Chapter 69 Do I need a hug?

Tang Ran was both surprised and not entirely unexpected to discover that the two mothers were sleeping in separate rooms.

Ever since she overheard the two mothers arguing that day, she realized that the relationship between mothers might not be as good as she had imagined.

Especially after her mother borrowed money from the Song family without her consent last time, Tang Ran was very disappointed in her. Not to mention her mother, who was willing to sell the ancestral shop on Chaoxi Street so as not to be looked down upon by the Song family.

Although she had expected it, Tang Ran still felt somewhat depressed knowing this was the situation.

He subconsciously reached for his phone, intending to call Song Zhixu, but then remembered that she was probably busy and put it down again.

Song Zhixu was indeed very busy; Tang Ran didn't receive her call until after 9 p.m.

Tang Ran had just taken a shower and casually dried her hair. She had no interest in doing anything else and was lying on the bed in a daze.

When she saw Song Zhixu's call, she even raised her voice slightly, "Finished with work?"

"Hmm." Song Zhixu opened the car door. "Are you resting?"

"Not yet, I just took a shower." Tang Ran turned over in bed.

Song Zhixu paused as she got out of the car, and asked her, "Are you in a bad mood?"

After an afternoon, Tang Ran thought she had almost gotten over her bad mood, but unexpectedly, Song Zhixu noticed it in just a few words.

Before Tang Ran could even react in surprise, she heard Song Zhixu ask her, "Do you need a hug?"

A soft clicking sound came from her side, like the sound of a car door closing.

Tang Ran felt as if her heart had been struck by something, and sat up as if sensing it.

She glanced out the window, jumped off the bed, and ran barefoot toward the windowsill.

"Slippers," Song Zhixu's voice came through the receiver.

“There’s a carpet in the house, a very thick one,” Tang Ran explained, eagerly pulling back the curtains to look downstairs.

Outside the courtyard, a familiar silver sports car was parked on the road directly opposite the house.

The orange-yellow streetlights shone on a tall, slender figure, making the already gentle person appear even softer in the light and shadow.

Song Zhixu stood by the car door, looked up in her direction, and smiled as she opened her arms.

Their eyes met, and an indescribable joy surged up like a tide, instantly filling Tang Ran's heart.

Without a second's hesitation, Tang Ran turned around, ran quickly outside, stepped off the carpet, then turned back and put on her slippers.

The two mothers and aunts were already resting, so Tang Ran controlled her footsteps to avoid disturbing them.

Stepping out the door, her pace quickened involuntarily. She jogged across the courtyard, heading straight for the car, where she opened her arms to embrace the person who was there to greet her.

The night breeze carried the sweet scent of shower gel as Song Zhixu held his fiancée, who had rushed into his arms like a whirlwind, close.

No words are needed, yet they speak volumes.

The gloomy emotions that had been forcibly suppressed and lingered in Tang Ran's heart were gradually soothed and dispelled in Song Zhixu's gentle embrace, and finally disappeared without a trace.

All around was quiet and still, the moonlight was soft as silk, and even the breeze that brushed the treetops became gentle.

After hugging for a while, Tang Ran buried her face in Song Zhixu's chest and took a deep breath. Her arms slid down to wrap around Song Zhixu's waist, and she leaned back slightly to look up at her.

Song Zhixu was wearing a dark blue suit and had a faint smell of alcohol on him, clearly having come directly from the banquet.

Even though she already had a guess, Tang Ran still asked her with a smile, "Why are you here?"

Song Zhixu gathered her frayed collar together, saying, "I missed you."

As straightforward as ever.

Tang Ran felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but feigned arrogance on her face: "We didn't separate at noon."

Song Zhixu lowered his head and gently kissed the tip of her pert nose. "It's not contradictory to missing you."

Tang Ran pressed her finger against her forehead, playfully pushing her away: "The honey we drank at the banquet?"

She can utter incredibly sweet love words without batting an eye.

