TRSBPASO 36

Around 9 a.m. the next morning.

Lin Yi was still curled up in bed, fast asleep.

His breathing was soft and the corners of his lips were gently curved—he was probably having a good dream.

Huo Mianmian was already awake.

He blinked his big, dazed eyes and leaned against Lin Yi. Even after waking up, he didn’t make a fuss. He just quietly spaced out, blinking occasionally.

After lying there for a bit, Huo Mianmian got up on his own.

He gently crawled out from under the covers without disturbing Lin Yi at all.

He stepped across the soft bedding, climbed down from the bed using his hands, slipped into his tiny slippers, and padded into the bathroom to wash up.

Huo Mianmian brushed his teeth and washed his face all by himself, then walked over to the window, climbed onto his little stool, and sat there gazing out.

Since arriving at the villa, this had become his new hobby.

Just sitting by the window and zoning out while watching the scenery outside.

He discovered something new and fascinating today.

There were a few shrubs in the flower bed outside their window. Nestled in one of them was a bird’s nest.

Huo Mianmian’s eyes lit up as he stared intently at it.

At that moment, a small bird was wobbling inside the nest. It must’ve just hatched, with only tiny patches of downy feathers, clearly unable to fly yet.

The baby bird’s beak was wide open, chirping hungrily.

Not long after, two larger birds flew back carrying worms.

The baby bird chirped even louder, excitedly accepting food from the adult birds.

The three birds huddled together, creating a heartwarming scene.

After watching for a while, Huo Mianmian seemed to think of something. He climbed down from the stool and ran to his small suitcase to dig something out.

Soon, he pulled out a sheet of drawing paper.

There were already two figures on it—one big and one small.

Though it was just a child’s doodle, you could still tell what it was.

The bigger figure had raised brows and a cheerful face. The smaller one was obediently holding the adult’s hand.

It was clearly a drawing of Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian.

Huo Mianmian stared at the paper for a while, tilted his head like he was making a decision.

A moment later, he made up his mind and took out his box of colored pens.

Then, he brought the drawing and markers back to his window spot, sat down on the stool, lowered his little head, and began to draw again.

This time, he added a new figure to the paper.

It was another adult—this one was clearly serious, with a straight face and no expression.

Lin Yi hadn’t set an alarm, so he slept in until he woke up naturally. After a big stretch, he felt refreshed.

When he noticed Huo Mianmian sitting quietly by the window drawing, he didn’t disturb him. He went to wash up, then stepped out to grab breakfast.

By the time Lin Yi got to the dining room, breakfast was still steaming hot.

The villa staff clearly anticipated some guests might sleep in, so they kept breakfast warm all morning.

It was buffet style.

Lin Yi grabbed a tray and wandered around, looking for tasty things.

He picked up a youtiao, then grabbed some soup dumplings.

At the soy milk station, there was only one cup left.

The staff were busy preparing more.

Lin Yi had perfect timing and he had arrived just in time to get the last cup.

At that moment, Su Bai entered the dining hall, flanked by a group of hangers-on.

Someone fawned, “Bai Ge, what would you like? I’ll get it for you.”

Su Bai, wearing his usual arrogant expression, said, “Soy milk. No sugar.”

To stay in favor with his sugar daddy, keeping his figure was a top priority. His diet was stricter than most female celebrities and he basically avoided all calories.

Meanwhile, Lin Yi walked over to the soy milk and was about to take it.

Just as he reached out, an unfriendly voice sounded beside him—

“That’s for our Bai Ge!”

Lin Yi paused and turned to look.

He saw Su Bai, surrounded by his loyal followers.

That line had come from one of the lackeys.

Naturally, Su Bai didn’t lower himself to demand soy milk personally because he had people to do that for him.

Lin Yi only gave the group a glance, then calmly picked up the soy milk.

Su Bai’s face darkened.

The lackeys immediately erupted.

“Lin Yi, what’s your problem? We said Bai Ge wanted that!”

“Don’t you know your place? How dare you fight Bai Ge over a cup of soy milk?! Put it down now!!”

