Chapter 80. This is for your wedding...
Upon hearing this, Xie Tang could no longer hold on. She slid down the cold wall and sat on the ground, overwhelmed by immense self-reproach, almost suffocating her.
Now, no matter how much she hates Ji Yan, she can't tear her apart; she has to endure it for now.
She looked at Xie Shuang's unusually disheveled hair and swollen eyes, and felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on her heart.
Her mother, who valued her appearance the most, was now in such a sorry state.
"Mom...I'm sorry...I lied to you..."
Xie Shuang looked at her daughter's deeply bowed head, filled with guilt, and felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
She knelt down and gently stroked Xie Tang's hair, her voice soft yet strong: "Why apologize? You did a good job. It's your mother who's useless, making you suffer so much... Lift your head."
Xie Tang felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
All the disasters of today originated from her.
If anything were to happen to my grandmother, she would be held responsible even if she died a thousand deaths.
"The villa... and that ten million... were the conditions I negotiated with Qin Ruhai... the price was that I marry Brother Song."
“I know,” Xie Shuang said calmly.
Xie Tang suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with shock: "You knew? When?"
“Ah Song told me. He told me everything when I was making a fuss about not wanting to have the surgery.” Xie Shuang looked at her daughter with understanding and heartache in her eyes.
Xie Tang was stunned.
It turned out that Chu Song had already confessed the truth to her mother on her behalf. Xie Shuang smiled slightly and comforted her, "Although it started as a transaction, I can tell you like him. He promised me at the time that he would protect you, and that after the transaction was over, he would respect your choice whether you stayed or left. Now, tell me, what are your plans for the future?"
Xie Tang's nose tingled, and tears instantly filled her eyes. "Mom, I will leave Song Ge."
Xie Shuang's heart sank, and with reddened eyes, she asked anxiously, "What... happened between you two?"
Xie Tang did not tell his mother that he had cheated her out of the shares left to her by her grandfather.
He married her solely to gain control of the Cisco Group.
"Mom, I'm sorry..."
She loved the wrong person and trusted the wrong person.
She was so stupid! How could she trust Chu Song so completely?
As a lawyer, how could she sign the agreement without even reading it through?
At that moment, she wished she could slap herself a few times.
Xie Shuang hugged her tightly, her heart aching with pain. "It's okay, A-Tang, it's not too late to turn back now."
She gently patted Xie Tang's back to comfort him, saying, "When your grandmother wakes up, tell her the truth. She won't blame you."
Xie Tang nodded vigorously: "Yes."
After being wheeled out of the emergency room, Yuan Aochun remained unconscious and showed no signs of waking up.
The doctor's notice was cold and cruel: if she did not wake up within three days, she would likely be in a long-term vegetative state.
The heavy burden of guilt kept Xie Tang pinned to the hospital room.
She stayed by her grandmother's bedside day and night, never leaving her side.
Xie Kun also stayed by his wife's side, sitting there listlessly, holding Yuan Aochun's hand tightly, his eyes having lost their former luster, leaving only a blank emptiness.
No matter what Xie Tang said, he remained silent, as if she didn't exist.
Xie Tang knew that her grandfather was blaming her.
She was the one who brought them from their peaceful hometown.
She fabricated lies to deceive them.
But the real culprit is Ji Yan!
The overwhelming hatred finally erupted on the third day after the doctor shook his head again.
Xie Tang rushed out of the hospital and went straight to Ji Yan's residence.
Qin Wu happened to be there as well.
Seeing the burning flames in Xie Tang's eyes and the murderous aura emanating from him, Qin Wu panicked and instinctively stepped in front of Ji Yan: "What's wrong? What happened?"
Mother must have done something irreparable again!
Without saying a word, Xie Tang stepped forward and slapped Ji Yan hard across the face. The force was so great that Ji Yan staggered and crashed into the wall.
Qin Wu exclaimed in surprise, and seeing Xie Tang's gaze sweep over the vase on the table, she immediately rushed over to stop her: "Calm down! What exactly happened? Explain what my mother did first. If it's really her fault, I'll apologize on her behalf. Let's sit down..."
"Calm down?" Xie Tang's voice was icy cold as she shoved Qin Wu away. "She came to my house and said the most vicious things to my grandmother! My grandmother had a heart attack because of her and is now lying in the hospital in a coma. The doctor said she might never wake up again! Ask her, how will she compensate for this life?!"
Qin Wu was struck dumb, her face turning deathly pale. She looked at Ji Yan in disbelief, her voice trembling, "Mom! You...you really did this? Why did you do it?"
"Why?" Ji Yan covered her burning cheek, her eyes flashing with frenzied hatred, and pointed at Xie Tang, shrilly, "She—she's about to swallow the entire Cisco Group! Your father will soon be kicked out and become worthless! I was helping you! Helping you take back what rightfully belongs to you! Who knew that old woman would be so easily angered..."
"Did I say something wrong? You, Xie Tang, only slept with Chu Song for money and that house, didn't you? In my eyes, what's the difference between you and a cheap woman who's been kept?"
