Ch3 I'm the one above!
There was silence in the air. Huo Yu turned to look at Xia Wan but did not say anything. His handsome face was hidden in the darkness, making it hard to tell what expression he had on his face.
Xia Wan paused for a moment, then decided to let it go.
To be honest, his request was a bit too much. After all, they were practically just strangers who had met for the first time..
Even if they were on the same page not a long ago, it was only because they had a common enemy back then. Now, with no enemy in sight, and they were alone, naturally they returned back to being strangers.
If he had not transmigrated into this completely unfamiliar world in such a helpless, pitiful state and if was able to merge the original owner's memories, he would never have made such an abrupt request.
But now in his current situation, Huo Yu was the only one around him whom he could ask for help.
He absentmindedly rubbed his fingers in the pocket of his windbreaker while lost in thought. Just as he was about to say something, a cold gust of wind blew past him. The sudden chill caught him off guard, making him cough and sneeze twice.
So, when he looked up again, his beautiful eyes were misted with a thin layer of water.
On the other hand, Huo Yu watched as Xia Wan sneezed. He couldn't help but notice the misty look in Xia Wan's beautiful eyes, which glimmered under the pale light of the moon. There was an innocence to them, as though he had never done anything wrong in his life. Xia Wan looked so pure, like someone with no hidden secrets.
No, the young man in front of him was more like a helpless, abandoned puppy wandering alone without a home.
"Get in the car," Huo Yu said, as he looked away. His voice didn't carry any anger or annoyance at Xia Wan's request. "If you can accept sleeping on the sofa, then you can come with me."
"Huh?" Xia Wan let out a soft sound of surprise, so light and quiet that it almost seemed like it was just his imagination. He was caught off guard.
Based on his understanding wasn't Huo Yu supposed to refuse his request?
Had he misunderstood him? After all, the other party had agreed so easily it made him hesitate.
Not to mention, he was the villain. When did villains become so easy to talk to?
Xia Wan paused for a moment. He couldn't help but rub his fingers underneath his sleeve again.In his previous life, Xia Wan was always pampered by everyone. To be precise, it was more appropriate to say that he was constantly under the watch of his family, even more so after his diagnosis. If someone tried to mess with him, his family would deal with them immediately.
He was the apple of their eye.
Except for health problems, he had rarely faced any bad situations and had seldom interacted with people who were malicious toward him.
But now, without his beloved family members who loved him to bits, he had to face everything alone. In his previous life, he had never been truly independent, always surrounded by the care of his family. Now, that safety net was gone, he had to work on his own.
Moreover, the book had clearly described Huo Yu as a fickle, unstable person with no hesitation to use ruthless methods. For the sake of the Huo family's vast property, he was willing to do whatever it took, even if it meant harming both sides of a situation to achieve his goal.
Even though Xia Wan had dealt with malicious attacks calmly since arriving in this world, thinking about his family made his nose and eyes sting with sorrow.
Thinking about his family made Xia Wan feel even more emotional.
If he had truly transmigrated to this world, did that mean he was dead in his own? How would his family cope with that loss? Would they be able to cope with his death? He bet they couldn't.
His eyes turned watery as he thought about each of his family member's faces, one by one.
Because of his illness, Xia Wan was mentally prepared to be separated from them at any time, but now that the day had come, why was it so uncomfortable?
"Not going?" Huo Yu asked. His deep voice broke the long silence between them. Probably because Xia Wan had stayed quiet for so long, there was now a faint trace of impatience hidden in Huo Yu's tone.
Xia Wan pressed his lips together tightly, trying his best to hold back the stinging feeling in his nose. He didn't want to cry, but the sadness in his heart was too strong. As he moved slightly, he couldn't stop it anymore warm tears slowly slipped down from the corners of his eyes without him even realizing it.
This made him looked just like a small white jasmine flower that had been drenched by the rain fragile, pure, and heartbreaking to see. No one could feel annoyed with him. Instead, seeing him like this would only make people feel sorry for him and want to protect him even more.
Huo Yu seemed stunned for a moment as he watched the tears fall from Xia Wan's eyes. After a short pause, he awkwardly turned his head to the side and said, "Actually, I can sleep on the sofa too."
Huo Yu had never lowered himself for anyone before. However, when looking at the figure in front of him, he didn't know why, but something inexplicably stabbed in the heart. For the first time, he felt a strange sense of helplessness.
