“I hope you can be the one that saves him. If you need anyone to put in a good word for you, I’ll help you. I have high hopes for you.”
An expressed his support for Han Yueyao’s romantic interest towards Su Yu.
“Thank you, An.”
“No need. We’ll pass on the formality.”
“Then you shouldn’t call me Ms. Han. Call me Yao.”
“Okay.”
Only after the call did the two feel relaxed enough to go to bed.
At 5 AM in the morning, it was dead silent at South Hill Manor.
The nights were long and the days were short during winter in the north.
Most of the time, the sun would rise after 7 AM, so many organizations would start their morning shift at 8:30 or 9.
At 5 AM, the sky was still dark, making the manor seem extra quiet.
Huo Mian was in a white sleeping gown. She got up and stepped on the luxurious flooring with her bare feet. Her footsteps were light, as if they were feathers landing onto the floor – there was not a peep of sound.
Her footsteps were also slow. It looked as if she was trying to measure the house with her body.
She saw Qin Chu sleeping at his desk in the study when she passed by.
The look on her eyes changed when she saw him. They shined a mysterious light.
Just when she was about to push open the study room door, she heard a sound behind her.
“Mommy…”
Huo Mian was shocked. She turned around with a detached expression. It took her three seconds to change that bleak face into a smile. “Pudding, why are you up?”
“I’m thirsty but there’s no water in my room. I want to drink water but I’m scared. Mommy, can you go downstairs with me?”
“Yeah. Let’s go. Mommy will go with you,” Huo Mian said. Then, she walked directly downstairs.
Pudding reached out to hold Huo Mian’s hand but when she felt Huo Mian’s icy cold hand, Pudding had the shivers and immediately let go.
Pudding even backed up two steps, as if she was scared of Huo Mian.
“What’s the matter, Pudding?”
“Mommy, your hand is so cold that it’s scary.”
“I’m still sick from losing the baby. I’ll be alright soon. You don’t need to worry about it, okay?” Huo Mian was gentle with her tone but Pudding didn’t sense that Huo Mian was a warm person right now.
Pudding quietly followed Huo Mian to the kitchen.
There was heating on the floor. They could feel the warmth spread from their feet to their bodies.
Huo Mian turned on a dim light and helped pour a glass of water for Pudding.
Suddenly out of nowhere, a little black cat jumped onto Huo Mian. She spilled the cup of water.
Huo Mian would have screamed from fright but she didn’t. Pudding saw her reaction clearly: Huo Mian threw the cat off her and kicked it away.
The kick was so hard that the black cat cried and collapsed onto the floor. It seemed like it was badly injured.
Pudding was so scared that she backed up to the door.
“Pudding, don’t be scared. Mommy has subdued the cat…” Huo Mian said with a smile. The smile on Huo Mian’s face, under the moonlight, looked terrifying.
“Mommy, you loved Little Black before. Why?”
When Huo Mian heard this, the look on her face slightly changed.
This black cat used to be an ordinary stray cat. However, it often came to South Hill Manor to steal food and was caught by the gardener. Back then, Huo Mian said not to hit it because it was such a pitiful creature.
She even gave it a name, “Little Black”, and kept it as a pet.
Little Black would wander around during the day but would come back at night for food. Then after eating, it would sleep in the kitchen because it was warm and had cat food.
Huo Mian had a good relationship with Little Black. Also, Little Black had never harmed anyone in the family.
Sometimes, Little Bean would give it cake. However, Pudding was confused why Little Black was being so defensive towards Huo Mian. Also, Huo Mian’s overreaction was terrifying. Her kick had almost decapitated Little Black. Pudding was therefore terrified.
“What’s the matter?” Qin Chu had come downstairs unannounced. His tall figure casted a long shadow by the doorway.
