Chapter 63 Is this some kind of wedding robbery? ...
The morning light pierced through the thin mist, draping the majestic ancient castle in a golden veil.
A gentle breeze awakens the sleeping sea of flowers, and the crystal-clear dewdrops refract a rainbow of colors.
Tang Ran yawned, her eyelids lifted slightly and then drooped down again, letting the makeup artist adjust her dress.
With the engagement finalized, the previously delayed procedures were brought back to the forefront.
The ceremony is less than a week away.
Although most things were handled by the elders, Tang Ran still had to decide on a series of trivial matters, such as the style of the invitations, the decoration of the engagement venue, and the arrangement of the day's proceedings.
During this time, Song Zhixu had to go on a business trip, and the two of them even tried on their formal wear separately.
Tang Ran was incredibly busy.
The engagement ceremony was in the morning, and she was woken up before five o'clock to get her makeup done.
"Come on, come and see who's the most beautiful leading lady today?"
Miao Tiantian, holding a GoPro, pushed open the door and walked in with a smile, followed by Xia Xin'er and Qiu Yuan.
Tang Ran opened her eyes and looked towards the doorway.
Miao Tiantian ran up to Tang Ran and shoved the GoPro in front of Tang Ran's face, "Oh my, sister, you wouldn't happen to be a princess from some foreign country who has been stranded abroad, would you?"
The exquisite, form-fitting crescent-white gown perfectly accentuated Tang Ran's slender figure. The hem trailed slightly on the ground, and the hem was adorned with stars outlined in rhinestones, shimmering with light with every gentle movement.
Tang Ran: ...
She gave a slight smirk at the GoPro camera, "Sister, please stop with your empty, exaggerated praise, thank you!"
Wow! Ranran is so pretty!
Xia Xin'er took out her phone and took a picture of Tang Ran, and silently began to shed tears for her sister again.
"Remember to send it to the group."
Qiu Yuan said something to Xia Xin'er, then looked at Tang Ran and said with annoyance, "What should I do if I suddenly really want to steal the bride?"
Hearing her words, Xia Xin'er immediately chimed in, "I want to grab one for my sister too."
Tang Ran: ...
"Wow, it's so lively here!" Murong Yi walked in with a smile.
She loved watching the drama unfold, and with a mocking glance at Xia Mo behind her, she asked Xia Xin'er, "Xin'er, are you planning to steal your sister's bride?"
Xia Xin'er blushed slightly.
What she just said was purely because she was blindly following Qiu Yuan's lead.
"With your cowardice, you dare to steal a bride? Aren't you afraid your sister Song will send people to kill you?" Murong Yi chuckled and patted Xia Xin'er's shoulder.
Miao Tiantian slapped Murong Yi's hand away, glanced at her and sneered, "People who are too scared to go to the toilet in the middle of the night shouldn't laugh at others."
Murong Yi choked for a moment.
Xia Xin'er asked in surprise, "Sister Tian, how did you know that Sister Mu wouldn't dare to go to the toilet in the middle of the night?"
Miao Tiantian: ...
She shouldn't have spoken up and helped Xia Xiaosha out of that predicament.
Murong Yi raised an eyebrow, watching with great interest how Miao Tiantian was going to explain.
Qiu Yuan, sitting in the front row eating melon seeds, mimicked Xia Xin'er's words, "Yeah, Sister Tian, how did you know..."
Miao Tiantian pinched Qiu Yuan's ear, "Are you itching for a beating?"
She can't handle Xia Xin'er, and she can't cure Qiu Yuan either.
"Sister, I was wrong!" Qiu Yuan immediately grabbed Miao Tiantian's hand and begged for forgiveness.
Murong Yi narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the two of them several times.
Tang Ran watched the commotion, and the makeup artist reminded her, "Miss Tang, the dress is adjusted. Please check if there's anything that doesn't fit properly."
After taking a couple of steps and not feeling any discomfort, Tang Ran replied, "I'm fine, thank you."
After the makeup artist left, Tang Ran looked in the mirror and saw Xia Mo walking towards her.
Tang Ran turned around.
Xia Mo stopped beside her, a gentle smile on his face. "Very beautiful."
"Thank you." Tang Ran smiled slightly.
Thump~
A melodious chime rang out from the castle.
The two were drawn by the sound of the bell and looked out the window.
Tang Ran paused for a moment as she glanced at the doorway out of the corner of her eye.
