Chapter 42 Don't you really want to consider a marriage alliance...?
By some strange twist of fate.
That night, Tang Ran didn't go home to be with Tang Wanru; instead, she went to Shengming Mansion.
After washing up, she sat in the living room with the documents in her hand.
I would glance at the balcony every now and then.
When the digital clock on my phone jumped to 21:15, a faint layer of light and shadow appeared on the balcony floor.
Someone from next door has come back.
Tang Ran's gaze unconsciously fell on her phone.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes.
21:45.
There are no messages on the phone.
Tang Ran slammed the documents shut and strode into the bedroom.
He tossed his phone aside, threw himself onto the bed, and buried his head in the pillow.
The night sky was pitch black, not a single star could be seen.
bite!
My phone beeped with a new message notification.
Tang Ran's lips curled up unconsciously as she quickly grabbed her phone to unlock it.
[Jiangcheng Release]: With the flood season approaching, Jiangcheng City has fully activated...
The screen only lit up for a second before being turned off.
A muffled clap of thunder sounded, and raindrops began to fall in a pattering patter.
It rained until late at night before stopping.
The next day after arriving at work, Tang Ran called Xia Mo.
The two agreed to meet in Wanyuan that afternoon.
When Tang Ran arrived, Xia Mo's assistant was already waiting in the lobby on the first floor.
"You're here?"
Seeing his assistant lead Tang Ran in, Xia Mo straightened the documents in his hand, smiled, and got up to walk out.
"What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?"
"Warm water is fine."
Tang Ran is caffeine sensitive; drinking coffee in the afternoon keeps her alert until late at night.
The assistant poured the water and left, leaving only Tang Ran and Xia Mo in the office.
Tang Ran felt a little uncomfortable.
"Xin'er said you're going to Turtle Island in a few days?"
"Yes, this weekend."
"The things Xin'er prepared are almost piled up into a small mountain..."
Xia Xin'er posts pictures of her newly bought travel and vacation gadgets in the group chat every day, and Tang Ran isn't surprised by what Xia Mo says.
After a few casual words, Xia Mo naturally steered the conversation to Tang's loan.
Things turned out exactly as Tang Ran had guessed.
Not only this loan, but also Tang's subsequent loans are very likely to be overdue.
Just like in his previous life, he was rejected for a loan in the final round.
With her suspicions confirmed, Tang Ran's anxiety finally subsided.
There will be overdue payments on subsequent loans.
The Tang family needs a large sum of money, requiring continuous financial support.
Otherwise, the cash flow will dry up, and the same fate as in the previous life will occur.
Seeing her expression change, Xia Mo immediately softened his tone, "Don't worry too much. As long as Tang's business is doing well, this isn't a big problem."
She turned around, took a stack of documents from her desk, and placed them in front of Tang Ran.
“Wanyuan offers bridge financing services. If the Tang family needs it, they can consider it.”
The document contained several bridge loan options, which Xia Mo explained one by one before providing the most suitable solution for the Tang family.
Xia Mo smiled gently, his eyes shining through. "Personally, I can offer the highest interest rate to Ranran, whom Xin'er talks about all the time."
The topic wasn't her relationship with Tang Ran, but rather Xia Xin'er's favor.
Xia Mo's thoughtfulness is comforting.
To be honest, Tang Ran was interested in her proposal.
However, the help Xia Mo provided was far more about personal connections than normal business transactions.
Tang Ran could not accept it with a clear conscience.
Especially after she learned that Xia Mo had feelings for her.
Debts of gratitude are easy to borrow but hard to repay.
As evening approached, another shower fell in Jiangcheng.
The sunset after the rain was a tapestry of vibrant colors, a dazzling spectacle.
The top floor of the Song Group building.
The glow of the sunset streamed into the office through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows.
Slender fingers slowly glided across the mouse, the numbers on the screen reflected in the lenses of her glasses.
A new message popped up on my phone.
The surname is Mu, not Murong: [Image]
I glanced at it briefly, then my gaze returned to the computer screen.
Tang's financial statements for the past three years.
Lin Jixin had the finance department send the company's relevant information and financial statements to Song Zhixu early Monday morning.
