My Supernatural Exes Are Desperate to Win Me Back - Chapter 38 - Thunderstorm

“Hug me,” he said.

In the distance, some passersby attempted to enter the mall, but it seemed they couldn’t get in, and they turned away.

Yu Yuanyuan wondered aloud, “Strange, can a mall be closed?”

As they approached the entrance, the doors on both sides swung open simultaneously.

The vast mall was empty and brightly lit, with store managers and sales assistants standing outside each shop, displaying standard smiles. Two rows of men in black stood by the revolving door, bowing in unison and welcoming them as they entered.

Yu Yuanyuan’s social anxiety kicked in immediately, and she tugged on Xu Xining’s sleeve, whispering, “Have you become so famous that you need to book the whole place?”

Xu Xining replied, “Do I look like a show-off or a weirdo to you?”

A show-off, or perhaps a weirdo, soon appeared!

A tall man with long legs strode forward, his dark trousers outlining his straight legs. He exuded a cold and imposing aura that silenced the surroundings.

Following him was… Wei Lun, whom Yu Yuanyuan had described as having a perky rear.

Huo Ting twisted the black tail ring on his little finger, lifting his crow-feather-like eyelashes. “What do you want? Just say it.”

“I knew it was you!” Xu Xining laughed in exasperation. “Were you a locust in your past life? Buying everything you see? Even a mall?”

Xu Xining pulled Yu Yuanyuan to leave, but Huo Ting, suppressing his anger, said, “Stay, and you can move back to your own home.”

Xu Xining asked suspiciously, “You don’t want me to move out anymore? You won’t come to my house to break down the door?”

Huo Ting stepped forward slowly, staring at Yu Yuanyuan, who shrank behind Xu Xining like a frightened quail.

Huo Ting asked, “Are you her friend?”

Yu Yuanyuan nodded like a pecking chick.

Huo Ting, looking down at her, said, “Stay with her, and I’ll give you a hundred thousand a night.”

Xu Xining jumped up, “Hey! Stop trying to corrupt my friend with money! She has a heart of gold and a will of steel! She won’t succumb to you!”

Yu Yuanyuan’s eyes glazed over, “Please… please corrupt me.”

Xu Xining: “…”

Damn it! That’s why capitalists are no good!!!

The silent mall felt like a giant, precise machine, turning with the girls’ shopping steps.

Wherever they went, there were enthusiastic smiles, attentive service, and meticulous care, as if they were serving the Empress Dowager.

Trendy clothes flowed over Xu Xining like water. She held up a skirt and asked Yu Yuanyuan whether the light color or the dark color looked better.

Yu Yuanyuan was still pondering when Huo Ting said to pack them all up.

He didn’t even need to pay.

A true zero-cost purchase!!

Yu Yuanyuan couldn’t hold back any longer and squeezed into the fitting room. “What’s going on? Is he the fool with eight billion trying to buy Pianyu Media?”

Xu Xining, changing clothes, replied speechlessly, “My ex.”

Yu Yuanyuan was shocked, “Do you have ten thousand exes scattered around the world like wild monsters randomly refreshing?”

Xu Xining, flustered, pounced to cover her mouth, “No!! Just three!! It’s just that their presence is too strong!”

Xu Xining walked out of the fitting room just in time to see the sales assistant eagerly presenting recommended styles to Huo Ting for his approval.

He didn’t even wait for Xu Xining to try them on before nodding to keep them or waving them away.

The sales assistant, both admiring and curious, couldn’t help but ask, “You’re so good to your girlfriend. You look well-matched. Are you getting married soon?”

Huo Ting slowly rotated the black tail ring on his finger, raised his flawlessly handsome face, and coldly said, “Did I allow you to speak to me?”

Xu Xining stepped forward, unable to hold back, “Can’t you be a little polite?!”

Huo Ting once had his shoes dirtied by a mop and impatiently asked the cleaner if their eyes were just for show, but he would also curse other CEOs in video conferences, asking in a cold, indifferent voice if their brains were filled with sea urchins, saying even a pig couldn’t be dumber than them.

Huo Ting didn’t look down on sales assistants, nor did he look down on cleaners… he equally looked down on everyone, regardless of status, gender, age, race, or species, with an attitude that all beings were equal, and everyone present was an ant.

In this life, he had no parents and was born a king.

Huo Ting walked up to the blonde girl, bent down, and against the light, his sharp, dark pupils stared at her under his handsome brows. “Politeness? Is it that scumbag who treated you as a substitute in a past life that’s polite, or that flamboyant beast, or the opportunistic monster?”

“Is it some delusional egomaniac that’s impolite!” Xu Xining paused, “…And who is the opportunistic monster?”

