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Tang Dawei and Zhong Lijun are no pushovers. They’re even harder to fool than I am.
Tang Yu, you’re really done for.
— From The Diary of a Little Tyrant
Tang Yu’s body stiffened. His usually calm demeanor began to crack, and his heart raced. He hadn’t expected Tang Xin’s “bandit dad” to know about this, let alone be so direct.
Before he could speak, Zhong Lijun’s eyes widened in shock, her voice rising. “No wonder you look so familiar! You’re Tang Yu!” She scrutinized him up and down and remarked, “You’re even better-looking in person than on TV or in photos.”
Tang Yu: “….”
He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Yes, I’m Tang Yu… There’s been some misunderstanding between Tang Xin and me.”
It was true—he hadn’t recognized his own feelings early enough, which had caused the misunderstanding.
Even though Tang Yu was usually calm and composed, he knew this situation was tricky. One wrong word, and he’d add two more mountains to climb in his pursuit of Tang Xin.
Tang Dawei chuckled. “Oh? What kind of misunderstanding?”
Tang Yu paused for a moment, his mind racing as he carefully chose his words.
But Zhong Lijun spoke first. “Wait, how can a CEO worth billions live here? And right across from our daughter?” She had thought the man looked familiar but hadn’t dared to assume. How could a billionaire live here? Shouldn’t he be in a villa or a luxury apartment?
Tang Yu: “….”
Every question from this couple felt like a soul-piercing interrogation.
Tang Yu had never felt such intense pressure, not even in the business world. He swallowed lightly, looked at the middle-aged couple, and said earnestly, “I’m pursuing Tang Xin.”
As soon as the words left his mouth—
Ka-chak.
The door suddenly opened.
Tang Xin appeared, wearing a loose T-shirt dress, her long hair loosely draped over her shoulders. She leaned against the doorframe, her expression hard to suppress. She glanced at Tang Yu, rolled her eyes internally, and thought, I told you not to come back, didn’t I? Now look at this awkward mess.
Welcome to the battlefield, huh?
Did you think Zhong Lijun and Tang Dawei were easy to deal with? Did you underestimate their sharpness and combativeness?
Internally, Tang Xin vented her frustration. Putting on a bright smile, she stepped forward and linked arms with Zhong Lijun. “Mom, Dad, what are you doing standing at the door?” She turned to Tang Yu and calmly smiled. “Mr. Tang, back from your business trip?”
The scene was unbearably awkward.
Tang Yu looked at her and gave a slight nod. “Mm.”
Without further ado, Tang Xin pulled Zhong Lijun toward the door. “Let’s go, let’s go home.”
Zhong Lijun resisted, frowning and slapping Tang Xin’s hand. “What’s worrying you? I still have questions I haven’t asked yet.”
Tang Xin: “….”
She lowered her voice. “If you have questions, I’ll tell you at home! Can we not do this in front of Tang Yu? Please don’t embarrass me, okay?”
But the next second, Tang Dawei, still standing there, glared at Tang Yu. “Let me get this straight—you’re the one who made my daughter cry over a breakup, right? She came home with red, swollen eyes, silently enduring her pain. Now you’re saying it was all a misunderstanding? Care to explain?”
Tang Yu stiffened again. He instinctively glanced at Tang Xin. He had always assumed she was as carefree as she seemed—so she had cried after all? A wave of belated heartache hit him. He stared deeply at her for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to Tang Dawei. His tone was sincere. “It was my fault. I didn’t recognize my own feelings and rejected her, hurting her. Later, I realized I had already fallen for her before that. I know my actions were reckless and may make it hard for you to trust me or see me as reliable. But I can assure you—I truly like her and want to win her back. I hope you’ll give me a chance, Uncle.”
By the end of his speech, his voice had grown hoarse.
Tang Dawei stared at him, frowning. “You rejected her and now want to chase her back?”
Another soul-piercing question.
Tang Yu: “….”
Under immense pressure, he quietly admitted, “Yes.”
Zhong Lijun was stunned. She hadn’t expected this twist. She had assumed her daughter had simply been rejected and moved on.
That’s why they had enthusiastically arranged blind dates—after all, there were plenty of good men out there. Why cling to just one tree?
Tang Xin felt utterly humiliated. She bit her lip and forced a smile, pouting playfully. “Dad, can we go home first?”
Tang Dawei glanced at her, then frowned at Tang Yu before turning to leave.
Tang Xin’s face burned with embarrassment. She stole a glance at Tang Yu.
That one glance froze her in place.
