Chapter 146.3: The Finale
A few days later, Li Tang knocked on Chu Qianmiao's office
door.
Li Tang's makeup was delicate, but beneath it, she couldn't
hide the haggard look.
She sat down across from Chu Qianmiao's desk, her posture
elegant and her voice calm, and asked, "Could you please go downstairs for
a cup of coffee?"
Her tone was a stark contrast to her usual aloofness; now,
she was so polite it almost seemed out of character.
Chu Qianmiao leaned back in her leather chair, not
particularly receptive to Li Tang's politeness. She wasn't some charitable
saint who could forgive others who had previously been so cold and arrogant,
and now, with a touch of politeness, she could forgive them all.
She ignored Li Tang's request and called Hou Lin in.
She smiled and said to Hou Lin, "Make me and Manager Li
two cups of coffee, thank you."
Hou Lin left. Li Tang's lips moved, and she said to Chu
Qianmiao, "Or, let's go to the café downstairs."
Chu Qianmiao raised an eyebrow at Li Tang and smiled,
"Our Hou Lin's coffee is just as good as the one downstairs." Her
tone hinted at the unspoken second half of the sentence: not everyone who wants
it will be lucky enough to get it, so please cherish it.
Li Tang sat down in her chair, her lips moving again, but
this time she said nothing more.
Hou Lin quickly returned with the finished coffee and
briefed Chu Qianmiao on a few work-related issues.
Chu Qianmiao listened, nodding, and occasionally asking a
sharp question or two. These questions made Li Tang's eyebrows raise slightly.
If she were at the project site in person, she wouldn't have been able to
answer such questions without careful consideration.
But Hou Lin was generally able to answer them fluently. If
she occasionally couldn't answer or couldn't articulate something, Chu Qianmiao
wouldn't tell her directly. Chu Qianmiao would offer her some inspiration and
guidance, guiding her in assembling the most appropriate and correct solution.
This smooth and flowing presentation was completed quickly
and efficiently, and Chu Qianmiao dismissed Hou Lin.
The entire process took only a few minutes, yet Li Tang's
face was filled with emotion.
She said to Chu Qianmiao, "When I first met this young
woman, she had just graduated and knew nothing. Now she's become so
outstanding. Maybe she'll be like you in a few years."
Chu Qianmiao raised the corner of her mouth and smiled.
"If I can guide her, she can quickly become a talented person. That's what
I'd love to see. I'll guide her, and she'll guide others, one generation after
another. That's how workplace culture and careers are passed down, especially
for women in the workplace."
Chu Qianmiao saw that Li Tang seemed moved by her words.
She took a sip of her coffee, then looked up and asked,
"Manager Li, you came to see me today. Is there something going on? Please
tell me directly. I have a lot of work to do."
Li Tang paused for a moment, then said, "It's almost
lunchtime, so can I chat with you about something personal?"
Chu Qianmiao was blunt. "Honestly, the last thing I
want to talk about is personal matters."
Each time she and Li Tang finished their personal
conversations, Chu Qianmiao felt only the feeling that this supposedly
excellent woman was becoming increasingly narrow-minded.
Somewhat surprisingly, a hint of pleading crossed Li Tang's
eyes. "Today, please talk to me again."
Chu Qianmiao glanced out the window. The weather was
beautiful, the sun shining brightly, brightening everyone's mood.
It didn't matter if she just listened to what she had to
say. After all, she was in a good mood today.
She turned to Li Tang and said, "I have a lunch date
with Ren Yan later. I'm afraid you only have ten minutes."
Li Tang quickly said, "That's enough."
Her unprecedented, almost humble reaction almost surprised
Chu Qianmiao.
Li Tang paused, then said, "I want to talk to you about
Tan Shen."
Chu Qianmiao frowned slightly.
"Don't rush to reject me. Just give me ten minutes to
listen to me. This is very important to Tan Shen," Li Tang said. "Tan
Shen was with me before he was expelled from Yingji and taken away. He talked
to me a lot, and I know everything, including his relationship with Ren Yan and
all the connections between you two."
After a pause, she suddenly changed the subject and asked
Chu Qianmiao something that sounded completely unrelated: "Do you remember
the plot of Autumn in My Heart?"
Chu Qianmiao raised an eyebrow, confused, but still replied,
"Yes."
This drama is the original tragic Korean drama, telling the
story of two newborn girls who are mistakenly given away, and the series of
events that unfolds. It once brought her to tears. She seemed to have watched
it with someone, probably shortly after she started college.
"Why do you ask this?" Chu Qianmiao asked.
Li Tang smiled and said, "You don't even remember
it."
Chu Qianmiao raised an eyebrow.
"Tan Shen said he watched this show with you when you
first got together."
Chu Qianmiao's hazy memories suddenly became clear.
Yes, it was Tan Shen who watched this show with her. And
after watching it, she burst into tears. Then Tan Shen said he'd take her out
for some drinks to cheer her up, and she got drunk.
