Chu Xinyu panicked, "What are you doing... What is this all about..."

Wasn’t it agreed that this was already settled?

Why is this Mr. Huo so unpredictable!

Jiayi also got a fright, on his lap, "Didn’t you say you’d let them go..."

Huo Zhenyang’s eyes were calm as he raised two slender fingers, pressing them to the girl’s lips, hushing her with a sound.

Jiayi watched with wide eyes as George walked up to Chu Xinyu, grabbed her long hair, and yanked it upwards!

"Ah— Ah! Brother Yixiao, save me—"

A surge of fear flooded Chu Xinyu’s mind as she struggled desperately.

Having already experienced this man’s ruthless methods, now she would believe it even if he used that Swiss Army Knife to cut her own throat!

Nie Yixiao’s face changed color, cold sweat streaming down the back of his neck.

Just then, the sharp tip of the knife in George’s hand flashed with silver light, slicing through Chu Xinyu’s long hair!

A section of hair that had been cut off fell from mid-air, landing on the ground.

George picked it up, took out a handkerchief, and wrapped it up.

Meanwhile, Chu Xinyu collapsed on the ground, gasping from fright.

The feeling—was as if she had just returned from the gates of hell.

Nie Yixiao quickly picked up his girlfriend from the ground, "Are you alright, Xinyu?"

Chu Xinyu grabbed her hair, knowing without looking that it was uneven and missing a piece, but beauty was the least of her concerns as she threw herself into Nie Yixiao’s arms, crying out of fear:

"Brother Yixiao, I was so scared..."

Nie Yixiao steadied his mind and looked forward, "Xinyu accidentally injured Mr. Huo’s people, and we’ve already made amends. I don’t know why you still need to humiliate and scare Xinyu like this."

Seeing Nie Yixiao speaking up for her, Chu Xinyu hugged his waist tightly, crying even more grievously.

Nie Yixiao frowned and soothed her in a comforting tone, "It’s okay, Xinyu, I’m here."

Jiayi watched the two of them embrace, especially Nie Yixiao’s protective hold of Chu Xinyu, which caused her heart to twitch as if pricked by a needle.

Seeing Nie Yixiao patting Chu Xinyu’s slender back, ceaselessly comforting and soothing her...

Jiayi’s heart felt as if it had been nicked by a small knife, as if she’d lost something very precious.

Why...

Her sister flaunting her relationship with her boyfriend, what did it have to do with her.

Huo Zhenyang seemed to notice the distraction of the little one on his lap, lifted her face, and was somewhat startled to see that her eyes were actually red.

"What’s wrong," he asked, serious.

Jiayi pulled her thoughts back, suppressing the inexplicable discomfort, shook her head to indicate nothing was wrong, and changed the subject, "Why did you cut her hair?"

Nie Yixiao, holding his shocked and still unsettled girlfriend, also looked toward Huo Zhenyang.

"You believe her just because she says she’s your family? I only believe in scientific data," the man waved at George.

George handed the handkerchief wrapped around the hair to a bodyguard, instructing:

"Take this to the hospital and compare it with Jiayi’s DNA."

The bodyguard didn’t say a word and hastily left.

Only then did Jiayi understand his intentions, even before she could speak, he had already put her down.

He held her delicate hand and walked toward the stairs.

Everyone made way for them.

After a few steps, Jiayi couldn’t help but pause in her steps, turned her head back, and looked at Nie Yixiao and Chu Xinyu:

"...And what about those two..."

He rubbed her little head and smirked, "Before the DNA results come out, they won’t die."

Jiayi inhaled sharply, understanding his meaning, everything would wait until the test results came out.

"But the DNA results will take several days to come out. Will they just stay here?" she asked.

"You think I would starve them? There are people watching over them." The man’s laughter sent shivers down both Chu Xinyu’s and Nie Yixiao’s spines.

Chu Xinyu, pampered and spoiled, had never suffered like this. She burst out of Nie Yixiao’s embrace, finally unable to restrain her anger, "Mr. Huo, you can’t treat us this way! I am the daughter of the Duke of Chu in S Country—"

Even if they had to wait for the DNA results, they should at least be given a seven-star hotel to stay in comfortably, with high beds and soft pillows.

How could they just be placed here, like in solitary confinement?

Moreover, she had just been beaten up and was hurt.

Before she could finish speaking, Huo Zhenyang raised his hand impatiently.

An attendant stepped forward, pried open Chu Xinyu’s mouth, and stuffed a wad of rolled-up paper into it.

Immediately, Chu Xinyu could no longer scream and recoiled in fear behind her boyfriend.

Nie Yixiao took a deep breath, held his trembling girlfriend’s shoulders, and stared at Jiayi firmly, "Jiayi, Xinyu is your sister. She has been cherished and protected since she was a child, a pampered young miss. How can she suffer here? Can you really bear it?"

Nie Yixiao’s defense and concern for Chu Xinyu inexplicably made Jiayi feel uncomfortable again, and her small hand trembled in Huo Zhenyang’s palm.

Finally, she calmed herself down and looked around at the surroundings. Even if they wouldn’t starve, staying here under these conditions for a few days would be quite tough, "She’s hurt... I’m afraid that it might..."

Before she could finish, Huo Zhenyang wrapped his long arm around her waist and swept her into his embrace, looking over coldly,

"The Chu Family of S Country, Duke? Ha, a hundred-year lineage, indeed very impressive."

He paused, then continued,

"However, that’s only within the bounds of S Country."

Nie Yixiao and Chu Xinyu both took a sharp breath and said no more.

The two watched as the tall and imposing man, like a towering pine tree, hugged the delicate little figure by his side and walked away with his bodyguards following behind.

——*——

Huo Garden.

The night was especially deep tonight.

The entire Huo Family seemed to be aware of the incident, and it was unusually quiet.

The servants had gone back to their rooms early.

Huo Tianpei also had heard about the matter from the butler. His health had just improved, and since Huo Zhenyang had sent word not to worry too much, he didn’t ask any further.

But—

What the old master hadn’t expected at all was that Jiayi might actually be the daughter of a Duke from S Country.

The first time he saw Jiayi, Huo Tianpei, with the acuteness of an elder, sensed that this girl might not be an ordinary household’s daughter.

But he never imagined she could be the daughter of a noble family in S Country.

If that were true...

The butler looked at Huo Tianpei deep in thought, "Master, it’s late. You’ve only just recovered a bit. Please rest. The young master said he would handle it."

Huo Tianpei, however, was nowhere near ready to sleep. He felt a vague unease, as if something was coming back to haunt him.

After a long while, the night grew even deeper.

The majority of lights in Huo Garden were extinguished, and only then did the old master go to bed to rest.

On the other side of Huo Garden.

In the guest bedroom, Jiayi sat under the desk lamp, also unable to sleep.

Tonight, it seemed destined to be a sleepless night.

Why had it come to this—

Her head ached terribly, and yet she couldn’t seem to remember anything.

Towards Chu Xinyu, she felt no sisterly affection, only fear. Could Chu Xinyu be the one who pushed her down the hill?

And as for Nie Yixiao, her feelings were even more complicated, seemingly affectionate and close, yet at the same time uncomfortable, even... nauseous.