Chapter 359: Who Does the Old Man Think he's Bullying?
Before Tang Xuan could respond, Tangning had already hung up the phone. As she put down the phone, her eyes looked obviously upset.
It wasn't her choice to be born into the Tang Family. Wasn't it enough that she had mentally tortured herself over it for so many years? How much further did the Tang Family want to push her?
"Ning Jie…"
"I'm fine," Tangning looked at Han Xiner and revealed a comforting smile. The rain outside further lowered Tangning's mood. But, as soon as she thought of Mo Ting, her emotions stabilized. In fact, she felt a sense of warmth sweep over her body.
Once upon a time, in order to hide from the Tang Family and to take care of Han Yufan, she had been willing to give up on the career that she loved so much. At that time, she was happy to move behind the scenes and become a supportive wife and loving mother. But now, she felt, only standing in the most dazzling position, would she match Mo Ting's grandeur.
So, she would never retreat because of the Tang Family again.
"Ning Jie, someone is knocking on the door. It must be Boss. I'll go open it."
"OK," Tangning smiled.
However, to her surprise, the person to appear at the doorway holding a black umbrella, was Elder Tang's assistant, "Miss Tangning, the chairman wants to see you. He is in the car downstairs."
Tangning glanced at Han Xiner. Although her emotions were complex, she couldn't find a reason to reject her grandfather - especially since he was already downstairs.
Tangning gestured for Han Xiner not to follow her and mouthed instructions for her to call Mo Ting. Han Xiner nodded her head. As soon as Tangning left she immediately pulled out her phone and called Mo Ting.
"Hello Boss, the Tang Family have come to look for Ning Jie!"
Mo Ting was already on his way to look for Tangning, so as soon as he heard Han Xiner's words, he immediately sped up his car…
Downstairs…
The assistant held onto his umbrella as he escorted Tangning to a black car that was stopped beneath a tree. Tangning looked through the window at the old man that sat inside and couldn't help but sigh. She could no longer recall whether it had been 4 or 5 years since they last saw each other…
"Miss Tang, please…" the assistant opened the car door and gestured for her to step inside.
Tangning hesitated for a moment, but still ended up stepping aboard. This meeting was so sudden, she hadn't even changed out of her costume yet.
Elder Tang had an honorable presence to him. He sat up straight and turned to look at Tangning as he smirked, "Is this how shameful you are these days?"
"Grandfather, have you come because of the news articles?" Tangning ignored his question and asked. "If you have, I can assure you that I will deal with it myself. There was no need for you to come all the way here."
"Hmmph," Elder Tang grunted. "You sure are stubborn. It's already been 9 years! Don't you miss your mother and grandfather at all?"
"Since you had the courage to walk out. Why couldn't you put up with a little bit of scorn and contempt from your siblings?"
"You're overthinking the situation. I left the Tang Family simply because I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment," Tangning denied. "I have no interest in perfume."
"But you were born with natural talent."
Tangning fell silent.
However, the atmosphere in the car turned so icy cold, it made it hard for one to breathe.
"If you want me to forgive you, I want you to break all ties with the entertainment industry, break up with the rascal from the Mo Family, and return to the Tang Family."
Tangning remained silent for a few moments before replying, "I am good the way I am right now."
"What's so good? You get trodden over by rubbish news every single day. If you want glory, can't grandfather give it to you?"
"No you can't," Tangning replied straightforwardly, "If I return to the Tang Family, I won't be able to eat nor sleep. I will feel guilty every single day that I use the Tang Family's money, because I feel like it is stolen and snatched from someone else. It will drive me crazy! Grandfather, can't you just set me free?"
"Are you that disgusted by the Tang Family?" anger began to show on Elder Tang's face. "So disgusted that you can't stay for even a second?"
"Yes."
"What has that Mo rascal offered you?"
"He has given me everything I was missing. Thing's that grandfather can never give me," Tangning said in a choked up voice.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Dignity," Tangning laughed at herself. "Grandfather, I know it is impossible for you to disregard the rest of the family for my sake."
"Do you feel a lack of dignity being born into the Tang Family?" Elder Tang was slightly shocked as his hands began to tremble.
"I'm sure you are well aware whether I have any dignity. Must you ask the obvious?"
"Do as you please! If one day, you decide to return to the Tang Family, you better clean up all ties with the entertainment industry. I will never accept a grandson-in-law involved with entertainment, regardless of how capable he is." Elder Tang gave up trying to convince his granddaughter. When it came to personality traits, apart from a natural talent in everything they did, stubbornness was something the grandfather and granddaughter shared.
"In that case, I don't think there will ever be a place in the Tang Family for me…"
"Tangning, a few years ago you suffered so much because of Han Yufan and was even kicked out of the Tang Family. Look what happened in the end," Elder Tang's eyes turned red, "This time, because of a man again…"
"He's different."
"What if I insist that you give up on him?"
"I won't be able to do it. Even if I have to die, I wouldn't be able to do it. I can give up on anything, but when it comes to Mo Ting, no one can take him away from me. Not even you, grandfather." As Tangning spoke, her voice was firm and the words flowed out of her mouth quickly, not allowing Elder Tang to cut in.
After quite some time, Elder Tang finally found his voice again, "If you had to choose between me and him?"
"I don't need the empty Tang Family, I just need him."
Naturally, the grandfather and granddaughter were destined to separate on bad terms.
They simply had different opinions.
Elder Tang loved Tangning, but his love came with a price.
Tangning was naturally shooed out of the car. After the black car drove away, Tangning spotted Mo Ting standing not too far away holding an umbrella, waiting patiently for her.
Tangning's tears uncontrollably flowed from her eyes. Seeing this, Mo Ting immediately removed his jacket and wrapped her up in it, pulling her tightly into his embrace.
"It's fine…everything is fine. You have me."
Tangning held onto Mo Ting with all her might. It wasn't until she was forced to make a choice did she realize that Mo Ting was more important to her than anything in her life.
"Ting…"
"Yes?"
"Do you know how important you are to me?" Tangning asked amongst the rain.
"I know," Mo Ting replied in a deep voice as he kissed her on the head. "But, you must remember, I will always love you a little more than you love me."
Tangning buried her head into Mo Ting's embrace as her tears fell upon his sweater. The couple stood in the rain for quite some time before Mo Ting finally said, "Let's return to the hotel. You can tell me everything your grandfather said to you."
"Ok," Tangning nodded her head.
Mo Ting hooked his arm around Tanging as they returned to the hotel. He felt a surge of emotions; who did the old man think he was bullying?
Even if it was someone from the Tang Family; even if it was an elder; as long as they made Tangning unhappy, he wasn't going to let it pass!