Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Lin Yi was marveling at the stark difference in physical strength between him and Huo Jihan.

At that moment, Huo Jihan handed him a box he was carrying: "Here."

Lin Yi collected his thoughts and curiously took the box. "What's this?"

Huo Jihan explained, "The secretary mentioned that you quite like these pastries, so I had her buy some more for you."

Lin Yi listened and opened the box to take a look.

Sure enough, inside were the same pastries he had tasted at the Huo Group.

They were rectangular pastries of emerald green, with a moderate sweetness and a refreshing tea flavor, making them particularly delightful.

He had found them novel that day and ended up eating several.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing about it, Huo Jihan brought some more from the company for him.

Lin Yi felt a tremor in his heart.

Looking at Huo Jihan, he sincerely said, "Thank you."

Huo Jihan smiled slightly, "If you come to the company every day, you can have them every day."

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow with a smile, "Why would I go to the company every day?"

Huo Jihan looked at him seriously, "If you do, I can spend more time with you every day."

Lin Yi: "!!"

Huo Jihan could now say flirtatious things anytime, anywhere.

Lin Yi coughed lightly and changed the subject, "By the way, you said you came here for something. What is it?"

Huo Jihan got down to business, "I need to attend a business gathering at my private villa. You mentioned wanting to see my private villa, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi perked up, "Are we going now?"

The private villa he visited last time was already beautiful; he had heard that Huo Jihan's private villa was even larger and prettier. He definitely wanted to see it.

Huo Jihan nodded, "Yes, let's go now."

Lin Yi immediately agreed, "Sure, let's go together."

Huo Mianmian, who had been playing alone, overheard their conversation.

He quickly stood up and walked over to Lin Yi, tilting his head to ask, "Little Dad, are we going to see the bees?"

He remembered they had talked about keeping bees at the private villa.

Lin Yi smiled, "You should ask your dad."

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian turned to look at Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan nodded, "Yes, the bees are kept there."

Huo Mianmian instantly became happy.

Wouldn't they be able to get sweet honey on this trip?

He wanted to make lots of honey water for his little dad!

Soon, the family of three set off for the private villa.

Huo Jihan mentioned that his private jet was parked at a nearby airstrip, and since Lin Yi knew how to fly a private jet, he would pilot it.

Lin Yi was eating the pastry when he suddenly realized something.

He narrowed his eyes at Huo Jihan, "Why do I feel like you didn't come just to give me pastries but to trick me into flying your plane?"

Huo Jihan laughed and teased him, "Caught me?"

Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh, "I'm not stupid."

Huo Jihan nodded, "Yes, our Lin Yi is incredibly smart."

Lin Yi laughed even louder, "Keep praising me like this, and I might start feeling too good about myself."

Huo Jihan watched Lin Yi laughing, his dark eyes filled with amusement.

The airstrip was nearby, and they arrived shortly.

Li Feng had already completed all the necessary procedures and was waiting for them.

They boarded the private jet.

This time, they were taking a helicopter.

Lin Yi went to the cockpit, while the other three sat in the rear seats.

Lin Yi prepared everything and then called out, "Ready? We're taking off!"

With that, he started the helicopter and maneuvered it into the air.

The rotors began spinning, lifting the helicopter higher and higher above the ground.

Lin Yi thoroughly enjoyed the sensation; if it weren't inappropriate, he would have burst into song right there.

After all, which guy doesn't enjoy the feeling of flying freely in an airplane?

At this moment, Lin Yi's expression was one of joy and excitement. The wind blew his bangs away from his forehead, revealing his handsome and delicate face.

Huo Jihan sat in the back seat, smiling as he watched Lin Yi up front.

However, Huo Mianmian, sitting in his seat, felt a bit nervous.

It was his first time in a helicopter, and he wasn't quite used to this novel experience. He felt like he had suddenly flown up into the sky and then quickly turned in mid-air, causing him to shift in his seat.

Huo Mianmian was a bit scared and instinctively wanted to call out to Lin Yi in front.

But seeing that his little dad was piloting the helicopter, he wisely kept quiet.

At this moment, the helicopter made another turn.

