Chapter 55: Someone Would Seduce a Man Like That?

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Someone Would Seduce a Man Like That?

The two of them moved away from the main group, stopping a short distance away.

Gu Qingyin’s expression was calm as she waited for the other woman to speak.

Lin Xiaoyun smiled. "You’re just the same as you were twenty years ago, always so composed. It’s like nothing can ever fluster you."

Even back then, when Gu Qingyin saw her emerge from Huo Yunjing’s study with her clothes in disarray, her expression hadn’t changed one bit. It only made Lin Xiaoyun feel all the more like a pathetic clown.

"Just get to the point." Gu Qingyin had no intention of playing this little game of reminiscing with her.

Lin Xiaoyun faltered, the smile freezing on her face. She took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and said, "This time, I’m not just representing myself. I’m also representing the branch families of the Huo Family. I’d like to ask you for a favor."

Hearing this, Gu Qingyin was genuinely surprised. "What could I possibly do to help you?"

Lin Xiaoyun took a step forward. "You are the Lady of the Huo Family, and you’re Huo Xingye’s birth mother. If you’re the one to ask, he’ll definitely agree! I’m begging you..."

"Stop!" Gu Qingyin raised a hand to cut her off, her brow furrowing. "The Huo Family’s affairs are none of my business. Telling me is useless. You’ve come to the wrong person."

Lin Xiaoyun looked devastated. "Are you... still mad at me?"

"What?"

"You saved my life, and I am truly, deeply grateful to you. But I had never lived in such a nice house or seen such a refined man... I just had a moment of weakness." Lin Xiaoyun’s eyes were red. "I’ve reflected on it. I know I was wrong. Can you forgive me?"

"Fine." Gu Qingyin’s agreement was swift. "I forgive you. Let’s not bring this up again. It’s been so many years; it should have been water under the bridge long ago."

Lin Xiaoyun’s eyes lit up. "Then, Qing Yin, does that mean you’ll help me?"

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but laugh. "So in the end, this was all about getting me to help you. But me forgiving you and me helping you are two completely different things."

"I just don’t care about what you did to wrong me back then. That doesn’t mean I have to do you any favors now. You’re getting your hopes up for nothing."

The light in Lin Xiaoyun’s eyes died out. As if she had suffered a terrible blow, she murmured with a desolate expression, "You still haven’t forgiven me."

Gu Qingyin: ...

’Is she cosplaying some kind of soap opera heroine? There’s no one else around. Who is she putting on this show for?’

"Qing Yin, life has been very difficult for the branch families these past two years. Especially after the Family Head canceled the family banquets. Outsiders are all speculating whether the Huo Family branches have been marginalized by the Huo Family. It started with them testing the waters, and now it’s escalated to outright suppression. They’re going further and further."

As if she couldn’t understand the word "no," Lin Xiaoyun insisted on finishing. "If this situation doesn’t improve and more problems arise with the branch companies, the Huo Family might be affected as well. You wouldn’t want the Huo Family’s businesses to run into trouble because of this, would you? We’re not asking for much. We just want the Family Head to reinstate the family banquets."

Once the relationship between the branch families and the main family is restored, those outsiders who take their cues from the prevailing winds will naturally back off.

"Are the branch families that weak?" Gu Qingyin looked disgusted. "They can’t do business without relying on the Huo Family’s prestige?"

Lin Xiaoyun fell silent. She didn’t know what to say. Of course they could still do business without relying on the main family, but the profits were much, much lower.

After so many years, they had grown accustomed to feasting on gourmet delicacies. To suddenly be reduced to simple home-cooked meals... even if they could eat their fill, they were left feeling unsatisfied.

Gu Qingyin understood now. A faint, knowing smile played on her lips. "It seems the situation isn’t as serious as you claim. Let me give you a piece of advice: people have to learn to stand on their own two feet eventually. Don’t always be thinking of relying on others."

She guessed that Huo Xingye had more or less the same idea when he first made that decision.

The branch companies needed leaders who could truly stand on their own, not leeches who relied on the Huo Family to throw their weight around.

