Chapter 20: Minister Huo, Please Behave Yourself!

Jiang Shiyi had received a text message from Huo Yixun, but she did not reply. Furthermore, she intended to ignore him for the foreseeable future.

The Huo family’s gala that evening was crowded with guests. Glasses clinked as people gathered in small groups, conversing with gentlemanly grace. Since the elder Mrs. Huo had started out as a businesswoman and maintained a certain status within the Shanghai business circle, many entrepreneurs were present. Friends, family, and business partners of the Huo family had all come to celebrate Mrs. Huo’s recovery. Influenced by Western culture, the event was held in the style of a social cocktail party.

Huo Yixun stood beside his grandparents, holding a glass of Western spirits, responding to guests coming to toast him with humble and polite gestures. Many people tried to push their daughters forward to strike up a conversation, knowing well that the Huo family was no ordinary household, but Huo Yixun dismissed them all with effortless tact. Placing his glass down, he told his grandfather he had official business to attend to, and the old man urged him to go.

Just as he was about to enter the house, his gaze suddenly stalled. He saw Huo Shaoqin enter the banquet hall, escorting a graceful figure. The woman wore a black strapless gown with a light-colored shawl, her beautiful long hair pinned up simply. She exuded a cool, elegant aura—not ostentatious, but low-key and refined. Jiang Shiyi walked into the center of the hall, her arm linked with Huo Shaoqin’s, greeting people as they moved. She attracted the attention of everyone in the room without the slightest effort.

Sensing something, she scanned the room and felt a gaze that could not be ignored. Turning her head, she met Huo Yixun’s eyes in the distance. She gave a calm smile and then looked away as if nothing had happened. Huo Yixun felt the alcohol in his system at work, an inexplicable impulse surging within him. Just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by Huo Shaoqin.

Huo Shaoqin asked a question he already knew the answer to, his tone tinged with smugness: "Brother, why are you still alone tonight?" He would never pass up such a good opportunity. Today was his moment to shine! He could finally ridicule this self-righteous man. Without waiting for Huo Yixun to speak, he added triumphantly, "Brother, let me introduce you to my date. Her name is Jiang Shiyi, and she’s a doctor at our military district. How about that? Your little brother is impressive, right?"

Huo Yixun glanced at her, then cast a cold, sharp look at Huo Shaoqin. That look frightened Huo Shaoqin into standing up straight, coughing to mask his panic: "Brother, I won't disturb you anymore. I'm going to take my 'goddess' around." Jiang Shiyi smiled gently: "Until we meet again, Minister Huo."

Not long after, Jiang Shiyi found a quiet pavilion to rest. She had been busy all day, and now she had to endure this tedious banquet. She sat on a swing, swaying slightly, and checked the "heartbeat value" on her system. One hundred points! Jiang Shiyi’s pupils dilated in shock; it was simply unbelievable! She guessed that because they were brothers, the effect was much stronger. However, the ease with which she gained these points made the process lose its thrill. Jiang Shiyi yawned, deciding it was time to go wash up and sleep.

Because it was a garden, the lighting was dim, and she had to navigate by feel. Just as she was about to reach the end of the path, she was seized by a pair of strong, masculine arms. After a few stumbles, she was pressed against a stone pillar by the man. Through the warm light, she saw Huo Yixun’s indignant face.

She pushed him away forcefully: "Minister Huo, please show some self-respect!"

Huo Yixun stared at her, his dark eyes so cold they seemed to drip ice. His breath, tainted with the faint scent of alcohol, brushed against the soft skin behind her ear. "Is it that I can't satisfy you, so you've decided to hook up with my playboy brother instead?" As he said this, Huo Yixun couldn't tell if he was feeling more anger or something else—like jealousy.

Jiang Shiyi leaned against his shoulder, her delicate skin appearing fair and exquisite against his black overcoat. "So, Minister Huo... can actually get jealous too?" She smiled enchantingly, her voice full of provocation. Huo Yixun reached up to tug at his collar, tilting his head to look at her, his gaze falling on her red lips. He truly wanted to silence them.

The music in the hall had changed; the cheerful violin melody had been replaced by a soft, romantic dance tune. Young men and women put down their glasses and slid onto the dance floor under the starlight, embracing their partners. The pair in the garden had vanished.

"Huo Shaoqin, put me down! What will it look like if someone sees us!"

Jiang Shiyi was carried upstairs by Huo Yixun. Perhaps the door had slammed too loudly, for he hadn't heard the name she had just called out. Huo Yixun threw her onto the soft bed, and before she could react, his cold, thin lips pressed onto hers. The kiss was fierce and urgent, almost brutal as he sucked her lips into his mouth.

A moment later, Jiang Shiyi used all her strength to push him away. She slapped him in anger: "Enough! What do you take me for?"

Huo Yixun froze, and then he seemed to lose all control. He held Jiang Shiyi’s face tightly, forcing her to look at him. She saw that he was flushed from his neck to his face, like a boiled shrimp. Despite his refined, high-mountain appearance, he was just a mortal driven by desire.

The scent of wine spread between their mouths. She began to feel overwhelmed, and Huo Yixun seemed to notice; just as she was about to lose her breath, he slowed down, his movements becoming gentle and charming. Then, it was unclear who initiated it, but by the time Jiang Shiyi realized it, her legs had instinctively wrapped around his powerful waist. Realizing the impropriety of the position, she felt ashamed of her own boldness, but as she tried to shift, he seemed to notice.

Huo Yixun lifted her, stabilizing her in that position, and kissed her deeper and harder. It seemed he liked this position very much. Given his lean, athletic build and his history of strength training, lifting the soft and petite Jiang Shiyi with one hand was effortless for him.

If there was one thing she was unsatisfied with during the kiss, it was the belt fastened around his waist. It wasn't until he shifted her into a different position that she had a sudden realization. She had originally thought it was just a belt... Upon guessing what it actually was, her fair face instantly flushed a vibrant, seductive crimson.

Outside, the night wind was biting cold, but inside the room, there was an excessive, stifling heat. Looking at Huo Yixun, who intended to take things further, Jiang Shiyi regained her senses and bit down hard on his thin lips. A drop of bright red appeared on his alluring lips.

Huo Yixun wiped the red away and looked at the beauty beneath him with some dissatisfaction. "I didn't give you a response earlier because my status is sensitive, and I needed to submit a marriage application to my superiors first..."