The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Does the Engagement Ceremony Need to Continue?

Song Zhixu was there to inspect the site. She stood a bit further back, followed by the heads of various departments from the resort and Song Wuqi. Song Wuqi had seen Tang Ran and Miao Tiantian playing around and didn’t think much of it.

When Song Zhixu’s gaze swept over them, it paused slightly on Tang Ran. Tang Ran followed her line of sight and looked down at herself, seeing the sailor-style “kawaii” swimsuit she was wearing.

She had only put it on to coordinate with Xia Xin’er for photos. It wasn’t revealing or sexy—it was just excessively cute. Looking at Song Zhixu, who was in a sleek, professional long dress, looking elegant and mature, the contrast was stark. Their styles didn’t match at all.

Seeing her look so juvenile, Tang Ran wondered if Song Zhixu would regret the things she had said yesterday. She looked up at Song Zhixu, but unfortunately, she couldn’t see any reaction. The manager of Golden Beach had already led the group further away.

Tang Ran curled her lip and withdrew her gaze. Scanning the beach, she saw Murong Yi standing at a distance, head down, talking to Miao Tiantian. She didn’t know what Murong Yi said, but Miao Tiantian kicked at her unceremoniously. Murong Yi nimbly dodged, gave Miao Tiantian’s calf a meaningful look, and turned to quickly catch up with Song Zhixu’s team.

Miao Tiantian, having missed her target, kicked the sand in frustration. Seeing her return huffing and puffing, Xia Xin’er tried to comfort her: “Sister Tiantian, Sister Murong loves to joke. Don’t be mad at her.” She assumed Murong Yi had teased her.

“Mm,” Miao Tiantian composed herself. “Weren’t we going to take photos? Let me take them for you.”

Tang Ran swallowed the questions she wanted to ask. After playing on the beach for a while, they moved to the open-air campsite on the peninsula. Song Wuqi had organized a bonfire party, and the group played until after nine o’clock.

Tang Ran’s phone buzzed.

Next Door Neighbor: Still at the campsite?

Tang Ran couldn’t help but curve her lips. She looked at Miao Tiantian, who was busy playing drinking games with others, and walked to a quieter spot. The night breeze was cool and comfortable.

She typed a simple “Mm” and sent it. After a pause, she added: Staying here tonight.

Since she was texting at this hour, Tang Ran guessed Song Zhixu wanted to know when she was coming back. Two seconds later, another “Mm” appeared on the screen. She stared at it for another two seconds. When she didn’t see “typing…” at the top, she furrowed her brows, locked the screen, and prepared to head back.

The phone buzzed again. Tang Ran’s smile returned as she unlocked it.

Next Door Neighbor: Want to see a meteor shower?

Tang Ran was surprised. She hadn’t heard anything about a meteor shower lately. She looked up at the night sky, and a possibility occurred to her. Was Song Zhixu going to use her “money power” to give her a man-made meteor shower? She remembered seeing drone shows like that.

A drone show, huh? Tang Ran felt a bit of a “sour” sweetness in her chest. Tsk! Who did she learn that from?

Despite the inner teasing, Tang Ran replied with a “Good”. If Song Zhixu was paying, she might as well watch!

Next Door Neighbor: Wait for me at the camp entrance. Wear a jacket; it’s windy on the mountain.

Tang Ran: Got it.

She went back to the RV to grab a sun-protection jacket, then quietly skirted the crowd and left the camp. A shuttle was already waiting by the road. Tang Ran suppressed a smile and walked toward the vehicle, seeing Song Zhixu step out of it.

The Hot Spring Villa was quite far from the camp—at least a twenty-minute drive. She had only been out of the camp for five minutes. The fact that Song Zhixu was already here meant she had been waiting for a while. She might have even arrived before sending the text.

Tang Ran’s pace quickened. Reaching the road, she hurriedly pulled Song Zhixu into the shuttle. The camp was on higher ground; it would be bad if her friends saw them.

