The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Hello, Your Takeout Has Arrived…

Since returning from the banquet, Tang Ran encountered Song Zhixu frequently at Shengming Mansion. Sometimes it was on the balcony, sometimes in the elevator. After the incident in the vanity room, the two were much more familiar with each other than before. Of course, a large part of this was due to Tang Ran’s intentional efforts.

Aside from wanting to get closer to Song Zhixu, Tang Ran faced a difficult problem. She wanted to understand the Tang family’s financial situation, but she knew nothing about finance. Looking at those numbers was like reading a divine script—the numbers knew her, but she didn’t know them. She had bought online finance courses, but they were dull and tedious; she found herself nodding off and had to force herself to listen.

Ding.

The elevator rose from the basement. Tang Ran didn’t even look up, stepping inside while clutching her phone. It was only when she heard the building manager greet “Miss Song” that she looked up.

Song Zhixu nodded to the manager and greeted Tang Ran naturally, “Just off work?”

“Mhm.” Tang Ran relaxed her furrowed brow. “You’re back early today?”

She had noted Song Zhixu’s return times; usually, it was eight, nine, or even later.

At her words, Song Zhixu’s gaze paused momentarily. Over the past few days, she often ran into Tang Ran, but usually in the morning.

“Rarely no social engagements,” Song Zhixu gave a faint smile, her eyes lingering on Tang Ran’s phone for a second. “Taking a finance class?”

“Yeah.” At the mention of the course, Tang Ran’s expression slumped. “This stuff is way too hard to learn.”

Song Zhixu caught a glimpse of the course title: From Zero Foundation to Financial Mastery.

“This course isn’t suitable for you.”

The course was too systematic, better suited for someone aiming for a career in accounting rather than a corporate successor like Tang Ran.

“Huh?” Tang Ran was dumbfounded. She had been studying for days; had she been learning the wrong thing entirely?

“You want to understand the company’s financial reports?” Song Zhixu asked.

“Yes.” Tang Ran nodded, her eyes brightening. “Do you have any recommendations, Sister?”

Sister.

This was the first time Tang Ran had called her that since recognizing her.

Pulling her focus back, Song Zhixu thought for a moment. “The Song Group has financial training courses specifically designed for management.”

“Can I see them?” Tang Ran asked hesitantly. Internal training materials usually aren’t shared outside the company.

The elevator reached the 19th floor. Song Zhixu stepped out and looked toward her own door. “If you want to watch them, I have the videos on my computer. You can come over to my place and watch.” She followed up with another suggestion: “I also know a teacher who does one-on-one training; I can refer you.”

She provided more than one option, thoughtful and considerate.

Tang Ran stepped out of the elevator, thought about it, and asked, “Would it be convenient to look at the training videos in a bit?”

She had been looking for a chance to ask Song Zhixu about gardening, but that pot of sun roses was so easy to keep alive that she hadn’t found any reason to send a message. If she could go to Song Zhixu’s place to study finance, wouldn’t that bring them closer than gardening ever could?

After speaking, Tang Ran lowered her head and touched her ear. “Would it be too much trouble for you, Sister?”

“Not at all,” Song Zhixu’s expression was gentle. “I happen to have nothing else to do tonight.”

“You haven’t had dinner yet, right? Want to eat together?” Tang Ran invited with a smile, her eyes curving into beautiful crescents.

Including the help at the banquet, Song Zhixu had helped her twice. It was only right to show some appreciation. Besides, “giving and receiving” is how relationships stay active.

“Okay,” Song Zhixu agreed with a smile.

Tang Ran asked about her dietary preferences and, after returning home, ordered several extra dishes from Xinghe Mansion to be delivered. Xinghe Mansion wasn’t far from Shengming Mansion. By the time Tang Ran finished a quick shower, the dinner had arrived.

Tang Ran applied a light, beautiful layer of makeup and headed out with the meal.

Assistant Jiang had just dropped her boss off and hadn’t even left the building when she received another call from her.

Cancel the dinner delivery. Immediately send a copy of the management finance training courseware to my email, and print out a set of related study materials to bring to me.

As a special assistant, Jiang Lin could usually grasp her boss’s intentions immediately, but this time she was completely baffled. For no reason, why did the boss suddenly want management training materials? Did she feel a newly promoted manager was under-trained?

