It was a winter's night.

The bitter wind howled as large snowflakes drifted down onto the fields.

In the white expanse, a huddled figure could be seen in the distance.

A little girl in thin clothing lay on the snowy ground, her face pale blue, shivering violently. She seemed to be breathing in more than she was breathing out.

Huo Ning felt the cold wetness beneath her body, a pain like knives scraping her bones.

She struggled to open her heavy eyelids.

The first thought that came to her mind was: I've survived again, somehow.

Her vision was filled with white. In the distance, a row of dim streetlights stood lonely, as if waiting for someone who might never return.

Huo Ning's foggy mind grew even more confused: How did she end up lying outdoors? Could it be that she hadn't survived after all, and her soul had already ascended?

A gust of wind blew past, and the unbearable stinging pain clearly told her: This was no dream.

Huo Ning propped herself up, shivering as she sat up.

A searing pain tore through her mind. Huo Ning bit her lip hard, feeling her heart pounding rapidly as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

Memories that didn't belong to her began to surface in her mind.

Then, an AI-like mechanical voice sounded in her head:

"The world you are currently in is the novel 'Doting on Wife Without Limits'. Your mission is to reform the villain Huo Xiaozheng and maintain the stability of this world.

The reward for successful completion of the mission is: to continue living in this world with your current identity.

The punishment for failure is: to suffer the pain of your previous life again, ending your life in this world in the same manner."

Huo Ning's eyes widened. 'Doting on Wife Without Limits'? Wasn't that the novel she had read before?

In the book, Huo Xiaozheng, after failing to win the female lead's affection, became bitter from love. He later turned to the dark side, becoming an ultimate villain, doing everything he could to obstruct the female lead's happiness.

At the end of the story, the male lead intervened, and Huo Xiaozheng met his end in an "accident".

So, had she transmigrated into a book?

However, there was no response in her mind.

Huo Ning looked down at her body and realized she had become a young child.

Although she had once thought that if she ever transmigrated into a book, she would kneel and call the villain "daddy" for survival's sake.

But she never imagined she would directly become a child.

After a moment of disorientation, the memories in her mind told her that this body belonged to a 5-year-old girl, originally named Shi Ning.

She had never received attention since birth, and her irresponsible mother not only let her drift from one relative's house to another.

After bringing her back home, she even allowed her to be abused by her boyfriend.

Today, her birth mother and new boyfriend had gone on a date.

Completely disregarding the fact that the new boyfriend had fed her allergy medication, they had playfully abandoned her in the wilderness.

The adult dose of allergy medicine had made the original owner drowsy in the freezing wilderness, until her life came to an end.

The howling wind whistled past her ears like a ghost, and Huo Ning felt her body temperature dropping lower and lower.

She had no time to sort out her chaotic thoughts. Stumbling to her feet, she hugged herself and started walking eastward.

Perhaps it was the luck that comes with transmigrating, but while the original owner had ended her life due to hypothermia, Huo Ning had a chance to struggle for survival.

Huo Ning's most urgent task was to find a place to shelter from the cold.

The memories in her mind told her that across that road, on the other side, there would be a 24-hour convenience store.

In this icy world, the original owner had been frozen for who knows how long.

This forced her to stop and rest after every couple of steps. The heart in her chest seemed to be struggling too, pounding hard against her ribcage.

Her stomach was empty; Huo Ning could clearly feel it compressed like a sheet of paper.

The cold and hunger made Huo Ning lightheaded and barely able to move. She even felt like she might die a second time at any moment.

Huo Ning gasped for air, her vision blurry. She curled up into a ball, feeling as if the world was spinning around her.

I can't go on, I'm going to die... Huo Ning thought in despair.

In her final moments, the sound of a police siren rang out.

A patrol car with flashing blue lights stopped beside her.

"Little girl, are you lost?" Huo Ning struggled to lift her head. When she made out the police uniform on the speaker, she fainted with relief.

...

"Move away, don't block the heater..." a woman's voice gently scolded.

"Hot milk, I added sugar..."

Amidst a cacophony of voices, Huo Ning slowly opened her eyes.

The stinging cold was gone, replaced by a warmth that enveloped her body as if she were soaking in a comfortable bath.

"Oh, she's awake, she's awake..."

Huo Ning looked towards the speaker. It was the police officer from earlier.

"Hungry..." Huo Ning said softly.

Hearing this, the female officer immediately handed her some bread and milk.

Huo Ning accepted them, taking a big bite like a starving wolf and gulping down the milk. It was hot.

Huo Ning couldn't help but tear up: Ah, I've survived.

Due to long-term malnutrition, Huo Ning was smaller than other children her age. The only striking feature on her was a pair of bright, slightly cute eyes.

This scene touched the hearts of the police officers: Poor little thing, so pitiful.

