Marriage Seduction Addiction

Tang Xu was completely dumbfounded by her words.

So much so that my shock outweighed my embarrassment and shyness, and I couldn't help but ask her, "Where...where did you learn these words?"

Ji Yan appeared calm and composed, saying, "I happened to listen to a book last night, and I found that many of the things described in the book matched my brother's behavior... He wants to be close to you; whenever you're around, he can't help but want to get closer to you. But because of me, you've been avoiding him, and I can't even imagine how disappointed he must be... I don't want him to be disappointed. Similarly, I hope you can face this calmly... What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I won't accept you two?"

"I..." Tang Xu exhaled and couldn't help but cover her eyes with her hands again.

Even in the past, when she was at her most rebellious and unreliable, and Ji Yan caught her criticizing her, she had never felt so ashamed to speak of it.

There was nothing that best friends who were once inseparable couldn't talk about, but so many things had happened, and she had no memory of her past. Tang Xu really didn't know how to face the current situation.

After agonizing and struggling for a long time, Tang Xu finally peeked out with one eye to look at her, "I'm not afraid you won't accept me... I'm just... feeling awkward..."

But now that the problem has been laid out and discussed like this, it seems that no matter how awkward it is, it's no use anymore.

Ji Yan was clear-headed and insightful from her youth, and it was precisely because of this insight that she held onto Tang Xu tightly, preventing the two from drifting apart.

Now, having forgotten that painful memory, Ji Yan seems to have immediately regained her former rationality and clarity, while she herself has fallen into confusion again, and once again she has to be pulled out by her own hands.

Upon hearing Tang Xu's answer, Ji Yan paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"And now?" Ji Yan asked, "Do you still feel embarrassed?"

Tang Xu met her gaze, then couldn't help but slump to the side, burying her face in the sofa, and said with difficulty, "I'm so embarrassed!"

However, after muttering this almost to herself, Tang Xu quickly straightened up, brushed her hair aside, ignored her flushed face and ears, and said calmly, "Since you've said that, I won't have so many reservations anymore! Don't regret it!"

Ji Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud again, but she also nodded solemnly and replied, "Okay."

Actually, it would have been better not to answer this question. Answering it only makes Tang Xu's words seem more deliberate.

Tang Xu couldn't help but bite her lip and look at her. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "You little rascal, you're still the same as before. You look innocent on the surface, but you're actually wicked at heart!"

In any case, after this major embarrassment, everything seems to have finally gotten back on track.

Ji Yan seemed to have completely returned to the state that Tang Xu had known before, and the two became closer and closer. As for Lu Xingyan, it goes without saying that because Kimi was there, he had many more opportunities to get in touch with Ji Yan. Because he was no longer eager to get close, Ji Yan was in a more relaxed state to get to know him.

Tang Xu no longer deliberately avoided getting close to Yan Shiyu, but she still wouldn't do anything excessive in front of Ji Yan, and Yan Shiyu still slept in the study.

On the third day, Yan Shiyu went out on business. While he was away, Ji Yan finally managed to persuade Tang Xu to put away the sofa bed, pillows, and bedding in the study.

In other words, Yan Shiyu was finally able to go back to her room to rest tonight.

However, that night, even after waiting until late into the night, Yan Shiyu still hadn't returned.

This hadn't happened in a long time, so much so that Tang Xu was a little unaccustomed to it and couldn't stay comfortably in the bedroom waiting for him to come back. So she simply sat on the sofa in the living room to wait for him.

Just as the day on my phone jumped to the next, the doorbell finally rang.

Tang Xu turned her head and saw Yan Shiyu returning home late.

Yan Shiyu was surprised to find her sitting in the living room waiting for him, and couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you asleep so late?"

"So you know it's late!" Tang Xu said. "What have you been doing coming back so late?"

"I went to a dinner party, then had an international conference, and before I knew it, it was this late," Yan Shiyu replied as she walked to the sofa.

Tang Xu immediately stood up, put her arm around his shoulder, and sniffed his scent. She didn't smell any obvious alcohol. She pursed her lips and then asked, "A meeting at the Yan Corporation? Didn't you already step down? Why is there still a meeting?"

“It has nothing to do with the Yan family,” Yan Shiyu said. “It’s my own overseas company.”

Tang Xu knew that he always had other bargaining chips, so she didn't ask any more questions. She just said, "You've been gone for so long without even calling back to let us know!"

