She Became The Black Lotus’s Pure, Untouchable Love - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The books say there is a condition called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.

It stems from a highly deceptive neurological phenomenon. This ailment causes everything within a patient’s sight to appear as if viewed through a kaleidoscope—inverted, reversed, blurred, and dreamlike. It is exactly like the fairy tale penned by Lewis Carroll.

Watching Ning Xiangxiang’s curved eyes, the surprise and joy on her face when she hit the triple zone, and hearing her every gasp of wonder for her—all of it made Huo Xingyu feel as though she had become a sufferer of this syndrome.

Bit by bit, she felt dizzy within Ning Xiangxiang’s smile, as if the sky and earth were spinning because of it.

Why would a person be so happy over such ordinary little things?

Getting that pink bear. Hitting the 20-point triple zone. Even just playing a game of King of Fighters. All of it made Ning Xiangxiang laugh so happily.

Why, in the past, when she landed massive projects or secured her inheritance, had she never seen her laugh like this?

I must be ill, she thought with certainty. If not, why did every minute and second spent with her feel like being inside a surreal, misty fairy tale?

It must be… it must be because Ning Xiangxiang liked her too much, she thought. She was feeling lightheaded and airy within the embrace of Ning Xiangxiang’s affection.

Love—the thing she had siempre held in the lowest regard—was now making her head spin.

Huo Xingyu had never once felt a sense of dissatisfaction with herself. Even measuring by the yardstick of her brief past life, she considered herself to have nothing that could be called a regret.

But now, looking at Ning Xiangxiang, a tiny crack suddenly split open in her heart.

She needed Ning Xiangxiang to fill that crack with all her love. And Ning Xiangxiang certainly would, she thought confidently.

She could give her everything she wanted. For example, this giant pink bear. Or the jewelry, accessories, and luxury goods that everyone else loved. She could have anything she desired, as long as she stayed obedient and kept loving her.

As she walked back carrying the massive pink bear, she expected to see Ning Xiangxiang’s surprised gaze and the upward curve of her lips. But the moment she stepped forward, she saw Chi Jing.

The Chi Jing she had loathed since forever.

Ning Xiangxiang was indeed smiling, but not at her. And as Chi Jing sat in her seat, looking at Ning Xiangxiang with those frivolous peach-blossom eyes, a surge of indefinable emotion churned within Huo Xingyu.

Ning Xiangxiang was the person who liked her most—how could she stand there talking and laughing with the person she hated most?

She stood not far away, clutching the pink bear Ning Xiangxiang wanted, watching them. A stifling sense of grievance, for which she couldn’t name the cause, rose in her chest. It felt… as if Ning Xiangxiang had abandoned her.

It wasn’t until Chi Jing—who had clearly seen her but was pretending not to—looked up with feigned surprise and a provocative glint, asking:

“Is this your girlfriend?”

Huo Xingyu’s subconscious immediately denied the claim. Ning Xiangxiang wasn’t actually her girlfriend yet. Her logic told her she had no right to control Ning Xiangxiang; who she chose to talk to shouldn’t be influenced by her own likes or dislikes.

But then, she heard a statement that was classic Chi Jing:

“Oh? That works out. She’s exactly my type. Since you don’t want her, why not lend her to me for a bit of fun?”

That lazy, mocking tone caused the logical lectures in Huo Xingyu’s mind to collapse instantly.

Fun?

Ning Xiangxiang belonged to her. To her alone!

The pink bear in her hand tilted and slumped onto the ground as her fingers let go. Huo Xingyu’s rationality seemed to be hovering somewhere mid-air, watching as she heard herself say:

“This is my fiancée.”

The moment the words fell, she caught a glimpse of Ning Xiangxiang’s stunned expression out of the corner of her eye.

Fiancée?

Ning Xiangxiang was rooted to the spot by that single sentence. She stared in shock at Huo Xingyu and the giant stuffed bear.

Shouldn’t I just be a backup candidate for the fiancée position? How did I suddenly get promoted? There wasn’t even an investiture ceremony, and I’m already the Fourth Mrs. Huo again??

“Huo Xingyu, don’t you think I’d know if you had a fiancée? Besides, even if you want it, a young girl might not necessarily want to follow a freak like you…”

The mullet-headed woman in front of her broke free from Huo Xingyu’s grip. Her peach-blossom eyes looked at Ning Xiangxiang with a slight smile. “Standing next to the two of us, any normal person would know who to choose…”

Seeing the atmosphere between Mullet-head and Huo Xingyu—tense as two lions fighting for territory, ready to roar and bare their fangs the next second—Ning Xiangxiang didn’t have the courage to contradict Huo Xingyu or pull the rug out from under her.

Moreover, she intensely disliked this Mullet-head.

What did she mean by “If Huo Xingyu doesn’t want her, lend her to me for fun”? Had she already forgotten the scene where Ning Xiangxiang’s King of Fighters combos beat her into a pulp? This loser had no respect for the winner and even spoke so rudely!

