The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Thanks to Sister Song’s Help

After all these years, Sun Jiaojiao’s clique still only knew how to play the same nasty bullying tricks from their school days.

“Give me the phone!” Li Lu lunged toward Tang Ran.

In her desperation to grab the phone, she completely forgot she was still holding the bottle. As her hand loosened, the glass bottle fell to the floor and shattered, splashing everywhere. A stench like sewer trash instantly permeated the room.

“Ah!”

Li Lu screamed and scrambled back several steps. However, her retreat was far slower than the splash radius of the liquid; the hem of her skirt and her shoes were splattered with the yellow fluid.

“Gag! Retch!”

She frantically tugged at her skirt, wanting to wipe it off but feeling too disgusted to touch it, gagging uncontrollably.

“Tsk, tsk.” Tang Ran was truly amused by Li Lu’s stupidity. “Luckily I hadn’t stopped the recording yet, otherwise I would have missed such a brilliant moment.”

Clicking save on the video, Tang Ran tucked her phone away and crossed her arms, watching Li Lu.

“‘Third Miss of Feng-Huang Food, neglected by her family, seeks revenge on society by intentionally splashing unknown liquid on others to vent her anger.’ How do you think that headline sounds?” She tilted her head as if thinking, then continued with a feigned curiosity, “Do you think this news would go viral if I posted it online?”

Li Lu’s face paled. “What do you want?”

Having been a lackey for so many years, Li Lu was well-acquainted with these methods of intimidation. She understood exactly what Tang Ran meant. By not posting the video immediately, Tang Ran clearly intended to blackmail her. Li Lu gritted her teeth, staring at Tang Ran with pure hatred.

“Not entirely stupid, then.” Tang Ran shrugged, her tone lazy. “As for what I want… I haven’t decided yet.”

Li Lu was a good pawn, but it was too early to use her, and Tang Ran didn’t quite trust her to be obedient just yet.

“Are you playing with me?” Li Lu couldn’t guess her thoughts and assumed Tang Ran was just mocking her.

“Is there a need for that?” Tang Ran’s gaze swept over her dismissively. The look clearly said: I just praised your brains, and now you’re being stupid again.

Between shooting herself in the foot and being looked down upon by Tang Ran, Li Lu felt like she was going to explode from frustration.

“Don’t worry, I won’t release the video before then.” After saying that, Tang Ran jerked her chin toward the door, signaling her to get lost.

The smell of that liquid was heavy; she could smell it from over a meter away. If Li Lu stayed any longer, the stench would drift over to Song Zhixu. Tang Ran already felt bad enough making Song Zhixu hide just to deal with Li Lu; if she let her get hit by the smell too, she’d feel even more guilty. Her goal was achieved; she didn’t want to waste more words.

Li Lu didn’t want to leave just like that. Tang Ran and Sun Jiaojiao were enemies, and it was obvious what Tang Ran would do with that leverage. She glared at Tang Ran, clenched her fists, and walked toward the exit in a huff.

Seeing her leave, Tang Ran turned back, intending to open the window near the cubicles to let some air in. Just as she reached the window, Li Lu suddenly doubled back, grabbed a vase from the vanity table, and swung it toward Tang Ran’s head.

There were no cameras in the room. If she stole Tang Ran’s phone and deleted the video, she could turn around and claim Tang Ran splashed her first, and that she only accidentally injured Tang Ran with the vase out of fear.

The carpets at the Lychee Hotel were far too thick. By the time Tang Ran noticed the movement and turned around, Li Lu was already upon her. Tang Ran ducked hurriedly. Because she moved too fast, her right leg tripped over her left, twisting her right ankle. She stumbled, barely catching herself against the wall to avoid a fall.

Li Lu reacted quickly. Seeing her dodge, she adjusted her aim and swung again. Before Tang Ran could steady herself, the vase was inches from her forehead.

Trapped with nowhere to go, she instinctively raised her arms to shield herself, cursing her own carelessness. How could she expect anyone who served a lunatic like Sun Jiaojiao to have a normal brain?

“Ah!”

The pain Tang Ran expected didn’t come. Instead, she heard Li Lu cry out in pain.

While she was distracted, Song Zhixu had somehow stepped in front of her, swiftly catching Li Lu’s falling wrist. Song Zhixu’s face was dark, her eyes sharp and stern—a side of her Tang Ran had never seen before.

Startled by her sudden inability to move, Li Lu froze. Then, she saw a slender, beautiful hand reach out and take the vase away. Li Lu reacted a beat late, trying to struggle, but she couldn’t break free; instead, the grip on her wrist tightened. The strength was so immense it felt like her hand might snap.

She let out a pained yelp and turned back in terror to see who had caught her. Before she could clearly see the woman’s face, her entire arm was twisted behind her back.

With a dull thud, Li Lu’s shoulder dislocated.

“AH!”

Another scream erupted as Li Lu doubled over in agony.

From catching the wrist to elegantly taking the vase and then effortlessly subduing her—the sequence was clean, sharp, and decisive. Tang Ran stared, wide-eyed.

So cool! The contrast with her usual gentle self is huge!

Song Zhixu pushed Li Lu away. She didn’t use much force, but Li Lu was defenseless; she stumbled and fell onto her knees. Her dislocated arm hung uselessly, hitting the floor and causing another wave of intense pain.

Song Zhixu withdrew her gaze expressionlessly. She turned to Tang Ran, her expression softening slightly. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no, she didn’t hit me.” Tang Ran waved her hands, thanking her with lingering fear. “Thanks to Sister Song’s help.” If Song Zhixu hadn’t intervened, her head would have been cracked open.

Song Zhixu’s gaze fell to her feet, asking softly, “Is your foot okay?” Tang Ran’s ankle looked a bit red.

“Huh?” Reminded, Tang Ran remembered that she had twisted her right foot when dodging the first strike. She rotated her ankle; it stung, but it wasn’t severe.

“Is it a sprain?” Song Zhixu asked, noticing Tang Ran’s slight frown.

Tang Ran waved it off casually. “Just a little twist, no big deal.” If this were the old Tang Ran, she might have made a fuss for half an hour, but after surviving the traumas of her previous life, she wasn’t so fragile or dramatic anymore.

Song Zhixu didn’t say anything, but her gaze lingered briefly on Tang Ran’s face. If she remembered correctly, six months ago, Tang Ran was the type who would cling to Tang Wanru and act spoiled for a long time just because she tripped on a stair. Why had her personality changed so drastically in such a short time? Was it because of Song Wuqi? Just like when she saw her crying her eyes out at the bar?

“I’m really fine,” Tang Ran added when she saw Song Zhixu remained silent.

“Mhm.” Song Zhixu nodded, then looked at Li Lu, who was still on the floor cradling her arm and wailing. “Do you want to call the police?”

Li Lu’s actions just now constituted intentional assault. If Tang Ran wanted to, she could make sure Li Lu learned a very hard lesson.

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