No reconciliation, no forgiveness! Mr. Pei leaves with nothing.

"You're so old, and you're still being lectured for making mistakes?"

When Xu Zhoulan looked at her with his captivating and penetrating eyes, Huo Ling tried to get up from him, but his hand around her waist was firmly held by him. Helpless, she could only say to him, "This doesn't seem to have anything to do with Uncle. Uncle, you're asking too many questions."

The relationship between Huo Ling and him was limited to physical intimacy, and they never interfered in each other's private lives, including his family and friends. They never had much contact with each other, and their relationship remained just that—a relationship that never got any better.

In the Huo family, she always obeyed her mother's decisions. In her mother's eyes, she was always obedient and sensible, never going against her in anything. She knew from a young age that she had been adopted from an orphanage.

In order to make her happy and reduce the pain she has suffered from being separated from her older brother for so many years.

She kept striving to become better, just to please her.

Huo Ling knew that no matter how obedient and sensible she was, she could never replace her older brother's position in her mother's heart.

She has played the role of a good girl for so many years, but deep down she is rebellious. She enjoys being able to be herself in front of this man without having to pretend anymore.

They were from different backgrounds and shouldn't have had much interaction. Who knows, one day... she might leave.

The best approach is to avoid interfering with or overstepping each other's boundaries.

Suddenly feeling nauseous, she clutched her chest, looking unwell. Seeing her vomit, Xu Zhoulan's eyes lit up with amusement. "Pregnant?"

As he spoke, the man's hand covered the girl's flat stomach. Once the discomfort subsided, Huo Ling smiled and hooked her arms around the man's neck, looking somewhat disgusted with him, and said, "Uncle, I'm only eighteen years old, and I haven't even graduated from university yet. How could I possibly get pregnant so quickly? Besides, you're so old, about the same age as my brother. If my brother knew, he would definitely break my legs."

"Uncle, if I'm really pregnant, will you marry me?"

Xu Zhoulan grabbed the hand that was stroking his face, his wicked smile deepening. "I've told you many times, call me brother."

"Missing your brother, getting married?"

Huo Ling chuckled and said, "Uncle, you're overthinking it."

“My family has many rules and is very strict. By the time I reach marriageable age, my uncle will be almost forty. I don’t want to be with an old man. There are so many handsome young men out there… My uncle is too old.”

Xu Zhoulan laughed, but he didn't feel angry because of the girl's offense.

Xu Zhoulan was in his thirties, but he didn't look old. Instead, he had a kind of charming, cynical nobility about him. None of the women around him were ugly. Huo Ling knew that he was a womanizer and had no shortage of suitors. The reason she was entangled with him was because she was sure that he wouldn't get involved or entangled with her. He would stop when he was done and know when to quit. When Huo Ling wanted to leave, the two of them would no longer have any entanglement.

However, just then, the door that hadn't been knocked on was pushed open. Huo Ling was terrified and tried to get off him, but the man held her down. "Eileen, remember to knock next time."

"Don't be afraid, she's one of my people, she won't say anything."

When Eileen saw the little girl in the man's arms, her eyes were practically spitting fire with jealousy. The plastic bag she was carrying contained medicine. She stepped forward, placed the medicine on the table, and without saying a word, her face was filled with all sorts of emotions. She then swayed her hips and walked away in her high heels.

"It seems that Uncle has quite a few admirers around him."

"Uncle is so handsome, haven't you ever thought about having a proper relationship and getting married with another woman? You'll be punished for playing with other people's feelings like this."

Xu Zhoulan wiped off her makeup with a wet wipe, took out the medicine from the bag, and gently applied it to the still swollen facial wound. Huo Ling waited for his response, but he didn't seem to want to give her an answer.

She wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

When she quietly left Xu Zhoulan's office, she took advantage of the fact that no one was around and ran away, pretending to pass by the design department.

Suddenly, in the tea room in the corridor, she heard several women whispering, "Could it be that Chairman Jiang is about to die? My cousin, who works as a nurse at the hospital, saw Chairman Jiang and was wheeled into the operating room. Neither President Pei nor that young lady showed up. Could it be that they're going through a divorce and she's so angry that she's about to die?"

"President Pei was caught having affairs, which affected the company's image. He has been temporarily suspended and hasn't returned to the company yet. It's really hard to say what will happen."

