Chapter 42 Otherwise
Song Xu was already leaving.
He’d been here less than three minutes.
Before leaving, he made sure to apologize, saying it was a last-minute visit and he didn’t prepare any gifts, but would bring something next time.
Next time? There’s actually going to be a next time?
Wen Qianming sensed something was off and looked at Wen Bairan, but she didn’t have time to explain anything right now.
“I’ll see him out.” She dragged Song Xu to the curb. To make sure they were far enough away, she looked back. Sure enough, the people at the hotel entrance were still staring right at them, so she had no choice but to put more distance between them.
It wasn’t until Song Xu took her wrist and said, “This is far enough,” that she stopped.
Wen Bairan paused.
With elders present earlier, the bit of respect and gentleness Song Xu had faked was believable enough to seem real. Now that it was just the two of them, he stopped pretending and returned to his usual cold self, not even a trace of the faint smile in his eyes when he first saw her remaining.
Wen Bairan automatically started explaining to him, “It’s my grandma’s birthday today, and there are a lot of people here. I didn’t know you were coming. How did you find this place? Did you see the message I sent you? Are you leaving now? Why don’t you wait a bit? I’ll buy you a bite nearby. Did you not have lunch at noon...”
She kept babbling on and on, but never got around to explaining the mix-up with her aunt.
It was awkward, and she didn’t know where to start. It was true that she had split up with Zhou Lin, but she wasn’t together with Song Xu either. Today, he had shown up uninvited, so the mix-up was somewhat understandable.
The trees along the roadside greenbelt were tall, and the shady spots were chilly, the wind making her shiver.
She looked up, carefully observing his expression. He was casually fixing his crumpled sleeve that she had tugged, his neutral look completely hard to read.
It seemed like he wasn’t angry.
So why was she still nervous?
Just as Wen Bairan was about to let out a relieved breath, she suddenly met Song Xu’s eyes as he looked over.
The depth in his eyes seemed even more intense in the shadows, accurately noticing her relief, a hint of mockery hidden at the corners of his eyes.
Wen Bairan froze.
He glanced down at his watch and said, “No time left. I have to go back for a meeting.”
“...In such a hurry?”
Song Xu shrugged, coat in hand. “Just like you wanted.”
Last night, Wen Bairan had been completely worn out. Whether it was intentional revenge or just being rusty and unable to keep up with his pace, she had cried and screamed, pushing his hair and telling him to get out fast.
Now, he was giving her what she asked for.
Song Xu’s fake-innocent tone made Wen Bairan’s face turn red, then pale.
She clenched her fists.
This guy!
How could he say something so shameless right out in the open!
“Alright, then leave.” She took a step back up on the curb, crossing her arms in front of her chest, acting like she wanted space as she watched him leave.
The wind tousled the hair around her ears, the jet-black color making her skin appear even paler.
Wen Bairan tilted her head slightly, wearing an expression that seemed to will him to leave quickly. The pouty attitude she had developed over the past few days at home faintly revealed itself at the corners of her pursed lips.
She had put on makeup today, very lightly.
Her features were naturally delicate, and the lighter, more subtle the makeup, the more it highlighted her elegance. The muted pink lipstick made her look so radiant it seemed like her skin looked dewy.
It was unclear whether he’d had a hand in it, but these lips—as soft as they were when kissing him—were just as sharp when angering him.
Song Xu narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t over.”
Wen Bairan: “What isn’t over...?”
He furrowed his brow as he leaned in closer.
The height and presence the curb had given her instantly vanished. The imposing figure of the man before her almost engulfed her.
“I said, you and I aren’t finished.”
“It doesn’t matter if your family doesn’t understand the situation. You know the truth.”
The matter of being called the wrong name—just because he didn’t mention it didn’t mean it never happened.
They were elders, outsiders.
He wasn’t childish enough to hold a grudge against them.
But Wen Bairan was different.
“You’d better give me a reasonable explanation.”
“Otherwise.”
Song Xu curled his lips slightly, a cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The deep, faint scent around him wrapped around her like a veil—thin yet dense, impossible to break free from, tangling tighter and tighter.
Wen Bairan’s heart skipped a beat.
He didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he cupped her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.
The person who had been threatening her just a moment ago now smiled and gave her a kiss.
Lips, nose, forehead.
When Song Xu was gentle, he could drown a person in tenderness.
“I’ll be waiting for you in Shenjiang,” he said.
Wen Bairan maintained her arms-crossed posture, watching him get into the car. The car drove off quickly. It wasn’t until even his taillights were out of sight that she realized if it weren’t for her arms blocking her chest, her heart would have leaped out.
Her phone rang—it was Ms. Xie.
Grandma Wen had already returned home. They had seen her seeing him off for so long and thought she had left with him. Now, they were already on their way home.
Wen Bairan: ...
She declined their offer to turn back and pick her up, instead hailing a taxi home by herself.
/
When she got home, it was inevitable that questions about Song Xu would arise.
Wen Bairan repeatedly emphasized that he was just her boss and had only come to see her because he was visiting on a business trip.
There was nothing between them.
Wen Qianming was a straight-shooter, completely insensitive to subtle feelings. Seeing how resolutely his daughter spoke, he chose to believe her.
But Ms. Xie was different.
She knew all too well what it meant to protest too much, and she knew her daughter even better—if they were really just colleagues, Wen Bairan wouldn’t have pulled him aside to talk, nor would she be so adamant about denying the relationship this way.
She didn’t say anything, only asking Wen Bairan when she planned to return.
Wen Bairan paused. She had only told Ms. Xie about quitting; even Wen Qianming thought she was just back for vacation time, at most guessing it was because of a breakup.
P&t was a good option, but since it was connected to Song Xu, she hesitated.
It felt like choosing the company meant choosing him.
But she didn’t want to be in a relationship right now.
Ms. Xie didn’t press her and changed the subject.
“Do you remember Tan Zheng? Your high school classmate who went to university in Shanghai and stayed there afterward.”
Wen Bairan recalled seeing his name on a contract from Xirui not long ago but wasn’t sure if it was the same person. “What about him?”
Ms. Xie: “His aunt and I take yoga from the same teacher. She mentioned that Tan Zheng recently came back. Apparently, he made some mistake and was let go.”
Wen Bairan was surprised. “Fired?”
//
P&t was coming on strong this time. Xiang Sun and Song Xu’s goal was clear: to carve out a place in the medical market.
Shenjiang University had just signed a cooperation agreement with them. P&t would be responsible for upgrading equipment and laboratories, while the university would send people to assist with projects and, when necessary, help bring in outside help.
Professor Guang Peiliang from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences had come to Shenjiang University for a lecture and exchange, offering several suggestions for their laboratory upgrades.
He was only in Shenjiang for four days. Song Xu rushed back on Sunday evening to pick him up from the airport and didn’t see him off until Thursday night. Professor Guang sang his praises during those few days. He was also very interested in Dayun’s Proton Therapy Center and explicitly stated that if they needed him, he would be more than willing to help.
Xiang Sun’s smile stretched ear to ear when he heard.
Before boarding his flight, Professor Guang asked Song Xu if he was married, mentioning that he had a niece who was not bad-looking and suggesting they meet next time. Unfortunately, time was too tight for him to elaborate on her qualities, but he promised to share her WeChat that evening so they could chat on their own.
Song Xu didn’t respond.
On the way back, Xiang Sun was a bit sour.
“We both spent four days with him, but it’s like Old Guang only noticed you.”
Song Xu was dealing with emails and replied casually, “Noticing me means noticing the company, and noticing the company means noticing the project. Don’t you want to make money? If not, let’s not play.”
He closed his laptop and gestured for the driver to pull over.
Xiang Sun actually believed he would drop everything and quickly stopped him, admitting defeat and saying he was afraid of him. Then he couldn’t help but curse himself for being such a brown-noser: “Fuck! Why am I so scared of you? From school till now, you’ve always had me wrapped around your finger.”
Song Xu leaned back calmly. “You should be afraid.”
After all, they were on the same boat now, and neither wanted it to capsize.
Clearly, between the two of them, Song Xu was the one at the helm.
