Chapter 36 The First Time Without Barriers...
Huo Lan stopped moving only when he felt the soft, warm flesh beneath him begin to tremble uncontrollably.
He released his grip on her shoulders and instead placed his arms across her front, almost pulling her tightly into his body, before leading her down onto the soft sofa.
Huo Lan gently kissed the top of Jiang Shiyuan's head, but ultimately couldn't bear to take it any further.
"Why can't I bring myself to do it? I should just take you without a second thought, so you won't have a chance to refuse."
Jiang Shiyuan was so frightened that she trembled all over, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Huo Lan saw this tense and wary look and let out another self-deprecating snort.
"I'll wait until you're willing, and see if you'll still have an excuse to refuse me after we're married."
Jiang Shiyuan simply sat quietly in his arms, without saying a word.
After a long while, Huo Lan straightened his clothes and got up, taking a blanket from the side to cover her exquisite curves.
Is it difficult to start a family with me?
Jiang Shiyuan did not answer immediately. After another period of silence, she finally sat up from the sofa.
The blanket slid down her jade-like skin, revealing her fair and smooth shoulders and neck; every strand of her hair was incredibly alluring.
Huo Lan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes darkened again. This look of hers could only be appreciated by him alone; she could never belong to anyone else.
"I promise you."
Her voice was very soft, but it sounded like a heavy tone in Huo Lan's ears, echoing over and over again.
Huo Lan looked at Jiang Shiyuan intently, his expression full of disbelief. "What did you say?"
"I promise you, but what can you promise me in return? Can you stop spying on me?"
Huo Lan chuckled softly, gently stroking her hair. "Shi Yuan, the sense of security I need isn't just something I say."
Jiang Shiyuan understood what he meant.
She closed the distance between them, close enough that she could clearly see his eyelashes, each one as distinct as a raven's feather.
A pair of slender, fair arms encircled his neck, and Jiang Shiyuan lowered his head to press his lips against those slightly cool lips.
She rarely took the initiative like this. Huo Lan, who had already calmed down, felt a fire burning up from his lower abdomen, making his breathing heavier.
"Then what?"
Huo Lan rubbed her nose against Huo Lan's nose, but did not respond to her kiss, simply letting her get close and take what she wanted.
"We've probably used up the ones we prepared before. Do you think we need to have someone send more?"
He had made himself perfectly clear, and Jiang Shiyuan knew she couldn't escape.
She started betting again, and it's okay to bet once more.
"Tonight will be the first night we've ever had without any barriers between us."
She pushed Huo Lan onto the sofa and straddled her, her proactive demands causing Huo Lan's eyes to redden slightly, almost making him lose his mind.
But he was afraid she would regret it, so he used almost all his strength to restrain his desire to pin her down, pressing his hands against her waist to force her to stop.
"Shi Yuan, if we break this rule today, there will be many more times in the future. Have you thought it through?"
Jiang Shiyuan opened her eyes. Her dark eyelashes were wet, and her beautiful eyes were as if they had been washed with water, dark and confused, unable to find a focus.
After resting for a while, she spoke again, "I never do anything I regret..."
Huo Lan beneath her let out a heavy groan, then lifted Jiang Shiyuan to her feet, leaving her suspended in the air on his body, her entire body resting solely on him.
Jiang Shiyuan's face flushed, and she looked at him with teary eyes, "Aren't you tired?"
Huo Lan simply smiled and kissed her again, kissing her until her whole body went limp and she had no strength left, only able to let herself drift in the ups and downs.
Only when she felt the final burning heat did she seem to wake up suddenly from a dream, and she began to tremble again.
Jiang Shiyuan buried her head in Huo Lan's arms to rest, his sweat mingling with hers, creating a sticky and greasy feeling everywhere.
Before Huo Lan's heavy breathing had calmed down, he took her to the bathroom to wash together.
Her legs were almost weak, and she could barely stand. She could only lean against the wall and let him continue.
