Chapter 46 Should the engagement ceremony continue? ...

Song Zhixu was there to inspect the work. She was positioned a little further away, followed by the heads of various departments of the resort, as well as Song Wuqi.

Song Wuqi watched Tang Ran and Miao Tiantian playfully fighting and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

When Song Zhixu looked over, his gaze lingered on Tang Ran for a moment.

Tang Ran followed her gaze and lowered her head, noticing the cute navy-style swimsuit she was wearing.

...

The clothes were worn to match Xia Xin'er's photo shoot.

It doesn't reveal much, and it's not a sexy style.

She's just too cute.

Looking at Song Zhixu again, her simple and neat long dress exudes elegance and maturity.

Compared to each other, their styles don't seem to match at all.

Seeing how naive she is, I wonder if Song Zhixu will regret what she said yesterday.

Tang Ran thought for a moment, then looked up at Song Zhixu.

Unfortunately, she didn't see Song Zhixu's reaction.

The manager of Golden Beach had already led them away.

Tang Ran pursed her lips and looked away.

As she casually swept across the beach, some distance away, Murong Yi was talking to Miao Tiantian with her head down.

No one knows what Murong Yi said, but Miao Tiantian kicked her without hesitation.

Murong Yi nimbly dodged, gave her a meaningful look at her calf, turned around and quickly followed Song Zhixu and his group.

Miao Tiantian missed kicking anyone, and in her anger, she kicked a handful of sand.

Seeing Miao Tiantian return in a huff, Xia Xin'er stepped forward to persuade her, "Sister Tiantian, Sister Mu likes to joke, don't be angry with her."

She thought Murong Yi had said something joking that upset Miao Tiantian.

"Okay." Miao Tiantian's angry expression disappeared. "Didn't you want to take pictures? I'll take them for you."

Tang Ran swallowed back the question she wanted to ask.

After playing on the beach for half a day, they moved on to the open-air campsite on the peninsula.

Song Wuqi had his staff organize a bonfire party.

A group of people played around until after nine o'clock.

Tang Ran's phone rang.

Neighbor: Still camping in the open?

Tang Ran unconsciously curled the corners of her lips. She glanced at Miao Tiantian next to her, who was having a great time playing drinking games with others, and then got up and walked to a less crowded place.

The evening breeze was cool and felt very comfortable on my skin.

I typed "Mm" in the chat box and sent it.

After sending the message, he paused for a moment, then typed another sentence: "I'll be staying here tonight."

Tang Ran guessed that Song Zhixu wanted to ask her when she was going back by sending her a text message at this time.

Two seconds later, another "Hmm" appeared on the chat screen.

She stared at the screen for another two seconds.

After not seeing the other person typing at the top of the screen, he frowned, locked the screen, and prepared to walk back.

The phone rang again. Tang Ran's lips curled up slightly as she raised her phone to unlock it.

Next-door neighbor: [Want to see a meteor shower?]

Tang Ran was surprised.

I haven't heard of any meteor shower recently.

She looked up at the night sky and suddenly a possibility occurred to her.

Could it be that Song Zhixu is going to use her wealth to create an artificial meteor shower for her?

She remembered there being a drone show like that.

It's a drone show.

Tang Ran's teeth ached slightly.

Tsk!

I don't know who she learned it from!

Despite her sour taste, Tang Ran still replied with a "Okay".

Since Song Zhixu is paying anyway, might as well watch!

Neighbor next door: [Wait for me at the campsite entrance. Wear a jacket; it's windy up here.]

Tang Ran replied: 【Okay.】

She went back to her RV, grabbed a sun-protective garment, put it on, and quietly slipped past the crowd to leave the campsite.

When we came out, there were already sightseeing vehicles waiting by the roadside.

Tang Ran pressed down on her lips and walked towards the car, where she saw Song Zhixu get out.

The hot spring resort is a distance from the campsite; it takes at least twenty minutes by car to get there.

She had been out of the camp for no more than five minutes.