For some reason, seeing Huo Yu's awkward and helpless expression made Xia Wan feel strangely amused. He looked up, still with tears in his eyes, but a smile began to appear on his face.
Shen Yan, who had been standing quietly beside them, watching as they seemed lost in their own little world, reached his breaking point. He was now fed up with their flirting. So, he generously gave up the noble job of being a "driver." Whoever wanted to take over could do it.
He spun the car keys around his fingers a few times before tossing them into Huo Yu's hand. "Why don't you two go home first, and then you can decide who gets to sleep where?"
The night air was chilly, but the car's interior was warm and comforting.
For Xia Wan, the scenery outside wasn't unfamiliar because the novel was set in the city he had lived in.
But looking closely, there were subtle differences from reality.
For example, the "Imperial Hotel" he had been at earlier was a real hotel in his world, but it had a different name.
As the car moved forward, Xia Wan gazed out the window. He carefully and meticulously started to sort through the memories of the original owner in his mind.
The original owner lived a very simple life, and once Xia Wan relaxed, he could quickly understand the key points. It was just a matter of time before he figured it all out.
From these memories, Xia Wan learned that the original owner had no mother and lived with his father, Xia Chengzhang who was disabled.
Before this, the original owner hadn't lived in this city. Instead, they lived in Xia Chengzhang's hometown, a poor and desolate area in the southern part of the country.
It wasn't until the original owner was in his first year of high school that his distant uncle, Xia Chenglin, returned to his hometown bought them here, promising a better future.
Due to the original owner's upbringing, even though he was exceptionally beautiful, he had a low sense of self-worth. He was timid and weak, which made it easy for others to take advantage of him.
As Xia Wan was lost in thought, a familiar building sign suddenly appeared in his view. For a second he was momentarily stunned, then instinctively sat up straight.
"Huo Yu," Xia Wan called out, not even realizing that he had dared to call villain by his name directly. He also didn't notice his voice trembling as he asked, "What is that place?"
"Where?" Huo Yu asked, thinking that Xia Wan was shivering from the cold. He quickly turned on the heater, raising the temperature slightly.
"Over there," Xia Wan pointed nervously. "That red 'X' logo building."
The huge "X" was very far away from them, but it was placed in such a way that even from a distance it was noticeable.
Not to mention that the red color of the sign was very eye-catching.
Not to forget, Xia Wan was highly familiar with it, having seen that image since childhood. There was no way he could mistake it for anything else.
It was the logo of his Xia family jwellery company, representing their dominance. Their company was considered the brightest star in the entire country - the best of the best.
Xia Wan's heart raced as he stared at the distant building. Despite the distance, he could clearly recognize the logo and the building's location-it was identical to the one belonging to his Xia family.
Was it possible that his Xia family also existed in this world, and that his parents and relatives were here too? Xia Wan couldn't help but clench his fists.
However, just as Xia Wan was lost in his thoughts, Huo Yu's voice interrupted him, scattering his hopes. "That's the headquarters of the Xue family."
"The Xue family?" Xia Wan muttered. In that moment, his heart felt hollow, like something had been taken away and he didn't know where to find it.
As soon as he said "Xue's," bits and pieces of the original owner's memories about it started to appear in Xia Wan's mind.
The Xue family's business mainly focused on things like skincare, cosmetics, daily products, and accessories. In recent years, their Investments had grown quickly.
They also had powerful influence and appeal around the world, and there was almost no one who had not heard of them before.
While he was lost in thought, a sudden numbness spread from the base of his leg. Xia Wan was stunned for a moment before realizing it was his phone vibrating.
He slowly took out his phone, and when he saw the name "Yang Ge" flashing on the screen, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
If he wasn't mistaken, based on the memories, the reason the original owner got involved with Huo Lin in the first place was entirely because of this Xia Yang..
The original owner grew up in a small town, and his father was always busy working to provide for the family. Because of this, they didn't spend much time together, and the original owner lacked the emotional support he needed. Without anyone to talk to, he grew up feeling isolated.
This led to a decline in his personality, making him more introverted.
The original owner would spend all his days being idle, and when he first came to the city he was unable to understand many things due to his temperament and lack of personal opinions.
When others looked down on him, or when they bullied him, he would say nothing and bear it all silently - Including Xia Yang.
