The ninth record, an unspoken understanding

In public, their ambiguous behaviors were both graceful and composed, yet behind closed doors, they each maintained their own boundaries. Everyone knew she was his mistress, favored concubine, and cherished possession. The rumors outside painted them as scandalously indulgent, and even Lord Qin believed that Huo Zhongheng was lost in a world of tenderness. Only Yun Yi understood that it was not at all like that.

The soft handkerchief pressed against the face, the skin it touched, is the softness of her fingertips

A strange sensation stirred within him, as if a sweet fragrance was wafting through the air, emanating from the perfume on her wrist... Huo Zhongheng smiled, unable to help but grasp her delicate wrist, leaning down to inhale the scent, but his gaze caught sight of the snow-white linen handkerchief in her hand

Yun Yi pressed her lips together, her voice soft and gentle, "I was thinking of returning it to you, but I always forget."

At such a critical moment, the voices of the actual parties involved are instead drowned out by the overwhelming opinions of others

He treated her not like a mistress, but rather like a friend, a partner, or a rival

A sensational beauty contest captivated the entire city, and the next day, the street vendors were all shouting the same tabloid headline—"Young Master Xue Presents Beauty Before the Feast, General Huo Smiles Embracing the Beauty"

He said that interactions between intelligent individuals are both the most difficult and the easiest

Huo Zhongheng's face was drenched, and he awkwardly raised his sleeve to wipe it, but today he was wearing a British-made trench coat, made of military-grade waterproof fabric, which felt cold and stiff against his face and did not absorb any water. Just as he was feeling troubled and impatient, he heard Yun Yi laughingly say, "I'll do it."

But the blood-red mire still clung to her legs, rendering her unable to move... "Yun Yi!" Huo Zhongheng's voice rose, dispelling the illusions of her dream. Yun Yi suddenly opened her eyes, beads of sweat breaking out, and stared at him, her face filled with panic. Before Huo Zhongheng could speak, she had already thrown herself into his arms, her body trembling uncontrollably.

He had just mocked Yunyi for her timidity, and now it was Yunyi's turn to laugh at his embarrassment with a high-pitched voice

Yun Yi gazed at Huo Zhongheng's profile in a daze, only to see him suddenly rise, reaching out to grab the fishing rod beneath her feet, "There's a fish!" Before she could react, the surface of the misty lake erupted with splashes of water. Huo Zhongheng swiftly pulled the fishing rod, sending the shiny fishing line slicing through the air, and with a splash, he yanked a large silver carp out of the water! Yun Yi was caught off guard, getting splashed all over, and she let out a startled cry. Huo Zhongheng laughed heartily, bent down to retrieve the fishhook, and tossed the large fish into the bucket with both hands. Unexpectedly, the fish, on the verge of death, struggled and splashed a large amount of water, drenching Huo Zhongheng from head to toe.

I dreamed of a monster She shrank slightly in his arms and lied as a matter of course

This is an unspoken understanding between the two, where both are fully aware of each other's intentions, thus eliminating unnecessary suspicion

Despite the overcoat, he could still feel her frail body. Huo Zhongheng was momentarily taken aback and silently embraced her, asking, "What did you dream about?"

Since Huo Zhongheng publicly accepted the "gift" presented by Xue Jinming, he has often kept Yunyi by his side, openly attending social events together. Yunyi lives alone in that small mansion, while Huo Zhongheng mostly resides in the official residence, occasionally accompanied by other popular singers or socialites. However, he must spend one or two nights each week at the small mansion... Yet, he does not touch her, nor has he ever kissed her

A pair of large hands gripped her tightly, shaking her violently, pinching her shoulders painfully, pulling her back from the nightmare.

Huo Zhongheng left with beauty, Yunyi concealed herself in a golden chamber, no longer showing her face to the world... As for Xue Jinming, who would believe that he had nothing to do with this matter? Xue Jinming never dreamed that, with his ability to command the winds and traverse the flower fields, he would fall into the hands of a woman, becoming a stepping stone and a pawn for others, and in a state of ignorance, his reputation was ruined, and he was abandoned by all.

"Have you always kept it?" Huo Zhongheng's voice was low and gentle, yet she did not dare to raise her eyes to look at him, her face feeling as if it were burning with a fiery heat.