After she had eaten and drunk her fill, the police officers began their routine questions.

"Little one, what's your name? Where do you live? Do you have your parents' contact information?"

Huo Ning lowered her head.

She knew her original mother's contact information by heart.

After all, the original owner was often forgotten at kindergarten, so she had to memorize her mother's phone number to remind her to come pick her up.

But now, she couldn't let the original mother take her back.

This was not only for her upcoming mission but also for her own chance to grow up properly.

"My name is Shi Ning, and my father is Huo Xiaozheng."

"But I can't remember his phone number. Can you help me call him?" Huo Ning asked timidly.

Seeing her blinking her big eyes, the female officer momentarily overlooked the significance of the name 'Huo Xiaozheng'.

"Alright, what are the three characters? Auntie will look it up for you." The female officer looked at her lovingly.

A male officer incredulously asked, "It can't be that Huo Xiaozheng, right?"

The female officer looked puzzled. "Which one? You know her father?"

The male officer quickly shook his head. "You know, that one. The big boss of Huo Group. He was trending on social media a couple of days ago. Weren't you hugging your phone and calling him 'husband' at the time?"

The female officer belatedly realized and looked at Huo Ning in shock, her eyes questioning.

Seeing this, Huo Ning confirmed that she had indeed transmigrated into a book.

After all, only in a novel could Huo Xiaozheng's name be so universally recognized.

Pretending ignorance, she spelled out slowly: "The 'Xiao' from 'midnight', the 'Zheng' from 'expedition'."

Seeing that the police still didn't quite believe her, Huo Ning's small, thin hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes. She looked up, her gaze sincere as she said to the police: "I'm not lying."

The police had no choice but to dial Huo Xiaozheng's work number.

"Hello, is this Huo Xiaozheng? We're from the Tongcheng Public Security Branch. Your daughter is currently at the police station. Please come and take the little one home."

On the other end of the line, Huo Xiaozheng's chief assistant Xi Chuan looked bewildered.

He glanced at his phone, the screen indeed showing the call was from the police station. He asked in disbelief: "What daughter?"

When did Mr. Huo have a daughter? How come he didn't know about this?

The incredulity in Xi Chuan's tone was too obvious.

The police officer making the call couldn't help but turn back to look at the little girl, feeling uneasy: If this turns out to be a mistake...

But having come this far, he had to press on: "It's like this, our staff found a lost little girl by the roadside.

When we asked for her family's contact information, the little girl said her father is Huo Xiaozheng.

Given that the little girl could clearly state Mr. Huo's name, we'd like to request Mr. Huo to come to the police station."

After finishing, the officer added uncertainly: "Or you could send a lawyer if you prefer."

Xi Chuan glanced at Huo Xiaozheng, who was pretending to nap in the back seat, and covered the mouthpiece to ask: "Mr. Huo, the police station called. They say there's a little girl claiming to be your daughter..."

Xi Chuan couldn't finish the rest of the sentence.

Huo Xiaozheng, nearly 30 years old, had his hair slicked back in a pompadour style.

His features were handsome and chiseled, but there was a coldness in his brow that made people afraid to look directly at him.

"Daughter?" He opened his eyes, his tone flat: "Do I need to teach you how to handle such slander?"

Xi Chuan choked up, turning his head to speak into the phone: "I'm sorry, but Mr. Huo doesn't have a daughter. We'll send a lawyer to assist with your investigation later."

The police officer on the other end felt his heart sink: Had they been too hasty after all?

"I see, sorry to bother you..." the officer was about to hang up.

Behind him, Huo Ning saw her chance slipping away. She blurted out desperately: "Five years ago, Gantang Court!"

Startled by Huo Ning's shout, the officer hastily ended the call. He turned to her with slight irritation: "Little one, tell Uncle the truth now. What are your parents' real names?"

Huo Ning remembered that five years ago, Huo Xiaozheng had encountered the original girl's mother at Gantang Court.

This was a dark spot in Huo Xiaozheng's past. Surely he wouldn't have forgotten?

But reality was cruel. Her words seemingly hadn't reached the other end of the line at all.

Huo Ning watched her only hope vanish. The little energy she'd stored up from drinking milk earlier rapidly drained away, leaving her both physically and emotionally devastated.

She slumped in the chair, deaf to the officer's questions.

The police interpreted Huo Ning's demeanor as a naughty child's confusion after being caught misbehaving.

So they stopped pressing her and began actively searching for information about Huo Ning instead.

As they searched, they actually managed to find contact information for the original girl's mother.

Huo Ning wracked her brain, trying to figure out her next move.

Before she could come up with a plan, a loud wailing cry echoed from the doorway.

"Ning Ning, my baby!"

The cries grew closer. Huo Ning watched wide-eyed as a woman dressed like a nightclub hostess barreled towards her.

