"Did you find out where my wife went today?"
In the oversized redwood-themed bedroom, Huo Tingshen sat soaking his feet, his expression dark as he spoke to his assistant over the phone.
Soaking his feet before bed helped relieve fatigue and improve sleep.
He had insisted Zhao Ziling do the same, but she refused—until he forced her.
Every time, she would get furious, scolding him for starting his "health regimen" so early, accusing him of being weak!
But he was only doing it for her own good.
The assistant replied, "We traced the location of Mrs. Huo’s car to a villa."
Huo Tingshen’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. "Which of her villas?"
The assistant hesitated. "It’s... not hers. It belongs to someone else."
Huo Tingshen’s temples throbbed as he stared at the swirling water in the foot-soaking tub. "Whose?"
Who among her friends would dare take her in now?
After a brief pause, the assistant answered, "I found out the owner is Xie Guanyan."
Huo Tingshen’s pupils dilated in shock. "Who?"
A chill seemed to travel through the phone, making the assistant stammer, "Xie Guanyan—the CEO of SS Capital."
Huo Tingshen’s face darkened like the King of Hell himself, veins bulging in his neck. "How the hell does she even know Xie Guanyan?"
Xie Guanyan was famously indifferent to women in Jingbei.
In all these years, he had never been seen with a woman in public.
The assistant: "That part isn’t clear."
Huo Tingshen hung up, his usually stern and rigid eyes now frosty with fury.
Any thought of soaking his feet vanished.
With a kick, he overturned the tub, sending warm water splashing across the floor, quickly soaking into the carpet.
Barefoot, he strode to the window, his rage boiling like scalding water.
As Mrs. Huo, she had no business staying overnight at another man’s home!
If it were anyone else, one call from him would have them trembling in fear.
They fought often, and in the past, her girlfriends would take her in—until he personally called to demand her return and issued a warning. After that, none of them dared.
And men?
Everyone in Jingbei knew Zhao Ziling was Mrs. Huo. Who would dare lay a finger on her?
But of course, it had to be Xie Guanyan.
The man who now stood at the absolute pinnacle of Jingbei’s power!
He didn’t rely on family backing—SS Capital alone was enough to rival the old-money dynasties.
The old-money families had deep roots, but they also had weaknesses.
Their sprawling clans were tangled in complex social obligations, and their industries were traditional.
With the rise of the internet economy, many were already in decline.
SS Capital, as the definitive rising star, had seized the wave of tech and digital growth early, then swiftly pivoted to investments.
Xie Guanyan’s success left countless people in awe—and fear.
In all of Jingbei, he was the only man Huo Tingshen still regarded with caution.
Zhao Ziling really was something else.
If she was going to cheat, she might as well aim for the top!
Fine. Just fine.
Zhao Ziling was truly exceptional!
He had spoiled her far too much.
The sharp angles of his face twisted with barely contained violence, like a storm about to erupt.
His calls went straight to voicemail—blocked. So he sent a WeChat message:
[You have one hour to come home.]
Meanwhile, Lin Mo recounted what had happened after she returned with Gu Jingchuan.
Zhao Ziling burst out laughing. "Hahaha! 'Rain-Soaked Bro'? I’m dying—this belongs in the annals of comedy!"
Lin Mo’s lips twitched. "Let’s just sleep."
But Zhao Ziling kept laughing—until her phone buzzed with a notification.
She picked it up and her smile instantly froze.
This feudal father-in-law rarely texted her—he usually called if there was something.
The tone of the message made it clear he was furious, absolutely livid.
Her heart sank, her fingers gripping the phone so tightly they turned white.
She’d been too excited seeing Lin Mo today.
She’d forgotten this man forbade her from sleeping outside their home.
Several times before, when she’d stayed over at a friend’s place out of anger,
he would call the friend, putting them in an awkward position as they glanced at her.
In the end, she’d slink back home like a scolded child.
And what awaited her upon return was always some form of punishment.
A sore back and weak legs were the least of it.
Whenever her father found out she’d clashed with Huo Tingshen, he’d pressure and berate her relentlessly.
All these years, she hadn’t spent a single night back at her parents’ home.
Zhao Ziling clenched her phone tightly and turned to Lin Mo. "Mo, I have to go back."
Better not to put Lin Mo in a difficult position.
They were standing close.
Lin Mo caught a glimpse of the message on Zhao Ziling’s screen.
Frowning, she asked, "Do you want to go back?"
Zhao Ziling lowered her long lashes. "If I don’t, Huo Tingshen will make trouble for you. Forget it—I’ll meet you during the day this weekend."
Lin Mo’s brow furrowed. "I respect your choice. Go back if you want to, not because of Huo Tingshen’s demands."
"If you don’t want to, it’s fine. I’m not afraid of him."
"You’re in a marriage alliance, not sold to him."
"His money isn’t anything special. You can spend mine from now on."
"We might not live lavishly yet, but I’ll cover all your basics. Believe me—I’ll be a self-made rich woman someday!"
Touched, Zhao Ziling hugged her. "Having you makes my life worthwhile. But I do want to go back. Haha, you’ve got early classes tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep—I can’t have you disturbing me!"
Had Lin Mo not known her so well, she might’ve believed the act.
But Zhao Ziling was already up, changing clothes.
Lin Mo understood her fears.
The Huo family wasn’t one to cross lightly.
Dressed, Zhao Ziling knelt on the bed and pinched Lin Mo’s cheek.
"Don’t worry, Mo. This is my life’s challenge—I have to face it myself. You being back is the best thing that’s happened to me."
Yes, everyone had their own battles to fight.
Lin Mo sighed. "Let me call a driver to take you home. I don’t trust you driving alone this late."
Zhao Ziling shook her head. "I often drive at night. No need to trouble a driver with the back-and-forth."
She walked Zhao Ziling to the villa’s entrance.
Watching the red sports car vanish into the distance, Lin Mo parted her lips in a quiet sigh.
Turning, she spotted Xie Guanyan standing at the living room doorway.
"You’re still awake?" Lin Mo asked.
His voice was smooth as jade. "Handling some work. Why did your friend leave?"
Lin Mo shrugged. "She had things to do."
Heading inside, she moved toward the stairs.
As her foot touched the first step,
Zhao Ziling’s words echoed in her mind:
Xie Guanyan made Jiang Wan leave just for liking him.
If he truly thought her earlier words at the door were a test… could she even stay here?
To avoid being kicked out, she needed to clarify things with Xie Guanyan.
After a moment of thought, she turned to the handsome man and said, "Xie Guanyan, there's something I need to make clear—I don't have feelings for you."
