Si Mei

Chapter 16 Proceeding Cautiously, Inviting the Opponent into the Trap

Chapter 16 A Careful Plan, Awaiting Your Arrival

The strange yet seemingly logical atmosphere between the two made Tang Qinyun cast frequent glances at them. What made him even more bewildered was the look in Song Ni's eyes when she looked at Tan Zheng. Because Song Ni usually paid him little attention, he wasn't familiar with some of her quirks. However, Song Ni was remarkably bold, showing no hint of concealment. Her eyes were full of curiosity towards Tan Zheng, the kind of curiosity a woman holds for a man. He had heard from Song Jing about the Song family's arranged marriage with the Tan family, and he knew that today was Song Ni and Tan Zheng's blind date. Precisely because he knew, he found it difficult to comprehend. Logically, given Song Ni's personality, being set up on a blind date should have made her resistant, and by extension, she should have been resistant to the blind date partner as well. But that wasn't the case. Could Tan Zheng be that charming? Thinking this, Tang Qinyun looked at his friend of more than ten years. Tan Zheng was indeed the type many women would find appealing. But he was indignant. Why was it that after so many years he couldn't get close to Song Ni, and yet Tan Zheng could so easily pique her interest? "Little Ni Ni, you're still so young, why are you in such a hurry to get married? Your aunt and uncle like me so much, why didn't they arrange for me to be your blind date? See, we've known each other since we were kids, childhood sweethearts, how perfectly matched we are." Song Ni's eyebrows twitched at the term of endearment, finding it nauseating. "If you don't want me to call you Tang Tang, you'd better change your address." Tang Qinyun relented. "Okay, Ni Ni, what do you say, considering your childhood sweetheart brother?" Tang Qinyun had intentionally acted so presumptuously in front of Tan Zheng, but the latter merely cast a lazy glance at him, showing no displeasure on his face, even watching with a hint of amusement. Song Ni felt Tang Qinyun was acting foolishly. "What kind of childhood sweetheart are you to me?" Tang Qinyun:....... He had only wanted to make Tan Zheng uncomfortable, but why was he the one getting hurt? "Ni Ni, I'm at least friends with your brother, and I've treated you well since we were kids. If not a childhood sweetheart, can I be considered your half-brother? Can you be a little friendlier to me?" Tang Qinyun, with his silver hair, looked incongruous as he feigned distress. Song Ni used to think he was always so flippant and unreliable, hence she disliked interacting with him. After watching the competition today, she did have a slightly better impression of him. However....... Song Ni curled her lips. "Isn't being blind-dated by Tan Zheng good?" Although she was speaking to Tang Qinyun, her eyes were fixed on Tan Zheng, nakedly asking, "Tan Zheng, what are your thoughts on going on a blind date with me?" Tan Zheng was no stranger to such a look; it was exactly the same as the one he had received outside the restaurant at noon. Tang Qinyun was right; Tan Zheng was indeed the type many women liked. Tan Zheng had encountered many women showing him favor, of all sorts, but he had never seen anyone like Song Ni. He could see her interest in him from her gaze, but Song Ni didn't state it clearly, as if, in a game of chess, she was making careful moves, waiting to lure him into a trap. Although she had made the first move, she was using her eyes to convey her feelings, using her gaze to entice him to say the words she wanted to hear. Darkness fell, and it seemed like it was about to rain again. Tan Zheng absentmindedly rubbed his left wrist with his right hand. He stopped looking into Song Ni's eyes, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it. Song Ni's eyelids fluttered slightly, and she withdrew her gaze, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. She didn't believe Tan Zheng would continue to evade the question. Tang Qinyun would naturally not say anything bad about Tan Zheng. In fact, deep down, if Song Ni truly ended up with Tan Zheng, he could use that opportunity to get closer to Song Ni. The original two-person outing turned into a three-person one with Tang Qinyun's addition. After dinner, due to Tang Qinyun's garrulous nature, they ended up at Tan Zheng's bar, where many of his acquaintances gathered. Everyone was curious about what sparks would fly between Tan Zheng and the eldest daughter of the Song family. Upon entering the bar, Song Ni deliberately walked past the bar counter, letting the bartender see her, and also see Tan Zheng and Tang Qinyun behind her. Seeing the surprise on the bartender's face as she had hoped, Song Ni finally felt some of the frustration from that night dissipate. Tan Zheng observed all of this and, noticing the faint smugness on Song Ni's face, felt that despite her boldness and pride, she still retained some of the innocence and habits of a young girl. She seemed to be able to switch seamlessly between being a woman and a girl, without realizing it herself. Song Ni finally entered the private room she had seen that day. Three people were already seated inside. The lighting wasn't very bright, and at first glance, Song Ni could only make out the appearances of two of them. One was Lu Hao Ting, a talented rapper of the new generation, and the other was Lu Fang, the eldest young master of the Lu family, who had left the family to start his own entertainment company. Another man was hidden in the corner of the light, whom she couldn't recognize. However, as soon as Tan Zheng entered the room, the first person he greeted was the one in the corner. Their relationships were clearly very good from the outset. Song Ni didn't feel constrained, but her attitude became serious. Since Tan Zheng had brought her to meet his friends, it meant he had implicitly acknowledged their relationship, a relationship that would soon blossom into that of fiancés. Normally, Tang Qinyun would have immediately joined the others for drinks, but today he stayed respectfully by Song Ni's side, acting as a representative from her family, akin to Song Jing. Tan Zheng gave Song Ni a deep look and then introduced everyone to her one by one. Song Ni finally recognized the person in the corner: Li Qiao, from the Li family, the most influential and prestigious family in Xingcheng. Without needing to ask, Song Ni knew he was serving in the military. Among the three, Lu Hao Ting was the most lively. His eyes hadn't left Song Ni since she entered. "Have we met somewhere before?" The Lu family had little interaction with the Song family, and Lu Hao Ting was from a collateral branch. If they had met, it would only have been at a large gathering, but Song Ni had always disliked such events. Tang Qinyun snorted. "You see a pretty girl and claim you've met her before. Where would you have had a chance to meet my Ni Ni?" Lu Hao Ting and Tang Qinyun had always been rivals. Hearing this, he rolled his eyes. Then he continued to stare at Song Ni. "We've definitely met." Song Ni's face was the kind that was hard to forget once seen. "Indeed, we have met." Song Ni smiled and pointed downstairs. "You came here to perform once, and I was sitting there." Lu Hao Ting's eyes widened, and he remembered. That day, he had spontaneously gone up to sing a song. He was dressed casually and wore a hat. He had been in a good mood that day, and coupled with Song Ni's outstanding looks and temperament, he had glanced at her several times. "How did you recognize me?" He had sung one of his early, unpublished works, only humming a sentence or two in a video. Song Ni smiled faintly, a rare hint of shyness on her face. "I'm a fan of yours." (End of Chapter)