Chapter 111

Chapter 111

It had been snowing for quite some time recently.

Despite the freezing cold outside, the villa was warm and cozy.

Especially in the living room, where the sofa was particularly inviting.

Lin Yi and Huo Mianmian were both snuggled up on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket. The older one was playing with his phone, while the younger one was reading a storybook.

Time seemed to stretch leisurely here, filled with a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

As Lin Yi scrolled through his phone, he noticed the date by chance and realized that Christmas was approaching.

He paused his phone game and turned to Huo Mianmian, who was engrossed in his storybook. "Sweetheart, Christmas is coming soon. What gift do you want?"

Huo Mianmian lifted his head and blinked his round eyes at him.

Lin Yi continued, "You can make a wish now, and Santa Claus will bring you the gift."

Huo Mianmian's eyes widened even more, round and adorable.

He tilted his little head in thought and then said, "Can I ask for anything?"

Lin Yi nodded. "Yes."

Huo Mianmian pondered for a moment before saying, "I want a rabbit plushie, a pack of bear cookies, and a glowing star."

Lin Yi smiled. "Is that all? You can ask for more."

Huo Mianmian worriedly asked, "But if I ask for too much, won't Santa Claus get tired preparing them?"

Lin Yi couldn't help but melt at his thoughtful little one. "No, Santa Claus has magic. He can easily create these gifts."

Huo Mianmian felt relieved and continued, "Then I also want a big cotton candy and a new drawing book."

Lin Yi nodded. "Sure, Santa Claus has heard your wishes. He will fulfill them."

Huo Mianmian became incredibly excited and started looking forward to it.

For the next few days, Huo Mianmian eagerly awaited the arrival of Christmas.

He really wanted to see if Santa Claus would grant his wishes.

He also kept asking Lin Yi, "Dad, how will Santa Claus deliver my gifts? Will he ride in a sleigh?"

Lin Yi replied, "Yes, he has a big sleigh full of gifts for children."

Huo Mianmian listened and looked forward to that day even more.

Maybe he could even see Santa Claus himself.

Huo Mianmian waited and waited until finally, it was the day before Christmas.

Lin Yi had already purchased many materials online to decorate the Christmas tree.

He called Huo Mianmian over to help with the decorations.

The tree was placed at the entrance of the villa, and father and son worked together to adorn it.

First, they wrapped twinkling lights around the tree, then hung beautiful ornaments and added ribbons...

After spending a happy afternoon decorating, they finished with a colorful and dazzling Christmas tree.

The tree brought an instant festive atmosphere to the place.

The steward and servants came over to admire it.

"Mr. Lin and young master have such skilled hands."

"We should eat apples on Christmas, right? I'll go buy some apples later."

"..."

Huo Mianmian loved the tree too, circling it several times and exclaiming "Wow!" in delight.

This was the tree he and his dad had decorated together, and it was so beautiful!

After admiring the tree for a while, Huo Mianmian asked Lin Yi, "Dad, will Santa Claus think our tree looks pretty?"

Lin Yi smiled. "Yes, so tonight, Mianmian, you need to go to bed early. When you wake up tomorrow, Santa Claus will have delivered your gifts."

Huo Mianmian nodded excitedly. "Okay!"

That night, Huo Mianmian went to bed early, still smiling in his sleep, clearly anticipating his Christmas gifts.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room.

Lin Yi was wrapping a red box with Christmas gifts.

He had bought everything Huo Mianmian had wished for and carefully placed them inside the box. After packing everything, he closed the box, secured it with a red ribbon, and tied a beautiful bow.

Children believe in the magic of Santa Claus, and Lin Yi wanted to preserve this innocence for Huo Mianmian as long as possible.

After wrapping the gifts, he placed the box under the Christmas tree.

When Huo Mianmian woke up the next morning, he would see his Christmas gifts.

Lin Yi finished everything and clapped his hands before taking a drink from a bottle he grabbed from the fridge.

After just two sips, he saw Huo Jihan coming downstairs after finishing his work.

