Chapter 145 - 144: Twenty Years Late

Chapter 145: Chapter 144: Twenty Years Late

The days at home flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month—the day of the ancestor worship ceremony.

Gu Qingyin hadn’t planned on going. After all, her name wasn’t in the Huo Family’s register.

Attending banquets and acting as the Huo Family’s matriarch was one thing, since she was, in fact, Huo Xingye’s mother.

But for a major event like ancestor worship, showing up as the Huo Family matriarch felt dangerously close to mocking the ancestors and being utterly disrespectful.

In the end, however, Gu Qingyin found herself in the car heading to the Huo Family’s ancestral home.

This ancestral home wasn’t the "old residence" they usually talked about. The one they typically mentioned was where Huo Yunjing used to live. This one, however, was the bedrock of the Huo Family for millennia, an antique-like estate passed down through generations.

So the question was, why did Gu Qingyin embark on this journey when it was so clearly against custom?

Because a certain ghost wanted to take this opportunity to add Gu Qingyin’s name to the family register. In other words, said ghost wanted to hold a make-up wedding—a Netherworld Marriage, to be specific.

Huo Yunjing felt the ancestor worship ceremony was the perfect opportunity, as it was when the most Huo family members would be gathered. He wanted his wedding to be lively, and he was afraid inviting outsiders would scare them witless and make a mess of things. The Huo family, on the other hand, was a different story. He could scare them all he wanted.

Besides, affiliated families like the Xue, Hua, and Chen Families could also attend. Huo Yunjing could already imagine how bustling his wedding would be.

Of course, the prerequisite for the wedding to even happen was that Gu Qingyin had to accept his proposal.

"I’m not going to run away." Gu Qingyin sat between Huo Xinghai and Huo Xingchen, a look of exasperation on her face. "To be honest, it’s a little cramped."

The two brothers remained unmoved.

Gu Qingyin tried again. "Don’t you think Xingye is a little lonely sitting up front by himself?"

Huo Xinghai smiled. "Big Brother probably doesn’t mind. He’s always enjoyed his solitude."

Huo Xingchen cut her off preemptively. "And you don’t have to worry about Gugu being lonely. Gugu and Mao Mao are playing together just fine."

Gu Qingyin opened and closed her mouth three whole times before sighing and repeating, "I’m really not going to run away."

Huo Xinghai kept smiling. "We’ll be there soon, Mom. Just hang in there a little longer."

The Huo Family’s ancestral home was on a mountain, one far from Yun City. But it was far from desolate. At the foot of the mountain, a guardhouse registered all incoming and outgoing vehicles, and there were a total of three checkpoints from the base to the summit.

At the summit, the Huo Family’s manor and castle had been renovated many times. While they bore the marks of age, the facilities were completely modern.

The mountain estate had already formed its own self-sustaining ecosystem, making it completely self-sufficient.

It was no exaggeration to say that if the apocalypse came, they could just close the estate gates and it would become a natural fortress. They could ride out the end of the world without ever needing to step outside.

The car stopped at the castle entrance, where members of the Huo Family’s branch families, having been notified in advance, were waiting respectfully with smiles on their faces.

Huo Xingye got out of the car first, followed by Huo Xinghai and Huo Xingchen.

After Huo Xinghai got out, he bent down and offered his hand to someone inside the car. With a look of resignation, Gu Qingyin placed her hand in his and let him help her out.

The Huo family members didn’t seem surprised in the slightest.

Gu Qingyin sighed. ’Who would have thought? I never even got a marriage license with Huo Yunjing back then.’

"Matriarch, Family Head, Second Young Master, Third Young Master."

Everyone greeted them with smiles, and for a moment, the entrance to the old castle became lively.

In truth, "Matriarch" was a title meant for the wife of the Family Head. But since the current Family Head wasn’t yet married, the title had simply carried over from the previous generation.

When Huo Xingye married in the future, his wife would become the new Matriarch, and Gu Qingyin would become the "Old Madam."

