Chapter 62. Let's taste the peach candy. ...

After finishing their meal and leaving the restaurant, the task of escorting Tang Ran home undoubtedly fell to Song Zhixu.

As luck would have it, a photo of the two getting into the same car was also taken and posted in the previous post about the two families having dinner together.

Less than a minute after the photo was posted, some sharp-eyed people noticed that the person driving was not Song Wuqi, the female protagonist in the cheating scandal a while ago, but Song Wuqi's aunt, Song Zhixu, the president of Song Corporation.

The release of this photo caused an uproar online.

Around the same time, both the Tang and Song families issued announcements, officially announcing the upcoming engagement of Tang Ran, the vice president of the Tang family, and Song Zhixu, the president of the Song family.

This time, without the need for online trolls, the news of the two families' engagement announcement automatically topped the trending searches in Jiangcheng.

Before the aftermath of Song Wuqi's infidelity had subsided, news of their engagement spread between the two families.

The story of an ex-girlfriend becoming her future aunt, in particular, is a huge scandal that's like a web novel coming to life, and it's been a source of great interest for netizens.

Just as lively as the online chatter was the news on Tang Ran's phone.

Miao Tiantian was the most enthusiastic bomber among them.

Why were you so calm just now?

No wonder I asked you a few days ago and you said there was no need to suppress trending topics.

[Tsk tsk.]

Did you plan this all along?

[Was this also partly orchestrated by Boss Song?]

[Sisters, you're awesome! You've even won over Boss Song!]

Amidst a series of messages, I received a funny emoji that wished me a happy marriage and many daughters.

Tang Xiaoran: [...]

Sweet or Not: [Sisters, tell me how you managed to win over Boss Song?]

Tang Xiaoran: [Why don't you tell me first, what's going on between you and Murong Yi?]

Sweet or Not: [Nothing's wrong between us.]

Tang Xiaoran: [Don't you feel guilty saying that?]

Tang Xiaoran: [Come to my house on Saturday, let's have a good talk.]

Sweet but not sweet: [No time on Saturday, no dates.]

Sweet or not: [Working hard.jpg]

Tang Ran exited the chat window with Miao Tiantian and glanced at the group chat, where several familiar faces were in an uproar.

Some people tagged her in the group chat, while others, who were close friends, asked Tang Ran privately what was going on.

Tang Ran did not reply.

Xia Xin'er called when the screen was locked.

"Xin'er." Tang Ran answered the phone.

Song Zhixu turned her head and glanced at her.

Tang Ran noticed her gaze, and amusedly pointed to the road ahead, indicating that she should drive carefully.

Song Zhixu turned his head and continued driving.

"Ranran, are you getting engaged to Sister Song?" Xia Xin'er's voice was trembling with tears.

She's so unlucky. Yesterday she thought Tang Ran could be her sister-in-law, but when she woke up, she found out that Sister Ranran was getting engaged to Sister Song.

Of course, her sister fared even worse.

The two sisters have a very good relationship. Xia Xin'er knows that her older sister has never formally pursued Ranran because she wants to wait for Ranran to break up with Song Wuqi.

Who would have thought that before the breakup saga had even died down, Ranran was getting engaged again.

"Hmm," Tang Ran replied calmly.

The reason for pushing things to this point is to make others believe that Song Zhixu's engagement to her in place of Song Wuqi was a decision made to ensure the stability of both companies.

She has to maintain her public image.

Being happy or unhappy is not appropriate; accepting it calmly is the best approach.

After all, marriages based on mutual benefit are the norm in their circle.

Suddenly, her hand was grabbed, and Tang Ran looked at the owner of the hand.

Song Zhixu kept his eyes on the road ahead, one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding her hand.

The car stopped at the intersection, and the red number on the opposite side of the road jumped from fifty-seven to fifty-six.

Tang Ran: ...

How come I never noticed Song Zhixu was so clingy before?

"Sister Ranran..."

"I'm fine."

Before Xia Xin'er could say anything more, Tang Ran interrupted her, bringing up the event, "Can the event time be changed?"

Sensing that she didn't want to discuss the topic anymore, Xia Xin'er didn't bring it up again and replied, "The plans are already being revised."

Just then, Song Wuqi called.

Tang Ran hung up immediately.

Song Wuqi called again.

Tang Ran said something to Xia Xin'er, hung up the phone, and immediately blocked Song Wuqi's number.

As the red light entered its ten-second countdown, Tang Ran patted Song Zhixu's hand and said with a smile, "Drive carefully."

