Chapter 73 Family Trip
At the end of January, the sun in Yalong Bay, Sanya was so intense that it felt like a completely different world from the cold winter in Beijing.
The Huo family booked an entire seaside resort hotel as their base for their annual family trip.
Huo Yanli arrived the day before. He stood in the hotel lobby, watching his family members check in one after another—his eldest uncle Huo Zhenbang and his family, his second uncle Huo Zhenting and his family, his youngest uncle Huo Zheng, and several distant relatives. Children chased and played, adults chatted and exchanged pleasantries, and the air was filled with a relaxed vacation atmosphere.
But Huo Yanli's gaze remained fixed on the doorway.
Song Zhiyi has not arrived yet.
She received an urgent assignment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday to assist in handling a sudden diplomatic incident in the Middle East, and she wouldn't be able to fly over for another day. Huo Yanli originally wanted to change his flight to wait for her, but she calmly said, "You go first, I'll arrive tomorrow."
It's always like this. Work comes first, everything else second.
"Yanli-ge!" Cousin Huo Siqi skipped over, wearing a floral sundress and her hair tied in a lively ponytail. "What are you looking at? Waiting for your sister-in-law?"
Huo Yanli withdrew his gaze: "Mm."
"My sister-in-law is so busy." Huo Siqi stuck out her tongue. "But it's good that she came! I was hoping she could teach me some acupressure massage techniques. My shoulders are so sore from studying for finals."
Huo Yanli glanced at his cousin with some surprise. He remembered that at the last family dinner, Huo Siqi had shown obvious scrutiny and distance towards Song Zhiyi. When did her attitude change?
"Why are you suddenly so interested in her?" he asked.
"Because Sister Lin Wei said so!" Huo Siqi said innocently. "Sister Lin Wei said that my sister-in-law is very capable and knows a lot of things, and told me to learn more from her."
Huo Yanli frowned immediately: "Lin Wei? When did you meet her?"
“Just last week,” Huo Siqi said, oblivious to the change in her cousin’s tone. “She invited me to afternoon tea, and we talked a lot. She said she had no choice but to break up with you back then, that your sister-in-law was really lucky to marry you, and she also said…”
"Siqi." Huo's mother, Xu Wenjun's voice came from behind, clearly displeased, "From now on, avoid associating with those irrelevant people."
Huo Siqi was startled, turned around and saw her aunt's serious expression, then shrank back: "Oh..."
Huo's mother walked to Huo Yanli's side and lowered her voice: "Lin Wei has contacted Siqi?"
"Hmm." Huo Yanli's expression darkened. "He even specifically mentioned Zhiyi."
"Her intentions are impure." Mother Huo sneered. "I disliked her scheming nature back then, and she hasn't changed now."
This was the first time Huo's mother had explicitly expressed her dissatisfaction with Lin Wei. Huo Yanli looked at his mother with some surprise.
Noticing his surprised gaze, Mrs. Huo turned her face away somewhat uncomfortably: "What are you looking at? Although I used to be prejudiced against Zhiyi, at least Zhiyi is upright and honest in her actions, unlike some people who are two-faced."
After she finished speaking, she turned around and went to arrange room assignments.
Huo Yanli stood there, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He had witnessed his mother's change of heart towards Song Zhiyi, from initial rejection to current protection, all within just a few months. But Lin Wei… his mother had disliked her from the very beginning.
In the afternoon, the family members gathered by the hotel pool. The children played in the water, and the adults chatted on lounge chairs. Huo Yanli sat in a corner, looking at his phone—it was 1:17 PM, and Song Zhiyi's flight was landing in two hours. When he texted her yesterday to ask about her arrival time, she only replied with a simple sentence: "Arriving at 3 PM tomorrow, no need to pick me up."
He still decided to go and pick it up.
"Yanli, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?" Lin Wei's voice suddenly rang out.
Huo Yanli looked up and saw her standing in front of him, wearing a swimsuit with a sheer skirt over it, smiling broadly. Several relatives around them looked over, their expressions varying.
"What are you doing here?" Huo Yanli asked coldly.
“Siqi invited me here.” Lin Wei said naturally, and sat down in the empty seat next to Huo’s mother. “Auntie, it’s been a long time. You look great.”
Mrs. Huo glanced at her and said indifferently, "Miss Lin, you have plenty of time. Aren't you going home to be with your parents during the New Year?"
Lin Wei's smile froze for a moment: "My parents went abroad for the Chinese New Year..."
