Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Next, the family of three began their meal.

Lin Yi saw that the large plate only contained two lonely meatballs, and he felt a bit guilty.

So he proactively said to Huo Jihan, "Mr. Huo, try this meatball; it's quite delicious."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

To be honest, that meatball was really delicious!

Huo Jihan paused and glanced at Lin Yi across the table.

He saw that despite Lin Yi saying those words, he kept stealing glances at the meatballs, clearly reluctant to part with them.

Huo Jihan didn't say anything but picked up his chopsticks and placed one of the meatballs into Lin Yi's bowl.

Then he placed the other one in Huo Mianmian's bowl.

Lin Yi looked at the meatball in his own bowl and immediately brightened up, but he resisted the urge to eat it right away and asked, "Aren't you going to eat it?"

Huo Jihan replied indifferently, "I don't like it. You guys can have it."

Lin Yi: "!!"

Just waiting for you to say that!!

He immediately picked up the meatball from his bowl and stuffed it into his mouth.

It was as if he was afraid Huo Jihan would change his mind!

At that moment, the Steward entered the dining room, intending to see if Lin Yi needed anything.

The first thing he noticed was the empty plate on the table.

After all, all the other dishes were still full, making the empty plate stand out.

Seeing this, the Steward smiled at Huo Jihan and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Huo to like this dish so much..."

At that moment, Huo Jihan raised his hand to stop the Steward from continuing.

The Steward initially didn't understand why, until he saw Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian eating the meatballs happily and instantly understood.

Turns out Mr. Huo had given the dish he ordered to Mr. Lin and the young master.

The Steward's face lit up with satisfaction.

Having been in the household for a long time, he had developed deep feelings for the family.

Now seeing the young master Huo Mianmian becoming more cheerful due to Lin Yi's presence and Huo Jihan showing more warmth, he genuinely felt happy.

That day, Lin Yi drove his sports car out for a spin. Passing by a mall, he went in for a meal.

He had eaten too much rich food in the villa recently and naturally wanted a change of taste.

After finishing his meal and leisurely walking out of the mall, a sudden shout came from behind—

"Beast! How dare you show your face in front of us!!!"

Everyone around was startled by the sudden noise and turned to look.

Lin Yi wasn't one to enjoy crowds, so he continued walking without paying attention.

Until a few people blocked his path.

Lin Yi casually lifted his gaze and realized it was the Lin family.

Leading them was Father Lin, who hadn't appeared in a while. He was glaring at him furiously, and the shout just now came from him.

Behind him were Mother Lin and Lin Jie.

There was also a large group of relatives, including He Nian's family.

It seemed these people had been shopping in the mall and unexpectedly ran into each other.

Only then did Lin Yi realize that the angry shout was directed at him.

Father Lin stood in front of him and shouted again, "You ungrateful brat, how dare you show your face in front of us!!!"

Lin Yi stood lazily with his hands in his coat pockets, finding it somewhat amusing. "I was just walking along. Who approached whom?"

Father Lin, tall and burly, bellowed, "Tell me, why did you treat your mother and little Jie that way last time?!"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. "How did I treat them?"

Mother Lin and Lin Jie had first slandered him online and then caused a scene at the farm restaurant...

And now it was his fault?

Father Lin yelled, "Don't take this lightly! The family business and your brother's studies have been affected. Today, you must give an explanation!"

Because of the commotion Mother Lin and Lin Jie caused at the farm restaurant, their family had become notorious, and not in a good way.

They had a small factory that barely made ends meet with some clients, but after that incident, the clients heard about how they mistreated and slandered their eldest son, leading to a terrible reputation. They all demanded to terminate their cooperation.

Father Lin begged for a long time, but no one gave him any sympathy.

In short, the family's factory was now completely ruined.

As for Lin Jie, he became somewhat notorious after causing a scene during a livestream. Soon afterward, many anonymous sources exposed his usual misdeeds—skipping classes, getting into fights, harassing female classmates, and more. Under public pressure, the school expelled Lin Jie.

