Chapter 465: Is There Anything Shady That You Want to Hide?
The lights in the Huo family’s house were all on.
Sitting on the long, U-shaped sofa in the living room were Old Master Huo, Huo Mingguang, Liu Tongjia, Huo Mingliang, Huo Yifan, and his brother, Huo Yiyang. Surprisingly, Liu Lexian was also on the scene.
Huo Jinyao gave Liu Lexian a bland glance, then looked at Old Master Huo.
“Grandpa, Qingsang is back.”
Old Master Huo glanced at him and responded to him with, “Hmm.”
Su Qingsang detected the strange atmosphere when she came into the house. She was thinking about something else, though.
She hadn’t come back for the New Year or the First Full Moon Festival. She had called Old Master Huo to wish him a happy new year, but she’d assumed that Old Master Huo was probably still unhappy about her absence.
“Grandpa.” Su Qingsang took a step forward to greet the elders.
The others responded to her politely. Only Liu Tongjia snorted coldly and turned her face away.
Su Qingsang had always known that Liu Tongjia didn’t like her. She thought for a moment and turned to look at Huo Jinyao.
Huo Jinyao took two steps forward, put an arm around Su Qingsang’s waist, and said, “Mom, Qingsang is tired now. She flew here from Lin City today. I’m taking her upstairs to rest.”
“Yeah, she must be tired.” Seeing Huo Jinyao protect Su Qingsang, Liu Tongjia grew even angrier. “How can she not be tired? She’s been hanging around out there all day.”
Huo Jinyao cast a glance at Liu Lexian. Liu Lexian shrugged, made eye contact with Huo Jinyao for a moment, and turned his head away, pretending to be careless.
Huo Jinyao gave a small smile, ignoring his unreliable cousin, who loved to cause trouble.
“Grandpa, Qingsang’s plane took off from Lin City this morning. She arrived at lunchtime. She didn’t come back home once she arrived because her mother and grandfather came with her.”
Huo Jinyao didn’t look at Liu Tongjia. He said to Old Master Huo, “Qingsang’s grandfather is Li Yongfeng, the former chairman of the Li Group in Lin City. This time, he and Qingsang’s mother have come to Rong City together to visit our family.”
“Visit us? Oh, that’s probably too much for us. They’re here already, but instead of visiting us, they let their daughter hang out with you. They obviously have no respect for us. We don’t deserve their visit.”
Liu Tongjia did not like Su Qingsang. It would be hard for her to change her mind about that.
“They didn’t come here right after they got off the plane because, according to the tradition in Lin City, one should not visit his in-laws after noon. Since they couldn’t come here, I took them to look around the city this afternoon.
“Grandpa won’t mind such a small thing, right?”
“Yongfeng, my brother, is here?” Old Master Huo had met Old Master Li a few times before. “Great. We can catch up tomorrow.”
Liu Lexian couldn’t bear watching Old Master Huo protect Huo Jinyao unconditionally. So he snorted and said, “I didn’t see my cousin-in-law’s grandfather this afternoon. Cousin, have you hidden him somewhere?”
He sounded like he meant to ask a simple question, but the look in his eyes was provocative.
The look on Liu Tongjia’s face grew even sourer. Huo Jinyao still didn’t look at her.
“Grandpa, don’t worry,” he said to Old Master Huo. “They’ll be visiting you tomorrow morning.”
Old Master Huo nodded. He had met Li Yongfeng once or twice and had a good impression of him.
“But didn’t you tell me that……” He still had a question.
“Grandpa.” Huo Jinyao interrupted his grandfather. “If you want to know about that, I’ll talk to you later in the study. Now, I should take Qingsang upstairs to get some rest. She’s really tired.”
Before Old Master Huo nodded, Liu Tongjia couldn’t help but start talking.
“What can’t be said right here? Why do you have to go to the study to talk about it?” She glanced at Su Qingsang in a very unfriendly way and continued, “Are you trying to hide something shady?”
Upon hearing her words, the people in the living room wore different expressions. Old Master Huo was a little displeased but didn’t say anything. After all, Liu Lexian was in the room, too. He didn’t want to embarrass Liu Tongjia in front of the young people.