The loan was made through the Song family's public accounts, and therefore required the following procedures.
The purpose of reviewing Tang's financial statements was to examine Tang's ability to repay its loans.
The phone lit up again.
Surname Mu, not Murong: [You'll regret it if you don't read this!]
He paused slightly while swiping, then picked up his phone and tapped into the chat window.
The image Murong Yi sent was a screenshot of a chat.
The screenshot has the words "Old Xia" written at the top.
16:32.
Hey Xia, wanna grab a drink after work?
[A date has been arranged.]
[With whom? It can't be Tang Ran, can it?]
【(Smile)】
After staring at the last smiling emoji for two seconds, Song Zhixu put down her phone.
Her fair fingers grasped the silver metal frame of her glasses, gently removed them, and pressed her fingertips firmly against her aching nose.
That day, while having lunch at the equestrian center, Murong Yi teased Xia Mo and even managed to get her to reveal her intention to lend money to the Tang family.
Song Zhixu lowered her eyes, the silver light from the screen shining on her curled eyelashes, casting a light shadow that added a touch of darkness to her gentle eyes.
*
Turtle Island Tourist Resort is a key project invested in by Song's Real Estate in the past two years. It is only 100 kilometers away from Jiangcheng and is located at the mouth of a river in central China.
The island boasts the only seaside hot spring in China, a naturally formed golden beach, and its shape resembles a giant sea turtle from a distance.
Song Wuqi wanted to work at the real estate branch, so she asked Old Master Song to let her participate in the opening ceremony of the Turtle Island Resort.
Besides inviting her friends to visit, she was also responsible for various pre-opening inspections to ensure the smooth operation of the resort after its opening.
The invitation was sent to the small group half a month ago.
These kinds of gatherings are meant to be a place for people to connect and build relationships. Except for two people who were abroad and couldn't come back, almost everyone else was there.
Including their companions, there were about twenty people in total.
Song Wuqi had work to do, so he went there a couple of days earlier.
Tang Ran went there in Miao Tiantian's car.
When they arrived, the parking lot was already filled with colorful sports cars.
The parking lot is some distance from the hotel, but there are shuttle buses that provide transportation between the two locations.
Knowing that Tang Ran had arrived, Song Wuqi went to the parking lot to pick her up, which drew teasing and jokes from the crowd.
Miao Tiantian saw her coming from the car and rolled her eyes at her with obvious disdain.
"A Chihuahua dressed in a suit, looking quite presentable!"
On the way, Tang Ran told her about Song Wuqi's underhanded tactics in deliberately bringing forward the engagement.
Miao Tiantian found her even more disgusting.
Tang Ran patted her arm, signaling her to tone it down a bit.
After all, it's not time to completely break ties yet.
Miao Tiantian deliberately parked in a spot further inside, saying, "Why don't you just tell Grandpa Song all about her messy affairs?"
She's an impatient person, so she doesn't know how Tang Ran managed to hold it in for so long.
"It's not the right time yet."
"Are you worried about the loan?" Miao Tiantian turned the steering wheel and reversed, glancing at her sideways. "Didn't Song Zhixu already say that even if you two don't get engaged, it won't affect the cooperation between the two families?"
The news of tighter lending has spread, and Tang's family is not the only company affected. Many people are trying to find ways to help.
Upon hearing this, Miao Tiantian immediately called Tang Ran to ask if she needed any help.
The person in charge of the Miao family now is Miao Tiantian's uncle. Tang Ran didn't want to trouble her, but she was also afraid that she would worry about it, so she told her what Song Zhixu had said.
Of course, some things that shouldn't be said will be skipped to avoid Miao Tiantian gossiping.
"Not entirely." Tang Ran nodded.
The logic is sound, but who can guarantee that Song Zhixu will actually keep his word?
Moreover, Song Wuqi's infidelity cannot be exposed by her, nor can it be exposed only to Old Master Song.
Miao Tiantian pressed the parking button, glanced at Song Wuqi who was walking over out of the corner of her eye, and said with a mischievous smile, "If you're so worried, I have an idea."
