Chapter 61 Why is he smiling so happily at her...?

Before going to the Tang family, Grandpa Song first had Jiang Mei call Tang Wanru, saying that he wanted to visit the Tang family again to discuss how to deal with the online public opinion.

Tang Wanru did not refuse.

As before, Mr. Song first expressed his apologies for the impact of online public opinion on the Tang family.

Tang Wanru politely told him not to blame himself, as no one wanted to see the current situation.

Old Master Song didn't beat around the bush, saying that he had come today with a difficult request, hoping that the Tang family could help.

"You're too kind. Please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything we can do to help," Lin Jixin said kindly.

She had a general idea of ​​why the Song family had come at this time.

Lin Jixin had finally managed to secure a cooperation agreement with a platform in Beijing some time ago, and they had originally scheduled to sign the contract this week. However, when she called, the other party made an excuse that they had to go on a business trip and would discuss the details when they returned.

As for what to discuss, it's likely that the other party believes that if the central kitchen project cannot be implemented, it means that Tang's strength is not as strong as it was during the original negotiations, and they want to further reduce the price and lower the profit-sharing ratio.

She's been worrying about this for the past couple of days.

Now that the Song family has offered a way out, it would be foolish for her not to take it gracefully.

Even if it weren't for the loan, the Song family's in-law relationship would undoubtedly be a powerful endorsement for the Tang family.

After considering for a moment, Old Master Song said, "The online public opinion has been too great recently, and some people are even taking advantage of the situation to kick us when we're down. If we don't stop the damage in time, the Song family will probably have a tough few years ahead."

A significant drop in stock price not only reduces the company's market value but also damages its reputation, weakens investors' confidence, and consequently affects Song's development over the next few years.

With a heavy sigh, Grandpa Song continued, "I'm not forcing Ranran and Wuqi to get back together. I'm just thinking that maybe we can hold the engagement ceremony first, and then separate after the central kitchen project starts. That way, the impact will be smaller."

Knowing that simply suggesting another engagement would be rejected, Old Master Song didn't waste any words and directly said that they should separate after things had stabilized.

If the Tang family agrees, it will not only help the Song family, but also buy time for their granddaughter.

As for whether his granddaughter can seize this opportunity, there's nothing he can do.

"That's probably not a good idea. Even if it's canceled later, having been engaged once will still have an impact." Tang Wanru shook her head and refused without any hesitation.

"That's not..."

Lin Jixin tried to interject, but Tang Wanru stomped on her foot hard, so she could only shut up in frustration.

Tang Wanru continued, "Moreover, the life imprisonment issue has caused such a big fuss, and we still want to continue our engagement. The life imprisonment itself doesn't matter, but Ranran will be looked down upon by others."

"That is indeed true."

The two families have different stances, and Old Master Song doesn't think as much as Tang Wanru does.

"Let's think of another way."

Having said that, he didn't insist any further, got up, and took his leave.

Tang Wanru saw them off, and when she reached the door, she exchanged a few words with Jiang Mei before saying goodbye.

She smiled helplessly, as if casually sighing, "Things have turned out like this. It would have been better if we had just joked about letting Nannan and Zhixu be together. Zhixu is a much more reliable child."

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart.

Jiang Mei immediately stopped in her tracks.

Song Wuqi is a step-granddaughter, and there are some things she can't interfere with too much. So, the two times she accompanied Old Master Song to the Tang family were just to show the Song family's importance, and Jiang Mei didn't participate in the discussion.

Tang Wanru's words immediately piqued Jiang Mei's interest.

Looking at my daughter's detached and indifferent attitude, it's really too difficult to expect her to take the initiative to find someone.

Arranged marriage might actually be a solution.

She had watched Tang Ran grow up since she was a child, and knew her inside and out.

Jiang Mei had always liked her and had even considered trying to match her up with her daughter, but before she could take any action, Tang Ran started dating Wu Qi.

I felt it was a pity at the time.

Now is the perfect opportunity!

