Chapter 79: Forced Out (3200+)

Chapter 79: Forced Out (3200+)

Three days had passed since that incident. Huo Lanjing hadn't shown up again.

As he predicted, Wind City didn't return either.

During these days, Luo Le took leave for Chen Chen and didn't go to change his medicine.

After all, they had just encountered such an event. What if they ran into that group of people again if they went out?

Though not as secure as the Hao residence, it was still a significant improvement over being out on the streets.

He didn't know if that group of people were sent by Gu Heting. If so, he had truly misjudged him in the past.

With tomorrow marking the parent-child event at Chen Chen's school.

Luo Le gazed at Chen Chen, who was engrossed in building a tower of blocks on the living room carpet. In the end, she couldn't bear to utter the words that would forbid him from going.

As Luo Le was lost in thought, the doorbell rang.

Luo Le felt a sudden tension in her heart. After a moment of hesitation, she got up and walked to the door.

Peering through the peephole, she saw Huo Lanjing standing outside.

Huo Lanjing's hand was still bandaged, and dark circles beneath his eyes suggested he might not have slept well.

With a steady grip on the doorknob, Luo Le opened the door.

Huo Lanjing spoke, "It's been corrected. The account is still the same as before."

Luo Le nodded, "Alright, thank you."

Huo Lanjing remained rooted at the doorstep, showing no intention of leaving.

Luo Le asked, "Is there anything else?"

Huo Lanjing lowered his head, "No."

Luo Le responded with an "Oh," then said, "Well, in that case... I won't see you out."

As he was about to close the door, Huo Lanjing suddenly reached out to brace it against its weight.

Luo Le frowned. "Is there something else?"

After a moment of hesitation, Huo Lanjing asked, "I've had some issues with my ID these past few days. The door doesn't recognize me, so I can't get in."

Luo Le queried, "What about the Huo residence? Don't tell me you can't enter there either."

Huo Lanjing replied, "I've been expelled from the Huo family."

Looking at the man who avoided eye contact, Luo Le felt a sense of suspicion.

"Let me check your AI."

Huo Lanjing demonstrated, and indeed, he couldn't enter, just as he had mentioned – no difference from a few days ago.

Luo Le still found it hard to believe. "Isn't the entire Huo family under your control now? Who has the authority to expel you? And it's just an ID – you're at least a general, can't you go to the palace and seek the emperor's assistance?"

Huo Lanjing explained, "By violating the Huo family's rules, anyone has the right to expel me. With issues with my ID, I can't even enter the palace."

Luo Le had never been to the palace, so he naturally couldn't tell if Huo Lanjing was telling the truth.

However, something felt off, so he pressed him further, asking why he hadn't sought help from Uncle Wang or any other friends.

But Huo Lanjing deftly shot down each of his questions.

After all, Uncle Wang was the butler of the Huo family and could not provide assistance to an expelled member like Huo Lanjing.

As for friends, Huo Lanjing had always been a solitary figure; Luo Le didn't recall hearing about any close friendships he had.

Could it be that he had been turned away by these people, causing his grim expression?

Shaking his head, Luo Le reminded himself that Huo Lanjing's situation was none of his concern.

Why was he telling him all this? Luo Le had a nagging feeling that...

He asked hesitantly, "Are you asking me to take you in?"

Huo Lanjing looked earnest. "I won't force you. Could you, perhaps, lend me your ID to book a room? Once I find work, I'll repay you."

Luo Le was taken aback. "Find a job?"

Huo Lanjing replied, "Mm-hmm."

Luo Le pondered for a moment. "Come in first. I'll tidy up."

Huo Lanjing agreed, "Alright."

Luo Le stepped back, allowing Huo Lanjing to enter and close the door behind him.

"Put on those shoes, they're new." Luo Le pointed to the spare pair of slippers by the door.

"Alright." Huo Lanjing crouched down to pick them up.

As he was tying his shoes, Luo Le ascended the stairs, saying, "Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

Just as Huo Lanjing stood up, he noticed Chen Chen watching him intently with a block in hand.

He walked over, picked up the toy that had fallen out of the blanket, and knelt down, saying, "Here you go."

