newbobooks Chapter 285 The Heroine of an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel 5
Chapter 285 The Heroine of an Old-Fashioned Romance Novel 5
"99.99% probability of biological father."
Huo Chen tapped the appraisal report with the nib of his pen. Half of his mechanical wristwatch was visible beneath the cuff of his dark gray suit, the ticking of the second hand particularly clear in the deathly silent office. "Tell me your terms."
"How resolute Mr. Huo was in the hospital back then, but now..."
"Xiao Chen!"
The carved wooden door clattered loudly as it was struck by a crystal cane. An elderly woman with a full head of silver hair, wrapped in a fragrant silk shawl, rushed in, her jade earrings swaying violently with her panting breath.
Behind her followed four butlers carrying boxes made of golden nanmu wood, inside which were neatly arranged dark red certificates.
Ji Xiaosong glanced at the gold-embossed words "Real Estate Ownership" and saw that there were at least twenty of them.
The old lady's trembling hand touched Ji Xiaosong's lower abdomen, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Six weeks and three days, right? Grandma has calculated the dates; she's a lucky star for the Huo family!"
She suddenly turned around and poked Huo Chen's knee with her cane, "You bastard! Your grandfather was forty-five years old when he had a son, and your father was forty-three when you were born. The Guanyin statue that grants children in the Huo family's ancestral home has been covered in dust for three hundred years!"
Huo Chen tightened his jawline and took a half step back, his expensive handmade leather shoes crunching over the scattered authentication documents on the ground.
Ji Xiaosong noticed the way he deliberately bent his knees when he helped the old lady; it was the first time she had seen such tenderness in this man.
"This is 15 Central Park West, Dragon Palace Gardens..."
The old lady unfolded the property certificate and listed them off as if they were her own treasures. Halfway through her speech, she pushed all the items into Ji Xiaosong's hands.
Not only that, she also took out an exquisite brocade box from under her shawl. When she opened it, there was a dazzling emerald necklace inside, with each gemstone full and round, emitting a soft glow.
“Girl, those properties were Grandma’s first gift to you when we first met. This is Grandma’s second gift to you. Each of these emeralds was selected over several generations and is priceless. I hope you like them.”
She gently placed the necklace in Ji Xiaosong's palm and continued, "Our Huo family owns countless properties around the world. Every member of the family can receive a trust fund. Of course, as a mother who gives birth to a child, you will also receive corresponding benefits in the future. But for now, let's not talk about those complicated matters."
The old lady turned to Huo Chen and said, "Xiao Chen, no matter what you thought before, this child is a treasure bestowed upon the Huo family by heaven, and you must handle him properly."
Huo Chen pursed his lips, his jawline tense, and did not respond.
At this moment, the old lady seemed to remember something, took out a check from her pocket, the amount of which would leave most people speechless. She handed it to Ji Xiaosong and said gently, "Child, this is for you to take care of your health during this time. Buy some things you like and take good care of yourself and the baby in your belly."
Ji Xiaosong stared at the necklace and check in her hand, her eyes widening instantly. Her heart was filled with wild joy, like fireworks exploding, but she tried her best to restrain herself, her lips trembling slightly as she struggled to maintain her composure.
She screamed inwardly, "So much money! I could spend it all in a hundred lifetimes!"
On the surface, she merely nodded with feigned modesty, saying in a slightly trembling voice, "Thank you, Grandma, this is too precious."
In reality, she was clutching the check tightly in her fingers, as if afraid that it was all a dream and would disappear if she let go.
The old lady took Ji Xiaosong's hand again, patted it affectionately, and said, "Girl, don't worry, Grandma won't let you suffer any injustice."
Ji Xiaosong raised her head and met the old lady's loving gaze. She nodded vigorously and obediently replied, "Grandma, I know you are a good person."
Huo Chen frowned as he watched this scene, his hands clenching involuntarily. He said, "Grandma, please don't get too agitated. I will handle this."
His voice was deep, carrying an air of unquestionable authority.
