Chapter 444: Chapter 444

At 9 a.m. on Saturday, while Pu Sangzhi was busy tutoring Lin Qianqian, Huo Feng, on the other side of the city, had already dragged his luggage, big and small, back to Huo Mingshan’s home.

He vividly remembered, when he had left home last year, the father-son relationship was so strained it seemed to be hanging by a thread.

And this year, when he moved back, Huo Feng felt that the father-son relationship was still hanging by that same thread.

Because, despite moving back home, Huo Feng hadn’t felt the so-called fatherly love.

When he pushed open the door, only Shen Yu eagerly came forward to greet him, joyfully taking his luggage... on top of which were gifts he had prepared for his grandfather!

"Not bad, the gifts are all ready. What are they?"

Shen Yu weighed the gift box, shook it a bit, and listened, "What’s this? Liquid? No sound?"

At this moment, Huo Feng, with a backpack on his back, was carrying a suitcase in his left hand, a large luggage bag on his right shoulder, and, dangling from a few fingers of his right hand, a big bag of fruits...

Huo Feng narrowed his eyes and stared speechlessly at Shen Yu, "Mom, can’t you take something off my hands?"

Only then did Shen Yu realize that Huo Feng, who had returned home after many months, was laden with baggage...

She nodded her head, "Welcome home, go put your things in your room!"

Huo Feng couldn’t help but shout, "At least take the fruits!"

At his shout, Shen Yu finally took the bag of fruits from his right hand, and that was all she did, already muttering, "You’re back for one day and already making me carry things, already putting on airs..."

Huo Feng was speechlessly choked up.

"But you’re home, why bring fruits, making it seem like you’re a visitor?"

Shen Yu, carrying the bag of fruits, turned and headed for the dining room, unceremoniously washed an apple for herself.

Goodness, while washing the apple, she didn’t forget to ask Huo Feng, "Do you want an apple? I can wash one for you too?"

Huo Feng, annoyed, refused, "No thanks!"

Having said that, Huo Feng continued indoors, pushing his suitcase towards his room.

His room was right across from the study.

As he passed, Huo Feng glanced at the study with its doors wide open where Huo Mingshan was sitting in front of his laptop, typing away, seemingly busy.

"Hey, dad, I’m back."

Huo Feng casually greeted Huo Mingshan.

Huo Mingshan didn’t even look up, just responded mechanically, "Mm."

Typical dad, no doubt.

Forget it, Huo Feng had gotten used to his parents’ indifferent attitudes.

Huo Feng turned and walked into his room, unloaded his backpack and luggage bag on the bed, set aside his suitcase and did nothing, just flopped backward, lazily sprawling across his black-and-white checkered duvet...

He took a deep breath, savoring the long-missed scent of his own duvet, finally feeling the warmth of being home.

Thus, Huo Feng sprawled on the bed for a few minutes until Shen Yu, biting into an apple, came to his room, knocking on the door, "Lying down, huh? Aren’t you going to get up? Better go over to your grandfather’s place early."

Huo Feng pulled out his phone to check the time, "It’s early, just past nine. I thought grandpa’s was in the evening!"

"The evening is at the hotel."

Shen Yu reminded him, "You should head over this afternoon to be with your grandfather. You’re in charge of greeting the guests. It’s a great opportunity, and if you don’t go, it’ll be passed to other brothers and sisters."

Huo Feng lifted his head for a moment, then let it drop again, "That’s too early, I’ll go after lunch."

Shen Yu, munching on her apple, grinned as she entered the room, casually closing the door behind her as if to keep Old Huo out.

She sat by Huo Feng’s bed, and with her other hand, she gave a pat on Huo Feng’s butt, "How’s it going with your goddess lately? It’s been half a year, any progress?"

Huo Feng’s lips curled into a proud smile, "Just missing Tsinghua, everything else is OK!"

Shen Yu exclaimed, "How can it still be a million miles away!"

Shen Yu patted Huo Feng on the butt, consoling him, "It’s okay, sincerity moves stone, Mom believes you’ll eventually catch up to Pu Sangzhi!"

Huo Feng nodded, finally feeling a bit touched, "That’s my mom, love you."

Shen Yu immediately added, "Your dad told your grandpa about you ranking first in class this time, and your grandpa is very happy. He’s planning to brag about it to his old colleagues tonight. You remember Chen Zeqing, right?"

