Volume 1, Chapter 121: Doesn't Huo Cong find you annoying?

Tonight, Su Xing had invited Huo Lindong to the dinner, but he said he would have to decline.

The return of the Ninth Young Master of the Huo family to the capital was no small matter. Invitations to numerous banquets and wine parties poured in. Even though the Ninth Young Master never attended, the hosts dared not omit his name.

It was well known that while the Huo Group was officially controlled by the main branch, the true helmsman was the Ninth Young Master.

A slight turn of the wheel in his hands could steer the entire Huo family in a new direction.

Even Huo Mingting was no exception.

As soon as Ye Sheng got into the car, Huo Lindong fixed his gaze on her, glancing again and again.

His eyes were unabashed. Ye Sheng was a frank person who never avoided others’ stares, and she seldom felt uneasy under someone’s intense gaze. Usually, she would simply stare back, locking eyes with the other person.

But Huo Lindong’s gaze was different from the rest; it made Ye Sheng’s ears burn strangely. She turned her head and met his eyes, her heart suddenly pounding.

The car’s interior was dimly lit, but the streetlights flickered in and out, casting light into the man’s eyes, like a galaxy shimmering within.

“...” Ye Sheng refused to be outdone and held his gaze.

But in less than two seconds, she gave in.

“Brother Lin,” she smiled, “Is it alright to stare at someone like that?”

Huo Lindong smiled as well. “Very nice to look at.”

...This time, it was truly him who blushed.

Ye Sheng took advantage of the dim lighting to glare playfully at him, but hearing such a straightforward compliment, she couldn’t help but feel happy inside.

The curve of her lips was impossible to suppress.

“I’m not good-looking for the first time, you know,” Ye Sheng said shamelessly.

Strangely, she only ever spoke like this in front of Huo Lindong.

Perhaps it was because he liked to praise her so much. When someone is favored by another, they feel neither restrained nor insecure. Being complimented often inevitably boosts confidence and nurtures a sense of self-worth.

“Yes, you’ve always been beautiful.”

Huo Lindong never spared his compliments; every time they were sincere and earnest, imbued with a convincing power.

“Today’s makeup looks like a blooming blue enchantress,” he said.

Thanks to having a supermodel mother, Huo Lindong had been taken to fashion shows since he was very young. He was a regular at major fashion brand runways, always seated in the front row.

His aesthetic sense was honed from constant exposure since childhood—Ye Sheng never doubted it.

“Today's theme is all about allure,” Ye Sheng said, deliberately flicking her hair. Her affected gesture made both Huo Lindong and Wang Liang laugh, lightening the atmosphere in the car.

Such a lively and radiant version of Ye Sheng was actually quite rare.

—

Back at the residential complex, Ye Sheng didn’t return to her own home immediately but went to the apartment across the hall.

She missed Huo Xiaobei terribly after a day apart.

It was still early, and Huo Xiaobei wasn’t asleep yet. He was lying on the sofa in his fuzzy pajamas, chatting on the phone with Huo Cong.

The two little ones were quite peculiar; despite going to school together during the day and even sitting as deskmates, they still felt the need to call each other at night!

They seemed to have endless things to say.

Of course, most of the time it was Huo Xiaobei talking, while Huo Cong played the role of listener.

But he loved listening and never once showed impatience.

Wan Sandao had his own home but never went back. He stayed at Huo Lindong’s place every day, occupying the biggest guest room and sometimes even cuddling with Huo Xiaobei to sleep.

Naturally, he had witnessed how “clingy” Huo Xiaobei and Huo Cong were and was utterly shocked.

“You two little brats act like you’re in love,” Wan Sandao said bluntly, speaking without a filter.

Huo Xiaobei frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense, we’re not.”

“Then why are you stuck together day and night? Even twins aren’t this clingy.”

Wan Sandao’s teasing went on and on. “Your little mouth just won’t stop talking. You have to tell him what you ate for dinner every night. Doesn’t Huo Cong find you annoying?”

“He wouldn’t.”

Huo Xiaobei was utterly certain and later complained to Huo Cong at night, “Third uncle says I talk too much. He asked if you find me annoying. Do you?”

“No.”

As soon as Ye Sheng returned, she heard Huo Cong’s voice coming through the speakerphone, “You never complain I talk too little, so why should I complain about you talking too much?”