Chapter 504: When the Old Man Lost His Horse, Who Knew It Wasn

Huang Zhaoyi turned her head away, gazing at her reflection and murmured, "I'm his mistress—how can I possibly speak of such a status openly?"

Her voice was low.

But to Huang Mu and Huang Xuqing, it struck like a heavy hammer, rattling their skulls with a deafening buzz.

Fixing their eyes on their daughter's bowed head, Huang Mu grew confused, her gaze softening further.

She knew her daughter's nature too well—unless she truly loved Li Heng to her very bones, how could she possibly sink so low as to be his mistress?

How could she willingly surrender her precious first time in the back of a car, of all places?

Huang Mu longed to scold her, but the words stuck in her throat, her heart trembling with panic.

Huang Mu was like this, and Huang Xuqing was no better.

They say elders are like mothers—she had cared for her younger sister more than anyone, even more than their parents. When her sister couldn't walk, she carried her; when she learned to walk, she held her hand; later, she taught her to read and write, told her stories. They had weathered storms together for decades.

Yet Huang Xuqing never imagined that the most beautiful woman, universally praised by three generations of the Huang and Liu families, would be trapped by love.

If this got out, no one would believe it—they'd laugh until they cried.

But the truth was cruel. It was brutally real.

The conversation had hit a dead end.

All the questions that needed asking had been asked, and even those that didn't. But the answers bore little resemblance to what Huang Mu and Huang Xuqing had expected—they simply couldn't accept it.

Still, they both pitied Zhaoyi. At this point, they couldn't blame her too harshly.

The drug was planted by Liu Yue; Zhaoyi was merely the scapegoat. Though it backfired in a way that worked, she had ultimately lost control to Li Heng.

The Huang family was in the wrong.

Once they lost control, they had no grounds to pursue Li Heng—unless they resorted to irrational, unreasonable tantrums.

But Li Heng wasn't some nobody. In literary circles, his status was, to some extent, on par with his master, Master Ba.

His influence in the music world was growing daily; many top musicians now openly declared Li Heng the number one musician in the country.

Listen! Look!

This young man, with dual prestige, had a future far beyond measure. Even if the Huang family didn't care for their youngest daughter, they had to protect their own reputation.

Before touching Li Heng, they had to weigh carefully whether it was worth it.

Besides, Li Heng's roster of beautiful companions—none of them were ordinary. None were easy to deal with.

If either Zhou Shihe or Yu Shuheng stepped forward, the Huang family would have to retreat immediately.

Why?

Because both Zhou Shihe and Yu Shuheng are only daughters. To strike at their son-in-law is to strike at their own family.

People live for face—they survive on reputation. The Huang family is already in the wrong; how dare they bare their teeth? Who would tolerate them?

As for Li Heng's romantic escapades—hah! Writers, young and passionate—people at this level have seen too much. It barely counts as a scandal. In fact, measured against Li Heng's immense fame, it's merely a slight flaw in private conduct. A slight flaw in private conduct.

Huang Mu thought the Zhou or Yu families probably wouldn't go to war with the Huangs over Li Heng, but she feared the worst. Without reason, you stand on no ground.

If word of the drugging got out, it wouldn't just ruin Huang Zhaoyi—it would ruin Liu Yue too.

If it came to that, it would be utterly disastrous.

There'd be no remedy.

Thinking of this, Huang Mu looked at her youngest daughter with a mix of indulgence and disappointment, her spirit instantly drained, as if aged decades. She rose shakily, silent, and walked toward the stairwell.

Huang Xuqing stood too, following behind.

As she passed her sister, Huang Xuqing paused and said, "Come over for dinner sometime. We haven't chatted properly in ages—let's talk, just sisters."

Huang Zhaoyi kept her head down, then after a long while, softly replied, "Okay."

The mother and daughter left. Their footsteps faded down the stairwell, until they vanished entirely.

At this moment, Huang Zhaoyi exhaled a deep, silent breath—but her heart was still in turmoil.

How could it not be?

What kind of man was Li Heng?

Where did their relationship stand?

Their feelings had only just begun to sprout—they couldn't withstand even the slightest storm. What if her family kept pressing?

It would surely scare Li Heng away.

She had worked so hard to get into his bed, had come this far—how could she possibly let go now?

So when she saw her mother and sister arrive at her home, she swiftly chose the most advantageous option from her prepared plans and bluntly revealed her relationship with Li Heng.

And she confessed to the drugging.

The purpose was obvious: to stop her family from disturbing Li Heng, from interfering in their bond.

Of course, her turmoil wasn't only about that—it was also tied to her shame.

Imagine, standing before her mother and sister, bluntly saying, "I'm his mistress," and "Our relationship can't be seen"—how disappointed, how heartbroken, how pained would they be?

Who, in this world, wasn't raised by their parents with endless care?

What mother would ever want to see her daughter become another man's plaything?

Especially when she was from the Huang family.

