Chapter 22

Fang Shimian mechanically chewed his food, feeling a bit lost. Why was Ming Ke here? This question slowly surfaced in Fang Shimian’s mind as he looked at the smiling Ming Ke. The gazes around him were filled with envy and curiosity, some light, some heavy, almost tangible.

The bodyguard moved the chair in front of Fang Shimian, taking the empty meal box to the trash can at the entrance. Fang Shimian’s mind was muddled, and he was pushed out by Ma Liang in a flurry. He couldn’t quite remember how he ended up following Ming Ke out of the dining area. It wasn’t until the sunlight hit him again that his stalled brain seemed to start working again.

What reason did Ming Ke use to take him away just now? “Mr. Fang, there’s something we need your help with over here.” It felt like a student being urgently called to the office by a classmate during class, feeling nervous even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Fang Shimian hadn’t even had a sip of soup after his meal, and now his throat felt a bit tight. He looked at Ming Ke’s calm back, “Mr. Ke, can you tell me what this is about?” Ming Ke didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point, “Mr. Huo heard you were sent here to assist and wants to meet you.”

Meet him? For what? Fang Shimian’s palms were a bit sweaty, and he unconsciously slowed his pace, starting to silently think of an excuse to slip away. But before he could say anything, he looked up to speak to Ming Ke and saw Huo Zhongshan surrounded by a crowd.

There seemed to be many people around Huo Zhongshan, but only two could stand beside him. One was an older gentleman speaking to him respectfully, as if reporting something. The man listened indifferently, with no expression on his face, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. His gaze fell on Fang Shimian, who was walking towards them.

“Mr. Huo, Mr. Fang is here,” Ming Ke’s voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone to hear. The person speaking beside Huo Zhongshan stopped, slightly furrowed his brows, and looked at the young man in the property uniform brought by Huo Zhongshan’s assistant.

Fang Shimian stopped the moment Ming Ke spoke. He was still a distance away from Huo Zhongshan and didn’t know whether to continue walking forward or why Huo Zhongshan had called him over. “Come here, why are you standing so far away?” The man’s tone was light but carried an irresistible authority.

Fang Shimian looked up to see Huo Zhongshan looking at him. Although his expression hadn’t changed, it was clear to anyone that Huo Zhongshan seemed more pleased than before. The gazes of those around them changed to varying degrees. They were all senior executives of Mingheng Real Estate, and Huo Zhongshan’s unexpected visit was a rare opportunity, as his whereabouts were always hard to predict, and he rarely got involved in real estate matters.

Fang Shimian braced himself and walked over to Huo Zhongshan, softly calling, “Mr. Huo.” The man nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the clean and tidy uniform for a moment before reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair. The middle-aged man beside Huo Zhongshan had already put on a friendly smile and immediately said, “It’s rare for Zhongshan to come over. There’s a seafood place here that’s quite good. Mr. Fang, you must be hungry after a busy morning.”

Fang Shimian stiffened for a moment when asked. He had just eaten… He was about to say he had already eaten when Huo Zhongshan suddenly spoke, “Let’s go.” The middle-aged man immediately smiled and called for preparations.

Fang Shimian was confused as he was taken into the car by Huo Zhongshan. Ming Ke wasn’t there, and the front passenger seat was empty. Both Fang Shimian and Huo Zhongshan sat in the back. “Mr. Huo, I’ve actually already eaten,” Fang Shimian said, fiddling with his pants, his expression uneasy.

“Already eaten?” Huo Zhongshan seemed genuinely surprised. He turned off his phone, looked at Fang Shimian, and asked in a calm voice, “What did you eat?” Fang Shimian sat upright, but his eyes looked out the window, “A boxed meal… I finished it all.”

Huo Zhongshan slightly raised his chin, looking at Fang Shimian, who seemed to be merging with the car door, his expression unchanged, calmly saying, “Come closer, why are you so afraid of me?” Fang Shimian felt embarrassed and scared, but being directly called out was another matter. He calmly moved a bit closer, quietly justifying himself, “It’s normal for employees to be afraid of their boss.”

Huo Zhongshan chuckled softly, lazily leaning back in his seat, his tone relaxed with a hint of amusement, “Is that so? But are you my employee?” The subtle teasing in his tone added a touch of ambiguity to the enclosed car space.

Fang Shimian opened his mouth, paused, and wanted to explain that he meant social status, not a direct superior-subordinate relationship. But his mind was stuck, and he could only softly say, “No.” The vehicle smoothly entered a tunnel, and the dim light inside the car made Fang Shimian feel a bit relaxed. He then noticed the soreness in his straightened back and took the opportunity to lean back a bit, finding a slightly more comfortable position.

The car’s interior was spacious, and even though Huo Zhongshan sat more towards the inside, there was still a distance between them. “Was the boxed meal good?” In the dim light, the man’s voice was deep and magnetic.

Hearing Huo Zhongshan’s voice, Fang Shimian instinctively straightened his back, then gradually relaxed. He found Huo Zhongshan’s question strange, so he turned to look at him. The vehicle exited the tunnel, and light streamed in through the windows.

Huo Zhongshan seemed to be replying to a message, his high nose casting a shadow. He leaned back in his seat, his hand resting lightly on the armrest, the finely crafted cufflinks gleaming softly. Not receiving an answer, Huo Zhongshan looked up, meeting Fang Shimian’s flickering gaze, and calmly asked again, “Was the boxed meal good?”

