C33

"Hey, Erya, let go of my Fluffy!"

Elder Qian couldn't wait to settle the score with someone behind him. He quickly grabbed his usual fortune-telling cane, put on a pair of dark sunglasses, and dashed out of the back room, looking every bit like a flustered fortune-teller.

Huo Lingxiao stood up with a smile. "Little rascal, I'll come and see you too."

With those words, the tall, slender man took a few strides out of the back room, heading toward the front yard.

In the front yard, there was a cacophony of cat meows and human shouts. A cat, a young girl, and a fortune-teller were running around the spacious yard, creating quite the chaotic scene.

"Erya, you little rascal, put Fluffy down right now!" Elder Qian shouted, pretending to be blind as he ran, panting heavily.

Up ahead, Ye Yuvyuv laughed mischievously, holding the chubby cat named Fluffy that Elder Qian treasured dearly, teasing him by running around the yard.

"Giggle..."

Ye Yuvyuv ran joyfully, her pearly white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Her cheeks were rosy, a stark contrast to the pale, bloodless look she had while sleeping earlier.

When Huo Lingxiao reached the front yard, his eyes were filled with the sight of the young girl's vibrant, youthful smile, fluttering like a colorful butterfly, a sight to behold.

But it was tough for Elder Qian, who was chasing after Ye Yuvyuv. He had to pretend to be blind while trying to save his beloved Fluffy, the cat that had been with him for years.

"Erya, stop right there! Don't scare my Fluffy..."

Elder Qian shouted in distress, almost driven to tears by this mischievous girl who had been causing trouble since she woke up. This little rascal was just as unlikable as she was when she was a kid.

She was enough to drive anyone crazy.

As Elder Qian chased the mischievous girl, he couldn't help but recall when she was six years old. Somehow, she had heard that he was the one who gave her her nickname, and she came at him with a fire poker.

"I need to settle the score with him."

If it weren't for Ye Mingyuan, that stingy old man, stopping this mischievous girl, his five-room house would have been reduced to ashes. Since then, this little troublemaker has held a grudge against him. Honestly, if he had known, he wouldn't have swindled Ye Mingyuan out of those hundred coins. In the end, it was his own downfall.

"Oh dear, my little flower, my cat!"

"Yuvyuv, be good, and give the cat back to Uncle Qian."

Huo Lingxiao, with a charming and otherworldly smile, caught the girl by her slender waist just as she was about to breeze past him. With a firm pull, he drew her into his strong chest.

"You, you, Huo Lingxiao, what are you doing here?" Ye Yuvyuv exclaimed, wide-eyed, only just realizing there was someone else in the courtyard.

Huo Lingxiao's face, initially amused, turned serious. He deliberately pinched the girl's soft waist.

"Ouch, that hurts," Ye Yuvyuv winced, pouting in complaint.

"You little rascal, didn't see me, did you? You need a lesson," Huo Lingxiao said, playfully ruffling her hair.

Ye Yuvyuv, even more annoyed, threatened to throw whatever she was holding at Huo Lingxiao.

"Hey, don't throw it, please! That's my little flower," Elder Qian, who had been trying to ignore the young couple, suddenly became anxious. His precious cat was still in the girl's hands.

Elder Qian, though seemingly indifferent, was sharp and cunning. He thought to himself, "When Ye Mingyuan, that stingy old man, finds out his precious daughter, whom he's cherished for over a decade, is about to be swept away by the Huo family's young wolf, he'll be hopping mad!"

Elder Qian was getting more and more amused. He almost clapped his hands in delight, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. Finally, he managed to reclaim his little treasure, Xiaohua, and quickly whisked her away. He had no intention of leaving her with that troublesome girl any longer, fearing she'd be tormented.

In the front yard, Huo Lingxiao lounged comfortably on a bench, holding a soft, fragrant young woman in his arms. A rare smile graced his usually stern face. "Stay still, let me hold you for a bit," he murmured.

"Why should I let you hold me, you jerk? You’re such a creep," Yuvyuv snapped, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. She tried to push away from the man’s solid embrace, but despite using all her strength, she couldn't budge him an inch.

Instead, his grip only tightened, and she fumed, "Huo Lingxiao, let go of me! Do you even realize what you're doing right now?"

Huo Lingxiao chuckled, his voice low and magnetic as he leaned closer to her ear. "Tell me, what am I doing, hmm?"

The warmth of his breath on her ear made her shiver, and the casual touch of his hand on her waist filled her with a mix of shame and fury. She wanted nothing more than to get away from this shameless man. "You're being a complete jerk, acting like a creep, harassing an innocent girl," she spat.

He scoffed lightly, "How is it creepy to hold my future wife, hmm?"

With a teasing breath on her sensitive earlobe, he gently turned her face toward him with a long finger, his deep eyes locking onto hers. His voice was irresistibly seductive, "Remember what I’m telling you today. You’re my woman, and you’ll always be mine."

Yuvyuv suddenly felt a chill run through her body, startled by the man in front of her declaring his dominance. Her eyes widened in disbelief, looking at him as if he were crazy. "You, you, Ho... mmph..."

Before she could shout "crazy!" her words were silenced by his wild kiss. The intense, masculine scent unique to him overwhelmed her, his wild and domineering nature invading her senses.

His kiss was forceful, passionate, entwining with her lips, leaving no room for escape, as if he were addicted to her very breath. The air was thick with the heat of their entanglement.

Yuvyuv's initial resistance quickly crumbled under his relentless assault, leaving her breathless. Her mind felt like it was short-circuiting, her whole body ignited by his fervent kiss, making her feel unbearably overwhelmed.

She was struggling to catch her breath. "Mmph..." Yuvyuv's face flushed as she whimpered, wanting to plead for mercy. But the man before her had transformed into a relentless predator, and she was the prey caught in his grip, being devoured by his intensity.

Oh, this shameless jerk. How dare he? In broad daylight, he dared to take advantage of her. Oh, someone, please save her. If no one comes, this big bad wolf is really going to devour her.

This shameless demon. In her whimpering, Yuvyuv finally succumbed, fainting from the intensity of his fierce and domineering kiss. As she lost consciousness, her eyes flashed with a look that could kill, filled with a burning desire for revenge.

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