Chapter 49: Fate Has Been Sealed

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Fate Has Been Sealed

The doorbell rang incessantly early in the morning, cruelly interrupting her sleep.

Gu Qingyin heard the very first ring, but she didn’t want to move. She hadn’t gotten enough sleep. The person outside, however, was exceptionally persistent, like some emotionless doorbell-ringing machine.

Gu Qingyin couldn’t take it anymore. She rolled out of bed and, radiating the grumpiness of someone who’d been woken up too early, went to open the door.

Outside stood the director and an unfamiliar police officer.

Seeing Gu Qingyin appear like a phantom, both men instinctively held their breath, not daring to utter a peep.

"What time is it?" Gu Qingyin asked, her voice hoarse.

The officer remained silent. The director gave a nervous laugh. "S-seven. It’s seven o’clock."

’Seven o’clock?’ Gu Qingyin frowned, her irritation growing. ’I’ve only been asleep for a little over three hours!’

With a sour expression, Gu Qingyin asked irritably, "What is it?"

The director took a step back, and Gu Qingyin’s gaze fell on the two police officers, who now seemed to be the focus.

One of the officers cleared his throat. "Excuse me... is Huo Xinghai awake? We need you both to come to the station to give a statement."

Gu Qingyin scoffed. "Right now? Can’t it wait until we’re properly awake?"

The officer looked troubled. "The Fu Family has been applying pressure. We want to close this case as quickly as possible, so we’re hoping for your cooperation."

Gu Qingyin was surprised. ’Even after Feng Xia beat Fu Zimo that badly, the Fu Family still wants to pull strings to get him out? What for? Private revenge?’

"How is Feng Xia now?"

The officer replied gravely, "She’s seriously injured. She was only just transferred from the ICU to a regular ward this morning. For now, she’s been released on bail pending trial. Our colleagues will be monitoring her throughout her hospital stay."

Gu Qingyin understood. Aside from taking their statements, the police most likely wanted to determine if Feng Xia had used excessive force.

"Wait here for a bit. I need to get ready before I can go out."

With that, Gu Qingyin turned and went back upstairs, leaving the officers and the director downstairs without so much as offering them a glass of water.

The director had to fend for himself. He poured the officers a glass of water, found some noodles and eggs in the kitchen, and decided to whip up a couple of simple bowls of egg noodles.

’After all, they were guests on his show. They had just been kidnapped last night, and now they weren’t even allowed to sleep in. It was just inhumane.’

"Officer, have you eaten?" the director asked with a chuckle. "If not, have some with us. You know how it is, celebrities take forever to get ready after waking up."

The officer hesitated. Just as he was about to politely decline, his stomach let out a loud GRUMBLE. He looked a bit embarrassed. "Well then, thank you."

Upstairs, Gu Qingyin first took a shower. Noticing in the mirror how terrible her complexion looked, she put on a face mask she’d swiped from Huo Xinghai, then opened her suitcase to look for an outfit.

She chose loose-fitting culottes and a slim, sleeveless top. After stacking a few bracelets on her wrist, she grabbed her crossbody bag and slipped on some slides, ready to head out.

The whole look was all about minimalist comfort.

After peeling off the mask and giving her face a quick rinse, Gu Qingyin dabbed some makeup on her dark circles and left to get Huo Xinghai. Halfway to his room, she seemed to remember something and rushed back. She began rummaging through her bed like she was tearing the place apart, finally locating the puzzle box.

She had planned to put the box directly into her crossbody bag, but while it fit, it stretched the bag into an unsightly shape.

Gu Qingyin clicked her tongue in annoyance. She took the box back out, opened it, and irritably shoved the doll inside her bag.

’Mmm, that looks much better.’

By the time Gu Qingyin woke Huo Xinghai up, half an hour had passed. Fortunately, Huo Xinghai got ready quickly, coming out in five minutes.

The mother and son came downstairs, one after the other. The director, who had been waiting anxiously, let out a sigh of relief. "Hurry up and eat. The noodles are going to get all clumped together."

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow slightly, sat at the dining table, and politely thanked him before starting to eat at a leisurely pace.

Huo Xinghai gave the director and the officers his customary smile, then sat beside Gu Qingyin and began slurping his noodles.

This made the director even more anxious. He looked like he wanted to grab a pair of chopsticks and feed Huo Xinghai himself. "Not much of an appetite, Mr. Huo?"

If this had happened before, Huo Xinghai would probably have smiled, changed the subject, forced himself to take a couple of big bites, and then made an excuse about being full. But now, he wanted to listen to Gu Qingyin and just be himself.

Huo Xinghai gave a faint smile. "I’m still half-asleep, so I don’t really have an appetite. Besides, I’m used to a Western-style breakfast. Is there any coffee?"

The director’s lips twitched. "I think I saw some instant coffee over there."

Huo Xinghai said, "Oh. Then never mind. Thank you."

"...You’re welcome."

The director was puzzled. He felt that Huo Xinghai was a little different, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. ’Is it that he seems less accommodating than before?’

They had been delayed for quite a while, so they weren’t paying much attention when they left. As a result, they were photographed getting into the police car.

The photos were posted online, sparking a new round of discussion.

Netizens speculated wildly about why Huo Xinghai and Gu Qingyin were taken away by the police. Some even started floating conspiracy theories, suggesting that the Huo mother-son duo were the ones who secretly orchestrated Feng Xia’s attack on Fu Zimo.

It didn’t matter whether the logic was sound or if it made any sense at all—as long as it grabbed people’s attention, anything went.

The moment these rumors started to sprout, Jian Xilin called Huo Xinghai. But before he could even ask, he heard Huo Xinghai say in a hushed voice, "Now’s not a good time. I’ll call you back later."

Jian Xilin had the call hung up on him before he could even get a word out, leaving him utterly exasperated.

After a few seconds, he resignedly called Xue Ning. The other man didn’t give him a chance to speak either, stating succinctly, "Don’t worry about it. The Huo Group’s PR department will handle it."

Xue Ning was probably busy, as he hung up immediately after. This time, however, Jian Xilin’s frustration completely vanished. Someone else had taken over the problem; all he had to do now was sit back and watch.

’It really is nice to have a big tree to rest under,’ he thought. ’What a relief!’

Soon after, the Huo Group issued a public statement, accompanied by a letter from their lawyers.

Huo Group V: Do not believe or spread rumors. Please wait for the official statement.

P.S. The Huo Group will hold anyone who creates and spreads these rumors fully accountable. Please remember that the internet is not a lawless space.

Once the Huo Group made their statement, the netizens did quiet down considerably, but the discussions merely moved from public forums to private ones.

"Family Head, the rumors have been temporarily suppressed." Xue Ning stood before a large desk, reporting while looking at a tablet. "The capital has been prepared, and we’ve scheduled meetings with several of the Fu’s shareholders."

Huo Xingye’s gaze was ice-cold. "As soon as the police issue their statement, contact them. Drive the price down to the absolute minimum. Buy up as much as you can."

Huo Xingye had always known about Fu Zimo’s petty tricks and the minor rumors he spread about Huo Xinghai; he just couldn’t be bothered to deal with them. But Huo Xingye had a line that could not be crossed. Once someone touched it, they would inevitably face his retaliation.

The Fu Family’s fate was sealed the moment Feng Xia made her move.

After today, the Fu’s would cease to exist, and a brand-new subsidiary would be added under the Huo Group’s umbrella.