Gu Nianzhi nodded enthusiastically: it was exactly what she would have done, herself. “If you’re going, Auntie, I’m right behind you! How are you feeling? I’ll ask Brother Chen if you can move to another room. You need a good rest, get your strength back for your trip tomorrow!”
Song Jinning took a moment to check herself. She pinched her arms, kicked her heels, and mumbled: “…I should be fine, I think? I’m a little weak, but that’s only because I’m hungry…”
Gu Nianzhi: “…”
Pffft!
Gu Nianzhi could barely keep herself from laughing out loud.
Auntie Song was soooo adorable…
Gu Nianzhi smiled at Song Jinning. She had been sad for the older woman at first, but she now knew that Song Jinning did not need her sympathy.
The last 16 years hadn’t been particularly pleasant for Song Jinning, anyway. It was probably for the best that she didn’t remember them.
The smile was still on Gu Nianzhi’s face as she left the room to look for Chen Lie. She wanted to ask him how Song Jinning was doing, physically.
Chen Lie was staring vacantly at his computer screen. He had just finished analyzing Song Jinning’s data.
He noticed Gu Nianzhi, and slowly lifted his eyes from the screen to stare at her instead. He seemed dazed. “Nianzhi, come and look at this. The data… the data… the data…”
He tripped over his words as his chubby face grew increasingly flushed with excitement.
Gu Nianzhi’s interest was piqued. She walked over, stationed herself behind him, and looked over his shoulder at the computer screen.
The program that Gu Nianzhi had written for Chen Lie analyzed the data by comparing Song Jinning’s physical health indicators with the country average.
The health data they had were categorized according to the subjects’ ages.
Song Jinning’s data fell within the range of the average 30-year-old woman’s; some of her test results were actually better than the average, in fact!
She did not just “feel like 30″—she was literally 30.
This was entirely scientific. For example, the degree of aging in the skin and hair, and the health of the bones and internal organs could be measured objectively with the current medical technology..
Song Jinning’s data served as a reminder that ignorance was bliss: countless people would die of jealousy if they knew of her unbelievable return to youth.
Gu Nianzhi understood what the data was saying. Her hands flew to her mouth as she sucked in a breath. “Auntie Song should be 48 years old, right?!”
“Yes,” Chen Lie said bluntly as he stared at the data, his eyes burning with maniacal obsession. This was the miracle of life… the fountain of youth had sprung forth from his hands…
Song Jinning had spent the last 16 years immune to the passing of time.
It wasn’t just her memories; her body, too, had been suspended in time.
Hehe… hehehe… hehehehe…
Gu Nianzhi was puzzled by Chen Lie’s creepy laughing. She rolled her eyes at him, before bending over to put her hand on the mouse. She said cheerfully, “Brother Chen, this data goes against everything we know about medical science. I think we’d better delete it…”
“I’ll delete it, of course. But let me look at it for a while longer, I need to stuff it all in here.” Chen Lie pointed to his head.
Gu Nianzhi shook her head in resignation. She straightened up. “Can I ask you something? Does Auntie Song have to be confined to the operating chair? Lying on that chair all day can’t be good for her. Can we move her to a proper bedroom instead?”
Chen Lie mumbled distractedly, as though talking in his sleep: “Go ahead. She can get off the chair anytime. Heck, she can go to the gym right now and start lifting weights if she feels like it… It’s incredible. She’s 48 years old, but her body is only 30, and she doesn’t remember anything past the age of 32… It’s the perfect combination…”
Song Jinning’s flawless skin, her beautiful face, her exquisite figure—she could stand next to Huo Shaoheng and pass for his older sister. No one would ever believe she was his mother!
Gu Nianzhi rolled her eyes at Chen Lie. “Don’t joke around, I’m being serious here. Are you absolutely sure there won’t be a problem?!”
Chen Lie snapped out of it. “Nope, no problem at all! Okay, where do you want to move her? She can get out of that operating chair now.”
Gu Nianzhi pointed a finger at the ceiling, indicating the floor above them. “There are plenty of unused rooms upstairs. I’ll get someone to prepare a room for Auntie Song.”
Chen Lie finally noticed that Gu Nianzhi had changed the way she addressed Song Jinning. He chuckled, and said, “Oh? You’re calling her ‘Auntie Song’ now? When did the two of you become such good friends?! Did the Boss tell you to call her that?”
“Nope, it was Auntie who told me to call her that,” Gu Nianzhi said smugly. She cupped her face in her hands, and said. in a display of complete narcissism: “Everyone likes me, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah, who can escape your charms?” Chen Lie looked Gu Nianzhi up and down, almost drooling at the thought of her physical health data.
…If only he was allowed to experiment on Gu Nianzhi…
The thought had barely formed itself before Chen Lie mercilessly extinguished it.
