Chapter 40 Don't Lie to Me
These words made Jiang Shiyuan's blood almost run cold, and every pore on her body tighten.
She tried her best to adjust her mood and prevent Huo Lan from noticing the subtle changes in her body.
"What plans could I possibly have? As the future Mrs. Huo, do I not even have the right to choose my own bodyguards?"
"I was overthinking it." He admitted quickly, his tone softening. "Shi Yuan, don't lie to me."
The last three words were not a request, but a weary warning.
"The slightest movement around you makes me feel like I'm facing a major crisis."
Before Jiang Shiyuan could explain anything further, Huo Lan hugged her tightly and began to apologize, "I'm sorry, I was too suspicious. I can't always doubt my wife. I won't do it again."
Fearing that the more they talked, the more flaws would be revealed, Jiang Shiyuan pointed to a drooping lotus seedpod not far away and abruptly changed the subject, "There are so many lotus seedpods here, which one do I want to pick?"
Huo Lan lifted his head from the crook of her neck, curled his lips into a smile, and reverted to his previous lazy and carefree demeanor.
"Okay." He released her and picked up the oar again. "I'll pick it for you."
The small boat gently turned its course and rowed towards the lotus seedpod, the ripples disturbing the pool of rosy light.
Jiang Shiyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on her back.
The moment he asked that question, she almost thought he knew everything.
Huo Lan easily plucked the plump lotus seedpod and handed it to her.
Jiang Shiyuan took it and began peeling the plump lotus seeds, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.
"Want to try some?" She peeled a tender white lotus seed and held it to his lips, trying to dispel the previous awkward atmosphere.
Huo Lan ate from her hand, his lips inadvertently touching her fingertips as if he were kissing them.
"It's very sweet."
He looked at her and said something, but it was unclear whether he was referring to lotus seeds or something else.
"There will probably be many more days like this."
The small boat lingered in the lotus pond for a while longer, until the setting sun had almost completely sunk into the horizon, leaving only a sky full of magnificent colorful clouds.
On the return trip, Huo Lan rowed much slower.
The two remained silent, their doubts seemingly shrouded in the deepening twilight, no longer clearly discernible.
Back at Bell House, Lin Lang was standing anxiously at the door with a folder in his hand. He rushed over as soon as he saw the two of them return.
"Mr. Huo, you're finally back. There have been some problems with the delivery party for the new energy project we secured earlier."
Lin Lang looked apologetically at Jiang Shiyuan, "Sister Shiyuan, I wouldn't have come here on the eve of your engagement if I hadn't been so unable to handle it myself. Please don't mind..."
After saying that, she looked at Huo Lan with some timidity.
Huo Lan frowned slightly. "Alright, stop playing the victim. Briefly explain the situation."
After learning some details from Lin Lang, Huo Lan looked at Jiang Shiyuan.
"It's okay, it's not a big problem, but I need to go back to the company to take care of it."
He gently smoothed Jiang Shiyuan's hair, which was ruffled by the evening breeze, and said softly, "Go back and rest first. Tomorrow will be very busy, so don't wait for me to come back tonight."
Jiang Shiyuan nodded, and then he left a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking Lin Lang away.
Even after Huo Lan left, Jiang Shiyuan was still extremely anxious, feeling that she should do something to dispel Huo Lan's doubts.
Although he said he trusted him, the fact that he asked this question meant he must have doubts.
After returning to her room, Jiang Shiyuan didn't waste much time and decided to get Xie Shuning's contact information back from Tang Tang, adding him back without hesitation.
The friend request was accepted quickly, and almost at the same time, Xie Shuning sent a message: "Shi Yuan, you finally replied to me."
Jiang Shiyuan replied, "Don't overthink it. I just want to return something to you. You should have been invited to Huo Garden too, right? Come to Bell Pavilion. I'll be waiting for you."
After sending the message, Jiang Shiyuan turned off her phone.
She knew how frequently the bodyguards reported the situation; Jiang Chen had mentioned this to her before.
Every two hours, they needed to report Jiang Shiyuan's situation to Huo Lan, and if any special circumstances occurred, they also needed to take photos for him.
Therefore, he needed Han Feng to gain Huo Lan's trust first, to let Huo Lan know that Han Feng would not hide information from him, and Xie Shuning's appearance would make him feel at ease with Han Feng to the greatest extent.
