Mr. Song’s left hand, wielding a wristwatch, was also holding a document. His western pants covered long legs, and his white shirt cuffs were rolled up to reveal forearms that were both muscular and firm, a toughness that belied his scholarly appearance. Hearing the threat behind him, he did not turn but instead cooperatively raised his hands.
"Don’t move." Tang Li said, reaching out to close the office door.
The moment the door was nearly shut, her hand shaped like a gun, pressing against Song Baiyan’s lower back on the right side, was seized. By the time she realized what was happening, she had been yanked forward by a forceful pull.
Crashing into the man’s chest, Tang Li found herself in an awkward situation where her attempted sneak attack had backfired.
Subconsciously, she grabbed onto the corner of Song Baiyan’s shirt.
Her waist was gently embraced.
A deep, steady voice, almost like a lesson, came from above her head: "The most taboo thing in taking hostages is divided attention. If the other party is too cooperative, they must have a contingency plan in mind."
Tang Li replied, "So now you’ve turned it into you taking me hostage?"
Song Baiyan brushed her back lightly, his tone carrying a hint of a sigh: "A hostage that causes trouble ends in losing both the wife and soldiers."
"As compensation, I’ll concede to being your village chief’s wife."
The next moment, Tang Li was straightened up.
Song Baiyan’s hands rested on her shoulders as he looked over seriously, his gaze both assured and gentle: "A village chief’s wife who’s underage for marriage, I’m afraid no one would dare to accept."
Tang Li slowly leaned in: "These days, we advocate ’try before you buy’."
Before she finished speaking, someone knocked on the office door.
Tang Li immediately moved aside.
Not wanting to disturb Song Baiyan’s work, she grabbed her bag from the sofa and slipped out the eastern door into the rose garden, closing the glass door behind her and meeting Song Baiyan’s gaze from inside the office. She pointed to the side and made a ’I’ll come back later’ gesture.
Then she bolted, vanishing without a trace.
Song Baiyan, hands on hips, couldn’t help but smile at the scene, though he was at a loss with her. He opened the main office door, the visitor being the current Minister of the National Security Department.
Once Tang Li had walked some distance away, she looked back towards the office. Through the glass panes, she could see Song Baiyan and a middle-aged man seated on the sofa, with a secretary coming in to serve tea.
Gazing out at the vast expanse of greenery from the backyard of Tan Palace, Tang Li’s mood was influenced by Han Jifeng’s words.
Looking again across the expanse of the lawn, it seemed shrouded in a shadow.
After marrying Han Jifeng in her past life, she had become a full-time homemaker, disconnected from political events, spending time with Qin Yueru watching TV series, hardly turning on the television otherwise, and rarely going online due to caring for Qin Yueru’s daily needs.
The year she died, Han Jifeng was already the Minister of Justice. Being in politics, he naturally knew more than she did.
Tang Li had long stopped caring about the ending between Han Jifeng and Lai Shengxia; now she only wanted to know what had happened in a few years’ time, how Song Baiyan got impeached and why he passed away in the hospital less than half a year later.
The only thing Tang Li knew was that many people were implicated by Song Baiyan and arrested, and the President’s impeachment was a major event, with continuous news coverage.
Suddenly, Tang Li’s pant leg was tugged.
She looked down to find a plump Corgi.
Following the leash attached to the Corgi, Tang Li’s gaze met with Song Jingtian’s oblique look.
The little fellow, dressed in a spring school uniform, spoke arrogantly: "This isn’t Songlin Garden. Sneaking in here, if the Special Agents catch you, you could end up in jail."