Surrounded by Wolves
Jiang Wu casually threw the cushion onto Huo Yingli’s face and muttered, “None of your business.”
She got up from the sofa, taking the remaining half cup of lemon soda with her.
The faint smile remained on Huo Yingli’s face as he watched the hem of her nightgown brush past his casual trousers.
He rubbed his fingertips together lightly, a faint itch lingering.
Jiang Wu poured out the soda and noticed that the things on the kitchen island seemed to have been moved.
More accurately, they had been tidied up.
The cake plate had been cleared away and thrown out, and the previously messy kitchen island had also been cleaned. She asked casually, “Did you come here to clean my room for me?”
Huo Yingli did not answer and simply looked at her.
Jiang Wu circled the kitchen island, then opened the refrigerator before it clicked. It must have been Eldest Brother who had come.
Her previously empty refrigerator had been stuffed full of all sorts of additive-free snacks, meals, fresh fruits and vegetables, and milk.
The reason she knew it was Huo Qingzhi was that all the high-sugar, high-additive sodas and drinks in her fridge had been thrown away.
Jiang Wu’s brows knotted together.
Fortunately, she had already finished eating all the junk food she had stashed earlier. Otherwise, Eldest Brother would have thrown those into the trash too.
Huo Yingli’s gaze swept over the fully stocked refrigerator, then over the calm Jiang Wu. So, now she knew who had come.
She was not surprised at all. She even tacitly allowed Huo Qingzhi to enter her room whenever he wanted.
Jiang Wu closed the refrigerator door and turned back, only to run into Huo Yingli’s probing gaze. She felt a flicker of guilt and asked, “What are you looking at?”
Huo Yingli rose. “Now, I’m not even allowed to look?”
He walked to the other side of the kitchen island and braced both hands against it. “Surely you’re not planning to draw a clear line between us.”
This was a very delicate topic. At first listen, it did not sound like much. But it happened to apply perfectly to Jiang Wu, who was currently in a sensitive period about the baby switch matter.
Huo Yingli was also the first person who dared to bring it up in front of her. Yet unexpectedly, it did not stir up those unnecessary emotions of hers.
Instead, it made her feel much lighter, as though things between them were no different from before.
Jiang Wu pressed her lips together. “Why were you secretly following me outside just now?”
“I wasn’t following you.” Huo Yingli said it as if it were perfectly natural. “I was just escorting that little thing downstairs. What if it bumped into something or fell? Would you have come out to pick it up?”
His voice trailed off with a teasing lilt, giving birth to a naturally enticing tone. He was a social butterfly, the type who could charm anyone.
Jiang Wu felt that what he said made sense, but she was still dissatisfied. “But you made me get discovered.”
“My fault.” Huo Yingli tilted his head and looked over. “Will you do me the honor of making it up to you?”
Jiang Wu did indeed need an outlet. “Then you’ll stay up all night gaming with me tonight.”
The only reason Huo Yingli had access to her room’s fingerprint lock was because of his gaming skills. A few years ago, when Jiang Wu was really into gaming, the two of them often played all night.
“Deal.” Huo Yingli gestured with his eyes. “Pack your things. I’ll take you somewhere else to play.”
An hour later, a black Cullinan silently drove out of Cloud Peak Bay.
Jiang Wu had kept her windows rolled up, wary of the Hong Kong media outside Cloud Peak Bay, only to unexpectedly see no flashing lights or cameras at all.
She poked her head out a little and opened a crack in the window.
As the night scenery grew quieter and more spacious, the car window lowered completely. The cool, pleasant night breeze poured into the car through the open window, blowing open Jiang Wu’s curled, lifted long hair. There truly were no media camped outside Cloud Peak Bay.
“Where are they?”
Huo Yingli propped his elbow by the car window and said casually, “Maybe they went home for dinner.”
Jiang Wu did not believe that for a second.
But in any case, it was good that no one was disturbing them.
No longer worrying about anything else, Jiang Wu rolled the window down all the way and leaned beside it, looking at Hong Kong’s night scenery.
The area near Repulse Bay was quieter. The night bay and the neon lights of the city not far away reflected on the water, creating a blur of color and shadow.
In the rearview mirror was a face so beautiful at first sight that it sank deep into one’s heart.
