Ye Huohuo’s smile was kind and gentle, but a cold glint flickered in her eyes. “Old Mrs. Ye, walk slowly. Our business is far from over, and there are some debts that need to be settled!”
Chen Yuelan’s pupils gradually contracted, her expression frozen on her face. However, the old lady’s words were still defiant. “Good, very good! I’d like to see what you can do.”
She left, but her steps were no longer steady.
The onlookers hadn’t heard their exchange, but they could sense the undercurrent of tension from their expressions, leading to various speculations about their relationship.
Regardless of the guesses, one thing was certain: the two knew each other, and their connection ran deep.
Ye Huohuo watched the old lady’s figure disappear through the main gate. She took a deep breath. The recent commotion had felt like a duel. Now that it was over, she felt a wave of weakness wash over her, as if she had just fought a major battle.
Her legs felt unsteady, and she almost lost her balance.
Just as she was about to fall, a large hand firmly embraced her slender waist, drawing her body into his embrace.
He allowed her to lean most of her weight against him.
Ye Huohuo didn’t need to look; she recognized him instantly by his unique, cool aura.
She didn’t struggle at all. Instead, she leaned into him, her body completely relaxed. In front of him, she didn’t want to hide her vulnerability, allowing herself to rely on him.
Even if it was just this once, just this time, she was truly exhausted.
If her physical exhaustion from fighting those ghostly entities was one thing, this was emotional weariness. The unbearable memories from earlier had almost broken her. Thankfully… thankfully, she had him, she had them!
The brothers of the Li family, not just Li Mohan, but Li Moyan and Li Mohan too, each had become her strong support. She, Ye Huohuo, someone who experienced misfortune five times a day, how fortunate she was to have met them.
She had always been someone who repaid kindness and sought vengeance. At this moment, her resolve to protect the Li family was even stronger.
The engagement ceremony proceeded as scheduled, unaffected by the minor interlude. However, Ye Huohuo’s identity subsequently became a mystery in Haicheng.
Some said she was the granddaughter of the Ye family, Ye Xiaoqing, because the former head of the Ye family, Ye Cheng, had a daughter named Ye Xiaoqing, who was around Ye Huohuo’s age.
Moreover, they couldn’t believe that if the Ye family had no connection to Ye Huohuo, they would dare to come to the Li family to claim a marriage.
However, others believed Ye Huohuo was not from the Ye family. Otherwise, why would the old lady of the Ye family, in that situation, dare to offend all the merchants in Haicheng rather than verify her identity with Ye Huohuo?
In an instant, the topic of Ye Huohuo not only became a hot topic in Haicheng’s business circles but also surged onto the trending lists.
The identity of the Li family’s new bride remains a mystery, and the truth is worth our attention!
Is the fiancée of the Li family’s patriarch truly the girl who went missing from the Ye family years ago?
How did an ordinary girl rise to become the darling of the city’s richest man!
…
Ye Huohuo, having finished her wash, sat in Li Mohan’s bedroom in the Li family villa, idly flipping through news on her phone. She stumbled upon these headlines.
She let out a soft laugh, surprised by the speed of information dissemination in the age of new media.
The Li family’s engagement banquet had just ended, and the internet was already abuzz. Even photos of her at the banquet had been leaked.
Fortunately, these influential bloggers, wary of the Li family’s status and influence, had blurred Ye Huohuo and Li Mohan’s faces. Otherwise, she would have to learn makeup skills from Li Moyan before going out again.
She might as well have to wear a large black mask, leaving only her eyes visible, appearing as if she had something to hide.
She sat there, eating cherries and swinging her feet as she read the news on her phone.
The sound of running water from the bathroom stopped, and the door was pulled open from the inside.
Li Mohan emerged, wearing a loose silk pajama set.
The sash was loosely tied at his waist, and the firm muscle lines on his thighs and his impressively sculpted abs were almost completely exposed, catching Ye Huohuo’s eye.
