TRSBPASO 70

That day, Huo Shi was getting ready to leave home and move into the training base.

The butler had gone all out, preparing a particularly lavish lunch as a send-off for him.

Even Huo Jihan didn’t go to work.

The whole family sat down and enjoyed a harmonious meal together.

At one in the afternoon, it was time for Huo Shi to leave.

Someone from the base had come to pick him up.

Huo Shi pulled his suitcase outside the villa, ready to get in the car and set off.

He was full of confidence now, fully prepared to face the challenges ahead. At the same time, compared to before, his demeanor had grown a little more grounded.

That difficult chapter in his life had been painful—but it had also made him stronger.

Lin Yi and Huo Jihan stood outside the villa to see him off.

Huo Mianmian also stood quietly to one side, watching him go.

Huo Shi loaded his suitcase into the car, closed the trunk, and walked over to the side door.

Just before getting in, he looked back at them and said, “I’m heading out.”

Then he added, “I’ll come back whenever I have time.”

Not long ago, he was the boy who stood silently at the doorstep, afraid to come in. Now, he would let go of those burdens. This house had become his warm harbor—one he could return to anytime.

Lin Yi smiled and said, “Train well. We’ll be waiting for good news from you.”

The world championship wasn’t far off. Huo Shi was shouldering a big responsibility this time.

Huo Shi nodded. “Got it.”

Then he looked at his brother, his gaze hesitant, as if waiting for him to say something.

At that moment, Huo Jihan finally spoke. “Go. You’re not a kid anymore. Just know what you’re doing.”

Huo Shi nodded seriously. “I will.”

He used to think his brother was just strict. And even now, he still thinks  that but after coming home this time, he felt something different.

His brother might be stern, but he bore the full weight of the family on his own shoulders. He never put pressure on him—instead, he gave him freedom to chase his dreams and do whatever he wanted.

Wasn’t that its own kind of brotherly love?

Huo Shi realized he had been looking at things too simplistically before. Now, he was starting to see beyond the surface.

Finally, Huo Shi came to say goodbye to Huo Mianmian.

He bent down and pinched the boy’s cheek. “Mianmian, wait for Second Uncle to bring you back something tasty next time.”

Huo Mianmian said, “…Okay.”

Though honestly, why did Second Uncle always pinch so hard?

His face really hurt~

Just then, Lin Yi—like always—smacked Huo Shi’s hand away with a loud “pop,” and scolded, “How many times do I have to tell you to be gentle?!”

Huo Shi shrugged and immediately let go of Huo Mianmian’s face. “Alright, alright. Our Xiao Mianmian’s made of mochi—too delicate to touch.”

Lin Yi rolled his eyes. “I don’t care what he’s made of, he’s definitely more precious than you.”

Huo Shi: “…”

He was very aware of his place in the family hierarchy now.

Soon, it was time to go. Huo Shi waved to everyone. “I’m off.”

He took a couple steps back, then turned and got into the car.

The car pulled away.

This time, no one felt that heavy sadness about his departure because they knew he would always come back.

That same day.

While scrolling on his phone, Lin Yi saw a push notification.

It was about local food and attractions.

Apparently, there was a peach mountain nearby, full of peach trees. The peaches had just ripened and were ready for picking.

Lin Yi glanced at the photos and saw that the peaches were huge and bright red. It was totally irresistible.

Of course he couldn’t pass this up.

Without hesitation, Lin Yi grabbed Huo Mianmian and headed out to the peach mountain.

Since they were going on an outing, both father and son dressed light and casual.

Lin Yi wore a pale-colored tracksuit and white sneakers, looking relaxed and at ease.

Huo Mianmian wore an adorable yellow outfit. The top was a short-sleeved hoodie with two fluffy pom-poms hanging from the drawstrings, and the matching knee-length shorts made his little arms and legs peek out, all soft and plump like tender lotus roots—irresistibly squishy.

Lin Yi drove them himself.

The weather was lovely—warm sun and a cool breeze.

He rolled down the windows, letting the breeze flow in. It made the ride even more pleasant.

An hour later, the two arrived at the peach mountain.

As long as you bought a ticket, you could eat as many peaches as you wanted but taking them home would cost extra.

Lin Yi bought two tickets and took Huo Mianmian up the mountain.

The moment they reached the peach grove, both of them were stunned.

All around them were endless peach trees.

