Her Wild Rose - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Guilt

Su Qian paused slightly, then turned around and looked seriously into Tang Tang’s eyes.

This time, there was no confusion in Tang Tang’s gaze—only determination.

“Hey, Su Qian, I’m talking to you.”

Su Qian’s prolonged gaze made Tang Tang uncomfortable. She frowned, a bit tsundere in her expression, her round eyes glaring as if demanding a quick answer.

“I do.”

Su Qian nodded, answering with refreshing decisiveness. She knew Tang Tang’s confession was more a product of emotional impulse than long-term deliberation, but she wanted to hold on to that rare moment of courage.

“Why’d you agree so quickly?” Su Qian’s blunt reply made Tang Tang a little embarrassed. She rubbed her nose and muttered, her voice tinged with mock blame, “I even had a whole follow-up speech planned, but you just agreed right away.”

“So… you’re blaming me then?”

Finally receiving the answer she longed for, a composed smile appeared on Su Qian’s face. She gently grasped Tang Tang’s hand, her fingers lightly tracing the back of it.

“Then how about this—you tell me what I was supposed to say, and we’ll do it according to your script.”

“Ahhh! My CP is back together—I’m alive again!”
“Seriously! How’s your face feel now, solo stans??”
“Don’t gloat too much, CP fans—they haven’t registered their marriage yet. They could break up any time.”
“Sugar-Q fans, I’m here with my little blanket—save me a spot, even the floor’s fine.”
“Gotta say, Su Qian really spoils Tang Tang. My head is filled with pink bubbles.”
“Ahhh, I seriously love Su Qian. She’s really trying to be the best lover she can.”
“Tang Tang finally confessed. We’ve really witnessed her growing up bit by bit.”
“Wuwuwu, Sugar-Q’s love is so worth shipping. I remember some OG fans saying they met in college. They’ve really grown up together.”
“Please, editors, post some of their old videos. I’m craving that vintage Sugar-Q sweetness.”

…

“Su Qian, why are you so good to me?”

Tang Tang looked at Su Qian’s gentle eyes, and her own began to tear up. She wiped at the corners of her eyes and muttered, “You’re so good to me. If I abandon you someday, what would you do?”

Yeah… what would she do?

Su Qian was stumped by that question. All this time, she had only focused on how to win Tang Tang over—she had never considered what life would be like without her.

She didn’t dare to imagine the hopelessness of a life without Tang Tang in it.

“I’ve never thought about it. I’ve always felt that you’d be in my life—it was just a matter of time.”

“So… you’ve been plotting against me all along?”

Tang Tang’s eyes widened slightly in mock shock. “Su Qian, how could you!”

“It wasn’t plotting,” Su Qian said, eyes full of emotion, voice gentle. “It was falling deeply in love.”

“From the first time I saw you, Tang Tang, I felt—you were mine.”

It felt like a spring had been installed in Tang Tang’s chest; her heart nearly jumped out. She looked up at Su Qian and saw in her eyes a depth like whirlpools—ready to pull her in.

She didn’t know if this counted as drawing a perfect end to their seven-year love story, but at least at this moment, hearing Su Qian’s words, she felt everything had been worth it.

The timing was right. The feelings were right. Everything was just… perfectly right.

“Then… now, are we…?”

Realizing their status had changed, Tang Tang couldn’t help blushing. She lowered her head, her long hair covering most of her flushed cheeks. “You suddenly getting into a relationship—won’t your agent say something?”

“No.”

Su Qian didn’t understand why she cared about that, but she explained patiently anyway. “The studio is mine. The company is mine. So no one can tell me what to do.”

“But… Sister Shen Jia…”

For some reason, Tang Tang suddenly got hung up on this issue. She held Su Qian’s hand cautiously, as if Shen Jia might suddenly appear to lecture them.

“She won’t,” Su Qian said firmly. “Even if she tries, she’ll have to go through me first. I own 45% of Red Star.”

“Wait what?! Su Qian’s that rich??”
“She’s totally a secret tycoon in the entertainment industry! Queen, do you need a maid? I’ll even wash your feet!”
“That’s Red Star! It’s worth billions—Su Qian’s seriously loaded.”
“I want to swap souls with Tang Tang. She’s literally winning at life.”
“Ughhh it really is a circle—beautiful women all know each other in this industry.”

…

Not only were the livestream viewers shocked, even Tang Tang couldn’t help looking at Su Qian in awe.

She had never imagined the person she loved was so incredible.

For a brief moment, she wished she could time travel back to her 18-year-old self and say––

Tang Tang, you’re amazing!

“When did you buy into Red Star?”