The Lin family was so enraged by all these events that they nearly fainted from anger, their hearts burning with fury.

Worse still, they couldn't find where Lin Yi lived, and he had blocked their calls, leaving them to rage impotently.

Unexpectedly, today they stumbled upon Lin Yi.

They were more than eager to tear him apart!

After hearing Father Lin's words, Lin Yi sneered, "An explanation? Do you think that's possible?"

He hadn't even sought compensation from the Lin family yet, how could they have the nerve to demand an explanation from him?

Father Lin's blood pressure spiked with rage: "You bastard! Asking for a beating, aren't you?!"

With that, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to strike.

Mother Lin wailed and cursed at Lin Yi from the side.

Lin Jie, like a rabid dog, wished he could pounce and tear Lin Yi to shreds.

The surrounding relatives began chattering.

"Xiaoyi, this time it's your fault. They're your mother and brother; how could you embarrass them so much?"

"Exactly. Now your family's factory is out of business, and Xiao Jie can't go to school anymore. You're entirely responsible!"

"Heaven sees everything, Xiaoyi. With your cold heart, aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

"Xiaoyi, you can't be so heartless. It'll come back to haunt you."

"..."

Listening to their words, Lin Yi found it amusing: "You really are shameless!"

He now understood why the original owner had lived such a suffocating life.

With such unreasonable family members and relatives, and being naturally weak, how could he not be bullied constantly?

At this moment, one of the relatives pointed at Lin Yi: "Xiaoyi, how dare you speak to your elders like that? You have no manners whatsoever!"

Lin Yi scoffed: "So what if I don't? What are you going to do about it?"

The relative was momentarily speechless: "You...!"

Before he could finish, Lin Yi continued: "Also, what gives you the right to talk to me in this tone on my turf? Are you going to leave on your own, or should I call security to throw you out?"

A relative asked in confusion: "When did this become your turf?"

Lin Yi looked down at the relative: "Soon! Because I'm buying this mall. Is that okay?"

His casual glance carried an inexplicable intensity.

The relative instinctively took a step back before retorting: "Who would believe that? How could you possibly have that much money?"

The others stared at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi replied nonchalantly: "Don't forget, I've got a powerful backer now. Money is the least of my concerns!"

Unlike the original owner, he wasn't afraid to use this advantage to intimidate them.

Clearly, this was a significant advantage, and he intended to leverage it.

Everyone suddenly remembered that Lin Yi was now married to the head of the Huo family, and indeed, things were different now.

Buying a mall was nothing for someone who had climbed so high. Even ten or a hundred malls wouldn't faze him.

Envy surged through the crowd, making them feel sour.

Especially He Nian, who clenched his teeth upon hearing this.

Huo Jihan, a man like that, should belong to him!

Why, why did Lin Yi get the benefit of this marriage?!

Despite their jealousy, they maintained a facade of indifference.

"So what if you married into a wealthy family? Big deal. Show us what you can do on your own."

"I'd rather eat my cornbread than your fancy delicacies."

"Right, cornbread is healthier anyway."

"..."

Lin Yi calmly asked: "Are you done? Can you leave my turf now? Otherwise, I will call security to remove you."

The crowd was uncertain, fearing that security might actually show up.

At this moment, the second aunt, He Nian's mother, seized the opportunity to brag: "Don't worry, everyone. Our Nian is a big star. Who doesn't know him? Security won't come."

The crowd regained some confidence.

"That's right, we have Nian!"

"Really, how can two cousins be so different—one in heaven, one in hell."

"Nian often helps Lin Yi in the entertainment industry. That kid is too soft-hearted. He shouldn't help such an ungrateful wolf!"

"Lin Yi must be jealous of all our Nian's fans, right?"

"..."

He Nian immediately said, "Everyone, don't say that. My cousin and I are family; it's natural for us to help each other."

The crowd disagreed.

"Nian, you care too much about family ties."

"That's true. You're kind-hearted, but others might not deserve your kindness."

