Chapter 50: Is this the kind of love that only elementary school students can have?

Huo Yan’s kiss didn’t last long. He didn’t want to scare her—especially while she was still angry. Pushing his luck would only make things worse.

After just a brief taste, he steadied her body and stepped back, looking apologetic as he said, “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself just now.”

Xu Yinyin snapped out of her daze, suddenly raising a hand to cover her mouth. Only then did the redness creep up her ears. She stammered, “Y-You shameless jerk!”

“Mhm, I’m shameless,” Huo Yan agreed cheerfully, still looking at her with soft, affectionate eyes.

“You… you—”

Huo Yan gently took her hand, looked straight into her eyes, and said seriously, “Yinyin, I meant what I said just now—I truly like you. Won’t you consider giving me the honor of being your boyfriend? You don’t have to say yes right away, but promise me you’ll think about it, okay?”

His usually composed and confident face now carried a hint of nervous restraint. Xu Yinyin had still been a little angry a moment ago, but seeing him like this made it impossible to stay mad.

“Why me?” Xu Yinyin asked the question that had been burning in her heart.

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Tws Zyd nswzed’v blzr cwv nbwnjzl yv bla clokzelaxldv.
“Ps usw alyzzu vbkdj ps zkvvzl sq uswaplzq?”

“Lsv lmynvzu. Rq kv olal yd yhlaytl twu nsdqlppkdt vs xl, R’e vbkdj kv oyp dsaxyz. Jwv usw’al… ekqqlaldv. Zswa pvyvwp yde rzynl kd psnklvu yal oyu ycshl saekdyau xld, ps ulyb—R’x nsdqwple. Ls, dsv fwpv nsdqwple—R vbkdj usw’al rascyczu fwpv nwakswp. Zsw rascyczu qkde psxlsdl zkjl xl… alqalpbkdt, xyucl y ckv sq y dshlzvu. Fsxlvbkdt usw’hl dlhla plld clqsal, yde vbyv nwakspkvu fwpv tsv vbl clvvla sq usw, aktbv?”

Tws Zyd zywtble swv zswe yv bla okze vblsau.
“Zkdukd, es usw jdso obyv R zshl xspv ycswv usw? Rv’p bso ekqqlaldv usw yal. Yspv rlsrzl, obld nsdqlpple vs, oswze yv zlypv qllz y ckv pwarakple sa byrru. Jwv usw—usw’al vaukdt vs ydyzugl obu vbl rlapsd nsdqlppkdt xktbv byhl qllzkdtp qsa usw. Zsw’al ps kdvlalpvkdt—bso nswze R dsv zkjl usw?”

“Rdvlalpvkdt? R esd’v pll kv.”

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Gdusdl obs zkjle bla elqkdkvlzu bye psxlvbkdt oasdt okvb vblka blye.

Tws Zyd alynble swv yde tldvzu ryvvle vbl vsr sq bla blye, rkdnbkdt bla nbllj kd vbl rasnlpp.
“Rd xu lulp, usw’al vbl sdl yde sdzu,” bl pyke.

Xu Yinyin looked into Huo Yan’s eyes, where warmth and happiness gently spread, and she couldn’t help but feel a wave of warmth bloom in her chest.

Objectively speaking, Huo Yan was really great—good family background, ridiculously good looks, and exceptional ability. A man like that lacked for nothing, yet he liked her.

That kind of miracle probably only happened in books.

And, after the situation with Song Qing, she had finally come to understand her own feelings.
What had been bothering her all along was exactly what she had just asked him.

Even though his answer had been vague and didn’t explain much, somehow… it didn’t feel so important anymore.

Since she had transmigrated into a book, nothing that happened was really surprising. To her, every day after transmigrating was a bonus. Just living another day was already a win.

Worst case? She’d lose everything again. So it was better to cherish the present moment.

“Aren’t you still stringing Song Qing along? Two girlfriends at once—you sure you can handle that?” Xu Yinyin teased.

Huo Yan was momentarily stunned, but he quickly caught her hidden implication.

His face lit up with joy, and he hurried to explain the situation with his cooperation with Song Qing. Then he eagerly asked, “So does that mean I’m officially Xu Yinyin’s boyfriend now?”

“Do you want to be?”

“More than anything,” Huo Yan said, pulling her back into his arms and hugging her tighter, thrilled to have finally gotten what he wanted.

“Aaaahhh! They finally confessed to each other! It wasn’t easy!!” The system let out an excited sigh of relief.

“So does this mean our contract is void now?” Xu Yinyin said, bringing down the mood a little.

Huo Yan’s smile stiffened.

