Chapter Ninety-Two: Family Recognition

The latest installment of the wealthy tycoon saga...

All her emotions were crushed in her chest. The man’s gaze was too sincere, searing her heart; he knelt willingly, his kiss burning hot and brimming with devotion. She knew it, she had always known it: the man loved her, as if she were his life, his very air. Those three words had long since played silently in her heart countless times.

The reporters below could no longer hold back the trembling of their fingers. Flash, flash, flash— in the dark conference room, the light burst like a dazzling sky full of stars. The quiet atmosphere was ignited in an instant. Who could have imagined that the future young mistress of the Huo family would be the hottest rising star, Rong Qing? For the paparazzi and the public, these were the two people whose news they most wanted to uncover: the goddess in every man’s heart and the “perfect lover” in every woman’s dreams. Seeing them paired together, the whole room was filled with naked envy, jealousy, and resentment. The flashes kept blazing, and everyone, unable to restrain their excitement, had already envisioned the world-shaking sensation this story would cause when it exploded.

The beautiful atmosphere of the proposal was interrupted just like that. No matter how “slow-witted” Rong Qing might be, no matter how moved she was, she could tell it was all a trap laid by Huo Lingtian to lure her in. She shot the man before her a sharp look, fury roiling in her chest. Hmph—he had even joined forces with her best friend to deceive her, to make her anxious, panicked, and helpless. Hmph, this matter was far from over.

Huo Lingtian was inwardly groaning in misery. He had planned to take his treasure by surprise and seal the deal in one stroke, but by the time she reacted, it would already have been too late. Unfortunately... Huo Shao’s fierce gaze swept toward the people below who were disrupting everything. The crowd was so busy taking photos that they nearly forgot the real point. If Huo Shao’s proposal were rejected, how could they possibly keep such explosive news from leaking? They would never be able to cover it up.

Led by some unknown reporter, the chanting began with one voice and spread into a wave, and even employees outside the conference room rushed over. “Marry him! Marry him! Marry him...” The sound swelled higher and higher, shaking the entire building. “Marry him... Marry him...” The conference room had already been lit up again, and the reporters below shouted in unison while cameras kept firing. The whole scene was grand and astonishing.

Rong Qing looked at the room surrounded by people—especially the paparazzi who always seemed to haunt her every step. Fine, now she could not even run if she wanted to. She believed that if she refused at this moment, tomorrow’s headline would be even more sensational than if she accepted Huo Shao’s proposal.

“Sweetheart, my knees are getting sore... marry me.” Huo Lingtian made a pleading face, soothing his little troublemaker. Right now, getting her home as his wife was the urgent matter.

There was a man kneeling on one knee inside, and support shouting from outside. No matter what, she had to give the man face. The tenderness in Rong Qing’s heart turned into deep grievance, and she slowly nodded her agreement.

At once the entire scene erupted, exploding into thunderous cheers and applause. The man stood up, swept her waist into his arms, and drew her against his chest, while a ring that somehow appeared from nowhere was swiftly slipped onto her middle finger. He did not give her the slightest chance to object.

Huo Lingtian leaned close to her ear and said in a warm, intimate voice, “Mrs. Huo, how does it feel?”

Huo Lingtian generously gave the reporter a close-up of the diamond ring engraved with both their initials. The multicolored brilliance of the gem dazzled everyone and opened all their eyes wide. Rong Qing also leaned close to his ear and murmured, “So-so... but being called Mrs. Huo feels pretty nice.” Her playful eyes met Huo Lingtian’s, their understanding perfect. In full view of everyone, Huo Shao lightly pinched the bridge of her delicate nose, intimate and affectionate beyond measure.

“Mr. Huo, you never announced your relationship with the superstar Rong Qing. Have you been together long?” one reporter asked boldly. Since Huo Shao’s proposal had been a success, this should be the perfect time for them reporters, shouldn’t it?

Huo Lingtian wrapped an arm around Rong Qing’s waist, his possessiveness unmistakable. He narrowed his eyes and returned a look that clearly meant, of course. Then he took Mrs. Huo and left the noisy conference room. The entertainment reporters watched silently as Huo Shao strode away with commanding presence. So they had only been there to serve as background decoration, right? Right...

Once they left the Huo Group building, Huo Lingtian was too excited to contain himself. He lifted Rong Qing into his arms. The snow had stopped, but the winter scenery remained breathtakingly beautiful. Happily carrying her, he turned in circles in the snow, as though he had returned to those innocent, radiant days of seventeen or eighteen.

“Mrs. Huo... Mrs. Huo... Qing, you’re my Mrs. Huo now,” Huo Lingtian repeated again and again, confirming it again and again.

“Yes, Mr. Huo. Could you put me down first?” Rong Qing said with a smile, indulgent toward the man before her.

“Ha... no...” No one knew how long the two of them foolishly stood there in the snow that day. Their footprints were scattered across the white ground.

In the evening, Huo Lingtian and Rong Qing drove back to the Huo residence. They exchanged sweet glances as they brushed the snow from each other’s clothes. Hand in hand, they appeared before the Huo family.

At this moment, Rong Qing seemed like an immortal maiden from the mortal world, pure and lovely, without layers of makeup or luxurious adornment—like the purest young girl standing before the Huo family. She was not timid. Smiling gracefully, as brilliant as mountain blossoms in full bloom, she called out to the elder of the Huo family, “Grandpa.”

