Chapter 609 - Make Do Today (1/2)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The atmosphere was so awkward that Su Qingsang couldn’t help but kick Huo Jinyao under the table. Her voice much gentler than Huo Jinyao’s, she turned around and looked at Liu Tongjia.

“Auntie, ignore him. My culinary skills are indeed average. Please mPleasake do today.”

She naturally understood how good Auntie Zhou and Auntie Wang’s culinary skills were. She really couldn’t compare to them.

Liu Tongjia looked at Su Qingsang and suddenly understood why her son liked her.

Her eyes inexplicably stinging, she picked up her bowl and ate the rice in it.

The moment she lowered her head to eat, Su Qingsang glared at Huo Jinyao.

Huo Jinyao remained expressionless. He finished his meal as fast as he could and stood up.

“I’m full. Eat slowly. You don’t have to wash the bowl. Leave it there for Aunt Yu to clean up tomorrow.”

“I know. Go sit in the living room for a while. I have a present for you later.”

“Really?” Huo Jinyao finally smiled. “I thought my birthday present would be this table full of dishes.”

“This is one of the presents.” Su Qingsang had a faint smile on her face. “Don’t you like it?”

“I like it a lot.” As Huo Jinyao spoke, he leaned over and kissed Su Qingsang on the cheek. “I like my wife’s cooking no matter what.”

He knew exactly how to coax her. Su Qingsang glared at him. She turned around and realized that Liu Tongjia was staring at them. Her face suddenly blushed.

Huo Jinyao also noticed Liu Tongjia’s gaze, but he acted as if he didn’t see it.

After Huo Jinyao left, Liu Tongjia couldn’t eat anymore. Her hand was still holding the bowl, and she sat there, but her entire body was stiff.

Su Qingsang looked at her, and for some reason, she couldn’t bear it.

Huo Jinyao didn’t say anything just now, but his attitude had already made everything clear. He might have thought that Liu Tongjia was here to speak up for Huo Yifan.

But Su Qingsang instinctively believed that she wasn’t. Regardless of the reason Liu Tongjia decided to change her attitude towards Huo Jinyao, Su Qingsang was happy to see it happen.

After dinner, Su Qingsang asked Liu Tongjia to go out for a while while she cleaned up the dishes.

Liu Tongjia wanted to say that she was here to help, but she had never done such a thing before. She could only stand there and watch Su Qingsang clean up the dishes.

“Auntie, pleasee go rest.”

Huo Jinyao was also outside. If Liu Tongjia was really here to improve their relationship, now would be a good time to talk.

Liu Tongjia probably knew what she meant, so she got up and walked outside.

In the living room, Huo Jinyao was playing games with Su Qingsang’s phone. The upgraded version of the game Xiaoxiao Le. When Su Qingsang was free, she would play two rounds to relax.

This round was particularly difficult, and she hadn’t passed it for a long time. She had been stuck there for a few days. Huo Jinyao was in a good mood today, so he helped her pass the round.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Liu Tongjia come out. He didn’t make a sound and simplt started the next round.

Liu Tongjia couldn’t sit still anymore. She looked at Huo Jinyao, and was unable to believe that he was playing games while she was sitting here.

That was a very disrespectful way of behaving.

“Jinyao.” Where were his manners? Who allowed him to do this in front of his elders?

“If you want me to stop prosecuting Huo Yifan, spare yourself the effort.”

Not even giving Liu Tongjia a glance, Huo Jinyao didn’t even raise his head.

Liu Tongjia felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Once again hurt by his words, she looked at Huo Jinyao.

She suddenly understood Huo Jinyao’s feelings from before. So, every time she targeted Huo Jinyao, was he in such a mood?

There was another moment of silence. Huo Jinyao had passed two tests in a row. Realizing that Liu Tongjia was still there, he put his phone aside.

“Did Grandpa send you here, or did Dad send you here? Or did Uncle and Aunt send you here?”

“Huo Jinyao.” What kind of attitude was that? Liu Tongjia almost couldn’t help but want to question him.

“It’s been hard on you. Because of your nephew, you finally remembered that it’s your son’s birthday.”

Liu Tongjia was instantly discouraged. Wanting to explain that she didn’t remember his birthday because of Huo Yifan, her lips moved. She wanted to explain that she really wanted to celebrate his birthday this time, but upon seeing Huo Jinyao’s mocking expression, she suddenly couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“If you have nothing else to do, go back. I won’t change my mind.”

It was his birthday today, and he only wanted to be with someone he liked, someone who liked him, someone who was willing to sincerely celebrate his birthday for him. As for someone like Liu Tongjia who had ulterior motives, she might as well forget about it.

Liu Tongjia sat still, and she suddenly fell into a state of self-doubt.

Her relationship with Huo Jinyao could never be repaired, right? Her more than ten years of indifference and negligence had finally caused an irreparable distance between Huo Jinyao and her.

Liu Tongjia sat there motionlessly. Huo Jinyao thought that she wouldn’t give up, and he didn’t care anymore, but he felt a little uncomfortable.

In the eyes of Liu Tongjia and Huo Mingguang, this son of theirs was inferior to Huo Yifan, their nephew. He was even inferior to Wei Sihai and Wei Simeng of his aunt’s family, right?

