Chapter 16 I feel a little cute for no reason

He just wanted to help her dry her hair. "I can do it myself," Shen Mofei said.

"Come here," Huo Mingze called out gently again. Unable to refuse his kindness, Shen Mofei sat down next to Huo Mingze. She kept feeling that the shirt was too short and couldn't cover her legs properly. She wanted to pull it down but was afraid the neckline would become too low. So she sat with her legs tightly together, feeling extremely uneasy.

Seeing Mofei's awkward posture, Huo Mingze couldn't help but find it a little cute. He smiled, turned on the hairdryer, and began drying her hair with gentle, focused movements. Mofei started to relax a lot more.

"From now on, after you shower, dry your hair before doing anything else. Girls shouldn't catch a chill; it can lead to rheumatism when you're older," Huo Mingze advised.

"Okay," Mofei replied, feeling touched once again.

"Tonight, I'll stay at the hospital. You should rest well at home," Huo Mingze said.

"No need, I can do it," Mofei immediately responded.

"You need to rest."

"It's okay, I sleep at the hospital too," Mofei insisted. Actually, during her father's hospitalization, she and her brother took turns staying overnight, fearing their father might pass away. Her work had also been affected significantly. Her manager was very dissatisfied but allowed her not to come to the office as long as she could submit enough design drafts. However, her salary was reduced to 80% to keep other colleagues satisfied. Due to her father's poor health, she couldn't worry about the 20% reduction. She had also voluntarily stopped her part-time tutoring job to avoid impacting the children's studies. These past few days had been the most exhausting for her, but she remained hopeful and believed she could handle it.

Huo Mingze reached out and gently rubbed Mofei's head, saying, "Then I'll stay with you."

"...Okay," Mofei originally wanted to refuse but felt it would be ungrateful to keep rejecting Huo Mingze's kindness. Huo Mingze put down the hairdryer and pulled Mofei into his arms, letting her rest on his legs. "Take a nap. We'll go to the hospital after the clothes are done washing."

"Okay," Mofei said, lying on Huo Mingze's legs. At first, she felt a bit nervous and uneasy. But Huo Mingze gently patted her head, calming her bit by bit.

She gradually relaxed. Maybe it was because she was really exhausted these past few days, or maybe the encounter with Gu Tianxi had shaken her so much that it drained her energy. Or perhaps it was the sense of security she felt being with Huo Mingze. Whatever the reason, she soon felt drowsy. Huo Mingze looked down at Mofei, gently touched her hair, and pulled a blanket over her. It was early winter, and the temperature outside was only seven or eight degrees. The house was comfortably warm at twenty degrees, thanks to the heater that Assistant Lu had arranged to be turned on when they set up the place.

After about half an hour, the washing machine beeped three times. Mofei woke with a start. "Is it done?!"

Huo Mingze smiled helplessly. "You could have slept a bit longer."

"No need, I feel very refreshed now." Mofei was a little annoyed at herself for having fallen asleep so easily. But she also felt reinvigorated and full of energy. She got up to get the clothes.

"Be careful, the clothes might be hot. Let them cool down before you wear them," Huo Mingze reminded her.

"Okay," Mofei agreed, though she was already eager to change into her own clothes. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Mofei was startled and wanted to hide in the room. Realizing she had already taken the clothes out, she quickly tied a sweater around her waist to cover her legs, which made her feel much more at ease.

Huo Mingze, not wanting anyone to see Mofei like this, said gently, "You go rest in the room for a bit, I'll get the door."

"Okay," Mofei replied, relieved, and dashed off quickly. Huo Mingze chuckled and went to open the door.

Outside were the general manager of the chain clothing store and two store managers, each carrying several sets of clothes. Although Huo Mingze had only asked for five sets, they didn't dare to slack off. Regional Director Yu Meihua had come personally. Seeing Huo Mingze, she greeted him respectfully, "Mr. Huo!" The two store managers were about to greet him as well when Huo Mingze gestured for them to stop, and they fell silent immediately. They peered around, curiosity and disbelief in their eyes. Mr. Huo was in such a modest place, so he must be pursuing a girl. Was this the girl's home? Their curiosity grew as they craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the girl Mr. Huo was interested in. They usually sold clothes and gossiped, knowing that Mr. Huo Mingze and Miss Yao Yutong from the Yao family were considered a perfect match. But now Mr. Huo was buying clothes for another girl, and regular ones at that. Miss Yao always wore high-end custom clothes.

Yu Meihua was curious too, but she didn't dare ask or look around too much. She quickly asked, "Mr. Huo, would you like to see which styles and colors you prefer?" As soon as she finished speaking, the two store managers spread out the clothes, all neatly hung on hangers, showcasing the styles immediately.

"Just put them on the sofa, you can leave now," Huo Mingze said.

"Yes, of course." Yu Meihua gave a signal, and the two store managers quickly placed the clothes on the sofa and left promptly. As soon as they were gone, Mofei, having changed into her own clothes, came out. She had thought it was Huo Mingze's friends visiting, so she had prepared to come out and greet them.

"I bought you some clothes. Do you like them?" Huo Mingze asked gently when he saw Mofei come out.

"Bought clothes? When did you buy them?" Mofei thought Huo Mingze had ordered them online.

"They were delivered locally. Come, take a look," Huo Mingze said. 

Mofei saw the sofa covered in clothes and was stunned. "You bought so many?"

"Yes, they weren't expensive, so I picked out a few sets. You'll need them anyway," Huo Mingze said.

"It's too much. Can we return some of them?" Mofei asked.

Huo Mingze looked at Mofei, walked over, and gently pulled her to the sofa. "Come, try them on! They're not expensive, and we got married without me giving you any gifts or dowry."

Maybe people do need a comparison to see the difference, he thought. When he used to buy clothes for Yao Yutong, she would only complain that some designs were too plain.

"You've already spent a lot of money on me," Mofei thought. The amount was so significant that she would have to work very hard to repay it.

"They're really not expensive. Come, try them on," Huo Mingze insisted, handing her a set of clothes.

"Alright," Mofei agreed, taking the clothes. Then she noticed the matching sets of underwear beneath them. Her face instantly turned bright red with embarrassment.

Huo Mingze, on the other hand, remained calm. He picked up a set and handed it to Mofei. "Try these on too. If they don't fit, we can exchange them."

Mofei's face turned even redder, feeling so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear.

Seeing Mofei's shy expression, Huo Mingze couldn't help but smile. He had been feeling a bit down today, but now he suddenly felt cheerful. Once again, he watched Mofei, clutching the clothes, run away quickly.