When the Heartthrob Meets the Cold-Hearted Ex - Chapter 17

When Tang Yeran woke up, the long-unfamiliar scent of soapberries lingered in her nostrils.

Opening her eyes, she saw pristine white fabric that didn’t belong to her. Tilting her head slightly, Su Yang’s delicate yet indifferent profile came into view.

Had she been sleeping on Su Yang’s shoulder this whole time?

This was too bizarre, it must be a dream.

Tang Yeran closed her eyes again, but the sensation of her cheek rubbing against the fabric grew increasingly distinct, relentlessly reminding her that this was, in fact, not a dream.

Unable to keep playing ostrich, she reopened her eyes, smoothed her hair, and sat up properly.

Her tone was casual, as if making small talk. “Sorry about that, I must’ve dozed off. Didn’t crush you, did I?”

“You did.” Such pretty lips, yet the words that came out were icy.

Tang Yeran: “…”

Couldn’t you at least be polite and let this slide?

Su Yang, as if completely oblivious to her inner monologue, continued calmly, “You slept quite soundly.”

Tang Yeran: “…”

Why did perfectly normal words sound so sarcastic coming from her?

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Tang Yeran leaned forward to peer toward the front of the bus. “How much longer till we get there?”

Su Yang dutifully played tour guide. “It’s 12:40 now. We’ll arrive in twenty minutes. We made a stop earlier, but you were dead asleep, so I didn’t wake you.”

Tang Yeran: !

Would this ever end?!

If it weren’t for you blocking me in with that ice-cold face, would I have been bored enough to fall asleep?!

With only twenty minutes left, motion sickness was no longer a concern. Tang Yeran pulled out her phone and started scrolling, treating the person beside her as air.

She came across a video of a cat giving a golden retriever a Thai massage awkward yet hilarious and couldn’t help but snort.

Su Yang’s gaze flickered toward her several times. Realizing they were in public, Tang Yeran deliberately quieted down and shifted closer to the window.

Several more amusing videos followed. She struggled between laughter and restraint, her facial expressions twisting comically.

After scrolling through seven or eight clips, she finally set her phone down to take a breather.

Only then did she notice Su Yang had been silently watching her the entire time, her gaze almost resentful?

It was strange hard to be sure but out of courtesy, Tang Yeran asked, “What’s wrong?”

Su Yang pressed her lips together before finally murmuring, “Were you mad at me earlier?”

Tang Yeran was baffled. “No?”

Sure, Su Yang had been sarcastic and kept bringing up awkward topics, but she was used to it by now. She wouldn’t get angry over something so trivial.

Yet Su Yang seemed unconvinced. “Really? Then why did you suddenly stop talking earlier and sleep so deeply?”

Tang Yeran: “…”

That last part was entirely unnecessary.

It took her a moment to realize Su Yang was referring to something that had happened three and a half hours ago.

Seriously? You were the one who said you were busy. Was I supposed to keep bothering you?

Tang Yeran wanted to retort, but seeing Su Yang’s pitiful expression made it seem like she was the one being bullied.

With a personality like hers, anyone else would’ve frozen to death sitting next to her.

Only someone as kind-hearted as herself would still bother making conversation.

Lost in her own thoughts, Tang Yeran suddenly envisioned herself bathed in a saintly halo, the image so absurd it made her chuckle.

Taking another glance at the person beside her, who looked utterly wronged, laughing out loud now would have been rather inappropriate.

As for Su Yang’s talent for killing conversations, it was far from something that could be explained in just a few words.

Seeing that the bus was about to arrive at its destination, Tang Yeran casually brushed it off with an excuse.

“You’re overthinking it. I just stayed up too late last night and wanted to catch up on some sleep.”

Stayed up too late? Doing what?

Su Yang knew she had no right to pry further at this moment, so her gaze only grew more resentful.

Tang Yeran: ?

The bus stopped right at the park entrance. The group led by Xu You had already arrived earlier, taken their tickets, and entered.

Only the head of the administrative department remained waiting, distributing tickets to the employees who arrived later.

The employees here were young, after all. Even after enduring hours on the road, the moment they stepped off the bus, they scattered like birds freed from a cage, flocking eagerly into the park.

The tickets booked this time included five optional entertainment activities. Everyone could choose different attractions based on their preferences, as long as they regrouped at the designated spot before dinner.

