Chapter 3 Charter 03 This is just a deal,...
As dusk settled, Xie Tang carried the groceries into the alleyway.
The old woman selling flowers had only one bunch of rimmed carnations left in her bamboo basket, the edges of the petals tinged with the color of the sunset—the kind my mother loved most.
The motion-sensor lights in the hallway turned on one after another, and the sound of the evening news leaked out from under the door.
This old house from the 1990s has long been mortgaged to the bank, and the demolition notice is posted at the entrance of the building.
"Ah Tang is back?" Xie Shuang, wearing an apron, peeked out from the kitchen and saw her daughter pruning the flowers.
The crimson petals reminded her of the sea of flowers in the courtyard of her old home, where the summer night breeze carried fragrance into the gauze window.
"You bought flowers again?" Xie Shuang put down the bowl and took out her hand to tease the petals. "They're so beautiful. You must have spent a lot of money again."
My mother is always calculating the costs: chemotherapy fees, hospitalization fees, targeted drugs... every number feels like a barb piercing her flesh.
And now, all of these will become mere zeros on the checkbook.
"We're closing up shop. This is all we have, and it's only ten yuan. You..." Xie Tang pushed the glass bottle to the center of the table.
"That's a good deal."
Xie Tang went to the kitchen, brought the food to the table, and then brought bowls and chopsticks to serve rice and soup.
The two sat down at the small square table. Xie Shuang smiled as she looked at the flowers, then at Xie Tang: "You don't look well. Have you been too busy to rest properly again?"
If it weren't for her illness, she wouldn't have had to shoulder the burden of life so early, and wouldn't even dare to date.
"It's alright." Xie Tang took a sip of soup.
Amidst the rising steam, she noticed the new gray hairs at her mother's temples.
This woman, who once shone on the podium, has now lost her sharpness due to illness and the passage of time, and even her eyes are filled with caution.
Just like when she insisted on marrying Qin Ruhai back then, her grandfather slammed his fist on the table and said, "You'll regret this!"
What happened next? She lost the bet.
The money they gave them during the divorce was like throwing money at a beggar, and now they can't even keep this old house.
"Mom, eat more fish." Xie Tang's hands were steady as she picked up the food.
The lawyer's fees for Xu Rui's case, plus that ten million, are enough to cover her mother's medical treatment.
-----------------
The following day, Xie Tang received a call from Qin Ruhai.
"Your aunt and I have moved out." Qin Ruhai's voice was like a dull knife cutting flesh, each word carrying lingering anger.
Xie Tang gazed at the neon lights outside the window, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.
In order to curry favor with the Chu family, this President Qin acted swiftly and decisively.
However, she couldn't understand why the Chu family would agree to a marriage alliance with the Qin family.
With Cisco's fortunes declining, what resources does the Chu family desire?
"Tomorrow, the Chu family's driver will pick you up. Go see Chu Song first." The breathing on the other end of the line suddenly became heavier.
Xie Tang slowly flipped through the case file. "Where are the villa keys? Please hand them to my mother personally."
"Xie Tang!" Qin Ruhai suddenly raised his voice, "Don't push your luck! If you marry into the Chu family, you'll still have to rely on the Qin family for support!"
"Five hundred thousand. That's more than the allowance you give your son and daughter every year, isn't it?" she suddenly said. "When you used this little bit of money to get rid of my mother back then, did you ever think that you'd be asking me for a favor today? Did you really think my mother was easy to bully, and that I was easy to bully too?"
A dull thud, like a heavy object hitting the ground, came from the other end of the phone.
"Fine! Very well!" Qin Ruhai laughed in anger, "He really is my child!"
Xie Tang lowered her eyes, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips: "Yes, thanks to your 'teaching by example'."
After hanging up the phone, she placed it face down on the table.
Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink.
-----------------
On the day she was to meet Chu Song, Xie Tang got up early and repeatedly adjusted her clothes in front of the mirror.
The fair-skinned boy she met when she was six years old is now just a blurry shadow in her memory. More than a decade has passed, and she has no idea what awaits her now, yet she has no way out.
