CH 74

Zheng Baozhu, on a rare occasion, sent a message to Tan Yao.

Zheng Baozhu: Are you investing in [The Pursuit of the Heart]?

When Tan Yao heard his phone beep, he glanced at the screen. Zheng Baozhu's name made him pause for a moment. It had been a long time since he last contacted Zheng Baozhu. When he first learned that she wanted to enter the entertainment industry, he was considering how to convince his father. However, before he could come up with a plan, Zheng Baozhu and Qu Zhi made their relationship official.

After that, Tan Yao completely gave up on the idea. He didn't expect Zheng Baozhu to reach out to him today.

After reading Zheng Baozhu's message, he frowned slightly and replied: I haven't heard about this news. Where did you hear it from?

Zheng Baozhu: Director Gao mentioned that President Tan from the Rongtai Group; is that your father?

Tan Yao's frown deepened. According to what the director said, it should be his father. However, his father detested the entertainment industry, didn't he?

But his father had been acting a bit strange lately. One time when he went to his father's study, he saw him browsing through information about Zheng Baozhu. As soon as he noticed Tan Yao entering the room, he quickly closed the computer screen.

Now, his father was planning to invest in Zheng Baozhu's drama? Could it be that his father liked Zheng Baozhu?

"..." Tan Yao was rendered speechless by his own thoughts.

Tan Yao: I'll ask my father when I get back. No one mentioned this during the meeting today.

Zheng Baozhu: Oh... It's alright, I was just casually asking.

After work in the afternoon, Tan Yao deliberately waited for his father before leaving. Tan Liwen glanced at Tan Yao, who got into the same car as him, and raised an eyebrow lightly, "Where's your car?"

"Oh, I sent it for maintenance," Tan Yao smiled and brushed it off, casually closing the car door. Tan Liwen chuckled, not believing him at all, "Did you get into some trouble again and need my help?"

"Hey, it really isn't this time," Tan Yao turned his head to appraise his old father, "Dad, I have something to ask you. Are you planning to invest in 'The Pursuit of the Heart'?"

Tan Liwen's expression changed instantly. Seeing his father's reaction, Tan Yao's heart also tensed up.

Could it be that he guessed right; his father actually likes Zheng Baozhu??

"Where did you hear this news?" Tan Liwen asked calmly. Tan Yao thought for a moment and decided to give Zheng Baozhu some cover, "It was just something a friend mentioned. You know I have a lot of friends, and they come from all sorts of backgrounds."

"Is that so?" Tan Liwen asked in return without confirming or denying anything, nor did he intend to explain anything to Tan Yao, "This has nothing to do with you."

"How can this have nothing to do with me? After all, I am the company's general manager."

"Ha, you only remember you're the general manager at a time like this."

Tan Yao choked for a moment, but then he felt that he had been performing well recently, and his confidence rose, "If I weren't the general manager, why do you always have me stay at the company?"

"Aren't you recuperating from your injuries there?" Tan Liwen said, "I know you too well."

"..." Tan Yao had nothing to say.

"Even if I'm really planning to invest, it's my personal action, not related to the company. I don't need to explain it to you as the general manager," Tan Liwen said.

Tan Yao's brows furrowed. By his father saying this, he was, in a way, admitting it. But this made it even stranger. Did he really want to invest his own money? Did this TV drama really have that much appeal?

Or perhaps there was someone else with charm involved. :)

Thinking about it, Tan Yao couldn't help but sneer, "Dad, you're not young anymore, why are you getting tangled up in all these things? You know Mom isn't well; it's better not to get worked up and make yourself ill."

Tan Liwen frowned upon hearing this, "What are you talking about? Ha, now you're lecturing me? What tangled up things am I involved in? Explain yourself clearly."

Tan Yao maintained his cold expression, "Isn't it the 'mistakes that all men in the world make'? Ha, even if you want to make those mistakes, others won't give you the opportunity."

"...Tan Yao! I think you want to rebel!" Tan Liwen exploded in anger. If the car wasn't still on the road, he would have kicked Tan Yao out.

After returning home, Tan Liwen continued to mutter complaints, but Tan Yao didn't want to deal with him. He closed the door and locked himself in his room.

