Huo Jiayuan was stunned for a moment.
The group of little boys ran around, laughing and playing. They all looked to be eight or nine years old, which is indeed the most annoying age.
But when they saw her come out, they all blinked their big eyes and smiled at her. Their crystal-clear gazes made Huo Jiayuan feel less wary.
"Don't chase them away." She turned to the bodyguard. "They're just kids, why make such a fuss?"
"But Miss..."
"This is a residential area, not our own home! They'll play here for a while and then leave, why bother?"
The two bodyguards looked at each other, nodded helplessly, and turned to go into the room.
Huo Jiayuan leaned against the railing, actually a little envious of these children. Seeing them reminded her of her own childhood. It's just that her childhood wasn't as free as theirs.
The Huo family manor is vast, like a palace, but no matter how large a place is, it can never be larger than the sky…
She was like a little bird yearning for the outside world, always wanting to spread her wings and fly high, always wanting to break free from the constraints imposed on her by her family.
But she forgot that only the Huo family could protect her properly.
Huo Jiayuan sighed and was about to return to her room when she suddenly heard the sound of several air gun shots. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked in the direction of the little boys. She saw them using air guns to shoot two letters onto the wall behind them:
OK.
Huo Jiayuan opened her eyes wide.
The little boys smiled and waved at her, pointing to the wall. One of them even held up a pair of boxing gloves!
Huo Jiayuan's heart pounded wildly!
She looked around again to make sure the boys were waving at her, showing her their boxing gloves, and punching an OK sign on the wall for her...
Huo Jiayuan covered her mouth, her mind blank. By the time she came to her senses, the group of little boys had already run far away.
The bodyguards rushed over upon hearing the gunshots and anxiously inquired about Huo Jiayuan's condition.
"Miss, it must be those kids' air guns, right?" the bodyguard said angrily. "These boys are probably kids around here who can't afford to go to school. They're always causing trouble on the streets, they're so annoying!"
"Miss, were you frightened just now?"
"Although air rifles are not as powerful as handguns, they still have some lethality. Miss, next time these boys cause trouble, please don't stop us from chasing them away!"
Huo Jiayuan was so nervous that her breathing became uneven.
She didn't hear a word she said; her mind was filled with "OK" and those boxing gloves.
Were those boys sent by Meng Yan?
Meng Yan sent them to ensure his safety; he wanted to tell her that he was fine and slowly recovering.
But how did he know she lived here...?
One question after another made Huo Jiayuan's already chaotic mind even more confused. Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind her: "Miss, what are you doing standing here?"
Huo Jiayuan was startled.
She turned her head sharply and saw Xiao Rong standing behind her, staring straight at her.
"Xiao Rong..."
Huo Jiayuan pulled herself out of her thoughts and tried her best to suppress her rapidly beating heart.
"Xiao Rong, are you... are you feeling better?"
Xiao Rong didn't speak, but walked straight to her side. The two stood on the balcony, which wasn't very big, but there was always a distance between them.
A moment later, a muffled rumble of thunder came from afar.
Huo Jiayuan looked at Xiao Rong, who was still wrapped in bandages, and said softly, "Go back and rest. You're still injured and can't stand for too long."
Xiao Rong gazed into the distance, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled slightly.
"Miss, am I really useless?"
What are you saying!
"I can't even protect you..."
That feeling of guilt was like ivy covering a wall, creeping all over Huo Jiayuan's heart.
"Don't be like this." She looked at him. "If it weren't for you this time, I don't know what terrible things would have happened... Xiao Rong, thank goodness you were by my side."
"Really?" Xiao Rong turned his face.
Perhaps it was the lighting, but she felt that Xiao Rong's face was becoming increasingly gloomy, like thick dark clouds on the horizon, giving off an indescribable sense of oppression.
"If you had to choose between me and Meng Yan, who would you choose?"
Huo Jiayuan was stunned, and her small hands unconsciously rubbed the hem of her skirt.
"I'm sorry, I misspoke again." Xiao Rong smiled bitterly. "Meng Yan is the person you like, and me, to put it nicely, I'm your bodyguard; to put it bluntly, I'm just a dog of the Huo family... Ha, what right do I have to compare myself to Meng Yan!"
"Xiao Rong!"
Huo Jiayuan felt uneasy.
She remembered a time when she was a child, riding a horse, when the horse suddenly got spooked and ran wildly around the riding arena carrying her. She was so scared that she cried and screamed, but Xiao Rong desperately pulled the horse back, even using his own body to shield Huo Jiayuan from the horse's hooves, which saved her.
Even the equestrian instructors at the time said that even professionals like them wouldn't dare use this method to save someone.
At that time, Xiao Rong was just a teenager.
He himself might have lost his life under the horse's hooves, but he still risked everything to protect her and chose the most dangerous path.
“Miss, everything I did was for you.” His voice was slightly hoarse. “Don’t worry, once I’m healed, I will definitely bring you home safely.”
Huo Jiayuan's eyes darkened slightly.
"Let's focus on healing first," she said softly. "Right now, your health is the most important thing."
...
Xiao Rong sent Zhao Ashuang a message and secretly arranged to meet him.
Zhao Ashuang was quite surprised. After hesitating for a moment, she still dressed up carefully and arrived at the appointment on time.
He went to a dark corner of the bar.
There was only one table there, standing out starkly from the rest of the bar. Xiao Rong sat there, with no alcohol in front of him, having drunk most of a glass of warm water. When he saw Zhao Ashuang, his expression was blank, even carrying a hint of coldness.
Zhao Ashuang sat down opposite him, but immediately stood up again, as if afraid of displeasing him.
After Xiao Rong nodded, he sat down again with a fawning smile on his face.
Despite feeling disgusted at the sight of that face, Xiao Rong had no choice but to take this step.
"Why?" he coldly uttered three words.
Zhao Ashuang was taken aback, not understanding what he meant by asking the question.
"Why did you tip Yuan Yuan off!"
"Ventilate...to send a message?" Zhao Ashuang was even more confused. What ventilation? What message? He hadn't seen Huo Jiayuan since the boxing match that almost cost Meng Yan his life!
"Xiao Rong, you...you must have made a mistake?" Zhao Ashuang hurriedly explained, "I don't know what you're talking about, but I haven't seen Yuan Yuan in a long time! Besides, weren't you leaving? Why are you still staying in Biandu?"
“We were leaving. But that night, something unexpected happened.” Xiao Rong lit a cigarette, his silhouette shrouded in smoke, obscuring the slight upturn of his lips. “Don’t you admit you had anything to do with that accident?”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
