novelraw Chapter 823: Invitation to Celebrate a Birthday
Chapter 823: Invitation to Celebrate a Birthday
January 12, 2024, Friday, cloudy, high of 24°C.
5:30 AM, the sky was not yet bright.
Only a small night light was left on in the bedroom, its glow soft and quiet.
The air was very still, allowing the sound of even, faint breathing beside the pillow to be heard.
Tang Song turned slightly on his side.
Liu Qingning was still asleep.
She was curled up under the covers, only a round, adorable side of her face visible, her nostrils fluttering gently with each breath.
She must have been too tired last night, sleeping very deeply, her thick eyelashes occasionally trembling lightly.
The ponytail she had tied up was completely loose now, her jet-black long hair spread somewhat messily across the creamy white pillow.
A corner of the quilt had slipped down, revealing her round, petite shoulder, a few distinct red marks still visible on her fair skin.Memories of last night surfaced in the darkness—
Her trembling, her snuggling, the sound of her calling out "Little Song" next to his ear, voice choked with tears.
There was no conquest; it felt more like a gentle fusion of mutual affirmation.
An unprecedented, profound sense of satisfaction slowly filled Tang Song's chest.
It was finally a complete, meaningful reunion with his Bai Yueguang.
Not just a closeness in relationship, but the ultimate closing of the circle between their hearts.
Cognition and emotion aligned at the same moment, making them feel as if they had crossed a crack in time,
returning to the era of their youth when their souls were most intimate and unguarded.
Her demeanor, her reactions, every word she said—
it was still the real and complete her.
And he, too, stood before her once again as his most authentic self.
This meant she accepted his present.
Faced with the complex, no longer pure reality, she still chose to draw near.
This was the best possible outcome.
It was also the most solemn conclusion he could give to that love that had spanned his entire youth.
Tang Song watched her quietly for a while, then reached out, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear.
Then he leaned in and placed a light kiss on that warm, soft cheek.
He silently thought to himself:
"Good morning, my Qingning."
He got up gently, got out of bed, picked up the clothes he had casually dropped on the floor last night and draped them over the chairback, then walked into the bathroom.
Splash—
The sound of water.
A little over ten minutes later.
Tang Song stood before the huge full-length mirror in the master bedroom's walk-in closet, looking up at his reflection in the mirror.
His muscle lines were still well-defined, his features still handsome.
But in those deep eyes, the last trace of youthful restlessness had quietly faded,
replaced by a layer of serene and profound restraint.
It was a kind of composure and resolve that naturally settled after experiencing ultimate fulfillment.
Liu Qingning, to him, had carried almost his entire youth.
Truly reconciling with her, embracing her, standing shoulder to shoulder with her,
meant that the young man who used to be anxious about gains and losses, standing in place looking up,
had finally been left in the past.
And the him of now could finally let go of everything and move forward.
"Swish!"
The system interface unfolded before his eyes.
Opening the personal information interface:
[Player: Tang Song (91 Charm)]
[Role: President of Songmei Apparel (Global CEO of Xuanji Optical World)]
[Height: 185cm, Weight: 80kg]
[Physique: 84, Stamina: 86, Agility: 88, Comprehension: 89]
......
It had been a long time since reaching Charm 90, but his Charm value had only increased by 1 point last night due to mental growth.
Improving Charm value became increasingly difficult the higher it went.
Especially at this current stage, simple physical optimization had reached its limit.
The upcoming main quests would be an extension of his influence.
This was completely different from the influence he had built through his self-media accounts before.
This was influence over society or the world.
Next, he needed to fully control [Xuanji Optical World], which was on a high-speed expansion trajectory.
Using this as a pivot, he would deeply intervene in the industrial layouts of [Tang Yi Precision] and [Qingning Technology].
At this stage, the true factors driving Charm growth had shifted to absolute power and social status.
All of this would gradually unfold with his official debut today.
And then, through [Crown Bank], a chess piece deeply embedded in the heart of European finance, and the [Tangjin Family Office] serving as the system's core,
he would construct an identity capable of exerting massive influence on the real world.
