Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The next morning.

Lin Yi woke up naturally and slowly opened his eyes.

Huo Mianmian had woken up earlier than Lin Yi and was quietly sitting beside him, flipping through a children's animal drawing book. Sensing that Lin Yi was awake, he turned his little head and gave Lin Yi a sweet smile.

Lin Yi: "!!"

Who wouldn't be happy to see such an adorable little treasure smiling at them upon waking up?

Lin Yi instantly felt great and reached out to pinch Huo Mianmian's chubby cheeks. "Good morning, Mianmian!"

Indeed, not only could he receive a sweet morning smile from his little treasure, but he could also feel the softness of those chubby cheeks.

Life was just this joyful!

After playing with the little one for a while, Lin Yi slowly got out of bed.

The morning in the mountains was quite chilly, with dewdrops still glistening on the branches, and mist enveloping the distant peaks.

Lin Yi put on a short-sleeved shirt and added a denim outfit, paired with a pair of white sneakers.

This outfit was light and could fend off the morning chill.

Huo Mianmian wore a brown teddy bear onesie, which was slightly furry and had two round ears on the hood.

Once dressed, his entire body was covered, leaving only his round, fair face exposed.

Father and son walked out of the bedroom to find breakfast.

Huo Mianmian, with his little legs, walked ahead.

From behind, it really looked like a little bear walking, so cute.

And every time he moved, the two round bear ears on his hat would gently sway.

Lin Yi followed leisurely behind Huo Mianmian, finding it increasingly amusing.

Then he reached out and grabbed the two bear ears on top of Huo Mianmian's head, letting go after a moment.

Huo Mianmian, who was walking steadily, suddenly felt his bear ears being tugged.

So he turned around to look.

Lin Yi had a calm expression, as if he hadn't done anything mischievous.

Huo Mianmian naturally trusted his father, so he wondered if he had imagined it and turned back.

But then, his bear ears were tugged again.

Huo Mianmian: "!!"

What was going on?

He turned around again, but saw nothing.

Huo Mianmian looked puzzled but helpless.

Until the third time, when his ears were grabbed and not let go.

Huo Mianmian: "!!"

Huo Mianmian froze, unable to move.

He tilted his head back to see what was happening.

Unfortunately, wearing the bear suit made him less flexible, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see what was happening.

He wanted to turn around but couldn't because his ears were being held.

Huo Mianmian: "..."

QAQ!

Instinctively, he called out, "Dad, help me~"

The culprit, Lin Yi, held back his laughter for a moment before finally releasing the bear ears and said, "Coming, coming, Dad will save you."

After being released, Huo Mianmian could finally move freely again.

He turned to Lin Yi, touched his ears, and said with a puzzled look, "I think I was grabbed just now."

Lin Yi tried hard not to laugh. "Really? Who could be so naughty?"

Huo Mianmian shook his head. "I don't know."

Lin Yi held his hand. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Huo Mianmian didn't sense anything amiss and obediently placed his soft little hand in Lin Yi's, following him forward.

The breakfast at the villa was simple but delicious.

There was honey water, porridge, and some healthy green vegetables.

Lin Yi started with a cup of honey water and then began eating the rest.

Due to his weak constitution since childhood, Huo Mianmian always ate slowly.

He held a cup of honey water with both his small hands, sipping it slowly, and his eyes immediately lit up.

So sweet~

He took another sip, and his eyes shone even brighter. Eager to share this with Lin Yi, he tilted his head and said to Lin Yi beside him, "Dad, this honey water is so delicious."

Lin Yi, while eating, explained, "Yes, this honey is different from the usual kind. It's all produced by bees raised by the staff here, without any additives."

Huo Mianmian, hearing something that piqued his interest, asked more questions, "Do bees collect nectar from flowers to make honey?"

Lin Yi: "Yes, they collect nectar flower by flower, working very hard."

Huo Mianmian asked innocently, "Can I go collect nectar too?"

He wanted to produce such sweet honey and give it to Dad every day.

Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh at Huo Mianmian's childlike question, "Sweetheart, that might be a bit difficult. Even if you collected nectar, you wouldn't be able to make such delicious honey."

Huo Mianmian sighed slightly upon hearing this.

Okay.

Seeing Huo Mianmian's slight disappointment, Lin Yi added, "Don't worry. Although we can't collect nectar, we can keep a hive of bees to do it for us."

Huo Mianmian's disappointment vanished, and he looked at Lin Yi happily, his voice rising, "Really?"

