Chapter 75 - Yearning in One's Heart

n that he's somewhat crafty to have climbed up to the position of dean.Lately, Tian Feng seems to be experiencing some personal value inflation. With all sorts of influential individuals coming forwar...Volume 2: Sailing Towards New Journeys Chapter 75: Yearning in Heart

"Young people, order what you like to eat. We don't mind." After Tang Wu asked herself the question, Sun Zhangjie clearly felt refreshed by Tang Wu's graceful and clever demeanor, returning the menu to her.

Tang Wu opened the menu and without any pretense, called over a waiter: "A dish of double pepper beef cold platter, braised pig ears, three mushrooms in fish stomach soup, lionfish head." Tang Zongyuan enjoyed eating beef, especially sliced boiled beef sprinkled with some salt and chili flakes, which was his favorite. Sometimes when he returned from business dinners without having had enough to eat, he would prepare a plate of seasoned beef at home along with an old wine, quite satisfying. As for Sun Zhangjie, Tang Wu also knew from her parents that he loved cold dishes; as for herself, Mu Xuan enjoyed eating fish. The carp heads in hot pot in Xia Hai and Rongcheng were objects they often favored.

Tang Wu's meticulous thoughts were reflected in the selection of dishes one by one, while at the same time her voice was melodious. Whether speaking Sichuanese or Mandarin, Tang Wu had a distinct charm. Su Cun particularly enjoyed listening to her speak Mandarin with crisp and pleasant tones when they were in Sichuan; however, in places like Shanghai where people spoke either Mandarin or Shanghainese, there wasn't anything particularly special about it after hearing it for a while. In this situation, Tang Wu was speaking mainly in Mandarin.

This kind of feeling made Su Cun feel very contented.

Tang Wu accurately ordered dishes according to everyone's preferences and then turned her slightly rippling eyes towards Sun Lei, asking, "What would you like to eat"

Sun Lei quickly said he wanted some wild mushrooms, ate a bit of vegetarian food was good, feeling somewhat uneasy. The aura Tang Wu gave off felt refreshing like spring breeze; she was clear and beautiful, and just now when Sun Lei heard her speak, it was quite enjoyable.

Finally, Tang Wu's gaze turned towards Su Cun, tilting her head and asking, "And you" Then she smiled and said, "Since you're a meat lover, let's have roast duck and sautéed enoki mushrooms with beef tongue." This comment caused everyone at the scene to fix their eyes on Su Cun.

Sun Lei picked up his teacup and drank tea to hide his extremely displeased feeling. With his background and status, he had seen many beautiful women; those who could instantly captivate him were few indeed. He also knew of couples where a beautiful woman paired with an unremarkable man, so mentally speaking, he was rather resilient. Thus, there really shouldn't be any reason to feel this sour feeling due to one Tang Wu.

But Su Cun truly enjoyed great fortune; back when they were in Xi Ling, he had a woman by his side who made people feel anxious and envious. Moreover, now he still had such an attentive and meticulous girl beside him. An extremely rare gem was found twice in one go. It wasn't unreasonable for Sun Lei to be unbalanced.

From the time Tang Wu took Su Cun into the private room and nodded her greeting to Sun Zhangjie and his son, followed by a brief conversation about conditions at Nan Da University in Shanghai under the guidance of Tang's father, she had always been elegant and proper. Her black ponytail gently bobbed behind her graceful neck as she performed exceptionally well, making everyone else in the private room seem like static objects from an oil painting, while only she was lively and dynamic.

So abrupt.

This aura is even disorienting to veteran players like Sun Changjie. Naturally, he thought of the budding TV hostess he had encountered a few days ago, who was also young and vibrant. However, Tang Wu gives off an impression of purity, whereas the female host has hidden complexities and deep-seated thoughts that are unknown to others.

Although this TV hostess might have been as innocent before she became a hostess, believing in love and dreams like the former one did, she loses out because what she lost in pursuit of fame and status was not her physical virginity but something much more profound—a man’s eternal adoration.

In such a situation, Sun Changjie naturally didn’t reveal his true thoughts. The way he looked at Tang Wu was purely that of an elder concerned for a younger person's welfare.

Mu Xuan sighed inwardly as he watched Tang Wu interact with Su Zhan in a manner that clearly indicated their special relationship. This is my daughter showing off to me, he thought. Although she hasn’t been particularly happy until now, Mu Xuan, the son of an official and a member of the elite class, managed to get out from under her father’s influence by eloping with Tang Zongyuan, enduring hardships all along the way to achieve what they have today. It is clear that he knows how to prioritize his values.

Mu Xuan exchanged a brief glance with Tang Wu's father, then looked at his watch. At this moment, Mu Xuan’s phone rang.

Picking up the call, Mu Xuan smiled, "Uncle Zhao, hello! Yes, my mother also sends her regards to you. What did you say My old mother would never forget someone like you. She often tells me about how Xiao Zhao was this and that in the past. The most memorable moment she recalls is when she didn’t know you were hospitalized and wanted to send a car for you; without hesitation, you pulled out your IV needle and left. When she found out later, she felt extremely guilty. There are many other stories as well." Mu Xuan covered his face with one hand and chuckled softly: "Yes, yes. What gift You have to personally come and deliver it That would make people think I’m being bribed by Minister Zhao."