“Politeness is something only the weak possess.” Huo Ting leaned in, his cold white fingers deftly hooking her phone out of her pocket.

Xu Xining didn’t have time to react and angrily said, “Give it back!”

Huo Ting tossed it backhandedly, and Wei Lun’s secretary immediately caught it, then handed over the latest model phone.

Huo Ting placed the new phone in her hand, “If it’s broken, use a new one. Don’t settle for garbage.”

Xu Xining laughed in exasperation, “So you know you’re the garbage?”

Huo Ting raised his hand to press against the wall, leaning close to her ear. The collar exuded a dark, somber scent of vetiver cologne. He tilted his head, enunciating each word, “No, I’m the best.”

Xu Xining: “…”

Who!!!

Who gave you this confidence!!

Honestly, Xie Yi should be flattered; the throne of the arrogant king should belong to you!!

This wasn’t Xu Xining shopping; it was clearly Huo Ting’s wholesale market.

As long as Xu Xining’s eyes lingered on something for more than a second, Huo Ting would, without question, have it packed up immediately.

Soon, the two rows of men in black who had opened the doors for them earlier were like a moving company, carrying hundreds of shopping bags and following Xu Xining.

They continued shopping until mealtime, and Xu Xining casually picked a Japanese restaurant to enter.

The waiter hurriedly brought the menu, but Huo Ting interrupted, “No need, bring one of everything.”

Yu Yuanyuan had never seen such a display and sat nervously beside Xu Xining, only to look up and meet Huo Ting’s condescending gaze, as if saying: “You clueless thing, don’t you know your place?”

Yu Yuanyuan was so frightened she shot up, ready to change seats, but Xu Xining, without looking up, pulled her back down, “Sit here.”

Yu Yuanyuan sat like the filling in a sandwich.

Heaven and earth bear witness.

She shouldn’t be here.

She should be under the table!

Three people, and they ordered the entire restaurant’s menu.

The chef in a white cooking uniform rolled up his sleeves, cooking on the spot. Various deep-sea sashimi glistened in the swirling cold air. The belly of a wild bluefin tuna was sliced neatly on ice, while Matsusaka beef, still marbled with blood, sizzled on the iron plate.

Freshly air-freighted foie gras was placed on the cutting board, sprinkled with salt, and the chef took out a high-temperature torch, the crimson flame leaping out.

In an instant, Huo Ting stood up abruptly, ignoring the still-flaming torch, and grabbed the chef, “What are you doing?!”

The chef, a six-foot-tall man, was nearly lifted off his feet by the grip.

Facing the man’s cold, fierce gaze, he was so frightened his legs went weak, “Sir… sir, this is a high-temperature torch for searing foie gras, it’s very safe, rest assured…”

Huo Ting stood in front of Xu Xining, frowning, “Take it away, can’t you see how dangerous it is?”

Xu Xining had no idea what was wrong with him again and leaned forward speechlessly, “What’s dangerous about it? He’s grilling foie gras, not me.”

Huo Ting paused for a moment and said softly, “I won’t let you die again.”

“Huo Ting, I’m telling you for the last time-” Xu Xining took a deep breath, “I have never died!!!”

…

Throughout the meal, the girls devoured their food like a storm, while Huo Ting didn’t even touch his chopsticks, only sipping the dark liquid from his wine glass.

Yu Yuanyuan couldn’t help but quietly ask Xu Xining, “Is he not eating because I’m too annoying?”

Xu Xining didn’t even lift her head, “Ignore him. He’s always been like this, not eating and only drinking wine, living off ethereal energy.”

Yu Yuanyuan held back for a moment, then whispered even lower, “Don’t you think not eating, only drinking red liquid, hating sunlight, and having pale skin sounds like- a vampire?!”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

Across the table, Huo Ting lifted his long lashes, as dark as crow feathers, and coldly stared at Yu Yuanyuan, his eyes resembling ink-stained twilight, scaring her into a shiver.

Xu Xining patted Yu Yuanyuan, “Good guess, don’t guess next time.”

Yu Yuanyuan sneakily peeled a clove of raw garlic and nudged Xu Xining, “Hey, let him eat this, see if he dares.”

Xu Xining: “…”

Xu Xining: “Who drinks wine and chews garlic?”

“A cosplayer pretending to be a vampire but doesn’t want to scare people…”

“I don’t care what he is, don’t call him a vampire; he could be Sun Wukong,” Xu Xining paused meaningfully, “It doesn’t affect me wanting to never see him again.”

The girl’s words were loud enough, not afraid of the man hearing, or perhaps she wanted him to hear.

Huo Ting drained the dark liquid from his wine glass in one go.

