Chapter 41 I'll only let you touch me...
Jiang Shiyuan naturally couldn't tell Huo Lan the whole story. She was afraid that if he knew that Xie Shuning had kept her by his side for nearly a year, he would become increasingly suspicious and go crazy.
Everything is progressing exactly as she planned, and she can't afford to let anything go wrong.
Jiang Shiyuan continued to lie comfortably in the bathtub, pretending to be relaxed as she said, "It doesn't mean anything, it's just that after he gave me this necklace, he never let me return it to him."
She paused, and seeing that Huo Lan's expression remained unchanged, she continued, "But I'm about to marry you, so why keep the things he gave me? He's also been invited to Huo Garden, so whether he wants them or not, I can't take this necklace anymore."
Huo Lan seemed to relax a little and continued to wipe her, but stopped at the spot where Xie Shuning had touched her before, repeatedly lathering and rubbing vigorously.
His eyes were sinister as he stared intently at the reddened skin. "No one but me is allowed to touch my Shiyuan."
Jiang Shiyuan felt another wave of disgust, but she had to pretend to be unaffected, softening her voice, "He only grabbed me in a moment of panic, he didn't mean anything by it, and besides, if I keep washing, my skin will peel off..."
Hearing Jiang Shiyuan's words, Huo Lan stopped what he was doing, but the sinister look in his eyes deepened even more. "Are you making excuses for him?"
She really didn't want any unexpected incidents to happen, so she had to suppress her frustration and continue to coax him.
"Then I promise you, from now on, no matter the occasion, as long as he's there, I'll stay several meters away from him, okay?"
The gloom on Huo Lan's face slowly dissipated, replaced by an undisguised smile in his eyes, as if his previous obsession had never existed.
“I didn’t ask you to do that, but since you put it that way, it’s fine.”
Seeing that Huo Lan's emotions had calmed down, Jiang Shiyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's got some nerve. Even after his company went bankrupt, he still doesn't learn his lesson and dares to keep bothering you."
Huo Lan spoke casually, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary, but Jiang Shiyuan felt a little frightened.
The Xie family has deep roots and entrenched itself in the region. Xie Shuning's company was established after she came to Linjiang City. Although it was a new enterprise, it was backed by the powerful Xie family, yet it was so easily defeated by Huo Lan.
"But what could he do? He could only jump up and down in frustration, watching helplessly as you stayed by my side."
Huo Lan took a clean bath towel and wrapped it around Jiang Shiyuan's body. After drying her off, he carried her back to the bedroom.
Jiang Shiyuan was filled with trepidation, fearing that he would make excessive demands as he had last time. But after Huo Lan placed her on the bed, he simply kissed her forehead lightly and then turned off the bedroom light.
"Get some rest, there's a lot to do tomorrow."
Jiang Shiyuan gradually relaxed, covered herself with the smooth silk quilt, closed her eyes, and prepared to sleep.
In her drowsy state, she suddenly heard Huo Lan ask, "What exactly happened during those two years you went abroad?"
Jiang Shiyuan's drowsiness vanished instantly. His eyes were wide open in the darkness, staring at the blurry ceiling, but he still hadn't figured out what kind of story to tell him to put his mind at ease.
He waited for a long time but didn't hear her reply, so he asked again, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Shiyuan turned over and snuggled into his arms, her arms gently encircling his waist. Her voice was soft and sleepy, "I didn't know anyone abroad. Those were two very difficult years, so I don't want to talk about them anymore."
She looked up, and though she couldn't see his expression in the darkness, she tried to make her tone sincere and dependent, "Let's not think about the past anymore, okay? I'm going to marry you soon. From now on, my world will only revolve around you. We'll have children, and we'll have a very happy family..."
Huo Lan clearly enjoyed her proactive way of leaning on him, and was even more pleased with the future she described for them. He adjusted his position to make Jiang Shiyuan more comfortable, and his embrace unconsciously tightened.
"Hmm... I know you won't betray me."
Only after hearing this did Jiang Shiyuan realize what Huo Lan really wanted to know. It was simply whether she had been with another man during the two years she had disappeared from his sight.
In this respect, he always believed her, or rather, he dared not disbelieve her and dared not accept a negative answer.
Jiang Shiyuan couldn't let such a good opportunity to solidify his trust slip by; she knew what he most wanted to hear.
"From beginning to end, I only let you touch me."
The quiet night made those soft words exceptionally clear, and Huo Lan's breathing suddenly became heavier. He gradually tightened his arms, the force almost breaking her waist, as if he wanted to completely merge her into his own bones and blood.
“I know that from the very first time I found you, you said that you believed in me.”
