His dazzling star (Zong Ye & Shen Tang)
At the Zong Group's anniversary celebration banquet, the shimmering light from the crystal chandelier fell on the rim of the champagne glasses, and the clinking of glasses was filled with insincere flattery.
Zongye stood in the circular corridor on the second floor, coldly overlooking the crowd in the hall. He was dressed in an impeccable black suit, his tie neatly tied, and his slender fingers held an untouched glass of whiskey, the ice ball long since melted, diluting the amber liquid.
"Mr. Zong, the Lin family wants to talk to you about the Southeast Asia project," the assistant whispered.
"Rejected." He said coldly, glancing at his watch—there were still seventeen minutes until Zong Qing's performance, which was the only reason he was willing to endure it tonight.
A commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.
Zongye frowned and looked over, only to see the crowd part like a tide, and a bright red figure entered his field of vision.
Shen Tang, arm in arm with Zong Qing, stepped into the banquet hall. Her backless red dress was like a dancing flame, instantly scorching everyone's gaze.
"Where's your brother?" she asked Zong Qing, tilting her head slightly, the diamond tassel earrings on her earlobes shimmering with tiny sparkles.
Zong Qing stood on tiptoe to look around, then suddenly waved excitedly: "There it is!"
Shen Tang followed her gaze and looked up, meeting the condescending gaze from the second floor.
The man had deep-set features, sharp eyebrows and eyes, and exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.
——Zong Ye.
Shen Tang raised her red lips slightly and said in a voice that only Zong Qing could hear, "Your brother is even colder than he appears in magazines."
Zong Qing chuckled to herself: "That's why we need the passionate Miss Shen to save us."
Zongye, who was dragged upstairs by his younger sister, stared blankly at the outstretched hand in front of him.
"I have long admired your name, Master Zong." Shen Tang's fingertips were fair and white, her nails stained with a light rose gold.
Zongye gripped his hand briefly before releasing it immediately: "Miss Chen." His voice was like an undercurrent beneath the ice, calm yet dangerous.
Zong Qing winked and said, "Brother, Tangtang is my best friend! Didn't you just watch her in 'The Spark' last week?"
The air suddenly froze.
A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Tang's eyes, followed by a meaningful smile: "So President Zong also watches my movies?"
Zong Ye remained expressionless: "The company has assessed the investment value."
"Oh?" She suddenly took a half step forward, her perfume lingering faintly. "Then, Zong always thinks... am I worth investing in?"
Zongye's eyes darkened.
During the latter part of the dinner, Zongye stood on the terrace smoking.
Even nicotine couldn't quell the inexplicable restlessness—that woman named Shen Tang was like an uncontrollable wildfire, yet everyone willingly allowed themselves to be burned by her.
The glass door was pushed open, and a familiar aroma wafted in.
"Can I borrow a light?" Shen Tang leaned against the railing, a corner of her red dress lifted by the night wind.
Zongye handed her a lighter, watching as she lowered her head to light her slender cigarette. In the flickering light, her eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow on her cheek.
"President Zong seems to dislike me a lot?" She exhaled a puff of smoke, her tone flippant.
Zong also stubbed out his cigarette: "Miss Shen is overthinking it."
"Really?" She suddenly reached out, her fingertips brushing against the handkerchief in his suit pocket. "Then why, from the moment we met until now..."
Shen Tang tiptoed, her red lips close to his ear:
"You don't even dare to look me in the eye?"
Zongye turned his face away, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
---
Zong Qing tossed her phone onto the sofa, ran barefoot to the walk-in closet, opened the wardrobe, and began rummaging through it.
"This one won't do...it's too plain...this one's too revealing..." she muttered, finally pulling out a black slip dress, holding it up in front of the mirror a couple of times, and nodding in satisfaction.
She dialed Shen Tang's number: "Tangtang, 7 PM, Lantingxuan, don't be late!"
On the other end of the phone, Shen Tang had just finished a magazine photoshoot and was slumped in a makeup chair removing her makeup: "Another meal? Who's paying this time?"
Zong Qing smiled slyly: "My brother."
Shen Tang paused, her hand holding the makeup remover pad stiffening: "Your brother?"
“Yes!” Zong Qing blinked. “He said he wanted to thank you for taking care of me at the banquet last time.”
