I Became the Rich Family’s Stepfather and Couldn’t Stop Laughing - Chapter 25

Huo Siyi was so shocked that the multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind were wiped clean, as if a master power switch had suddenly been flipped. He stood up and looked at Xi Ling in disbelief.

Xi Ling looked back at him with equal disbelief. With a righteous and bold tone, he asked, “Why did you stand up? You won’t grow taller if you do that.”

He had already set his starting posture for a second leapfrog, preparing to jump back over.

Although he had lost many memories, he hadn’t forgotten these “common-sense” rules such as how to play marbles, build snowmen, and that if you jump over someone in a game of leapfrog, you must jump back, otherwise, you wouldn’t grow taller.

Even knowing that these things had no scientific basis, he had been accustomed to them since childhood. Facing the man’s icy expression, Xi Ling’s rosy lips softened.

Even while drunk, he still possessed the instinct to adapt to the situation. He let his eyelids droop and nodded to himself: “Okay, okay, okay, I get it.”

Then, unexpectedly, he hopped up on the spot. In the moment of suspension, he reached out and patted Huo Siyi’s head three times with a “pa-pa-pa” sound, muttering as if it were a serious matter: “One, two, three, keep growing fast!”

Huo Siyi: “…”

He was once again frozen by the sheer absurdity of the situation. However, it was precisely because of Xi Ling’s behavior which he could neither understand nor reconcile with his memories of “Little Feather” that his feverish brain began to cool and clarify.

Meanwhile, Xi Ling, having finished the deed, was completely unaware of the mental turmoil occurring in Huo Siyi’s head.

Like a high-ranking master who had just successfully performed a ritual, Xi Ling raised his hands to gather energy and then slowly pressed them downward. He exhaled a turbid breath, baring his teeth in a grin: “Done! You can keep growing taller now~”

After saying this, he took the wine bottle from Huo Siyi’s hand, rubbing it as if it were a treasure: “So pretty!~”

Huo Siyi was nearly baffled by Xi Ling’s sequence of maneuvers. Fortunately, his emotional deficiency allowed him to habitually ignore confusing, inexplicable emotions and sift through the chaos. He firmly grasped Xi Ling’s wrist and went straight to the point: “I have something to ask you.”

Although the drunk Xi Ling’s behavior was abnormal, thinking about it carefully, the man wasn’t exactly normal when he was sober either. Huo Siyi wanted to hear the truth from the drunkard; perhaps he could gain some unexpected insight.

Contemplating this, Huo Siyi furrowed his brows, his gaze becoming increasingly grave.

Xi Ling, however, seemed not to feel a thing after his wrist was grabbed. His body continued to stride forward. Huo Siyi exerted a slight force, intending to pull him back, but he hadn’t expected Xi Ling to spin back toward him like a energized top, whoosh, in a sudden blur of motion.

It felt as though they were dancing a Latin dance in the snow. The only difference was that neither “dancer” was prepared. Xi Ling’s forehead smashed into Huo Siyi’s face with a loud thump, his smooth, hard skull striking the center of Huo Siyi’s face directly.

Xi Ling was already dizzy from the alcohol, and after the rapid spinning and the subsequent collision, he felt as if the world were spinning before his eyes. He didn’t feel much pain, however, and since his arm was still being held, he couldn’t move. He stood in place for a moment to recover before looking at the handsome face suddenly magnified before him in a daze: “Ah… why did you run in front of me?”

“Wow, don’t tell me you know the ‘Lingbo Weibu’ (a supernatural footwork technique)?”

The drunken Xi Ling suddenly became excited. Even with his body held in the man’s embrace, it didn’t hinder his performance; he simply decided to pull the other man into the dance: “Teach me! Teach me!”

Huo Siyi: “…”

Initially, he only felt numbness in the center of his face, but now he felt inexplicably dizzy.

Huo Siyi struggled to steady his posture, forcing himself to restore his customary cold and serious demeanor. After a momentary adjustment, the tall, cold man mechanically repeated, “I have something to ask you.”

As he spoke, he narrowed his long eyes, his entire presence exuding the cold, sharp authority of someone accustomed to holding the power of life and death.

