Chapter 9, naturally, is for... gold...

The suite door opened, and Xie Shuning, who was standing at the door, was stunned for a while after seeing Huo Lan wearing only a bath towel.

His smile froze on his face, his expression growing increasingly gloomy, but he still tried his best to maintain his composure.

"Long time no see, Huo Lan. I never thought we'd meet again in Linjiang City." Xie Shuning looked Huo Lan up and down and said, "And in... this condition."

Xie Shuning gritted her teeth and forced a smile again: "The person I remember would never appear in front of others so disheveled. It seems you've changed a lot in the past few years."

Huo Lan sighed, feigning helplessness, "I was just too tired last night, and just now too, I really didn't have time to get ready."

After saying that, he turned to the side, ignoring the veins on Xie Shuning's forehead that were showing due to his restraint, and invited him into the room.

"Please sit down first, I'll go change my clothes."

He simply couldn't bear to appear before others in such a disheveled state. As soon as Xie Shuning entered, he rushed into the dressing room, changed into a well-fitting dark gray bespoke suit, and then returned to the living room, regaining his usual dignified composure.

Xie Shuning kept looking up at the glass dome above the living room, lost in thought.

Huo Lan went straight to the temperature-controlled wine cabinet on one side of the living room, took out a bottle of excellent vintage whisky, opened it at the bar, and slowly poured himself a glass. "Why have you stayed in Linjiang City to develop your career in recent years?"

Hearing Huo Lan's words, Xie Shuning came back to his senses and replied absentmindedly, "There are many opportunities here. I want to try starting my own business. I can't keep relying on my dad and brother to support me."

Xie Shuning's eyes were deep and he looked up at the glass dome above, where a clear blue sky seemed within reach.

"Besides, I also have someone I want to support."

Huo Lan smiled but said nothing, only stroking the glossy sandalwood bracelet in his hand.

His gaze swept lightly over the closed bedroom door, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips: "Oh? Someone you wanted to raise... that's a pity."

“Raising people isn’t something you can just think about; it depends on whether the other person is willing, and even more importantly, whether you have the ability to protect them and provide for them.”

Xie Shuning chuckled, turned his gaze back, sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and once again appeared calm and composed. "You don't need to worry about that. Let's not talk about that. What brings you to Linjiang City? Did you suddenly call me over just to catch up?"

Huo Lan handed the poured whiskey to Xie Shuning, but didn't keep any for himself, as he had never liked drinking.

"As you know, a few days ago I bought a collectible worth 460 million at auction, which was a fancy vivid blue diamond ring."

Xie Shuning took the wine glass and took a sip, trying to calm his turbulent emotions with the spicy liquid. "I heard that the Huo family is going to hold a grand banquet. If nothing unexpected happens, this blue diamond will be worn by the future mistress of the Huo family."

Huo Lan remained noncommittal, only asking, "Then who do you think will be the future mistress of the Huo family?"

"It's definitely not someone I know."

Xie Shuning swallowed another mouthful of wine. He, who usually loved drinking, felt that this time the wine burned his throat. "You called me here to talk about this? This doesn't seem to have anything to do with me."

"It's okay, but we were friends after all, at least we used to be, weren't we?"

Without answering Huo Lan's question, Xie Shuning looked around at the suite's decor and teased, "Isn't your Huo family always known for its frugality and low-key style? How come you're so extravagant today, booking a suite in the Cloud Realm that costs six figures for one night?" Huo Lan didn't answer immediately, but instead turned to look at the traces of their breakfast on the table in the open-plan dining room. Half a bowl of fish maw and bird's nest soup was left, and Jiang Shiyuan's silk nightgown hanging on the dining chair was the most eye-catching.

"Naturally, it's for... keeping a mistress in a golden house."

Xie Shuning followed Huo Lan's gaze, her fingers gripping the wine glass tightened suddenly, her knuckles turning white, and the forced smile on her face almost crumbled. "Oh? You found Shi Yuan?"

He tried his best to remain calm and looked at Huo Lan, "Or have you gotten a new girlfriend again?"

Huo Lan shrugged and leaned back lazily on the leather sofa. "You know, the person I've chosen is someone I'll spend my whole life with."

A hint of anger flashed in Xie Shuning's eyes, and he said sarcastically, "No one can easily say 'forever,' especially since the Huo family values ​​social standing the most and would never allow you two to be together."

Xie Shuning paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, I've spent more time with Shi Yuan than you have."

Huo Lan's smile froze, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Longer than mine?"

Seeing Huo Lan's gloomy face, Xie Shuning finally felt like she had won a round, and her mood immediately improved a lot. "Isn't that right? After all, you two have been separated for three years, and I have been by her side for these three years."

Huo Lan's chilling aura was terrifying, as if it could tear Xie Shuning apart through the air. "Xie Shuning, are you admitting it yourself? Admitting that you were the one who took Jiang Shiyuan away back then?"

Xie Shuning composed himself, placed his wine glass on the table, and sat up straight. "There's nothing wrong with admitting this. She wanted to leave, and I was happy to help her, so naturally I did."

Huo Lan's expression returned to indifference. He looked past Xie Shuning through the living room's dome at the mirror-like blue sky and said, "Your company was recently negotiating a new energy project, right? It seems like it's going to fall through."

Xie Shuning chuckled softly, feeling that Huo Lan was using his power to intimidate people again. "It seems that Young Master Huo... no, I should call you Mr. Huo now. Mr. Huo has already investigated everything since he arrived in Linjiang City."

Huo Lan shook his head, stroking the Buddhist beads in his hand to calm his mind. "From the day Jiang Shiyuan returned to China, I investigated everything thoroughly."

