Chapter 66 You like her very much?

Tang Ran frowned.

Song Wuqi withdrew his gaze and went upstairs.

"What's wrong?" Song Zhixu asked, holding her hand.

"It's nothing," Tang Ran shook her head.

It's normal for Song Wuqi to be unhappy with how things have turned out.

Tang Ran had already taken precautions and wasn't worried about Song Wuqi causing any trouble, so she didn't take it too seriously.

As Tang Ran expected, Jiang Mei did not arrange any other guest rooms.

Song Zhixu's room is on the second floor, a suite with a living room, next to which is a media room.

Tang Ran had been to this room once before, during the fire in her previous life.

Tang Ran hadn't had a chance to look around properly that time, so stepping into this place again still felt a bit novel.

The simple yet luxurious European-style decoration is consistent with the overall style of the villa. There is a bookshelf in the living room, and photos and various trophies are displayed on the large sideboard.

Tang Ran glanced through them; some were from various competitions during her school days, while others were posted by the government and other forums.

The dozens of trophies and medals made Tang Ran realize that Tang Wanru's previous praise of Song Zhixu was definitely not an exaggeration.

"I'll have someone bring the clothes tomorrow morning, but you can wear my pajamas for now."

Song Zhixu came out of the dressing room, carrying the two of their pajamas, and walked to her side.

Upon hearing the voice, Tang Ran frowned and looked her over.

"What's wrong?" Song Zhixu asked with concern.

Tang Ran held his head, sighed, and said with feigned distress, "My fiancée is so outstanding, it puts a lot of pressure on me. What should I do?"

"Naughty."

Song Zhixu smiled and gave her a gentle tap on the head.

"Ouch."

Tang Ran cried out dramatically, rubbing her forehead in a fake manner, "It hurts!"

Song Zhixu put his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead.

"My fiancée is so cute, I'm really smitten, what should I do?"

She deliberately lowered her voice, making it sound magnetic and alluring, with a hint of ambiguity.

"Hate!"

Tang Ran nudged Song Zhixu, ignored her, and turned to look at the photos on the cabinet.

Apart from one family photo, most of the photos are solo shots of Song Ji-seo, from when she was a baby to adulthood.

Song Zhixu's appearance hasn't changed much; the same face has lost its youthful cuteness and become mature and elegant.

"Huh?" Tang Ran stopped in front of a photo. "Why does this look a bit like me?"

In the photo, Song Zhixu appears to be around ten years old, holding a baby who is only wearing a vest and a diaper.

Tang Ran leaned closer to examine the photo more closely.

The baby had a small jade pendant around its neck, shaped like a peace lock.

Tang Ran wore this pendant for over ten years, and it left a deep impression on her.

"Yes, it was when you turned one year old."

"How do you remember it so clearly?" Tang Ran asked in surprise.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized I had asked an unnecessary question. It's not surprising that this person, with such a sharp mind, could remember them.

Song Zhixu looked at her and slightly raised the corners of her mouth, "You probably don't want to hear the reason."

"Did I do something embarrassing?" Tang Ran twitched the corner of her mouth.

"Go take a shower first, it's getting late."

Song Zhixu didn't respond to her and turned to walk into the room.

Tang Ran wasn't too curious at first, but seeing her reaction, she subconsciously became even more curious.

My mind raced, trying to recall what strange and memorable embarrassing things a one-year-old could do.

"Has she been crying and making a fuss?"

Tang Ran guessed this first, after all, the nickname "little crybaby" was well-deserved.

"no."

Song Zhixu shook his head.

Tang Ran followed behind her.

"Spitting up?"

Song Zhixu shook his head again.

"Peeing in your pants?"

Song Zhixu then shook his head.

The two entered the room.

"What else could it be?" Tang Ran couldn't guess and muttered casually, "It couldn't have peed on you, could it?"

Song Zhixu stopped and looked at her, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

Tang Ran took a moment to process what was happening and then understood.

"I...I."

Even though it happened when I was one year old, it's still quite difficult to talk about.

See, this is the bad thing I've known since I was little; embarrassing things can be traced back to when I was wearing diapers.

Song Zhixu went to take a shower first, and when she came out, she had changed into a slip dress.

Her snow-white arms were smooth and flawless, but the bruises on her wrists were particularly noticeable.

"Uh, is it that serious?" Tang Ran quickly pulled Song Zhixu down to sit and examined her carefully.

When I checked this morning, it was just a little red. Song Zhixu said it was nothing, so she thought it really was nothing.