"Tan Shen said that everyone who's watched the show
sympathizes with Eun-hee and finds Xin'ai despicable. Only you, after watching
the show, said you felt sorry for Xin'ai. You said that although Eun-hee was
tear-jerking, you also felt sorry for her. Everyone loves Eun-hee, but what
about Xin'ai? She was mistakenly taken away to a poor family, with a
bad-tempered and rude adoptive mother and a scoundrel adoptive brother. After
growing up in that environment until her teens, she was finally returned to her
biological mother, who only loved En-hee. She was clearly her mother's
biological daughter, but the maternal love that should have belonged to her was
given to En-hee without reservation, and she even felt a bit hostile towards
her because of En-hee. So, you said Xin'ai is actually quite pitiful."
"Tan Shen said your words resonated with him. He
explained that his father's love clearly belonged to him, but it was robbed by
Ren Yan. Everyone feels that Ren Yan is pitiful for having lost his parents,
but isn't he even more pitiful for having his father's love robbed? But no one
acknowledges his pity, only you. You saw his pity through your love."
"Tan Shen said that he originally wanted to take you
out for drinks that day, intending to assault you. But realizing you were the
only person in the world who understood his pity, he ultimately held
back."
Chu Qianmiao's scalp tightened when she heard this. She
gripped the armrest of the leather chair and asked Li Tang, "Why did he
tell you everything?" Even something so private.
Li Tang smiled bleakly. "I begged him to tell me. I
wanted to know where I lost to you."
She turned to look out the window, chuckling
self-deprecatingly. "And he actually told me everything."
"He said other girls just flirt with him, spend his
money, and throw tantrums with him, applauding and praising him no matter how
lawless he gets. But you don't. You never coax him. You argue with him, you
provoke him, letting him know he's wrong. And if he doesn't change even after
knowing it, that's no good. You also never spend his money. He said you're the
most annoying girl he's ever been with, but it's you he can't let go of."
As Li Tang spoke, her voice grew hollow, as if she were
discussing people and events that had nothing to do with her. Chu Qianmiao felt
a little sympathetic towards her. Perhaps only by putting herself in an
irrelevant position could she remain calm and composed when describing the past
of the man she loved and other women.
Li Tang suddenly turned and smiled at her. "He said you
were full of life. He almost reconciled with Ren Yan because of you. But then
he decided you didn't love him that much, and it would have been too
humiliating for him to be so deeply involved. So, in the end, he broke up with
you and left the country. He said that looking back, it was the decision he
regretted the most. He also said that if he could do it all over again, he
would never miss you again."
Li Tang paused, and Chu Qianmiao didn't know what to say.
If she were still young, still in college, perhaps she would
have had many thoughts, perhaps regretting not saving Tan Shen.
But now, she just wanted to say that those things were,
after all, in the past. No matter how much emotion, sighs, or regrets she felt
about the past, what was the point? One must always move on and move on.
Li Tang didn't receive the expected emotion from Chu
Qianmiao, and seemed a little disappointed for Tan Shen. "Don't you want
to say something?"
Chu Qianmiao shook her head.
Li Tang smiled. "You're such a heartless person."
Chu Qianmiao refuted her statement. "People who leave
themselves alone, letting themselves drift aimlessly, are the heartless ones.
Li Tang, you're the heartless one."
Li Tang was shaken by these words.
It was like a bucket of cold water had finally been poured
over her, waking her from the muddle she'd been in for the past few years.
Yeah, what had she been doing these past few years? She was
caught between Ren Yan and Tan Shen, and at first, she couldn't even tell which
one she wanted. She had always lived with pride, believing there was no man she
couldn't conquer, yet she could only watch as the only two men she loved in her
life became increasingly attentive and infatuated with a girl named Chu
Qianmiao.
She truly couldn't accept this. She was truly jealous. She
was so jealous she didn't know what she truly wanted. She could only watch
helplessly as her jealousy spiraled out of control, driving her to obscene and
despicable acts time and time again. She'd tried to embarrass Chu Qianmiao at a
gathering of overseas returnees; she'd assumed Chu Qianmiao was getting back
together with Tan Shen, so she'd instigated He Luoyu to tell Chu Qianmiao about
Tan Shen's past infidelity; she'd secretly sent Kan Qingzhou the evidence of
Chu Qianmiao and Ren Yan kissing at the airport.
She'd done so many shameful things, making herself
increasingly unbearable. But the unfortunate part was, despite all these
actions, she'd never been able to gain any advantage over Chu Qianmiao.
So, what had she been doing these past few years? It turned
out she had no goals, letting things drift; it turned out she was cruel to
herself.
Chu Qianmiao's voice interrupted the turmoil in her heart.
"Senior Li Tang, let's get to the point," Chu
Qianmiao said to the slightly distracted Li Tang. "What exactly did you
want to say to me today, or what did you want me to do?"
Li Tang gathered her emotions and, with a serious, almost
pleading tone, explained her purpose. "I'd like to ask, considering how
truly devoted and different Tan Shen is to you, to do him a favor."
