Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The next day, Lin Yi packed his luggage with Huo Mianmian and then headed to the private mountain villa.

Lin Yi finished packing his suitcase and changed into fresh clothes.

Today, he wore a black hoodie and casual pants, making him look very comfortable and relaxed.

At this moment, Huo Mianmian was still in his Pikachu pajamas.

Lin Yi asked him, "Mianmian, we're about to leave. What clothes are you going to wear?"

After glancing at Lin Yi's outfit, Huo Mianmian promptly pulled out his own black hoodie.

It was clear that after wearing matching panda pajamas with Lin Yi yesterday, he had become enthusiastic about dressing similarly.

Huo Mianmian held up his tiny black hoodie for Lin Yi to see, his little face full of anticipation.

Lin Yi chuckled when he saw it. "Mianmian wants to wear this one? Sure."

Soon, father and son changed into their clothes and carried their suitcases downstairs.

Both of them were incredibly handsome, dressed in matching black hoodies, making them a delightful sight as they walked down the stairs together.

However, Lin Yi's hoodie was simpler in design, while Huo Mianmian's had an adorable cat head pattern on the front.

Not only was Huo Mianmian's clothing cute, but he himself was also adorable.

Without asking for help from Lin Yi, he carried his small suitcase, taking careful steps down the stairs with his short legs, looking particularly well-behaved.

The Steward, worried that they might get thirsty or hungry on the road, prepared a bag of drinks and snacks and handed it to Lin Yi. "Mr. Lin, these are for you and the young master on your journey."

Lin Yi was surprised by the Steward's thoughtfulness and gratefully accepted the bag. "Thank you, Uncle Wu."

The Steward waved his hand. "It's my duty."

Then he added, "Mr. Lin, the weekend is coming up. Mr. Huo won't need to go to the company then. Why don't you wait until the weekend and go with Mr. Huo?"

The Steward's intention was clear—he wanted to bring Lin Yi and Huo Jihan closer together, giving them more time to develop their relationship.

Unfortunately, the Steward's efforts were destined to be in vain.

Lin Yi simply wanted to take the little one to the villa for a few days of relaxation, not a family outing.

So he said, "Mr. Huo is too busy. It's better not to disturb him."

With that, he called out to Huo Mianmian, "Zai, let's go!"

Huo Mianmian promptly pulled his small suitcase and followed Lin Yi.

Seeing this, the Steward sighed but could do nothing else.

Lin Yi took Huo Mianmian to the garage.

Last night, he had taken a Porsche key from Huo Jihan, and today he could finally take it for a spin.

Unexpectedly, when they arrived at the garage, they encountered Huo Jihan, who was heading to the company.

Huo Jihan, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, stood nearby talking on the phone. His tall and upright figure exuded a commanding presence.

He spoke little, mostly issuing brief and cold instructions to the person on the other end.

His aura was so strong that anyone near him felt a chill.

Soon, Huo Jihan ended the call.

The driver was already waiting beside the car.

As Huo Jihan was about to open the door, he noticed Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian.

From a few meters away, Huo Jihan met Lin Yi's gaze.

He said, "Drive safely."

Lin Yi smiled. "Yes, I will."

Huo Jihan nodded and then looked at Huo Mianmian. "Listen to your dad."

Huo Mianmian obediently nodded.

In front of Huo Jihan, he felt somewhat restrained, finding this father figure powerful yet distant, almost unreachable.

After a brief word, Huo Jihan got into the car.

Soon, the black Bentley drove out of the garage.

Lin Yi also said to Huo Mianmian, "Zai, let's get in the car."

Huo Mianmian was much more relaxed and happy around Lin Yi. He carefully placed his luggage and got into the car with Lin Yi.

Soon, Lin Yi started driving the Porsche.

To be honest, he had never driven a Porsche before.

But as expected of a luxury car, the experience was unparalleled, with top-notch performance in every aspect.

Lin Yi drove happily.

Huo Mianmian sat in the backseat in his child seat, occasionally glancing at Lin Yi and then looking out the window.

This was the first time he had gone out to play alone with Lin Yi, so he was particularly excited, his eyes always sparkling with anticipation.

