novelraw Chapter 522: Taming the Horse
Chapter 522: Taming the Horse
As Qiuqiu's voice shouted out,
the smell of disinfectant in the air suddenly became stronger, and every ward door was now labeled with room number 509.
Qiuqiu stood up and ran over.
"Ah—" The two crashed into each other heavily, and Tang Song felt the coldness and trembling.
Tang Song patted her thin back, softly comforting, "Don’t be afraid, Qiuqiu, it’s alright, Daddy is here..."
Through the [Dream Seed], Tang Song could clearly feel her overwhelming panic and fear.
It was dozens of times worse than last time.
Her whole being was swallowed by the nightmare.
Because she had lost her father at an early age, and Grandma had always told her how great and amazing her father was, Qiuqiu deep down longed for “fatherly love,” which is why she subconsciously fantasized about relying on the figure she never had.
Tears soaked Tang Song’s clothes, and Qiuqiu cried louder and louder in his arms, with snot and tears all over, murmuring something under her breath.At this moment, she was nothing like the silent and cold girl in reality.
After a long while, her sobs gradually subsided.
Tang Song placed both hands on her thin shoulders, squatted down slightly to meet her gaze,
his eyes gentle yet firm, "Don’t be afraid, Qiuqiu, tell me what happened? I will protect you."
His words, accompanied by the warm aura emitted from the [Dream Seed] on him, gradually dispelled the fear in Qiuqiu’s eyes.
She tremblingly pointed to a ward deep in the hallway, choking out, "Grandma is inside... the doctor said she needs surgery, but Uncle and Mom just wouldn’t sign the papers, and they said the treatment was too expensive..."
"Yesterday the nurse came to ask for payment, saying if we didn’t pay, they would have to stop the medication..."
Suddenly a stack of payment slips appeared in her hands, gripped so tightly that her fingers turned white.
Tang Song took the slips and found they were all filled with math problems.
The problems listed her daily living expenses, savings, picking up recyclables...
Right after, Qiuqiu suddenly pulled out a handful of money from her school uniform pocket, including wrinkled bills, rusty coins, and even a few pieces of candy.
"This is... everything I’ve saved... altogether only six hundred and twenty-one yuan and fifty cents... but Grandma needs 150,000 to 200,000..."
"Mom said before... if I made it into the top ten of the grade, she would grant me a wish, but even though I ranked fifth, she still refused to pay..."
"Daddy, please help me, I don’t want to lose... Grandma... Grandma..."
Her voice was choked to the point where she could hardly speak.
"Look into my eyes." Tang Song gently lifted her chin and softly wiped the tears from her face, "Daddy has money, lots and lots of money, everything will be okay."
"Thank you, Daddy." Qiuqiu once again threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
The surroundings suddenly changed.
The once dilapidated hospital corridor gradually faded away, replaced by a dim little room.
The air was filled with a damp smell, and the walls were covered with all kinds of bills and medical notices.
Several black figures were sitting or standing, their voices harsh:
"Even if the surgery succeeds, it might not cure her completely. What if she becomes a vegetable? Take turns caring for her? I have a kid preparing for the college entrance exam!"
"Anyway, I don’t have time, I need to run the shop and take care of Qiuqiu."
"Don’t waste money, you see, spending it is like throwing it into the river."
"Might as well bring her home; it would look more dignified if she passes there."
"If I got this illness, I’d rather go quietly than suffer like this..."
They passed the blame back and forth, and Tang Song understood the situation.
Qiuqiu’s grandma had suffered a stroke, a sudden rupture or blockage of blood vessels in the brain leading to massive brain damage.
She was already in a coma, and even if surgery went well, there could be severe aftereffects, like paralysis.
Long-term care would be needed, and even taking turns would be a heavy burden for each family.
That was their real fear.
Listening to their discussion, Qiuqiu’s body began to tremble again, nervously biting her nails.
Tang Song immediately wrapped his arms around her shoulders and shouted angrily, "Shut up!"
As his voice fell, the whole space fell into sudden silence.
A warm light lit up the room, and the black shadows gradually dissipated.
Tang Song tore down the payment slips from the wall, cupped Qiuqiu’s tear-streaked face in his hands, his gaze fierce yet gentle as water, and said word by word, "Don’t be afraid, Daddy’s here. Others won’t care about Grandma, but Daddy will; others won’t care about Qiuqiu, but I will."
These words were like a ray of light, instantly dispelling the long-held gloom in Qiuqiu’s heart.
