Chapter 85 Improvement "When are you going to draw my card? I'll get ready."...
Zhang Minglang finally returned to his usual routine, getting up to make breakfast for Tang Yi.
Tang Yi was behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist, her face pressed against his back, following him wherever he went.
Zhang Minglang reached out and patted her arm, asking with a smile, "Aren't you hot? You're so close to the fire."
He didn't hear a reply, but he felt Tang Yi's face rubbing against his clothes from side to side, a sign of denial.
Despite the cold weather, the house was well-heated. A layer of fog covered the kitchen window, and a little sunlight shone in from outside, hazy but not glaring.
Weekend, my love, breakfast.
Zhang Minglang felt incredibly happy.
So much so that when Tang Yi suddenly let go and his waist felt empty, he was still a little unaccustomed to it.
Tang Yi suddenly remembered something, leaned back on the marble countertop and asked, "I forgot to tell you last time, Zhao Li is the shareholder of the Li Group that had tax problems. You must be extremely careful when dealing with him."
Zhang Minglang still held the spatula, sneering casually, "He just wants to seize power. Trying to take things from me is such a stupid move."
Zhang Minglang jabbed the spatula downwards, instantly splitting the fried egg in the pan in two. His expression darkened, and he said, "He tried to use public opinion to create momentum for himself again, spreading those flawed rumors. He succeeded briefly, and he really thought he had covered his tracks perfectly."
Tang Yi understood the implication in his words. She looked up at him, her voice deepening, "You found out it was him?"
Zhang Minglang freed his right hand, slowly glanced at his watch, then turned around, nodded at Tang Yi with an air of certainty: "Time's up, check the official Weibo."
Tang Yi had a premonition, and she lowered her head to open her phone.
Junmao Group's official Weibo account, in conjunction with its legal department account, released a statement alleging that Zhao Li, a shareholder of Li's Group, engaged in malicious business competition, launched a large-scale campaign of public opinion against his competitors, bribed numerous marketing accounts and news media, and even arranged for someone to follow and secretly photograph them.
The accompanying images are surveillance footage from the shopping mall and the identity of the person who took the photos, confirmed by the mall's cooperation in the investigation. It turns out that the person was sent by Zhao Li.
Tang Yi frowned and looked up: "So he really is one of his people?"
"yes."
Another official announcement popped up on Tang Yi's phone. As she looked down at it, Zhang Minglang seemed to suddenly realize something. He hurriedly shoveled the fried egg into a plate, turned off the gas, and reflexively walked out.
"Hey, where are you going?" Tang Yi asked, reaching out to grab his arm.
Zhang Minglang scratched his head and started making excuses: "I...I'll go hang up the clothes...Breakfast is ready, you can eat first."
He fled in panic.
Tang Yi didn't know what was wrong with this person again, so she ignored it and looked down at the newly posted official Weibo post, which was a document supplementing evidence.
She was stunned after clicking on it.
The document contained a meticulously drawn timeline. From top to bottom, it was densely packed with details of the entire process of how Zhang Minglang and Tang Yi met and fell in love.
"On August 6th, I met her through a blind date. It was a pity that we only got to know each other briefly and were still not familiar with each other."
"On August 7th, I met with the company's board office again. I could tell she was very surprised because I was mistaken for one of countless annoying blind date partners and was unfortunately deleted from her friend list."
Following this message was their chat history from that day. The "Best wishes" next to her profile picture, accompanied by a red exclamation mark, made Tang Yi burst out laughing.
"On August 15th, I encountered an unexpected situation while signing a contract. She appeared in the private room with a new contract, professional and calm. After the contract was signed, I truly felt her work ability for the first time."
"On August 31, she went to the hospital for an emergency gastroenteritis IV drip. She was so tired that she fell asleep on my shoulder."
......
"On September 20th, I went on a business trip with her for the first time. We were taking a walk by the lake that evening, during the blues, and she looked at me. I was so smitten."
......
"We got together on September 30th, the eve of my birthday. As the clock struck midnight, she smiled and wished me a happy birthday. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment when my heart was pounding."
In a daze, Tang Yi felt as if she had shrunk, traversing this clumsy yet sincere timeline, step by step, completing their journey once again.
She remembered every moment clearly, and every scene was like a movie, replaying in her mind scene by scene, without forgetting a single detail.
A message popped up at the top of the phone, sent from Xu Xiaoxiao's account.
