The Rich Stepfather Became Popular After Slacking Off - Chapter 24

Lin Yi had never imagined that his name could be called out in such an icy tone.

Each syllable carried the chill of a thousand-year-old snowfield, enough to make someone shiver.

Still, Lin Yi didn’t really care.

He stepped out of the car with an effortless grace, shut the door, and walked forward.

It wasn’t until he was face to face with Huo Jihan that he finally spoke. “Mr. Huo.”

His voice was nothing like Huo Jihan’s.

Huo Jihan’s voice was deep and cold, carrying a natural air of dominance and oppression. Lin Yi’s, by contrast, was clear and pleasant. It was like a stream of water flowing gently through the rocks.

This was technically their first real meeting.

Given that they were only in a contractual marriage, with nothing but a sterile file’s worth of information on each other, there really wasn’t much to talk about.

After exchanging greetings, they walked into the villa together in silence.

Lin Yi strolled along lazily, idly twirling his car keys, relaxed in both posture and expression.

Huo Jihan’s stride, on the other hand, was steady and firm, his back perfectly straight. Every step exuding an intimidating presence.

As they entered, the atmosphere in the villa shifted instantly.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The servants, upon seeing Huo Jihan return, all straightened up nervously and went on full alert, as if terrified of making the slightest mistake.

Clearly, Huo Jihan commanded serious respect and fear.

Lin Yi gained a deeper understanding of just how intimidating this man truly was by watching this.

But it had nothing to do with him. As long as he behaved himself and collected his monthly allowance, life was good.

At that moment, the butler hurried over, looking delighted. “Mr. Huo, you’re back.”

It was clear the butler had a good relationship with Huo Jihan, having worked in this household for decades.

Huo Jihan gave a slight nod in response.

Lin Yi had nothing to do, so he casually strolled over to the sofa, sat down, and pulled out his phone to play.

Huo Jihan’s dark eyes swept across the living room. “Where’s Mianmian?”

The butler quickly replied, “The young master is still napping. Shall I wake him?”

Huo Jihan stopped him. “No need.”

The butler then perked up, eager to report, “By the way, Mr. Huo, the young master has been changing a lot lately…”

Before he could elaborate, the very subject of their conversation came toddling down the stairs.

Huo Mianmian had just woken up, his eyes still half-lidded with sleep.

Dressed in a yellow Pikachu pajama set, he rubbed his eyes with his soft little hands, tottering step by step down the stairs.

His hair was slightly tousled from sleep, with one lock sticking up adorably, and his cheeks were flushed with red pillow marks. He was utterly drowsy and incredibly cute.

He made his way down slowly, looking around the living room.

He was searching for Lin Yi’s favorite armchair.

The next second, he spotted Lin Yi sitting there, playing on his phone.

His sleepy eyes lit up instantly, and like a fledgling bird returning to its nest, he happily scampered over to Lin Yi with his little legs.

Completely ignoring Huo Jihan and the butler nearby, he made a beeline straight for Lin Yi.

When he reached him, he crouched down and rested his little head on Lin Yi’s thigh. It was a posture full of trust and intimacy.

Then, in his soft, milky voice, he called, “Xiao Ba~”

Anyone could hear the affection in that one word.

Hearing Mianmian’s voice, Lin Yi looked away from his phone, glanced down, and saw the little guy leaning against his leg.

He tousled the child’s hair and smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

Mianmian nodded. “All done sleeping.”

Meanwhile, the butler, though he’d already seen these changes in the child before, couldn’t help but be moved again. “Mr. Huo, this is what I was going to tell you. With Mr. Lin around, the young master has become much more talkative, and he smiles a lot more now.”

Previously, Huo Mianmian had been quiet and withdrawn, often staying in his room alone. Whether due to psychological issues or not, he’d also grown slower than other kids. Always a bit small for his age.

The most serious thing was that he occasionally experienced auditory hallucinations and would wake up screaming in the middle of the night.

But now, all those symptoms seem to be gradually improving.

Huo Jihan’s gaze flickered slightly.

Yes, he had noticed some changes in the boy.

At that moment, Lin Yi said to Mianmian from the couch, “By the way, your dad’s back.”

He figured they were father and son so there should be at least a moment of emotional reunion.

Yet the next scene was nothing like what he’d imagined.

Mianmian lifted his head from Lin Yi’s lap and looked around.

Then his eyes widened slightly in surprise when he spotted Huo Jihan standing nearby, as if wondering why the dad who was always away for work had suddenly returned.

