Xia XiaoXi sent a message to the driver across from her, instructing him to leave immediately.This time, the driver could distinctly sense Xia XiaoXi's anger.
Not daring to test her temper, he quietly turned and left the noodle shop.
Watching his retreating figure, HuMing found his actions unusually strange.
â¦
After finishing their noodles, HuMing planned to head home, but Xia XiaoXi tapped him on the shoulder, lowering her voice as she spoke.
"Letâs go! Letâs go shopping!"
"Shopping again?"
"Actually, I just want to grab some snacks," Xia XiaoXi replied with a grin. HuMing, however, was startled as he glanced at the empty bowl before her.
He hadn't expected Xia XiaoXi to have such a big appetite. What was even more astonishing was that she showed no signs of gaining weight! If others found out, they'd surely be green with envy.
But HuMing wasnât quick to agree. Instinctively, he glanced outside and said,
"I donât think itâs a good idea. Even if I agree, your driver probably wonât."
"Everything revolves around me. To be honest, I usually do as I please, but I often consider how hard they work, so I don't refuse their requests lightly," Xia XiaoXi said as she sipped her soy milk. Then she smiled, "Besides, with your skills, you can protect me, right?"
"I donât have what it takes to protect anyone."
"If you refuse again, thatâs just impolite, HuMing! Going out with an idol should be a delightful experience, donât you think?"
Seeing HuMing hesitate, Xia XiaoXi decided to apply a little more pressure.
As expected, HuMing eventually sighed in resignation and agreed.
â¦
Just as the two stepped out of the noodle shop, the driver approached them.
Before he could speak, Xia XiaoXi declared, "Alright, you can head back now. HuMing and I are going to walk around a bit more."
"What? Miss, thatâs against protocol!" the driver protested, his tone anxious. But Xia XiaoXiâs face turned cold.
Since when has this driver become so meddlesome?
"There are no protocols; what I say goes. If you find that unacceptable, you can resign right now. The Xia family will compensate you accordingly, including bonuses."
"That... Miss, thatâs not what I meant!"
The driver immediately backed down.
He glanced at HuMing, who was casually scrolling on his phone, acting as if the whole situation had nothing to do with him.
Though anger simmered inside him, the driver eventually walked away dejectedly.
After the driver left, Xia XiaoXiâs expression softened, though she couldn't help but feel puzzled by his recent behavior.
Was he trying to overstep his role and exert too much control over her?
While Xia XiaoXi was generally kind to her staff, that didnât mean she lacked a temper.
"Letâs go, HuMing!"
"Mm."
â¦
Meanwhile, back in the car, the driver quickly dialed a number.
Soon, a raspy voice answered from the other end.
"Uncle, Miss insists on going out on her own. What should I do?"
"This isnât the first time sheâs done this. Just let her be."
"But thereâs a guy with her. He looks capable, but I donât think heâs trustworthy."
"If Miss consents, itâs none of our concern. We, as servants, shouldnât meddle in their affairs."
"Butâ"
"Enough! I only arranged for you to work here because your mother said you needed a job. Iâve served the Xia family as their butler for many years, but even I know my place. Donât overstep your boundaries!" The butlerâs tone turned stern and reprimanding.
The driver deflated, realizing he owed his position to the butler and dared not protest further.
Still, he felt his actions were in Xia XiaoXiâs best interest. What was wrong with that?
Frustrated, he ended the call and slumped in his seat.
Then, Han ShuYi's face flashed in his mind.
Today, he had assumed Han ShuYi would back him up. But who could have guessed Han ShuYi would betray him?
If Han ShuYi had just held up HuMing, he might have had the chance to go upstairs!
"Typical of these low-tier families," he muttered angrily, slamming the steering wheel.
The sudden blare of the horn startled nearby pedestrians, some of whom cursed at the car, worsening the driverâs already foul mood.
â¦
Back at home, Han ShuYi ran into Han YunXi, who was about to head to her room.
Stopping her, he asked, "HuMingâs in your class, right? If you get the chance, tell him to stop meddling in other peopleâs business!"
Han ShuYi genuinely disliked HuMing.
Yet in school, HuMing seemed indispensableâoutshining him in every way. seaÊá´h thÑ nôᴠel Fire.nÑt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hearing this, Han YunXi frowned, "I heard about what happened today. I donât think HuMing did anything wrong. Honestly, if I had been there, I wouldâve scolded those people too."
Han YunXi had spent the day at an orphanage and only learned about the incident later from classmates.
She felt HuMing had done nothing wrong. Why should someoneâs dreams be ridiculed like that?
If it had been Xia XiaoXi, would they still have laughed?
In the end, they were merely avoiding facing their own cowardice.
"Do you realize the trouble this caused? That lunatic HuMing even argued with the teacher! If word gets out, the school will face significant repercussions!"
"And as student council president, youâre just going to sit back and do nothing? Sister QiuXue once said that the presidentâs duty isnât just to uphold the schoolâs reputation but also to protect the students! Yet in this regard, youâre no better than HuMing. What right do you have to criticize him?!"
Ever since HuMing had disappeared, Han YunXi found Han ShuYi increasingly unrecognizable.
Though he accomplished much at school, every action left others uneasy. He had even rewritten the rules that Ye QiuXue had painstakingly established, disrupting a once well-oiled system and creating numerous loopholes.
She doesnât like this version of Han ShuYi. At first, she had thought he was admirable, but now, he seemed increasingly selfish.
"Iâm no better than HuMing? Say that again!" Han ShuYi glared at Han YunXi, his fists clenched.
He could tolerate criticism from others, but for his own family to side against him was beyond infuriating!
Notes
Editor Note