Lin Yi thought for a moment and said, "But we need to talk to your dad about it and see if he has any properties in the mountains where we can keep the bees. They need to be in the mountains to collect more nectar."

Speaking of which, Huo Jihan should have some properties in the mountains, similar to this private villa.

After all, Huo Jihan has so many properties that he can't even count them, so having a couple of villas makes sense.

Hearing Lin Yi's words, Huo Mianmian was already happily imagining it.

He would keep lots of bees and often get honey for Dad to drink.

After discussing the beekeeping idea, they finished their breakfast.

It was already past ten in the morning.

The sun had risen high, and the dew on the grass and branches had evaporated, making the temperature comfortable.

Lin Yi then led Huo Mianmian around the villa to enjoy the scenery.

This villa was situated halfway up a mountain, far from the hustle and bustle, surrounded only by birdsong and the sound of flowing springs.

Lin Yi strolled leisurely.

Huo Mianmian followed him like a well-behaved little bear, step by step.

After walking for a while, they suddenly caught a tantalizing aroma.

It came from behind a rock formation.

Curious, Lin Yi led Huo Mianmian over to see what it was.

They walked around the rock formation and arrived at an open area.

Several young men and women were gathered there.

They had built a fire on the ground and were roasting something.

At this moment, they noticed Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian.

Seeing such a handsome adult and adorable child, they started whispering among themselves.

"Wow, they're so good-looking, the adult is so handsome, and the kid is so cute!"

"Are they father and son?"

"It doesn't seem like it. The young man looks like a college student; he can't possibly have such a big kid. They look more like brothers."

"Who cares? Let's invite them to eat with us. It'll be nice to have handsome company."

Lin Yi, understanding the situation, decided to leave with Huo Mianmian.

Just then, a girl with a high ponytail approached them enthusiastically, "Hello, are you also here for a vacation? Would you like to join us for some food?"

Lin Yi was about to decline when the girl continued, "We're roasting two beggar's chickens, and they should taste great. Would you like to try some?"

Beggar's chicken?

Lin Yi stopped.

Honestly, he had never tasted beggar's chicken before, only seen it in TV dramas, where people always seemed to enjoy it. It must be delicious, right?

Curious about the taste of beggar's chicken, Lin Yi smiled at the girl, "Sure, we'd love to join you."

The girl waved her hand, "No trouble at all. We're all here to have fun, no need to be formal."

Soon, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian joined the group eating beggar's chicken.

Lin Yi had no social barriers and easily blended in with the strangers.

Everyone chatted warmly, as if old friends reunited.

They exchanged names.

The girl with the high ponytail said her name was Xiao He.

Soon, the beggar's chicken was roasted.

A boy used a stick to pull out the two beggar's chickens from the fire.

After placing them aside to cool down for a bit, they started peeling off the outer layer of the beggar's chicken.

The outer layer was clay mixed with alcohol, and after peeling off the baked and cracked clay, there were two layers of lotus leaves underneath. Inside the lotus leaves was the beggar's chicken.

At this moment, the beggar's chicken inside the lotus leaves had a tender yellow hue, emitting a faint aroma of alcohol.

Inside the chicken were stuffed ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, wood ear fungus, goji berries, and more, making it particularly rich.

Everyone present, looking at the two beggar's chickens, suddenly felt their taste buds awaken.

Xiao He handed out disposable gloves to everyone, then broke off a chicken leg first, smiling as she offered it to Huo Mianmian: "Here, little one gets special treatment, you can have the chicken leg."

Huo Mianmian didn't take it but looked at Lin Yi, clearly seeking his opinion.

Lin Yi told him, "Eat it, and thank the pretty sister."

After hearing Lin Yi's words, Huo Mianmian reached out to take the chicken leg, then in his soft, childlike voice, quietly thanked Xiao He: "Thank you, pretty sister."

Xiao He, upon hearing this, became so excited that she almost clasped her hands to her chest and cheered.

What an adorable little one!

Not only is he cute, but why does he have such a pleasant voice too?

Xiao He restrained herself before saying to Huo Mianmian, "No need to be polite, if you need anything, just ask me, okay?"

Xiao He, usually not a timid person, spoke with vigor and vitality, but now, to please Huo Mianmian, she spoke in a gentle, almost drippingly sweet voice.

Her companions laughed and said, "Xiao He, I didn't know you could be so gentle."

Xiao He huffed, "What do you know? When faced with such a cute little one, I wouldn't even dare speak loudly!"

Amidst laughter, everyone began eating the beggar's chicken.

