The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: If Not for the Shares, Then It Can Only Be…

There was concern, worry, and even a hint of pity in Song Zhixu’s eyes.

A layer of goosebumps immediately rose on Tang Ran’s skin. She very much disliked Song Zhixu looking at her with such a gaze. Furthermore, Tang Ran suddenly had a strange feeling—it felt like this wasn’t the first time she had seen Song Zhixu look at her this way.

But that shouldn’t be possible. Aside from these past two months, whether in her previous life or this one, the number of times she had met Song Zhixu could be counted on one hand. Why would Song Zhixu pity her?

She released Song Zhixu’s collar, took two steps back, wrinkled her nose, and muttered dissatisfiedly, “Why are you looking at me like that?” Her movements were avoidant, making her seem like a completely different person from the one who was intentionally pulling her close and saying suggestive things just a minute ago.

A thought rose in Song Zhixu’s mind. She glanced at Tang Ran, placed the water cup she had been holding on the foyer cabinet, and raised her hand to smooth out the collar that Tang Ran had crumpled. Her movements were unhurried; her slender fingers pinched the fabric, gently pulling it straight bit by bit.

However, the silk fabric was too delicate. No matter how much she tidied it, the collar remained full of intersecting creases, with slight marks where fingernails had tugged at it.

Tang Ran’s ears felt hot. She felt she must have been possessed by alcohol to do something so bizarre. If she had questions, she should have just asked them directly; why did she have to test Song Zhixu in the heat of the moment? And to hold her in that posture while saying such ambiguous things!

Tang Ran scratched her hair in frustration.

“Tang Ran,” Song Zhixu spoke again after gathering her thoughts.

Tang Ran looked at her reluctantly, her face full of embarrassed shame. Wasn’t Song Zhixu supposed to be smart? Why couldn’t she distinguish whether Tang Ran was talking about her or Song Wuqi? It made things so awkward!

Song Zhixu looked at her, let out a soft sigh, and said seriously, “I promised you I would help you.” She had said this to Tang Ran in the car before, but Tang Ran clearly hadn’t believed her then. She knew that given her relationship with Song Wuqi, it was impossible for Tang Ran to trust her without reservation. But Song Zhixu emphasized it again nonetheless.

Tang Ran’s heart wavered for a moment. Just like that day in the car, Song Zhixu’s tone was so sincere that it didn’t seem faked at all.

Capturing the softening in her expression, Song Zhixu slowed her pace and tried to guide her: “A 5% stake doesn’t do much; Wuqi wouldn’t intentionally approach you just for that.”

“What do you mean?” Tang Ran didn’t understand for a second. In her previous life, Song Wuqi had gone to great lengths to trick her out of those shares, even using the guise of paying off Tang Group’s debts to get her to sign the equity transfer agreement.

“Wuqi only holds 10% of the shares. Adding your 5% only makes 15%, which doesn’t accomplish much,” Song Zhixu explained.

If Song Wuqi really was approaching Tang Ran with an agenda, it had to be for more than just 5%. Song Zhixu didn’t know much about Song Wuqi, but she knew her little niece had always hidden her true self deeply. Being with Tang Ran brought not only the 5% support but also the backing and recognition of the Old Master. But besides those, what else could she get from Tang Ran?

Hearing her say this, Tang Ran recalled that aside from her 5%, the reason Song Wuqi successfully seized power was mainly by forging a will to obtain all of Old Master Song’s shares. Tang Ran vaguely felt there was another layer of meaning in Song Zhixu’s words, but her brain wasn’t functioning well enough to think deeper.

More importantly, there was something Tang Ran wanted to know even more.

“Then what about you?” Tang Ran asked tentatively. If 5% was useless to the current Song Wuqi, what about Song Zhixu? If she remembered correctly, Song Zhixu held more shares than Song Wuqi. And Murong Yi’s message said that if Song Zhixu had that 5%, Song Wuqi would have no chance of seizing power.

