Chapter 61: Grandfather

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Grandfather

Xi Yunxui chased after the two creatures for nearly a minute, her footsteps hurried as she tried to stop the chaos unfolding before her.

"King C! Stop running!"

"Come back here!"

"And you too! Don’t fly away!"

Unfortunately, neither creature seemed interested in listening.

King C’s short legs moved surprisingly fast as he darted across the garden, while the strange chicken flapped its large, distinctive wings and chased after him. Every few seconds, one of them would suddenly change direction, forcing the other to follow.

Xi Yunxui could only stare in disbelief.

How did they even manage to turn the garden into this?

Flower petals were scattered everywhere. Several plants had been uprooted, patches of grass had been flattened, and one of the decorative bushes had been reduced to a miserable-looking collection of broken branches.

Xi Yunxui pressed her lips together.

I was only gone for a short while.

She was about to close her eyes and mentally ask the system if there was some miraculous way to restore the garden when King C suddenly stopped.

His ears perked up.

Then he turned his head.

The next second, his entire body shot forward.

"King C!"

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

The goat completely ignored her warning and charged toward someone standing at the edge of the garden.

Before Xi Yunxui could catch up, King C leaped straight into the person’s arms.

The person caught him effortlessly.

Xi Yunxui stopped in her tracks.

Standing there was Huo Jingchen.

He was dressed in a dark, perfectly tailored suit, his tall figure standing out against the greenery of the garden. One arm supported King C securely while the other rested naturally at his side.

But Huo Jingchen wasn’t alone.

Beside him stood an elderly man.

He was around sixty-nine years old, though his appearance was considerably more vigorous than Xi Yunxui had expected from someone his age. His silver hair was neatly combed back, and his face carried the faint lines of age without looking frail. There was an unmistakable sharpness in his eyes, yet his expression was relaxed, almost amused.

Xi Yunxui’s attention shifted between the two men.

Why is Young Master here?

And more importantly—

Who is that old man?

The strange chicken, which had been chasing King C moments earlier, suddenly stopped several steps away.

It looked at Xi Yunxui.

Xi Yunxui looked at it.

The chicken tilted its head.

Its green eyes seemed almost intelligent.

For a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other.

What are you looking at?

The chicken blinked.

Xi Yunxui sighed inwardly.

Fine. At least you know when to stop.

She hurried over and scooped the creature into her arms before it could cause any more trouble.

Holding the chicken securely against her chest, Xi Yunxui straightened and respectfully lowered her head.

"Good afternoon, Young Master."

Huo Jingchen’s gaze rested on her for a moment.

He didn’t immediately respond.

Instead, his eyes slowly moved past her.

His gaze swept across the garden.

The silence that followed was enough to make Xi Yunxui’s heart sink.

She didn’t need to turn around.

She already knew what he was looking at.

The garden.

The once-neat garden now looked as though a small battle had taken place inside it.

Huo Jingchen’s expression remained calm.

Far too calm.

"What happened here?" he asked.

His voice was quiet and composed.

There was no anger in it.

But Xi Yunxui’s heart immediately tightened.

He’s angry.

She could almost imagine the invisible flames burning behind that calm voice.

Of course he’s angry. Anyone would be.

She tightened her grip around the chicken.

There was no point trying to make excuses.

Xi Yunxui lowered her head.

"I’m sorry, Young Master."

Huo Jingchen’s brows drew together slightly.

Xi Yunxui continued before he could speak.

"I failed to look after my pets properly. I’m responsible for the damage, so I’m willing to accept whatever punishment is appropriate."

Huo Jingchen’s eyes twitched.

Punishment?

He had merely asked what happened.

How had she already sentenced herself?

He opened his mouth.

"That’s not—"

Before he could finish, a loud burst of laughter came from beside him.

"Hahaha!"

Xi Yunxui raised her head in surprise.

The elderly man was laughing openly.

He didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the ruined garden. In fact, he appeared thoroughly entertained by the entire situation.

Huo Jingchen glanced at him helplessly.

"Old man."

The old man waved a hand dismissively, still chuckling.

"Nothing, nothing. I just find this amusing."

Xi Yunxui blinked.

Old Man?

Her eyes shifted toward the elderly man again.

There was something about him.

Something strangely familiar.

She studied his face carefully.

His silver hair.

His eyes.

His smile.

Even the way he carried himself.

Have I seen him before?

Xi Yunxui searched through the memories of the original Xi Yunxui, but nothing immediately came to mind.

She frowned slightly.

Perhaps the original Xi Yunxui had encountered him somewhere without paying much attention.

After all, the Huo family was influential. There were bound to be many people she had seen around them.

The elderly man, meanwhile, had stopped laughing.

He slowly stroked his chin out of habit, despite there being no beard there, then glanced at King C nestled comfortably in Huo Jingchen’s arms.

His gaze shifted to the strange chicken in Xi Yunxui’s arms.

Then finally, his eyes settled on Xi Yunxui.

A mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"We meet again, young lady."

Xi Yunxui froze.

