Although Huo Yueze is still in college, he has already started taking over some of Huo Xiaozheng's business.
Huo Xiaozheng calls it "training" for Huo Yueze.
But Huo Yueze has a vague feeling that the year he graduates will be the year Huo Xiaozheng retires.
When he heard this, Huo Xiaozheng surprisingly smiled at Huo Yueze.
"How could that be? Your uncle wouldn't be so heartless."
Huo Xiaozheng's appearance was so attractive that even Huo Yueze was almost deceived.
Today, if Huo Xiaozheng hadn't been tied up with a big client, it wouldn't have fallen to this old ox to deal with Ning Ning's affairs.
"Brother, are you going back to the company?" Huo Guining asked.
Huo Yueze, feeling a bit dizzy, replied, "Ning Ning, I haven't even graduated from college yet. Why don't you ask if I'm going back to school?"
Huo Guining's eyes darted around, and she pointed at the nearby bubble tea shop: "Brother, thank you for today. Why don't I treat you to some bubble tea?"
Her voice was so loud that it completely illuminated her nervousness.
Huo Yueze smiled, no longer teasing her: "About today's incident, I'll help you handle it. Uncle means that from now on, Brother Zhao will be with you, so you don't need to be afraid."
As he spoke, he pointed to a tall, imposing man not far away. Although he wasn't particularly burly, he had a strong presence.
"Brother Zhao is from the military. He can protect you."
The man Huo Yueze referred to as Brother Zhao noticed their gaze and nodded, acknowledging them.
Huo Guining didn't reject this protection: "Okay."
Huo Yueze patted her little head, sighing: "Not bad. You didn't try to be tough when facing trouble and sought help from adults. Our efforts over these years haven't been in vain."
Huo Guining's eyes curved into a smile: "It's all thanks to your good teaching~"
After chatting for a while, Huo Yueze saw that Brother Zhao had almost finished handling the situation. He sent Huo Guining back to school and then returned to the company.
When Huo Guining returned to the classroom, Zeng Zhilin's seat was still empty.
Chen Xi, seeing her come back from outside, curiously asked: "What happened? Why were both you and Zeng Zhilin not in the classroom? The class monitor just got back too."
Chen Xi spoke rapidly, her words tumbling out like beans spilling from a bag.
Huo Guining raised an eyebrow: "I went to the bathroom. As for them, I'm not sure."
Chen Xi obviously didn't believe her, but seeing her expression of not wanting to say more, she didn't press further.
That afternoon, Zeng Zhilin didn't show up at all.
With Huo Yueze's assurance, Huo Guining wasn't worried about Zeng Zhilin's personal safety.
At the end of school, Chen Xi, unable to suppress her curiosity, caught up with Huo Guining in a few steps, wanting to ask more.
A tall figure beat her to it, blocking Huo Guining's path.
"Fan Xingzhou?" Huo Guining looked confused. "Do you need something?"
Fan Xingzhou stood tall and straight in front of Huo Guining, a full head taller than her.
He spoke leisurely: "Did you find her?"
The "her" in Fan Xingzhou's mouth was obviously Zeng Zhilin.
"Mm." Huo Guining frowned. "Weren't you not concerned?"
Fan Xingzhou clenched his palm: "It's not what you think between us."
Huo Guining's frown deepened: "What do I think?"
Fan Xingzhou seemed to want to say something but held back.
Huo Guining, losing patience first, spoke ahead of him: "Look, class monitor, I don't care at all about what's going on between you two. Right now, I'm in a hurry to get home. My dad is waiting for me."
With that, she walked around Fan Xingzhou and hurried towards the school gate.
Chen Xi watched this scene with her chin propped on her hand, looking as if she had just gotten some juicy gossip.
Huo Guining paid no attention to this little interlude.
Not far from the school gate, she saw the familiar car.
Opening the car door, she found Huo Xiaozheng sitting in the back seat, wearing a gentle smile: "You're a bit late today."