“Mhm?” Song Zhixu raised an eyebrow.

“Are the shares in my hand useful to you?” Tang Ran asked while looking at her.

The flash of an idea was confirmed; Song Zhixu understood. So Tang Ran hadn’t mistaken her for Song Wuqi; those words weren’t meant for Song Wuqi, but for her. Even having guessed it, Song Zhixu timely showed an expression of surprise. She scanned Tang Ran’s expression and nodded. “They are useful.”

Tang Ran’s face showed an “as I thought” expression, and the atmosphere around her dropped again.

Song Zhixu then changed her tone: “But they aren’t necessary.” Even if the Old Master gave all his shares to Song Wuqi, Song Zhixu’s actual controlling stake would still be more than Song Wuqi’s. Besides, the Old Master wasn’t so senile as to do that.

Tang Ran frowned again. “What do you mean?” It was the same question, but clearly marked with more disbelief. If she said they were useful, why were they unnecessary? And if it wasn’t for the 5%, why would Song Zhixu approach her? It couldn’t really be that she liked this face of hers, right?

Song Zhixu wasn’t angry at Tang Ran’s distrust; instead, she curled her lips into a smile. “Do you remember the content of the first lesson? Under what circumstances does a shareholder have major decision-making power?”

Tang Ran froze, remembering the point: A shareholder with more than 51% of the shares has major decision-making power.

So, Song Zhixu already holds more than 51%? If that were true, then Song Zhixu really didn’t need her 5%.

“Then your last—”

The moment she spoke, Tang Ran realized she almost let something slip. She wanted to ask why, if Song Zhixu had more than 51% in her previous life, Song Wuqi was able to take the CEO position just by relying on Old Master Song’s shares?

“Mhm?” Song Zhixu waited for the rest of her sentence.

“Nothing.” Tang Ran forced a smile. She couldn’t tell Song Zhixu about her rebirth. She then thought that in the previous life, Old Master Song passed away two years later; Song Wuqi must have done something in the interim to obtain more shares.

If it wasn’t for the shares, then Song Zhixu’s purpose could only be…

“Tang Ran.”

As her mind wandered, she heard Song Zhixu call her name again. This time, the gentle voice carried a sense of gravity. Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked at her blankly. Song Zhixu looked serious, her gaze meeting Tang Ran’s.

Tang Ran unconsciously clenched her fists, wild thoughts flashing through her head. What… what is she doing? With such a serious expression… is she going to confess?

Tang Ran instinctively wanted to flee, but perhaps because the alcohol was kicking in, her feet wouldn’t move. She could only watch as Song Zhixu’s thin lips parted.

“Did you see the message Murong Yi sent me?”

“Don’t say it, I don’t want to kno—”

They spoke at the same time. But Tang Ran froze halfway through her sentence. What Song Zhixu wanted to say was nothing like what she imagined, yet it was something she absolutely hadn’t expected. She stared blankly at Song Zhixu, not knowing whether to admit she saw the message or just be embarrassed for a while.

Song Zhixu arched an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “What don’t you want to know?”

“No—nothing!” Tang Ran denied repeatedly, wishing she could dig a hole and hide downstairs. What was I thinking?! Did I drink my brain with the wine?! What was I fantasizing about?! Tang Ran’s entire face turned beet red.

Song Zhixu really wanted to know what Tang Ran “didn’t want to know,” but she sensed that if she pushed further, Tang Ran would bristle again. She nodded and followed up on her previous point: “You saw Murong Yi’s message, so you were angry not because of Wuqi, but because you thought I approached you intentionally to get your 5% stake, right?”

After Tang Ran left that day, Song Zhixu had assumed Song Wuqi had upset her again. But as the days passed without a text or an encounter at the apartment, she realized something was wrong. When she saw her at the bar, Tang Ran looked the same as before, but Song Zhixu immediately sensed her deliberate distancing. She hadn’t expected those messages to be seen, nor did she guess Tang Ran’s anger was because of her. Murong Yi always talked too much and loved to over-analyze; Song Zhixu usually ignored her.

