Chapter 67

Chapter 67

The car came to a stop as they arrived at the villa.

At this moment, Lin Yi woke up, his consciousness slowly returning.

However, upon waking, he suddenly realized something was amiss.

Why did it feel like he wasn't leaning against the car seat but rather...

Lin Yi instantly became more alert and lifted his head to look around, only to see Huo Jihan's sharp and cold jawline right in front of him.

They were so close that he could even smell the faint scent of Huo Jihan's cologne.

Lin Yi: "!!"

He had actually been leaning on Huo Jihan's shoulder?!

Lin Yi froze for two seconds before quickly sitting upright.

What had happened? He had always been careful not to lean on Huo Jihan. Could it be that he accidentally leaned over while sleeping?

At this moment, Huo Jihan turned to look at him with his dark, deep eyes.

Lin Yi hurriedly said, "Sorry, Mr. Huo, I didn't mean to."

How embarrassing to have slept all the way back while leaning on Huo Jihan's shoulder!

Huo Jihan responded in a low voice, "It's fine."

Lin Yi continued, "Next time if this happens, just wake me up."

After all, someone like Huo Jihan might find it unpleasant to have someone lean too close to him.

Unexpectedly, Huo Jihan said, "No need to be so formal."

Lin Yi: "..."

What?

Why did Huo Jihan's words sound a bit strange? Did he mean that Lin Yi could lean on his shoulder?

Lin Yi was a bit taken aback.

At this point, Huo Jihan got out of the car and held the door open for Lin Yi, saying, "Alright, let's get out."

His attitude was very natural, as if he didn't mind what had just happened at all.

Seeing Huo Jihan's reaction, Lin Yi didn't think much of it and led Huo Mianmian out of the car.

Huo Shi followed them out.

Looking at his brother's completely natural demeanor, he couldn't help but think, of course his brother didn't mind; after all, it was his brother who had gently placed Lin Yi's head on his shoulder.

Soon, they all entered the villa.

Huo Mianmian, holding Lin Yi's hand, walked alongside him with his little legs.

Huo Jihan and Huo Shi followed behind.

It was already bedtime, and as they walked, Huo Mianmian looked up at Lin Yi and said, "Daddy, I want to hear a bedtime story tonight."

Lin Yi smiled and replied, "Sure, I'll come to your room later and tell you one."

Huo Mianmian immediately said, "I can also go to Daddy's room. I want to sleep with you tonight."

Huo Mianmian's voice was sweet and had a slight babyish tone.

It would be hard for anyone to refuse such a cute little request.

Lin Yi readily agreed, "Sure, we can sleep together tonight."

Huo Mianmian happily hopped and then went with Lin Yi to the room.

At this moment, Huo Jihan watched Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian's backs, his gaze subtly changing.

Huo Shi noticed his brother's expression. At first, he didn't understand, but after a moment, he realized something.

Was his brother jealous of his own son? Jealous that Mianmian could sleep with his wife?!

Could this really be his emotionally distant brother?!

Huo Shi was silent for a long time.

This trip home had truly opened his eyes.

He barely recognized his own brother anymore.

That afternoon,

Lin Yi lazily sat on the sofa, playing with his phone.

After opening Weibo, he still saw numerous posts about Huo Shi's retirement.

There were reasons why Huo Shi was so popular. Firstly, he was a star player and the captain of an esports team, naturally drawing attention. Secondly, he was incredibly handsome, good enough to debut in the entertainment industry.

Most importantly, he came from the top-tier Huo family, making every mystery about him a topic of discussion among netizens.

Therefore, the news of Huo Shi's retirement remained a hot topic, dominating the trending list for quite some time.

Lin Yi casually scrolled down, and to his surprise, the fan who had left a message for Huo Shen earlier was still there.

That fan repeated the same sentence every day: "Huo Shen, will you come back and play matches?"

It was such a simple sentence, yet it carried profound emotions.

Lin Yi sighed as he continued scrolling through the messages.

At that moment, Huo Shen woke up.

