To My Dear Mr. Huo

At first glance, Su Qingsang saw He Xuanyao and surely didn’t miss the almost triumphant look in Li Wanyu’s eyes.

She turned to Huo Jinyao and glanced at him.

Huo Jinyao held her hand and squeezed her palm gently to let her know that whatever happened, he would handle it.

Su Qingsang twisted the corners of her lips in a small smile. She found herself trusting Huo Jinyao.

That feeling of trusting someone, a man, was subtle and strange for her. Surprisingly, she realized that she no longer found it repulsive as she had felt before.

“Jinyao,” Li Wanyu called as she noticed the minor interaction between Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang. Honestly, their interaction made her feel a little uncomfortable.

She would rather see Huo Jinyao be as cold, proud and ignoring everyone as he used to, rather than seeing him be nice to only Su Qingsang while neglecting all the other girls.

“Xuanyao and I both happened to have some leisure time today, so we came over to visit Aunty. We were just talking about you here.”

“Hm,” Huo Jinyao responded to her coldly.

“Jinyao,” said Li Wanyu. She was unhappy with his attitude, but He Xuanyao pulled her sleeve at that moment to signal for her to stop talking.

After receiving that signal, Li Wanyu stopped talking for the moment.

“You came home at the right time. Ms. Zhou is preparing dinner, and it’s almost ready.”

While speaking, Liu Tongjia looked at He Xuanyao affectionally and reached out to pull the girl to her side. She said, “you two shall stay here and have dinner with me.”

“As long as Aunty won’t find having us annoying.”

“How can you two possibly annoy me?” Liu Tongjia glanced at Su Qingsang out of the corners of her eyes and said, “I’m getting old, so I guess I can be uncharming sometimes. I’m so happy that you two are willing to keep me company.”

Su Qingsang became speechless, watching the scene unfold in front of her eyes. The people who knew little about the family would have thought that He Xuanyao was Liu Tongjia’s child, instead of Huo Jinyao.

Huo Jinyao squeezed Su Qingsang’s palm again and showed no reaction to Liu Tongjia’s words.

“Mom, where’s grandpa and father?”

“Your grandpa is at your great-uncle’s place.”

Liu Tongjia had purposely picked the day when Old Master Huo wouldn’t be home, to invite He Xuanyao. If Old Master Huo was to be present, how could He Xuanyao ever have any chance?

She had asked Huo Mingguang to drive Old Master Huo earlier on.

Li Wanyu sat before the dining table and watched Su Qingsang sitting down together with Huo Jinyao. She didn’t like Su Qingsang, but she had to admit that Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao had very similar vibes when they sat together. He was handsome and she was pretty.

Most importantly, Huo Jinyao always put food in Su Qingsang’s bowl and fetched soup for her, as if it was an everyday affair.

She had never seen Huo Jinyao like that. She couldn’t help but stare at him in shock.

She had no special feelings for Huo Jinyao. However, seeing him being so nice to a girl, she couldn’t help but compare herself to that girl.

She and He Xuanyao had known Huo Jinyao way before Su Qingsang did. When was he ever nice to them?

But still, Li Wanyu wasn’t feeling as bad as He Xuanyao did at that moment. She found the interactions between Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang disgusting, but after all, she wasn’t into Huo Jinyao the way He Xuanyao was.

‘They’re doing this on purpose, aren’t they? I can’t believe they do this every day,’ she thought.

Similar to Li Wanyu, He Xuanyao also believed that Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang were showing off their romantic interaction on purpose.

“Jinyao, doesn’t Miss. Su have hands? Why does she need you to serve the food for her?”

Su Qingsang, who was picking up the soup bowl to have some soup paused and raised her head to look at He Xuanyao. Before she could say anything, Huo Jinyao put a hand on the back of her hand.

“Miss. He, you are still so young but how is it that you already have poor eyesight?”

He Xuanyao became a little embarrassed. However, seeing Liu Tongjia glare at Huo Jinyao angrily, she felt more encouraged. She continued with, “of course I’ve seen Miss. Su’s hands, but, as an adult, she still needs you to take care of her. I guess you must be feeling tired all the time.”

“I don’t feel tired,” said Huo Jinyao frankly. Instead of stopping what he was doing, he put some more food into Su Qingsang’s bowl and said, “I like taking care of her. Do you have a problem with it?”

He Xuanyao’s face turned pale. She felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles.

“Enough,” Liu Tongjia snapped, and glanced at He Xuanyao, feeling a little disappointed with the girl.

Liu Tongjia used to see the girl as someone with an intelligent brain. Why was she being so brainless now?

“Just eat. Why do you have so much to say?” she asked Huo Jinyao.

Then, she turned to He Xuanyao. Despite her disappointment, she softened her tone of speaking and said to the girl, “Xuanyao, Jinyao is always like this. He’s not being mean to you. Don’t take his words to heart.”

At that moment, Su Qingsang admired Liu Tongjia for how good she was at spinning tales.

She looked at Huo Jinyao and quietly put some beef into his bowl and smiled at him. The meaning she intended to deliver to him with her eyes was very obvious.

‘See, I’m looking after you too.’

Huo Jinyao smiled, looking very delighted.

Su Qingsang seemed like an aloof person all the time but occasionally, she could also be as cunning as a fox. He liked that.

The interaction between the two had quietened down, but the others weren’t blind.

Li Wanyu looked at Huo Jinyao, then at Su Qingsang, then at He Xuanyao again. She suddenly realized that He Xuanyao wasn’t as capable as she expected her to be and that she probably wasn’t even watching the show that was being staged.