Loosening his tie, Tan Yao sat on the couch and messaged Zheng Baozhu: I just asked my dad. It seems like his intention is to invest personally, not as a company action.

Zheng Baozhu: Personal investment?

Tan Yao: Yeah. Do you and my dad know each other from before?

Zheng Baozhu: No, I don't know him.

Tan Yao: Oh...

Looking at Tan Yao's message, Zheng Baozhu also felt something was off. The Rongtai Group had always avoided getting involved with the entertainment industry. It should be because of Tan Yao's father's personal preference. So, now he suddenly wanted to invest in a personal capacity, which seemed unusual.

After thinking for a while, she called her mom. As soon as her mom picked up, Su Mingxi excitedly asked, "Baozhu, I saw the pictures online, your hotel is practically surrounded. Have you left the hotel? What about Qu Zhi? He's not staying at the hotel, is he?"

"No, we came over to the villa area in the morning..." Zheng Baozhu replied.

"That's good, it's safer there. I feel more at ease with you staying there," Su Mingxi said and then asked with a meaningful tone, "You and Qu Zhi, staying in the same room?"

"No, there are so many rooms in the villa, don't think too much about it, okay?"

"I'm thinking too much?" Su Mingxi laughed, "Both of you are living under the same roof, yet you're afraid of what others might think?"

"..."

"You two should consider getting married. Qu Zhi said his parents will be back next month, so we can have a meal together then and discuss the wedding arrangements..."

"Let's wait until they come back..." Zheng Baozhu said but then realized they were getting off-topic, "No, I called you not to talk about this."

"Then what do you want to say?"

"I just wanted to ask..." Zheng Baozhu hesitated for a moment, then continued, "You should calm down a bit..."

"Are you pregnant?" Su Mingxi suddenly raised her voice, "Then I need to contact Qu Zhi's parents even sooner; we should arrange the wedding as soon as possible!"

"...You're thinking too much. I just wanted to ask about that scumbag my aunt mentioned in the book."

There was a brief silence from Su Mingxi's end before she continued, "Back then, your grandmother and I also wanted to know who that person was, but after taking care of the aftermath, we were too busy to investigate further. Later on, we felt it was meaningless to pursue these things; Mingmei wouldn't come back either way."

Zheng Baozhu remained silent for a while, then asked, "I don't believe you didn't inquire about this at all. Did you find any clues?"

Su Mingxi asked in return, "What do you want to do by inquiring about this?"

"I don't have any plans. Are you worried I'll beat him up or something?"

"You know what, I think you might actually do that."

"..." Calculating the age, that man should be around fifty now. If she really did something like that, it might lead to a disaster, "Mom, just tell me, so I have an idea in my mind and won't fail to recognize him if he stands in front of me."

Su Mingxi considered for a moment before speaking, "At that time, Mingmei's bodyguard did give us a clue. We asked many staff members, but they couldn't explain it clearly. Later, Mingmei's driver said that during that period, Mingmei often went out to meet a man, and he heard that person was President Tan."

Zheng Baozhu was stunned for a moment. Although she made this call because of some suspicions in her mind, there was no substantial evidence for her speculations. It was more like a "gut feeling". But now the information her mom provided seemed to match with her thoughts, and her heart was slightly stirred.

Could it really be Tan Yao's father?

"When we were sorting Mingmei's belongings, we didn't find anything related to that man. Mingmei probably sorted things out in advance," Su Mingxi sighed, "She probably didn't want us to know who that person was, maybe not to affect our family."

Zheng Baozhu pursed her lips and didn't say anything. That scumbag had a wife and child, so she understood her aunt's concerns. If she revealed this matter, more than one person would be hurt, and it would also involve the scumbag's wife and child.

But if she didn't say anything, the scumbag would get away with it, and his wife would remain unaware of the truth.

No matter how she looked at it, being a scumbag seemed most advantageous. :)

"Alright, I understand. Let's leave it at that. I'll hang up now," Zheng Baozhu ended the call and sat on the sofa, thinking for a moment. Then, she messaged Gao Boyun.

Zheng Baozhu: Can you help me get in touch with President Tan from Rongtai Group? I want to meet him.

Gao Boyun: ? Why do you want to meet him? He's over fifty years old and not handsome.

