Chapter 77: Chapter 0077: The Always Decisive Killer, Hesitated
Mu Lan lifted her gaze and t Huo Tingxiao’s eyes. For a mont, she truly didn’t know how to respond—after all, the man was his close friend. Surely, she couldn’t just say sothing negative, right?
But his look clearly wasn’t expecting her to praise either.
This… was quite a dilemma.
It was the legendary question that could cost her life—how should she answer? She bit her lip and thought for a mont.
“Even if it’s good, it’s because you have a filter.”
That should be safe to say.
...
However, Huo Tingxiao indeed replied with a tone neither salty nor bland.
“Oily and slick.”
“…”
Humph, this man is so hard to serve. If she flattered him, he disliked it, and if she told the truth, he would surely find so other fault.
“Oh, by the way, what did you just ask to prepare?”
“Grandpa’s birthday gift.”
Huo Tingxiao slightly closed his eyes, his tone llow.
Mu Lan frowned, and the image of Elder Huo instantly ca to mind—an imposing figure, the head of the Huo Family. With such an esteed status, what could they possibly buy for his birthday?
“I’m afraid I won’t make a good choice, and the elder won’t like it, what should I do?”
“Aren’t you the best at picking gifts for elders? How could he not like it?”
Upon first hearing it, this seed perfectly acceptable, but Mu Lan knew Huo Tingxiao was obviously mocking her for the ti she helped Lin Yize pick out a gift.
Headaches ensue; n could be so petty, much more so than won—petty to the extre.
“I…”
Her eyes shifting, Mu Lan started speaking with a feigned smile.
“I’m not worried about not matching up to your childhood sweetheart. After all, the Huo and Sheng families have been friends for many years, and the Sheng Family will undoubtedly attend the old master’s birthday in grand style. I, the granddaughter-in-law of the Huo Family, am afraid of losing face.”
She deliberately made herself sound pitiful, yet Huo Tingxiao found it quite unsettling.
“Even if you don’t bring anything, no one would dare to say a thing.”
Huo Tingxiao’s every word struck right at Mu Lan’s heartstrings, stirring up an irrepressible sense of sweetness, as she couldn’t help but slightly raise the corners of her mouth.
She couldn’t deny it, the feeling of being protected was genuinely nice.
But… she neither dared nor could take his word for it all.
“Anyway, don’t hold too high expectations for my taste—it won’t produce anything special.”
Watching her feign helplessness, Huo Tingxiao couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s up to you. There’s still half a month left, no rush.”
After all, if there was a ss, he would simply take responsibility for cleaning it up.
“Mm. Oh, by the way, has Vincent already left the country?”
The ntion of Vincent brought a fleeting trace of inscrutability to Huo Tingxiao’s eyes.
“Not yet.”
At his words, a hint of anticipation flashed in Mu Lan’s eyes.
“Then, could you maybe schedule a eting with Vincent for ?”
Seeing Huo Tingxiao remain silent, Mu Lan felt as if claws were scratching at her heart, thinking that since he and Vincent were so close, he wouldn’t refuse such a small favor, right? Besides, last ti Vincent had said he wanted to chat when he was free—while most people would take that as just politeness, Mu Lan couldn’t help taking it seriously. After all, he was her idol.
“If it’s too much trouble…”
“Whether I can or not depends on your performance today.”
His voice, tinted with a slight rasp, filled the narrow space in the car. Mu Lan glared; this man was actually using such a thing to negotiate terms with her.
“I…”
“It’s been four days already.”
The implication was clear—he knew her monthly visitor had left, and she couldn’t fool him.
Mu Lan’s face instantly turned bright red; she couldn’t help but curse inwardly—Bastard, how can he be so shrewd!
She wanted to say sothing else, but Huo Tingxiao suddenly reached out to stroke her face, his eyes shimring like a clear lake, perhaps too tender, or perhaps it was her hormones acting up, in any case, she… didn’t do too badly.
The next day, after breakfast, Huo Tingxiao asked her to dress up nicely. Although he didn’t say it explicitly, his intention was obvious.
Mu Lan’s eyes lit up—was she going to et her idol?
Seeing her overjoyed, she even put on a very ladylike dress, making her appear delicately charming and lively.
As if worried the dress she picked wasn’t good enough, she twirled in a circle to ask Huo Tingxiao what he thought.
God knows, the mont Mu Lan twirled her skirt, she was stunningly beautiful. Why hadn’t he realized how incredibly beautiful Mu Lan was before?
Huo Tingxiao could hardly take his eyes off her, barely suppressing the surge of emotions within him and replied with an air of nonchalance.
“Not bad.”
Mu Lan pouted, clearly not satisfied with the response.
A sweet smile spread across her face as she turned to Yun Xi.
“Yun Xi, does it look good?”
Yun Xi was expressionless.
“Mhm.”
“…”
Mu Lan thought to herself, forget it, she should ask Sister Li instead.
In the end, it was Sister Li who gave her the heartfelt complints she needed, praising her as pretty as a flower.
Then, she left the house satisfied.
The weather was lovely today; Mu Lan looked toward the blue sky outside the car window, feeling as if she could fly, even starting to hum a song.
It was the first ti Huo Tingxiao saw her this happy.
But each ti he thought about the emails on her phone, he hesitated, wondering whether to tell her that actually…
“Do you think I should tell Vincent today about my wish to establish my own brand, and ask for so encouragent? No, no, that might scare him off, right? Maybe I should ask if he has any business in China that I can learn from? But that might also be inappropriate; what if he thinks I’m relying on your influence to make requests? That wouldn’t be good.”
Seeing her nervous, Huo Tingxiao couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow.
“You admire him that much?”
“Please, is there anyone in the design field who doesn’t admire him? If it wasn’t for marrying you, I would have probably—”
Realizing what she had just blurted out, Mu Lan abruptly stopped talking and glanced at Huo Tingxiao’s sowhat upset face, managing an awkward smile.
“I didn’t an it that way. Anyway, I’m just trying to say that in my heart, he’s the greatest design master. Of course, I don’t expect myself to suddenly be like him.
But at least, he has rekindled my drive to pursue my dreams.”
Huo Tingxiao’s heart jolted despite knowing she didn’t an it that way, but sotis, the words we say subconsciously are truly reflective of our deepest thoughts.
Just as she ntioned, if it wasn’t for Han Yongi’s demand that, after marrying, she must stay at ho as a housewife, she might have gone to France to study long ago, entered the design circle, and taken step by step towards her dreams.
“Mu Lan, there’s sothing…”
Sothing? Mu Lan looked at his hesitant deanor and twitched the corner of her eye.
“Why the hesitation? If you have sothing to say, say it.”
Should he really speak up? If he told her about the content of those emails, it would inevitably lead to more revelations.
Mu Lan currently had little interest in her past, but what if this prompted her to want to recover her mories? Then what?
Always decisive, Huo Tingxiao hesitated.
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