Huo Xiaozheng indeed had something to discuss with Huo Yanqin.
After instructing Huo Ning, he went to the reception room.
Huo Ning remained among the group of children, looking somewhat dazed.
This group of children were all girls from the Huo family's extended branches, mostly around 7-8 years old, with only one slightly older at 12.
"Hello, little sister Ning. I'm sister Jiayi," said the slightly older girl.
"Hello," Huo Ning replied obediently.
Huo Jiayi noticed her seemingly not-too-bright expression and the unbranded sweater and woolen pants she wore. Recalling her mother's comments at home about her being an illegitimate child, a hint of contempt flashed in her eyes.
"We're playing hide-and-seek. Ning, why don't you join us?" Huo Jiayi invited enthusiastically.
Remembering how the adults had just been pinching her cheeks, Huo Ning shuddered.
To avoid further torment, Huo Ning immediately agreed with a "Sure."
Huo Jingyi beamed with delight.
At her command, a girl named An Qi covered her eyes and began counting.
The hiding area was limited to the first floor.
Huo Ning felt a bit anxious and looked around for possible hiding spots.
Huo Jingyi made a "shh" gesture towards her and pulled her towards a corner of the hallway.
Huo Jingyi, familiar with the place, found a cabinet. It wasn't large, and with the space already occupied, it could just fit one small child.
"Little sister Ning, hide here."
Huo Ning was surprised: "What about you?"
Huo Jingyi smiled mysteriously: "I have another place. Quick, get in. I'll lock it for you. If An Qi can't find you, I'll come to open it when the game ends."
With that, she pushed Huo Ning into the cabinet.
Huo Ning panicked and quickly reached out to grab her: "Sister Jingyi, I'm afraid of the dark."
As Huo Ning reached out, a smooth Hetian jade bracelet was revealed on her thin arm. Huo Jingyi immediately recognized it as the gift that Eldest Aunt Huo had promised to give her on her birthday, originally meant for her.
Huo Jingyi's smile faded.
She grabbed Huo Ning's wrist and demanded harshly: "Where did you get this bracelet?"
Her tone was fierce, making Huo Ning uncomfortable. She withdrew her hand: "Eldest Aunt Huo gave it to me."
"Impossible!"
Huo Ning shrank her shoulders in fear.
Realizing her tone was too harsh, Huo Jingyi's eyes darted around as she hatched a plan: "Little sister Ning, I really like this bracelet. Can we trade it for my pink floppy-eared rabbit?"
Huo Ning tilted her head: "I can't trade a gift from Eldest Aunt Huo. It would make her sad."
Surprised that the seemingly not-so-bright child could say something so thoughtful, Huo Jingyi was momentarily at a loss.
"9, 8, 7..." An Qi's countdown echoed from afar.
Huo Ning urged: "Sister Jingyi, we're running out of time. Let's quickly find a place to hide."
She tried to crawl out of the cabinet.
Feeling angry, Huo Jingyi quickly pushed Huo Ning back into the cabinet, putting on a kind face: "You stay hidden here. Wait for me to come find you."
With that, she swiftly locked the cabinet and her footsteps faded away.
Huo Ning: I'm really going to die.
Huo Ning wasn't lying; she had always been afraid of the dark. And the original owner of this body, due to past traumas, was even more unable to bear being alone in darkness.
Now, Huo Ning could only observe the details inside the cabinet through the faint light seeping through the cracks, trying to distract herself.
The cabinet was filled with old items, seemingly arranged without logic.
Certificates, toy guns, notebooks, photo frames...
Wait, these seemed to be childhood items of Uncle and Aunt.
Does that mean there might be childhood memories of her villainous father too?
Huo Ning excitedly began searching, while also being cautious not to make too much noise and alert the little hunter An Qi outside.
Time ticked by slowly.
Huo Ning didn't find anything from Huo Xiaozheng's childhood, and the little hunter An Qi hadn't found Huo Ning either.
"These little brats are pretty bad at this game," Huo Ning muttered.
Perhaps due to poor air circulation in the confined space, Huo Ning felt a bit dizzy. She yawned widely, adjusted her position, and closed her eyes.
Might as well pretend to be sleeping.
Don't think about the situation.
Huo Ning dozed off hazily, and even when she woke up, no one had come to find her.
Huo Jingyi hadn't come to open the cabinet either.
Surrounded by darkness, Huo Ning turned on her children's smartwatch.
Oh boy, it was almost 9 o'clock.
This game wasn't worth playing anymore.
"Is anyone out there?" Huo Ning tapped on the cabinet door. "Let me out."
No response.
Huo Ning knocked harder, still no response.
She opened her contacts, found Huo Xiaozheng's number, but just as she was about to dial, she remembered the injury on Huo Xiaozheng's cheek.
Huo Xiaozheng had been disciplined by Grandfather Huo, and now he must be discussing important matters with Uncle.
She sent Huo Xiaozheng a text message instead.
"Dad, I'm stuck in a cabinet in the hallway and can't get out."
Huo Ning thought herself quite clever.
Huo Xiaozheng must still be in the old mansion, otherwise her chest would hurt.
As long as her villainous father was still around, she would survive.
Huo Ning thought optimistically.
She even picked up some crayons from the cabinet and started doodling on the door in the darkness.
When Huo Xiaozheng finally saw the message and opened the cabinet door with a stern face, the first thing he saw was Huo Ning's flushed face and the wild drawings all over the cabinet door.
The culprit even had the leisure to smile at him: "You're here."
Huo Xiaozheng pulled her out of the cabinet in one swift motion. Only then did Huo Ning see a group of people behind him, all seeming caught off guard by this sudden situation.
Huo Yueze looked surprised: "Ning, how did you end up in the cabinet? Didn't Jingyi say you were sleeping in the guest room? She told us not to disturb you."
Huo Ning looked innocent: "We were playing hide-and-seek. Sister Jingyi told me to hide here and wait for them to find me."
"But they're too stupid. I've already woken up, and they still haven't found me."
Hearing this, Zheng Jinxiu, Huo Yanqin and his wife, and Huo Yueze all looked displeased.
Huo Xiaozheng's face was even darker, as if about to drip water.
Huo Xiaozheng was clearly angry: "Couldn't you call for help?"
Huo Ning was stunned.
She timidly said: "I did..."
The butler explained apologetically: "This area is a bit remote, people don't usually come here, so even if the young miss called for help, we might not have heard... It was my oversight."
"Then why didn't you call me?" Huo Xiaozheng's tone was still not good.
Huo Ning smiled ingratiatingly: "Dad must have been busy. I wasn't in a hurry, so waiting in the cabinet for a while was fine."
Huo Ning couldn't see herself, so she didn't know how unconvincing her pale face looked as she tried to reassure the adults.
Huo Xiaozheng felt as if his throat was stuffed with cotton.
Sensing Huo Xiaozheng's bad mood, Huo Ning carefully took his hand and shook it: "Dad, don't be angry anymore."
The hand in his palm was small and soft.
His daughter seemed to love him very much, yet didn't rely on him.
Huo Xiaozheng felt somewhat defeated.