“….”

In the midst of their clamor, not only did Lin Yi not put it down, he calmly opened a sugar packet and dumped it in, stirred with a spoon, and took a big sip—half of the soy was gone in one go.

He moved with a cool confidence, as if the people glaring daggers at him weren’t even there.

Everyone: “??”

How did Lin Yi dare act this cocky?!

Didn’t he know Su Bai had a ridiculously well-connected sugar daddy who could squash him like an ant with just a finger?!

In their agency, everyone sucked up to Su Bai except for Lin Yi.

Lin Yi didn’t bother with any of them. After a sip of soy milk, he casually strolled away with the rest of the cup.

He never coddled fools especially not this kind of fools.

The group: “……”

The dining room fell silent for a good few seconds.

Su Bai’s face was livid.

This Lin Yi was outrageous—how dare he keep provoking him like this?

Ever since Su Bai got himself a powerful patron, he had been riding high, and was adored wherever he went. He was used to people fawning over him.

Only Lin Yi dared to go against him.

One lackey tried to smooth things over. “Bai Ge, don’t stoop to his level. He probably can’t even afford soy milk, so he’s being stingy about one cup.”

“Exactly! Just think of it as charity.”

Another suddenly had a revelation. “Hey, have you guys ever wondered how nobody like Lin Yi can even afford a place like this villa?”

He paused dramatically.

“Stop dragging it out—did you see something?” someone else asked.

Even Su Bai glanced over, interested.

The guy lowered his voice, “I did. Last night, a man was in Lin Yi’s room for a long time and didn’t leave until midnight. I didn’t see the guy’s face clearly, but… what if that’s the sugar daddy Lin Yi’s clinging to?”

Someone else exclaimed, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s call the gossip reporters—this could blow up!!”

Meanwhile—

Lin Yi returned to his room with breakfast.

Just as he walked in, Huo Mianmian finished his drawing.

“Kid, come eat breakfast!” Lin Yi called, setting the tray down on the coffee table.

Huo Mianmian obediently ran over, still holding the drawing.

He handed it to Lin Yi and looked up at him expectantly.

“What did you draw?” Lin Yi asked curiously, taking the paper. One look and he raised a brow.

There were three people in the drawing.

Two adults and a child in the middle.

Was Mianmian drawing the three of them as a family?

Lin Yi had to admit that Mianmian really did have a knack for drawing. Even with simple lines and crayons, he captured each person’s features so accurately.

“You’re amazing, Mianmian,” Lin Yi praised. “They look just like real people.”

Mianmian grinned happily.

After studying the drawing for a bit, Lin Yi suddenly thought of something. “But I think it could use one more thing—hand me your markers.”

Mianmian gave him the markers, curious.

Lin Yi’s drawing method was way rougher. He grabbed a pen and started scribbling.

He only drew one thing. He surrounded the “serious adult” who’s clearly Huo Jihan, with blocks of ice, and added swooshing lines to show freezing wind.

Once he finished, Lin Yi burst out laughing.

Now that was more like Huo Jihan!

Mianmian widened his eyes a little.

That… actually did suit Dad pretty well?

As the father and son admired the drawing, Ji Yunchuan bounced in.

“Morning, sister-in-law! Mianmian! What are you guys looking at?”

He was always the nosy type and seeing the two huddled over a drawing, he rushed over.

One look and he burst into uncontrollable laughter. “HAHAHAHA!! Oh my god!!! Who drew Huo Ge like this?! It’s so spot-on!! Let me guess—it has to be sister-in-law, right? Mianmian would never draw like this!”

Lin Yi looked at him in surprise.

He guessed right?

Ji Yunchuan grinned smugly as if he had read Lin Yi’s thoughts. “Of course I did. If I couldn’t tell that much, I’d be a disgrace.”

Lin Yi: “……”

Well, not a bad talent to have.

Ji Yunchuan kept laughing. The more he looked, the harder he laughed. He nearly rolled on the floor. “Sister-in-law, you’re a genius!! You even gave Huo Ge a frosty aura! He would totally give this a thumbs up!”