Seeing the increasingly obvious smile in Jiang Mei's eyes, Tang Wanru secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Jiang Mei hadn't mentioned it several times, saying it was a pity Ranran couldn't be her daughter or daughter-in-law, Tang Wanru really wouldn't have dared to place her hopes on her.

Compared to Song Wuqi, Song Zhixu is far superior in every way.

If she directly suggested replacing the person with Song Zhixu, not only would her intention to take advantage of the situation be too obvious, but Tang Wanru would also be afraid that the Song family would look down on her daughter.

So Tang Wanru thought that she could ask Jiang Mei to bring up the matter, and then she would agree to it.

In this way, they weren't considered to be actively trying to climb the social ladder, and the Song family wasn't entirely begging them.

Everyone can save face.

"Old Song." Jiang Mei rushed forward and grabbed Old Master Song, who was saying goodbye to Lin Jixin and about to get into the car.

Grandpa Song withdrew the foot he was about to step into the car, looking at Jiang Mei, who was beaming with joy, with a puzzled expression.

His first thought was that Tang Wanru had changed her mind, but then he realized that was unlikely.

Lin Jixin was also completely confused.

"I have an idea, what do you think?"

After Grandpa Song stood still, Jiang Mei said to him and Tang Wanru, "Given the current situation of both families, continuing the engagement is the best solution. If Ranran doesn't want to be engaged to Wuqi, how about Zhixu instead?"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Song looked at Jiang Mei thoughtfully.

Jiang Mei thought he couldn't accept that his granddaughter's wife had become his daughter's wife.

"Ranran and Zhixu are actually from the same generation," Jiang Mei whispered to him, then emphasized, "Don't tie Zhixu down with a marriage alliance, or she might end up single for life."

Grandpa Song looked helpless.

He was overthinking it; his wife genuinely knew nothing about it.

He thought his daughter had said something to her that prompted her to suggest replacing her.

Tang Wanru knew the inside story all along.

Old Master Song had some doubts.

Of the four people present, Lin Jixin was the most surprised by Jiang Mei's suggestion.

Lin Jixin's first reaction was that it was inappropriate, but when she thought that this was the only way to form a marriage alliance with the Song family, she felt that it was acceptable.

Lin Jixin looked at Tang Wanru.

If she doesn't agree, it's all for nothing.

"This." Tang Wanru hesitated.

Jiang Mei tried to persuade her, saying, "Here's what I think: the life imprisonment case has become such a big deal. If you get engaged to Ranran again, it will definitely have a bad impact on Ranran if you break up later."

"If the person getting engaged were Zhixu, everyone who knows would be able to tell that this is a solution devised by both our families."

"If the children get along well, we'll be doubly happy. If they don't, canceling the engagement won't have much of an impact on either of them," Jiang Mei analyzed calmly.

"That's one way."

After thinking for a moment, Grandpa Song was the first to agree.

The Tang family's attitude was clear: what their granddaughter was hoping for could not be fulfilled.

From a public perspective, if the Song family wants to increase their chances of successfully countering short-selling capital, continuing the marriage alliance is the simplest and most effective method.

“I also think it’s feasible,” Lin Jixin echoed.

The three of them looked at Tang Wanru.

Tang Wanru did not make a decision immediately. "I need to ask Ranran if she is willing."

“We definitely need to ask the children for their wishes,” Jiang Mei agreed.

Tang Wanru's words reminded her.

She had a good plan; if the two children disagreed, they couldn't force them to get engaged.

Grandpa Song and Jiang Mei were invited into the Tang family's home again.

The two families separately called their daughters.

Tang Wanru went to call Tang Ran. Lin Jixin wanted to come along, but Tang Wanru didn't let her and kept her in the living room to entertain the guests.

She wasn't calling to ask for her daughter's opinion, but to share the good news that the plan was going smoothly.

Jiang Mei made the call to Song Zhixu, and she briefly explained what had happened and her thoughts.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Just when Jiang Mei and Grandpa Song thought she was going to refuse, she finally spoke.

