Chapter 80 Going Home "...Can we...not break up?"...

The contract was finally signed smoothly, and Tang Yi will return to City A this afternoon.

God knows how busy yet empty he endured a week, getting out of bed alone every day and going to work by himself. He clung to the boring Li Group and Zhao Li every day, and because of some unpleasant feeling, he accelerated his acquisition negotiations, as if he wanted to put them to death in one fell swoop.

Life without Tang Yi became dull and repetitive. The only thing that retained Tang Yi's presence was the off-white blanket on the back of the sofa.

One sleepless night, Zhang Minglang got up, walked to the sofa, sat down to drink water, and unintentionally touched the soft touch behind him.

Zhang Minglang reached out and pulled the blanket in front of him, holding it in his hands for a long time before, as if he had finally come to his senses, he carefully and slowly buried his face in it.

Like a believer who is sincerely praying.

Now that the blanket's owner was going home, Zhang Minglang was instantly filled with energy. In a good mood, he told his colleagues to leave before it was time to go home, while he went home early, turned on the heater that hadn't been turned on in a long time, and carefully hung up his suit jacket.

He had already arranged for a housekeeper to clean the house, and when he entered the house, the floor was so shiny that not a single cat hair could be seen.

Zhang Minglang hummed a song as he opened the refrigerator, and Xiaobai wandered around his ankles. He had unusually given it a can of food for dinner.

"Because of your mother, remember to give her a good hug later, understand?"

He stroked its head, and the only response was the sound of the canned food being licked by the little white dog again and again.

Zhang Minglang got up and went to the kitchen with satisfaction. He rolled up his long-sleeved shirt, tied on an apron, washed his hands, and took out a kitchen knife.

He wanted to cook a meal for Tang Yi himself.

As the steak hit the pan, sizzling oil splashed onto his arm, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, his mind filled only with blissful elation.

Tang Yi is going home.

Go back to their home.

Their home?

While staring at the steak in the pot, Zhang Minglang was secretly making plans.

It's about time to start picking a good location and buying a house for our wedding, right?

The location must be expensive, the property management and services must be reliable, but it must also be close to the company so that it is convenient for Tang Yi and him to get to work.

The air must be fresh, and the villa must have a small garden. Tang Yi likes to plant some flowers and plants when she has free time, and Xiao Bai can also have a place to stroll around.

There should be some leisure and entertainment venues nearby, preferably a bar or something similar, as Tang Yi likes bartending...

So it seems that Tang Yi has been incredibly busy lately, with all sorts of things going on at the company leaving her no time to mix drinks.

Besides, as long as that guy from last time, who was incredibly immature in both appearance and behavior, is still partnering with Heaven, Tang Yi will inevitably face risks if she goes.

He recalled that chaotic and terrifying night and resolved never to let Tommy fall into such danger again. He couldn't stop Tommy from doing what she wanted, but he could do his best to remove any obstacles that could be removed for her.

Thinking this, Zhang Minglang turned off the stove, moved the steak from the pan to a plate, wiped his hands, and dialed Cheng He's number.

After finishing his conversation with him, Zhang Minglang hung up the phone, switched to his chat history with Tang Yi, and opened the flight information she had sent. He was landing at 7:20 PM and should be home around 8 PM.

He needed to hurry. Zhang Minglang put down his phone and focused on grilling the steak, plating it, and pouring red wine. He even found a few white candles in a corner of the kitchen. To create a better atmosphere for dinner, he spent a lot of time figuring out how to light the candles and place them on the table.

With everything ready, it was past six o'clock when Zhang Minglang personally drove to the airport.

A bouquet of flowers he had specially ordered before coming home was placed in the passenger seat. He knew Tang Yi liked white lilies.

He was so cheerful all the way that even the traffic lights seemed to yield to him. He got through every green light without stopping for a single second.

Therefore, he didn't have time to notice that Assistant Zhou's phone was flashing incessantly on the screen of his phone under the flowers in the passenger seat.

