Chapter 1

“Stop right there! If you dare step out of the house today, don’t bother coming back! I’ll pretend the Huo family never had someone like you!”

The threatening voice woke up Ye Leyao abruptly.

Ye Leyao opened his eyes and looked around at the people surrounding him in confusion, quickly regaining his composure.

Eighteen years ago, Ye Leyao had transmigrated into this world. Just moments ago, his memories had awakened.

Originally a college student, he had accidentally died from staying up reading novels for two days straight. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a world fused with multiple novels.@@novelbin@@

A flood of memories rushed into his mind, leaving Ye Leyao dizzy and overwhelmed. Before he could sort things out clearly, he had fallen asleep on the couch.

Before Ye Leyao could ponder further, a voice filled with indignation sounded from the door—

“Is this threat the only trick you know, Dad? I…”

Ye Leyao looked up and recognized the person in front of him—his second older brother, Huo Yan.

Before Huo Yan could finish speaking, he was intercepted by a young man next to him, who spoke with a hint of grievance: “It’s all my fault. Uncle and Aunt, please don’t blame Yan-ge. Yan-ge, don’t argue with Uncle and Aunt because of me… I… I’ll take care of myself.”

Ye Leyao scrutinized the unfamiliar man again. He was wearing a loose, thin piece of clothing, and his handsome face still bore traces of dried tears. His eyes were red, and a conspicuous red teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of his eye made him look particularly pitiful and stoic.

In an instant, Ye Leyao understood the man’s identity—

Isn’t this the main character of “After Running Away with the Ball, the Husband Regretted It”?

The red teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of his eye was described by the novel’s author from beginning to end, leaving a deep impression on Ye Leyao.

Su Rui was here, so…

Ye Leyao’s gaze slowly shifted to Huo Yan beside him, his pupils slightly dilated.

Could it be what he was thinking?

Huo Yan couldn’t bear to see Su Rui’s tears the most. At this moment, seeing his beloved so aggrieved, he felt immensely heartbroken: “Xiao Rui, this has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to blame yourself. I originally didn’t want to get engaged to the Chi family. It’s better to take this opportunity to break off the engagement.”

“How does it have nothing to do with me?” Su Rui’s eyes were red, his voice small and aggrieved, as he gently placed a hand on his lower abdomen. “If it weren’t for the baby inside me… how would you have gotten into such a fight with your family?”

Huo Yan’s gaze fell on Su Rui’s abdomen, his eyes filled with even more pain. At the same time, he spoke with a determination: “Xiao Rui, don’t worry. I will take responsibility for you and the baby.”

Hearing Huo Yan’s words, Papa Huo became even angrier, his chest heaving violently.

Mama Huo also wore an expression of anger, but her good upbringing prevented her from saying anything harsh. She only looked away in exasperation and annoyance.

Huo Jing, the eldest brother of the Huo family, who had been sitting silently on the opposite sofa, finally spoke: “Second Brother, breaking off the engagement with the Chi family is a minor issue, but are you really going to sever ties with the family over a man?”

Several key words connected together, and in a flash of insight, Ye Leyao finally understood what was happening today!

The good news was, his current identity was that of an adopted son in the wealthy Huo family, ensuring a lifetime free from worries about food and clothing.

The bad news was, the entire Huo family were villains in the novel, each meeting a tragic end!

And the scene before him was precisely an important plot point in the novel “After Running Away with the Ball, the Husband Regretted It.”

“After Running Away with the Ball, the Husband Regretted It” is a popular chasing love story on Lijiang.

Such novels have clichéd and melodramatic plots, but they’re undeniably captivating!

“After Running Away with the Ball, the Husband Regretted It” is no exception.

The plot first tortures the main character (shou), then the main character (gong), and finally ends with both characters suffering before achieving a happy ending together.

Ye Leyao initially read the novel just to pass the time, but he never expected that the deeply affectionate second male lead would become his convenient second brother.

The role of the second male lead, whether in movies or novels, is often defined by “deep affection.”

Huo Yan was naturally no exception.

At this moment, the plot had just developed to the point where the main character (shou) and the main character (gong) were having a conflict and breaking up. The main character (shou), Su Rui, having no other options, sought help from Huo Yan, who had been secretly in love with him since college.

And Huo Yan, true to his deeply affectionate nature, not only broke off his long-standing engagement with the Chi family for his white moonlight, but also quarreled with the Huo family and even gave up his thriving acting career, all to stay with Su Rui.

But when has a deeply affectionate second male lead ever had a good ending in a novel?

After a series of mutual tortures, the main characters (shou and gong) ultimately ended up together. Not only did Su Rui not choose Huo Yan, but he and the main character (gong) even schemed to ruin Huo Yan’s reputation to get rid of his “entanglement” as soon as possible.

The novel ended with the child being born, and the white moonlight couple, along with their child, were shopping at a supermarket, where they coincidentally ran into Huo Yan, who was there gutting fish.

Thinking of the novel’s ending, Ye Leyao’s expression twisted for a moment, and he couldn’t help but complain inwardly:

【This novel’s ending is way too cruel!】

The abrupt voice startled the Huo family members present.

Mama Huo was the first to turn her head towards the source of the voice—Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao was the child of her best friend. When Ye Leyao was five, his parents died in a car accident, and he was taken in by Mama Huo, who raised him as her own son.

