Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 22: Chapter 20 The Dying Angelfish

Huo Sining felt as if she had crashed into a wall. Before she could regain her composure, a pair of arms steadied her around the waist.

“Be careful!”

Huo Sining quickly looked up, and a handsome man stood in front of her.

Amber-colored eyes peered at her gently through the thin, rimless glasses, and even his speech was as mild and soothing as boiled water.

Regaining her senses, Huo Sining felt a blush creep across her face and hurriedly pushed the man’s arms away, hastily stepping back several paces.

A faint smile flickered in the man’s eyes, and then he turned to Old Lady Xu, “Mrs. Xu, I’ve come to check on your fish.”

Old Lady Xu’s face darkened a bit upon seeing the man:

“Boss Qin, what’s going on with your store? My fish has been sick for days, and no one has come to attend to it. Your shop’s service is too slow! I’m telling you, if anything happens to my fish, don’t expect to do business in my circle anymore!”

Hearing Old Lady Xu’s words, the man didn’t get angry. With a smile still on his face, he nodded and apologized:

“I am truly sorry, Mrs. Xu. The clerk in our store must have forgotten to log your information, causing the delay. As soon as I heard about this, I came over personally. Rest assured, if there’s any problem with the fish, I’ll compensate you with a new one. How does that sound?”

Mrs. Xu’s face softened upon hearing this and, pretending to be displeased, she said, “That’s more like it.”

Huo Sining had intended to leave, but the man came out of Mrs. Xu’s room carrying a fish tank.

Her steps involuntarily came to a halt as she curiously observed the oddly shaped, colorful fish swimming inside the tank.

“What kind of fish are these?”

Even having lived an extra six or seven years in her past life, Huo Sining had never encountered ornamental fish. Growing up, she had only ever seen goldfish and was unacquainted with these types of colorful fish, so she couldn’t help but lean in and ask.

Seeing that Huo Sining hadn’t left yet, Old Lady Xu had intended to send her off, but seeing Huo Sining’s curious, interested expression made her feel a touch of pride:

“These are Rainbow Fairy Fish, imported from Germany, the Red Pine variety. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

Huo Sining nodded.

The fish were either bright blue or dark green, their bodies adorned with red horizontal stripes extending from their gill covers to the base of their tails.

In the light, the fish’s movements created a kaleidoscope of changing colors, appearing dark when the light was dim, and bursting with vibrant, rich colors under bright light. They were indeed a sight to behold.

Old Lady Xu then said: “Don’t be fooled by their size, they’re quite valuable. Each one costs four to five thousand yuan. That’s not too expensive! If it wasn’t for my son thinking I was bored at home and buying them to amuse me, I really wouldn’t be willing to spend so much. They’re tricky to care for, give you trouble if you’re not careful. Look, that blue one there is having problems. It’s given me such a headache.”

Four to five thousand yuan? That expensive?!

Huo Sining’s eyes widened in astonishment.

She had assumed these fish, though not ordinary goldfish, wouldn’t exceed a few tens of yuan each. She had vastly underestimated the cost.

Perhaps seeing Huo Sining’s utter shock, Old Lady Xu couldn’t help but laugh:

“Surprised, aren’t you? But these aren’t even the most expensive kind of fish. The priciest ones are koi. If they’re well raised, people will pay hundreds of thousands or even millions for them. Though I’ve only heard of such prices and never actually seen them.”

Goodness gracious, the thoughts of the rich are indeed hard to fathom. A fish worth hundreds of thousands or millions? Isn’t this just an example of having more money than one knows what to do with?

Huo Sining was flabbergasted and at a loss for words.

“If you’re interested, you could also try buying a few. However, as a beginner, don’t go for these wild varieties. You might start with some common Mandarin Ducks or Mo Yan Fairy Fish, which are only about ten yuan each, and they’re easier to keep alive than wild ones,” Old Lady Xu couldn’t resist suggesting.

Huo Sining, however, shook her head frantically. Raising fish? She scoffed at the idea. She didn’t have the spare time or the leisure for such hobbies. Besides, she would be heartbroken if she accidentally let them die; after all, they were money.

Old Lady Xu didn’t know what Huo Sining was thinking. Although she kept chatting with Huo Sining, her eyes remained glued to the angelfish swimming inside the tank.

