Free Web NovelChapter 174: Chapter 174: Meeting Again on a Narrow Path
Tang Yuanxiao, holding Little Tang Mo’s hand, froze in the stairwell. He looked up, his gaze dark.
Wu Sheng knew Tang Yuanxiao had heard him.
Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
A vein on Tang Yuanxiao’s forehead throbbed. For a moment, he stood rooted to the spot.
He was about to take Little Tang Mo home and had come to say goodbye to Su Li. But before he even reached the door, he overheard Wu Sheng talking about a confession gift and his intention to formally pursue her.
Tang Yuanxiao knew this day would come sooner or later. The news of their divorce couldn’t be hidden for long. Still, he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon!
Tang Yuanxiao and Wu Sheng stood face-to-face on the narrow stairwell landing, neither giving way.
The air crackled with tension for a moment.
Wu Sheng spoke first. "Excuse me."
Tang Yuanxiao didn’t move.
Wu Sheng sized Tang Yuanxiao up. "Well, now. So much hostility."
’As if he isn’t radiating his own menacing hostility!’
Tang Yuanxiao snorted inwardly and finally spoke. "Captain Wu."
Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. "Just call me Wu Sheng."
He glanced back toward the apartment. "Here to see Su Li at this hour?"
Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes did the talking for him: ’You know damn well why I’m here.’
Wu Sheng, understanding the look, remarked, "Well, look at that. Your eyes can talk."
He tilted his head. "So this hostility, you blocking my path... it’s all because of Su Li?"
Again, his eyes did the talking: ’You know damn well why.’
Wu Sheng was speechless. "...Dude, can you please stop talking with your eyes? I don’t really enjoy making eyes at another man."
Tang Yuanxiao’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist.
"Looks like I make you feel pretty threatened," Wu Sheng said with a smile. "Good."
The vein on Tang Yuanxiao’s forehead throbbed again.
Wu Sheng sighed. "Alright, fine. I was hoping to be more nonchalant about this instead of acting like a couple of fighting cocks, but it seems that’s not an option."
Wu Sheng glanced at Little Tang Mo, who was staring up at him, and made a silly face. "Little Point, you should cover your ears. What your dad and I are about to say isn’t for little kids."
Little Tang Mo looked from Wu Sheng to Tang Yuanxiao. "I won’t cover them. And I won’t listen to you. I’m going to find Mom."
True to his word, he went up the stairs to find Su Li.
Wu Sheng: "..."
’This Little Point just keeps calling her "Mom."’
He clicked his tongue. "Old Tang, are you using your son to try and win Su Li back?"
Tang Yuanxiao gave a heavy, firm "Mhm."
"To me, the divorce is just the beginning. In my heart, Su Li is still my wife."
Wu Sheng ground his teeth, looking at Tang Yuanxiao’s smug, punchable face.
"A divorce is a divorce. It’s an end. Su Li is no longer your wife. You need to face that fact."
Tang Yuanxiao stared straight at Wu Sheng. "No. You don’t understand."
Wu Sheng sighed. "Okay, I don’t understand. But Old Tang, let me be blunt: as her ex-husband, you really shouldn’t be getting involved. If Su Li actually liked you, she wouldn’t have divorced you in the first place."
He said it with such earnest sincerity.
"That’s my business," Tang Yuanxiao said in a low voice.
Wu Sheng shook his head. "Fine, it’s none of my business. I’m just saying it for your own good. I’d hate for you to waste your time."
"My feelings for Su Li are genuine," Tang Yuanxiao retorted.
Wu Sheng was taken aback. "...And mine aren’t? You say that as if my feelings are fake."
He shook his head. "Alright, then. It looks like we’re headed for a showdown, even if our strengths are mismatched."
"They’re not mismatched," Tang Yuanxiao retorted, unconvinced.
Wu Sheng shot back just as quickly, "How are they not? I can beat you on looks alone."
For a moment, Tang Yuanxiao was confused. "What?"
Wu Sheng pointed to his own face. "I’m handsome. More handsome than you. And I’m... smarter than you."
