Chapter 533

Four Seasons Hotel.

In the brightly lit suite office.

"The flight route application has been approved. The first flight from Yangcheng Baiyun Airport to Yancheng International Airport is expected to take off the day after tomorrow, which is Wednesday morning at ten o'clock. Bombardier has also completed the final comprehensive inspection before delivery—"

On the computer screen was the face of Xiao Xue, with exquisite makeup and high spirits.

Since being "tapped" last time in Xiangjiang, this assistant’s growth rate could be called astonishing.

Not only did she perfectly complete all the cumbersome processes of the private jet handover, but she also established a set of efficient operation docking systems in a very short time.

At the same time, according to Tang Song’s preferences, she carried out the final personalized customization of the cabin’s entertainment system, wine cabinet, and cigar bar—of course, this was also thanks to her background in flight attendant training, having a natural love for high-end service, which could indeed be said to be a professional match.

"Well done, Luna, thank you for your hard work."

"Not hard, serving President Tang!" Lin Muxue in the video suddenly straightened her body and saluted seriously.

Tang Song laughed "pfft," "How is it? About to leave Xiangjiang, will you be a little reluctant?"

"No." Lin Muxue licked her red lips, suddenly leaned her body slightly forward, the camera instantly becoming snow-white, and her voice also became ambiguous, "Wherever President Tang is, I want to go. Speaking of which, I have already rearranged the master suite on the plane according to your instructions, just waiting for you to come and inspect it yourself."

Tang Song smiled, "Okay, looking forward to the plane’s maiden voyage."

The two chatted for a few more sentences.

Hung up the phone.

Tang Song stood by the window for a while longer, admiring the night view of the Pearl River, before returning to the large desk.

Next, his most important work was the Double 11 promotion of Songmei Apparel.

The third stage growth plan task [2 Performance Explosion] required the company to achieve a monthly sales volume of over 100 million.

This November was his only chance in the near future.

This was also the reason why he couldn't stay in Yangcheng for long.

This annual festival in the e-commerce field had already kicked off at midnight on November 1st, and the entire company had entered a state of high-intensity overtime.

And the first batch of products of Songmei Apparel’s new high-end brand [HEYISTUDI0] would also officially debut during the warm-up event on the evening of November 8th, which was Wednesday this week.

Among them, there were not only seasonal new designs carefully crafted by the Huashang Apparel team but also the urban windbreaker series independently completed by Yao Lingling, which was highly anticipated.

It is worth mentioning that the finished sample of this windbreaker was extremely outstanding, whether it was the cut, fabric, or detail craftsmanship, all far exceeding expectations.

It received overwhelming praise during internal company try-ons.

It was believed to possess all the potential to become an annual hit.

Tang Song had also seen the finished product; it was indeed great, his little junior sister was really amazing.

For an e-commerce company, if its self-built brand could be widely accepted by the market.

It meant that it would completely get rid of the role of a pure "channel merchant" or "middleman."

Truly possessing its own "soul" and "moat."

It also meant higher gross profit, stronger user stickiness, and a broader brand premium space.

The importance was self-evident.

"Ding-a-ling—" A sharp phone ringtone suddenly sounded.

[Zhang Yan]

Tang Song subconsciously looked at the time; it was already almost ten o'clock in the evening.

At this time, she suddenly called—

Tang Song’s heart lifted instantly, and he answered quickly, "Hello? Zhang Yan!"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment before Zhang Yan’s voice came: "Tang Song, are you at the Four Seasons Hotel?"

Tang Song was stunned, "Yes, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"N-nothing." Zhang Yan’s voice was still very low, but Tang Song could clearly hear her rapid breathing.

"What exactly is wrong? Tell me."

Another silence.

Subsequently, Zhang Yan’s voice suddenly rose, "I want to see you now."

Tang Song was stunned, standing up from his chair almost subconsciously, his eyes full of surprise.

This was the first time he had heard such a loud, such an excited voice from Zhang Yan, and what she said was "I want to see you."

This was simply incredible.

"Of course, where are you? I'll come to find you."

"No need, I—I'll be downstairs at the Four Seasons Hotel soon."

"I'll be down immediately!" Tang Song said while walking outside with long strides.

In the living room, Wen Ruan, who was wearing a facial mask and watching a variety show cross-legged, looked over upon hearing the movement.

Tang Song’s footsteps paused, a look of apology appearing on his face, and he walked to her side and whispered: "Ruan Ruan, I'm going out, I might be back late."

Wen Ruan looked at his hurried appearance, rolled her eyes impatiently, and waved her hand: "Go, go, go, hurry up, don't want to see you! Better not come back!"

Tang Song smiled awkwardly and rubbed her hair gently.

He turned and walked quickly to the entrance, changed his shoes, and went out.

In the quiet corridor, rapid footsteps sounded.

