Chapter 8 The deepest humiliation often...
Saturday night was Grandpa Chu's birthday.
Xie Tang carefully applied light makeup and then chose an elegant cheongsam from her wardrobe to change into.
She sat upright on the sofa, checking the gifts in her handbag for the third time.
"I'll be there in five minutes."
When Chu Song's voice message popped up, she accidentally knocked over the perfume bottle, and the citrus scent exploded in the air.
She was a little nervous, after all, she was going to face the entire Chu family tonight.
This is much more difficult than her going to court.
She couldn't help but recall her childhood days in the Chu family. Back then, she was fearless and ran rampant in the Chu family mansion as if she were in her own home.
She didn't know what shame was, nor did she care about other people's opinions, because her grandfather was there to support her.
Grandpa would always smile and pat her head with his broad, kind hands, apologizing to those she had teased.
But now that her grandfather is gone, she no longer has that unbridled confidence.
She only got up and left the villa when Chu Song called.
In the back seat of the Phantom, Chu Song's eyes reflected the cold light of the tablet computer.
Xie Tang silently got into the car and softly called out, "Brother Song."
"Mm," Chu Song responded, glancing up at Xie Tang.
Just as she was about to look away, she unconsciously lingered for a few more seconds before casually remarking, "The clothes fit well."
The praise came suddenly, and Xie Tang knew that he was praising the clothes, not him as a person, so he didn't take it to heart.
As the vehicle entered Wutong Avenue, Chu Song suddenly closed the document.
Xie Tang watched as he pinched the corner of his eye; he looked a little tired.
"Remember three things. Keep your responses to no more than three sentences, maintain a smile, and..."
He suddenly leaned forward, his tie brushing against the back of her hand: "Stay within my sight."
Xie Tang nodded. "Okay."
"Also, whatever you see in my house, don't be too surprised."
Chu Song paused for a moment, and seeing that Xie Tang did not react, he repeated, "Do you understand?"
Xie Tang didn't really understand the deeper meaning in his words; she just felt her eyelids twitching.
She rubbed her eyes and said, "Okay."
Chu Song looked at her for a while, then raised his hand and gently patted her head, as if to comfort her: "They won't make things difficult for you."
This was originally just a comforting remark, and Xie Tang shouldn't have thought too much about it, but her face still turned red against her will.
She tried to appear calm, but her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
As the Phantom drove through the wrought iron gate, the red lanterns under the eaves of the old house lit up one by one.
Xie Tang checked her lipstick in the reflection of the car window, unaware that the man beside her had quietly loosened his collar and that his gaze had suddenly turned cold as he looked towards the old house.
He doesn't seem to like it here.
The grandeur of the Chu family's old residence far surpasses that of the Qin family's villa.
As soon as Xie Tang got out of the car, Chu Song offered his hand—his knuckles were distinct, and his wristwatch gleamed coldly.
She didn't dare to hold his hand, but only loosely linked arms with his.
As dozens of eyes swept over them, Chu Song put his hand on her waist, greeted the elders present, and quietly introduced her to Xie Tang.
"Uncle, Aunt. This is Xie Tang."
Xie Tang obediently followed his lead in greeting people.
“I remember you,” Uncle Chu Yuan of the Chu family squinted his eyes, “the little girl who always pestered A-Song for candy when we were little.”
Xie Tang smiled, pursing her lips.
"They say girls change a lot as they grow up, but I don't think you've changed at all, except you've grown taller," Chu Yuan said with a smile.
Xie Tang smiled and agreed, but her gaze unconsciously drifted to Chu Song beside her.
The slender, gentle boy from back then now has broad shoulders and long legs, with such sharp features that she didn't even recognize him when they met again at the airport.
Chu Yuan smiled and picked up his teacup: "I heard you're a lawyer now? Your grandfather said back then that you were born to be a lawyer, and I didn't expect him to be right."
"Yes," Xie Tang replied politely.
Chu Jing immediately became interested: "What a coincidence, my Xiao Chang also works at a law firm. Which law firm do you work for?"
Before Xie Tang could answer, Chu Song naturally took over: "She's working at a boutique now."
Chu Jing frowned and asked in confusion, "A boutique?"
“Auntie, Brother Song wanted me to join a top-tier law firm.” Xie Tang straightened her back slightly and explained with a smile, “It was my own choice to stay at my current law firm. My mentor is there, and I want to learn from her for a few more years.”
Mingwei looked at her, a dazed smile appearing on her pale face: "How is your mother?"
