Chapter 134 - 133: Wishful Thinking

Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Wishful Thinking

Huo Xinghai’s gaze turned cold. ’Was she implying that Gu Qingyin wasn’t part of the Huo family, that she had no right to be here?’

Huo Xingye lowered his gaze. ’It seems I’ve been far too merciful to the second branch of the family.’

Gu Qingyin gave a subtle smile. "That’s right. After all, you never know if tomorrow will come, or if an accident will come first. Wouldn’t you agree?"

She shook her head with a dramatic sigh. "That’s why, when one reaches a certain age, they should focus on enjoying life and meddling less. All in an effort to live a few days longer."

The smile on Old Madam Huo’s face faltered.

The young woman beside her felt her heart clench. ’This Gu Qingyin is unbelievably audacious! How is what she said any different from pointing a finger at Old Madam Huo and cursing her to her face?’

Old Madam Huo pressed her lips together, completely ignoring Gu Qingyin. She turned to Huo Xingye and said in a grave voice, "Xingye, come with me. I need to discuss something with you."

With that, she turned and walked away, completely confident that Huo Xingye would follow. So many people were watching, after all. He wouldn’t dare refuse unless he wanted to gain a reputation for being unfilial.

Huo Xingye himself might not have cared, but he was the public face of the Huo Group. For the Group’s sake, if nothing else, he couldn’t just ignore her command.

And just as she expected, Huo Xingye glanced at Gu Qingyin before turning to follow.

Gugu watched Old Madam Huo’s retreating figure, her expression a mixture of hurt and confusion.

Everyone said she was her great-grandmother’s most beloved child, but she had a feeling her great-grandmother didn’t actually like her very much.

Just now, for instance, Great-Grandma hadn’t spared her a single glance. She was no different from her own mom and dad...

Once they were gone, Huo Xinghai clicked his tongue. "She isn’t planning to introduce a potential marriage partner to my older brother, is she?" He couldn’t help but laugh. "If she is, she’s barking up the wrong tree. My older brother isn’t someone you can easily push around."

Gu Qingyin blinked. For some reason, she had a strange premonition...

Inside the lounge, the moment Old Madam Huo finished speaking, the atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. The woman sitting beside her felt her confidence wither away, not daring to look at the man standing before them.

"Are you saying... you want to arrange a Netherworld Marriage for my father?"

The words sounded absurd even to Huo Xingye as they left his lips. Knowing how attached his father had been to his mother, if the bride in this Netherworld Marriage was anyone other than her...

He wouldn’t even have to wait for nightfall. His father would immediately make him experience what a Netherworld Marriage felt like firsthand.

Which first required becoming a ghost soul...

Then again, Huo Xingye thought, his father never got to marry his mother in life. A posthumous ceremony to make up for it wasn’t out of the question—provided, of course, that he got his mother’s consent first.

"Alright." Huo Xingye nodded. "I’ll go home and discuss it with my mom."

Old Madam Huo, who had been sipping her tea, paused. She set the cup down and looked up. "No. I have already selected the bride for the Netherworld Marriage."

She took the hand of the woman beside her. "This is my older brother’s daughter. Her age is perfect. She just earned her doctorate this year, and her family is in the building materials business. Whether you consider her family background, education, or appearance, she is a perfect match for Yun Jing."

Old Madam Huo smiled. "It’s the perfect way to make our family ties even closer."

The woman gave a shy smile. As she thought about the wealth she would acquire from the Netherworld Marriage, a flicker of greed flashed in her eyes before vanishing.

For a moment, Huo Xingye’s mind went blank. "What did you just say?"

The next second, the sheer, unadulterated absurdity of her statement made him laugh.

"What a waste of time." Huo Xingye rose to his feet, adjusted his suit, and looked down at them. "My father would never want anyone but my mother. If the other party in this Netherworld Marriage is my mother, we can talk. If it’s not, the discussion is over."

