After the Real Young Miss Became My Canary - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Sitting on the black leather sofa inside was a woman wearing a light-blue, form-fitting pencil skirt. The skirt was tightly tailored, clean, and sharp. She was initially frowning, but upon seeing Song Zhi enter, she smiled slightly: “Xiao Zhi is here, come quickly and sit.”

Song Zhi wasn’t good at being this affectionate with elders. In the past, when Xie Chu was around, she only had to provide a cooperative, docile smile. Now, she not only had to smile but also had to subtly dodge Xie Mu’s repeated attempts to touch her face while patiently listening to Xie Mu reminisce about the good old days with her deceased sister.

When Song Zhi was coming up, Xie Chu had nearly grabbed her clothes to prepare her mentally. Song Zhi didn’t think listening to funny childhood stories about her dead mother required that kind of mental preparation.

Xie Mu talked to her for a good ten minutes, then abruptly sighed. She looked intently at Song Zhi, from her eyebrows to her eyes, and then her mouth. Song Zhi hadn’t spent a long time with her, but it wasn’t short either. In the early years, when An Ran was still alive, she often helped An Ran look after her. Later, Song Zhi and Xie Chu attended the same school abroad, so they naturally saw each other often. Hearts are made of flesh, and she felt deep reluctance toward a child she had practically raised.

Xie Mu sighed several times, still unable to find a good way to begin. She wanted to take this secret to her grave until she could change things, but it had to be now, of all times, that fate intervened.

Song Zhi seemed to sense something. She curved her eyebrows, her two dimples appearing faintly at the corners of her lips: “Aunt, is there something you need to say?”

Strictly speaking, Song Zhi should address Xie Mu as her maternal cousin-aunt, but first, Song Zhi didn’t have any paternal aunts, and second, Xie Mu strongly insisted, saying the formal address sounded too distant. So, Song Zhi dropped the two-word prefix when addressing her.

This gave Xie Mu the resolve she needed. If she told Song Zhi first, Song Zhi would at least be mentally prepared and not caught off guard, though she feared Song Zhi might resent her for it.

Xie Mu opened her mouth: “Xiao Zhi.”

Ding-ding-ding.

Xie Mu’s phone on the coffee table rang abruptly. The words Xie Mu had finally gathered were on the tip of her tongue. She subconsciously turned her head when the phone rang, and in that instant, she clearly saw the character “宋” (Song) at the beginning of the illuminated screen. The words immediately scattered. She instantly snatched up the phone. Unsure if Song Zhi had seen it, she offered an apologetic smile: “I need to take this call first.”

This was a clear hint that Song Zhi’s presence was inconvenient. Song Zhi politely stood up. Xie Mu wasn’t just a lady who tended flowers at home; she was a director holding more shares than Xie Fu. A number that could call her private phone was certainly dealing with something classified as a business secret.

Song Zhi smiled with her eyes: “Aunt, I just remembered I needed to see Xie Chu for something. I’ll be leaving now.”

Xie Mu took a long moment before nodding.

Xie Chu, having just finished greeting guests, was in the main hall attending to them. Most guests were fine, but the person in front of her was truly troublesome, treating her like a servant. However, Xie Mu had strictly instructed her long ago not to mess things up. When this overly demanding person ordered her to fetch cake again, Xie Chu couldn’t take it anymore. Her smile faded, and she was having a waiter fetch it when she saw Song Zhi descending the stairs. Based on her expression, Song Zhi looked normal, as if nothing was amiss.

Xie Chu quickly stepped forward, leaning her head down conspiratorially beside Song Zhi: “You’re already coming down? My mom didn’t say anything?”

Song Zhi: “Was your mom supposed to say something?”

Someone walked past them, saw their faces, and eagerly shoved a business card at them: “Miss Song, Miss Xie, this is my card.”

Annoyed, the two walked toward the door, where the crowd thinned. Song Zhi looked at Xie Chu, waiting for her reply. Xie Chu had been mysterious at the entrance, and now that she was downstairs, Xie Chu’s first question was about the conversation. What did Xie Mu have to tell her? Why was Xie Chu so nervous? She suddenly recalled the day she was drinking at Tenp.

Xie Chu was still stammering: “Ah, well, I must have been overthinking it. I misunderstood.”

Song Zhi: “Are you hiding something from me?”

Xie Chu hadn’t even released her held breath yet. Her expression was tense. Hearing the question, she reacted instantly, blurting out: “No!” She immediately realized her mistake. She looked up and saw Song Zhi looking at her with a half-smile: “So sure?”

Xie Chu knew she was in trouble.

A voice of dissatisfaction suddenly rang out: “I wondered why it was taking so long to get a cake. You were hiding from me, weren’t you?”

The voice, which had haunted her like a nightmare all day, sounded behind her. At that moment, it was like music to her ears. Xie Chu immediately turned to leave: “I still have guests to attend to. Talk to you later.” She was about to go but saw that the demanding woman’s arrogance had suddenly vanished. Guang Yuan looked around behind Xie Chu and finally asked with clear displeasure: “Where is she?”

