Chapter 13

Butler x Young Master (13)

Jiang You frowned uncomfortably. Before she could say anything, Huo Shu grabbed her wrist and led her all the way into the elevator.

Huo Shu’s voice was calm, faintly carrying an almost imperceptible reassurance.

“It’s fine.”

Jiang You carefully observed his expression and only relaxed when she saw he truly wasn’t angry. Her lips moved as she couldn’t help saying, “I don’t know what he meant by cursing us like that. Young Master, just say the word and I’ll go punch his mouth swollen right now.”

Huo Shu watched her vivid, animated expression, unable to look away, not even noticing when the elevator reached the first floor.

It was only when Jiang You tilted her head closer, her face showing confusion as she asked, “Young Master, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong? “Sorry, sorry,” that he snapped out of it.

The corners of Huo Shu’s lips twitched upward, the ends of his eyes curved to form a faint smile.

The young man already possessed extraordinarily good looks, but at this moment, he appeared as captivating as melting snow.

Jiang You was dazzled, staring at him in a daze as she couldn’t help but exclaim:

“Young Master, you look really beautiful when you smile.”

Huo Shu: “……”

A wave of heat quietly rose in his ears. Without looking at the person beside him, he strode out of the elevator and walked quickly toward the hospital exit.

Yet that person kept following behind him, sincerely swearing.

“Young Master, I mean it, you have to believe me! I swear you look super handsome when you smile!”

Honest, straightforward, and…

Cute.

Anxing Hospital was the best hospital in the city, its tall building standing in the night like a cold monster overlooking the ground.

On New Year’s Eve, the roads were empty and quiet. A dim yellow streetlamp stood alone amidst heavy snowfall, while howling winds buried all the planted greenery under white snow.

“Young Master, the taxi I called will be here soon.” Jiang You looked at her phone screen, her words coming out in puffs of white vapor that lingered before her eyes slowly dissipating.

The Huo Family Old Mansion was over twenty kilometers from Anxing Hospital, requiring more than half an hour by car. On New Year’s Eve, taxis were extremely scarce. She had to pay double the fare before a driver accepted the ride.

When the car arrived and they settled into the back seat, Jiang You was about to give the address to the Huo Family Old Mansion when the silent Huo Shu suddenly said, “Go to Xiangshan Cemetery.”

Xiangshan Cemetery – a location that frequently appeared in the original plot.

Where Huo Shu’s mother’s ashes were kept.

Jiang You belatedly remembered that today wasn’t just Huo Shu’s birthday, but also the anniversary of his mother’s death.

She pressed her lips together, for the first time unsure of what to say. Worried about saying the wrong thing and making him even sadder.

The back seat fell into silence.

The only sounds were the whoosh of the heating, and the driver occasionally took out his phone to wish his family a happy New Year’s Eve.

As the clock struck midnight outside the car window, brilliant fireworks lit up the sky one after another. The driver in the front seat timely spoke up:

“Happy New Year.”

Huo Shu turned to look at the butler beside him, who couldn’t hide her worried and anxious emotions. His eyes shifted between light and shadow as he spoke in his usual indifferent tone.

“Happy New Year, Jiang You.”

Jiang You was taken aback, instinctively responding: “Happy New Year, Young Master.”

The next second, a speeding large truck appeared in her field of vision.

The taxi had stopped at a crossroads. Just as it was about to cross the intersection with the green light ahead, the large truck ignored the red light and rushed toward the right side of the taxi at extreme speed.

Jiang You shielded the boy sitting by the right car door almost the instant the truck crashed into them.

“Boom”

The taxi spun and flipped like a toy car before the truck, ending up with half its body hanging precariously off the overpass.

The driver died instantly. A steel rebar had pierced through Jiang You’s back, and blood kept flowing uncontrollably. The boy she protected in her arms had both legs broken and his head was bleeding profusely.

“Drip, drip.”

Blood gathered at the corner of her lips and dripped down. As if feeling no pain, the woman curved her lips into a faint smile, weakly comforting him: “Don’t be afraid, don’t… don’t be afraid…”

The blood flowing from her body dyed his vision red, while the overwhelming metallic scent of blood violently invaded his nostrils.

A hot tear slid from Huo Shu’s eye. His crimson eyes fixed tightly on her face as a desperate, agonized whimper escaped his throat.

No, no.

Don’t leave him like his mother did.

Huo Shu, who never believed in gods, begged desperately in his heart.

Save her, please save her.

Jiang You naturally wouldn’t die.

She couldn’t die before completing her mission.

The chief physician treating her marveled at her incredible luck, remarking that had the rebar been slightly to the right, she would have truly bled to death.

The first person she saw upon waking wasn’t Huo Shu, but Huo Jing’s butler, Li Chengfeng.

Li Chengfeng had come during a break in his schedule. He was overjoyed when he saw her awake.

“An entire year you’ve been in a coma for a whole year.”

Jiang You wore an oxygen mask, her limbs weak and numb without any strength. Even blinking her eyelids was difficult, leaving her only able to listen as Li Chengfeng spoke.

Li Chengfeng looked just as before, unchanged. With his refined, handsome appearance and gentle, benevolent demeanor, he embodied the classic “good Samaritan” character.

He shared many updates, all concerning the changes in the Huo family over the past year.

Huo Ye had fallen from grace. On New Year’s Eve a year ago, it was exposed that he had used illegal means in the East District land deal, coercing elderly residents into signing contracts and even driving over a dozen of them to their deaths.

Before the New Year celebrations ended, the scandal broke, causing a huge uproar and a sharp drop in the Huo family’s stock prices.

Huo Ye became a sacrificial pawn; the first direct descendant removed from the inheritance list. He was now in prison, facing at least twenty years behind bars.

In less than half a year, the eldest direct descendant, Huo Jing, also encountered trouble. He had collaborated with an overseas syndicate to run an underground casino, Black Boxing matches, and other illegal activities. Such ventures yield quick money but lead to utter ruin if discovered.

Huo Jing had been too impatient for success, desperately seeking Huo Yuan’s recognition and praise.

Now, the pool of Huo family heirs has dwindled significantly. Among the direct descendants, only the youngest daughter, Huo Jing, and the illegitimate son, Huo Shu, remained.

All this had happened in just one year.

Jiang You was completely stunned upon hearing this.

In the original plot, these events were supposed to occur five years later. Yet now, with Huo Ye and Huo Jing successively falling from grace, there was less than a year left until the male lead, Huo Shu, would inherit the patriarch’s position and Huo Yuan’s demise.

As he peeled an apple, Li Chengfeng said, “Butler Jiang, you probably never imagined that Young Master Huo Shu now holds a status second only to Miss Huo Jing. Not only did he flawlessly resolve Huo Ye’s mess, but he also established a modest company, firmly establishing himself in Qi City.”

“Now, even Family Head Huo Yuan views him in a new light. Their relationship seems to have eased somewhat; it’s not as strained as before.”

Unable to speak, Jiang You could only nod silently in her heart.

Of course. The male lead was only eighteen years old, yet he had already revealed extraordinary business talent. No matter how much Huo Yuan loathed the half of his bloodline that came from an obscure actress, he had to admit that Huo Shu was a born business prodigy.

But what a pity.

Huo Yuan was about to die soon.

The person Huo Shu hated most was Huo Yuan, the father who had caused his mother’s fatal car accident.

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Zephyr Yizelle

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