After feeling melancholy for a while, Jiang Wu could not help beginning to look at herself in the mirror. When she discovered that her melancholy expression was beautiful, she continued maintaining it.
Even though her mood was actually all right now.
It was only when Jiang Wu saw Huo Yingli drive the car to the airport that she remembered to ask, “Where are we going?”
“Velaa Island.” Huo Yingli parked the car, got out, then went around to the other side to open the door for Jiang Wu.
The Huo family’s private Gulfstream G700 was waiting on the tarmac not far away.
“Did you tell…” Jiang Wu stopped halfway through her sentence.
She was still angry with her parents. If no one had told them, then so be it. What was there to report about going out to play?
Huo Yingli knew what she was thinking, the corner of his lips carrying a faint smile.
Jiang Wu expressed her emotions very directly. They were all written on her face.
By the time they arrived at Velaa Island, it was the next morning.
Jiang Wu carefully selected an ocean pool villa, but when she tried to book it, she was told that it had just been reserved ten minutes earlier.
Jiang Wu felt somewhat regretful and was hesitating over which suite to choose instead when she turned her head and saw Liang Xiaoyue post something on Moments.
The nine-photo grid showed the exact hotel villa that had just been outbid on. Below were comments from a group of girls on vacation together.
They were all praising wildly: “Sister Yue is so beautiful, you went out to play?”
“Where is this? It’s so gorgeous.”
Some of the nicknames looked familiar. Jiang Wu realized they were the same people who had been gossiping about her in the group chat last night.
One of them had been defending Liang Xiaoyue, angry that Jiang Wu had outbid her at the auction.
Jiang Wu was not bothered by their comments. She casually opened Liang Xiaoyue’s chat box.
[Ah Wu: Sister, sister~ Where are you staying? It’s so pretty.]
[LXY: ?]
[Ah Wu: Sister has such a good. Just like me, I love this place too.]
[LXY: Sorry, sweetie. You got the antique seal box, but you’ll have to let me have this one.]
Jiang Wu had not expected Liang Xiaoyue to see through her in just a few sentences. She did not bother to conceal her intentions either.
[Ah Wu: This room is so big. Sister, aren’t you afraid sleeping there alone? Do you want to switch to a slightly smaller one?]
[LXY: I am scared, actually. Why don’t you come keep me company, Ah Wu?]
After being teased, Jiang Wu bit her lip tightly and exited the chat box.
When she refreshed the booking site, she found that the ocean villa was suddenly available again.
Jiang Wu sat up straight, her eyes lighting up. She immediately asked Huo Yingli to help book it.
Meanwhile, she hugged her phone and frantically sent Liang Xiaoyue a string of kiss emojis.
Liang Xiaoyue brought up serious business. [Are you coming to the beach party tomorrow? [I organized a male model show. Let’s relax a little.]
Jiang Wu’s brows and eyes curved. [Then I’ll have to think about it carefully. [kiss.jpg]]
Liang Xiaoyue smirked. This little thing truly knew how to tease people.
Jiang Wu was not deliberately stringing her along. After all, since she had come out with her elder brother, certain things were not especially convenient. But Second Brother was open-minded and easy to talk to. Unlike Eldest Brother, who was old-fashioned and rigid.
So, there was still a chance.
Jiang Wu was plotting how to get to see the male models when she suddenly heard a voice from above.
“What are you chatting about, so happy?”
Jiang Wu was startled and instinctively flipped her phone screen downward. When she raised her head, she saw Huo Yingli’s face inches from hers.
Huo Yingli glanced down, fixing his gaze on her hastily face-down phone for a long while. He had a pretty good idea. “The hotel is booked.”
Jiang Wu curved her eyes and obediently acted sweet. “Thank you, Second Brother.”
Huo Yingli asked, seemingly casually, “You have friends there?”
“Mm.”
“What a coincidence.” Huo Yingli pondered. “Male or female?”
Jiang Wu was very honest. “Sister Xiaoyue.”
“Ah, her.” The prominent families of Hong Kong all knew each other. The Liang mansion was right next to Cloud Peak Bay, so in a certain sense, they could also be considered neighbors.
Hearing that it was a woman, Huo Yingli secretly relaxed.