Ning Xiangxiang narrowed her eyes, seeing the defiant look on Mullet-head’s face, which clearly signaled she didn’t believe the “fiancée” claim for a second.

Ning Xiangxiang bit her lower lip, feigning the look of a frail “white lotus.” Although she couldn’t stand up, she secretly used her strength to maneuver herself and her wheelchair closer to Huo Xingyu.

She reached out and gently took hold of Huo Xingyu’s cool, slender fingers.

Mullet-head’s hooligan-like words had made her decide to cooperate with Huo Xingyu in playing the part of a loving couple. She wanted to give Mullet-head a heavy blow and let her know that women who play King of Fighters are not to be trifled with.

It was just to support Huo Xingyu and teach Mullet-head a lesson. Despite her history of “trashy” films, she did have plenty of acting experience.

She leaned closer to Huo Xingyu, hooking her fingers and giving them two gentle tugs, whispering softly: “Don’t be angry.”

As their fingers intertwined, the temperature between them began to burn. With Ning Xiangxiang holding her hand and shrinking obediently into her territory, Huo Xingyu’s lips curled into a smile. She couldn’t hide the joy in her eyes, though her brows were filled with disdain as she looked at Chi Jing.

“Who would choose their own defeated opponent? Chi Jing, wouldn’t you agree?”

With that, her gaze swept over the characters jumping on the game console and the large “K.O.” on the screen, letting out a mocking laugh.

Seeing Huo Xingyu’s barely-contained smugness—her tail practically wagging in the air—Ning Xiangxiang couldn’t help but find it funny. She had lived with Huo Xingyu for ten years and had never seen her look so… alive.

In her memory, Huo Xingyu was a person made of black, white, and gray—always maintaining a face of coldness, arrogance, and disdain.

But now—or perhaps not just now—at some point, a few splashes of color had mixed into those cold puzzle pieces. This smugness, this look of jealousy, and this hint of childishness were all manifesting in an elite who was usually defined by her frigidity.

She suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable sensation.

Looking at this mullet-headed, tattooed woman who dared to challenge Huo Xingyu, Ning Xiangxiang felt a begrudging respect for her courage, even if she disliked her words. This was the first time she had seen anyone confront Huo Xingyu like this.

Looking at Mullet-head’s pale, arrogant face and the rings of tattoos on her arms, Ning Xiangxiang felt she looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite remember where she’d seen her.

As if sensing her confusion, Mullet-head flashed a smile and introduced herself: “It seems Miss Ning doesn’t know who I am. I’m Chi Jing. We Chis aren’t any worse than the Huos. And we definitely know much more about being… ro-man-tic.”

Watching Chi Jing’s sparking peach-blossom eyes and the heavy emphasis on her words, Ning Xiangxiang fell silent.

She had completely remembered who this Chi Jing was.

During the first five years of her marriage to Huo Xingyu in her previous life, Huo Xingyu always kept the habit of eating breakfast at home. Every breakfast, Ning Xiangxiang had been trembling and cautious, never daring to let her cutlery clink against the porcelain for fear of disturbing Huo Xingyu while she read the newspaper.

But one day was exceptionally different.

Huo Xingyu, who usually woke up at 7:30, was up at 6:00, looking as radiant as if she were about to list a company on the New York Stock Exchange. Because Huo Xingyu woke up so early, Ning Xiangxiang—who strictly followed Lin Xian’s “Huo Family Wife Rule 39, Clause 7: Always wake up earlier than your ‘husband'”—had been up since 4:30, applying makeup over dark circles.

That day was very different. For the first time, Huo Xingyu didn’t read the paper at breakfast. Instead, she opened a bottle of expensive red wine she’d collected from an auction. And for the first time, she asked Ning Xiangxiang to sit beside her and watch TV.

Why wake up so early to watch the “Morning News 30 Minutes”? Ning Xiangxiang remembered her confusion vividly.

Looking at the decanted wine, the breakfast that was more elaborate than usual, and the faint, visible excitement on Huo Xingyu’s normally expressionless face, one would have thought she’d won an election and was holding a small celebration at home.

Then, the host on TV said in a dignified tone: “Next is a news flash. Last night, Chi Jing, President of Chi Tech, suffered an accident during a commercial equestrian competition. Her horse lost control for unknown reasons, and Chi Jing fell, breaking several ribs. Doctors say her condition is stable, but it remains to be seen how this will affect Chi Tech’s stock price. Here is the footage from the scene…”

She clearly remembered Huo Xingyu watching the TV, curling her lips into that classic, malicious, “death smile,” and raising her wine glass to signal a toast.

In that moment, Ning Xiangxiang felt like she was a villainess in a drama, celebrating the protagonist’s tragic fate alongside the antagonist boss, Huo Xingyu.

Ning Xiangxiang remained silent.

The Chi Jing before her was that very arch-nemesis of Huo Xingyu she had only heard of in rumors and that one news report. Chi Jing was striking, and with those flirtatious eyes and signature tattoos, she should have recognized her instantly. It was just that Huo Xingyu’s “kind smile” back then had caused her such psychological trauma that it blurred the memory.

