Chapter 4

It’s been two days.

Two whole days had passed since Su Rui left the Huo family’s old residence.

During this period, Su Rui hadn’t received a single message from Huo Yan.

Su Rui anxiously paced back and forth by the window, holding his phone, finding it hard to believe. Could Huo Yan really be angry because he left him?

Su Rui lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then shook his head.

It shouldn’t be.

Huo Yan had liked Su Rui for seven years and was genuinely lovestruck. Although he wasn’t completely submissive to him, anything related to Su Rui would always be his top priority.

Even if Huo Yan was truly upset with him, Su Rui had already sent him a message apologizing after leaving the Huo family. He should have calmed down after seeing it.@@novelbin@@

Something unusual must have happened, something beyond Su Rui’s expectations.

But now Su Rui couldn’t contact Huo Yan, leaving him in a very passive situation.

Su Rui frowned deeply, uneasily reaching out to touch his lower abdomen. The words of the doctor from yesterday’s prenatal checkup were still fresh in his mind:

“……You need to make a decision soon. The fetus is already thirteen weeks old. If you want to have the surgery abroad, you should start preparing now…”

“Although the medical facilities are available domestically, given your status, it’s best not to stay in the country unless absolutely necessary…”

Su Rui took a deep breath. He knew perfectly well that the best choice for him right now was to go abroad.

But going abroad wasn’t that easy.

Not to mention he had two variety shows already negotiated, and breaking the contract at the last minute would require him to pay double the penalty fees.

Even if Su Rui did pay the penalty fees, he wouldn’t have any money left to cover the high surgery costs abroad.

The child in his belly was unexpected; Su Rui had just broken up with He Shi at that time, and he wasn’t prepared at all.

By the time he realized it, He Shi was already out of contact. Su Rui had considered whether or not to abort the child, but this was, after all, his and He Shi’s flesh and blood…

At that time, Su Rui urgently needed someone to support him.

And Huo Yan was just the perfect choice.

A handsome and wealthy man who had secretly loved Su Rui for many years; there was no better choice than Huo Yan.

That night at the hotel was a deliberate setup by Su Rui, and every step of getting closer and interacting afterward was carefully planned.

It took a lot of effort to make Huo Yan completely devoted to him, but he didn’t expect things to still go wrong.

In hindsight, Su Rui shouldn’t have agreed to go to the Huo family with Huo Yan that day. He shouldn’t have been fixated on a title but should have firmly held onto Huo Yan.

As long as Huo Yan was always behind him, he had support.

But now that things had happened, regretting was useless.

Su Rui stroked his belly, picked up his phone, and tried calling Huo Yan.

As expected, the call didn’t go through.

Just as Su Rui was feeling anxious, his phone suddenly rang. He was delighted and answered the call without looking: “Hello—”

“Is this Su Rui?” A familiar yet strange voice sounded in his ear, and Su Rui’s smile instantly froze.

Holding the phone was Mama Huo, with Papa Huo next to her. To the right was Ye Leyao, and not far away sat a conflicted-looking Huo Yan.

There wasn’t a long silence on the other end; soon, Su Rui’s slightly hesitant voice came through: “May I ask who you are?”

Mama Huo got straight to the point: “I’m Mama Huo. Do you have time to meet with me?”

Su Rui frowned deeply. He had long anticipated that the Huo family would contact him, but since he couldn’t reach Huo Yan at all, meeting Mama Huo alone wasn’t part of Su Rui’s plan.

After a moment’s thought, Su Rui politely said, “I’m sorry, Madam…”

Mama Huo had expected his refusal and interrupted with an unchanged tone, “You probably haven’t been able to reach Huo Yan these past two days, have you?”

Su Rui’s fingers tightened around the phone, and he thought to himself, as expected, his expression turning grim: “It’s you all…”

Mama Huo glanced at the restless Huo Yan beside her, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes: “So let’s meet. I’ll send you the time and place later.”

After saying this, Mama Huo hung up the phone.

“How was it?” Mama Huo slightly raised her chin toward Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao’s eyes curved into a smile, giving a thumbs up: “Perfect!”

【It has the vibe of a malicious mother-in-law from a romance novel!】

Mama Huo’s smile stiffened.

Papa Huo almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Only Huo Yan had a pained expression, hesitating before saying, “Mom, how about I…”

“Don’t worry, you must be there,” Mama Huo interrupted, knowing what Huo Yan wanted to say.

Ye Leyao also nodded in agreement.

【Second brother is just stubborn. If he doesn’t hear Su Rui admit that he approached him for money, he won’t give up.】

Mama Huo nodded in approval.

Huo Yan opened his mouth, wanting to defend his beloved, but as soon as he was about to speak, Ye Leyao’s words from that day echoed in his mind like a spell, lingering in his ears.

Thinking of Su Rui’s resolute back as he left, Huo Yan felt a lump in his throat, stuck and uncomfortable.

