Huo Zhili stayed at home for less than ten minutes before turning to leave.
Since the breakup, he had become the sinner of this household.
His mother treated him with cold indifference, every word distant and detached. Even Lou Minghe, who had once been close to him, had completely severed ties, leaving no trace of affection.
After stepping outside, the wind carried a wave of heat against his face. Without a word, he slid into the back seat, pulled a cigarette from the case, and lit it with slightly trembling fingers.
Amidst the swirling smoke, he gazed out the window, a restless turmoil churning in his heart.
Perhaps, if he had never started this from the very beginning, he wouldn’t have ended up like this—betrayed by all, left in utter disarray.
A barely audible murmur escaped his throat, tinged with suppressed bitterness and resentment: “Yu Qingyu, you’re truly ruthless and clever. You broke up without hesitation, turned around and hid abroad, leaving yourself spotless and untroubled.”
The driver in the front seat respectfully called out, “Young Master Huo.”
Huo Zhili slowly lifted his heavy eyelids, his eyes filled with exhaustion and gloom. In a hoarse voice, he ordered, “Back to the company.”
“Yes!” The driver dared not say more, immediately starting the car and heading toward the Huo Corporation.
In less than half an hour, Huo Zhili returned to his top-floor office.
He had just slumped into the leather chair when the office door opened. Li Junyao, dressed in a tailored suit and standing tall, walked in holding a thick merger proposal.
Seeing him back early, Li Junyao raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with surprise:
“Didn’t you say you were going home for a meal? Why are you back so soon?”
Leaning back in his chair, Huo Zhili massaged his throbbing temples with his fingertips, a self-mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth:
“Do you think home still has a place for me now?”
Hearing this, Li Junyao chuckled helplessly, placing the proposal on the desk before him and stating bluntly:
“You know better than anyone where the problem lies. Why not go win Qingyu back?”
Huo Zhili didn’t respond, his hand hanging at his side suddenly clenching.
Uncontrollably, the unfamiliar male voice from last night’s phone call flashed through his mind. His deep eyes instantly darkened, and the atmosphere around him grew heavier.
He didn’t continue the topic, swiveling his chair around and reaching for the merger proposal on the desk, attempting to suppress the restlessness in his heart with work.
He had only read two pages of the proposal when the office door was gently knocked again.
His voice low, he uttered a single word: “Enter.”
Assistant Jiang Zhou walked in carrying an exquisite meal box, gently placing the food on a corner of the desk and saying respectfully, “President Huo, your lunch.”
Turning to Li Junyao beside him, he greeted politely, “Vice President Li.”
Li Junyao nodded slightly in acknowledgment, his gaze falling on the untouched dinner. He turned to Huo Zhili and couldn’t resist teasing:
“So my sister really is furious—she didn’t even let you eat. It seems this time, you’ve truly hurt her deeply.”
Huo Zhili casually set the proposal aside, pausing as he picked up his chopsticks. His tone was calm but carried a hint of self-consolation:
“No matter how great the anger, it will fade with time.”
Li Junyao shook his head and chuckled softly, clearly disagreeing. “I doubt it. You should eat first.”
With that, he turned and quietly exited the office.
Huo Zhili gave a faint “mm” in response. His fingertips had just touched the lid of the meal box when his movements froze.
He clicked open his computer email, and the investigation materials Jiang Zhou had just sent popped up.
The entries were crystal clear—Yu Qingyu had gone to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further studies, a full three years, and even her address abroad was meticulously attached at the end of the document.
Staring at that string of addresses for a long moment, Huo Zhili didn’t linger any longer. He directly closed the email page, swiped through his contacts, and dialed the landline of the Lishan Villa.
The phone rang twice before being picked up by a servant. Leaning back in his chair, his voice devoid of emotion, he coldly instructed:
“Pack up everything in the bedroom related to Yu Qingyu, then give her a call and have her send someone over to collect it.”
The servant holding the phone froze for a moment, puzzled:
When Miss Yu left back then, she had already taken all her things with her. Why would there still be anything to pack? But she didn’t dare ask further and quickly replied:
“Understood, Young Master Huo. Any other instructions?”
Huo Zhili slowly swiveled his office chair, turning his back to the floor-to-ceiling window. The light and shadow fell on his tense profile as he said in a low voice:
“That’s all. Make sure it’s cleaned up thoroughly.”
“Yes, I’ll arrange it right away.” The servant respectfully hung up the phone.
United States.
Yu Qingyu had just gotten up and was leisurely eating breakfast at the dining table. Sunlight streamed through the apartment’s glass window, casting a warm glow over the plates, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Her phone beside her suddenly vibrated. She glanced at the caller ID—an unfamiliar number from back home—and lightly tapped to answer.
“Miss Yu, I’m a servant from Lishan Villa. The things at the villa have been packed up. Mr. Huo asked that you send someone over to collect them when you have time.”
Yu Qingyu’s brows furrowed slightly, her tone flat and distant, without a hint of emotion:
“Those things aren’t mine. I don’t want them. Just throw them away.”
“Understood, Miss Yu.” The servant replied and hung up the phone.
Immediately after, the servant called Huo Zhili back to relay Yu Qingyu’s message.
Huo Zhili fell silent for a moment before finally saying coldly, “Lock them up in the storage room.”
With that, he abruptly ended the call, the air around him growing even heavier.
In the afternoon, Huo Corporation’s quarterly meeting commenced on time.
The atmosphere in the entire conference room was stifling to the extreme. Huo Zhili sat at the head of the table, his expression dark, radiating an icy aura that kept everyone at a distance.
Apart from the composed Li Junyao beside him, the other attendees were all trembling with fear, heads bowed and not daring to utter a word. Even their breaths were held lightly, afraid of accidentally provoking his wrath.
Halfway through the meeting, a department manager, nervous while reporting data, accidentally read a number wrong. As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room fell dead silent, everyone holding their breath.
Expecting Huo Zhili to erupt in anger, he merely raised his eyes, his deep gaze fixed directly on the person. Without shouting, he calmly uttered:
“Be more careful next time.”
Those four simple words made everyone in the room breathe a sigh of relief, yet the oppressive low pressure still lingered over the entire conference room, refusing to dissipate.