The fact that Song Zhixu is here can only mean that she has been waiting for this place for a long time.

He might have arrived before I even texted him.

Tang Ran unconsciously quickened her pace.

Upon reaching the roadside, he hurriedly pulled Song Zhixu onto the sightseeing bus.

The campsite is on higher ground than here; it wouldn't be good if our friends inside saw us.

After catching her breath, Tang Ran asked, "You arrived just now?"

"Okay." Song Zhixu responded, patted her back to help her catch her breath, and said to the staff in front, "Let's go."

Tang Ran was taken aback when she felt the gentle pressure on her back, but she didn't say anything.

She glanced at the staff member driving the car in front.

He looks somewhat familiar; he seems to be Song Zhixu's assistant.

Tang Ran felt much more at ease.

Assistant Jiang was a little uneasy.

Ever since she first saw Tang Ran enter her boss's house, she had a premonition.

She must have discovered her boss's secret.

As the saying goes, the more you know, the faster you die.

Assistant Jiang became exceptionally cautious from that time onward.

Whether it was the boss asking her to investigate Manager Song, or discovering that another private investigator working for Manager Song was Ms. Tang's person.

And most recently, the boss deliberately changed his schedule to accommodate Tang Ran.

She wouldn't ask any questions or make any unnecessary remarks.

She was terrified that her boss might accidentally find out that she knew his secret.

Today, the boss specially asked her to drive the sightseeing bus, and Assistant Jiang had the same premonition in her heart.

Sure enough, she wasn't surprised at all when she saw Tang Ran walk out of the camp.

But when he saw her pull the boss into the car and the boss pat her back, Assistant Jiang was still shocked.

Sure enough, she learned her boss's secret.

Unlike last time, this time, the boss took the initiative to let her know his secret.

Assistant Jiang was both nervous and a little happy.

First, she wasn't afraid of her little secrets being exposed; second, the fact that her boss proactively revealed secrets to her was a sign of trust.

After leaving the camp, we drove uphill for about ten minutes to reach the observation tower at the summit.

Song Zhixu answered a phone call in the car.

It was Jiang Mei calling.

This wasn't a video call, so Tang Ran couldn't hear what was being said on the other end.

But we can roughly guess that Jiang Mei first asked Song Zhixu about his schedule, and Song Zhixu told her that he would fly to Beijing tomorrow afternoon and would not return to Jiangcheng until next week.

Afterwards, Jiang Mei probably gave him a few more instructions, and Song Zhixu's replies were all things like "I know" and "Don't worry."

Then Tang Ran suddenly noticed that Song Zhixu was looking at her.

Tang Ran looked at her, puzzled.

Song Zhixu took her hand and replied calmly into the phone, "I'll ask later."

Unlike yesterday's hand-holding, this time Song Zhixu wrapped Tang Ran's hand in his own.

The warmth and soft touch of my palms were even more noticeable.

Tang Ran's heart raced uncontrollably.

She wanted to pull away, but felt it wasn't a good idea.

After all, I just agreed to give Song Zhixu a try yesterday, so I can't just not even let him hold my hand.

Moreover, Song Zhixu simply held her hand without making any other strange movements.

Tang Ran tried to console herself by turning her head to look at the scenery by the roadside, attempting to distract herself from the work in her hands.

Song Zhixu hung up the phone, and the car slowly came to a stop.

After dropping them off, Assistant Jiang skillfully parked the car at the corner of the road.

The watchtower is a relic from the last century. It was renovated during the construction of the resort and will be open to tourists after its opening.

The tower is over ten meters tall and has three floors. The first floor is a visitor hall, the second floor is an open-air observation platform, and the third floor is an observatory with astronomical telescopes.

The watchtower's stairs were a bit steep, a spiraling, hollow staircase that wasn't very friendly to someone like Tang Ran who was a little afraid of heights.

She walked a little slowly, so Song Zhixu naturally took her hand and followed her pace, slowly making her way up the stairs.

