Chapter 68 Is Ranran my thank-you gift?
Back at her apartment, Tang Ran took a shower first.
She came out drying her hair. Song Zhixu wanted to come over to help, but Tang Ran stopped her, saying, "I can do it myself. Don't waste time. Go take a shower early."
These past few days, Song Zhixu has been busy until the early hours of the morning. Tang Ran finally had some free time today and wanted her to rest early.
Her intention was to get Song Zhixu to sleep early, but as soon as she said it, it inexplicably carried a strange implication.
Especially since it's not even nine o'clock yet, it seems a little early to go to bed.
"good."
Song Zhixu's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his expression meaningful.
"Don't overthink it. I just thought it was getting late and wanted you to finish showering and rest early," Tang Ran quickly pulled her back, explaining with a blush on her face.
"Hmm, I wasn't thinking anything." Song Zhixu smiled slightly. "Why do you blush so easily?"
"Who's blushing? It's just that it's too hot after taking a shower." Tang Ran forced an explanation and shooed the person towards the bathroom, "Go take a shower!"
She spoke in a coquettish tone, her whole face screaming "I'm shy," but she stubbornly refused to admit it.
Song Zhixu's smile deepened. He lowered his head, embraced Tang Ran, and kissed her reddened earlobe. "I'm going to take a shower."
His usually gentle voice had taken on a unique, deep quality.
"Go quickly, go quickly."
Tang Ran's face turned completely red as she pushed the person into the bathroom.
Song Zhixu turned around and smiled with a hint of helplessness, "I haven't taken the clothes yet."
After she took the clothes inside.
Tang Ran went to blow-dry her hair, but she seemed a little distracted.
She kept replaying the look in Song Zhixu's eyes before she took a shower in her mind.
They're already engaged, so it's quite normal for something to happen between them.
We're all adults, not young girls just experiencing first love, so there's nothing to be shy about.
Tang Ran tried to convince herself, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the bathroom.
The sound of dripping water filled the air, and a layer of misty steam gradually seeped into the frosted glass door of the bathroom.
Water vapor gathers and condenses into transparent droplets, sliding down the glass's texture and vaguely outlining a slender, graceful figure.
Tang Ran choked up and quickly looked away.
The sound of water stopped, and the fragrance of shower gel wafted out from the crack in the door.
The delicate fragrance of white tea is the same scent as the perfume Song Zhixu uses.
Perhaps it was the dampness from the bathroom that made the smell particularly sticky and soggy today.
Tang Ran turned the hair dryer to the highest setting, took it and blew it into the air to disperse the sticky dampness.
She quickly dried her hair, grabbed her phone, and rushed to bed.
Time passed second by second, the clock ticked past nine, and the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.
The room was unusually quiet, so quiet that Tang Ran could even hear the rustling sound of towels rubbing together coming from the bathroom.
Tang Ran pressed the volume button and turned the game volume up to the maximum.
The sparse sounds were no longer audible, but my mind kept involuntarily recalling the blurry silhouette on the bathroom door.
Tang Ran's face flushed rapidly, and she knew how red her face was without even looking in a mirror.
A soft click was heard, followed by the sound of the glass door sliding.
Tang Ran quickly raised her hand and switched the lights in the room to bedtime mode.
The warm yellow light wasn't too bright, and it could also slightly cover up the redness on my face.
The humid, steamy air, carrying the rich aroma of white tea, filled the bedroom and quickly assaulted Tang Ran's nostrils.
My breath hitched, and my heart began to pound faster.
The sound of the hairdryer started and then stopped, and only then did Tang Ran catch a glimpse of a slender figure in her peripheral vision.
The silk slip dress flowed smoothly against her body, highlighting her long, fair swan neck and delicate collarbones. The thin fabric clearly outlined her graceful and slender figure.
Beneath the skirt, her legs, with their slightly slender muscles, were straight and long.
The mattress sagged slightly.
