Chapter 112

Huo Yueze was in the midst of his middle school entrance exams. Although the pressure wasn't intense, his studies kept him busy, and he also faced the same herbal soup task as Huo Guining.

"Come on, this one's for Ning Ning, and this one's for Aze," Zheng Jinxiu enthusiastically placed the soup bowls in front of the two.

Considering Ning Ning had just recovered from a cold, Zheng Jinxiu had added extra ingredients to hers.

The siblings exchanged glances across the dining table.

Huo Guining, with the air of someone who'd been through it all, advised, "Brother, this herbal soup is quite good."

Despite her words, her posture as she drank the soup resembled that of someone resigned to their fate.

Huo Yueze thought: There's no need for that.

All of this happened behind Zheng Jinxiu's back.

When Zheng Jinxiu sat down at the table, the siblings greeted her with identical smiles: "Grandma, the herbal soup you made is absolutely delicious!"

Huo Xiaozheng: I can't bear to watch.

After dinner, Old Master Huo called Huo Xiaozheng to his study.

Huo Yueze and Huo Guining each held a fruit platter, sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, resembling old folks gossiping at the village entrance.

"Sister, is North City fun?"

Huo Guining lay like a lazy fish, popping a grape into her mouth: "It's alright, the scenery is quite nice."

Huo Yueze complained, "Why didn't you take me along? I could have been part of the parent-child program too!"

Huo Guining shook her head wearily: "It's all little kids. You'd get tired looking after them."

Huo Yueze imagined a flock of ducklings circling around him and couldn't help but shudder.

"Well, never mind then. After my entrance exams, let's go on a trip together, shall we?"

Hearing the words 'entrance exams', Huo Guining sat up straight: "Brother, which high school are you aiming for?"

Huo Yueze took some time to explain to Ning Ning that he was currently in a prestigious private school with both middle and high school sections. If his scores met the standard, he could directly enter the high school section.

"Ning Ning, will you be starting elementary school in the second half of the year?" Huo Yueze asked casually.

Thinking of her private tutor, Huo Guining hesitated: "I probably won't be going."

Huo Yueze: "Won't you get bored?"

Huo Guining: "I suppose so."

After pondering for a moment, Huo Guining thought: "If I went to sixth grade, would the classmates be less rowdy?"

Huo Yueze paused: "Ning Ning, sixth grade isn't kindergarten. You can't go there..."

Huo Guining smiled mischievously: "My tutor suggested I start directly with middle school knowledge, you know~"

Huo Yueze's expression froze.

On the day the variety show aired, Zheng Jinxiu specially gathered the Huo family to watch together.

Huo Xiaozheng also cleared his evening schedule, and the family sat comfortably on the sofa, waiting for the show to start.

Due to editing, the official broadcast differed quite a bit from what actually happened.

The show opened with a stunningly handsome shot of Huo Xiaozheng standing on the second floor.

As the camera switched, Huo Guining appeared on the screen.

Her rosy cheeks and slightly babyish whining made the elders exclaim how adorable she was.

The joy was theirs, the embarrassment was Huo Guining's.

She buried her face in her piggy plush, not daring to look up.

Zheng Jinxiu teased, "Is Ning Ning feeling shy?"

Huo Guining nodded frantically.

Zheng Jinxiu laughed, "If I hadn't seen it on TV, I wouldn't have known Ning Ning looked so cute when waking up!"

Huo Guining shyly raised her head, reached past Huo Xiaozheng to hug Zheng Jinxiu, and softly said, "Love you, Grandma."

Huo Yueze let out a strange cry: "Oh~ Only love for Grandma~ Brother hasn't seen Ning Ning looking so cute either!"

Huo Guining didn't fall for it: "Well, now you've seen it."

She pointed towards the TV screen.

Huo Yueze: My sister looks super cute even when she's sassing me!

At this moment, Zhang Ling's impolite comment suddenly rang out.

Huo Guining glanced at Huo Xiaozheng, her eyes filled with disbelief.

She hadn't expected Huo Xiaozheng to allow the production team to include this line in the final cut.

Huo Yueze was the first to get angry: "How dare that brat speak so rudely? Uncle, why didn't you punch him!"

Huo Xiaozheng gave him a sidelong glance: "How do you know I didn't?"

Huo Guining was shocked: "Dad, did you really hit Zhang Ling in private?!"

Huo Xiaozheng: "No, Dad didn't."

He had only beaten the boy black and blue with his eyes.

Huo Yueze snorted: "Just let me run into that kid, I'll definitely..."

Zuo Qinfang slapped the back of his head: "What are you going to do? Getting above yourself, aren't you? Haven't I always told you to learn from your uncle? What have you been learning all this time?"

Huo Yueze looked bewildered: Learn from uncle to do what? To be a spiritual Ah Q?

Huo Xiaozheng gave a cold smile.

In the art of war, the supreme excellence is to subdue the enemy without fighting, to kill without spilling blood.