.

Therefore, they held regular family gatherings, during which they could integrate and exchange resources.

In these gatherings, Huo Jihan held absolute authority, so everyone spoke to him with the utmost caution.

Lin Yi didn’t know these Huo family members, but with a casual glance, he noticed that the people surrounding Huo Jihan came from business, education, entertainment, and other sectors—each a leader in their respective fields, people whose words carried enormous weight.

Clearly, the Huo family’s connections were truly impressive.

Just then, an elderly man with graying hair and a kind face walked over toward the sofa area.

Lin Yi looked at the man and found him strangely familiar, like he had seen him somewhere before.

Sure enough, Huo Shi called out, “Uncle.”

When Lin Yi heard this, it clicked.

The Huo family’s eldest uncle was a prominent figure in the education world and a professor at a top university.

With a smile on his face, Uncle Huo walked over to them. He first bent down to look at Huo Mianmian and said, “Mianmian, you’ve grown so big now, huh? You’re three years old, right?”

Huo Mianmian nodded obediently, still clutching the stuffed bunny he’d been playing with.

Uncle Huo smiled and gently patted his little head. “You’re almost at the age to start school. You need to study hard. I’ll be checking on your academic progress from time to time.”

Huo Mianmian’s big round eyes widened in an instant.

He didn’t fully understand what the man was saying, but he had a vague feeling that a huge burden had just been placed on his shoulders—QAQ!

Lin Yi looked on with a smile at the bewildered little Huo Mianmian.

Poor kid. He hadn’t even started school yet and was already being monitored by an elder from the education world.

After teasing Huo Mianmian for a bit, Uncle Huo naturally turned to Huo Shi and said, “You too—young people should keep learning.”

Huo Shi seemed to respect this uncle quite a bit and nodded. “Okay.”

Uncle Huo continued, “Young people need to have courage and determination. It’s okay to fall once in a while if you’re running fast. Who hasn’t stumbled when they were young? When you fall, you just get back up, brush off the dust, and keep moving forward…”

At first, Huo Shi didn’t understand why Uncle Huo was saying all this, but gradually, he began to realize the reason, and his expression turned serious.

Then he heard Uncle Huo say, “What happened to your parents isn’t your fault. You don’t need to carry it with you all the time. Your third Great-Uncle—he doesn’t speak nicely, so just ignore what he says.”

This was the core of Uncle Huo’s message.

Huo Shi listened in silence, his expression shifting. It was unclear whether he was once again thinking of his parents.

It was a knot he couldn’t untangle anytime soon.

Seeing Huo Shi’s troubled look, Uncle Huo sighed lightly and didn’t say more. Instead, he turned his gaze to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi hadn’t expected the conversation to come his way too, so he straightened up a little.

Uncle Huo smiled at him and said, “You’re Lin Yi, right?”

Lin Yi nodded politely. “Yes, I am.”

Uncle Huo said with a smile, “I’ve heard about you for a while now. Meeting you today, you’re a good kid.”

Then he shifted the topic. “I don’t really understand you young people’s affairs, but the important thing is to get along well with Jihan. I’ve watched Jihan grow up. He’s always been emotionally reserved and distant with everyone. I used to think he’d go through life alone. But I didn’t expect him to choose you in the end. Since that’s the case, it means he’s made up his mind about you. So just live well together…”

Listening to this, Lin Yi nodded and replied, “Mm.”

But in his heart, he knew the truth—Huo Jihan hadn’t “made up his mind” about him at all.

Back then, Huo Jihan simply didn’t want to invest any energy into romance, so he found someone to enter into a marriage agreement.

After speaking to both Lin Yi and Huo Shi in turn, Uncle Huo finally walked away at a leisurely pace.

It was clear that even in retirement, this veteran educator still retained his teaching instincts.

He hoped all the younger members of the Huo family would live righteously, do the right thing, and grow up healthy and bright.

After seeing Uncle Huo off, Lin Yi picked up a snack from the tea table and began to eat.

He wasn’t sure what it was made of—it had a soft, glutinous outer layer like sticky rice cake, with a refreshing, sweet filling inside that oozed out.

Lin Yi ate several in a row.

At that moment, over on the other side of the hall, in another sofa area—

A group of Huo family’s young masters were seated there.

These young masters belonged to the less reputable branch of the family.

Relying on their privileged background, they lived recklessly and arrogantly.

The two at the center were named Huo Yiping and Huo Yun.

At the moment, Huo Yiping was wearing a wine-red suit, slouched lazily on a single-seater sofa with one leg crossed over the other.