Yun Yi sat expressionless, lazily leaning on the sofa, staring blankly at her bright red lipstick

Yun Yi instinctively shuddered, as if she could once again see the sight of blood everywhere, warm and thick, gushing from that person's throat... No, it cannot be spoken of; that is a secret permanently sealed away, known to no one.

Yun Yi lowered her head and brushed her hair, feeling a twinge of panic in her heart, along with an indescribable mix of emotions intertwined within.

Yun Yi felt a slight tightening in her heart as he grasped her wrist. She hurried to pull her hand away, but noticed that he was intently staring at that handkerchief.

He can walk, read, chat, and fish with her... they get along harmoniously, sharing laughter and joy; he treats her with great respect and tolerance, appreciating and agreeing with most of her views, and when they occasionally disagree, they simply laugh it off; he does not restrict her freedom of action; if she is a canary, she is a canary without the confines of a cage

In the evening, the lake surface was stirred by the wind, causing the withered lotus leaves on the water to sway gently.

"The Young Master Presents Beauty, The General Exudes Charm," a striking headline in the newspaper, accompanied by exaggerated cartoons. The article concealed the true names of the individuals involved, yet it only fueled further speculation.

The adjutant stood far on the shore, hearing the laughter of two people coming from the pavilion in the middle of the lake, and couldn't help but chuckle. Having followed the commander for so many years, he had never seen him display such childlike merriment. As the ancients said, "An old man can still express youthful exuberance," it is evident that a man past his thirties, once in love, can be just as fervent as a young man.

"The four young masters, who are exceptionally talented, it is indeed surprising that you are willing to part with them." Pei Wuli stood behind Master Qin, smiling with a superficial politeness as he observed Yun Yi. Seeing her unresponsive, he continued with a half-hearted smile, "Speaking of which, with General Huo as this great support, tsk tsk..."

Lord Qin tossed the newspaper back onto the table with a snap, took off his pipe, and chuckled, "Good, very good, with one move, we have achieved two goals; now we just await a series of splendid performances"

Yun Yi is a renowned performer who was single-handedly elevated to fame by Young Master Xue, with a reputation built on wealth and a dazzling entrance... It turns out that everything was merely a long-planned scheme by Young Master Xue to showcase beauty. At this point, public opinion was in an uproar, with everyone saying that Xue Jinming was deeply scheming and adept at navigating circumstances. No one expected that he had actually been the first to turn to Huo Zhongheng, and that he had employed such means.

Not only did Fang Jiqiao not anticipate this, but even Li Mengyuan was caught off guard

She had just raised her head to say something, but saw that he had already stood up, hands behind his back, stepping out of the pavilion, "Let's go, it's time to return"

Huo Zhongheng gazed at her for a while, and without saying much more, he smiled faintly and said, "Just keep it."

He also detected her lie, but did not expose it. Instead, he smiled and patted her on the back, saying, "Aren't you just hiding comfortably in the arms of a monster?" Hearing him compare himself to a monster, Yun Yi couldn't help but chuckle. When she looked up, she unexpectedly met his gaze as he leaned down, his lips barely brushing against her forehead. Both of them paused, suddenly aware of the ambiguous intimacy between them, and instinctively turned to the side to avoid it.

Lord Qin interrupted Pei Wu's words, ultimately considering Yun Yi's dignity, and smiled at her with a pleasant expression: "Xue Jinming is now utterly resentful towards you and Huo Zhongheng, yet he is powerless against you both. The situation in Beiping has already troubled him for a while. From now on, you only need to focus on dealing with Huo Zhongheng, and do not concern yourself with others for the time being"

In a moment of urgency, she accidentally took the wrong one; she clearly intended to take her own handkerchief. In an instant, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and Yun Yi, who had witnessed countless romantic encounters, felt her face burn with shame over a mere handkerchief

The day after the banquet, Li Mengyuan immediately set off back to Beiping, not even having seen Xue Jinming, clearly infuriated by his betrayal of the family's position. Fang Jiqiao, however, was the most awkward person; although he had salvaged his face, he had disrupted his stance, finding himself in a dilemma.