Chapter 77 But he will do it again next time.

After resting at the Tang family's house for two more days, Tang Ran accompanied Song Zhixu to the hospital for a follow-up examination.

After confirming that his body was not affected by the fire, Song Zhixu was 'approved' by Tang Ran to go to work.

As she left in the morning, Tang Ran handed her a thermos containing lung-nourishing soup, saying, "Remember to drink it. I'll have Xinghelou deliver some more to you this afternoon."

Song Zhixu's cold symptoms have subsided, but her voice is still a little hoarse and she coughs occasionally.

"Okay." Song Zhixu took the cup, leaned down and kissed Tang Ran on the corner of her mouth. "I'll pick you up from the company this afternoon."

Tang Ran nodded.

Jiang Mei and the others returned from their hometown yesterday and invited her and Song Zhixu to have dinner together at Jingting tonight.

In the afternoon, Song Zhixu left the company early to pick up Tang Ran from Tang's.

Once they were in the car, Tang Ran asked her with concern, "Is your throat any better? Have you been coughing today?"

Song Zhixu took her hand and said with a smile, "You're not coughing anymore, and your throat is much better."

That's what she said, but her throat didn't sound much better, so Tang Ran didn't believe her.

A few days ago, she said she was recuperating, but apart from the day she had a fever, Song Zhixu still had endless work to handle every day.

When they arrived at Jingting, they encountered construction vehicles renovating the road in front of the Song family's house. To get there, they either had to drive around in a big circle from another direction, or they had to get out of the car and walk on the sidewalk.

"Go inside."

Tang Ran looked at the Song family's gate, which was visible at a glance, and said, "It's still early, shall we go down for a walk?"

After sitting in the office all day, Tang Ran felt that it would be good to take a walk and stretch her legs.

Seeing that she was interested, Song Zhixu nodded and accompanied her out of the car.

Jingting is a manor-style villa community, and the overall landscape design follows the European garden style.

Tall, straight ginkgo trees stand on both sides of the sidewalk, their golden branches intertwining in the air to form an arched path, with the afterglow of the setting sun filtering through the gaps, casting dappled shadows.

After walking along the beautiful ginkgo-lined path for over a hundred meters, you arrive at the gate of the Song family's house.

The Song family's garden was planted with many osmanthus trees, and even before you got close, you were surrounded by their rich fragrance.

The wind, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, brushed past my hair, and the clear sky was bathed in a pale orange-yellow glow.

The two walked side by side, the setting sun casting long shadows that overlapped on the stone path.

The sound of footsteps was exceptionally harmonious in the tranquil garden; everything around seemed to slow down, peaceful and beautiful.

Tang Ran turned her head to look at Song Zhixu, the golden afterglow falling on her, giving her a soft halo.

Noticing her gaze, Song Zhixu also turned her head to look over. Their eyes met, and both of them wore relaxed smiles.

Tang Ran took out her phone and took a picture of the shadow on the ground.

As the shutter clicked, a gray shadow flashed quickly through the lens, and a gray, furry tail appeared to the lower left of the two shadows, blocking most of the screen.

"Huh? It looks like a squirrel."

Tang Ran's attention was completely drawn to the little thing that suddenly appeared in the frame.

The squirrel was extremely agile, and in no time it had climbed up the tree trunk to the top of the branch.

Tang Ran walked to the tree and found a squirrel grabbing osmanthus flowers from the branch and stuffing them into its mouth.

"Come and see! It's eating osmanthus flowers!" Tang Ran exclaimed in surprise, waving to Song Zhixu.

Whether it was her voice that disturbed the squirrel's appetite, the squirrel suddenly kicked its leg and leaped from its original branch to the osmanthus tree next door.

Golden osmanthus petals fluttered down from the branches, showering Tang Ran's head with a shower of blossoms.

Tang Ran was a little dumbfounded.

She stood there, her hair and shoulders covered in osmanthus blossoms, even two tiny petals resting on the tip of her pert nose.

She blinked innocently, looking dazed and adorable.

"puff."

Song Zhixu, who was walking over, witnessed this scene clearly and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Tang Ran came to her senses, but the culprit had already vanished without a trace, and she could still hear Song Zhixu's laughter.

She frowned, glanced sideways at Song Zhixu, and pointed her finger at her, "Is it funny?"

"No."

Song Zhixu shook his head in denial, walked to Tang Ran's side, and reached out to remove the osmanthus flower from the tip of Tang Ran's nose.

"snort."

Tang Ran gave a soft snort.

She lowered her head and gently patted her hair. Some flower petals fell and landed on Song Zhixu's skirt.

Tang Ran's eyes darted around, and a mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

She reached out and took Song Zhixu's arm, her voice soft and sweet: "Sister, would you like to take a picture together?"

Her beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons, and her smile was especially sweet.