The old woman, however, was unmoved. She slammed her cane heavily on the ground and raised her voice: "You're going to handle this? You handled it terribly before! Now that the baby is almost here, you'd better take responsibility!"
Huo Chen was speechless, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face.
Seeing his embarrassed expression, Ji Xiaosong almost burst out laughing, but managed to hold it in and coughed lightly to cover it up.
"Xiao Chen, your grandfather and father both had children late in life. Our Huo family hasn't had any news of a new life for too long. This time, we finally have hope, so you can't mess it up."
The old lady spoke earnestly, her eyes slightly reddening.
Huo Chen took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was helpless when it came to this old lady.
"Grandma, I understand. Please don't overwork yourself and take care of your health."
His tone carried a hint of helplessness and submission.
The old lady's expression softened slightly. She took Ji Xiaosong's hand and gently instructed her, "Child, if you need anything, just tell Grandma. Don't be shy. Grandma will also assign a housekeeper to take care of your daily life."
Ji Xiaosong's eyes sparkled, and she nodded hurriedly, "Thank you, Grandma, I definitely won't be polite, hehe."
After saying that, he realized he had been too explicit, so he quickly stopped smiling and put on a dignified appearance.
The old lady gave a few more instructions and then slowly left the office with the help of the housekeeper.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to turn back and glare at Huo Chen, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer:
Treat that girl well.
The room fell silent, leaving only Huo Chen and Ji Xiaosong.
Huo Chen walked to the window, turned his back to Ji Xiaosong, put his hands in his pockets, looked at the bustling city street scene outside the window, and said, "Since Grandma gave you the money and made her stance clear, I will not run away from the matter of the child. But we need to have an agreement."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xiaosong was overjoyed, but on the surface she pretended to be worried and asked cautiously, "President Huo, what are your plans for me? Will you be too controlling?"
As she spoke, she silently prayed in her heart, "Please don't worry about me, just let me spend money freely."
Huo Chen turned around, looking at her seriously, and said, "I don't have many requirements for you. Just abide by basic moral standards and don't do anything that would damage the Huo family's reputation. You must fulfill your responsibilities as a mother during the child's upbringing. As for other aspects, you have your own life, and I won't interfere too much."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xiaosong almost jumped for joy, but she forced a calm expression, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips, and said, "President Huo, don't worry, I'll definitely follow the rules. So... you really won't interfere with where I go or what I do?"
My husband sends me money regularly, I'm a rich woman with no one to manage me, and I have a child—this is practically a fairytale life!
Ji Xiaosong was extremely unhappy due to the suppression and misunderstandings she had been experiencing recently, but now, seeing so many properties and so much money, she decided to let it go. Her only worry now was how to spend countless zeros of that amount of money today.
Huo Chen frowned, seemingly displeased with her eagerness, but still said, "As long as you don't cause trouble, I won't interfere. I'll arrange everything after the baby is born; you just need to cooperate."
Ji Xiaosong nodded hurriedly, "Okay, Mr. Huo, you can rest assured!"
At this moment, she was already planning what she would buy after receiving the money, imagining the free and easy life she would lead after becoming a rich woman, and almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Huo Chen looked at her as she tried her best to suppress her excitement, and a hint of doubt flashed through his mind, but he didn't think much of it, assuming that she was just a little overwhelmed by the sudden windfall.
"Since we've agreed, I'll have my assistant contact you if anything comes up."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the office.
Watching Huo Chen's departing figure, Ji Xiaosong finally couldn't hold back any longer, jumping three feet high and cheering softly:
"That's awesome! From now on, I'll be a rich and free woman!"
She picked up the necklace and check, looked them over from left to right, and smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits, as if she could already see a bright future beckoning to her.
Ji Xiaosong was immersed in the wonderful fantasy of becoming a rich and free woman, looking just like a cat that had just stolen some fish.
Just as she was smiling so hard her eyes were squinting as she looked at the necklace and the check from left to right, a few soft coughs suddenly came from behind her.