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, greedily inhaling her breath, his burning lips pressing against her neck, leaving behind a series of wet and scorching kisses.
“I believe you…” his voice was low, his tone increasingly morbid, “My Shi Yuan, from head to toe, inside and out, will always belong only to me…”
His intense possessiveness almost suffocated Jiang Shiyuan. He lowered his head and kissed her cheeks tenderly, showing extra tenderness compared to before.
"But... my baby didn't have me by his side during those two years. Did he suffer a lot?"
Before she could answer, he jumped to his conclusion, his expression one of extreme obsession: "You see, you can't live without me at all. You can't even get through a single day without me, can you?"
His logic was twisted and rigid, as if he could hardly survive without her.
“So…” His voice suddenly became low and dangerous, “Don’t even think about leaving my side for the rest of your life. You have to marry me and stay where I can see and touch you forever, so that I can pamper you, love you, and protect you. Only in this way can my Shiyuan be alright.”
"If you dare to run away again..." He licked her earlobe, his warm breath lingering around her, but his voice was icy cold, "I'll lock you up, make a gold chain to tie you to the bedside, so you can't go anywhere, you can only watch me day and night, make love with me, and rely on me alone... I mean what I say."
He emphasized the last four words heavily, making an extremely obsessive threat on the eve of their engagement.
Jiang Shiyuan stiffened in his arms, her heart pounding, and a layer of cold sweat seeped out from her back.
She knew that every word he said was true.
She could only hug him tighter, burying her face in his chest to hide the panic in her eyes. "Didn't I say I wanted to marry Huo Lan? I want to be with Huo Lan forever."
Having received her promise, the fierceness in Huo Lan's eyes finally subsided somewhat, and he closed his eyes to prepare for sleep.
"Remember what you just said, and don't try to run away anymore."
He gently patted her back and kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well, sweetie. Tomorrow, my Shiyuan will officially belong to me alone."
Jiang Shiyuan kept her eyes closed, but couldn't fall asleep all night.
Her mind was filled with chaotic afterimages, all of them showing Huo Lan imprisoning and forcing her, leaving her in a state of turmoil and without a moment of peace.
So much so that when she woke up the next morning, a small patch of dark circles was visibly visible under her eyes, which panicked the makeup artist team that had arrived early.
"It's alright, Miss Jiang. Trust our skills; we will definitely not let you show any signs of fatigue in front of everyone today."
Jiang Shiyuan sat on the sofa downstairs and saw that the living room of Lingdang Xiaozhu was already crowded with various teams who had come to prepare outfits for her engagement banquet.
Because the group had urgent matters to decide, Huo Lan left before she woke up. Before leaving, she specifically instructed Shi Teng to come and wait for her, and asked him to hand over all the affairs of Huo Garden to others to handle, so that he could come and serve Jiang Shiyuan.
Jiang Shiyuan knew that he was still worried and dared not let the engagement go wrong, so he specially asked Shi Teng to come and keep an eye on her.
Jiang Shiyuan didn't have time to talk to Shi Teng. She was surrounded by a group of people. After changing into her dress, she started getting her makeup done. She sat for three or four hours before her makeup and hairstyle were finally completed, and only then did she have time to rest.
She sent a message to Shen Chuqing a long time ago, saying that she was still unsure which earrings to wear to match her dress and makeup. Knowing that Shen Chuqing was a top student in art studies and should have a unique understanding of aesthetics, she wanted to ask her for some advice.
However, after the message was sent at eight o'clock in the morning, there was no reply.
Jiang Shiyuan wasn't in a hurry because she knew Shen Chuqing would definitely come.
The two candidates for Mrs. Huo who are currently being discussed online are Fu Xinyuan, the daughter of the Fu family, and Shen Chuqing.
The debate over who Huo Lan's fiancée is intensifying, but the two popular candidates have shown completely different responses.
Fu Xinyuan vehemently denied the allegations, posting various photos on social media to prove that she did not know Huo Lan at all. However, few people believed her and thought that Fu Xinyuan was playing hard to get.
Shen Chuqing, on the other hand, subtly posted a photo of herself at Huo Garden, along with a metaphorical reference to the hydrangea.
It was precisely this silent acquiescence that made Shen Chuqing almost universally known as Mrs. Huo.
Jiang Shiyuan didn't react much to this; she just felt that the opportunity to escape was within her grasp.
She needed a temporary substitute, someone who could stay at Bell House so that everyone would think she was always there and had never left.
She had considered having Cheng Yan help her disguise herself, but that was not only too dangerous, but Huo Lan's discovery could also affect Cheng Yan's work and life. She couldn't let Cheng Yan take the risk.
But Shen Chuqing is different. She has a powerful family background, so even if she angers Huo Lan, he can't do anything to her.
