Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Huo Xiaobao was unaware of the tension between his parents; he only wished that tonight he could sleep with both his mom and dad.

Although Huo Sicheng dearly loved Huo Xiaobao, his erratic work schedule—sometimes coming home late, sometimes getting emergency calls at night—along with his frequent need for Zhong Xi, made it unsuitable for him to share a room with Huo Xiaobao all the time.

After discussing, they decided to start training Huo Xiaobao to sleep alone in the children's room when he was one year and eight months old.

Huo Xiaobao was quite well-behaved and got used to it after a few days of crying.

At most, during thunderstorms like today, which even adults feared, he would become a bit more needy.

Zhong Xi couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

He begged again, "Mom, stay with me."

Huo Sicheng waited for a long time without hearing Zhong Xi's response. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Zhong Xi lean down and kiss Huo Xiaobao's face, "Mom still needs to read for a while."

Huo Sicheng pressed his lips together, holding back the words on the tip of his tongue.

Huo Xiaobao didn't understand why Zhong Xi was refusing him and tugged at Zhong Xi's clothes with a sad face.

Naturally, he felt closer to Zhong Xi than to Huo Sicheng, who was fragrant, soft, and gentle. Moreover, Huo Sicheng had been moody lately, having a presence that scared Huo Xiaobao, much like the thunder outside, making him very uneasy.

"Why don’t you sleep here tonight," Huo Sicheng said.

His tone was abrupt, and Zhong Xi almost didn't catch it.

Huo Sicheng’s tone made it sound more like an order, but Zhong Xi ignored him, bending down to tuck Huo Xiaobao in.

Huo Xiaobao looked to Huo Sicheng for help, "Dad..."

Huo Sicheng thought to himself: What’s the point of asking me? Your mom won’t stay here because of me.

Though that's what he thought, to save face, he had to make a gesture in front of his son, so he said in a low voice to Zhong Xi, "Stay here tonight; we’ll discuss it tomorrow."

Zhong Xi finally gave in.

As Huo Xiaobao fussed in Huo Sicheng’s arms, Zhong Xi went back to get the pillows and blankets. Huo Sicheng playfully covered Huo Xiaobao’s eyes to play with him, and Zhong Xi used those few seconds to quickly straighten the bed. Fortunately, the bed was large enough to comfortably accommodate three people.

As Zhong Xi lay down, Huo Xiaobao gleefully rolled over a couple of times. He first crawled over to kiss Zhong Xi, then climbed into Huo Sicheng's arms to kiss him. Huo Sicheng’s heart felt like it was bathed in warm honey, momentarily forgetting to beat.

Was this what it meant to be a family of three?

After playing for a while, Huo Xiaobao soon tired out.

He hugged his teddy bear, and his eyes grew heavy.

Zhong Xi lay on his side next to him, one hand under his head, the other gently patting Huo Xiaobao's belly.

The room was quiet, with just the gentle sound of Zhong Xi soothing Huo Xiaobao to sleep.

This sound naturally carried a soothing power.

It felt like it was coming from far away, reminding Huo Sicheng of a memory deep within. Back then, his mother Ye Huilan would also sing lullabies to put Huo Sicheng to sleep, singing "Grandma's Bridge," singing "The little boat sways gently, the little baby needs to sleep." Everyone said that Huo Sicheng was very mischievous as a child, climbing onto roofs and tearing tiles if not watched, making even the most professional nannies struggle with his eating and sleeping. But Ye Huilan still treated him like a baby, pouring all her love into him.

Ye Huilan passed away when Huo Sicheng was fourteen.

She left too early, and Huo Sicheng really wanted to tell her: Mom, look, I have a child now.

He’s tiny, adorable, and sleeps like an angel.

Maybe because he was tired or drowsy, Zhong Xi’s movements slowed, becoming sporadic. Huo Sicheng watched Zhong Xi from the corner of his eye, and as soon as he noticed Zhong Xi had completely stopped, he immediately reached out to take over, continuing to pat Huo Xiaobao’s little belly.

But the moment his hand touched down, Zhong Xi jolted awake.

Their hands brushed against each other.

Zhong Xi’s fingers felt cool, while Huo Sicheng’s palm was warm and dry.

Huo Xiaobao’s little belly turned into a silent battlefield between them. Zhong Xi’s hand rested on it, while Huo Sicheng’s hand hovered in mid-air. If it lowered, it would meet Zhong Xi’s hand again.

