PHWM Chapter 45

 

President Huo remained silent for quite a while.

 

Liang Xiao waited for a bit, thinking he might be better at science and writing apology letters, and couldn’t help but speak up: “President Huo?”

 

“You recited…”

 

Huo Lan said softly: “You recited it very well, without any mistakes.”

 

“…” Liang Xiao was troubled: “It’s not just about reciting poetry.”

 

Guessing that Huo Lan probably didn’t have a talent for lyricism, Liang Xiao sighed: “It’s about… the rain.”

 

Liang Xiao, who had been forced to memorize countless poetry analyses in the past, could even recall some details for their President: “The rain washes the spring breeze, surpassing the misty willows filling the city.”

 

Huo Lan was slightly surprised, his gaze falling on Liang Xiao.

 

Liang Xiao knew this level of literary talent was clearly beyond him: “I didn’t write it.”

 

Liang Xiao, who would take a whole day to write a 300-word book review, was indeed not good at this. He knew he had to explain, otherwise their President might really think his earlier “qaq” was intentionally vague: “It’s from a reference book I memorized in school…”

 

Liang Xiao coughed: “Just quoting it.”

 

Quoting here expressed the confidence of the one quoting, and the grand ideal of being particularly capable in the future and earning a lot of money for their President.

 

Liang Xiao had only recited that one line of analysis, feeling that the two lines were too different in tone, and was a bit embarrassed to say: “The general meaning is–”

 

Huo Lan stared at him for a long while, his brow finally relaxing, his aura settling down inch by inch.

 

Huo Lan lowered his eyes and smiled softly.

 

Liang Xiao almost choked with frustration on the spot.

 

Here he was, trying his best to comfort, racking his brains and searching through all his knowledge, and this person didn’t understand any of it.

 

And he had the nerve to smile.

 

Liang Xiao held his breath, looking at the particularly warm and clear smile in Huo Lan’s eyes, and was stunned for a moment. His heart finally softened: “…That’s fine too.”

 

Huo Lan looked up: “What?”

 

“It’s good enough if you can smile,” Liang Xiao finally felt relieved, and ruffled their President’s hair again, “If you’re smiling, you’re not upset anymore.”

 

Liang Xiao tightened his arms, noticing that the tension that had been constantly suppressed in Huo Lan’s body had finally dissipated, and he also felt relieved: “It’s okay if you don’t understand…”

 

“I understand,” Huo Lan said.

 

Liang Xiao sighed: “What do you understand?”

 

Huo Lan looked at Liang Xiao, and after a long while, raised his hand, cradled the back of his head, and gently rubbed it.

 

Liang Xiao had never been able to resist this gesture from their President. These days, his senses were more sensitive than usual, and he could feel even more clearly the warm, comforting feeling of that palm against the back of his head.

 

Liang Xiao, who had been paying attention to Huo Lan’s condition, now relaxed both physically and mentally. He couldn’t help but narrow his eyes and nuzzle against the warm palm.

 

Huo Lan paused slightly, looking at him.

 

Liang Xiao suddenly became aware, his entire body quickly flushing red down to his neck: “…”

 

It was hopeless.

This cursed heat.

 

Liang Xiao belatedly realized that their President Huo was still supporting his bottom with one hand. Flustered, he tried to jump down, wobbled, and nearly toppled to the ground as he lost his balance.

 

Huo Lan couldn’t support him with one hand, hastily switching back to both hands to hold him securely in his arms.

 

Liang Xiao, red-faced and wishing for death, forcefully bumped his head against Huo Lan’s shoulder.

 

Huo Lan, worried about hurting Liang Xiao as he kept bumping against his shoulder, cushioned it with his palm: “It will hurt.”

 

Liang Xiao, too embarrassed to face anyone: “Let me die of pain.”

 

Huo Lan could somewhat tell this was a joke, but still frowned slightly, gently separating Liang Xiao’s forehead from his shoulder to examine it carefully.

 

Liang Xiao’s face was burning hot, his entire body flushed red, making it impossible to see how badly his forehead was bruised.

 

Huo Lan rubbed it gently a couple of times, then carefully set him back on the ground: “I understand.”

 

Liang Xiao had already forgotten what he had asked, hanging onto their President’s arm in a daze: “What do you understand?”

 

Huo Lan raised his hand, lightly touching the corner of Liang Xiao’s eye, carefully wiping away a bit of moisture that had been instinctively produced.

 

Huo Lan looked at him for a long time, closed his eyes briefly, and spoke very softly.

 

Huo Lan: “You are my imperial street’s grass color.”

 

The next morning, Liang Xiao, who had slept in Huo Lan’s arms all night, woke up and lay on the bed, staring blankly.

 

…

 

The President had hidden depths.

 

Even now, Liang Xiao hadn’t recovered from the impact of their President’s words last night.

