Huh? Are villainous bosses this easy to flirt with?

Chapter 154 Everything is beyond redemption

It must be said that Xie Qing's sixth sense was extremely accurate.

Butler Qi, who had left two hours earlier, hadn't actually gone far.

At this moment, he was in the tea room of another annex building, gently holding a teacup, sipping fine Longjing tea, and observing Xie Qing's every move through the glass.

The glass in the tea room is one-way, so people outside can't see inside. Therefore, he wasn't worried about being discovered by Xie Qing.

It was noon soon, and Xie Qingzhao was having lunch in the main house's dining room as usual, as was Huo Qiming.

Just like in the morning, after lunch, Huo Qiming returned to his room, while Qi Min accompanied Xie Qing to the opera house.

For the next few days, it was the same. Xie Qing only saw Huo Qiming during mealtimes. The person she saw most often was the butler, Qi Min.

As for the other people in the Huo residence, he rarely encountered them, and even if he did, he ignored them and they disliked each other.

During another break, Xie Qing wiped the sweat from her face and strolled to the balcony outside.

He leaned against the wooden railing with both hands, his eyes sharp, looking intently at the tea room in the building across the street.

Looking at the pitch-black glass, a familiar feeling of being secretly watched crept into my heart once again.

Qi Min, who was behind the glass, was slightly taken aback when he witnessed this scene.

He really didn't expect Xie Qing to be so alert, to be able to notice things even in this situation.

……

As night fell, the lights in the Huo residence came on one by one.

In the quiet and somewhat solemn study, Qi Min stood upright to one side, reporting Xie Qing's situation to Huo Qiming in an orderly manner.

"As usual, Xie Qing went back and forth between the main house and the theater. He was very serious when learning and respected his teachers. He was a focused and polite young man..."

Huo Qiming: "You have a high opinion of him."

Qi Min smiled faintly, "Master, I'm just telling the truth."

Huo Qiming's gaze fell quietly on Qi Min, his expression seemingly filled with emotion, "Ah Min... when did things become so distant between us?"

Qi Min froze, then subconsciously called out, "Brother Ming."

Huo Qiming smiled, as if reminiscing, "You used to call me that."

I just don't know when it started, but the other person became more and more respectful, and the way they addressed me in private also changed.

A hint of sadness flashed in Qi Min's eyes. "Master, that happened so many years ago."

Huo Qiming was silent for a moment, then said, "That's true."

"We're all getting old."

Everything is beyond repair.

Qi Min suppressed all emotions, as if wearing an invisible mask, and continued talking about Xie Qing.

"Xie Qing is a very alert young man; he has already noticed something amiss. If this continues, I'm afraid..."

Huo Qiming: "Then let's hold off for a few days and continue."

He turned his gaze to the window, a hint of worry in his eyes, and murmured softly, "I hope this decision is the right one..."

*

Today is Xie Qing's ninth day staying at the Huo residence.

Summer weather is like a child's face, changing in an instant. In the morning, the sky is clear and blue, but in the afternoon, dark clouds gather and a heavy rain pours down.

Xie Qing's left leg was a little uncomfortable, so he took half a day off. With no afternoon classes scheduled, he suddenly had some free time and leisurely strolled around the main house.

The main house is quite large, and it takes some time to explore it.

Xie Qing strolled along the garden corridor and unknowingly arrived in front of an unfamiliar building.

After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and tentatively pushed the door open. To his surprise, the door opened.

Xie Qing stepped inside. It was quiet, and she didn't see anyone.

After several twists and turns, he came to a long corridor where he saw several elderly maids gently sweeping the paintings hanging on the walls with feather dusters.

He slowly walked over and looked at the oil painting on the wall. The colors were bold, vibrant, and very imaginative.

Cats with long wings, fish with long legs, snakes that look like puppies... The painting skills have matured from naivety to skill, full of inspiration.

Xie Qing didn't consider himself an art connoisseur, but at this moment, the paintings on the wall seemed to possess an invisible magic, firmly attracting him; each one was quite interesting.

Who drew all of these?

The sudden sound startled the maids.

Xie Qing smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I startled you."

The maid closest to Xie Qing composed herself and stammered, "...It's nothing."

She raised her head slightly, squinting her wrinkled eyes as she sized up the strikingly handsome young man who had suddenly appeared. "You are..."

Since Xie Qingping usually spends most of his time at the theater and doesn't frequent the Huo residence, most of the servants at the Huo residence only know his name but never see him.

The older maids present were among the many servants.

"My name is Xie Qing. I've been a guest at the Huo family recently."

The maid suddenly realized and bowed slightly to Xie Qing respectfully, "So it's Young Master Xie."

Xie Qing nodded in response, then looked back at the paintings hanging on the wall and asked again, "Who... painted these?"

The maid hesitated, her gaze slowly shifting to the paintings on the wall, as if drawn by threads of memory, unconsciously drawn into recollection.

After a moment, she murmured subconsciously, "...It was drawn by the young lady."

Young lady?

Xie Qing suddenly remembered that in the novel, Huo Yunting's mother was Huo Qiming's only child—Huo Shiyu.

In the entire Huo family mansion, only she truly deserves to be addressed as the eldest young lady.

"Is she Huo Yunting's mother?"

The maid nodded. "It is indeed the master's mother."

Speaking of Huo Shiyu, a layer of sadness clouded her eyes, and she couldn't help but sigh, "...What a lovely girl...so beautiful at such a young age, how could she..."

The cruel words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.

Seeing this, another maid quickly stepped forward and gently tugged at her sleeve.

The maid then realized her mistake and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Young Master Xie, please feel free to browse. We have some things to attend to, so we'll be leaving now."

After the maids left, Xie Qing was left alone in the long corridor.

Xie Qing strolled slowly along the corridor, walking from one end to the other.

In just twenty minutes, through these vibrant paintings, he seemed to see a woman's happy and joyful first half of life.

According to the book, Huo Shiyu died by suicide by jumping off a building, and killed her husband before jumping.

The book describes her very little, and the cause of her death is summarized in just a few words.

As for what exactly happened that day, the time of the tragedy, and many other details, Xie Qing knew nothing about them.

He couldn't help but think that if she had never encountered that kind of scumbag, her life would have been incredibly exciting and full of endless possibilities.

Sadly, one of the roses has fallen...