The Subtle Seduction of My Ex-Girlfriend’s Aunt - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Hasn’t Song Wuqi’s Youngest Aunt Gotten Married Yet?

Before Ye Xiaoyu’s tears could fall, Song Wuqi gave her a look filled with silent warning. She grabbed a random document from her desk and handed it to her. “Organize this report first.”

“Yes.” Though resentful, Ye Xiaoyu could only obey.

Left alone with Tang Ran, Song Wuqi studied her secretly. The Tang Ran before her was both familiar and strange. This vibrant, bold version of her was how she had been before they started dating, and the strangeness came from the fact that it had been so long since Song Wuqi had seen her this way.

Song Wuqi felt a complex wave of emotion, almost as if everything had returned to the starting point.

“Can’t you just fire her?” Tang Ran stood up from the sofa and walked to the desk, looking thoroughly dissatisfied.

The demand was domineering and reeked of jealousy. It made Song Wuqi feel a bit better. Tang Ran says she doesn’t care, but she’s still jealous deep down.

Song Wuqi put on a troubled face. “Shuyang introduced her, and she hasn’t made any mistakes at work. It’s not easy for me to just fire her.”

Tang Ran frowned slightly. “Then transfer her to another department.”

“Alright,” Song Wuqi smiled, playing along. “Once the acquisition project is finished, I’ll move her to another department.” She reached out to pat Tang Ran’s head, but Tang Ran avoided her with a feigned cold huff. “You better keep your word.”

Tang Ran’s gaze idly swept across the desk. “Huh? Song Group is acquiring Da Ning?”

Song Wuqi nodded. Da Ning was a long-established retail giant in Yang City; it wasn’t surprising Tang Ran knew of it.

Tang Ran tilted her head, seemingly murmuring to herself: “I heard last year that Ning Hao got into some trouble in the US. Now that they’re selling their stores, I guess the rumors were true.”

Song Wuqi’s heart leaped. “Who did you hear that from?”

Negotiations between Song Group and Da Ning were currently at a stalemate over the price. If Da Ning was desperate for cash, that could be her breakthrough.

“Ning Hao’s cousin was my classmate. I only heard it by chance, though. I don’t know the details,” Tang Ran said casually.

The cousin part was true, but the information actually came from Tang Ran’s previous life. A few months after the acquisition had finished in that timeline, Ning Hao’s scandal was blown open by the media. The Ning family claimed they were selling to pivot to real estate, but the truth was that Ning Hao had caused a massive disaster abroad and needed a huge sum to settle it.

Song Wuqi was eager for quick success to prove herself to the Elder Song. Tang Ran was certain that once Song Wuqi knew this, she would use it as leverage in the negotiations.

As for the final result… Hehe. Tang Ran could already imagine Song Wuqi’s livid face after the acquisition collapsed.

During the conversation, Tang Ran caught a glimpse of a sleeve by the door. She lowered her head as if thinking, put on a conflicted expression, and added, “Sun Jiaojiao is on good terms with her. Should I find a way to ask for you?”

Song Wuqi’s gaze softened. “No need. I wouldn’t want to put you in a difficult position.” Sun Jiaojiao was Sun Xiao’s cousin, and Tang Ran had never gotten along with her. The fact that Tang Ran was willing to approach Sun Jiaojiao for her was enough. She didn’t want Tang Ran involved too deeply in business matters.

Tang Ran looked hesitant.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have someone look into it. If I had to trouble you for every little thing, it would make me look quite useless.”

This news about Ning Hao was an unexpected windfall. While Song Wuqi looked calm on the surface, she was already itching to send people to verify it.

Tang Ran nodded. Having achieved her goal, she pretended to receive a call from Miao Tiantian about an emergency and left in a hurry. She had no intention of actually having dinner with Song Wuqi. Obsessed with the Ning Hao lead, Song Wuqi gave a perfunctory word of concern for Miao Tiantian and let her go.

After Tang Ran left, Ye Xiaoyu walked back in, biting her lip. Song Wuqi frowned, about to scold her for making Tang Ran suspicious. “Why did you—”

Ye Xiaoyu cut her off first: “I can help you find out about Ning Hao.”

Song Wuqi’s brow relaxed, then furrowed again. She remembered Ye Xiaoyu and Sun Jiaojiao were university classmates, but Ye Xiaoyu had mentioned that Sun Jiaojiao and others had bullied her back then.

“Trust me, I have a way,” Ye Xiaoyu looked directly at Song Wuqi, pleading in a low voice. “Wuqi, give me a chance to prove myself, okay?”

To prove I’m not inferior to Tang Ran, and that I’m the one more worthy of your love. What Tang Ran wasn’t willing to swallow her pride for, Ye Xiaoyu would do for Song Wuqi.

Song Group Top Floor Office.

A phone on the desk lit up. A slender white fingertip tapped it, and a photo appeared.

The splash of crimson in the photo was exquisite and bold. The radiant smile was a world away from the despondent, gloomy girl seen earlier that morning. The background was the familiar company lobby.

Song Zhixu didn’t need to guess; Tang Ran must have come to see Song Wuqi. She closed the photo. Murong Yi followed up with a message and a funny meme.

Murong Yi: Maybe your little niece has eaten too much steak lately and is sneaking some chaff to balance her palate.

