Chapter 31: Wait For Me

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Wait For Me

Xi Yunxui stared at Huo Jingchen for several seconds.

The shock of seeing him in the village had not yet worn off.

But then she remembered that he had said he came to investigate something.

She immediately walked toward him, completely forgetting about the vegetables and other farm produce she had been about to carry inside.

"Young Master."

Huo Jingchen looked at her.

"What did you come here to investigate?"

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the mountains.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Huo Jingchen was silent for a moment.

He looked at her face as though trying to decide whether to ask.

Then he finally spoke.

"Did you see a golden light in the mountains yesterday?"

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"A golden light?"

"Yes."

"No."

She shook her head honestly.

"I didn’t see anything."

Then her expression changed.

"Wait."

She looked at him more closely.

"There was another golden phenomenon in the mountains yesterday?"

Huo Jingchen nodded.

"Yes."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

"So that really happened?"

"Yes."

He looked toward the mountains.

"We’re here to investigate where it came from."

Xi Yunxui became bewildered.

But I was in the mountains yesterday.

She clearly remembered sitting there and cultivating.

She remembered the spiritual energy.

She remembered kicking down the tree.

She remembered everything.

So where was I when this golden light appeared?

She looked toward the mountain.

I didn’t see anything.

How strange.

She was still thinking about it when a figure hurried toward them.

"President Huo!"

Zhou Rui quickly reached them.

He was slightly out of breath.

"I asked several villagers nearby."

He caught his breath before continuing.

"They all said the same thing. They saw the golden light yesterday."

Huo Jingchen’s expression became serious.

"Anything else?"

Zhou Rui nodded.

"I also compared the directions they described."

He took out his phone and showed Huo Jingchen a map.

"I’ve determined the approximate location where the light originated."

Huo Jingchen leaned slightly closer.

"Where?"

Zhou Rui pointed toward the mountain.

"Somewhere within this section."

Xi Yunxui looked at the map.

Her heart gave an inexplicable little jump.

That area looked...

Familiar.

She had been there.

But before she could examine the thought, Huo Jingchen spoke.

"Alright."

He handed the phone back to Zhou Rui.

Then he turned toward Xi Yunxui.

"Wait for me."

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"Hmm?"

"We’ll go back home together."

He said it so naturally that for a moment, Xi Yunxui didn’t realize what he had said.

Huo Jingchen, however, had already turned away.

He walked toward Zhou Rui as though nothing unusual had happened.

Only the slight redness at the tips of his ears betrayed him.

His heartbeat had also become slightly faster.

Home.

He had just called the Huo residence...

their home.

His and Xi Yunxui’s.

The moment the thought formed, an inexplicable happiness spread through him.

It was ridiculous.

He knew that.

But he couldn’t deny it.

He wanted to return with her.

He wanted them to go home together.

Huo Jingchen quietly clenched his hand.

What is wrong with me?

Meanwhile, Xi Yunxui remained where she was.

She stared after him.

"Go home together?"

She repeated the words slowly.

Then she frowned.

Did he mean the Huo residence?

Of course he did.

But why had he said it like that?

She thought about it for several seconds.

She couldn’t find an answer.

Eventually, she shrugged.

"Perhaps I heard incorrectly."

Ancient people didn’t always understand modern speech patterns.

That was probably it.

She turned around.

Only then did she notice something strange.

She hadn’t received a single system mission since arriving in the village.

Not even when she saw Huo Jingchen.

Normally, whenever something involved the Huo family, the system seemed determined to give her another task.

She had expected something like:

Find the source of the golden light.

Or:

Assist the eldest young master.

Or perhaps even:

Help Huo Jingchen investigate.

But nothing.

Xi Yunxui frowned.

"System."

[Yes, Host?]

"Why haven’t you given me a mission?"

The system was silent.

Xi Yunxui narrowed her eyes.

"Don’t tell me you’ve finally decided to let me rest."

Nothing.

She crossed her arms.

"That’s suspicious."

The system still remained silent.

Then—

[Host.]

"Yes?"

[A goat is eating your vegetables.]

Xi Yunxui froze.

"My... what?"

[The goat is eating your vegetables.]

Xi Yunxui immediately turned around.

She looked at the baskets.

Everything seemed fine.

She looked toward the courtyard.

Nothing.

She looked toward the road.

Nothing.

She squinted.

"Where?"

[Directly behind the grass.]

Xi Yunxui looked.

Still nothing.

She took two steps forward.

Nothing.

She looked around again.

"System, are you making fun of me?"

Silence.

Xi Yunxui placed her hands on her hips.

"You’ve started making jokes now?"

No answer.

She sighed.

"Very funny."

She bent down and picked up one of the baskets.