Shen Tang raised an eyebrow—she didn't remember taking care of Zong Qing; on the contrary, it was Zong Ye who helped her up that night.
"Fine." She curled her lips into a smile. "I want to see if President Zong can still keep that icy expression this time."
When Zongye pushed open the door to the private room, his gaze fell directly on Shen Tang.
She was wearing that black dress, which made her skin look as white as snow, and her red lips were slightly upturned as she rested her chin on her hand and chatted and laughed with Zong Qing. When she saw him come in, she lazily raised her eyes and said, "Mr. Zong, I'm three minutes late."
Zongye pulled out a chair and sat down expressionlessly: "There was a traffic jam on the way."
Zong Qing poured him tea with a smile: "Brother, Tangtang is really popular lately. Her new drama just aired, and the whole internet is praising her acting skills."
Zongye hummed in agreement, his gaze sweeping over Shen Tang: "Congratulations."
Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips lightly tapping the teacup: "President Zong, have you seen my drama?"
"No."
"How can you congratulate me?"
Zongye looked up at her, his dark eyes unfathomable: "I heard you acted well, shouldn't I congratulate you?"
Shen Tang smiled: "Would you like to take a look, Mr. Zong? I'll give you a VIP membership."
Zong Qing kicked her under the table and mouthed: Don't flirt with my brother!
Shen Tang pretended not to see and continued to stare at Zong Ye: "Or... should I act it out for you myself?"
The air in the private room seemed to freeze for a second.
Zongye put down his teacup, his voice indifferent: "No need."
A week later, Zongshi Group officially announced its key annual project, "Dawn".
Shen Tang was scrolling through Weibo when she suddenly saw her name appear on the list of lead actors.
"Zong's Film Industry?" She frowned and dialed her agent's number. "Who's the investor in this film?"
"The Zong Group, they've just transitioned to film and television investment, and they're incredibly generous with their spending," the agent said excitedly. "I heard that President Zong is personally overseeing this project, and he'll be attending the opening banquet."
Shen Tang narrowed her eyes—she didn't believe it was a coincidence.
On the night of the opening banquet, Shen Tang changed her usual bright style and wore a white turtleneck sweater and black trousers, which was low-key but still eye-catching.
The director, raising his glass, introduced, "This is our biggest investor, Mr. Zong Ye, CEO of the Zong Group."
Zong Ye stood in the center of the crowd, dressed in a sharp suit, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Shen Tang.
"President Zong!" the director suddenly suggested, "How about having Shen Tang improvise a scene? Like the scene where the female lead meets the investor for the first time."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Shen Tang raised an eyebrow, put down her champagne glass, and walked step by step toward Zong Ye in her high heels.
She reached out, her fingertips lightly tracing his tie: "Mr. Zong, give me a chance?"
The surroundings fell silent instantly.
Zongye looked down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, but he remained silent.
Shen Tang went even further, sitting directly on his lap and whispering her red lips close to his ear: "Or... what kind of opportunity do you want?"
She could feel his muscles tense up instantly.
The next second, Zongye suddenly stood up, and she almost fell, but he caught her by the waist.
"Excuse me." He released her with a cold face and strode out of the banquet hall.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Shen Tang smiled and took a sip of the red wine he had left behind—his lip print was still on the rim of the glass.
The next day, #ShenTangZongye# became a trending topic.
Paparazzi photographed her entering a high-end apartment late at night, and Zongye's car later appeared in the underground parking garage.
Zong Qing called in a flash: "Tangtang! What's going on between you and my brother?!"
Shen Tang scrolled through the trending photos and scoffed, "This is obviously from the night I took you home. Didn't your brother come to deliver some documents to you later?"
"So what do we do now? My brother hates scandals the most."
After thinking for a moment, Shen Tang posted a Weibo message: "It's fake. President Zong is not my type."
She went to take a shower after sending it.
Zong had just finished a multinational conference when his assistant nervously handed him a tablet: "Mr. Zong, there's some news from back home..."
He glanced at the trending topics, his eyes suddenly turning cold.
The assistant asked cautiously, "Should we have the public relations department handle this?"
Zongye opened Shen Tang's Weibo and saw the sentence "Not my type," and his fingers tightened slightly.
