SAG -Chapter 5 Huo Zhiyuan

“Jingyu, what’s on my schedule tomorrow?”

Huo Zhiyuan suddenly broke the silence.

She hadn’t gone into the office for the past two days because she hadn’t been feeling well.

Zhao Jingyu immediately began reciting her itinerary.

“At ten o’clock tomorrow morning, the President of Shimei’s China division wants to meet with you. Then there’s the three o’clock meeting…” She carefully went through every appointment, explaining each one in detail.

“Alright, I understand.” Huo Zhiyuan nodded. “You should head home and get some rest too.”

“Oh, I’m not in any hurry.” Zhao Jingyu grinned.

“It’s not like I have anything waiting for me at home. Why don’t I stay here and chat with you for a while?”

Although Zhao Jingyu was technically just her secretary, after seven years together they had become as close as sisters.

Whenever no one else was around, Zhao Jingyu simply called her “Sis.”

Huo Zhiyuan walked over to the sofa and sat down.

“Come sit.”

She smiled gently.

“Tell me what’s been happening lately. Is there anything you need my help with?”

Zhao Jingyu sat beside her and laughed.

“Nothing. Everything’s been fine.”

“Oh, but something really incredible happened today.”

“The kind of thing that’s so unbelievable you probably wouldn’t believe it even if I told you.”

“But it’s already been confirmed.”

Her exaggerated expression made Huo Zhiyuan chuckle.

“Alright then.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“I’d like to know just how unbelievable it is.”

Zhao Jingyu cleared her throat dramatically.

“Then I’m telling you now—but don’t be too shocked.”

“Do you remember the luxury liner Goddess of Fate that disappeared twenty-eight years ago?”

She had intended to build suspense and make Huo Zhiyuan laugh.

Instead…

The moment the words Goddess of Fate left her mouth—

Huo Zhiyuan’s face changed completely.

“…Sis?”

Startled, Zhao Jingyu hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Huo Zhiyuan looked at her carefully.

She could tell Zhao Jingyu wasn’t testing her or implying anything.

After a brief silence, she suppressed her emotions.

“It’s nothing.”

“Go on.”

Her unusually restrained reaction left Zhao Jingyu unsure how to continue.

The playful remarks she had prepared died in her throat.

Instead, she simply told the story exactly as she knew it.

“Tonight…”

“The Goddess of Fate, which disappeared twenty-eight years ago…”

“…suddenly reappeared.”

“And every single passenger is still alive.”

The instant those words were spoken—

Crash!

The wineglass slipped from Huo Zhiyuan’s hand.

Fortunately, the thick carpet softened the impact, and it didn’t shatter.

Zhao Jingyu instinctively stood to clean it up.

But before she could move—

Huo Zhiyuan was already on her feet.

Her slender, pale hands seized Zhao Jingyu by both arms.

Her voice trembled uncontrollably.

“…What did you just say?”

Zhao Jingyu froze.

Never in seven years had she seen Huo Zhiyuan like this.

There was nervousness.

Hope.

Joy.

Fear.

Even panic.

No matter what crisis arose, Huo Zhiyuan had always remained calm and composed.

She had been Zhao Jingyu’s role model.

Yet a single piece of news had reduced the usually unshakable woman to this state.

Zhao Jingyu barely had time to process what was happening.

Huo Zhiyuan’s grip hurt.

She had never imagined her elegant boss possessed such surprising strength.

Hurriedly, she repeated everything she had just said.

Afterward, she looked at Huo Zhiyuan uneasily.

She had no idea what was happening.

But one thing was obvious.

This news meant everything to her.

“…Has it…”

Huo Zhiyuan’s voice continued shaking.

“…been confirmed?”

Beneath the trembling, Zhao Jingyu heard something she had never expected.

Pleading.

At that moment, Huo Zhiyuan resembled a helpless little girl desperately begging for reassurance.

Zhao Jingyu was certain—

If she answered that the story was false…

Huo Zhiyuan would completely fall apart.

This news mattered to her that much.

“It’s true.”

“The government has already confirmed it.”

“Here…”

“I’ll show you the reports.”

She quickly opened several news articles on her phone.

Huo Zhiyuan released Zhao Jingyu’s arms.

Even as she reached for the phone, her hands continued trembling.

The next moment—

She found the information she’d been searching for.

Instantly, tears welled in her beautiful eyes.

Joy.

Relief.

Excitement.

Every emotion overflowed at once.

“I knew it…”

“I knew you’d be alright…”

“I finally…”

“I finally waited long enough…”

She sobbed softly as she clutched Zhao Jingyu’s phone against her chest.

As though letting go of it would mean losing everything.

Zhao Jingyu remained quietly beside her.

She didn’t speak.

She didn’t interrupt.

She simply waited while Huo Zhiyuan surrendered completely to her emotions.

Nobody knew how much time passed.

Eventually, Huo Zhiyuan slowly regained her composure.

Her eyes were already swollen from crying.

But what she did next caught Zhao Jingyu completely off guard.

“Jingyu…”

She looked at her anxiously.

“Do I have wrinkles now?”

“Do I have bags under my eyes?”

“Is my makeup too heavy?”

“Does this dress show too much skin?”

The barrage of questions left Zhao Jingyu utterly dumbfounded.

Everyone knew Huo Zhiyuan never wore heavy makeup.

Although every outfit she owned was expensive, her style had always been elegant and conservative.

And despite being forty-three years old, years of meticulous self-care—and perhaps simply good genetics—had left her skin flawless.

Even Zhao Jingyu envied it.

More importantly…

The Huo Zhiyuan she knew had never cared about such things.

She had never been concerned with other people’s opinions.

She dressed well only out of courtesy.

But now…

Everything was different.

A vague suspicion began forming in Zhao Jingyu’s mind.

She didn’t dare confirm it.

But if she was right…

She truly felt happy for her employer.

As Huo Zhiyuan continued speaking, however, her expression gradually dimmed.

“Jingyu…”

“Do you think…”

“…I’ve grown old?”

“No!”

Zhao Jingyu answered immediately.

“Not at all!”

“Everyone envies you.”

“Your skin is better than that of most women in their twenties.”

“If you didn’t tell people your age, they’d think you were barely twenty.”

“No…”

Huo Zhiyuan shook her head.

“That won’t do.”

“Jingyu.”

“Cancel all my work for the next while.”

“Find me the best skincare specialists you can.”

“I don’t care how much it costs.”

Zhao Jingyu knew this was absolutely the wrong moment to argue.

“Alright.”

“I’ll arrange everything first thing tomorrow.”

“I promise.”

Only then did Huo Zhiyuan nod.

She paced back and forth across the room, every step revealing just how flustered and helpless she truly felt.

Suddenly, as though remembering something, she hurried upstairs at a near run.

Zhao Jingyu instinctively followed.

But when Huo Zhiyuan entered one particular room—

She stopped.

Zhao Jingyu knew that room well.

It was the finest bedroom in the entire villa.

Yet Huo Zhiyuan had never slept there.

No one knew what it contained.

Even the cleaning was done personally by Huo Zhiyuan herself.

She had never allowed anyone else to enter.