The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: When Did She Arrive?

Thick billows of smoke mingled with a suffocating, acrid stench. The searing heat felt as if it would melt a person down. Everywhere she looked was a fierce, blazing red.

Sweat rolled uncontrollably from her forehead. Tang Ran ran toward the exit with all her might, but just as she reached the door, a window exploded with a deafening bang.

The flames, freed from their constraints, lunged at Tang Ran like a predatory dragon with jagged claws, swallowing her whole. The scorching heat gnawed at her skin; despairing terror filled every nerve in her body.

Tang Ran struggled to break free.

Suddenly, her body felt light, stripped of all restraints. She snapped her eyes open and sat up abruptly.

Her vision was blurred by sweat. Tang Ran wiped her eyes and only then saw the familiar decorations surrounding her. She was in Shengming Mansions, not the burning bedroom of the villa.

Everything just now was merely a nightmare born of a memory flashback. The fire belonged to her previous life. In this life, she was still alive.

Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. Tang Ran sat on the bed with a hunched back, gasping for air. Sweat mixed with tears slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the quilt and blooming into dark stains. She kept her head down, the look in her eyes growing increasingly dark.

Minutes and seconds ticked by. The dim canopy of night was torn apart by the first rays of dawn, and the morning sun spilled across the bed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Her erratic breathing gradually steadied. Tang Ran threw off the covers, got out of bed, and walked toward the kitchen. Behind her, the bed was a mess, the sheets soaked through with sweat.

She filled a large glass with water and drank it all in one go. The deathly sense of thirst within her finally began to subside. After a second glass, she turned and headed to the bathroom.

The extreme terror of the dream had numbed her nerves. She turned the hot water to the maximum; her snow-white skin immediately flushed cherry-pink, yet her hands and feet refused to warm up.

Coming out of the bathroom, Tang Ran wrapped herself in a bathrobe and sat on the balcony. As the morning light penetrated her cold skin, warmth spread through her body. She nestled into the rocking chair and squinted comfortably.

Ding-ling-ling.

An unfamiliar ringtone sounded. Tang Ran turned back toward the source of the sound, alert.

She unexpectedly met a pair of clear, gentle eyes. Tang Ran froze for a second, quickly masking the gloom in her gaze.

The person on the opposite balcony was dressed in a snow-white suit, her long hair pinned up. A white mask covered most of her face, and her beige-grey scarf matched the diamond bird brooch on her chest perfectly.

Seeing the watering can in the woman’s hand and the wooden flower stand filled with blooms behind her, Tang Ran’s lips twitched into a forced smile, while her heart felt as if it were petrifying and cracking.

When did she arrive? Or had she been out here watering flowers the whole time?

Realizing the other woman might have been there longer than she had, Tang Ran’s movements stiffened. She instinctively sat up straight and adjusted her bathrobe.

In stark contrast to Tang Ran’s awkwardness, Song Zhixu was far more composed. Meeting her gaze, Song Zhixu merely gave a slight nod and turned to answer her phone.

“Okay, I’m coming down now.”

As she spoke, she set the watering can on the flower stand and walked inside. Tang Ran watched her figure disappear from the balcony.

Not until she couldn’t hear a sound did Tang Ran finally “lower” her alert ears. Her back slumped as she curled back into the rocking chair, the aura of desolation once again dissipating into the air around her.

Her phone vibrated, a notification popping up.

Song Wuqi: A new restaurant opened in Jiujiang; the food is quite good. I’ll pick you up after work.

The gloom in her heart surged again, Tang Ran’s eyes turning icy. The nightmare had unearthed her fear, but it also brought forth her hatred for Song Wuqi. After all, everything she suffered in that dream was thanks to her.

Her finger hovered over the dialogue box, but the words she typed were of a completely different nature: Sure. You’re so busy with work, I’ll come to find you instead.

The acquisition project in Yang City was a test the elder Song had given Song Wuqi. In her previous life, after the acquisition was completed, Song Wuqi was promoted from General Manager of a branch office to Deputy General Manager of a business division at the group headquarters.

Let’s start with the Yang City project. She would let Song Wuqi taste what it feels like to lose hope bit by bit until she has nothing left.

Setting her mood aside, Tang Ran applied exquisite makeup. She wore a beige A-line long skirt paired with a bright red crew-neck jacket. It was a vivid, striking look—exactly the version of her that Song Wuqi disliked most.

Before leaving, Tang Ran looked in the mirror, went back to the dressing room, and tied a floral scarf around her neck.

As evening approached, Tang Ran left work an hour early and went to the Song Group. The receptionist recognized her and proactively led her to Song Wuqi’s office.

The office door was open. Song Wuqi was talking to Ye Xiaoyu. The moment she saw Tang Ran, Ye Xiaoyu straightened up with a look of panic and took a step back to distance herself from Song Wuqi.

It was deliberate and affected.

Song Wuqi didn’t notice the small gesture; her attention was entirely on Tang Ran. Tang Ran was naturally pretty, and the red jacket made her look even more radiant and bold. Song Wuqi instinctively frowned slightly, but quickly hid it.

She checked the time and found that Tang Ran was an hour earlier than their scheduled meeting. Her dissatisfaction with Tang Ran’s attire lessened slightly. Despite their week-long cold war, as long as she provided an opening, Tang Ran would take the initiative to show goodwill. Not only did she come to the office to pick her up, but she also arrived an hour early.

