Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Within less than twenty-four hours of entering the book, Lin Yi had already fully adapted to his new life.

He stayed up late playing games that night and then slept until ten in the morning the next day, even taking an extra nap before finally getting up leisurely.

In his previous life, he had dedicated himself to the cutthroat world of investment banking, where even basic necessities like eating and sleeping were ruthlessly taken away from him.

He kept pushing himself until he eventually died from overwork, never having the chance to enjoy anything.

Since fate had given him a second chance, he was determined not to miss out. He would eat, drink, and indulge in everything he had missed out on in his previous life.

After all, he had a husband who regularly provided him with pocket money.

This kind of life was simply too blissful!

Around eleven in the morning, Lin Yi lazily descended the stairs in his slippers.

It was March, a season neither too cold nor too hot.

Lin Yi wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a thin jacket and loose loungewear pants, exuding a relaxed and comfortable vibe.

As soon as he came downstairs, the steward asked, "Mr. Lin, what would you like for lunch? I'll instruct the kitchen to prepare it."

There were three chefs in the villa, always ready to provide any food Lin Yi desired.

Lin Yi was quite satisfied with this arrangement. After some thought, he said, "Seafood."

In his previous life, he had always planned to treat himself to a seafood feast once he finished his work, but he never found the time. Now, he would start by indulging in a seafood meal.

"Very well, Mr. Lin."

The steward immediately went to the kitchen to give the instructions.

With nothing else to do, Lin Yi walked into the living room, lounging on the sofa and grabbing the remote control to turn on the TV.

While browsing through channels, he noticed something moving in the corner of the living room.

Curious, Lin Yi looked over and saw Huo Mianmian sitting on the floor, struggling to take off his socks.

Huo Mianmian was trying hard to remove his socks on his own, but his hands were too short and his strength too little.

He tugged at the socks with all his might, using every ounce of energy he had, yet still couldn't get them off. In the end, his efforts caused him to lose balance and tumble onto the floor like a small dumpling.

Huo Mianmian was completely bewildered.

He got up from the floor, sitting there in a daze, unsure why he had fallen. Even his wisps of hair seemed to convey a sense of innocence and grievance.

"Hahahaha!"

Lin Yi couldn't help bursting into laughter at the sight.

Huo Mianmian looked at his stepfather with a puzzled expression.

Lin Yi got up and squatted in front of Huo Mianmian, smiling, "What are you doing?"

Huo Mianmian pointed at his socks.

Lin Yi pretended not to understand: "What's wrong with your socks?"

Huo Mianmian made a gesture of taking them off, then pouted and stared at Lin Yi with his big, round eyes.

Lin Yi continued, "What does that mean?"

Huo Mianmian, growing impatient, finally spoke: "Off off~"

His voice was slightly hoarse, likely due to not speaking often, but it carried the sweet lilt of a child's voice, pure and innocent.

Lin Yi was surprised that Huo Mianmian actually spoke and raised an eyebrow.

He had only been teasing Huo Mianmian for fun.

The steward, who had just returned from the kitchen, nearly shed tears upon seeing this scene.

The young master had actually spoken?!

Such a good child, who rarely spoke, had finally opened his mouth.

The steward looked at Lin Yi with admiration.

It seemed Mr. Lin had a significant influence on the young master?

Lin Yi continued squatting in front of Huo Mianmian and asked, "Do you want me to help you take them off?"

Huo Mianmian nodded and stared at his socks.

These socks were quite troublesome; he couldn't remove them himself and had to ask for help.

With Lin Yi's assistance, Huo Mianmian's socks were quickly taken off.

Huo Mianmian was still a bit confused, watching as Lin Yi effortlessly removed his socks.

Why couldn't he do it himself?

He clearly put in effort too.

At that moment, the chefs had already prepared lunch.

Lin Yi quickly came to the dining table.

When he saw the full table of dishes, he immediately beamed with joy.

This is life!

