Step Aside, My CEO Ex-Husband! Chapter 1140 - 1142: Return to the Country Immediately!

Unable to gain entry to the secret room, he could only stand vigil outside, a knot of anxiety tightening with each passing moment she remained within.

He harbored a genuine frustration towards a peculiar Huo Family regulation – a rule stipulating that only the female head of the household could access this chamber, while the male head was explicitly forbidden from entering.

The situation was utterly infuriating!

"I cannot disclose the details to you. Return and rest," Tian Xingyun stated, gently disengaging her hand from his.

"Xingyun, please don't be upset. I'm not opposed to Tianxin and Yangyang being together; it's simply that they are still quite young," Huo Shaohua explained, anxious to prevent any potential misunderstanding from his wife.

Truthfully, he recognized Yangyang as an exceptional young man.

His reservations stemmed not from any perceived fault in Yangyang, but rather from a desire to shield Tianxin's academic pursuits from the potential distractions of an early romance.

They were too young for a relationship; he would readily consent once they were older.

But not now, under any circumstances!

He had never anticipated that Tianxin's affections would shift away from Yangyang, and instead, find a new target in Xingyun.

Despite his daughter's lack of agreement, Xingyun seemed determined to see Tianxin and Yangyang united.

This mother-daughter dynamic presented him with a truly perplexing dilemma.

"Do as you see fit; I have no objections," Tian Xingyun replied with a serene smile, admitting to herself that she no longer intended to keep Ziyang and Tianxin apart.

She had known from the outset that their bond was unbreakable, yet she had felt compelled to test the boundaries.

Her motivation was the avoidance of their pain; if the outcome could not be altered, her only recourse was to offer them the utmost protection.

"My dear, must you be like this? Tianxin is still young; there is no urgency for her to become engaged. She can wait a few more years," Huo Shaohua expressed, a hint of exasperation in his voice. He couldn't comprehend Xingyun's insistence on an early engagement between Tianxin and Yangyang.

"Then let's arrange her engagement in a few years' time," Tian Xingyun responded with a lighthearted laugh.

"My dear..." Huo Shaohua shuddered, sensing an unusual unfamiliarity in Xingyun's demeanor that day.

"I shall go and check on Tinghao and the others," Tian Xingyun declared, turning to depart.

In the ensuing days, Tian Xingyun made no further mention of Tianxin's engagement.

Furthermore, she minimized their interactions, leaving both father and daughter feeling distinctly out of sorts.

The clock struck noon.

Tianxin found herself in her chambers, happily engrossed in a phone conversation with Ziyang.

"Brother Ziyang, when will you be returning?" she inquired, playfully hugging a large purple stuffed bear as she lounged on her bed.

"Next month."

"Brother Ziyang, did you know that Yangyang is actually a son of the Ye Family?"

"I am aware," Ziyang's voice resonated, deep and thoughtful. He mused, 'If she knows Yangyang is a Ye, she will favor him even more, won't she?

She will undoubtedly approve of Tianxin and Yangyang's union; it merely hinges on whether Tianxin herself desires it.'

"Brother Ziyang, I miss you terribly. Please come back soon," Tianxin pleaded.

"I will return at the earliest possible moment."

"Are you occupied with matters over there?" Tianxin released her grip on the plush bear, slid off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and moved towards the door.

A slight hunger pang prompted her to seek a snack downstairs.

"Somewhat busy."

"I..." Tianxin paused at the doorway, her hand on the knob. She retrieved the words from her lips, forcing them back down with an effort.

A soft 'thud' echoed as the phone slipped from her grasp and tumbled to the floor. She recoiled, taking two steps back, her body trembling.

Terror flared in her eyes as she gazed at Huo Shaohua, her face draining of color in sheer fright.

She parted her lips, attempting to speak, but her mouth only trembled, rendering her speechless for a long moment.

Huo Shaohua bestowed upon her a frigid glance, then stooped to retrieve the still-connected phone.

Raising it to his ear, he commanded, "Return home immediately!"

Without affording Ziyang the opportunity to respond, he terminated the call and turned his attention back to Tianxin. "You will accompany me!"

Clutching Tianxin's phone, he pivoted and strode away, Tianxin nervously clenching the fabric of her clothes.

She repeated to herself, fierce and determined, that she must not succumb to fear!

She had long steeled herself for this confrontation with her father, merely not anticipating its imminent arrival.

She was not afraid!

Following Huo Shaohua into the ancestral hall, she looked upon the resting places of the Huo Family's ancestors, her heart a cauldron of apprehension!

Her fear was not of the ancestors themselves, but of the knowledge that she had transgressed the sacred family rules.

"Kneel!" Huo Shaohua's stern command reverberated, his finger indicating the cold stone floor.

Tianxin dropped to her knees with a resounding 'thump', gritting her teeth against the sudden throbbing pain.

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What fate awaits Huo Shaohua's actions? What will be the Huo Family's judgment? Would you prefer a more brutal reckoning? Tune in tomorrow for more; I shall endeavor to provide a more substantial update then!