The butler nearly fainted on the spot.
The bodyguard captain, carrying a down jacket, was startled. “What happened? What happened?”
The butler, who had been gone for barely half a minute, steadied himself with help. His graying hair seemed to grow longer with despair. “Fate cannot be defied…”
The bodyguard captain didn’t understand. He intended to deliver the down jacket to Mr. Liang but was immediately held back by the butler.
The butler clutched him. “Mr. Huo still doesn’t know what two circles with a point mean. If you get the chance, remind Mr. Liang to explain it to him.”
The bodyguard captain was dumbfounded. “…Huh?”
The butler said solemnly, “Mr. Huo is prone to susceptibility during rainy days. I couldn’t find the reason, but it might have something to do with his years in Jiangnan. Perhaps some wild little omega deceived him back then. Don’t tell Mr. Liang.”
The bodyguard captain: “…”
The butler continued, “President Huo has trouble sleeping at night. If he comes out asking for water, dissolve some sleeping pills into it and trick him into drinking it.”
“Wait a minute.” The bodyguard captain was both anxious and confused. “What’s going on exactly?”
“Mr. Huo actually knows, but he’ll drink it anyway so we can rest. He’s considerate like that.”
The butler choked up. “During his susceptibility periods, Mr. Huo occasionally cracks walnuts. If he can’t crack them perfectly, he’ll get sulky. He won’t throw a tantrum, but he might refuse to eat. Try to find thin-shelled ones for him…”
Hearing the butler’s words, which carried a faint sense of entrusting final duties, the bodyguard captain was horrified. Supporting the butler, he tried to ask more questions, but a sudden movement caught his attention in the dim light not far away.
Huo Lan had taken the umbrella from Liang Xiao’s hand.
Huo Lan thought back, reviewing all the times he had been with Liang Xiao in various weather conditions, but he still didn’t understand. “What—”
Before he could finish, Liang Xiao reached out toward him.
Huo Lan froze slightly.
Liang Xiao, steeling his nerves, ignored the possibility of freezing President Huo on the spot and pulled him into a full embrace.
Soaked through and dripping with water, Liang Xiao himself felt cold. Being on the sidelines like this, he also felt somewhat embarrassed about hugging someone so blatantly.
But he just couldn’t help it.
He had never been properly hugged by anyone, nor had he ever properly hugged someone. Doing this made him feel a lot better, and it was something Huo Lan had taught him.
President Huo appeared as composed as ever, standing quietly in the misty rain. Yet, for some reason, he seemed inexplicably lost and desolate.
Standing beside him, Liang Xiao couldn’t stop thinking about the younger Huo Lan.
Sometimes, obsessions are planted just like that.
You might not even notice it yourself, and afterward, you might not often recall it. But when you encounter the same weather, the same circumstances, or even just an unintentional flash of memory, you realize that you’ve never truly moved on.
Still stuck in place.
Liang Xiao understood and sighed softly.
Huo Lan, clearly not expecting this gesture, was momentarily stunned when he was suddenly embraced.
Liang Xiao, shivering from the cold, raised his arm and patted Huo Lan’s back in a comforting manner.
…
The bodyguard captain, lacking experience, grabbed the butler’s arm in excitement. “Ahhh! He hugged him!”
“Old Bao.”
The butler could roughly guess the reason for the hug and turned his head away, unwilling to watch. “Can you throw Mr. Liang onto Mr. Huo’s lap right now?”
The bodyguard captain was dumbfounded. “Wouldn’t Mr. Huo have to do a horse stance for that…?”
The butler, physically and mentally exhausted, said, “Then why aren’t you hurrying to pull Mr. Liang back?”
Liang Xiao meant well, but knowing Mr. Huo’s temperament, this pace was at least thirty chapters too fast.
Just because Mr. Huo might carry Mr. Liang to the bed from the sofa when he’s fast asleep didn’t mean he could tolerate such blatant physical contact now.
According to the butler’s original plan, the two should have started with simple conversations to build rapport. A temporary mark would have been the furthest step for now.
Ten chapters to hold hands, twenty chapters to hug, and thirty chapters for a significant leap forward—possibly reaching second base. After another eighty chapters, President Huo might finally have an epiphany and claim his omega.
Or, perhaps, Mr. Liang could “accidentally” fall and conveniently land on President Huo’s lap.
Neat and efficient, with the raw rice cooked into cooked rice.
…
The latter was the butler’s own fanciful imagination. Knowing it was impossible, he sighed and looked at the two still silent amidst the brewing snowstorm.
If no one intervened, Mr. Liang might soon turn into a crystal-clear ice sculpture.
The last omega who dared to get so handsy with their President Huo might already be dissolved to the waist by now.
