Huo Shiqing curved his lips into a faint smile. With a gentle tap of his fingertip, he hung up the call, and the caller ID disappeared from the screen.
Mu Beiyin, who hadn't seen anything, was left standing there: "…"
Huo Shiqing asked casually, "Didn't Mrs. Huo say she didn't want to make things public? Then why change my contact name to something like that?"
Mu Beiyin's brain began working rapidly.
What did Chu Zhi change it to? Could it be something like "Hubby" or "Sweetheart Hubby"? In any case, it had to be a nauseatingly sweet nickname.
Before she could speak, Huo Shiqing added meaningfully, "So Mrs. Huo is just saying one thing and doing another."
Mu Beiyin choked on her words. She wanted to explain that she hadn't changed the contact name, but admitting someone else did it would be even more embarrassing.
Her eyes darted around, and she decided to go all in. "I just don't want to go public, that doesn't mean I don't see you as my husband. Giving you… giving you a contact name—what's the problem with that?"
Huo Shiqing's gaze softened with amusement as he nodded gently. "I see."
"Yes, exactly!"
Seeing that he believed her, Mu Beiyin gained confidence. "You can change my contact name too. We're keeping our marriage private from the public, but in private, we should still act like a couple."
Huo Shiqing replied calmly, "Mm, Mrs. Huo is right."
Mu Beiyin swallowed hard. Something still felt off, but she couldn't pinpoint what. "Then… can I have my phone back now?"
Huo Shiqing handed it to her. "I have a video conference."
Mu Beiyin nodded.
After Huo Shiqing left, she busied herself with other things. When she finally had a moment, she remembered she still hadn't looked at the contact name.
So she tapped on the missed call…
Mu Beiyin instantly felt her brain spin, nearly choking from the shock!
What… what the hell was that?!
Chu Zhi had changed the contact name to: "I want the whole world to know this is my husband!"
Wait a minute…
Mu Beiyin suddenly felt a chill.
She had just told Huo Shiqing she didn't want to go public, that she wanted to keep the marriage secret.
But the contact name was "I want the whole world to know."
No wonder Huo Shiqing didn't let her see the name earlier—he obviously knew everything!
Mu Beiyin quickly covered her face with her hands. Damn it, did she just come off as a complete idiot in front of him?
She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on something else. She opened the photo album on her phone and started looking carefully.
There were no photos of the Song family in the phone.
But her mother had left a few photo albums behind—they were stored in the old house in Baishui Town.
Mu Beiyin pressed her lips together. It looked like she had to make a trip back.
…
After Huo Shiqing finished the video conference, he recalled Mu Beiyin's contact name and let out a soft laugh.
He actually would love to make things public. Unfortunately, that contact name wasn't changed by Mrs. Huo.
"Sir," at that moment, Bai Ji knocked on the door and reported respectfully, "The person you've been investigating has been located."
Huo Shiqing raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"My people discovered that the person lived in Baishui Town for a while two years ago."
Baishui Town was a small town on the outskirts of Ancheng.
Huo Shiqing narrowed his eyes. The hacker he had been investigating had infiltrated the Huo Financial Group's computer system five years ago and stolen a file.
A hacker of that caliber wouldn't lack money—so why would they live in a nondescript little town?
Huo Shiqing smiled with intrigue. "Perfect. We'll make a trip to Baishui Town tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," Bai Ji replied.
…
The next morning, Mu Beiyin got up early. She borrowed a low-key car from Uncle Zhang and drove alone to Baishui Town.
After being kicked out by the Mu family, she had lived in a small villa there for quite a long time.
The villa was left to her by her mother and had always been looked after by the housekeeper, Uncle Fu. That's why she stored her mother's belongings there.
Mu Beiyin, familiar with the area, drove to a small intersection. Just as she was about to enter the yard, she suddenly heard Uncle Fu pleading.
"Mr. Lin, you can't do this! These are Madam Xingling's belongings…"
"Ms. Lin, please don't! Madam Xingling has passed—"
Mu Beiyin furrowed her brows and quickened her pace.
Then a man's furious voice rang out.
"Outrageous! My sister is now Madam Mu, and you're still calling her Ms. Lin—who are you trying to insult? You look down on us, don't you?! Damn it, even a countryside servant dares deny my sister's status! You're looking for death!"
The man raised his hand for a slap, but before it could land, the gate was flung open.
Mu Beiyin strode up, grabbed the man's wrist, and twisted it forcefully—
"Ah!" The man let out a scream of pain. When he saw who it was, he instinctively cursed:
"Mu Beiyin, let go! I'm your elder! How can you be so disrespectful, you bitch!"
Mu Beiyin narrowed her eyes and glanced coldly at the two people in front of her.
Lin Ru and her older brother, Lin He.
Mu Beiyin scoffed. "Even at my worst, I'm better than you two, trespassing in broad daylight."
Then she turned to Uncle Fu. "What's going on?"
Uncle Fu was both helpless and anxious. "Beiyin! Ms. Lin had someone break down the door. She insists on taking Madam Xingling's belongings!"
Lin He's face twisted with rage. "Nonsense! What do you mean by 'taking'? Su Xingling died in the Mu family—that makes her one of them. My sister is Madam Mu. Taking her things is only right! What's the point of letting the dead hoard valuables? Better to use them to honor me!"
Mu Beiyin's gaze turned icy. She kicked Lin He to the ground.
Lin He howled like a pig being slaughtered. "Sister, save me! This bitch has gone mad—kill her!"
Lin Ru screamed dramatically. "Beiyin, he's your uncle! How can you be so vicious? Neighbors, come see! Mu Beiyin is trying to kill someone!"
When she saw Lin He trying to get up, Mu Beiyin stepped on his back and pinned him down again.
She coldly questioned, "Uncle Fu, how much did they take from my mother?"
Uncle Fu quickly replied, "Two jewelry boxes and a watch. Mr. Lin is wearing the watch now."
Mu Beiyin crouched down. One hand pressed the back of Lin He's neck, and with the other, she swiftly removed the watch.
Lin He flew into a rage. "You bitch! That's my watch—give it back! Your mom is dead! Her inheritance should go to your elders! The Mu family raised you—don't you know how to repay kindness, you ungrateful brat!"
Mu Beiyin sneered and pressed down hard—dislocating his jaw. "If you don't know how to speak, then don't."
Lin He screamed in pain, unable to form coherent words.
Lin Ru suddenly grew fearful. Mu Beiyin looked like a complete lunatic!
At that moment, the gate opened again and Mu Yaohui walked in. "What's taking so long—Mu Beiyin? What are you doing here?"
Mu Beiyin raised an eyebrow. Just as she suspected. Lin Ru and Lin He wouldn't have dared to steal her mother's things on their own—it was because Mu Yaohui was involved.
When Lin Ru saw Mu Yaohui arrive, her eyes flickered. She quickly ran over in tears:
"Yaohui, help us! My brother is about to be beaten to death by Beiyin—she's trying to kill us! Wuwuwu…"