IJLHTW - 66

Huo Ci didn’t expect such an outing that night, picking up the others. Xu Siyang insisted on treating them to dinner, saying it was to celebrate Mo Xingchen finally allowing him to pursue her.

Unexpectedly, Mo Xingchen also insisted on dragging them along.

So, the four of them eventually arrived at the restaurant, a place specially chosen by Xu Siyang: Cloud Restaurant.

Xu Siyang even specifically ordered a bottle of red wine, actually intending to celebrate. By the time dinner was over, it was almost ten o’clock. On the way back, Yi Zechen turned his head to look at Huo Ci and asked her, “Very happy?”

Huo Ci rarely drank today.

Huo Ci nodded and said, “I’m happy for two people with similar emotional intelligence who managed to find each other.”

Yi Zechen chuckled softly and reminded her, “Xu Siyang is your junior maternal uncle.”

The implication was, be a bit more polite.

Huo Ci couldn’t help but laugh, leaning on his shoulder, looking up at him: “Then why do you call him an idiot, an idiot?”

“He really is.” After saying that, Yi Zechen even laughed at himself. But then he added, “One time, I was so angry that I called him that in front of my dad, and I got a beating.”

Yi Huaize was such a serious person; how could he allow such disrespect? Xu Siyang was younger than him and not as sensible, but no matter what, he was still his direct maternal uncle. When Yi Zechen cursed him as an “idiot,” it infuriated Yi Huaize, who didn’t hold back and immediately fell out with him.

In fact, after growing up, Yi Zechen understood that Xu Siyang wasn’t just a junior maternal uncle. Both Yi Huaize and Xu Di treated him like a younger son.

All the heavy burdens were placed on Yi Zechen, while the young master of the Xu family only needed to be happy.

Otherwise, given his current irresponsible behavior, no one would have truly beaten him up.

Huo Ci also said with some emotion, “Mo Xingchen must have done it on purpose, taking advantage of me.”

From a revered “Daddy Huo” to a mere junior, wasn’t she being taken advantage of by Mo Xingchen?

Huo Ci also laughed and said, “You must bear the primary responsibility.”

Who told you to be a generation younger than Xu Siyang?

When she said this, her voice was soft, sounding like a complaint but actually more like a playful whine. In the dark car, occasional streetlights shining through from outside illuminated her dark eyes, making them sparkle.

The driver in front was concentrating on driving. Yi Zechen rarely showed affection towards Huo Ci in front of others; after all, they were adults, and being too intimate would inevitably seem frivolous. If they were at home, he would immediately pull her close and kiss her until she couldn’t utter a word. He reached out to touch her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her smooth, tender skin.

Yi Zechen turned his head to look at her, a slight smile on his lips: “My fault.”

So, when Mr. Yi arrived home, he immediately pulled her into his arms and kissed her as soon as they entered the door. Huo Ci was kissed until she could barely breathe before he released her. Her eyes were already round and beautiful, and when she looked up at him, it was as if she wanted to draw him in.

Yi Zechen had always loved her eyes the most—beautiful and with an unyielding spirit.

Huo Ci pushed him, and before she could ask what was wrong, she heard him say, “Didn’t you say it was my fault? How about I make it up to you now?”

His voice was deep, with a hint of huskiness, full of allure. He held Huo Ci tightly around the waist, making her unable to move. Huo Ci couldn’t help but laugh, cooing, “Is this your way of making it up to me?”

“You’ll know if you try,” Yi Zechen chuckled, and Huo Ci couldn’t even dodge.

As a result of this “try,” Huo Ci was completely exhausted. Even when she finally went to take a bath, she was carried by Yi Zechen. When she lay back on the bed in her pajamas, she was so sleepy she just wanted to fall asleep immediately. Yet, the man beside her was anything but restless; after putting her on the bed, he went out.

Huo Ci found it strange that he hadn’t returned for a long time. Just as she was about to get up and check, the bedroom door was pushed open.

Her eyes first caught sight of a large bouquet of flowers, so large that even a tall man like Yi Zechen holding it looked small. It was a vibrant, glistening bouquet of red roses, a dazzling and striking red.

She stared, dumbfounded.

