After Rebirth, I Discovered the Whole World Wants to Harm Me [GL] - Chapter 28

“Oh, it’s almost time for the meeting. I’ll head down now. Bye, Big Brother! Have a great day at work!” Tang Xiaoran didn’t look back as she headed toward the office door.

Just as she was about to step out, a voice came from behind: “I will tell Xiaoyu.”

This threat was exceptionally effective.

Tang Xiaoran couldn’t even imagine how Tang Xiaoyu—who had looked so disdainful when he found the materials on her brother’s partner—would react to the news that she and Xiao Shixin were together.

She stood staring blankly at the young man in the assistant’s area for a long time before resignedly pulling back her foot and closing the door behind her.

Shuffling back to Tang Xiaozhang’s desk with a miserable look, she puffed out her cheeks and pleaded:

“Don’t! Give me a way out here~”

Tang Xiaozhang had no intention of giving her a way out. His eyes bore into her so intensely she wanted to dig a hole on the spot to escape that thunderous, lightning-bolt gaze.

“I recall you were heartbroken just the day before yesterday.”

Is one not allowed to… let spring return, the flowers bloom, and the heart recover with a miraculous touch?

At least twenty idioms flashed through Tang Xiaoran’s mind to retort with, but finally, remembering the Porsche keys in her room, she swallowed hard—and swallowed her words along with her saliva.

After a lot of dawdling, she squeezed out: “Actually, strictly speaking, the day before yesterday was just a failed confession.”

“Oh.”

Tang Xiaozhang maintained a cold face, continuing to watch her, entirely unmoved.

“Then, through my persistent and unremitting efforts, I finally moved the heavens, the earth, and Xiao Shixin yesterday…” Her remaining words were sniped back into her throat by her brother’s look.

She had no choice but to stand there like a child who had done something wrong, anxiously wringing her fingers while waiting for the “Headmaster’s” lecture.

Inside, she grumbled: What, you’re allowed to come out, but I’m not allowed to be gay?

Perhaps sensing her defiance from her expression, Big Brother Tang let out a long sigh. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a WeChat message popped up on his phone, the lit screen clearly displaying the time.

One minute until the temporary company meeting was set to start.

Tang Xiaoran felt the “chill” emanating from President Tang drop several more degrees.

Just when she thought she was going to hear something like “I don’t approve,” “This is nonsense,” or “Break up,” Tang Xiaozhang spoke in a flat tone: “We’ll talk after the meeting.”

Hmm?

Wait, really?

Tang Xiaoran’s expression brightened instantly. She vanished from the office like a whirlwind, leaving only a trailing: “Okay, Big Brother! Bye, Big Brother!”

The second half of Tang Xiaozhang’s sentence drifted out into an empty room:

“…Remember to come back and report after the meeting.”

After all, this was the first project Xiaoran was responsible for. He had heard the manager’s report yesterday, but he was still a bit uneasy.

Back! To! Life!

Escaping along with her newly blossomed love, Tang Xiaoran sat blissfully in the conference room. Selectively ignoring her brother’s instructions, she listened to the project manager drone on about this month’s production. Even hearing that raw material prices from several suppliers were rising and that the production line’s scrap rate exceeded the standard didn’t dampen her mood.

She even found time during the meeting to open a forum and post a thread:

LZ: #It’s the second day of being with my partner, and I found out she woke up at 5 AM to make enough breakfast for three days. Does your partner do this too?#

Setting her phone aside, she struggled through half an hour of choosing alternative products and quotes to solve the raw material price hike. Tang Xiaoran’s face now only conveyed one thought:

“Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?”

Are they sure this is her family’s company?

She made a somber decision: next time there’s a meeting, she must drag Tang Xiaoyu along!

Then, without any psychological burden, she opened the thread from earlier. It had… sunk. Before it did, there were a few lonely replies.

No. 1 [What should I do, my dog stopped eating recently] 2016-10-02 09:03:45:

“Flex, what a god-tier flex. You’re truly the most outstanding successor of socialism. How long has it been since we’ve seen such a blatant ‘show off the partner’ post on this forum?”

No. 2 [= =] 2016-10-02 09:06:34:

“Fine, we know your partner is amazing. Please keep it to yourself. No need to tell us single dogs, thanks.”

No. 3 [What is the world coming to lately] 2016-10-02 09:21:22:

“Is there no good drama anymore? No heart-to-hearts? No venting? Why must I only eat dog food?”

No. 4 [A Lonely City] 2016-10-02 09:25:34:

“Alright, I got it. I’m going back to sleep. In my dreams, I have every kind of partner imaginable.”

Tang Xiaoran closed her phone again, feeling as lonely as falling snow. She felt the whole world failed to understand her melancholy.

She was truly worried about Xiao Shixin. She remembered that the last time she went to see her, she had also made a massive dinner that two people couldn’t possibly finish.

Maybe President Xiao’s hobby is just cooking?

Cooking when she’s happy, cooking when she’s sad?

Happiness probably just came too suddenly; I need to get my mindset in order.

