Volume One, Chapter 38: Apology

Ye Sheng never expected Huo Lintong to appear at this moment.

The instant he pulled her forcefully into his arms, she felt her heart collide with her chest with a resounding thud—though in truth, it was her back pressing against the man’s solid, unyielding chest.

Huo Lintong had always maintained an appropriate distance in their interactions; this was the first time they had been so close. She could even catch the scent of his cool, understated cologne, wrapping around her from every direction.

For a moment, her mind went utterly blank.

Yet if Ye Sheng was surprised, Huo Mingtian was even more so.

Staring in disbelief at the man who had just taken Ye Sheng from his grasp, his face was frozen with astonishment. “Granduncle Ninth…?”

A clangor, not unlike thunder, seemed to resound in the air.

Granduncle Ninth… Was he calling him Lin?

Huo Lintong had always been gentle and reserved in front of Ye Sheng, but now, standing behind her, even though she couldn’t see his expression, she could feel the cold authority radiating from him.

“What are you doing?” Huo Lintong’s voice was low, tinged with displeasure.

A flicker of embarrassment flashed across Huo Mingtian’s handsome features, as if only now realizing he had gone too far. He pressed his thin lips together, glancing at Ye Sheng.

Huo Lintong loosened his hold just slightly, but still shielded her as he spoke in a deep tone, “Apologize.”

The men of the Huo family had always been ones to take responsibility for their actions. Huo Mingtian looked at Ye Sheng.

“I’m sorry.”

Ye Sheng paid him no mind; her thoughts were too much in disarray, a tangled mess. She turned her head slightly, saying to Huo Lintong, “Lin, I’ll go upstairs first.”

Huo Lintong looked down and regarded her for a moment, then responded with a quiet “Mm.”

She pressed the elevator button, and as the doors slid shut, she heard Huo Mingtian’s voice tremble slightly: “Granduncle Ninth, is the research institute at Meishan under your control?”

At last, Huo Mingtian understood! He had been mistaken!

No wonder that child also bore the surname Huo, no wonder Chu Yue had said trouble had been stirred up… So the research institute their investigative team had been probing…

Thinking of Huo Lintong’s current status in the scientific community, Huo Mingtian suddenly realized the gravity of the situation, his face changing abruptly.

Huo Lintong’s amber eyes swept toward Huo Mingtian, his gaze all-knowing. “Chu Yue—she’s your friend?”

“…Yes,” Huo Mingtian replied, scalp prickling.

It seemed Chu Yue was truly in solitary confinement at this moment, having landed herself in serious trouble.

Huo Lintong chuckled softly and leaned against the wall. “Is this dissatisfaction with me?”

“Is it you who has a problem with me, or is it the Huo family who disapproves of my work?”

“Neither, it was my mistake.” Huo Mingtian shook his head, apologized, and then pleaded with Huo Lintong to intercede, to spare Chu Yue from disciplinary action.

“If you make a mistake, you must bear the consequences. She’s not a child anymore,” Huo Lintong replied coldly, showing no leniency.

Huo Mingtian dared not press further and instead asked, “Wan Sandao—do you know him?”

At this, Huo Lintong’s gaze turned utterly frigid.

“So you didn’t just investigate the institute; you even looked into my car.”

Huo Mingtian’s expression changed—his counterpart’s perceptiveness was sharper than he’d anticipated. He hurried to explain, “Please, don’t misunderstand. I’m not targeting you. I just wanted to ask—what is your relationship with Wan Sandao?”

“He’s my brother,” Huo Lintong replied, offering nothing more.

—

Ye Sheng returned home, still trying to process the information that had just flooded her mind.

So Lin was a member of the Huo family as well.

Ye Sheng knew Huo Lintong was ninth in the family hierarchy; she’d even heard the driver call him Ninth Master. But she hadn’t realized that he was the Huo family’s enigmatic and elusive “Master”—so much so that even Huo Mingtian, not to mention Chairman Huo, would have to address him as “Uncle Ninth.”

Staring up at the ceiling, Ye Sheng could only manage a bitter smile. Was there truly no escaping the entanglement of the Huo family?