Tang Ran appeared calm on the surface, but inside, a string of sweet little bubbles were already forming in her heart.

When Tang Ran reached the third floor, she realized that Song Zhixu's talk about watching a meteor shower was indeed about a real meteor shower.

A sense of surprise welled up inside me.

Drone meteor showers are nowhere near as spectacular as real meteor showers.

Tang Ran looked up at the sky curiously, "Will it take a long time?"

When Tang Ran and Miao Tiantian were in college, they climbed to the school rooftop to wait for a meteor shower, but they fell asleep before the meteor shower even started.

I didn't see the meteor shower, but I caught a cold.

"It's too far from Earth to be seen with the naked eye; you need a telescope to observe it."

Song Zhixu smiled and led her to the astronomical telescope.

"Use this?" Tang Ran asked in surprise.

She knew nothing about astronomy and had no idea that you could use a telescope to watch meteor showers.

"Wait a moment." Song Zhixu released Tang Ran's hand. "We need to adjust the position so we can see it."

Song Zhixu adjusted the direction of the binoculars, lowered his head slightly to face the eyepiece, and slowly turned the focusing wheel with his long, slender, fair fingers.

Their movements were focused and elegant, a pleasure to behold.

Perhaps out of sheer curiosity, Tang Ran felt a rare sense of anticipation.

Song Zhixu looked up, made way for her, and said with a smile, "Okay."

Tang Ran couldn't wait to walk over and, imitating Song Zhixu, lowered her head to look at the glasses.

The boundless dark blue sky is densely covered with countless stars, and the dazzling starlight converges to form a Milky Way that stretches across the sky.

This was the first time Tang Ran had ever seen such a magnificent sight.

So beautiful!

Before she could even marvel, a bright light flashed above her.

"I saw it!" Tang Ran exclaimed in surprise.

Before the words had even finished, two more streaks of light flashed across the sky, one of them exceptionally bright and trailing a long tail.

After watching for a while, Tang Ran finally looked up, her eyes brimming with joy.

Song Zhixu asked with a smile, "Do you like it?"

"Yes, the starry sky is beautiful, and the meteor shower is amazing."

The vast sky is mysterious and magnificent; compared to the universe, humanity is simply too insignificant.

Looking at the starry sky, Tang Ran felt a sense of vastness in her heart, and all her troubles became insignificant.

Song Zhixu glanced at the sky, smiled, and asked her, "Want to make a wish?"

Tang Ran paused for a moment, then muttered under her breath, a mixture of dissatisfaction and shyness in her voice, "I'm not a child."

She's not a delusional underage girl; she wouldn't believe that making a wish upon a shooting star would come true.

As if guessing her thoughts, Song Zhixu raised the corners of her eyes slightly, her face showing a gentle smile, and her eyes shining with a light more brilliant than the starry sea.

Tang Ran was momentarily dazed when she saw Song Zhixu bend down and whisper in her ear, "I can help you achieve that."

Her tone was soft, yet it was like a seductive thread that tugged at the heartstrings.

In Tang Ran's mind, it was as if clusters of dazzling fireworks rose and burst forth with a roar.

Vibrant and colorful, it's breathtaking.

Realizing her own fluttering heart, Tang Ran felt a sudden surge of panic.

"I can do it myself," Tang Ran said, pursing her lips and retorting defiantly.

Not daring to look Song Zhixu in the eye again, she turned around, took two steps outside, and leaned against the railing.

A gentle mountain breeze, carrying a hint of coolness, soothed the inexplicable restlessness that had arisen in my heart.

Tang Ran took a deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat.

She dared not look at her feet, and could only look into the distance.

The waves gently lapped against the beach, creating bursts of blue spray, as if someone had poured a magic potion into the sea.

Song Zhixu walked to her side, looked at Tang Ran, and said with certainty, "Yes, I believe you."

"Look there," Tang Ran said happily, pointing to the beach.

Song Zhixu showed her the dazzling stars in the universe, and Tang Ran was willing to reciprocate by sharing the picturesque scenery with her.

