Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Huo Sicheng felt a sharp pain in his knee as he slept deeply, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

It was a muscle cramp, a common issue for fracture patients due to prolonged immobilization.

Huo Sicheng wanted to brush it off, but he was only human. His calf was still cramping, and his blood vessels felt like they were being wrung out. Huo Sicheng gasped in pain.

A red dot suddenly appeared in his vision.

He narrowed his eyes cautiously, and when his vision cleared, he froze.

Was that a... red berry?

Under the red berry lay a square note. Huo Sicheng picked up the note and read it: [Huo Xiaobao picked this for you. If he asks, tell him Daddy ate it and will get better soon. Thanks, Xiao Bao.]

Huo Sicheng lifted the small fruit to his eyes. Its skin was already shriveled.

It was just a common little fruit, nothing special.

Did Huo Xiaobao pick it for him, thinking it would cure him?

He didn’t quite get the world of children, nor did he get why Zhong Xi didn’t teach Huo Xiaobao to avoid picking wild berries. Instead, he went along with it and delivered the fruit.

What if Huo Xiaobao ate it by mistake?

Though he disapproved, Huo Sicheng still placed the fruit and note carefully by the photo frame.

Zhong Xi’s handwriting was bold and sharp, a stark contrast to his appearance. Plus, he didn’t seem to take Huo Sicheng seriously. His tone was always bossy; even “hope” felt like “must.”

It wasn’t a great day; rain had started early that morning.

Huo Xiaobao always struggled to wake up on rainy days, so Zhong Xi left him alone. He stayed in the study, going over some monitoring reports, until Xiao Xu came in, saying, “Mr. Zhong, Xiao Bao’s awake.”

He set down the thick stack of reports and headed to the children’s room.

Huo Xiaobao was always clingy when half-asleep, whining and climbing onto Zhong Xi, showering him with kisses as if afraid he’d be left behind.

“Daddy, is he better yet?”

Zhong Xi apologized, “Not yet.”

Huo Xiaobao was shocked, “The fruit didn’t work!”

“One small fruit can only have a little effect. If Xiao Bao picks one for Daddy every day, Daddy will get better faster and faster.”

Huo Xiaobao opened his mouth wide, yawned, and then extended his little fist, as if to boost morale, “Xiao Bao, let’s go!”

Zhong Xi took him to the window and showed him the dark clouds and the drizzling rain outside.

“We can’t pick any today,” Zhong Xi said.

“Ah!” Huo Xiaobao slumped on Zhong Xi’s shoulder, the little spark he had just ignited completely extinguished by the rain.

Soon, he was recharged again, “I want to see Daddy.”

He broke free from Zhong Xi’s arms and fluttered all the way to Huo Sicheng’s room. This time, he didn’t even dare to go near the bed, hiding instead by the wardrobe, only half his face peeking out.

Huo Sicheng, who had been a sniper for several years, quickly spotted him. Huo Xiaobao took a step back in fright and hid completely.

Zhong Xi was standing at the doorway, and Huo Xiaobao looked up at him, just starting to feel upset when he heard his father's voice:

"Thanks, Xiao Bao."

Huo Xiaobao's eyes widened, and Zhong Xi smiled at him.

Huo Sicheng said a bit awkwardly, "Dad ate the little fruit you picked, and the illness will get better soon. Thanks, Xiao Bao."

Huo Xiaobao first threw himself into Zhong Xi's arms, shyly fidgeting for a bit, and then whispered, "No problem."

Zhong Xi gave his cheek a pinch and carried him downstairs.

Huo Xiaobao was eating breakfast quietly when two unexpected guests showed up at the house.

The first to enter was Mrs. Huo, still wearing her gentle, smiling expression. After Zhong Xi stood up, Mrs. Huo went ahead and introduced the young man behind her to Zhong Xi: "This is the nutrition expert specially invited by the Governor for Huo Sicheng."

Before Zhong Xi could say anything, she added, "Please understand a father's love for his son."

Zhong Xi arched an eyebrow and bent down to wipe Huo Xiaobao's mouth.

The nutrition expert looked very young, around twenty-five years old, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, with soft features. Zhong Xi could tell from his confident demeanor and posture that he was likely a high-level omega.

"Mr. Zhong, hello, my name is Qi Jiaran."

Zhong Xi extended his hand for a shake.

Mrs. Huo paid no attention to Zhong Xi and said on her own, "Huo Sicheng is on the second floor. Would you like to meet with him first?"

