TRSBPASO 63

Since Huo Shi had returned, naturally he was staying at home again.

His bedroom had always been well-maintained, with servants regularly cleaning it.

Around eleven at night, Lin Yi started feeling sleepy. He got up from the living room sofa, planning to head upstairs and go to bed.

Just then, Huo Shi called out to him, “Sister-in-law, is that game room yours?”

He had noticed the game room not long after returning and figured it probably belonged to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi stopped in his tracks and nodded. “Yeah, why?”

Huo Shi asked, “Can I use it sometimes too?”

Lin Yi replied, “Of course.”

It was just a game room, not some private space. If Huo Shi wanted to use it, he was free to.

Lin Yi thought Huo Shi was just asking casually and didn’t give it much thought. Soon, he was heading upstairs at a leisurely pace.

Until a few nights later.

At around one in the morning, Lin Yi woke up from thirst.

He had eaten a lot of braised ribs at dinner—practically finished the whole plate himself—and the result was that he was now incredibly thirsty.

Yawning, Lin Yi walked out of his bedroom and headed downstairs to get some water.

The villa was quiet at this hour, all the lights already turned off.

Lin Yi slowly made his way downstairs and headed to the kitchen.

After drinking a glass of water and stepping out of the kitchen, he noticed a faint light coming from the direction of the game room.

Instinctively, he walked a few steps closer and then saw what was happening inside.

The door to the game room was slightly ajar, leaving a gap that wasn’t too big or too small.

He saw Huo Shi sitting in front of a lit-up computer.

The cold white glow from the screen cast onto his defiant face, making him look even more proud and aloof.

The hair over his forehead was slightly messy, and his eyes held an undeniable determination and pride.

This was the aura unique to Captain Huo. If his fans saw him like this, they would probably scream with excitement all over again.

Soon, Huo Shi picked up something that looked like a medicated patch. He ripped open the packaging with his teeth in a practiced motion, then lowered his head and pressed the patch onto his right wrist.

His movements were casual and smooth, sticking the patch on in just a few seconds.

Something must’ve happened to his right hand. If he needed a medicated patch, it had to hurt pretty badly but he seemed completely unfazed.

After applying it, he gripped the mouse with one hand and rested the other on the keyboard, starting to practice his game…

Lin Yi stood quietly not far away, watching for a moment, then left without a sound.

So that’s why Huo Shi had asked about the game room that night. Lin Yi hadn’t seen him go in during the day and thought he was just making conversation. Turns out the guy had been practicing late at night.

Well, it made sense. Gamers staying up late was pretty normal. Wasn’t there a saying in the esports world—“In esports, there’s no such thing as sleep”?

These people were all night owls, grinding hard at night and catching up on sleep during the day.

But hadn’t Huo Shi already retired?

Why was he still keeping up his training routine?

Was it because he couldn’t let go? Didn’t want to leave the stage he loved so soon?

Then why had he chosen to leave in the first place?

Lin Yi pondered all this as he walked back upstairs.

Once he returned to his bedroom, he decisively stopped thinking about it and dove into bed to sleep.

After all, he didn’t have any grand ambitions in this life, so getting some sleep was more important.

The next morning, the sun was blazing, and the temperature outside was over thirty degrees.

The summer heat was intense, with not even a whisper of wind.

Lin Yi didn’t go anywhere and stayed in the villa all day.

He dug a box of ice cream out of the fridge and flopped onto the sofa to eat.

In this kind of scorching summer weather, staying in an air-conditioned room and eating ice cream—there was nothing better.

Unfortunately, Lin Yi got a little too enthusiastic at one point, ate too fast, and was hit with a chill that made him shiver and cough several times. “Cough, cough…”

Nearby, Huo Mianmian was drawing. Hearing Lin Yi’s coughing, he immediately put down his sketchbook, slid off the sofa, and came over to him.

He tilted his little head up to look at Lin Yi with concern. “Xiao Ba, are you okay?”

Lin Yi’s throat was a little irritated from the coughing and he couldn’t speak right away, so he just waved his hand to show he was fine.

But then, Huo Mianmian ran off with quick little footsteps. Before long, he came back, carefully carrying a glass of water in both hands.

He had just gone to the kitchen to get some warm water.

