Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Huo Shaoheng’s expression was beginning to turn sour. He bent down and picked up the car key on Gu Nianzhi’s bed. “This was a Valentine’s Day present customized for you. I can ignore the other things, but you’re going to return this, too? Do you think that I’m the kind of bastard who takes back presents from his girlfriend over a breakup?”
Gu Nianzhi was stunned. She blushed slightly. Indeed, this was different compared to the others. This was the first Valentine’s Day present Huo Shaoheng had given her after confirming their relationship… perhaps also the last…
Gu Nianzhi bit her lower lip and opened her palm to Huo Shaoheng. “Alright. That was my fault. Give me the car key.”
Huo Shaoheng looked at her and placed the car key into her soft, fair palm. His big hands wrapped tightly around her tiny slender ones briefly before letting go. He wanted to say something but could not find the words, so he remained silent.
Standing to one side, he watched Gu Nianzhi pack her daily necessities, things she frequently used, clothes, and shoes into her full sized LV luggage. There were four pieces of luggage in total. She filled all of them.
Gu Nianzhi looked at the things that were still unpacked. She closed the wardrobe and said, “I’ll leave these here for the time being. I’ll get them after I’ve moved into my place.” Then, she looked at Huo Shaoheng again. “Mr. Huo, can you leave this house vacant for a couple of days and only rent it out to others after I’ve moved into my place?”
Huo Shaoheng nodded. “This is your place. It’ll be vacant if you don’t live here.”
“You don’t have to do that. Such a big house being vacant, what a waste!” Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “Goodness…”
“Sure. When you’re done moving your things, I’ll move here.” Huo Shaoheng merely wanted to shut Gu Nianzhi up. Her words might sound fine to others, because they were just like the usual things couples said when they broke up. However, to Huo Shaoheng’s ears, they were extremely excruciating.
Gu Nianzhi looked at him and wanted to say something but decided against it.
“Speak if you must. Why are you being wishy washy about it?” Huo Shaoheng took a seat.
Gu Nianzhi pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Mr. Huo, if you’re going to move here, I think you’ll have to redo the bathroom.”
“What’s wrong? The bathroom is spoiled?” Huo Shaoheng wanted to go to the bathroom to check.
Gu Nianzhi said gloomily behind him, “It’s all pink. Are you sure Mr. Major General Huo is able to use it?”
Huo Shaoheng stopped in his tracks. He did not continue walking to the bathroom. He turned around and looked at Gu Nianzhi exasperatedly and said after a while, “It’s okay. If you can use it, I can, too.”
Gu Nianzhi did not talk about it anymore. She looked at the boxes on the ground and said, “Mr. Huo, can I get Brother Xiong or Brother Ze to take me back to school, please?”
Yin Shixiong and Zhao Liangze were both Huo Shaoheng’s secretaries. If Gu Nianzhi wanted to get them to help, she would definitely have to get Huo Shaoheng’s approval.
Huo Shaoheng walked to Gu Nianzhi’s side and picked up the biggest box. “Big Xiong and Little Ze just got promoted. They’ve gone out to celebrate. They’re busy. I’ll take you.”
Gu Nianzhi blocked Huo Shaoheng and smiled. “How could I bother you? Mr. Huo is of such a high position. I really can’t make you my chauffeur. I think I’ll call Brother Xiong. No matter what, I want to congratulate him on his promotion.”
Seeing Gu Nianzhi go look for the landline, Huo Shaoheng realized that her phone must have been left in the Alps. Taking out his phone, he handed it to her. “Use mine.”
Gu Nianzhi felt that Huo Shaoheng did not want her to use the landline, so she took the phone and thanked him. She opened the contacts and entered Yin Shixiong’s number. The moment the call went through, Yin Shixiong immediately answered. He laughed as he said, “Mr. Huo! Do you want to come and be happy with us?!”
Gu Nianzhi laughed. “Brother Xiong! Congratulations on your promotion!”
Yin Shixiong realized that it wasn’t Huo Shaoheng, but Gu Nianzhi using Huo Shaoheng’s phone to call him. He was even happier. “Nianzhi! Come with Mr. Huo! There are many people here. You’ll know all of them. Little Ze, and some other colleagues whom you’ve met before! We have barbeque, a seafood buffet, and karaoke!”
Gu Nianzhi could hear all the noise in the background. It did seem like there were many people. She smiled happily and said, “Thank you, Brother Xiong, but it’s okay. I just want to congratulate you and Brother Ze. Please tell him for me!”
Yin Shixiong was already buzzed on alcohol at that point. He said loudly, “No problem!”
Gu Nianzhi hung up. Then, after thinking for a while, she turned to Huo Shaoheng again. “Mr. Huo, can I use your phone for another call?”
“Go ahead,” Huo Shaoheng replied calmly.
Gu Nianzhi tried to remember He Zhichu’s number and B University’s professor building’s main line. She was contemplating which to call when Huo Shaoheng’s phone rang. Gu Nianzhi instinctively thought that it would be Yin Shixiong and answered it.
