Chapter 82, A Gift for You.
The banquet hall remained as dazzling as ever, but the air carried a chill of waning after the event.
Xie Tang wore a sleek black velvet dress; the minimalist cut accentuated her powerful aura.
The youthful naiveté and uncertainty that once lingered in his eyes have been replaced by calm confidence and the sharpness honed by time.
She was talking quietly with Luo Nian, the light outlining her perfect profile, her every move exuding a sense of effortless detachment.
A deep, unyielding gaze lingered on her from the other end of the banquet hall, like a brand—Chu Song.
He stood in the shadow of the decorative pillar, a tiny red glow from the cigarette burning between his fingers, oblivious to the long ash that had accumulated.
The past year and a half seemed to have made him even more cold and ruthless. His jawline was taut, and his eyes were filled with turbulent undercurrents: greedy possession, thick regret, overwhelming heartache... and a deep, almost humble longing hidden in his eyes.
He watched her chatting and laughing with others, and saw that he was just a blurry wisp of air in her eyes. His heart felt like it was being repeatedly kneaded and crushed by an invisible hand, causing him unbearable pain.
Xie Tang remained completely oblivious, as if that scorching gaze was nothing but emptiness.
She nodded slightly to Luo Nian, picked up her delicate handbag, and walked straight through the dispersing crowd toward the exit corridor.
The crisp sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor pressed against Chu Song's taut nerves with every step.
Sure enough, that tall figure, so familiar to the core, was already leaning against the pillar, waiting silently.
In the darkness, his presence was so strong it was almost tangible.
"Ah Tang." His voice was low and hoarse as he carefully handed over a sealed file bag.
Xie Tang didn't stop walking, nor did her gaze linger on his face; she simply accepted the napkin from the waiter as naturally as if she were merely taking it.
She deftly removed the seal and took out the documents inside.
She glanced at the title, her fingertips paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then returned to normal.
Confirmation Letter Regarding the Termination of the Agreement on Property Donation and Equity Exchange
It was written in black and white, very clearly: he unconditionally relinquished all rights and management rights over the Cisco Group shares based on that "trap" agreement, and returned them to her completely and irrevocably.
She is not required to return the valuable assets he once "gifted" to her.
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
The sounds of clinking glasses and toasts that came from the end of the corridor seemed to fade into the distance.
Xie Tang raised her head, her clear gaze finally landing on his face, carrying a hint of cold scrutiny, as if trying to see through his sorrowful expression to see if there were any other schemes hidden beneath: "Why now?"
Her voice was calm and devoid of emotion, as if she were inquiring about some trivial official business.
"Aren't you very patient with the court case?"
All of Chu Song's composure and pride shattered under her calm and unwavering question.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and the pain churning in his eyes seemed about to burst through the barrier.
“I was stuck before…” he said with difficulty, “because I… I was afraid. I was afraid that once the shares were returned, there would be no more ties between you and me…”
He took a step closer, so close that he could feel his warm breath carrying the slightly spicy scent of smoke.
The carefully maintained mask of composure completely crumbled, leaving only naked embarrassment and pleading: "I want... to use this termination agreement to exchange for another chance."
His burning gaze locked onto her icy eyes, each word feeling like it was ripped from his heart, "I want to use it... to get you to consider... to come back to me. Ah Tang, I was wrong... everything before was my fault... give me another chance, please? Just one more time..."
He reached out and, with all his might, gripped Xie Tang's slightly cool wrist tightly!
The force was so great, carrying the fear of regaining what was lost and the desperation of a desperate gamble, that it almost crushed her delicate wrist bones.
Xie Tang did not struggle.
Her body didn't even tremble.
She simply stared coldly and clearly into his bloodshot, pained, and pleading eyes.
Then, she raised her other hand, her icy fingertips gently yet with undeniable strength, and pried open Chu Song's tightly clasped fingers one by one.
"You know, Chu Song." Her voice was still soft, yet like a cold needle, it pierced precisely into his turbulent heart. "There's no going back."
After saying that, she stopped looking at his face, which had instantly turned ashen and drained of all color, and turned away without hesitation.
The hem of her black dress traced a resolute arc as she strode confidently into the night outside, without pausing or looking back.
Chu Song stood frozen in place, like a nailed statue.
The hand that had been pried open hung limply at its side, trembling violently.
He watched that resolute figure disappear at the end of the hallway, feeling as if the last bit of air in his chest had been sucked out, and a huge feeling of suffocation completely swallowed him up like an overwhelming tide!
Where the heart once was, only a bloody, empty void called "loss" remained, each breath bringing with it a tearing, excruciating pain.
The following day, the morning light streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and onto the large desks on the top floor of the Cisco building.
Xie Tang, dressed in a sharp white suit, sat in the leather chair that once belonged only to his grandfather and later briefly fell under Chu Song's control.
Before her lay a detailed financial statement and operational analysis report of Cisco Systems, compiled overnight by Luo Nian during the year and a half she had been away.
The further down she looked, the more serious her expression became, her brows furrowing slightly.
