Adopting/Raising The Male Lead and The Villain

79

Lang Jinzhi returned to the mansion.

The maid, seeing his return, was surprised, "Young Master Lang, how come you are back?"

"Where's my grandpa?"

"Master hasn't gone to bed yet."

As Lang Jinzhi walked inside the door, he could immediately see his grandpa sitting on the couch, watching some disc on TV. On the TV screen there was a pair of sisters, bumbling around as they walked.

Grandpa Ding signed, "Back in the days, your mom and Huanhuan's mom had some good days together. Now.... I just wish you and Huanhuan can have a good relationship."

Lang Jinzhi muttered a "mmm" before he handed his cellphone over, "Chen Mingye sent this. Huanhuan is on Thanksgiving break and he took her out for some fun."

As soon as Grandpa Ding heard that, a slight smile appeared on his dull face.

He put on his glasses that were hanging around his neck before he looked at Lang Jinzhi's phone.

"Oh, pretty. Prettier than her mom when she was young." As he was talking, the smile on Grandpa Ding grew.

Lang Jinzhi didn't say anything.

He thought she was pretty too.

He didn't know when it started, but somewhere down the line, the radiance from her had already surpassed that of the sun.

***

Lying on the hotel bed, Zhong Yuhuan sneezed a few times before she sat up.

She sniffled and looked outside the window.

The sun had already risen.

Zhong Yuhuan slowly got dressed and sneezed again.

She lifted her hand to rub her nose.

Hmm. She might have caught a cold. She probably spent too much time in the swimming pool yesterday.

Right after Zhong Yuhuan had finished getting ready, Huo Chengming came and knocked on her door.

"I'm ready," said Zhong Yuhuan as she went to open the door.

Huo Chengming stood right outside the door. As soon as Zhong Yuhuan walked up, she felt a shadow being cast over her.

Zhong Yuhuan couldn't help but lift up her hand to compare the height difference between the two of them, ".... Did you guys eat spinach meant for Popeye? How did you grow so tall? And so fast?"

Huo Chengming's mouth curved upward as he reached out, wrapped his arms around Zhong Yuhuan, and picked up her like a kid. Zhong Yuhuan was immediately higher up than him.

"Hey, hey, hey, ge-ge. Be careful and don't smash my head on the door frame!" Zhong Yuhuan shouted in fear as she pushed her hands on his shoulder.

Huo Chengming's smile deepened some without him noticing. He carried her a few steps forward before he put her down and said, "You were taller than me earlier."

Zhong Yuhuan patted herself on her chest and said, "You don't say, even the air smells better when one is taller."

Huo Chengming smiled and said, "Let's try it again next time then."

Zhong Yuhuan thought about it for a second and said, "Next time I want to ride on Li Jinyuan's back!"

Huo Chengming frowned and said, "Mmm."

Zhong Yuhuan walked in the front and walked toward the elevator as she fished out her phone and dialed Li Jinyuan.

The other end picked up quickly.

Zhong Yuhuan had just walked into the elevator, and she sneezed again.

Huo Chengming frowned and handed over a tissue to her as he asked in a low voice, "Why are you sneezing?"

Zhong Yuhuan waved her hand.

From the other end of the phone, Li Jinyuan's voice came almost at the same time, "Why are you sneezing? Did you catch a cold?"

"No," replied Zhong Yuhuan.

"You sound a little stuffy; you must have caught a cold," said Li Jinyuan definitively.

Zhong Yuhuan sniffled again and started making "Ahhh" and "OOooh" noises. Then, baffled, she asked, "You could tell from that?"

"Yes, I can," said Li Jinyuan in a low voice.

The sound of her voice had seared into her brain a long time ago.

He could tell when it's just a little bit off.

Especially after that one incident when she texted him during her severe stomachache, Li Jinyuan had become much more sensitive since then.

"How come you didn't come to Cornwall?" Zhong Yuhuan decided to change the subject.

On his end, Li Jinyuan had a helpless look on him, but he replied to her anyways, "Something... came up." He paused for a second and his heart was beating faster.

He wanted her to go, enjoy her time off and get some rest, but on the other hand, he also wished that...

"Wie-ge had signed me up to a show. Huanhuan, do you think you can.... Come and watch?"