Chapter 149 The Charm Emanating From Her Bones
She might have been busy, or perhaps last night’s festivities had been too passionate, but a wave of weariness washed over Song Ni after their meal. The sun was shining brightly today, and Song Ni let out a lazy yawn. "I want to lie by the window," she said.
The room was warm, and the thick blanket by the window was inviting. Tan Zheng didn't refuse. He picked Song Ni up, still wrapped in the thin blanket. The wine they hadn't finished last night now served as a good aid for a deeper afternoon nap. Song Ni knew how to enjoy herself. Leaning into Tan Zheng's embrace, she took a small sip, then nestled against his warmth and drifted off to sleep.
Song Ni slept soundly. In the sunlight, the fine hairs on her face were clearly visible, and her long, curled eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyelids. She looked so innocent, so endearing, it softened one's heart. However, she had lost some weight, her cheeks noticeably thinner.
As Tan Zheng watched Song Ni sleep, he sipped his red wine. All other thoughts fled his mind, leaving only him and Song Ni, lost in their world. After finishing the bottle, Tan Zheng held Song Ni’s waist with one arm and supported the back of her head with the other, resting his chin in the crook of her neck. He too, fell asleep.
From the peak of the sun to its descent, they both slept soundly. The next time they awoke, it was to the frantic ringing of a phone. The kids at the club had been eagerly awaiting Song Ni's birthday, intending to celebrate it to their heart's content and escape the grueling training. But they had waited the entire day with no sign of her. Unable to bear it any longer, Sheng Jiang, being the youngest, was chosen to be the unlucky one to make the call.
Tan Zheng was the first to wake. He instinctively covered Song Ni's ears, his brow furrowed as he scanned the room. He realized the source of the disturbance was Song Ni's phone. The man carefully withdrew his arm from under Song Ni's head, got up, and picked up the phone by the bedside. It was a WeChat call from Sheng Jiang. His frown deepened. What mischief was this brat up to now?
Tan Zheng didn't immediately answer. It was Song Ni's phone, after all. But in that brief moment of hesitation, Song Ni had already woken up. "Who is it?" Tan Zheng handed her the phone.
Song Ni answered, and Sheng Jiang's impatient voice came through. "Sister Ni, what are you busy with? It's your birthday today, come out and have some fun! We're all waiting."
Song Ni coughed to clear her throat. "Your boss is here."
"Boss?" Sheng Jiang's mind couldn't quite grasp it. "Who? Does his word carry more weight than ours?"
Hearing this, Song Ni seemed to gain some clarity. She raised an eyebrow at Tan Zheng and handed him the phone. Sheng Jiang's voice was loud, and Tan Zheng had heard his previous words clearly. "Yes, my face isn't as important as yours."
Sheng Jiang: "..."
"Brother Tan, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Your face is huge, bigger than the sky. Brother Tan, the brothers miss you. Bring Sister-in-law along to play!"
Tan Zheng let out a cold snort. "I think you're asking for a beating."
"No, Brother Tan! About the cornering issue last time, I can shave off a full three seconds!" The man stopped talking nonsense with Sheng Jiang and looked at Song Ni. "These kids want to celebrate your birthday. Shall we go?"
Song Ni nodded. Tan Zheng, however, raised an eyebrow and sat down beside her, his arm around her waist. "Do you still have the energy to play?"
Song Ni: "..."
"Play, of course! There's only one birthday."
Tan Zheng gazed at her bare shoulders. Even after a day, the marks there had only faded slightly. His eyes deepened, and he reached out to pull the slipping blanket back up. "Alright, let's go play. Get ready."
Song Ni stood up, but after lying down all day, the sudden movement left her legs weak. She promptly tumbled back onto the blanket. The man chuckled softly, encircling Song Ni's waist with one arm and lifting her. "Are you sure you have the energy to play?"
Song Ni shot him a glare. Once she was steady, she slapped his hand away from her waist. Tan Zheng laughed even more heartily, gently patting her waist. "Go get ready."
After Song Ni went into the bathroom, Tan Zheng turned his attention back to the phone. Sheng Jiang on the other end was already overwhelmed by the display of affection. "Brother Tan, so you'll be coming over later?"
"Mm. Have you been spending a lot of time with your Sister-in-law these past few days?" Sheng Jiang, caught off guard by the sudden question, could only think of Song Ni's plea for secrecy. "Ah? Playing? No, Brother Tan, I've been training diligently lately." Little did he know, this evasive answer made Tan Zheng even more suspicious.
After hanging up, Tan Zheng placed Song Ni's phone back on the bedside table. "Damn Tan Zheng!" Song Ni's angry roar came from the bathroom.
Tan Zheng's eyes flickered, and he entered the bathroom, only to find Song Ni glaring at herself in the mirror, her face contorted in anger. "Are you a dog? Look at my neck, what have you done to it!"
Tan Zheng, knowing he was in the wrong, was willing to indulge Song Ni's outburst. "It's my fault." Song Ni's chest heaved with anger. Her neck was covered in hickeys. How was she supposed to go out like this?
The man promptly hugged Song Ni from behind, burying his head in her neck, sniffing her gently, and planting soft kisses. "Baby, you're too charming, I can't help myself."
Song Ni was clear-headed now and wouldn't be easily appeased by Tan Zheng's "baby." She turned her head to avoid his kisses and unceremoniously pushed him away. "Don't sweet-talk me. How am I supposed to go out?"
"Baby, it's winter." A high-necked sweater or a scarf wouldn't look out of place.
"Then how am I supposed to film?"
"Take a few days off?" Song Ni couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Tan Zheng, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"
The man smiled and pinched Song Ni's face. "You've lost weight. Filming is just for fun, no need to make yourself so tired."
"I have my own plans." Tan Zheng's expression shifted, and he looked at Song Ni with a raised eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Song Ni didn't say anything further. By the time they were ready and left the room, an hour had passed. Since it was Song Ni's birthday, Chang Zi and Chi Xia had come along.
Chang Zi found an opportunity to approach Song Ni and whispered in her ear, "Is this gift of mine useless now?"
Song Ni's face flushed. "How did you know?" As soon as she asked, Song Ni felt foolish. They had been in the room together for an entire day. Anyone with a brain would know what had happened.
"Do you know what you look like now?" Song Ni's heart skipped a beat. Had she missed a hickey that wasn't covered?
Chang Zi provided the answer. "Your charm is even more womanly now." To put it plainly, Song Ni's charm had previously been confined to her eyes. Now, it emanated from her very bones. Anyone could tell that this was the kind of allure a woman who had experienced intimacy possessed. Especially her alluring peach blossom eyes, now glistening with moisture, were intoxicatingly captivating.
(End of this chapter)