A staff member’s voice came from the other end of the line. “Mr. Huo, a call from Tan Dongbang. Would you like to answer it, please?”
Gu Nianzhi’s smile disappeared. She passed the phone back to Huo Shaoheng silently. Huo Shaoheng took the phone and wanted to switch to his Bluetooth earpiece, but seeing that Gu Nianzhi had turned around to pick up her boxes, he just put it on loudspeaker. “Put him through.”
An extremely gentle voice came from the other end of the line. “Is this Mr. Huo? This is Tan Guiren.”
Hearing that it was Tan Guiren, Huo Shaoheng glanced at Gu Nianzhi. She was still packing her things and did not seem to be affected at all. His brows furrowed. “Good afternoon, Miss Tan, may I know if anything is the matter?”
Hearing Huo Shaoheng’s voice, Tan Guiren blushed immediately. She gathered her courage and asked with a shaky voice, “Mr. Huo, it’ll be my father’s inauguration five days from now. I want to invite Mr. Huo to come and attend the ceremony. May I know if you’re free, please?”
Gu Nianzhi was back facing Huo Shaoheng, and she could clearly hear the call. Even though she was mentally prepared and also knew that Huo Shaoheng did not have any romantic feelings towards Tan Guiren, she still blanked out a little when she heard the shy and nervous invitation.
Most likely it was another girl who was mesmerized by Huo Shaoheng’s charms, wasn’t it? Gu Nianzhi remembered that footage. It seemed like that girl was someone who had great manners and was rather pretty. She and Huo Shaoheng… were compatible in every way—age, family background… In everyone’s eyes, they would have thought that she was way better than Gu Nianzhi.
Gu Nianzhi frowned and felt uncomfortable. However, it wasn’t the type of pain you’d feel when the man you love loved someone else. It was the pain of being neglected and people looking down on you. Everyone said that she was not compatible with Huo Shaoheng. She really didn’t have any more energy to go against the world.
Gu Nianzhi packed her luggage and locked it up with her password, then decided to call He Zhichu on his phone. If she still couldn’t get through, then she’d call the professor building’s main line.
She had no idea where He Zhichu had gone these past couple of days. He had not contacted her at all. While being locked up in Chen Lie’s ward, she was practically cut off from the rest of the world.
On Huo Shaoheng’s end, he rejected Tan Guiren’s invite bluntly. “Miss Tan, I’ve been away for a few months. Work is piling up, so I won’t be free for the next few months. Please let Mr. Tan know that I congratulate him on being elected the new Prime Minister.”
Tan Guiren was extremely disappointed. Biting her lower lip, she dragged the time out for a while before trying harder. “Mr. Huo, attending my father’s inauguration is part of your job, isn’t it?”
No matter what, Huo Shaoheng was the head of the army, part of the government. Everyone influential from the government and army would be attending Tan Dongbang’s inauguration. Those who did not attend were either not invited or were too sick to attend.
Tan Guiren had not expected Huo Shaoheng to reject her so bluntly and tried to talk him into it gently. However, what she did not know was that no one would be able to change Huo Shaoheng’s mind once he’d decided something. He smiled superficially and said, “Miss Tan, do you happen to be one of the cabinet’s employees? Or are you Prime Minister Tan’s personal secretary?”
Tan Guiren was taken aback for a moment. Then, she shook her head. “I’m neither. I just returned from overseas and am still not in the best of health. Mommy said that I should rest more…”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Huo Shaoheng had already replied politely, “Since that’s the case, you have no right to invite me to your father’s inauguration as well. Alright, I’m really busy now. Get Prime Minister Tan’s secretary to call my secretary if there’s anything.” With that, he hung up.
Tan Guiren blushed, embarrassed. Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her mother, Cai Songyin, came in from outside, knocked on the door, and asked pleasantly, “How did it go? Did Mr. Huo agree?”
Tan Guiren replied, embarrassed, “I was too rash. Mr. Huo is the head of the army while I am just a nobody. Of course he wouldn’t come if I was the one who invited him.”
“Not coming?! How could it be?” Cai Songyin was extremely puzzled. “Are you sure? No matter who invites him, this will be your father’s inauguration. Why would he reject it? Moreover, you’re your father’s only child. You will be standing with your father during the ceremony. He would reject being seen with you?!”
Tan Guiren was confused, hurt, and embarrassed. She said quickly, “Mommy, I tried. It did not work. I’ll go back for now…” Tan Guiren returned to her home quickly and locked the door.
…
Gu Nianzhi saw that Huo Shaoheng had hung up. She turned around. “She’s inviting you to Tan Dongbang’s inauguration. Why doesn’t Mr. Huo go? This indeed is part of your job, isn’t it?”
Huo Shaoheng picked up the biggest piece of luggage and shrugged. “Nope. Attending inaugurations is not part of my job scope.”
Gu Nianzhi smiled. “But what if some people fall during the ceremony? Who would help her up if you weren’t there?”
