“Hmm?”
Lin Huanhuan felt it was a bit strange. “Don’t we hug all the time? Why be so hesitant? I thought you wanted to do something else.”
“It’s different, it’s just different.”
Dong Yuner’s face was full of anticipation. Usually, it was unintentional, but today she had taken the initiative to ask. It represented her desire to take a step forward, so how could it be the same?
It was just like how she would engage in intimate contact while Lin Huanhuan was fast asleep. How could that compare to the actions taken after a confession was accepted? At least, that was how she saw it.
Although Lin Huanhuan was somewhat speechless, she did not refuse. “Fine, go ahead and hug me.”
Lin Huanhuan struck a hugging pose, and Dong Yuner quickly lunged forward, embracing her passionately. Her small face consciously rubbed against those two soft, snowy peaks, feeling the unique warmth.
Lin Huanhuan’s face turned red as she felt a tickle. There was a strange sensation in the areas being touched, especially her chest. It felt as if something was scratching at the bottom of her heart; she felt a bit addicted, yet also somewhat resistant.
Her body grew inexplicably hot, like a ball of fire or a liquid wanting to flow from her heart. Lin Huanhuan bit her lower lip and firmly steadied her mind. Only then did she stabilize herself and avoid making a fool of herself.
“Sigh, Yuner, that’s enough. It’s not good to hug for too long,” Lin Huanhuan said, making up a random excuse.
“Alright.”
Dong Yuner reluctantly let go. It wasn’t good to go too far the first time; if she made Lin Huanhuan wary, there might not be a second time.
Dong Yuner couldn’t help but fantasize in her mind: ‘The first time is a hug, so the second time should be a kiss, and the third time, touching should be allowed.’
‘Just like peeling a shell, I’ll gradually lower her psychological defenses. Eventually, there will come a day when I can completely have the young lady. Hehe, Ye Jinxi, you’re destined to be a loser!’
***
“I’m back.”
Huang Huasheng walked into an ordinary house and pushed open the door. He saw a blind old woman who had fallen to the ground, struggling with great effort. Sensing someone entering, she called out, “Sheng’er, is that you?”
“Mother, what happened?”
Huang Huasheng was startled and rushed forward to help her up. He checked her carefully and found that aside from some superficial injuries, she hadn’t suffered any internal damage. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked in confusion:
“Mother, where is the servant I hired? Why is she nowhere to be seen? To think she let you fall here alone… I’m going to dock her wages!”
The old woman said calmly, “I let her go. There isn’t much money left in the house, right? Why waste money on a useless person like me?”
“Mother, what are you saying? How could I…”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted. “Your father and brother are both dead. They died under mysterious circumstances and left no inheritance for you. I’m all you have left, yet I can’t help you with anything. I even cost so much money every day.
“In order to treat my eyes, you’ve even sold your own cultivation resources for money, haven’t you? Don’t think I don’t know. I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore.”
Huang Huasheng quickly said, “How could you be a burden? If it weren’t for you, how would I even exist?”
The old woman grabbed his hand, tears streaming down her face. “But what else am I good for now besides holding you back? If I weren’t afraid that you’d be left all alone in this world with no one to care for you, I wouldn’t have wanted to live long ago. My body is getting worse day by day. I’m just worried… what will you do when I can’t hold on anymore?”
***
After a long time, Huang Huasheng finally managed to persuade the old woman. He walked out of the house and looked at the bustling crowds on the street, falling into a silence.
He said in a low voice:
“It will end. Everything will end. Whether it’s hatred or suffering, there will be a day when it ends, and it’s not far off. I swore that I would make all of you feel my despair too!”
In the blink of an eye, the day arrived for the Huang family to welcome back their youngest daughter.
Inside the Huang family residence in Weiyang City, the place was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Everyone was beaming with smiles, immersed in an atmosphere of laughter and joy. Although the Huang family was not a major clan, they held some status in Weiyang City. The Huang family ancestor, who was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, had just celebrated his 150th birthday. He could live for at least another 100 years, so the family was currently at the height of its power.
Upon hearing that the Huang family had found their long-lost youngest daughter and was even holding a grand banquet for her, a continuous stream of people came to offer their congratulations. Although those without invitations could not attend the banquet, no one would stop them from asking for a bowl of wine or saying a few words of blessing.
When Lin Huanhuan arrived, she immediately saw this extraordinary, lively scene and couldn’t help but praise, “This really is quite lively.”
“Young lady, may I ask if you have an invitation?” the guard at the door asked.
He noticed Lin Huanhuan’s expensive clothing and her ethereal temperament. With his experienced eyes, he immediately realized she had an extraordinary status. He quickly adopted a fawning posture and smiled. “If you don’t have one, would you like me to go inside and inform the master?”
“No need. This is the invitation, take a look.”
Lin Huanhuan handed over the invitation directly. Before coming here, she had met with Huang Huasheng once. He had given her this invitation and promised once again that she could call on him for any needs at any time.
In fact, if she really wanted to attend this welcoming banquet, she only needed to release a bit of word. The Huang family would immediately come running to deliver the highest-level invitation and would do their best to make the banquet perfect. Before she even arrived, the entire Huang family would be standing at the door to greet her to prevent any possible offense.
But she had a secret mission this time and was planning to do something bad, so how could she be so flamboyant? According to the original work, sneaking in was the best method.
The guard was puzzled as to why she would produce the lowest-level invitation, but years of experience told him not to pry into such matters, as it was an easy way to end up dead.
‘Regardless of whether this woman truly has a background, it’s always better to do a good job. I don’t seek credit, but I must avoid making mistakes.’
He respectfully invited Lin Huanhuan inside and then returned to his post without even notifying the main house.
After entering, Lin Huanhuan walked to a table in the corner and sat down, staying far away from the Main Seat to reduce her presence. She planned to just watch quietly, observe the mysterious second female lead, and then deliver a harsh threat once it was over.
There were nearly 1,000 tables set for this banquet. Although many people had come, there weren’t enough to fill every seat. Since this was the very edge of the area, naturally no one else came to sit there, so Lin Huanhuan had it all to herself.
After taking a bite of food, she suddenly noticed a familiar face nearby.