This was also a challenge for him, but one he now looked forward to immensely.
Apart from these main quests, there were also some side quests.
For example: Partner cultivation, [Dream Flower Seed], [String Moon Drifting]...
Of course, there was also the final, not yet fully unlocked UR character [Secretary Jin], and the [Character Interaction Quests] that could appear at any time.
Exiting [Personal Center].
Tang Song's gaze fell on the blue-glowing module on the right—[Asset Blueprint].
Click to enter.
In the center of the deep blue background, a dazzling world map slowly unfurled.
Golden markers for corporate equity and brown markers for real estate intertwined brilliantly:
[Crown Bank]: Headquarters located on Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland, holding a full license issued by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)...
[Tang Yi Precision (8% shares)]: Headquarters located in Shen City, Huaxia, a world-class electronic design and manufacturing enterprise...
[Smile Holdings Group Limited (5% equity)]: Smile Holdings Group Limited, main entity registered in the Cayman Islands, headquarters located in the Imperial Capital, Huaxia...
[Songmei Apparel Co., Ltd. (75%)]: Located in the Yunxi Building, Yancheng...
After browsing the system interface, he closed the light screen.
Tang Song put on a set of comfortable casual clothes and walked out of the walk-in closet.
Liu Qingning was still lost in sweet slumber.
Tang Song went to the kitchen, deftly rinsed the rice, chopped ingredients, and started cooking a pot of millet and pumpkin porridge, his Bai Yueguang's favorite.
After finishing this, he checked the time and turned to go downstairs.
The air in Shenzhen Bay No. 1 in the early morning was exceptionally fresh, carrying the moisture of the sea breeze.
Tang Song walked along the community path, familiar with the route, and arrived at a high-end Cantonese dim sum shop in the retail space.
He bought some steamed siu mai, lava custard buns, crystal shrimp dumplings, and the like.
Carrying the exquisitely packaged breakfast, as he returned to the Shenzhen Bay No. 1 complex,
Tang Song's footsteps paused, his gaze shifting towards another building not far away, Tower 8.
His heart stirred slightly.
He changed direction, walking briskly towards it.
As he walked, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Beep beep—"
The call was quickly answered.
"Hello? President Tang, any instructions?" Shangguan Qiuyas's clear, efficient voice came through the receiver.
A slight smile touched the corner of Tang Song's mouth. "Has your Director Jin gotten up yet?"
"She's up, doing her morning workout right now. She's in great shape!"
"Good. Could you come down for a moment? I'm at the lobby entrance of Tower 8."
"Ah? Oh... oh! Okay, right away!"
The call ended.
After about two or three minutes.
A hurried set of footsteps sounded from inside the lobby.
Shangguan Qiuyas, wearing a simple set of loungewear, holding her phone, ran out slightly out of breath.
Tang Song, expression natural, handed over the carefully packaged Cantonese dim sum in his hand. "Bought breakfast specially for your Director Jin. Tell her to eat it while it's hot after her workout."
He pointed at the bag. "Inside are the crystal shrimp dumplings and lava custard buns she likes."
Shangguan Qiuyas took the bag in a daze, looked at the exquisite food containers inside, and her expression immediately became excited.
"President Tang, you're so thoughtful! Director Jin will be absolutely thrilled to know you specially delivered this first thing in the morning."
She could almost imagine Director Jin's mood upon seeing the breakfast.
Tang Song smiled. "Alright, I won't go up. See you."
"Okay, take care, President Tang!"
Watching Shangguan Qiuyas walk into the elevator holding the breakfast, Tang Song turned and left, his steps light.
Back when he recruited Secretary Jin, she was modeled after the Bai Yueguang. They had an extremely high synchronization rate in food preferences and lifestyle details.
This really did save trouble.
And, the key point was, today's [Xuanji Optical World] headquarters inauguration ceremony was destined to be a chaotic melee.
Secretary Jin, Ouyang Xianyue, Su Yu, Liu Qingning, Wen Ruan...
All these people would be present in full force.
Among them, the most crucial was undoubtedly Secretary Jin.
It never hurt to placate her in advance.
