Chapter 8: Huo Wenchang, Did I Ever Promise to Marry You?

Lin Anning had a bad night's sleep last night, the moment she closed her eyes, she began to have nightmares from her previous life.

She only fell asleep when dawn was near and was naturally aware of Su Jiaojiao sneaking out of the house; she didn't care at all.

She had wanted to sleep a bit more, but there was Zhao Hua, unrelenting, knocking on the door outside.

"What time is it already? Get up quickly, your auntie Ren's leg is in severe pain, go take a look…"

The persistent knocking on the door caused Lin Anning's head to throb with pain.

It was as if Zhao Hua would keep knocking until she got up.

Frowning, she got up, dressed, and opened the door.

"I know!"

Just as she reached the staircase, she saw Ren Jing holding Su Jiaojiao's hand, with Huo Wenchang sitting on the other side.

She didn't know what Su Jiaojiao said, but it made Ren Jing laugh heartily, and even Huo Wenchang chuckled lightly.

Looking at them, the family of three seemed very harmonious.

Perhaps having heard footsteps, Su Jiaojiao looked up to see Lin Anning and quickly stood up.

"Sister, you're up? I knew you were tired, so I didn't disturb you this morning."

"I've brought Brother Wenchang back, you two haven't seen each other for a while now, so you must have a lot to talk about, you, come over and sit."

In front of others, Su Jiaojiao always behaved timidly, as if she were the one being bullied at home.

Huo Wenchang glanced up and saw Lin Anning, his eyebrows knitting together in dissatisfaction.

He had come all the way from Beijing, and Lin Anning showed no concern for him, still sleeping in like a lazyhead, in this, she couldn't compare to Su Jiaojiao at all.

Lin Anning walked up to Ren Jing and took a careful look.

"The wound is much better than yesterday; the recovery is going well, don't break the blister, remember to apply the burn ointment, and it shouldn't scar."

This nonchalant remark was obviously not enough to satisfy Ren Jing.

Even for the wealthy Huo Family, a hundred yuan was a significant amount.

She had only been worried about scarring yesterday, but after being reminded by Jiaojiao, she regretted deeply.

If Lin Anning was so eager to be her daughter-in-law, what was wrong with providing some scar-removal ointment?

She touched her leg and sighed.

"Anning, my leg is really in severe pain, so why don't you give it a massage?"

After all, it was a hundred yuan! She needed to feel like she was getting her money's worth, right?

Su Jiaojiao glanced at Lin Anning and quickly squatted down, smiling obediently.

"Auntie Jing, my sister's health isn't good, let me massage it for you!"

Ren Jing supported Su Jiaojiao with one hand, letting her sit next to her, and looked at Lin Anning with a smirk.

"You've always been working hard outside since you were young, never having the chance to learn medical skills from your grandfather."

"Anning, you should do it! You know the acupressure points, it will feel more comfortable."

"I think Jiaojiao must be tired from fetching Wenchang today too, after you've massaged my leg, remember to massage hers. Oh yes, and your mother too, don't forget."

Ren Jing said this, leaning back in her chair with her eyes narrowed, confident that in front of Huo Wenchang, Lin Anning wouldn't dare refuse.

Lin Anning maintained a smile on her face, appearing sincere.

However, the words she uttered struck directly at Ren Jing's heart.

"Auntie Ren, what I learned from grandfather was medical knowledge, not how to wait on people."

"What era are we in now? Haven't you shed your capitalist lady's airs yet? If this gets out, it would be as if Grandpa Huo's backbone had been pierced through by others."

"If you are really in pain, shall I call Grandpa Huo for you later and ask him to find you a more reliable doctor?"

"You…"

Ren Jing, incensed, sat up. In the past no matter how much she provoked, Lin Anning wouldn't even dare to fart, let alone complain, and now she had learned to use the old master to pressure her?

If the old master knew she was treating Lin Anning this way, he would undoubtedly support Lin Anning.

By the time Ren Jing recovered her wits and thought to scold her, Lin Anning had already finished washing up and had left the house.

