Chapter 21 An Unexpected Discovery

Chapter 21 Unexpected Discovery

That afternoon, Gu Qingyin arrived at the café on time.

Chen Ling was also a busy person. She had come to Yuncheng for a commission this time, so there was no time for a meal, but she could spare a moment for coffee.

Delayed by traffic, Gu Qingyin arrived a little late. As soon as she entered, she spotted Liu Ergou and Chen Ling sitting in a corner.

"Sorry I’m late," Gu Qingyin said as she took her seat, offering an apologetic smile. "Senior Sister Chen, long time no see."

Chen Ling's gaze was complicated. "Long time no see. You... haven’t changed at all."

Gu Qingyin immediately switched to polite flattery. "Senior Sister Chen hasn’t changed much either." She gave a thumbs-up. "You’ve mastered the art of staying young!"

Chen Ling’s grip on the coffee cup tightened, her knuckles whitening. In an instant, she thought of the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes—was Gu Qingyin mocking her?

Just then, Liu Ergou, oblivious to the tension, suddenly chimed in, "I used to think Senior Sister Chen had a timeless beauty too, but compared to Qingyin, she does look older. If I remember correctly, Senior Sister Chen is younger by a few months than Qingyin, right?"

Chen Ling’s face fell. She was indeed a few months younger than Gu Qingyin. In the past, she’d secretly relished every time Gu Qingyin called her "senior sister," but now, she never wanted to hear that title again!

Gu Qingyin smiled cheerfully. "Yeah, I used to be unhappy about having to call her 'senior sister,' but seniority is seniority. Even if I didn’t like it, I had to."

Liu Ergou let out a snicker.

Chen Ling forced a tight smile, but her irritation made the curve of her lips stiff.

Noticing this, Gu Qingyin casually asked, "Senior Sister Chen, are you feeling unwell?"

"Must be all the work lately." Chen Ling touched her face, trying to sound casual as she asked, "Junior Sister Qingyin, where have you been these past few years? Why’ve you been out of touch?"

The mission she had taken back then came straight from the top brass of the Arcane Arts Association, so those below had no knowledge of it. After all these years, she didn’t know if it was still under wraps.

Gu Qingyin hesitated, but Liu Ergou cut in conspiratorially, "Qingyin got married and had a kid!"

Chen Ling froze for a beat. "Qingyin?!"

Gu Qingyin nodded helplessly. Well, might as well keep the mission under wraps for now.

Chen Ling couldn’t understand—did marriage and kids actually keep you young? For the rest of the conversation, she was distracted, her mind fixated on how Gu Qingyin had managed it.

It wasn’t until she left the café that it dawned on her.

Could it be... that Gu Qingyin had dabbled in dark magic?

The more Chen Ling thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She also recalled Gu Qingyin mentioning that her husband had died ten years ago. What happened after that? Had Gu Qingyin harnessed his soul to maintain her youth?

A twisted practice like that—now that she knew about it, she couldn’t just ignore it, even if the practitioner was an old acquaintance.

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Meanwhile, Gu Qingyin was venting to Liu Ergou. "God, that was awkward!"

We were never that close to begin with, and with a twenty-year gap between us, there was just nothing to talk about!"

Especially later, when Chen Ling stopped even pretending to engage—she likely regretted showing up as much as I did.

Liu Ergou stroked his beard thoughtfully. Awkward? He hadn’t noticed.

Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "Where are you headed? Want me to give you a ride?"

Gu Qingyin shook her head. "My son’s company is nearby. I’m going to surprise him at work." She wanted to check in unannounced to see if Huo Xingye was eating on time. Liu Ergou nodded. "I’m flying back to Longhu Mountain tonight."

"Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"

"Ah, I've been away for quite a while now. Need to go back and train my apprentices."

Gu Qingyin was taken aback. "You're old enough to be training apprentices now?"

Liu Ergou gave a bitter smile. "Haven't even gotten married yet, but I’m already getting a taste of parenting struggles. Teaching apprentices is so hard. You must have had a similar experience, right?"

Gu Qingyin guiltily rubbed her nose. She *had* married and had a child, but she never got the chance to endure the struggles of parenting. Sorry, she couldn’t really sympathize.

Fortunately, Liu Ergou was just casually lamenting and didn’t seem inclined to continue the discussion.

Gu Qingyin let out a relieved sigh, watching Liu Ergou leave before turning toward Huo Corp's direction.

It was still early, so she strolled leisurely, checking out the storefronts lining the streets. Whenever she saw something appetizing, she bought a portion. By the time she reached the Huo building, her arms were loaded with bags.

Gu Qingyin sighed. There was no way she could finish all this, but there were just too many delicious things—each one giving off mouthwatering smells that lured her in. She really couldn’t help herself!

The moment Gu Qingyin stepped inside, the mixed aromas wafted through the air.

The two receptionists at the front desk snapped their heads up at her.

Gu Qingyin paused mid-step, slightly raising her hands as she tentatively asked, "I accidentally bought too much. Want some?"

Five minutes later, Gu Qingyin went upstairs hands-free, but the office chat blew up. Everyone who saw the messages quietly got up and headed downstairs. The snacks weren’t what was special—what was rare was *who* had brought them.

Scoring food from the Family Head’s mother practically counted as being treated by the Family Head himself, right?! A rare opportunity—they *had* to seize it!

Just as Gu Qingyin stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into an assistant. The assistant was about to greet her with a smile when Gu Qingyin raised a finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture and whispered, "Is Huo Xingye in his office?"

The assistant nodded, smiling knowingly, and added, "Xue, the executive assistant, is also there."

Gu Qingyin gave a thumbs-up. She definitely wouldn’t disturb her son while he was working—she’d just wait outside the door until they finished talking before going in.

Coincidentally, the door was slightly ajar. The moment Gu Qingyin approached, she heard Xue Ning’s voice.

"...Miss Wen’s condition isn’t serious, but she’ll need a long recovery period. After she’s discharged, should she still be sent back to your apartment?"

She was puzzled. *Who is Miss Wen? And why would she be sent to Huo Xingye’s apartment?* Instantly, she recalled that "friend" who had been recuperating at Huo Xingye’s place.

"No need. From now on, there’s no need to report her matters to me either." Huo Xingye’s voice was indifferent. "You can't force chemistry."

Xue Ning seemed to chuckle. "It’s good that you’ve seen reason." After a pause, he apparently couldn’t resist adding, "Though the Family Matriarch hasn’t been back for long, you’ve changed a lot—become more personable than before."

"Don't you have work to do?" Huo Xingye’s tone carried a chill.

"Ahem. Unless the Family Head needs anything else, I’ll take my leave."

Gu Qingyin was still pondering the matter of Miss Wen and didn’t pay much attention to the conversation inside the office. But when she looked up, she made eye contact with Xue Ning.

"Family Matriarch?" Xue Ning looked surprised, his gaze flickering slightly. "How long have you been here? Have you been waiting long?"

Gu Qingyin kept her expression neutral. "Just arrived. The secretary said you were discussing something, so I thought I’d wait a bit before going in. Didn’t expect you to finish so quickly."

Xue Ning smiled and nodded. "Just routine matters. Please, go ahead."

Gu Qingyin entered, and Xue Ning discreetly shut the door behind her before striding away—whether the Family Matriarch had overheard or not, it had nothing to do with him.