IJLHTW - 58

“Huo Ci, hello,” Xu Di looked at the young woman before her. This was the girl her Chengcheng liked—beautiful and kind-hearted.

When Huo Ci had handed her a tissue earlier, Xu Di had already recognized her. After all, her son had inexplicably sent her a ticket. When Xu Di arrived, she realized it was for a photography exhibition featuring works by a particularly famous domestic photographer.

She originally thought the ticket was sent because of the Doctors Without Borders theme.

But when she saw Yi Zhecheng’s photo, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

They had never understood his choice—he had always been their pride. Yet he had worried them so much. Despite their opposition, Yi Zhecheng still chose to join Doctors Without Borders.

As the exhibition introduction stated: if not for Doctors Without Borders, who would care for those suffering from disease?

Her son had been involved in such noble work, yet she had never been proud of him.

Xu Di gazed at the photograph, feeling both pride and guilt.

In that instant, she understood this girl must be the one Yi Zhecheng spoke of fondly. Looking at her now, her eyes moistened again. Xu Di softly asked, “May I hug you?”

Huo Ci was startled but nodded. Xu Di stepped forward and embraced her.

In Huo Ci’s ear, she whispered, “Thank you for letting me know how remarkable my son is.”

Yi Zhecheng quietly watched this scene—the two most important women in his life.

Huo Ci had thought about meeting Yi Zhecheng’s parents and how she should behave. But she hadn’t expected Yi Zhecheng to have everything arranged; she just needed to stand by his side.

After Xu Di released her, she gently said, “Chengcheng really is something, not bringing you home sooner.”

Huo Ci felt sorry for him and wanted to explain it was her fault. Before she could, Yi Zhecheng stepped forward, placing his arm around her shoulders, and softly asked, “Have you finished viewing the exhibition?”

“Of course, Huo Ci took wonderful photos. Why didn’t you send tickets earlier? I could have invited more friends,” Xu Di looked at him with slight dissatisfaction.

Yi Zhecheng looked at her. “If you like, you can invite friends over to view it at home.”

Huo Ci was surprised he would say that.

Unexpectedly, Xu Di became delighted. “That’s right! Since the exhibition tickets are donated to Doctors Without Borders, I’ll host a small exhibition at home and encourage them to contribute to charity.”

Xu Di’s status—her husband’s family was powerful, and her family wealthy—meant the ladies she knew were no ordinary people.

Huo Ci didn’t know what to say.

Xu Di happily began planning. “I’ll borrow my father’s house—it’s spacious, unlike our home where it’s inconvenient to enter.”

She was genuinely happy. Among her friends, many had married children. But look at their sons’ choices—either small celebrities or women whose faces were stiff from plastic surgery. Previously, because Yi Zhecheng hadn’t married, some had hinted to Xu Di. Honestly, if Yi Zhecheng had chosen someone like that, she would have knocked some sense into him.

Fortunately, Yi Zhecheng was indeed her son—his taste was top-notch.

Such a daughter-in-law made her proud.

Xu Di carefully observed Huo Ci—she was tall, probably over 170 cm. There was no worry about the grandchildren’s height; they would surely inherit long legs from their parents. As for her appearance, she was truly beautiful.

Who said mothers-in-law naturally disliked their daughters-in-law? She was secretly thrilled.

Finally, they saw Xu Di off. Since Yi Zhecheng hadn’t viewed the exhibition yet, Xu Di left first. Before departing, she specifically instructed Yi Zhecheng to bring Huo Ci home for dinner on the weekend.

After the car left, Huo Ci still hadn’t turned around. Yi Zhecheng teasingly remarked, “So fond of my mother? Still reluctant to leave?”

“You should have told me earlier,” Huo Ci playfully hit him. At that moment, when Yi Zhecheng introduced her as his mother, her hands and feet froze, unsure where to place them, and her palms instantly became sweaty.

Even now, her palms were still damp.

The fearless Huo Ci was actually this nervous.

Yi Zhecheng looked down at her. “Didn’t you perform well?”

Huo Ci couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t her performance—it was because of Yi Zhecheng’s words. He told Xu Di that she was the one he liked. Because of that, Xu Di easily accepted her.

They re-entered the exhibition hall. By now, it was nearing closing time, so there were few people. Huo Ci accompanied Yi Zhecheng to view the photos—they were moments they had experienced together. The memories were still vivid, but those lively individuals were now frozen in time, documenting those indescribable years.

If no one paid attention, reported, or recorded, then the efforts of Doctors Without Borders would remain unknown in a corner of the world.