He wasn’t afraid of Gu Nianzhi. He was afraid of that terrifying war machine looming behind her at all times…
Whoever dared turn Gu Nianzhi into a lab rat for research would have to face the full force of Huo Shaoheng’s destructive anger.
And it wasn’t just Huo Shaoheng—Chen Lie cared about Gu Nianzhi, too. He was obsessed with medical science, but he had a moral compass. He wasn’t Dr. Frankenstein.
“Hello? Ugh, are you ogling me or something?” Gu Nianzhi rapped Chen Lie sharply on the forehead. “Okay, I’ll go look for Huo Shao. You go check on Auntie Song. We’ll move her as soon as we’re able to.”
Chen Lie nodded in reply. He collected his medical equipment and went to Song Jinning for one final check-up.
Gu Nianzhi found Huo Shaoheng in his study, on the second floor. She hesitated, afraid to barge in without permission. She knocked on the door instead. “Huo Shao, it’s me, Nianzhi. Can I come in?”
“Come in.” Huo Shaoheng’s deep, alluring voice sounded from inside the study.
Gu Nianzhi opened the door and said to Huo Shaoheng as she walked in: “Huo Shao, I want to move Auntie Song out of Operating Room B and into one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Is that okay?”
“Yeah.” Huo Shaoheng was sitting before his computer, typing on the keyboard. He did not look up.
“Also, Auntie Song says she wants to go to the Huo family’s New Year party tomorrow…”
Huo Shaoheng’s fingers stilled over the keyboard. He frowned. “You told her about the engagement ceremony tomorrow?”
What was the point in going?
Was his mother trying to get his father back?
Huo Shaoheng pressed his lips together, which only served to accentuate his perfect jawline. He was beautiful even when he was unhappy.
Gu Nianzhi’s love-struck eyes latched hungrily upon his features. She said softly, “…I told her. Auntie Song said it doesn’t matter, she has no intention of getting back together with General Huo. She says she wants to attend the party after the engagement ceremony is over and done with.”
Huo Shaoheng breathed a sigh of relief. His fingers resumed typing as he asked, “So why does she want to go? What’s the point?”
Huo Shaoheng did not like messy breakups. There was nothing better than a clean break, in his opinion..
Gu Nianzhi smiled. “Auntie has her reasons, of course. She says she won’t stand having her name dragged through the mud by that letter. She wants justice for what’s been done to her, and she wants it tomorrow.”
Huo Shaoheng was silent for several minutes. Finally, he said impassively, “Fine. I’ll let you make the call.”
This meant he trusted Gu Nianzhi to make the right decisions for Song Jinning.
Gu Nianzhi wrung her hands as she asked awkwardly, “…You’re not going to scold me for taking things too far, are you?”
She had thought of 18 different ways to get back at Bai Jinyi and Huo Jialan for the way they’d treated Song Jinning.
“No. Knock yourself out.” Huo Shaoheng finally looked up from his computer. “I’ve got your back.”
“Excellent! Don’t forget what you said!” Gu Nianzhi clapped her hands joyfully. She looked around. “There’s a camera here, right? Hello camera, did you record everything Huo Shao said just now? Huo Shao, don’t forget what you promised! You can’t go back on your word now!”
Huo Shaoheng leaned back on his desk chair. He said lazily, “When have I ever gone back on my promises with you?”
Gu Nianzhi cocked her head as she thought about it. “Never—but I know you don’t always keep the promises you make with other people…”
She knew very well that he could be a master troll when he wanted to…
“So? Are you ‘other people’?” Huo Shaoheng looked at her impassively. Deep down, he was actually struggling to keep from breaking into a smile.
Gu Nianzhi laughed. “‘Course not. I’m not ‘other people’…” She shyly poked her two index fingers together, almost swooning from Huo Shaoheng’s gaze. “I’ll go make the arrangements.”
“You go do that.” Huo Shaoheng nodded. “The three of us will attend the party tomorrow.”
…
An hour later, Song Jinning had moved into a south-facing bedroom on the second floor.
Gu Nianzhi began to make the necessary preparations.
The first thing she did was to personally design a comprehensive spa program for Song Jinning.
She began by coating Song Jinning’s entire body with a mud mask, made from seaweed and Dead Sea mud. It helped to exfoliate the skin and remove all impurities.
The full-body exfoliating mask was left on for 30 minutes. After washing it off, Gu Nianzhi led Song Jinning into the sauna room.
Once the sweat was out of her pores, it was time for an essential oil bubble bath.
Rinse and repeat.
Song Jinning repeated the mask, sauna, and bubble bath routine three times; Gu Nianzhi dubbed the procedure “first-aid for the skin.”
Song Jinning was a natural beauty. She had not been able to take proper care of her skin in the last 16 years, but she was blessed genetically with good skin; once the “first-aid” was over and done with her skin was as good as new..
Her entire body appeared to glow like a lustrous white jade in the dimly lit room.
