Chapter 177 Why Are You So Well-Behaved Today, Baby
After hanging up the phone, Song Ni suddenly stood up and walked to the window, gazing into the endless night. It should have just dawned over there. Had it snowed there? Xingcheng hadn't seen snow for years. She used to travel to a snowy city for a few days every year.
"Nini?"
"What do you think Tan Zheng looks like when he's sad?" She had seen the depth in Tan Zheng's eyes, and that was an emotion after five years of struggle and forbearance. She could hardly imagine what Tan Zheng was like five years ago. Lu Fang had said that Tan Zheng often drank until late at night, and Cheng Jing had said that Tan Zheng had once had a gastric hemorrhage. People like Tan Zheng were hard to hurt. Only he himself could hurt him.
Song Ni liked to see the shallow smile in Tan Zheng's deep eyes, liked to see the wicked smile at the corner of his mouth, and liked to see the dissolute aura between his eyebrows when he smoked. Qin Yang had genuinely pursued Tan Zheng like a fan during high school. She knew about every one of his races and every award he had won. Every time she saw him, he was spirited, he was at ease, he was the proud, arrogant, and unrestrained master of the racing world. Perhaps it was due to the filter of her admiration, perhaps their relationship wasn't yet that close, but she had indeed rarely seen other sides of Tan Zheng.
Yet, she understood Song Ni's emotions. The carefree Song Ni, who only cared about her own feelings and lived her life to the fullest, was now frowning because of Tan Zheng.
"Nini."
"Hmm?"
"Things are always waiting for us to resolve them, aren't they?"
"Yes."
...
Qin Yang stayed in Yancheng for only two days before returning to Xingcheng. During these two days, Tan Zheng hadn't called Song Ni proactively, and Song Ni hadn't bothered him. However, she would still check her phone from time to time. Qin Yang saw everything and quietly sent a message to Cheng Ling to inquire about the situation. It wasn't going well; he would have to stay in America for at least a week. If even Cheng Ling needed to stay in America for a week, Tan Zheng's return date was uncertain.
Before leaving, Qin Yang said one thing to Song Ni. "Nini, since you now believe in fate, why don't you try believing that your presence can make Tan Shen happy?" At least from what she had seen, Tan Zheng was happy with Song Ni. She had also seen the photo on the trending search and, after asking for the reason, felt even more strongly that Tan Zheng's feelings for Song Ni were deep. Given Tan Zheng's temperament, he hadn't directly dragged Song Ni away but waited until she had finished watching Li Jing's performance before carrying her off. Couldn't this prove something?
Qin Yang's words made Song Ni ponder for a long time. She suddenly thought of Tan Zheng's backyard, that vast expanse of dazzling sunflowers. Tan Zheng had said it was for a little girl who was very important to him. But the flower language of sunflowers is faith, brilliance, and adoration; another meaning is hope. Song Ni suddenly really wanted to know who that little girl was. She must have given Tan Zheng strength in the past, which is why Tan Zheng expressed his gratitude by planting sunflowers. That vast field of sunflowers.
...
Song Ni received Tan Zheng's call a week later. The man's voice was dry and hoarse, and his fatigue could be felt even through the phone, which was perhaps why he wasn't video calling. The man only said he had been busy abroad for the past few days, but he didn't tell Song Ni what he was busy with, so Song Ni didn't ask. She pretended to be angry. "Even if you go on a business trip abroad, you can't forget your wife."
Tan Zheng was stunned for a long time upon hearing this. Business trip... Song Ni had truly found a good excuse for him. The man softly responded, "Yes, wife, I was wrong." Song Ni was accustomed to Tan Zheng always retorting when she threw a little tantrum. His tone now made her heart ache. She had tried her best to suppress the urge to contact Tan Zheng these past few days, and to suppress her asking Cheng Ling about the situation. But Cheng Ling had been in America for a full week, and she didn't know how long it took to diagnose a patient's illness. However, there should be other doctors in America.
"Hmph, I'll settle the score with you when you're done being busy." Hearing Song Ni's haughty tone, Tan Zheng's mind conjured up Song Ni's lively expressions as she spoke, her peach-blossom eyes bright, like a sly little fox. The man's mood suddenly improved a little, and he finally chuckled softly. "Alright, you can deal with me however you please then."
After saying this, there was a long silence between them. Song Ni looked at the gloomy weather and felt her mood become heavy as well. "When are you coming back?"
"Miss me?"
"Mmm."
The man on the other end seemed surprised that Song Ni admitted it so readily. "Why are you so well-behaved today, hmm? Baby." Song Ni frowned and said fiercely, "Wasn't I well-behaved before?" The man said nothing, only chuckling meaningfully. Song Ni knew she had a boisterous personality and would bicker and throw small tantrums with Tan Zheng every few days. She said this simply to make Tan Zheng feel a little happier in her own way, and it seemed to be having some effect.
"Baby, in a while." Tan Zheng's "in a while" meant no return date. The situation in America seemed very bad. Song Ni pulled at her lips, trying hard not to worry, not to show too much emotion. "Alright, alright, if you don't come back, I can still have fun. I heard Li Jing has a performance on New Year's Day."
Tan Zheng was silent for a moment, but then he only said, "Let Lu Haoting accompany you." Song Ni was surprised. "Isn't Mr. Tan jealous anymore?" Tan Zheng sneered. "He's not qualified enough."
Song Ni: ???
Then who was it that directly carried her away from the performance venue a few days ago? "Oh~ Mr. Tan is so magnanimous." The man on the other end was momentarily choked by Song Ni's tone and finally couldn't help himself. "Watch what you want, but don't read any nonsense to me." Song Ni blinked, pretending not to understand. "What nonsense?"
Tan Zheng: ...
"Be good, listen, hmm?" Song Ni blushed at his call of "Be good." Tan Zheng really was calling her "baby" and "good girl" alternately.
Suddenly, there was a noisy sound from Tan Zheng's end. Song Ni's English was very good, and she clearly heard some medical terms, so she realized Tan Zheng was still in the hospital. Song Ni estimated the time; it was early morning there.
"Baby, I still have some things to take care of here."
"Then you go ahead and be busy. I have to go to filming too."
After hanging up the phone, Tan Zheng's expression instantly turned grim. The last time Xi Jinjiang had an episode, he had nearly died. His mental state now seemed to have reverted to five years ago. Cheng Ling and Chang Li heard the commotion and rushed over. It seemed that even this pair of master and disciple had no solution for Xi Jinjiang's illness. After five years of treatment, Xi Jinjiang understood his condition even better. He seemed unwilling to be conscious; being awake was instead a torment for him.
The moment Xi Jinjiang saw Tan Zheng, his emotions immediately became agitated. He casually picked up a vase from the bedside table and threw it at Tan Zheng. His strength wasn't great, and his speed was slow. Tan Zheng could have easily dodged it, but the man merely tilted his head slightly. The vase grazed his forehead, and blood instantly flowed from his brow.
(End of this chapter)