My Youth Began With Him (Web Novel)
chapter-219

Huo Zhenghai's hand that was holding the apple shook slightly, and then he finally sighed and purposely said, "I'm too old now, and I've become useless. I actually began to miss that kid, Huo Mian."

"Yeah, I could see that she's a really nice girl last time at Granny's funeral," Huo Siqian said as he smiled.

"But that child doesn't seem to want to forgive me, no matter what. I don't even know if I can hear her call me 'dad' before I die." Huo Zhenghai seemed emotional.

Huo Siqian reached out his hand and patted the back of Huo Zhenghai's palm as he comforted, "She will, dad, don't worry. Mian isn't that cold-hearted, she'll definitely come back, I promise."

"Do you… know Mian well, privately?" Huo Zhenghai inquired.

"I really like her as a little sister, but she doesn't seem to like me. She won't even say hi when I see her. I'm really stuck, I want to approach her as an older brother and take care of her, but she won't even let me."

"Oh…" Huo Zhenghai seemed to sigh in relief.

"What? Dad, did Mian say something to you?"

"No."

Huo Siqian only smiled and said nothing else when he saw Huo Zhenghai's expression.

On the way back, Huo Mian took her mother to a shopping center near their home, and she bought some warm fall clothes and shoes for her mother.

Yang Meirong keep saying that it was enough, but Huo Mian knew it was because she didn't want her to spend too much money.

"Don't worry Mom, I got a new position and it pays quite well. I am capable of supporting you and Zhixin better now."

"There's still no need to spend money extravagantly, earning money is still hard," sighed Yang Meirong.

Then, under Huo Mian's continual insistence, Yang Meirong finally agreed to eat out at a restaurant.

However, they only went to a fairly small dumpling house and ordered two plates of dumplings with a small side dish.

"Mom, what you said today… was it really true? Did you really beg that cold-hearted man because of what had happened to Uncle Jing?"

"Yes, I had no other option, and I went to him with my last hints of hope."

"So you went today to humiliate and taunt him, right? Do you feel better now?" Huo Mian picked up a dumpling and placed it onto her mother's plate.

"I'll feel better when he dies. There's too much hatred between us, but remember, Mian, I won't stop you. If you still see him as your father, you can visit him. You're you, and I'm me. I'm able to clearly distinguish that."

"Mom, do you think he really wants to make things up to me?" asked Huo Mian.

"I didn't think he faked it... I've never seen him cry for all the years I've known him, but his eyes were completely red from the tears today. Maybe people really become kinder towards the end of their life. Maybe he's worried that he won't even hear you call him dad before he dies," sighed Yang Meirong.

Huo Mian looked at her mother. Then, she took a few bites and slowly said, "Mom, this means that you're still too naïve. He's caught onto your weakness."

"You don't think that his words were genuine?" Yang Meirong was somewhat surprised.

Huo Mian bitterly smiled. "Have you heard of crocodile tears? He purposely put on this act today for us to see. He doesn't want our forgiveness, he only wanted to get us on his side. The fact still remains that he wants to get us into the Huo family's civil war, and get us on his side to help that son and daughter of his."

"But… maybe you've guessed wrong? Then wouldn't he be the one that's wronged?" Yang Meirong thought about the previous scene once again and thought that Huo Zhenghai couldn't have faked his emotions.

"I'm not wrong. What do you think he is, aside from being your previous lover and my father? He's the leader of a major company! What kind of tides and storms do you think he hadn't experienced? Why would he still care for sentiments? He hadn't approached us in all of these years, but now that the Huo family is undergoing a civil war, he suddenly found his conscience and wants me back as his daughter? He only saw the weakness in humanity, and he had been preparing for it since the time he called me back to attend Grandmother's funeral. There's a dark scheme behind all of this… Mom, I'm not you, and I won't be taken advantage of. You're too nice and that's why the tragedy happened. I'll reveal his true colors for you to see. I will also let him know that he's not the only one that can be cruel. He won't get his way with his scheming, and he won't ever have me as his daughter."

Huo Mian lowered her head and went back to eating dumplings after she finished speaking.

Yang Meirong was already shocked by what she said; she clearly knew and understood too little of her own daughter.

She would occasionally wonder if Huo Mian was truly her daughter - why would her daughter be so smart?

Such intelligence seemed scary…

At 8 PM, Huo Yanyan drove to the hospital with Shen Jiani in her sports car.

Just as they entered, Huo Yanyan immediately asked, "Dad, how was it? Did those two fools believe the act you put on today? Did Huo Mian agree to inherit the family shares to help my brother and I?"