The confusion didn’t last long.

He clearly preferred staying close to Lin Yi.

So, after softly murmuring “Daddy,” he promptly laid his head back on Lin Yi’s lap.

Huo Jihan, seeing that the child seemed fine, simply turned and headed upstairs to his study with his assistant.

Lin Yi: “…”

Uh, that reunion didn’t go the way he pictured at all.

But then again, neither of them were exactly chatty types. It was no surprise they couldn’t connect.

Huo Jihan entered his study upstairs.

His assistant, Li Feng, followed and closed the door behind him.

Huo Jihan took a seat in the large black leather chair behind the desk and fixed his calm, dark eyes on Li Feng. “Lin Yi’s personality doesn’t match his file.”

Under that gaze, Lin Feng immediately lowered his head. “Yes, sir. It’s a bit different. Should I investigate again?”

He had been the one to handle the background check on Lin Yi, as it was his responsibility to thoroughly vet anyone being considered for a contractual marriage with Huo Jihan.

They had chosen Lin Yi precisely because he seemed meek, quiet, and non-confrontational. It’s an ideal match. But after today’s encounter, even Li Feng had noticed something was off.

If he could tell, there was no way the perceptive Huo Jihan hadn’t noticed too.

He offered to investigate again.

Huo Jihan said coldly, “No need. It’s not important.”

All he needed in a marriage partner was someone who knew their place.

Li Feng breathed a sigh of relief and only then realized he was sweating.

Despite working with Huo Jihan for years, he still got nervous around the man. Not that it was his fault. Huo Jihan’s presence was overwhelming.

He’d taken over the Huo Group at a young age and led it to unprecedented heights. When he first assumed control, some of the older relatives in the Huo family had tried to stir trouble.

Huo Jihan didn’t waste time arguing.

He executed a ruthless internal purge. After that, no one dared say another word.

The man’s methods were terrifying.

Li Feng quickly composed himself and asked, “By the way, sir—Young Master Ji and Young Master Qin have organized a welcome-back banquet for you. Do you want to attend?”

He was referring to Ji Yunchuan and Qin Ling, longtime friends of Huo Jihan.

Before Huo Jihan could respond, his phone rang.

It was Ji Yunchuan.

He picked up.

Immediately, Ji Yunchuan’s voice blared from the other end. “Huo Ge, you’re home, right? Come out tonight! Qin Ling and I already set up the party!”

Huo Jihan grabbed a document off the desk and started flipping through it. “Not going.”

“Come on!” Ji Yunchuan insisted. “You live like a monk and never join our events, that’s not healthy! There’ll be tons of people tonight, guys and girls. They’ve all been asking when you’re coming!”

Huo Jihan turned another page. “Too noisy.”

“You can just find a quiet corner!” Ji Yunchuan tried again.

Then he suddenly shouted, “Wait, don’t tell me… you’re skipping out because you and your new spouse are in your honeymoon phase? All passionate and inseparable?”

“I’m working,” Huo Jihan replied flatly.

Ji Yunchuan paused for a beat, then groaned. “Ugh, I’d rather it be because you’re head over heels! The Huo Group is already untouchably successful. If you keep working this hard, what are the rest of us supposed to do?!”

Huo Jihan didn’t respond.

Ji Yunchuan’s thoughts jumped topics again. “Oh right, I haven’t met your spouse yet! We should totally meet up sometime.”

Huo Jihan set down the document. “We’ll see. Hanging up.”

With that, he ended the call and began discussing work matters with Li Feng.

Downstairs, Lin Yi had headed into the game room he’d renovated for himself and was now happily gaming away.

Having a private gaming room really was amazing. He could play whatever he wanted, and the setup was top-tier.

Lin Yi spared no expense, every piece of equipment was high-end. Even the couch was designed for long gaming sessions: soft, ergonomic, and ultra-comfortable.

Every time he plopped down into it, he never wanted to get up again.

While Lin Yi played, Mianmian sat quietly beside him, flipping through a coloring book.

The two of them made a peaceful, domestic scene.

Just then, the butler knocked and asked Lin Yi what he’d like for dinner.

Lin Yi paused his game.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Sweet and sour mandarin fish, Fo Tia Qiang, Yangzhou lion’s head meatballs, and braised pork knuckle. For the rest, just let the kitchen decide on the vegetables and soup.”