Song Zhixu, dressed in a similar style of dress to hers, walked in gracefully.
Tang Ran's eyes lit up, her smile overflowing, and she lifted her skirt and walked towards the door.
Song Zhixu smiled gently, his eyes soft and tender, and reached out to take her hand.
Miao Tiantian immediately raised her GoPro and filmed the scene.
Xia Mo watched Tang Ran's departing figure, a hint of loneliness flashing in his eyes.
Xia Xin'er walked to Xia Mo's side and grabbed her arm.
Xia Mo turned his head to look at his younger sister.
Xia Xin'er glanced around and lowered her voice, "Sister, how about we crash the wedding?"
Seeing her younger sister's serious expression, Xia Mo felt a little comforted.
She smiled faintly and shook her head.
If Tang Ran and Song Zhixu's marriage was just a business arrangement, she might try to force them to marry.
But that's not the case.
Tang Ran naturally took Song Zhixu's hand, pulled her inside, and asked with concern, "What time did you arrive last night?"
She arrived at the manor yesterday afternoon, and Song Zhixu had something to do so she didn't come with her.
Tang Ran had been busy for several days, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at night. When she woke up in the morning, Song Zhixu had already gone to put on makeup, and she didn't even get to see her.
"We arrived around 10 o'clock," Song Zhixu replied with a smile.
When she arrived last night, she went to see Tang Ran, but he was sleeping so soundly that she didn't notice.
Song Zhixu glanced at Tang Ran for a moment and whispered, "You look beautiful today."
"Absolutely." Tang Ran proudly raised her chin and smiled as she complimented her, "You're very beautiful too."
Song Zhixu's smile grew even gentler.
Qiu Yuan leaned closer to Miao Tiantian and whispered, "Sister Tiantian, why don't they look like they're being forced into an arranged marriage?"
"See through it but don't say it, understand?" Miao Tiantian winked at her.
"I understand," Qiu Yuan said, suddenly realizing.
Murong Yi walked up behind them and leaned in between them, saying, "What are you whispering about? Include me in your conversation."
Qiu Yuan immediately stood up straight and distanced herself from Miao Tiantian.
She could tell that Murong Yi and Sister Tian Tian had a close relationship and that Murong Yi was very hostile towards her.
To avoid being mistakenly harmed, Qiu Yuan wisely went to find Xia Xin'er.
Murong Yi watched her leave with admiration.
Miao Tiantian rolled her eyes at Murong Yi with disdain: "You're everywhere."
"Wherever you are, I will be there."
As she spoke, Murong Yi took the GoPro from Miao Tiantian's hand, pointed it at her and Miao Tiantian, and then quickly kissed Miao Tiantian on the cheek.
"Murong Yi!"
Miao Tiantian gritted her teeth, let out a low growl, and raised her fist to punch her.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
Murong Yi didn't dodge; after being hit, she clutched her hand and cried out in pain.
She shouted so loudly that everyone in the room looked at the two of them.
Murong Yi didn't care, and even smiled at them, while holding Miao Tiantian's shoulder and demanding an explanation.
"Miao Tiantian, I can't move my hand anymore, you have to take responsibility for me."
The sound was quite loud; everyone inside the room could hear it.
"dream!"
Miao Tiantian blushed deeply, snatched the GoPro, and left.
Xia Xin'er asked Qiu Yuan curiously, "Is Sister Tiantian dating Sister Mu?"
Qiu Yuan stroked her chin and analyzed, "I don't think Sister Mu has caught up yet."
"Really?" Xia Xin'er scratched her face. "We both know you're afraid to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, haven't you talked about it yet?"
"That's true."
Miao Tiantian: ...
When you're playing with crickets, you can't hide it from the person in charge.
Song Zhixu got up early and went over the process with the planner again.
More than an hour before the ceremony, guests began to arrive one after another.
The four elders were already downstairs entertaining the guests. She took a break from her busy schedule to find Tang Ran, and when it was almost time, she went downstairs with Tang Ran.
"boss."
Assistant Jiang hurried up the spiral staircase.
A hint of amazement flashed in his eyes when he saw the two standing together.
She subtly withdrew her gaze, then hesitated for a moment.
Knowing that she had something to say, Tang Ran let go of Song Zhixu and said, "I'm going to touch up my makeup."
Song Zhixu nodded.
