Tempting Huo to Marry

Chapter 35: Help Me Bathe Huo Qingsui’s cold, piercing gaze swept casually over the scene. A powerful aura enveloped the area. “You… you… what are you doing?” A timid figure swallowed hard and instinctively took a step back. A seemingly icy smile curled at the corner of Huo Qingsui’s lips. A low voice, clear as spring water, emerged from deep within his throat, yet every single word was enough to send shivers down one’s spine: “Take them to the police station first. We’ll teach them a lesson.” The police station?! The cowardly one instantly turned pale, his body trembling uncontrollably. The young delinquent girl, unable to contain her fear, screamed at the top of her lungs: “You dare! Do you know who my dad is?! You, you… my dad…” Huo Qingsui curled his lips, not even bothering to respond. “Oh? Your dad?” Li Youlin, standing nearby, picked up on her words. His eyes narrowed lazily, his gaze deep and dark yet clearly amused. “Your dad can’t save you either.” The young delinquent’s face flushed with anger. “Take her away.” Li Youlin snorted derisively, speaking lazily to the several henchmen who had just arrived. “Yes, Young Master Li.” The young delinquent stared in terror at the group approaching them—clearly a group of trained fighters—her breathing so ragged she couldn’t even form a complete sentence. The next second, her furious gaze shot toward Xia Wan. Xia Wan gave her a casual glance, paying her no mind. Lowering her gaze, her eyes inadvertently fell upon the hand wrapped by Huo Qingsui. A searing heat, wave after wave, enveloped her entire being. “Let’s go.” Fearing she might lose herself, Xia Wan pressed her lips together, struggling to pull her wandering thoughts back. Her fingers trembled slightly. She lowered her head, ready to break free and walk away on her own. “Whoa…” She heard a faint gasp coming from the man beside her. “Huo Qingsui! Are you okay?” Xia Wan furrowed her brow; thinking of his leg, endless worry flashed in her eyes. Huo Qingsui subtly tightened his grip on her hand, denying her the chance to break free. Then, with a barely perceptible frown, he whispered, “I’m fine. Hold onto me.” Support him? Is it that serious? Xia Wan froze for a moment, but she snapped back to her senses in just a few seconds and didn’t hesitate: “Okay.” Huo Qingsui leaned almost entirely on her. This brought them extremely close together. A crisp, familiar scent lingered at Xia Wan’s nostrils, refusing to fade. Xia Wan assumed his injury was causing him severe pain; she bit her lip, feeling both worried and frustrated. What she didn’t know was that, from an angle she couldn’t see, the corner of Huo Qingsui’s thin lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint, triumphant smile. As she got into the car, Xia Wan forgot that her left arm was still injured; she accidentally tugged at it, and a wave of pain washed over her. “Ouch!” “What’s wrong?” Huo Qingsui’s chiseled brows furrowed as he gently took her hand to examine it. “What happened?” His eyes darkened to an almost frightening degree. A strange sensation flitted across her heart, and Xia Wan shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just a scrape. I’ll put some ointment on it when we get back.” She pulled her hand back, refusing to let him look any further. The warmth and texture of her palm were gone. Huo Qingsui looked down at her, a sense of loss rising in his heart, followed immediately by inexplicable anger: “You know you’re hurt, yet you’re still trying to tough it out? Hmm?” “Putting on a brave face?” Xia Wan blinked, then quickly caught on. The corners of her lips curled up imperceptibly, a mischievous gleam flashing in her eyes. She smiled. “Just a bunch of kids. I can handle them. I took Taekwondo lessons for a while back in the day.” “Is that so?” Huo Qingsui looked at her, his eyes deep and dark, the curve of his thin lips seeming to mock her. “Last time at Tingyue, how did you end up looking so disheveled?” “You!” Xia Wan hadn’t expected this man to suddenly bring up that incident in the middle of their conversation. She pouted, looked away, and said indignantly, “That was different. Besides, I’m sure Gu Yan would have found me anyway.” “Gu Yan?” Huo Qingsui repeated the name twice, his expression darkening further. Xia Wan didn’t notice his change in demeanor. She nodded to herself and said casually, “We agreed he’d call me once I was done with work, but I haven’t been able to reach him. He’s bound to notice something’s wrong. I just need to hold out until he comes looking for me.” Huo Qingsui’s facial features unconsciously hardened. So, when faced with danger, the first person she thought of was Gu Yan? Wen Mochen, who was driving up front, keenly sensed that something was off in the atmosphere. He stole a glance in the rearview mirror. After just one glance, he quickly averted his gaze. Although his fourth older brother’s face still wore that impassive, aloof expression, the enigmatic undercurrent deep in his eyes was truly… An eerie silence fell over the car. Xia Wan, slow to pick up on the tension, finally sensed something was off. She lifted her gaze and stole a glance at the man beside her. Was he angry? The Cayenne soon returned to Shengshi Group. Xia Wan was worried about Huo Qingsui’s leg and continued to support him. When they arrived at the ward, the doctor had been waiting inside for quite some time. Xia Wan thought the doctor was going to examine him, so he considered stepping out first. “Come here,” a cold, deep voice suddenly rang out. Xia Wan stopped in her tracks. “Come here.” Huo Qingsui’s dark eyes fixed on her as he spoke in a hushed tone, his voice leaving no room for argument. Xia