The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Old Song, If You Keep Being a Tsundere, Then…

Jiang Mei’s solo art exhibition opened, and Tang Ran received an international command from Tang Wanru, insisting she attend to show support.

Tang Ran ordered two flower baskets and had them sent to the exhibition a day in advance. Before retiring, Jiang Mei was a professor in the Department of Chinese Painting at Jiangcheng University’s Academy of Fine Arts and a renowned ink wash landscape artist. Coupled with her status as Mrs. Song, the traffic near the Jiangcheng Convention Center on opening day was congested for two blocks.

Tang Ran arrived after the opening ceremony. Getting out of her car, she bumped into the Xia sisters, Xia Xin’er and Xia Mo.

“Sister Ranran!” Xia Xin’er, wearing a high-end couture dress, ran toward Tang Ran cheerfully. Ever since Tang Ran handled those two girls at the last event, Xia Xin’er had become a huge fan. She had even started a group chat with Tang Ran and Qiu Yuan.

Tang Ran smiled and waited for her. Xia Xin’er naturally linked arms with her. “If I knew you were coming now, I would have had my sister pick you up.”

Xia Mo’s devotion to her sister was legendary; every girl in their circle envied Xia Xin’er for having such a great older sister.

“Having an older sister is true happiness,” Tang Ran said with a smile. Her gaze landed on the woman walking closely behind them—tall, short hair, sharp eyes, and defined forearm muscles. This was Zhang Bai, a veteran and world-class Sanda champion whom Xia Mo had hired as a bodyguard for Xin’er after the last incident.

Reflecting on Xin’er’s fate in her previous life, Tang Ran felt she truly needed someone like Zhang Bai. These big shots really think a step ahead, Tang Ran sighed inwardly.

Xia Mo joined them, greeting Tang Ran with a smile. “Miss Tang.”

“Miss Xia,” Tang Ran replied politely.

“Are you two having a business meeting? Why so formal?” Xia Xin’er joked. Her eyes darted between them. She thought Tang Ran and her sister looked quite well-matched. She pulled Xia Mo closer and beamed at Tang Ran, “My sister is your sister. You can call her ‘Sister’ just like I do!”

Xia Xin’er had a hunch that Tang Ran and Song Wuqi wouldn’t last. She liked Tang Ran so much she secretly hoped Tang Ran could become her sister-in-law.

“Sister Xia,” Tang Ran followed the lead. She liked Xin’er and didn’t mind getting closer to Xia Mo.

Xia Mo looked at Xin’er dotingly, then consulted Tang Ran. “Then I’ll follow Xin’er and call you Ranran?” She had a good impression of Tang Ran, especially after hearing her sister’s constant praise.

Xia Mo’s tone was gentle, very similar to Song Zhixu’s. Both shared a warm, approachable aura, though Xia Mo looked more business-like with her shoulder-length hair.

Tang Ran nodded. Everyone close to her called her Ranran.

“Sister Ranran, my sister is amazing,” Xia Xin’er added. “If you ever need anything, just ask her. She can handle anything.”

“I’m not a superhero,” Xia Mo laughed, tapping her sister’s head. She saw right through Xin’er’s matchmaking attempts, but she didn’t object. Regarding Tang Ran and Song Wuqi, she too suspected the engagement wouldn’t happen.

Inside the Exhibition Hall.

Jiang Mei touched her daughter’s arm. “Deans Wang and Li are here. Zhixu, why don’t you accompany Xiao Lan for a stroll?”

Song Zhixu withdrew her gaze from the plaza outside and looked at her mother. Wang Xinlan was Jiang Mei’s top student; she knew the paintings better than anyone. Jiang Mei’s intent to play matchmaker was blindingly obvious.

Jiang Mei coughed. It was her first time arranging a blind date for her daughter, and she wasn’t very skilled at it. But her daughter was always sensible.

Song Zhixu complied, giving Wang Xinlan a faint smile. “Shall we walk over there?”

“Sure,” Wang Xinlan nodded, her face brightening. She had a good impression of Song Zhixu from their few meetings at the studio.

As Jiang Mei finished greeting colleagues, she saw Tang Ran and the Xia sisters. Her smile became genuinely joyful. After chatting with the sisters, she took Tang Ran’s hand. “Why do you look thinner? Is work tiring you out?”

“Auntie Jiang is just being kind,” Tang Ran teased, pinching her arm. “I’ve actually gained weight.”

Compared to her own stoic daughter, Tang Ran had always been a “sweetheart” who knew how to act cute. Jiang Mei loved it. After a few more words, Jiang Mei was pulled away by her assistant, but not before telling Tang Ran to visit their home more often.

Once Jiang Mei left, Xia Xin’er dragged Tang Ran around, but a few minutes later, she got a call from Lu Shuyang. “Ranran, you and Sister keep looking. We’ll grab lunch at Jiahua Center later—Sister invested in a Southeast Asian place there with the flavors you like!”

Xin’er bolted to find her boyfriend, leaving Tang Ran and Xia Mo alone.

Xia Mo was an art investor, and Tang Ran had an interest in Chinese painting because of her mother. The two hit it off. Tang Ran even took the chance to ask about bank loans. In her previous life, Tang Group’s last loan was delayed, forcing her to sell shares to Song Wuqi. She wondered if a commercial bank like Wanyuan could provide a workaround.

She framed it as “a friend’s company” facing issues. Xia Mo was professional and didn’t pry, explaining the procedures and risks in detail. She even added Tang Ran on WeChat (Green Bubble).

As they stood talking, a group of workers passed by a safety door with exhibition props. A heavy board slipped and fell toward Tang Ran.