"Wow! That guy, I’d recognize him even if he turned to ashes!"

Huo Feng furrowed his brows and lifted his head with one hand, while pointing with his finger and saying, "Ever since I was young, he’s compared his granddaughter’s grades with mine! It’s because of him that Grandpa has looked down on me for so many years! Back when his granddaughter got into the best junior high school, and I couldn’t even get into the vocational school, that man derided Grandpa for a whole year! Tsk tsk tsk... It’s all because of him! That’s why I swore to get into Longxiang! At least to bring some honor back to Grandpa!"

This was another episode, Huo Feng’s tearful history from his first entrance exam!

You should know, in Tangxia Town, when it comes to middle school rankings, the best one is Ruizhong followed by the third best, and after those two schools... the private high school Longxiang probably doesn’t even know where it ranks.

As the eldest grandson of Tangxia Town’s party committee secretary, Huo Feng, from a young age, has bizarrely been compared with the granddaughter of Tangxia Town’s vice party secretary Chen Zeqing.

This comparison between children, obviously wasn’t about personality or character, but all about grades.

And Huo Feng’s abysmal grades often brought shame upon his grandfather!

For instance, the year Huo Feng took the middle school exams, Chen Zeqing’s granddaughter also took her exams.

However, Huo Feng scored so poorly he needed connections just to get into a vocational school, whereas Chen Zeqing’s granddaughter scored high enough to enter the best junior high.

Thinking back to that year, Huo Feng’s grandfather was so angry, he forbade Huo Feng from visiting his house for New Year!

Meaning that year, Huo Feng missed out on a four-figure New Year’s red envelope, and his relationship with his grandfather shattered along with it...

Huo Feng started slacking off since elementary school and once he began to slack, his academic performance naturally declined, becoming increasingly embarrassing.

The vice-party secretary of Tangxia, named Chen Zeqing, held an equal position to Huo Feng’s grandfather, Huo Hai, many years ago.

As a result, not only did they compete overtly and covertly in politics, but also participated in the nasty habit of comparing their grandchildren in their personal lives.

This bad habit has persisted for years and hasn’t changed even though Huo Hai has since climbed up one rank, surpassing Chen Zeqing...

The middle generation, Huo Mingshan and Chen Zeqing’s son, couldn’t be compared due to differing career paths—one a public school teacher, the other a businessman.

So, the comparison trickled down, with Chen Zeqing liking to compare his academically gifted granddaughter who attended the top junior high to Huo Feng’s grades...

Later, because Huo Feng had to repeat a year, he started high school a year later than Chen Zeqing’s granddaughter, a fact that Chen Zeqing used to mock Huo Hai for yet another year.

That was one old man Huo Feng really detested!

It was because of that old man that Huo Feng and his grandfather could never establish a close relationship, as his grandfather looked down on Huo Feng’s academic performance!

"So, you ranking first in class this time around is really something your grandpa can show off about tonight."

Shen Yu took a bite of an apple, saying, "Just remember, when your grandpa is bragging, you be modest, let all the show-off space go to your grandpa, just make the old man happy!"

Huo Feng nodded, "We must make him happy! Tsk, and then there’s her, that Chen’s granddaughter! It’s annoying how she’s flaunted her success all these years. This time I must flaunt Sangzhi in front of her! Got to show her that my girlfriend is the city’s number one! Her grades are nothing!"

Shen Yu nodded in agreement, "Absolutely! You’ve really been oppressed by that girl for many years. This time you can also take the opportunity to get your revenge!"

Huo Feng poked Shen Yu’s shoulder with his finger, "Who’s been oppressed by her for many years? Her! Thinking she can oppress me? Impossible!"

Shen Yu pursed her lips, "Even if you won’t admit it, you feel inferior in front of that girl!"

Huo Feng flatly denied, "I disdain to compare myself with her! Back then, I used to see grades as dung!"

Shen Yu took another bite of her apple, raising her eyebrows and huffing, not arguing with Huo Feng’s words.

She thought, Huo Feng must know deep down that every time he mentioned that girl, he felt a gnawing irritation, and in front of her, he probably felt a bit inferior.

But now that his grades had improved, who knew if that might change.

This year, unlike the previous years.

This year Huo Feng, as a good student, headed over there, and Shen Yu thought, perhaps he might be treated differently?

So, she was quite looking forward to today’s birthday party... Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