Under the housekeeper's worried gaze, Tong Zhao repeatedly assured him that she was only going to her grandmother's house for two days and would still be staying with Shan Song. She really wasn't planning to abandon her husband and "children" after the argument.
"That's good. Have fun, Young Master Zhao Zhao." Uncle Xu finally felt relieved and saw him into the car.
Tong Zhao let out a long sigh, closed the car window, and continued staring at the auction interface on his phone.
At the current price, his budget won't be enough if anyone else makes an offer. He should have argued his case more and accepted a few more endorsements from other companies...
His palms were sweating, and he unconsciously sat up straight, staring at the beautiful, gleaming stone he had his eye on. Tong Zhao almost gritted his teeth. He would take it even if he didn't have enough, or at the very least, he would squeeze some money out of his younger brother. Once his brother's salary from his next film came in, he could make up for the shortfall.
At 10 a.m., Tong Zhao arrived at the Shan family's house. The courtyard was now full of greenery. This large courtyard was said to have been designed by a very prestigious feng shui master. Later, when it was renovated, Shan Song's mother's ingenuity was incorporated, so that even on such a sunny August day, one could enjoy a rare coolness and comfort when entering the courtyard. Shan Song has now applied for a patent for it, and he borrowed some of it when designing his own courtyard house.
Tong Zhao walked down the shady corridor, a place he had visited several times before. He handed the things in the car to the butler and walked smoothly toward the foyer.
As soon as he entered the hall, Aunt Yuan spotted him with her sharp eyes, and her cheerful voice rang out: "You didn't bring our two imperial grandsons today, Zhao Zhao?"
Tong Zhao reluctantly poked her head out: "Aunt Yuan~"
Ever since she overheard him joking with Shan Song, Aunt Yuan has become a member of the "Royal Little Chicken" family, and she often makes jokes about him.
Grandma was amused and her face broke into fine lines as she raised her hand to greet them: "Grandma is very happy that Zhaozhao is here. The Crown Prince has asked Shansong to take care of her."
Grandma, you... you weren't like this before.
Tong Zhao hesitated, but Aunt Yuan, who was sitting directly opposite him, noticed his choked-up face and burst out laughing.
"...Where's Grandpa?" Tong Zhao quickly changed the subject before her face burned with embarrassment.
"Grandpa is playing chess with your Grandpa Qi in the chess room."
"Grandpa Qi is here too?" Tong Zhao asked in surprise.
Yuan Yamin interjected, "Yes, the two old men originally planned to go fishing, but Grandpa changed his mind for some reason. Grandpa Qi was so angry that he came over with his cane. They just made up."
"..." It seems that Shan Song's childishness is inherited from his family.
Tong Zhao was much more relaxed when she didn't go to the company. When she came, she took out the bracelet that her grandmother had given her when she got married and wore it, so that Shan Song wouldn't always say that the jewelry in the house would lose its vitality if it didn't get his favor, and that it would "break its heart" in a physical sense if it didn't get its owner's care.
He reasonably suspected that Shan Song was trying to fool him, but Shan Song spoke with righteous indignation—
Use righteous indignation to deceive him.
However, even though he doesn't usually wear Dansong, he still goes on a shopping spree, saying it's to preserve value. This guy always has a way of achieving his goals in a way that is both reasonable and acceptable to others. It's impossible to resist. In the end, when he hesitated, she patiently persuaded him, saying that the chairman's wife needs to maintain a certain image, and that wearing it when not working, especially when visiting her grandmother, would make them happy.
Tong Zhao couldn't tell whether his grandmother was happy or not, but he was very happy to see Shan Song when he went out.
Sigh, as long as my husband is happy!
The jade bracelet was clear and lustrous, complementing Tong Zhao's well-defined wrist. The slightly rich color did not appear dull on Tong Zhao's hand; instead, it enhanced her overall charm. As the saying goes, jade reflects its owner's appearance, and sure enough, her grandmother was also delighted. She held Tong Zhao's hand in her palm and lovingly stroked it, saying, "Our Zhao Zhao looks beautiful in the jade bracelet. We'll buy some other styles for her to wear in rotation. Do you have enough money?"
