Huo Yuzhou's handsome face, usually so full of intelligence, faltered for a moment, and his long, narrow pupils seemed to crack open.
Fortunately, Nan Qing was busy washing her face and didn't look at him.
When that wet face looked at him again in the mirror, Huo Yuzhou had regained his calm and collected demeanor.
"How could that be, Baby?"
"I gave you my first kiss and first love."
Nan Qing took a tissue and wiped the Ruanruan, damp face clean. She tossed the tissue into the metal trash can, then looked at him with her long eyelashes curled upwards.
"Stop pretending, Huo Yuzhou, you know what I'm talking about."
The man he addressed by his full name looked at him with a half-smile. The light from inside the room fell on his face, and the smile in his eyes was illuminated by the light and shadow, revealing a shimmering luster.
"Young Master, what do you think?"
"Is the young master asking a question he already knows the answer to, or does he want me to repeat what happened so he can relive it?"
Nan Qing's ears started burning again. He knew Huo Yuzhou was shameless, but he didn't know he was this shameless.
They're shameless! They're so beautiful, like an unapproachable, aloof flower, yet they speak inhuman language.
He strode out, but Huo Yuzhou wouldn't let him through, so Nan Qing had to push the person blocking the doorway.
But the next instant, Huo Yuzhou's scorching palm gripped his wrist, so hot that even the skin that had been rinsed with cold water began to feel hot and numb.
"Young Master,"
The man's deep voice, carrying a certain flirtatious quality, sounded in his ear.
"I knew the young master was the kindest and most considerate of me."
Nan Qing's expression softened slightly after being coaxed by him, and she glanced at him with her dark, raven-like feathers raised.
Huo Yuzhou's dark gaze enveloped him, a slight curve appearing on his thin, crimson lips, his voice low and husky.
"Young Master, if I were to beg you one more time, would you still help me?"
Nan Qing's pupils dilated in shock. "It's noon!"
" Huo Yuzhou, are you addicted?"
His reaction was so over-the-top that it elicited a soft chuckle from the man.
Huo Yuzhou braced his arms against the door frame, his broad embrace loosely enveloping him, his thin lips slowly sliding down to Nan Qing's soft, pink ear.
Nan Qing felt uneasy; her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.
"Young Master--"
Huo Yuzhou called him, in that kind of tone, like a fairy.
Nan Qing wanted to glare at him, but hesitated and didn't dare.
He was afraid Huo Yuzhou would think he was flirting with him.
He didn't dare move, and simply stared obediently at the tiny logo on Huo Yuzhou's sportswear, his voice weak and lacking any power.
" Huo Yuzhou, I'm really fed up. What are you up to now?"
His hot breath fell on Huo Yuzhou's narrow eyes curved into a smile, his low voice carrying a hint of sweetness.
"Nothing."
His voice paused skillfully, thoroughly piquing Nan Qing's curiosity, before he continued speaking slowly.
"I just wanted to say that I finished exercising and took a shower, and my muscles should look great right now. I was wondering if you wanted to admire them like you did last night."
Nan Qing's breath hitched, and her earlobes burned uncontrollably, looking exactly like rubies.
Before he could refuse, Huo Yuzhou invited him again in that low, seductive tone.
"Would you like to touch it?"
"This time, I promise I'll be obedient."
"Young master, please."
-
The restaurant's wall is a huge floor-to-ceiling window, the clean and transparent window reflecting the view outside: a vast lake with shimmering green water, and two swans swimming on its surface.
Further on, there are continuous mountains, their dark slopes obscured by dense forests, creating a lush and verdant landscape.
Nan Qing, who had fled in disarray, sat quietly in a chair, admiring the scenery outside.
The butler came over several times, eager to please, asking if he wanted some snacks first.
Nan Qing shook his head.
"The trees over there don't look very neat; they seem to be of many different kinds. Are they wild?"