"..."

As the group lingered here for a while, especially with both Lin Yi and He Nian being celebrities, even with their masks on, they were inevitably recognized by passersby.

Not far away, two girls holding hands glanced over and instantly looked excited, covering their mouths to stifle their screams.

They exchanged glances and then eagerly approached.

The crowd began to buzz with chatter.

"Those two girls must be here for Nian's autograph, right?"

"What else could it be? Are they looking for Lin Yi's autograph?"

"Those girls have good taste; they know who deserves their fandom."

"I bet someone is going crazy with jealousy right now! Too bad he's such an ungrateful person; no one likes him."

At this moment, He Nian intervened, stopping the relatives from gossiping: "Everyone, please don't say that. Actually, my cousin has gained quite a bit of popularity in his recent show."

The crowd immediately responded, "Nian, even at a time like this, you're still speaking up for him? You're just too kind."

He Nian realized he couldn't stop the relatives and shook his head helplessly.

At that moment, the two girls had already approached.

He Nian put aside his other emotions and smiled at them, saying, "Hello, where would you like me to sign?"

The two girls were a bit surprised that He Nian was suddenly talking to them. They exchanged glances and replied, "Sorry, we're actually here for Lin Yi."

He Nian: "..."

His face turned pale with embarrassment.

The other relatives exchanged looks of surprise.

Oh, they weren't here for He Nian but for Lin Yi?!

The two girls, somewhat puzzled, ignored the others and excitedly walked past He Nian to Lin Yi: "Hello, Linlin! Could you sign for us?"

Lin Yi, who had been standing aside watching the scene, didn't expect these girls to be coming for him.

He smiled immediately. "Sure."

Wearing a black mask, only his eyes were visible. When he smiled, his almond-shaped eyes curved, radiating a dazzling light.

The two girls became even more excited.

Lin Yi signed for them.

After receiving the autographs, the girls said some words of encouragement to Lin Yi before skipping away happily.

As soon as the two girls left, the scene fell silent as if someone had hit the mute button.

None of the relatives dared to look at He Nian's expression.

Lin Yi, having watched the drama unfold, found it boring and started to leave.

After all, wasting time with these foolish relatives was less fun than playing with the little one at home.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he took a step, Father Lin rushed over, "Did I give you permission to leave?!!!"

Lin Yi ignored him and continued walking.

Father Lin clenched his fists and chased after him, raising his fist to strike.

But before he could touch Lin Yi's clothes, several bodyguards who appeared out of nowhere pinned him to the ground.

"Ahhhhhhh! Help!! It hurts!!!!"

Father Lin screamed in pain.

Mother Lin, seeing this, trembled in fear. "Who are you people? Why are you bullying our old man?"

Unfortunately, no one answered her.

Just then, a man walked over with steady steps.

He wore a well-tailored black suit, exuding a powerful aura that seemed to freeze the air around him.

His dark eyes were like ice that never melted, capable of freezing someone with just a glance.

The bodyguards bowed respectfully upon seeing him.

Clearly, this man held a very high status.

The relatives, who had never seen such a scene, were terrified and dared not lift their heads.

Even timid, looking as if he might faint at any moment.

When Lin Yi saw Huo Jihan, he was taken aback.

How could he be here?

However, there was one person who was the most excited, and that was He Nian.

The moment he saw Huo Jihan appear, he froze, his mind buzzing.

In that instant, he couldn't see anything else but the man in front of him.

Huo Jihan walked step by step to Lin Yi's side, lowering his eyes, and asked Lin Yi, "Why are you here?"

He was half a head taller than Lin Yi, and when he looked down at Lin Yi, his eyes were particularly dark, as if they could suck a person's soul in.

Lin Yi thought, I want to ask you the same thing.

But he still answered Huo Jihan honestly: "Just wandering around."

Who knew he would encounter a bunch of disgusting people after wandering around; he should have never come here.

As the two were talking, He Nian suddenly approached.