"That's enough, Mr. Shan is very rich, I can swipe my card as I please." Tong Zhao's words were sweet and endearing: "I haven't finished the pocket money my grandma gave me last time. If I get any more, I can only buy gifts for my grandparents. The housekeeper I brought today is still moving things."
"That's been so long, silly child." Grandma patted Tong Zhao's hand and pulled out another card from somewhere, stuffing it into Tong Zhao's hand: "The younger generation in our family all have pocket money, and everyone is treated equally. Even someone as old as Dong Shan has it, so naturally Zhao Zhao can't be left out."
Tong Zhao looked at Aunt Yuan, her gaze falling on another card in Aunt Yuan's hand, and then silently turned her head away.
Aunt Yuan was amused by his feigned indifference and deliberately suggested, "Let Shan Song set a KPI for Zhao Zhao, and he must spend fifty million every month..."
Tong Zhao's pupils dilated; what KPI?
"If it's not finished, we'll add another 50 million."
“……………”
"She just loves teasing kids," Grandma chuckled. "Yamin said Zhaozhao wants to bid on a gemstone? What kind does she like? Grandma has some here too. We'll go to the storage room later and see if there's anything she likes."
They were chatting before Tong Zhao arrived, but she arrived after only a few words. So Grandma didn't know what Tong Zhao was up to, but Aunt Yuan knew perfectly well. She chuckled and said, "You don't know this, but our Zhao Zhao is preparing a birthday present for her husband."
"Oh dear, look at my memory! I was just talking about this with his grandfather a few days ago." Grandma put on her glasses, glanced at the calendar, and muttered, "August 3rd..."
Aunt Yuan leaned over and pointed it out to her: "It'll be early next month. Xiaosong said he'll be celebrating at home this year, keeping it simple. But we still need to find an opportunity to make a proper celebration for Chairman Shan's inauguration. Next year's birthday or the group's anniversary would be good options."
"Alright." After Grandma finished speaking, she said to Tong Zhao, "Since Zhao Zhao wants to give Xiao Song a surprise, Grandma won't ask any questions. Your Aunt Yuan is a professional in jewelry, so don't be shy with her."
Tong Zhao nodded. He had always taken birthdays and other holidays lightly. Last year, they had just gotten engaged and hadn't even met on Shan Song's birthday yet, so they missed each other in a rush. He only remembered when Shan Song celebrated his birthday during the Spring Festival. He thought he would definitely give Shan Song a surprise this year.
After scratching his head and racking his brains for a long time, he realized that this wasn't the gift he originally wanted to prepare, given his limited funds. He thought that Shan Song had seen all sorts of valuable things, and if he prepared something else, it would lack sincerity and become cliché.
Who would have thought that he would be so captivated by the ruby that was advertised at the auction?
My first thought was that this was practically tailor-made for Dansong.
"We must win this." This was Tong Zhao's second reaction.
Of course, when Tong Zhao saw the starting price with several zeros hanging down, her heart sank.
It's not that he can't afford it, but it just feels strange to use Shan Song's card to buy it for Shan Song. Although Shan Song always emphasizes to him that they are joint property and have equal rights to dispose of it, at least for this first time, he wants to use his own money to buy it for him.
"Grandma, don't worry, I came here today specifically to ask Aunt Yuan to help me with the design. But the finished product will be a secret for now. Grandma, please keep it from Shan Song so he doesn't find out beforehand," Tong Zhao whispered to them.
Grandma's eyes crinkled with laughter as she repeatedly agreed, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to Zhaozhao. Grandma promises not to tell Shansong."
"Aunt Yuan—"
“Okay, I’ll keep it a secret too.” Aunt Yuan laughed and answered quickly, “Shan Song is such a lucky guy.”
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