This esports prodigy stayed up late training every night, then slept for a few hours before waking up at noon.

Outside, Huo Shen was the cool and handsome Captain Huo, adored by countless fans as Huo Shen. But at home, he wore a jacket and slippers, slowly descending the stairs with slightly messy hair, looking a bit dazed.

Perhaps he really hadn't slept enough last night, as there were dark circles under his eyes and bloodshot veins in them.

After hearing the commotion, Lin Yi turned his head and asked instinctively, "Why didn't you sleep more?"

Seeing the bloodshot eyes, Lin Yi felt tired on his behalf.

By then, Huo Shen had already picked up a glass of water and gulped it down. After finishing the water, he said to Lin Yi, "No need, I've had enough sleep."

Lin Yi marveled, "Do all esports players need so little sleep? Won't your body suffer?"

Huo Shen was taken aback, "Why would it suffer?"

Lin Yi: "..."

Forget it; he had forgotten that Huo Shen was just a twenty-three or twenty-four-year-old boy. At this age, boys were full of energy and vitality, capable of enduring a lot.

Sigh, youth is truly wonderful.

Seeing Huo Shen like this, Lin Yi suddenly thought of his past self.

When he had just graduated from university, he was also full of vigor and ambition, eager to make a name for himself.

Even working in the cutthroat investment banking industry, he never backed down. He worked long hours, wishing there were forty-eight hours in a day.

Despite his busy schedule, he still found time to outwit clients, even engaging in heated arguments with the more difficult ones.

He couldn't remember how he managed to be so energetic back then.

Lin Yi was only twenty-six now, but when he recalled his past self, it felt like reminiscing about his youth.

One could say that after experiencing death once, one's mindset changes significantly, becoming more laid-back.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi asked the servant beside him, "Do we have any wolfberries at home?"

The servant nodded in confusion, "We do, but why are you asking, Mr. Lin?"

Lin Yi sighed, "I suddenly feel like having some wolfberry tea in a thermos."

The servant: "..."

Huo Shen: "Pfft—"

He was drinking water and choked, "Cough cough cough—"

Huo Shen coughed while looking at Lin Yi in disbelief.

What did he just hear?

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at their incredulous expressions, "What's wrong? Is it strange to drink wolfberry tea?"

Servant: "..."

Huo Shen: "..."

Finally stopping his coughing, Huo Shen asked, "Brother-in-law, are you serious?"

His tone and expression made it seem like Lin Yi had said something outrageous.

Lin Yi: "..."

Sigh, it's impossible to communicate with these young people.

Of course, Lin Yi ultimately did not drink wolfberry tea.

He was just feeling nostalgic. When he tore open a popsicle and took bites of the cold treat, he realized that the lifestyle of the young was better.

In no time, he finished the popsicle and saw Huo Shen heading towards the gaming room.

He hadn't played in the gaming room for a while, so he felt quite itchy.

Quickly, he threw away the popsicle stick and called out to Huo Shen, "Let's play a few rounds?"

Huo Shen turned to look at Lin Yi, "Brother-in-law, you want to join?"

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong? Not welcome?"

Huo Shen replied, "Of course welcome."

To be honest, he was genuinely curious about Lin Yi's skills.

Soon, they both headed to the gaming room.

A few minutes later, they sat at separate computers and opened the game.

They were playing a shooting game and chose to team up.

Once the initial cutscene ended, they boarded the plane.

Huo Shi marked a landing spot.

As a professional player, he was intimately familiar with the entire game map and knew exactly where to jump.

Lin Yi tore open a piece of gum and popped it into his mouth, chewing casually as he glanced at Huo Shi's marked location.

In the next second, he was taken aback.

Good grief, Huo Shi had chosen to jump straight into the airport.

He truly lived up to his nickname as a young wolf, always going for the thrill.

But since the location was already marked, Lin Yi didn't say anything and jumped with Huo Shi when the time came.

The airport was a hot spot.

Often, many enemies would be encountered right from the start, leading to intense battles.