Huo Ci couldn’t help but think of Huo Mingzhou. He had spent six years in Africa. China’s medical aid teams in Africa rotated every two years, but he persisted for so long. Huo Ci had once been angry—why could other fathers always be by their children’s side?

But her father was on another continent thousands of miles away, saving people unrelated to him.

“Why did you join Doctors Without Borders back then?” Huo Ci softly asked.

Yi Zhecheng quietly gazed at the photographs on the wall. “I thought only journalists would be interested in that question.”

Huo Ci reached out and held his hand—the hands that had saved countless lives, pulling them back from the brink of death.

“When I was in England, I had a classmate from Liberia. He was the only African student, always hardworking. He often said that after graduation, he would return to his homeland because it needed him more than London.”

He was a diligent African youth, kind and enthusiastic. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see that day.

Diagnosed with late-stage cancer, he passed away in London just three months later. His parents couldn’t even afford the plane tickets to come—his classmates pooled money for them. Watching the grieving parents take his ashes back home filled Yi Zhecheng with unspeakable sorrow.

Upon graduation, he traveled to Africa alone and encountered Doctors Without Borders during that time.

They were true idealists, unconcerned with politics, focused solely on healing and saving lives.

He had always been a pure person.

Joining Doctors Without Borders was simply because he admired their atmosphere and shared their ideals.

Huo Ci held his hand. Behind them, two girls had noticed them. Seeing them holding hands excited them further. Finally, the long-haired girl was nudged forward and approached. “Are you Huo Ci?”

When Huo Ci turned and smiled at her, the girl was thrilled, clasping her hands together. “I’m a huge fan of your work—I’ve collected many of your magazines. I’ve been waiting for this exhibition since it was announced, but I only managed to get tickets for the last day.”

Fortunately, seeing Huo Ci erased any disappointment.

The girl asked for her autograph, and upon success, her friend also came forward for one. After getting their signatures, the long-haired girl glanced at Yi Zhecheng. When he met her gaze, she immediately blushed.

Finally, she mustered the courage. “Mr. Yi, please take good care of Huo Ci. We, the Qizi Mi, are her strongest supporters.”

Yi Zhecheng smiled at her and pulled Huo Ci into his arms. “I will.”

As the two fans walked away, they kept murmuring how handsome and swoon-worthy he was, exuding boyfriend vibes. The short-haired girl sighed, “I want to fall in love too.”

The long-haired girl teased her, “My goddess finds a god when she falls in love, while you’d end up with a neurotic.”

After the two fans left, Yi Zhecheng looked at the woman in his arms and teasingly asked, “Qizi Mi?”

“Mocking my fans?” Huo Ci slightly raised her chin, arrogantly saying, “Mocking my fans is mocking me. You have thirty seconds to apologize.”

Yi Zhecheng glanced around. The venue was nearly empty except for a few distant figures—it was almost closing time.

He quickly leaned down, kissed her lips, and chuckled, “Is this apology satisfactory?”

Huo Ci quietly looked at him, then extended her tongue to lick her lips, smiling faintly. “Sweet.”

Yi Zhecheng’s amber eyes darkened, resembling a deep pool ready to pull her in.

His voice turned dangerous. “You’re doing this on purpose.”

________________________________________

After the exhibition ended, Bai Yu organized a celebratory party. Everyone in the studio had worked hard, and it was time to relax. Various friends from the industry were invited. Initially, Bai Yu considered renting a venue for the party. In the end, Yi Zhecheng provided a place—one of his rarely used villas. Though seldom occupied, its spacious garden was perfect for a party.

Bai Yu was still upset about Huo Ci suddenly deciding to terminate the sponsorship contract.

Her lips were sealed, and he couldn’t pry anything out of her. Ultimately, he tried to persuade her again: “Do you realize this isn’t just about you…?”

“I already said I’ll personally cover the penalty fee. The studio won’t bear it, and it won’t affect you,” Huo Ci replied firmly. Bai Yu had invested in the studio, which was why she decided to handle the compensation herself.

Bai Yu was exasperated. “Am I worried about being implicated? Huo Ci, do you think I’m that kind of person? Do you know how much this penalty is? You’ve basically worked for free this past year.”

She earned a lot, but money doesn’t grow on trees.

He couldn’t understand why she was so stubborn about terminating the contract.

Seeing his insistence on an explanation, Huo Ci coldly said, “I dislike Lu Linzheng. Seeing him disgusts me. Is that reason enough?”

Bai Yu: “...”

Still incredulous, he pressed, “Just because you dislike him?”

