Chapter 39 A wave of indescribable embarrassment washed over Tang…

Tang Ran didn't know how she got back to her room.

If she breaks up with Song Wuqi, she definitely won't be able to borrow money from the Song family anymore.

Alternatively, she could get engaged to Song Wuqi first, and then break up with him once she gets the funds.

If this loan is approved, what about the remaining loans? Will they also be rejected?

What to do with the nearly one billion yuan in project funds?

Tang Ran slumped against the door and slid down, her fingers clenching weakly.

She even thought she could come up with a solution to the loan problem.

That's utterly delusional.

She has clearly been reborn.

But that didn't change her fate of marrying Song Wuqi.

Then what about what she did?

Struggling while in shackles?

Tired and useless.

And her two mothers.

Tang Ran always thought that the two had a good relationship.

They had never argued in front of Tang Ran, not even when their family went bankrupt in their previous life.

But clearly, that's not the case.

Not only did she not know much about the company, but she also didn't know as much about her own home as she thought.

A profound sense of defeat weighed heavily on Tang Ran's chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

bite!

A message popped up on my phone.

Next-door neighbor: [When are you free?]

*

Tang Ran pushed open the wooden-framed glass door, and the room was filled with the vibrant colors of spring.

Sunlight filtered through the dappled shadows of the trees, casting dappled patterns on the clear glass windows, while the air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee.

She quickly walked to the booth by the window, smiled apologetically at the woman opposite her, and said, "There was a bit of traffic, I'm sorry to have kept my aunt waiting."

Song Zhixu slightly curved the corners of her lips.

Her throat was bandaged, and the skin on her cheeks was pale and sickly.

"No."

Song Zhixu's hoarse voice is a consequence of inhaling thick smoke.

She paused after saying two words, then slowly said, "It was my abruptness."

After saying that, he couldn't help but cough and frown.

Tang Ran quickly handed over the glass of water beside her.

Song Zhixu's gaze lingered on her fingers for a moment before she lowered her eyes, took the water glass, and took a small sip.

Her furrowed brows relaxed, revealing a gentle smile.

Thank you.

The breathy sound was faint.

After speaking, she took out a blue velvet box from her bag, with the logo of a high-end jewelry brand printed on the box.

"A gift of thanks."

Song Zhixu pushed the box in front of Tang Ran.

Tang Ran didn't accept it, saying, "Auntie, you don't need to be so polite."

She happened to be next door when Song Zhixu's room caught fire, and saving Song Zhixu was just a matter of convenience.

She wasn't familiar with Song Zhixu and felt embarrassed to accept her gift.

Moreover, Song Wuqi doesn't like her contacting Song Zhixu, and he would be unhappy if he found out.

Tang Ran refused to accept it, and Song Zhixu also refused to take it back.

He just pursed his lips, looked at her calmly, and there was obvious disappointment in his eyes.

Tang Ran picked up the box as if possessed.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Song Zhixu's eyebrows were slightly curved at the ends.

Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.

Tang Ran's phone rang; it was a call from Song Wuqi.

A smile spread across her face as she answered the phone, "Sure, I'll be right there."

Tang Ran hung up the phone, picked up her bag, and said apologetically to Song Zhixu, "Auntie, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

Song Zhixu nodded slightly with a nonchalant expression.

...

"Tang Ran, this is my daughter with Song Wuqi."

Ye Xiaoyu held a two- or three-year-old girl and looked defiantly at Tang Ran, who was emaciated on the hospital bed.

Dressed in luxury brands, she was no longer the timid little assistant Tang Ran remembered.

Do you know when you conceived the child?

"On your wedding night, Song Wuqi went to the capital not on a business trip, but to be with me."

Tang Ran forced a cold smile. She wanted to tell Ye Xiaoyu to get lost, but with a tracheotomy tube inserted in her throat, she couldn't make a sound.

*

Morning light streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains.

Tang Ran closed her eyes tightly, her fingers curled up, gripping the bed sheet tightly.

In my dream, a doctor in a white coat pushed open the door to the ward, picked up an ampoule, and skillfully cut open the bottle.

Under the incandescent light, the silver needle tip reflected a cold, white light.

"don't want!"

Tang Ran struggled to wake up from her dream.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, spreading across the sheets.

As her consciousness slowly returned, Tang Ran exhaled heavily, restoring her stagnant breathing.

She rubbed her face and sat up.

Pull yourself out of the nightmare of memories.

After returning home, she had this dream countless times and had long since become accustomed to it.

Tang Ran threw off the covers and got out of bed.

