Chapter Ninety-Four: Home to Visit Family

In the latest chapter of The Tycoon Superstar, Rong Qing finally shed tears of gratitude as she said, “Thank you... thank you all for your support and understanding. I will love you forever.” What had begun as a sensational uproar ended in warmth, and Rong Qing patiently stayed at the event, taking photos with every fan and signing keepsakes for them. The support and strength of these fans were what kept her acting, while her beloved man was the entirety of her life. With love acknowledging the one she loved and standing by her, her life would be complete enough, and her family and career would both flourish in peace and well-being.

The Huo family soon announced the date of Young Master Huo’s wedding and the guest list. Because the Huo family had influence in politics, the military, and business alike, the invitations went out to true heavyweights of the upper crust. Rong Qing, with her formidable standing in the worlds of fashion and entertainment, also drew the full attendance of the social elite. The banquet was set to be grand and magnificent, a dazzling display of extravagance. The wedding date was fixed for the very moment the New Year arrived, so that the whole nation might celebrate and offer congratulations to the newlyweds.

With all media attention fixed upon them, the new film Miss Y’s Transformation Diary was released before Christmas. Riding on Rong Qing’s fame and the buzz surrounding her, this modest low-budget production became a strong contender in the holiday season lineup. And thus Fang Ziqing, a newly risen director, found instant fame thanks to one superstar; his background was dug up and widely reported, and the work that had once vanished from public sight returned to everyone’s attention.

As Christmas approached, a snowfall the night before had dressed City X in white. Store windows and towering buildings were festively adorned, and the bustling streets blazed with light. In a luxurious photography studio, the newlyweds seemed like the sweetest pair in the world, their joined hands creating the most beautiful picture. For a current top star to come to their studio for a shoot was already a tremendous honor; even if the superstar had not left them a single print, the studio’s reputation would have been self-evident.

Rong Qing wore an exquisite white gown, like the most beautiful fairy, needing no ornament at all to captivate every eye. Huo Lingtian, in a simple silver tailored suit, accentuated his perfect build and his proud, cold, and aloof bearing. One was a dazzling celestial beauty, the other cool and handsome; together they were perfect.

Originally, Huo Lingtian had planned to take her to Paris for a pre-wedding honeymoon while they had their album shot, but with wedding preparations consuming every spare moment and her new film about to be released, she truly could not leave. Since his wife said it could be anywhere, any studio would do as long as they had a keepsake. For Huo Young Master, who was not particularly fond of posing for photos, that was an acceptable compromise.

The photographer worked himself half to death, and by the end of the day the studio was filled with their wedding photos: warm and sugary, odd and playful, and passionately entwined as if they would never part. That perfect feeling made him forget everything else. He was happily holding his treasured camera when a tall dark shadow fell over him. Overwhelmed by Huo Young Master’s aura, the photographer stood there dazed, still clutching the camera, and in the next instant it was effortlessly taken away.

“The camera is confiscated. Include the private booking fee in the bill,” Huo Lingtian ordered. Then he put away the luxury camera, making sure not a single photo inside leaked out, and led Rong Qing out of the studio.

Eh? The photographer turned mechanically, patting the beloved camera in his hands. It was... really gone. The smug expression he had worn a moment earlier vanished at once, and the enormous gap between then and now left him full of grievance and complaint.

“Boss... the two of them just paid up. The... the total was two hundred thousand.” A staff member hurried over, trembling all over. Heaven knew they had never seen such generous clients before; what luck had fallen into their lap.

“Two hundred thousand? That much?” the photographer cried in surprise, but then he became miserable again. “They took away priceless treasures! What is two hundred thousand compared to that? That would have been such incredible publicity for the studio.” Though he looked deeply distressed, he eventually let it go. The rumors flying all over the city said that the Huo family’s young master was not someone to offend lightly; perhaps their little studio might be swallowed whole if they were careless.

After the wedding photos were taken, one more matter in her heart was settled, and Rong Qing’s mood improved greatly. She became even gentler toward Mr. Huo. Traffic streamed thickly through the streets, and in a few more days it would be their great wedding day. Aside from the busy work and preparations, walking quietly to the end of the street brought a sense of peace and serenity.

“Mr. Huo, would you be honored to accompany me back to my hometown?” Rong Qing smiled like a flower, her face flushed with spring color as she looked up at the tall and imposing figure standing on the bridge.

“Mrs. Huo, the honor is mine,” Huo Lingtian said respectfully, taking her small hand. “Please, my queen.”

Once again returning to the old residence, the wild grass in the suburban courtyard had long since withered into stillness, and the snow had covered this quiet land in white. Coming back once more, to her parents’ home, the sorrow did not seem quite so heavy. Perhaps it was because the man beside her held her hands tightly, sharing his warmth and filling the loneliness in her heart. The old home, coated in dust, had sealed away her most beautiful childhood and recorded her hardest years. It was the resting place of her parents, and though the surroundings were familiar, her heart no longer felt a true sense of belonging there. The man had given her dependence and a whole world; may her parents in heaven rest in happiness.

This time, with a different heart, she looked at the joyful smiles in her parents’ photograph and, before she knew it, tears had covered the face of the girl who had always been so strong. Since her parents’ death, she had held up her entire world, leaving no room for tears, only resolve and endurance. Yet now, at the happiest moment of her life, she was crying uncontrollably, releasing all the grievances and hardships she had endured for so long.

