Chapter 5 Afraid to Come?
"Yes, madam." The servants bowed and withdrew.
Fang Lanxin didn't speak, but turned and walked into the changing room by the pool. A moment later, she came out wearing a dark green cheongsam made of Xiangyun yarn. The well-fitting cut outlined her still charming figure, and her black hair was neatly tied into a bun at the back of her head, secured with a jade hairpin.
She returned to the wicker chair in the garden and sat down. Only then did she look up at her son, who had been waiting silently, and said in a calm, even voice, "Speak."
Huo Qibang pushed a document onto the stone table in front of Fang Lanxin.
"All the clues that A-Kuan found point to you."
Fang Lanxin didn't even glance at the document. She simply picked up her teacup and gently skimmed off the foam with the lid. Her composure and calmness suggested that she had anticipated everything.
Huo Qibang's dark eyes were fixed on her. Seeing that she had no reaction, he continued, "The cook in the kitchen was vouched for by Sister Cai; the maid who changed clothes was an old acquaintance from your courtyard; even the phone call to Dr. Zhang was made from a public phone booth near the mansion. The other party did a very clever job. Every clue seemed to be left unintentionally, but in the end, they all converged on you."
"But I know it's not you."
Fang Lanxin paused, looked up at him, and heard Huo Qibang continue:
“That ‘Life-Saving Pill’ was left to you by your father to save your life. Everyone in Hong Kong knows that you value it more than your own life. You could never scheme to harm Tian Le on one hand, and then risk your own life to save him on the other. Only a fool would believe such a contradiction.”
A faint smile finally appeared on Fang Lanxin's lips.
Fortunately, this son isn't completely stupid.
"What do you want to do?" Fang Lanxin asked.
"I want Huo Fu's son, Huo Wen, to come with me on this investigation," Huo Qibang said, revealing his purpose. "Uncle Fu is loyal, but he's getting old and too cautious. Huo Wen is young, he's been out in the world with people, he's quick-witted and resourceful. But he's a servant, and I can't move him without your permission."
"Granted." Fang Lanxin said almost without hesitation, "Call Huo Fu here."
Huo Fu was quickly summoned, followed by a young man in his early twenties with healthy wheat-colored skin and bright eyes; this was his son, Huo Wen.
"Madam, Young Master Bang."
Fang Lanxin looked at Huo Wen and said calmly, "From today onwards, you no longer need to worry about the family's purchasing affairs. You will follow Young Master Bang and do whatever he asks you to do. Report any information you find directly to him without going through me."
“Yes, Madam!” Huo Wen responded immediately, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Then, Fang Lanxin turned her gaze to Huo Qibang, "I'm handing the man over to you. How you use him is up to you. I just want a result."
"Thank you, Mom."
Just then, Fok Kai-pong's wife, Lam Mei-ling, walked over, leading Fok Tin-lok, who had just recovered from a serious illness.
Tianle's face was still a little pale, but her eyes had regained their sparkle. When she saw her grandmother and father, she called out timidly.
"Grandma... Dad..."
Lin Meiling walked up to Fang Lanxin, took a deep breath, and then suddenly knelt down with a "thud," her forehead hitting the hard stone bricks heavily.
“Mom! I’m sorry! I was wrong! That day…that day I was so flustered, I said things without thinking, and I talked back to you…Please forgive me…”
Fang Lanxin looked down at her daughter-in-law kneeling at her feet. She had been in charge of the Huo family for decades, supporting this huge family business from the turbulent times. She had never flinched in the face of countless wolves and tigers. How could a woman like Lin Meiling, who grew up in a greenhouse, possibly imagine such wisdom and methods?
"Get up," Fang Lanxin finally spoke, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger. "Tianle is still watching."
Only then did Lin Meiling dare to stand up shakily, holding her son's hand, but she didn't dare to look up.
"As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Huo family and the future matriarch, all you do when things go wrong is cry and throw tantrums. Is this what I taught you?" Fang Lanxin's tone became stern. "The Huo family is a huge ship with many storms. If you can't even steer this small storm, how can Qibang entrust the inner quarters to you in the future? Such a vast family business will all be yours in the future. But you also need to have the ability to handle it."
These words left Lin Meiling blushing and filled with shame. But this time, she felt no resentment whatsoever; instead, a sudden clarity dawned on her. Her mother-in-law's words, though forceful, were entirely reasonable. Compared to her, she was indeed worlds apart.
“Mother…you are right, it’s Meiling…Meiling is so insensible.” She lowered her head sincerely, “Thank you for your teachings, Mother.”
Seeing that she wasn't beyond help, Fang Lanxin gave her a piece of advice: "Go back and have the kitchen prepare some more tonics for Tianle to calm her down. Also, make yourself a bowl of bird's nest soup and learn how to nourish your qi and calm your mind."
After saying that, he said no more, picked up his teacup, and gestured to see the guest off.
Huo Qibang watched this scene with a complex expression. He had thought that, given his mother's temper, she would at least make Meiling suffer, if not severely punished. He hadn't expected that a few words of reprimand would be enough to gloss over the matter.
He suddenly realized that since waking up after Tianle's accident, his mother seemed to have changed in some way. Beneath that strength lay a sense of ease he had never seen before.
"Well... Mom, we'll head back now." Huo Qibang pulled Lin Meiling up, patted his son's head, and led his wife and children away from the garden.
The garden returned to silence, and Fang Lanxin sat alone for a long time until the setting sun dyed the clouds on the horizon a magnificent orange-red.
She slowly got up, returned to her bedroom, and closed the door.
In the room, the black Chrysanthemum brand rotary dial telephone sat quietly on the bedside table.
Fang Lanxin picked up the receiver, her fingertips pausing for a moment on the old-fashioned dial. An image suddenly flashed into her mind—more than ten years ago, at the dock, the sea breeze blowing up the corner of a man's black overcoat, revealing the broad shoulders and excessively narrow waistline wrapped in a suit underneath.
That was a silhouette she had forgotten for a long time.
She snapped out of her daze, no longer hesitating, and with a flick of her fingers, skillfully turned the dial, drawing a number that was already etched into her very being.
The phone beeped twice before being quickly answered.
A deep, powerful male voice came from the other end of the line, tinged with impatience: "Who is it?"
"I am Fang Lanxin."
There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone before someone asked, "What can I do for you?"
Fang Lanxin leaned back in her chair, listening to his displeased questioning, but the corners of her lips curled up instead, "I'll treat you to dinner."
"Ha!" A short, mocking laugh came from the other end. "Has the sun risen in the west? Or are you planning to poison the food?"
"What..." Fang Lanxin's tone was light and airy, with a hint of deliberate provocation, "Lord Guan, you don't dare to come?"
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