"Remove them all," he said coldly. "I don't want to see any more related topics within an hour."
The assistant hurried to get to it, but then heard President Zong suddenly ask, "What type of girl did she like before?"
The assistant was stunned: "Huh?"
Zongye had already closed the page, his face expressionless: "It's nothing."
In the early hours of the morning, Zongye turned on his computer again and typed in "Shen Tang interview".
Numerous videos popped up on the screen: "Shen Tang's Ideal Type Revealed," "Shen Tang Talks About Love," "Shen Tang: I Like Gentle Men"...
He clicked on the last one.
In the video, Shen Tang smiles brightly: "I like girls who can cook, are gentle, and preferably love to laugh—"
Zongye immediately turned off the video and rubbed his temples.
The phone on the table lit up; Zong Qing had sent a message: "Brother, Tangtang's Weibo post was deliberately meant to upset you! She clearly—"
He didn't finish reading it and replied, "Going to sleep."
He put down his phone and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The lights of New York City shone like stars, but he remembered the faint scent of roses on her body when she sat on his lap that night.
He picked up his coat and said to his assistant outside the door, "Change your ticket to the earliest flight back to China."
Shen Tang was suspended by wires, five meters in the air.
The scene required her to leap from an ancient building. The action director had repeatedly checked the safety measures, but when she flipped in mid-air, the wire suddenly made a piercing "snap" sound—
"careful!" "
The set instantly descended into chaos. Shen Tang felt a sudden weight lift off her shoulders, her back slamming heavily onto the mat, and a piercing pain shot through her right leg.
"Tangtang!" Zong Qing's scream pierced the noise.
Shen Tang tried to sit up and say "I'm okay," but her vision went black. In her last moments of consciousness, she heard the siren of an ambulance and heard a trembling voice on the phone with a production assistant: "Quickly notify the management..."
When Zongye pushed open the ward door, his fingertips were still stained with undried coffee.
Three hours earlier, he was at a negotiating table in New York when his assistant suddenly rushed in and whispered a few words in his ear. The partners watched helplessly as this young leader, known for his composure, lost his composure in public for the first time—smashing a coffee cup, grabbing his coat, and rushing out.
"The patient has a fractured right leg and a mild concussion." The doctor's words echoed in my ears.
Through the glass window, he saw Shen Tang leaning against the headboard, smiling as she said to her agent, "Don't look so sad, you're not going to die." Her left cheek was covered in gauze, and her wrist, exposed outside her hospital gown, was covered in bruises.
Zongye pressed his knuckles against the window frame, straining until they turned white.
Amid the ticking of the monitor, Shen Tang suddenly opened her eyes.
Moonlight streamed through the blinds, outlining a tall, imposing figure on the sofa. The moment the figure noticed she was awake, he abruptly sat up, the sound of his leather shoes on the floor like a muffled thunderclap.
"President Zong...?" Her voice was terribly hoarse.
The man in the shadows paused, then turned and poured a glass of water, handing it to her. Water droplets condensed on the glass, sliding down his long, slender fingers and dripping onto the back of her hand, making her shiver.
"The doctor said you might get a fever in the middle of the night." His voice was lower than usual, as if he was suppressing some emotion. "Zong Qing was just dragged back to bed by her manager."
Shen Tang observed him by the moonlight. Zong Ye's tie was hanging loosely, his suit jacket was gone, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing several fresh scratches on his forearms—probably left when he smashed the glass door.
"You..." she suddenly laughed, "You haven't been sitting here all night, have you?"
Zongye silently handed the water glass to her again.
As the warm water slid down his throat, Shen Tang suddenly grabbed his hand, which was about to be pulled back.
“Zongye.” She lightly traced her fingertip across his palm. “Your hand is trembling.”
This sentence was like pressing a switch.
Zongye suddenly gripped her wrist tightly, so hard that she hissed softly. He immediately loosened his grip, but didn't let go, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the bruise on her wrist: "Why didn't you use a stand-in?"
“This scene requires a close-up shot of our faces,” she said, deliberately in a lighthearted tone. “Our actors are very dedicated.”
The beeping of the monitor suddenly became rapid.