"Mom!!!" Qin Wu was practically going crazy; anger and fear sent chills down her spine. "Do you know what you're saying! Grandma is over seventy years old! How could you..."
"Blame me? Blame her own greed, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant!" Ji Yan showed no remorse, but instead became even more hysterical.
Xie Tang's anger was completely ignited. She grabbed the vase on the table and smashed it at Ji Yan's feet!
The flying shards of porcelain made Ji Yan scream and curl up into a ball.
"Didn't I warn you?" Xie Tang's voice was as cold as a wind from hell, each word distinct and deliberate, "You're not allowed to touch my family!"
Ji Yan trembled with fear at Xie Tang's intimidating aura, and cried out, her voice trembling with rage, "You...you dare touch me! I...I'll call the police!"
"Call the police?" Xie Tang's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes sharp. "Good idea. I'll call the police for you!"
Without hesitation, she took out her phone and pressed the emergency call button.
Upon seeing the flashing "110" on the screen, Ji Yan's face finally drained of all color, leaving only a deathly pale expression.
Her lips trembled, and she stammered, "You...you don't think that just because you're a lawyer...I'm afraid of you..."
Witnessing all this, Qin Wu felt a profound sense of powerlessness and sorrow wash over her.
She slumped back onto the sofa, covering her face.
Seeing her like this, Ji Yan screamed in exasperation, "Qin Wu! Are you just going to stand by and watch your mother get bullied? Aren't you going to help me?"
Qin Wu lowered her hand, raised her head, and looked at Ji Yan with eyes full of pain and a kind of almost desperate clarity: "Mom... I think what you need most right now is to go to the right place to calm down... The detention center is very suitable."
"You!! Are you even speaking human language?!" Ji Yan roared in fury. "Look at other people! And look at you! How could I have given birth to such a useless thing like you!"
Qin Wu closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her expression one of resolute coldness: "Mom, you need to wake up. Look at everything you've done... isn't that enough?"
She swallowed the specific accusations about her "cousin" that were about to spill out; bringing up another victim at this moment would only exacerbate the chaos, but her eyes said it all.
The police knocking on the door interrupted the argument.
As Ji Yan was being taken away, she turned back and screamed in despair, "You really don't care about me anymore?"
Qin Wu turned her head away, avoiding the gaze of that familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
This time, she really didn't want to get involved anymore.
When Chu Yi arrived, he only saw Qin Wu standing there, looking lost and dejected.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.
Qin Wu nestled into his arms like a piece of driftwood, her voice weary: "...to the hospital. Xie Tang's grandmother was hospitalized because of my mother, and she hasn't woken up yet."
Chu Yi sighed silently, knowing the weight in her heart, and gently patted her back, "Okay, I'll go with you."
The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was pungent.
Qin Wu stood outside the ward, restless and uneasy.
Xie Shuang advised her to go back and rest, but she stubbornly shook her head, as if staying here would slightly alleviate her guilt.
No matter what decision Qin Wu made, Chu Yi always silently stayed by her side.
Late at night, Xie Tang returned from the police station and gently pushed open the ward door.
Inside, only Grandpa Xie Kun was by the bedside.
He held Yuan Aochun's hand, his voice low and gentle: "Aochun, don't blame A-Tang... She's a child we've watched grow up. You and I both know her character. The gossip of others can't hurt her fundamentally..."
“I haven’t spoken to her these past few days, not because I’m angry with her… but because I’m angry with myself for not protecting you and letting you suffer like this…”
"Wake up! The doctor said if this continues... things will get worse. Can you bear to see Ah Tang living in guilt every day? Open your eyes and listen to what she has to say..."
Xie Tang stopped outside the door and did not go in.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Song was already standing in front of me.
He approached, lowering his voice further: "Ah Tang, you brought some food. I haven't eaten either, want some?"
Xie Tang glanced at his watch; it was nearly nine o'clock.
She no longer had the strength to drive him away, nor the extra energy to hate him.
The two walked to a bench in the hospital garden and sat down.
Xie Tang had no appetite and forced himself to eat two bites before putting down his chopsticks.
Chu Song picked up a piece of lean meat and held it to her mouth: "Grandma will be alright. But you can't fall ill first. There are so many things in the company waiting for you to make decisions."
Xie Tang didn't say anything, and slowly ate her food with her head down.
Chu Song didn't say anything more, silently staying by her side until she finished her meal before leaving.
Xie Tang returned to the ward, where Xie Kun was already asleep, lying on the edge of the bed.
The elderly man, over seventy years old, stayed by his side day and night, his body already exhausted.
She gently covered her grandfather's shoulders with the blanket and carefully tucked the blanket around her grandmother's shoulders.
Just then, a wrinkled hand suddenly grabbed her fingers!
Xie Tang's heart skipped a beat, and tears instantly filled her eyes.
She looked at Yuan Aochun. The old man's eyes were still closed, but he held her hand with a slight tightening, conveying a silent comfort.
"I'm sorry, Grandma..." Xie Tang's voice choked with emotion.