After catching her breath, Tang Ran asked, “Have you been here long?”

“Mm,” Song Zhixu replied. She patted Tang Ran’s back to help her catch her breath and said to the driver, “Let’s go.”

Tang Ran froze slightly at the gentle touch on her back, but she didn’t say anything. She glanced at the driver. He looked familiar—it was Song Zhixu’s assistant, Assistant Jiang.

Tang Ran felt much more at ease.

Assistant Jiang, meanwhile, was feeling a bit apprehensive. Ever since the first time she saw Tang Ran enter the boss’s house, she had a premonition that she was peeking into her boss’s secrets. As the saying goes, the more you know, the faster you die. Assistant Jiang had been extra cautious since then. Whether the boss asked her to investigate Manager Song or discovered that the other private investigator following Manager Song belonged to Miss Tang, Assistant Jiang kept her mouth shut.

Today, when the boss specifically asked her to drive the shuttle, that same feeling returned. Sure enough, seeing Tang Ran walk out of the camp didn’t surprise her one bit. But seeing her pull the boss into the car and the boss patting her back still left her shocked.

Unlike last time, this time the boss was intentionally letting her in on the secret. While nervous, Assistant Jiang was also a bit happy. It meant she didn’t have to hide her own knowledge, and the boss clearly trusted her.

They drove up the mountain for about fifteen minutes to the summit lookout tower. Song Zhixu took a call on the way from Jiang Mei. It wasn’t a video call, so Tang Ran couldn’t hear the other side, but she could guess the gist: Jiang Mei was asking about her schedule. Song Zhixu mentioned flying to Beijing tomorrow afternoon and returning to Jiangcheng next week.

Song Zhixu gave standard “I know” and “Don’t worry” responses. Then, Tang Ran felt Song Zhixu’s eyes turn toward her. Song Zhixu took her hand and said into the phone, “I’ll ask later.”

Unlike the hand-holding from yesterday, this time Song Zhixu wrapped her hand completely around Tang Ran’s. The warmth and soft texture of her palm were even more pronounced. Tang Ran’s heart rate accelerated uncontrollably. She wanted to pull away but felt it wasn’t right. After all, she had agreed to “give it a try” yesterday; she couldn’t even let the woman hold her hand?

Since Song Zhixu was just holding it without any strange movements, Tang Ran convinced herself to look at the scenery out the window to distract herself.

Song Zhixu hung up, and the car slowed to a stop. Assistant Jiang, being very perceptive, parked the car around the corner out of sight.

The lookout tower was a relic from the last century, renovated by the resort. It was about ten meters tall with three floors: a gallery on the first, an open observation deck on the second, and a telescope station on the third. The stairs were steep and spiraled upward through a hollow center—not friendly for someone like Tang Ran who was a bit afraid of heights.

She walked slowly. Song Zhixu naturally took her hand and guided her up step by step at her pace. Tang Ran looked composed, but her heart was bubbling with sweet little bubbles.

On the third floor, Tang Ran realized that the “meteor shower” Song Zhixu spoke of was real. It was a pleasant surprise; a real meteor shower was much better than drones.

Tang Ran looked at the sky curiously. “Will we have to wait long?” Back in university, she and Miao Tiantian had climbed to the school roof to wait for one, only to fall asleep and wake up with colds instead of memories.

“It’s a bit far from Earth; you can’t see it with the naked eye. We need the telescope.” Song Zhixu smiled and led her to the astronomical telescope.

“Using this?” Tang Ran was amazed. She knew nothing about astronomy and didn’t realize you could watch meteors this way.

“Wait a moment.” Song Zhixu let go of her hand. “I need to adjust the position.”

She adjusted the direction, leaned down to the eyepiece, and turned the focus wheel with her long, elegant fingers. Her movements were focused and graceful. Driven by curiosity, Tang Ran felt a rare sense of anticipation.

Song Zhixu stood up, made room, and smiled. “It’s ready.”