Zheng Baozhu: ...Can you please try to get in touch for me?

Gao Boyun: ...You're so demanding when asking for help.

Zheng Baozhu:

After a while, Gao Boyun sent President Tan's contact information: This is President Tan's phone number.

"Thank you!" Zheng Baozhu thanked Gao Boyun and stared at the string of numbers for a while.

"President Tan, this is Zheng Baozhu. Contacting you like this may seem presumptuous, but I have something urgent to discuss with you. Can we meet in person?" Zheng Baozhu sent a text message to him.

She didn't want to find out if he was the man from back then for revenge. She just felt disgusted at the thought that he was investing in[The Pursuit of the Heart].

Soon, her phone vibrated, and Zheng Baozhu looked at the screen. It was a reply from Tan Liwen: Sure, I have time tomorrow morning. Where would you like to meet?

Now with her status, of course, she had to choose an upscale place, so she arranged to meet at a private club. When Qu Zhi learned that she was going to meet the alleged scumbag from the past, he furrowed his brows, "It's not safe for you to go alone. I'll accompany you tomorrow."

"No need," Zheng Baozhu hooked her arm with his and said, "You already took a day off today because of me, I can't let you take another day off. I can't delay the country's technological development because of my own matters."

Qu Zhi smiled lightly and patted her head, "It won't be that serious. I can make up for the day off by working overtime later."

"But if you work overtime, won't your colleagues have to work overtime too? It's a team effort, and your independent actions might not be a good idea."

Qu Zhi frowned but didn't say anything. Zheng Baozhu gently touched his brow and said, "How about this? Let's have Cen Tongtong accompany me tomorrow. She doesn't have to work, so she'll have more flexibility with time."

Qu Zhi wasn't very convinced about Cen Tongtong, "What's the point of having an agoraphobic like Cen Tongtong accompany you? If something happens, who will protect whom?"

Zheng Baozhu smiled and said, "I arranged the meeting at a private club. If President Tan really dares to do anything, the club's security will throw him out first. Besides, shouldn't you be more worried that I'll put a bag over his head and beat him up tomorrow?"

"..." After she said that, he indeed felt a bit worried.

In the end, Qu Zhi still compromised but insisted on bringing a few more people. Zheng Baozhu agreed since she didn't mind and brought her assistant with her. They waited outside the club, and Cen Tongtong, who had a club membership card, accompanied Zheng Baozhu inside and sat at a nearby table. Today's main task of the assistant was to observe Zheng Baozhu's table closely, and if anything seemed wrong, they would send a message to the people outside so they could come in.

With this series of arrangements, Zheng Baozhu and Cen Tongtong arrived earlier than the agreed time. President Tan also arrived ten minutes early, coming alone without anyone else. It was unclear if he was being cautious or suspicious.

President Tan looked as ordinary as described in Su Mingmei's book. Compared to her previous boyfriends, he didn't stand out in looks, but his charm and eloquence had attracted her at the time. However, today when Zheng Baozhu saw him, she just felt that he was a dull middle-aged man and didn't seem interesting at all.

"President Tan, hello," Zheng Baozhu stood up when he approached and said, "I'm Zheng Baozhu. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

Tan Liwen seemed visibly stunned when he saw her. After a moment, he forced a smile and replied, "Hello."

Zheng Baozhu smiled back and invited him to sit on the sofa opposite her, "Let's sit down and talk."

"Sure," Tan Liwen sat across from Zheng Baozhu, there was some uneasiness between his brows. After observing him for a while, Zheng Baozhu spoke, "President Tan, your time is precious, so I won't beat around the bush. I wanted to ask you something during this meeting."

Tan Liwen responded, "Miss Zheng, feel free to ask directly."

Zheng Baozhu looked at him and asked, "Do you know Su Mingmei?"

Tan Liwen's hand, which was reaching for a coffee cup, suddenly froze in mid-air. He stiffened for a moment. Zheng Baozhu glanced at his hand, which stopped midway, and felt that this matter was almost confirmed, "In fact, Su Mingmei was my aunt. Before her suicide, she wrote a letter mentioning you."

Tan Liwen looked up in shock, gazing at Zheng Baozhu. She looked back at him, her gaze calm without revealing much.

