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

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: I’m Back Again

After questioning them, Gu Qingyin exorcised the several ghost souls as a form of payment.

Pushing the door open, Gu Qingyin saw the housekeeper carrying a tray into the room at the end of the hall. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. ’Someone else is staying in that room? Are they unable to come out? They even need meals brought to them.’

Puzzled, Gu Qingyin headed downstairs.

Huo Xingye had taken off his suit jacket and was now in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He looked far more relaxed than he did at the office, though he was holding a tablet, likely still dealing with work.

”Who’s that living upstairs?” Gu Qingyin asked casually as she approached him.

A flicker crossed Huo Xingye’s eyes, but his tone was casual. ”A friend. They’ve been sick and can’t be exposed to drafts. I’ll introduce you later.”

’No wonder the door was shut so tightly,’ Gu Qingyin thought. She didn’t ask any more questions, instead smiling and saying, ”Can we eat now?”

Huo Xingye stood up and led her to the dining room. ”My dinners are quite light, so please don’t mind.”

Four dishes and a soup were set at one end of the rectangular dining table. There was no meat in sight—all vegetarian. It was a very light meal indeed.

Huo Xingye and Gu Qingyin sat across from each other, eating in silence.

A few moments later, the housekeeper came downstairs carrying a tray.

Gu Qingyin glanced at the tray. It held congee and side dishes that looked mostly untouched. She remarked casually, ”Your friend doesn’t seem to have much of an appetite. Have they been to the hospital?”

Huo Xingye glanced at the tray as well, his expression unreadable. Lowering his gaze, he said softly, ”They have. It’s nothing serious; they’ll be better in a few days.” Then, he turned to the housekeeper. ”Take it away. You can go home now.”

The housekeeper gave a timid smile, tidied up in the kitchen, and left.

After finishing their meal, the two of them cleared the table, loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

”I’m heading home. See you tomorrow,” Gu Qingyin said, standing at the door and waving to Huo Xingye with a bright smile.

Huo Xingye breathed an inward sigh of relief, then asked in surprise, ”You’re coming tomorrow, too?”

Gu Qingyin’s smile remained unchanged as she replied in a tone that left no room for debate, ”I’ll stop coming once you’ve formed the good habit of eating on time.”

”That’s not what I meant,” Huo Xingye explained, his lips thinning. ”You can come anytime you’d like. You’re always welcome.”

”Oh, I know, no need to explain.” Gu Qingyin patted his shoulder. ”Get some sleep early tonight. I’m leaving now, don’t worry about seeing me out.”

Huo Xingye stood in the doorway and watched her enter the elevator. ”Let me know when you’re home.”

”Who was she? Your new target? So when are you going to let me leave?”

A woman’s voice, sharp as ice shards yet clearly weak, came from behind him. It was unsettling to hear, but Huo Xingye seemed accustomed to it. His expression didn’t even flicker as he replied calmly, ”When you’ve come to your senses, I’ll naturally let you leave.”

Huo Xingye turned to face the woman. She had almond eyes, arched brows, a pert nose, and full, red lips. Her features were as delicate as a doll’s. No matter how many times he saw her, her beauty was still breathtaking.

”You’re the one who needs to come to their senses, not me!” The woman inhaled sharply, her eyes filled with loathing. ”I’ve told you countless times: I don’t like you! Now that you’re keeping me prisoner, there’s even less of a chance I’ll ever like you! You psycho!”

Huo Xingye’s expression remained unchanged. ”Remember to eat your food tomorrow. Don’t be so stubborn. If you don’t eat, you won’t even have the strength to yell at me.”

The woman was both furious and terrified. ”I regret it! I should have never saved you!” Who could have known that a youthful act of kindness would result in her being stalked by a psychopath for so many years?

”Let me help you upstairs to rest.” Huo Xingye stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

The woman flinched as if she’d been electrocuted, yanking her arm away. ”Let go!” she screamed, panting. ”Don’t touch me! You make me sick!”

