Deliberately Approaching

One minute later, Bai Long received the call.

"Go to the cemetery immediately." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Although Li Zishen’s tone was brief and he hung up without waiting for a reply, Bai Long still understood the hidden meaning behind his words.

Immediately, the order was swiftly passed down.

The bodyguards all entered emergency mode, especially the four stationed at the rear of Mei Garden. Upon receiving the notice, they immediately put down their tins of SPAM and dare not even breathe loudly.

...

The small bamboo forest.

Grandma Tang’s epitaph was simple, showing only Tang Mei’s birth and death dates, and that her granddaughter, Tang Xiaowan, had erected the monument. There was nothing else.

Initially, Li Zishen was somewhat puzzled.

However, after investigating Grandma Tang’s background, lifestyle, and way of handling affairs, he roughly understood Tang Xiaowan’s reasons.

The old lady pursued simplicity in everything and disliked fanfare.

"Grandma, it’s Wan. I’m sorry for taking so long to visit you. I hope you won’t blame me. I’m sorry. From now on..."

Tang Xiaowan began to choke up as she spoke.

At that moment, Li Zishen also bowed three times to thank her for raising Tang Xiaowan.

"Grandma, I’m leaving now. I’ll visit you again tomorrow."

"I will definitely uncover the truth."

Li Zishen: "?"

Tang Xiaowan’s tone suddenly changed, losing its frailty.

Though tears still shimmered in her bright apricot eyes, her demeanor was unusually calm.

After leaving the small bamboo forest, they returned to Mei Garden together and had lunch. However, throughout the meal, Tang Xiaowan did not speak a single word to Li Zishen.

Her walking pace had become very slow, and during the meal, she no longer stuffed her mouth but chewed carefully.

Such a change made Li Zishen very worried.

Not until Tang Xiaowan left the dining room did she say, "Don’t worry, I’m fine. I won’t do anything reckless. I just want to be alone for a while, is that alright?"

Her face wore a smile, and her tone was very gentle.

Li Zishen clenched his jaw tightly. "Okay."

...

On the second floor, in the master bedroom.

Tang Xiaowan was stunned as soon as she entered the door.

There stood a man about 182 cm tall, staring intently at her.

He was Leng Lingxiao, as described by Li Wanshan.

"Who are you? How did you get in?"

Her voice carried a hint of curiosity, yet it was also calm, showing no signs of being startled.

Leng Lingxiao nodded in relief: "Tangtang, you’ll know my name eventually, but I hope you remember it on your own, not because I tell you or someone else tells you."

As he finished speaking, Tang Xiaowan’s eyes widened in shock, feeling that the man’s voice was very familiar.

And the nickname ’Tangtang,’ she had only heard a few times in her dreams, yet now a strange man was saying it in front of her.

Somehow, she ended up closing the door.

Seeing Tang Xiaowan react, Leng Lingxiao placed his hands behind him and slowly approached in a tone suggesting a reunion after a long separation: "Tangtang, we haven’t seen each other for 24 days, how have you been in Li Garden?"

Li Garden, 24 days, so precise?

Tang Xiaowan’s curiosity was further piqued: "You... know me?"

Definitely knows!

Leng Lingxiao’s lips slightly curled, and a fervent gleam appeared in his eyes: "To say that I know you would be an understatement. We are more familiar with each other than..."

"Close friends who share everything?"

"Something like that, but even closer."

Suddenly, Tang Xiaowan thought of Li Zishen.

It couldn’t be her boyfriend, could it?

No way, men always play the same old tricks, utterly unoriginal.

Can I really have two boyfriends by myself?

Psh, trying to trick me? No way!

Thinking about this, Tang Xiaowan couldn’t help but size up the situation, her eyes filled with skepticism and disdain, believing that this was an attempt to take advantage of her.

The man wore a black suit, buttons all undone, with a floral shirt underneath that was particularly striking.

When he spoke, he exuded a carefree attitude and a smile, different from Li Zishen’s distinct sharpness, belonging to the type with strikingly handsome features, like those with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes.

It shouldn’t be, not him.

"Tangtang, have you been having headaches recently?"

Hearing the man call her Tangtang again, and mentioning her headache, Tang Xiaowan’s heart became inexplicably flustered, and she didn’t know what to say.

Oh God, he even knows something so private?

Could he really be my boyfriend?

Seeing her reaction, Leng Lingxiao gave a slight smile and slowly took a few steps closer to Tang Xiaowan,

but his bright eyes were too intense.

She couldn’t help but clench her fists and asked with a frown, "Who... exactly are you?"

Leng Lingxiao stopped walking, his thin lips slightly curved, "We can talk about this later... Right now, the most important thing is to cure your headache problem. Poor rest really affects your health."

His speech was very slow, his voice extremely gentle, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Nonsense, I don’t have a headache."

Leng Lingxiao smiled mischievously, mimicking Tang Xiaowan’s recent manner, first biting his lower lip, then touching his nose with his index finger.

"Tangtang, you really can’t change this little habit, but it doesn’t matter, it’s quite cute."

Tang Xiaowan looked at Leng Lingxiao in surprise.

A little habit?

I think I do have this habit.

"Tangtang... Is that my nickname?" Tang Xiaowan asked softly, full of hope.

This question had been bothering Tang Xiaowan for many days, and she had never mentioned it to anyone, including her lifesaver, Li Zishen.

She couldn’t believe it was just a dream—it was too real!

Leng Lingxiao’s eyes were filled with adoration as he nodded slightly, "Yes, it is! When you were young, you often sneaked into the kitchen to steal rock candy, and by the time it was to cook braised pig trotters... it was gone, so we all called you Tangtang."

At that, Tang Xiaowan chuckled.

So, I was that cute, sneaking candies!

But then, a trace of astonishment flashed through her eyes, "You just said ’we.’ Who else is there?"

Isn’t Grandma already deceased?

"Tangtang, I’m sorry, Grandma has already... passed away, now it’s just me and..."

Leng Lingxiao suddenly stopped mid-sentence, but seeing Tang Xiaowan eagerly waiting, he smiled again and added: "And your bodyguard... Cheng Shi, ’Cheng’ as in engineering, ’Shi’ as in stone. He also used to call you Tangtang, but that was when you were... very young, he stopped after you grew up."

"Cheng Shi? My bodyguard? Where is he? Why hasn’t he come to find me?"

"Do you... want to see him?"

Tang Xiaowan bit her lip, frowning.

Why is it so hard to communicate with this man, like squeezing toothpaste?

Isn’t it obvious?

Shouldn’t a bodyguard be inseparable from me?

"Of course, I want to, can I?"

"It’s possible, but not today, it’s too far and too late, maybe next time... I will bring him over when there’s a chance."

All that talk for nothing!

Seeing Tang Xiaowan’s displeased expression, Leng Lingxiao quickly added, "Actually, tomorrow isn’t impossible, just a bit rushed, okay then, tomorrow. I’ll have him come to you tomorrow."

"What time specifically?"

"Uh... it depends, can’t say for sure."

"Why?"

Leng Lingxiao’s handsome face suddenly turned stern, a glint of coldness flickering in his eyes.

"Tangtang, the matter of me coming to see you must remain a secret, no matter the time, no matter the situation, you mustn’t tell anyone else, especially... Li Zishen."