The fruits were fully ripe, hanging heavy on the branches, just begging to be picked.

Lin Yi stood on tiptoe and easily picked one off a branch.

They really weren’t exaggerating in the pictures.

Each peach was big and red, too big to hold with one hand.

Lin Yi weighed the peach in his palm and smiled at Huo Mianmian. “Kiddo, we’re going to feast on peaches today.”

Huo Mianmian’s eyes sparkled as he nodded. “I wanna eat a whole bunch!!”

Lin Yi laughed. “Alright!”

Soon, he found a chair and sat down, pulled out a small knife, and began peeling the peach.

He peeled it all in one long curl, the skin falling in a perfect spiral.

Huo Mianmian sat beside him, fascinated. He grabbed the long peel and started playing with it, twisting it into different shapes.

Kids could amuse themselves for ages with even a fruit peel.

Very soon, Lin Yi finished peeling the peach and handed it to Huo Mianmian. “Here you go, try it.”

Huo Mianmian put down the peel and ran to wash his hands at a nearby faucet. Then he came back and carefully took the peach from Lin Yi.

It was so big, he had to use both of his chubby little hands and still struggled to hold it.

He stared at the peach in awe, eyes wide and sparkling. “Waaah~”

Lin Yi laughed. “Well? Isn’t it huge?”

Huo Mianmian nodded hard. “It’s so big!”

“Go on, try it and see how it tastes.”

Huo Mianmian lifted the peach and took a big bite. His eyes immediately turned into crescent moons as he mumbled with his mouth full, “So sweet~”

“Then eat up. I’ll peel another one for you when you’re done.”

Huo Mianmian instantly sat down on the bench, happily munching away on the peach, his two little legs dangling and swinging under the seat.

Around them, birds chirped, flowers bloomed, and the grass was lush and green.

There he was—little Huo Mianmian, sitting under a peach tree, happily eating his fruit. It was the kind of scene that felt healing just to look at.

If someone took a photo of that moment, it could be used as a wallpaper straight away.

Lin Yi peeled one for himself as well.

With the first bite, peach juice flooded his mouth. It was fresh, sweet, and utterly delicious.

The ripeness was just right. It was crisp, juicy, and fragrant. The crunching sound alone was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

In the end, Huo Mianmian only finished one peach before he stopped.

He patted his now-round little belly and smacked his lips, savoring the lingering taste.

Lin Yi was working on his second. As he ate, he teased Huo Mianmian, “Baby, how about I peel you another?”

Huo Mianmian quickly shook his head. “No, Mianmian will get too full.”

Lin Yi teased again, “How do you know you’ll get too full?”

Huo Mianmian answered seriously, “I just know! If I keep eating, my tummy will puff up like a balloon!”

Lin Yi couldn’t help laughing at his earnest reply. “Not bad. Our little Mianmian knows all about health.”

Huo Mianmian smiled shyly at the praise.

Not only did he take care of his own health, he even looked out for Lin Yi. “Xiao Ba, once you finish that one, no more, okay?”

Lin Yi had only planned to eat two anyway, but he decided to tease him a bit more. “No can do. I’m gonna eat all the peaches on this mountain.”

Huo Mianmian’s eyes went wide, and he waved his hands urgently. “Nooo! Xiao Ba, if you eat that many peaches, you’ll get sick!”

Lin Yi looked at his serious little face, trying not to laugh. “It’s fine. I won’t get sick.”

Huo Mianmian panicked. He grabbed Lin Yi’s hand and launched into full-on baby-persuasion mode. “Xiao Ba, don’t eat. You’re not allowed to eat anymore!”

Lin Yi burst out laughing. “Hahahaha!”

Huo Mianmian even climbed into Lin Yi’s lap, trying to wrap himself around him to stop him from picking more peaches. “Xiao Ba, you really can’t eat any more, okay?”

Lin Yi was completely melted by how cute he was. He stopped teasing and said, “Alright, alright. Xiao Ba will listen to Mianmian.”

Huo Mianmian beamed.

He had finally convinced little dad.

After they finished eating peaches, the two of them strolled around the orchard a bit longer, then headed down the mountain.

On their way back, they bought two big bags of peaches to take home and shared them with everyone in the villa.

The servants accepted the peaches gratefully and thanked Lin Yi one after another.

Lin Yi waved it off like it was nothing, then went upstairs to his bedroom.

He had been out all day and worked up a bit of a sweat, so he decided to take a shower.