Old Madam Huo’s expression turned ugly. "Huo Xingye! I know you feel this is an injustice to your mother, but it is a fact that she and Yun Jing were never married! It was one thing when she hadn’t returned, but now she’s back and being so conspicuous. If people were to discover that she was not Yun Jing’s lawfully wedded wife, do you realize how awkward that would make things for you and your two brothers?"

"Children born out of wedlock are considered illegitimate! Even if you don’t care about that, the Huo Family cannot lose face!" Old Madam Huo took a few ragged breaths before continuing. "This Netherworld Marriage, to put it bluntly, is just a smoke screen for the public. It won’t have any real impact on Gu Qingyin."

But Huo Xingye wasn’t so easily fooled. He cut straight to the heart of the matter. "If it’s just a smoke screen, then wouldn’t holding a make-up wedding ceremony for my parents be even better?"

"I already told you, your true status can’t be exposed..."

Old Madam Huo tried to continue persuading him, but Huo Xingye held up a hand, cutting her off. "Who said my parents never got a marriage certificate?" His gaze was ice-cold. "Grandmother, you shouldn’t speak in such absolutes. You weren’t one of the people involved."

With that, Huo Xingye turned and strode out of the room.

Old Madam Huo was stunned. ’Huo Yunjing and Gu Qingyin got a certificate back then?’ It... wasn’t impossible.

"Old Madam Huo?" The rims of the young woman’s eyes were red, making her look as if she’d been bullied. "Since President Huo is so against the idea, perhaps we should just... forget about it."

Old Madam Huo snapped out of her thoughts. She shot the woman a look and scoffed, "Cut the sanctimonious act. You’re nauseating to watch."

The woman was speechless. A tear welled in the corner of her eye, hesitating on the brink, and she didn’t know what to do.

"I chose you because you’re obedient. Don’t get clever on me." Old Madam Huo waved a hand in irritation. "Go home."

The woman promptly wiped her tears dry, turned, and left.

The lounge fell silent, and Old Madam Huo sank into deep thought.

’Regardless of whether they actually got a certificate, now that Huo Xingye has said it, he has the means to make it true. There’s no point investigating it now.’

She had to find another way to make her niece, Han Yuexuan, and Huo Yunjing join in a Netherworld Marriage.

’At that point, whether Huo Yunjing is willing or not, he will be obligated to protect his wife!’

’And then, Han Yuexuan will become a powerful pawn in my bid for control over the Huo Family!’

Meanwhile, after Huo Xingye returned to the others, he sent Gugu away and then concisely explained Old Madam Huo’s intentions.

Huo Xinghai was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor. "She must be insane!"

Gu Qingyin, however, felt a sense of clarity, as if the other shoe had finally dropped. She knew it wouldn’t be that simple. ’So this is what they had waiting for me.’

Huo Yunjing, recuperating inside the pendant, heard everything as well. The pendant began to jump restlessly against her collarbone, and she had to press it still with her hand.

"Don’t be angry," Gu Qingyin soothed. "The elderly are prone to delusions. We should humor her. After all, she doesn’t have much time left."

At her words, the pendant grew still. Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai exchanged a look and couldn’t help but smile.

Gu Qingyin was completely unfazed. Never mind that Huo Yunjing was now her ghost servant; even if he wasn’t, as long as she was around, no one would be able to disregard his wishes and force him into a Netherworld Marriage.

Besides, Huo Yunjing wasn’t some pushover to be trifled with. Certain people were truly living in a fantasy world, completely oblivious to their own limitations.

That night, the mother and her two sons took Gugu with them back to the old family residence.

Hua Xin had been notified ahead of time and had already prepared a bedroom and a change of clothes for Gugu. When she saw the little princess herself walk through the door, she immediately broke into a warm, benevolent smile.

"A grand welcome to the little Princess Gugu! Tonight, which companion would Your Highness like to sleep with? Stella, Lina Belle, Stitch, or Strawberry Bear..."

Before Hua Xin could even finish, Gugu let out a happy cry and threw open her arms to scoop up an armful of toys.

Only adults have to make choices. A child, of course, wants them all!