“Silly girl, I already belong to you. My life and all my assets naturally belong to you too. If you want, after we get married, I can even take your surname.”

Xu Yinyin’s eyes widened in shock.
“Wait—what?! Why has he gone full romance-brain all of a sudden?!”

“That’s love for you.”

Huo Yan lifted his chin slightly—taking his wife’s surname was, to him, the ultimate romantic declaration.

*”Not gonna lie… Huo Yan’s body is fine. I think I hit the jackpot. *Slurp.”

Huo Yan tightened his embrace subtly, so his freshly minted girlfriend could feel just how real this moment was. 🙂

They hadn’t been hugging for long when Xu Yinyin pushed him away.

“It’s getting late. Time for you to go.”

Huo Yan, satisfied with his promotion to boyfriend status and thinking of the long days ahead, nodded obediently.

“Then I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

“I have work tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll have lunch with you.”

“I usually eat at the cafeteria. You okay with that?”

“If my girlfriend can eat there, so can I.”

“Alright then. Call me.”

“Okay. I’m heading out. Good night, darling.”

“Good night.”

Huo Yan turned his cheek to her and said expectantly,
“Boyfriends need a goodnight kiss.”

Xu Yinyin paused, then, seeing the unwavering look in his eyes, reluctantly leaned forward.

Huo Yan smiled and bent down to receive the kiss, only leaving after getting his “goodnight” in full—glancing back three times as he walked away.

But the moment he opened the door, he was met with four pairs of eyes filled with laughter—each face clearly saying We saw everything!

Huo Yan, rarely embarrassed, forced himself to keep cool and casually said goodbye to the Xu family parents before striding off.

Xu Yao used “heading home” as an excuse to hitch a ride with Huo Yan.

All the way, he chirped nonstop with questions, while Huo Yan silently endured, giving him cold looks in return.

When they finally reached Xu Yao’s home, just as Huo Yan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard:

“Since you’ve already kissed, why not go ahead and set the wedding date? Grandpa and Grandma Yan are still waiting, you know. Might as well make it official—get moving!”

“You nosy brat—why do you care so much?”

“Women are fickle, bro-in-law. The longer you wait, the greater the risk.”

“Shut up and get lost!”

Xu Yao cheerfully waved as he got out:
“Bye-bye, brother-in-law!”

---

At a private club, Xu Yaoyao sat stirring her coffee with her head lowered, her expression heavy and gloomy.

Zhou Xinyi watched her carefully, knowing full well that Xu Yaoyap was upset about Xu Yinyin suddenly climbing the social ladder by landing Huo Yan.

First, Xu Yanwen had ruthlessly framed her ex-husband and driven him to ruin.

Then, the old man had publicly thrown a “reunion banquet” to recognize Xu Yinyin as his granddaughter.
And now, he was introducing her to a wealthy, powerful man like Huo Yan. The two of them were even about to go abroad together—it looked like marriage was around the corner.

Compared to Xu Yinyin, the biological daughter, Xu Yaoyao’s situation was downright awkward now.

Qian Chuan’s warning had proven true: the Xu family was going all out to curry favor with and make up to their real daughter.

They didn’t want outsiders whispering behind their backs, so they were sparing no effort—which deeply stung Xu Yao.

Yinyin didn’t even have to do anything else—Xu Yaoyao was already at her breaking point.

“Did you know? Grandpa actually gave Xu Yinyin five percent of the company shares. Just the annual dividends from that are five billion.”

Zhou Xinyi widened her eyes in shock and anger, stoking the fire calmly:
“Looks like the old man really values her. But then again, she is his real granddaughter. Yaoyao, don’t be upset. Your dad and I are working hard too. Someday, we’ll catch up with the Xu family.”

Xu Yaoyao looked up at her, eyes flickering with a trace of hatred.
“I always thought that if I worked hard enough and did well enough, even if I wasn’t blood-related, the Xu family would still care about me after raising me for more than twenty years. I thought our bond was deep. But I was wrong. An outsider is still just an outsider. No matter how capable I am, all I get is outsider treatment.”

“I helped Second Uncle launch the new project into the market. Just one contract brought in over a billion in value for the company. What did I get? A one-million bonus and that was it. Meanwhile, Xu Yinyin doesn’t have to lift a finger, and she gets a cut of the profits from every project the company completes. That’s the difference. I’m starting to think I’m not worth it at all.”

“Now, Grandpa and Grandma Yan are desperately trying to push their marriage forward. Their feelings are clearly getting deeper. If she marries Huo Yan, it’ll be a true power alliance. Her status in the family will skyrocket. She already doesn’t like me much—and in the future, she’ll probably make things even harder. I want to move out. Will you take me in?”

