Yao Zhenru cried and cursed in the heavy rain, and after being dragged away by the servants to the confinement room, she began to run a fever. For several days, she was unable to leave her bed, deliriously spouting nonsense.

In Huo Tianpei’s bedroom.

As usual, the family doctor had come to Huo Garden to attend to the elderly master’s illness, prescribed medication, and had just left.

Huo Tianpei leaned against the headboard, furrowed his brow as he remembered something, "What, is that detestable madwoman still causing trouble these days?"

The day Huo Zhenxuan left Huo Garden, Yao Zhenru had gone mad, cursing at the gate, and he had heard all about it from the servants.

The butler stepped forward and reported, "Ever since the madam found out the second young master had left, she has been making a fuss every day. These past few days, she caught a fever from the rain and even mumbles in her bed. According to the maid who delivers meals, she is either cursing the eldest young master or clamoring to see the old master, demanding that the second young master be brought back."

"This lunatic! She has done wrong, and instead of repenting at this juncture, she’s still courting death."

Huo Tianpei growled softly, his long-standing decision becoming clearer in his mind. He called the butler over to discuss a few words.

The butler listened sentence by sentence, nodded, and went out to carry out the instructions.

In the afternoon, Jiayi prepared the medication the family doctor had prescribed, brought it in, and fed it to the elderly master. Then she helped him lie down.

Just as she was about to close the door to leave, she heard him call, "Jiayi."

Jiayi turned around, only to see Huo Tianpei already propped up, sitting up. She hurriedly said, "Old Master—"

Huo Tianpei waved his hand to indicate it was alright. A glistening look in his eyes, he gazed at the girl who had been busy caring for him these few days, alongside the family doctor and the nurse. He reflected, "In my lifetime, I have had only two sons. One is not close to me, and the other is too disappointing. I never expected that when the Huo Family encountered troubles, it would be you who would help manage everything."

Jiayi’s eyelashes fluttered, "Although I am not part of the Huo Family, I am currently living in Huo Garden. With the Huo Family in such turmoil and the Old Master unwell, it is only natural for me to help take care of things."

Huo Tianpei sighed, "The Huo Family’s recent troubles have turned into a joke before your eyes. Actually, ever since Zhenyang’s birth mother passed away, half my heart went with her. I didn’t want to remarry, but I was worried that Zhenyang would feel like an orphan without a family atmosphere since I was busy with work and hardly home. That’s why I married Zhenru under the persuasion of others. I had not anticipated that it would stir up favoritism and strife within the family... I was always aware that she favored the younger son, but I never imagined that woman would be so selfish. To further her own worthless son’s interests, she has been trying to bring Zhenyang down for years, resorting to any means necessary, even trampling on the company’s interests. But now that I have learned the truth, I will no longer allow this to continue. I refuse to let the Huo Family remain divided and consumed by endless scheming and intrigue."

Jiayi noticed the determination in Huo Tianpei’s eyes, but she did not know how he planned to handle Yao Zhenru.

However, she could sense that Yao Zhenru had truly provoked Huo Tianpei’s wrath this time and that her fate would not be too pleasant.

In Huo Tianpei’s eyes, the wife he valued most has always been Huo Zhenyang’s birth mother, the frail woman who passed away too early.

Madam Lan and Huo Zhenyang are the ones Huo Tianpei truly considers his family.

Yao Zhenru was just a substitute for the original wife, brought into the Huo household to take care of the eldest son and the family.

To put it more bluntly, in Huo Tianpei’s eyes, this step-wife was nothing more than an upscale nanny.

If Yao Zhenru had been subdued and devoted herself to being a good wife and mother, Huo Tianpei would have ensured she lived a life of comfort as Mrs. Huo and would have given her at least basic respect.

But now this substitute has been stirring up trouble behind his back, causing mayhem, and unsettling the family home. Why would Huo Tianpei allow her to stay?

Jiayi took a deep breath, experiencing for the first time the ruthlessness within the wealthy household.

In a family like that, how could Huo Zhenyang possibly not have a cold and fickle heart?

She didn’t want to enter a family like that.

What she truly wanted was the simple happiness in H City.

The playful banter at the Liang Family’s dinner table with godfather, Anya, and Duke brother.

Studying diligently in school with Su Yan, encouraging each other.

Such scenes would probably never be seen in the Huo Family.

Seeing Jiayi silent, Huo Tianpei spoke again, "Jiayi, Uncle mistook the child in Mu Qingran’s womb for Zhenyang’s and stubbornly sent you away. Do you still hold a grudge against uncle for this?"

Jiayi shook her head, "Uncle, I have never blamed you. To tell the truth, from beginning to end, I was just an outsider, and I don’t have the right to blame you."

Huo Tianpei’s eyes inexplicably moistened; he almost let his son miss out on this girl. His tone became firm:

"No, you’re not an outsider. If you’re willing, I will officiate the wedding myself right now, and let you and Zhenyang get married. Since you are already engaged, it’s good to get married earlier... cough cough cough..." Perhaps due to excessive excitement, his breathing hastened, and he started coughing again.

He had made a wrong judgment once but couldn’t afford to make a second mistake.

Jiayi couldn’t help laughing and crying at the same time; the second son’s wedding had just fallen through, and now the old man’s attention was on her and Huo Zhenyang. The old master really was keeping busy.

However, at the old master’s age, it was indeed expected for him to want to see his children settle down and start their own families, hoping to hold a grandchild soon.

So, his previous emphasis on the child in Mu Qingran’s womb, temporarily clouding his judgment, was understandable.

She walked over to pat his back: "Old master, with so many things having just happened in Huo Garden, and with your health like this, how could a wedding be possible? Let’s talk about it later."

Huo Tianpei could see that Jiayi was stalling and being evasive. His brows that had just relaxed furrowed again: "You’re not still angry with me and therefore unwilling to marry Zhenyang, are you?"

Jiayi gave a wry smile. How could the old master know that her unwillingness to marry Huo Zhenyang was not because she was still holding grudges, but rather—

Old master, your son is not someone just any woman could withstand.

"Does the old master think I’m that petty? If I blamed you, I wouldn’t have been taking care of you these last few days. Alright, old master, you’ve just taken your medicine. The doctor has instructed that you need to sleep, as it might affect the potency of the medicine otherwise. Don’t you want to get better soon?" Jiayi tucked Huo Tianpei in with a thin blanket, her voice sweet as if she were coaxing a kindergartner.

But, the older one gets, the more they resemble children, don’t they?

The girl’s voice was like a clear spring, calming to the soul.

Huo Tianpei didn’t say anything else. Yes, if he got better sooner, Jiayi would probably run out of excuses. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Seeing the old master settle down to sleep and closing the door, Jiayi was about to return to her room when the idle chatter of the Huo Garden’s servants drifted up from downstairs.