Huo Mianmian's eyes widened instantly, and he reached out to grab the adult next to him.

Huo Jihan had been watching Lin Yi, but now he felt someone tugging at the corner of his suit jacket.

He looked down and saw Huo Mianmian holding onto his jacket with his small hand.

"Huafraid?" asked Huo Jihan.

Huo Mianmian rarely spoke directly to his father because he found his father's expressionless face somewhat intimidating. He preferred his often-smiling little dad.

But at this moment, he couldn't seek help from his little dad, so he could only turn to his father.

Under Huo Jihan's gaze, he nodded slightly.

Huo Jihan was momentarily stunned by his son's plea for help.

He had no experience dealing with children.

He thought for a moment, imitating what Lin Yi usually did, and gently ruffled Huo Mianmian's hair, saying, "Don't be afraid, it's okay."

Huo Mianmian was momentarily dazed by his father's gesture.

Even though it was the same action, the way Lin Yi and Huo Jihan did it felt entirely different.

Lin Yi often ruffled Huo Mianmian's hair as if petting a cute kitten, expressing "so adorable, I want to pet you!" with both his eyes and actions.

Huo Jihan, on the other hand, did it more straightforwardly, just touching his head briefly before withdrawing his hand. But there was a rare sense of security, perhaps due to the warmth and breadth of his palm.

In any case, after being touched by his father, Huo Mianmian felt a surge of strength, and his fear diminished.

Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination.

Lin Yi landed the helicopter at a designated spot.

When he stepped out, he was stunned.

Before him lay an endless expanse of grassland, with lakes and mountains in the distance, not to mention various beautiful buildings.

He stared for a while before turning to Huo Jihan and asking, "Are you sure this is a private villa and not some scenic resort?"

Huo Jihan explained, "We occasionally host some guests here."

But the guests who came here were not ordinary people; they were all members.

Lin Yi was impressed.

Having a place like this was simply amazing, especially since Huo Jihan owned more than one such private villa. It was truly enviable.

He even considered staying here permanently.

The place was picturesque, with clear waters and lush mountains, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers—truly an ideal residence.

After admiring the scenery for a while, Lin Yi asked Huo Jihan, "By the way, where are the bees kept?"

After all, their little treasure Mianmian had been thinking about the bees.

Hearing this, Huo Mianmian also looked at Huo Jihan expectantly, waiting for his answer.

"The beekeeping area is a bit far from here," said Huo Jihan. "I'll have the staff take you there."

Lin Yi nodded. "Alright."

Soon, Huo Jihan called over a staff member from the villa to guide Lin Yi and the others to see the bees.

Huo Jihan himself had to attend a business banquet held in one of the halls within the private villa.

Before leaving, Huo Jihan told Lin Yi, "Enjoy your visit. Contact me if anything comes up."

Lin Yi nodded. "Sure, go ahead with your work."

Huo Jihan and Li Feng left.

The staff member smiled at Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian, saying, "Mr. Lin, young master, please follow me."

Since the beekeeping area was far away, they needed to take a sightseeing vehicle.

The staff member drove in front, while Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian sat in the back, enjoying the scenery.

As the vehicle moved forward, Lin Yi gained a deeper understanding of the villa.

The villa covered an extensive area, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Apart from the grasslands, lakes, and mountains, there were also vast bamboo groves and flower fields.

This was what Lin Yi had seen along the way. Who knew what other sights there were in places he hadn't seen.

Throughout the journey, he could only marvel at everything, with no other thoughts in his mind.

Huo Jihan was simply too extravagant!

The car drove for an unknown amount of time before arriving at a cliff.

The staff members led Lin Yi and the others out of the car and gave each of them a protective device.

After getting out of the car and taking a few steps forward, they could see several buckets of bees placed on the stone wall.

Huo Mianmian immediately jumped with joy and said to Lin Yi, "Dad, look! There are really bees!"

Lin Yi smiled. "Yes, there are many bees."

The bees in those buckets on the stone wall were incredibly industrious, constantly flying in and out, making sweet honey.

Just watching this scene made it seem as if they could smell the enticing aroma of honey.

Father and son stood there, admiring the bees' hard work for quite some time.