Li Mohan still seemed to carry the scent of water. Normally, in his suits, it wasn’t apparent, but now he exuded a wild charm that was undeniably captivating.
Ye Huohuo had bathed before him and was now wearing a silk slip dress, going commando underneath – a fact she knew, and Li Mohan noticed when his gaze swept over her.
His breath hitched for a moment, and he averted his eyes somewhat awkwardly. He walked past Ye Huohuo, heading directly to the left side of the large bed, pulled back the covers, and lay down, casually picking up a book from the bedside table.
At a moment like this, he was actually reading.
Ye Huohuo sat on the edge of the bed, her brows furrowed slightly, looking at Li Mohan with a hint of confusion.
A flicker of suspicion crossed her mind; Li Mohan seemed different tonight. Her gaze fell on the book he was reading, and her suspicion deepened.
Her eyes darted around. She had been sitting at the foot of the bed, directly facing the bathroom door, having calculated it so that Li Mohan would see her as soon as he emerged.
But he had completely ignored her, which was completely out of sync with his passionate dominance the previous night and his earlier solicitousness towards her.
Was he playing hard to get?
Lost in thought, she slowly walked to Li Mohan’s side of the bed and sat down next to him.
“Are you preoccupied?” Ye Huohuo asked softly, her voice light but tinged with languor and an inexplicable allure.
Li Mohan still held the book up between them, his eyes fixed on it, his voice a little strained. “No, I have a habit of reading before bed. You… you should go to sleep first. I’ll sleep after reading for a while.”
Ye Huohuo looked at the book, let out a soft laugh, and pinched the top of it with two fingers. With a slight pull, she lifted it from Li Mohan’s grasp.
“Young Master Li is truly a genius. I can’t imagine what’s so special about this ‘Principles of Economics’ that you’re reading it upside down!” she said, tossing the book onto the bed with a graceful movement that resembled a dance step.
Li Mohan’s expression stiffened, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… I…”
He stammered for a long time, unable to say anything, but a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. It was unclear if it was cold sweat or something else.
With the barrier gone, Ye Huohuo looked directly into Li Mohan’s eyes. The mogul, usually commanding and powerful in the business world, now had a flicker of panic in his gaze.
“This book… this book is borrowed. Don’t damage it!” he said, sitting up as if to retrieve the book.
But Ye Huohuo leaned in and pressed his hand down. “Never mind the book. Am I not as good-looking as the book?”
“No!” Li Mohan froze completely.
“Are you avoiding me?” Ye Huohuo’s eyes remained locked on his.
“No!” Li Mohan hadn’t looked at Ye Huohuo while speaking, acting like a child who had done something wrong and was desperately trying to conceal it.
Ye Huohuo bit her lip lightly, and the next second, she flipped over and straddled him. She slowly lowered her body, and the view of her chest gradually revealed itself to Li Mohan.
“You… you’ve also had a tiring day. Go to sleep!” Li Mohan said, his hands gripping her shoulders, trying to move her to the other side of the bed.
“Today is our engagement night, and we’re already registered. It’s almost like consummation. Do you really want me to just sleep like this?” Ye Huohuo clung to him like sticky rice, her entire body pressed against him.
She exhaled softly next to Li Mohan’s ear, her fruity breath blowing into his ear and filling his nostrils.
It was a sensation that stirred his nerves.
“We…” Li Mohan seemed hesitant to speak, but his breathing betrayed his inner turmoil, becoming increasingly rapid. His body was honestly telling Ye Huohuo that he was not indifferent.
“We’re only married for a year?!”
This sounded like a question, but it was more like a plea directed at Li Mohan himself.
Ye Huohuo seemed to grasp the underlying meaning, or perhaps she understood nothing at all.
She was teasing Li Mohan, but at the same time, she herself was ignited, her rationality burning away, leaving her incapable of contemplating the hidden meaning behind his words.
She pressed against his ear, a hint of dissatisfaction and pleading in her voice, murmuring, “A year, only a year…”
Before she could finish, her words were muffled as her mouth was sealed…