Huo Jiayuan remained silent.
Even over the phone, he knew whether she had cried or laughed.
He is the person who understands her best in the world.
"Yuan Yuan," Meng Yan's voice was warm, "shall we meet in a little while?"
"Um."
Huo Jiayuan softly agreed.
The place he asked her to go was a boxing gym.
It's not officially open yet, but its size and decoration are among the best in the city; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a stadium.
Huo Jiayuan looked around with curious eyes, having long forgotten about her argument with her parents.
"How is it here?" Meng Yan asked with a smile.
"Great!"
It's so much better than that underground boxing ring he used in Biandu!
There were many staff members busy at work, and agents were bringing boxers to discuss collaborations. Among the boxers were many familiar faces; Huo Jiayuan only realized after looking at the profiles hanging on the wall that these people were all former world champions.
"Are you going to be a boxer here?" Huo Jiayuan asked excitedly.
Meng Yan looked at her, his clear black and white eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.
“I’m not a boxer here,” he said in a low voice. “I’m the owner.”
"What?"
Huo Jiayuan was taken aback.
She soon realized whose arrangement it was.
She clenched her fist, momentarily lost in thought, but quickly regained her composure. She chuckled softly, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips, a hint of mockery of fate.
“My uncle came to see me a few days ago,” Meng Yan said. “He brought me here.”
What did my dad say to you?
“My uncle was very polite. He said he was very grateful for my care and protection of you in Biandu. If it weren’t for me, he might never have seen you in his life.”
Huo Jiayuan smiled and said, "That's the truth."
"Then he gave me this place, saying that I could realize my dream."
What is your dream?
Huo Jiayuan stared at him with wide eyes.
Meng Yan paused, his expression complex. Even he himself couldn't explain what his dream was. As a child, he studied hard and trained diligently in the military. At that time, his dream was to one day serve his country and become someone like his father.
But his dream collapsed after his father betrayed the country.
At that time, all he wanted was to bring his father back and ask him why he abandoned him and Southeast Asia.
Later on the battlefield, his dream was for the war to end quickly. Every day he watched rivers of blood flow, soldiers charge into battle, the enemy army's cruel practices, and innocent civilians from both countries perish... His dream turned to ashes along with the rocket launchers.
He lost all his dreams; he became a ruthless killing machine.
Even his father died at his hands.
After the war, he was a hero who defended his country and was awarded the highest honor by the royal family of Southeast Asia.
But he threw all of that away and secretly ran off to Biandu.
He fought in the most unregulated underground boxing matches there, living like a rat in the street, as if only this most filthy environment could extinguish his aura and bring him peace and tranquility.
He thought he would live out his life in a daze.
Unexpectedly, he met her during the lowest point of his life...
At that moment, she was his dream.
Meng Yan turned to look at her, desperately suppressing the urge to hug her tightly, and simply said, "My dream is the same as theirs." He looked at the boxers, "To become a world champion."
"You can definitely do it!" Huo Jiayuan smiled. "So you've already made up your mind, right?"
Meng Yan frowned slightly.
What kind of decision do you think I will make?
“I’ll count to three, and we’ll say it together.” Huo Jiayuan took his hand. “One, two, three…”
"Accept it!"
In the empty training hall, only Huo Jiayuan's voice could be heard.
Meng Yan didn't speak, but this answer perfectly matched what he felt in his heart.
"Surprised?" Huo Jiayuan asked with a sweet smile.
Do you know what conditions I accepted here?
"Is that even a question?" she said nonchalantly. "My dad personally got involved, so the condition is definitely that I'll be in exchange!"
Meng Yan was slightly taken aback.
"I know everything." She lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer.
She could even mimic Huo Junyu's tone: "Mr. Meng, you saved my daughter. Her mother and I will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives. This boxing gym is a small gift; please accept it, Mr. Meng. You can fulfill your dreams here, but my daughter also has her own dreams to realize."
“Meng Yan,” Huo Jiayuan took a deep breath, her eyes filled with determination, “Actually, we don’t have the conditions to be together right now.”
Meng Yan chuckled and nodded, but he still wanted to hear her continue.
"I need to go abroad to further my studies, and you also need to stay here and manage your business well."
"Once we've each made something of ourselves, no one will stop us from being together."
"My grandmother once said that a true match is not about one wealthy family marrying another, but about two people's experiences, values, plans for the future, and tolerance for each other."
"You're absolutely right," Meng Yan smiled. "Anything else?"
“Hmm…” Huo Jiayuan leaned on his shoulder, “Love is the icing on the cake in life, but it’s not everything.”
Meng Yan patted her little head and said in a deep voice, "You've grown up."
What she just said was exactly what he was thinking.
Now that Huo Junyu has spoken, if he continues to entangle himself with Huo Jiayuan, it will only make the two elders more and more disgusted.
Why not take this opportunity to do something and accumulate enough capital to establish a foothold in the central city?
They might look at him with new respect then, and feel more comfortable entrusting their daughter to him.
He was a little worried when he asked Huo Jiayuan to come over, afraid that she wouldn't understand, afraid that she would think that he had ultimately chosen profit.
Unexpectedly, she was stronger and more sensible than he had imagined.
"Meng Yan, will you wait for me to come back?"
"Silly girl." He pinched her little nose. "Say what you just said again."
"Hmm? I mean, will you wait for me to come back?"
"The sentence before that."
"Love is the icing on the cake in life, but it's not everything," she repeated earnestly.
“Yes,” Meng Yan looked at her, his eyes full of doting affection. From the first day he met her, he knew it was a gift from fate.
"Love isn't everything," he said in a low, husky voice, leaning close to her ear and whispering, "but Yuan Yuan, you are my everything."
Huo Jiayuan's heart pounded. Before she could react, his burning lips pressed against hers. She was overwhelmed with passion, shyly wanting to push him away, yet unwilling to let go of this feeling…
His kisses were delicate and lingering, making her feel intoxicated.
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