Chapter 167 True Friends

ng immediately grasped the situation and started asking about Uncle Zeng's identity. At a time when the whole country was engaged in flood control efforts, he understood that such positive images were...Chapter 167: True Friends

(A friend pointed out that the number of Kobe in 2003 was incorrect and it has been corrected. Yesterday, when I started to post updates at the beginning, I mistakenly posted it as a paid chapter, which has since been fixed. To those who subscribed by mistake, my apologies.) At Chengdu Airport, outside the waiting hall, beside a Buick Regal car, Tang Wu was wearing a brown round-necked mid-length T-shirt and black soft cotton休閒pants, with a pair of pink striped tennis shoes on her feet. She had a small bag slung diagonally across her shoulder, and her long hair, not tied up in a high ponytail, fell gracefully over her shoulders like living strands around her neck. Her face looked more mature and beautiful than before.

At this moment, she was standing side by side with a man in his thirties who was dressed formally. Even amidst the bustling airport crowd, their pairing stood out remarkably.

The man had been arranged by Tang Zongyuan to accompany Tang Wu to pick someone up. His name was Wang Wei and he was the manager of one of Chengdu's local companies under Tang Zongyuan’s control. He was only thirty years old, having worked as a civil servant, an employee in various jobs, and started his own business before achieving success and experiencing failure. In Chengdu circles, he had a small reputation and usually drove two cars: a Buick Regal for commuting to work and an Audi TT soft-top convertible. Despite being quite wealthy and considered a gold-collar worker with rich life experiences, he was still single at this age. Perhaps he enjoyed the lifestyle of a bachelor too much.

"Mr. Tang is actually very meticulous. He often handles many things personally. This might be because he has built his current empire step by step, which has greatly influenced him. Once he gets into his element, there's an aura about him that I would describe as serious and strict to the point of being harsh."

"The side of him you see in front of you was already absent at home long ago—probably since around when I graduated from elementary school. It’s rare for me to see him depressed over work issues; he seems very strong in my eyes," Tang Wu smiled, like snow melting after a clear day.

"Mr. Tang is really a family-oriented person!" Wang Wei sighed and shrugged his shoulders with a mature charisma that was quite eye-catching for his age, continuing, "I might never reach such heights."

Seeing Tang Wu looking at him enquiringly, Wang Wei said, "I probably have anxiety issues. I come from a small town in Hubei Province and am a person born in the 1970s who has experienced some of the aftershocks of major historical events. My childhood was monotonous, lacking material goods. I studied according to the curriculum and went to university at an age when that was still relatively rare. I’ve seen significant changes in my environment as well as ups and downs in life."

"At last year’s class reunion, among all classmates, I could be considered successful and enviable. But seeing former classmates with their families, discussing marriage or children, I suddenly felt lost, unsure about the direction of my life. That momentary sense of bewilderment still hasn’t faded away to this day. Sometimes I think I should follow what the elders at home say and just get married and have kids, then start planning for the lives of my offspring, watching them repeat my own journey: childhood, elementary school, middle school, university, marriage... At that time, perhaps I will be old and gray. I believe this is life—boring life. Why am I working so hard Is it to return home in glory If so, I’m already enviable enough. If I suddenly lose everything and live a destitute life wandering around, probably no one would even notice. A rich life or none at all both ultimately have little meaning because no one shares these experiences with me. Sadly, until now, I haven’t found anyone to share the bleakness or brilliance of my life with. The people I meet are either fleeting acquaintances or those who add to my happiness but cannot truly stand by me in adversity. I can't bring them into my life. Maybe someday, I will end my own life out of despair."

Wang Wei said bitterly, "Am I too contradictory Have I scared you"

Tang Wu hurriedly shook her head. She had been quietly listening all along, and she knew Wang Wei as the trusted aide of her father, Tang Zongyuan. Today’s encounter revealed to her that he was quite different from what she had previously imagined, which made her slightly surprised.

After some thought, Tang Wu said, "Someone once told me a sentence that left a deep impression on me. He said life is about two things: either one is busy living or busy dying. Sometimes struggling to live requires more courage than choosing death decisively. So isn't it worth the effort for people to challenge and strive"

She paused and continued, "Orchids grow in secluded valleys but do not cease to emit fragrance because they are unappreciated. The moon hangs high above but does not become less round due to waxing and waning. Peach blossoms bloom vibrantly despite the approaching autumn. Rivers surge forward without hesitation, flowing eastward."

"Death is easy, but life is difficult. Orchids strive for fragrance; rivers rush forward. So," Tang Wu bent her arm into a fist with a smile, imitating a "go-getter" pose, "don't lose your motivation. Keep it up."

These words immediately broke through Wang Wei's rich experience and left him captivated, his heart trembling slightly. He felt that having such a girl under the sky of Chengdu in this spring was indeed a beautiful thing.

Today’s journey to deliver Tang Wu had not been without ambition for Wang Wei. With every step, he rose through the ranks to become the manager of Tang Zongyuan's Premium Holdings Company, naturally possessing unique abilities as his trusted aide. Long ago within the company, it was well-known gossip that Chairman Tang Zongyuan had a daughter as beautiful as an angel; she was said to be studying in Shanghai and upon graduating would likely intern at the company before eventually taking over her father’s legacy.

Given only one daughter, everyone would do the math. If anyone were lucky enough to win her heart, Tang's family inheritance would ultimately pass down through his son-in-law.

Naturally, countless young professionals still dreamed of marrying into wealth like in a fairytale.

