Chapter 17 Part 1

Chen Jiaming had been waiting outside the door. When he saw Huo Boyan emerge, he showed a hesitant expression several times.

Huo Boyan said, “Speak your mind.”

Only then did Chen Jiaming speak up. “Why didn’t you tell the old master that you’ve already found some leads?”

“With the evidence we have now, it’s still not enough to pin down the mastermind behind it,” Huo Boyan replied. He then asked, “Have you located the family of the truck driver from back then?”

“We’ve tracked them down,” Chen Jiaming nodded. “The truck driver’s family received a compensation payout afterward. We’ve pinpointed the exact city.”

Huo Boyan said, “Keep investigating, but don’t make any noise about it.”

“Understood.”

The elevator doors opened, and the sounds of laughter and chatter from the hall flowed in like a stream. Chen Jiaming spotted Zhu Ran in the distance and added, “By the way, Zhu Ran said he has something important to discuss with you.”

Huo Boyan gave Chen Jiaming a sidelong glance. “Are you acting as his lobbyist?”

Chen Jiaming replied, “He asked me several times and insisted I pass it on to you.”

On the other side of the hall, Zhu Ran was chatting with a group of young people. Someone in the middle said something, and the crowd burst into laughter. Zhu Ran laughed along with them.

He wore a suit with a strong design sense that day, his slightly curly hair fluffed into a natural arc. When he held his wine glass and smiled, he looked quite well-behaved, yet his expression carried a touch of the rebelliousness typical of art students.

Huo Boyan withdrew his gaze and said, “I got it.”

Chen Jiaming pressed, “What about the timing…”

“Has the birthday gift arrived?” Huo Boyan interrupted him.

Chen Jiaming confirmed, “It’s all prepared.”

Huo Boyan instructed, “Take it to the front hall and give Grandpa and Second Uncle a surprise.”

.

The banquet dragged on longer than expected. Zhu Ran grew bored waiting and had to endure the snide remarks from Huo Junlin and Huo Xitong beside him.

Zhu Ran had no idea how he’d attracted these two; he couldn’t shake them off or shoo them away.

“Zhu Ran, don’t fall for it,” Huo Junlin said. “Huo Xitong is Hong Kong Island’s notorious playboy. He doesn’t discriminate between men and women—who knows how many people have fallen victim to him.”

Seeing Huo Junlin act like he was facing a great enemy, Zhu Ran felt speechless. “I don’t even know him.”

“You don’t know me?” Huo Xitong laughed in a frivolous, highly suggestive way. He leaned close to Zhu Ran and said in an intimate tone, “Baby, last time we met, that’s not what you said.”

Zhu Ran: “…”

He really wanted to punch someone.

Before Zhu Ran could act, Huo Junlin grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind him. Huo Junlin might have fancied himself a hero saving the beauty, but it wasn’t much better for Zhu Ran. Just as he tried to break free, Huo Xitong had the audacity to grab his other hand.

“You two young masters,” Zhu Ran said, unable to endure any longer as he looked at his wrinkled clothes, “if you’re going to fight, fight. Can you let go of me first?”

The two exchanged a glance, realizing how undignified they looked, and awkwardly averted their eyes.

Huo Junlin apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Huo Xitong grinned and said, “My bad, I wrinkled your clothes. After the banquet ends, I’ll take you shopping for a new set.”

Zhu Ran ignored both of them and turned to leave without another word.

He stayed vigilant for Huo Junlin and Huo Xitong chasing after him until his cousin called him over to join the girls’ chat. Only then did he finally relax.

This was one reason Zhu Ran disliked hanging out with boys his age—most guys around twenty were loud, self-centered, and annoying, no matter their background.

Afterward, Zhu Ran stuck with his cousin. When his phone battery dropped to 50%, Huo Tinghua was helped onto the stage, and the ceremony finally began.

Huo Tinghua looked so frail that even breathing seemed laborious, yet he managed to stand and give a speech, debunking the tabloid rumors of his critical illness.

Huo Tinghua spoke in Cantonese, which Zhu Ran could barely understand. He only caught fragments, the gist being that family harmony was key to everything, urging the family to stay safe and amicable.

The Huo family children stood below the stage, arranged by closeness of relation. Zhu Ran, a distant outsider, naturally stayed quietly on the outermost edge.

Local media nearby buzzed with effort, trying to dig for insider info. But as predicted before the event, Huo Tinghua did not announce an heir.

Instantly, the media’s attention shifted back to the rivalry between Huo Zhixiao and Huo Boyan.

Compared to the over-fifty Huo Zhixiao, Huo Boyan better fit the media darling mold. He was handsome, with features evoking classical Eastern charm, a mysterious background, and a tumultuous past. Anywhere you looked, Huo Boyan was the kind of dramatic scion the public loved.

The media snapped photos of Huo Boyan nonstop. Zhu Ran watched from afar as Huo Boyan handled them with ease.

He had taken over too young. To solidify his position in the Huo Family, achieve his goals, he needed to maintain a polished public image and sufficient exposure.

Zhu Ran recalled Huo Boyan’s attitude toward him. Was he just another part of the necessary schmoozing, hence the good demeanor? The occasional oversteps probably meant he saw no need to maintain the relationship, letting his true colors show.

Huo Boyan had suddenly cut off contact these past few days—likely for that reason.

After all, Huo Boyan had approached him initially just to drive a wedge between him and Huo Junlin. Once it was clear they had nothing going on, there was no need to continue.

Since Zhu Ran had set boundaries on the relationship from the start, he didn’t feel particularly let down. He just hoped to see Huo Boyan one last time and mention Huo Xitong coming to him.

While Zhu Ran zoned out, the ceremony reached the gift-giving segment. Those called were all VIPs, presenting precious paintings, antiques, and collectibles.

Zhu Ran had no interest in watching the rich flaunt their wealth and was about to leave when the host suddenly called Huo Boyan’s name.