Qi Jiaran smiled softly and replied, "Yes, Madam. I need to speak directly with the Chairman to understand his emotions, physical condition, nutritional metabolism, and dietary preferences."

"He's on the second floor. I'll take you there."

As they were about to go upstairs, she suddenly remembered Zhong Xi and gave him a meaningful look, asking, "Xiao Zhong, you don't mind, do you?"

Zhong Xi shook his head, apparently focused on the child.

He said, "Go ahead."

Huo Xiaobao, however, widened his big round eyes and looked at Ruan Yunzheng, politely saying, "Welcome to our home!"

Ruan Yunzheng gave him a blank look.

When Mrs. Huo brought Qi Jiaran into Huo Sicheng's room, Huo Sicheng was going over the official documents Aide Wen had delivered that morning. Noticing someone barging in, and the footsteps not resembling Zhong Xi's, Huo Sicheng suddenly frowned and looked up coldly.

Mrs. Huo's smile froze on her face.

Huo Sicheng's pheromone level was so high that even when his pheromones weren't overflowing, people around him could feel the pressure when his emotions fluctuated.

Moreover, Huo Sicheng's mother was of mixed heritage, so he had a strikingly defined face, with a well-structured brow and deep-set eyes that made his gaze appear extremely commanding.

Mrs. Huo was momentarily frightened into silence.

Qi Jiaran was in a similar state. Even before entering the room, he felt the intense alpha pheromones, which caused him to have difficulty breathing, a dry throat, and a constant heat in his neck.

When he looked up and met Huo Sicheng's gaze, he instinctively tightened his grip on his briefcase, his knees slightly weak.

He had only seen Huo Sicheng on TV news before. In the footage, Huo Sicheng had a more robust physique, a sharper mind, and a calmer reaction than ordinary people. Even when facing tricky diplomatic issues, he remained composed, with a look of inevitable arrogance in his eyes.

Before coming, Mrs. Huo had said, "Don't be nervous. Because there's a child, the difference between his home and outside is significant. It's not that scary."

Now Qi Jiaran felt his heart pounding wildly. He thought, "Isn’t this terrifying? Just one look, and I’m practically scared to death."

Huo Sicheng glanced at Ruan Yunzheng, his tone unwelcoming, "What are you doing here?"

Ruan Yunzheng, still shaken, smiled ingratiatingly, "Your father sent me. He wanted me to bring the nutritionist to check on you."

Huo Sicheng closed the file and placed it face down beside him.

"I don’t need it. And my room isn’t somewhere you can just barge into."

Mrs. Huo chuckled awkwardly, "Right, right, I wasn’t thinking. Since your injury isn’t healed yet, I thought it’d be best to bring the nutritionist over right away to help you recover." She took a step back as she spoke.

"You’re always buried in work, and Xiao Zhong can’t cook. You’ve always just gotten by with whatever meals you could throw together. We only hired the nanny after the baby was born, and she mostly just cleans—she’s not trained to care for patients. Your father and I are very worried."

Huo Sicheng glanced at Qi Jiaran.

Mrs. Huo immediately said, "Xiao Qi is a top-tier nutritionist. He’s even worked for the governor before."

"I don’t need him."

Mrs. Huo hurriedly brought out the trump card, "Your father suggested having the nutritionist stay here to cook for you, so you’d recover faster."

Huo Sicheng sneered, "You’re suggesting an omega stays in my house to nurse me back to health?"

Qi Jiaran quickly took a step back.

The mere mention of omega made him feel violated and tense.

"Get out," Huo Sicheng said flatly.

Ruan Yunzheng was about to insist when suddenly a voice came from behind, "Move aside."

Both Ruan Yunzheng and Qi Jiaran turned around.

Zhong Xi stood at the door, holding a cup of water and looking a bit worn out. After Ruan Yunzheng moved aside, he walked straight in.

As Zhong Xi got closer to Huo Sicheng, Qi Jiaran noticed the pheromones in the air growing stronger—not the heavy kind from anger, but more like a charged, restless energy.

To keep himself together, Qi Jiaran pressed the inhibitor patch on the back of his neck firmly and kept his head down, silent.

Zhong Xi looked like a servant who hadn’t seen a paycheck in two years, his face dark and sullen. He grudgingly handed the cup of water to Huo Sicheng, then grabbed the pill bottle from the bedside table, shook out two red capsules, and tossed them into Huo Sicheng’s hand without a second thought.

The only sound in the room was the click of the plastic pill bottle opening and closing.

Qi Jiaran wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but Huo Sicheng’s expression seemed to falter for a moment.