Sure enough, the restless drunkard in his arms finally quieted down, though his gaze gradually went unfocused and began to cross.

However, to Huo Siyi, Xi Ling’s abnormality was the norm. Just as he felt a sliver of satisfaction and was preparing to probe further, Xi Ling went completely cross-eyed. Huo Siyi frowned, suspecting the man had been knocked silly.

“The river is rising,” Xi Ling suddenly said. “Your nose is bleeding.”

Before the words had even faded, Huo Siyi’s hands, which had been restraining Xi Ling, suddenly went slack, and he fell straight backward.

Fortunately, because they had been tangled so tightly during their “Latin dance,” Xi Ling managed to catch Huo Siyi’s upper body with effort.

Huo Siyi had a severe case of hematophobia (fear of blood), but because he hadn’t seen the blood, his body was only temporarily losing control. Generally, after a while of rest, the stiffness would gradually fade.

But Xi Ling didn’t know that. Seeing the man fall straight back, close his eyes, and continue to have blood flowing from his nose, his kind-hearted brain had only one thought: I must save him!

Xi Ling scooped up the man by his armpits and dragged him all the way back to the main building. Fortunately, they were right at the entrance, and the only difficulty was the flight of stairs in front of the door.

Although Huo Siyi couldn’t move, he was conscious with his eyes closed, carefully sensing every single stone step which symbolized “stepping up” in life in front of his own house.

He was incredibly thankful that Xi Ling’s strength was only enough to drag him into the interior.

Although Xi Ling had placed the man in the foyer, he didn’t forget to drag a blanket over from the main hall.

It was a world-class, imported, hand-woven pure wool blanket, with top-tier softness and comfort—the only issue being that it had been spread out on the living room floor just moments before.

The moment his body was wrapped in the blanket, Huo Siyi’s moderate germaphobia was triggered. He used every ounce of his strength to try and open his eyes, to tell Xi Ling to take the blanket away.

A while later, he succeeded in opening his eyes, only to see the sight of a drunken Xi Ling pinching a corner of the blanket and wiping his nosebleed with it. His scalp exploded in an instant, and his pupils dilated in shock…

Xi Ling was already drunk; wrapped in the warmth of the interior, his eyelids were fighting him. He was relying on the last shred of “reason” to “take care” of Huo Siyi.

He pinched the blanket and rubbed it up, down, left, and right on Huo Siyi’s face for a long time, finally aiming for the philtrum to wipe away the blood that was about to coagulate.

Because he was so focused, he didn’t notice that Huo Siyi had struggled to open his eyes during the process. Upon seeing the bloodstains on the blanket, Huo Siyi rolled his eyes back and passed out completely.

Although Xi Ling was drunk, he still had a sense of responsibility. After wiping Huo Siyi’s nosebleed and covering him with the blanket, he felt everything was fine, so he stood up staggeringly, nearly tripping over the blanket as he walked.

Xi Ling couldn’t help but mutter: “Why is the towel blanket in the living room so big…”

The next day, as soon as Xi Ling opened his eyes, he saw a little baby pinching his nose and looking at him with an expression of disgust.

Xi Ling habitually reached out to hug the baby, preparing to get a dose of “baby-sniffing” before getting up to wash. However, the baby, who was usually obedient and allowed himself to be cuddled, pushed his little butt up and crawled away rapidly.

“Dad, so stinky!”

Only then did Xi Ling realize that he still carried the smell of alcohol on him. He rubbed his head, recalling how he had suddenly craved a drink after putting the baby to bed the night before, so he had run downstairs and devoured the remaining fruit wine with the salt-and-pepper chicken Chu Xinnian had made.

As for what happened after that… he didn’t have much memory…

He yawned and sat up, making a rough judgment based on the sweater and trousers he was wearing; he must have fallen asleep right after drinking.

Just as Xi Ling was lost in thought, Huo Xingmian crawled back, sat down beside Xi Ling’s leg, raised his little head, and asked softly in a milky voice: “Dad, did you, have, a present?”

Xi Ling slapped his forehead, only then remembering that he had overslept and forgotten to contact the kennel to send the dog.

