Villain Boss Chapter 226
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 226: Acquaintances
One look at the man's eyes told her what he was thinking. Huo Lingyin said unhurriedly, "This is Jiang Ran, my friend, and the young miss of the Shen family from Xiling base. She came to our base for inspection this time, and I specially brought her to meet Marshal Huo."
"An inspector from Xiling base?" Huo Siguo winked at Jiang Ran, his smile enigmatic. "Marshal Huo isn't feeling well. If Miss Jiang doesn't mind, I can show you around the base over the next few days. I happen to be quite familiar with it."
Jiang Ran ignored the man's winks and gestures, her expression indifferent, neither cold nor enthusiastic. "I'm sorry, I mind."
Huo Siguo seemed not to hear her refusal and reached out to touch her face. "Babe, don't be in such a hurry to refuse me. I..."
Seeing the groping hand reaching toward her, Jiang Ran pulled out a wooden stick from somewhere and slammed it hard.
There was a dull thud.
"Ouch!" Huo Siguo pulled his hand back and let out a howl.
The wooden stick tapped rhythmically against her palm. Jiang Ran stared at Huo Siguo in front of her, who was almost in tears from the pain, and said seriously, "I said I mind. Did you hear me this time?"
With his hands clasped, Huo Siguo glared at her. "You!"
He raised his hand as if to hit her, but behind him, the door to the small building opened, and the young head of the family came out in a wheelchair, stopping his subordinate's actions.
"Siguo, don’t be rude to Miss Jiang."
Although his voice was soft, Huo Siguo's raised hand froze in mid-air.
Huo Siguo stared at Jiang Ran with gritted teeth for a while, then slowly lowered his hand and clenched it into a fist.
When he spoke again, his tone was calm, but his eyes held a hint of resentment. He said in a low voice, "Miss Jiang is quite unique. If there's a chance, we can have a good chat."
Jiang Ran said expressionlessly, "There won’t be a chance for any good chat."
"..."
Jiang Ran added, "My mother told me not to be friends with men who lack gentlemanly manners. These men not only grope women, but also hit them, which is very scary, and it's best to stay away from them."
As the only son of the second master of the Huo family and the captain of the third superpower team, Huo Siguo had never been treated this way.
However, considering the identity of the person behind him and remembering his father's instructions, his chest heaved violently twice before he forced back the emotions that were about to erupt.
"Miss Jiang, you have quite the eloquence." He chuckled twice. "Lingyin, your friend is truly quick-witted and impressive!"
After saying that, he walked past Huo Lingyin and prepared to leave. After taking two steps, he stopped and said without turning around, "Marshal Huo, there are many guests at today's welcome party. There might be some people with ulterior motives who might sneak in and cause trouble. You should be careful."
A threat? What a really childish threat. Jiang Ran curled her lip, not taking his threat to heart.
The Huo siblings naturally understood the meaning behind his words.
Huo Lingyin paused slightly as she ran her fingers through her hair, but quickly resumed her normal actions. However, her gaze towards Huo Siguo’s back now held undisguised mockery and murderous intent.
Huo Sichan remained calm and smiled as he replied to his cousin's warning, "Thank you for your kind intention, but the party is about to begin, so I won't see you off."
He completely ignored Huo Siguo, who hadn't left yet, and looked at Jiang Ran with a smile. "Miss Jiang, you're a guest from afar. Please come in."
This Marshal Huo really was... his smile was like that of an innocent little lamb, not at all like someone in a high position of power.
Jiang Ran pursed her lips, thanked Huo Sichan, and followed him into the house.
Halfway there, she noticed that Huo Lingyin hadn't moved, so she turned around.
Huo Lingyin turned away from the two of them and said, "You go in. I'll wait for you outside."
"Aren't you going in?"
Huo Lingyin sneered, "He didn't invite me."
Wasn't this your own home? Why would you need an invitation?
Noticing Huo Lingyin's awkwardness, Jiang Ran looked at Huo Sichan, but the usually gentle and refined man simply nodded and said, "Lingyin, please wait outside for a moment. I’ll return Miss Jiang to you soon."
Jiang Ran, "..." Dude, did you deliberately provoke her? Didn't you see that she was staring at you expectantly, just waiting for you to coax her in?
The last glimmer of hope in Huo Lingyin's eyes vanished completely. She turned around, her back to her brother, and said, "She has nothing to do with me. Enjoy your chat."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Jiang Ran, "..."
Seemingly used to Huo Lingyin's behavior, Huo Sichan led Jiang Ran into the house, shaking his head and sighing, "Miss Jiang, don't take Lingyin's words to heart. If she didn't consider you a friend, she wouldn't have personally brought you here..."
Was that the main issue here? Jiang Ran sighed, finally understanding why the three Huo siblings met such an end.
"Marshal Huo, what kind of relationship she has with me isn’t something you need to worry about," Jiang Ran said. "Whether we are strangers or sworn friends can’t be determined by your few words of comfort just now."
Since he knew it was meant as a comfort, why did he even bother bringing it up?
Huo Sichan turned his wheelchair around and quietly watched her, waiting for her to finish speaking.
"Instead of comforting a stranger like me, you should think about how much harm this deliberate distancing will cause Huo Lingyin if you were really going to die."
Huo Sichan was in poor health and passed away shortly after Luo Rui arrived at Beichen base.
It seemed that this person in power was aware of his physical condition and deliberately distanced himself from his sister so that she wouldn’t suffer the pain of losing a loved one in the future.
Unexpectedly, after his death, the two Huo sisters turned against each other, ultimately leading to an irreversible tragic end.
After Jiang Ran finished speaking, the head of the Huo family fell into a long silence.
He didn't speak, and Jiang Ran didn't urge him.
She stood quietly, waiting for him to speak. After a moment, she heard him cough softly and say haltingly, "You also think that what I'm doing is unfair to Lingyin?"
"You know that yourself, don't you?"
Huo Sichan stopped coughing and said with a bitter smile, "Since the disaster, Lingyin has lost so much—parents, friends, confidants... In my current state, there's nothing I can do for her, so..."
I hoped that after I died, she wouldn’t be bound by grief and would move forward without hesitation.
"Sorry, but I can’t agree with your point of view," Jiang Ran said. "Everyone has the right to shed tears for others. You can’t just take your own perspective and presumptuously deprive her of her choice. Whether she’s happy or sad after you die should be based on her own feelings, not on your control as you’re doing now."
"..."
"Besides, how can you be so sure that if you treat her badly and you die, she won't be sad for you?"
Jiang Ran thought Huo Sichan was foolish, but she could understand it. Often, those involved were blinded by their own interests, and the more they cared, the more they were blinded and unable to see the truth right in front of them.
Huo Sichan fell silent again.
This time, Jiang Ran didn't stay with him in his contemplation. She heard voices coming from the inner room, growing clearer and clearer.
Someone came out.
"Mr. Tusu, why is Sichan gone for so long? The plan just now..."
The young man lifted the curtain, saw Jiang Ran, and paused, frozen in place.
Jiang Ran was also stunned for a moment, then clicked her tongue. No way, why had I been running into acquaintances these past few days?
