Chapter 82: Checking Lin Huaizhi’s Address
Huo Chen’s answer was to hold Lin Huaizhi’s hand.
The man had probably never done such a thing before; his ears were red through and through. He grasped the youth’s hand and placed it to his lips for a kiss, as if declaring sovereignty, or perhaps affirming the answer.
“I do not live for them.”
“Since I chose Lin Huaizhi, I will choose him from beginning to end, regardless of others’ attitudes and views.”
He didn’t say the word “marriage” from start to finish, but the phrase “from beginning to end” proved his determination.
Marriage could end in divorce.
But he would choose Lin Huaizhi from beginning to end.
They were all smart people. Sun Yunxin heard his implied meaning, and a look of admiration appeared on her face. “Then you indeed have more guts than me.”
“Actually, I didn’t ask you here for anything else. It’s just that my family is pushing for marriage too hard. I haven’t told them I like girls either, thinking I’d just find someone to marry for an alliance and make a child to deal with them when the time comes.”
Sun Yunxin didn’t know what she thought of, but her face grew paler.
She closed her eyes briefly. “I thought you would be a good ally. After all, your family situation is scarier than mine.”
“Actually, from the moment you appeared at the door with Lin Huaizhi, I already knew your answer. It was just that I still wanted to struggle a bit. Of course, the result unsurprisingly slapped me in the face.”
Huo Chen was already picking up food for Lin Huaizhi.
After hearing Sun Yunxin’s words, he put down his chopsticks. “I can help you.”
Sun Yunxin didn’t react for a moment. “Help me with what?”
Huo Chen leaned against the back of the chair, his sitting posture exuding dominance. “The Huo family isn’t run by my parents now. The Sun family has that trash brother of yours; decline is only a matter of time.”
“I can help you gain the right to speak.”
Sun Yunxin was a smart person. She saw through Huo Chen’s unspoken words at a glance. “There is no free lunch in the world, so what do I need to do?”
Huo Chen liked talking to smart people.
“You don’t need to do much. Just let everyone in the circle know that getting too close to the Huo family will invite disaster.”
The benefits weren’t quite equal. Sun Yunxin was somewhat incredulous. “Just that?”
Huo Chen nodded. “Just that.”
Sun Yunxin looked at Huo Chen, her gaze falling on Lin Huaizhi, who was sitting next to him with his head buried in his food. Suddenly, she understood.
“Deal.”
Sun Yunxin knew there was no better deal than this.
The Sun family were all disgusting.
If not forced, how could she give up the family business to be some beauty blogger? Before her mother died, she hoped she would live a happy and free life. Now, she had lived enough of that life.
The Sun family preyed on her mother’s inheritance because she had no male heirs (eating juehu).
But they didn’t expect that in the end, she would remain.
The Sun family had enjoyed glory and wealth for decades; now their good days should come to an end.
Sun Yunxin picked up her bag and flashed a confident, generous smile at the two. “You two take your time eating; I’ll retreat first.”
Before leaving, Sun Yunxin did the lady boss’s makeup and ordered quite a few signature dishes, just hoping the two inside could eat to their heart’s content.
Lin Huaizhi was struggling with the braised pork belly. As he ate, he asked casually, “Listening to this, are you going to put on a show of ‘kind father and filial son’ with your two Supreme Emperors (Retired Emperors)?”
Huo Chen was peeling shrimp for him. Hearing this, he didn’t lift his head but laughed. “What, scared?”
“What am I scared of?” Lin Huaizhi stared at the shrimp in the man’s hand, his voice lazy. “As everyone knows, the Emperor is the biggest. Who cares about Supreme Emperors? In the end, don’t they still have to listen to the Emperor?”
Do not persuade others to be kind without suffering what they have suffered.
Lin Huaizhi knew this principle deeply.
As Huo Chen’s other half, he could persuade Huo Chen to have a good relationship with his family. After all, blood ties cannot be severed; breaking the bones still leaves the tendons connected.
But who could say that was what Huo Chen wanted?
In his dream, Huo Chen, the villain, didn’t have a good relationship with his family. His parents’ desire for control over him was abnormal, and their love was pitifully scarce. His becoming a villain was inextricably linked to his original family, which also laid the groundwork for being attracted to and even falling for Fang Mo.
Lin Huaizhi felt sorry for Huo Chen.
He would also respect Huo Chen’s decision.
Moreover, a large part of the reason Huo Chen chose such means was because of him. If he persuaded Huo Chen to get along with his parents at such a time, what difference would it make from insulting Huo Chen’s feelings?
