I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

Huo Qingtang got up twice in the middle of the night and sent someone to check on the side building; Steward Zhou also stood guard outside and dared not leave; Huo Shirong was so busy that he hadn't returned to his room until the early hours of the morning.

Strangely, the side building was quiet all night, without even the usual noise of smashing cups or shouting to close windows.

As dawn approached, Huo Qingtang personally pushed open the door and went inside.

The lights inside were long gone, the window was only half-open, and the breeze was so light you could barely feel it.

Huo Yuncheng lay on his side, breathing steadily, his brows unfurrowed. A half-full glass of warm water sat on the bedside table, untouched all night.

Huo Qingtang stood at the door for a long time without saying a word.

This is the first time in nearly ten days that my younger brother has slept so soundly.

As dawn broke, the last light on the floor was turned off, and the Huo family's side building finally fell silent.

Huo Yuncheng slept until dawn. Even the servants guarding the door couldn't believe it and went in to check on him twice before confirming that he hadn't fainted but was truly fast asleep.

When this news reached the main hall, the Huo family, who had been holding their breath, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But Huo Shirong did not let up.

He barely slept a wink all night, and as soon as it was light, he had Steward Zhou clear everyone out of the front hall and study, leaving only Huo Qingtang, Huo Yuncheng, Steward Zhou, Huang Shouzhuo, and Chen Qinghe, to go over the events of the previous night again.

Fresh tea was served in the study, its steam rising gently.

Huo Shirong sat in the main seat, glanced at Chen Qinghe first, and then slowly spoke: "Ah Cheng did fall asleep last night, and the Huo family will remember that. But as the young master made it clear last night, that was just to stabilize the situation first. What I want to hear now is not how to move the bed or remove the mirror, but how this whole thing actually came about."

Chen Qinghe nodded, without beating around the bush.

"The Huo family's problem this time has two layers. The first layer is that their household affairs were disrupted. The second layer is that after the disruption, someone else pushed them further, taking advantage of the mistakes."

Huo Yuncheng slept well last night and his complexion was noticeably better, although there was still a bluish tinge under his eyes.

He leaned back in his chair, frowning, and asked, "You mean, some of those feng shui masters who came before were trying to harm me?"

"Perhaps," Chen Qinghe said. "These feng shui masters only changed the layout of your room. If the Huo family's external environment was originally upright, those methods would at most cause some minor problems. They wouldn't cause you to feel palpitations, wake up in fright, lose your appetite, or become so irritable that you can't control your temper by evening."

Huo Qingtang stood to the side, saying nothing, just watching him.

Chen Qinghe continued, "I looked outside last night. The driveway was cut straight, which is considered bad luck; the water level in front of the door was overflowing, which means wealth wouldn't be collected; the glass of the carport was reflecting light into the side building; inside the side building, the screen wall was removed and a glass partition was added, the mirror reflected the bed, and the screen was moved. The urgency outside, combined with the chaos inside, is what drove people to this state."

He paused here, his tone flat, yet it sent a chill down one's spine more than any attempt at cryptic pronouncements.

"This isn't something that one or two people can change arbitrarily. Those who influence the outside know which points are most crucial; those who influence the inside know how to use those points to push things forward. I don't believe it if you say there was no one to guide you."

Huo Shirong remained calm, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "So, last night you just moved the wrong parts back to prevent the qi pathways from continuing to harm people."

"That's right," Chen Qinghe said. "I removed the mirrors, cleared the glass, sealed the side door, moved the bed, adjusted the lights, and straightened the screen to stop the anger that had already rushed in and to drag the person half a step away from the station. Doing this can buy some time, but it can't buy time forever."

After those words were spoken, the study fell silent for a moment.

Huo Qingtang finally spoke: "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, the Huo family mansion is like a leaky house right now." Chen Qinghe looked at her. "Last night I only plugged the biggest leak. But if the Huo family doesn't find out why it's leaking outside and who's leaking it from inside, even if we plug one leak today, it will leak in another place tomorrow. At that point, it might not just affect the young master, but it could affect the business, personnel, or even the distrust among family members."

Huo Shirong's gaze gradually darkened.

This is no longer as simple as whether the feng shui is good or bad.

The Huo family has been involved in shipping and real estate for many years. They have a large business, but also many enemies.

If someone can secretly slip their hand in under the guise of repairing the gate and rearranging the furnishings, it means that the Huo family has already been breached both inside and out.

Although Huo Yuncheng was usually dissolute, he wasn't stupid. Hearing this, he sat up straighter: "You mean, someone is using the renovation as an excuse to target the Huo family? Is it Uncle's side, or someone outside?"

"That's not something a fortune teller like me could know," Chen Qinghe said. "It's obvious that someone is competing with you for business. It's also obvious that someone is watching the Huo family. But who made the connection, who chose the location, and who instructed the workers to make the changes—those are the Huo family's own accounts, and you'll have to investigate them yourselves."

