Huo Jiayuan folded the note twice and suddenly noticed that there were words on the back of the note.
Your old friend is doing well now.
Her heart skipped a beat. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she quickly tore the note to shreds and threw it into the trash can.
Old friend...
Who is this old friend? Is it Meng Yan?
She had just met Meng Yan a few days ago, and now they could communicate by phone, so she didn't need someone to tell her in this way that Meng Yan was doing well.
So who is this old friend?
A thought flashed through Huo Jiayuan's mind like lightning.
Just then, Grandma Cai returned with the cake and looked for her several times. When Huo Jiayuan saw her searching for her, she quickly composed herself and walked over quietly.
"Miss, here's your cake," Granny Cai said with a smile. "These cakes are hard to get; you have to wait in line! Do you like this shop's cakes?"
"Hmm." Huo Jiayuan forced a smile.
She has eaten countless delicious cakes, and even pastry chefs from European royalty have come to the Huo family to make afternoon tea for her.
This crude cake was simply not to her liking.
But this cake was the best she had eaten since coming to Biandu.
Meng Yan ran several streets every morning to buy it for her.
She was like a crying, helpless baby, excitedly taking him from his arms the moment he came home...
Huo Jiayuan felt a lump in her throat, remembering her past with Meng Yan, which always made her feel so painful that she wanted to cry.
"Miss, are you feeling unwell?" Granny Cai asked her with concern.
Huo Jiayuan shook her head and turned her face away.
"The feeling of missing someone is not very pleasant."
"What?" Huo Jiayuan was taken aback.
Grandma Cai smiled gently, her gaze deep yet filled with love.
“I know who you’re thinking about, Miss.” She took Huo Jiayuan’s arm and whispered closer, “But in a few days, you’ll be leaving with Mr. Xiao, right?”
"This is none of your business." Huo Jiayuan lowered her eyelids. "Just do your job well, and Xiao Rong will not shortchange you on your salary."
"I'm not doing this for the money," Granny Cai's expression gradually turned serious. "I'm doing this for..."
Huo Jiayuan's heart suddenly leaped into her throat. She could feel the complexity in the old woman's eyes and the cool temperature of her palm on the back of her hand.
However, this strange feeling only lasted for a moment.
Grandma Cai quickly recovered and said to her with a smile, "I heard from Mr. Xiao that you two are going to leave by bus? Ha, people in this area of Biandu basically don't take buses when they go out."
Huo Jiayuan frowned slightly. She had heard this explanation before, but she didn't know why.
"Because the bus is heading out of Biandu, and there's a tropical rainforest it has to pass through," Grandma Cai said, looking at her. "There's a lot of crime there, especially among girls who get raped..."
"What?"
“It’s true.” Granny Cai pursed her lips slightly. “Do you think those bus drivers are good people? Many of them are in cahoots with local gangs. After those girls are bullied, they are sent to the gangs… After that, it’s up to each person’s fate.”
Some are lucky enough to fight their way out, while others are unlucky and simply disappear from the public eye.
Huo Jiayuan took two steps back, her back already beaded with cold sweat.
"So, when people here want to travel long distances, they choose to go by water, train, or plane. Nobody would choose a bus. Especially those buses that go through the rainforest!"
"Miss, what's wrong?" Granny Cai smiled as she looked at Huo Jiayuan, who was standing there in a daze. "Did I scare you?"
"I……"
"Miss, are you really sick?"
Huo Jiayuan didn't immediately realize what was going on.
Grandma Cai reached out to touch her forehead, and she instinctively flinched. However, when she met the old woman's eyes, she seemed to understand something.
"Miss is sick!" Granny Cai's face turned anxious as she looked around, repeatedly calling out, "What can we do? Miss is sick!"
Soon, two more bodyguards ran out from a corner.
Upon seeing Huo Jiayuan, they all intentionally or unintentionally avoided her scrutinizing gaze, then stood respectfully before her, and said in a flustered manner, as if explaining, "Brother Rong was worried about Miss, so... so he sent us along."
"Miss, we've come to get your things!"
"Are you really feeling unwell, Miss?"
"Is that even a question?" Granny Cai immediately helped Huo Jiayuan to a big tree and took out a handkerchief to fan her. "Miss looks so pale, can't you two see? In my opinion, Miss is just too tired."
Huo Jiayuan looked terrible. After hearing Grandma Cai's stories about the bus, her legs went weak, her face turned pale, and she could barely breathe.
"You two take your things back first!" Granny Cai said directly. "There's a clinic on the next street. I'll go with Miss to get a checkup!"
The two bodyguards hesitated to act, looking at each other with a sense of helplessness.
Huo Jiayuan cooperated with Granny Cai's acting from beginning to end.
When her mother-in-law said she was sick, she pretended to be weak. When her mother-in-law said she looked unwell, even her lips started to tremble.
When her mother-in-law said she was going to the clinic, she first waved her hand, then told her in a weak voice, "No, I have to... go back and cook for Xiao Rong."
"But Miss..."
Huo Jiayuan leaned against Grandma Cai's shoulder and coughed softly.
"You two should take your things back first." She looked up at the two of them. "I'm really feeling unwell, so I won't go to the clinic. Grandma Cai, would you like to go with me to buy some medicine?"
Although the two people were in a difficult position, they were obedient enough to carry their things and hurry home.
As soon as they were out of sight, Huo Jiayuan immediately stood up, her beautiful big eyes seemingly trying to see a hole through Granny Cai.
Grandma Cai knew what she was thinking and couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright!" She took Huo Jiayuan's hand. "Now that things have come to this, there's no way I can hide it from you anymore. Besides, you should have known this a long time ago."
"Actually, from the very first day you came to take care of me, you had this all planned in advance, didn't you?"
"Well, how should I put it? First of all, I didn't plan this on my own; I was asked to do it. Secondly..."
Grandma Cai went around to the back of the big tree.
Huo Jiayuan followed curiously, and the scene before her left her speechless!
The old man removed his gray wig, took off his gray coarse cloth shirt, and finally... tore off the mask that was pasted on his face!
She wasn't some kind of old lady, but a girl who looked about the same age as me!
"you……"
Huo Jiayuan almost cried out, and involuntarily stepped back, stepping into the pit and nearly falling.
"Hey, watch out!"
The girl quickly grabbed her and covered her mouth. Huo Jiayuan stumbled and leaned against a tree, staring wide-eyed at the person in front of her.
"Shh, don't shout," the girl said with a smile. "I'll take you somewhere where you'll meet the person you want to see."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
