Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Lin Yi was carried all the way by Huo Jihan from the kite-flying spot back to their residence.

This was the first time Lin Yi had been so close to someone, with every breath filled with the other person's scent.

The faint scent of cologne on Huo Jihan lingered in his breath, and for some reason, this smell inexplicably brought a sense of comfort.

Perhaps it was because Huo Jihan himself exuded a feeling of stability and composure.

What surprised Lin Yi even more was that Huo Jihan had excellent stamina.

He wasn't particularly light, after all, he was around 1.8 meters tall, but Huo Jihan held him steadily throughout, walking firmly without even changing his breathing.

Lin Yi was shocked for a while before calming down.

Well, people like Huo Jihan were different from ordinary folks in every aspect; having incredible stamina wasn't something to be surprised about.

Lin Yi lay in Huo Jihan's arms, lost in thought, since there was no verbal exchange between them, and he could only let his mind wander to pass the time.

After a while, Lin Yi subconsciously looked up at Huo Jihan. From his angle, he could only see Huo Jihan's sharp and superior jawline.

Even his face is so perfect; he really leaves no room for others to compete.

With such thoughts swirling in his head, they finally arrived at the bedroom.

Huo Jihan carried Lin Yi to the sofa area and gently placed him on the sofa, then said in a deep voice, "Get ready, we're going to the hospital."

The hospital?

Lin Yi hurriedly refused, "No need, it's just a minor injury."

In his previous life, he often played basketball, where collisions were common, leading to sprains or other injuries. He was used to it.

Going to the hospital for a minor injury would be overkill.

Huo Jihan disagreed, "Better safe than sorry."

Lin Yi still refused, "Really, it's not necessary."

Then, he joked, "What if my wound heals before we get to the hospital? How embarrassing!"

When Lin Yi said these words, he was smiling, his eyes sparkling.

He always had this kind of carefree personality, never letting small matters affect his mood.

Huo Jihan looked at Lin Yi for a moment.

He noticed this trait in Lin Yi as well.

Whether it was the acute gastroenteritis last time or the sprained ankle now, Lin Yi showed no signs of dejection, always smiling, even comforting those around him.

Such a Lin Yi was like an eternal light that would never fade, shining brightly.

Seeing that Lin Yi really didn't want to go to the hospital, Huo Jihan compromised, "Then let's apply some medicine."

He then went to fetch a first-aid kit.

Every guest room in the mountain villa was equipped with a first-aid kit for emergencies. If any guest got injured during their stay, they could use the kit for basic treatment.

Huo Jihan returned to Lin Yi's side with the first-aid kit.

At this point, Lin Yi's injured foot was still swollen and resting on the sofa.

Sitting beside Lin Yi, Huo Jihan said, "Let me check it first."

Lin Yi was somewhat surprised, "You can also diagnose injuries?"

Isn't Huo Jihan too amazing?

Huo Jihan explained, "I'll check if there's any bone damage."

He then reached out to hold Lin Yi's ankle.

Huo Jihan's large, strong hand easily grasped Lin Yi's ankle. The calluses on his fingertips touched Lin Yi's smooth, slightly cool skin, causing a tingling sensation like a mild electric current.

Lin Yi, who had never experienced such intimate contact, instinctively pulled his foot away, feeling an unusual sensation in his heart.

If he had known it would be like this, he might as well have gone to the hospital.

Seeing his movement, Huo Jihan feared he might accidentally hurt his foot again, so he said sternly, "Don't move."

Lin Yi had no choice but to stay still.

Then he looked up at the sky, waiting for Huo Jihan to finish the examination quickly.

Huo Jihan pressed a few times on Lin Yi's ankle to assess the injury.

Soon, Lin Yi's eyes were filled with tears from the pain.

Of course, he wasn't crying; it was just a physiological response.

Although a sprained ankle isn't a big deal, being pressed on still hurt quite a bit.

Huo Jihan looked up and saw Lin Yi's moist eyes.

Lin Yi's eyes were beautiful, typical almond-shaped eyes, dark and captivating, with slightly upturned corners.

Now, his almond eyes were filled with tears, making them glisten, and his wet lashes were dampened with moisture.

Huo Jihan was momentarily lost in thought, saying nothing.

After enduring the pain for a moment, Lin Yi finally managed to get through the worst of it. Then he noticed that Huo Jihan had not spoken a word.

He asked, puzzled, "Mr. Huo?"

Huo Jihan snapped back to reality, his voice regaining its usual coldness: "I checked, and there's no bone injury."

Lin Yi nodded casually: "I said it was just a minor issue."

At this point, Huo Jihan took a bottle of ointment from the medical kit: "Do you need me to apply the medicine for you?"

Lin Yi shook his head decisively.