"Why are you suddenly being so obedient?" Song Zhixu looked her over suspiciously, then lightly tapped Tang Ran's forehead with her finger. "Are you thinking of some naughty idea?"

"No way!" Tang Ran felt guilty, but she was stubborn.

She puffed out her cheeks, let go of Song Zhixu's wrist, and started walking away, saying, "Fine, don't take the picture then."

"I didn't say we wouldn't take pictures." Song Zhixu quickly pulled her back and coaxed her gently, "Baby, how do you want to take pictures?"

Tang Ran took out her phone and placed it in Song Zhixu's hand, saying, "You have long arms, so you take the picture."

Song Zhixu took the phone and turned on the camera, pointing it at the two of them.

To lower Song Zhixu's guard, Tang Ran didn't do anything suspicious in the first two photos. In the first photo, she was smiling with her arm around Song Zhixu, and in the second photo, she made a peace sign.

When it came to the third photo, she had Song Zhixu use burst mode. When the flash went off, she quickly kissed Song Zhixu on the cheek.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang.

The camera not only captured Tang Ran's stolen kiss, but also Song Zhixu's surprised moment.

As the last flash of the camera fell, a dense shower of osmanthus blossoms fell from the branches, creating a colorful rain of osmanthus petals that drenched the two of them.

Song Zhixu, with her head covered in osmanthus blossoms, turned her head and caught someone's mischievous little hand shaking a branch, not yet withdrawing.

She narrowed her eyes, curled her lips into a knowing yet dangerous expression, and said, "I knew you wouldn't be so honest."

Completely surprised to be caught so quickly, Tang Ran stuck out her tongue, withdrew her hand, wrinkled her nose, and snorted at Song Zhixu again.

"Who told you to make fun of me just now!"

He spoke with such confidence, but as soon as he finished, he took off running, even faster than the little squirrel from before.

Now Song Zhixu was also covered in osmanthus blossoms, just as disheveled as she had been earlier, which put Tang Ran in a great mood.

Unfortunately, the happiness lasted less than three seconds.

She was wearing high heels, so she couldn't run fast on the grass at all.

With a long stride, Song Zhixu reached out and wrapped his arms around Tang Ran's waist in just two steps.

Tang Ran was stunned for a moment, and her gloating smile immediately turned into a fawning one.

She turned around, cupped Song Zhixu's face, and kissed her deeply, her voice soft and sweet, "Sister, I know I was wrong."

"You know you were wrong?" Song Zhixu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmm-hmm." Tang Ran nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "I know..."

Before she could finish speaking, Song Zhixu continued, "But you'll do it again next time."

Tang Ran paused in her nodding, her stunned expression clearly conveying the message: How did you guess what I was thinking?

Song Zhixu chuckled lightly, "Knowing you're wrong but not correcting it, shouldn't you be punished?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his head and kissed the rosy lips in front of him.

The soft lips carried a hint of punitive force, leaving Tang Ran defenseless. She was soon overwhelmed by the kisses and her breathing became rapid.

A car horn sounded outside the gate; Old Zhang had come around from another road and driven his car into the yard.

Tang Ran blushed, remembering that the two of them were in Jingting's garden.

Although there was no one in the garden when they came in, there was no guarantee that an auntie might pass by and see them.

She quickly pushed Song Zhixu away, looked around, and saw that there was no one else in the garden except for Old Zhang, who was about to drive in at the gate.

but.

They were standing not far from the main entrance of the house, so if anyone was in the living room, they could see them from there.

The thought of her kissing Song Zhixu being seen by Uncle Song or Aunt Jiang made Tang Ran's face turn completely red.

She glared at Song Zhixu.

That guy, why did he have to kiss her in the garden?

Song Zhixu touched her burning earlobe, as if he could see through her shyness, and suggested with a light smile, "How about we go in a little later?"

Tang Ran patted Song Zhixu's shoulder in an annoyed tone.

They might pretend they didn't see it later.

Despite her thoughts, Tang Ran insisted on dragging Song Zhixu around the garden until the heat on their faces subsided before they entered the house through the back door.

As Tang Ran walked around the spiral escalator, she glanced towards the living room.

Seeing her cautious and furtive manner, Song Zhixu's lips curved into a smile, which she then tried to suppress, cooperating with her actions.

Otherwise, if someone finds out, they'll be furious.

There were indeed people in the living room; Old Master Song and Song Wuqi were sitting on the sofa talking.

Upon seeing Song Wuqi, Tang Ran felt a chill run down her spine, and her shyness vanished instantly.

Although she had no evidence, she had a vague feeling that the fire was related to Song Wuqi.

Song Zhixu had been watching Tang Ran the whole time, and immediately noticed the sharp glint in her eyes when she looked towards the living room.

Only her father and Wuqi were in the living room. Song Zhixu had a gut feeling that Tang Ran's change was because of Wuqi, not her father.