The others looked like they were watching a show. Huo Mingguang didn’t really agree with his wife, but he decided not to join the conversation.
Su Qingsang furrowed her brows slightly. Her pretty face wore no obvious expression.
She had talked to Huo Jinyao about this on her way home. Earlier, when she was still in Lin City, she had mentioned it to Huo Jinyao once.
She had asked him not to tell his family about what had happened to her yet.
Su Chenghui, her father, had switched her with another girl when she was born to get revenge on her mother.
Su Qingsang didn’t find that embarrassing. Letting the Huo family know about that wasn’t a big deal for her.
However, Li Qianxue had thought ahead for her and told her that having a father like Su Chenghui was nothing to be proud of after all, even though she might not feel ashamed because of it.
If her husband’s family knew that her own father had done something like that to her, they might never show her any respect.
So they had discussed how to explain to the Huo family.
On the way home, Su Qingsang had told Huo Jinyao this. She had asked him to tell his family what Li Qianxue had told the Li family.
His family would be told that the two babies had been mixed up. As for how and why that had happened, no one would try to dig up all the details.
“Mom.” The look on Huo Jinyao’s face changed the moment he heard what Liu Tongjia said. “There’s nothing to hide. It’s just that Qingsang is tired. I want her to get some rest.”
“She’s tired? Why didn’t she come home earlier if she’s so tired? Why didn’t she even come home for dinner? I understand. You only care about her family now. Do we mean anything to you?
“Isn’t she an illegitimate daughter? Why did people from the Li family come here so eagerly to visit us because of an illegitimate daughter? Visit us? Really? They’re not trying to make a profit off us, are they? After all, this illegitimate daughter from their family has now married into our family.”
Her words sounded so aggressive. Even Su Qingsang couldn’t bear to listen to that, let alone Old Master Huo.
She prepared to argue with Liu Tongjia. However, Huo Jinyao pressed a hand against her hand and didn’t let her speak. “Mom,” he said, “are you finished? If you are, I’m gonna bring Qingsang upstairs. As for those shady things, as you said, we’ll surely be talking about them in secret.”
“You……”
Liu Tongjia was infuriated. She said, “I haven’t finished yet. I just want to know if this family still means anything to you two, and if I, your mother, still mean anything to you.
“I only asked a few questions. What? Are you not confident? Did I say anything wrong? They didn’t even come here when you guys got married. So why are they visiting us now? Is it not because they want something from us?”
Chapter 466: I’m Sorry, but My Parents Aren’t That Kind of People
Liu Tongjia knew a thing or two about the family business. “Jinyao has been helping the Li family a lot, actually. Am I right?” she said. “I heard that he has given a lot of projects to the Li family. Some of the projects aren’t even within the scope of the Li family’s business.”
Her voice was soft, but her words were sharp. While saying these words, she stared at Su Qingsang aggressively.
“They have become aware of the benefits of it, and they want more. That’s why they came to us so eagerly, right?”
“Mrs. Huo.” Before Huo Jinyao said anything, Su Qingsang couldn’t help but defend her family. She didn’t call Liu Tongjia her mother. She knew that Liu Tongjia had never seen her as her daughter-in-law, and she didn’t expect her to.
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t like you talking about my family in that way. My grandfather and my mother came here to visit Jinyao’s family with sincerity. Jinyao and I have already gotten married. As my family, they intend to meet Jinyao’s family. That’s a normal thing. They have no other motives.
“As for the profits that you mentioned, I don’t really agree with you. The Li Group isn’t as large as the Tianyu Group, but in Lin City, it has always been a reliable, well-known company. Besides, as a local company, the Li Group has been providing the Tianyu Group with a lot of conveniences since Huo Jinyao went to Lin City, even though the Tianyu Group is a very powerful company itself. No other company in that city can do as well as the Li Group has been doing.
“Mrs. Huo, I don’t understand how this mutually beneficial cooperation is like us taking advantage of the Tianyu Group in your eyes. Of course, the Tianyu Group can choose not to work with the Li Group, but I believe that you won’t be able to find another partner in Lin City that is as good as the Li Group, because our company is the best in the city.