The tears on her face miraculously disappeared, and she stared at him blankly with wide eyes.
Tang Song waved his hand, and the scene changed again.
They appeared at the entrance of the ICU ward.
Tang Song pulled Qiuqiu along to the nurse’s station, holding out a bank card, "This is the full amount for the patient’s treatment, please settle the bill and prepare for the transfer procedure immediately."
The payment was made swiftly and decisively.
"Tap tap tap—" Crisp footsteps sounded.
A tall figure in an OL uniform walked over, speaking gently, "President Tang, we’ve already contacted the best hospital and assembled a top neurosurgery team for consultation."
"Good." Tang Song turned to Qiuqiu, "Don’t worry, I’ve arranged everything. We will transfer Grandma to a better place for treatment, with the best doctors and equipment in the world."
Qiuqiu dazedly nodded, clutching Tang Song’s arm tightly.
Then the scene shifted again.
They appeared in a bright and spacious hospital, surrounded by an experienced medical team formulating a surgical plan.
Outside the operating room, the red warning light kept flashing.
The door opened, and the lead surgeon removed his mask, revealing a tired but relieved smile, "The surgery was very successful. Although postoperative observation is still needed, the patient’s vital signs have stabilized. If recovery goes well, there’s a chance of returning to normal life."
Upon hearing this, Qiuqiu jumped up excitedly and threw herself into Tang Song’s arms, crying uncontrollably.
Inside the operating room, a faint but strong old voice came out, "Qiu girl must be like a camellia, blooming brightly even in winter."
The [Dream Seedling] emitted a soft glow, its branches stretching and expanding, faintly forming the shape of a camellia flower.
......
October 6, 2023, Friday.
At dawn, when the sky was just starting to brighten.
"Thank you, Daddy..." A soft murmur sounded in the room.
Cheng Qiuqiu slowly opened her eyes, her lashes trembling lightly, still lingering in the warmth of the dream.
She rubbed her forehead, trying to pull herself out of the dream,
but that familiar and comforting figure, and those deep yet gentle words, seemed to still echo in her ears.
She lifted the blanket and sat up, looking around; only a faint morning light seeped through the gap in the curtains onto the bedsheet, casting fine shadows.
A look of loss crossed her face, as if she had forgotten something very important.
After a while, the unique chill of early autumn slowly pulled her back to reality.
"Mm~~" Qiuqiu stretched comfortably and walked to the window, pulling open the heavy curtains.
A soft beam of morning light immediately poured in, dispersing the last trace of gloom in the room.
The city outside was just waking up; Qiuqiu gazed at the gradually whitening skyline, feeling an unprecedented sense of relaxation,
a smile naturally blooming on her face.
Just then, she seemed to remember something and ran quickly to the bedside.
She picked up her phone and lit up the screen.
Immediately, a new unread message popped up.
[Tang Song: “(_) Good morning, Qiuqiu.”]
"Thump thump thump—" Her heart suddenly began to race.
He messaged her first again, and obviously right after waking up, even using such a cute emoji.
A mixture of secret joy, excitement, and anticipation welled up inside her.
Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lower lip hard and tapped the screen.
She typed and deleted the reply over and over, more than a dozen times, finally leaving just a short reply: "(··) Good morning, Tang Song, have you had breakfast?"
The moment the message was sent, her ears turned red.
After a while, with no reply, she started worrying about the internet connection.
She switched from WiFi to mobile data, then changed from telecom to mobile carrier.
"Buzz buzz buzz"
[Tang Song: “Not yet, it’s only a little past six. I’m still at the gym. Did you sleep well last night? The weather is getting colder, remember to exercise more and don’t get sick.”]
Cheng Qiuqiu carefully read this message again and again, then suddenly pressed the phone against her chest and curled up under the blanket,
every word like a piece of candy, sweet enough to numb her heart.
He really cares about me!
He... he’s being so nice today!
What can I do for him?
"Tap tap tap—" The sound of fingers tapping the screen kept coming from under the blanket.
After chatting for a few minutes,
Cheng Qiuqiu suddenly lifted the blanket and got out of bed, sat down at her computer, and opened the design software.
Right now, her senior was still in Wushan, and with He Yiyi's help, Songmei Fashion had welcomed a second boom.
The branding of 【HEYISTUDIO】 was accelerating.
She had to produce results quickly.
She absolutely couldn’t let him down!
Above her head, the [Dream Seedling] swayed gently, sprinkling green light.
In an instant, endless inspiration and ideas flooded Cheng Qiuqiu’s mind.
Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and her fingers flew across the digital tablet.
The new series for 【HEYISTUDIO】 was forming at an astonishing speed.
"Huuh huuuh—" Tang Song put down the barbell in his hands, panting heavily.
His [Unlimited Vigor] outfit was already drenched.
Fortunately, with the special effects bonus, the breathability was excellent, keeping his body fresh at all times.
Feeling the surging strength under his muscles, a huge sense of achievement welled up in his heart.
His physical fitness was now no less than that of a professional athlete, with strong explosiveness and endurance.
Lying on the floor and resting for a while, Tang Song slowly sat up.
Recalling the scenes from last night, he felt a deep pity for that designer friend.
Qiuqiu’s background and experiences were truly tragic, which had shaped her current character and were also the roots of her psychological problems.
Hopefully, the [Dream Seed] would heal her and help her transform.
After stretching in the gym,
he wiped his sweat with a towel and drank a few sips of mineral water.
Tang Song lightly stepped into the elevator and went directly to the 2nd floor.
Just as he arrived at the corridor entrance, he saw a tall, athletic figure.
Anne was leaning against the wall, wearing a silk camisole nightdress, the hem stopping just at mid-thigh, revealing her long, fair legs.
She seemed to have just woken up, with a sleepy look on her face, her blonde hair casually draped over her shoulders, her light-colored eyes not fully open.
Getting closer, Tang Song’s breathing hitched.
Anne’s nightdress was light and semi-transparent, faintly revealing the curves beneath in the morning light.
The problem was, she wasn’t wearing underwear.
Gotta say, this habit was just... wonderful.
Hearing Tang Song’s footsteps, Anne lifted her head and waved, "Good morning, my dear."
Her voice was lazy and sweet, deliberately lowered with a magnetic tone.
Tang Song stopped in front of her and smiled, "Good morning, Anne. Why are you up so early today?"
Jet lag was a real pain; it was obvious she was still adjusting poorly, usually sleeping until almost ten.
"Today’s my third day back, I can more or less wake up normally now, hmm—" Anne deliberately stretched her tone, a playful smile tugging at her lips, "I was going to ask what you wanted for breakfast, but seeing you like this... I suddenly feel like we could do something else first."
After speaking, she stepped towards him, every move radiating a predatory beauty.
The scent of her body wash mixed with her unique confidence hit him head-on.
Anne wrapped her arms around his neck, her soft chest pressing against his arm, bringing a warm and real sensation.
Their eyes met, and Tang Song felt a jolt of electricity spreading from his chest, his heartbeat unconsciously speeding up.
This foreign girl was truly the textbook version of a beautiful white woman.
High skull, big eyes, fair cold skin.
Her features were bold, with full lips and a high nose bridge.
Set on a small yet full face, it created a striking vividness that was hard to ignore.
Tang Song exhaled lightly and patted her back, "Alright, Anne, stop messing around. I just finished working out; I need a shower."
The main reason being, Mo Xiangwan’s bedroom was nearby, and he was worried about running into her.
"Oh? But I think you look quite charming like this." Anne tilted her head, her lips brushing across his sweat-glossed skin, her voice low and teasing, "Oh my god, your skin tastes like sunlight, it's downright addictive."
Then, when her hand slipped under Tang Song’s shirt, she seemed to suddenly discover a huge secret.
Her eyes widened, her voice exaggerated to almost a scream, "Oh my god! I’m going crazy! These abs deserve their own fan club!"
"Wow, I never expected your body to be this outrageous—it's like a flawless Greek sculpture!"
"Darling, you really are a treasure boy."
Her movements were bold and straightforward, her voice full of excitement and teasing.
At the peak of his physical state, after being flirted with by Su Yu for two days, Tang Song couldn’t take it anymore and directly hugged the foreign beauty.
His hands landed on her round buttocks, feeling her heat and fullness through the thin silk of the nightdress,
a wave of indescribable satisfaction surged through him.
He had to admit, the foreign girl’s figure was amazing, about the same hip size as Wen Ruan’s, though the touch felt a little different.
A moment later, Anne suddenly stepped back, a victorious smile lifting the corners of her lips.
"Your body’s way more honest than your mouth, Song. You’re really spirited. So, I win, right? Want more? You just have to surrender to me."
As she spoke, she crossed her arms, and the silk fabric pressed breathtakingly into her chest.
Tang Song raised an eyebrow, suddenly stepping forward, pressing Anne against the wooden door, his hand tracing along her abs and moving upward.