What happened next completely diverted Tang Ran's attention, and she forgot about Song Zhixu's hand injury and even forgot to apply the medicated wine.

"It's not serious, it won't have any impact." Song Zhixu rotated her wrist.

Tang Rancai didn't believe it.

These were the same words she had said to Song Zhixu last time.

Sun Xiao pulled her hand, and although she said it was fine, it actually hurt for several days.

"I'll go get your medicine."

As Tang Ran spoke, she walked out. Jing Ting's medicine box was placed in the side cabinet on the first floor, which contained liniment for bruises and sprains.

Song Zhixu tried to call out to her, but Tang Ranren had already left the house.

After getting the medicine, Tang Ran had just stepped onto the second floor when she saw Song Wuqi coming down from upstairs.

Tang Ran cursed under her breath and walked straight inside, pretending not to see her.

"Ranran," Song Wuqi called out to her.

His voice was obscure and restrained.

If someone who didn't know the situation heard this, they might mistakenly think she was very much in love.

Tang Ran felt a little nauseous.

I can't believe that even at this point, he's still pretending to be so affectionate with her.

"Ranran, wait a moment."

Seeing that Tang Ran didn't stop, Song Wuqi jogged a few steps to catch up with her and reached out to pull her.

"Song Wuqi, what's wrong with you?!"

Tang Ran flung her hand away as if she had encountered something dirty.

Given their current relationship, it's best to avoid each other when walking in Jingting. Song Wuqi still dares to bother them; isn't he afraid of angering Old Master Song to death?

"Ranran." Song Wuqi looked hurt.

She stared at Tang Ran's face, as if she couldn't get enough of looking at her. "Ranran, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me, okay?"

Tang Ran was utterly speechless.

It's come to this point, what's the use of forgiving now?

"If you're sick, go take your medicine. Don't act crazy like this!"

She was waiting to apply medicine to Song Zhixu, but she didn't have time to accompany Song Wuqi in this drama of a prodigal son returning home.

After Tang Ran finished speaking, she walked away quickly.

Song Wuqi stood still and did not chase after him.

He watched as she opened the door and went inside without looking back, then turned and left with a gloomy expression.

When Tang Ran entered the room, Song Zhixu was looking at her phone. When she saw Tang Ran come in, her gaze fell on Tang Ran's hands.

"You got it from the first floor?"

"Mm." Tang Ran nodded and walked to her side.

She only remembered something after she unscrewed the bottle cap.

She knew where the medicine box was; in her previous life, she had accidentally twisted her ankle in the garden and seen the housekeeper take it.

“I saw Auntie take it once when I visited during the Chinese New Year, so I know there is medicine there.”

Tang Ran said this with a mix of truth and falsehood, and she didn't feel guilty at all.

She poured some medicinal wine into her hand and handed the bottle to Song Zhixu so she could hold it.

Song Zhixu's gaze fell on the medicinal wine, but he didn't say anything.

The sun rises in the east, and it's a new day.

Tang Ran woke up from her dream.

A blanket of white greets the eye, the exquisite curves disappearing into the light-colored silk pajamas, rising and falling gently with each breath, alluring and seductive.

Her breath hitched, and her fingers involuntarily twitched.

The two got engaged, overcoming the hurdle of legitimacy, and Tang Ran felt completely relieved.

Faced with such beauty, she, a fully developed adult, found it hard to resist.

Tang Ran closed her eyes, secretly exhaled, and finally packed away and forcibly deleted the 18+ thoughts in her mind.

We're still in Jingting, which isn't good.

Tang Ran shifted her position slightly, then quietly rolled over, intending to get out of bed.

The arm around Tang Ran's waist moved, and Song Zhixu woke up from her dream.

She instinctively pulled her arms around Tang Ran and held her in her arms.

"woke up?"

His voice, still husky and magnetic from just waking up, sent a shiver down Tang Ran's spine.

"Um."

Tang Ran swallowed again.

Song Zhixu wasn't fully awake yet and didn't notice Tang Ran's unusual behavior. She tightened her arms around Tang Ran from behind, lowered her head, and gently kissed her shoulder. "Good morning~"

She loved the feeling of waking up in the morning and holding Tang Ran.

Her back was pressed against something soft, a delicate undulation that stirred up countless thoughts in Tang Ran in an instant.

This is absolutely terrible!

"morning."

Tang Ran held her breath and squeezed out a syllable with difficulty. If she hugged him any longer, she was afraid she would lose control and do something.