Holding the cup, he walked up to Lin Yi and handed it to him. “Xiao Ba, drink this! You’ll feel better after!”

Lin Yi looked at Huo Mianmian, deeply moved for a moment.

This little guy was just too sweet. He had only coughed a few times, and the kid had already brought him warm water.

Lin Yi immediately took the glass and drank half of it in one go.

He had to admit, after drinking half a glass of warm water, he really did feel much better.

Huo Mianmian was still watching him with concern. “Xiao Ba, are you all better now?”

Lin Yi smiled. “Of course I am! Water brought by our Mianmian cures everything!”

Huo Mianmian instantly beamed, dimples forming on his cheeks.

Then he said to Lin Yi, “Xiao Ba, you stay home and rest, okay? I’m going to check on the melon patch!”

Lately, Huo Mianmian had been faithfully sticking to one daily task: checking on his melon patch.

After all, that patch was growing lots and lots of melons his little dad liked—watermelons and Hami melons!

After he said that, he even went through the proper motions of grabbing a little straw hat and putting it on. Then, he tied the strings of the hat by himself.

With the little straw hat on his head, only Huo Mianmian’s round, chubby face was left peeking out. His lips were rosy, his teeth pearly white—he looked just like a soft glutinous rice dumpling.

His eyes sparkled like polished black glass.

Looking at the fully geared-up Huo Mianmian, Lin Yi couldn’t help but say, “Mianmian, this house really can’t do without you!”

Huo Mianmian could tell Lin Yi was praising him, and his smile instantly became even sweeter, his voice syrupy soft, “Xiao Ba, I’m off! I’ll be back soon!”

With that, he trotted off wearing his little straw hat to inspect the melon patch.

And Lin Yi, the useless adult, slumped back onto the sofa and continued eating his ice cream.

Well, what could he do? With such a thoughtful and obedient little kid, there really wasn’t anything left for him to do.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi couldn’t help but chuckle out loud.

When Ji Yunchuan arrived, he happened to catch sight of Huo Mianmian walking out the door.

He watched as the little guy marched determinedly on his short legs in a specific direction, his gaze so firm, it was like he was off to accomplish something monumental.

Seeing that, Ji Yunchuan clicked his tongue in amazement, then bounced into the villa in a few quick steps.

As soon as he walked in, he spotted Lin Yi lounging on the sofa, so he trotted over and asked, “Sister-in-law, I just saw Mianmian on my way in. Where’s he going?”

Lin Yi replied, “Inspecting the melon patch.”

Ji Yunchuan couldn’t help sighing at that. “Why are other people’s three-year-olds so well-behaved and sensible?”

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at him, teasing, “You were still getting spanked at that age, weren’t you?”

Ji Yunchuan: “…”

Spanked? More like getting his butt kicked on a regular basis, okay?

Ugh, thinking about it was just painful!

But with Ji Yunchuan’s cheerful puppy-like personality, his brief moment of melancholy lasted less than a second before he perked up again. “Oh right, Sister-in-law, let’s go out this afternoon, yeah?!”

Ever since he met Lin Yi, the first person he thought of whenever he wanted to go out and have fun was always Lin Yi.

Because going out with his Sister-in-law was genuinely the most fun!

Lin Yi, spooning out the last bit of ice cream, asked casually, “Where to?”

Ji Yunchuan said excitedly, “I heard there’s a temple offering a cultural experience. We can stay the night and get a feel for the temple atmosphere.”

A temple?

Lin Yi was mildly intrigued.

He had never stayed in a temple before and had no idea what unique experiences it might offer, so he was pretty interested in checking it out.

But…

Lin Yi looked at Ji Yunchuan skeptically. “With your personality—can’t sit still for a single second—you sure you’re suited for a temple? It’s all about serenity and quiet, you know.”

That actually made Ji Yunchuan hesitate for a second. He really wasn’t the type who could sit still. Having him quietly stay put somewhere felt more torturous than anything else.

Still, he had to stand by his own suggestion, so he braced himself and said, “Come on, I’m an adult! I’ve got great self-control, alright? Even if the schedule’s a little boring, I can tough it out!”

Lin Yi was noncommittal. “We’ll see once we get there.”

So that afternoon, Lin Yi packed up a few things and brought Huo Mianmian along as they set off for the temple.

