The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Young Lady is Beautiful and Kind.

Tang Ran was about to turn around when a pair of arms encircled her waist, pulling her another large step back.

The snapped branch brushed past Tang Ran’s body and slammed into the ground. A long, jagged twig jutted out from the top of the branch; if she hadn’t been pulled back those extra two steps, that wood would have gouged directly into her face.

“Thank you, thank you!”

Tang Ran gasped, heart hammering against her ribs. she immediately turned to thank her savior. If this person hadn’t lent a hand, she would be disfigured right now.

Song Zhixu released her and stepped back to create distance. “It’s nothing.”

Her voice was a bit muffled and hoarse. She wore a light camel-colored casual suit, her long black hair draped over her shoulders with the right side tucked neatly behind her ear. A black pearl earring with a tassel hung from her lobe, and a dark red silk scarf was tied around her neck. Because of her cold, she wore a black mask that obscured most of her face.

The courtyard lights weren’t particularly bright, and Tang Ran didn’t recognize her at all. This wasn’t due to poor eyesight; it was simply because Tang Ran had very little contact with Song Zhixu.

The two families were on good terms, but with a nine-year age gap, they moved in entirely different social circles. When Tang Ran was just putting on her primary school red scarf, Song Zhixu had already gone abroad for high school. Even including the memories of her past life, the number of times Tang Ran had met her could be counted on one hand.

To summarize: they weren’t close. One couldn’t recognize her by her eyes alone.

“Tang Ran!”

Sun Xiao climbed over the broken branches and walked toward her, her face a conflicted mask of wanting to apologize but being unable to lower her pride.

Seeing her approach, Tang Ran was so angry she hurled her phone at Sun Xiao. “Sun Xiao, if you’re sick, go get treated! Why are you acting like a lunatic here?”

In the past, Sun Xiao would pester her, but she had never been this violent or physically aggressive. In her previous life, Tang Ran was always seen with Song Wuqi, so she never encountered Sun Xiao privately. Later, she only heard that Sun Xiao had been sent abroad by her family. The memory was so distant that Tang Ran would have forgotten her entirely if not for today.

Sun Xiao dodged but wasn’t fast enough; the phone clipped her shoulder. She bared her teeth, still looking like a street thug, and tilted her notched eyebrow. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, you weren’t scratched, were you? If you really ended up disfigured, I’d just take responsibility for you.”

Sun Xiao had been startled when the branch almost hit Tang Ran, but having been hit by the phone, she now felt she was the one being wronged.

“I thank your whole family! Who wants you to take responsibility? Always ‘I this, I that’ like a man—if you want to be a man so badly, why don’t you go get a sex change?”

Tang Ran couldn’t stand her self-righteous attitude. She didn’t discriminate against anyone’s style—sometimes she even liked browsing photos of cool, handsome girls—but Sun Xiao’s behavior was more greasy and disgusting than a lecherous man’s. Tang Ran was born queer; she didn’t even like handsome men, let alone someone like Sun Xiao, who was a poor imitation of one.

Sun Xiao was provoked again. She pointed at Tang Ran’s nose and threatened, “Tang Ran, don’t push your luck. With one word from me, you can kiss your family’s bank loan goodbye.”

Tang Ran froze. One of the main reasons the Tang family went bankrupt was that their bank loans weren’t approved on time, leading to a break in the capital chain.

“Know how to be afraid now?” Seeing her dazed, Sun Xiao assumed she had grasped Tang Ran’s weakness and flashed a smug expression. “Let me tell you, if you want that loan approved smoothly, you’d better be obedient.”

Tang Ran snapped out of it, feeling utterly speechless. Sun Xiao’s father was the president of the Jiang City Development Bank, but that was a state-owned enterprise, not the Sun family’s private property. While President Sun had something to do with the loan’s failure, he wasn’t the primary cause. Sun Xiao’s attempt to “borrow the tiger’s skin to scare others” didn’t work on the reborn Tang Ran.

Just as Tang Ran was about to swat her hand away and speak, a calm, neutral voice came from behind her.

“Sun Zhongji’s daughter?”