The liquid stained his thin lips with a decadent hue, making his dark pupils appear exceptionally dangerous.

The lights in the Japanese restaurant flickered suddenly due to a short circuit.

Xu Xining leaned on the table, showing her signature friendly smile, “Classmate Huo Ting, I’ve accompanied you shopping, and I’ve had dinner with you. You promised not to use your landlord status against me. Can we not meet again in the future?”

She propped her chin, her brows arched, “Let’s consider today a farewell meal; I can barely call it a good breakup.”

The girl smiled sweetly, saying the coldest and most ruthless words with the most sincere and obedient face.

Huo Ting put down the wine glass, “Do you like Xie Yi?”

“No.”

“Do you still like Wen Nansen?”

“No.”

“Then it must be Zhan Xingye.”

“Why bring up Xingye?” Xu Xining was anxious, “I don’t like you, it has nothing to do with anyone else. I just don’t like you anymore! Don’t like, don’t like, don’t like! How many times do I have to say it?”

The girl’s voice was crisp, like pearls falling on a jade plate, each firm declaration of dislike was like a translucent arrow, piercing deeply.

The water in the glass on the table trembled slightly, and the entire mall seemed to flicker between light and dark as if the voltage was out of control.

“Mr. Huo!” Wei Lun saw the signs of his power losing control and urgently reminded him.

Huo Ting seemed not to hear, his voice hoarse, “Is it because I left you? Do you know how I’ve lived this past year? It was Xie Yi who lied to me, saying you were dead! I was kept in the dark, never truly wanting to leave you.”

Xu Xining: “But I truly want to leave you.”

Huo Ting’s speech quickened, “If it’s because I deceived you, I can apologize. I didn’t fall in love with you at first sight; initially, I did want to use you, which is why I kept approaching you…”

“Huo Ting, Huo Ting,” Xu Xining interrupted him.

In the moment when the lights alternated between bright and dark, Huo Ting saw her clear eyes.

The girl said, “I don’t care.”

The light went out, and the entire mall plunged into darkness.

For a breath’s time, the surroundings became extremely oppressive, deathly silent, as if even the wind was swallowed.

Following was a dazzling light, thunderous and earth-shattering!

At the last moment, Huo Ting flipped the table, lunged forward, and grabbed Xu Xining, shielding her beneath him. Yu Yuanyuan screamed, grabbed by Wei Lun and shoved under the table.

The roaming current in the space generated a powerful electric field, light bulbs burst one after another, and the ceiling sparked along the circuit!

Huo Ting held Xu Xining’s head with one hand and her waist with the other, pressing her tightly against him, her nose touching the expensive texture of his suit vest, his broad shoulders blocking her view.

She looked up, in the dark flames, Huo Ting’s eyes were a deep red, his brows furrowed in pain, uncontrollably spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Blood trickled from the fingers covering his lips, soaking her shoulder.

“Huo Ting?” Xu Xining panicked, “Huo Ting! Are you okay?!”

The thunder quickly subsided after Huo Ting embraced her, and the black-clad men standing outside the store scattered like birds, skillfully repairing the circuit…

During the year when Huo Ting thought Xu Xining was dead, his frequent power loss caused the Huo Mansion’s circuit to overload every few days, making his servants now all skilled electricians.

The circuit was quickly restored, flickering a few times before returning to basic lighting.

Xu Xining forcefully helped Huo Ting sit up.

He leaned against the wall, his usually proud head bowed, black hair disheveled, one long leg bent, elbow resting on it, his slender hand stained with blood, lips also bloodied, showing a weary and broken look.

Xu Xining confirmed Yu Yuanyuan was unharmed, then rushed to grab tissues to wipe Huo Ting’s blood, but the more she wiped, the more blood there was, turning herself into a bloodied figure.

The blood from his lips flowed down to his neck, Xu Xining hurriedly pulled open his collar, only to find his pale chest covered with layers of scars from electric shocks.

“What happened? Were you electrocuted or cut by glass? Why are you suddenly spitting blood?” She turned her head anxiously, “Secretary Wei? Speak up? What’s wrong with Huo Ting? Isn’t anyone taking care of him?”

“…Xu Xining.” Huo Ting called her softly.

“Here.” Xu Xining quickly turned around, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“Hug me.”

“What?”

Xu Xining looked up, meeting the man’s gaze.

He slowly lifted his lashes, and in Xu Xining’s impression, Huo Ting was always proud and arrogant, with an unreasonable, condescending, emperor-like arrogance.

But now he was weak, his dark eyes almost soft, making one doubt whether his shell truly housed the heart of a stormy emperor, or was he merely a child as blank as paper.

His voice was hoarse, almost pleading.

“Hug me,” he said.