Chapter 186: Coercion
Upon entering the living room, Zhang Qianqian saw Tang Shiyun and Zhang Zekai holding hands and couldn’t help but burst into laughter, teasingly saying, "Big brother, do you really need to be all lovey-dovey in front of Wanqing and me? We’re both single; you should at least consider our feelings."
"I’m used to it," Zhang Zekai smiled and let go of Tang Shiyun’s hand gracefully. "Shiyun, let me introduce you. This is Nanrong Wanqing, an honored guest of the Zhang Family. You’ve been living in East Sea City for so many years, you must have heard of Miss Nanrong’s reputation. She is the chairman of Hongyu Group."
Hearing this, Tang Shiyun couldn’t help but take a few more glances at Nanrong Wanqing, her gaze carrying a hint of curiosity.
She was certainly familiar with Hongyu Group. It was precisely where Ling Chen used to work. She did not expect the chairman of Hongyu Group to be so young and stunningly beautiful. However... when she saw the wheelchair under Nanrong Wanqing, her eyes couldn’t help but reveal a trace of surprise and pity.
Seeing Tang Shiyun hesitating to greet her, Zhang Zekai frowned slightly, full of apologies. "I’m sorry, Miss Nanrong, Shiyun is a bit reserved. Please don’t mind her. Shiyun, hurry up and greet Miss Nanrong."
Upon hearing his reproachful tone, Tang Shiyun came back to her senses and spoke with a soft greeting.
"Miss Nanrong, hello."
"Hello, a pleasure to meet you," Nanrong Wanqing said with a faint smile, shaking hands with Tang Shiyun.
"Alright now, we’re all friends here, no need to be too formal. Let’s go, dinner is ready." After saying this, Zhang Qianqian pushed Nanrong Wanqing’s wheelchair into the dining room.
Zhang Zekai, following after them with Tang Shiyun, said unhappily, "Smile more for me; don’t look so stern in front of our guests, as if I’ve mistreated you."
Tang Shiyun had a cold expression, seemingly ignoring his words, and simply quickened her pace.
Seeing this, Zhang Zekai grabbed her hand, pulling her forcefully to his side, and said with a smile, "Since you’re here, don’t go back tonight. Stay and keep me company."
Hearing this, Tang Shiyun’s face showed a touch of anger, and she retorted indignantly, "Don’t push your luck."
Zhang Zekai let out a cold laugh. "Your willingness to come shows that you care a lot about what you now have, so don’t pretend to be pure with me. I’ve seen too many women like you—as long as you take good care of me, I will never treat you badly in the future."
"Don’t even think about it; don’t lump me with those women. I accepted the invitation because you are the boss, and I respect you for your position. If you think I would sell my body for material pleasures, then you are sorely mistaken."
"Shiyun, don’t be naive. In this world, you have to give something to get something back. You women are actually very fortunate because you have natural assets."
"Then go find other women, and leave me alone. I have things to do, goodbye!" She dropped the words and turned to leave.
"Stop right there! If you dare to step out this door, I’ll make sure you never have a good day again. If not for yourself, think about your parents."
"Big brother, Shiyun, why aren’t you coming over?"
Hearing Zhang Qianqian’s voice coming from the dining room, Zhang Zekai spoke with as gentle a tone as he could muster, "If you really don’t want to, then I won’t force you. Go back after dinner, and we can talk about other things later."
"Really?" Tang Shiyun looked at him suspiciously.
"A twisted melon isn’t sweet; I understand that principle. Come on, let’s not keep them waiting too long."
Tang Shiyun hesitated for a moment and then gently nodded her head. It was best to let Zhang Zekai give up on his own; she did not wish for their relationship to become too strained.
Watching Tang Shiyun turn and walk towards the dining room, Zhang Zekai sneered coldly. She was indeed just a naive young girl, too easy to deceive.
Give up? For the woman that Mr. Zhang had his eyes on, how many could escape from the palm of his hand?
Arriving at the dining table, the chef had already prepared a lavish dinner.
Zhang Qianqian accompanied Nanrong Wanqing as they sat to one side, pointing to two adjacent seats and smiled, "Big brother, you sit with Shiyun, so you can’t blame me for not being considerate."
Nanrong Wanqing looked at Tang Shiyun, who was taking her seat, and asked with interest, "Miss Tang, which part of East Sea City is your home in?"
"The Old City." After saying this, Tang Shiyun opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more but stopped herself, a hesitant look in her eyes.
Nanrong Wanqing noticed her expression and smiled. "Is there something you want to say, Miss Tang?"
"I... it’s nothing." Feeling Zhang Zekai’s gaze, Tang Shiyun swallowed back the words she was about to say. She had wanted to ask about Ling Chen’s current situation, as they had lost contact since their last meeting at East Sea University, and she didn’t know how her ’Brother Ling’ was doing.
Besides, Nanrong Wanqing was the chairman of Hongyu Group, and with so many employees in the company, she might not recognize every single one.
"Miss Nanrong, you’re about the same age as Qianqian, and Qianqian is already engaged. You must have someone in mind too, right?" Zhang Zekai picked a topic at random and asked.
"Not at the moment."
"Wanqing, you can’t be so busy that you don’t even have time to date, can you? Hey, I know quite a few handsome guys in Beijing; do you want me to introduce a few to you? Although they don’t match up to you in terms of background, they’re not too bad either."
"That won’t be necessary. I’m currently focusing all my energy on the company and have no interest in thinking about such matters."
Zhang Zekai chuckled. "Qianqian, you need not worry about Miss Nanrong; with her qualifications, there’s no man she can’t find."
Nanrong Wanqing shook her head and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
No matter how rich she was, she was still a disabled person. In fact, these days, she could not figure it out anymore and did not blame Ling Chen for being fickle. Everyone has the right to choose, and between herself and Zhu Xiaozhu, although her assets were greater than those of the Zhu Family, Zhu Xiaozhu’s appearance and temperament were on par with her own, and more importantly, Zhu Xiaozhu had a healthy body.
In this regard, she could never compare to the other party. Thus, she could understand why Ling Chen was fond of Zhu Xiaozhu.
After some idle chatter, Nanrong Wanqing noticed that Tang Shiyun had her head down, face expressionless, and hadn’t said a word, as if she was quite averse to the dinner party. Not just her, Zhang Qianqian also noticed something off about Tang Shiyun and asked with concern, "Shiyun, why aren’t you talking?"
"I..."
Zhang Zekai laughed as he took over the conversation. "She’s been rehearsing for several days in a row; she must be tired." Finishing his sentence, he turned toward Tang Shiyun. "Why don’t you go rest in my room for a bit?"
"No need." Tang Shiyun stood up. "I’m going to the restroom; please continue without me."
Standing in the restroom, Tang Shiyun washed her face, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, feeling inexplicably exhausted.
She was just an ordinary girl, and becoming an overnight sensation was something she had never imagined. Now having finally gotten used to this lifestyle, the ensuing issues were causing her endless troubles. Sometimes, she really wished to go back to the past; even though life was hard then, at least she could retain the innocence in her heart.
"If Brother Ling were here, he surely wouldn’t let me be bullied," she quietly thought to herself.
But she knew clearly in her heart that wish could never become reality.
After composing herself and thinking of the people waiting for her back at the table, she didn’t dare to delay any longer, so she left the restroom and prepared to head back to the dining room.
However, at that moment, a young man suddenly emerged from a room along the corridor.
Seeing the person, Tang Shiyun was momentarily stunned, her lips parted slightly with an incredulous expression on her face.