Hu Xiaotian gazed at the incomparably beautiful Huo Xiaoru before him, his heart full of bewilderment. In his memory, she had always been exceptionally clearheaded, a woman of distinct character, gentle on the outside yet unyielding within. What had driven her to defend Xue Shengjing with such unwavering devotion? Was it merely the bond between father and daughter? Hu Xiaotian did not believe familial affection could make Huo Xiaoru abandon her sense of right and wrong. Or was it for profit? He truly did not want to think any further, for he feared that the more he considered it, the more he would tarnish the beautiful image of her in his heart.
The confusion in Huo Xiaoru's eyes gave way to composure. "My father doesn't want to be your enemy," she said softly.
Hu Xiaotian sighed inwardly. She had finally admitted to his face that Xue Shengjing was her father. The phrase taking a villain for a father sprang unbidden to his mind, and he nearly blurted it out. But when the words reached his lips, he could not bring himself to say them. He still did not want to be too cruel to Huo Xiaoru. He nodded. "That he can think that way proves he hasn't lost all his senses. I can't be bothered with Great Yong's affairs, and that Heavenly Man Myriad Images Diagram was never any business of mine. But the diagram isn't mine, so I still need to discuss it with its true owner."
"I can wait," Huo Xiaoru said.
Hu Xiaotian fixed his burning gaze on her eyes. "Can you really wait?"
Ripples disturbed Huo Xiaoru's eyes, which had been as calm as still water, and a trace of panic stirred in her heart.
"Better not wait," Hu Xiaotian said. "The longer you wait, the