It was Shi Lili, the original girl's mother.

Shi Lili grabbed Huo Ning in a tight embrace, sobbing dramatically and calling her "baby" over and over.

In the heat of the moment, she even started smacking Huo Ning's back in a show of "tough love."

But this body seemed conditioned to fear such treatment. Almost reflexively, Huo Ning raised her arms to shield her head.

At the same time, her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Yet even so, she couldn't suppress her body's instinctive reaction.

Shaking, she lifted her arms to hug her mother's head: "I'm sorry, Mommy. I made you worry. Please don't cry."

It seemed the original girl's consciousness hadn't fully faded away yet.

Belatedly realizing this, Huo Ning felt a pang of sorrow.

The original girl's given name was just Ning, but she took her mother's surname, making it Shi Ning. This sounded like "dead person" in Chinese.

How much must someone dislike their own child to give them such a name? Huo Ning couldn't understand it.

Feeling Huo Ning's embrace, Shi Lili felt a twinge of satisfaction:

No matter how she treated Shi Ning, the girl always loved her mother unconditionally. As she pretended to cry into Huo Ning's shoulder, Shi Lili couldn't help but smirk.

That faint sound of laughter did not escape Huo Ning's notice.

After that hug, it was as if the original girl's presence vanished completely.

New novel chapters are published on NovelOOn Huo Ning pushed away the sobbing Shi Lili and asked in a childlike tone: "Mommy, what are you laughing at?"

Shi Lili's body stiffened. She gritted her teeth and straightened up: "Mommy's just happy, sweetie. I've been looking everywhere for you..."

The young officer who had made the phone call earlier took this opportunity to lecture her: "What kind of mother are you?

It's 10 PM and snowing outside. How could you let a child wander around alone?

When we found her, she was freezing cold."

Shi Lili accepted the scolding meekly: "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, officer. I've spoiled her too much. I never thought she'd run out to play in this heavy snow..."

Huo Ning deliberately interrupted: "Mommy, where's Uncle? Didn't he come back with you?"

She blinked her big eyes, feigning a child's adoration.

Hearing this, the female officer couldn't help but interject: "Spoiled? What kind of spoiling involves neglecting to feed your child while you go on dates?

You're all dressed up, but you let your child out in this snowstorm wearing only this?"

She lifted the heavy blanket covering Huo Ning, revealing the thin autumn jacket underneath.

Shi Lili's expression soured.

She forced a smile and grabbed Huo Ning: "You're absolutely right, officer. I'll go home right now and reflect on my actions. This won't happen again."

Seeing that Shi Lili was about to take her away, Huo Ning began to struggle, her voice filled with fear: "Mommy, I can't go home."

"Uncle said I'm not allowed to go home today without his permission, or he'll break my hands."

Huo Ning shouted as she tried to hide behind the female officer.

Shi Lili was barely maintaining her smile now: "This child, always making up stories. Your uncle dotes on you so much, how could he possibly hit you?"

"If you keep lying, the police will arrest you!"

Hearing this, the officers found themselves in a dilemma.

Clearly, Shi Lili wasn't a responsible mother. But after the earlier phone incident, the police were wary of trusting the little girl too readily.

The situation had reached an impasse.

Shi Lili read the room and softened her tone: "Officers, my daughter often exaggerates things to get my attention. She likes to cause a scene to make me worry about her."

"I admit I haven't been strict enough with her discipline, and I haven't paid her enough attention. But I'm still her mother. How could I possibly let anyone hurt my daughter?"

What could they do? No matter what mistakes parents might make, as long as they hadn't killed their child, a child still needed their parents.

The female officer holding Huo Ning's hand crouched down, her expression resigned.

She gently smoothed Huo Ning's hair and spoke softly: "Don't run away like this again, okay? If anyone bullies you, call Big Sister. I've put my number in your coat pocket."

Seeing the officer's resolve weakening, Huo Ning found herself at a loss.

Shi Lili quickly pulled Huo Ning close, thanking the officers profusely as she led Huo Ning out of the police station.

The night was deep, and a biting wind howled outside the door. The thick snow seemed to freeze Huo Ning's anxiously beating heart.

As soon as they stepped out of the police station, Shi Lili dropped her act.

She yelled at Huo Ning: "Didn't I tell you to play in the snow for a bit and come right back? Your uncle was just joking with you. How did you end up at the police station?"

Memories of this so-called "uncle" surfaced in Huo Ning's mind, instantly making her feel sick.

She unexpectedly wrenched free from Shi Lili's grasp and ran back towards the police station.

Damn it all, she'd report them and let the police lock them both up.

It all happened so fast. A car driving normally down the road was startled by Huo Ning's sudden dash.

The driver jerked the steering wheel to the right. With a screech of brakes, Huo Ning was knocked into a snowbank by some external force.

