Chapter 60: Sowing Discord

Chapter 60: Sowing Discord

The following morning.

In the Dao Garden of the Huo family's old residence, the sun shone brightly.

Yet, even the warm rays couldn't dispel the chill of winter.

Yun Mu gazed at the man in bed, his ashen, gloomy face, her misty brows furrowing slightly as she sighed.

She instructed the servants cleaning the area to be careful with their movements, then left the old residence on her own.

Unbeknownst to her, the moment she left, the man in bed suddenly opened his eyes. Leaning against the headboard, he sat with an elegant posture, like a king.

Golden sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a mysterious shadow on his handsome face. His deep, narrow eyes were like an endless universe, dark and sinister.

His entire being exuded an indescribable, terrifying aura, both gloomy and cold.

Feng Shuo entered the room and stood silently.

Ting Cheng, with a frown between his brows, spoke in a stern and cold tone, "She went to see Huo Jinzhou?"

"Feng Shuo, indeed."

"Assign someone to tail him. If Huo Jinzhou dares to lay a finger on her, incapacitate him immediately."

Feng Shuo lowered his gaze and replied, "Yes."

"And that woman with the surname Gong, bring her to me," Hao Tingcheng's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze chillingly intense.

"Yes, Young Master."

In the meantime.

Yun Mu, on the other side of a heavily guarded castle, held her laptop with nimble fingers dancing across the keys.

After a while, all the security alarm systems in the opposing castle fell into collective paralysis.

Yun Mu's lips curled into a mocking smile. With swift agility, she leaped into the castle in an instant.

Following the explosion involving the CEO of the Imperial Duke Corporation, Ho Jinzhou no longer dared to recuperate in the hospital. Instead, he retreated to his castle and had a medical team attend to him at home.

It was nine o'clock in the morning. Ho Jinzhou, who seldom overslept, found himself staring into a pair of menacing and cold eyes the moment he opened his eyes.

"Someone...!"

As soon as Ho Jinzhou began to speak, a sharp dagger was pressed against his throat, silencing him abruptly.

Ho Jinzhou's gaze darkened, his voice calm and composed despite the situation. "Yun Mu, killing me won't do you any good!"

Yun Mu narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly. "There are plenty of benefits for me! But today, I'm just here to ask you a few questions."

"What do you want to know?" Ho Jinzhou breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

He was well aware of Yun Mu's skills. If she truly intended to kill him, it would only take seconds under the current circumstances.

Yun Mu's gaze turned sharp. "Tell me how you found Aunt Zhang and the secret she holds?"

This matter?

Huo Jinzhou remarked, "Locating someone within Country Hua is a piece of cake for me. As for secrets? I'm not aware of them, but they're likely connected to the fire that occurred in your Yun family years ago – a matter that doesn't interest me. I only want to use her as leverage to negotiate with you."

An exchange involving Aunt Zhang and the truth behind the fire was proposed for Ho Tingcheng's life, but it was declined.

Huo Jinzhou paused before asking, "But I am curious. Didn't you start that fire back then?"

Yun Mu concealed the killing intent in her eyes and sneered, "If it truly were me, why would I bother with all this trouble?"

Huo Jinzhou was taken aback. Not her?

In Yun Mu's strikingly beautiful eyes, a subtle glow shimmered as she moved closer, "Huo Jinzhou, why don't you speculate? If I wasn't the one behind the fire back then, who do you think it could have been?"

If it wasn't Yun Mu, and not Elder Huo either, then who could it possibly be?

A slight weight settled in Huo Jinzhou's heart.

Yun Mu's voice was low, cold, and leisurely. "Aunt Zhang was suddenly abducted last night. Were you aware of this?"

"It wasn't me," Huo Jinzhou denied, speaking without hesitation.

"I know it wasn't you, but can you guess who it might be?" Yun Mu's voice grew increasingly enchanting.

