Chapter 44 Tang Ran, it's not that I'm asking for nothing in return. ...

Looking at the two lines of text on the screen, Tang Ran's anger surged.

What does Song Zhixu mean by this?

She was the one who took the initiative to say that she had seriously considered it.

Now you're turning around and keeping her in suspense, making her want to find out the answer herself?!

What, does she look like a silly rabbit who would be fooled with a carrot?

Do you want her to take the initiative to find her?

She refused!

Tang Ran angrily turned off her phone and stuffed it back into her pocket.

The party continued until 10 p.m., and Tang Ran dragged the tipsy Miao Tiantian back to their villa first.

Turtle Island Resort is a comprehensive tourist town focused on leisure and entertainment. The central area of ​​the island features the island's largest hotel, an indoor amusement park, sports fields, and a commercial street that can meet all your daily needs.

Outside the central area are four different themed resort areas: Gold Coast, Hot Spring Resort, Island Fishing Village, and Peninsula Open-air Camp.

The villa they stayed in was located in a hot spring resort halfway up the mountain.

Miao Tiantian had drunk a bit too much, and when the sightseeing bus drove into the resort, she got excited and insisted on singing a song, which Tang Ran couldn't stop her from doing no matter what she tried.

“S hll om mig

Slpp inte taget om mig”

All the motion-sensor lights in front of the villa gate turned on because of her shout.

The driver couldn't help but glance back.

“r som frhxad av dig

Och jag vill ha dig

Kom och hll om mig nu

..."

Tang Ran sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Thankfully, the resort wasn't open yet, otherwise Tang Ran would have preferred to jump out of the car rather than sit with her.

How embarrassing!

The sightseeing bus slowly pulled up in front of Tang Ran and her family's villa.

"Pfft!"

That laughter was so familiar.

Tang Ran looked in the direction of the sound.

In front of the villa across the street, Murong Yi stood with her arms crossed, watching them with great interest.

Standing behind her was Song Zhixu, whom Tang Ran had been cursing in her mind just ten minutes ago.

...

Miao Tiantian's singing came to an abrupt end.

She stared blankly in Murong Yi's direction.

The next second.

"vomit!"

Miao Tiantian gagged and quickly covered her mouth as she ran off the bus.

Tang Ran quickly followed her downstairs and patted her back.

Miao Tiantian gagged twice, then pushed open the courtyard gate and ran inside without looking back.

The movement was so fast that Tang Ran's raised hand didn't even fall.

Is he drunk or not?

Doesn't it look a bit like someone fleeing in panic?

Who are they hiding from?

Tang Ran turned around and looked at the opposite side.

The smile on Murong Yi's face was gone.

She slowly withdrew her gaze, tossed her long, wavy hair, and walked towards the villa next door.

A sudden inspiration flashed through my mind.

These two are 1000% problematic! And very problematic!

Tang Ran reacted in a second.

She subconsciously wanted to find someone to confirm her suspicions.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to Song Zhixu across from him.

However, Tang Ran immediately withdrew her phone before even seeing Song Zhixu.

Like Miao Tiantian, she quickly walked into the yard.

She wouldn't fall for Song Zhixu's tricks!

The villa wasn't large, with two bedrooms and two living rooms. The staff had already delivered the luggage to the villa that afternoon.

When Tang Ran went in, Miao Tiantian had already returned to her room.

She knocked on the door, and Miao Tiantian only called out through the door, "It's nothing."

Since she sounded relatively lucid, Tang Ran didn't bother with her anymore.

We can ask about Murong Yi later.

A detached island-style villa with a private hot spring pool in the yard.

It was getting late, and Tang Ran wasn't really in the mood for a hot spring bath, so she took a shower and went to bed.

The room has large floor-to-ceiling glass doors that face the courtyard, offering a clear view of the main gate and the courtyard wall.

And the roof of the villa across the street.

Tang Ran closed her eyes, preparing to sleep.

One minute, two minutes... ten minutes.

Tang Ran frowned, then turned over in annoyance, her back to the window.

There was a faint sound of flowing water in my ears, like the hot spring in the courtyard, or perhaps it was coming from across the street.

Tang Ran turned over again and opened her eyes to look at the hot spring in the courtyard.

The surface of the pool rippled gently, reflecting the moon in the sky.

It looks exactly like what I saw by the pond that day.