Xie Shuning felt a chill run down his spine. "So, are you trying to warn me that I'm not qualified to compete with you?"

"Isn't that right? You've been back in China for a year, and Shi Yuan hasn't even let you into her apartment, has he?"

Huo Lan smiled; he had not only gone in, but had also stayed overnight.

"You seem to know quite a lot." Xie Shuning was too lazy to continue pretending to be a brother to Huo Lan. "But do you know why Shi Yuan left you?"

Huo Lan was decisive, not giving Xie Shuning a chance to continue questioning him, "I don't need to know. But you only need to know that from now on, she will never leave my side again."

"No one will have a chance to take advantage of this."

Xie Shuning suddenly stood up from the sofa and looked at Huo Lan from his high position. "That's great. Please continue and see if she will run away again."

After saying that, she was about to leave in a fit of anger, but as she passed the restaurant, she couldn't help but glance at the half-bowl of bird's nest and the nightgown on the table. Her heart ached as if it were being stabbed with needles, but she chuckled softly, mocking herself and Huo Lan.

*

Jiang Shiyuan slept until 2 PM, only to be woken up by hunger.

She was still groggy from sleep, and just as she was about to get up, she found that her body was still a little sore. After calling Huo Lan a few times and receiving no response, she walked barefoot onto the cashmere carpet.

She searched the entire suite, from the bedroom through the wine cabinet to the walk-in closet, and then from the walk-in closet through the hallway to the study, before finally realizing that Huo Lan had already left.

Jiang Shiyuan had no choice but to sit back down under the dome in the living room, feeling utterly bored, and had the butler bring over some simple food.

After finishing her meal, she turned on her phone and discovered that Xie Shuning hadn't sent her any messages since the morning.

The studio's work group was quite lively. Old Chen tagged all the group members, saying that the boss of the Huo Garden restoration project was going to treat all the studio staff to dinner at the Cheryl Carton Hotel at 7 p.m.

The group chat exploded, but Jiang Shiyuan was too lazy to read it and had no interest in guessing what Huo Lan was up to.

The Cloud View Suite is located on the top floor of the hotel. From the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see almost the entire city of Linjiang. It has excellent natural light and is very quiet. It would be a shame not to use it for studying.

It only took Jiang Shiyuan a few seconds to convince herself before she took out her tablet, headphones, and laptop from her bag and started learning English.

Her English foundation is not bad, and she has also met some people abroad in the past two years, which has improved her spoken English a lot. However, the university she wants to attend is one of the top universities in China. Her goal is not just to pass, but to excel in everything, which requires her to devote more time and energy to preparing for the exam.

But ever since Huo Lan reappeared in her world, it seems that her original plans have been disrupted.

With only half an hour left before the dinner party, Jiang Shiyuan closed her books, packed her study materials back into her bag, and went to the dressing room to start choosing clothes. It was then that she noticed a black card on the sofa next to her.

A card with no spending restrictions.

For Jiang Shiyuan, this card was meaningless, because everything she had was handled by Huo Lan.

Whether it's hair, clothing, or makeup, or skincare and wellness, he takes care of everything, so she doesn't need to worry about anything or have any opinions.

He always did a great job. Every dress he chose was a style she liked, and every makeup and hairstyle was in her preferred style. Even in front of her little pavilion, there were Chinese hydrangeas that she loved.

Jiang Shiyuan's obsessive and perverse desire for control seems to have robbed him of the joy of enjoying these enviable aspects of his life.

She only wanted her wings to grow stronger and more powerful so that she could fly out of Huo Lan's golden cage.

Of course, most importantly, she needs to get the "key" to the cage and win his heart.

Jiang Shiyuan thoughtfully put the black card back in its place and picked out a mint green chiffon long-sleeved shirt and a matching tiered skirt from the wardrobe.

The semi-transparent chiffon blouse, with its ties tightened, accentuated her slender waist, and beneath the skirt were a pair of long, fair, and straight legs. Although she was wearing casual clothes, she was still so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

Next to the open wardrobe is a bag cabinet, all of which are styled to match the clothes.

Jiang Shiyuan took out a pink Chanel Lady Dior handbag, put her phone in it, and left the suite.

The private room Huo Lan had booked was called Tianlan, and it was located downstairs from the suite. Jiang Shiyuan arrived at the location in no time.

The private rooms starting with "Tian" are the most expensive type at Cheryl Kardon, and upon entering, you are greeted by the most luxurious decor.

It was still early, and the studio staff hadn't taken their seats yet. Instead, they were in the private room looking at the items and decorations on the cabinets, chatting away.

Upon seeing Jiang Shiyuan enter, Tang Tang walked over first, her eyes filled with amazement. "Sister Zhiyu, you look like Miracle Little Fish now! Why are you wearing different pretty clothes every day?"

Hearing Tang Tang's teasing voice, Qiao Wei turned around from the crowd and walked over. "If you ask me, Zhiyu should dress up more. It would be a waste if she wasn't dressed up, since she's so pretty."

Although Qiao Wei didn't recognize the brand of the clothes, she immediately identified it as Chanel, a popular luxury brand. "This bag must cost tens of thousands..."

Jiang Shiyuan hummed in agreement, then replied very naturally, "Unfortunately, mine is fake."

"Yeah?"

A deep, familiar voice came from behind, like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, instantly silencing the previously chattering dining room.

Jiang Shiyuan gripped her bag tightly, feeling guilty and not daring to turn around and look at him.

Please, please don't tell her that he bought this for her!!

A note from the author:

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Preview: The next two chapters will reveal how these two, strangers in public, become fierce behind closed doors—(silence)