Afterlife Department

Chapter 189 – Siblings

As Lewis Johnson made a heart-to-heart talk with Gerard Jackson to clear their history they never talked about before, since both are hiding their thoughts from each other and not lowering their guards at all towards the other, on the other side of the city, Huo Jinghua was enjoying the care and attention of his elder sister, Huo Meiying.

After he met with Lewis Johnson in the bar to 'celebrate' his success in inheriting Huo Dakuan's position, he returned to the hospital. Why? Of course, it was to recuperate~. The news that he was attacked by Huo Chengyi has already spread like a wildfire. If he doesn't act like someone sick, he would be in trouble. Although he can cover it up, but troublesome matters are troublesome matters. They require your time and attention, as well as manpower, and he doesn't like it at all since he finds it annoying and just wasting resources.

He doesn't care about what the people would think, though, since he doesn't care about them.. What he cared about, and the most, is Huo Meiying. He is afraid she'll suspect him. Even if he knows that his elder sister, after finding out his acts when he was exposed, she will just utter an 'oh' with indifferent voice and indifferent expression, he doesn't like also being treated by Huo Meiying with indifference.

He wanted to be special to her. He wanted to be treated by her differently unlike the others.

And so, after Huo Meiying went back to the Huo family's house to cook a nutritious meal for him, and to also inform Huo Dakuan of his current condition, he left to meet with Lewis Johnson to 'share' his happiness and celebrate, though the 'celebration' lasted for only a few minutes. After 'teasing' Lewis Johnson with his words hiding sharp knives, he tossed him.

He didn't tease him for nothing. He knew, with Huo Ling now dead, Gerard Jackson would bring out his illegitimate son soon. Thus, Lewis Johnson was delaying Gerard Jackson's plan, while setting their two decades long plan in motion.

With their plan now finally resumed, Lewis Johnson also started the next step of his own plan: reminiscing his and Gerard Jackson's 'good, old days' from when they first met, and how they met again, until today. The first plan is approaching Gerard Jackson and be one of Gerard Jackson's people to get closer to him.

"Jie." Huo Jinghua called as he blinked. He pulled himself from his thoughts because he had stared at his elder sister longer than usual in his daze. "I am already fine. I don't want you to tire yourself. You'll harm your body, added to the fact it was cold at night, you might get sick." He explained. His voice was filled with concern, as well as pain.

He doesn't want her to be harmed, more especially if he is the cause of it.

"I really don't want that to happen. So, you can go back home and sleep." He told her and looked at her. His gaze is pleading. Yet, his mouth might speak so, but his heart says otherwise. He really enjoys being lavished with care by Huo Meiying. He really likes Huo Meiying's undivided attention on him.

"No." Huo Meiying insisted. "I'll stay with you." She told him.

"But…" he said, unwillingness was on his face yet his heart felt sweet.

(A/N: damn black-bellied 'siscon'!)

"Jinghua." Huo Meiying called.

Hearing his name was called, Huo Jinghua stiffened. He felt both sweet and helpless. Sweet since only he Huo Meiying calls by his name (since Huo Ling was called by Huo Meiying with an endearment 'xiao'). Helpless, since –

"I am your elder sister. I am older than you. Thus, you have to be obedient instead of antagonizing me." Huo Meiying said. Her words are stern, yet her voice and face still looked indifferent. That's her default face.

Huo Meiying is serious. That's why Huo Jinghua has to stop his objections, though he really didn't have one and was just acting one.

"Okay…" Huo Jinghua nodded his head. His expression looked defeated, yet he was grinning stupidly in his heart. He turned his back on her and buried his face on his pillow to hide his smile he can't hold back.

"Good." Huo Meiying nodded, feeling satisfied though it doesn't show on her face. Huo Jinghua is the only one who is obedient to her, and she felt very happy. She can act as an elder sister and fulfill her responsibilities as one because of Huo Jinghua.