As soon as Lin Yi landed, several rounds of bullets were fired at him.

Fortunately, his reflexes were lightning-fast, and he quickly rolled through a window into a room, narrowly avoiding becoming an instant target.

Huo Shi also witnessed Lin Yi's close call but was surprised by how fast Lin Yi reacted and managed to dodge.

Huo Shi marveled inwardly, then quickly focused on searching for gear.

After flipping into the house, Lin Yi started rummaging for equipment as well.

He controlled his character to run swiftly from room to room, making it look dizzying.

Ordinary players often got disoriented playing this game, unable to remember which rooms they had searched and ending up wandering aimlessly like headless chickens.

But Lin Yi was different from ordinary players.

His memory was exceptional, allowing him to keep track of which rooms he had searched and which ones he hadn't.

He even remembered which types of ammunition he had discarded in which rooms, and when needed, he would return to pick them up again.

As for Huo Shi, there was no need to elaborate.

Being a professional player, he dominated in these casual matches.

Other teams sensed a formidable opponent and steered clear of him.

Soon, with Lin Yi and Huo Shi working together, they made their way into the final circle.

The poison zone kept shrinking, leaving only five players on the field.

Apart from Lin Yi and Huo Shi, there were three others.

At one point, Huo Shi spotted two of the enemies, who were part of another team.

Those two enemies were inside a building ahead.

Huo Shi used a large tree for cover and aimed at the two.

When the two enemies emerged from a window to escape the poison, preparing to jump down...

Huo Shi seized the opportunity and took them out with a few shots.

However, this exposed his position, and the third enemy, who had been hiding, started firing at him.

Huo Shi was almost hit, struggling to fend off the attacks.

At that moment, Lin Yi, who had been lying in the grass, fired two shots, taking out the third enemy.

Everything happened in an instant, and Lin Yi's shots turned the tide of the battle.

Without a doubt, they won the match.

Huo Shi, suddenly saved, exhaled sharply, his heart pounding heavily.

The MVP message appeared on the screen.

Huo Shi turned to look at Lin Yi beside him.

At that moment, Lin Yi had switched to a new piece of gum and continued chewing lazily, sitting nonchalantly as if he hadn't just executed a swift kill.

It was an extreme contrast.

Huo Shi was deeply impressed.

He couldn't quite understand where this contrast came from, but it was undoubtedly captivating.

Pausing for a moment, Huo Shi looked at Lin Yi sincerely and said, "Sis-in-law, your gaming skills are excellent."

Not only excellent, but arguably the best among amateur players he had ever seen.

Moreover, Lin Yi had a remarkable trait: he always acted at the perfect moment.

Just like in the final moments, he had saved him in the nick of time.

Players like Lin Yi made teammates feel secure, knowing they could rely on him.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Since I'm your teammate, I can't hold you back, can I?"

Huo Shi looked at Lin Yi and smiled, then asked, "Sis-in-law, another round?"

Since retiring, he hadn't felt this kind of seamless teamwork in a long time—it was exhilarating.

Lin Yi replied casually, "Sure, let's go."

Soon, the two started a new game.

In the end, they played four or five rounds before taking a temporary break.

Lin Yi released the mouse and keyboard, sitting back in his chair and stretching widely.

Huo Shi still had an excited look on his face; it was clear that those few rounds had been very satisfying for him.

However, he subconsciously rubbed his right wrist with his left hand.

As he moved, his sleeve slid up, revealing the white bandage around his wrist.

It was obvious that Huo Shi's right wrist was starting to hurt again.

After several rounds, the strain on his wrist was so great that it was even trembling slightly.

Lin Yi caught this out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at Huo Shi's wrist. "Are you okay?"

Huo Shi lowered his eyes and shook his head. "I'm fine."

Lin Yi wasn't convinced. "Really?"

For professional e-sports players like Huo Shi, wrist injuries were common.

Moreover, he often saw Huo Shi's wrist wrapped in bandages or covered with patches, which didn't look like nothing was wrong.

