novelraw Chapter 425: Is Tang Song a Hopeless Romantic?
Chapter 425: Is Tang Song a Hopeless Romantic?
September 3, 2023, Sunday, Clear, 23~31°C.
The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, gradually brightening the room.
Tang Song slowly opened his eyes, the faint lingering fragrance in the air and the warm sensation in his palm quickly bringing him to full awareness.
Xu Qing was curled up in his arms, sleeping soundly.
Her long hair spilled across the pillow, with a few strands mischievously brushing against his face.
Tang Song glanced down at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
He had always found Xu Qing intriguing since their university days.
After all, she had been a hot topic in the boys’ dorm, and her cosplay photos were widely circulated.
Of course, back then, he had been completely devoted to his first crush.
Even his occasional daydreams about campus beauty Shen Yuyan were nothing more than fleeting thoughts.University life had represented a mundane chapter of his past.
Shen Yuyan and Xu Qing, on the other hand, had once been unattainable fantasies—interacting with them, altering their perception of him, witnessing their surprise and gaining their admiration—
All of that boosted his confidence and charm score.
Of course, more importantly—these best friends were simply gorgeous.
Last night had been a way to satisfy an old fantasy—
From taking photos with Xu Qing in cosplay, to... well, something more.
Thinking about Xu Qing’s adorably flustered expressions from last night, Tang Song couldn’t help but chuckle.
She had an interesting personality—a bit tsundere, yet oddly naive, making it especially fun to tease her.
Under the covers, Tang Song’s hand shifted slightly, gently squeezing her soft curves.
The sleeping Xu Qing wiggled in response, her lips pouting slightly as if lost in a sweet dream.
Her sleeping face was peaceful and delicate, long lashes casting a faint shadow on her cheeks—absolutely adorable.
Tang Song couldn’t resist leaning down to plant a kiss on her cheek, then carefully tugged the blanket lower.
Sensing his movements, Xu Qing let out a sleepy hum and instinctively nuzzled closer to his chest, mumbling drowsily,
“Master… let me sleep a little longer…”
Oh?
Qingqing, are you seriously still in character?
Tang Song instantly perked up.
Pulling the blanket away, he lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss downward.
Xu Qing’s skin was incredibly smooth, delicate to the touch, as if the slightest pressure would leave a mark.
Her curves were perfectly proportioned—a mix of youthful sweetness and mature elegance.
Tang Song found himself unable to stop.
The room’s temperature steadily rose.
“Ah!” Xu Qing suddenly yelped, blinking groggily as she woke up.
Still in a dazed state, she instinctively wriggled around, letting out little kitten-like murmurs.
After a few moments, as full awareness returned, Xu Qing suddenly clamped her legs together and curled up into a ball.
“Stop! Don’t come any closer! I’m sore! It’s all your fault! I told you to stop over a hundred times last night, and you wouldn’t listen!”
Her voice was soft and sleepy, tinged with a hoarse morning rasp that made Tang Song’s heart itch.
Leaning closer, he murmured against her ear, “You did keep saying stop… but your actions told a different story.”
“You—” Xu Qing’s face flushed red, her voice turning defensive. “Y-You’re making stuff up! It’s all your fault! If you dare bully me like this again, I’ll… I’ll…”
Struggling to come up with a good threat, she hesitated for a long moment before blurting out,
“I’ll tell Yanyan to punish you!”
To her, her best friend was her biggest trump card—her ultimate backup.
Hearing this, Tang Song’s eyes sparkled, a mischievous glint flashing across his face.
Xu Qing + Shen Yuyan—
A legendary university duo… Who could possibly resist?!
Sensing his sudden excitement, Xu Qing’s large, dark eyes widened in alarm.
“Hey! You… You scumbag! Why do you look so happy after hearing Yanyan’s name?! Don’t tell me you—”
Little Songzi already had multiple girlfriends… What if he actually set his sights on her best friend next?
