Volume One, Chapter 30: Could You Please Stop Appearing?

Huo Lindong said to the struggling Ye Sheng and Huo Xiaobei, "If it doesn’t taste good, don’t eat it. When we get back, I’ll make you chicken noodle soup. The broth is ready, and cooking the noodles is quick."

"Okay!" Both Ye Sheng and Huo Xiaobei knew he was busy, but they simply could not resist the temptation of good food.

Huo Lindong smiled and wiped his hands, "I’ll be right back; I’m going to the restroom. You two stay a bit longer."

"Sure, go ahead," they both nodded in unison.

At a table separated from them by an aisle, Huo Mingtian and his companions were finishing their meals, having eaten very little.

Qin Minshu, on her usual diet, had a small appetite and only ate some salad. Huo Mingtian wasn’t fond of pizza and had just a piece of steak. Huo Cong barely managed to finish a children’s hamburger before declaring he was full.

Huo Mingtian stood up to go to the restroom and, upon entering, saw Huo Lindong coming out.

He was stunned for a full three seconds before speaking, "Ninth Granduncle."

Knowing they would meet eventually but not expecting it here, Huo Lindong replied, "Fancy seeing you here for a meal."

"Yes, quite a coincidence."

Huo Mingtian nodded, and the two washed their hands under the faucet, their reflections in the mirror revealing strikingly similar features. Every gesture exuded the refined elegance characteristic of the Huo family.

Huo Mingtian respectfully asked, "Is your visit to Beijing for work?"

"Something like that," Huo Lindong said. "I’ll be staying in the country for a while."

Understanding, Huo Mingtian nodded and handed Huo Lindong a paper towel. "No wonder I saw you at the entrance of the primary school today; I thought I was seeing things."

Detecting the probing in the other’s words, Huo Lindong wiped his hands and glanced at him.

"I was there to pick up my son."

Huo Mingtian’s heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a calm expression. "I noticed; I just didn't know when you got a little brother."

"He's six, the same age as your son."

Huo Lindong spoke with complete ease, showing no signs of evasion.

Suppressing the rising questions in his mind, Huo Mingtian smiled and said, "You should come home more often; everyone has been thinking of you."

"Sure." Huo Lindong said no more, simply nodding before leaving.

Huo Mingtian watched Huo Lindong's retreating figure, deep in thought.

Something felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. When had Ninth Granduncle gotten married?

And to whom had he married and had a child?

Such significant events had been kept so tightly under wraps that no one in the family knew.

After some contemplation, Huo Mingtian called his father. "Dad, I saw Ninth Granduncle... did he return to the old residence today?"

As they were preparing to leave, Ye Sheng helped Huo Xiaobei put on his jacket. Huo Xiaobei accidentally knocked the fork to the ground, making a loud clattering sound.

Huo Cong instinctively looked up at the noise, his eyes suddenly widening.

"Huo Xiaobei!"

"Hmm?" Huo Xiaobei turned at the sound of his name, surprised to see Huo Cong. "Huo Cong! You’re here for a meal too!"

The two children didn’t know how to control their volume, their exclamations loud and clear.

When Ye Sheng and Qin Minshu exchanged glances at that moment, their expressions were anything but pleasant.

As soon as Huo Cong saw Ye Sheng, his demeanor changed; his brows furrowed, and his face darkened instantly. He walked over deliberately, and though Qin Minshu called out "Cong'er," she couldn’t stop him and had to follow.

Ye Sheng bent down to pick up the fork and met Huo Cong's furious gaze, momentarily frozen.

What had she done now?

This child always looked at her with such bitterness.

At that moment, Huo Cong felt a surge of anger boiling within him; he gritted his teeth, looking at Ye Sheng standing next to Huo Xiaobei, feeling wronged as his eyes reddened. He forced out through clenched teeth, "Why are you here again?"

Ye Sheng looked at her son but said nothing.

"Don’t you know I hate you? Why do you have to keep appearing in front of me? My dad isn’t going to be with you anymore; he already has Aunt Minshu. I’ll soon have a new mom too."

Huo Cong’s words struck hard, "Can’t you just stop showing up and disrupting our lives?"