Shi Tou nodded: "Xiao Xiao, actually I never thought about going to any of your homes. I just wanted to find a place to stay in the capital, and then when I'm a little older, I can travel all over the world by myself."
Huo Xiaoxiao frowned: "Your dream is grand, but it's completely unrealistic. Putting aside everything else, traveling all over the world requires not only money but also immense power. My grandfather is an eight-star magician, and even he wouldn't dare say he could go to every place in the world, let alone you."
Shi Tou was silent for a while. Yes, she had forgotten that this world was a world that revered force, not the world of her previous life where you could go anywhere as long as you had a credit card.
“I know your concerns, but you really don’t need to worry. I think Nana has been talking badly about me to you, right? Saying how willful and unreasonable I am? I know all of that, but I want you to know something. My grandfather often says that karma is a cycle and retribution is inevitable.”
Shi Tou shuddered and looked at Huo Xiaoxiao with a look of surprise.
"In the Crimson Forest, if it weren't for your story, I definitely wouldn't have swallowed the Blood Pearl Fruit. Perhaps my life would be completely different now. So, I owe you a favor, which can't be repaid with just a few gold coins."
Shi Tou pursed her lips. Huo Xiaoxiao's words, "cause and effect are cyclical and retribution is inevitable," had just triggered her memory. Could it be that Huo Xiaoxiao's grandfather was also a time traveler?
“I can assure you that if you come to my house, I will definitely not mistreat you. At least, I guarantee you will have everything I have. Also, if one day you want to leave, I will never stop you.” Huo Xiaoxiao looked at Shi Tou with a serious expression.
Shi Tou hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. On the one hand, she was curious whether Huo Xiaoxiao's grandfather was the time traveler, and on the other hand, she did need a powerful force to protect herself.
“Xiaoxiao, thank you for taking me in, but I have one request.” Having made up his mind, Shi Tou would not waver: “I hope you can give me an identity, not one that is too noble, the more ordinary the better, I don’t want the Beth family to find me.”
When she heard that Shi Tou had another request, Huo Xiaoxiao was taken aback at first, but after hearing what Shi Tou said, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Hehe, if Dad knew that I had kidnapped the only heir of the Beth family, he would definitely reward me handsomely! By the way, you don't mind being the second young lady of the Huo family, do you?"
"Huh?" Shi Tou subconsciously turned his head to look at Huo Yi, who was huddled in the corner of the carriage. Huo Yi also looked up in disbelief.
"You heard me right, it's the second young lady of the Huo family." A glint of light flashed in Huo Xiaoxiao's eyes. "Before setting off for the Crimson Forest, Grandpa and Dad had a good talk with me. They said that once we got to the Crimson Forest, my priority should be to successfully awaken my fire magic talent, and then Huo Yi. Moreover, they promised me one thing: if either Huo Yi or I successfully awakened our fire magic talent, they would grant me a request."
Shi Tou pondered for a moment and immediately understood Huo Xiaoxiao's meaning. If Huo Xiaoxiao succeeded, then this request would be a reward. If Huo Yi succeeded, then this request would be compensation.
"But, the second young lady of the Huo family?" Shi Tou felt the pressure was about to reach the sky. Yes, she wanted to find an identity to conceal the fact that she grew up in the Dwarf Kingdom, but she didn't want to impersonate someone else!
Huo Xiaoxiao glanced at Huo Yi, who lowered her head in shock: "The Huo family originally only had one eldest daughter. My mother came from the Shui family and was the eldest daughter of the direct line. If it weren't for the fact that my father was my grandfather's only son and my mother was devoted to him, my mother might already be the head of the Shui family."
“But…” Stone still didn’t want to live someone else’s life. He opened his mouth to object, but couldn’t think of a good reason for it.
"No buts. The Huo family originally only had one eldest daughter. If it weren't for my inability to successfully activate my fire magic talent... what second daughter? Humph, the Huo family doesn't have a second daughter at all!"
Huo Xiaoxiao bit her lip, her gaze towards Huo Yi filled with ruthlessness and resentment: "Don't worry, I'm confident I can persuade my father to change his mind. Anyway, the second young lady of the Huo family has already appeared in public, we can't just eliminate her again. Rather than letting her stand in my way, why don't we switch her with someone else!"