Song Zhi countered: “Who are you asking about?”

Guang Yuan: “Isn’t it obvious who I’m asking about?”

Song Zhi: “I don’t see anyone here.”

Guang Yuan was furious: “You! And here I thought you were like my aunt and were a nice person.”

Song Zhi spread her hands: “But clearly, that’s just your opinion.”

Xie Chu looked at one, then the other, and with subtle intuition, stepped between them to separate them. Forget about Guang Yuan; why is Song Zhi acting like a firecracker today? “You two know each other?”

Guang Yuan immediately said: “No.”

Song Zhi shrugged, saying nothing.

They clearly not only knew each other but were also not on good terms. Xie Chu decisively grabbed Guang Yuan and pulled her aside: “The cake you wanted is over there.” She didn’t forget to caution Song Zhi over her shoulder: “Later, later.” Without waiting for Song Zhi’s reply, she immediately dragged the person toward the champagne tower between the tables and quickly disappeared from Song Zhi’s sight.

Xie Chu had acted this way before. Her behavior only indicated one possibility: she was guilty of something. But if she wouldn’t say, Song Zhi couldn’t force her. She walked two steps forward, picked up a glass of wine from the table, and smelled it. The wine was pale pink, the color of a fresh peach, and smelled faintly sweet. The banquet hadn’t officially started yet. Song Zhi found a random sofa in the corner and settled down.

She had just taken a sip of wine when a loud tick-tock suddenly sounded. Then came a dong. Song Zhi instantly sat up. Now she heard clearly: the sound came from the towering clock that spanned the villa’s high ceilings. She found it strange. This was a very formal banquet, attended by many older entrepreneurs. This kind of sudden chime was considered a bad omen. First, it was unpleasant, and second, if it suddenly startled someone with a weak heart, the consequences could be severe.

As she was thinking, the main lights in the hall suddenly went out. The villa was plunged into darkness. Panic immediately erupted, and for a moment, only the small lights on the tables emitted a faint, blue glow.

Song Zhi instantly stood up and shouted loudly: “Xie Chu!” But the surrounding noise was too loud, and her voice was quickly swallowed by the screams of the crowd.

The crowd was in chaos. Wealthy people cherish their lives. Many in the hall, disoriented, shoved toward the door, regardless of direction, rushing wherever others seemed to be going. Song Zhi’s corner was right on the path to the main door, and countless people suddenly surged around her, filling her nose with a mix of chaotic smells.

With so much commotion in the main hall, Xie Mu, who was upstairs, must have been aware. She should have already called for someone to check. Song Zhi stepped to the side, yielding the path to the panicked crowd. Just then, a sharp female voice pierced through the chaotic screams: “Move aside! Please move! Someone has fainted!”

The voice sounded familiar; Song Zhi had heard it just minutes ago. The person with Guang Yuan was likely from Yanjing. If something truly went wrong here today, the Xie family would have a hard time. Thinking this, she immediately walked toward the commotion.

Guang Yuan continued to shout: “Everyone, please move aside! Give her some air!”

A small vacuum quickly formed around Guang Yuan.

Someone suddenly yelled: “It looks like a heart attack! See if she has any medication!”

Guang Yuan was flustered and dared not touch the person. She had been drinking just moments ago when a person suddenly collapsed onto her, nearly scaring her to death.

A waiter, hearing the commotion, finally squeezed through the crowd. He helped the person up, called 911, and had someone rush the emergency medication.

Song Zhi reached the edge of the crowd just in time. She clearly saw the face of the person on the ground clutching their chest and convulsing. It was Song Guan.

The waiter must have been well-briefed. She anxiously scanned the crowd, her eyes immediately locking onto Song Zhi’s face. She asked pleadingly: “Miss Song, did you bring Mr. Song’s special medication?”

Under the eyes of the public and with so many reporters present, most of whom recognized her, if she said no, the media would twist the story mercilessly tomorrow. Even if it were the truth.

Song Zhi looked anxious: “My father came with my brother. Maybe he has it. Hurry and have someone find my brother!”

As she spoke, she lowered her head, her cold eyes meeting Song Guan’s on the ground. The sight of her made Song Guan’s expression turn frantic. His eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled in vain to reach out from the floor.

Song Zhi said nervously: “Dad, don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” She then seemed unable to bear the sight, lowering her head to wipe her eyes, but in the moment she met Song Guan’s gaze again, Song Zhi gave a subtle smile.

Just then, the lights in the hall suddenly began to flicker back on, layer by layer. In mere moments, the entire hall was as bright as day. The previously chaotic crowd finally quieted down.

“Good evening, everyone.” Just then, a sharp male voice suddenly echoed through the empty hall. The newly quiet crowd looked up in confusion toward the source of the voice.

Standing at the landing, where the stairs turned between the first and second floors, was a man in a crisp suit. His lean figure, however, made the suit’s shoulders appear too wide and narrow.

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