Staring at the tightly shut door behind her, Su Ningxi kicked it in frustration.
"Ouch..."
The pain made her eyes water. While the door was fine, she had almost crippled her own foot with that kick.
Hopping on one foot, she hurriedly limped away before Huo Yuchen could come after her and settle scores.
With the help of Auntie Wang, she finally settled into the room at the end of the hallway, as far from the master bedroom as possible.
The next day, Su Ningxi didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky. As she reached the top of the stairs, she could hear a commotion downstairs.
Just then, a maid in her fifties led a group of people upstairs. The ones following her were all carrying clothes. "Slow down, slow down, this way."
"Auntie Liu, I don't see the young mistress anywhere?" a young girl behind asked.
Auntie Liu shot her a glare. "That's not for you to ask about. Mind your own business and don't ask what you shouldn't."
As Su Ningxi walked forward a few steps,
"Excuse me..."
"Why are you all asking so many questions?"
Su Ningxi was about to ask what was going on but Auntie Liu cut her off before she could finish.
Seeing Su Ningxi empty-handed and apparently still upstairs, Auntie Liu's face sank. She yelled at Su Ningxi, "What's your name? Can't you see everyone's busy? How dare you slack off upstairs? Get downstairs and help carry the clothes!"
Su Ningxi looked down at her own outfit. It seemed Auntie Liu had mistaken her for a maid here!
Just then, Auntie Wang came over. "Young mistress, you're awake!"
Su Ningxi nodded and pointed at the group carrying clothes. "What's this?"
"Master has prepared these clothes for the young mistress. Not knowing what styles you prefer, he had the latest pieces from all the top brands in the capital brought over."
Clothes prepared by that man for her? And so many? She must have misheard! No free lunch in this world.
Auntie Wang pointed to Auntie Liu and said to Su Ningxi, "This is Auntie Liu. She's mainly in charge of washing, ironing and organizing the clothes."
Su Ningxi greeted Auntie Liu, "Hello, Auntie Liu."
Coming to her senses, Auntie Liu was utterly embarrassed. Head lowered, she stammered, "Young...young mistress."
Auntie Wang looked to Su Ningxi, "Young mistress must be hungry now! I've prepared food for you."
Su Ningxi nodded. Now that she mentioned it, she was rather hungry. "Let's go!"
Watching Su Ningxi's departing back, Auntie Liu felt awful about her blunders earlier. What had she been thinking, mistaking the young mistress for a maid? If the young mistress was petty, she'd be out of a job here.
The others carrying clothes whispered among themselves. Auntie Liu scolded, "Do you want to lose your tongues? The young mistress is not for you to gossip about!"
Downstairs, Su Ningxi sat at the table looking at the sumptuous spread, involuntarily swallowing. This was too much!
Only then did she remember Huo Yuchen. She looked around. "It's just me eating?"
Auntie Wang put down the last dish. "Yes, Master left early for the office."
Hearing that from Auntie Wang, Su Ningxi felt completely relaxed. With him at the office, she could avoid unnecessary awkwardness.
Picking up her chopsticks, she started tucking in heartily. "Auntie Wang, your cooking is amazing!"
Auntie Wang smiled and explained, "I didn't make this. Master has hired an internationally certified gourmet chef."
Su Ningxi silently marveled to herself. This Huo Yuchen really knew how to live in luxury.
Before she finished eating, Shen Zhilan called. "Su Ningxi, where did you go? Your things are all moved out."
"Didn't I tell you? I got married so of course my stuff is moved out!" Su Ningxi answered unhurriedly.
Looking at the now empty hotel room Su Ningxi had stayed in, Shen Zhilan asked doubtfully, "You can't be serious?"
"Young mistress, the old madam is here." Before Shen Zhilan could finish, Auntie Wang's voice came through.
"Ahem... ahem..." Su Ningxi had been eating with great relish. Auntie Wang's words made her choke.
"Young mistress, are you alright?" Auntie Wang passed her a glass of water, voice full of concern.
After a sip of water, Su Ningxi waved her hand. "Fine... ahem... I'm fine. Who did you say is here?"
Auntie Wang said, "The old madam is here. She's in the living room and wants to see the young mistress."
Old madam?
Huo Yuchen's grandmother?
What was she here for?
On the phone, Shen Zhilan's voice suddenly rose a couple decibels, full of disbelief. "Young mistress? Is she talking to you? Su Ningxi, you really got married?"
Auntie Wang's voice wasn't soft. Shen Zhilan could naturally hear everything clearly on the other end.
"Something came up here. Let me hang up first and talk later." With the old madam here, how could she bother explaining to Shen Zhilan? She ended the call and went out immediately.
In the living room, Madam Huo sat chatting and laughing with a young, beautiful girl on the sofa. As Su Ningxi came out, both their eyes shifted to look at her in unison.
She saw different emotions in their eyes. The old madam's gaze was undisguised contempt, while the look the girl gave her contained a sense of superiority and jealousy.
Su Ningxi calmly pushed her glasses up and greeted in a neither servile nor overbearing tone, "Madam."
She didn't address her as Grandma like Huo Yuchen, because she sensed the old lady's distaste for her. Calling her directly might invite ridicule.
Madam Huo looked Su Ningxi up and down. Today she wore an old casual windbreaker with jeans, looking neither one thing nor the other. Her hair tied back made her seem especially old. Her dark skin was speckled with moles, and she had unfashionable black-framed glasses.
The more Madam Huo looked, the more displeased she felt. Truly tacky and ugly. She had heard overseas that this woman had poor education and mediocre looks, and felt at the time she was unworthy of her grandson. That was why she had rushed back overnight to meet her.
Seeing her in person, an intense urge to drive her out of the Huo family welled up. What status did the Huos have? Which daughter-in-law of the Huo men wasn't talented and well-connected? Never had there been such an embarrassment who couldn't appear in public.
"You're Su Ningxi?" An unpleasant voice rang out in the living room, intent on suppressing her first thing.
"Yes." Su Ningxi answered calmly.
Without another word, Madam Huo took out a check from her bag and flung it in front of Su Ningxi, adopting a condescending manner. "If you know what's good for you, take this check and leave the Huo family. It's not so easy to get through the door."
Su Ningxi wasn't too surprised. This was within her expectations. She picked up the check and looked at it.
Hmm, the rich really were generous. A one-time payout of 10 million. If not for fearing that fearsome Huo Yuchen would send her to the police station again, she was actually a little tempted, since she was quite poor at the moment.
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