The butler, dressed in a suit, replied with a smile:
"It was designed by the family's gardeners. Mr. Huo didn't like things to look too artificial, so they made subtle changes to the various trees growing there, taking advantage of the terrain, striving to restore the original ecological design and aiming for authenticity. Mr. Huo praised them for doing a good job."
Nan Qing nodded. "It is very beautiful."
Seeing his interest, the butler smiled and invited him to stand up. The two stood inside the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking out as the butler gestured.
"There's a horse farm over here, but it's too far to see clearly. The buildings outside the wall also obstruct the view. Young master, you might see a red flag. The horse farm area is just to the right over there. If you're interested, young master, you can go and take a look later."
"Further east in this direction, there's a ski resort."
Nan Qing's eyes lit up for a moment, but then quickly lost interest.
The temperature in S City is so high, and it's summer, what kind of snow could be exposed to such hot weather?
Even for an indoor ski resort, building one in this kind of awful weather would require a huge amount of manpower and resources; it's definitely not something that can be done in a short time.
Perhaps noticing the expectation in his eyes, the butler quickly spoke up.
"Everything at the ski resort is ready, and all of the young master's equipment is prepared. You are welcome to go and spend some time there at any time."
Nan Qing was somewhat shocked, looked at the butler, and exclaimed in admiration:
" Huo Yuzhou so rich!"
The butler smiled and pointed in another direction.
"This is our organic fruit and vegetable cultivation base. All the seeds are natural and organic, without any modifications. The vegetables for lunch today all came from there. There's also an orchard there; if the young master is curious, he can experience the fun of picking his own fruit."
Nan Qing nodded with admiration, but was also quite shocked.
This property of Huo Yuzhou was not mentioned in the original storyline.
Huo Yuzhou was indeed richer than he had imagined.
While I was still in a daze, the butler had already shown me to the outdoor swimming pool.
Nan Qing was somewhat tempted. He had been busy fighting with Bai Ruanruan at home for a while, and after being kicked out, he was busy making a living. Recently, he had been kept running around by his perpetual motion machine-like agent.
Like a donkey pulling a millstone, there's never a moment to play.
Although he had lived two lives, he had never suffered any material hardship before. Even when Qin Mubai was at his busiest, he would take him out to play every now and then.
"Let's talk about it after we finish eating. I might not have time then..."
Nan Qing sighed and looked at the butler very seriously.
"I'm busy being a celebrity right now, my schedule is extremely full."
A soft chuckle came from behind him. Huo Yuzhou had appeared in the doorway at some point, looking at him with a beaming smile.
Is our big star unhappy again?
The butler tactfully went into the kitchen.
Huo Yuzhou stopped in front of Nan Qing and patted his fluffy head.
"I've already spoken to Zhou Guangliang, and he's cleared out your schedule for the next few days."
"I'm not busy at all, how about we relax here and take a few days off?"
Nan Qing raised her delicate chin to look at him, her expression inquisitive.
" Huo Yuzhou, you brought me to this remote mountain forest and are going to spend several days alone with me. You're not planning anything bad on me, are you?"
He tugged at Huo Yuzhou's collar, threatening him.
"Don't lie to me, tell the truth!"
Huo Yuzhou was pulled so hard that he lost his balance and leaned towards him, hugging him tightly. It seemed as if he could only stand up by relying on his strength.
Those long, narrow eyes fell on him, watching him smile.
What if I said yes?
Nan Qing recalled that night at the hotel, when Huo Yuzhou, the delicate and weak princess, had easily fallen onto the bed with a simple push from him. She finally began to understand something.
" Huo Yuzhou, you did this on purpose."
The long, narrow eyes that were fixed on him narrowed slightly. Nan Qing reached out and pinched his cheek, her tone indignant.
"I treated you like my boss before, and you tried to play tricks on me."
"Now that I'm friends with you, you're trying to fool me again."
" Huo Yuzhou, you really are a heartless capitalist! Tell me, you didn't really bring me to this deserted place just to take advantage of me, did you?"