After having a general plan in mind, Jiang Shiyuan took out the diamond necklace that Xie Shuning had given her from the cabinet.
This was the birthday gift he gave her after she ran away with him to a foreign country.
It's less of a birthday gift and more of a proposal gift.
After escaping from Huo Lan, she followed Xie Shuning abroad. Jiang Shiyuan was not used to the local environment and climate, and stayed in Xie Shuning's villa for a long time.
Although she didn't think Huo Lan's influence could extend that far, she was too afraid to go out and could only follow Xie Shuning, asking him to cover her tracks.
As time went on, Xie Shuning gradually revealed his feelings for her.
He also began to learn from Huo Lan to buy her clothes and expensive jewelry from auctions, and to package her as a gift to admire.
Whether Jiang Shi was willing to accept it or not, he would pester her relentlessly until she accepted it.
The wardrobe in the villa was crammed with more and more clothes, and the jewelry in the dressing table drawers was gradually filling up. Jiang Shiyuan knew what Xie Shuning wanted to do, but she had no choice but to comply and had no chance to resist.
In Jiang Shiyuan's eyes, Xie Shuning had always been a dissolute person, constantly involved in scandals and frequently changing girlfriends. Basically, no one could stay by his side for more than half a year.
She was an exception.
He kept her in the villa for a year, during which time he never stopped taking care of her and pampering her, and he never brought any female companions to appear in front of her again.
He followed Huo Lan's example, quit smoking and drinking, switched to woody perfumes, stopped indulging in extravagance, and began to study calligraphy, painting, and antiques, trying to communicate with her about cultural relics and the like.
Jiang Shiyuan was in a foreign country, with no friends and no one to talk to. She only knew Xie Shuning.
It was as if she had been thrown into a vast ocean, and she couldn't find any driftwood.
When she saw Xie Shuning's change, she felt even more panicked and powerless than she had at Huo Garden.
She was afraid every day that Xie Shuning would come back, afraid of his subtle closeness, afraid of his touch, afraid that he would suddenly lose his mind and force himself on her.
Jiang Shiyuan remembered that Xie Shuning, who had already quit drinking, got himself drunk again that day and returned to the villa in a drunken stupor.
She cooked him a hangover soup and helped him to rest, but he grabbed her hand and insisted that she accept another gift.
It was a bow necklace inlaid with pink diamonds, which he said best matched the bow dress he had given her before.
But for some reason, he hugged her, and without a second thought, took her upstairs, pushed her down onto the bed, and tore off her clothes.
He proposed to her again and again, repeatedly saying that he wanted to marry her, and that the Xie family was not afraid of Huo Lan. Even if Huo Lan found out, his brother had the ability to keep her by his side.
Jiang Shiyuan remembered the scorching heat pressing down on her that day; the unprecedented fear made her vision go black and she almost fainted.
But she still used all her strength to push Xie Shuning away, then ran to the railing on the third floor and jumped down.
After Jiang Shiyuan jumped off the building, Xie Shuning finally became afraid.
He dared not keep her locked up any longer, and instead found her a job locally, allowing her to leave as she wished.
Jiang Shi didn't want to recall the time Xie Shuning hid her in the villa, nor did she want to see him, but she knew she couldn't think of any other way to make Huo Lan lower his guard.
After waiting for half an hour at the Bell Pavilion, the doorbell rang. The maid opened the door and, seeing it was Xie Shuning, didn't dare let him in.
"He's a friend, just let him in."
After Jiang Shiyuan finished speaking, she took the gift box containing the necklace and walked to the entrance. She then asked the maid to leave and returned it to Xie Shuning.
"Now that I'm marrying Huo Lan, I can't keep the things you gave me anymore, lest he be unhappy if he sees them later."
Xie Shuning refused to accept it, and with a hint of sadness in his eyes, said, "It's just a necklace, there's no reason for me to return it."
Jiang Shiyuan didn't say anything, but simply stuffed the gift box into Xie Shuning's arms. When she turned to leave, Xie Shuning grabbed her arm.
Seeing Jiang Shiyuan's displeased expression, he quickly let go of her hand and began to apologize, "So much time has passed since what happened back then, can't you forgive me?"
Jiang Shiyuan smiled calmly and said, "I forgive you, but I think we are not suitable to be friends, so we should stay away from each other."
“I know you don’t like Huo Lan.” Xie Shuning looked at Jiang Shiyuan earnestly. “I can help you one more time. This time I won’t lock you up again.”