"But isn’t that just how business works?" Lin Xiaoyun couldn’t understand. "It’s good to have a big tree for shade. Since we have this advantage, why shouldn’t we use it?"

Gu Qingyin realized she couldn’t get through to her. When someone was determined to split hairs, they wouldn’t listen no matter how clearly you explained the reasoning.

The Huo Family was powerful now, but that power was built on the hard work of generations. The branch families, with their current narrow-mindedness and lack of ambition, would sooner or later become a cancer that would affect the main family’s fortunes.

Not wanting to waste any more words on Lin Xiaoyun, Gu Qingyin turned and walked away.

Lin Xiaoyun didn’t try to stop her. If she couldn’t persuade Gu Qingyin, her only option was to approach Huo Xinghai.

On the way back to the villa, Huo Xinghai kept glancing at Gu Qingyin. After struggling with it for a while, he couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, "Mom, do you know Lin Xiaoyun?"

"Mhm," Gu Qingyin replied lightly. "A former client. She stayed at the old residence for a few days and also tried to seduce your father."

Huo Xinghai was utterly shocked. "She had the nerve to do that?!"

In his memory, his father had always been serious and taciturn, with an imposing aura. As a child, a single glance from him could leave Huo Xinghai terrified for hours.

’Someone tried to seduce a man like that? Was she bored with her peaceful life and looking for a thrill, wanting to test her limits?’

Gu Qingyin snorted. "You can’t judge a person by their appearance. Some people might look like harmless little rabbits on the outside, but in reality, their ambition is enormous."

Huo Xinghai tutted. "So she came on this show for you? What does she want?"

"Not necessarily just for me," Gu Qingyin speculated. "I refused the favor she asked of me, so she’ll probably come to you next."

Huo Xinghai looked thoughtful. "Don’t worry, Mom. I get it."

Gu Qingyin was full of question marks. ’Get what?’

Before she could ask him to clarify, they arrived at the villa.

Gu Qingyin went back to her room, found her phone, and called Huo Xingye to tell him about Lin Xiaoyun.

Huo Xingye was very calm. "If they want to enjoy the conveniences the Huo Family provides, they first need to demonstrate their own value. At the end of the year, the performance of each branch company will be evaluated. Only the capable can sit securely in the top position."

To put it bluntly, this was a culling process.

"You and Lin Xiaoyun are old acquaintances?" Huo Xingye only asked after they were done with business.

Gu Qingyin had to repeat the story again, then emphasized, "We’re strangers now. Don’t worry about it."

Huo Xingye: "Okay, I understand."

After chatting with her son for a bit, Gu Qingyin hung up and opened the files Liu Ergou had sent her.

After reading through them, she couldn’t help but frown. For some reason, she was reminded of Lin Wu and the Heavenly Master who never showed his face, whom she had encountered while dealing with the Gathering Yin Array in Huo Xingye’s neighborhood.

She replied to Liu Ergou, "Don’t report it. I’ll handle this myself. Any news on Lin Wu recently?"

His response appeared a moment later: "He hasn’t been seen since he escaped last time, but he could just be using a hidden identity. Do you suspect Xia Zelin is connected to Lin Wu?"

"I just have a hunch," she typed back. "It’s worth looking into."

Liu Ergou immediately took it seriously. Gu Qingyin was exceptionally talented. Her Spiritual Sense—what others might call a sixth sense—was naturally very accurate. If she had a hunch, then there was a high probability she was right.

He sent another message: "Okay, I’ll have someone look into it. I’ll let you know if I find anything."

Followed by another: "Are you sure you don’t want to report this to the Mystic Association?"

The corner of Gu Qingyin’s mouth twitched. She firmly typed back, "No need."

If she actually reported it, Huo Xinghai would definitely be punished.

Besides, the kind of compensation they were currently providing wasn’t exactly by the book. The karmic threads were already set, and reversing them would inevitably require a much greater price.

In the eyes of the Mystic Association, this was meddling with karma, and the potential gains weren’t worth the losses.