Chapter 42: It seemed she truly loathed him...

Startled, Wen Ying jumped back instinctively.

A girl’s urgent apology sounded from behind: "I'm so sorry, miss! My drone seems to be malfunctioning; it's flying out of control. Are you hurt?"

Wen Ying turned around to find a girl in her teens, dressed in a hospital gown. Her pretty, fresh-faced doll-like features were filled with genuine remorse.

Wen Ying shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

The girl let out a sigh of relief. "That’s a relief. I don't know what happened; it just suddenly went haywire."

Wen Ying looked at the drone and handed the box of desserts she was carrying to the girl. "Do you mind if I take a look at it for you?"

The girl’s eyes lit up in surprise. "Not at all!" She took the desserts from Wen Ying, and upon seeing the small cookies inside, her eyes sparkled.

Wen Ying switched off the drone and inspected it. "It looks like a flight system glitch. That’s why it couldn't follow its preset path. I need to check if there's a calibration error with the gyroscope or the sensors."

The girl watched her with admiration. "Miss, you're amazing!"

After a quick adjustment, Wen Ying handed it back. "It should be much better now. Want to try it?"

The girl did a test flight, and sure enough, it was smooth and seamless.

"Huo Fuyi!"

A man’s anxious voice came from behind. Wen Ying glanced to the side and saw Huo Jinran running toward them, clearly frantic from having lost track of her.

Huo Fuyi instinctively hid behind Wen Ying.

When Huo Jinran reached them and saw Wen Ying, he paused for a brief moment. "Miss Wen?"

Wen Ying asked, "Are you her...?"

"Her brother." Huo Jinran looked at Huo Fuyi and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's my younger sister. She’s been sick, but she snuck out. I've been looking for her everywhere. Thank you."

Wen Ying shook her head. "It's nothing."

Huo Jinran noticed that Wen Ying seemed to have no interest in making small talk. Her demeanor was polite but distant. He pressed his lips together, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Are you and my brother friends, Miss?" Huo Fuyi asked, her eyes bright as she sensed the tension between them.

Wen Ying frowned slightly at the word "friends." They were far from it. If anything, they were more like people who mutually despised each other.

Sensing her thoughts, Huo Jinran paused before saying, "We've known each other for a long time."

Huo Fuyi glanced at her brother. For some reason, he seemed rather awkward in front of this woman.

"Miss, can I add you on WeChat?" Huo Fuyi really liked Wen Ying; she trusted her instincts, and besides, the woman was brilliant! To understand such complex drone technology was impressive.

Wen Ying hesitated. Seeing her discomfort, Huo Jinran interjected, "It's alright, if it's an inconvenience..."

"It's fine. I'll scan your code," Wen Ying said. She couldn't bring herself to refuse a girl's sincere request, so she agreed.

Huo Fuyi was delighted, her eyes curving into smiles. "Thank you for fixing my drone! Can I treat you to a meal another day?"

Wen Ying offered a faint smile. "It was a small matter." She gestured toward the cookies in the girl's arms. "I made these myself. If you like them, feel free to have some."

Huo Fuyi looked at Wen Ying with even greater joy. "Thank you, miss!"

Wen Ying gave a polite nod to Huo Jinran and turned to leave.

Huo Jinran, not knowing what had come over him, blurted out, "Shall I give you a ride?"

Wen Ying paused, finding him rather strange. "No need, thank you."

Huo Jinran watched her walk away, his gaze lingering for a long time. He used to think that Wen Ying, in her desire to please Lu Jinchuan, would always be fawning over them, forever gentle and mild-mannered, never showing anger regardless of how poorly they treated her.

It wasn't like this before. Now, she was so composed, yet strikingly cold and distant. It truly seemed as though she disliked him.

"Brother?" Huo Fuyi poked him, looking suspicious. "Why do you keep staring at her?"

Huo Jinran snapped out of his trance. "Send me her WeChat contact."

***

When Wen Ying got home, she saw a friend request from Huo Jinran.

In the past, Cheng Mu and Huo Jinran had looked down on her and wouldn't have bothered to add her. Why now? Was something the matter?

Wen Ying didn't give it much thought. She accepted the request and went to take a shower.