The car sped to the airport entrance, where Zhang Minglang slammed on the brakes and stopped. He reached for his phone to check the time, and the lock screen displayed over a dozen missed calls from Assistant Zhou and Chairman Zhang.

Zhang Minglang frowned, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

He swiped his phone, and all the work groups on WeChat were buzzing with activity. Zhang Minglang only glanced at them briefly, seeing comments like "So that's the kind of person he is," and "I never would have guessed."

His doubts deepened, and without thinking of anything else, he immediately called Assistant Zhou back.

The other party answered immediately.

"Mr. Zhang, you finally answered the phone!" Before he could even ask anything, he heard Assistant Zhou's anxious voice on the other end of the line, "Secretary Tang is in trouble!"

Six words slammed into his heart with a resounding thud. Zhang Minglang's grip on the steering wheel tightened abruptly, but his voice was chillingly calm: "Explain yourself. What's wrong?"

"A candid photo has surfaced online showing you and Tang Mi shopping in a mall, holding hands with a child. Now many media outlets are saying... that you and Tang Mi have an improper relationship, and even that you secretly had a child..."

Zhang Minglang gripped his phone so tightly his fingers turned white, and his whole body turned icy cold. His earlier excitement vanished in an instant.

His mind raced, and he logically instructed Assistant Zhou:

“Tang Yi is on the plane and probably doesn’t know anything yet. You need to contact the legal and public relations departments immediately and initiate emergency procedures. Also, compile a complete list of all the employees in the work group who are spreading rumors without knowing the full story. Propose to issue a statement prohibiting discussion.”

As Assistant Zhou took notes, he felt a chill run down his spine.

The moment he saw the news, he found it absurd and unbelievable. In all the years he had followed President Zhang, from the branch office to the head office, President Zhang had never been involved in any messy or scandalous rumors.

He listened to Li Da and Tang Jiaxin's group betting all the time that President Zhang and Secretary Tang were natural enemies, and over time he was also influenced by this kind of thinking.

However, Zhang Minglang's overly quick and calm reaction at this moment made him waver for the first time.

It can't be... that President Zhang and Secretary Tang are really dating?

Although Junmao's legal and public relations departments are among the best in the industry, these media outlets seemed to have been pre-arranged, quickly and systematically reposting, explaining, and disseminating the information on various platforms, spreading the news far and wide.

Fang Zhen rode her electric scooter to a restaurant. While waiting for her food, she habitually opened a short video app and came across a video without any hashtag. The video showed a cake shop where a man and a woman were sitting with a child in between, with a small piece of cake in the middle.

Xu Xiaoxiao, who was already lounging on the sofa at home, received a picture from her father, asking if it was her good friend. Xu Xiaoxiao clicked on it blankly, and saw a picture of a man and a woman leading a little girl towards a shopping mall.

Tang Jiaxin was scrolling through her phone on the subway during her commute home when a news article popped up: "Junmao CEO's private life is chaotic; he met with his secretary at night and accompanied her to play with her child." She frowned and clicked on it.

From every angle and in every location, the main characters in the story are none other than Zhang Minglang and Tang Yi.

Before Tang Jiaxin could finish reading, she was drawn to the 99+ message notifications in the "Gossip Squad" group chat.

The group chat had already exploded with excitement.

[What the hell? They were supposed to have a blood feud, how come they're already having a child so secretly?]

I had a feeling something was wrong a long time ago.

Oh my god, my salary is in jeopardy! I should never have made that bet with you guys!

Actually, no matter what, President Zhang and Secretary Tang are a good match...

Many colleagues remained silent, adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

A series of thoughts flashed through Tang Jiaxin's mind, and she tapped on the black cat photo from Zhang Minglang's WeChat Moments that she had specially saved in her phone's photo album. She zoomed in with two fingers to examine it closely, and finally found the source of that familiarity.

Tang Jiaxin suddenly raised her head.

Isn't this the black cat that Tang Yi was carrying when she bumped into her at the pet store?