The elevator floor numbers jumped downward bit by bit.

90..80..70..

Tang Song recalled Zhang Yan’s words just now, and his heart beat violently along with it.

Downstairs at the International Finance Center (IFC) West Tower.

Zhang Yan hung up the phone and stuffed the phone, which still carried warmth, into her pocket hard.

She hugged the heavy gift box again and stood outside the exit of the magnificent building.

The huge glass curtain wall was like a mirror, reflecting the brilliant night view of Zhujiang New Town.

Luxury cars whose names she couldn't call out slid past her silently, stopping in front of the car doors already opened by the doormen.

From the cars came men and women wearing high-end custom clothing and exquisite makeup; they walked calmly, chatting and laughing, emitting a kind of aura belonging to another world that she couldn't understand.

She was like an inconspicuous little tree transplanted into a strange environment, completely out of place with everything around her.

This was her first time looking up at this city landmark from such a close distance.

Here gathered the top enterprises of Yangcheng, the intersection of elite and power.

In the past, she didn't even have the qualifications to come here for an interview.

Being in it, she was as small as a speck of dust.

If it were before, she would definitely have been too ashamed to even raise her head, not daring to look into the eyes of those passing by her.

But at this moment, her eyes were full of dancing flames.

Staring straight at the revolving glass door that kept opening and closing.

Youth is, after all, a series of non-stop misses and encounters.

And Tang Song had actually always been wandering in her world.

It was just that in all the years past, she had never once had the courage to truly stand in front of him and say "Hello, classmate,"

say "I am Zhang Yan."

And the miracle brought by "Dragon Ball" gave her a chance.

Not only did it make her dream of many years come true, but it also descended from the sky at her most desperate moment and saved her.

They had many incredible interactions—eating, painting walls, reading manga, walking, kissing, hugging... but in the end, he was now very, very far away from her, so far that they weren't in the same world.

If this time, she missed it again, retreated again...

He would probably disappear from her world completely.

The youth that accompanied her for more than ten years.

Never to be seen again.

This fear overwhelmed Liu Qingning and gave her unprecedented courage.

Zhang Yan’s throat rolled, and her gaze looked toward the brightly lit lobby on the first floor.

In her vision, a familiar figure appeared.

He wasn't wearing the expensive suit from the day, but had changed into a simple white T-shirt and casual pants, looking clean and refreshing. He passed through the crowd of gorgeously dressed people and walked straight toward her.

His footsteps were fast, even carrying urgency and nervousness.

All the glitz and noise around seemed to automatically become a blurred background the moment he appeared.

Zhang Yan took a deep breath and moved her steps while holding the box.

"Bang, bang bang—"

The sound of her violent heartbeat lingered in her ears, almost drowning out all the sounds around her.

Adrenaline soared wildly in her body.

"Da, da, da—"

The sound of leather shoes hitting the smooth marble floor became more and more rapid.

Tang Song passed through the revolving glass door.

Stepping into the slightly damp night of Yangcheng, the evening wind mixed with the scent of traffic and vegetation blew toward him.

His gaze swept across the surroundings,

Instantly locking onto the figure standing in the dim light ahead.

She was wearing a simple white shirt and a skirt, with a slightly oversized light gray suit jacket on the outside.

This professional-leaning outfit made her shed all her immaturity, as if she had matured a lot in an instant.

She was holding a heavy black hard-shell gift box solemnly in her hands, walking toward him step by step.

The bright light fell on her, as if plating her with a layer of soft halo.

Her shoulder-length short hair was gently blown by the damp evening wind, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate eyebrows.

Their gazes met.

Zhang Yan’s eyes flickered, but this time she didn't dodge flusteredly like before; instead, she summoned the courage to look directly into his eyes.

"Tang Song."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into a quiet lake, rippling in Tang Song’s heart.

"Zhang Yan—"

The footsteps stopped.

The two stood facing each other.

"These are the 34 volumes of 'Dragon Ball'." Zhang Yan took a step forward and handed the heavy gift box in her arms to him, "—

A gift for you."

Tang Song reached out to take it.

The box was very heavy in his hand, probably weighing more than ten pounds.

"Thank you for the gift."

He didn't open it immediately, just looked down into her eyes.

This was the first time they had looked at each other for such a long time without any dodging.

In each other’s pupils, the clear figure of the other was reflected.

From Zhang Yan’s eyes, Tang Song seemed to understand something, and a wave of inexplicable palpitation surged in his heart.

He carried the heavy box with one hand and suddenly reached out his right hand, pulling her into his arms.

Zhang Yan’s body shook violently, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and back.

Her hands were cold, but her breathing was rapid and hot.

At the entrance of the colorful hotel, people were coming and going, noisy and prosperous.

The two hugged for a long time before releasing slowly.

Tang Song looked down at her eyes, which were becoming brighter due to excitement, and asked softly: "Why did you come so late to give me books?"