In one hand, he swirled a wine glass, while the other rested casually on the sofa’s armrest.

The air of an arrogant rich brat was undeniable.

He had a harsh and sinister look—one glance told you he wasn’t someone to mess with.

Right now, as he stared at Huo Jihan being surrounded by people on the other side, his eyes grew even colder and more venomous.

He was also a descendant of the Huo family, a legitimate heir—so why was the massive Huo Corporation handed over to Huo Jihan instead of him?

Sitting next to Huo Yiping was Huo Yun. He glanced briefly in the same direction Huo Yiping was looking, then withdrew his gaze and said, “Huo Jihan has an absolute advantage now. Trying to bring him down won’t be easy.”

Although Huo Yun hung around with Huo Yiping, they were polar opposites in appearance.

Huo Yiping looked vicious and aggressive, while Huo Yun was delicate and gentle, like someone with a very mild temper.

Upon hearing this, Huo Yiping glared at Huo Yun. “It’s not that I don’t want to fight Huo Jihan. Do you really think I’d be under him otherwise?”

Huo Yun played along, replying smoothly, “True. I think so too. You’re definitely stronger than Huo Jihan. Others may not see it that way—you have to show it, or no one will believe it.”

With that, Huo Yiping felt even more convinced that he had been shortchanged, his chest heaving with anger.

Huo Yiping was moody and unpredictable. In the next moment, he dropped the leg he had crossed and gave Huo Yun a careless kick with the toe of his leather shoe, mocking, “Hey, don’t tell me you’re interested in the Huo Corporation too?”

Huo Yun winced from the kick, but that refined face of his still wore a smile, without a trace of resentment. “Of course not. I know my place.”

Huo Yiping snorted coldly. “Good. Just remember—you’re nothing more than an illegitimate child of the Huo family. If it weren’t for your low-born mom having a bit of a pretty face and catching the old man’s eye for a fling, you think you would be here playing noble?”

He called it a fling, but in truth, it had been rape. After giving birth to Huo Yun, his mother had died not long after, drowning in sorrow. Huo Yun was then taken in and raised by the Huo family.

Even after such humiliation, Huo Yun kept smiling. “You’re right.”

Still angry from being outshone by Huo Jihan, Huo Yiping dumped all his frustration on Huo Yun.

He deliberately shook his wine glass, letting a splash of red wine fall onto his leather shoe, then said to Huo Yun, “Hurry up and wipe it off. These shoes are imported—one stain and they’re ruined.”

Obediently, Huo Yun picked up some napkins from the tea table, then squatted down in front of Huo Yiping and carefully cleaned his shoes.

Huo Yiping looked even more smug.

The other young masters nearby started jeering.

After all, Huo Yun was just a bastard. So what if they bullied him? Who would speak up for him?

But damn, this Huo Yun sure could take it. He had been treated like a dog by Huo Yiping for so long and never fought back. Did he have no self-respect?

The more they watched, the louder their mocking laughter grew.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi was still nibbling on pastries, his gaze drifting aimlessly.

Then, by chance, his eyes landed on the scene happening near Huo Yiping.

He saw a delicate-looking young man squatting down, humbly wiping the shoes of another guy who looked like pure trouble.

Once the shoes were clean, the man even rubbed the shoe across the young man’s face.

It was a total humiliation.

Lin Yi: “……”

He didn’t know who Huo Yiping or Huo Yun were, but seeing that made him frown in confusion.

What kind of relationship did those two have? Why such a blatant imbalance?

At that moment, the group around Huo Yiping noticed Lin Yi’s gaze.

One of the young men sneered, “Isn’t that one of Huo Jihan’s people?”

Huo Yiping also looked up and in the next second, his expression shifted in surprise.

His eyes shamelessly scanned Lin Yi from head to toe.

Tsk, tsk. That face, that body—totally his type.

Too bad he belonged to Huo Jihan. Otherwise, he would’ve snatched him up to play with.

Just then, Huo Yun tossed aside the napkin he had used and sat back down.

Without a hint of emotion, he looked around and said, “You’ve got your eye on Lin Yi?”

Huo Yiping licked his lips. “Yeah, he’s right up my alley.”

He wasn’t picky about gender, but it had been a while since he’d seen someone so stunning—especially Lin Yi’s eyes, with that seductive, slightly foxy shape.

Huo Yun casually added, “Huo Jihan seems to value him a lot. Best not to mess with him, or you’ll be asking for trouble.”

