Chapter 35: The Mayor's Prodigal Son

“Mr. Tang!”

“And you are?”

“You probably don’t know me, but I know you! My husband and I have done business with your company before.”

Wu Xiuli leapt off the bed as if she had spotted a long-lost relative, nearly throwing herself into Tang Songyuan’s arms. It was no wonder—through Wu Xiuli’s eyes, Tang Songyuan was money itself, and who doesn’t love money?

“You are… Miss Wu.”

He actually recognized her! Wu Xiuli was even more surprised than when she’d suddenly met her personal god of wealth—her face shone with excitement as she extended her hand to him. Tang Songyuan shook her hand politely, then quickly let go.

“I never imagined you’d know me! I always thought people like us, running a small business, would never catch your attention.”

“You flatter me, Miss Wu.”

Tang Songyuan had no desire to continue the conversation, much less bond with a minor client in this place. He set his tote bag on the nightstand, pulled out the folding table, and poured a bowl of soup. Turning to Tao Fei with an apologetic smile, he said,

“I went to Clay Pot House and bought your favorite Five-finger Root Soup. I didn’t expect to get stuck in traffic and only just made it back. The soup is still hot—please, have some. Oh, and this.”

From his pocket, Tang Songyuan produced a sleek black widescreen phone and handed it to Tao Fei.

“Your old model has been discontinued. See if you’re comfortable with this one. I’ve already replaced your SIM card, so your number’s the same, and I’ve installed your usual apps.”

“Thank you.”

Tang Songyuan had brought the latest model, but to Tao Fei, it seemed an outdated relic. Still, she had a penchant for antiques and, with growing interest, swiped through the phone.

Tang Songyuan reminded her to drink the soup first, and only then did Tao Fei set the phone aside. By now, Wu Xiuli had figured out the relationship between Tao Fei and Tang Songyuan. She launched into a torrent of praise for Tao Fei, and her mother chimed in, exclaiming that Tao Fei was the very image of a virtuous wife and devoted mother, with none of the airs of a wealthy lady.

Tang Songyuan soaked in the compliments, smiling as he watched Tao Fei finish the entire bowl of soup. He poured mineral water for her to rinse her mouth, wrung out a hot towel to lay across her face, and even remembered to help her apply face cream.

Witnessing this series of gentle ministrations, Wu Xiuli and her mother exhausted their supply of compliments.

“If my husband were even half as good as Mr. Tang—no, even a tenth—I’d be content for life. Tao Fei, you’re so lucky! Mr. Tang isn’t just a moneymaker, he’s so attentive and gentle. How did you find such a wonderful husband? Did you save the galaxy in a past life?”

Wu Xiuli’s envy for Tao Fei was genuine, as was her curiosity about the history of her marriage to Tang Songyuan. Tao Fei only smiled, and so Wu Xiuli turned to Tang Songyuan, insisting he share his secrets. She wanted to use his example when seeking husbands for her three daughters.

Wu Xiuli was only about thirty-one or thirty-two; her eldest daughter could only be a child!

“My wife and I were introduced by a matchmaker—nothing particularly special. That was how most marriages happened in our day.”

“What? A matchmaker? My husband and I were high school sweethearts—we married for love. I always thought arranged marriages couldn’t be as happy as those for love, but seeing you two, I may need to rethink that,” Wu Xiuli said, half in jest.

“Then you must have been well-matched. Well-matched marriages are the most stable. Otherwise, why is matchmaking so popular again? All those TV shows—every successful couple is well-matched. The wealthy marry the wealthy; good looks alone don’t get you far.”

Wu Xiuli’s mother offered this summary of Tao Fei and Tang Songyuan’s marriage, then looked to them for agreement, confident in her conclusion.

“I married above my station,” Tang Songyuan said quietly.

“Tao Fei must have been a beauty in her youth!” Wu Xiuli exclaimed.

“She’s still beautiful now,” Tang Songyuan replied with a soft laugh, while Tao Fei kept smiling in silence. The conversation, light and pleasant, was relaxing for her.

“It’s better when the husband is a bit older; that way, he’ll be more considerate.”

“That’s not always true, is it? Old He is more than ten years older than his wife, but he still beats her all the time…”

Wu Xiuli’s mother tugged her sleeve; Wu Xiuli realized at once that her mother was trying to flatter Tang Songyuan. It was obvious to anyone that Tang Songyuan was older than Tao Fei.

“It really depends on the man! Only someone mature and refined, like Mr. Tang, would truly cherish his wife.”

“Mr. Tang is clearly a good man! Not like those who fool around outside, keeping mistresses here and there as soon as they have some money.”

“It’s half past two—the patient needs her rest.”

Tang Songyuan cut off the flattery, helped Tao Fei recline her bed, and Tao Fei, eager to study her antique phone, pretended to sleep as soon as she saw him reaching to tuck her in.

Wu Xiuli took the hint and fell silent, but within a minute she and her mother were whispering about what to eat before five. They soon agreed, greeted Tang Songyuan, and slipped out to shop for supplies.

Peace settled over the room.

Tang Songyuan sat on the sofa by the window, eyes closed, letting the afternoon sunlight paint a golden sheen across his head.

Tao Fei watched him closely, sensing a trace of worry between his brows. Suddenly he opened his eyes, and she quickly turned away.

Her formidable mother did not appear that afternoon to demand money. Tao Fei rested well, waiting for the moon to rise.

A round, orange moon crept silently into the sky, and Tao Fei’s heart began to race. The same time, the same place, the same moonlight! The moment of miracles was approaching.

Wu Xiuli and her mother had not yet returned. Tang Songyuan had been sent out to buy fish porridge.

Tao Fei gripped the door handle, opening and closing it several times. The room, the corridor—everything was unchanged. She stepped outside, then back in—still nothing miraculous occurred.

She refused to give up, convinced it was only a matter of timing. She returned to the room, opened the door again, closed her eyes and walked out, then snapped her eyes open. The long corridor, soft and gentle lighting, a young nurse hurried into the adjacent room.

No familiar laboratory appeared.

Tao Fei forced herself to repeat the action several more times. Standing in the doorway, she thought she could hear her own heart shatter.

The electronic clock at the nurse’s station in the Y-shaped corridor ticked forward with a red flash.

One last try!

Perhaps her longing was too strong—eyes squeezed shut, body trembling, she dragged open the door. After stepping through, she dared not open her eyes for a long moment, hoping to hear her mentor call her name, to open her eyes and find herself in the medical school laboratory…

No expected voice called out, but she sensed a sudden, scorching presence before her.

She opened her eyes, startled by the man standing there so suddenly that she stumbled backward, nearly falling back through the doorway.