Beside them, the assistant observed silently and admired Zheng Baozhu. She truly deserved to be called the "Ceiling of Society"! The middle-aged man in front of her had the aura of a superior, naturally intimidating to younger people, but Zheng Baozhu showed no fear in front of him! Truly, she was their boss!

Tan Liwen withdrew his hand completely and placed it on the table, clenching his fist. "Su Mingmei left a farewell letter?"

"Yes," Zheng Baozhu nodded, "The letter was not made public; only our family knew about it. At that time, my aunt already suffered from severe depression, but she met a man who was witty and humorous, always able to make her smile. She thought this man was her lifesaver, but he turned out to be the last straw that broke the camel's back."

Tan Liwen's eyes suddenly reddened, and his emotions became obvious, "I'm sorry. When I heard about her death, I was completely stunned. I knew that I must have had something to do with her..."

He became more agitated, and his nails dug deeply into his palms. "It's all my fault, it's my fault! At that time, I even thought about going with her! But, but I..."

"But you still have a wife and children, right?" Zheng Baozhu sneered, "Now you remember that you have a family and responsibility? When you pursued my aunt, why didn't you think about them?"

"I... I really didn't mean to," Tan Liwen looked up, desperately trying to explain to Zheng Baozhu, "Mingmei was truly a charming person. I believe no man in the world could resist her..."

"Oh, so, in the end, it's still her fault, isn't it?"

"That's not what I meant," Tan Liwen took a deep breath and continued, "I was tempted for a moment. When we met, I deliberately took off my wedding ring... If I had known it would end up like this, I would never have..."

Zheng Baozhu sneered, cutting him off, "Enough, your repentance means nothing to me. I just wanted to ask President Tan, what do you mean by intentionally investing in 'The Pursuit of the Heart'? Is it to disgust me?"

"Of course not," Tan Liwen looked up, seeming surprised by the thought, "Actually, when you were gaining popularity online, I noticed you. You look so much like Mingmei that I knew you must be related to her. Later, when Yu Wei used the withdrawal threat against you, I wanted to help you..."

"Thank you for your kind intentions, but we don't need it. Our production team is not lacking investors."

Looking at Tan Liwen, Zheng Baozhu continued with a hint of coldness, "I know you won't be forgiven, but I just want to say..."

Tan Liwen looked at her and pursed his somewhat dry lips, "I know you won't forgive me, but I just thought..."

"Thought what? Thought of redeeming yourself?" Zheng Baozhu chuckled, "My aunt doesn't need it, and neither do we. If you truly want to redeem yourself, go and make amends with your wife and children."

After saying that, Zheng Baozhu picked up her bag and was about to leave. As she stood up, she glanced back at Tan Liwen and said with a faint smile, "Oh, by the way, I lied to you earlier. There's nothing about you in my aunt's letter. It was all my guesswork." She then turned toward him and smiled slightly, "You were never worthy of being mentioned in my aunt's letter."

Today, Tan Yao seemed to be in an uneasy mood, sitting in his office, unable to concentrate on work. He decided to open Weibo and check today's news.

On the trending list, there was the ever-present Zheng Baozhu, and now there was a new hot topic about her.

"Zheng Baozhu and Su Mingmei?" Tan Yao was momentarily taken aback. The name Su Mingmei was not unfamiliar to him. Although not a star of this era, Su Mingmei's works and songs were widely known, with her song [First Love] being a perennial favorite on their KTV's classic nostalgia chart.

However, how could Zheng Baozhu and Su Mingmei be related?

Tan Yao clicked on the trending topic; suddenly his heart skipped a beat. He had never noticed it before, but Zheng Baozhu did bear some resemblance to Su Mingmei!

When he connected the two, he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, realizing that he had missed something obvious. Zheng Baozhu does look somewhat like Su Mingmei!!

As he scrolled through the trending topic, his fingertips were trembling slightly.

「Didn't expect this, right? There's more to Zheng Baozhu's gossip! After the release of her entrepreneurial history, another classmate has come forward with a submission, claiming that they were classmates in elementary school. Back then, all the classmates knew that Zheng Baozhu's aunt was Su Mingmei! 」