No wonder it looked familiar; it's because she had actually seen it before and even petted it.

What was originally a nonsensical and absurd news suddenly became real.

But she still couldn't believe that Secretary Tang, who had been so composed and professional all these years, could possibly be the kind of person who would stop at nothing for power and status, as described by these news reports and marketing accounts.

Thinking this, Tang Jiaxin angrily typed rapidly in the team's group chat. The moment the message was sent, several messages popped up on the other end almost simultaneously.

[Tang Jiaxin: Stop spreading rumors! Do you have any conscience? Could Tang Jiaxin really be that kind of person? How can you believe such rubbish news?]

[Fang Zhenzhen: Everyone, please stop spreading rumors! What these marketing accounts are saying is completely fabricated!]

[May your fortune flourish: What kind of nonsense is this?]

Several people stepped forward to calm everyone down, and the group achieved a temporary semblance of calm.

The announcement, issued on the company's official website, stated that Junmao internally strongly opposes the smear campaign, rumors, and defamation against the company's president and related employees, and will pursue legal action. The legal department followed suit with a similar statement.

Tang Yi was completely unaware of the upheaval. She was dragging her tired body, exhausted from her business trip, and pulling her suitcase as she walked out.

She booked her flight home almost immediately after finishing her work. Her phone wasn't fully charged, and she didn't dare use it much on the road, so she simply stuffed it in her bag and didn't look at it.

Zhang Minglang had promised to pick her up at the airport, so although she was physically exhausted, she felt exceptionally cheerful and relaxed. She carried an elegant tie bag, imagining Zhang Minglang's reaction when she handed it to him.

She rushed back without a break, just so she could see him as soon as possible.

For some reason, the airport terminal was unusually noisy and bustling at this time of day. Before she even stepped out of the passageway, she could see many men and women around her holding microphones with various media names on them. They were craning their necks and looking around, as if waiting to interview someone.

Tang Yi glanced at it once and looked away, silently guessing that there might be a celebrity on the same flight as her.

Tang Yi had just passed the corridor entrance along the edge when she felt her arm being pulled. She lost her footing and fell into a firm embrace.

Tang Yi's heart skipped a beat, and just as she was about to cry out, she heard a voice that was all too familiar.

"Shh, Tang Yi, it's me."

Her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, finally settled, but the lingering tension turned into a slight annoyance. Tang Yi turned her head and punched Zhang Minglang hard, gritting her teeth, "What are you doing? Is this how you joke around?"

Zhang Minglang held her elbow with his large hand, letting her do whatever she wanted. He lowered his head, carefully observing her eyes and face, his mind filled with countless thoughts and anxieties, but in the end, he said nothing.

She seemed exactly the same as usual. Could it be that she didn't know what had happened?

Tang Yi noticed his strange expression and keenly sensed that something was wrong. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and she took a small step forward, her voice lowering, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Minglang carefully observed her reaction, and finally lowered his eyes, reached out and took her slender wrist, saying, "I'll tell you when we get in the car, now come with me."

A uniformed manager walked respectfully to their side and stopped, saying, "Mr. Zhang, the car is ready outside the VIP lane."

The male protagonist gestured with his chin toward Tang Yiyang behind him: "This lady is with me. I don't want any mishaps, so make sure the passageway is completely clear."

The person in charge nodded repeatedly: "Understood, please rest assured."

Before Tang Yi could react to what was happening, he inexplicably grabbed her wrist and followed her out of the airport through the VIP channel.

As soon as Tang Yi stepped out the door, Zhang Minglang pulled her into the car. The car drove around the airport gate, passing a car she knew all too well. However, the car was already surrounded by several people who looked like reporters, who kept looking up at her.

Tang Yi frowned, turned her head, and asked the man sitting next to her, "Isn't that your car? Why is someone there...?"

"Tang Yi, shall we go back and talk?" Zhang Minglang interrupted her, his voice sounding like a sigh. He then looked up at the driver.

Zhang Minglang is now certain that Tang Yi is completely unaware of this matter, but he still hasn't figured out how to explain it to her.

