Chapter 44

Slightly Sweet You（14）

Chapter Forty-Four

“Now, you may kiss your girlfriend.”

Surprised? Excited?

Mu He quietly applauded herself. Don’t think only he could tease—she could too. Wasn’t this simply taking back the initiative?

Huo Siheng gazed steadily at her. In the depths of his dark eyes appeared tenderness he could hardly imagine, clear as light. He curved his lips slightly in a smile, even the corners of his brows carrying a trace of joy, then he chuckled softly.

Coming back early was meant to give her a surprise, yet she had prepared an even bigger surprise for him.

Huo Siheng knew this moment would come sooner or later, but when it truly arrived, his composure vanished instantly. His heart raced uncontrollably, each beat more violent than the last.

The day before, at the ancestral hall, in front of the family ancestors, he had taken from the old master the weighty position of heir to a century-old family. For any Huo family member pursuing power and wealth, this was undoubtedly the pinnacle of life.

To him, it was nothing.

Far less shocking than this very moment.

The lively, radiant woman before him was the real, living presence worth treasuring with a lifetime of care.

Mu He closed her eyes, her ears burning from his husky, seductive laughter. What was he waiting for—would he kiss or not?

If not, fine, but tilting her neck like that was exhausting!

Just as she pursed her lips, a burning breath pressed against them.

His hand at her lower back pressed firmly, slowly pinning her against him, then he tightened his arms. She completely fell within his control.

In his gentle yet commanding kiss, she was lost in passion, like the softest vine, entwining tightly around him, declaring her claim.

Huo Siheng’s breathing was slightly uneven. Pressing his lips to hers, his voice hoarse: “Yangyang, are you really sure?”

After kissing, he still asks this?

Mu He said nothing and returned the kiss herself—an answer, presumably.

She had made it so obvious; if he didn’t understand, she wouldn’t blame him for a second change of mind.

“Yangyang,” he softly called her name, then switched to Russian, “rлю6люte6r.”

Mu He’s black eyes widened. Don’t think she didn’t know the meaning of this Russian phrase—she had memorized it perfectly, ready for confessing to him. What he said was—

I love you.

Yangyang, I love you.

In that brief moment of distraction, Mu He felt his tongue enter hers. Unprepared, her slightly parted teeth met his gently, initial movements awkward, quickly becoming instinctive… utterly intimate.

Her heartbeat shot up, her breath stolen. The tingling traveled from tip to root of her tongue. She couldn’t help but emit a low moan, her face crimson. She wanted to push him away, but instead was held even tighter.

It felt as if a century had passed.

After the storm finally ceased, Mu He nestled in his chest, panting: “You…”

Huo Siheng guessed her question: “Not before.”

Mu He understood. Before had been playful. Now that he had the formal status of her boyfriend, it was real.

However, had he adapted too quickly?

His kiss came again, stamping the moment: “No backing out.”

Who would want to back out?

Was she showing it so obviously?

So, from now on, they truly were a couple?

Even pearls weren’t this genuine.

Although the kiss used some energy, it didn’t cancel out the calories from tonight’s hotpot. Mu He didn’t want to go upstairs so soon. If he was so uninhibited outside, what would happen at home?

She needed time to recover.

The moonlight was lovely. They walked most of the way around the neighborhood. Gentle breeze carried the rich fragrance of flowers. Mu He felt happy, her steps light, even humming a song.

Ahead was the small garden, spring in full bloom, flowers competing for attention, vibrant, swaying in the wind, graceful. She bent to smell each blossom.

Seeing her delight, Huo Siheng casually plucked a rose, removing its thorns.

Mu He felt a cool touch on her cheek. Turning, she saw the vibrant rose pressed near her face. She took it and pouted: “Destroying public property.”

Yet inside, she felt sweetness. Flowers weren’t necessary, but the romance and ceremony pleased her.

She lowered her head to smell the rose. It was the most fragrant one.

After their walk, Mu He first found an empty bottle, filled it with water, placed the rose inside, inspecting it from all angles. Bow Bow, her cat, seemed to sense her joy, swaying at her feet: “Meow meow meow!”

Mu He photographed the rose with her phone and posted on her microblog: “Day one of dating Mr. X, a flower he gave me. Picked from the neighborhood garden, shh~ [image]”

She couldn’t help but message Zhong Li Fei on WeChat: “Feifei, I’m off the market! You’re the third person in the world to know.”

Zhong Li Fei: “Weren’t you hard to chase? [smile]” Less than three hours had passed since he said this!

Mu He defensively: “Weren’t you teaching me to advance by retreating?”

Zhong Li Fei: “Retreating too fast. I seriously doubt you can advance now.”

“Please, organization, believe me.”

Zhong Li Fei: “Interview: what’s your current mood?”

Mu He thought: “Spring wind rides swiftly, seeing all flowers of Chang’an in one day.”

Zhong Li Fei: “I’d say your heart flutters instead.”

“Congratulations, Teacher Mu, for achieving your wish, securing the handsome man.”

The neglected handsome man looked over. Mu He, overcome, shyly sent a blushing emoji, tossed the phone aside, and effortlessly pounced on him.

Bow Bow fluffed up. It was a pure little cat—why must it see such embarrassing scenes?

Night deepened, emotions thick, reluctant to part.

Mu He dragged her soft body into the bathroom. Seeing her reflection, face like peach blossoms, eyes shimmering, lips red and slightly swollen, she patted her flushed face to calm herself.

She slowly removed makeup, washed her hair, showered, and soaked in the tub—almost an hour in total.

