This luxuriously decorated Chinese-style villa looked like a finely crafted work of art. It exuded a deep cultural heritage and unique charm, making one feel as though they had traveled back in time to the home of an ancient aristocratic family.
The villa’s courtyard was truly picturesque—shaded by lush green trees and filled with blooming flowers and plants. A delicate artificial hill paired with gently flowing water created a beautiful natural landscape, offering peace and relaxation amidst a busy life.
Upon entering the villa, the first thing that caught the eye was the grand entrance hall, built in a traditional Chinese architectural style—imposing and majestic. On either side of the hall were intricately carved rosewood furnishings, a clear reflection of the owner’s refined taste.
Inside the villa, every room was decorated with great care and detail. In the living room, a luxurious embroidered carpet paired harmoniously with classical Chinese furniture, creating a warm and elegant atmosphere.
[Ah! Ah! Ah!]
[Is this place trying to blind my eyes?]
[What kind of wood is that tea table and those chairs? Golden nanmu? No, that’s too expensive… maybe rosewood? Forget it, whatever it is—it must be pricey, considering this is the Huo family.]
[Who painted that artwork on the wall? An antique? It looks really good… those mountains and rivers—Chinese ink painting really has depth.]
[Is that vase blue-and-white porcelain?]
[I’ve only ever seen that stuff in the Forbidden City(Imperial Palace complex at the heart of Beijing ).]
[Even the teacups on the table look fancy.]
[…]
The three others were all mentally overwhelmed. Who would’ve thought the sweet and quiet Wei Jinning had such a rich inner world?
“Ningning, stop looking around. Let’s go eat,” Zhao Qiuying gently pulled her back from her daze over the interior decor.
“Okay,” Wei Jinning came back to her senses and nodded.
Huo Nanchu followed quietly behind the group, watching Wei Jinning closely. He couldn’t figure out how she knew he’d one day be betrayed by a friend and die in a foreign land.
She had only just been found and this was her first time meeting him. Huo Nanchu was thoroughly confused. He wanted to ask her how she knew. But since she’d only thought it and hadn’t said anything aloud, and judging by their father’s expression, they didn’t want Ningning to know that the rest of them could hear her thoughts.
[Wow! Wow! This is practically a Manchu Han Imperial Feast! Not that I’ve ever seen one…]
[These dishes look like actual works of art. How can food be this beautiful?]
[This table is massive—probably seats thirty people.]
[Using a lazy Susan this big just for a home meal… If two people sat across from each other, they’d probably have to shout just to talk!]
[Where should I start? Everything looks so delicious!]
[Will I even be able to keep my image in front of all this food?]
[No! I must not let myself go. I can’t let them think I’m just a foodie right off the bat.]
[Deep breath… Hold it in. Hold it in.]
“Ningning, come sit. Take whatever you like—no need to be shy, we’re all family here,” Zhao Qiuying said as she guided Wei Jinning to sit down, then took the seat to her right.
“We usually eat in the smaller dining room, but since it’s your first day back, we’re using the banquet hall,” she explained.
[There’s another dining room…]
“Little sister, try a bit of everything. If you like something, let Auntie Wang know and she’ll make it again tomorrow,” Huo Jinxin said, quickly taking the seat on Wei Jinning’s left.
“I love Auntie Wang’s cooking. You have to try it too!”
“Okay, Mom,” Wei Jinning replied obediently.
“Mm, got it, sister.”
The remaining father and son exchanged glances—one sat down next to his wife, and the other next to Huo Jinxin.
The Huo family had a tradition of not speaking while eating or sleeping, so after everyone sat down, no one said another word.
[This is fish. Delicious!]
[This is chicken. Delicious!]
[This is lobster. Delicious!]
[This is braised pork. Delicious!]
[So good, so good—everything’s so good!]
As soon as Wei Jinning started eating, she completely forgot her earlier promise to maintain her image.
Hearing her inner thoughts about how tasty everything was, the rest of the Huo family grew curious and started trying the dishes themselves—and in the end, they all ate more than usual.
“Ningning, have some fruit,” Huo Shan finally saw a chance to show some care.
“No, Dad, I’m full,” Wei Jinning had eaten way too much earlier—there was just no room left.
“Oh… okay.” Huo Shan looked at the fruit in his hands, clearly a little disappointed.
“Dad, I’ll eat it later. Thank you, Dad. You’re really sweet.”
[Sigh! Being too popular is its own kind of trouble.]
[I even have to comfort people now.]
[The look on Dad’s face… you’d think I’d committed some unspeakable crime.]
