Chapter 18: Chapter 0018: Aren’t you going to explain this matter?
By the ti Mu Lan regained her composure, Huo Tingxiao was already eating congee with a nonchalant expression, as if nothing had happened.
She must have been confused, absolutely confused. Otherwise, the words he had just spoken would surely have been nonsense, blurted out without thinking.
However, a series of events that followed proved to her that Huo Tingxiao was not one to speak empty words. He always backed them up with actions.
For instance, during today’s eting in front of all the executives, he casually brushed aside her hair and pretended as if nothing had happened. It left her feeling disheveled and the executives with deep, aningful glances.
Keep in mind, in their eyes, Huo Tingxiao was an unapproachable iceberg, a work machine.
They had never seen him closely interacting with that woman, nor showing off affection even though he was married.
...
Such a rare mont was definitely worth commorating.
Or like at lunch when Huo Tingxiao specifically ordered her favorite takeaway, although she was watching him work as she ate.
And then after work, Huo Tingxiao insisted on going ho with her.
The company’s break room imdiately buzzed with gossip about them. Married or not, everyone was green with envy.
But Mu Lan couldn’t take it anymore. She felt that Huo Tingxiao changed his deanor too quickly and intended to keep her distance from him, yet where could she go under the sa roof?
“Are you avoiding ?”
“No? How am I avoiding you?”
She dared not admit it, but Huo Tingxiao was no fool.
“We should visit the Mu Family tomorrow.”
The mont Mu Lan heard this, her hair stood on end. She clearly didn’t understand why they suddenly needed to visit the Mu Family.
“Why?”
“The shareholders’ eting is next week. We need to prepare.
What, you don’t want to help Huaifeng anymore?”
This statent made Mu Lan literally jump for joy and gave him a bear hug.
“Huo Tingxiao, I knew you were a loyal and good person.”
Suddenly being embraced like that, Huo Tingxiao was stunned for a second before he couldn’t help but smile.
Even though he knew all too well that her happiness was for Huaifeng.
“Just by your saying that you stand by my brother, the other shareholders will definitely support him too. That’s great. I don’t have to worry about my father’s hard work falling into soone else’s hands.”
Towards the end of her sentence, Mu Lan’s voice choked up a bit.
Huo Tingxiao’s heart softened, and he gently patted her back.
This tender gesture made Mu Lan’s heart race, and realizing what she had just done, she imdiately stepped back, her face flushing.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I…”
The embrace suddenly empty, Huo Tingxiao furrowed his brows.
“I still have work tonight. You should go to sleep first.”
“Oh”
Mu Lan quickly departed, leaving Huo Tingxiao alone in his gloom.
He really didn’t know what trick to use next to make this woman see his sincerity in nding their old relationship.
————
This was the first ti Mu Lan had returned ho after her amnesia, and she was accompanied by Huo Tingxiao.
In the seven years of their marriage, Huo Tingxiao’s visits to the Mu Family were few and far between, showing up only on the day of Mu Yuanqiao’s funeral.
His unexpected visit today truly surprised Shen Ying.
“Mom.”
“Tingxiao is here too, Lanlan, what’s going on all of a sudden…”
“Oh, Huo Tingxiao said he has so things to discuss with my brother.”
Shen Ying looked towards her son-in-law. The two had always had little private communication; perhaps today’s sudden visit was concerning the company?
“Your brother is in the study. I’ll have Aunt Zhang call him.”
“There’s no need, Mom, I’m going upstairs to find Big Brother.”
Only when she saw her son-in-law disappearing around the staircase did Shen Ying pull Mu Lan aside to ask.
“Lanlan, what’s going on?”
“Huo Tingxiao wants to discuss the shareholders’ eting with brother, Mom, don’t be nervous.
Aunt Zhang, do we have any cherries at ho? I feel like eating cherries.”
Mu Lan curled up on the sofa, looking completely relaxed.
After all, there’s no place like ho where you can sprawl however you want.
But seeing Mu Lan’s languid posture, Shen Ying was frightened and her eyes widened.
“You child, how can you sit like that.”
“Why do I need to sit properly at ho? Mom, why are you fussing at the mont we et?”
“Isn’t it because I’m afraid you’ve gotten used to it, and that your mother-in-law will pick on you?”
Shen Ying glared at her daughter in annoyance.
“Mom, Huo Tingxiao said he’ll ask his mom to visit Maple Forest Garden less often and not to bother us unnecessarily, so we can live our own lives.”
Mu Lan had no idea her words were like a bombshell; Shen Ying almost thought she was hallucinating. It had been seven years since they married, when had Huo Tingxiao ever backed her daughter like this before.
“These are Tingxiao’s words?”
“Yeah, he said it in front of .”
Mu Lan knew her mother very well; she deliberately brought up these things to put her at ease a bit.
“Has your relationship improved a lot?”
“Whenever a mother and daughter et, they naturally talk about personal things.
anwhile, in the study upstairs, the atmosphere between Mu Huaifeng and Huo Tingxiao was far from relaxed.
Mu Huaifeng brewed a pot of Kung Fu tea; it was the first ti he had a one-on-one tea talk with his brother-in-law since Mu Lan had married Huo Tingxiao.
“This tea from the ancient trees in Yunnan, not sure if it’s to your taste.”
“It’s from our own, I’m used to it.”
Huo Tingxiao picked up the teacup, first slled it, then took a gentle sip. It was llow and not astringent, tasting very good.
“I heard, you let Lanlan start working?”
News sure travels fast; Huo Tingxiao responded affirmatively.
“Yes.”
“Actually, I had advised Lanlan before not to just stay at ho all the ti, she used to say being a housewife wasn’t too bad and told not to worry unnecessarily.
She wanted to study abroad during her high school days, but chose a dostic university because of dad.
Thought she’d work at Mu’s corporation, but ended up marrying you in her freshman year.
In the blink of an eye, it’s been seven years.
Why did you suddenly agree to let her work?”
Mu Huaifeng suddenly brought up these matters, not accusing Huo Tingxiao with any word, but inside, he felt a bit distressed.
She, too, was a person with aspirations, but everything changed because she beca his wife.
“I had been preoccupied with work before, and neglected her, so I thought I should start to cherish and respect her choices from now on.”
These words, Huo Tingxiao said them very sincerely.
But Mu Huaifeng was not really convinced.
“Lanlan has always been the type to share good news and not the bad; she also says she’s doing very well every ti she returns ho.
But whether she actually is doing well, I can see through it.
There are things she doesn’t say, but that doesn’t an, I, her brother, don’t know.
Huo Tingxiao, a few days ago she was in a car accident, and a blood clot developed in her brain, how do you explain that?”
Huo Tingxiao looked up, locking eyes with Mu Huaifeng across from him. Their intense presences clashed like ice and fire in the air, neither willing to give in, equally matched.
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