"Want to try some?" Song Zhixu wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her closer.

These words immediately reminded Tang Ran of the last time in the car when Song Zhixu said he wanted to try the taste of peach candy.

"No way." Tang Ran turned her head away, and Song Zhixu's lips brushed against her cheek, but missed.

From where they are standing, they can be seen not only from her room but also from Mommy's room.

Song Zhixu took the opportunity to kiss her earlobe.

His breath, tinged with the heat of alcohol, made Tang Ran's ears burn.

"Is it annoying or not?"

Tang Ran pushed Song Zhixu away, then realized what was happening. She frowned, her expression even more serious than that of a traffic police officer on duty.

"You've been drinking and driving?"

Song Zhixu smiled and explained, "Assistant Jiang brought me here."

Tang Ran was startled.

She turned her head and nervously peered into the car.

She and Song Zhixu have been so affectionate for so long, surely Assistant Jiang hasn't seen it all?

The car was dark; the lights weren't on, and I couldn't see anything.

Song Zhixu chuckled softly, turned her head and whispered in her ear, "She went back."

Sensing the teasing tone in her voice, Tang Ran glanced at her sideways. "Laughing at me?"

"No," Song Zhixu shook her head in denial.

Tang Ran gave a soft snort.

"They just sent someone to bring you here and left. How are you going to get back later?"

She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Song Zhixu for a second, a smile playing on her lips, before revealing an expression that said, "Or perhaps, you have other motives?"

He was trying to get her to stay overnight.

“You can call a designated driver,” Song Zhixu said with a smile.

"Really?" Tang Ran didn't believe it.

If you're going to call a designated driver, you might as well have asked Assistant Jiang to stay from the beginning. Song Zhixu wouldn't do something so illogical.

"I just wanted to come and see you." Song Zhixu nodded calmly; that was indeed her original plan.

"I'm going to Suzhou on a business trip tomorrow and will be back on Friday."

That's why she came here directly after leaving the banquet.

"So busy?" Tang Ran asked in surprise.

Song Zhixu had just returned from a business trip to the capital and was about to go on another business trip.

"Things will get better after this busy period," Song Zhixu said.

"That means we won't see each other for several days." Tang Ran smiled and put her arm around Song Zhixu's waist, then brought the topic back, "Are you sure you just want to see me and leave?"

"It's getting late." Song Zhixu glanced at the house behind her; all the lights in the first-floor living room were off.

Although the two were already engaged, this was, after all, the elders' residence, and it was rather presumptuous to let them stay overnight without prior notice, given how late it was.

I guessed what Song Zhixu meant. The logic was sound, but the reasoning wasn't strong enough.

Tang Ran blinked and smiled, "It's only nine o'clock, Mommy shouldn't be asleep yet, I'll go wake her up."

"Naughty." Song Zhixu smiled and pinched her cheek.

"Really not staying?" Tang Ran hooked her hand around Song Zhixu's waist ribbon.

Song Zhixu didn't speak, but looked down at her hand.

Tang Ran twirled her index finger around the silk ribbon at her waist, then hooked it with her other hand, the smooth ribbon slipping between her fingers and being pinched between her fingertips.

"Since you're already here, why don't you take a nap before you leave?" she said, gently tugging at the ribbon.

Their actions were ambiguous, and their words were even more cryptic.

Unfortunately, these words came from someone who was drinking brown sugar ginger water just three days ago, so they are not very convincing.

It's all just a charade.

Song Zhixu caught the mischievous fingertip of the man and laughed, "You want me to stay that much?"

The dress features a V-neck design with overlapping fabric at the chest, gathered at the waist by a ribbon.

If the ribbon comes undone, it won't necessarily result in an accidental exposure, but the spring scenery will still be hard to conceal.

Tang Ran refused to admit it, offering a plausible excuse: "It's too late, and it's not safe to call a designated driver."

"Then I'll call Lao Zhang over," Song Zhixu chuckled.

