Free Web NovelChapter 190: Chapter 190: Visiting Yan Huoshui
The Hovercar flew toward Yan Huoshui’s house.
Ever since learning of Yan Huoshui’s injury, Ye Ming had been silent and withdrawn, a pensive look in his eyes.
And this silence only intensified upon meeting Yan Huoshui.
Yan Huoshui used to live an unstable life as an interstellar pirate. After settling down, he had fallen in love with enjoying life’s pleasures.
His house on the Capital Star was no less grand than any villa in the Interstellar Mansion. The exterior alone looked magnificent, and several robots patrolled back and forth by the entrance.
Shi Lan rang the doorbell.
"Who is it?"
A lazy, hoarse voice came from inside. It sounded like he had just woken up, the voice tinged with drowsiness and a hint of irritation at being disturbed.
Shi Lan felt a little awkward as she said, "It’s me, Shi Lan."
"Lanlan?"
Yan Huoshui’s voice grew clearer. His face appeared on the video doorbell, and seeing that it was truly the female he’d been longing for, a smile finally graced his lips. "Alright, I’ll open the door for you."
The ultimate authority to open the front door was linked to his personal chip. In the past, Yan Huoshui found people annoying, so he’d always delegated access to his household robots.
But since Shi Lan had said she would visit him these past couple of days, he had specifically transferred the authority back to himself.
He tapped on his chip, and the main gate quickly swung open.
The patrolling robots seemed to have received a command. One of them transformed into a chair and moved in front of Shi Lan. "Greetings, esteemed hostess. Welcome home. Please, have a seat."
’Esteemed hostess?’
Hearing this form of address, the faces of the three men behind her turned green with envy. ’That Yan Huoshui is so shameless! Lanlan hasn’t even agreed to make him her Beast Husband, and he’s already designated her the hostess?’
Shi Lan also noticed something was off about the title. Her ears burned, whether from embarrassment or shock, she wasn’t sure. In any case, she stared at the robot chair before her, motionless for a long moment.
The robot repeated itself, "Greetings, esteemed hostess. Welcome home. Please, have a seat."
Shi Lan awkwardly shuffled to the side, but the robot moved with her. It clearly wouldn’t give up until she sat down.
Helpless, Shi Lan had no choice but to sit down.
She had expected a chair transformed from a robot to be hard and uncomfortable, but it was surprisingly comfortable once she sat down.
The chair even automatically adjusted the curvature of its backrest to fit her body perfectly.
Once it confirmed Shi Lan was seated, the robot chair began moving toward the villa.
Behind her, Ye Ming and the other two tried to follow, but the three remaining patrol robots blocked their path. "Warning. Unauthorized entry is prohibited without the master’s permission."
As they spoke, they brandished their weapons.
These weapons weren’t lethal, but they could stun them.
Shi Lan glanced back worriedly and asked, "They’re with me. Can’t they come in too?"
Hearing this, the three patrol robots hesitated for a moment before lowering their hands.
"With the hostess’s permission, entry is granted."
With that, they silently returned to their posts.
The faces of Ye Ming and the other two inexplicably darkened further. But seeing that Shi Lan’s chair had already traveled some distance, they quickened their pace to catch up.
Along the way, Jiang Xia grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Yan Huoshui is way too petty. He wouldn’t even let us in."
Mu Tangfeng also looked furious. "A broken leg? Heh. He’s just taking advantage of Lanlan’s kindness."
’If it’s fake, I hope it becomes real.’
’If it’s real, I hope it’s serious.’
Ye Ming silently followed close behind Shi Lan’s chair. Though he didn’t speak, he also looked glum.
Having spent some time with Jiang Xia and the others, Shi Lan had learned to ignore the hostile remarks between the males. Things quieted down faster when she didn’t get involved, anyway.
After entering, she looked around at the scenery of Yan Huoshui’s villa with great interest. However, she felt it was less a villa and more a grand estate.
Every corner of the place exuded an air of extravagance and wealth. The housekeeping robots tending to the estate were too numerous to count, and they would even greet her on sight, "Welcome home, hostess!"
At first, Shi Lan had been embarrassed to hear this, but by now, she was completely unfazed.
After all, Yan Huoshui’s home was truly massive; no wonder he’d provided her with a robot chair.
In any case, it took about twenty minutes for the four of them to reach the front door of the house.
Shi Lan stood up. After delivering its passenger to the destination, the robot chair once again vanished without a trace, returning to its guard post at the gate.
Its return speed was clearly much faster than its arrival speed. It was obvious it had been deliberately accommodating her by maintaining a slow and steady pace.
Shi Lan retracted her gaze and looked up to see Yan Huoshui standing in the doorway. He seemed to have been waiting for them. The smile on his lips deepened when he saw her, and his tone rose slightly. "Lanlan, you’re here."
As he spoke, he hopped out to greet her on his good foot.
There were three steps leading up to the doorway, giving it some height.
Shi Lan’s eyes swept over the leg that was immobilized by a splint. Seeing him hopping around on the steps, she worried he would fall and rushed over nervously. "Be careful..."
The words had barely left her mouth when Yan Huoshui seemed to lose his balance. He stumbled and fell right into Shi Lan’s arms.
Shi Lan quickly struggled to support him. "Hey, watch out!"
She was so nervous she could hardly breathe, terrified he would injure his leg even more. Fortunately, Yan Huoshui managed to stabilize his injured leg in time and didn’t put his full weight on her.
He snuggled into her embrace, his eyes lowered and his crimson pupils filled with apology. "Sorry, Lanlan. Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?"
Shi Lan gave him a helpless look. "I’m fine. You’re the patient. You should be the one being careful."
His crimson lips curved upward, and the corners of his eyes flushed slightly. "I was just so happy to see you, Lanlan. I couldn’t help myself."
Their faces were less than half an arm’s length apart. Yan Huoshui’s good leg was bent behind him and his back was held by Shi Lan, so his face was level with her neck.
With the difference in height, Shi Lan could even feel his warm breath tickling her ear. She squirmed uncomfortably and was about to tell him to stand up properly when Mu Tangfeng and Jiang Xia roughly pulled him away.
They took her place in supporting him, glaring at Yan Huoshui with annoyance. "Lanlan, he’s a grown man! He’s heavy. How could he have the nerve to make you hold him up? Let us do it."
For once, Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng were in perfect sync as they half-carried Yan Huoshui inside.
Yan Huoshui didn’t seem to find the position embarrassing, but his eyes darkened slightly. He was annoyed that his robots had been so incompetent as to let a few pests in.
He sat down on the sofa, his lips pressed into a tight line. Shi Lan and Ye Ming walked in behind them.
She stepped inside and glanced around, discovering that the interior of Yan Huoshui’s house was even more magnificent and luxurious than the outside. Anyone who didn’t know better would have mistaken it for the palace of some noble.
Shi Lan stared at the decorations embedded in the room’s pillars, which looked like red gemstones, and couldn’t help but ask, "Is that Red Crystal?"
The moment Yan Huoshui heard Shi Lan addressing him, his expression immediately softened. "Mhm. Do you like it, Lanlan? If you do, I’ll pry them out and give them to you."
Shi Lan quickly shook her head. Yan Huoshui had already given her more than enough; she wasn’t that greedy.
’It’s just surprising... I can’t believe Yan Huoshui is this rich... ’
Recalling how he had casually mentioned robbing a mining magnate, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