Soon, the car drove out of the city and away from the tall buildings, and the scenery in front of them became much more open.

The weather was good today—blue skies, white clouds, sunshine, and a gentle breeze—all very comfortable.

It was perfect for going out to play.

After leaving the city and driving on the highway for a while, they arrived at a winding mountain road. When they reached the end of this road, they would be at their destination.

Lin Yi parked the car and then led Huo Mianmian out.

The private villa was situated halfway up the mountain, covering a vast area, with various buildings nestled among lush greenery.

The air here was fresh, and the scenery was beautiful. It felt as if every breath of air was cool and refreshing, making one's mood naturally improve.

Lin Yi led Huo Mianmian toward the entrance of the villa.

The gate of the villa was made of stone, with some orchids planted around it.

Once inside the gate, they walked further in, where most of the buildings were constructed using stone and wood. They could see pavilions, artificial mountains, and bamboo groves.

It was clear that the owner of the villa had a poetic touch.

Lin Yi secretly decided to stay here for two days.

At this moment, a staff member approached with a smile and said, "Hello, please follow me."

The staff member led Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian to their accommodation.

As they walked, the staff member introduced the various attractions of the villa, such as where they could ride horses, shoot, or soak in hot springs.

In short, there were quite a few activities available in the villa.

Lin Yi had already done some research on the villa before coming, and now that he saw it in person, he found that the online descriptions were not exaggerated at all.

One could only say that the price justified the quality; it couldn't be too bad.

A few minutes later, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian followed the staff member to their accommodation.

This accommodation was different from the others—it was entirely made of solid wood.

The room was bright and spacious, with a faint scent of wood lingering in the air.

On the windowsill, there was a vase with orchids, emitting a light, fragrant aroma.

Moreover, the bed was exceptionally wide and soft, looking incredibly comfortable to sleep on.

After introducing some of the furnishings in the bedroom, the staff member said, "If you need anything, just let us know."

Lin Yi nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Soon, the staff member brewed a cup of tea for Lin Yi and poured a glass of milk for Huo Mianmian before leaving.

When they were alone in the room, Lin Yi took off his shoes and comfortably lay down on the bed.

Huo Mianmian also mimicked Lin Yi and lay down.

Being small, he bounced like a rice ball when he lay down.

Lin Yi stroked his little head, "Son, do you think this place is fun?"

Huo Mianmian nodded.

He thought it was fun, especially because he was with his father, making it even more enjoyable.

Lin Yi teased him with a smile, "Since it's so fun, how about we live here forever?"

Huo Mianmian nodded without hesitation.

Lin Yi laughed, "You're really agreeing? What about your dad?"

This little one was Huo's biological son; was it really okay for them to be separated like this?

But Huo Mianmian still nodded and said, "I want to be with my father~"

Saying this, he moved closer to Lin Yi and snuggled into his arms like a small animal.

Lin Yi looked at the little one who suddenly came into his embrace.

Huo Mianmian was truly adorable and good-looking, with soft black hair, eyes like shiny black gems, and chubby cheeks softer than jelly.

Who wouldn't feel better being relied upon by such a cute child?

So Lin Yi pinched his little face and said, "Alright, forget about your dad. I'll take you home, and we'll live together."

Huo Mianmian quickly nodded, his eyes clearly saying—

Steal me~ Steal me~

Lin Yi laughed, "Hahaha!"

Having a soft, cuddly human cub to tease was indeed so much fun!

At this moment, Lin Yi picked up the tea the staff member had poured for him and handed the milk to Huo Mianmian.

Huo Mianmian took the milk and sipped it slowly.

Soon, a ring of milk appeared around his mouth, making the whole little one seem to exude a sweet milky fragrance.

However, Mianmian, who suffered from a severe case of mysophobia, would never tolerate being unclean. He promptly retrieved a tissue and meticulously wiped his mouth clean.

Then he returned to his usual clean and fair-skinned appearance.

Lin Yi picked up the teacup and took a sip.

He rarely drank tea and couldn't offer any professional evaluation.

But this tea was indeed delicious, refreshing and fragrant, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.

