Chapter 28 Did you indulge in sex last night?

Jiang Shiyuan was unaware of what she had done that made Huo Lan lower his guard slightly, allowing him to grant her limited freedom.

Besides being able to freely enter and exit any place and no longer needing to report her itinerary every day, she still wears the pink diamond bracelet on her wrist for location tracking, and the bodyguards assigned to protect her are still in the shadows, almost never leaving her side.

The reason she was so panicked about this accident was because what Huo Lan said about the previous situation had indeed made her pregnant.

After it happened, she was vaguely worried. Huo Lan wouldn't allow her to take the medicine, but kept telling her that if she was really pregnant, she should give birth to the baby.

Huo Lan kept a close eye on her, and she took a chance and didn't take any follow-up measures until her period didn't come on time the second month, and her long-standing worries became a reality.

At that time, Huo Lan had just returned to China and was busy expanding the Huo family business, so he did not pay much attention to this matter.

Coincidentally, Huo Lan's aunt, Huo Lianjing, returned from abroad to visit relatives and stayed at Huo Garden for a month. Under the exaggerated slander of the Huo family, she also got to know this canary.

She had assumed that Huo Lianjing would look down on her like everyone else, but to her surprise, Huo Lianjing gave her a gift on their very first meeting: moose sausages she had brought back from Norway.

Huo Lianjing speaks with elegance and possesses a gentle demeanor, yet her eyes always hold a stubbornness that refuses to admit defeat.

She was far more outstanding than her two younger brothers from a young age, not only excelling in all subjects but also winning numerous trophies in various competitions.

However, the Huo family's rule is to pass on the family business to the eldest son. No matter how incompetent Huo Lan's father is or how outstanding she is, there is no possibility of her taking over the Huo family business.

At that time, there was a serious power struggle within the Huo family. Huo Lianjing had tried to seize power, but Old Master Huo directly arranged for her to marry into another family to consolidate his power.

In a fit of anger, Huo Lianjing went abroad to settle down, no longer caring about the Huo family affairs, and never remarried.

That's why Xu Feixuan said that Huo Lianyu wasn't even worthy of carrying her older sister's bag.

It was precisely because Huo Lianjing was indifferent to the affairs of the Huo family that she told Jiang Shiyuan immediately when she was unsure whether she was pregnant.

She had no one she could trust to help her with this, but Huo Lianjing was Huo Lan's aunt, and she was the most capable of evading Huo Lan's spies.

After confirming her pregnancy, Huo Lianjing held the pregnancy test in disbelief.

She wasn't shocked that Jiang Shiyuan was pregnant, but rather that she was pregnant but didn't want the child.

"You have to understand, this is the first child of the Huo family's eldest grandson. If he is born, the entire Huo family may belong to him in the future."

Jiang Shiyuan simply shook her head, appearing even more sober than Huo Lianjing, who remained uninvolved.

"The Huo family will only acknowledge the children born to a wife of equal social standing, and obviously I am not one of them."

Huo Lianjing had always thought Jiang Shiyuan was obedient and docile, but she truly got to know Jiang Shiyuan through this incident.

She was a cold and decisive person who never hesitated for a moment about being pregnant, because she was convinced in her heart that she would leave Huo Lan one day.

Seeing Jiang Shiyuan's resolute decision, Huo Lianjing did not try to persuade her further.

Under the pretext of having Jiang Shiyuan accompany her shopping, she took her to a friend's private hospital for an abortion. Afterward, she personally took care of her for a while until Jiang Shiyuan had recovered enough before returning to Norway.

Jiang Shiyuan fabricated an anemia and weakness as a reason to get Huo Lianjing to stay by her side and take care of her.

Huo Lan enjoyed seeing Jiang Shiyuan and her aunt getting along well, so she didn't suspect anything. Instead, she instructed the kitchen to prepare more delicious food for Jiang Shiyuan every day to help her recover.

Because of Huo Lianjing's request, the doctor at Huoyuan Pharmacy also helped Jiang Shiyuan, so much so that Huo Lan had been unaware of this matter for many years.

But things are different now. Jiang Shiyuan must be more cautious about this matter because she has no one around her who can help her.

Given Huo Lan's current possessiveness, if she were really pregnant, he would find out sooner than she did, or perhaps discover from her pregnancy check-up report that she had lied to him before.