What surprised Assistant Jiang even more was that after delivering the materials, she ran into Manager Song’s girlfriend—the eldest Miss Tang—in the hallway. Seeing Tang Ran knocking on her boss’s door with takeout, the shock in Assistant Jiang’s heart was like a tsunami.

She quickly connected what she saw with the events of the past few weeks.

So that’s it!

No wonder President Song changed her plans for Yangcheng and let Manager Song mess around with the Da Ning acquisition without intervening. The heart of the matter was Miss Tang!

In an instant, Assistant Jiang thought of the melodious, cliché family dramas her mother had been watching recently. Shocking! She felt like she had discovered an incredible secret!

Holding her chin, she entered the elevator. During the ten-second ride down, she rapidly processed this revelation. As a qualified special assistant, the most basic quality was to “know but act as if you don’t.”

Standing before door 1901, Tang Ran pulled out a small mirror to check her reflection before ringing the bell. The bell chimed twice, and the red light of the external monitor lit up.

“Hello, your takeout has arrived.”

Tang Ran mimicked a delivery driver’s voice, playfully lifting the bags in her hands. A soft chuckle came from inside, and the electronic lock clicked open.

Song Zhixu opened the door and took the bags with a smile, playing along: “Hard work on the delivery.”

She had changed into creamy-white loungewear. Her ink-black hair hung loose, the ends still damp. Like Tang Ran, she had also just showered. Song Zhixu’s features were naturally gentle, and the warm yellow lights of the apartment made her look even softer.

Compared to being the CEO of the Song Group or Song Wuqi’s aunt, the Song Zhixu of this moment felt more like a “big sister next door” Tang Ran had known for years. The nervousness of her first visit was smoothed away by this realization; Tang Ran’s tense back relaxed, and her shoulders lowered naturally.

The decor of Song Zhixu’s home was like the woman herself: elegant, simple but not plain, and extremely cozy. In the corner of the living room stood an astronomical telescope, equipped with many complex devices—it looked professional.

“Wait for me a moment.”

Song Zhixu led Tang Ran into the dining area, pulled out a chair for her, and then took the food containers toward the kitchen.

“I’ll help you,” Tang Ran followed her in. Aside from studying, she was here to build favor; she couldn’t miss a chance to help.

Song Zhixu rarely cooked, and the plates in her home hadn’t been used in a while. After taking them from the cabinet, she rinsed them with water. While Song Zhixu washed, Tang Ran deftly helped dry them. They worked together with surprising chemistry.

Just as the plates were finished, Song Zhixu’s phone rang. She grabbed a paper towel to dry her hands and slid the phone open.

“Old Song, come out for a drink! Waiting for you at ‘He’.”

Murong Yi’s voice was so piercing that Tang Ran could hear it from where she stood. Hearing the familiar way she addressed Song Zhixu, Tang Ran guessed they were close friends. From the voice alone, she could tell this friend had a vibrant personality.

Tang Ran was a bit surprised; she had assumed Song Zhixu’s friends would all be similar to her—like Xia Xin’er’s sister, who was also very reserved and steady. For some reason, Tang Ran suddenly wanted to know what Song Zhixu was like in front of her close friends.

She turned her head to peek at Song Zhixu. Song Zhixu turned off the tap, her voice slow and calm. “Not going. I have things to do.”

“Still at the office?”

“No.”

“If you aren’t working late, what could you possibly have to do? You don’t have a girlfriend to keep company.” Murong Yi grumbled over the phone. “Just come. Old Xia is here today too. You were on a business trip last week, so we missed our dinner.”

Hearing this, Tang Ran understood—she hadn’t seen Song Zhixu last week because she had been away on business. That meant this apartment really was her primary residence.

Song Zhixu turned around with a plate, catching Tang Ran’s gaze directly. Caught peeking, Tang Ran flinched guiltily, nearly knocking a dish onto the counter.

Quite a bit of sauce spilled out of the container, flowing across the countertop. Tang Ran hurriedly set the dish down and reached for a paper towel. She was momentarily flustered. Seeing the sauce about to drip off the edge of the counter, Tang Ran pressed the paper down quickly.

However, what she pressed her hand onto wasn’t just sauce, but a pair of soft hands.

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