A beggar who had never attended school for a single day inexplicably gained the old man's favor and trust.

If Huo Zhaoyuan hadn't appeared, she would have been the most outstanding and capable person in the Huo family.

But it was this beggar of unknown origin who took away everything that should have belonged to her.

She hated him, wishing he would disappear from the world immediately.

Over the years, she had been trying to find Huo Zhaoyuan's weaknesses, but this man was damnably like a robot, having no hobbies or emotions other than completing all the tasks assigned by the old man.

"Instead of hating me, you should think about how to explain things to the old man when you return to Y country. If I remember correctly, before coming to China, you swore to the old man that you would be able to complete this mission perfectly and get the Blue Ocean Project."

Huo Zhaoyuan chuckled: "I know that securing the Blue Ocean project is only one of your goals. Marrying into the Gu family is your ultimate objective. If you can form an alliance with the Gu family, your position in the Huo family will be unshakeable. Once you're powerful enough, you can then kick me out. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned. Gu Jueye would rather like a third-rate celebrity than you, the beautiful and charming eldest daughter of the Huo family. Tsk tsk, thinking about it carefully, Gu Jueye is really not shrewd enough."

"Huo Zhaoyuan, even if the Gu family accepts you back, in their hearts you can never replace Gu Jueye, because you have your mother's lowly blood flowing in your veins, while Gu Jueye's blood has been nobler than yours since birth!"

His calm, expressionless eyes narrowed slowly, and Huo Zhaoyuan gave a wicked smile.

"Is that so? Then let's see if this incomparably noble lord of the Gu family can return from Kunlun Mountain alive."

Huo Xiuxiu snorted coldly and said no more.

He turned and walked towards the door.

Huo Zhaoyuan's smile gradually cooled, and the moment Huo Xiuxiu slammed the door shut, the wine glass in his hand shattered with a "crack".

*

alternate time and space

As soon as Bai Qianmo and Xu Jinwei returned to the Xu residence, they saw Aunt Yu standing to the side with two maids.

When Aunt Yu saw Xu Jinwei and Bai Qianmo return together, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Second Miss, why did you come back with Fourth Miss?"

“We left together, so naturally we should come back together. Aunt Yu, is my mother feeling better today?”

"Madam is not seriously injured, but she was quite frightened and is somewhat disoriented."

"Why did she get so frightened out of nowhere? She's usually quite brave," Xu Jinwei said, puzzled.

"It's really hard to say. Madam said there are evil spirits in the house, and today she even invited the elder of Taiqing Temple outside the north of the city to perform a ritual. Alas, Madam was really frightened this time, and she kept muttering that there were vengeful ghosts coming to claim lives. Second Miss, Fourth Miss, Master and Young Master have returned and are currently in Madam's room. Master told you to go to Madam's courtyard to talk after you return home."

Xu Jiangfeng is back?

This man, Xu Jin'en's adoptive father, has never shown his face since taking over Xu Jin'en's body.

It is said that he has recently become addicted to opium smoking and spends a lot of time in the opium pipe.

Moreover, some time ago, he spent a fortune to buy a popular courtesan from the Drunken Flower Pavilion and bought her a house outside to be his mistress.

Xu Jiangfeng has recently become obsessed with that courtesan, so when he's not smoking opium, he goes back to live there.

In truth, Chen Xin'e was both hateful and pitiful.

She drove Xu Jiangfeng's legal wife to suicide by hanging, but she became the legal wife through her own means.

But how could a sentimental young master like Xu Jiangfeng possibly be hung up on her crooked tree?

In the following years, Xu Jiangfeng married one concubine after another: Concubine Li, Concubine Hua, Concubine Fei, each more beautiful and youthful than the last.

Not to mention the maids and concubines who were bought into the household and were even slightly attractive.

Not content with that, Xu Jiangfeng has recently become infatuated with courtesans.

His romantic escapades have long been a source of amusement and gossip in Shanghai.

This Xu Jiangfeng is not only unrestrained and dissolute, but also incredibly shameless. He doesn't care at all when others mock him for not having a proper job and spending all his time thinking about finding a home for his second wife. In fact, he enjoys it and says that others are just jealous of his good health and the ability to enjoy the blessing of having two wives.

In short, Xu Jin'en's father is truly an eccentric character.

No wonder the Xu family has been headed by women for generations, and Xu Jierong of this generation is a well-known shrewd and capable woman in Shanghai.

It's mainly the Xu family's sons; they're all useless.

If the son couldn't be helped, then the daughter had to be supported. The first generation of ancestors, for the sake of the Xu family's century-old foundation, had no choice but to choose their daughter as the heir.

This set a precedent, as if a curse had been placed upon them. From then on, in every generation, the men of the Xu family became incompetent, while the women became increasingly wise, shrewd, and adept at handling social situations.

Xu Jinwei and Bai Qianmo arrived at Chen Xin'e's courtyard together.

Once outside the door, while Aunt Yu came in to announce her arrival, Xu Jinwei pulled Bai Qianmo aside and whispered something in Bai Qianmo's ear.

"You'd better keep your head down when you speak in front of your father, don't blame me for not reminding you."

Xu Jinwei gave Bai Qianmo a meaningful look, then turned and went into the house.

Bai Qianmo was puzzled by Xu Jinwei's seemingly random remark.

As Xu Jinwei entered Chen Xin'e's room, they heard a sobbing sound.

"You heartless bastard, you still know how to come back? You still know this is your home? I was almost strangled to death by that damned woman in front of you yesterday. What a tragedy! What right does she have to come and settle scores with me for the sins you committed back then?"

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