The night sky descended, and the stars intertwined with the neon lights of the city.
Tang Song leaned against the glass wall of the living room, staring at the distant skyline while sipping his glass of chilled whiskey.
His mind was flooded with images of Wen Ruan as she left, especially that final scene when she cried.
It was the first ti he had ever seen her cry.
There was no shouting, no hysteria. Even as tears stread down her face, she remained calm and composed.
And yet, it was precisely her restraint that made Tang Song feel the depth of her struggle and pain.
He had to admit, at first, he was drawn to her purely because of her stunning figure and captivating looks.
But as they spent more ti together, his feelings for her deepened, becoming sothing far more profound. Calling it love wouldn’t be an overstatent.
Wen Ruan was carefree and generous, with an abundance of interests that gave her a lively charm. Her approach to life was relaxed, her personality both strong and independent.
She was always the perfect elder sister figure—warm, considerate, and occasionally playful. She had a knack for understanding his feelings and engaging in his mischief with grace.
In short, she was irresistible.
But as much as he cared for her, he also understood he couldn’t offer her what she ultimately wanted—marriage.
After all, their relationship had begun with a casual, "What if?"—it wasn’t exactly built on stable ground.
Sighing, Tang Song set his glass down, walked into his study, and picked up his acoustic guitar.
He began strumming a few chords aimlessly, letting the music flow to clear his thoughts.
The rhythm shifted as he started humming softly, adjusting the lody with each note.
After a while, his fingers began to ache, and he set the guitar aside.
He turned to his sketchbook and pencils on the desk. Inspiration flooded his mind as he flipped to a blank page and clicked on his action cara to record his creative process.
He carefully scraped layers of graphite from his pencil using a knife, letting the black powder sprinkle across the pristine paper.
Grabbing a tissue, he spread the graphite dust evenly across the sheet, tinting it gray.
Switching off the study’s main lights and leaving only the dim corner lamp on, the paper seed to turn completely black.
With a delicate touch, he picked up his eraser and began to carve out details. The sharp strokes of the eraser created intricate contrasts that slowly brought an image to life.
Minutes passed, his fingers covered in charcoal.
When he finished, he switched the lighting back on and gave the paper a gentle shake. Graphite dust fell away, revealing the portrait he had drawn.
It was Wen Ruan.
Her face was luminous, her hair tousled by a gentle breeze. Her teary eyes were frad by long lashes, her expression vulnerable and tender.
Tang Song stared at the sketch for a long ti, lost in thought. He reached out to lightly trace the outline of her tear-streaked eyes.
June 5, 2023, Monday, Sunny, 18~34°C
Beicheng Garden Residential Area
——————
“Do you like it, Qingqing?”
Sunlight poured through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a golden glow over Tang Song’s tall and elegant figure. His chiseled features exuded determination and confidence, as if he could see through all the mysteries of the world.
Xu Qing’s gaze swept across the villa’s layout. The colors, decor, and design were exactly her style.
Tang Song placed a set of keys into her palm. “This villa is for you. From now on, you’ll live here. I’ll arrange for a housekeeper, a driver, a personal assistant, and a bodyguard for you. Of course, if you need , I can show up anyti as well.”
Xu Qing coughed lightly and said, “I like it very much. Fine, I’ll reluctantly accept it. Go ahead and make all the arrangents.”
“As long as you like it!” His eyes were full of tenderness, as if she was the most precious treasure in the world.
“Oh, and my best friend too,” Xu Qing added.
“No problem. Your best friend is my best friend. I’ll buy her a villa next door so you two can be neighbors for life.”
“That’s not necessary. We can both stay in this one.”
“As you wish. The three of us can live here together if that makes you happy.” Tang Song imdiately hugged her.
Startled, Xu Qing gasped, her face flushing bright red as she froze in his arms.
——————
“Qingqing! Qingqing!”
A soothing voice echoed in the bedroom.
Xu Qing let out a startled “Ah!” and sat up, her face flushed.
Looking at her best friend standing by the bed, she averted her gaze. “What’s up, Yanyan?”
Shen Yuyan pinched Xu Qing’s slightly chubby cheeks. “Hurry up and get up! The sun’s already high in the sky, and you’re going to be late.”
“What?” Xu Qing grabbed her phone from the bedside table. Seeing the ti, she let out a scream and began frantically changing clothes.
For the past few days, her novel had been steadily gaining traction. The results were better and better, with readers loving the new male lead even more than the previous CEO character. Feedback was overwhelming, and she even had her own fan group now.
Last night, she was so excited about her writing that she didn’t fall asleep until 1 a.m., which caused her to oversleep and dream a bizarre mishmash of reality and fiction.
At one mont, she was Xu Yanqing, and the next, she was Xu Qing.
“What kind of dream were you having? I ca in and heard you giggling and rolling around hugging your blanket,” Shen Yuyan asked curiously.
Xu Qing’s face turned bright red as she shrank back. “I don’t rember.”
But her mind betrayed her, replaying vivid scenes from her dream.
Since “Xu Yanqing” was essentially a combination of her and Shen Yuyan, by the end of the dream, the two of them were living in a villa with Tang Song.
It was too embarrassing!
Shen Yuyan studied her for a mont, then said, “Hurry up and get ready. I’ll drive you to work.”
“Oh, okay.” Xu Qing nodded and hurried into the bathroom.
