The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: These Hands Are Kind of Sexy.

After dinner, Murong Yi generously invited everyone to ‘He’ for a drink.

Tang Ran stated that her “battery was depleted” and promised to treat Murong Yi to a drink another day. Since she wasn’t going, Qiu Yuan had no desire to go either. They said their goodbyes at the entrance.

Qiu Yuan held her bag and said to Tang Ran, “Sister, let’s go.”

Before Tang Ran could answer, Song Zhixu walked over gracefully and looked at Tang Ran, her tone very familiar: “Going home?”

“Yes.”

Tang Ran nodded, then turned back to Qiu Yuan. “No need to drop me off; I’ll just take Sister Song’s car back.”

Tang Ran wasn’t a sensitive person by nature, but from Qiu Yuan’s attempt to wipe her mouth earlier, she had sensed something unusual. Even if she was about to break up with Song Wuqi, Tang Ran didn’t plan on dating—especially since she viewed Qiu Yuan as a little sister; there was no possibility of a romantic development. Tang Ran didn’t want to give Qiu Yuan hope to test the waters further, so it was best to keep her distance.

“Okay.” Qiu Yuan looked at Tang Ran and nodded, then smiled at Song Zhixu. “Then I’ll trouble Senior Song to take Sister home.”

When they met at the welfare home, Qiu Yuan had been happy to see her senior again, but after dinner, that happiness had vanished.

“No need to be so polite,” Song Zhixu said with a faint smile.

To Qiu Yuan’s ears, this didn’t sound like “we don’t need to be polite with each other,” but rather “you don’t need to be so polite about me taking Tang Ran home.” The meaning was ambiguous. Qiu Yuan impulsively wanted to ask about their relationship, but on second thought, what would be the point? She hadn’t failed to notice Tang Ran’s subtle change toward her. As long as Tang Ran didn’t accept her, it didn’t matter what relationship Tang Ran had with others.

Qiu Yuan wasn’t the type to pester. Since Tang Ran had no further intentions, she didn’t want to force it. She smiled with relief and bid Tang Ran farewell: “I’ll head out then. Sister, WeChat me when you get home.”

Tang Ran waved her off and added, “You too, drive carefully.”

From Qiu Yuan’s reaction, Tang Ran knew she had gotten the message. The younger girl’s grace in retreating gave Tang Ran a good impression; if Qiu Yuan didn’t mind, Tang Ran was still willing to be friends.

Murong Yi walked over after settling the bill. Seeing no sign of Xia Mo, she guessed that the “sister-obsessed” woman had stood her up again. She took out her phone, sent a virtual flying knife to Xia Mo, and complained to Song Zhixu: “Old Xia, that ‘sister-treasure’ girl, has abandoned us!”

To her surprise, Song Zhixu didn’t join her in indignation; she stood her up too. She checked her watch and said, “I have something to attend to in a bit, so I’m heading back.”

Murong Yi gasped. “Wait, Old Song, didn’t you say this afternoon that you were free?”

“Some work came up unexpectedly.” Song Zhixu handed her bag back, waving. “I’m off. Don’t drink too late; don’t you have to visit the construction site tomorrow?”

She turned and left. Tang Ran followed behind her, politely waving to Murong Yi. “Goodbye, Sister Murong.”

“Every single one of you is a liar! Flake queens!” Murong Yi grumbled angrily, running a hand through her wavy hair. She walked out cursing under her breath, only to realize something was off as she watched them get into the same car.

Wait, why is Tang Ran in Song Zhixu’s car? When did they become so close?

Driver Old Zhang was off today, so Song Zhixu drove herself. On a holiday night, the road back to the city was clear. Song Zhixu was a steady driver, and combined with the comfort of the high-end coupe, Tang Ran—tired from the long day—unwittingly drifted off into a daze. She was only woken up by a call from her assistant, Xiao Chen.

“President Tang, there’s a system error at the BR Hotel in Pengcheng. There are no vacancies for Wednesday, and the order was cancelled. Is it okay if I book the ST Hotel next door?”

Next week, Tang Ran was going to Pengcheng for an international food expo. Xiao Chen had booked a week in advance, but the hotel system glitched, causing double bookings.

Tang Ran stifled a yawn, sat up, and asked, “Were all the rooms cancelled?” She was going with Manager Yu and their assistants—four people in total, three rooms.

“Both executive suites were cancelled,” Xiao Chen replied. The rooms for Tang Ran and Manager Yu were gone; only the twin room for the assistants remained.

“Then move all of them to the ST,” Tang Ran replied.

“Understood.”

Tang Ran hung up and looked ahead. The car was on the inner ring elevated road, having covered most of the journey back to the city. After staring at the road for a moment, Tang Ran realized she hadn’t told Song Zhixu she was going on a business trip. She turned to look at her.

The faint light from the streetlamps filtered into the car, softly outlining Song Zhixu’s refined features. Her long black hair was draped over her shoulders; the hair on the side facing Tang Ran was tucked behind her ear, revealing a round earlobe adorned with a black pearl tassel earring. Tang Ran thought it looked familiar but couldn’t recall where she’d seen it—maybe in a magazine.

