Huo Ning glanced at him. “It went smoothly. Why?”  

Bai Ye let out a relieved sigh, a faint smile appearing on his face. “That’s good. You weren’t hurt, were you?”  

Huo Ning shook her head. “No, I can handle something like this.”  

“How are Grandma and the others?”  

She had set up a reinforced barrier at the entrance of the hospital room, and with Bai Ye guarding it, there shouldn’t have been any issues in theory.  

But that’s just how people are—when it comes to those they care about, even if everything seems foolproof, they can’t help but worry.  

Bai Ye’s expression softened. “They’re fine, but—”  

He hesitated.  

Huo Ning frowned. “But what?”  

Bai Ye paused for a moment before speaking. “But this time… could you not leave so soon?”  

Afraid she might misunderstand, he quickly added, “Don’t overthink it. It’s just that before, because of her appearance, Sister Ningning was really insecure and rarely came back to visit Grandma. The neighbors gossip a lot, and every now and then, they’d say that Sister Ningning was an unfilial granddaughter.”  

“Grandma never said anything about it, but it still hurt her. After she’s discharged, could you stay with her at home for a few days?”  

Huo Ning’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.  

Her first instinct was to refuse.  

After all, her main priority right now was making money, and this would just be a waste of her time.  

But then she thought of the old woman’s kind eyes and, in the end, couldn’t bring herself to say no. She simply gave a quiet “Mm” in agreement.  

Bai Ye’s usually indifferent face broke into a small smile. “Thank you.”  

Huo Ning waved her hand dismissively. “No need to thank me. Get some rest.”  

…

Early the next morning, Director Qin arrived with breakfast and fruit to visit Granny Song.  

After confirming that she was in good health and could be discharged that afternoon, the weight in his heart finally lifted.  

After some thought, Director Qin took a box from his bag and handed it to Huo Ning.  

Inside was a brand-new phone from a domestic brand, their latest model.  

“Master Huo, you helped our hospital yesterday, and you helped Xiao Tao too. I don’t know how to thank you. That child had a hard life, even though she did make mistakes.”  

“This is something I’m giving you on her behalf. I hope that child can rest in peace down there.”  

The phone wasn’t overly expensive—its market price was around 4,000 yuan—so it wouldn’t make the recipient feel burdened.

Huo Ning performed a quick calculation with her fingers, then thanked Director Qin and handed him a protective talisman.  

“Wearing this long-term can help ward off disasters and neutralize negative energies. It’s also beneficial for your health.”  

Director Qin hadn’t expected such a reward and gratefully accepted the talisman with a smile.  

Half a year later, when he narrowly avoided a car accident and the talisman suddenly turned black, he would be immensely grateful for this decision.  

But that was a story for another time.  

In the afternoon, Granny Song went through the discharge procedures. When the Song family heard that Huo Ning would be staying with her for a while, they were visibly delighted.  

After about an hour’s drive, Huo Ning got off at an intersection and walked another seven or eight minutes before reaching the Song residence.  

The moment she arrived at the doorstep, her brow furrowed deeply.  

Bai Ye turned to her, noticing her expression, and tensed slightly. “Sister Ning, what’s wrong?”  

He no longer called her “Sister Ningning.”  

Granny Song and Song Xingwen also turned to look at her. “What is it, Ningning?”  

This wasn’t Ningning’s first time here, but it was the first time she had frowned so seriously.  

Song Zhen, who still had work and stayed at the company-provided dormitory, hadn’t come back with them.  

Huo Ning studied the location and layout of the house.  

Now she understood why Granny Song frequently fell ill and why the Song family had struggled to save money all these years.  

“The location of this house is problematic.”  

The main entrance directly faced a pond, and the stretch of road leading from the door to the pond curved outward in a sickle-like arc.  

The house happened to sit on the outer side of this arc, with the sharp bend pointing straight at the front door.  

In feng shui, this layout was known as the “sickle sha” or “reverse bow sha.”  

Ancient feng shui texts stated: If a home faces a reverse bow sha, illness will linger, wealth will decline, rebellious descendants will arise, kinship ties will weaken—it is inauspicious. 

“This house is afflicted by the reverse bow sha. It’s not suitable for long-term living. Over time, the family will suffer financial losses and chronic illness.”  

She then pointed to the nearby pond.  

“That’s also a problem.”  

The main gate directly faced a stagnant pond, its surface covered in a thick layer of green algae, along with floating trash bags and disposable cups.  

In the summer heat, the pond emitted a foul, fishy stench.  

The odor lingered relentlessly, hitting the front door head-on. Whether from a feng shui or health perspective, prolonged exposure would have detrimental effects on the body.  

Song Xingwen’s face paled.

In recent years, the family’s fortunes had been consistently unfavorable.  

He had consulted several feng shui masters before.  

Their explanations were all the same—the house’s location was excellent, nestled between mountains and water, ideal for long-term living.  

But now, his niece was saying the house was problematic, that prolonged residence would lead to financial losses and harm their health.  

“Ningning, I’ve had feng shui masters inspect it before. They all said this was a rare ‘Bright Hall with Water’ layout and a ‘Prosperity in Both Wealth and Descendants’ configuration.”  

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his niece.  

The protective talisman Ningning had given had shielded Zhenzhen from a major calamity.  

Director Qin had also mentioned that Ningning had done their hospital a great favor.  

Song Xingwen had no doubt about his niece’s abilities.  

Setting everything else aside, just looking at the Song family’s misfortunes over the past few years, they matched exactly what Ningning had described.  

Huo Ning shook her head.  

The saying goes, “Family prosperity depends on the backing mountain; wealth depends on the bright hall.” Feng shui does indeed consider an open, bright “bright hall” ideal, with water being the best feature.  

As for “prosperity in both wealth and descendants,” it refers to a layout where the house is backed by a reliable mountain—colloquially, this is called “having backing.”  

Such a house layout ensures the family’s health, support from benefactors, career success, and inevitably good fortune.  

“Uncle, at first glance, this house does seem well-structured—water in front, mountain behind.”  

“But not all houses with mountains and water have good feng shui.”  

“Living water is yang, stagnant water is yin. That pond opposite us is stagnant water.”  

As for the mountain, there was even more to discuss.  

Huo Ning fixed her gaze on the large mountain behind the house.  

“Uncle, the backing mountain behind a house should be full and gently sloping, not too steep or jagged. But look at that mountain—does it meet these conditions?”  

Song Xingwen followed her gaze, and his brow suddenly furrowed.  

The mountain’s peaks were sharp and steep, resembling a blade. Normally, he hadn’t paid much attention, but now that he looked closely, he realized the mountain gave him an extremely uncomfortable feeling.  

“Let’s check the inside of the house first.”  

Huo Ning didn’t elaborate further. The Song family’s short-lived fate couldn’t be solely attributed to this feng shui.  

Moreover, the Song family had already declined before moving into this house.  

This poorly feng shuied house had only worsened their already difficult situation.  

The house had problems, but the core issue didn’t lie with the house itself.