Tang Ran's fingers, gripping the screen, trembled involuntarily. She unleashed a move that wasn't fully charged, barely reducing the monster's health bar, but instead attracting its attention.
The monster raised its hand, and Tang Ran's health bar immediately dropped to critically low levels.
The red shadows on the screen flashed incessantly, faster than Tang Ran's heartbeat at that moment.
"Is it the game you played with Miao Tiantian?"
Song Zhixu leaned against Tang Ran's pillow, his hand propped up on his arm, his gaze fixed on her phone screen.
"Hmm," Tang Ran uttered a soft, nasal sound.
He gulped down two bottles of blood and rushed back to the city.
She glanced at Song Zhixu sideways before quickly looking away, feigning composure as she asked, "Sleeping?"
"It's still early, you can play a little longer."
Song Zhixu didn't understand games, but he saw the progress of the daily tasks displayed on Tang Ran's screen as (3/10).
"I'm not playing anymore."
He had a beautiful and alluring fiancée by his side.
If she can still play the game, she should change her name to Liu Xia Ran.
Tang Ran put her phone on the bedside table, made an excuse to go to the bathroom, washed her hands, and ran back to bed without looking around, pulling the covers up to lie down.
Song Zhixu glanced at her reddened ears and then raised his hand to turn off the central control.
The room instantly darkened, with only a sliver of light filtering in through the slightly ajar curtains.
Tang Ran tightened her grip on the blanket.
Song Zhixu lay down beside her and turned to put his arm around her waist.
Tang Ran's nerves tightened suddenly, and she turned over using the strength of Song Zhixu's arm to face her.
The dim lighting emboldened Tang Ran considerably.
She raised her head, her nose brushing against Song Zhixu's chin.
"Does my sister want another gift as a token of her gratitude?"
Tang Ran thought of a way to thank Song Zhixu.
The kind that involves putting it into practice.
Song Zhixu chuckled softly, kissed the tip of her nose, and said in a deep voice, "Is Ranran my thank-you gift?"
Tang Ran was stunned for a moment, then realized that she had misunderstood her meaning.
She wanted to thank Song Zhixu, but not by presenting herself as a gift.
"I……"
She opened her mouth to explain, but her lips were already sealed by Song Zhixu's lips.
Song Zhixu's kisses were delicate and intense, giving Tang Ran no chance to speak again.
Tang Ran was completely led astray by her and responded to her.
The refreshing minty flavor mingled on our lips and teeth as our breaths gradually blended.
Now, not only her face, but Tang Ran's entire body felt hot.
The shimmering moonlight cast its gentle glow on the windowsill, adding a touch of enchantment to the springtime atmosphere inside.
Song Zhixu pulled away from Tang Ran's lips.
The scorching breath landed on Tang Ran's jaw, neck, collarbone, and continued downwards.
With her skirt lifted up to her thighs, Song Zhixu squeezed one of her legs between Tang Ran's.
It gently pressed against me.
This feeling was so unusual that Tang Ran's fading consciousness suddenly returned.
Things didn't go as she expected at all.
Tang Ran grasped the hand that was clasped around her waist.
Song Zhixu stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.
Tang Ran pushed Song Zhixu's shoulder and turned over to sit on her waist.
He lowered his head and touched Song Zhixu's forehead to her lips, then whispered, "Of course, it should be me who gives you the thank-you gift, sister."
As soon as he finished speaking, he kissed Song Zhixu.
Compared to Song Zhixu's gentleness, Tang Ran's kiss was urgent and heavy.
She kissed Song Zhixu's neck, her tongue curling up to capture a patch of delicate skin, and gently bit it with her pearly teeth.
"Um."
Song Zhixu murmured softly, his fingertips plunging into Tang Ran's soft hair, his voice hoarse, "Ranran."
Tang Ran stopped what she was doing.
"Be gentle."
In early autumn, the temperature is still quite high, and if you get marks on your neck, there's no way to cover them with clothes or a scarf.