Tang Yi clicked on it and saw her Weibo account.
[Xiaoxiao v: My best friend, I wish you eternal happiness.]
Below the text was a photo of Xu Xiaoxiao and herself from high school. She was wearing a slightly oversized school uniform, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she looked at the camera with a somewhat shy expression.
Xu Xiaoxiao's school uniform was nowhere to be seen. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, her elbow was around Tang Yi's neck, and she was making an exaggerated face with her mouth open.
The second image was blurry and black; Tang Yi had to click on it to see it clearly.
In the dimly lit corner of the sofa, a tall man knelt on the floor, holding a slender woman in his arms. His head was buried in the crook of her shoulder, and the two of them were tightly embracing each other.
Tang Yi's pupils dilated.
That was Zhang Minglang and her. That was the night they got drunk.
She was already completely drunk and had no idea when Xu Xiaoxiao took the photo.
Xu Xiaoxiao's family owns a media company, and she also diligently manages her own accounts.
Now that these two pictures have been posted, the account's followers have gone wild. Add to that the timeline document posted on Junmao's official Weibo account, and netizens have plenty to gossip about.
[Wait, what happened to the power-for-sex relationship in the workplace? Is this handsome CEO having a pure romance?!]
[In the dimly lit living room, two figures are tightly embracing in the corner of the sofa... Is eating this so early in the morning a bit too delicious?]
[Has no one mentioned that relationship timeline?! She remembers the dates of every important moment so clearly, and even has screenshots of various chat logs as proof! My boyfriend and I aren't even this serious in our relationship...]
[Yes, yes, the chat history is really interesting! Later on, the man was clearly more proactive, while the woman was the more tactful and rational one.]
Tang Yi was too embarrassed to read through the comments section carefully; the entire comment section was starting to develop in a direction she had never imagined.
She suddenly noticed one of the comments, and her rapidly scrolling fingers stopped.
[Wow, check out Bai Bian Xiao Yue's account! There's new material again!]
The ever-changing Xiao Yue.
Tang Yi thought back and realized that it was the girl they had bumped into at the coffee shop that day who offered to take a group photo for them.
She left Xu Xiaoxiao's Weibo post, and big data conveniently recommended the "Bai Bian Xiao Yue" account to the homepage.
[Xiaoyue V: I was lucky enough to meet a beautiful lady at the cake shop that night! She spoke softly and gently to the little girl, and she herself is so beautiful and gentle! They were eating cake with the little girl, and the scene was so heartwarming. I couldn't resist taking some photos of them together, just like I always do. They even paid for my meal!!]
My sister's boyfriend is very kind; he told me to delete the photo after taking it. I'm so sorry, I only realized I hadn't completely deleted it while organizing my camera recently. But I felt you guys really needed this photo, so after much consideration, I decided to post it. If it offends anyone, please let me know and I'll delete it!
In the photo, Tang Yi and Zhang Minglang are sitting on either side of each other, with little Xixi sandwiched between them.
They looked at the camera with genuine, happy smiles on their faces, and a smear of cream comically clung to the tips of their noses.
Tang Yi's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
As if sensing something, she looked up and saw Zhang Minglang slowly walking towards her, still looking somewhat embarrassed.
He didn't say a word, but simply reached out and gently pulled Tang Yi into his arms, holding her tightly.
Tang Yi obediently pressed her face against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
"You...aren't you upset?" Zhang Minglang asked cautiously when he saw that she didn't react in any other way.
Tang Yi felt puzzled and asked with a smile, "Why am I unhappy?"
She felt the arms around her waist tighten suddenly, and Zhang Minglang buried his head in her shoulder, just like in the photo Xu Xiaoxiao had just posted.
Tang Yi was stunned for a moment, then heard him say in a muffled voice, "I didn't discuss this with you before I organized these things and made them public."
That's why.
Tang Yi suddenly felt that the man in her arms was incredibly cute.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered a widely circulated saying online:
When you find a man cute, it means you're beyond saving.
Tang Yi ran her hand up and down his back, feeling the muscles on his back. She heard his slightly unsteady breathing and his heartbeat suddenly quickening.
If it's hopeless, then it's hopeless.
He's all I need.
Zhang Minglang had no idea what kind of emotional journey Tang Yi had just silently gone through. He only knew that Tang Yi remained silent and did not answer his question.
She must be angry.
