Mrs. Huo is a Crybaby Chapter 1191 The End
Previously on Mrs. Huo is a Crybaby...
"My apologies, it seems I've arrived a bit late..."
Standing outside the church, a man clad in black named Zhong Li leaned back with a hand tucked in his pocket, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he observed the scene.
Song Yaoyao blinked in confusion. "What is he doing here?" The moment the question left her lips, her gaze drifted toward Zhongli Xue, who was collapsed upon the pavement.
A bullet had torn through the center of her palm, leaving a gruesome, bloody mess on the ground that was truly horrifying to behold.
To her own astonishment, Song Yaoyao realized that seeing the gore didn't trigger her usual spiral. She was actually managing to keep her darker, violent impulses under control.
It was a promising sign of progress.
"Did you come here to get her?"
Zhongli Xue began to stir on the ground. Looking up at Zhong Li through a veil of tears, she whimpered, "Brother..."
Her tone was frail and melodic, carrying a sorrowful edge designed to evoke sympathy from anyone listening.
"Tsk, who are you calling your brother?"
Zhong Li clicked his tongue dismissively and strolled over to Song Yaoyao. Seeing the two towering, handsome men guarding her like divine protectors, he let out a cheeky whistle. "Looks like my pool of rivals just grew by one... Gack!" His words were cut short as Song Yaoyao slammed her heel onto his foot, her wide eyes blazing with fury.
"Damn! You did it to me again!"
"Have you lost your mind? That's my brother!"
He was her actual, biological brother!
Even though the logistics of how Song Lanchuan had entered this world while retaining his original looks remained a mystery, Song Yaoyao’s heart knew the truth. This was the same brother who had always cherished and shielded her.
"B-Brother?" Zhong Li, a man who prided himself on knowing everyone’s secrets, was visibly stunned.
Song Lanchuan rubbed his chin, a low, gravelly chuckle escaping him. "Yaoyao, who is this guy?"
"Just a stranger," Huo Yunque replied with icy indifference.
The two men, who had been on the verge of a confrontation just moments ago, shared a silent understanding: no other males were permitted near Song Yaoyao.
"Hey! Give me a break!" Zhong Li grimaced, a vein throbbing in his temple.
Huo Yunque lifted Song Yaoyao into his arms to depart, and the usually feisty girl settled against him with uncharacteristic obedience.
"Ouch..." Zhong Li rubbed his face, feeling a phantom ache in his teeth from the sugary sight.
"B-Brother..." Zhongli Xue was shuddering violently, the agony in her hand causing her muscles to spasm. Drenched in a cold sweat, she reached out a trembling hand, trying to catch the hem of the man's trousers.
The man standing over her looked down with nothing but pure contempt.
Before her fingers could brush his clothes, Zhong Li kicked her hand away with a freezing sneer.
"Ah!"
Zhongli Xue tumbled across the ground, staring at him in shock. While her brother was known for his volatility, he had never treated her with such blatant disrespect. "Brother?"
Tears spilled over as her pale face twisted in agony and confusion.
"Don't bother. As of this moment, you are officially cast out of the Zhongli family."
Leaving her with those cold words, Zhong Li turned his back and headed for the church exit.
"No!" Zhongli Xue scrambled up, limping desperately after him. "Why would you do this?"
"Since you're Delia’s little puppet, it’s high time you crawled back to her side."
"You knew? How long have you known..."
Zhong Li sighed with boredom. "I’ve known since the very start."
The revelation hit Zhongli Xue like a physical blow, leaving her dazed.
"I-Impossible, that can't be..." she stammered, before breaking into a sudden, hysterical fit of laughter.
To him, her entire existence had been nothing more than a comedy!
Alice arrived a moment too late, only managing to collect a dying Delia and the broken, muttering Zhongli Xue.
Back at the estate, Song Yaoyao scrambled out of Huo Yunque's arms the second they arrived. Bursting with questions, she gave his waist a sharp, firm pinch.
Even she wasn't slow enough to miss the fact that Zhong Li had followed them back. The realization finally dawned on her.
"You two aren't actually enemies?"
Huo Yunque cleared his throat awkwardly.
Zhong Li smirked and shot her a wink. "Oh, we're definitely enemies. Doesn't being a love rival count?"