 

Liang Xiao stared at the ceiling for a long time, quickly turned on his phone, plugged in his earphones, and played “Clear Heart Mantra” for himself several times.

 

Huo Lan returned from his morning exercise, bringing breakfast. He pushed open the door and hesitated for two seconds at the doorway, puzzled by Liang Xiao’s posture: “…”

 

Liang Xiao opened his eyes at the sound: “President Huo?”

 

Huo Lan lowered his eyes and didn’t correct him this time: “Mm.”

 

Liang Xiao uncrossed his legs and stuffed his earphones and phone under the pillow: “My heat is over.”

 

Last night, Huo Lan was still worried, so he gave Liang Xiao another temporary mark to stabilize his pheromones.

 

This morning when Liang Xiao woke up, he hadn’t noticed at first. He went through the motions of checking his phone, plugging in his earphones, and playing music before realizing he seemed to have returned to normal.

 

He felt refreshed and energetic in a way he hadn’t in a long time, with enough strength to run two full laps around the villa.

 

Huo Lan paused: “It’s over?”

 

“It’s over.” Liang Xiao nodded, stood up, and bounced on the bed a couple times for him.

 

His heat had been severe, prone to causing trouble if not carefully managed, and it had been taxing on Huo Lan these past few days.

 

Liang Xiao had been hoping for his heat to end quickly so Huo Lan could rest easy, and now he couldn’t help feeling a bit happy: “I don’t feel anything at all anymore.”

 

He just hadn’t quite recovered from Huo Lan’s high-level summarizing ability.

 

After listening to the Clear Heart Mantra ten times, Liang Xiao pondered it carefully and felt this matter probably couldn’t be resolved in a hurry.

 

Besides… he wasn’t in too much of a rush to resolve it.

 

Liang Xiao’s ears grew warm again as he couldn’t help but replay their President’s words in his mind.

 

He had been lacking energy these past days, getting dizzy even from short walks. Now that he had finally regained his autonomy, he was in a great mood: “The weather’s nice today, can I go out for some fresh air? Brother Duan said–”

 

Liang Xiao paused, looking at Huo Lan: “President Huo?”

 

Huo Lan: “You can.”

 

Liang Xiao frowned slightly but didn’t speak.

 

Huo Lan waited at the door for a moment, letting the morning chill dissipate from his body. He walked over, put breakfast on the bedside table, and reached out to carry Liang Xiao to wash up.

 

Halfway through the motion, Huo Lan suddenly remembered Liang Xiao’s words and withdrew his hand.

 

“President Huo.” Liang Xiao grasped his arm, “What’s wrong?”

 

Huo Lan had seemed to be in a good mood when he entered the room, unusually so.

 

Liang Xiao thought carefully, wondering if he had used the wrong form of address, and hesitated: “Huo Lan?”

 

Huo Lan’s arm paused slightly, and he closed his eyes: “If it feels unnatural… you don’t have to call me that.”

 

“It’s not that I’m not used to it,” Liang Xiao said. “I’m afraid my assigned life assistant might overhear.”

 

Huo Lan was slightly surprised.

 

“He’s already too scared to talk to me.”

 

Liang Xiao pointed to the door and lowered his voice: “If he hears me call you like this again, he might run away as soon as he sees me from three meters away in the future.”

 

Huo Lan hadn’t considered this aspect. He was stunned for a moment, then his expression softened considerably: “Do you need him within three meters?”

 

Liang Xiao had rested for these few days. Once he resumed work, there would be more and more things to take care of, and he couldn’t rely solely on one manager and one young assistant.

 

Huo Lan wasn’t very familiar with an actor’s work process, but remembering those artists under Xingguan surrounded by teams of assistants, he didn’t think Liang Xiao’s request was unreasonable.

 

Huo Lan thought for a moment: “He was assigned by the artist department. I can ask them to require–”

 

“No need,” Liang Xiao quickly declined, “Three meters away is fine.”

 

Huo Lan was slightly taken aback. Facing Liang Xiao’s resolute stance of polite refusal, after a while, he slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

 

“…Alright.”

 

Huo Lan nodded and stroked the top of Liang Xiao’s head: “Go wash up.”

 

Liang Xiao wasn’t usually so sensitive, but noticing the heaviness gradually fading from Huo Lan, he generously offered his head for Huo Lan to stroke to his heart’s content, extricating himself from the tangled bedding.

 

After regaining mobility, washing up also became much easier. Liang Xiao quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and got ready. He couldn’t help but open the window to take a few deep breaths before returning to the bedside, radiant and refreshed, to eat breakfast.

 

Seeing Liang Xiao bustling about energetically, Huo Lan’s eyes gradually showed a hint of a smile. Meeting Liang Xiao’s gaze, he handed over his portion of breakfast.