…Then again, if that did happen, wouldn’t that mean she and Yanyan could stay together forever?
As this wild idea popped into her head, Xu Qing’s mouth slowly fell open.
Wait—NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!
That would be way too ridiculous!
Smack—
A sharp, crisp sound echoed through the room.
Tang Song forcefully changed the subject. “Stop overthinking. Reel in that out-of-control imagination of yours.”
“Ow! You hit me again!” Xu Qing trembled slightly, baring her teeth. “I’m biting you!”
Tang Song’s eyes brightened.
He promptly slipped his finger between her lips, playfully pinching her tongue.
Grinning, he teased, “Go ahead—bite me now.”
Xu Qing froze, momentarily processing his actions.
Then, realization dawned.
Her face turned bright red, and she furiously shook her head. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about! I don’t know anything! I’m going back to sleep!”
“Really? You don’t get it?” Tang Song pressed slightly harder.
He hadn’t read many of Xu Qing’s novels—
But he had never skipped a single mature-themed illustration she shared.
And those definitely had no shortage of creative tricks.
Recalling one of the “educational” posts Xu Qing had sent just a few days ago, Tang Song’s voice turned smooth as silk.
“You know… there are other ways.”
“I seriously don’t know what you’re talking about!” Xu Qing’s large, dark eyes darted around nervously.
Tang Song leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear.
Xu Qing instinctively glanced downward, then instantly turned beet red.
“I’M NOT DOING THAT!”
“Then let’s continue as we were.”
“Ahhh! WAIT!” Xu Qing shouted.
Tang Song smirked. “What is it now?”
Xu Qing wiggled slightly, her gaze shifting as she hesitantly said, “I-I might be willing to help you… but I have a condition.”
Tang Song raised an eyebrow. “What condition?”
“Well…” Xu Qing hesitated for a moment before mumbling, “My mom is coming to Yan City… I have to take her out shopping and visit some relatives.
So… can I borrow one of your cars?”
Aunt Zhang was her mom’s high school best friend.
This time, her mom had come from their hometown to attend Aunt Zhang’s daughter’s wedding, bringing along a few other acquaintances.
Xu Qing had boasted quite a bit—
As a renowned author and media company shareholder, she needed a car that matched her status, right?
“That’s easy. Take whatever you like. They’re all parked at Yanjing Tiancheng—just pick one later.”
Hearing his casual agreement, Xu Qing instantly beamed.
“Really? Great! You said it—so I won’t be polite about it!”
Tang Song pinched her cheek. “When’s Auntie arriving? Do you need me to pick her up?”
“She’s arriving this afternoon. No need to pick her up.” Xu Qing quickly shook her head, looking a little flustered.
“…Just showing up later is enough.”
She had exaggerated a lot when talking to her mom.
She even fabricated a “cold and distant CEO ex” story.
Before introducing Tang Song, she needed to sync details with her mom first—
Otherwise, knowing her mother’s personality, there was no telling what ridiculous things she might say in front of him.
ε=(0~*)))
Having such a chaotic mother was truly exhausting!
“Alright, just let me know whenever you need something.” Tang Song patted her lightly. “Now, let’s get started, little maid.”
“What’s the rush?” Xu Qing pouted, her cheeks flushing as she glanced at Tang Song’s bare upper body. “Hmph, fine. Since you’ve been so generous, I suppose I’ll reluctantly help you this once.”
Soon, she begrudgingly settled onto his lap.
Soft movements filled the quiet room.
As Tang Song watched her playful yet serious expression, he felt his heart race.
Last night had been Xu Qing’s first time, so he had been careful.
But after a full night’s rest, his Heartthrob Aura (LV4) had fully restored his energy.
…
After Lunch at Lanque Western Restaurant.
The two of them took the Rolls-Royce directly to the underground parking lot at Yanjing Tiancheng.
Stepping out of the car, Tang Song gestured to a row of vehicles.
“These three are mine—pick whichever one you like.”
