Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âWhat?â
One couldnât blame Old Master Huo for not remembering Liu Tongjiaâs birthday. It was mainly because Liu Tongjia had been unwilling to celebrate her birthday for more than a decade. He was getting older, so he naturally forgot about it.
âToday is Auntieâs birthday.â
As Su Qingsang spoke, she took out the box containing the jade bracelet from her bag and touched Huo Jinyao.
âJinyao and I went to pick out this gift early in the morning. Auntie, this is for you. I wish you a happy birthday and a long life.â
Su Qingsang originally wanted Huo Jinyao to give the gift to Liu Tongjia. However, Huo Jinyao was also stunned by her words.
When he came in just now, Old Master Huoâs expression didnât change when he saw Huo Jinyao. It didnât seem like he pitied Huo Yifan and was anguishing over his suffering so he wanted him bailed out.
Huo Jinyao finally understood why Liu Tongjia had asked him to come back for a meal yesterday.
So it was Liu Tongjiaâs birthday today? He looked at the box in Su Qingsangâs hand. It was the packaging of Wan Xianyangâs Gu Langxuan. He recognized it at a glance.
He turned to look at Su Qingsang. She was quite thoughtful.
Su Qingsang was also looking at him. She stared at the box and motioned for him to take it over to Huo Jinyao.
Who was Liu Tongjia? Su Qingsangâs words brought joy to her heart. However, when she looked at her sonâs reaction, how could she not know?
She was afraid that Huo Jinyao didnât know her birthday at all. Su Qingsang was merely saying it.
When she looked at the box in Su Qingsangâs hand, she lost all interest in it. When she saw that Huo Jinyao was staring at the box in a daze and had no intention of handing it over, she felt even more stifled.
Her son didnât really want to celebrate her birthday, and he didnât even know it was her birthday. What was there to celebrate?
Old Master Huo also realized that it was Liu Tongjiaâs birthday today. Upon seeing Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang like this, the shrewd Old Master Huo could grasp the situation. He immediately laughed and clapped.
âLook at me, Iâm getting old, and my memory is getting worse. I forgot that it was Tongjiaâs birthday. Itâs my fault. Ah-Cheng, for Tongjiaâs birthday present, go to my room later and bring out the set of emeralds that the old woman left behind.â
Uncle Cheng, the butler, was a perceptive person. He immediately agreed. âYes, Iâll go get it.â
âHow would that be appropriate?â Liu Tongjia naturally knew about the set of emeralds that Old Master Huo had mentioned. It was a set of extremely precious jewelry that Old Madam Huo had left behind.
Old Madam Huo had liked it before and often wore it. Later, when she got older, she took it off and said that she would give it to her daughter-in-law in the future.
Although that was the case, the Old Master was still around, and he used it to remember her, so he didnât think of passing it on. It was only a small birthday, so that gift was obviously a little too heavy.
After all, she said she would leave it for her daughter-in-law, but she didnât say which daughter-in-law. There was still Nian Chunya on the other end.
âThereâs nothing inappropriate about it. In any case, these will all belong to you guys in the future.â
The Old Master waved his hand dismissively, and Uncle Cheng brought the things over. Liu Tongjia had already seen that set of jewelry, so she wasnât in a hurry to open it.
She was in a bad mood, and even if she received a gift, she wouldnât be happy. After all, the person she cared about and who she wanted to remember her birthday didnât remember.
Zhang Yichen simply sat there. He was a little astonished when Su Qingsang entered the room.
He had heard her say on the phone that she was going to watch a movie with Huo Jinyao today, so he came over. He didnât expect her to come here instead of watching the movie.
He couldnât help but feel a little uneasy when he met Huo Jinyaoâs eyes, especially when he met Huo Jinyaoâs knowing gaze. He wanted to get up and leave, but he felt that it would be too deliberate, so he could only continue sitting.
He felt fortunate that he had already given Old Master Huo the gift that he had picked out for him when he came over from Gu Langxuan.
Otherwise, Huo Jinyao might overthink it if the it was placed next to Su Qingsangâs gift with the same packaging.
Old Master Huo was in a good mood. He called Auntie Zhou over and asked her to tell the kitchen to add more food, and made Zhang Yichen stay behind to eat. Zhang Yichen had no reason to refuse him.
