Before Nan Yang could say anything, her best friend Tian Ting clapped her hands and said, "Wonderful! I think this is a great idea. We can all study with Nan Xing so we can keep an eye on her, and it will save Young Uncle the trouble!"
Tian Ting's false eyelashes fluttered on her furry, heavily made-up eyes as she forced an expression of pure innocence—it really must have been hard work for her.
Huo Ning clapped both hands together instead. "I think this is a great idea. Young Uncle, since you're already herding one sheep, you might as well herd a whole flock. Why don't you just take them all in? Li Tian and Tian Ting are in the same grade as Nan Xing. Nan Yang's grades are too high to study with them, plus she has her own private tutor, so I suppose Nan Yang doesn't need to join?"
Huo Ning was always so accommodating and eager to please when it came to young women, never turning anyone away—the ultimate understanding, warm-hearted guy.
Such a universally loving man! And in the past, I had loved him as if my own life depended on it. My brain must have been flooded with water.
I looked at Huo Jingchuan.
Huo Jingchuan furrowed his brow slightly and asked Huo Ning in a cool tone, "Do I look like a shepherd to you?"
I lowered my head, biting my lip to hold back a laugh, feeling immensely gratified inside.
Huo Ning froze for a moment, failing to catch the meaning of Huo Jingchuan's words.
Huo Jingchuan looked at me. "You like playing video games? And nobody can keep you in line?"
Me—
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nan Yang staring right at me. I gritted my teeth and muttered, "Yes."
Huo Jingchuan let out a cold laugh, looking down his nose at me. "Perfect! I'll use you as an experiment to see if I can keep you in line! Tell your parents you're moving into my villa starting tomorrow, and you aren't coming back until the college entrance exams are over. Play video games? In your dreams! I refuse to believe I can't whip you into shape!"
He turned and walked toward the stairs, not forgetting to toss back one final instruction: "Don't forget to bring all your test papers!"
Everyone was frozen in place, including me!
Huo Ning couldn't help panicking. "Young Uncle, Young Uncle, no, don't! Aren't you basically asking for Nan Xing's life? She—she won't survive this."
Huo Jingchuan turned his head and glared at him, and Huo Ning instantly stopped in his tracks, watching helplessly as Huo Jingchuan went downstairs.
Nobody looked away until Huo Jingchuan was completely out of sight, and then they all turned their gazes back to me.
I immediately dropped my head, putting on a miserable, put-upon look.
Huo Ning couldn't help sighing. "Nan Xing, how on earth did you manage to provoke our family's big demon king? With you being the way you are, if he tutors you, will you even make it to the college entrance exams alive?"
I didn't raise my head; the gloating was best kept to myself.
Li Tian asked with curiosity, "Brother Huo Ning, why do you call Young Uncle the big demon king? He's... so handsome." Her voice trailed off, filled with longing and bashfulness.
"Yeah, yeah! Even though he's a bit cold and stern, he's so handsome. Being tortured by him must be tolerable, right?" Tian Ting's eyes sparkled with starry adoration.
Nan Yang smiled gently. "Look at you two acting like a couple of lovestruck fools. Have you no shame? How could you doubt Brother Huo Ning's words?"
Huo Ning sighed. "Nan Yang is the smart one here. If my uncle were really that great, would I fail to recommend him to you guys? When my cousin and I were taking our college entrance exams, Young Uncle was the one who tutored us. He had just graduated with his master's degree back then, and it took all the smooth-talking Grandpa could muster to finally get him to agree. But as a result, senior year for my cousin and me was practically living in hell! On top of the homework assigned by our school teachers, we had to finish whatever my cousin assigned us. If we didn't finish it, out came the whip! He actually hits people! Begging for mercy from anyone was completely useless!"
Huo Ning shook his head and sighed. "In our family, my young uncle sits firmly at the absolute top of the food chain. Not even Grandpa would dare argue with his decisions. Besides, arguing is pointless anyway—with just a single sentence, Young Uncle can usually turn Grandpa right over to his side. When Young Uncle beats us, Grandpa says you can't carve rotten wood into a pillar. When Young Uncle subjects us to all sorts of creative punishments, Grandpa says it's all for our own good. With Grandpa taking that kind of attitude, how could my dad, uncles, and older relatives possibly dare to have any opinions? Let me tell you, those days were truly worse than death!"
"Then why is Brother Huo Ning asking us to join the tutoring?" Li Tian pouted, deeply displeased.
"Tsk, I figured that with a few more of you around, and since you're all girls, Young Uncle might not be quite as ruthless, plus you'd be able to look out for Nan Xing," Huo Ning said, scratching his head.
This remark provoked public outrage.
Li Tian and Tian Ting refused to let it go, swarming around Huo Ning and acting spoiled.
"Brother Huo Ning, you're so terrible! How could you do this to us?"
"That's right, Brother Huo Ning! You're so biased. How could you use us as human shields?"
Nan Yang's expression darkened, and she said coldly, "That's enough, you guys! Brother Huo Ning was only trying to look out for you anyway. Besides, didn't Young Uncle refuse to take you?"
Her gaze finally shifted to me, lingering on my figure for a few heavy seconds before she said, "Nan Xing, you heard them too. It's not that your older sisters won't help you; it's simply that the Huo Family's young uncle has this kind of temper. As for your future—forget it, you're on your own!"