Gu Nianzhi sighed. “Now I understand what they mean when they call something ‘Mother Nature’s masterpiece.’ No mortal could have sculpted anything as beautiful as this…”
Song Jinning flushed prettily at her compliment. “Okay, that’s enough. Stop exaggerating. How about a face mask? Come here, I’ll help you.”
Like Gu Nianzhi, Song Jinning was always keen to learn new things.
She was woefully out of the loop when it came to skin care routines, and she had a lot of catching up to do.
The two women had a merry time pampering their skin and grooming themselves. They enjoyed themselves so much the hours seemed to fly by.
When it was time for dinner, Song Jinning had two bowls of porridge, a bowl of beef soup, a plate of grilled shrimps, and a plate of sautéed beef tenderloin. Fully sated, she went straight to bed and immediately fell asleep.
…
The next day was the 31st of December. Gu Nianzhi got up early, and made a beeline for the forensic science department in the imperial capital to request a detailed analysis of Song Jinning’s letter.
The thought of entrusting the letter to a third party had made her hesitate, but only briefly; she knew the secret would be safe. There was no mention on the letter of whom it was addressed to, after all, and the signature at the end merely said “Jinning,” without her surname.
Gu Nianzhi gave a brief explanation of the situation to the receptionist, who promised they would call her after the New Year and let her know when she would be able to get the test results.
Since she was already in town, Gu Nianzhi went to Scion Square and bought evening gowns for herself and Song Jinning.
Song Jinning’s evening gown was a one-shoulder fishtail affair that accentuated her voluptuous curves. The dress was cut from carmine red satin, and she looked irresistibly sexy in it.
Gu Nianzhi’s was a white silk dress with pea green stripes that ended in a puffy, layered skirt. She complemented her dress with knee-high boots and a wide ribbon around her waist.
When they were done dressing, Song Jinning turned to look at Gu Nianzhi. Her eyebrows flew upwards in surprise. She smiled and said, “Nianzhi, how old are you?”
“18. I just turned 18, I’ll be 19 next year.” Gu Nianzhi moved to stand behind Song Jinning, and looked over her shoulder at their reflections in the mirror. “Auntie Song, you look amazing in that dress.”
“No, you’re the one who looks amazing—so young and lovely!” Song Jinning shot a surreptitious glance at Gu Nianzhi’s chest. She clucked her tongue inwardly: only 18, and already so busty! She’s going to be a real looker…
Gu Nianzhi slid a hand around Song Jinning’s arm. “All right, we should go. They must have started the engagement ceremony by now.”
Huo Shaoheng was sitting in the backseat of his bulletproof limousine, talking to Huo Jialan on his phone. “…I can’t attend.”
“Cousin Brother, it’s your father’s engagement ceremony. Why aren’t you here? Are you against his getting engaged?” Huo Jialan sounded agitated. “Grandfather and Second Uncle want to see you here at the party!”
“It’s his engagement, not mine. What have I got to do with it?” Huo Shaoheng shut the folder in his hand. “Don’t wait for me. They’ll have to get on with the ceremony without me.”
Huo Jialan put down the phone receiver in resignation. She shook her head at Huo Guanchen and Bai Jinyi, who were watching her eagerly. “Cousin Brother says he can’t come, he’s too busy. He says not to wait for him.”
“In that case, let’s go downstairs and begin the ceremony. The guests are starting to get restless.” Bai Jinyi gracefully took Huo Guanchen’s arm. “My eldest brother and my third brother are both here, along with their wives. There’s also General Ji, and Chairman Long…”
Huo Jialan’s heart gave a leap. After Bai Jinyi and Huo Guanchen had left, she immediately called Huo Shaoheng again. “Cousin Brother, please come, quickly! I forgot to tell you, General Ji and Chairman Long are here, too. If you don’t come, you’re missing out, big time.”
“…I. am. not. going,” said Huo Shaoheng, enunciating each syllable clearly. He promptly hung up.
Right after that, Gu Nianzhi and Song Jinning slid into the backseat, and made themselves comfortable next to Huo Shaoheng.
As always, Fan Jian, Huo Shaoheng’s orderly, was driving him. Huo Shaoheng said to him: “We’re going to the Huo residence.” He added, “Drive slowly.”
Zhao Liangze’s voice sounded over Huo Shaoheng’s earpiece, informing his boss that he had taken over the Huo residence’s security system and jacked the surveillance cameras for the engagement ceremony being held in the living room. He was now able to start a live stream of the ceremony for Huo Shaoheng at any time.
Huo Shaoheng turned on his laptop and accepted the video link Zhao Liangze had sent him. Gu Nianzhi was sitting in the middle; Huo Shaoheng placed the laptop on her lap, and the three of them watched the live stream of the engagement ceremony. The engagement between Huo Guanchen and Bai Jinyi had become the talk of town among the elite social circles within the Huaxia Empire.