Meng Tang sighed, “It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I really can’t. Auntie Gao, you know Guanting’s temper—I never interfere with the group’s affairs.”
Seeing that Meng Tang wouldn’t budge, Gao Yali immediately burst into tears.
“In the end, it’s because I’m a stepmother. No matter how well I treat him, Guanting still refuses to accept me. If he has any resentment, he should direct it at me.”
“Yixuan is young and impulsive—it’s inevitable he’ll make mistakes. Punishing him behind closed doors at home would be enough. But the police station is such a gloomy place, and with no one to accompany him, Yixuan must be terrified, wuwuwu…”
Song Yuanshan stood up, distressed, to comfort her. Gao Yali turned her head and leaned against his chest, full of grievances.
Unexpectedly, instead of feeling embarrassed, Meng Tang responded with a shocking remark: “If you’re worried that Second Brother has no one to accompany him at the police station, Auntie Gao, you could go and keep him company.”
Locking up one person is locking up, locking up two is still locking up—and it even adds to the police’s performance metrics.
Gao Yali’s sobs choked off.
Old Master Song took a breath of oxygen and coughed twice. “Xiao Tang, I know you’ve always been filial. Harmony brings prosperity—no matter how serious the matter, when it involves family, we must take a step back. Everything must prioritize the family.”
“Call Guanting now and persuade him to agree to mediation. As for what he mentioned, we’ll discuss it when he returns from his business trip. But Yixuan can’t stay at the police station forever—it won’t look good for the Song family.”
Since Song Guanting was merely a villain in the book, his family affairs were barely described.
Thus, Meng Tang didn’t know exactly what Song Yixuan had done, but she could guess from the fragments of conversation.
It was likely that Song Guanting had caught Song Yixuan’s misdeeds and had him detained at the police station. To get him released, Old Master Song would have to agree to his conditions.
Clearly, the condition Song Guanting proposed must be extremely difficult to fulfill, which was why Old Master Song and the others refused. Stalemated, they turned their attention to her.
In truth, Meng Tang believed that Song Guanting’s psychological distortion and extreme pursuit of love were largely due to his family background.
His mother passed away early, his father showed him little affection, and he quickly remarried, bringing in a stepmother. Although Old Master Song valued Song Guanting, it was primarily for his business acumen.
In reality, the care he received was minimal.
Growing up in such an environment, one either erupts in silence or becomes twisted by it.
Since Old Master Song had spoken, everyone expected Meng Tang to compromise. But to their surprise, she dared to refuse.
“I’m sorry, Grandfather. This is Guanting’s decision. Even as his wife, I cannot interfere with his wishes. Please forgive me for being unable to do as you ask.”
Old Master Song’s face darkened, exuding the pressure of an elder. “Are you defying me too?”
“It’s not defiance—I truly cannot do it. Please understand.”
With things having reached this point, Old Master Song raised a hand. “Take the young mistress to the ancestral hall. Since you understand Guanting so well, you can offer incense to his mother on his behalf. You may leave once you’ve reconsidered and changed your mind.”
Hey, hey—it’s the 21st century! Still resorting to feudalistic practices like kneeling in the ancestral hall? That’s going too far!
The butler made a gesture. “Young Mistress, please.”
Meng Tang was no fool. She quickly understood Old Master Song’s intention.Old Master Song wasn’t truly intent on making her kneel in the ancestral hall. Instead, he was certain that as a wealthy young lady, she would be unable to endure such hardship and would immediately complain to Song Guantang.
With his wife threatened, it would be up to Song Guantang to choose between his wife and his shares.
But this wasn’t even a choice! Given Song Guantang’s ruthless and unfeeling nature, only the female lead could make him lower his guard and compromise. As for her, his nominal wife, she wasn’t even an option in his mind!
Meng Tang naturally wouldn’t seek out such humiliation. Old Master Song had only forbidden her from leaving the ancestral hall—at most, she would just have to tough it out here for the night.
Considering her unwavering resolve in the face of pressure, when Song Guantang returned, he might even compensate her generously. It wouldn’t be a loss!
Meng Tang had always been an optimist. With money on her mind, she felt being trapped in the ancestral hall wasn’t such a big deal.
But she had underestimated the nighttime chill. She hadn’t anticipated this turn of events when she arrived and was only wearing a long dress. Now, she was shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
She could only run and jump around, rubbing her hands and stomping her feet to keep warm.
Marrying into a wealthy family was truly no easy feat!
This suffering was all because of Song Guantang. It wouldn’t be worth it without a few million in compensation!
Cold and exhausted, Meng Tang curled up on the prayer cushion, drowsy and nodding off like a tumbler doll.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from outside.
Meng Tang jolted awake, her mind still foggy, just as the door to the ancestral hall was forced open from the outside.
Song Guantang, who should have been thousands of miles away, appeared as if a deity descending to save the world. The backlight behind him seemed to cast an ethereal glow around him.
It only accentuated his icy, frost-like expression, his heavy brows, and his dark eyes swirling with a dangerous intensity, as if capable of leaving countless corpses in their wake.
“S-Song Guantang?”
Meng Tang’s tongue was so cold it momentarily refused to cooperate, and she nearly bit herself.
But Song Guantang had already strode over, covering the distance in just a few steps until he stood before her.
The man was tall and imposing. When he stopped in front of her, his shadow fell over her, completely enveloping her petite frame.
As Meng Tang tilted her lovely face upward, staring at him in confusion, she hadn’t yet processed what was happening when Song Guantang noticed her lips, pale from the cold, and her trembling body.
His face darkened as he took off his trench coat. With a flick, it arced through the air before settling over Meng Tang. The oversized coat, still warm from his body heat, enveloped her entirely.
At the same time, Song Guantang reached out, slid his arm beneath her knees, and effortlessly yet steadily lifted her into his arms.
If she hadn’t been nestled in Song Guantang’s embrace, her cheek pressed against his chest, she wouldn’t have realized how fast his heart was beating.
Thump, thump, thump.
Rapid and urgent, as if he had been running all the way here, his heart racing uncontrollably.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
The colder Song Guantang’s expression grew, the deeper his voice sounded above her head.
It was as if he were suppressing a dangerous emotion that, once unleashed, could leave devastation in its wake.
“How did you get back?”
Meng Tang found his embrace warm and couldn’t help snuggling closer. Her voice came out slightly hoarse.
But Song Guantang remained cold, his tone carrying a morbid stubbornness. “Answer me.”
Meng Tang didn’t think much of it and casually made up an excuse.”You were on a business trip. Didn’t you say before that I shouldn’t disturb you at work unless it was something important? At most, I’d just spend one night in the ancestral hall and go back tomorrow. It’s no big deal.”
The more casually Meng Tang spoke, the heavier Song Guantang’s breathing became. The sharp chill swirling in his dark eyes seemed to solidify into blades capable of killing.
“Only freezing to death would count as a big deal?”