During that period of time, Su Qingsang seized the chance to wink at Huo Jinyao.
No matter how much he disliked Liu Tongjia, it was Liu Tongjiaâs birthday. As her son, he couldnât act too cold, could he?
Huo Jinyao saw her gaze and knew that she was doing it for his own good. Feeling a little helpless, he reached out and pushed the box in front of Liu Tongjia.
âMom, happy birthday.â
Those words were spoken very aloofly, and Liu Tongjia was initially a little unhappy, but upon seeing Huo Jinyao like this, she couldnât get angry.
She was less unhappy with Su Qingsang as well, and took the gift. She opened it and saw that it was a bracelet of excellent quality.
She glanced at Su Qingsang again. She recognized the quality of the bracelet. The color of the bracelet was quite nice.
âYou guys are thoughtful.â
She put the bracelet back and didnât dwell too much on the fact that Huo Jinyao didnât remember her birthday.
With more than ten years of estrangement, it was impossible to repair it in one or two days. She knew this in her heart, but she was still a little uncomfortable.
Huo Mingguang knew what she was thinking the most, and reached out to squeeze her hand.
Although the atmosphere wasnât particularly harmonious, it wasnât particularly awkward either. Huo Mingguang talked to Zhang Yichen, while Huo Jinyao talked to Old Master Huo about the recent situation.
As long as Old Master Huo didnât ask him to get Huo Yifan out of prison, he was willing to cooperate with other matters.
After dinner, since Huo Jinyao hadnât played chess with Old Master Huo for a long time, the two of them began to play in the living room.
Liu Tongjia saw that her son had stayed behind to celebrate her birthday, and that they had been close during dinner, so she felt a little better.
After instructing Auntie Zhou to bring some tea and snacks outside, she was about to leave when Uncle Cheng came in.
âMadam, should this be placed in the storeroom or in your room?â
The Huo family was a big family. Every time they received a gift, they had to register it. Next time, they had to return the favor. Old Master Huo wasnât the only one who had his own storage room for treasures. Huo Mingguang and Liu Tongjia also had a room for their usual collection of good things.
âPut it in my room.â Although Huo Jinyao didnât choose it himself, it was still the first time the couple had sent a gift over. Liu Tongjia planned to wear it when she was about to go out in a few days.
âGot it, Miss.â
Uncle Cheng was in charge of these sorts of affairs in the Huo family. He took the box and was about to go upstairs. However, Liu Tongjia saw another box in his hand.
âWait a minute.â She took a few steps forward and looked at the box in Uncle Chengâs hand. The packaging of the box was also from Gu Langxuan.
âWhat is this?â
âThis?â Uncle Cheng looked at the larger box. He didnât understand why Liu Tongjia was suddenly interested in asking this.
âThis is a gift from Third Master Zhang to the Old Master. I happened to have something to do just now, so I forgot to put it in the storeroom.â
Although Zhang Yichen was young, his seniority was high. He was Huo Yangxiuâs third son. The other two families called him Third Master Zhang. Huo Yangxiuâs grandson was called Young Master Biao.
âThird Master has good taste. Itâs a decoration made of sandalwood. I heard that it was newly received by Gu Langxuan. Old Master also liked it.â
Liu Tongjia didnât bother to look at the exquisite gift, nor did she have the mood to care whether the Old Master liked it or not.
Now that she was staring at the box, what else was there that she didnât understand?
Good, good, good. It was really very good. She dared to have an affair behind Huo Jinyaoâs back, and she even used her as a cover. That was really overboard.
She was annoyed and very angry, but her facial expression didnât change at all.
âSince itâs a gift from Zhang Yichen, then store it.â
She was the Huo familyâs madam, so she naturally had the ability to hide her emotions.
Now that she was agitated by the two similar boxes in front of her, she was so angry that her head was about to explode, but her expression didnât change at all.
She waved Uncle Cheng off and turned to walk into the living room. She stopped halfway and felt that she really couldnât swallow her anger.
She went back to the living room. In the living room, Huo Jinyao and Old Master Huo were sitting face to face and talking. Su Qingsang sat next to Huo Jinyao. She didnât know how to play chess, but she was willing to sit there and accompany him.