“Thumbs up for what?”

A cold, icy voice cut in.

Ji Yunchuan hadn’t sensed danger at all and he was still laughing like crazy. “Thumbs up for this drawing of Huo Ge, with all the ice blocks and icy wind around him, hahaha…”

Halfway through, his laughter died because he saw Huo Jihan standing right there.

Those pitch-black eyes stared at him, unreadable.

Suddenly, the air in the room dropped below freezing.

Ji Yunchuan stiffened upright, holding the drawing. “Huo Ge, I didn’t say anything.”

Lin Yi: “……”

Dude, that was the most suspicious thing you could’ve said.

He frantically gave Ji Yunchuan a look—hide the drawing!

But the guy didn’t get the hint.

Lin Yi: “……”

Forget it. Let the world end.

Huo Jihan held out his hand. “Give it.”

Lin Yi thought Ji Yunchuan might at least resist a little but nope—he handed over the drawing without a fight.

The evidence had landed in the enemy’s hands.

Lin Yi: “……”

He turned toward the window, pretending he didn’t exist.

He didn’t draw it! Definitely not him!

Huo Jihan examined the paper, his expression unreadable.

Then he looked at Lin Yi. “So this is what I’m like in your eyes?”

Lin Yi: “……”

Damn it. He didn’t escape.

It’s all Ji Yunchuan’s fault for running his mouth!

Huo Jihan kept staring.

Realizing he couldn’t dodge it, Lin Yi turned back and said with utmost sincerity, “Of course not! In my eyes, you’re helpful, passionate, kind—a one-in-a-million good person! No—make that one in ten million!”

After all, where else was he going to find someone who paid him five million a month?

Huo Jihan’s gaze deepened, unreadable.

Ji Yunchuan, who had been too scared to speak earlier, couldn’t hold back anymore and let out a snort.

What the heck—did sister-in-law just give Huo Ge the ultimate “you’re a good person” card?

Meanwhile—

Several gossip reporters had arrived at the villa.

Su Bai’s lackeys led them in, whispering, “Make sure you get some juicy shots of Lin Yi and his sugar daddy. Bai Ge will make sure you’re well paid…”

The reporters nodded eagerly.

“Bai Ge’s always generous!”

“Don’t worry—we’ll get the goods!”

Even though they didn’t like Su Bai much  because they had plenty of dirt on him too, money talks. If the price was right, they would do anything.

They quietly snuck to the guest area.

To avoid tipping anyone off, the paparazzi first hid behind some plants at the end of the corridor, trying to observe before taking action.

One of them started a live gossip thread on Weibo: 【Today we’ve got some juicy tea on a celeb whose last name starts with L.】

The account had millions of followers who loved drama, and the post quickly went viral.

【L-surname celeb? Sounds familiar.】

【Wasn’t there a scandal about one of them before?】

【That turned out to be fake though, remember?】

【Anyway, who cares? I’m just here for the tea!!】

【Spill it already!!】

Half an hour later, Lin Yi’s room finally stirred.

He opened the door and stepped out.

The paparazzi perked up and started snapping photos.

They got lucky because the first person out was Lin Yi.

The Weibo gossip account posted a blurry shot of him standing at the doorway.

【Whoa! It is Lin Yi! He’s got another scandal?】

【Is this a hotel? Looks spicy!】

【It’s not a hotel—it’s a private villa. I’ve been there once with a rich friend.】

【Lin Yi at a luxury villa? Hmm…】

【C’mon, spill the tea already!!】

【Also, can we talk about how good-looking he is? Even blurry, he looks amazing.】

【Okay I’m a fan now.】

Lin Yi had already gained a lot of popularity recently, and this little stir pushed him even higher. As gossip accounts amplified the post, more and more netizens joined in.

The hashtags Skyrocketed:

#LinYiScandal

#LinYiPrivateVilla

People’s imaginations went wild.

Especially with Lin Yi seemingly talking to someone inside—it made everyone more curious.

