Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âMom.â Huo Jinyaoâs tone was unusually gentle. âQingsang and I arenât what you think. Qingsang isnât who you think either. As for uncle, he isnât who you think either.â
Upon seeing that Liu Tongjia was still angry, Huo Jinyao didnât want to explain at first. He only thought of what he heard earlier â Liu Tongjia wasnât the one who administered the drug.
He had been blinded by his anger at the time. Now that he looked back, there were many suspicious points.
After all, no matter how much Liu Tongjia disliked him, she would never disregard the Huo familyâs reputation. Not to mention, there were so many guests and relatives that day.
With her personality, she would never make a big deal out of this and would never allow such a thing to happen. He also had preconceived ideas and was a little paranoid.
Because of this, Huo Jinyaoâs expression didnât look so unpleasant.
âSu Qingsang has already cast a spell on you. Youâve lost your mind.â
Liu Tongjia was furious. She took a step forward. This was the first time in so many years that she had taken the initiative to approach Huo Jinyao.
âJinyao. I never stopped you from doing anything in the past. If you want to find someone with a lower status, I wonât stop you, but not Su Qingsang. She has no morals. Jinyao, I wonât allow a person with no morals to become your wife and become the future madam of the Huo family.â
One had to know that not just anyone could become the madam of the Huo family.
The expression on her face was so emotional that Huo Jinyao knew how agitated she was and how displeased she was with Su Qingsang. However, there were some things that he didnât care about before but had to care about now.
âMom, calm down and be objective.â Huo Jinyao placed his hands on Liu Tongjiaâs shoulders. His expression was very calm.
âIâm very calm. Iâm just very calm. Thatâs why I thought ââ
âI know about Uncleâs feelings for Qingsang.â
His words interrupted Liu Tongjia. She stared at Huo Jinyao with wide eyes. âWhat, what did you say?â
âI know that Uncle likes Qingsang,â Huo Jinyao said calmly. âNo, itâs not enough to say that he likes her. It should be love. He loves Qingsang.â
Liu Tongjiaâs face turned pale. She stared at Huo Jinyao with wide eyes.
âBut Qingsang, she doesnât know.â
âHow is that possible? She ââ
âMom.â Huo Jinyao felt as if he was back in his teenage years. Liu Tongjia blamed him for everything. At that time, he didnât want to explain, but this time, he wanted to explain.
âWhen Uncle met Qingsang, he probably didnât know her identity.â
Huo Jinyao didnât know what to say. He knew some things, but he didnât want to ruin his relationship with Su Qingsang with distrust.
âQingsang doesnât know about Uncleâs feelings. What you saw was an accident.â
âAccident? That time ââ
âI will find the person who drugged him.â He wouldnât allow such a person to exist in the Huo family. It wasnât too difficult to investigate these sorts of matters.
âBut thereâs one thing, please believe me. Qingsang definitely doesnât have those sorts of feelings towards Uncle. I know that they might meet frequently and make you feel uncomfortable, but in fact, Iâm really glad that Uncle had those sorts of feelings towards Su Qingsang.â
âHuo Jinyao.â He was actually saying such a thing? Was he still a man? Liu Tongjiaâs face turned livid.
âMom, Uncle saved Qingsangâs life.â Huo Jinyao held her shoulder and tightened his grip. âI almost lost Qingsang. I almost lost her.â
âThe last time I went to C City, there was an earthquake and Qingsang was trapped under the ruins. It was Uncle who saved her, Mom. I donât care what you think of Uncle and I donât care what you think of Qingsang, but I hope you understand that Iâm very grateful to Uncle. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.â
Liu Tongjia didnât know about these things, and no one would tell her about it. She thought about the huge earthquake that killed hundreds of people, and how her son had stayed there for many days.
At that time, she was still very worried about Jinyao, and she even blamed Su Qingsang in her heart. However, she didnât know that Su Qingsang had almost died.
âIâm jealous that the person who appeared that day wasnât me. But Iâm also glad that Uncle was there that day. Otherwise, I would have lost Qingsang already.â
He absolutely couldnât accept such an outcome.
