Chapter 43
Ye Zhi didn’t want to stay at the Ye family or the Huo family. Even before getting married, he had considered living independently outside. However, Ye Wan immediately discouraged this idea. “After working so hard to put you through school, are you planning to fly away? Don’t you know to help out at home after starting work?”
The tasks Ye Wan asked him to do were indeed household chores. The Ye family was quite large and lived a luxurious lifestyle. Just one maid couldn’t possibly handle so much work. Moreover, the Ye family didn’t have enough money to afford several servants in the long term.
As for the Huo family, whether someone lived there or not, it didn’t feel like home to Ye Zhi.
However, now, just the thought of returning there not only didn’t make him uncomfortable, but even made him somewhat eager.
Ye Zhi knew that it was because Huo Youqiao and Huo Ran were in that house.
After a week, the wound on Ye Zhi’s forehead had scabbed over, and the gauze had been removed. If he pushed his bangs aside, the wound wasn’t very noticeable.
It was also at this time that he received a call from Ye Wan.
“Will Mr. Huo be at home this weekend?”
Her intention was obvious; she still wanted to find a way to rescue An Yongnan. Although she probably knew that asking Huo Youqiao for help wasn’t a good choice, after trying multiple times without success, she had no choice but to choose this path.
What Ye Zhi feared most was her bringing this up. He quickly said, “He seems to have a business trip this weekend.”
Ye Wan didn’t quite believe it. “Really? You’re not lying to me?”
“No,” Ye Zhi said firmly.
He wasn’t lying; Huo Youqiao did indeed have something to do this weekend. So, regarding how to arrange for Huo Ran, Ye Zhi was somewhat at a loss. Usually, if Huo Youqiao was busy on weekends, Huo Ran would be sent to a daycare center until the evening. But this time, since Huo Youqiao had something come up unexpectedly, he had taken leave in advance and had made plans to take Huo Ran to an amusement park. As a result, Ye Zhi not only misspoke but also didn’t know where to send Huo Ran.
Initially, Huo Youqiao hadn’t wanted to trouble Ye Zhi to look after his child. He had thought about sending her to his younger brother’s house and having his niece take care of her for the day. However, after Ye Zhi found out, he proactively said, “I’m off work this weekend, so I can take care of Ranran. Or I can take her to the amusement park.”
Huo Youqiao said, “It’s too much trouble for you. You’re already tired from work, and it’s your precious day off. How can I let you be burdened?”
“I’m not tired,” Ye Zhi insisted, unusually firm. “I’m willing to accompany Ranran to play if you trust me to take care of her.”
Compared to being with his aunt, Huo Ran also preferred Ye Zhi. Initially upset because her father had broken his promise, she immediately became happy when she heard that Ye Zhi would accompany her to play, clinging to Ye Zhi’s arm and refusing to let go. “I want to be with Zhi Zhi. I want to go play with Zhi Zhi.”
Huo Youqiao could only agree.
Ye Zhi woke up very early on the weekend. He had promised Huo Ran to have a picnic together in the amusement park, so after preparing breakfast, he also prepared some food suitable for taking out. When Huo Youqiao came downstairs, he had even brewed coffee in advance, which was placed on the table. The coffee was rich, emitting a misty aroma. When Huo Youqiao picked it up and took a sip, it was just the right temperature, not too hot.
“I’ve already booked the tickets. Just swipe her ID card, and she can enter. I’ll pack her backpack later and give her an extra set of clothes. If it gets wet, she can change into it.” Huo Youqiao explained in detail. “She likes thrilling rides, but don’t let her play too many times. I’m afraid she’ll get dizzy. She also likes to see wild animals. There’s a wildlife park inside, so after playing other rides, you can take her there. Since you’ll be sitting in the car the whole time, you can treat it as a break.”
Ye Zhi listened attentively and nodded. “I’ll remember.”
Huo Youqiao continued, “I’ll finish my meeting in the afternoon and come over as soon as possible. We should be able to have dinner together.”
Ye Zhi smiled gently. “Okay.”
Huo Youqiao’s gaze lingered on his smile for a second before quickly shifting away. “If you have any problems, you can call me anytime, day or night.”
“Okay, you can rest assured.”
He thought Huo Youqiao would leave after giving instructions, but he didn’t. Instead, he glanced at the watch on his wrist, confirming that there were still ten minutes left before waking his daughter up, and he stood still. Actually, he could have gone to do something else, like sitting in a chair leisurely drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. This was his daily habit. However, for some reason, he didn’t want to leave at this moment.
Not only did he not leave, but he also approached Ye Zhi, curious, and asked, “What are you doing?”