After all, as a mature male god, this kind of time management and emotional intelligence was something he had to keep improving.
Immediately after, his footsteps paused again.
He took out his phone once more.
As he strolled along the garden path, he opened WeChat.
First, he found an angle with perfect lighting, facing the morning sun, and snapped a selfie of his profile.
He sent it to a few of his "wings."
Then, he sent voice messages one by one:
"My dear movie star, good morning, I miss you. Remember to eat on time after you get up. After doing your makeup, take some beautiful photos for me, let me have a sneak peek."
"Dear Zhuang Zhuang, are you up? Remember to eat well, otherwise when we meet, I won't be able to resist the urge to 'feed' you."
"Xianyue, good morning. Did you sleep well last night? It'll be a busy day today. Looking forward to walking onto the stage with you."
"Luna, good morning, no need to be nervous today..."
"Yuyan, are you settling into the new place? I'll come by to check on it later..."
After sending the messages, Tang Song also took the time to reply to Qiuqiu, Lingling, and others who had sent him morning greetings.
The main theme was equal attention, leaving no stone unturned.
Just as he finished all this, the elevator arrived.
Tang Song put away his phone, took a deep breath, and put on that composed, unflappable smile.
He entered the sky lobby.
In the kitchen, the pot of millet and pumpkin porridge was already emitting a fragrant aroma.
Tang Song neatly arranged the breakfast he bought on the dining table, then walked to the living room.
As he approached, the electric curtains in front of the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows slowly opened.
On the sea of Shencheng Bay.
The morning mist was dispersing with the warm sun, and the distant city skyline gradually became clear.
Tang Song's gaze penetrated the transparent glass curtain wall, finally settling on the northeast direction.
At the end of his line of sight was today's main character.
The [Xuanji Optical World] global headquarters building.
Today, Friday, the company would hold a grand relocation and inauguration ceremony within the building.
And he would no longer remain hidden behind the scenes. He would officially step into the global spotlight in his capacity as Global CEO and core member of the Tangjin Family Office.
He stood quietly by the window for a moment, feeling the surging sentiment of "standing atop the highest peak."
Then he raised his wrist to check the time.
It was already 7 o'clock.
He turned and walked towards the master bedroom, his steps light.
Pushing open the door.
Darkness and quietness enveloped his senses once more, the air faintly scented with a light lemon fragrance.
Liu Qingning on the bed had changed her position.
A corner of the quilt had been kicked off, revealing a fair, plump leg casually resting on top of the covers.
As if sensing his presence by the bed.
Liu Qingning, who was already on the verge of waking up, trembled her eyelashes twice and opened her eyes groggily.
Those large, usually clear eyes were now covered with a layer of morning drowsiness, soft and utterly unguarded.
"Mmm... Little Song?"
Her voice, just woken up, was soft, hoarse, carrying a hint of unconscious coquettishness.
"Good morning, Qingning."
Tang Song walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sinking slightly.
He looked at her with a smiling gaze, his eyes lingering on the leg exposed outside for a moment before returning to her face.
"How are you? Did you rest well?"
Liu Qingning blinked slowly, softly uttering an "Mmm-hmm."
A few seconds later, she seemed to gradually regain her senses.
Her face flushed, and she hurriedly pulled her leg back under the covers.
She was completely naked right now; half her buttock and leg had been exposed just now.
Noticing her little action, Tang Song blinked and deliberately said, "Hiding what? Haven't I already touched it all? Last night, you even..."
He drew out the last word.
"You—! Don't say it!"
Liu Qingning's face turned crimson. She reached out to cover his mouth.
Tang Song deftly turned his wrist and easily caught her outstretched hand, not letting her succeed.
"I didn't say anything."
"You're saying it in your head!"
The smile on Tang Song's face deepened. His other hand nimbly slipped into the warm quilt.
The sensation under his palm was astonishingly good.
Firm, smooth, elastic skin, so warm he was reluctant to move away.
He smirked, his hand gliding up her smooth calf.
"Ah! It's cold!!" Liu Qingning exclaimed, curling up into a ball under the quilt, her voice changing pitch, calling out with a tremble, "Little Song! Your hand is so cold! What are you doing?"
