Sang Ning received a call from Ye Qian right after getting off work.
"Sing Ning! Our project got selected!" Ye Qian sounded like she was about to explode with excitement.
Sang Ning held the phone slightly away from her ear. "Really? Congratulations."
"Are you free tomorrow? We need to go together—the investors want to evaluate our entire team. You're the major shareholder, so you should make an appearance."
Sang Ning checked her schedule for the next day and frowned slightly. "Do I really have to go? I don’t know much about the technical side. What if I hold you back?"
"Don’t worry! They’re just being thorough. They need to review all team members. You’re only a financial investor—you don’t handle management or technical work. Just show up, that’s all."
Sang Ning nodded. "Alright, I’ll go with you tomorrow."
"Great! It’s settled then—10 AM sharp!"
After hanging up, Sang Ning sent a message to Assistant Xu: Cancel my meeting tomorrow morning. Ask General Manager Li to handle it for me—I have something else to attend to.
Understood, Miss Sang.
She gave a few more instructions regarding important matters before another message from Ye Qian popped up.
Forgot to tell you the address—it’s at Huiyao, tomorrow at 10 AM.
Sang Ning’s expression froze for a second.
---
The next morning, Sang Ning got ready and left.
When the car stopped in front of Huiyao’s main entrance, she stepped out and looked up at the familiar high-rise, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Sang Ning!"
Ye Qian rushed over excitedly and looped her arm through Sang Ning’s. "You made it!"
Zhang Liang followed behind her.
Sang Ning forced a smile. "Yeah, have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all, we just got here too. Let’s go in together!"
Ye Qian pulled Sang Ning into Huiyao’s building.
Sang Ning asked, "Who met with you last time?"
"General Manager Fang, Huiyao’s deputy CEO. He’s also an alumnus of Jing University, so he was extra friendly with us!" Ye Qian beamed.
"Oh, so is he the one meeting us today too?"
"Probably. I was hoping to meet President He, but General Manager Fang said he’s too busy—he rarely attends meetings for small startup projects like this." Ye Qian sighed in disappointment.
Sang Ning felt slightly relieved and smiled. "If Huiyao invests, you’ll probably get to meet him eventually."
"Right! That would be amazing!"
The three of them took the elevator up and were led by an assistant into a small conference room.
Ye Qian and Zhang Liang were visibly nervous, pulling out their laptops to review the project proposal one last time.
Sang Ning was nervous too—she worried that if He Siyu found out she was involved in this project, he might refuse to invest...
But Ye Qian had said General Manager Fang would be handling the meeting. Surely He Siyu wouldn’t bother with something this minor?
The conference room door opened again, and Assistant Yan stepped in with a polite smile. "Thank you for waiting."
He Siyu walked in.
Sang Ning: "..."
Ye Qian and Zhang Liang were stunned, quickly standing up, their voices trembling with excitement. "President He."
"Hello." He Siyu extended his hand.
Ye Qian and Zhang Liang eagerly shook his hand in turn.
Sang Ning: "..."
She also stood up, forcing a stiff smile as she reached out.
He Siyu barely brushed her fingertips before taking a seat across the table.
Sang Ning took a deep breath and sat back down.
Ye Qian was still starstruck. "I never expected you’d personally attend this meeting! President He, we’re huge fans—we know all about how you built Huiyao’s success!"
Zhang Liang, less articulate, could only nod vigorously. "Yeah."
"Is that so?" He Siyu’s lips curved slightly as his gaze swept over the three of them.
For the first time, Sang Ning truly understood the saying: When you’re under someone’s roof, you have to bow your head.
She nodded along.
Ye Qian suddenly remembered something and pulled out a magazine from her bag. "Oh! I even have your autograph! See? You signed this for me during Jing University’s anniversary celebration!"
She placed the magazine on the table, where He Siyu’s bold, sweeping signature stood out.
He Siyu’s eyes cooled as he stared at the familiar magazine.
Ye Qian tugged at Sang Ning’s sleeve. "Sang Ning, you were the one who got this autograph for me! Remember?"
Sang Ning swallowed hard, staring at the magazine. "Yeah, I remember."
After He Siyu had signed it, she had called him a narcissist...
She cautiously glanced at He Siyu’s expression—his face was calm, but his eyes were filled with unmistakable mockery.
"Is that so? I don’t recall," he said coldly.
Assistant Yan, sensing the shift in mood, quickly redirected the conversation. "Shall we begin the presentation?"
"Of course!" Zhang Liang opened his laptop and projected their AI medical app onto the screen, explaining the details thoroughly.
After the demo, He Siyu asked, "What’s your market expansion strategy?"
Ye Qian took over. "We plan to collaborate with major hospitals. AI healthcare can significantly reduce doctors’ workloads while giving patients more comprehensive insights into their conditions, minimizing conflicts. As a supplementary tool, it’s incredibly convenient. We’ll also run targeted ads on major platforms, using ‘effortless healthcare’ as our selling point to attract users."
