Chapter 308: Chapter 306: Jealous that Ya Chen is Younger Than Him?
She nodded, like a little bird startled.
"Did Xuan Yu ever mention where your mother might be?" He could see that Little Kitten had truly been wronged over the past days, so his tone was a bit softer.
Xuan Yu—
The woman who had stolen her away from under his nose and forced her to marry a disabled man.
She’d just have to take her chances.
The man’s chilly frost, that had hastily passed, hid within a flicker of his dense eyelashes, returning to a calm demeanor.
Jiayi nodded, "She said my mom was in a car accident, became a vegetative person, and has been in the hospital sustained by a ventilator. I also saw my mom lying in the hospital room in a video. That day at the hotel, she said my mommy’s recent condition was very poor and that she could pass away at any time. I was worried for a moment, which is why I came back, but once I returned, she kept delaying my meeting with my mother. Using my mom as leverage, she made me marry Ya Chen in place of Chu Xinyu."
Huo Zhenyang narrowed his eyes, "George has already hired the best private detective in S Country, who will focus on searching the hospitals in S Country and the small town where you and your mother used to live."
A glimmer of hope flashed through Jiayi’s heart, yet she was still somewhat panicked, "What if Xuan Yu finds out you’re looking for someone, she will know I told you... Will my mom be..."
He narrowed his eyes, "The private detective George hired is among the top in the country for stealth and counter-surveillance. After finding your mom, the private detective will safely bring her over without alerting Xuan Yu."
Jiayi finally exhaled in relief, then mustered the courage, "Then I’ll go back to my room first."
Go back to her room? The man raised an eyebrow.
She saw the displeasure in his eyes and explained softly, "Before we find my mommy, I think we should keep some distance. Although I’m in the castle now, if Ya Chen finds out I’m too close to you and tells the Chu Family, I’m afraid Xuan Yu might be alerted and think I’m not listening to her."
He let out a clear, cold laugh, raising his fingertip to touch her ice-snow like delicate skin, "Oh? Is it really just because you fear Xuan Yu that you’re avoiding me? If I hadn’t come, you would have had to accept Xuan Yu’s arrangements. I think you wouldn’t mind too much marrying Ya Chen, would you?"
Jiayi was stunned.
He took her brief hesitation as an affirmation, his fingertip gliding downwards, hooking her chin and pulling her forcibly to his face, closing the distance between them to less than two centimeters instantly.
His burning breath was all upon her little cheek, making her feel his chill mood at this moment, "Is that not so? I saw the two of you holding hands throughout the banquet, chatting and laughing so vivaciously on stage... Little Kitten, you don’t seem to be that averse to the blind man. Tell me, are you a little bit attracted to him?"
Ya Chen was different from all those frivolous men who had been around her in the past; he was a member of the Royal Family of the Island Nation in Southeast Asia and the Crown Prince who would succeed the King.
Even as a disabled man, his lofty and exceptional status was bound to make many women who hadn’t seen much of the world fall for him.
Besides, Ya Chen, except for his disability, was nearly flawless in appearance and deportment.
If she disliked Ya Chen, even if Xuan Yu was threatening her in the shadows, she probably wouldn’t take the initiative to hold his hand and chat with him, would she?
Jiayi’s face flushed red, struggling to turn away while caught by the pressure of his fingertips, "I’m not."
"Really? Then why is your face so terribly flushed? Feeling guilty?" The man’s voice grew colder by a fraction.
That was because he was holding her so tightly and they were so close, it was very hot, okay?
The weather in Southeast Asia was hot to begin with.
Jiayi complained in her heart, but where would she dare to say anything to him. He was arranging for George to find her mommy.
She couldn’t afford to offend him, especially not at this moment.
She pursed her plump lips, only able to say things to make him happy, "What’s there about him worth liking? It’s just the status of a Crown Prince, just that he’s a bit handsome."
But those words somehow sounded like praise for Ya Chen, didn’t they?
Huo Zhenyang’s expression turned even uglier, his rough fingertips brushed across her blushing cheeks, not believing her words, "He’s very young, only twenty-one years old, almost your age. That day at the racetrack, everyone said you two were a match made in heaven."
She paused in shock.
So...could it be that deep down, this man was actually jealous of Ya Chen for being younger than him?
She couldn’t help but chuckle; so he had his weaknesses too, couldn’t accept aging?
Jiayi struggled to hold back her laughter, but Huo Zhenyang saw it clearly, his brow furrowing tighter. Was this girl laughing at his age?
His lips curled into a deeper sneer, "What? Am I very old?"
Lying too much can bring divine punishment, and she didn’t want to be struck by lightning, so she tried to soften it, "Compared to Ya Chen and me, you’re pretty much an uncle."
She was only nineteen, Ya Chen was just twenty-one, yet he was already approaching thirty. Although he took good care of himself and in some respects was even more vigorous than the younger guys... one couldn’t ignore the age difference.
Before she could finish her sentence, he grabbed her delicate hand, his hot breath bearing down on her, defiant and indomitable.
Because of his foot injury, he couldn’t get out of bed and had been leaning back on the soft couch. The way he pulled her into his arms looked like a lord of the castle doting on his consort.
The Little Kitten in his arms hadn’t managed to push him away before her expression changed, "You’re bleeding from your nose..."
Caught off guard, Jiayi had already jumped down and grabbed a tissue.
When he came to his senses, he looked unperturbed and quickly pulled out a tissue, efficiently wiping away the blood under his nose.
She felt an inexplicable sense of dread. He had bled from the nose twice in front of her now, and he had been feverish just a few days ago. She couldn’t help asking, "Are you sick?"
Huo Zhenyang shrugged, "Just arrived in S Country; probably not acclimated to the local environment yet."
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
One knock more urgent than the last.
The crisp and decisive voice of Ya Chen came through, "I want to see your Mr. Huo."
Followed by George’s voice trying to stop him, "...Crown Prince, sorry, Mr. Huo is resting."
Ya Chen’s voice became increasingly cold, "I won’t bother him for long, I just need to ask him a few questions."
Ya Chen had arrived!
Jiayi was startled and reflexively pushed him away, jumping up from the soft couch.
Huo Zhenyang looked displeased at Jiayi’s panicked actions, and lazily said amidst her surprise, "Let the Crown Prince come in."
Had this man gone mad?
Jiayi’s eyes were wide as she stared at him, even if he wanted to meet with Ya Chen, he could have waited until after she left.
Huo Zhenyang caught her wrist and held it tightly.
"You... let go of me, let me leave first, then you can talk all you want." She was panicking, whispering pleas, trying to stand up, but he held her firmly.
The man’s presence was overpowering, and centered around him, it was like a fierce, strong vortex, pulling her in relentlessly, from which she couldn’t break free.
All she could do was mutter lowly, "If Ya Chen tells the Chu family, and Xuan Yu finds out I’m too close to you, I’m afraid Xuan Yu will become suspicious..."