Tang Ran couldn’t wait. She leaned down to the eyepiece. In the boundless dark blue sky, countless stars were packed together, their light gathering into a Milky Way that spanned the heavens. It was the most magnificent sight she had ever seen.

“So beautiful!” Before she could finish marvelling, a flash of light crossed her vision. “I saw it!” she cried out.

Two more flashes followed, one particularly bright with a long, trailing tail. After watching for a while, Tang Ran looked up, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Song Zhixu asked with a smile, “Do you like it?”

“Mm. The stars are beautiful, and the meteors are magical.” The vastness of the sky made humans seem so small. Looking at it made Tang Ran feel that all her worries were insignificant.

Song Zhixu looked at the sky. “Want to make a wish?”

Tang Ran paused, then whispered with a bit of bashful dissatisfaction, “I’m not a child.” She wasn’t an imaginative teenager anymore; she didn’t believe in wishing on stars.

As if reading her mind, Song Zhixu’s eyes crinkled with a gentle smile, her gaze brighter than the stars. Tang Ran was momentarily dazed as Song Zhixu leaned down and whispered in her ear:

“I can make it come true for you.”

The tone was soft, but it felt like a fuse lighting a string of firecrackers in Tang Ran’s mind. Bang. It was breathtaking and heart-fluttering. Realizing her own reaction, Tang Ran felt a flash of panic.

“I can make my own wishes come true,” Tang Ran retorted, biting her lip. She didn’t dare look into Song Zhixu’s eyes and stepped away to lean against the railing.

The mountain breeze was cool, smoothing over the inexplicable restlessness in her heart. She took a deep breath to calm her heart rate. She didn’t dare look down at the height, so she looked into the distance. The waves hit the shore with blue bioluminescence, as if someone had poured a bottle of magic potion into the sea.

Song Zhixu walked up beside her. “Mm, I believe you.”

“Look over there!” Tang Ran pointed at the beach happily. Song Zhixu had shown her the stars, so she wanted to share this beautiful view in return.

“It’s very pretty,” Song Zhixu agreed.

Tang Ran turned her head and asked, “Are you going to Beijing tomorrow?”

Song Zhixu’s smile deepened. “Yes, an afternoon flight to handle some things at the branch office. I’ll be there for about three days, back on Friday.” She gave her itinerary in detail, as if she were reporting to a partner.

“Mm,” Tang Ran tucked a hair behind her ear. “We’re going back to Jiangcheng tomorrow afternoon too.”

A stray hair blew across her face. As she tried to press it down, the wind blew it back again. Just as she was getting frustrated, Song Zhixu’s finger gently hooked the playful strand. Her soft touch brushed across Tang Ran’s cheek and earlobe before pulling away.

Tang Ran’s breath hitched. Her heart, which had just calmed down, leaped again. The wind suddenly stopped. The air felt thick and still, filled with the scent of white tea from Song Zhixu.

Just as Tang Ran thought her ears were going to burn off, she heard Song Zhixu’s clear voice: “Can you do me a favor?”

Curiosity broke the embarrassment. Tang Ran looked up. “Hmm?”

“Can you help me take care of the flowers at home?” Song Zhixu smiled.

“Ah, I don’t know anything about that.” Tang Ran couldn’t even tell the species apart.

“It’s just different amounts of water. I’ll tell you how; it’s not hard.” Song Zhixu explained, “Usually the cleaning lady does it, but she has family business and isn’t in Jiangcheng.”

“Alright, I’ll video call you then,” Tang Ran agreed. If it was just watering, she could manage.

“Great. Sorry to trouble you.” “Don’t be so polite.” They lived next door; watering flowers was no big deal. Besides, if they were this formal now, they’d be saying “thank you” every day forever.

Song Zhixu turned slightly. “There’s one more thing I want to discuss with you.”

Tang Ran looked up.

“My mother said on the phone that hotels for August are very tight. They want to book the banquet in advance.” There were only two “good” days in August, and even the Song Group’s own hotel ballrooms had been booked a month ago. Jiang Mei wanted Song Zhixu to figure something out.

