The Marriage Harbor CH6
Chapter 6: "I'm Jiang Bin’s Husband, Tang Zhisong."
If they had been closer, Tang Zhishong might have told Jiang Bin that he disliked pollen. But they weren’t.
Just then Madam Tang called. Her voice bright with enthusiasm.
“It’s Qixi today. Have you gone to see Binbin? Why don't you take her to a movie? Or maybe a candlelit dinner?” She generously offered advice drawn from her own experience.
Tang Zhisong listened patiently, his expression remaining flat.
"I have a very important R&D meeting today," he replied. "Mom, I have to go."
First the flowers, then the watch. If he asked her out for anything else, it would seem far too attentive. Completely out of character. He had never lowered himself for anyone like that.
Besides, he truly didn’t have the time.
* * *
That afternoon, Jiang Bin went out with Xiao Zhou and Tao Xing to visit major clients. By the time they finished at 5:30 PM, they were standing in front of a massive shopping mall at the base of an office tower.
Because it was Qixi, the mall was swarming with couples. As Jiang Bin emerged from the building, her gaze swept across the crowd and suddenly froze.
A familiar figure was walking across the bustling plaza.
The woman wore a deep green velvet dress with a turquoise necklace. She possessed an ethereal presence that felt entirely out of place with her surroundings. Her lashes were thick and long, and when she smiled, she bore a striking resemblance to Jiang Bin. She was beautiful, like a misty Jiangnan painting.
"Mom," Jiang Bin greeted as she stepped forward.
In the month since she had registered her marriage to Tang Zhisong, even her stepfather had called a few times. Her mother certainly knew, yet hadn't sent a single message. Jiang Bin hadn't expected to run into her here.
Mu Lingshu looked visibly stunned.
"Binbin..." The smile on her face faded slightly.
Perhaps it was because that first marriage had been such a failure, forced and unhappy. She had never quite been warm to Jiang Bin. After giving birth, she handed her over to Grandma Jiang and never raised her herself. Though mother and daughter lived in the same city, they rarely met. Mu Lingshu had always kept her distance.
As Jiang Bin approached, her stepfather Lu Xin arrived at her mother’s side.
"Hello, Uncle Lu."
"Binbin! What are you doing here?" Compared to Mu Lingshu’s coldness, Lu Xin was far more welcoming.
Jiang Bin had always found it easier to speak with him.
“I was visiting a client. And you? Are you taking Mom somewhere?”
Lu Xin pointed to a Western-style building next door and smiled.
“Just got off the operating table. I’m taking your Mom to an exhibition.”
Mu Lingshu was a painter and Lu Xin frequently accompanied her to exhibitions around the world. The two of them had a happy life together with a daughter two years younger than Jiang Bin and an eight-year-old son. After Jiang Chengxiao and Mu Lingshu divorced, both had formed successful and happy families.
"I saw you on the news yesterday," Jiang Bin noted. "You completed another complex cardiac surgery."
Lu Xin laughed, instantly animated when the conversation turned professional. He was the director of Shanghai’s most prestigious private hospital. Lu Xin was considered a genius in the medical world and he was known for having “the steadiest hands in China,” one of the country’s most renowned surgeons. Originally, his hospital was small, but as its reputation grew, it needed to expand. When expansion plans ran into land issues, it was Jiang Bin who stepped in to resolve them.
Jiang Bin had never resented him for her mother’s indifference. On the contrary, she had extended help when he needed it most. Lu Xin admired her character and treated her like his own daughter. Any patient Jiang Bin sent his way received exceptional care.
In this world, top-tier medical resources are incredibly scarce. Jiang Bin’s vast network relied on exactly this kind of vision and reliability.
While they spoke, Mu Lingshu remained quiet. Seeing her daughter alone on Valentine's Day, she finally forced herself to ask.
"How are things with you and Tang Zhisong?"
Jiang Bin pointed to the emerald necklace she was wearing.
"Very well. This was a gift from my mother-in-law and Zhisong gave me a watch today."
"When you have time, bring him over to the house for a visit." Lu Xin added warmly.
"I will." Jiang Bin promised.
Mu Lingshu, however, knew that high-society marriages weren't as glamorous as they seemed. Lu Xin had already told her why Jiang Bin had married Tang Zhisong.
