Chapter 14 Of course, of course I won't...
Jiang Shiyuan suddenly became nervous and picked up the teacup on the table, starting to drink tea frequently.
The covered boat slowly sailed toward the waterside pavilion, and Shi Teng hurriedly went forward to greet the person.
A beautiful woman dressed in a Suzhou-embroidered blouse stepped off the boat, carrying a basket of freshly picked lotus flowers. She had almond-shaped eyes, delicate eyebrows, and her black hair was tied up with a jade-green hairpin. She was so elegant and beautiful that she seemed otherworldly.
When the beauty came over, she slightly raised her eyelids, quickly glanced at Jiang Shiyuan, and remained expressionless.
Xu Feixuan placed a basket of lotus flowers on the wooden table in the waterside pavilion and began to greet the people in the studio.
"You must be Dream Sky Studio?"
Old Chen hurried over and responded warmly, "Yes, yes, we're here mainly to oversee the restoration of the Huo Garden's collection. I'm Chen Fengsheng, the person in charge of Mengkong."
Xu Feixuan nodded slightly, her demeanor still elegant and proper. "Then I'll have to trouble you. Huo Garden is too large, and many places have been neglected for years, resulting in the destruction of many of the collections. It needs people to repair and maintain it, which is quite a labor-intensive project."
Xu Feixuan's words changed the perception of everyone in the studio. Rumors said that the matriarch of the Huo family was stubborn and difficult to get along with, but the elegant woman in front of them was unpretentious and polite, which was completely different from what others said.
Xu Feixuan and Lao Chen exchanged a few more pleasantries before turning their attention to Jiang Shiyuan, who had been sitting in the corner drinking tea.
Xu Feixuan snorted coldly and asked, "And who is this?"
Old Chen was stunned for a moment, wondering to himself: Didn't everyone in Huo Garden know her? Why doesn't she recognize Mrs. Huo?
Old Chen said, "He is a restorer in our studio, specializing in the restoration of ancient books. He graduated from Linjiang University and his skill level is quite excellent."
Xu Feixuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, "Linjiang University?"
The soft laugh sent a shiver down Jiang Shiyuan's spine; she wondered what hurtful words the woman would utter next.
"It's a good school."
The five words, tinged with approval, came from Xu Feixuan's mouth, causing Jiang Shiyuan to look at her in surprise. But when their eyes met, she saw that familiar indifference and arrogance in her eyes again.
Memories from five years ago surged back, carrying a hint of lotus seed bitterness, making Jiang Shiyuan's heart grow increasingly bitter.
Back then, she never cared what the Huo family thought of her.
*
Five years ago, on the night Huo Lan brought her back to the Huo family, Xu Feixuan made a huge scene, smashing things all over the house in her anger, leaving almost no place to step.
A sharp shard of porcelain grazed Huo Lan's cheek, leaving a bloody mark. Xu Feixuan panicked for a moment, but then hardened her heart again.
"You dare bring some random woman who appeared out of nowhere into the Huo family? I've taught you manners and morality since you were little, used the best resources on you, and raised you to be so outstanding and unattainable, not so you could find a mistress outside and bring her back to keep as a mistress!"
The woman before him was hysterical, a stark contrast to her elegant composure when they first met. Jiang Shiyuan simply stood silently with Huo Lan, watching Xu Feixuan rage with indifference.
What the Huo family does or says is none of her business; she just needs to focus on doing her own thing.
Huo Lan remained silent, simply holding Jiang Shiyuan's hand tightly, letting Xu Feixuan vent her anger and abuse.
It wasn't until the shard of porcelain grazed Huo Lan's face that Jiang Shiyuan's heart stirred. She said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Huo. I know that my coming to Huo Garden like this is somewhat intrusive and presumptuous, but everything can be discussed. There's no need to get angry. Getting angry will only harm your health."
Seeing Jiang Shiyuan protecting Huo Lan, Xu Feixuan was even more furious. "How long have we known each other, and she's already learned to protect her sugar daddy? Well, if she didn't protect him, where would she get her food?"
These words were harsh, but Jiang Shiyuan was already prepared, so they went in one ear and out the other, without being greatly affected.
Instead, Huo Lan got angry and retorted to Xu Feixuan, "Do you think your messes are any less than mine?"
However, one sentence was enough to silence Xu Feixuan. She sat down on the sofa in a daze and didn't say another word.
Before Jiang Shiyuan could think about why those words would make Xu Feixuan react this way, Huo Lan had already signaled Shi Teng to take Jiang Shiyuan away first.
Shi Teng is a very perceptive person. He could see Jiang Shiyuan's indifference, and he could also see Huo Lan's infatuation with her.
Just like the butler in many CEO romance novels said, the young master hadn't smiled at anyone in a long time, and Shi Teng felt the same way.
Jiang Shiyuan is beautiful, but there are too many beautiful women in this world, especially in a top family like the Huo family, where beautiful women are not a rarity.
From every perspective, Huo Lan was outstanding and impeccable from a young age. Especially after adulthood, whether it was a young lady from a wealthy family or a beautiful star, almost everyone wanted to get involved with Huo Lan. But no matter how beautiful or charming the woman was, Huo Lan looked at everyone as if she had seen a plague god, and found everyone extremely annoying.