Xu Qing’s eyes instantly lit up.
Aside from the Mercedes S450L she had already ridden in, there was a sleek black BMW and…
A Bentley.
Swallowing hard, Xu Qing’s gaze fixated on the luxurious sports car.
Its Ice White exterior glowed under the dim parking garage lights, exuding an elegant, almost untouchable aura—like a dormant beast.
How was this even a choice?
As a writer, she knew a little about luxury cars. She wasn’t an expert, but she understood brand rankings.
And Bentley was a top-tier luxury brand—on the same level as Rolls-Royce.
Just imagining herself rolling up in this gorgeous car in front of her mom…
Her mom would freak out.
Xu Qing’s large, dark eyes twinkled mischievously as she tried to act nonchalant.
“If I say I want the Bentley… would you really let me drive it?”
Tang Song chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Of course. If you behave, I wouldn’t mind giving you one.”
“Wha—?!” Xu Qing gulped, her expression exaggerated in disbelief. “Y-You’re joking, right?”
Tang Song looked her straight in the eyes. “I’m not.”
Because of Su Yu’s trust agreement and Secretary Jin’s strong reaction, he wasn’t considering adding new people to Slover Trust at the moment.
That said, he did feel a little bad for his little maid.
Given his current wealth, compensating her in other ways was more than doable.
Cars, houses—whatever she wanted, he could provide.
Plus, Xu Qing was already a minor shareholder in Fanfu Suzi Media.
He could easily allocate future short drama assets under her name.
Their eyes locked for a solid ten seconds before Xu Qing finally realized he was serious.
Her face turned beet red, and her mind went blank.
Oh my god…
Little Songzi… loves me this much?!
All they did was sleep together once, and she already felt like she’d profited—but now he wanted to give her a luxury car worth millions?!
“…Then,” Xu Qing hesitated before quietly asking, “W-What if I asked for a house?”
Tang Song chuckled. “Perfect timing—your mom’s visiting, right? Take the next couple of days to pick one. I’ll buy it under your name. Full payment.”
“What about the location? The price? Any restrictions?”
“No restrictions. If you like it, you can have it. Villa, penthouse, whatever.”
“…And what if I want to advance my career?”
“No problem. You already have Fanfu Suzi shares—I can transfer more to you.
If you still want to work as a lawyer, I can place you in Quanjing Law Firm.”
“You… you…” Xu Qing’s eyes welled up with tears, staring at Tang Song in a daze.
This was straight out of her novel!
In Wrong Room, Stumbled Into a CEO’s Bed, the female lead, Xu Yanqing, was also showered with cars, villas, and career support after an accidental encounter with the dominant male lead.
But that was just fiction—a fantasy so extravagant that even her own imagination struggled to take it seriously.
Yet now, Tang Song was actually making it real.
She had underestimated his love for her.
He really… loved her this much?!
Tang Song gently pinched her cheek. “What’s wrong?”
For once, Xu Qing didn’t act tsundere.
Instead, she softly mumbled, “…Why are you like this…? I was just joking…”
She loved money, sure—but not like this.
They had only just started dating.
If she took a Bentley and a villa now, she’d feel too guilty to not hand over her best friend to him as well.
Tang Song shook his head. “I wasn’t joking.”
“…Tang Song.” Xu Qing suddenly looked up at him.
“I have a question—did you secretly like me back in university?”
“Uh…” Tang Song’s eye twitched slightly. “…Yeah, I did.”
She had been one of the biggest beauties on campus—most guys had some thoughts about her.
He wasn’t an exception.
“I see.”
Xu Qing’s expression softened as she suddenly tiptoed and kissed him.
A light, affectionate kiss on the lips.
Many of her friends had dated multiple times—
Take Ma Luoluo, for example—she’d already had four boyfriends and countless hotel stays.
Yet, none of them had ever been treated this well.
Even if you combined all of their boyfriends, they wouldn’t come close to Tang Song.
