Chapter 109

In this way, filming proceeded smoothly. Aside from rushing back to City X to handle urgent matters, Huo Lingtian spent most of his time at Rong Qing’s side. He watched that immature girl grow step by step into an eagle soaring through her own sky, and a faint sense of satisfaction and pride filled the man’s heart.

Perhaps with his formidable background and the Huo family’s wealth, he could have protected her safety for a lifetime. But the hundred-year-old warship that was the Huo Group hoped for more: it wanted a mistress who could stand beside him and steer the course. Rong Qing had done it. She wielded enormous influence in fashion and entertainment, with tens of millions of fans and formidable public appeal. She was also the Huo Group’s golden spokesperson; the products she endorsed saw sales rise by more than five percent. She had created not only a sales miracle, but an entertainment miracle as well. In the brief span of time she had risen to such prominence, no one could compare with her. She was worthy of the title of the greatest figure in entertainment.

Filming of God of the Savage Lands had already lasted three months and was soon nearing its end. The crew’s work grew busier by the day, yet Rong Qing, as a principal actress, worked with tireless efficiency and remarkably few retakes, completing all her scenes in one sweep. Huo Lingtian’s company had already delayed much of his work because he had stayed by her side. City X could not remain without a head for long, and even Old Master Huo kept pressing at home. Before the production had fully wrapped, Rong Qing accompanied Huo Lingtian back.

Unlike the last time she had secretly returned to the Huo residence, Rong Qing now came back as the mistress of the entire estate. All relatives and dependents within three generations came out to welcome the family head and his wife. Rong Qing walked dazedly into the long hall and was ceremoniously observed by every younger member of the family. When she entered the inner hall, Old Master Huo and several close juniors were sitting together, all of them in cheerful spirits. The moment they saw his precious grandson and granddaughter-in-law, the old man’s wrinkled face broke into a blooming smile.

“Qingqing, come sit. Let Grandpa have a look at you.”

Old Master Huo grasped Rong Qing’s hands with obvious reluctance, touching and examining her over and over. She had gone out for a trip, and somehow seemed much thinner. Her formerly fair skin had grown a shade darker, healthier, with a touch more restrained, heroic sharpness. Though he felt certain his granddaughter-in-law must have suffered quite a bit, the bearing she carried was exactly like his clever, dark-hearted grandson’s. Good, good. Only someone so decisive and brave could support a family this large.

The old man truly doted on his beautiful granddaughter-in-law; his heart had plainly tilted far to one side. At the table below, the younger generation sat watching while the best and most nourishing dishes were all being placed into Rong Qing’s bowl. The Huo descendants did not lack such things, of course, but with the old man’s attitude so plain for all to see, it was enough to make them feel sour.

“Humph, I’m not eating anymore.”

Huo Zhen slammed down her chopsticks, producing a crisp click against the table.

She really could not stand it anymore. Before Rong Qing entered the family, the old man may not have been warm toward her, but he had at least shown her the indulgence due an only daughter. Yet ever since this woman arrived, she had stolen away most of the old man’s attention. She had never seen him treat anyone so well before—except, of course, for that aberrant Huo Lingtian. Family matters of every size and sort were now being put in Rong Qing’s favor first, as though a mere outsider had come in and seized the spotlight. Were the rest of them, the Huo descendants, supposed to be dead?

The sharp sound drew the attention of both Old Master Huo and the family head, Huo Lingtian. If in the past Huo Lingtian had indulged this aunt of his, it was only out of consideration for the old man. He had never paid much attention to the affairs of the Huo residence. As long as the smoke and scheming did not reach him, he remained unconcerned. His silence and tolerance before did not mean she could run wild over his wife’s head. If certain people were incapable of reading the room, he did not mind teaching them, by special means, exactly who ruled this household.

Frowning, Huo Lingtian had already delivered his final warning to Huo Zhen in his heart.

As for Old Master Huo, who had been born into nobility and educated with the finest etiquette, the sight of his daughter acting so rudely in public was nothing short of a slap to his face. His expression darkened as he set down his own chopsticks.

“If you won’t eat, then have the bowls and chopsticks taken away. There are plenty of people downstairs who would love to sit at this table.”

The old man’s unceremonious words made the heiress even more humiliated. Huo Zhen rose in anger, grabbing her purse as if to leave.

“If you step out of this door today, you don’t need to come back again.”

Old Master Huo’s tone was mild, but final.

He had always cherished this daughter and given her every convenience. But once she crossed that line, even he, this old man, would probably be unable to protect her.

Sure enough, Huo Zhen’s steps halted just as she was leaving the hall. A woman nearing fifty, her face carefully made up, her skin powdered to a startling whiteness, she still carried an air of wealth and refinement. If only her husband had been more capable, she would never have had to swallow this kind of insult on Huo family ground.

A moment later, the jealous, furious expression on her face was replaced by a flattering smile, a complete transformation in the span of a heartbeat. Huo Zhen walked over to the old master with a beaming face, even massaging his shoulders and pouring him water with excessive familiarity.

“Dad, I was in the wrong just now. See, I’ve already admitted it.”

She set a cup of freshly brewed tea before him.

Old Master Huo remained unmoved, steady as a mountain. “You are an elder. Today is Qingqing’s welcome-home banquet. You should apologize to her.”

