"On the Day of Reunion, The Heir to the Wealthy Family Became My Brother" - Chapter 23

Huo Jinyan paused for a few seconds and looked up at her.

“Your skills are good, much better than before,” he said with a faint smile.

Ning Xin’er felt that his smile was a bit forced.

Curious, she sat down and took a bite.

Hmm, the food tasted great; nothing seemed wrong.

So, why did he…?

They ate in silence, with no conversation.

Ning Xin’er was satisfied with the meal she had prepared. She actually couldn’t cook before.

If it weren’t for eating “instant meals” overseas that made her sick, she thought she would never have developed such good cooking skills.

Suddenly, she remembered something and looked at Huo Jinyan. “Brother Jinyan, do you know where I can rent a place? ”

She had thought about it for a while. Since she was about to graduate, she wanted to move out early.

First, the dorm environment was complicated. Second, she had always wanted to live on her own but never had the chance.

Now, with a little money saved up, renting a basic apartment seemed possible.

Plus, with work approaching, moving out was the logical step.

Huo Jinyan paused and met her sincere gaze. “You want to move out? ”

“Yes, I want to adapt to living independently. You know, I’m graduating soon…” She explained her thoughts carefully.

For some reason, with her parents not around, Ning Xin’er naturally treated Huo Jinyan as someone familiar. Without realizing it, she shared all her thoughts.

“Why not just live with me? ” 

His deep black eyes seemed to hold countless stars.

Ning Xin’er froze, choking on her food.

She quickly waved her hand. “I want to find another place.”

Although Huo Jinyan was her so-called “brother,” she didn’t feel shy enough to stay at his place.

Besides, a single man and a single woman living under one roof—how awkward would that be?

Not to mention, they had that kind of past relationship.

“Don’t worry. I only see you as my little sister. I won’t force you again,” Huo Jinyan said calmly, his tone steady, his gaze without any ripples—just like looking at a sister.

As a sister?

Ning Xin’er carefully observed his expression. A few days ago, he had forced her to break up with her “boyfriend,” and now he had accepted the role of her “brother”?

She was doubtful.

“I’d like to find another place. Brother Jinyan, will you help me? Please? Ning Xin’er looked at him with her big, watery eyes, blinking”.

She wasn’t familiar with renting, so asking him, a local, for help made sense, right?

Huo Jinyan’s eyes darkened.

No matter how he tried to convince her, she’d rather move out than stay with him.

“Okay,” he reluctantly agreed.

After lunch, Huo Jinyan went back to his room and made a phone call.

As soon as Li Xinglei saw the call, he picked up and complained loudly, “Your phone’s been off all day! Old Huo, you’re finally talking to me again! ”

“Where have you been enjoying yourself? Leaving me to fill in your position at work—how could you even think of that?! ”

Sitting in Huo Jinyan’s office chair, Li Xinglei looked utterly miserable.

“I’m handling things on the computer. You just need to sit there and take care of the little stuff.”

Since Huo Jinyan wasn’t at the company, he had pulled Li Xinglei in to manage things. After all, the old executives came to bother him daily.

If no one “helped” to handle the mess, it wouldn’t even take a day before everything would fall back on Huo Jinyan, forcing him to return and take charge.

“You call this little stuff? ”

“Endure through the weekend, and you’ll be free,” Huo Jinyan replied calmly.

“Old Huo, be honest with me—are you in love? Did you ditch work for some girl? ” Li Xinglei sighed dramatically.

In his mind, Huo Jinyan was a complete workaholic.

For three years, Huo Jinyan had done nothing but work.

And now, unbelievably, he was working from home!

“Do you have an apartment in the Yujing Gardens complex? ” Huo Jinyan ignored Li Xinglei’s comments and asked directly.

The Yujing Gardens was where Huo Jinyan lived. Since Ning Xin’er didn’t want to live with him, he thought of letting her stay in the same neighborhood instead.

It wasn’t a bad solution.

“There’s an apartment sitting empty there. Why? ” Li Xinglei asked.

“Sell it to me. I’ll pay double the price,” Huo Jinyan said casually.

Yujing Gardens had a great location and excellent facilities. The apartments were sold out as soon as they were launched. Now, finding an available unit was almost impossible.

“Old Huo, are you out of your mind? Back then, you only bought one unit. Why the sudden change of heart? ” Li Xinglei was shocked.

“You’re not living there anyway. It’s just sitting empty,” Huo Jinyan stated.

Li Xinglei had purchased the property with Huo Jinyan back then because of their close relationship. The two apartments were near each other.

However, Li Xinglei never actually lived there.

This was because of his family’s strict rules, who insisted Li Xinglei return to the family home every day, afraid he’d get into trouble while living alone.

Li Xinglei was known for his playful and carefree personality. On the surface, he looked like a troublemaker, often appearing in tabloids for his flings with different women.

The elder Li cared deeply about family reputation and didn’t want Li Xinglei’s affairs to make headlines, fearing embarrassment.

Li Xinglei, full of curiosity, teased, “So, which girl caught your eye? If my sister finds out, she’ll be heartbroken, Old Huo.”

Huo Jinyan gave a speechless look and replied directly, “One word. Deal or not?”

…

When Huo Jinyan told Ning Xin’er that he had found her a place, she was shocked.

She didn’t expect Huo Jinyan to be so efficient—he had solved the issue in just a few hours!

However…

“Are you sure I can afford a place in Yujing Gardens? ” she asked doubtfully.

Despite her surprise, Ning Xin’er thought the apartment he’d found wasn’t realistic.

With her savings, she could afford a simple place.

But a high-end apartment? Even if she used up all her money, she wouldn’t last a year.

“Brother Jinyan, you’re overestimating me. Could you please help me find somewhere else? ” she said honestly.

She knew her limits.

Rather than living in an expensive apartment and eating plain bread every day, she’d prefer a simpler place where she could still enjoy proper meals.

“That apartment has been empty for a while. The owner is a kind-hearted philanthropist who loves helping others. He said the rent is negotiable,” Huo Jinyan said calmly.

A philanthropist?

Ning Xin’er had never met such a generous person.

“…How much is the monthly rent? ” she asked cautiously.

“One… two…”

“Three thousand five,” Huo Jinyan said tentatively.

“What?! ” Ning Xin’er almost jumped out of her seat, thinking she had misheard.

Three thousand five?! That cheap?!

“If you think it’s too much, I can subsidize it for you,” Huo Jinyan teased her, though he could tell from her reaction that she was willing to accept.

Ning Xin’er shook her head. “No, I’ll pay on my own! ”

She couldn’t believe how affordable it was. Did she just stumble upon an amazing deal?

She planned to rent the place and invite her friend Zeng Yi to move in with her. It felt perfect.

Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, Huo Jinyan smirked slightly.

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