When Huo Jihan had examined his foot earlier, he already felt a bit strange. If Huo Jihan were to apply the medicine now, touching his ankle again, it would only make him feel uncomfortable once more.

So he might as well do it himself.

Lin Yi took the medicine from Huo Jihan, opened the cap, dipped a cotton swab into the ointment, and applied it to his ankle a few times.

He did it rather casually, applying the medicine in a circle before putting the bottle away.

After a simple treatment for his foot, they packed their bags and prepared to leave the villa.

After all, with Lin Yi's foot in this condition, they couldn't go out and play anymore.

As they left, Huo Jihan carried Lin Yi to the car and fastened his seatbelt.

Huo Mianmian also got into the car, insisting on sitting next to Lin Yi.

Huo Jihan said nothing, bending down to lift Huo Mianmian's small body and placing him beside Lin Yi.

Huo Mianmian was a bit dazed being held by his father.

But soon, his attention shifted to Lin Yi's foot.

Huo Mianmian looked at Lin Yi's swollen ankle and pouted: "Hurts..."

His eyes glistened with tears, as if he was about to cry.

Lin Yi quickly comforted him: "It doesn't hurt, just a twisted ankle. Many people twist their ankles."

Huo Mianmian still frowned: "Blow-blow..."

His intention was to blow on Lin Yi's ankle to make it better.

Blowing would make it stop hurting.

Seeing such a considerate Huo Mianmian, Lin Yi suddenly felt his foot didn't hurt at all.

Having a caring little one was truly wonderful.

Lin Yi patted Huo Mianmian's head: "No need to blow, just looking at it makes it better."

Huo Mianmian believed him: "Then I'll keep looking."

That way, Little Dad would get better faster.

Lin Yi was amused by Huo Mianmian's innocent and obedient demeanor.

Sitting beside them, Huo Jihan smiled slightly.

Soon, Ji Yunchuan and Qin Ling also got into the car.

With Lin Yi injured, there wasn't much fun left for them either.

Ji Yunchuan drove, while Qin Ling sat in the passenger seat.

Even while driving, Ji Yunchuan couldn't help but ask: "Brother-in-law, how's your foot?"

Lin Yi replied casually: "Applied some medicine; it doesn't hurt as much now."

Ji Yunchuan sighed with relief: "Good!"

Then he excitedly exclaimed: "Look, there's the waterfall I told you about!"

Lin Yi turned to look out the window and raised an eyebrow: "Since we're passing by, let's take a look?"

They soon got out of the car, walked a few steps, and climbed onto a rock to gaze at the distant waterfall.

With Lin Yi's injured foot, Huo Jihan half-carried and half-supported him onto the rock.

For some reason, Lin Yi suddenly felt a sense of resilience despite his injury.

But once he stood steady on the rock and began admiring the scenery, he forgot about it.

In the distance, a massive waterfall cascaded down a cliff.

The waterfall was swift and powerful, rushing down from the top of the cliff. Even from this distance, the sound of roaring water could be heard.

At the base of the waterfall was a deep pool.

The pool was a deep, enchanting green, like a magical emerald.

Ji Yunchuan proudly remarked: "How is it? I told you this place was nice, right?"

Lin Yi nodded: "Indeed, it is."

If not for his injured foot, he would have hiked over to stand right next to the waterfall and experience it up close.

But even watching from a distance, Lin Yi felt a surge of emotion.

No wonder ancient poets would be inspired by beautiful scenery and compose poems on the spot.

After all, such magnificent and wonderful nature truly stirs one's heart.

Lin Yi was even feeling the urge to express something, when...

Huo Jihan reminded him, "Get in the car; your foot can't stand for too long."

Lin Yi: "..."

He turned his head and looked at Huo Jihan with a pensive gaze.

Huo Jihan raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Lin Yi continued to look pensively, "I was about to compose a poem, but you disturbed my inspiration."

Huo Jihan seemed intrigued, "What kind of poem?"

Lin Yi: "Well..."

Of course—damn, it’s beautiful!

After all, as a science student, he really didn’t have much artistic flair. He couldn’t even write a decent poetic sentence, let alone compose a poem.

Back during his college entrance exam, he nearly scored full marks in math and the sciences, and his English was passable, but Chinese... well, it was a sore point.

Still, this didn’t stop Lin Yi from trying to take advantage of the situation, "I don’t care; you need to compensate me for my lost inspiration."

He was just joking, but Huo Jihan actually asked, "How?"

Lin Yi: "!!"

For real?

His heart raced as he tentatively asked, "Could you lend me your Porsche for a while?"

When he came to the mountain villa that day, he drove the Porsche and hadn’t had enough fun. He planned to drive it again on the way back, but now his foot was injured, so that plan was scrapped.

The Porsche he drove here had already been taken away by Li Feng.

Huo Jihan nodded, "First, heal your foot."

Lin Yi immediately brightened, "So you agree?"