[Life is so hard.]
“Ningning, your dad didn’t mean anything by it, he’s just…” Huo Shan struggled to explain, afraid that Wei Jinning might notice something, and didn’t dare say too much.
“Ningning, your dad just doesn’t know how to express his feelings,” Zhao Qiuying saw Huo Shan’s awkwardness and, holding back her laughter, helped explain.
“Mm, I know, Mom.”
[This is that heavy, silent kind of fatherly love.]
[Honestly, it makes me happy.]
[I’ve never experienced this before, but now I can truly enjoy it.]
[Which means… I really do have to save them.]
[Seeing how happily clueless they are now, they still have no idea someone’s out to get them.]
[Ugh, they’ve offended too many people—the Qian family, Zhao family, Li family, Sun family, and… so many more to deal with.]
[It’s hard. Really hard.]
“Little sister, why don’t you go back to your room and rest for a bit? You must be exhausted after such a long flight,” Huo Nanchu said with concern, noticing how tired Wei Jinning looked.
He had seen her eyes starting to close as if she might fall asleep at any moment.
“Yes, Ningning, go take a break. You kept saying you were sleepy on the plane too,” Huo Shan chimed in, agreeing that she should rest.
“Mm, I’ll take you to see your room. That way, you can lie down and get a good nap right away,” Zhao Qiuying said gently as she took Wei Jinning’s hand and prepared to lead her upstairs.
At that moment, Huo Jinxin also stood up from the sofa and smiled. “I’ll come too, help little sis see if there’s anything that needs tidying up.”
“Alright, let’s all go together then!” Zhao Qiuying nodded and led her two daughters toward Wei Jinning’s room.
“Dad, big brother, I’m heading to my room now,” Wei Jinning turned to say goodbye to her father and brother.
“Alright, go on! Get some good rest,” both Huo Shan and Huo Nanchu replied at the same time.
Accompanied by light footsteps, the three of them arrived at Wei Jinning’s room.
When the door opened, what came into view was a princess-style room filled with girlish charm. The entire room was pink-themed, with walls painted a soft blush, a bed covered in fluffy pink-and-white sheets and quilts, and a few adorable stuffed animals placed neatly on it.
Pink curtains hung by the window, fluttering lightly in the breeze, giving off a cozy and romantic vibe.
“Wow, it’s so pretty!” Huo Jinxin couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Ningning, do you like this style? If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, just tell Mom—we can change it,” Zhao Qiuying asked lovingly, her eyes full of affection.
“Mm, I like it. Thank you, Mom. I really like this room,” Wei Jinning smiled, clearly happy.
She walked over to the bed, gently brushing her hand over the soft bedding, feeling the warmth of home.
[Me, a grown woman, liking pink?]
[Guess I’ll pretend to like it for Mom’s sake.]
[This is too princessy.]
[This room is bigger than the apartment I took a loan out for.]
[Turns out bedrooms can have their own living rooms—who knew?]
[And this bed… five of me could sleep here and still have space.]
“Ningning, I’m glad you like it. In a few days, we can switch up the style,” Zhao Qiuying said, though she felt awkward suggesting a change right away.
“No need—this one’s fine,” Wei Jinning wasn’t that picky anyway.
“It’s okay, really. I change styles all the time too. Keeps things fresh,” Huo Jinxin said cheerfully, not realizing her sister didn’t love the pink. Oops—fail.
“Let’s talk about it later,” Wei Jinning replied noncommittally.
“Well, Ningning, Xinxin and I will leave you to rest now. I’ll come call you for dinner later,” Zhao Qiuying said, not wanting to stay long and disturb her rest.
“Okay. Bye Mom, bye Sis,” Wei Jinning waved at them.
“Bye-bye,” they both waved back.
Now the room was quiet—just Wei Jinning alone.
This walk-in closet? No, this is a boutique—a high-end one! There’s Chanel, there’s Dior, there’s Hermès… all of it custom-made.
And my favorite thing—bags! Bags cure everything. No complaints.
These clothes, shoes, and bags… at this rate, I could go half a year without repeating an outfit.
Ah! Ah! Is that a bathtub? It’s practically a pool!
After exploring everything, she lay back on the bed, tossing and turning.
She used to see people online say, “Poverty limits your imagination”—and now she knew it was true.
No matter how wild her dreams had been, she never imagined living like this.
Just one room—just one!—could be this luxurious. She had truly been sheltered.
After a while, the excitement wore off, her full belly kicked in, and before long, Wei Jinning drifted off to sleep.
Even in her dreams, she was smiling.
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