Huo "Carrot" Ning, forcibly planted face-first in the snow: Maybe you should just kill me off directly instead.

Due to the slow speed of the car and the cushioning effect of the snow, Huo Ning's body wasn't seriously injured.

Shi Lili had already caught up and was hurling abuse at the driver.

Huo Xiaozheng opened the car door and saw Huo Ning getting up by herself from the snowy ground.

Her face and hair were covered in snow, her dark eyes shining brightly in the night, like a startled fawn in the snow.

Huo Xiaozheng was inexplicably struck by those eyes...

He walked over to help the little girl up. Seeing that her blanket was wet from the snow, he draped his coat over her and coldly asked if she needed to go to the hospital.

"You knocked down my daughter, you're not leaving without paying compensation! There's a police station right next door, if you don't pay up, we'll call the police!" Shi Lili's shrill voice pierced the quiet night.

Huo Ning pressed her lips together and said, "Not the hospital, the police station."

Given the young age of this body, despite her inner anger, Huo Ning's words came out sounding babyish.

Huo Xiaozheng frowned slightly.

Seeing that Huo Ning wasn't seriously hurt, he wrapped her in his coat, picked her up, and walked towards the police station.

Seeing this, Shi Lili immediately followed.

In just a few minutes, Huo Ning found herself at the police station for the second time.

The officer on duty was a bit surprised: "Little girl, why are you back again?"

Huo Xiaozheng placed Huo Ning on a nearby recliner.

"Hello, I'm Xi Chuan, Mr. Huo's secretary. You called me earlier," Xi Chuan, who had followed closely behind, introduced himself.

The source of this content is NovelOOn.

Shi Lili ignored the "Mr. Huo" he mentioned and continued to demand compensation from Xi Chuan while cursing.

After understanding the situation, the police officer said to Shi Lili, "This is a police station, not the traffic police department. You can either settle this privately or call the traffic police directly."

Without waiting for Shi Lili to continue her tirade, he apologized to Xi Chuan, "I'm very sorry. We were about to call you back. The little girl was just making things up, it's our fault for not checking properly."

Xi Chuan didn't mind, "I see. We'd like to meet that little girl."

The police officer was confused and pointed at Huo Ning, "She is that little girl."

Xi Chuan was momentarily stunned.

"You're Huo Xiaozheng, aren't you?" Huo Ning had already guessed Huo Xiaozheng's identity.

Huo Xiaozheng nodded.

"Can I talk to you?" Huo Ning said, quickly adding, "Without my mom present."

Huo Xiaozheng nodded, giving Xi Chuan a look.

Xi Chuan understood and immediately led Shi Lili to another area to discuss compensation.

"Can you speak now?" Huo Xiaozheng asked.

Huo Xiaozheng's aura was strong, and Huo Ning gathered her courage to speak, "I'm your daughter. You can verify this with a paternity test."

"Hmm, what do you want?" Huo Xiaozheng was indifferent.

Compared to Huo Ning's identity, Huo Xiaozheng was more concerned about who had taken advantage of him at Gantang Court five years ago.

In the original novel, the antagonist was portrayed as that cold, ruthless, handsome type. Now, facing Huo Xiaozheng, Huo Ning felt a bit intimidated.

She swallowed and said, "Can you raise me until I'm 18?"

Thirteen years should be enough for her to change the course of the story, right?

Hearing this, Huo Xiaozheng looked down at her. The little girl was looking up at him, her fair face thin but with rosy cheeks. Though clearly afraid of him, she still mustered the courage to state her conditions.

"What does your mother want?" Huo Xiaozheng didn't believe in love or hate without reason in this world.

Huo Ning shook her head, "She doesn't know you're my father."

This statement was very interesting.

Five years ago at Gantang Court, Huo Xiaozheng had been set up and indeed had a one-night stand with a strange woman.

After that, the incident seemed to have never happened, no one mentioned it, no one sought answers.

As time passed, even Huo Xiaozheng had forgotten about it.

Unexpectedly, when it was brought up again, it came from the mouth of a child.

Huo Xiaozheng's gaze was probing, "Then how did you know?"

Huo Ning couldn't help but give a thumbs up internally. Good question, she was also wondering how she should make up a convincing story!

In a flash, Huo Ning remembered that in the original book, Shi Ning's death would become a scandal for Huo Xiaozheng, not only causing the original female lead to completely lose faith in him but also becoming the catalyst for the downfall of Huo Group.

And Shi Lili's boyfriend seemed to have played some role in it...

"Uncle," Huo Ning mumbled, "I overheard uncle talking on the phone with someone."

"Name," Huo Xiaozheng said concisely.

Huo Ning was stunned for a moment before realizing he was asking for the 'uncle's' name.

"Li Zhiyuan."

