As the festivities came to an end, it was nearly ten o'clock in the evening.
Huo Guining sat in the car, whispering to Huo Xiaozheng.
"Dad, can you help Auntie?" Huo Guining said with some concern. "I've been searching for Auntie's name online recently, and it seems she's not trending much anymore."
A hint of amusement flashed in Huo Xiaozheng's otherwise calm eyes. "Alright, Dad understands."
At that moment, Huo Jing, who was hurriedly returning to her film set, let out a big sneeze.
"Achoo! Who's thinking about me?" Huo Jing rubbed her nose.
After returning home, Huo Guining huffed and puffed as she carried her enormous birthday gifts to her bedroom.
Worried she might tire herself out, Huo Xiaozheng handed her a few stuffed toys to carry, letting her feel involved.
Huo Guining dragged the gifts into her walk-in closet and then surveyed her bedroom.
She thoughtfully said to Huo Xiaozheng, "Dad, I'm six years old now."
Huo Xiaozheng removed his tie and set it aside. "Yes, happy birthday!"
Huo Guining shook her head seriously. "Thank you. Dad, shouldn't I be sleeping alone now?"
Huo Xiaozheng's hands paused.
At six years old, she was at an age where gender awareness was developing.
Indeed, she should probably sleep in a separate room from her father. Wouldn't that be better for her health?
But Huo Xiaozheng said, "Dad has prepared birthday gifts for you. Would you like to open them?"
As expected, Guining's attention was quickly diverted.
"Yes! Where are the gifts?"
Huo Xiaozheng pointed towards the sofa.
Six boxes of varying sizes lay neatly on it.
Huo Guining pounced on them like a tiger on its prey.
Like the others, Huo Xiaozheng's gifts were also marked with numbers.
Huo Guining swiftly unwrapped the box marked with '1'.
The box was large, and Huo Guining stood to open it.
Inside was a Hermès baby blanket, a pair of soft pink baby shoes, baby bibs, a pacifier, and a rabbit plush toy with Guining's name embroidered on it.
Huo Xiaozheng sat down on the sofa and said softly, "I wasn't able to be with you when you were born."
"But if I could do it all over again, I would have prepared these things for you at your birth."
"And even more."
Huo Guining's eyes reddened.
Huo Xiaozheng reached out and gently wiped the corner of her eye.
The box for age 2 was smaller, square in shape.
On the blue inner lining lay a diamond-encrusted crown.
"At two years old, you're a little princess who can start to be vain."
Age 3.
A huge LEGO castle.
"Dad can build it with you."
Age 4.
A thin black card lay in the box.
"I hope you learn early that money will never be a worry in your life."
Age 5.
It was a property deed for a large apartment in the city center.
"When your rebellious phase comes and you don't want to deal with Dad anymore, you'll have a place to go."
Huo Guining obediently said, "I'll never not want to deal with you, Dad."
Age 6.
The box contained only a card with two words written on it: "As wished."
Huo Guining looked at Huo Xiaozheng in confusion.
He opened his tablet and pulled up a news article.
The news showed that Huo Corporation would soon acquire Jiang Group, and that the head of Qin Group was under investigation for allegedly defaming public officials.
Given that the head of Qin Group was currently hospitalized due to a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, the case was postponed.
Huo Guining's eyes widened. "Dad, what does this mean?"
Huo Xiaozheng put away the tablet. Looking her in the eyes, he said seriously, "Dad has already acquired Jiang Group. Jiang Suyuan and Qin Zhiyi will move abroad for Old Mr. Qin's sake."
"So, it means that in the future, we won't have any more interactions with them."
"Guining, you don't need to be afraid of Jiang Suyuan and Qin Zhiyi anymore."
It all seemed like a dream. Huo Guining was a bit dazed. "Really? Won't they seek revenge?"
Huo Xiaozheng shook his head. "They won't. They don't have that capability."
After a pause, he added, "Besides, they deserve what's coming to them."
Huo Guining broke into a smile.
Although she couldn't be sure if this had defeated the plot, it was at least a good start.
"This is the best gift I've ever received!" Huo Guining said cheerfully.
Huo Xiaozheng smiled and patted her head.
If it could put Guining at ease, then the sacrifices he had made were worth it.
Two days earlier...
Old Mr. Qin had been hospitalized due to illness, and Jiang Group was thrown into chaos by Lin Chuxu's sudden withdrawal of investment.
Qin Zhiyi, distressed by the situation, accidentally affected her pregnancy and was hospitalized along with Old Mr. Qin.
While Jiang Suyuan was at his wit's end, Huo Xiaozheng approached him.
Using both carrot and stick, he suggested that Jiang sell Jiang Group to him, and informed him that the official Old Mr. Qin had offended was about to take up a position in South City.
Rather than struggling on, it would be better to take the money and live abroad.
After all, both Qin Group and Jiang Group's reputations in the country were already ruined.
At first, Jiang Suyuan refused adamantly.
But then news came from the hospital that Old Mr. Qin's condition had worsened, and the best option was to seek further treatment abroad immediately.
Qin Zhiyi lay in her hospital bed, crying every day.
Jiang Suyuan finally gave in.
Although the process would take some time, he had already sent people to take Old Mr. Qin and Qin Zhiyi abroad.
He was just waiting to wrap up affairs in the country before joining them.
"Mr. Huo, you really are cunning. That project in Country A, you deliberately let me have it, didn't you?" Jiang Suyuan laughed bitterly. "Because you had already calculated that it would end up back in your hands?"
Huo Xiaozheng's face remained expressionless. "Good that you understand."
Jiang Suyuan was truly exhausted.
At this point, he was stretched thin, never expecting that his final conversation partner would be his arch-enemy, Huo Xiaozheng.
That day, Huo Xiaozheng raised a toast to him.
He said he looked forward to never seeing them again in this lifetime.
Jiang Suyuan responded with a bitter smile.
Huo Xiaozheng didn't share these details with Huo Guining.
He, Huo Xiaozheng, hoped that from Guining's birthday onwards, she could truly grow up healthy and happy.
On the day everything was settled, Huo Xiaozheng was interviewing tutors.
He had put in some effort to temporarily dissuade Guining from the idea of going to school, and she had agreed to study at home.
Of course, this was Huo Xiaozheng's unilateral decision.
In fact, Huo Guining had only mentioned it in passing that day.
She didn't really want to go to school and play naive games with a bunch of kids.
After careful consideration from various aspects, Huo Xiaozheng quickly decided on a tutor.
Due to the extremely high salary Huo Xiaozheng offered, the tutoring wasn't limited to Panlong Bay Villa; sometimes it would take place at Huo Xiaozheng's company.
On this day, after finishing the lesson, the tutor knocked on the door of Huo Xiaozheng's office.
"What is it?" Huo Xiaozheng's voice was a bit deep.
"It's about Guining's learning progress," the tutor, a young woman, pushed up her glasses. "I think Guining can skip the elementary school curriculum."
Huo Xiaozheng: "?"
