"Who are you?" Yue Ning asked, her voice calm but her body tense.
The unfamiliar man smiled softly, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "You don’t need to know who I am. It is enough that your husband does. Besides..." His lips curved in amusent. "You’ll be seeing more of in the days to co."
’I don’t trust him at all.’ The system spat, its voice echoing in her mind.
"Agreed," Yue Ning thought grimly, her gaze fixed on the stranger. All the cells in her body scread for her to run.
The man chuckled at her guarded expression. "As expected of soone married to Huo Feng. Your vigilance is top-notch."
"Even if I weren’t married to him, I’d still be suspicious of an unfamiliar man lurking in the shadows." Her tone was icy, her rebuttal coming sharper than he’d expected.
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel. But before she could take more than two steps, his voice rang out.
"Song Kai!"
Her footsteps faltered. Slowly, Yue Ning turned back to him, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Song Kai," he repeated. This ti, his voice calm but laced with sothing darker. "That:s my na. Rember it well. You’ll be seeing much more of ." His playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but the glint in his eyes was filled with impending danger.
Yue Ning rolled her eyes, snorted softly, and walked away without replying to him with another word.
Behind her, the man laughed, a low, mocking sound that echoed in the quiet night. "Feisty," he murmured. "I like her."
Yue Ning did not hear him. Her mood soured, her expression hard as she re-entered the banquet hall.
Before she reached her family’s table, she noticed her father and elder brother had arrived. Quickly, she forced a smile onto her face, ignoring the curious glances from other guests.
"Dad, Elder Brother, you’re here," she greeted as she slipped into her seat.
"Where were you?" Lu Quan asked imdiately, his eyes scanning her face with poorly disguised worry.
"I felt a little bored, so I stepped outside for so fresh air," she replied smoothly.
Lu Quan studied her for a mont before nodding. He and her father were soon distracted by the endless stream of guests eager to curry favor with the Lu family.
But Huo Feng’s gaze did not leave her. He stared, unblinking, until Yue Ning frowned.
"Why do you keep staring at ?" she asked, discomfort creeping into her voice.
His deep voice was steady as he gave his reply. "The others might not see it, but I can. Your eyes give you away, Yue Ning. Sothing’s wrong. Tell what it is."
She exhaled sharply. There was no hiding anything from him—it was as though he could peel back the layers of her heart with a single glance. The intensity of his devotion unsettled her, yet it also tugged at sothing deep inside.
"Hmm?" he pressed, his tone firr.
Finally, she muttered, "It’s nothing. I just t soone outside. He was... unsettling." She was drawn back to the eting with the unfamiliar man.
Huo Feng’s brows knitted together, his jaw tightening. "Unsettling?" His voice carried a dangerous edge.
She nodded. "An unfamiliar man. He was sort of a creep, but nothing more. He also said you knew who he was."
His eyes darkened as he leaned slightly closer. "Did he tell you his na? Or did he only leave you annoyed?"
Yue Ning blinked. He had told her... but she had dismissed it, thinking he was unimportant. Now, no matter how hard she tried, the na refused to suffice in her mory.
She shook her head, feeling frustrated. "He did say his na, but I didn’t think he mattered. I didn’t commit it to mory."
Disappointnt flickered in Huo Feng’s eyes. He masked it quickly, but his hand curled into a loose fist on the table. "You’ll recall soon," he said simply, though his tone carried a chill that made Yue Ning lower her gaze.
The banquet continued. Yue Ning was grateful not to see Xu Yuelan again for the rest of the evening. That alone was a small rcy.
anwhile, many heads of families sought to approach Huo Feng, eager to build ties.
"Mr. Huo, if you ever require—" one rchant began, only for Huo Feng’s cold gaze to silence him mid-sentence.
"I have no need for your offers." His tone was frigid. "I already have everything I want." His arm shifted almost imperceptibly toward Yue Ning, the implication clear.
One after another, eager faces approached, and one after another, Huo Feng cut them down with polite but rciless rejection. His disinterest in wealth, influence, and alliances beca painfully clear—his focus remained fixed solely on pampering his wife.
The guests whispered among themselves feeling shocked. Tonight, they saw a different side of Huo Feng.
Not the ruthless, domineering man they feared, but one who bent effortlessly toward his wife’s presence. They didn’t realize that Huo Feng had this amount of affection for his wife.
Old Master Xu who was seated nearby, shook his head with regret. If only Huo Feng had chosen his granddaughter. What a powerful union that would have been. But it was too late—his heart was already given elsewhere.
Madam Xu, however, could barely sit still. She avoided Lu Jiang’s gaze entirely, her hands trembling as she toyed with her cup. Though the lady she served had assured her of protection, a gnawing fear lingered in her chest.
At last, the banquet drew to a close.
Huo Feng and Yue Ning rose to leave, bidding the Lu family farewell. Lu Ting clung to her daughter reluctantly.
Yue Ning promised to call once she was ho, and only then did Lu Ting release her with a despondent gaze.
"You wait in the car. I want to speak to my sister," Lu Jiang said, his tone light but his expression grave.
The two sons understood what their father was up to, and they led their mother.
"Lu Shi," Lu Jiang called, his voice calm but dangerous as she attempted to slip away. "A word with you."
Her body stiffened. Slowly, she turned, eting her upright brother’s gaze. A lump ford in her throat.
She inhaled deeply before answering, "Let’s talk in my lounge."
Her hands twisted in the folds of her dress as she led the way, her forced composure betraying the tremor in her steps.
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