Song Yu’s back as she ran to the bathroom looked extremely embarrassed. After Ye Leyao burst out laughing, everyone else at the table couldn’t help but laugh along as well.

Once everyone finished laughing, Mama Huo cleared her throat and said, “Should I go over and comfort her?”

Ye Leyao wiped the tears from his eyes that had formed from laughing so hard.

[Comfort her about what? Tell her that although the ‘pigeon egg’ has had a rough journey, that’s all in the past?]

[Or are you planning to give her a detailed account of the pigeon egg’s adventures?]

[No, I can’t hold back my laughter again, hahaha.]

The rest of the family all looked up at Mama Huo simultaneously.

Actually, recounting the pigeon egg’s journey in detail could still be a good idea; they were all quite looking forward to it.

So, should she go?

Mama Huo slowly stood up. Since everyone was so eager, of course, she had to tell Song Yu all about the pigeon egg’s adventures. After all, since Song Yu had brought the ring to her, how could she just let it slide so lightly?

But this was something everyone understood implicitly, so on the surface, Mama Huo still smiled politely, saying, “Since she’s a guest, I should go check on her.”

Ye Leyao, ever the keen observer, didn’t miss the expression on Mama Huo’s face, and his excitement grew.

[Ah, Mama Huo is truly impressive; she even thought of that!]

Mama Huo smiled slightly.

Although she had indeed thought of that, Ye Leyao had considered it even more thoroughly!

The guest bathroom was some distance from the dining room, but fortunately, the first floor of the villa was very quiet, so even though there were several meters between them, they could still hear Mama Huo’s clear voice: “Xiao Yu? Are you alright? Are you throwing up? What’s going on? Could it be the food has gone bad?”

Ye Leyao couldn’t control the corners of his mouth, which curled up high.

[What does this have to do with the food! Clearly, she just can’t get past that mental hurdle!]

Papa Huo nodded in agreement.

But he genuinely felt that Song Yu deserved it.

Originally, there was no blood relation between their two families. After the elderly passed away, their relationship had grown even more distant, and Song Yu hadn’t even thought about maintaining any connection with them.

Even if you, Song Yu, were forced by circumstances, now that you want to rekindle the old friendship…

Then, if Song Yu came back to seek refuge, she should have been honest and straightforward, but instead, she developed those inappropriate thoughts.

So she couldn’t blame them for being unkind.

From inside the bathroom, there seemed to be a response to Mama Huo’s words, and Mama Huo sounded a bit surprised: “It’s not the food… so it’s because of the ring?”

“I really didn’t expect this ring to end up with you. It’s also my fault; I should have noticed your ring sooner…”

“But you don’t need to worry too much. Although my sister did swallow the ring, it was found afterward, wasn’t it? Oh dear—are you throwing up even more now?”

Mama Huo’s tone was full of concern: “Xiao Yu, are you really okay?”

The rest of the family was sitting at the dining table, their stomachs hurting from laughter.

[She’s throwing up so much; it really doesn’t look like she’s okay! Hahaha—]

Mama Huo said, “Xiao Yu, really, you don’t need to worry too much. The ring was definitely cleaned thoroughly; you’re… really okay? Should I call the family doctor to come and take a look? I’m really getting a bit worried with you throwing up like this.”

“Not seeing a doctor?” Mama Huo sounded troubled. “But how can that be? Honestly, it’s my fault. If I hadn’t invited you back for dinner, this wouldn’t have happened. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have asked you to come.”

Ye Leyao laughed even harder when he heard this.

[Xiao Yu traveled all this way just to stick around our house, and now Mama Huo is saying she wouldn’t have invited her if she’d known, hahaha, that’s a real gut punch!]

[But when Xiao Yu initially thought about it, she probably imagined that coming back to our house with Mama Huo would be the start of her rise. She likely never expected it would instead be the start of her needing to get her stomach pumped!]

Huo Yan: “Pfft.”

What a stomach pump!

Mama Huo hadn’t come back yet, and everyone else had pretty much finished eating, so they all got up from the table and moved to the living room sofas.

After another five minutes, Mama Huo finally leisurely returned to the living room.

Papa Huo quickly asked, “How is she?”

