IJLHTW - 11

Are you still mad at me?

These words were spoken in a very soft and affectionate tone.

However, they caused both Xia Yuanhang and the blond-haired man to change their expressions immediately. Although Xia Yuanhang did not know Yi Zecheng, just based on his tone of voice, it was clear that the two had a close relationship.

As for the blond-haired man, he was completely stunned.

Just moments ago, he had been confidently declaring his intention to kill Huo Ci, but now he was dumbfounded.

Han Jingyang smiled and pointed at Yi Zecheng, saying, “If you want to kill her, you’ll probably have to ask my ‘iron buddy’ first.”

The term “iron buddy,” used by Han Jingyang to refer to someone, left no doubt. The person must undoubtedly belong to their circle. Though the blond-haired man couldn’t enter their circle, he was somewhat knowledgeable about its members, and this face was unfamiliar.

Seeing his reaction, Han Jingyang immediately sneered. So, he thought he was being deceived.

“This is my childhood friend from the same courtyard. He spent several years abroad saving lives and has just returned,” he glanced at the blond-haired man and continued, “Come to think of it, your father and his father have some history. In the nineties, before your father changed careers, wasn’t he in Yi Shu’s unit?”

The blond-haired man was utterly taken aback and cautiously asked, “Do you have the surname Yi?”

This young man, relying on his father’s influence, often acted recklessly outside. He naturally knew how his father climbed the ranks. His old man would frequently recount his glorious military days during holidays. Moreover, many of his father’s former superiors were now generals. Therefore, upon hearing “Yi Shu,” his heart skipped a beat.

Yi Zecheng coldly glanced at him and instead turned to ask Huo Ci, “Are you hurt?”

Huo Ci, fully aware that he had come to rescue her, retracted all her hostility and obediently nestled beside him like a little rabbit.

She slightly shook her head, bit her lip, and softly replied, “I’m fine.”

Her voice was naturally sweet, but due to her usual cold demeanor and sharp gaze, it masked her sweet and gentle tone.

“Mr. Yi, this... truly is an instance of ‘the flood hitting the dragon king’s temple,’” the blond-haired man said with a forced smile, looking more pitiful than crying.

Han Yao, who had remained silent until then, burst out laughing, “Who told you we’re family?”

Though not explicitly stated, this was a scolding to the blond-haired man, making himself look good. Han Jingyang was too cunning to do anything beneath his dignity. Yi Zecheng was a cold person who never sought verbal victories. Sometimes, even the sharpest gaze could not match the effectiveness of a cutting remark.

Since the most sarcastic person among them was absent, Han Yao had to take over.

The blond-haired man, who had previously been the center of attention in the room, found himself ignored. Even Xia Yuanhang, who organized the gathering, had to cater to him. However, three people entered: one didn’t deign to look at him, another directly cut him off with words.

Only Han Jingyang, who seemed approachable, remained. The blond-haired man looked at him pleadingly for help.

Unexpectedly, Han Jingyang, who had been smiling mischievously, sobered up and said, “Da Yao is right; relationships shouldn’t be falsely claimed.”

...

No one knew who turned off the music, but the private room became so quiet that even the drop of a needle could be heard.

Arrogant, extremely arrogant. Each of the three men exuded their own unique arrogance.

Brash, indeed brash. They spoke without leaving any face intact.

As for the blond-haired man, he was genuinely cowed. Despite being confronted like this, he dared not utter a word in defiance.

“What’s troubling you? Why didn’t you tell me? Who allowed you to come to such a place alone?” Yi Zecheng looked at her, his brows still tightly furrowed, appearing genuinely angry.

Huo Ci looked at him, unconsciously smiling. Her palm felt his warmth.

Their fingers intertwined in a hand-holding gesture, though he merely held her hand.

But Huo Ci would not miss this opportunity. One finger at a time, she playfully interlaced them until finally, their fingers were fully entwined.

Standing by her side was him, and speaking was his childhood friend.

She had grown up charging through life head-on, yet this was the first time someone stood up for her. Once, when someone cursed her face-to-face, she could only stand there awkwardly, unable to retort. Later, she became cold and sharp, merciless to anyone daring to lay a finger on her.

Relying on this ferocity, she succeeded more than anyone else in this circle.

But today, someone stood before her, asking why she hadn’t told him about her troubles.

Though their relationship was fake, the concern was genuine.

“My agent signed a new model, and they brought her here. When he came to take her away, they detained him. They called to say I needed to come personally to release her,” Huo Ci’s voice was soft and docile.

Every part of her conveyed coercion, completely forgetting her earlier decisive kick that knocked down the blond-haired man.

Yi Zecheng’s expression cooled, and he exchanged a glance with Han Jingyang.

Han Jingyang said, “What era is this? Everything should be consensual. Detaining someone is inappropriate. We are all law-abiding citizens. If this gets out, even the police might show up.”

This incident was orchestrated by Xia Yuanhang.

So Xia Yuanhang immediately stepped forward and quickly explained, “Mr. Han, it truly was a misunderstanding. This girl voluntarily came here. There was just a small misunderstanding when her agent arrived.”

“Is there still a misunderstanding now?” Yi Zecheng looked at him coldly and asked.

Xia Yuanhang smiled sheepishly, “No, of course not. It has all been clarified. We were wrong about this matter.”

“Let’s go,” Yi Zecheng had kept his brows furrowed since entering the room.

