Pei Songhan paused slightly, pressing his lips together. "Next time I get engaged, I only want to choose who I want."
The atmosphere suddenly turned oddly tense, the air seeming to freeze.
After three seconds of silence, Gu Xingchen blurted out, confused, "What the hell are you all talking about? I don’t get it."
Ji Yan pondered for a moment before explaining, "He Siyu probably meant that he’s worried Pei Songhan will be forced into another arranged marriage by his family."
Gu Xingchen’s face lit up with realization. "Oh, that makes sense!"
He patted He Siyu’s shoulder. "Look at you, actually caring about people now. That’s new."
He Siyu didn’t respond, his gaze drifting indifferently over Nan Sangning, who still seemed lost in thought but nodded along anyway.
She had a habit of going along with things, whether she understood or agreed with them or not.
Truthfully, Sangning didn’t much care what they were discussing. She just felt suffocated, like she couldn’t stay in that place a second longer.
Just then, her phone rang.
The caller ID read "Assistant Xu." She answered.
"Boss Nan, the tech department submitted some application materials for new equipment. I’ve left them in your office. They’ll probably be discussed at tomorrow’s morning meeting. Should I send you the digital copies now for review?"
Sangning asked, "Is this something that needs immediate approval?"
"Ah? No, not really. The discussion is scheduled for tomorrow’s meeting. If you’re busy, you can just—"
"Fine. I’ll head back right away."
Sangning hung up without another word, then turned to Ji Yan. "I have an urgent matter at the company. I need to leave now."
Ji Yan blinked, nodding blankly. "Oh… okay."
Without another glance, Sangning turned and walked away, not looking back.
The air seemed to freeze again for another three seconds.
Finally, Gu Xingchen couldn’t take it anymore. "What the hell is wrong with you people? Why is everyone acting so weird?"
Anyone watching would think they were here to crash his engagement party, not celebrate it.
He Siyu said coolly, "I have something to attend to as well. I’ll take my leave."
"Sure, sure. Don’t let me keep you."
After He Siyu left, Pei Songhan also excused himself. "I should go too."
"Take care."
Pei Songhan offered a polite smile. "Congratulations on your engagement."
"You should worry about yourself first."
Pei Songhan chuckled, patted his arm, and then walked away.
Ji Yan and Gu Xingchen stood where they were, watching them leave.
Ji Yan frowned. "Something feels… off."
"Cut them some slack. Those guys haven’t been doing too well lately," Gu Xingchen muttered, shaking his head.
One had his engagement called off, the other got dumped. No wonder they were brothers—even their misfortunes came in pairs.
---
Sangning stepped out of the hotel, where Uncle Zhang was already waiting with the car. She pulled open the door and slid inside, the Audi speeding off moments later.
"To the company."
"Yes."
Sangning leaned back in her seat, rolling down the window. The fresh air rushed in, and she finally felt like she could breathe again.
Her mind wandered back to the earlier scene. What had He Siyu meant by those words?
Had they been meant for her?
When Sangning arrived at the company, Xu Yan was already waiting.
Since taking over the precision manufacturing division, she’d been assigned an assistant.
"Boss Nan."
Sangning gave a slight nod, pushed open her office door, and sat down in her swivel chair, flipping through the application materials.
Xu Yan poured her a cup of tea. "The equipment procurement isn’t urgent."
"I know. I just had nothing else to do, so I came back." She took a sip of the tea and frowned slightly. "This is too bitter."
Xu Yan hesitated. "What kind of tea would you prefer, Boss Nan? I’ll prepare it next time."
Sangning thought for a moment before looking up at him. "Bubble tea."
Xu Yan: "…Understood."
Her phone rang again. This time, it was Ye Qian calling.
"Sangning! Our AI medical project has a prototype ready! Do you want to come see it?"
Sangning kept flipping through the documents. "I don’t have much free time lately. You handle it—I’m not very familiar with this field anyway."
Ye Qian and Zhang Liang’s startup was tied to the internet, an area Sangning still knew little about. With all her responsibilities at Nan Corporation, she didn’t have the energy to dive into another entirely new sector.
Sangning added sincerely, "Ye Qian, I trust you."
"Got it! I won’t let your investment go to waste! We’re already using this prototype to attract new investors. If we secure this round of funding, we can develop the final product!"
Excitement vibrated in Ye Qian’s voice.
Sangning smiled. "I know. This is your and Zhang Liang’s dream. I’m looking forward to the day your product officially launches."
She might not understand the tech, but she understood them—they’d poured everything they had into this venture. They wanted success even more than she did.
"Ahhh! We’ll make it happen!"
---
Huiyao Corporation.
The conference room was dead silent.
The project manager who had just finished his presentation wiped sweat from his brow, already mentally preparing his resignation under the oppressive atmosphere.
As seconds ticked by, everyone held their breath, not daring to even glance at the man at the head of the table.
He Siyu finished reviewing the documents, his expression icy. "Who prepared this proposal?"
"I—I did," Manager Zhao stammered.
He closed the file. "It’s acceptable."
Manager Zhao: ???
He tossed the documents back onto the table. "Proceed with this plan. Refine it further and show me again."
Manager Zhao nearly wept with relief. "Yes!"
"Meeting adjourned."
He Siyu stood, his face unreadable, and strode out of the room.
The tension in the room dissolved instantly—everyone could finally breathe again.
Manager Zhao wiped his forehead once more. That had been terrifying. For a moment, he’d thought he was getting fired.
The entire company knew—General Manager He had been in a foul mood lately. A very, very foul mood.
He Siyu returned to his office.
Assistant Yan followed cautiously behind. "General Manager He, General Manager Fang sent over a few new investment projects for your review."
He handed over the files.
He Siyu took them without a word, flipping through the pages indifferently.
Assistant Yan swallowed hard before continuing, "General Manager Fang already screened these five projects. They were all pitched at the recent tech expo. He thinks they show potential, but the final decision rests with you."
Still silent, He Siyu skimmed the condensed proposals.
With the AI industry booming, countless startups were trying to capitalize on the trend. These projects all had some AI component, and their concepts were decent.
Just as he was about to close the folder, his eyes caught on a single line.
He reopened the file, staring at the words.
[Partners: Nan Sangning, Zhang Liang, Ye Qian]
He suddenly asked, "Which university is behind this AI medical project?"
Assistant Yan answered immediately, "Postgraduates from Jing University."
He added with an ingratiating smile, "The same alma mater as yours, General Manager He."
He Siyu leaned back in his chair, his expression still unreadable. "Did their team come in person?"
"Yes, yesterday. General Manager Fang met with them himself."
"All of them?"
Assistant Yan paused—how could he remember such details? Did the number even matter?
“I think two came.”
He recalled General Manager Fang mentioning that the two from the AI medical team had put in quite some effort.
He Siyu tapped his fingers lightly against the folder, his tone icy. “Tell their team to gather everyone before we discuss this further.”