Although Ye Leyao had come of age last month, he still had a childish nature.

At this moment, he was propping his chin with one hand and holding a phone with the other, his attractive brows furrowed. Clearly, he hadn’t listened to a word of their conversation, completely immersed in his own world.

Seeing this, Mama Huo couldn’t help but feel a mix of exasperation and amusement. Her anger towards her second son also dissipated somewhat.

Huo Yan naturally heard Ye Leyao’s earlier words too, but he had no time to bother with what Ye Leyao was doing.

He had called Huo Jing home today, hoping that Huo Jing would speak up for him. But to his disappointment, not only did Huo Jing not support him, he also firmly sided with their parents.

Now, he was even joining their parents in pressuring him.

All of Huo Yan’s remaining expectations for his family vanished. He looked back at Huo Jing, his face full of disappointment: “Brother, it’s not that I want to abandon you, it’s that you’re abandoning me.”

If it weren’t for Father and Mama Huo’s constant pressure, would Huo Yan think about leaving with Su Rui?

Didn’t he want to stay home with Su Rui? It was because Father and Mama Huo wouldn’t accept Su Rui…

【Sigh, I said that love-brains don’t make sense.】

The familiar voice sounded again.

This time, even Huo Jing couldn’t help but glance at the young man on the sofa.

Ye Leyao was holding his phone, seemingly playing with it, but in reality, he was quickly jotting down the plot he knew in his notes. While listening to the gossip, he couldn’t help but complain inwardly:

【I think the best solution now is to give Second Brother a love-brain removal surgery. Otherwise, if he really ends up gutting fish at the fish market later, and sees the white moonlight family of three coming, he might even offer to gut their fish for free.】

【Oh, wait, gutting fish at the fish market is already free. Given Second Brother’s level of love-brain, he’d probably even pay for the fish and personally escort them out of the supermarket.】

Father and Mama Huo’s pupils constricted slightly.

Huo Jing furrowed his brows even more.

They weren’t mistaken.

From the beginning until now, Ye Leyao hadn’t spoken a word.

But the voice was undeniably Ye Leyao’s.

What exactly was going on?

After Huo Yan finished speaking, he had been waiting for Huo Jing’s response.

But to his surprise, he didn’t get Huo Jing’s reply; instead, he heard Ye Leyao’s complaint.

Huo Yan originally didn’t want to bother with Ye Leyao, but the complaint was so unpleasant that he finally couldn’t help but turn his head: “Ye Leyao, if you have nothing to do, go back to your room and read your books!”

What white moonlight at the fish market, why would he go to the fish market to gut fish?

Ye Leyao paused his typing, looked up innocently, his face full of confusion.

What? What happened?

How did the war suddenly reach him?

【I didn’t provoke Second Brother, why is he acting like a fire-breathing dragon, spewing fire everywhere?】

Huo Yan thought to himself why he was being compared to a fire-breathing dragon and was about to speak when suddenly, in a flash of realization, he understood something—

Just now, Ye Leyao… didn’t seem to speak at all, did he?

Huo Yan’s eyes widened in shock.

On the other side, Father and Mama Huo, as well as Huo Jing, were even more certain that Ye Leyao hadn’t spoken.

Could it be that what they heard was Ye Leyao’s inner voice?

This bold conjecture startled all the Huo family members present.

The entire Huo residence suddenly fell into a strange silence.

The Huo family’s silence didn’t last long, but it wasn’t short either.

This brief, bizarre atmosphere made Su Rui feel awkward and uncomfortable first, but there wasn’t a single person in this room he could afford to offend.

So, he could only look at Huo Yan with reddened eyes again: “Brother Yan… maybe I should leave first?”

Huo Yan snapped back to reality upon hearing Su Rui’s words. Seeing the tear stains at the corner of Su Rui’s eyes, he was about to comfort him when an untimely voice chimed in—

【Look! As expected of a pure, weak, innocent white lotus shou, he’s got the perfect mix of three parts fragility and seven parts grievance, his acting is really good!】

The emotion Huo Yan had just mustered up instantly fell back down, and he almost couldn’t maintain the expression on his face. He turned his head and glared at Ye Leyao with irritation.

Ye Leyao happened to be looking down and typing, missing Huo Yan’s glare.

Su Rui, not receiving Huo Yan’s response and comfort, felt his original bit of grievance magnify, making it hard to bear as he turned around awkwardly: “I… I’ll leave now…”

“Xiao Rui!” Huo Yan immediately snapped back, “Wait for me—”

“Huo Yan!” Huo Jing shouted sternly.

Huo Yan’s steps halted, and without turning his head, he said: “Brother, you don’t need to persuade me, I’ve already made up my mind. Since you can’t accept Xiao Rui and our child, there’s no need for me to stay at home!”

After saying this, Huo Yan lifted his foot to chase after him.

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold back his sharp outburst any longer—

【Ahhhh—no way, no way, does my love-brain Second Brother still not know that the child in his white moonlight’s belly isn’t his?!】

【That’s the main character gong He Shi’s child, when did it become his?!】

Huo Yan stumbled.

With a loud thud, he fell to the ground.

Ye Leyao, startled by the sound, widened his eyes in confusion.

【How did Second Brother fall flat on the ground while walking properly?】

Papa Huo, Mama Huo, Huo Jing: “…”

Wasn’t it because you scared him?