President, please comfort me.

Without even putting on her shoes, she hurriedly ran to the balcony and looked towards the front door. Sure enough, she saw a familiar figure standing straight next to the car, calling her.

In the midst of the chaos, she asked thoughtfully, "Why are you here?"

Tang Chao was losing patience with her: "You can come out first, or I can go in and find you."

"No, wait for me there, I'll be right out." Afraid that he would actually barge in and get beaten up by Lan Zhan, Lan Ling hurriedly ran over and checked himself inside and out in front of the mirror.

My hair was a little messy from sleeping, but thankfully it's quite smooth and I can fix it with a little tidying. I removed my makeup before bed, and apart from my eyes being a little red and swollen, everything else was fine.

so far so good.

To make herself look healthier, Lanling applied some lip gloss and, without even changing out of her pajamas, simply threw on a coat and headed downstairs.

Lan's parents were watching TV downstairs. When they saw her dressed like that and walking towards the door, they were slightly taken aback: "Where is Lanlan going? It's getting dark."

"Dad, Mom, I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back."

Lanling felt a mix of excitement and trepidation, and her mind began to wander as she walked, wondering why the Tang Dynasty had come all this way.

He said he was going to explain to her, but what was he going to explain? His relationship with Zhou Luwen?

If he doesn't like me, what's the point of explaining? But what if he says he likes me later... should I say yes?

Standing not far away, Lanling saw Tang Chao leaning against the carriage door, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an upright posture.

He had one hand in his pocket, and in the other hand he held a lit cigarette to his lips, taking a deep drag and then exhaling softly. The swirling smoke made him appear even more mysterious and captivating.

This was the first time she had ever seen him smoke. She approached and stood by the car, pretending to be calm, but her heart was pounding.

Lanling remained silent, watching Tang Chao wait for him to speak first.

The moment she arrived, Tang Chao threw the cigarette in his hand into the roadside trash can.

He walked up to her, and before he could even take a good look at this temperamental little girl, he noticed her red and swollen eyes.

Suppressing the urge to coax him, Tang Chao stood in front of Lanling and carefully examined him. Neither of them spoke, but in the end, Tang Chao couldn't resist and opened the back door of the car, his deep voice carrying a hint of tenderness and gentleness: "Get in the car."

Since it was right in front of his own house, Lanling was afraid of being discovered, so he didn't dare to think too much and obediently got into the car.

Seeing how obedient she was, Tang Chao felt a little better. He turned around and got into the car, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

As the car drove out of the villa gate, Lanling had no idea where he was taking her. He adopted a businesslike, unfamiliar attitude, saying, "Where are we going? Just tell me what you want to say."

"No rush, you'll know when we get there." Tang Chao's voice was flat, and he only replied with this sentence before not speaking to Lanling again.

The car drove for another ten or twenty minutes before finally stopping on a scenic coastal highway.

At dusk on the beach, the sunset is like a brocade, the waves shimmer, and the afterglow spreads across the entire beach, giving people a sense of tranquility and warmth.

Pushing open the car door, Tang Chao got into the back seat cleanly and neatly, sat down next to her, and their eyes met again, as if time had frozen.

Lanling noticed Tang Chao's unusual behavior along the way, and felt a little sad. She remained silent, quietly watching him, which was unusual for her.

Tang Chao looked at the unusually docile yet seemingly deliberately distant little girl in front of him, sighed silently, and asked in a deep and loud voice, pretending not to know, "Why are your eyes swollen? Did you cry again?"

Whenever I hear him say such doting words, it feels like being gently touched by soft down, always bringing me warmth and sweetness.

Lanling couldn't bear his sudden shift from indifference to gentleness. Her nose stung, her eyes reddened, and she instinctively turned her head away, whispering, "No."

Although Tang Chao admitted that his failure to return Lanling's call promptly was ill-considered and wrong, he felt that Lanling's actions today—not saying anything to him, misunderstanding him, abandoning him, and running back to Xiamen—were even more egregious. Therefore, he had originally intended to give Lanling a good talking-to.

Seeing that she was about to cry again, what was the point of lecturing her? He couldn't help but gently stroke her hair, offering her warmth and comfort.

Tang Chao looked out the window at Lanling and began to explain as if coaxing a child: "I don't like Zhou Luwen and I haven't contacted her. She came to the company purely to discuss cooperation."

“The person who talked nonsense has been fired. I never knew you brought me food to the company. I’m sorry, I’ve made you suffer.”

Tang Chao explained clearly, and he tugged at Lanling's arm, his voice unusually soft and aggrieved as he said, "Look back at me."

Lanling had been feeling a mix of emotions, but her grievances quickly dissipated. However, when she thought about how he hadn't answered her calls for several days, she felt she had to teach him a lesson, or else how would she ever face anyone again?

After calming herself down, Lanling deliberately avoided his touch, turned to look at him, and pretended to be indifferent as if she were being petulant: "It's nothing, I didn't cook those dishes, they were just takeout from the restaurant."

Tang Chao's hand reached for nothing. Seeing her attitude towards him, he felt uncomfortable and stared at her with a slight frown: "Do you have to talk to me like that?"

Her tone and volume became more serious and louder. Lanling felt wronged again. She turned her gaze back to the window and said in a slightly cool voice, "You think I don't speak well? Then go find someone who speaks well, who is intellectual and elegant. Why bother flying all the way to Xiamen in your busy schedule?"

Having said all that, Tang Chao understood perfectly well. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he softened again: "I didn't mean to say anything bad about your words. Don't try to label me like that."

"I apologize for not answering the phone promptly. It was my fault, and I promise I won't do it again, no matter how busy I am. Please don't be angry."

Most women are prone to saying one thing and meaning another, and Lanling is no exception.

She stood with her back to Tang Chao, remaining motionless, appearing polite and speaking casually, but inwardly she was incredibly jealous: "Whether you answer the phone or not is your prerogative. I'm not angry, and I have no right to be angry. You really don't need to apologize to me, after all, we're not in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."

Tang Chao looked at the little girl in front of him, who was suppressing her grievances and had no way to vent them, and was muttering that she was not qualified. His heart ached terribly.

Yes, I do owe her a formal response.

With his Ren and Du meridians opened, Tang Chao reached out and pulled Lanling close. He then gently cupped her chubby face in his hands and kissed her pink lips with a loud "smack," the sound echoing in the car.