After drinking the tea, Lin Yi lazily leaned against the bedhead and put a children's watch on Huo Mianmian's left wrist.

He had bought it on the way here.

After all, since he was the only one looking after Huo Mianmian this time, there might be moments when he couldn't keep an eye on him. Therefore, he bought a phone watch for Huo Mianmian so they could stay in touch if they were separated.

As Lin Yi put the watch on Huo Mianmian, he explained, "Mianmian, with this watch, you can call me. If you can't find me, just give me a call."

Huo Mianmian looked down at the new item on his wrist, intrigued.

After Lin Yi finished putting it on, he saved his number in the watch and taught him how to make and receive calls.

After teaching him once, Lin Yi said, "Let's test it now. Try calling me."

Although Huo Mianmian usually didn't talk much, he had a strong learning ability. After a few operations on his watch, he successfully called Lin Yi.

Lin Yi answered the call and played along, "Hello, who is this?"

Feeling a mix of curiosity and nervousness about addressing his stepfather in such a manner for the first time, Huo Mianmian responded gently, "It's Mianmian."

Lin Yi teased, "How will you prove that you're Mianmian?"

Huo Mianmian: "Uh..."

He blinked innocently, "I can't prove it, but Mianmian is just Mianmian."

Lin Yi: "Hahaha!"

Human kids are indeed super interesting!

After playing around for a while, Huo Mianmian gradually became sleepy, rubbing his eyes several times and swaying like a bobblehead on the bed.

Children love sleeping, and Huo Mianmian was no exception, spending a lot of time napping every day.

Seeing that he was sleepy, Lin Yi coaxed him to sleep.

Soon, Huo Mianmian lay in the soft bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Not wanting to sleep, Lin Yi walked out of the room, closed the door, and went to look for something fun to do.

He gave a tip to the staff member, asking her to watch over Huo Mianmian and call him if Huo Mianmian woke up.

After making these arrangements, he headed towards the shooting range.

The shooting range was located in the basement.

As Lin Yi walked down, he discovered that there were not only shooting ranges but also billiard tables and arcade games.

This private villa truly considered various customer needs; almost everything one wanted to play was available.

Lin Yi was currently only interested in shooting, so he went straight to the shooting range.

The shooting range was quite spacious.

Each guest could get a prop gun and shoot at targets placed on a large platform in front of them.

Coincidentally, there was a shooting competition being held today.

To thank the guests, the villa owner contributed a landscape painting he had previously acquired at an auction. The guest who won the shooting competition would receive the painting.

By now, many people had gathered in the shooting range.

Some came specifically for the painting, while others, like Lin Yi, were just there to have fun.

Lin Yi picked up a prop gun and tried it out.

His memories of playing with guns dated back to his childhood, probably around elementary school, when every boy in his class had a toy gun and played with them every day after class.

Being the leader among the boys, Lin Yi naturally led the group.

Growing up in a happy family environment, he developed a cheerful and playful personality, which made him popular at school, and he could always rally everyone.

However, since middle school, Lin Yi focused more on studying than playing.

Coming from a highly educated family, he naturally developed an interest in academics and set lofty goals for himself.

Later, he lived up to expectations by getting into a top university in the country and even worked at an investment bank filled with talented individuals. But due to excessive overtime and intense competition, he eventually died from overwork...

Life is indeed unpredictable.

Fortunately, Lin Yi had a good mindset and accepted everything in life, both good and bad.

In other words, he reincarnated into someone who received five million yuan as pocket money each month, so he decided to take it easy.

If he had unfortunately reincarnated into someone poor, would he complain about fate's unfairness? No, he wouldn't.

Because if that were the case, he would have already picked up his previous investment banking skills and carved out a new path for himself.

Lin Yi was inherently a carefree and confident person. He faced all the changes in life with composure and ease.

Lin Yi held a prop gun and shot at a platform not far away.

Unfortunately, he missed the small sign placed on it.

Those signs were only about half the size of a palm and were nearly thirty meters away.

Lin Yi hadn't played with guns for too long and was quite rusty.