It sounded like advice, but Huo Yiping hated being told things like that. With a loud “bang,” he slammed his glass on the table and glared at Huo Yun. “So what if Huo Jihan has his back? You think I’m afraid of him?”

Huo Yun continued, “I don’t think you’re afraid but others might think so. In their eyes, you’re always one step behind Huo Jihan… always beneath him.”

That lit the fire instantly—Huo Yiping’s anger exploded.

He hated being compared to Huo Jihan, and hated hearing that he was lesser. It was worse than being killed.

Yet Huo Yun’s words kept stoking the flames, pushing all the right buttons.

Still, Huo Yiping had some sense left—he hadn’t drunk that much yet.

He knew he wouldn’t get the upper hand with Huo Jihan, so a direct clash wasn’t wise.

As he thought about it more, he suddenly realized something.

Why did it feel like Huo Yun had been egging him on all night? Like he was subtly trying to goad him into challenging Huo Jihan?

Huo Yiping only thought about it for a moment before brushing it off.

He was too arrogant to believe someone like Huo Yun—a bastard—could scheme under his nose.

At that moment, Huo Yun poured a glass of wine and handed it to him. “Forget about that buzzkill. Just keep drinking.”

Huo Yun’s posture was exceedingly humble, which greatly pleased Huo Yiping. He accepted the glass with swagger and continued drinking…

On the other side—

Lin Yi had stayed in the hall for quite a while, and now he took Huo Mianmian outside for a walk.

The night Sky was bright, the moon hung high, and its pale light bathed the ground in silver.

A gentle evening breeze rustled by—it was perfectly pleasant.

Lin Yi strolled leisurely with Huo Mianmian, and the two of them arrived at a small pond.

It was summer, and the pond was covered in lush green lotus leaves and vibrant blooming lotuses. The scene was picturesque.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian stood by the water, admiring the view.

Suddenly, a sound echoed from the pond, “Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit—”

Huo Mianmian’s expression lit up.

He looked up at Lin Yi excitedly and said, “Xiao Ba, I think that’s a frog!”

Lin Yi smiled. “Yep, it’s a frog.”

At his age, Huo Mianmian was curious about everything. He asked, “Why do frogs keep going ‘ribbit, ribbit’?”

Lin Yi teased him, “Hmm, not sure. Maybe it’s lonely and calling for a friend.”

Calling for a friend?

Huo Mianmian looked thoughtful after hearing that.

Then, when the frog croaked again, he began to respond, “Ribbit~”

The frog answered, “Ribbit—”

Huo Mianmian replied again, “Ribbit~”

“Ribbit ribbit—”

“Ribbit ribbit~”

And just like that, the boy and the frog went back and forth, calling out to each other as if they were having a conversation.

Lin Yi stood by, watching with amusement.

Finally, Huo Mianmian grew tired. He let out a few deep breaths and said to the frog, “Alright, I’m done talking. I’m so tired.”

“Ribbit—”

Huo Mianmian waved his hand, “I really am tired.”

“Ribbit—”

Huo Mianmian: “……”

He tilted his head up to look at Lin Yi, puzzled. “Xiao Ba, why does the frog talk so much? I’m already tired and it still wants to chat.”

Lin Yi burst out laughing. “Hahaha!”

When he finally finished laughing, he said to Huo Mianmian, “Who knows, maybe it’s just a little chatterbox.”

Huo Mianmian took that seriously and turned to advise the frog, “You’d better stop talking or your throat might hurt.”

Whether or not the frog understood him, it actually quieted down for a while.

Huo Mianmian’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Lin Yi. “Frogs are so well-behaved!”

Lin Yi smiled. “That’s right. It thinks you’re super cute, so it’s willing to listen.”

Huo Mianmian beamed at that.

The father and son were having a peaceful moment until an unexpected guest showed up.

Lin Yi heard the noise and turned to look.

He saw Huo Yiping stumbling toward them, clearly drunk.

The man couldn’t even walk straight, swaying as he came closer.

Lin Yi didn’t want to get tangled up with a drunk, so he tried to leave with Huo Mianmian.

Huo Yiping stretched out his arms to block him, speaking in a sleazy tone, “Don’t go. Let’s have a nice chat.”

Lin Yi hadn’t expected this guy to come at him directly. He said coldly, “What could we possibly have to talk about?”

Huo Yiping’s gaze was bold and filthy as he looked Lin Yi up and down. “If we want to talk, there’s always plenty to talk about.”

