Chapter 4 We're a perfect match, aren't we...?
Jiang Shiyuan would still blush when she heard Huo Lan's occasional vulgar flirtatious remarks.
But this is not how Huo Lan is perceived by others.
In the eyes of others, Huo Lan is like the snow on a high mountain, with elegant and proper speech, never frivolous or overstepping the bounds, and upholding a unique sense of self-discipline and propriety.
At least that's what she thought when they first met. It wasn't until their relationship deepened that she realized the gentle exterior was all a facade, and beneath the fair skin lay a heart rife with malice.
After that absurd incident ended, Jiang Shiyuan took a taxi back to school after leaving Huise. It was already past 3 a.m.
Her waist was still sore and she was still feeling the afterglow, but she was already clear-headed. On her way back to school, she sent the video she had recorded to Zhou Shili.
A few days later, she successfully obtained the internship qualification for the Liangwang Tomb project.
The lecture hall was packed with people and bustling with activity during the final class of "Appreciation of Ancient Chinese Painting and Calligraphy" before departure.
When she and her roommates arrived, there were no seats available, so they had to sit in the back row, which was quite secluded.
The classroom was filled with many unfamiliar faces, mostly girls, all with bright, sparkling eyes, excitedly talking about something.
Jiang Shiyuan opened the class group and learned that the old professor who usually taught the appreciation class was unwell today, and his grandson had replaced him.
She didn't pay any attention and took out her books to prepare for class until she heard the girls' exclamations at the door. A large group of people surrounded one person as they entered the classroom. Only then did Jiang Shiyuan raise her head and hear the people around her talking with great interest.
"It's said that Professor Xu's grandson is Huo Lan, the only son of the Huo family. The Huo family is so mysterious, it's unbelievable that they would come out to give us a lecture today!"
"Is it the Huo family that owns a private garden covering more than 2,000 acres?"
"That's right! Young Master Huo is only 22 years old and has already earned a Master's degree in Finance from MIT. He just returned to China not long ago and helped the Huo family negotiate and win a cross-border merger and acquisition deal. He's back this time to inherit the family business..."
Jiang Shiyuan's roommate Cheng Yan nudged her with her elbow and asked in confusion, "A finance genius, here to teach ancient calligraphy and painting appreciation? Why does he want to eat just anything?"
Qu Rourou immediately retorted, "What do you know! The Huo family garden has been passed down for thousands of years. Any antique inside could be the crown jewel of a small museum. Young Master Huo has been immersed in a prestigious family since childhood, and his maternal grandfather is a professor at Wan University. How could he not know more than us?"
Cheng Yan pursed her lips, unconvinced, until she saw the tall, slender figure emerge from the commotion, wearing a microphone and walking onto the stage. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she grabbed Jiang Shiyuan's arm and began to shake it violently.
"Ahhhhh! He's so damn handsome! What an absolute stunner!"
After saying that, she quickly took out her phone and started recording a video, just like other fangirls.
The man on the stage was looking down at the courseware on his computer. He was tall and slender with fair skin, about 190 cm tall, and wearing a moon-white Suzhou-embroidered Chinese jacket. He looked like an ancient jade with a halo, gentle and noble.
Then, with a slight lift of her eyes, her jawline was sharp and clean, her eyebrows were like ink paintings, and her nose was high and straight. Her exquisite face stunned the entire audience into a gasp.
The frequency of taking photos with mobile phones is also rising and falling.
Jiang Shiyuan also gasped, instantly pulling her thoughts back to that absurd night a few days ago.
There seemed to be an lingering, ambiguous warmth behind it all.
Her ears turned bright red, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at the person again.
The slideshow for the lesson started playing on the screen, and the lecture hall quieted down, but the students who came to observe still filled the entire aisle, staring intently at the handsome guy on the stage.
Jiang Shiyuan was distracted throughout the class until the PPT showed a section of the "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" painting. The tall and elegant man on the stage selected students from the list next to him to answer questions, his fingertips tracing over the text and stopping at a particular name.
What are the characteristics of the use of color in Northern Song Dynasty blue-green landscape paintings?