The cause and effect couldn't be simpler; he knew exactly what he was running away from and what he was afraid of.

Tang Yi glanced at the driver in front of her, who was driving silently and focused on the road, and realized that she had been a little too hasty.

But she was completely bewildered as he pulled her into the car. The warm and joyful reunion she had envisioned after the short separation was shattered, and a sense of unease rose in her heart.

Tang Yi suppressed the slight sense of disappointment that was rising in her heart and reached into her bag for her phone. Zhang Minglang reacted quickly, reaching out to press her hand down from her bag.

Zhang Minglang looked at her, his tone even pleading: "Don't look yet, okay?"

Tang Yi was completely enraged. The fatigue from the continuous business trip, the dizziness and tinnitus that hadn't subsided after landing, and Zhang Minglang's cryptic attitude and behavior since she got off the plane made her, who rarely showed any emotion, want to lose her temper for the first time.

But she still had a sliver of reason. Still mindful of the driver in front of her, she simply chose to keep quiet, crossed her arms, and turned to look out the window, as if she didn't want to communicate anymore.

The car was parked not too close to the entrance of Tang Yi's residential complex, and the two got out. Tang Yi slammed the car door shut and reached for her luggage in the trunk, only to find that the suitcase was already in Zhang Minglang's hands.

The driver drove away, leaving only a trail of exhaust fumes behind.

Tang Yi reached out to take the suitcase back, but Zhang Minglang dodged her by pushing her arm behind him.

"Give it back to me. This is my suitcase." Tang Yi reached out and grabbed the cold handle of the suitcase. She looked up, and a gust of wind blew, ruffling her stubborn hair.

Zhang Minglang said, "I'll help you carry it."

"Zhang Minglang, aren't you going to tell me what happened? I listened to you and didn't check my phone. I'm waiting for you to tell me now."

Tang Yi finished speaking to him in one breath, her chest rising and falling with each word.

Zhang Minglang's tightly clenched hand suddenly loosened. He was about to look up and say something when Tang Yi caught a glimpse of Xu Xiaoxiao's call on the phone in her hand.

She looked up at Zhang Minglang, then looked down to answer the phone and held it to her ear.

"Hey, Xiaoxiao." Tang Yi's voice was low because she had just been confronting Zhang Minglang.

Hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao on the other end naturally assumed that she had already seen the news. She stammered for a while before finally asking, "Um, are you alright?"

Hearing this abrupt question, Tang Yi's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. She glanced thoughtfully at Zhang Minglang, who was staring intently at her, before slowly asking, "I just got off the plane and haven't checked my phone yet. What's wrong?"

"You didn't know? Zhang Minglang didn't tell you?" Xu Xiaoxiao's voice instantly rose several octaves. "That guy isn't trying to let this go, is he? I'm going to rush over there right now and find out what's going on. What's the meaning of this? Trying to hide something so important..."

Before Xu Xiao could finish her joke, Zhang Minglang stepped forward and took Tang Yi's phone. He held the receiver to his ear, his voice deep and serious: "I'm right next to Tang Yi, don't worry. I'll tell her myself. I won't let this go, and I won't let it slide. I will definitely give her an explanation."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Minglang handed it back to Tang Yi, looking directly into her eyes as if he had made up his mind: "Tang Yi, we were secretly filmed. The other party came prepared, arranging for countless self-media outlets to repost and spread rumors, saying... very nasty things, and even arranged for reporters to block you at the airport. I don't know how they found out my license plate, they even blocked my car."

Zhang Minglang paused, unwilling to continue. He saw Tang Yi's brows relax, but her face instantly lost all color, turning pale, like the withered leaves that drifted in the wind and then gently fell on the road beside them.

-

The door was pushed open, and a warm, cozy breeze wafted out of the house.

Tang Yi looked up blankly at the living room, and Zhang Minglang followed closely behind, closing the door to keep out the cold air. He explained in a low voice, "I just went out to pick you up, and I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't turn off the heater."