"I never expected that President Pei would also have affairs. My image of him as a good man has collapsed instantly. Sigh... I even wrote him a love letter when he was still an employee of Jiang's Group. Sure enough, all men are the same."

“Back then, Song Qingran won first place in the competition and became the brand ambassador. I knew then that she and President Pei were having an affair.”

"You know what, Miss Jiang's personality... no matter how beautiful she is, no man can resist her, and I'm not surprised at all."

Upon hearing this news, Huo Ling quickly found out which hospital room Jiang Weiguo was staying in. It must have been her mother who said something to her sister-in-law's family that allowed her sister-in-law's father to be admitted to the hospital.

If her sister-in-law finds out, she will definitely investigate. Her brother asked her to look after their mother, but now that this has happened... Huo Ling has no way to explain it to her older brother.

She can't contact her older brother now, and even Kagel has disappeared.

Two hours ago, when Jiang Weiguo was out of danger and transferred to a ward, Xu Qiulan rushed over from Yulong Bay, carrying some cooked porridge. Seeing the person lingering at the door, she asked, "Little girl, who are you looking for?"

"I…"

At this moment, the door to the ward suddenly opened, and Wang Qi said, "Come in, Miss Huo."

Wang Qi led Huo Ling into the ward and saw the middle-aged man lying on the bed. This was the first time she had seen her sister-in-law's father in person; she had only seen photos of him before. "Uncle Jiang."

"Wang Qi, Xu Ma, you two go out first."

"Yes, sir."

After the two left, when only they were left, Huo Ling stopped pretending and directly confessed her guilt, saying, "I'm very sorry that Mom said those things to you at Yulong Bay that she shouldn't have."

Jiang Weiguo smiled slightly, showing no sign of reproach, and said, "Sit down."

"You are Huo Tingshan's adopted daughter, Pei Zhan's sister?"

Huo Ling nodded. "You know me?"

“I’ve seen the staff list at Huahua’s jewelry restoration studio, and your name is on it. I guessed it was you. Don’t worry… it’s just an old problem of mine, nothing serious.”

Huo Ling sat awkwardly on a stool to the side, her hands on her knees, and said apologetically, "Mom is just too concerned about Aunt Qingcheng's place in Dad's heart. Actually, all these years, Dad has never forgotten Aunt Qingcheng. Mom's health isn't good, and she can't control him."

"What she said was actually just said in anger. My mother is... quite afraid of my older brother."

“If my brother finds out you’re in the hospital when he comes back this time, I think he’ll be able to keep Mom in check this time. Uncle Jiang… You don’t need to listen to what Mom says anymore.”

Jiang Weiguo coughed lightly a few times. Seeing this, Huo Ling immediately poured him a glass of water and placed it beside him. Jiang Weiguo was taken aback for a moment, then took it and said, "You are different from her."

"The injuries on your face, were they inflicted by her?"

Xia He pursed her lips and nodded.

"You can distinguish between them, but she can't figure out her own place."

Huo Ling explained, "Actually, I don't think this was my mother's original wish. She did want to accept my sister-in-law. But it seems that the girl instigated my mother, which is why she came to you."

“Not long ago, when Mother went to the temple to pray for my elder brother’s safety and well-being, she encountered revenge from her enemies. The enemy was holding a knife, and it was Song Qingran who saved Mother from a fatal blow. Perhaps Mother wanted to repay this kindness, which is why she came back to find you.” Huo Ling told her what happened. Seeing the doubt on Jiang Weiguo’s face, she continued, “Mother wasn’t unable to tell the difference; she was probably instigated to do it.”

"I think she's trying to sow discord between my brother and sister-in-law."

“I know a bit about my sister-in-law and Song Qingran’s affair, and I don’t believe that Song Qingran would really get close to my mother without any ulterior motives.”

Jiang Weiguo: "You are not old, but you see things more clearly and far ahead than Huahua."

"Huahua has been overprotected since she was a child. She may seem spoiled on the surface, but she is actually more indecisive and soft-hearted than anyone else. She often acts on her emotions."

“Huahua doesn’t know your older brother’s identity yet. If Huahua suddenly finds out about this, she might not be able to accept it for a while.”

Huo Ling nodded vigorously and said, "I know. Uncle Jiang, don't worry, Mom can't replace the Huo family. Now, my eldest brother is the heir of the Huo family. I believe that even if my eldest brother reveals his identity to my sister-in-law, he will protect her."