âMom, you werenât the one who drugged Uncle that day. Iâm sorry. I misunderstood you.â
Liu Tongjiaâs thoughts couldnât keep up. She looked at Huo Jinyao. After so many years, it was the first time that she heard her son apologize.
Her lips moved. She wanted to say something, but she didnât know what to say. Her eyes suddenly turned red.
âMom, Iâm sorry,â Huo Jinyao apologized earnestly. âI shouldnât have misunderstood you. I shouldnât have spoken to you like that.â
Liu Tongjiaâs eyes were not only red, but also a little sour and hot. She felt something gushing out of her eyes.
âMom, letâs put the past behind us, okay? Qingsang is a good girl. I hope you can put aside your prejudice and accept her seriously. Youâll realize that sheâs better than you think.â
Liu Tongjia didnât listen to the second half of the sentence. She only heard the first sentence.
âJinyao?â
Huo Jinyao turned his head slightly. When he looked at Liu Tongjia again, he was also a little emotional. At least, he wasnât as calm as he appeared to be.
It was Liu Tongjiaâs birthday today, and she came to look for him yesterday. Previously, on his birthday, Liu Tongjia went to the apartment with a cake.
Huo Jinyao thought about it, then connected the dots, and some things became clear to him.
It would be a lie to say that he didnât feel any estrangement in his heart and didnât mind at all. However, Liu Tongjia was his mother, the one who gave birth to him.
After seeing Qi Xiwei maker herself so haggard for the sake of getting pregnant, he couldnât help but wonder if Liu Tongjia was also having a hard time when she was pregnant back then?
Some things were in the past. The past was hard to remember.
Even if he couldnât be as close to Liu Tongjia as a normal son towards his mother, he didnât want to be enemies with Liu Tongjia anymore.
Huo Jinyao looked at Liu Tongjia and used a very soft voice to hide the helplessness in his heart. âCan I?â
Liu Tongjiaâs lips trembled. She blinked her eyes, and tears began to fall from her eyes.
At this moment, she could no longer care about Su Qingsangâs matters. She only looked at Huo Jinyao in disbelief.
He had scolded her harshly before. He had clearly misunderstood her actions when she took the initiative to express goodwill.
Now that he had expressed such a stance, Liu Tongjia could hardly accept it. For a moment, she thought that there was something wrong with her ears.
âJinyao?â
Perhaps it was because she couldnât believe it, Liu Tongjiaâs expression changed a few times. She wiped her tears away carelessly and looked at Huo Jinyao with uncertainty.
âJinyao, is what you said true?â
âYes, itâs all true, Mom.â Huo Jinyao nodded. No matter what, he was willing to mend his relationship with Liu Tongjia.
Liu Tongjia stood there without moving. She was a little emotional. She didnât expect to mend her relationship with Huo Jinyao so easily, but at least it was a start.
The immense joy made her speechless. At one moment, she was a little bewildered, next, she was a little regretful.
Would he be angry with her for treating him like that before?
She had mixed feelings. At this moment, she couldnât care less about Su Qingsang. All she could think about was what Huo Jinyao had said.
He was willing to repair their relationship. He was willing to start all over again. It was ridiculous to say that, since after all, they were mother and son.
But she was really excited. She was inexplicably excited. Her shoulders trembled slightly. She lowered her head and couldnât find her voice.
Huo Jinyao looked at her. He really didnât know that Liu Tongjia was so concerned about him. For some reason, he felt a little moved, but he didnât say a word.
Although it was warm outside, it was getting late. Huo Jinyao looked in the direction of the main residence.
âMom, letâs go in.â
Liu Tongjia nodded. Upon seeing that Huo Jinyao was about to leave, she suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
âJinyao?â
âMom?â
âYou, did you mean what you said just now?â Not knowing what to do, she asked nervously.
âYes.â He meant what he said, but also had the intention of diverting Liu Tongjiaâs attention. He wanted her to stop nitpicking at Su Qingsang.
Liu Tongjia smiled again. She wiped the tears off her face.
