Tempting Huo to Marry

Chapter 25: The Lady Will Miss Me At the doorway, Li Youlin leaned lazily against the wall. He casually tapped the ash from his cigarette, tilted his head back slightly to take a drag, then exhaled the smoke. His unhurried movements, the mischievous curve of his thin lips, and the seemingly gentlemanly smile etched in the depths of his eyes left the paparazzi too terrified to even breathe. “Young Master Li…” the paparazzi looked at him with a mix of hesitation and fear. After finishing his last drag, a condescending smile spread across Li Youlin’s face: “Give it to me, or not? Hmm?” “I’ll give it! The paparazzo shuddered, no longer daring to harbor any ulterior motives. He forced a sycophantic smile and held out the camera with both hands. Li Youlin took it with satisfaction. Seeing the paparazzo still standing there, he couldn’t help but grow irritated: “Aren’t you leaving yet?” The paparazzo felt like crying but had no tears to shed, inwardly lamenting his plight. Just then, a fair-skinned, beautiful woman wrapped herself around him, her body going limp as she draped herself over Li Youlin: “Young Master Li, what are you looking at? I’ve been waiting for you for ages. Is there anything more beautiful than me?” Li Youlin leisurely looked through the photos one by one. A smile curved his thin lips, and in a good mood, he pinched the beauty’s cheek: “I’ve got things to do. Let’s meet up next time, okay?” “Alright, but don’t forget about me, Mr. Li.” Though she was clearly reluctant, she didn’t dare to insist. After tossing him a flirtatious glance, the beauty swayed her slender waist and left with an air of irresistible allure. Li Youlin lifted his gaze, watching the direction Xia Wan and Gu Yan had just left, a smile still playing at the corners of his lips. London, England. As soon as Huo Qingsui finished the meeting, Shi Jun walked over and respectfully handed him a phone: “Young Master Huo, Li Shi called a moment ago. He knew you were in a meeting, so he didn’t say much. He said that once you’re done, you should check your email first and then call him back.” “Mm, got it.” Huo Qingsui took the phone and casually opened his email. A minute later, his expression darkened. His inbox was filled with photos of Xia Wan—or, to be precise, photos of Xia Wan and a man of similar age at the Lanting at night. The two looked very intimate. In some photos, she was looking down with a faint smile; in others, she was laughing helplessly. The most striking one was the photo of her being pulled into the young man’s embrace. She didn’t struggle. Huo Qingsui looked at the photos, his dark eyes holding a depth that others could not fathom. A few seconds later, he dialed Li Youlin’s number, his voice low and calm: “What’s up?” “Haven’t you seen the photos?” Li Youlin chuckled lightly, as if speaking of the most ordinary thing. “I did,” Huo Qingsui replied nonchalantly. Li Youlin casually crossed his legs, gently swirling the red wine in his stemmed glass. He deliberately slowed his speech and chuckled, “Don’t you have any thoughts on this? They’ve been childhood sweethearts who grew up together. Rumor has it they’re very close. Staying up late at night instead of sleeping, meeting at Lanting… Fourth Brother…” Huo Qingsui’s gaze remained cool: “Is that all you have to say to me?” “Yes and no.” Setting her legs down, Li Youlin rose gracefully. “Fourth Brother, have you ever considered that you’ve given all your tenderness to that little girl? What if…” “There are no ‘ifs.’ ” Huo Qingsui turned his gaze toward the floor-to-ceiling window. The weather today was exceptionally fine; from this vantage point, the setting sun was beautiful. His eagle-like eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile—one of absolute certainty. After waiting for her for so many years and finally binding her to his side, how could he possibly let her go now? Silence fell on both ends of the line simultaneously. A moment later, Li Youlin chuckled. “I understand.” “Mm-hmm.” Huo Qingsui nodded. Without further conversation, the call ended. Huo Qingsui looked down, his gaze resting on the smiling photo of Xia Wan, and gently traced it with his fingertips. “Shi Jun,” he called out. “Present, Young Master Huo.” Pulling his gaze away, Huo Qingsui ordered, “Try to shorten the itinerary as much as possible.” Shi Jun paused, then asked curiously, “Further shorten it? Young Master Huo, are we in such a hurry to get back?” Hearing this, Huo Qingsui turned around, gave him a half-hearted glance, and smiled faintly: “We’re newlyweds. We’ve been apart for too long; my wife will miss me.” Shi Jun’s mouth twitched. “……” Young Master Huo, you really aren’t just thinking about your wife, are you? Time flew by, and before they knew it, the day of Xu Jialing and Xiao Ran’s engagement had arrived. At 4:00 p. m. , Xia Wan went to a studio for a styling session. A little over an hour later, Gu Yan came to pick her up. “Shh—” Watching Xia Wan walk toward him, Gu Yan couldn’t help but whistle. “Wanwan, you look absolutely stunning today.” Xia Wan’s doll-like face, with its vivid and striking features, was perfectly complemented by her subtle, natural makeup. A beige, ankle-length Valentino haute couture gown accentuated her slender, delicate curves, adding an extra touch of femininity. “Let’s go,” Xia Wan said with a faint smile, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with a captivating glow that left one spellbound. Gu Yan raised an eyebrow and opened the car door for her. At six o’clock, they arrived at the engagement venue right on time. “Wanwan,” Gu Yan said with a smile, extending a gentlemanly invitation. Xia Wan pursed her lips, gave a faint smile, and linked her arm through his. The two walked