Chapter 33 Li Li was treated as if it were perfectly natural by Tan Su…

Li Li was so infuriated by Tan Su's matter-of-fact attitude that she laughed. She asked, "Why should I?"

"My brother is handling my resignation and handover. What gives you the right to order me around like that?"

Tan Su interrupted her: "Do you still remember?"

"Shall I take you to G City as a farewell gift?"

Seeing Li Li's suspicious look, he asked coaxingly, "Guess who we were originally going to see that day?"

Li Li thought of something, and her face turned pale for a moment.

Tan Su nodded, confirming her guess: "Yes. My grandfather has been recuperating in G City since his surgery."

"Back then, you were making a fuss about quitting. I thought, since you're already leaving, I'll grant your wish this once. Let you see him in person and stop clinging to the delusion of helping Tan Yi turn things around. Unfortunately, I changed my mind at the last minute."

Tan Su said, "Because that day, Tan Congxu's car was following behind."

He took in Li Li's bewilderment and shock, and said in an "I see" tone, "It seems that it wasn't you who revealed my whereabouts to him."

“That means there are other people,” he pondered. “That makes things a bit tricky.”

Li Li had no intention of getting entangled with him about this. She asked eagerly, "Can I see Grandpa now?"

Tan Su laughed at her naiveté and said, "Now? Of course not."

"The accounts between Tan Congxu and me have not yet been settled, so it is inconvenient to trouble the old man."

Tan Su now has the upper hand, and he has no reason to gamble on Tan Huiming's intentions under the current circumstances.

As people get older and experience life and death on the operating table, they develop an extra layer of compassion.

But as he sees it, he is a very good angler, and just when Li Li was already disheartened, he released the tempting bait.

He assured him confidently, "You will definitely see him."

"And Tan Yi..."

The slender wrist in his hand was as smooth as satin, a testament to his extremely high status. Tan Su's fingertips brushed against her pounding pulse as he confidently added, "I will no longer forbid them from entering the mainland. They can do business, buy property, and work. You can tell them this good news. How about it?"

"Accompany me to a business dinner tomorrow; this is not treating you unfairly."

——

Last night, Li Li finally received a call from Tan Yi. He was lying on the deck, his voice carried by the night breeze of the harbor, sounding extremely calm.

He apologized to Li Li, saying he shouldn't have become suspicious because of the rampant rumors at the company, and that those unfounded accusations had damaged their relationship. It was his jealousy that caused him to speak recklessly that night at the hotel.

He said, "I'm sorry."

But whether or not to apologize is no longer the primary concern at this point. Li Li saw the news but was unaware of the power struggle between the two sides. She asked, "Is there any room for maneuver in this matter, Tan Yi?"

Tan Yi said, "No."

Li Li was speechless: "Is the situation really that bad?"

"yes."

"What should we do now?" she asked him anxiously. "How much money are you short? Let me see if I can think of a way. I still have assets, and my parents have shares held on my behalf and dividends..."

“It’s not about money now, Kitty.”

Tan Yi said bitterly, "Tan Su has Huisheng's Achilles' heel. If we can't go public as promised, my father and I will face astronomical compensation for the bet. Our only option now is to withdraw our shares as soon as possible and recoup our losses."

"No one can guarantee our safe exit except for Tan Su."

Li Li knew how painful it would be for Tan Yi, with his proud personality, to bow down and admit defeat to Tan Su at this moment.

She blurted out, "My brother said he would send me back to school."

"Tan Yi, perhaps you should put aside what you're doing now, and we can go out together."

The response from the other end of the phone was a soft chuckle from Tan Yi: "And then?"

"What?"

"We left together, and then what?"

Tan Yi saw through Li Li's plan: "You're going to push all the mess onto my dad and then run away with you? Is that what you're going to do?"

Li Li remained silent. Although she favored Uncle Tan over Tan Congxu and Tan Su, the business world was like a battlefield, and given how things had come to this, she only wanted to protect Tan Yi.

Tan Yi said, "From a very young age, my father told me to be obedient and sensible in front of my grandfather, so that one day we would be able to recognize our ancestors. This is his wish that he has held onto for fifty years."

"Little cat, perhaps in other people's eyes he's old, in an awkward position, and indulging in wishful thinking, but I'm his son, and I understand."

"You can't understand this lifelong desire to gain your father's approval."

Tears streamed down Li Li's face as she questioned into the phone, "Are these things really more important than me? Tan Yi, are you really more important than us being happy every day?"

Tan Yi was silent for a moment, then forced a smile: "Perhaps one day my grandfather will truly pass away, and all these hopes will disappear completely from their source. I will."

But right now, he definitely wouldn't go with her. Li Li understood.

She sat on the bed, wiped away her tears, and said dejectedly, "Then what else can I do? How can I help you?"

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before a faint voice came through: "Tan Su, he wants to see you."

"Why?"

Tan Yi said, "I don't know."