Originally, he wouldn’t have dared to approach Lin Yi—not with Huo Jihan backing him. But after Huo Yun handed him a few more drinks, the alcohol gave him liquid courage, and he had stumbled out here to find Lin Yi.

Seeing Huo Yiping blocking his path, Lin Yi knew this wouldn’t be resolved easily.

So he said to Huo Mianmian, “Mianmian, go find your second uncle to play.”

He might need to deal with an idiot, and it wasn’t suitable for a child to witness that.

Huo Mianmian looked at Lin Yi, then at Huo Yiping, and quickly ran back toward the banquet hall.

Soon, only Lin Yi and Huo Yiping remained by the lotus pond.

Huo Yiping sneered, his voice vulgar. “You knew to send the kid away so things would be easier, huh?”

Lin Yi shot him a cold look. “What do you want from me?”

Huo Yiping leaned in closer, his tone wicked. “To be honest, I’ve taken a liking to you. Why not come with me? Don’t think following Huo Jihan will get you anywhere. One day, when he’s tired of you and kicks you aside, you won’t even have a place to cry. But if you follow me, there’ll be all sorts of benefits—like you feeling really good…”

As he spoke, he reached for Lin Yi’s collar.

Lin Yi dodged the move and sneered. “Whether he’ll kick me aside one day, I don’t know. But I do know—I can kick you aside right now.”

Huo Yiping was drunk and slow to process.

Before he could register what Lin Yi meant, Lin Yi had already raised his foot and kicked him straight into the pond.

Splash—Huo Yiping fell right into the lotus pond.

He immediately burst out in rage, “You fucking—!”

He looked like he was about to climb out and get revenge.

But he was drunk and unsteady, flailing around and unable to get up.

While splashing about, he yelled threateningly at Lin Yi, “Lin Yi, you got a death wish?! You fucking kicked me?!”

Lin Yi stood calmly on the bank, looking down at him. “So what if I did?”

Huo Yiping roared, “Get me out of here, or I won’t go easy on you!!”

Lin Yi said lightly, “Wow, I’m so scared.”

Huo Yiping: “……”

He was fuming but helpless, left with no choice but to try crawling out himself.

The pond was deep—reaching up to his chest—and the bottom was muddy.

The more he struggled, the deeper he sank.

Soon, the water reached his chest… then his neck.

Only his head was left above the surface.

Now he finally panicked. “H-Help! Help me!”

Lin Yi stood above, still calm. “What, sobered up now?”

Huo Yiping couldn’t say anything more. To get Lin Yi to help him, he could only nod frantically. “I’m sober! I’m sober! Just help me up!!”

But Lin Yi just gave a faint smile. “Well, since you’re sober, climb out yourself.”

It was clear he had no intention of helping.

“……”

Huo Yiping was so angry he cursed, “Lin Yi, just you wait! When I get out of here, you’re dead!!”

He had never imagined that someone with such a stunning, dazzling face could be so hard to mess with.

With no other option, Huo Yiping could only crawl out on his own.

He realized that the more he panicked in the mud, the deeper he sank. So he forced himself to calm down and slowly inched his way toward the bank.

No one knew how long it took, but eventually, he made it to the edge.

He was trembling all over, covered in sticky black sludge—like a miserable, soaking-wet dog.

Lin Yi had watched coldly the whole time.

Using his last bit of strength, Huo Yiping tried to haul himself up.

But just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed.

Both Lin Yi and Huo Yiping turned to look—and saw a group of Huo family members approaching.

It seemed Huo Mianmian had gone to get someone.

Leading the group was Huo Jihan, striding quickly toward the lotus pond.

As soon as he arrived, his dark eyes locked on Lin Yi with concern. In a low voice, he asked, “Are you alright?”

Lin Yi gave a small smile. “I’m fine. But this one doesn’t seem so fine.”

As he spoke, he looked toward Huo Yiping, who had just climbed up onto the bank.

Huo Jihan scanned Lin Yi again, making sure he was truly unhurt. Only then did he shift his icy gaze to Huo Yiping—his eyes as sharp as a thousand blades.

Under that stare, Huo Yiping visibly flinched.

He was genuinely afraid of Huo Jihan.

But with so many people watching, he didn’t want to lose face. So he forced a harsh tone and said, “Your man kicked me into the lotus pond without any reason. You owe me an explanation.”

Huo Jihan’s voice was like a blade of frost. “You want an explanation?”

With that, he raised his foot and kicked Huo Yiping right back into the lotus pond. His words fell cold and hard, “There’s your explanation.”