Huo Jihan: "Yes."

Lin Yi was about to speak, "Mr. Huo, you’re truly a good..." person!!

Before he could finish, Huo Jihan interrupted him.

With dark eyes, Huo Jihan stared at him, "Don’t say it, or I might change my mind."

Lin Yi: "??"

Why?

Did he say something inappropriate?

Lin Yi didn’t understand, but thinking about driving the limited-edition Porsche soon, he quickly dismissed his confusion.

At this moment, Ji Yunchuan pleaded to Huo Jihan, "Big Brother Huo, I also want to compose a poem. Can you disturb me too?"

Huo Jihan looked at him coldly, "Are you sure?"

Under Huo Jihan’s gaze, Ji Yunchuan wilted, "No, no, not necessary!"

Sigh, it’s clear that only the wife is special!

He’d better behave himself!

Soon, they returned to the city.

Ji Yunchuan and Qin Ling got out of the car in the city.

Huo Jihan then took over the driving.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian were already asleep in the back seat.

Half an hour later, the Bentley stopped steadily in front of the villa.

Huo Jihan got out of the car and opened the rear door.

Inside, the two, big and small, were sound asleep.

Huo Jihan didn’t disturb them but closed the door and went into the villa to give some instructions.

Shortly after, Huo Jihan finished his tasks and left the villa.

He had accumulated some business matters during his two-day trip to the mountain villa and needed to handle them.

When Lin Yi woke up, it was already an hour later.

He didn’t expect to sleep for so long.

At that moment, he felt the softness in his arms and looked down to see Huo Mianmian sleeping against him.

Soon, Huo Mianmian woke up, rubbing his eyes.

Lin Yi said to Huo Mianmian, "Kid, let's get out of the car."

With that, he opened the car door.

As soon as he did, he saw two black-suited bodyguards standing by the car door.

Lin Yi: "??"

Did he open the door the wrong way?

At this moment, one of the bodyguards handed over a wheelchair. "Mr. Lin, we'll escort you inside."

Lin Yi: "..."

Was this a mistake?

It was just a twisted ankle; using a wheelchair seemed too much, didn't it?

Lin Yi firmly refused and hopped out of the car on one foot.

After taking a few steps on one foot...

He turned around and decisively sat in the wheelchair.

Indeed, the wheelchair was more convenient!!

The two bodyguards immediately escorted Lin Yi into the villa.

Huo Mianmian followed like a little bodyguard, staying beside Lin Yi's wheelchair.

Once Lin Yi returned to the villa, he received a lot of concern.

The old steward asked with concern, "Mr. Lin, how did you end up injured after going out for fun?"

The servants also liked Lin Yi, who had no airs about him, and genuinely looked at him with concern.

Lin Yi: "..."

Was he supposed to say he tripped over a small stone and fell for no reason?

That would be embarrassing!

So Lin Yi simply said, "It's all in the past."

But these four words gave off an inexplicable sense of weariness, as if he didn't want to mention his inner pain.

Steward: "..."

Servants: "..."

It seemed their Mr. Lin was seriously hurt this time!!

They needed to nourish him well!!

So when Lin Yi saw a table full of nutritious food that evening, he was stunned.

The steward kindly said, "Mr. Lin, all of this is prepared for you. Eat plenty."

Lin Yi: "..."

For some reason, he felt the steward's gaze was even more affectionate than usual!

After dinner, Lin Yi was escorted back to his bedroom by the bodyguards.

Since he couldn't move around easily, he lay quietly on the bed.

As the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to heal from a bone or muscle injury. His foot might need quite some time to recover.

Lin Yi leisurely leaned against the headboard, took out his phone, and started playing games.

After all, he only injured his foot; his hands were unaffected, so he could still play whenever he wanted.

However, after just one game, Xu Zheng arrived.

Xu Zheng was summoned by Huo Jihan.

When he received the call in the afternoon, he was still hanging out in the neighboring city, but upon being called by Huo Jihan, he rushed back without delay.

As the family doctor of this household, Xu Zheng rarely appeared.

The only times he came were to treat Lin Yi.

Xu Zheng, as usual, acted unseriously. Sitting on the edge of Lin Yi's bed, he sighed, "I haven't been here for a long time. I was worried about losing my job, but then you got sick again."

Lin Yi: "..."

With a sullen face, he asked Xu Zheng, "Have you never been complained about by your patients?"

How could a doctor be so casual and talkative?

Xu Zheng smiled and said, "I get reported frequently."

Lin Yi: "Then I'm about to become one of those reporting you."

Xu Zheng quickly pleaded, "No, no, no! I was wrong! I don't want to lose such a good job!"

Who wouldn't want to be the family doctor of the Huo residence? It was a job with minimal work and high pay, practically a dream job!

