Zhao Qiuying and Huo Jinxin were just about to go downstairs when Huo Shan called them into the study.
“You all can hear Ningning’s inner thoughts too?” Huo Shan asked.
“You can hear them too?” Zhao Qiuying responded with a question of her own.
“Yeah.”
The other two siblings also nodded.
“This is…” Zhao Qiuying was still trying to make sense of it all.
“Let’s sit down and talk,” Huo Shan said, taking a seat first.
“When I first picked up Ningning, before I even introduced our family, she already knew who we were, what each of us did, and how many people were in the family.”
“And Ningning kept saying that Xinxin is the female lead. Based on what she’s said, it seems we’re characters from a book, and Ningning already knows how each of us ends up,” Huo Shan explained.
“Dad, is that even believable?” Huo Nanchu asked, frowning handsomely.
“We don’t know yet. But it’s worth testing. From what Ningning said, the first person to encounter trouble is the third son. Something about a set of photos he just took being stolen by his assistant and sold off.”
“He also submitted those photos for some competition, which ended in a misunderstanding of plagiarism. It seriously damages his career, and from then on, he goes downhill.”
“So, first we need to have someone investigate the third son’s assistant—see if he’s met with anyone recently. Once the third son is back, we’ll make a plan.”
“If this incident doesn’t happen, we can just pretend we never heard Ningning’s thoughts. But if it does…”
“…Then we need to be very cautious.”
Huo Shan trusted Wei Jinning, but since the incident hadn’t happened yet, no one could be completely sure.
“Mm, let’s follow your father’s lead. But we can’t afford not to take Ningning’s words seriously,” Zhao Qiuying said.
“Eldest son, you should also keep an eye on the Qian, Zhao, Sun, and Li families,” she added.
“Got it, Mom.”
“But the Zhao family—aren’t they from Mom’s side?”
In Jing City, the only Zhao family powerful enough to rival the Huo family was Zhao Qiuying’s maiden family.
“Mm, it should be them,” Zhao Qiuying replied, unwilling to believe it but forced to admit the truth—only her own Zhao clan would have anything to gain if the Huo family fell.
“Uncle and second uncle wouldn’t do that… would they?” Huo Nanchu had often visited his maternal grandparents’ home when he was younger, and he was on good terms with both uncles.
“Let’s hope not…”
After Zhao Qiuying said that, the four of them fell silent.
“Dad, did little sister say how I ended up being the female lead?” Huo Jinxin asked curiously.
“All of us were gone. You were the only one left in the Huo family, so you had no choice but to hold everything up on your own. But the process…”
For a young woman to bear the entire weight of the Huo family—just imagining the pressure was enough.
And all of that while someone was trying to bring the Huo family down.
“Then what about little sister? Where was she at that time?” Huo Jinxin wondered—if in that ‘book’ everyone could hear her thoughts like now, then surely the disasters could’ve been avoided.
“She didn’t say, but I’m guessing we never found her.”
“The reason we found her so smoothly this time is because this version of Ningning already knew she wasn’t part of the Wei family. That’s why she did the DNA test, and that’s how we found out she was still alive. If this Ningning hadn’t come back…” Huo Shan didn’t know what happened to Wei Jinning in her previous life, but judging from things, it probably wasn’t good.
“Dad, how did the Wei family treat Ningning?” Huo Nanchu asked.
Huo Shan told them everything he had learned from the police station truthfully.
“That poor Ningning, she’s suffered so much…” Zhao Qiuying burst into tears after hearing everything.
“There, there, honey. Isn’t she with us now? Ningning’s good days are just beginning,” Huo Shan said as he wrapped his arms around Zhao Qiuying to comfort her.
“Dad, we can’t just let this go,” Huo Nanchu said firmly. He absolutely wouldn’t allow those who had bullied Ningning to walk away without consequences.
Huo Jinxin sniffled and added, “That’s right, big brother’s right. They really went too far with Ningning.”
“Let the eldest handle this. But remember—we cannot break the law. If they did something wrong, the law will take care of it. We don’t have the right to interfere. But it’s okay to teach them a lesson so they won’t forget it,” Huo Shan said.
“Got it, Dad.” Huo Nanchu nodded.
“And one more thing: don’t let Ningning know that we can hear her thoughts,” Huo Shan said seriously.
