Chapter 21: Identity  

Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated

"You look surprised." Huo Siqian smiled. Dressed in a white shirt and a pair of black pants, he looked graceful and sophisticated.

However, for some reason, Huo Mian inexplicably disliked this person. It was a feeling even stronger than what she felt towards Huo Yanyan and Huo Siyi.

As for how they were related, it was just a hot mess...

When Huo Mian's mother, Yang Meirong, was wrong, she was a barely-famous C-list actress who specialized in historical period dramas. Although she wasn't necessarily drop-dead gorgeous, she was pretty enough and, riding on the arrogance of youth, made some bad choices. At one point, she was one of the mistresses of Huo Zhenghai, the heir of the illustrious Huo Family. She thought that, once she bears him a child, she could replace his wife. What she hadn't counted on was that both she and her daughter would be kicked to the curb.

The Huo Family never acknowledged her illegitimate daughter, Huo Mian, either.

Huo Siqian was the current heir of the Huo Family. As an adopted child of Huo Zhenghai's wife, Mrs. Huo, who was also known as the tigress, he had her full support. Therefore, even though he wasn't Huo Zhenghai's biological child, he still enjoyed a high status within the family.

On the other hand, his siblings, Huo Yanyan and Huo Siyu, were the children of Huo Zhenghai's favorite mistress, Shen Jiani, and were doted upon by their father.

Back in the day, Shen Jiani had enjoyed momentary fame as a celebrity. She managed to rise above all the other mistresses by taking advantage of various means and her intellect.

Right now, the Huo Family only publically acknowledged these three successors. As for Huo Mian, no one knew about her aside from members of the Huo Family themselves.

Huo Siqian had checked on Huo Mian a few times on his own. He tried to give her money, but she never accepted it.

As far as she was concerned, aside from her last name, she had no further connection to the Huo Family.

She never thought of that man as her father either.

She would rather give more of her love to her stepdad, Uncle Jing.

"Why would I be surprised? It's quite normal for someone like Young Master Huo to be at a place like this." Huo Mian gave him a humorless smile. "Rather, shouldn't it surprise you more to see us common folk here?"

"Huo Mian, you seem to have something against me. Why is that? From what I remember, I've been fairly nice to you. Besides," glass in hand, Huo Siqian moved closer to Huo Mian and continued, "based on our positions within the family, you should really be calling me 'big brother'."

Zhu Lingling sat next to Huo Mian, listening quietly. It wasn't really her place to say anything.

"Young Master Huo must be joking. You are the heir of the great Huo family and I'm just some commoner. By what logic should we be addressing each other as siblings? As for me having something against you, well, you are right. Did you know? There are people in this world that you really just hate from the moment you lay eyes on them. Well, it just so happens that that's how I feel about you."

When Huo Mian finished, she turned away from Huo Siqian, not paying him any more attention. She touched her glass to Zhu Lingling's.

Unwilling to give up, he went on trying to make small talk with Huo Mian. "Dad hasn't been well lately. If you have time, you should go see him."

"Let me know when he leaves this world for good. On the account that he donated some swimmers to my creation twenty-four years ago, I'd be willing to light some incense sticks by his grave."

Huo Mian's comment left Huo Siqian speechless...

His face darkened and, unwilling to invite more abuse onto himself, he turned around and left.

After Huo Siqian walked away, Zhu Lingling cried out with her palm against her mouth, "My gosh! Girl, that was amazing! There's the Huo Mian I know! You showed no mercy, not even to your brother."

"What brother? I never acknowledged him." Feeling a bit glum, Huo Mian took another sip of her drink.