Everyone held their breath, watching silently as Huo Yunting walked toward Xie Jinghong.
No one knew what this man, who had dominated Beicheng in just a few short years, actually wanted. His status was tainted—he was the illegitimate son of the Huo Family—but his methods were ruthless.
A few years back, a wealthy young heir had mocked him in front of a crowd, sneering that an illegitimate son had no business trying to stir up trouble, let alone appearing at a banquet reserved for the heirs of prestigious families. Huo Yunting had beaten that young man so severely he lost control of his bowels on the spot.
Following that, the young man’s family—a top-ten elite clan in Beicheng—suffered a series of disasters: their youngest son, who had been guaranteed admission to a top university, was expelled; their daughter, who was betrothed to a powerful family, had her engagement called off; their most promising joint ventures were cancelled; and even their scattered branch offices were shut down one after another after being flagged for regulatory violations. Within a few days, a family that had prospered for decades in Beicheng had effectively ceased to exist. Unable to accept the reality, the head of the family jumped to his death.
It was a true case of a family being utterly destroyed. While there was no direct evidence, everyone knew that Huo Yunting was the one who had dismantled such a massive clan overnight. Ever since then, no one dared to speak insolently in his presence.
And yet, here he was, appearing with such a grand entourage—no one knew why. If he had truly come to demand an explanation from Xie Jinghong, then everyone present might be implicated.
The only person in the room who seemed relaxed was Xie Jinghong. While Huo Yunting was walking toward her, she actually had the leisure to enjoy her dessert.
His footsteps echoed, each one striking against the hearts of those watching. They found themselves breathing in sync with his steady pace.
Huo Yunting stopped directly in front of Xie Jinghong. Six bodyguards lined up behind him.
"My apologies, Xie... divine healer. I am late in delivering your surgical fee."
As Huo Yunting looked at her, his expression was not that of a stranger, but rather like someone gazing across a river of time at an old friend he hadn't seen in ages.
As he finished speaking, the six men behind him simultaneously opened the cases they were carrying. They were completely filled with cash—six massive trunks of it!
"This is the fee for the surgery you performed on my grandfather: ten million."
The crowd erupted at the mention of that figure. Ten million? Even for the world’s top medical experts, no single surgery could possibly command such a fee.
Xie Jinghong’s eyes lit up at the sight of the money. Then, she paused for a moment. She remembered that the number she had mentioned offhand at the time was only eight million. Besides, hadn't she left her account number with him?
Perhaps sensing her confusion, Huo Yunting patiently explained, "My apologies. The account number you left on my arm... I accidentally rubbed off a few digits. Consider the extra two million the interest for my late payment."
Everyone was stunned. When had Huo Yunting ever explained himself like this? He had actually said, "My apologies"? And what kind of exorbitant interest rate reached two million in just a few days? Even loan sharks didn't dare go that far!
Under the gaze of the entire room, Xie Jinghong walked casually to the bodyguard holding a case, picked up a stack of cash, and fanned through it. She then switched to another case, grabbed another stack, and flicked her fingers: "Swish, swish, swish." Then she moved on to the next...
If they didn't know for a fact that they were at a Xie family banquet, the scene before them would have made anyone think they had stumbled into a criminal underworld transaction. Yet, the fearsome Huo Yunting was the one standing there, being inspected.
Who was this girl the Xie family had taken in? How could she dare to look down on even Huo Yunting? If anyone else had dared to inspect goods delivered by Huo Yunting, they would have been thrown out by his men long ago. No—nobody would ever dare to have Huo Yunting personally deliver anything to them, let alone money.
Yet, there stood Huo Yunting, his expression calm and devoid of impatience, letting Xie Jinghong verify the money he had brought himself.
"If there are any counterfeit bills, I’m going to be angry. And the consequences of me getting angry are quite severe, you know," Xie Jinghong said dismissively after flipping through a few stacks, not bothering to check the rest. She turned to Huo Yunting with a languid tone.
Everyone gasped at her words. Lu Wenyin gripped Xie Yongcong’s hand tightly in nervousness. Xie Cinan, watching her act so recklessly, began to think of how he could bail her out. Beside them, Xie Chenghuan curled her lips into a cold sneer: *She’s far too smug; she doesn't know her place.* What kind of person was Huo Yunting? He had only brought the fee for his own grandfather’s sake. How could she dare to question him? Did she really think Huo Yunting was doing her a favor? She was eager to see Huo Yunting snap—immediately. She hoped he would deal with her once and for all.