The Chu family's car arrived downstairs on time, and her tense profile was reflected in the car window.
The glass curtain wall of the Huasong Building reflects a cold light, and looking up at its 55th floor, one feels a sense of oppression.
As soon as they entered the lobby, Tong Lan walked in, wearing high heels, with Fu Xiu beside her. Both of them were Chu Song's special assistants.
Inside the elevator, Tong Lan's gaze swept over Xie Tang.
Xie Tang stared at the fluctuating numbers, pondering the losses in Cisco's financial report and Qin Wu's scandal.
The elevator takes you directly to the top floor, where a Persian handmade carpet is slowly laid out, leading to an ebony door.
In the office, Tong Lan informed Chu Song that there was an impromptu meeting and Fu Xiu would first confirm the details of the agreement.
Fu Xiu unfolded the prenuptial agreement, which was at least three centimeters thick, with densely packed clauses.
Xie Tang skimmed through the text, her fingertip lingering on the "post-marital obligations" clause. She chuckled, "These are such overbearing clauses; even if you have objections, you can't change them, can you?"
Fu Xiu said expressionlessly, "This is a guarantee for both sides."
Xie Tang looked up and smiled: "What if I refuse to sign?"
Fu Xiu closed the folder: "The Chu family will withdraw its 500 million investment in Cisco Group. This morning, the stock price has already fallen below the issue price."
Five hundred million yuan.
It turns out that Qin Ruhai wanted her to marry Chu Song because he was betting the fate of the group on this marriage.
Xie Tang looked out the window. The Cisco Group headquarters building looked like a reef that would be swallowed up by the times, where his grandfather's life's work was tied.
She picked up the pen and signed her name on the last page of the agreement, her handprint penetrating the paper.
“Remember,” Fu Xiu said, adjusting his glasses as he appreciated Xie Tang’s professionalism, “this is just a transaction, Attorney Xie, don’t take it too seriously.”
Xie Tang understood his unspoken meaning—don't take the act too seriously.
She nodded. "Three years from now, will the payment be settled?"
"yes!"
A deep voice came from the doorway. Chu Song entered against the light, his suit tailored to accentuate his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The small mole on his nose made Xie Tang's breath catch in her throat.
The figure handing out tissues at the airport four years ago is now overlapping with the person in front of me.
Is it that person? Or is it Chu Song?
"Xie Tang," he called to her, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Long time no see."
Memories surge like a tide.
That year, she was curled up in a corner of the airport, crying her heart out, when he passed by and handed her a tissue. Now, this same man wants to sign a contractual marriage with her.
Xie Tang was stunned.
Chu Song approached, casting a shadow over him. "What? Don't you remember me?"
Xie Tang was still in a daze, not yet pulled out of her memories. Which one of him did she remember?
The gentle and taciturn boy from childhood?
Is it the man who handed me tissues at the airport?
She never forgot any of them.
only……
Chu Song sat down on the sofa, exuding an aura as imposing as a mountain.
He was completely different from the gentle and polite little boy I remembered.
Tong Lan brought over coffee.
Xie Tang asked him, "Was that you at the airport five years ago?"
Chu Song tilted her head, looking puzzled. What nonsense was she talking about?
When they met at the airport, he recognized Xie Tang at a glance, but she didn't recognize him.
He even gave her his phone number, but she never called him.
This made him a little unhappy.
Xie Tang, unaware of his thoughts, continued, "We met at the airport, and you helped me..."
Chu Song remained silent.
Xie Tang was somewhat disappointed; it seemed he had truly forgotten.
She took a sip of coffee; it was black coffee without sugar, and it was so bitter that she frowned.
After Chu Song dismissed Tong Lan and Fu Xiu, he leaned over and asked her, "A-Tang...may I call you that?"
Xie Tang nodded, and said cautiously, "Okay, President Chu."
"So distant? Are you afraid of me?"
Xie Tang looked up, her heart pounding: "I'm not... I'm not afraid of you."
She stared at the small mole on the tip of her nose, the scent of sandalwood lingering around her, unsure whether it was real or an illusion.
He has really changed a lot; he's not as approachable anymore.