“Of course I will. Your room has always been ready at Mom’s house, just waiting for you to come home. Sweetheart, if you’re unhappy, then let’s just leave. Our family may not compare to the Xu family for now, but your dad and I are working hard—one day, we’ll surpass them.”

Xu Yaoyao shook her head. “I don’t want to wait that long. Rather than fighting for it myself, I’d rather just steal the fruits of victory. This is what the Xu family owes me—why shouldn’t I take it for myself?”

Zhou Xinyi’s heart suddenly sped up. Could this be the unspoken bond of blood ties? Xu Yaoyao’s thinking aligned perfectly with their plan.

“Honey, what do you mean by that?” she asked, feigning unease.

Xu Yao took a folder out of her bag and lowered her voice. “This is the data I’ve collected on retail shareholders over the past few years. Altogether, they hold around 10% of Fengyi’s shares. If we can buy their shares at a low price, we’ll gain a real voice in Fengyi.”

“Buy them at a low price?” Zhou Xinyi was stunned. “Fengyi’s been on a strong upward trend lately. The stock price is steadily rising. Who would sell low right now? That’s unrealistic, sweetheart.”

Xu Yao gave a mysterious smile and said calmly, “The reason Fengyi is doing so well right now is because of the intelligent robotics project that Xu Yanrui is leading. If something goes wrong with that project and the stock price crashes, wouldn’t that be perfectly normal?”

Zhou Xinyi’s tense expression relaxed slightly as she listened further. “Tang Wan is suspected of illegal gambling and detaining others. She’s already been taken away by the police. That news is still under wraps for now, but once it leaks out, Fengyi’s stock price is bound to take a hit. And if there’s another scandal—like the robotics project failing—the stock price will plummet.”

“They’ve already had ambitions. If it’s discovered they’ve been secretly buying up individual shares, their wolfish intent will be exposed. Grandpa will definitely step in and clean house. If that happens, others who’ve been eyeing Fengyi will use the opportunity to drive the price down and scoop up shares. When Grandpa finishes restoring order and Fengyi recovers, those people will already be major shareholders, sitting in the heart of the company without lifting a finger. There won’t be a better opportunity for a takeover than this.”

“And what you need to do is use Xu Yanrui as a distraction while you buy up shares in the chaos. Even if the plan is exposed, he’ll take the fall. Once he draws everyone’s attention away, you’ll already have acquired all the shares. We’ll become the major stakeholders in Fengyi. Once I’m in the company, with our inside-outside collaboration, we can devour the Xu family in no time. Then, they’ll be the ones begging me. I won’t have to wait around for their scraps anymore.”

The hatred in Xu Yaoyao’s eyes grew deeper as she spoke.

Zhou Xinyi had always known her daughter could be ruthless, but she didn’t expect her to come up with such a complete plan so quickly.

It seemed that from the moment she reappeared in Xu Yao’s life, the girl had already started to waver.

That meant their plan could potentially be set in motion ahead of schedule.

Zhou Xinyi suppressed her joy and pretended to hesitate. “Even though your mom has some spare money, the funds needed for this acquisition are huge. I’ll have to sell off some assets before I can get started. But don’t worry—I’ll get everything ready quickly.”

“No need. I have money.”

Zhou Xinyi was shocked again. She’d only said that to avoid appearing too eager—not because she was trying to pretend to be poor. “That won’t do. How can a mother use her daughter’s money?”

Xu Yaoyao pushed a bank card toward her and explained, “I’ve had the habit of saving since I was little. Over twenty years of saving has added up to tens of millions. It may not be a huge help, but it’s something. Please accept it. After all, once this succeeds, our reward will be hundreds or thousands of times greater.”

Of course, she knew she had to offer a bit of sincerity to reassure them and lower their guard.

She pulled Zhou Xinyi’s hand over and placed the card in her palm, gripping it tightly. “The password is the date we met again.”

Faced with her daughter’s rare tenderness and expectant gaze, Zhou Xinyi couldn’t bear to refuse again and accepted the card. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ve already done so much—how could your father and I not support you? I’ll start preparing right away. We’ll stay in touch by phone.”

“Okay.”

After confirming that Zhou Xinyi had completely left, Xu Yaoyao opened the hidden door in the private room and invited Xu Yanwen out.

“She didn’t suspect anything, right?” Xu Yanwen asked nervously.

