Huo Jiayuan has been behaving very well these days.

She goes out to buy groceries every day, and although she's not very good at it, she does her best within her capabilities. She also helps Grandma Cai clean the house, do chores, and take care of Xiao Rong every day.

Despite Xiao Rong's constant expression of flattery, telling her not to do these rough jobs.

But she was still smiling, seemingly enjoying herself.

She helped Xiao Rong downstairs on time to sunbathe in the yard. Despite never being very good at taking care of others, she actually knew to bring him a water bottle and a sun hat. She was worried he might be thirsty or too hot, and that his sweat might seep into his wounds and hinder healing.

She would also tell Xiao Rong jokes.

The two sat on a rock in the courtyard. Her jokes were even lazier than the large rock beneath her. However, Xiao Rong listened with great interest, and she told them with great enthusiasm.

Sometimes Xiao Rong would just quietly watch her like that.

Her face was exquisite, inheriting all the best features of her parents, with a hint of wildness between her brows that was not typical of girls, making her seem like a carbon copy of her grandfather.

And Huo Jiayuan, who is so wonderful, can only be trapped by his side at this moment...

This noble young lady could only carefully take care of him and serve him like a servant...

Xiao Rong felt all the blood rushing to his head, and a triumphant smile appeared on his lips.

But that's far from enough.

He wanted to ruin her; he wanted the filthiest people to ruin her. He wanted to drag her into a world as filthy as his, to cover the swan's wings in mud so she could never fly again.

Only on that day will she never leave him, and only then will he truly possess her...

Huo Jiayuan clearly saw the coldness and evil in his eyes.

Her heart tightened. In fact, she had been slowly accepting the reality these past few days—Xiao Rong, who had once cherished her and protected her with all his might, was no longer there.

The person before me has shed all pretense; he is a wolf in sheep's clothing, a devil in the guise of a priest.

It is a ticking time bomb lurking in the Huo family.

The bomb is about to explode, and if she hasn't seen through its true nature, she will be the one blown to pieces.

...

After sending Xiao Rong back, she went to the market with Granny Cai as usual.

After the last incident, although Xiao Rong found Granny Cai again, she became taciturn. Huo Jiayuan felt sorry for the old woman and would sometimes tell her jokes.

However, Granny Cai just watched her quietly, her eyes filled with a smile, yet also with a touch of sadness.

Huo Jiayuan couldn't understand why he was being looked at like that.

Granny Cai only asked her, "Miss, do you believe in fate?"

Huo Jiayuan was stunned for a moment, unsure how to answer.

"Everything is predestined, and nothing is up to us," Granny Cai said softly. "I see this is the case between you and Mr. Xiao. He is a tribulation in your life. If you overcome it, you will be reborn; if you don't..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt, and by then Huo Jiayuan's face had turned pale.

...

"Miss, let's go." Granny Cai took her hand, pulling her back from her wandering thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

"fine……"

"How about we go to that vegetable market in the south again today? The vegetables there are fresh and cheap, and we can buy a chicken to make you some soup."

Huo Jiayuan mechanically followed behind her, wondering what kind of person she really was.

“Miss,” Granny Cai suddenly placed her hand on her shoulder, “shall we split up?”

"ah?"

"Go over there and buy the groceries," Grandma Cai chuckled. "I'll buy the chickens here. You don't know how to choose these, so I'll take care of it!"

Huo Jiayuan agreed and went to the grocery store as instructed. Grandma Cai would always make a list before coming to the market, and she only needed to buy the items on the list.

The vegetables were all things Xiao Rong liked to eat, and the fruits were also bought according to Xiao Rong's taste.

In this family, her and Xiao Rong's positions seemed to be reversed.

Xiao Rong is becoming more and more like the master, while she is only playing the role of an obedient little maid.

Huo Jiayuan bit her lip. During this time, Xiao Rong seemed to be less tense all the time. For example, today, when she went out, he didn't even let those two bodyguards follow her.

She also understood that the reason he had people follow her before was not for her safety, but simply for surveillance.

Huo Jiayuan took a deep breath, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart. She was getting closer and closer to a certain truth, but the cruelty of this truth might be too much for her to bear.

She shook her head, dismissing these chaotic thoughts, and began to sort through the vegetables in the basket. The vegetable seller was an elderly woman with a kind face and a warm smile, who spoke to her in the local dialect of Biandu.

Huo Jiayuan smiled politely. She couldn't understand the dialect, and at most only knew a few words.

"Little girl, you have to pick the big ones!" Grandma picked up a green pepper and put it in her bag, then told her in broken Mandarin, "These peppers are delicious and nutritious when stir-fried! They'll give you vitamins and make your face white and clean!"

"Okay, Grandma, I don't need that much!"

"Yes, yes!" Grandma looked at her. "Look how hard it is for an old woman like me to do business. Please be kind and buy a few more!"

"But……"

Huo Jiayuan was a little angry. Who forces someone to buy or sell? Just because she's an old lady doesn't mean she has an obligation to give way to her!

"I really don't want so much!" She snatched the bag from the old lady's hand, but in the struggle, she suddenly felt something being stuffed into her palm.

Huo Jiayuan felt as if she had been electrocuted; her whole body stiffened, and she was unable to move, staring blankly at the old lady.

The old lady looked at her and smiled slightly at her.

Those few seconds of eye contact felt like centuries.

Then the old lady shouted, "Oh dear, if you don't want it, you don't want it! You've been picking and choosing for so long and you only picked two green peppers. How am I supposed to keep my business going..."

Grandma Cai rushed over to defuse the situation, quickly retorting with a few words. She carried the groceries out, but Huo Jiayuan followed behind her blankly, as if he had lost his soul.

"Miss?"

Grandma Cai looked at her worriedly, "What's wrong? Were you scared by that old woman? Oh, she's notorious in this market for taking advantage of her age. Everyone who comes here gets ripped off by her. She wasn't nice to you, so don't take it to heart!"

Huo Jiayuan snapped out of her daze, nodded, and lied that she wanted to eat cake, asking Grandma Cai to buy it elsewhere.

She hid under a big tree outside the market.

With no one around, she quickly opened the item in her hand. Strangely, the note only had a drawing of a bus with a large X on it...

Huo Jiayuan's heart trembled violently!

Was the person who told her the news Meng Yan?

But if it were Meng Yan, he would contact her by phone instead of this roundabout method!

Who exactly is this person who has been secretly passing messages to her...?