Chapter Seventy-One

Strolling along the Las Vegas Strip, one feels the unmistakable romance of a city that never sleeps. Unlike any other, this place comes alive at night, its evenings more vibrant than its days. The streets blaze with light and color, a ceaseless river of people and cars, dazzling headlights and neon signs dressing Las Vegas in flamboyant splendor. To gaze upon this flowing scenery under the moonlight is like savoring a glass of rich red wine, lingering over the taste of this wondrous bloom that blossoms day and night.

Rong Qing stretched lazily, her body relaxing, a gentle breeze lifting her spirits. But the man beside her had changed since they left the cinema—silent now, his expression grim, as if something heavy pressed upon him. Under the moonlight, Huo Lingtian's blade-sharp features seemed even more somber and cold, like a sheathed sword whose brilliance was carefully concealed.

Rong Qing slipped her delicate hand into the crook of Huo Lingtian's arm, her fingers tracing down to his palm, their hands entwined in the most intimate of gestures. She rested her head against his shoulder, filled with trust and affection.

“Lingtian… Lingtian, Lingtian… Huo Lingtian,” Rong Qing murmured his name mischievously, her fair fingers playing with his large hand, pinching and tugging in playful retaliation, delighting in the game.

Huo Lingtian allowed her to do as she pleased. Distracted earlier, still lost in the emotions stirred by the film, he had neglected the little imp at his side. “Seeing you like that pains me…” he said softly, though his eyes carried a deep, inescapable remorse.

Startled, Rong Qing stared at him, eyes wide in astonishment—adorably so. He longed to devour this delectable treat before him, but could not bear to do so.

“Were you like that with Wang Chenhao too? Lonely, proud, and resolute?” Huo Lingtian could not fathom what emotions had driven such a strong woman to make that reckless decision with him! The sense of betrayal she must have felt, as if the world had turned against her, stabbed at his heart like a living, breathing Ling Fei. He was jealous that Wang Chenhao had once possessed her pure love, bitter at Wang Chenhao’s betrayal, and even more resentful of himself for taking advantage. He loved the woman before him desperately, always thinking only of her feelings.

Rong Qing was both surprised and inexplicably moved. She had thought the past, with all its sealed pain, was something she had survived alone. But when someone says they understand your pain and grieve for you, even if it means reopening those raw wounds, you realize that person has a magical power to heal, their warmth reaching into the depths of your heart.

How could she not love such a man, or ever let him go? Her exquisite face shone with a smile as radiant as the sun and moon together, like the rare night-blooming cereus—fleeting, but unforgettable. Even Huo Lingtian was captivated by her bewitching smile, willing to become a prisoner of her affection.

“Lingtian, I love you.” Smiling, Rong Qing leapt away from his side like a joyful lark, sprawling on the shimmering riverbank, shouting possessively at the boundless sky: “Huo Lingtian, Rong Qing loves you. I love you…” Like a madwoman, she rejoiced, her voice ringing through the heavens, carried by the wind to every corner. Her unrestrained laughter was the happiness of the world’s most fortunate soul.

Gazing at the horizon where water met sky, her eyes were deep and faraway. “Mom, Dad in heaven, I’ve found my happiness. Your daughter will be happy.” The warm embrace behind her held her close, as if joining her in that promise to her parents.

On a bridge in Las Vegas, a man and woman from a distant land kissed passionately, the world reduced to just the two of them. Passing Americans whistled and cheered, some even voicing their support. In this beautiful country, they created memories that belonged to them alone.

But while Rong Qing found happiness in America, life was far from easy for the Wu family back home. Just days ago, the Wu’s real estate business had suffered major setbacks, a powerful competitor with deep pockets vying for the lucrative market—willing to spend extravagantly to snatch their business. Neither the legal nor the underworld dared to stand in the way of this force.

Chill lingered in the autumn air. Compared to the centuries-old Huo estate, the Wu family’s decades-old legacy seemed insignificant. Their opulent villas lacked the patina of history, reeking instead of nouveau riche excess. Each branch of the Wu family lived in garden-surrounded homes, the entire clan housed within several grand villas.

Wu Tianxiong’s own villa stood in the best part of the city’s villa district, overlooking rolling mountains and drifting clouds. Lawns stretched in all directions, pedigreed dogs roaming freely. Security staff numbering in the dozens or hundreds patrolled the grounds; lacking high-tech surveillance, the Wu estate relied on manpower alone.