Tang Ran clicked her tongue, "Poor Old Zhang."

"Then let's not call him." Song Zhixu pretended to think for a moment, then threw the question to Tang Ran, "Then what should we do?"

Tang Ran still didn't take the bait, and poked her collarbone, saying, "Think for yourself."

Song Zhixu kissed the corner of her mouth. "It seems I have no choice but to stay."

Finally, she spoke up herself. Tang Ran nodded in satisfaction, took her hand, and said, "Let's go."

The main light in the living room on the first floor was off, with only a row of motion-activated nightlights near the baseboard.

The nightlights turned on one by one as they sensed footsteps.

Tang Ran hadn't thought of it before, but now, walking with Song Zhixu, she felt it was quite romantic.

Beyond the romance, there's also a touch of secret thrill.

As they walked up the stairs, Tang Ran chuckled and whispered in Song Zhixu's ear, "I feel like a high school student who's secretly bringing his girlfriend home for the night without telling the adults."

Song Zhixu raised an eyebrow at her, "Sounds very experienced, doesn't it?"

"No way," Tang Ran immediately shook her head to clarify, "I never dated anyone in high school."

Song Zhixu's raised eyebrows remained, and her tone was dangerous, "You seem quite disappointed?"

There's no regret, but just now, while we were talking, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

She stopped in her tracks. Song Zhixu was a step behind her, one step below Tang Ran, which made Tang Ran appear half a head taller than Song Zhixu.

Tang Ran put her hands on her neck, looked down and asked with a smile, "What would it have been like if I had dated you in high school?"

After asking, she felt that it was unlikely to happen.

When she was in high school, Song Zhixu had already become the president of Song Corporation, so he probably wouldn't date a little kid like her.

“I’ll be chased away by your grandfather with his cane, and then I’ll get a beating from my father when I get home.” Song Zhixu’s answer was much more rational than Tang Ran’s.

She's an adult who seduced a minor; a couple of beatings would be too lenient.

Perhaps Song Zhixu's description was too vivid, because Tang Ran couldn't help but recall the scenes she had described.

She laughed happily, cupped Song Zhixu's face and kissed him, "Then you're really in a bad situation!"

Song Zhixu smiled but didn't say anything.

It's true that it's a bit early for someone to be a minor, but she should have made plans earlier so that she could legitimately bring that person home as soon as they came of age.

A soft click.

The two of them looked toward the source of the sound.

Tang Wanru came out of the room and was stunned when she saw this scene.

She heard the voices and wanted to come out to see what was going on, but she ended up bumping into her daughter hugging Song Zhixu affectionately.

Tang Ran stuck out her tongue and said playfully to Song Zhixu, "Are you going to get a beating?"

*

A high-end styling salon in Beijing.

"For me?"

Ye Xiaoyu looked away from the box of the high-end custom-made dress and stared at Song Wuqi in disbelief and surprise.

The white, three-dimensional printed box, with the gleaming gold D brand logo, tells you the dress inside is expensive even before you open it.

Song Wuqi was very satisfied with her reaction, and asked with a gentle smile, "It was specially made for you, aren't you going to open it and take a look?"

Ye Xiaoyu couldn't wait to open the box.

The rose quartz-colored petal dress, with each layer of petals edged with sparkling sequins, is dazzling under the lights.

"So beautiful!"

Upon seeing such a high-end dress for the first time, Ye Xiaoyu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Without Song Wuqi reminding her again, she took the dress and changed into it herself.

Is it pretty?

Ye Xiaoyu changed into her dress and looked shyly at Song Wuqi.

"It looks good." Song Wuqi's smile deepened.

After she finished speaking, she said to the stylist next to her, "Design a suitable makeup and hair set for her."

The stylist nodded and gestured for her to walk towards the makeup room. "Ms. Ye, please follow me."

Ye Xiaoyu happily kissed Song Wuqi on the cheek and left with the stylist.

