Chapter 204 Leading and Parted Hands

my overthinking and that she simply doesn’t want her daughter to have any regrets on her eighteenth birthday."A kind-hearted mother or a mysterious woman like Bai Suzhen—Su Can really couldn't figure...Chapter 204: Hands That Were Held and Separated

"Su Cen, Song Zhen, you two have already greeted Aunt Mu beforehand. Haha, Mu Xuan, your daughter is really lovely the more I look at her; she's truly beautiful. Who knows which lucky child will end up with her in the future."

When Tao Qing arrived, her gaze was focused on Tang Wu, examining her from head to toe and smiling as she spoke. She then turned her head and whispered to Mu Xuan, "I had a lot of things to deal with earlier, so I couldn't come right away. Chief Inspector Mu, don't take it personally."

With Tao Qing and the senior management from Matsunichi having arrived, Tang Zongyuan and Mu Xuan naturally stood up. Managers like Li Lan around Tang Zongyuan's company made way for them in a timely manner, smiling as they watched both sides meet.

Mu Xuan smiled faintly and said, "No worries, your matters are important. We're old friends; there's no need to mention this."

Tao Qing continued, "Do you remember that time, more than ten years ago When you were at the Justice Bureau, attending a study exchange program in America, we met and I said then that you were a beautiful woman, your child would definitely inherit your looks. Didn't I say it right, talking about your excellent genes with Old Tang"

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Mu Xuan replied, "If you keep praising her like this, she'll get conceited."

Tao Qing then pulled Tang Wu's hand; this seemed to be her way of getting close and chatting intimately. She said, "Well deserved. Our daughter deserves more praise; what’s wrong with being proud That’s how it should be."

Mu Xuan only now turned his attention to Song Zhen and said, "Based on that logic, then Song Zhen has got to be even better."

Song Zhen slightly pursed her lips and nodded at Mu Xuan. She then addressed both Mu Xuan and Tang Zongyuan with impeccable manners; every gesture she made exuded the unmistakable demeanor of a noblewoman. Sometimes Su Cen found it hard to tell whether this was truly Song Zhen or if the ordinary girl who had confided in her on California soil, or the one who had been panicked and angry in the male restroom at Xuntong Technologies back then, was the real her.

People roughly live their lives wearing masks, which is not surprising. Sometimes they also need to wear a mask.

Su Cen just doesn't know how he should continue to put on a mask to interact with Zack in the future, so let's temporarily set aside these matters for now.

Tao Qing’s third uncle Song Zhen, who is also the China Region President of Taochuan Group, spontaneously shook hands and chatted with Tang Father. Meanwhile, Tao Qing spoke to Mu Xuan, saying, "Director Mu, during your few days here, I haven't had time to entertain you guys. Today we are invited over in the name of the company. How about tomorrow I'll set up a banquet to invite all of you. Let's choose an interesting place."

As she spoke, without waiting for Mu Xuan’s response, Tao Qing turned her head and said to Song Xiance who was chatting with Tang Father, "Tomorrow we will treat Uncle Tang and Director Mu to a meal together. Mr. Xiance, can you suggest where Both Director Mu and Uncle Tang like quiet places; there shouldn’t be too many people, but it must be unique. Could you please make the arrangements"

Song Xiance immediately became enthusiastic and hurriedly laughed while patting Tang Zongyang's back, saying they definitely needed to meet tomorrow. Then he just turned his head slightly; an assistant who had long been familiar with his personality and subconscious actions immediately stepped forward by a step, bowed slightly, listened to him, and nodded as she took down the instructions before retreating, showcasing Taochuan Group’s strict organizational discipline. This one sentence of Song Xiance's would likely cause countless people below to rush around making arrangements. A meal with Tang Zongyang could be quite meaningful, especially in terms of promoting cooperation between Taochuan Group's spin-off real estate business and Tang Zongyang. The meal might lead to more than just a couple of projects or several million dollars.

At this moment, Tao Qing turned around and said to Su Cen, "And by the way, Su Cen, you must come tomorrow. We are not strangers to Auntie Tao; besides, I mentioned that I want you to visit our home. Auntie has prepared some things for you to take back with you. You and Song Zhen are friends; she is somewhat solitary in nature, so you can often come over to cheer her up. Otherwise, sometimes she stays alone at home all day, which isn't good for her health. Furthermore, even if you go out shopping or strolling around, it's a very positive thing."

When everyone heard this, the eyes of many executives from Taochuan Group, who barely had any space at the banquet, widened in astonishment. The spokesperson for the board chairperson and the legitimate wife of Taochuan Group’s highest chairman, Song Shihao, invited a stranger to join an important banquet during a regular dinner reception. At this moment, Tao Qing didn't seem like her usual self who was very clear about public and private matters within the company—she could even perform on stage herself during New Year's parties but would never violate principles in daily work.

Some of the slightly younger executives who felt they weren’t averse to Song Zhen immediately looked very uncomfortable, scrutinizing Su Cen with critical eyes. They were probably thinking: What qualifications does he have that could make General Manager Tao look at him with new respect And there seemed to be an intention to push Song Zhen forward. This naturally made everyone’s faces darken.

Song Zhen glanced at Su Cen, somewhat displeased and said, "When did I become solitary when staying alone at home Furthermore, I have my best friends if I want to go shopping outside. Why do you make me look like someone in dire straits in your eyes. Mom, this is a severe insult to my network of contacts."

Mu Xuan’s face was as cold as ice and said, "Tomorrow Director Tang and I will fly back to Chengdu; we really don't have time to go. We'll discuss it next time, sorry."

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, hinting at an impending confrontation.