He fired two more times in succession, finally hitting one of the signs and gradually regaining his touch.

At this moment, a few others also arrived at the shooting range.

The leader was dressed in high-end luxury attire, chin slightly raised, with an arrogant expression.

It was none other than Su Bai, whom Lin Yi had met that day.

Around him were several sycophants, all fawning and saying things Su Bai loved to hear.

After all, Su Bai had a powerful father who protected him and provided him with abundant resources.

Everyone envied him immensely and tried even harder to curry favor, hoping to benefit from his connections.

"Brother Bai, I heard your dad got you the lead role in a big-budget movie? Your dad really spoils you!"

"That's right. Our Brother Bai comes from a noble background; many envy him but can never match up."

"Brother Bai, could you help me get into that movie?"

Su Bai maintained his haughty demeanor, thoroughly enjoying the adulation around him.

Although his "father" wasn't his biological father but rather a wealthy benefactor and he was just one of his many lovers, it didn't matter since his secret was well-kept, and no one knew about it.

All he needed to do was bask in the praise and glory around him.

But then, Su Bai casually glanced over and saw Lin Yi practicing alone.

His face darkened instantly.

Why was Lin Yi here?

Su Bai usually didn't take Lin Yi seriously, believing his status was far superior. However, the endorsement incident still rankled him deeply.

How could he lose to such a lowly artist like Lin Yi? It was a slap in the face.

The sycophants noticed Su Bai's change in expression and followed his gaze.

Upon seeing Lin Yi, they immediately began mocking him to please Su Bai.

"Hey! Isn't that Lin Yi? What's he doing here?"

"This private resort has a minimum spend of a hundred thousand. How could a pauper like him afford it?"

"I bet he's just trying to keep up appearances, probably borrowed money to come here."

"Think about it, he's poor, but maybe he found himself a rich benefactor or something."

The last person received a cold stare from Su Bai.

Confused, did he say something wrong?

Then, the host standing at the front announced, "Please quiet down, everyone. Our shooting competition is about to begin. You can sign up now. The winner will receive a valuable landscape painting!"

Su Bai and his group's attention temporarily shifted away from Lin Yi.

One of them said to Su Bai, "Brother Bai, I heard you've had shooting training before. Why don't you show us a few moves?"

"Right, Brother Bai, I came here today just to see your skills."

"With our Brother Bai here, winning first place is a breeze."

"The landscape painting is as good as ours, Brother Bai."

After everyone had laid the groundwork, Su Bai finally spoke, "The prize doesn't matter. Since everyone wants to see, I'll participate."

"Brother Bai is truly elegant."

"Our Brother Bai is so wealthy; he doesn't need the prize."

"Exactly, his father could give him several paintings anytime."

Meanwhile, Lin Yi, having finished his practice, signed up for the competition.

He wasn't interested in the ranking; he just thought it would be fun.

Since he was already there, why not give it a try?

When Su Bai's group saw Lin Yi signing up, they started mocking him again.

"How dare Lin Yi join the competition? Doesn't he know his place?"

"He must be desperate for money, wanting that landscape painting."

"He probably spent too much here and now wants to fleece the owner."

"Lin Yi is such a schemer."

"No problem. Our Brother Bai will teach him a good lesson soon."

Soon, the shooting competition began.

The rules were simple: there were ten small targets on a high platform, and each contestant took turns shooting at them. Whoever hit the most targets would be the winner.

The contestants started picking up their prop guns one by one to begin the competition.

Lin Yi stood aside, waiting casually.

In fact, one of Su Bai's lackeys sneered at him and said, "Lin Yi, I suggest you give up now. Otherwise, you'll lose badly and embarrass yourself."

Hearing this, Lin Yi turned his head.

He then realized that Su Bai and his group were also present.

He didn't bother with these people and glanced at them before turning back.

However, this gesture was seen as contempt and disregard by Su Bai's group.

This made them even more agitated.

"What's so great about coming to this private villa? Do you think you're better than everyone else?"

"Exactly, who do you think you're showing off to with that arrogant attitude?"

"Oh right, I just thought of something—did he sneak into this villa?"

"I think it's very likely. We should tell the security guards to check him out."