Huo Jinzhou found himself involuntarily pondering in that direction, but in the next moment, he sternly refuted, "It couldn't be Yao'er!"

Yun Mu's lips curved into a mocking smile. "Oh, do you also think she's meek, innocent, timid, and weak—utterly incapable of committing arson or murder? Give me a break!"

Huo Jinzhou's eagle-like eyes narrowed abruptly, the depths of his gaze darkening like an abyss.

Indeed, he would have thought so before. But the Yun Shuiyao of today...

Huo Jinzhou's suspicions had already taken root, achieving Yun Mu's desired effect.

Huo Jinzhou is an inherently suspicious and headstrong man. He only accepts truths he uncovers himself. Thus, once suspicion takes root, he will investigate. Sooner or later, he will uncover Yun Shuiyao's true nature.

Would he still be willing to marry a woman as venomous as a scorpion as the future Lady of the Hao family?

Yun Shuiyao, every single thing you've painstakingly gained, I will dismantle it all before your eyes!

Little did I expect that one day, I would be the one sowing discord!

However... it was exhilarating.

Yun Mu's lips curved slightly as she retracted the dagger.

In the next instant, she leaped out the window, vanishing from the castle.

By the time Jinzhou Huo realized what had happened, only the fluttering curtains remained, testament to the woman's recent presence.

Exiting the castle, Yun Mu fell into deep contemplation.

It seemed that Huo Jinzhou might genuinely be unaware of any other details about Aunt Zhang and merely wanted to strike a deal with her.

But what secret was hidden in Aunt Zhang's hands? Was it truly just the truth behind the fire?

And who could the kidnappers be?

They mentioned a man, but perhaps this man was acting on someone else's orders – with Yun Shuiyao being the mastermind.

Yet, yesterday, Yun Shuiyao was lying in the hospital barely clinging to life. Did she have the strength and energy to abduct Aunt Zhang?

Thinking of Yun Shuiyao, Yun Mu recalled that she had overlooked something important. Gong Xiyue, that sycophant, hadn't been dealt with yet!

Just then, she received a call from Lu Nansen at the hospital, "Little Sister-in-law, Aunt Zhang has regained consciousness."

"Keep an eye on her for me. I'll be there right away!" Yun Mu hung up and rushed to the hospital.

Back at the Gong residence, chaos reigned.

Yun Tingying, in his effort to protect Yun Shuiyao, hadn't taken any action against Gong Xiyue. However, within one night, the Gong family's fortune had crumbled, and Gong Xiyue's father was arrested for illegal business practices.

Mrs. Gong, in a fit of anger, suffered a relapse of her illness and lapsed into unconsciousness in the hospital.

Gong Xiyue intended to seek help from Yun Shuiyao but was unexpectedly bound and thrown into a car as soon as she stepped out. She was then directly taken to a basement.

Panic-stricken, Gong Xiyue cried out, "Who are you? How dare you kidnap me? Do you know who I am?"

No one responded.

Gong Xiyue gritted her teeth, "You're from the Yun family, aren't you? You want to pin everything Yun Shuiyao did on me, don't you? Dream on! I'll expose Yun Shuiyao's true colors to everyone, and I'll make your Yun family suffer the same fate as the Gongs!"

Smack!

A slap landed on Gong Xiyue's face before she could even see who it was, sending her tumbling to the ground.

From the other side came a cold and stern voice, "Hah, how foolish."

It was a man?

"Who are you?" Gong Xiyue tried to lift her head, but another slap sent her crashing back down, leaving her dazed with pain and stars dancing in her eyes.

Straining all her strength, she lifted her gaze to the man standing opposite her.

The man, dressed in a black fox fur coat, appeared weary and grim. His handsome face was unnaturally pale, exuding an aura of frail yet captivating beauty.

He lounged lazily on the sofa, his eyes cold and devoid of warmth, radiating the regal demeanor of a king who looked down upon the world.

Gong Xiyue's eyes widened in recognition.

It was him!