Chapter 496: She’s Using You as an Excuse

He Xuanyao used to visit the Huo Family very often because she had a liking for Huo Jinyao, right?

If Huo Jinyao had married He Xuanyao, they must surely have had children by now. He Xuanyao cared so much about Huo Jinyao. She would certainly have been willing to have children with him. Of course, she wouldn’t demand Huo Jinyao to treat her like a princess as well.

The way that Liu Tongjia looked at He Xuanyao became different as soon as she started having those thoughts.

He Xuanyao felt a little uncomfortable under Liu Tongjia’s tenacious gaze. The smile on her face even grew a little stiff.

Liu Tongjia turned her eyes away and said with a bland look, “let’s do a spa session together. I’ll pay.”

The four of them spent the next couple of hours together. After the massage, Liu Tongjia suggested that they all go for afternoon tea. She was rarely in such a good mood.

The other three sensed that Liu Tongjia was being more friendly than usual that day. They had no idea why, though.

As they arrived at a coffeehouse in a five-star hotel nearby, Liu Tongjia held He Xuanyao’s hand and let her sit next to herself.

“Xuanyao, you used to visit me very often. Why haven’t you been visiting me recently? Don’t you like your Aunty anymore?”

“How is that possible?” Xuanyao had been humiliated so cruelly by Huo Jinyao before. She was, of course, too ashamed to visit the Huo Family again.

She wasn’t willing to give up just like that, but she was really scared of Huo Jinyao. After all, the He Family’s business in Lin City had already been taken away by someone else.

“Come and visit me if you still like me. I’m old now, so I like to spend time with young people like you.”

“Aunty, don’t say that. You’re not old. I bet the people who see us now think that we’re sisters.”

“What a sweet girl you are,” said Liu Tongjia as she smiled more and more with happiness. “I almost believed you. You need to come and visit me more.”

He Xuanyao had no idea why Liu Tongjia had said that. Li Xiangyuan noticed the look on Liu Tongjia’s face and changed the topic. “I heard that your son is married. Jinyao is a man of good taste. You might as well let your daughter-in-law keep you company instead of Xuanyao.”

Li Tongjia pulled a long face once Li Xiangyuan mentioned Su Qingsang.

She wasn’t hiding her expression at all. Mrs. Xu and Li Xiangyuan glanced at each other with confusion.

Mrs. Xu couldn’t restrain her impulsion for gossiping, so she joined the conversation with curiosity.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy that your son is married?”

“Happy? What is there to be happy about? He has married a woman who has a poor family background and no respect for her elders. More importantly, she might even have some moral problems.”

Thinking about the interactions between Su Qingsang and Zhang Yichen, she wanted to tell Huo Jinyao everything his wife had done.

However, she was aware that she had no solid evidence to prove that. Besides, Huo Jinyao was so obsessed with Su Qingsang. He probably wouldn’t believe anything his mother said.

Li Tongjia didn’t share any more information, so the others couldn’t think of a question to ask.

Li Tongjia didn’t want to talk too much about Su Qingsang, as she felt disgusted talking about her. Before saying goodbye to her friends, she held He Xuanyao’s hand and repeatedly asked the girl to come and visit her.

She also said something else, such as how her ideal daughter-in-law had to be like He Xuanyao because she had a decent family background.

She didn’t want her daughter-in-law to have the title of being an illegitimate daughter like Su Qingsang, who hadn’t known who her real parents were until recently.

An illegitimate daughter would always be an illegitimate daughter, and would never be good enough for a decent family like the Huo Family. Huo Jinyao was so enchanted by her, so much so that he treated the lowly girl as a precious treasure.

Liu Tongjia said a lot of other things. She didn’t leave until she was sure that He Xuanyao had understood her intentions.

After she had left, Mrs. Xu took off as well. He Xuanyao sat there, looking at her mother and said with uncertainty, “mom, what do you think Aunty Huo meant?”

“I think she doesn’t like her daughter-in-law. She probably wants Huo Jinyao to get a new wife.”

“Really?” He Xuanyao had not spent a lot of time together with Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang before. However, she had heard a lot about their relationship when she was in Lin City.

How could Liu Tongjia think of something like that?

“Didn’t you hear what she said? She said that some women are shameless nowadays and that they didn’t want to have children, or show respect to their elderships.”

Li Xiangyuan was a smart person. She figured it all out after hearing what Liu Tongjia said. Liu Tongjia didn’t make it specific, but Li Xiangyuan could easily tell whom she was complaining about.

Because of what Li Xiangyuan said, He Xuanyao’s eyes glowed for a second, but a second only.

Recalling how Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang had humiliated her and what they had made her lose before, she was a little scared.

“Mom, do you think…”

“Are you silly? You better not get involved in something like that. That’s her son after all. She’s unhappy now, but she’ll think it through sooner or later. When the issue between her and her son is gone, you’ll find yourself in a very embarrassing place.”

Li Xiangyuan was an experienced person. She had seen a lot of things like that before.

He Xuanyao had stopped talking. However, she couldn’t get rid of the idea in her mind.

Su Qingsang had humiliated her last time and she hadn’t had a chance to strike back ever since. She couldn’t tell anyone about that, though.

If only she could get the support from Liu Tongjia and make Huo Jinyao divorce Su Qingsang…

Li Xiangyuan kept talking, clearly telling her daughter not to get involved in it.