âGood. Good. Very good. Very good.â
The repeated mention of âgoodâ was enough to explain Liu Tongjiaâs current mood. When she reached the door of the greenhouse, Liu Tongjia suddenly stopped in her tracks.
âJinyao, Iâm Sorry.â
Huo Jinyao was taken aback by her sudden apology. He turned around and looked at her in confusion.
âIâm sorry,â Liu Tongjia said again. She lowered her head and seemed a little embarrassed. âI, I... I really wasnât a good mother. Jinyao, I...â
It was very difficult to admit that she was wrong.
Although Liu Tongjia wanted to reconcile with Huo Jinyao, she had made too many mistakes in the past ten years. She was actually worried that Huo Jinyao wouldnât forgive her.
âMom, itâs okay. Itâs all in the past.â
He had grown up. He was no longer the young man who had nightmares in the middle of the night and wanted his mother to comfort him.
He also wasnât the kind of person who would diss everyone and make everyone unhappy just because of a moment of anger anymore.
Since it was already in the past, he decided to let it go.
âJinyao?â
âMom, since itâs already in the past, let it go. Donât even think about it.â
Liu Tongjiaâs emotions were in turmoil. She had a lot of things she wanted to say, but she couldnât say a single word.
Huo Jinyao walked outside and stood beside Liu Tongjia.
The main house was brightly lit. Taking care of Liu Tongjiaâs emotions at all times, Huo Jinyao walked very slowly.
âMom?â
âGo ahead.â
âQingsang is the person Iâve chosen. I know you have some prejudice against her, but sheâs a really good woman. Sheâs not who you think she is, so donât target her in the future.â
âBut ââ
âUncle saved her life, and heâs a relative of the Huo family. Itâs impossible for the two of them not to see each other in the future. Iâve already told Uncle about this. What happened before was an accident, so donât take it to heart.â
âAccident?â Liu Tongjia was still feeling wronged for her son. âDo you know that they went to buy the gift together today?â
Liu Tongjia looked at Huo Jinyao with a look of heartache. âJinyao, itâs not that I hate her, Iâm just saying that itâs not worth it for you. You protect her wholeheartedly, but she has an ulterior motive. Do you know that I. . .â
âMom.â Huo Jinyao felt a headache coming on. âWan Xianyang and Uncle know each other. Itâs normal for Uncle to encounter Qingsang in his shop. Canât you think about it?â
âYes, itâs normal to run into each other in Wan Xianyangâs shop. Is it normal to run into each other in our house?â
Liu Tongjia lost control of her anger and raised her voice by one degree.
âMom, Qingsang was picking out gifts for you. Itâs normal for her to go to Wan Xianyangâs shop to buy them. As for coming to our house, Grandpa is my uncleâs uncle. Itâs even more normal for him to visit Grandpa. You donât have to blame Qingsang for uncleâs visit every time he comes, do you?â
Although Huo Jinyao didnât hear Su Qingsang mention buying gifts, he could roughly guess it.
It would be ridiculous if Su Qingsang and Zhang Yichenâs encounter were to be made into an affair. He wasnât someone who couldnât tell right from wrong.
âBut ââ
âMom, Qingsang doesnât know about Uncleâs feelings. She only sees him as an elder and a relative. If you continue to act like this, perhaps Qingsang will really find out. You have to know that Uncle saved Qingsangâs life. If Qingsang finds out about Uncleâs feelings, what will she do?â
Other than the disaster when he was young, Huo Jinyao could practically do whatever he wanted in his life.
However, he wasnât blindly arrogant. There was always someone better than him. There were people who were better and stronger than him. Zhang Yichen was one of the people that he admitted to being better than him.
Even if Zhang Yichen wasnât his love rival or his uncle, he would still have immense admiration for him.
He was open and above board. Even though he liked Su Qingsang, he had never done anything. His relationship with Zhang Yichen would never return to how it used to be. However, he didnât want to become enemies with him just like that.
More importantly, he didnât want Qingsang to feel awkward when she found out about it. In the future, Zhang Yichen would feel uncomfortable when he interacted with her. It would be best if she treated him as a relative and treated him as her uncle-in-law.
