Chapter 26 Mom Looks Younger Than Her Son

Chapter 26: Mom Looks Younger Than Her Son

The villa's gate slowly opened, revealing Hua Xin dressed in a traditional Chinese jacket, appearing in the live stream.

The audience in the live stream chat instantly erupted.

"Classy beauty! I love this mom!"

"Mom is so gorgeous, no wonder Hai Baoer turned out so handsome!"

"Forget being a mom fan—I’m instantly switching to girlfriend fan!"

...

"Hello, are you Huo Xinghai’s mother?" Da Hai greeted politely.

Hua Xin shook her head with a smile. "The lady and second young master are still asleep. Please wait in the front hall for a while."

Realizing his mistake, Da Hai offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sorry! It’s just that your vibes are so classy."

Hua Xin maintained her composed smile and gestured for the crew to enter.

The group consisted of four people: one host, two cameramen, and one production assistant.

With the main subject absent, the cameramen stayed busy, dutifully capturing the villa’s low-key luxurious decor.

The live audience didn’t find it boring either, eagerly discussing the scenes while joking that this was the closest they’d ever get to experiencing the rich people’s world.

After touring the front hall, kitchen, garden, and swimming pool, the crew returned to the front hall just as movement was heard from upstairs.

The cameraman snapped to attention and quickly aimed the camera at the staircase.

A few seconds later, Huo Xinghai descended, wearing SpongeBob-print pajamas, his hair a mess, and his eyes still heavy with sleep.

The live stream chat fell silent for two seconds before exploding.

"Aww!!! Just-woke-up Hai Baoer is too adorable!"

"So fluffy—I just wanna squeeze him!"

"Hai Baoer! Dude, you’re ON live! Mind your image!!!"

Huo Xinghai had moved back home days ago and spent every night gaming together online with Gu Qingyin. Though both sucked at it, luck was on their side last night and they kept winning.

Neither mother nor son could resist the temptation and played until past 3 a.m., until Hua Xin confiscated their phones...

Huo Xinghai wasn’t fully awake yet—he’d only come downstairs for a glass of water before heading back to bed.

But even that simple plan failed.

Lifting his head, Huo Xinghai locked eyes with the camera. Star instincts took over instantly—his eyes widened, and he flashed an on-camera smile, his tone laced with just the right amount of surprise. "You’re here so early?"

Da Hai was equally excited. Other live streams had already started with their guests up and about, while theirs had been stuck admiring the scenery. Though the luxury villa was fascinating, they couldn’t just film that forever!

"Teacher Huo truly lives up to his status as the number-one idol—even his morning face slays," Da Hai said, seemingly complimenting but actually reminding him, while also offering an out.

Huo Xinghai understood. He touched his face and chuckled helplessly. "I stayed up a bit late last night and forgot about the live stream today. My apologies—I’ll go clean up." He turned to leave but paused after two steps. "Auntie Hua, Mom needs you upstairs."

Hua Xin’s gaze shifted slightly before she smiled and nodded, heading upstairs as well.

Gu Qingyin saying she needed her was just an excuse; the real reason was to wake Gu Qingyin up.

Hua Xin pushed open the bedroom door. The curtains were tightly drawn, leaving the room dim. She stood at the doorway for a few seconds to adjust before spotting the lump in the bed.

Gu Qingyin liked to burrow entirely under the covers when she slept, and her sleeping positions were unpredictable—never the same from one night to the next.

So, when Hua Xin walked to the bedside and gently reached out to pat Gu Qingyin’s arm, she unsurprisingly ended up patting her calf instead.

Hua Xin felt something off under her hand, but before she could say anything, the person under the covers squirmed and popped her head out from the foot of the bed. She stretched lazily, and two pale feet emerged right under Hua Xin’s gaze, landing on the pillow.

Hua Xin: "..."

She made a mental note to remind the housekeeper later—the bedding in Madam’s room needed to be changed daily.

Gu Qingyin blinked sleepily, her voice hoarse. "Did you need something?"

Hua Xin maintained a composed smile. "Ma’am, the film crew is here. It’s time to get up."

Gu Qingyin fell silent for two seconds before struggling to ask, "Can we still back out?"

"Of course."

Before Gu Qingyin could rejoice, Hua Xin continued smoothly, "You’d just owe five million in penalties for breaking the contract. After that, not only would Second Young Master be mocked by rivals, but he’d get roasted online for being unprofessional and stuck-up. His career could tank. Most importantly, he might think you don’t love him."

Gu Qingyin took a deep breath and sat bolt upright. "I’ll be right down."

She couldn’t handle a single one of those outcomes.

Gu Qingyin got ready quickly, stepping out in under ten minutes—just in time to run into Huo Xinghai.

For the shoot, Gu Qingyin had actually worn a dress—something she rarely did.

It was a modernized ink-patterned qipao with a less daring slit but still form-fitting. She’d also pinned her hair up with a black jade hairpin, radiating effortless elegance.

Huo Xinghai beamed. "Mom, you’re ridiculously gorgeous today! Did you do all this for me?"

Gu Qingyin had initially felt awkward in the outfit, but at his words, she couldn’t help lifting her chin slightly. "Of course. I’m here to make you shine."

Huo Xinghai stared at her, then suddenly laughed, offering his arm. "Time to grace them with our presence, my queen."

Gu Qingyin immediately swatted his arm away, sternly warning, "Don’t be so corny."

Huo Xinghai blinked, then burst into laughter again.

He was realizing his birth mother was anything but boring.

At first, Huo Xinghai had just wanted to experience genuine maternal love—everyone else had a mom, so why shouldn’t he?

That’s why he’d accepted Gu Qingyin so quickly. But now, he was genuinely growing fond of this woman who’d been absent for twenty years.

Mother and son came down the stairs one after the other.

Huo Xinghai walked ahead, hoping to ease Gu Qingyin into facing the cameras—but he needn’t have worried. Gu Qingyin had seen it all before. A live broadcast didn’t faze her in the slightest.

Huo Xinghai stopped before the camera, grinning. "This is my mother, Gu Qingyin."

Gu Qingyin smiled and waved. "Morning."

The audience in the live stream was stunned.

"If Hai Baoer hadn't said it himself, I would've thought she was his sister!"

"A mother younger than her son—do high-society women have some secret skincare routine?!"

"No offense, but from now on, I'm officially Hai Baoer's father stan!"

"You shameless jerk in front! That's obviously my wife!!"

"You're being completely ridiculous!"

Of course, there were also some negative comments in the live chat.

"So young, are you sure that's really his mother?"

"Did they crank the filter up to maximum? How insecure can you be?"

"Compared to this, the moms in other livestreams look much more normal."

Not just the netizens, but the four-person crew on-site were the most shocked.

To the naked eye, Gu Qingyin had smooth, flawless skin—completely bare-faced, and she looked even younger in person than on camera.

Is she really Huo Xinghai's mom? You've got to be kidding me!