"Your rooms have been prepared." The castle’s butler, dressed in a tailcoat and white gloves, bowed slightly with a warm smile. "You may all return to your rooms to freshen up and rest. The banquet will begin in one hour on the dot."

The castle wasn’t tall, only six stories, but its footprint was enormous.

The Family Head’s exclusive suite was on the fifth floor. Gu Qingyin’s, Xinghai’s, and Xingchen’s rooms were also on this floor, not far from the master bedroom.

Gugu was suddenly in a strange place, one that was big and empty. The child was a little scared and clung to Gu Qingyin without letting go.

Having no other choice, Gu Qingyin had to take her and Mao Mao into the same room.

Meanwhile, just as Huo Xingye closed his door, Huo Yunjing appeared silently behind him. The moment he turned his head, his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.

But his "overbearing CEO" composure wouldn’t allow him to show the slightest hint of shock. He remained impossibly calm, his voice not even trembling. "Dad, are you ready?"

Huo Yunjing, completely preoccupied with his proposal, didn’t notice anything unusual about Huo Xingye. He frowned. "Gugu is too much of a hindrance."

He needed a completely private space, without a little rascal running around and causing trouble.

Huo Xingye nodded calmly. "That’s simple. We just need to have Xinghai take Gugu out to play."

"Then call your brother and tell him to hurry up," Huo Yunjing urged.

Aside from Gu Qingyin, everyone else in the family—human and ghost alike—was in on the proposal. Oh, and they had to exclude Gugu, who was a terrible actress.

Huo Xinghai received his mission and immediately went to pick up Gugu, telling her they were going to explore the old castle.

Hearing the word "explore," Gugu’s eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly, grabbing Mao Mao on her way out.

Inside the room, only Gu Qingyin remained.

Meanwhile, Huo Yunjing changed into the suit and leather shoes his sons had previously burned for him, grabbed the roses, pocketed the proposal ring, and marched out the door, full of confidence.

He turned left and, ten meters later, knocked on Gu Qingyin’s door.

Gu Qingyin had just gotten out of the shower and was drying her hair. The knock was slow and hollow; she could tell with one listen that it wasn’t made by a human.

She couldn’t help but wonder, ’When did Huo Yunjing get so polite? Doesn’t he usually just phase right through the wall?’

Setting down the hair dryer, Gu Qingyin walked over and opened the door. Her eyes widened in surprise. "What are you...?"

"Aren’t you going to invite me in?" Huo Yunjing asked, intentionally lowering his voice.

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but shiver. "Just talk normally. I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist punching you."

Huo Yunjing: "...Fine."

A setback before he’d even begun. Huo Yunjing nearly lost all his confidence.

"Come on in," Gu Qingyin said. "Have a seat. I just need to dry my hair, I’ll be right with you."

Huo Yunjing: ’...The whole mood is ruined!’

He sat down on the sofa, dejected, and began to reflect. ’I guess you really can’t keep something like this too secret. I should have given her a few hints so the person being proposed to can prepare a little. Otherwise, you end up in a situation just like this.’

’Stuck in this awkward limbo, with no idea whether I should even continue.’

An unknown amount of time passed before Gu Qingyin emerged, calling his name softly, "Yunjing."

Huo Yunjing looked up, a flash of astonishment in his eyes. He quickly stood and straightened his already pristine suit, making it even neater. When he looked at Gu Qingyin again, all he felt was awe.

"You’re so beautiful."

That’s right. Gu Qingyin had not only guessed his intentions, but she had also used the time she was drying her hair to change into a dress and do some simple styling.

Gu Qingyin gave a rare, shy smile and walked over to Huo Yunjing.

Huo Yunjing handed her the roses, then solemnly dropped to one knee. Taking out the ring, he said softly, "Qing Yin, will you marry me?"

There was no grand venue, no other witnesses—just the two of them.

This proposal was twenty years late. It no longer needed any external splendor; time itself was its finest adornment.

"For all the days to come, I want to grow old with you."

"Okay."