Warm Marriage in a Rich Family: Mr. Huo's Spoiled Wife Will Turn the World Upside Down - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 I Remember You Are Not That Kind of Person

Lin Jing observed the interaction between the two, her expression finally clearing from overcast too sunny. Mother Huo beamed, brimming with contentment.

“Since childhood, Lai Lai has always followed Huo Ya around, calling him ‘brother’ nonstop. Now that the young couple is so affectionate, it truly puts our hearts at ease. Last time was rushed just a simple meal with both families, hardly a proper wedding. We absolutely mustn’t let Lai Lai be shortchanged. We should pick an auspicious date for a grand wedding. Now that Huo Ya is back, it’s time to consider giving Grandpa and Grandma a great-grandchild to dote on.”

At the mention of having children, Zhou Lai choked on her own saliva. Reaching for her water glass to drink, she ended up knocking it over instead.

Huo Ya patted her back with one hand to soothe her while offering her the glass with the other.

Lin Jing’s face fell again. She shot Zhou Lai with a slightly angry look, wanting to scold her but not daring to make a scene. Suppressing her irritation, she said, “Look at that child, getting so flustered at the mention of having children that she’s become all clumsy.”

Zhou Lai felt more wrong than Dou E. She cast a resentful glance at Huo Ya it wasn’t her fault for being clumsy. The matter of having children wasn’t something she could decide alone; the child’s father needed to be capable too.

How could she possibly announce in front of all the elders that Huo Ya had a hidden ailment?

While she was tangled up in her private worries, the others had already moved on enthusiastically.

Grandpa Huo declared, “Tomorrow I’ll consult a master to select an auspicious date for a magnificent wedding to welcome Lai Lai into the Huo family.”

Grandma Huo chimed in, “Yes, yes! Once she joins the Huo family and gives birth to a healthy boy, four generations under one roof how others will envy us!”

Mother Huo added, “The sooner the better. Huo Ya’s year and a half in France already caused enough delay. We can’t postpone any longer.”

The two fathers were also chatting happily, already discussing potential names for their future grandson.

Lin Jing was very satisfied. The Huo family held significant influence in Haicheng, and their regard for Zhou Lai meant respect for the Zhou family as well.

Zhou Lai had been meticulously groomed by her own hands, carrying high expectations. Compared to that wild child Zhou Ning, she was undoubtedly superior…

Watching the harmonious scene before her, Zhou Lai only felt vexed. Exclusion herself to the restroom, she left the private room and sat on a bench in the corridor.

She felt like a piece of pork laid out on a counter for transaction, being carved up here, sliced away there.

“Zhou Lai.” Lin Jing emerged from the room and saw her sitting in the corridor. She furrowed her brows slightly but ultimately said nothing.

“Mom.” Zhou Lai quickly stood up, brushing off her clothes.

“Let’s take a walk to digest our food since we just ate.”

Head lowered, she followed behind Lin Jing, who certainly hadn’t come out for a casual stroll. As someone constantly busy, barely seen once in two months, her mother naturally had instructions to impart.

They walked down the corridor to a corner, beyond which lay a garden. It was secluded and quiet, with no one around.

Qiao Xue got straight to the point without mincing words: “Stop using protection recently. Getting pregnant as soon as possible would be ideal.”

Zhou Lai coughed lightly, somewhat uncomfortable. “Alright, I understand.”

“You need to put more effort into your relationship with Huo Ya. His qualities are one in a million, and he’s the sole heir to the Huo family. Opportunities are grasped by those who seize them and don’t be foolish. If you can’t hold onto him, plenty of others outside are waiting to try.”

“Okay… I understand.”

“It seems Huo Ya treats you quite well. Be cleverer about things.”

“Alright, I will.”

Lin Jing didn’t waste words either. After giving a few instructions, she returned to her room, leaving Zhou Lai alone to wallow in melancholy.

In front of Lin Jing, she had no choice but to obediently agree, though inwardly she was roaring with frustration: He treats me well? That’s because you haven’t seen him being sarcastic and mocking me. Besides, is having a child something I can just decide to do on a whim?

Now all the pressure fell on her shoulders. Annoyed, she wondered where she could find some folk remedies. Song Ci had wide connections if all else failed, she could only ask her.

After standing there for a while, just as she was about to turn back to the private room, she caught a glimpse of Huo Ya standing under a tree to her left. The tree trunk obscured most of his figure as he leaned against it, quietly watching her.

The distance was too far for her to discern the emotion in Huo Ya’s gaze.

Zhou Lai wished she could find a place to lie down and never wake up. Having just finished discussing him with Lin Jing, she felt a pang of guilt now that the subject of their conversation had suddenly appeared.

She had no idea how long he had been standing there or whether he had overheard their discussion.

Remembering what Lin Jing had tasked her with, her face involuntarily burned with shame. If he had heard their conversation, would he think she was a scheming person?

Zhou Lai shook her head. Let him think whatever he wants. In his eyes, I’ll never measure up to Zhou Ning anyway. I’d be thrilled if Huo Ya couldn’t stand me and hastily ended this marriage. Then I could regain my freedom and do as I please.

Whether he had heard or not it didn’t matter. After all, both were fully aware of each other’s intentions.

As Huo Ya approached, Zhou Lai adjusted her expression and smiled, asking, “Brother Huo Ya, when did you get here?”

A faint scent drifted over. One great advantage of handsome people was that they looked good at anything. For instance, he always wore suits, just like during their school days—his shirt buttoned all the way to the top, giving off an unapproachable, utterly ascetic vibe.

His appearance truly complemented his personality, enduring through any situation.

Instead of answering her question, Huo Ya responded with something entirely unrelated, his voice still low and steady: “I think you’ve changed quite a bit. In my memory, you weren’t like this.”

It was like a bolt from the blue “boom” resonating from her head to her toes, leaving her feverish and drenched in cold sweat.

She knew exactly what he meant. The subtext of this man’s words was essentially accusing her of putting on an act!

It seemed he still remembered her glorious history from their school days. Dozing off in class and skipping school to go online were trivial matters. As the student council president, he had caught her frequently arriving late. On one unfortunate day, she had forgotten her school badge. Even though he clearly knew who she was, he pretended not to and insisted on seeing her badge.

As she dawdled, unzipping her backpack to search for it, she accidentally let a smut book fall out.

“Senior, this book is for you.” Since he’s pretending not to know me, fine. Acting is something anyone can do. Disliking his mature and composed demeanor, she decided to tease him in front of his many student council admirers.

Huo Ya’s face flushed, then paled, then turned green with embarrassment. Even now, the memory made her want to laugh.

Of course, she was no longer the Zhou Lai of the past, so she naturally wouldn’t acknowledge her previous self. With Lin Jing backing Huo Ya, there was nothing she could do to him. In the past, she would have thrown punches and roundhouse kicks without hesitation, but not more domestic violence would land her in jail.

Moreover, Huo Ya had long limbs and was stronger than her. She couldn’t beat him even if she tried, and she couldn’t bring herself to hit him anyway. If she did, she’d have to hunt for folk remedies to treat his injuries. Being an heiress was truly no easy role to play!