C14 Do You Still Want to Keep Him for the Night?

When Huo Mengmeng descended the stairs, Soong Zicheng had already departed. Spotting Leng Huaiqing emerging from the kitchen, she instinctively inquired, "Did Soong Zicheng leave so soon after arriving?"

Her question was straightforward, yet somehow, it took on a different tone in Leng Huaiqing's ears. It felt as though the young lady was reproaching him for sending Soong Zicheng away too hastily.

Already harboring discontent over Huo Mengmeng secretly dating Soong Zicheng at school without his knowledge, Leng Huaiqing's mood soured further upon hearing her seemingly challenge him over the young man's departure. With a stern expression, he retorted, "Do you really wish he had stayed the night?"

Huo Mengmeng couldn't fathom what peculiar thought process led Leng Huaiqing to interpret her casual question as a desire to have Soong Zicheng stay overnight. Yet, as the grandson of his grandfather, it would have been perfectly acceptable for Soong Zicheng to spend the night. After all, who hasn't stayed at their grandparents' house before?

Having shared a home for over a decade, Huo Mengmeng had grown accustomed to Leng Huaiqing's inexplicable ways. His moods were unpredictable and often changed abruptly, but she had learned to take them in stride.

"I just wanted to ask him if the promotional poster for the Top 10 Singers I sent him earlier was okay. But since he's gone, I'll just ask him on Monday," Huo Mengmeng said offhandedly.

With that, she intended to grab her sketchpad and head to the garden to practice her drawing. Despite Leng Huaiqing canceling her art class, she couldn't afford to fall behind. As a medical student aspiring to be a doctor, mastering the skill of drawing by hand was essential.

Before Huo Mengmeng could step out of the living room, Leng Huaiqing's deep voice reached her ears once more. "Do you have that much free time?" he asked. "Have you prepared for next Wednesday's exam?" His tone implied criticism, suggesting she shouldn't be focusing on poster designs so close to her exams.

Huo Mengmeng was brimming with confidence in her academic abilities. She had reviewed the material for the exam not once, but twice. What more was there to gain from another look?

With this in mind, she responded with ease, "I'm certain I'll be at the top of my class for the exam next Wednesday. You have my word!"

"That confident?" Leng Huaiqing's lips quirked up, revealing an odd smirk.

Yet, moments later, his tone was as steady as ever when he stated, "If you don't secure first place, you'll have to deal with the consequences."

His stern demeanor provoked an internal eye roll from Huo Mengmeng, who thought to herself, "He's such an unfeeling, cold-hearted tyrant!" But she was well accustomed to Leng Huaiqing's icy ways and didn't take his comment seriously.

Since starting university, she had never once relinquished her position as the top student in her year.

After watching Leng Huaiqing ascend the staircase, Huo Mengmeng didn't dwell on the interaction. She grabbed her sketchpad and headed for the garden, where she spent the entire afternoon immersed in her art.

It wasn't until the housekeeper called her to dinner that she noticed the evening had crept in.

"I understand, Mr. Hee. I'm wrapping up now," she called back, not looking up from her work.

But the so-called wrapping up stretched on for fifteen minutes and still wasn't complete.

When she heard footsteps approaching again, Huo Mengmeng assumed it was Mr. Hee and said offhandedly, "Mr. Hee, I'm almost done. Just a few final touches left."

To her surprise, the response that reached her ears was a low, irritated voice.

"Do I really need to ask you three times for dinner? What happened to your time management?"