Song Wuqi wore a gentle smile. “You’re here so early?”

“I didn’t have much to do, so I came early.” Tang Ran thanked the receptionist and entered the office. Her tone was casual, completely ignoring Ye Xiaoyu’s presence as she walked over to the sofa and sat down. “Still busy?”

Song Wuqi tapped the document in her hand. “A few loose ends to tie up, I’ll be ready soon.”

“Go ahead, I’ll wait.” Tang Ran nodded obediently, creating a sharp contrast with her bold outfit.

Song Wuqi felt even better; she liked it when Tang Ran was compliant. Ever since they got together, she had been subtly brainwashing Tang Ran into believing she preferred her to be gentle and quiet, sanding down the edges of Tang Ran’s spirited personality. And Tang Ran indeed had been influenced, becoming increasingly submissive.

As for that slap at the bar, Song Wuqi attributed it to Tang Ran using drunkenness to vent her jealousy. She just wouldn’t let Tang Ran drink in the future.

Watching the two of them chat and laugh, Ye Xiaoyu lowered her head and said, “Manager Song, since Miss Tang is here, I’ll head back first.” She stole a cautious glance at Tang Ran as she spoke, looking as if she were afraid of her.

“What do you mean by that, Assistant Ye?” Tang Ran raised an eyebrow and asked directly. “What does ‘I’m here so you’re leaving’ mean? You make it sound like I’m in your way.”

Tang Ran had never cared for “Green Tea” mistresses like Ye Xiaoyu, who played weak to gain sympathy and climbed up by breaking homes—not in her past life, and not in this one. As long as the girl didn’t dance right in front of her, Tang Ran didn’t want to waste energy on her. But Ye Xiaoyu just lacked self-awareness, jumping in front of her again and again.

Ye Xiaoyu’s expression stiffened as she looked guiltily at Song Wuqi.

Song Wuqi frowned. If she and Ye Xiaoyu were truly innocent, Ye Xiaoyu’s words could be seen as not wanting to disturb her and Tang Ran. But they weren’t innocent anymore, and with Tang Ran’s question, the words took on a different meaning.

However, Song Wuqi didn’t think there was a problem with Ye Xiaoyu’s words; rather, she felt Tang Ran was being too sensitive. It was just a sentence; there was no need to make a big deal out of it.

“The work is mostly done, there’s no interference. Just wait a moment for me,” Song Wuqi interrupted. Her relationship with Tang Ran had just thawed; she didn’t want another argument over a single sentence.

“That’s good. I thought Assistant Ye was afraid I’d overhear the Song Group’s projects and leak some secrets,” Tang Ran said half-jokingly. She was enduring nausea to be here because she had important business, not to expose the affair of this scumbag pair.

“I… I didn’t mean that.” Ye Xiaoyu shrunk her shoulders.

Tang Ran didn’t want to waste time, but Ye Xiaoyu thought this was an opportunity. She wanted to deliberately make Tang Ran suspicious. Ye Xiaoyu was not content with being a secret lover. After yesterday’s incident, that desire had only grown. She didn’t want to hide in a cramped wardrobe ever again.

Before seducing Song Wuqi, she had researched Tang Ran. She knew that given Tang Ran’s personality, if she discovered Song Wuqi’s infidelity, she would definitely leave.

Ye Xiaoyu looked at Song Wuqi aggrievedly. “I’m just afraid Miss Tang doesn’t want to see me.”

Her show of weakness didn’t earn Song Wuqi’s pity this time. Song Wuqi’s gaze shifted, giving her a warning look. The previous sentence could be explained away as a misunderstanding, but this one was too deliberate. Song Wuqi wanted to use Ye Xiaoyu to make Tang Ran jealous, but Ye Xiaoyu being so indiscreet and making Tang Ran suspicious made Song Wuqi dissatisfied.

Ye Xiaoyu’s eyes reddened. She lowered her head and rubbed her thigh. Having stood in a wardrobe for four hours, her legs had been aching all day.

Song Wuqi’s expression softened slightly. She was the one who suggested Ye Xiaoyu hide in the wardrobe yesterday. Having hidden for so long, Ye Xiaoyu was likely speaking out of turn because she felt wronged.

Tang Ran’s gaze swept lightly over the two of them, settling on Ye Xiaoyu.

“Why wouldn’t I want to see you? Assistant Ye and I aren’t that close, are we? Why would I hate an insignificant person for no reason?”

Her tone was so casual that to Ye Xiaoyu’s ears, every word carried the weight of a contempt that crushed her self-esteem. In that instant, Ye Xiaoyu felt like a clown in Tang Ran’s eyes. Her face turned pale, and she bit her lip, looking at Tang Ran with humiliation.

On the night at the bar, Ye Xiaoyu had overheard Tang Ran questioning Song Wuqi over the phone about their relationship. Tang Ran must have been jealous then, yet now she was calmly calling her “insignificant.”

Ye Xiaoyu felt something was wrong, but the person in front of her was definitely Tang Ran.

“Why is Assistant Ye looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?” Tang Ran didn’t wait for an answer. She gave her a sidelong glance. “Though, Assistant Ye was right about one thing—I’ve never been fond of looking at ugly things.”

Ye Xiaoyu’s face turned from white to red, tears welling in her eyes.

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