Is this Chu Song's mother?
How could the radiant and gentle woman I remember have become so haggard?
Chu Song gently pressed her thumb on her lower back, as if to remind her of something.
"Mom, my mom... is doing fine."
"I remember she loved drinking Da Hong Pao tea the most, does she still drink it?"
Xie Tang lowered her eyelashes; this simple question contained eighteen years of memories.
The laughter of mothers brewing tea on the tea table in the front yard still seems to linger in my ears.
She remembered that Chu Song was always the first to notice her taking the tea and snacks, but he never confronted her directly. Instead, he would quietly push the plate of almond cookies toward her when he turned around.
“Mom,” Chu Song interrupted at the right moment, “A-Tang gets tired standing in high heels.”
"Please sit down."
Chu Song put his arm around her shoulder and sat down on the sofa. When the topic turned to the stock market, Xie Tang was finally able to catch her breath.
Her gaze swept past the teacup and landed on the man and woman opposite her.
Qin Wu pushed up her round-framed glasses. The man beside her—presumably Chu Yi—was tilting his head and whispering in her ear.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns of light on his handsome profile.
How ironic, it was precisely this betrayal by the perfect couple that gave her the opportunity to stand here.
Qin Wu noticed the gaze and hurriedly nodded in acknowledgment.
Xie Tang watched her evasive gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips—how ridiculous his guilty conscience was.
She should thank Qin Wu for this guilty conscience.
After all, if it weren't for this betrayal, how could she have ended up with that lakeside villa and that ten million dollar check by sheer coincidence?
Fate is sometimes so ironic; the deepest humiliation often brings the richest compensation.
She lowered her eyes and sipped her tea, letting the bitterness spread on her tongue.
Suddenly, she felt a gaze gently falling on her.
When she looked up, she met the gentle gaze of her aunt Yao Fan, a gaze as warm and comforting as a fluffy quilt drying in the winter sun.
She subconsciously returned a slight smile, only to see the other person slightly startled, their gaze tracing her features as if searching for a familiar outline.
A loud crash of shattering porcelain came from the study.
Everyone present remained calm, except for Xie Tang, who looked puzzled.
Before long, a middle-aged man with similar features to Chu Song strolled out, with a heavily made-up young woman on his arm.
Xie Tang recognized him at a glance as Chu Song's father, and the woman beside him... seemed vaguely familiar.
Later, she found out that it was You Ning, an obscure celebrity who had only briefly appeared on a talent show, and who was two years younger than her.
“Big brother,” Chu Zhi lazily dusted off non-existent dust from his suit, “You’ve seen it too, it’s not that I’m unfilial, it’s just that the old man can’t stand my face.”
Anger surged in Chu Yuan's eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and in the end he could only wave his hand helplessly.
Chu Zhi revealed a victor's smile, slowly scanning the crowd—pausing for a moment on Ming Wei's pale face, then sweeping over Chu Song's taut jawline, and finally settling on Xie Tang.
He casually slipped his hands into his suit pockets, leaned closer, and said, "Is this the first time I've met this pretty young lady..."
Xie Tang subtly took half a step closer to Chu Song, a polite smile still playing on her lips.
"Father." Chu Song's voice suddenly turned cold, all traces of his previous politeness and gentleness vanished.
Chu Zhi seemed not to hear and continued to lean closer.
The strong scent of cologne mixed with the bitter smell of cigars hit Xie Tang, who instinctively held her breath.
“Little girl…” he deliberately dragged out his words like a viper’s hiss, “the Chu family’s door is not so easy to enter.”
He gave Mingwei and Chusong a meaningful look, "You'd better open your eyes wider."
Xie Tang could feel Chu Song's arm around her waist trembling.
He was angry, yet he was trying his best to control his rage.
"Oh, I know, you're the one Ah Song married?" Chu Zhi casually looked her up and down. "You're quite pretty, prettier than my girlfriend."
You Ning looked embarrassed.
"My son looks just like me, doesn't he? He's good in every way, except he's a bit quiet. You have to be more tolerant of him..."
"Father!"
"I've prepared a wedding gift for you two." Chu Zhi straightened up, ignoring him, and lightly tapped his temple with his index finger. "Next... you'll have to work hard."
A gift? Hard work? Xie Tang was stunned for a long time.
Just as Chu Song was on the verge of exploding, Chu Yuan suddenly sprang up and slapped Chu Zhi hard across the face.
Amidst the crisp sound of a slap, Xie Tang saw You Ning cover her face in horror.