Liu Tongjia had a complicated expression on her face. She didnât like Su Qingsang, but Huo Jinyao seemed to have a point when he said that.
If Su Qingsang didnât have those intentions, yet she kept saying it, she might actually make it seem like Su Qingsang has those intentions even if she didnât.
âBut ââ
âNo buts. Mom, I trust Qingsangâs character. I trust Uncleâs character even more. If youâre willing, you can do whatever you did in the past and in the future.â
Liu Tongjia finally stopped talking. The two of them walked to the main door and happened to run into Zhang Yichen, who was walking outside.
âCousin-in-law, Jinyao.â
âUncle.â Huo Jinyao greeted Zhang Yichen calmly. âAre you leaving? Itâs so late. You can leave tomorrow.â
âNo need.â Zhang Yichen glanced at Huo Jinyao and shook his head. âThe army has a mission and I havenât visited Uncle in a long time, so I came for a visit.â
âOkay, but itâs so late. Be careful on your way back, Uncle.â
âI know. Thank you.â
Zhang Yichen bowed and said goodbye to Liu Tongjia before leaving.
He got into the car. After starting the car, Zhang Yichen glanced at the Huo familyâs front door. His gaze was gloomy as he thought of Su Qingsang, who came in from the garden when he sent Old Master Huo back to his room.
She was standing at the corner of the stairs and saw that he was going downstairs. She called out to him.
âUncle.â
Zhang Yichen stopped and looked at Su Qingsang. He didnât know why she called him.
âUncle, I havenât thanked you properly for the incident in C City.â
Zhang Yichen furrowed his brows and looked a little indifferent. âYou already thanked me in the hospital.â
âThatâs different.â Su Qingsangâs eyes were clear and there was a hidden meaning in them. âItâs too light to just thank you for saving my life.â
Zhang Yichenâs expression became more and more serious, and Su Qingsang suddenly smiled. âUncle, I know what youâre capable of, and I also know that with your status, you probably wonât ever need me in the future. But, I still have to say, if you need me in the future, just let me know. Iâll definitely do my best.â
âEven if I canât do it, Jinyao will help me do it. After all, Uncle is Jinyaoâs Uncle, and Iâm Jinyaoâs wife. That will never change.â
Zhang Yichen looked at her face and seemed to have come to a realization. Su Qingsang leaned her body to the side and said, âUncle, your identity isnât ordinary. You should still have a lot of work to do. I wonât be seeing you out. Take care, Uncle.â
He understood at that time that she must have known about it. She knew his feelings and the deepest secrets in his heart.
Thatâs right. She was such a smart woman. Even if he intentionally restrained himself, how could she not see through him?
What he did not expect was that she would issue such a direct expulsion order when she found out. She would reveal that kind of information again.
At this moment, he was truly insanely jealous, jealous of Huo Jinyao. Thinking of the tone of her last sentence, he suddenly smiled.
Forget it, he had done two meritorious deeds this time, and the higher-ups couldnât praise him anymore. After all, he wasnât old enough. If he continued to rise, it would be too fast.
The higher-ups wanted him to go to the southwest to train the newly established secret army. Since that was the case, he would accept the mission.
He would have to stay there for at least two to three years. In another two to three years, perhaps he would forget these feelings.
After deeply gazing at the Huo family mansion, Zhang Yichen started the car and left. This time, he wouldnât be coming back for a while.
...
When Huo Jinyao returned to his room, Su Qingsang had just ended her video call with Li Qianxue. She had just gone upstairs when she received a video request from Li Qianxue.
Li Qianxue really cared about her. Today was Liu Tongjiaâs birthday. She was worried that if that gift didnât appeal to Liu Tongjia, she might make things difficult for her poor daughter again.
Su Qingsang had to repeatedly say that Liu Tongjia liked the bracelet very much. Although it wasnât a big event, the atmosphere was very good, so she could rest assured.
âWho are you talking to?â
She seemed to have heard her talking before she entered the room. She came in and saw Su Qingsang sprawled on the bed with her phone in her hand, so that confirmed her guess.