“Seriously, I feel like I’ve been scammed. Back then, you organized a few gatherings and got me so fired up that I just had to start this company with you. Now... tsk tsk tsk. My wallet hurts.”
The company focused on biotech, and every aspect—from product R&D and digital healthcare development to equipment and team training—cost a fortune.
Moreover, returns on such investments took time, and it was hard to see profits quickly.
Although he had full confidence in Song Xu’s abilities, he couldn’t help but ask, “Haven’t you prepared something to help get some return on investment?”
As soon as he finished speaking, an email popped up on Song Xu’s laptop.
The car was dim, and the blue light from the screen reflected the inscrutable depth in his eyes.
Xiang Sun craned his neck to look. “…Letter of Authorization…?”
His eyes widened in shock, and he exclaimed, “What?! When did you get this agency agreement?!”
Song Xu frowned, annoyed by the noise, and tossed the laptop to him, telling him to move away. “Read it yourself.”
A week after quitting, he had emailed headquarters and reached an agreement as a senior agent for sales and brand representation, covering not just equipment but also supplies. Not only was Shenjiang University’s lab upgrade now worry-free, but maintenance costs were also significantly reduced. As for Xiang Sun’s request to get some return on investment, it was just an added bonus.
Such a major move, and he had handled it quietly all on his own—and succeeded!
Xiang Sun clapped in admiration. “I knew you never fight a battle unprepared, but I never expected you to be this thorough. That’s so you, Song!”
Song Xu leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, completely unresponsive to the flattery.
He had been too busy lately and was exhausted.
But even tired, the unflappable, confident ease he exuded was enviable.
Xiang Sun used to think he might be a robot—though he had a human body, his brain must have been installed with some AI program. Otherwise, no human could achieve what he had.
Whether in school or at work, as long as Song Xu focused—no, even if he studied with his eyes closed—he was better than anyone else.
Because of this, Xiang Sun was even more curious about what he had been doing during his sudden trip out of town last week.
The agreement with Shenjiang University was signed on Friday, and they were supposed to meet up with the research institute’s people for socializing on Saturday. They had planned to meet at the company, but after a phone call, Song Xu said he wasn’t going.
Professor Guang was arriving the next day, and Xiang Sun was worried he wouldn’t make it back in time to pick him up. He asked what was going on and if it could be postponed for a couple of days.
Song Xu wouldn’t say. His mysterious demeanor made it seem like he was going to exact revenge.
Before leaving, he even asked for the phone number of his former project manager.
Speaking of which, that project manager was unlucky—he happened to run into someone as overly protective as Song Xu and was fired just for saying a few unpleasant things.
Song Xu opened his eyes. “You fired him.”
“Yeah, I did, but the tension was so high that day, and you were about to have a falling out with me—of course I chose you!” Xiang Sun licked his lips, put the laptop aside, and couldn’t resist asking, “Did you really date that secretary?”
He skipped the question of whether they slept together—they definitely did; Song Xu wasn’t the type to believe in waiting for marriage.
But precisely because of that, if he had caught real feelings, it would be major news!
Xiang Sun’s tone was weird, as if he was sure they’d dated but also felt it was a bad idea. It seemed it never occurred to him that Song Xu could be rejected.
How could he be rejected?
He was Song Xu!
The window tint on the commercial vehicle was darker than the night. Song Xu looked out the window, his silhouette blurred; he raised a hand, his index finger thoughtfully brushed against his lower lip.
It was Thursday.
Tomorrow would be the last day.
He said, "Help me find a place."
"Sure, what do you need?" Xiang Sun immediately took out his phone to get on it.
"Close to the company."
"Alright."
After a moment's thought, Song Xu changed his mind.
"No."
"Somewhere closer to Lingang Bay."
Xiang Sun: "?"
That was clear across town from the company—even commuting every day would be too far.
He thought about suggesting a different area.
"The distance is great, but the person is near."
Xiang Sun: "????"
Song Xu turned his head, his deep eyes beneath long lashes soaking in the night’s darkness, turning even deeper.
The faint cabin lighting cloaked his ambition in a mysterious and dangerous trap.
Who would end up falling in?
He allowed himself a hunter’s subtle smile.