The vegetables inside were untouched.

"See? There’s no goat."

She turned away.

The system remained completely silent.

Just beyond the edge of her vision, however...

A pair of tiny horns slowly rose above the grass.

The horns disappeared again.

Then reappeared.

A pair of curious eyes peeked over the vegetation.

Xi Yunxui remained completely unaware.

She lifted the basket.

"Modern system, ancient world, strange Huo family..."

She sighed.

"And now I’m imagining goats."

She shook her head and carried the vegetables toward the house.

Behind her, the small horns slowly lowered into the grass.

And whatever was hiding there quietly followed her with its eyes.

---

Xi Yunxui was in the kitchen preparing lunch when she heard her mother’s voice from outside.

"Yunxui!"

Xi Yunxui turned toward the doorway.

"Yes, Mother?"

"You have a visitor!"

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"A visitor?"

"Yes!"

Her mother sounded amused.

"You should come and see for yourself."

Xi Yunxui’s hand immediately stopped.

For some reason, the first person who came to mind was Huo Jingchen.

Could it be him?

He had said they would return home together.

And after Zhou Rui arrived, he had gone to investigate the golden phenomenon.

Perhaps he had already finished.

The possibility made Xi Yunxui’s heart stir with curiosity.

She quickly turned down the heat beneath the pot.

"Coming!"

She hurriedly stepped out of the kitchen.

She had only taken a few steps before remembering the food.

She turned back, lowered the flame properly and made sure nothing would burn.

Then she hurried outside.

The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she saw him.

Huo Jingchen.

He stood near the entrance looking casual compared to his usual appearance at work.

He was speaking with her mother.

But the moment he heard Xi Yunxui’s footsteps and turned around—

His expression changed.

It happened so quickly that she almost wondered whether she’d imagined it.

The usually composed man immediately brightened.

His eyes softened.

The slight tension around his brows disappeared.

And for a brief moment, there was something unmistakable on his face.

Happiness.

Pure, uncomplicated happiness at seeing her.

Xi Yunxui stopped.

She had never seen that expression on him before.

Not once.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Why does he look so happy?

Huo Jingchen didn’t seem to notice how obvious his reaction had been.

He simply looked at her.

"Xi Yunxui."

She blinked.

"Young Master."

Her voice came out softer than she intended.

She took another step forward.

And then—

Her heart suddenly gave a quick, hard leap.

Thump.

Xi Yunxui froze.

What?

Another beat.

Thump.

Her hand instinctively moved toward her chest.

Why is my heart beating so fast?

She looked at Huo Jingchen.

He was still standing there.

Calm.

Composed.

And somehow looking even more handsome under the afternoon sunlight.

Xi Yunxui immediately looked away.

It must be because I hurried over from the kitchen.

Yes.

That had to be it.

She had been cooking.

Then she had suddenly run outside.

Her heart was simply reacting to the sudden movement.

Completely normal.

Absolutely normal.

There was no other explanation.

Xi Yunxui nodded to herself with complete confidence.

That’s it.

Meanwhile, Huo Jingchen noticed her touching her chest.

His brows furrowed slightly.

"Are you alright?"

Xi Yunxui immediately lowered her hand.

"Yes!"

She smiled.

"I’m completely fine."

Huo Jingchen looked at her for a second longer.

Something about her flushed face made him suspicious.

But before he could ask anything else, Xi Yunxui’s mother smiled from beside them.

"Yunxui, President Huo said he came to see you."

Xi Yunxui blinked.

"See me?"

Huo Jingchen’s gaze shifted briefly.

"Yes."

He paused.

"I need to speak with you."

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Alright."

She looked toward the kitchen.

"But I’m preparing lunch."

Huo Jingchen glanced toward the house.

"Then finish cooking."

"I will."

Xi Yunxui smiled.

"I’ll be right back."

She turned toward the kitchen.

After taking two steps, she secretly pressed a hand against her chest again.

Still beating fast.

She frowned.

It really is because I ran.

There was no other possibility.

Behind her, Huo Jingchen watched her walk away.

The happiness that had appeared on his face when he first saw her slowly returned to its usual calm expression.

But the corners of his lips remained faintly raised.

He had come to investigate the strange phenomenon.

He had also come because he needed answers.

At least, that was what he had told himself.

Yet the moment he saw her...

All those thoughts had momentarily disappeared.

He lowered his eyes.

Perhaps Zhou Rui was right.

He had been working too much lately.

There was obviously no other reason for the strange feeling in his chest.

He simply...

wanted to see her.

And that was all.

A/N: Just so we know, Huo Jingchen did not fall in love with Xi Yunxui at first sight. As we progress in the book, we’ll understand why he feels this way towards Xi Yunxui.