The Beagle breeder had said it could be delivered immediately, but because he hadn’t been able to reach the Husky breeder earlier, they said it wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon.

Xi Ling breathed a sigh of relief; he didn’t want to be a bad adult who broke his word.

After washing up, Xi Ling picked up the little baby again and reached out to tug at the small red envelope in the baby’s hand: “Does Mianmian like the red envelope Dad gave you so much?” He was clutching it wherever he went.

The baby pursed his little lips: “Mianmian, only have, the little red envelope…”

Originally, he had the special red envelope with many little animals on it from his stepfather, and he hadn’t even intended to be jealous of Mingming. But since his stepfather insisted he had prepared other gifts, he became very expectant. However, he had been awake for a long time and the gift hadn’t appeared…

Xi Ling heard the underlying meaning. He checked the time on his phone and made an estimate: “Dad has already called to make sure the gift comes faster. We should be able to see it after we finish eating, so don’t be anxious, Mianmian.”

The baby, who had been a little wilted a second ago, seemed to be plugged into a power source upon hearing this. Whoosh, he sat up straight, his eyes glowing: “For real? I, actually, not, that anxious…”

Xi Ling smiled and “sniffed” the baby, tucking the treasure red envelope into his little pocket: “Shall we go eat now?”

The baby immediately nodded like a chicken pecking rice: “Okay! Let’s go!”

The father and son had just finished eating when they heard Sister Li run over hurriedly: “Madam, Little Young Master, the dog delivery is here.”

Before Huo Xingmian could react to what “dog delivery” meant, he was carried by Xi Ling to the main hall.

The staff had already opened the carrying bag, and a Beagle puppy wobbled out.

The little milk dog’s fluffy head had a symmetrical white and yellow color scheme, and its low-hanging ears made it look extra cute. It had a black back, and its four legs and belly were pure white. Its little belly was round, looking as if it had just eaten its fill, and its pair of round, black eyes looked especially innocent.

When it barked, it made a woof-woof milky sound, completely different from the “war-war-war” frantic roaring that Beagles were known for as adults.

Xi Ling felt that “cuteness is invincible” was a true statement; the eight-week-old Beagle was just too cute!

He immediately looked down at the baby: “Do you like the New Year’s gift Dad got you?”

Xi Ling also had Nanny Bai record the event, not only because the first official gift had commemorative significance but also because the Beagle was the dog the baby had chosen himself from among a group of friendly dogs, saying it was his favorite puppy.

Therefore, Xi Ling intended to record it the baby’s joy upon first meeting the puppy, and his future regret once the puppy grew into a “Beagle Demon King,” secretly waiting to enjoy the show.

He hadn’t expected the baby in his arms to stare for a long while before bursting into a “wah” cry: “Wa-woooo, it’s a doggie, woo-woo, ahhhh…”

He hugged Xi Ling’s neck tightly, sobbed violently for a while, and then raised his head, hiccuping: “Dad, is this, really, my, New Year’s, gift?”

Xi Ling held the baby and pressed his cheek against his: “Of course. Does Mianmian like it?”

Little Huo Xingmian looked at the puppy and then back at Xi Ling, his little lips trembling as he fought back tears: “Like, I like it so much, woo-woo… I actually… I didn’t, have to, have a gift, woo-woo… Dad, thank you…”

He had a gift too! He would never envy that Little Genius phone watch again!! He had a puppy!!!

Seeing the baby’s tears streaming down, Xi Ling also felt his eyes heat up. He set the baby on the floor: “Good baby, go pet the doggy. From now on, it will be our Mianmian’s little companion.”

The baby nodded while reaching out to touch the puppy’s head. The moment he touched it, tears began to fall again.

This time, he was laughing and crying simultaneously. Not only had his stepfather remembered his preference for Beagles, but he had also gifted it to him, he hadn’t just asked casually… In little Huo Xingmian’s small head, there was only one thought: Can I really be this happy?

A while later, the baby finally stopped sobbing. He picked up the puppy, turned back to hug the dog, and buried his face in Xi Ling’s chest. His sobbing voice was filled with touched excitement and a deep sense of attachment: “Dad…”

Xi Ling’s heart was melting. He hugged the baby and the puppy tightly, responding repeatedly: “Good baby, Dad is here, Dad is here.”

