Chapter 13 Why change the name to Jiang...?

The bus sent by the Huo family arrived downstairs, and after everyone got on the bus, they discovered that Huo Lan's special assistant, Lin Lang, was also on board.

Lin Lang smiled and said, "Mr. Huo still has some things to do in Linjiang City, but I have some work to do in Wancheng. Fortunately, Mr. Huo sent a bus to pick everyone up, so I'll shamelessly hitch a ride. I hope you don't mind?"

Naturally, no one minded. However, since he was Huo Lan's personal assistant, his presence in the car still silenced everyone, and they dared not say anything more.

The Dream Sky Studio has a total of six people, including three different types of cultural relic restorers, including Lao Chen, as well as Li Fengmian from the laboratory, intern Tang Tang, and operations manager Qiao Wei.

So even though the entire studio set off for Wancheng, the bus was still almost empty.

Tang Tang, being lively and restless, pulled Lin Lang aside and started gossiping about the Huo family's scandalous news that she had gathered from the internet. She spoke animatedly, adding her own embellishments, and the half-true, half-false news would occasionally drift into Jiang Shiyuan's ears.

At this moment, Qiao Wei sat down next to her and asked her about what happened last night.

"So, did Huo Lan come looking for you last night?"

Jiang Shiyuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head, "How could that be?"

Qiao Wei breathed a sigh of relief, then put on a stern face again. "But we can't let our guard down. After all, it wasn't easy to make a move last night. We'll be spending a lot of time at Huo Garden in the future; that's his territory."

Jiang Shiyuan nodded, slightly troubled. Once on his turf, he figured he'd be completely devoured...

Seeing that she was lost in thought, Qiao Wei gently shook her shoulder and laughed, "What are you thinking about? You've been in a daze since this morning."

"It's nothing, I'm just a little nervous about going to a new environment soon."

Although it's not a new environment, I'm still really nervous.

Xu Feixuan was seen by her colleagues as someone who lived in rumors and was not to be trifled with, but in her eyes, she was genuinely mean and picky.

Besides Xu Feixuan, Huo Lan's second uncle and aunt, as well as his cousins, also lived in Wanyuan, and they were all very difficult to deal with.

Jiang Shiyuan felt a headache coming on just thinking about all this.

Seeing Jiang Shiyuan's melancholy expression, Qiao Wei assumed she was worried about her studies. "Are you still preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam?"

The sudden change of topic made Jiang Shiyuan exclaim in surprise, but thinking about what she was working hard on, her mood improved slightly, and she replied, "Yes, I want to apply to the archaeology department of Beijing University."

"Then you're switching fields for the exam. The Huo Yuan program seems very demanding, and preparing for the exam now seems even more difficult."

"It's okay, I'll try my best to make time to study. Because I'm really interested in cultural relics, and I don't just want to be an ancient book restorer."

Qiao Wei then asked, "Isn't Zhiyu a graduate of Linjiang University? She's so talented, she must have been able to get in!"

Jiang Shiyuan seemed a little awkward after lying, nodding in agreement with her fingers curled up, without saying a word.

Her fake identity was set up for her by Xie Shuning, and it was consistent with her actual situation, but the various trajectories were changed.

When she arrived at Huo Garden, she still hadn't decided what identity to use to face the people from the studio.

Huo Lan could pretend not to know her, but not everyone in the Huo family could. Sooner or later, her identity would be exposed.

Although it was no longer necessary for her to continue pretending to be Jiang Zhiyu, it was still a deception for everyone in the studio.

Just as Jiang Shiyuan was wondering how to explain herself, Lin Lang suddenly called out to her.

"Miss Jiang, didn't you restore some of Huo Garden's collections before?"

She didn't dare to answer for a moment, unsure of what Lin Lang was planning.

Lin Lang winked at Jiang Shiyuan to put her at ease, and continued, "Miss Jiang, you interned at the Huo Garden restoration team during your university years, right? I remember you said back then that Jiang Zhiyu was a name you gave yourself, right?"

Jiang Shiyuan guessed that Lin Lang's words were probably at Huo Lan's behest, so she obediently replied, "What's wrong?"

"I've seen Miss Jiang before at Huo Garden. Back then, Miss Jiang was called Jiang Shiyuan."

Jiang Shiyuan was startled; her name had suddenly been brought up so vividly.

Lin Lang continued naturally, "So when we go back to Huo Garden this time, we should use the old name again, otherwise everyone will feel uncomfortable."

Upon hearing about the name change, Tang Tang finally snapped out of her gossip about the Huo family. "Sister Zhiyu, what does this mean? What Jiang Shiyuan?"

As Jiang Shiyuan's mind raced to come up with a reason, Lin Lang picked up the thread again, "Jiang Shiyuan was the name given to Miss Jiang by her parents. Miss Jiang didn't like it very much, so she changed her name to Jiang Zhiyu. The internship certificate Miss Jiang obtained at Huo Garden was in the name Jiang Shiyuan."

Tang Tang became interested, "Why didn't you like Jiang Shiyuan and changed your name to Jiang Zhiyu?"

This time, Lin Lang didn't answer for her, so Jiang Shiyuan had no choice but to continue explaining, "Because I like fish, and I want to be as free as a fish."

Jiang Shiyuan sighed slightly as she thought of this. Later, she realized that fish also cannot live without rivers, lakes, and seas, and are not free enough.

Tang Tang asked, "So, from now on, should I call you Sister Shi Yuan?"