"It's beautiful." Song Zhixu looked at the beach.

Beautiful scenery always puts people in a good mood.

Tang Ran turned to look at her and asked, "Are you going to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow?"

Song Zhixu's smile deepened. "Yes, my flight is this afternoon. I'm going to the branch office to handle some things. I'll probably be there for three days and will be back on Friday."

The itinerary was explained in great detail, giving the impression of a formal report.

"Mm." Tang Ran brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding her gaze. "We're going back to Jiangcheng tomorrow afternoon too."

The stray hairs by her ears stood up, then scattered again with a gentle breeze.

Tang Ran raised her hand to press it down, but as soon as she did, the wind blew it out again, and a wisp of it even got into her face.

Does the wind have a grudge against her?

Just as she was speechless, Song Zhixu gently tugged at a strand of mischievous hair with her little finger.

The soft touch glided lightly across Tang Ran's cheek and ear tips, finally brushing against her earlobe before withdrawing.

Tang Ran's breath hitched for a moment.

My heart, which had finally calmed down, suddenly started pounding again, and the heat spread from my ears all the way to my cheeks.

The wind that had been fighting against Tang Ran just moments ago suddenly stopped.

The surrounding air seemed to solidify, becoming thick and sticky, and the air was filled with the scent of white camellias emanating from Song Zhixu.

Just as Tang Ran felt her ears were burning, she heard Song Zhixu's voice, "Could you do me a favor?"

Her shyness was broken by curiosity. Tang Ran looked up at her, puzzled. "Hmm?"

"Could you help me take care of the flowers at home?" Song Zhixu smiled.

"Oh, I don't understand at all."

Song Zhixu has so many flowers on his balcony that Tang Ran can't even tell them apart, let alone take care of them.

"The amount of water needed will vary, I'll tell you when the time comes, it's not difficult."

After Song Zhixu finished speaking, he explained, "We used to ask the cleaning lady to help with watering, but she has some family matters to attend to these days and is not in Jiangcheng."

"Okay, I'll send you the video later," Tang Ran agreed.

If you're only watering, it's not a big problem.

"Okay, thank you for your help."

"Don't mention it."

She lives next door; it's just watering the flowers, nothing serious.

Besides, given their current relationship, if they're this polite to each other, they'll be saying thank you to each other every day from now on.

Song Zhixu turned to the side, "There's something else I'd like to discuss with you."

Tang Ran looked up.

"My mother said on the phone that hotels are in high demand in August, and they plan to book the banquet in advance."

There were only two good days in August; even the Song family's own hotel auditorium was fully booked a month in advance.

Jiang Mei called Song Zhixu, hoping she could come up with a solution.

"So early?" Tang Ran frowned.

The engagement was at the end of August, and she thought that setting it a month in advance was already early.

Song Zhixu looked at her, "Should the engagement ceremony continue?"

Should the engagement ceremony continue?

If this question had been asked a day earlier, Tang Ran's answer would definitely have been no.

She would never get engaged to Song Wuqi, so why would she need an engagement ceremony?

But now, Tang Ran hesitated.

Song Zhixu's engagement ceremony was not her engagement ceremony with Song Wuqi.

It was her engagement ceremony with Song Zhixu.

However, the hesitation only lasted for a moment.

"Let's continue," Tang Ran said calmly.

The most important decisions have been made, so there's no need to procrastinate on the rest.

Even if she can stall, the Tang family can't.

She had seen Tang's financial statements; most of the project payments were due by the end of July.

Tang Ran knew that the Song family had already completed the first phase of the loan agreement, and that the money would definitely arrive before the repayment deadline if nothing unexpected happened.

There's also Song Zhixu's asset list.

For Tang Ran to say that she was unmoved would be too aloof.

Since Song Zhixu has been so sincere, she can't take advantage of him and then act innocent.

Moreover, she was not opposed to getting engaged to Song Zhixu.

“Okay,” Song Zhixu replied gently.

Without needing further explanation, the two understood each other's meaning tacitly.