Anne gasped, her eyes widening.
Tang Song firmly felt her heartbeat and, without warning, kissed her.
The kiss was brief but fierce, filled with unstoppable aggression and intense dominance.
He had seen Anne’s profile file in the game.
He remembered the system’s assessment: she had the personality of a [Top American Alpha].
In the ABO worldview, Alphas were natural leaders and dominators, possessing great abilities and social status.
Her very bones craved control, her blood ran wild with boldness and thrill.
She had a strong desire for conquest and a spirit of adventure.
In the past, Anne had cared more about the "thrill of conquest" than about gender itself, which was why she’d been interested in women.
But now, her target had obviously become him, especially after discovering that his personality had become more gentle and approachable—making her even bolder.
Trying to conquer him.
As a Chinese man, Tang Song had a deep sense of national pride and naturally wouldn’t tolerate a “foreign girl flipping the sky.”
After all, it’s always humans riding horses, not the other way around.
Their lips parted.
Tang Song’s thumb brushed over the slightly damp corner of her lips, then casually pinched her cheek, his tone carrying an unquestionable command, "Go prepare breakfast. I'll be downstairs in ten minutes."
Their eyes locked; Anne’s clear blue eyes narrowed dangerously, her voice dragging out, "Oh?"
Tang Song stared straight into her eyes, his gaze sharpening and turning cold.
His aura shifted at that moment, overwhelming and intense.
After a full half-minute standoff,
Anne finally backed down.
The oppressive feeling Tang Song had given her in the past was simply too strong; even her father, Claire, was deeply respectful towards him.
It was because of that, after finding his softened side, that desire to tear off his gentle facade and conquer his true nature became her newest obsession.
But now, it seemed not so easy.
Anne licked the corner of her lip, which Tang Song had bitten, smiling flirtatiously, "As you command... my temporary master?"
Her tone carried a trace of rebellion and questioning. As she turned to leave, her finger lightly traced across Tang Song’s abs.
Clearly, the foreign girl only submitted on the surface—deep down, she was still defiant.
Watching her sexy figure and savoring her earlier words, Tang Song’s heartbeat accelerated.
It felt like playing a dangerous and thrilling "taming game."
Taking a deep breath, Tang Song stepped into the bedroom and began showering.
There were more important things to focus on.
Like the third cameo shoot with Su Yu in the afternoon—
The proposal scene.
Today was already the third day, and it was the last day of interaction with the movie star.
He hoped to wrap it up perfectly.
.....
Around noon,
16th floor of Times Financial Center Tower, Hengyue Investment Management Co., Ltd.
Sun Jiayue was staring at an Excel spreadsheet on her computer screen, her fingers tapping on the keyboard from time to time.
"Buzz buzz buzz—" Her phone on the desk suddenly vibrated.
【Xu Pengyuan】
Sun Jiayue immediately picked up the call and softly said, "Hey, Pengyuan, are you here?"
"Yeah, I'm downstairs at your company. We should head out now."
"Okay! Give me three minutes! Bye-bye."
Hanging up the phone, Sun Jiayue quickly saved the file, grabbed the already-prepared briefcase, and walked out.
During the thirty seconds descending in the elevator, she tidied her suit collar while looking into the mirror, feeling a bit nervous.
She was currently facing serious performance problems, and her friend—and crush—Xu Pengyuan was very concerned.
Xu Pengyuan was now working at a mid-sized family office, handling risk control and compliance-related work.
However, their company mainly dealt with financial products like Hong Kong insurance and USD fund products.
So, they couldn’t directly help her improve her performance, but his network resources were much richer than Sun Jiayue’s.
The person they were meeting today was someone Xu Pengyuan had helped her connect with through the family office—a potential LP, said to be from a newly rich family in Ningbo that had transformed from industry to investment, and also a client of their family office.
"Ding—" The elevator doors slowly opened.
Sun Jiayue quickly walked out of the office building. In the temporary parking area, a Tesla was flashing its hazard lights.
She opened the passenger door and got in, seeing Xu Pengyuan dressed formally.
He wore a well-tailored suit, his hair slicked back with gel, looking sharp and energetic.
She smiled sweetly and greeted him.
The Tesla slowly merged into traffic.
Seeing that Sun Jiayue seemed a bit nervous, Xu Pengyuan turned his head and comforted her, "Don’t be nervous, I have a good relationship with him. He just moved to Modu recently and is very interested in hard tech. I heard your company is raising a tech fund, so he actually asked to meet you."
