Chapter 146 He wasn't loosening his tie; he was taking her very life!

With those words, Bai Lu finally came to her senses.
The person who loved chestnut cake wasn't some celestial being; it was her.
When he asked her to buy two chestnut cakes in Osaka, he was buying them for her.
Because every time he took just a bite or two, he would claim it didn't taste good, and then she would eat the rest.
She had even complained inwardly that the pampered young master of the Huo family had such a ridiculously spoiled palate.
Ordinary chestnut cakes from a regular bakery simply wouldn't do for the picky young master Huo.
In her mind, she had pictured an aristocratic young master sitting in a sun-drenched glass conservatory, sipping tea and tasting exquisite pastries meticulously crafted by a five-star chef.
And yet, she had foolishly thought she was being considerate, clearly remembering the celestial being's preferences, when in reality, it was she who was being taken care of the entire time.
Bai Lu felt deeply defeated.
Why was she always the one being rescued and taken care of by the celestial being? She had clearly made up her mind to protect him!
Her ponytail drooped listlessly.
Huo Yanfang regretted telling her the truth. Hesitating for a moment, he reached out and ruffled her hair. "I don't like things that are too sweet. A low-sugar chestnut cake is just fine."
What did the celestial being say? It didn't matter!
Ah, ah, ah, ah! The celestial being patted her head!
A head-pat kill!
No wonder Qiao Qianyi was so obsessed with having her head patted.
It actually felt amazing!
She tried her absolute best to manage her facial expression, but she still grinned like a country bumpkin's silly daughter.
That bubbly, foolish smile lasted all the way until she stood before the door of room 888, where it instantly vanished.
Huo Yanfang gently patted her head again. "President Huo isn't angry with you."
She took a deep breath, wearing the expression of a suicide squad member facing certain death. "Open the door!"
Huo Yanfang: "…………"
The moment the door opened, she executed a practiced slide-kneel, holding up the little cake with both hands in a humble offering. "President Huo, I was wrong. I shouldn't have stood you up, but I really had things to do this afternoon. Considering that, I hope you'll eat my little cake and forgive me."
Second Master Yin, sitting in his wheelchair: "…………" He glanced at Huo Yanfang, who was leisurely walking in behind her, and asked, "What act is she putting on this time?"
Tang Xing quickly took the cake box from her hands and pulled her back to her feet.
"Don't pull me up! Let me kneel! I was wrong, I deserve to kneel!"
Tang Xing: "…………"
The wealthiest man in the country pointed right at the tip of her nose. "Look at that, just look at that. She isn't kneeling because she did something wrong; she's clearly putting on a performance for my benefit."
The celestial being chuckled softly. "She knows you fall for this routine."
Bai Lu grew a bit bolder. "President Huo, won't you try my little cake? Once you've eaten my little cake, you aren't allowed to be angry anymore, okay?"
Assistant Tang was extremely efficient, promptly using a small fork to scoop up a piece of the cake and feeding it right to the tycoon's lips.
The tycoon chewed a bite expressionlessly, looking utterly disgusted. "Too sweet." Then he let out a cold hum, glanced at her sideways, and asked, "Aren't you getting up yet?"