After listening for a while, Lin Yi turned around and said coldly, "Can you shut up? Don't spew nonsense."

With just one sentence, Lin Yi made their faces turn red and they couldn't say another word.

Lin Yi's ears finally had some peace, and he continued watching the competition.

At this point, most people had already taken their turns, but none of the results were impressive. The best performer had only hit six targets.

There were ten targets in total, and they were still four short.

Soon, it was Su Bai's turn.

Before stepping up, Su Bai deliberately glanced at Lin Yi with a hint of disdain and contempt in his eyes.

He had lost to Lin Yi in an endorsement deal last time, and this time he was determined to make Lin Yi his underling.

Soon, Su Bai picked up the prop gun.

His lackeys finally regained their composure and started praising him.

"Brother Bai, go for it! You're the best!"

"Brother Bai, you have to get a perfect score and teach someone a lesson!"

"Hey, some people should give up now before the comparison becomes too embarrassing."

Then, Su Bai began shooting.

He had received some shooting training for a TV drama in the past, though he hadn't taken it seriously because he was busy pleasing his godfather. However, it was more than enough to beat Lin Yi.

Su Bai shot confidently.

And indeed, his performance was excellent—the best so far, hitting nine targets.

Satisfied, Su Bai put down the prop gun.

It seemed he had won this time.

Unless Lin Yi hit all ten targets, he couldn't win.

And there was no way Lin Yi could hit all ten!

The lackeys immediately started praising him.

"Wow, Brother Bai, your aim is incredible! You're my idol!"

"That's right; our Brother Bai is a versatile genius. Not only does he come from a good background, but he's also skilled in everything."

Now it was Lin Yi's turn.

Those people continued to pour cold water.

"Some people really don't know when to give up!"

"You can't blame them for being blindly confident, can you?"

"It's fine; let him try. When he loses completely to our Brother Bai, he'll learn his place."

Lin Yi remained calm as he stepped up to his designated position and looked at the targets in front of him.

After a brief practice session, he had fully regained his childhood skills. Hitting all ten targets was no challenge.

Soon, Lin Yi began shooting.

Unlike the other contestants who focused intently and looked serious, he stood there calmly and fired ten shots in quick succession without any hesitation, exuding confidence.

Such a composed and confident Lin Yi was captivating, embodying the youthful vigor and ease of a young man.

Su Bai's follower was about to mock: "This guy didn't even look before shooting? Does he think this is a game...?"

But before the follower could finish speaking, it was as if his throat had been clamped shut, and he fell silent instantly.

Because Lin Yi hit ten small targets in a row, not missing a single shot.

All hits!

As those ten small targets clattered to the ground one by one, there was first a moment of silence, followed by exclamations and thunderous applause.

The host also held the microphone and shouted excitedly: "My God! All ten hits!! Today's winner has been decided!!!!"

Lin Yi stood there calmly, his eyes filled with youthful pride, smiling as he put the gun away and then spun it around quickly in his hand, the movements stylish and swift.

The cheers around him grew louder.

Su Bai's face turned completely pale, and his hand clenched tightly at his side.

How could this be?

Did Lin Yi really hit all ten?!

How could he lose to someone like Lin Yi?!

The followers exchanged glances.

This was too embarrassing.

They had just praised Su Bai so highly, but it was Lin Yi who won?!

One of them tried to save face: "W-Who knows if he cheated?"

At that moment, a passerby couldn't stand it anymore and retorted: "Are you kidding me? Everyone was watching. Tell me, how could he have cheated?"

The follower immediately felt guilty: "...I-I was just making a reasonable assumption."

After saying that, realizing he had no grounds, he shut up completely.

Soon, the host took out the landscape painting and presented it to Lin Yi with a congratulatory smile.

Su Bai, with a livid face, turned and left angrily.

Seeing this, the followers also slunk away.

Lin Yi received the landscape painting.

He unfolded it and glanced at it casually.

It was an exquisite ink landscape painting, with a signature, suggesting it was painted by a master.

Unfortunately, Lin Yi knew little about landscape paintings and could only describe it as beautiful, lacking other adjectives.

