Chapter 5: 5. Huo Zhiyuan

"Jingyu, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Huo Zhiyuan suddenly asked aloud.

She had been feeling a bit unwell for the past two days, so she hadn't gone to the company.

"At ten o'clock tomorrow morning, the president of the Huaxia region of Shi Mei wants to see you, and there is a meeting at three in the afternoon..." Zhao Jingyu recited the entire itinerary while also carefully explaining the situation.

"Alright, I understand. You should head back early to rest as well," Huo Zhiyuan said.

"Sister, I'm not in a hurry to rest. I have nothing to do back home anyway, so I'll just stay here and chat with you," Zhao Jingyu said with a grin.

Although Zhao Jingyu was only a secretary, having been by Huo Zhiyuan's side for so many years, they were as close as sisters; whenever no one else was around, Zhao Jingyu would call Huo Zhiyuan 'Sister'.

Huo Zhiyuan walked over to the sofa and sat down, looking at her as she said, "You sit down too, and tell Sister what has been happening lately, and if there is anything you need Sister's help with."

Zhao Jingyu sat down beside Huo Zhiyuan and said with a smile, "No, I don't have anything going on here. Oh, right, a major event actually happened today, the kind that is very fantastical. You might not believe me when I say it, but it has already been confirmed as a fact."

Zhao Jingyu's exaggerated manner made Huo Zhiyuan laugh. "Alright, tell me then. I want to hear just how fantastical this matter is."

"Ahem, I'm going to say it now. Sister, don't be too surprised in a moment. Do you know about the Goddess of Destiny luxury cruise ship from twenty-eight years ago?" Zhao Jingyu said, feigning mystery.

She had intended to show off a little to amuse Huo Zhiyuan, but she saw that when she mentioned the Goddess of Destiny, Huo Zhiyuan's expression changed instantly.

"What's wrong, Sister?" Zhao Jingyu thought she had said something wrong and asked nervously in a hurry.

Huo Zhiyuan looked at Zhao Jingyu, realized she wasn't probing for anything, frowned, and said calmly, "It's nothing. Continue."

Huo Zhiyuan's reaction left Zhao Jingyu not knowing how to continue, so she could only swallow the words she had prepared to amuse Huo Zhiyuan and honestly told her what she knew.

"It's just that tonight, the Goddess of Destiny luxury cruise ship, which had disappeared for twenty-eight years, suddenly reappeared, and not a single person inside is missing," Zhao Jingyu said.

As soon as these words were out, she heard a 'bang' and discovered that the wine glass Huo Zhiyuan had been holding had suddenly dropped; fortunately, the carpet underneath was thick, so it didn't shatter.

Zhao Jingyu hurriedly stood up to clean it up, but she was a step too late. She saw Huo Zhiyuan suddenly stand up, grab her with her slender, fair hands, and say with a trembling voice, "What did you just say?"

Zhao Jingyu was startled. She had never seen Huo Zhiyuan like this—nervous, expectant, surprised, fearful, and even a hint of panic.

For so many years, no matter what happened, the impression Huo Zhiyuan gave her was one of composure, which was something she had always aspired to, but at this very moment, Huo Zhiyuan had been turned into this state by such a piece of news.

However, Zhao Jingyu couldn't care about that right now; she felt her arm being gripped very painfully by Huo Zhiyuan, and she had never known Huo Zhiyuan possessed such strength.

Zhao Jingyu hurriedly repeated her previous words, then looked at Huo Zhiyuan with some trepidation. She didn't know what had happened, but she could understand from Huo Zhiyuan's reaction that this matter must be extremely important to her.

"Is it confirmed?" Huo Zhiyuan's tone was still trembling, but Zhao Jingyu heard a hint of pleading in it.

Huo Zhiyuan looked like a helpless little girl pleading for something at this moment. Zhao Jingyu could guarantee that if she said this news was fake, Huo Zhiyuan would likely collapse.

This news was truly important to Huo Zhiyuan!

"It's true, the authorities have already confirmed it. Look at these news reports." Zhao Jingyu hurriedly found the news and showed it to Huo Zhiyuan.

Huo Zhiyuan quickly let go of Zhao Jingyu's arm, but her hand was still trembling as she took the phone Zhao Jingyu handed her.

The next moment, she saw the information she had been longing to see. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, and surprise, excitement, and various other emotions immediately overflowed from her eyes.

"I knew it, I knew you would be alright. I've finally waited for you," Huo Zhiyuan murmured while sobbing, holding Zhao Jingyu's phone as if she were holding her entire world, not wanting to let go, and not daring to let go.

Zhao Jingyu waited silently on the side, not speaking, and even less daring to disturb Huo Zhiyuan, who had fallen into her own emotions.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Huo Zhiyuan finally regained her senses slightly. Zhao Jingyu saw that her eyes had become red and swollen.

But the next moment, Huo Zhiyuan's reaction once again exceeded Zhao Jingyu's expectations.

"Jingyu, do you see if my skin is wrinkled? Do I have eye bags? Is my makeup a bit too gaudy? And is this outfit of mine too revealing?" Huo Zhiyuan's series of questions left Zhao Jingyu bewildered.

Everyone knew that Huo Zhiyuan never wore heavy makeup, and although her clothes were all high-end, they were always very conservative.

Furthermore, although Huo Zhiyuan was of a certain age now, she had been very well-maintained over the years, and perhaps due to her natural constitution, her skin looked excellent.

Not to mention others, even Zhao Jingyu was very envious.

Moreover, the Huo Zhiyuan of the past never cared about these things, nor did she ever care about others' opinions; she dressed up only out of respect for others.

But now, it was clearly not like that.

Zhao Jingyu had some faint guesses in her heart, but she didn't dare to be certain. If her guess was true, she was genuinely happy for Huo Zhiyuan.

As Huo Zhiyuan spoke, her eyes dimmed. "Jingyu, do you think I've grown old?"

"Not old, Sister. Who wouldn't envy you when they see you? Your skin is better than that of a girl in her twenties. If you didn't say anything, everyone would think you were a twenty-year-old girl," Zhao Jingyu said hurriedly.

"No, Jingyu, cancel all my work for the recent period. Go and hire some skin care experts, no matter the cost," Huo Zhiyuan said in a panicked tone.

Zhao Jingyu knew that she must not contradict Huo Zhiyuan at this time, so she immediately said, "Yes, yes, yes, I will arrange it tomorrow. There will absolutely be no problem."

Huo Zhiyuan paced back and forth in front of Zhao Jingyu, fully manifesting her current panicked and helpless state.

Then, not knowing what she had thought of, she suddenly trotted upstairs. Zhao Jingyu followed quickly, but stopped once Huo Zhiyuan entered a room.

She knew this room; it was the best room in this villa, but Huo Zhiyuan did not live in it. No one knew what was kept inside, and even the cleaning was done by Huo Zhiyuan herself; she didn't let anyone in.