Li Tang said, "The lawyer said Tan Shen's condition in
prison is very poor. He said that everything he'd been striving for turned out
to be meaningless, that he had no business striving for anything. So, he's
become depressed and negative, and he's attempted suicide several times."
Her voice trailed off. "I asked the lawyer to tell him
I'd wait for him, but he still has no desire to live. I know you're different
in his heart. Could you please help him? Not too much, just rekindle his desire
to live."
Chu Qianmiao looked at Li Tang, unsure of what to say.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a wave of sympathy and
admiration for Li Tang. It turned out she was the one who hadn't given up on
Tan Shen.
She thought that although Li Tang had wasted over five
years, now, she had finally figured out who she wanted.
"How can I help you?" Chu Qianmiao asked.
Li Tang's eyes lit up. "Talk to him. I'll have my
lawyer deliver a message to him."
Chu Qianmiao finally delivered a harsh remark.
She told Tan Shen that the legal punishment he was facing
was the result of his wrongdoings. He wasn't wronged, so don't feel wronged.
"According to the timeline, your father had long known you weren't his
biological child, yet he still raised you and planned to give you his fortune."
He'll leave you half of his fortune after his death. He
still has feelings for you, after all. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself.
You've always thought that everything you wanted but
couldn't get was owed to you. But in reality, even what you've received is far
more than you deserve. It's never been others who owe you anything. It's your
predatory obsession that has hurt others, and that's what you owe them. You owe
it to the people who raised you, to the people you've been preying on, to the
innocent girls you've fallen for and then dumped. You also owe your grandma,
who loved you wholeheartedly, a peaceful and carefree old age. You owe so much
to so many people, so you'd better live well. Don't be a coward. If you want to
die, wait until you've paid your debts before you die.
Stupefied, Li Tang relayed these harsh words to Tan Shen
through her lawyer. A few days later, when she appeared in Chu Qianmiao's
office again, her expression was a mixture of gratitude and a touch of
admiration.
"Everyone else tried to soothe him with sweet words,
and so did I, but after hearing so much coaxing, they became numb. Only you
were willing to use harsh words to scare him. And it was your harsh words that,
surprisingly, awakened in him the desire to live. He may not be fully recovered
yet, but at least he no longer wants to die. He's cooperating with the
investigation and has explained everything he should. You've given him reason
to live. He said, at the very least, he wants to come out and take care of his
grandma until she dies."
Li Tang sincerely thanked Chu Qianmiao, "Thank
you."
She looked at Chu Qianmiao and said, "Thank you not
only for helping Tan Shen, but also for waking me up."
It was Chu Qianmiao who finally made her realize how she had
wasted five years.
"Jealousy makes people inferior. Looking back, I see
I've truly failed, truly inferior to you. I've always competed with you for
men, but you, on the other hand, aren't. While I was calculating how to win the
men around you, you were striving to secure your career. With my narrow
mindset, how could I possibly win over you? I wasted my precious time, and I
belittled myself. But thankfully, I've come to my senses now. So, Chu
Qianmiao," Li Tang's face brightened, "let's compete again in five
years, and then we'll reconcile who's better."
Chu Qianmiao looked at Li Tang. As she watched, she smiled.
After all, this wasn't a completely foolish woman.
She simply got the script for the villainous supporting
role. She was originally so exceptional. But the more exceptional someone is,
the more they become distorted by their unmet needs, the more likely they are
to lose their rationality and principles and commit evil deeds.
She didn't forgive Li Tang for her misdeeds, but she didn't
wish her unhappy future either. In this world, being able to find peace for
both parties is the best possible outcome for everyone. She wouldn't remember
her five-year agreement with Li Tang, because her next target was going to be
better than her. She wouldn't compare herself to others or look back. She also
warned herself that she had to keep working hard, otherwise she wouldn't even
be qualified to compete with those who excelled.
After work that evening, after having dinner with Ren Yan’s
grandmother, Chu Qianmiao and Ren Yan returned to their own little world.
Chu Qianmiao recounted to Ren Yan the details of Li Tang's
two visits.
Ren Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "It's good
that Tan Shen can change and start anew. I don't expect him to be my family.
After all these years, it's good that we don't resent each other. I can't just
pretend nothing happened. Besides, I'm not the same person I used to be. I've
become more sensitive to emotions now, and I care about them. If he and I can
both live well in the future, it's the best way to let each other go."
Ren Yan spoke plainly, and when Chu Qianmiao heard him say
that he had become more sensitive, she found him inexplicably endearing, like a
cute, older man. She couldn't help but reach out to touch the top of his head,
mumbling a "good boy."
Ren Yan pulled her hand away, a look of uncertainty between
laughter and tears.
He rubbed her soft palm and said, "Tan Shen might not
be released for a few years. When he does, I'll give him half of the estate, as
per my uncle's will. I won't take the remaining half; I'll leave it all to
Grandma. I also don't plan to tell Grandma that Tan Shen isn't her biological
grandson. I'll just let her live out her old age in happiness."
Chu Qianmiao thought this was probably the best outcome. So
be it.
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