Song Zhixu could understand why Tang Ran would feel disgusted by Wu Qi's infidelity and even retaliate against him by exposing his affair.

On Wuqi's birthday, Tang Ran hugged her and cried very sadly. She couldn't bear to reopen Tang Ran's wounds and didn't ask her why.

But clearly, even after so much time has passed, Tang Ran has not let go of the matter and still harbors great dislike, even hatred, for Wuqi.

Song Zhixu raised his hand and grasped Tang Ran's hand, causing Tang Ran to pause for a moment.

“Let’s go,” Song Zhixu said.

"Mm." Tang Ran nodded.

When Grandpa Song saw the two of them walk in, his furrowed brows relaxed.

"dad."

"Uncle Song".

Grandpa Song nodded. "You're back."

Song Zhixu pulled Tang Ran to sit down on the sofa on the other side.

Song Wuqi sat silently to the side, his gaze sweeping over Tang Ran and her aunt's tightly clasped hands, his eyes darkening.

"A fire accident report issued by the fire brigade." Old Master Song handed the document in his hand to Song Zhixu.

Tang Ran originally wanted to go find Jiang Mei, but after hearing what Grandpa Song said, she didn't leave. Instead, she turned her head and looked at the certificate with Song Zhixu.

The fire brigade has confirmed the cause of the fire: firecrackers ignited a stack of straw outside the yard, which then set fire to the tree that Song had taken outside.

The haystacks were piled up by the neighbor next door after they harvested rice a while ago.

In recent years, the country has strictly managed and does not allow people to burn straw in their fields. The neighbor originally planned to dry the rice and then take the dried straw to the composting yard in the next town to compost it before spreading it back into the field.

Because of the stacks of straw, they set off their firecrackers at the intersection that day, just in case a spark ignited the straw stacks. Little did they know that their precautions hadn't stopped the mischievous kids from another family.

After the cause of the accident was found, the neighbor came to apologize immediately. Their family was not well-off, and since they had been neighbors for decades, Mr. Song did not intend to pursue the matter further because of their unintentional mistake.

Song Zhixu put down the certificate of recognition without saying anything.

"It was past midnight when the fire started. If it were a child, they would have been asleep long ago, right?" Tang Ran asked Grandpa Song with a frown.

"The police are already investigating, but there's been little progress," said Mr. Song.

He also felt that something was amiss.

But he has rarely gone back over the years. Apart from his relatives, he doesn't have much contact with the villagers, let alone have any enemies or grudges with anyone.

Old Master Song really couldn't imagine who would deliberately set fire to their house.

There were no surveillance cameras in the village, and the police investigated for several days but found no useful clues, making it impossible to confirm whether it was just children being naughty or someone deliberately setting the fire.

Tang Ran observed Song Wuqi discreetly. Song Wuqi's expression remained unchanged, and he showed no sign of guilt.

She had a gut feeling that the fire must be related to Song Wuqi, but the private investigator had not yet found any clues.

No one spoke in the living room for a moment.

Song Zhixu squeezed Tang Ran's hand, breaking the silence, and said, "Perhaps it was just an accident."

Grandpa Song nodded, then changed the subject, asking Song Zhixu, "Did you go to the company today?"

"Um."

"You should still prioritize your health," Old Master Song advised.

Having experienced a serious illness, he understands the importance of physical health even more.

The two chatted about company matters for a while, and Song Wuqi interjected, "Auntie, I heard that the company is in contact with people from Gonghua Technology?"

Song Zhixu nodded.

After learning about the collaboration between Chip+ and Blue Whale, Mr. Wang has already contacted Gonghua Technology.

“I know a friend who has some connections with the founder of Gonghua Technology. She can act as our go-between and negotiate with Gonghua Technology,” Song Wuqi said.

Song Zhixu didn't speak. She raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Song Wuqi with a scrutinizing gaze.

Gonghua Technology has an unspeakable background, and the friend that Song Wuqi mentioned who could persuade its founder is probably no ordinary person.

Song Wuqi looked slightly nervous, but he didn't show any panic or unease despite Song Zhixu's scrutiny.

Grandpa Song looked at her with more satisfaction and praise; his granddaughter was indeed much more mature and composed than before.

Song Zhixu didn't ask any further questions, but simply said, "I'll tell President Wang that you'll be jointly responsible for the liaison with Gonghua Technology."

"Okay." Song Wuqi's face lit up with joy.

Gonghua Technology.

Upon hearing the name again, Tang Ran suddenly had a vague recollection of it.

In the previous life, it seems that the Song family acquired Gonghua Technology.

However, in his previous life, Song Wuqi was busy with the renovation project of Rongcheng Ancient Town and did not participate in the acquisition of the chip company.

Song Wuqi's phone rang.

She glanced at it, picked up her phone, got up from the sofa, took two steps toward the side room, and then answered the call.

As she watched her departing figure, something flashed through Tang Ran's mind.