"Can you still not let go of the Jiang family matters?" she asked.
If possible, she wanted Jiang Bin to find someone who loved her, rather than fighting until she was bloodied over an inheritance.
Yet for Jiang Bin, the company her grandparents left was her only remaining anchor in a childhood devoid of parental love. But people can never truly feel each other's pain, not even mother and daughter. Jiang Bin didn't bother to explain, she just smiled and gestured toward the gallery.
"It's getting late. I won't keep you and Uncle Lu from the exhibition."
* * *
Once they were gone, Tao Xing and Xiao Zhou caught up. Seeing Jiang Bin staring at her mother's retreating back, Tao Xing felt a pang of sympathy and tugged at her sleeve.
"Boss, I heard In the Mood for Love is being re-released tonight. Let's go see it."
Jiang Bin snapped out of it. "Didn't you say you had a dinner with a blind date tonight?"
"I... I can cancel..." Tao Xing stammered.
Jiang Bin pinched her cheek playfully.
"Go. I don't have time for movies anyway." She took her laptop bag from Xiao Zhou.
"Don't go back to the office either. No overtime tonight. Go spend time with your girlfriend." She teased him.
“It’s rare that someone on our team actually gets into a relationship. We can’t drag you down.”
The team laughed. As Jiang Bin’s car pulled up, she climbed in and left.
Tao Xing watched the Rolls-Royce merge into traffic and sighed.
“Do you think our boss will ever fall in love?” She asked the person beside her.
Xiao Zhou had joined the company just in time to witness Jiang Bin seize a massive contract from their rivals in one decisive move. In his eyes, she was an untouchable goddess.
“Human things probably don’t happen to immortals.” He shrugged.
He simply couldn’t imagine Jiang Bin falling in love.
* * *
Jiang Bin didn't return to the office. Instead, she went straight home.
Zhouyue International was a luxury river-view development built by the Jiang family years ago—one of Shanghai’s top ten residences. When she turned ten, her grandfather gifted her the penthouse of its best tower. The interior was still in the old-fashioned style her grandfather had chosen. She never changed it.
Though the apartment was over 600 square meters, it felt warm. After the housekeeper left, Jiang Bin changed into loungewear and watered the plants on her roof garden.
She ordered takeout and sat at the kitchen island to work. There were still numerous film proposals at Changjing Pictures awaiting review. She needed to decide which to keep and which to cut.
Ten minutes later, her phone rang. She answered on speaker without looking.
“Who is it?”
"Are you home?" a gentle, somewhat helpless voice asked.
It was her cousin, Mu Yun.
Mu Yun lived in the same complex. Their buildings were close enough that he could see her lights from his place. She stepped onto the terrace and waved toward his direction, though she couldn’t see him clearly.
“You’re not at the hospital?” She asked.
Her maternal family came from a lineage of traditional Chinese medicine. Her uncle had expanded it into pharmaceutical companies and a clinic. After adopting Mu Yun and passing away, Mu Yun integrated the clinic into a private hospital. Jiang Bin held ten percent of its shares while the rest was split between Mu Yun and her mother, Mu Lingshu.
Mu Yun spent nine out of ten days at the hospital, so him being home was a surprise.
“Tired. Taking a break.” he replied softly. He didn’t tell her that Lu Xin had called him after seeing Jiang Bin alone and asked him to check on her.
Mu Yun had been adopted into a life of warmth and affection, while Jiang Bin, despite having parents of her own, had always lived like an orphan. Having grown up together, they were close as siblings.
"I'm working overtime." Jiang Bin said.
"I heard you were traveling all last month and didn't even rest this weekend," Mu Yun noted. "Don't push yourself too hard. What do you want to eat? I'll bring it over."
"I already ate," Jiang Bin declined. Her spicy crawfish and iced drink were about to arrive.
After hanging up, she continued her work.
But by 8:00 PM, disaster struck. She had forgotten her period was due and had overindulged in spicy food and cold drinks. Jiang Bin had a chronic condition. A day or two before her period, she suffered from severe migraines that often led to vomiting.
She called Mu Yun. He rushed over and took her to their family hospital.
After some medicine and a few monitoring machines, she finally began to recover. Mu Yun stood by her bed in his white lab coat, his brow furrowed.
"Did you take the preventative medicine I gave you?"
