Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Huo Yanshen had lied to Shen Ling—he hadn't gone to the office today.

After the car left the villa, it turned directly onto the ring road expressway, heading south until it drove through the gray gatehouse of the old estate.

The Huo family's old mansion wasn't in downtown Haishi; it sat halfway up a mountain, with layered eaves stacked high. Above the door hung an ebony plaque engraved with four large characters: "Huo Clan Ancestral Hall." The paint had long since dulled, like dried blood.

Candles burned in rows along the altar table, their flames flickering and swaying in the draft that cut through the hall, casting the shadows of the layered ancestral tablets against the walls.

Today was the Huo family's ancestral worship day.

Though framed as a remembrance of forebears, it felt more like an inspection of the living.

Members of the Huo family stood in rows according to seniority and branch lineage, a dense, silent crowd in black.

Chen Xitong stood in the darkest corner at the very end, wearing a plain high-collared dress in a muted color, without a hint of color on her lips. She usually loved dressing up, but today she didn't even dare wear earrings.

Her father's family ranking had slipped two places last month, so she had to stand one row farther back, take one more step backward.

On the left side of the main hall hung an LED screen. Amid the layers of ancestral tablets and flickering candlelight, the screen glared with jarring brightness, scrolling real-time rankings.

Behind each person's name trailed a string of numbers—assets, position, social influence, children's education...

Everything quantified. Everything displayed publicly.

Huo Yanshen stood in the first row.

Someone at the front read out the year's achievements of family members. "Huo Yanshen, CEO of the Huo Group, 23% annual revenue growth, acquisition of Anhua Industrial..."

Huo Yanshen listened to his own name being spoken by someone else's mouth, his face utterly blank.

All he could feel was a pair of gazes at his back, like a cold, wet tongue licking the back of his neck.

It was Huo Yanqing and Huo Yanbai—his second and third older brothers. They stood in the second row, their faces as solemn and reverent as everyone else's, but beneath their eyes lurked hidden ambitions.

In last year's family ranking, Huo Yanshen had edged them out. This year, the gap had only widened. Huo Yanqing's subsidiary had been acquired and restructured, and Huo Yanbai's overseas investments had stepped on two landmines in a row. When their achievements were read this year, their list of achievements was pitifully sparse.

Huo Yanshen didn't turn around. His shoulders and back remained perfectly still, as if those stares were just a flicker of candlelight.

After the ceremony concluded, the crowd filed out of the ancestral hall by seniority.

As Huo Yanshen stepped over the threshold, the old estate's steward hurried up to him: "Young Master, the Old Master requests you in the study."

Huo Yanshen followed the steward through several courtyards and pushed open a carved wooden door.

Old Master Huo sat in a traditional wooden armchair, cradling a lidded teacup. The room smelled of sandalwood and old books, mixed with the faint smell of medicinal ointment from the old man.

"Yanshen, come sit." Old Master Huo looked up, smiling kindly, his wrinkles bunching up like a temple's smiling longevity god at New Year.

He tapped the table with his fingertip. "That recent PR issue—how's it being handled?"

"It's taken care of."

"Good, good." Old Master Huo nodded repeatedly. "You're a capable man; I've always trusted you. But... that young man with the surname Shen, if he won't cooperate, we can always use other methods."

The teacup landed on the rosewood table with a soft clink.

"You wouldn't throw away your future for some nobody, would you?"

Huo Yanshen gave a cold laugh but didn't answer. He just watched the hand holding the teacup.

The veins on the back of that hand were knotted and bulging, the knuckles swollen and misshapen, trembling slightly as it held the cup.

He suddenly remembered—this hand hadn't used to tremble.

Huo Yanshen had knelt on the stone slabs of the ancestral hall many times. His two older brothers had both been ruined by the way they were raised, so Old Master Huo's discipline of him had been especially strict.

The steward had traded the ruler for a horsewhip—thirty lashes, counted out one by one. He knelt before those ancestral tablets, blood seeping through and sticking the fabric to his skin, while Old Master Huo sat in the armchair in the main hall watching, separated by an open threshold, those eyes smiling just like they were today.

Before Huo Yanshen blacked out, the last thing he heard was his grandfather holding his teacup and saying with a grin: "A Huo child—if you don't beat them, they won't amount to anything."

Back then, Old Master Huo had been full of vigor. Now, sitting in the same armchair, he used the same words to threaten.

But his voice was like an old drum beaten too many times—the breath leaked through the cracks, no longer able to hold that killing edge.

Huo Yanshen watched his hand tremble, a drop of tea spilling from the lid's gap and landing on the rosewood table.

He waited for the drop to soak in, then looked up.

"Grandfather, you've grown old."

The smile on Old Master Huo's face stiffened for a moment.

Huo Yanshen took a step back, straightening his cuff. "As for my affairs, I won't trouble you with them anymore."

The study door closed behind him.

The old estate's damp chill still clung to his skin. Huo Yanshen got into the car, cranked the AC to max, and waited for the air to cycle through before pulling out his phone.