After a while, their legs started to ache from standing, so they finally decided they had seen enough and began to return.

Lin Yi held Huo Mianmian's hand as they walked back.

Huo Mianmian seemed very excited along the way. "Dad, do we have a lot of honey now?"

Lin Yi smiled and replied, "Yes."

Huo Mianmian's voice was filled with delight. "Then I'll make you honey water, lots and lots of honey water."

Lin Yi: "Thank you, my dear."

Father and son chatted all the way back.

They soon returned to where they had started by car.

The staff had already collected some honey and then led them to one of the small wooden cabins.

The cabin was only one story tall, and everything was visible upon entering.

Lin Yi walked into the cabin and looked around.

This little wooden cabin was quite cozy. Although not very large, it had everything needed, such as a living room, kitchen, and bedroom.

This cabin was likely meant for tourists visiting the area, as there were many similar cabins nearby.

At this moment, the staff member handed them a jar of honey.

Huo Mianmian promptly took the jar. "Thank you."

The staff member smiled. "You're welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Lin Yi waved his hand. "No, that's all for now. You can go about your business; we'll just wander around later."

"Okay."

The staff member left the cabin.

Lin Yi sat down at a small table in the living room.

The table was very low, without chairs, but there was a carpet laid out, allowing them to sit directly on it.

Lin Yi casually sat on the carpet, in a relaxed position, with one hand resting on the table, supporting his head.

Huo Mianmian knelt in front of the table, fiddling with the jar of honey.

His expression was very serious. He first placed two clean glasses on the table, then took the jar of honey given to him by the staff and used a spoon to scoop two scoops into each glass.

After doing this, he took a lemon from the fruit platter, peeled it, and squeezed the juice into the glasses with both hands.

As he squeezed the lemon, he seemed to be using all his strength, even pursing his lips tightly.

Lin Yi watched him from across the table and couldn't help but laugh.

Huo Mianmian looked up at Lin Yi, blinking innocently. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Lin Yi smiled. "Nothing."

He just thought his little boy was too adorable.

Huo Mianmian, hearing that nothing was wrong, continued squeezing the lemon in his hand.

At this moment, warm sunlight streamed in through the window, shining on Huo Mianmian's small body.

Today, he was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and denim overalls, with a cute three-dimensional bear decoration on the big pocket in front of the overalls.

With his rosy cheeks and white teeth, and dressed in these adorable overalls, he looked even more irresistibly cute.

Watching this adorable little boy seriously preparing honey lemon water was heartwarming.

Lin Yi supported his head with one hand, smiling as he watched this scene.

Soon, Huo Mianmian finished squeezing the lemon juice into both glasses.

Then he stood up, holding the two glasses, and went to the water dispenser to fill them with water.

He first filled them with cold water, then added hot water.

And so, two cups of warm honey lemon water were prepared.

Huo Mianmian happily returned with the two cups and handed the larger one to Lin Yi, his voice sweet as he said, "Dad, it's ready to drink."

Lin Yi took the honey water. "Thank you, sweetheart."

With that, he lifted the cup and took a sip.

The taste was tangy yet sweet, refreshing.

Huo Mianmian also took a sip of his honey water and smacked his lips afterward.

So sweet~

Father and son continued sipping their honey water, gulp by gulp, feeling relaxed and joyful.

After finishing their drinks, Lin Yi led Huo Mianmian out of the small wooden house.

After all, since they had come this far, they naturally wanted to enjoy the scenery.

After walking a short distance, they saw a cherry tree.

At that moment, the tree was laden with deep red cherries.

Each one was large and round.

Seeing this, Lin Yi felt excited.

He said to Huo Mianmian, "Son, let's pick some cherries to eat. After all, your dad owns them, so we can pick as many as we want."

Huo Mianmian nodded. "Okay."

Lin Yi wasted no time. He went under the cherry tree, leaped lightly, grabbed a branch, and pulled it down to start picking the cherries.

Lin Yi picked the cherries.

Huo Mianmian collected them.

He opened the large pocket on the front of his suspenders to catch the cherries Lin Yi picked.

In no time, Lin Yi had gathered a large handful of cherries, a different form of cherry freedom.

