Chapter 44: Daddy, are you really sure you don’t want her?

Huo Yin finally stopped talking.

He knew Gu Xia—what a performance artist she was. She played the perfect daughter in front of Daddy, all sweetness and obedience, but behind his back? Completely different. He’d never bothered to tell Dad about it. Too much trouble. Besides, he didn’t care.

And as for Dad… well, he knew that man’s temper better than anyone.

On the boat, he’d seen firsthand how Dad treated Mommy. It wasn’t just cold—it was downright cruel.

So when Huo Yin finally agreed to the exchange, he hung up the phone, followed Mo Bao’s instructions, coaxed his little sister downstairs with promises of snacks, then slipped out of the rented apartment. A taxi took him straight to Shallow Bay.

Minutes later, inside Villa No. 1 at Shallow Bay, Huo Yin quietly slipped into his own room. For the first time in their lives, the two twins—born on the same day, raised apart—finally met face to face.

“Wow… we really *do* look alike!”

That was Mo Bao’s first reaction upon seeing his twin.

Huo Yin felt the same—but before he could even speak, his fiery-tempered brother had already flung his tiny arms wide and pulled him into a crushing hug.

Huo Yin: ……

It was an odd feeling—just for a second, something warm bloomed deep in his chest, like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“I’ve gotta go,” Mo Bao said after a moment, glancing toward the door. “Mommy’ll be home soon. I need to get back before someone sees us.”

Huo Yin’s heart sank.

“So… when can we see each other again? And… will Mommy come here again?”

He’d heard what Mo Bao said earlier—something serious. And now he feared Mommy might never come back.

But Mo Bao clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. “She will. She loves you more than anything. She’ll never leave you behind. Just remember—when she comes, don’t let Daddy bully her again. Got it?”

Huo Yin nodded fiercely. “I won’t.”

They parted.

The moment they did, Huo Si Jue came upstairs.

Not long ago, that deadbeat Wen Xuxu had left—and then his son had exploded. For the first time ever, the boy had pointed at him and screamed, *“I hate you! I never want to see you again!”*

Then he’d run upstairs and locked himself in his room.

Huo Si Jue frowned, climbed the stairs slowly, paused outside the door, then rapped softly.

“Huo Yin? It’s Daddy. Open up. I want to talk.”

Inside, Huo Yin instantly grabbed his pillow and buried his face beneath it, curling into a ball.

He didn’t want to talk. Not now. Not ever. If what Mo Bao said was true… then Daddy was worse than he thought. How could he treat Mommy like that—just for some woman?

He pressed his face deeper into the pillow.

“Huo Yin?”

“I’m asleep!”

A small, sharp voice shot back from inside the room—cold, impatient, utterly devoid of warmth. Outside, Huo Si Jue’s eye twitched violently.

Since when had this kid grown so bold? Daring to ignore him?

Fury flickered in Huo Si Jue’s chest. Without another word, he used his fingerprint to unlock the door.

“Huo Yin?”

“Daddy,” the boy snapped, still lying on the bed, voice trembling with anger, “is that what you always do? Just walk in whenever you feel like it? You never ask. You never care. Don’t you know how much that pisses people off?”

No one expected it.

As soon as the door swung open, a furious child’s voice erupted—not just angry, but *transformed*. This wasn’t the quiet, obedient boy who used to flinch at a raised eyebrow.

Huo Si Jue froze.

He hadn’t seen this coming. Not from his son.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice low. “I was worried about you. That’s why I came in without knocking. We need to talk—about Gu Auntie.”

Gu Auntie?

Huo Yin’s face darkened. “What now?”

Huo Si Jue exhaled slowly. “I know you’re upset with me. You think I’ve been unfair to that doctor lady. But listen—she’s a stranger. Gu Auntie, though? She’s going to be part of our family. So I have to protect her. Do you understand?”

“Why?”

“Because she’s the woman I love. The woman I’ll spend my life with.”

His tone was casual—like he was discussing a merger, not a future.

Huo Yin fell silent.

He wasn’t Mo Bao. He’d never lived with Mommy. He couldn’t feel the way she must’ve hurt when Daddy spoke like that.

And Gu Xia? She’d been by Daddy’s side for five years. In truth, Huo Yin had already accepted that reality.

“Daddy,” he whispered, eyes down, “if you really marry Gu Auntie… then the doctor lady isn’t yours anymore. She’ll have nothing to do with you after that.”

“What?”

Huo Si Jue’s eyes narrowed.

Had he heard right?

The *doctor lady*?

Why bring her up now? And what did “not yours” even mean? She was born into the Huo family. She’d die in it. How dare she *not* belong?

For the first time in years, Huo Si Jue didn’t even realize it—he felt a surge of rage. Hot. Unreasonable.
Something he couldn’t name.
Something he didn’t want to admit.