Chapter 69 : She hated everyone here.

Old Madam Gu’s favorite thing in life was to assert her authority at home. Whatever she wanted, a loud shout would bring Lin Xiu Gu to her side, whatever she wished to do, a single command would have Huo Tan comply. Relying on her status and the words “loyalty and filial piety,” she tightly controlled those around her.

From a young age, Huo Tan realized that the old lady acted this way on purpose. Especially when she ordered Lin Xiu Gu around or bullied her, Old Madam Gu would always wear a smug smile while saying, “I’m doing this for your own good.” She herself was fortunate; when she married in, there were no aunts or uncles to grind her down, yet now she turned around to make her daughter-in-law suffer the same fate.

Her true nature and malice were evident. However, in the earlier years, when Huo Zhan was still alive, he favored his wife and cared for his son, often advising Old Madam Gu. When he was home, she had to hold back, at least not daring to openly ridicule Huo Tan, and she somewhat resembled a proper grandmother. Yet, she still never treated Lin Xiu Gu well.

Among the children, she was better to Huo Xinzhi and Huo Chenzhang, but she despised Huo Tan the most. Whenever Huo Zhan was not home, she would act imperiously, flaunting her grandmotherly authority without restraint. Unfortunately, during that time, there were many wars, and Huo Zhan was away for more than half the year.

Thus, Old Madam Gu unconsciously became the mistress of the Huo family. In her eyes, she was the most esteemed person in this household, believing no one dared to oppose her or could oppose her. Anyone who resisted her faced criticism for being unfilial.

It wasn’t until Huo Zhan was killed in battle, and Huo Tan took charge, that Old Madam Gu gradually realized Huo Tan would not be under her control. Huo Tan was different from Huo Zhan. Huo Zhan was her own flesh and blood, and she had always shown him the best side of herself. Huo Tan, however, had witnessed all her ugly sides, particularly how she treated her poorly in her youth, causing Huo Tan to lose all affection for her, making it impossible for her to use familial ties to manipulate him.

Old Madam Gu never regretted her actions, she only became more extreme. Leveraging her status as an elder, she continually stirred up trouble, using all means possible, from crying to throwing tantrums to threats. Huo Tan compromised each time. In matters of family and country, filial piety came first; since Huo Tan wanted to rise, she couldn’t afford to act ungratefully. “Filial piety is paramount,” and a person lacking it would be attacked.

Old Madam Gu, being a shrewd person, quickly grasped this weakness of Huo Tan. Even if Huo Tan grew increasingly annoyed with her, Old Madam Gu didn’t care. She was unconcerned about whether others disliked her, all she wanted was to live comfortably and indulge herself. However, now everything had changed. This time, Huo Tan really seemed angry.

Old Madam Gu had seen Huo Tan kill before, but she always felt that Huo Tan would never harm her. No matter how unpleasant she was, she was still Huo Tan’s grandmother. As long as she was around, the connection with the Qiyang Huo family wouldn’t break, and Huo Tan would have more support. But she never expected Huo Tan to be this ruthless.

Spending all day in the Buddhist hall, eating vegetarian and chanting, would it not strip her of all joy in life? To be honest, that would be more painful than killing her. Old Madam Gu immediately howled, “Huo Tan, you can’t! I’ll go to the Qiyang clan and report you!”

Huo Tan gave her a calm glance. “I can.” Huo Tan continued, “Grandmother, since your parents and father passed away early, as their closest relative, how can you not mourn for them? Don’t you miss them?”

“I believe Fourth Uncle and Eighth Uncle would agree with me.”

“Grandmother has worked hard for the Huo family all her life, and now she should eat vegetarian and chant for her deceased family members. I think the Huo family will be grateful to you.”

“Grandmother, are you not happy?”

Old Madam Gu almost choked on her breath, coughing for a long while before finally catching her breath. “Huo Tan, Huo Tan…” Old Madam Gu kept murmuring his name “You’re so ruthless.”

But Huo Tan suddenly smiled. His lips curved slightly, and though his smile appeared pure and clean, it didn’t reach his eyes, giving off a chilling vibe. “Grandmother, I haven’t finished speaking.”

“Out of gratitude for your teachings over the years, I won’t report today’s incident to the clan. However…” Huo Tan paused and chuckled softly, “if Grandmother doesn’t eat vegetarian and chant properly, I might still report it and have Fourth Uncle and Eighth Uncle deal with it.”

This time, Huo Tan not only shackled Old Madam Gu but also placed a sharp knife at her throat. Whether that knife would fall depended entirely on Old Madam Gu’s behavior. This move was even more ruthless.

Old Madam Gu’s expression changed suddenly. She gritted her teeth, refusing to beg Huo Tan. Pleading was futile; Huo Tan had never had a soft heart. “You’re good, very good.” Old Madam Gu said coldly, “I shouldn’t have kept you back then.”

Lin Xiu Gu had been silent throughout but suddenly spoke harshly, “Mother, what are you saying?” At her reprimand, Old Madam Gu’s face darkened, and she didn’t continue. In that moment, Old Madam Gu seemed to age ten years. She felt pain throughout her body. The knife hung high above her neck, making her heart feel as if it would never settle.

How long would these days last?

Old Madam Gu felt as if she couldn’t endure another moment. With this thought, she finally couldn’t help but start sobbing. This time, she genuinely felt pain and regret. But it was too late.

At that moment, the only sound in the main room was Old Madam Gu’s whimpering. Then, suddenly, a tear-streaked laugh broke the silence. It was Gu Yinhong. Ever since Qiao Pozi was taken away, Gu Yinhong had been leaning against the door, her head bowed in silence. It wasn’t until Old Madam Gu reached her breaking point that she suddenly began to laugh.

