Tempting Huo to Marry

Chapter 24: Wait for Me to Come Back The man’s warm palm covered hers. It caught her off guard. Xia Wan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she was momentarily lost in thought. Huo Qingsui seemed oblivious to her unease, naturally pulling her to her feet. His deep, magnetic voice struck the softest part of her heart: “Let’s go. I’ll walk you home.” Xia Wan snapped back to her senses, remembering she hadn’t said goodbye to the two people across from them: “Wait…” “It’s fine, don’t worry about them.” Huo Qingsui simply wrapped an arm around her waist and led her forward. The moment his hand rested on her waist, Xia Wan stiffened slightly once more, her heartbeat becoming erratic. Inside the private room, Li Youlin watched the two figures walk away with a meaningful gaze, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his typically sensual, thin lips. By the time Xia Wan came to her senses, she was already seated in the passenger seat, and the burning heat against her waist was gone. She let out a quiet sigh of relief. But the very next second, every nerve in her body went on high alert! “You… what are you doing?” The man’s cool, aloof, and aristocratic features suddenly loomed before her, and his uniquely crisp, clean scent enveloped her forcefully. They were very close, their breaths mingling with an indescribable, suggestive aura. Xia Wan instinctively wanted to back away. “Helping you fasten your seatbelt,” Huo Qingsui said casually, glancing at her. As he spoke, there was a click—the seatbelt was fastened, and the inexplicable sense of pressure surrounding her vanished. Xia Wan let out a sigh of relief. Huo Qingsui looked at her, a faint smile flickering in his deep, enigmatic eyes. With a smirk, he asked, “Otherwise, what did you think it was? Hmm?” The rising inflection was both sexy and alluring. But to Xia Wan, it sounded like nothing but blatant teasing. “Hmph! How should I know?” Her hand, resting on the armrest, unconsciously clenched into a fist. She turned her head away, feeling extremely frustrated—it seemed she was losing her composure more and more often in front of this man. She hated this unfamiliar feeling. Huo Qingsui glanced at her slightly flushed, delicate earlobe, gave a barely perceptible smile, and said nothing more. The Bentley pulled away slowly. After a long silence, Xia Wan suddenly remembered something very important and had to turn to look at him: “Huo Qingsui?” “Hmm?” “About what happened at the Tingyue Club that day—you still haven’t told me the truth. What exactly happened?” Huo Qingsui gave her a sidelong glance: “You want to know?” “Of course!” Xia Wan was genuinely annoyed by his nonchalant attitude. “Xia Wan.” Xia Wan glared at him surreptitiously: “Spit it out.” From an angle she couldn’t see, the corner of Huo Qingsui’s thin lips curled upward. He spoke, his expression dead serious: “I’m a businessman, and business is all about profit. I, Huo Qingsui, never make deals that lose money, so…” He paused deliberately for a few seconds before slowly adding, “What do you have to offer me in exchange?” “Huo! Qing! Sui!” Xia Wan snapped, no longer holding back, glaring at him with pure fury. Could this man possibly be any more shameless?! A fleeting smile flickered in his eyes. Huo Qingsui acted as if he didn’t sense her fury, responding casually, “Hmm, go ahead.” Xia Wan fought the urge to curse, took a deep breath, and ground out through clenched teeth, “I treated you to dinner that day!” Huo Qingsui raised his eyes, his expression impassive: “Did you get to eat it?” Xia Wan: “……” Seriously… this is ridiculous! “Hmph!” She snorted loudly and, with a show of pride, turned her head away. If he won’t say it, she’ll find out herself! Huo Qingsui finally couldn’t help but chuckle slightly and change the subject: “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. It’ll be about a week. You have a week to think it over.” He’s going on a business trip? Which meant she wouldn’t have to see him for a whole week? Awesome! Xia Wan instantly cheered up. Even without seeing her face-to-face, Huo Qingsui could imagine her expression, so he didn’t call her out on it: “While I’m away from Qingcheng, if anything comes up, you can reach out to Li Youlin and Wen Mochen. Be good, got it?” Xia Wan pouted. She wasn’t about to pay him any mind. Huo Qingsui didn’t mind. He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel and said, “Wait for me to come back.” Though they were just four simple words, they felt like a feather—suddenly and gently brushing against the tip of Xia Wan’s heart. Her body froze in place, yet the gaze from behind her grew inexplicably intense. The next day. When Xia Wan woke up, Huo Qingsui was already gone. With him gone, Xia Wan felt a sense of ease she had never experienced before. During the day, she either spent time with Aunt Zhou tending to the flowers and plants, or stayed upstairs in her study attending to her own affairs. Since she had decided to stay in Qingcheng, she knew she had to find a job. She began paying attention to the local entertainment scene and sent out a few resumes. Three days of relatively leisurely days passed in the blink of an eye. On the third night, Xia Wan went to bed early because she was a bit tired from the day. In her drowsy state, her phone began to vibrate incessantly. She rolled over and decided to ignore it. However, the phone continued to vibrate merrily, showing no signs of stopping until she answered. Xia Wan tugged at her hair in frustration, closed her eyes, and held the phone to her ear, her tone not exactly friendly: “Hello?” “Xia Wan, you’re actually still asleep? Get the hell out here! Right now! This instant!” The powerful shout jolted Xia Wan awake, and she snapped her eyes open. Fifty minutes later, at Lanting. A place known throughout Qingcheng as a gathering spot for the wealthy. Xia Wan stared at the person across from him, who was sitting with his legs crossed. “Speak!” Gu Yan was furious. Xia Wan chose her words carefully and explained the situation simply and clearly, omitting, of course, the fact that she had forced herself on Huo Qingsui: “It’s only for a year. We’ll get divorced after a year.” “Xia Wan, you… you’ve really made a name for yourself!” Gu Yan sneered coldly. “Who do you think Huo Qingsui is? How dare you mess with him?” Xia Wan felt a headache coming on and softened his tone: “Yan Yan…” Gu Yan remained unmoved. Knowing he was worried about her, Xia Wan could only try to soothe him: “Don’t worry, I can handle this. When have you ever seen me get the short end of the stick? Weren’t you going to watch the show? Let’s go.” “You…” Gu Yan wanted to scold her, but thinking of all the things that had happened to her recently, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Though his expression remained sour, he stood up anyway. “Let’s go. But just wait until Wei Ran gets back—let’s see how she deals with you!” Xia Wan gave a carefree chuckle and stood up as well. The lighting was too dim, and she didn’t see what she stepped on. She slipped, and her whole body lurched forward! “Watch out!” Gu Yan acted quickly, pulling her into his arms. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” “Click—” Neither of them noticed that, from a corner, someone had already been capturing every moment of their encounter. The paparazzo who’d snapped the photos whistled contentedly and was about to slip away quietly. But before he could take two steps, he was stopped! “Hand them over.” Under the dim lighting, a low, chilling voice sent a sudden shiver down one’s spine.