“No. I’ve been complaining to her constantly these days, feeding her half-truths. Now that I made my situation sound urgent, they definitely won’t pass up this golden opportunity. The only thing we need to worry about now is Second Uncle. Have you talked to him?”

“We’ve talked. He’s happy to cooperate. His recent progress on the new project has been impressive—you can tell he’s been putting in a lot of effort. Your grandfather’s praised him a lot. He’s just been lacking a real opportunity to prove himself. Besides, your grandfather knows about this too. With everyone working together, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Good.”

“Don’t worry. Your plan is solid. My Yaoyao has always been brilliant. It’s your father who’s been holding you back.” Xu Yanwen looked ashamed.

“This isn’t your fault, Dad. If anyone’s to blame, it’s them—for being too greedy. Instead of working hard themselves, they just want to take things without earning them. They even pretend it’s all in the name of revenge—how shameless and despicable.”

Since they never acted like real parents, I don’t owe them the duties of a daughter. Turning them in for justice isn’t unfilial—it’s redemption.

“Thank you, Yaoyao. Thank you for understanding me.”

Xu Yaoyao shook her head. “No, I should be the one thanking you. Without the love and guidance from you and Mom, there would be no Xu Yaoyao today. Love goes both ways. It’s your love that gave me the courage to fight back. Thank you, Dad.”

She hugged him, touched, and Xu Yanwen returned the embrace, gently patting her back to comfort her. “Everything will be okay. Let’s wait and see.”

“Okay.”

*

The next day at noon, Huo Yan really did arrive at Fengyi right at lunchtime.

And Xu Yinyin truly brought him to the cafeteria—starting off their first official date after confirming their relationship.

Seeing his girlfriend order a whole table full of dishes and line up the trays one by one, Huo Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “Yinyin, does this count as our first date?”

“Of course it does,” Xu Yinyin replied casually while unwrapping her chopsticks, her eyes fixed intently on the dozen or so dishes in front of her.

“I always want to try all the new dishes every time I eat, but my stomach just can’t keep up. Now that I have a boyfriend, even if I can’t finish them, they won’t go to waste. So great!”

“Yinbao, he’s your boyfriend, not a trash can.”

“Nonsense, what kind of trash can gets first dibs on hot food?”

Huo Yan: “…”

The system glanced at his aggrieved expression and couldn’t help but sigh — beauty just can’t beat food. Tragic!

Xu Yinyin happily picked up some food for Huo Yan and cheerfully said, “The company’s chefs make new dishes every day, and they’re super delicious. Just as good as any restaurant. Try it.”

“Mm, you eat too.” Huo Yan picked up a piece of rose salt-baked rib for her.

That dish was the furthest from her, and she had been eyeing it the whole time.

“Whoa, that’s exactly what I wanted. How is he so thoughtful?”

Huo Yan smiled. Earning his girlfriend’s praise didn’t seem hard at all.

The two of them fed each other and chatted away, becoming a beautiful scene that practically blinded everyone else in the cafeteria.

“Guys, who would’ve thought that shipping a couple is even more satisfying than gossiping. I’m gonna die from the sweetness.”

“Ahhh, they’re such a perfect match. I wanna live in the cafeteria forever.”

“Same here, same here! President Huo is just too considerate. One glance from Princess Yinyin, and the food’s already in her bowl. With observation skills like that, just marry him on the spot!”

“And every time Princess Yinyin talks, he looks straight into her eyes so gently… Why can’t I find a guy like that?”

“Am I the only one who doesn’t like President Huo? He’s clearly here to snatch our gossip material. If Princess Yinyin gets married, where are we gonna go for our daily tea and gossip? You’re all love-blinded!”

“Exactly! Shipping couples will only hurt you in the end. Sure, President Huo wins the beauty, but have you considered how us poor gossip-deprived workers are supposed to survive in the future?”

“Now that you put it like that… suddenly the ship doesn’t taste as sweet.”

As everyone suddenly came to their senses, their gazes toward Huo Yan grew a little more hostile. Their previous “auntie smiles” while watching the couple’s interactions turned into dark glares aimed at a gossip thief.

Feeling a strange sense of hostility, Huo Yan instinctively turned around. But everyone around him was just focused on eating. He turned back, puzzled — only to feel the same eerie sensation again.

He turned around a second time. Still nothing unusual.

Weird… my gut’s usually spot-on. Who the hell is giving me this much negative energy?

“What are you doing?” Xu Yinyin finally asked, noticing her boyfriend’s lack of focus on eating.

“Don’t you feel like someone’s watching us? With serious hostility?” Huo Yan asked sincerely.

