bookcurios Chapter 162 The appearance of an old friend
Chapter 162 The appearance of an old friend
The spot where he was standing was the only place in the house that never got any sun. Shade-loving vines would climb there year-round, and it was also very close to the small pond next door, so there were a lot of mosquitoes. The housekeeper had a real headache about it and had to carry out pest control once a month on average.
He looked at Xie Junfei, who was shining brightly in the sunlight, then glanced at himself in the dark corner. An unreadable emotion flashed in his eyes, and he withdrew his foot.
Just as I was hesitating, the groom for the engagement party arrived.
Huo Shen walked to her side and gently snapped his fingers near her ear:
"Why did you hide here? Your mother has been looking everywhere for you."
Xie Junfei lazily opened her eyes, sat in the chair, and looked up at him with a smile:
"I didn't want to go to any social gatherings, so I came here to get some fresh air."
"Since Mom is looking for me, let's go back."
After saying that, she was about to get up when Huo Shen pressed her back down:
"If you don't want to go, then don't go. We can sit here and have a good chat."
The man lowered his head, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes, a smile as warm as spring water, washing away all his cold and sharp demeanor.
A melodious violin tune drifted from the front yard; it was a piece chosen by Zhu's mother—the classic "Waltz No. 2."
Xie Junfei suddenly had a brilliant idea:
"Huo Shen, let's dance. I haven't danced with you yet."
As she spoke, she stood up and looked at Huo Shen, then playfully scolded him:
"The last time we went to a ball together was at Tiancheng Private School. I dressed up nicely, but I didn't expect to not even get to dance a single dance. What a pity."
Huo Shen smiled and took her hand.
"It's not a pity, we have a long future ahead of us."
"Starting today, I'll be with you and dance until you're completely satisfied."
After saying that, the two laughed at the same time. Xie Junfei stepped to the beat twice, and the two of them began to dance gracefully in the small garden.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven. Shen Huaishan stood in the corner watching the girl who looked eight parts like Yu Wei dancing with another man.
How similar this is to the situation back then.
The fists hanging at his sides slowly clenched.
Language and dance can enhance people's emotions.
As the song ended, just like Yu Wei back then, Xie Junfei accidentally twisted her ankle in her high heels and fell into Huo Shen's arms. Huo Shen smiled and tapped her nose, as if he was laughing at her for throwing herself into his arms.
Xie Junfei was somewhat embarrassed and angry, and bit the finger that he used to tap his nose.
This unintentional overlap with his memory completely overwhelmed Shen Huaishan. The man, who always wore a refined mask, took two steps back as if he had lost his soul, and his final departure was nothing short of hasty.
Xie Junfei, with his back to the corner, didn't notice anything amiss, but Huo Shen was different.
His expression was gloomy, and he subtly tightened his embrace around the girl.
Xie Junfei felt a slight pain from his suddenly tightened grip and punched him hard.
"Be gentle, or you'll lose your wife if you squeeze me to death!"
Huo Shen snapped out of his daze and quickly let go.
Xie Junfei didn't back down either. First, she kicked her man, and then she comfortably let him massage her shoulders and back.
After learning that Shen Huaishan had arrived, Huo Shen stayed by Xie Junfei's side for the rest of the engagement banquet.
Xie Junfei looked completely bewildered.
"Aren't you still breastfeeding? Why are you constantly hovering around me today?"
Huo Shen curled his lips into a smile, and what he said was not only ungentlemanly, but even slightly vulgar:
"Weaning? When did I start breastfeeding? How come I didn't know about this?"
Xie Junfei shuddered with disgust and stood on tiptoe to cover his face.
"Shut up, you filthy scoundrel! There are so many people around, you may not care about your reputation, but I do!"
Huo Shen's smile deepened, and he insisted on speaking even with his mouth covered:
“We’re engaged now, and you’re an adult, so this is legal for me.”
Xie Junfei was speechless and could only silently lower her hand and roll her eyes at him.
Their intimate behavior made Mrs. Huo, who was watching the commotion from a short distance away, almost laugh out loud.
The ladies who were on good terms with Mrs. Huo also looked at the young couple with doting smiles.
"It's wonderful that the children get along so well."
Mrs. Huo said a few modest words, but she couldn't hide the smugness on her face.
Her current daughter-in-law is wonderful; she has a good temper, is capable, and can keep her son in check. Most importantly, she has the same style as she did back then.
When Xie Junfei walked towards them with the wine, Huo's mother thought it was a younger version of herself. It's really hard not to feel a good impression.
After several rounds of drinks, Dr. Zhao finally arrived with his younger brother.
Dr. Zhao, dressed in a light gray suit, casually picked up a drink from the waiter's tray and downed it in one gulp.
"Oh my god, I'm so worried! My brother's school is really crazy. Why did they choose such an awful day for his thesis defense? He has to choose today. He's a judge, and he can't escape it. It's such a pain."
Compared to his brother's carefree attitude, Dr. Zhao's younger brother, Zhao Huaijin, was clearly much more reliable. He first nodded to Huo Shen, and then exchanged pleasantries with Xie Junfei:
"Miss Xie, congratulations."
"The engagement gift has been delivered. Also, thank you for your help in making the connection. My junior colleague's laboratory and the Xie family have achieved initial results in their collaboration."
"If the collaboration is successful and the robots are put into production, it will greatly benefit Alzheimer's patients."
"Thank you for your contributions to the medical community."
Zhao Huaijin spoke earnestly, while Xie Junfei smiled and waved her hand:
"It's nothing, Teacher Zhao, you're too kind."
Zhao Huaijin's usually calm eyes curved into a smile as he raised his glass to toast Xie Junfei.
Seeing how familiar the two were, Huo Shen's smile remained unchanged, and he half-jokingly said:
"When did you two meet? How come you seem so familiar with each other?"
Xie Junfei was about to blurt out "at a bar," but the words caught in her throat as she realized why she had gone to the bar, and she quickly swallowed them back down.
"Why are you asking so many questions? Can't I have some private space and make friends?"
Huo Shen narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Xie Junfei, who was clearly feeling guilty.
Something fishy.
When he and Xie Junfei were together, there were no taboos. He could freely look at people's phones and computers. Xie Junfei had also encountered some clueless suitors, and she would openly tell him when someone confessed to her.
It's really rare to see her like this now.
Zhao Huaijin originally wanted to speak, but seeing Xie Junfei's silent demeanor, he wisely kept quiet as well.
Dr. Zhao noticed the strange atmosphere among the group, immediately understood, and a smile that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold appeared on his lips. He raised his eyebrows and fanned the flames:
"Of course, we met in places where young people like to hang out."
"He's only nineteen this year, the perfect age to have fun. You're an old man with nothing but bones, so stop interfering with where he goes and what friends he makes."
As expected of his good buddy, Huo Shen immediately recognized his weaknesses and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
He knew that although he was undoubtedly a young talent among entrepreneurs, compared with Xie Junfei and his friends, he was no longer of the same generation.
After they got together, this difference became even more apparent.