Until Yi Zechen, holding the flowers, walked up to her and said very seriously, “Someone told me that a proposal should have roses, a ring, and kneeling on one knee. But it seems I didn’t give you any of those.”

Even his proposal was impulsive. He just asked her, standing by the window, to come downstairs if she was willing. All the things a proposal should have, it seemed he hadn’t given her any of them.

It was Huo Ci’s first time being proposed to. When she heard him shouting her name downstairs, she was indescribably excited.

So she didn’t even need a second to think, rushing directly downstairs.

Both were novices; one was proposing for the first time, and the other was being proposed to for the first time. Although they had seen others do it, when it came down to it, they only followed their hearts.

Later, when others reminded him, Yi Zechen felt that Huo Ci had been too wronged.

Huo Ci gazed at the bouquet of fresh flowers in his arms and asked him, “How many stalks is that?”

“1314,” Yi Zechen said deeply.

Huo Ci was stunned, and after a while, she looked at him: “Mr. Yi, you’re really cheesy.”

But she liked his cheesiness.

She reached out to take them, but Yi Zechen didn’t give them to her. Instead, he placed the flowers by the bed. Huo Ci watched his movements until he pulled out a black velvet square box from his pocket, her eyes suddenly widened.

It wasn’t until Yi Zechen slowly knelt on one knee that the person sitting on the bed was completely dumbfounded.

It was Yi Zechen’s first time doing something like this. He wasn’t a very expressive person, but now it was just the two of them. Their joys were theirs, and their sorrows were theirs. Huo Ci was his closest person; he could do anything without reservation in front of her.

“They all say that every woman likes flowers and rings, even if they don’t say it, they want them in their hearts,” he suddenly chuckled softly, and said seriously, “Everyone else has them, how can I let my little girl be wronged?”

At this moment, he opened the black velvet box, and a dazzling, brilliant ring lay quietly inside.

Huo Ci stared blankly at the ring. She had once shot many jewelry advertisements for T&A. Those precious jewels even required special security personnel to escort them to the set. Even when models wore them, they were handled with extreme care, fearing any diamond might fall off.

At that time, Huo Ci thought, diamonds are truly troublesome.

At this moment, she looked at this ring, at the intricate and magnificent ring in this box. The main diamond was an extremely dazzling and brilliant stone, surrounded by two circles of smaller diamonds, shining so brightly and captivatingly under the light.

“When did you prepare this?” Huo Ci knew that such a diamond ring couldn’t be bought immediately.

Yi Zechen looked at her, “It was in the US. I attended a charity auction and saw this uncut diamond, so I bought it.”

“So, you had this ring ready for a long time?” Huo Ci asked, somewhat disbelievingly.

Actually, when Yi Zechen proposed, she was too surprised. Only half a year had passed since they met. She hadn’t even expected to receive his proposal so soon.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him; it was just that both of them were slow to warm up, and it took a considerable amount of time to fully accept someone into one’s life.

Yi Zechen saw her eyes were slightly damp. He raised his hand and wiped her tears with his thumb.

“I told you, once I’ve decided on you, whether it’s one day or ten days, my desire for you won’t change,” the man, dressed in simple loungewear, his hair still a bit damp, his Adam’s apple slightly moving as he spoke. He knelt there on one knee, showing no sign of shrinking back, but rather making one even more captivated.

This man, she had fought desperately to get back.

Huo Ci didn’t know what she could affirm or deny in her life, but the only thing she could be sure she would never regret was loving the man in front of her.

She extended her hand, her slender, fair fingertips resembling bamboo shoots in March.

“Huo Ci,” he said calmly as he slowly slid the ring onto her finger, “You can’t run away anymore.”

Huo Ci smiled, but tears also fell.

He leaned in, put his arms around her, and said with rare contentment in his tone, “You’re mine now.”

The way he said that, he truly sounded like a mountain bandit claiming his territory.

________________________________________

When Huo Ci woke up the next morning, after thinking for a bit, she decided to wear the diamond ring from the ring box on her finger.

As she drove, she couldn’t help but constantly glance at her finger. Her fingers were slender, fair, and exceptionally beautiful. Especially when holding a black camera, they were so stunning that it was hard to look away.

