Ji Ming did not come with her tonight.
Leaving Fuyuan, it was Song Baiyan who drove himself.
The car that Song Baiyan drove wasn’t the familiar Lexus of Tang Li, but a common black Ford. Whether parked in an underground garage or blending into the traffic, the Ford worth a couple hundred thousand was clearly much more discreet than the Lexus.
This Ford sedan belonged to Song Baiyan’s secretary.
When they dined in Fuyuan, except for phone calls, no one disturbed them mid-meal.
Later, when they left the private room, they used the VIP channel just as they had when they arrived. Even though Fuyuan was a frequent spot for celebrities and politicians, they didn’t bump into any old acquaintances who recognized Song Baiyan.
Tang Li more or less sensed that Song Baiyan did this for her.
—It wasn’t because she couldn’t be seen by others.
Sometimes, being low-profile is a form of protection.
With the election just after the New Year, being one of the candidates, Song Baiyan knew his political opponents wouldn’t miss any chance to create a story. A lot of news, after sensationalized, would turn into "scandals." If she were implicated, becoming a person involved in the "scandals," the backlash could only be imagined.
Although Tang Li was clear about the stakes, when the car stopped at the east gate of Huafu No.1, she unbuckled her seatbelt but did not let go, suddenly saying, "It kind of feels like we’re having an affair right now."
Song Baiyan couldn’t help but chuckle, "Is that how you use the word ’affair’?"
"Either way, it’s all sneaky. Not much different," said Tang Li, before abruptly changing the subject, "Actually, it’s quite different from having an affair, as we just had a meal and didn’t do anything else."
"So, do you want to do something else before we go?" asked Song Baiyan.
Tang Li’s fingers, still gripping the seatbelt, tightened slightly, and remembering the kiss from last night, she said with a blushing face, "I was, in fact, planning on it."
As she spoke, she turned her head and looked away.
The girl’s eyes were bright, filled with an eager, bashful excitement. Song Baiyan’s left hand rested on the steering wheel, tapping the rim intermittently and then he spoke, "It’s still better for a girl to be a bit reserved."
"I have always been reserved in public," Tang Li explained.
Song Baiyan smiled slightly after hearing this, "By your words, have I wronged you?"
Tang Li did not respond, her gaze falling on the man’s left wrist.
Besides a watch, he wore no bracelets or cords.
Neither the leather cord she had woven herself nor the red string was there, treating them without distinction.
A smirk formed inside Tang Li as she said, "I just want to know what our relationship is now."
As she asked the question that had lingered in her heart, she averted her gaze, seemingly trying to conceal something, "Although I kissed you last time, strictly speaking, last night was my first real kiss. No other man has done that to me before."
After a pause, Song Baiyan asked her, "Are you really sure?"
Hearing that, Tang Li appeared puzzled.
"I’m so much older than you, are you sure you’ve thought it through, planning to be with me?"
"..." Tang Li’s cheeks grew hotter, then she nodded, not avoiding Song Baiyan’s gaze anymore, "You might think I’m young, but my emotional maturity is already there. Just being with you makes me content, even without speaking. I know this is what liking someone feels like."
"Do you know that to many adults, this kind of behavior comes off as fooling around?"
"As long as I know it’s not fooling around, that’s all that matters."
Having said this, Tang Li released her seatbelt, leaned forward, and wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, "I like you, age is irrelevant."