Jiang Shiyuan slept soundly through the night with worries. Huo Lan thought she was afraid that taking medicine would have an effect on her health, so he had the family doctor come over early the next morning to give her a simple check-up. After confirming that there was no problem, he had the kitchen send over a light and nourishing meal.

Huo Lan postponed his work for two days because he accompanied her home, so he didn't spend much time with her. He hurriedly ate a couple of bites and then rushed to the company to deal with the work that had piled up for two days.

Jiang Shiyuan had two days left on her leave from the studio. Since she hadn't finished the repair work, she took out her postgraduate entrance exam materials and studied at Lingdang Xiaozhu for an afternoon.

Huo Lan couldn't possibly be unaware that she was preparing for the archaeology exam at Beijing University, but he didn't stop her, so Jiang Shiyuan silently continued studying.

Huo Garden was much more lively than usual, with twice as many people as before.

With only a few days left until the start of the Huo family banquet, Huo Garden was filled with busy workers. The hydrangeas, which should have withered by now, had their blooming period extended into midsummer by some unknown technique. Many new varieties had been added, each with a different color, and the flower clusters were now dense and full.

The rest of the garden was temporarily converted into a reception area to facilitate guests' leisure and entertainment. Even some artificial rocks were equipped with ambient lighting, and the pavilions and corridors were filled with fragrances exclusively developed by the Huo family. The entire Huo Garden was bustling with activity.

In addition to the preparations at Huo Garden, the Huo family also sent out one hundred invitations to wealthy families and celebrities across the country.

The invitation was sealed in an elegant gift box and included an LV silk scarf and a Roja Dove crystal bottle perfume as a gift. Apart from the attendees who received the invitation, no one knew what was printed inside.

Logically, this grand banquet of the Huo family should have been organized by Xu Feixuan, but Huo Lan took over the entire banquet this time and handed it over to Shi Teng, so that Shi Teng is now extremely busy.

Even so, Shi Teng would come over whenever he had free time to ask Jiang Shiyuan if she had any complaints about the garden's layout, but Jiang Shiyuan didn't offer many opinions.

She had no interest in how the banquet at Huo Garden would be held, because apart from the fact that the banquet had nothing to do with her, Cheng Yan had already sent her uncle and aunt's families back and arranged to meet her at Huo Garden.

Reunited with old friends, Jiang Shiyuan was both nervous and excited, spending the entire time on the third floor choosing what clothes and outfits to wear to meet Cheng Yan the next day.

Huo Lan laughed as he watched, saying that she was "more timid as she gets closer to home," while also feeling a little jealous. He pulled her into his arms and asked Jiang Shiyuan again and again who was more important to him, Cheng Yan or Jiang Shiyuan.

Jiang Shiyuan was worn down by Huo Lan's nagging, and her nervous and excited emotions subsided considerably. She could only hold Huo Lan and coax him all night, expressing that he was irreplaceable in her heart, before finally falling asleep in the middle of the night.

As a result, Huo Lan was very "considerate" and didn't wake her up the next day, letting her sleep until noon.

Cheng Yan, guided by the maid, had been waiting for her in the downstairs living room for several hours.

Jiang Shiyuan, still half asleep in her silk robe, went downstairs and immediately saw Cheng Yan standing in the living room, smiling at her.

"Shi Yuan, we haven't been in touch for three years, and you stood me up the first time we met!"

When Cheng Yan arrived at Lingdang Xiaozhu, she originally wanted to go upstairs to the bedroom to wake her up, but the maid wouldn't let her go upstairs, saying that Miss Jiang had been busy with the wedding recently and was tired and needed to rest.

Cheng Yan had little contact with Huo Lan, but she had some understanding of Huo Lan from Jiang Shiyuan's description.

He wasn't afraid she would disturb Jiang Shiyuan's rest; he was just trying to intimidate her!

So when Jiang Shiyuan came downstairs looking exhausted, Cheng Yan crossed her arms knowingly and said, "Did you indulge in sex last night?"

Jiang Shiyuan's face flushed red at the blunt words, and she instantly became much more alert. She hurried over, but when she got to Cheng Yan's side, she didn't know what to say.

She left the country without a word back then, and we lost contact for three years. Now that we've reconnected, the first thing she does is ask her to move her family members. Anyone would be angry in that situation...