Zong leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear: "Chen Tang." Each word seemed to be squeezed out through clenched teeth, "Do you know what happened the moment the steel wire snapped...?"
His words vanished into thin air. Shen Tang saw his Adam's apple bobbing violently, and his eyes bloodshot.
Her heart suddenly started pounding.
"Zongye," she tugged at his tie, forcing him to lower his head, "Are you...?"
The moment their lips touched, the monitor emitted a sharp alarm.
Zong straightened up as if he had been burned, and the nurse rushed in: "The patient's blood pressure has suddenly risen!"
In the chaos, Shen Tang gripped the bedsheet tightly. She watched Zong Ye retreat to the corner, watched him wipe his face hard with his palm, and watched him lock all his emotions back into that cold shell.
"Get some rest." As he turned around, half of his crumpled plane ticket peeked out of his suit trouser pocket—New York to Shanghai, economy class, boarding time 17 minutes after receiving the call.
Shen Tang suddenly called out to him, "Hey."
She wiggled her bandaged leg: "Remember to bring flowers next time you visit someone in the hospital."
Zongye stood frozen in the doorway. After a long while, a very soft "Mm" came from behind.
After the nurse finished changing the dressing and left, Shen Tang reached for her phone under her pillow.
On the lock screen were 99+ messages from Zong Qing, the latest one from 4 AM: "My brother booked the entire VIP floor of the hospital! Is he crazy?!"
She smiled and clicked on the trending topics; #ZongshiGroupEmergencyAcquisitionOfMedicalDeviceCompany# was prominently displayed at the top. A financial reporter was bewildered: "According to insiders, the acquisition decision was made in just 23 minutes..."
Outside the window, the rising sun was spreading across the city skyline. Shen Tang buried her face in the pillow that smelled of disinfectant, hiding her burning ears.
On the monitor, the heart rate quietly crossed the safety line.
Just as Shen Tang finished her early morning schedule, her assistant Xiao Lin rushed into the dressing room with her phone in hand: "Sister Tang, something's happened!"
On the screen, the hashtag #ShenTangLinYiReconciliation# was prominently displayed at the top of the trending searches, accompanied by a misaligned photo of Lin Chen draping a coat over her at last night's celebration party. The comment section exploded:
I was heartbroken when they broke up!
"I still love shipping the old favorites!"
Shen Tang sneered and tossed her phone back to her assistant: "Contact the public relations department to issue a statement, just say—"
Before he could finish speaking, the door to the dressing room was suddenly pushed open.
Zong Ye stood in the doorway, dressed in a black suit, a chilling aura surging in his eyes. Xiao Lin took two steps back in fright, but Shen Tang calmly removed her earring: "Mr. Zong, is your presence here to personally blacklist me?"
The air froze instantly.
Zongye loosened his tie and uttered two words to his assistant: "Get out."
The moment the door closed, he grabbed Shen Tang's wrist: "You did this on purpose?"
"What did I do on purpose?" She looked up at him directly. "Was I deliberately letting Lin Yi use me for publicity? Or was I deliberately trying to make President Zong jealous?"
He traced the pulse beating on her wrist with his fingertips, then suddenly leaned down and said, "Chen Tang, you know my bottom line very well."
---
Three days later, the film starring Lin Yi was suddenly withdrawn from funding, and all of his endorsement deals were terminated one after another.
When Shen Tang burst into the Zong Group headquarters on the 33rd floor, Zong Ye was signing documents. Seeing her enter, he gestured for his secretary to leave, and the nib of his pen smeared a blot of ink on the paper.
"Satisfied?" She slammed the entertainment headline on the table: "New Best Actor Suppressed by Capital, CEO Zong, what a clever tactic."
Zongye closed the folder: "He shouldn't have touched people he shouldn't have."
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the rain was pouring down. Shen Tang suddenly laughed: "Zong Ye, by what right do you interfere with me?"
He stood up, casting a shadow over her: "What kind of identity do you want?"
The sound of raindrops pounding against the glass was deafening. Shen Tang reached out and grabbed his tie, her red lips almost touching his Adam's apple: "I want you to admit—"
The office door was suddenly pushed open.
“Brother! The board of directors—” Zong Qing’s voice abruptly stopped.