Therefore, she had always disliked wearing anything on her fingers, fearing it would be inconvenient when working.

Upon arriving at the studio, she had already opened her computer and was preparing for today’s shoot. Her assistant knocked and came in, telling her that today’s shooting time had been changed.

Huo Ci frowned and immediately asked, “What happened?”

“The magazine called and said they had to delay by two hours because this issue’s cover model participated in an event last night...” the assistant’s voice grew softer and softer.

Huo Ci knew the problem wasn’t with her. Nowadays, these celebrities are being praised higher and higher, and fans are eager to cheer for them every day. Even if they act like divas, there are still a bunch of fans helping to whitewash them.

She waved her hand, telling the assistant to go out first.

Unexpectedly, the little assistant’s eyes widened, and she pointed directly at Huo Ci’s hand and said, “Boss, is that your engagement ring?”

It wasn’t surprising that the assistant was shocked; the ring was simply too eye-catching. The moment Huo Ci waved her hand, the assistant noticed it. Was this the legendary “pigeon’s egg” diamond?

Huo Ci smiled faintly, nodded, and then told her to leave.

After the little assistant left, she certainly didn’t miss out on this extremely gossipy matter. In fact, when Yi Zechen proposed earlier, although most people said the proposal was incredibly, incredibly romantic, there were also some who sourly commented that the proposal was too cheap, with no “pigeon’s egg” diamond, not even a ring.

But then, just like that, the “pigeon’s egg” appeared.

So, for an entire morning, people from the studio found various excuses to enter Huo Ci’s office, just to gaze upon the legendary “pigeon’s egg.”

When shooting the cover in the afternoon, because it had been announced beforehand, there would be a live broadcast synchronized with this magazine shoot.

Although the subject hadn’t arrived yet, the magazine staff had already started the live broadcast. Huo Ci was adjusting her camera when she heard the editor holding a phone opposite her say, “Right now, your Brother Xin hasn’t arrived yet. Let’s first take a look at the studio. Yes, this is today’s photographer, Teacher Huo Ci.”

The barrage of comments instantly exploded. When fans saw it was Huo Ci, they immediately started confessing their admiration for her.

This issue also featured a popular young idol, and when fans saw that the magazine had invited Huo Ci, they immediately showered her with confessions. When the editor’s phone camera aimed at her, she was seen looking down at the camera in front of her, with a computer and other equipment on the table.

“Oh my god, is that a ring on her hand? It’s so big, must be over six carats, right?”

More than one person had sharp eyes; many fans had already noticed. Because the comments were constantly scrolling, even the magazine editor holding the phone noticed. The editor leaned in, looked closely, and indeed, it was an extremely dazzling diamond ring.

“Was it given by the male god? It must be!”

“Editor, hurry up and ask! We’re all waiting! If you ask, we’ll send you gifts!”

So various gifts and flowers immediately surged. The magazine editor saw this and thought, this is too enthusiastic. Moreover, everyone wasn’t even concerned about the idol anymore, focusing entirely on the gossip.

Finally, under everyone’s urging, the magazine editor cautiously began, “Teacher Huo, your ring is truly beautiful.”

“Idiot editor, just ask who sent it!”

“Exactly, why are you saying useless things?”

“Quickly ask who said it, and I’ll send you a sports car.”

So, under various threats and inducements, just as the magazine editor was about to pluck up the courage to ask, Huo Ci looked up first. She glanced at the camera and said somewhat seriously, “Thank you.”

“Um, can I see it?” The magazine editor was also a coward, mainly because it wasn’t their first collaboration with Huo Ci, and they knew her personality was a bit cold, fearing they might truly anger her.

Actually, she had always disliked live broadcasting during shoots.

Huo Ci looked at her, and after a while, said blandly, “You can look, but you can’t film it with the camera.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” the magazine editor said repeatedly, having already forgotten the fans who were shouting with impatience. At this moment, the comments were all cursing her for holding things up at a crucial moment.

Although the editor didn’t point the camera at it, she still described the beauty of the ring live.

“Teacher Huo, was this ring given by someone else?” The magazine editor finally beat around the bush and got to the main point, which immediately brought a shower of praising comments on the live stream.