But Cheng Yan just looked at her with heartache and then gave her a hug.

"Shiyuan, you're finally back. I thought you were going to break up with me."

As Huo Lan's possessiveness toward Jiang Shiyuan grew stronger, he didn't want her to have too much contact with outsiders, and Cheng Yan also began preparing for the Wancheng Museum's staffing exam, so she didn't initially realize that Jiang Shiyuan had gone missing.

It wasn't until Huo Lan had someone bring her into Huo Garden and, in a nearly out-of-control manner, interrogated her about Jiang Shiyuan's whereabouts that she learned Jiang Shiyuan had resolutely left.

She abandoned her family and friends, abandoned the glory of Huo Garden, and disappeared without a trace. Even Huo Lan, who used so much power, could not find her.

Cheng Yan didn't blame Jiang Shiyuan for leaving without saying goodbye; she just felt sorry for her.

She loosened her embrace, ready to offer some words of comfort, but when she looked up, she saw Jiang Shiyuan's still radiantly beautiful face, and the fact that any single piece of her clothing would cost at least five figures. Her feelings of pity vanished instantly, and she realized that she was the one who was more pitiful.

Cheng Yan asked meaningfully, "I've already sent your uncle and aunt home. Do you want the remaining money transferred back to you?"

Jiang Shiyuan exclaimed "Ah!" in confusion, then replied, "That was money for you, why are you transferring it back?"

Cheng Yan was immediately overjoyed and clung to Jiang Shiyuan's arm, saying, "I told you you're my best friend, we'll be like this forever!"

Jiang Shiyuan is still not used to sticking to others, but Cheng Yan just likes to stick to her.

"Alright, alright, it's been so long since we last met. I'll take you to the third floor to pick something out as an apology."

Cheng Yan's eyes immediately lit up. "Are we starting again? Are any of them really okay?"

Three years ago, when Jiang Shiyuan was at Lingdang Xiaozhu, he often invited Cheng Yan to come to the third floor to pick out things.

Jiang Shiyuan got up and led her upstairs. "Of course you can, but some of them were specially sent by Huo Lan, so you can't take those. You can choose whatever you want from the rest."

"Of course, I know the rules."

The luxury goods on the third floor are updated every quarter. Cheng Yan and Jiang Shiyuan have similar body types, and Cheng Yan can fit into Jiang Shiyuan's size. However, some of the custom-made cheongsams are a bit tight on Cheng Yan, so she has to give them up with tears in her eyes. But in the end, she still makes a fortune.

"By the way, your uncle has been asking about you. I don't know what to say, so I can only say that you have a good job and are doing very well, but you are too busy with work to meet him."

When Cheng Yan went to pick up Jiang Shiyuan's family, she made up an excuse that Jiang Shiyuan had made a fortune in Beijing, so she was taking both families to the capital for a reunion. How she explained things after they arrived was irrelevant; what mattered was that Huo Lan couldn't find them when he took her home.

Cheng Yan sighed, recalling the scene when she returned to their alley. She could only tell Jiang Shiyuan the truth, "It was all for nothing. As soon as I got home, your neighbors immediately told them about your wedding. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear!"

This situation was inevitable, and Jiang Shiyuan had long been prepared for it. "Then Yanyan, you've really had a hard time."

"It's not hard work, it's not hard work at all!"

Holding a handful of luxury goods, Cheng Yan felt so happy she was practically bubbling with joy.

"I hope there will be more jobs like this in the future. I can do it."

As Cheng Yan stuffed the items into her leather bag, she chatted with Jiang Shiyuan about her recent work situation.

"Actually, I'm very busy right now. It was a lot of effort for me to get this leave. I don't know how my boss will criticize me when I go back!"

Jiang Shiyuan asked, "Is there something important?"

"The museum is undertaking the restoration of the Ming Dynasty Wenzang Daduan, which is a major national project. There are hundreds of volumes of ancient books, which are so fragile that they crumble like biscuit crumbs at the slightest touch. Our team has been working on the restoration for a year and we haven't even finished half of it. We've also hit a bottleneck."

Suddenly remembering something, Cheng Yan looked at Jiang Shiyuan with bright eyes, "Aren't you also doing ancient book restoration work now? Why don't you come and have a look at our museum?"

Jiang Shiyuan didn't know why, but after hearing those words, her heart felt so excited that it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

"May I?"

