Chapter 74: The Shut-In

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lin Xiaowan leaned against Huo Zheng’s arm and asked curiously, “Why do you usually dress so formally? Do you like it that much?”

In her opinion, it did not matter if he liked to dress formally. It would be good enough for him to dress in a casual manner occasionally when he went out with her.

In fact, Huo Zheng did not have much of a preference when it came to clothes, especially when he was younger. Most of his clothes were already matched before they were hung in his wardrobe. The clothes were sent to him by designers, and he did not personally choose them. Moreover, dressing formally was more of a necessity because of work.

Huo Zheng replied lightly, “I dress formally for work…”

Lin Xiaowan looked at him quietly for a moment before she suddenly asked,

“Can I ask you how your parents passed away?”

However, immediately after asking this question, she was worried that it would make him sad so she quickly added, “It’s fine you don’t want to talk about it! The question just suddenly appeared in my mind!”

Lin Xiaowan only knew that he had taken over Huo Corporation in a hurry after his parents passed away. He had yet to graduate from university at that time, and he had to devote himself to the company. He never knew the reason for his parents’ death.

Huo Zheng stroked her hair and said, “It’s fine.”

Apart from a hint of sadness, there was also admiration for his parents and their relationship when he thought about them.

“My mother’s health had always been poor. She was also a lot older than my father. In the end, she died of illness. After her death, my father resigned and let me manage the affairs of the company. Since I had already been learning to manage the company, it didn’t take a lot to get used to it. I also knew the shareholders. Apart from that, my father also taught me a lot so it did not take long for me to completely familiarize myself with the company.

“How old were you at that time?” Lin Xiaowan asked.

“I was in my third year in university.”

Lin Xiaowan nodded and continued to listen attentively. She thought Huo Zheng’s parents had died at the same time. As it turned out, that was not the case.

After checking that Lin Xiaowan was fine, Huo Zheng continued to say, “A year later, on the anniversary of my mother’s death, my father took his life. He arranged everything and left a will behind.”

Lin Xiaowan exclaimed softly, surprised by the sudden turn of the story. Then, she reached out to hug Huo Zheng and gently patted his pack, clumsily comforting him in her own way.

Huo Zheng smiled and kissed the top of her forehead before he said, “It’s fine. Outsiders were blindsided by it, but my brother and I weren’t extremely surprised. He left a short letter for us, telling us not to be sad because he went to look for the person he loved.”

Huo Zheng rarely reminisced about the past. After all, the past could not be changed. What was the point of reminiscing about the past? However, at this moment, he could not help but think about the first year after his mother’s death.

His mother’s death was not unexpected because she had been ill for a long time. Therefore, although he and Huo Cheng were sad, they managed to come to terms with her death.

However, it was different with his father. His father seemed to age greatly and rapidly after his mother passed away. His father would not allow anyone else to clean their bedroom or touch and move the things in their bedroom. It was as though he was trying to forcefully stop time in the bedroom.

Huo Zheng accidentally came across a letter from his father to his mother by chance later on. His father had earnestly asked his mother to wait for him, hoping to reunite with her in death. His father had loved his mother too much.

Ever since the room was converted into a studio and Hong Minhua came over to teach her, Lin Xiaowan had nothing else to do. Just like that, she became a shut-in again.

There was a housekeeper to clean the house, and a chef to cook their meals. With this, she really had nothing to do.

Even Aunt Wu, the nanny, felt like Lin Xiaowan was too much of a homebody. Usually, she would go square dancing at night. In the morning, she would go to a small park nearby to practice Tai Chi with other elderly people.

This morning, when Aunt Wu saw Lin Xiaowan yawning after breakfast, she advised Lin Xiaowan to go for a walk.

“It’s neither hot nor cold now; the weather is good. Why don’t you go for a walk, Miss Lin? It’s good for your health to bask in the sun. It’ll help with your bone maintenance.”

Lin Xiaowan rubbed her stomach, completely uninterested. She felt that lying down after eating was the happiest thing in the world. She said, “I don’t want to move… Moreover, I did bask in the sun.”

Lin Xiaowan liked to sleep by the bay window in the afternoon. She would wear her eye mask and hug her life-size plushie to sleep. The noon sun made her feel warm and cozy.

Aunt Wu laughed. “You look like a kitten when you do that.”

After Aunt Wu swept the floor and watered the plants, she walked around the house and confirmed that there was nothing else that needed to be done. After that, she changed her shoes, preparing to go out. She asked, “I’m going to the supermarket. Miss Lin, do you want to come with me?”

Lin Xiaowan quickly got up. She had not had any snacks lately so it was time to go shopping. She hurriedly said, “Of course! Let’s go to the baking shop!”

Lin Xiaowan quickly went and changed. When she came downstairs, Aunt Wu asked, “Miss Lin, is there anything you want to buy from the baking shop?”

Lin Xiaowan recently went to the website Gu Yuwu had shown her previously. She had set baking as her preference so she was shown many videos of Eastern and Western desserts. She even saved the videos in a playlist and named it, ‘I Can Do It If I Put My Mind to It’.

“I want to buy some supplies. I want to try baking,” Lin Xiaowan said.

When Aunt Wu came for the interview, she had brought her certificate with her. She was a certified traditional pastry chef in Shangxia. When she was working in the kindergarten, she was responsible for making desserts for the children.

“Aunt Wu, you have experience so you must help me,” Lin Xiaowan said.

Aunt Wu was naturally happy to show off her skills and readily agreed.

“Of course!”

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