"I……"
Seeing that Shi Tou was clearly reluctant, Huo Xiaoxiao explained, "You want an identity, but you should know that in a family like ours, even collateral relatives are recorded. Anyone with the will can find out. Rather than lying, it's better to find a real identity. Anyway, even in the Huo family, only a few people have seen Huo Yi."
“Lin Yao and Lin Qi have both met Huo Yi.” Shi Tou didn’t think it was a good idea. Most importantly, she felt that if she really did it, she wouldn’t be able to get past her own conscience. She didn’t want to become a fake second young lady of the Huo family after the fake dwarf princess: “And Nana and the Klu siblings.”
"It's alright, you and Huo Yi are still young. In three to five years, no one will even recognize you." Huo Xiaoxiao calmly comforted Shi Tou while occasionally glancing at Huo Yi out of the corner of her eye.
"Miss, we've arrived in the capital. Where should we go first?" The coachman's voice rang out from outside. Huo Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, then leaned out and said, "Let's find a place to stop the carriage first. Also, please ask Miss Kuruvis to come over for me."
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It's past midnight, and I'll keep writing!
Chapter 125 Red Maple Garden and Purple Star Garden
The result of the consultation with Nana was that Nana strongly agreed that Shitou should become the second young lady of the Huo family, for the following reasons:
First, she utterly despises the self-important and selfish Beth family, and hopes that no one in their family will inherit their business.
Secondly, although the second young lady of the Huo family does not have a high status in the Huo family, as long as she gains the Huo family's recognition, entering the Imperial Capital Academy will definitely not be a problem.
Nana's opinion was clear. Besides, she knew that Huo Xiaoxiao utterly despised Huo Yi. If Huo Yi continued to linger under her nose, she might just kill him one day in a fit of anger. In any case, given Huo Xiaoxiao's personality, it wasn't impossible.
Therefore, Nana strongly advocated that Shi Tou agree to take over the identity of Miss Huo Er, especially since she still had a little bit of affection for Huo Yi and did not want to hear the news that Huo Yi had been played to death by Huo Xiaoxiao in the future.
After hesitating for a long time, Stone finally agreed. Nana then took her leave, telling Stone that she would make up an excuse to tell Cage and Annie, but she wouldn't tell them the truth.
Subsequently, the Huo family's carriage carried several people to the Huo family manor.
“Serena, look, this is my home.”
Stepping off the carriage, Shi Tou gazed at the vast estate before him, a storm raging within him. It wasn't that the Huo family estate was particularly beautiful; after all, Shi Tou had seen far too many magnificent buildings along the way. However, both the estates and villas were European in style, but this Huo family estate before him was…
"How about it? Scared yet?" Huo Xiaoxiao was in an exceptionally good mood upon arriving home, especially seeing the stunned expressions on Shi Tou and Linda's faces. She couldn't be happier. Of course, Mi Fen'er still had that gluttonous look on her face, but Huo Xiaoxiao didn't care at all. In Huo Xiaoxiao's eyes, elves were the kind of creatures that lacked taste, style, and were ugly; she could just ignore them.
"What's going on here..." Stone rubbed his eyes hard. Yes, it was still the same.
A Chinese-style manor~~~
The entrance to the Huo family manor was in the style of a grand ancient Chinese mansion that Stone had seen in his previous life. There were two enormous stone lions at the entrance, but the Huo family's lions were fiery red and appeared to be made of jade. The main gate was also a bright red double-leaf gate, with two guards standing on either side of it.
"Let's go in. These carriages aren't allowed through the main gate. We'll change carriages after we go inside," Huo Xiaoxiao said, pulling Shi Tou's hand and leading the way through the gate.
The two men dressed as guards at the door immediately clasped their right hands over their left chests when they saw Huo Xiaoxiao and her group, saying, "Greetings, Miss!"
The stone was startled by the sudden sound, which amused Huo Xiaoxiao for quite a while.
Stepping through the gates of the Huo family mansion, Shi Tou was even more astonished by what he saw. Before him lay a vast garden, flanked by long, winding corridors on either side, with a straight avenue running through the middle, lined with flowers on both sides.