At this moment, Huo Shi said, "Anyway, I don't play in competitions anymore, so who needs this hand?"

Lin Yi: "..."

What kind of nonsense is this kid talking?

Just give up a hand like that?!

Lin Yi advised, "Don't joke about your health."

He didn't know how much of Huo Shi's self-destructive behavior stemmed from guilt towards his parents, but what was done was done. The only thing left was to bury those pains deep inside and move forward.

Huo Shi shook his head again. "Don't worry about it, just leave it be."

Lin Yi: "??"

It's one thing for Huo Shi not to compete, but letting his right hand deteriorate like this? What's going on?

Lin Yi thought Huo Shi was just a big troublemaker.

Who atones for their sins by damaging their own body?

Lin Yi narrowed his eyes and asked Huo Shi again, "Are you going to get treatment or not?"

Huo Shi: "No..."

Before Huo Shi could finish, the chair was kicked.

He looked up at Lin Yi, somewhat bewildered.

Lin Yi glared at him threateningly. "Your hand needs immediate medical attention and targeted treatment. Who says you can ignore it just because you're not competing? What if it gets worse? If you can't even hold chopsticks, who will feed you?"

"..."

Huo Shi paused for a moment, trying to argue. "It won't get that bad."

Lin Yi didn't bother arguing further and said directly, "Choose: either you go see a doctor voluntarily, or I tie you up and take you there. Or, I knock you out and have the doctor treat you here."

Clearly, Lin Yi wasn't joking.

Huo Shi: "..."

Why does his sis-in-law have such a brutal side?!

Huo Shi had no choice but to choose the first option.

After a pause, he said, "I... I'll see a doctor myself."

After his fierce scolding, Lin Yi returned to his usual nonchalant demeanor and spoke to Huo Shi in a tone usually reserved for rewarding kindergarteners. "That's more like it. If you'd listened earlier, we wouldn't have had this problem."

Huo Shi: "??"

His sis-in-law is truly terrifying.

Not to mention anything else, few people could control their emotions so effortlessly.

But seeing a doctor in their family was quite simple since they had a personal physician. They just needed to call and have the doctor come over.

Doctor Xu Zheng arrived at the villa around six in the evening.

When Xu Zheng found out that the patient was Huo Shi, not Lin Yi, he was surprised and said to Lin Yi, "Rare! This time it's not you who's sick?"

Lin Yi: "??"

Did he look like someone with a particularly weak constitution?

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at Xu Zheng. "You're disappointed that I'm not sick?"

Xu Zheng said casually, "Not really, but I just feel it's unreasonable that I'm not here to treat you this time."

Lin Yi: "…"

Your explanation is no different from not explaining at all.

It can only be said that Xu Zheng is as annoying as ever.

Fortunately, after teasing for a moment, Xu Zheng started examining Huo Shi's wrist.

After all, he is a legitimate medical doctor, and when he gets serious, he does look professional.

Lin Yi had nothing to do, so he sat on the sofa nearby and watched TV.

At this moment, Huo Jihan returned from work.

At this hour, the sunset cast golden light across the entrance of the villa.

Huo Jihan walked in with steady steps, against the light, step by step, like a deity descending from the heavens.

The servants immediately greeted him and took the suit draped over his arm.

After handing over his suit to the servant, Huo Jihan paused slightly, his dark eyes scanning the room.

When he saw Lin Yi sitting on the sofa, his expression softened considerably.

Then he walked towards Lin Yi.

Lin Yi heard the movement and turned to see Huo Jihan, smiling instantly. "Mr. Huo is back."

Huo Jihan also slightly raised the corners of his mouth. "Yes."

Their exchange was oblivious to others, creating an invisible aura of intimacy.

Meanwhile, Xu Zheng, while examining Huo Shi's wrist, said, "Don't you feel like we're two big light bulbs?"

Huo Shi: "…"

At this moment, Huo Jihan finally glanced their way.

Seeing the usually stubborn Huo Shi receiving treatment for his wrist, his eyes changed slightly, but he did not say anything more.