Ren Jing snorted coldly and glanced at Huo Wenchang.

"Thinking she could marry into the Huo Family? In her dreams!"

Huo Wenchang couldn't hold back anymore and hurriedly chased after her.

"Lin Anning, stop right there!"

He chased up to Lin Anning and blocked her path.

"Go back, apologize to my mother. And, give her leg a proper massage."

"No? What are you thinking? We're about to get married, and you still don't know to curry favor with my mom?"

"If it weren't for my mom being so nice, do you think she'd agree to let me marry a comrade, a girl with frail health who hasn't even been to college?"

Huo Wenchang looked at Lin Anning's face, reddened by the sun, like a fine white porcelain suffused with a hint of pink.

Stunning, enticing.

He had always known that Lin Anning was beautiful, more so than all the other female comrades he had ever seen.

So the first time he saw her after they had grown up, he fell for her.

He didn't mind that Lin Anning was in poor health, nor did he care that she came from the countryside and hadn't been to college.

Yet Lin Anning showed no gratitude at all; on the contrary, she was putting on airs.

In the past, because the Lin Family only had this one daughter, and there was no point of comparison, it was let go.

Now that Su Jiaojiao had returned, he needed to make Lin Anning realize that she wasn't irreplaceable.

The sun was scorching, unbearably so.

Lin Anning used her hands to create a little shade over her head and frowned as she looked at Huo Wenchang standing before her.

He had his hair in the fashionable 7-to-3 parting, wearing a pair of thin-framed glasses.

Because he was pale and thin, he looked somewhat scholarly.

In her previous life, Lin Anning had been deceived by his appearance, which was as feeble as a chicken, thinking he was a good person.

In public, he was always gentle and considerate, but in private, he never missed an opportunity to put her down and belittle her.

He would say she was good for nothing, that being able to marry a good comrade like him meant her ancestors' graves were smoking with luck.

She, being criticized as utterly worthless, felt deeply inferior and tried hard to please everyone to obtain their approval.

But in the end, all she got from them was, "She doesn't even deserve to carry Jiaojiao's shoes."

"Huo Wenchang!"

Lin Anning looked at him coldly, cutting off his endless chatter.

"Did I ever say I wanted to marry you?"

"What?"

Huo Wenchang was taken aback, as if he hadn't heard her clearly.

He took a step forward, intending to grab Lin Anning's hand.

But Lin Anning was already on guard and stepped back to avoid him.

"There's a marriage agreement between the Huo Family and the Lin Family; Grandfather Huo told me that among the eligible children of the Huo Family, I could choose someone I like to marry."

"But I have never said who I want to marry."

"It's you who've always been hovering around me, telling everyone that I'll marry you."

In that last sentence, Lin Anning enunciated every word seriously, afraid that Huo Wenchang would not hear her clearly.

"Listen well, I don't want to marry you."

From the beginning to the end, the man she wanted to marry was never Huo Wenchang.

It was just that in her last life, she was too shy to resist and was cornered by manipulation, with no chance to refuse.

Just when they were on the brink of marriage, Lin Anning spoke such words, and Huo Wenchang became infuriated.

He lunged forward and grabbed Lin Anning's slender wrist, grinding his teeth as he asked.

"If you don't want to marry me, who do you want to marry?"

Lin Anning's wrist hurt; she didn't need to look to know it would be bruising.

"Let go!"

Huo Wenchang snapped back to reality and glanced at people passing by the alley entrance after work. Still conscious of saving face, he let go of her hand.

"Hmph, don't even think about it."

Lin Anning, rubbing her wrist, sprinted away quickly; Huo Wenchang watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.

He looked at his hand with some regret; he really did like Lin Anning, it was just that she infuriated him!

"Brother Wenchang!"

Su Jiaojiao hopped over to Huo Wenchang playfully, tilting her head and giving him a slight smile.

"Auntie Ren said you came to Jiangcheng—could you take me out for a stroll?"

Although he had intended to follow Lin Anning, for some reason, when he met Su Jiaojiao's eyes, Huo Wenchang gently nodded.

"Alright!"