Chapter 86: Cutting Off the Cards to the Old Mansion
Sure enough, there was silence on the other end of the line.
Lin Huaizhi wasn’t surprised at all. After rolling around in the sheets so many times, he had learned that Huo Chen only had a lot of ‘dirty talk’ in bed; once he was out of it, he was perfectly serious.
Just as he was about to break the deadlock, he heard the man give a low chuckle.
“It’s not broken yet. The fact that you still have the energy to say things like that only proves I didn’t work hard enough. When I get back from this trip, I’ll be sure to satisfy you and let you truly experience what a broken back feels like.”
Lin Huaizhi: “…”
Lin Huaizhi: “Tsk, tsk, tsk. My taciturn and ice-cold President Huo—where did he go? You’re so passionate now, I’m really not used to it.”
Huo Chen blew out a ring of smoke, his voice unreadable.
“So you prefer me to be taciturn and ice-cold?”
Lin Huaizhi sprawled on the bed. “No, I prefer you to be taciturn and ice-cold to everyone else, and as passionate as possible toward me.”
They chatted aimlessly, jumping from one topic to the next for nearly half an hour.
It wasn’t until they talked about what was for lunch that Lin Huaizhi realized Huo Chen still hadn’t eaten. “Then go eat quickly! It’s almost one o’clock. If you don’t care about your body, I do.”
This trip was to inspect a subsidiary company.
The subsidiary had a cafeteria. Under Lin Huaizhi’s urging, Huo Chen headed there.
As soon as the tall, cold man appeared, the noisy cafeteria instantly became quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Huo Chen ignored it, wearing his Bluetooth headset as he took a tray in one hand and his phone in the other, walking toward the food counter.
The camera was pointed at the food.
Lin Huaizhi stared at the screen and began to ‘point out the territory’ from afar.
“Those salted egg yolk chicken wings look delicious! Get some! And that cilantro beef! And the green pepper stuffed meat! Oil-braised prawns! Give me some cucumber and ham too! Tomato and egg! Cold kelp salad! Stir-fried winter melon!”
“This cafeteria has so many dishes. They look great. I can’t eat them, so you have to eat more for me!”
Huo Chen carried a tray piled high with food. While responding to Lin Huaizhi, he found a dining table in a corner and sat down.
The news of Huo Chen’s inspection had already spread throughout the company.
Most people in the cafeteria were stealing glances at him, especially some of the girls who admired his looks. They were whispering incessantly.
“Is the Chairman really that handsome? That face is exactly my type!”
“Tell me about it. Today I passed the conference room while bringing tea, and looking through the glass door at them in the meeting—it was like they were facing a great enemy! The Chairman’s expression was terrifying! But look at him now. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but his eyes have softened!!”
“No need to ask, it must be his girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend my foot! Haven’t you seen This is Love? The boss of Huaimeng Entertainment is chasing him! It’s definitely a boyfriend!!”
Many girls enjoyed variety shows. This is Love was quite famous and had many viewers.
Among the young women, some who had watched it immediately chimed in—
“Did you see the third episode? When the Chairman and Lin Huaizhi completed the game, he let Lin Huaizhi sit on him! If they aren’t dating, I don’t believe it!”
“Me too! They’re definitely together!”
“Yes, yes, yes! And the person on the phone with the Chairman now must be Lin Huaizhi! You don’t know, the ‘Cold One’ and the ‘Flirtatious One’—it’s so ship-worthy!!”
The cafeteria was filled with whispers.
Glances fell upon him from time to time.
Huo Chen noticed all of it. He was always sensitive to the gaze of others, but he didn’t care. From beginning to end, his mind was on Lin Huaizhi on the screen.
“How long is your lunch break?”
Huo Chen checked his watch. “Two and a half hours. There’s about half an hour left.”
Lin Huaizhi glanced at the time and realized they had been chatting for nearly two hours. “Then hurry up and take a nap! You need energy for work this afternoon!”
Huo Chen gave a sound of agreement.
Lin Huaizhi waved at him. “Then I’m hanging up. Get some rest.”
Huo Chen was silent for a moment. “Don’t you have anything else to say?”
“No.”
Lin Huaizhi paused, thinking Huo Chen was concerned about some ‘parting etiquette.’ He flashed a mischievous smile and gave the camera a kiss.
“Alright, a kiss before bye-bye.”
The young man’s eyes were curved and bright as he stared at him.
“Waiting for you to come back.”
Huo Chen’s heart felt as if it had been plucked. Unconsciously, his eyes revealed a sense of longing, and his voice softened. “Mhm. Wait for me to come back.”
After hanging up, Huo Chen couldn’t quite snap out of it. Lin Huaizhi’s smile echoed in his mind.
He thought Lin Huaizhi had called to complain.
To tell him how overboard Huo Chengzhang and Li Meiqing had been, coming to his door to insult him, and then venting his anger so Huo Chen would manage his parents.
Even if he didn’t say it bluntly, he would have hinted at the grief he received, demanding an explanation.
But Lin Huaizhi said nothing.
From the initial call to the later video, Lin Huaizhi had spent the whole time chatting about trivial matters. The topics revolved around health, mood, food, and what they would do when he returned.
As for his parents showing up, Lin Huaizhi didn’t mention a single word.
Huo Chen didn’t want to think too highly of himself, but he couldn’t stop thinking—was it because Lin Huaizhi didn’t want to make things difficult for him that he stayed silent?
Actually, there was no need to think further.
Huo Chen was someone who found it hard to believe in anything. It was only after everything Lin Huaizhi had done for him that he accepted that affection. Now, without Lin Huaizhi saying a word, the mere thought appearing in his mind was enough to make him believe.
He believed Lin Huaizhi had chosen to swallow the insult for his sake.
After a long while, Huo Chen called Zheng Xiu’’ang.
“Cut off the cards for the old mansion.”
Zheng Xiu’ang was stunned. “Both of them?”
The man stood by the glass window of the twenty-ninth floor, looking down at the tiny flow of traffic below. His voice was devoid of any emotion.
“Both of them.”
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