Everything clicked for Song Yaoyao. These two men, who danced the line between friends and foes, had been putting on a massive performance to trick everyone.
She rolled her eyes and snapped, "Get lost!"
Song Lanchuan reclined on the sofa, beckoning her with a finger. "Yaoyao, come here."
"Gege!" Song Yaoyao cried out, sprinting into his embrace.
Huo Yunque: "..."
Zhong Li: "..."
Both men suddenly felt like they had been discarded like yesterday's trash.
Zhong Li nudged Huo Yunque, whispering mockingly, "Doesn't matter how powerful you are, the real brother is back. You're just a backup now!"
Huo Yunque rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Huo Qi, show him the door."
"Wait!" Song Yaoyao interjected. "Was Huo Ningxi part of this scheme too?"
"Him?" Zhong Li glanced at the stoic Huo Yunque and shook his head. "No one recruited him. He just sensed something was off and forced his way in."
Since the world already believed Huo Yunque detested his nephew, Huo Ningxi simply used that rumor to his advantage to take the lead.
In truth, none of this was his burden to carry.
Song Yaoyao went quiet, her long lashes veiling her thoughts. It seemed that despite everything, Huo Ningxi had ultimately chosen to support her.
Song Lanchuan glanced sharply at the talkative Zhong Li, his eyes flashing a silent warning. He gently stroked Song Yaoyao’s hair to soothe her.
Thud—
Suddenly, a bound figure was tossed into the room.
The man was tied up like a cocoon, his clothes stained with blood from his failed escape. Even in his pathetic state, he held his head high, a sight that was almost comical.
Song Yaoyao recognized him instantly.
"It's you!" she exclaimed. It was the man from Alice’s fake funeral. "Armand?"
"Oh? You remember me?"
Armand spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned at Huo Yunque. "Huo, my old friend, time hasn't softened your cruelty one bit."
"I'm a mere amateur compared to you."
Huo Yunque looked away from Song Yaoyao. Seeing the battered Armand, he felt a wave of exhaustion. He tossed a weapon down and commanded, "Take him away."
The man’s sentence was passed.
Faced with his impending end, Armand’s bravado crumbled into terror. "No! Wait... Huo, we're friends! Give me a second chance!"
"Ha..."
Huo Yunque let out a dry, amused sound. He tilted his head, his phoenix-eyes cold. "We aren't friends. We never were."
"Damn you! Let me go!"
Realizing there would be no mercy, Armand began a string of curses, but he was silenced and dragged away regardless.
A single shot rang out, and then there was only silence.
Throughout the ordeal, Song Yaoyao stayed tucked in Song Lanchuan's arms, her eyes closed as if she were sleeping. Only a slight twitch of her eyelashes at the sound of the gun betrayed her.
Song Lanchuan frowned at the noise. "You're frightening her."
"No, it's okay, I'm fine!"
Song Yaoyao waved her hands quickly. She caught Huo Yunque’s eye and immediately blushed. He seemed to have anticipated her reaction, a charming, handsome smile lighting up his face.
Suddenly, her head was turned away by her brother's hand, and she met Song Lanchuan’s knowing gaze.
"Yaoyao, what exactly are you staring at?"
Caught in her infatuation, Song Yaoyao felt like she could die of embarrassment.
"Nothing! I wasn't looking at anything!" She shielded her face and shook her head fervently.
Song Lanchuan hummed, smoothing her hair. "I certainly hope so."
Song Yaoyao gulped, peeking through her fingers at her brother’s dangerous expression.
She was in deep trouble...
The room fell into a tense silence as the two men engaged in a silent battle of wills.
Finally, Huo Qi entered, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
Song Yaoyao breathed a sigh of relief, silently promising Huo Qi a massive bonus in her head for the rescue.
"By the way, Miss Song, what should be done with that woman?"
He directed the question to her, bypassing Huo Yunque entirely.
Song Yaoyao blinked, her face still pink. "Song Jingwan?"
"Yes. Though truthfully, even if we do nothing, her future is bleak," Huo Qi noted.
"Why is that?" she asked, curious.
"She has contracted AIDS," Huo Qi revealed.
The news left Song Yaoyao momentarily speechless. After a long pause, she managed to whisper, "AI..."