Boss Qin observed the aquarium from the outside for a while and tested the water quality before scooping up the diseased angelfish for a closer examination. Eventually, he furrowed his brows, turned his head toward Old Lady Xu with a helpless expression, and said:

“Blackened body, red eyes, and white feces—Mrs. Xu, this fish seems to have contracted bacteria. If not treated in time, its body will become rigid, and I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do now.”

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Xu became anxious: “How could this happen? I change the water regularly, following the methods you suggested, and the other fish are fine. Why is it only this one that’s having problems?”

Boss Qin glanced at the Persian cat curled up in Old Lady Xu’s room and said with resignation:

“Mrs. Xu, there are wounds on the tail of this fish; was it previously scratched by your cat? Angelfish are quite delicate. Next time, it would be best if you kept your cat away from the aquarium. Otherwise, its single scratch could be very distressing for you, Aunt Xu.”

Old Lady Xu was caught off guard by Boss Qin’s explanation and clammed up, guiltily lowering her head and mumbling:

“Scratched by the cat? I had no idea. That damned cat, I’ve been wondering why it’s been so well behaved lately.”

Boss Qin didn’t point out Mrs. Xu’s thoughts, instead, he smiled amiably and explained:

“This fish may not live for much longer. It would be better to remove it sooner rather than later to prevent cross-infection that could endanger the other fish. I’ll have someone deliver a Blue Angelfish to you tomorrow, and it will be free of charge.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xu was delighted. No longer feeling attached to the dying angelfish, she reached for the fishing net to scoop out the moribund Red Pine.

However, Huo Sining’s eyes were fixed intently on the fish. For some reason, seeing it with its bulging eyes and lifeless appearance, she felt as if she could sense its painful struggle.

Remembering how the fish were drawn to her when she was fishing in the water, Huo Sining’s mind stirred, and a ludicrous thought popped into her head.

The Spiritual Energy of the Water-Repelling Pearl on her body was so enticing to the fish, which meant it must be quite special.

Moreover, when she had injured her forehead, the Water-Repelling Pearl had healed her wound almost instantly after embedding itself in her skin.

Did that mean she could use this Spiritual Energy to treat the fish’s disease?

Huo Sining was shocked by her own bold supposition, but as a last resort, how would she know if it worked or not without trying?

Without delay, just as Mrs. Xu was about to throw the fish into the trash can, Huo Sining hurriedly spoke up to stop her:

“Aunt Xu, could you give me that fish?”

Mrs. Xu paused, looking at Huo Sining with surprise: “This fish is about to die. Why would you want it?”

Naturally, Huo Sining wouldn’t reveal her thoughts. She smiled and said:

“I have a friend who is an expert at fishkeeping. I want to take this fish to him to see if he can revive it. With his skills, perhaps he could bring it back to life.”

The smartest kids, the most beautiful wives, and even the most skilled experts always belong to someone else.

The moment Old Lady Xu heard Huo Sining had a fishkeeping expert as a friend, her interest was piqued. Without a shred of doubt, she found a small aquarium and placed the half-dead angelfish in it, handing it over to Huo Sining:

“Since your friend is an expert fishkeeper, could you ask him if this fish can be healed? If he can save it, I’ll introduce all my fishkeeping friends to him.”

“Ah?” Huo Sining glanced at Boss Qin awkwardly. She had no intention of competing for his business; she merely wanted to try to save the pitiful angelfish and hadn’t expected Old Lady Xu to say such a thing.

As for the fact that Old Lady Xu didn’t mention giving the fish to her, Huo Sining chose not to point that out.

Old Lady Xu loved to take small advantages, something Huo Sining saw clearly despite having known her for less than an hour.

Fortunately, Huo Sining only wanted to test her idea and wasn’t actually interested in fishkeeping. Even if she managed to cure the angelfish, she wouldn’t experience a loss, so she didn’t mind.

What Huo Sining didn’t realize was that her words had caught not only the attention of Old Lady Xu’s bargain-loving fish friends but also that of Elder Qin.

Upon hearing Huo Sining’s claim that she could possibly revive the fish, Elder Qin’s smile remained unchanged as his gaze lingered on her face, seemingly probing for the truth in her words.

Once he was sure Huo Sining was serious, a spark of insight flashed in his eyes, and he seemed to be deep in thought.