“Finally, I know that you don’t like me. You may think that I’m not good enough for Huo Jinyao. But that doesn’t have anything to do with my parents. You don’t like me, and I can’t change that. However, I want to tell you that my parents are the same as all parents in the world. They just want their children to live good lives and be happy. They’re not the kind of people that you think they are.”
After finishing that long speech in one breath, Su Qingsang ignored the others in the living room, turned to Old Master Huo, and said, “Grandpa, I’m really sorry that I didn’t come home right after I got off the plane. It was my fault. I promise you that it won’t happen again.”
“It’s all right. It doesn’t matter.”
Old Master Huo looked at Su Qingsang. At that point, he couldn’t have liked her more. That girl reminded him of his wife.
She was pretty and gentle but not weak. She was not short-tempered or reckless, either.
He believed that his grandson had chosen the right person.
Liu Tongjia couldn’t think of a word to respond to Su Qingsang. She wanted to say something, but Old Master Huo didn’t let her.
“You must be tired. Go upstairs and get some rest. We’ll talk later.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.” Su Qingsang was indeed tired. “I’m going upstairs, then,” she said.
After that, she glanced at the others in the living room, bowed slightly, and said, “Good night, Dad. Good night, Uncle. Good night, everyone.”
She turned around elegantly and went upstairs. She might not have had a manner as graceful as that of some girls from super-wealthy families, but she didn’t look worse than any of those girls.
Old Master Huo had decided he liked her. He touched his fingers to his chin and signaled for Huo Jinyao to go upstairs with Su Qingsang.
“Wait.”
Liu Tongjia wore a sulky look. Today, she had been embarrassed not only by her son, but also by her daughter-in-law. What Su Qingsang had said was like a slap in the face. How could she possibly tolerate that?
“Huo Jinyao, you stay here and clear this up.”
Huo Jinyao stopped walking and turned to look at Liu Tongjia in the eyes.
“Mom, what else do you want me to say? I think Qingsang was quite right.”
“Huo Jinyao, you have a wife now, so you don’t care about your mother anymore. Is that right?”
Huo Jinyao looked at her and said, “That’s not true, but if you insist on thinking that way, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Grandpa.” He turned to Old Master Huo and said, “I’m going upstairs.”
He didn’t seem to take Liu Tongjia seriously at all. His attitude displeased her even more.
Before she could lose her temper, Huo Jinyao left.
At that point, Liu Lexian joined the conversation. “Auntie,” he said, “don’t be angry. I think my cousin was just trying to take good care of his wife. She’s probably really tired. After all, they were out all day. Don’t be angry.”
By saying that, he was obviously trying to worsen the problem.
Liu Tongjia was Huo Jinyao’s mother. However, instead of thinking about her feelings, Huo Jinyao wanted only to take care of his wife. How could that be acceptable to Liu Tongjia?
“All right, it’s getting late. You guys should all go back home and rest,” said Old Master Huo.
On hearing that, the others stood up, heading home or going upstairs.
Liu Tongjia found herself stuck in her anger. She didn’t know how to channel that rage or how to ease it.
“Auntie, I’m heading home. I’ll come visit you in a few days.”
Liu Lexian had successfully stirred up trouble. However, he felt uncomfortable staying here under Old Master’s Li’s perceptive eyes. He left quickly.
Liu Tongjia suffered a headache. Huo Mingguang glanced at her. At last, she had no choice but to follow him upstairs.
Upstairs, Su Qingsang walked into the bedroom and threw herself on the couch.
She thought Huo Jinyao would spend a long while downstairs. To her surprise, he came up just a few minutes later.
She sat up quickly. “What happened? Your mom didn’t scold you, did she?”
“No.” It wouldn’t have been a big deal even if his mother had scolded him. She had scolded him often since he was a boy.
Su Qingsang looked at him guiltily and said, “I’m sorry. I really couldn’t help.”
She wouldn’t have said anything if Liu Tongjia had only been talking about herself. However, Liu Tongjia had mentioned Li Qianxue. Besides the fact that what she had said was completely untrue, if she hadn’t tried to defend her family and had let Liu Tongjia continue saying whatever she wanted to say, she would never have any dignity in the family.