"Don't worry. If one is fake, I'll pay you ten times the amount."
To everyone's shock, facing Xie Jinghong’s questioning, Huo Yunting actually replied with those words, spoken with utter sincerity.
Xie Jinghong tossed the stack of money back into the trunk and gave him a nonchalant glance. "Since you were reasonably prompt, I won't hold it against you."
"Huh???"
The crowd was even more shocked. She said she wouldn't hold it against Huo Yunting? What more could she possibly want to hold against him? Who was she? Even if she were the true daughter of the Xie family, or any other socialite or young master present, none would dare speak to Huo Yunting like that. She was just a guest staying at the Xie residence, yet she spoke with such arrogance.
Xie Chenghuan’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. How was this possible? Why wasn't Huo Yunting angry? Not only was he not angry, but there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corners of his mouth. Why? How could this be? Everything was spiraling in an unpredictable direction.
"Mom, can you have someone take this money to my room?" Xie Jinghong ignored the stares of the others and looked only at Lu Wenyin.
"Yes, yes, of course." Lu Wenyin snapped out of her shock and immediately arranged for the servants to take the cases to Xie Jinghong’s room.
*Mom?* Hearing Xie Jinghong use that term for Lu Wenyin, Huo Yunting turned his head with curiosity.
"The money is delivered, so you can leave now. They all seem quite afraid of you," Xie Jinghong said, scanning the room. The cold voices that had been attacking her earlier had turned into heavy, labored breathing. Everyone wore a look of tension, desperately trying to become invisible. Her words once again made everyone’s hearts hang by a thread. Sending him away after taking the money?
"Very well." Huo Yunting seemed to find it perfectly natural. He gave Xie Jinghong a slight nod and walked straight toward Lu Wenyin. "My apologies, Mrs. Xie. I’ve disturbed your celebration. I will come by another day to apologize in person."
"No, no, not at all." Lu Wenyin, not daring to accept his apology, waved her hands repeatedly.
Huo Yunting bowed slightly to Lu Wenyin and turned to leave. Passing by Huo Jingyang, he paused and glanced over.
Huo Jingyang, who had just been acting high and mighty, threatening to make Xie Jinghong pay, was now as quiet as a mouse. Standing six-foot-one and looking like a sunny, handsome youth, he had shrunk himself down until he felt like a dwarf.
"B-Big brother..." He really didn't want to call him that in front of so many people, but under that piercing gaze, his voice wouldn't obey him.
Huo Yunting didn't speak. He gave him one cold look and stepped away, leading his bodyguards out.
After a few seconds of silence, the banquet hall burst into life again. Wealthy matrons and several socialites crowded around Xie Jinghong, asking curiously:
"Did you really cure Elder Huo?"
"I heard his situation was even more dangerous than Madam Xie's. How did you do it?"
"Did you really just use a few needles to cure him?"
"I’ve been feeling discomfort in my stomach lately. Can you treat that?"
"I suffer from menstrual cramps."
"My skin is dry."
"I want to have a second child."
"..."
The wealthy ladies, all at an age where they were obsessed with health and longevity, were desperate to stay young forever. Having found a divine healer, they vied to list their ailments.
Xie Jinghong looked at them in astonishment. Could people really be so fickle? A moment ago, several of them had looked at her as if she were a pathogen.
The ladies talked over one another, surrounding her tightly. Others joined in—socialites who weren't close to Xie Chenghuan, wealthy young heirs, and patriarchs with health issues.
Xie Jinghong didn't like these people's sycophancy. But having lived on her own for so many years, her greatest skill was knowing how to bend when necessary. She immediately curved her eyes into a smile that didn't quite reach them.
"You heard him—my consultation fees are very expensive."
"That doesn't matter! None of us here are short on money," the ladies chirped, scrambling over one another, terrified that she wouldn't hear their requests.
"Well... I’m the type who likes to size people up. For the people I don't like, the medical fees will be a bit higher."
The ladies: "..."
A worried Lu Wenyin: "..."
A stern-faced Xie Cinan: "..."
This sister of theirs really didn't play by the rules.
With more than half the room crowded around her, Xie Chenghuan was left in the cold, so angry her nose felt like it was about to smoke. Why did the newcomer get all the attention? Was it just because she was more shameless?