Vol. 1 - Ch. 161 - Evil

On the car ride, YouCheng clung tightly to HuMing’s sleeve, refusing to let go, and HuMing allowed it without saying anything.Sitting nearby, Xia XiaoXi watched curiously.

She was well aware that HuMing was using a different identity here, so asking about his relationship with this child would only risk exposing him. However, judging by the child’s behavior and HuMing’s earlier attitude, Xia XiaoXi deduced that this boy must be someone very important to HuMing.

HuMing glanced at YouCheng beside him. Despite his explanations, the boy stubbornly refused to believe him.

YouCheng clung to HuMing, determined to bring him back to the orphanage.

The car slowed and stopped in front of an imposing building.

Standing at the entrance was a girl, waiting quietly. The moment the car stopped, she walked straight toward it.

YouCheng eagerly pushed the door open. Upon seeing the girl, he exclaimed excitedly, “Sister Kang Xin, I found Brother Ming!”

He pulled HuMing from the car, his face glowing with excitement as though he had uncovered some earth-shattering secret.

Kang Xin first glanced at HuMing, then at YouCheng. Her expression darkened as her gaze fell upon the bruises on the boy’s face.

“YouCheng, what happened to your face?”

Not only that, Kang Xin noticed his dirt-streaked clothes, as if he had rolled around in mud. She knew how much YouCheng valued keeping his clothes clean and tidy, always taking great care of them.

Seeing him like this, Kang Xin immediately sensed that something was wrong.

“I… let’s not talk about that now. Sister Kang Xin, this is Brother Ming!”

As the topic shifted, HuMing slowly raised his head to look at Kang Xin, his tone gentle.

“Kang Xin, I didn’t expect you to live here. Is this child your…”

“My little brother. HuMing, was it you who found him?”

“Yes, he was being cornered and beaten in an alley. It seemed like an extortion attempt. I think you should look into this matter.”

Their conversation puzzled YouCheng, who frowned and asked, “Sister Kang Xin, why are you talking strangely?”

Kang Xin sighed softly and placed her hand on YouCheng’s head.

“YouCheng, he’s not the young master. His name is HuMing, not Han HuMing.”

“What? I don’t understand what you’re saying?”

“YouCheng, the young master hasn’t been found yet. This boy is my classmate. It just so happens that he looks identical to the young master, but he’s not him.”

Kang Xin’s words left YouCheng frozen in place. He stared at Kang Xin and then at HuMing.

The person in front of him, who looked exactly like the one from his memories, now gave him a faint smile.

How could they not be the same person?

“Sister Kang Xin, is that really true?”

“YouCheng, I have no reason to lie to you. More than anyone, I want the young master to come back.”

Kang Xin comforted YouCheng.

But YouCheng suddenly shook her hand off and shouted, “I don’t believe it! I refuse to believe it!”

Clenching his teeth, he bolted toward the orphanage. Kang Xin instinctively reached out to stop him but ultimately didn’t.

She turned her head, briefly glanced at Xia XiaoXi in the car, and then looked back at HuMing.

“HuMing, thank you for your help today.”

“No trouble. But I think this isn’t the first time something like this has happened to him. You should be more cautious.”

“I will,” Kang Xin replied briefly before turning away.

HuMing watched her disappearing figure with little expression. He knew Kang Xin would handle it well.

…

Xia XiaoXi didn’t ask HuMing for details, though her restraint was only surface-deep. She planned to interrogate him thoroughly once they got home.

Who was that child to him? And what about Kang Xin? Not only was she his classmate, but she had apparently been his maid!

Did she know his real identity?

A whirlwind of questions filled Xia XiaoXi with excitement. Like an adventurer uncovering hidden secrets, she couldn’t wait to unravel the mystery.

After parting ways with HuMing, the driver in the front seat spoke up.

“Miss, you may not like me saying this, but I think you should distance yourself from that friend. Regardless of his intentions, judging by his actions today, he seems dangerous.”

“Don’t worry. If he wanted to harm me, he would’ve done so already. Besides, I came to this school specifically because of him!” Sёarch* The ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Her words nearly made the driver choke.

So that was why she insisted on attending this school—it was all because of this boy!

Fine, there was no point in arguing further.

“Alright. But this weekend, we still need to visit the Han family and meet the family head and the young master.”

Uninterested, Xia XiaoXi twirled her hair and gazed at the city lights outside.

This vibrant nightlife was the norm in this city.

***

As soon as HuMing returned home, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Liang Feng, asking for the list of students from YouCheng’s school.

Those students had dared to act like that, which meant it wasn’t their first time.

They weren’t bullying him because of his name, his height, or his looks, nor because he was poor or for any other reason—they bullied him because he was easy to bully.

Giving in and avoiding them would only make things worse. The only way to stop it was to stand up for himself and escalate the situation.

HuMing’s slap today had been the perfect warning.

Sometimes, reasoning with certain people was a waste of breath. Rules only restrained those who followed them. For those who didn’t, rules became shields for their misconduct. In that case, they couldn’t blame him for disregarding the rules.

Liang Feng quickly replied, asking if he needed help with the matter. HuMing declined. For now, he couldn’t afford to let anyone know about his connection with Liang Feng.