Chapter 9

Tang Zechen picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, finally putting down the task at hand. He raised his eyes to look at her and asked, "Do you have anything else you would like to say to me?"

Qin Nuanyang was somewhat taken aback, "What does 'mm' mean?

Upon thinking of this, she inexplicably felt a sense of guilt

Qin Nuanyang's features are exquisite, and with a light layer of makeup, her lively and charming demeanor is further accentuated. At this moment, she is quietly asleep, her pair of eyes, as clear as water, are closed, making her appear even more gentle.

At this moment, her nerves suddenly relaxed as she listened to the gentle voice of a woman on the television. Leaning slightly against the sofa, she closed her eyes. Initially, she intended to just doze off for a while, but her mind grew heavier and heavier

After hanging up the phone, she sat in the living room for a moment, harboring doubts about Mia's conservative outlook of being "not optimistic," and thought it would be better to see it with her own eyes.

When Qin Nuanyang woke up, the sky had already darkened, with only a streak of dark golden remnants of clouds rolling at the horizon, casting a fiery glow across the entire sky

She was even more confused, and it was only after he glanced at her that she suddenly remembered he was referring to the matter of helping him manage the TC Club.

He nodded slightly and said, "Come in."

Fortunately, there are not many people on the road at this moment; otherwise, her ancient costume, which she has not yet had time to change out of, would look exceedingly strange.

Given the situation has escalated to this extent, it is temporarily impossible to return home. There are certainly people guarding the area below the apartment, and Qin Nuanyang found herself unexpectedly without a place to go.

Tang Zechen momentarily lost his focus, glancing at her from a distance through the crowd, before turning and leaving

She raised her head to look at him, her gaze slightly pausing as it passed over the brand new book, before she lowered her head without a change in expression

He never expected that by a stroke of luck, he would return only to encounter a second version of himself. He stood by the side door, listening to her confident speech. Her arguments and topics were commendable, and her fluent English, combined with her radiant and captivating smile, made her presence alone sufficient to draw people in like moths to a flame

Tang Zechen brewed a pot of tea for her, casually turned on the television, gave a brief explanation, and then went out again

This attire of watercolors in ancient style, along with her long hair as dark as ink, makes her appear as if she has stepped out of a painting, with features as exquisite as a work of art, her gaze sparkling with brilliance

Qin Nuanyang was immediately rendered speechless. She cautiously glanced at Tang Zechen, noticing that he was not paying attention to this side, and lowered her voice to ask her, "Is it that serious?"

Tang Zechen casually returned the thick original book in his hand to the bookshelf, tapped his fingertip on the spine of the book, and then effortlessly pulled out another one before saying at a leisurely pace: "Consider it a management fee"

Tang Zechen raised his index finger and pressed it against her lips, the lips beneath his finger warm and soft. His gaze deepened as he slowly leaned in closer. Until their breaths mingled, he watched her stare at him in a daze, her expression stiff. He couldn't help but smile in good spirits, slightly tilting his head, and asked her: "It is said that Miss Qin has emerged as a new talent in A City, clear and lively, captivating to the bone at first glance. What do you think I should ask of you?"

Public relations have begun to suppress such reports, the photos have been purchased at a high price, yet the news could not be contained, and now there is a flurry of rumors; her situation is somewhat bleak

She scrolled up and down with the mouse, opened her Weibo to glance at the comments, and after a moment, closed the webpage. "Is my room just next door?"

She made an effort to recall, and if she remembered correctly, she should have met him three years ago, in a book at the library

Upon thinking of this, Qin Nuanyang was momentarily taken aback. Is this situation considered normal?

It should have been after Xu Zhengyang came to find her that day, when she was targeted by someone, completely unaware of it herself. Several clear photos of her entering and exiting the hospital were taken, and even Xu Zhengyang appeared in the shots from close range.

The car was very quiet, and Tang Zechen's hearing was quite good, so he effortlessly heard those few words. At this moment, he raised an eyebrow and looked at her with great interest, "A golden house to hide a beauty?"

Tang Zechen stood right in front of her, clearly seeing the fleeting hesitation in her eyes, with a smile that seemed to be both genuine and mocking, "Are you sure?"

Tang Zechen parked the car in the underground parking lot and deliberately took her to walk around above.

The photos taken when entering and exiting the hospital are somewhat blurry, and those entertainment reporters just look at the pictures and tell stories, even starting to doubt whether she went to the hospital for an abortion... Moreover, some even directly speculate about whose it is, one of whom is Tang Zechen

Tang Zechen rarely let her off the hook, yet the smile at the corner of his lips deepened, "I have always valued fairness in my dealings. Have you thought about how to repay me?"

She knew he was teasing her, yet she still blushed seriously and became somewhat flustered. "You ... ... "

She propped herself up to sit up, momentarily unsure of where she was, until she saw Tang Zechen walking out of the study, which slowly brought her memories back.

Qin Nuanyang was originally worried about how to broach the subject with him, but it seems he has already made the decision for her.

Qin Nuanyang did not dare to respond, only nodding ambiguously and clumsily changing the subject, "I will probably trouble you for two days, waiting for Miya to pick me up..."

The phrase "to offer oneself in devotion" suddenly leaped into Qin Nuanyang's mind, startling herself. Her gaze towards him also became alarmed, "Wasn't it said to be a management fee?"

He stood for a moment, just about to leave, when he heard her pause and say in a very serious and resolute tone: "The above views are solely to pay tribute to Tang Zechen. He was a legend in this school many years ago, and many years later, I come to continue his story"

But the truth is, the only time we really met was that late night at the airport, when she, feeling dizzy, mistakenly got on the wrong bus

She stared at her phone, wishing she could bore a hole through it, her courage growing bolder, daring to hang up on her call

Qin Nuanyang was taken aback for a moment, somewhat unclear about his meaning, "... it seems there isn't."