He frowned slightly. Judging from the appearance, the Huo family manor did resemble a traditional Chinese courtyard house. However, Shi Tou didn't know much about architectural culture from his previous life, so he naturally didn't know which dynasty's architecture it was imitating.
"Come on, let's get in the carriage first!" Huo Xiaoxiao pointed to a very luxuriously decorated carriage and said to Shi Tou, "This is the outer courtyard, it's still quite a distance from where I live!"
Once inside the carriage, Shi Tou first surveyed its interior. Although the previous carriage had been quite luxurious and comfortable, seeing this one made him realize he had truly underestimated the Huo family's wealth.
Aside from the fact that the entire carriage was made of a type of mahogany similar to that of my previous life, the floors, seats, and coffee table inside were all exquisitely crafted. Even the cushions on the seats looked priceless.
"Is your Huo family nouveau riche?" Shi Tou looked him up and down and finally couldn't help but ask.
Huo Xiaoxiao was immediately at a loss for words: "You... I mean, even if that's what you're thinking, you don't have to say it so directly, do you?"
"Hehe..." Stone chuckled obsequiously and turned to look out the window: "I'm just telling the truth."
"Actually, let me tell you. Although the six major families in the East are all very rich, our Huo family is indeed the richest family." Huo Xiaoxiao moved her body next to Shi Tou with a smug look, and imitated her by leaning against the windowsill.
"I can tell." Stone said casually, looking at the scenery outside. "By the way, you're back. Don't you want to go see your dad and grandpa?"
“No need, they’re definitely not in the manor right now. They’ll come to see me when they come back tonight.” Huo Xiaoxiao pointed ahead and said, “Grandpa calls this gate the Second Gate. The real Huo family manor is just beyond the Second Gate.”
Second gate...
Even though Shi Tou knew nothing about ancient culture in her previous life, she had still heard the saying, "Never stepping out of the inner gate." She had already suspected that Huo Xiaoxiao's grandfather was a time traveler, and now she was even more suspicious that he had traveled from some dynasty.
“I live in the backyard. Grandpa said that all the young ladies live in the backyard.” Huo Xiaoxiao was unaware of what Shi Tou was thinking and continued, “By the way, you will live with me from now on. I will ask Grandpa to give you Zixinyuan.”
Zixinyuan...
Shi Tou gave a wry smile; the Huo family really had taken Chinese style to the extreme. With a sigh, Shi Tou feigned curiosity and asked, "Xiao Xiao, what's the name of the place you live in?"
“Red Maple Garden.” Huo Xiaoxiao answered decisively: “The Huo family’s backyard consists of individual courtyards. My Red Maple Garden is in the very center, the largest and with the best scenery. Purple Star Garden is right next to Red Maple Garden, and it’s the second best place after Red Maple Garden.”
Shi Tou glanced at Huo Yi discreetly: "Where did Huo Yi used to live?"
Huo Xiaoxiao was taken aback. She turned around and looked at the timid Huo Yi, a hint of impatience on her face: "Huo Yi... I don't know where she used to be. If it weren't for my father bringing her to me before we set off for the Crimson Forest last time, I wouldn't even know that such a person existed."
Yes, although everyone was spreading rumors that the Huo family had an illegitimate daughter, it was just hearsay; no one had actually seen the real Huo Yi. So, before this, although Huo Xiaoxiao had some doubts, she still believed that she was the only young lady of the Huo family.
It was precisely because of this that Huo Xiaoxiao hated Huo Yi from the bottom of her heart.
"Oh, I understand." Shi Tou certainly saw the impatience on Huo Xiaoxiao's face. Although she wasn't targeting her, she still felt a little uncomfortable. However, she immediately realized that Nana's idea was absolutely right. If she hadn't replaced Huo Yi this time, Huo Yi might have been killed by Huo Xiaoxiao one day.
The carriage traveled for another half hour before slowly coming to a stop. Shi Tou understood that regardless of which dynasty Huo Xiaoxiao's grandfather had traveled from, he was ultimately suited to this world. After all, in ancient China, entering and leaving a large mansion was no easy feat.
