Chapter 69 Will you give it to me when you're good...?
Having made the decision, Huo Lan had no reason to force Jiang Shiyuan to stay on the island any longer.
But just before leaving, he suddenly had the idea to take Jiang Shiyuan to the beach to collect seashells.
She didn't want to agree at first because she hadn't had a good rest on the island these past few days, and her team hadn't stayed by her side to take good care of her. Some of the side effects of her pregnancy had started to appear.
Her legs were slightly swollen, so she didn't want to walk too much, but after seeing Huo Lan's expectant eyes, she nodded anyway.
Since our time together is already running out, there's no need to reject him anymore.
Jiang Shiyuan sat on a beach chair to rest, watching Huo Lan walk barefoot on the beach with a basket in his hand, occasionally bending down to dig through the shallow sand in search of something.
She rarely saw Huo Lan like this, wearing loose beach shorts and a T-shirt, walking with a carefree and unrestrained air. The sea breeze gently blew his clothes, and the setting sun gilded his figure with a layer of gold, like watching the final scene of a movie, artistic and beautiful.
He didn't find anything in the end, and walked somewhat dejectedly to Jiang Shiyuan's side, showing her the few seashells scattered in the basket.
"Although we didn't collect many, they were all very beautiful." Huo Lan smiled slightly. "This one is called a phoenix conch. Doesn't its shape resemble a phoenix spreading its wings?"
Huo Lan continued to display various types of seashells in the basket, such as pearl oysters and heart-shaped clams. Jiang Shiyuan watched attentively, nodding occasionally and saying how beautiful they were.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Huo Lan noticed that Jiang Shiyuan was not feeling well. He put the basket down on the beach and knelt down beside her to massage her legs.
He learned his leg-massaging technique from Anna's team; it's specifically designed to relieve fatigue in pregnant women.
He did a lot for her, and she saw it all.
Jiang Shiyuan watched quietly and praised, "You're so amazing! You can recognize so many seashells."
“When I was little, my dad took me to the beach, and that’s when he told me about it. Later, after we got home, I bought a lot of books, and I was obsessed with them for a while. I even put all the seashells I collected into my collection.” Huo Lan smiled, her eyes flashing slightly, before she lowered her gaze again. “But Xu Feixuan didn’t want me to play with these things. She thought it would interfere with my studies.”
"Oh, I see..." Jiang Shiyuan didn't know what to say to comfort him for a moment, so she touched her lower abdomen and said, "Then you can take Tuantuan to go beachcombing in the future and collect seashells and all kinds of small creatures together. Tuantuan will definitely like it."
"And what about you? Will you come with us?" Huo Lan couldn't help but ask the question, and as he expected, he still didn't hear the answer he wanted to hear.
It was only much later that he heard her voice, barely audible, "If there is a chance."
"Please don't divorce me, okay?" Huo Lan's eyes brightened slightly as he grasped her hand, his fingertips searching between her fingers to intertwine with hers. "I'll let you leave, but please don't divorce me, okay?"
The sea breeze blew quietly, carrying the sound of the tide rising and falling; it seemed as if only this one sound remained in the whole world.
Jiang Shiyuan asked, "Does not getting a divorce count as truly leaving?"
Huo Lan's eyes gradually reddened, and the thought of having to completely separate from Jiang Shiyuan made her heart ache so much that she could hardly breathe.
He said in an almost pleading tone, "Give me a few years, let me slowly let go, okay? If I suddenly let go of everything, I'll die."
Jiang Shiyuan knew this was difficult for Huo Lan; the fact that he agreed to let her go was already a huge concession.
"Okay, I promise you."
Before we knew it, the sun had set, and the entire beach was shrouded in a deep blue.
Since it wasn't convenient to go out to sea at night, they returned to the villa to stay for another night.
Huo Lan held Jiang Shiyuan in his arms almost all night, kissing and caressing her constantly. Jiang Shiyuan let him do as he pleased, responding gently, which excited him for a long time.
It's as if every day that passes is one less day to live, so it's cherished and treated with utmost tenderness.
After leaving the island, Jiang Shiyuan's phone regained signal.
She doesn't have many friends now; the only one she keeps in touch with is Cheng Yan.
Ever since she escaped from Huo Garden without telling her, Cheng Yan had been keeping a close eye on her, contacting her almost every other day to make sure she hadn't lost contact again.
Shortly after the signal was connected, Cheng Yan called.
Jiang Shiyuan was fine when she arrived, but she got seasick on the way back, feeling nauseous and uncomfortable. Huo Lan answered the phone for her.
