To My Dear Mr. Huo

The Su Family used to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with Grandpa Li every year. His real name was Li Yongfeng and he was a very influential person in Lin City. He had only one wife his entire life; her name was Gao Yue’e. After she gave birth to Li Qianxue, her health deteriorated rapidly.

Li Yongfeng loved his wife and was very worried about her, so he never let her have a second child. Li Qianxue was his only child, whom he raised up as if she were a son. Li Qianxue never let him down or gave him any trouble as she grew up.

The only disagreement between them had happened 27 years ago. Without any hesitation, she had fallen in love with Su Chenghui, who, at the time, had been a department manager at Li’s company. In Li Yongfeng’s eyes, Su Chenghui was very unworthy of his daughter; his family background was ordinary and unnotable. Li Qianxue became obsessed and determined to marry him.

His daughter talked to him and begged for his permission. It took more than a year, but e finally he gave his consent. He didn’t expect that after less than a year of marriage, Su Chenghui would have an illegitimate daughter. How could he not be angry? What was done was done, however, no matter how angry it made him. No matter how much he disliked Su Qingsang, he would not be too hard on her.

The man from the family he had chosen for her before had had a few minor physical problems and he been too indecisive, but he had not been unsuitable for Su Qingsang, considering her personality.

Now, however, watching Su Qingsang walk into the house with Huo Jinyao, he had to admit that Su Qingsang had made a good choice. This Huo Jinyao was not a simple man.

“Grandfather, father, aunt, good morning.” They were family, but Su Qingsang had talked to them formally for more than 20 years, so she was used to it.

Huo Jinyao greeted them as well. He presented them gifts, which had been picked out by Su Qingsang this time. They were not very expensive but they matched their tastes.

Maybe it was Su Qingsang’s imagination, but it seemed like Su Peizhen’s gaze was particularly unfriendly today. She could not help but look at her once more. Su Peizhen, however, looked away. She was relieved, thinking that it must have only been her imagination.

When her eyes met Su Yuxin’s, he winked at her. Su Qingsang almost smiled at him, but she refrained and instead nodded as a greeting.

Grandfather Li was fond of playing the game Go. Before Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao had arrived, he’d been playing Go with Su Chenghui. Su Chenghui’s skill was no match for Grandfather Li’s, so he had lost several rounds.

“Your skill is so great that I’m no match for you, dad.” Su Chenghui said.

“If you put as much thought into Go as you do your business, you won’t lose to me.”

Grandfather Li’s words did not sound very nice, but Su Chenghui pretended that he’d not heard him. He had not known how to play it originally nor would he have learned it if he had not thought it would please his father-in-law.

Grandfather suddenly turned his eyes away and saw Huo Jinyao. “You, come here,” he said.

Huo Jinyao touched his nose and stood before Grandfather Li.

“Can you play Go?”

“A little.”

“Let’s have a go then?” Grandfather Li’s eyes were bright. He had his own business and it seemed that, recently, Lin City was livelier than normal.

“My pleasure.”

Huo Jinyao sat down and Su Qingsang looked at him. She had not expected that he could play Go. She became even more curious about him, as he seemed to keep surprising her.

Huo Jinyao picked up a black piece, looked at Grandfather Li, and said, “White first. Please, Sir.”

The game went on as black and white pieces went forth and back on the board. Li’s casual expression gradually changed. He looked up at Huo Jinyao, his eyes sharp, though there were wrinkles around them.