âWhat do you think?â
âMother-in-law.â
âSmart.â Su Qingsang sat up. âMy mother knew it was your motherâs birthday, so she was very nervous. She was afraid that I wouldnât give her a good gift and upset your mother.â
The truth was that Liu Tongjia was indeed unhappy. Su Qingsang looked a little embarrassed when she thought of this.
She had originally wanted to repair the relationship between Huo Jinyao and Liu Tongjia, but she didnât expect that instead of repairing the relationship, Liu Tongjia would be extremely angry at her.
âI didnât expect that I failed to suck up to your mother and made your mother completely angry.â
âNo, my mother was quite happy.â
Huo Jinyao walked to her side and sat down, but his words made Su Qingsang laugh. She turned to look at Huo Jinyao with a derisive look in her eyes.
âHuo Jinyao, youâre quite good at lying through your teeth, arenât you?â
âWhy are you lying through your teeth?â
âYour mother forced me to divorce you. Why are you still happy?â
Liu Tongjiaâs attitude just now was as if she wanted to eat her alive, let alone make her divorce him.
âYouâre going to divorce me just because she asked you to? Didnât you refuse?â
âIt doesnât matter if I agree or not. The point is whether you agree or not.â
Su Qingsang straightened her body as she said this. She clasped Huo Jinyaoâs face with both hands, and her expression turned serious.
âOr are you saying that your mother is happy because youâve already agreed to divorce me?â
Huo Jinyaoâs reaction was to pull her hand down and put it to his lips. âYouâre talking nonsense again.â
Su Qingsang pulled her hand back forcefully. She glared at Huo Jinyao. âIf youâre not talking nonsense, then please tell me, Young Master Huo. What do you plan to do with me now, Young Master Huo?â
Huo Jinyao grabbed her hand again and held it in his arms. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
âWhat I plan to do with you? Weâll hold hands for the rest of our lives and grow old together. How about that?â
He sounded very serious as he joked.
Su Qingsangâs heart skipped a beat when she saw his expression.
However, she couldnât believe it because of his motherâs attitude just now.
âIf you want to live with me for the rest of your life, will your mother agree?â
âShe was convinced by me.â
Huo Jinyaoâs words made Su Qingsangâs eyes widen in disbelief.
âHow did you convince her?â She had always thought that making Liu Tongjia accept her would be as difficult as climbing the Himalayas.
âGuess?â
âAre you going to tell me or not?â At this time, Su Qingsang couldnât help but pinch his waist.
âIâll tell you if you give me a kiss.â
Su Qingsang rolled her eyes at him and leaned over to give him a kiss on the lips.
Huo Jinyao wasnât satisfied. He hugged her waist and deepened the kiss until Su Qingsang was out of breath. Only then did he let go of her.
âI told my mother that I only plan to stay married to you for the rest of my life. If she insists on my divorce, then I wonât marry anymore. Iâll stay single all the way to old age. I wonât care if sheâs willing.â
Why was this person speaking so flippantly? Su Qingsang looked at the expression on his face. She was supposed to be touched, but she wanted to laugh at his flippant attitude.
âYour mother will agree to it just because you said so?â
âWhat else can I do?â Huo Jinyao looked at her with a smile. âYou canât really expect me to be single forever, right? Then my familyâs bloodline will end with me.â
Su Qingsang gave Huo Jinyao a hard pat on the shoulder. However, she reached out to wrap her arms around his waist and rubbed her face against his chest.
âIn the future, your mother wonât object anymore, right?â
âIf Iâm not wrong, she probably wonât.â
Su Qingsang was relieved. In fact, she wasnât afraid that Liu Tongjia would object. However, if the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law wasnât good and they were always on opposite sides, she would be in a difficult position.
Huo Jinyaoâs feelings were more important.
It wasnât that he had completely lost his affection for Liu Tongjia, and she didnât want to have to face Liu Tongjiaâs sarcastic and derisive attitude every time she returned to the Huo family.
âThatâs great, Huo Jinyao. Thatâs really great.â
It was so smooth that she even felt that it was unreal.