Jiang Shiyuan looked at Xie Shuning with a bright smile, as if she had heard something absurd, "Who told you I don't like him?"
He felt a pang of pain in his heart at her smile and hurriedly stepped forward, trying to find any trace of pretense.
“Shi Yuan, I know very well that you are not happy in the Huo family.”
Jiang Shiyuan put his hands behind his back and stepped back, smiling as he said, "Mr. Xie, thank you for your hospitality and shelter many years ago, but we are really not acquainted. Please leave after you take the necklace."
"Shi Yuan, don't lie to me. I know you still want to leave."
Xie Shuning was slightly excited and wanted to get closer to Jiang Shiyuan when a cold voice came from outside the door.
"It seems that the Xie family's traditions have not been passed down to Young Master Xie at all."
Huo Lan stood abruptly outside the door, his tall figure like a cold blade stained with the night, his tone calm yet carrying a terrifying sense of oppression: "How dare you come to my doorstep to harass my wife? Do you think I, Huo Lan, don't exist?"
Seeing Huo Lan return, Xie Shuning didn't show much emotion, but his eyes were full of mockery. "Mr. Huo is quite discerning. I've only been at Bell Pavilion for a few minutes, and you've already appeared."
Huo Lan didn't answer Xie Shuning's question, but went straight into the house and took Jiang Shiyuan's arm. His fingertips kept stroking the spot where Xie Shuning had pulled, the movements gentle yet filled with a strong possessiveness.
“The baby got dirty.” He looked down at her, his voice very low. “You’ll have to give her a good bath tonight. I’ll watch you wash her.”
After saying that, she turned around and glanced at Xie Shuning, "What, you still don't want to leave? Do you want to see how affectionate we are as husband and wife?"
Xie Shuning gave a self-deprecating laugh, concealing the surging emotions in his eyes, "I just came to pick up a necklace, sorry to bother you."
Huo Lan didn't bother to consider the origins of the necklace Xie Shuning mentioned, but continued to coldly dismiss him.
"Since you've already received it, there's no need to send it away."
As soon as he finished speaking, a servant came forward to see Xie Shuning off.
After he left, Huo Lan closed the door to the entrance and pulled Jiang Shiyuan to the bathroom without saying a word.
Jiang Shiyuan knew that he must have received a message from Han Feng, and that he rushed back even though he didn't care about his work after learning that Xie Shuning was coming to find her.
She asked tentatively, "This new bodyguard is quite responsible; he relayed the message to you so quickly?"
"This is his duty, and he can only do better in the future."
Huo Lan was preparing the things she would need for her bath. After placing them all on a tray, she turned to look at Jiang Shiyuan, a slow smile spreading across her lips.
Jiang Shiyuan asked in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"
“I’m so happy. My wife has really fallen in love with me and doesn’t want to leave me.”
Huo Lan adjusted the water temperature, approached her, and lightly brushed his fingertips across her clothes, unbuttoning them one by one.
Jiang Shiyuan stood still, tacitly acquiescing to his actions, allowing his gaze to freely touch her private parts.
Warm water flowed over her shoulders, and the bath oil ball melted in the water, creating delicate and fragrant bubbles. Surprisingly, Huo Lan didn't tease her; instead, he carefully washed her.
"The engagement banquet is tomorrow, are you nervous?"
Jiang Shiyuan opened her eyes from the bathtub and said, "There really is a little bit."
"The makeup artist and costume designer will come tomorrow during the day. They have already tried on the costumes before, so there's no need to worry about anything going wrong."
Huo Lan gently stroked Jiang Shiyuan's face and said, "Tomorrow, you just need to stay at Bell Pavilion and wait to become my bride-to-be."
His fingertips paused for a moment, and his eyes gradually welled up with tears. "I will love you very, very much. Can you love me very, very much too?"
Jiang Shiyuan's heart suddenly skipped a beat, a subtle bittersweet feeling welling up inside her. She didn't know what to say, so she could only obediently nod.
Huo Lan couldn't help but kiss her, kissing her forehead, her eyes, the tip of her nose, and finally kissing her lips, gently lingering and caressing them, kissing her with extreme tenderness rather than possessiveness.
Jiang Shiyuan was immersed in the tenderness of the misty water vapor when she heard his deep voice again, which instantly brought her back to her senses.
"But what about that necklace?"
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