Chapter 124
Concerned that Huo Guining might catch his illness, Huo Xiaozheng briefly told her about his past with Song Qing. Then he urged her to leave quickly.
Huo Guining stood thoughtfully holding the food tray. Was this a case of Song Qing's unrequited love turning to hatred? But where did Song Tianbai come from in all this...?
Feeling she had discovered a blind spot, Huo Guining put down the tray and wanted to go back to ask Huo Xiaozheng. She reached for the door handle but found it wouldn't turn at all.
Huo Guining called out in disbelief: "Dad? Why did you lock the door?"
Huo Xiaozheng's voice came from behind the door.
"I was worried you might absentmindedly come in again." Huo Xiaozheng's voice was a bit hoarse, and he coughed a few times.
Huo Guining said in a disappointed tone: "Please unlock the door. I won't come in again."
Worried Huo Xiaozheng wouldn't believe her, she swore at the door: "If I come in again, I'm a puppy."
Huo Xiaozheng behind the door let out a short laugh, then unlocked the door.
Hearing that 'click', Huo Guining was happy and carried the tray downstairs.
Zheng Jinxiu expressed some concern, but upon learning that Huo Xiaozheng had already eaten porridge and food, she felt much more at ease. She praised Huo Guining a bit, then asked her to call Huo Yueze for breakfast.
Huo Guining obediently did as asked.
With Huo Xiaozheng ill, Huo Guining wasn't in the mood to play. After breakfast, she set up an easel in the old mansion's garden and started painting.
Huo Yueze finished breakfast and came over, inviting her to go out and play.
Huo Guining refused him righteously: "I need to take care of Dad. I can't go out to play with you."
At eighteen, Huo Yueze had grown much taller. At the last family dinner, he had boasted at the table about being 180cm tall now.
His features had also shed their former immaturity, gradually becoming more defined.
But in Huo Guining's heart, he had never changed.
"If you're not going, it won't be fun for me to go alone." Three years had passed, and Huo Yueze had gone further down the path of showing off his sister.
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None of his friends didn't know Huo Guining.
Originally, some friends had invited him to play an escape room game. Huo Yueze thought Ning Ning hadn't played before and might be interested, so he agreed.
He didn't expect his uncle to suddenly fall ill, which held Ning Ning back.
So, he figured they might as well both stay at home and play video games together.
Thinking this, Huo Yueze sat down on the garden swing, playing with his phone while keeping Ning Ning company as she painted.
At nine in the morning, the sun was already high, but the siblings, sheltered under a maple tree, weren't too hot.
A sound of footsteps interrupted this moment of tranquility.
"Ning Ning, a young boy is here saying he's looking for you," the butler came over and told Huo Guining.
Huo Guining pulled herself away from her painting: "A young boy? What's his name?"
"He said his name is Song Tianbai."
Huo Guining couldn't help but frown, muttering: "What's he doing here..."
Just as Huo Yueze's friends were very familiar with Huo Guining, Huo Yueze knew all of Ning Ning's friends as well.
Hearing this unfamiliar name, Huo Yueze sat up straight: "Who's Song Tianbai? How come I don't know you have such a friend?"
Huo Guining briefly explained how she met Song Tianbai yesterday.
Huo Yueze said to the butler: "Just tell him Ning Ning isn't home..."
Huo Guining said helplessly: "The butler already came in to ask. Even an idiot would know I'm home."
Huo "Idiot" Yueze: "Oh, right. Well then, why don't you come out to play with me after all? This outing was planned a while ago anyway."
Huo Guining thought for a moment, realizing this indeed wouldn't be impolite.
"We can't play for too long, okay? I still need to come back and keep Dad company," Huo Guining cautioned.
"It won't be long. Let's go," he said.
With that, the siblings packed up the painting supplies and got in the car to leave.
As they were leaving the Huo family's old mansion, the brother and sister saw Song Tianbai's figure from afar.
He was standing quietly under the big tree next to the security booth, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the inside of the gate.
His features were truly beautiful. Standing there quietly, he looked like a porcelain doll.
Huo Yueze asked puzzled: "Is that Song Tianbai? He looks very well-behaved."
Huo Guining nodded: "He does look well-behaved."
The porcelain doll watched as the vehicle approached, then passed by him.
In that instant, he seemed to sense something, and then he started running after the car.
As Huo Guining expected, he fell.
Not only did he fall, but he also got up quickly with remarkable determination and continued chasing the car.
Huo Yueze couldn't bear to watch.
Huo Guining reluctantly asked the driver to stop.
The siblings were forcibly detained for one minute.
"Song Tianbai, we're not close. What are you doing looking for me?" Huo Guining got out of the car and stood in front of Song Tianbai.
Song Tianbai had run too hard and was panting: "I just want to play with you."
Huo Guining shook her head: "I've already told you very clearly, we can't be friends."
Song Tianbai pressed his lips together without speaking.
His knee was scraped, with a trail of bright red blood winding down. Grit still clung to the angry-looking wound, but its owner paid no attention.
Huo Guining very much wanted to turn and leave.
But Song Tianbai had the air of someone who would keep chasing if she continued to walk away.
Huo Yueze wasn't about to indulge Song Tianbai.
He took out some banknotes from his pocket and held them out to Song Tianbai: "Kid, take this money, go get that wound treated, and stop following my sister. Got it?"
Song Tianbai ignored Huo Yueze, his beautiful eyes stubbornly fixed on Huo Guining.
Huo Guining gave in: "What do you want?"
Song Tianbai: "Can you take me along to play?"
Huo Yueze: "No."
Huo Guining held back her brother's hands that wanted to hit someone: "Is your goal today just to play with me?"
Song Tianbai hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"And after that?" Huo Guining said mercilessly: "Aren't you going to push your luck and ask for more?"
She looked Song Tianbai up and down, speaking pointedly: "Using. This. Method."
Song Tianbai's lips went white, as if someone had painfully torn off a mask long glued to his face. He said: "Just this once."
His eyes were determined as he promised: "I swear, just this one time."
Huo Yueze didn't believe this kid's lies at all. He pulled Ning Ning behind him, looking ready to use force.
Huo Guining spoke up: "Alright, I'll trust you this once."
Huo Yueze raged: "Why trust him?"
Huo Guining shook her head at Huo Yueze, signaling him to calm down.
There was a first aid kit in the car.
Huo Yueze reluctantly bandaged Song Tianbai's wound.
Thinking this brat had impure motives, Huo Yueze didn't hold back. When disinfecting the wound, his movements were rough.
Song Tianbai showed some grit.
Apart from taking a sharp breath the first time he was stung, he didn't make even a single sound of pain after that.
Song Tianbai was only a year older than Huo Guining, but his words and actions showed none of the innocence of childhood.
This left Huo Guining very puzzled.