Still, it was a prize he had won, so he would hang it in the villa as a memento.

When Lin Yi returned to their bedroom with the painting after the competition, Huo Mianmian had just woken up from his nap.

Perfect timing.

Lin Yi put the painting in the suitcase and asked Huo Mianmian: "Sweetheart, are you hungry? I heard they're having roasted whole lamb tonight. We can have a good meal later."

That was what the staff member had told him when he returned.

Huo Mianmian, still drowsy on the bed, perked up at the mention of food and smacked his lips.

He was indeed a bit hungry; his stomach had already grumbled twice.

After tidying up, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian went to the place where dinner was being served.

Tonight's dining area was on a lawn.

By now, the staff had set up many barbecue grills.

Guests could choose to grill their own food or wait for the staff to do it.

Lin Yi naturally chose to wait for the staff to grill it.

After all, he had no confidence in his cooking skills, and whether the food he grilled would be edible was uncertain.

He didn't mind, but what if he poisoned Mianmian?

So he found a spot with two recliners and called out to Huo Mianmian: "Baby, come here! Let's wait here!"

Huo Mianmian promptly came over.

Lin Yi comfortably leaned back in the recliner, enjoying the tranquility of the moment.

The mountains get dark early, and by now, the sky was gradually turning dark.

Lights were lit around, and fireflies were flying around the lawn.

A gentle evening breeze blew, bringing the spicy aroma of barbecued food.

Lin Yi lay lazily in the recliner.

Meanwhile, Huo Mianmian was quite busy.

The staff had just brought them some grapes.

Huo Mianmian started peeling the grapes.

He peeled the grapes with great seriousness, his small head bowed, holding a grape gently in his soft little hand, and then carefully peeling it without damaging any of the flesh.

He pursed his lips, peeling the grapes with utmost dedication.

And he filled an entire plate with the peeled grapes.

Huo Mianmian brought the plate of peeled grapes to Lin Yi's side and said in his soft, childlike voice, "Dad, have some grapes."

Lin Yi turned to look and was surprised to see that Huo Mianmian had peeled so many grapes without him noticing.

Every single grape was peeled beautifully, translucent and juicy.

Lin Yi immediately praised him, "Our little Mianmian is truly amazing."

Huo Mianmian smiled, his lips curling up.

Soon, father and son shared and finished the plate of grapes together.

At this moment, the whole roasted lamb was finally done.

The staff carried a large platter filled with the roasted lamb over and placed it on the small table in front of Lin Yi, along with some other skewers and vegetable salad.

"Enjoy your meal!"

Lin Yi sat up straight from the lounge chair, put on disposable gloves, and started gnawing on a lamb chop.

This lamb chop was exceptionally well-cooked, crispy and golden, sprinkled with spices, leaving a lingering flavor in every bite.

Lin Yi loved this kind of whole roasted lamb.

He ate several chops in a row.

Huo Mianmian, on the other hand, was eating a bowl of mashed potatoes.

These potatoes were all grown by workers hired by the owner in the mountains, a different variety from those sold in the market, with a softer and sweeter taste.

Huo Mianmian ate a lot of mashed potatoes, some vegetable salad, and even had a bowl of mutton soup.

His little belly visibly bulged afterward.

Lin Yi, having eaten a lot of skewers and drunk plenty of beverages, was also quite full and lay back on the lounge chair to digest.

Huo Mianmian mimicked Lin Yi, lying on the lounge chair, and patted his little belly.

It was like a little seal patting its tummy, incredibly adorable.

Lin Yi was charmed by this scene and asked with a smile, "Mianmian, what did you eat to grow up so cute?"

Lin Yi was just teasing him.

But Huo Mianmian thought about it seriously and then tilted his head, saying, "I don't know. I didn't eat anything special; I just eat my meals every day."

His earnest response made him even more endearing.

Afterward, he looked at Lin Yi with his big, bright eyes, sincerely indicating that he wasn't lying.

Lin Yi felt his heart melt completely.

Goodness, could such an adorable little one really exist?

Then he became proud again.

Yes, he really existed, and he was his little one!