Huo Xiaozheng nodded.

"I can give you living expenses until you're 18," Huo Xiaozheng said. "On the condition that you and your mother cannot live in this country."

Huo Ning's heart sank. As expected of an antagonist, cold and heartless to the core.

Living under the same roof with Shi Lili was the most disgusting thing Huo Ning could imagine.

But in Huo Xiaozheng's consideration, keeping Huo Ning and Shi Lili, two potential liabilities, under control in one place was clearly more reassuring to him.

If that's the case...

Huo Ning timidly glanced in Shi Lili's direction, making sure she wasn't looking this way, then took off the coat draped over her shoulders and slowly unzipped her jacket.

Huo Xiaozheng frowned, "What are you doing?"

Huo Ning didn't speak. She slowly took off her outer jacket, carefully folded it and put it aside, then removed her cardigan and undershirt until her upper body was completely bare.

Huo Ning turned her back, presenting it to everyone.

She already looked very thin, but without clothes, she could be described as skin and bones.

Her pale back was covered in crisscrossing bruises of varying depths. It was a shocking sight.

Huo Ning put her clothes back on one by one, then turned around and brushed her long hair away from her neck, revealing a ring of purple bruises.

She did all this slowly, as if without any sense of basic shame, exposing her injuries to everyone's view.

Ignoring the pitying gazes of the onlookers, she pleaded in a soft voice, "These are the injuries within mom's allowed range. Although I don't want to trouble you, dad, I also don't want to die."

Huo Xiaozheng's eyes darkened at Huo Ning's words and actions, and he was momentarily stunned by Huo Ning calling him 'dad'.

Huo Ning knew how impactful such words would be coming from the mouth of a 5-year-old girl.

And this plea of not wanting to die, how the original owner had longed to say it.

Xi Chuan felt remorseful, regretting that he had believed Shi Lili's act earlier and thought the little girl was a liar.

Bah! She didn't deserve to be a parent at all.

Shi Lili, who had happily received the compensation, was oblivious to all this. She walked towards Huo Ning, planning in her mind to send Huo Ning home and then enjoy a night at a five-star hotel with Zhiyuan...

The female police officer stopped her, "I'm going to charge you with child abuse!"

Shi Lili was stunned for a moment, then seeing Huo Ning's not fully buttoned clothes, she immediately understood, "I didn't abuse my daughter! Ning Ning, those are just from you accidentally bumping into things while playing, right?"

Huo Ning felt a wave of sorrow for the original owner.

She looked up at Huo Xiaozheng, "Can I go with you?"

Huo Xiaozheng didn't refuse. He gave Shi Lili a dark look and left with Huo Ning.

"They're kidnapping a child! Police, aren't you going to do anything?!" Shi Lili shouted from behind.

Given Shi Lili's behavior, the police chose to ignore her.

The little girl had already called him dad, and Mr. Huo hadn't denied it. Going with him would certainly be better than staying with this vicious mother.

Besides, how could someone of Mr. Huo's high status and power have any connection with Shi Lili...

The long night continued, and winter snow still fell.

Huo Ning curled up in the back seat of Huo Xiaozheng's car, feeling warm all over and thinking that the future looked promising.

Huo Ning, feeling optimistic about the future, soon fell into a deep sleep.

Being left in the snow for so long with only minimal sustenance, it was a miracle she had held on until now.

Sitting beside her, Huo Xiaozheng, having calmed down, felt he might have been manipulated.

Just as he was about to confront someone, he noticed the child had slumped over in her seat, eyes tightly shut, face flushed, and breathing heavily.

He reached out to feel the child's forehead, which was alarmingly hot.

"Go to the hospital," Huo Xiaozheng ordered the driver in a deep voice.

Following the order, the black Maybach glided into the night like a fish through water.

Xi Chuan, who had just verbally triumphed over the woman, looked at the empty courtyard: Where was the car? Where had such a large car gone?

Xi Chuan recalled the earlier situation. He repeated the phrase "Gantang Court 5 years ago" from the phone call, and Huo Xiaozheng in the back seat, upon hearing it, immediately ordered them to turn around and head to the police station.

So, the little girl being Huo's daughter was true, wasn't it?

Thinking about it this way, it seemed less difficult to accept that Mr. Huo had left her behind and departed with the little girl...

Inside Anzhen Children's Hospital.

"It's a circulatory imbalance that occurred after not fully recovering from hypothermia and then getting cold again," Shen Shiyan said, looking through the patient's medical records and addressing the man sitting upright.

"Hypothermia?" Huo Xiaozheng repeated the word questioningly.

"Given the child's condition, she must have been hypothermic for at least two hours."

"In other words, she was exposed to freezing conditions without any protection for at least two hours."