Zhang Yichen and Huo Mingguang sat next to Old Master Huo. Zhang Yichen was going to leave. However, Old Master Huo hadnât seen him for a long time, so he asked him to stay and talk.
Ever since the disaster relief, he hadnât had much rest. It was a rare break for him this time, so he really wanted to see Old Master Huo.
He didnât decline and talked about some things related to the disaster relief.
In fact, he had made two great contributions this time. There was no need to mention the hardships and even the process of almost losing his life a few times. He specifically picked some small matters to talk to Old Master Huo about.
However, because Su Qingsang was sitting across from him, it looked like the two of them were sitting across from each other.
When Liu Tongjia saw this, she felt her anger rising again. Fury burned fiercely in her heart.
Forcing herself to calm down, she took a few steps forward and looked at Su Qingsang.
âQingsang, your grandfather still has to play chess with Jinyao for a long time. Why donât you come with me to the garden for a walk? Take a walk to digest your food?â
Su Qingsang and Liu Tongjia werenât on good terms. She was surprised to hear her calling out to her.
She couldnât help but glance at Huo Jinyao. Huo Jinyao was focused on playing chess. When he remembered that it was Liu Tongjiaâs birthday today, he didnât think much of it and nodded slightly at Su Qingsang.
Su Qingsang stood up and took Liu Tongjiaâs action as a gesture of goodwill.
âAuntie, itâs my honor youâre interested.â
She stood up and walked out with Liu Tongjia. In the eyes of Old Master Huo and Huo Mingguang, Liu Tongjiaâs action was a sign that she was willing to humble herself to be on friendly terms, so they were relieved.
Large families hoped for family harmony the most. Only Zhang Yichen stared in the direction where Su Qingsang and Liu Tongjia left. When he withdrew his gaze, there was a hint of contemplation in his eyes.
Su Qingsang followed Liu Tongjia out of the courtyard. It was currently the hottest time of summer, and Rong City was also very hot.
At night, there were occasional breezes that added some coolness. Su Qingsang followed behind Liu Tongjia. When she saw that Liu Tongjia was only walking towards the back of the garden, she was surprised. She could only follow behind and walk slowly.
The Huo familyâs garden was very large. There were many rare plants and a special greenhouse.
Liu Tongjia walked to the door of the greenhouse and pushed it open. She turned on the lights and saw the scenery of the greenhouse.
Su Qingsang had been in the Huo family for a long time, so she naturally knew how carefully the greenhouse was decorated.
Upon seeing that Liu Tongjia didnât say anything, she looked at the blue roses. It was rare for this kind of rose to bloom so beautifully when planted at home.
âThis rose is indeed beautiful. Uncle Li had put in a lot of effort.â
Liu Tongjia didnât respond to her words. She walked straight to Su Qingsang and met her eyes.
She didnât evade her gaze at all. Su Qingsang was baffled by the disdain and contempt in her eyes.
âAuntie?â
âDonât call me.â Liu Tongjia only felt disdainful now. âSu Qingsang, youâre really disgusting.â
These words were rather unpleasant to hear. Su Qingsang furrowed her brows and said, âAuntie, if you only want me to humiliate me, then I wonât accompany you.â
She walked past Liu Tongjia and was about to walk out of the greenhouse, but Liu Tongjia blocked her way and refused to let her leave.
âSu Qingsang, how can you be so shameless?â
Su Qingsang stood there without moving. Her expression was already somewhat solemn.
âWhat? You and Jinyao picked a gift for my birthday? You picked that gift yourself, didnât you? What does it have to do with Jinyao?â
Su Qingsang pursed her lips and said, âI did pick the gift, but Jinyao...â
âDonât mention Jinyao to me.â
Liu Tongjia raised her voice and paced back and forth a few steps before stopping in front of Su Qingsang again. She then pointed a finger at her nose.
âYou seduced Jinyao so much that he lost his sense of reason. He listens to everything you say and believes everything you say? Huh?â
âAuntie?â
âJinyao, Jinyao. Do you have any feelings forJinyao? Su Qingsang, tell me, who did you choose this gift with?â
Su Qingsang froze for a moment. Who did she choose this gift with? She chose it herself and only encountered Zhang Yichen by chance.