After washing my face and doing my skincare routine, I applied a thick layer of concealer and brightener to cover the dark circles under my eyes caused by staying up late.

I smiled at myself in the mirror.

Not noticing anything amiss, Tang Ran left the bedroom and went downstairs.

Lin Jixin and Tang Wanru were talking on the sofa.

Both of them had smiles on their faces, and you couldn't tell that they had had such a big argument last night.

"Did you get up so early, little one?"

Today is Saturday, and Tang Wanru thought her daughter would sleep until noon as usual.

She asked the aunt to serve Tang Ran breakfast, praising her repeatedly, "Our little girl has grown up."

She pulled Tang Ran closer and looked her over, "Is work very tiring? Mommy sees that you've lost weight."

"No, Mommy."

Tang Ran smiled and sat down, taking the breakfast that the aunt brought.

Lin Jixin also came over. "I heard from President Yu that you're planning to give up the Taiwo order?"

"Well, the profit margin is too low; there's no need for cooperation anymore, and besides..."

"Clients like Taiwo are a testament to our capabilities. Even if we don't make money from the collaboration, it will still be very beneficial to the company."

Tang Ran was interrupted by Lin Jixin before she could finish speaking.

"Discussing work on a weekend? I'm tired of it, even if you don't find it annoying." Tang Wanru raised her hand to shoo Lin Jixin away. "Don't disturb Nannan's meal. Can't you see how tired she is and how thin she's become?"

Lin Jixin's voice immediately softened as he gently explained to his wife, "I'm not worried that Ranran lacks experience. Managing a company isn't child's play; we have to consider everything carefully."

Tang Wanru said with dissatisfaction, "You saw the clients we lost, but why didn't you mention the new clients that Nannan recently secured? Didn't Nannan just recently get a contract to supply food and beverage to the Jiangcheng Convention and Exhibition Center?"

“These are two different things,” Lin Jixin said helplessly.

Tang Ran didn't want to watch them argue, so she sent Lin Jixin the report she had someone find a few days ago.

"Mom, there's something wrong with Taiwo's products."

The first problem that Taiwo will face is excessive drug residues, followed by other issues such as using diseased meat in semi-finished products, foreign objects in food, and dumping of toxic wastewater.

Tang Ran couldn't talk about the future, so she used the simplest method: she bought several boxes of Taiwo products from the supermarket and had them tested.

"The products I bought randomly were all substandard, and it's highly likely that using illegal drugs is their standard practice."

Tang Ran frowned and analyzed seriously, "If it gets exposed one day, the food processing plants that cooperate with it will definitely be implicated."

By cooperating with Taiwo, the raw materials are directly supplied by the farms that Taiwo partners with. They only earn a processing fee in the middle, but the actual risks they bear far outweigh the benefits.

"Ranran is right."

This time, Tang Wanru wasn't just blindly praising her daughter; she genuinely thought Tang Ran had done a great job.

After reading the report, Lin Jixin asked in surprise, "How did you know their products had problems?"

"I recently made a new friend whose family is also involved in animal husbandry."

Tang Ran spoke vaguely, but Lin Jixin understood. Moreover, the report was there, and Taiwo's products did indeed have problems.

“You said Ranran lacked experience, but I think she’s more thoughtful than you,” Tang Wanru added. “I’ve seen that Nannan has managed the company quite well while you were away.”

"I didn't say she was being a bad manager, this is just..."

Tang Wanru interrupted her, "Your approach is outdated. Young people have their own way of doing things. Just let Nannan do things her own way."

"I think Ranran shouldn't just stay in the business department. Let Ranran be the vice president and learn more about managing the company."

"Ranran has only been with the company for less than six months. It might not be easy for her to gain the respect of the staff as a vice president now," Lin Jixin disagreed.

Tang Wanru didn't think so. "From now on, the entire Tang Corporation will belong to Ranran. What's wrong with her being a vice president? If anyone is not convinced, they don't need to work at Tang Corporation anymore. Let Ranran promote new people."

Lin Jixin reluctantly took her hand and compromised, saying, "Alright, alright, we'll discuss this later."

After breakfast, Tang Ran helped Lin Jixin pack up the gifts she had brought back.

In addition to jewelry, Tang Wanru also brought Tang Ran a set of limited edition Pokémon plush toys.

"Thank you, Mommy." Tang Ran's eyes were red.

This set of figurines was the last thing she sold after her family went bankrupt.

Her mother had already passed away by then.

"Little crybaby," Tang Wanru teased affectionately.

Lin Jixin went out after dinner and didn't return until after 4 p.m.

