The Huo Family Estate: The Melon-Eating Mongoose

Night fell as an extended black Rolls-Royce slowly drove into the Huo family's old estate halfway up the mountain.

The estate covered a vast area, built in a classic retro European style. Two enormous stone lions stood at the entrance with claws bared, radiating an air of stern oppression.

Inside the car, Jian Ning was fixing his expensive white suit in the rearview mirror. Huo Si had just had it delivered for him, saying it was to suit tonight's "performance."

Jian Ning looked at his peach-blossom face and innocent eyes in the mirror, then snapped his fingers in satisfaction.

Perfect.

He looked exactly like a classic "mistreated rich-family darling," a "little canary clinging to a powerful patron."

[System, are you ready? I can smell the melodrama in the air. Tonight's gossip is definitely ripe!]

[No matter who scolds me later, as long as the money is right, I promise not to talk back. If they... if they hit me, I'll run and hide behind Huo Si.]

Huo Si, who was sitting beside him with his eyes closed in rest, felt his eyelid twitch slightly at that spineless inner monologue.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at Jian Ning.

Dressed in that white suit, the little thing truly looked like a lamb that had wandered into a pack of wolves—clean and obedient. Unfortunately, the moment Huo Si heard that absurd internal monologue, the entire illusion shattered.

"Remember," Huo Si said coldly, "talk less and eat more."

He had brought Jian Ning here to watch a show, not to get himself killed. The Huo family were the sort who devoured people whole without spitting out the bones.

Jian Ning immediately put on a timid, submissive look and lightly clutched the corner of Huo Si's clothes. "Don't worry, Mr. Huo. I'll listen to you. As long as you're here, I'm not afraid."

[Afraid? Of course I'm afraid! I heard your stepmother is a smiling tiger with lives on her hands? If I really get killed, remember to burn that golden trash can for me. I want to be rich in the afterlife too!]

Huo Si: "..."

He really wanted to sew that mouth shut—and seal up his thoughts too.

The car came to a stop, and the butler stepped forward to open the door.

"Young Master, you've returned. Master and Madam have been waiting for you in the living room for a long time." The butler kept his head lowered, but his tone was far from respectful. He did not even spare Jian Ning a proper glance.

Huo Si remained expressionless as he stepped out of the car on long legs. Jian Ning hurried after him, sticking close half a step behind him and playing the role of someone borrowing a tiger's might to perfection.

The moment they entered the splendidly decorated hall, warm air mixed with incense washed over them.

Three people sat on the leather sofa in the center of the living room.

Seated in the place of honor was the current head of the Huo family, Huo Si's father, Huo Zhenhua. His temples were streaked with gray, and he carried an imposing presence even without anger. At the moment, he was drinking tea with a stern face.

To the left sat a well-maintained middle-aged beauty dressed in a purple qipao and a fox-fur shawl, looking graceful and luxurious. This was Huo Si's stepmother, Liu Mei.

On the right, the young man lounging with one leg crossed over the other as he played with his phone was Huo Si's half-brother, Huo Yu.

The moment Huo Zhenhua saw Huo Si enter, he slammed his teacup heavily onto the table with a loud bang.

"You still know how to come home?" Huo Zhenhua rebuked darkly. "Today is a family dinner, and everyone has been waiting half an hour for you! You have no respect for your elders!"

Huo Si did not even pause. "There was a meeting at the company. If you don't like waiting, don't eat."

"You—!" Huo Zhenhua's beard trembled with rage.

At that moment, Liu Mei hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. Her voice was as gentle as water. "Oh, Zhenhua, A-Si manages such a large corporation. It's normal for him to be busy. It's good that he's back, good that he's back."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Jian Ning behind Huo Si. A trace of barely perceptible disdain flashed through her eyes, but her smile became even warmer.

"This is Jian Ning, isn't it? What a lovely face. Come, don't just stand there. Sit down."

Jian Ning immediately put on a flattered, overwhelmed expression, shrinking his neck as he greeted them timidly. "Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."

[Pah! What the hell is good about this? That old witch's smile looks worse than crying. Her foundation is thicker than a city wall, and flakes probably fall off whenever she talks!]

[And that old man—why is he yelling? Is he going through menopause? Doesn't he know that too much anger harms the body and can cause premature ejaculation?]

Huo Si, who was about to sit down, suddenly stiffened.

Premature... what?

What kind of garbage was filling this little thing's brain?

Just then, Huo Yu, who had been playing with his phone, looked up. He glanced at Jian Ning with a careless expression, then sneered. "Brother, why do you bring just anyone home? A performer like this is fine to play with, but aren't you worried about dirtying the Household's carpets by bringing him back?"