Shen Tang quickly stepped back, but Zong Ye's tie was still dangling between her fingers. Zong Qing's eyes widened: "You...are you fighting?"
---
The ancestral home was brightly lit.
When Shen Tang appeared in the banquet hall in a dark green velvet gown, the whispers of the socialites all around suddenly fell silent. Zong Qing jogged over and took her arm: "My brother saw your name on the invitation just now, and his hands were shaking so much he almost spilled his coffee."
Before she could finish speaking, the man in the dark-patterned suit had already stepped in front of her. Zongye's gaze swept over her bare back, and he frowned: "You're wearing—"
"Cold?" Shen Tang deliberately turned around. "But I feel hot."
As the band began playing a waltz, Zong Heng suddenly called out, "Xiao Ye, let's dance!"
All eyes turned to her. Zong Qing gave Chen Tang a shove: "Hurry up! My brother's dancing is amazing!"
The moment their palms touched, Shen Tang felt the calluses on Zong Ye's fingers. He put his arm around her waist and said in a very low voice, "You did it on purpose."
"Yes." She stood on tiptoe and breathed into his ear, "I heard that President Zong was a ballroom dance champion in college?"
As she spun around, she deliberately stepped on his foot with her high heels. Zongye grunted and pulled her even tighter: "If you keep causing trouble, you're not going home tonight."
The guests whispered among themselves: "Young Master Zong is actually smiling?" "Is his hand shaking?"
As the dance music ended, Lin Yi suddenly appeared, holding a glass of champagne: "Tangtang, it's been a long time."
Zongye's eyes instantly turned icy.
The parking lot was flooded with torrential rain.
Shen Tang shook off Lin Yi's hand: "Have you finished acting?"
The black Maybach screeched to a halt in front of them. Zongye got out of the car without even an umbrella, raindrops dripping down his jawline.
Lin Yiqiang tried to remain calm: "President Zong, Tangtang and I were just catching up—"
"Get out." Zong Ye didn't even look at him, and directly pulled Shen Tang into the car.
The car was filled with the damp scent of cedar. Shen Tang wrung out the water droplets from the hem of her skirt: "Mr. Zong, is this a kidnapping?"
He suddenly leaned down on her, his soaked shirt clinging to her skin: "Do you know how much I wanted to kiss you in public just now?"
The windshield wipers traced rapid arcs across the car window. Shen Tang touched the corner of his reddened eyes: "Zong Ye, you're so cute when you're jealous."
The next second, the world spun around.
He pressed her down on the leather seat and kissed her fiercely, her lips tasting rain and blood. In the distance, lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the possessive desire surging in his eyes.
"Chen Tang," he panted, biting her earlobe, "try looking at him again."
The invitation to Paris Fashion Week lay quietly on Shen Tang's dressing table, the gold lettering gleaming coldly under the light. She stared at the paper, her fingertips unconsciously tracing its edges.
Agent Lin pushed the door open and, seeing her like this, sighed: "Are you really leaving?"
Shen Tang twitched the corners of her mouth and stuffed the invitation into her bag: "Yeah, tonight's flight."
Outside, the rain poured down, the raindrops pounding against the glass like some kind of ominous premonition. She was supposed to leave in three days, but ever since her unpleasant encounter with Zong at the family banquet, she had changed her mind—she needed to leave, she needed to breathe air without him.
The phone vibrated and the screen lit up.
Zong Qing: [Sis! My brother's gone mad! He smashed up the office!]
Shen Tang's finger hovered above the screen, but she didn't reply. She turned off her phone, picked up her suitcase, and said, "Let's go, Sister Lin."
The airport lights were a stark white. Wearing sunglasses, Shen Tang strode towards the VIP passage. The sound of rain, shut out by the glass walls, seemed to still be roaring in her ears.
"Ms. Shen, here is your boarding pass." The ground staff handed her the documents with a smile.
Just as she was about to take it, a hand with distinct knuckles suddenly darted in and grabbed her wrist.
The hand was cold and damp with rain, yet its strength was astonishing. Shen Tang abruptly looked up, her sunglasses sliding down to the tip of her nose—
Zong also stood in front of her.
He was soaking wet, his black hair plastered messily to his forehead, his suit jacket nowhere to be seen, and his white shirt, drenched in rainwater, vaguely revealing the outline of his muscles. Most frightening of all were his eyes, dark and deep, like the surface of the sea before a storm.