He spoke calmly. Rules were rules. If his proud, stubborn daughter could not take this one step down, then the family head would no longer treat her household kindly.

As expected, the smile on Huo Zhen’s face cracked. Her stiffened hand froze in place. All the juniors of the clan were seated there watching, and her own father was actually asking her to apologize to that woman in front of everyone. Huo Zhen did not move for a long time. The atmosphere grew rigid.

Old Master Huo sighed inwardly. His foolish daughter. Things had come to this, and he could no longer shield her family. Let things be as they would.

“Grandpa,” Rong Qing said first, breaking the stalemate. “Aunt Huo, please sit and eat. We’re all family. Why speak of apologies? I’m still young and can learn.”

She was not really trying to excuse Huo Zhen. This was not the first time Huo Zhen had publicly denied her face. But in front of her elders, Rong Qing could only play the part of the generous daughter-in-law.

Given that opening, even if Huo Zhen were still unreasonable, she would not dare make a scene again. She sat down in silence, wearing a sour expression that seemed to accuse the world at large.

Though the banquet had seen a few disturbances, it was peaceful in the main. After dinner, Huo Lingtian and Rong Qing, exhausted from travel, returned early to their own residence.

In the bathroom, steam drifted thickly through the air. Inside a lavish bath, a breathtaking beauty reclined half-submerged, nude and serene, like a lotus just rising from water. Her skin was as pale as snow, her brows delicate and dark, and her long black hair hung wet down her bare back. Tiny droplets gleamed on her exposed skin. The beauty was flushed from the rising heat, her eyes misted with moisture, seductive in a way that could stir a person’s restless desire and make it hard to breathe.

Across from the bathroom, a giant luxury television hung on the wall, playing a recent film. Rong Qing was soaking in hot water, washing away the fatigue from her body. Being able to bathe lazily while watching a movie had become one of her newest pleasures.

With a soft click, the bathroom door opened from outside. Huo Lingtian entered wearing only a loosely tied bathrobe. His chest was half bare, covered in bronzed, powerful muscle. That hard, formidable physique had once drawn admiration from countless noble young ladies. He carried a bottle of red wine and walked in slowly.

“Baby, is it good?”

He sat down at the edge, his warm bronze skin laid fully bare, making him seem even more sensual. He spoke close to her ear.

“Mm... it’s good.”

Rong Qing answered dazedly. Having reached a thrilling scene, she could not help being drawn into the film. She nodded like an obedient little rabbit, completely ignoring the man’s deliberate display of charm.

The man was displeased.

With ice-cool fingertips, he traced her smooth skin and pinched her chin, forcing her to turn toward him. A deep kiss cut off Rong Qing’s complaints.

“Mmm...”

How could Rong Qing still care about kissing when there was a good scene on screen? She tried desperately to keep watching, but Huo Lingtian’s forceful kiss swept through her soul, draining away every breath she had. The alluring scent of the man made her limbs go weak, and all she could do was keep sinking deeper.

In the end, that foolish little rabbit could only melt obediently against his body, panting in small, soft breaths, completely forgetting the movie.

With a splash, Huo Lingtian took off the bathrobe and stepped into the water. He wore nothing beneath it, which made his intentions obvious. With a pop, he opened the chilled red wine, and a rich fragrance instantly spread through the bathroom.

“Baby, have a little?”

Gracefully, he poured some wine into two glasses and handed one to the woman clinging to him.

Wine and a movie—there was no more perfect pleasure in life. Rong Qing nodded with delight, taking a delicate sip with the tip of her pink tongue. The cool, mellow flavor spread through every part of her body. She narrowed her eyes in languid enjoyment like a pampered noble cat. Huo Lingtian held his glass and quietly stored away every fleeting expression of hers in his heart. He did not even drink; already, he felt drunk on her. The heat in his body burned through his limbs.

Under Huo Lingtian’s careful coaxing, Rong Qing unknowingly finished a large glass of red wine. What he had poured was excellent liquor, with a powerful aftereffect. Half-reclining in the bath, Rong Qing found that her head had begun to spin, and the man before her seemed to sway back and forth.

“Don’t sway. I’m dizzy.”

As she spoke, her body went weak, and she leaned naturally into his arms. Her eyes carried a dazed, dreamy smile, her expression bewitching.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

Huo Lingtian immediately tossed the glass aside and, with a splash, lifted Rong Qing out of the water. He wrapped her in a towel and carried her toward the large bed in the bedroom.

Wine only added to the mood, and Rong Qing was already thoroughly intoxicated. Her body was unusually hot, passionate as fire, and extraordinarily obedient. Huo Lingtian was almost drunk on this extreme pleasure. Like a wolf that never knew satisfaction, he took her over and over, inside and out, until he had worked her down to the bone.

By the latter half of the night, even Rong Qing’s last shred of consciousness had been flung beyond the clouds. Dazed and helpless, she was tormented by the man until she was utterly exhausted.

After briefly cleaning Rong Qing up, Huo Lingtian finally took out the documents from the safe. Looking at his sleeping treasure, a tender smile flashed in his eyes. He pressed her fingertip onto the papers, leaving her fingerprint on them.

Mission accomplished.

Carefully, the man put the documents away.

Postscript: Guess what Huo Lingtian did.