When Tang Ran pushed her away in the elevator, she thought Tang Ran was just drunk again and mistook her for Song Wuqi. It wasn’t until she mentioned Song Wuqi’s motive for being with Tang Ran that Tang Ran’s surprised and strange expression raised suspicion. Once she confirmed it wasn’t a case of mistaken identity, she linked Tang Ran’s recent behavior to Murong Yi’s messages.

Song Zhixu’s tone was softer than before; if one listened closely, there was a hint of feeling wronged by the misunderstanding. Tang Ran bit her lip and looked down. She didn’t want to admit she had misunderstood Song Zhixu, nor did she want to admit she had been angry for so long because of it.

“Tang Ran.” Song Zhixu took two steps forward, standing right in front of her.

Tang Ran panicked. Why do you have to be so close?! She instinctively tried to retreat, but her lower back hit the foyer cabinet after one step. She looked up, wanting to glare at Song Zhixu, but didn’t dare, so she just puffed out her cheeks.

Song Zhixu took a proactive step back and said seriously, “If I truly needed your shares, I would seek a trade with you openly and honestly.”

Tang Ran froze again. Was Song Zhixu explaining herself to me? She was the one who misunderstood, yet Song Zhixu was the one explaining. Tang Ran felt her face getting even hotter. She bit her lip in frustration, regretting her impulsiveness. Had she known this would be the outcome, she should have confronted Song Zhixu immediately after seeing the message.

Song Zhixu observed her expression and knew Tang Ran believed her. She handed the water cup back to Tang Ran, her gaze briefly lingering on Tang Ran’s bare feet. Tang Ran blankly took the cup and followed her gaze down. Clean and white, what’s so special?

“Your period just ended; you should pay more attention to keeping warm,” Song Zhixu reminded her.

Tang Ran: “…” The topic changed too fast. But remembering the excruciating pain in Pengcheng, she walked aside and put on her slippers.

Seeing her do this, Song Zhixu’s lips curled up. “It’s late; you should rest early.” She turned and left. By the time Tang Ran put on her slippers and looked up, she only saw her back.

The sun climbed over the horizon, welcoming a new day, but when Tang Ran woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. She was woken by hunger.

She crawled out of bed, sat on the sofa, and stared at the Pikachu glass on the coffee table for a long time. Didn’t I take this to Song Zhixu’s place…

Scattered fragments of last night flashed through her mind: a snow-white neck tinted red, a slightly moving throat, breath inches away, and the faint scent of white tea.

Tang Ran jumped up with a start! What did I do yesterday?!

She collapsed back onto the sofa, taking over an hour to psychologically prepare herself and accept the fact that she had tried to “use her beauty” to seduce Song Zhixu, only for it to be a clumsy misunderstanding. At least the result was good. Song Zhixu hadn’t lied to her, and she hadn’t approached her for the shares.

Tang Ran grabbed her hair, comforting herself. But a second later, she couldn’t sit still again.

If it wasn’t for the shares… then it could only be for me!

That hidden gaze in the elevator. The way she instinctively looked away when Tang Ran got close. The neck that turned red after being teased. Not getting angry after being misunderstood, but explaining herself instead. And further back: taking care of her when she was sick, helping her with course materials, saying she would help her, sending her sunflowers…

Oh my god! Does Song Zhixu actually like me?!

Tang Ran pulled out her phone and sent a picture of a “Big-Mouthed Crow” (symbolizing bad luck/bluntness) to Miao Tiantian.

Miao Tiantian replied instantly: “???” Why are you sending me a crow at noon for no reason?!

Carrying the bold guess that Song Zhixu liked her, Tang Ran once again fled back home. The idea of Song Zhixu liking her was even more shocking than the idea of Song Zhixu lying to her. She needed time to process this.