 

Liang Xiao was hungry and wolfed down the buns, pausing to blow on the soy milk.

 

“Last night,” Huo Lan had specifically asked Duan Ming and bought breakfast that Liang Xiao was used to eating. Watching him devour it like a whirlwind, he couldn’t help but reach out to hold the soy milk for him: “About buying a house–”

 

Liang Xiao took a sip of soy milk from Huo Lan’s hand: “Let’s talk about it later.”

 

Huo Lan nodded slightly, and after a pause, as if he had made some decision, continued: “The place you’re renting.”

 

Liang Xiao had almost forgotten he was still renting a place: “What about it?”

 

Huo Lan met his gaze and fell silent.

 

The idea was actually suggested by Liang Xiao’s manager.

 

The butler strongly approved, and the young assistant also repeatedly vouched that Brother Liang would definitely not be unwilling.

 

He originally didn’t want to do this, thinking it wasn’t urgent and planning to consider it for a few more days.

 

But Liang Xiao’s sensitive period had passed.

 

Huo Lan had never done something like this before. After a moment of silence, he said: “…Heating.”

 

Liang Xiao: “Huh?”

 

Huo Lan clenched his fist, struggling: “It’s broken.”

 

Liang Xiao: “…”

 

“The temperature has dropped these days.”

 

It’s always difficult to start. Huo Lan overcame his psychological barrier and began, lowering his eyes to avoid Liang Xiao’s gaze, and continued quickly: “It’s not convenient to go back to live there. There are several production teams that want to contact you, waiting for your time, and need to discuss details in person…”

 

Liang Xiao was momentarily stunned by the mention of heating, listening to their President Huo recite for a long time without pausing, and said hoarsely: “If I go back, would it be inconvenient for Xingguan’s car to pick me up and drop me off?”

 

The butler’s prepared words were stolen by Liang Xiao. Huo Lan was silent for a moment, then nodded.

 

“Living in the villa is not only convenient for transportation. After the last incident, Xingguan has strengthened security, making it less likely to be tracked and exposed by paparazzi.”

 

Liang Xiao thought for a moment and continued to help him make up the story: “If I really miss the breakfast downstairs at our home, you could conveniently go out during your morning exercise and drive twenty kilometers to buy it for me.”

 

“…” Huo Lan was silent for a while, then took out his phone, wanting to call the butler.

 

Liang Xiao quickly pressed down his hand: “I didn’t coordinate with them.”

 

Huo Lan frowned.

 

Liang Xiao looked at him for a while, then smiled.

 

Clearing up some things last night and talking them through was indeed useful.

 

Although he wasn’t clear about the reason, Huo Lan had obviously strangely assumed that as soon as the heat was over, he would leave.

 

If it were before last night, given their President Huo’s temperament, let alone gathering people to brainstorm ways to keep him… he might have even actively sent a car to pack him up and send him back before he could shamelessly apply to stay for a few more days.

 

He was so happy when he received the pajamas.

 

Last night, while he was asleep, Huo Lan read a long thank-you letter to him under a small lamp.

 

Liang Xiao wasn’t sleeping deeply originally last night. When he heard Huo Lan start reading, he was very touched and thought about suddenly sitting up to give their President Huo a surprise hug when he finished reading.

 

…Later, halfway through listening, he really couldn’t hold on and fell into a deep sleep.

 

“During my heat, I need to rely on your temporary mark for stability,” Liang Xiao smiled. “I eat your food, live in your place, and don’t even pay.”

 

Huo Lan didn’t want him to talk about this: “It’s not–”

 

“Now the heat is over,” Liang Xiao continued without stopping, “I don’t need your temporary mark anymore, so I just pack up and leave?”

 

Liang Xiao almost added that he would be too heartless, but thinking that President Huo might not understand, he changed his wording and half-jokingly said: “Even if I leave, I should at least pay back the rent and food expenses for these days, right?”

 

Huo Lan: “I don’t want it.”

 

Liang Xiao didn’t intend to give it either. He nodded, wiped his hands clean, and grabbed a note from the bedside table.

 

Liang Xiao held the note, fiddling with it between his fingers, folding it into two umbrella canopies – one large and one small.

 

Even now, the one thing he had been most eager to accomplish still hadn’t been done.

 

Otherwise, he might as well have President Huo recite “One Hundred Years of Solitude”.

 

Liang Xiao rummaged through the cutlery pack that came with breakfast, stuck two toothpicks as umbrella handles, adjusted the shape a bit, and handed them to Huo Lan.

 

Huo Lan took the two small paper umbrellas, still somewhat dazed: “What’s this?”

 

Liang Xiao: “Rent and food money.”

 

Liang Xiao took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

 

Huo Lan had said… he was his “imperial street’s grass color”.

 

Liang Xiao opened his eyes: “I don’t want to leave. Can I stay here for a few more days?”

 

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