Zhang Minglang quickly released her, grabbed her shoulder, and scanned her eyes, carefully observing her reaction.
"I'm so sorry, Tang Yi, it happened so suddenly, I..."
The rest of Zhang Minglang's unfinished words were passed to Tang Yi's lips.
She reached out and pulled his neck down, then closed her eyes and kissed him.
He heard her say in a muffled voice, "I'm not angry. I like it very much and I'm very touched."
Zhang Minglang was stunned for only a moment before he reacted. He smiled, put his arm around her slender waist again, closed his eyes, and focused on cooperating with her still terrible kissing skills.
With his eyes closed, Zhang Minglang thought helplessly to himself that Tang Yi's only weakness was that no matter how many times he taught her, she still couldn't kiss.
But it's okay.
They have a long life ahead of them, and plenty of time.
He has a lifetime to teach at his own pace.
Zhang Minglang held her waist, pressed his thighs against the cabinet, lifted her up onto his lap and sat her down, reaching out to pull at the apron he was wearing.
Tang Yi was startled. Still dazed, she looked down and, realizing where she was sitting, struggled to get down: "Aren't you tired? You...!"
At that moment, Zhang Minglang had freed his hands to pull off the apron, crumpled it up haphazardly, and placed it on the cold marble countertop.
He lifted her thigh, which was serving as a temporary seat, and with a coordinated arm raise, easily and steadily placed Tang Yi on the apron on the table.
The apron fabric provided some insulation against the cold temperature. Zhang Minglang braced his hands on either side of her legs, encircling Tang Yi entirely in front of him.
Zhang Minglang looked up, squinting as he smiled: "What do you mean I'm tired? I work out every day, isn't it all to better serve and please you?"
Tang Yi sensed a hint of something suggestive in his words, so she nudged his shoulder and said, "In broad daylight, stop spouting such shameless nonsense."
"Shameless?" Zhang Minglang was clearly prepared, and leaned even closer, deliberately saying, "During the day I voluntarily mop the floor, wash the dishes, do the laundry, and cook. And at night, when you're drunk, I even help you wash your hair and take a bath..."
Tang Yi couldn't bear to listen anymore. She reached out to cover his mouth, but he anticipated her movement.
Zhang Minglang swiftly grabbed her hand, rubbed it against his cheek, and asked enticingly, "Why are you shy? Just say what you like, isn't that what you taught me?"
As he spoke, he took her hand and ran his fingers down his Adam's apple, chest muscles, and abdominal muscles, while his eyes remained fixed on hers, not wanting to miss any subtle expression.
He didn't ask anything, but it was as if he was asking with his eyes:
How do you like it?
Tang Yi's eyelashes trembled violently, and her whole body shuddered. She stared at her hand, which he held and which was stroking her body, and her breathing became even softer.
Zhang Minglang liked seeing her a little shy and blushing. She clearly liked and enjoyed it, but was too embarrassed to say it, so she could only stiffen her neck and pretend to be experienced.
So cute.
He raised his head, leaned in, and gave her a quick, light kiss.
As if that wasn't enough, his lips brushed against her slightly red and hot cheeks, slowly moving until they reached the small black mole.
As if he had seen a treasure, he stretched his neck forward and gently kissed the mole.
Tang Yi shrugged, squinted one eye, and dodged to the side: "It itches."
Zhang Minglang laughed, his chest vibrating.
He stepped back a little, and loosened his grip on her hand.
The house was very warm, and the whole house was getting warmer, especially this corner of the kitchen.
Tang Yi wore a slightly thin cotton nightgown with lace trim at the neckline, which hung loosely against her chest, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.
Zhang Minglang glanced down at her, and when he looked up again, Tang Yi knew what he was up to.
She lifted her toe and gently kicked him: "Don't think about those crooked ideas, it's broad daylight..."
Before Tang Yi could finish speaking, her shoulders shrugged. She raised her neck, her toes gradually tensed, and she breathed heavily.
Holding Zhang Minglang's short, soft hair in her hand, she lowered her head slightly, only able to see the top of his head.
My skin felt cool, but my breath felt hot.
Kneading, sucking/sucking, grinding.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Tang Yi's body.
Half an hour later, Tang Yi was carried off the stage by Zhang Minglang.
He served her with satisfaction, carried her to the dining table and sat her down, then bent down to apologize to her.
"The fried eggs are cold, I'll make you another one. What would you like to eat?"