"Um."

The tone was light and cheerful, indicating that the speaker was in a good mood.

Song Wuqi had only taken a sip of his champagne when he saw the Song family's announcement.

The engagement continued, but the person Tang Ran was engaged to was not her, but her aunt.

When Song Wuqi saw the announcement, his first thought was that the public relations department had made a mistake.

She angrily called the public relations manager, only to be told that there was nothing wrong with the announcement.

After she hung up the phone, the online trolls she had hired sent her photos of her aunt and Tang Ran leaving Xinghe Tower together.

Only then did Song Wuqi have to accept the fact that the person she was supposed to marry was not her.

While feeling angry and resentful, Song Wuqi suddenly thought of an unlikely possibility.

She didn't dare to question her aunt, so she could only call Tang Ran.

Unexpectedly, Tang Ran blocked her.

Song Wuqi was so angry that he smashed his phone.

Following the engagement announcement, the Song family immediately issued a share repurchase announcement.

Song plans to repurchase no less than one billion shares within six months at a price no lower than the highest price of the previous few days, for the purpose of cancellation and reduction of registered capital.

With such a significant positive development, Song's stock price surged after the market opened in the afternoon, closing up 7.98%.

When Xiong Fangnian heard the result, he almost had a heart attack.

His real intention was to deliberately short the Song family's stock and put pressure on Song Zhixu, but that was just a pretext. His true aim was to drive down the stock price, buy more shares, and make a profit from the price difference.

He had finally managed to bring the stock price down, but before he could reap the rewards, the price was pulled back up.

In just one afternoon, his losses had reached nine figures.

Jingting.

"grandfather."

Song Wuqi looked at Old Master Song sadly.

"Grandpa has tried." Old Master Song sighed helplessly. "Only by changing the person to your aunt will the Tang family be willing to continue the engagement."

When he went to the Tang family, Old Master Song didn't have much hope, but the current situation is much better than he expected.

The stock price stabilized, which taught Xiong Fangnian and his gang a lesson, and the Song family was able to have some peace and quiet for a while.

"I've discussed it with your aunt, and we've decided to send you to the branch office in Beijing for two years of training," Old Master Song reassured you.

The Beijing branch is directly under the group and is also the branch with the best and fastest performance of the Song family.

Song Zhixu has been working in Beijing for the past two years, developing many projects. If Song Wuqi goes there now and stays there for two years, he can also share in the credit once the projects are completed.

He did this as a way of appeasing and compensating Song Wuqi.

The affair had become a huge scandal, known to everyone in Jiangcheng. Sending Song Wuqi to the capital was a way to avoid the limelight and also a form of protection.

"Beijing branch?" Song Wuqi asked in surprise.

Before the Lunar New Year, she heard her aunt and grandfather mention that they planned to move the Song Group headquarters to Beijing.

Sending her to the Beijing branch meant that Old Master Song hadn't truly given up on her yet.

Song Wuqi was overjoyed, yet also deeply unwilling.

She was sent to the Beijing branch not because of her own abilities, but as compensation for the change of partners at her engagement.

Her agreement meant she was going to completely give up on Tang Ran.

Regardless of whether Tang Ran and her aunt cancel their engagement in the future, there is no possibility for her and Tang Ran to be together again.

“Grandpa,” Song Wuqi hesitated.

The benefits of being with Tang Ran far outweigh those of going to the Beijing branch.

But Song Wuqi also knew that the old man Song hadn't given her a multiple-choice question; she had no other choice.

"Go over there and do a good job."

Grandpa Song kept observing his granddaughter's expression, knowing that she had accepted it.

He continued to nag, "Stop associating with shady people. Your assistant has already been fired, and you shouldn't associate with her anymore."

"I understand, Grandpa," Song Wuqi said obediently, bowing his head.

Ye Xiaoyu had told her about the company firing her a couple of days ago.

Their affair became common knowledge, making it difficult for Ye Xiaoyu to find a job again during this time.

To appease Ye Xiaoyu, she promised to send her money every month and introduce her to other jobs once things calmed down.

Now that there's no possibility between her and Tang Ran, she's not afraid of Ye Xiaoyu causing trouble again.

Thinking of Ye Xiaoyu made Song Wuqi feel irritated, and he didn't want to deal with her anymore.

If it weren't for Ye Xiaoyu, she wouldn't have broken up with Tang Ran, and things wouldn't have turned out like this.

“Last week, your attending physician contacted me and said that your mother has recently had pain localization response and there is a high chance that she will be conscious. Since you are going to Beijing, you can spend more time with her, which will be more conducive to her recovery.”