He spoke calmly, without deliberately probing into the Huo family's affairs.

This sense of propriety actually made Huo Shirong think more highly of him.

If it were someone else, they would be busy stirring up trouble or manipulating the situation.

Chen Qinghe simply explained the situation clearly, and then stopped, not taking a single extra point.

Huo Shirong had spent half his life in business and had seen too many shrewd people. It was rare to see someone so young yet so aware of when to advance and retreat.

Huo Qingtang also understood this.

She usually hated people who meddle in other people's affairs by using supernatural means, but Chen Qinghe hadn't mentioned a single ghost or spirit since last night, not even the word "perform a ritual."

He was more like smoothing out a messed-up blueprint, letting the Huo family see the cracks in it themselves.

For the first time, she really took a good look at the person in front of her.

Chen Qinghe sat very upright, and the cup of hot tea beside him remained untouched from beginning to end.

He was still wearing the same faded blue cotton jacket he wore last night, with frayed cuffs and old creases on his shoulders, suggesting he hadn't had time to change after his long journey.

His clothes were terribly old, but they didn't make him look disheveled; they just made him appear thinner.

Huo Qingtang's gaze lingered on the pale cuff for a moment, then moved away without making a sound.

Last night, she only thought he was shabby.

Looking back now, it seems as if this person didn't care about any of this at all.

Huo Shirong looked only at Chen Qinghe: "Mr. Chen, in your opinion, what should the Huo family do next?"

"First, investigate who has made any changes to the Huo family's main gate, side building, or study in the last six months," Chen Qinghe said. "Who proposed the changes, who hired them, who chose the location, and who inspected the work—don't miss a single one. Then investigate the two recent business deals that fell through for the Huo family, and see if it was the same group of people outside trying to lower prices and inside passing on messages. The fact that the house can be leveraged by others indicates that personnel matters have already been loosened."

Huo Shirong nodded. This time, even Steward Zhou felt a chill run down his spine and immediately wrote down what he said.

"Also," Chen Qinghe added, "although the side building is stable for now, don't make any unauthorized changes for the next two weeks. Don't open any doors that don't need to be opened, replace the carport glass as soon as possible, change the water tank sprinkler head back to its inward-facing position, and it would be best to add a gentle curve to the road in front of the door. As for the layout inside the house, I only addressed the immediate situation last night; we'll have to sort it out gradually later."

Huo Shirong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up.

His presence caused everyone in the room to straighten their expressions. Huo Shirong walked up to Chen Qinghe and, without any pretense, solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"The Huo family was rude last night. Mr. Chen is young, but quite capable. The Huo family owes you a favor this time."

Huang Shouzhou's eyelids twitched as he read it.

For someone like Huo Shirong to speak to a poor young man who had just arrived in Hong Kong in such a manner was already extremely significant.

After saying this, he tilted his head towards Steward Zhou.

Manager Zhou immediately took a thick envelope from the side and placed it on the table with both hands.

The envelope was bulging and heavy, clearly indicating a substantial amount.

"This is the reward for last night and this morning," Huo Shirong said.

When Huang Shouzhou heard the last sentence, he felt a chill run down his spine, but he still breathed a sigh of relief and almost bowed to Chen Qinghe on the spot.

Their lives were saved, and the Taoist temple was saved as well.

Last night he thought he was going to die today, but unexpectedly, he miraculously pulled himself back from the brink of death overnight.

Chen Qinghe glanced at the envelope but didn't take it immediately. He simply said, "I'll take the money, and I'll continue to look into the matter. But the Huo family should investigate what needs to be investigated. I can handle the household affairs, but I can't take over your family's troubles for you forever."

"I'll remember that," Huo Shirong said.

Huo Qingtang stood to the side, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only said indifferently, "Manager Zhou, go and have someone prepare breakfast."

Her words were flat, and her tone was still cold, but this was the softest she had said since last night.

Manager Zhou responded and left.

As Chen Qinghe stood up, Huo Qingtang's gaze fell on him again. The old clothes looked even more faded in the morning light, and even the stitching at the collar was worn out.

A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, but she showed no sign of it on her face. She simply turned and said, "The Huo family has no shortage of food. Mr. Chen worked hard last night. Please eat before you leave."

Chen Qinghe glanced at her and nodded: "Thank you."

Huo Qingtang didn't say anything more, but simply walked out first. The morning light shone on her profile, softening her usual coldness. When she reached the door, she paused slightly, as if she wanted to turn back, but then restrained herself.

She had previously regarded Chen Qinghe as just another wandering martial arts master who came to make a living. Only now did she truly realize that this young man, who came from a dilapidated Taoist temple in a narrow alley, might actually possess some ability to see through situations.

Chen Qinghe stood still, his gaze sweeping over the Huo family's study, but his mind was on something else entirely.