Chapter 118 - 117: Long Time No See

Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Long Time No See

Huo Xingye froze. "You want to go on a blind date?" He frowned, sensing something was off, then asked hesitantly, "You’re not trying to set me up on one, are you?"

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Why not? Look at you, you practically live at the office. Besides a blind date, what other chance do you have to meet women your age?"

She then narrowed her eyes, looking her eldest son up and down. "You and Wen Ting..."

"It’s over." Huo Xingye lowered his gaze. "We weren’t a good match." ’No matter what happened before, after I did something so awful, how could I have the face to bother her again?’

Gu Qingyin nodded and continued to press her case. "You’ll have to go on blind dates eventually anyway. Sooner is better than later. Don’t worry, Mom will vet them carefully for you. I absolutely won’t bring anyone unreliable into your life."

Huo Xingye had great faith in his mother’s abilities. Besides, he had just made her angry. Seeing her so enthusiastic now, there was no way he could refuse.

"Let’s get one thing straight. No matter who catches your eye, you have to run it by me first before you bring them here."

Gu Qingyin beamed and nodded, her eyes filled with excitement. "Son, tell me, what’s your type?"

Huo Xingye’s first thought was of Wen Ting, but he quickly suppressed it and considered what kind of woman would be a suitable matriarch for the Huo Family.

"Elegant and poised, gentle and kind, intelligent and discreet. Someone who knows the right thing to do at the right time, is level-headed, remains calm under pressure, and if..."

"Stop!" Gu Qingyin raised a hand to cut him off, frowning. "Are those your standards for someone you like? It sounds like you’re picking a business partner!"

Huo Xingye was taken aback. ’Come to think of it... I guess that works too.’

Gu Qingyin rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I shouldn’t have even asked." She glanced at the time and stood up. "Come on, let’s go. You need to take your medicine, and you can still get some more sleep."

Huo Xingye instinctively wanted to protest, but when he looked up and met Gu Qingyin’s teasing gaze, he swallowed his words.

’My intuition is telling me that right now, I should be a good son who listens to his mother.’

Back in the office, Gu Qingyin personally mixed the medicine for Huo Xingye, watched him finish it, and then watched him go into the break room.

"Get some proper sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to work," Gu Qingyin said softly from the doorway. "The company won’t suffer if you slack off once in a while. Your health is the most important thing."

Huo Xingye gave a soft sound of assent. "I know."

"Go to sleep."

Gu Qingyin left. Lying on the bed, Huo Xingye closed his eyes. He figured he wouldn’t be able to sleep and planned to just rest for a while before getting up. To his surprise, he drifted off.

On one hand, his body was tired from being sick; on the other, with Gu Qingyin right outside, Huo Xingye felt particularly at ease and fell asleep without realizing it.

At two-thirty in the afternoon, Gu Qingyin woke Huo Xingye up.

Huo Xingye went to the washroom to splash water on his face. When he came out, he was completely refreshed, as if he’d been fully recharged, and his complexion looked much better.

Gu Qingyin was very satisfied. "Time to work!"

Huo Xingye gave a helpless smile and contacted a haute couture studio to have someone come over for a fitting for Gu Qingyin.

It was definitely too late to have something made from scratch. They would have to choose from the studio’s ready-to-wear collection, which could then be slightly altered to fit.

Although the pieces were pre-made, they were still one-of-a-kind. Every garment in the studio was a treasure meticulously and originally created by the designer, and each design sketch only ever became a single finished piece.

At three-thirty in the afternoon, the designer from the studio arrived with a rack of evening gowns—six in total for her to choose from.

Since they weren’t custom-tailored, Gu Qingyin didn’t particularly like the styles of the six dresses. After comparing them, she finally chose a long, silver, fringed gown.

It was a strapless, ankle-length design with a high slit. Paired with matching high heels and jewelry, she would be so dazzlingly sparkly it could blind a person.

Once the style was chosen and the measurements taken, the designer began altering the dress on the spot.

Gu Qingyin watched from the side the entire time, letting out gasps of amazement. ’So it’s true that every trade has its master,’ she thought. ’This technique, this speed... it’s dizzying to watch. Simply incredible!’

The designer was a man, and her praise made him very embarrassed. His ears turned bright red, but his hands moved even more nimbly.

Huo Xingye had been able to focus on his work, but when he saw Gu Qingyin hovering around the designer with sparkling eyes, he couldn’t help but size the man up.

’Looks: a seven out of ten. Physique: a five. Style: a six. That averages out to a six, just barely passing. Mom shouldn’t be interested. Most importantly, I just saw him make a few effeminate hand gestures. Too campy. Hard pass.’

Reassured, Huo Xingye went back to work.

At half-past five, the alterations on the gown were complete.

Gu Qingyin tried it on. The fit was perfect. After getting her hair and makeup done and putting on the earrings and jewelry, her beauty instantly leveled up.

Gu Qingyin spun around on the spot, lifted her chin, and asked with a smug look, "Well? Isn’t your mother the most beautiful woman in the world?"

Huo Xingye praised her from the bottom of his heart. "Absolutely the most beautiful in the world!"

Gu Qingyin was so happy her eyes curved into crescents.

The next second, Huo Yunjing appeared, hugging her from behind and pressing his cheek against hers. "My wife is so beautiful. My wife is mine..."

Gu Qingyin raised a hand and patted his head. "I know, I know."

The smile on Huo Xingye’s lips froze. His gaze fell on Gu Qingyin’s hand, and he asked in a dry voice, "Mom, who are you talking to?"

Gu Qingyin then slapped her forehead. "Oh, my memory! I found your father. Do you want to see him?" Remembering her eldest son was afraid of ghosts, she added, "You wouldn’t be afraid of your own father’s ghost soul, would you?"

Huo Xingye fell silent. It took him several seconds to process the meaning of her two sentences, and then a flood of questions rushed into his mind.

’Dad hasn’t been reincarnated all these years?’

’How did you find him?’

’What does he look like now?’

’How much longer can he stay in the human world?’

’Do Xinghai and Xingchen know you found him?’

’Can he communicate normally now?’

...

But when he finally spoke, Huo Xingye only said two words: "I’m not."

Gu Qingyin smiled but still gave him a heads-up. "Your dad looks pretty much the same as when he was alive, his complexion just isn’t very good. Just pretend he’s sick."

Huo Xingye nodded, then suddenly pulled open a drawer, took out the remote for the curtains, and closed them. Then, afraid it would be too dark to see, he turned on the desk lamp.

When he finished and looked up again, a tall figure was already standing beside Gu Qingyin.

Huo Xingye’s breath hitched, and he involuntarily studied the figure closely.

A black shirt and trousers, a short crew cut that made him look a bit fierce, and that familiar, sharp, handsome face with a cold, unapproachable aura.

Every single detail was exactly as he remembered.

Huo Xingye’s eyes grew hot. He closed them to compose himself. When he looked again, he gave a genuine smile. "Dad, it’s been a long time."