Tang Yuanxiao: "..."
Su Li, who was being led over by Little Tang Mo, happened to overhear the end of their conversation and couldn’t hold back.
"Pfft."
Su Li was mortified after letting out a snort of laughter.
Tang Yuanxiao’s face flushed crimson.
Only Wu Sheng seemed completely unfazed. He raised a hand to wave at Su Li, then turned back to Tang Yuanxiao.
"See? She’s so much happier with me. She likes me so much she laughs just seeing me."
Tang Yuanxiao: "..."
Su Li: "..."
"Okay, okay, I’ll stop kicking you while you’re down," Wu Sheng said, patting Tang Yuanxiao’s shoulder consolingly.
Tang Yuanxiao turned his head to look at Su Li’s pained, almost constipated expression and fell silent. Wu Sheng might have been exaggerating, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.
He had never been able to make Su Li laugh like that. In that regard, he couldn’t compare to Wu Sheng.
Just as Tang Yuanxiao was lost in thought, Little Tang Mo, who had been silent until now, couldn’t help but speak up.
"Dad, you still have me." He walked down the last few stairs to Tang Yuanxiao’s side, taking his hand to give him a supportive squeeze.
Wu Sheng crouched down to look Little Tang Mo in the eye. "Little Point, you’re a cute kid, but you can’t just be a bonus point for your dad, can you?"
Little Tang Mo retorted defiantly, "Why not? Mom likes me."
He said it with total confidence, then looked back at Su Li for confirmation. "Right, Mom?"
Speechless, Su Li could only nod. She did adore Little Tang Mo.
Wu Sheng: ...
’So the Little Point really *is* a bonus point! But I don’t have a son to counter him!’
Wu Sheng crouched down again, studying Little Tang Mo before launching his counterattack.
"Little Point, you just wait. I’m going to find a kid even cuter than you to go up against you."
Wu Sheng straightened up and looked at Su Li. "I’m heading out."
Without another word, he bypassed Tang Yuanxiao and headed downstairs.
Tang Yuanxiao remained half-turned from letting Wu Sheng pass, frozen for a moment before he looked at Su Li.
"Momo starts school tomorrow. I have to take him home now."
"Okay," Su Li nodded.
She still felt a bit awkward.
’She was terrible at handling these kinds of romantic entanglements. She never imagined a day would come when two men would confess their feelings and pursue her at the same time.’ ƒгeewёbnovel.com
’This never happened in her past life.’
"Mom, I’m going now. I’ll come see you on Saturday," Little Tang Mo said, bidding Su Li farewell.
"Okay. Be good, Little Mo."
"Let’s go." Tang Yuanxiao had really only brought Little Tang Mo over to say goodbye, simply for the sake of getting one more look at Su Li.
He took Little Tang Mo’s hand and walked a few steps, only to stop again. In the end, he couldn’t resist looking back at Su Li one last time.
His mouth moved as if he wanted to ask something, but he didn’t. He simply started walking again.
Seeing them both leave, Su Li let out a huge sigh of relief.
「The next day, military training continued as usual.」
Tang Yuanxiao made an appearance in both the morning and the afternoon, just as he always did.
At least, that’s how it seemed on the surface. In reality, things were different.
He had left early, a little after four o’clock.
He had to get back to pick up Little Tang Mo from school, just as he’d had to drop him off that morning before coming to the Imperial City.
Tang Yuanxiao’s brow was deeply furrowed the entire way back.
It was because Wu Sheng had said he would go see Su Li.
And Tang Yuanxiao wasn’t wrong. Wu Sheng did indeed go to find Su Li.
Su Li’s military training session had just ended. As she followed the crowd of dismissed cadets off the field, she saw Wu Sheng waiting by the edge.
For once, Wu Sheng was wearing a crisp white shirt. He was straddling a bicycle, one leg propping him up, and looking at Su Li with a lazy air.
A half-smile played on his lips.
When he saw Su Li look over, he took in her astonished expression and gave her a quick wink.
’Gotcha, Su Li.’