As it was a VIP consultation, all relevant test results were already complete. Shen Shiyan continued after reviewing the results:

"The little one is malnourished. It's a miracle she survived two hours in the freezing cold."

Huo Xiaozheng gave him a cold glance. His tone slightly lowered: "Is there any danger to her life?"

Shen Shiyan, who had grown up with Huo Xiaozheng since childhood, ignored his cold face: "With me here, I'd snatch her life back from the King of Hell himself if I had to."

Only then did Huo Xiaozheng avert his gaze.

Seeing this, Shen Shiyan said amusedly: "By the way, whose child is this? Important enough for you to call me out from home in the middle of the night?"

Huo Xiaozheng didn't respond, but instructed: "Take good care of her."

He was about to leave.

"This couldn't be your child, could it..." Shen Shiyan joked.

As he spoke, he carefully studied the sickly little girl's features, noticing that her eyes and brows seemed somewhat similar to his friend's...

His tone gradually became surprised: "This child's eyes and brows look a lot like yours!"

"I just took a sample. Do a paternity test for me and her."

Huo Xiaozheng, gripping the door handle, turned back to warn: "Before I make this public, you'd better keep your mouth shut and those of your subordinates."

Shen Shiyan closed his lips tightly in shock, showing his loyalty.

Huo Xiaozheng glanced at Huo Ning on the hospital bed and left the room.

Meanwhile, Xi Chuan had already obtained the information Huo Xiaozheng wanted.

"Li Zhiyuan was Shi Lili's boyfriend of three years. Li Zhiyuan had no job and relied entirely on Shi Lili for support."

"Six months ago, Jiang Suyuan's people approached him, and since then, Li Zhiyuan has been receiving a sum of money every month."

The Jiang family again.

"Keep investigating," Huo Xiaozheng said coldly.

"Yes, sir."

After spending a few days in Anzhen Hospital, Huo Ning's health gradually improved.

On this day, after another good night's sleep.

It had snowed all night, and the morning was bright and clear.

Warm sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the entire room.

The scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils. Huo Ning, having been in hospitals for so long, didn't find it unpleasant; rather, it gave her a sense of familiar comfort after a long absence.

After all, being able to smell this again was proof that she was alive.

"Little one, are you awake? How are you feeling?" A gentle male voice sounded in the hospital room.

Shen Shiyan had been coming to do rounds every day, and Huo Ning had become familiar with him.

She rubbed her eyes somewhat drowsily and looked at Shen Shiyan: "I feel great, thank you for your concern, Doctor Uncle."

Huo Ning had just woken up, her voice milky and slightly coquettish, sounding extremely adorable.

Shen Shiyan couldn't help but feel a surge of paternal affection: "Ning Ning is such a good girl."

After a series of checks, Shen Shiyan happily announced that there were no major issues with her body, and all she needed now was proper care and recuperation.

Huo Ning was very satisfied with this, and the smile on her face became even more genuine.

"Today, Uncle will take you home. Pack up your things, and we'll leave after breakfast."

Huo Ning tilted her head and asked: "Does Doctor Uncle know where my home is?"

Shen Shiyan's heart melted at her head tilt: "Yes, I do. Uncle is good friends with your dad."

Hearing this, Huo Ning felt relieved. It seemed the paternity test had been completed and the results were out.

She obediently washed up. The person in the mirror still looked a bit pale, but her almond-shaped eyes were cute and lively.

After breakfast, Shen Shiyan drove her to Huo Xiaozheng's villa.

It was ten in the morning. The spacious villa was quiet and empty, its cool-toned decor giving no sense of warmth or homecoming.

"He's as dedicated to his work as ever," Shen Shiyan muttered to himself.

He called Huo Xiaozheng, who, upon learning that Shen Shiyan had brought Huo Ning to his residence, fell silent for a few seconds, which was rare for him.

"You didn't forget that Ning Ning was being discharged today, did you? I reminded you just last night," Shen Shiyan said, a bit annoyed.

"Never mind, I'll have someone come over. Wait there for a while," Huo Xiaozheng said resignedly.

Shen Shiyan didn't mind and took charge, leading Huo Ning on a tour of the villa.

"Ning Ning, come on, let's go choose a room," Shen Shiyan extended his hand in invitation.

This body still wasn't used to the touch of unfamiliar men, and Huo Ning couldn't resist the instinctive reaction, her fingers shrinking back.

As a compromise, she pinched the hem of Shen Shiyan's clothes.

Shen Shiyan pretended not to notice and led Huo Ning upstairs with a cheerful smile.

Huo Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, there wasn't much to see in this villa. Although it was large and luxurious, the interior was truly empty.

Except for the master bedroom and study, every room was furnished like a hotel room, completely copy-and-pasted.

Seeing this, Shen Shiyan also felt a bit embarrassed.