âYou canât say it, can you?â Liu Tongjia sneered. âYou canât say it, right? Then Iâll say it. Zhang Yichen went to choose this gift with you.â
âA despicable pair of man and woman. In order to cover up your dirty thoughts and shadiness, you pretended to come celebrate my birthday? Donât you find it disgusting?â
Su Qingsang stared at Liu Tongjia with her mouth agape. She couldnât believe that she would say such a thing.
âAuntie ââ
âDonât call me.â Liu Tongjia felt uncomfortable when she heard Su Qingsangâs voice. âDonât you feel guilty? The two of you were having a secret date outside, and you used my birthday as a pretext to come here and disgust me?â
âSu Qingsang, are you bullying the Huo family because thereâs no one else? You must be so sure that Jinyao likes you that heâll take you to heart and turn a blind eye to your shameless behavior, right?â
These words were so harsh that even Su Qingsang couldnât help but frown.
âAuntie, Uncle and I arenât what you think we are.â
âUncle? Uncle? What Uncle? Do you still know that heâs your uncle? Arenât the two of you filthy and disgusting?â
Liu Tongjia didnât want to hear Su Qingsangâs explanation. She glared at her with a serious expression. âSu Qingsang, let me tell you, thereâs only one path for you now.â
âWhat?â
âDivorce.â Liu Tongjiaâs voice was extremely cold and merciless. âIâm telling you, divorce Jinyao for me. Leave Jinyao and stay far away from the Huo family.â
Divorce? Su Qingsang looked at Liu Tongjia and didnât take her words to heart.
âThatâs impossible.â
Putting aside the fact that she had nothing to do with Zhang Yichen, their relationship was better than ever since the incident with Qi Xiwei. Why would she be willing to leave Huo Jinyao?
âImpossible? Su Qingsang, you canât be too shameless.â
Liu Tongjiaâs heart ached for Huo Jinyao. âDonât even think about seducing Jinyao. Iâm telling you, I will never allow a woman like you to spend the rest of your life with Jinyao.â
Su Qingsang felt a headache coming on, but she could see the difference now.
If Liu Tongjia had said that to her earlier, it was because she felt that she had embarrassed the Huo family. When she was saying this now, it seemed like she was genuinely sorry for Huo Jinyao.
âAuntie.â Su Qingsang was reluctant to explain her relationship with Zhang Yichen. Huo Jinyao trusted her anyway, so she didnât need to say anything further.
However, Liu Tongjiaâs status was different.
âUncle and I, we werenât what you thought we were. I just wanted to pick a gift for you today, so I happened to go to Wan Xianyangâs shop. You know that they all know each other. I didnât expect to see Uncle there as well. Iâll say it again. I left after I picked out a gift for you. If you insist on associating me and Uncle, it doesnât seem appropriate.â
âCoincidental? Just happened to? You didnât expect it? Inappropriate?â
Liu Tongjia nodded repeatedly. âYou sure know how to find excuses for yourself. Do you think Iâll believe you just because you said so? Donât think that I donât know how many times you guys have hugged each other in places that Jinyao couldnât see. Oh right, itâs not necessary for us to not be able to see you. You donât even have any scruples where I can see you. Itâs ridiculous that youâre still saying such things for yourself.â
âAuntie, donât you know what happened that time?â
Su Qingsang didnât want to bring up the past, but Liu Tongjia kept on insulting her and made her to lose her temper.
âIf you didnât drug Uncle, why would he lose his rationality like that?â
âI drugged him?â At that time, Liu Tongjia was so angry at Huo Jinyao that she lost her mind. She wouldnât try to excuse herself, but when she saw Su Qingsang like this now, she was furious.
âThe two of you have hugged each other many times in places I couldnât see. Do you still need me to drug that bastard, Zhang Yichen?â
Previously, she admired Zhang Yichen so much that she thought it would be good if he could build a good relationship with Huo Jinyao.
Now, she hated Zhang Yichen to the core. He was actually capable of doing something like an uncle and niece-in-law fooling around.
âNo wonder Jinyao was so protective of you. I didnât get along with him, so you blamed all those dirty things with Zhang Yichen on me. Su Qingsang, your scheme is really well-planned.â
Su Qingsang froze when she heard Liu Tongjiaâs words.