Tang Ran sat down in front of the makeup mirror and saw out of the corner of her eye that Assistant Jiang walked up to Song Zhixu and whispered something.
Song Zhixu remained expressionless. "Please invite her to the reception room."
He spoke in a normal voice, without deliberately avoiding Tang Ran.
"OK."
Assistant Jiang responded and left, while Song Zhixu walked towards Tang Ran.
Tang Ran quickly refocused her attention and picked out two lipsticks from the lipstick box.
Which color do you think would go better?
Seeing her walk over, he casually held up his lipstick and asked her, as if he hadn't been eavesdropping at all.
Song Zhixu pointed to the one that was more orange.
"Then we'll use this one."
Tang Ran unscrewed the cap of the lipstick and began applying it in front of the mirror.
She first applied the color to her cupid's bow and the edge of her lower lip, then gently pressed her lips together, and then applied a light layer along the lip line.
Tang Ran appeared to be applying the paint seriously, but she was actually a little absent-minded.
Assistant Jiang's hesitant step forward was too obvious.
Tang Ran's sixth sense told her that what Assistant Jiang was about to say was definitely not about work.
Then, upon hearing Song Zhixu say that he was inviting someone up, Tang Ran had a vague idea of what was going on.
Song Zhixu watched Tang Ran's movements through the mirror.
Tang Ran accidentally smeared a little lipstick on herself, and quickly wiped it off with her fingertips.
It's a simple, common gesture, yet it's quite alluring.
"How about it?"
Tang Ran turned her head and looked at Song Zhixu with her chin raised.
Her pink lips were slightly parted, covered with a layer of bright honey color.
It looks, well, kind of delicious.
Song Zhixu gently rubbed his fingertips together, suppressing the urge to kiss her.
She nodded slightly. "It's fine."
He spoke in a low voice, carefully controlling his tone to avoid revealing his emotions.
"Is there something urgent, Assistant Jiang?" Tang Ran asked casually.
Song Zhixu looked away from her lips. "A friend came."
friend?
Tang Rancai didn't believe it.
They're definitely not just ordinary friends.
Maybe she's an ex-girlfriend or a suitor.
She doesn't care who she is.
Tang Ran thought to herself.
"oh."
She gave a perfunctory reply, turned to put away her lipstick, and then felt a little awkward.
What kind of friend is she? Shouldn't she at least explain things to her?
I feel a little disappointed.
Tang Ran pursed her lips, having to admit that she was still somewhat bothered by it.
Tang Ran's heart skipped a beat, and she paused in her actions.
Why would she care that Song Zhixu didn't explain to her?
Tang Ran was so engrossed in her daze that she was completely unaware that her emotions were written all over her face.
Song Zhixu reached out and rested her hand on the back of Tang Ran's chair, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. She bent down and said with a smile, "Want to come with me to meet them?"
She came to find Tang Ran to talk about this.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ran automatically deleted the question of why she cared whether Song Zhixu would explain.
This is a dangerous question; she shouldn't think about it too much.
Since Song Zhixu was going to introduce her to people anyway, this was much more direct than explaining.
The slight disappointment in my heart vanished instantly.
Tang Ran smiled brightly, "Okay."
Just then, Assistant Jiang led his men up to the second floor.
The reception room and the dressing room were in opposite directions, so Tang Ran only saw the profile of the person who came in.
With striking eyebrows and eyes, a neat and capable short haircut, and an air of nobility that emanates from within.
Despite having only met her once, Tang Ran recognized her at a glance.
Chen Yun.
The person who used a drone to confess his feelings to Song Zhixu in the West Sea.
Actually, after returning from the beach that day, Tang Ran specifically searched for news about drone shows and actually found that drone show.
Tang Ran didn't watch the drone show much because her phone screen was full of comments like "I'm so tired of seeing drones!" and "I'm dying of envy!"
Tang Ran's teeth ached from looking at it.
It turns out that the friend Song Zhixu mentioned wanting to meet was her.
Her sixth sense is incredibly accurate.
She really is a rival in love, and the most formidable one at that.
Miao Tiantian also recognized Chen Yun.
Seeing her expressionless face and low spirits as Assistant Jiang brought her up, Miao Tiantian grabbed Murong Yi, who was still on the phone.
"I'll call you back in a bit," Murong Yi said into the phone, then asked Miao Tiantian, "What's up?"