"If Tang Ran agrees, let's do it this way."

His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, as if he were handling official business.

Her reaction was within the expectations of Grandpa Song and Jiang Mei, only their perspectives were slightly different.

Jiang Mei thought that her daughter had been sensible since she was little and would not be willful at this time.

Mr. Song suspected that his daughter's agreement was really only because of the company.

My daughter is sensible, but she won't compromise herself.

She would never agree to something she didn't want to do.

Jiang Mei hung up the phone, and Tang Wanru didn't return for quite a while.

The result speaks for itself.

The person involved has changed, but the engagement process remains the same.

Getting engaged again requires choosing a new date and going through all the previous procedures again, which is time-consuming and laborious.

Friends and relatives already know about the exchange of wedding gifts between the two families some time ago, so doing it again would be just burying our heads in the sand.

Why not proceed with the engagement at the original date? The invitations haven't been sent out yet anyway.

After a brief discussion, the two families invited Tang Ran and Song Zhixu to Xinghe Restaurant at noon.

Tang Wanru and her three companions went directly from the Tang family home to Xinghe Restaurant.

Tang Ran had to go to the factory for something urgent and was the last to arrive.

When she arrived, Song Zhixu was chatting with four elders on the sofa in the small hall of the private room.

"Ranran is here." Jiang Mei greeted her with a beaming smile and invited her to her side.

Jiang Mei was overjoyed that her regret had been made up for.

Tang Ran walked over and greeted Grandpa Song. Jiang Mei pulled her to sit down next to her.

Song Zhixu consciously moved further inside and gave his seat to Tang Ran.

Tang Ran obediently called out, "Sister Song."

His tone was polite and courteous.

After all, only her mother knew the truth among the four elders, so it wasn't appropriate to act too intimately.

Tang Wanru, Song Zhixu, Tang Ran, and Jiang Mei sat on the sofa in that order.

"very nice."

Jiang Mei pulled Tang Ran along, looking at her and then at her daughter. The more she looked, the more she felt that her daughter and Tang Ran were a perfect match.

"Wanru, look at this! I think Ranran and Zhixu are quite a good match." Jiang Mei's face lit up with a smile.

When Jiang Mei made the suggestion, she said it was to let the two children give it a try, but what she really wanted was to bring the two of them together.

"yes."

Tang Wanru knew the truth and thought the two were a perfect match no matter how she looked at them.

In her memory, Song Zhixu was always a mature and gentle figure, while her daughter was a lively and immature little girl.

Tang Wanru had never thought of the two of them in the same way before.

Even when her daughter mentioned it last time, her first reaction was that the two were too different in age and personality.

Until today, she couldn't imagine what it would be like for her daughter to be with Zhixu.

Only when she actually saw the two of them sitting together did her doubts completely disappear.

Both of them are good-looking and look very well-matched, and you can't tell their age difference.

Listening to the conversation between the two mothers, even though she knew it was a classic polite compliment from elders, Tang Ran still felt a flush of embarrassment.

She secretly glanced at Song Zhixu, thinking to herself that the big boss was indeed cunning.

Song Zhixu wore a round-neck shirt with embroidered collar and wide-leg trousers in the same green color.

Her long hair was tied up in a loose, high ponytail that made her look much younger. Paired with her casual outfit, no one would doubt that she was a college student who had just graduated.

They went out together in the morning. At that time, Song Zhixu still had long hair and wore a three-dimensional cut round neck knee-length dress. Her mature and capable attire was very different from what she is now.

Noticing Tang Ran's gaze, Song Zhixu turned her head to look at her and gave her a slight smile.

Tang Ran immediately lowered her head, pretending to reach for her phone.

With so many people around, why is she smiling so happily at her? Isn't she afraid of being exposed?

Tang Ran was distracted for a moment, and Jiang Mei and Tang Wanru brought up the topic of how she and Song Zhixu should get along better.