At this time, several seafood delicacies were laid out on the table, all top-notch ingredients air-freighted from around the world.

Plump salmon, melt-in-your-mouth caviar, fresh prawns... each dish was mouthwatering.

To improve the taste, they also prepared some ingredients suitable for hotpot, such as fatty beef slices and tripe.

In the center of the table sat a red-hot soup pot, bubbling away, ready for cooking various ingredients.

After sitting down, Lin Yi first picked up a piece of salmon, put it in his mouth, and then contentedly squinted his eyes.

As expected of a wealthy family, even the ingredients were different. This was definitely the best salmon he had ever tasted.

Lin Yi then tried the caviar and prawns, tossing some meat slices into the hotpot, enjoying his meal thoroughly.

At this moment, Huo Mianmian also came to the dining table.

A servant placed his small bowl on the table and then quietly asked if he wanted to be fed.

Huo Mianmian shook his head, indicating he could eat by himself.

Then he picked up a small spoon, scooped a spoonful of porridge from the bowl, and slowly fed it to himself.

At this moment, Lin Yi across from him just picked up a few pieces of tripe, mixed them in the sauce bowl, and then put them in his mouth, letting out a content sigh.

It was so delicious!

Hearing the sound, Huo Mianmian glanced at Lin Yi and then continued drinking his porridge.

However, not long after, Lin Yi let out another satisfied sound after finishing a prawn.

Huo Mianmian: "..."

He looked at the abundant ingredients on his father's side, then lowered his head to look at the vegetable lean-meat porridge in his own bowl.

For some reason, he suddenly found the porridge less appealing.

While Lin Yi was happily eating, he suddenly noticed Huo Mianmian staring intently at him from across the table, occasionally swallowing saliva.

Lin Yi: "??"

He glanced at Huo Mianmian's bowl and understood somewhat.

Since Huo Mianmian was still young, he ate easily digestible food with minimal seasoning, naturally lacking flavor.

Looking at Huo Mianmian's eager gaze, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "Want to try?"

Huo Mianmian's eyes immediately brightened, and he nodded, looking expectantly at Lin Yi.

Although Huo Mianmian usually didn't talk much, anyone would soften seeing him stare like that.

Lin Yi was no exception.

So he peeled a shrimp, divided it into small pieces, and put them in Huo Mianmian's bowl. "Try it!"

Huo Mianmian immediately scooped up a piece of shrimp with his small spoon, chewed it twice, and his eyes brightened even more, as if he had discovered a heavenly delicacy.

Seeing this, Lin Yi couldn't help but smile.

What a cute little one!

Soon, Huo Mianmian finished the shrimp in his bowl and then, like a little animal, stared eagerly at Lin Yi, waiting for more.

Lin Yi chuckled and gave Huo Mianmian some more to eat.

However, worried about Huo Mianmian's digestion, he gave only small portions, enough for a taste.

Even so, Huo Mianmian was delighted throughout the meal and ate more than usual.

The steward watching their interaction was astonished, his mouth agape the entire time.

Having been with the young master for so long, this was the first time he saw the young master so close to someone.

It seemed his guess was right—Mr. Lin had a significant influence on the young master!

Lin Yi was unaware of what the steward might have imagined.

He enjoyed his meal heartily until he felt full and finally stopped.

There was no way he could stop; the food was too delicious. Not eating every bite felt disrespectful, so he finished everything!

Of course, he shared some with Huo Mianmian as well.

Now, Lin Yi didn't want to move, leaning back in his chair to digest, lost in thought.

Unexpectedly, Huo Mianmian mimicked him, lazily leaning back in his chair.

But he was too short to keep his feet on the ground, so when he leaned back, his little bottom slowly slid forward.

However, after sliding a bit, he would sit up straight again.

Sliding back and forth, he would sit up again...

This cycle continued, and he was having quite a bit of fun.

The two of them stayed at the dining table for a long time.

