Spoiled by the CEO after amnesia!-Chapter 1196 - 1174: What Exactly Happened? (Part 1)
Her eyes flickered imperceptibly, clutching the hem of her skirt, a sense of guilt welled up inside her.
The grandson her father longed for, she might never be able to give him.
Such joy of doting on grandchildren, as long as she remained the daughter-in-law of the Ning Family, would never appear there. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
She knew that if she really couldn’t give Brother Yixiao a child, Ning Xiaochuan, although disappointed, wouldn’t be angry with her, and Yixiao cared even less...
But she would hate herself.
Nie Yixiao sensed the desolation in her eyes and, seizing a moment when no one was noticing, leaned close to her ear, whispering, "Don’t envy others. We’ll have our chance one day."
The smile that formed on her lips was a strand more bitter than sadness. Brother Yixiao knew well she could no longer conceive, yet he still lied to her...
This mutual deception, pretending for each other’s sake, felt utterly disconcerting.
Yet they had no choice but to continue soothing each other.
Brother Yixiao kept it from her for fear she’d be upset, while she didn’t know how to speak of it, nor dared to.
She tried her best to suppress her emotions, smiling and nodding, "Mm-hmm."
...
The day after the birthday feast, at Ning Xiaochuan’s suggestion, the Ning and Huo Families had another dinner together.
Ning Xiaochuan knew his son had a close relationship with the Huo Family, having grown up with Jiayi. Since the Huo Family had come to Beijing, he wished to extend his hospitality. Additionally, Ning Xiaochuan had a personal fondness for the Huo Family’s two little ones, cherishing the chance to play the role of a grandfather again.
After the meal, Nie Yixiao learned that the Huo Family planned to stay in Beijing for a few more days, so he invited them to stay at Tanghu Villa.
Since they were here to relax, the scenery and environment there were much better, certainly superior to a hotel.
Having visited Tanghu Villa once before, little Zaizai, Yiyi, and Zhuochen enjoyed it a lot, so Huo Zhenyang graciously accepted the invitation.
The family of five moved to Tanghu Villa that day.
With esteemed guests staying over, Nie Yixiao and Qiao Yongyong, as hosts, felt obliged to accompany them, so they temporarily moved over as well.
Tanghu Villa is quite large, with many bedrooms.
Nie Yixiao and Qiao Yongyong stayed in the master bedroom on the east side, while Huo Zhenyang and Jiayi, along with their three children, stayed in the guest quarters on the west side.
In the following days, the Ning and Huo couples toured various sights around Beijing together and returned to the villa by evening, spending full and joyous days.
Perhaps the relaxation of these days allowed Qiao Yongyong to temporarily forget her internal worries, as her face now bore a lot more smiles.
...
That evening, the two families returned to the villa from their outing.
Today, Zaizai, Yiyi, and Zhuochen were also taken along. The two families toured around Beijing, visiting many sights and historical sites.
The three little ones were covered in sweat from playing. As soon as they got back, Jiayi lightly tapped Zhuochen and Yiyi’s little behinds, asking the servants to take care of them for their baths. Zaizai, now a bit older, no longer needed assistance, so he went upstairs by himself.
Finally having settled the kids, the four adults found a moment of peace and sat down at the dining table.
Halfway through the meal, Huo Zhenyang’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his eyes flickering as he stood up, "I’ll take this call, you go on and eat."
Saying this, he stepped away from the table and walked toward the panoramic balcony, pulling the sliding door closed behind him.
Jiayi quickly said, "Let’s continue eating, no need to wait for him."
"Is Mr. Huo very busy with work lately?" Qiao Yongyong asked casually.
"It’s alright. There’s a business over in America that’s just started, so it requires some attention, and he needs to be available for updates from over there."
Something clicked in Qiao Yongyong’s mind. Yes, Huo Zhenyang had mentioned his business activities in America and having spoken with her brother.
She inadvertently looked toward the balcony, only to find that Huo Zhenyang, while talking on the phone, was also looking back inside, his gaze landing precisely on her.
Although he quickly looked away, she clearly saw his serious and dark eyes.
She didn’t know why, but she had a premonition that the call was related to her.
Just then, Huo Zhenyang finished his call and came through the sliding door, "I have some issues to handle outside. I’ll be back later."
Having grown accustomed to his business being all-consuming, Jiayi was a bit surprised, given that they were traveling in Beijing and it was unusual for him to suddenly need to attend to matters. "What is it, something at the company?" she inquired.
Nie Yixiao perceived that there seemed to be something urgent, so he straightened up, scanning Huo Zhenyang’s face, "Is there anything I can help with?"
"No need." Huo Zhenyang took the coat handed to him by a servant and put it on.
"What’s going on? What exactly happened?" Jiayi asked with some worry.
Seeing Jiayi’s concern, he leaned over to her ear and whispered softly.
Jiayi’s eyes flickered, and out of the corner of her eye, she instinctively glanced at Qiao Yongyong before quickly withdrawing her gaze, "Oh... okay, come back soon then."
After Huo Zhenyang left, Jiayi turned to the others, "Let’s continue eating."
"Jiayi, who called Mr. Huo? What’s going on?" Qiao Yongyong probed.
"It’s nothing, just business. Turns out there’s a Huo Group client also in Beijing, and he’s just meeting with them briefly." Jaayi smiled.
The Huo Group’s business spans both domestic and international clients, so it naturally has numerous clients in Beijing. What Jaayi said didn’t seem odd, yet Qiao Yongyong still found it somewhat strange, just as she was about to inquire further, someone placed a piece of green vegetables into her bowl, silencing her.
She shifted her thoughts, pouting, "Green vegetables again, I want to eat meat."
Jiayi playfully said, "Are you two taking advantage of my husband’s absence to flaunt your affection in front of me? It’s dinner time; can you spare me the love spectacles and take it back to your room?"
Only then did Qiao Yongyong suppress her curiosity, saying no more.
...
After dinner, the night deepened swiftly.
Though Qiao Yongyong had temporarily moved to Tanghu Villa, her medication was not interrupted.
Nie Yixiao had a servant prepare the medicine and insisted that she finish it before allowing her to go upstairs.
After she finished, she checked the clock and abruptly asked, "By the way, has Mr. Huo returned?"
The servant replied, "Yes, he has. I heard a car earlier; he should be back in his room by now."
A thought occurred to her, and she made her way toward the guest quarters.
In the courtyard, Huo Zhenyang’s car was parked, confirming he was back.
The Huo couple stayed on the second floor.
The first floor was a large living room. Knowing the Huo children were there, Nie Yixiao had instructed the purchase of many toys, laid out a children’s carpet, and applied furniture protections. The three little ones would spend their time here playing if they didn’t go out.
The accompanying George saw Qiao Yongyong arriving and greeted her, "Miss Qiao, what brings you here?"
Qiao Yongyong had intended to eavesdrop, but seeing George downstairs, she simply said, "Oh, I came to check if Mr. Huo was back, since you’re our guests."