Huo Guining sat down, fastening her seatbelt while grumbling: "Our class monitor suddenly came to find me, saying some weird, nonsensical things, wasting my time."
Huo Xiaozheng's smile faded a bit: "Oh? What nonsensical things?"
Huo Guining thought for a moment, then told Huo Xiaozheng everything about Zeng Zhilin and Fan Xingzhou.
At the end, she was still a bit annoyed: "This Fan Xingzhou isn't very good. He clearly has something going on with Zeng Zhilin, but he's in denial, and he's even worried that I might spread rumors about them."
Huo Guining chattered on: "Isn't this just a case of a petty person judging others by his own standards? Don't you think so, Dad?"
Huo Xiaozheng was both amused and exasperated: "I suppose so..."
Finding agreement, Huo Guining felt as if she had grown taller. She completely lost her cool girl image from earlier that day, and simply turned her body to face Huo Xiaozheng, venting her frustrations.
It wasn't until the car reached its destination that she finally stopped, albeit reluctantly.
After returning home, Huo Xiaozheng repeated to Ning Ning what Huo Yueze had said earlier.
Huo Guining, of course, agreed readily.
Time quickly arrived at Huo Guining's birthday.
This time, the old Mr. Huo specially found a top-notch team to plan this birthday party, and the security measures were also very well done.
The venue for the evening banquet was decorated extremely luxuriously, with every detail exuding high-end taste.
Dazzling crystal chandeliers hung like stars, illuminating the entire hall. The luxurious carpet was as soft as silk, as if walking on clouds.
Exquisite tableware and fresh flowers adorned the tables, exuding an enchanting fragrance.
The walls were adorned with precious artworks, making one feel as if they were in an art palace.
Elegant music flowed through the air, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
Well-dressed guests chatted and laughed in this luxurious scene, as if at a feast of high society.
Although Huo Guining had only sent invitations to a few of her close friends, thanks to Chen Xi's talkative nature, many classmates actively approached her, hoping to attend her birthday party.
Huo Guining gladly agreed.
So, on her birthday, her classmates finally realized that Huo Guining's "Huo" was the same "Huo" as in Huo Group.
"Ning Ning is really a princess. I've never seen such a luxurious party before..."
"That person, is that Huo Jing..."
In the hall, Huo Jing wore a gorgeous evening gown. The champagne-colored skirt flowed like clouds, setting off her snow-white, delicate, and smooth skin. Her exquisite makeup made her stunningly beautiful.
"Oh my god, it really is Huo Jing!"
"Ahhhh, my goddess, I can't believe I'm seeing my goddess here..."
"It's true! Wasn't she supposed to be filming? How did she suddenly appear here?"
Chen Xi smirked: "Just a reminder, both Ning Ning and Huo Jing have the surname Huo."
With that, she gracefully walked away with a glass of champagne, leaving her classmates screaming like excited chickens behind her.
Chen Xi, along with Qi Xin and Fang Yuan, were led by the butler to Huo Guining's bedroom.
"Young Miss, your friends are here," the butler said. After hearing a response from inside, he retreated.
The door opened, and Huo Guining appeared before the three.
She was wearing a black gown made of velvet, with the collar trimmed in silver thread, outlining delicate lily of the valley flowers. A black satin ribbon was tied around her waist, with a bow casually tied to one side.
Her skirt spread out like the night sky, dotted with twinkling star patterns, as if she had draped the entire Milky Way over herself.
Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, with strands of purple highlights interwoven among the black tresses. The princess-cut bangs that were usually clipped up were now let down.
On her head, she wore a small black crown inlaid with purple gemstones, glittering with a cold and alluring light.
She wore black lace gloves, with her fingertips shimmering faintly. On her feet were a pair of silver low-heeled shoes, making her posture even more upright and elegant.
At this moment, Huo Guining looked like a night princess from another world, cold and untouchable.