The two of them were wearing matching outfits that day.

Both had on white short-sleeve T-shirts printed with the same cartoon design, and light-colored denim jeans.

Wearing those matching outfits, each pulling a suitcase as they walked out of the villa, they looked like perfect copy-pastes—eye-catching and adorable.

The villa’s driver was in charge of taking them there.

Once everyone got in the car, it began to drive forward.

But just then, Ji Yunchuan, sitting in the front passenger seat, caught something in the rearview mirror.

He blinked, then immediately turned his head to look.

Unfortunately, the car turned a corner just then, and he only caught a glimpse of the person’s side profile before they disappeared from view.

Sitting in the back seat, Lin Yi noticed Ji Yunchuan’s startled reaction and asked, “What’s up?”

Ji Yunchuan quickly turned to ask, “Sister-in-law, did Huo Shi come home?”

He had only seen a profile, but from that cold, refined outline, it was clearly Huo Shi.

Lin Yi nodded. “Yeah, he’s back. Why?”

So it really was that shocking for everyone that Huo Shi came home.

Ji Yunchuan scratched his head and said, “Nothing much, I just thought he wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Things were pretty tense between him and the family.”

Lin Yi asked casually, “What happened?”

Ji Yunchuan replied, “I don’t know the details. I think it was when Huo Shi was still in school. He suddenly wanted to drop out to play esports, and it caused a big fuss at home. He was doing pretty well in school too, so the family couldn’t accept it. But in the end, he still went into esports. I heard Uncle Huo and Aunt Huo were furious for a long time…”

Lin Yi fell into brief thought.

Uncle Huo and Aunt Huo?

That should be Huo Shi’s parents, right?

But he had been here for quite a while now and hadn’t heard a single thing about them.

Since Ji Yunchuan wasn’t part of the Huo family, he didn’t know much, and eventually said, “I guess if he came back this time, it means he’s thought it through and made peace with the family…”

Lin Yi said nothing.

After all, he knew even less about it.

But just from the surface, it didn’t really seem like Huo Shi had reconciled with the family. He often looked preoccupied, like he had a lot on his mind—maybe he was still carrying some emotional baggage.

A while later, the car arrived at the outskirts of the city.

Naturally, the conversation inside shifted to the trip itself.

Ji Yunchuan chattered non-stop, as usual.

He introduced the temple they were heading to, then somehow pulled out a toy to entertain Huo Mianmian.

With Ji Yunchuan around, the whole journey stayed lively.

Around four in the afternoon, they finally arrived at the temple.

They got out of the car some distance away and walked the rest of the way.

The temple was built into a towering mountain, quiet and secluded, with no trace of noise or bustle.

First, they walked up a stone staircase, then along a flat path, before finally reaching the temple.

As soon as Lin Yi arrived, he immediately felt his mind grow calm.

The temple was nestled among green trees, serene and still.

He could hear the sound of a bell tolling, and the gentle trickle of running water.

As they walked a few steps further, the temple came into clearer view, with thin trails of incense smoke rising into the air.

In a place like this, all signs of modern life seemed to fall away, leaving only green mountains, flowing streams, and ancient bells echoing.

There weren’t too many people taking part in the temple experience, and staff led them one by one to their rooms.

Lin Yi and the others were assigned theirs.

After resting for a bit in their room, it was time for the first activity of the day—vegetarian dinner.

Ji Yunchuan knocked on their door. “Sister-in-law, Mianmian, come on out—it’s time to eat!”

Lin Yi took Huo Mianmian out, and they headed to the dining area together.

The food was extremely light and plant-based.

Lin Yi picked up his portion and sat down to eat.

He never had temple food before, but he had to admit—it was a refreshing change and quite tasty.

Huo Mianmian was also leaning over the table, earnestly eating his meal.

There were a few other children participating in the experience.

Some of them were fussy and picky about the food.

One parent turned to their child and said, “Look at that little boy—he’s eating so seriously.”

She was talking about Huo Mianmian.

Soon, several other parents also used Huo Mianmian as a positive example to teach their kids.

Huo Mianmian hadn’t expected to suddenly become the center of attention, and blinked in confusion.

But he quickly lowered his little head and continued eating diligently.

That little posture—honestly, the more you looked at him, the more lovable he became.