“It has nothing to do with you.” Huo Jinyao walked up to her, ruffled her hair, and said, “I think what you said was right.”
Su Qingsang smiled, feeling slightly guilty about the fact that Huo Jinyao always supported her unconditionally.
“Huo Jinyao.”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
Huo Jinyao responded to her by flicking her on the forehead.
Su Qingsang tipped her head backward because of the pain.
“It hurts.”
Huo Jinyao was a very strong man. His flick had turned her forehead red.
“Let me see.”
Finding that the spot on her forehead had turned red, Huo Jinyao kissed the spot, then rubbed it with his hand, saying, “Don’t overthink it. My mom is always like that. If you don’t like living here, we can move out. We’ll just come back on weekends to visit Grandpa.”
“Really?” Su Qingsang didn’t want to spend time with Liu Tongjia every single day. “But we can’t do that now. We can do it in a few days, after I start working.”
“Hmm.” Huo Jinyao was thinking about something else, “Cental Hospital in Rong City is about a fifteen-minute drive away from my company. That’s not far. I have an apartment near that area. I’ll send someone to clean it, and we can move there.”
“Okay.” Su Qingsang felt touched by Huo Jinyao’s words. Most men would want their wives to get along with their mothers, but Huo Jinyao didn’t require that of her.
“Huo Jinyao, I’m willing to try to get along with your mother. But before I can do that, she has to be at least a little reasonable. Do you agree with me?”
Huo Jinyao squinted at her and said, “You’re bold. How dare you call my mother unreasonable?”
Su Qingsang blinked, wearing an innocent expression. Huo Jinyao suddenly reached out and tickled her under her arms.
Su Qingsang burst out laughing and fell into the bed.
“Stop it!” She curled up, but Huo Jinyao still didn’t stop.
Her body was very ticklish, so she tried her best to dodge. Looking at her pink cheeks, Huo Jinyao couldn’t help but lie on top of her.
Su Qingsang stopped laughing and looked at Huo Jinyao, blushing.
“W-what are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” Huo Jinyao looked deeply into her eyes and said, “Darling, we haven’t seen each other for quite a few days.”
“I-it wasn’t a very long time.” Su Qingsang swallowed and said, “Get off me. I haven’t showered yet.”
“It’s all right. Let’s shower together.” Huo Jinyao reached under her clothes. “It’s not like we’ve never done that before.”
Su Qingsang’s face grew even redder. While being aroused, she thought of something important.
“You don’t have that stuff here, do you?” She put her hands against Huo Jinyao’s chest, her voice growing shallow and uneven. “I’m not in my safe period.”
“I have them.” Huo Jinyao put his mouth against her ear and whispered, “I bought them earlier.”
Su Qingsang blinked and said, “You planned this, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Huo Jinyao admitted. “I totally planned this.”
He stopped Su Qingsang from talking by giving her a deep kiss.
After their short separation, they, of course, had a passionate night. ……
Su Qingsang slept a little late that morning.
She hadn’t rested well recently. Li Qianxue had wanted so much to spend time with her, so they had gone to bed at the same time every night.
Li Qianxue had endless questions for her. She liked to talk to Su Qingsang and hear about Su Qingsang’s past to learn more about her.
Therefore, Su Qingsang went to bed late and got up early every day.
She turned over on the bed, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
“Huo Jinyao, the b*stard.” She gritted her teeth, furrowed her brows slightly, and silently cursed Huo Jinyao in her head. “He doesn’t know how to restrain himself.”
In the study on the second floor, Huo Jinyao talked to Old Master Huo about what had happened to Su Qingsang.
There was nothing for him to hide from his grandfather. In fact, Old Master Huo could have guessed something was out of the ordinary. Su Qingsang’s mother and grandfather had come to visit his family without her father. Wasn’t that weird?
Yesterday, Old Master Huo had felt that something was probably not right when he heard about that. Today, after hearing Huo Jinyao’s explanation, he understood.
“So that’s what happened.”
“Yes.” Huo Jinyao told him the truth. “That’s what happened. Earlier, Qingsang stayed in Lin City to look after Xiang Caiping. Later, when she decided to come back here, her mother found out the truth and asked her to stay.”
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