As soon as they entered, they were told that Old Master Song had arranged a welcome banquet for them at Jingting.

"Did I just tell you that?" Tang Wanru frowned.

The Song family wouldn't be so impolite as to notify the guests only two hours in advance.

"They told me this morning, but I got a call and forgot."

Lin Jixin gave a fawning smile and sighed, "As I get older, my memory is getting worse and worse."

Tang Wanru glanced at her, then turned and instructed the aunt, "Take those gifts that were distributed to the Song family this afternoon into the car."

Tang Ran came downstairs and happened to see this scene.

Upon hearing that the Song family had hosted a welcome banquet, Tang Ran was taken aback, a bad feeling rising in her heart.

There was no such welcome banquet in my previous life.

The car sped along the road, and the street scene outside the window gradually changed from tall buildings to lush trees.

Tang Ran's unease gradually intensified.

The familiar manor gate came into view.

Tang Ran looked down and swiped her phone; the screen showed the green bubble interface that she had already opened.

The finger touched the dialog box, then stopped.

"Nannan?"

Upon hearing Tang Wanru's voice, Tang Ran subconsciously locked her phone.

The car has gradually slowed down.

Tang Wanru took her daughter's hand and asked, "What are you thinking about so intently?"

"Nothing, have we arrived?" Tang Ran looked out the window.

Tang Ran's eyes turned cold as she spotted Song Wuqi standing by the fountain in front of the door.

Without a doubt, this unexpected welcome banquet was definitely related to her.

Tang Ran quickly composed herself after her hand was gently squeezed, and smiled at Tang Wanru.

Tang Wanru patted her daughter's hand, glanced at Lin Jixin in the passenger seat, and lowered her voice, "Don't worry, Mommy's here. Mommy will stop it for you."

She could guess that the Song family was hosting a welcome banquet to discuss the engagement between the two families.

But my daughter was distracted from the moment she got in the car; she was clearly unwilling.

She wouldn't sell her daughter for the sake of the company.

"It's okay, Mommy." Tang Ran's nose tingled with emotion. "As long as Mommy remembers what she promised me yesterday, that's enough."

A direct refusal would be too much of a slap in the face to the Song family; it's better to stall for time.

Perhaps she can find a way to solve the company's financial problems.

Tang Wanru looked at her intently for two seconds.

The mother and daughter understood each other's plans without needing to say anything more.

"Okay," Tang Wanru replied softly.

The car stopped at the entrance, and Song Wuqi smiled as he opened the car door, exchanging pleasantries with Lin Jixin and Tang Wanru.

"Dye".

Upon seeing Tang Ran, her smile softened even more, and she stepped forward to take Tang Ran's hand.

"Mommy and the others are watching." Tang Ran blushed slightly and dodged her hand. "Mommy brought a gift. Could you have someone take it?"

"Okay." Song Wuqi smiled indulgently and asked the butler to arrange for someone to bring the things.

As we ascended the marble steps, Jiang Mei greeted us with a smile, followed by Grandpa Song, who also wore a smile.

Tang Ran glanced inside subconsciously.

I didn't see Song Zhixu.

She pursed her lips.

The two families sat in the living room and chatted for a while.

Jiang Mei inquired about Tang Wanru's health with concern, and the two chatted for a while about the art exhibition.

Grandpa Song then chatted with Lin Jixin about the central kitchen project that the two families were collaborating on, and also asked Song Wuqi a couple of questions.

As Song Wuqi replied to the old man, he didn't forget to hand Tang Ran some fruit.

Tang Ran ate two cherries, and then she reached for an orange.

He quickly pressed her hand down and whispered his refusal, "We still need to eat."

She could eat a couple of cherries while pretending to be someone else, but eating an orange peeled by Song Wuqi would probably make her throw up her dinner from the night before.

"Young people have such a good relationship," Lin Jixin joked with a smile.

Everyone else looked over when they heard her words, their faces beaming with smiles.

Tang Ran lowered her head shyly.

In his mind, he had already nailed Song Wuqi to the cross and whipped his corpse.

"Where's Zhixu? I heard she's in Jiangcheng recently?" Tang Wanru asked, trying to help her daughter out of the predicament.

"I have a business dinner this afternoon and I'll be back a little late," Jiang Mei explained with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his daughter walked in.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

She stood up, smiled and joked, then waved to her daughter, "Zhixu."

Upon hearing her name, Tang Ran paused for a moment and looked up towards the door.

Song Zhixu walked with a graceful gait, a faint smile on her face.

After greeting Tang Wanru and Lin Jixin, he glanced briefly at Tang Ran's face and nodded slightly.