He Xuanyao, who had already made up her mind didn’t hear a word she said.

She didn’t argue with her mother, so after finishing the chat, Li Xiangyuan took her daughter home.

As all four of them left, the place quietened down slowly. However, before leaving, none of them had noticed the person sitting in the seat blocked by the potted plant behind them.

Su Peizhen was sitting there, with a sinister smile on her face.

…

Su Qingsang gradually got used to life in Rong City.

On the weekends, she always returned to the family house together with Huo Jinyao to spend time together with Old Master Huo, unless she had nightshifts.

Liu Tongjia still didn’t like her, but she had a strong mind which allowed her to care nothing about Liu Tongjia’s dislike toward her.

As Huo Jinyao always said, as long as Old Master Huo was on their side, nothing would go bad no matter how much Liu Tongjia disliked Su Qingsang.

As for Zhang Yichen, Su Qingsang never saw him again after that day.

She heard from Huo Jinyao that Zhang Yichen had returned to the army. Huo Jinyao seemed to be really close to that uncle of his. Su Qingsang could tell that from the tone he used when talking about Zhang Yichen.

Not only did Huo Jinyao, but Old Master Huo also liked Zhang Yichen a lot. He couldn’t stop complimenting the young man every time he mentioned him.

Every time Old Master Huo talked about Zhang Yichen, Su Qingsang could see Liu Tongjia’s face become sullen. She wasn’t sure it was just an illusion or not.

Over time, Su Qingsang started to believe that Liu Tongjia probably didn’t like Zhang Yichen as her cousin-in-law.

But, why?

Before sleeping, Su Qingsang rubbed her cheek against Huo Jinyao’s chest, then raised her head to look at him, seemingly wanting to say something.

She asked Huo Jinyao the question she had in her head. Huo Jinyao looked at her with a small smile.

“Are you worried about my mom or my uncle?”

“Neither,” she said. Liu Tongjia never liked her. She was always sour-faced when she saw her.

As for Zhang Yichen, there had been a misunderstanding between them. She learned afterward that he was trying to scare her on purpose, but still, she felt a little uncomfortable about it.

She intended to stay as far away as possible from that man. She had asked the question purely because of her curiosity.

“I’m only curious.”

Huo Jinyao didn’t mind her curiosity. He held her, rested his chin on the top of her head, and said with a very soft voice, “my mom doesn’t even like her own son. How can she possibly like my uncle?”

“Why doesn’t she like you then?” Su Qingsang had asked that question without thinking.

That was too weird. After moving to Rong City, she had learned the fact that Liu Tongjia really didn’t like Huo Jinyao. The dislike Liu Tongjia had for her son was almost unreasonable.

Huo Jinyao was Liu Tongjia’s only son and the eldest grandson of Old Master Huo. Why on earth didn’t she like him?

Su Chenghui loved Su Peizhen more than his other children, but never disliked Su Yuxin. Even to Su Qingsang, who was known as an illegitimate child back then, he was never as mean as Liu Tongjia was to Huo Jinyao. He only gave her a cold-shoulder.

Su Qingsang didn’t hear his answer. She attempted to raise her head, but Huo Jinyao pressed a hand heavily on the back of her head to stop her from looking at him.

“Huo Jinyao?” She wanted to see his face, but he pressed her head very tightly with one hand and turned off the light with the other.

“Sleep.”

Su Qingsang curled in his arms quietly. She could tell that Huo Jinyao’s voice was much lower than before, but couldn’t figure out why.

“Jinyao?”

“Go to sleep,” he said. While speaking, Huo Jinyao let her lie comfortably, then put an arm around her waist.

The light was off so she couldn’t see the look on his face, or figure out how he was feeling at the moment.

Since he didn’t want to answer that question, Su Qingsang didn’t ask again.

She put her arm around his waist, rubbed her face against his chest without asking another question.

Huo Jinyao didn’t say anything else but quietly felt his wife’s soft body pressing tightly against his. He also sensed the faint aroma of her shower gel, mixed with her natural, pleasing scent.

He took a deep breath. His heartbeat was a little uneven just now because of the question Su Qingsang had asked. However, it slowly returned to a normal pace again.

Su Qingsang had had a long day. She was a little tired already, so after closing her eyes, she soon fell asleep.

Huo Jinyao couldn’t sleep. In the darkness, he heard Su Qingsang’s even breath and held her tighter.

He relaxed his arms slightly after he fell asleep.

That night, he had the same nightmare again.

In that dark, narrow space that was looking messy, he was running with his heart full of panic. From behind, footsteps come close and closer.

At last, an extremely ferocious face came up to his face, enlarging before his eyes. The words that came out of that mouth had been troubling Huo Jinyao for over twenty years.

“Go to hell. Go to hell…”

The chaotic images flashed across his mind constantly, and the words ‘go to hell’ echoed in his head over and over again. Huo Jinyao was stuck in that nightmare.

However, he didn’t wake up like always this time. Unwittingly, he tightened his body and arms.

Su Qingsang was disturbed by the heat, as the weather was already warm. She felt the arm around her waist grow tighter and tighter.

While sleeping, she tried to free herself from the arm which was holding her as hard as an iron trap, but couldn’t no matter how hard she tried. Finally, she woke up.