In order to avoid unnecessary contact with Huo Tinglan, Ye Ci dared not get up late from that day on.
Huo Tinglan holds a high position but is extremely self-disciplined. Unless he comes home late, he wakes up almost as early as Ye Ci, a high school student.
After figuring out Huo Tinglan's daily routine, Ye Ci simply followed the rule of going to bed early and getting up early. He got up at dawn, ate breakfast in a hurry and went to school. In the evening, the private high school finished early, so he took the initiative to finish two evening self-study classes and then went to the racetrack to compete. If he felt good, he would run more games, and if he was not in good condition, he would stay in the lounge and read books.
The amount of medical expenses owed to Chu Wenlin was huge, and he couldn't pay it back in a year or two. He was not in a hurry, but having more cash in his hand could give him more confidence in the uncertain situation and prevent him from being manipulated by others. Although he could theoretically get astronomical assets from Huo Tinglan after the marriage, Ye Ci never coveted those things that did not belong to him.
Seeing that Ye Ci was not at home all day and was obviously avoiding him, Huo Tinglan was not in a hurry. He only ordered the kitchen to customize the menu, eliminating overly luxurious and exquisite dishes, and focusing on nutritious and delicious home-cooked meals. He also asked Uncle He to watch Ye Ci eat and go to and from school every day.
An eighteen-year-old omega married a strange and older alpha, with no family protection... Such behavior is normal.
It's like a stray kitten that has suffered too much and has become withdrawn and alert. When it sees people approaching, it will wave its little paws to bluff, being both fierce and timid.
If he starts chasing after Ye Ci and trying to get close to him, he will only be regarded as a hooligan with bad intentions, and no matter how much he does, it will only have a counterproductive effect.
Therefore, no matter how urgent or eager he was, he had to be patient and give Ye Ci enough space to let him adapt slowly.
However, some people don't think so.
Ever since she learned that her son had quietly brought a little omega with a 100% match from Chu Wenlin and placed him at home, Lin Yao has thrown away her usual elegance and grace. She has called Huo Tinglan three times a day, anxiously urging him to bring the boy to the old house for her to see. She has also advised him not to miss the opportunity. She is quite dissatisfied with Huo Tinglan's statement that "the purpose of marriage is to combine the Huo and Chu families and alleviate the susceptible period syndrome", and she wholeheartedly hopes that the two of them can turn their fake play into reality and give birth to a little heir to the Huo family.
That night, Huo Tinglan was alone in the study handling official business. While flipping through documents, he paid half an ear to Lin Yao's gentle words to him.
“… You are already thirty years old…”
"... The Huo family needs a legitimate heir. At your age, it's time to consider having children..."
"... I heard that he is studying in Tiancheng, and his academic performance should be excellent. I don't think it matters whether he is the blood of the main branch of the Chu family..."
"… With such a rare match, and you're married, you should at least try dating. I heard that you guys barely talk to each other all day, so how do you know you're not compatible? I've seen your photos, and you look so adorable, you're not a bachelor, are you…"
Huo Tinglan just listened with a smile on his lips, and occasionally said "hmm" gently.
"At least, you have to bring the person to me and your father, right? Even if the wedding is postponed, we still have to pick a time to hold the family banquet for the Huo and Chu families, otherwise it would be unreasonable..."
"We can have a family dinner." Huo Tinglan agreed, but then changed the subject, "Let's talk about it after I finish my work."
It is really unacceptable to get married, postpone the wedding, and not hold the family banquet.
But Ye Ci has always been resistant to such social occasions, and Huo Tinglan does not intend to add to Ye Ci's troubles with these trivial matters before the relationship is broken.
I finally managed to get him home... What if he gets scared away
"You..." Lin Yao was so angry that she started to recite again.
After finally dealing with Lin Yao, it was already past half past nine. Huo Tinglan rubbed his brows tiredly.
I don’t know when Ye Ci will be willing to get closer to him.
His next susceptible period is approaching, probably in the next few days, and he hasn't figured out how to make the request tactfully so as not to scare Ye Ci.
As he was thinking, there was a knock on the study door.
"Please come in." Huo Tinglan raised his eyes.
"Sir," Uncle He pushed open the door, looking a little anxious, holding his phone in one hand, and said in a low voice, "The police called and said that Master Ye beat up several people at the racetrack and is now being detained in the police station for questioning. Do you think you can send someone to bring Master Ye out..."
Huo Tinglan was startled and said, "I'll go take a look," then stood up, grabbed his coat and walked out quickly.
He knew that Ye Ci was good at fighting. After all, the result of Ye Ci's initial differentiation was a level A alpha. Before the second differentiation, his body had been developing according to the genetic blueprint of a higher-level alpha. His muscle control accuracy, explosive power, and nerve reflex speed were all quite outstanding. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to succeed in the field of Formula One racing.
However, Huo Tinglan only "knows" it on a theoretical level.
