CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 20: HUO MINGJIE’S PLANS

Yue Ning turned to look at him with a tilt of her head.

Huo Feng, on the other hand, threw a subtle glare at Huo Mingjie.

"What could be the problem, Cousin?" Yue Ning asked politely.

"Can we have a private conversation?" Huo Mingjie requested, while eyeing Huo Feng to see his reaction.

Huo Feng didn’t have any reaction on his face, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t affected by Huo Mingjie’s sudden request.

Huo Yan placed her pinky finger in her mouth as she looked on restlessly. Crossing her fingers, she hoped that Yue Ning would reject him.

Meanwhile Yue Ning looked at Huo Mingjie who had a sincere gaze, and she contemplated for a while. She had to admit that she was curious as to why he wanted to see her.

"Alright," Yue Ning agreed.

"Sister-in-law," Huo Yan interjected nervously while tapping her feet anxiously, a habit she does when she’s either nervous or anxious.

Yue Ning turned to look at Huo Yan with a look of reassurance.

"Trust me," she mouthed. "Please, lead the way," she said to Huo Mingjie who beamed.

"Follow me, please."

Yue Ning scoffed inwardly. If she didn’t have the system with her, she might have been fooled by his gentlemanly facade.

"Brother, you won’t do anything? We both know what Huo Mingjie is capable of," Huo Yan whispered to Huo Feng who had already taken his seat.

Gripping the arm of the sofa, he muttered calmly, "she will be able to handle herself. She is different."

He was assuring Huo Yan, as well as himself.

Huo Yan looked at Huo Feng who didn’t seem bothered, and she exhaled.

Huo Mingjie led Yue Ning toward the pool, the surface shimmering under the faint light. She arched a brow, unimpressed by his theatrics.

"Sister-in-law, you might be wondering why I chose to see you privately," he began, his eyes fixed on her, searching for a crack in her composure.

Yue Ning’s face remained unreadable, her silence deliberate.

He swallowed, momentarily unsettled. "She isn’t reacting?" He mused to himself.

"I know you were forced to marry my cousin," he continued, his tone lowering as if sharing a great secret. "And I am aware that he only has feelings for your sister."

Her arms folded across her chest. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I can help you escape this loveless marriage," he declared, a righteous gleam in his eyes. "All ladies deserve to marry someone they truly love."

Yue Ning nearly laughed at the absurdity. This man... preaching righteousness when his heart is full of schemes. But she restrained herself, letting curiosity color her tone instead.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Convinced she was interested, Huo Mingjie eagerly laid out his "plans." His words spilled with confidence, but Yue Ning listened with a quiet detachment, every detail catalogued.

When he finally stopped, pride swelling in his chest, Yue Ning felt unease prick at her. The system warned her, reckless rejection could trigger danger. I need to play this carefully. Huo Mingjie was dangerous...she concluded.

Her gaze softened; she even let her voice tremble faintly. "Can you give me time to think about it? You’re the only one who understands what I’m going through," She sniffed, feigning vulnerability.

Huo Mingjie’s eyes lit with triumph. "Sister-in-law, I only want the best for you."

Then, unable to conceal it, a sly grin tugged at his lips. ’Huo Feng, see? Soon, you’ll kneel before me.’

Yue Ning caught the grin instantly. Pathetic. He thinks he’s already won.

She merely dipped her head, hiding her sneer.

"Sister-in-law, don’t cry. I’ll be waiting for your reply," Huo Mingjie said with feigned gentleness before striding away, self-satisfaction radiating from every step.

Once he was gone, Yue Ning’s face reverted to its natural sharpness. Her lips curled. "Ignorant fool."

She left the pool to the living room only after she was sure Huo Mingjie had fully left.

"We can leave now," Yue Ning said.

Huo Yan nervously checked her body. Yue Ning was confused, but let her do what she had in mind.

Huo Yan only let out a sigh of relief when she didn’t find any scratch on her body.

"I told you that she will be able to protect herself," Huo Feng paused as his gaze lingered on Yue Ning who felt self-aware. "She is different now."

Yue Ning let out a sheepish smile.

______________

"I’ll be in the study, if you are looking for me," Huo Feng informed them as soon as they arrived at his mansion.

Yue Ning and Huo Yan watched him leave, and they turned to look at each other.

"So boring!"

They echoed simultaneously before they burst into laughter.

"Sister-in-law, what did Mingjie talk to you about?" Huo Yan questioned. The bright mood between both of them turned serious.

Yue Ning considered telling Huo Yan about Huo Mingjie’s plans, but she decided against it. Considering her temper, she might run off to confront him, and he was dangerous. She dared not put her in danger.

"It’s nothing serious, he was bluffing," Yue Ning lied while looking around.

Huo Yan stared intently at her. She knew she was lying, but she didn’t know what Yue Ning was keeping away from her.

"You should freshen up," Yue Ning said at once. She didn’t want Huo Yan to keep on questioning her.

"Alright, sister-in-law," Huo Yan gave in, and left at once.

After she had left, Yue Ning’s shoulders eased as relief washed over her.

"Huo Yan is inquisitive," she murmured.

’I agree with you,’ the system chirped.

’Do you want to check your points awarded to you for completing the mission?’ The system inquired.

"That’s true, I sort of forgot I had to do that," Yue Ning answered.

Soon, the holographic panel appeared.

[Mission: Make Old Madam Huo like you in a three-hour encounter]

[Status: Completed]

[Reward: 9500 points awarded, and intelligence skill unlocked]

"Wait a minute, 9500 points? It was meant to be 10000 points, what happened to my missing 500 points?" Yue Ning pointed out with her brows knitted.

The system didn’t respond.

"This is because of the gift, isn’t it?" Yue Ning demanded.

’The host is smart,’ the system admitted, indirectly confessing that it deducted 500 points.

"Why will you do that? Didn’t you say there wasn’t any point needed for the gift?" Yue Ning pressed, feeling betrayed.

’I am sorry host, but this was what my developers chose. Also, it is a lesson for you,’ it soothed her.

"What do you mean by that?" Yue Ning asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

’You shouldn’t trust people so easily.’ It reminded her carefully.

"Not even you, huh?" Yue Ning scoffed lightly.