"This is my Red Maple Garden. Why don't you all go inside and rest for a bit? I'll go and tidy up the Purple Star Garden next door as soon as possible." Although Huo Xiaoxiao said she was going to tidy up the Purple Star Garden, she was really just giving the order before leading Shi Tou and the others into the Red Maple Garden.
The most striking feature of Red Maple Garden is the long row of maple trees in the middle of the courtyard. Although it's not autumn yet, the dozens of maple trees give the entire courtyard a vibrant and energetic feel.
"Xiaoxiao, you're quite amusing, planting trees instead of flowers." Looking at the maple trees, Shi Tou could almost imagine what a beautiful scene it would be in autumn: "It must be very beautiful in autumn."
Huo Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Actually, this place is nothing special. When autumn comes, I'll take you to the maple forest, which isn't far from here. That's where the real beauty is!"
Following Huo Xiaoxiao to the main house, Shi Tou became more and more convinced that Huo Xiaoxiao's grandfather was a time traveler, because the entire Huo family's decor presented a retro Chinese style.
“I’ve already had the servants tidy up the house, but since no one has lived in Zixin Garden for so long, it probably won’t be ready today.” Huo Xiaoxiao had the servants serve tea and snacks, and at the same time ordered them to bring the food up quickly. “Tonight, I think you should stay with me. My bedroom is very big, you can sleep with me. As for Linda and Mifen, they can sleep in the side room next door.”
Stone nodded, indicating that he had no objection.
"I think the news of my return should have reached Grandpa and Dad by now, and they'll probably be back by evening." Huo Xiaoxiao winked at the servant: "Take her away first, and prepare a servant's room for her to stay in." The "her" she was referring to was Huo Yi.
Huo Yi looked up at Huo Xiaoxiao uneasily, and stammered, "Sister, I..."
"Smash!" Huo Xiaoxiao suddenly turned furious and threw the teacup she was holding at Huo Yi. The teacup hit Huo Yi, splashing her with tea. Although it wasn't hot anymore, Huo Yi still shivered. "Who did you call 'sister'?! Drag her away and lock her up! Remember, gag her!"
Huo Yi was taken away by the servants. Although she struggled a lot, she was small and weak, and soon disappeared without a trace.
"Serena, don't worry, I won't kill her, at least not now!" Although Huo Xiaoxiao was very angry, she still explained when she saw the worry flash across Shi Tou's face: "To be honest, it's not a bad thing for her that you became the second young lady of the Huo family. At least I can't guarantee that if I see her all the time, I won't really kill her one day!"
Shi Tou looked around. Since Huo Yi was to be taken away, there were no servants in the room at the moment. "Xiao Xiao, she... is still your sister, even if she is your half-sister."
Huo Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile: "Sister? Half-sister? Serena, you don't understand. If she weren't my father's daughter, or if she were my cousin, my paternal cousin, or even if she had no blood relation to me whatsoever, I would treat her well. Except for half-sisters!"
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It's past midnight!
Um, I'm exhausted from making pan-fried buns. I have to go to work tomorrow. Time to go!
☆, Chapter 126: Which one would you choose?
In the evening, Huo Xiaoxiao's grandfather and father returned. Not long after, Huo Xiaoxiao invited Shitou to the main hall of Red Maple Garden to discuss some matters.
“Grandpa, Dad, this is the little girl I was talking about. Her name is Serena Beth.” As soon as Shi Tou entered the main hall, he heard Huo Xiaoxiao’s voice first, and then he saw two people sitting on the chairs to the side.
One was an elderly man with a full head of white hair, but he was full of energy.
The other was a middle-aged man with black hair and black eyes, who didn't look much like Huo Xiaoxiao.
"Hello, Grandpa Huo, hello, Uncle Huo." Shi Tou walked up to the two men and gave them a deep bow. Although she wasn't very familiar with ancient Chinese etiquette, bowing and making a gesture of respect were no problem for her.
The silver-haired old man first raised an eyebrow, then looked at the stone with a solemn expression: "Young lady, you are Serena Beth?"
Stone nodded, but she didn't know why the old man asked the question again. Huo Xiaoxiao had already explained it very clearly, but she still answered politely, "Yes, I am Serena Beth."
"Hehe..." The silver-haired old man chuckled, but the smile on his face was clearly perfunctory: "The people of the Beth family... are not like you."