“Next, let’s talk about the high production scrap rate. You all have the finished products in your hands. As we can see, the screen and body materials for this new Xiao Group series were selected as…”

The manager’s words briefly pulled her back. Hearing “Xiao Group,” Tang Xiaoran couldn’t help but pinch her thigh. This was a collaboration with the Xiao Group; she couldn’t let it fail in her hands.

By the end, her phone page had switched from the forum to a memo. It was a list of all the production issues the manager mentioned. She would have to meet with the Xiao Group after the holiday to see whether to change materials or find another solution.

Tang Xiaoran nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll head over to the Xiao Group later to ask about it in advance.”

And I can go on a date with my girlfriend. Perfect.

The manager’s gaze toward her became instantly fervent. He used to hear that the eldest Miss Tang never did anything. He had been feeling uneasy until the moment the project was signed, but now—look! Where else could you find a person-in-charge more dedicated than her? She was actually sacrificing her October holiday to talk about work!

He immediately placed high hopes on Tang Xiaoran. He sincerely believed that if she kept this up, if she ever fought for power with the current President Tang Xiaozhang, he would seriously consider for a full minute whose side to take!

11:00 AM.

Tang Xiaoran sat properly on the single sofa in Tang Xiaozhang’s office, accepting the critique of her brother, who had come to the office to pick up some files: “Where did you go fooling around last night? Did you go to a bar?”

“No, I didn’t.” Tang Xiaoran was feeling particularly guilty, so her attitude was exceptionally sincere. She glanced at Tang Xiaozhang, who was processing business, every now and then, fearing he would drop a bombshell and expose her.

Tang Xiaoyu didn’t believe her, watching her with a suspicious gaze for a long time. His loose, brown knit cardigan gave him an air of a casual, cynical playboy.

Tang Xiaoran couldn’t help but grumble in her heart: Don’t you know how I used to be? Not coming home for a night—heck, even partying every night—wasn’t a big deal as long as Dad didn’t catch them.

She suddenly spaced out: it seemed that since she didn’t know when, she and Tang Xiaoyu hadn’t gone out to mess around for a long time. Even her big brother, who clearly had a partner, lived like a single office worker, returning home every night no matter how late.

Seeing her dazed look, Tang Xiaoyu snorted, crossed his arms, and continued his interrogation: “Then tell me, where did you spend the night?”

“Last night? I stayed at Sister Xin’s.” Tang Xiaoran drawled her answer slowly. It sounded open and aboveboard, but only she knew how much her heart was trembling.

Tang Xiaoyu looked at her strangely—staying at Xiao Shixin’s? Well, since Tang Xiaoran took on the Xiao Group’s order, she really had gotten much closer to her. He thought about it for a while and just felt his sister’s recent changes were a bit unbelievable. Heartbroken, yet still so proactively worried about work?

Tang Xiaozhang shook his head silently behind his desk. Another person blinded by the name “Xiao Shixin.” He pulled out his phone and sent a message to his old friend: “When are you free? Let’s have a meal together.”

Before he got a reply, a call came from Tang’s father.

At first, Tang Xiaozhang’s expression was normal, but as he listened, he couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward Tang Xiaoran on the sofa. A trace of indescribable awkwardness and bewilderment flashed in his eyes.

“Since it’s the holiday, why don’t we let Xiaoran and Xiaoyu come along too? I remember Xiaoran mentioned wanting to go there before.” After a long silence, he said this.

Tang’s father, who had finally found a chance for his son, wanted to refuse immediately. He opened his mouth but then suddenly remembered his precious daughter had just had her heart broken a few days ago; going out to clear her head seemed like a good choice.

After a moment of hesitation, he replied in a flat voice: “Fine then, ask her.”

After hanging up, Tang Zhihua felt both heartache for his daughter and frustration at his eldest son’s lack of sense: Who brings along ‘third wheels’ to a date?! He really was refusing to walk back from the “wrong path”!

The girl, who was staring down Tang Xiaoyu, looked over with a face full of question marks.

Where do I want to go?

Brother, don’t talk nonsense. Right now, I don’t want to go anywhere except Xiao Shixin’s, okay?

Half a minute later, Tang Xiaozhang hung up, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said with a touch of helplessness and awkwardness to the girl watching him curiously: “Uncle Xiao suggested to Dad that our two families go to the Biandu Fishing Village in the neighboring city this holiday—it’s a new Xiao Group resort property.”

Tang Xiaoran didn’t react at first, but connecting it to the suggestion her brother had just made on the phone, she strangely found the point:

“Wait, Dad’s original plan was only to take you, right? And Uncle Xiao’s side would bring… Xiao Shixin???” Her tone rose in disbelief.

Tang Xiaozhang didn’t speak, but his silence said everything.

Tang Xiaoran: “!!!”

For the first time in her life, she felt her old man was truly brilliant. Even hit-and-run match-making was a double-edged sword. Truly… “breaking up one pair is one pair”…

Tang Xiaoyu, watching from the side, felt there was an invisible understanding between them, and this exchange of glances seemed to exclude him entirely. At this moment of silent eye contact between the siblings, he developed a strange hunch. Rubbing his chin, he interjected:

“Why do I feel like you two are hiding something from me?”