"Don't go," he said, his voice hoarse.
Shen Tang struggled, but couldn't break free. People around her were already raising their phones, and she whispered, "Zong Ye, what's wrong with you?"
Without a word, he dragged her towards the VIP lounge. Sister Lin tried to stop him, but Zong Ye's glare froze her in place.
The door slammed shut, the sound of the lock echoing sharply in the quiet lounge. Shen Tang shook off his hand: "You—"
Zongye suddenly pressed her against the door.
His breathing was rapid and heavy, carrying the chilly scent of rain. Only then did Shen Tang realize that he was trembling—this man, who was decisive and ruthless in the business world, was now uncontrollably trembling at his fingertips.
"Lin Yi and I have nothing going on," she explained instinctively.
"I know," Zongye's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "I don't care."
"and you--"
"What I care about is that you're leaving!" He suddenly raised his voice, veins bulging on his forehead. "Chen Tang, you know perfectly well..."
"Know what?" Shen Tang's heart pounded like a drum, but she stubbornly raised her face: "Know what? If President Zong doesn't explain clearly, how am I supposed to know?"
Zongye's pupils suddenly contracted.
The next second, he leaned down and kissed her.
The kiss was haphazard, fierce as if venting something, yet restrained and cautious. Shen Tang's back was pressed against the door, the cold doorknob digging painfully into her, but the temperature of her lips was frighteningly hot.
She tasted blood, but didn't know whose it was.
Zong Ye suddenly stepped back, his thumb grazing heavily across the corner of her lips. His eyes were terribly red: "Shen Tang, I've never been this crazy in my life."
Chen Tang, panting, suddenly laughed: "That's it?"
Zong also froze.
"Smashing the office, chasing me to the airport in the rain, forcibly kissing me—" she counted, then suddenly grabbed his tie, "President Zong, your confession is far too insincere."
Zongye's Adam's apple bobbed.
“I…” He opened his mouth, then suddenly pulled a small box out of his pocket.
The velvet box was opened, revealing a diamond ring that sparkled brilliantly under the light.
"It's not a proposal," Zongye's voice was so low it was almost inaudible. "It's to tell you that I'm serious."
Shen Tang was stunned.
She recognized the ring—the pink diamond that the Zong family had bought for a record price at auction last month. At the time, the media joked that they wondered which socialite would win over the Zong family's heart.
turn out to be……
“From the first time you smiled at me,” Zongya’s voice was hoarse, “I was doomed.”
---
Three months later, the Zong Group's annual meeting.
Shen Tang, in a striking red dress, appeared on the red carpet arm in arm with Zong Ye. They were instantly surrounded by flashing lights, and the reporters' questions were increasingly pointed—
"Miss Shen, may I ask what your relationship is with President Zong?"
"There are rumors that you used the Zong family's resources to get the female lead in 'Starry Night'?"
Zongye's face instantly darkened, but Shentang smiled and pinched his arm.
"It depends on his behavior..." She looked at Zongye and blinked.
At the celebration party that night, Zong also cornered her in a corner of the garage.
"Was I good enough?" he asked, biting her earlobe.
Shen Tang laughed and dodged, saying, "It's so-so."
Zongye narrowed his eyes, then suddenly picked her up and shoved her into the car.
"Hello!"
"Let's go home." He fastened his seatbelt, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips. "I'll show you what 'good performance' really means."
Outside the car window, the neon lights blurred into a dazzling display of light and shadow. Looking at his profile, Shen Tang suddenly remembered that rainy night—
It turns out that when icebergs melt, they get very hot.
——
When Zong Ye returned home early from his business trip, Shen Tang was straddling Zong Qing, trying to draw a turtle for her.
His gaze slowly swept over the mess on the ground, finally landing on Shen Tang's flushed face.
The air condensed.
Zong Qing was the first to raise a cushion: "Brother! I'm reporting this! Shen Tang forced me to drink it!"
Shen Tang: "???"
Zong Ye put down his briefcase and slowly rolled up his sleeves: "Jiang Mingxu will be here in ten minutes." He looked at Zong Qing, "You, go downstairs and wait."