After hanging up the call, Sun Changjie no longer had the reserved demeanor he had upon entering but also lacked the arrogance of someone being asked for a favor. His expression changed; after some small talk, he cautiously inquired, "Was that just now Secretary Zhao Qianyuan from the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department"

Mu Xuan smiled with his red lips, thinking to himself: I’ll show you if you don’t believe me. He nodded and said, "Yes, it’s Minister Zhao. This person is quite sentimental; he was my mother's secretary in the past and helped her climb up to a position at the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department. He still remembers my mother fondly, saying that she has been very supportive of him. Now that my mother isn’t in Chengdu anymore, he always calls us during festivals and sends gifts our way; when he’s on business trips to Beijing, he’ll visit my mother as well. He is quite sentimental."

"Yes, yes, I know Minister Zhao; he's very sentimental," Sun Changjie rubbed his hands excitedly.

Mu Xuan smiled at Sun Changjie but behind that smile was a cold gaze, one that this person would never be able to see through.

The initial Su Changjie displayed arrogance in both his demeanor and behavior. Clearly, the influence of his mother, who had served as a provincial vice-governor and deputy secretary of the provincial committee after studying at the Central Party School, was not significant on him. This was because he was acutely aware that the gap between central government officials and local ones could never be bridged easily. As an associate mayor, if he wanted to advance further, relying on connections in Beijing would barely help; without such support, his position locally might become marginalized once he returned from the Central Party School. It was like trying to put out a fire with distant water.

However, if there were a connection through Zhao Qian of the Provincial Organization Department, it would be an entirely different story. Such a relationship could facilitate significant advancement. Mu Xuan had leveraged this connection through a phone call from Minister Zhao beforehand to shift the dynamics between both parties, putting Su Changjie at a disadvantage.

The Tang Fu family indeed needed something from him for Tang Fu's sake. Earlier he was in charge, but now that roles had switched, he became the one seeking help. Mu Xuan merely mentioned their relationship with Zhao Qian, and an astute person like Su Changjie would naturally understand what actions to take behind the scenes.

As Gu Sican observed Mu Xuan during this interaction, he truly felt her prowess; she managed to place a master like Su Changjie at a disadvantage through this simple shift in dynamics. The brilliance lay in how despite knowing that Su Changjie was at a disadvantage, he still had no choice but to accept the situation.

The most mysterious aspect was that throughout this entire interaction on the surface level, they never actually addressed the main topic. Of course, such discussions were inappropriate for public settings; any private negotiations would happen elsewhere or over the phone later.

No matter how you looked at it, Mu Xuan had consistently left a strong impression on Gu Sican, who now saw her exceptional prowess and boldness in action that didn't falter compared to men. With such a mother, Tang Xiaowu could indeed have an exemplary role model to emulate.

The dinner proceeded with Gu Sican having a clear understanding of the dynamics at play.

Afterwards, Su Changjie warmly shook hands with both Mr. and Mrs. Tang and invited them for a meal either tomorrow or the day after, reminding them not to forget to invite Minister Zhao from the Organization Department as well, emphasizing they were all brothers no matter how close their relationship was.

Mr. and Mrs. Tang had their own commitments afterward; usually, many of their tasks only started after seven in the evening.

"Do you want us to give you a ride back" Mu Xuan rolled down her window from inside the car and asked them both.

The most comical part was that Mr. Tang Zongyuan and Mu Xuan each had their own cars, one a Land Cruiser and the other a black Buick; they would head off in different directions after dinner before meeting up at home again, indicating默契 (a tacit understanding) that had been years in the making.

"No need, I'll drive myself back," Tang Fu said.

Mu Xuan glanced at Su Can and nodded, adding, "I should be home around ten; you'll probably have already returned."

After Mr. and Mrs. Tang left in their car, Su Can and Tang Wu walked hand-in-hand on the road. Su Can shook his head with a wry smile, saying, "Do I look like someone who relies on others for support"

Tang Wu was slightly startled; looking at Su Can, she seemed to hesitate despite her usual aloofness, asking, "You knew"

Su Can smiled gently and said, "Although you two never mentioned the main reason throughout your conversation, if I couldn't guess why it happened, wouldn’t that mean I would continue being looked down upon by your mother"

Tang Wu was stunned for a moment but then thought about Su Can's extraordinary intelligence. It wasn’t difficult for him to deduce her intentions today; after all, he had been closely related to the matter since she called him over. With some inference, it wasn't hard to understand.

Thinking of how Su Can knew her intention, Tang Wu’s face flushed and her red lips pursed lightly as she raised her chin stubbornly: "You don’t look like someone who relies on others for support, but you do." After saying this, she couldn’t help laughing.

Her heart was pounding fiercely.

Su Can smiled gently and said, "Dumb girl, I don't need you to worry about me. We will get through the current difficulties. Everything is fleeting." As he spoke, his eyes sparkled with confidence, just like that moment in high school when Tang Wu was captivated by him.

The two of them continued holding hands until they reached their residential area. Along the way, they passed a music shop and a road lined with chestnut trees. The sky was filled with stars, and the lights from the all-night KFC, a favorite haunt for young people, shone brightly.

This scene was enough to remind them of their secret high school days, when holding hands felt like a sin, always making them anxious and uncertain whether it was something someone in her position—a top student—should do. It would drive teachers crazy and make parents furious. Yet there was an enticing pleasure to that kind of behavior, and at the time Tang Wu wanted to indulge in this decadence, but she didn't dare hope for it to last forever.

Su Can’s grip on her hand was strong; though a bit painful, she didn’t want to pull away. This tight hold made her chest feel as if blood surged suddenly at some point, yearning for something intangible yet deeply desired.like "The barbecue at the living area is really good," or "I'm right, aren't I" or "The small dishes at Bawei Restaurant are getting better and better. We should consider going there." or "There are m...