"Shi Yuan, you finally answered the phone! Did Huo Lan upset you again?" Cheng Yan finally got through, but couldn't hear a sound from the other end. "What's wrong, Shi Yuan? Don't scare me. What happened again?"
Huo Lan then spoke, "I've already coaxed Shi Yuan back to her senses."
He glanced at Jiang Shiyuan, who was curled up in bed feeling unwell, and softened his tone, "We'll probably get back to Huo Garden around 5 p.m. Shiyuan must miss you a lot, why don't you come and keep her company?"
Upon hearing Huo Lan's voice, Cheng Yan broke out in a cold sweat. Although she didn't know what had happened between them, Cheng Yan sensed the compromise in Huo Lan's tone and replied, "Okay, I'll go to Huo Garden and wait for you."
Huo Lan held Jiang Shiyuan, who was lying on the bed feeling dizzy, tightly in his arms. He had a persistent feeling that she would leave him once they got ashore, which made him even more reluctant to let go.
Although she had promised him that she would at least stay until after her postpartum period, he was still very scared.
Upon returning to Bell House, Cheng Yan was already waiting in the living room.
Huo Lan made an excuse to go to his study to handle some business, and had a guest room prepared so that Cheng Yan could stay there for the night.
Jiang Shiyuan was listless after getting off the boat, but she recovered her spirits after resting for a while. She was so excited that she couldn't sleep that night, and she and Cheng Yan played with skincare products in the guest room.
Since she became pregnant, she has ordered a new batch of skincare products. There are still many left over from the previous batch, all of which are high-end luxury products. She decided to pack them up and give them to Cheng Yan.
"So you're saying you can leave after you give birth to Tuantuan?"
Cheng Yan sat in front of the beauty device with a face mask on, asking incredulously that this was something Huo Lan would never do.
Jiang Shiyuan was still fiddling with the bottles and jars she had brought from her bedroom when she heard Cheng Yan's words and nodded happily, "Yes, he promised me, I'm free."
"Why would he let go? What happened between you on the island?"
Jiang Shiyuan was afraid that Cheng Yan would worry, so he didn't tell her the truth. He only said that Huo Lan had figured it out.
As soon as she finished speaking, Cheng Yan turned around and said, "Then we need to pack up quickly and empty the Bell Pavilion."
Cheng Yan glanced around and, finding nothing to move in the guest room, started eyeing the beauty device in front of her. "First of all, this can be taken. I feel like I've become an angel after using it for less than ten minutes."
"It's not that effective; it's all psychological." Jiang Shiyuan shook her head with a smile. "Besides, moving things around like that isn't really appropriate, is it?"
Cheng Yan said matter-of-factly, "What's wrong with it? It was originally bought for you, and besides, you still have to raise Tuantuan."
She thought for a moment and then said, "I have to get a hefty divorce settlement. I can't have spent so many years with him for nothing, and I still have to have his children."
“Then we’ll be two rich women, taking care of Tuantuan and living a carefree life.” Cheng Yan began to imagine the future. “You can take care of her on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I can take care of her on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We can even go to the park together on weekends.”
Jiang Shiyuan paused in her work and said softly, "I'm planning to let Tuantuan go with Huo Lan. Also... Huo Lan said we shouldn't get a divorce yet."
"Not getting a divorce?" Cheng Yan felt sorry for Jiang Shiyuan. "Then is this considered setting you free?"
“It’s good for Tuantuan to stay with the Huo family. After all, the Huo family will give him the best in terms of both education and life.” Cheng Yan held Jiang Shiyuan’s hand, and the person who usually liked to tease her became serious at this moment. “But are you willing to let him go?”
Jiang Shiyuan put the skincare products into the storage box according to their categories and said, "I have to be willing to part with them, this is my only chance. I don't want to live like this anymore. It's better for everyone if we separate."
Cheng Yan raised a question that Jiang Shiyuan had thought about but dared not face: "Tuantuan will miss you too."
Jiang Shiyuan felt a pang of pain in her heart. She subconsciously touched her lower abdomen and lowered her eyes, saying, "I don't know."
"It's okay, we'll take it one step at a time. As long as we're happy right now, that's all that matters." Cheng Yan shrugged and said casually, "If you don't have money, I'll support you. I'm not married and I don't date. The money I've saved from working all these years, plus the things you gave me, will be more than enough to support you."
She continued, "Just focus on your studies and research, and make up for the regrets you hadn't been able to fulfill all those years ago."
Hearing Cheng Yan's words, Jiang Shiyuan's nose tingled with tears. "Why do you always say things that make people feel touched? Besides, why should I always rely on others to support me?"
