Chapter 83: Greedy Relatives

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Greedy Relatives

Xi Yunxui was just about to take her third bite of chocolate when the sound of voices drifted up from downstairs.

At first, she paid little attention. The Huo mansion was large, and servants were constantly moving through the lower floors. However, the voices soon grew louder, carrying clearly through the quiet corridor.

Someone was complaining about something.

Another voice sounded excited, speaking so quickly that Xi Yunxui could barely make out the words. Beneath them, a deeper voice tried to calm the others, though his efforts seemed to have little effect.

Huo Yuning, who had been watching Xi Yunxui struggle to understand the chocolate, gradually turned toward the door.

Her expression changed.

The warmth in her eyes faded, replaced by a faint coldness that had not been there moments earlier.

Xi Yunxui noticed immediately.

"What’s wrong?"

Huo Yuning listened for another moment before leaning back against the sofa.

"It’s probably my uncle and his family."

"Your uncle?"

Huo Yuning’s fingers tightened slightly around the glass in her hand.

"Why do you sound as though you’re facing an enemy?"

For a moment, Huo Yuning said nothing. Then she let out a quiet, humorless laugh.

"Because that’s more or less what it feels like."

Xi Yunxui looked at her.

Huo Yuning lowered her gaze to the water.

"My father’s younger brother is Huo Mingyuo. Grandfather adopted him many years ago to repay the kindness of an old friend. Uncle Mingyuo himself is weak and indecisive, but his wife has always treated the Huo family as something she can exploit."

Her voice grew colder.

"She borrows money and refuses to repay it, demands favors as though they’re owed to her, and brings her children here whenever she wants something. If anyone refuses, she makes a scene and accuses the family of looking down on them."

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the door as the woman’s voice rose downstairs.

"And they’re still allowed to come here?"

"They’re family by name." Huo Yuning’s smile was faint and bitter. "Grandfather used to tolerate them because of the debt he owed Uncle Mingyuo’s father. After Grandfather passed away, they became even more shameless. They once took several pieces of jewelry from my grandmother’s room while claiming they had been promised them. When the servants stopped them, my aunt threatened to call the police and accuse the household of theft."

Xi Yunxui’s brows drew together.

"They stole from the Huo family and still dare to return?"

"They never considered it stealing." Huo Yuning’s eyes were cold. "They said everything in this house would belong to the family eventually, so taking it early was only reasonable."

The voices downstairs grew louder. A woman’s angry complaint was followed by the sound of something striking a hard surface.

Huo Yuning’s expression darkened.

"Last year, my aunt brought her son here to ask for money. When my grandfather refused, her son smashed a vase that had belonged to my grandmother. He said the vase was worthless compared to what the Huo family owed them."

Xi Yunxui fell silent.

The casual arrogance, the sense of entitlement, the way they treated another family’s possessions as though they were already theirs—those details struck an unpleasantly familiar chord.

In her past life, her father’s family had behaved the same way. They had taken her mother’s jewelry, occupied rooms in her home, and called it their right as relatives. Whenever her mother protested, they had accused her of being cold-blooded and ungrateful.

The memory left a bitter taste in Xi Yunxui’s mouth.

Huo Yuning noticed her silence and misunderstood it as hesitation.

"You don’t have to meet them," she said. "I’ll deal with them."

"Then why don’t you go downstairs?"

Huo Yuning’s expression became even more rigid.

"Because if I go down, they’ll demand something from me. Money, an introduction, a role for their daughter, a position for their son—there’s always something. If I refuse, they’ll stay for hours, shout until the servants are frightened, and then tell everyone that I’ve become arrogant after becoming famous."

She set the glass down.

"Last time, my aunt grabbed my arm when I tried to leave and accused me of pretending not to recognize my own relatives. I had bruises for three days. I’m not going downstairs just to let them humiliate me in my own home again."

Xi Yunxui’s gaze sharpened.

"Then you should definitely not see them."

Huo Yuning looked at her, surprised by the firmness in her voice.

From downstairs came another burst of complaints, followed by the young man’s mocking laughter.

Huo Yuning exhaled slowly.

"If anyone asks for me, tell them I’m asleep."

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the door.

"Wouldn’t that be suspicious?"

"I don’t care." Huo Yuning’s smile returned, but it was faint and somewhat forced. "If they know I’m awake, they’ll come up here and refuse to leave until I see them. I’d rather let them think I’m ill than give them the chance to corner me."

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Alright. I’ll tell them you’re asleep."

"If they insist on seeing me, tell them I’m sleeping and cannot be disturbed."

Xi Yunxui understood at once.

Huo Yuning wasn’t merely avoiding an unpleasant conversation. She was trying to prevent them from entering the room and turning their visit into another confrontation.

"Understood."

She nodded before walking toward the door.

The moment Xi Yunxui stepped outside, the door behind her closed with an unmistakable click.

She raised her brows slightly.

Huo Yuning really had no intention of meeting her relatives.

Given what she had just heard, Xi Yunxui couldn’t blame her.

Still, Xi Yunxui said nothing and continued down the corridor.

As she descended the stairs, the voices from the living room became clearer. The woman’s complaining had grown louder, and the young man’s voice occasionally rose above the others. Someone appeared to be discussing the mansion itself, judging by the repeated mentions of the furniture and the size of the house.