After he was done, he came out of the bathroom towel-drying his hair.

Too lazy to blow-dry, he gave it a quick rub and tossed the towel aside, letting it air-dry naturally.

While waiting for his hair to dry, he opened the nightstand drawer to pull out his tablet and watch a movie.

The first thing he saw was his marriage agreement with Huo Jihan.

Lin Yi paused, then reached in and pulled it out.

There was a soft rug on the floor, so he simply walked over, sat down cross-legged, and began flipping through the contract.

He had already read it when he first arrived in this book world.

But some time had passed since then. It was worth reviewing.

After all, understanding every clause clearly would help him manage this agreement-based marriage better.

Lin Yi had definitely chosen a laid-back life this time around but some things about him would never change.

Like his ability to clearly distinguish what he should and shouldn’t do.

He might seem easygoing, but he always had a firm grasp on his actions.

So there he sat, one hand propping up his head, the other casually flipping through the agreement.

Elsewhere—

Huo Jihan had just finished a video meeting in his study.

After wrapping up, he stepped out into the hallway.

As he passed by Lin Yi’s room, he noticed the door wasn’t locked—just slightly ajar. He could faintly see Lin Yi inside.

Lin Yi was sitting cross-legged on the rug, turned slightly away from the door, focused on something in his hands.

Huo Jihan knocked.

Lin Yi looked up and called out, “Come in. The door’s open.”

Huo Jihan pushed it open and entered.

When Lin Yi saw him, he tilted his head up and smiled. “Mr. Huo, do you need something?”

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over Lin Yi.

He was dressed simply—a white T-shirt and black lounge pants—fresh and clean.

His hair had dried, soft bangs falling loosely over his forehead. Beneath them were those luminous, charming fox-like eyes, now sparkling with a smile.

Huo Jihan stood there, gazing at Lin Yi bathed in sunlight, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. “What are you reading?”

Lin Yi didn’t try to hide it—after all, it was something they were both familiar with.

He raised the document in his hand and said, “This.”

Huo Jihan saw the agreement, and the curve on his lips slowly faded. His eyes darkened. “Why are you reading that?”

If Lin Yi hadn’t brought it up, he might have forgotten it even existed.

But Lin Yi… Why revisit it now?

Lin Yi answered honestly, “Just reading. I figured it’s good to be more familiar with it.”

Huo Jihan rarely showed any emotion, but at that moment, his heart tensed slightly. His eyes fixed on Lin Yi. “And what did you find?”

Lin Yi hadn’t noticed the shift in his tone and replied casually, “Actually, I did notice something.”

Huo Jihan pressed, “What?”

Lin Yi flipped to a certain page and pointed. “Here, it says that after the three-year period, if either of us requests to terminate the agreement, we can dissolve the marriage.”

He was just calmly stating a fact.

Huo Jihan clearly didn’t take it so calmly. He stared at Lin Yi and asked, “You want to end it?”

Only then did Lin Yi pick up on the subtle tension in his voice. He explained, “Not necessarily. I’m just pointing out that it’s in the agreement.”

After all, with time passing, that three-year deadline was drawing closer. It might be time to think about what came next.

He simply felt that if things were truly going to change, then it wouldn’t hurt to start planning for his own future a little earlier.

Huo Jihan stared intently at Lin Yi. “Out of everything in the agreement, that’s the one clause you chose to bring up.”

That said enough.

At the very least, Lin Yi wasn’t emotionally attached to the idea of ending the marriage. Which meant he wasn’t particularly attached to this home either.

Lin Yi was free. He could leave whenever he pleased, without a second thought.

When Lin Yi looked up and met Huo Jihan’s eyes, he noticed they were especially dark, filled with emotions he couldn’t quite read.

Puzzled, he asked, “Mr. Huo?”

Had he said something wrong just now? He was just pointing out a clause that already existed in the agreement.

Huo Jihan didn’t respond immediately. He simply stared at Lin Yi, expression unreadable.

The room suddenly went quiet.

Lin Yi mentally replayed their conversation, then cautiously offered an explanation. “I didn’t say I would definitely leave once the three years are up. I just said it’s a possibility.”

Huo Jihan’s voice was low. “So in your plan, leaving is one of the options?”

Lin Yi thought for a moment, then nodded honestly.

Even though he was currently living well here, the relationship between him and Huo Jihan was still based on a contract. Who could say what the future would hold?

