Chapter 75 Part 1

The car pulled into the luxurious, brightly lit underground parking garage. Huo Boyan turned off the engine and unlocked the doors, saying to Zhu Ran, “We’re here.”

Zhu Ran stared blankly ahead, lost in thought, and didn’t respond for a moment.

Huo Boyan glanced at the empty parking spot beside them and told Zhu Ran, “This spot is reserved for you. Your Mercedes in the neighborhood has been added to the property system, so next time you come, you can drive right in.”

Zhu Ran still didn’t react. Just as Huo Boyan was about to speak again, Zhu Ran suddenly said, “Huo Boyan, let’s just talk here.”

Huo Boyan fell silent for two seconds. In that brief time, he immediately caught on and said, “The garage is full of people coming and going. It’s not convenient to talk here. Plenty of celebrities live in this building, and there might even be paparazzi sneaking photos. Let’s go upstairs first.”

Zhu Ran only wanted a quiet place to talk and hadn’t considered that. He hesitated for a moment.

Huo Boyan added, “The place is decorated to your tastes. Don’t you want to check it out?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhu Ran went upstairs with Huo Boyan anyway, inwardly annoyed at his own weak resolve. He had clearly made up his mind not to get entangled anymore, but with just a little coaxing from Huo Boyan, he couldn’t help agreeing. His boundaries kept slipping, one after another.

But no matter what, he wasn’t planning to continue.

They entered the living room, where expansive floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light. A City’s city center had strict height limits, so the buildings were all low-rise, and the view couldn’t compare to the extravagance of Hong Kong Island. Nearby stretched a large park with green spaces, and in the distance, some urban streetscapes were visible.

The interior decor reflected Huo Boyan’s usual taste: pure and clean, with large areas of open space, designer pieces that emphasized artistry.

In the center of the living room sat the sofa they had picked out together on Hong Kong Island. The surrounding furniture and decorations were all very familiar to Zhu Ran, as if he had already been there before.

“Have a seat. I’ll go stew some soup.” Huo Boyan shrugged off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and headed toward the kitchen.

Zhu Ran wanted him to stop fussing, but when he followed into the kitchen, Huo Boyan had already started prepping ingredients. He mentioned that he had learned a few local dishes and wanted Zhu Ran to taste them and see if they were authentic.

Before Zhu Ran could reply, Huo Boyan checked the fridge and said they didn’t have enough ingredients at home. He called the housekeeper to have some delivered. He seemed to have a lot to keep him busy—after hanging up, he started introducing the layout of the rooms to Zhu Ran.

As he turned, Zhu Ran calmly interrupted him. “Huo Boyan, I want to talk to you.”

Huo Boyan paused, and the room fell instantly silent.

After a dozen seconds of silence, he finally looked up, saying pitifully, “Does it have to be now? Can we talk after dinner?”

Zhu Ran closed his eyes briefly. The determination he had barely built up crumbled again.

“Fine.” Zhu Ran nodded stiffly. This would be the last time.

Huo Boyan continued showing Zhu Ran around: the living room, study, game room, gym, and even a dedicated photography studio and darkroom prepared just for Zhu Ran.

Finally, Huo Boyan led him down Veranda and stopped in front of a door. He turned back to Zhu Ran and said, “This is my bedroom.”

Zhu Ran took a step back. “I’ll skip the bedroom.”

Huo Boyan froze for a moment but didn’t push. He nodded quietly.

Across from the bedroom was another door that Huo Boyan didn’t mention. Zhu Ran assumed it was another bedroom and didn’t ask.

By the time they finished touring the rooms, the housekeeper had delivered the ingredients, and Huo Boyan started making dinner. Zhu Ran hesitated but went over to help.

Huo Boyan wouldn’t let him. “I’ve got it. Don’t get your clothes dirty.”

Zhu Ran insisted, so Huo Boyan found an apron and tied it on him, keeping everything appropriate throughout.

They sat down to an early dinner at the table they had chosen together, watching the sunset spill across the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The food was abundant and delicious as always, but Zhu Ran had no appetite. He downed half a glass of red wine in one go and quietly waited for Huo Boyan to finish eating.

Soon, Huo Boyan set down his chopsticks.

They cleared the dishes in silence and returned to the living room.

By now, night had fallen. The nearby park was shrouded in darkness, while the distant skyline twinkled with lights.

Zhu Ran rehearsed his words in his mind several times but couldn’t bring himself to say them.

Finally, mustering his resolve, he was suddenly pressed onto the sofa by Huo Boyan, who leaned down and kissed him.

They kissed soundlessly in the night until a sob escaped Zhu Ran.

Huo Boyan cupped Zhu Ran’s cheeks and realized there were tears in his eyes.

He cried quietly, but he looked utterly pitiful—eyes and nose all red, lips bitten hard to stifle his sobs.