"It's been so long since I've seen Zhixu." Tang Wanru looked at her with a smile. "She's so kind and composed."

She looked at Tang Ran with envy, "Unlike my little crybaby at home, who cried in my arms yesterday. She's just a child who hasn't grown up."

"Mommy," Tang Ran called out shyly.

She knew Tang Wanru was saying that on purpose.

It's still a bit embarrassing to have something so embarrassing exposed in public.

A light blush spread from her fair cheeks to the tips of her ears, making her look delicate and adorable.

Song Wuqi's thoughts stirred slightly, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

She took Tang Ran's hand and teased her softly, "Little crybaby?"

A chill ran down my spine.

Slowly clench your five fingers.

She couldn't resist the urge to give Song Wuqi a good beating.

Feigning anger, Tang Ran pulled her hand away and glared at her with a smirk.

Unfortunately, the blush on her face hadn't faded, so the glance had no effect whatsoever.

To others, it just looks like she's being coquettish.

Song Wuqi couldn't help but want to pinch her puffed-up cheeks.

As he raised his hand, he seemed to catch a slightly cool gaze out of the corner of his eye.

She turned her head and saw Jiang Mei and Lin Jixin looking at her and Tang Ran with smiles on their faces, saying that the two were a good match.

It's obviously not them.

Song Wuqi then looked at Song Zhixu beside him.

Song Zhixu looked down at her phone.

When unfolded, the screen of the foldable phone is about the size of two palms.

Song Wuqi could vaguely see some interfaces.

It looks like a PowerPoint presentation.

This style looks somewhat familiar.

My eye suddenly twitched.

What my aunt is looking at is the new project proposal she sent out before leaving get off work yesterday.

Song Zhixu frowned as he turned the page.

He looked up and gazed in her direction.

Song Wuqi abruptly turned his head, completely unable to meet Song Zhixu's gaze.

They were afraid she would reveal any problems with the proposal in front of her grandfather.

Lin Jixin smiled and took a rectangular gift box out of her bag.

"I recently obtained a sample of top-grade Taiping Houkui tea from an old tea friend. Would you like to taste it and tell me what you think?"

Inside the gift box is an exquisite handcrafted embossed sterling silver tea caddy.

Upon hearing his wife's words, a hint of surprise flashed across Tang Wanru's eyes, and she looked at her with a complex expression.

Grandpa Song glanced at the tea leaves, his wrinkles deepening, and said with a smile, "Good, this spring wasn't too cold. I always felt that the ones I got didn't have enough aroma."

As he spoke, he got up and walked towards the tea room. When he passed Song Zhixu, he stopped for a moment and said to her, "Zhixu, you should try it too."

Upon hearing this, Song Wuqi looked up at him.

But after saying that, Grandpa went straight to the tea room without turning back to call her.

Song Wuqi lowered his head, his eyes filled with deep resentment and anger.

Just like her.

Tang Wanru kept looking at Lin Jixin, but Lin Jixin followed Old Master Song straight into the tea room without turning around to look at her.

He saw what the two mothers were doing.

Tang Ran suddenly understood.

The things Mom was going to do were not discussed with Mommy beforehand.

Recalling the conversation she overheard last night, Tang Ran's pupils suddenly contracted.

My body involuntarily tensed up.

Tang Ran stared intently at the transparent window of the tea room.

After the three of them sat down, Lin Jixin took the initiative to boil water.

Master Song stopped her and asked Song Zhixu to boil water and make tea.

Lin Jixin said a few words with a smile, and Grandpa Song looked at Song Zhixu with a satisfied smile on his face.

Once the tea was brewed, Grandpa Song took a sip and burst into laughter.

He was clearly very satisfied with the tea.

The two chatted for a few more minutes.

Lin Jixin looked troubled.

Tang Ran's breath hitched, and her heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped.

Lin Jixin's lips moved slightly.

Tang Ran couldn't hear what she was saying.

Time passed second by second.

A chill slowly spread from the bottom of my heart, gradually reaching every part of my body.

Just then.

Song Zhixu turned his head and looked outside.

Her eyes were deep and inquisitive.

Their eyes met.

An indescribable sense of embarrassment welled up in Tang Ran's heart, and the color quickly faded from her face.

She suddenly lowered her head, her fingernails digging into her palms.

Why?

Yesterday, Mom clearly promised Mommy that she would try to find a solution.

Why the sudden change of heart today, and why the rush to speak?

And why at this particular time?

With the loan already arranged, the engagement will naturally be put on the agenda.

And they will completely lose the position and right to raise objections.