“Why not? Isn’t that like lying to her?” Huo Jinxin asked.
“It’s not lying. This could be an opportunity for the Huo family, and it’s also to protect Ningning. We can’t let this leak to anyone outside the family either.”
“Mm, understood,” the three of them agreed.
With that, the family meeting came to an end. Meanwhile, Wei Jinning was still in dreamland, playing chess with the Duke of Zhou,* completely unaware that her family had just held a secret meeting about her.
(*Note: “Playing chess with the Duke of Zhou” is a Chinese idiom that humorously refers to being deep in sleep🤓.)
Wei Jinning slept all the way until 4 p.m. At first, she was still groggy, lying in bed dazed and confused, staring at everything in the room and thinking she was dreaming.
It took her a while to remember that she had transmigrated into a book—finally, this life of extreme wealth was hers!
Nobody can stop me!
[Master, you’re awake.]
“[Oh right, and you, little thing, I forgot to ask—what exactly are you good for?]” Wei Jinning had been so dazzled by this sudden wealth that she completely forgot about Xiao Liu.
“[Master, I am a gossip-eating system.]” Xiao Liu replied mechanically.
“[What do you mean? Is it the kind of ‘gossip-eating’ I’m thinking of?]” Wei Jinning grinned—this could be the start of a fun life. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of juicy gossip?
“[Yes, exactly, Master. I know everything about the people you’ve met, things that have happened in the past, and what’s about to happen.]” Xiao Liu replied with pride.
“[You’re that powerful?]”
“[This system is all-knowing. And once I collect enough gossip, I can even upgrade into a more powerful version.]”
“Ah! Ah! That’s amazing, that’s amazing!” Wei Jinning got so excited she nearly rolled off the bed.
Once the excitement wore off, her thoughts drifted to the original Wei Jinning in the book. What a pity—born into a wealthy family, loved and cherished, only to be stolen and neglected.
After she was finally found by the Wei family, she was forced to marry Li Weiguo. At first, he was somewhat kind because she was young and beautiful, but once the novelty wore off, he began hitting her frequently.
One day, after being badly beaten, she escaped while Li Weiguo was asleep and ran to Chun City. However, due to prolonged abuse, she collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, her head injury was serious and left untreated for too long—she died there.
Li Weiguo was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison.
“What a light punishment!” Wei Jinning thought angrily.
No wonder the Huo family never found her in the original timeline.
Such a shame for the original Wei Jinning.
Don’t worry, she thought, I’ll take care of our family now—they’re mine too.
I won’t let the people who hurt you get away with it. And I’ll repay those who helped you.
Like that man who seemed cold and unapproachable but still saved you… Guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover.
What Wei Jinning didn’t know was that her family had already decided to teach the Wei family a lesson.
Before she even had the chance to act, the Wei family was done for.
The woman Wei Dachuan had run into was actually planted by Huo Nanchu. At first, the plan was just to scam the Wei family’s money and leave father and son penniless, but they ended up gaining more than expected. It was simply karma—people must pay for their actions.
As for Li Weiguo, the Huo family hadn’t taken action yet, because the tragedy hadn’t happened. To them, he was still just a background character.
Wei Jinning took a shower, changed into a fresh outfit, and headed downstairs.
She saw the four family members all sitting in the living room.
As soon as they heard her coming, they all turned toward the staircase.
There stood Wei Jinning, dressed in a soft pink Chanel dress. Her jet-black hair was tied casually in a high ponytail, her bangs pinned back with a cute clip, revealing her smooth forehead and bright, sparkling eyes.
Her figure was slender and straight, her posture confident and elegant. She radiated beauty and assurance.
For a moment, everyone was completely stunned.
“Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Big Sis—good afternoon.” Wei Jinning came down and greeted them sweetly.
That snapped them out of their daze.
“Wow, sis, you look amazing!” Huo Jinxin was the first to react.
“Right? Ningning looks even more beautiful all dressed up,” Zhao Qiuying added, unable to take her eyes off her.
“Sis, Mom, now you’re making me shy… I could never look as good as Big Sis,” Wei Jinning said, her cheeks turning a soft pink.
“Alright, alright, you’re both gorgeous,” Zhao Qiuying said warmly.
The family basked in a joyful, harmonious moment together.
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