He stared at Huo Jihan, his voice trembling, "Mr. Huo, hello."

Huo Jihan glanced at He Nian and almost instantly moved his gaze away, then asked Lin Yi, "Who is he?"

Lin Yi thought for a moment and said, "I don't know, maybe just some unimportant passerby."

Lin Yi said this casually, and Huo Jihan went along with it, "Hmm, let's go home."

From start to finish, he didn't even give He Nian a second glance.

Then, Lin Yi and Huo Jihan left together, side by side.

Only He Nian remained where he was, his face turning pale and then flushed.

How could this be?

Why did Huo Jihan leave without even looking at him?

This was not what he had imagined.

After walking for a while, Lin Yi and Huo Jihan arrived in front of a black Rolls-Royce.

Assistant Li Feng, seeing them approach, immediately opened the car door for them.

Lin Yi waved his car keys, "I drove myself here."

Huo Jihan said calmly, "Let the bodyguard drive you back."

Lin Yi nodded, "Alright."

He could ride home with Huo Jihan and ask some questions.

Soon, the two got into the car, and the Rolls-Royce started moving forward.

Inside the car.

Li Feng was driving in the front.

Lin Yi and Huo Jihan sat together in the back.

Lin Yi casually inspected the interior of the car.

And he found only two words could describe it: luxurious.

After buying the car, it seemed to have undergone some modifications.

The spacious interior, leather seats, and the carpet on the floor all demonstrated the owner's wealth.

There was also a faint scent of cologne in the car, similar to Huo Jihan's fragrance.

After inspecting, Lin Yi withdrew his gaze and asked, "By the way, Mr. Huo, can I ask for an advance on my living expenses?"

After all, Huo Jihan gave him five million every month, so he was just asking for an advance.

Huo Jihan looked at him, "Do you need it urgently?"

Lin Yi hummed, "Not really urgent, but you saw that mall just now, right? I want to buy it; it might appreciate in value."

He wasn't joking about wanting to buy that mall.

In his previous life as an investment banker, certain instincts were deeply ingrained in him, and he wanted to invest in anything with potential.

He felt that the mall had great potential, having observed it during his walk around the area.

Of course, another reason for buying the mall was for fun. With five million coming in every month, why not buy it to annoy those idiots?

However, he didn't have enough money to buy the mall outright, so he needed to ask Huo Jihan for an advance.

Huo Jihan nodded after hearing Lin Yi's words, "Sure, you have the right to use that money."

Huo Jihan's tone somehow gave off a sense that he could do whatever he wanted, as if no matter what happened, Huo Jihan would cover for him.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and joked, "Really just an advance? Don't you think I'm being extravagant?"

Huo Jihan replied in a deep voice, "It's fine, after all, I can't pretend to be the leg you're clinging to."

Lin Yi was taken aback and started coughing: "Cough... cough..."

What was that?

Why did Huo Jihan know what he had just said? Could it be that Huo Jihan had been there all along?

The key point was that Huo Jihan said something so casual with such a serious tone, giving an indescribable feeling.

Suddenly, Lin Yi felt that the usually aloof Huo Jihan seemed a bit more down-to-earth.

Lin Yi finally managed to stop coughing and then asked Huo Jihan, "So, you were listening the whole time?"

Huo Jihan didn't hide it: "Yes."

It wasn't intentional.

He happened to be driving by and saw Lin Yi's figure.

At first glance, it seemed Lin Yi was in some kind of trouble.

So, he instructed Li Feng to stop the car, keeping an eye on Lin Yi while replying to an email from a client abroad.

After hearing Huo Jihan's answer, Lin Yi found it hard to describe his feelings and decided to ask outright, "So, what do you think after watching the whole thing?"

Huo Jihan seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, "I feel like you're quite good at arguing?"

At that time, Lin Yi's expression was nonchalant, yet his words were always to the point, giving a sense of effortlessly controlling the situation.

Lin Yi almost choked again.

What kind of bizarre angle was this?

But it was still an answer.