Huo Jihan also saw Lin Yi and, noticing that Lin Yi was still awake so late, asked, "What are you busy with?"

Lin Yi nodded toward the Christmas gift, indicating for Huo Jihan to look at it. "I'm preparing this for Mianmian."

Huo Jihan glanced at the red box and then turned back to Lin Yi. "And what about you? What Christmas gift do you want?"

Lin Yi chuckled slightly. "I'm already this old; why would I need gifts?"

After all, he had long since passed the age of believing in Santa Claus.

But Huo Jihan moved closer, leaned down to give him a light kiss on the lips, and then looked up at him. "You can still ask for a gift. I'll prepare it for you."

Adults might not believe in Santa Claus, but they can still receive gifts.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "Really? What if my gift is hard to prepare?"

Huo Jihan gazed deeply into his eyes. "As long as you tell me, I will prepare it for you. So, what do you want?"

Lin Yi thought for a moment and smiled. "I wish time could slow down a bit, so we could have more time together."

Huo Jihan didn't expect Lin Yi to suddenly say something so heartfelt.

At that moment, Lin Yi's eyes sparkled with a charming smile, the overhead lights reflecting in them like countless stars.

Huo Jihan looked at Lin Yi for a moment, then wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed him deeply.

This time, it wasn't just a brief kiss.

Huo Jihan lifted Lin Yi's chin with his other hand and forced him to open his mouth, deepening the kiss even further.

Their tongues intertwined.

Lin Yi endured Huo Jihan's passionate kiss, his breathing becoming erratic.

He could only hold onto Huo Jihan's clothes with one hand and tightly grip the drink bottle with the other.

Huo Jihan finally released him after a while, his voice hoarse. "Your mouth tastes sweet."

Lin Yi felt weak in the knees and had to lean against Huo Jihan. He held up the drink bottle. "I just drank this; it's grapefruit-flavored."

Huo Jihan's attention was clearly not on the drink; he gave it a quick glance before kissing Lin Yi again.

To him, it wasn't the drink that was sweet; it was Lin Yi himself.

The next morning arrived.

Huo Mianmian woke up early.

He was eagerly anticipating his Christmas gift.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he ran downstairs in his slippers.

The Steward saw him and kindly reminded him, "Young Master, be careful not to fall."

Huo Mianmian politely responded, "Thank you, Grandpa Steward."

As he spoke, his big eyes darted around, quickly searching for his Christmas gift.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

Found it!

Huo Mianmian ran over to the Christmas tree and picked up the red box that was clearly a gift.

The villa was warm due to the floor heating.

Huo Mianmian was too excited to wait, so he sat down right there and started unwrapping his gift.

He untied the ribbon and opened the box, revealing the gifts he had wished for!

Huo Mianmian was overjoyed, taking out each gift and holding them close like treasures.

When Lin Yi came downstairs, he saw Huo Mianmian counting his gifts.

He called out, "Mianmian?"

Huo Mianmian turned to look at Lin Yi, his eyes sparkling. "Dad, Santa really did come! These are the gifts he brought me!"

Lin Yi walked over with a smile. "Is that so? Santa is so kind, isn't he?"

Huo Mianmian nodded vigorously. "He's super nice. He heard my wishes and prepared these gifts for me."

Lin Yi squatted down and gently touched Huo Mianmian's soft hair. "Yes, Santa must have seen how adorable our Mianmian is and hurried to bring the gifts."

Huo Mianmian's cheeks dimpled with joy, as if filled with honey.

Throughout the day, Huo Mianmian remained happy because of the gifts, often checking on them.

Lin Yi felt very content seeing this.

It was wonderful that their precious Mianmian was always so happy.

Meanwhile,

Huo Jihan was going on a business trip that would last two days and one night.

He had gone to another city this time to inspect the operations of a branch company.

Accompanying him were Li Feng and a group of subordinates.

Ever since Cheng Siyao returned to the country, his mind had been preoccupied with Huo Jihan.