In the past, Huo Sicheng would’ve never imagined agonizing over something so trivial.

Three years into their marriage, with a two-year-old child, Huo Sicheng was debating whether to touch his wife’s hand—in name only.

He didn’t want to touch it—of course not.

He avoided Zhong Xi like the plague—what was there to touch about a beta? He simply wanted to soothe Huo Xiaobao to sleep.

As he hesitated, Zhong Xi casually pulled his hand away.

"..."

Huo Sicheng’s hand lingered in the air, but Huo Xiaobao was fast asleep, no longer needing a pat. He stayed like that for half a minute before finally pulling back.

Zhong Xi flipped off the light, plunging the room into darkness.

Huo Sicheng and Zhong Xi lay on their backs, each on their own side, with Huo Xiaobao between them like a galaxy apart.

Huo Sicheng didn’t dare move, barely even breathing. He feared the slightest sound might shatter the quiet and wake Huo Xiaobao.

The rain outside seemed to play along, easing from a downpour to a soft drizzle.

Zhong Xi’s steady breathing reached his ears.

Huo Sicheng looked over.

The heart Huo Xiaobao’s kiss had sealed suddenly cracked open, letting loose a flood of indescribable emotions. Huo Sicheng didn’t want to admit it, but for a fleeting moment—just a split second—seeing Zhong Xi and Huo Xiaobao beside him, he felt happy.

Even if Zhong Xi claimed not to love him, even if Huo Xiaobao seemed their only bond, Huo Sicheng still felt whole—because this was his home.

But the absurd thought lasted only a second before Huo Sicheng snuffed it out.

Building a family with someone like Zhong Xi was already a mistake, and he couldn’t believe he was doubling down on it.

Before he could dwell on it, sleepiness crept over him.

·

A sharp pain shot through his calf in his sleep—another cramp. He jolted awake, trembling from the pain. Once his vision cleared, he gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and took a deep breath.

A milky scent came from beside him.

Huo Sicheng turned his head and saw Huo Xiaobao sitting by his waist, holding a milk bottle, drinking while looking at him with concern.

The bottle was more than half empty—it seemed the little one had woken up quite early.

Zhong Xi was close by, straightening his pillow and blanket.

He and Huo Xiaobao were dressed in similar colors today. He wore a light yellow hoodie and jeans, while Huo Xiaobao wore a mini version of the outfit, though the light yellow turned into a bright yellow, making his skin look even fairer and brighter.

Huo Sicheng was a bit dazed, his thoughts still scattered, but his hand instinctively wrapped around Huo Xiaobao, resting on his behind.

Huo Xiaobao grinned and passed the milk bottle to Huo Sicheng.

Huo Sicheng said, "You drink it."

Huo Xiaobao leaned against Huo Sicheng, tilting his head back to drink, but Zhong Xi told him, "Sit up to drink."

He obediently sat up.

After a night, whether it was Huo Sicheng's imagination or reality, he felt that Zhong Xi seemed less cold.

He even smiled in front of Huo Sicheng, though it was meant for Huo Xiaobao.

When giving Huo Sicheng his medicine, he no longer tossed it but placed it in the bottle cap, handed it to him, watched him take it, then took the cup away and filled it with hot water.

Huo Sicheng wondered: Is this his trick?

Softening up occasionally, curling his lips—is this what he calls seduction?

Huo Sicheng sneered.

He blamed his insomnia over the past two nights on the fracture. As the fracture healed, the soft tissues were also healing, causing a crossover in blood supply and leading to pain at the fracture site, hence the insomnia.

That's it. It couldn't be because of sleeping alone.

Until he saw Zhong Xi raise his hand to open the window, revealing a slender waist between his hoodie and jeans.

Huo Xiaobao's skin was just like Zhong Xi's.

Huo Sicheng was first dazzled by a flash of white, then noticed Zhong Xi's surprisingly thin and delicate waist, with tight and smooth skin, the curve of his waist tempting one to reach out and hold it.

Had he held it before?

He must have, since they had a child together.

Some inappropriate, vague images crept into his mind, reminding him: perhaps he had done more than just hold it.