Gasps echoed all around.

Huo Yiping had just climbed out, only to be kicked straight back in.

He thrashed in the pond, struggling several times before finally getting his footing.

He glared at Huo Jihan. “Huo Jihan, you—”

But the moment his eyes met Huo Jihan’s icy stare, his voice died in his throat.

Then Huo Jihan spoke coldly, “Don’t bother getting out. Stay in the lotus pond for the rest of the night.”

His voice carried such weight that no one dared disobey.

Huo Yiping’s face turned deathly pale.

Stay in there… the whole night?!

He completely panicked and quickly looked to the crowd for help. “Dad! Mom! Help me!!”

Madam Huo’s heart ached for her son. She hurried to Huo Jihan’s side.

Once a noble and composed lady, she was now flustered and stammering, “Ji—Jihan, this isn’t right. If your cousin stays in there all night, h-he’ll definitely get sick…”

Huo Jihan didn’t even glance at her, his body radiating a chilling coldness.

She begged him several more times, but Huo Jihan never responded.

Biting her lip, she turned and ran to Huo Shi. “Xiao Shi, please, Auntie’s begging you. Talk to your brother, will you?”

Huo Shi’s face was equally cold. He looked at her and replied, “Do you think I can persuade my Ge?”

That one line shattered her last hope. Her face went ashen.

Everyone knew that once Huo Jihan made a decision, there was no changing it. He was ruthless and absolute, and in the past had handed down punishments far worse than this. No one could stop him.

That’s why the entire Huo family relied on him—and feared him.

Aunt Huo’s face turned gray with despair. She ran back to her husband and pleaded, “Say something! Are you really going to let our son stay in there all night?!”

Of course, Uncle Huo loved his son too. He gritted his teeth and said, “Yiping’s always been too impulsive. Maybe a small punishment will help him learn a lesson.”

But this humiliation—he would definitely remember it.

Hearing her husband say that, Aunt Huo completely gave up and collapsed to the ground.

No one else dared make a sound.

At this moment, everyone understood one thing clearly that of all the people in the Huo family, Lin Yi was the last person anyone should mess with.

Faces grew solemn.

Only Huo Yun was smiling.

He looked at Huo Yiping soaking in the muddy water, his face serene and content, even more charming than usual.

—

Half an hour later.

The banquet ended, and Lin Yi and the others were ready to head home.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce waited at the entrance.

Lin Yi walked over to the car with Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan opened the door first and said, “Get in.”

Lin Yi climbed in, followed by Huo Jihan.

Soon after, Huo Shi arrived with Huo Mianmian in his arms.

He placed Huo Mianmian in the backseat, then went to the driver’s seat up front without needing to be asked.

Huo Mianmian stood in the back and glanced around with his big round eyes.

There was an empty seat next to both Lin Yi and Huo Jihan.

But without a second’s hesitation, Huo Mianmian decisively chose to sit beside Lin Yi.

The preference was crystal clear.

Huo Shi saw this and couldn’t help but laugh.

It seemed that in Mianmian’s heart, his big brother couldn’t compare to his sister-in-law.

Soon, Huo Shi started the engine.

The black Rolls-Royce rolled forward.

The trip home was fairly long and it was getting late.

Sitting in the back, Lin Yi began to grow drowsy.

He leaned back in his seat to rest.

But every time the car turned, his head would sway from side to side uncontrollably.

Eyes closed, half-asleep, Lin Yi thought vaguely to himself—he should be careful not to accidentally lean on Huo Jihan.

Sleepiness overwhelmed him, and at a certain point, his consciousness slipped into darkness.

His head tilted to one side.

He was leaning toward Huo Mianmian but the boy was too small, sitting far too low for Lin Yi to rest on.

He was about to tip too far, and would likely jolt awake when he fell—

Just then, a warm hand reached out and steadied his head, gently guiding it to rest on a broad shoulder.

With that support, Lin Yi fully relaxed, instinctively adjusting to a comfortable position and falling into deep sleep.

Huo Jihan turned slightly, glancing at the man sleeping on his shoulder, and a trace of warmth flickered in his dark eyes.

Up front, Huo Shi happened to glance in the rearview mirror and was instantly stunned.

Was that really his emotionally-detached brother?

Just then, Huo Jihan seemed to sense something. He looked up and said in a cold voice, “Keep your eyes on the road.”

Huo Shi: “……”

He wanted to focus on driving—wasn’t it this unexpected emotional damage that threw him off?!