Villain Boss Chapter 225
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 225: Before The Party
It was a cloudless night with the moon encircled by stars. In early summer, under the moonlight over the lotus pond, the croaking of frogs rose and fell.
The vermilion gates of the Huo family’s compound were wide open, bustling with people coming and going.
"Eh, isn't this Second Master Huo? Why are you in the mood for a stroll today?"
"Since Lingyin is back safely this time, as her uncle, I naturally have to come and welcome her back."
"That's true. The supplies that Captain Huo brought back this time can temporarily relieve the base's urgent needs, which is another great achievement. I'm sure you’re also honored by this."
"Naturally."
When Jiang Ran arrived with Huo Lingyin, they encountered several elderly men exchanging pleasantries at the entrance.
Huo Lingyin didn't stop walking and brushed past the group, but before they could go in, she was stopped.
"Lingyin." The man whom they addressed as “Second Master Huo” called out to Huo Lingyin, "You saw your second uncle and didn't even say hello?"
He adopted the authority of an elder, and his face turned stern, showing a rather solemn expression.
Huo Lingyin, however, wasn’t afraid.
She glanced at him indifferently, her red lips parted slightly, and she asked casually, "Is there any rule at Beichen base that requires one to greet one’s elders?"
Before Master Huo could reply, she continued, "Oh, you can't really be considered my elder."
She brushed a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek and sneered, "You’re just a dog that my grandfather picked up. Do you really think you’re someone special? My elder? Don't flatter yourself."
After Huo Lingyin finished speaking, she didn't give Second Master Huo a chance to reply. She directly stepped into the Huo family’s compound, leaving everyone behind.
"Well..." The man who had spoken to Master Huo earlier awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Huo Xuan, the second master of the Huo family, was the illegitimate son of Senior Master Huo. However, due to the influence of Old Madam Huo's maiden family, Senior Master Huo dared not let Huo Xuan acknowledge his ancestors and only told the outside world that he was an adopted son.
Although he was said to be an adopted son, everyone inside and outside the family knew the true identity of this Second Master Huo. Especially now that he had two superhuman teams under his control at Beichen base, even Huo Sichan had to respectfully address him as "Second Uncle".
Only Huo Lingyin would mock Huo Xuan every time without showing him any mercy.
As the man was feeling uneasy, he heard Huo Xuan's faint chuckle. "The party is about to begin. Let's go in."
He remained calm and composed, as if those words hadn't been spoken to him at all.
The man quickly took the opportunity to back down, exchanged a few pleasantries, and went inside.
……
Walking through the courtyard planted with various green plants and flowers, Jiang Ran didn't encounter a single stranger along the way.
Jiang Ran looked around at the scenery and exclaimed, "Your Huo family's mansion has such a beautiful view. A lot of thought must’ve been put into the renovation."
"You're talking about these things?" Pushing aside the banana leaves blocking her way, Huo Lingyin snorted, her tone both mocking and sarcastic. "These things were modified by Huo Sichan. There weren't so many eyesores before."
"Marshal Huo?"
"Yeah. Before the apocalypse, he was a landscape architect."
"..." Huo Sichan was the eldest son of the Huo family. Before the apocalypse, he didn’t work at the Huo family’s company to inherit the Huo family’s business in the future.
Seeing her confusion, Huo Lingyin said, "Our family doesn't ask much of the younger generation. Grandpa said that the Huo family is so big and powerful that even with the wealth accumulated by our ancestors is enough for us to squander for a hundred years. So, the younger generation of the Huo family just needs to be happy."
Hmm? Was this how the Huo family raised their children? It was quite different from what she imagined.
Huo Lingyin wouldn't lie about something like this, so Jiang Ran asked directly, "But I heard gossip at Xiling base that your Huo family broke up Miss Huo and her lover back then in order to form a marriage alliance with the Pei family..."
"You mean my aunt?" Huo Lingyin quickly took the bait. "I know about that. It caused quite a stir back then. To be honest, the way things turned out is just my aunt's bad luck."
"How so?"
“Our family doesn’t have high expectations for the younger generation, but our elders, especially our grandfathers, are very committed to keeping their promises.”
"Ah." Jiang Ran suddenly realized, "Was Huo Zhisang and Pei Qing's marriage arranged by the older generation?"
After Huo Lingyin nodded, she asked in surprise, "You even know their names so clearly? Does Xiling base go to such great lengths to listen to gossip?"
Jiang Ran replied dismissively, "That's because—who doesn't love gossip?"
As for the matter of her elders, which was something from decades ago, Huo Lingyin didn't want to say much. She only said, "Fortunately, my aunt married into the Pei family. I heard that the man she liked before died young from illness."
As she spoke, she gently shook her head, looking quite emotional.
Knowing that the young man she mentioned who died of illness was Si Xu's biological father, and disliking the smug tone in her evaluation, Jiang Ran glanced at her and sneered, "Whether he died of illness or for some other reason, who can say for sure now?"
Looking back now, there might be some shady dealings involved, but it seemed to have nothing to do with the person in front of her... Huo Lingyin gave Jiang Ran a strange look. "Why are you so angry?"
"I'm not angry," Jiang Ran said with a forced smile. "You're reading too much into it."
"..."
Seeing that she still had some doubts, Jiang Ran changed the subject. "And what's the deal with your second uncle?"
"Huo Xuan isn’t my second uncle." Huo Lingyin's eyes turned cold when Huo Xuan was mentioned.
"Didn’t you say Huo Xuan is your grandfather's adopted son?"
"Hah, he’s an illegitimate child. Because of the power of my grandmother's family, my grandfather didn't dare to acknowledge him."
Jiang Ran understood.
"He currently controls two of the five superhuman teams in the base. The captain of the third team is his son, Huo Siguo, and the captain of the fourth team is his confidant, Huo Yun."
"What about the remaining two teams?"
"The remaining two teams have nothing to do with him for the time being. The relationships within our base are quite complicated. Although Huo Sichan is in charge, there are many people who covet this position. The other two superhuman teams have always maintained a neutral stance, so there's not much hope for them."
"Your older brother, Huo Sichan..." Jiang Ran said truthfully, "I don’t think he’s in very good health. And with so much going on at your base, it might not be easy for him to hold onto his current position."
Recalling what Huo Lingge had said about Huo Sichan's injury, a murderous glint appeared in Huo Lingyin's eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "Those people should’ve been taught a lesson long ago..."
Why was Huo Sichan injured? It was obvious who did it, but for the sake of the base's development, since the person involved didn't say anything, no one investigated.
Just as the two arrived in front of the small building where Huo Sichan was, a young man walked out of the building and met them.
Upon seeing Huo Lingyin, he raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Lingyin is back? This time, you brought back so many supplies. That's quite a feat."
As he spoke, he stopped in front of Huo Lingyin and was about to reach out and pat her shoulder.
Huo Lingyin stared at him coldly, a sneer spreading across her face. "Huo Siguo, if you dare touch me, I'll break your hand."
Having suffered at her hands, his hand remained frozen in mid-air.
He pursed his lips, withdrew his hand, stroked his chin, and muttered, "I haven't seen you for months, and you're still as fierce as ever, tsk."
After speaking, he looked at Jiang Ran next to Huo Lingyin. What was originally a casual glance turned into a fixed gaze on Jiang Ran's face that lingered for a long time.
His gaze shifted from wary to amused, and he raised his chin, asking Huo Lingyin, "And this is...?"
While asking the question, he had already made up his mind. Since the girl was just an ordinary person, no matter what her identity was, he would get his hands on her and play with her for a few days first.