Zhang Yan bit her lip, meeting his gaze, her voice clear: "I want to work at Xingyun International Group."

Tang Song nodded hard, his voice filled with undisguised joy, "Okay, you can join anytime."

"I—" Zhang Yan’s voice lowered again, as if she lacked confidence, "I only know how to write drafts now, there are many things I don't understand, and I can't compare to others. But I will study hard, I just want to try!"

In the last sentence, she regained her courage.

"Mm, I believe in you."

"I will resign from Shucheng Technology as soon as possible."

"If you encounter any difficulties in resigning, you can contact me anytime." Tang Song paused and added: "I will push you the WeChat of my friend at Xingyun International Group later. She will stay in Yangcheng for a while, and you can contact her if you have anything in the future."

"Okay." Zhang Yan stood there with her hands clasped in front of her, still looking at Tang Song fixedly, as if she still had words left unsaid.

The air became quiet.

"What's wrong?"

Zhang Yan’s lips moved, "I—I still have many things I want to tell you, are you free now?"

"Wait for me."

Tang Song said, turned around and walked back to the hotel entrance with long strides, handed the "precious" gift box to the staff who came up, and whispered a few instructions.

Then, he trotted back to her side.

Smiling, he said: "I've been in Yangcheng for so long and haven't walked around the Pearl River properly. Walk with me, Student Zhang Yan."

After speaking, without giving her a chance to refuse, he took her hand directly.

Zhang Yan was led by him like a puppet, passively, yet willingly following his footsteps.

Their shadows stretched under the lights, overlapping together.

Passing through the glitzy river of light woven by neon and car lights, they turned into a relatively quiet path along the river.

The evening wind blew toward them with the unique water vapor of the Pearl River.

The river reflected the brilliant lights of the city, like a shattered flowing oil painting.

Tang Song’s slender fingers exerted a slight force, passing through her fingers, interlocking with her, palms touching.

Zhang Yan’s hand shook suddenly, and a strong, numbing electric current shot through her whole body from her palm.

Making a layer of tiny goosebumps appear on her neck.

She turned her head and looked at Tang Song’s profile, which appeared exceptionally handsome in the night, her heartbeat like a drum.

Their gazes met again.

Tang Song’s hand exerted a slight force, his warm fingertips rubbing gently on the back of her delicate hand.

Zhang Yan’s cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and her deep-rooted timidity made her want to break free subconsciously, but she endured it in the end.

The numbing sensation became more and more intense, making her footsteps somewhat unsteady.

The two walked along the Pearl River like this.

There were quite a few cuddling couples around.

After a while.

Zhang Yan’s lips moved gently, lowering her head, as if talking to herself, or as if pouring her heart out to him.

"I remember when I first started junior high, the teacher asked me to sit with you as deskmates. At that time, my palms were full of sweat... But your name is really easy to remember, Tang Song..."

She began to narrate the junior high era that belonged to her, about him, intermittently.

His brow furrowed seriously when he explained problems, his light steps when he hummed, the arc of his eyes when he smiled...

The Tang Song of his youth seemed to have no flaws in her memory.

Cheerful and generous, studying seriously, even his notes were neater than others'.

He would often bring snacks to school, always saying he bought too many and couldn't finish them, but actually, it was just an excuse he made on purpose because he was afraid she would be too embarrassed to accept them.

He was very willing to talk to her, would accompany her to play Gomoku, and would share those brand-new extracurricular books she couldn't afford with her...

He always rode a half-old bicycle to school because their villages were adjacent. Sometimes when they met on the road, he would wave to her from afar and let her sit on the back.

That bumpy back seat of the bicycle, carrying the faint scent of soap on the boy.

Was the deepest and warmest memory in her entire youth.

Her voice was very light, very slow.

Like a babbling brook, washing out those fragmented and warm past events bit by bit.

Flowing into this gentle night belonging to the south.

Tang Song listened blankly, his thoughts drifting.

Those junior high memories he was about to forget,

were now restored and colored bit by bit by Zhang Yan with a unique perspective.

Never thought that in that seemingly plain time, some of his unintentional actions, a casual joke, an inadvertent sharing.

For the quiet and introverted deskmate beside him, would actually be so important and profound.

"Tang Song."

"Yes—" He turned his head and looked at Zhang Yan.

"Linglong dice are red beans, do you know the deep longing in the bones?" She looked into his eyes and used all her strength: "I like you. Like you very, very much."

Tang Song looked at her, looked at her eyes that were trembling slightly due to nervousness and excitement.

His heartbeat began to accelerate.

Just about to say something.

Zhang Yan suddenly stood on tiptoe and closed her eyes.

Her cool, soft lips printed lightly on his cheek like a feather.

The air seemed to solidify at this moment, only the river wind still blowing gently.

At this moment, in Zhang Yan’s vision.