To hell with Huo Chen’s parents.
He didn’t care at all about parents who treated Huo Chen badly. He only wanted Huo Chen, and only wanted to care about Huo Chen.
While Lin Huaizhi was brainstorming, Huo Chen had finished peeling the shrimp.
“Open your mouth.”
Lin Huaizhi obediently opened his mouth.
Huo Chen fed the peeled shrimp into the youth’s mouth, then wiped his hands with a tissue. “Regardless of whether you are scared or not, you can only stand with me now.”
Lin Huaizhi also peeled a shrimp to feed him. “Of course I’m not scared. Being with you, even if it’s the abyss of hell, I can face it calmly.”
“Besides, it’s just two people.”
Lin Huaizhi might have spoken too soon.
It wasn’t known exactly what means Huo Chen used, but in short, a month later, even Lin Huaizhi, who wasn’t considered part of Dragon City’s wealthy circle, knew that Huo Chengzhang and Li Meiqing had offended someone.
The wealthy wives gathered every day, either playing mahjong or getting beauty treatments. In the past, Li Meiqing was the center of this group.
But recently, no one called her to play.
No one went to the gatherings she organized either.
The same went for Huo Chengzhang. He always liked to go fishing or play chess with people, or go for massages, but recently no one was willing to pay attention to him. When he invited people, they made all sorts of excuses.
Ever since Huo Chen took power, the Huo family’s status had risen with the tide.
Li Meiqing and Huo Chengzhang went from being ignored to being surrounded like stars by the moon. No wife or gentleman in Dragon City dared to give them attitude. After living a comfortable life for a long time, suddenly returning to their previous obscurity was unbearable for anyone.
Especially Li Meiqing.
She tried to invite Mrs. Sun several times but failed. The last time, she broke down directly on the phone.
“Great! Before you were all ‘Big Sister this, Big Sister that,’ now I can’t even invite you out! And you wanted to introduce your daughter to my son? Keep dreaming your pipe dreams!”
Mrs. Sun was the second wife of the Sun family.
Although she was the second wife, she had an affair with the Sun family man from the beginning. Her child was even two years older than Sun Yunxin. She only entered the Sun family as the mistress after Sun Yunxin’s mother died.
Mrs. Sun didn’t come from a good background. Precisely because of this, she could sometimes chat with Li Meiqing, as both had lived days of being looked down upon.
But her flattering Li Meiqing didn’t prove she really liked Li Meiqing; she just wanted to borrow the Huo family’s influence.
Now knowing the Huo family was failing, she naturally didn’t need to pretend anymore.
“Who wanted to introduce my daughter to your son! I was complaining to you! Saying she’s so old and still hasn’t found a partner! It was you imagining things there, saying something about wanting her to be your daughter-in-law!”
“Don’t pretend with me here either! Your Huo family is about to be finished! Still treating yourself as a rich wife! Ptui!”
Li Meiqing listened in confusion. “What do you mean the Huo family is finished! What nonsense are you talking about!”
Mrs. Sun hung up after cursing.
Li Meiqing wanted to ask further, but the other party wouldn’t answer the phone anymore.
She and Huo Chengzhang put their heads together and instantly thought it was Huo Chen’s problem. The two called Huo Chen, but he never answered. They went to the company to find him, but couldn’t see anyone.
Even throwing a huge tantrum was useless.
Li Meiqing was so angry her face was red and her neck was thick. “Good, good, good! For a man! He actually doesn’t even want his parents anymore! I want to see! What ability does this man actually have! To bewitch him so completely!”
“Find someone!”
“Find someone to check that man’s address!!”
Translator’s Note:
- Violet Evergarden: The novel mentions “Violet,” referring to the anime character famous for her distinct look and mechanical arms (though arms aren’t mentioned here, the blue eyes and emerald brooch are key identifiers).
- Nanjing: The Nanjing Massacre (1937). This is a very sensitive and somber historical event in China. The “100-person killing contest” refers to a notorious historical war crime reported in newspapers at the time.
- Eating Juehu: “Eating the extinction of a household” (Chi Juehu) is a term referring to relatives or outsiders seizing the property of a family that has no male heirs to inherit it, often leaving the women (widow/daughters) with nothing.
- Radishes and Greens: Idiom meaning “To each their own.”
- Supreme Emperor (Tai Shang Huang): Refers to the Retired Emperor in history, who often still held power over the reigning Emperor. Here, it refers to Huo Chen’s controlling parents.
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