Tang Yi's cheeks were still flushed. Hearing his smiling voice, she felt a surge of displeasure and turned to glare at him: "A Manchu Han Imperial Feast."
Zhang Minglang raised an eyebrow and leaned in to kiss her, but she quickly pushed him away, saying, "Get lost!"
He turned his face away and chuckled to himself. After he finished laughing, he turned back to her with bright eyes and said, "There wasn't enough time this morning, so please just eat whatever you like. A Manchu Han Imperial Feast... I'll find someone to cook it for you later."
In the end, he made another bowl of noodles. While he was busy in the kitchen, Tang Yi had returned to normal and was looking at her phone while leaning on the table.
Zhang Minglang turned around and saw that her entire upper body was slumped over the table. He reminded her, "Tang Yi, get up and sit properly. The table is too cold."
She mumbled an "uh-huh" and slowly sat up, her eyes never leaving her phone screen.
She saw a video going viral. Her intuition told her it was related to their affair.
Tang Yi clicked on the link and was surprised to see Yang Yuanyue.
As she adjusted the camera, she gestured to the children of different heights huddled together on the playground in front of her.
"Come on, kids, stand in the middle! Yes, yes, yes! Little Tiger, stop chattering and stand in line. Do you still want to help Sister Tangyi?"
The tender voices rang out in unison.
"Come on, each of you say one sentence, only one sentence."
The boy named Xiaohu immediately raised his hand and said first, "Sister Yiyi, I haven't fought or swore for a long time now. Thank you and big brother for what you told me last time."
Tang Yi remembered; this was the boy who had the conflict with Xi Xi last time.
"Sister Yiyi, I finished reading another book yesterday in the little library you made!"
"It's not a reading room, it's a library!"
Hahahaha!
The children in the video were laughing so loudly that they were bent over, which also made Tang Yi smile in front of the camera.
"Sister Yiyi, you're like a fairy!"
"Sister Yiyi, may you and your big brother be happy."
Several children around covered their mouths and secretly laughed behind their backs.
After the chaos subsided and things quieted down a bit, Tang Yi saw Xi Xi appear in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by people.
She held the small Polaroid photo as if it were a precious treasure, showing it to the camera before covering it with her hands.
Xixi faced the camera, her gaze still unfocused, but she was nowhere near as shy as before.
She looked up, her lips slowly curving into a wide smile. Her voice was soft, but firm: "Superwoman Yiyi, big brother, thank you."
All the words she wanted to say were contained in that simple "thank you." Tang Yi lowered her eyelashes and suddenly felt a warmth on her back.
Zhang Minglang reached out from behind her and gently embraced her.
He bent down and pressed his cheek against hers. The short stubble prickled Tang Yi's face a little, and she laughed and tried to move away, but Zhang Minglang pulled her back, insisting that they stay close together.
He said, "Many people love you, Tangyi."
The video progress bar had reached the end, the phone screen went dark, and Tang Yi saw her own face. Her smile didn't look like a smile; instead, it looked like she was about to cry.
She nudged her elbow back and whispered, "It's all your fault. I never used to like crying."
“There’s nothing wrong with crying. You used to always hold it in.” Zhang Minglang gently kissed her cheek, comforting her softly.
Tang Yi dared not blink, afraid that tears would fall. She urged him to make sure the noodles were ready, saying she was starving.
Zhang Minglang obediently let go of her hand, giving her enough personal space.
One piece of evidence after another was released, and even some passersby released photos they took casually while visiting the water town.
At the treehouse-like bookstore table, Zhang Minglang rested his arm on the back of Tang Yi's chair. Tang Yi was engrossed in writing, while Zhang Minglang propped his chin up and watched her intently.
On the stone bridge at night, sparks flew behind them, and gold filled the air. Tang Yi wore a purple cheongsam, while Zhang Minglang squatted on the ground in front of her, diligently taking photos of his girlfriend with his phone, just like any other ordinary couple.
While photos taken from the perspective of passersby were circulating online, Zhang Minglang and Tang Yi were chatting idly on the sofa.
Tang Yi held her phone and scrolled through the pictures, unable to help but sigh, "Isn't it said that life doesn't have that many spectators? How come it feels like wherever we go along the way, we're being recorded?"
Zhang Minglang looked at the various photos of them together on her phone and hugged her even tighter: "It shows that we are a good match. Everyone who passes by can't help but take pictures of us."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yi keenly sensed something, looked up from his embrace, and asked seriously, "Why do we need others to prove us? Don't you have confidence in your own worth?"