He was used to thinking through every possible outcome.

He wasn’t some fragile person untouched by hardship. No matter what the result was, he could carve out a life of his own.

As Huo Jihan watched him nod, he felt something heavy settle in his chest.

He had thought their relationship was evolving but from Lin Yi’s perspective, it clearly wasn’t.

Lin Yi was still the same—untethered, unbound.

The next day.

Huo Group.

A thick cloud of tension loomed over the entire company.

No one dared to make a sound. Even normal conversations were hushed, everyone too afraid of accidentally setting something off.

One department head stood outside Huo Jihan’s office, holding a report with legs trembling.

He hesitated for a long time but still couldn’t muster the courage to knock.

Just then, he spotted Li Feng.

He quickly stepped over to him and lowered his voice. “Special Assistant Li, did something happen at the company? Why does the President seem like he’s in such a bad mood?”

Everyone in the company had guessed that something was up with Huo Jihan.

Normally, he was calm and emotionally distant, rarely showing anything on his face.

But at the morning meeting, the moment he took his seat at the head of the table, every senior executive instinctively shrank into their chairs.

That oppressive aura rolling off him in waves—no one even dared to look up.

The entire meeting felt like torture.

Every single report was returned without exception.

Mistakes that would’ve been ignored on any other day were ruthlessly called out by Huo Jihan.

Some of the executives were nearly in tears.

How could they possibly match wits with Huo Jihan? That was like signing their own death warrant.

They had already given it their all.

That’s when everyone silently reached the same conclusion. President Huo was in an extremely foul mood these past couple of days.

Whatever you do, don’t go looking for trouble.

Li Feng, faced with the department head’s question, looked helpless as well. “I’m not really sure what happened this time either. But since there are some issues with your report, maybe revise it again.”

The department head was on the verge of tears. “This is already the best I could come up with.”

Anyone qualified to work at Huo Group was already elite. To be in management? Even more so.

But even they couldn’t keep up with Huo Jihan’s standards—what could they do?

Li Feng sighed.

As the assistant to Huo Jihan, it was still his job to smooth these things over.

Just as he was racking his brain for a solution, Ji Yunchuan came strolling into the top floor.

That guy was always carefree, and now he called out cheerfully, “Hey, everyone’s here! Where’s Huo Ge? Still in his office?”

Li Feng immediately gestured for him to quiet down, lowering his voice. “Young Master Ji, something seems off with President Huo today.”

Ji Yunchuan paused, blinking. “What happened?”

Li Feng shook his head. “I’m not really sure either. I was just trying to figure out how to deal with it. Why don’t you go in and check?”

After all, Young Master Ji was one of their president’s closest friends. It made more sense for him to step in.

The department head looked at Ji Yunchuan with pleading eyes. “Young Master Ji, please… just go in and take a look. I really don’t have the guts to hand this report in right now.”

Ji Yunchuan: “…”

He had no idea what was going on, but he was always up for playing the hero. He puffed out his chest with pride. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

A moment later, Ji Yunchuan arrived at the door to Huo Jihan’s office.

Even though he had looked so confident earlier, he was suddenly a lot more cautious now.

Who wasn’t a little scared of their terrifying Huo Ge?

He knocked gently.

There was a pause before a hoarse voice came from inside. “Come in.”

Ji Yunchuan stepped in and shut the door behind him.

The very next second, he was choking on smoke and broke into a fit of coughing. “Cough cough cough cough—”

His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan sat silently behind his desk, brows tightly furrowed, eyes like frost. Between his fingers was a lit cigarette.

It took Ji Yunchuan a while to recover his voice. “Huo Ge, cough cough, how many cigarettes have you even smoked?!”

He didn’t remember his friend being a smoker.

At most, he had seen him light one once or twice.

As he spoke, Ji Yunchuan quickly went to open the window, letting fresh air in.

Huo Jihan didn’t answer. He just sat there, clearly deep in thought, his expression so dark it made one’s heart tremble.

Ji Yunchuan cautiously edged closer and asked carefully, “Huo Ge, what happened? Don’t tell me… the company’s collapsing?!”

Because seriously, what else could put his friend in this kind of state?

Wait, no…

Ji Yunchuan suddenly had a flash of insight.

What if it had something to do with his sister-in-law? That was probably the only thing that could mess with Huo Jihan’s emotions like this.