Those images were not suitable for children, filled with ambiguous colors. Though vague, Huo Sicheng couldn't help but project Zhong Xi into them. But Zhong Xi wouldn't be so compliant. How could Zhong Xi not resist, letting him bully him? His hand seemed to easily grasp Zhong Xi's waist, his fingertips sliding over his flat stomach, caressing his delicate skin, moving upwards...

"Dad!"

Huo Xiaobao's childish voice interrupted Huo Sicheng's memories, and for a moment, he couldn't tell if it was a recollection or a fantasy.

When his vision cleared, he saw Huo Xiaobao's little round face suddenly peeking over, asking curiously, "Dad, what are you looking at?"

Huo Sicheng felt a pang of guilt for the frivolous thoughts he had about Zhong Xi in front of his child.

"N-nothing."

Zhong Xi opened the window and then turned to leave, Huo Sicheng's gaze instinctively following him.

Huo Xiaobao handed the picture book to Huo Sicheng, snuggling softly in his arms, saying, "Dad, read."

Feeling guilty, Huo Sicheng hurriedly took the picture book and randomly pointed at one of the little figures. Huo Xiaobao said, "Grandpa!"

Huo Sicheng was slightly surprised, "Yes, so smart."

"Mom said she doesn’t like Grandpa because of his white beard."

Huo Sicheng was stunned. "Mom doesn’t like Grandpa?"

Huo Xiaobao nodded, then turned another page. "Dad, what's this?"

He called out several times, but Huo Sicheng didn’t respond. Huo Sicheng, however, kept repeating Huo Xiaobao’s words under his breath.

Zhong Xi dislikes Huo Zhenlin.

Of course, he wouldn’t like him. After all, Huo Zhenlin has always seen Zhong Xi, a beta, as a scourge—a calamity to the nation—and believed that the Huo family’s superior genetic lineage was ruined by Zhong Xi.

Huo Sicheng couldn’t help but wonder: Did Zhong Xi hate Huo Zhenlin simply because Huo Zhenlin looked down on him, or was it because Zhong Xi liked Huo Sicheng? So... This time, Huo Xiaobao didn’t interrupt. Huo Sicheng stopped his own wild train of thought.

Zhong Xi had made it clear: no love.

Huo Sicheng had heard it loud and clear.

How could he still have such thoughts? It was absurd.

The rain outside had stopped, but the sky was still overcast with dark clouds, signaling another downpour.

Aide Wen brought over some official documents and relayed a phone call: "Chairman, Zheng Yadong insists on hearing your direct order; otherwise, he won’t cooperate."

As the leader of a mercenary group unaffiliated with any base, Zheng Yadong was notoriously unruly, often disrespecting base executives and even threatening to roll tanks into the city center and level the office building.

Recently, following Huo Sicheng’s accident, unrest had been brewing, and people from other bases were trying to drive a wedge between Zheng Yadong and Huo Sicheng. Zheng Yadong, having caught wind of some rumors, had grown suspicious of Huo Sicheng’s intentions.

Huo Sicheng sneered, took the phone, and with a few words, he calmed Zheng Yadong’s nerves while asserting his authority. In a firm tone, he added, "Don’t think I’m unaware of your little games."

Zheng Yadong quickly apologized on the phone, "Chairman Huo, you’re wise. I tell my men every day to follow your commands. I’m just waiting for you to become the alliance governor so you can recruit us as a regular army."

"Enough with the flattery. Keep your men in line."

Huo Sicheng hung up the phone.

Aide Wen said, "Chairman, I’m still looking into the Junshan Tower incident and will have results as soon as possible."

"I appreciate your efforts."

"Mrs. Huo visited the office the day before yesterday, but since you’d previously ordered that she not be allowed in the base’s key facilities, security turned her away at the door."

Huo Sicheng frowned at the mention of Ruan Yunzheng. "Good. Keep it that way."

"Understood."

After Aide Wen left, Huo Sicheng started thinking about tonight’s sleeping arrangements.

He leaned against the headboard, gazing at the weather outside.

It seemed the rain would continue. Through the window, he could hear the steady drip of water from the eaves. The air was heavy with dampness, and the low pressure was suffocating.

This was a sign of an impending storm, complete with thunder and lightning. By then, Huo Xiaobao would surely be frightened.

When Huo Xiaobao gets scared, he insists on having Mom and Dad sleep with him.

Then Zhong Xi would have to bring over his pillow and blanket.

Huo Sicheng thought to himself: This was not good news.