“So early?” Tang Ran frowned. The engagement was at the end of August; she thought booking a month ahead was early enough.

Song Zhixu looked at her. “Does the engagement ceremony need to continue?”

Does the engagement ceremony need to continue?

If asked yesterday, Tang Ran’s answer would have been a hard “no.” She wasn’t marrying Song Wuqi. But now, she hesitated. Song Zhixu wasn’t asking about the ceremony with Song Wuqi—she was asking about a ceremony with herself.

The hesitation only lasted a second. “Let’s continue,” Tang Ran said calmly. The major decision had been made; there was no point in dragging her feet. Even if she could wait, the Tang Group couldn’t. Most of their debts were due at the end of July. She knew the Song Group was processing the first loan contract.

Plus, Song Zhixu’s asset list had moved her. Song Zhixu was sincere, and Tang Ran wasn’t going to be ungrateful. And honestly, she didn’t mind being engaged to Song Zhixu.

“Good,” Song Zhixu replied softly. Without extra words, they understood each other perfectly.

The night was peaceful. Then, a ringtone broke the silence—Miao Tiantian’s custom ringtone for Tang Ran. She was likely looking for her.

Tang Ran felt a bit guilty but answered calmly. “Where are you, girl?”

Miao Tiantian’s voice was loud. Tang Ran moved the phone away from her ear. “Watching the Blue Tears.” She looked at Song Zhixu, gesturing that they should head back.

“Blue Tears?” Miao Tiantian looked back at Xia Xin’er. “You went to the beach alone?”

Tang Ran didn’t answer. “I’m on my way back. Are you guys finished?” As they reached the stairs, she waited for Song Zhixu to take her hand before descending.

“Yeah,” Miao Tiantian said, not suspecting anything. “Hurry up, I’m waiting for you to warm the bed.”

As the words left Miao Tiantian’s mouth, Song Zhixu looked over.

Tang Ran: “…” She coughed. “I promised Xin’er I’d sleep in the RV with her.”

“Huh?” Miao Tiantian paused, then her voice went up an octave. “Wow, Tang Ran!”

Tang Ran was startled and nearly tripped. Song Zhixu caught her. Giving Song Zhixu a grateful look, Tang Ran focused on the stairs.

“I knew it! New love replacing the old love! You heartless woman! How can you leave me? What about our ‘child’?” Miao Tiantian was drunk and getting more ridiculous by the second.

Tang Ran reached the second-floor landing and put the phone back to her ear. “Stop, stop, stop! You’ve already performed once today; why don’t you take a break?”

“Fine,” Miao Tiantian snapped back to normal. “But I haven’t reached the leaderboard today. You must play ten rounds with me to make up for my lonely night.”

“Fine, ten rounds it is.” Tang Ran didn’t want her saying anything else that could be misinterpreted.

“Then hurry up.” “I’m already on my way.”

Tang Ran hung up and smiled apologetically at Song Zhixu. “Tiantian likes to be dramatic.” Surely Song Zhixu knew she was talking nonsense.

“Mm,” Song Zhixu nodded as they continued down. “Have you known each other long?” “Since kindergarten.” “That is quite a long time.” “Yeah, she’s hilarious. I’ll introduce her to you later.” “I’d like that.”

Tang Ran started telling an old story about her and Miao Tiantian. They chatted easily as they reached the first floor. Assistant Jiang immediately put away her mosquito repellent and started the shuttle.

Song Zhixu watched the headlights in the distance. Her pace slowed. “What is ‘ten times’?”

“Huh?” Tang Ran took a moment to realize what she was asking. Their recent conversation had nothing to do with that. The fact that Song Zhixu was asking now meant she had been thinking about it since she heard it on the phone.

A thought crossed Tang Ran’s mind. She stopped, smiled at Song Zhixu, and said in a playful tone: “Why don’t you take a guess?”

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