The phone rang for a long time without being answered, which made him even more flustered. His face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.

The car had already entered the Huo family manor.

As expected, Jiang Can fell asleep in the car. Huo Zhixing gestured for everyone to be quiet and carefully carried her out of the car.

Huo Junyang, wearing headphones and whistling, stared at his father's back, practically spitting out envy.

"Sigh, I wonder when I'll meet someone I like, someone who spoils me like Dad spoils Mom, someone I'll spoil for the rest of my life! Right, bro?"

The guy next to me didn't react.

Huo Junyang then noticed that his brother's face was pale and he looked very nervous.

"What happened?"

Huo Junyu glanced at him indifferently, told him to go back and rest, and strode to a quiet corner in the courtyard.

He dialed the number again and again, but no one answered. Time ticked by, and his heart began to race.

Countless possibilities were already in his mind—

She may have encountered danger while walking down that path.

She may have been plotted against by Gu Zihan again.

She might already be...

Huo Junyu's heart pounded, and his blood seemed to rush through his body.

He was about to have his butler arrange a private plane to rush back to Jiangzhou overnight when his phone suddenly vibrated in his hand.

"Hello?!"

"...What's wrong with you?" The voice on the other end was gentle, with a hint of amusement. "Why does your voice sound like that? It's scary!"

Huo Junyu paused for a few seconds, then his emotions subsided.

Not only did Jiang Mianmian find it scary, but he himself found it scary too.

For someone who has been mature beyond their years since childhood and is used to faking their emotions, what he just did was really abnormal.

"Ahem," Huo Junyu coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment, but he could not speak properly. "No, nothing, I just, I just, I just suddenly remembered that you might be taking a walk on the beach, so I wanted to call you to remind you... to wear more clothes because it's cold."

Jiang Mianmian was completely confused, and after a long while, she exclaimed, "What are you talking about? It's summer now!"

"Oh, then remember to wear more clothes since it's hot."

"Huo Yu!" Jiang Mianmian laughed so hard she almost fell over. "What's wrong with you? I remember Yangcheng isn't far from Jiangzhou! It feels like we live in different hemispheres!"

Huo Junyu bit his tongue and grinned, wishing he could eat the words he had just said!

"Besides, I didn't go for a walk today," Jiang Mianmian said softly. "There's no moon tonight, so I don't want to go out."

"No moon?"

Jiang Mianmian replied, "Yes, it's cloudy and foggy in Jiangzhou."

Huo Junyu naturally followed up: "Oh... then tell me, what shape is this fog today?"

"ah??"

Huo Junyu once again wished he could slap his own mouth raw.

He was unwilling to admit that he kept calling her because he was worried about her safety, nor was he willing to admit that he was rambling on and on because he wanted to hear her voice more and chat with her a little more.

He was even unwilling to admit that Jiang Mianmian had unknowingly entered his heart.

Jiang Mianmian held her phone, her heart pounding.

She was finishing her homework with her phone on silent, but when she submitted it and saw more than twenty missed calls, all from the same person, she smiled more sweetly than when she was drinking mango pomelo sago.

In that instant, she felt as if she had gained the whole world.

But what happened next?

He rambled on for a few minutes and then stopped talking. Now all you can hear is his slightly heavy breathing through the phone.

After a long silence, Jiang Mianmian finally mustered up her courage and asked, "Huo Yu... when are you coming back?"

Huo Junyu's heart was instantly shattered.

Then countless possibilities popped into my mind—

Maybe she likes him, right?

Perhaps when he was looking at the moon and thinking of her, she was thinking of him too?

Perhaps... her family really can't do without him as their guardian spirit.

Huo Junyu sighed, feeling that the last possibility was the most likely.

"Huo Yu, are you even listening?"

"Oh, yes!" Huo Junyu quickly replied.

"So when exactly will you come?"

Huo Junyu almost blurted out "tomorrow," but ultimately reason prevailed and he held back.

"I... I'll probably stay a few more days," he said vaguely. "I finally got to come back and see my parents, how can I just leave like that?"

“Yes, that’s true.” Jiang Mianmian understood perfectly. “But please don’t stay too long, okay? Because I…”

She didn't say anything more.

Another awkward silence ensued.

However, Jiang Mianmian quickly smiled and said, "Send me the train schedule before you come back, and I'll pick you up at the train station!"

Huo Junyu nodded in agreement, "Okay."

"Huo Yu, I saw a squirrel at school today!"

Huo Yu laughed. "Really?"

"Yes, she's small in stature, but incredibly agile!"

"Um."

"Oh, by the way, I learned how to fry spring rolls. I'll secretly make some for you when you get back!"

"Oh." Huo Junyu frowned, then smiled. Why do it "secretly"?

"And another thing, I found a snack that's really delicious and sells very well! We need to stock up on it when you get back!"

"no problem."

"Huo Yu, and..."

Huo Junyu found a bluestone slab to sit on and listened quietly. The gentle moonlight shone on him, smoothing his rough edges, and even the corners of his eyes and brows were tinged with warmth.

She was willing to share the little things in her life with him, and he was willing to listen.

He listens to whatever she says.

That phone call lasted almost two hours; the phone got hot.

He reluctantly hung up the phone only after Jiang Mianmian said she wanted to sleep.

As I turned around, a figure flashed past in the bushes!

"who?"

"Brother, it's me!" Huo Junyang walked out with a big laugh. "You...you've been on the phone for quite a while! You have a girlfriend in Jiangzhou?"

Go play somewhere else!

Huo Junyu carefully put his phone back in his pocket.

"Hey bro," Huo Junyang's gossipy heart was stirring again, "You didn't actually get a girlfriend, did you? That won't do, you still have to be with Xiaoyouzi..."

"What little pomelo?" Huo Junyu frowned. "We don't even know if it's true or not yet."

"What if it's true?" Huo Junyang looked at him. "Would your fiancé in Jiangzhou voluntarily back out of the engagement to make it happen?"