Spoiled by the CEO after amnesia!-Chapter 18 The Despotic Man

After spending some time online, by around noon, Jiayi was feeling a bit bored.

Should she go out for a stroll? He had given his permission, after all.

But where to go? She didn’t have a clear memory of G City; maybe she wasn’t from G City?

As she pondered this, the bedroom phone rang.

"Is that Jiayi?" An elderly but somewhat familiar voice came from the other end of the line.

Jiayi immediately remembered and responded with some surprise, "Is that Mr. Huo?"

"Yes, it is. Zhenyang has gone to the company, hasn’t he?" Huo Tianpei, recognizing that the girl had identified him instantly, laughed.

"Yes, that’s right."

"Do you have time right now?"

Jiayi, who was bored stiff, nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken, "Mhm, I do." She had loads of time!

"I’ve sent a driver to Hao Ting; he should already be waiting at the hotel’s entrance. Would you be interested in visiting Huo Garden as a guest?"

Jiayi could tell that the old man was genuinely inviting her, but remembering the look on Huo Zhenyang’s face last night when she tried to make peace between father and son – as if he wanted to tear her to pieces – she hesitated, "Uncle, I’d love to come over, but..."

"But Zhenyang isn’t too keen on you interacting with me, is that it?" Huo Tianpei helped Jiayi finish the awkward second half of her sentence.

Jiayi fumbled for words and fell silent.

Huo Tianpei sighed, "All right, I don’t blame you. After all, I don’t have anything particular in mind; I just wanted to get to know the girl Zhenyang likes a bit better..."

"It’s fine," Jiayi blurted out, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, "He never said I wasn’t allowed to go to Huo Garden. I’ll come and keep you company, Uncle. I’ll be right there."

Fifteen minutes later, Jiayi, fully dressed, stepped out of her room.

At the door, George approached her as he saw her coming out and took a few steps forward, "Miss Luo, are you going out shopping? I’ll go prepare the car."

"I’m going to Huo Garden," Jiayi said.

"Huo Garden?" George’s usually impassive face showed a flash of surprise, hinting at objection, "Miss Luo, the president hasn’t included a visit to Huo Garden in your outdoor activity schedule."

What did that mean? Did her whereabouts, or places she couldn’t go to, have to be within his prescribed list?

Jiayi bit her lip, cursing the autocratic man in her heart a few times, yet forced a sweet smile and batted her eyes at the man standing before her like a steadfast guardian, "But he didn’t specifically say I couldn’t go, right?"

That was true... George was taken aback by the girl’s retort, hesitated for a short moment, and by the time he recovered, the girl was already heading towards the elevator. He hurriedly followed.

At the entrance of Hao Ting Hotel, the Huo Garden car had indeed been waiting for quite a while.

The Huo Family driver had seen Jiayi the day before, quickly exited the vehicle, opened the car door, and invited Jiayi into the back seat; George took the passenger seat.

In the daylight, Huo Garden seemed even more imposing and majestic than it had when Jiayi visited the previous night.

At the entrance, the butler Owen, along with a group of servants, had long been waiting for the arrival of their guest.

After getting out of the car, Owen led Jiayi toward the interior of Huo Garden, kindly saying as they walked, "The old master is currently in the glass greenhouse, Miss Jiayi, please follow me."

"Uncle seems to place great importance on the orchids in the greenhouse," Jiayi said with some curiosity.

The butler, George, hesitated for a moment before he eventually sighed, "How could he not?"

"Hmm?" Jiayi’s curiosity was even more piqued, and her eyes fixed on George.

"The late madam’s favorite flowers were orchids, and her name included the character for orchid. After she passed away, the master hired an Italian designer and spent a fortune to build this pure natural glass greenhouse in Huo Garden, transplanting the madam’s orchids into it and taking meticulous care of them. He even occasionally has precious orchids shipped or air freighted from all over the world to cultivate. For so many years, the master has treated these orchids as if they were his lifeline."

The late madam... That’s Huo Zhenyang’s biological mother, isn’t it?

To think that the Chairman of Huo Group, a prominent figure in the business world, would be such a devoted man, still so attached to his late wife.

Jiayi felt somewhat amazed, and a thought struck her; could it be that Huo Zhenyang’s strained relationship with old Mr. Huo was related to his biological mother?

Although that man seemed to dislike her prying into his personal matters, having "punished" her for it just yesterday, Jiayi was just the type of curious soul who forgets the pain once the wound is healed. She couldn’t help herself, "George, what caused the former madam’s death?"

Since Miss Luo was the young master’s girlfriend and so beloved by the old master, George treated her as if she were almost a member of the family and didn’t conceal much, sighing as he said:

"The madam’s heart was always quite weak. After giving birth to the young master, her health deteriorated, and she became sickly. When the master was younger, he once went to Europe to negotiate a very important business deal that was critical to the company’s future. During that time, the madam fell ill back home, and the doctors issued a critical condition notice. The master, with only a few days left to finish the deal, suppressed his anxiety and didn’t rush back immediately. By the time the business was concluded and he returned home... the madam had... alas, she hadn’t seen the master for the last time, and young master was the one who stayed by her bedside until the end. Since then, the young master has been cold towards the master, and their relationship has remained lukewarm all these years."

So that’s how it was.

Jiayi’s eyes also dimmed with understanding; the man’s coldness toward Huo Tianpei indeed had a reason.

As they talked, they had reached the exterior of the glass greenhouse.

The afternoon sun was golden, spilling into the bright tempered glass windows like scattered coins.

Huo Tianpei, his hair silver, was holding a pair of pruning shears, personally trimming a champion Cymbidium that had just been shipped back to the country the day before yesterday. As he looked up, he saw George leading the girl towards the greenhouse.

A smile appeared on his face, and he stood up.

Jiayi called out crisply, "Hello, Uncle."

"Come in, child," Huo Tianpei beckoned.

After Jiayi entered, she and the old master admired the precious orchids that had been sea freighted together.

Huo Tianpei was delighted that Jiayi had come to visit, and he became quite chatty, incessantly inquiring about Jiayi’s family situation.

Jiayi responded to each question according to the information Huo Zhenyang had given her, heaving a silent sigh of relief that she had memorized it well.

As they talked, Huo Tianpei’s gaze shifted out to George, his smile deepening, "It’s clear to see, that young man spoils you quite a bit."

"Huh?" Jiayi was taken aback.

"That George, he’s the most capable and trusted bodyguard by his side, followed him for seven or eight years and never left his side. Now, he’s actually been assigned to you," Huo Tianpei said with a laugh. "I remember when I wanted to borrow George for a few days before, he didn’t agree to it."

Jiayi blushed, pursing her lips, "I didn’t even want him, it’s kind of scary having someone follow me around, people might think I’m some mafia boss. Besides, it’s broad daylight, there’s no need for a bodyguard."

No, not a mafia boss, they would probably think she’s the wife of one, right?

What nonsense was she thinking! Her face grew even redder.