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

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Truth

The group moved to the rec room and sat around a circular table. The production team gave them a deck of playing cards.

”We’re going to play a simple game of high card,” the director announced through a megaphone, explaining the rules. ”We’ll use a single suit, from Ace to King. The person with the lowest card loses the round and must answer a question from the person with the highest card, or complete a dare.”

The guests listened intently, no one speaking.

The director’s gaze swept over the group before he declared, ”Alright, let’s begin.”

Huo Xinghai picked up the deck and started unwrapping it, casually asking, ”What suit do you guys prefer?”

”Hearts!” Lin Tian answered enthusiastically.

Gu Qingyin didn’t have a preference, but since it was her son asking, she nodded along. ”Hearts.”

No one else objected, so Huo Xinghai took out the thirteen heart cards and returned the rest of the deck to the production team.

His fingers were pale and slender with well-defined knuckles. They moved nimbly as he shuffled, a pleasant sight to behold.

The cameraman, sensing a good shot, zoomed in for a close-up of Huo Xinghai’s shuffling hands.

For a moment, the live stream chat was flooded by hand-fetish fans drooling over the screen.

There were only a dozen or so cards, so there wasn’t much to shuffling. As Huo Xinghai fanned them out, he asked, ”Should I deal, or should we draw randomly?”

Fu Zimo, afraid Huo Xinghai had memorized the card order, immediately said, ”Let’s just draw. It’s a game of luck, anyway.”

Huo Xinghai placed the cards on the table. With a thumb press, he fanned them out into a perfect arc. He gave a warm smile. ”To be fair, you guys go first.”

Lin Xian smiled slightly. ”Ladies first.”

Hearing this, Fu Zimo silently retracted the hand he had halfway extended.

Gu Qingyin looked at Feng Xia, but seeing she had no intention of reaching out, she turned to Lin Tian with a smile. ”You first, little sister.”

Lin Tian giggled. ”Well, don’t mind if I do.” She was the youngest guest and a girl, so there was nothing embarrassing about being looked after by her elders.

She studied the cards for a few seconds before choosing the one on the very bottom. Her slender, pale fingers rested on the card, dragging it across the table toward her. She carefully peeked at a corner, then pouted unhappily.

Lin Xian chuckled at her reaction. ”A low card?”

Lin Tian glared. ”None of your business!”

Lin Xian grinned. ”Fine. You’d better pray I don’t get the highest card, then.”

When it was Gu Qingyin’s turn to draw, she glanced at her card openly before placing it face down on the table.

Next was Feng Xia, but she seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the corner of the table. Fu Zimo had to call her name a few times before she snapped out of it. She reached out, drew a card, and immediately flipped it face up on the table. It was an eight—not high, not low.

Fu Zimo was a bit speechless. ’Even though we all have to flip them eventually, showing it now just kills the suspense and fun.’

After that, Fu Zimo and Lin Xian drew their cards in succession. Huo Xinghai drew last.

”Alright, I’ll count down from three, and everyone flips their cards,” the director said, emceeing the game. ”Three, two, one!”

Everyone flipped their cards at once.

”I have the King! The highest card!” Lin Tian burst out laughing, looking smug.

Lin Xian was incredulous. ”Then why were you pouting earlier?”

”I wasn’t pouting! I was stressing about what question to ask!” Lin Tian rolled her eyes, then craned her neck to look at his card with renewed excitement. ”What’d you get?”

Lin Xian pouted. ”A five.”

Lin Tian’s eyes lit up. She quickly asked, ”Is there anything lower than a five?”

Gu Qingyin pushed her card forward with a sigh. ”A three.”

Huo Xinghai clicked his tongue and shook his head. ”Mom, your luck is terrible.”

Gu Qingyin turned to look at his card and laughed. ”Yours is only one higher. You have the nerve to talk?”

Huo Xinghai’s eyes crinkled into a smile. ”As long as I’m not the lowest, the number doesn’t matter.”

Gu Qingyin snorted softly and turned to Lin Tian. ”I choose Truth.”