Because Huo Mianmian was being so well-behaved, someone even came over to Lin Yi to ask for parenting tips.

Lin Yi just smiled casually. “There’s no trick to it. I didn’t do anything—my kid is just naturally this obedient.”

Everyone: “…”

That’s such a show-off answer!!

Among them, a young woman recognized Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian and got visibly excited.

She didn’t make a fuss. Instead, she quietly walked over and asked Lin Yi for an autograph, then left happily.

After the meal, evening arrived.

Next up was the scripture-copying session.

Lin Yi sat properly at the desk, laid out the scripture pages, then picked up a calligraphy brush and dipped it in ink.

His demeanor now was completely different from usual. Normally, he was laid-back and lazy, but at this moment he was calm and composed, copying the scriptures with focus and grace. It was a stark contrast.

Ji Yunchuan was stunned by the sight. He came over in two steps, sat cross-legged across from Lin Yi, and stared at him in disbelief. “Sister-in-law, you’re seriously copying them?”

Lin Yi replied calmly, “What else would I be doing?”

As he spoke, he picked up the brush and carefully wrote the first character on the paper.

Once Lin Yi settled down, his features exuded tranquility, as if he’d instantly blended into the temple’s peaceful atmosphere.

Ji Yunchuan was honestly amazed.

He had seen Lin Yi’s usual devil-may-care attitude, so seeing him like this—serious and focused—was hard to process.

He now realized Lin Yi was truly a multifaceted person. He could be playful and carefree, but also calm and dedicated when it mattered.

Ji Yunchuan, on the other hand, just couldn’t do it. Eating a light vegetarian meal was one thing, but sitting quietly and copying scriptures? No way. It reminded him of being in school—he could never concentrate in class.

People really were all different.

Huo Mianmian didn’t understand what scriptures were.

But seeing how seriously his Xiao Ba was copying them, he also picked up a brush and started doodling on his paper.

Two hours later, Lin Yi finished copying the scripture.

Throughout the whole process, he remained calm and composed, never showing a trace of impatience.

Ji Yunchuan had already gone for a walk outside and just returned.

Seeing the fully written page of scripture in front of Lin Yi, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement. “Sister-in-law, no offense, but I really think you’re suited to become a monk.”

Lin Yi could calm his mind the moment he decided to—this ability was seriously impressive.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and gave him a sidelong glance, smiling. “Why don’t you go say that to your Huo Ge’s face?”

Ji Yunchuan immediately chickened out. “No, no, no, I wouldn’t dare.”

Only if he had gone completely insane would he say something like that to Huo Jihan’s face.

Just imagine—telling Huo Jihan that he was trying to convince Lin Yi to become a monk…

Tsk, no need to guess, he would be doomed.

Soon, the next day arrived.

In the morning, Lin Yi took Huo Mianmian to breakfast.

The temple’s breakfast was just as light.

There was porridge, pickles, and vegetarian buns.

Lin Yi found it acceptable—the food tasted quite good.

But Ji Yunchuan wasn’t so content.

One simple, bland meal last night was fine, but to have it again this morning? He felt like his soul was withering.

He was a carnivore to the core so how could he survive on nothing but veggies every meal?!

The first activity after breakfast was cleaning the temple.

Each of them was given a broom and sent to sweep one of the courtyards.

Lin Yi had rarely swept floors in either this life or the last—after all, he always had robotic vacuums at home. But now, holding a bamboo broom and sweeping the dust off the stone tiles, he still managed to look the part.

What’s even more surprising was Huo Mianmian, who was also sweeping diligently.

To him, the bamboo broom was huge, but he still gripped it tightly with both little hands and huffed and puffed as he swept.

Seeing this, Ji Yunchuan was too embarrassed to slack off, so he joined in and worked hard as well.

It didn’t take long for the three of them to finish cleaning the entire courtyard.

Ji Yunchuan straightened up and said smugly, “See? Cleaning’s not that hard after all!”

Lin Yi laughed at him. “Then how about you do it all over again by yourself?”

Ji Yunchuan shook his head instantly. “No, no, this is enough!!”

As they were chatting, they witnessed a rather stunning scene.

Not far away, a kitten was stuck on a beam, meowing anxiously and too afraid to climb down.