The atmosphere instantly dropped below freezing.

Jian Ning's face turned pale, his eyes reddening at once. He bit his lower lip and looked at Huo Si as if he might faint from tears at any second.

Yet an impassioned system prompt rang out in his mind.

[Ding! High-energy gossip source detected!]

[Gossip radar activated. Scanning target... Scan complete!]

Jian Ning was instantly wide awake.

He rubbed his hands together wildly in his mind. [Come on, baby! Let me see what lice these sanctimonious bastards are hiding under their skins!]

He looked first at the arrogant Huo Yu.

A vivid green bubble immediately appeared above Huo Yu's head.

[S-rank gossip: Impure bloodline.]

[Details: Huo Yu is not Huo Zhenhua's biological son. His actual biological father is Tony, the Huo family's former fitness coach. Tony is currently in gambling debt and threatening Liu Mei for hush money.]

[Holy shit!!!!]

Jian Ning's internal scream nearly burst Huo Si's eardrums.

[Exciting! Too exciting! Fitness coach Tony? Hahahaha! No wonder Huo Yu looks nothing like that old Huo man. So he's Old Wang from next door's seed!]

[Old Huo, Old Huo, you were just scolding Huo Si for disrespecting his elders. Do you know the green pasture on top of your head is big enough to race horses on? You raised someone else's son for twenty years and treasured him like a jewel? I'm dying laughing!]

The hand holding Huo Si's teacup trembled slightly. A few drops of scalding tea splashed onto the back of his hand, but he did not notice.

His gaze slowly moved toward Huo Yu, that arrogant "younger brother," before shifting to his dignified father.

No wonder.

No wonder his father had favored Huo Yu since childhood, always saying that Huo Yu resembled him in his younger years—lively and active.

So he resembled the fitness coach. Of course he was active.

An intensely mocking curve lifted at Huo Si's lips.

This truly was an... unexpected "gift."

Jian Ning continued scanning. His gaze turned to the gentle and virtuous stepmother, Liu Mei.

The bubble above Liu Mei's head was black and red.

[A-rank gossip: Breaking Bad.]

[Details: In order to ensure that her illegitimate son Huo Yu inherits the family property smoothly, Liu Mei has long been adding slow-acting neurotoxins to Huo Zhenhua's restorative soup. This has caused Huo Zhenhua's increasingly violent temper and memory decline in recent years. Tonight, she increased the dosage.]

[Hiss—]

Jian Ning sucked in a sharp breath.

[A woman's heart is the most poisonous! This old witch wants to send the old man straight to the grave! Giving him a green hat wasn't enough, now she wants his money and his life too? If Tony finds out, he'll probably buy a standing-room ticket and flee overnight!]

Liu Mei knew nothing of this. Still wearing the air of a loving mother, she personally poured Huo Si a cup of tea and said with a smile, "A-Si, don't blame Xiao Yu for speaking bluntly. He's only thinking of the Lineage's reputation. After all, Mr. Jian's status... is indeed somewhat unpresentable."

She turned to Jian Ning, slipped off a jade bracelet from her wrist that appeared to be of mediocre quality, and handed it to him.

"Mr. Jian, this is our first meeting. This bracelet is for you. It may not be worth much, but it represents my thoughtfulness. Since you'll be following A-Si from now on, you must know the rules and not cause him trouble."

These words both demeaned Jian Ning and displayed her own supposed generosity.

Jian Ning looked at the bracelet, and another prompt appeared from the System.

[Item appraisal: Grade-B resin-injected jade, containing trace radiation. Long-term wear will cause skin ulceration. Market value: 50 yuan.]

[I knew it! That old witch has bad intentions! She's using a fifty-yuan toxic fake to disgust me? Does she want my hand to rot?]

[Fine, fine, fine. Since you made the first move, don't blame this black lotus for showing no mercy!]

Jian Ning immediately put on a frightened, flustered expression. Rather than taking the bracelet, he shrank directly into Huo Si's arms like a startled little quail.

"Mr. Huo... this bracelet is too valuable. I don't dare accept it. And... and..."

Jian Ning raised his head, blinking his large eyes with innocent purity. His voice was bright and clear.

"And I heard that jade has a spirit. Only a legal wife can pass it down to her daughter-in-law. Auntie, you're so young and beautiful. You don't look like Young Master Huo Yu's mother at all—you look more like his sister! You should save it for Young Master Huo Yu's future girlfriend."

It sounded like he was complimenting Liu Mei on looking young, but the implications were enormous.

—You and your son do not look like mother and son.

—Huo Yu resembles neither his father nor his mother.