Thus, when she heard Huo Jinghua got an accident, just only a few days after Huo Ling, her son, died, she almost collapsed in devastation. In this lifetime, only Huo Ling and Huo Jinghua the people she cared. Even Huo Dakuan, her own father, she doesn't feel the slightest bit of affection.

"Sleep." She told him as she covered him with the blanket up to his chest.

"Yes… you sleep, too, jie!" Huo Jinghua told her.

"En." Huo Meiying answered, though it isn't known if she'd do as what she promised.

Huo Jinghua knows he forced her to answer, yet he can't do anything to her. Also, his eyelids finally felt heavy and are slowly closing. However, just as he was about to close his eyes to sleep, his phone on the bedside table rang.

His eyelids snapped open and he and Huo Meiying turned. It's already past midnight. Who could it be calling Huo Jinghua?

Well, there are many. Since Huo Jinghua was injured, Huo Meiying was the one who reached the phone before she looked at the caller. It was Li Fei. Huo Meiying's brows scrunched up. What is she calling Huo Jinghua for? They never crossed paths before. Like her, Huo Jinghua is an invisible person to them.

The eldest and the youngest of the Huo siblings are, ironically, in the same predicament, and also in the same boat in the family.

Huo Jinghua also saw it was Li Fei. He subconsciously frowned, but immediately hid it when Huo Meiying glanced at him in askance. "You answer it, jie." He told her. Even if Li Fei is his sister-in-law, but he doesn't want to get close to any women aside from Huo Meiying. Also, he doesn't like Li Fei.

"En." Huo Meiying nodded and pressed the answer button. "Hello." She spoke.

In Huo Zhansan's side, he was pacing back and forth as he continued to talk with his assistant. One, it was to instruct his assistant for their next steps. Two, it was to avoid answering their clients' calls. Thus, Huo Zhansan had Li Fei call Huo Jinghua.

Li Fei was sitting on pins and needles since earlier after she heard what happened to their businesses from Huo Zhansan. She was devastated and almost lost hope when Huo Zhansan told her that Ho Jinghua can save them. Thus, she held onto that rekindled hope.

However, when she heard Huo Meiying's voice answered her call, something flashed in her mind and her anger flared up. "Was it you?! You attacked us, right?! Not only us, but also xiao Luan and Wang Yan!" she said. "Might as well Chengyi-dage! You're involved in his accident, right?! And now he's missing! Where did you hide him?!" she asked in succession. She found someone to vent on her anger to, and all of her emotions erupted like a raging volcano.

Huo Zhansan's already pale face paled even more when he heard what Li Fei said. He felt a chill on his spine and his heart sank. "FEIFEI!" he yelled and immediately took the phone from her. "Jie…" he called in a trembling voice. He held back not to sob.

They have always ignored her, their elder sister who should they have respected. Yet now, their youngest brother who they should care for but actually ignored like their eldest sister, he was now asking help from him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" he apologized as his eyes reddened from his tears. "Feifei didn't mean what she said just now. I'll… I'll talk to you and Jinghua tomorrow." he said and ended the call.

"Husband!" Li Fei called.

"Feifei, stop it!" he said. "How can jie hurt us?!" he asked.

"She's the only one who wasn't harmed tonight!" Li Fei said.

Huo Zhansan felt a splitting headache. He turned off both his phone and Li Fei's, then pulled her to their bed and had a long talk with her.

Back to the hospital, Huo Meiying, as usual, didn't react to Li Fei's words and just put Huo Jinghua's phone away with a deadpan face. Her expression didn't change even the slightest bit. On the contrary, Huo Jinghua's face darkened and his eyes narrowed as he recalled each word Li Fei said to Huo Meiying.

That woman…. it seems her mind has been completely poisoned by Xiao Lianhua. He thought and played with the abacus in his heart. He's devising ways to punish both Li Fei and Xiao Lianhua. If Li Fei would remain as Huo Zhansan's wife, she'd corrupt Huo Zhansan's mind more. He already managed to separate Huo Chengyi from Huo Xuaner and Huo Zhansan. How can he be stopped by a mere Li Fei?

He'll completely break them!