Tang Ran understood what she meant and softened her movements.
Her kiss moved down to Song Zhixu's collarbone, and intensified again.
No one will ever be able to see this place.
The silk nightgown is soft and smooth; with a gentle push, it gathers up to the waist along the smooth skin.
Her abs, firm and smooth from regular exercise, had beautifully defined abs that extended downwards, disappearing into the delicate lace trim.
Suddenly, a surge of heat rose in my lower abdomen.
The warm, damp touch startled Tang Ran.
She suddenly stopped moving.
He hurriedly sat up on his knees.
Song Zhixu, slightly out of breath, opened her eyes, her hazy gaze focusing on Tang Ran.
"Wait, wait for me."
Tang Ran rolled off her lap and hurriedly ran into the bathroom in the dark.
Song Zhixu looked slightly taken aback, vaguely remembering something, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips.
He pressed his palm against his forehead for two seconds, breathing evenly.
She pulled down her nightgown and propped herself up on her arms to sit up.
In the restroom.
Tang Ransheng covered her face in despair.
At this crucial moment, her relatives, completely oblivious to any romantic gestures, suddenly showed up.
After sitting silently for a while, Tang Ran remembered something.
I rushed in so quickly that I forgot to bring a change of underwear.
Just as Tang Ran was struggling with the choice between leaving the vehicle in neutral and asking Song Zhixu for help,
Thump, thump.
There was a light knock on the bathroom door twice.
"Ranran," Song Zhixu called from outside the door.
Embarrassment rushed to Tang Ran's head, and she stammered softly, "W-what's wrong?"
Even without seeing it with her own eyes, Song Zhixu could already imagine her blushing and her heart pounding.
She smiled slightly and gently reminded him, "There are sleeping pants in the bathroom cabinet."
The voice was normal, without any hint of laughter. Tang Ran's embarrassment vanished, replaced by genuine amazement.
Is Song Zhixu born smart? He guessed it all.
Before she could reply, the figure outside the frosted glass bent down, and then Song Zhixu said, "The slippers are at the door. Remember to wear them when you come out."
Hearing her words, Tang Ran realized that she had run over barefoot.
Her fair toes curled up slightly, and a light "good" unconsciously escaped her lips.
Tang Ran's plan to give a thank-you gift has officially failed.
In less than half an hour, her state of mind seamlessly switched from being full of energy to being listless.
Song Zhixu carried a bowl of brown sugar ginger water into the bedroom.
Tang Ran tugged at the blanket, trying to bury herself.
"Does your stomach hurt?"
Song Zhixu placed the bowl on the bedside table and pulled the blanket off her face.
"It doesn't hurt," Tang Ran shook her head weakly. "It's just a little uncomfortable."
She didn't notice it when she was in Shenzhen; it was because she caught a chill in the cold storage that her condition became so severe.
"Have some brown sugar ginger water to warm you up."
Song Zhixu tidied Tang Ran's hair and brought the brown sugar water to her lips.
The ginger flavor is very strong; you can smell it even before you drink Tang Ran.
She wrinkled her nose.
I don't really want to drink it.
“The ginger shreds have already been removed,” Song Zhixu said.
The brown sugar ginger water was delivered from the apartment's kitchen. Knowing that Tang Ran didn't like ginger, she removed the ginger slices.
Tang Ran glanced at the clear soup.
After weighing his feelings about not wanting to drink it against Song Zhixu's good intentions, he finally accepted the bowl with a sense of resignation.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The spicy sensation spread throughout my mouth, rushing straight to the top of my head.
"good."
Song Zhixu pinched her cheek and then poured mouthwash for Tang Ran to rinse her mouth.
I took the empty bowl to the kitchen and went back to bed. It was already past ten o'clock.
The lights were turned off again.
Tang Ran turned to the side and rested her head on Song Zhixu's shoulder.