So this is what Chu Song meant by "no need to be surprised," and it's also part of the agreement that requires absolute confidentiality.
The entire living room was completely silent, except for the jarring ticking of the antique clock.
Chu Zhi straightened up, touched his flushed cheeks, and chuckled softly.
His gaze, like a venomous snake, lingered on Mingwei's pale face before lazily withdrawing: "Big brother, since you don't like me, I'll just leave."
As he pulled You Ning out, her high heels tripped in a panic.
The living room fell silent again until the heavy sound of the door closing came from the entryway.
Before long, the sound of the cane tapping the ground grew louder as it approached.
Old Master Chu, Chu Jian'an, appeared with faltering steps; gout made every step extremely difficult for him.
Chu Yi immediately stepped forward to help, but the old man raised his hand to stop him.
The old man looked around at everyone and said calmly, "Let's eat."
Xie Tang was stunned—there was not a trace of the conflict that had just occurred in the old man's cloudy eyes.
It was as if Chu Zhi had never existed, as if the slap was just an illusion.
Grandpa Chu's birthday banquet was very simple, just the usual family feast...
What should it be?
Xie Tang lowered her eyes to look at the oil rings floating in the bone china bowl.
Warm and cozy?
This old house simply doesn't have that kind of atmosphere.
The crystal chandelier was bright, illuminating every smile, yet it couldn't dispel the unspoken silences within the room.
The air conditioning in the old house was very comfortable, but she had a strange feeling of coldness and stagnation.
After the meal, the mahogany door to the study closed gently behind me.
Old Master Chu stroked the dragon head of his cane, his gaze piercing through the rising steam of tea before landing on Xie Tang: "The last time I saw you, you were still stealing loquats from my yard."
Xie Tang smiled and said, "Grandpa, I was naughty when I was little and made you angry."
“Even my own grandchildren have never caused me this much worry. You… if Old Xie saw you like this, he'd probably…”
A smile lingered in the wrinkles around his eyes, but when he mentioned her grandfather, his words abruptly stopped, and he let out a soft sigh.
Xie Tang stared at the tea leaves floating in the cup, and in a daze, he saw again the bulging veins on the back of his grandfather's hand when he held the teapot.
That departure in the cold winter became an indelible frost in her heart.
If only she hadn't gone to her maternal grandfather's house that winter vacation.
The old man took out two large red envelopes from the rosewood drawer. "These are for you. No matter why you came together, now that you've registered your marriage, you're husband and wife. Live a good life together."
Xie Tang glanced at Chu Song, and seeing him nod, she accepted the gift with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Grandpa."
The red envelope felt heavy, but Xie Tang remembered the chocolate wrapped in gold leaf that the old man had secretly given her when she was eight years old.
Some temperatures seem to never change.
They had just come out of the study when Chu Song was called away by Chu Yuan.
Xie Tang walked alone through the corridor, the wall lamps casting long shadows that looked lonely on the dark red carpet.
The distant sound of porcelain clinking together only served to accentuate the stillness of the old house.
Mingwei leaned back on the French velvet sofa, whispering something to Chu Jing.
Seeing Xie Tang come out, a smile appeared on his pale face, and he patted the empty seat next to him, "Tang, come and sit down."
As soon as Xie Tang sat down, Chu Jing smiled and handed him a gilded red envelope. The envelope was so heavy that it made his hand feel heavy.
"This is the Chu family's rule," Chu Jing said with a smile.
Xie Tang accepted it with a smile and thanked him politely.
Chu Jing chatted with Ming Wei for a couple more minutes before getting up and leaving.
Mingwei's gaze gently fell on Xie Tang's face, and she slowly asked, "Is Ah Song... a rather dull child?"
"No," Xie Tang quickly put the red envelope away carefully and replied with a smile, "Brother Song is a very nice person."
Mingwei nodded slightly, picked up an exquisite jewelry box from the tea table, and placed it in Xie Tang's hand.
"This is a gift I should have given you a long time ago. I hope you like it. It is also my blessing as your mother to you two."
She paused, a gentle light appearing in her eyes: "Ah Song, that child, is a bit reserved, he's never liked to speak his mind. But he's incredibly sincere, it's just..."
She gently patted Xie Tang's hand, her voice soft, "Please be more tolerant of me in the days to come."
"Introverted?" Xie Tang thought to herself, not thinking Chu Song was that kind of person.
However, she didn't show it on her face, and simply replied obediently, "Thank you, Mom."
A note from the author:
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