"I'm so hungry from sleeping so much."

She muttered something in a mocking tone, then deftly sat up in bed.

Seeing the sudden emptiness in her arms, Song Zhixu was stunned for a moment, but when her gaze fell on the person's lowered neck and red ears, she instantly understood and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

After having breakfast at Jingting, the two went to the Tang family's house together.

Song Zhixu's flight to Beijing was in the afternoon. After lunch, he went directly from the Tang family to the airport.

Tang Wanru was very pleased to see that Song Zhixu still came to have dinner with her despite being so busy, and told her daughter to be more considerate and take good care of her.

When two people are together, they need to take care of each other. If only one person is making sacrifices, they will definitely feel unbalanced over time.

Work on Monday.

Tang Ran bought a cup of coffee downstairs at the company and went to General Manager Yu's office.

Seeing her walk in, President Yu stood up with a smile, "I was just thinking of looking for you today. Your arrival saves me the trouble of making a trip."

Tang Ran closed the door and handed her the coffee in her hand. "It seems things are going well."

Tang's Central Kitchen project is currently screening suppliers, and Tang Dyeing & Dyeing will always be skimming profits behind the scenes.

"It's going quite smoothly, and they've already started making underhanded moves behind the scenes."

Mr. Yu took a sip of coffee and let out a long sigh of relief.

After dealing with Zhong Weide, her first request was to replace the coffee beans made with the dishwashing water from the company.

"You're acting like the company pays you so much you can't even afford coffee," Tang Ran teased with a laugh.

Tang's salary and benefits are not bad, and General Manager Yu's performance has always been very strong, so his salary is not low.

"It's not the same thing. Save where you should, and spend where you should." President Yu waved his hand. "You don't know unless you're a mother. That child is a money-devouring beast."

His wife is in poor health and doesn't work. They have two daughters. The eldest is about to take the college entrance exam, and Mr. Yu wants to send her abroad. The younger daughter is in a private elementary school, which is also an age where money is needed.

"I'll give you a generous red envelope at the end of the year," Tang Ran said with a smile.

She was never stingy with her generosity towards loyal and capable employees like Ms. Yu.

"Thank you, boss." Mr. Yu smiled broadly.

Tang Ran was busy until she got off work before she finally finished dealing with the pile of work that had accumulated over the past few days.

So busy she was dizzy, Tang Ran only remembered that Song Zhixu was away on a business trip and not in Jiangcheng when she opened the door to 1901 after getting home that night.

Just then, Song Zhixu sent a video request.

Tang Ran quickly walked to her front door before answering the video call.

"Are we home?" Song Zhixu recognized the decorations in the corridor.

"Just arrived." Tang Ran saw her in the car. "Did you have a business dinner?"

Song Zhixu's apartment and branch office in Beijing are in twin buildings; you can go back directly by walking along the connecting corridor.

"To meet a friend."

Knowing that Song Xu was in the capital, and hearing her mention her friend, Tang Ran immediately thought of Chen Yun.

Although Tang Ran knew that Song Zhixu had no feelings for Chen Yun, the thought that Chen Yun was still thinking about Song Zhixu made her feel a little upset.

"Um."

Tang Ran bent down to take off her shoes and casually placed her phone on the entryway.

She wanted to ask Song Zhixu if the friend he was going to meet was Chen Yun, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

Before he could even speak, Song Zhixu's voice came through the receiver again.

"It's not Chen Yun, it's a friend from Hong Kong who will also be attending the economic conference tomorrow."

After a moment of joy, Tang Ran felt embarrassed and annoyed that her little secret had been seen through.

She picked up her phone and said nonchalantly, "I didn't ask, why are you explaining so clearly?"

Song Zhixu said softly, "It's what I wanted to tell you."

The two chatted for a while, then Song Zhixu received a work call.

Tang Ran didn't hang up; she ate while watching her talk on the phone.

In the video, Song Zhixu was serious and focused, exuding a powerful aura, completely different from when she spoke to her earlier.

Especially cool.

Very charming.

It's captivating.

Beijing City.

The First Hospital, Inpatient Department.

Song Wuqi sat on a chair in the ward, his eyes dark and unfathomable as he looked at the person who had been sleeping in the bed for nine years.

The setting sun outside the window slowly sank below the horizon, and night enveloped the earth.

The room was dark, with only a faint light from the monitor.

Song Wuqi stood up from the chair and walked to the window.

She lowered her head and said to the person on the bed, "If only you were the one who died."

After saying that, she left the ward without looking back.