Lin Tian’s eyes instantly brightened. ”I’ve been dying to ask you something! You can’t lie, Aunt Huo.”

Gu Qingyin’s mouth twitched. ”You don’t have to call me Aunt. It sounds awkward. Just call me Sister Qing.”

Lin Tian looked at Gu Qingyin’s remarkably youthful face. ’Sister Qing’ did seem more fitting. ”Then, Sister Qing, please share your skincare secrets with us! I’m dying of curiosity!” She then turned to the camera and said with great seriousness, ”You all have no idea. Sister Qing’s skin is so supple and flawless, it’s even better than mine!”

Gu Qingyin didn’t expect this question and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”Honestly, there’s no real secret.” ’I’m genuinely not at an age where I should be old yet. Plus, because of my cultivation, I naturally age a bit slower than ordinary people, but I can’t just say that out loud.’

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qingyin said earnestly, ”Moderate exercise, a balanced diet, no staying up late, and cutting out sugar, smoking, and alcohol.” ’I doubt anyone can actually do all that.’

Sure enough, Lin Tian fell silent after hearing this. ’What joy is there in a life without staying up late and eating sugar!’

The viewers in the live stream chat also went quiet for a few seconds before sighing with emotion. No wonder she gains years but not wrinkles; a normal person could never pull that off.

[Forget it. Not everyone is worthy of a god-tier ageless face.]

[I can’t imagine there are people who can resist staying up late these days.]

[It’s true. Beauty and happiness cannot coexist in my body.]

...

They played a few more rounds. Huo Xinghai sang and played guitar for everyone, Lin Xian did ten deep squats while carrying Lin Tian, and Fu Zimo addressed the recent dating rumors—she wasn’t his girlfriend, just a blind date his family had arranged.

Lin Tian also chose Dare and was told to call the third person in her contacts to borrow money. As luck would have it, it was her agent, who was watching the live stream and naturally played along perfectly when she called.

After several rounds without drawing the highest card, Fu Zimo was growing impatient. He realized the probability of him getting the highest card while Huo Xinghai or Gu Qingyin got the lowest and chose Truth was far too low. He had gotten his hopes up too soon.

Perhaps it was a case of extreme misfortune giving way to good luck, because in the final round, Fu Zimo got his wish. He drew the highest card, and the lowest fell to Huo Xinghai.

For a split second, Fu Zimo could barely contain the delight in his eyes.

”I’ll take a Dare,” Huo Xinghai sighed.

Gu Qingyin gloated, ”Who was it just now that was laughing at my bad luck? You’re the only one here who’s gotten the lowest card twice.”

Huo Xinghai was speechless.

”You chose Dare last time, so you can’t choose it again.” Fu Zimo struggled to keep himself from smiling too broadly. ”Let me think of a good question for you.”

Huo Xinghai chuckled. ”Fine. Ask away. There’s nothing I can’t talk about.”

Fu Zimo raised an eyebrow, his hostility palpable. ”Since Mr. Huo is being so open, why don’t you respond to the question trending online? What exactly is your relationship with Gu Qingyin? I’m sure the viewers are all very curious.”

The moment he said it, you could have heard a pin drop in the villa. In their minds, everyone was screaming, ’He’s lost it!’

They all knew Fu Zimo and Huo Xinghai didn’t get along, but no matter how much they clashed, they had never been this openly hostile. What was wrong this time? Asking such a sensitive question during a live broadcast—what had gotten into Fu Zimo?

Meanwhile, the live stream chat exploded.

The two fanbases instantly started fighting. Fans of the other celebrities and casual viewers didn’t dare say a word, silently waiting for Huo Xinghai’s response.

Fu Zimo stared intently at Huo Xinghai, hoping to see a flash of panic, anger, or guilt on his face, but he was disappointed.

Huo Xinghai was unbelievably calm. He even offered a half-smile as he countered, ”Are you sure you want to ask this?”

Fu Zimo, certain he had the upper hand, curled his lip into a smirk. ”If it’s too difficult for you, you don’t have to answer. There’s still a glass of that vegetable juice over there, and it won’t be fresh for much longer.”