Huo Xiao nearly laughed in fury. Back at a Ye family banquet, he’d spotted He family’s daughter carrying the very bag he once bought. He’d assumed it was a coincidence—or maybe Ming Ming had known in advance and tried to avoid a clash.
Now it was obvious: she’d sold it to He Lu, then played dumb and covered it up with another bag.
Beyond anger, another thought struck Fifth Master Huo: she didn’t know how to use the black card to buy a house, but she did know how to resell things for cash. Losing out just because she had no vision.
Truly impressive.
And sure enough, once she pulled that stunt once, she was bound to do it again.
After Ming Ming blew through several million swiping that card on designer bags, it suddenly dawned on her: Wait a second—couldn’t I use this card to buy a house?
“System, is that even possible?” Ming Ming asked, thrilled at the thought.
“In theory… in principle… it should be possible,” the system answered vaguely.
“But?”
“Well…” The system hesitated for a long time before muttering, “You’re on your own with that one.”
Ming Ming figured it was just glitching again. Every time she asked about the male and female leads’ progress, the system turned into a one-night-stand scumbag who ghosted her the next morning: “Almost there.” “Getting close.” “Should be.” Not a single useful word.
She pulled up a bunch of real estate listings, marked them all down, and decided to check them out in person when she had the time. In high spirits, she returned home—only to step inside and instantly sense something was wrong.
Butler Wu looked at her with schadenfreude written all over his face. Chen Si gave her a “good luck, you’re gonna need it” look.
The moment she entered, the staff all quietly slipped away, not a servant left in sight.
Wang Duo bumped Chen Si and whispered, “Think she’s getting thrown out this time?”
Chen Si shrugged. “Hard to say. Wanna bet?”
Wang Duo thought of how the last bet turned out and shook his head firmly.
Ming Ming saw Huo Xiao sitting on the couch, head leaning back, eyes closed, his whole body radiating Don’t you dare come near me.
Clearly, he was in a bad mood.
Better run now before I end up the one paying for it.
She tiptoed, trying to sneak upstairs past him. She’d barely taken two steps when a cold voice came from behind her:
“Come here.”
Dead. I’m dead.
Inwardly, Ming Ming cursed whatever idiot had ticked Huo Xiao off—because now she was the one about to suffer for it.
She turned, meeting his gaze.
His eyes were sharp and cutting, like drawn blades.
He patted his thigh. Ming Ming obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, sat on his lap, and did her best to play the sweet, caring little lover.
“Fifth Master, what’s wrong? Bad mood?” She preened a little, then added, “If you’re upset, just look at me. One look at me and you’ll feel better.” She even kissed the corner of his lips, figuring that ought to knock at least half the anger out of him.
Except it didn’t. Instead, Huo Xiao let out a cold “hmph.”
Ming Ming’s heart skipped. He’s even angrier now. He’s not going to take it out on me, is he?
“System? System?”
The system pretended to be dead.
She peeked nervously at him. Usually, whenever she pulled that pitiful look, Huo Xiao would immediately flip roles and start coaxing her. But not today. Today, his eyes stayed dark and heavy as he stared her down. Finally, he asked:
“At the end of March, I bought you a ten-carat blood diamond at the auction. Where is it?”
Ming Ming froze. Did he know? But his expression gave nothing away. So she pulled her usual trick and played dumb.
“Probably in the jewelry box in the dressing room? I haven’t touched it in ages. Want me to have a servant look?”
“The servants already looked. It’s not there.”
“Huh? Maybe I took it to school to show off? Ugh, I can’t remember. I’ll check the dorm tomorrow…”
“Chu. Yun.”
The way Huo Xiao said her name—like he was holding back fire—sent her instincts screaming that this wasn’t good.
He repeated, enunciating each word: “I’ll ask one more time. Where. Is. That. Diamond?”
Ming Ming ducked her head, gambling that he had no hard proof. If society ladies started spreading that they’d been buying bargain goods from her, that’d be mortifying for everyone. So she held her ground.
“I—I don’t know.”
Huo Xiao let out a furious laugh. “Don’t know, huh?” He shoved a thick stack of records into her arms. Itemized receipts, every last one, of the socialites and wealthy wives who’d bought from her.
Ming Ming went rigid.
She immediately tried to bolt, but Huo Xiao’s reflexes were too fast. He grabbed her and shoved her right back down on his lap.
He pulled her into his arms, chin resting against her neck. She could feel his breath against her cheek. To an outsider, they’d look perfectly intimate. But like that, he flipped through page after page of the records in front of her.
“I really underestimated you,” he said coldly. “Just look how capable our Chu Yun is.”
“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”
Ming Ming knew she couldn’t escape, so she just curled up against him. Her heart was pounding from being caught red-handed, but she stayed silent—no explanations, no excuses. Like a dead pig not fearing boiling water.
Her passive resistance made Huo Xiao’s expression grow even darker.
“You really love money that much?” He suddenly flung the stack of records to the floor. The sound made Ming Ming jump. “Amazing. I give you things, and you turn right around and sell them. Now you’re notorious among all the madams and debutantes.”
“Since you gave them to me, isn’t it my business what I do with them?” Ming Ming muttered under her breath, fiddling with her fingers.
“Oh, so now you’re in the right?” Huo Xiao thundered.
Ming Ming raised her voice too. “You never said I couldn’t sell them! Even if I’m dripping in gold and diamonds, in their eyes I’m still just a mistress who can’t show her face in public. I’d rather trade them for cash and buy a house that actually means something!”
Her righteous tone even left Huo Xiao momentarily speechless.
Ming Ming ducked her head, now sounding hurt. “All I want is money. Being a mistress means I’ll be pointed at and whispered about for life. If I don’t have any money saved up, then when you get married one day, won’t I just be trampled by everyone out there?”
She finished by throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing pitifully.
Huo Xiao yanked her arms off him. “Cut the act!”
Ming Ming stopped crying instantly, her face going back to normal.
Huo Xiao: “…”
Have I spoiled this girl too much? She doesn’t even bother putting up an act anymore—doesn’t even bother finding excuses. Absolutely shameless.
Did she really think she could wriggle her way out of this one again?
Ming Ming whispered to the system: “I think I went way overboard this time! You think he’ll hit me?”
“Can you block my pain receptors?”
“If he’s this angry, do you think he’ll still give me the breakup house?”
“…I really wanna remind him.”
The system perked up. “I think you should remind him.”
“But what if he hits me harder?”
The system coaxed, “I’ll turn on your pain block.”
Ming Ming: “…”
Didn’t sound very reliable.
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1