Chapter 12 Would You Dare Call Me Uncle If I Called You That?
Song Ni listened to the manager's introduction while flipping through the brochure. Upon hearing Tan Zheng's question, she looked up at him. The man leaned against the sofa, right leg crossed over his left, a yet unlit cigarette in his mouth, and his fingers playing with a lighter. His hair, after some time, was slightly disheveled, falling over his forehead, adding a touch of languid charm. Her focus, which had been entirely on the project, suddenly shifted somewhat to Tan Zheng. Song Ni closed the brochure, took a sip of water, and asked, "What flavor is your cigarette?" In the past, whenever Song Ni attended social gatherings, she encountered various cigarette smells, all of which she intensely disliked. Only the scent from Tan Zheng's cigarettes did not repel her. Tan Zheng's hand paused its playful movements, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at Song Ni for a while. "Curious?" Song Ni nodded. Tan Zheng's cigarette smell was now more captivating than the club's projects. The man pushed the cigarette case from his pocket across the table. It was a golden hard case, adorned with a sharp-eyed eagle, and beneath it, a string of characters were etched in silver. Out of curiosity, Song Ni took one out. She had never smoked before, and as she held the cigarette between her index and middle fingers, she experienced a completely new sensation. Seeing Song Ni's action, the manager had already taken out a lighter, ready to ignite it for her. Tan Zheng merely glanced at him lazily, and the manager halted his intention. Song Ni moved to sit beside Tan Zheng, then, imitating him, placed the cigarette in her mouth, remaining silent, her gaze fixed on Tan Zheng's lighter. *Tsk, it's that again.* Tan Zheng lowered his leg, leaned forward, and brought himself closer to Song Ni. The cigarette was still in his mouth, the two cigarettes almost touching. *Hiss—* Tan Zheng lit his own cigarette with one hand. Song Ni's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She placed her right hand on the sofa for support, steadying herself, not understanding Tan Zheng's intention. The man took a puff, turned his head, and exhaled a cloud of smoke to the side. Then, without a word, he retreated, creating a slight distance. Through the smoke, he looked at Song Ni. "A young lady like you, why are you smoking?" His voice, saturated by the smoke, seemed to have suddenly turned hoarse. Song Ni raised her hand and pinched her earlobe, her nose twitching slightly. She could finally clearly smell the flavor of this cigarette, a blend between milky and medicinal. The smoke was mellow, initially a bit harsh, but after it dissipated, a faint fragrance remained, enough to savor. Song Ni frowned. Why was this different from the scent on Tan Zheng? "Have you always smoked this brand?" Tan Zheng glanced at her, seemingly unwilling to discuss cigarettes with her. Song Ni took the unlit cigarette in her hand and sniffed it, then leaned closer to Tan Zheng, sniffing again. Tan Zheng: ... He removed the cigarette from his mouth, his brow furrowed, looking at the person leaning towards him. "What are you doing?" Song Ni raised her hand and touched her nose, realizing her actions were a bit inappropriate. "It's nothing." The manager stood by, head down, his eyes fixed on his shoes, as if afraid he might see something he shouldn't. Tan Zheng was a regular here, and he had a good relationship with the boss. If the boss knew Tan Zheng had brought a girl today, he would definitely linger here, waiting for an opportunity. Song Ni was not familiar with shooting games and was about to let Tan Zheng choose one at random when she heard a charming voice, "Tan Zheng?" The hand that had just reached out retracted. Song Ni looked up. It was a woman in a white tracksuit and a white baseball cap. The woman said something to the people beside her and then quickly walked over, her eyes showing obvious surprise as she looked at Tan Zheng. "Tan Zheng, what brings you here today?" Tan Zheng, however, merely extinguished his cigarette and nodded at the woman. Song Ni noticed that the woman's smile seemed a bit stiff. *Interesting.* Song Ni played with the unlit cigarette in her hand like a pen, sitting to the side, watching the two with keen interest. The woman was clearly fond of Tan Zheng, and despite Tan Zheng's cool response, she continued to smile and try to engage him. "I'm here with some business partners today. Unfortunately, I have other matters this afternoon, otherwise, we could have a match." Tan Zheng remained silent, the atmosphere so thick it could almost solidify. The woman tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture to conceal her nervousness, and finally shifted her gaze to Song Ni beside her, with a hint of uncertainty and appraisal. "Is this your sister?" Song Ni raised an eyebrow, offered a slight smile, and then looked at the man who had been silent all along. Her lips curved, and she deliberately pitched her voice higher. "Brother?" This "brother" made the white-clad woman's tense expression relax, while the manager looked bewildered. Tan Zheng, however, furrowed his brow and glanced at Song Ni. This voice sounded strange. "What nonsense are you spouting?" The white-clad woman's eased heart tensed again. Song Ni smiled and picked up her cup, taking a sip of water. "You're a man nearing thirty, six years older than me. What's wrong with me calling you brother?" Listening to Song Ni's deliberate tone, Tan Zheng felt a headache coming on. It was one thing for this girl to act sweet in front of elders, but now she was putting on a show? Song Ni was clearly enjoying herself. "Or should I call you Uncle? Tsk, that would make us generations apart. Would you dare answer to that?" At this, the manager almost burst out laughing; it was just like playful banter between a couple. The white-clad woman also noticed this, and her expression instantly turned unpleasant. Her gaze shifted to Song Ni, becoming unfriendly. Tan Zheng narrowed his eyes, watching Song Ni's mischievous and unrestrained behavior in front of him, his mind perhaps elsewhere. As for Song Ni, she ignored the woman's scrutiny, as if doing this deliberately, wanting to hear a word from Tan Zheng. Or rather, she was testing him. Both of them were arranged for a blind date by their families, and based on today's progress, if there were no accidents, their marriage could proceed. Song Ni had been spoiled by her family since childhood and was unrestrained with her friends. She wanted to see how far she could push it with Tan Zheng. The atmosphere between them suddenly became strange. The white-clad woman, feeling uneasy, spoke up to interrupt, "Tan Zheng, I didn't expect your sister to be so cute." Hearing this, Song Ni coldly curled her lips. Called "cute" was one thing, but "inexperienced" was another. Tan Zheng finally withdrew his gaze from Song Ni and looked up at the white-clad woman. "I am the only son in the Tan family." He was denying that Song Ni was his sister, and he saw no need to tell others what her identity was. The white-clad woman tried hard to lift her lips, but found it futile. With a strained smile, she said, "My partners are waiting for me over there. We'll chat more next time." With that, she left, casting a deep look at Song Ni before departing. Once the group had disappeared, Song Ni also dropped her testing demeanor and teased, "I drove away your admirer, you won't blame me, will you?" Tan Zheng's brow twitched. "Speak normally." Song Ni: Uncle Tan! Uncle Tan! Tan Zheng: ... (End of Chapter)