Chapter 449: Chapter 449

The birthday party was still quite lively as it progressed into the later stages.

After three rounds of drinks, the elders had loosened up, and the children were allowed to leave the table and play, filling the banquet hall with noise and various other sounds.

As the eldest grandson, Huo Feng eventually demonstrated his strong social skills.

He walked around with beer and wine glasses in hand, toasting the elders at their tables, amusing them with his excellent eloquence, and cleverly using the drinks to pass a societal test, which earned him compliments from a number of elders.

That social vibe Huo Feng emitted, Huo Mingshan didn’t have a hint of it.

Therefore, at times , Huo Feng became the family’s pride and glory, always able to carve out a place for himself at gatherings, leaving a lasting impression on most elders, and making Huo Hai extremely proud.

At 8:30 P.M., the birthday party showed no signs of ending, and Huo Hai, who was quite drunk, was boasting and talking fervently about social manners with his old colleagues, their faces red with excitement.

Since Huo Hai was still in a good mood, the younger family members didn’t dare leave and had to stay to accompany him. But, in fact, most of the younger ones had been bored for a long time...

Chen Chaonan just wasn’t feeling enthusiastic tonight.

The news of Huo Feng having a girlfriend dealt her a heavy blow. Thus, she ate very little in the later part of the evening, finding that even the most exquisite delicacies tasted bland...

It proved that when one’s mood is sour, indeed, interest in anything is hard to come by.

Chen Chaonan’s gaze was glued to Huo Feng all night. She constantly stared at him moving between the tables, saw him laugh, saw his pride, and saw him eagerly drinking and passing the tests.

In her eyes, Huo Feng was very sociable yet also had an irresistible charm.

Feeling the heat of the room, Chen Chaonan tied her long hair, draped over her shoulders, into a ponytail, and lazily leaned back in her chair, resting her arms behind her head, staring distantly at Huo Feng...

As she stared, her focus gradually faded, and she began to recall the clear memories of the infrequent but memorable interactions with Huo Feng over the years.

In fact, Chen Chaonan and Huo Feng had been schoolmates since they were young.

They attended the same elementary school and the same middle school, but never had the fortune of being in the same class.

Being the same age, they were constantly compared due to their grandfathers being colleagues.

Chen Chaonan was named so because her family originally wanted a boy, but fatefully, a girl was born. Hence, they named her Chaonan, hoping she would surpass boys.

For that reason, from elementary school to middle school, and even up to the present, the only topic Chen Chaonan and Huo Feng could talk about was the competition over their academic results.

In elementary school, during the first few years, Chen Chaonan’s grades were neck-and-neck with Huo Feng’s, both being average students.

Back then, in their childhood, she and Huo Feng had a strong competitive relationship in their studies, and Huo Feng would often boast that he’d crush her under his heel, ensuring she’d never outdo him!

At that time, determined to surpass Huo Feng, Chen Chaonan studied hard...

But who would have thought that as her grades improved, Huo Feng started slacking off, allowing her to easily surpass him with little effort.

After that, Huo Feng started causing trouble...

Once he lost interest in studies, he went wild at school, causing trouble everywhere, even failing to care about flunking his exams.

Since then, Chen Chaonan’s interactions with Huo Feng gradually diminished and their relationship seemed to sour as well. The source of thɪs content is 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽

Perhaps Huo Feng had never taken Chen Chaonan seriously over the years. However, Chaonan, who had been in the same school as him all those years, had been secretly in love with him...

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly when her feelings for Huo Feng began, only that she had been upset about his downfall for a very long time...

So, whenever they met, she would use her grades to motivate Huo Feng, hoping he would be interested in comparing results with her, returning to the state where they used to compete academically a long time ago.

But the past couldn’t be revisited...

Just like now, as Huo Feng effortlessly lived his own life, found a girlfriend, set goals with her, and worked hard together...

Meanwhile, Chen Chaonan’s long-hidden, tender first love seemed never to have had a chance to begin and ended quietly, without a trace.

Chen Chaonan had drunk a bit of alcohol that night, causing her cheeks to flush red; her entire face and head felt hot, as if she could feel the thumping rhythm of her pulsing blood vessels.

Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect, but at that moment, Chen Chaonan felt a strong impulse... to confess her feelings to Huo Feng.

Thinking about it over and over...

Suddenly, Huo Feng, who had been meandering between the tables socializing, glanced down at his phone.