Shen Yuyan chuckled and returned to her room to do her makeup.
Ten minutes later, the two hurried downstairs and climbed into a sleek black rcedes E-Class.
Seated in the passenger seat, Xu Qing adjusted her seat and admired the interior. “Not bad. This car suits your boss vibes.”
As the engine roared to life, Shen Yuyan laughed. “If it weren’t for the event, I wouldn’t have splurged on such an expensive rental.”
Youjie Cleaning was still a small company with limited cash flow, unable to afford cars for its executives. Even their rental contracts were short-term, only used when necessary.
For instance, this rcedes E-Class, without a driver, cost 700 yuan per day—a price Shen Yuyan deed acceptable.
The upcoming event at the Yan City Entrepreneurship Incubation Base was an official support initiative, particularly friendly to start-ups run by college students like theirs. It was also an excellent opportunity to et potential investors.
As they chatted, Xu Qing absentmindedly touched the designer chain handbag that Tang Song had gifted her. She pulled out a Chanel lipstick and applied it using the vanity mirror.
Shen Yuyan glanced at her. “You’re still not telling who that guy chasing you is?”
Xu Qing paused, her cheeks turning pink. “He’s just a friend. I only interact with him to help you secure investnt.”
At the ntion of investnt, Shen Yuyan’s expression dimd.
She had poured all her ti and energy into Youjie Cleaning, full of high hopes. During the start-up phase, Zhang Tianqi provided business channels, Hou Shaoyuan contributed funding, and she managed the operations.
Everything had gone smoothly, with the company achieving stable profitability after two years.
But when it ca to raising more funds, they hit an unprecedented roadblock. The company had reached a plateau: the project lacked appeal, partners were indifferent, and investors were dismissive.
She felt utterly stuck, unsure of what to do next.
“Ding-dong.”
The sound of a WeChat notification broke the silence.
Xu Qing glanced at her phone and felt a spark of excitent, only for her brows to furrow upon reading the ssage.
【Tang Song: “CPU: Intel i9-13900KS, Motherboard: ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790, Power Supply: ASUS ROG Thor II 1600W...”】
The list continued with items like water cooling systems, casings, fans, and GPU brackets—dozens of components that left her dizzy.
So... building a PC required this many parts?
She stuck out her tongue and replied, “Got it! I’ll ask that alumnus for help with the order.”
No sooner had she sent the ssage than another notification ca.
【Tang Song: “WeChat transfer 50,000.00 yuan, please accept.”】
【Tang Song: “Thanks, Qingqing. This setup should cost around 40,000. The extra is for your trouble.”】
“Ah!” Xu Qing gasped, her eyes widening.
10,000 yuan as a service fee? Jackpot!
“What’s going on, Qingqing?” Shen Yuyan asked, glancing at her.
“Nothing. You focus on driving; I’m just chatting with a friend,” Xu Qing replied, wiping a bit of drool before swiftly accepting the transfer.
The screen refreshed:
【You’ve received the funds. 50,000.00 yuan has been deposited into your wallet.】
Seeing the long string of digits in her WeChat balance, Xu Qing’s hands trembled with excitent.
Quickly calculating, she realized she had close to 100,000 yuan in total across her accounts and cash. For soone who had never been this well-off, she felt giddy with wealth—even if it was only temporary before being spent on PC components.
After so brainstorming, Xu Qing typed: “Got it! I’ll handle it for you.”
She imdiately forwarded the list to her alumnus Liu Shuaibo, adding a note: “Shuaibo, use your insider connections and see how much this will cost!”
Thanks to her network, what might cost 40,000 at market rates could hopefully be done for less.
Satisfied with her cleverness, Xu Qing glanced at her best friend, hesitated, then bit her lip before ssaging Tang Song: “By the way, did you review Youjie Cleaning’s business plan? What do you think, President Tang?”
Waiting for his reply, Xu Qing fidgeted nervously.
Although the money thrilled her, her best friend’s business was a much bigger priority. Tang Song had previously said he’d invest if the company had no issues.
He wouldn’t deceive soone as cute as her, would he?
“Qingqing, we’re almost at your office. Get ready to hop out,” Shen Yuyan said, patting Xu Qing’s cold legs. “Why do I feel like your legs are shaking?”
Xu Qing pouted, about to respond when her phone buzzed again.
【Tang Song: “No problem. I agree to invest through equity expansion. I’m busy these days, but let’s arrange a al with Shen Yuyan in a few days to discuss due diligence.”】
Xu Qing’s cheeks flushed with excitent as she hurriedly replied, “Got it, got it. Thank you, Tang Song! Let know if you need anything!”
Yes! Xu Qing was amazing! The chosen one!
Her best friend had been fretting for months, and she’d fixed it with a casual conversation!
“Ding-dong.”
【Tang Song: “There’s nothing I need right now. But if you insist on thanking , send a photo. I rember you had twin ponytails in college—do you have a cosplay pic with that hairstyle?”】
His request wasn’t unreasonable, considering how much trust he’d shown her.
Xu Qing licked her lips and found a photo of herself in a twin-ponytail gym outfit, then sent it over.
“Ding-dong.”
【Tang Song: “Very nice. I’ve mastered that cara. Let’s schedule a shoot
soon, and you can wear that outfit. I’ll be your photographer.”】
What?!
ε＝ε＝(#>д
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