“Dad... Mom. Qing’er will definitely be happy,” she said hoarsely, hiding in the man’s arms. She allowed herself weakness, shedding the strength she had worn for so many years, crying with the heartbreak of a child. Large hands patted her back, warm and reassuring.

“Good girl... baby. We’ll be even happier,” Huo Lingtian murmured. “From now on, I’ll stay with you. You won’t be lonely anymore, nor exhausted anymore. You can lay down all your strength and all your defenses. Baby, I am your greatest support.”

Watching his beloved cry, Huo Lingtian’s heart ached beyond measure. Rong Qing’s toughness was one of the qualities that drew people to her, but at this moment he wished without a second thought that she would cast that damned toughness aside. If she had grievances, he would stand up for her. If she was bullied, he would take revenge. If she was unhappy, he would be willing to ignite a blaze throughout the land just to win her smile. He would indulge every bit of her willfulness and build for her a kingdom belonging only to Rong Qing.

“Baby... don’t cry...” Huo Lingtian carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks. “It breaks my heart...”

Those brief three words, “it breaks my heart,” carried all of Huo Lingtian’s boundless love and devotion. If not for loving her to the extreme, how could her pain wound his body and her sorrow pierce his heart? If not for souls in perfect accord, how could he feel such overwhelming ache for her?

The little rascal, who had been silently crying, finally broke into tears of laughter. “Mm... I was only happy. I wasn’t crying at all.” The tear tracks still lingered faintly on her face as she lied through her teeth. “Come on, pay respects to my parents. Hmph, they would never be willing to give their precious daughter to you!”

Huo Lingtian pinched the tip of her mischievous nose. His star-bright eyes grew even more brilliant and captivating. Unable to resist, he kissed those expressive eyes. Perhaps the beauty of the vast heavens was just like this...

Looking at the young couple in the photograph, Huo Lingtian saw a beautiful and gentle wife very much like Rong Qing, though time had lent the woman in the picture an even more refined grace. The man, embracing her before a sea of flowers, was cultured and elegant, yet his bright eyes were as lively as Rong Qing’s own. Only such outstanding parents could have given birth to such a dazzling and mischievous treasure. Huo Lingtian steadied himself, then knelt solemnly on the ground. The emperor who stood high above all others now bent his knees with sincerity, bringing that wholehearted devotion to ask her parents to entrust their daughter to him.

“Dad, Mom, I am Huo Lingtian, the man to whom your daughter has entrusted her life. To be able to marry your daughter is the luck and blessing of my entire life. She is wonderful—strong, kind, and pure-hearted. She is like an angel who has fallen into the mortal world, so beautiful. Perhaps I once lost my way, perhaps I once stumbled into confusion, but I am willing to spend every day from now on cherishing her, protecting her, and spoiling her, until the end of my life.”

In this old house, the first ray of sunlight after the snow broke through the windows, filling the room with warmth. Rong Qing and Huo Lingtian bid farewell to her parents, their hearts full of firm trust.

“Mr. Huo, I’ll take you to meet my grandparents,” she said lightly, sounding pleased with his performance and strangely relieved.

The Wang family lived right next door. They took the gifts they had prepared from the car and went to visit.

“Grandpa, it’s me, Qing’er.” Rong Qing knocked, and the door opened almost at once.

Old Wang was advanced in years, yet still vigorous. Seeing his beloved granddaughter return, he was so excited that he immediately called out to his wife. “Old Li, come out... Qing’er is back!”

The elderly couple, both moved to the point of trembling, hurried Rong Qing inside. When they saw the tall and handsome man following behind her, they began to wonder: Qing’er had never before brought a man home. Could it be...

Rong Qing did not hide it from her grandparents. “Grandpa Wang, this is my fiancé. In a few days we’ll be getting married. Then you must come to the ceremony!”

“Good... good, good.” Grandfather Wang had spent his life reading people well, and he was extremely satisfied with Huo Lingtian, saying “good” three times in a row. His attitude was so warm and eager that one would have thought his own son had come home.

Grandmother Li cut watermelon and brewed tea to entertain them, afraid of slighting her future grandson-in-law. “Just look at you two—only telling us at the last minute that you’re getting married. Hmph, this... this... there’s nothing prepared at all.” She was a little flustered. Such a big event with nothing ready at hand would make their Qing’er seem looked down upon by her future in-laws.

“Grandpa, Grandma, there’s no need to prepare anything. Just come when the time comes. Qing’s family is my family too. No need to be formal,” Huo Lingtian said, his demeanor now even more obedient, his smile never fading. Watching from the side, Rong Qing’s eyes twitched nonstop.

“Oh my, Xiao Huo is so sensible,” Grandfather Wang said. That afternoon, Huo Lingtian kept the old man company through several games of chess. Since Grandfather Wang had some knowledge of ancient books, Huo Lingtian catered to his interests, and they chatted so happily that he won the old couple over with ease. They praised him repeatedly, and when he left they even came out to see him off, telling him to come again next time. By contrast, their granddaughter had been neglected much earlier.

Rong Qing looked at the man beside her, who was acting cute and obedient, and gritted her teeth in annoyance. “Mr. Huo, acting adorable is shameful!”

Huo Lingtian blinked, his eyes full of triumphant amusement.