Chen Chen snatched the blocks, leaving behind only the sight of his nape for the other person.

Huo Lanjing remarked, "You've misspelled it."

Chen Chen turned to look at him and followed his gaze to the LEGO set they had been working on earlier but couldn't complete.

Recalling her father's furious expression last time, Chen Chen turned her back on Huo Lanjing, refusing to acknowledge him.

Huo Lanjing leaned closer to his ear and asked, "Is your father forbidding you from talking to me?"

Chen Chen remained silent.

Huo Lanjing paid no heed and busied himself with a LEGO set lying nearby, engrossed in building it.

Noticing this, Chen Chen thought about how he couldn't communicate with him.

So, he glared at Huo Lanjing with his eyes, hoping that the older boy would notice his gaze and stop playing.

The LEGO set belonged to Zhuang Zhuang; previously, Zhuang Zhuang had mentioned that he couldn't figure out how to assemble a particular LEGO model correctly.

He didn't want to see Zhuangzhuang looking sad, so he offered to give it a try.

To his surprise, he couldn't finish it even after several days.

Tomorrow was the day he had to return it to Zhuangzhuang.

He had spent two days on it and was so close to finishing. If this wicked uncle messed it up...

He would ask Father to kick him out.

Huo Lanjing dismantled the top four layers skillfully, then promptly picked up the LEGO blocks beside him to start assembling them.

Before long, he completed it.

He brought it in front of Chen Chen: "Here you go."

Chen Chen reached out to take it, examining it from left to right. He realized that it was indeed fully assembled.

This uncle was really capable.

He looked down and said, "Thank you."

Huo Lanjing stroked his head.

Chen Chen pushed his hand away. "Let go."

When Luo Le saw this, he felt a sense of disorientation.

Following the previous sequence of events, this might have been how they would have interacted as father and son.

Huo Lanjing lifted his head. "Are you done?"

Luo Le acknowledged him with a sound, then picked up Chen Chen. "Come on."

With Huo Lanjing leading the way, they arrived at a hotel in no time.

It wasn't too far from where Luo Le was staying.

The decor was ordinary and slightly worn.

The clock in the center seemed on the verge of collapse.

Luo Le glanced at the worn-out floor and wondered if Huo Lanjing was accustomed to living in such a place.

Although during missions, he might have dozed off on tree trunks, Luo Le had always seen Huo Lanjing as someone high above, making it hard for him to picture that scene.

Luo Le asked, "You... are sure you want to live here?"

Huo Lanjing replied, "Mm-hm, I haven't found a job yet."

He said this with a cold expression.

Did that imply he couldn't afford anything else?

Seeing Huo Lanjing about to step in, Luo Le grabbed the corner of his shirt.

Huo Lanjing turned back. "What's wrong?"

Luo Le said, "It's alright, there's no rush to pay it back. Besides, if not for you, we might have been in trouble."

Upon hearing his father's words, Chen Chen thought of the completed Lego set and looked up, saying, "Uncle, thank you."

Huo Lanjing felt a sting in his heart as he saw his wife and son express their gratitude.

He patted Chen Chen's shoulder gently and replied, "It was my duty."

Afterward, Luo Le found a relatively clean and newly decorated hotel.

While upstairs, Luo Le had already transferred part of the usable funds from his current account to his previous one.

Then, he secretly slipped a note containing the password into Huo Lanjing's pocket.

Before leaving, Luo Le asked Huo Lanjing for the contact details of the mercenaries.

Huo Lanjing provided them and assured that they would arrive tonight.

After a brief explanation, Luo Le bid farewell and left.

Sure enough, four robust male Alphas arrived that evening, exuding a combat-ready vibe.

Luo Le heaved a sigh of relief, and Chen Chen wouldn't be disappointed anymore.

This was Chen Chen's very first school parent-child event.

The next morning, as Luo Le pulled Chen Chen out of the door, they were greeted by Huo Lanjing, who stood at the entrance like a guardian deity.

He asked, "Where are you two off to?"

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Le chose to reveal the truth.

Huo Lanjing then proposed, "Can I join you?"