Zong Qing scrambled away.
Shen Tang belatedly tried to run away, but Zong Ye grabbed her wrist. The faint scent of cedar mixed with the smell of alcohol wafted from the man.
“Explain.” He stroked the red mole on her wrist with his thumb.
Shen Tang's brain froze: "Celebrating your return from your business trip?"
Zong also squinted.
The alcohol started to take effect.
Shen Tang suddenly cupped Zong Ye's face in her hands: "Zong Ye, your eyelashes are so long." She poked his brow with her fingertips, "They look good even when they're furrowed here."
Zong Ye: "..."
“And his hands!” She grabbed his left hand and pressed it against her cheek. “Well-defined knuckles, perfect for wearing rings…wait, he’s already wearing one?” She grinned. “Oh right, I bought it.”
Zong Ye's Adam's apple bobbed: "Chen Tang."
“I’m here!” She suddenly threw herself into his arms. “You smell so good, and you look so handsome in your suit. You look even more handsome when you’re discussing the merger and acquisition deal…” Her nose brushed against his Adam’s apple. “Your voice is sexy too. I secretly recorded the last conference call and listened to it before bed.”
Zong also caught his breath.
“The most handsome one was last week!” Shen Tang looked up, her eyes sparkling. “You were squatting down to tie my shoelaces, and the back of your neck was sticking out…” She suddenly lowered her voice, “I wanted to bite you.”
Zongye's eyes darkened suddenly, and he grabbed her waist, pressing her down onto the sofa: "Are you drunk?"
"No~ no~" Shen Tang drawled, playing with his tie with her fingers, "Our CEO Zong is the epitome of good looks, a business genius, and a doting husband..."
Zongye suddenly leaned close to her ear: "Say it again."
"A doting husband!"
"The sentence before that."
Shen Tang blinked her hazy, drunken eyes: "A business prodigy?"
"Further ahead."
"The pinnacle of beauty?"
Zongye chuckled softly and kissed her chattering lips.
The next morning, Shen Tang woke up with aches and pains all over her body.
My phone started vibrating incessantly.
Zong Qing: [Video]
[Zong Qing: Exclusive! The Actress's Drunken Praise of Her Husband!]
[Zong Qing: Transfer 88,888, or I'll post this on Weibo]
In the video, she is straddling Zongye's lap, counting his abs: "One, two... wait, where's the sixth one?"
Zongye's low, husky voice off-screen: "I was exhausted last night."
Shen Tang screamed and buried her face in the pillow, but then smelled the familiar scent of cedarwood—Zong Ye's suit jacket was covering her head.
A note was stuck on the bedside table:
I'm on a business trip for three days.
P.S. I've backed up the video; I'll praise it in person when I get back home.
P.S. The ice jelly was in the fridge, and it was very sweet this time.
Shen Tang blushed as she hid the note in her jewelry box, then suddenly touched something hard—
It's a USB drive, and the label says "Tangtang Baby's Praise Collection".
——
On an ordinary morning, Zongye's biological clock woke him up precisely at six o'clock in the morning.
He opened his eyes, and the first thing he did was touch the other side of the bed—it was empty, still a little warm.
He frowned when he heard a slight noise coming from the kitchen. Shen Tang had only returned from filming early yesterday morning; she should still be asleep at this hour.
He threw back the covers and got out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the carpet. He casually grabbed the bathrobe draped over the back of the chair. As he pushed open the bedroom door, the aroma of fried eggs wafted in. He saw Shen Tang standing in front of the stove, wearing his shirt, the hem barely covering her thighs.
"Awake?" She didn't turn her head. "The coffee's on the table."
Zongye walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and rested his chin on her shoulder: "Why are you up so early?"
"I can't sleep." Shen Tang flipped the bacon in the frying pan. "Filming's wrapped up, I'm so excited."
Zongye hummed in agreement, his fingers unconsciously stroking the skin on her side. There was a faint scar there, left from filming his last action movie.
"Stop fooling around." Shen Tang gently nudged him with her elbow. "The eggs are going to burn."
Zong didn't move; instead, he tightened his grip on her arm.
"Zongya?"
"Hold me a little longer."