Song Wuqi raised his hand and wiped his face, his eyes filled with disgust.

Two hours later.

The stylist gave Ye Xiaoyu a pure yet charming look with her hair and makeup, matching the style of the dress.

Standing in front of the mirror, Ye Xiaoyu felt like a completely different person.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt that the inferiority complex she had felt in front of Tang Ran and Xia Xin'er was ridiculous.

Apart from her background, she was no less than those people.

After leaving the styling studio and getting into the car, Ye Xiaoyu remembered to ask Song Wuqi, "What kind of banquet are we going to?"

"It's District Chief Huang's birthday banquet," Song Wuqi replied.

District Chief Huang is the newly appointed district chief of the North New District of Beijing. The commercial complex under construction by the Song family is located in the North New District.

A while ago, an accident occurred at Song's construction site. Song actively dealt with it, making necessary rectifications and remedial measures, but the permit to resume work has been delayed, and the construction site has been shut down for almost half a month.

Song Wuqi was sent to the capital and needed an opportunity to prove himself, so he took the initiative to take on this task.

Upon hearing the name of District Chief Huang, a hint of unease flashed across Ye Xiaoyu's face.

She met District Chief Huang the last time she accompanied Song Wuqi to meet a client.

Ye Xiaoyu noticed during their last meal together that District Chief Huang's gaze towards her was somewhat ambiguous.

District Chief Huang is actually in his forties, but he looks very young because he takes good care of himself.

She is elegant and poised, speaks wittily, and possesses the air of someone in a superior position; she is a very mature and charming person.

Song Wuqi noticed something was wrong with her expression and asked knowingly, "What's wrong?"

"fine."

Ye Xiaoyu shook her head and didn't tell Song Wuqi about District Chief Huang.

On Friday, Song Zhixu returned from his business trip.

The setting sun melts gold.

The afterglow of the sunset streamed in through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, adding a touch of warm, soft light to the cool-toned office.

Thump, thump.

Hearing Assistant Jiang knock on the door, Song Zhixu did not look up, still focused on the documents in her hands.

Seeing this, Assistant Jiang wanted to speak, but was stopped by the people behind her.

Footsteps approached from afar, the light ahead was momentarily blocked, and documents were placed on a nearby desk.

Song Zhixu's attention remained focused on the documents.

Without looking up, she asked, "Did the planning department send this?"

"Yes."

Qingyue's voice is completely different from Assistant Jiang's baritone.

Song Zhixu looked up in surprise and met a bright, smiling face.

Tang Ran's beautiful eyes curved into two crescent moons as she stood on the other side of the desk, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Golden sunlight slanted down on her, radiant and beautiful, surpassing all the beautiful scenery Song Zhixu had ever seen.

"My dear fiancée, do you have time to have dinner together tonight?"

Tang Ran winked playfully and handed her the flowers in her hand.

The bouquet was small but exquisite, with green roses, lisianthus, bellflowers and baby's breath, creating a fresh and elegant look that perfectly matched Song Zhixu's white suit.

It's obvious at a glance that it was carefully selected.

A smile spread across Song Zhixu's eyebrows.

She reached out and took the bouquet, her gaze gently falling on Tang Ran's face. "It's beautiful."

His warm voice carried a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment.

It makes your heart flutter.

Tang Ran raised her hand and braced it against the back of the office chair.

Take off Song Zhixu's glasses.

He bent down and kissed her lips.

*

After having dinner at the restaurant, the two returned to Shengming Mansion together.

The elevator reached the nineteenth floor.

Tang Ran glanced at the time; it was only a little past nine. She turned to Song Zhixu and asked, "Want to come sit at my place for a while?"

It's still early, we can watch a movie or something.

Song Zhixu thought for a moment and asked her, "Do you want to see the stars?"

The weather is nice, perfect for stargazing.

The night view is also very nice, and it's perfect for doing other things as well.

Tang Ran's eyes lit up. "Okay!"

