Chapter 158: Call Dad

Su Ruoyun felt guilty, not daring to look Huo Jingcheng in the eye, she kept raising her head to look at the sky.

Seeing this, Huo Jingcheng curled his lips ambiguously, strolling forward with one hand holding that pink phone, the other speaking low: "You scolded me as a dog?"

"……" Su Ruoyun remained silent for a while, then, feeling unjustified yet emboldened, she said: "Who made you late? I've waited for you over half an hour, and you still haven't come, moreover..."

Her clear voice gradually softened, until it was as tiny as a mosquito's whisper: "Isn't it also that you didn't place an order?"

Actually, she was just one step away from placing the order. At the time, customer service said the store couldn't engrave insulting words, so Su Ruoyun gave up.

Later, she found it hard to quell her anger, so she picked up the teapot to pour water at the back window, and then splashed the tea all over him—a series of events ensued.

Thinking this through, Su Ruoyun became ever more justified and bold enough to look at him, turning her head to say: "It's your fault, being late!"

She felt so justified that she completely forgot how she had once feared the Cool Sky Pavilion would break.

Huo Jingcheng extended his long arm, wrapping her in his embrace, his fresh, mature scent instantly enveloping her.

Su Ruoyun didn't notice at first, half her body falling into his embrace, her right elbow pressing against his strong forearm, barely allowing her to stabilize her posture.

"What are you doing?"

As soon as her words fell, Huo Jingcheng wrapped one arm around her waist, the other hooked under her knee, lifting her horizontally.

Immediately he spoke loudly: "Apologize to our Boss Lady."

His male voice was offhand, mixed with a hint of subtle laughter.

Su Ruoyun's hands naturally rested on his shoulders, broad and reassuring, she asked: "How to make amends?"

Huo Jingcheng, while holding her, strode toward the Cullinan, answering seriously: "Is warming the bed for the Boss Lady tonight enough?"

"Barely." Su Ruoyun turned her head aside, appearing unwilling, yet her lips twitched slightly.

Lin Cheng, seated in the driver's seat, seeing this, hurriedly got out, quickly went around the front of the car, and respectfully opened the rear door for the two.

Huo Jingcheng gently placed Su Ruoyun into the car, waited for her to adjust her skirt, then got in himself.

The car's engine started, it slowly drove out of the parking spot, the Cullinan headed toward Su Ruoyun's apartment; an hour later, the car stopped below Building Seven.

Huo Jingcheng, as usual, picked up Su Ruoyun in a princess carry, instructed Lin Cheng to come again early tomorrow, then walked leisurely toward the hallway, took the elevator up, and carried her all the way into the apartment.

After returning to the apartment, Su Ruoyun glanced at the irregular wall clock; its ticking hands already pointed to seven-thirty.

The air was filled with tempting aromas of rice and vegetables, making one's appetite stir.

Li Ayi had prepared dinner and already left the apartment; on the table, several plates of home-cooked dishes were neatly arranged, full of color, fragrance, and flavor, with a set of chopsticks placed beside them.

Stir-fried broccoli with mushrooms, tomato-sauce cod, steamed egg with shrimp……

Li Ayi usually leaves around seven; Su Ruoyun lifted her hand, her fair fingertips touching the white porcelain plate's rim—still warm, no need to reheat.

She turned and walked into the kitchen to wash her hands; when she emerged holding a pair of chopsticks, she saw Huo Jingcheng cradling the 'Panda', trying to coax the little cat into calling him dad.

He held the cat's two front paws, gently coaxing: "Call dad……"

As for the 'Panda', its mysterious deep-sea-blue eyes flickered slightly; whether it heard or understood is unknown, but since it can't speak, it merely gave a dumb, cute little "meow~", as if responding in its own way.

Just that one sound, Huo Jingcheng was already satisfied, his thin lips curling into a smile, his warm, broad palm stroking the cat's back: "Good~"

He truly treated the cat like a daughter to be coaxed.

Su Ruoyun couldn't bear to watch; this interspecies dialogue between a person and a cat, she tapped the nearby cabinet with her hand, producing two crisp "dong dong" sounds.

Huo Jingcheng turned holding the 'Panda', scratched its chin, the corners of his eyes curling in a slight arc, boasting: "It called me dad."

Su Ruoyun: "……"

The dining room fell silent for a moment.

Su Ruoyun spoke to break the spreading silence: "Now that you've turned into a cat, can you still understand what it says?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Jingcheng slowly smiled: "Between father and daughter, there's a tacit understanding."

Su Ruoyun placed the chopsticks she was holding in front of Huo Jingcheng; she had just washed her hands, so she didn't hold the cat, merely flicking her tongue twice with a "na na" to tease.

The 'Panda' opened its beautiful cat eyes, lifted a paw to swipe away Huo Jingcheng's big hand, whining and fussing to get down.

Seeing this, Huo Jingcheng bent down, and as soon as he set the cat on the marble floor, the 'Panda' tottered on its short legs, wobbling toward the restaurant exit.

It had been happily eating its cat food, but then the male owner scooped it up in one sigh—cat life is hard.

Though one shouldn't speak while eating or sleep while talking, between them there aren't so many formalities.

Su Ruoyun held a spoon in her right hand, eating steamed egg with shrimp, she curled her long finger to tuck the stray hair behind her ear, when suddenly she thought of something.

"Tomorrow I have rehearsal; I'm not sure when I'll be back."

On July 1 there is a Party event; the Central Orchestra invited her. Su Ruoyun hasn't played the guqin in a long time; the event is imminent, so tomorrow she plans to go to the practice room to play the guqin. Practicing the guqin is something whose end time is uncertain.

"And what about me?"

The low male voice held a hint of easily detectable 'resentment'.

"You should obediently return to your own villa to sleep at night." Su Ruoyun had arranged it properly.

Even if unwilling, he couldn't neglect his duties; Huo Jingcheng agreed, albeit reluctantly.

The two ate at a leisurely pace, unhurried, with only the occasional soft clink of chopsticks.

After each attended to their own affairs, at ten they went to bed, lying side by side on the soft mattress.

Last night, with wine/chaos/affair/mystery, a momentary surge, acting on impulsive curiosity and drunkenness, they did it.

Now the two lie seriously in bed, yet they feel even more unsure how to proceed.

Su Ruoyun looked up at the crystal chandelier overhead, the sole light in the room; the dark blue curtains had been drawn, blocking the endless moonlight and night outside.

Su Ruoyun grabbed the edge of the thin blanket, pulled it over her head, nestled in the warm covers, and murmured: "I'll sleep first."

She closed her eyes to rest, preparing to invite sleep; the moment she shut her eyes, two fingers brushed her waist, feeling slightly cool.

Su Ruoyun was startled, her eyes flying open as the two fingers became five, and immediately her whole body was forcefully drawn into an embrace.

……

The bedside lamp emitted a dim yellow light, dark enough to make one recall last night's slight tipsiness.

The crystal pendants around the lampshade, under the impact force, rippled continuously, together with the orange‑yellow hued bulb, spreading a gentle warm light.

Only until the early morning hours did they barely stop.

……