Seeing that Huo Jihan still wasn’t talking, Ji Yunchuan quietly slipped back out of the office and pulled out his phone.

At the villa.

Lin Yi was lounging on the couch, watching a movie on his tablet.

Just then, his phone rang—it was a call from Ji Yunchuan.

Lin Yi picked up casually. “Hello?”

On the other end, Ji Yunchuan’s voice nearly blew out his eardrums. “Sister-in-law, it’s an emergency!!! Only you can fix this right now!!!”

Lin Yi: “??”

He frowned. “What happened?”

Ji Yunchuan practically wailed, “I don’t know the details either—just get over to the company and find Huo Ge! Hurry, we’re counting on you!!”

Lin Yi: “…”

He didn’t know what was going on either, but Ji Yunchuan sounded so panicked that something major must have happened.

He quickly put down his tablet, grabbed his car keys, and headed out the door.

Thirty minutes later, Lin Yi arrived at Huo Group.

He was already quite familiar with the place and quickly made his way to the top floor.

No one else was around, so he walked straight to Huo Jihan’s office and knocked.

A voice came from inside. “Come in.”

Lin Yi froze for a second.

He recognized Huo Jihan’s voice but it was rougher than usual.

With a head full of questions, Lin Yi opened the door.

The next moment, his eyes widened slightly.

He saw Huo Jihan seated behind his desk.

But he looked nothing like usual.

His expression was colder, his entire presence heavier, as if the office had turned into a frozen hellscape.

And it was the first time Lin Yi had ever seen him smoking.

Judging by the ashtray full of cigarette butts, he had been at it for a while.

Lin Yi was so shocked, he forgot to speak.

At that moment, Huo Jihan noticed the silence and looked up.

When he saw Lin Yi standing in the doorway, his eyes briefly flickered with surprise. He quickly put out his cigarette.

Surprised, he asked, “Why are you here?”

Lin Yi came back to his senses. “I heard something might’ve happened, so I came to check on you.”

Huo Jihan’s voice was low. “It’s nothing.”

Lin Yi: “…”

This really didn’t look like “nothing.”

He stepped further into the office. “Did something go wrong?”

He had never seen Huo Jihan so visibly emotional. Anyone could tell that he was in a terrible mood.

The usual Huo Jihan was restrained and calm. He was so emotionally guarded it was easy to wonder if he even had human feelings. But now, he was cold, heavy, and stormy.

Hearing Lin Yi’s question, Huo Jihan’s black eyes locked onto him. “Something’s bothering me.”

Lin Yi hesitated. “If you’re comfortable sharing it… want to talk?”

Because right now, Huo Jihan was not himself.

Just then, Huo Jihan stood up, walked around the desk, and approached Lin Yi.

The whole time, his gaze never left him. “Are you sure you want to hear it?”

His strides were long, and in a few steps, he was standing right in front of Lin Yi.

Lin Yi could smell him. It was cool cologne mixed with faint tobacco. It was oddly intoxicating.

They were close. Too close.

His vision was filled with Huo Jihan, his hearing too. The scent of him overwhelmed Lin Yi’s senses.

It felt like being caught in a massive invisible net, no way out.

Lin Yi instinctively took a step back.

He had already backed up to the door. One more step, and he would be outside.

But before he could move again, Huo Jihan beat him to it—he reached out, closed the door, and locked it.

The latch clicked.

That single sound landed like a hammer in Lin Yi’s chest, making him flinch.

He didn’t know why, but a strange panic was rising inside him.

It wasn’t fear exactly—more like a blend of tension, uncertainty, pressure…

He tried to calm himself. Though it didn’t help much, at least his voice was steady.

He asked, “Why did you lock the door?”

Now he was trapped between the door and Huo Jihan, not even enough space to shift his weight.

Huo Jihan was very close. His dark eyes fixed on Lin Yi. “To stop you from running away.”

Lin Yi frowned. “Why would I run?”

He was half a head shorter than Huo Jihan and had to look up to meet his gaze.

Those eyes were dark, intense, filled with meanings he couldn’t decipher.

Huo Jihan stared at him for a long moment. Then he said slowly, “Because what I’m about to say is very important.”

Lin Yi looked up, eyes wide, not blinking.

Just before Huo Jihan spoke, Lin Yi instinctively held his breath. And then he heard Huo Jihan’s voice, low and deep—

“Lin Yi, I like you.”

“Can you accept that?”