“Watch out!” Xia Mo pulled Tang Ran back two steps.

Thud! The board smashed exactly where Tang Ran had been standing. Tang Ran froze, clutching Xia Mo’s arm in shock.

“It’s okay,” Xia Mo patted her shoulder gently.

Coming to her senses, Tang Ran realized she was half-leaning against Xia Mo. She quickly pulled back, blushing. “I’m so sorry, I got scared.”

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” the worker ran over, sweating from the near-miss.

“We’re fine,” Tang Ran waved him off. She turned to Xia Mo. “Thank you, Sister Xia.”

“If Xin’er heard that, she’d complain you’re being too polite,” Xia Mo teased.

“Xia Mo.” A cool, calm voice rang out.

Tang Ran’s spine stiffened. She hadn’t seen Song Zhixu at the entrance and thought she wasn’t coming. She slowly turned around.

The first person she saw wasn’t Song Zhixu, but the woman beside her—a classic beauty with a traditional embroidered dress and a low bun. Then she looked at Song Zhixu. She wore a cream silk dress with a pearl collar, looking elegant and refined.

The two of them stood together. Tang Ran took one look and glanced away.

“Zhixu,” Xia Mo greeted her.

Song Zhixu walked closer, her eyes landing on Tang Ran’s flushed face—the same shy look she had seen before. Song Zhixu’s gaze was too direct to ignore.

Tang Ran greeted her, but for some reason, she blurted out, “Miss Song.”

Song Zhixu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Miss Tang,” she replied coldly.

Tang Ran froze. She felt a sudden surge of irritation. Song Zhixu is doing this on purpose! She just made a slip of the tongue, and now Song Zhixu was acting like they were strangers!

Looking at the woman beside her, Tang Ran thought she understood. Song Zhixu is taking this chance to draw a line between us. She felt like a fool for hiding at home. Song Zhixu’s interest in her was clearly just a whim.

Xia Mo sensed something was off. Tang Ran was close to Auntie Jiang, so why were she and Zhixu so distant? She assumed it was because of the age gap. She turned to Wang Xinlan. “And this is?”

“Wang Xinlan, my mother’s student.”

“Xia Mo, my friend.”

“And this is Tang Ran.”

Song Zhixu introduced everyone calmly. Hearing her own name without any context—just “Tang Ran”—made Tang Ran feel like a “nobody.”

“Ranran and I are going to look over there,” Xia Mo said, not wanting to intrude.

Song Zhixu nodded. As they passed, she called out to Xia Mo, “Lunch together? Regarding the Ningchuan Tech project.”

Neither of them liked that project; it didn’t need discussing. Song Zhixu was clearly using it as an excuse to end her “date.” Xia Mo caught on and nodded. “Sure.”

Tang Ran was too busy being angry to notice the subtext.

At the Restaurant.

When Song Zhixu arrived, Tang Ran was discussing the Turtle Island trip with Xia Xin’er.

“Too bad I can’t swim, or I’d wear a pretty swimsuit for photos,” Xin’er sighed.

“There are hot springs too! We can go buy swimsuits after lunch,” Tang Ran encouraged her, showing her a pink and white Lolita-style swimsuit on her phone.

“Wow, pretty!” Xin’er perked up. “And this navy style would look great on you, Sister Ranran.”

Tang Ran looked at the cute navy suit. It was a bit “kawaii,” but she couldn’t say no to Xin’er’s sparkling eyes. “With these, we’ll be the coolest girls on the beach.” She struck a silly pose.

The box only had her and Xin’er at the moment. Tang Ran was letting loose—until Song Zhixu pushed the door open. Tang Ran’s smile froze.

“Youth is so full of energy,” Murong Yi joked, walking in behind Song Zhixu, followed by Xia Mo. Tang Ran’s face turned bright red instantly.

Xia Mo teased her to save her the embarrassment. The group sat down. The waiter brought warm milk. Xia Mo naturally opened two bottles, giving one to Xin’er and the other to Tang Ran. Tang Ran had mentioned her stomach was acting up earlier; Xia Mo had remembered and ordered accordingly.

“Thank you, Sister Xia,” Tang Ran smiled.

“Don’t be polite. My sister is the best at taking care of people,” Xin’er bragged, whispering to Tang Ran, “Isn’t my sister amazing?”

Tang Ran, oblivious to the matchmaking, gave a thumbs up. “Your sister is the best in the world.”

The next second, Xin’er leaned across Tang Ran and shouted, “Sister! Ranran says you’re the best in the world!”

Tang Ran blushed again and playfully slapped Xin’er’s hand.

Murong Yi watched the trio with surprise, whispering to Song Zhixu, “Wait, what’s going on?” As a long-time friend of both, she could see Xia Mo clearly had a favorable impression of Tang Ran.

“Ask her yourself if you want to know,” Song Zhixu said, slowly wiping her hands with a wet towel.

“Old Song, you’re in danger,” Murong Yi smirked. “So that’s why you called me to lunch?” She realized she was being used as a “third party” to disrupt the harmonious vibe. “I won’t do it. Both you and Old Xia are my friends.”

With Murong Yi—the ultimate social butterfly—joining in, the conversation was no longer limited to the three girls. After lunch, they went shopping together before parting ways.

Xia Xin’er left with her boyfriend but didn’t forget to entrust Tang Ran to Xia Mo, insisting she see her home safely. Tang Ran wanted to refuse, but seeing Song Zhixu still there, she agreed.

As Xia Mo’s car disappeared down the street, Murong Yi patted Song Zhixu on the shoulder.

“Old Song, if you keep being a tsundere and hiding your feelings, you’ll end up drinking Old Xia’s wedding wine.”

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