Mr And Mrs Huo

Chapter 9

A few days later, Yu Yuan met with Li Na for a day out. Their first stop was a popular shopping complex in City A.

To be honest, Yu Yuan had tried to avoid this meeting at the shopping complex. Li Na was lovable until it involved shopping.

When it came to shopping, Li Na liked to explore, but she was indecisive. Consequentially, it was a pain to whoever was accompanying her.

Today, Li Na planned to visit ten different shops. In her words, it had been so long since she went shopping with her best friend, so it had to be memorable.

Yu Yuan: "...Sorry, I don't want this kind of memory."

Unfortunately, she couldn't persuade Li Na. At least she wore comfy shoes today, so her legs won't tire out quickly.

After the 6th shop, Yu Yuan thought she had overestimated herself. Li Na was as energetic as when they started, but Yu Yuan was dog-tired.

"Yu Yuan, come on. Just 4 more shops to go. I'm sure we can find the perfect necklace to go with your new dress."

Li Na didn't shop for herself alone. Yu Yuan had been forced to try on so many clothes she became dizzy. Now, she had a minor aversion to dressing stalls.

Yu Yuan stared at Li Na. Her message was very clear. She didn't intend to move a single inch.

Knowing that she couldn't get Yu Yuan to budge, Li Na proposed, "Ok. Let's go have lunch first. But we'll come back to pick a necklace for you. That dress looks too good to be without a fitting necklace."

Yu Yuan continued staring at her.
Exasperated, Li Na conceded, "Fine, it will be our last stop."

She had intended to leave lunch until they were done shopping, but who knew that Yu Yuan couldn't hold up.
She brought the lunch closer hoping she could trick Yu Yuan into completing the trip, but that didn't work either.

Yu Yuan thought about it for a moment before agreeing. She also wanted to find a good necklace. The dress was really beautiful.

After seeing her agree, Li Na's heart ached thinking of the last three shops she couldn't visit. She quickly cheered up, thinking she could find another day to drag Yu Yuan along. She stared at her best friend calculatingly, wondering how she could trick her into agreeing next time.

Yu Yuan shivered from her stare. Li Na's calculating gaze was like that of a butcher looking at a slab of meat, thinking of the best way to make a cut.

Snapping out of her daze, Li Na dragged Yu Yuan to the closest restaurant. Once they settled down to eat, Yu Yuan brought up a topic.

"Is everything set for the jewelry design competition?"

Hearing her question, Li Na perked up. "Super ready!"

"Everything is in place. I can't wait to see their faces on that day!"

After her initial excitement, she quieted down. In a slightly depressed voice, she asked, "Yu Yuan, who do you think the traitor is?"

Li Na had thought about this matter, but she couldn't figure it out. She had put a lot of effort into nurturing that group of designers. She felt heartbroken at the fact that one of them betrayed her and the rest of the group.

Yu Yuan held her hand and comforted her, "Don't worry too much. It's only a matter of time before we clean this up. The traitor will be weeded out too."

Li Na nodded in response and asked, "Yu Yuan you'll attend the competition right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss such a good show."

Li Na felt better but was still a little sad. Her bad mood didn't last long as she quickly recalled the latest gossip she wanted to ask Yu Yuan about.

"Yu Yuan, I heard Patriarch Huo was at the birthday banquet you attended a few days ago." Feeling excited, she asked, "What does he look like? Is he as they say? Is he as handsome as an immortal, as cold as a glacier, and as ruthless as a wolf?"

Li Na fired questions like a torpedo. Yu Yuan was almost dazed. She had expected it. She was even surprised it took her so long to ask. Before she could reply, the waiter brought their food, interrupting her response.

Once the waiter left, Li Na urged her impatiently, "Quick, tell me. Everyone has been talking about it, but how can it be as good as hearing from a first-hand witness?"

"Didn't your brother attend the banquet? Although, I didn't see him."

"He didn't. There was an emergency at the company."

"Is everything ok?"

Li Na waved her hands dismissively. "Yes. It seemed like good news."

"Oh." Then, Yu Yuan narrated all that had happened that night, including the little party with Su Rong. But she left out the assassination. Knowing too much wasn't good.

Li Na listened to first-hand gossip with relish. After Yu Yuan finished talking, she sighed in admiration. "As expected of Patriarch Huo. Even ruthless when dealing with the opposite sex."

A smile tugged Yu Yuan's lips.
It was a minuscule reaction, but Li Na's sharp eyes caught it. She felt a little strange. There was something she had seen but didn't pay attention to when she was listening to Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan's face didn't have the awe or admiration a normal person would have when talking about Huo Wei. Huo Wei was unapproachable. He was like a flower on a snowy mountain top. No one could reach him. So when people talked about him, unconsciously, they had a look of admiration, awe, or slight fear on their faces.

But none of those emotions were visible on Yuan's face. If anything, she looked like she had taken a special interest in him. The kind of interest you would find in budding romantic relationships.

Li Na had known Yu Yuan for a very long time, and she knew that underneath that elegant facade Yu Yuan was very indifferent. She rarely cared about people who weren't close to her. Her attitude also meant she never had a boyfriend. Simply put, none of them could enter her eyes.

Li Na sighed again. As expected of Huo Wei, capable of making this nun, Yu Yuan, show interest.

Thinking about it, she leveled a gaze at Yu Yuan. Her eyes seem to say, "I know everything."

Yu Yuan noticed her look and smiled even wider. She knew she couldn't hide it from Li Na.

That smile was akin to admission. Li Na exploded. "Grandaunt Yu, you have guts!"

"Don't you know how Huo Wei is to the opposite sex? Even if you want to disregard that, how will you get to him? Huo Wei is very hard to see."

Yu Yuan knew this. Different events had cemented Huo Wei's disinterest in women. His subordinates were extra careful to keep away opportunists. They didn't want to lose their jobs, and it might not be as simple as just losing their job if someone stepped on Huo Wei's bottom line. The budding romance had been strangled in the cradle due to circumstances. Sigh.

Yu Yuan had an interest, but she wasn't naive and arrogant. She didn't think she was a female protagonist in a novel who was the exception.

"I know. Don't worry. It's just a fleeting thing, and I'm not stupid."
Li Na scrutinized her. After making sure she meant what she said, Li Na relaxed. Then she felt it was a pity. The first man Yu Yuan showed interest in was impossible to get. Who knew her appetite was so big.

Li Na thought about it for a moment and joked. "Then again, you might be like those female leads that tame the domineering and cold  CEO."

Yu Yuan laughed, "Your imagination is very rich."

Currently, the subject of their conversation,  Huo Wei, was in his office.