Chapter 79 - 78: This Must Be the Wrong Place

Chapter 79: Chapter 78: This Must Be the Wrong Place

After returning to Yun City, Gu Qingyin and Huo Xinghai went their separate ways. Her son wasn’t as idle as she was; he had other appearances to make.

Gu Qingyin returned to the old family residence. She had just finished unpacking when Liu Ergou came looking for her. It was about Xia Zelin—that guy really did know Lin Wu.

Although their interactions had been extremely discreet, they could still be uncovered with a dedicated investigation.

"The Heavenly Master behind Xia Zelin is Lin Wu." Liu Ergou sat in the tea room, sipping his tea with relish as he spoke. "Xia Zelin has known Lin Wu for a long time. He entered the entertainment industry for the sole purpose of finding clients. After all, you can make a quick buck in showbiz, and those celebrities are willing to spend whatever it takes to get famous."

Gu Qingyin lounged across from him, sipping her tea sporadically. "Any word on Lin Wu?"

Liu Ergou shook his head. "He still hasn’t appeared."

"Xia Zelin might know," Gu Qingyin said. "Is he in Yun City?"

"He has a roadshow in Yun City in two days, so he’ll be coming over."

Gu Qingyin hummed in acknowledgment. "Then we’ll wait for him to get here." She took a sip of tea, then asked, "The Mystic Association hasn’t moved, has it?"

"It hasn’t. It’s still hidden away in the old district." Liu Ergou paused his tea-drinking. "Are you planning to report it?"

Gu Qingyin gave him a sideways glance. "I do plan to make a report, but not about this."

Just as Liu Ergou was about to ask, he felt a sudden tug on his pant leg. He shot a quizzical look at Gu Qingyin, then froze, not daring to move.

In that instant, a million thoughts raced through his mind.

Across from him, Gu Qingyin noticed he was holding his teacup, frozen in place, and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"

Liu Ergou tensed up even more. "N-Nothing." He lowered his gaze to take a sip of tea, then used the motion of setting the cup down to seamlessly lower his head. That’s when he locked eyes with the little monkey on his leg.

For several seconds, neither the man nor the monkey moved.

The man thought, ’Why is it a monkey?’

The monkey thought, ’Why is this human staring at me? He’s not going to attack me, is he?’

"Mao Mao." Gu Qingyin finally sensed something was amiss. "Didn’t I tell you not to run around?" she said with a sigh of resignation. "Come back here."

The monkey warily raised its paws, backing away little by little. Once it was off the man’s leg, it scurried back to Gu Qingyin’s side, thinking, ’Well, it’s not my fault he looked a little tasty.’

Liu Ergou finally came to his senses. He couldn’t tell if he was disappointed or relieved, but he felt much more at ease than before.

He craned his neck to look at Mao Mao, his eyes full of curiosity. "Is this that thing you brought back from the island?"

Gu Qingyin nodded. "Yes. Not quite a spirit, not quite a ghost, but it came into being all the same. It’s quite miraculous." Mao Mao was truly a one-of-a-kind life form in this world.

Liu Ergou’s curiosity was piqued. "Let me get a closer look."

Gu Qingyin smiled. "Ask it yourself."

Liu Ergou looked at Mao Mao. For several seconds, he couldn’t figure out how to start. ’He couldn’t just say, ’Hey, come over here, I want to study you,’ could he?’

Mao Mao grew unnerved by his stare and couldn’t resist baring its fangs at him.

Liu Ergou chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Forget it. The timing isn’t right, and some things can’t be forced."

Gu Qingyin scoffed. "Stop making excuses for yourself."

Liu Ergou cleared his throat and resumed brewing tea. "Chen Ling is pregnant."

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow. "A pregnancy at her age carries significant risks. Is she that in love?"

Liu Ergou found it strange as well.

He knew Chen Ling’s husband—a run-of-the-mill Heavenly Master. He had no great achievements to his name, but he’d never made any major mistakes either. How could someone as proud and ambitious as Chen Ling end up marrying such a mediocre person?

Liu Ergou shook his head. "Perhaps it was simply fate."

