"Return to Huo Yuhao's side?"
"Yes, you'll understand my intentions soon enough," Qian Ran replied, gripping Huo Yun'er's delicate, alabaster chin as he admired her stunning beauty.
Huo Yun'er was undeniably a peerless beauty, her allure only enhanced by her utter devotion to Qian Ran. Her revived body, flawless and radiant, was his to appreciate however he pleased.
Why had Qian Ran kept her by his side all this time?
The answer was simple—he had been waiting for this moment.
What would be the point otherwise? The ultimate satisfaction lay in using Huo Yun'er's reappearance to utterly shatter Huo Yuhao's composure.
"Ah, just imagining it makes my blood boil!"
"Prepare yourself and create a 'chance encounter.' I want to see the tearful reunion between you and your precious son," Qian Ran said with a smirk, planting a kiss on her cheek as a small reward.
"Yes, Master! I will not let you down," Huo Yun'er replied, her face flushed with excitement. The kiss spurred her determination—she wanted to perform flawlessly to earn more of Qian Ran's favor.
"One more thing. Be careful not to reveal our relationship. Don't call me 'Master' in front of Huo Yuhao. Treat me as just another one of his classmates," Qian Ran warned, cutting her excitement short.
The last thing he wanted was for Huo Yun'er to slip up and ruin the fun. If she let the truth slip in her excitement, the whole scheme would fall apart.
"Understood," Huo Yun'er said, committing his words to memory. She quickly changed out of her maid uniform into a white dress, ready to play her part.
Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, was a storm of emotions.
Time and again, Qian Ran had stolen opportunities that should have been his. The Icefire Yin Yang Well, Xue Di—everything had been taken.
He was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
"What can I even do against Qian Ran?"
The thought weighed heavily on his mind, leaving him feeling powerless and insignificant.
"Yuhao, no matter what happens, you must never give up. Have you forgotten what I taught you? You're a man now," came a soft, familiar voice.
Huo Yuhao froze, his entire body trembling as he turned toward the source.
Huo Yun'er stepped into view, her porcelain skin glowing with youth and vitality. She looked as if she had stepped out of a dream. Her mature beauty and snow-white skin radiated a charm that seemed to hold infinite tenderness, her eyes sparkling with affection.
Her lips, painted a delicate shade of pink, curved into a soft smile.
To Huo Yuhao, however, none of her allure mattered. What he saw was the woman who had always been his closest family, his light in the darkness.
"Mother? Is this… a hallucination?"
Huo Yuhao's voice quivered, his legs feeling weak.
Was it the weight of his longing for her that conjured this vision? But why did it feel so vivid, so real?
"Is it really you? Am I not dreaming?"
His voice cracked, tears brimming in his eyes. The sight of Huo Yun'er overwhelmed him, breaking down his defenses entirely.
"I was saved by a powerful being and given a second chance at life," Huo Yun'er explained calmly.
"Was it Tang San?" Huo Yuhao blurted out, his face lighting up with hope. His excitement was childlike, his joy unrestrained as he jumped in place.
Realizing this wasn't an illusion, Huo Yuhao began to laugh, tears streaming freely down his face.
All the suffering he'd endured—being crushed by Qian Ran repeatedly—none of it mattered now. Seeing his mother alive again was worth more than any fortune he could ever gain.
"Indeed," Huo Yun'er nodded, playing along.
"As expected of Tang San, the great god!" Huo Yuhao exclaimed. His heart swelled with gratitude and admiration for the deity he believed to be his benefactor.
In his mind, everything he had gained—the opportunities, the treasures—was the result of Tang San's divine intervention. Saving his mother seemed perfectly within the realm of such a god's abilities.
Suppressing her disdain, Huo Yun'er continued the charade. She found Huo Yuhao's tearful, overjoyed reaction nauseating, but fulfilling Qian Ran's task took precedence.
"This is the happiest day of my life," Huo Yuhao said, his voice filled with emotion.
He gazed at Huo Yun'er, his instincts urging him to embrace her.
"Yuhao, you're all grown up now," Huo Yun'er said, sidestepping his attempt to approach her.
Her words stopped Huo Yuhao in his tracks. He realized he wasn't a child anymore—those moments of uninhibited affection were a thing of the past.
Huo Yuhao then launched into an excited recount of his accomplishments, carefully omitting any mention of the hardships he'd faced under Qian Ran's shadow.
No matter how badly he'd been treated, he refused to let his mother worry.
He had failed to protect her when he was young. Now that he was older, he wouldn't let her suffer on his behalf again.
"By the way, do you have a place to stay? If not, I'll buy a house for you. You'll finally have a proper home," Huo Yuhao said, his voice filled with determination.
His mother's return felt like a beacon of hope, illuminating his path forward.
"Who's this, Yuhao?"
Qian Ran's lazy, mocking voice rang out, sending a chill down Huo Yuhao's spine.
If there was one person Huo Yuhao didn't want to see at this moment, it was Qian Ran.
Qian Ran's reputation was infamous—he was a master of seduction, leaving a trail of devoted women in his wake.
Wang Dong'er, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, and many others had all fallen for him. Even the senior sisters in the inner court weren't safe from his charm.
In matters of romance, Huo Yuhao had to admit Qian Ran was unparalleled, a true legend of love.
"Qian Ran, get lost! You're not welcome here!" Huo Yuhao snapped, panic seeping into his voice.
He turned to Huo Yun'er, his heart pounding as he took in her elegant appearance.
Her white dress hugged her hourglass figure, and her flesh-colored stockings outlined her slender, toned legs. The ensemble, paired with high heels, exuded a sophistication that drew attention like a magnet.
Huo Yuhao's pulse raced as an ominous thought struck him: "No way… Not her too…"
Panicking, Huo Yuhao hurriedly muttered a few words to Huo Yun'er before retreating.
Qian Ran didn't press further, content to let Huo Yuhao stew in his paranoia. There would be plenty of time to deliver the final blow when the moment was right.
"No rush," Qian Ran thought, his grin widening. "Let him drop his guard first. Then I'll drive the knife in deep."
(End of Chapter)