The starry sky she saw on the mountaintop last time left a deep impression on Tang Ran.

In 1901, Tang Ran went straight to the living room, but did not find an astronomical telescope.

"It takes up too much space in the living room, so we moved it to the bedroom balcony."

Song Zhixu smiled and explained, then walked over and pulled Tang Ran into the bedroom.

The telescope in Song Zhixu's home is connected to many devices and looks much more advanced than the one on the mountaintop.

Tang Ran could only recognize the small display screen on top.

"They are all used for deep space photography."

Song Zhixu operated the central control, lowering the window and turning the balcony into a semi-open space.

"Is it like those starry sky pictures online?" Tang Ran asked curiously.

When looking for wallpapers, I often come across beautiful starry sky pictures.

"Pretty much. The colors wouldn't be as vibrant without editing." Song Zhixu removed two auxiliary devices and asked her, "Want to see?"

"Uh-huh."

Tang Ran became interested and wanted to see what the starry sky looked like in Song Zhixu's photos.

"I didn't save it on my phone, I'll show it to you later." Song Zhixu placed the removed equipment on the shelf and then took two more accessories.

"good."

Tang Ran nodded. She wasn't in a hurry; it was okay to look at it later.

While eating, Tang Ran tied her hair up, and her ponytail swayed playfully with her movements, making her look particularly well-behaved.

Song Zhixu's smile deepened. He held up the spare parts in his hand and asked, "Would you like to learn how to adjust the equipment?"

"OK."

She became interested when she saw Song Zhixu's tune last time.

“This is the main telescope.” Song Zhixu gently patted the telescope and then showed her the camera lens-like accessory in his hand. “This is the eyepiece, which is mounted here.”

After attaching the eyepiece, Song Zhixu pointed to the long tube on the main mirror, "This is a finder scope, which can be used to quickly locate target celestial bodies."

"Come."

Song Zhixu turned off the lights in the room and on the balcony, and pulled Tang Ran to stand in front of the astronomical telescope.

"I can't see anything."

Tang Ran looked through the eyepiece; the telescope was pitch black, with only a few scattered points of light, completely different from what she had seen on the mountaintop that day.

"There's light pollution in the city, so the starry sky isn't as clear as it is on the mountaintop. It rained today, so it's a bit better," Song Zhixu explained.

She wrapped her arms around Tang Ran from behind, took Tang Ran's right hand and placed it on the adjustment ring of the eyepiece, guiding Tang Ran's fingers to rotate it, "Adjust the focus first."

As the gears turned, the scene in the lens became clearer and clearer, revealing more starlight.

"Much clearer!"

Tang Ran was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar shape in the camera's view. "Eh? Is that the Big Dipper?"

Song Zhixu looked at the image displayed on the external screen. "Yes."

"Which one is Polaris?"

"Look at the rim of the spoon," Song Zhixu leaned forward to remind her.

"Um."

"The one in front is called Tian Shu, and the one behind is called Tian Quan. If you follow their extended lines for about five times the distance, the brightest one is Polaris."

"I saw it!"

Following Song Zhixu's instructions, Tang Ran spotted the North Star at a glance.

"Look at the last two stars of the handle of the Big Dipper. Extending outwards, do you see an orange-red star...?"

Following Song Zhixu's guidance, Tang Ran learned about the constellations Ursa Major, Orion, and Canis Major.

The more she looked, the harder it became for Tang Ran to concentrate.

"Shift the telescope ten degrees to the east."

Song Zhixu bent down and led her to rotate the handwheel of the equatorial mount.

Tang Ran could clearly feel the fluctuations in her voice.

She couldn't concentrate at all; her mind was filled with the scene Jingting saw when he woke up that morning.

"Do you see that patch of light?"

The warm air brushed against her earlobe, and Tang Ranxin trembled.

She couldn't bear to look at those stars for even a second longer.

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Author's note: Just in case, everyone should get up early tomorrow!