"I'm also on my sister-in-law's side."

"Young Miss, why are you back so soon?"

"Aunt Xu, where's my dad? What happened to him?"

"The gentleman is fine. The doctor said he can be discharged after a short observation period."

Jiang Hua pushed the door open and entered. Upon seeing the person inside, she rushed forward and anxiously examined Jiang Weiguo's physical condition. She looked so worried that she was almost crying. "What happened! I've only been away from home for a few days, and you're already in the hospital again."

"Was it Mrs. Bai or that Mrs. Huo? Did they come to your door and say something about the withdrawal of the lawsuit and the clarification?"

"I'm going to settle accounts with them right now."

They've really gone too far; Jiang Hua definitely won't let this go.

Jiang Weiguo grabbed Jiang Hua and said, "Dad is fine. It has nothing to do with anyone. It's just that Dad is getting old, and these kinds of things are inevitable."

"Don't worry, Dad's fine." Jiang Weiguo patted her, signaling her to calm down.

Jiang Hua: "Dad! I'm not stupid, nor am I a child. Do you think I can just pretend nothing happened just because you said these things? I saw the news. The Jiang family withdrew the lawsuit, Xue Ruyao was released, and they even clarified that Song Qingran has been financially supported by the Jiang family all these years. They've distanced themselves from Pei Zhan and Song Qingran."

"If none of this concerns outsiders, then why were you hospitalized?"

"Uncle Wang, tell me... when I wasn't home, did anyone come to the house and say something to Dad?"

“Young Miss…I…” Wang Qi hesitated, glancing at Jiang Hua and then at Jiang Weiguo. His hesitant appearance made Jiang Hua feel that her guess was correct.

"Alright, even if no one says anything, Dad will still choose to do these things for the company. After all... these things have indeed had a significant impact on the company. Dad only asked Aunt Xu not to tell you because there weren't any major problems. If something really happened, how could Dad hide it from you?"

Even though her father said that, it didn't convince her at all, and she couldn't calm down.

Wang Qi stepped forward and said, "Miss, everything the gentleman said is true, and no one... came to the house. The gentleman's visit was sudden and has nothing to do with outsiders."

"Sister-in-law... Sister Huahua, Uncle Jiang is fine. I asked the doctor, and it turns out that Uncle Jiang's illness was caused by his irregular schedule and frequent late nights."

Jiang Hua then noticed Huo Ling's presence. "What are you doing here?"

Huo Ling glanced at Pei Zhan beside her, and was about to stammer an explanation when Jiang Weiguo covered for her, saying, "She came to the hospital to get medicine and happened to run into Wang Qi. That's when she found out I was in trouble, so she came to check on me."

Huo Ling nodded naturally, "I had a fight with my mother, so I came to the hospital to check the injuries on my face."

Jiang Hua's doubts were dispelled when she saw the girl's still-bleeding wounds on her face.

The nurse came in with Jiang Weiguo's medical report. Jiang Hua glanced at the report and confirmed that her father was really fine and could be discharged after the IV drip was finished.

In a corner of the corridor outside the ward, Huo Ling was unable to face him. She lowered her head and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, brother. I still couldn't keep an eye on Mom. I didn't know that Mom would go to Yulong Bay and say those things to Uncle Jiang. I argued with Mom, but she just wouldn't listen to me."

Pei Zhan took a handkerchief from his suit pocket and handed it to the girl, comforting her like an older brother, "This has nothing to do with you, there's no need to blame yourself."

"You don't need to go back to the Junlin Mansion recently. If there's anything you need, you can let me know anytime."

“I bought that apartment in Huayuan. It’s very close to the school and the company. You can stay there for now.”

Huo Ling accepted the handkerchief, her tears stopping. She looked up at Pei Zhan with teary eyes, "Brother, the problem between you and sister-in-law isn't with Mom, but with Song Qingran. Although Song Qingran saved Mom's life, I'm afraid she'll use her position to sow discord between you and sister-in-law. She's not that simple."

"We can't let her have any more contact with her mother."

...

In the afternoon, when she left the hospital and returned to Royal Bay, Kagel moved all the flowers from the island into the villa. These flowers had no pollen and would not cause her allergies.

Pei Zhan went to the study with his father.

Jiang Hua was about to deal with the flowers, finding a vase and setting them up, when she asked, "Aunt Xu... have you seen my pink glass vase?"