Gu Yinhong looked utterly disheveled. Her hair was a mess, her clothes covered in dust, and her cracked lips bore several bloody marks that were shocking to behold. Her face was streaked with tears, creating a mottled pattern, yet she laughed. Or rather, she laughed while crying.

Huo Xinzhi was thoroughly fed up with the events of the day. Originally pleased that Huo Tan had decisively dealt with Old Madam Gu, she turned and saw Gu Yinhong losing her mind. Frowning, Huo Xinzhi snapped, “What are you laughing at?”

Gu Yinhong’s laughter was interrupted. She paused for a moment before raising her battered face. Her reddened eyes swept over everyone, finally landing on Old Madam Gu. “Aunt, you deserve this. You brought this upon yourself, and now you want to drag me down with you. You deserve to eat vegetarian and chant for the rest of your life, unable to leave the house. This is your retribution.”

Old Madam Gu cried out, “Gu Yinhong!” But Gu Yinhong pushed herself off the carved door and stood up. She lightly brushed off the dust from her clothes and fixed her disheveled hair before looking toward Cui Yunzhao. “Now, isn’t it time to deal with me?”

This statement was undeniably true, but her choosing to voice it felt strange. The cousin who had once seemed so fragile and pitiable was gone, replaced by someone who acted as if they had nothing left to lose after doing something wrong. She no longer defended her actions, knowing that no one would believe her. It was better to seek a swift end.

Cui Yunzhao regarded her, but Gu Yinhong avoided her gaze. This was interesting. Cui Yunzhao thought Gu Yinhong was even smarter than Old Madam Gu. Her demeanor was almost exactly what others wanted to see. Even when she had just cried out against Old Madam Gu, it was a normal reaction born of desperation.

Now, her current stance indicated she knew the Huo family could do nothing to her. She wasn’t a member of the Huo family, wasn’t a hired servant, and hadn’t actually harmed Huo Tan or Cui Yunzhao. The poison wasn’t her doing, the idea wasn’t hers, and in the end, she was also forced by Old Madam Gu to go to the East Courtyard. She seemed to be the most innocent one.

However, she had been too excited last night, her head running hot, and she said things she shouldn’t have. That was her only flaw, the piece of evidence she couldn’t deny. At this moment, she didn’t dare look at Huo Tan or anyone else.

What Gu Yinhong had done was never fully disclosed by Huo Tan, but from her disgusted tone, it was clear that Gu Yinhong hadn’t acted well. All three people involved shared the blame. No one was innocent.

Cui Yunzhao turned to Huo Tan, who nodded at her. Then Cui Yunzhao spoke calmly, “Miss Gu, you are not a member of the Huo family, and we can’t do anything to you, but you have done wrong and nearly caused a life to be lost, which is an undeniable fact.”

Cui Yunzhao glanced at the silent Old Madam Gu and continued, “The Gu family’s schemes are too deep for us to handle, so from now on, the two families will no longer have dealings with each other.”

This not only distressed the Gu family but also caused Old Madam Gu to suffer. She had initially thought of having the Gu family come over to settle matters, but now that the Gu family had been shut out, there was no opportunity for confrontation.

Old Madam Gu’s expression darkened. “Granddaughter-in-law, our families are related, how can we sever ties? What will others say when they ask, and how will we explain it to Yuan ?”

She was still trying to fight for it. But compared to before, she now understood that crying and making a fuss were useless. She could only cautiously and politely inquire.

Cui Yunzhao smiled gently at her, still elegant and gracious. “Grandmother, your words are misguided. The Gu family’s intentions are biased and malicious, we cannot provoke them. It’s better to cut ties from now on. If the Gu family has other objections, we can go to court and reveal today’s disgraceful events.”

“I’m afraid that by then, Miss Gu won’t be able to find a marriage partner anymore.”

Cui Yunzhao said this and then smiled at Old Madam Gu, “I’m doing this for my cousin’s good, too.”

Old Madam Gu’s face was ashen. She envisioned her future miserable life and, thankfully, closed her eyes. She couldn’t even manage her own affairs, let alone the Gu family’s.

Gu Yinhong noticed her turn away and remained calm on the surface, but she let out a bitter laugh. “How could I ever find a good match now?”

Her face was filled with sorrow as tears streamed down her cheeks. At this point, she needed to play her part fully. “Being kicked out by the Huo family today, tomorrow everyone will know I’ve angered them. With the ties severed, who would dare marry me?”

Gu Yinhong chuckled wryly, “It’s my own fault, I should be punished.”

Her performance likely only moved herself. The Huo family members watched her coldly, their expressions filled with disdain, not forgiving her as she had hoped.

As she spoke, the atmosphere became so tense that she could no longer continue. Cui Yunzhao, feeling sore all over and with a headache from the commotion, longed to go back and sleep a little more. Thus, she didn’t want to say much more to Gu Yinhong. After a long look, she said, “Here’s a cup of tea. You can gather your things and leave the Huo family directly.”

Gu Yinhong paused, nodded, and turned toward Old Madam Gu’s bedroom. She had just taken a couple of steps when Huo Tan’s voice rang out “ I will send someone to explain this matter personally.”

Gu Yinhong’s back stiffened. Huo Tan’s cold voice continued, “As for your brother’s position, since the two families are no longer in contact, he need not continue in that role.”

“From now on, the Gu family will have no ties with the Huo family.”

With this arrangement, Gu Yinhong would undoubtedly have a hard time in the Gu family. She stopped completely, and everyone could only hear her soft breathing.

After a moment, Gu Yinhong spoke gently, “It’s my fault, I will take responsibility.”

“I’ll listen to my cousins.”

With that, Gu Yinhong entered the bedroom without looking back. In a place where no one could see, her eyes held no regret or plea, only a darkness that obscured everything, a deep-seated hatred.

She hated everyone here. Without exception.