Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

The Huo family matriarch's private room was called "Caihe Hall".

Taken from Liu Xiaochuo's poem "Seeing a Beauty Picking Lotuses from Afar".

Water chestnut stems are sometimes used to wrap bracelets, and they can be used to paddle in water or apply makeup.

I don't mind the red sleeves getting wet, I only cherish the fragrance of the green leaves.

Through the door, all the sounds inside the room reached Hu Ming's ears, allowing him to have a clear understanding of the situation inside.

"Sir, what are you laughing at?"

Sheng Shengman looked at Hu Ming's sudden smile and asked suspiciously.

"It's nothing... Sheng Sheng Man, you go ahead and get busy. I remember, we still need you to host this auction, right?"

Hu Ming suppressed his smile, waved his hand, and said to Sheng Sheng Man.

"Yes, Second Master, then I'll take my leave now."

Sheng Sheng nodded slowly, then turned and left.

Hu Ming was right. Because of her exceptional hearing, she was always the one to host the auctions at the Crescent Hotel.

Anyone who has attended an auction at the Crescent Hotel knows that bidding here, even from dozens of meters apart, doesn't require shouting.

Simply whisper your price, and the host will hear it clearly.

The name of Tingnu at the Crescent Moon Hotel had already spread throughout the upper echelons of Beijing's social circles; everyone knew him.

With an impeccable smile back on his face, Hu Ming pushed open the door.

After all, the Huo family matriarch is an elder.

As soon as I lifted the three or four layers of coral bead curtain, I immediately smelled the scent of Tibetan incense.

These are Tibetan Buddhist items, said to have certain health benefits, and are quite popular among the upper-class elderly in Beijing.

The room is fresh and elegant, luxurious yet unconventional, which is a standard feature of the Crescent Hotel and its high-class atmosphere.

Seven or eight people were already sitting around the large round table in the center of the room.

Among them, an elderly man with a full head of silver hair and skin as white as snow, dressed in a purple Tang suit, sat at the head of the table, drinking tea expressionlessly, surrounded by several women of varying ages.

These women all have one thing in common: they are slender, and their watery eyes are alluring, so much so that people subconsciously overlook their appearance.

Of course, they are still somewhat inferior to Huo Xiuxiu.

"Second Master!"

Upon seeing Hu Ming push open the door and enter, the women immediately nodded and greeted him.

"Second Master, you've arrived."

To Huo Xiangu's left, Xiao Hua, wearing a pink shirt, smiled gently.

Although seeing Hu Ming here made him think a lot, no one could guess what he was thinking.

This collaboration between him and the Huo family is likely to encounter unexpected problems.
The moment Xiaohua saw Hu Ming, she understood something.

Once Hu Ming decides to get involved, the outcome may become unpredictable.

His recent activities with the Huo family matriarch could not be kept secret from those who were interested, and Hu Ming was not an easy person to get along with.

Hu Ming's presence here undoubtedly demonstrates his attitude.

Xiao Hua glanced at the young man who had somehow appeared behind Hu Ming, smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and her eyes flickered uncertainly.

Opposite him, Wu Xie sat upright, with Fatty and Xiao Ge in suits behind him.

Several minutes earlier, Wu Xie and Fatty had been invited here by the Huo family matriarch.

And it was around that time that Xiao Ge joined Wu Xie and the others. "Oh, Grandma, we meet again?"

Despite the various gazes of the crowd, Hu Ming remained calm and composed as he walked up, pulled out a chair, and sat down as if nothing had happened.

"Hmph! Xiuxiu, come here, come to Grandma's side!"

Huo Xiangu sneered, picked up her tea and took a sip, completely ignoring Hu Ming, and instead shouted at Huo Xiuxiu.

Hu Ming smiled but remained silent.

After all, during that period, the Huo family matriarch had tried to meet with him many times, but Hu Ming had always avoided her.

Can't we even tolerate an old lady having a little temper?
"Grandma! Little Flower!"

At this moment, Xiuxiu let Hu Ming go and sat down to Huo Xiangu's right with a charming smile.

He glanced curiously at Wu Xie, his childhood friend, and at Xiao Hua's prompting, stopped talking and quietly drank his tea and watched the show.

It was obvious to everyone that Huo Xiangu had designs on Wu Xie, but with Hu Ming's arrival, the situation had undergone some subtle changes.

Of all those present, only Hu Ming was qualified to communicate with the Huo family matriarch on an equal footing.

Although, in terms of seniority, Hu Ming is a bit lower than the Huo family matriarch.

Suddenly, the atmosphere became somewhat strange, and the air seemed to be filled with the smell of scheming.

"Grandma Huo, I am Wu Xie. Hello, I hope I haven't disturbed your rest?"

Wu Xie frowned, instinctively sensing the smell of a conspiracy, but there were too few clues to make any useful deductions.

After thinking for a moment, Wu Xie stepped forward and wanted to shake hands with Huo Xiangu.
This was Wu Xie's habit when negotiating business deals while running his small shop; he immediately felt something was amiss as soon as he extended his hand.

After all, Huo Xiangu and her grandfather had a very deep entanglement, and as a junior, this way of greeting was really inappropriate.

She immediately withdrew her hand and smoothed her hair behind her ear.

Well, it's a bit awkward.

Wu Xie himself knew that this action must have been extremely foolish.

Sure enough, Fatty's expression changed; he was clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

"Pfft~"

Huo Xiuxiu didn't care about any of that and burst out laughing without hesitation.

"Ahem, Xiuxiu, as a girl, you should be more reserved!"

Hu Ming took a sip of tea, his eyelids drooping slightly, but the corners of his mouth subtly turned up.

"Uncle Ming, it's not my fault. Who knew Brother Wu Xie would still be the same as when he was a child? No, after all these years, he's even more foolish than he was back then!"

Huo Xiuxiu suppressed her smile, glanced at Wu Xie with her beautiful eyes, and said dismissively.

"Alright, Xiuxiu, if you want to catch up, there'll be plenty of time later."

"As for you, Wu Xie... you really are a bit like Old Dog Wu. I didn't believe it when others told me, but it turns out this stinking dog really didn't die out."

Huo Xiangu gave Huo Xiuxiu a slight glare, then roughly sized up Wu Xie before offering her indifferent assessment.

This tone
Just like a bitter and sarcastic woman.
Wu Xie smiled wryly, oblivious to the strange familiarity in Huo Xiuxiu's tone.

Even a fool could smell the strong sourness in those words.

It turns out the rumors weren't false; this old lady and her grandfather really did have an affair when they were young!
"He looks even more like him when he smiles, just like your grandfather. He doesn't look like a good person either."

Grandma Huo looked at Wu Xie, who was awkwardly grinning, and sighed slightly, as if she was recalling something from the past, her expression somewhat complicated.