OFTLHFRO C127

Chapter 127: Reaching a Consensus

“What’s so impossible about it?”

From the meal set before them and the way he addressed Wu Qing, Huo Yan could already tell that Hu Zhongyi was not a man who played strictly by the rules.

“Since General Wu stockpiled so much grain in advance, why shouldn’t we borrow a little?”

At that word borrow, Hu Zhongyi chuckled meaningfully. “That old dog Wu won’t lend you a thing.”

“How would we know unless we try?”

Huo Yan paused, then added, “If General Hu were willing to accompany me, then out of respect for a fellow equal, General Wu would hardly be able to sit idly by.”

Hu Zhongyi caught the implication and gave a short laugh. “If you can manage to wrest grain from him, what harm is there in my accompanying you? But we can’t act ourselves—if word of this spreads back to the capital, neither of us will escape unscathed.”

Huo Yan replied, “Why would kin raise hands against kin?”

At that look on Huo Yan’s face, Luo Mingchen instantly knew he was brewing mischief.

Hu Zhongyi remained puzzled. “Very well, then. Tomorrow morning I’ll go with you. If you can pry some grain from that old dog Wu’s hands, I’ll agree to whatever follows.”

“Much obliged, General Hu.”

Just as the words fell, a loud oww sounded. Everyone turned to see Huo Xiang—his bun now sporting another tooth embedded in it.

This time Huo Xiang burst into tears, clutching his mouth and mumbling, “My tooooth…”

Luo Mingchen couldn’t hold back. Seeing the bun studded with teeth, he broke out laughing: “Pfft—hahahaha…” He poured water to let the boy rinse his mouth.

For the first time, Huo Yuhui had managed not to laugh earlier, but now even he couldn’t resist.

Huo Xinyue pointed in shock. “Second Brother lost another tooth!”

Hu Zhongyi laughed as well. “Boy, why keep eating if you’ve already lost one tooth?”

Huo Xiang looked back at him with wounded eyes.

After rinsing his mouth, he pouted miserably. “Can’t waste food.”

He then filled his mouth with more water, long lashes still beaded with tears.

Amused yet faintly moved, Hu Zhongyi thought to himself: to raise children this conscientious, these two must at least be men of decent character.

“You’d best stop eating, lad. If all your teeth fall out here, I couldn’t afford the compensation.”

Frightened by that, Huo Xiang eyed the bun with deep conflict.

In the end, Hu Zhongyi had someone pluck the tooth from the bun. Taking it himself, he bit into it and said, “I truly have little grain left. In a few days we’ll be down to moldy stores.”

Huo Yan said, “I’ll have some provisions sent to you later.”

Hu Zhongyi didn’t stand on ceremony. “All right.”

And so the group went home still hungry.

Huo Xiang carried his two carefully wrapped teeth—one upper incisor and one lower tooth. Thankfully they weren’t from the same side, or he would have looked especially awkward.

Luo Mingchen comforted him: “Don’t fret, I’ll make you egg custard when we get back.”

“Mm…”

Pitifully, Huo Xiang asked, “Little Daddy, if I lost two teeth at once, will they still grow back?”

“How could they not? Didn’t the last one already grow in? Even if not, I’ll get you a big gold tooth.”

Huo Yan, seated nearby, smiled faintly as he listened.

Huo Xiang muttered, “Gold teeth are ugly.”

Luo Mingchen said, “That’s gold, boy!”

Reminded of its value, Huo Xiang brightened immediately. “Gold is the prettiest!”

Seeing he was cheered up, Luo Mingchen patted his head. “So don’t be afraid, all right? And don’t push at it with your tongue, or the new tooth will grow crooked and you won’t be able to eat big drumsticks.”

Huo Xiang nodded frantically. “Mm-hmm!”

Back home, Luo Mingchen cooked up a proper feast.

After such a long day on the road, even with a nap in the afternoon, the children were exhausted—especially Huo Xinyue, who was yawning over her meal.

That night, finally able to take a hot bath, Luo Mingchen’s happiness was visible to the naked eye.

He soaked for half an hour before emerging, toweling his damp hair, and said to Huo Yan—who was reading account books—“I feel like I lost several pounds after that scrub.”

Huo Yan looked up with a smile in his eyes. “Not that exaggerated.”

“Try bathing yourself and you’ll see.”

While speaking, Luo Mingchen picked up a defense map to examine. Sure enough, Han City had no shortage of underground passages, winding this way and that.

“All right.”

As Huo Yan bathed, Luo Mingchen finished the maps and flipped through an account book, suddenly remembering something. Leaning against the screen, he asked, “You seem to know quite a bit about General Hu and General Wu?”

Midway through rinsing, Huo Yan replied, “Third Prince provided some intelligence about them.”

At this, Luo Mingchen arched a brow, eyeing Huo Yan’s sculpted eight-pack abs. With a rogue’s grin, he whistled and stretched out his hand. “Let me touch, yeah?”

Back in the apocalypse, Luo Mingchen had nearly managed an eight-pack himself. But after transmigrating here, he’d only managed to keep six—and even those were in danger.

So when it came to Huo Yan’s abs, he never tired of looking.

He had expected Huo Yan to shy away, or at least avert his eyes in embarrassment, enough for a teasing victory.

Yet Huo Yan calmly said, “Let me rinse the soap off first.”

Luo Mingchen nearly cracked, instantly surrendering. “Forget it, I won’t touch. I’m going to sleep.”

He flopped onto the bed and cocooned himself in the blanket.

When Huo Yan emerged from the bath, what he saw was a silken chrysalis.

Sitting at the bedside, he gave the bundle a nudge. “Dry my hair for me.”

From under the quilt, Luo Mingchen muffled, “I’m already asleep.”

Smiling faintly, Huo Yan scooped up both blanket and man, pried open a small gap, and slipped his hand inside.

Ticklish at the touch on his neck, Luo Mingchen burst into laughter. “Fine, fine! I’ll dry your hair! Stop it!”

Only then did Huo Yan withdraw his hand, watching as Luo Mingchen poked his head out, then wriggled further to free his arms.

But his hands were stuck. Exasperated, Luo Mingchen said, “Loosen up a bit, my hands can’t get out.”

Moved by how adorable he was, Huo Yan hugged him tighter still, expression tinged with playful challenge.

Unable to break free, Luo Mingchen gave up. “Then dry it yourself.”

Huo Yan pinched his cheek. “Mm.”

Placed aside, Luo Mingchen watched him towel his own hair, sighing. “So what was the point of dragging me out here? Just to sit and watch you?”

“You said you wanted to touch.”

He even spread his robe open a little.

Luo Mingchen blinked. “No fee?”

“Mm.”

With that assurance, Luo Mingchen slipped his hand out and gave a squeeze.

The feel was excellent…

Finished, he noticed Huo Yan’s eyes on him and quickly pulled back, satisfied to curl up under the covers. “All right, I’m sleeping.”

He shut his eyes for a while, then peeked one open—Huo Yan hadn’t made a move.

Huo Yan, toweling off his long hair, looked up just in time to meet his questioning gaze. Leaning over, he pressed down and asked, “Not sleeping after all?”

“Sleeping!”

Luo Mingchen deliberately rolled to the side. A cool brush against his lips, then it was gone. After Huo Yan left, he rolled back, murmuring, “Don’t stay up too late.”

“All right.”

Huo Yan pulled on a cloak and went over to the three big chests, continuing to examine the accounts.

Even if these records weren’t crucial, he still needed to have a clear picture—so no one could take him for a fool later.