Meme: I cannot understand.jpg

Song Zhixu ignored the topic and typed back: Is the renovation company decided yet?

During their university years, there was an entrepreneurship craze. Murong Yi spotted a gap in the market and roped in Song Zhixu and Xia Mo to start a consulting studio—a one-stop service for early screening of student projects and connecting them with VC investment. “He” Bar was their first project, though the VCs were themselves.

After graduation, Song Zhixu and Xia Mo returned to their family businesses, leaving the consulting firm to Murong Yi. In less than a decade, the three-person studio had grown into a well-known firm. They were moving to a new office, but Murong Yi was so picky that they hadn’t settled on a renovation contractor after interviewing seven or eight candidates.

Surname Mu not Murong: Frustrated hair-pulling.jpg

Just as Song Zhixu opened the message, her secretary led Murong Yi in. They were going to a party together; Song Zhixu didn’t drink, so Murong Yi was hitching a ride. She had bumped into Tang Ran downstairs on her way in.

Once the door closed, Murong Yi sat on the sofa with her long legs crossed. She ruffled her wavy curls and said irritably, “I’ve tentatively picked one. Planning to go inspect them in a few days.”

Sunday. Shengming Mansions.

Tang Ran’s eyes were fixed on her tablet. On it were all the major events from her previous life she could recall. Stopping the Da Ning acquisition was just the first step.

The reason Song Wuqi had a smooth path into the Board of Directors was mainly due to Elder Song’s support. Sadly, the granddaughter he doted on most didn’t just forge his will to seize power after his accidental death—she burned all his belongings.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Tang Ran wouldn’t have believed that the “obedient and filial” Song Wuqi was actually harboring a deep-seated hatred for the old man. She hid it too well. Even with a second life, Tang Ran couldn’t immediately figure out how to find the leverage to expose her true face.

“The sun comes out and I climb the hill…” Her custom ringtone for Miao Tiantian rang out.

“Guess where I am, darling?” Miao Tiantian’s energetic voice was piercing.

“You’re back?” Tang Ran put down the tablet and ran toward the door barefoot.

“Yup! Came straight here from the airport. Don’t you love me?” Miao Tiantian sounded like she was waiting for praise. “Hurry, tell the concierge to let me up.”

Tang Ran called the front desk and then went to wash her face. Miao Tiantian knew the door code, so she didn’t need to wait.

When Miao Tiantian stepped into the elevator, there was a stylish woman with long wavy hair inside. This woman was exactly Miao Tiantian’s type; she couldn’t help but stare for a moment. The woman was bold; noticing the gaze, she gave Miao Tiantian a flirtatious wink. Miao Tiantian instinctively pulled up her QR code, and the woman didn’t hesitate to add her.

The elevator dinged open. They stepped out together, glanced at each other, and then simultaneously pointed to opposite doors across the hall.

When Tang Ran came out, Miao Tiantian was still looking back at the opposite door with lingering interest.

“Tiantian!” Tang Ran gave her a big hug.

Miao Tiantian hugged her back, then whispered excitedly, “When did that gorgeous woman move in across the hall?”

“You saw her?” Tang Ran was surprised. She had met her twice and never saw her face clearly, yet Tiantian caught a glimpse on the first try.

“Yeah, she’s totally my type.” Tiantian snapped her fingers.

“Wait, did you ‘recover’?” Tang Ran felt her forehead. Since her first breakup, Tiantian had only dated “party girls.” Professional, elegant types like the neighbor were usually her “no-go” zone. Had Tiantian changed her mind in this life too? If so, Tang Ran really wanted to set off fireworks.

Still, picturing Tiantian with the woman from across the hall felt… a bit odd.

“What do you mean?” Tiantian didn’t catch her drift. “Is she single?”

“I don’t know.” Tang Ran shook her head. “We aren’t close.”

“Fine, I’ll ask myself.” Tiantian pulled out her phone, thought for a second, then put it back. She had to wait, or she’d look too desperate.

“You already have her number?” Tang Ran was impressed by the speed, though something felt slightly off.

“Yep.” Tiantian smiled proudly, then quickly turned serious. “Is what you said on the phone the other day true?”

Tang Ran pulled up the photos of the affair.

“That little b—! I’m going to tear those scumbags apart for you!” Tiantian rolled up her sleeves, ready for a fight.

Tang Ran caught her. “I can’t break things off with her just yet.”

Tiantian frowned. “Because of the family business cooperation?” In their social circles, breakups weren’t always simple.

“Yeah.” Tang Ran nodded. She didn’t plan to tell Tiantian about her rebirth—it was too bizarre. Plus, she knew Tiantian would ask about her own future. She didn’t want Tiantian to follow the old path, so she couldn’t let her have any preconceived notions. “This evidence isn’t enough, and the Tang family needs the Song Group’s cooperation.”

In a business marriage, loyalty wasn’t a requirement; the marriage certificate was just a contract to keep interests aligned. A few photos of Song Wuqi cheating weren’t enough to let the Tang family withdraw safely.

Tiantian’s mind raced. If the marriage was hard to cancel, could they just swap the person? But the Song family tree was sparse; Song Wuqi had no brothers or sisters.

Tiantian shook her head, then her eyes suddenly lit up. “Hasn’t Song Wuqi’s youngest aunt gotten married yet?”

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