The warmth of Huo Ci’s breath against my palm tickled. My heart softened. Treating him like a big golden retriever whose pride had been wounded, I spoke in my gentlest voice: “It’s okay. What’s past is past. No matter what happened back then or how rough the road was, I don’t care.”

I tiptoed up, softly resting my forehead against his, every word deadly earnest: “What matters is that from now on, I’m by your side. We’re starting fresh together.”

Huo Ci stared at me, a sea of complex emotions swirling deep in his dark eyes. His grip tightened, pulling me into an embrace so fierce it felt like he wanted to tuck me into his pocket and carry me away forever. A long moment passed before his voice came out low and raspy: “There was never anyone else.”

“Huh?” I blinked, utterly lost.

“I’ve never belonged to anyone else.”

I froze. Huo Ci looked down at me, his gaze so intense and scorching I couldn’t look him in the eye.

“From the moment I met you… I was yours.”

My face flushed bright red, and I hastily reached up to cover his mouth. “Alright, alright! No need to get into the gritty details!”

Huo Ci let out a low chuckle, gently catching my wrists. His deep voice bubbled with amusement. “Why won’t you let me speak? You’ve misunderstood me for so long, and I haven’t even had the chance to defend my honor.”

The more he talked, the hotter my cheeks burned. I wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and crawl into it. Finally, Huo Ci rested his head against my shoulder, letting out a soft, helpless laugh.

“Oh well, as long as the outcome is good.” He held me, his voice brimming with content. “Niyi, thank goodness you’re willing to take responsibility for me.”

Hearing that, I nearly choked on my own air. I honestly couldn’t tell who was supposed to be taking responsibility for whom!

On the day Huo Ci came to pick me up to meet my parents, I stood in the apartment lobby, utterly stunned by the car parked in front of me. Sleek, pitch-black, and so eye-wateringly luxurious that just looking at it made my wallet hurt.

Meanwhile, Huo Ci was leaning lazily against the driver’s side. Clad in an impeccably tailored suit that hugged his broad shoulders and long legs, he looked like a runway model casually posing for a photoshoot.

I circled the vehicle, the feeling that something was off growing stronger by the second. “This car…”

“Rented,” Huo Ci answered lightning-fast—so fast it felt like a line he’d rehearsed beforehand.

He gallantly opened the door for me, casually resting his hand over the frame to protect my head. “It’s my first time meeting your parents, after all. Can’t let your mom and dad think you picked out a total broke guy.”

I glanced at the car, then back at Huo Ci, doing mental math in my head: All the ‘allowances’ I’ve transferred him over the past few weeks… probably wouldn’t even cover the gas for this thing.

“This car looks strangely familiar,” I muttered, buckling my seatbelt. “I think I heard somewhere that the crown prince of the Capital’s Huo family drives the exact same model.”

Hitting a red light, Huo Ci smoothly stepped on the brakes. He turned to glance at me, a curious look in his eye. “Niyi.”

“Hmm?”

“If… I mean, hypothetically speaking. If I really were part of that Huo family… would you still like me?”

I answered immediately without a second thought. “Nope.”

Huo Ci paused. “Why?”

Crossing my arms, I clicked my tongue. “Sounds like a total headache. Billionaire dynasties are full of more drama than a thousand-episode soap opera.” Thinking of Shen Yuhang, I added, “Besides, those silver-spoon heirs have the weirdest personalities. If you really were a Huo family heir, I’d probably spot you from a mile away and take a detour to avoid you.”

Huo Ci fell silent. For a long while, he didn’t say a word, simply pressing down on the accelerator a bit firmer. I glanced sideways at him. Huh? Why did he suddenly look so sulky and wronged?

I poked his firm bicep. “Hey, what’s on your mind?”

Staring straight ahead, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. “Nothing. Just… there are a few things I’ll tell you after we get married.”

I looked at the pile of gifts overflowing on the back seat—every single box practically oozing money and undeniable luxury. My chest tightened again. “Huo Ci, you bought all these…” I shot him a suspicious look. “You didn’t go out and earn money through shady means again, did you?”

Huo Ci nearly choked on his own spit. Reaching over, he gripped my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I didn’t. Like I said, I have excellent professional ethics. Since I started following you, I’ve been loyal to one client and one client only.”

I glared at him. This man was getting shamelessly bolder by the day!

My parents, as expected, remembered Huo Ci vividly. Surprisingly, I was the one who was a nerve-wracked mess.

On the ride over, I had prepared an entire arsenal of excuses to cover for him: that his current financial situation was a bit tight, that he was hard-working and ambitious, that he’d helped me out of a sticky situation, and that we’d crossed paths again by a twist of fate… In short, I had crafted a flawless script, ready to put on an Oscar-worthy performance the second we walked through the door.

Standing beside me, Huo Ci crossed his arms, nonchalantly listening to me spin wild fabrications in front of my parents. He made zero effort to expose me; instead, he looked down at me, the corners of his mouth curving into a fond, indulgent smile. His gaze practically teased: Go on, keep talking. Let me see how far you can stretch this story today.

Feeling guilty, I glanced away, thankful my parents hadn’t caught on. But my dad clearly wasn’t so easily fooled. He eyed the luxury vehicle parked in the driveway, then looked at the heap of gifts on the table—each one practically screaming high-end luxury, looking nothing like the budget of someone struggling to make ends meet.

Finally, my father set his teacup down and said in a grave tone, “Little Huo, mind joining me in the study for a moment?”

My heart instantly leapt into my throat. Code Red! Future father-in-law private summons—Class S emergency! I immediately stepped in front of Huo Ci like a shield. “Dad!”

Huo Ci let out a soft laugh. Gently taking my hand, he stroked my palm with his thumb to soothe me. “It’s okay. Wait for me.” With that, he reached out, stroked my hair affectionately, and calmly followed my father into the study.

The moment the door clicked shut, my brain ran through eight hundred soap opera scenarios: “I’ll give you five million to stay away from my daughter,” or my dad pulling out a checkbook to write a blank check. Sitting in the living room felt like sitting on a bed of nails. My mom watched me pacing back and forth until she finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Will you sit down already? A few more laps and you’re going to wear out my floors.”

Luckily, the meeting didn’t drag on. Roughly twenty minutes later, the study door swung open, and I bolted upright. To my utter shock, my father was warmly clapping Huo Ci on the shoulder, looking thoroughly pleased. “As for you two, you have my blessing.”

I stood there, utterly dumbfounded. Huh? That fast? No checkbooks, no trial by fire, no dramatic parental opposition?

The second we got into the car, I turned to interrogate him. “What did my dad say to you?”

Huo Ci looked at me, his gaze so solemn it instinctively made me sit up straight. “I told him… I’ll give Niyi everything I have to treat her right.”

My heart fluttered softly. It sounded so simple, yet somehow it was deeply touching. Still… I had a nagging feeling those two men had cooked up a secret pact and agreed to keep me in the dark.

Just then, my phone buzzed. Shen Yuhang again. Talk about a persistent ghost!

Reading the text, I wanted to hurl my phone out the window. The guy was clearly spiraling into full-blown insanity, determined to drag everyone down with him if he couldn’t get what he wanted.

I immediately dialed the event security team, emphasizing every single word three times over: “Under no circumstances are you to let Shen Yuhang or Qiao Ran inside!”