Chapter 184: Striving for a Little Padded Jacket Next Year

"Heh."

When the two returned to the room, they found that Huo Jingyuan’s was a suite with a bedroom, a living room, and a study. It was very spacious and had a private bathroom.

His computer was in the study, where the bookshelves were lined with countless books. Wen Ci walked over to the computer desk and stared at the bulky CRT monitor before her.

She was fascinated. Looking up, she asked, "How do you turn this thing on?"

Huo Jingyuan smiled fondly. He reached out and pressed the power button on the computer tower, and an image slowly materialized on the thick screen.

"Why don’t we use this chance to have a video call with my aunt?"

"No." Wen Ci shook her head frantically. "I don’t want to."

She had already met two of his elders and wasn’t ready to video chat with his aunt, who was all the way in the United States. She couldn’t even imagine how awkward it would be.

"Afraid it’ll be awkward?"

"No."

"What is it, then?"

Wen Ci pressed her lips together and sighed. "I get shy meeting people online. Let’s just wait until I have a chance to meet her in person."

Huo Jingyuan didn’t press the issue. He opened a browser on the computer and said slowly, "If there’s anything you want to look up, you can find it."

"Mhm."

Wen Ci nodded.

In the eighties, most business owners in international trade would buy a computer to check for discrepancies in international market prices.

"Jingyuan, do you think Wen Yaozu is up for it?"

’The computer was so expensive.’ She worried Wen Yaozu wouldn’t take learning seriously and would just use it to play single-player games instead.

Huo Jingyuan pulled up a chair and sat down. "I think Yaozu can handle it," he said seriously. "He loves to have fun, but when he gets serious, he means business."

"Since he promised to study hard, we should trust him."

"I guess we’ll have to."

’Huo Jingyuan thought for a moment. Since he was back in West Lake, he really should make a video call to his aunt in the United States and let her know he was okay.’

’His aunt would eventually find out about his injury one way or another.’

’It was better to be upfront about it than to hide it.’

"Ah Ci, I’m planning to make a video call to my aunt to let her know I’m okay. If you don’t want to be on camera, you can just sit to the side."

"You should let her know you’re okay."

At that, Huo Jingyuan pulled a camera from a drawer and placed it on top of the bulky monitor. It was currently nighttime in the United States.

It rang twice before a young, beautiful face appeared on the screen. Huo Jingyuan greeted her dutifully, "Aunt, good evening."

The aunt on screen looked very surprised, but her smile was warm. "Jingyuan, what are you doing back at the family home?"

Huo Jingyuan told her the truth. "I was a little injured, so I was recovering in Beijing. I decided to use the time to bring Ah Ci back to see Grandpa and Grandma."

"Injured? Is it serious?"

"As you can see, I’m fine now."

Hearing that, his aunt remembered what Huo Jingyuan had said about bringing Ah Ci back. She glanced around on her end and asked, "So where is Ah Ci? I don’t see her."

Huo Jingyuan laughed. "She’s sitting right next to me."

Wen Ci froze.

She pinched the back of his hand hard and mouthed, "Huo Jingyuan, you did that on purpose."

Huo Jingyuan hissed in pain and explained, "Ah Ci is a bit shy and was too embarrassed to meet you just yet. She was saying she’d wait until the New Year to see you."

Watching the couple interact, his aunt couldn’t help but smile warmly. She teased, "So, when are you and Ah Ci planning on having children?"

"We’re working on it."

Huo Jingyuan didn’t shy away from the topic of children in the slightest. He grinned and said, "We’re hoping to have a sweet little girl by next year."

"A little girl would be wonderful."

Listening from the side, Wen Ci was mortified. She placed a hand over her stomach. ’She and Huo Jingyuan had been trying for so long, but there was still no sign of a baby.’