The Chosen Contrast Pair

[After Huo Huan was captured, Shen Zhuo and Shen Yao continued fighting the protagonists. Everyone knew how it would end—they definitely would not win. Both of them died, and the plot finally came to a complete end.]

[The plot would never let anyone defeat the protagonists. If Huo Xi was the strongest enemy the protagonist couple had encountered themselves, then Huo Huan was the strongest enemy encountered by the child the protagonist couple adopted.]

[Huo Xi had been subjected to all kinds of arranged accidents, forced to surrender his position and die. Even if Huo Huan had not been captured by Shen Yao, he would have been subjected to all sorts of arranged accidents just like Huo Xi.]

[One possessed unparalleled intelligence and status; the other had a miserable, horrifying childhood and past. They really were a heaven-chosen contrast pair.]

"Got him!" "Nice! Take off his shoes—I want to wear them."

"Stop!" Four voices cried out at once, belonging to Lu Shao, Su Nanxing, Shen Can, and Shen Yao.

Lu Shao could not stand seeing them bully someone like that. Su Nanxing felt they had to save him, because that child had seen them.

Before he had been brought to his grandfather's side to be raised, he had also entertained some very crazy thoughts. So he could somewhat understand Huo Huan's way of thinking.

Can Can had also said that Huo Huan was a lunatic. Maybe he would resent them for standing by and watching him die just because he had noticed them. It was better to help him. Besides, telling those children to stop was a simple matter for them.

Shen Yao acted because, although he had captured Huo Huan in the plot, Huo Huan was still just a child now and had not done anything yet. He could not just watch him be bullied right in front of him.

Shen Can spoke up because he wanted to. The plot was the plot, but now that there was a chance to change things, why not change them?

Only then did those children notice there were adults present. Just now, they had been entirely focused on surrounding and attacking Huo Huan.

Shen Can looked toward Huo Xi. Although they could stop this from happening, Huo Xi was the one who needed to seek justice.

He was the head of the Huo Household, and these were all children of the Huo Household. It was most appropriate for him to handle it; they just did not know what he thought.

"Why are you bullying him? Haven't your families taught you not to cause trouble?" Huo Xi asked as he walked up to the group of children.

The children did not dare make a sound. They knew who Huo Xi was; their families had shown them his photograph and told them to be respectful if they saw him.

"Speak!" As Huo Xi's tone grew heavier, the children immediately spilled everything like beans from a pod.

"He liked his shoes, so we helped him take them." "Huo Huan's dad doesn't like him, and Huo Huan's dad isn't important either."

"His dad is important, and his dad likes him a lot too, so we listened to him." "Yeah, that's right. We're not lying."

Huo Xi glanced at the chubby child. "Tomorrow, your father will come here to pack your things." Then he looked at the others. "Your families will come with him to pack yours."

"The family sent you here to learn etiquette, not to form cliques and bully others. Since you refuse to listen to the family elders, there is no need for you to remain in the Huo Household."

"Xiao Xi, that punishment is far too severe. It's only a small conflict between children. Why give such a heavy punishment?" The person who arrived was Shi Ruyan.

Shen Keke added, "Exactly. They went through so much hardship before finally coming back. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to drive them away again?"

Lu Shao glanced at those children. "One is chubby, and while the others aren't, they're clearly well-fed too. They went through so much hardship? What hardship?"

Of course, Shi Ruyan and the others could see the difference between those children and the child being bullied. They simply had to express views different from Huo Xi's.

Moreover, only after the last banquet had they learned that they had offended too many people. Especially after Zhou Jingxuan had said all that about contribution or lack thereof, the Huo Household members no longer wanted to interact with them. After all, if they were talking about contributions, those few were the ones who had contributed nothing.

So they urgently needed an opening to ease their relationship with the Huo Household. As long as a few people began associating with them, there would definitely be more afterward. The parents of these children were an excellent opportunity.

Looking as though he pitied Huo Huan, Shen Keke said, "This child is indeed thin, and it's pitiful that he was wronged this time. But conflicts can be resolved. They may still be able to get along well afterward. Wouldn't throwing them out be too cruel? Why don't we ask the victim what he thinks?"

"Little friend, they were wrong to bully you. They definitely won't dare bully you again. It would be so pitiful if they were driven out, and you surely wouldn't want that, right? How about forgiving them this time? I'll have them apologize to you in a moment, okay?"

Huo Huan raised his eyes and looked at Shen Keke. "Why should I? Why should I resolve things with them? Do you know how many conflicts there really are between us? They are being driven out because they made mistakes and deserve it. What does it have to do with me whether they are pitiful afterward?"

[Pfft! Hahaha, Shen Keke asked the wrong person, didn't he? Other than not fighting back when his mother beat him, Huo Huan would never endure anything else.]

[Just like later in the plot, when he was bullied at school for not having a father. Even if he could not win, he would still fight. Even if the teacher called his parent and he went home only to be beaten by his mother again, he would still fight back.]

[He figured that his mother had sent him to school only to keep up appearances and avoid people asking, "Your child is so old—why haven't you sent him to school? Why do you make him stay home every day?" So she would absolutely never let him drop out.]

[Since he would not be expelled, he was not afraid. If his mother beat him when he went home, then so be it. But at school, he could not refrain from fighting back, or everyone would bully him afterward.]

Shen Keke had not expected this child to refuse, much less speak so clearly and plainly.

Behind them, Huo Zhenyun glanced at one of his subordinates. The man quickly understood what he meant, and before long, he had brought Huo Huan's father over.

If not for the fact that some matters were being put to a vote today, Huo Huan's father probably would not have been able to come. He was too marginal.

The first thing Huo Huan's father said upon arriving was, "The child is still young and doesn't understand things. Don't take it to heart, don't take it to heart. We don't mind, we don't mind. It's just a small matter, a small matter."

Shen Can looked at the man reeking of alcohol and thought of what he had done, leaving him speechless. "As his father, shouldn't you first find out what happened?"

"What could happen between children? Isn't it all just small matters?" Even if it were something serious, it did not matter. He had acknowledged this child only to collect the money that belonged to him.

If he had truly cared about this child, he would have gone looking for him long ago. Would he have waited until now? Besides, how could he offend those families and Huo Zhenyun's group for this child?

Huo Huan showed no reaction to his father's words. He had been willing to return to the Huo Household only because he wanted to find a way to deal with him.

"Ms. Shi, Mr. Shen, what I stated was a decision, not a suggestion. I do not need any of your opinions. Even if it were a suggestion, it would not be your place to express your views to me."

Ignoring how ugly their expressions became after saying that, Huo Xi directly told Secretary Wu, who had just arrived, "Notify every family immediately, one by one. Tomorrow, make sure everything is handled."

No one had expected that merely following along would let them witness such a spectacle. They had heard that something seemed to have happened here, and when they saw Huo Zhenyun and the others coming over, they came along as well.