Chapter 52 Did she mess it up?
Inside the elevator.
In the small, enclosed space, only the sound of their intertwined breaths could be heard.
Ruan Yao clung to Huo Yanzhi, her cheek pressed tightly against his warm chest. Through the expensive suit fabric, she could clearly hear his steady and powerful heartbeat.
One after another.
The effects of the alcohol that had made her weak all over hadn't worn off yet, but being held like this by him cleared her mind for a moment.
She knew how bold and outrageous her actions had been.
In front of Shen Yu, she threw herself into another man's arms and even asked him to take her away.
But she doesn't regret it.
She was even somewhat relieved that he had appeared.
Fortunately, he didn't actually turn around and leave.
Ruan Yao snuggled against him, like a cat that had found a cuddle, and tightened her arms around his neck.
The elevator descended smoothly, with the digital lights flashing one by one.
Huo Yanzhi remained silent throughout, his arm around her as steady as a rock, but Ruan Yao could feel the taut lines of his muscles and the increasingly imposing aura emanating from him.
Ruan Yao felt a little scared, but more than that, she felt a secret joy that she couldn't quite explain.
With a "ding," the elevator arrived at the basement level.
Huo Yanzhi carried Ruan Yao and quickly walked to his car.
He opened the car door and carefully placed her in the passenger seat.
As soon as Ruan Yao touched the soft seat, she slumped down as if she had no bones, mumbling something in a daze.
"hot……"
She tugged at her collar, and her fair neck and delicate collarbone shone so brightly in the dim light that it was almost blinding.
Huo Yanzhi's Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly looked away, bending down to help her fasten her seatbelt.
The distance between the two instantly closed.
He could clearly smell the sweet scent of fruit wine mixed with her fragrance on her body, like an invisible net that trapped him tightly.
His fingers paused almost imperceptibly after fastening the seatbelt, then quickly withdrew and closed the car door.
The car drove smoothly out of the parking lot.
Huo Yanzhi drove the car, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but the atmosphere around him was frighteningly low.
He remained silent, his taut jawline conveying a sense of impending danger.
Although Ruan Yao felt dizzy, she was perfectly conscious.
She knew he was still angry.
She secretly glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
The man was focused on driving, his profile sharp and cold.
"Huo Yanzhi..." she called out to him softly and tentatively.
The man did not react.
Ruan Yao bit her lip, mustered her courage, reached out, and gently tugged at his sleeve.
"Don't be angry."
Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of coquetry.
Huo Yanzhi tightened his grip on the steering wheel, but still didn't look at her.
"I'm not angry."
That's a lie.
The more he acts like this, the more he cares.
Ruan Yao suddenly found her courage.
She leaned closer, almost whispering in his ear, and softened her voice.
Are you...jealous?
The veins on the back of Huo Yanzhi's hand, which was resting on the steering wheel, bulged. He turned his head, and his dark eyes were frighteningly deep in the dimly lit car.
"Ruan Yao".
He called her by her full name.
"Sit still."
Ruan Yao was not very bold to begin with, but Huo Yanzhi's repeated indulgence emboldened her.
She shrank back in fright at his appearance, but the alcohol was taking effect, and she was still muttering to herself.
"You're just jealous."
She said it with certainty.
“You’re unhappy when you see me standing with Shen Yu.”
Huo Yanzhi's breathing became erratic.
He closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions.
"I'll take you home."
"I'm not going home," Ruan Yao said softly.
The alcohol surged up in waves, burning her cheeks and consuming her last shred of reason.
She tilted her head back, her voice, slightly cloying and soft from the alcohol, like melted sugar.
"Huo Yanzhi, shall we go to the hotel?"
"Stop fooling around."
“I’m not being silly.” Ruan Yao grabbed his sleeve, refusing to let go. “My parents will worry if I go back like this.”
The atmosphere inside the carriage was tense.
Huo Yanzhi looked at her.
