Chapter 56 The Future Mrs. Tan Must Live Steadily and Well
After resting in the car for a while, Song Ni’s spirits improved considerably. As Tan Zheng kept a close eye on the doctor applying medicine to her, Song Ni started to feel embarrassed. “Can you stop staring at me?” she thought, her face definitely not presentable after being slapped three times. With that, Song Ni frowned. Why did she always run into Tan Zheng when she was in such a mess?
Song Ni couldn’t open her mouth properly, and her words were muffled. Tan Zheng didn’t hear her clearly. Seeing her wince in pain as she spoke, which pulled at her wounds, the man’s voice became a little low and somewhat forceful due to worry. “If it hurts, don’t speak.” A trace of irritation welled up in Tan Zheng’s heart. When his brows furrowed, his entire demeanor exuded a certain ferocity, gloom, and depression. This was the second time he had brought Song Ni to the hospital. The young girl wasn’t delicate; she endured the bleeding and injury on her own. He detested overly delicate people, yet with Song Ni, he always felt she was too stubborn. He almost wished Song Ni could be a little more fragile.
Now, the extreme contrast of red and white, bright light falling upon Song Ni, evoked more pity than admiration. Tan Zheng raised his right hand and pinched his left wrist, his throat feeling dry. The nicotine craving was kicking in.
Song Ni couldn't help but roll her eyes at Tan Zheng. If it weren't for the fact that Tan Zheng was the first one to pick her up and that he was handsome, she wouldn't tolerate his temperamental, foul mood. How could he sound so rough and boisterous now, so unlike how he was in the car? She had even thought Tan Zheng had changed, becoming gentler after his trip to America. It seemed she had been too weak in the car to have the illusion of Tan Zheng being gentle. That was right; Tan Zheng was just this kind of person, which was why she found him interesting. If he changed so easily, it would be too boring.
This time, Song Ni blamed herself for five parts of the kidnapping because the captors were too stupid, and she had fallen into such a simple trap. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed and dejected Song Ni felt. Tan Zheng, who had been staring intently, saw her suddenly droop her face and assumed the doctor had been too rough, hurting her. His brows furrowed ominously, and his tone wasn’t very pleasant. “Be gentler with your hands.” The doctor’s movements paused; his steady hands now trembled.
Song Ni glimpsed Tan Zheng’s actions, knowing he wanted to smoke. “If you can’t wait, go outside. Don’t just stand here.” It wasn’t just that she felt uncomfortable standing there; now he was snapping at the doctor. Hearing Song Ni’s words, the restlessness in Tan Zheng’s chest was neither fully appeased nor dispelled. He put his hands on his waist. The man realized now that Song Ni, this young girl, had a peculiar ability. She could always say a couple of sentences that would ignite his anger but leave him unable to vent it. Tan Zheng didn’t want to see Song Ni in her injured state, so he left the room, looking for a place to smoke.
Lu Fang, who was on the phone with his secretary, hung up and quickly followed him. The autumn night wind was biting cold. Tan Zheng lit his cigarette after several attempts. He had rushed to save Song Ni immediately after getting off the plane and hadn't had a moment to rest until now. The veins in his eyes were red, and his eyes were dry. Only after taking a drag of the cigarette did he feel a slight relief. Lu Fang had seen Tan Zheng like this before; five years ago, he was a hundred times more dejected, even to the point of wasting his own life. But this was the first time he saw Tan Zheng like this because of a woman. He knew how Tan Zheng had reacted when he called that day. So, he brought up the question he had asked Song Ni that day and asked Tan Zheng. “Brother Tan, have you fallen for her?”
The man, leaning against the wall and smoking, heard this and flicked ash from his fingertip. The red ember in the dark night looked like a piece of obsidian. “I’m six years older than her. It’s only right that I take care of her.” Only right to take care of her? Lu Fang raised an eyebrow. When did age become something to consider? They only cared about their own preferences and interests; when had they ever followed so-called principles? He had never imagined hearing such words from Tan Zheng’s mouth. Without mentioning liking or feelings, he used this sentence to answer. Tan Zheng’s thoughts were not hard to guess; he was never one to hide his likes or dislikes. Lu Fang thought that Tan Zheng hadn’t even figured it out himself.
“In a few days, you’ll be getting married and starting a family. Want to go out and have some fun sometime? I’ll throw you a bachelor party.”
“We’ll see.”
After her wounds were treated, Song Ni didn’t see Tan Zheng outside the ward, so she simply sat on a chair outside to wait. The hospital was cooler than anywhere else. Song Ni hugged her arms, shivering from the cold. When Tan Zheng came over after finishing his cigarette, Song Ni didn’t mince words. “Lend me your jacket.” The man was stunned for a moment. Seeing her trembling lips and recalling the warmth of her body when he held her earlier, his brow furrowed. He took off his jacket and draped it over Song Ni’s shoulders. “You’re catching a cold?” Because of the injuries on her face, Tan Zheng didn’t attribute the unusual redness to a fever. The inside of Tan Zheng’s jacket carried the natural warmth of a man. The scent of smoke hadn’t completely blended with his own, yet Song Ni inhaled deeply, greedily. “Yeah, buy me some cold medicine too.”
Tan Zheng glanced at Lu Fang, who had followed him over. Lu Fang immediately spread his hands. “Alright, I’ll go buy it.”
Once Lu Fang left, Tan Zheng’s gaze became somewhat unrestrained as he looked at Song Ni. She had been away for a few days, and the young girl had lost weight. Now, she had fresh wounds on her hands, feet, and face. Tan Zheng nudged his cheek with his tongue and began to settle accounts. “Tell me, how did a karate expert end up like this?”
Song Ni’s head was already feeling groggy. When she heard Tan Zheng’s words, shame and annoyance surged through her. Before she left for America, Tan Zheng had seen her back to her apartment. At the time, she had laughed at Tan Zheng for worrying too much and even confidently declared that with her skills, nothing would happen to her. The proud little cat, unwilling to admit her mistakes in front of others, shifted the blame to this cold. “I have a headache, and my brain isn’t working properly.”
Seeing Song Ni’s nonchalant attitude, the fire in Tan Zheng’s heart flared up again. “You don’t take your own health and safety seriously at all?” The man’s voice was deep and heavy. His eyes, bloodshot from exhaustion, held even more anger. Song Ni was taken aback, not quite understanding Tan Zheng’s intense anger. She tilted her head and asked, “Don’t you do the same?” Wasn’t the Tan Zheng of his racing days known for his daredevil spirit? Even after retiring from the track, at the club that day, he had readily agreed to play dangerous games. He said she didn’t take her health and safety seriously, but did he take his own seriously? Besides, in this kidnapping, she had only received a few slaps. Even if Tan Zheng hadn’t come, she had already untied herself and was fully capable of dealing with that man. For so many years, no matter how her family lectured her about racing, Tan Zheng always had his own ways of responding or simply ignored them. Yet, he hadn’t expected that Song Ni’s simple, light question would leave him speechless. Those peach-blossom eyes, filled with only mild confusion, easily penetrated his heart. His sexy Adam's apple bobbed several times as the man raised his hand to cover the young girl’s eyes. He said, “It’s different.”
Song Ni blinked. Her long eyelashes tickled the man’s palm. “How is it different?” Tan Zheng leaned down and, as if it were natural, scooped Song Ni up from the chair. “I did it for racing. What did you do it for? Song Ni, the future Mrs. Tan must live steadily and well.” Without suffering hardship or pain. (End of this chapter)