Huo Jihan withdrew his gaze and came to sit beside Lin Yi.

After sitting down, he casually placed a few documents on the table.

While watching TV, Lin Yi glanced at the documents Huo Jihan had put down.

Although he is a couch potato in this life, he was once a big shot in investment banking, so he still has some insights into business matters.

Therefore, upon seeing the documents, he casually commented, "This proposal is a first draft, right? It seems rather immature."

The document detailed a plan to increase the product line of a subsidiary company.

However, in Lin Yi's view, the benefits of adding this product line were minimal because the product itself had little potential.

Hearing Lin Yi's words, Huo Jihan raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested in what he had to say. "Tell me more."

Since Lin Yi had nothing else to do, he elaborated further, sharing some of his insights.

After all, he had spent a considerable amount of time in investment banking, and his analysis was sharp and to the point, quickly pinpointing the pros and cons of the proposal.

After saying a few sentences, Lin Yi stopped.

Thinking required effort, and he was lazy.

But Huo Jihan continued to look at him, his eyes filled with approval. "Go on."

Clearly, he appreciated Lin Yi's viewpoints.

Just as Lin Yi was about to continue, he suddenly realized something and looked at Huo Jihan with a half-smile. "I'm not an employee of your company, you know. This is free labor."

Huo Jihan, following Lin Yi's lead, smiled slightly. "Not free labor. I'll pay you."

Lin Yi's eyes lit up. "How much?"

Huo Jihan looked at Lin Yi, who seemed like a cunning little fox, and his smile deepened. "One thousand per word."

Lin Yi's eyes widened with excitement.

A thousand per word?

He had to make the most of this!

Huo Jihan's words caught Xu Zheng's attention, and he promptly joined in, forgetting about the examination. "Big Brother Huo, I can do it too! I can give you suggestions on your proposal!"

Though he was a medical student with no knowledge of business, the idea of earning a thousand per word was too tempting.

Even as a medical student, he would rack his brains to come up with a few suggestions today.

At this moment, Huo Jihan coldly replied to Xu Zheng, "You cannot."

Xu Zheng: "??"

He asked blankly, "Why not?"

Huo Jihan said, "No reason."

Xu Zheng: "…"

He persisted, "Big Brother Huo, can't you at least give me a reason?"

Huo Jihan asked him, "Do you really want a reason?"

Xu Zheng: "…Never mind, Big Brother Huo, don't bother."

He had a gut feeling that the reason would be a severe blow to his self-esteem.

Lin Yi had spoken so convincingly, while he would undoubtedly sound like a fool.

Over here, Huo Jihan said to Lin Yi, "Go on."

Lin Yi indeed continued speaking.

This time, he flipped through several pages of documents, gaining a deeper understanding of the proposal before offering specific suggestions.

Despite his lazy demeanor, every suggestion Lin Yi made was worthy of serious consideration and discussion in a meeting.

After speaking for a while, Lin Yi paused and smiled at Huo Jihan, "How's that?"

He had used all his expertise from his past life; surely it aligned with Huo Jihan’s expectations?

Huo Jihan looked at Lin Yi earnestly, "Lin Yi, I've told you before that you're very smart, haven't I?"

He always knew that Lin Yi simply didn’t bother putting effort into things, but that didn’t mean Lin Yi lacked the ability.

On the contrary, Lin Yi was smarter than most people.

With this implicit praise from Huo Jihan, Lin Yi couldn’t help but beam with pride.

Being praised by someone like Huo Jihan was quite an achievement.

However, Lin Yi quickly remembered something and promptly said to Huo Jihan, "Don't try to fool me. Praise is one thing, payment is another. Don't think you can get away with just praising me."

He stared intently at Huo Jihan, waiting for his response.

Lin Yi’s lively expression conveyed a sharp wit.

Huo Jihan’s dark eyes held unmistakable affection. "Yes, I'll settle your payment right away."

From a distance, Huo Shi and Xu Zheng: "..."

Perhaps they were being too much of a third wheel.