Chapter 190: Chapter 83: Top Star of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (22)

The windows in the room were wide open. A light blue bedsheet and duvet cover were drying on the balcony. The floors and furniture were spotless, and the faint, clean scent of soap lingered in the air.

Liu Mingkun poked his head in and couldn’t help but laugh. "Well now, Brother Hao, your VIP reception is praiseworthy. To think you’d clean so thoroughly without saying a word..."

A trainload of teasing remarks died in his throat the moment he met Huo Tianhao’s unsmiling gaze.

After settling the children onto the bed, Huo Tianhao pulled out a stack of meal tickets and shoved them at Liu Mingkun, giving him a look that said it all.

Liu Mingkun chuckled and rubbed his nose. He looked around, then grabbed He Qingran by the arm. "Come on, let’s go. I’ll show you around the transportation team’s grounds, and we can swing by the cafeteria to see what you like to eat."

Though a little tired, He Qingran smiled and didn’t refuse. As she was leaving, she patted Xia Zhaoyun’s shoulder and whispered, "Yunyun, I’ve been thinking. A house is important, sure, but finding a partner for life is so much harder. If it comes down to it, just forget about the house!"

"Besides, you’re so skilled. The transportation team’s arts troupe would definitely be happy to have you..."

Feeling a headache coming on, Xia Zhaoyun pushed her toward the door. "Qingran, don’t worry about my problems. Right now, you’re the one who’s met a potential match."

"You should get all the details on him, and later we can ask around and see if he’s a good fit."

He Qingran’s face instantly flushed red. She stomped her foot in embarrassment. "Comrade Xia Zhaoyun, you’re terrible!"

With that, she turned and ran off.

Xia Zhaoyun pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She closed the door and turned, only to find the man standing right behind her.

The smile on her face faded. "Brother Hao, thank you for your help these past couple of days."

Huo Tianhao turned and poured two glasses of water—one of which was brown sugar water for Xia Zhaoyun. He then sat on the sofa, tilted his chin up, and said, "Sit down. Let’s talk."

The apartment was a standard one-bedroom layout of about fifty square meters, so the living room wasn’t large to begin with. The man’s tall, imposing frame and his predatory aura—like a leopard feigning laziness while stalking its prey—made the room feel even more cramped.

For some reason, Xia Zhaoyun’s recently calmed heart began to race again. She shuffled hesitantly to the seat farthest away from him and sat down.

Huo Tianhao leaned forward slightly, pushing the glass of water toward her. He rested his arms on his knees, interlaced his fingers, and stared at her with his deep eyes. "Tell me what’s going on between you and... Huo Tianhao."

"And tell me the truth. Don’t try to pull the same wool over my eyes that you do with everyone else!"

Xia Zhaoyun clutched the warm glass, braced herself, and took a sip. She continued to feign ignorance. "Brother Hao, I don’t understand what you mean."

Huo Tianhao scoffed. He leaned in, trapping her between his body and the sofa. His eyes narrowed as he said coolly, "Xia Zhaoyun, there are two things I hate most in this world. The first is disloyalty. The second is deceit!"

"However, seeing as I’ve also told a big lie, I’ll give you one chance to confess for a lighter sentence. Tell me," he leaned in so close their breath mingled, "when was I ever stupid enough to spend an entire night in the rain with you?"

"When did I bring you breakfast, make you brown sugar water, or run halfway across the city to buy you some red-fleshed roasted sweet potato?"

Xia Zhaoyun’s mind went blank. She couldn’t process what was happening.

"What? Weren’t you so moved by my deep love that you decided to live as my widow? You even adopted two children to carry on my line. And now, I’m standing right here, alive and well, and you don’t even recognize me?"

"Brother Hao, this... this joke isn’t funny at all," Xia Zhaoyun said with an awkward laugh, pushing against his chest.

But it was already getting hot in mid-May, and the man was only wearing a white shirt. Through the thin fabric, she could feel the heat radiating from his firm chest. He stiffened at her touch, his muscles twitching involuntarily...

Then, as if they had both touched a live wire, they recoiled to opposite sides.

Huo Tianhao cleared his throat. "Comrade Xia Zhaoyun, this is no joke. I am your beloved Huo Tianhao!"

Xia Zhaoyun still couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. The early summer evening suddenly felt chillingly cold. She stammered, "But... but didn’t you fall off a cliff?"

"The comrades who were escorting the supplies with you saw you fall with their own eyes. They even brought back your blood-stained clothes."

"Could it be... could it be that you’ve possessed someone else’s body? And you even changed his name back to your own?"

’I used to be a Ghost, so it’s a logical conclusion for me.’

Huo Tianhao couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. "Xia Zhaoyun, how does your mind even work? Possessing a body? This is the New Society. If you said that kind of thing outside, you’d be arrested and subjected to daily criticism sessions."

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