When Xi Yunxui reached the main living room, she immediately saw the people who had arrived.

The man standing near the center of the room was likely Huo Yuning’s uncle, Huo Mingyuo.

He looked to be in his late forties, with a pale, gaunt face and a thin frame that made him appear almost unwell. His cheeks were slightly hollow, and there was a tiredness beneath his eyes that suggested either poor health or years of stress. Even the way he stood seemed cautious, as though he had grown accustomed to making himself smaller around the rest of the Huo family.

Beside him stood a woman who was presumably his wife.

She was slightly chubby, though there was something uncomfortable about the way she carried herself. Her clothes were expensive but overly bright, decorated with unnecessary details that made her appearance seem more ostentatious than elegant. Several pieces of jewelry glittered around her neck and wrists, and she kept adjusting them as she spoke, as though making certain everyone noticed their value.

The two young people standing nearby were probably their children.

The boy appeared to be around nineteen years old, while the girl seemed to be about the same age. Neither possessed particularly striking features, although both shared a faint resemblance to Huo Mingyuo, especially around the eyes and the shape of their faces.

The young man looked bored, while the girl was busy examining the living room with open curiosity.

Xi Yunxui slowed near the bottom of the stairs.

She had never met them before, but after hearing Huo Yuning’s explanation, she already felt a strong dislike toward them. Their voices, their entitled manner, and the way they inspected the mansion as though assessing what they could take reminded her too much of her father’s family in her past life.

The woman suddenly turned toward her.

"Who are you?"

The question was sharp enough to make the nearby servant lower his head.

Xi Yunxui offered a polite smile.

"I’m Xi Yunxui. I work here."

The woman looked her up and down, her eyes lingering on Xi Yunxui’s simple clothes before she gave a faint, dismissive hum.

"A servant?"

Xi Yunxui’s smile remained unchanged.

"Yes."

The woman reached toward the side table and picked up a small porcelain ornament.

"This house has changed a lot. Even the servants are allowed to wander around wherever they please now?"

Xi Yunxui’s gaze fell on the ornament.

"Please put that down. It belongs to the household."

The woman’s expression immediately soured.

"Do you know who you’re speaking to?"

"I only reminded you not to touch something that doesn’t belong to you."

The young man snorted.

"Mother, why are you arguing with a servant? Just take it if you like it. Who would dare say anything?"

The woman smiled and turned the ornament over in her hand.

"I do like it. Wrap it up and send it to my room later."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes cooled.

"That may be difficult. I’m afraid I can’t send it without Miss Huo’s permission."

The woman’s smile vanished.

"What did you say?"

Xi Yunxui lowered her gaze slightly, keeping her tone respectful.

"This ornament is part of the household’s furnishings. Since Miss Huo is resting, I shouldn’t make decisions about removing it without her approval."

Before Xi Yunxui could answer, Huo Mingyuo glanced toward the staircase.

"Where is Yuning?"

"She’s resting," Xi Yunxui replied smoothly.

The woman’s brows immediately rose.

"Resting? We just arrived, and she can’t even come down to greet us?"

"She isn’t feeling well and asked not to be disturbed."

"Not feeling well?" The woman gave a sharp laugh. "She’s avoiding us. She thinks she’s too important now that she’s an actress."

The young girl beside her pouted.

"I haven’t seen Cousin Yuning in so long. I wanted to ask her about her new drama."

"She probably thinks she’s too important to help her own cousins now," the young man muttered. "I heard she’s close to several directors. Getting me a role shouldn’t be difficult."

His mother immediately gave a satisfied hum.

"Exactly. We’re not asking for much. She should at least help her cousin enter the industry."

Xi Yunxui quietly observed them, her expression calm.

The woman placed the porcelain ornament against her chest.

"And send this to my room as well. Consider it compensation for having to wait here."

Xi Yunxui looked at the ornament, then at the woman.

"I’m sorry, but I really can’t do that without Miss Huo’s permission. If you like it, I can ask her about it once she’s feeling better."

The woman’s face darkened.

"What did you say?"

"I only mean that I’m responsible for looking after the household. I hope Madam won’t make things difficult for me."

The woman stepped forward and raised her hand, as though she intended to slap Xi Yunxui.

The nearby servant hurriedly moved between them.

"Madam, please calm down."

The woman stopped only because of the servant’s presence. Her eyes remained fixed on Xi Yunxui, filled with outrage.

"A lowly servant dares to refuse me?"

Xi Yunxui’s fingers curled at her side.

The contempt in that voice, the assumption that she could take whatever she wanted, the certainty that everyone else had to endure her temper—it was exactly like her father’s family in her past life.

Back then, they had treated her home as their property and her silence as permission.

She had no intention of repeating that mistake.

"I’m not trying to refuse you," Xi Yunxui said evenly. "But this is part of the household, and I’m not authorized to give it away. Please don’t make me violate the Huo family’s rules."

The young man laughed.

"Mother, forget it. We’ll just wait for Cousin Yuning to come down. Once she sees us, she’ll know better than to let a servant speak this way."

Xi Yunxui quietly observed them, her expression calm.

So these were Huo Yuning’s relatives.

And judging from the way they had entered the mansion, demanded gifts, insulted the servants, and treated Huo Yuning’s absence as an opportunity to pressure her, they seemed determined to prove every unpleasant thing Huo Yuning had said about them.