Chapter 11 Your Freedom... five years ago...
Jiang Shiyuan stared at Qiao Wei in surprise, blinking her eyes. "Is it that obvious?"
Seeing her innocent and bewildered expression, Qiao Wei felt a bit exasperated. "He practically has his eyes glued to you all the time!"
Before Jiang Shiyuan could say anything more, he took out a small flashlight from his bag and mysteriously handed it to her.
"If he dares to do anything to you, you should..."
As Qiao Wei spoke, she made a fierce gesture as if she were about to turn on a flashlight.
"This flashlight has a high-intensity strobe function. If that Huo Lan has any ulterior motives towards you, just use this to blind him!"
"ah?"
Jiang Shiyuan was unsure whether she should accept the self-defense weapon.
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate? After all, he's the client..."
Qiao Wei sighed softly and said earnestly, "Take it quickly, you can't go wrong by listening to your sister. No matter what it is, nothing is more important than your own safety."
"Sister Qiao Wei, why are you so sure that Huo Lan will do something to me?"
Qiao Wei, with the air of an experienced woman, explained to Jiang Shiyuan like a relationship guru: "Normally, when a man looks at a woman he likes, his eyes are burning but still somewhat proper. But the way Huo Lan looks at you at the dinner party, he seems to want to devour you completely. Besides, he's both diagnosing your illness and ordering black chicken soup for you separately. Anyone with eyes can see that."
Qiao Wei continued, "A person with such an unfathomable background as Huo Lan, who wouldn't he want? So you have to be careful."
These words suddenly reminded Jiang Shiyuan of the afternoon she agreed to go to Huo Garden with Huo Lan. She felt a void in her heart, unsure whether it was regret or something else. Undeterred, she retorted, "Wouldn't that be better? Huo Lan is such an outstanding person. If we could be together, wouldn't that be..."
Before Jiang Shiyuan could finish speaking, Qiao Wei interrupted her, "Zhiyu, you're still too naive. A top-tier family like the Huo family is not something we can afford to associate with. If you agree, you'll just end up as a mistress who can't be seen in public. Being a mistress isn't glamorous."
Jiang Shiyuan wanted to say something more, but her throat felt hoarse and she couldn't utter a single word.
"You must take good care of yourself and not let yourself fall into this trap, even though it's hard to refuse such things."
After Qiao Wei finished speaking, she tightly stuffed the flashlight into Jiang Shiyuan's hand.
"Of course, I might be overthinking it. After all, the head of the Huo family is known for being abstinent and detached from worldly desires. I was all smiles and fawning at the dinner table just now, and he didn't even glance at me."
Then it dawned on me, "No, it's not that Old Chen paid much attention to you, he just kept staring at you from time to time."
Qiao Wei sighed softly, and began to speak earnestly, "I'm a few years older than you, so I see things more clearly. I've encountered similar things when I was young, and in the end, they all ended without a trace, wasting a lot of my youth."
After only a moment of distraction, Qiao Wei packed her things and stood up. Before leaving, she patted Jiang Shiyuan on the shoulder and said, "We're leaving for Wancheng tomorrow and will be staying at his house for three months. I hope he'll be a good client and not make things too difficult for us."
Jiang Shiyuan obediently responded a few more times. After Qiao Wei left, she stayed alone in the private room for a while, her mind still repeating Qiao Wei's words, "Don't let yourself fall for her."
Back then, she chose Huo Lan, giving up a national-level project that could have changed her career, and ended up becoming a canary that wanted to fly but couldn't escape its cage.
It cannot be denied that, at least during the two years she spent with Huo Lan, she enjoyed the ultimate in wealth and luxury, which was incredibly attractive to her at the time, when she was struggling financially and had never even left school.
Moreover, Huo Lan himself is an extremely outstanding individual. He has an enviable family background, the ability to manipulate events, profound knowledge and insights, and an exceptionally outstanding appearance and physique. He is adept at business and enjoys appreciating objects and painting in his spare time.
With his looks like that, it would be hard for any girl to refuse him if he showed interest in her.
She wasn't some ethereal fairy who didn't partake in worldly affairs, so naturally she was also captivated by him.
Although sometimes, his obsessive possessiveness is so strong that people want to escape.
Just then, her phone rang, pulling Jiang Shiyuan back to reality. It was a message from Huo Lan.
Miss Jiang, are you able to come back now?
Jiang Shiyuan pursed her lips and replied indifferently.
【oh】
[Miss Jiang is too cold-hearted. Come back quickly, there's something for you to reward you.]
The message was followed by a rare kissing emoji, which made Jiang Shiyuan's heart pound.
This doesn't seem like Huo Lan's style; it's more like being sarcastic and unsettling...
Jiang Shiyuan didn't dare to waste any more time. After confirming that all her colleagues from the studio had left, she entered the hotel elevator, swiped her card, and went to the Cloud Realm Suite on the top floor.
However, as soon as she swiped the door to the room, she was suddenly pulled inside.
The heavy suite door was slammed shut, and Huo Lan's burning body instantly pressed down on her, pinning her against the narrow space between her and the door, his hands already tightly encircling her waist.
Before she could react, his hand cupped the back of her neck, forcing her to tilt her head back.
A warm, wet kiss landed on the corner of her mouth and then precisely found her lips, prying open her teeth and entwining them, fiercely and wantonly plundering her.
During their passionate kiss, Huo Lan had already removed her chiffon blouse, leaving her only in her white camisole underneath, and his hands roamed and kneaded her body without restraint.
