Chapter 133 - 132: Visitor with Ill Intent

Chapter 133: Chapter 132: Visitor with Ill Intent

"No, no, no, please don’t trouble yourself." Gugu’s mother waved her hands in a panic, acting as if Gu Qingyin wanted to harm Gugu rather than treat her throat.

"We’ll take Gugu to see a doctor, so we won’t have to trouble you, Madam," Gugu’s father added with a placating smile, speaking cautiously.

Gu Qingyin’s gaze turned cold. "It seems you’re both quite familiar with Gugu’s condition."

’I thought Old Madam Huo was the only monster here, but it turns out Gugu’s parents are in on it too. They might have even been involved. Even the most vicious tiger won’t eat its own cubs. How could these two be so heartless? They’re worse than animals!’

Gugu’s father’s heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling washed over him. On the surface, however, he continued to play dumb. "Gugu has seen many doctors, so of course I’m very familiar with her condition." He put on a show of sighing and shaking his head. "The doctors said the chances of a cure are very slim."

Gu Qingyin had no patience for their act. She looked down at Gugu and said, "Gugu, would you like to come stay at Grandma’s house for a few days? Uncle Xinghai will be home every night, you know."

Huo Xinghai looked at his mother’s expression, which looked suspiciously like she was trying to kidnap a child, and was completely bewildered. ’How come I didn’t know I could come home every day?’

Gugu had been about to refuse, but upon hearing this, she hesitated. She looked up at Huo Xinghai, a silent question in her eyes.

What could Huo Xinghai do? He could only smile and nod.

Gugu’s eyes lit up, and she turned to look at the man and woman beside her.

Gu Qingyin reached out and gently pinched Gugu’s little cheek. "Don’t worry, they won’t say no." She looked at Gugu’s parents, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile on her face. "Right?"

Gugu’s parents exchanged a glance, then nodded with a hollow laugh. They turned to Gugu. "You have to be good at Grandma’s house, okay? Don’t cause any trouble for Grandma and your uncle."

Gugu nodded happily, clinging to Huo Xinghai without letting go.

Gugu’s parents tried to use this as an opportunity to make small talk with Gu Qingyin and Huo Xinghai, but the two completely ignored them. Still, the couple shamelessly lingered.

Finally, Qi Yuejin, who couldn’t bear to watch any longer, stood up and led the couple away.

Onstage, Huo Xingye was speaking, but he only gave a single concluding remark before turning the detailed presentation over to Xue Ning.

The main topic was personnel changes across the various companies. Many high-level executives were stripped of all their duties, demoted to simply collecting dividends at home.

Huo Xingye simply stepped to the side, his ice-cold gaze fixed on the reactions of the Huo Family members.

The Huo Family members kept smiles on their faces, but inwardly they were cursing. ’Huo Xingye is so ruthless!’

"If anyone has any objections to these changes, you may voice them now." Xue Ning pushed up his glasses with a faint smile. "We will take them into consideration."

No one spoke.

’What’s the point of asking for our opinions now that it’s already a done deal?’

Xue Ning’s smile remained unchanged. He nodded. "The quarterly and annual goals for each company have been finalized. They will be sent to your work inboxes shortly. We’ll ask the heads of each department to check for them after the banquet concludes."

Xue Ning gave a slight bow and stepped away from the microphone.

Huo Xingye stepped forward and offered one final concluding remark. "The raffle will now begin. I’ll turn the stage over to our host."

With that, he nodded to the audience below, then turned and left the stage with Xue Ning.

At the mention of the raffle, it wasn’t just the Huo Family members who perked up; even a few of their close business partners showed some interest.

"I heard the prizes this year are incredibly extravagant. The grand prize is a standalone villa in Yun City’s Yunxi district, first prize is a luxury car worth ten million, second prize is a diamond jewelry set valued at over five million, and even third prize is a million in cash."

"You’d be set for life if you won any of those!"

After seeing the prizes displayed on the main screen, the business partners couldn’t help but marvel, "President Huo is truly open-handed."

"The Huo Family is a truly great and ancient clan. Compared to the wealth they’ve amassed over centuries, if not millennia, the Huo Corporation is just a drop in the bucket. A hundred or two hundred million for prize money is nothing to them."

At this thought, the business partners swelled with pride. As long as they maintained their solid partnership with the Huo Corporation, their own companies were sure to enjoy lasting prosperity.

The moment he stepped offstage, Huo Xingye made a beeline for Gu Qingyin. He brought a plate with him, filled with all of her favorite foods.

Seeing Huo Xingye approach, Qi Yuejin gave a stiff greeting, then quickly made an excuse and left.

She could still puff out her chest and act brave around Huo Xinghai, but when it came to Huo Xingye, she was genuinely terrified.

Huo Xingye was the one who held all the power in the Huo Family. She was an outsider, someone with a different surname. Even with the title of ’cousin,’ if she accidentally offended him, she feared she wouldn’t even know what hit her.

After all, Huo Xingye didn’t exactly look like a good-tempered person.

Huo Xingye sat down, placed the plate on the table, and pushed it toward Gu Qingyin. Then he looked at Huo Xinghai and asked coolly, "What’s going on?"

"Our uncle’s granddaughter. My little fangirl." Huo Xinghai grinned smugly. "Jealous?"

Huo Xingye understood instantly and scoffed, "The little girl needs to work on her taste."

Gugu shrank back in Huo Xinghai’s arms and shot Huo Xingye a timid glance before quickly looking away, clearly terrified of him.

Huo Xinghai patted Gugu’s head reassuringly. "It’s okay. Your Uncle Xingye just looks a little scary. He’s actually a good person."

Gugu nodded obediently but didn’t speak.

Huo Xinghai felt a growing wave of affection for her. "Don’t worry, you’ll be able to talk soon enough, Gugu. When you can, how about Uncle teaches you how to sing?"

Gugu’s eyes curved into little crescents, and she gave him an incredibly sweet smile.

Huo Xinghai felt like he’d just taken a direct hit to the heart. He suddenly understood what people online meant when they talked about cute videos "tricking you into wanting a daughter."

’I can’t take it. I really can’t. I suddenly have the urge to get married and have a daughter of my own.’

Gu Qingyin was completely absorbed in her food and didn’t notice her son’s expression at all. The only one who sensed the shift in Huo Xinghai was Huo Xingye, who was sitting across from him.

After a moment’s thought, Huo Xingye advised, "Dating is fine, but don’t let it go to your head."

Huo Xinghai just smiled warmly. "I know, big brother."

Gu Qingyin looked from one brother to the other in confusion. ’How did we get on the topic of dating? What did I miss?’

Before she could ask, an old woman with silver hair, dressed in a traditional Tang suit and holding a phoenix-headed cane, approached their table, supported by a younger woman.

Gu Qingyin didn’t need to ask. This had to be Old Madam Huo in the flesh.

Out of respect for their elder, the mother and her two sons all stood up as Old Madam Huo drew near.

"Old Madam Huo." Gu Qingyin greeted her with a smile and a nod.

Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai also nodded. "Grandmother."

Technically, they should have addressed her as Second Great-Aunt, but the term was awkward. Besides, since she was the only elder of that generation left, they simplified it.

It was just a title, after all.

Old Madam Huo nodded with a smile, her gaze then shifting to land on Gu Qingyin.

"All those years ago, I heard that Yun Jing had found someone, and I kept waiting for news of your wedding. Who would have thought that you would remain unmarried even after the children were born, and that you would later disappear without a trace."

Old Madam Huo shook her head and sighed. "I have waited twenty years for this meeting."

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow slightly. ’This old woman is clearly up to no good.’