But Wang Wei was different. He wasn’t content with just dreaming; he acted on it as well. Whenever there was an opportunity to get close to Tang Wu alone, he had always harbored the ambition of winning her heart. Logically speaking, someone with his experience and background shouldn't find it difficult to charm a college girl, especially given his practical experiences weren’t lacking. Today’s conversation from talking about Tang Wu's father when they got in the car to their more intimate exchanges revealed another side of him. The brilliance of Wang Wei was that everything he said, including what lay deep within his heart, was genuine and sincere, which wouldn't raise any suspicions with a girl as intelligent as Tang Wu.

But through this conversation, Wang Wei realized he had vastly underestimated Tang Wu. Her eyesight, gaze, mental acuity, and wisdom all surpassed his expectations. Sometimes it wasn’t him in control of the situation but rather she who led him by her aura, making him act according to her mood swings. He couldn't suppress her.

Wang Wei eventually sighed, somewhat enviously and uncertain if Tang Wu had noticed the acidity in his tone, saying, "The person who told you that has quite an influential effect."

Tang Wu glanced at him with a noncommittal smile as her phone rang. She answered it; their flight had arrived.

Wang Wei suddenly realized there was something different about how Tang Wu greeted people and the way she behaved from when he first noticed her arrival at the airport to their journey together. On the road, she didn't talk much, mostly listening as he spoke. Outside the airport, however, Tang Wu appeared slightly awkward, as if a previously composed and indifferent demeanor had been disturbed.

When Wang Wei thought about this, he was somewhat startled. Could it be that her rumored boyfriend was arriving on the flight today This might explain why she seemed nervous.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Lin Luoran appeared with a suitcase in hand, wearing a baseball cap and sucking on a lollipop, standing tall and striking against the backdrop of sunlight at the airport entrance.

***Tang Wu picked up Lin Luoran from the airport. They drove home, where Tang Wu called Su Can to inform him that they would arrive the next day.

After taking a shower and changing clothes, Lin Luoran was warmly welcomed by Tang Wu's parents. The family of four had reserved a private room at a restaurant outside for dinner. Tang Fu was witty during the meal, while Tang Mu Xuan was no longer as stern toward Su Can as she once was, exuding grace and warmth. This made Lin Luoran, who rarely experienced such familial harmony due to her own family situation, feel like an honored guest, moved to tears by how warmly she was received. She expressed her feelings to Tang Wu: "Your mother is perfect; kind and beautiful. You've inherited many of your mother's traits. I don't understand why Su Can seems so intimidated by your mom as if encountering a demon. It feels like he fears being attacked at any moment."

Tang Wu was amused yet exasperated, saying, "That’s not it; he’s different."

"Of course, he's different. If we were to share the same room and sleep together now, I reckon he would be quite uncomfortable," Tang Wu blushed as Lin Luoran giggled mischievously.

They then discussed Su Can accompanying his father in Huang City. Lin Luoran remarked, "Li Pengyu said it wasn't easy for them; being newcomers in a place with strict local protectionism means they faced rejection and criticism. Li Pengyu also mentioned that not long ago, Su Can threw stones into the garden fountain, causing water to splash on someone else and getting scolded heavily, which made us laugh uncontrollably when we heard about it."

Tang Wu also smiled and said, "He often does silly things."

"There aren't many people I know in the compound, and those who I do know may not necessarily want to be acquainted with him. Wang Weiwei was like that back then. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so excited when he met Su Cen this year during Spring Festival; he even called a lot of people. He hasn't been this proactive before. Being far away from home must cause him some sort of mental disparity."

Lin Luoran seemed to recall the time she taught Su Cen how to play basketball and how flustered he was, as well as dragging him along at Shanghai International Studies University for others to mistake them as a couple. He had been startled by everyone's gaze and wanted to run away but couldn't. It was that kind of innocent expression that would make people want to protect someone from being hurt.

Was Su Cen her type After carefully considering, Lin Luoran shook her head and tried to separate him from her thoughts. Since childhood, she had defined her ideal partner as a man like her father, Lin Guozhou, with strong features, tough personality, and even a firm body and arms. She often fought alongside Wang Weiwei when they were young; back then, the hero of their era was their cousin Li Luo, now a captain, who left his enemies behind him while riding solo into battle. A man who could say "A true man should be like Lu Hu [a mythical steed], leading the charge ahead. Soldiers should be like tanks, unstoppable," would probably meet her standards.

But Su Cen was clearly not that kind of person; he was rather sluggish and sometimes acted very coolly in a way that annoyed people. He didn't fit any type of ideal man Lin Luoran could imagine. Yet, it was this unremarkable, carefree Su Cen who made her unable to forget him despite trying many times to do so, even neglecting the small break she had after finishing her advanced class to visit Phoenix City just for a brief visit and some petty extortion from him. This would make Lin Luoran wonder if she was stupid or foolish.

The moon was bright with few stars outside their window as these two beautiful girls chatted about many topics while sitting in pajamas, hugging their knees. The scene was so charming that it could provoke criminal thoughts in people.

Both of them eventually felt sleepy. Tang Wu stretched and placed the pillow aside, saying, "Let's go to sleep then. Good night."

"Alright. Good night," Lin Luoran nodded. The bed was large; she lay down on the other side with her eyes closed. After a while, she opened them again, her gaze sharp and flirtatious.

The warmth of Tang's parents' hospitality still lingered in her heart. She had talked a lot about interesting stories and topics with Tang Wu, even recounting how Su Cen left Xiahai for Rongcheng, the coincidental meeting they had, and all their growth stories.

However, no matter what happened, she and Tang Wu both knew clearly that perhaps because they were of the same kind, or due to their comparable beauty and intelligence, and this relationship that was both friendly and competitive, it seemed impossible for them to truly understand each other's hearts and become close friends.xation, Yue He, and his mother is the chairperson of the Women's Federation in the city. Such a family background would be considered heavy-weight from any perspective in ordinary people’s eyes, hence...