Before the end of the workday, Song Wuqi called Tang Ran to ask for a meeting. This was the second time she had asked; Tang Ran feared refusing again would raise suspicion, so she agreed. Song Wuqi booked a restaurant and drove to pick Tang Ran up.

When she saw Tang Ran come out, Song Wuqi got out of the car holding a bouquet of macaron-colored flowers. The silver-grey limited edition sports car was flashy, attracting many curious looks from Tang Group employees.

At the sight of the car, Tang Ran’s expression dazed for a moment as a scene flashed in her mind.

After the sharp screech of brakes came a thunderous crash. The sports car had been going too fast; after hitting the barrier, it scraped for dozens of meters before slowly stopping. The hood was bent and deformed, and white smoke drifted from the gaps. The person in the driver’s seat was covered in blood, their face buried in the deployed airbag.

Seeing her daze, Song Wuqi frowned. “Ranran?”

Tang Ran snapped back to reality. When her gaze landed on Song Wuqi, she immediately overlapped her with the scene in her mind. She was certain the person in the car accident was Song Wuqi.

Tang Ran was surprised but remained calm, forcing a smile. “I just thought of something.” In her memory of the previous life, Song Wuqi never had a car accident. Why did she have this memory? Was her memory skewed due to the rebirth?

“I ordered these specifically for you; they were flown in from Country H this morning,” Song Wuqi handed her the flowers with a gentle smile.

“Thank you,” Tang Ran took the flowers with a fake smile. Song Wuqi opened the door, and Tang Ran sat in the passenger seat, placing the flowers in the back.

As she buckled her seatbelt, Song Wuqi glanced at the flowers in the rearview mirror. When Ye Xiaoyu received similar flowers, she was moved to tears; Tang Ran didn’t care at all and tossed them aside. People grown up spoiled just trample on others’ sincerity. A flash of dissatisfaction crossed Song Wuqi’s eyes, but she quickly returned to normal.

The restaurant was by the river in the city center—a panoramic restaurant over 100 floors high, a famous dating spot. It was peak dining hours; the place was packed with couples.

In two lifetimes, Tang Ran only had one relationship. Song Wuqi pursued her, she found her tolerable, and they naturally got together. She wasn’t the clingy type, and Song Wuqi was always busy. After the engagement, Song Wuqi went to the Beijing branch. They didn’t spend much time together.

Flowers, dinners, movies, musicals—they did all the typical couple things. In the previous life, she didn’t realize it, but looking back, it was all superficial. It was as if they did “couple things” because they were “a couple,” not because they liked each other. Song Wuqi was considerate, but they rarely hugged or snuggled.

Looking at the couples around her and then at Song Wuqi, Tang Ran realized how foolish she had been. Isn’t love (or the lack of it) obvious at a glance? Song Wuqi had tenderness in her eyes, but no lingering love.

Song Wuqi pulled out the chair for her and ordered according to her preferences, acting the part of the devoted, affectionate girlfriend. Tang Ran watched the performance silently. To this day, she couldn’t fully understand why Song Wuqi went to such lengths to deceive her if it wasn’t for the 5% stake. Surely it wasn’t just to destroy her family?

“The restaurant has an event today. If you take a photo together and post it on social media with the location, the dessert you ordered will be on the house.” The waiter’s words interrupted Tang Ran’s thoughts.

“No—”

“Sure.”

Song Wuqi instinctively wanted to refuse, but Tang Ran agreed before she could finish her first word. Song Wuqi looked at her in confusion, wondering why Tang Ran would post on social media for a free dessert.

“It’s rare for us to eat out together; I wanted to post anyway.” Tang Ran took out her phone and teased, “I see Xin’er and Shuyang’s ‘dog food’ (PDA) on my feed every day; finally, I have a chance to feed some back.”

Song Wuqi couldn’t say anything to stop her now. She didn’t want to post, but she had no valid reason. If she upset Tang Ran, the meal would be for nothing.

Tang Ran took a photo of the restaurant logo and the night view through the window. She sent it to Song Wuqi. “Let’s post the same one.”