Once he had enough, Lin Yi released the branch and dusted off his hands.

Huo Mianmian looked at the cherries in his pocket and said to Lin Yi, "Dad, wait for me. I'll go wash the cherries, and then we can eat them together."

Lin Yi smiled. "Sure, I'll wait here for you."

Huo Mianmian carefully left with the cherries.

Lin Yi crossed his arms, leaned against the tree trunk, and closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze.

At that moment, two voices reached his ears.

They were female voices.

The younger, more lively voice said, "Sister Qu Jing, were you happy to see Brother Jihan today?"

Lin Yi opened his slightly squinted eyes.

Then, the other, more mature and capable voice responded, "We haven't seen each other in a long time, so naturally, it was nice to meet again."

The young voice said, "Oh, oh, why so formal? You two are so well-matched; you should have been together long ago under the family's arrangement..."

A moment later, the two women walked out from behind a building, passing by Lin Yi.

The younger woman stopped talking when she saw Lin Yi.

The more mature and capable woman also glanced at Lin Yi instinctively.

Lin Yi raised his gaze and looked at her calmly.

The mature and capable woman was named Qu Jing.

She wore a white women's suit, her hair neatly tied up, giving her an air of a strong businesswoman.

Upon seeing Lin Yi, she paused for a moment, unsure if she recognized him, then nodded at him.

Lin Yi nodded back.

At that moment, Lin Yi leaned against the tree trunk, relaxed and casual, with a nonchalant expression on his face.

The breeze blew past, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting specks of light on him.

He stood there, dazzling, making everything around him seem colorless.

They stared at each other for a moment.

Qu Jing was the first to look away, then led the younger woman away, not continuing their previous conversation.

At that moment, in a certain hall.

Around the conference table.

Huo Jihan was signing contracts with several clients.

Among these clients were both domestic and international executives from multinational corporations.

In the workplace, Huo Jihan was calm and rational, exuding a composed and commanding presence that made people instinctively submit.

He sat at the head of the conference table, holding a pen and signing his name on the contract.

The strokes were firm and powerful, leaving a deep impression.

The clients held their breath, waiting.

Soon after, Qu Jing walked in.

She was one of the clients as well.

The Qu family was also a prominent clan in the capital, though they fell short compared to the Huo family.

However, the elders of the Qu and Huo families had a good relationship, and the two families often interacted and collaborated in business.

Qu Jing was a unique representative among the heiresses. Unlike most of them who only knew how to squander their family's wealth, she threw herself into the business world and achieved numerous legendary accomplishments.

The elders of the Qu and Huo families once planned to introduce her to Huo Jihan, but for some reason, it didn't happen.

Qu Jing was considered one of the most successful women in the elite circle, and many young men sought her hand in marriage.

However, Qu Jing rejected all advances from the opposite sex and remained single.

Meanwhile, Huo Jihan finished signing the contract and briefly left the conference table.

Dressed in a black suit, his figure was tall and straight, making him the most noticeable presence wherever he stood.

Since entering the hall, Qu Jing's gaze had been fixed on him.

Seeing this, she approached Huo Jihan.

Huo Jihan moved away from the conference table and took out his phone, intending to send a message to Lin Yi, asking what he was doing.

At that moment, Qu Jing came up to him, looking up slightly and saying, "It's been a while."

From her angle, she could see Huo Jihan's firm jawline, cold and distant like the man himself.

Hearing her voice, Huo Jihan turned to look at Qu Jing.

Compared to Qu Jing's voice, which trembled with the emotion of a long-awaited reunion, Huo Jihan's dark eyes remained indifferent, showing no trace of emotion.

He glanced at Qu Jing and gave a faint "Hmm," quickly turning his gaze away.

Qu Jing's heart sank back down.

She gave a self-deprecating smile and then quickly resumed her usual confident demeanor. She directly asked Huo Jihan, "The person beside you now, is he called Lin Yi?"

Huo Jihan paused in his typing, finally focusing on Qu Jing and grasping the key point: "Have you met?"