Huo Jinyao couldn’t see anyone else except his wife. Li Wanyu was a spoilt girl, but she was full of pride. Of course, she wouldn’t do anything to embarrass herself.

Perhaps, she should listen to her brother and not get involved in such things.

Li Wanyu came around after a short pondering, but He Xuanyao didn’t. She always liked Huo Jinyao. He embarrassed her, but she still didn’t want to give up. The more she thought about it, the more reluctant she was to give up.

Now, with Liu Tongjia’s support, she felt that she should fight harder for what she wanted.

After dinner, Li Wanyu spent a short while sitting there, keeping Liu Tongjia and He Xuanyao company. Detecting the intimacy between Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao, she was more sure about what she had thought before. However, she was afraid that Li Junsheng might be angry at her if he found out that she trying to cause problems in Huo Jinyao’s life.

With that thought, she decided to leave. Quickly, she stood up and said goodbye to the others.

Liu Tongjia wasn’t expecting her to leave so soon. However, she wasn’t the most important guest for that night, so Liu Tongjia didn’t try too hard to convince her to stay.

She asked Huo Jinyao to drive Li Wanyu home. Earlier, when inviting He Xuanyao, she had told the girl not to bring her car.

Huo Jinyao sat closely beside Su Qingsang without moving at all. “Don’t we have a chauffeur?”

Liu Tongjia immediately pulled a long face. “You have told me before that Junsheng and you are good friends. How are you not even willing to drive his sister home?”

“It’s okay. I’ll let the chauffeur drive me.” Li Wanyu became smart at that point. No matter what Liu Tongjia and He Xuanyao were planning to do, she didn’t plan to take part in it.

“No, Jinyao will drive you,” Liu Tongjia insisted. She glared at Huo Jinyao with discontent, determined to make him drive Li Wanyu home.

“Jinyao, go and drive her,” ordered Liu Tongjia. Su Qingsang didn’t know what Liu Tongjia was planning to do, but she didn’t mind finding out.

Huo Jinyao glanced at her with disapproval, but Su Qingsang winked at him.

Through the few months they had spent together, they had grown to understand each other. Receiving her signal, Huo Jinyao figured out what she was trying to say.

Reluctantly, he stood up and said, “Wanyu, let’s go.”

Li Wanyu was Li Junsheng’s little sister after all, and her place wasn’t far away from the family house. Huo Jinyao decided to drive her home, even though he didn’t want to.

As Huo Jinyao left, Liu Tongjia, He Xuanyao, and Su Qingsang were left alone together in the living room.

Liu Tongjia was talking to He Xuantong affectionally. Su Qingsang looked at the two of them who were acting like mother and daughter. She didn’t find their behavior annoying, only interesting.

He Xuanyao was pleased with herself at first but soon, that feeling faded away.

It was because Su Qingsang didn’t seem affected at all. Not even a slight trace of unhappiness could be detected from her face. On the contrary, she only watched He Xuantong and Liu Tongjia with great interest, as if watching a reality show on television.

Didn’t she care how Liu Tongjia felt about her at all?

He Xuanyao had no idea how strong Su Qingsang’s mind was. As an illegitimate daughter who was always cold-shouldered by Li Qianxue and despised by the workers in the Li Family, she couldn’t have survived if she didn’t have a mind that strong.

In comparison to those people, Liu Tongjia’s attitude was nothing.

Seeing the calm and peaceful look on Su Qingsang’s face, Liu Tongjia grew angry again.

She patted the back of He Xuanyao’s hand, sighed and said, “Jinyao has been busy with work these days. Thankfully, you always come here to keep me company.”

“Aunty, don’t even mention it.”

“I mean it. I like you.” Liu Tongjia glanced at Su Qingsang when saying that. Unlike the way she always looked at Su Qingsang, she looked at He Xuanyao as if the latter was her daughter-in-law.

“Xuanyao, if only you were my daughter-in-law.”

“Aunty.” Even though she was thick-skinned, He Xuanyao was embarrassed to hear that. After all, Liu Tongjia’s real daughter-in-law was sitting right there.

“I’m serious. You are so polite and sensible. If you are my daughter-in-law, I believe that you can certainly take good care of him, instead of making him take care of you all day.”

She gave Su Qingsang another piercing glance while speaking. The meaning contained behind that glance was very obvious.

Su Qingsang seemed not to detect it, though. She rubbed her own nose, taking in the interesting scene before her eyes.

“It’s not so late though. Xuanyao, are you willing to be my daughter-in-law?”

Su Qingsang blinked her eyes. “As Huo Jinyao’s wife, I’m sitting right here. Don’t you find it inappropriate to say that right in front of me?” she asked Liu Tongjia in her head.

“Aunty,” He Xuanyao blushed and said. “I am.”

Su Qingsang thanked herself for not having drunk any water, or else she might have puked it all from her mouth.

“I knew I’m right,” Liu Tongjia sighed with relief. She looked at Su Qingsang from the corner, her eyes full of scorn.

“You’re so much better than some selfish people who care only about themselves.”

After listening to Liu Tongjia’s speech, Su Qingsang asked, “does Jinyao have a brother?”

“Are you playing dumb? I’m talking about Jinyao.”

Liu Tongjia gave her a piercing glare, then turned to look at He Xuanyao and said, “Xuanyao, tell her if you are willing to marry Jinyao and look after him. Tell her if you want to have a life together with him.”