Huo Xingye turned a deaf ear to her protests. His patience for coaxing her had run out. He simply bent down, threw her over his shoulder, and strode upstairs.

The woman screamed, pounding on Huo Xingye’s back with her fists. But she was too weak; her frantic blows felt more like a gentle massage.

Huo Xingye tossed her onto the bed and walked out.

Her face stained with tears, the woman pleaded relentlessly, ”You’ve fallen for someone else now, so why won’t you let me go? Are you scared I’ll report you to the police? I swear I won’t tell anyone, I swear! Please... just let me go home.”

Huo Xingye paused in the doorway. ”You’re mistaken. I only love you. I have work to do, so be a good girl and get some sleep.”

The door closed and a lock clicked from the outside.

In the darkness, the woman wiped away her tears and silently huddled under the covers, her face expressionless as she began to scheme.

’Huo Xingye’s attitude toward that woman today was different. Who is she? Could it be possible... to use her to escape?’

「Meanwhile」

Before she even got home, Gu Qingyin received a call from Liu Ergou.

”The Heavenly Master who visited Tianfu Jin Garden last month is named Lin Wu. He’s a young upstart who came out of nowhere—no one knows his lineage. What’s more, he hasn’t been seen since he returned from Jinyuan. No one knows where he went.”

Gu Qingyin’s eyes narrowed slightly. ”If I’m not mistaken, the Gathering Yin Array in Jinyuan is his work.” She pondered for a moment. ”If we destroy the Gathering Yin Array, do you think Lin Wu will appear?”

”It’s hard to say,” Liu Ergou replied, ”but we can give it a shot. The Gathering Yin Array needs to be dismantled eventually anyway.”

It was a residential complex, after all. If living people were exposed to such dense Yin Qi long-term, their health would steadily deteriorate.

”Then let’s do it. We’ll dismantle it tonight.” Gu Qingyin’s tone was conversational, but her words were a command. ”You’re free tonight, right? See you at the entrance to Jinyuan in a bit.”

”Okay,” Liu Ergou said.

It wasn’t until the call ended that he came to his senses. ’He had already decided to move on from Gu Qingyin, so why did he come running the moment she called?’

’Liu Ergou, you’re pathetic!’

After thoroughly despising himself, Liu Ergou left his hotel, hailed a cab, and said with determination, ”Driver, to Tianfu Jin Garden!”

’I’m doing this for the sake of humanity,’ he told himself. ’Not to help Gu Qingyin!’

Gu Qingyin had her driver turn the car around and head back toward Jinyuan. Along the way, she recalled how angry Huo Xingye had been last time and decided to call him.

Huo Xingye answered almost instantly. ”Is something wrong?” ’She couldn’t have made it back to the old family home this quickly.’

”I’m heading back to Jinyuan,” Gu Qingyin said in a serious tone. ”The Yin Qi there is too heavy, and with you living inside, I just couldn’t rest easy. I’ve contacted an old friend who is also a Heavenly Master, and we’re going to deal with it tonight.”

”I just wanted to let you know, so please don’t be angry,” Gu Qingyin added, her voice taking on a placating tone. ”The sooner it’s dealt with, the sooner I can stop worrying.”

Huo Xingye heard the genuine concern in her voice. He didn’t protest. After a two-second pause, he said, ”I’ll go with you.”

’Of course not.’ Gu Qingyin immediately disagreed. ’Tonight’s entire operation is to lure the snake out of its hole. What if Huo Xingye is there and gets hurt?’

But before she could figure out how to refuse, Huo Xingye added, ”I’m wearing the Protective Jade Pendant you gave me, so I should be safe, right? After all, you’re an incredibly powerful Heavenly Master.”

Gu Qingyin found herself unable to refute his point. ”Fine!” she said through gritted teeth. ”But don’t you dare come out on your own. Wait for me to pick you up!”

Huo Xingye let out a soft laugh and replied obediently, ”Okay.”