Having his thoughts exposed, Zhang Minglang lowered his head: "The longer I spend with you, the more I feel that you are wonderful in every way. Compared to you, I feel somewhat inferior..."
"For example? What do you think is wrong with you?" Tang Yi sat up to look at him and patiently guided him.
Zhang Minglang was taken aback, then said without hesitation, "I am frivolous and unreliable, have a sharp tongue and like to speculate wildly, and my words don't always make sense..."
Tang Yi couldn't help but laugh as he repeated her assessment of him from their first meeting at Heaven, word for word.
"You hold a grudge like that? You've remembered something I said casually until now?"
Zhang Minglang stepped forward, hugged her waist, and shook his head vigorously, his hair brushing against her neck.
"It's not that I hold a grudge, I'm just afraid you won't like me."
Tang Yi placed her hand, which was suspended in mid-air, on the back of his head and gently touched it, saying, "How could I not like it?"
She dissected his words, saying, "You're frivolous and unreliable. I don't like reliable people; I like you... clinging to me every day."
"You have a sharp tongue and like to make wild guesses. Since we started dating, you rarely tease me on purpose anymore, right? That's a small improvement."
“As for ‘speaking incoherently,’” Tang Yi smiled, “that was something I said on purpose to annoy you, to make sure I had three sentences, so it would sound smoother.”
"Just saying it?" Zhang Minglang lifted his head from the crook of her neck to look at her. "Then you should just say you love me too, otherwise I won't believe you."
Looking at his expectant expression, Tang Yi belatedly felt a surge of shame. She pushed his face away and coldly refused, "I won't tell."
However, Zhang Minglang no longer believed her words at all. He leaned closer, grinning mischievously, "You're always so stubborn, it's just three words, you can't even say them. I don't care, I won't let you go until you tell me."
Tang Yi, both amused and exasperated, gently pried his hand away: "Is it that important? It's just a sentence."
"Yeah, it's just one sentence. I want to hear it."
Tang Yi struggled for a while but to no avail; the arms around her waist were like a hard iron ring encircling her. Apart from feeling a little uncomfortable from the tightness, she didn't feel like she couldn't breathe.
When she heard her phone ringing, she patted his arm to signal him to answer it himself, but Zhang Minglang seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, freeing his hand to hold her phone high.
"Zhang Minglang! Are you looking for a beating? Give me your phone." Tang Yi raised her head, her gaze following his raised hand, and threatened him.
However, she forgot that this person was completely shameless and actually enjoyed being scolded: "I can't wait! When are you going to hit me? You have to let me know in advance so I can prepare."
Tang Yi was easily embarrassed and couldn't win an argument with him.
She stopped paying attention to the phone call, withdrew her hand that had reached out to grab his arm, and crossed it over her chest without saying a word.
Zhang Minglang, observing her expression, released her at the opportune moment. Just as he lowered his arm, which had been raised high, and was about to hand her the phone, Tang Yi spoke.
"……I love you."
Feeling awkward and embarrassed.
But that was enough to make Zhang Minglang cheer with joy.
The words he was about to say on his knees to apologize stopped in his tracks, replaced by a satisfied smile.
He pressed his advantage: "You seem reluctant."
"Tsk."
With just a soft word from Tang Yi, Zhang Minglang immediately became obedient.
He handed her the phone, scratching his head as he said, "It seems like they hung up..."
Tang Yi snatched the phone back and shoved him, saying, "Zhang Minglang, you just wait."
After uttering those harsh words, she looked down at the missed call. Zhang Minglang seized the opportunity to step forward and hug her, apologizing sweetly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm waiting for you to finish your call and come back to scold me."
The expected elbow strike didn't come. He turned his head and saw Tang Yi's expression suddenly turn cold after she saw the phone.
Zhang Minglang's expression immediately changed: "What's wrong? Who called?"
Tang Yi was silent for a few seconds, then tilted her phone slightly towards him.
Zhang Minglang stepped forward and saw the words "Ms. Chen Lian".
"My mom called me again."
Tang Yi smiled, but her tone betrayed no trace of the joy that Li Li should have expressed with a smile. Instead, it conveyed a sense of sarcasm and helplessness through her smile.
Zhang Minglang took her hand and said, "I'll stay with you."
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