Chapter 229: The Nanming Yi Family

Chapter 229: The Nanming Yi Family

At dawn.

A night devoid of stars.

Huo Tingying stood by the window.

The collar of his black shirt was loosely undone, and his handsome, cold face showed no emotion, as if he could stand there in icy silence forever, like a statue.

Since returning from Yun Shuiyao, it felt as if a tear had been made in his memory. Some fragmented childhood memories flashed through his mind.

Gradually, these scattered pieces began to connect, giving him a glimpse of some truths from the past.

That paternity test report couldn't be wrong; he was indeed not a member of the Huo family.

No wonder!

That scum had treated his mother with such coldness and cruelty, and had always despised him.

It turned out that his very existence constantly reminded him of the humiliation of being cuckolded.

But—

A bitter pain welled up in Huo Tingying's heart.

During those dark and painful years of his childhood, when he had cried countless times asking his mother why his father hated him, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Why didn't she tell him the truth about his origins?

He had spent so many years in hatred and disgust.

Even in her final moments, she chose death over revealing even a single word of the truth to him!

Life is strange indeed.

The father he once hated so much turned out to be nothing more than a stranger.

So what were all those years of hate for?

Gazing indifferently at the sea of cars and neon lights below, Huo Tingying's lips curled into a cold smile after an unknown amount of time.

Feng Shuo stood at the door, watching Huo Tingying's back with concern, not daring to approach.

Thus, Huo Tingying spent the entire night smoking in his office.

Just as dawn broke, a servant knocked on the door.

"Madam, there's a guest here to see you."

Yun Mu rolled over and got up, frowning.

Last night, she had fallen asleep while waiting. Had Huo Tingying not come home at all?

She quickly tidied herself and went downstairs, only to find Ji Ming lounging on the sofa, drinking milk with his legs crossed as if he owned the place.

"What can't you just call? Why disturb us early in the morning?"

"Can't I just come over for breakfast? Your breakfast is pretty good, you know."

Only then did Yun Mu notice the table filled with various breakfast dishes—stir-fried vegetables, seafood porridge, steamed dumplings, and black rice soy milk.

After Ji Ming finished eating, he finally remembered to ask, "Where's Huo Tingying?"

"He's not here."

Ji Ming looked up, "This early in the morning, and he didn't come home last night? Damn! Is there any law left?"

"He left in a hurry last night, probably because of something urgent," Yun Mu said, feeling worried.

Huo Tingying rarely stayed out without informing her first. Was he dealing with something serious?

Ji Ming nodded, "Yeah, he's been having quite a bit of trouble lately. Last night, the Huo Group was in chaos. Huo Jinzhou returned, and the board was restructured."

Yun Mu was startled.

Had Old Master Huo already found out about Huo Tingying's origins? How could it have happened so quickly?!

Even if Old Master Huo knew about Huo Tingying's origins, it shouldn't have led to his exclusion from the Huo Group so swiftly. At the very least, he should have given some warning!

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yun Mu picked up her phone and called Huo Tingying, glaring at Ji Ming.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner about something this big?"

"You didn't ask."

The phone was off, unreachable.

Yun Mu frowned deeply, "Go back yourself. I'm going to find Huo Tingying."

Ji Ming held her back, "Huo Tingying never cared about the Huo Group. Why are you panicking? Sit down, I have something more important to tell you."

Seeing Ji Ming's serious expression, Yun Mu paused, "Did you find anything about Chen Ye?"

Ji Ming shook his head.

"There's no trace of Chen Ye. But I did find something about Yi Qinglan's background in the Nanming Continent."

Ji Ming then took out a photo and handed it to Yun Mu. It showed a complex clan emblem.

Yun Mu took it from his hand and examined it carefully.

Her mind began to automatically search for the familiar emblem, shocked to discover that this pattern was exactly the same as the one on Huo Tingying's mother's keepsake!

Yun Mu lifted her gaze and looked at Ji Ming, "Yi Qinglan, she comes from the Nanming Continent, the Yi family!"

Ji Ming nodded, "The Yi family of the Nanming Continent, their commercial empire secretly penetrates various continents, with immense wealth. They are listed alongside the Yun, Ji, and Xuanyuan families as the four major clans of the Nanming Continent. However, the Yi family is particularly mysterious, their power is hard to gauge, and even the identities of their clan members are largely unknown. If not for the recent disruption of the balance in the Nanming Continent and the ensuing turmoil, my people might not have discovered that 28 years ago, a young lady of the Yi family suddenly fell ill and died—or rather, vanished without a trace."

Yun Mu's heart pounded like a drum: "No wonder Huo Tingying could establish the Emperor Group alone; he must have relied on the power left by his mother."

Yun Mu had long known that Yi Qinglan was from the Nanming Continent and had vaguely guessed her background.

But she never expected that she truly came from the Nanming Yi family.

The Nanming Yi family, its mystery stems not only from their low profile but also because the clan members are notoriously short-lived, said to be cursed!

Yun Mu felt a chill grip her heart as she clutched the photo tightly, "Are you sure? Yi Qinglan is that missing Yi family lady?"

Ji Ming understood Yun Mu well and saw through her worry at a glance.

"Even if Yi Qinglan is from the Nanming Yi family, Huo Tingying also has his father's blood running through him; he doesn't necessarily have to... be short-lived."

Yun Mu's breathing became erratic, "Yes, I've already cured him; he'll be fine."

"The Chen Ye you asked me to investigate, is he Huo Tingying's biological father?"

Yun Mu nodded.

"Once Huo Tingying's true identity is exposed, it will surely stir up a storm in the Nanming Continent. He has never doubted his origins all these years; those fools in the Huo family couldn't have suddenly found out. Someone must be stirring the pot behind the scenes."

Yun Mu, initially overwhelmed with concern, felt her thoughts gradually clear after Ji Ming's words. She nodded, "I understand. For now, we need to stabilize the situation with Huo Jinzhou and use this matter to lure the snake out of its den!"

Ji Ming, "There might be a traitor within the END organization who used Yun Shuiyao to distract you. Ah Mu, I suspect your identity has been exposed."

Ji Ming changed his previously casual demeanor, uncrossed his legs, sat beside Yun Mu, and placed a hand on her shoulder, worriedly saying, "Ah Mu, you're no longer safe in the Imperial Capital."

They were once close allies in battle, and with Yun Mu deep in thought, she didn't notice how intimate their current position was.

Until a dark voice drifted over.

"If she goes with you, will she be safe?"