WBSGVS Chapter 172 V1

The Huo Family

When Chi Yue’s mother pushed his wheelchair into the Huo residence alongside his father, both Huo Changrong and Feng Ying looked visibly uncomfortable.

Just yesterday, the Huo family had still been in-laws with the Shen family, which naturally meant they hadn’t been close to the Chi family. Though the two families weren’t business rivals, they didn’t even greet each other when they crossed paths.

No one expected that today, the entire Chi family would come over with gifts packed to fill an entire car trunk—and all of them were high-end.

The young man in the wheelchair looked pale and listless, just as he had before. His light brown eyes were half-open and lifeless.

Still, he was very handsome. His fair skin gave him a delicate beauty, and though he was thin with slightly prominent cheekbones, that sharpness balanced out his features so he didn’t look overly soft.

Unlike the black suit he wore at the banquet, today he wore something more casual—a crisp white T-shirt. Aside from his pallor, he looked quite good.

Qingli’s suppressed thoughts of a marriage alliance started bubbling back up again.

She couldn’t help wondering: would they suspect she was stirring the pot by suggesting an alliance, given she was Shen Yanjun’s ex-wife?

“You went all out,” Huo Changrong remarked, watching the assistants and Chi’s father bring in all kinds of gifts. “There was no need!”

“It’s not too much—it’s only right,” Mr. Chi replied seriously.

He declined any help from the Huo family and carefully arranged the boxes himself.

Once everyone was seated—except Chi Yue, who remained in his wheelchair—Mrs. Chi smiled at Qingli and said warmly, “I’m sorry we’re only visiting now. We had some family matters to deal with that took some time.”

“It’s no trouble at all!” Feng Ying responded quickly.

As Mrs. Chi looked at her, Qingli had a sudden moment of insight—perhaps it was a family issue. She smiled and said, “As long as it’s been resolved. There’s nothing more important than the safety of your family.”

Mrs. Chi’s smile softened even more. “You’re right. I didn’t realize it at the time, but if it weren’t for you stepping in, my son might’ve been permanently disfigured. We’re truly grateful. My husband and I spent a long time yesterday trying to pick out a proper thank-you gift. It may not be fancy enough, so I hope you won’t mind.”

After all, with how Chi Yue had fallen down the stairs, given how lifeless he always looked, he definitely wouldn’t have tried to catch himself. He wouldn’t have just been disfigured.

So Qingli’s grab had made a huge difference.

Qingli quickly said, “It was nothing—just a small gesture. I just happened to be there.”

Perhaps it was fate—or gratitude for saving her son—but Mrs. Chi couldn’t help going on. “Even if it was small, it mattered. You were in an evening gown that day—not easy to move in. And what you said that day woke me up. I kept thinking, ‘Well, we’re family. Maybe we’ll adopt their son someday. The family business would still be ours, right?’ But who knew they couldn’t even wait that long…”

Her words made Feng Ying visibly uncomfortable.

It seemed their families weren’t that close yet.

Mrs. Chi also realized she’d said too much and looked slightly awkward.

But before she could recover, Chi Yue, who had only been forced to greet people earlier, sneered coldly, “But the truth is, you just wanted someone else’s healthy son. Might as well have handed over the family fortune earlier—none of this would’ve happened.”

Mrs. Chi’s face darkened even more, but for some reason, she simply pursed her lips and gave a bitter smile, saying nothing.

Qingli gently said, “That’s only natural. After all, who expects the worst from their own family?”

Mrs. Chi’s expression softened again. She sighed a little, then changed the topic and tugged at Chi Yue. “Anyway, it was you she saved. Shouldn’t you at least say thank you?”

The man, whose eyes had been drooping the whole time, glanced at his mother.

She shot him a warning glare, silently urging him to behave.

Only then did Chi Yue reluctantly open his eyes a bit more, planning to look at the person who’d saved him. His mother immediately pushed his wheelchair closer to Qingli and handed him a long gift box from behind the chair.

Everything had been meticulously prepared.

Before he had time to complain in his head, Chi Yue suddenly found himself face to face with a stunning woman smiling at him. Her vibrant features were striking under the light, and when she smiled, it felt like her eyes sparkled.

The moment their eyes met, the dead calm in his heart felt like it had been hit by a boulder.

The impact was so intense his heart skipped a beat, then started pounding fast. Everything he’d mentally prepared to say was completely wiped from his mind.

“Hurry up! Don’t keep her waiting!” his mother muttered, thinking he was just being difficult. She gave him a secret pinch.

Chi Yue quickly snapped out of it, cleared his throat, avoided her gaze, and held out the gift box with both hands. “Thank you. This is for you. I hope you like it.”

Qingli took it and smiled. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Chi looked very pleased and pulled her son’s wheelchair back. “Why don’t you open it and see if you like it?”

Qingli did as she was told. After untying the blue ribbon and opening the box, she found a ruby necklace nestled on blue velvet, glimmering under the light.

“This is too expensive!” she said in surprise, immediately trying to give it back.

Mrs. Chi quickly waved her off. “Not at all! Besides, we’re planning to donate all our wealth to the country eventually. Giving it to you isn’t a loss!”

Her words sounded a little sad, but probably true. Perhaps Chi Yue had lost the ability to have children. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be thinking of adopting a relative’s child.

Qingli glanced at Huo Changrong, and only after he gave a nod did she accept the gift. She took a closer look—the necklace was beautiful.

Seeing that she liked it, Mrs. Chi looked even happier and personally came over to help her put it on.

Coincidentally, Qingli was wearing a spaghetti strap dress that day, paired with a light cardigan. Her neck and collarbones were exposed, and once the necklace was on, the ruby’s brilliant color complemented her fair skin perfectly—it was hard to look away.

Chi Yue couldn’t help but sneak a couple more glances. For the first time, he realized that flashy accessories like this could be… pretty useful.

They made Huo Qingli’s skin look even fairer.

Didn’t they have a bigger ruby at home? Oh, right, besides that, his mom had also collected some emeralds. He wondered how she’d look wearing those…

Just as he was thinking about it, someone pinched his arm sharply.