Miao Tiantian gave Chen Yun a wink as she looked at his retreating figure.
"Chen Yun? What's she doing here?"
After her initial surprise, Murong Yi revealed a look of anticipation, "Could they be here to steal the bride?"
"Who will come to steal the bride?"
Hearing her words, Qiu Yuan also came over, but she didn't recognize Chen Yun and couldn't figure out what was going on.
"Hey, that elegant beauty behind Assistant Jiang, she's been pursuing Lao Song." Murong Yi thought for a moment and explained to Qiu Yuan, "For seven or eight years."
Miao Tiantian rolled her eyes at Murong Yi, annoyed. "Did I send you here to watch the show? Think of something!"
"Forget it, what use are you anyway?"
Miao Tiantian felt like she was being stupid, why did she always think of asking Murong Yi for everything?
This should be told to Tang Ran.
Without hesitation, Miao Tiantian set off to find Tang Ran.
Murong Yi quickly pulled her back and gestured towards Song Zhixu and the other person with her chin, "Old Song can handle it himself, so don't make things worse."
If Song Zhixu could be forced into marriage, her and Chen Yun's child would be old enough to run errands.
Having been friends with Song Zhixu for over a decade, Murong Yi had met most of the men who pursued him.
Beautiful female celebrities, high-IQ tech stars, sports champions, supermodels, rich women—you name it, they have it.
If these suitors were ranked, Chen Yun would be at the very top.
Needless to say, their family background and social status are unmatched by many in the entire country.
In terms of dedication, Chen Yun ranks first.
He made a grand drone confession, sent Song Zhixu gifts in various ways, and even once wanted to give her a project that could feed the Song family for ten years.
Faced with such a powerful sugar-coated bullet, Song Zhixu refused without even thinking.
Murong Yi was so eager to try that she wanted to volunteer herself.
From university until now, Murong Yi has dated several girlfriends, too many to count on one hand, and Xia Mo has also dated two.
Only Song Zhixu remained unmoved by worldly desires, as if he had drunk celestial nectar.
Murong Yi once thought that she had cultivated some kind of ruthless path.
Thinking of this, Murong Yi looked at Tang Ran again.
She was wrong.
Song Zhixu wasn't detached from love; rather, his heart already held the heart of a fairy.
Miao Tiantian looked in Tang Ran's direction.
Tang Ran looked in the mirror and smoothed out all the stray hairs at her temples.
She took a deep breath, stood up, and smiled casually. "Let's go."
No matter how powerful your rival is, you can't lose your composure.
Song Zhixu smiled and took her hand, and they walked out together.
Tang Ran's dress was a bit long, and she tripped a little when going up the steps. Song Zhixu helped her lift it gently and held it in her hand.
Assistant Jiang's jaw nearly dropped in astonishment.
He brought his fiancée to meet his suitor.
Is her boss really that brave?
Aren't you afraid that meeting them will turn into a battleground?
Recalling the expression on Miss Chen's face as she walked in, Assistant Jiang felt a chill for his boss as he opened the door.
Hearing the sound, Chen Yun looked up and glanced towards the doorway.
When Chen Yun received the invitation, her first reaction was disappointment and sadness, but when she saw Tang Ran's name, she became angry.
Song Wuqi's cheating scandal caused a huge uproar online, and Chen Yun had paid attention to it because she was Song Zhixu's niece.
She remembered the name Tang Ran and knew that she was Song Wuqi's girlfriend.
Without much thought, Chen Yun understood the intention behind this engagement.
On the beach, Song Zhixu told her that he had met someone he liked, but in the blink of an eye, he accepted the arranged marriage by his family.
Chen Yun even suspected that Song Zhixu's statement that day, "I have already met him," was a lie used to appease her.
Chen Yun was very angry.
They even deliberately ignored the date on the invitation.
But when the day came, I couldn't help but come.
Growing up in a military family, Chen Yun exudes an imposing aura even when she has a cold expression.
For the first time, Tang Ran felt such a heavy sense of pressure from the gaze of people of similar age.
It's a physical instinct to be afraid of dangerous things, but it only lasted for a moment before Tang Ran adjusted her mindset.
If she's scared, it's Song Zhixu who will lose face.
The hand I was holding was gently squeezed.
Tang Ran looked at Song Zhixu with a generous and appropriate smile, showing no fear whatsoever.
Song Zhixu was not surprised at all.