Song Zhixu held the steering wheel with one hand, while her other arm rested casually on the window ledge. Her fingers were slightly curved, resting lightly on the corner of the wheel, her eyes focused on the road ahead. She was a blend of leisure and composure—much like the two sides Tang Ran had seen: gentle and elegant, yet cool and steady.

Tang Ran suddenly remembered Miao Tiantian’s words: compared to Song Zhixu, Song Wuqi was just a “buyer’s show” [expectation vs reality]. Actually, even that wasn’t accurate; compared to Song Zhixu, Song Wuqi was a low-quality counterfeit. Her gentleness was a disguise, and her “steadiness” was a shallow imitation.

Passing through a roundabout, Song Zhixu guided the car forward with one hand on the wheel. The skin on that hand was fair, the fingers slender and long; the tendons in her hand tightened slightly with the effort. The muscles in her forearm were well-proportioned, disappearing into the neatly folded cuffs of her shirt.

Uh… these hands are kind of sexy.

Tang Ran unconsciously pursed her lips.

After clearing the roundabout, Song Zhixu used her palm against the wheel to straighten it. Her fingers were distinct, her nails rounded and clean—no manicure, no long nails. Tang Ran suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. Does Song Zhixu also like women?

Tang Ran’s gaze was too direct. Song Zhixu glanced at her sideways. “What’s wrong?”

Hearing the person’s voice while speculating about their sexuality made Tang Ran feel the awkwardness of being caught “peeping.” She blinked, pretending she wasn’t thinking of anything, and said in a normal tone: “Um, I’m going on a business trip next Wednesday and expect to be back Friday. I won’t be able to come over to see the course materials on Wednesday or Thursday.”

Song Zhixu withdrew her gaze and nodded. “I might have to go on a business trip next Wednesday as well.” She didn’t specify the return date, so Tang Ran, being tactful, smiled: “Shall we meet on Friday then?”

“Alright.”

The car exited the elevated road at a junction. Song Zhixu slowed down and stopped at a red light. Her index finger tapped lightly on the steering wheel, and she asked casually, “How is Auntie Tang’s health?”

It wasn’t a secret that Tang Wanru had poor health. Song Zhixu’s sudden question seemed to Tang Ran like small talk to break the silence. She replied, “Quite good.”

“I heard from my mother that they went to City N these past few days?” Song Zhixu asked again.

“Yes, for the summer carnival.” City N wasn’t far from the city where Tang Wanru was recuperating. They had gone for the festival and posted quite a few updates on WeChat.

“My mother wanted to go too, but she heard Auntie was coming back, so she decided not to.”

Tang Ran was confused. “They won’t be back for another half-month. If Auntie Jiang goes in a few days, she’ll make it.” City N was a tourist city; the carnival lasted a month. Jiang Mei had the visa and could fly there anytime.

Song Zhixu explained, “She has an exhibition in a few days and can’t get away.”

Reminded of this, Tang Ran realized: “Ah, then she won’t make it.” Jiang Mei’s art exhibition was in about half a month; by the time it ended, she would miss Tang Ran’s mothers.

Song Zhixu calculated the time and asked, “Are Auntie Tang and the others returning before the end of the month?”

“That’s the plan.” That was what her mother had told her last week.

Song Zhixu looked at Tang Ran in the rearview mirror. Her expression was normal. Song Zhixu wasn’t sure if Tang Ran knew that once her mothers returned, the two families planned to sit down and discuss her engagement to Song Wuqi. Song Zhixu hesitated and didn’t mention it. Although Tang Ran had asked if she would help her, Song Zhixu felt that might have been a perfunctory question. She could sense Tang Ran’s lack of trust. She wasn’t sure if Tang Ran truly needed her help.

Tang Ran’s phone received a video request from Miao Tiantian. Tang Ran switched it to voice. As soon as the call connected, Miao Tiantian began complaining about a “picky” client, accusing them of targeting her. Miao Tiantian had gone to Beijing to visit her grandmother, but she’d been stuck revising designs all day at her grandma’s house. Tang Ran asked if she’d offended the client, but Miao Tiantian was vague and quickly changed the subject to the volunteer activity.

Sensing something was off but mindful she was in Song Zhixu’s car, Tang Ran didn’t pry and instead talked about the welfare home. When she mentioned Qiu Yuan hiring the planning team, Miao Tiantian started praising her: “What do you think of Qiu Yuan? She’s—”

“Stop right there,” Tang Ran cut her off. She’d wondered why Miao Tiantian kept bringing up Qiu Yuan; it turned out she had this in mind. If it hadn’t been for Qiu Yuan’s ambiguous actions today, Tang Ran wouldn’t even have thought of it.

“What’s wrong? Is she too young?” Miao Tiantian asked.

“It’s not about age,” Tang Ran replied. Despite her youthful face, interacting with Qiu Yuan didn’t feel like dealing with an eighteen-year-old at all.