"How is Yan Yan today?" Yan Shiyu asked again.

"With me by my side, of course I'm incredibly happy!" Tang Xu replied with no small amount of pride.

Yan Shiyu smiled slightly, lowered his head and kissed her lips, "Then I'll go take a shower first."

Tang Xu saw that he was about to walk towards the bathroom when she suddenly called out "Hey!" When Yan Shiyu stopped, she jumped onto his back and whispered, "Go back to your room to take a shower."

Yan Shiyu was taken aback at first, then chuckled softly and carried her back to the master bedroom.

Several days later, Yan Shiyu was finally able to return to the master bedroom.

However, he had only slept for a little over two hours when his phone suddenly vibrated in the darkness.

Tang Xu is a light sleeper. Although Yan Shiyu quickly picked up the phone and put it back to silent mode, Tang Xu still woke up.

She groggily opened her eyes and saw that Yan Shiyu had already sat up with his phone in hand. He turned around and patted the blanket off her, saying, "I'm going out to take this call. You can continue sleeping."

With that, he got up and left the room.

But Tang Xu couldn't fall asleep. He lay there with his eyes open until Yan Shiyu returned to the room.

"Whose call is this? Is it urgent at this hour?" Tang Xu asked.

"It's company business," Yan Shiyu said. "You continue sleeping, I'm going to a meeting."

"At this time?" Tang Xu was shocked.

Yan Shiyu sat down on the edge of the bed and gently pinched her cheek. "It won't be long. You can continue sleeping."

Tang Xu took his hand and sat up, asking, "Has something happened at the company? You've never called at this time before."

"It's nothing serious, just a bit urgent," Yan Shiyu said. "Go to sleep, I'll explain in detail later."

As he spoke, he got up and walked towards the dressing room, and soon came out dressed in a formal suit.

Seeing his appearance, Tang Xu was shocked again, "You're... going out to a meeting?"

"Okay. Go to sleep, don't wait for me." Yan Shiyu only gave a hurried reply before opening the door and leaving.

Tang Xu couldn't help but worry and wished she could go with him, but he was moving so fast that it would be too late for her to change her clothes and chase after him. She lay down again, but tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

Fortunately, Yan Shiyu finally returned just before dawn.

Tang Xu breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him return, but she was still worried and couldn't help but ask for details.

However, Yan Shiyu simply brushed it off with a few insignificant words, and after returning to bed, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "If you don't hurry up and get some sleep, the sun will be rising soon."

He had only slept for a little over two hours and had been out running around again. Tang Xu naturally felt sorry for him and could only stop asking questions, leaning against him and hoping that he could sleep peacefully.

Perhaps it was his presence that gave her the greatest reassurance, because before long, Tang Xu finally fell asleep again.

However, when she woke up again, it was already fully light, and Yan Shiyu was no longer by her side.

Tang Xu quickly got up, opened the bedroom door and went out, only to see Lu Xingyan sitting at the dining table with Ji Yan having breakfast. Ji Yan was using her recovering fingers to hold a spoon and put food into her mouth.

Hearing the noise, the two of them turned to look at Tang Xu at the same time.

"And him?" Tang Xu asked without hesitation.

"My brother?" Ji Yan said, "He just went out and said you were still asleep and not to be woken up. How come you woke up so quickly?"

"Did he say where he was going?" Tang Xu asked again.

Ji Yan shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Lu Xingyan asked. "Did something happen?"

Tang Xu paused for a moment before shaking her head. "It's nothing."

While washing up in her room, Tang Xu took out her phone and sent a message to Gao Yan, asking him what had happened and what Yan Shiyu was busy with.

Gao Yan's reply came very quickly—

"There have been two unexpected situations at the overseas company recently, and Mr. Yan is busy with these."

After receiving Gao Yan's reply, Tang Xu felt somewhat relieved.

What I fear most is that even Gao Yan doesn't know what he's busy with, which would be like going back to those old days.

When Tang Xu returned to the breakfast table, Ji Yan couldn't help but ask, "My brother seems to be very busy these past few days?"

"Hmm," Tang Xu replied. "They said there were some issues with the overseas company that needed to be addressed, so they suddenly became very busy."

"Is the situation serious?" Ji Yan asked. "Did he come home very late yesterday?"

