Bai Mu rushed forward with a woeful expression, pleading, “Miss Fengli, Fourth Miss, this was an unintentional mistake on my part. I beg for your magnanimous forgiveness. It has nothing to do with my young master Rui.”
Luo Chaoyan didn’t believe for a second that this servant boy would dare scheme against her. She shot Huo Rui a contemptuous glare. “Huo Rui, a real man owns up to his actions. What kind of coward hides behind others?”
Huo Rui stepped forward, pushing aside the still-protesting Bai Mu, wearing an expression that challenged, “What if I did kick it? What can you do about it?”
Seeing his admission, Luo Chaoyan nodded with a pleased smile. “Excellent!”
This was exactly what she wanted—she had worried he might shamelessly deny it. She picked up the pine nuts from the ground and signaled Fengli with a glance.
Understanding immediately, Fengli took the pine nuts.
Witnessing this, Bai Mu’s heart sank. These two had been at odds since they first met—was she planning retaliation? He quickly positioned himself in front of Huo Rui. “Fourth Miss, the young master didn’t mean it. Please be gracious and let it go.”
“And what if I insist on holding him accountable?” Luo Chaoyan retorted.
Huo Rui snorted disdainfully. “Bai Mu, step aside. I don’t believe she’d dare to—”
Before he could finish, a pine nut came flying toward his shin.
“Ouch!”
Rubbing the sore spot, he grimaced in pain and stared at Luo Chaoyan in disbelief. “You wretched woman! You ambushed me!”
“Wrong!” Luo Chaoyan declared solemnly. “I hit you openly and honorably.”
“You—!” Huo Rui was so furious he could barely catch his breath.
Bai Mu supported him anxiously. “Young master, are you alright? Fourth Miss, how could you harm our young master?”
Luo Chaoyan blinked innocently. “I’m merely teaching him how to behave. After all, I am to be his future mother. Since he admitted his fault, shouldn’t he face consequences?” Besides, she had clearly instructed Fengli to hold back—otherwise, with his delicate limbs, he might have been seriously injured.
“You wretched woman! Weren’t you the one who scorned the idea of being my stepmother? Why the sudden acceptance?”
“Indeed, when a deceitful, shameless brat goes back on his word and stubbornly insists on having me as his stepmother, what can I do but oblige? What can I say—I’m just too kind-hearted and beautiful for my own good.” Luo Chaoyan sighed with feigned resignation.
“How dare you insult me! I’ll fight you—!”
Ignoring the lingering pain in his leg, Huo Rui raised his small fists to strike Luo Chaoyan.
Fengli swiftly moved to shield her, intending to grab the charging boy, but he nimbly dodged, circled around, snatched the grilled skewers from the charcoal stove, and began devouring them ravenously under everyone’s stunned gazes.
“This—” Yun Mo, who had been tending the stove, stared blankly at the scene.
After polishing off the last skewer of grilled mushrooms, Huo Rui patted his hands contentedly, completely ignoring the furious glares from Luo Chaoyan and the others. He smirked triumphantly. “Not bad, wretched woman. Your vegetarian grilling is quite good. I suggest you make more next time.”
Next time? Go eat dirt!
“A pampered young master of the prestigious Huo Manor, reduced to shamelessly snatching food like a beggar. Aren’t you afraid of disgracing your family name?” Luo Chaoyan mocked.
Huo Rui dug his ear shamelessly and said, “I didn’t pick up someone else’s food. I ate the grilled skewers made by my future stepmother.”
“Also, woman, don’t falsely accuse me. When I made that bet with you, I agreed to let you go, but I never said I’d help stop my father from marrying you.”
Seeing him shaking his head and gloating with glee, Luo Chaoyan felt a headache coming on. She took a deep breath, telling herself not to get angry—it wasn’t worth ruining her health over.
She said to Fengli and Yun Mo, “Let’s go.” Her enthusiasm for the picnic had completely vanished. If she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to personally give him a good beating.
Fengli and the others nodded, packed up their things, and followed.
Huo Rui surprisingly broke into a smile and said to Bai Mu, “Let’s head back too.” With that annoying woman gone, he found it rather dull now.
The two of them followed Luo Chaoyan and her group at a distance, neither too close nor too far.
Just as they were about to reach the halfway point of the mountain, five burly, masked men blocked their path.
Fengli alertly positioned Luo Chaoyan and Yun Mo behind her, while Bai Mu fearfully shielded Huo Rui.
The masked leader pointed at Huo Rui and shouted, “I only want that brat. The rest of you, if you don’t want trouble, better leave now.”
Luo Chaoyan and her two companions exchanged glances, then unanimously stepped aside in unison, acting as if they had nothing to do with Huo Rui and his group.
“Who are you? What do you want with our young master?” Bai Mu puffed out his chest, trying not to show fear in front of them.
“Who we are doesn’t matter. What matters is that he offended the wrong people,” the man replied.
Huo Rui didn’t seem the least bit afraid. “Let me guess who sent you! Was it the Li family, whom I messed with? Or the Ye family…”
Listening to him leisurely listing all the people he had offended in the past, everyone present was astounded. Just how much trouble had this kid caused?