During this time, she also heard the sounds of doors opening and closing. Her eyelids twitched as she struggled to wake up, but it seemed as if a layer of something gentle, like light, was slowly covering her eyelids. There was also a faint voice beside her that softly said, "Sleep well for a while." She truly fell into a deep sleep.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked, "Why are you helping me today?" He could have easily chosen to stand by and do nothing

Tang Zechen suddenly recalled the way she looked the first time he saw her. At that time, Qin Nuanyang was probably only 20 years old, her hair not as long as it is now, casually tied in a ponytail, both youthful and radiant

Qin Nuanyang nodded slightly and changed into a pair of slippers before walking into the living room

Qin Nuanyang awkwardly met Tang Zechen's gaze, feeling guilty as she hugged her phone and shifted slightly towards the window. "Miya, get to the point."

At that time, he also felt that this girl was stunningly beautiful, her eyes sparkling with brilliance. She stood there, and in just six minutes, she made him remember her for two years, or even longer

He lives on the twelfth floor. After opening the door, he stepped aside to let her enter first. On the shoe cabinet were neatly arranged men's shoes. She opened the cabinet to take a look, then turned to ask him, "Do you have women's slippers?"

Tang Zechen glanced at the traffic through the rearview mirror, activated the turn signal, and turned into the community. "The environment here is quite good; you should be able to get used to staying here for a while."

Qin Nuanyang smiled awkwardly and said, "Don't listen to what Miya is saying."

This is her little secret, and to this day, no one knows it

The key point? The key point is Miss Qin Nuanyang. You are not allowed to go out until this matter is properly handled in public relations. " After saying this, she finally felt relieved and softened her tone, saying softly: "Consider it a few days off.

Tang Zechen was reading in his study when he heard soft footsteps approaching. He turned around and saw her peeking in, asking, "Can I borrow your computer to go online?"

The community is a newly developed area with a tranquil environment, where a clear stream meanders through. Continuing along this stream, just past two buildings, is the place where he resides

Tang Zechen gently placed his palm over her eyes, and only after noticing her breathing had stabilized and become calm again did he slowly remove it

Mia's voice was somewhat hoarse. After confirming that her current situation was quite safe, she paused and said: "You should stay at Mr. Tang's place for now. You shouldn't go out for the next few days. I will temporarily postpone all your engagements; you should lay low for a while."

Qin Nuanyang hesitated for a moment, just then, Mia's call came in. She glanced at Tang Zechen, who was focused on driving, and casually answered, "Mia?"

Tang Zechen pressed his lips together slightly, looking at her through the steam rising from the hot tea, "When did you get to know me?"

Tang Zechen glanced at her and saw her with her head down in deep thought. His eyes flickered, and he said: "Come to my place"

He had just closed the door when he squatted down beside her, took out a brand new pair of men's slippers from the shoe cabinet, and placed them in front of her, saying, "Make do with these for now, I will go to the supermarket right away"

Qin Nuanyang went online to take a look at the public opinion, and it was indeed much more serious than what Miya had said. She browsed down earnestly, but her expression grew increasingly worse.

"That was just now, but I have changed my mind." His tone was gentle, yet there was an unmistakable hint of a faint smile in his voice

However, neither of the two individuals introduced themselves to each other, nor did they even ask for names; upon meeting, they simply knew who each other was and what they were doing

Tang Zechen smiled faintly, showing little interest

Fang Zirui smiled and told him, "The second Tang Zechen"

He smiled slightly, pressing his lips together, but did not give a definitive answer

Qin Nuanyang found Tang Zechen to be exceedingly strange tonight; his eyes seemed to perceive everything, making her feel a bit unnerved.

Tang Zechen came out holding a cup to pour water. Upon seeing that she was awake, he paused for a moment and said, "First, go wash your face. A clean towel is all ready for you."

She responded with a sound and upon entering the bathroom, she saw the towels and toothbrush he had prepared, as well as a set of home clothes for changing. She glanced at the ancient costume she was wearing and regretted it so much that she almost bit her tongue

He glanced at her with his head lowered, and simply uttered "Hmm".

Fang Zirui deliberately led him to the side door of the auditorium, pointing at the girl on stage who was giving a speech, and said: "Do you see that Chinese girl? Do you know what her nickname is?"

As for her being involved with multiple partners, it further suggests that she is inherently flirtatious, treating men as playthings while engaging with numerous suitors, and within this context... there is also Tang Zechen

Qin Nuanyang had not yet had the chance to speak when the other party decisively hung up the phone

She gazed at those few truly thought-provoking photographs and sighed lightly while resting her forehead on her hand. This time, it was she who had involved Tang Zechen.

She silently glanced at the book he held in his hands and concluded: perhaps it was a girl who secretly harbored feelings for him, who had stealthily taken his photo and tucked it inside that book he often borrowed. It remains unknown whether he ever saw it; the photo stayed neatly tucked there until it was taken away by her

Miya gasped, and then erupted, "I told you long ago that the one thing you cannot hide from me is your affairs. When I asked you this morning if you were in a relationship, you adamantly denied it. Now, your secret lover has been exposed. Have you considered my situation?"

Qin Nuanyang: "We met at the airport, have you forgotten?"

After ordering takeout and having a meal, Mia's phone rang again. I briefly informed her about the situation outside, and her previously relaxed expression became somewhat displeased again