But having come this far, he could only persist and recommend the room opposite the master bedroom: "Ning Ning, you should choose this room. It has a large balcony, and the window overlooks the garden. The view is great."

Huo Ning thought for a moment, but still couldn't help breaking his beautiful illusion: "Uncle, Dad probably won't let me stay here."

Huo Ning understood clearly that Huo Xiaozheng's agreement to take her in was only due to a momentary pang of conscience brought on by blood ties.

After all, any decent person wouldn't be unmoved seeing their own daughter being abused.

Although it had been a one-night stand back then, he was also a victim in a way.

Now, he suddenly had a daughter, and this daughter might even become a stain on his reputation.

For Huo Xiaozheng, Huo Ning was a burden, a hot potato like a ticking time bomb.

So, Huo Ning understood very well that at the police station, what Huo Xiaozheng had agreed to was only to remove her from her mother's shackles and provide money for her to survive until adulthood.

It wasn't that he would personally raise her until she came of age.

Faced with the little girl's clear-eyed gaze, Shen Shiyan, who knew Huo Xiaozheng's temperament well, was momentarily at a loss for words, unable to refute.

After saying those words, Huo Ning appeared very calm. She sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, admiring the scenery outside.

This scene was observed by Shen Shiyan, who saw it as a 'poor child with no one to rely on, desperately pondering where the future lies.jpg' moment. If you added some background music like "Erquan Yingyue," you could easily make a fortune by setting up shop on the roadside.

Unaware of Shen Shiyan's thoughts, Huo Ning was fully focused on: The carp in the pond are so plump, they'd make such delicious grilled fish!

The two, dreaming different dreams in the same room - one full of hope, one melancholic - waited until the doorbell rang.

The visitor was Xi Chuan.

The most uptodate novels are published on NovelOOn As Huo Ning had anticipated, Xi Chuan came to relocate her to another residence.

"Who will take care of her?" Shen Shiyan frowned.

Xi Chuan, not daring to offend the Shen family's eldest son, smiled and replied, "We've hired someone to provide 24-hour personal care."

"She's only five years old," Shen Shiyan furrowed his brow.

Xi Chuan thought to himself: Who could really make decisions for Huo Xiaozheng?

Seeing Xi Chuan's silence, Shen Shiyan also knew that their opinions didn't matter, and he too fell silent.

Huo Ning had no objections to this, after all, her opinion wasn't important in Huo Xiaozheng's eyes. She followed Xi Chuan into the car, obediently saying goodbye to Shen Shiyan.

She glanced at the door number, feeling a bit wistful: It's such a shame about those plump fish.

They soon arrived at the new residence, a house in the suburbs with three bedrooms and two living rooms, decorated modestly, with good security and landscaping in the surrounding area.

Xi Chuan had hired a housekeeper to provide 24-hour care for Huo Ning. Before leaving, Xi Chuan handed her his business card, instructing her to call him if anything came up.

Huo Ning nodded obediently.

After Xi Chuan left, Huo Ning settled in under the housekeeper's guidance.

"Miss Huo, this is your room," the housekeeper, surnamed Xu, was very kind. She crouched down to introduce Huo Ning to her surroundings: "If you need anything, you can always tell me."

Aunt Xu had a gentle face, and her hands, due to years of hard work, were covered in cracks. Her right index finger even had a band-aid on it.

Huo Ning asked with concern, "Auntie, what happened to your hand? Does it hurt?"

Aunt Xu didn't expect such a young girl to care about her hands. She smiled and said, "Winter's coming, and the skin cracks easily. I'm used to it, it doesn't hurt."

Huo Ning looked at the jagged wounds, thought for a moment, then held her hand and gently blew on it, childishly saying, "Blow the pain away~"

After blowing, Huo Ning felt a bit numb: It seems the 18-year-old soul couldn't overcome the 5-year-old body; this action was too childish.

Aunt Xu, however, was melted by her words and actions, her heart turning soft: "Thank you for your concern, little miss."

After blowing, Huo Ning said in a sweet voice, "Auntie, you can call me Ningning."

Aunt Xu had worked for many wealthy families before and had encountered many spoiled children.

Seeing how sweet and thoughtful Huo Ning was, she said with genuine affection, "Oh, Miss Ningning, are you hungry? I made some snacks before you arrived, would you like some?"

Huo Ning's eyes lit up: "Yes!"

The hospital food had been too bland, and she had no choice but to eat whatever was given. Now that she finally had dessert, she was overjoyed.

Aunt Xu was a great cook. Huo Ning devoured a mango mousse in one go, and if Aunt Xu hadn't stopped her, she would have eaten a strawberry daifuku as well. After eating her fill, Huo Ning couldn't resist the body's natural instincts of a young child and began to feel drowsy.

Before she could make it to her room, she fell asleep on the couch.