The whole world was shrouded in dazzling golden light.

She felt that she had really transformed, becoming a "Super Saiyan."

And finally, she returned the "power" he lent her in such a direct and brave way.

She felt the aura on him, as if she had finally touched the boy she had been chasing for more than ten years.

Her lips left his cheek bit by bit, making an imperceptible sound.

Zhang Yan let out a light breath, as if she had lost all her courage and strength.

She stumbled, her face flushed red instantly, her gaze dodging flusteredly, not daring to look at Tang Song again.

"T-that—it's—it's almost 11 o'clock, I—I have to go back—"

She turned around suddenly, like a frightened rabbit, lowering her head, almost fleeing toward the roadside.

"Step, step, step—"

Steady footsteps sounded from behind.

"I'll send you back." Tang Song’s voice was intimate and gentle, carrying an undeniable meaning.

Zhang Yan’s body stiffened, stammering: "N-no need, it's very late, I can—"

Before she could finish, a warm, large hand reached out again, holding her hand tightly.

Tang Song ignored it and led her, hailing a taxi by the roadside.

Inside the car, the dim light shrouded the two figures.

Zhang Yan lowered her head, turned her body, wishing she could shrink herself into a ball and hide in the gap of the seat.

The Zhang Yan who had just completed the transformation and become a "Super Saiyan" seemed to have fallen again.

Tang Song leaned against the back of the seat, looking at her, smiling.

Along the way, the air was unusually quiet.

The car stopped slowly at the entrance of the Lanxinyuan community.

Tang Song sent her all the way to the apartment building.

The two stood under that familiar dim street lamp, speechless.

The atmosphere wasn't as awkward as before, but instead had a hint of subtle ambiguity.

"I'll go to the company to resign tomorrow first." Zhang Yan finally summoned the courage to break the silence, "Then go to the hospital, the examination results should be out soon too. I need to evaluate the surgery in the next few days, so I might have to wait a few days to go to work."

She kept her head down when she said these words, as if reporting her itinerary.

"Mm, no rush, handle the things at hand first." Tang Song’s voice was warm, and he couldn't help but reach out to rub her head again.

Zhang Yan’s hair was very smooth, standard, with a natural arc of collarbone-length hair, feeling very good to the touch.

It felt so comfortable he didn't want to let go.

Zhang Yan’s body stiffened slightly, she bit her lip, but didn't dodge.

"Tell me when you leave Yangcheng." She said in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible reliance.

"Mm, don't worry." Tang Song’s hand slid down, patting her shoulder gently, "Before I leave, I will definitely go see you and Auntie."

"Thank you, Tang Song, these days—"

"Don't say thank you to me."

Another silence, only the "rustling" sound of the evening wind blowing through the tall banyan trees in the old community remained.

"I—I'm going up." Zhang Yan finally couldn't hold on, hanging her head shyly, her voice as thin as a mosquito.

"Zhang Yan."

Tang Song suddenly called her.

"Mm? Wh—what's wrong?" She only then seemed to be awakened, raising her head slowly.

The warm color of the street lamp cast a gentle light in his deep eyes.

He looked so good.

Zhang Yan’s hands subconsciously went behind her back, her fingertips twisting nervously.

"I like you."

His voice was very light, but it pierced through all of Zhang Yan’s defenses, smashing fiercely into her heart.

Those beautiful almond eyes became blank and hazy, losing focus in an instant.

Immediately after, his face grew larger and larger in her pupils.

Occupying her entire world.

Zhang Yan’s long eyelashes trembled, subconsciously retreating.

But there was a strong, powerful hand on her waist, holding her firmly.

Hot breath sprayed on her face, itchy.

The clean aura belonging to him wrapped her.

Zhang Yan closed her eyes hard, her eyelashes trembling, waiting for the moist touch on her cheek.

Her mind was full of Tang Song’s words just now.

He likes me... He likes me... This was more unreal than any dream.

However, the next second, a warm suction came from her lips.

"Mm—" A low hum of surprise overflowed from her throat, swallowed completely by his lips and teeth.

Zhang Yan opened her eyes incredibly, filled with shock and confusion.

Tang Song kissed her lips gently, breathing the unique scent of shower gel on Zhang Yan’s body.

He could clearly feel the stiffness of her body and that uncontrollable slight trembling, and could also feel the softness and greenness of her lips.

The feeling of this kiss was very much like that carefree summer afternoon in his memory, filled with sunshine.

Pure, clean, carrying a hint of clumsy sweetness that made one’s heart palpitate.

This made a strong desire for protection and possession surge in his heart.

Zhang Yan’s brain was blank, her body becoming hot and soft.

Her fingers tightened on his clothes unconsciously, her legs went soft, and her whole person leaned against his solid chest.

The world began to spin.

Countless brilliant fireworks bloomed in front of her eyes.