Song Zhixu reached out and pulled the person into his arms. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Just a little bit," Tang Ran said in a muffled voice.
Song Zhixu adjusted his position and placed his hand on her lower abdomen. "Shall I rub it for you?"
"Um."
After drinking the ginger soup, my stomach felt much warmer, but who wouldn't like his fiancée's gentle care?
Tang Ran straightened her back slightly, making it easier for Song Zhixu to move.
The familiar movements and sensations reminded Tang Ran of the last time in Pengcheng when Song Zhixu rubbed her stomach.
At that time, she never imagined that this would happen a second time.
"Alright." Tang Ran patted her hand.
Song Zhixu stopped what he was doing.
Tang Ran pulled Song Zhixu's hand and kissed it, her tone a little hesitant, "I'll send the thank-you gift a few days later."
Stopping in that situation was truly disappointing.
Song Zhixu kissed her earlobe, "Can I get double the fee for the next few days?"
"Greedy," Tang Ran muttered, biting her shoulder.
After spending two more days in Beijing, Tang Ran and Song Zhixu returned to Jiangcheng together on Sunday.
After leaving the airport, Song Zhixu escorted Tang Ran home.
When Tang Ran entered the house, Tang Wanru and Lin Jixin were sitting on the sofa.
Tang Wanru was reading a book, while Lin Jixin was on the other side of the single sofa, holding a folder in her hand. Judging from the logo, it should be a company document.
Tang Ran had seen this scene countless times since she was a child, but seeing it today felt a little different.
"Ranran is back?"
When Tang Wanru saw her daughter, a happy smile immediately appeared on her face.
She walked up to her and glanced behind Tang Ran, only to see an aunt carrying gifts into the house.
"Where's Zhixu? Didn't she come back with you?" Tang Wanru asked.
Yesterday, Tang Ran told Tang Wanru on the phone that she would have lunch at home with Song Zhixu after she returned.
Tang Ran explained, "She had something to do later, so she left after dropping me off."
There was thunderstorm in Beijing this morning, which delayed the flight by more than three hours, and lunchtime had already passed.
The aunt brought in high-end gift boxes of all sizes, filling half of the foyer. They contained everything from food and drinks to household items, and many of them were local specialties from Beijing.
"Did Zhixu send these? Why did you buy so many?" Tang Wanru asked.
Given how diligent my daughter is, it was already a great act of filial piety for her to bring back a silk scarf last time; it's impossible for her to bring back so many things from Beijing.
"Since it's almost Mid-Autumn Festival, I brought them all over together." Tang Ran pointed to two boxes of mooncakes in the pile of gifts.
“We don’t lack anything at home, why don’t you try to persuade us to spend more?”
Tang Wanru said helplessly, but her eyes were curved into slits.
She didn't particularly care about the gifts; she just felt that Song Zhixu's thoughtfulness in preparing them was naturally because the young couple were in love.
"I didn't even know when she prepared it." Tang Ran shrugged.
She only found out that Song Zhixu had even prepared gifts for the festival after she got off the bus.
"I've prepared Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. Take them with you when you go back and take them to Aunt Jiang and the others when you have time."
Tang Ran nodded.
"Did Zhixu send this?"
After finishing her work, Lin Jixin came over and said to Tang Wanru, "Take the purple clay teapot I brought back a few days ago with you, Ranran."
That teapot was made by a famous Chinese master, and Lin Jixin specially asked someone to buy it for Grandpa Song.
"Um."
Tang Wanru casually agreed and pulled Tang Ran inside.
The mother and daughter chatted idly and started talking about what Tang Ran had been doing in Beijing.
Tang Ran recalled that because she didn't know how the negotiations with the machine agency would go, she had only told her family that she was going to Beijing to see Song Zhixu.
"By the way, Mom," Tang Ran turned to Lin Jixin and said, "I went to Beijing and talked to a machinery import and export agency. Their service fee is on average one percentage point lower than the one that General Manager Zhong contacted a few days ago."