Mu Xuan turned to face Su Can and said, "If you think that using such tactics can make me feel threatened or change my attitude towards you, then I must say you are being overly clever. Perhaps you feel that I am difficult to approach; this might be due to the wrong impression I gave you initially. However, I have always been like this—I neither get too close to anyone nor do I distance myself too much from anyone. If such an attitude of mine makes you feel confused, then I apologize. I acknowledge your intelligence, but I hope you will not overuse it recklessly."

Su Can felt as if he had been shot while lying down; he always sensed something amiss when Tao Qing was overly enthusiastic. Now it seemed that she was gradually forcing him into a situation where he would have to take a stand. Although he knew the current situation was exaggerated, making Mu Xuan believe that Su Can was intentionally using such tactics with Tao Qing and Song Zhen to show off his cleverness. However, for Tao Qing and Song Zhen to cooperate in this way seemed far-fetched; neither of them were ordinary performers.

Even if it was Tang Wu's mother, even if Mu Xuan was someone Su Can had mostly been wary of all along, he still couldn't hold back at this moment. One could be looked down upon, mocked, and ignored, but sometimes being wrongfully accused could not be tolerated—it would make one feel humiliated to the point of insomnia.

Even if it was Tang Wu's mother—whether she were a god or Buddha—he couldn't hold back anymore as he replied angrily, "When you unjustly accuse others of overthinking, it’s best to check whether you are equally guilty. What do you mean by neither getting too close nor distancing yourself Thank you for your aloof attitude—I’ve never felt cared about before, so I’m used to it. My opinion doesn’t matter anymore; why should I care what someone with a constant guard up thinks of me I only value the opinions of those who matter to me. I respect you because you are Tang Wu's mother—and for no other reason. I hope in future you will consider issues more comprehensively instead of being overly confrontational and narrow-minded. It is often a sign of weakness to excessively assert one’s authority."

Tang Wu lightly covered her mouth, while Tao Qing and Song Zhen stared at Su Can speechlessly. The Shenshan company executives, Tang Zongyuan's company manager Li Lan, and others looked straight ahead as they watched the fiery confrontation. At that moment, Song Xiancheng, who was then the president of Shen Shan Group in Greater China, was filled with admiration for Su Can’s calmness and clarity of thought even when expressing his anger.

"To whom are you speaking" Mu Xuan's voice shook slightly due to her inner rage. Perhaps it was because of the sharp words Su Can had spoken—such as how he was used to being ignored, or that he only cared about those who mattered to him—or perhaps because of his direct confrontation.

But with incredible self-control, Mu Xuan suppressed her shock and regained composure. "What do you mean by me always being overly confrontational When have I ever tried to maintain my authority"

"Why can’t Tang Wu pursue the things she wants to do, while ignoring that she is actually suited for it and would excel at it."

"The thing she wants to do is become vice president of your Facebook equivalent, right Have you thought about how this will affect her studies and life You haven't considered how much upheaval her quiet life will face! A young girl in her early twenties shouldn’t be exposed to such scheming and the pressures behind the spotlight so early on. You have no right to say that!"

"You are mistaken. We all grow up, and Tang Wu has grown up too; she now has the right to make her own choices, but you have taken that freedom away from her. You’re not protecting her; instead, you are using the guise of protection to uphold your authority over her for the past twenty years!"

"You want complete control in reality and強行乾涉到她的生活中來。你需要她像一個乖學生一樣按時上課，按時放學回家；你需要她在成績單上取得優異的成績並向你展示。你想以這種方式看著她的生活按照你的期望發展和成長，稍有偏離就必須嚴厲地將其拉回到正確的軌道上來。這不是為了她的利益，而是自私！”蘇燦一口氣說完，才頓道，“穆阿姨，你真的很自私。”

Mu Xuan’s lips turned pale, and her whole body trembled slightly. At this moment, Tang Zongyuan was going to intervene; she asked Tang Zongyuan, “Tang Zongyuan, do you remember When she was one or two years old and you were on a business trip outside, I got up at five in the morning during winter to queue for milk for her. Later, when we were in Chengdu, we heard that she fell ill alone in Xia Hai; I would declare an emergency adjournment of my bureau’s meeting and fly back overnight to take care of her. The next day, I’d rush back to work temporarily, only to repeat this process for several days. Since taking on the responsibility of the Judicial Bureau, have I ever affected its work due to personal issues In what way haven’t I acted in her best interest Am I being selfish”

The greatness of a mother’s love is beyond doubt; even Su Can regretted using such harsh words towards Mu Xuan just now. However, it seems that saying those things was still necessary because there are always some things that need to be said.

Mu Xuan’s nose was red with tears as she told Tang Wu, "I can choose not to be selfish, Tang Wu. Make your own choice; you can go over and become the vice president of FaceMask right now, or else come home with me. I will give you the freedom to choose."

Everyone was looking at Tang Wu, the girl standing alone in front of them, her shoulders slightly trembling. Her face was hidden under a cascade of fragrant black hair, and though her expression was unclear, it could be seen that she was conflicted.

In the end, Tang Wu walked forward and extended her hand to Su Can, who took it.

Su Can shook his head gently at her. He saw her biting her lips hard, drawing blood with her teeth, but in the end, tears still streamed down her beautiful cheeks. She tightened her grip on Su Can’s hand, just like when they had parted ways during that swaying bus ride home.

Letting go of his hand and turning away, she left with Mu Xuan, Tang Zongyuan, and the others from Jinjiang Hotel.m somewhere before."You have such good relations" Su Licheng was surprised and suddenly realized that this circle seemed quite large.He previously thought that Tang Fu's father didn't intend for his s...