Like being submerged in the tide, breathing became increasingly difficult. Her world was a blur of light and shadow, and her reason began to become hazy. All she knew was to cling to him to keep herself steady.
"Huo Lan..."
He bit her earlobe punishingly, then intensified the action, "Why did you call me by the wrong name again, Mrs. Huo?"
"Honey...I want to sleep..."
She was truly exhausted. Ever since she agreed to be with him, he had been excitedly tireless, as if he were on some kind of drug, but she was too tired.
Huo Lan cupped her face and kissed her gently, asking, "What reward do you want?"
Jiang Shiyuan blinked, her eyes unusually snapping back to reality.
"Could I take off this bracelet?"
She looked at the pink diamond bracelet on her wrist, which contained a tracking chip so that he could know her location anytime, anywhere.
His rationality returned before hers. "No, let's find someone else, Shi Yuan. I'll be so anxious that I can't sleep if I can't sense your location."
Jiang Shiyuan suddenly realized what she had said and secretly regretted her haste.
She kissed his lips and said, "I misspoke. I meant I wanted to change my bodyguard."
Huo Lan narrowed his eyes, surprised that Jiang Shiyuan said "replace" instead of "remove".
He turned off the shower and then brought her a clean towel to dry her off. "Do you think they can't protect you?"
Jiang Shiyuan obediently let Huo Lan do as she pleased, then shook her head. "No, they are very capable, but they are not suitable for me. I want to pick a few."
Huo Lan didn't answer immediately, but pondered Jiang Shiyuan's purpose for a while before asking, "There has to be a clear reason, right?"
"Chen Fei is too honest and Jiang Chen is too lively. One is older and the other has just graduated. The two are not suitable to be partners."
Seeing that Huo Lan still didn't answer, Jiang Shiyuan frowned and pretended to be aggrieved, "Haven't I given you the sense of security you want? You can't even change your bodyguard. And I promise you I will wear this pink diamond bracelet forever."
Huo Lan was very suspicious, and it was obvious that her reasons could not completely convince her, so Jiang Shiyuan began to use strong medicine on him again.
She stroked her lower abdomen and said pitifully, "Maybe there's already a baby here, but the father won't even agree to let the mother get a new bodyguard."
Huo Lan couldn't suppress the smile on his lips; Jiang Shiyuan's words had completely softened his heart.
After drying her hair, I carried her back to bed, covered her with a soft silk quilt, and said gently, "Okay, okay, I promise you. When would you like to change?"
"Let's do it the day after tomorrow. Isn't the engagement banquet coming up soon? With so many people around, it'll be more reassuring to have a different bodyguard."
The pain Jiang Shiyuan inflicted on him during her first escape was too deep, so even after Huo Lan had her completely, he still dared not relax. "Okay, but she must be chosen from within the Huo family, and..."
"And what?"
"Didn't you say that the two of them are not suitable to be partners? Then you can choose one of them to keep and then pick the one you think is suitable."
Seeing that Huo Lan had given in, Jiang Shiyuan's eyes lit up. "Of course."
Huo Lan kissed her forehead, then turned off the room light and held her as they fell asleep.
Jiang Shiyuan couldn't sleep, so she just stared at the moonlight shining through the gap in the curtains.
She has more and more secrets to keep hidden, and now she's taking a gamble on the odds. When did she become such an adventurous gambler?
Maybe I'll win, but if I do, I'll just have to leave him like I did three years ago, and live a life of constant anxiety and anonymity. But what if I lose?
Does she have to bear his child, live under his control for the rest of her life, and be a decorative figure like Mrs. Huo in Huo Garden?
Neither of these options is the life she wants, but being imprisoned in Huo Garden is even less desirable for her.
Huo Lan had already left by the time he woke up the next day. More and more celebrities from all walks of life were in the garden, and Huo Lan, as the master of the Huo family, also needed to entertain some important guests.