“Then what is it? Aside from being young, Xiao Yuan is practically perfect! If I hadn’t treated her like a sister since we were kids, I’d keep her for myself,” Miao Tiantian said with a regretful tone.

Tang Ran didn’t believe a word of it. Aside from her first love, Miao Tiantian liked no one—but Tang Ran didn’t want to argue about that now. She stole a glance at Song Zhixu, who was focused on driving. She lowered her voice and held the phone close: “No, you know my situation.”

“You’re going to break up sooner or later, what are you worried about? Besides, that scumbag Song Wuqi is already cheating. Sister, is your moral compass too strong?”

Knowing she meant her hasn’t-broken-up-yet status with Song Wuqi, Miao Tiantian was dismissive.

“It’s not just that. I only see her as a sister.” Tang Ran truly didn’t have those feelings for Qiu Yuan. Since she was in the car, she couldn’t explain much to Miao Tiantian, so she just used her own words against her.

“Well, nothing to be done then. Poor Xiao Yuan is going to be heartbroken; I think she really likes you.” Miao Tiantian sighed, then added, “I’ll introduce you to someone else later. Do you prefer the mature and intellectual type?” She knew many people and had plenty of excellent single women to recommend. She figured since Tang Ran had liked Song Wuqi, she might prefer that type.

“I really don’t have those thoughts right now.” Tang Ran rubbed her forehead. After the trauma of her previous life, romance wasn’t a necessity. She only wanted to save the Tang Group and ensure her mothers were safe; nothing else mattered. Just thinking about the crisis was enough to keep her busy; she had no time for a new relationship.

“Sister, listen to me. Out with the old, in with the new. Don’t think there’s no true love just because Song Wuqi is trash. With your looks, just standing there would get you a line of pursuers…”

Not wanting to continue the topic: “Hello? Hello? Tiantian, I’m entering a tunnel, the signal is bad. Let’s talk later!” Glancing at the two rows of lights, Tang Ran used the excuse to hang up.

She put her phone away and turned her head, only to meet Song Zhixu’s eyes. Tang Ran was embarrassed, wondering if Miao Tiantian’s voice was loud enough for Song Zhixu to hear her talk about a “new girlfriend.” She smiled politely, thinking of something to say to break the awkwardness, when she saw the sign for the mansion’s underground garage.

Oh.

So Song Zhixu wasn’t looking at her because she heard Miao Tiantian, but because she saw her lie to her friend? Being a liar wasn’t a good look. Tang Ran blinked and decided to play dumb to save her image. She let out an exaggerated “Eh?”

“Are we here? I thought we entered a tunnel.”

“Mhm.”

Song Zhixu responded and turned the wheel, parking the car. She said nothing, but Tang Ran, with a guilty conscience, felt Song Zhixu had caught her lie and just didn’t expose it. Tang Ran wanted to explain, but decided against it. She couldn’t very well tell Song Zhixu she hung up because her friend was trying to set her up.

Distractedly unbuckling her seatbelt, Tang Ran’s hand slipped, and her phone slid off the center console under the seat. She reached down, but felt nothing. She adjusted her position but still couldn’t find it.

“Dropped your phone?” Song Zhixu asked, turning off the engine.

“Yeah, I don’t know where it went. I can’t feel it.”

Tang Ran turned on the interior light and looked down. It wasn’t by her feet, so it must be under the seat.

“It probably slid to the back. Let me check for you,” Song Zhixu said, unbuckling her belt. Tang Ran adjusted the seat forward. Song Zhixu leaned over and looked behind, spotting a corner of the phone at the edge of the seat.

“It fell to the back.”

Song Zhixu braced her hand against the back of the passenger seat and leaned over toward the rear. Tang Ran watched her, her gaze unintentionally falling on the hand gripping the seat. The pale fingertips were curved, the nails trimmed neatly…

Stop! Stop! Stop!

Realizing her focus was drifting again, Tang Ran turned her head to look out the window. Her eyes weren’t looking, but her other senses became heightened to compensate. The distance between them was so small; Tang Ran could not only smell the faint white tea fragrance from Song Zhixu but also feel the warmth of her skin only an inch away.

A sudden heat rushed to her ears, giving Tang Ran the urge to bolt. But opening the door and leaving would be too obvious and rude. She bit the inside of her cheek, leaned against the door, and asked as naturally as possible: “Is it hard to find? Should I get out first…?”

“Found it.”

Song Zhixu’s gentle voice came from behind her neck. Tang Ran froze.

“Here.”

Song Zhixu sat back in the driver’s seat and handed the phone to Tang Ran, along with a wet wipe from the storage box.

“Thank you, Sister.”

Tang Ran smiled and took the phone. Song Zhixu’s lips curved into a slight smile as she took another wipe to clean her own hands. Seeing this, Tang Ran immediately looked down, wiped her phone, and quickly scrambled out of the car.

When the elevator reached the 19th floor, Tang Ran stepped out to say goodbye. Song Zhixu checked her watch and asked, “It’s still early. Do you want to look at the course materials?”

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