Mom's Back. The Villain Triplets Are in Trouble.

Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Warmth

Gu Qingyin looked at Xia Zelin, staring at him for a few seconds before suddenly smiling. "I suppose we’re in the same boat now. Are you really clueless about the person behind Lin Wu?"

Xia Zelin lowered his hands and shook his head. "I don’t know. It was only today that I learned Lin Wu was working for someone else." ’As I thought, I’m just a disposable pawn who’s kept completely out of the loop.’

Gu Qingyin gave a noncommittal response. "Let’s exchange contact info. I might need your help later on."

Xia Zelin didn’t dare refuse. Only after she accepted his request did he cautiously ask, "What else can I help you with?"

Gu Qingyin smiled. "Help me arrange a meeting." She stood up. "I’ve troubled you enough for today. Get some rest. We’ll be leaving now."

Liu Ergou glanced at him. "You’d better take this chance to redeem yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be hauled off to the Mystic Association sooner or later."

Xia Zelin’s face grew even paler. He was about to force a smile and say something when his head suddenly dipped, followed by a sharp pain on his scalp, forcing him to swallow his words.

Mao Mao landed on the floor, turned to bare its teeth at him, then spun around, gave a smug little wiggle of its butt, and trotted after Gu Qingyin.

Xia Zelin took a deep breath. The moment he heard the door click shut, he couldn’t stop himself from furiously punching a nearby throw pillow.

’This has been the most frustrating day of my life!’

After leaving the hotel, Gu Qingyin grimly dialed Huo Xinghai’s number.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up, but it wasn’t Huo Xinghai on the line—it was his assistant, Xiao Chen.

"Sister Qing, good evening," Xiao Chen said politely. "Brother Hai is still recording a show. You can tell me if it’s anything urgent."

Gu Qingyin narrowed her eyes. "Send me his schedule for the next few days."

Xiao Chen sounded troubled. "That’s... against policy."

"Then tell me, can his jobs for the next few days be canceled?"

Xiao Chen’s eyes widened. "Why would we cancel them?"

Gu Qingyin stated it as a simple fact. "He has something extremely important to do. The kind of thing he’ll die if he doesn’t do."

Xiao Chen sounded even more distressed. "I can’t make that call. Why don’t you phone Brother Jian and ask?"

Gu Qingyin tsked. "Have Huo Xinghai call me back when he’s done recording."

Xiao Chen sounded greatly relieved. "Yes, of course."

After hanging up, Gu Qingyin looked at Liu Ergou. "Where are you headed?"

Liu Ergou pointed to the hotel behind them. "I’ll just stay here. It’s convenient. I’ll go to the Mystic Association tomorrow to ask around. I’ll let you know if I find anything."

Gu Qingyin sighed with a smile. "Thanks for all your hard work. Once this business with Xinghai is sorted out, come over to the house for dinner."

Liu Ergou smiled back. "It’s nothing, just running a few errands. Besides, you’ve helped me out plenty of times in the past."

Gu Qingyin patted his shoulder. "See you."

By the time she got a taxi home, Gu Qingyin was starving. She collapsed onto the sofa, utterly drained of energy.

Hua Xin’s eyes filled with concern. "Should I have the chef make you some dumplings?"

Gu Qingyin waved her hand dismissively. "It’s too late, don’t bother. You should get some rest too."

Hua Xin sighed and turned to go to the kitchen. A moment later, she returned with a glass of warm milk and set it on the coffee table.

Gu Qingyin saw this and nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Aunt Hua. Now, go get some sleep."

Hua Xin left, looking back every few steps with worry.

Gu Qingyin picked up the glass and took small sips of the milk. She hadn’t drunk much when she heard the stove click on in the kitchen. Getting up to investigate, she froze in place.

’The first time I’ve ever seen Huo Yunjing cook... is after he died.’

The tall man, dressed in a black shirt and slacks, stood before the stove, gently stirring the contents of a pot with a slotted spoon. His movements weren’t practiced, but they didn’t seem awkward. In fact, they held a strange, alluring quality.

He looked pleasing to the eye, like a photo from a magazine cover.