The bodyguard captain hesitated, still wavering, when the butler gave him a push. “Go! If you wait any longer, it’ll be too—”
Before he could finish, Huo Lan had already moved.
The spot where they stood was inconspicuous, the lighting faint and hazy. The film crew was busy checking the shooting angles, and assistants were gathered around their respective artists. No one noticed what was happening in this corner.
Huo Lan shifted slightly, raising his arm.
The butler: “Hurry—”
The butler’s heart felt like it was about to shatter. He clutched the equally tense hand of the bodyguard captain tightly.
Neither of them dared to make a sound. Their hearts were in their throats as they held their breath, watching with wide eyes as President Huo’s arm slowly, inch by inch, rose.
Like thunder roaring and lightning flashing, carrying an unstoppable force—
It landed on Mr. Liang’s back.
The butler: “…”
The bodyguard captain: “…”
Liang Xiao’s body was so cold it lacked any warmth. Huo Lan pulled him slightly closer and lowered his head. “What’s wrong?”
Liang Xiao blinked, startled. “What?”
Huo Lan looked down at him.
Liang Xiao had an easygoing personality, carefree most of the time, and rarely showed emotions like this.
The only other time he hadn’t been able to suppress it, revealing a glimpse of the exhaustion and grievances he had endured silently, was that late night in his own bedroom.
Huo Lan glanced at the water droplets on Liang Xiao’s lashes, his brows furrowing slightly as he reached out to wipe them away.
Liang Xiao, in his rush to find Huo Lan, had only used a towel to haphazardly dry himself. He hadn’t even noticed his face was still wet. He blinked and looked up.
The rain had stopped. Huo Lan closed the umbrella and set it aside.
Perhaps things hadn’t gone smoothly on set.
Though he had made demands of the Xingguan-backed production teams, he couldn’t oversee everything personally all the time.
It would still take time to deal with Long Tao. For now, Liang Xiao wasn’t a Xingguan artist, and on set, there were always places where he wouldn’t receive proper care.
Huo Lan didn’t ask further. He gestured toward the bodyguard captain, who had yet to approach, and took the down jacket. Draping it over Liang Xiao’s shoulders, he said, “We’ll talk back at the hotel.”
President Huo brought him back to the presidential suite.
Without letting Liang Xiao say a word, he directed him straight into the bathroom.
The bodyguard captain crouched at the door, peeking through the crack, and whispered urgently to the butler, “How did things escalate to this point?”
The butler was equally baffled, murmuring in a daze, “How did things escalate to this point…”
Duan Ming, having just received the news, realized Liang Xiao had gone missing. He rushed over, bringing all of Liang Xiao’s replacement clothes, and nervously begged for spoilers. “How did things escalate to this point?!?!”
Even Liang Xiao wasn’t sure how things had escalated to this point.
He had been brought upstairs by President Huo, who didn’t ask any questions and simply ushered him into the most familiar and comforting bathroom of the presidential suite.
…Perhaps it was due to President Huo’s cleanliness obsession—he simply couldn’t tolerate seeing Liang Xiao drenched from head to toe.
Liang Xiao was genuinely freezing. After warming up for a while, shivering all the way, he peeled off his soaked clothes and skillfully turned on the ten-thousand-yuan showerhead.
The slightly hot water cascaded over him, enveloping his body. A relaxed and drowsy comfort washed over him, and Liang Xiao yawned, staring blankly at the eight full sets of toiletries on the sink.
The last time the hotel had mysteriously faced a compensation claim for insufficient toiletries, they had received a payment request and were left feeling deeply wronged.
Although the compensation had been covered by the money President Huo had paid for breaking a door, this time they prepared in advance. Upon receiving word, they stocked up, even placing twenty extra sets in the wardrobe just in case.
Liang Xiao no longer lacked suppressants or had to scrimp and save, but seeing the toiletries still made his fingers itch. He decided to look away, restrain himself, and turned around.
The presidential suite’s bathroom was leagues better than the standard room. The warm, pure mist was gentle, and a thorough dousing of hot water left him feeling significantly better.
With his eyes closed, Liang Xiao waited until the last trace of cold was washed away, then turned off the water. He grabbed a towel, dried himself haphazardly, changed into clean clothes, and stepped out.
The room was empty; Huo Lan wasn’t there. He had probably gone to another bathroom.
After all, President Huo had also been inexplicably drenched from head to toe after being hugged by him.
Liang Xiao wandered around the room twice before collapsing into the sofa, finally regaining a bit of energy.
On set, separated by a layer of hazy mist, he had been struck by the bewildered and desolate air surrounding President Huo. Coupled with the fact that he was half-frozen and not entirely lucid, he had acted impulsively.