The butler wrote it all down and smiled. “By the way, since Mr. Huo is home today, you two can finally have dinner together.”

Lin Yi gave a forced chuckle. “Hehe… right…”

In truth, he had no expectations of dining with Huo Jihan.

It wasn’t like he needed to get close to the guy. If they never even saw each other, it’d be fine.

But the butler had other ideas. “Oh, and didn’t you pick up Mr. Huo this afternoon?”

Lin Yi’s mouth twitched. “Why would I do that?”

What, was he that bored? He had a convertible and top-tier games. Why would he go pick someone up?

The butler blinked. “Then how did you end up entering together?”

“We just happened to run into each other outside the villa,” Lin Yi said casually.

The butler looked delighted. “See? You two are clearly fated.”

Lin Yi: “…”

Sure. Whatever makes you happy.

Soon after, the butler left to instruct the kitchen.

Lin Yi quickly forgot the conversation and resumed his game.

At six o’clock, a maid came to call them for dinner.

Lin Yi tossed his controller aside, stretched lazily, then said, “C’mon, kiddo. Let’s go eat!”

Mianmian put down his book and slid off the couch to follow him.

The villa’s dining room was spacious, with a long table in the center and a sparkling crystal chandelier overhead.

Tonight’s table was filled to the brim with dishes, it was colorful and exquisite.

Most were Lin Yi’s favorites.

Honestly, his current life was as close to perfect as he could imagine.

Since returning to the villa, it was like living in heaven: games, food, leisure… everything he wanted was his.

And he had Mianmian to keep him company.

Top-tier lifestyle unlocked.

He and Mianmian took their seats at the table.

Then Lin Yi noticed a particular dish.

It was served on a round plate. Glassy, translucent spheres that looked like jelly but weren’t quite the same.

Technically, they were supposed to wait for everyone before eating.

Huo Jihan was probably busy. No telling when he would show up.

Lin Yi couldn’t resist. He turned to Mianmian. “Let’s sneak one each, okay? But don’t tell anyone.”

Mianmian nodded eagerly, his eyes shining.

For some reason, having this little secret with his little dad made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Seeing the nod, Lin Yi quickly popped one of the spheres into Mianmian’s mouth.

Then he grabbed one for himself.

As soon as he bit into it, he discovered it was soft, subtly sweet—like lychee mixed with something else. Whatever it was, it was delicious.

Not satisfied with just one, he asked, “Want another?”

Mianmian nodded immediately.

Lin Yi grinned. “Alright, one more each.”

They quickly devoured another round.

Out of the original eight, only four were left.

But Lin Yi still wasn’t satisfied.

Glancing at the door and seeing no sign of Huo Jihan, he whispered, “Okay, last one each. Then we stop.”

Mianmian nodded again. 

Lin Yi handed him one more, then took the seventh himself.

Now only two were left, looking quite lonely on the large plate. Lin Yi tried using his chopsticks to rearrange them so they’d look less sparse, but it didn’t help.

Eventually, he gave up and turned to Mianmian. “Remember, don’t say a word in front of your dad later!”

Just as he finished speaking, Huo Jihan stepped into the dining room.

Lin Yi froze, still holding the last jelly in his mouth.

Where did this man come from?! Not a single footstep! He hadn’t even chewed yet!!

Trying to act casual, Lin Yi gave Mianmian a discreet nudge.

The kid looked over and spotted Huo Jihan, then froze too.

He also hadn’t chewed.

By now, Huo Jihan had reached the table and taken a seat across from them.

A heavy silence fell.

Lin Yi: “…”

Why did this feel like they’d been caught red-handed doing something they shouldn’t with someone else’s kid?

He looked up and stared intently at the ceiling, pretending nothing happened.

Huo Jihan noticed something odd about the atmosphere.

He glanced at the two across from him.

Both had their cheeks puffed out.

The older one, clearly more experienced, maintained some semblance of calm but still wouldn’t meet his eyes, staring at the chandelier instead.

The little one looked directly at him, cheeks bulging, eyes wide and nervous.

Both pretending nothing had happened.

Only the plate, now holding two lone jelly balls, betrayed them.

For some reason, the whole scene was oddly amusing.

Now he understood what that line he overheard meant.

His expression shifted slightly.

He said nothing, instead taking a sip of his coffee and remarking coolly, “Let’s eat.”

Instant relief washed over the pair.

They immediately dove into their rice, finally chewing down the sweets in their mouths.

At the same time, both silently thought, That was close. Almost got caught!