She smiled and said, "I don't need you to support me. I have money. Over the years, what Huo Lan has given me, whether it's the liquid funds in my account or houses, jewelry, and luxury goods, is enough for me to live a life of comfort for several lifetimes."
Cheng Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's true, I was just worrying for nothing. How could Huo Lan let you be poor?"
The two chatted until late at night and slept together in the hotel room. The next day, Cheng Yan asked the museum for leave, wanting to take Jiang Shiyuan out shopping to relax.
She thought Huo Lan would follow her as usual, but to her surprise, he was going to the company to handle work. He only told Jiang Shiyuan to come back early before leaving Lingdang Xiaozhu.
This was the first time Jiang Shiyuan had gone out without Huo Lan's watchful eye since returning to Huo Garden.
She knew that the bodyguards assigned to her had not left, but because they were afraid she would be in danger after she jumped off the building, they had actually relaxed their surveillance on her a lot.
She didn't stay outside with Cheng Yan for too long in the end. When she returned to Lingdang Xiaozhu, it was getting dark, but the living room was quiet and the lights were off.
"Huo Lan, are you back?"
Jiang Shiyuan called his name softly, but received no response. She changed into fluffy slippers in the entryway and went upstairs, only to find that the light in the nursery was still on.
Ever since he felt Jiang Shiyuan's fetal movements, Huo Lan has been personally decorating the room for Tuantuan.
Under the warm yellow light, Huo Lan was facing away from her, his hands never stopping, and she didn't know what he was doing.
Tools and sketchbooks were scattered around his feet. The once empty room was now full. The walls were a soft, light yellow. A half-assembled cloud-shaped crib was placed by the window, and many cardboard boxes were scattered around the room.
Hearing the noise, he turned around and paused for a moment, his eyes slightly red, as if he hadn't expected Jiang Shiyuan to come back.
Huo Lan smiled slightly and said, "You're back. Did you have fun?"
For the first time today, he didn't have his followers report her daily updates to him; he's gradually trying to distance himself from her life.
This feeling was like a withdrawal reaction; it was so intense that he couldn't sit still all day and began to bury himself in his work.
When he got home, he found that Jiang Shiyuan was not back, and he felt even more empty. He then started to busy himself with decorating the nursery.
He was always afraid that she might suddenly cut off contact with him at any time, but fortunately, she came back that night.
Jiang Shiyuan nodded and replied, "Yes, I had a lot of fun today."
The room was carpeted with soft carpet. Jiang Shiyuan took off her slippers and went into the room barefoot. She knelt down next to Huo Lan, supporting her belly.
She looked at the scattered tools beside Huo Lan and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Assembling the crib for Tuantuan makes me feel more fulfilled," Huo Lan said with a smile, but she didn't intend for her to stay. "There are some unopened items here, and they smell a bit. You should go out; I can do it myself."
Jiang Shiyuan shook her head and said, "I'm Tuantuan's mother, I can't just do nothing, can I? Besides, I don't think it smells bad."
Her gaze fell on several cardboard boxes in the corner, and she asked, "What are those?"
"They were delivered this afternoon." Huo Lan stood up, took several boxes to Jiang Shiyuan, and handed her a pair of safety scissors to open them. "Take a look."
Jiang Shiyuan carefully cut open the tape and opened the cardboard box, which contained many exquisitely packaged newborn clothes and supplies.
"Didn't Madam already give us a lot of little clothes and blankets?" Even though she said that, she still happily took the items out of the cardboard box one by one.
The baby's clothes were mostly milky colors, printed with tiny carrots, adorable little dinosaurs, and so on, making Jiang Shiyuan exclaim, "So cute, so pretty!"
Huo Lan said, "You can never have too many clothes for a child."
He took out another brown, fluffy little bear-shaped outfit from the box. "I saw this one online and thought it was cute, so I bought it."
Jiang Shiyuan had already imagined the scene of Tuantuan crawling on the ground wearing a bear costume, and her heart softened instantly.
Huo Lan looked at her softened profile, his eyes becoming unusually gentle.
He then opened another box and took out pacifiers, soft rubber toys, sensory integration training balls, and several boxes of diapers from different brands.
"Are you so well prepared?" Jiang Shiyuan looked at Huo Lan, not expecting him to be so concerned about Tuantuan.
"Of course, I will love him well." After saying that, Huo Lan picked up the tools again and began to assemble the bed board. After a while, however, he found that some materials were missing and began to look around.
Jiang Shiyuan asked, "Is something missing?"