Fortunately, Lin Yi didn't care about making a good impression on Huo Jihan, so he replied, "It's all practice, you know, practice makes perfect..."

In his previous life, he worked in investment banking and inevitably encountered some ignorant clients.

Those clients knew nothing but tried to give pointers anyway.

Lin Yi, being proud back then, couldn't tolerate amateurs interfering with his work, so he always rebutted them without hesitation.

Those clients often turned red with anger, threatening not to work with Lin Yi anymore.

But in the end, they had no choice but to cooperate with him.

After all, Lin Yi's professional skills were top-notch, and those clients, though sometimes foolish, wouldn't pass up their own money.

And Lin Yi, in his youthful arrogance, enjoyed seeing those people who disliked him but couldn't do anything about it.

In fact, after transmigrating into the book, Lin Yi had mellowed out a lot.

After all, he had died once and no longer had such high aspirations.

Moreover, after transmigration, he ended up in a marriage with someone like Huo Jihan, receiving five million every month, so he naturally became content with a laid-back life.

Being a laid-back person, why would he have so much temper? He only needed to relax and enjoy life.

Seeing Lin Yi pause, Huo Jihan turned to look at him.

Lin Yi appeared lost in his own memories, his gaze distant and slightly smiling.

From Huo Jihan's perspective, he could see Lin Yi's beautiful profile and long, thick eyelashes.

Those eyelashes fluttered occasionally, quite captivating.

For some reason, Huo Jihan felt a strange sensation.

Even though Lin Yi was sitting right next to him, it felt as if he was very far away.

Twenty minutes later, Lin Yi and Huo Jihan returned to the villa together.

The Steward came to greet them, seeing them return together and showing a gratified smile.

Lin Yi explained, "This time, we really just happened to meet."

The Steward nodded: "I understand, I understand!"

But despite his words, he still looked at Lin Yi and Huo Jihan with a gratified expression, as if he could already see their future happy life together.

Lin Yi: "..."

I don't think you fully understand!

But Lin Yi didn't bother with these trivial matters.

Because they weren't important.

At this moment, Huo Mianmian walked over, tilting his head to look at Lin Yi.

Seeing Huo Mianmian looking so obedient, Lin Yi felt warmth in his heart: "Baby, did you miss me?"

Huo Mianmian immediately nodded.

Lin Yi continued, "I found many fun places this time. Next time, I'll take you there to play."

Huo Mianmian became even happier, his eyes shining like the brightest stars in the night sky.

Since it was a bit hot today, Lin Yi took out a few ice creams from the fridge and handed one to Huo Mianmian.

Next, the father and son lazily leaned on the sofa, eating ice cream.

Lin Yi ate his ice cream quickly.

At first, he slowly licked it to melt, but soon he started crunching on it, finishing one in no time.

Huo Mianmian, on the other hand, was much slower, occasionally shivering from the cold and sticking out his little tongue.

After finishing one, Lin Yi quickly tore open the second one.

Before long, he even tore open a third one.

This was getting a bit excessive.

On the opposite sofa, Huo Jihan was giving Li Feng some instructions.

At this moment, Huo Jihan noticed Lin Yi's actions and lifted his dark eyes to look at him, reminding, "You're eating so much cold stuff?"

Lin Yi casually replied, "It's okay, just three ice creams."

Huo Jihan looked at him: "Eat less cold food."

Lin Yi wasn't done yet and feigned innocence, "But I've already torn them open."

He then stared straight at Huo Jihan without blinking.

Huo Jihan paused.

Lin Yi continued looking at him: "Just one more, okay?"

Li Feng observed silently from the side, thinking that Mr. Lin probably wouldn't get to eat that third ice cream, given that their Mr. Huo was known for being unbending and no one could change his mind.

But who would have thought that the next moment, Huo Jihan relented: "Not this time."

Lin Yi immediately raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Okay."

Who cares, finish this one first!

Li Feng: "..."

For some reason, he felt like he was eating a mouthful of dog food.