“Oh, you’re really concerned, huh?” Mama Huo said, her tone teasing.

Papa Huo was taken aback: “Don’t twist my words!”

He really just wanted to know what was going on; you could call it being nosy.

Mama Huo, of course, knew Papa Huo wasn’t genuinely concerned about Song Yu. She smiled before replying, “She’s still dry-heaving. I had someone bring her some clean clothes and told her to take a shower before coming back out. After all, she’s a guest in our home, and we can’t really mistreat her, can we?”

Ye Leyao nodded repeatedly: “Very considerate!”

[But I think we could be a little less considerate! Mama Huo really is kind-hearted.]

Mama Huo chuckled.

The family waited quietly in the living room for another ten minutes before Song Yu finally emerged from the bathroom.

She had taken a shower, changed her clothes, and her makeup wasn’t as flawless as before, but it was clear she had touched it up. Despite looking a bit disheveled, when she came out and saw the Huo family, she still managed to force a somewhat strained smile.

Ye Leyao was utterly shocked.

[No way, does Xiao Yu really have such a good mindset?]

[I thought she’d come out and start throwing a tantrum!]

Mama Huo hadn’t expected Song Yu to react this way either, but she remained composed, standing up with a warm smile: “Xiao Yu, are you feeling better now?”

Song Yu forced a smile and nodded, “I’m feeling much better now, thank you for your concern.”

“Come, sit down,” Mama Huo said, pulling her over to the sofa. Her gaze fell on Song Yu’s left hand, and she asked curiously, “Where’s the ring? Did you take it off?”

Ye Leyao quickly looked up at Song Yu.

Sure enough, he didn’t miss the fleeting look of restraint on her face.

[Pfft, she’s definitely still angry, hahaha.]

How could Song Yu not be angry?

But she couldn’t completely fall out with the Huo family just yet.

Song Yu took a deep breath, her hands clenched tightly by her side. After a few seconds, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she looked at Mama Huo, directly apologizing, “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry… I didn’t know that ring was your wedding ring. I shouldn’t have worn it in front of you and cousin…”

Ye Leyao clicked his tongue.

[I have to admit, Xiao Yu’s skill level is pretty high.]

[By showing weakness like this, we can’t really harp on her mistakes.]

Mama Huo was also a bit surprised by Song Yu’s ability to endure and adapt, raising her eyebrows slightly.

Song Yu continued, “Sister-in-law, I definitely can’t keep this ring. Why don’t I just return it to you?”

As she spoke, Song Yu took out the ring and tried to hand it to Mama Huo.

Mama Huo, of course, didn’t take it.

She shook her head with a smile, not forgetting to take another jab at Song Yu: “No need, it’s just a ring, isn’t it? Your cousin often buys me jewelry for no reason. I already have so many pieces at home that I can’t even find space for them. I don’t need you to return this one to me.”

Sure enough, Song Yu’s face changed slightly, but she still kept her eyes red as she said, “But this is your and cousin’s wedding ring…”

Mama Huo smiled without saying anything.

Papa Huo leaned over, putting his arm around Mama Huo’s shoulders with a laugh, “Our relationship doesn’t need a ring to prove anything.”

Papa Huo’s words seemed mild, but they were actually mocking Song Yu’s intentions.

After he finished speaking, Ye Leyao almost wanted to applaud!

[Papa Huo nailed it! Well said, Papa Huo!]

Papa Huo hummed to himself, glancing at Ye Leyao.

He hadn’t forgotten that Ye Leyao had said earlier that he was lost in a sea of tenderness!

Song Yu’s face turned pale: “Cousin, that’s not what I meant…”

“Whether it’s what you meant or not, that’s the impression you gave us.” Papa Huo was truly tired of playing along with Song Yu’s act and wished he could throw her out right now.

“I…” Song Yu choked, her gaze falling on Mama Huo’s face, not missing the fleeting mockery in her eyes.

At that moment, Song Yu suddenly realized—

No way?

Could it be that everything that had just happened wasn’t a coincidence?

Her plan had just failed, and then

Song Yu’s Discomfort and Realization:

As Song Yu’s gaze landed on Ye Leyao, her jaw clenched tightly.

They knew all along!