“Unexpected events are always happening.” Tang Xu comforted Ji Yan instead. “In short, the sky won’t fall. I believe he can handle it.”

"Alright," Ji Yan said. "Since you believe him, I, who know nothing about this, can only follow your lead and believe him too."

Tang Xu had never really interfered in Yan Shiyu's official affairs before. This time, perhaps because he had gotten used to the lifestyle he had been living for a while, coupled with the joy brought by Ji Yan's return, some disharmonious factors on his side caused quite a stir on her side.

Thinking about it carefully, he had similar experiences before, and she had been able to handle them calmly back then. But now she's holding onto it so tightly, which does seem a bit excessive.

Tang Xu calmed herself down, at least preventing herself from continuing to worry.

But that evening, when Yan Shiyu came back and told her that he was going on a business trip for a few days, Tang Xu's heart, which had finally settled down, suddenly became restless again.

"Is the matter very serious?" Tang Xu asked. "Why do we need to go on a business trip?"

"It's not serious, but I need to go there in person to handle it," Yan Shiyu replied.

"How long will it take?" Tang Xu asked again.

With her back to her, Yan Shiyu took off her wristwatch and replied, "About a week."

If Tang Xu could remain calm before, the answer of "one week" made it impossible for her to stay calm.

"A week? Ji Yan was just discharged from the hospital! Do you really think that now that your sister is back, she doesn't need your company anymore? At this time, you actually abandoned her to go on a business trip for a week?"

Yan Shiyu put down his watch, turned around and took Tang Xu's hand, saying, "Isn't it because you're here? With you by her side, I feel at ease."

"Of course I'll stay with her, but is my presence the same as yours? No matter how close we get, we're still in the process of rebuilding our relationship. You're the only person she remembers. If you leave her to go on a business trip now, what will she think?"

"I will talk to her, she will understand."

After saying that, Yan Shiyu lowered his head and kissed her, then turned around and walked out of the bedroom to knock on Ji Yan's door.

Tang Xu stood there watching his retreating figure, biting her lip involuntarily, her face still somewhat stiff.

In fact, she herself felt that arguing with him about this matter was a bit unreasonable. After all, it must be troublesome for him to choose to handle things personally at this time. He would naturally not leave unless necessary.

But Tang Xu still felt very uncomfortable. For some reason, she felt that... he seemed to be hiding something from her.

But this feeling was so vague and unreal, since she neither understood nor could she help him with anything related to official matters.

She felt like she was being kept in the dark, but couldn't find a way to calm down. She couldn't suppress her emotions, yet had no outlet, so she could only torment herself.

When Yan Shiyu returned to the bedroom, Tang Xu was still sitting on the stool at the foot of the bed, lost in thought.

“I’ve already spoken to Yan Yan, and she said she understands, so there’s no problem,” Yan Shiyu told her.

Tang Xu suddenly looked up at him and said, "Then I'll go with you."

Upon hearing this, Yan Shiyu looked at her with some helplessness, "Then what about Yan Yan?"

“With Lu Xingyan here,” Tang Xu said.

Do you think I can rest assured? Or do you?

Tang Xu immediately stopped talking.

Yan Shiyu stepped forward, looked down at her, chuckled softly, and said, "I will spend the rest of my life with her and with you, but this time, I must go."

"Whatever." Tang Xu seemed to have lost all her strength and was too lazy to say anything more. She turned around and went back to bed, ignoring him.

The next morning, Yan Shiyu packed his things and prepared to leave, but Tang Xu lingered in the bathroom, seemingly not intending to see him off.

Even Ji Yan noticed something and gently knocked on the door to come in and see her, only to find Tang Xu just sitting on a soft stool in the dressing room playing on her phone.

"My brother is leaving, aren't you going out to see him off?"

"Let them go," Tang Xu said. "What difference does it make whether I see them off or not?"

"Did you two have a fight?" Ji Yan asked. "Why? Is it because of his business trip? Why?"

Tang Xu put down her phone, paused for a moment, and finally spoke: "Because I don't want him to go."

Ji Yan tilted her head slightly, indicating that she couldn't understand.

"It's really strange, isn't it?" Tang Xu said. "I think so too. But I just don't want him to go."

Seeing that she had calmly and rationally analyzed herself, Ji Yan said nothing more and turned to leave.

Not long after, footsteps sounded at the door again. Tang Xu looked up and saw Yan Shiyu walk in.