Soon, Xu Zheng began treating Lin Yi's foot injury.

Xu Zheng may usually act carefree, but his medical skills are solid, after all, he is a legitimate doctoral graduate from a reputable medical school.

As he skillfully treated Lin Yi's foot injury, he continued to chatter, "I thought I would often come here to treat Mianmian as the family doctor, but it turns out I'm treating you more often. Huh, who would have thought!"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, "Who would have thought what?"

Xu Zheng teased, "That you're so fragile!"

Lin Yi: "…"

After a moment of silence, he said softly, "The other day, I overheard some of what Huo Jihan was saying…"

Xu Zheng perked up, thinking there might be some gossip, "What did he say?"

Lin Yi spoke flatly, making something up on the spot without batting an eye, "It seemed like he was talking about changing the family doctor."

He was planning to scare this mouthy doctor a bit.

Xu Zheng didn't expect the gossip to be about himself and his eyes widened, "What? Why would he suddenly want to replace me when everything is fine?"

Lin Yi shrugged, "Who knows?"

Xu Zheng was genuinely worried now, after all, this well-paid, low-effort job was a significant source of income for him!

He immediately asked Lin Yi, "What exactly did Big Brother Huo say? Could you tell me in detail so I can analyze it?"

Lin Yi indicated that he couldn't help, "I didn't hear clearly, just caught bits and pieces."

Xu Zheng wanted to know the full story but only got half-truths.

This feeling of uncertainty was the most frustrating.

Worse still, he didn't dare ask Huo Jihan directly. What if Jihan fired him on the spot?

Xu Zheng turned to Lin Yi for help, "Can you put in a good word for me? Without me, you won't have a doctor who can come to the villa anytime to treat you!"

Lin Yi replied indifferently, "No problem, the next one will be even better."

Xu Zheng: "…"

This couldn't be happening!!

Xu Zheng immediately changed his usual carefree demeanor and sincerely said to Lin Yi, "I promise I'll be the best. Whatever you say, I'll do! So, could you please put in a good word for me with Big Brother Huo?"

Lin Yi paused, as if hesitating.

Xu Zheng, determined, continued, "Really, I swear, I'll listen to you absolutely and never be mouthy again!"

Lin Yi held back a laugh, pretending to finally agree, "Alright, I'll talk to Mr. Huo then."

In fact, he didn't need to ask; he knew Huo Jihan had no intention of firing Xu Zheng.

Xu Zheng was now grateful to Lin Yi, waving goodbye for a long time and saying goodbye multiple times before leaving.

Lin Yi: "…"

There was no need for that.

Around nine o'clock in the evening, Huo Mianmian came to Lin Yi's room.

He came to check if Lin Yi's foot had healed.

Of course, he also brought a glass of juice, thinking that Lin Yi needed to replenish his nutrients for a faster recovery.

Seeing the familiar juice in Huo Mianmian's hand, Lin Yi felt a sudden sourness in his mouth.

Wasn't this the lemon juice he had at the mountain villa last time?

He paused and tentatively asked, "Mianmian, what's in this?"

Huo Mianmian answered in a childlike voice, "Lemon juice."

Lin Yi: "…"

It really was!

At this moment, Huo Mianmian continued, "Didn't you say lemon juice was delicious last time?"

Lin Yi: "…"

He had said that to pacify Huo Mianmian.

How could he say it was bad after the little one squeezed a glass of lemon juice for him?

Last time at the mountain villa, Huo Jihan was there, but this time, Lin Yi was alone facing the situation.

Looking at the large glass of lemon juice, Lin Yi felt he would be knocked out by its sourness.

So he suggested to Huo Mianmian, "Mianmian, there are other ways to drink lemon juice. Want to try?"

Huo Mianmian obediently nodded and asked, "How?"

Lin Yi promptly said, "Add a bit of honey and some water, and use less lemon juice."

Ten minutes later, Huo Mianmian returned to Lin Yi's room with two glasses of juice.

One for himself, one for Lin Yi.

When Lin Yi saw what was in the cup this time, his eyes lit up, and he took the cup: "Mianmian, you're amazing!"

With that, he quickly took a sip.

Finally, it was the tangy and sweet lemon honey water!

Lin Yi almost teared up with gratitude and said to Huo Mianmian: "Mianmian, you should have some too!"

After Huo Mianmian took a sip, he also found the honey lemon water incredibly delicious and had another sip right away.

Father and son both fell in love with the taste.

So the scene that followed was—

Lin Yi lifting the cup and drinking vigorously: "Glug glug..."

Huo Mianmian also held his cup, tilting his head back: "Glug glug..."

Lin Yi continued: "Glug glug..."

Huo Mianmian: "Glug glug..."

Father and son drank three full cups of honey lemon water, and as they drank, they started laughing at each other.

It was kind of fun.

Glug glug...