Furthermore, the Chi Jing in the news had been rolling on the ground howling in pain—her beautiful face distorted into a “mask of suffering” from three broken ribs and being stepped on by a horse. There was a huge difference between that and the current arrogant, sleazy woman mocking Huo Xingyu.

Thinking of Chi Jing’s “pain mask” on the news and Huo Xingyu’s schadenfreude, Ning Xiangxiang felt an urge to laugh.

But in such a tense atmosphere, it was truly inappropriate to smile. This caused Ning Xiangxiang’s lips to quiver as she tried to suppress it, making her look incredibly condescending.

This trembling “smile” didn’t do physical damage, but it was deeply insulting.

Chi Jing’s smile stiffened. Huo Xingyu turned to look at her.

In her impression, Ning Xiangxiang was always dignified and proper. Whether she liked or disliked something, she would maintain a virtuous, gentle demeanor. She was rarely this direct in showing her attitude.

As a “little wife” of the Huo family, she wasn’t supposed to be sharp or provocative. Especially not against someone like Chi Jing. Even though they were rivals, Huo Xingyu had to admit that Chi Jing had the capital to challenge her.

Seeing the “mocking smile” on Ning Xiangxiang’s face—a look that seemed to be learned directly from her—Huo Xingyu couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of pride. Just a tiny bit, she promised herself.

This silly Ning Xiangxiang actually likes me THIS much! Even more than I thought!

Chi Jing already couldn’t stand Huo Xingyu. Seeing that arrogant, dismissive look made her blood boil. Now, there was Ning Xiangxiang too.

She narrowed her eyes at this so-called “fiancée.” Initially, her comment about “playing” with the little white rabbit was just a provocation to annoy Huo Xingyu after seeing her acting like a protective tiger guarding its food.

While Ning Xiangxiang did fit her taste for a “fling”—pure, inexperienced, and without a background—she was now genuinely interested, but not because of Ning Xiangxiang herself.

She had a better idea.

Huo Xingyu was being too obvious. She looked like she truly cared about Ning Xiangxiang—like a snarling beast guarding her territory, ready to bite the throat of anyone who tried to take her prize.

And most interestingly, Huo Xingyu had actually claimed Ning Xiangxiang was her fiancée. This was one of the funniest jokes Chi Jing had heard in her entire life.

She knew exactly what kind of person Huo Xingyu was. After all, to know one’s enemy is to be invincible. She knew Huo Xingyu as well as she knew herself.

Chi Jing knew they were the same kind of people. For her, a “fling” was fine, but marriage was never a tool to be joked with. For Huo Xingyu, love was something to be despised; marriage was merely a business merger, a union for the sake of interest and assets. Huo Xingyu would never choose someone who didn’t fit her interests.

Ning Xiangxiang was pretty, sure. But beyond that skin, in terms of family background, education, and social standing, she was from a completely different world. She couldn’t imagine Huo Xingyu watching the trashy idol dramas Ning Xiangxiang acted in, or losing her head over her.

If it weren’t for that identical mocking smile—which proved Ning Xiangxiang knew Huo Xingyu well and had spent significant time with her—she would have suspected they were colluding to scam her.

But the Chi family’s intelligence was good. If Huo Xingyu, the sole heir of the Huo grandchildren, had picked a fiancée, it would be impossible to keep quiet. And since she’d always focused on this “freak” rival, she would have heard something.

Chi Jing sized up Ning Xiangxiang in her wheelchair with her heavy cast. As far as she knew, Ning Xiangxiang was just a fourth-tier starlet who hadn’t even played a lead role. She was not a “long-term investment.”

Why would Huo Xingyu, the most calculated person, dump capital into a place with no return? Why would she give herself away—an absolute blue-chip stock in finance, real estate, tech, and energy—to Ning Xiangxiang for free?

What is she doing?

Even if Huo Xingyu had lost her mind, the Huo elders wouldn’t allow it. The Ning family simply wasn’t qualified to climb into the Huo family tree.

A theory formed in Chi Jing’s mind.

Could it be… the Huo family doesn’t know? Are they having a secret affair??

Suddenly, Chi Jing was stunned. She hadn’t expected Huo Xingyu—an emotional vegetable whose heart was like an unruffled well—to one day rebel against her own values.

Keeping a starlet, feeding resources to a fourth-tier actress, being “brainless,” “beauty-obsessed,” and “blinded by lust”—these were labels she never thought she could pin on Huo Xingyu. It was a spectacle.

Chi Jing’s mind was already playing an 8 p.m. soap opera: Huo Xingyu, maddened by love and temporarily losing her sanity, falling for a starlet while the Huo elders try to beat them apart.

They can’t be engaged. It’s absolutely, definitely impossible.

A knowing smile curled on Chi Jing’s lips.

Since this freak likes Ning Xiangxiang so much, wouldn’t stealing her away just absolutely drive Huo Xingyu insane?