Huo Siyi woke up on a hospital bed in the basement of the White family manor.

Although it was a basement, it housed all kinds of world-class, high-precision medical equipment, allowing for comprehensive and precise examinations at any time.

Before Huo Siyi woke up, a freshly minted blood test report had just arrived in White’s private mailbox.

The middle-aged, blue-eyed, blond doctor was reading the blood test report seriously. A moment later, he gave his conclusion: “There is indeed a problem with the new batch of medication, but since you have only taken it once, it shouldn’t have affected your heart.”

This was not a good result. The medical and pharmaceutical sectors, which occupied half of the Huo family’s empire, although originally stemming largely from Old Madam Huo’s maiden family, had had their core drug research and development controlled by the Old Master’s people for many years…

It was unclear whether the Old Madam had infiltrated the department to such a deep extent, or if the Old Master, who had been devoted to Buddhism, had suddenly decided to meddle in worldly affairs again.

Huo Siyi had been brought back by the Old Master when the latter was forty years old. This head of the Huo family was now nearing seventy. The Old Master’s health had been kept under wraps tightly for years; perhaps even the Old Madam didn’t know the truth. However, the Old Master had been born with a weak constitution and was facing a difficult twilight, and if he were to truly make a move, the sky would change.

Still, discovering the issue early was a stroke of luck. If it weren’t for the fact that Huo Siyi had unexpectedly fainted after the medication, they wouldn’t have detected the problem so quickly, and they could easily have misjudged the situation.

Huo Siyi would undergo frequent physical checkups to prevent trace ingredients in the new drugs from acting on his brain over the long term, but it was still possible that permanent damage could have been caused to his brain.

Facing this mixed result, the two men sitting opposite each other both wore grave expressions.

However, Huo Siyi never wasted time. A moment later, his cold, white, slender index finger tapped lightly on the table. White immediately picked up another file Huo Siyi’s latest examination report.

He had examined Huo Siyi’s body only two months prior. Regarding the report before him, which showed results extremely similar to a mild myocardial infarction White rubbed his chin and pondered for a long while.

Huo Siyi’s heart had always been healthy. Added to the fact that his emotional deficiency meant he experienced fewer emotions than the average person, it seemed nearly impossible for him to have a tendency toward sudden myocardial infarction. Yet, Huo Siyi had suddenly told him that he had recently experienced clear heart discomfort.

White hesitated before asking Huo Siyi: “Recently, have you encountered anything that caused your emotions to fluctuate strongly?”

Huo Siyi furrowed his brow slightly, radiating a peerless sense of cold, sharp detachment: “No.”

White was a top medical PhD who had once been forced to participate in secret research. He understood Huo Siyi’s genetic defect better than anyone and was more concerned than anyone, so in their many years of cooperation, Huo Siyi had been asked this many times, almost creating a conditioned reflex for him to provide a quick and affirmative response.

In reality, lacking emotions didn’t mean he had no emotions at all. Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hate, fear… the most vivid ones for him were anger and hatred.

The last such instance had occurred only a few days ago, when he discovered that the news of his injury was being maliciously twisted and spread, but that level of emotion was commonplace for him.

Just as White began to suspect that the test results were in error, the image of Xi Ling wiping his face messily with a carpet flashed through Huo Siyi’s mind. His complexion became extraordinarily ugly, and he even felt a sudden twinge of pain in his lower back and tailbone from that moment.

Although he tried to forget such negative memories, he remembered them all with crystal clarity, and the discomfort in his heart surfaced once again.

His heart was being assailed by several emotions at once, which was too complex and intense for him, causing him to completely overlook the dull, sour ache he couldn’t comprehend.

He took a deep breath to calm himself for a moment before, with an extremely gloomy and terrifying expression, briefly described the general situation to the other party.

Following that, White heard Huo Siyi state, in a voice that sounded like it was freezing over, how he had been dragged up the stone steps by Xi Ling… White’s left hand, resting on the armrest of his chair, tightened suddenly. No! He was a professional; he had to hold it together!