Shi Teng did not believe that Jiang Shiyuan's beauty was the reason why Huo Lan did this.
Therefore, Shi Teng firmly believed that Huo Lan liked Jiang Shiyuan, and that he liked her for who she was. This idea never changed from the first time he met her until later.
Jiang Shiyuan thought that Shi Teng would also think that she was scheming and only wanted to curry favor with the Huo family, just like Xu Feixuan. Even if he was Huo Lan's man and dared not show it on the surface, he would still despise her in his heart.
But that day, Shi Teng took her back to Lingdang Xiaozhu and talked to her about many things.
He said that Huo Lan was meticulous and thorough in his work, and that he definitely wouldn't have brought her back to Huo Garden on a whim. At the very least, Huo Lan would have thoroughly investigated all information about her, her family background, and her life experiences.
Huo Lan would never regret what he had done, so he told her to relax and live peacefully in Huo Garden.
After Jiang Shiyuan returned to Lingdang Xiaozhu, she waited for Huo Lan for a long time. Finally, as dawn broke, Huo Lan returned, covered in dew.
Jiang Shiyuan got up from her bedroom and went downstairs to meet him. She found him sitting on the sofa in the living room, silent and seemingly lost in thought.
She tried to take off his coat, but before she could even unbutton it, he hugged her waist.
Huo Lan buried her head in her arms, her body burning hot. After a long while, she looked up at him, her eyes still seeming to be moist, with a hint of red at the corners, looking pitiful.
"What's wrong? Do you have a fever?"
Noticing that something was wrong with Huo Lan's body, she placed her hand on his forehead, and the burning temperature startled Jiang Shiyuan.
"I'll go get you a thermometer to take your temperature."
But Huo Lan wouldn't let go, his eyes still blurry with tears as he carefully traced her face with his gaze.
He was afraid that if he let go, she would disappear.
"You are the first person I wanted to choose, and you will be the last. Don't leave me."
Jiang Shiyuan didn't understand why Huo Lan would say such a thing, since they had only known each other for a few days.
However, she felt that since she had taken the benefits, she should take responsibility for them, so she began to gently pat his back, coaxing him softly as if she were soothing a child.
"Of course, I won't leave you. You need to take good care of yourself too. Can we take your temperature now?"
Huo Lan laughed, laughing like a child.
She was nothing like the haughty, domineering person she was at school just a few days ago.
Jiang Shiyuan snapped out of her reverie and realized that Xu Feixuan was still watching her.
Xu Feixuan continued her previous question.
"It's a good school, but Wancheng University's cultural heritage and museology program is the best in the country."
She subtly praised her again, because her real school was Wannan University.
Jiang Shiyuan stood there, unsure how to react.
Old Chen smiled apologetically, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Wanzhou University's literature and history department is naturally the best, but our studio is in Linjiang City, so we recruit more local graduates."
Xu Feixuan smiled slightly, fiddled with the lotus flowers in the basket, and said, "I know, I believe in Miss Jiang's abilities."
After saying that, he stood up again. "I have something to do, so I won't stay with you all any longer. I'll have Shi Teng take you to your accommodations later."
Xu Feixuan left the waterside pavilion with the flower basket, and only then did the people in the studio begin to relax.
Qiao Wei looked at Jiang Shiyuan and felt that he was someone special.
Since entering the Huo family's garden, it seems that everyone's attention has been focused on Jiang Shiyuan, treating her with utmost respect, as if she were also the master of the Huo family.
Xu Feixuan, Huo Lan's mother, also took a liking to Jiang Shiyuan at first glance among so many people in the studio, and the topic of conversation revolved around Jiang Shiyuan.
Qiao Wei found it very strange, but she couldn't figure it out.
"Zhiyu..." Qiao Wei quickly changed her address after saying those two words, "Shiyuan, did you really only intern at Huoyuan before?"
Jiang Shiyuan neither said yes nor no, but simply nodded.
Qiao Wei knew that she wouldn't get any results by pressing the issue, so she stopped talking about it.
After a short rest in the waterside pavilion, the studio staff watched as the sun set and twilight descended.
The streetlights were already on throughout the garden, and the group followed Shi Teng to the dormitory that the Huo family had arranged for them.
As Jiang Shiyuan passed by the Bell Pavilion, she felt somewhat dazed.
The roads and buildings were familiar, but she no longer wanted to be that canary waiting for Huo Lan to come home every day.
So without a moment's hesitation or pause, she followed the studio staff to her residence.
Mengkong Studio went to Huo Garden as a partner, so they could not stay in the place where Huo family employees lived.
Shi Teng then led them to the Wuzhu Pavilion and arranged a private room for each of them.
However, when it was Jiang Shiyuan's turn in the end, she was not included.
"Mr. Huo instructed before he left that you should continue to stay at Bell House."
Jiang Shiyuan disagreed. Her colleagues were all staying at Wuzhu Pavilion while she was going to stay at the entire Lingdang Xiaozhu. It was too conspicuous, and she had no way to explain it to them.
She was ready to refuse Huo Lan's request once again.
"No, I want to stay here!"
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