Tang Ran guessed what she was going to say.
I feel inexplicably guilty.
He glanced at her with feigned composure, opened the car door and got out, saying, "Save your imagination."
Miao Tiantian grabbed her, "Aren't you really going to consider changing your marriage partner to Song Zhixu?"
Tang Ran slapped her hand away impatiently.
Miao Tiantian is truly her best friend.
One sentence is enough to touch her heart.
During this time, she would often think of Song Zhixu's gentle gaze.
Sometimes I even think that it would be nice to change my engagement partner to Song Zhixu.
This is also the easiest and least indebted solution.
Having learned from her previous life's experiences, Tang Ran dared not easily trust arranged marriages again.
But she also had to admit that, in terms of shared interests, marriage was indeed a stronger bond than other relationships.
Miao Tiantian noticed her hesitation and winked at her, "If you become the president's wife, and whisper sweet nothings in his ear every day, would you still be afraid that Song Zhixu would go back on his word?"
It sounded like a joke, but Miao Tiantian had thought about it seriously.
The Tang family needed too much loan money, and among the people they knew, there weren't many who could provide that amount.
But besides the Song family, she really couldn't think of another family willing to offer their services.
Moreover, it would be unreasonable for Song Zhixu to be so willing to help Tang Ran if there wasn't some reason behind it.
“I specifically inquired about this for you. Boss Song has an exceptionally clean private life. Over the years, many people have tried to take advantage of her, but none of them have succeeded.”
"Don't even mention those who climb into bed for money. I heard that Miss Chen from the Chen family in Beijing is that man's granddaughter."
Miao Tiantian raised her hand and pointed upwards, and Tang Ran understood what she meant.
"Last year, thousands of drones performed in Xihai Park in Beijing to celebrate her birthday. Wow, it was spectacular."
Miao Tiantian is well-informed; most of the things she finds out are true.
Tang Ran felt a tightness in her chest.
Her best friend understands her best, and her words are the most hurtful.
Song Zhixu is the most suitable choice for her right now, but obviously, in terms of marriage partner, Song Zhixu has a better option.
Even if Song Zhixu really has a bit of a crush on her, so what?
With the help of that person in Beijing, it's not impossible for the Song family to become the richest family in China.
Choosing her resulted in a debt of over a billion yuan.
Considering the relationship between Song Zhixu and Song Wuqi, how desperate must Song Zhixu be to choose her?
Seeing Tang Ran's expression change, Miao Tiantian realized that her words seemed to have backfired.
"Hey, no, sis, I'm not telling you this to discourage you."
Her intention was to provoke Tang Ran and make her act quickly.
"You're in a great position, with such a good opportunity."
"Sister, I believe you can do it."
"With our qualifications, this is definitely a Nuwa graduation project, okay? I have high hopes for you, sister." Miao Tiantian's gaze swept over her, and she held up two fingers. "You can definitely handle it with ease!"
Tang Ran slapped away her playful hand and sighed earnestly, "Sweetie, it's a pity you're not in sales."
In those two minutes, she didn't get a single word in edgewise, completely swept away by Miao Tiantian's words.
It's as if she's already prepared and has begun to act!
"I'm serious!" Seeing that Song Wuqi was about to reach the passenger door, Miao Tiantian lowered her voice and urged, "Think it over carefully."
After saying that, she took the sunglasses from the center console, put them on her nose, and deftly opened the car door and got out.
Song Wuqi greeted her with a smile.
Miao Tiantian gave a lukewarm "hmm".
Song Wuqi didn't think anything of it.
She knew that Miao Tiantian had never really liked her, and she didn't like Miao Tiantian either.
She was thinking that once she and Tang Ran got engaged, she could gradually distance Tang Ran from Miao Tiantian.
Song Wuqi composed himself and smiled at Tang Ran, "I should have gone back to pick you up, but something came up unexpectedly."
"It's okay, I know you're busy with work."
Tang Ran smiled slightly, deliberately pausing on the word "work".
When Song Wuqi went to the real estate branch, he didn't forget to bring Ye Xiaoyu, his 'assistant', along.
She's been quite busy these past few days, busy using work as an excuse to hang out with Ye Xiaoyu.