Song Zhixu lifted her eyelids, her gaze indifferent as she looked at Sun Xiao.

The arrogant smile froze on Sun Xiao’s face. The president of the Jiang City Development Bank was a decent-sized official in the city; most people would respectfully call him President Sun. For this person to call him by his full name meant they didn’t hold her father in high regard.

Sun Xiao couldn’t gauge Song Zhixu’s identity for a moment. No one attending a Xia family banquet was ordinary, and there were certainly people there she couldn’t afford to offend. She didn’t dare answer Song Zhixu, nor did she dare ask who she was. She gave Tang Ran a sinister glare, kicked a branch aside, and left.

With the disgusting person gone, Tang Ran felt like her blood pressure had finally stabilized. She turned around and instinctively stuck her tongue out in a playful, relieved gesture before thanking Song Zhixu again. “It’s all thanks to you today, Miss. You’re so beautiful and kind. Thank you so much.”

Tang Ran had also guessed that this woman’s status was extraordinary. In her eyes, Song Zhixu wasn’t just a savior but a “golden thigh” to latch onto. However, years of upbringing kept her rational and poised. She didn’t dare be too obvious and settled for “praise mode.”

Song Zhixu quietly observed Tang Ran: a vintage creamy-white floral sweater with a Mandarin collar, a light green lace skirt, and light makeup that didn’t detract from her natural beauty. Her playful expressions were lively and spirited—a world apart from the woman who had cried so bitterly that night.

Recalling her conversation with Sun Xiao, Song Zhixu speculated that she must have reconciled with Song Wuqi. It seemed the bite on her collarbone had been suffered in vain.

“It’s nothing,” Song Zhixu said coolly.

Seeing her distant attitude, Tang Ran felt embarrassed to say more. She thanked her once more and walked away.

After walking for a bit, Tang Ran vaguely heard footsteps following her at a consistent distance. Her current position was close to where the Xia family lived; ordinary guests wouldn’t come this way, and there was no one else in sight. Tang Ran instinctively thought it was Sun Xiao again. Recalling that sinister look from before, she got goosebumps. Who knew what that lunatic might do?

She reached into her handbag and gripped her eyebrow razor. Taking a deep breath, Tang Ran stopped. If Sun Xiao dared to try anything, she would fight her. Her courage wasn’t naturally great, but having lived through a few extra years in her previous life, she felt Sun Xiao, however fierce, was still several years younger than her. There was nothing to fear.

The moment she saw the person behind her, Tang Ran breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t Sun Xiao, but the beautiful lady who had just saved her. However, Tang Ran didn’t lower her guard completely; this person was still a stranger and was clearly following her. She had tried to start a conversation and got a lukewarm response, yet now the woman was trailing her.

Recalling the “perverted big-shots” gossip Miao Tiantian had shared, Tang Ran felt a chill. Does this person have some weird fetish?

Her defensiveness was too obvious, so Song Zhixu stopped as well. She held out a phone. “You forgot your phone.”

Tang Ran’s face flushed with shame as she repented for her weird mental monologue. Throwing the phone had been an impulsive move, and she truly had forgotten it. She took the phone sheepishly and thanked her in a small voice.

“I’m going that way.” Song Zhixu’s eyes crinkled slightly as she glanced at Xia Mo’s private villa, her voice softening. This was clearly an explanation for Tang Ran.

“Okay.” Tang Ran felt the awkwardness of being seen through and gave a dry, one-word reply. Song Zhixu nodded in farewell and walked ahead.

Tang Ran was mortified. She followed a few steps behind, keeping her distance. Song Zhixu was a bit taller than her, about 175cm. Her gait was elegant yet carried a faint, sharp authority. When they reached the fork in the road, Tang Ran watched her enter Xia Mo’s courtyard.

The youngest generation of the Xia family consisted of two sisters: Xia Mo and Xia Xin’er. Xia Mo was exceptionally capable and had taken over the family business early, becoming the new helmsman. For this woman to visit Xia Mo’s private residence meant they were friends. By extension, the beautiful lady was likely a heavyweight figure as well.