The moment Huo Yu heard it, he exploded. "What do you mean? Are you saying my mom likes younger men? Or are you saying I look old?"

Clearly, that intelligence level had missed the point entirely.

But Huo Zhenhua understood the first half: "you don't look like mother and son." He frowned and subconsciously looked at Huo Yu, then at Liu Mei.

He had never noticed it before, but why did Huo Yu's features suddenly seem... unlike either him or Liu Mei?

Instead, he looked somewhat like... that burly fitness coach who had resigned several years ago?

Huo Zhenhua's heart skipped a beat.

Liu Mei's expression changed slightly, but she quickly covered it up and gave a dry laugh. "Mr. Jian certainly knows how to joke. I'm already a mother. What sister and brother?"

She insisted on stuffing the bracelet into Jian Ning's hand. "Take it. A gift from an elder should not be refused."

But Jian Ning jerked his hand back as if he had been electrocuted and cried out loudly.

"Oh my! Auntie, what happened to your hand?"

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on Liu Mei's wrist.

The patch of skin she usually hid beneath her watch appeared faintly red and ulcerated.

Jian Ning covered his mouth, looking as though he had accidentally let something slip.

"I saw an educational article online. Only those who wear fake resin-injected jade treated with strong acid get this sort of skin disease! Auntie, you're so wealthy. How could you possibly wear a fake? Could it be... could it be that someone deceived you? Or could it be..."

Jian Ning's gaze moved between Liu Mei and Huo Yu. He lowered his voice, but it was still just loud enough for everyone present—especially the highly suspicious Huo Zhenhua—to hear.

"Could it be that all the money at home has gone into filling some enormous hole? To the point that you can't even afford a real bracelet?"

[Bingo! Precision strike! Old witch, let's see how you explain this!]

[Old Huo, hurry and check your account books! Your wife is using your money to support her lover, feeding you poisoned chicken soup, and now she can't even bear to buy a real bracelet. What a life. Tsk, tsk, I almost feel bad for you!]

Liu Mei's face instantly went deathly pale. She instinctively covered her wrist. "What nonsense are you talking about? It's an allergy!"

But Huo Zhenhua's face had already darkened like the bottom of a pot.

By nature suspicious, he immediately connected a great many clues in his mind.

Huo Yu did not resemble him...

The Household's expenses had indeed been unusually high recently...

The injury on Liu Mei's hand...

And Jian Ning's words about an "enormous hole"...

"Liu Mei." Huo Zhenhua's voice was terrifyingly grim. "Bring me that bracelet. Let me see it."

Liu Mei's hand trembled, and the bracelet fell to the floor with a smack, shattering into several pieces.

At the break, traces of cheap glue were clearly visible.

The living room fell deathly silent.

Huo Si sat to one side like an uninvolved spectator.

He picked up his teacup and took a light sip—carefully avoiding the cup Jian Ning had called poisoned in his thoughts. A faint, cold smile lingered on his lips.

[Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! What a crisp sound!]

[Huo Si, Huo Si! Look at your father's face—it's glowing green! Is it time for blood-drop kinship testing next? Or are we going straight to family punishment?]

[Ah, I'm starving. This gossip feast has filled me up, but will I still have room for dinner later? I heard there's Australian lobster tonight?]

Huo Si set down his teacup and finally spoke.

He reached out and wrapped an arm around Jian Ning's waist. His tone was indulgent, though he was speaking to Huo Zhenhua.

"Dad, it seems this bracelet really is unlucky. Since it broke, let broken pieces bring peace."

Then his tone shifted. His eyes turned sharp as blades as they stabbed toward the panicked Huo Yu.

"However, Jian Ning's words do make some sense. Second Brother's appearance... really does seem less and less like someone from the Huo family. Since everyone is here, why not call Doctor Wang over during the family dinner and give everyone a 'checkup'?"

Huo Si emphasized the words "checkup" heavily.

Liu Mei's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the sofa.

Huo Yu was still utterly confused. "A checkup? I'm not getting a checkup! I'm perfectly healthy!"

[Pfft, hahahaha! Huo Si, you're really an expert at finishing blows! You're fast-forwarding straight to a paternity test, huh?]

[Huo Yu, you idiot, you're about to lose your inheritance rights and you're still talking about being healthy? Run! If you don't, even your real dad Tony will be caught and thrown into the sea!]

Huo Zhenhua looked at the limp Liu Mei, and the last thread of suspicion in his heart instantly transformed into towering fury.

He abruptly stood, grabbed the teacup from the table, and smashed it viciously against the floor.

"Butler! Seal the doors! Call Doctor Wang over here! Call him now!!"