I've carefully considered the question you asked me last time.

If you want to know the answer, you can come to me anytime.

Tang Ran couldn't help but think of the message Song Zhixu had sent her.

So annoying!

She closed her eyes, forcing herself not to think about it anymore.

But I wasn't sleepy at all.

Song Zhixu is so annoying!

Tang Ran grabbed her phone, sat up, and opened the game.

Awoo~

In the game, a monster knocked Tang Ran out with a single powerful attack.

Looking at the blood-red "YOU DIED" on the screen.

Tang Ran was furious.

Even monsters bully her!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Suddenly, Tang Ran threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, slipped on her slippers, opened the French windows, and stepped outside.

I strode across the courtyard, went out, crossed the street, and pressed the doorbell across the street.

Completed in one go.

It wasn't until she heard soft footsteps coming from inside the door that Tang Ran realized what she had done.

She suddenly chickened out.

Tang Ran took a step back.

Is it too late to run back now?

Song Zhixu opened the courtyard gate.

When he saw her, Song Zhixu's eyes showed no surprise; he simply glanced at her briefly.

A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard.

Tang Ran belatedly realized that she was a little cold.

...

She got out of bed directly.

She was only wearing a slip dress, and nothing underneath.

!!! !!! !

Despite shivering from the cold, Tang Ran's face still flushed.

sky!

What did she do in a moment of impulsiveness this time?!

"It's cold at the beach, you should wear an extra layer." Song Zhixu unfolded the bath towel he was holding and draped it over her shoulders.

Song Zhixu was wearing a silk nightgown, with an extra jacket compared to Tang Ran's slip dress. Her hair was loose and draped over her chest, the ends damp and spreading across her chest.

Tang Ran's face flushed even more.

She quickly looked away.

Two lights illuminated the street corner; they were the headlights of a sightseeing bus.

Tang Ran was startled and pulled Song Zhixu behind the door to hide.

With a flick of his heel, he kicked the goalposts.

Tang Ran heard voices coming from outside the door and recognized them as her friends returning.

Tang Ran let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough.

"Tang Ran, you're pressing down on me."

A warm breath reached my ear.

Tang Ran was stunned for a moment, realizing that she was standing right next to Song Zhixu, and had even pinned her against the door.

One hand held her wrist, while the heel of the other hand rested on the soft flesh below her collarbone, her shapely curves visible beneath her wrist.

The heat spread from my cheeks to my ears.

Suddenly a gust of wind arose, rustling the leaves.

The clouds in the night sky obscured the moonlight.

Tang Ran took a step back in a panic.

Song Zhixu raised his hand and rubbed his chest, his brows furrowing slightly.

Tang Ran raised her hand to help but then felt it was inappropriate, so she could only ask awkwardly, "Does it hurt a lot?"

In her haste, she didn't pay attention to the limits of her subordinates.

"It's alright." Song Zhixu's voice was a little low, not quite like "it's alright."

"Let's go inside and take a look. Do you have any medicinal wine at the service desk?"

Tang Ran suspected that she had hit him too hard and bruised him.

She realized something was wrong as soon as she said it.

This is the villa where Song Zhixu lives, not hers.

She was hesitating whether to pretend she hadn't noticed anything and just go in.

"good."

A gentle voice interrupted Tang Ran's awkwardness.

Song Zhixu smiled faintly at her, "It's getting windy in the courtyard, let's go inside and talk."

Startled, Tang Ran realized that she had impulsively run over there.

Judging from Song Zhixu's expression, she clearly thought that she had come to hear her answer.

And that is indeed the case.

Song Zhixu's eyebrows curved slightly, and her expression was gentle.

Behind her was a villa with its lights on.

The beautiful crystal chandelier emitted a soft, warm light.

Tang Ran had a gut feeling.

Once you follow Song Zhixu into this room, some things will be completely different from your previous life.

The difference lies in the future, which she can no longer predict in advance.

Tang Ran hesitated.

She didn't move, and Song Zhixu didn't urge her.

He just watched her quietly.

The night wind swept away the floating clouds, revealing a bright crescent moon. The silvery moonlight poured down, adding a touch of tranquil beauty to the houses in the distance.

Tang Ran took a deep breath and started walking.

"Wait a moment."

Song Zhixu told her to sit on the sofa and then turned to go to the bedroom.

Tang Ran guessed that she was going to see a doctor about her injury, and nodded obediently.