"Because it's cold, that's why I need to find a warm place to warm it up."
Tang Song shamelessly played the rogue, his hand not stopping at all, instead pushing his luck and probing towards an even warmer area.
He even let out a satisfied sigh. "This place is still the warmest."
Liu Qingning, both embarrassed and flustered, slapped at his mischievous hand through the quilt. "Take it out! Quick! You..."
"What about me?" Tang Song deliberately asked back.
Liu Qingning's body stiffened. She pushed at him. "You... are you bullying me?"
"Yes, is that not allowed?" Tang Song leaned closer, looking into the Bai Yueguang's panicked large eyes. "I just want to bully you."
The eye contact, coupled with his hand running wild under the quilt, made Liu Qingning's heart give a fierce jolt.
Her sense of shame multiplied, yet a hard-to-describe intimacy and flutter also surged up.
Biting her lip, she simply buried her face in the pillow, playing dead. Her muffled voice came through, "Little Song... you big bad guy today!"
Looking at her reddened ears, feeling the mesmerizing sensation under his palm, Tang Song leaned forward.
He pinned the still struggling Bai Yueguang firmly beneath him, quilt and all.
"Don't... don't mess around... ah..."
"I'm not messing around," Tang Song's voice was close to her ear. "I'm just helping you check your body, see if there's anywhere still uncomfortable. Last night... I might have been a bit rough."
"Get up, you're heavy..."
"What's heavy? I'm supporting myself, not crushing you."
"Your hand! What is your hand doing! Tang Song! I'm warning you! Ah... it tickles, what are you doing!"
"Qingning, your heartbeat is speeding up again."
"Stop talking! You, you, you! Ah! You're pressing on my hair! It hurts!"
...
In the morning bedroom.
The original tranquility was completely shattered.
Replaced by intermittent movements coming from under the down comforter.
Muffled laughter and teasing, banter, rustling sounds, and the Bai Yueguang's nasal-toned complaints...
Every touch, every glance, every bit of bickering was soaked in unspoken intimacy.
All of it, woven together.
Like a morning melody named "Youthful Passion."
The sunlight finally fully spilled over the windowsill, filtering through the gaps in the heavy curtains to illuminate the room a little.
It also illuminated the entangled outlines under the quilt, and that face buried in the bedding that finally couldn't help but let out a laugh, flushed red.
"I love you so much, hubby~"
She suddenly whispered coquettishly in his ear.
Those two words made Tang Song's fingers freeze mid-air, his heart giving a violent leap.
Before he could even react.
Liu Qingning, quick as lightning.
"Whoosh!" She pulled the fluffy down comforter over him, covering his head and face completely.
Immediately after.
A series of hurried "thump thump" sounds of bare feet hitting the floor came from beside him.
By the time Tang Song pushed off the quilt and sat up.
He only had time to catch a glimpse of a fair, smooth back, accompanied by flying strands of hair, swiftly disappearing through the doorway of the walk-in closet.
"What did you just call me?" he called out towards the walk-in closet, his voice laced with laughter.
"Dummy Little Song!" came the muffled reply from inside.
"I heard you. Say it again, please?"
"Dummy Little Song! Big bad guy!"
"Should I come into the walk-in closet then?"
"No! If you dare come in..." Liu Qingning's voice paused for a moment, the threatening tone immediately rising, "I'll run away from home tonight! I won't celebrate your birthday!"
Tang Song couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He got off the bed, saying, "Alright, enough messing around. I cooked your favorite millet and pumpkin porridge in the kitchen. I also bought lava custard buns and crystal shrimp dumplings. Hurry up, get dressed and come out. Eat while it's hot."
The walk-in closet fell silent for two seconds.
Then, a small, sweetness-leaking response floated out:
"Got it... thank you, hubby."
Tang Song's steps faltered. He didn't reply, just walked out with a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes, his steps light.
...
7:20 AM.
Secretary Jin sat at the dining table, looking at the still-steaming breakfast before her. The corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward.