"You're absolutely amazing! Don't forget you've always been one of the top students in your major. If you can't do it, who can?"

Before Cheng Yan could speak, Jiang Shiyuan had already started picking out clothes to go out with Cheng Yan.

"Then hurry up and go, I have to go to work tomorrow."

Jiang Shiyuan's speed of action left Cheng Yan speechless.

Without further arguing with Cheng Yan, she asked Chen Fei and Jiang Chen, who were waiting downstairs, to go get the car.

The two of them were hesitant at first, but after Jiang Shiyuan explained that Huo Lan had allowed her to leave Lingdang Xiaozhu, they drove over in a Passat used by the staff to pick them up and take them to Wancheng Museum.

It was the weekend, so the museum was closed and there were far fewer staff members.

The ancient book restoration office was packed full of items. In addition to some restored ancient books and documents that were being pressed for moisture protection, there were also many documents and professional books, which almost filled the entire office.

Cheng Yan led Jiang Shiyuan to her workstation with practiced ease and turned on her computer to let her view the electronic archives of ancient books she had recorded.

"This is a record of my previous description of the state of the restored ancient books. You can take a look to get a sense of the situation. I'll take you to see the actual items in a little while."

Cheng Yan frowned ever since she turned on her computer; the joy she had just experienced packing luxury goods from Lingdang Xiaozhu was long gone.

While Cheng Yan was turning on her computer, Jiang Shiyuan began to look around the museum office.

Because her studio, Dream Sky Studio, is privately owned and also used to receive clients, its decor is quite artistic and refined.

The museum's offices are quite different. The office is furnished with several mahogany tables and chairs used as desks, and the bookshelves used to store documents are classic gray tin bookshelves, which are simple and full of a sense of the times.

“It’s this volume…” Cheng Yan opened the ancient book file that was facing restoration difficulties. “This volume is not the most damaged, but for some reason, after it was flattened, obvious cracks appeared on the pages. We have considered whether it is due to chemical reasons, but we have not been able to find the problem. This has led us to stop the restoration of this volume and switch to other volumes.”

Cheng Yan then opened the 4K clear photos of the ancient book before restoration. Jiang Shiyuan carefully examined the text records and images, asked a few questions about the restoration process, and did not find any problems.

"I'll take you directly to the ancient book storage room."

Cheng Yan took the key to the storage room from the drawer and led Jiang Shiyuan upstairs. When they arrived at the storage room, they found that the door was unlocked.

"Who is this? They don't even lock the door after get off work. What if some random person comes in and damages the ancient books?!"

Cheng Yan grumbled a few times, and as soon as she entered the room, she saw the person hiding behind the desk organizing ancient books and quickly lowered her head.

"Professor Xu, what are you doing here? Isn't today your day off?"

An elderly man with gray hair and glasses peeked out from the pile of ancient books. "I had nothing to do at home, so I came over to take another look at these ancient books."

He then turned his gaze to Jiang Shiyuan, but only paused for a moment before asking with a kind smile, "You are... Jiang Shiyuan, classmate Jiang?"

Cheng Yan picked up the thread and quickly explained, "It seems Professor Xu still remembers her. Shi Yuan, like me, was also the professor's student before. But if we're really talking about relationships, Shi Yuan will soon have to call the professor 'Grandpa'."

Before retiring, Professor Xu was a professor in the History Department of Wancheng University. He was Xu Feixuan's father and Huo Lan's maternal grandfather. Huo Lan attended the calligraphy and painting appreciation class in his place after they met.

Upon hearing Cheng Yan's words, Jiang Shiyuan quickly tugged at her sleeve, trying to tell her to speak less, but Professor Xu clearly remembered her.

“I know that Jiang’s grades have always been outstanding in the department, and she even got an internship at the Liangwang Tomb back then.”

Jiang Shiyuan nodded, greeted the old professor, and then didn't know what else to say.

"Xiao Lan has already told me that your wedding date is June 9th."

“If you don’t mind, you can call me Grandpa now.”

-----------------------

Author's note: There was a huge rainstorm in our province, and as a result, the entire neighborhood lost power starting at 8 PM!

My phone was almost out of battery, everything was almost out of power, so I started typing away in the dark...

But the computer won't last much longer either [laughing and crying emoji]

Tonight is a long, dark night (hot, no electricity, no internet...).