He slightly curved his lips into a smile, "Why don't we let... Jiang Shiyuan, classmate Jiang, answer this question?"
Huo Lan looked up and scanned the people in the classroom seats. Because there were so many people, she couldn't pinpoint her location for a moment.
"Jiang?"
Cheng Yan bumped into Jiang Shiyuan hard, snapping her out of her daze.
She stared innocently at Cheng Yan, "What's wrong?"
Cheng Yan gritted her teeth, feeling utterly disappointed. How could she possibly daydream during such a handsome guy's class?
"Your name has been called. Answer the question..."
Jiang Shiyuan quickly stood up, and when she looked up, she was met with those deep, unfathomable eyes. In an instant, heat surged up, and her ears turned red. The burning sensation made her feel a little uncomfortable.
Huo Lan looked at her tenderly, and she stood there stunned.
Why are they calling my name? Could they be here to settle accounts?
He didn't lose out at all!
Unaware of the inner turmoil Jiang Shiyuan was experiencing, Cheng Yan whispered a reminder: "What are the characteristics of the use of color in Northern Song Dynasty blue-green landscape paintings?"
Upon hearing the question, Jiang Shiyuan snapped out of her reverie and immediately replied, "The color is specially formulated, with ochre as the base tone and cyan as the highlight..."
Huo Lan smiled and said, "Jiang is really smart."
The class passed just like that. After class, Cheng Yan showed her the video she had posted on social media. The one about Huo Lan had already received more than 10,000 likes in just a few tens of minutes.
The title is: [The new substitute teacher is so handsome, he's like a real-life version of the male protagonist from a novel.]
The comments under the video were obscene and offensive.
@CrispyDuck: The legs are already open, what else do I need to do?
@PotatoCutlet: They usually seem very abstinent on the surface, but they're actually quite adept at...
@梦露123: Handsome, wait for me, this one at home is a bit tough to kill.
Cheng Yan: "Ahhh, this is the comments section, not a no-man's land!!"
When Jiang Shiyuan saw the comment that said someone was very good at... in private, her face turned red again in a nasty way.
The man's low breathing seemed to echo in my ears again, lingering for a long time.
The students gradually left the classroom in twos and threes, while Huo Lan was still on the podium packing up the data cables and other items he used for lecturing.
Jiang Shiyuan stood inside Cheng Yan, trying to sneak out of the classroom with the departing crowd, but unexpectedly he was stopped by her.
"Jiang, please wait a moment."
Huo Lan looked in their direction, and Cheng Yan's eyes widened instantly. She turned to look at Jiang Shiyuan as if watching a good show, while nudging her towards Huo Lan with her elbow.
Jiang Shiyuan froze, stiffly turning around to ask, "Hello, teacher, is there anything else?"
Huo Lan put the courseware into his briefcase. "I heard that Jiang got an internship with the Liangwang Tomb project team. Congratulations!"
He paused, then added, "You are smarter...and bolder than I imagined."
These words immediately made Jiang Shiyuan tense. She knew that her internship qualification was not obtained in a glorious way, and was even a risky move.
Huo Lan is a member of the Huo family. Although she doesn't know him well, she is in Wancheng and has heard about the Huo family's ruthless methods.
If he intends to make things difficult for her, she probably won't be able to make a fuss no matter how much she tries.
Regardless of Jiang Shiyuan's inner struggle, Huo Lan smiled gently and warmly, "I just happen to have some information related to the Liang King's Tomb that I wanted to share with you, Jiang. Don't be nervous, come with me."
Huo Lan took two steps forward, but when he turned around, he found that Jiang Shiyuan had not followed.
"What, Jiang, are you afraid I'll eat you up?"
Before Jiang Shiyuan could even take a step, Cheng Yan shoved her forward with such force that she almost bumped into Huo Lan.
Cheng Yan didn't feel apologetic at all; in fact, her expression was quite animated, hinting at something.
Go! Go!
She had no choice but to bite the bullet and silently follow behind him until they reached a black Cayenne that wasn't particularly eye-catching, parked by the trees on the road downstairs. Only then did Jiang Shiyuan stop abruptly.