It had to be taken a week in advance. It caused drowsiness and dizziness.
How could I work like that?
She pressed her temple weakly.
“Forgot.”
The condition had once been controlled when she was abroad. But since entering the Jiang Group, where she was surrounded by pressure from all sides, it had returned regularly.
Mu Yun knew better than to persuade her. He gave her warm water and stayed by her side. Jiang Bin had a medicated patch on her left temple to soothe the nerves. She tried to sit up.
"Where's my laptop?"
“Does it have to be now?” Mu Yun frowned, his hands in his pockets.
“If I don’t reply today, everything gets delayed.” She argued.
“After that, will you sleep?”
“…Fine.”
He handed her the laptop and set up the over-bed table. She cleared a dozen emails before the medicine kicked in and she fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
Tang Zhisong returned to his apartment around 9:00 PM. The scent of roses in his office had been overwhelming all day, so he had Assistant Li bring them to his home to keep on the terrace.
While Assistant Li was arranging the flowers, Tang Zhisong’s phone rang. It was his Sales Director.
"President Tang, the Southwest regional manager is trying to access the Jiang Group’s home renovation database. They need authorization from President Jiang, but she isn't answering her phone. It's urgent. Could you let her know?”
The director likely assumed that since it was Qixi, the couple would be together. Tang Zhisong never let personal feelings interfere with work.
"Understood."
He pulled up Jiang Bin's number and dialed. The phone rang eight times before a man picked it up.
"Who is this?" the person on the other side asked, his voice low and sounding slightly annoyed.
Tang Zhishong paused, briefly thinking he’d misdialed. He pulled the phone away and checked the screen.
It was Jiang Bin’s number.
For reasons he couldn't define, he found himself staring at the roses blooming on the terrace. After a brief, subtle frown, he regained his composure and spoke without emotion.
“I’m Jiang Bin’s husband. Tang Zhishong.”
Translator's Notes:
If they had been closer, Tang Zhishong might have told Jiang Bin that he disliked pollen. But they weren’t.
Just then Madam Tang called. Her voice bright with enthusiasm.
“It’s Qixi today. Have you gone to see Binbin? Why don't you take her to a movie? Or maybe a candlelit dinner?” She generously offered advice drawn from her own experience.
Tang Zhisong listened patiently, his expression remaining flat.
"I have a very important R&D meeting today," he replied. "Mom, I have to go."
First the flowers, then the watch. If he asked her out for anything else, it would seem far too attentive. Completely out of character. He had never lowered himself for anyone like that.
Besides, he truly didn’t have the time.
* * *
That afternoon, Jiang Bin went out with Xiao Zhou and Tao Xing to visit major clients. By the time they finished at 5:30 PM, they were standing in front of a massive shopping mall at the base of an office tower.
Because it was Qixi, the mall was swarming with couples. As Jiang Bin emerged from the building, her gaze swept across the crowd and suddenly froze.
A familiar figure was walking across the bustling plaza.
The woman wore a deep green velvet dress with a turquoise necklace. She possessed an ethereal presence that felt entirely out of place with her surroundings. Her lashes were thick and long, and when she smiled, she bore a striking resemblance to Jiang Bin. She was beautiful, like a misty Jiangnan painting.
"Mom," Jiang Bin greeted as she stepped forward.
In the month since she had registered her marriage to Tang Zhisong, even her stepfather had called a few times. Her mother certainly knew, yet hadn't sent a single message. Jiang Bin hadn't expected to run into her here.
Mu Lingshu looked visibly stunned.
"Binbin..." The smile on her face faded slightly.
Perhaps it was because that first marriage had been such a failure, forced and unhappy. She had never quite been warm to Jiang Bin. After giving birth, she handed her over to Grandma Jiang and never raised her herself. Though mother and daughter lived in the same city, they rarely met. Mu Lingshu had always kept her distance.
As Jiang Bin approached, her stepfather Lu Xin arrived at her mother’s side.
"Hello, Uncle Lu."
"Binbin! What are you doing here?" Compared to Mu Lingshu’s coldness, Lu Xin was far more welcoming.
Jiang Bin had always found it easier to speak with him.
“I was visiting a client. And you? Are you taking Mom somewhere?”
Lu Xin pointed to a Western-style building next door and smiled.
“Just got off the operating table. I’m taking your Mom to an exhibition.”