Not only did they recognize it, but they also deliberately didn’t warn her, waiting until Song Yu finished her meal to reveal the truth.

And even after Song Yu learned the truth and went to the bathroom, they couldn’t resist rubbing salt in the wound.

The whole family did it on purpose!

So, what was the point of continuing the charade?

Song Yu broke out in a cold sweat: “You… you knew from the start?”

The last sentence was almost growled out through gritted teeth.

Mama Huo pushed  Papa Huo’s arm away, her face maintaining a polite smile: “Knew what?”

Song Yu stopped pretending to cry, glaring at Mama Huo, and with clenched teeth, she asserted, “You did it on purpose!”

Ye Leyao couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

[The little childhood friend finally figured it out!]

Song Yu suddenly lifted her head, glaring fiercely at Ye Leyao: “You little brat, it was you who just—”

Ye Leyao was caught off guard by her look and frowned.

[What? Just glaring? I can do that too!]

Mama Huo couldn’t hold back anymore and coldly snapped, “Song Yu, who are you talking to?”

Song Yu’s chest heaved violently as she turned to look at Mama Huo, no longer calling her sister-in-law, and angrily said, “Lin Junyi, if you figured out my intentions from the beginning, why did you pretend?”

Mama Huo suddenly smiled: “Indeed, you’re right. I saw through your intentions early on, and there’s no need to pretend anymore.”

After speaking, she glanced at Papa Huo.

Papa Huo immediately spoke up: “Butler, escort her out.”

“Wait!” Song Yu didn’t expect Mama Huo to admit it so bluntly and then try to kick her out. She gritted her teeth, trying to remain calm. She couldn’t just leave like this. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath and said, “I’ll go, but you should at least compensate me, right?”

Song Yu slammed the ring in her hand onto the coffee table, glaring at everyone in the room. “Making me throw up like that in the bathroom— is that how the Huo family treats guests? If I were to spread the word about this…”

“Hey? Didn’t you go to the bathroom to induce vomiting?” Ye Leyao suddenly chimed in.

At the mention of this, Song Yu got even angrier, and she snapped, “Why would I do that? It’s all because of you! If you hadn’t sold this ring…”

“You’re mistaken,” Ye Leyao shook his head. “Mama Huo did sell a ring, but this ring isn’t hers.”

Upon hearing this, Mama Huo couldn’t help but smile.

Huo Jing and Huo Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, her gaze sweeping across the room, and after a long pause, she said in a hoarse voice, “What do you mean by that… What do you mean by…”

Papa Huo finally spoke in a cold tone: “The ring I had custom-made for Junyi is one of a kind globally, and it even has a unique serial number engraved on the inside. You probably didn’t know that, did you?”

“Your ring may look similar, but it has nothing to do with Junyi’s.”

After speaking, Papa Huo couldn’t hold back anymore and stood up: “Forget it. I don’t want to waste any more time talking to you. Your family was never related to the Huo family. I only kept in touch out of respect for the sisterly bond between your mother and mine, but it seems there’s no need to do that anymore. Butler, call the security!”

It was only then that Song Yu realized. She quickly picked up the ring on the coffee table, carefully examining the inner band.

But after turning the ring around twice, she still couldn’t find the serial number Papa Huo mentioned.

Song Yu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, standing there frozen in place.

So, what was all that self-induced vomiting in the bathroom for?

It suddenly dawned on her, and she looked at Papa Huo with a face full of anger: “So, you all knew from the start, even before we sat down at the table… No, even earlier than that, you knew my intentions…”

“So what if we did?” Papa Huo’s tone was cold, not even sparing Song Yu a glance.

Song Yu’s face was filled with disbelief: “No way, this can’t be…”

How could they have known her thoughts without mind reading?

Song Yu shook her head, overwhelmed with regret.

She had been too greedy. After the failure of one relationship, she wanted even more.

She had spent half a year meticulously selecting Papa Huo as her target. After finally returning to the country and standing in front of him, how could she let it all fall apart so easily?

At this moment, Song Yu was filled with immense regret.

If only… if only she hadn’t been so greedy!

“Cousin, Cousin! I was wrong… I’m begging you, please don’t…”

“Take her out!”

The butler had already brought the security over. Despite Song Yu’s struggles and cries, they forcibly dragged her out.

