“There was a bit of dust at the corner of your eye.”
“?”
In response to Huo Ting’s subtle explanation as he got up, Yu Mian rubbed his eyes.
‘Dust?’
“Aren’t we leaving?”
“Huh, we’re going straight down?”
For the first time, Yu Mian felt genuinely nervous about meeting this grandfather.
After all, regarding Huo Ting, perhaps it was the small notes he’d been leaving, or maybe it was because he subconsciously felt Huo Ting wouldn’t hurt him. Revealing his identity might be embarrassing, but it wasn’t frightening.
However, meeting an elder… now that was truly terrifying.
Especially when it was Huo Ting’s grandfather…Yu Mian had absolutely no experience interacting with elders of this kind.
Just as Yu Mian hesitated, Huo Ting reached out his hand in indication.
“…”
The next second, he was being led downstairs.
Was it too late to run now?
Clearly, when he decided to drag Huo Ting into the study to explain together, he had felt a sort of self-sacrificing resolve.
But now that they were actually going to meet the elder, Yu Mian was certain he was starting to get cold feet.
His grip tightened slightly.
Huo Ting’s hand was a bit rough, and the pads of his fingers were calloused—a completely different texture compared to his own hands.
While Yu Mian was distracted, he didn’t notice the soft tone in Huo Ting’s voice.
“It’ll be fine.”
‘After all, Grandpa had been talking about this for decades.’
Downstairs, the atmosphere was indeed rather peculiar at the moment.
After all, news from the star network had somehow made its way into the ears of everyone at the old residence.
First, there was the disbelief that their young master had somehow become a famous author. Then, it was the latest response from the author “Fish Soup Noodles”.
But when did the old residence gain such a guest?
But thinking back to the recent unusual instructions from Young Master Huo Ting regarding the second floor, the inexplicable renovations to the aquarium, and other peculiarities, they all started to piece things together.
Especially Auntie Qiao Ni. She had almost figured out whom all those packages delivered to the study were for… No wonder they were always sent straight there.
And all these speculations found their answer when Yu Mian, following behind Huo Ting, appeared.
“We did have a guest staying over recently.”
Huo Ting’s calm introduction unsurprisingly left everyone downstairs in stunned silence.
As for Yu Mian, he almost wanted to slip back into the sea…if he weren’t being held firmly in place.
In fact, when Huo Yuejiang silently stared at Yu Mian from across the table and listened to the stumbling explanation and apology from the mermaid…
“Ah… there’s no need to apologize. And why move out? If you’re a guest, then stay for a few more months. There are plenty of empty rooms in the house.”
After a long moment of stunned silence, Huo Yuejiang finally came to his senses. Not only did he gently reassure Yu Mian, but he also turned to “reprimand” Huo Ting in the next sentence.
“Huo Ting, you brat, did you ask the guest to move out?”
Huo Ting wasn’t surprised at his grandfather’s reaction. So, under Yu Mian’s bewildered gaze, he merely drank from his water glass with an expressionless face.
“I actually…”
Yu Mian wanted to explain how he ended up here, but before he could, he was interrupted.
“There’s no need to say more actually. Your parents once mentioned something like this back in the day. I just never expected it to actually happen after all these years…”
“You’ve met my parents?”
Yu Mian looked at the old man before him in disbelief.
Huo Yuejiang regarded Yu Mian and calmly recounted the events of those years, almost as if to comfort him.
Only the key phrase “childhood engagement” was coughed away ambiguously under his grandson’s sharp gaze.
“Then, does this mean I can go and take a look there?”
Yu Mian immediately thought of the sea area Grandma Delanchi had mentioned. Didn’t it overlap with what Grandpa Huo just said?
If those two mermaids really were his parents, did that mean they had been to this world before?
But weren’t they supposed to be just ordinary marine civil servants?
In fact, since childhood, Yu Mian had occasionally suspected that his constantly vanishing parents were lying to him.
Those two were always so secretive, and their eccentric personalities didn’t seem like civil servants at all.
If not for the fact that hospital visits for his illnesses did indeed allow him to use their public healthcare benefits, Yu Mian might’ve assumed his parents were just drifters at sea.
“But no trace of mermaids has been found in that sea area for years. Back then, many people were sent to search for your parents.”
Huo Yuejiang frowned with regret as he responded to Yu Mian’s expectations.
“…”
This matched what Grandma Delanchi had said.
Hope arose only to be replaced by disappointment, making Yu Mian feel inexplicably depressed.
Noticing the mermaid’s despondent mood, Huo Ting glanced at his grandfather.
“Ahem, by the way, child, since you’re a mermaid, where’s your tail? Don’t mermaids usually have tails?”
Huo Yuejiang immediately changed the subject, looking curiously at Yu Mian.
“My tail can transform into legs for a while.”
With Huo Yuejiang’s increasingly amiable demeanor, Yu Mian gradually felt less nervous and afraid…especially since the old man had actually met his parents.
“But don’t fish like staying in water? Should we install a large…”
“No need. I plan to buy a house near Starry Sky Lake.”
Sensing the elder’s enthusiasm might go too far, Yu Mian quickly stopped him.
‘Starry Sky Lake’?
Hearing this, Huo Yuejiang seemed thoughtful.
Before Huo Ting could stop him, Huo Yuejiang slapped the table.
“What a coincidence! Don’t we have a house over there? I remember visiting it years ago for the hot springs. The scenery there is beautiful. Staying in an aquarium all the time is so cramped!”
Just by looking at Yu Mian in front of him, Huo Yuejiang felt a sense of joy and fondness as though Yu Mian was his family.
It was as if a decades-long obsession had finally come true today.
And just as he imagined, the little one raised by that young couple turned out to be as good-looking as expected.
“?”