Yuan Aochun gently stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips, then with great effort, he opened his eyelids a crack, glanced at her very lightly and quickly, and then slowly closed them again.
This brief glimpse almost stopped Xie Tang's heart. She immediately rushed out of the ward and called the doctor.
After the examination, the doctor breathed a sigh of relief: "It's a good sign that he woke up. His vital signs are stable. He's probably just too weak and needs to rest."
Xie Tang dared not leave, much less close his eyes, and stared at the fluctuating curves on the electrocardiogram machine all night long.
The next day, when Xie Shuang arrived, Yuan Aochun was finally fully awake.
Xie Tang's tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
Xie Kun stared at her haggard face and heavy dark circles under her eyes, speechless for a long time.
Xie Shuang urged Xie Tang to go back and rest, feeling sorry for her.
Xie Kun called her back and took out an old savings book from his pocket.
"Ah Tang, take this. This is the dowry your grandmother and I saved for you..."
Xie Tang opened the passbook with a puzzled look, and there was a million neatly stored inside.
Large tears instantly rolled down her cheeks: "Grandpa, Grandma, I don't need these..."
"Grandpa doesn't believe a single word Ji Yan said!" Xie Kun said firmly. "I'm good at judging people. That kid is different from your father! ... His way of starting out might not be very popular, but your grandma and I both hope that you two can be well. This money is to give you confidence."
"Remember, we'll always be your support! No matter how wronged you are, come back and tell us! Even if it costs us our old bones, we'll never let anyone bully you! Don't ever be like your mother..."
Xie Shuang lowered her head in shame.
Tears blurred her vision, and Xie Tang wiped them away forcefully before looking at the two elders.
They wore gentle and loving smiles on their faces.
At that moment, she felt with absolute clarity that being a part of this family was the greatest fortune of her life.
But Chu Song...
In the end, she didn't tell the two of them that she and Chu Song had broken up.
Yuan Aochun was discharged from the hospital after a week of observation, and Ji Yan was also released from the detention center.
Meanwhile, internal turmoil within the Cisco Group intensified.
The shareholders are clamoring to remove Qin Ruhai from the list, and Xie Tang, as the heir, is also thrust into the spotlight.
That day, Xie Tang had just come out of the law firm when he was surrounded by a group of reporters carrying cameras, as well as emotionally charged middle-aged workers and suppliers.
Li Zan and Pan Yu, who were traveling with Xie Tang, were startled and immediately stepped forward to protect Xie Tang behind them.
Xie Tang recognized the workers—they were veteran technicians who had worked alongside his grandfather for many years, and their faces were filled with fear of unemployment and their future.
Reporters eagerly handed over their microphones:
"Are you Ms. Qin Tang, the granddaughter of Mr. Qin Min? It is rumored that he passed all his Cisco Group shares to you. Is this true?"
"As Cisco's largest shareholder, facing the company's impending collapse, what will you choose? Will you sell your shares and leave, or will you return to Cisco to lead the company through this difficult time?"
"If you choose to take over the company, as a manager with a legal background, how do you plan to deal with the current predicament? Would you give up your legal career because of this?"
A barrage of pointed questions came at me.
What alarmed Xie Tang even more was how this group of reporters, workers, and suppliers managed to pinpoint her law firm.
Her gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on a black BMW not far away.
The passenger window slowly rolled down, revealing a handsome face—a crisp white shirt, thick black hair, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
Those sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on her through the lenses of his glasses.
Luo Nian's lips curled into a faint, intriguing smile, his gaze still fixed on Xie Tang.
The reporters' questions continued.
Xie Tang stopped looking at Luo Nian, raised her voice, and replied clearly, "I have never considered selling my shares! Cisco is my grandfather's life's work, and I will never sit idly by and watch it go bankrupt!"
"Anyone can say nice things!" a supplier interrupted loudly. "Qin Ruhai was swindled out of 200 million! Cisco's accounts are already empty! How are they going to pay us back? You're just a small-time lawyer, where are you going to get the money to cover this mess?"
"I have a solution for the money problem," Xie Tang said calmly. "My grandfather left me a trust will worth hundreds of millions. If necessary, this money can be used to save the company from crisis. I will not delay paying a single penny of any due payments!"
"What about us!" The workers pushed past the suppliers to the front, their voices filled with despair. "We've been following Mr. Qin since we were teenagers or in our twenties, building this empire together. We're about to retire, and now the company is failing and they're laying us off without a single penny of compensation! At this age, who will want us if we leave Cisco?"
Xie Tang's gaze swept over their anxious faces, finally settling on Luo Nian inside the BMW. His tone was resolute: "I am unaware of the layoff plan. But I promise you: as long as you perform your duties diligently and strictly abide by company rules, I guarantee you will not be arbitrarily laid off!"
"really?"
"It's a deal." Xie Tang's voice was clear and strong.
Inside the car, Luo Nian gazed at the woman who remained in control and spoke with authority even under the pressure of the cameras, a deep sense of amusement flashing in his eyes.
He whispered to the driver, "Let's go."
The car window rolled up silently.
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