There was only one explanation—
Tang Song must have had a secret crush on her in the past.
Back then, he wasn’t outstanding enough to confess, because she had been a campus queen and a rising cosplay star.
After graduation, he had worked relentlessly to build his success.
Then, fate brought them back together at Songmei Fashion.
From that moment on—everything changed.
This was literally the plot of her own novel.
And Tang Song?
He perfectly embodied both the past and present versions of the male lead.
It was a flawless real-life reenactment.
[Ding! Xu Qing’s favorability +20! More interactions unlocked!]
As Xu Qing became more affectionate than ever, Tang Song wasn’t sure what was going on in her head—but he didn’t dwell on it.
They took the elevator to the 20th floor.
Xu Qing eagerly explored his luxurious penthouse before finally heading downstairs, car keys in hand.
Slipping into the Bentley’s plush interior, she listened carefully as Tang Song guided her through the car’s functions.
Excited, Xu Qing couldn’t wait to take it for a spin.
She had gotten her license in high school and often borrowed cars in college for road trips with friends.
Her driving skills were solid—she just never had the money to own a car. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveIＦire.net
Once she got comfortable, she turned up the music, swayed to the beat, and happily sped off toward her rental.
Beicheng Garden Residential Complex.
“…Alright, Mengli. Thanks, I understand.”
“No worries, I was mentally prepared for this.”
“Okay, enjoy your weekend with your boyfriend. Bye.”
Hanging up the call, Shen Yuyan sat frozen in her chair, lost in thought.
The latest list of "Yan Province Innovative Small and Medium Enterprises" had just been released.
Meng Li’s organization was one of the institutions responsible for the selection process, so she received the news ahead of time.
This list wasn’t just an honorary title—it came with significant benefits.
For three years, selected companies could enjoy financial, industrial, and talent-related incentives, along with tax breaks and land-use support.
For small and medium enterprises, this was critical.
Shen Yuyan had been working tirelessly toward making the list—
Even attending university startup incubator events just to increase her company’s exposure.
Yet, Youjie Domestic Services had still failed to make the cut.
To the evaluation committee, even with millions secured from its angel investment round, the company’s innovation, growth potential, and specialization weren’t up to standard.
What stung even more—
Both Songmei Fashion and Fanfu Suzi Media had made the list.
Gao Mengting. Guo Liyuan.
Two people she had met back in university—
Once again leaving her behind.
For someone as proud as Shen Yuyan, the pain and frustration were indescribable.
Self-doubt crept in.
Her confidence in Youjie Domestic Services was at an all-time low.
It was already September 2023—
New industries were booming everywhere.
IoT, short dramas, AI—
especially generative AI and multimodal models.
Word had it that Qingning Technology, a domestic AI unicorn,
was set to release a new large-scale pre-trained language model (LLM) later this month.
A model that would expand AI applications across all sectors.
Her thoughts drifted back to what Ren Mingyuan had said last night.
She hated him, but…
He wasn’t wrong.
Youjie Domestic Services had become her cage.
It felt like she was staring at an endless blue ocean
but had no way in—no opportunity, no qualifications.
She sat there, lost in thought, for a long time.
Then, her phone rang.
Snapping back to reality, she glanced at the caller ID before answering.
On the other end, Xu Qing’s voice was practically bursting with excitement.
“YANYAN! Get down here, NOW! Something HUGE just happened!”
Shen Yuyan frowned slightly. “What happened? Qingqing, calm down—talk to me properly.”
“Ugh, just hurry up! I need to show you something!”
Hearing that it was just to see something, Shen Yuyan immediately relaxed.
With an exasperated sigh, she asked,
“Can you stop making things sound so dramatic? Also—how did things go with Tang Song last night?”
“Uh… I’ll tell you when I see you.”
Xu Qing’s voice suddenly dropped to a whisper.
That tiny change in tone told Shen Yuyan everything she needed to know.
“Got it. I’m coming down now. Bye.”