He slowly walked over to her and sat down, reaching out to take her hand and kissing it. "I promise, I'll be back as soon as things are settled. Seven days is just a time limit; I'll definitely get things done over there as quickly as possible and get back, okay?"

Tang Xu, however, kept his brows furrowed and finally spoke after a long while: "I already said it's up to you! It's up to you, it's up to you, it's up to you! Don't explain to me! You'd better hurry up and leave, lest you miss your flight and it becomes my fault!"

After saying that, Tang Xu withdrew her hand, got up and went into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

When she came out of the bathroom again, Yan Shiyu had already left.

Ji Yan and Lu Xingyan were sitting at the dining table when they saw her come out and turned their gazes toward her.

Ji Yan pushed a glass of warm milk over, "It's not cold yet, have some breakfast."

Tang Xu awkwardly pulled out a chair and sat down, propping his chin up with his hand, not wanting to move at all.

Lu Xingyan stared at her for a while, and finally, when Ji Yan got up and walked away, he asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you? This isn't like you. Are you on your period?"

Tang Xu rolled her eyes, picked up the milk in front of her and drank it all in one gulp. Then, as if she had instantly perked up, she turned to Ji Yan and said, "Let's go shopping! It's my treat today. Just tell me what you want to buy or do!"

To dispel the negative emotions brought on by Yan Shiyu's departure, Tang Xu went out with Ji Yan after breakfast. They chose some places they didn't usually have the chance to go and spent most of the day there before finally stopping to rest at an open-air cafe.

Tang Xu hadn't slept well to begin with, and after walking around all day, she was already exhausted. Just as she was leaning back in her chair, feeling drowsy, her phone suddenly rang.

Tang Xu picked up her phone and saw an unfamiliar number from overseas.

These numbers are usually spam calls, so Tang Xu simply rejected them.

However, as soon as I put down my phone, that number popped up again.

Tang Xu refused to answer again without hesitation.

When that number popped up for the third time, Tang Xu almost laughed. "These days, are nuisance calls this persistent?"

She complained to Ji Yan while answering the phone and holding it to her ear. It was quiet on the other end of the line, with only a faint sound of soft breathing.

Tang Xu frowned slightly. "Hello?"

The breathing sound became more noticeable instantly, and after a moment, a soft female voice rang out: "Excuse me, are you Tang Xu?"

"That's me," Tang Xu replied. "And who are you?"

"My name is Shao Chenxi... Do you know me?"

Upon hearing this name, Tang Xu couldn't help but pause slightly.

Of course she knows her.

Shao Chenxi, the daughter of Tang Lan and Shao Qingyun, the "precious daughter" stored in Tang Lan's phone.

She is also considered her half-sister.

"What do you need me for?" Tang Xu asked.

"I don't want to bother you," Shao Chenxi said on the other end of the phone, "but I haven't been able to reach my mother for almost ten hours, and I'm very worried... Do you know where she is?"

Tang Xu almost laughed.

Tang Lan's precious daughter is looking for her mother, and she actually came to her here. Isn't that too strange and absurd?
But Tang Xu couldn't laugh. She said, "You were looking for her, but you called me instead. What do you mean by that?"

"Mom went to Huai City, didn't you know?" Shao Chenxi asked anxiously.

Tang Xu paused, "She went back to Huai City? When did that happen?"

"It was just a couple of days ago." Shao Chenxi's tone became anxious as she spoke. "My dad had an accident, and she said she was going back to Huai City to find someone to help her. I thought she would contact you, but haven't you seen her?"

Tang Xu suddenly felt a headache coming on.

She forced herself to calm down and asked the person on the other end of the phone, "Has she arrived in Huai City? What did she tell you?"

"She's here! She said she found someone who can help Dad, and told me not to worry... But I've been trying to call her for the past ten hours and I can't get through. I'm really worried that something might have happened to her..." Shao Chenxi was on the verge of tears as she spoke. "Sister, please help me find Mom, okay? Mom always says she's sorry to you, but... but... she's still your mother, please help me, okay?"

Seeing that the other person was already out of control and clearly unable to calm down, Tang Xu didn't press for details. She simply said, "I'll have someone help me check. Don't worry, I'll get back to you later."

After saying that, Tang Xu hung up the phone, opened her phone's contacts, and subconsciously dialed Gao Yan.