He Siyu pressed further. "How do you ensure credibility?"
Just as Ye Qian was about to answer, He Siyu turned to Sang Ning.
She instinctively straightened.
"What do you think?" he asked.
Sang Ning hesitated before admitting, "I haven’t looked into it much..."
Ye Qian jumped in to explain. "Sang Ning is only a financial investor. Zhang Liang and I handle the actual development. She’s been busy and hasn’t been involved in the details. If you have any questions, President He, you can direct them to us."
Sang Ning added, "I won’t interfere with any technical decisions. All product-related matters will be handled by Ye Qian and Zhang Liang."
He Siyu’s voice was cool. "But as the major shareholder, you should at least understand the basics. Teams disagree sometimes."
He glanced at her. "Or are you just throwing money away?"
Ye Qian blinked—was President He… lecturing Sang Ning about finances?
Sang Ning nodded obediently. "I’ll study up."
Right now, whatever he said was law.
He Siyu closed the file in front of him. "I’ll consider the project further."
Sang Ning’s hands clenched on her lap, her lips pressed tightly together.
Assistant Yan stepped in. "We’ll notify you of the results via email. Thank you for your time."
Ye Qian nodded quickly. "Understood."
He Siyu stood and left.
Once outside Huiyao, Ye Qian and Zhang Liang were still tense. "No idea if we’ll get the funding. I’ve heard President He is way stricter than General Manager Fang."
Sang Ning reassured them, "The results should come soon. The fact that we got two meetings at Huiyao means they’re interested."
Ye Qian perked up. "You’re right! We’ve got this!"
"Let’s grab lunch!" she said cheerfully.
Sang Ning shook her head. "I have work to get back to. You two go ahead."
"Thanks for coming today! See you later!" Ye Qian waved.
"Mm." Sang Ning nodded.
Zhang Liang and Ye Qian hailed a taxi and left.
Sang Ning also took out her phone and called Uncle Zhang.
Suddenly, a black Bentley pulled up by the curb in front of her.
She paused, hearing footsteps approach from behind.
Turning around, she saw He Siyu walking out of Huiyao, stopping nearby.
She halted and greeted politely, "President He."
He Siyu glanced at her. At yesterday's engagement banquet, she had left in a hurry without even looking back, yet today she was being courteous to him.
"What is it?"
Sang Ning pressed her lips together before speaking earnestly, "For this project, I only invested three million, but my friends poured their hearts and entire savings into this startup to get it where it is now. It’s their precious life’s work. I hope you’ll consider it carefully, President He."
He Siyu smirked coldly. "The way you’re phrasing it makes it sound like I’d abuse my power for personal grudges."
Sang Ning stiffened slightly. "That’s not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
She suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
Because, in truth, that was exactly what she meant.
She and He Siyu had just broken up, and he clearly resented her. He had countless projects to invest in—this one was insignificant, easily dismissed at his whim.
But for Ye Qian and Zhang Liang, this was their entire fortune and six months of relentless effort.
She didn’t want their project to be discarded because of her.
He Siyu stared at her icily. "Sang Ning, is that really how you see me?"
She pursed her lips and admitted frankly, "I’m not questioning your integrity. I just want to be cautious. After all, a single decision from you today could alter the course of my friends’ lives. The stakes are too high for me to take lightly."
He scoffed. "So, at the core, you still don’t trust me."
Sang Ning shook her head. "It’s not about trust. It’s just that someone like you, President He—a man who stands aloft in the heavens—might find it hard to stoop and notice the struggles and helplessness of ordinary people."
His gaze flickered slightly.
Assistant Yan stepped forward and whispered, "President He, General Manager Wang is inquiring about the lunch meeting..."
He Siyu collected himself, his expression turning cold again as he turned away and got into the car without another word.
Sang Ning frowned slightly. Did that mean he agreed or not?
---
Sang Ning returned to the office and dealt with the important tasks she had delayed that morning.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID: Grandma He.
Her breath hitched. Taking a deep breath, she answered.
"Grandma He," she greeted softly.
"Sang Ning, have you been busy lately?"
"A little. The family just handed me a company project, and I haven’t had time to visit you." Sang Ning felt a pang of guilt.
Since breaking up with He Siyu, she hadn’t stepped foot in Grandma He’s home.
Grandma He sounded concerned. "Child, you’re always so busy. Don’t overwork yourself."
"I’ll take care of myself. Please don’t worry."
"Come over for dinner tonight. I’ll have Nanny Zhao make your favorite clear-soup meatballs."
Sang Ning hesitated. "I... I might have to work late..."
"Then come later. I miss you. I’ll wait to have dinner with you."
Her throat tightened, and her grip on the phone tightened slightly. "Alright, Grandma He. I’ll come after work."
Grandma He sounded delighted. "Good, it’s settled then."