The smell inside this private room was unbearable. Being sensitive to odors, he had already detected something amiss.

Bai Yu, upon hearing this, hurried over to support Aly, with Meng Fan and another person each holding her and escorting her out. Meanwhile, Yi Zecheng led Huo Ci by the hand and walked out.

As soon as they exited, Yi Zecheng tried to retract his hand, but unexpectedly, it was tightly clasped by her delicate, soft palm.

Huo Ci refused to let go, whispering, “Don’t let go; everyone is watching.”

Han Jingyang and Han Yao, who had followed them out, happened to hear this. Both looked towards the girl, finding her quite intriguing.

Han Yao nudged Han Jingyang, giving him a meaningful look.

The implication was clear: See, I told you so.

When they reached the elevator, Han Jingyang asked, “Are we leaving already?”

Their private room across the hall was where they originally played mahjong. After finishing a call, Han Yao came in and told them he saw Huo Ci.

Yi Zecheng had just drawn a rare tile, preparing to win. Han Jingyang, sitting opposite him, perked up upon hearing the girl’s name.

Han Jingyang asked, “Who is she?” Observing Yi Zecheng’s expression, Han Yao refrained from answering and gave Han Jingyang a knowing look. After exchanging glances, Han Jingyang realized this was the girl Han Yao mentioned earlier. His urgency to return stemmed from Yi Zecheng, who finally showed interest in someone.

Unexpectedly, Yi Zecheng pushed aside his tiles, declaring self-draw with eight ten-thousand tiles, achieving a pure suit.

Winning alone, he calmly demanded payment.

Seeing this, Han Yao grew anxious and said, “I asked the waiter; next door is Cao Yang. That guy has a bad reputation. Last year, he almost caused a fatality while fooling around with a young model. I don’t think Huo Ci would associate with someone like him. Maybe she was tricked into coming?”

Han Yao and Huo Ci had crossed paths in the same training gym for two years, though they weren’t close acquaintances.

However, he had a good impression of Huo Ci. She trained hard without complaint or fear of exhaustion, and she stayed out of trouble.

Cao Yang, the blond-haired man, had a notorious reputation. Even Han Yao, who rarely went out, had heard of him.

After all, those who relied on their fathers’ power often behaved badly. People like them detested such behavior. Regarding power and status, their families truly deserved respect. Yet, the stricter upbringing of these children fostered a sense of pride. They were wild, proud, righteous, and passionate.

They relied on themselves. Whoever dared to flaunt their father’s name risked losing respect.

The mahjong machine kept running as only the three of them gathered tonight, without inviting others. Due to a lack of players, they decided to call two women who could play quietly. Yi Zecheng found their attire too revealing and insisted they change into more modest clothing before allowing them to sit and play.

**

“Let’s go; she needs to rest,” Yi Zecheng glanced at Aly.

Bai Yu lowered his head, but now wasn’t the time for complaints. Supporting her, he followed Huo Ci and the others into the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, Yi Zecheng withdrew his hand.

At this moment, Huo Ci wasn’t holding on anymore.

Though their hands parted, standing shoulder to shoulder, their reflections in the smooth elevator wall still made a matching pair.

Once downstairs, Han Jingyang called the driver, and Huo Ci’s car was parked at the entrance. Upon seeing the gleaming Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG, Han Yao’s eyes lit up. Standing beside it, he examined it and counted on his fingers to Huo Ci, “Good taste; this car is truly beautiful.”

“6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine, maximum power now reaching 800, fastest acceleration in 4.2 seconds, top speed increased. My car can reach 250,” Huo Ci finished, and Han Yao’s eyes sparkled.

Men love cars, especially off-road vehicles like this; no one could resist.

Upon hearing her speak, Han Yao knew she was a true expert.

Her car was already top-tier in the off-road category, and after modifications, it became even more refined.

“Do you like it?” Huo Ci stood on the steps, with Yi Zecheng and Han Jingyang beside her.

Both listened quietly as Han Yao stood by the car and smiled, “Who wouldn’t like this car?”

As soon as he finished, Huo Ci raised her hand, and something flew through the air, landing directly in front of him. Han Yao’s quick reflexes caught it—a set of keys.

Mercedes-Benz logo.

“If you like it, take it for a drive,” Huo Ci said, looking at him.

Not only Han Yao, holding the keys, was stunned, but even Han Jingyang was surprised by the girl’s generosity. Her car was clearly imported, originally costing over three million yuan, and after modifications, it likely cost more than four million.

“Thank you for tonight,” Huo Ci turned and bowed deeply to Yi Zecheng and Han Jingyang.

Before Han Jingyang could stop her, Yi Zecheng, one hand in his pocket, watched her with a cool gaze.

Huo Ci sincerely thanked them with a deep bow. She knew that everything Yi Zecheng said and did upstairs was to help her. Neither Xia Yuanhang nor the blond-haired man were easy opponents. Even if she reported them to the police and successfully got them removed, vindictive people were hard to guard against. Next time, they might set up a trap to cause her trouble.

As a popular photographer with millions of followers on Weibo, her real-life encounters with people like Xia Yuanhang or the blond-haired man—offending either one—would bring endless repercussions.

Tonight, Yi Zecheng protected her openly in front of those people. In the future, they would avoid her.

Such a favor couldn’t be repaid with a simple thank you.