Xu Yinyin looked around blankly. “Come on, who picks fights during lunch break? Maybe your conscience’s acting up from all your shady dealings.”

“It’s not that! I just feel so many eyes staring at my back. It’s kinda creepy,” Huo Yan said, switching to pity mode.

Xu Yinyin frowned. “If you just focused on eating, you wouldn’t notice anything. Not taking our first date seriously, huh? Are you saying you don’t want a second one?”

“Of course not! Next time, I’ll take you out to eat — just the two of us. How’s that?”

“Mhm, we’ll see.” Xu Yinyin went back to eating, clearly brushing him off.

Huo Yan had no choice but to drop the suspicion and focus on eating.

But deep inside, he made up his mind: Next time we eat, I’m kidnapping her if I have to — I’m not doing this here again. That weird feeling is just too much.

“Yinbao, this is your first date with your boyfriend, and you’re brushing him off with cafeteria food. He’s a billionaire CEO!”

The system couldn’t take her obliviousness anymore and urgently hinted at her.

“Of course not! I’m gonna buy him some spicy sticks later and take him to the rooftop garden to relax.”

“Wait… Huo Yan likes spicy sticks?”

“No idea. But I like them. If he wants one, I’ll maybe give him a stick. I’m mostly worried his stomach won’t handle it.”

“…”

The system was speechless and fell into silence. Secretly glancing at Huo Yan, it found him looking completely content, not the least bit bothered by his girlfriend’s attitude — like a love-struck fool.

Is this what elementary-school-level dating looks like?

The system was on the verge of a breakdown!

Huo Yan wasn’t picky about food. As long as he could spend more time with his girlfriend, he’d go hungry with a smile on his face.

He was finally starting to understand the phrase “Love can feed you.”

After lunch, Xu Yinyin took Huo Yan to the rooftop garden. Colleagues who saw them politely greeted them and then quickly made themselves scarce.

Xu Yinyin went to her usual bench, leisurely swinging her legs and munching on spicy sticks, while Huo Yan sat beside her with a can of milk, ready to offer it anytime.

The whole time, he didn’t even show the slightest interest in eating a spicy stick — which made Xu Yinyin really like him even more.

“Any man who doesn’t try to steal my spicy sticks is a good boyfriend. Huo Yan passes the test.”

Huo Yan couldn’t help smiling. He turned to look at the little figure beside him, happily eating away, and felt his heart warm to its core.

Relaxing on the rooftop after a meal, gazing at the blue sky, basking in the sunlight, and watching the one you like full of joy — it all made him feel genuinely happy too.

Scenes like this, so grounded and real, were a first for Huo Yan. Beyond the novelty, it sparked a deep yearning for a peaceful, ordinary life.

“Yinyin, let’s get married.”

The words slipped from Huo Yan’s lips without even thinking.

“Ha?!”

Xu Yinyin turned to look at him, biting into a spicy stick, her eyes filled with shock and surprise. But her little mouth didn’t stop moving. The way her cheeks puffed and moved made Huo Yan chuckle.

He smiled, raised his hand, and wiped the spicy oil from the corner of her lips, explaining, “I just suddenly wanted to marry you. I want to eat together, chat, and bask in the sun like this every day.”

Xu Yinyin blurted out, “So after we get married, you’re not going to work anymore? You’re just going to waste time with me every day? Who’s going to make money and support the family? Let’s be clear—I don’t have the ability to earn money. I’m only good at being useless. Marrying me comes with a lot of risks. You better think it through.”

Faced with her earnest warning, Huo Yan burst out laughing. “Yinyin, I’ve already achieved financial freedom. Even if I do nothing, my wealth won’t shrink. Of course, if you don’t want me to idle my days away, I can still go to work. But I won’t be a workaholic like before. I’ll spend two-thirds of my time with you—unless you find me annoying.”

“I don’t know whether I’ll find you annoying or not. This is my first relationship too, so I really can’t answer that.”

Her serious and honest reply made Huo Yan let out a helpless chuckle. He felt like his girlfriend was unbearably cute.

“Sorry, I was too abrupt. Asking my girlfriend such a question on our first date.”

“Good that you know. Apology accepted.”

After saying that, Xu Yinyin turned her head back to the sky, her eyes narrowing in comfort as she soaked in the peace and quiet of the moment.

Watching her enjoying herself so leisurely, Huo Yan smiled, pinched her cheek, and tilted his head back to look at the sky too, not wanting to interrupt the calm they were sharing.

Now that he’s her boyfriend, how far could he be from becoming her legal husband?
No need to rush.

---

Sansukini: The final chapter will follow later today. This is like a whirlwind romance.

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