Again?

Her eyes widened slightly.

She searched through her memories more carefully.

Nothing.

She was certain she had never knowingly met this man.

The elderly man seemed to notice her confusion.

His smile widened.

"You don’t remember?"

Xi Yunxui hesitated.

"I’m sorry, but I—"

The old man suddenly changed his expression.

His back straightened.

His eyes narrowed mysteriously.

He raised one hand and stroked his chin with exaggerated seriousness before making a peculiar gesture with his fingers.

His entire demeanor transformed.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

That posture.

That expression.

That ridiculous air of mystery.

Her mind suddenly flashed back to the market.

An old fortune teller sitting beside the street.

A man she had confronted because of her hatred for fortune tellers.

A man who had looked at her and solemnly declared that her future was bleak and that she should be careful.

Xi Yunxui’s mouth slowly fell open.

No way.

The old man beamed.

"Now you remember me."

Xi Yunxui’s face instantly stiffened.

It really is him!

She suddenly remembered everything.

She had actually lectured this man in the middle of the market.

She had accused him of deceiving people with fortune-telling.

She had even told him that fortune-telling wasn’t real.

And now—

She had just discovered that this man was Huo Jingchen’s grandfather.

The patriarch of the Huo family.

Xi Yunxui felt the blood slowly drain from her face.

Oh no.

Beside her, Huo Jingchen’s expression had changed as well.

His gaze moved from his grandfather to Xi Yunxui.

Then back to his grandfather.

There was a trace of surprise in his usually composed eyes.

"You know her, Grandfather?"

The moment Xi Yunxui heard those words, her entire body stiffened.

Grandfather.

So this is really the Huo family patriarch.

Her fingers tightened around the chicken.

For perhaps the first time since arriving in this world, Xi Yunxui desperately wished she could disappear into the ground.

She had insulted the Huo family’s patriarch.

And she had done it while believing he was merely a fortune teller trying to scam people.

Xi Yunxui took a tiny step backward.

Almost imperceptibly.

Her mind raced.

What am I supposed to do now?

---

Xi Yunxui stood there in complete silence, her mind practically going blank.

For perhaps the first time in a long while, she genuinely had no idea what to say.

She couldn’t apologize for the fortune-telling incident without bringing even more attention to it, but pretending she hadn’t just recognized the Huo family’s patriarch felt even more awkward.

Her eyes shifted between Huo Jingchen and his grandfather before finally settling on the ground.

This is so embarrassing.

She had been bold enough to lecture the old man in the market, confidently telling him that fortune-telling was nothing more than a way to deceive people.

Now that she knew who he really was, Xi Yunxui wished she could rewind time.

Fortunately, the old man didn’t seem interested in making things difficult for her.

He simply chuckled and stretched out his hand toward King C.

"Come here, little fellow."

King C, who had been comfortably nestled in Huo Jingchen’s arms, immediately looked toward the outstretched hand.

His ears twitched.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he leaned toward the old man.

Huo Jingchen raised an eyebrow but didn’t stop him.

He carefully transferred King C into his grandfather’s arms.

The old man held the goat comfortably, one hand supporting his body while the other gently stroked his fur.

King C seemed perfectly satisfied with the arrangement.

Xi Yunxui stared.

Traitor.

Just a moment ago, he had been clinging to Huo Jingchen as though his life depended on it.

Now he was already enjoying the attention of another person.

The old man glanced down at King C and laughed softly.

"This little fellow certainly knows how to choose his people."

Xi Yunxui wasn’t sure whether that was supposed to be a compliment.

She decided not to respond.

Instead, she looked around the garden again.

The sight immediately reminded her of the problem she had been trying very hard not to think about.

The garden was still a mess.

Broken branches, scattered flowers and feathers were everywhere.

Xi Yunxui’s shoulders drooped slightly.

I really did make a mess of things.

Huo Jingchen noticed her expression.

His gaze softened for a moment, but he said nothing about punishment.

There was no reason to discuss it here, especially with his grandfather and the others present.

He simply turned toward the house.

"Let’s go inside first."

The old man nodded.

"That’s a good idea. We can have someone deal with the garden later."

Xi Yunxui immediately looked up.

"Yes, Young Master."

She carefully adjusted the chicken in her arms and followed them.

The strange creature seemed unusually well-behaved now, quietly resting against her.

Huo Jingchen walked beside his grandfather, while Xi Yunxui followed a short distance behind them.

As they approached the villa, Xi Yunxui couldn’t help stealing a glance at the old man.

He was still holding King C as though the goat had somehow become his new favorite companion.

She quietly sighed.

At least they weren’t talking about the ruined garden anymore.

For now, that was enough.

The four of them soon entered the villa together, leaving the chaotic garden behind.

Whatever consequences awaited her, Xi Yunxui decided she would face them when the time came.

For the moment, she could only hope that the Huo family patriarch had forgotten the ridiculous fortune-teller incident.

Unfortunately for her, judging by the faint smile on the old man’s face, that was clearly not the case.