Buzz buzz buzz~

Song Zhixu's phone rang.

It was a video call from Jiang Mei.

"Busy man, you finally have time to answer my call?" Jiang Mei teased.

"Mom," Song Zhixu called out softly, her tone tinged with helplessness.

Tang Ran turned her head to look at her.

It turns out that Song Zhixu is also afraid of her mother.

"Let's get down to business. I'm not trying to rush you, I just wanted to ask if you've been in contact with Xiaolan lately?"

Upon hearing the name Xiao Lan, Tang Ran immediately remembered her.

She was that classical beauty I saw at the art exhibition that day.

Tang Ran stared intently at Song Zhixu.

"Mom, we're not a good match." Song Zhixu refused decisively.

Tang Ran twirled her phone, feeling relaxed.

Song Zhixu went into the bedroom. The villa was well soundproofed, so Tang Ran didn't hear the conversation that followed.

Time passed little by little.

The wind in the courtyard grew stronger, and the night sky darkened.

Tang Ran looked around at the villa's decorations, trying to distract herself, but she couldn't help but imagine the conversation that was about to take place.

What was Song Zhixu's answer?

She slowly straightened her back, her fingers unconsciously pressing the power button.

Lock screen, wake up, lock screen, wake up...

When Song Zhixu finally came out, Tang Ran tried to stand up, but stopped when she tried to support herself on the sofa with her hands.

"It's nothing," Song Zhixu smiled at her.

"Um."

Tang Ran responded softly, loosening her grip on the sofa slightly, but not letting go.

"I've dried the towel, it's a little damp, let's change into a shawl."

Song Zhixu walked over and handed what he was holding to Tang Ran.

An antique-patterned silk shawl.

It's clearly not part of the villa's amenities; it's Song Zhixu's personal property.

Tang Ran hesitated for a moment, but still took it.

Speaking while wrapped in a bath towel really detracts from her image as a beautiful young woman.

A faint aroma of white tea wafts through the air.

Tang Ran felt a little thirsty.

Her gaze swept over the bottled water on the coffee table, and she raised her hand. The next second, a warm glass was placed in her palm.

"Drink some hot water first." Song Zhixu held up another glass of water and looked at her with a gentle smile.

"Thank you." Tang Ran took the cup and took a big gulp.

Song Zhixu sat down on the single sofa next to her and took a sip of water from her glass.

Tang Ran held the water glass and turned her head to look at her.

Let Song Zhixu speak first.

She's already come over on her own initiative, so surely she shouldn't have to speak first.

Thinking of this, Tang Ran felt even more justified.

She took another sip of water.

Song Zhixu didn't keep Tang Ran waiting for long, but his first words were, "Would you like another drink?"

Tang Ran: ...

"Need not."

She put down her cup, pursed her lips, and uttered two words.

Should Song Zhixu continue speaking?

She left without saying anything.

I won't ask her again.

"Tang Ran." Song Zhixu put down his water glass.

Tang Ran looked up at her, her eyes already showing obvious impatience.

"Tang Ran, will you marry me?"

Song Zhixu's question completely stunned Tang Ran.

She came today because she guessed Song Zhixu's answer.

Tang Ran had also thought of a way to deal with it in advance.

She thought she could make a deal with Song Zhixu.

She knew what would happen in the next three years, and she could cooperate with Song Zhixu.

She used her information to gain Song Zhixu's help for the Tang family.

As for Song Zhixu's feelings for her...

We are all adults.

Being with Song Zhixu, she wasn't at a loss.

Let's just treat it as a 'relationship' that's not aimed at marriage.

But Song Zhixu's answer was completely unexpected by Tang Ran.

Regardless of her identity as Song Wuqi's aunt, or Song Zhixu's own qualities.

Tang Ran never imagined that Song Zhixu would actually want to change her engagement partner to herself.

Tang Ran was dumbfounded.

This wasn't in her plan, was it?

Song Zhixu took in her reaction.

She turned to the side, closing the distance between herself and Tang Ran, her voice incredibly gentle, "You should be able to tell that I like you."

Despite the speculation, Tang Ran couldn't help but feel a pang of fear when she actually heard Song Zhixu admit it to himself.

A good mood is like a bottle of sparkling water filled with fizz, bubbling and gurgling uncontrollably.