Tang Yu’s usual calm and restrained demeanor was gone. He gazed deeply at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions—pain, restraint, and a hint of suppressed longing. He murmured softly, “Tang Xin…”
Tang Xin knew that even if she stopped liking Tang Yu one day, she wouldn’t bear to embarrass him.
After all, this was Tang Yu.
The person she had liked for so many years.
She forced a smile. “Go rest first. Business trips must’ve been tiring.”
As Tang Dawei reached the doorway, he turned back, wanting to say something. Tang Xin quickly pulled him aside and whispered pleadingly, “Can we talk about this at home? I’ll tell you everything, okay?”
Tang Dawei and Zhong Lijun exchanged a glance. They knew full well how much pride their little tyrant cared about.
Ultimately, feeling sorry for their daughter, they didn’t press further and followed her inside.
Just as the door was about to close, Tang Dawei suddenly remembered something. He stood at the doorway and called out, “Hey, didn’t you used to chase Ming Zhu? How is it now you’re chasing…”
Before he could finish, Tang Xin yanked him back, and the door slammed shut.
Tang Yu was completely cut off.
She didn’t even have time to see his expression.
Tang Xin leaned against the closed door, her cheeks puffed up as she glared at Tang Dawei. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “Bandit Dad, can you spare me some dignity?”
Tang Dawei scratched his head and coughed awkwardly.
Zhong Lijun walked in. “Come in and explain. What’s going on?”
Tang Dawei and Zhong Lijun sat on the sofa while Tang Xin, holding her cat Huajuan, sat beside them. In a few sentences, she explained: “Tang Yu used to pursue Ming Zhu, but Ming Zhu had someone she liked. She’s married now, as you know. I was the one who liked him first, but he rejected me. Later, I quit my job and joined Lu Zhihang’s studio—you know all this. Now he regrets it and wants to pursue me. That’s it.”
Seeing they were about to speak, she raised her hand and continued, “That’s all in the past. Please don’t cause trouble for him, okay?”
The couple fell silent.
Zhong Lijun asked, “Is he really pursuing you?”
Tang Xin nodded.
Tang Dawei said, “I disapprove. He couldn’t win over Ming Zhu, rejected you, and now he regrets it and wants to chase you back? Does he think you’re his backup plan?”
Tang Xin: “….”
Could you stop being so hurtful?
Zhong Lijun had been hesitant at first, given Tang Yu’s good looks and family background. But hearing this, she agreed. She looked at Tang Xin. “Are you still going on blind dates?”
Tang Xin raised both hands. “Yes, yes, yes.”
If she said no now, they’d tear her apart.
As for her blind date partner, she only knew his name was Lin Zhengxu, age 30, height 185 cm. His company had just relocated and was dealing with some issues, so he was swamped and barely had time for the blind date.
________________________________________
Next door—
Tang Yu leaned against the balcony railing, chain-smoking three cigarettes in a row. His expression remained restless. He glanced at his phone and finally sent her a WeChat message.
Tang Xin’s phone was in her room. After calming her parents down, she saw the message when she returned.
Tang Yu: “Can you come out for a moment?”
Given what had happened tonight, Tang Xin figured he had something to say. She replied with an angry meme: “Aren’t you afraid my dad will catch you red-handed? You should lay low for now. My dad has a short temper—it’s not a good idea to provoke him.”
She meant it. Tang Dawei was indeed difficult to handle, and nothing Tang Yu said now would make a difference.
Over the next few days, both were busy.
Whether intentionally avoiding each other or simply lacking fate, they somehow never crossed paths.
Tang Xin was both busy and excited. After Lu Zhihang and Feng Cheng reviewed her initial script draft, they reconvened for a script meeting. For several days, they worked on revising the outline, deciding to build on Tang Xin’s initial draft, retaining her original setup.
Though her efforts from the first three months were nearly wasted, Tang Xin was ecstatic.
One night, the script meeting ran until 10 p.m. As Tang Xin and Lu Zhihang headed downstairs to their cars, Lu Zhihang, seeing her energetic expression, chuckled. “When I had you collaborate with Lao Feng, did it stifle your creativity?”
Tang Xin paused, then honestly replied, “Not really. After all, I wasn’t the only screenwriter in the project team. Lao Feng is a top screenwriter—his scripts sell because of his talent. I’m still figuring things out, and learning from him is beneficial for me.”
Lu Zhihang suddenly recalled a call from Tang Yu a few days ago.
Tang Yu had said, “The initial draft is a bit immature, but the theme of this movie itself carries a touch of youthful naivety—a dream that’s somewhat unrealistic but very genuine.”