The next day.

The Beijing Digital Economy Forum is co-hosted by the National Bureau of Data Science and Technology and the Beijing Municipal Government. With the theme of "Digital Economy Empowering Industries", it focuses on areas such as industrial digital transformation and artificial intelligence applications, and promotes enterprises and regions to carry out digital economy project negotiations and implementation.

"Next, please welcome Ms. Anna, founder of Gangcheng Jiachuang Group and a leading figure in the digital economy field!"

A wave of applause erupted as a woman in a light blue suit stepped onto the platform with composure and elegance.

He was tall and upright, with neat short light gray hair, clear eyes, and a light and aloof temperament.

"This is the business partner of my mother that I told you about yesterday."

A friend beside Song Zhixu whispered a reminder.

My friend's name is Qin Peishan, and she's from Gangcheng.

Qin Peishan's family has a business relationship with Jiachuang.

After Assistant Jiang discovered that it was a real estate agency under Jiachuang that assisted in purchasing the shop on Chaoxi Street, Song Zhixu contacted Qin Peishan, hoping she could help him contact the buyer.

Last night during dinner, Qin Peishan told her that Anna had arranged for the shops on Chaoxi Street to be purchased.

Anna Ran Aijie, a Chinese American, is 41 years old and a genius who earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Michigan at the age of 22.

After graduating, he worked at Moore, the largest investment bank on Wall Street. Two years later, he left Moore and founded Jiachuang Fund Company. During the economic crisis the following year, he shorted the subprime mortgage market and made a fortune of 20 billion M coins.

Anna's gaze swept across the guests below the stage, pausing briefly in the direction of Song Zhixu in the front row before looking away.

When Qin Peishan saw her looking over, she nodded politely.

Song Zhixu's gaze sharpened slightly.

She felt that Anna was looking at not only Qin Peishan, but also her.

Thank you everyone.

His voice was deep and indifferent, matching his temperament.

Break time.

Qin Peishan took Song Zhixu to Anna's lounge.

Anna's assistant recognized her, and after asking the boss, led the two of them inside.

Anna stood by the French windows with a teacup in her hand, a plate of butterfly cookies on the coffee table beside her.

Hearing someone enter, she slowly withdrew her gaze from the window and looked at Qin Peishan and Song Zhixu who walked in with a faint expression.

"Aunt, this is my good friend Song Zhixu, the president of the Song Group."

Qin Peishan has a straightforward personality and speaks and acts very decisively, but she becomes exceptionally reserved when she is with Anna, speaking as obediently as a socialite in a Hong Kong film from the 1980s.

Qin Peishan didn't want to either, but her mother's business partner had such a powerful aura.

Especially when Anna looked at people with those indifferent and aloof eyes, Qin Peishan always felt a sense of being looked down upon.

If Song Zhixu weren't her longtime friend, Qin Peishan would never have introduced her to him.

Anna put down her teacup; the deep red tea had a rich, sweet malty aroma.

It's ASM black tea, a favorite among people from country B.

Black tea paired with butterfly cookies is a favorite tea and snack combination among old-fashioned Wuhan locals.

Song Zhixu calmly withdrew his gaze and gave Anna a polite nod.

Before she could speak, Anna bluntly said, "I know you're looking for me because of the shops on Chaoxi Street in Jiangcheng."

Her expression was indifferent, but Song Zhixu didn't care. She spoke sincerely, "Yes, I wonder if you could part with it?"

Anna looked her over.

The gesture of raising his eyebrows was straightforward and undisguised, without any attempt at concealment.

That's a bit offensive.

Song Zhixu remained calm.

She had roughly figured out some of the person's personality.

She is straightforward and doesn't bother to hide her emotions; what she expresses is exactly what she thinks.

Why do you want those shops?

"Returned to my fiancée."

When Tang Ran was mentioned, Song Zhixu smiled slightly and explained to Anna, "The shops on Chaoxi Street were originally the ancestral property of my fiancée's family, so I wanted to buy them back and return them to her."

Anna didn't continue the conversation about the shop; instead, she asked, "You like her a lot?"

"Yes," Song Zhixu readily admitted.

Anna withdrew her gaze and said in a calm tone, "Unfortunately, I've already given away the shop on Chaoxi Street."

This "It's a pity" wasn't meant as a joke or to gloat; it was a genuine expression of sympathy for Song Zhixu, as she had already given away the shop.

Song Zhixu paused for a moment, then asked, "May I ask who you gave the shop to?"