Since Lin Yi was new and exceptionally handsome, he also received a chicken leg by exception.

There were only four chicken legs in total, and they each took one.

One of the boys joked, "Well, now I understand the benefits of being good-looking."

Another teased him, "Why didn't your parents make you look better?"

He laughed, "Can't help it, I wasn't born to be a handsome guy!"

Amid the laughter, Lin Yi took a bite of the chicken leg.

He finally got to taste the legendary beggar's chicken.

The chicken was incredibly tender and flavorful; every bite was smooth and required little chewing.

Moreover, because the outer layer of clay was mixed with alcohol during roasting, the chicken had a subtle alcohol flavor, making it even more unique.

In addition, the chicken absorbed flavors from ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, creating a rich and satisfying texture.

After finishing one chicken leg, Lin Yi was given some other pieces of meat.

Overall, this meal was very satisfying.

Initially strangers, they all became familiar with each other after sharing a meal of beggar's chicken.

At this point, Xiao He said mysteriously, "I brought some specialties from my hometown. Would anyone like to try them?"

Everyone was intrigued by her mysterious demeanor and nodded in agreement.

Soon, Xiao He left briefly and returned carrying a heavy-looking box.

Someone asked, "What kind of specialty did you bring? Why is it in a box?"

Xiao He smiled, "Don't ask, you'll see soon. Let's find a table first, preferably a square one, and a large one."

Finally, they arrived at a pavilion.

Inside the pavilion was a large square stone table surrounded by four stone stools, meeting their requirements perfectly.

Xiao He then revealed the specialty she had been hiding.

She opened the box, and everyone leaned in to look.

It turned out to be a set of... mahjong tiles!

Xiao He chuckled, "How about that? This is a specialty from my hometown, right?"

Everyone was shocked but found it somewhat reasonable.

"Alright, alright!"

"True to Xiao He's style!"

Xiao He excitedly said, "Don't just stand there, come on, let's play! We need four players!"

Lin Yi, having played mahjong with distant relatives during New Year visits in his previous life, was no stranger to the game.

Thus, he naturally became one of the players.

Xiao He counted as one, and then they added another boy and a girl.

Thus, the team of two boys and two girls was formed.

The others who weren’t playing mahjong naturally brought over chairs and sat around the mahjong table.

Huo Mianmian obediently sat next to Lin Yi, watching him play mahjong with eyes full of curiosity.

He had never seen anyone play mahjong before.

At this moment, one of the male players said, "It’s no fun just playing for fun. The winner should get some kind of reward, right?"

Xiao He thought for a moment and said, "How about this? I heard from the staff at the villa this morning that there will be spicy crayfish for lunch. So, our rule is that whoever loses a round has to peel five crayfish for the winner. What do you think?"

Everyone unanimously agreed with her suggestion.

After all, crayfish were delicious, but peeling them was a tedious task. If someone else peeled them, it would be perfect.

Soon, the mahjong game began.

Lin Yi sat lazily, skillfully handling the tiles, looking calm and composed.

Seeing this, Xiao He asked him warily, "Are you good at this?"

She knew the skills of the other two players but wasn’t familiar with Lin Yi’s abilities.

While handling the tiles, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, "Average."

Hearing this, Xiao He felt a bit relieved.

If he was average, he shouldn’t be much of a threat, right?

Xiao He believed that she had been exposed to mahjong since childhood and should easily outperform everyone else, so she became a little smug.

She would definitely eat a lot of crayfish at lunch!

The others also commented.

"Looks like Xiao He will crush the other three this time."

"After all, Xiao He grew up playing mahjong. If she doesn’t win, who will?"

But before the first round even started properly, Lin Yi pushed his tiles forward slowly and said, "Mahjong."

Everyone was shocked.

What?!

Mahjong?!?!

Xiao He stared wide-eyed at Lin Yi’s tiles, seeing that he indeed had a winning hand.

In disbelief, she voiced everyone’s thoughts, "How long has this game even been going on, and you already have mahjong?!"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, "A few minutes, isn’t that fast?"

Xiao He: "??"

Others: "??"

Not fast?

And what’s with your calm tone?!

However, it was just the first round, so everyone didn’t take it too seriously, thinking it was probably just Lin Yi’s luck.

But in the second and third rounds, Lin Yi won again.

Three consecutive wins couldn’t simply be attributed to luck anymore!!

Xiao He looked at Lin Yi in shock, "Didn’t you say your skills were just average?"

Lin Yi was a bit puzzled, "They are average."

