Mom's Back. The Villain Triplets Are in Trouble.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Everyone Assists

The car pulled up to the old family estate. Gu Qingyin got out and saw Huo Xingye sitting motionless in the car. Puzzled, she asked, ”You’re not staying home today either? Do you have a girlfriend?”

”No,” Huo Xingye’s tone was stiff. ”I usually live in my apartment near the company.”

Gu Qingyin understood. ’So he’s still angry.’ She felt a strange mix of confusion and disappointment.

’I missed every stage of his growth, from infancy to adulthood. Now, I have no right to complain that he has secrets and refuses to tell me anything.’

Gu Qingyin took out the Jade Pendant and passed it through the car window. ”This is a Protective Jade Pendant. Keep it on you at all times. I had your fortune told, and your luck has been a bit low recently.”

She didn’t mention the part about a potential bloody calamity. With the Jade Pendant to protect him, there was no need to cause a panic over something that wouldn’t happen anyway.

Huo Xingye took it with a complex expression, clenching it tightly in his hand.

”...Thanks.”

Gu Qingyin waved her hand dismissively. ”We’re mother and son. No need to be so polite!”

Watching the car drive away, Gu Qingyin sighed and went back into the villa.

Hua Xin came up to her, asking with a smile, ”Madam, did you give him the gift?”

Gu Qingyin nodded, slumping onto the sofa dejectedly.

”Is something troubling you, Madam?”

Gu Qingyin looked at Hua Xin and suddenly asked, ”Do you have children?”

Hua Xin laughed, a hint of pride in her voice. ”Of course! I have a son and a daughter! And I’m especially close with both of them!”

Gu Qingyin’s eyes lit up slightly. ”Then how do you get along with your son?”

Hua Xin instantly saw the heart of the matter. ”My son’s personality is worlds apart from the Family Head’s, and my personality is different from yours, Madam. Our way of getting along probably wouldn’t be suitable for you.”

”That’s true.” Gu Qingyin’s gaze dimmed as she shrank back into the sofa.

”However, I think I can see the problem between you and the Family Head.”

Gu Qingyin made a sound, ”Hm?” and sat up a little straighter. ”Elaborate,” she said seriously.

Hua Xin spoke with conviction. ”The fundamental problem between you and the Family Head is that you spend too little time together and don’t know each other well. The Family Head lacks the companionship and care of his closest kin. He’s used to deciding everything by himself, and no one can guess what he’s thinking. I think you should make more time to accompany the Family Head, let him slowly open his heart, and truly accept you as his mother.”

Blood ties were important, of course, but without a long period of emotional nurturing, they couldn’t connect the hearts of a mother and son.

Gu Qingyin fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Hua Xin quietly withdrew so as not to disturb her.

After a long while, Gu Qingyin shot to her feet and announced, ”I’ve decided! Starting tomorrow, I’m going to commute to and from work with Xingye, and I’ll personally order him takeout for lunch. I’ll make him feel the warmth and love of a mother!”

Hua Xin, standing some distance away, heard everything clearly. While pleased, she couldn’t help but suggest, ”Actually, you could cook for him yourself.”

”I’d like to,” Gu Qingyin said, looking troubled. ”But I can’t. I have absolutely no talent for cooking. The things I make are comparable to laxatives. I can’t poison Xingye.”

Hua Xin, who had probably never encountered such a kitchen menace before, was stunned for a moment before nodding. ”Alright. Actually, the cafeteria at the Huo Corporation has excellent food. If you don’t mind the trouble, you could pack a meal from there every day and eat with the Family Head.”

Gu Qingyin clapped her hands. ”That could work!” But a few seconds later, she grew conflicted again. ”If I go over, will I disturb Xingye’s work?”

Hua Xin wasn’t sure about that either, but it didn’t stop her from offering an idea. ”You could discuss it with the Family Head.”

Gu Qingyin was a woman of action. She immediately dialed Huo Xingye’s number. Unsurprisingly, no one answered. She tutted, then dialed Xue Ning’s number instead.