Seeing she didn’t take a photo of them together, Song Wuqi felt relieved yet strangely disappointed. But looking at the photo, she felt a secret joy. The reflection on the glass clearly showed the two of them. Recalling the “dog food” comment, Song Wuqi thought this was a little trick of Tang Ran’s.

In reality, the reflection was Tang Ran’s mistake. She only noticed it after posting, and since it was too late to withdraw, she left it. This subtle show of affection might actually achieve her goal better.

Tang Ran deleted the photo as soon as she posted it. Letting Song Wuqi stay in her gallery for a second longer was an insult to her phone.

After the waiter left, Song Wuqi apologized with a hint of guilt. “It’s my fault for being too busy lately to spend time with you.”

“Do you think I’m that unreasonable?” Tang Ran wrinkled her nose.

“Of course not, I just feel I haven’t spent enough time with you,” Song Wuqi smiled warmly.

“You’re busy with work, not out on dates with someone else,” Tang Ran said, being exceptionally understanding.

Song Wuqi choked slightly, scanning Tang Ran. After confirming it was just a casual comment, she felt relieved.

Tang Ran looked at her arm with a frustrated expression. “How is your hand? I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been able to go with you to change the dressing.”

“It’s fine, it’s already scabbed over. It’ll be better in a few days.”

Tang Ran wasn’t holding her work schedule against her, so Song Wuqi naturally couldn’t ask Tang Ran to drop work to accompany her to the hospital.

“That’s good. Don’t drink so much in the future; it’s just one project, it’s not worth hurting your hand. Your grandfather values you so much; there will be other opportunities.”

She knew Song Wuqi had gone back to Jingting yesterday and came out looking upset; she had likely been scolded by the Old Master again. Tang Ran had forgotten to kick her while she was down at the hospital, so she couldn’t miss the chance today.

Tang Ran’s words of comfort were actually stabs at Song Wuqi’s heart. Song Wuqi didn’t hurt her hand for a project, but because of Ye Xiaoyu. The phrase “it’s not worth it” sounded like it was about Ye Xiaoyu. Her grandfather valued her, but he was also disappointed. There wouldn’t be new opportunities for a while; he told her to train in the branch for two more years. To change his mind, she had to rely on the Chengdu project.

Seeing Song Wuqi’s expression change, Tang Ran kept digging. “What’s wrong? Did your grandfather scold you again?” She asked with concern, then complained on her behalf: “He really is too strict with you. How many people can be as capable as your Little Aunt, taking over such a huge enterprise just like that?”

“Since the company is being managed well by your Little Aunt, why is he pushing you so hard?”

Fearing her stabbing was too obvious, Tang Ran dragged herself down too. She pouted miserably, “Like me, I’ve been learning from Manager Yu for so long and I’m still no good. I can’t even understand the financial reports.”

Song Wuqi’s expression stiffened; she almost snapped. She did everything to prove she was no worse than her Little Aunt. Yet in Tang Ran’s eyes, her Little Aunt was someone she couldn’t compare to. Tang Ran was an only child who grew up pampered; how could she understand the feeling of having an aunt who outperformed her at every turn?

Song Wuqi’s hand under the table was clenched into a fist, yet she still had to comfort Tang Ran: “You just started working; it’s normal not to understand. You’ll get familiar with it slowly.”

“Mhm, I know,” Tang Ran nodded, her brow instantly smoothing out.

Seeing how much she cared about her words, Song Wuqi struck while the iron was hot. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you’re not good at company affairs, leave them to your subordinates. Don’t force yourself.” She looked at Tang Ran affectionately. “Once we’re married, you just need to be Mrs. Song in peace. I will definitely take care of you.”

“Okay.” My ass. Tang Ran lowered her head to arrange the cutlery, resisting the urge to stab Song Wuqi with the table knife. The “Mrs. Song” whose family would be destroyed—let Ye Xiaoyu have that.