"Mm, I understand. Thank you, Pengyuan." Sun Jiayue nodded, taking a deep breath again, trying to relax herself.
About twenty minutes later, the car stopped at a parking lot.
They got out and walked into a Chinese restaurant by the roadside.
Following the server to the third floor, they pushed open the door to a private room, and a figure came into view.
Around thirty years old, dressed in stylish casual clothes, fiddling with the latest Vertu phone in his hand.
His aura was casual yet carried a hint of nobility, and the Patek Philippe on his wrist glowed subtly under the light.
Xu Pengyuan said enthusiastically, "Let me introduce you. This is Sun Jiayue from Hengyue Investment, and also a good friend of mine. Jiayue, this is Liu Jing, the one I’ve mentioned to you several times, Liu-ge."
Sun Jiayue immediately straightened up and bowed slightly, "Good afternoon, Liu-ge, it’s an honor to meet you."
"Alright, no need to be so formal, have a seat, let’s eat and chat." Liu Jing waved his hand, speaking casually.
"Okay, thank you, Liu-ge." Content originally comes from novel⚑fire.net
After sitting down, Xu Pengyuan naturally picked up the teapot and poured tea for the two of them.
After a few polite exchanges, they got acquainted.
Soon, dishes began to be served one after another.
During the meal, Sun Jiayue showcased the maturity and wisdom of a professional woman, skillfully steering the conversation around areas that interested Liu Jing.
As the conversation deepened, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.
Liu Jing put down his chopsticks, looking at Sun Jiayue with a slight smile, "I heard you’re preparing a tech fund? I’m very interested in the semiconductor field."
Sun Jiayue took out carefully prepared materials from her briefcase and handed them over, "Yes, we mainly focus on hard tech companies at the Pre-IPO stage. Here’s our investment strategy and some of our past cases."
Liu Jing casually flipped through the materials, occasionally asking a few questions.
This surprised Sun Jiayue even more; not only did he have investment intentions, but he also had a decent understanding of the field.
Plus, given Xu Pengyuan’s solid relationship with him, the three of them hit it off more and more, and the atmosphere grew even lighter.
Halfway through the meal,
Liu Jing suddenly raised his eyebrows and asked, "I heard from Pengyuan that you’re going to the 'Investor Night' event in a few days? Is it to find fundraising clients?"
"Mm, this event is pretty big. The whole Yangtze River Delta is involved. I just want to expand my network." Sun Jiayue answered truthfully.
Liu Jing lightly tapped the table with his fingers, a playful smile appearing on his face, "How about this? I just arrived in Modu and am planning to meet some people in the investment circle. I’ll accompany you to the event and pretend to be an 'up-and-coming investment elite.' Haha, Pengyuan told me about this, sounded pretty interesting."
Xu Pengyuan immediately chimed in, "That’s perfect! But Liu-ge, if you go, it’s not pretending—you’re absolutely the real deal!"
He had previously heard from Zhang Nuo that Sun Jiayue had a high school classmate who was going to accompany her, a so-called super senior brother.
Hearing that had made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, which was one of the reasons he specially arranged today’s meeting.
Sun Jiayue’s chopsticks paused mid-air, her expression flickering complicatedly.
Such high-end events were usually real-name only, and she only had two invitations, which she had applied for under the company’s name.
She had already promised Tang Song to take him along for the experience.
But now, the opportunity in front of her was clearly much more stable—Liu Jing not only had genuine investment intentions but could also bring in more resources.
However... it would seem pretty disloyal to Tang Song.
Sun Jiayue carefully chose her words, "Well, the thing is, I only have a limited number of invitations, and I previously promised..."
"Jiayue!" Xu Pengyuan bumped her knee under the table, his eyes obviously signaling her.
"Oh?" Liu Jing smiled, "Is it inconvenient?"
Facing the pressure from both of them, Sun Jiayue struggled internally for a moment before finally gritting her teeth and saying, "It’s fine, I just didn’t want to trouble you, Liu-ge."
"Haha, you’re too polite. We’re all friends here. I’ll be developing in Modu too in the future." Liu Jing smiled and raised his teacup, "Come on, let’s have a toast."
"Thank you, Liu-ge." "Thank you, Liu-ge."
"Ding—" The crisp sound of cups clinking rang out.
Sun Jiayue took a sip of tea, but in her mind, Tang Song’s deep and profound eyes, as seen under the river breeze, surfaced uncontrollably, making her inexplicably irritated.