However, when she dialed the number, the call could not be connected. Tang Xu then realized that Gao Yan should still be on the plane with Yan Shiyu at this time.

As she listened to the mechanical prompts on the phone, a thought suddenly popped into Tang Xu's mind, but it was fleeting and she didn't have time to grasp it.

She quickly found Duan Siwei's number, called him, and asked him to help her find out Tang Lan's whereabouts.

Duan Siwei readily agreed and acted just as quickly. In just over ten minutes, Tang Xu received his reply: "Tang Lan did enter the country two days ago, but she left the country again this morning on a flight to New York."

Tang Xu suddenly realized what that fleeting thought of hers had been.

Tang Lan's phone was unreachable, and Gao Yan's phone was also unreachable.

Tang Lan left Huai City this morning on a flight to New York, and Yan Shiyu also took a flight to New York this morning.

Tang Xu couldn't help but want to confirm again: "Could you send me her flight number?"

Duan Siwei quickly sent the flight number to her phone.

After comparing the information, Tang Xu was finally able to confirm that Yan Shiyu and Tang Lan were on the same flight.

Considering that Tang Lan entered the country two days ago, and Yan Shiyu has been so busy he's been nowhere to be seen for the past two days... it's clear he wasn't dealing with any overseas company affairs at all; he was dealing with Tang Lan's matter!
Sitting opposite Tang Xu, Ji Yan noticed Tang Xu's expression changing repeatedly and couldn't help but ask, "What happened? Why do you look so pale?"

Tang Xu bit her lip hard, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "I knew he was hiding something from me... I knew it..."

Finally realizing that her emotional turmoil was indeed justified, and that Yan Shiyu was hiding something from her, Tang Xu felt no anger or resentment. Instead, she felt something very complex...

Before Tang Xu could even process her emotions, she quickly called Shao Chenxi back.

"Don't worry, she's fine. She's on a plane to New York right now and will land in a little over an hour."

"Going to New York? Why would Mom go to New York? Are you sure she'll be alright?"

"I'm sure," Tang Xu replied. "She's fine. She has someone with her, so she'll definitely be alright. Just contact her after the flight lands, and you'll get the answer then."

Shao Chenxi's tightly clenched emotions seemed to finally find an outlet at this moment, and she burst into tears instantly, but still remembered to thank Tang Xu: "Thank you, sister, thank you..."

Tang Xu couldn't describe the feeling in her heart, but in the end, she still asked, "What happened to your father?"

Shao Chenxi sobbed, unable to say anything coherent. Tang Xu didn't ask any more questions, simply comforted her for a couple of minutes, and then called Duan Siwei again after hanging up the phone.

Duan Siwei was clearly not very busy today. When he received Tang Xu's call again, he just jokingly asked, "What orders do you need me to carry out this time?"

Tang Xu immediately asked, "Do you know Shao Qingyun from Southeast Asia? Do you know what happened to him?"

“The overlord of Southeast Asia,” Duan Siwei blurted out naturally at first, then paused for a moment as if suddenly remembering something, before continuing, “According to the latest news, he has been targeted by a cross-border capital alliance. He has been a king in Southeast Asia for many years, holding so much wealth and industry in his hands. How could he not attract envy? The cross-border capital, in conjunction with the Southeast Asian authorities, is going to clean up his shady businesses. He will not be able to escape easily. In my opinion, Shao Qingyun is in grave danger this time.”

Tang Xu never imagined the situation would become so serious; no wonder Tang Lan had to return to China for help.

But why did Yan Shiyu take this matter into his own hands?

This matter originally had nothing to do with him, or even with either of them—he knew perfectly well that there was no mother-daughter relationship between her and Tang Lan, and even if the Shao family were to be destroyed because of this, she might not be moved at all. So why would he help Tang Lan?

Tang Xu couldn't understand it at all.

The only thing she was certain of was that Yan Shiyu was doing it for her.

Thinking of this, Tang Xu could no longer sit still and reached out to grasp Ji Yan's arm. "If I say I'm going to find him, will you be angry?"

Ji Yan smiled slightly, "Why would I be angry? It's because I'm seeing you two like this that I'm worried. If you want to look for it, go find it quickly, so you don't have to worry about it."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xu was eager to set off immediately, but she still carefully considered the situation and said, "The caregiver who took care of you at the hospital was quite good. I'll bring her back to take care of your daily life. I'll also find a housekeeper to clean your room. Lu Xingyan will arrange everything else, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes. I'm not incapable of taking care of myself. I just need someone to lend a hand. You can go ahead and don't worry about me."