At the top of his chat list, messages from "Baby" sat there:

"Dear husband, by the time you read this WeChat message, I should already be on my way to the high-speed rail station. Heading to Xuncheng to find some inspiration. Don't worry about me, I'll be back in four days (′▽`)"

An hour later, Shen Ling sent another image.

Huo Yanshen opened it—the scenery outside the bullet train window blurred into streaks, and reflected in the glass was Shen Ling's half-profile.

Below it was a message: "It's so hot outside, but the car has AC hehe [bunny eating watermelon.jpg]"

Huo Yanshen saved the photo to his camera roll, then opened the weather app and changed the location to Xuncheng.

Xuncheng: Sunny, feels like 37°C.

Huo Yanshen's eyebrow twitched.

He slipped the phone into his suit's inner pocket and said to the driver, "To Xuncheng."

The driver said, "Mr. Huo, there's still the meeting with Dingsheng tonight—"

"Cancel it."

The driver was speechless.

Whatever.

Shen Ling felt like he was about to be roasted.

*

In July, Xuncheng's air was thick with heatwaves. Shen Ling pressed his sun hat down further, zipped his UV jacket up to the highest, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed, like a dumpling whose filling was showing.

The train station entrance was ridiculously crowded, with scorching exhaust fumes and the smell of sweat from the crowd mixing together, making him dizzy and lightheaded.

Shen Ling pulled out his phone to book a ride-hailing car, but it started overheating after a short while. He pinched the edge of his phone case, feeling like he was clutching a ticking time bomb.

He endured the burning sensation in his palm to open Didi, the GPS icon spinning around a couple of times before a cold message popped up:

"There are many people in the queue right now. The driver will pick you up after finishing the next ride, okay~ Estimated wait time: 15 minutes."

Shen Ling: "..."

He thought for a moment, then quietly switched to the premium ride option.

Paid an extra 100 yuan, and got a driver in three seconds.

After booking the ride, Shen Ling exhaled and wiped the sweat off his face.

Thank God, thank God he had five million yuan a month to blow.

The premium car arrived fast, and the AC brought him back to life. Shen Ling curled up in the back seat messing with his phone for a while, sent Huo Yanshen his location, scrolled through a couple of Weibo feeds, and his eyelids slowly started to droop.

He felt like something was stuck in his stomach, like his breakfast hadn't fully digested. He pressed and rubbed his stomach, then leaned against the window and dozed off.

After what felt like forever, the driver's voice came from the front, "Kid, we're here. Can't drive in any further."

Shen Ling blearily looked out the window, hauled his suitcase out and got out. The moment the door shut, the heat slammed into him.

The road at the village entrance was too narrow for the car to enter, so he had to walk.

Shen Ling dragged his small suitcase, the wheels rattling and bumping over the dirt road. He walked maybe five hundred meters, sweat soaking his forehead and back, so stuffy he could barely breathe.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

His sweat-drenched bangs were sticking to his forehead, blocking his view, and he didn't even bother to check who was calling. Tired and hot, his voice came out a little annoyed when he answered.

"Who?"

The line went quiet for a moment, then Huo Yanshen's deep voice came through, "Babe, it's me."

Shen Ling's irritation instantly fizzled out.

His shoulders sagged, "Husband..."

Huo Yanshen asked, "Where are you?"

Shen Ling: "Just... Huilong Village. You can check my wristband."

"Mm," there was the sound of brakes on Huo Yanshen's end, probably in a car, "I'll come get you."

"Ah?" Shen Ling was taken aback, "Th-this is way too much trouble for you..."

There was no reply for a moment, then after two seconds, Huo Yanshen asked, "Hot?"

Shen Ling's lips moved, the word "fine" lingered on the tip of his tongue, but in the end he honestly said, "Mm."

"Is there anywhere shady nearby?"

Shen Ling looked around and spotted a farm stay sign up ahead.

"Yeah, there's a farm stay."

"Go inside and cool off for a bit," Huo Yanshen said, "It's too hot outside."

Shen Ling dragged his suitcase and pushed open the farm stay door, the wind chime above the door jingled.

The cold air from the AC hit him, but immediately after, a heavy, greasy smell hit his nose.

Shen Ling's stomach lurched.

The oily smell seemed to crawl down his throat and churn around in his stomach. He covered his mouth, his face turning pale.

The lady boss poked her head out from behind the counter, "Eating?"

Shen Ling pressed his hand over his mouth for a few seconds before saying, "...Yeah."

He ordered two dishes and found a seat in the corner farthest from the kitchen.

The food came out fast—a plate of twice-cooked pork and a plate of stir-fried vegetables. They actually looked decent, but when Shen Ling picked up his chopsticks and took a slice of meat, the greasy smell hit his nose as soon as it got near his mouth.

He put the meat back and picked up a piece of green vegetable.

The vegetable was coated in a shiny layer of oil, tasting like a mouthful of cooled lard.

Shen Ling put down his chopsticks, staring blankly at the two dishes in front of him, and the dishes stared blankly back at him.