The night was warm and the moonlight was like a ribbon; everything around was peaceful and beautiful.

'When the sun comes out, I climb the hill; when I reach the top, I want to sing…'

It's Miao Tiantian's exclusive ringtone.

I guess they couldn't find her, so they called.

Tang Ran felt a pang of guilt, but calmly answered the phone.

Where are the sisters?

Miao Tiantian's loud voice was extremely penetrating, so Tang Ran moved the receiver a little further away.

"We've come to see the blue tears."

Tang Ran calmly replied, then turned her head and gave Song Zhixu a look, indicating that they should go back.

Song Zhixu nodded and walked out with her.

"Blue Tears?"

Miao Tiantian glanced back at Xia Xiner, who was talking to Lu Shuyang, and asked, "You went to the beach by yourself?"

Tang Ran didn't answer her question. "I'm turning back. Are you two done?"

When they reached the top of the stairs, Tang Ran paused for a moment, waiting for Song Zhixu to take her hand before continuing down the stairs.

"Okay." Miao Tiantian didn't notice anything wrong. "Hurry up, your sister is waiting for you to warm her bed."

As Miao Tiantian finished speaking, Song Zhixu looked at her.

Tang Ran: ...

She coughed lightly, ignoring her gaze, "I made an appointment with Xin'er to sleep in the same campervan as her."

"Huh?" Miao Tiantian reacted for a moment, then suddenly raised her voice, "Okay, Tang Xiaoran!"

Tang Ran was startled, her foot trembled, and she almost lost her footing.

Fortunately, Song Zhixu supported her, preventing her from falling.

Tang Ran glanced gratefully at Song Zhixu, then lost interest in the phone call. She put down her phone and focused on the steps beneath her feet.

"I knew you'd found someone new and forgotten your old love, Tang Xiaoran, you heartless woman!"

"I love you so much, how could you bear to abandon me?"

"How could you do this to me? How could you do this to our child?"

As Miao Tiantian got drunk, she became more and more excited and her words became increasingly outrageous.

Her voice was loud, but even though it wasn't right next to her ear, Tang Ran could hear most of it.

Upon reaching the second-floor platform, she didn't continue downstairs; instead, she quickly picked up her phone again and held it to her ear.

"Waaaaah~~"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Tang Ran rubbed her ears. "Sister, you've already performed one show today, why don't we take a break?"

"Alright."

Miao Tiantian immediately stopped, her tone returning to normal, "By the way, I haven't made the list yet today. No way, you have to play it ten times with me today to make up for my loneliness while I'm all alone."

"Okay, okay, ten times it is fine."

Fearing she might make another shocking statement that could lead to misunderstandings, Tang Ran didn't argue with her anymore.

"Then hurry up!"

"I understand, they've already headed back."

Tang Ran hung up the phone, smiled apologetically at Song Zhixu, and deliberately explained, "Tian Tian likes to be silly."

Song Zhixu is smart enough to tell that Miao Tiantian is talking nonsense.

"Yes." Song Zhixu nodded, leading her further down the path, her tone casual, "Have you known each other since childhood?"

"Yes, we've known each other since kindergarten."

"It is quite early."

"Hmm, Sweetie is really funny. I'll introduce her to you later."

"good."

Tang Ran recalled a funny incident from her childhood with Miao Tiantian and told Song Zhixu about it.

The two chatted casually as they made their way down to the first floor.

Upon seeing them emerge, Assistant Jiang immediately put away the mosquito repellent spray and started the sightseeing bus.

Song Zhixu glanced at the approaching car headlights and slowed her pace. "What is 'ten times'?"

"ah?"

Tang Ran took a moment to realize what she was asking.

However, the topic they were just talking about had absolutely nothing to do with this.

The fact that Song Zhixu suddenly asked this question can only mean that he had been thinking about it ever since he heard it.

A thought popped into Tang Ran's mind.

She stopped, smiled at Song Zhixu, and asked in a rising tone, "Guess?"