Fortunately, Jin Yue Bay’s security was tight. No paparazzi could enter; otherwise, it would be troublesome if caught.

The company would certainly have to keep it secret. So, temporarily, she’d have to endure and pursue a secret romance.

Mu He planned to find him next door to discuss, but found him already changed into pajamas, lying on her bed. This new boyfriend was really conscientious. She suddenly remembered the frosted bathroom glass and hugged her arms: “You didn’t peek, did you?”

Huo Siheng had indeed unintentionally glimpsed her silhouette through the frosted glass. He cleared his throat: “Do I need to peek?”

If not peeking meant seeing openly, Mu He understood his meaning. Blushing, she threw a pillow at him. Her small strength barely hurt, and he pulled her back, collapsing beside him.

After some playful chaos…

Mu He snuggled under the blanket, speaking seriously: “The company forbids artists from dating.”

Actually, fans were more tolerant of female celebrities dating. For certain idol-type male stars, announcing a relationship almost meant losing fans.

Huo Siheng narrowed his eyes. When had Huo Wen set this rule?

Seeing his silence, Mu He explained: “I mean no offense.”

She separated work and personal life clearly. She had thought about how public romance might affect her career but cared more about him—not wanting exposure to the public eye.

Her plan was low-profile dating, then after marriage, post the marriage certificate on Weibo to share the good news with fans.

Of course, if discovered, she’d admit it openly.

Huo Siheng also had his concerns. After the heir handover ceremony, the Huo family appeared calm on the surface, but beneath the quiet, currents still surged. He didn’t want her involved; for now, keeping it secret was the best choice.

He gently smoothed her brow and smiled: “This is just between the two of us.”

He truly understood her.

“Xi Heng,” Mu He hugged him, softly acting coquettish, “you’re so good.”

Compared to sweet words, Huo Siheng preferred tangible actions. The warmth of spring outside was brought indoors, filling every corner. Even Bow Bow, sleeping in her cat bed, purred contentedly.

The rose on the small round wooden table by the bed blushed shyly, releasing a heady fragrance.

Mu He’s sleepiness had been completely driven away by their kisses. Excited, she chatted with him about her new drama, learning dance from her teacher… talking until past two in the morning. She finally got tired, covered her mouth to yawn, and noticed he hadn’t moved. Glancing sideways, he was already asleep, breathing evenly, a clear trace of fatigue in his brows.

Huo Siheng hadn’t slept much in these five days. With her warm, soft body in his arms, her scent and voice acted as the perfect lullaby. He gradually sank into deep sleep.

Mu He leaned over to kiss him: “Good night.”

“Ya liu bu liu ji bi ya.”

Before closing her eyes, she reminded herself: no matter what she discovered in the morning, absolutely do not touch!

The night passed peacefully.

The next day, Mu He woke up. The man was still asleep, half his face pressed into the white pillow, black short hair slightly messy on his forehead, a faint green stubble appearing on his chin, still overwhelmingly handsome.

From now on, he belonged to her.

She reached out to trace his features: sharp brows, high nose, thin lips, defined chin. After admiring him for a while, she quietly got out of bed to wash up.

After breakfast, Mu He peeked into the bedroom. He hadn’t changed position. She gently closed the door behind her.

Driving through the spring scenery to the company, Mu He had just entered when Tan Mian noticed the unique black ring on her hand and asked curiously: “Yangyang, why are you wearing it again?”

Mu He carried a quiet joy: “Because… it looks nice.”

He had said, wearing the ring meant she was his. This was her ceremonial response.

Tan Mian thought it looked good too, but her mind was full of juicy gossip: “Yangyang, do you know the Huo family of Fuchun City?”

Mu He nodded: “I’ve heard of them.”

Good. Tan Mian skipped a lot of background info and went straight to the point: “A few days ago, the Huo family appointed a new heir, named Huo Siheng.”

“I heard he’s really handsome, and single! Even if he weren’t that attractive, just being the heir of the Huo family would make countless women flock to him. Too bad you can’t find his photos online—so mysterious.”

Tan Mian propped her chin on her hand, sighing: “I wonder which lucky woman will marry him and become Mrs. Huo. Must have saved the galaxy in a past life to earn that kind of fortune.”

Mu He didn’t pay much attention. Apart from Xi Heng, she wasn’t interested in other men, just listened as gossip.

“There’s a rumor he grew up abroad and only returned to the Huo family in his teens. Seems like an illegitimate child raised outside! If true, Huo Siheng… tsk tsk, remarkable.”

“Yangyang, do you think it’s possible? Our company’s top figure also has the surname Huo, and there’s a ‘Si’ in his name. Could he also be from the Huo family?”

The more Tan Mian thought, the more likely it seemed: “If the backing is really the Huo family, that explains Xingyu’s wealth and influence.”

Before Mu He could answer, Ye Xi walked in, smiling: “Good news, Nancheng’s Ding Group has decided to invest in Beicheng Has a Beauty.”

Tan Mian eagerly asked: “How much?”

Ye Xi held up a finger: “One hundred million.”

“Whoa!”

Indeed, wealthy people act in units of hundreds of millions.

Ye Xi looked at Mu He: “We’ll have dinner with the investors and producers tonight.”

A necessary social obligation. As the female lead, Mu He couldn’t refuse: “Okay.”

She sent Xi Heng a WeChat message, briefly explaining: “I might not be back early tonight. Eat on your own.”

Huo Siheng slept until past five in the afternoon, the curtains blocking all light. Rubbing his brow, he unlocked his phone and saw her message. His eyes darkened.

Ding Group.

Ding Wu.