But Hu Li just didn't believe it and sternly demanded that they verify the matter. Reed remained silent, and after discussing, Hu Da and Hu Er decided to let Hu Er go find Miss Hua Yan to see what she was busy with and report back to Hu Li. This would be the best way to pass the time.

When Hu Er drove to H University, the first thing he saw was Hua Yan, who was about to return to school, being stopped by Ning Ying Group's arbitrator, Shangguan Ning. The two seemed to be arguing about something. Hu Er immediately got out of the car and ran to Hua Yan's side and asked, "Miss Hua Yan, do you need help?"

"Not for now." Then she continued to say to Shangguan Ning, "I can't be your companion, you'd better find someone else." It turned out that after having lunch and taking a nap at home, Hua Yan encountered Shangguan Ning as soon as she arrived at school. It seemed he had been waiting for a long time. He said he needed her help, then told her that in about twenty days, Ning Ying Group would be holding its eighth-anniversary banquet and hoped she would be his companion.

Hua Yan immediately shook her head. If she became his companion that day, she would definitely be flayed alive by the eyes of other women. Besides, Shangguan Ning's high-profile request for her to be his companion would be like announcing to others that she was his girlfriend, forcibly tagging her with his label.

In fact, she hoped Cheng Qingqing could become his companion that day, taking one more step on her arduous path of love.

"Didn't expect Mr. Hu Er to be so warm-hearted." Shangguan Ning said coolly to Hu Er, then continued to say to Hua Yan, "This is an invitation to the banquet. I hope you still come to the banquet that day." After a few seconds, he added, "Even if you are not my companion, I still hope you attend the banquet as a friend."

"If I'm free that day, I'll definitely come." She didn't like attending such banquets, but seeing that Shangguan Ning had taken good care of Muyun Pavilion's business through his artists, she would still show support.

Watching Shangguan Ning's car leave, Hua Yan asked Hu Er in confusion, "Why are you here? Is there something you need?"

Hu Er smiled and said, "Nothing, I just miss Grandpa Hua's cooking. I wonder when I can have it again?"

"Didn't expect you to be such a foodie. Considering you helped me at noon, come to my house this weekend and I'll let you eat your fill."

"Can I take some to go?" He satisfied his craving, but he couldn't let his master miss out. If his master wasn't injured, he could shamelessly come along, but coincidentally, his master was still bedridden at that time.

Actually, Hu Er asked this so he could report back to Hu Li. Otherwise, if he alone enjoyed Miss Hua Yan's delicious food, he worried Hu Li might give him a hard time, like sending him back to Germany to stake out with Hu San or making him undergo training again.

"You are really greedy. But I'll be kind and let you eat well. I'll also pack some for you to take with you. How about that, enough?"

"Enough, enough. Thank you, Miss Hua Yan."

"Don't thank me just yet, there's a condition." Hua Yan said mischievously, making Hu Er shiver. He quickly asked what the condition was.

"Actually, I just need to use your skin." Hua Yan pretended to be serious.

This reminded Hu Er of an old oriental story his master told them when he was young—the story of the human skin lantern. This story gave him nightmares when he was young. "Miss Hua Yan, you don't mean to make a human skin lantern, do you? My skin is not smooth at all, and it has many ugly scars. It's not suitable material for a lantern!"

"What are you talking about? What human skin lantern? Why would you think of a human skin lantern?" Hua Yan asked in confusion.

"You said you just needed my skin, so I thought of the human skin lantern story I heard when I was young."

"I really wonder how Hu Li trains you guys, to make you so stupid sometimes. If I attend Ning Ying Group's banquet, I need a presentable male companion, don't I? A male companion is just a shell, right? I can't believe your brain came up with such a blunder."

Hu Er scratched his head awkwardly and gave a silly smile. He also decided in his heart not to tell his master about Miss Hua Yan's comment on their occasional stupidity, or else his master might send them back to their mentor for training just because of one word from a pretty woman. That would be his future nightmare.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

It had been a while since class started, and this witty and knowledgeable modern literature professor was one of Hua Yan's favorite teachers. But since the beginning of the class, Cheng Qingqing noticed Hua Yan had been daydreaming and occasionally smiling to herself. Unable to contain her curiosity, she nudged Hua Yan with her elbow and whispered, "Hua Yan, what's making you so happy? Share it with me, don't keep it to yourself."

Hua Yan snapped out of her thoughts and realized she had been thinking about Hu Er's silly expression and how dramatic it was that someone as taciturn as Hu Li would have such subordinates. She even imagined that Hu Li might have a silly side hidden away. The thought of Hu Li's stern face showing a silly expression like Hu Er's amused her, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Hu Li's identity was inconvenient to disclose to others, so Hua Yan lowered her voice and said, "Nothing, just some funny dreams I had last night."