At that moment, he had steeled himself and moved on instinct. Both of them had been drenched and icy, so hugging hadn’t felt like much. Now, as the memory replayed, Liang Xiao felt like his entire body had been scalded again, even more so than in the bathroom.
Slumped on the sofa, his vision darkened intermittently.
President Huo had probably been startled at the time, but once he recovered, there was no doubt he would impose a new rule on him.
It wouldn’t just be “no talking—every word costs 100,000 yuan.” This time, it might be “no moving.”
Move once, and he’d lose a suppressant. Plus, he’d have to write an essay titled A Letter of Apology to President Huo for My Hands Acting on Their Own Accord and Being Disrespectful.
Liang Xiao let his thoughts spiral, scaring himself silly. He even considered asking the butler if he had any kind of drug that could render him motionless and unconscious.
The butler, who had just finished brewing ginger tea, had no idea what Liang Xiao was thinking. He asked the bodyguard captain to stand guard at the door and carefully brought the tea inside. “Mr. Liang?”
Liang Xiao slumped forward in despair. “Butler Huo…”
“It’s me.” The butler quickly scanned the room, shut the door behind him, and approached. “What did you say to President Huo this time?”
Liang Xiao was taken aback. Seeing the butler’s tense and serious expression, he suppressed his impulse to ask for drugs and thought carefully. “I didn’t say anything.”
Perhaps Huo Lan had been too startled by him, but he seemed easier to get along with than usual. Apart from asking him a single inexplicable question, Huo Lan didn’t say much. He had someone explain the situation to the crew, then led Liang Xiao straight back to the hotel and into the elevator.
On the way, Liang Xiao tried to probe indirectly, bringing up the topic of young Huo Lan and the letter. But his body was so frozen that he couldn’t string his words together without shivering.
Huo Lan, surprisingly patient, listened to a couple of disjointed sentences before telling him to shut up and shoving him into the bathroom.
The butler listened intently for a while, then let out a long breath, as if narrowly escaping disaster. “That’s good…”
Liang Xiao blinked in confusion and asked, “I can’t ask about it?”
It’s not just that you can’t ask.
The butler looked at him with a world-weary expression, handed over the slightly cooled ginger tea, and felt a mix of emotions.
For Liang Xiao’s own safety, the butler knew he should explain the truth now to avoid any future misunderstandings. But for Huo Lan’s sake, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
The story about picking up the letter in the rain while wearing just a shirt was, of course, fabricated. But the rest was true.
Huo Lan hadn’t grown up at home and had never been cared for properly by his parents. The master of the house had no interest in the business world, and if it weren’t for an accident, he would have slowly handed over the enterprises to the extended family.
As a child with no inheritance rights, Huo Lan had been shuffled between various branches of the family.
The butler didn’t know exactly how Huo Lan had survived those years, but when he returned to take charge, he was completely transformed—sharp, indifferent, and resolute, reuniting a fragmented empire with sheer determination.
So even without knowing the full story, the butler could roughly guess why Huo Lan had said what he did after driving Liang Xiao away back then.
Even if he had indeed used manipulative means and taken advantage of Liang Xiao’s compassion—something that might require an entire dissertation to explain later—he had to use this misunderstanding to keep Liang Xiao by his side.
“Mr. Huo… doesn’t like people bringing up those things.”
One lie required countless others to cover it up. The butler, loyal to the core and ready to sacrifice himself, closed his eyes and said gravely, “Anyone who dares mention it in front of him will be strung up and beaten.”
Liang Xiao’s eyes widened. “??”
“…” The butler immediately backtracked. “No, I mean they’ll be locked in solitary confinement.”
Liang Xiao looked incredulous. “President Huo?”
The butler, preoccupied with silencing Liang Xiao, accidentally tarnished President Huo’s image in the process. Regretting it deeply, he hurriedly tried to salvage Liang Xiao’s impression of their President. “There’s food, drinks, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, full salary, and benefits… all included.”
Liang Xiao couldn’t quite understand how Huo Lan had managed to rise to such heights in the business world. Pressing his forehead, he remained silent.
The butler was in despair.
If he downplayed it, he feared Liang Xiao wouldn’t take it seriously and might eventually spill the truth in front of President Huo.
If he exaggerated, Liang Xiao might never dare to meet President Huo again.
Taking a deep breath, the butler carefully weighed his options once more. Supporting Liang Xiao as he sat firmly on the sofa, he finally said, “Anyone who dares to bring it up will be pinned down on the sofa by President Huo and spanked personally.”
The butler’s expression turned fierce as he tried his best to scare him. “No dodging allowed. A full ten spanks.”
I fear you’re tempting him instead of scaring him, Mr Butler.