A monk noticed it, dropped his broom, and before anyone could see clearly what he did, he scaled the wall in a few swift moves, reached the beam, scooped up the kitten, and leapt back down to the ground with it.

The monk gently set the kitten down, then quickly left.

Lin Yi and the others watched in a daze, not recovering for a long moment.

Eventually, Lin Yi sighed, “Is this the legendary kung-fu-sweeping monk? There really are masters hidden among the people.”

Ji Yunchuan was itching with curiosity. “How did he do that? I wanna learn too!”

Lin Yi looked at him. “Go ahead, just don’t throw your back out. I don’t want to have to take you to the hospital.”

Ji Yunchuan: “…”

Yeah… suddenly not so eager anymore!

Because the three of them did such a great job cleaning, they were rewarded with dried persimmons.

These persimmons were handmade by the monks at the temple. There were a few large persimmon trees in the backyard, which produced a good harvest every year.

Lin Yi took a bite of the persimmon and immediately squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

It tasted amazing—soft, chewy, and sweet.

Still, even the reward of dried persimmons couldn’t stop Ji Yunchuan’s desire to leave.

At lunch, faced with yet another round of light vegetarian fare, he looked at his bowl and turned to Lin Yi. “Sister-in-law, how about we head back? If I keep eating like this, I’m gonna start spitting bitterness.”

Lin Yi slowly spooned up his food. “And who was the one confidently declaring beforehand that it would be no problem?”

Ji Yunchuan immediately admitted defeat. “I was wrong. I totally overestimated myself!!”

Lin Yi said calmly, “We’ll see.”

Ji Yunchuan begged, “Sister-in-law, no more seeing! Have some mercy!”

He stared at Lin Yi like a little puppy, eyes full of pleading.

It was as if Lin Yi didn’t agree, he would start whining on the spot.

Lin Yi: “…”

So this was his first time discovering that some guys could act cute so effortlessly.

It was easy to imagine that Ji Yunchuan probably got whatever he wanted at home—after all, who could resist those puppy-dog eyes?

So, after lunch, they packed up and left.

The car drove them back into the city.

As soon as they entered the city limits, Ji Yunchuan started yelling for a stop, then ran out to buy a huge bag of fried chicken drumsticks.

“…Looks like you really were desperate.”

Ji Yunchuan nodded furiously. “I never knew I could miss meat this much.”

He immediately chomped down on a drumstick, then passed the bag to Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian. His voice was muffled as he said, “Help yourselves.”

Soon, the three of them had finished off the chicken.

An hour later, they arrived back at the villa.

It was the weekend, so Huo Jihan was home.

At the moment, he was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading some documents. When he heard the sound at the door, he lifted his dark eyes and looked over.

Ji Yunchuan bounced in first, excited. “Huo Ge, Huo Ge, guess where we went the last couple of days?”

Huo Jihan replied, “A temple.”

Ji Yunchuan looked surprised. “How did you know?”

Huo Jihan didn’t answer, his gaze shifting to Lin Yi.

The answer was already obvious.

Ji Yunchuan groaned. “Lame. I was gonna make it a surprise!”

Then, with a grin, he added playfully, “Huo Ge, Sister-in-law, you two really can’t go a day without each other, huh? Already in touch again!”

Lin Yi: “…”

What do you mean “can’t go a day without each other”?

He had just taken Huo Mianmian out and informed Huo Jihan, that’s all.

Lin Yi didn’t bother arguing with Ji Yunchuan over it.

He also walked over and sat on the sofa.

At that moment, Huo Jihan turned to ask him, “How was it?”

Lin Yi smiled. “Pretty great. A really unique experience.”

Then he added, “Oh right, Mr. Huo, I brought you a little gift from the temple. Mianmian and I got one too.”

A faint smile flickered in Huo Jihan’s eyes. “What gift?”

Lin Yi smiled. “Hold out your hand.”

Huo Jihan did as told.

Then, Lin Yi placed a peace charm in his palm.

Huo Jihan looked at the charm, his gaze shimmering slightly before he looked up at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi grinned brightly and said clearly, “Mr. Huo, I wish you a lifetime of peace and smooth sailing.”

Huo Jihan was momentarily dazzled by Lin Yi’s smile. After a beat, he solemnly accepted the charm, his voice low and slightly hoarse. “Thank you.”

