Seventieth Birthday Banquet

At the Huo family villa in eastern A City, at Huo Zhenyun's seventieth birthday banquet.

Shen Can sat at the Shen family's table, keeping a close eye on the movements of everyone present. Ever since having dinner with Huo Xi that day, he had been waiting for this moment.

When a group of bodyguards suddenly entered, Shen Can knew it was coming. Sure enough, once the bodyguards had lined up, five people walked in together. One of them was Old Master Huo, supported by a young man.

The guests were somewhat baffled. They knew this family well enough, but they had never heard of them having any connection to Old Master Huo. How could they enter with him? Had they recently gained Old Master Huo's favor?

Old Master Huo and his group did not stop. They walked straight onto the stage. Old Master Huo picked up the microphone and said that before the meal, he had an important announcement to make today.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate this old man's seventieth birthday. I would now like to formally introduce several people."

"They are my daughter, son-in-law, grandson, granddaughter-in-law, and Ru Yan. Back then, because of an accident, Ru Yan became pregnant with my child. But she could not bear to destroy my family, so she left even while pregnant."

"Not until I fell ill last time did she finally tell her daughter through tears, afraid that her daughter would not even know who her own father was or what he looked like."

"She had only wanted to see my condition with her own eyes before deciding whether to bring the child to meet me. But I happened to run into her."

"Because I knew I had wronged her, and I knew that child existed, how could I let her leave again now that I had found her? She had even given birth to the child and painstakingly raised her."

"She had worked so hard all these years while raising the child, yet I, as her father, had known of this child and never done anything for her."

"So today, I will bring my daughter back to the Huo family and restore the identity she deserves. The bloodline of our Huo family cannot remain adrift outside. From today onward, my daughter will change her name from Shi Pei back to Huo Pei. She is my, Huo Zhenyun's, eldest daughter and Huo Zhang's younger sister."

From the moment they appeared through the entire speech, Shen Can had been watching the crowd's expressions. Most people had gone from bewilderment to shock.

Even the Shen family, Lu Shao, and Su Nanxing had not known that woman was Shi Ruyan, or that the grandson was Zhou Jingxuan.

After all, no one cared who Shi Pei's mother was. They only knew that Shi Pei was the Zhou Household's matriarch.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Shen Can found them just as he had expected and began silently complaining again.

[What a high-sounding speech. Ugh. "Restore the identity she deserves"? He's clearly just adding an illegitimate daughter to the family registry, yet he doesn't mention Huo Xi's grandmother at all.]

[So you only wronged Shi Ruyan? At your age, you're still stirring up so much trouble without a shred of shame. And you're acting so self-righteous. I really don't understand it.]

The Shen family thought the same as Shen Can. It was utterly shameless, completely skirting the important issues. He had even taken it upon himself to give Huo Zhang a younger sister. Was he going to say nothing at all about his former wife?

Su Nanxing understood better than anyone how it felt to have a stepmother who had risen to power as a mistress, then be forced to call the child born from her affair with his father during their marriage a younger brother or sister. Huo Zhang probably could not stand it either.

Huo Zhang really could not stand it anymore. He had already been deeply displeased when he had pretended to be filial abroad. Fortunately, Huo Zhenyun did not like seeing him either. Otherwise, if he had to face him every day, he feared he would not be able to stop himself from demanding to know why Huo Zhenyun had treated his mother that way.

Huo Zhang looked at Huo Xi. He did not know exactly what his son's plan was, but there was no way he would acknowledge this younger sister.

Huo Xi gave a slight nod, and Huo Zhang stood up. "I don't have a younger sister. I don't remember my mother ever giving birth to one."

"Huo Zhang! What are you trying to do? Rebel?" Huo Zhenyun roared.

Only after Shi Ruyan tugged at his sleeve did Huo Zhenyun calm down again. "I know you're thinking of your mother, Huo Zhang, and I know we wronged her. But that was an accident. Your Aunt Shi was innocent too, and your younger sister is even more innocent."

The Shen family and Lu Shao discreetly glanced at Huo Xi. From Shen Can's inner thoughts, they knew it had not been an accident. They had been tangled up together for three whole months. One day might have been an accident, but could three months be one too?

Huo Xi had even found the landlord's son that day, proving that he had investigated the matter as well. They did not know what he was planning.

After thinking it over, Shen Can felt that Huo Xi would not reveal that matter now. [Bringing out the fact that Huo Zhenyun cheated during his marriage and carried on with Shi Ruyan for three months wouldn't do much at this point.]

[Other than damaging his reputation a little, he'll still acknowledge them if he wants to. You can't exactly force him not to bring them back, can you? Huo Zhenyun would never agree. If a father wants to bring his daughter home, how could the younger generation stop him?]

[Even if the Huo family elders spoke up, it probably wouldn't help. As long as Huo Zhenyun stood firm, no one could stop him. After all, he used to be the family head. Everyone had more or less some connection with him, so they wouldn't speak up.]

[Besides, Shi Pei really does carry his blood. It wouldn't be appropriate for the elders to stop it either. By blood, she truly is a Huo family child. It's just emotionally unacceptable.]

[So it would be better to save that evidence for later. Give them another blow when they've been crushed.]

That was indeed what Huo Xi thought. But bringing her back did not mean his father had to acknowledge this younger sister, so he let his father speak.

"I don't care whether it was an accident or not. I will never acknowledge this younger sister. If you want to acknowledge a daughter, then acknowledge her yourself." Huo Zhang's stance remained unchanged.

Huo Zhenyun's face reddened with anger. Finally, he said to Huo Pei, "It's fine. If he won't acknowledge you, forget him. I'll acknowledge you, and the Huo family will acknowledge you. A useless older brother is no use anyway."

Han Yanhu slapped the table. "Old Master, that's not a pleasant thing to say. Whether Huo Zhang is successful or not, at least he hasn't harmed anyone through his actions. In my opinion, as long as you don't harm others, you're not useless."

"Harming others? Are you implying that your father-in-law harmed someone? I haven't even said anything about how you spent money extravagantly at auctions every day, yet you still dare to speak."

Hearing Huo Zhenyun's words, Huo Xi spoke in a mocking tone. "My mother spent money that I earned. I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Huo Zhenyun looked at Huo Xi, his feelings toward this grandson complicated. If Huo Xi had been the son of the child he had with Shi Ruyan, he did not know how happy he would have been. But he was not.

"Enough. Pei'er is a member of the Huo family, so she must return to the Huo family. I've already made my decision. Nothing anyone says will change it."

Earlier, Huo Xi had instructed Assistant He and Secretary Wu to arrange for people to stir up certain people's emotions. Those people were starting to get restless too.

If Huo Zhenyun's illegitimate daughter could be brought back, then couldn't theirs too? Being recognized by the Huo family meant being able to get money from the Huo family's companies.

Those who were truly capable might not care much about that money, but how could ordinary people with little ability let such an opportunity slip away? Every additional person meant another share of money.

And why could Huo Zhenyun do it while they could not? Shouldn't everyone be treated equally no matter what it was?

Huo Zhenyun's second cousin was the first to stand. Huo Zhenyun had opened this can of worms himself, so what the hell was he afraid of? Could Huo Zhenyun kill him just because he spoke first?

"I think Zhenyun is right. The Huo family's bloodline cannot remain outside. Likewise, I want to acknowledge my son and grandson." Huo Zhenyun's second older cousin spoke up, and several more people stood up afterward.

The guests present had only one thought: See? This was why you could not open this door. Once opened, it could not be stopped.