“With a friend there, it’s perfect. You can all have fun together.” Huo Yingli probed gently. “Did you arrange any activities? If not, I can help organize something for you. What type do you like…”
“It’s arranged.”
Huo Yingli nodded and asked a few more questions. Very quickly, he coaxed all the information out of the guileless Jiang Wu’s mouth.
However, Jiang Wu had left out a few key details and merely hinted that there would be a lot of people.
Huo Yingli looked completely unconcerned and generously approved of their activity. “Sounds fun. I also like big parties, too.”
“Do you need me to call a few more over?”
“No need.” Jiang Wu heard that there was hope and was very happy. “But if you want friends to keep you company, you are welcome to call them over.”
After all, when the time came, she probably would not have time for him anyway.
Huo Yingli said nothing, and one could not tell whether he was happy or angry. His large hand covered the glass and swirled it gently.
It was a good thing that Ah Wu had reached the age where she liked looking at men. And he was also a man.
Huo Yingli raised the glass and drank it empty.
The weather was just right. Jiang Wu had changed into a sunny yellow beach dress on the plane, and Huo Yingli had also changed into a beach shirt. His collar was casually unbuttoned to the third button, revealing the smooth lines of his collarbone and the muscles of his chest and abdomen.
After they got off the plane, a butler came to receive them and escorted them to the overwater villa. The water villa’s location was quieter, beside the lagoon where they would not be disturbed. There were two bedrooms, one for each of them.
Jiang Wu pushed her luggage into the bedroom. Sitting by the bed, she was met directly by the terrace and ocean view outside.
Layer after layer of waves rolled in, making one’s whole body lazy and relaxed.
Jiang Wu booked a hydrotherapy spa and lay on the bed while looking at the news online.
After fermenting for several days, the trending searches had been cut by half and were gradually fading. Only a few harmless bits remained. It could be considered a brief calm after the storm.
Jiang Wu idly browsed other meaningless topics.
The spa therapist was a Southeast Asian girl, and her movements and techniques were very professional.
She also restrained herself and focused on the work in her hands, but she still could not help marveling at the unusual smoothness and clarity of the skin beneath her hands, a translucent feeling as if Jiang Wu had just emerged from water.
Jiang Wu’s appearance belonged to the top tier of Eastern beauty.
Such beauty was soft and shimmering, without aggression. One glance entered straight into the heart, then melted open, rooting and sprouting everywhere, stirring restlessness that was hard to endure.
Jiang Wu put down her phone and started planning what to wear tomorrow, which bikini would be most suitable.
At this moment, in a skyscraper in the Central district, Hong Kong Island, Huo Qingzhi stood before the floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor. Not far away, night had fallen over Victoria Harbour, and dazzling lights streamed past, sinking into the depths of his deep-set eyes.
Behind him, his secretary reported the impact of the recent media incident, item by item. Among them were several overseas partners who wanted to terminate cooperation. Huo Yingli had approved them.
The night outside the floor-to-ceiling window was thick as ink, reflecting across Huo Qingzhi’s sharply defined face.
At the proper moment, he spoke, feigning ignorance, “Who approved it?”
The secretary paused, then repeated himself matter-of-factly.
After all, the current overseas market was entirely negotiated and managed by Huo Yingli. Even if Huo Qingzhi had not heard clearly, he should have known it was his own younger brother handling it.
Yet Huo Qingzhi nodded as though hearing it for the first time. “Good.”
“Assess the losses and submit a report to the chairman.”
The secretary acknowledged the order and left. Huo Qingzhi quietly looked down over Victoria Harbour’s night scenery for a while.
His long, well-shaped fingers lightly turned the signet ring on his little finger.
In the water villa, Jiang Wu was playing games with Huo Yingli when she heard a phone ring.
Huo Yingli glanced at the caller ID, switched it to silent, and placed it face down on the table.
Jiang Wu looked at his movement a couple more times with curiosity.
Very soon, Jiang Wu’s phone rang as well.
The caller ID showed: Dad.
Huo Yingli stared at Jiang Wu’s phone screen, then took the phone before she could and answered it. “What is it?”
Jiang Wu sat beside him and hugged a cushion, listening as Huo Yingli spoke in a rather poor tone while carrying the phone from the living room out to the terrace.
Second Brother was someone who could talk with anyone in any setting with ease and composure. He rarely showed impatience. Except with Huo Tingshan.