Until a few pigeons flew by outside the villa, catching Huo Mianmian's attention. He stared blankly for a while before sliding off his chair to watch the pigeons at the door.

Lin Yi sat in a daze at the dining table for a while before standing up and stretching lazily.

Full and satisfied, he felt a bit sleepy.

Let's take a nap then!

Lin Yi dragged his feet slowly towards the stairs.

At this moment, the Steward suddenly approached him respectfully and said, "Mr. Lin, may I have a word with you?"

Lin Yi nodded, "Go ahead."

The Steward explained his intention, "If you have free time, could you perhaps spend more time with Young Master?"

Lin Yi was puzzled, "Why?"

The Steward: "I feel that Young Master seems much more relaxed and lively around you. He appears to be very fond of you."

Lin Yi: "??"

Where did the Steward come up with this conclusion?

He couldn't help but turn to look at Huo Mianmian at the door.

At that moment, Huo Mianmian was squatting at the entrance of the villa, supporting his head with one hand, intently watching the pigeons on the lawn outside.

His small figure made him look like a chubby little radish, making him even cuter.

Lin Yi turned back and asked the Steward, "How did you conclude that he is fond of me?"

Besides, he was just Huo Mianmian's stepfather, married to Huo Mianmian's father out of business necessity. Would it be a good thing if he got too close to Huo Mianmian?

The Steward assured him, "I am certain I'm not mistaken. Mr. Lin, please consider my suggestion. Young Master has always been lonely and without playmates. I am genuinely worried about him, and I hope that with your company, he can become more cheerful."

The Steward spoke earnestly, treating Huo Mianmian as his own grandson. Seeing no improvement in Huo Mianmian's condition, he shared the family's concern.

Lin Yi glanced at the expectant Steward and nodded, considering his words, "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

The Steward immediately felt relieved.

After a brief conversation with the Steward, Lin Yi went upstairs for a nice nap. He slept until a phone call woke him up around three o'clock.

Lin Yi: "..."

With sleepy eyes, he picked up his phone and saw the word "Agent" on the screen.

Without hesitation, he hung up.

In the original owner's memory, this agent was not a good person.

Unexpectedly, right after hanging up, the agent called again.

Lin Yi answered irritably, his voice cold, "What do you want?"

The other party seemed taken aback by his sudden assertiveness and paused before saying, "How dare you speak to me like that?!"

Lin Yi, annoyed at being disturbed from his sleep, replied coldly, "Otherwise, how should I speak?"

The agent: "..."

"You wait! I'll send you a location; we need to discuss some work matters. When you get here, we'll talk about your attitude..."

Before the other party could finish, Lin Yi hung up the phone.

After hanging up, he sat on the bed to gather his thoughts. Once fully awake, he calmly got ready and went downstairs.

When Lin Yi came downstairs, he immediately saw the little bundle at the villa's entrance.

He was shocked.

Had Huo Mianmian been sitting there for so long?!

Lin Yi walked over.

Sure enough, Huo Mianmian was still staring at the pigeons.

But after a while, he started feeling a bit sleepy, blinking occasionally, his long lashes fluttering.

The golden sunlight cast upon him, making him look like a little angel.

Lin Yi squatted down, poking Huo Mianmian's chubby cheek and asked, "Feeling sleepy? Want to go take a nap?"

Sure enough, playing with kids gets easier each time!

After being poked, Huo Mianmian took a while to react before covering his face with his hand.

He, he had been poked on the face?!

Lin Yi burst into laughter.

How could this kid be so amusing?

Huo Mianmian didn't know what Lin Yi was smiling about; he just looked at Lin Yi.

At this moment, Lin Yi said to him again, "Alright, go to sleep quickly!"

Huo Mianmian obediently nodded, then got up and walked toward the villa.

As he walked, he rubbed his eyes with his soft little hands.

After taking a few steps, he turned back to look at Lin Yi, unsure if he was still thinking about being poked in the face.