Moreover, judging from her behavior, she wants to become Mrs. Huo, and she also wants to disappear from Huo Lan's life.
Shen Chuqing would be her best ally, so on the eve of choosing a bodyguard, she told her part of her plan.
Even now, Shen Chuqing has not told Huo Lan about her escape plan, so she knows that Huo Lan will definitely come today.
Jiang Shiyuan sat there blankly waiting, while Shi Teng stood by and watched.
Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Shiyuan asked, "Brother Shiteng, if I still want to escape, will you help me?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Teng's eyes widened in horror. She glanced at Chen Fei and Han Feng, the two bodyguards who were monitoring her not far away, and lowered her voice, "Shi Yuan, don't say such things lightly. They will tell Mr. Huo everything."
Jiang Shiyuan nodded, then asked, "So, what does Brother Shiteng think?"
Shi Teng moved even closer to Jiang Shiyuan, afraid that their conversation might be overheard by someone with ulterior motives.
"Shi Yuan, it's better for everyone if you stay with Mr. Huo."
Jiang Shiyuan forced a smile and said, "Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have been so obedient as to change clothes and try on makeup. Brother Shiteng, don't I look beautiful today?"
Hearing Jiang Shiyuan's words, Shi Teng finally felt relieved. "Of course she's beautiful. Our Shiyuan is beautiful even without makeup."
After their conversation, Jiang Shiyuan realized that Shi Teng would not side with her, so she stopped talking to him.
Shen Chuqing arrived at the door at 2 p.m., during the team's lunch break.
There weren't many people left in the small house, but Shi Teng still didn't dare to leave even for a moment. After getting his meal from the staff canteen, he rushed back and was somewhat puzzled to see that Shen Chuqing had time to come over.
"Miss Shen, what brings you here? Shi Yuan is quite busy here. If you have nothing else to do, Miss Shen, you should go back first."
Jiang Shiyuan lifted her skirt and stood up from the sofa to greet him, then explained to Shi Teng, "Brother Shi Teng, I asked Sister Chuqing to come over. It's too boring to sit here and wait for makeup, so I wanted to find someone to chat with to relieve the boredom."
Shi Teng didn't know when Jiang Shiyuan and Shen Chuqing had become so close. He remembered that he and Shen Chuqing had only met a few times in Huo Garden, and that was at Xu Feixuan's place, and they parted on bad terms.
Shi Teng's words were as incisive as ever, "Shi Yuan could have sent Cheng Yan to Huo Garden to keep you company. She's your good friend and should have been there for you at your engagement. Why didn't she come today?"
Jiang Shiyuan had no choice but to make an excuse, saying, "The museum restoration project is currently in a critical period, and she is about to be promoted. I don't want her to miss the opportunity because of taking leave."
Shi Teng nodded, finally dispelling some of his doubts. "Alright then, I won't disturb your conversation with Miss Shen any longer."
After saying that, he returned to the resting place not far away, seemingly intending to keep an eye on her all day.
After Shi Teng had walked away, Shen Chuqing spoke up, "Why is it that those who want something always fail to get it, while those who get it don't cherish it?"
Her sudden remark left Jiang Shiyuan speechless.
"I thought about it for a long time before deciding to come here, probably because I still can't let go of what I've been through."
Shen Chuqing looked tired, as if she hadn't slept well last night.
Jiang Shiyuan felt a bit restricted in her elaborate evening gown, so she invited Shen Chuqing to sit down with her and had someone make her a lemon iced tea.
Shen Chuqing looked somewhat lost, "You do look very much like Mrs. Huo now."
Jiang Shiyuan was slightly taken aback before realizing that Shen Chuqing was saying that she was already very adept at using the servants.
“If you leave Huo Garden, there will be no one to serve you.”
Jiang Shiyuan didn't continue Shen Chuqing's line of dialogue. Instead, she looked at the elegant and luxurious long dress she was wearing and said, "If Sister Chuqing wore this, she would look absolutely stunning."
Shen Chuqing answered quickly, but her eyes were somewhat dull and lacked any light, "No matter how beautiful it is, it doesn't belong to me. Even if I wear it, it's designed for someone else."
"Many things require struggle. How will you know if something doesn't belong to you if you don't fight for it? Tonight, it belongs to you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Chuqing looked at Shi Teng, who was resting not far away. He probably hadn't noticed what the two were talking about.
"Judging from the way the butler is acting, he's definitely going to be looking after you all day."
"Ignore him. No one but Huo Lan is allowed into the bedroom."
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Author's Note: Huo Lan has confidently gone out to handle work, planning to return tonight to get engaged to the person she's been longing for. [doge emoji]
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