Huo Xiang: “……”
After observing her carefully and realizing that she was speaking with complete seriousness—and even with righteous conviction, without the slightest hint of embarrassment—he felt utterly drained.
This beast truly had no shame!
He pinched his own hand hard, only barely managing to maintain a calm, fake smile as he nodded. “I failed to think this through. Don’t worry, I’ll redeem everything. After all, I wouldn’t want people gossiping about my wife.”
Huh?
Su Ning felt sickened.
She lowered her head in silence, afraid her expression would give her away.
Huo Xiang, however, misunderstood her reaction. Thinking his words had had the desired effect, he gracefully took out his money to settle the bill for her…
Then he ran out of money.
As everyone knew, the most awkward thing in the world was to put on an impressive act and run out of steam halfway through.
Damn it.
How could she have spent so much money?
“I came in too much of a hurry today. Just go to the Huo family to collect the rest.”
After saying that, he looked at Su Ning expectantly.
She was already gone.
?
??
???
“Don’t bother looking,” Half-Immortal Su said considerately. “My niece went inside just now. It’s too cold out here, and staying outside too long will make her catch a chill.”
Huo Xiang smiled stiffly. “Yes, it really is cold. I came over this morning and waited here for several hours. My hands and feet feel like they’ve stopped working. It would be nice if I could go inside and warm up.”
His hint could not have been any more obvious.
The next second—
“Oh.” Half-Immortal Su looked anxious. “Then Young Master Huo, you’d better hurry home.”
Huo Xiang: “……”
He might have heard wrong.
“Oh, right. Before you leave, could you have your servants help move everything inside and arrange it properly?” Half-Immortal Su said, his old face turning somewhat bashful as he rubbed his hands together. “Sorry to trouble you, Young Master Huo.”
Like father, like daughter.
That thought suddenly popped into Huo Xiang’s mind.
Come to think of it, he had never actually met the Su family in real life. He had not expected them to be so outrageously bizarre. Suppressing his irritation, he patiently said, “Why go to all that trouble? I can sit here for a while and warm myself up.”
Half-Immortal Su was just about to refuse.
At that moment, Su Chen came over and whispered something to him. Only then did he reluctantly say, “Well… come in, then.”
Huo Xiang sneered inwardly. As if he wanted to enter this dilapidated house.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Su Ning warming herself beside a brazier. The orange firelight illuminated her face, and a fluffy white fur collar framed her neck.
She was poking at several roasted sweet potatoes.
The fragrance filled the room.
The scene was rather cozy.
Even Huo Xiang could not help relaxing a little. Then he saw her raise her head and say warily, “There are only four roasted sweet potatoes. None for you.”
Huo Xiang: “……”
Just when he thought his tolerance was strong enough, Su Ning always managed to break through his limits and infuriate him.
Who would care about one lousy roasted sweet potato?!
The sweet potatoes were soon done.
Quite a bit of their skin had been charred black. Once peeled, their golden flesh was revealed, still glistening with syrupy juices and sending out an irresistible aroma. The four members of the Su family each took one and ate with great relish.
What about him?
Huo Xiang swallowed discreetly. To distract himself, he asked, “It’s so cold. Is the brazier all you have? Won’t it be too little to keep you warm?”
Su Ning froze.
Then she said sadly, “Every night, it’s so cold that I can’t sleep. My hands are almost covered in chilblains. There’s nothing we can do. Uncle has already been struggling to support the family, and we have no money. Being able to burn charcoal at all is already quite good.”
Huo Xiang’s eyes lit up. Pretending to be concerned, he said, “That won’t do. What if you get frostbite? How about… you move into my house? My parents and brothers and sisters are all there. It’s lively, so you won’t feel lonely. They’ll all treat you as one of the family.”
“Really?” Su Ning asked in delight. Then, without the slightest hesitation, she added, “The four of us—my uncle and I included—will need a spacious courtyard. Preferably one with heated walls. I shouldn’t have to explain the furniture and furnishings, right? The bedding has to be new as well. Secondhand things are too dirty.”
The other members of the Su family began discussing it too.
Half-Immortal Su: “The feng shui is important as well. I’ll take a look when the time comes. If it’s bad, we’ll change it.”
Su Zhenzhu: “We won’t need too many servants. Four, five, six, or seven should be enough. As long as they’re quick and capable.”
Su Chen: “Chilblains hurt even more when exposed to warmth. We’d better arrange for a physician to examine her in advance, and buy some high-quality chilblain ointment. I heard tiger bone is good for driving out the cold…”
Hearing all this, Huo Xiang frowned. He could not understand it.
Clearly, having Su Ning move into his line of sight would make it easier to develop their relationship and convenient for him to do whatever he wanted. In a sense, he had achieved his goal.
So why did he feel so unhappy?
……
He still had not figured out the answer when Su Ning and the members of the Su family began making arrangements on their own. Since there was no need to wait for a better day, they simply packed up their belongings and went to the Huo residence that very day.
When they arrived and saw the members of the Huo family—especially “Master Huo” and “Madam Huo,” seated in the places of honor—Su Ning had to suppress her laughter again and again.
It was truly hilarious!
The husband was one thing, but the wife looked completely different from Madam Huo in real life. Instead, she bore a slight resemblance to Huo Xiang.
Her identity was practically obvious.
Su Ning stared at her without the slightest restraint.
Mother Huo frowned deeply. She had already been displeased when she heard that her son had eagerly rushed off to see that arrogant and unreasonable Su Ning. Now that she had seen the girl in person, her displeasure only increased. It would have been one thing if Su Ning had not possessed a particularly auspicious appearance, but she was actually so rude as well.
“Father, Mother, this is my fiancée, Su Ning, and her family,” Huo Xiang said warmly.
In real life, although he had been very young and unable to remember anything when he was adopted, the Huo family had never stopped him from learning about his biological parents.
His parents often came to visit him at the Huo residence.
But after he grew up, in order to avoid suspicion and show that he regarded himself solely as a member of the Huo family, he had painfully taken the initiative to distance himself from his biological parents. He had kept those feelings suppressed all this time.
That was why he had created his parents as the head of the Huo family and his wife within the “dream.”
It was a way of fulfilling the regret in his heart.
Father Huo merely gave a reserved grunt, maintaining his dignity. Mother Huo’s expression fell, and she raised a handkerchief to cover her mouth.
With a smile that was anything but sincere, she said, “So this is Miss Su, the one who has bewitched you so completely. Now that I’ve seen her in person… perhaps my eyes are failing me, but I can’t see what’s so special about her.”
