A week had passed since Huo Ning's meeting with Shi Lili.
On Friday evening, Huo Jing hosted a welcome dinner for Huo Ning at the Huo Mansion, under the guise of being her aunt.
"A welcome dinner?"
Huo Ning, the true working girl, was sitting in the car with Huo Xiaozheng on their way home from work when she heard this news, feeling a bit puzzled.
Huo Xiaozheng was still busy with work, but he multitasked to answer her question: "She's just looking for an excuse to get us back to the old house."
"But why?"
Because of her first experience at the old house, Huo Ning didn't have a good impression of the place.
Huo Xiaozheng didn't understand her meaning: "Maybe because she wants to see you."
"But why?"
If she wanted to see her, they could meet somewhere else.
Huo Xiaozheng paused his work, mistakenly thinking Huo Ning was trying to get his attention, and felt somewhat gratified.
"Because you're very likable."
Huo Ning was a bit confused, as they were focused on different points, so their answers differed.
Being praised so directly, Huo Ning instinctively felt shy.
"Thank you," she said, cupping her face in her hands, somewhat bashfully. "Then I'll tell auntie that if she misses me in the future, she can come directly to Panlong Bay to visit me."
Huo Xiaozheng patted her head.
Due to Huo Xiaozheng's workaholic nature, they arrived at the Huo Mansion a bit later than scheduled.
Huo Yueze, not having seen her for a week, saw her looking fresh and pretty, and rushed over in one big stride to lift her high in the air.
Huo Ning let out a startled cry.
Huo Jing swiftly intervened, rescuing Huo Ning.
"What are you doing, being so reckless? Aren't you afraid of dropping your sister?"
Huo Yueze didn't mind being scolded, secretly waving at Huo Ning.
Huo Ning loved this warm atmosphere. Her eyes curved into crescents as she obediently greeted everyone: "Good evening, Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, Auntie, Brother Yueze."
Zheng Jinxiu wore a dark red qipao with a white cape over it. She smiled and responded: "Having your welcome dinner so late, we weren't thoughtful enough. Don't be angry, Ning Ning."
Saying this, she picked up a box and handed it to Huo Ning.
"After meeting you for the first time, I had a golden lock made for you. Gold wards off evil and blesses you with smooth sailing in all things."
Huo Ning opened the box. The golden lock wasn't large, but it was exquisitely crafted, with some inscriptions she couldn't understand.
Seeing her confused look, Zheng Jinxiu's smile deepened: "Ning Ning has a good eye. The inscriptions are sutras. The Bodhisattva will bless you."
Old Master Huo cleared his throat.
Zheng Jinxiu chuckled: "Your father specially had a high monk bless it, saying that if Ning Ning wears it, it will bless her to grow up healthy, without illness or misfortune."
"Thank you, Grandmother," Huo Ning said sincerely. "Thank you, Grandfather."
Huo Xiaozheng took the golden lock and put it on Huo Ning: "Thank you, Mom and Dad."
Old Master Huo lifted his chin slightly, saying somewhat proudly: "We're family, no need for thanks."
Huo Jing snickered, thinking it's no wonder his granddaughter isn't close to him.
Huo Yanqin and his wife were very straightforward, directly giving her a big red envelope.
After getting Huo Xiaozheng's permission, she accepted the red envelope and felt it - there was a card inside.
"Our Little Princess of the Huo Family certainly can't be short of money. Buy whatever you want, and if it's not enough, ask your uncle for more."
Huo Yanqin genuinely liked his niece. After Huo Yueze was born, his wife suffered from postpartum depression for two months.
After that, he gave up the idea of having another child.
Now, meeting such an adorable little niece like Huo Ning, he was sincerely happy.
Huo Ning sweetly expressed her thanks.
Huo Jing hadn't prepared an extra gift, only saying: "All the bags in Auntie's collection are yours, take whichever one you want!"