It was like a random bystander had walked into the middle of a movie shoot.

Huo Sicheng didn’t take the medicine. He asked impatiently, "Why are you still here? Should I call the guards?"

Ruan Yunzheng quickly left with Qi Jiaran.

Qi Jiaran could feel Mrs. Huo’s humiliation and rage. It seemed the gossip magazines weren’t completely off the mark—Huo Sicheng and his stepmother really didn’t see eye to eye.

Ruan Yunzheng’s high heels clacked sharply on the marble floor, her steps uneven with anger, each one grating.

"Don’t let Ruan Yunzheng set foot in here again."

Zhong Xi was tidying up the empty cup on Huo Sicheng’s bedside, "That’s your family’s problem."

"You're not my—" Huo Sicheng stopped abruptly.

Zhong Xi turned and opened the window, allowing a gust of cold, damp air to rush in. Huo Sicheng asked, "Why’d you suddenly open the window?"

"I smell omega pheromones."

Huo Sicheng laughed as if he had heard a joke, "You can’t even detect it."

Zhong Xi stood by the window, silent for a few seconds, then said, "This is my house. I don’t want omegas here. Is that not allowed?"

He deliberately mentioned the house again.

Huo Sicheng sensed a tone of calculated smugness in Zhong Xi’s words.

The window was quickly closed again.

After Zhong Xi left, Huo Sicheng grabbed the landline and called security, reminding them to ban Ruan Yunzheng from entering any important political or military locations in Blue Rock Base, including the Blue Rock Compound.

The rain made Huo Xiaobao drowsy, and the day flew by.

By evening, the rain hadn’t let up.

Before bed, Huo Xiaobao worriedly said, "Mommy, the rain will gobble up Xiao Bao."

Zhong Xi barely understood, "No, the rain won’t hurt Xiao Bao. Mommy will keep you safe."

"What about Daddy?"

"Daddy will keep Mommy and Xiao Bao safe."

Huo Xiaobao grinned, showing off his tiny baby teeth, a few gaps here and there. Zhong Xi couldn’t help but smile.

After tucking Huo Xiaobao in, Zhong Xi headed back to the bedroom. Huo Sicheng was still working, probably on financial issues, his tone sharp and commanding.

Zhong Xi lingered in the hallway, catching snippets like "negligence" and "resign and get out."

Huo Sicheng never brought work home, so Zhong Xi wasn’t used to seeing him like this. As Huo Sicheng’s angry words echoed, Zhong Xi was suddenly reminded of their time at the military academy six or seven years ago.

Even back then, Huo Sicheng was a natural leader, commanding military exercises with ease. Even when he wasn’t the commander, everyone instinctively followed his lead.

Because he was Huo Sicheng—that name carried weight.

He was so used to dominance that he even replaced Zhong Xi’s online boyfriend, shamelessly using someone else’s account to meet Zhong Xi in person.

Huo Xiaobao’s arrival had transformed them, and Zhong Xi had nearly forgotten the old Huo Sicheng.

Once Huo Sicheng hung up, Zhong Xi stepped inside.

As usual, he showered, changed, and sat on the bed, his damp hair carrying a faint scent. A drop of water still clung to Zhong Xi’s hair, and as he moved slightly, it fell onto the soft blanket. That single drop of water seemed to douse Huo Sicheng’s anger.

The exhaustion from work hit him, and he suddenly understood the meaning of family—the warmth he felt whenever he checked the monitor in the kids’ room.

For Huo Xiaobao, he decided to give Zhong Xi another chance.

He struck up small talk, casually mentioning, "That nutritionist today? She’s an omega."

Zhong Xi paused his hand in his hair, his expression darkening slightly.

Huo Sicheng added, "A very young omega."

"So what?" Zhong Xi's tone was cold.

From Huo Sicheng's perspective, he couldn't see the change in Zhong Xi's expression, and he suddenly felt bored. "Don't you have anything to explain? What Huo Zhenlin said, and all the public opinion online."

Zhong Xi was dismissive. He turned over and faced away from Huo Sicheng, saying, "No."

Huo Sicheng was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"No explanation. Believe it or not, your choice."

Huo Sicheng had been compromising for the sake of their child, but he didn't expect Zhong Xi to be so ungrateful. The doubts, anxiety, and inexplicable agitation of the past few days were gnawing at his already damaged nerves. He blurted out, "Do you—"

Zhong Xi had already guessed what Huo Sicheng was about to ask. Looking at the family photo next to the lamp, he answered straightforwardly, "I don't love you."