"Thank you, President Huo!" Bai Lu scrambled up in a flash and stood straight. Huo Yanfang had just started to reach out to help her up, but before his hand could even move, she was already standing.
Her execution of the slide-kneel was utterly flawless.
She felt like the richest man in the country was somewhat similar to her dad; both belonged to the type who were utterly helpless against shameless rogues.
As luck would have it, she had already decided to cast aside her human dignity. As for pride or shame? She simply didn't have any.
Bai Lu enthusiastically offered her absolute favorite chestnut cake. "President Huo, try this one. It's low-sugar, so it won't be too sweet."
The tycoon took a bite. "Not bad. Leave it. It can be our post-dinner dessert."
Bai Lu reminded him, "President Huo, there are two of them in total!"
The tycoon nodded. "Leave both."
Bai Lu: "…………"
The reluctance on her face was practically overflowing.
The tycoon glanced at her sideways. "Do you like eating these?"
She nodded like a chick pecking at grain. "Mm-mm-mm! Chestnut cake is my absolute favorite!"
The tycoon replied, "What a coincidence, mine too."
Bai Lu: "…………"
This wealthiest man was rather childish.
The fact that he looked so amused just seeing her unhappy made him feel even more like her dad.
Honestly, she was actually quite skilled at cheering up this particular type of person.
"Dinner is ready, come eat?" Auntie Li, who had been hiding in the distance, saw that the atmosphere was good and finally stepped forward to call everyone to the table.
"I still have..."
I still have things to do, so I won't eat.
Bai Lu managed to swallow those words just in time, changing her tune instantly. "It's been several days since I've had Auntie Li's cooking, I've missed it so much! I'm so starved, let's eat, let's eat!"
Then, rubbing her belly, she hurried toward the dining room, feeling the gaze of the richest man burning into her back like sharp daggers.
Facing a table full of sumptuous dinner dishes, Bai Lu almost wanted to cry.
She had only finished eating a meal with her dad half an hour ago, and now she had to fake ravenous hunger and stuff her face...
As if she was scared of anything!
Was the acting skill of a Best Actress a joke to you?!
Her acting was so convincing that Auntie Li insisted on serving her two extra bowls of rice.
Holding a bowl of steaming white rice, Bai Lu gnashed her teeth inwardly. "Thank you, Auntie Li, I love you the most, Auntie Li!!!"
"What's there to thank? Just eat a bit more." Auntie Li scooped her another bowl of soup.
Honestly, she couldn't take another single bite; it had already reached her throat.
One more mouthful, and she'd throw it all right back up.
She clutched her little rice bowl tightly with both hands, glaring a murderous stare straight into the grains. Suddenly, a pair of well-proportioned, elegant hands reached out from beside her and took her bowl away.

"A-Sui?"
Huo Yanfang also took the soup bowl from in front of her, waved his hand to signal Auntie Li to clear them away, and said in a calm tone, "She's an actress. If she gets fat, she'll have to suffer through grueling weight loss again. Being eighty percent full is enough."
Wuuu, A-Sui is truly a celestial being descending to save her from dire straits!
Bai Lu swore to herself in her heart that she would never listen to her uncle—she would never cut ties with the celestial being!
As long as she was careful to avoid her uncle and not let him find out, everything would be fine.
This celestial being! As a friend! She! Was locked in for life!
She ingratiatingly picked up food for the celestial being. "A-Sui, try this, it's exceptionally good."
"Alright." Huo Yanfang nodded, casually loosening his tie with one hand.
"Awoooo-ying!!"
An eerie, strangled whimpering sound instantly slipped out from her throat.
It sounded like a wolf howling, or perhaps a small cat whose neck had just been squeezed.
Huo Yanfang: "?"
Second Master Yin: "??"
Tang Xing: "???"
Huo Yanfang lifted his eyelids and saw her mouth slightly ajar, the hand holding her chopsticks trembling ever so slightly.
Bai Lu held her breath, desperately trying to control and suppress her feral, lustful inner desires.
Wuuu, wuuu, wuuu! How could the celestial being possibly be this handsome?!
When he wore a suit, he possessed that terrifyingly attractive mix of aloofness and repressed desire.
Did they know what a repressed-desire male god was?!
This was him!
Aloof and aristocratic, yet carrying a faint trace of melancholy, fragility, and arrogance...
He was the exact kind of man that made you want to let out an impassioned howl, pounce on him like a starving wolf, pin him down, and do all sorts of unspeakable things to him, you know?!
He reached out to pull at his tie—was he just pulling at a tie? Huh?!
No, that was her life! Her life right there!
Huo Yanfang narrowed his impossibly gorgeous, light-brown eyes, the corners of his eyes lifting slightly as he used one hand to unbutton his collar.
"Mmph-ying!"
This time, the bizarre sound emerging from her throat was even clearer.
Huo Yanfang broke into a faint, gentle smile.
Just as he had expected.