Jiayi nodded her head.

She refused to agree to remarry, just to avoid offending Huo Tianpei.

Now, going along with Huo Tianpei’s wishes and attending a few matchmaking dinners doesn’t seem to be a big deal.

However...

Even though she thought this way, there was still an indescribable faint sourness, like having eaten a lemon.

At this moment, Auntie Li’s voice calling for dinner came from the doorway.

Huo Zhenyang didn’t say anything, but took her hand and walked out.

——————————————————————

The small disturbance caused by the matchmaking quieted down just like that.

It seemed like everything was talked out and nothing mattered anymore, but Jiayi still seemed to be somewhat preoccupied.

Although she told herself that he was just placating the elderly, she shouldn’t overthink at this time, the fact proved that she still couldn’t bear the thought of him attending matchmaking dinners.

Fortunately, her foot was healed, and every day she went to F. WANG to manage the shop and handle the drama costumes, getting buried in work to distract herself.

In order to keep herself busier, she contacted Dr. An Haokang again and restarted the hypnotherapy sessions.

Since being involved in a homicide case and entering detention a few months ago, she had temporarily stopped the hypnotherapy treatment.

Meeting Dr. An again, An Haokang was aware of what had happened to her, but he didn’t say much or offer comfort; instead, he first conducted a relief hypnosis session to help her relax and alleviate the stress brought by the previous unpleasant experiences.

After the session, she felt much better.

Initially, she was a bit unaccustomed to resuming the hypnotherapy, but by the second visit, she was completely used to it again.

After completing the hypnosis session that day, Jiayi greeted An Haokang and had just walked out of the studio when her phone rang.

It was Xia Tingxuan calling.

During these days, although Xia Tingxuan allowed her daughter to stay at Disheng, she would still call every now and then to check up.

Jiayi, assuming Mom was asking about her foot injury as usual, sweetly said while walking, holding her phone: "Mommy, my foot injury is nothing serious now."

However, Xia Tingxuan’s voice today was different from usual, somewhat stern: "Since your foot is healed, you should move back to Green Island Garden."

Jiayi stopped in her tracks.

She thought that after explaining to Mommy that the past issues with Huo Zhenyang were just misunderstandings, Mommy wouldn’t stop her from moving back to the Huo Family’s residence, and she noticed that her mother sounded very unhappy: "Mommy, what’s wrong, did something happen?"

"Are you pretending to be ignorant or do you genuinely not know?"

She felt uneasy: "Mommy, what exactly is wrong?"

Xia Tingxuan didn’t beat around the bush anymore, sounding somewhat angry: "...Your daddy was eating at a hotel with a few ambassadors from S Country visiting China yesterday, and as they passed by a private room, guess who he saw?"

Jiayi guessed what it might be.

"...He saw Huo Zhenyang having dinner with a young woman. Your dad pulled a waiter aside and asked, and the woman turned out to be the daughter of the KG Construction boss, surnamed Huang. Upon further inquiry, it turns out that Huo Zhenyang and Miss Huang were... on a blind date!" Xia Tingxuan was too angry to speak, "He’s already going on blind dates, so why did he let you live in the Huo Family home? What does it look like now? Are you his secret mistress that can’t be seen in public? Are you going to pack up and leave after he marries his new wife? You and Zaizai should come back immediately."

Jiayi hesitated a bit, "Mommy, it’s not what you think..."

Upon hearing this, Xia Tingxuan was surprised. Her daughter knew and seemed reluctant to move, "Jiayi, why are you still staying there when you know all this? You’re not an orphan without parents, nor are you homeless. Why endure such humiliation?"

"Mommy," Jiayi patiently explained, "you know, the old master of the Huo family has returned recently. He learned about my involvement in a murder case and detention a few months ago, and he wants me to maintain distance from him. Probably because of this, he introduced some women to him, wanting to..."

"Drive you away, right? This is too bullying!" After hearing this, Xia Tingxuan didn’t calm down but rather got even angrier, and her words got harsher, "Since they don’t consider you as their daughter-in-law anymore, why are you still sticking around there? People will think you’re cheap, sticking around without an official status, just to warm that man’s bed huh?!"

Jiayi’s hand holding the phone faltered.

Xia Tingxuan, realizing that she had gone too far, restrained her temper, "Mommy is also worried about people talking about you, don’t take it to heart. ...Mommy will come pick you up this afternoon, okay?"

Jiayi collected her emotions, "Mommy, he’s just dealing with the old master, it will be okay once it’s over."

Xia Tingxuan saw that she had made up her mind and still did not want to return, sighed, "If you don’t want him to go on blind dates, just tell him so. If he doesn’t want you to be mistreated, he would even fall out with the old master and not go on the dates. ...If you don’t want to tell him, I will do it for you."

"No, Mommy, I just don’t want him to fall out with the old master," Jiayi moved her lips, her tone revealing a sincere firmness, "He’s already had many disputes with the old master for me. This time, the old master made it clear that if he insists on remarrying me now, he will reduce his management rights. ...Right now, it’s just about conforming slightly to the old master’s wishes, just managing through the blind date setups, it’s nothing."

Xia Tingxuan was silent for a while, eventually saying nothing but sighing, asking, "Then what about you, do you really want to see him dating other women? Even if it’s just to appease the old master, just an act, are you willing?"

Jiayi was emotionally moved, and did not speak for a long time.

————————————————————————

Perhaps because she had spoken to Mommy, Jiayi felt unsettled after returning home.

Today Huo Zhenyang came home very early, probably less busy and no... blind date dinners.

As soon as he entered, he noticed the little woman curled up on the sofa with a laptop, fixing images. She seemed fine, yet somehow distracted.

"What’s wrong." He walked over and bent down.

A shadow fell, Jiayi hurriedly put down the computer, and sat up straight, "Nothing. You’re back."

He didn’t believe her nonchalance, his sharp gaze scrutinized her every peculiarity: "You seem distracted."

"I went to Dr. An today for hypnotism. You know it always leaves me a bit off afterwards."

Only then did he not take it further, teasingly brushed her nose, and pulled her up, "Call Little Baozi down, let’s have dinner."

————————————

The three of them finished dinner, and Zaizai went off to play with toys.

The two of them sat on the sofa eating some fruits after dinner, Jiayi headed toward the kitchen.

During this period, she liked to cook following TV cooking shows. Today, she had prepared a nourishing soup, which should be almost ready, perfect as a post-dinner soup for him.

She entered the kitchen, afraid her hair would fall into the soup, she casually grabbed a shark clip to gather her hair, then put on an apron and heat-resistant gloves, and scooped up the soup.

Just as she walked to the kitchen doorway, she heard voices at the entrance, it seemed someone had arrived.