Seeing that everyone had prepared gifts without telling him, Huo Yueze became anxious: "How could you all do this? Preparing gifts without telling me, now I haven't prepared anything!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Huo Ning stepped forward and held Huo Yueze's hand, gently shaking it: "Brother Yueze playing with me is the best gift."
Such a heartwarming gesture made Huo Yueze instantly burst into tears of gratitude.
"Waaah, you really are my good little sister..."
Huo Xiaozheng mercilessly pushed away Huo Yueze's embrace, scooping up Huo Ning and heading towards the dining room: "Let's eat, Ning Ning is hungry."
Huo Yueze thought: Is his uncle allergic to emotions?
The moonlight was beautiful that night, with stars twinkling and a slight chill in the breeze.
"Ring ring ring..."
A phone rang.
Huo Jing got up to answer: "What is it? We're eating..."
"Trending topic?" Huo Jing was bewildered. "What's going on? Is it serious?"
Huo Jing put the call on speaker and switched the screen to a social media app.
'Breaking! Huo Jing kept as a mistress, has a daughter!'
"Jing jie, last time when you brought Ning Ning to play, you were photographed by reporters. Now our rivals are buying trending topics, writing negative articles about you. Your TV drama is set to air tomorrow, and at this critical moment..."
Huo Jing hurriedly turned off the speaker: "Alright, I got it. Quickly get the company to find PR to remove the trending topic."
"How could she possibly be my daughter? How can you believe such rumors..."
Huo Xiaozheng put down his chopsticks with a 'clack', his usually expressionless face instantly darkening.
Huo Jing, the ice beauty, panicked for the first time since growing up: "Brother, I'm sorry... I really don't know which staff member leaked the photos..."
Huo Jing was also bewildered. The team that took photos for the magazine that day were old friends of hers, all in the same industry. Even if there was no true friendship, they should still have professional ethics.
Had she misjudged them?
Ignoring Huo Jing's pleas, Huo Xiaozheng, with a gloomy face, called Xi Chuan: "Delete all news with Ning Ning's photos."
After clarifying the situation, Xi Chuan quickly took action.
"Don't bother with Huo Jing's negative publicity, just make sure all of Ning Ning's photos are completely removed."
Huo Xiaozheng was as cold as an icicle in the dead of winter.
Huo Jing was furious. She vowed that if she found out who was behind this, she would make them pay dearly.
Everyone had put down their chopsticks, and Huo Ning didn't feel comfortable continuing to eat either.
"Dad, please don't be angry with Auntie, okay?"
In Huo Ning's view, she was still young, and in a few years, people wouldn't remember what she looked like anyway.
Besides, with Huo Xiaozheng's power, protecting a little bean like her shouldn't be a big problem.
As for Huo Jing...
"Auntie has been wrongly accused, it's so pitiful. Can we help her, please?"
Huo Ning's face was full of sincerity.
She hoped to resolve this quickly so she could continue eating.
She eyed the lobster meat on the table hungrily, silently swallowing.
Huo Jing was a bit stunned.
Actually, it wasn't that she found Huo Ning adorable and likable from their first meeting.
On the contrary, after seeing Shi Lili's photo, every time she saw Huo Ning's eyes that resembled her mother's, she would feel a surge of anger.
That day, when Huo Yueze was livestreaming and she heard Huo Xiaozheng recount Ning Ning and Shi Lili's past, Huo Jing even became wary of Huo Ning, worried that she might be like her mother.
That day at the magazine, when someone complimented Huo Ning's eyes, Huo Jing was very unhappy.
Huo Ning had been watching for her reaction.
Huo Jing knew, but she cruelly chose to ignore it, leaving Huo Ning to feel awkward alone.
And now...
Huo Jing felt a mix of emotions.
Had she been overthinking? What bad intentions could a 5-year-old child have?
Huo Jing looked at Huo Ning, only to see her cautiously watching out for others while secretly swallowing the shrimp meat Huo Yueze fed her.
Her eating manner was both fierce and adorable.
Case solved, she had indeed been overthinking. This child's intelligence wasn't much different from her dimwitted nephew.
Huo Jing: *smiles*