Qu Jing looked at Huo Jihan's sudden change in demeanor and smiled bitterly. "No wonder you never showed any interest in dating. You must prefer this type."

With just one glance, she understood the charm that Lin Yi possessed.

Some people were born to be a beacon, drawing everyone's attention.

Huo Jihan continued, "Where did you meet?"

Qu Jing merely looked at Huo Jihan without speaking.

Seeing that Qu Jing wasn't providing any crucial information, Huo Jihan didn't waste more time questioning her.

He called Li Feng over to entertain the clients and then strode out with his phone.

Watching Huo Jihan's cold and upright back, Qu Jing's eyes gradually dimmed.

Outside the hall, Huo Jihan didn't send a WeChat message but made a call instead.

However, Lin Yi didn't answer.

Huo Jihan frowned and quickly dialed again.

Still no answer.

Where could Lin Yi be now?

Could there be a misunderstanding?

Huo Jihan's heart pounded heavily, feeling an unprecedented panic.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down and found the manager of the villa to check the surveillance footage.

On the other side.

Lin Yi was catching fish with Huo Mianmian in a small stream.

Lin Yi took off his jacket and placed it on a large rock nearby, then rolled up his pants to his knees.

After preparing, he carried a bucket into the stream.

Huo Mianmian followed Lin Yi's example, rolling up his pants and stepping into the stream.

However, he didn't venture into deeper water, choosing to play near the edge.

Lin Yi carried the bucket to a shallow depression.

This formed a small pond where several little fish swam around.

Lin Yi bent down, carefully extending his hand to catch the fish.

After several attempts, he finally managed to catch a small fish.

He laughed twice and then held up the small fish to show Huo Mianmian: "Kid, look how awesome I am?"

Huo Mianmian cooperated with a surprised expression: "Uncle Lin Yi, you're so amazing!"

Lin Yi smiled even more happily.

He put the caught fish into the bucket and continued catching more.

He tried several times in a row, almost about to catch the second one...

"Lin Yi!"

Suddenly, a somewhat urgent and deep voice came from the shore.

Lin Yi's hand trembled, scaring the fish away.

Lin Yi: "..."

Tsk.

Why now? Look, he scared his fish away.

Lin Yi straightened up and looked at Huo Jihan on the shore.

In the next moment, he was momentarily surprised.

Huo Jihan was slightly out of breath, looking anxious, a side Lin Yi had never seen before.

Lin Yi asked, somewhat puzzled: "What happened?"

Huo Jihan steadied himself and said: "Qu Jing and I aren't close. We've only met twice before, including today, making it three times. Our families have been friends for generations, and they once tried to set us up, but I've never had any interest in that. So far, my interactions with Qu Jing have been strictly business-related."

After finishing, he stared intently at Lin Yi and asked: "Is there anything else you want to know?"

It seemed he cared deeply about Lin Yi's reaction.

Lin Yi, after being stunned for a few seconds, shook his head: "No, nothing else."

Especially since Huo Jihan had already explained everything so clearly, there was nothing left to ask.

But apparently, Huo Jihan still wasn't completely reassured and moved closer to him, then said: "You can tell me whatever you're thinking."

Lin Yi was taken aback by Huo Jihan's words.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say and responded instinctively: "I don't have any thoughts, besides, I didn't even ask anything."

Without even asking, Huo Jihan had explained everything on his own.

Huo Jihan said: "Yes, you didn't ask, but I wanted to explain it to you."

Lin Yi smiled: "Why?"

Seeing Lin Yi smile, Huo Jihan felt relieved and spoke more lightly: "Because if I didn't explain, what if you misunderstood and stopped talking to me?"

Lin Yi didn't expect Huo Jihan to take this so seriously and teased: "Even if I stopped talking to you, it wouldn't be a big deal. The sky wouldn't fall."

Unexpectedly, Huo Jihan replied: "No, for me, it would be like the sky falling."

After saying this, he looked at Lin Yi, his dark eyes filled with overwhelming emotion.

Lin Yi, seeing this side of Huo Jihan, was speechless for a moment.

Once again, he wondered if Huo Jihan was sure he had never been in love.

How could he come up with such sweet talk so easily?!

Could it be related to his intelligence?!