Fang Shimian awkwardly turned his head, casually replying, “It was okay.” “Were you in the surveillance room all morning?” Huo Zhongshan finished sending his message and put his phone aside, his gaze falling on the boy’s stiff face, seemingly ready to have a serious conversation with Fang Shimian.

Fang Shimian straightened his back, feeling the pressure increase. “Yes, I was,” the pretty, fair-skinned boy looked around, feeling his answer was a bit dry, so he added, “The surveillance room here is quite big.”

The boy’s moist black eyes appeared exceptionally pure under the outdoor light, and the uniform, though not finely made, fit him well, exuding a deadly allure between youth and maturity, very attractive. Huo Zhongshan watched him closely for a while, noticing his nervousness, finding it amusing to tease the boy, and asked, “Do you want to work here?”

Fang Shimian quickly shook his head, not daring to look at him, “No, Mr. Huo, I’m more familiar with the environment over there.” “Change the way you address me,” Huo Zhongshan casually tapped the armrest, which slowly retracted into the back seat. He looked at Fang Shimian and said, “I’m older than you, calling me ‘brother’ isn’t too much, is it?”

Fang Shimian’s mind was muddled, and he didn’t respond. Even if he was foolish, he knew someone in Huo Zhongshan’s position wouldn’t casually call him ‘brother.’ “Shimian,” Huo Zhongshan suddenly said, “Can I call you that?”

Though it was phrased as a question, the tone didn’t seek permission, more like a gentle notification. Fang Shimian awkwardly nodded, his face heating up. He didn’t know why, but those two words sounded strange coming from Huo Zhongshan. Maybe it was because the car was too dim, or the air conditioning was too warm.

“What’s that?” Huo Zhongshan’s gaze fell on Fang Shimian’s shoulder and neck, his brows slightly furrowed. “Huh? What?” Fang Shimian hurriedly followed Huo Zhongshan’s gaze but found nothing unusual, looking at him in confusion.

The car was silent for a moment. Huo Zhongshan’s expression remained unchanged, his gaze shifting from Fang Shimian’s shoulder to his face, calmly saying, “There’s some dust. Come over, and I’ll help you with it.”

Fang Shimian recalled the dust floating in the sunlight at the lunch spot. He instinctively thought he might have brushed against the wall while eating and, worried about dirtying Huo Zhongshan’s car, hurriedly tried to take off his uniform coat, “Sorry, I didn’t notice. I’ll take it out and shake it off…”

“Come here,” Huo Zhongshan repeated, unmoved. These two words were spoken with a bit more weight, the tone cooler, not as casual as before, carrying an undeniable pressure. Authority without anger.

Fang Shimian nervously looked at Huo Zhongshan, whose expression was calm, showing no sign of anger. He slowly moved closer, estimating the distance was about right, and was about to stop when a large hand pulled him over, causing him to lose balance and bump into Huo Zhongshan.

“Not obedient at all,” a light reprimand sounded above his head. Being so close, Fang Shimian caught a faint scent, a light fragrance without any tobacco smell. Fang Shimian felt a strange sensation as the area just below his neck was gently patted, very lightly, like a soft caress. Even though the hand didn’t touch any skin, and that area wasn’t particularly sensitive, it still made him shiver.

“Alright, it’s clean now,” the hand withdrew politely. Fang Shimian snapped back to reality, hurriedly sitting up straight, his face red enough to drip blood, “Thank you, thank you, Mr. Huo.”

“Mr. Huo?” Huo Zhongshan repeated slowly, calmly asking, “Does Shimian have a poor memory?” Though his tone didn’t change, the atmosphere in the car instantly froze, the authority of a superior naturally unquestionable.

Fang Shimian was no match for Huo Zhongshan, quickly becoming flustered, his hands shifting positions, softly saying, “Huo… Huo Ge.” “Good boy,” Huo Zhongshan finally satisfied, temporarily letting the little lamb under his hand go, “Don’t forget next time.”

Even after getting out of the car, Fang Shimian’s face still felt numb. The old gentleman, holding a stack of documents, and a young man got out of the car behind them. Seeing Huo Zhongshan, they immediately approached to talk. Fang Shimian stood beside Huo Zhongshan, vaguely hearing them mention a family banquet.

Huo Zhongshan nodded slightly, and the bodyguard stepped forward to take the documents, making the old gentleman beam with joy. The restaurant’s entrance was very simple, but once inside, it was a different world, with a small bridge over flowing water, a traditional courtyard, and fish swimming swiftly among the rocks.

Inside the private room, it was very quiet and warm. Several well-trained attendants took the guests’ coats and exited in an orderly manner. There were four people in the private room. After Huo Zhongshan sat down, the middle-aged man also sat beside him with a smile. Fang Shimian instinctively sat next to Huo Zhongshan but realized it was inappropriate just as he was about to sit down. He quickly stood up to let the young man sit, but the young man had already taken the seat next to the middle-aged man.

Fang Shimian had no choice but to sit down, his mind a mess. He didn’t understand why, after eating a boxed meal, so many things suddenly happened, like triggering side quests in a game, where you end up in a battle whether you want to or not.

Lost in thought, Fang Shimian suddenly noticed Huo Zhongshan, who was talking to someone, casually glance at him and reach over to button up his shirt collar. The action was quick, and by the time Fang Shimian realized it, the man had already withdrawn his hand and continued talking to the old gentleman. Fang Shimian only saw his calm profile, as if it was just a casual gesture.

But for some reason, just that unintentional act made the skin under the button feel hot, a feeling he’d never experienced before flowing through his heart. So strange, it was just buttoning a button.