Lin Lang interrupted, "Of course! The entire Huo family will call Miss Jiang Jiang Shiyuan."

Old Chen, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up, "So Zhiyu had an internship at Wanyuan before? How come I've never heard you mention it before? No wonder President Huo looked at you differently at the dinner table that day, so you know each other."

Jiang Shiyuan then realized that it wasn't just Qiao Wei who noticed Huo Lan's strange gaze; probably everyone at the dinner table had noticed it.

"Since it was just an internship at the time, I didn't get much exposure to artifact restoration, so I didn't mention it."

She wasn't entirely lying. Huo Lan did indeed let her enter Huo Garden under the guise of a restorer, and she really didn't touch the Huo family's collection much.

Qiao Wei just didn't understand, "Didn't you just say you were a little nervous about going to a new environment because you weren't used to it?"

Jiang Shiyuan was filled with regret; she shouldn't have talked so much with Qiao Wei just now.

Qiao Wei seemed to have noticed something and didn't ask any further questions.

The topic came to an end, and fortunately, no one dwelled too much on her name or her connection to Huo Garden.

As the journey grew longer, the passengers began to doze off.

It wasn't until the vehicle entered a lush, green area, and the fresh, moisture-laden air rushed towards them, that everyone woke up from their slumber. They exclaimed with delight as they saw pavilions and towers gradually appearing behind the shimmering reflections of the lake in the distance.

As the sun began to set, the orange glow of the setting sun illuminated the beautiful pavilions. Flocks of geese flew diagonally in a V-formation, showcasing a unique blend of Chinese aesthetics. Everyone paused for a moment, then spontaneously took out their phones to capture the stunning scenery.

Only Jiang Shiyuan remained quietly seated, seemingly unmoved by the scene before her.

The bus arrived at the destination, and the group got off the bus and were told to stay where they were and wait for Huo Yuan's staff to come and take over.

A tall man who looked to be in his thirties, dressed in the uniform of the Huo family, walked over from a distance. Jiang Shiyuan recognized him at a glance; it was Shi Teng, the Huo family's butler, whom she knew very well.

After Shi Teng arrived, he had a brief verbal exchange with Lao Chen. Then he asked the security personnel at the entrance of Huo Garden to check the luggage of the people in the studio. Only after confirming that they were not carrying any dangerous items did he take them into Huo Garden.

Shi Teng naturally took the luggage from Jiang Shiyuan's hands, and said in a respectful tone, "Hello, Miss Jiang. You must be tired from your journey. I have prepared tea and desserts at Songhe Water Pavilion. Miss Jiang and your colleagues from the studio can come and rest first. I will arrange accommodations for everyone later."

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Shi Teng simply took Jiang Shiyuan's luggage, turned around, and led the way without offering any further explanation.

Lin Lang is slightly younger than Shi Teng. Both of them are Huo Lan's close assistants, but one is in charge of company affairs and the other is in charge of Huo Garden affairs. The two are quite close.

Ignoring the people in the studio behind him, Lin Lang went straight up and hooked his arm around Shi Teng's neck, starting to call him brother.

"Why is he always so cold? It would be so much better if he were as warm as me. Miss Jiang, doesn't he look like a big block of ice?"

I don't know why I turned around and asked for her opinion.

Lin Lang joined the Huo family and followed Huo Lan after she left, so Jiang Shiyuan had only met him a few times and was not familiar with him. She had a natural barrier to strangers, so she smiled politely but did not respond much.

Shi Teng was much more familiar with Jiang Shiyuan, and said to her somewhat helplessly, "Shiyuan, don't pay any attention to him. He's just so irresponsible. When Mr. Huo comes back, I'll make sure he fires him."

Lin Lang pursed his lips at these words and released his grip on Feng Teng's neck.

The people following behind them left the studio staff even more confused and disoriented.

Did Jiang Shiyuan actually know so many people at Huo Garden?

The butler who manages the Huo family's thousand-acre garden is, after all, a top-level manager of the Huo family. He had just met the studio and only briefly greeted the studio owner before picking up the luggage of one of the studio's employees and turning to leave. What exactly happened?

However, in the vast Huo family garden, without Feng Teng leading the way, they really wouldn't have been able to find their way.

After navigating countless corridors and pavilions, they finally heard the babbling of water from not far away, and a waterside pavilion with open sides came into view.

Feng Teng invited everyone into the waterside pavilion and to sit down. By this time, the sky was already getting dark, and the night lights built around the pavilion in the lake were turned on, bringing a hazy light.

It was early summer, and the pavilion was surrounded by lotus flowers on all four sides and willows on the other three. The night breeze swept across the lake and blew in from all directions, bringing coolness and the fragrance of lotus flowers. Everyone was so engrossed in the ultimate enjoyment that they had no mind to think about the unusual events that had just occurred.

Tang Tang couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Such a beautiful place, it's such a pity it's not a tourist attraction. After the Huo Garden project is finished, I won't be able to get in even if I wanted to!"

After saying that, Tang Tang began to look around the pavilion. She noticed a delicate awning boat sailing on the lake not far away, with a woman sitting inside.

Tang Tang pointed in the direction of the awning boat and asked, "Who's that? What are they doing?"

Shi Teng looked in that direction, then turned back to give Jiang Shiyuan a meaningful look before replying, "That's our lady. She must have been picking lotus flowers late today, so she hasn't left yet."

Tang Tang exclaimed in surprise, "Madam? Isn't that the legendary Xu Feixuan?"