Yu Mian glanced at the old photo displayed on Huo Yuejiang’s light brain and felt that the house looked oddly familiar.
“Isn’t this house recently on sale? The owner had to sell it urgently after going bankrupt and had to leave Central Star, right?”
He had even contacted the agent about it but hadn’t had time to discuss it further.
“Huh? When was it ever up for sale, Molke!”
Huo Yuejiang immediately called out to Molke, the family retainer who had been with him for years. To both Huo Ting and Huo Yan, Uncle Molke had practically watched them grow up.
“…About that, you might want to ask the eldest young master. But the hot springs over there have always been maintained and are ready to use anytime.”
Molke’s expression turned a bit strange as he glanced at the eldest young master. While he knew Huo Ting had planned to sell the property, this “urgent sale due to bankruptcy” detail was news to him.
At the time, he had been surprised by the sudden decision to sell. Now, it seemed he understood the reason. Clearly, the answer lay in the unexpected appearance of this beautiful young guest in the old residence.
“…”
For once, Huo Ting found himself unsure how to respond to the roomful of people staring at him.
Meanwhile, Yu Mian seemed to have a sudden realization.
This guy, Huo Ting… He must have figured out he was a little fish before, right?
That’s why he was so confident he’d like that house by Starry Sky Lake!
How could it be such a coincidence?
“By the way, since you’re into literature, what kind of books do you write? As an old man, I’ve been thinking of improving my literary knowledge recently now that I’m free.”
Huo Yuejiang coughed a few times, deciding to skip over the suspicious topic of the “bankrupt owner who had to leave Central Star”. He suddenly remembered why he had come home in the first place.
After all, when chatting with some old friends, he had unexpectedly learned that his grandson had become a “renowned author.”
Although, as it turned out, it was this child, Yu Mian, who had been writing in the study all along, only to have the outside world mistakenly attribute the work to his grandson.
“Ah… Well, my books are quite varied… Some of them might not be very suitable for you!”
Still distracted by thoughts of the Starry Sky Lake property, Yu Mian was caught off guard by Huo Yuejiang’s question and immediately became flustered.
After all, his current serialized work, *Reborn*, was absolutely something Huo Ting’s grandfather must not read even if he were to die!
Not even for the sake of the old man’s heart!
“You never liked reading in the past. No need to force yourself to bring this up if you’re looking for a topic.”
Huo Ting coldly exposed his grandfather’s lie without hesitation.
“You brat! Who says one can’t develop a love for reading when they grow old?”
Huo Yuejiang sheepishly withdrew his earlier statement. After all, the family’s unanimous suspicion that Huo Yan’s dislike of reading was an inherited trait from him wasn’t baseless.
“It’s already quite late today. Perhaps it’s best to rest first? You haven’t taken your medicine yet, and the young master will return tomorrow as well.”
Qiao Ni, who was standing by, gave a low reminder after receiving Huo Ting’s gaze.
Otherwise, from the way the old master looked tonight, it seemed he was ready to chat all night.
And considering how much Young Master Huo Yan enjoyed lively occasions, his return tomorrow to find a mysterious “guest” at home would likely leave him overjoyed.
“That’s true. But where will everyone stay tonight?”
Huo Yuejiang glanced at Yu Mian not far away.
“I can just stay in the aquarium.”
“How is that appropriate? At the very least, we should prepare a guest room, or perhaps we can go together tomorrow to see some houses at Starry Sky Lake?”
Having retired, with both time and money to spare, Huo Yuejiang now seemed excited to have found a new project.
Yu Mian helplessly turned to Huo Ting for help.
“You should rest first. I’ll take care of this matter.”
Once Huo Ting spoke, Huo Yuejiang gave him a peculiar look.
‘Come to think of it…this kid’s reaction this time was rather unusual.’
In the past, he would have coldly walked away long ago.
“Alright then. You youngsters handle it yourselves. This old man won’t interfere too much.”
Though Huo Yuejiang realized his over-involvement as an elder might be creating pressure, he allowed himself to be persuaded to leave.
Only after Huo Yuejiang was ushered away and they returned to the study did Yu Mian finally let out a sigh of relief.
At least this hurdle seemed to have been passed. Though Huo Yan’s return tomorrow might still cause some commotion.
However, he unexpectedly learned the secret of the conch shell. It turned out that his parents had given it to Huo Ting’s grandfather?
“By the way.”
Yu Mian tugged on Huo Ting’s sleeve and handed over a pearl.
“I originally planned to give this to you before leaving, but now I’ll give it to you in advance. I want to look for a different house…”
After all, knowing it was his grandfather’s property made Huo Ting’s actions seem even more outrageous.
“When did you cry again?”
Unexpectedly, after seeing the pearl, Huo Ting frowned and asked a question that made Yu Mian immediately sit up straight.
This guy…how did he know pearls came from tears?
“Because when I put it under the pillow, I can see the moment you cried in my dreams.”
Huo Ting’s explanation left Yu Mian confused.
‘Ah…’
‘This pearl is so troublesome?’
‘It even stabbed me in the back!’
“Then you should just give it back to me…”
In the next second, Yu Main pretended to casually reach out to take his pearl back from Huo Ting’s hand.
Being seen dropping a tear pearl was too embarrassing.
“But isn’t your next book about cooking? There’s no kitchen over by Starry Sky Lake.”
However, just as Yu Mian finally realized he couldn’t casually give away pearls, Huo Ting lightly brought up the topic as he prepared to leave.
“Besides, Uncle Harrison would probably really like to meet you. For anything related to seasonings or kitchenware you’d need to write about in the new book, his research institute could probably make them for you.”
Perhaps noticing Yu Mian’s hesitation, Huo Ting added this final comment.
“…”
Holding the pearl in his hand, Yu Mian fell into deep thought for a moment.
It sounded really tempting?