Tang Xu acted immediately, sending Ji Yan back and entrusting Lu Xingyan to arrange everything. He then packed his luggage and headed straight for the airport.

Yan Shiyu had just landed when Tang Xuren arrived at the airport.

Perhaps Duan Siwei had spoken to Yan Shiyu, or perhaps Ji Yan had said something to Yan Shiyu; in any case, Yan Shiyu called as soon as they landed.

"You don't need to tell me anything," Tang Xu said directly to the person on the other end of the phone. "I'm going through security right away, and my flight takes off in two hours. You can pick me up at the airport when I arrive, or you can take a taxi yourself. Anyway, I will definitely come to find you!"

After saying that, Tang Xu hung up the phone immediately.

The plane took off and landed, and Tang Xu arrived safely at 10:00 AM New York time.

As soon as I exited the airport, I saw Yan Shiyu waiting in the crowd.

There was no way around it; this man was just too eye-catching, it was impossible not to see him.

Although Tang Xu said she wanted him to come pick her up, she never expected that he would just stand in the crowd at the exit.

Her mind was in turmoil, but her face remained somewhat stiff and cold. She walked up to him, handed him her luggage, and turned to walk towards the parking lot without saying a word.

The two didn't exchange a single word until they got into the car.

Yan Shiyu put her suitcase in the trunk, got into the car, and told the driver to drive.

Tang Xu turned her head to look out the window and remained silent for a long time until Yan Shiyu reached out and gently took her hand.

Tang Xu tried to pull her hand back, but failed.

Yan Shiyu held her hand very tightly.

Tang Xu finally turned around and glared at him angrily. "Do you remember what you said? Do you remember the oath you made? You said you would never hide anything from me again. Is this how you keep your promise? How many times has this happened? Time and time again! How many more times will you break your promise? How many more times will I have to break my own bottom line?"

Yan Shiyu took her hand and placed it to his lips. Tang Xu's fist instantly turned into a palm. Yan Shiyu did not dodge, as if he would let her hit him if she wanted to.

But Tang Xu didn't actually hit him. He clenched his fist again and turned to look out the window once more.

“I broke my promise,” Yan Shiyu said. “I originally wanted to tell you after things were resolved.”

"Is that so?" Tang Xu said. "Isn't what you're thinking is to keep it from me forever, so that I don't know anything at all?"

Surprisingly, Yan Shiyu did not deny it.

“Of course that’s what I hope for,” he said. “But I promised you I wouldn’t hide anything from you, so I have to tell you eventually.”

"You—" Tang Xu was speechless with anger, "So, it was my request that put you in a difficult position? In that case, let's just cancel the agreement. From now on, you don't need to tell me anything, so I won't make you make decisions against your own heart. It's really too much to ask of you!"

After saying that, Tang Xu forcefully pulled her hand back, hugged it to her chest, and refused to look at him again.

"Let's talk about it slowly when we get back to the hotel, okay?" Yan Shiyu asked.

“You’re being incredibly dishonest,” Tang Xu said. “I don’t want to say a single word to you.”

“Okay,” Yan Shiyu said. “Then I’ll tell you when you’re ready to hear it.”

The two of them didn't exchange another word until they got back to the hotel.

Tang Xu went upstairs and found that Yan Shiyu had booked a room for her alone. She took her luggage, went into the room, and slammed the door shut, effectively shutting the other person out.

The long flight and his chaotic thoughts made Tang Xu feel very uncomfortable. He took a shower and recovered a little. He sat there in a daze for a while before finally deciding to call Tang Lan.

Tang Lan was in another room on the same floor. After receiving Tang Xu's call, she quickly rang the doorbell of Tang Xu's room.

When Tang Xu opened the door, she saw Tang Lan with red and swollen eyes and a haggard appearance. She couldn't say the words stuck in her throat for a moment, and just stepped aside to let Tang Lan in.

"Yaoyao, I'm sorry..." Tang Lan began with the familiar apology, "I didn't expect Xixi to call you... Originally, we didn't want you to know..."

"You two?" Tang Xu became angry upon hearing those two words. "You and Yan Shiyu? You two seem to have a tacit understanding. When did you reach this consensus?"

