Chapter 139 The Man Who Stepped into the Night

Chapter 139 The Man Who Arrived on the Night Wind Tang Qinyun had indeed been very busy during this time. After diligently instructing Song Ni for two consecutive nights, he had to leave on the night before her birthday. He booked a flight for midnight, so he could personally wish Song Ni a happy birthday the moment her birthday arrived. Song Ni, having been doted on by countless people since childhood, wouldn't mind one more or one less. Yet, she hadn't become spoiled; she could still clearly discern genuine affection and knew how to cherish it. Upon learning of Tang Qinyun's upcoming arrangements, Song Ni fell silent for a long time. Tang Qinyun, in his usual flippant manner, teased, "Feeling sorry for me?" Song Ni suddenly realized that despite Tang Qinyun's boisterous and casual demeanor throughout her life, which she had mistakenly perceived as idleness, he had always treated her exceptionally well. He was indeed like a half-brother to her. Now, Song Ni finally understood why her parents liked Tang Qinyun so much. It wasn't that Tang Qinyun's personality was particularly endearing to elders; on the contrary, his disposition often gave his parents a headache. The Song couple's fondness for Tang Qinyun stemmed purely from his genuine care for Song Ni. Otherwise, Song Jing wouldn't have been so amenable to Tang Qinyun's frequent visits. What parents wouldn't want an extra brother to dote on their daughter? Song Ni suddenly felt rather ungracious. In the past, due to her own prejudices, her attitude towards Tang Qinyun had certainly not been good. If someone had treated her similarly, she would have immediately turned her back and ignored them, but Tang Qinyun hadn't. He had continued to treat her with the same kindness. "Tang..." Song Ni's throat suddenly choked. She always called Tang Qinyun by his full name; he strongly disliked a certain nickname. "Yes?" "Thank you." Sensing the change in Song Ni's tone, Tang Qinyun dropped his flippant pretense, his smile softening slightly. "What's wrong? Why... are you suddenly thanking me?" Tang Qinyun was momentarily unaccustomed to this. Song Ni had never been so polite with him. "Is it about the Zifei Cui, or something else? Zifei Cui isn't worth much, no need for thanks." Song Ni suddenly reached out and punched Tang Qinyun on the shoulder. "My parents keep asking me when you'll come over for dinner again." The Song parents had never asked Song Ni this; they asked Song Jing. And every time Tang Qinyun visited the Song residence, Song Ni had acted unwelcoming. Tang Qinyun understood. Was Song Ni extending an olive branch to him? While Tang Qinyun was happy, after all, the sister he had cared for over twenty years was finally acknowledging his kindness, he still felt a bit uneasy. "Alright, alright, I get it. I'll bring gifts and come over for a meal some other day." After sending Tang Qinyun off, Song Ni returned to the hotel at two in the morning. She went to her usual small food stall as always. Originally, she intended to pack it back to the hotel, but seeing the vibrant scene of people gathered around the stoves, eating, she suddenly changed her mind. "Boss, I won't be packing tonight, I'll eat here." The proprietress was a woman in her late forties to early fifties. She had spent a lot of money on medical treatments due to poor health in her younger years. After being discharged from the hospital, she and her husband started a street food business. "Hey! Alright!" The proprietress brought over the piping hot pot of broth with great enthusiasm and asked, "Young lady, what brings you to sit down here today? I say, skewers are best enjoyed right here at the stall, don't you think?" Song Ni was actually someone who could easily blend into her surroundings. Although, from an outsider's perspective, she might seem out of place at this stall, as if she shouldn't be eating such food, she could still chat amiably with the proprietress. She was willing to have a few words, and interacting with these people who embodied the spirit of everyday life, Song Ni had no airs about her, which was why the proprietress liked her so much. "Auntie, today is my birthday." After saying that, Song Ni suddenly sniffled, inwardly scolding Tan Zheng. Tang Qinyun knew to rush over and wish her a happy birthday at midnight before leaving. What about her husband? The proprietress looked a bit surprised when she heard this. "It's your birthday today, young lady? Happy birthday!" Song Ni smiled faintly and nodded in thanks. "Thank you, Auntie." Song Ni possessed an outstanding demeanor and striking looks. With a bare face, she appeared to be no more than nineteen or twenty. The proprietress had noticed her from her first visit to buy skewers, and after a few more times, she became even more familiar. Within a few minutes, the proprietress returned to Song Ni's table. In addition to the skewers she had ordered, the proprietress also brought an extra portion of vegetables that Song Ni liked. "Young lady, we're already making longevity noodles. How many years old are you celebrating today?" Song Ni blinked, looking at the extra vegetables, lost in thought for a moment. Suddenly, she remembered why she had come to like roadside stalls so much. It must have been more than ten years ago. That was the first time she had gotten into trouble fighting at school. Seizing the moment when her form teacher was distracted by the arrival of parents, she slipped out of school and spent the entire day playing at a mall, her phone turned off, not caring about anything. In the end, she somehow ended up at a night market. It was already eight or nine o'clock at night, and she had spent all her money, only able to stare at the various food stalls at the night market and swallow her saliva. Her upbringing and manners prevented her from eating for free when she had no money. At that time, a very kind stall owner, also a proprietress, had noticed her and handed her a bun. Unfortunately, she was too hungry and ate too quickly, forgetting the taste of the bun and the appearance of the stall owner auntie. Returning to the present, Song Ni smiled sweetly at the proprietress. "24." "24?" The proprietress seemed surprised, even her regional dialect involuntarily slipped out. "You look at most twenty, child!" Song Ni's frustration with Tan Zheng dissipated considerably. Who didn't like being told they looked young? Although she sometimes found her overly innocent face frustrating, she mostly liked it. It made her look younger! Since she still had acting work to do and responsibilities to the production crew, Song Ni didn't dare to eat too extravagantly. Just as she was thinking whether to call Chi Xia over, the proprietress had already brought the longevity noodles. "You're not from around here, are you, young lady?" Song Ni put down the phone she was holding and took the noodles with both hands. "That's right, I'm here for some work." "Missing home? Do you have friends here to celebrate your birthday with?" "Yes, but it's too late, and I don't want to trouble them. I'll go back after I finish eating." It was late at night, and who would start celebrating their birthday at this hour? She would usually be asleep at this time, and the celebrations would typically start in the daytime and continue past midnight. The proprietress smiled. There were other customers at the stall, so she couldn't stay with Song Ni forever. She got up to leave, but then a man suddenly appeared in her line of sight. The man was tall and handsome, with a demeanor as outstanding as the young lady's, somewhat resembling the arrogant young masters often seen on television, the kind who had already taken control. The proprietress stopped in her tracks. "Young lady, look, isn't that your friend?" They might lack worldly experience, but they weren't incapable of recognition. At this small stall, the only person that man could possibly be looking for was Song Ni. Song Ni followed the proprietress's gaze and turned to look. She saw Tan Zheng, hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on her, walking towards her with grace. Yu City was colder than Xing City at night, but stars could be seen in the sky. Song Ni felt as if Tan Zheng was a deity descending from the starry sky to her. (End of chapter)