Chapter 73 Our marriage did not end...
Xie Tang sat in front of the computer, silently refreshing the latest news about Xiang Shaoyun's case.
Chu Song quietly walked up behind her, put his arm around her shoulder, and said in a deep voice with a sense of relief that the dust had settled: "He can't get out."
"You did this?" Xie Tang leaned into his arms, the clues from the past few days connecting in her mind. "I've figured it out these past few days—you deliberately got involved to completely destroy Xiang Shaoyun?"
“Hmm,” Chu Song lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently stroking her hair, “There’s still one last charge to be added…”
He looked at her calmly, "Qin Ye needs to testify in court."
Xie Tang immediately got up and grabbed a recording pen: "Qin Ye's testimony is all here."
Chu Song did not extend his hand, but shook his head and said, "No need. He agreed to testify in court himself."
"How come you..." Xie Tang paused suspiciously, then suddenly realized, "You already knew about Qin Ye's return to China?"
"Yes. I detained him the day he left the country."
Her fingers tightened, her voice trembling slightly: "Will you blame me for hiding it?"
"No." Chu Song lifted her face, his eyes filled with unwavering certainty. "I love you. No matter what you've done, I won't blame you."
Xie Tang's heart skipped a few beats.
My phone rang suddenly, and the screen displayed "Shen Jialang".
Chu Song loosened his embrace and answered the call. A laughing voice immediately came from the other end: "Satisfied? Xiang Shaoyun is completely finished this time! The evidence you 'helped' him solidify, plus those charges, means he won't be out for at least twenty years—we're even!"
"There's one more?" Chu Song's gaze remained fixed on Xie Tang's head.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Shen Jialang's smile deepened, "I sent that USB drive to your sister-in-law. Curious about its origin?"
"explain."
"I bought it for five million. Miss Yin, your asking price is pretty steep, isn't it?" He changed the subject, "Since I spent so much, should I owe you another favor?"
"No way," Chu Song interrupted directly.
"Wait!" Shen Jialang's tone was unusually serious. "Shen Yuan... her adoptive parents have come to me for help. I promise to take care of this cleanly and never let this madman get in my way again—consider it me repaying my debt to them for raising me."
"It's your business." Chu Song showed no interest.
"Okay." Shen Jialang regained his cheerful demeanor. "Final notice: I've changed my surname to Dou, Dou Jialang. Please take care of me from now on!"
"Nice to meet you." Chu Song hung up the phone decisively, tossed it aside, and pulled her tightly into his arms again, resting his chin on the top of her head and sighing softly, "It's over."
Xie Tang suddenly turned around, cupped his face, and kissed him.
The pent-up fear and anxiety melted away in that kiss.
Fortunately, it was just a false alarm.
-----------------
The brief respite of early summer in June passes in the blink of an eye.
Xie Tang was immediately overwhelmed by a series of cases, keeping him extremely busy.
Finally, the weekend arrived, and she gave herself a half-day off.
In the living room, she held a cup of warm black tea, enjoying a rare moment of peace on her phone screen.
Just as a sense of comfort crept onto her face, her phone vibrated shrilly—it was Qin Ruhai calling.
A hint of displeasure crossed her mind. She answered the call, her voice slightly hoarse from work: "What's up?"
"Haven't you always wanted to know about your grandfather?" Qin Ruhai's voice came through the receiver, carrying his usual sense of control. "Come to the company to see me tomorrow."
"Okay." Xie Tang hung up decisively, tossed his phone onto the table, and picked up his teacup.
I took a sip, and the sofa beside me sank slightly.
She looked up and saw that Chu Song had quietly taken his seat and pushed a neatly bound document in front of her.
“Take a look.” His voice was low and calm.
Xie Tang put down his teacup and opened it with a puzzled look.
The words "Property Gift Agreement" were prominently displayed on the black paper.
The terms are clear: Chu Song voluntarily and unconditionally donates 10% of all his personal liquid and fixed assets to Xie Tang as a "guarantee" for her married life.
10% – for Chu Song, that means hundreds of millions in wealth.
My heart suddenly constricted, and blood rushed to my ears instantly.
She stared at the astronomical figure that could change many people's lives, remaining silent for a full half minute before finding her voice and asking in a dry voice, "...Why?"
Chu Song did not answer immediately.
He leaned down, his warm, calloused hand covering her slightly cool hand, gently holding it with a gentle yet firm grip.
His deep gaze locked onto the turbulent emotions in her eyes, and he spoke clearly, word by word, "To give you a sense of security. And to give myself peace of mind."
He paused, his voice carrying a heavy promise, "Xie Tang, our marriage has no end. You promised to walk with me... a very, very long road. This agreement is proof of my promise to the future."
Warmth quietly spread from the back of his hand that was covered by him, but it failed to completely dispel the shock and confusion in my heart.
Xie Tang's gaze fell back on the agreement, the cold numbers seemed to have gained warmth, yet they burned her fingertips slightly.
"Even without these things, my promise will not change. I said I would stay with you until the end, and I will definitely keep my word."