forward at a leisurely pace. Xiao Ran was standing at the entrance greeting guests when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Xia Wan drawing closer. Once he saw her, he couldn’t look away. He had never known that Xia Wan could be so beautiful. She wore an off-the-shoulder long dress, her fair, rounded shoulders fully exposed, and her sexy, beautiful collarbones seemed to tempt one into sin. In every movement, two completely different auras—innocence and allure—blended perfectly within her, making it impossible to look away. Xiao Ran’s gaze darkened involuntarily. Xu Jialing keenly sensed his change and followed his gaze— Xia Wan…… Her hand at her side clenched into a fist without her realizing it. She suddenly felt as if an invisible hand were clutching her heart; the suffocating sensation was unbearable. “Xiao Ran…” She clung to his arm, unable to help but grip him tightly. Xiao Ran snapped back to reality: “Jia Ning…” As they spoke, Xia Wan and Gu Yan had already approached them. Xu Jialing lowered his gaze, steadied his composure, and when he looked up again, he wore the same gentle smile as before: “Wanwan, Yanyan, you’re here.” Xia Wan gave her a cold, dismissive glance but didn’t respond. Xu Jialing felt a moment of awkwardness; her slender fingers twisted together, a look of helplessness and innocence on her face. “Xia…” His Adam’s apple bobbed as Xiao Ran was about to speak. Gu Yan interrupted him with a half-smile, though his words were directed at Xu Jialing: “Could I not come? After all, I had to be here to witness your pure love—the kind where you’d do anything to be together.” ” He paused, as if studying them intently, and only after a long moment did he nod leisurely. “You know what? Looking at you two today, you actually make a pretty good match.” Xu Jialing’s face flushed slightly: “Yan…” “After all, a whore and a dog—they’re meant to be together forever, aren’t they?” Gu Yan interrupted with a cold laugh, making no attempt to hide the contempt in his eyes. Xu Jialing’s exquisitely made-up face flushed crimson in an instant, then turned deathly pale. “Wanwan…” Biting her lip, her eyes filled with tears as she looked pitifully at Xia Wan. Xia Wan looked cold and impassive, his heart completely unmoved: “How many times do I have to tell you? Stop calling me.” As if unable to bear the blow, Xu Jialing nearly lost his balance, his face twisted with deep resentment. Xiao Ran finally couldn’t hold back any longer. His brows knitted tightly together as he glared at the two before him with a look of both displeasure and complexity: “Are you done yet? Do you have to be like this? Can’t you stop hurting Jialing!” “Is that what you call hurting her?” Xia Wan snorted dismissively, meeting his gaze with indifference. “You!” Gu Yan snorted. “Wanwan, let’s go inside. The air out here is bad.” “Alright.” Without another glance at the pair, Xia Wan walked past them and went inside. But as soon as he stepped inside, he saw the very people he didn’t want to see. Xia Zhengtao, and Jiang Manni standing beside him. “You bastard! What are you doing here?!” Xia Zhengtao’s face was icy, his voice filled with rage. Xia Wan sneered. With a father like this, she didn’t want to say a single word to him. Xia Zhengtao’s anger flared at the blatant mockery in her expression: “Xia…” “Zhengtao,” Jiang Manni, standing nearby, intervened disapprovingly, softening her voice to soothe him. “Don’t be like this. We’re not at home, and besides, Wanwan is still young. Let me talk to her first.” Her words had the desired effect, giving Xia Zhengtao a way out. Despite his continued dissatisfaction, Xia Zhengtao suppressed his anger: “Fine.” But after a moment’s thought, he couldn’t resist issuing a warning to Xia Wan: “If you dare do anything to Jialing or Xiao Ran today, just wait and see what I’ll do to you!” With that, he turned and walked away. Apart from heartbreak, Xia Wan couldn’t find any other words to describe how she felt at that moment. This was Xia Zhengtao, her father. Hmph. “Wanwan?” Gu Yan was worried she was upset, but didn’t know how to comfort her. “I’m fine.” Xia Wan gave a cold snort, her expression indifferent, her gaze distant. “Wanwan, it’s been a long time.” Jiang Manni’s melodious voice rang out at that moment. Xia Wan lifted her gaze to look. Jiang Manni curved her lips into an almost imperceptible smile, her demeanor as poised and graceful as ever, without a trace of awkwardness: “I know you might not be able to accept our current situation right away. I don’t expect your blessing. What I want to tell you is that I won’t compete with you for anything. Wanwan…” She paused, as if choosing her words carefully: “Your father… treats me very well. We’re very happy together.” “Is that so?” Xia Wan shot her a glance, a cold, mocking smile in his eyes. “When you were having fun, did you ever think of my mother?” Jiang Manni’s smile froze on his face. Xia Wan curled his lips, exuding an aura that was both laid-back yet sharp. Jiang Manni’s face gradually turned pale. After a long moment, she seemed to gather her courage and looked at Gu Yan, forcing a smile as she said, “Gu Yan, I’d like to have a private word with you.” “Forget it,” Gu Yan replied with a cold laugh. “After all, you’re Mrs. Xia now—a married woman. It’s best if we keep our distance.” Every word cut deep. For the first time in all these years, Jiang Manni understood the true meaning of those four words. Gu Yan didn’t look at her again and followed Xia Wan inside. Before long, Gu Yan received an important call and went out to the garden. Xia Wan stayed alone for a while. Feeling a bit thirsty, he headed toward the drinks station. Just as he reached it, a furious voice rang out from behind him. “Xia Wan!”