Oh, thank you so much!
I said silently in my head.
I took a step backward, putting on a look of sheer terror and helplessness for these wealthy young socialites to see, just to satisfy their wishes.
Sure enough, their previous eagerness to crowd around me instantly turned into giving me a wide berth and taking pleasure in my misfortune.
Li Tian became even more "understanding," saying to Nan Yang, "Cousin, let Nan Xing go pack her things. Let's head downstairs."
Nan Yang's gaze lingered tenderly on Huo Ning.
Huo Ning looked at me with pity. "Nan Xing, don't worry. In a couple of days, I'll go talk to Grandpa and find Young Uncle something else to keep him busy so he rescues you. Don't stress too much either; I've got my mom covered on my end, so it doesn't matter even if you don't get into a good school."
I raised my head, and Nan Yang's glare landed on me, burning with hatred.
I looked straight at Huo Ning and said slowly, "Whether I get into a good school or not has nothing to do with Madam Huo. Young Master Ning, I am not going to marry you."
Both Huo Ning and Nan Yang froze in shock.
I turned around and went to my room to pack my belongings.
I was moving into Huo Jingchuan's villa, and a smile bubbled up at the corners of my mouth, impossible to suppress.
The next day, my mom and dad devoutly delivered me and my luggage to Huo Jingchuan's villa.
I found it quite amusing—it felt so much like ancient times, when parents sent their daughters off to wealthy families as child brides.
Huo Jingchuan was waiting in the living room, dressed in a grey-and-white casual outfit.
Old Master Huo had actually come as well, and he brought along a girl around my age named Huo Ni.
Huo Ni was the daughter of the Huo Family's third branch. In my past life, in order to secure a business partnership with the government, Huo Ning used his cousin Huo Ni as a bargaining chip to win operational rights for a project; a year and a half later, Huo Ni jumped to her death from a high-rise.
At that time, I had just discovered Huo Ning's betrayal—the darkest moment of my life.
Old Master Huo introduced me to Huo Ni, smiling as he told everyone, "I'm sure these two will get along just fine. They're both such well-behaved girls. Number Seven, they're both your nieces, so you must teach them well! Still, you mustn't be too harsh—they're young ladies, not tough like Huo Ning, so go easy on them!"
Huo Jingchuan sat on the sofa with his arms crossed. My father didn't even dare sit anywhere near him, as he naturally radiated the aura of a king.
Huo Jingchuan gave the two of us a cool, sweeping glance. "Anyone who comes to my place follows my rules."
My father hurriedly put on a ingratiating smile. "Of course, of course! Nan Xing, you must be a good girl, listen to Young Uncle, and study hard. You can't afford to let your studies go to waste anymore. Don't make your old man lose face whenever people ask about your grades, you hear me?"
I lowered my head and murmured a soft, "Understood."
Old Master Huo laughed, "Oh, you two are something else, look at how you've frightened the girls. Number Seven, you remember my words: no acting rashly, no corporal punishment! Hear me?"
Huo Jingchuan finally let out a faint "Mn" and gave a slight nod.
Once we saw them off, I let out a silent breath of relief.
Step one of the plan—escaping the Nan Family—was a success.
Thank you, Huo Jingchuan!
Huo Jingchuan called over the housekeeper. "This is Housekeeper Mother Kong. Follow her to get settled in. I'll check on your schoolwork tonight after I get back."
His gaze swept over me coolly, and in the end, he said nothing more.
A smile blossomed in my heart.
Step two of my plan was to get close to Huo Jingchuan.
Huo Ni was an exceptionally gentle and bashful young girl, very much like the Nan Xing of my past life.
After Huo Jingchuan returned, we sat chatting on the swing under the garden veranda.
"Nan Xing, what major do you want to study?" Huo Ni asked me softly.
"Me? Computer science," I thought for a moment and replied.
"What about you?" I asked her.
Huo Ni fell silent for a moment. "Teaching, I suppose. I want to be a teacher."
I nodded. "You'll make a wonderful, gentle teacher."
Huo Ni turned her head and smiled at me, her delicate face glowing in the night.
"It's really nice to be able to come here and study with you at Young Uncle's place," she said softly.
Huo Ni's father had died young, and her mother, determined to secure Huo Ni's future, chose not to remarry, staying behind in the Huo Family to endure a bitter struggle.
Among all the cousins, Huo Ni was the easiest one to bully; otherwise, Huo Ning never would have dared use her to pave his own way.
I took a deep breath. In this lifetime, since I had been given a fresh start, I would never stand by and watch Huo Ni die unjustly.
"Huo Ni, we're definitely going to get into M University. Let's work hard together!"
I reached out my hand to her from the swing.
She hesitated for a brief second before taking my hand in hers, a blooming smile spreading across her face.
Huo Ni's smile carried a lingering melancholy that tugged at the heartstrings.
When Huo Jingchuan returned, he reeked of alcohol.
Seeing the two of us standing in the living room waiting for him, he frowned. "I'm going to take a shower first. Mother Kong, take them to the study and wait for me there!"
Like two grade-schoolers, we walked in single file to the study and sat up straight on the sofa, waiting.