He believed his mahjong skills weren’t at a professional level; he had just played a few times with his elders and remembered the rules.

Xiao He: "??"

This is your idea of average?

Your average is way too outrageous!

The others were also stunned by Lin Yi’s mahjong skills and moved their chairs behind him, hoping to learn from him. "Can you share some tips?"

Lin Yi thought for a moment and said, "Actually, mahjong is quite simple. As long as you remember the cards and do a bit of calculation, you’re good."

Others: "??"

Is that it?

That’s all?

Good thing Lin Yi isn’t a teacher, or his students would be completely lost all the time!!

Someone timidly asked, "Could you explain it a bit more?"

Lin Yi calmly replied, "Every round is different. How about this: I’ll analyze each move as I play."

So, Lin Yi proceeded to give a brief explanation.

Unfortunately, his mind was too sharp, and he dealt and played cards too quickly. Even after explaining, the others still couldn't keep up and learned nothing by the end.

The others: "…"

For the first time, they felt their intelligence being trampled on mercilessly!

Someone asked Lin Yi, "What do you do for a living? Your mind works so fast; we can't even keep up."

Lin Yi smiled, "Well... my job is to be a qualified couch potato."

The kind that gets a five-million-yuan monthly allowance!

As for why his mind worked so fast, it was naturally because of his past life in investment banking.

He had been in an environment full of big shots where everyone was constantly competing. If he had been slow to react, how could he have kept up with all the sudden situations?

Hearing Lin Yi say his job was to be a couch potato, everyone thought he was joking and laughed it off without asking more.

At noon, at the dining place.

Lin Yi only needed to sit there leisurely.

Because across from him, three people were diligently peeling crayfish for him.

Once they finally peeled enough crayfish, the three secretly sighed in relief and silently vowed—

They would never play mahjong with Lin Yi again!!

Soon, a large plate of crayfish was placed in front of Lin Yi.

Seeing this, everyone's eyes turned envious.

That day at noon, Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian enjoyed unlimited crayfish.

The best part was that they didn't need to peel them themselves!

This joy was unparalleled!!

At this moment, in the Huo Group.

In the CEO's office.

Huo Jihan sat behind the desk, reading a document with a detached expression.

Ji Yunchuan stood beside him, pleading bitterly, "Big Brother Huo, come with Qin Ling and me to that private villa for two days. It's almost the weekend, and you don't have anything else to do."

A client had invited Ji Yunchuan to play, and he naturally wanted to bring along his brothers, Huo Jihan and Qin Ling.

Unfortunately, while he convinced Qin Ling, he couldn't persuade Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan continued reading the document, not even sparing him a glance, and coldly replied with two words: "Not going."

Ji Yunchuan: "..."

"Look, Big Brother Huo, your life is too dull and monotonous. Always facing these cold documents and reports, don't you find it boring?"

This time, Huo Jihan added one more word: "Not really."

Ji Yunchuan: "..."

He suspected if his Big Brother Huo had any normal human emotions, as he was completely different from ordinary people!!

Ji Yunchuan turned to look at Qin Ling, hoping he would say something to persuade Huo Jihan.

Qin Ling shrugged, indicating he couldn't help.

When Huo Jihan made a decision, no one could easily change it.

Ji Yunchuan could only look at Huo Jihan beseechingly, "Big Brother Huo..."

"If you keep bothering me, get out."

Huo Jihan issued a direct order to leave.

Ji Yunchuan: "..."

Wah, no love anymore!

Ji Yunchuan had no choice but to shut up.

However, he was always carefree, and after a brief silence, he started muttering to himself, "Why not go? I think that private villa is pretty fun. There are mountains and water, far from the city, and..."

While muttering, Ji Yunchuan mentioned the name of the villa.

At this moment, Huo Jihan, who had been reading the document, paused and then lifted his dark eyes to look at Ji Yunchuan, "What did you say the villa is called?"

Ji Yunchuan didn't know why his Big Brother Huo suddenly asked him this, but he repeated the villa's name honestly.

Then, Huo Jihan asked calmly, "What time."

Ji Yunchuan was puzzled, "Huh? What time?"

Huo Jihan: "What time are we leaving?"

Ji Yunchuan suddenly became excited, "Big Brother Huo, you're actually agreeing? I said it, weekends should be spent having fun..."

Qin Ling, who had been silent, seemed thoughtful upon hearing Huo Jihan's words.

Why did Huo Jihan suddenly change his mind?

Could there be someone at that private mountain villa?