Lin Jixin was in charge of changing the machine distributor herself, and Tang Ran was not involved.
Lin Jixin was taken aback upon hearing this, and subconsciously frowned, saying in disagreement, "Ranran, you haven't been working for long, so you may not know. Selecting a machine agency isn't just about looking at the price. Some companies offer low prices, but they don't have the necessary qualifications for customs clearance, which will cause a lot of trouble later."
Tang Ran explained, "I know that. I've looked into the import and export of the machinery..."
"There are too many intricacies involved; you can't understand them just by searching on the web."
Lin Jixin waved her hand to interrupt her, "You don't have much experience with this, so you shouldn't get involved. Just learn from President Zhong and familiarize yourself with the process."
Her tone was unquestionable, unusually forceful, and her words clearly showed her distrust of Tang Ran.
After all, it was a procurement project worth over 70 million yuan, so it was normal for Lin Jixin to be worried, in Tang Ran's view.
Tang Ran didn't think anything of it, but Tang Wanru was the first to object.
"Ranran hadn't finished speaking, why are you interrupting her so hastily? The child is trying to help you with your work, why are you so impatient?"
Lin Jixin knew that she was unconditionally protecting her daughter again, and she looked helpless, but could only explain gently.
"Changing the machine distributor is no joke. The qualification review alone took a month. Changing it now will take another month. Besides, the distributor Ranran mentioned may not be suitable."
"You didn't even hear Ranran finish speaking, how do you know the company she chose isn't suitable?" Tang Wanru retorted.
She took a deep breath, clearly agitated.
Tang Ran stepped forward and patted her back.
Seeing this, Lin Jixin quickly sat down to comfort her, saying, "What's the rush?"
"I'm fine."
Tang Wanru waved her hand away, and Lin Jixin's expression stiffened for a moment, but when she saw Tang Wanru also waving her hand to make Tang Ran stop, her expression softened a little.
Tang Ran glanced at the two of them without leaving a trace, and then explained, "Mom doesn't need to worry about the agency's qualifications. It's Taihua Import and Export, a subsidiary of the Qin family."
"The Qin family of Hong Kong?" Lin Jixin was speechless.
As a century-old established company, its qualifications and services are beyond question.
However, the service fee wouldn't be cheap either. When Tang Ran first mentioned that the service fee was cheap, Lin Jixin subconsciously assumed it was a small company.
"Yes, Miss Qin is a friend of Zhi Xu, so she offered the most favorable price."
Without Lin Jixin needing to ask again, Tang Ran answered Lin Jixin's doubts.
“What did I say? Don’t think that just because your daughter has less experience than you, she can’t do it well.”
Tang Wanru chimed in, "I think we should leave this to Ranran. Besides, Zhixu will be there to oversee things for her, so there's nothing to worry about. You're getting on in years, so you should worry less."
Lin Jixin's expression was a little unpleasant, but she didn't say anything more.
After chatting with Tang Wanru in the living room for a while, Tang Ran prepared to go upstairs to rest.
When I went upstairs, the cleaning lady was cleaning the room next to the study.
That used to be a guest room, but it was always empty and no one lived there.
Tang Ran glanced over casually and saw that the bed was covered with bedding.
"We have guests at home?" Tang Ran asked, puzzled.
The Tang family has few relatives and rarely has guests.
The aunt's expression changed. She glanced around and, seeing no one else, whispered, "It's where President Lin stays."
Tang Ran took a moment to realize that her mother and mommy were sleeping in separate rooms.
She instantly understood the source of the strange feeling she had sensed when she first entered the room.
No wonder there was a sense of tension between Tang Wanru and Lin Jixin when they were talking in the living room just now.
She asked, "When did it start?"
When Tang Ran asked the question, she already had a guess in her heart.
“After Mr. Lin returned from Beijing last time, he has been sleeping here.”
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Author's note: Don't worry, I'll definitely do it next time, very soon.
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