Luo Le lowered his gaze, contemplating for a while before ultimately giving in.

They set off for the school as a group, with the three of them in the first car, followed closely by the mercenaries' vehicle.

The event was scheduled to begin at nine in the morning.

At half past eight, Luo Le accompanied Chen Chen to take their seats. With no more available seats, Huo Lanjing stood behind them.

Luo Le asked him to fetch a chair, but Huo Lanjing said it was fine.

He was tall and carried himself with an air of refinement that hinted at his affluent background.

The other four children's parents, still remembering the incident from that day, found it peculiar that after such an unpleasant encounter, they were now participating in a parent-child activity together. Speculations arose among them.

However, due to Huo Lanjing's intimidating presence, they dared not discuss it openly. After that day, they had created a group chat where they continued their conversations.

Upon entering, the teacher immediately noticed Huo Lanjing standing. Unaware of his true identity, she could tell from the principal's attitude on that day that this man was no ordinary individual.

While not going as far as to try to ingratiate themselves, they certainly didn't want to offend him.

The teacher approached and said, "Mr. Huo, I apologize for the oversight. I'll go fetch a chair right away."

Huo Lanjing lifted his eyes lazily. "No need, don't waste time."

Luo Le, standing by, secretly nudged him.

How could one speak like that?

Huo Lanjing looked down at her, slightly perplexed.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, the teacher said, "Alright, then please stand for a while."

Although the teacher said this, she promptly informed the principal about the situation when she turned around.

Afterward, she began her safety lecture on stage.

A few minutes later, a security guard arrived with a chair, knocking on the door.

The teacher paused and said, "Put it there."

Then, she continued her speech.

The security guard placed the chair and left.

Huo Lanjing took a seat.

Luo Le leaned in and whispered, "If anyone asks, don't mention anything about the Huo family."

Huo Lanjing completely ignored the tickling sensation on his ear, his gaze fixated on Luo Le's moving Adam's apple.

Unconsciously, he swallowed, watching intently.

After Luo Le finished speaking, Huo Lanjing moved closer to his ear and replied, "Alright, I'll follow your advice."

As he spoke, his breath brushed against Luo Le's ear.

With naturally sensitive ears, Luo Le's face flushed red instantly, resembling a ripe red apple.

Luo Le acknowledged with a soft hum and created some distance.

He seemed like a tiny, bashful kitten.

Huo Lanjing couldn't help but curve his lips as he watched.

Was Luo Le's earlobe always this susceptible to blushing before?

Soon, the teacher finished speaking and led everyone to their class's activity area.

After the other parents had left, Luo Le carried Chen Chen and followed behind.

Huo Lanjing was right on their heels.

The moment they appeared, the bodyguards shadowed them.

The first game was a three-legged race. With Chen Chen's small steps, he was placed in the middle.

During the race, Luo Le suddenly felt Huo Lanjing's hand sneak around his waist.

He pushed away Huo Lanjing's hand, accompanied by a meaningful glance.

Huo Lanjing looked at him innocently.

Both halted in their tracks, releasing their grip. Chen Chen continued to walk forward, unable to be pulled back, and tumbled forward.

Upon hearing Chen Chen's sobs, they rushed to help him up, discovering abrasions on his hands; likely, his legs were injured as well.

From then on, they were unable to participate in any more activities.

After being bandaged, Chen Chen could only watch as others engaged in the competition.

On subsequent days when Luo Le took Chen Chen to school, they would inevitably encounter Huo Lanjing at the entrance.

Huo Lanjing then offered to escort Chen Chen to school alongside Luo Le, who repeatedly refused, to no avail.

Eventually, Huo Lanjing announced that he had found a job. Every evening, he would show up in his uniform, looking dusty and worn out, asking to join them for dinner.

The uniform identified him as a logistics worker. Perhaps due to connections within the Huo family, Huo Lanjing had been reduced to doing manual labor.

Luo Le, witnessing his sorry state, said nothing and allowed him to eat with them.

It wasn't as if they couldn't afford another mouth to feed.

Only Chen Chen was unaware that Father's cooking was not as delicious as McDonald's, yet he insisted on joining them for meals every day.