And Huo Tingshan was not exactly a qualified father or an outstanding husband. He carried the cold clarity of someone who had spent years in business, always weighing pros and cons. If the sky fell, his mouth would be there to hold it up.
Her brothers’ attitudes toward him were all subtle and complicated.
Jiang Wu always felt that her father was only hard-mouthed but soft-hearted, though she often did not want to deal with him either.
Jiang Wu controlled the gamepad and played a few rounds of single-player by herself. Only then did Huo Yingli return from the terrace and hand the phone back to her.
Jiang Wu asked, “What happened?”
“Nothing.” Huo Yingli sat down. “Let’s continue.”
He seemed fine on the surface, but Jiang Wu could clearly feel that he was somewhat distracted. Although his phone was on silent, the screen kept lighting up, going dark, then lighting up again.
After watching for a while, Jiang Wu still put down the gamepad and stood. “If you have something to handle, go ahead. I’ll go back to sleep anyway.”
Her tone was light. “Don’t be unhappy. Once you finish being busy today, we’ll go to the beach together tomorrow.”
Jiang Wu stepped down from the sofa and casually patted Huo Yingli’s shoulder. Then she left the living room and returned to her own room.
Huo Yingli sat on the sofa for a while, lowering his eyes to look at his phone. Very soon, he was laughing in frustration at the string of messages.
The next day, his plane landed in Hong Kong at eight in the morning. He called Huo Qingzhi several times, only to hear, “Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off.”
That was the message when a phone was in airplane mode.
As for which flight Huo Qingzhi was on, it went without saying.
By the time the call connected, it was already ten in the morning. He heard Huo Qingzhi offer an uncharacteristically Cantonese greeting. “Morning.”
Huo Yingli also replied falsely and politely, “Morning, Eldest Brother. How thoughtful of you to go to such lengths to get me back here.”
Huo Qingzhi did not take the bait. “The signal at Velaa is poor. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
“Eldest Brother.” Huo Yingli interrupted him. “Little Sister has wild thoughts. Today, she is going out to play with men.”
Huo Yingli stopped there and hung up after saying it. He knew Huo Qingzhi would have a headache today.
It was not as if Huo Qingzhi could cause trouble for him and he would not return the favor. Best if Huo Qingzhi directly stopped Jiang Wu from going out to play, and made Jiang Wu dislike him for it.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Huo Qingzhi listened to the busy tone after the call ended, his expression darkening.
Of course he could guess Huo Yingli’s intentions.
Jiang Wu had just woken up and finished getting ready. She admired herself in the mirror for quite a while.
With Second Brother gone, she could dig out her boldest bikini and change into it.
She wore a sheer skirt, thin enough to reveal her waist and legs, with tassels hanging down to her hips. Beneath it, a shimmering ice-blue bikini held up by a diamond chain around her neck was faintly visible. Several diamond waist chains hung at her waist, outlining her curves.
She looked bold and radiant, yet also generously displaying the gorgeous beauty of a young girl.
Just then, Liang Xiaoyue called to ask, “How have you thought it over, baby? Are you coming today?”
“You invited me so enthusiastically. How could I bear not to go?”
Liang Xiaoyue laughed. “So reluctant?”
“Not at all.” Jiang Wu picked up her shawl and little hat. “Yesterday, my second brother was here, but he went home this morning. “No one is watching me now, so today I can play however I want.”
“I’m heading out now. I’ll come find you at the restaurant in a bit.” Jiang Wu pushed open the door and entered the living room, asking casually, “By the way, how many… you know… tonight?”
“Eight. All passed their health checks and background checks. I booked them from Magic Mike’s new-trainee program. Their histories are clean. I pick people carefully. Don’t worry.” Liang Xiaoyue’s voice came through the speaker.
It coincided with Jiang Wu’s abrupt halt.
Huo Qingzhi stood right before her, having heard every word Liang Xiaoyue said.
Jiang Wu froze in place.
Silence filled the room.
Only the soft clinking of the diamond waist chains, gently swaying against her slender, snow-white waist, broke the stillness.
The diamonds refracted dazzling light, making her skin look luminous and impossibly soft. Like a ripe fruit brimming with juice.
So dazzling it made one dizzy.
So tempting one wanted to tear them apart.