Huo Ci nodded and said softly, “It was given by the person I like.”

Although the sound was not loud, everyone in the live broadcast heard it.

“No, I’m going to faint, it’s too sweet.”

“Given by the person I like. I also want someone to give me one, but first, I need to have someone I like.”

“I originally just came to see my idol, but I was forced a mouthful of dog food.”

At this moment, Huo Ci’s voice outside the camera rang out again: “It’s very precious.”

Huo Ci’s Photography Exhibition in Shanghai

Huo Ci traveled to Shanghai three days in advance for her photography exhibition, scheduled for April. Tickets for the Shanghai exhibition sold out almost instantly upon release, leading to an extension of the exhibition from five to seven days. All featured works would be available for purchase, with proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders, as per usual.

Before leaving Beijing, Liu Ruhan called her. Though Liu Ruhan wasn’t online, news of Huo Ci’s situation, especially involving Shen Suian, spread widely. Furthermore, there was the matter of Yi Zechen’s proposal. Liu Ruhan had initially wanted to visit Huo Ci at home, but found that Huo Ci had changed her door lock.

Left with no other option, she personally visited Huo Ci’s studio.

“A proposal is such a big deal; you should have discussed it with your elders,” Liu Ruhan said immediately upon entering, noticing the dazzling diamond ring on Huo Ci’s hand, so beautiful it was hard to look away.

Liu Ruhan had always thought Yi Zechen was extremely composed, but she hadn’t expected him to be so impulsive.

Huo Ci gave her a cool glance. “A proposal is something that needs a bit of impulse.”

Liu Ruhan saw her expression and knew there was no point in saying anything else. However, since they were already engaged, other matters needed discussion. She asked, “Has Zechen mentioned when he’ll arrange for both sets of parents to meet? Since you’ve decided to get married, it’s better to settle it early. The wedding...”

“Parental meeting?” Huo Ci frowned, looking at her with displeasure, and said coldly, “Dad is still in South Sudan.”

Suddenly hearing Huo Ci mention Huo Mingzhou, Liu Ruhan’s expression froze. He had been gone for so long that living with him felt like a past life. Yet, their daughter was sitting right in front of her.

Liu Ruhan couldn’t help but clutch her bag. After a long while, she asked, “Is your dad doing well?”

They rarely mentioned Huo Mingzhou, or rather, never intentionally thought of him. After all, once divorced, they were no longer a family, and she had remarried. Huo Ci had lived a life distant from her parents, whether it was good or bad, she had always navigated it alone.

Until now, she was finally no longer alone.

Thinking of this, Liu Ruhan actually wanted to thank Yi Zechen. He had slowly led Huo Ci out of her solitary life, making her world no longer just about lenses and photography.

“Very well, he’ll be back soon,” Huo Ci said with a calm expression, yet her face was gentle.

After reconciling with Huo Mingzhou, she was no longer as cold towards Liu Ruhan as before. Of course, the reason she changed her home password was because she was now living with Yi Zechen and feared startling her if she suddenly showed up.

She was finally learning to reconcile with her parents after all these years.

Perhaps, just as Huo Mingzhou had once tried to persuade her, her parents’ separation didn’t mean they didn’t love her. It simply meant they couldn’t and weren’t suited to continue living together.

Liu Ruhan still felt happy upon hearing this, as South Sudan was indeed a rather chaotic place.

Even though their marriage was over, she had always hoped Huo Mingzhou would be safe.

She nodded and said comfortingly, “That’s good. As long as he can come back early, it’s more important than anything else.”

Liu Ruhan actually just missed her and found an excuse to see her. The last time Huo Ci had a photography exhibition in Beijing, she went every day. Although the works were the same, she felt like she could find new things each time she visited – the lighting, the lenses. She didn’t understand the technical aspects, but she always wanted to understand what Huo Ci wanted to express in her heart.

The photos conveyed hope and vitality. Even though survival was difficult, those suffering individuals never gave up, and neither did the Doctors Without Borders.

“Can Mama come to your photography exhibition in Shanghai?” Liu Ruhan asked cautiously.

Huo Ci: “Actually, the photos are the same as in Beijing. You’ve already seen them so many times; you don’t need to make a special trip.”

