果然……如此嗎？
Sure enough... Is it really so?
After Huo Qishu said that, she also realized her slip - up and quickly explained, "Auntie, this engagement was just an oral agreement made by the elders in the family. Uncle and Sister Meng don't have any special relationship. Uncle only likes you, Auntie. Please don't overthink it."
At this moment, her emotions getting the better of her, Ling Nuan couldn't calm down rationally. Following her heart, she murmured softly, "If they really have nothing to do with each other, how could you think that Meng Shuluo and Huo Linsheng are a couple?"
Huo Qishu suddenly didn't know what to say.
She was tangled and annoyed.
"Qishu, can you tell me the truth? You guys say nothing and always just tell me they have nothing to do with each other. It'll only make me think more and more." Ling Nuan's tone seemed calm, but there was already a hint of vulnerability in it.
Huo Qishu was silent for a while.
If Ling Nuan were just Huo Linsheng's wife, Huo Qishu wouldn't have chosen to get involved in this matter.
But thinking about the time when she was comforted by Ling Nuan after hearing Xu Shichen's words and feeling sad, Huo Qishu thought she should answer Ling Nuan's question.
"The engagement was indeed the idea of the elders in the family. When it was arranged, Uncle was just a newborn. Since their ages were suitable, it was decided that Uncle and Sister Meng would be engaged. But this matter was never fully finalized. Only the two families knew a bit about it privately."
"Although it wasn't finalized, because of this connection, Uncle always took good care of Sister Meng. Moreover, Sister Meng was in poor health. At that time, I thought they were a couple. One reason was the existence of the engagement, and the other was that there were no other women around Uncle, so I was misled. But after you, Auntie, appeared, I understood that Uncle likes you. His care for Sister Meng was just out of kindness."
Ling Nuan asked, "The engagement wasn't fully confirmed, nor was it cancelled, right?"
Huo Qishu was silent again for a while before she finally murmured an "Um".
"Okay, Qishu, thank you for telling me." Ling Nuan said.
Huo Qishu was extremely worried. "Auntie, please don't overthink it. Sister Meng and Uncle really have no special relationship. It's just that the elders in the family made a hasty match, and it never came to fruition anyway."
Ling Nuan smiled and replied, "Um. I know. I was just shocked when I suddenly learned about their engagement. After hearing what you said, I understand. I won't take it to heart."
Hearing this, Huo Qishu heaved a huge sigh of relief. "It's good that you don't overthink it, Auntie."
Ling Nuan chatted with Huo Qishu for a few more words, pretending to be nonchalant, and successfully dispelled Huo Qishu's suspicion.
After hanging up the phone, Ling Nuan couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
She shed silent tears, and then suddenly burst into laughter, crying and laughing at the same time.
Huo Linsheng doesn't like Meng Shuluo, and the engagement was just an oral agreement made by the elders?
It was only at this moment that Ling Nuan understood why the birthday gift for Meng Shuluo needed Huo Linsheng to go to the auction in person, to have it specially delivered to Meng Shuluo, and for him to write the greeting card himself.
Huo Linsheng might not like Meng Shuluo, but in his mind, he probably really regarded her as his future wife, which was why he treated her differently and made her special.
And Huo Linsheng's special treatment of Meng Shuluo had always been there.
When she and Huo Linsheng were already involved with each other, Huo Linsheng still treated Meng Shuluo the same way as before. Did it mean that at that time, Huo Linsheng still thought that Meng Shuluo was more suitable to be his wife?
Their relationship at that time wasn't deep enough to talk about being together. What Ling Nuan minded wasn't these things. What she cared about was that she unknowingly inserted herself between Huo Linsheng and Meng Shuluo.
So what if there was no affection?
The engagement was there, the agreement was there. Could everything be decided just by feelings?
Even now, Huo Linsheng had still bid for an auction item worth hundreds of millions and presented it to Meng Shuluo.
Ling Nuan now thought that what those people said to mock her was so true. If she hadn't resorted to means to sleep with Huo Linsheng and been caught by Mr. Huo, what would have happened between her and Huo Linsheng?
When Meng Shuluo no longer needed to be a tool for her adoptive father to fight for power, they would get married, and then Huo Linsheng would mercilessly kick her away? Or maybe, since he still liked her a bit and they were compatible in bed, would he let her be his mistress?
The more Ling Nuan thought about it, the more devastated she became.
When Huo Linsheng called, Ling Nuan had just finished crying. A lot of her emotions seemed to have been vented out, and her expression gradually calmed down.
Ling Nuan picked up the phone but said nothing.
From a distance, Huo Linsheng didn't notice anything wrong with Ling Nuan. He said with a smile, "It was a bit more troublesome than expected, but fortunately, everything has been resolved. I'll take the plane tomorrow night."
"Okay." Ling Nuan replied with just one word.
Huo Linsheng was a bit puzzled and asked, "Did something happen?"
"No. I went out today and just got back. I'm a bit tired." Ling Nuan's voice was soft, and there was indeed exhaustion in it.
Hearing this, Huo Linsheng comforted her, "If you're tired, go to bed early. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Okay."
Ling Nuan replied calmly, but in her heart, she was thinking, So what if he comes back? It'll still be the same as before.
She seemed really tired and took the initiative to say, "I'll go to sleep first."
Then she hung up the phone on her own.
Huo Linsheng frowned slightly as he listened to the busy tone on the phone.
Fang Chao just happened to come over with some documents. "Mr. Huo, these are the last documents. And Secretary Liu just called. The things have been delivered to Miss Meng."
Huo Linsheng murmured an "Um", took the documents, signed them after confirming that there were no problems, and then asked Fang Chao, "Has the custom - made item been delivered?"
Hearing this, Fang Chao also smiled. "It has been delivered. The actual item is amazing. Madam will definitely like it."
Although the work was busy, he wasn't completely unable to spare any time, especially since he still had to socialize here.
On the first night after he arrived here, Huo Linsheng attended an auction. He immediately took a fancy to a red diamond at the auction. However, there was only a necklace in the auction item. Huo Linsheng then had someone custom - make matching earrings and bracelets to form a set.
Huo Linsheng asked Fang Chao to bring the items over and examined them himself.
Although it was an urgent order, the result was quite good.
"Her birthday is coming soon." Huo Linsheng said, a smile appearing on his face.
...
Huo Linsheng returned to Jing City the next day.
But when he got back to the old mansion, it was already late at night, and he left early the next day.
Although he was back from a business trip, he was still extremely busy with the company's affairs. He left early and came back late. He didn't run into anyone, and no one told him anything. As a result, Huo Linsheng didn't know at all that Shen Shaoqing was also living in the old mansion.
Time flew by, and it was Ling Nuan's birthday.
Huo Linsheng had cleared his schedule in advance.
At around four o'clock, Huo Linsheng glanced at the time, put aside the work at hand, and told Fang Chao, "You'll be in charge of the remaining finishing work."
Seeing his boss like this, Fang Chao joked with a smile, "Is Mr. Huo in a hurry to get off work to celebrate Madam's birthday?"
Huo Linsheng raised his eyebrows and patted Fang Chao on the shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work."
Thinking about celebrating Ling Nuan's birthday, Huo Linsheng gave the driver the day off. But just as he sat in the driver's seat, Meng Shuluo's call came in.
"Huo Linsheng..."
She called out his name inexplicably, and then there was silence on the other end of the phone.