【Who’s he talking to??!】

【Could it be his mystery partner?!】

【Don’t tell me we’re finally meeting my wife’s significant other! I’m nervous!!】

Then—

Someone else stepped out.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Sharply defined features. His gaze was like glacial snow, freezing with just a glance.

His whole presence screamed power.

The paparazzi nearly dropped their cameras.

Someone whispered, trembling, “I-is that…”

Silence fell.

Seconds later, they all began furiously deleting photos.

Holy shit!!

No one told them Huo Jihan was here!

If they accidentally snapped a shot of him, their careers were toast.

Anyone who’d tried that in the past had vanished from the industry.

They deleted everything and ran like hell.

Goddamn it, they thought. If Su Bai wants to die don’t drag us down too!

Back in Su Bai’s room, he was still waiting for good news.

Honestly, he didn’t care about Lin Yi but the guy had annoyed him too much lately.

Just then, a lackey burst in.

“What are you panicking for?” Su Bai frowned.

“The paparazzi… all left.”

Su Bai’s face darkened. “What? I told them to get dirt on Lin Yi!”

“They saw someone… someone powerful,” the lackey stammered.

Su Bai scoffed, “Who could possibly scare them off?”

He had a powerful backer now and he didn’t take anyone seriously.

The lackey lowered his voice. “Rumor has it—it was Huo Jihan.”

Su Bai went pale.

That name carried weight.

Still, he forced himself to stay calm. “No way. What would Huo Jihan be doing here?”

He’d only seen Huo Jihan once from afar, at a business banquet his sugar daddy took him to.

Even his patron wasn’t qualified to clink glasses with Huo Jihan.

Su Bai tried to stay cool. “Even if it was him, what does that have to do with Lin Yi?”

“I’m not sure,” the lackey admitted, “but the paparazzi fled before even explaining.”

After a long silence, the lackey suggested, “Maybe… we should leave too.”

After all, messing up in front of someone like Huo Jihan might cost them more than just money.

Su Bai didn’t want to go, but the name Huo Jihan made his gut twist. In the end, he had no choice but to leave.

His heart burned with frustration. He had spent so much money on this operation, only to walk away empty-handed.

So the reporters and Su Bai’s lackey all left one after another.

Only the netizens remained, still foaming at the mouth like rabid dogs.

【WHERE’S THE SCANDAL?】

【Did they bait us?】

【I have so many curse words ready to go.】

【Well, at least I discovered how handsome Lin Yi is.】

【Same!! I’m a fan now!!】

【Me too!】

【Also I kinda want to visit that villa now. If pretty people go there, it must be nice.】

【Okay logic is dead.】

[I just gained a new husband.]

Meanwhile—

Lin Yi remained blissfully unaware.

The weather was perfect and he was discussing flying kites with Huo Mianmian.

Then suddenly, the villa’s owner personally came to see him, bringing gifts.

They weren’t anything expensive. It’s just local specialties like honey, jam, and cured meats.

Lin Yi was baffled.

The owner looked deeply grateful. “Thank you for promoting our villa. We’re now fully booked. Please accept these gifts—we’re truly thankful!”

After profusely thanking him, the owner finally left.

Lin Yi stared at the pile of gifts, still a little confused.

Ji Yunchuan, scrolling online, exclaimed, “Whoa, sister-in-law, you’re trending! You’re also gaining tons of followers.”

Lin Yi checked his phone and quickly understood.

Someone must’ve snapped a photo of him and posted it then it had gone viral, and incidentally promoted the villa too.

No wonder the owner brought him presents.

Still… who took the picture?

Lin Yi couldn’t figure it out. Eventually, he gave up and turned to Huo Mianmian. “Mianmian, let’s go fly the kite!”

Mianmian was super obedient. He ran to Lin Yi’s side, ready to head out.

Ji Yunchuan jumped up. “I’m coming too!!”

He nudged Huo Jihan. “Huo Ge, come on! Let’s all go!”

So the group set off.

They passed by Qin Ling’s room and pulled him in as well.

