MTL - 62

Tang Yu, if you ever get beaten up in the future, it will break my heart.

— The Diary of Little Tangxin

After only two days without occupants, the house already felt eerily quiet and cold.

Hua Juan had been sent back to the Tang family by Tang Yu, where Tang Dingding was temporarily taking care of her. Tang Xin suddenly realized that when Tang Yu seriously pursued someone, he meticulously took care of every detail.

During her two-day hospital stay, she hadn’t needed to worry about anything; he had arranged everything for her.

Tang Yu placed their belongings on the sofa. Ignoring his “fight dominance with dominance” remark, Tang Xin opened her laptop, which was still lying on the coffee table, and turned to him. “Have Dingding bring Hua Juan back tomorrow. My mom is coming over these next couple of days.”

After Zhong Yan’s big mess and Tang Xin injuring her hand, Zhong Lijun insisted on visiting, claiming she was worried.

However, Tang Dawei didn’t have time, so Zhong Lijun would be coming alone.

Tang Yu hummed in acknowledgment, unbuttoning his suit jacket. Seeing her open the laptop, he casually asked, “Are you writing a script?”

“No, I’m just copying my phone documents and photos.”

She placed her phone next to the computer. Data transfer notifications flashed across the screen. Tang Yu, lounging with one leg crossed over the other, glanced indifferently at the monitor. When he noticed a series of document titles labeled The Diary of a Little Tycoon , he became curious. “Do you keep a diary?”

Tang Xin’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly composed herself. “Mm, you could say it’s a record of inspiration.”

Unaware of her unease, Tang Yu didn’t notice that Tang Xin had backed up very little data. She soon finished and took out her new phone, fumbling awkwardly with one hand to remove the SIM card.

“Let me do it.”

Tang Yu leaned forward and snatched the phone from her. Her phone wasn’t locked, and his finger inadvertently tapped on the photo album. Glancing down, he saw an album titled “TY,” containing 365 photos. The thumbnail showed his back as he stood in front of the office window.

He froze.

The phone was immediately snatched back.

Tang Xin gripped the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Avoiding his gaze, she kept her head down and said lightly, “Don’t peek. Those photos were taken secretly a long time ago and I forgot to delete them.”

Tang Yu rested his hand on his thigh, silently gazing at her with lowered eyes. He took the phone back from her as if nothing had happened and murmured softly, “Let me help you replace the SIM card.”

He quickly swapped the cards and handed the phone back to her.

Tang Xin took it, locked the screen, and tossed it onto the table. Standing up, she muttered, “I’m going to rest in my room. You should go home.”

Her hand was suddenly grabbed, and with a firm tug, she fell back into his lap.

The man wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her waist tightly enough to cause slight pain. His head buried into the crook of her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against her ear. His voice was low and soft: “Little tyrant, I’m sorry.”

For not realizing sooner that you liked me, and for not realizing sooner that I liked you.

Tang Xin’s ears tingled, and she turned her head away, speaking softly. “You don’t owe me anything. Whether or not we like each other has always been our own choice.”

“I’ll like you more from now on, okay?”

“…”

Tang Yu whispered, “365 photos. In the future, I’ll give you 365 photos in return, even more than that.”

“…”

She hadn’t even brought this up.

Tang Xin tried to pry his hands off, but they wouldn’t budge. Unable to resist, she said, “Tang Yu, is this what you call fighting dominance with dominance?”

“You don’t seem to hate it, do you?” He chuckled against her neck, sounding somewhat helpless. “I’ve already thrown away all my pride. How much longer are you going to test me, little tyrant?”

“…”

Tang Xin stared at her left hand. After a long silence, she spoke softly. “Didn’t you say you’d take your time pursuing me?”

She had secretly admired him for four years, and the rejection had been devastating.

Now, she wanted to be with him, to make him fall completely in love with her. But being pursued so quickly made her feel like she lacked principles.

“I suddenly don’t want to wait anymore.”

“…”

“Give me a deadline, okay?”

“…”

So this was his true objective all along.

The warmth of his firm chest pressed against her back. Just as Tang Xin felt herself softening, Tang Yu suddenly released her. Leaning back relaxedly, he let out a low chuckle. “Alright, I won’t push you. Wait until your illness and hand heal before giving me an answer. That way, you can’t accuse me of taking advantage of your weakness later.”

Tang Xin: “….”

