Chapter 151 Song Ni's Heartache
Hearing Song Ni's words, Tan Zheng let out a light chuckle. There was nothing to worry about; his gaze simply couldn't help but linger on her, and he felt the urge to follow her as soon as she left. What he said, however, wasn't so gentle. "Afraid you'll get sore and weak, and stumble if you're not careful." As if on cue, Song Ni's glare attacked Tan Zheng the moment he finished speaking. "Just you wait. Once I've recovered, I'll definitely fight you." Tan Zheng chuckled softly, his chest trembling, finding Song Ni's demeanor utterly amusing. His eyes held endless doting and tenderness. "Mmm, I'll be waiting."
Hearing the tone in Tan Zheng's voice, Song Ni assumed he was implying she wouldn't win. She looked up fiercely, intending to argue, but her gaze met Tan Zheng's deeply affectionate eyes. Tan Zheng always said her eyes were beautiful, but his own were just as captivating. His eyes were so deep, and even when the gaze within was as calm and indifferent as water, it held an irresistible pull to delve deeper. Moreover, when he looked at her, the calm surface of the water was always broken, revealing helplessness, doting, and tenderness. For someone like Tan Zheng, being associated with doting and tenderness was overwhelmingly powerful.
Song Ni's assertiveness weakened imperceptibly. Facing Tan Zheng like this, she couldn't remain firm. She simply said, "Go grill me a lamb leg." A smile played in the man's eyes as he reached out and lightly scraped her perky nose. "Little glutton. Why do you eat so much and never gain any weight?" Not only did she not gain weight, but she had even lost some. Song Ni answered without hesitation, "Come on, I'm an actress now. Don't I need to have some actor's demeanor?" The truth was, due to her inability to gain weight and the intensity of her filming, she didn't need excessive dietary control, which resulted in her current physique. Chang Zi was even worried she wasn't getting enough protein to withstand wire-work scenes.
Tan Zheng cupped Song Ni's face, gently tugging at it a few times. "Mmm, it's amazing having an actress at home." He used to feel a bit of flesh when pinching Song Ni's face, but now, no matter how he squeezed, she still felt too thin. Thinking this, Tan Zheng's brows furrowed. He realized he hadn't actually seen Song Ni acting yet. Grilling required precise heat control. Song Ni hadn't gotten her grilled lamb leg last time, and this time, Tan Zheng wouldn't let her down. After a few more words, he returned to the courtyard. With just a glance, Zhou Jin immediately put down what he was doing and rushed over. "The early morning flight has been canceled. I'll return a day later." Zhou Jin paused, nodding. "Understood, President Tan." When on a mission, Zhou Jin's elite demeanor became particularly apparent. His work was always meticulous, which was why Tan Zheng had transferred him to Yu City to oversee such a significant project.
When Song Ni came out, Zhou Jin was modifying the flight tickets and making a call to Su Qing. Su Qing on the other end seemed somewhat anxious, and Zhou Jin also frowned. "President Tan has his own arrangements. You'll have to stall them a bit longer." Hearing this, Song Ni connected it to Tan Zheng's recent busyness, assuming he had postponed a lot of work to fly to Yu City. "Assistant Zhou." Song Ni spoke up. Zhou Jin turned and hurriedly said a few words to Su Qing before hanging up and quickly walking over to Song Ni. "Madam." Song Ni cut to the chase. "How much did he push back? When is he returning?" Zhou Jin pondered for a moment, seeing the determination in Song Ni's eyes, and decided against concealment. "Today, he was supposed to have a dinner with Chairman Hua Lin. President Tan declined. Originally, he was flying to Xingcheng at midnight tonight, but President Tan just said he'll return a day later. He has to attend the Tan Group shareholder meeting tomorrow."
After hearing this, Song Ni's brow furrowed deeply. Both the meeting with Chairman Hua Lin and the Tan Group shareholder meeting were not minor affairs; in fact, for Tan Zheng, both were extremely important to his future career. Yet, because it was her birthday, he had pushed them aside without hesitation. If she hadn't coincidentally overheard Zhou Jin on the phone tonight, Tan Zheng would certainly not have told her any of this. And then, without her knowledge, he had gone to great lengths to manage things. Song Ni's lips thinned, her lips turning pale. When she was silent, the intimidating aura she exuded was somewhat similar to Tan Zheng's. Zhou Jin began to feel a sense of dread. Just as he wondered if he shouldn't have told Song Ni, she finally spoke. "I understand. Don't tell him." Zhou Jin quickly acknowledged.
After he left, Song Ni stood under the corridor, watching the man in the courtyard for a long time. He held a cigarette in his mouth, white smoke swirling in the air, unwilling to dissipate, obscuring his eyes into a squint. The glowing ember was particularly striking and scarlet in the night. He seemed lost in thought, his brow slightly furrowed. Occasionally, he would chuckle with the young people from the club, or let out a wry smile. He exuded a sense of nonchalance and laziness, but his exceedingly superior facial structure and features gave him an air of arrogance without him having to do anything, yet it commanded respect. A man like this, seemingly careless, was always attentive to the lamb leg he was grilling for her. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and he couldn't get a whole lamb, so this leg was something he had specifically instructed Zhou Jin to buy, a singular offering. Sheng Jiang, perhaps drawn by the aroma, ran to his side, wanting to sniff it, but was met with a fierce glare. "This is your sister-in-law's. Don't you dare lay a finger on it." Sheng Jiang grumbled, saying Tan Zheng only had eyes for Song Ni and that Tan Zheng was henpecked. The man just smiled faintly and didn't retort.
It was then that Song Ni noticed the faint exhaustion clouding his eyes. Indeed, after returning, he had been working nonstop for more than ten days, during which he had been preoccupied with their argument and cold war, busy with work and socializing, ending up in the hospital. He had rushed over here right after being discharged. Last night, they had argued for so long... Yet, when he looked at her, his eyes were always filled with warmth and doting. Even when he teased her occasionally, the deep affection in his eyes never diminished. But her? She was still angry about him being too rough last night and had even vowed to fight him once she recovered. Song Ni suddenly felt a prickle of tears. The winter night sky, with its sparse stars, seemed a little lonely. And the man sitting under the night sky, grilling the lamb leg for her, seemed to be shrouded in a layer of solitude.
Song Ni took a sharp breath, her heartache and regret overwhelming her. She shouldn't have argued, shouldn't have had a cold war. Tan Zheng always said she was ungrateful, and she always argued back. Now, she realized Tan Zheng was right. She had always focused only on her own emotions, a habit difficult to break. Thus, without even realizing it, she had overlooked Tan Zheng. But she wasn't ungrateful; she knew how good Tan Zheng was to her. Song Ni took a deep breath, composed herself, walked behind Tan Zheng, and covered his eyes with her hands. Playfully, she asked, "Who am I?" The man smiled and held Song Ni's hands. "Why did you come out?" Song Ni insisted, "Who am I?" Tan Zheng smiled, brought Song Ni's hands to his lips, and kissed them. "My wife."
Content, Song Ni wrapped her arms around his neck, following his posture, and leaned her entire body against his back. Her nose twitched. "It smells so good." Tan Zheng raised an eyebrow, hooked a chair with his long legs, and let her sit down. "Why aren't you sleeping? Your hands are so cold. Warm them up." Song Ni mischievously placed her hands on Tan Zheng's face again and asked, "Are they cold?" The man's eyes flickered, but before he could speak, Song Ni leaned in and kissed the spot where her hand had been. "Let me blow on them."
(End of this chapter)