After just a glance, Chen Chaonan saw Huo Feng hurriedly wrap up conversations and head straight out with his phone, quickly leaving the small banquet hall...

A fatal attraction compelled Chen Chaonan to stand up, her steps light and ethereal, as she quietly followed Huo Feng, trailing him out of the banquet hall...

At nine-thirty P.M., Huo Feng received a WeChat call from Pu Sangzhi, which put him in high spirits!

He hurried out of the banquet hall, found a quiet spot away from the noisy crowd, and immediately answered Pu Sangzhi’s WeChat call.

Huo Feng, who was tipsy, spoke with a drift in his voice, and as soon as the call connected, he opened with a cheeky tone, "Hey, beauty, calling me so late at night, are you looking for some company to chat, or to sleep with?"

This call was initiated by Pu Sangzhi herself.

A few minutes earlier, Huo Feng had posted a video of himself drinking and a selfie of his face flushed from intoxication on his Moments.

Huo Feng believed that Pu Sangzhi must have seen his Moments and that’s why she took the initiative to call him! She must be feeling sorry for him!

As expected, from the other end of the line, Pu Sangzhi’s calm and gentle voice came through, asking softly, "How much have you had to drink?"

Huo Feng walked down a narrow path while holding his glass, and on the phone, he said, "Drank a lot! What to do? My head feels like it’s going to explode, I’m so unsteady on my feet. Won’t you come to pick me up?"

From the other end, Pu Sangzhi’s tone carried a hint of concern, "Aren’t you finished yet? Why do you keep drinking? You’re not an adult, there’s no need to drink so much..."

Huo Feng quickly reached the small window at the end of the hallway. He placed his glass on the windowsill and pushed open the window, letting in a cool breeze that brought him a refreshing sensation, "Ah~"

"Why are you making that noise? What are you doing?"

On the other end, Pu Sangzhi expressed her confusion, "It sounds like it isn’t as noisy around you anymore...is it over?"

"Not yet, not ending that easily. My grandfather is going to retire in a few years, so I guess this birthday was quite a big deal, probably will go on very late."

Huo Feng casually explained and then started to be coquettish with her, "Can we start a video call? I want to see you..."

Pu Sangzhi hesitated for a long time on the other end before finally rejecting him, "Not really, I’ve already turned off the lights and am lying in bed."

Huo Feng protested, "You only think to call me after you’re in bed, that’s so insincere! It’s obvious you have no intention of coming to pick me up!"

Pu Sangzhi replied with a light laugh, "I never planned to pick you up."

Huo Feng patted his chest, furrowing his brow in an exaggerated display of heartache, "Ah, you’re so heartless... You saw my Moments and only thought to call to check on me! It seems your feelings for me are limited to a phone call concern, my heart aches~"

On the other end, Pu Sangzhi chuckled, responding with two words, "So dramatic."

"You’re actually calling me dramatic!"

Huo Feng, dissatisfied, said, "Alright, that’s it, you’ve hurt me. From this second, you’re going to lose me!"

Pu Sangzhi fell silent for a while on the other end, then after a few seconds, said, "It’s been several seconds, have you come back yet?"

Huo Feng smacked his lips, "Can’t come back, unless you blow me a kiss from across the air!"

Pu Sangzhi refused, "Don’t want to."

Huo Feng exclaimed, "Wow, you won’t come to pick me up, you won’t comfort me, and you won’t even blow me a kiss! And yet you still expect me to come back to you, do you think I’m a fool!"

Right after he had exclaimed, Chen Chaonan suddenly appeared beside him out of the blue, calling out to him with a plaintive tone, "Hey..."

Because she appeared so suddenly, Huo Feng was startled, "Whoa, Chen Chaonan, you... you’re like a ghost!"

Pu Sangzhi was puzzled on the phone, "Huh?"

Huo Feng replied to her, "It’s my grandfather’s colleague’s granddaughter. Suddenly came up and scared me!"

Chen Chaonan leaned softly against the windowsill, gazing outside, her eyes a mix of confusion and faint resentment.

Huo Feng furrowed his brow, "What do you want? Drunk? Don’t make me deal with you, I won’t take care of you!"

"Huo Feng, I want to tell you..."

Chen Chaonan puffed up her cheeks, took a deep breath, and all of a sudden, she shouted into the night, "I like you!"

Huo Feng’s eyes widened...

The dreaded thing had indeed happened!

This was... absolutely chilling!

Once he realized what was happening, Huo Feng’s face turned pale, "Sangzhi, listen to me, let me explain!"