C7 The Familiar Fragrance of a Rose

Huo Feng averted his gaze from Huo Chengzhou's probing eyes. "I'm completely blind for now... but I've heard they're lining up for a corneal transplant. I should be seeing the light again soon."

Huo Chengzhou closed his eyes once more, chuckling with a hint of self-mockery in a tone that betrayed neither happiness nor anger. "Quite the pair, aren't we? A blind man and a cripple."

Scratching his head in confusion, Huo Feng couldn't quite grasp his meaning and said with a hint of irritation, "Could this be Huo Jingzhou's handiwork again?"

With a cold laugh, Huo Chengzhou retorted, "Who else but my dear older brother?"

While talking, Huo Chengzhou reclined on the couch once again, and a conspicuous red mark peeked out from under his shirt collar, puzzling Huo Feng.

It looked like... a hickey?

"Mr. Cheng, your..." Huo Feng gestured towards his neck. "There's something on your neck..."

Huo Chengzhou quickly covered it with his hand and shot him a stern look. "Do you live by the sea or something?"

His implication was clear: it was none of Huo Feng's business.

Mumbling under his breath, Huo Feng said, "I'm just concerned about you, that's all..."

Their conversation was interrupted by the ring of a cell phone. Huo Chengzhou glanced at the caller ID and answered with a touch of lethargy, "Hello, Dad."

Whatever was said on the other end, Huo Chengzhou rubbed his eyes and replied earnestly, "Just woke up, haven't gotten out of bed yet... Marriage certificate? Sure, I'll head out soon."

Once the call ended, Huo Chengzhou's face turned stone-cold, and he casually tossed his phone onto the coffee table with a thud.

Startled, Huo Feng exclaimed, "Mr. Cheng..."

"Alright, get the car ready. We're heading to the Qiao residence."

Huo Feng quickly agreed, "Got it."

As the car rounded a corner into the Emerald District, Huo Feng spotted a woman standing at the entrance of the Qiao residence, holding a guide staff with her back ramrod straight.

Turning to Huo Chengzhou, Huo Feng spoke up, "Mr. Cheng..."

Huo Chengzhou, who had been resting with his eyes closed, lifted his head. "What is it?"

"Is that Miss Qiao An from the Qiao family standing at the door?"

Without a glance, Huo Chengzhou responded indifferently, "How should I know?"

Fair enough.

The car swiftly pulled up beside the woman. As Huo Feng unbuckled his seatbelt, he murmured, "Guess I should go ring the doorbell."

Turning his head, Huo Chengzhou's gaze fell upon a slender woman.

She was clad in a camel coat paired with a white turtleneck sweater, accentuating her long, graceful neck. Her determined eyes fixed forward, a breeze lifting her hair to reveal a palm print on her porcelain-like face.

"That's her," Huo Chengzhou drawled. "Have her get in the car."

Huo Feng hesitated for a split second before replying, "Oh, right."

He stepped out of the car and quickly approached Qiao An, saying, "Miss Qiao, I'm Huo Feng. Mr. Cheng is waiting in the car. We've come to take you to the Civil Affairs Bureau."

A shiver ran through Qiao An, and after a brief hesitation, she nodded, "Alright."

She had been waiting there for quite some time, at one point doubting whether the Huo family would send anyone at all.

Only now did she realize that a commitment, once made, was irrevocable, like water that can't be scooped back.

From the back seat, Huo Chengzhou observed her fleeting hesitation, his gaze turning sharp.

Qiao An slid into the back seat from one side, and Huo Feng shut the door before returning to the driver's seat. The car quickly set off.

In the confined space, Qiao An could distinctly smell the presence of an unfamiliar man, undoubtedly Huo Chengzhou, whom she had yet to meet.

Feeling inexplicably nervous, she pressed herself firmly against the car door.

Noticing her tension, Huo Chengzhou lifted his long fingers, waving them before Qiao An's eyes.

A trace of scent passed fleetingly, causing Qiao An's eyebrows to knit together almost imperceptibly.

The scent was vaguely familiar.

It was peony!