As Huo Lan searched, he said, "A few screws are missing; I don't know where they're."
Jiang Shiyuan also helped search and finally found the materials package under the crib. She quickly handed it to Huo Lan, saying, "Let me help you. You can't just do nothing."
Jiang Shiyuan looked around the room and said, "I'll put these decorations on the walls."
"No!" Huo Lan stopped her. "Good girl, Shi Yuan, you're not feeling well, just watch me do it."
"Okay, okay."
Jiang Shiyuan had no choice but to sit obediently on the carpet to the side, watching Huo Lan concentrate on decorating the room, only occasionally helping to hand over some tools.
After a long time, the room's layout had begun to take shape.
Huo Lan rested for a moment, his gaze falling on Jiang Shiyuan's slightly protruding belly, where their child was growing.
He lifted Jiang Shiyuan onto his lap, his gentle hands softly stroking her lower abdomen, feeling the life hidden inside her.
"Is Tuantuan still causing trouble lately?" he asked gently, suddenly feeling a bulge under his palm through her belly. He was slightly startled, but then laughed. "Why is she so naughty?"
Jiang Shiyuan said helplessly, "Well... he's been quite active lately."
"Does it hurt? This time it's so strong?" Huo Lan asked with some concern, as she had never seen such strong fetal movements before.
Jiang Shiyuan shook her head and carefully examined her abdomen. "I don't feel much."
Huo Lan was slightly relieved. "That's good."
He adjusted Jiang Shiyuan's position in his arms to make her sit more steadily.
"Shi Yuan, can you really bear to do this?" Huo Lan couldn't help but try to persuade her to stay, his tenderness replaced by a sour feeling in his eyes. "What if... what if you won't be able to bear leaving after a few more months?"
Jiang Shiyuan lowered her eyes and said almost coldly, "I won't regret leaving. Can you please stop trying to use the child to blackmail me?"
Huo Lan's eyes dimmed instantly. He held Jiang Shiyuan tightly in his arms and gently kissed her forehead. "Why are you so heartless? Do you know how hard it is for me to not read your messages all day?"
Thinking back on the years he had been under surveillance, Jiang Shiyuan's heart hardened even more. "Then I'll keep going. One day, you'll forget me."
"Forget you?" Huo Lan looked intently into her eyes, his sorrow almost overflowing. "You want me to forget you? Jiang Shiyuan, why are you so cruel to me?"
Jiang Shiyuan frowned, a sudden sense of fear creeping into her heart. "You were the one who promised me first. Are you trying to go back on your word so soon?"
Fearing that it might stir up unpleasant memories and force Jiang Shiyuan to do something dangerous again, Huo Lan quickly changed the subject, "Let's go back to the bedroom, it's time to tell Tuantuan a story."
*
This winter in Wancheng is colder than usual, with the weather forecast predicting a once-in-a-decade heavy snowfall.
Wancheng has a lot of rain in the summer, but rarely snows in the winter. The news of heavy snow made everyone in Huo Garden very excited and eager to see the snow scene in the garden.
The hydrangea tree in Bell Pavilion was blown by the winter wind all night, and the tree, which originally had some withered yellow leaves, became bare with only branches and trunks, without a trace of life.
The gardeners were worried that these woody hydrangea trees wouldn't survive the winter, so they got up early in the morning to wrap them in cotton to keep them warm.
Jiang Shiyuan's belly is getting heavier and heavier, and sometimes she needs to wear a maternity support belt to relieve the pressure.
But she didn't feel tired. Her postgraduate entrance exam results came out not long ago, and she scored several tens of points higher than the usual cutoff score for archaeology at Beijing University. If the re-examination goes smoothly, she will be able to enroll in September.
Tuantuan will be born in the bright spring of May, and everything is developing in a direction that will make her happy.
Jiang Shiyuan was worried that Huo Lan would have trouble getting home, so she called him in advance to ask him to come home, but he didn't come home even after the snow had fallen heavily.
Just as she was about to call Huo Lan again, a voice finally came from the entrance hall, and she quickly got up from the sofa to greet him.
Huo Lan's black coat was stained with a few snowflakes, but they melted instantly as soon as he entered the door.
Huo Lan carried a chill from outside. When she saw Jiang Shiyuan walking over in her fluffy maternity pajamas, she immediately reached out and made her stop.
"I feel cold, don't come near me."
Jiang Shiyuan did not approach, but returned to the living room and poured a glass of warm water for Huo Lan to warm his hands.
"Didn't you come back by car? Why do you feel so cold?"