After breakfast, Zong also went to the study to hold a video conference. Shen Tang sat cross-legged on the living room carpet, with several scripts spread out in front of her.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding the tips of her hair. Zongye, holding a coffee cup, leaned against the doorframe, watching her.
"What are you looking at?" Shen Tang asked without looking up.
"Look at you."
Shen Tang finally raised her head, squinting her eyes: "President Zong, was your meeting today too easy?"
Zongye walked over and sat down next to her, casually picking up a script and flipping through it: "Deep Sea, what's it about?"
"A love story between divers." Shen Tang leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder. "The female lead is a marine biologist, and the male lead is a member of the rescue team."
Zongye raised an eyebrow: "A kissing scene?"
“Yes,” Shen Tang said deliberately, “there are also underwater intimate scenes.”
Zongye closed the script: "Rejected it."
Shen Tang laughed and reached out to pinch his cheek: "Jealous?"
Zongye grasped her wrist and lowered his head to kiss her. The kiss was very light, like a feather brushing against her.
As they parted, Shen Tang suddenly said, "Zong Ye, let's get married."
The air froze.
Zongye stopped moving, slowly straightened up, and stared into Shen Tang's eyes: "What did you say?"
“I said,” Shen Tang tilted her head, “let’s get married.”
Her tone was as casual as if she were discussing the weather, but her eyes were frighteningly serious.
Zongye's Adam's apple bobbed: "Why today?"
“Because today is just an ordinary day.” Shen Tang reached out and smoothed his furrowed brow. “No reporters, no fans, no spotlights. Just… you and me, and I… suddenly really want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Zong remained silent for a long time.
"Where's the ring?" he asked.
Shen Tang smiled and took a small box out of her pajama pocket.
It wasn't an expensive diamond ring, but a pair of plain bands with their initials engraved on the inside.
“I ordered a month’s supply,” she said softly. “I was planning to give it to you on your birthday.”
Zongye took the box, his fingers trembling slightly.
“Chen Tang,” he said in a hoarse voice, “this is something I should do.”
"Who says a proposal has to be made by a man?" Shen Tang raised an eyebrow. "President Zong, are you being sexist?"
Zongye suddenly pulled her into his arms, so tightly that she almost suffocated.
“I do,” he said.
Then, on an ordinary afternoon, they went to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
There was no prior reservation, no clearing of the venue, and three couples were ahead of us in line. Shen Tang was wearing a mask and a baseball cap, while Zong Ye wore a simple white shirt.
"Are you nervous?" Shen Tang poked Zong Ye's hand.
Zongye grasped her fingers in return: "Mmm."
"You're lying." Shen Tang laughed. "You've never been nervous negotiating multi-billion dollar cases."
"no the same."
When it was their turn, the staff glanced at Shen Tang a couple more times, but said nothing. As they signed, stamped, and the steel seal was affixed, Shen Tang's eyes suddenly reddened.
"Why are you crying?" Zongye asked in a low voice.
"I don't know." Shen Tang wiped her eyes. "I just feel...it's really nice."
Zong Qing was the first to know the news.
When the call connected, she was filming an advertisement, and the background noise was loud.
"Brother? What's wrong?"
"I am married."
There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a scream: "What?! With whom?! When?! Why didn't I know?!"
Zong also held the phone a little further away: "Today with Shen Tang."
"Shen Tang?!" Zong Qing's voice suddenly rose, "Shen Tang proposed?!"
Zongye raised an eyebrow: "How did you know?"
"Because she asked me last week what kind of ring you liked!" Zong Qing exclaimed in despair. "I thought she was going to give you a birthday present!"
Zongye turned to look at Shen Tang on the sofa, who was holding the marriage certificate and grinning foolishly. Noticing his gaze, she winked at him.
"I'm hanging up," he said.
"Wait! What about the wedding? The honeymoon? The betrothal gifts?"
"We'll see."
After hanging up the phone, Zong walked over to Shen Tang, picked her up, and placed her on his lap.
"Zong Qing knows?" Shen Tang asked.
"Um."
Was she shocked?
"Um."
Shen Tang laughed and hugged his neck: "Zong Ye."
"Um?"
"I love you."
Zongye tightened his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
Sunshine, coffee, script, us, marriage certificate.
On an ordinary day, happiness suddenly descended upon us.
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