The call connected quickly. Xue Ning’s voice, respectful but with a hint of confusion, came through. ”Matriarch?”

”Ah, Little Xue, there’s something I’d like to ask your opinion on.”

Xue Ning subconsciously straightened up and replied earnestly, ”Please speak, Matriarch.”

Gu Qingyin felt strangely embarrassed. She took a couple of seconds to compose herself before asking, ”If—and I’m just saying if—I were to go to the company to keep Xingye company while he works, would he agree? Would he be happy? Would I get in the way of his work?”

Xue Ning froze for a second, then he was ecstatic.

”If you came, the Family Head would be absolutely thrilled!”

’The Matriarch should see what a monster the Family Head is when he’s working,’ Xue Ning thought. ’He didn’t earn the title ’Great Demon King’ for nothing!’

”Really?” Gu Qingyin was skeptical. ”He must be very busy usually, right?”

”The Family Head is indeed busy, but his office is huge,” Xue Ning’s voice was full of temptation. ”I can arrange a desk for you in his office. When you’re both busy, you can work on your own things. But when you’re done, you can just look up and see your closest family. How wonderful would that be!”

Gu Qingyin was tempted. ”You have a point.”

Xue Ning pressed on. ”Most importantly, you and the Family Head were separated for many years. You need a lot of time to cultivate your mother-son bond and make up for past regrets. But there’s so much to do at the Huo Corporation, so we can only trouble you to come to the company every day.”

”It’s no trouble at all! As a mother, I’m willing to do anything within my power for my son!” Gu Qingyin declared righteously. ”I’ll start going to the company to keep Xingye company tomorrow. It’s settled. You just let Xingye know.”

”Yes, Matriarch! See you tomorrow, Matriarch!”

After hanging up, Xue Ning turned, knocked on the office door, and walked up to Huo Xingye’s desk with a smile. ”Family Head, the Matriarch asked me to inform you that starting tomorrow, she’ll be coming to the office to keep you company while you work.”

Huo Xingye was a bit stunned. ’How did Gu Qingyin even come up with such an idea? But on second thought, if she’s right here in front of me, I won’t have to worry about her sneaking off to perform exorcisms behind my back.’

After two seconds of silence, Huo Xingye ordered, ”Move a desk in here. Put it next to mine.”

Xue Ning wasn’t the least bit surprised. He responded respectfully and left, full of motivation to make the arrangements. ’A desk alone won’t be enough,’ he thought. ’I have to make it so that once the Matriarch arrives, she’ll never want to leave!’

Xue Ning admitted he had his own selfish motives. But setting aside their master-servant relationship, from the standpoint of a friend, he also hoped Huo Xingye could receive a normal mother’s love and have an ordinary but harmonious relationship with his mother.

Plenty of time together was just the most basic requirement.

That evening, Xue Ning compiled a document of basic information about Huo Xingye and sent it to Gu Qingyin.

From small things like his dislike of onions to big things like his various business rivals, it included every imaginable detail, large and small.

Gu Qingyin could tell how valuable the document was with just one glance. She immediately replied to his message: *Thank you for your hard work, Little Xue. I owe you one.*

Xue Ning smiled with satisfaction and replied politely: *It was my pleasure.*

The next day, Gu Qingyin’s and Huo Xingye’s cars entered the underground parking garage of the Huo Corporation building, one after the other.

Huo Xingye proactively stepped forward to open her car door. Gu Qingyin got out with a food container in hand, smiling brightly. The two of them spoke as they walked.

”I brought breakfast. Want to eat together?”

Huo Xingye hesitated. He wasn’t in the habit of eating breakfast; usually, a single Americano was all he needed.

But this was brought by Gu Qingyin herself, and it was a personal invitation... Huo Xingye sighed. Just as he was about to nod, a gentle female voice came from the side. ”The President doesn’t eat breakfast, and strong-smelling food isn’t allowed in the office.”