Luo Chaoyan guessed that he was trying to buy time. She leaned close to Fengli and whispered, “Fengli, can you handle these few men?”
Fengli’s lips twitched as she honestly shattered her illusions: “Miss, dealing with a few scrawny ones would be no problem, but these men are burly and clearly trained in martial arts. I’m afraid I can only manage two at most.”
Luo Chaoyan nodded. Though Fengli was naturally strong, she had only learned a smattering of martial arts and stood little chance against true professionals. After a moment of thought, Luo Chaoyan put on a bright smile and said to the five men, “Honorable sirs, we’re just passersby, hehe… We’ll be on our way now, right away.”
With that, she grabbed the timid Yun Mo and started walking, signaling for Fengli to follow.
But they had only taken a few steps when the little demon rushed up to her like a clingy dog, wrapped his arms around her leg, and put on a heartbroken act: “Mother! Are you really going to heartlessly abandon your son and leave me alone to face these villains? Wuwu… Mother, I’ll be good and listen to you from now on. Please don’t leave me.”
Luo Chaoyan staggered, nearly coughing up blood in frustration. This little devil truly had no conscience—he was clearly trying to drag her down with him. The way he kept calling her “mother” would make anyone think they were biological mother and son. Resentment burned in her heart; she had been planning to rush down the mountain to fetch help from the Huo Family. Clearly, she should never have entertained any kindness toward him.
The bandits hesitated upon hearing Huo Rui’s words, uncertain whether to take the “mother” he mentioned along with them.
The bandit leader scrutinized her up and down, then turned to his accomplice with a puzzled expression. “Is this the Luo Family girl rumored to be marrying into the Huo Manor?”
One bandit hesitated. “They say the Luo girl is as beautiful as a celestial being. But she looks, at best, plain. Probably not her.”
“Maybe the rumors are exaggerated,” another bandit chimed in. “Boss, this brat ruined the girl’s chance to marry into the Huo Family, and she must resent any woman who can wed into the Huo Family. Should we take her too?”
The bandit leader pondered and nodded. “Let’s take them both.”
With that, the bandits closed in, encircling their prey.
Bai Mu shielded Huo Rui, pressing close to Luo Chaoyan and the others.
Was she an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire? Luo Chaoyan felt this was utterly unjust. She shot a venomous glare at the instigator—their fates were truly incompatible.
“Let go of me!” she snapped, struggling to peel off the “sticky plaster” clinging to her leg while making a desperate plea to the bandits. “Gentlemen, don’t believe this little devil! I’m not the Luo Manor girl. He’s young and petty—I just offended him, so he’s trying to frame me.”
Seeing their skepticism, she pressed on, “Look at my shabby clothes and plain face. How could I be the famously beautiful Luo girl?”
“Mother,” Huo Rui whimpered, tearing up. “You’re always too lazy to dress up, wearing whatever’s comfortable. Now you realize you look shabby?” He saw through her lies and exposed her without mercy. Hmph, if he was suffering, she wouldn’t get off easy either.
Luo Chaoyan felt her chest tighten, rage boiling over. She pinched his ear and hissed, “You just can’t stand to see me well, can you?”
“You’re the one who lacks loyalty, thinking only of saving yourself,” Huo Rui retorted righteously.
Loyalty? What loyalty should she owe him? Not kicking him while he was down was mercy enough! Luo Chaoyan took a deep breath, suppressing her fury. At this point, she had to gamble. “If you don’t want to be caught, cooperate with me later.”
Huo Rui studied her face warily, weighing her trustworthiness. “You won’t trick me?”
“Of course not!” I’ll just hit you, she added silently.
“Fine!”
Luo Chaoyan whispered instructions to Fengli and the others, “When I say ‘close your eyes,’ do it. When I say ‘run,’ scatter in different directions. Anyone who escapes, go back to the temple for help.”
They nodded faintly.
Just then, the bandits began to stir again, closing in once more.
Luo Chaoyan looked at the men pleadingly and said, “Brothers, you really shouldn’t listen to this troublemaker. If you don’t believe me, I can prove it to you.”
As she spoke, she raised her hand and struck Huo Rui’s bottom.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
“Ouch!”
Huo Rui was both furious and humiliated. No one had ever spanked him in his life, and this woman was clearly taking the opportunity to get back at him.
Just as he was about to resist, he heard her say, “Brothers, if I were really Miss Luo, how would I dare hit him like this? He’s the Huo Family’s precious grandson, and this troublemaker is so petty. If I really married into Huo Manor, he’d definitely find a way to retaliate against me later.”
As if to prove her point, she struck him a few more times.
The bandits glanced at Huo Rui and saw that his face was flushed red from the pain, but he remained silent. They began to hesitate.
Seeing this, Luo Chaoyan knew her chance had come. She pulled a jar of pepper powder from her sleeve, poured some into her hand, and shouted, “Close your eyes!”
After shouting, she flung the pepper powder at the bandits.
“Ouch, my eyes!”
The bandits hadn’t expected her to pull such a trick. Before they could react, two of them were hit and instantly began howling in pain.
There was no better time to run than now. “Run!”
Luo Chaoyan and the others scattered and fled in different directions.
Seeing this, the bandit leader gritted his teeth and snarled, “After them!”