Revealing a reserved, beautiful smile.
She pursed her rosy lips.
Picking up her chopsticks, she carefully picked up a lava custard bun, taking a small, elegant bite.
The warm, savory-sweet lava filling melted in her mouth. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
Shangguan Qiuyas said in a low voice beside her, "Director Jin, it's confirmed. President Tang stayed in Tower 5 last night, with Miss Liu. Judging from President Tang's condition this morning, the matter with Miss Liu should be settled."
"Mmm." Secretary Jin nodded, then picked up a crystal shrimp dumpling and put the whole thing in her mouth.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly, showing a bit of cuteness and liveliness rarely seen in her usual demeanor.
After finishing the shrimp dumpling.
She dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin before speaking again. "Is everything arranged properly over at [Xuanji Optical World]?"
"Yes." Shangguan Qiuyas immediately placed a final version of the schedule on the edge of the table. "Ms. Ouyang attaches great importance to this ceremony. Three professional security teams have been mobilized for overlapping coverage. All media lists and press releases have been reviewed three times. Everything is ready, just waiting for the official start at 2:30 PM this afternoon."
Secretary Jin said nothing more, lowering her head to continue focusing on enjoying this "breakfast made with love."
As if this were currently the most important thing in her world.
"Oh, right," she said halfway through eating, as if suddenly remembering something, and instructed, "Go and reorganize the documents related to the [Moonlight Trust]. Annie probably won't be directly managing this area anymore. Have Qin Yingxue keep an eye on it for now."
"Understood." Shangguan Qiuyas acknowledged and turned to leave.
The dining room fell quiet.
Secretary Jin picked up the bone china cup beside her and took a sip of black coffee.
Pure bitterness spread on her tongue, neutralizing the sweetness of the lava bun.
Her expression was calm, but a flicker of joy and relaxation passed through her eyes.
Liu Qingning stabilizing so quickly was even smoother than she had anticipated.
That scalpel of Su Yu's was truly too useful.
This way, Tang Song's most difficult emotional thread was considered completely straightened out.
So next...
It was time to let those who should take the stage step onto the real platform.
Not just the temporary spotlight this afternoon.
But the long-term stage within the [Tangjin System] concerning influence, voice, and the path battle.
In fact, over these years, Ouyang Xianyue's reach had extended far too deep, especially into the fundamental territory within Huaxia.
It had reached a point where even she couldn't control it.
For example, the people she had previously placed in [Tang Yi Precision] and several core subsidiaries had recently been quietly cleaned out of the core layers by Ouyang Xianyue under various compliance pretexts.
Especially in areas involving technological secrets and underlying data.
It was very clear that this Ms. Ouyang maintained an extremely high level of vigilance against her.
And with Tang Song's official debut, Ouyang Xianyue would inevitably also loosen her defenses.
Liu Qingning, Su Yu, Wen Ruan... these people would gradually be brought into the core circle.
They would become the most precise wedges, starting to carve up and dilute Ouyang Xianyue's influence step by step.
That noble lady with deep thoughts and seasoned methods had one greatest strength, which was also her greatest weakness.
She placed too much importance on foundation and legitimacy.
And Liu Qingning, Tang Song's childhood friend and Bai Yueguang, was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
The future strategic focus of [Tang Yi Precision] would definitely be AI infrastructure and high-end intelligent manufacturing.
This was precisely an area where Liu Qingning could intervene.
Besides that, there were also forces in multiple fields like entertainment media and investment.
Secretary Jin lowered her gaze and took another bite of the lava bun.
Her movements were refined, but her eyes held calculations as deep as the ocean.
Now, the pieces were set.
The only thing she was still somewhat unsure about was:
What exactly did Tang Song want to do with Ouyang Xianyue?
And how should she cooperate with him?
China Resources • Shencheng Bay Yuefu, Building 2, Unit 3601.
Wen Ruan, having just finished a half-hour of high-intensity morning exercise, pushed open the door and walked into the master bedroom while adjusting her slightly rapid breathing.
Morning sunlight filtered through the clean white gauze curtains, casting soft patches of light on the light wood-colored floor.