"Ah Tang, it's very impolite of you to just stare at me without saying anything."
Xie Tang blushed and looked away, saying, "I'm sorry."
Chu Song glanced at his watch. "I called you here today for two reasons: first, to meet you, and second, to find out if you have any requests?"
"Requirements?" Xie Tang asked, puzzled. "You mean..."
Chu Song picked up his coffee, but the aroma of oat milk made him frown. He put down the cup and said seriously, "You can ask for anything after marriage: living expenses, living environment, or anything you need me to do for you. As long as it's not excessive."
"Oh." Xie Tang paused. "Besides what's stipulated in the contract, is there anything else I need to cooperate with?"
She didn't make any demands, wanting to figure out Song's bottom line.
“Change law firms.” Chu Song said without hesitation. “Your current law firm is not suitable for development, nor is it a place where my wife should be. I will have Fu Xiu take you to a top-tier law firm.”
“Uh…” Xie Tang didn’t expect him to be so direct.
Chu Song noticed her reluctance, "Is there a problem?"
"I don't want to change schools, that's my request," Xie Tang said with a restrained smile.
"Such a good opportunity, why?"
"I like my current team."
Chu Song looked at her, "Very well, you rejected me on our very first meeting..."
Xie Tang smiled and said, "I'm sorry."
Chu Song didn't make things difficult for her and relented, saying, "Are there any other requests? Bring them up now, or I won't agree to them after today."
Xie Tang didn't expect him to be so easy to talk to. "That's all."
Chu Song pushed two velvet boxes over. "Rings, see if you like them."
Xie Tang opened it to reveal a low-key platinum ring, featuring an eight-point princess-cut diamond with smaller diamonds, suitable for everyday wear;
Another pigeon-egg diamond ring, dazzling and luxurious.
She looked at it for a long time and asked, "Is it all for me?"
"What else? Do you need me to help you put it on?"
"No, I'll do it myself." Xie Tang quickly picked up the understated style and slipped it onto her middle finger.
Wearing a ring finger.
Chu Song watched as Xie Tang hurriedly slipped the ring onto her ring finger, the platinum band loosely rotating half a circle on her slender finger—the size was wrong.
"It's okay, I can wear it on the chain normally..." Xie Tang tried to explain.
Chu Song looked at her; she seemed to dislike the ring she had carefully chosen. "Make it again tomorrow."
"No need..." Xie Tang suddenly felt that marrying Chu Song wasn't so bad, at least not as bad as she had imagined.
Chu Song didn't speak, but looked down at his watch, as if he had something urgent to attend to.
This shouldn't be the case. Xie Tang realized that while she was thrilled with this marriage, for Chu Song, getting married was just a task that could be handled during his lunch break.
She quickly regained her composure. This marriage was just a transaction; she had only agreed to marry a stranger for money. It just so happened that the man was someone who had helped her five years ago, which gave her unnecessary expectations.
We shouldn't have these expectations.
"Mr. Chu, if there's nothing else, I won't bother you any longer."
Chu Song looked at Xie Tang, who had stood up, and said, "Tang, I am three years older than you. You can call me Brother Song, or you can call me Brother like before."
Xie Tang's lips moved, but in the end she only called out "Brother Song".
"I have a meeting to attend." Chu Song stood up, his tall figure casting a very imposing shadow in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Xie Tang unconsciously took a half step back. "Okay."
"I'll take you." He buttoned his suit jacket with one hand and deftly opened the door.
In the corridor, Tong Lan immediately hurried to greet her: "Miss Xie, let me see you out."
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Song had already raised his hand to signal her to step back.
He stood sideways by the door, the corridor light casting shadows on his sharply defined profile, the small mole on his nose appearing and disappearing between light and shadow.
"See you Monday." He said softly, but as he closed the door, he added almost imperceptibly, "Ah Tang."
The heavy solid wood door closed silently, shutting out Xie Tang's bewilderment and that affectionate address.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Good evening. I've been running around all day and I'm exhausted. Luckily, I have a lot of drafts saved up, so I can update daily.
I'm no longer afraid to write in a single-player mode until the end!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
