Huo Qijun was very curious, “What did she say to you?”
“Um?” Lin Wei seemed not to have heard him and walked directly in front of him, reaching out to touch his forehead.
Huo Qijun froze completely at that one gesture. It took a moment before Lin Wei’s warm hand was withdrawn. Before he could sigh in relief, Lin Wei sat down at eye level and began to closely observe his expression.
Somehow, that gaze made him feel more uneasy than the touch on his forehead. Unable to suppress his frustration, Huo Qijun exclaimed, “What exactly did she say to you?!”
Realizing he had been tricked, Lin Wei let out a helpless laugh and replied, “She said you seemed to have a fever; your face was unusually red, and I should come take a look.”
Huo Qijun took a deep breath upon hearing this and, biting his back teeth, reluctantly praised, “She’s quite sharp!”
“She is very smart.” Since there were hardly any dishes left to wash, Lin Wei decided to accept Fu Xiaoqing’s kindness at this point.
“By the way, starting tomorrow, I will be going back to work at the company. I won’t have this much free time afterwards, so you should stop mistreating your body like you did before. I can’t guarantee I’ll always be available!” Lin Wei explained his future plans as well.
Huo Qijun was stunned for a moment and finally nodded in response.
Suddenly, he realized that Lin Wei’s decision to work—or not work—was all because of him. The former was to care for him at all times, even buying a house right next door for that purpose, while the latter was meant to secure his own freedom. Lin Wei must have agreed to some conditions from his family regarding the shares in the Huo family.
“I will think it over and make a decision as soon as possible,” he concluded, realizing that all he could do was to not let Lin Wei’s unconditional kindness go to waste.
“Don’t feel pressured,” Lin Wei thought for a moment and said, “I originally just didn’t want you to engage in some meaningless struggles with your mother. If you can’t make up your mind, just stay as you are. I can protect Xiaoqing and her brother.”
His reassurance actually made Huo Qijun feel that this was something he had to do, causing him to blurt out, “And then what happens after you protect Fu Xiaoqing? I can’t just secretly ask you to help out with my future girlfriend…”
Realizing he had spoken wrongly halfway through, he quickly clamped his mouth shut, not even sure where he had gone awry, but instinctively looked at Lin Wei’s reaction.
Lin Wei, however, maintained his usual demeanor and even nodded in agreement: “What you said makes sense. Your standards for a partner and what Old Madame Huo wants in a daughter-in-law are indeed worlds apart. This contradiction can’t be reconciled, and it’s better to deal with it sooner rather than later to avoid any more girls getting hurt like Xiaoqing did in the future!”
“…Yeah.” Huo Qijun answered slightly irritably.
Now, without Fu Xiaoqing speaking bluntly, he himself realized that his mindset was off. Lin Wei showed no reaction to his careless remark, and logically, he should have felt more relaxed.
Could it be that he needed to prove that Lin Wei liked him to feel satisfied? He couldn’t respond to that! That would be way too selfish!
Huo Qijun leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, unable to accept that he had such a vain and despicable side. However, the disappointment of unfulfilled expectations still lingered in his heart, leaving him unable to even deceive himself.
“Don’t overthink it. After all, you don’t have someone you like right now, so you don’t have to make any decisions immediately.” Lin Wei, noticing Huo Qijun’s intense inner conflict, thought it was due to the stress from the share transfer.
So he made a joke to ease the tension: “Best case scenario, when you meet someone you like next time, practice some restraint. Wait until the obstacles at home are cleared before getting close.”
Unconsciously, he implemented a classic textbook-style pouring oil on the fire.
Huo Qijun felt even more stifled and retorted angrily, “If you’re that girl, you must meet my mother’s standards for a daughter-in-law, so what do I have to worry about!”
Ironically, apart from gender, Lin Wei’s background, appearance, and personality would likely meet every single criterion from Old Madame Huo.
Lin Wei didn’t know how to respond, shaking his head helplessly, “The real issue is that your mother can’t find a suitable daughter-in-law, right? Clearly, she has options she approves of, and you’ve instinctively rejected them without even meeting them!”
After spending some time together, he had come to understand that Huo Qijun wasn’t biased against girls from good families. He appreciated Fu Xiaoqing’s tenacity but never praised her at the expense of other women. He simply disliked the way Old Madame Huo tried to manipulate his marriage.
That’s why Lin Wei concluded that the conflict between Huo Qijun and his mother was unsolvable.
Huo Qijun was at a loss for words. Watching Lin Wei chat with him completely out of sync, not catching on to his hints at all, he could only wave the white flag.
After all, he wanted Lin Wei to know that they only differed in gender and that everything else was just fine—yet he found that mindset contemptible enough, so it was better that Lin Wei didn’t pick up on it.
“Go back to sleep!” Frustrated, he hurriedly took the documents back to his own side.
Lin Wei stayed behind to check on Fu Xiaoqing’s preparation for exams before slowly returning.
The next day, Lin Wei went to work on time, while Huo Qijun was summoned by Old Madame Huo through a series of phone calls.
Before leaving, he informed Lin Wei, who didn’t think much of it. After all, even if she was domineering, she was still his mother and wouldn’t harm her beloved son. There was nothing to worry about.
But it turned out he had jumped the gun. Shortly after work began, Lin Wei received a text from Huo Qijun.
“I should have guessed this. What good can come from my mother calling me out at a time like this? It really is a feast of betrayal!” The resentment was evident in every word.
Lin Wei replied, asking, “What’s going on?”
“What else could it be? An unexpectedly awkward blind date, where the parents from both sides are meeting and getting along famously!”
Lin Wei was momentarily shocked. Did this happen in the original plot? After a careful recollection, it didn’t; in the original story, Huo Qijun was nearly public with the female lead’s relationship at the charity auction, and Old Madame Huo was too focused on separating her son from her, without wasting time on futile efforts.
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