Lin Xuan walked up to Huo Shen, who also stood up.
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, sizing up Huo Shen.
The servants at the night garden weren’t wrong—this Young Master Huo was indeed quite handsome.
But still, Huo Shen’s looks weren’t impressive enough.
Just look—from start to finish, Hua Bao hadn’t spared Huo Shen a single glance.
Huo Shen smiled and extended his hand to Lin Xuan. "Hello, I’m Huo Shen. You must be President Su’s boyfriend?"
Lin Xuan politely shook his hand in return. "That’s right. I’m Hua Bao’s boyfriend, Lin Xuan."
"Young Master Lin, a pleasure," Huo Shen said with a faint smile.
Lin Xuan suddenly raised an eyebrow.
Huo Shen was gripping his hand so tightly—was this an attempt to intimidate him?
Lin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged, still relaxed, while a crack appeared in Huo Shen’s calm demeanor.
How was his grip so strong?
"Xiao Xuan," Old Master Su called out with a smile. "Why are you still standing there? Sit, come sit."
He had noticed the silent contest between the two. Knowing Huo Shen had trained in martial arts since childhood, he worried Lin Xuan might be at a disadvantage and quickly urged them to sit.
Only then did Lin Xuan release Huo Shen’s hand and take a seat on the sofa with Su Hua, never letting go of her hand the entire time.
Lin Xuan noticed—Hua Bao hadn’t given Huo Shen a single glance.
This Huo Shen was just wishfully thinking.
Lin Xuan’s mood was indescribably pleasant.
Still, the fact that someone was coveting Hua Bao annoyed him.
"President Su," Huo Shen said, "do you remember the fun times we had as children?"
Lin Xuan’s eyebrow twitched.
This Huo Shen was playing a high-level game—bringing up past memories with Hua Bao right in front of him, trying to create a rift between them.
But Huo Shen’s plan was doomed to fail.
Lin Xuan was a reincarnator. He had personally witnessed Hua Bao kissing his lifeless body and even committing suicide for him.
Even if he doubted anything, he would never doubt Hua Bao’s feelings for him.
Old Master Su also frowned.
Why was Xiao Shen bringing this up in front of Xiao Xuan?
He nervously glanced at Lin Xuan, hoping he wouldn’t misunderstand any relationship between Hua’er and Xiao Shen.
"Back then, we—" Huo Shen began recounting his past with Su Hua.
Lin Xuan sharpened his metaphorical knives, ready to retaliate.
But before he could speak, Su Hua furrowed her brows and cut Huo Shen off. "I was kidnapped when I was three or four. Anything before that—I’m sorry, I don’t remember. I don’t think there’s any need to discuss this further."
"Mr. Huo," Su Hua’s voice was icy, "my boyfriend is here. Please refrain from bringing up any topics that might make him misunderstand."
Lin Xuan was stunned.
Hua Bao was defending him outright?
Was this the security a girlfriend provided?
Huo Shen’s expression showed no change, but inwardly, his heart darkened.
Hua’er was actually protecting Lin Xuan like this!
What was it about this guy that made her favor him so much?
Damn it!
Once he stole Hua’er away, he’d make sure Lin Xuan suffered!
Lin Xuan took the opportunity to wrap an arm around Su Hua’s waist and raised an eyebrow. "Young Master Huo, my apologies. My girlfriend can’t stand seeing me wronged. She spoke that way because she didn’t want me to misunderstand her relationship with you."
"Don’t take it to heart."
Huo Shen could see the challenge in Lin Xuan’s eyes. He forced a smile. "It’s fine. President Su has always been like this—"
"No, this is called setting clear boundaries," Lin Xuan said with a grin. "Hua Bao knows she doesn’t want to be involved with other men, so she draws the line decisively."
Butler Chen: "???"
Had Young Master Huo even implied that?
Was the young master’s response… completely off-topic?
"It’s different with the man she loves," Lin Xuan continued, his smug expression practically begging for a punch. "Hua Bao is always gentle and sweet around me. I guess that’s the difference between love and indifference."
Su Hua rested her chin on her hand, watching Lin Xuan with indulgent amusement.
"Don’t you think so, Mr. Huo?" Lin Xuan arched a brow.
Huo Shen clenched his fists.
"Perhaps," he said, struggling to keep his tone even. "I’ve never been in a relationship, so I wouldn’t know."
"That’s alright," Lin Xuan said cheerfully. "Since Hua Bao and I are so close, you can observe how we interact later. That should clear things up for you."
Old Master Su chuckled.
Xiao Xuan wasn’t one to take losses lightly.
Good, very good.
"He takes after me," Old Master Su whispered to the butler.
Butler Chen shot him a look.
Old Master, are you sure you could compare to Young Master Lin?
"By the way, Mr. Huo, what do you do for a living?" Lin Xuan struck first.
"I handle some of Su Corporation’s overseas operations," Huo Shen replied.
Lin Xuan shook his head. "I can’t compare to you. I just run a small company—nothing special. It’s only the leading enterprise in entertainment and literature within a year. TigerVoice is under my company too, and we’re currently developing games."
Butler Chen: "..."
Old Master Su: "..."
Calling that "nothing special" was just rubbing salt in the wound.
Huo Shen fought to maintain his composure.
Old Master Su knew Lin Xuan was provoking Huo Shen. Though he liked Xiao Shen, Xiao Xuan was his grandson-in-law.
Naturally, he stood with Xiao Xuan.
If this could make Xiao Shen give up on Hua’er, even better.
"Mr. Lin, I didn’t realize SkyVeil Group was yours," Huo Shen said, feigning admiration.
Inwardly, he scoffed.
SkyVeil’s rapid rise was all thanks to Hua’er.
What was there for a freeloader to be proud of?
Yet the more he thought about it, the darker his expression grew.
Hua’er would choose this pretty boy over him…
"Of course, the company isn’t what matters most," Lin Xuan said. "What’s important is having Hua Bao’s affection."
Su Hua gazed at him, her eyes soft with amusement.
Seems A-Xuan is feeling jealous.
Huo Shen’s hands tightened into fists.
Lin Xuan smirked at him.
Who knew shutting down a rival could feel this satisfying?
Old Master Su shook his head helplessly, recognizing Lin Xuan’s bragging for what it was.
Just then, a servant emerged from the dining room.
"Old Master, Miss, dinner is ready," he announced respectfully.
Old Master Su exhaled in relief.
Finally.
"Enough sitting around—let’s eat," Old Master Su urged.
"Xiao Shen, it’s been so long since you’ve been back to Cloud City. Join us."
Huo Shen, eager for more time with Su Hua, nodded. "Of course."
As they settled at the table, Lin Xuan made no effort to hold back, flaunting his relationship with Su Hua.
"Hua Bao, you like this dish. Here, let me serve you."
He piled food into her bowl.
Su Hua smiled, her eyes gleaming. "A-Xuan, feed me instead. My hands were a little sore last night."
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