The air was filled with the faint, fresh scent of mint and greenery recently trimmed on the balcony.
She wore a deep purple, thin-strapped sports bra paired with light gray form-fitting yoga pants.
This kind of outfit, which severely tested one's figure, not only didn't show a trace of excess fat on her but instead perfectly outlined that exaggerated, manhwa-like physique.
With each step, the heavy E-cup curves and perky peach-shaped rear swayed breathtakingly in the morning light, enough to make one dizzy.
Wen Ruan walked to the bedside, picked up her phone, and saw the unread message from Tang Song.
First, she gazed greedily at the morning selfie he sent.
Then her fingertip lightly tapped to play the voice message.
Hearing that low, magnetic voice tinged with a hint of flirtation, Wen Ruan couldn't help but smile.
She held down the voice message button and replied in that unique, lazy, mature-sister tone, "What's the matter? That little body of your Bai Yueguang definitely didn't fill you up, right? How about when we meet... sister feeds you something sweet? Guaranteed to be like honey."
After sending the message, she sank comfortably into the soft single sofa.
Reaching up, she untied the low ponytail damp with sweat, running her fingers through her hair to loosen it, full of allure.
After a moment.
Seeing no reply from the other side, she got up to go take a shower.
Right then.
"Ding dong—"
Her phone vibrated.
Wen Ruan glanced casually at the screen.
The motion of running her fingers through her hair suddenly froze mid-air.
[Liu Qingning: Wen Ruan, morning. Sorry to bother you so early. I wanted to ask you something. You know Zhang Yan, right?]
"Hiss—"
Wen Ruan drew in a sharp breath, abruptly springing up from the sofa. That lazy, alluring posture instantly tensed, her ample curves even trembling slightly from the shock.
Holy shit... (O_O)!
She couldn't help but curse that dog of a man Tang Song another hundred times in her heart.
Although she had vaguely anticipated this day when that guy handed over Zhang Yan, this "reverse Bai Yueguang," to her care,
she truly hadn't expected this landmine to explode so quickly, and on today of all critical days!
Given Liu Qingning's personality and her possessive attitude towards Tang Song's youth, she would undoubtedly be extremely sensitive and concerned about someone like Zhang Yan's existence.
She might even... harbor significant hostility.
It could very well be like Mars crashing into Earth.
This was evident from the stories Liu Qingning sent during their first contact and when they added each other on WeChat.
"E=(´o｀*) Sigh..."
Wen Ruan sighed helplessly, biting her full lips in frustration.
That girl Zhang Yan's background and experiences were just too pitiful.
She was like a mimosa plant kept in a dark corner. If she were to face Liu Qingning directly now, she'd probably be scared out of her wits.
Looks like her Zhuang Zhuang has to step up and take the blame again!
Wen Ruan's fingertip hovered above the screen, hesitating for a moment.
She replied: "Good morning, Qingning. I do indeed know Zhang Yan. She currently works at the Nebula International Group. I've been meaning to have a good chat with you about her, but you know, with the recent IPO and overseas courses, I just haven't had the chance."
Message sent.
Wen Ruan gripped her phone, holding her breath, staring intently at the "typing..." indicator at the top of the chat window.
Three seconds later.
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
[Liu Qingning: "Don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else by it."]
[Liu Qingning: "Tomorrow (January 13th) is Tang Song's birthday. In the evening, I want to hold a small birthday gathering for him at home."]
[Liu Qingning: "If it's convenient, I'd like to invite you to bring Zhang Yan along to my home, to celebrate Tang Song's birthday and give him a surprise."]
Wen Ruan stared at the screen, her red lips slightly parted, her face full of disbelief.
Those beautiful peach blossom eyes blinked once, then again.
(0_0)?
What the heck???
Celebrate Tang Song's birthday together?!
She had thought Tang Song's birthday would be monopolized by Liu Qingning, and had even been worrying about how to lure him out to give him a gift.
But now...
This Bai Yueguang was actively inviting her to bring Zhang Yan to her home?
Did she suddenly have an epiphany? Or did she suddenly lose her mind?