Chapter 261

Chapter 261: Father and Daughter Reconciliation Xia Yuntong said, "After Liang Chuman issued her apology statement, her followers kept dropping—from eight hundred thousand down to just over a hundred thousand. I'd estimate a good number of those remaining are bought zombie followers." "Afterwards, more and more people came out to call her out, all saying her persona was fake—that she wasn't actually an overseas-returned rich beauty, just a social climber who relied on a surgically altered face to latch onto wealthy men. There were also exposés about her bullying others like a dog relying on its master's power. I don't know if Young Master Jiang had someone buy trending searches for it, but Liang Chuman stayed on the hot search list for three days." Xia Yuntong took a sip of black tea and said leisurely, "This morning I saw her account got banned. She won't be able to make a living off the internet anymore." Chu Tang's expression was indifferent as she said, "She brought all of this upon herself." Xia Yuntong nodded. "Exactly, she deserved it. She was used to throwing her weight around and never thought she'd hit a wall one day." As they were chatting, Chu Tang's phone rang. It was Chen Yuanyuan. Chu Tang picked up. "Yuanyuan, what's wrong?" Chen Yuanyuan's voice sounded very down. "Tangtang, are you busy?" "No, I'm not." "Something happened on my end. Can you come keep me company?" Chu Tang immediately asked with concern, "What happened? Where are you? I'll come over right now." Chen Yuanyuan gave her an address. Chu Tang: "I'll be there soon." After hanging up, Chu Tang said to Shu Mingyue and Xia Yuntong, "Something came up with my best friend. I need to go check on her. Sorry to leave early—let's catch up another time." Shu Mingyue: "Okay, bye." Xia Yuntong waved. "Bye, see you next time." After Chu Tang left, Xia Yuntong asked Shu Mingyue, "Have you really let go of Jiang Shixu?" Shu Mingyue sighed, a trace of sadness flickering in her eyes. "It's not that fast to let go. After all, I loved him for over seven years—it takes time to move on." Shu Mingyue picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, then added, "But I have truly given up on him. Time will heal everything." "Looks like you've really come to terms with it," Xia Yuntong said. "That's good too. Pining after someone you can never have isn't a way to live. Oh, by the way, I have a handsome mixed-race friend—great family background and looks. Want me to introduce you?" Shu Mingyue shook her head with a helpless smile. "I'm not considering dating for now. Jumping into a new relationship before I've fully moved on would be irresponsible to both myself and the other person." Xia Yuntong said, "That's true. Well then, take your time—you'll move on eventually." Shu Mingyue lowered her eyes with a bitter smile and didn't continue the conversation. ... Chu Tang quickly arrived at Qin Yan's private villa. Chen Yuanyuan's eyes were red, looking like she had just been crying. Chen Yuanyuan told Chu Tang everything that had happened last night. Chu Tang's delicate brows furrowed, her expression turning serious. "What are you planning to do now?" Chu Tang asked. Chen Yuanyuan hung her head, feeling dejected. "Qin Yan said Uncle Qin agreed to the divorce. I can only wait for them to finalize it now. Anyway, their marriage has been a shell for a long time—the only reason they haven't divorced is because their interests are too deeply intertwined and the assets are hard to split." Chu Tang said, "I never expected Qin Yan-ge to seem so unreliable on the surface but be so responsible at a critical moment. When Uncle Qin and Aunt Wu split their assets, the Qin family is huge—half the fortune is no small amount. The fact that Qin Yan-ge agreed so readily to cover Uncle Qin's losses shows how sincere he is about you." Chen Yuanyuan lowered her eyes and bit her lip. "I can feel how sincere he is toward me." "Yuanyuan, Qin Yan-ge has the determination to walk through life with you. What about you? What are your thoughts?" "I thought about it all night last night, and I've made up my mind—I want to walk with him firmly." Chen Yuanyuan's expression was serious, her eyes filled with resolve. Those words happened to be heard by Qin Yan, who had just returned. "Yuanyuan, those words from you are enough. Everything I've done is worth it." Qin Yan's expression was deeply moved. A little while later, Zhou Xueluo also arrived. Chu Tang and Zhou Xueluo stayed at Qin Yan's place to keep Chen Yuanyuan company for the afternoon, and only left after dinner. ... The next day, Jiang Shixu brought Chu Tang back to the Ruan residence. When Ruan Shaodong first saw Jiang Shixu, his expression was gloomy, clearly not welcoming him. But when Jiang Shixu asked to speak with Ruan Shaodong alone, Ruan Shaodong agreed anyway. The two entered the tea room. The door was closed—Chu Tang had no way of knowing what they discussed. In any case, they talked for a very long time. From around two in the afternoon all the way until dinner time, the tea room door finally opened. Chu Tang had been waiting in agony, every minute and every second feeling endless. Jiang Shixu walked out of the tea room, his expression no different from when he went in. Ruan Shaodong, on the other hand, had visibly softened his demeanor. That was a good sign. It seemed their conversation had gone smoothly. "What did you say to my dad?" Chu Tang pulled Jiang Shixu aside and asked in a low voice. "We talked a lot—about Fu Yuanzhou and Xu Jingxuan, about the cooperation between our two families, and also about some major project approvals for the Ruan Group. I'll tell you the details next time." "Does my dad have no objections to us making up now?" Chu Tang asked again. Jiang Shixu said in a low voice, "Pretty much." Chu Tang gave Jiang Shixu a thumbs up and smiled. "Awesome." "I'll head back now, darling. See you tomorrow." Jiang Shixu gently pinched Chu Tang's cheek. Chu Tang curled her lips into a smile and replied, "See you tomorrow." With those words from Jiang Shixu, Chu Tang's anxious heart finally settled down. Chu Tang walked up to Ruan Shaodong and called out, "Dad." Ruan Shaodong looked up at her and said in a gentle tone, "Not mad at your dad anymore?" Chu Tang pressed her lips together and said, "I'm not mad anymore. Dad, that question should be for me to ask you—are you still mad at me? What I said to you that day was indeed a bit too much. You're my elder, and I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I'm sorry." Ruan Shaodong looked at Chu Tang with soft eyes. "I was too harsh with my words as well. About what happened that day, I owe you an apology too." Father and daughter had reconciled. That evening, Chu Tang stayed home for dinner. After the meal, Ruan Shaodong said earnestly to Chu Tang, "Today, I truly gained some understanding of Jiang Shixu. He really is a man worth entrusting your life to. Tangtang, your dad no longer opposes you two being together. The reason I opposed it before was only because you suffered too much in the Jiang family. You were right—now that Fu Yuanzhou and Xu Jingxuan have both faced justice, there's no one left in the Jiang family to stand in the way of you two being together. I shouldn't have opposed it anymore." "Tangtang, your dad only wants you to be happy. Since you've set your heart on Jiang Shixu, then your dad gives you both his blessing." It was a bit sentimental. Chu Tang's eyes grew moist. Deeply moved, she called out tearfully, "Dad." "That Jiang family kid is serious about you. Your dad saw his resolve today. From now on, the path ahead is for you two to walk on your own—I won't interfere anymore." With tears streaming down her face, Chu Tang said, "Dad, thank you." Ruan Shaodong smiled. "Between father and daughter, there's no need for thank-yous."