Huo Tingrui adjusted his glasses and said, “I’m just thinking about it for now.”

Huo Yao raised her brow and acknowledged him without making further comments.

Huo Yanxi watched their interaction and noticed that Huo Tingrui took her advice very seriously. He was both astonished and envious of them.

He was envious that they could speak so candidly.

Huo Yao failed to detect the look on Huo Yanxi’s face.

Instead, she lowered her head and replied to Meng Ying’s text message: [Not today. Maybe in a couple of days.]

Her fourth older brother was coming home at 4:00 pm today and she had promised to pick him up from the airport.

*

Meanwhile, in the garden of the Meng residence.

When Meng Ying received a reply from Huo Yao, she quickly agreed to meet in a couple of days. She raised her head and looked at her cousin sitting across from her. “When are you leaving?”

Meng Jue continued typing in the code on the computer without so much as looking up. He replied mildly. “In a couple of days.”

“I see,” said Meng Ying. She lay prone on the table and continued. “I didn’t realize you were leaving so soon. I wanted to introduce you to my friend.”

Meng Jue’s hands finally halted the moment he heard what Meng Ying said. He looked at her profoundly. “Is this the reason you kept failing in your first term in university?”

Meng Ying paused briefly and did not quite catch his drift. Moments later, she suddenly blushed in embarrassment.

Meng Jue was as mean as ever. No wonder no one wanted to date him!

Meng Jue shook his head. He was wearing an orange jacket which brought out his fair complexion. He veered his eyes and continued writing the program on the computer.

Meng Ying scratched her head and said, “My friend is nice and pretty. Also, she’s so smart that she was the top scholar during the college entrance exam and was offered a guaranteed placement at Tsing University. To be honest, I think it’s kind of embarrassing to introduce you to her.”

Meng Jue went speechless.

“The moment you stand beside her, anyone with eyes can tell you aren’t good enough for her,” continued Meng Ying with her lips pursed.

Her cousin undoubtedly had the brains. His only flaw was his showy personality.

Meng Jue was in the IT business. Meng Ying did not understand why her cousin did not look like the typical IT nerd.

Meng Jue could sense his temples throb infuriatingly. He regretted giving her a red packet for the Chinese New Year last night.

He did not want to continue listening to her annoying voice, so he shut his laptop, stood up, and walked out of the room.

Meng Ying leaned against her chin. She shouted with Meng Jue’s back facing her. “I’m meeting my friend in a couple of days. Will you come along?”

“I’m not going,” answered Meng Jue coolly.

“If you don’t go, it’s as good as losing a hundred million,” said Meng Ying as she sneered dramatically.

Meng Jue cleared his throat. Did she want to talk about money?

If he wasted half a day going out with his cousin, the damage was probably over a hundred million.

Meng Jue could not be bothered talking to his cousin and quickly disappeared out through the door.

**

Huo Yao drove over to the airport to pick up Huo Xiang in the afternoon.

Since it was the first day of the holidays, most of the people were home and the airport was fairly empty. After getting off the flight, Huo Xiang put on his mask without disguising himself further, but no one recognized him.

Before they got to the arrival gate, he raised his head and saw Huo Yao standing there. Tong Yu was walking beside him, so Huo Xiang said a few words to Tong Yu before quickly walking toward his little sister. “Did you wait for long?”

Huo Yao had only gotten to see the little princess on television for nearly half a year. For some reason, his skin was slightly darker than before, so he looked a little more mature and stronger.

“Hey,” greeted Huo Yao.