After Grandpa Song realized that she really didn't care, he brought up another matter.

Song Wuqi was shocked.

Nine years ago, her parents were in a car accident. Her father died on the spot, and her mother became a vegetable and has been receiving treatment in Beijing.

She actually woke up?!

Upon hearing this news, Song Wuqi was momentarily at a loss for how to react.

There was happiness, but also sadness.

She can wake up, but her father will never wake up again.

Four o'clock in the afternoon, Song's headquarters, top floor, CEO's office.

Murong Yi swaggered in and gave Song Zhixu a thumbs-up.

"Great job, Lao Song!"

"You really are a master of silence, but when you do speak, you're astounding!"

When did you make your move?

"How come I didn't notice anything?"

Was it when I was on a business trip in Beijing?

"Confess now!"

"I'm so curious!"

Murong Yi spoke at an astonishing speed, even faster than the comments that refreshed online in real time.

Song Zhixu closed the document in his hand, slowly raised his head, and asked her, "Are you very free?"

"I'm so busy! I just finished meeting with Bell's investors, and they came straight here to check on you!"

When Murong Yi saw the announcement at noon, she would have rushed to Song's to watch the drama unfold, had she not been with a client at the time.

After sitting down across the desk, Murong Yi winked at Song Zhixu, "Aren't you touched?"

"Hmm," Song Zhixu replied casually, and picked up another document.

Murong Yi stood up, her hands resting on the desk. "Tell me about it first!"

Song Zhixu looked up at her and said, "With such a strong curiosity, why don't you switch careers and become an entertainment reporter?"

Seeing her tight-lipped attitude, Murong Yi knew she wouldn't get anything out of her.

She sighed, sat back in her chair, and looked dejected.

"I just wanted to learn from you. You managed to snag someone without making a sound, while I've been seriously pursuing someone for two months and still haven't succeeded!"

"They're all close girlfriends who play together, so why is it that the difficulty of pursuing them is so different!"

Song Zhixu signed the document without even looking up, and said in a flat voice, "My experience is not suitable for you."

"How do you know it's not suitable if you haven't even said anything?" Murong Yi didn't believe it.

She took out a mirror, looked at her face, and smoothed her long, wavy hair.

Miao Tiantian, you're blind! I'm so beautiful, how am I inferior to that poker-faced first love?

That poker-faced guy is just a little better at pretending than her, deliberately acting drunk, pitiful, and affectionate.

Pah! How shameless.

As if suddenly remembering something, Murong Yi looked at Song Zhixu suspiciously and asked, "You didn't use some trickery to win him over, did you?"

When it comes to putting on airs, who can compare to Song Zhixu, this seemingly innocent but actually cunning black sesame-filled glutinous rice ball?

Song Zhixu continued reviewing documents, ignoring her.

After looking her up and down for a while, Murong Yi became more and more certain of her guess.

"Did you really trick him into coming back?" Murong Yi leaned over, holding onto the edge of the table, genuinely seeking advice. "Old Song, please teach me..."

Song Zhixu slowly closed the file, his expression as calm as ever. "I can't teach you."

She glanced at her watch and stood up. "I'm going to a meeting. Remember to close the door when you leave."

"Then I'll go back too."

Murong Yi immediately stood up and followed behind her.

Leaving her alone in Song Zhixu's office could lead to a leak of information, and she wouldn't be able to explain herself.

"Old Song, let's grab a drink after get off work," Murong Yi persisted.

She's at her wit's end. Song Zhixu can handle even that little girl Tang Ran, so he can definitely help her too.

Song Zhixu stopped and looked at Murong Yi, "Are you serious?"

Of the three good friends, Murong Yi has the most romantic history.

You might say she's not serious, but she's very attentive when they're dating, and she spoils her girlfriend rotten.

Every relationship I have never lasted long before it fizzled out.

Murong Yi straightened her expression and nodded very seriously, "Yes, she's different."

Song Zhixu: "I don't have time today, let's have a drink another day."

In the afternoon, she received a message from Xia Mo saying that he didn't have time to have a drink with Murong Yi that evening.

Murong Yi's face immediately brightened, and she made a heart shape with her hands at Song Zhixu, "Old Song, I love you so much!"

With Song Zhixu giving her advice, she refused to believe she couldn't beat Miao Tiantian, her poker-faced first love.

Song Zhixu ignored her exaggerated performance and stepped out of the office.

As dusk settles and the city lights begin to twinkle.