Even though he was the one pursuing her, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was deliberately keeping her hanging.

Playing hard to get?

She gave a cold humph, stood up, and walked briskly into her room.

Worried that she might struggle with one hand, Tang Yu followed her inside. “Is there anything else you need help with?”

Tang Xin turned around with a sweet smile. “Are you offering to help me take a bath too?”

Tang Yu: “….”

He smirked teasingly at her. If he really helped, things might escalate.

Under his intense gaze, Tang Xin blushed, quickly walking into her room and closing the door behind her.

…

The next day, Tang Dingding brought Hua Juan over, and Lu Zhixing had given Tang Xin a few days off to recover at home.

However, Tang Xin was worried about delaying the progress of her script, so after resting for two days, she returned to the office. Her one-handed typing drew some teasing from her colleagues: “You’re truly an inspiration despite your disability.”

Meanwhile, Tang Yu went on a business trip.

Zhong Lijun arrived in Beijing.

Tang Xin took a taxi to the airport to pick her up. Zhong Lijun stormed out of the terminal, glanced at Tang Xin’s hand, and immediately started scolding her: “I always said that Zhong Yan’s boyfriend was trouble. Look what he’s done to you. I’m going over there to take a look.”

Both Tang Xin’s uncle and aunt were in Beijing, and Zhong Yan was currently being lectured. Zhong Lijun wanted to go see for herself.

“Forget it,” Tang Xin said lazily, not wanting to get involved. “Let’s go home first. Leave this matter to Uncle to handle. That boyfriend of hers doesn’t even dare to show up—he’s disappeared somewhere. You going won’t make a difference.”

“Well, I still need to give her a piece of my mind. Your dad is furious.”

“Scolding won’t help. It’s fine, let’s go.” Tang Xin dragged her into the taxi, leaning affectionately on her shoulder with a sweet smile. “I know you’re all worried about me. Zhong Yan’s already been beaten by her dad once. If you go, I’m sure there’ll be another beating.”

“Hmph, she deserves it,” Zhong Lijun snorted. “Her taste in men is terrible.”

Unable to persuade her otherwise, Tang Xin let her rant the whole way.

After dropping off her luggage, Zhong Lijun insisted on visiting Zhong Yan. Tang Xin had no choice but to accompany her. When they arrived, Tang Xin’s uncle, Zhong Wenbin, was throwing things out of the door—everything belonging to Zhou Yang—and had hired a cleaning service to tidy up the place.

Zhong Wenbin pointed at Zhong Yan and scolded her: “Stop bringing random men home. Have some self-respect!”

Zhong Yan stood silently crying, not saying a word.

Tang Xin didn’t want to interfere, but after Zhong Lijun joined in with a few scolding remarks, she couldn’t help but tug at her. “Enough, enough. Scolding won’t change anything. What if Zhong Yan gets upset or rebels?”

Zhong Wenbin: “From now on, you’ll stay at school.”

Zhong Yan whispered timidly, “I’m about to graduate soon. Eventually, I’ll have to move out anyway. Everyone else has already moved out, and I don’t want to stay alone in the dormitory…”

Zhong Wenbin sighed. “Why can’t you be more like your cousin? She’s so much less trouble.”

After the scolding and beating, the matter seemed settled. Zhong Yan had spent a lot of money decorating this apartment, and she promised not to associate with anyone anymore, so Zhong Wenbin finally relented.

That evening, Tang Xin had dinner with them. On the way home, Zhong Lijun suddenly remembered to ask, “Have you really cut off contact with Lin Zhengxu?”

“Mom, arranged blind dates are usually unreliable…”

“Stop making excuses!” Zhong Lijun snorted, cutting straight to the truth. “I think you’re still hung up on Tang Yu.”

“…”

Tang Xin fell silent for a moment, then smiled sweetly. “Mom, if I end up with Tang Yu in the future, please stop Dad from beating him too hard. I’d feel bad for him.”

Zhong Lijun: “….”

She glared at her daughter, then flicked her forehead. “You’re hopeless.”

…

The weather gradually grew colder, and winter arrived.

Beijing hadn’t started heating yet, and Zhong Lijun, who had lived in Suzhou for many years, found it difficult to adjust to the climate here. After suffering from allergies for over a week, she decided to leave once Tang Xin’s hand had mostly healed.

Before leaving, she left Tang Xin a birthday gift and a thick red envelope.