Ten minutes later, on a grassy field.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian worked together to launch a kite. Ji Yunchuan buzzed around excitedly helping out.

Huo Jihan and Qin Ling didn’t join, they only stood nearby, watching.

Qin Ling asked, “You’re here? Don’t tell me you’ve secretly developed a passion for kite flying.”

Huo Jihan always put work first and this was out of character.

“No,” Huo Jihan said flatly.

Qin Ling raised an eyebrow. “Then you’re here for someone, not the kite, huh?”

His meaning was obvious.

Huo Jihan glanced at him coolly. “You’re overthinking it.”

Qin Ling shrugged. “Sure. I’m overthinking it.”

He could see things were starting to change. Slowly, but surely.

Once a change began, it was hard to stop.

After some trial and error, the kite finally soared into the Sky.

It was a giant dragonfly, flying higher and higher like the real thing.

Lin Yi gripped the string and turned to Huo Mianmian. “Miamian, fun?”

Mianmian nodded enthusiastically.

It was his first time flying a kite!

New and exciting!

He had never done so many fun things before, but Lin Yi had let him experience them all.

He looked at Lin Yi, his little face glowing with joy.

Having a little dad like this was the best.

Lin Yi hadn’t flown a kite in ages and was having a blast too but sometimes, accidents hit you out of nowhere.

A sudden gust of wind made the kite pull hard. Lin Yi staggered forward, tripped on a rock, and twisted his ankle.

He fell to the ground.

Lin Yi: “……”

Did he seriously just wipe out on flat ground?

So embarrassing!

Embarrassing aside, it actually hurt.

Huo Jihan reacted instantly, hurrying over. “Are you okay?”

Lin Yi winced. “Should be fine.”

The others rushed over too.

Even though he claimed it wasn’t serious, he didn’t get up.

Huo Jihan frowned. “Does it hurt?”

Lin Yi shook his head. “I’m just sitting where I fell, that’s all.”

Everyone: “……”

Lin Yi chuckled. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood. No need to panic—it’s just a fall.”

To prove it, he tried to stand.

It turns out, it was worse than he thought because his ankle was already swollen.

Lin Yi: “……”

Seriously? His body was not cooperating today.

The others noticed too. Ji Yunchuan panicked. “Sister-in-law! I’ll take you to the hospital!!”

Then he realized that this was Huo Ge’s moment!

He quickly turned to Huo Jihan. “Huo Ge, hurry! Take sister-in-law to the hospital!”

Huo Jihan asked, “Can you walk?”

Lin Yi nodded. “I think so.”

He took a step but pain shot through his leg the moment he put weight on it.

Lin Yi: “……”

He looked at Huo Jihan. “Okay, fine. Can you help me walk?”

Huo Jihan stepped in and supported him.

His grip was strong and steady.

With Huo Jihan’s help, Lin Yi hopped forward on one leg but after a while, he was sweating and out of breath.

Seeing this, Huo Jihan said, “Stop pushing yourself.”

Lin Yi didn’t get what he meant until the next second, Huo Jihan bent down and picked him up. Caught off guard, Lin Yi instinctively wrapped his arms around Huo Jihan’s neck.

Their bodies were suddenly so close, he could feel the man’s warmth.

Huo Jihan carried him effortlessly, walking fast but steady. Lin Yi, shocked, was also a little flustered.

He had never been carried like this before and definitely not by a man.

His breathing got all weird.

It felt… strange.

Struggling now would make it even stranger.

He convinced himself. I’ve seen worse. It’s just being carried—no big deal.

Besides, this was way easier than limping on one leg.

So Lin Yi relaxed and leaned into Huo Jihan’s arms. “Mr. Huo, you really are a good man.”

Huo Jihan: “……”

He paused, glanced down, and said coldly, “Don’t talk.”

Lin Yi blinked. “Why not?”

In an almost threatening tone, Huo Jihan said, “Or I’ll drop you and you can fall again.”

Lin Yi: “??”

Wait… was Huo Jihan seriously threatening him like a kid?

Was this really the same Huo Jihan he knew?!