“Zhi Xu is older than Ran Ran, so it’s only right that she takes care of Ran Ran.” Jiang Mei smiled and took Song Zhi Xu’s hand and placed it in Tang Ran’s hand.

Fearing her daughter wouldn't cooperate, she gave her a wink.

Song Zhixu naturally took Tang Ran's hand and said, "I know, Mom."

Tang Ran paused for a moment before raising her head.

Hearing her agree, Jiang Mei felt much more at ease.

My daughter has a good personality; she always keeps her promises.

Once they get engaged, they'll have more time to spend together, and who knows, they might develop feelings for each other while taking care of each other.

Thinking about it this way, Jiang Mei felt that her idea that morning was absolutely right.

Feeling the softness of the back of her hand, Tang Ran tensed up, even more nervous than when Song Zhixu first held her hand.

To others, her behavior appeared as shyness stemming from not being very familiar with Song Zhixu.

With the four elders watching, Tang Ran couldn't easily pull her hand away.

She looked at Song Zhixu, hoping that Song Zhixu would let go on his own.

However, when she looked over, Song Zhixu turned to talk to her mother.

Helpless, Tang Ran secretly scratched Song Zhixu's palm with her finger.

Song Zhixu didn't turn around. He used his thumb to pin Tang Ran's mischievous finger back and rubbed the fingertip twice.

The two made a series of small movements with their palms overlapping.

Even though she knew no one would notice anything amiss, Tang Ran still felt a little embarrassed and secretly figured out the attitudes of the others.

Needless to say, her mother, Jiang Mei, had her thoughts written all over her face, and Grandpa Song and Lin Jixin were also happy to see it happen.

Tang Ran felt much more relaxed.

During the meal, the two were naturally seated together.

At the dinner table, Jiang Mei also asked Song Zhixu to take care of Tang Ran, and Song Zhixu obediently served Tang Ran food.

Seeing that her daughter's plate was full of her favorite foods, Tang Wanru was completely relieved.

Tang Ran is a picky eater; she refuses to eat scallions, ginger, garlic, celery, cilantro, and many other things.

I wouldn't remember it so clearly if I hadn't put my heart into it.

Halfway through the meal, Tang Ran received a call from Miao Tiantian. Someone had taken photos of Tang Wanru and three others entering Xinghe Restaurant together and posted them online.

Miao Tiantian thought Tang Ran was continuing her engagement with Song Wuqi, so she quickly called her after seeing the message.

Tang Ran said a few words to her briefly, then hung up the phone to check the post.

Not long after the post was published, an insider revealed that the Tang and Song families were planning to continue their marriage alliance.

The post quickly gained popularity, garnering nearly 10,000 comments in less than half an hour.

It's obvious that someone is behind this.

"Song Wuqi made this?" Tang Ran forwarded the post to Song Zhixu.

The decision to have dinner with the two families was made on short notice; it wasn't part of their planned meal.

"I'll have someone handle it."

Song Zhixu glanced at it and sent a message to Assistant Jiang, asking her to handle it.

They were right.

The news of the two families having dinner was sent out by someone arranged by Song Wuqi.

Song Wuqi deliberately asked Old Master Song to visit the Tang family again.

If the Tang family agrees to continue the engagement, that would be best. If not, she will post the news of the two families meeting online.

Then they would find someone to spread the false news that the two families were still engaged, to generate hype so high that the whole city knew about it, to the point that it was indistinguishable from the real thing.

When the two companies come forward to clarify at that time, they will definitely face a more severe public opinion backlash than before.

To minimize the impact on public opinion, the best approach would be to turn the charade into reality and continue her engagement with Tang Ran.

When Song Wuqi saw the two families going to Xinghelou for dinner, he was overjoyed.

The fact that they were able to sit down and eat together indicates that the conversation went relatively smoothly.

Seeing the online buzz rising steadily, Song Wuqi locked his screen and took a bottle of champagne from the wine rack.

-----------------------

Author's note: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! [Fireworks][Fireworks][Fireworks]