Tang Lan didn't answer, but what she said was still, "I'm sorry..."

"Why did you ask Yan Shiyu for help? Why did you drag him into this?"

Tang Lan covered her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably: "I didn't want to find him... I really didn't want to find him... It was him... who found me..."

Tang Xu was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Tang Lan was still sobbing uncontrollably. Tang Xu patiently waited until she gradually calmed down before asking again, "What do you mean by him finding you?"

Tang Lan lowered her eyes and said, "When Qingyun got into trouble, everyone I knew in Nanyang refused to help. I had nowhere to turn for help and had no other choice but to go back to Huai City for help... But he found me as soon as I got off the plane... He knew what had happened and said he was willing to help me..."

"He contacted you on his own initiative?" Tang Xu found it utterly unbelievable. "Why?"

Tang Lan covered her eyes again, as if she couldn't answer her question.

Looking at her, Tang Xu gradually realized something—

Yan Shiyu knew that Shao Qingyun was in trouble. This was not surprising, because there are no secrets in the capital circle. Even if you are thousands of miles apart, and no matter how secretive the matter is, news will always leak out.

If he was concerned about this matter because of his relationship with Tang Lan, then there must have been a specific reason why he intercepted her at the airport when she returned to China seeking help and took on this thankless task.

Tang Xu looked at Tang Lan and spoke again, "You know the reason, right? Can you tell me why?"

Tang Lan covered her face, lowered her head, and remained silent.

This is a sign of shame.

Tang Xu already had the answer in her heart, but she still wanted to hear her answer. Now that she refused to answer, she could only speak for her: "When you returned to Huai City, who did you originally want to ask for help?"

Upon hearing this question, Tang Lan was slightly startled, then finally removed her hand and looked up at Tang Xu with a sense of helplessness, "I'm sorry, Yao Yao, I really have nowhere else to turn..."

Faced with her tearful apology, Tang Xu suddenly chuckled softly.

She should have guessed it long ago.

In Huai City, there are very few people who are related to Tang Lan now, and who can help her in this matter?
Tang Xu couldn't find it even if she counted on her fingers.

However, Tang Lan still chose to return to Huai City when she was at her wit's end, which means that she had her last trump card and bargaining chips there.

And what else does Tanglan have in Huai City?
And then there's her daughter.

And... her biological father, whose identity is unknown.

The moment she realized this, Tang Xu's laughter grew louder and louder.

Tang Lan suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Tang Xu's hand tightly. "Yao Yao, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I really had no other choice. This was the only way I could think of..."

Tang Xu ignored her and tried to break free from her grasp.

So, that's why Yan Shiyu kept it from her.

He knew Shao Qingyun was in trouble, he knew Tang Lan would have nowhere else to go but back to Huai City, and he even guessed that her only way out of Huai City would be to find her biological father, whose identity was unknown...

But if this happens, Tang Xu will inevitably be put on the table and become a bargaining chip in this exchange of interests—

She will be pushed in front of that so-called biological father, go through a series of ups and downs, suffer a series of pains and torments, and no one knows what the final outcome will be.

But Yan Shiyu knew.

He knew she had never been curious about who her biological father was.

He also knew that she never wanted to know who her biological father was.

He also knew that to her, Song Yuting was her father. She already had a father, so why would she care about a father by blood?
So, he intercepted Tang Lan directly at the airport.

He took the initiative to offer Tang Lan the help she needed, just to prevent her from getting involved in this turmoil and from facing those unknown pains.

He searched for his sister for over ten years, enduring so much pain and torment, before finally being able to reunite with her. But just two days later, he abandoned his injured sister and went to America because of this incident.

And she even accused him of neglecting his sister, and got angry with him about it...

Tang Xu felt that he was the most absurd and ridiculous person in the world.

Ignoring Tang Lan's apologies and tears, she turned and walked to the door, opened it, went out, and rang the doorbell in the next room.

The moment the door opened, Tang Xu threw herself into Yan Shiyu's arms, hugging his neck tightly, burying her face in his chest, and sobbing uncontrollably.

Yan Shiyu held her tightly, and after a long while, he could only sigh helplessly.

The reason I chose to keep this from her was to prevent her from going through such a storm, but I didn't expect that she would eventually find out everything.

He knew perfectly well that she would be hurt.

But in the end, it still hurt her. (End of Chapter)