A fleeting look of guilt crossed Song Wuqi's face, but he quickly masked it.
If Tang Ran knew anything, she would definitely argue with her.
What he just said sounded more like he was complaining and whining to her.
"It's my fault. I've been busy with work for almost all day. I'll make sure to spend more time with you these next few days." She said, reaching out to take Tang Ran's hand.
Miao Tiantian made a gagging motion behind her back.
Tang Ran raised her hand to fan herself, then handed her the suitcase, complaining, "I didn't expect it to be this hot on Turtle Island too."
In the early summer, spending too much time under the sun can give you the illusion that you're a skewer of meat.
"It's a bit hot today. The forecast says it will rain this evening, but tomorrow and the day after will be very comfortable." Song Wuqi accepted the gift with a doting smile. "It'll be cooler at the water park; everyone's there."
Miao Tiantian took her arm and secretly gave her a thumbs up.
Tang Ran glanced at her sideways, indicating that there was another shuttle bus driver over there.
The shuttle bus took more than ten minutes to reach the central resort area on the island.
"Ranran, here, here."
As soon as Tang Ran entered the lobby, Xia Xin'er waved and called to her.
After chatting with Xia Xin'er for a bit and exchanging pleasantries with the others, it was almost noon.
The park's deputy manager came over and arranged for the group to have lunch at the restaurant on the second floor.
The transparent sightseeing elevator allows you to see the outside scenery in 360 degrees.
As the elevator ascended, Tang Ran saw a familiar figure walk in through the door.
It was Song Zhixu.
There was a woman with her.
His face was not visible from a distance, but his figure and posture alone revealed his extraordinary temperament.
"Ranran, what are you looking at?"
When the elevator reached the second floor, Xia Xin'er saw that she was still standing there and tugged at her.
Upon hearing her words, Miao Tiantian subconsciously turned her head to look towards the gate.
"nothing."
Tang Ran grabbed her and they walked out together.
Miao Tiantian narrowed her eyes, lowered her voice, and said with a sly look, "Sister, something's not right~"
Tang Ran pretended not to hear and took a step forward to walk alongside Xia Xin'er.
Miao Tiantian glanced back and didn't see Song Zhixu, but she did see another person who had just entered.
She quickly took a few steps back, startled, and patted her chest.
"Holy crap, what's she doing here?"
Tang Ran was startled by her question, "What's wrong?"
"It's okay." Miao Tiantian took her arm and walked quickly towards the restaurant.
Tang Ran mimicked her earlier tone, "Sister, you're doing something a little off too~"
Xia Xin'er mimicked them, saying, "Ranran-jie, Miaomiao-jie, you two are both acting a bit strange~"
Miao Tiantian let go of Tang Ran, walked around to Xia Xin'er's side, and casually put her arm around her shoulder.
Xia Xin'er wasn't very close to Miao Tiantian to begin with, and she was startled by Miao's action.
Miao Tiantian narrowed her eyes and 'threatened', "Heh, do you know what the consequences are for those who leak secrets?"
Seeing that she was just being silly, Xia Xin'er relaxed completely.
She blinked her big eyes and shook her head cooperatively.
Miao Tiantian made an exaggerated throat-slitting gesture, "Understand?"
Xia Xin'er nodded repeatedly.
"Good girl~" Miao Tiantian patted her shoulder with satisfaction.
She managed to build a closer relationship with Xia Xin'er in just a few words.
Tang Ran couldn't help but admire him.
If Miao Tiantian had been born in a primitive era, she probably would have become a cult leader.
The restaurant on the second floor was a buffet style, so Xia Xin'er abandoned Lu Shuyang and sat with Tang Ran and Miao Tiantian.
She used to always have Lu Shuyang leave his friends to take care of her when she went out, but now she has her own friends and doesn't need Lu Shuyang to accompany her all the time.
During the meal, Tang Ran's gaze would occasionally drift unintentionally towards the restaurant's entrance.
But no one other than them has ever come.
After dinner, those who wanted to play in the water went to the water park, while those who wanted indoor activities went to the lounge on the fifth floor.
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