Lu Zhihang shared this with Tang Xin. Standing by her car, Tang Xin froze. She hadn’t expected Tang Yu to be involved.
Lu Zhihang opened the car door and smiled. “Alright, go home. Don’t stay up too late—it’s not something you can rush.”
Coming back to her senses, Tang Xin smiled faintly. “Okay, Director Lu, drive safely.”
Of course, Tang Yu couldn’t demand that Lu Zhihang adapt the script entirely according to Tang Xin’s ideas. Lu Zhihang was a seasoned director with his own vision and judgment.
He simply wanted Tang Xin to have more creative freedom.
________________________________________
The next morning, Tang Xin ran into Tang Yu in the garage.
Tang Yu seemed to have been deliberately waiting for her. He leaned against his car, engine running but not moving, staring straight ahead.
From ten meters away, Tang Xin paused, looking at the Maybach in front of her.
The windows were tinted, so she couldn’t see inside, but she could feel his intense gaze. She could almost picture his cool, composed expression.
She walked up to the car. Tang Yu pushed the door open and called out to her, “Tang Xin.”
Tang Xin looked at him and smiled. “Why are you waiting for me?”
With the car door open, Tang Yu walked around the hood and stood in front of her, looking down at her. “Tonight, I’d like to invite you, Uncle, and Auntie to dinner. But first, I need your permission. Do you think it’s okay?” He paused, his voice lowering slightly. “There’s no way to change the past. It’s natural for you and your parents to doubt and distrust me. But I’ll prove to you slowly—I won’t deceive or manipulate you, and I certainly won’t toy with your feelings. I’m serious.”
“Very serious.”
He emphasized those last words heavily.
Tang Xin’s heart fluttered slightly as she stared into his deep eyes. Tonight, she was supposed to meet Lin Zhengxu for their blind date—the time and place were already set, and there was no backing out. She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and said, “Not tonight.”
At least she had softened her stance. Tang Yu sighed in relief. “When are Uncle and Auntie leaving?”
Tang Xin thought for a moment and found it odd. She hadn’t even agreed to anything, and he was already thinking about winning over her parents? Or was he trying to win them over first? Smiling sweetly, she looked at him. “They’ll leave in a few days. I’m heading to work now.”
Technically, it was the weekend, but the project team had been working overtime lately, with no rest days to speak of.
Tang Yu watched her drive away, turned back, closed the car door, and went upstairs.
In the afternoon, Tang Yu went to the gym and returned at 5 p.m. He had another dinner appointment at 7 p.m.
Gao Heng arrived downstairs at 5:30 p.m., carrying documents retrieved from the office. The files needed Tang Yu’s review first. He bumped into Tang Xin, who had just rushed back to the garage.
Tang Xin had just gotten out of her car when Zhong Lijun’s urgent call came through. She glanced at Gao Heng, flashed a casual smile, and said into the phone, “I know, I’m already downstairs. I’m dressed nicely today—why do I have to go back and change? It’s just a blind date, isn’t it?”
Zhong Lijun: “You’re just wearing wide-leg pants—that’s not formal enough. Are you the only one obsessed with suits and shirts? Can’t someone else like elegant ladies too?”
Gao Heng pressed the elevator button.
Tang Xin followed him inside, visibly annoyed. “I’ll be home in a minute.”
After hanging up, she noticed Gao Heng staring at her. Confused, she smiled. “Why are you looking at me like that, Gao Assistant? Don’t you recognize me?”
Gao Heng adjusted his glasses and said seriously, “Are you going on a blind date? But Mr. Tang is pursuing you.”
Tang Xin: “….”
She stared at him, speechless. After months of not working together, she had almost forgotten Gao Heng’s loyal, dogged dedication to Tang Yu’s interests—he was truly a gold-medal assistant.
The elevator arrived.
She stepped out, glanced at Gao Heng, and smiled faintly. “I’m single right now. Going on a blind date doesn’t mean I’m betraying him.”
Gao Heng watched her walk into her apartment, his expression complex. Then he turned to knock on Tang Yu’s door.
Tang Yu had just finished showering, changed into a clean white shirt, and his hair was still damp. He opened the door and walked toward his study. “Hold on a second.”
Gao Heng closed the door and called after him. “Mr. Tang, I ran into Miss Tang in the elevator earlier.”
Tang Yu turned around and gestured for him to continue.
Gao Heng hesitated but forced himself to say it. “Miss Tang seems to be going on a blind date…”
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