The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Why is Little Auntie Helping Me So Unconditionally…

The household assistant entered the living room to announce that dinner was ready, and Old Master Song emerged from the tea room with the other two. Lin Jixin had a smile on her face, her entire posture more relaxed. It went without saying: Old Master Song had granted her request.

In this second life, what Tang Ran felt most grateful for wasn’t the chance to revenge herself on Song Wuqi or change her own fate—it was seeing her two mothers again. She worked hard to save the Tang Group primarily to protect them. She never imagined that her mother—the one who had been so caring and gentle since she was a child—would ignore her wishes and use her as a bargaining chip for the Song family’s help.

The exquisite crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling, its dazzling light piercingly bright. Black and white spots blurred her vision. Tang Ran looked down, biting her lip until the metallic taste of blood spread across her tongue. The sharp pain cleared her muddled nerves and dispelled the surging dizziness.

Halfway through the banquet, as expected, Old Master Song naturally brought up the engagement.

“I’ve had someone look at the calendar. Next month on the 17th and 20th are both auspicious days. What do you think?” Jiang Mei asked with a smile. She believed the Tang family was in a hurry to settle things, given how quickly they had returned from abroad.

“Next month?” Tang Wanru paused her chopsticks. “Isn’t that a bit rushed?”

Jiang Mei explained that the next good date wouldn’t be until late August. She didn’t know Tang Ran’s true feelings and saw no issue with the timing. “August 25th is the next best day, but…” she teased, glancing at Song Wuqi, “someone here seems to be in a hurry.”

Song Wuqi smiled and lowered her head as if embarrassed. Having failed the acquisition, she needed to do something to please her grandfather. Furthermore, she felt an inexplicable unease recently; Tang Ran felt different, though she couldn’t pinpoint how.

Tang Wanru remembered her promise to her daughter to delay the engagement. Just as she was about to speak, Lin Jixin “accidentally” bumped her arm, spilling tea across the table. After a quick cleanup, Lin Jixin spoke first: “It’s better to settle it early. We can rest easy once the children have started their own families.”

“Exactly,” Old Master Song laughed. “Once the engagement is set, we can pick a wedding date.”

Tang Wanru looked at her daughter. She could feel Tang Ran’s despondency. She was disappointed in her wife for bringing out that tea earlier. If they weren’t at the Song residence, she would have thrown the tea set.

Tang Ran sat quietly, drinking her sweet soup. Song Wuqi peeled a shrimp for her. Tang Ran thanked her with a fake smile but secretly pushed the shrimp into the waste bowl.

Tang Wanru saw this. She knew her daughter’s habits; if Tang Ran poked at a food she usually loved, it meant she loathed the person who gave it to her. Her daughter didn’t just have “relationship issues”—she truly detested Song Wuqi.

Tang Wanru regained her courage. She would fulfill her promise to her daughter, even if it ruined the mood. She took a deep breath and prepared to stand up. Suddenly, someone tugged at her clothes. She turned to see her daughter giving her a look that signaled her to stop. Before she could react, Tang Ran began refilling her cup.

As Tang Ran poured the water, she caught Song Zhixu watching her out of the corner of her eye. She bit her lip and looked down. If she could choose again, she wouldn’t have lived at Shengming Mansion. If they weren’t so familiar, she wouldn’t feel this humiliated.

“Wanru, shall we set it for the 20th?” Jiang Mei asked.

Tang Ran patted her mother’s leg, signaling her to agree for now.

“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Song Zhixu spoke up suddenly.

The entire table turned to her. Tang Ran looked up in shock. Old Master Song frowned, thinking his daughter was objecting to the union itself.

Song Zhixu continued calmly, “Wuqi has a new project starting. She’ll likely be on a business trip to Rongcheng all of next month.” She directed the words at Song Wuqi. “The Rongcheng Old Town development project.”

Song Wuqi tried to hide her excitement. She thought her aunt had issues with the proposal, but it turned out she was approving it. “Yes, the investigation will take time.”

“If Wuqi is busy with work, let’s set the date for August then,” Tang Wanru interjected quickly. “Career comes first for the young.”

The date was set for August 25th.

After dinner, Tang Ran slipped away to the garden to breathe. She looked at the rare koi in the pond—beautiful, expensive, and seemingly free, yet unable to swim out of their man-made prison.

“You clearly don’t want this. Why didn’t you refuse?”

Song Zhixu’s voice came from behind her. It was as calm as ever, but to Tang Ran, it sounded like an interrogation. A spark of anger flared in her chest.

“Why didn’t I refuse? Do you think I still have the right to refuse, Little Auntie?” That right had been gifted away in a box of tea by her mother.

Song Zhixu winced slightly at the formal address. Tang Ran was in a defensive, “bristling” state. The garden was dark, lit only by low floor lamps. Tang Ran, who feared the dark, felt her anxieties amplified.

Tang Ran felt a mix of gratitude for the delay and a deep, overwhelming sadness. Was she any different from the koi in the pond? She loathed Song Wuqi’s hypocrisy, but she was trapped. She had tried so hard to change things, only for her mother to use her as collateral.

“If I don’t get engaged to Song Wuqi, will the Song family still lend money to the Tang family?” Tang Ran’s eyes were red as she bared her humiliation.

Song Zhixu’s fingers twitched. She regretted asking. She knew about the private investigator Tang Ran had hired; she knew about the cheating. She suspected Tang Ran was only enduring this because of the company’s crisis.

“We would help regardless of Wuqi and you,” Song Zhixu said softly. “The engagement doesn’t affect it.”

“But the fact is, the loan happened, didn’t it?” Tang Ran smiled bitterly. It was the same as her previous life—she had been kept in the dark while her mother was mocked behind her back.

Tang Ran wondered if, in her previous life, Song Wuqi had orchestrated the bankruptcy simply because she was tired of the “parasitic” Tang family.

“Tang Ran.” Song Zhixu stepped forward and took her hand. The warmth startled Tang Ran, who tried to pull away.

Song Zhixu didn’t let go. Her voice softened further. “Tang Ran, I can help you. Without you needing to exchange anything for it.”

Tang Ran froze. Song Zhixu’s light brown eyes were as gentle as water. For a moment, she looked like Song Wuqi once had.

“How do you plan to help me?” Tang Ran sneered. “By canceling the engagement? And what if the later loans fail too? Will you help me then?”

Song Zhixu didn’t hesitate. She analyzed the situation from both a personal and professional standpoint. She explained that Tang Group’s business was sound—it was just a temporary liquidity issue. She noted that the “Central Kitchen” was a joint project, so helping Tang Group helped the Song family. She even suggested equity pledges or third-party institutions.

In her previous life, Song Wuqi had used an equity pledge as a trap. But here, Song Zhixu laid everything out transparently, offering solutions without hidden agendas.

Tang Ran searched Song Zhixu’s face for a hint of deception but found none. A strange defiance rose in her—she didn’t want to believe that Song Zhixu’s help was truly unconditional.

She looked down at Song Zhixu’s hand holding hers. Memories of her drunken night resurfaced. A thought she had been ignoring suddenly became the key to the puzzle. She looked up, a bright, beautiful smile blooming on her face as she stepped closer to Song Zhixu.

Tang Ran’s sudden change caught Song Zhixu off guard. The scent of Tang Ran’s perfume filled her senses. Song Zhixu let go of Tang Ran’s hand, only for Tang Ran to grab hers back.

Tang Ran leaned in until her breath brushed against Song Zhixu’s neck. “But Little Auntie… why are you helping me so unconditionally?”

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