“You shouldn’t disturb other people’s family gatherings.” Huo’s mother interrupted her directly, then turned to Huo Siqi, “Siqi, didn’t the Huo family teach you that family trips are a family affair and you shouldn’t bring outsiders along?”
Huo Siqi's face flushed instantly, and she whispered in defense, "Sister Lin Wei isn't an outsider...she used to be with Brother Yanli..."
“That was then.” Mother Huo’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for those around to hear. “Now that Yanli is married, he should know to avoid suspicion.”
These were harsh words. Lin Wei's face paled slightly, but she quickly regained her smile: "Auntie is right, I didn't think it through. I won't bother you any longer, I'll go back to my room now."
She got up and left, her back view somewhat hurried.
As Huo's mother watched her walk away, she said to Huo Siqi, "Don't associate with this kind of person in the future. She's too calculating; you can't outmaneuver her."
Huo Siqi lowered her head, not daring to speak.
After Lin Wei had walked away, Aunt Zhou Jing whispered to Aunt Lin Wanru, "That girl is still the same as before, she hasn't changed at all."
“That’s right.” Lin Wanru shook her head. “Back then, I felt that she was not good enough for Yanli. Now, I think Zhiyi is better. At least Zhiyi is genuine and not pretentious.”
"I heard Zhiyi will be arriving a little late today?"
"Yes, something came up at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This kid has been working hard..."
Their conversation wasn't loud, but Huo Yanli heard it. He recalled that a few years ago, when these elders mentioned Lin Wei, they had made similar comments—"from a humble family," "full of schemes," "not good enough for the Huo family."
It turns out that her mother wasn't the only one who was prejudiced against her.
The entire Huo family never accepted her from the very beginning.
But back then, he fought against his family for her sake, and even almost gave up his inheritance rights.
Looking back now, I realize how young and impetuous I was, blinded by a single leaf.
Phoenix Airport, 3:20 PM.
When Huo Yanli saw Song Zhiyi at the exit, she was dragging a small suitcase out. She was wearing a simple white cotton-linen shirt, khaki trousers, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and her face showed signs of fatigue from a long flight.
"Mr. Huo?" She was somewhat surprised to see him. "Didn't you say you didn't need to pick me up?"
"It's on my way." Huo Yanli took her suitcase. "Are you tired?"
"It's alright." Song Zhiyi followed him to the parking lot. "The negotiations went relatively smoothly, it just took a little longer than expected."
In the car, Huo Yanli started the car and remained silent for a while before finally speaking: "Lin Wei is here too."
"Hmm?" Song Zhiyi turned her gaze away from the window.
“She lives in the villa next door,” Huo Yanli said. “She said she came to Sanya to relax and that it was a ‘chance encounter.’”
Song Zhiyi nodded: "Oh."
It was that calm "oh" again. Huo Yanli looked at her in the rearview mirror; her face showed no emotion, as if she had just heard "The weather is nice today."
"You don't mind?" he couldn't help but ask.
Song Zhiyi thought for a moment and said seriously, "That's your freedom. Our marriage is a contractual relationship and it won't affect your interactions with your friends."
She spoke objectively and rationally, as if she were stating contract terms.
Huo Yanli's fingers tightened around the steering wheel. He would have preferred her to show some emotion—even a hint of displeasure, a touch of concern. But there was nothing. It seemed that her world truly had no room for romantic feelings.
As the car entered the villa area, Lin Wei was standing on the balcony of her own villa. She saw Huo Yanli's car, saw him get out to open the door for Song Zhiyi, and saw him subconsciously support her arm as Song Zhiyi got out of the car.
The movement was natural, but Lin Wei could tell—Huo Yanli had never acted like this before. He was always reserved and restrained, and would never take the initiative to touch others.
Aside from her back then.
Now, he would treat Song Zhiyi the same way.
Lin Wei gripped the railing tightly, her nails almost digging into the wood.
Song Zhiyi seemed to sense the gaze and looked up at the balcony. Their eyes met briefly in the air, and Song Zhiyi nodded to her politely but distantly before turning and entering the Huo family villa.
It's as if she doesn't care about her existence at all.
This is what hurt Lin Wei the most—Song Zhiyi didn't even bother to consider her a rival.
Huo Yanli followed him inside with his suitcase, and the door closed.
Lin Wei stood on the balcony for a long time, until the sun began to set and a cool sea breeze blew in.
She knew she had to take action.
can not wait.
If we wait any longer, we'll really miss our chance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com