“Cousin! Sister-in-law— I was wrong, I really was wrong, please don’t be so heartless and just throw me out…”

Ye Leyao shook his head at Song Yu’s cries.

[How is this heartless?]

[You had ulterior motives, and we’re simply kicking you out of our house.]

[If we were truly heartless, why wouldn’t we reveal your current situation to your lover?]

Papa Huo and Mama Huo suddenly looked over sharply.

What?

Song Yu has a lover?

What’s this about?

The entire family turned their curious eyes toward Ye Leyao.

Song Yu’s cries were already fading away, and everyone suddenly felt in the mood for some gossip.

So, could Ye Leyao please start explaining?

Ye Leyao had just discovered this part of the story when he reviewed his notes.

[The little childhood friend is just too proud to accept any bit of failure.]

[After her first marriage fell apart, she quickly found herself a new partner… But unfortunately, this man, though wealthy and powerful, is extremely controlling and psychopathic.]

[During the year they were together, her life was miserable. She thought about running away every day, but unfortunately, she failed a few times and was brought back… After so many failed attempts, she finally succeeded this time.]

[But if you succeeded, then you did. Why did you have to set your sights on Papa Huo? I wonder if after spending so much time with a psychopath, she turned into one herself?]

The Huo family was shocked by what they heard.

So Papa Huo was her second choice?

Does our family look like pushovers?

Papa Huo was furious.

No sane person would target a married man, right?

Song Yu was psychologically twisted.

Thank goodness for Ye Leyao, or else Song Yu would have gotten her way.

Ye Leyao was also relieved:

[Thank goodness, Papa Huo and Mama Huo were clear-headed and didn’t let the little childhood friend succeed!]

Exactly!

But now that Song Yu had been kicked out, she probably wouldn’t have the nerve to come back again.

Thinking about it this way, the family’s crisis was completely resolved, right?

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Once relaxed, it was easy to think of other things. Huo Yan suddenly said, “Ye Leyao’s fame is growing, and he’ll be getting busier soon. He still has to attend school. Should we buy him a house outside?”

Papa Huo replied, “Your mom and I have already found a villa for Xiao Yao a while ago. We’ve bought it.”

“Wow! Thank you, Papa Huo and Mama Huo! You guys are amazing!” Ye Leyao’s eyes lit up instantly, then he remembered something and looked at Huo Yan: “But Second Brother said he’d sponsor half of the money for my house!”

Huo Yan’s eyelid twitched: “But didn’t Mom and Dad already buy it for you?”

“But it’s not the same,” Ye Leyao leaned in, “Mama and Papa are Mama and Papa, and Second Brother is Second Brother, right, Mama and Papa?”

Papa Huo said, “That’s right.”

Mama Huo laughed, “That’s true. The house is a gift from your dad and me. Why don’t you transfer half of the money to Xiao Yao according to the market price?”

After all, if it weren’t for Xiao Yao, Huo Yan would have lost much more than that amount of money.

Ye Leyao immediately pulled out his phone and made a big gesture: “Second Brother, how do you want to pay?”

Huo Yan smiled helplessly, “How long would it take to transfer bit by bit? I’ll have my assistant transfer it to you directly.”

As he said this, Huo Yan suddenly thought of something and looked at Huo Jing, who had been indifferent: “Wait a minute, Xiao Yao, aren’t you forgetting someone?”

Ye Leyao followed Huo Yan’s gaze and looked over at Huo Jing, blinking his eyes: “Huh!”

Huo Jing raised his head in confusion.

Then Huo Yan said with a sly smile, “I’ll sponsor half, so doesn’t that mean Big Brother should sponsor the other half?”

Huo Jing: “…”

What could he say?

There was absolutely no reason to refuse!

“Okay, I’ll have Assistant Feng transfer it to you.” Huo Jing readily agreed.

Ye Leyao was so happy that he jumped up immediately. “Yay!”

[Big Brother is so straightforward!]

Huo Yan: “…”

Could he not be straightforward?

Half of the money the entire Huo Group makes is in Big Brother’s hands! His annual dividends are even higher than mine!

And Ye Leyao was truly delighted.