Huo Ci coolly looked at him. “Isn’t that enough?”

“Your dislike sure costs a lot,” Bai Yu rarely used a sarcastic tone with her. “Tens of millions! That’s tens of millions!”

Huo Ci wouldn’t let him pay—it pained him on her behalf.

With that kind of penalty, what couldn’t they do?

Huo Ci waved dismissively. “Go negotiate.”

Because of this, the studio’s atmosphere had been tense these past few days. Bai Yu greeted everyone with the look of seeing an enemy. Finally, on the night of the celebration party, things improved somewhat.

The celebration was held on Friday night, marking the end of the workweek. Everyone wanted to unwind.

Huo Ci picked up Mo Xingchen along the way—her car still hadn’t been fixed. Once Mo Xingchen got in the car, her phone kept ringing. She frowned and asked, “Aren’t you going to answer?”

“People irrelevant to us don’t need attention,” Mo Xingchen said coldly. Today, she dressed up elaborately—long hair, red lips, wearing only one tassel earring that dangled on her shoulder, exuding charm and allure.

She glanced at Huo Ci. “You’re wearing that?”

“My outfit is at the villa—I’ll change later,” Huo Ci said. Today, she wore a sweater and wide-leg pants, looking more like she wasn’t attending a party.

Upon arriving at the villa, only a few guests had arrived. Someone spotted her and immediately came over to congratulate her on the successful photography exhibition. Huo Ci smiled and nodded, finally managing to extricate herself from the crowd.

Once upstairs, Bai Yu pulled her into a room and complained, “I told you to let me pick up Mo Xingchen—you insisted on going yourself.”

The stylist had been waiting. Bai Yu always meticulously styled her; her outfits rivaled those of popular actresses. Tonight, as the host, he wouldn’t allow her to be outshone by anyone.

Huo Ci never argued with him about such matters.

When she emerged in her dress, the room fell silent for a moment. She glanced down and softly asked, “Is it strange?”

This dress was indeed unlike her usual style—more ethereal.

Bai Yu, however, was ecstatic. “Darling, tonight you’ll be the most stunning one here.”

Downstairs, the music had started, and as it neared eight o’clock, the party was about to begin.

The DJ was set up inside the house, and the villa’s soundproofing was excellent. With ample distance between each villa, it wasn’t overly noisy. The entire garden was adorned with lights, dreamlike and enchanting.

Champagne and flowers were everywhere, and waiters in black vests carried trays, weaving through the crowd.

Then, at the corner of the second-floor landing, a blue figure appeared without warning, quietly standing there. In an instant, she captured the attention of everyone in the hall.

As Huo Ci slowly descended the stairs in her blue strapless gown, the fabric swayed with each step, shimmering like a galaxy.

The previously bustling hall gradually quieted as everyone watched her gracefully walk down the stairs.

She carried the galaxy with her, slowly approaching.

When Huo Ci finally escaped the crowd and found a quiet corner, she hadn’t even taken a sip of her champagne when a male voice came from behind. “If I hadn’t gotten someone to find an invitation, this place would have been hard to enter.”

She leaned against the balcony, the breeze dispersing the heat from her body.

Without turning, she replied, “Yet here you are.”

“Can I know why you’re so insistent on terminating the contract?” Lu Linzheng looked at the figure leaning on the balcony. Just moments ago, as she descended the stairs, he foolishly thought she resembled a fairy descending to Earth.

Huo Ci smiled. “Money can’t buy happiness. Consider it my pleasure.”

Lu Linzheng was usually the one to leave others speechless, but hearing this, he was momentarily at a loss.

He said, “Huo Ci, that penalty is substantial. You don’t need to do this.”

Huo Ci still didn’t turn around. Outside, it was noisy. She knew the penalty was a trap Lu Linzheng deliberately set, anticipating her termination and creating obstacles in advance.

But who was Huo Ci? She had always been the kind to break through walls, no matter how solid.

“How she chooses to act isn’t something you can dictate,” a cold voice slowly rang out.

Huo Ci immediately turned to see Yi Zhecheng standing in the doorway, dressed in a navy-blue suit.

Yi Zhecheng looked at the figure on the balcony, with the night sky as her backdrop. She stood quietly, carrying the galaxy, breathtakingly beautiful.

This was his Huo Ci.

Lu Linzheng looked at him mockingly. “Is it really meaningful to let a woman fight your battles?”

Yi Zhecheng gave him a cold glance and walked over, stopping beside Huo Ci. He placed his hand on her slender waist and chuckled softly.

“If my wife wants to spoil me, then of course it’s meaningful.”