Especially when she was a nationally renowned Peking Opera performer.

Especially since she had been beautiful since childhood—aside from a few anomalies like Song Yu and Zhou Shihe, who could honestly claim to be more beautiful than her?

And yet, this girl, raised in adoration, showered with love letters from suitors, had ended up as someone else's concubine? Ornament? Dessert?

Behind her outward composure, her calm argument with her mother and sister, her inner world had already churned violently, already drowned in tears.

But this was all her own choice.

No matter how hard, how painful, how thorny this path became, she would crawl to its end.

Fortunately, she had slowly shed the role of mistress—she had officially become his woman. The lowest point was behind her. Hope had finally arrived.

…

Belowstairs.

As Huang Mu and Huang Xuqing descended the wooden stairs, Li Heng lowered his newspaper and looked up.

"Auntie."

"Sister."

Their eyes met. Li Heng forced down his awkwardness and mustered the courage to greet them.

No matter the right or wrong—he had slept with Huang Zhaoyi, and not once or twice, but many times. So taking the initiative wasn't a bad thing.

If they ignored him, he'd take it as respect for the great Peking Opera artist.

Hearing his greeting, Huang Mu and Huang Xuqing's expressions were nearly identical: awkward, complex, overwhelmingly mixed.

Huang Mu merely gave him a slight nod, then turned her head straight ahead and walked away without looking back, leaving the house, crossing the lawn, vanishing from sight.

Huang Xuqing was slightly better than her mother, but not by much. After forcing out a stiff smile at Li Heng, she hurried after her.

This outcome was exactly what he expected—even better than he'd imagined.

Li Heng didn't overthink it. He shut the door and rushed straight upstairs.

Hearing his footsteps, Huang Zhaoyi, who had just been in sorrow, instantly perked up. When she looked at him, her face had already switched to the sweet, yielding expression of a woman ready to be claimed.

Though she appeared soft before Li Heng, in public she was decisive and strong-willed.

Having chosen him over her family, having decided to spend her life with him, she would serve him well.

She would show him her best self.

Though she smiled, Li Heng knew things weren't this simple—he had seen the expressions on Huang Mu and Huang Xuqing's faces downstairs.

As he drew closer, Huang Zhaoyi uncrossed her legs, stood, and swayed her large earrings as she said, "You must be starving—I'll go cook for you."

Li Heng didn't answer about the food. Instead, he reached out, pulled her into his arms, wrapped his hands around her waist, and asked gently, "Did they… did they pressure you?"

Too unfamiliar with the terms, he used "they."

Huang Zhaoyi showed no reaction to the word. She smiled to reassure him: "Don't worry. It's settled. Everything's fine."

Li Heng didn't believe her.

Or rather, he believed at most half—possibly less than half.

But he wouldn't press. Instead, he said seriously, "I'm here. From now on, you're with me."

Hearing this, she suddenly wanted to cry.

But she replaced tears with a smile, threw herself against his chest, and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Her earlier pain instantly eased by half—her heart opened wide.

It felt as if holding him meant holding the entire world.

Sensing her emotional surge, Li Heng tightened his left arm around her and gently raised his right hand, stroking her dark hair, hoping to soothe her soul.

This was the first time Li Heng had held her like this—outside of physical intimacy, the first time he had touched her so tenderly. Huang Zhaoyi felt no desire, only overwhelming happiness.

Profound happiness.

They say, "When the old man lost his horse, who knew it wasn't a blessing?" Today, her mother and sister had uncovered her shame, and she had been heartbroken. But she had gained this man's love.

The two balanced out—and love had even surplus. How could she not be content?

After holding each other for a long while, Huang Zhaoyi suddenly lifted her head, staring straight into his eyes: "Am I still beautiful at my age?"

Li Heng knew she feared aging, but he answered sincerely: "I love women at your age most. Your beauty is at its peak—full of charm, strength, and the ability to care for others."

Hearing "charm" and "strength," Huang Zhaoyi instinctively recalled this morning's scene in bed—those shameful movements, the swaying of her body like coconuts. Her face flushed hot.

But she felt his sincerity. After her shyness passed, she smiled and said, "I'll go cook. It'll be ready soon."

Li Heng nodded. "Alright. I'll help you. We'll finish faster together."

Another surprise. Another delight.

He used to ignore me completely, but now he's willing to accompany me to the kitchen—this is a complete 180-degree turn, and it makes my heart flutter.

But Huang Zhaoyi did not agree; she pointed to the landline on the coffee table and said, "You rushed back from Jingcheng yesterday in a panic—there must be something urgent. Go call right away."

I cook quickly; by the time you finish your call, I might already have dinner ready.

Her last remark was deliberately meant to put him at ease, to reassure him she wasn't worried.

Hearing this, Li Heng suddenly slapped his forehead. Damn it! He'd been lost in soft affection, then immediately confronted by the Huang family, and had completely forgotten this major matter.

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(End of chapter)