Huo Lan only let her go when she was almost breathless from the kiss and her legs were so weak that she could only barely stand by leaning against the door. However, his eyes were dark and filled with a hint of ferocity, which made people feel uneasy just looking at them.
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Jiang Shiyuan moved closer, hooked her arms around his neck, and rubbed against his neck affectionately like a kitten, asking cautiously, "What's wrong? I'm right here with you."
Despite Jiang Shiyuan's ingratiating gestures, Huo Lan's expression didn't change much; he seemed to still harbor a hidden anger.
He hooked his hand under her chin, scrutinizing her expression with a hint of mockery: "Why is there such a big difference between your face in public and in private?"
Jiang Shiyuan looked at him with feigned confusion and continued to flatter him, "What's the difference? It's all your Shiyuan."
"My Shi Yuan?" Huo Lan raised his lips. "Isn't she Miss Jiang? Why are you pretending not to know me and calling me President Huo, hmm?"
Before Jiang Shiyuan could come up with an excuse, Huo Lan had already lifted her up by her hips and quickly placed her on the cabinet in the entryway.
Because of her increased strength, Jiang Shiyuan's body swayed slightly when she sat on the cabinet, exuding a very erotic aura. Huo Lan's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and the desire in his eyes intensified.
His voice was deep and husky as he leaned closer, "Choose a type or flavor you'd like tonight."
Jiang Shiyuan's ingratiating expression faded, and she frowned, recalling what Qiao Wei had said in the private room earlier.
She was nothing more than a mistress who couldn't be seen in public.
Why can't I just be carefree, listen to him, and be a canary enjoying luxury?
They want to escape, or they want to gain more, to obtain things that don't belong to them.
Jiang Shiyuan gently nudged Huo Lan, unusually refusing his request, "I don't want to tonight, yesterday and this morning were already exhausting enough."
Huo Lan looked somewhat displeased. "Do you think you have a choice? You should make up for the three years you've been missing. Besides, you shouldn't have pretended not to know me in front of your colleagues today, Miss Jiang."
The thought of this made Jiang Shiyuan feel a tightness in her chest, and she blurted out without thinking, "Do you think I should get to know you? And in what capacity should I get to know you?"
Jiang Shiyuan's questions left Huo Lan speechless, and he could only stare at her blankly.
Seeing that he did not respond, she became even more unrestrained.
"Girlfriend? Mistress? Or to put it more bluntly, a casual sex partner..."
Huo Lan's face had turned as dark as hell. "Jiang Shiyuan, shut your mouth. Don't let me hear these words again."
“Oh, I’ve got it. I’m your kept canary, a plaything with no freedom, followed by bodyguards every day and watched by different eyes.”
The air pressure seemed to drop instantly, making it hard for Huo Lan to breathe. His tone became even more sinister, "That's right, you lost your freedom five years ago, Jiang Shiyuan."
Huo Lan chuckled softly, then looked up at her and saw that she was biting her lip tightly, her face full of stubbornness.
"What, you're not convinced? Let me tell you straight, there never will be another time like this. Your sphere of influence will be limited to my side and under my watchful eye."
Faced with such pressure, Jiang Shiyuan inexplicably blurted out, "Who is that fancy blue diamond for? Didn't you say you were going to use it to propose?"
Huo Lan let out a soft breath, loosening his grip on her slightly, and then looked at her with interest. "Are you curious? You'll find out when we get back to Huo Garden."
Jiang Shiyuan nodded, her eyes showing no emotion. "Since you're getting married, then I shouldn't stay by your side anymore. Your future wife will definitely be a young lady from a very wealthy family, and she won't tolerate me."
Huo Lan's mood, which had just started to improve, turned terrible again, and she was so angry that her voice trembled, "...Jiang Shiyuan, you've really thought this far ahead. Have you even thought about how to be an extramarital mistress?"
Jiang Shiyuan didn't speak, but just looked down at the ground. In the end, he gave in first and pulled her into his arms.
"I don't want to argue. Don't provoke me anymore, or I'll really go crazy."
Jiang Shiyuan was stunned for a moment, not quite reacting to Huo Lan's sudden tenderness. After a long while, she hugged Huo Lan back, nodded, and said okay.
"We're leaving for Huo Garden tomorrow. You can go with your colleagues from your studio; I won't force you to come with me."
After Huo Lan finished speaking, she took out an exquisite velvet box from the drawer of the cabinet next to her. Inside the box was a dazzling pink diamond bracelet.
A platinum butterfly bracelet, the butterfly has only one wing, and each of the upper and lower wings is set with a large pink diamond, which sparkles with fire as it flutters.
Before Jiang Shiyuan could ask him what he was going to do, he had already put the bracelet on her wrist and fastened the clasp.
"The moment I saw this bracelet, I knew it belonged to you."
Huo Lan flicked the diamond pendant under the butterfly with his fingertips and smiled, "The tracker is built into the diamond setting. You should carry it with you at all times so I can know where you are at any moment."
Jiang Shiyuan had almost gotten used to Huo Lan's controlling nature, so when faced with this pink diamond bracelet that could be located, she didn't show much emotion, but just nodded obediently.
"Good girl."
Huo Lan ruffled Jiang Shiyuan's hair and then picked her up.
"Then I'll reward you by letting you go to bed early. We won't do it tonight."
Huo Lan turned to go back to the bedroom. As he got up with Jiang Shiyuan, he knocked over a handbag, and the flashlight that had been lying quietly inside rolled out unexpectedly.
Huo Lan stopped and looked at the familiar yet unusual object on the ground: "A flashlight? What are you doing with that?"
A note from the author:
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