Chapter 117: Something Happened to Chu Xiaoran
That spontaneous kiss between Lin Huaizhi and Huo Chen at the cinema entrance caused quite a stir among the onlookers. Some even seemed to recognize them and wanted to get closer to see for themselves.
In a panic, Lin Huaizhi grabbed Huo Chen and made a run for it.
Originally, they wanted to drive away, but the city traffic was incredibly congested, making it almost impossible to move an inch.
Lin Huaizhi could only pull Huo Chen along as they ran wildly. They wove through the streets, facing the yearās first snow. As they ran, they eventually lost track of where they were.
The two stopped, panting for breath.
They exchanged a glance and then, as if someone had hit their laughter acupoints, they began to laugh hysterically.
Long City banned fireworks and firecrackers every year.
Although no one really listenedāthose who wanted to set them off still didāthere were designated areas for it.
The two of them had been running aimlessly and had somehow ended up in one of these areas.
What followed happened naturally. They bought some fireworks and prepared to find a suitable corner to set them off.
“President Lin?”
A male voice called out through the noise.
Lin Huaizhi looked up and discovered a familiar face he hadn’t seen in a long time. He flashed a smile and reached out to shake the manās hand. “Su Rui, itās been a long time.”
Su Rui nodded with a smile.
“It indeed has been a long time.” He looked at Huo Chen standing next to Lin Huaizhi. “When is the happy occasion for you two? I wonder if I might be lucky enough to receive an invitation when the time comes?”
Huo Chen was the first to state his position, also reaching out to shake Su Ruiās hand. “Of course. When we hold the wedding, we will definitely invite you.”
Lin Huaizhi looked at the girl standing beside Su Rui and raised an eyebrow. “You two…”
Su Rui took the lead in grabbing the girlās hand and stepped back. Once he was standing with her, he spoke somewhat shyly: “This is my girlfriend, Fan Fangfang. You know her as well.”
Lin Huaizhi nodded with a smile, his eyes moving between the two. “I do. I didn’t expect the two of you to become a couple.”
He paused and added a sentence.
“Congratulations.”
Su Rui smiled bashfully, and Fan Fangfang didn’t dare to meet Lin Huaizhiās eyes. Instead, Su Rui said: “When Fangfang and I get married, weāll also send an invitation to you both.”
Huo Chen nodded. “Weāll definitely be there.”
The surroundings were filled with the sounds of fireworks exploding. After some brief pleasantries, the two groups joined the crowd setting off fireworks.
Lin Huaizhi had bought two types of fireworks.
One was a firework launcher that would fly into the sky and explode into various colors after being lit. The other was a small hand-held firework.
The two of them set off the small fireworks first.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this was the first time in their lives that either of them had set off fireworks. It was a good thing they both smoked; otherwise, they would have had to borrow a lighter.
A small red spark blossomed from the tip of the firework stick, slowly turning yellow, then green… before finally going out.
Lin Huaizhi stared at the spark, lost in thought for a moment. After a while, he snapped out of it and looked up abruptly, wanting to say something to Huo Chen, only to bump straight into Huo Chen, who was also looking up.
Both of them instinctively clutched their foreheads and then looked at each otherās.
As their eyes met, laughter overflowed first.
The two leaned against each other, slowly finishing all the firework sticks. During this time, Huo Chenās phone vibrated several times, but he didn’t give it a single glance.
It wasn’t until the end of the firework launchers, as things were drawing to a close, that the vibrations became too much to ignore. He apologized to Lin Huaizhi and went to find a place to take the call.
Not long after Huo Chen walked away, Fan Fangfang appeared by his side.
The girl hesitated for a long while before apologizing very bashfully: “Iām sorry, Lin Huaizhi. I must have caused you quite a bit of trouble when we were filming the show.”
Lin Huaizhi smiled.
“Back then, I only had eyes for Huo Chen. Your little actions didn’t affect me in the slightest.”
Sensing his reassurance, Fan Fangfang felt grateful that he was a good person. She was about to explain: “I didn’t mean to…”
“Itās okay.”
Lin Huaizhi interrupted her. When he turned back, a smile was still on his face. “What you did had no impact on me. As long as you have a clear conscience regarding yourself, thatās all that matters.”