Fortunately, the heating was sufficient. Aunt Xu turned up the temperature, turned on the humidifier, and covered her with a thick blanket before going to clean the house.

Meanwhile, Xi Chuan returned to Huo Corporation.

"Mr. Huo, Shi... Miss Ningning has been sent to Royal Elegance Garden, and the live-in housekeeper has arrived."

"Mm, how's the investigation on that matter going?"

"Li Zhiyuan's dealings with the Jiang family have been kept very discreet, we don't have much to go on yet, but..." Speaking of this, Xi Chuan handed over the information he had just received to Huo Xiaozheng: "We've discovered that all of Miss Ningning's injuries were caused by Li Zhiyuan."

"According to their neighbors, Li Zhiyuan frequently abused Miss Ningning. The most severe incident resulted in Miss Ningning wearing a cast on her upper limb for a long time due to a fracture."

Xi Chuan handed the medical records to Huo Xiaozheng.

"But after that, the neighbors never heard the child cry again."

Huo Xiaozheng pondered for a moment, then said, "Keep this matter under wraps for now, and tell the local police to withdraw the charges, saying we intend to settle privately."

Xi Chuan looked at Huo Xiaozheng in disbelief.

Huo Xiaozheng narrowed his eyes: "What? Do you have any objections to my decision?"

Xi Chuan belatedly broke out in a cold sweat, immediately lowering his head and denying: "No. Then about Shi Lili..."

"Give her the compensation she wants, and as for the child..." Huo Xiaozheng said coldly, "Let her think I want to adopt Shi Ning."

Xi Chuan hurriedly left.

It's no wonder Huo Xiaozheng was so casual about dismissing Shi Lili. During Xi Chuan's negotiations with her, he discovered that Shi Lili truly didn't want Shi Ning. It was only due to social pressure that she hadn't abandoned the child. NovelOOn

In other words, Shi Lili probably had no idea that the child was Mr. Huo's. Otherwise, she wouldn't have missed such a golden opportunity all these years.

So, when Xi Chuan contacted Shi Lili, informed her of the relevant intentions, promised her a 'hundred thousand' in compensation, and proposed to sponsor Huo Ning, Shi Lili only hesitated for three seconds before accepting Xi Chuan's proposal.

After completing all this, Xi Chuan sighed, feeling sorry for Ningning.

The object of his pity, Huo Ning, was sleeping soundly. In her hazy state, a familiar pain spread through her chest and back, just like before she transmigrated, when she was in the late stages of cancer - that unbearable, nearly suffocating pain.

She gasped for air, her peaceful sleep long gone. The intense pain caused her to break out in a cold sweat all over her body, and she couldn't help but moan in agony.

Hearing the painful cries, Aunt Xu ran over. Seeing her curled up like a bow, she was startled: "Miss Ningning, what's wrong?"

In the week since transmigrating, Huo Ning had almost forgotten this kind of pain. So when it started again, she was on the verge of breaking down. She whimpered through her tears: "It... hurts..."

Aunt Xu thought she might have gotten sick from the afternoon sweets and asked nervously, "Is it your stomach? Let Aunt Xu take a look."

Huo Ning was in too much pain to speak. Her bangs were quickly soaked with cold sweat, sticking to her face in strands, looking pitiful and miserable as she shook her head.

Seeing this, Aunt Xu didn't dare delay and immediately called 120 (emergency services).

Although it was in the suburbs, the ambulance arrived quickly after hearing the situation. They rushed Huo Ning to the nearest hospital.

On the way, Huo Ning's pain didn't subside at all, and even seemed to be getting worse. By the time they reached the hospital, her lips were colorless, and she was barely conscious.

"Where are the family members? Why aren't they here yet? The child's condition is very serious. Did she have any underlying health issues?" The attending physician had never seen such a case before. There were no obvious organic lesions in the examination, but the young patient's symptoms were alarming, with abnormal blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.

Faced with the doctor's questions, Aunt Xu couldn't answer: "I'm the nanny, and it's my first day taking care of Miss Ningning. I'm not familiar with her condition, but the family members are on their way and should be here soon."

The attending physician had no choice but to administer painkillers.

After the ambulance picked up Huo Ning, Aunt Xu immediately called Xi Chuan to inform him of the situation.

Worried that Xi Chuan might not believe her, Aunt Xu even recorded a short video and sent it to him.

After watching the video, Xi Chuan didn't dare delay and immediately informed Huo Xiaozheng of the situation.

Huo Xiaozheng paused the meeting, called the attending physician to learn about Huo Ning's condition, then cancelled the meeting and brought Shen Shiyan along to the hospital.

When they arrived at the hospital, Huo Ning's tiny body was curled up in a ball on the hospital bed, shaking uncontrollably and emitting whimpers like a small animal on the brink of death, one after another.