The innocent Cheng Qingqing excitedly asked, "Hua Yan, tell me about the dream that made you so happy!"

Hua Yan, in a good mood, teased the adorable Cheng Qingqing, "I dreamed that someone in front of me turned into a little pig last night. Pink and chubby, making cute snorting sounds."

"Who was in front of you?" Cheng Qingqing didn't catch on and asked Hua Yan seriously, furrowing her eyebrows.

At this moment, the professor, who had been paying attention to their side, flicked his arm like Xiao Li Feidao, and the chalk piece in his hand accurately hit the desk in front of Cheng Qingqing and Hua Yan. The two looked up to see the professor staring at them. They hurriedly sat up straight and pretended to take notes.

When the professor resumed teaching and stopped looking at them, Cheng Qingqing quickly leaned over to Hua Yan's ear and asked, "Hua Yan, who did you dream turned into a little pig? Was it one of those 'social butterflies' in our class?"

Hua Yan almost laughed out loud at Cheng Qingqing's naive reaction. When the professor turned to write on the blackboard again, Hua Yan whispered with a smile, "It seems, Qingqing, that you are right in front of me now, so who do you think turned into a little pig?"

Cheng Qingqing paused for half a second, her eyes and mouth gradually widening until she almost shouted in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Hua Yan, you said I turned into a pig!"

The professor on the podium stopped teaching and looked at them, while the classmates stared straight at them. As soon as Cheng Qingqing finished speaking, everyone, including the professor, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Realizing she had done something foolish, Cheng Qingqing's fair face turned as red as an apple, even her ears and neck flushed. She buried her head on the desk, too embarrassed to look up, while Hua Yan, the mischievous friend, laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

The class ended with the sound of the bell amidst everyone's laughter. As soon as the class was over, Cheng Qingqing chased Hua Yan around the classroom and the entire building. Hua Yan ran while laughing, and whenever she stopped laughing, she would hear a classmate imitating Cheng Qingqing's voice saying, "Hua Yan, you said I turned into a pig!" and she would start laughing again.

Unfortunately, Cheng Qingqing's anger didn't make everyone forget the sentence. Instead, it became a story that was brought up at every reunion for years to come. Eventually, Hua Yan had to give Cheng Qingqing two jade bracelets to comfort her wounded feelings.

Hu Er returned to the villa and reported everything that happened between Hua Yan and Shangguan Ning to Hu Li. He didn't dare mention his own foolishness or Hua Yan's comment about their occasional stupidity.

After Hu Er left, Hu Li realized that the words he heard in his dream about Hua Yan wanting to get married were Reed's idea. Angered at being deceived, Hu Li forbade Reed from eating lunch and sent him to check on Hu Si at the psychiatric hospital. While eating millet porridge and listening to Hu Er's report, Hu Li bit down on the millet grains as if he were biting Shangguan Ning.

"Shangguan Ning really won't give up. He's still thinking about Hua Yan, but luckily she doesn't care for him," Hu Li said, unconsciously sounding self-satisfied. Seeing this, Hu Da and Hu Er couldn't help but think that their master had learned to take pleasure in others' misfortune.

In a good mood, Hu Li asked for another bowl of porridge and said, "Prepare two sets of formal attire, one for a man and one for a woman. I will need them." Hu Da and Hu Er immediately guessed that their master was finally going to attend a banquet he had always avoided to become Hua Yan's male companion. The issue of Hu Li not attending any banquets was finally resolved, and they were so happy they almost clapped in celebration.

"Young master's people have arrived in Haibin City, and his subordinates have contacted me inquiring about your situation. I told them you were on a mission," Hu Da reported to Hu Li.

"If I hadn't come to this country, I would have thought Ke Shaozheng and his men made the wisest choice by making this the primary location for hiding and selling drugs. But now I think they are somewhat myopic, underestimating the power of this country. Your response was very good."

At the psychiatric hospital, Reed didn't get to check on Hu Si because, on the way to her ward, a nurse rushed over, saying Hu Si had blocked the door with her bed and refused to open it, muttering incomprehensible words.

Reed could only see Hu Si's back through the small window of her room. From her primary doctor, a kind-hearted man in his late twenties, Reed obtained all the necessary data. Based on the data, he could confirm that Hu Si was genuinely mentally ill. After asking several professional questions, Reed confirmed that the data was reliable.

Returning to report the situation to Hu Li, he also shared his preliminary opinion: Hu Si's mental issues were real. Hu Li instructed him to assist the primary doctor in following up on Hu Si's treatment while he focused on recovering quickly.

One night during a chat, Reed asked Hu Li, who was lying on the bed, if he regretted his past actions that led to his current state. Hu Li smiled happily and said, "If time could go back to that moment, I would still choose to hold her hand." However, he also added, "Through this illness, I've realized that if I want to grow old with Hua Yan, I must ensure I don't fall ill again."