19:00.

City Sports Center, Squash Court.

Xia Mo handed the squash ball to Song Zhixu, indicating that she should serve first.

The two women played squash using a traditional scoring system: a point is scored only when the serving side wins; if the receiving side wins, they get the next serve, but no points are scored.

With this scoring system, the side that serves first has a slight advantage and is more likely to take the initiative.

Xia Mo offered her the ball not because he was letting her win, but because he wasn't afraid of her serving first.

Moreover, in today's context, it may have another layer of meaning.

Song Zhixu didn't say anything. She took the ball and walked to the side of the serving box.

With your palm facing up, gently toss the ball up and then swing your racket to hit it.

The rubber ball slammed against the wall with a thud, bounced back quickly, and flew towards Xia Mo.

Xia Mo took a step forward, swung his racket, and caught the ball cleanly before hitting it against the wall again.

The black rubber ball shuttled back and forth between the wall and the two people, its speed increasing.

The score gradually rose and fell.

Inside the squash court, the only sounds are the soles of the shoes rubbing against the floor and the ball hitting the wall.

In the first game, Song Zhixu took the lead and scored nine points.

She handed the ball to Xia Mo.

Xia Mo silently accepted the ball.

In the first three games, Song Ji-seok won two and lost one.

By the fourth inning, the atmosphere in the room had reached its most intense peak.

Besides the sounds of billiard balls and the friction of shoes, the air was filled with the heavy breathing of the two men.

When the score was tied at 8-8, Xia Mo had the serve.

Thump!

The first shot landed at a tricky angle.

Song Zhixu quickly retreated, returning a straight-line attack to her in the frontcourt.

The ball flew straight back, and Xia Mo quickly adjusted his position to catch it.

After nearly twenty rounds of back and forth, Song Zhixu seized an opportunity and scored a long triangle shot, which Xia Mo couldn't receive in time, resulting in a loss of the final point.

After four games, both players were panting heavily.

The two of them propped themselves up for a while, looked at each other, and still didn't exchange any words. Then they got up and walked outside.

Walking into the outer lounge, Song Zhixu sat on a sofa stool. Xia Mo came over with two bottles of water and handed her one.

Song Zhixu took the water, opened it, and took a sip.

Xia Mo sat down next to her and took a sip of water.

She didn't look at Song Zhixu, but instead looked at the squash court across the street, and asked calmly, "When?"

It was a seemingly random sentence, but Song Zhixu understood what she meant.

Song Zhixu screwed the bottle cap on and looked in the direction of the squash court. "It's been a long time."

So long that she herself couldn't remember when it started.

By the time you realize it, the person is already in your heart.

Xia Mo paused, his fingers holding the bottle, and turned to look at her in surprise.

Song Zhixu's lips curled up slightly, as if she had recalled some interesting memories.

The phone beside her vibrated. Song Zhixu glanced at the notification on the outer screen, and a smile spread across her eyes.

She stood up and said to Xia Mo, "I'm going back now."

Seeing her like this, Xia Mo understood everything.

Before coming to the stadium, Xia Mo, just as the outside world had guessed, thought that Song Zhixu and Tang Ran were only using their engagement to quell the impact of public opinion.

She knew she was wrong when she saw Song Zhixu at the stadium.

"Mm." Xia Mo nodded.

Song Zhixu's expression said it all.

She was too late.

Despite understanding the situation, Xia Mo still couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Song Zhixu didn't leave immediately. She tightened the bottle cap and said in a comforting tone, "On the day she was born, the first person she saw when she opened her eyes was me."

Xia Mo stared blankly for a moment, looking at Song Zhixu's departing figure with a complicated expression.

This isn't comforting her; it's clearly showing off.

After leaving the sports center, Song Zhixu didn't see the car and took out his phone to call Lao Zhang.

As she looked down, a car with its hazard lights flashing pulled up beside her.

The passenger window rolled down, and Tang Ran leaned out from the driver's seat with a bright smile, playfully asking, "Miss, would you like a ride?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Song Zhixu's eyes.

Tang Ran got her driver's license after returning from Turtle Island. She mentioned this to her during the video call, and also said that she didn't like driving.

Tang Ran just texted her to ask if she was done yet. Song Zhixu thought she just wanted to know when she was going back, but she didn't expect Tang Ran to drive over to pick her up.

Beyond the surprise, there was more joy.

Song Zhixu smiled and walked to the car. Instead of getting in, she bent down to look inside and improvised her own script.