Tang Xin’s birthday was on November 21st. She didn’t have any special feelings about birthdays. In the past, she would usually celebrate by having dinner with You Huan and Ming Zhu, shopping, singing karaoke, and eating cake.

Or sometimes, she’d go on a trip.

This year, a trip was out of the question—her hand injury hadn’t fully healed, and her script wasn’t finished either. However, Tang Dingding was very enthusiastic and messaged her on WeChat: “We’ve booked the same club as last time. We’re throwing you a birthday party!”

Tang Xin was working on her computer while replying on WeChat with one hand: “Thank you, Little Fatty Sheep.”

Tang Dingding: “Actually, my brother also told me to make sure it’s well-organized.”

Tang Xin: “…”

She hadn’t seen Tang Yu for over a week. The day after Zhong Lijun left, Tang Yu returned briefly but only stayed for three days before leaving again on another business trip.

Tang Xin assumed that with how busy he was, he probably wouldn’t remember her birthday.

Two days before her birthday, Ming Zhu returned to Beijing.

The three of them met at You Huan’s shop and had dinner together that evening. Ming Zhu gave her present early and smiled, “Wedding preparations are so tedious. I have to go back the day after tomorrow.” Her wedding with Lu Chaofeng was being held in their hometown, and traditional Chinese weddings were indeed quite elaborate.

You Huan shook her head. “Being a military wife is tough.”

Tang Xin nodded. “Yes, Ming Zhu is amazing.”

“It’s not that tough. Marriage is a happy occasion,” Ming Zhu winked and turned to Tang Xin. “What about you and Tang Yu?”

Tang Xin pouted. “I haven’t even seen him recently.”

However, she had a vague feeling and suspicion that even if Tang Yu was extremely busy, he would still show up on her birthday.

On the morning of her birthday, when Tang Xin left the house, she deliberately glanced at the opposite door—it was still quiet. Tang Yu hadn’t returned. Not only had he not returned, but there were no messages on WeChat either.

These days coincided with the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan. Lu Zhixing had gone a few days ago, and Tang Xin assumed Tang Yu was there too.

The trending topics on Weibo were filled with celebrities’ red carpet appearances and comparisons of their outfits.

While busy writing her script, Tang Xin occasionally browsed Weibo. At exactly 6 PM, Tang Dingding arrived punctually downstairs to pick her up. After getting in the car, Tang Xin glanced at her. “It’s my birthday, why are you so eager?”

Tang Dingding blinked. “My brother’s busy, so I’m helping celebrate with you.”

Tang Xin paused, then turned to her. “Your brother… is he coming back tonight?”

Tang Dingding: “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“No.”

If she asked so proactively, it would seem like she desperately wanted him to return for her birthday.

They hadn’t contacted each other on WeChat for three days. The last message was a red envelope Tang Yu sent her, which she still hadn’t claimed, dismissing it with a string of random characters.

When they arrived at the venue, everyone was already there. You Huan, Qu Wei, Shen Fei, and a few others were waiting inside. Tang Xin had also invited a few close friends, making a total of about a dozen people—a lively gathering.

You Huan tossed her a bag and complained, “Go change into something better.”

All the girls were dressed up, but Tang Xin had just come from the office. After taking off her coat, she was still wearing a simple white sweater. Smiling, she grabbed the bag and headed to the dressing room to change clothes and touch up her makeup.

As she was applying lipstick, her phone vibrated a few times on the table.

Tang Yu: [Little Tyrant].

Her heart skipped a beat. She opened the message—it was a red envelope.

The next second, another message popped up.

Tang Yu: [Happy Birthday].

Another red envelope.

After finishing her lipstick, Tang Xin hesitated but still didn’t open it. He wasn’t even here—what was the point of sending a red envelope?

She adjusted her skirt, opened the door, and walked toward the private room. As she passed the elevator, it dinged softly, and the doors slowly opened. She instinctively glanced inside and froze.

Tang Yu stood there in a sleek black tailored suit, his tie perfectly knotted, looking incredibly handsome and upright. His expression was slightly cold, exuding an air of restraint. His left hand was tucked into his trouser pocket, and his right hand held his phone, which he was using to send her a red envelope. Beside him stood Huo Chendong and Gao Heng.

He looked up and saw her, pausing for a moment before smirking faintly:

“Little Tyrant.”