Two days ago, Ye Leyao’s idea received unanimous approval from Huo Yan’s parents.

Not giving Huo Yan any room to refuse, they devised a series of plans, including making Huo Yan not contact Su Rui for two days.

It wasn’t that Huo Yan didn’t want to refuse, but this time, the conditions offered by his parents were too tempting—

As long as Su Rui could pass this test, his parents would no longer oppose Huo Yan being with Su Rui.

They would even support Huo Yan if he wanted to marry Su Rui in the future.

Huo Yan hesitated.

Su Rui had his manager to take care of him, and not contacting him for two days shouldn’t be a problem.

After Su Rui met with his mother, it would lead to their future together.

A highly profitable deal, Huo Yan couldn’t find a reason to refuse.

But Huo Yan couldn’t help but wonder—

Could Su Rui really pass this test?

Huo Yan knew his mother; she wasn’t aggressive. When his parents were making the plan, Huo Yan was there and knew all the questions his mother would ask Su Rui the next day.

They were all standard questions that Su Rui would certainly answer well.

Except for that last million…

Could Su Rui really refuse a million for his sake without hesitation?

If Su Rui agreed to take the million and leave, then…

Just thinking about this possibility made Huo Yan’s heart ache painfully.

Huo Yan tried hard to convince himself to believe in Su Rui’s character, that Su Rui must be with him because he liked him, and Su Rui would definitely refuse his parents’ temptation without hesitation.

But somehow, after the incident two days ago, Huo Yan wasn’t so sure anymore.

……

On the day of the meeting, Ye Leyao and the others arrived at the private room early.

Mama Huo booked a very secluded place with a traditional, serene décor.

Most importantly, there was an attic above the private room.

Mama Huo sat in the private room downstairs, while Ye Leyao, Papa Huo, and Huo Yan himself were in the attic.

Worried that they might get bored while waiting, Mama Huo had a table of snacks brought in by the waiter.

Papa Huo had no interest in the sweets, so he took out his tablet and started dealing with company matters.

Huo Yan was too anxious to eat.

As a result, all the snacks were placed in front of Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao took a bite of molten chocolate cake, then a sip of osmanthus honey, looking very satisfied while muttering to himself:

【Why hasn’t Su Rui arrived yet?】

Mama Huo glanced at the time; Su Rui was already half an hour late.

Papa Huo tilted his head to look at Huo Yan.

Huo Yan, holding his phone, was about to get up to check when Ye Leyao analyzed again:

【Could it be that Su Rui is backing off, ready to give up on second brother, so he doesn’t care about Mama Huo’s impression of him and is intentionally late?】

Huo Yan frowned. Su Rui had always been cautious and punctual, especially when meeting an elder; how could he possibly be late on purpose?

It must be that something unexpected happened on the way.

Also, Su Rui hadn’t even met with Mama Huo yet; how could he give up on him?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door downstairs—

“Madam, your guest has arrived.”

Ye Leyao got excited immediately:

【He’s here, he’s here, he’s here!】

Papa Huo put down his tablet.

Huo Yan sat up slightly.

Mama Huo said, “Come in.”

The door to the private room opened, Su Rui walked in, and the waiter closed the door from outside.

Mama Huo sized up Su Rui and gestured for him to sit: “Sit down.”

Su Rui sat down opposite Mama Huo.

Mama Huo handed over the menu: “Would you like something to drink?”

Su Rui glanced at the menu but didn’t take it.

Mama Huo raised an eyebrow slightly and put the menu down.

Su Rui looked up and met Mama Huo’s gaze, getting straight to the point: “Since you asked me to meet here, I won’t beat around the bush. But before that, I have a question.”

Mama Huo said, “Go ahead.”

From the moment he walked in, Su Rui had been looking around the private room, only feeling slightly relieved after seeing no cameras. He then asked, “Our conversation today, you won’t spread it, will you?”

“Of course not,” Mama Huo replied.

With Mama Huo’s affirmative answer, Su Rui smiled faintly: “That’s good. I came here today with sincerity, and I believe you did too. You’re here to ask me to leave Huo Yan completely…”

In the attic, Huo Yan immediately frowned, his heart tightening.

Why did Su Rui bring up this topic himself?

Ye Leyao suddenly felt the lines were familiar. He quickly opened his notes and reviewed the recorded plot.

Suddenly:

【Found it!】

【He Shi is the illegitimate son of the He family. When the He family discovered Su Rui and He Shi were together, Mama Huo met with Su Rui. Su Rui, not wanting to break up with He Shi but wanting He Shi to smoothly inherit the family fortune and their baby to grow up healthy, asked He Shi’s mother for… five million!】

Huo Yan’s face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Su Rui’s voice sounded from downstairs—

“Five million.”

Huo Yan was stunned.

Su Rui said, “Give me five million, and I’ll leave your son.”

Huo Yan’s hand slipped, and a glass fell to the ground, shattering into pieces, just like his heart full of expectations, instantly broken.