A faint statement, with no emotional ripples, Big Gold Teeth either didn’t hear it or thought the young girl was joking. As a result, a man came up and directly slapped Big Gold Teeth’s face. The slap was evidently full of force; one of Big Gold Teeth’s front teeth was slapped clean out, and half of his cheek swelled up like a pig’s head.
"You... Boss Chao..."
"Slap!" Another loud slap resounded, and the other half of the face also swelled up with the slap.
"Slap!" Yet another slap.
After three consecutive slaps, Big Gold Teeth finally came to his senses, staring blankly at these people in front of him. Why had Chao Song not reacted at all? What kind of background did this girl have?
"Boss Chao, you should look for better partners in the future. This kind... just throw them away."
"Yes." Chao Song took in a cold breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He never expected that this behind-the-scenes shareholder would appear here today.
The rest would naturally be handled by Chao Song, and no one would trouble the security guard. Tan Xiao walked with light steps to where Ye Tian was sitting and sat down as if it were completely normal.
In the textbook of "Abnormal Psychology," Ye Tian had come across the concept of "Two-faced Man," which referred to those with dual personalities and vastly different characteristics. Simply put, schizophrenia.
During the day, Tan Xiao was genteel and well-mannered, the epitome of a well-bred young lady. Although Ye Tian knew that this was just her disguise, he did not expect that this woman could suddenly become so ruthless, especially while dressed like the girl-next-door.
"It’s nothing, she just drank a bit, probably got drunk."
"It’s drunk on emotions, perhaps."
Tan Xiao shook her pretty ponytail, smiling as she spoke, her eyes forming crescents, showing no trace of the resolute and decisive strongwoman she had been moments ago.
Ye Tian smiled and did not reply, turning to look at Tang Su, who had fallen asleep. This woman, who had left under pressure and persecution, was now back, unwilling in heart and body.
Lying in bed, Old Master Tang held Ye Tian’s hand and said, "You lad, you’re quite capable. My granddaughter is such a good catch, and yet she ended up with you, heh, those messy affairs of yours should come to an end, lest Susu owes her father a favor again."
"A favor? What favor?"
"The last time you got out of prison was because Susu pleaded with her secretary father. The condition was to return to the Tang Family and get married..."
Drunk on emotions? Probably heartache.
Perhaps due to the cold air-conditioning inside, sleeping Tang Su covered herself with her hands. Ye Tian frowned, took off his suit jacket, and gently covered her with it, carefully tucking her hands that were outside back inside her clothes.
"Is it really appropriate for you to do this?" Tan Xiao picked up the cola in front of her, took a sip, and appeared to deliberately avoid looking at Ye Tian’s actions.
"What’s appropriate or not? Then do you think it was appropriate for you to say those things to her? You’re a woman too, why be so extreme? Susu is just a poor girl, tough on the outside but glass on the inside. She’s not as strong as you, the business empire’s iron lady."
It felt as if the cola scorched her throat, a burning sensation spreading from inside her chest.
Gently setting down the glass, the ice cubes inside stained by the cola’s deep red, looked pretty under the light. Tan Xiao opened another can of cola and poured it in.
"Did you hear what I said to her that day?"
"No. But I can read lips."
Tan Xiao let out a light laugh, "Lip-reading? Honestly, I’ve studied it too, but I never learned it. Maybe I’m too dumb; my attention always gets unintentionally drawn to some small distractions. Afterward, I just gave it up."
"Mhm, you’re right; lip-reading does require plenty of attention."
"I really want to hear what you think."
"You just said, as a woman, I shouldn’t be so ruthless. So what do you think I should have done?"
Ye Tian poured the remaining half can of cola into his glass and slowly sipped it, the sharp fizz providing some relief to his throat.
"It seems you don’t have any better ideas either. ’Don’t concern oneself with governance when not in office’; you’re neither me nor her, what right do you have to critique? Don’t talk to me about pity. She’s pitiful, aren’t others pitiful too? There are plenty of pitiful people, I can’t manage them all. To step back, the Tan Family can do without the Tang Family, but the Tang Family can’t do without the Tan Family. That’s the rule and the law of politics. It’s not like forming alliances in business; in politics, it’s either eat or be eaten, or flattering courting. When the word ’sacrifice’ narrows down on one person, its meaning changes. It becomes ’contribution,’ and even the small can seem grand. Disgusting? That’s just how it is."
Watching Ye Tian, who seemed indifferent to everything as he sipped his cola, Tan Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry.
"What about Tan Xin? He surely doesn’t want his future wife to come through a transaction, does he?" The cola nearly gone, Ye Tian opened another bottle, the white foam spilling onto the table.
"He’s still young, with some political experience but lacking in life experience. I will explain these things to him, of course. Anyway, I just hope you keep your distance from her. You’re more mature than Tan Xin; you should understand the phrase ’force majeure’."
Violent music began to play, instantly drowning out the crowd.
Watching as Tan Xiao stood up, her ponytail swishing back and forth, her loose white sportswear clearly out of place here, the girl-next-door "warned" Ye Tian before disappearing into the noise.
After finishing the drink in his glass, Ye Tian helped Tang Su out of "Legend", and at the entrance, they hailed a taxi.
In the car, Ye Tian pondered where to go. Under normal circumstances, a hotel would be better, but seeing her condition today, it seemed they might not make it to one. While he might be somewhat lecherous, he had principles – he could never take advantage of someone vulnerable, especially since he couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of Manager Tang.
"Miss! What’s the matter!"
Ye Tian remembered this person called Aunt Liu. That day, it was she who had called Tang Su, and then he had followed her in a daze to the Tang Family.