Song Lanchuan gripped the back of her neck gently and made the executive decision. "Dump her somewhere and leak her location to her enemies. We won't get our hands dirty; others will finish the job."
If she wanted to survive, she would have to live like a rat in the sewers, stripped of her identity and dignity.
Either way, she was no longer a threat.
Huo Qi hesitated, his eyes darting between his Master and Song Lanchuan. He had heard this man was Miss Song’s biological brother—making him the Master’s future brother-in-law!
This was a tactical nightmare.
"Yaoyao, what's your take?"
"Ah... I'm fine with whatever you decide!"
Song Yaoyao hadn't expected Song Jingwan to bring about her own destruction before she even had a chance to retaliate.
"Just one thing—how did she get sick?"
Huo Qi grinned. "Armand. She was his mistress. Delia is infected too, which is exactly why Delia tried to kill her—for sleeping with Armand!"
Song Yaoyao was stunned. "...I see."
She supposed that was the irony of someone with a 'protagonist' complex; they always attracted messy drama.
With that, Song Jingwan’s fate was sealed.
As the chaos settled, a sense of emptiness washed over Song Yaoyao. She looked around the hall, her eyes eventually resting on Song Lanchuan.
She had a mountain of questions and no idea where to begin.
Reading her mind, Song Lanchuan laughed and pinched her cheek. "Go upstairs, take a hot bath, and get some rest. I'll explain everything when you wake up, alright?"
Song Yaoyao clung to his shirt, terrified that her long-lost family might vanish again if she closed her eyes.
"Be a good girl," Song Lanchuan insisted, his gaze softening.
Before she could protest, she was lifted into a familiar, fragrant embrace.
"I'll take her up to her room."
Huo Yunque gave a slight nod and carried her toward the stairs.
"Gege, I'm not—"
"Shh."
Huo Yunque pressed a soft kiss to her brow. "I promise you, when you wake up, nothing will have changed. Everything will still be here."
His deep, melodic voice acted like a soothing balm.
Exhausted from the flight and the emotional rollercoaster of the night, Song Yaoyao felt her strength fading. As if under a spell, her eyes grew heavy, though she still gripped his lapels. "You promise?"
"I promise," he whispered.
The moment her body hit the soft mattress, she drifted into a deep sleep.
Huo Yunque, remembering how she had clung to Song Lanchuan earlier, felt a twinge of possessiveness. He gave her nose a playful pinch. "You little traitor."
...
Downstairs, Zhong Li adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "Um, you..."
Whoosh—
A sharp gaze landed on him. Song Lanchuan crossed his legs and smiled thinly. "Mr. Zhong Li, do you know the feeling of watching a pig eat the cabbage you spent years growing?"
Zhong Li: "...I can't say I do."
"That is exactly how I feel right now."
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Song Lanchuan stood up and unbuttoned his cuffs. "And because of that, I'm in a very foul mood."
Zhong Li watched in silence as the two men immediately came to blows the moment they were face-to-face.
There was no finesse, just raw, heavy strikes. The sound of fists hitting flesh made Zhong Li wince in sympathy.
The hall was quickly trashed. Zhong Li watched, increasingly impressed.
He hadn't expected Song Yaoyao’s mystery brother to be such a formidable fighter, holding his own against Huo Yunque.
After a long while, the two men backed off, panting heavily.
Both were covered in bruises and scrapes.
Zhong Li clicked his tongue, thinking Huo Yunque was an idiot. When the little girl woke up and saw her brother beaten up, her heart would break!
If it were him, he’d have just taken the beating to score points.
Suddenly, Song Lanchuan stood up and offered a hand to Huo Yunque. "You alright?"
Huo Yunque smirked. "Naturally."
Pulling himself up, the two men exchanged a look and shared a brief smile.
"I didn't disappoint you, did I? Brother?"
Cough... hack! Zhong Li nearly choked on his own breath.
Brother? What in the world!
Hearing that word come out of Huo Yunque’s mouth was surreal.
He waited for Song Lanchuan to explode and punch him again. Instead, Song Lanchuan threw an arm around Huo Yunque’s shoulder, and they shared a respectful fist bump.
"Thank you."
It was a silent seal of approval.
Zhong Li: "..."
Fine then.
I clearly don't belong in this conversation.