Instead of taking the water from her, Huo Lan untied the scarf she had been holding, revealing a small, exquisite snowman lying inside.
"No wonder you're so cold! You secretly went to play in the snowman behind my back. I want to go too!"
Knowing that Jiang Shiyuan would say that, Huo Lan handed the little snowman wrapped in a scarf to her to prevent her from directly touching the cold snow water.
"It's too cold today, the temperature is very different from the indoor temperature, it's easy to catch a cold."
Huo Lan looked at the pitiful Jiang Shiyuan and laughed, "But you can play with the little snowman. Although it will melt soon, you can still find some things to add a nose and mouth to it."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Shiyuan ran to the living room and began looking for things to use as the snowman's facial features.
Just as Jiang Shiyuan had gathered all the items, she heard the glass door behind her slam shut, and Huo Lan rushed out.
"What are you trying to do?"
A short while later, she received a message on her phone from Huo Lan.
Go to the window on the third floor and look down.
Although Jiang Shiyuan was puzzled, she still put the little snowman in the refrigerator and took the elevator to the third floor.
She first went to the terrace facing the front yard. Since people often passed by the front yard, the snow had been cleared away and there was nothing special about it.
With her questions in mind, she went to the glass window behind her again. Looking out from the backyard, the pavilions and towers in the distance were all covered in a layer of white snow. This was the first time she had ever seen Huo Garden in the snow.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that a large heart shape had been formed by someone walking downstairs, standing out prominently against the white snow.
Huo Lan stood in the middle of the heart shape, waving to her.
Jiang Shiyuan tried hard to suppress the stinging in her eyes and quietly looked at Huo Lan lying in the snow.
No wonder I was so cold; I've been busy doing this outside. I'm not a child anymore...
She quickly picked up her phone and sent him a message.
Come back quickly, or I won't be responsible for you if you catch a cold!
Huo Lan downstairs felt her phone vibrate, but instead of looking at it, she lay down and traced a butterfly-shaped arc in the snow.
"After winter ends, my wish will really leave me."
The icy temperature made his hands and feet stiff and almost numb. Only after seeing Jiang Shiyuan wanting to go downstairs to find him did he get up and rush to the Bell Pavilion.
When Huo Lan arrived at the door, Jiang Shiyuan had already put on her hat and gloves and was ready to go out.
Just as she was about to push open the door, a tall figure blocked her way. Unexpectedly, she bumped into a familiar soft embrace, but today the embrace carried the chill of snow.
Huo Lan quickly supported her waist to prevent her from falling, and teased, "Why do you always like to snuggle into my arms?"
He then led Jiang Shiyuan deeper into the entrance hall, locking the door from the inside, making it clear that he wouldn't let her leave.
"It's too cold today, and the little house is too warm. It's easy to catch a cold if you go out suddenly." Huo Lan took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack. Afraid that his hands were too cold and would chill Jiang Shiyuan, he let her take off her down jacket, gloves, and hat herself.
Although Jiang Shiyuan was unwilling, she still did as she was told.
"Can't we even go out to play in the snow?"
"No, you can't." Huo Lan waited until her body warmed up before daring to touch her cheek. "If you catch a cold, you'll feel even worse than usual, you know?"
Jiang Shiyuan then gave up her obsession with going outside to play in the snow.
Huo Lan took her hand and led her to the third-floor terrace.
The terrace has been completely enclosed by a giant glass screen, which can ensure the temperature of the terrace without affecting the view of the garden.
He sat with her on the soft sofa, listening to the crackling of burning wood from the fireplace, and watching the snowflakes drifting outside the window and the silver-clad world.
"I have already contacted an archaeology professor at Kyoto University. You can familiarize yourself with the content of the re-examination in advance."
Jiang Shiyuan nestled in Huo Lan's arms, but shook her head, "No need, I can do it myself."
"Let's consider this the last thing I do for you, okay? From now on, I won't care about you anymore." Huo Lan kissed the top of her head, but his expression was somewhat forlorn.
"Good girl, I'm willing..." Huo Lan lowered his head and gently kissed her lips, saying softly, "Don't reject me."
After a long while, she noticed his flushed cheeks and slightly hot forehead.
I don't know if it was because the small building was too hot, but the sudden change from hot to cold made him catch a chill.
Jiang Shiyuan was about to get up to get him some cold medicine when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly.
His voice was somewhat hoarse, and the sudden rise in body temperature made his throat dry, while his body felt even hotter.
Huo Lan's hot breath brushed against her ear.
"My good baby has been so good today, can I have him/her?"
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