Liu Ruhan was a little disappointed and was about to nod, but then Huo Ci added, “Are you free before I go to Shanghai? Yi Zechen and I want to treat you to dinner first.”

Liu Ruhan was overjoyed and immediately nodded.

________________________________________

Upon arriving in Shanghai, Huo Ci received an email from Wei Lai, the leader of the Time Window team, containing the first episode of the documentary. Previously, only a trailer had been available online, but that trailer alone had already garnered nearly 20 million views.

The Time Window team had been working overtime for the past few months to prepare.

The documentary was originally planned for six episodes, and now the first episode had been roughly cut. After obtaining Yi Zechen’s consent, Wei Lai sent the first episode to Huo Ci.

After all, she was a professional photographer. Although she hadn’t filmed documentaries, she had shot many commercials and could offer advice from a professional perspective.

Huo Ci stayed in her hotel room, quietly watching the 50-minute video on her computer.

When she finished watching, her phone on the table suddenly rang. It was Yi Zechen. After answering the call, she spoke first, “Have you watched the Time Window documentary?”

“I’ve watched it, it’s very good,” he said. As someone with extremely high standards, such a positive evaluation showed that he was very satisfied with the Time Window team’s work this time.

After all, making a documentary engaging and not boring is a true test of a team’s capabilities.

Yi Zechen had chosen such a young team back then precisely for this consideration. However, Yi Zechen hadn’t expected that when he called, his girlfriend’s first words wouldn’t be about missing him, but rather asking if he had seen the documentary.

He lowered his voice and reminded her, “Miss Huo, it’s not work hours right now.”

In fact, he was sitting in his office at that very moment. Yi Zechen had always been a highly efficient person; anything that could be done today would never be delayed until tomorrow. Years of experience as a surgeon meant he couldn’t afford even a moment’s delay, as medical conditions wouldn’t wait.

“I think Time Window’s capabilities are very strong. I know Wei Lai has always wanted to shoot feature films. Actually, if there’s a good script, he could try that, and even...” Huo Ci ignored his words and continued.

She had always held a strong liking for Time Window, this young documentary team.

After all, they were once comrades in arms in Africa.

“Huo Ci,” Yi Zechen suddenly called her name, his voice a little low and tinged with danger, causing Huo Ci, who was speaking excitedly, to involuntarily pause.

Then she heard his voice, asking blandly, “Are you going to keep bringing up other men in front of me?”

Huo Ci: “...” Huo Ci was truly amused and exasperated by his baseless jealousy.

Until he softly said, “You’ve only been gone for a few hours, and I already miss you.”

When they weren’t together, both were accustomed to solitude, always alone wherever they went. Sometimes, with just a backpack, they could embark on a journey. Huo Ci had done such things, and so had Yi Zechen.

But now that they were together, with each other’s presence in their hearts, both had once been solitary figures on a pedestal.

Suddenly, they were imbued with the warmth of everyday life. He was no longer the arrogant and aloof Mr. Yi, and she was no longer the lofty photographer, like pure white snow.

“Next week, I’ll come to Shanghai to pick you up and take you home,” Yi Zechen said before hanging up the phone.

Because of this one sentence, Huo Ci had been waiting, even feeling a sense of eager anticipation.

________________________________________

Two days before the exhibition ended, Yi Zechen finally flew to Shanghai. He had made a trip to Japan beforehand and had specifically rushed back before Huo Ci’s photography exhibition concluded, because he had promised that he would always be there for her exhibitions.

When he entered, Huo Ci was leaning against the railing, holding her camera.

As he walked in from the doorway, she raised her camera to take his picture. It wasn’t until he heard the clicking sound of the camera upstairs that he looked up, and his normally cool and indifferent face instantly broke into a faint smile.

Through the lens, his face was so handsome it was impossible to look away. Even magnified several times, it made her heart pound instantly.

At this time, although it was nearing the end, there were still many people in the hall. The popularity of the Shanghai exhibition was even greater than in Beijing. When she and Yi Zechen entered, many people turned to look. The two walked side-by-side; although there were no intimate gestures, there was a magnetic field between them, a field only they could feel.

One look up, and they could see each other, their eyes holding no one else.