Wu Yuxin, dressed in a socialite’s gown and high heels, hurried along—a far cry from the pampered princess she once was, now fleeing in panic toward the family patriarch’s residence. Who could have known that a moment’s greed would bring such disaster?

She burst into Wu Tianxiong's residence, angrily dismissing the maids. Like a helpless little rabbit, she ran to her grandfather, tears streaming out before she could speak.

“What is it, my dear?” Wu Tianxiong asked, heart aching. His proud and spirited granddaughter had never been like this before—who dared provoke her?

Sobbing, Wu Yuxin choked out her grievances, fear and indignation in her voice: “Grandpa… Huo—Huo Lingtian wants to get me. He wants to kill me!” she blurted.

She had been the one to reveal Rong Qing and Huo Lingtian’s relationship to Wang Chenhao; she had lured him into plotting the kidnapping; she had even helped him escape the city. Never did she expect that coward would fail to deal with Rong Qing and instead bring disaster down upon her. Now Huo Lingtian was closing in, squeezing the Wu family’s business, rooting out her loyalists one by one—he was destroying her, leaving her with nothing, out for her very life! Wu Yuxin’s eyes brimmed with venom, all former affection long gone.

A chill passed through Wu Tianxiong, a suspicion rising only to be quickly dismissed. Feigning anger, he asked: “Weren’t you just clamoring a few days ago about marrying your Huo brother? What’s happened?”

“No, Grandpa, it’s different now. He’s eating away at the Wu family step by step—he’s serious,” Wu Yuxin insisted. “There’s no way the Wu and Huo families can ever be friendly again!”

“What’s going on?” Wu Tianxiong demanded, shocked. Could the force swallowing up the real estate market in recent days truly be Huo Lingtian? If so, the Wu family had finally hit an immovable wall.

Wu Yuxin confessed her ‘good deeds’ to Wu Tianxiong. She had reached the end of her rope—no one could help her now but her grandfather. She sobbed out her tale, full of grievance and resentment.

Little did she know, Wu Tianxiong’s love and pity had turned to seething anger. His expression shifted again and again—so, reconciliation with the Huo family was impossible now. Without the Hou’s powerful support, facing Huo Lingtian’s ruthless onslaught, the Wu family would be devoured sooner or later.

Wu Tianxiong gazed coldly at his granddaughter, his face as unmoving as a dried-up well. The icy glint in his eyes chilled Wu Yuxin to the bone, spreading fear from her core. She dared not think further—she could not bear the outcome.

“Grandpa… Grandpa, are you going to abandon me?” Wu Yuxin clung to his pant leg, crying and pleading, as if her old tricks of acting spoiled would win back his indulgence.

After a moment, a pair of withered hands rested on her head. “Enough, stop crying. I’m not dead yet! While I’m here, who dares touch you?” the old man said gravely.

But Wu Tianxiong was not moved by her tears or pleas; he had lived a life of iron discipline, willing to sacrifice anything for his family’s interests. Now that Huo Lingtian had turned against them, even sending Yuxin to plead before the Huo boy would be useless. Rather than living in fear, he would use his beautiful granddaughter to secure an alliance with a family strong enough to counter the Huos—then, who could say who would win? Having made up his mind, his attitude toward Yuxin softened.

“Look at yourself, crying like that. Where’s the dignity of the Wu family’s young lady? Go rest, your grandfather will handle it,” he said, his face regaining its familiar warmth.

Wiping her tears, Wu Yuxin clung to her grandfather, skipping and laughing. With his promise, she felt invincible—the Wu family’s most cherished granddaughter once again. She bade him farewell, strutting back to her courtyard with the pride of a peacock.

Wu Tianxiong watched her go, then dialed the first number on his phone.

“Hello… Young Master Li? This is Wu Tianxiong. Oh, it’s been so long! My granddaughter Yuxin is back in the country, too. How about we get together soon? Yes… All right, good, good…” Satisfied, he hung up.

Though the Li family’s eldest son, Li Yingming, was a prominent figure in the city, and the Lis, with their cutting-edge tech business, were a powerful clan, if not as old and strong as the Huos. With their alliance, the Huo family would face threats from all sides—what need to worry then? Besides, that arrogant Huo Lingtian needed to learn the Wu family was not to be trifled with. Rumor had it Li Yingming’s private life was scandalous, littered with actresses and models, but for the sake of the Wu family’s future, Yuxin would just have to endure. Surely she would understand her grandfather’s hardships.

———Author’s Note———
Sob, why are there still so many things to do during the holidays? Out of energy and resources…