In fact, he had never seen Ye Ci fight. Firstly, violent behavior could result in an athlete being banned from the sport. Secondly, given Ye Ci's cold and indifferent personality in his previous life, as if he didn't care about anything, it was impossible for him to swing his fist at anyone.
… As a result, within less than half a month, he was already in jail for beating someone up.
It turns out that eighteen-year-old Ye Ci is like this.
Huo Tinglan's heart skipped a beat at an inopportune moment.
…
At 7:30, the school bell rang.
Tiancheng Private High School advocates a free and independent learning atmosphere. Evening self-study is not compulsory and half of the students have already left.
In the last row of the classroom, Ye Ci supported his forehead with one hand, tilted his body slightly awkwardly, and used his arm to block his deskmate's gaze from glancing at him.
The physics test paper handed out in the fourth class in the morning was said to be for basic consolidation. His deskmate's grades were in the middle of the class, but he finished the test paper like a game during the lunch break. Not to mention those top students, they probably didn't even bother to do such a simple question.
Ye Ci clenched the sweaty pen and skipped another question.
The large blank areas on the test paper made his scalp tingle - if this was the college entrance examination, he would have failed.
Before dropping out of school, Ye Ci studied in an ordinary high school. Despite his poor English skills, he was still among the top students in his grade. Physics was once his best subject.
However, the teaching level of the ordinary high school he attended before was very different from that of this private school. He had been absent from school for too long and had too many gaps in knowledge. He didn't know where to start when he asked the teacher questions. A subject teacher was responsible for two or three classes of students, so he didn't have time to help him with each question. He could only study on his own, but the results were not good. As for his poor English, it was hit even harder in a private school where each student learned two foreign languages.
Ye Ci felt that he was not even good enough to be a poor student. He was just a handful of sand that would be blown away by the wind.
"Hey, move aside, I'm going out." My desk mate stood up and walked out, his tone indifferent.
Ye Ci had been transferred here for more than a month, and he had almost no interaction with his classmates. Most of the children who could study here were either rich or noble, and they knew each other well. They knew that there were no wealthy families with the surname Ye in City B, so they did not take the initiative to socialize with Ye Ci - not because they looked down on him, but because there was no need - plus Ye Ci was a loner, and several alpha young masters who tried to show their affection to him were rejected. His classmates knew that he was not easy to get along with, so even fewer people talked to him.
Even during physical education class, he would find a place to stay alone.
His forehead was hot and damp, probably because he was anxious. His palms left red marks on his forehead, but luckily his hair covered it. Ye Ci casually threw his pen into the desk, folded the test paper leisurely, picked up his schoolbag and walked out, as if he had no intention of doing the questions at all, and wasted time in the evening self-study just to report to his parents.
The more pitiful he is, the more he fears people will pity him.
Ye Ci was anxious because he couldn't finish the test paper. To make matters worse, he ran into a group of people at the racetrack who made him even more anxious.
Last time, about half a month ago, he beat up a jerk who was trying to make him crash at the racetrack. He knew the right measure and didn't go too far. He didn't touch the 3,000 yuan bet that he should have taken. After all, he had beaten someone up, so he should just use it as medical expenses. According to his previous experience on the streets, this was called taking a step back, and anyone with a bit of shame wouldn't bother him anymore.
The problem is that the bastard is shameless.
After disappearing for half a month and recovering from his injuries, the wretch led a few small wretches to try to get back at him. Ye Ci had an impression of his cheap yellow hair and recognized him at a glance. The yellow-haired man was holding a steel pipe in his hand, and his vulgar curses about reproductive organs could be heard from two blocks away.
At that time, Ye Ci had just finished racing with others, his body was steaming hot, his sports jacket was open, revealing the blue and white school uniform shirt underneath, which looked clean and fresh.
Speeding helped him to ease his mood. The strong wind blowing across his body while he was speeding helped to dispel a lot of the depression in his chest. Unfortunately, this good mood did not last long.
He sat astride the heavy motorcycle, quietly looking at the group of people coming from afar.
There are many people, but the food is so delicious that you can see it with your naked eyes.
Either he is a skinny guy like Huangmao or a fat guy with a weak constitution, covered in lard from beer and barbecue, which looks good but is useless.
Before anyone came close, Ye Ci took out a cigarette case and a lighter.
He was not addicted to smoking, and could not finish a pack of cigarettes even if the paper box was wrinkled, but his posture was familiar. He tilted his head to the side, his thin eyelids drooped, and raised the burning cigarette butt upwards. He took a sip, and his beautiful eyebrows and eyes like porcelain paintings were hidden behind the smoke, making him look ruffian.
In a fight, the one with more momentum wins half the battle.
"That little bastard!" The yellow-haired man came closer, spat a mouthful of thick phlegm onto the track, pointed at Ye Ci, and the following obscene words were too filthy to listen to.
Ye Ci glanced at the surveillance camera calmly, finished half of his cigarette, stepped out of the car and rubbed out the cigarette butt, with a few sparks leaking out from between his fingers.
He rolled up his school uniform sleeves, with no expression on his face, and without saying anything harsh, he simply said, "Come."