The Tang Ran she knew was the bravest person in the world.
Chen Yun calmly observed Tang Ran.
She is beautiful, young, and poised. She and Song Zhixu are a good match, but also quite jarring.
The two walked hand in hand into the hall.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Song Zhixu exchanged a few polite words with Chen Yun and then introduced them to her with a smile.
"This is my fiancée, Tang Ran."
"Ranran, this is my friend, Chen Yun. Just call her Sister Chen."
"Hello, Sister Chen," Tang Ran greeted politely.
"Hello."
Chen Yun's expression was calm, and the oppressive aura in her eyes had completely dissipated.
If the feeling hadn't been so intense, Tang Ran would have thought it was just her imagination.
Chen Yun harbored no hostility towards Tang Ran. She was not here today to compete for Tang Ran's affections, nor would she stoop to such a thing.
Moreover, Tang Ran was merely Song Zhixu's nominal marriage partner.
Song Zhixu sat down on the sofa with Tang Ran, and thoughtfully straightened her skirt. She looked at Chen Yun and said, "I thought you would be very busy."
The Beijing Digital Economy Forum is opening in a few days, so Chen Yun shouldn't have time to attend her engagement ceremony.
Song Zhixu was able to guess Chen Yun's purpose in coming.
She had rejected her many times over the years, but Chen Yun never gave up.
That's why she brought Tang Ran with her.
Chen Yun stared at Song Zhixu's actions, her heart sinking.
In fact, the moment she saw Tang Ran, she guessed Song Zhixu's intention.
But she was not willing to give up.
If Song Zhixu were with someone she liked, then it would be fine.
She waited all these years without deliberately interfering in Song Zhixu's life, not to force Song Zhixu to choose a business marriage.
Chen Yun didn't continue Song Zhixu's sentence, but instead asked, "Why didn't you ask me for help?"
With just one phone call from Song Zhixu, she could help the Song family weather the storm of public opinion, without Song Zhixu needing to arrange a marriage.
"If I can handle it myself, I won't bother you. It's too much of a waste to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut." Song Zhixu said in a relaxed tone, as if she hadn't noticed the blame in Chen Yun's words, and her reply was very polite to her.
Chen Yun was not satisfied with her answer.
What kind of solution is a business marriage?
There are some things that are not easy to say in front of Tang Ran, but it is not dignified to kick someone out, and Chen Yun does not want to do that.
The receptionist in the meeting room brought over some herbal tea. Song Zhixu picked up a piece of sugar, put it in the cup, and stirred it.
Song Zhixu doesn't like sweets, so the tea with added sugar was obviously not for her.
As expected, Chen Yun watched as she handed the tea in her hand to Tang Ran.
"Hasn't she had any water since she got up?"
There was a natural familiarity and intimacy in her gentle words.
They don't seem like a fake fiancée who were just put together temporarily.
Chen Yunxin's heart sank even further.
Song Zhixu has a gentle personality and seems easy to get along with, but deep down she is aloof and indifferent.
Song Zhixu's gentleness is a reflection of her good upbringing; she treats everyone the same, and no one is special.
Chen Yun has always believed this.
Seeing her interactions with Tang Ran, Chen Yun wavered, but she still had doubts.
Perhaps Song Zhixu deliberately acted intimately in order to make her give up on him.
"I haven't had time yet." Tang Ran smiled, took the cup, and took a sip.
She was a little bored.
The scene before her eyes was completely different from what she had imagined: rivals meeting and tearing each other apart.
She could tell that her rival didn't take her seriously at all.
Moreover, with Song Zhixu around, there's no need for her to take action at all.
On the surface, the two seemed to be getting along well, but in reality, every word they said had a hidden meaning.
After losing countless brain cells, Tang Ran roughly understood the veiled meaning in their conversation.
Tang Ran guessed that Song Zhixu had invited her along not simply to introduce her to Chen Yun.
"Boss, breakfast is ready," Assistant Jiang said as he knocked on the door and came in.
Song Zhixu stood up and said to Chen Yun with a smile, "The banquet will be after the ceremony. Let's have a light meal first."
"I have other things to do, so I won't be attending the ceremony." Chen Yun stood up.
She wasn't supposed to be attending the ceremony in the first place, so there's even less reason for her to stay now.
His gaze turned to Song Zhixu.
Before leaving, she wanted to talk to Song Zhixu.
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