Volume 1, Chapter 35: Make Preparations, It Is Time to Bring the Child Home

"Yanchuan!" Zhang Shuqin rushed forward, tears streaming down her face in distress. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but feared causing him further injury. "Doctor! Call the doctor, quickly!"

Before long, the family physician arrived and carried Huo Yanchuan away for treatment.

"For the next three months, keep him strictly confined to the manor. He is not to go anywhere," Elder Huo said, his voice deep and solemn.

Zhang Shuqin gasped, "Father, you are placing Yanchuan under house arrest?!" And for three months, no less!

"Do you have an objection?"

Zhang Shuqin lowered her head. She did have an objection, but she dared not voice it. Consumed by worry for Huo Yanchuan’s condition, she had no room to think of anything else. "Father, let us go see Yanchuan."

"Very well."

With Elder Huo’s consent, the two hurried after the medical team. Soon, only Elder Huo and Huo Hongjun remained in the living room.

"Hongjun, how is that boy doing?"

Huo Hongjun pondered for a moment. "The boy leads a very disciplined life: the company, his home, and the gym. He keeps to himself and has no bad habits. Moreover, a while back, his company, Zhuihuo, managed to snatch a project from TG involving the Y-Country royal family. Establishing ties with the royals will certainly help the Huo family expand its influence in Y-Country later on."

Hearing this, Elder Huo raised an eyebrow in surprise. "He snatched a project from TG?"

Huo Hongjun nodded excitedly. "I couldn't believe it at first either. While Zhuihuo has good prospects, compared to TG, its strength is still a far cry. I never expected him to actually secure a partnership with the royal family from right under TG’s nose."

Ultimately, Huo Hongjun concluded, "That child is as capable as ever."

"Indeed," Elder Huo agreed with a nod. Even the Huo Corporation would not have had absolute certainty in snatching a deal away from TG.

Elder Huo could not help but sigh. "Hongjun, tell me, when we had to choose which child to keep back then, should I have insisted on keeping the older one?"

Huo Hongjun dared not answer; he kept his gaze neutral and maintained his silence. Back then, when the choice had to be made, Elder Huo had favored the older brother, who was born slightly earlier and was in good health. However, Huo Qingjun and his wife had felt pity for the younger brother, who was born later and was frail. They feared that because the younger one was weak and would be separated from his family at such a young age, he would struggle to survive. Elder Huo had thought it over and ultimately agreed to keep the younger one, sending the older one away.

If only he had insisted on keeping the older one... Elder Huo sighed, reflecting on the impermanence of life. Fortunately, Heaven had not been unkind to the Huo family; it had given him a chance to rectify his mistake.

"Hongjun, make the preparations. Bring that child home." He hoped that before he passed on, the boy would have the ability to shoulder the entire Huo Corporation.

"Yes, Father."

Elder Huo closed his eyes wearily. "I am tired."

***

"Let me take you to your room to rest." Huo Hongjun helped Elder Huo up and escorted him back to his room.

Once back in his own room, he locked the door and sent a text message: *It is done.*

As soon as the 'delivered' status appeared, he deleted the record. After doing all this, his heart felt completely at ease. After all these years, he had finally fulfilled his obligation to that child.

***

Y-Country.

"Gu Yu, it’s time to change your dressing." Li Song entered the room carrying a tray.

Gu Yu had injured his hand in a car accident a few days ago and needed his bandages changed and wounds disinfected daily. Gu Yu was standing by the window, lost in thought. Li Song walked over and asked casually, "What’s wrong?"

Gu Yu turned slightly and handed his phone over.

Li Song: ?

Though puzzled, he took the phone and glanced at it. His eyebrows shot up violently. "It’s done?!" His voice cracked from the sheer surprise.

Gu Yu nodded.

After the initial joy, Li Song’s eyes suddenly reddened. He clutched the phone, crying and laughing at once, looking like a madman. Gu Yu knew why and remained silent, waiting for him to compose himself. They had suppressed their emotions for too long; they needed a release, or they would truly go insane. He felt it, and so did Li Song.

Gu Yu took two steps forward, letting the sunlight fall upon his face. He closed his eyes, his features relaxing, his heart pounding with irrepressible excitement. It was strange; how had he never noticed how warm and comfortable the sunlight felt?

After venting his emotions, Li Song returned the phone to Gu Yu and went into the bathroom to wash his face. He had been so agitated that he looked a bit disheveled. He splashed water on his face, washing away the tear tracks. Looking at his reddened eyes and trembling lips in the mirror, he patted his cheeks, warning himself to stay calm—there was a tough battle ahead.

Once he had calmed down, he stepped out of the bathroom and said to Gu Yu, "I’m going back to pack my things."

Before long, the Huo family would notify them to return to the country. Having spent many years in Y-Country, they had accumulated quite a lot, and there was much to bring back. He needed to get started.

***

The next morning.

Li Song knocked on the door of Gu Yu’s office. "Gu Yu, your second uncle says the Elder wants to video call you."

Gu Yu did not stop his work until he finished signing the last document. Then, he replied, "Understood."

"I told them you’d be free in an hour."

"That works."

Li Song nodded and began to scan the room, ensuring there would be no slip-ups during the video call. To keep their cover, they had recently moved into the Zhuihuo office building. Zhuihuo was a small company he and Gu Yu had founded five years ago—one that appeared promising but not overly conspicuous. It was perfect for someone like Gu Yu: someone with no background or support, struggling on his own, yet possessing a sharp business mind. It proved his capability while simultaneously casting a smoke screen, preventing the Huo family from suspecting any connection to TG.

Satisfied that the office was secure, Li Song finally relaxed.

An hour later, the video call connected. Elder Huo and Gu Yu looked at each other on the screen, neither speaking for a moment. The difference was that Elder Huo was scrutinizing Gu Yu, while Gu Yu was feigning composure.

Elder Huo easily saw through the pretense, smiled inwardly, and decided not to expose him. He took the initiative to ask, "Your name is Gu Yu?"

Gu Yu nodded. "Yes."

"Why that name?" Elder Huo’s voice was filled with curiosity.

Gu Yu remained silent for a moment before speaking. "I am not allowed to use the Huo surname, and my mother would not allow me to use the Zhang surname, so I took my grandmother’s surname."

Elder Huo was stunned. He suddenly remembered that his wife’s surname was indeed Gu. His wife had passed away young, so he hadn't even thought of that. *If the surname came from his wife, then what about the given name?*

As if guessing Elder Huo’s confusion, Gu Yu continued, "My birth was 'superfluous' (Yu)."

Because he dared not use the Huo or Zhang names, he could only choose his late grandmother’s surname, Gu. And because he understood that his very existence was considered redundant, he chose the name Yu.

Hearing Gu Yu’s words, Elder Huo felt a mix of heartbreak and guilt. They were both children of the Huo family; Huo Yanchuan had grown up in the lap of luxury in Nancheng, a well-known prodigy, while Gu Yu had been cast away to a foreign land since childhood, unloved by his father or mother, and denied even the right to bear the Huo name.

"From this day forward, your name is not Gu Yu."

"Your surname is Huo, and your given name is Jinghuai. You are the eldest young master of our Huo family."

Huo Jinghuai. It was a name he had specifically asked someone to choose for him.

Gu Yu lowered his head slightly, hiding the coldness in his eyes, and replied with dignity, "Grandfather, I do not wish to be called Jinghuai."

"Then what do you wish to be called?"

"Huo Yu will suffice."