But Xia Wan was different.
He was born into a wealthy family. Even though he rarely went out because of his illness, he had learned a lot just by listening to his family talk.
He might be a little naive when it comes to small social matters, but that doesn't mean he couldn't tell who truly cared about him and who didn't.
The original owner had been very talented in painting since he was a child, but Xia Chengzhang couldn't afford the costs to support it. It wasn't until Xia Chenglin came back and convinced Xia Chengzhang to move to Beijing, using the excuse of the original owner's future, that things changed.
From that movement on, every word Xia Chenglin said sounded kind and full of concern on the surface, but it was all fake. It was just a mask to hide his true Intentions.
When Xia Chenglin first noticed how good-looking and delicate Xia Wan was, his thoughts changed. He didn't truly want to help Xia Wan because of his talent or future instead, he started thinking of how he could use him for his own benefit.
To Xia Chenglin, supporting Xia Wan and his father didn't seem like a big burden. It was no different from raising a couple of sheep: easy and cheap. And just like how people raise sheep to one day sell or slaughter them when it's convenient, it was same for original owner.
It was never about kindness - it was always about what he could gain from trading them.
And Huo Lin was exactly the key to such trade.
Whether it was the Xia family or Huo Lin, they all saw the original owner as a simple bargaining chip for their own use. From the very start they all wove webs of falsehoods, and in the end, what awaited the original owner was betrayal and his own destruction.
"Hello?" Xia Wan answered the phone but quickly pulled the receiver away from his ear, as the voice on the other end was so loud it almost burst his eardrums.
"Do you even realize the trouble you've caused today? How dare you?!" Xia Yang's furious voice echoed through the quiet car. It was so pound that even Huo Yu could hear it clearly.
At this, Huo Yu glanced over at Xia Wan, but saw nothing but a calm, unaffected expression.
Xia Wan's eyes were half-lidded, his thick lashes resting gently on his lower eyelids, like small fans. There wasn't the slightest movement or change in his face, as if he was completely
unaffected by the tension around him.
Only when the other person finally tired of yelling and lowered their voice did Xia Wan slowly bring the phone back up to his ear. His lips, which had been frozen and pale, had regained their color, now looked soft and pink. Calmly, he asked, "What trouble have I caused?"
Just this sentence was enough for Xia Yang see red. His rage climbed another level, he started to shoot words like bullets.
Xia Wan quickly moved the phone away again and vaguely heard the other person shouting, "What trouble have you caused? You idiot!!! You have offended Huo Lin!! Don't you realize it? Our family's project was finally making progress, and now you've ruined everything by causing a scene! Do you even understand what you've done?"
"Gege," Xia Wan said, "You probably don't know what's going on. It was Huo Lin who gave me a green hat first, and it was Huo Lin who got engaged to someone else while dating me. Tell me how should I have handle it. By bottling up? Or maybe becoming a mistress?"
How could Xia Yang not know all of this? He probably knew it better than anyone else. Sure enough, the other side seemed to have finally lost patience and shouted angrily, "Who the hell are you, idiot? Are you even worthy of being cuckolded by Huo Lin?"
Xia Wan smiled, the corners of his mouth curling, but he remained silent. On the other end, it seemed like Xia Yang finally seemed to realize that he had made a slip of the tongue and stopped suddenly.
Earlier, they had always used Xia Wan's naiveness to their advantage, pretending to be kind and loving while secretly taking advantage of him.
They would disguise their true intentions behind a mask of affection, making him truly believe they cared about him, when in reality, they were just using him for their own gain.
However, today, for some reason, Xia Wan seemed to be behaving quite differently than usual.
It was as if today, he was ready to tear apart the entire facade.
Seeing that Xia Wan remained silent but also didn't hang up the phone, Xia Yang's tone became a little gentler and softer. "Wanwan, Gege didn't mean it the way it sounded," he said, trying to backtrack.
"Then what did you mean?" Xia Wan asked, not even bothering to call him "brother."
"Gege is doing this for your own good," Xia Yang tried to persuade him. "Think about it, Huo Lin is only engaged, not married. He likes you so much, we still have a chance..."
"Why don't you just say that you want me to cling to the Huo family's legs?" Xia Wan interrupted him. "I am with Huo Yu now, isn't it the same? Both are young masters of the Huo family."