A few people had initially wanted to drag Tang Yeran along, but upon seeing Su Yang beside her, they quickly abandoned the idea.

In Tang Yeran’s understanding, company team-building events were supposed to involve all employees sticking together.

By the time nearly everyone had entered the park, Su Yang was still lingering behind, looking utterly unhurried, which made Tang Yeran glance at her curiously.

Though she didn’t voice her question, Su Yang immediately read her thoughts. Folding the ticket in her hand calmly, she said,

“Don’t overthink it. If you were out for fun, would you want to stick around with your boss?”

That was a fair point. On this matter, Tang Yeran sincerely wished the leaders at her magazine would take a page from President Su’s book.

The only downside was that with everyone so scattered, gathering material for the shoot became more challenging.

Seeing that only a handful of people remained at the entrance, Tang Yeran hefted her camera, mindful of her mission, and quickened her pace to catch up.

Su Yang, left alone at the back: …

Since it was a weekday, the park wasn’t particularly crowded with other visitors at this hour.

Every short stretch Tang Yeran walked, she encountered a few Qianhe employees some on speedboats, others crossing wooden bridges, a few trying extreme sports.

Everyone’s interests were different. Clearly, free exploration was the best way for everyone to truly unwind.

As she snapped photos along the way, Tang Yeran mused that this relaxed, liberated atmosphere was its own form of corporate culture.

She recalled how, just days ago, she had seen Qianhe’s employees working in perfect harmony. Later, she could juxtapose photos of these two scenes for contrast.

The caption was already set: Apart, they are stars scattered across the sky; together, they are a blazing fire.

To have such a team was Su Yang’s good fortune and a testament to her skill.

In the five years they had spent apart, both of them had grown silently.

After half an hour of shooting, Tang Yeran’s camera was already packed with material.

But then, her stomach chose the worst possible moment to growl loudly. It was already afternoon, and she had only eaten breakfast.

Scanning her surroundings, she spotted a snack shop built over a wooden bridge.

At this hour, the area around the shop was quiet, with only one customer seated at the table closest to the river.

Upon closer inspection, it was an old acquaintance.

Su Yang sat there, a pancake in one hand and a skewer in the other, the sleeves of her pristine white shirt rolled up halfway, adding a touch of down-to-earth charm.

She noticed Tang Yeran approaching and proactively moved her chair aside to make space for him.

Tang Yeran didn’t stand on ceremony either and sat down beside her, teasing,

“Caught you, President Su. Eating all by yourself here.”

Su Yang swallowed the bite of pancake in her mouth, took a sip of soup, and then spoke unhurriedly,

“Earlier, when the bus made a stop, everyone else already had lunch. At that time, I had you slumped on my shoulder, and you were sleeping so soundly.”

Alright, no need to continue that line of thought.

Tang Yeran craned his neck to glance at the food on the table and changed the subject, “These pan-fried dumplings look good. How do they compare to the ones in our city, C City?”

Su Yang silently looked at him and pushed the plate of dumplings toward him.

Tang Yeran didn’t hesitate, unwrapped a pair of chopsticks, and took a bite.

Hmm, crispier than the ones in C City, with cilantro and mushrooms mixed into the filling. An occasional taste like this was quite unique.

Tang Yeran narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, cheeks puffed as he chewed, looking every bit like a little hamster storing food.

Usually, in front of others, he had to maintain some semblance of decorum, but Su Yang had seen him in every possible state, there was no need for pretense now.

Seeing Tang Yeran enjoying himself, Su Yang pointed to the vinegar bottle nearby and reminded him, “Add your own condiments.”

Not that he needed the reminder Tang Yeran had already started helping himself.

He polished off several dumplings before noticing something odd.

“Pan-fried dumplings, pancakes, skewers, three-delicacy soup. Since when did your appetite double?”

Su Yang gave him a sidelong glance and didn’t bother hiding the truth. “From the park entrance to here, there isn’t a single other snack shop for miles.”

So, all this was ordered specifically for him?

A flicker of emotion stirred in him.

Su Yang finished the last sip of her soup. “For this company outing, everyone else’s meals are reimbursed. Yours aren’t.”

In other words, if he wanted a free lunch, he’d have to stick close to President Su.

As if he couldn’t afford a meal on his own.

Too soon for that warmth.

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