Chapter 168 - 167: The Third Brother Comes to Pick Them Up

Chapter 168: Chapter 167: The Third Brother Comes to Pick Them Up

On the afternoon of May 6th, the family’s private jet landed at Paris Airport. Huo Xingchen was there to pick them up with his teammates.

When Gu Qingyin and the two brothers came out, they were stunned by the scene outside.

Three Rolls-Royces were parked side-by-side. Five tall men in black overcoats stood around, smoking and chatting, instantly bringing to mind "The Godfather."

At first, Gu Qingyin complained internally, ’Paris doesn’t look very safe.’ It was only when she got closer that she realized one of them was her son!

Over there, Huo Xingchen saw them too. He quickly extinguished his cigarette, tossed it into a nearby trash can, and hurried over.

"Mom! Big Bro! Second Bro!"

When Huo Xingchen smiled, he no longer looked like a street thug but a male model—and much more attractive.

Gu Qingyin smiled back instinctively. She glanced at their matching outfits and the cars behind them that looked like standard issue, then frowned. "When did you learn to smoke?"

Huo Xingchen’s smile froze. He looked pleadingly at his older brothers, but he knew without even thinking that they would just stand by and watch the show.

"Why are you looking at them? Did they teach you to smoke?" Gu Qingyin’s gaze swept over Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai.

Huo Xinghai held up his hands, looking wronged. "Smoking is bad for the throat. I never smoke, and my staff is forbidden from smoking around me too."

Huo Xingye, on the other hand, looked a little guilty. He cleared his throat. "I smoke occasionally when I’m stressed, but very rarely."

"Me too," Huo Xingchen said, his face falling. "This is the last competition of my career. I’m under a ton of pressure lately. If I don’t make it to the finals or get a good result, the fans will probably flame me to death."

Gu Qingyin frowned, confused. "Winning and losing are a normal part of competition. Why would they flame you?"

Huo Xingchen shook his head with a bitter smile. "That’s just how it is in the esports world. Sucking is the original sin."

"It’s true," one of Huo Xingchen’s teammates couldn’t help but add. "Last year, a mid laner was flamed by netizens into retirement after a bad performance in a match. And he used to be known as the number one mid laner."

"Every industry has its own rules. Nothing to be done about it." The chubby guy next to them shook his head, a wistful look on his face.

Gu Qingyin was speechless. What could she say when they put it like that?

"Well, don’t be too upset about it. Just do your best," Gu Qingyin encouraged them dryly. "Don’t leave any regrets."

"Yeah! Our goal this time is the championship! Win the championship and retire in glory! If we don’t, we’re quitting the internet!"

"Right! No internet for at least half a year!"

Seeing the topic straying further and further, Huo Xingchen cleared his throat. "Mom, let me introduce you. This is our top laner, Xiao Jie."

Xiao Jie looked a little older than Huo Xinghai. He wore glasses and had an ordinary face, but his smile was radiant.

"Hello, Ma’am! I’m a fan of yours!" Xiao Jie extended his hand and shook Gu Qingyin’s, saying with some excitement, "I’ve dreamed of having a mom like you!"

"Get outta here!" Huo Xingchen shoved him aside and continued the introductions.

The chubby one was the mid laner and also the youngest on the team, having just turned nineteen this year.

The tall, thin Old Qi was the marksman and the big brother of the team, a year older than Huo Xingchen.

The cool, stoic Kangkang was the team’s support.

Gu Qingyin gave him a second look. ’This kid’s personality is a total mismatch for his role,’ she thought. ’And there’s something off about his aura... as if he’s being targeted by something unclean.’

Gu Qingyin didn’t say anything. The competition was tomorrow, and saying something now might affect their mentality, which would be bad.

The best approach was to resolve it quietly, but she needed to observe him first.

After the introductions, everyone got in the cars and headed to the hotel.

Only then did Gu Qingyin ask, "Are the cars rented? This is too flashy."

Huo Xingchen, who was driving, laughed. "No, they belong to Brother Kang’s family. They have a business here."

Gu Qingyin was a little surprised and clicked her tongue. "After he retires this time, is he going to go home and inherit the family fortune?"

"Probably," Huo Xingchen shrugged. "He doesn’t have a great relationship with his family, but he’s their only child. If he doesn’t inherit it, no one else can."

They chatted on the way to the hotel. Once there, Gu Qingyin toured their temporary training area and met the manager and coach.

Huo Xingchen and his team had one last training session, so Gu Qingyin dragged Huo Xingye and Huo Xinghai out for some shopping.

After being roasted by her son before, Gu Qingyin had made a new food guide.

After leaving the hotel, Gu Qingyin hailed a cab and went straight to a famous local specialty restaurant, where she ordered a table full of things she would never normally eat.

Escargot, onion soup, beef bourguignon, blue lobster, foie gras with red wine...

Gu Qingyin didn’t care about appetizers or main courses—it was time to eat!

It was Gu Qingyin’s first time having authentic French cuisine. It was a novel experience, but to be honest, she didn’t find it that delicious. It was acceptable, but not amazing.

Leaving the restaurant, Gu Qingyin sighed. "Well, at least I can say I’ve tried it."

The mother and her two sons were strolling down the street. As they passed a small streetside shop, Huo Xinghai suddenly said, "Wait a second."

He went into the shop and came back with a snack, handing it to Gu Qingyin with a smile. "Try this. It’s a local specialty called a crêpe. They have sweet and savory. Which one do you want?"

Gu Qingyin took the sweet one and had a bite. Her eyes instantly lit up. "This is delicious!"

"Want to get two more?"

Gu Qingyin’s mouth was full, so she could only nod repeatedly. She could bring some back for Huo Xingchen and his teammates. They were all growing boys, and they would definitely be hungry after training.

Huo Xinghai gave the savory crêpe in his hand to Huo Xingye and turned to go back into the shop.

Huo Xingye’s brow furrowed slightly. In all his years, this was the first time he’d ever eaten street food. The feeling was incredibly awkward.

"You like it?" Huo Yunjing’s voice sounded beside Gu Qingyin’s ear. "I can make them too. I’ll make them for you when we get back."

Gu Qingyin nodded with a wide smile.

As they wandered around the area, the trio’s striking looks and aura got them hit on several times. The foreigners were incredibly enthusiastic, persistently asking for their contact information even after being rejected.

Gu Qingyin grew tired of the bother. She had to hypnotize the person before grabbing her two sons and making a quick getaway.

"Let’s go back to the hotel," Huo Xingye said, his brows tightly furrowed and his eyes dark. He was clearly unhappy.

Gu Qingyin and Huo Xinghai struggled to hold back their laughter.

The people who had hit on the two of them had been normal enough, but Huo Xingye... he was actually asked for his number by a man.

Huo Xingye had frozen for two seconds before rejecting him with a dark expression, "I like women."

The man just shrugged nonchalantly. "I used to like women too. You could give it a try. You might like it."

Huo Xingye gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to curse. "No need."

As he left, the man even sighed with great regret. "You’ll regret it."

After that, Huo Xingye’s mood had been sour.

Although Gu Qingyin enjoyed watching the drama, she was also considerate of her son’s feelings. She was just about to nod and agree to go back to the hotel when her gaze was captured by a young man who had just gotten out of a car across the street.