TFRLTOP Chapter 22 Part 1

Chapter 22 – The CEO’s Little Sidekick

◎ Close call—almost ended up with a house ◎

The car pulled into the Huo residence. The moment it stopped, Ming Ming flung the door open and darted inside, storming off like the wind.

Huo Xiao watched her retreating figure and thought to himself: This little girl’s got quite a temper.

He called Chen Si over and asked, “Do young people these days usually prefer a suburban villa or a city apartment?”

Chen Si was stumped—hard to pick one over the other.

Then he instantly caught on to Fifth Master Huo’s meaning. Just as he was about to analyze the pros and cons, Huo Xiao started weighing it out himself: “Young people usually like the buzz of the city. Chunshui Residence is right downtown. I remember that top-floor unit faces the river, with an unobstructed view.”

Fifth Master Huo didn’t rush to go inside. He leaned against the car door, fiddling with his thumb ring.

“So, should I bring the keys over tomorrow?”

Huo Xiao nodded. “Handle the paperwork too. Don’t tell her just yet. And also look into a small villa in the city—somewhere with a nice environment.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chu Yun’s birthday was in the summer, right around graduation. One place as a birthday gift, another as a graduation gift—perfect.

Then Huo Xiao remembered Chu Yun boasting she’d win a scholarship to show him. Well, he’d prepare another gift: one she’d get if she actually earned it, and if not, he’d give it as encouragement.

Meanwhile, Ming Ming had run off to the guest room and locked the door. For some reason, she kept having nightmares at night. Half asleep, half awake, she’d vaguely see a dark figure sitting at her bedside. The next day, she’d switch to another room, but the same thing kept happening. A week later, with huge dark circles under her eyes, she dragged her blanket back to the master bedroom.

Huo Xiao asked, “Haven’t been sleeping well?”

Ming Ming: Boss, did you know your house is haunted?

That very night, back in the master bedroom, Ming Ming scammed one million out of Huo Xiao.

Huo Xiao had noticed something: money made her happier than gifts. Once, he bought her a giant pigeon-egg diamond at an auction. Chu Yun had stared at it with sparkling eyes all night, clutching it like treasure. She was so tired she couldn’t keep her eyes open, but she had to hold it to fall asleep in peace.

He thought she loved it. But the next day, it was tossed aside—and later, who knew where she threw it.

A pigeon-egg diamond only made her eyes shine for one night. But every bank transfer made her glow with joy for an entire week.

Sometimes, Huo Xiao found her baffling. Was this girl smart or stupid? She’d toss aside a blood diamond worth hundreds of millions, but treat the tens of thousands on a bank card like it was priceless.

Ming Ming knew nothing of his thoughts. She was too busy focusing on making money.

During that time, the Ye family constantly invited Huo Xiao to family banquets, birthdays, graduation parties—even came up with a “Spring Banquet.”

Spring had arrived, after all, time for nature to wake up.

Their matchmaking intent was painfully obvious. Huo Xiao attended every time, and every time it drained the Ye family’s energy further. But the Ye family just wouldn’t give up. Unless they tied the Huos and the Yes together, they just couldn’t swallow the loss.

Meanwhile, Ming Ming kept her head down, making money, waiting for the day she’d be dumped.

With the Ye family’s relentless tactics, Huo Xiao would surely become their son-in-law soon enough.

Her only gripe? Every time Huo Xiao came back from the Ye household, he insisted on sleeping with her.

How irritating. If the female lead knew, she’d be absolutely disgusted.

Sure enough, not long after, word spread that Ye Weiran had a boyfriend.

Unfortunately… that man wasn’t Huo Xiao.

Ming Ming’s eyes on Huo Xiao changed. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been “greened.”

She patted his shoulder and consoled him: “Don’t worry. What’s meant to be yours will be yours in the end.”

Huo Xiao frowned, his face reading: What nonsense are you spouting now?

The system scolded Ming Ming bitterly: “Do you know why the male and female leads aren’t together yet? Because you’re hogging the spot! Hurry up—raise hell, make him sick of you, and once you two break up, the female lead can finally take her rightful place!”

“…Fine.”

So Ming Ming stepped up her daily antics of “no money, no peace.” Her moods swung wildly—one moment she was cute and sweet, the next she was bratty and demanding the stars and the moon.

She wreaked such havoc that the entire Huo household was left drained and exhausted.

But you know what?

Turns out, that’s exactly what Huo Xiao loved!

Her allowance jumped from five hundred thousand a month to a full million.

Ming Ming: “System, what do I do now? He’s giving me even more…”

System: “#+%￥&р…………”

Since her good days were numbered, Ming Ming decided to cash out big before she left. She cleared out her collection of luxury goods, preparing for a massive final sale.

To her, those brand names were worthless. Only when flipped and turned into numbers in her bank account did they feel real.

As luxury brands rolled out their spring collections, Ming Ming used the black card to buy in bulk, then flipped them to He Lu and the others at irresistible prices—so irresistible even their mothers were tempted.

When Huo Xiao first saw the bills, he barely glanced at them. If Chu Yun liked them, then whatever—buy them all.

But there are no walls without cracks. After months of quiet dealing, word of Ming Ming reselling luxury goods spread—first among the rich daughters, then to their mothers, then to their fathers, and finally it landed right at Fifth Master Huo’s negotiation table.

On his way out, he even saw one of the mothers flaunting a dazzling pigeon-egg diamond.