Fan Fangfangās eyes stung. She tilted her head back to hold in the tears and forced out a smile. “I indeed have a clear conscience.”
“Thank you, President Lin.”
Fan Fangfangās parents had died when she was young, and she was raised by her grandmother. She had finally managed to graduate from university, and just as life was starting to look up, her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer.
She had no money.
Her university tuition was covered by scholarships, and her living expenses were earned through part-time jobs.
Her grandmotherās body had long since broken down from raising her until university. She couldn’t do any heavy work and had stopped farming, yet she still insisted on taking a sack to pick through trash.
The money from selling that trash was all given to her.
Her grandmotherās cancer was at an intermediate stage; with proper treatment, there was still a chance for recovery.
Her grandmother was her only relative. Regardless of the method, she just wanted her grandmother to live. She had tried, but ordinary methods couldn’t generate large sums of money, so she went looking for a “sugar daddy.”
At that time, she happened to encounter the recruitment for This is Love. She submitted her resume. The show featured high-quality guests; even if she didn’t find a sugar daddy, the production team would still pay her.
Although she thought this way, she also knew she might not be selected.
But perhaps fate was looking out for her; she was ultimately chosen and picked Chu Xiaoran. Among so many people, Chu Xiaoran had the highest name recognition.
Unfortunately, Chu Xiaoran didn’t give her a single look, his eyes frequently falling on Fang Mo instead.
Later, her grandmotherās condition suddenly worsened, and she withdrew from one episode of filming. When she returned and learned that the new guest, Lin Huaizhi, was the CEO of Huaimeng Entertainment, she shifted her target.
But Lin Huaizhi only had eyes and heart for Huo Chen; he only came on the show for Huo Chen. The temptations she threw out were naturally ignored.
Fortunately, there was still Su Rui in the end.
The boy who seemed obsessed with data had noticed that something was wrong with her. After a few interactions, she slowly opened up to him, and Su Rui had handed over his savings to help without hesitation.
It wasn’t a “charity” given from a high position.
He said he was lending it to her.
It sounded almost laughableāshe was already at the point of looking for a sugar daddy, yet Fan Fangfang still clung stubbornly to a bit of her dignity. Su Ruiās words about “lending” it to her became the last floating branch that saved her.
Her grandmotherās surgery was a success.
Under careful care and proper rest, she finally escaped the shadow of death.
Fan Fangfang was grateful to Su Rui. She knew he was busy and often forgot to eat, so she frequently invited him for meals or cooked food and brought it to him.
Through prolonged contact, the two had developed mutual feelings.
Until last month, when Fan Fangfang paid back the money she owed Su Rui and immediately confessed her feelings. Thus, the two naturally became boyfriend and girlfriend.
…
By the time Huo Chen returned, Fan Fangfang and Su Rui had already left.
Lin Huaizhi was right where he had left him, wearing his scarf, hands in his pockets, looking up at the fireworks exploding in the sky.
Huo Chen walked over quickly.
He pressed against Lin Huaizhiās back, resting his head on the young manās shoulder while his cold hand slipped into the young manās pocket, covering his warm hand.
Nowadays, Huo Chen lived a bit more freely and had the chance to act a bit spoiled or willful. Doing something like pressing a cold hand against Lin Huaizhi was something he never would have done in the past.
“You’re back?”
Feeling the movement behind him, Lin Huaizhi immediately turned around. The coldness in his pocket didn’t make him angry; he only frowned with concern and wrapped his palm around the manās hand.
“Why is your hand so cold?”
Huo Chen used his other hand to hug the young manās waist, his voice sounding like he was acting spoiled: “Then help me warm it up.”
Lin Huaizhi suddenly slapped his hand.
“Warm it up my ass! You didn’t know how to find a warmer place to make a phone call? You deserve this!”
Huo Chen rubbed his face against the young manās, causing him to shiver before Huo Chen finally let out a low laugh.
“Something happened to Chu Xiaoran.”
“Do you want to hear it?”
Translator’s Note: Only a couple more chapters left in this wonderful story! See you in the finale!
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