He went through all sorts of channels to finally learn that Huo Jihan was going on a business trip.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Siyao excitedly jumped up from his chair and paced around the room several times.

He knew this was an especially rare opportunity.

If he seized this chance, he could get closer to his brother Jihan.

Cheng Siyao followed Huo Jihan to that city on the same day.

After all, he was the only son of a major cosmetics company, so he had some connections and resources, making it not too difficult to arrange these things.

Upon arriving, Huo Jihan immediately went to inspect the branch company.

Being highly efficient, he also didn't want to be away from home for too long, as there were people at home he cared about.

The subordinates naturally accompanied him to the branch company.

The branch manager had already come to greet them in advance, nervously throughout, fearing any dissatisfaction from their Mr. Huo, using every flattering phrase possible.

However, Huo Jihan clearly wasn't someone who enjoyed constant flattery.

His expression remained indifferent, focused entirely on work.

The branch manager realized he might have been too excessive and awkwardly stopped his empty talk.

There was no helping it; their Mr. Huo's presence was too powerful, leaving no one unaffected by the tension.

Cheng Siyao followed Huo Jihan to this city.

Thinking that he and Huo Jihan were breathing the same air in the same place made his heart race uncontrollably.

This moment had been anticipated for over twenty years.

He couldn't remain calm.

This time, even if it meant risking everything, he would succeed in being with his brother Jihan.

In the evening, Huo Jihan, accompanied by his subordinates, had dinner and then returned to their accommodation.

During the meal, Huo Jihan had a slight drink, so he sat in the backseat of the car with his eyes closed, resting.

Li Feng drove while reporting, "Mr. Huo, the branch has arranged a hotel for you. Shall we go there directly?"

Huo Jihan responded indifferently, "Yes."

Sitting in the back, almost hidden in the darkness, his expression was unreadable, exuding an extreme sense of danger.

Even though Li Feng had worked with him for many years, he still felt intimidated by his powerful aura.

Soon, Li Feng drove to the hotel.

To please Huo Jihan, the branch had booked the most luxurious hotel in the city.

Upon arrival, they collected the room cards. Huo Jihan's room was on the 18th floor, the most upscale suite in the hotel.

Li Feng escorted Huo Jihan upstairs and handed him the room card: "Mr. Huo, please."

Huo Jihan took the card and walked towards his room.

Wearing a black coat, having just returned from outside, he carried an imposing chill.

He swiped the card, opened the door, and took a few steps inside.

Just a few steps in, Huo Jihan stopped, his gaze turning icy cold.

He stared at the bulge on the hotel bed.

Clearly, someone was lying there.

Without hesitation, Huo Jihan turned and left.

Cheng Siyao never expected Huo Jihan to leave without even looking at him. He quickly sat up and called out, "Brother Jihan!"

Despite his heartfelt call, Huo Jihan did not turn back, walking out of the room in a few strides.

Li Feng was waiting for the elevator to go downstairs.

Unexpectedly, before the elevator arrived, he saw Mr. Huo coming down.

Li Feng hurried to Huo Jihan, "Mr. Huo, what happened? Is there something wrong with the room?"

At that moment, Huo Jihan's face was extremely cold, like a thousand-year-old frost, clearly indicating his bad mood.

In a cold voice, he instructed Li Feng, "Handle the situation in that room and book me another one."

Li Feng promptly replied, "Yes, Mr. Huo, I'll take care of it right away."

But he wondered, what had happened to make Mr. Huo so angry?

Li Feng quickly went to the room and was shocked upon seeing the situation inside.

Who was bold enough to climb into Mr. Huo's bed?

Li Feng quickly regained his composure and began to handle the matter.

It was foreseeable that this would stir up a storm of blood and gore.

Lin Yi was leaning against the door, enjoying the snow.

Ji Yunchuan came to the villa.

He had come once again to deliver succulents to Huo Mianmian.

Ever since he had given Huo Mianmian a nine-tailed fox succulent and a bear cub succulent during his previous two visits, which Huo Mianmian loved dearly, he became enthusiastic about finding various new and beautiful succulents to give him.