"Sure, but I don't know if it's on the way?"

Seeing how cooperative she was, Tang Ran became particularly interested and asked with sparkling eyes, "Where are you going, Miss?"

Song Zhixu smiled broadly, "I'm going home to be with my beautiful, considerate, playful, and adorable girlfriend."

The barrage of praise caught Tang Ran off guard, leaving her feeling flattered and completely at a loss for words.

I never realized Song Zhixu was so eloquent before.

Song Zhixu smiled, opened the car door, and got into the passenger seat.

She got into the car, still smelling of fresh shower gel after her shower.

Seeing her put the squash racket bag into the back seat, Tang Ran asked, "Do you come here to play often?"

She asked casually, but if you listened closely, there was a hint of something ambiguous in her question.

Song Zhixu sat back down, pretending not to have noticed, and replied with a slight smile: "Occasionally."

Tang Ran pressed the parking button, placed her right hand on the storage box in the middle, and moved closer to Song Zhixu.

She curled her lips into a smile, her voice rising slightly as she repeated Song Zhixu's words, "Occasionally?"

Song Zhixu nodded without any hesitation, explaining that he would only come once every one or two months when he was busy with work.

"Can you play that well on occasional games?"

Tang Ran squinted at her, clearly not believing her words.

Tang Ran considered herself to be a good tennis player, but she still lost to Song Zhixu in the last time she played electronic tennis at home.

Song Zhixu understood.

Sure enough, this is where they were waiting for her.

She smiled and concisely highlighted the key points: "I played on the school team in college and participated in the National College Student Championship, where we made it into the top ten."

"So you made that bet with me last time on purpose, knowing full well that I couldn't beat you?" Tang Ran's eyes became even more dangerous.

Although tennis and squash are quite different, there is still a significant difference in skill between her, a junior player who gave up halfway through her junior career, and a top ten finisher in the university championships.

"I didn't make the bet," Song Zhixu blinked innocently.

Tang Ran choked up, then decided to gamble that the condition was indeed hers.

She scoffed, "Concealing one's strength is the same as intentionally doing so."

Song Zhixu grasped her hand and pleaded softly, "Is that bet void and rescinded?"

"No need." Tang Ran slapped her hand away, her expression haughty: "It's not like I can't accept defeat."

"Our Ranran is so generous," Song Zhixu praised her with a smile.

"uh-huh!"

Tang Ran remained unmoved by her praise, arrogantly turning her head away and sitting up straight to prepare to drive.

Song Zhixu wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back, his tone sincere, "How about I agree to one of Ranran's conditions as an apology?"

Tang Ran subconsciously wanted to nod, but after thinking for a moment, she shook her head, "Seeing how sincere you are, I'll let the apology go."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Song Zhixu's face.

The car interior was dark, with streetlights streaming in through the windshield, casting a sparse, orange-yellow glow with a slightly hazy, filtered effect.

As they looked at each other, the atmosphere unconsciously became ambiguous.

"Song Zhixu." Tang Ran lowered her head and approached Song Zhixu, calling her softly.

"Hmm?" Song Zhixu's voice also turned somber.

"I ate a candy on my way here, it was peach flavored." Tang Ran leaned forward again, her voice low and husky, "Want to try some?"

Their faces were less than an inch apart, and Song Zhixu could clearly feel Tang Ran's breath falling on her nose as she spoke.

It does have a peach aroma, not strong, but very sweet.

Song Zhixu's breath hitched slightly. The fingers holding Tang Ran's waist twitched slightly as she raised her neck to meet the source of the sweet scent.

The moment their lips touched, Tang Ran turned her head away.

Their noses brushed lightly, and the scent of peaches faded away.

Tang Ran sat up straight, winked playfully, took a pink candy out of her pocket, waved it at Song Zhixu, and then put it away.

"As punishment for your concealment, you can have this candy without sharing it with me."

Her slender eyebrows were raised high, and she looked extremely smug, as if her scheme had succeeded.

Her change was so sudden that Song Zhixu was slightly taken aback, realizing that this person was being mischievous again.

Tang Ran sat back in the driver's seat, in a good mood, ready to drive.

When he pressed the start button, someone next to him grabbed him.

She turned her head to the side, and Song Zhixu leaned closer to her. "Tang Ran, I'm going to use one of our bets."

"What……"

Before Tang Ran could react, everything went dark, and Song Zhixu grabbed her wrist and pressed her into the driver's seat.

Song Zhixu pressed his forehead against hers, "Try the taste of peach candy."

The words fell with her lips.