C10 You Silly Girl

Jing Yeli glanced at the white bandage on Hua Xiangxue's forehead, raising an eyebrow slightly. Hua Xiangxue could clearly see the disdain in his eyes.

"What do you mean by standing up for yourself? Is there really someone bullying you at the Hua Mansion?" Jing Yeli didn't speak further, but his attendant did.

It was obvious that if anyone dared to bully Hua Xiangxue, it would mean she was being mistreated in her own home. Sending her to the Li Duke Mansion would certainly be seen as an insult to the Duke.

Hua Gongfeng understood the implication. He quickly moved to help Hua Xiangxue up, but she remained seated, looking firmly at him. "Dad, someone bullied me. You have to stand up for me!"

With the recipient of her complaint present and seemingly influential, she needed to ensure her past grievances were addressed. Hua Gongfeng's winks and gestures were ignored by Hua Xiangxue.

"Come on, you silly girl. Who would dare bully you at the Hua Mansion? Were you being mischievous again?" Hua Gongfeng said, trying to help her up.

Realizing that sitting on the ground was uncomfortable and that she couldn't clearly see the person in front of her, Hua Xiangxue stood up. Once she got a good look at Jing Yeli, she couldn't tear her eyes away.

Oh my gosh, what kind of stunning looks are these? Even a painting couldn’t capture such beauty and elegance. Is this really the person I'm supposed to meet in the future? If the recipient looks like this, who cares if they're short-lived—wait a minute!

Hua Xiangxue took a closer look at the man in front of her, trying to gauge his lifespan, but for some reason, she felt a bit dizzy. As expected, she had spent too much time fooling around in her past life and not enough on learning the mystical arts, so now she couldn't even manage a simple calculation.

However, based on her perception of his features, she didn't think this man had a short life ahead of him. On the contrary, he seemed to have the look of someone destined for great fortune. She pressed her lips together, her face turning red.

Look at those features—more seasoned than a young heartthrob, yet fresher than an old soul. Could he be a glitch, accidentally dropped into the mortal world? Such features are truly unparalleled.

Seeing Hua Xiangxue nearly drooling, Hua Gongfeng quickly broke the awkward silence. "Li Duke, this is my eldest daughter, Hua Xiangxue."

Hearing her father introduce her, Hua Xiangxue wiped the drool from her mouth and smiled at Jing Yeli, offering her own introduction.

"My name is Snow Hua. Nice to meet you for the first time. Please guide me—"

Hua Gongfeng: "..."

Jing Yeli: "..."

Xia Wen: "..."

Snow Hua suddenly realized her mistake and quickly turned her head. "Dad, it's Yunjin. She's bullying me."

Hua Gongfeng's face turned pale. This troublesome girl was complaining about Hua Yunjin in front of Duke Li. What was she thinking? Could she really be so cunning to seek revenge on her sister like this?

"Xiangxue, stop fooling around. Yunjin has always been gentle and sensible. How could she bully you? Are you two joking around again?" Hua Gongfeng spoke with a smile, but his fake affection made Snow Hua's skin crawl.

Since she had arrived in this world, it was the first time she had seen Hua Gongfeng. The original owner's impression of him seemed vague at best. It was clear that Hua Gongfeng had been an absent father in her life. Just like they say, with a stepmother comes a stepfather.

Moreover, Snow Hua noticed that Hua Gongfeng had many crow's feet, which were chaotic and extended towards his temples, a sign of a man destined to bring misfortune to his wife.

"Snow Hua!" A voice filled with anger called out from not far away. It was Hua Yunjin, approaching quickly.

Of course, Hua Yunjin had never met the Duke, so she didn't recognize that the man standing nearby was Jing Yeli. She only saw Hua Xiangxue from a distance and knew she was here to complain, which made her furious.

Hua Xiangxue smirked and quickly grabbed her father’s coat, hiding behind him. "Dad, she's trying to steal my jade pendant!"

Hua Gongfeng couldn’t see Hua Xiangxue’s expression behind him, but when he saw Hua Yunjin running over looking so upset, he stomped his foot. "Dad, you have to do something about her! She took my jade pendant!"

Seeing Hua Yunjin so distressed, with tears in her eyes, Hua Gongfeng was naturally inclined to protect his daughter, momentarily forgetting about Jing Yeli standing beside him.

"Xiangxue, what jade pendant did you take from Yunjin? Hand it over right now!"

Without even looking, Hua Gongfeng assumed it was Hua Xiangxue who had taken the pendant, and a cold glint flashed in Hua Xiangxue’s eyes. So, this is how a stepfather acts.

"This pendant is mine; I didn’t take it from her," Hua Xiangxue said, tucking the pendant into her coat, but Jing Yeli, standing to the side, noticed it immediately.

Xia Wen also sensed something was off and wanted to step forward, but Jing Yeli held out a hand to stop him.

Xia Wen stood by Jing Yeli’s side, ready to watch the scene unfold.