After all, who wouldn't want to get closer to such an adorable little one?

After delivering the succulents, Ji Yunchuan approached Lin Yi and said mysteriously, "Sister-in-law, there's a big gossip in the circle. Want to hear it?"

Lin Yi replied indifferently, "Not particularly interested."

Unless there was a special reason, he didn't care much about what happened to others.

"Alright." Ji Yunchuan held back for a moment but couldn't contain himself and pleaded pitifully, "Sister-in-law, please just listen. The feeling of having a juicy piece of gossip and not being able to share it is really unbearable."

Lin Yi: "..."

He glanced at Ji Yunchuan speechlessly. "Fine, what is it? Go ahead."

Ji Yunchuan immediately started talking animatedly. "You know Cheng Siyao, right? This guy must have offended someone powerful because suddenly something happened to him. His parents tried to protect him, but they got dragged into it too. Now the entire Cheng family is in chaos, and they're almost done for..."

Lin Yi lazily raised an eyebrow. "So, who exactly is this Cheng Siyao?"

If Cheng Siyao heard this, he would surely be so angry he'd spit blood. He had been fighting with Lin Yi for so long, yet Lin Yi didn't even know who he was.

Ji Yunchuan then showed Lin Yi a photo of Cheng Siyao. "Here, it's this guy."

Lin Yi glanced at Ji Yunchuan's phone screen indifferently and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, it's him."

Ji Yunchuan asked, "Do you know this person, Sister-in-law?"

Lin Yi answered truthfully, "We've had some interactions."

He had encountered Cheng Siyao a few times and could sense his ill intentions, but since Cheng Siyao hadn't actually harmed him, he hadn't taken it seriously.

He didn't expect to hear about him through gossip today.

Seeing that Lin Yi didn't intend to elaborate, Ji Yunchuan continued, "Tsk tsk, I wonder who Cheng Siyao has offended. But whoever it is, they must be incredibly powerful. After all, not many people can bring down the entire Cheng family overnight."

He had a hunch that this might be Big Brother Huo's doing, as only Big Brother Huo had the capability to destroy such a large enterprise.

However, he didn't know the specifics and didn't dare to speculate.

Lin Yi said casually, "Who cares? It's none of our business."

Ji Yunchuan nodded. "True. But Sister-in-law, how do you manage to stay so calm about gossip? If it were me, I'd be digging for every detail."

Lin Yi replied offhandedly, "Mind your own business and focus on yourself."

Ji Yunchuan gave Lin Yi a thumbs-up. "Sister-in-law, you're on a whole different level. Someone like me, who loves gossip, could never do that."

Lin Yi smiled. "That's fine too. As long as you're happy living your life the way you want."

For some reason, Ji Yunchuan felt comforted and scratched his head awkwardly. "Sister-in-law, you're really nice."

Lin Yi: "??"

What did he say that made him nice?

He couldn't figure it out.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, Huo Jihan returned home from another city.

After getting out of the car, he walked briskly into the villa, his coat still dusted with falling snow, exuding a cold and stern aura.

Lin Yi had just put Huo Mianmian to bed for a nap and was surprised to see Huo Jihan downstairs. "Didn't you say you'd be back tonight?"

Huo Jihan saw Lin Yi and fixed his gaze on him. "I finished things faster and came back early."

Then, he casually asked Lin Yi, "How have the past few days been?"

Lin Yi replied casually, "Pretty good, just like before."

Huo Jihan's gaze lingered on Lin Yi, trying to gauge his mood. Finally, he concluded that Lin Yi was indeed in a good mood and relaxed.

Although he had immediately blocked the news, he was still worried that some rumors might reach Lin Yi and affect him.

But now it seemed Lin Yi was unaware, or if he knew something, he didn't know the full details.

Instead, Lin Yi found Huo Jihan's serious demeanor a bit odd and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Huo Jihan paused and then replied, "Nothing."

Since the matter was over, there was no need to mention it and spoil Lin Yi's mood.

Lin Yi nodded. "Okay."