Though surprised, Tang Tang still had some reason left. Red Star had been built from scratch by Shen Jia—Su Qian owning that much stock definitely didn’t come without sacrifice.

“Three years ago. I traded 48% of my own company’s shares for Red Star.”

Since they were still livestreaming, Su Qian didn’t go into too much detail. She knew Tang Tang would understand what she meant—just as she knew what Tang Tang really wanted to ask.

Three years ago.

And just like that, Tang Tang realized what Su Qian had left unsaid.

Three years ago, she and Su Qian had parted ways without a word. Fueled by resentment, she threw herself into the entertainment industry, determined to rise and rival Su Qian. But her looks and popularity were lacking, especially compared to Su Qian, who was already a rising star online. She was rejected by every entertainment company.

Just when she was about to give up, Red Star extended an olive branch—and with extremely generous terms.

She had thought it was luck. Or her own ability.

Now, stripped of her youthful arrogance, she finally understood—it was just Su Qian bearing all the burden for her.

Because she couldn’t let go. Because she wanted her to stay.

So Su Qian did everything she possibly could.

Tang Tang’s nose turned sour. She punched Su Qian’s palm. “You’re such an idiot.”

She gambled her budding career… just to play the capital game with a clueless kid like her.

“I’m not an idiot. I did it willingly.” Su Qian lowered her head and kissed the corner of Tang Tang’s lips. Seeing her eyes slightly downcast and her whole demeanor soft and yielding, Su Qian’s heart melted.

She looked up at the glowing moonlight and suggested, “Want to take a walk?”

“Sure, let’s walk.”

Somehow, the stone path beneath their feet felt especially long. They held hands in silence, but their hearts were unusually calm.

Eventually, they wandered into the back courtyard of the dumpling restaurant. Su Qian suddenly stopped walking.

“What’s wrong?”

Tang Tang was half a step behind her. She followed Su Qian’s gaze and noticed two figures standing in the shadows.

In the moonlight, their silhouettes intertwined—enough to stir the imagination.

“Looks like it’s Piaopiao. I saw her bracelet,” Tang Tang whispered after turning off her mic. She tiptoed to whisper in Su Qian’s ear, her warm breath brushing against Su Qian’s skin, making her breath catch.

Su Qian followed Tang Tang’s line of sight. Sure enough, she saw the glitter of a cat’s-eye stone bracelet on one wrist.

“Piaopiao told me that bracelet was a gift from Gu Shuangran—she said she’d never take it off,” Tang Tang explained seriously, still oblivious to what the two were actually doing. “So the other person must be Gu Shuangran. But if they’re not at the front desk, what are they doing back here?”

Tang Tang’s sincere confusion only added to the guilt Su Qian was feeling. She gently squeezed her hand, subtly hinting, “What else? Same as us—on a date.”

Su Qian deliberately emphasized the word date, making Tang Tang’s ears flush red.

At that moment, Gu Shuangran suddenly pulled Lu Piaopiao into her arms. Their faces pressed together—and right in front of them, they shared a passionate kiss.

Tang Tang hadn’t expected that turn of events. She stood frozen in place, eyes fixed on the cobblestone beneath her feet.

“Su… Su Qian, maybe we should go.”

She lifted her head awkwardly—only to find Su Qian grinning at her. Their eyes locked, and in the background, Piaopiao and Gu Shuangran’s kissing sounds lingered.

Su Qian walked behind Tang Tang, gently covering her eyes with her hand. She leaned down, whispering in her ear, “You looked at them for 30 seconds but only gave me five. I’m very upset right now.”

The fresh scent of lemon surrounded Tang Tang, stirring up her thoughts of that intense kiss she’d just witnessed. She peeked through Su Qian’s fingers, trying to sneak another glance—but the moment she did, she felt a sudden warm nip at her earlobe.

Su Qian bit down gently, voice low and teasing. “Kids shouldn’t look—you’ll get a sty.”

The heat spread through Tang Tang like wildfire. She tried to calm down with deep breaths, but couldn’t resist Su Qian’s teasing. She stuck out her tongue and licked Su Qian’s palm.

The sudden warmth and wetness made both of them catch their breath. Su Qian’s fingers trembled—nearly letting go.

Having such a sweet yet seductive girlfriend… was dangerous.

While mentally banishing all beastly thoughts, Su Qian freed one hand and pinched Tang Tang’s mischievous chin. “Silly girl, keep this up and I won’t hold back.”

“Really?” Tang Tang clearly wasn’t scared by her threat. She leaned into Su Qian’s arms with a sly smile and said something that made Su Qian feel even guiltier.

“But when you first kissed me, I was way younger than I am now.”