“Fuck you…” Several people rushed forward cursing, the leader pushed Ye Ci on the shoulder and swung a steel pipe at him.
Ye Ci deliberately let him shove hard within the surveillance range, then stepped aside, clasped the man's wrist with five fingers, and twisted it with skill. The man shuddered in pain, and the steel pipe fell to the ground. Ye Ci stomped on it and made it bounce up, then grabbed it with his backhand and swung it hard at the man's knee!
The man stumbled to the ground, his mouth full of blood.
The whole set of movements took only two or three seconds, and the others were still unaware of the situation.
Ye Ci weighed the steel pipe, and found that the weight and length were both suitable. He nodded slightly to the thug with blood in his mouth and said, "Thank you."
—Thanks to that guy for being thoughtful and preparing weapons for him when he came to cause trouble.
He was not good at speaking and was disgusted by the provocative way of his opponents, so he developed the skill of expressing sarcasm with the fewest words.
“Fuck your mother…” The yellow-haired guy was stunned for a moment before he reacted. His face was distorted with anger. He waved his hand and led a few thugs to pounce on them.
…
Police station.
In the guard room, Ye Ci sat on the edge of the bed, with an English book rolled up in his left hand, quietly memorizing words.
He was not a frequent visitor to the police station, but he was definitely not unfamiliar with it, so he stayed calm and did what he was supposed to do.
The gang that came to cause trouble tonight had stolen weapons and were arrogant and conspicuous. Someone called the police before the fight started. Ye Ci carefully beat them up one by one, and then the police car arrived. After checking his ID, the police saw that he was still in high school and said they would notify his family and school. Ye Ci really didn't want to meet Chu Wenlin, so he hesitated and reported Uncle He's phone number.
Not long after the call was made, the door of the guard room was pushed open. Ye Ci thought it was Uncle He, so he looked up without any precaution, but was startled by the tall and straight figure of Huo Tinglan at the door.
Huo Tinglan had a jacket draped over his forearms, and his suit vest and black shirt framed his well-defined chest muscles and a sharp waist. The collar of his shirt was open and his hair was undone. There was an unfathomable look on his handsome face, as if he was smiling, but there was no curve at the corners of his lips.
He first checked Ye Ci from head to toe, and seeing that he was indeed not injured and even his school uniform was neat, he said, "You can go home now."
Ye Ci put away his English book, distanced himself from Huo Tinglan, and walked out of the hut slowly. In the corridor stood an auxiliary police officer and a smart-looking man in a suit and leather shoes, who looked like a lawyer. Huo Tinglan nodded at him, and he went downstairs first with the auxiliary police officer in charge of guarding.
"Have you had dinner?" Huo Tinglan asked calmly.
"…No." Ye Ci paused, as if afraid of being concerned, and quickly added, "I'm not hungry."
"Even if you're not hungry, you can't stay hungry all the time. Go back and eat something simple." Huo Tinglan said in a gentle voice.
Ye Ci was absent-minded and didn't respond. After a moment of silence, he clenched his hands and asked, "How much did you pay... Medical expenses? I'll pay you back."
According to Ye Ci's experience, if a fight could be released so easily, it must be because the defendant accepted mediation and paid compensation.
That money is nothing to Huo Tinglan, but he has to take his own responsibility.
"No need to compensate." There was no one in the corridor. Huo Tinglan stopped and turned to look over.
Ye Ci was only half a head shorter than him, which was considered very tall for an omega, but he was thin and looked even smaller in the loose sportswear. The fingers that gripped the straps of his schoolbag were as delicate as scallions, yet he was unexpectedly so steady and fierce when he beat someone up.
"Why... don't you have to pay?" Ye Ci asked.
"According to the surveillance and injury report, you were acting in self-defense," Huo Tinglan added. "But their problems of fighting with weapons and provoking disturbances were more serious."
The charge of provoking disturbances is enough to make that group of people suffer for a while.
Ye Ci said nothing more, but his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed.
"One against five." Huo Tinglan recalled the surveillance footage retrieved from the racetrack, and finally couldn't help but smile, which spread to the corners of his lips. He controlled his tone and joked in a non-frivolous manner, "Not bad for your skills."
Ye Ci glanced at him quickly, then lowered his eyes.
After all, he was a teenage boy, so he was very pleased with the words "good skills", but he quickly suppressed the proud and shy smile and said "hmm" indifferently.
Huo Tinglan saw Ye Ci's fleeting expression clearly, and his mind moved.
This was an expression he would never see on Ye Ci's face in his previous life. Ye Ci, who hadn't been much moved when he won the Formula One championship trophy, would actually jump for joy at the age of eighteen because of the words "good skills".
So childish, so cute.
The evil taste of the alpha in his bones emerged faintly, scratching at the tip of his heart, making Huo Tinglan feel numb and itchy, but he resisted it, suppressed the evil fire, and did not tease Ye Ci as he pleased, but just said in a gentle voice: "Let's go."