He didn't quite understand why Huo Jihan had looked so serious, but it didn't matter. If it wasn't important, there was no need to dwell on it.

Seeing that Lin Yi didn't press further, Huo Jihan suggested, "It's snowing outside again. The scenery is beautiful. Want to go for a walk?"

Lin Yi had a teasing expression. "Rare, isn't it? Our busy Mr. Huo finally has time for a stroll."

Huo Jihan had a hint of a smile: "Shall we go?"

Lin Yi immediately nodded: "Of course we should go. It's rare that Mr. Huo has some free time, so I definitely have to keep you company."

As he spoke, he walked over to the sofa, picked up his coat, and grabbed two masks along the way.

Ten minutes later, Lin Yi and Huo Jihan stepped out together and began strolling through the snow.

At that moment, snowflakes were swirling in the sky, covering everything in a pristine white, pure and serene.

Walking in such an environment felt like entering a fairyland on earth, spotless and breathtakingly beautiful.

Lin Yi and Huo Jihan, both wearing masks, walked side by side, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Most of the time, it was Lin Yi doing the talking, while Huo Jihan listened attentively.

Suddenly, Lin Yi pulled Huo Jihan: "Be careful, there's something under your foot!!"

Huo Jihan paused and looked down.

But he saw nothing.

At this moment, Lin Yi burst into laughter beside him: "Hahaha, I tricked you!! You really fell for it, didn't you?"

Huo Jihan looked at Lin Yi, who was laughing so hard he could barely stand straight, and smiled helplessly: "You're too mischievous."

Lin Yi still couldn't stop laughing: "So what now?"

Huo Jihan replied: "It's fine; as long as you're happy."

After all, he couldn't bear to say anything harsh to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi laughed even more freely.

If one had to describe it, it was a bit like being carefree and unbridled.

After this little incident, they continued walking until they reached a roast duck restaurant.

Looking at the restaurant, Lin Yi suddenly felt excited.

Thinking about it, he hadn't had roast duck in a long time.

Huo Jihan noticed his expression and asked: "Do you want to go?"

Lin Yi nodded: "Yes, I do. How about you?"

Huo Jihan didn't mention his own preference but simply said: "Let's go. If you like it, we'll eat there."

Hearing this, Lin Yi smiled warmly.

It had to be said, their Mr. Huo was quite indulgent when it came to pleasing someone.

Soon, they arrived at the roast duck restaurant and reserved a private room.

Shortly after, the waiter brought their ordered dishes, filling the table with a feast.

Once the waiter left, Lin Yi took off his mask and prepared to wrap some roast duck to eat.

He had come here specifically for this.

However, Huo Jihan beat him to it and started wrapping the duck for him.

Perhaps due to his aura, whatever Huo Jihan did always seemed composed and calm.

Even just wrapping a piece of roast duck.

He first put on disposable gloves, then took a piece of dough wrapper, dipped a slice of duck meat in the sauce, added some cucumber and onion threads, wrapped it all up, and presented it to Lin Yi: "Here."

Lin Yi didn't expect Huo Jihan to be wrapping it for him and blinked: "Actually, I can wrap it myself."

Huo Jihan's deep voice responded: "I know, it's not contradictory."

With that said, Lin Yi promptly opened his mouth and took a bite of the duck from Huo Jihan's hand, eating it contentedly.

Seeing this, Huo Jihan started wrapping another portion for him.

After finishing his mouthful, Lin Yi reached for a drink and took a sip.

By then, Huo Jihan had already wrapped the second portion and offered it to him.

Lin Yi's eyes curved into a smile as he happily took a bite.

It had to be said, this feeling of not having to do anything himself was truly delightful.

While chewing, Lin Yi asked Huo Jihan: "Mr. Huo, if you keep doing this, what if I become useless?"

Huo Jihan glanced at him, his dark eyes filled with amusement: "It's fine; I can support you."

Lin Yi clicked his tongue twice.

Was this the world of the elite? Such confidence!

But why was he feeling inexplicably happy?

He needed to stay calm!