Wan hesitated for a moment, but eventually walked over. As soon as she sat down by the bed, her left hand was grabbed. “Huo…” “Don’t move.” Huo Qingsui shot her a sidelong glance, his gaze cool and detached, then gently rolled up her sleeve to tend to her wound. Knowing she was always afraid of pain, he became even more careful in his movements. Xia Wan’s eyelashes, as thin as cicada wings, fluttered. From her perspective, she seemed to see tenderness pouring from the depths of his eyes, as if a beam of pure moonlight were shining down upon the ground. As her skin unexpectedly brushed against his fingertips, Xia Wan felt her heart flutter inexplicably; even her breathing slowed for a moment. She remembered that time in the study—he had changed her bandages with the same tenderness then. “Does it still hurt?” A deep, husky voice sounded by her ear. Xia Wan snapped back to reality. Lowering her gaze, she quickly pushed aside those unwarranted thoughts and shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt.” It didn’t actually hurt; she hadn’t been paying it much mind, but this man seemed different. She didn’t want to dwell on it, but in reality, her gaze couldn’t help but follow his movements as he tended to her wound. “Do you know medicine?” She suddenly recalled their first meeting, when she had fainted from a high fever in his room. When she woke up, he was about to give her an injection. Huo Qingsui’s hand paused imperceptibly for a moment before he replied in a flat tone, “Mm-hmm.” His voice was very low, as if it were drifting up from the depths of his throat. Xia Wan felt a hint of confusion; he didn’t seem eager to say much. But the thought flashed through her mind in an instant, and she didn’t dwell on it. Soon, the wound was treated. Finding herself alone with him in such a quiet setting, Xia Wan felt a slight unease. She pressed her lips together and jumped to her feet: “I’ll go get the doctor for you. Your leg…” “Are you worried?” Huo Qingsui looked up unexpectedly, fixing his gaze on her. Under the gaze of his deep, dark eyes, Xia Wan couldn’t help but feel her cheeks grow slightly warm. This indescribable feeling left her at a loss, even… panicked. “I’ll go get the doctor.” Without answering, she practically fled the room. The doctor had been waiting outside the door. Seeing Xia Wan open it, he nodded and stepped inside. Standing not far away were Li Youlin and Wen Mochen. Xia Wan thought of the thug Li Youlin had kicked out, so she stepped forward and said sincerely, “Thank you for what you did today.” Li Youlin leaned lazily against the wall, lifting his eyes to glance at her without any intention of responding. Fearing she might feel awkward, Wen Mochen quickly smiled and said, “You’re welcome. Go on inside—Fourth Brother will still need your help.” “Okay.” Xia Wan reached up to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear, then smiled slightly. With that, she turned and headed back to the ward. “Third Brother,” Wen Mochen finally spoke, puzzled, only after her figure had disappeared, “You seem to have always had a bone to pick with my sister-in-law?” Li Youlin lowered his gaze and remained silent. Wen Mochen frowned. “Third Brother, haven’t you noticed how Fourth Brother treats our little sister-in-law? Even if she doesn’t feel anything for him right now, Fourth Brother isn’t going to give up. He’s determined to have her. As his brothers…” “Mo Chen,” Li Youlin interrupted him calmly, “I’ve seen it clearly, which is exactly why I’m worried. I don’t want him to end up falling for a little girl like that. He was willing to risk his leg today just to go find her in person. If…” Wen Mochen glanced toward the hospital room, then shook his head after a moment: “Fourth Brother won’t.” “We’ll find out soon enough.” Li Youlin tugged at the corner of his lips, his eyes darkening. When Xia Wan returned to the hospital room, he just happened to hear the doctor giving instructions. “Young Master Huo, while you’re recovering, it’s best not to exert yourself like you did today. Otherwise, it will hinder your recovery.” Xia Wan grew anxious and asked worriedly, “Is it serious?” “Mrs. Huo,” the doctor turned at the sound of her voice and offered a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. It just requires Mrs. Huo’s careful and attentive care.” “I’m relieved to hear that. Thank you, Doctor.” Xia Wan exhaled in relief, but even so, a sense of guilt began to grow within her like a creeping vine. After giving her instructions, the doctor stepped out, thoughtfully closing the door behind him. Huo Qingsui lifted his gaze, his deep, piercing eyes resting on her. When he’d heard her worry about him just now, he couldn’t deny that the inexplicable jealousy that had been running rampant in his heart slowly began to fade. “Come here.” He looked at her, the corner of his thin lips curving into an almost imperceptible smile. Thinking he needed something, Xia Wan didn’t hesitate; she took a step forward: “What is it?” “Help me bathe.” Huo Qingsui said casually. “……” Xia Wan looked up at him suddenly, her clear eyes brimming with disbelief. She thought she must have heard wrong. Huo Qingsui’s gaze fell on her slightly parted, soft lips, and he felt surprisingly pleased. Lifting his eyes, he watched her as he repeated, enunciating each word: “Help me take a bath.” Xia Wan froze completely. Bat… bathe? Or was she supposed to bathe him? Her heart raced instantly, and her cheeks burned fiercely. Xia Wan swallowed hard, flustered and at a loss. Seeing that he was about to speak again, she hurriedly changed the subject: “Why would we take a bath in broad daylight? Let’s just talk about what happened today!”