Gu Qingyin shrugged. She hadn’t even sorted out her own family’s affairs, so she was content to just listen to other people’s business as gossip, with no need to dig deeper.

"That list I sent you—take a look and see if there’s anyone you can help. Lend a hand if it’s not too much trouble." Gu Qingyin was referring to the people who had been cursed by Huo Xinghai. Raising her cup, she toasted Liu Ergou with tea instead of wine. "Consider it a favor I owe you."

Liu Ergou was instantly displeased. "We’ve known each other for so many years. There’s no need to be so formal."

Gu Qingyin’s eyes curved into a smile. "Let’s keep things separate."

Liu Ergou pouted but drank the tea anyway.

"When are you planning to go to the Mystic Association?"

Gu Qingyin thought for a moment. "Tomorrow."

Liu Ergou hummed in agreement. "I’m free for the next couple of days, so I can go with you." As if afraid of being rejected, he quickly added, "The Mystic Association has changed a lot in the last twenty years. A lot of the old-timers have retired. If I go with you, it’ll save you a lot of trouble."

Gu Qingyin didn’t mind either way, so she simply smiled and nodded.

After chatting a little longer, Liu Ergou left contentedly.

That evening, Aunt Hua had the kitchen prepare a sumptuous feast, as both Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai were coming home for dinner.

This was their first true family dinner since the mother and sons had been reunited, so Hua Xin placed great importance on it. She personally managed everything, from sourcing the ingredients to selecting the dinnerware, and even swapped out the tablecloth for one with a different design.

Gu Qingyin didn’t understand the fuss, but she respected it. And, of course, she was grateful.

A little after seven in the evening, Huo Xingye was the first to arrive.

Gu Qingyin hadn’t seen her eldest son in several days, so she happily went up to give him a loving hug, then took a step back to look him over.

Huo Xingye had been changing his shoes, but his movements grew increasingly awkward under her stare. He pursed his lips and turned his head to ask, "What is it?"

Gu Qingyin frowned. "Haven’t you been sleeping well? Your dark circles are so pronounced, and your face has gotten thinner. Have you been eating properly?"

A warmth spread through Huo Xingye’s heart, and the corners of his lips curved into a relaxed smile. "Work’s been a little hectic. It’ll be better once this stretch is over."

Gu Qingyin tutted. "No matter how busy you are, you have to take care of your body first."

"I know." Huo Xingye placed a hand on Gu Qingyin’s shoulder, guiding her toward the living room. "You go watch some TV. I’m going upstairs to freshen up. We’ll eat when Xinghai gets back."

Gu Qingyin let him guide her, muttering threats under her breath. "No staying up late tonight. I’ll be watching you. If you try to pull an all-nighter, I’ll knock you out and throw you into bed."

The corner of Huo Xingye’s eye twitched, and he completely abandoned any thought of working late.

Other people’s moms might just make empty threats. His mom would actually do it.

Not long after Huo Xingye went upstairs, Huo Xinghai returned, looking exhausted, his makeup not even completely removed.

Her heart ached seeing him like that. "Go upstairs and take a hot bath. No need to rush down."

Huo Xinghai was too tired to speak. He simply bent down to hug his mom, then took the elevator upstairs.

When he came back down, more than half an hour had passed. Huo Xingye and Gu Qingyin were sitting on the sofa, talking.

Huo Xinghai vaguely overheard the name Huo Zhao Hua, but he didn’t ask.

He figured that if it was necessary for him to know, his mother and older brother would tell him. If it wasn’t, then he would just handle his relationship with Huo Zhao Hua as he saw fit. He didn’t need to meddle in the rest.

"Everyone’s here. Let’s eat!"

The family of three sat down in the dining room. They ate and chatted, and the atmosphere couldn’t have been better.

Perhaps they were too engrossed, because no one heard the door open.

The person who arrived, however, froze the moment he opened the door, taken aback by the sounds of cheerful laughter that filled the air. For a second, he secretly wondered if he had walked into the wrong house.

After a pause, he stepped inside, his footfalls exceptionally light. The sight of the happy, harmonious scene in the dining room met his eyes, leaving him in a brief daze.

’I must be in the wrong place.’