That day—

Under Huo Jihan’s arrangement, Lin Yi went to a helipad to learn to fly a helicopter.

It was something they had talked about before, and now they finally had time to do it.

Ji Yunchuan tagged along too. There’s no way he would miss out on something this exciting.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the helicopter.

Lin Yi’s eyes lit up the moment he saw it.

The helicopter was silver and sleek—just the appearance alone was enough to get anyone pumped.

A coach was already waiting by the helicopter. When he saw Huo Jihan and the others arrive, he immediately came over to greet them. “President Huo, shall we start now?”

Huo Jihan nodded. “Mm.”

Then he turned to Lin Yi and encouraged him, “Go ahead. Be safe.”

Lin Yi had already been itching to go and immediately followed the coach over.

As Lin Yi headed to the helicopter, Ji Yunchuan gaped and said to Huo Jihan, “Huo Ge, you really spoil Sister-in-law—he’s actually learning on your own helicopter?! What if one day he wants to fly a spaceship?!”

Huo Jihan answered calmly, “If he really wants to, it’s not impossible.”

Ji Yunchuan: “!!”

Well, guess he shouldn’t have asked.

Turns out Huo Ge can spoil someone to such an insane degree? That’s terrifying!

On second thought, it made sense. Huo Ge had always seemed detached and indifferent for the first thirty years of his life. Now that he finally had someone he loved, of course he would give them the best of everything. And really, Huo Ge could afford it all anyway.

Meanwhile—

Lin Yi followed the coach into the helicopter.

The coach said, “When it comes to learning to fly a helicopter, the most important thing is staying calm—don’t get nervous.”

Lin Yi smiled. “No worries. I’m not nervous.”

“…”

The coach chuckled. “Fair enough. This is actually the first time I’ve seen someone so calm. Most people start shaking as soon as they get in.”

Not this man—he was calmer than the coach himself.

Seeing that, the coach began explaining the controls. “Look here—these levers do this, and that screen over there shows…”

He gave Lin Yi a full rundown of the helicopter’s components.

Lin Yi nodded. “Got it.”

If nothing else, he had an excellent memory.

Unless he didn’t feel like remembering something, he could recall it all clearly.

Seeing how quickly Lin Yi picked things up, the coach started feeling a bit pressured.

Was he about to be replaced?

He quickly steadied himself and continued. “Now, watch me go through the process a few times, and follow along.”

Then the coach started up the helicopter and took off with Lin Yi on board.

Back on the helipad—

Huo Jihan and Ji Yunchuan were watching Lin Yi’s lesson.

Ji Yunchuan asked, “Hey, Huo Ge, how long do you think it’ll take Sister-in-law to learn?”

Huo Jihan clearly had full confidence in Lin Yi. “The shortest possible time.”

Ji Yunchuan: “…”

Wow. Not even a second of hesitation, huh?

In the days that followed, Lin Yi came here to train every day.

Sometimes he came alone, sometimes Huo Jihan came with him.

Today was the day to test the results.

Huo Jihan and Ji Yunchuan both came.

This time, there was also Huo Mianmian, who was especially curious about his little dad flying a helicopter. His round eyes stared wide at Lin Yi.

The coach turned to Lin Yi and said, “Now it’s your turn to try flying. Ready?”

Lin Yi was full of confidence. “Of course.”

After training for so long, it was finally time to show what he’d learned.

Very soon, Lin Yi climbed into the cockpit, and the coach took the seat beside him.

Ji Yunchuan immediately called out to him, “Sister-in-law, you got this!”

Already seated in the cockpit, Lin Yi turned and smiled at the three waiting for him, then gave an “OK” gesture.

Then, he smoothly lifted the helicopter off the ground.

As it rose into the air, a smile appeared on Lin Yi’s face as he operated the controls with ease.

In that moment, Lin Yi looked completely different—his eyes were filled with confidence and flair, the wind ruffling his bangs and revealing an exquisitely handsome face.

He looked so free, so pure, and dazzling beyond words.

Ji Yunchuan stared and muttered, “Damn… Sister-in-law is ridiculously cool!!”

Huo Jihan’s gaze was also filled with admiration and pride.