“I know.” Chu Song gently stroked the back of her hand soothingly with his thumb, his tone even more resolute. “Precisely because I know, I want to give it to you even more. This isn’t a transaction; it’s a dam I want to build for you. Accept it, and it will put my mind at ease, okay?”
Xie Tang's gaze wandered among the densely packed clauses.
The feeling of someone voluntarily giving you money is indeed absurdly good yet subtly pleasant, but the amount is so large that it far exceeds the scope of ordinary "peace of mind".
If it were only a few hundred thousand or a few million, perhaps she could have accepted it jokingly, but this is hundreds of millions...
How could she not be uneasy?
Chu Song took in her subtle struggles.
He didn't urge her, but simply held her hand and waited quietly, his gaze calm and tolerant, like a silent sea, enough to contain all her unease.
“Brother Song,” Xie Tang’s voice was somewhat ethereal, with a hint of bitterness in it, “This is probably the biggest ‘bribe’ I’ve ever received in my life.”
She tried to alleviate the heavy pressure with a bit of self-deprecation.
Chu Song's lips curved into a very slight smile. "It's not a bribe, it's a betrothal gift... a betrothal gift that's been delayed."
"It's too valuable..." she murmured, her gaze falling on the prominent number on the agreement, as if she could feel its weight.
"Is it valuable?" Chu Song's voice was low and serious. "Xie Tang, shouldn't everything I have be shared with you? This 10% is just the most direct way I can think of. It can't buy your promise, but I hope it can be the foundation under your feet, so that you can stand by my side more freely and calmly at any time."
"Your freedom and fearlessness are what I cherish most."
The dam of unease in Xie Tang's heart seemed to have been breached by those words.
It seems that what he loved was never the canary that depended on him, but the eagle that could soar alongside him.
This agreement was less a constraint and more a clumsy yet incredibly solemn expression of his trust—he trusted her character, her abilities, and even more so, that the path she had chosen was aligned with his.
What he wanted to give her was not gold bricks in a cage, but the wind that would help her fly higher.
That immense fear was strangely soothed by the deeper understanding and respect in his words.
She took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, the confusion in her eyes had been replaced by a clear light.
She gently squeezed Chu Song's hand back, the pressure light but carrying a clear response.
"Pen." Xie Tang's voice returned to its usual clear and crisp tone, carrying a hint of relief after making a decision.
A hint of surprise flashed in Chu Song's eyes. He took out an exquisite fountain pen from the inside pocket of his suit, unscrewed the cap, and solemnly handed it to her.
Xie Tang took the pen, composed himself, turned to the last page of the agreement, and found the signature section for Party B.
The pen hovered above the page for only a moment before her wrist fell steadily, and she signed her name—Xie Tang—smoothly and clearly.
As she finished the last stroke, she seemed to have unloaded some invisible burden, letting out a long, silent sigh.
It's not about feeling relaxed, but rather a sense of peace and security that comes with everything settling down.
As Chu Song watched her finish signing, her previously tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
He didn't look at the agreement immediately, but instead stretched out his hand, palm up, in front of her.
Xie Tang gently placed the pen back into his palm.
He didn't pull his hand away; instead, he grasped her hand again, this time not to comfort her, but to intertwine their fingers tightly.
Warm fingertips gently caressed her slightly cool knuckles.
"Thank you," he said softly, his voice filled with an overwhelming tenderness and relief.
Xie Tang looked at their clasped hands, then looked up into his deep eyes.
The agreement was still on the table, like a silent contract.
But at this moment, what welled up in her heart was not the unease of being surrounded by money, but a strange warmth and a sense of belonging.
This was not just a transfer of money, but also a complete handover of a key to his world to her.
-----------------
The next day, Xie Tang stepped into Qin Ruhai's spacious yet desolate office.
"Sit down." Qin Ruhai's voice was hoarse and weary.
Instead of sitting in the executive chair as usual, he sat on the sofa opposite Xie Tang, his posture unusually slumped.
Xie Tang sat down as instructed, her back ramrod straight.
Qin Ruhai got straight to the point: "Your grandfather... left you an inheritance before he passed away, which is a trust."
"An inheritance?" Xie Tang exclaimed in shock. "How much?"
“Back then, he set up a testamentary trust and deposited 60 million.” Qin Ruhai’s gaze avoided her and fell on his clasped hands. “The agreement stipulated that you could only freely dispose of the money after you turned thirty.”
"Thirty years old?" Xie Tang was shocked, the immense confusion instantly overshadowing the astonishment at the amount.
Why this age?
Is it because you fear she'll be reckless and wasteful in her youth, or do you hope she'll be mature and stable enough?
What is Grandpa thinking?
Did her mother know about the existence of this trust will?
"Hmm." Qin Ruhai's Adam's apple bobbed. "Over the years... it's been doing alright. Now... the valuation should be close to 100 million."
Xie Tang's breath hitched.
One hundred million!
An astronomical sum that could instantly free her from all worldly troubles and even ensure a comfortable life for generations to come!
The brief dizziness subsided, and calm quickly returned.
The wealth was indeed astonishing, but at this moment, what weighed heavily on her heart was the lingering mystery that had followed her grandfather's sudden passing.
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