...Why are you so oily.

Shen Ling rubbed his stomach—it was flat, with a faint discomfort. He sighed, laid his head down on the table, and buried his face in his arms.

The wind chime jingled again.

Shen Ling didn't look up, assuming it was another customer entering. Until footsteps stopped beside him, and a hand gently landed on the back of his head.

"What's wrong, babe?"

Shen Ling lifted his face from his arms. Huo Yanshen stood beside him, a thin layer of sweat on his temples.

Shen Ling's lips pouted, "Can't eat, it's too oily."

Huo Yanshen wiped the fine sweat from the tip of his nose, "Then don't eat. What do you want?"

Shen Ling suddenly blurted out, "I want a popsicle."

Huo Yanshen frowned, "Your stomach is uncomfortable right now, you can't have that."

Shen Ling repeated, "I want a popsicle."

Huo Yanshen looked at him, his tone calm but firm, "You can't."

Shen Ling didn't know what had come over him. His mind was blank now, filled with nothing but one big popsicle.

"I want it," his voice carried a hint of nasality, "I want a popsicle."

Huo Yanshen looked down at Shen Ling. His baby's eyes were moist, full of unreasonable stubbornness, chin slightly raised, showing a stance of absolute refusal to back down.

Huo Yanshen's heart softened a little, but the popsicles sold at these small county shops had packaging printed in garish colors, with ingredient lists longer than an arm, all artificial flavors and coloring. He couldn't give him that.

Huo Yanshen bent down to pick up Shen Ling's suitcase, then reached out to grab Shen Ling's arm.

Shen Ling twisted the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

Huo Yanshen crouched down, turning his back to him. "Hop on."

Shen Ling had no choice but to reach out and loop his arms around Huo Yanshen's neck from behind.

Huo Yanshen carried Shen Ling to the car and settled him into the back seat first. He pulled an insulated bag from the back seat, containing meal boxes the kitchen had prepared.

Quinoa salad, smoked salmon rolls, a small box of strawberries, and a thermos of warm pumpkin soup.

These were all Shen Ling's go-to favorites.

Huo Yanshen unscrewed the salad lid, placed the fork on top, and handed it to Shen Ling.

Shen Ling glanced at it, then set the fork aside. "I don't want to eat."

Huo Yanshen looked at him. "Just eat a little."

"I want a popsicle."

Huo Yanshen gave in. "Finish the salad, and you can have half a popsicle."

Shen Ling's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really."

Shen Ling picked up the fork again and bowed his head to eat the salad. After a few bites, he realized, a little late, that he was actually hungry. The hunger, awakened by the first two bites, came rushing back with a vengeance. He finished the salad and ate two of the salmon rolls, too.

Huo Yanshen watched him eat from the side, his gaze fixed on the way Shen Ling's cheeks puffed up and then went down, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Shen Ling set down the empty box, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then held out his hand, palm up, to Huo Yanshen.

Huo Yanshen took half a popsicle from the car fridge, tore off the wrapper, and put it in his palm.

Shen Ling held the popsicle with both hands, taking little nibbles, the ice cream melting on his tongue.

After finishing the half, he licked the stick clean and glanced at Huo Yanshen, clearly wanting more.

Huo Yanshen pretended not to notice and told the driver to throw it away.

With a full belly, drowsiness crept back in. Shen Ling slept again, this time long and deep. When he woke up, the sun was already slanting west, no longer so harsh.

He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "How long was I out?"

"Over an hour," Huo Yanshen said, lifting his suit jacket off Shen Ling's shoulder. "Sleep well?"

Shen Ling nodded, then, as if remembering something, reached out and caught Huo Yanshen's wrist. "Come on, let me show you."

Shen Ling pulled Huo Yanshen out of the car, hand in hand. When they reached a fork in the road, he suddenly stopped, pointed at a crooked tree, and turned to Huo Yanshen. "I lived here until I was five."

The locust tree was still there, its crown even more lopsided now. Beneath it was a patch of bare dirt overgrown with weeds, a few broken bricks half-buried in the grass.

Shen Ling gestured at the empty space. "There used to be a tile-roofed house here, with a well by the door. My... my mom used to wash vegetables by the well every morning, and I'd squat nearby catching grasshoppers."

He pointed to the other side. "That used to be rice paddies, but now they've been filled in and built over. On summer nights, it was all frog calls, so loud you couldn't sleep."

At that, he suddenly smiled. "It's quiet now, though."

Huo Yanshen stood behind him, watching. Shen Ling's profile was bathed in orange light from the setting sun, a fine sheen of sweat on the tip of his nose, his brows curved in a gentle arc.

Huo Yanshen suddenly said, "I know."

Shen Ling stopped mid-step and turned to look at him.

The setting sun split Huo Yanshen's face into half light and half shadow. Those dark eyes looked down at him, reflecting the last trace of orange on the horizon.

"How do you know?" Shen Ling asked, his eyes widening slightly. "Have you been here before?"

==========Author's Note:==========

The little one's already in the belly now.