Therefore, the butler’s impression of this lady was never good.

If it had been in the past, the butler would never have fallen out with her, but today, Yao Zhenru’s words had truly angered him, prompting him to voice the thoughts from the bottom of his heart.

Yao Zhenru trembled with rage, "You, you..."

Yet the butler was not satisfied, adding another jab, "You indeed are still the lady of the house, but whether you will remain the mistress of Huo Garden in the future is uncertain. Don’t forget, when the old master allowed you in, he wished for a mistress who would bring peace and harmony to the home and who could take care of his eldest son for him. But your actions now completely go against the old master’s original intention! I advise you to go back to your confinement room, Madam—Madam."

The last two ’Madams’ were filled with sarcasm!

Yao Zhenru’s face turned pale, too enraged to even speak.

At that moment, a maid took out a grimy handkerchief, which had been wiped with who-knows-what, stuffed it into Yao Zhenru’s mouth, and then, together with another maid, hoisted the lady up and forcefully took her away.

Yao Zhenru made muffled noises from her mouth, like a pig about to be slaughtered, dragged away by the servants while still crazily blurting out unclearly:

"I want to see the old master... ah ah... I want to beg for mercy myself... he will definitely let my Xuan come back! He can’t be that heartless! He’s just been deceived by the eldest son! When the time comes, old Europe, and all you lowly servants, you’ll all be finished... haha, finished! Xuan and I will drive you all out!"

Halfway through being dragged, as if unable to bear the blow, she stretched out her legs, eyes rolled back, and fainted.

Europe, the butler looked at Yao Zhenru’s figure with disgust, turned his face, and said to a servant holding an umbrella for him, "See that? When the old master wakes up, say that the lady has gone mad."

————××————

Huo Garden, on the terrace.

In the rain, Jiayi stood by the carved antique railing, watching everything happening at the Huo Family’s front gate. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Although she really disliked Yao Zhenru and had suffered under Yao Zhenru and her son’s treatment, seeing this scene still moved her.

After all, being separated from one’s child for life, never to meet again, is one of the most tragic things in the world.

Above the terrace was a cloth canopy, but as the rain grew heavier, raindrops still hit Jiayi’s face.

Footsteps sounded from behind, and then an umbrella covered her head, she turned her face slightly and saw Huo Zhenyang holding an umbrella, also stepping onto the terrace.

"How is it, do you find this scene a bit cruel? Is Yao Zhenru pitiful?"

The man’s tone was indifferent, and in the rain, it seemed even colder and more piercing, as if he were watching a drama that had nothing to do with him.

Jiayi knew that at this moment, if she answered "Yes, it does seem a bit like that...", this man might kill her.

She smartly shook her head decisively and followed his sentiment, "Those who are pitiful must have detestable traits. Not pitiful."

Huo Zhenyang seemed very satisfied with her compliance and awareness of the situation. He moved a few centimeters closer, reducing the distance between them under the umbrella, then his arm slithered down to touch the girl’s soft waist, snaking around it firmly, and finally he lowered his head, whispering into her tender ear:

"If you think the scene just now was pitiful, then let me tell you, I’ve experienced the same thing," he said.

At once, Jiayi understood his words. When his birth mother had died, he must have gone through the same torment of parting between mother and son.

Back then, he was young, his father was negotiating abroad, and there were no relatives by his side; he must have been even more panicked and helpless, right?

After a pause, his voice, mingling with the rain and the mist, sounded even more obscure and hazy, giving a sidelong glance at the terrace below and a cold light flickering in his eyes, "...They just parted in life; whereas my mother and I parted through death."

A faint sense of compassion stirred in Jiayi’s heart as she detected the suppressed yearning in the man’s cold voice.

"Auntie... what illness did she die from? Was she... beyond saving at the time?" She only heard a rough account from the European butler and knew that Huo Tianpei’s original wife, the "Lady Lan," revered by the servants of Huo Garden, had a congenital health issue that led to her death but was unclear on the specific illness.

He shook his head, "It’s a hereditary family illness. Those afflicted develop a tumor in the brain upon reaching a certain age that then compresses the nerves, causing blindness, paralysis, and eventually death. There are less than ten families worldwide with this condition; it’s extremely rare. Current medical science has no solution for it, and unfortunately, my mother was born into a family with this genetic disease. Moreover, despite warnings, she insisted on having me, which damaged her health, so she died even earlier."

Jiayi was stunned, "What kind of hereditary disease is it? Why is it so severe?"

Huo Zhenyang replied indifferently, "It’s called Guiness Syndrome, originating in Europe. A branch of descendants of the Napoleon Family in France unfortunately contracted this disease during the European wars. My mother was one of those descendants; her grandfather was the eldest grandson of that family, and her grandmother was Chinese. They later settled back in China, and her parents, my maternal grandparents, were both Chinese."

A thought occurred to Jiayi. To match Huo Tianpei, Lady Lan’s family most certainly wasn’t ordinary, but she hadn’t expected that she was from a French noble family.

Oh, that’s right, Huo Zhenyang had mentioned that Huo Tianpei and Lady Lan were married in France and that Huo Zhenyang had studied in France. He had connections with many European politicians and harbored an inexplicable fondness for France. It wasn’t by chance but because—

Lady Lan was of French nobility.

She had once inadvertently seen a photo of Lady Lan in the old master’s study.

In the photo, Lady Lan was exquisite, with fair skin, a high nose, delicate lips, curly hair, and a slender, tall figure. Although her skin color and facial features suggested she was Eastern, she had the profound contours of a European.

At the time, Jiayi hadn’t thought much of it, but now she knew... Lady Lan was indeed a mixed-race individual, a quarter French by blood.

No wonder the man before her had such deep features, as handsome as a celestial being, with the subtlety and restrained stability of an Asian, yet also the unbridled noble air of a European knight—a perfect fusion of Eastern and Western nobility inherited from Lady Lan.

Thinking of this, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, "Then... do you... have this disease?"

Looking at her intently, Huo Zhenyang lifted her chin teazingly, "Are you worried about me?"

She bit her lip, "I’m not... I’m just curious. I’ve never heard of such a rare family disease."

He smiled faintly, "Not every generation inherits this disease. My mother’s generation was merely unlucky, with her being the only one to have it."

Her heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down. After a moment’s thought, she looked at him,

"Regardless, Auntie must have been very peaceful when she passed, having you by her side."