The next day, after returning to Beijing, they arrived home at noon. Yi Zechen, uncharacteristically, didn’t go to the company, instead staying home with Huo Ci for an afternoon nap. In the evening, he got up first to shower. After finishing, he opened his wardrobe and chose a suit.

Huo Ci was still half-asleep in bed, and seeing him looking for clothes, she asked, “Are you going out again?”

He hummed softly, and after choosing a blue suit, he suddenly said, “It’s not me going out, it’s us going out.”

“Where to? I don’t want to go anywhere, I just want to stay home,” Huo Ci said, then rolled over in bed.

Yi Zechen’s voice was quite natural, “Home. I told my family you’re coming back for dinner with me today.”

Huo Ci lazily hummed in acknowledgment, then she froze. Half a minute later, she stiffly turned her head and asked, “What did you say?”

“We’re going back to the compound for dinner today. My dad should be home in about an hour, so we should get ready early,” Yi Zechen hadn’t even finished speaking when the person on the bed suddenly shot up.

“Yi Zechen, you’ve killed me! How could you not tell me beforehand?”

Then the entire bedroom descended into chaos. Huo Ci quickly showered and dried her hair. Luckily, she had interviews these past few days, so her hair had just been treated and was still soft and smooth, and even her newly permed style was holding up well. But it could have looked even better.

Next came finding clothes. Huo Ci’s walk-in closet was every woman’s dream, filled with the latest seasonal designs. Some were gifts from brands, others she bought herself. Each piece was a designer’s meticulous work, yet despite all this, she couldn’t pick anything until the very end.

It wasn’t until Yi Zechen placed his hands on her shoulders and made her wear a white belted dress that she calmed down.

When the car arrived at the entrance of the General Political Department Compound, it stopped for a moment because the barrier hadn’t been raised yet. The soldiers on duty at the gate were already familiar with him and snapped a standard salute.

Huo Ci had never been exposed to a military family. Although she had always known about his background, the sudden contact at this moment still deeply shocked her.

As the car drove inside, they happened to encounter a patrolling squad of soldiers, each dressed in pine-green military uniforms, standing tall and moving in unison, exuding an air of solemnity everywhere. Even in the areas they drove through, red five-pointed stars occasionally appeared. This compound was where he had always lived.

“Have you lived here since you were little?” Huo Ci couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

Yi Zechen nodded, slowing the car. He pointed to the not-too-distant area and said, “I used to live in that building, then we moved to the back.”

Huo Ci asked him, “Why?”

Yi Zechen paused, then said blandly, “Because my dad got promoted.”

When they arrived at the Yi family’s current residence, he pulled the car to a stop. Huo Ci sat in the passenger seat and reached for her seatbelt, but it wouldn’t unbuckle even after two tries. Yi Zechen came around the front of the car, opened her door, and unbuckled her seatbelt for her.

He looked at her, reached out and held her hand, then suddenly smiled: “Very scared?”

Huo Ci, uncharacteristically, didn’t try to be tough; she nodded.

“Don’t be scared, I’m here.”

His words eased Huo Ci’s tension. She got out of the car, and then another car arrived behind them. Yi Zechen held her hand and waited by the roadside for that car to pass. The car slowly pulled ahead of them, then stopped near the Yi family’s main gate.

Huo Ci felt a hand suddenly clench her heart, making it difficult for her to even breathe.

After that car stopped, the rear door opened, and a black leather shoe first touched the ground. The pine-green military trousers were crisp and neat. Finally, the person inside fully exited the car.

Yi Zechen pulled her forward.

The person who had just gotten out of the car turned to look at them.

Yi Zechen pulled her to stand in front of the man and formally introduced her, “Dad, this is Huo Ci.”

Huo Ci looked up and saw that the man who had just gotten out of the car was a middle-aged man in his fifties. His figure was still tall and slender, and although his face showed some signs of age, one could still discern his handsome appearance from his youth.

Yi Zechen truly resembled him.

Yi Huaize looked at the young woman in front of him with a smile. He then extended his hand and said, “Comrade Huo Ci, welcome to our home.”

The hand that had been clutching Huo Ci’s heart suddenly disappeared.