The waiter brought wet towels. Song Wuqi wiped her hands and asked, “How is Auntie Tang’s health lately?”

Hearing the mention of Tang Wanru, Tang Ran became alert with a bad premonition. She lowered her eyes and toyed with the knife. “Same as usual.” In the previous life, Song Wuqi didn’t even attend the funeral; Tang Ran didn’t believe she truly cared.

“Don’t worry too much.” Song Wuqi thought she was worried. She reached out to hold Tang Ran’s hand, but Tang Ran reached for a napkin, avoiding her subtly. “I’m fine.”

The waiter arrived with the food, and Song Wuqi didn’t notice anything wrong. After eating for a while, Song Wuqi saw Tang Ran was in a better mood and asked tentatively, “I wonder when Auntie and the others are coming back? Grandfather wants to finalize our matters soon.”

She wasn’t sure of Tang Ran’s attitude. Tang Ran was very self-centered; usually, Song Wuqi was the proactive one. After the slap at the hospital, she felt Tang Ran had become colder. She had been busy with the acquisition and was afraid Tang Ran would discover her affair with Ye Xiaoyu, so she hadn’t contacted her frequently. Now that the acquisition failed, she wanted to settle the marriage to make her grandfather happy and regain a good image.

Tang Ran sneered inwardly. Song Wuqi truly didn’t act without a motive. All the buildup during the meal was for this. In the previous life, the families discussed the engagement in the autumn, not this early. She guessed Song Wuqi wanted to use the marriage to appease Old Master Song.

“Really?” Tang Ran felt panicked, but showed a look of joy. “I’ll call my mother tonight to ask.” Time was running out; once the families sat down to talk, it would be too late.

Seeing she didn’t object, Song Wuqi relaxed and asked with a smile, “The resort on Turtle Island is opening at the end of the month. I’m planning to invite everyone for a trip; what do you think?”

Turtle Island was a resort developed by the Song Group. It was normal to invite partners for the opening. Song Wuqi asking for her opinion was just more of her “considerate and gentle” act.

“Sure.”

Tang Ran glanced at Song Wuqi’s phone. Was Ye Xiaoyu oblivious to the social media post, or had she changed? Why hadn’t she tried to drag Song Wuqi away yet? And how would Sun Jiaojiao react?

Just as she thought this, Song Wuqi’s phone rang. There was no name for the incoming number, but seeing Song Wuqi’s shifty gaze, Tang Ran knew it was Ye Xiaoyu. Indeed, after answering, Song Wuqi said with difficulty that there was an issue with her work.

Tang Ran told her to go. Song Wuqi pretended to want to finish the meal first, but Tang Ran, tired of the hypocrisy, stopped her chopsticks and said she was full.

In the car, Tang Ran didn’t want to talk and rested with her eyes closed. When they arrived, she realized Song Wuqi had driven her back to Shengming Mansion. Before she got out, Song Wuqi handed her the flowers again.

Watching the car lights fade, Tang Ran wanted to throw the flowers away, but couldn’t find a trash can nearby. She had to take them up and leave them for the cleaner tomorrow.

In the elevator, Tang Ran watched a trending funny video sent by Miao Tiantian. She only put the phone away when she heard the elevator floor announcement.

The doors opened, and before the smile left her face, she met Song Zhixu’s eyes. Tang Ran’s expression stiffened. She hadn’t expected to run into her so coincidentally. Song Zhixu was in casual clothes, seemingly about to go out.

After a second of eye contact, Song Zhixu’s gaze landed on the flowers in Tang Ran’s hand. Tang Ran’s mouth moved; she instinctively wanted to say she only brought them up because there was nowhere to throw them, but then realized there was no need to explain to Song Zhixu.

What came out instead was an awkward, “Going out?”

Song Zhixu nodded and was about to speak when Tang Ran’s phone rang.

“Tiantian.” Tang Ran answered, nodded to Song Zhixu, and strode out of the elevator toward her home.

Watching her hurried back, Song Zhixu showed a helpless expression.

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