Watching her stubbornly clutching her sleeve, looking into her eyes that seemed to say, "I won't let go until you agree," I felt a pang of sadness.
He knew she was doing it on purpose.
Fueled by alcohol, he recklessly challenged all his bottom lines.
After a long time, he finally gave in.
"Okay," he managed to squeeze out a single word.
Ruan Yao then released her hand with satisfaction and sat down obediently.
The car started smoothly, disappeared into the night, and stopped in front of the nearest five-star hotel.
Huo Yanzhi unbuckled his seatbelt, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the car door.
"arrive."
Ruan Yao didn't move; she just sat there, looking up at him.
She was feeling the effects of the alcohol; her eyes were a little hazy, and her cheeks were flushed a lovely pink.
"I can't walk." She stretched out her arms, acting like a spoiled child with a straight face.
Huo Yanzhi looked at her like this and closed his eyes.
He had absolutely no way to deal with her.
He bent down and picked her up again.
The familiar embrace made Ruan Yao hum contentedly, her arms expertly encircling his neck, her little face rubbing against his chest, finding a comfortable position.
Huo Yanzhi carried her through the hotel lobby, ignoring the surprised or inquisitive glances from those around them, and walked straight into the hotel.
Huo Yanzhi requested a presidential suite and completed the check-in procedures.
He remained expressionless throughout as he carried Ruan Yao into the room and placed her on the soft, large bed.
The room was large and luxuriously decorated, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of the dazzling nightscape of northern Beijing.
Ruan Yao rolled over on the bed, then sat up and looked at the man standing by the bed.
He took off his suit jacket and casually draped it over the sofa, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.
“Huo Yanzhi.” She reached out her hand to him.
Huo Yanzhi didn't move; he just stared at her.
Undeterred, Ruan Yao jumped off the bed barefoot and walked towards him step by step.
She stopped in front of him, looked up at him, and smiled.
"Huo Yanzhi, are you afraid?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of provocation.
"What do I have to be afraid of?"
The man looked at her, his eyes unfathomable.
Ruan Yao tilted her head and smiled like a cat that had just stolen some fish.
"Then why are you standing so far away?"
Her breath, carrying the scent of wine, was like a feather, gently scratching at his reason.
“Ruan Yao,” Huo Yanzhi finally raised his hand, grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and tried to pull her away, “Stop fooling around.”
"How am I being ridiculous?" Ruan Yao broke free from his large hand, deliberately refusing to let it go.
She thought for a moment, then tiptoed and whispered in his ear.
"Huo Yanzhi, what do you think Uncle Huo and Aunt Huo would think if they knew we were in a hotel and had booked a room?"
Her breath was sweet and fragrant, and every word she spoke was like a feather, gently scratching his tense nerves.
"Will they think that we're about to get married?"
The two were extremely close, their noses almost touching.
Ruan Yao could clearly see her own arrogant face reflected in his dark pupils.
She bit her lip, acting recklessly in both directions, and finally reached out, grabbed his tie, and pulled it down forcefully.
Huo Yanzhi was forced to bend down, and the distance between the two was shortened again.
Ruan Yao looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, "Stay here and keep me company."
At this moment, Huo Yanzhi's rationality was on the verge of collapse.
He suddenly grabbed her wrist and pressed her against the wall behind her, trapping her between himself and the wall.
"Ruan Yao, do you know what you're saying?"
He took a deep breath, almost clenching his teeth.
The sudden movement startled Ruan Yao, and her back hit the cold wall, which cleared her muddled mind a little.
She looked up and met his eyes.
In Huo Yanzhi's deep pupils, a thick, almost overwhelming emotion surged.
It was as if he was looking through her at something else.
Ruan Yao stopped making a fuss and just looked at him quietly.
"You're hurting me," she said softly, her voice tinged with grievance.
Huo Yanzhi noticed a clear red mark on her fair wrist.
He released his grip abruptly, as if he had been burned.
He slowly took a step back, widening the distance between them.
Without saying anything more, he turned around, opened the door, and walked out.
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