He knew that as long as Lin Yi set his mind to something, he would succeed because Lin Yi had the ability.

Huo Mianmian was completely starstruck, then lifted both his little hands to clap.

His little dad was amazing!

Lin Yi piloted the helicopter through several circuits in the air, fully indulging himself, then finally began to descend.

The coach praised him, “Mr. Lin, you’re the fastest student I’ve ever seen learn to fly a helicopter.”

Lin Yi smiled. “It wasn’t too hard.”

Once the helicopter landed and came to a complete stop, Huo Jihan and the others walked over to greet him.

Ji Yunchuan shouted, “Sister-in-law, you’re so badass!!”

Lin Yi stepped out of the cockpit and made a sharp, clean jump down, making him even more striking.

But he didn’t land quite right and stumbled a little.

Just then, Huo Jihan instinctively reached out and caught him.

Lin Yi fell right into Huo Jihan’s arms.

Huo Jihan’s hands steadied him.

The two of them were suddenly very close. Lin Yi’s bangs even brushed against Huo Jihan’s chin and throat, leaving a sensation that was hard to describe.

Huo Jihan’s body tensed for a moment, feeling Lin Yi in his arms.

One hand was gripping Lin Yi’s arm, the other wrapped around his waist.

Lin Yi’s waist was slender—one arm could encircle it easily.

He carried a fresh scent, probably from laundry detergent.

That fragrance lingered in Huo Jihan’s breath. It was distinct, and intensely stimulating.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and when he spoke again, his voice was huskier than usual. “Lin Yi…”

His eyes traced every inch of Lin Yi’s face with an unmistakable intensity.

Lin Yi finally steadied himself, stood upright, and looked up at Huo Jihan. “Hmm?”

Seeing Lin Yi’s eyes—clear, unguarded, and utterly devoid of deeper emotion—Huo Jihan paused.

Whatever he had wanted to say, he swallowed it down.

Because those eyes left no opening.

After a moment, he restrained himself again and only said, “Forget it. Nothing.”

Lin Yi looked a little puzzled.

Huo Jihan had clearly looked like he wanted to say something—why the sudden change?

Just then, someone from the helipad management came over to speak with Huo Jihan, clearly having heard he was there and coming over to greet him.

Huo Jihan let go of Lin Yi.

Lin Yi also stood steadily on his own.

Soon, Huo Jihan and the manager began talking.

Taking the chance, Ji Yunchuan jogged up to Lin Yi with a face full of gossip. “Tsk tsk, Sister-in-law, that scene just now was something else!”

Lin Yi frowned in confusion. “What scene?”

Ji Yunchuan grinned. “That moment when Huo Ge caught you—man, the atmosphere, the vibe, I thought he was gonna kiss you right then and there!”

Lin Yi: “??”

Ji Yunchuan thought Lin Yi didn’t believe him and added seriously, “I mean it! Didn’t you notice Huo Ge’s eyes just now? Damn, that look… It was intense enough to scare people…”

Lin Yi: “…”

Could Ji Yunchuan be any more ridiculous?!

His relationship with Huo Jihan was so clean and innocent it couldn’t be cleaner!

But of course, Lin Yi wasn’t about to waste energy explaining that to Ji Yunchuan. He just said, “Heh. You’re overthinking it.”

Ji Yunchuan raised his hand like he was swearing an oath. “I swear I’m not! I guarantee Huo Ge wanted to kiss you just now—ahhh!! Sister-in-law, I was wrong, don’t hit me—!!”

Lin Yi launched into a full-on smackdown.

Ji Yunchuan fled in panic, yelling over his shoulder, “Huo Ge, help!! Control your Sister-in-law!!!”

Right after he said it, he froze.

Wait a second—why did this scene feel so familiar?

At that moment, Huo Jihan glanced over at Lin Yi hitting Ji Yunchuan and said mildly, “Need a hand?”

Ji Yunchuan lit up. “Yes!!”

But then Huo Jihan added, “I was asking Lin Yi—want me to help beat him up?”

Lin Yi couldn’t hold back a laugh. “No need. I can handle it myself.”

Huo Jihan nodded. “Alright.”

Then went back to his conversation with the manager.

Ji Yunchuan: “…”

AAAHHHHH!!!

What did a poor single guy like him ever do to deserve this?!?!