Tang Ran lowered her head, trying hard to suppress the corners of her mouth that had unconsciously turned up.

Unable to see the expression on her face, Song Zhixu assumed that she was trying to run away again.

A clap of thunder sounded outside, followed by the sound of raindrops.

Song Zhixu lowered his eyes slightly, got up and closed the window to shut out the noise from outside.

When she returned, she picked up the tablet computer from the coffee table.

Hearing the sound, Tang Ran looked up.

"This is a list of all the assets under my name."

Song Zhixu opened the document he had prepared beforehand and placed it in front of Tang Ran.

Tang Ran didn't understand what she meant and subconsciously looked towards the tablet.

The screen displays a detailed list of assets.

The first item is Song Zhixu's equity in Song's Group, and the corresponding market value.

Next are investments in more than a dozen companies, as well as various real estate, deposits, and jewelry, arranged from highest to lowest market value.

A quick glance reveals it fills the entire screen from beginning to end, with more content below that isn't even displayed.

There's no need to add them one by one; the first few items alone far exceed Tang's total market value.

Tang Ran was absolutely stunned!

Song knew that Xu was far wealthier than she had guessed.

“We can sign a prenuptial agreement. After marriage, all my assets will be jointly owned with you, and you can allocate them as you wish if needed.”

What? !

Tang Ran wondered if she was hallucinating.

But he was only surprised for a moment before he suddenly frowned.

She didn't take the tablet, staring at Song Zhixu with a tense face, her tone sharp, "What do you mean? Are you trying to make a deal with me?"

They were talking about marriage one minute, and then they immediately started laying out their assets – isn't this just a plot point from a novel about a contract marriage?

Three years or five years?

Does Song Zhixu want to buy her with money? To buy her marriage?

She wanted to make a deal with Song Zhixu, intending to exchange the information she had for something else.

It's not simply about selling one's body.

If Tang Ran were a fluffy creature, she would definitely be in a state of frizzy fur right now.

Song Zhixu placed the tablet on the coffee table, sat down next to Tang Ran, and looked at her.

Tang Ran pursed her lips tightly, stiffened her neck, and glared at her angrily.

She could never be a caged bird.

“It’s not a transaction.” Song Zhixu spoke slowly, his tone sincere and earnest. “Tang Ran, you know, I like you.”

If you like it, Tang Ran was happy to hear that.

But it was all for nothing.

Tang Ran remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Last time you asked me if I would always help you, this is my answer."

"It's not because of the relationship between the two companies, nor in his capacity as president of the Song Group, but in Song Zhixu's personal capacity."

“Even without relying on the Song family, I can still help you.”

"I'm showing you these things just to let you know that what I said about helping you isn't just empty promises."

Before knowing that Tang Ran had found Xia Mo, Song Zhixu had never thought of using this method to propose marriage to Tang Ran.

Because she knew that her father's respect and gratitude towards Tang Ran's maternal grandfather would help the Tang family overcome their difficulties.

But Tang Ran didn't know, and even if she did, she might not believe it.

She didn't want Tang Ran to accept Xia Mo's help, and she also knew that she couldn't persuade Tang Ran with just personal favors.

Marrying Tang Ran was the quickest way Song Zhixu could think of to make Tang Ran believe in her.

Even though this disrupted her original plans.

Tang Ran lowered her head to think, carefully digesting every word Song Zhixu said.

Song Zhixu's actions were a way of proving herself.

But this also shows that Song Zhixu noticed her unease.

She also proposed that all of her assets be jointly owned.

Just to put your mind at ease?

But why?

She couldn't convince herself that Song Zhixu did all this simply because he liked her.

Song Zhixu got up from the sofa and half-squatted in front of Tang Ran.

Tang Ran looked up at her, her expression complex.

"Tang Ran, I'm not using marriage to make a deal with you. I'm showing you those things that aren't bargaining chips. I just want you to believe that I can do what I promised you, and I'm willing to do it."

"Of course, I can't deny that I also had my own selfish reasons." Song Zhixu paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "As you just saw, my mother is a little anxious."

“I have feelings for you, and our families are very familiar with each other. I can marry the person I love and put my mother at ease.”

"Did you ask me why I help you so selflessly?"

"Tang Ran".

Song Zhixu called her by her name.

"It's not that I'm asking for nothing in return; what I'm asking for is you, and our marriage, a real marriage, do you understand?"