He reached out and helped Tang Yi take off her heavy camel-colored overcoat, which he then hung together with his black suit jacket.

Zhang Minglang selfishly lowered Tang Yi's coat a little, trying to make his oversized coat look like it completely covered her coat.

Tang Yi walked weakly to the sofa, sat down, took a pillow and put it on her lap, buried her head in her arms, and seemed to be thinking about something.

The atmosphere in the room had never been so stiff and silent.

Zhang Minglang stubbornly pulled open his suit jacket, trying to pull the slightly small camel coat tighter. Tang Yi occasionally brushed the hair that was falling in front of her forehead upwards, and finally simply lay back against the soft sofa back.

Zhang Minglang really didn't want them to remain silent like this, and he didn't want to see Tang Yi in a difficult position. He put down the piece of clothing he was holding, dragged his feet to the carpet in front of Tang Yi, knelt down on one knee, and looked into her eyes.

"Tang Yi, listen to me. I've hired the best PR and legal teams, and they're already handling it. Are you willing? If you're willing to go public... If not, I will..."

His words were illogical, and Tang Yi struggled to extract key words from his inverted sentences to understand them. However, her confused expression led Zhang Minglang to misunderstand, making him even more anxious.

He took a big step forward with the leg he was supporting, while his kneeling leg rubbed against the carpet. He reached out and hugged Tang Yi's calf, pressing his face against her knee, his voice suddenly dropping several octaves.

"What?" Tang Yi didn't hear his words, so she leaned closer.

Zhang Minglang suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with pleading and urgency: "Tang Yi, believe me, I can definitely solve this, but can you please promise me...?"

His voice faltered, his throat tightening from the air he inhaled with his rapid breathing. Zhang Minglang frowned, trying to swallow the discomfort, his voice dry and trembling: "...Can we...not break up?"

Tang Yi was stunned.

Seeing her lack of response, Zhang Minglang felt a burning desire in his chest. He simply reached out and pulled Tang Yi's neck down, his lips trembling as he pressed them against hers, his voice breaking as he repeated, "I don't want to break up with you, Tang Yi, I don't want to..."

Tang Yi was pulled off the sofa by his sudden movement. She couldn't dodge in time and was lifted up from her knees, sitting sideways between his legs.

Zhang Minglang continued to kiss her frantically and haphazardly, as if he would tear her apart and devour her if she said "break up."

Tang Yi punched his back with her fists and pinched him with her fingernails, but then let go because she was afraid of hurting him.

Her resistance caused Zhang Minglang to lie back, and the two figures overlapped on the ground, with the woman on top of the man. Zhang Minglang's hand was still supporting the back of her head, but his lips never left hers.

All her actions of pushing him away were rationalized by Zhang Minglang as meaning "wanting to break up".

He pulled her closer and kissed her more urgently, blocking her lips and tongue, trying to transfer the word "breakup" from her mouth to his own, then chew it down so that she could never say those two words again.

Tang Yi was having trouble breathing, her mind was in a mess, and her resistance was futile. Ignoring whether he was in pain or not, she bit his lip hard.

Dark red liquid gushed out, and Zhang Minglang was startled by the sudden pain, causing him to loosen his grip. Tang Yi quickly seized the opportunity, supporting herself on his chest as she tried to get up. He reached out and wiped his lips with his finger, revealing a smear of blood on his fingertip.

Zhang Minglang looked up at Tang Yi, whose eyes were red, hair was messy, and who was breathing heavily and trying to escape. He lifted his leg and hooked her, intending to chase after her and continue.

However, before he could get close to her, he felt a gust of wind rush against his left cheek, followed by a crisp sound. His face suddenly burned, followed by a searing pain.

Zhang Minglang covered his face in a daze, then turned his head in surprise.

He was slapped hard by Tang Yi.

Tang Yi was still sitting on his waist and hadn't gotten up. The hand that had slapped him was still in front of her, trembling slightly along with her eyelashes and her whole body.