Jiang Shiyuan was the last fiancée to appear. These three days were busy and he had no free time for Huo Lan, but for her, she only needed to stay in the Bell Pavilion and wait.
Yesterday, the clothing team measured his body data to make alterations to his engagement dress, and today the makeup and styling team came to his home for a makeup trial.
Jiang Shiyuan, wearing the dress sample delivered last night, was surrounded by a group of people discussing makeup and styling plans, but she was absent-minded.
It wasn't until she received a message from her aunt Huo Lianjing on her phone that Jiang Shiyuan finally regained some energy.
I've already seen Xiao Lan. I'm planning to come find you at Lingdang Xiaozhu later. Xiao Lan has been very busy lately, so she probably won't be back by noon.
Jiang Shiyuan was so excited that she stopped the makeup artist. "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom first."
The makeup artist replied respectfully, "Of course, everything is for your benefit."
Jiang Shiyuan nodded apologetically, then locked the bathroom door, afraid that news about her and Huo Lianjing might be seen by someone with ulterior motives and reach Huo Lan's ears.
[Auntie, my makeup and styling team hasn't left yet, so I'll probably have to wait until they finish their makeup trial.]
Perhaps they were busy on the other end, and it took a long time for the message to arrive.
Okay, tell them to leave before 2 PM. I'll come to Bell Pavilion afterwards.
Jiang Shiyuan thought of something else and sent another message.
[Wasn't Chen Fei your personal bodyguard before? Have Chen Fei get rid of Jiang Chen by his side before coming back.]
It seems you already have a plan. Okay, I'll contact him.
Jiang Shiyuan didn't dare to say anything more, only replied with a simple "hmm", then pressed the manual button on the smart toilet and walked out of the bathroom.
Jiang Shiyuan walked calmly and sat back down in front of the makeup mirror. "Everyone, hurry up. I need to take a nap at noon."
Upon hearing Jiang Shiyuan's instructions, the makeup and styling team scrambled to their feet, quickly organizing the makeup and styling plans they had on hand, and then handing them over to Jiang Shiyuan for review.
She initially intended to just pick any outfit to get by, but fearing she might give herself away, she had no choice but to patiently listen to the stylist's explanation as she made her selection.
However, it didn't take too long. Once we realized that it was almost time, we selected a makeup look and started trying it on.
Because the dress's theme was hydrangea and its color was apricot, the makeup and accessories were also chosen to match the color of the hydrangea.
The designer selected a jade hairpin with a hydrangea flower design and placed it on Jiang Shiyuan's neatly styled hair bun.
"Mr. Huo commissioned this hairpin a month ago, saying he wanted to give it to his fiancée. The hairpin is made entirely of the finest Hetian mutton fat jade and was carved by the best jewelry master in Wancheng. The hairpin is warm and lustrous, perfectly matching his wife."
The makeup artist's fingertips brushed over the layered, blooming jade embroidered balls on the hairpin head, and continued to explain, "Each petal and leaf of the jade hairpin is made using openwork carving, which will give it the texture of moonlight passing through glass under the light."
Jiang Shiyuan wasn't in the mood to listen to much, only gleaning the key phrase, "A month ago?"
He hadn't been found by Huo Lan yet. So, he had already planned everything back then?
"Yes, Mrs. Huo, we received the hydrangea-themed makeup and styling invitation a month ago."
Everything seems to be proceeding smoothly according to Huo Lan's plan, but can her plan disrupt it?
"Yes, this makeup and styling is great, let's go with this one."
Jiang Shiyuan stood up from the makeup stool. "There's a restaurant in Huo Garden. I'll have someone take everyone there for a meal. I'm very satisfied with this makeup and styling, so there's no need to come back for another makeup trial this afternoon."
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Author's Note: The time has come for Huo Lan and Shi Yuan to outwit each other!
P.S.: The next chapter will still be updated before midnight. I'm not sure what time, but it will definitely be posted. I'll try my best to update it earlier so that everyone doesn't have to stay up late.
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