Entering Xia Xin’er’s courtyard, Tang Ran checked her phone under the light. The quality was good; the throw had only chipped a corner, and the screen was intact. The Face ID unlocked the screen automatically, revealing a new image message. A cold sneer appeared on Tang Ran’s face as she stepped into the house.

When she was led in by a servant, a stylist was adjusting Xia Xin’er’s gown. It was a cherry-blossom pink princess dress with hand-embroidered petals, accented with sequins and pink lace. The bow on the lower back was designed to look like a real butterfly.

Xia Xin’er had been in poor health since childhood and was pampered like a princess. Her personality was soft and gentle, and her looks were sweet—matching the dress, she looked like a princess out of a Disney fairy tale.

Seeing Tang Ran enter, she called out sweetly, “Sister Ranran.”

Xia Xin’er was only a few months younger than Tang Ran, but she looked so youthful she could pass for a middle schooler. Tang Ran didn’t find the title “sister” jarring at all. Hearing the name made Tang Ran feel a bit emotional. Xia Xin’er was as kind as she looked. Because of her own poor health, she had immense empathy and had established a public welfare fund to help children who couldn’t afford medical treatment. Unlike socialites who just donated money for a good reputation, she actually put in the physical work to help.

In her previous life, Xia Xin’er was seriously injured during a charity event in the countryside, which eventually led to complications and her accidental death. Xia Xin’er was shy, so Tang Ran hadn’t interacted with her much, but she couldn’t bear to see such a beautiful, kind soul leave so early.

“Does your fund have any upcoming events? Is there anything I can do?” Tang Ran asked her.

“Eh? Sister Ranran wants to join the offline events too?” Xia Xin’er’s eyes lit up. Many people she knew would donate money, but very few were willing to participate in person. Previously, only Lu Shuyang would occasionally accompany her. She was overjoyed that Tang Ran wanted to join.

“I’m free on weekends,” Tang Ran said. She didn’t remember the exact date of the accident, but she had a vague idea of the time and location. If there was a matching event, she could remind them to be careful and prevent the tragedy from recurring.

“Great! Early next month we have an event at the orphanage in the south of the city. Want to come, Sister Ranran?” Xia Xin’er happily tried to hug her but was pulled back by the stylist to fix the ruffled hem.

“What are you two chatting about so happily?” Lu Shuyang walked in with a smile, holding a pink diamond-encrusted butterfly brooch. She nodded to Tang Ran in greeting.

“Sister Ranran is going to the orphanage event with me!” Xia Xin’er shared the good news.

Lu Shuyang was scheduled for a business trip to Beijing the day after the event. To accompany Xia Xin’er, she would have had to take a midnight flight after the event finished. If Tang Ran went, Lu Shuyang could travel with peace of mind on a daytime flight and wouldn’t be so exhausted.

“Is that so?” Lu Shuyang was surprised. She had known Tang Ran since childhood and knew she usually hated trouble; she didn’t know where this interest in charity had come from.

“It’s true! Why would I lie? Sister Ranran is right here, ask her yourself if you don’t believe me,” Xia Xin’er pouted.

Lu Shuyang carefully pinned the brooch and looked at Tang Ran. Tang Ran nodded and joked solemnly, “I observed the stars last night and had a sudden epiphany. I felt I’ve wasted the last twenty years. Life should be like Xin’er’s—doing something meaningful.”

It had been a long time since she had joked so easily with her friends. Lu Shuyang couldn’t see anything unusual on her face and figured she really just wanted to do something. She wanted to ask why Song Wuqi hadn’t come, but she held her tongue. She shouldn’t overstep into a friend’s private affairs.

Tang Ran saw her hesitation and knew Lu Shuyang’s silence was a gesture of respect for her relationship. Lu Shuyang gave Song Wuqi respect, but Song Wuqi hadn’t given herself any.

Tang Ran skipped the banquet in the front building, waiting instead for Xia Xin’er and the others to return for a private celebration party with their small circle of friends.

Song Wuqi returned with them. Following behind her was Ye Xiaoyu.

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