Xia Yang was so furious he almost smashed his phone. But he forced himself to calm down. After all, even though Huo Lin had been angry when he called earlier, he clearly still had feelings for Xia Wan. If Xia Yang could coax Xia Wan back, their project with the Huo family might still have a chance.
All hope was not lost. There was still a chance to make things right.
"Can Huo Yu even compare to Huo Lin?" Xia Yang lowered his voice. "The entire Huo family is under Huo Lin and his father's control right now. What can Huo Yu possibly do? After spending all those years abroad, he's practically an outsider. How is he supposed to support you, huh?
After all those years all he knows
is how to wave a paintbrush
around. What good is that?"
He pressed on further, "Wanwan, even if they're both from the Huo family, there's a huge difference between someone with real power and someone without it."
"Oh," Xia Wan replied slowly, "just like me and you, right? We're both from the Xia family, but I'm a nobody."
Damm it!!!!!!
Xia Yang was so angry that his temples twitched. He had no idea what kind of medicine Xia Wan had taken tonight. His words might sound innocent on the surface, but they were sharper and more venomous than usual.
For the first time, Xia Yang felt completely powerless when facing Xia Wan. This wasn't the same Xia Wan who had always obeyed him quietly and done whatever he said. His sudden change made Xia Yang feel both unsettled and out of control.
"I didn't mean it like that," Xia Yang gritted his teeth and tried to explain.
"Then what did you mean?" Xia Wan asked again, without a hint of politeness.
"Huo Lin likes you very much," Xia Yang continued, trying to sweet-talk him. "If you stay with him, everyone will respect you and look up to you. You don't have much experience, and that's why I'm telling you-if you take advantage of this opportunity, it could really change everything for you. Huo Lin is very generous. Even if he only shares a little bit, it'll be enough for you and Uncle Xia to live comfortably for the rest of your lives."
Basically, he was trying to convince Xia Wan to become Huo Lin's kept lover.
Xia Wan laughed silently and, as if he suddenly understood everything, asked, "So many benefits?"
"Of course," Hearing this, Xia Yang's tone finally became lighter. "We are one family, could your gege harm you? Has gege ever lied to you?"
"Since there are so many benefits," Xia Wan asked after a pause, "why doesn't gege go and date Huo Lin himself?"
Fucking... !!!!!
Xia Yang almost cursed out a lot, but he quickly held it back and said, "Why, because Huo Lin doesn't like me!"
"Then let Zhang Hao date him. I'm with Huo Yu now, and I'm not as pure as before," Xia Wan said.
This fucking little bastard!!!!!!!!
Xia Yang cursed under his breath, his patience was on the verge of snapping.
Meanwhile, the hands that had been resting calmly on the steering wheel tightened subconsciously, and the corner of Huo Yu's mouth twitched stiffly.
However the show was not over yet, because Xia Wan continued to say in a very serious tone,"Actually, based on what you said, I think I match better with Huo Yu than with Huo Lin."
Then he even offered a suggestion kindly, "Why not let Zhang Hao date Huo Lin instead?"
Zhang Hao was Xia Yang's cousin.
His father had died young, so his mother had brought him and his sister to live with the Xia family.
Because he grew up without a father, he was spoiled rotten by elders. This led to Zhang Hao becoming spoiled and unruly. Over time, he crossed many boundaries with Xia Wan, making
several inappropriate moves, but Xia Yang and Xia Chengsen stop it at critical moment.
The original owner was very grateful for this, but Xia Wan knew very well that they stayed in the original owner's good graces just so that the original owner would blindly trust them, and never doubt them.
"You're saying this on purpose, aren't you?" Xia Yang finally caught on, his voice became sharp. "It doesn't even matter if Huo Lin takes a liking to Zhang Hao even if he does, Zhang Hao sure as hell wouldn't be the below because he is the one who would top."
"Oh~," Xia Wan dragged out the word slowly, his tone light but sharp as a blade. Then he added "But I also like to top."
A very low and deep cough echoed through the car, and Xia Wan slowly lifted his eyelashes to glance sideways.
Huo Yu was still staring forward and driving intently, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
Even though Xia Wan was busy fighting this battle of wits and courage, he couldn't help but loss focus for a minute and appreciate the charming smile of Huo Yu's.
It was so dazzling!!!!