But when she turned to the final summary page, her fingers gripping the pen tightened suddenly!
The report shows that during the eighteen months she was away, Cisco not only completely stopped its bleeding and halted its precipitous decline, but also achieved breakthroughs in key technologies in the field of precision semiconductor manufacturing, secured two national key supply chain project orders, and steadily increased its overseas market share!
The company as a whole has gone from being mired in difficulties to turning a profit and has entered a steady upward trajectory!
This report card is simply amazing!
It's not just about "maintaining stability," but a real leap forward in development!
The skill, courage, and resource allocation capabilities required behind this are far beyond imagination.
Just then, the screen of my personal cell phone on the table lit up.
A concise message catches the eye:
From: Chu Song
Content: A gift for you.
The message consists of only these five words.
There is no punctuation, no titles, and it is as calm as stating a fact.
But Xie Tang instantly understood what this "gift" referred to!
The weighty, transformative financial statement before her was the "gift" Chu Song spoke of—a magnificent empire built for her with all her assets (Cisco shares under her trusteeship)!
He didn't let Cisco fall apart or languish during her absence; instead, he lifted it from the bottom to a new peak!
Xie Tang's heart, like a calm lake surface tossed with a boulder, was now uncontrollably churned with turbulent waves!
A complex surge of heat, accompanied by a strong tingling sensation, assaulted the banks of reason.
While this man was creating obstacles and entanglements in the divorce proceedings, he was also doing his utmost to protect and expand what she cherished most behind her back.
No matter how despicable the means he used to deceive, possess, or even humiliate her in the past...
No matter how strong the walls she built around her heart to guard against him and reject him...
At this moment, faced with this "gift" forged for her by her own hands using her "weights," the affection that had been hidden deep in her heart, suppressed countless times, and shrouded in hatred, broke through the icy defenses of her heart like a stubborn vine, struggling to reveal its vitality once again.
Yes. She never denied it.
She likes Chu Song.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, she was attracted to the man who forcefully entered her life when she was at her lowest point, offering her warmth and then destroying her.
This affection has lasted for years without ever fading.
only--
Xie Tang took a deep breath and slowly put down the report in his hand.
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the city just beginning to awaken.
The sunlight shone on her, giving her a dazzling halo.
She picked up her phone, her fingertip lingering on the message for a long time, but ultimately turned off the screen without replying.
The complex emotions in his eyes gradually subsided into a clear and powerful calm.
So what if I like it?
So what if you're attracted to someone?
She is no longer the Xie Tang who needed someone's wings to fly.
She would accept the empire he offered her and treat it as her new home.
She would silently feel the love he showed, but she would never become so infatuated with it that she lost herself.
Chu Song was her tribulation, her past light and darkness.
But now, she herself has become that ray of light piercing through the dark clouds and illuminating the way forward!
This affection will be kept in the deepest part of my heart, like a medal to commemorate my lost youth.
But she will only use her own strength to firmly walk the path beneath her feet.
-----------------
The hearing date for the second instance divorce case has been set.
Everything was still in the dust, but Xie Tang knew clearly in her heart that her marriage with Chu Song was bound to end.
Just then, Mr. Chu's phone rang.
The old woman's aged yet gentle voice came through the receiver, her words filled with longing and a lingering recollection of her grandfather.
He said, "Your grandfather often talked about you on his deathbed."
The shared longing in Master Chu's voice touched the softest spot in Xie Tang's heart, and she softly agreed to visit him.
On the day of the appointment, Chu Song came to pick her up.
It had been a long time since I'd seen him, and I wondered what he had been through. He had changed a lot; his gaze was more profound, and he seemed more taciturn. He had also become very thin, almost to the point of being unrecognizable.
During her studies abroad, he visited her school several times. I don't know if he went there specifically to see her or if he had other things to take care of, but in any case, he seemed to be in good spirits at that time.
The carriage was completely silent, the air almost still, with only the weight of time floating within it.
Chu Song's gaze never left her.
The person before me has shed the naivety and dependence of his early years, and his brows now hold a resolute and mature radiance.
This transformation was not unfamiliar to Chu Song.
During the years she went abroad for further studies, he secretly visited her countless times, watching her gradually smooth out the fragility in her edges and forge a stronger core.
This growth did not make him feel unfamiliar; instead, it settled in his heart a deeper appreciation and an unspeakable complex emotion—mixed with infatuation, regret, and the dull pain of impending complete loss.
He lost her with his own hands.
When he arrogantly laid out a blueprint for their marriage with those carefully woven lies, he tragically chose the former over her in the grand game of business.
The days and nights since losing her have been consumed by endless regret, leaving me restless and unable to sleep.
He tried everything to keep her, but she simply shut his pleas away with her increasingly calm and cold eyes.
He knew that there were many suitors pursuing her, and the biggest threat among them was not anyone else, but Luo Nian, who was always by her side.
The man's gaze toward Xie Tang concealed an undeniable possessiveness beneath its gentleness, like a thorn in his side.
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