"Shrimp and beef dumplings," Huo Yunjing said. "I remember they’re your favorite."

Gu Qingyin snapped back to reality and touched her warm face. "Um... yes, they’re my favorite."

Huo Yunjing chuckled. "Go wait in the dining room. They’ll be ready in a minute."

Gu Qingyin blinked, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes. "Are you... all better now?"

Huo Yunjing glanced back at her, looking slightly baffled. "What do you mean, ’all better’? I’ve been perfectly fine."

Gu Qingyin just said, "Oh," and turned to leave. ’I knew he wouldn’t recover that fast, but it’s still a little disappointing.’

A few minutes later, Huo Yunjing emerged with a plate of perfectly made dumplings, their skins thin and their fillings generous, accompanied by a small dish of dipping sauce.

Gu Qingyin’s mouth watered. She popped one into her mouth, her eyes narrowing in pure bliss at the delicious taste.

Huo Yunjing sat across from her, watching her eat with rapt attention, a warm feeling spreading through his chest—’even though I’m a ghost now and don’t actually have a heart.’

The human and the ghost, one devouring her food, the other admiring the sight, were both completely absorbed in their tasks.

Huo Xingchen returned home to this very scene. He paused, unsure if he should interrupt. Before he could decide, his stomach made the decision for him with a loud GRUMBLE.

Gu Qingyin glanced over her shoulder at him and asked around a mouthful of food, "Why are you back so late?" Then she shot a look at Huo Yunjing.

As if receiving a command, Huo Yunjing, though reluctant, got up and headed to the kitchen.

Huo Xingchen walked over and sat beside Gu Qingyin. "The training match ran late."

Gu Qingyin swallowed the dumpling in her mouth and raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn’t you just sleep there? What’d you come all the way back here for?"

"Ah..." The tips of Huo Xingchen’s ears turned red. He was too embarrassed to look at Gu Qingyin, but his answer was candid. "I’m leaving in a few days, so I wanted to see you guys more." ’Of course, I mostly wanted to see Gu Qingyin,’ he thought. He cleared his throat. "Are First Brother and Second Brother home?"

"Your Second Brother is still working, and your First Brother..." Gu Qingyin wasn’t sure, but she could figure it out. A few seconds of calculation gave her the answer. "Mm, he’s working overtime too."

"Oh," Huo Xingchen said.

"Do you have training matches every day?" Gu Qingyin asked before popping another dumpling into her mouth.

Huo Xingchen swallowed hard. "Not necessarily. It depends on when both teams are free. If we can schedule one, we play."

Gu Qingyin chewed, CHEW CHEW CHEW, swallowed, then asked, "How has your training been going? Will missing a few days be a problem?" She ate another dumpling.

Huo Xingchen felt even hungrier. "A few days won’t be a problem. I’m in top form right now."

Gu Qingyin nodded. "Good. Starting tomorrow, you’re with me. We’re going to help your Second Brother cleanse his Karma, and I’ll teach you some Xuan Technique while we’re at it." She pointed toward the kitchen. "Our goal is to help your dad regain his senses."

Huo Xingchen was baffled. "How do we do that?"

"The daily requirement is to purify Evil Qi and resentful energy." Gu Qingyin considered for a moment. ’With his abilities, that’s about all he can do for now.’

Huo Xingchen agreed instantly. "No problem!"

Gu Qingyin nodded, pleased, and ate the last dumpling on the plate.

The light in Huo Xingchen’s eyes died. He rubbed his stomach and stood up. "Well, I’m heading upstairs, then."

"Hmm?" Gu Qingyin looked up in surprise. "Aren’t you going to have any dumplings?"

Huo Xingchen glanced at the empty plate and was about to shake his head when Huo Yunjing emerged with another plate of dumplings, placing it right in front of him. "Eat."

Overwhelmed by the gesture, Huo Xingchen sat back down. He began to eat, tears welling in his eyes. "Thanks, Dad!"

Huo Yunjing crossed his arms and snorted, but watching Huo Xingchen eat with such gusto, he felt a surprising flicker of happiness.

Huo Yunjing pressed a hand to his chest. ’How odd.’

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