Mu Lingshu was a painter and Lu Xin frequently accompanied her to exhibitions around the world. The two of them had a happy life together with a daughter two years younger than Jiang Bin and an eight-year-old son. After Jiang Chengxiao and Mu Lingshu divorced, both had formed successful and happy families.
"I saw you on the news yesterday," Jiang Bin noted. "You completed another complex cardiac surgery."
Lu Xin laughed, instantly animated when the conversation turned professional. He was the director of Shanghai’s most prestigious private hospital. Lu Xin was considered a genius in the medical world and he was known for having “the steadiest hands in China,” one of the country’s most renowned surgeons. Originally, his hospital was small, but as its reputation grew, it needed to expand. When expansion plans ran into land issues, it was Jiang Bin who stepped in to resolve them.
Jiang Bin had never resented him for her mother’s indifference. On the contrary, she had extended help when he needed it most. Lu Xin admired her character and treated her like his own daughter. Any patient Jiang Bin sent his way received exceptional care.
In this world, top-tier medical resources are incredibly scarce. Jiang Bin’s vast network relied on exactly this kind of vision and reliability.
While they spoke, Mu Lingshu remained quiet. Seeing her daughter alone on Valentine's Day, she finally forced herself to ask.
"How are things with you and Tang Zhisong?"
Jiang Bin pointed to the emerald necklace she was wearing.
"Very well. This was a gift from my mother-in-law and Zhisong gave me a watch today."
"When you have time, bring him over to the house for a visit." Lu Xin added warmly.
"I will." Jiang Bin promised.
Mu Lingshu, however, knew that high-society marriages weren't as glamorous as they seemed. Lu Xin had already told her why Jiang Bin had married Tang Zhisong.
"Can you still not let go of the Jiang family matters?" she asked.
If possible, she wanted Jiang Bin to find someone who loved her, rather than fighting until she was bloodied over an inheritance.
Yet for Jiang Bin, the company her grandparents left was her only remaining anchor in a childhood devoid of parental love. But people can never truly feel each other's pain, not even mother and daughter. Jiang Bin didn't bother to explain, she just smiled and gestured toward the gallery.
"It's getting late. I won't keep you and Uncle Lu from the exhibition."
* * *
Once they were gone, Tao Xing and Xiao Zhou caught up. Seeing Jiang Bin staring at her mother's retreating back, Tao Xing felt a pang of sympathy and tugged at her sleeve.
"Boss, I heard In the Mood for Love is being re-released tonight. Let's go see it."
Jiang Bin snapped out of it. "Didn't you say you had a dinner with a blind date tonight?"
"I... I can cancel..." Tao Xing stammered.
Jiang Bin pinched her cheek playfully.
"Go. I don't have time for movies anyway." She took her laptop bag from Xiao Zhou.
"Don't go back to the office either. No overtime tonight. Go spend time with your girlfriend." She teased him.
“It’s rare that someone on our team actually gets into a relationship. We can’t drag you down.”
The team laughed. As Jiang Bin’s car pulled up, she climbed in and left.
Tao Xing watched the Rolls-Royce merge into traffic and sighed.
“Do you think our boss will ever fall in love?” She asked the person beside her.
Xiao Zhou had joined the company just in time to witness Jiang Bin seize a massive contract from their rivals in one decisive move. In his eyes, she was an untouchable goddess.
“Human things probably don’t happen to immortals.” He shrugged.
He simply couldn’t imagine Jiang Bin falling in love.
* * *
Jiang Bin didn't return to the office. Instead, she went straight home.
Zhouyue International was a luxury river-view development built by the Jiang family years ago—one of Shanghai’s top ten residences. When she turned ten, her grandfather gifted her the penthouse of its best tower. The interior was still in the old-fashioned style her grandfather had chosen. She never changed it.
Though the apartment was over 600 square meters, it felt warm. After the housekeeper left, Jiang Bin changed into loungewear and watered the plants on her roof garden.
She ordered takeout and sat at the kitchen island to work. There were still numerous film proposals at Changjing Pictures awaiting review. She needed to decide which to keep and which to cut.
Ten minutes later, her phone rang. She answered on speaker without looking.
“Who is it?”
"Are you home?" a gentle, somewhat helpless voice asked.
It was her cousin, Mu Yun.