You have to know that the villa Papa and Mama Huo bought for Ye Leyao was worth about twenty million yuan.

Now, not only was Second Brother going to transfer ten million yuan to Ye Leyao, but Big Brother was also going to transfer ten million yuan to Ye Leyao!

What did this mean?

It means Ye Leyao was about to get rich!

With these twenty million yuan, plus his own savings.

Ye Leyao was very excited.

[It seems… this money should be enough to support our whole family in retirement!]

[Does that mean I can retire early?]

Huo Yan almost choked on his water. “Cough, cough, cough…”

Retire from what?

Didn’t you just say you wanted to support our whole family?

Two million yuan is not enough!

He spends money lavishly!

Huo Yan hurriedly looked at Huo Jing.

Huo Jing had already taken out his computer and started handling company documents. Hearing this, he also raised his head and said, “Xiao Yao, how about taking on a web drama next?”

Papa and Mama Huo were indeed at retirement age, but Ye Leyao was not!

Ye Leyao was only thinking to himself; there’s no way he could actually retire.

Although his current savings are indeed enough to support the whole family, money, if only spent without being earned, will run out sooner or later. He has to learn to save and generate more income!

“What kind of script?” Ye Leyao asked upon hearing this.

Huo Jing said, “We’re still evaluating it. If you finish all your acting classes by then, you can go audition.”

Huo Jing was very cautious when it came to planning Ye Leyao’s career in the entertainment industry.

As the saying goes, pushing too hard can lead to failure; it’s better to be selective with resources.

Ye Leyao nodded and stopped worrying.

That evening, it was rare for all three brothers to be at home, making the house lively.

Papa Huo suddenly mentioned, “By the way, there’s the wedding banquet for the Zhong family’s son and the eldest daughter of the Cui family tomorrow. Are you guys going?”

Ye Leyao was playing a game and didn’t even lift his head. “No.”

After the variety show recording, tomorrow was Ye Leyao’s day off, and the day after tomorrow, he had to attend acting classes. How would he have time to go to some wedding banquet?

Huo Jing also said, “We’ll see. I have an important meeting tomorrow.”

Huo Yan shook his head as well.

He recently managed to get some time off and just wanted to rest.

Papa and Mama Huo exchanged glances, their expressions helpless. “It seems only the two of us are going.”

Papa Huo laughed, “Alright, then we’ll go by ourselves.”

“But that reminds me, I remember the Cui family’s eldest daughter was making a fuss about not wanting to marry into the Zhong family before. How come she’s agreed now?” Mama Huo asked.

Papa Huo said, “I’m not too sure about the specifics, but the marriage was arranged between the families, so it’s understandable if the Cui family’s daughter was reluctant.”

At this point, Papa Huo looked at the three children present and said, “Luckily, our family advocates for freedom in love.”

Mentioning this, Mama Huo sighed, “Yes, freedom. So free that none of them have a partner.”

Ye Leyao’s fingers flew across the keyboard, and he laughed, “Mama Huo, don’t you remember? Second Brother had one before, and they almost had a child!”

Huo Yan: “…Can we not bring that up?”

The others mercilessly mocked Huo Yan.

At this moment, Ye Leyao suddenly thought:

[Ehh—what did Papa Huo just say? The Cui family and the Zhong family are marrying, and the Cui family’s daughter was unwilling?]

[I think I came across this plot today!]

Everyone’s radar went off instantly.

Then they heard Ye Leyao ask, “Papa Huo, is the Cui family’s daughter named Cui Shu?”

Papa Huo nodded repeatedly, “Yes, that’s her name.”

No way?

Could there be more gossip?

The four of them suddenly got excited.

Huo Yan regretted it again; he shouldn’t have said he wasn’t going!

Then they heard Ye Leyao scream in his mind:

[Ahhh, it really could be the same person!]

“Then, what about Cui Shu’s younger brother? Is his name Cui Fan?” Ye Leyao asked again.

Papa Huo couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know them?”

Ye Leyao nodded, “Cui Fan was my classmate in elementary school.”

[And he’s also the number one badass who married in place of his sister!]

Everyone: “?”

Wait.

What did Ye Leyao just say?

What do you mean, married in place of his sister?

Who?

Cui Fan?

What?