Volume One, Chapter 35: The Former Husband, Old and Faded

"Goose~" Ye Sheng finally managed a sound, though it came out oddly, and the two of them couldn't help but exchange a smile.

Huo Lindong reached out to help her up, not asking why she was sleeping on the floor, just inquiring, "How long did the surgery take?"

"Six hours." Ye Sheng straightened up and rotated her stiff neck.

Huo Lindong gave her a long look and nodded. "No wonder."

Only then did Ye Sheng ask, "Why are you here?" A sudden thought struck her, and she froze. "Is Xiao Bei not feeling well?"

"No, he's fine. Sleeping soundly at home."

Only after Huo Lindong said this did some color return to Ye Sheng's pale face. She glanced at the food container in his hand, "Breakfast?"

"Yes. I made too much this morning, thought you could help me finish it."

Ye Sheng couldn't help but laugh at that—such a line might fool a child, but she was far too old for that. Still, she truly felt drained and needed a little energy.

Back in her office, the food containers were spread out across her desk pad, another dazzling array of breakfast dishes.

Peeling a banana and eating as she spoke, Ye Sheng said, "Lin, you don’t need to take such good care of me. Your work’s busy enough without looking after Xiao Bei. I’m not a child—I can take care of myself."

She didn't even realize how much more at ease she’d become speaking to Huo Lindong.

He sat down to eat with her, took a sip of soy milk, and said, "Your brother specifically asked me to keep an eye on you and take good care of you."

Ye Sheng paused mid-bite. "Really?"

"Impossible!"

"I don't believe it." She shook her head. She knew her brother well: a man of Huaguo, all pride and a soft heart, but never one for tender words. "If anything, he told you not to spoil me, I bet."

Huo Lindong smiled. He had noticed the flicker of delight in Ye Sheng’s eyes when he mentioned her brother’s request. These siblings… both so stubborn.

Ye Sheng had pulled an all-nighter, but there was no question of taking the day off—her schedule was already set, packed to the brim. She could only seize a few moments of rest before the workday began.

Huo Lindong tidied the table and stood up. Ye Sheng thought he was leaving and started to rise to see him out, but Huo Lindong simply picked up the lounge chair from the corner and unfolded it.

He said to her, "Come here."

When she saw him standing behind the lounge chair, rolling up his sleeves, she knew exactly what he was about to do. She had to admit, Professor Huo's way of rolling up his sleeves was dangerously attractive, and she couldn't help but steal a couple of glances.

She went over and lay down.

"Just rest. Let me give you a massage."

The moment Huo Lindong’s large hands gripped her shoulders and neck, Ye Sheng felt a flicker of tension—she could sense the coiled strength in his touch. But she quickly relaxed.

So professional, so soothing!

Ye Sheng drifted into sleep for two hours. When Mia knocked on the door at 7:30, she woke to find the office spotless and Huo Lindong already gone, along with all the rubbish.

She hadn’t slept this deeply in a long time. It felt as though the exhaustion of the previous night’s vigil had been replenished in full.

Huo Lindong—the secret massage master—truly had a gift.

She got up, went to the restroom to wash her face, and touched her shoulder and neck, feeling as if a massive weight had been lifted. She was so much lighter.

Unable to help herself, Ye Sheng sent Huo Lindong a voice message: "Lin, I’m awake. Your massage was incredible—five stars!"

This time, Huo Lindong replied quickly: "Yay." Still that adorable peace-sign emoji.

Ye Sheng couldn’t stop smiling. Turning down the corridor, she suddenly glimpsed a pair of elegant leather shoes. Following the long legs upward, she saw Huo Mingtin’s slightly careworn face.

Her smile vanished.

Huo Mingtin wore a steel-grey suit, the jacket unbuttoned to reveal a black shirt and a lean waist. Normally cool and refined, today he looked a bit disheveled.

Ye Sheng stood quietly in the corridor, gazing at the face that had once filled her heart entirely, and suddenly realized Huo Mingtin was nearly thirty now.

Youth gone, beauty fading.

Neither of them was young anymore.

The arrival of an ex-husband could always sour one's mood, but between them there was still a child. Huo Mingtin remained, after all, the father of her son.

"Is there something wrong? Is Cong'er alright?" Ye Sheng's heart clenched instinctively.

Huo Mingtin stared at her, unblinking. Was their only connection really just the child?

He shook his head, voice cold. "It’s not about Cong'er. I’m here to see you."