He had clearly seen through it, but Huo Jinyao didn’t want to tolerate such bias.

He was just about to get up and go check on Su Qingsang, but Su Qingsang had already cleaned up the kitchen. She was still holding the cake that Liu Tongjia had bought just now.

Almost as soon as she came out, she felt that the living room’s atmosphere wasn’t quite right. She glanced at Huo Jinyao, but Huo Jinyao didn’t respond to her.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

“Wait a minute. You haven’t eaten the cake yet.”

“I just ate. I can’t eat anymore.”

Since Huo Jinyao didn’t give any face, Su Qingsang couldn’t eat either. However, this cake was brought by Liu Tongjia, and it was a token of her goodwill.

“Then we’ll eat it later. Let’s sit down for a while?”

Huo Jinyao didn’t sit down as she wished. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Huo Jinyao?” Su Qingsang saw that he was really going to walk into the room without a care in the world. She quickly put down the cake and smiled at Liu Tongjia awkwardly. Then, she quickly chased after Huo Jinyao.

“Huo Jinyao.” Su Qingsang entered the room and stood in front of Huo Jinyao. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Huo Jinyao asked back.

“Your mother is here to celebrate your birthday.”

“Really? Why don’t I think so?”

“I think so.”

“She has an ulterior motive. Can’t you tell?”

“I can’t tell.” It wasn’t like she didn’t see Liu Tongjia’s expression when they were at the dining table earlier. If she really had another motive, she wouldn’t have that kind of expression.

“That’s just your imagination.” Huo Jinyao didn’t want to quarrel with Su Qingsang because of other people. “Stop. Don’t you dislike her? What are you doing now? Are you defending her?”

“I’m not defending her. I think she might really be here to celebrate your birthday.”

“So what?” Huo Jinyao raised an eyebrow and looked disapproving. “Even if she’s really here to celebrate my birthday, so what?”

Su Qingsang found it hard to communicate with him in this manner.

“I’m not trying to do anything. I just think that you want to restore your relationship with your parents as well, so don’t always be at odds with each other. Why can’t you give her a chance and give yourself a chance?”

No matter how nonchalant Huo Jinyao said it, she would never forget it. That time when he murmured “mom” in his delirious state when he was sick.

She believed that he was secretly trying to improve his relationship with Liu Tongjia. Since that was the case, why not try to trust Liu Tongjia first?

Huo Jinyao took a step back because of Su Qingsang’s words. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Su Qingsang.

“Qingsang, let me tell you. I’m not you. You can forgive Su Chenghui, but that doesn’t mean that I have to forgive my mother.”

“…”Su Qingsang was speechless. In fact, after Su Chenghui went to the Li family last time and accused her without thinking, she still couldn’t let it go even now.

Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you. She really didn’t have the right to ask Huo Jinyao to forgive Liu Tongjia.

“I gave her a chance, more than once.”

Because of the guilt and self-blame in his heart, he had backed down again and again over the years. It was the same no matter what.

However, his backing down didn’t wake Liu Tongjia up. She was still thinking about Huo Yifan.

She didn’t really want to celebrate his birthday. If that was the case, why put on an act?

He didn’t care what Liu Tongjia did to him. However, Liu Tongjia shouldn’t go against Su Qingsang. He couldn’t tolerate that.

Because of that, he was very angry with Liu Tongjia. He had no intention of improving his relationship with Liu Tongjia.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

Su Qingsang stood there and watched Huo Jinyao walk into the bathroom. Her lips moved a little, but in the end, she walked out helplessly.

Looking a little dazed and out of sorts, Liu Tongjia was still sitting there. It was as if she was in a trance.

Su Qingsang couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Liu Tongjia. If Liu Tongjia really came for Huo Yifan, why would she look like this?

However, Huo Jinyao wouldn’t believe it.

“Auntie?” She sat down opposite Liu Tongjia. “Jin Yao went to take a shower. After he’s done, we can eat the cake.”

Liu Tongjia finally came back to her senses. She glanced at Su Qingsang and shook her head gently.

“Forget it. I’m going back first.”

“Auntie?” Su Qingsang cleared her throat. “Aren’t you going to wait for Jinyao? He takes a quick shower.”

“There’s no need.” Liu Tongjia wasn’t someone who was blind. Huo Jinyao did’t want to see her. If she stayed, Huo Jinyao wouldn’t show her any face.

“Auntie?”

This was the first time Su Qingsang had seen Liu Tongjia like this. She had always been elegant, graceful, and even a little arrogant.

Liu Tongjia didn’t speak again. She glanced at Su Qingsang and eventually left. Before she left, her eyes fell on the cake, and she was momentarily lost in thought.

Speaking of which, she hadn’t celebrated Huo Jinyao’s birthday with Huo Jinyao for more than ten years, and they had never eaten cake together.

After Liu Tongjia left, Su Qingsang felt strange tension in her heart.

In fact, what Liu Tongjia had done was indeed infuriating. However, Su Qingsang wasn’t happy to see things turn out like this.

Perhaps it was because of the huge contrast from before that made her feel sorry for Liu Tongjia.

After she returned to their room, Huo Jinyao had already come out of the shower.

“Auntie has left.”

“Mhm.” Huo Jinyao didn’t mind. Su Qingsang stood behind him and looked at his dripping hair.