Huo Zhen was all delight and satisfaction. Who would not like such a well-behaved, beautiful, and innocent granddaughter-in-law? Though he was old, his eye for people had grown ever sharper. If a woman harbored schemes against the Huo family, he would never let her through the door.

“Come, sit here with Grandpa.” Huo Zhen eagerly called Rong Qing to sit beside him, which only made the Huo family branch members nearby even more envious.

Rong Qing removed her heavy coat. The Huo household’s main hall was warm. She sat obediently in the honored seat, and beside her was another beauty of the Huo family, Huo Zhen. Heavy cosmetics coated her face in a ghostly pallor, while the vermilion on her lips made her seem even more alluring and sharp. Compared with Rong Qing’s youthful beauty, the elegant matron seemed rather overdone. Her delicate fingers, stained with lacquer-red polish, twisted restlessly, her arrogance obvious.

“I hear Miss Rong is an actress?” Huo Zhen said, though her expression was casual and dismissive, carrying an air of contempt. She came from an eminent family and was also a manager at the Huo Group. To her, a little actress who stole the spotlight was all the more beneath notice.

Rong Qing turned lightly. Yet in those star-bright eyes, a sly glimmer passed. “Madam, have you seen any of my films?” Rong Qing looked genuinely flattered, leaving Huo Zhen with nothing to say.

Huo Lingtian rose and, holding Rong Qing’s hand, introduced everyone one by one. “This is Second Uncle, Huo Qidong; Third Uncle, Huo Qiming; and my aunt, Huo Zhen. Though they are your elders and mine, I am the current head of the Huo family. After we marry, you will be the mistress of this house. No one will dare disrespect you.”

Huo Lingtian established his authority in front of everyone. His status and power ruled the entire Huo Group, but he could not be certain that his precious girl would not be bullied by this group of “family” members. Rong Qing greeted each of them in turn, polite and refined without losing her measure. The old master was greatly pleased by this.

Although the Huo Group relied on his formidable grandson to fight its battles outside, the main residence had long been a place of disorder. If not for this old man keeping it all in check, the legitimate sons and daughters of the branch families, together with the three main branches of his own household, would sooner or later stir up trouble. On the surface, Rong Qing appeared gentle and courteous, but those who underestimated her often paid dearly. Clearly she was as dark-bellied as his grandson, only wrapped in a sheepskin of gentleness to create an illusion. He only hoped that this brood of younger generations would not be played too miserably.

With the head of the Huo family in charge, the entire family banquet was harmonious and cheerful. The younger generation greeted Rong Qing and then slipped aside to play. Huo Lingtian’s uncles were courteous and proper in speech and behavior. Overall, the atmosphere was peaceful and pleasant.

Last time they had met the old master, the matter of setting the wedding date had come up. She had thought it was merely casual conversation, never imagining that the two generations of grandfather and grandson had already settled the wedding date thoroughly. The Huo residence had been busy for over a month, preparing to welcome a new mistress. Only now did Rong Qing fully understand the truth: once one entered a wolf’s den, escape became difficult.

“Look at you. Your grandmother has been gone for nearly ten years now, and you were the one she loved most,” Grandpa Huo said with deep emotion. For the grandson they had raised with their own hands, the old couple had given all their labor and all their love. “What she could never let go of was your marriage. Before she left, she asked me to pass this on to your future granddaughter-in-law.”

Old Master Huo took a brocade box from the safe in the bedroom and opened the wine-red box before everyone in the Huo family. A dazzling radiance, as brilliant as starlight, spilled out, overpowering and magnificent. Beside her, Huo Zhen’s eyes turned red, her delicate nails digging into her palm without her noticing.

“The Victoria Ruby Crown!” someone who knew its value could not help exclaiming.

Inside the box rested a crown. Clear crystal encased a blood-red agate, and within that deep crimson gem, one could see a splendor like fireworks, brilliant and shimmering after the light was refracted through its facets. The multicolored radiance it emitted came from a top-tier diamond rare in the entire world. This crown had once belonged to Queen Victoria of Britain. After many changes of hands, it was finally acquired at auction by the Huo empire. Passed down through generations, it symbolized the mistress of the house through the ages.

And Huo Zhen herself had seen her mother wear it once since childhood. The meaning and value represented by this crown were beyond measure. She stared at the top-grade jewel with greed, never imagining that in the end, the Huo family’s treasure would fall into the hands of an unremarkable actress. She could not accept it!

Rong Qing’s eyes flashed with a brief, stunned amazement. She held back the surging feelings in her heart. She knew that the thing before her was absolutely worth far more than she could estimate, and what had been entrusted to her represented not only the luxury and wealth symbolized by the crown, but also the burden of the Huo family’s legacy that she would have to bear.

“Grandpa... this... this is too precious... I...” I am not yet prepared to shoulder the responsibility it represents.

Huo Zhen’s face was filled with care and trust as he solemnly placed the crown into her hands. “Take it slowly, child. I believe in you.” In front of everyone in the Huo family, the old master acknowledged Rong Qing’s status and bestowed upon her the highest authority.

The weight of the brocade box pressed heavily in her heart. Huo Lingtian’s hand closed over hers, sending a steady stream of strength and confidence through her, as though she truly had the ability to hold up the entire family and stand beside the man at his side.

A little extra note from the author...

Heh...