Hanging up, Shen Yuyan didn’t even bother changing shoes—
She slipped into her house slippers, took the elevator down,
and walked out of her apartment building.
The moment she stepped outside—
A strikingly familiar silhouette came into view.
The wheels glided smoothly over the pavement,
so quiet she could barely hear it—
only the low purr of the engine echoed faintly in the air.
The white paintwork gleamed in the sunlight,
its surface smooth and polished, like an icy glacier.
The Bentley emblem on the hood glittered brilliantly,
radiating an aura of elegance and power.
Then—she saw the Shanghai license plate.
Shen Yuyan’s heart skipped a beat.
A wave of memories flooded her mind.
The university startup summit.
The entrepreneurship incubator.
The Bentley Continental.
Gao Mengting.
That summit had been a turning point in her life.
First, Xu Qing had told her that Tang Song was planning to invest in Youjie Domestic Services.
Then, Ren Mingyuan from Gongying Technology had approached her.
When she had to choose between investors,
it hadn’t just been about her partners or Gongying’s promises—
She had simply failed to take Tang Song seriously.
If she had just taken the time to talk to him properly—
if she had dug deeper into his background—
Everything today would have been completely different.
Before she could process it all, the Bentley rolled to a smooth stop beside her.
The door swung open—
Accompanied by a blast of upbeat music,
a beaming Xu Qing hopped out of the driver’s seat.
“Hello, Little Yanyan~”
Hands on her hips, she tilted her chin slightly upward,
her smug grin practically radiating self-satisfaction.
She was clearly trying to act cool—
But with her flushed cheeks and shifty glances,
she just looked endearingly silly.
Shen Yuyan let out a slow breath, her gaze complicated.
“This car… belongs to Tang Song?”
“Mhm!” Xu Qing pursed her lips,
then pouted dramatically.
“He lets me drive it.
I can take it whenever I want, for as long as I want.”
She tried to play it cool—
but within seconds, she completely broke character and threw her arms around her best friend.
Excitedly, she gushed,
“I just looked it up!
This is a Bentley Continental GT—a 4-million-yuan luxury sports car!
From now on, we can drive it wherever we want—we’ll look SO badass!
Oh! And he also has a Rolls-Royce!
The chauffeur?
Super classy—she’s like a secret agent.
So, Yanyan—next time you need to attend a fancy event or something,
just say the word!
I’ll borrow this bad boy from Tang Song,
and we’ll roll up in style!”
She kept rambling excitedly,
until Shen Yuyan rubbed her head gently and said softly,
“Qingqing, you guys just started dating.
You should be a little more reserved—a little smarter.
A man like Tang Song—a man with this much wealth—
Sometimes, they can be sensitive about money.
If you want to stay by his side for a long time,
you need to make sure you don’t come across as too materialistic.”
“Huh?”
Xu Qing blinked in confusion, then firmly shook her head.
“No way.
Little Songzi is nothing like that—
He’s so good to me.
Even better than you’d ever imagine.
Honestly… sometimes it’s too much.”
Xu Qing sighed dramatically—
and then immediately burst into giggles.
Shen Yuyan frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Ahem.”
Xu Qing cleared her throat,
as if hiding a secret.
“Forget Bentleys and Rolls-Royces—
If I wanted, he’d BUY me one.
Same with houses—penthouse, villa—he’d buy me one in full.”
Shen Yuyan stared in disbelief.
“…You’re joking.”
She had met plenty of wealthy men before—
and the women around them.
But this level of generosity?
She had never heard of anything like it.
And all they did was spend one night together.
With this much, Xu Qing was already on her way to financial freedom.
“Not joking. He’s completely serious.
And that’s not even everything.”
Xu Qing’s voice dropped slightly,
her expression turning soft and dreamy.
“He liked me since university.
So… I guess this is just love.”
Love?
Shen Yuyan’s mind went blank.
Could it be…?
Was Tang Song actually a hopeless romantic?!