“A slight misalignment, no bone damage.” Huo Xiao brushed off his hands as if it were nothing, then stood and casually pinched Ming Ming’s cheek. She clutched her face, staring at him resentfully.
Master Huo smiled at her—half reassurance, half approval—then patted her head. “Winning is what matters.”
The wealthy parents across from them suddenly had a bad feeling.
Huo Xiao turned, the tenderness gone. His eyes narrowed, sharp as blades, and once again, he was the cold, ruthless Fifth Master Huo everyone knew. He stepped up to the group and asked, almost lazily, “So, tell me—who was it that laid a hand on my woman?”
Ming Ming: “What the hell?!”
System: “What the hell?!”
Ming Ming: “Since when am I his woman?!”
System: “What did you feed him, some kind of love potion?!”
Ming Ming: “Pfft! You know everything I’ve done!”
System roared: “I—DO—NOT—KNOW!!! Every night I get locked up in the dark! Who knows what shady business you two are up to?!”
Ming Ming tried to soothe it: “Doesn’t this prove something, though? They say you can’t defy fate, but here we are—things still change. Stop being so rigid. Why don’t we just let it play out naturally and see what kind of chemistry happens?”
The System snorted. “You just want to trade short-term profit for a long-term meal ticket. Go ahead, try it… see how the world’s final judgment treats you.”
Meanwhile, the parents of the beaten girls were trembling but still tried to “reason” with Huo Xiao.
“Reason?” Huo Xiao arched a brow, repeating the word slowly, his expression laced with mockery.
Ming Ming craned her neck and pointed accusingly. “They hit me first!”
The other side knew they were in the wrong. Normally, without Huo Xiao backing her, they could’ve twisted black into white and pinned it all on Ming Ming. But now the easy target suddenly had a stone lion behind her, so the wealthy parents decided to muddy the waters instead.
“They’re just kids fooling around—who struck first doesn’t matter.”
“Exactly, just a misunderstanding between young girls. If you dig into it, who’s really right or wrong?”
“All of them are hurt. Let the girls apologize, shake hands, and move on. No need for us adults to escalate this.”
They chimed in one after another, determined to sweep it under the rug—but they kept sneaking uneasy glances at Fifth Master Huo’s face.
Old Master Ye and Mrs. He stayed silent, waiting to see his stance.
The air grew heavy again.
“They hurt someone of mine, and you expect me to just say ‘shake hands and make peace’?” Huo Xiao let out a cold laugh. “Who told you I was that easygoing?”
He raised his hand with a flicking gesture. At once, Chen Si, Wang Duo, and the others moved. In a blur, they restrained the wealthy girls and wrenched their right ankles.
“Ahhhh—!”
Screams rang out as their ankles swelled visibly.
“Now,” Huo Xiao said flatly, “we’ll call it even. But from now on, stay out of the Huo family’s sight.”
The parents fumed in silence, already aware of what such a warning meant.
Ye Weiran shot Ming Ming a glance, but she avoided her eyes.
Huo Xiao walked up to Ming Ming. This time, she didn’t look up at him. Instead, he bent down and scooped her into his arms. Startled, she clutched his neck, burying her face against him as though she didn’t want to see anyone.
Carrying her out, Huo Xiao left behind the wails of the injured girls. Chen Si gave his trademark lazy smile and said to the frantic parents, “Don’t worry. Just see a doctor and set the bones. No lasting damage.”
Outside the gates, the night air was cool. Ming Ming clung tighter to him, murmuring, “I twisted my ankle myself. It wasn’t their fault.”
Huo Xiao lowered his eyes. “What are you trying to say?”
She stayed quiet.
What could she say? Anything would sound ungrateful.
“They’re going to hate you for this,” she whispered.
“Doesn’t matter. Something like this—the Huo family can handle.”
She rubbed her face against his neck and thought: But I can’t always hide under your, under the Huo family’s, protection. When you’re done with me, won’t crushing me be easier than crushing an ant?
After a long silence, she sighed. “You were really impressive just now.”
“Thanks.”
Huo Xiao frowned, sensing her words weren’t genuine.
“If you don’t want me to interfere, I won’t—ever again.”
He felt her shrink closer against him, but heard nothing more.
When they reached the car, Chu Yun tried to sit on her own, but Huo Xiao insisted on keeping her in his arms. The silence stretched. No one dared to speak, not even Chen Si and the others.
Huo Xiao glanced down at her. Chu Yun was staring into nothing, lost in thought.
He never knew what was going on in her head.
It was like she never gave him a chance to get close.
Though she was pressed against him, he felt her drifting farther and farther away.
Ming Ming: “System… don’t you think things are getting off track?”
The System snickered. “Oh, so Miss Ming finally noticed.”
“I told you before—if you’d just splashed that drink when you had the chance—”
“Enough with the drink already! I can’t go back in time. Be serious. He still won’t even look at the female lead properly. Is that my fault?”
“Not entirely because of you…”
Ming Ming had just started to relax when the System added,
“But at least ninety percent of it is.”
Ming Ming: “……”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152