Mu Yun lived in the same complex. Their buildings were close enough that he could see her lights from his place. She stepped onto the terrace and waved toward his direction, though she couldn’t see him clearly.
“You’re not at the hospital?” She asked.
Her maternal family came from a lineage of traditional Chinese medicine. Her uncle had expanded it into pharmaceutical companies and a clinic. After adopting Mu Yun and passing away, Mu Yun integrated the clinic into a private hospital. Jiang Bin held ten percent of its shares while the rest was split between Mu Yun and her mother, Mu Lingshu.
Mu Yun spent nine out of ten days at the hospital, so him being home was a surprise.
“Tired. Taking a break.” he replied softly. He didn’t tell her that Lu Xin had called him after seeing Jiang Bin alone and asked him to check on her.
Mu Yun had been adopted into a life of warmth and affection, while Jiang Bin, despite having parents of her own, had always lived like an orphan. Having grown up together, they were close as siblings.
"I'm working overtime." Jiang Bin said.
"I heard you were traveling all last month and didn't even rest this weekend," Mu Yun noted. "Don't push yourself too hard. What do you want to eat? I'll bring it over."
"I already ate," Jiang Bin declined. Her spicy crawfish and iced drink were about to arrive.
After hanging up, she continued her work.
But by 8:00 PM, disaster struck. She had forgotten her period was due and had overindulged in spicy food and cold drinks. Jiang Bin had a chronic condition. A day or two before her period, she suffered from severe migraines that often led to vomiting.
She called Mu Yun. He rushed over and took her to their family hospital.
After some medicine and a few monitoring machines, she finally began to recover. Mu Yun stood by her bed in his white lab coat, his brow furrowed.
"Did you take the preventative medicine I gave you?"
It had to be taken a week in advance. It caused drowsiness and dizziness.
How could I work like that?
She pressed her temple weakly.
“Forgot.”
The condition had once been controlled when she was abroad. But since entering the Jiang Group, where she was surrounded by pressure from all sides, it had returned regularly.
Mu Yun knew better than to persuade her. He gave her warm water and stayed by her side. Jiang Bin had a medicated patch on her left temple to soothe the nerves. She tried to sit up.
"Where's my laptop?"
“Does it have to be now?” Mu Yun frowned, his hands in his pockets.
“If I don’t reply today, everything gets delayed.” She argued.
“After that, will you sleep?”
“…Fine.”
He handed her the laptop and set up the over-bed table. She cleared a dozen emails before the medicine kicked in and she fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
Tang Zhisong returned to his apartment around 9:00 PM. The scent of roses in his office had been overwhelming all day, so he had Assistant Li bring them to his home to keep on the terrace.
While Assistant Li was arranging the flowers, Tang Zhisong’s phone rang. It was his Sales Director.
"President Tang, the Southwest regional manager is trying to access the Jiang Group’s home renovation database. They need authorization from President Jiang, but she isn't answering her phone. It's urgent. Could you let her know?”
The director likely assumed that since it was Qixi, the couple would be together. Tang Zhisong never let personal feelings interfere with work.
"Understood."
He pulled up Jiang Bin's number and dialed. The phone rang eight times before a man picked it up.
"Who is this?" the person on the other side asked, his voice low and sounding slightly annoyed.
Tang Zhishong paused, briefly thinking he’d misdialed. He pulled the phone away and checked the screen.
It was Jiang Bin’s number.
For reasons he couldn't define, he found himself staring at the roses blooming on the terrace. After a brief, subtle frown, he regained his composure and spoke without emotion.
“I’m Jiang Bin’s husband. Tang Zhishong.”
Translator's Notes:
- "R&D": Research & Development. An R&D meeting is a structured gathering focused on creating new knowledge, products, services, or technologies, or improving existing ones. These meetings are central to a company's innovation strategy, aiming to keep the business competitive by solving technical or scientific uncertainties.
- Jiangnan Yanyu (江南烟雨) : A classic literary image of "mist and rain in the South." It describes a soft, ethereal, and refined beauty, typical of the wealthy, cultured regions of China.
- Spicy Crawfish (麻辣小龙虾): A popular but "heavy" late-night snack in China. Combining very spicy food with very cold drinks is often blamed in Chinese culture for causing internal "cold-heat" imbalances, especially during a woman's cycle.
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