Chapter 125: Truly a fragile, beautiful vase.

"Because an immortal as beautiful as you should be held in the palm of one's hand, cherished like fragile glass." Not only was Bai Lu holding his hand, but she also stroked the back of his hand with a look of genuine heartache.

It was truly heartache, she told herself—absolutely, positively not an excuse to take advantage of him!

Huo Yanfang: "?"

He did not quite understand what was going on in her little head.

"..." He remained silent for a moment before asking, "Fragile glass?"

"It means you have to be handled with extreme care! I always feel like if I use even the slightest bit of strength, you’ll go 'poof' and shatter, then return to the heavens to be your immortal self again. You’re just so delicate!"

"...Delicate?"

"People who are this good-looking are all exceptionally delicate. And you aren't just ordinarily good-looking; you are exceptionally, extraordinarily good-looking!"

Huo Yanfang: "..." He raised his eyelids, observing her with a composed expression. "Lu Yiting is also very good-looking."

Her father was naturally good-looking; otherwise, how could he have produced a daughter as invincibly cute as her?

Bai Lu puffed out her chest with pride. "Of course! He's my idol, that’s a given!"

Huo Yanfang narrowed his eyes. "An idol?"

"He’s not just my idol; he’s my goal and the dream I’m chasing." As she spoke, Bai Lu bared her teeth. "And I will definitely surpass him."

When that time comes, let’s see how her dad can still criticize her for being fat or embarrassing him.

Whenever she asked him to pour her a glass of water, he would act all high and mighty because of his status as a Best Actor. He’d say things like, "There’s no such thing as a Best Actor pouring water for a minor actress; if you want me to pour you water, you need to at least bring home a Best Actress award first."

As if winning a Best Actress award were as easy as buying vegetables at the market.

Just because he was the first Chinese actor to win an Oscar, he thought he was something special?

Well, okay, he was pretty special... Her dad was a legend who had already made it into the history books.

Huo Yanfang glanced at her, remained silent for a long time, and then asked, "How much do you know about Lu Yiting?"

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she asked back, trembling with apprehension, "How much do *you* know?"

Huo Yanfang: "Everything."

Bai Lu: "..."

She knew it! The image of her father as a pure, noble, and upright figure was clearly a special facade curated for the entertainment industry. Since A-Sui worked for the richest man in the country, it was only natural that he would know about her father’s "dual-faced" nature.

Seeing her awkward and somewhat defeated expression, Huo Yanfang understood and raised an eyebrow slightly. "You know all this, yet you still treat Lu Yiting as your idol?"

Bai Lu gave a dry laugh, trying her best to make excuses for her father. "Ahem! You can't put it that way. People are complex; they can't be defined by simple terms like 'good' or 'bad.' Best Actor Lu... well, he might have a bit of a temper in private, but his dedication to charity for over a decade, his focus on his work, and his low-key nature—those aren't fake, either."

"Yes, that's it." The more she spoke, the more confident Bai Lu became. "Besides, Best Actor Lu hasn't just cultivated many great actors, talented young directors, and screenwriters; he also works hard to use his fame to promote our culture to the world. In this era of shoddy productions made only to chase money, he is one of the few who truly wants to do something for the domestic entertainment industry."

She held up a finger solemnly. "Cultural output is very important! We cannot let ourselves be swayed by the thoughts and values of others! So, you can't judge a person so one-sidedly. Just like President Huo—you can't simply judge him by his cold-blooded nature; it’s unfair."

Huo Yanfang’s heart skipped a beat. "Oh?"

She peeked sneakily behind her and lowered her voice. "Actually... I feel a bit sorry for President Huo."

Huo Yanfang was stunned. "Sorry?"

This was the one word he had not expected.

Bai Lu rolled her eyes at herself. "Feeling sorry for the richest man—I must be crazy, right? But that’s honestly how I feel. Who is born cruel and ruthless? It’s all forced upon them. If I were President Huo, I think I would have become a sociopath."

"You fear him." He felt his throat go dry. "Huo Yanfang killed his uncles, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces. He slaughtered the once-flourishing Huo family until only Huo Peicun and his mother remained."

"Oh, that’s not what I’m afraid of! If President Huo hadn't killed those people, were they supposed to just wait around to be killed by them? Even a minor actress like me knows that in this kind of power struggle, it’s either you die or I do. If President Huo had let his family ties hold him back, he would have been courting death."

Bai Lu glared at him, displeased. "I told you that day on the plane, didn't I? If it were me, I would have killed them all, leaving no one behind to avoid future trouble. The fact that President Huo left two people alive shows he was still soft-hearted. I would never give anyone the chance to stab me in the back. Were you just listening to me talk nonsense?"

Huo Yanfang watched the fierce look on her little face and smiled faintly.

She wouldn't be afraid of him or hate him.

Just as he let out a sigh of relief, another question surfaced in his mind: "Then why are you afraid of President Huo?"

Bai Lu scratched her cheek, looked left and right, stomped her foot, and lowered her voice. "I’m afraid of President Huo’s eyes. The first time I saw him in the glass conservatory, those eyes... they were filled with the despair of someone who wanted to destroy everything and drag the whole world down with him."

Huo Yanfang lowered his gaze and slowly clenched his fists.

Bai Lu continued, "A-Sui, do you know what I fear most about President Huo? It’s that deep despair and brokenness in his eyes. When he’s in a normal state, I can even feel a sense of magnanimity from him—though that might just be my imagination..."

"It’s not your imagination." Huo Yanfang shook his head and looked at her calmly. "Before the incident, he was more magnanimous than anyone. No matter what happened, he would always laugh about it. Many times, I even found his laughter annoying."

"That’s why I’m worried about you!" Bai Lu grabbed his wrist urgently. "A-Sui, you really have to be careful. The more normal President Huo acts, the more I fear him hurting you when he loses control! When a person no longer cares about his own life, he cares even less about the lives of others."

Bai Lu could clearly feel him trembling slightly, and she knew her judgment was correct.

Although it seemed unbelievable, the truth appeared to be...

Huo Yanfang, the richest man who possessed trillions in assets, stood at the pinnacle of power, and could turn the world upside down with a flick of his hand, was, deep down...

Longing for death.

He lowered his head slightly, his bangs shielding his eyes, and Bai Lu could only see his lips pressed into a thin, tight line.

Her immortal really was a fragile, beautiful vase.

"Do you... want a hug?" She reached out her hands toward him.

Huo Yanfang was speechless.

He had actually made this young girl worry about him.

He ruffled her fluffy hair and gave a silent smile. "It's fine. I've lived like this for many years. Don't worry."

He didn't know which 'he' he was referring to.

Bai Lu could not stand seeing her immortal display such a fragile and broken expression.

When her immortal’s heart broke, it was simply too heartbreaking!

Was her own heart worthless?

She wouldn't allow him to make such an expression again!

She wanted him to smile! She wanted him to be happy!

Bai Lu hardened her resolve and said, "A-Sui, leave it to me. I will take responsibility."