She wasnât an idiot. She immediately figured out what was wrong. What did she mean by saying that she and Zhang Yichen hugged each other many times in discreet places?
What did she mean by saying that they didnât need her to drug him and even said that she pushed the blame onto her?
âWhat? Are you feeling guilty? The two of you are openly hooking up in the Huo familyâs territory. After that, you actually wanted to drive a wedge between Jinyao and me. Su Qingsang, why are you so vicious?ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Although her mother-son relationship with Huo Jinyao had been weak for more than ten years, if it werenât for Su Qingsang, would Huo Jinyao have treated her like this?
Su Qingsang ignored Liu Tongjiaâs words. Seemingly confused, she looked up at the agitated Liu Tongjia in front of her.
âAre you saying that you werenât the one who drugged Uncle during the Dragon Boat Festival?â
âSu Qingsang, youâre still trying to blame me for the nasty affair between you and Zhang Yichen?â
âIf it wasnât you, then who was it?â
Su Qingsang was only concerned about this question. After all, this was the Huo family. Who could lay a hand on a person like Zhang Yichen in the Huo family? And then pin the blame on her?
âSu Qingsang, donât change the topic here. Who would want to drug Zhang Yichen? If it werenât for the two of you, no one else would have had the chance, right? Enough. I donât want to waste any more time with you. As long as you agree, youâll divorce Jinyao tomorrow. Thereâs no need to talk about the rest anymore.â
Who knew who was the one who drugged him? Perhaps they were just putting on an act to hide the truth?
âI wonât divorce Jinyao.â
Su Qingsang wasnât in the mood to care about who drugged him. She would tell Huo Jinyao about it later, and he would be able to find out immediately.
She looked at Liu Tongjia and spoke softly.
âJinyao and I are husband and wife. Since weâre married, itâs impossible for us to get a divorce.â
âSu Qingsang, you ââ
âWhat Qingsang wants to say is also what I want to say.â
Liu Tongjia was taken aback by the sudden voice. She turned around only to realize that Huo Jinyao had appeared out of nowhere.
He glanced at Su Qingsang, who was standing in the greenhouse with a determined look on her face. He took a few steps forward and stood in front of her.
âMom, I wonât divorce Qingsang.â
âYou wonât divorce her? Do you know that she cheated on you? Do you know that she and your ââ
Su Qingsang could do it, but Liu Tongjia didnât want her son to be too heartbroken, so she couldnât say it out loud.
She felt like she couldnât take it anymore. âHuo Jinyao, if youâre still a man and have some guts, you will divorce her.â
âMom.â Huo Jinyao looked at Liu Tongjia with a complicated look in his eyes. He looked at her carefully. He was much better than previously, when he always looked at her warily.
âI believe in Qingsangâs character. Please believe in Qingsangâs character as well. She wonât and will never do anything to let me down.â
âHuo Jinyao, you ââ
âMom, this is all a misunderstanding.â
âMisunderstanding?â Liu Tongjia was furious. Huo Jinyao glanced at Su Qingsang and said, âItâs cold outside, you can go in first. I need to talk to Mom.â
âJinyao?â
Su Qingsang looked at him worriedly. She wasnât worried that Huo Jinyao wouldnât believe her. She was just afraid that he would argue with Liu Tongjia.
âItâs Auntieâs birthday today, you ââ
âDonât pretend to be kind.â Liu Tongjia became even angrier at the mention of her birthday. Su Qingsang used the excuse of buying her a birthday present to meet Zhang Yichen privately. Whenever they arrived together, she would feel extremely uncomfortable.
Su Qingsang was helpless. Huo Jinyao shook his head at her. Su Qingsang had no other choice and squeezed his hand worriedly before turning around and leaving.
After she left, the greenhouse quieted down. Liu Tongjiaâs temper had yet to subside.
She was reseentful, angry, and infuriated at the same time. She was angry that her son had no sense of propriety. She hated that Su Qingsang had him wrapped around her fingers.
She was even more angry that she had lost all her intimidation and wasnât close to Huo Jinyao, which resulted in him not listening to her at all.
All kinds of emotions were mixed together, but none of them could make her happy.
She didnât want to think about anything else now. There was only one thing she wanted to do. Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang had to divorce.