"Teacher Huo, I think I'm quite well prepared. I'll come back for more materials later when I have the chance."
Jiang Shiyuan turned to leave, but Huo Lan grabbed her wrist.
"Jiang, you can't just pretend nothing happened, can you? It's not a good habit to just eat and leave."
He opened the rear door of the Cayenne and gestured for it to proceed.
Knowing he couldn't escape, Jiang Shiyuan simply stepped into the car.
The scent of calfskin emanating from the genuine leather seats, mixed with the fragrance of cedarwood, gently enveloped her.
The sensations all over her body told her that this place did not belong to her world.
After she was seated, Huo Lan got into the car from the other side. The car door was closed, creating a secluded space, where an undercurrent of ambiguity lingered, and the two people's breathing was particularly noticeable.
Jiang Shiyuan waited for a long time but saw no movement from the other party, so she had to speak first to break the silence.
"so what?"
Huo Lan looked out the car window at the lush greenery of spring, his eyes as calm and still as an ancient pool.
For some reason, the next moment, he said something like that.
"The hydrangeas in the Huo family garden have bloomed; they need someone to admire them."
Jiang Shiyuan stared wide-eyed in confusion, her knuckles already turning white as she gripped the hem of her clothes.
"Why don't you move into the Huo family's place? Besides, we're a perfect match, aren't we?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiyuan blushed instantly and turned to get out of the car, but the car had already been locked.
"What do you mean? I won't agree to this."
A muffled chuckle rang out, and Huo Lan lazily glanced at Jiang Shiyuan. "Jiang, you've misunderstood. I just wanted to invite you to work as a cultural relic restorer at the Huo Family Garden. How about a monthly salary of 3 million? I wonder if you're more skilled at restoring ancient books and paintings, or gold, silver, and jade?"
Jiang Shiyuan wasn't stupid. Even though he gave a high-sounding reason, she knew what kind of unspeakable relationship she would have with him if she agreed.
"I only practiced in practical classes at school, and I'm not an expert in repair."
"Really? Then how did you end up on the Liang King's Tomb project team?"
The flush on Jiang Shiyuan's face, which had been rising from being in the same carriage as Huo Lan, turned into displeasure.
Is he threatening her?
Huo Lan continued, "I believe in Jiang's abilities. I'll give Jiang ten minutes to consider. Should you choose to come to Huo Garden with a monthly salary of one million, or choose the Liangwang Tomb project team for an internship with no salary? I think the choice should be easy."
As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned back in the leather chair behind him, closed his eyes and pretended to doze off, looking completely calm and composed, as if victory was already in his grasp.
Ten minutes was enough for Jiang Shiyuan to go from being shocked to calm down.
Once she calmed down, she began to quickly analyze the pros and cons.
She knew that even if she successfully left the Liangwang Tomb project team and obtained a job at the Wancheng Museum, it would only be the beginning.
Even if she worked diligently for decades, she might not be able to save up this astronomical sum of three million.
But he so easily promised her such an astronomical sum, a month's salary. How could she not be tempted?
Moreover, the person next to me...
Jiang Shiyuan quietly observed Huo Lan's profile. The soft light coming through the car window cast dappled shadows on his face, and his long eyelashes drooped down, casting a small shadow on his porcelain-white skin. He was as beautiful and delicate as a piece of fine mutton-fat jade.
She never expected that someone who seemed so refined would actually bring up such a thing.
"I promise you."
Less than ten minutes later, Jiang Shiyuan gave her answer.
Huo Lan opened his eyes, not surprised, but then he said...
"In that case, give me a kiss to show your sincerity."
A note from the author:
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These two chapters are in flashback; the rest of the story will return to the present day.
The male and female leads are 2 years apart in age. When they first met, Jiang Shiyuan was 20 years old and Huo Lan was 22 years old.
Shi Yuan stayed with Huo Lan at the Huo family for two years before leaving. Three years later, she was brought back by Huo Lan. In the current timeline, Shi Yuan is 25 years old, and Huo Lan is 27 years old.
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