At this moment, Li Li thought that she finally understood Tan Su's way of dealing with people. He manipulated others, not only killing and plundering, but also destroying their spirit.

Once you sit at the gambling table, he always has a trick up his sleeve that will keep you from leaving.

He gave Tan Congxu and his son hope that they could get away unscathed from this matter, so of course they were unwilling to admit defeat and leave the scene directly, it was that simple.

——

The social engagement Tan Su mentioned was a dinner party for the financial industry, which Xie Zongfang also attended and entered with them.

She didn't attend these high-society banquets often, and Li Li had no interest in socializing for Tan Su. She was just an expressionless accessory to him, only smiling and drinking occasionally when needed.

Tan Su was not angry at her coldness. Instead, he introduced her to Ms. Wan, the person in charge of the S City Stock Exchange Charity Foundation, with great interest.

Ms. Wan invited him to an event a month or so later, and Tan Su jokingly said, "Would it be convenient for me to get another invitation? Ms. Li is also very interested in these charity fundraising events. A few years ago, her personal painting was auctioned for $100,000 at a dinner themed on rare childhood disease research at the S City Charity Foundation."

Ms. Wan remembered that event from back then, so she immediately became friendly towards Li Li and asked with surprise, "Really? I also attended that event. Do you know Ms. Li's name?"

Xie Zongfang introduced him from the side: "This is my beloved general..."

Li Li extended her hand and politely shook hands with Mrs. Wan: "I am Li Li, the granddaughter of Wan Jing Li Pusheng and Tan Yi's girlfriend."

Xie Zongfang's smile faltered for a moment. He had heard some rumors about Tan Su and Li Li in the company. Knowing that her family background was very prestigious and that the two were well-matched, he had always been happy to see them get together.

This was the first time he had learned of Li Li's other identity—that she was Tan Yi's girlfriend.

Even though she was there as Tan Su's companion.

Li Li was not afraid. In such situations, she had to save face for Tan Yi so that others would not forget or look down on his existence.

The other person had never heard of Tan Yi's name before, and hesitated for a moment, unsure whether it would be impolite to continue asking.

Tan Su smiled and explained, "Tan Yi is my younger brother."

Ms. Wan smiled knowingly and said, "So it turns out the younger brother wasn't around, so the older brother stepped in to act as her protector."

Tan Su agreed, and Li Li looked up at him defiantly. Tan Su smiled, but seemed unconcerned.

Li Li sipped her wine, little by little, until it added up. She left Tan Su behind and went to the balcony outside the venue to get some fresh air.

Her evening gown was thin and couldn't keep out the winter wind, but it was still better than facing a crowd of people like Tan Su.

She thought that Tan Su's sense of superiority was not only about insulting Tan Yi, but also about belittling himself.

He treated her as a decorative object, as an accessory, to do the social things that women should do on his behalf, but Li Li refused to do as he wished.

The sliding door behind me opened briefly amidst a cacophony of voices, then quickly closed behind me again.

Li Li turned around. The full moon in the sky provided excellent lighting, and the moonlight evenly smeared her exposed skin, making it look as flawless as the glaze of porcelain.

Her gaze was wary, while Tan Su looked down at a creamy white pearl stud dangling from Li Li's thin earlobe, which had turned white from the cold wind.

Tan Su: "Running away to slack off?"

Li Li retorted, "Who says I have to be inseparable from you?"

He chuckled: "You little rascal who turns her back on you. Didn't you promise me so confidently when we went to Singapore that you'd go wherever I went?"

Perhaps it was the alcohol that drove his male instincts, but Tan Su's teasing tone was somewhat inappropriately intimate.

He sensed an unusual activity and excitement in his brain from Li Li's wary expression. The pleasure derived from this stimulation far surpassed the rapidly changing percentages in the stock market or the dazzling returns in a presentation slide.

He realized early on that he was unusually tolerant of the girl in front of him. At first, it might have been because of her family background, but soon he found her transgressions and boldness quite amusing.

Everyone around me is too rational and indifferent; a person who disregards the rules and is reckless and fearless is much more endearing.

Like a traveler who has been wandering in the wind and snow, seeing a blazing fire, reaching out and feeling its scorching warmth.

Even if that fire wasn't initially lit for myself.

Does it matter?

Thinking this, Tan Su actually reached out his hand. To Li Li's astonishment, his palm passed over her slender shoulder blade, seemed to be hooked by her short hair, paused in mid-air for a moment, and then landed on the railing behind him.

There was no physical contact, yet it was blatantly crossing the line.

They knew perfectly well what was going on.

Tan Su said, "It's so windy outside, aren't you cold, Li Xiaomao?"

Li Li bit her lip, staring at him with resentment: "You're not allowed to call me that, Tan Su. If you take another step closer, I'll have my brother kill you."

“Really?” he said.

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Laughing out loud] Update!

When I woke up in the middle of the night, background music kept playing in my head.

[I Want to Possess You] Accusefive

When I searched for lyrics while writing this morning, it was so similar to Tan Da's lyrics.