“You said you’d personally deliver the detailed specs for these parts, but you already reviewed them with Young President Pei.” Lin Yuan frowned. “Clearly, your intentions lie elsewhere.”
Sang Ning lowered her gaze, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. “What about the matter I asked you to look into earlier? Any progress?”
“We’ve found some leads.”
“Hurry it up.” A trace of impatience flickered in Sang Ning’s eyes. “I don’t want to wait much longer.”
“Understood.”
As Manager Lin exited, Sang Ning’s phone buzzed.
She unlocked it to see a message from Ye Qian.
[Our studio!! What do you think?]
Attached were a few photos she had taken.
Their team had officially been integrated into Huiyao and had moved into the company’s headquarters—bright, spacious workspaces with top-tier equipment.
Sang Ning typed back: [Looks great. kitten licking paw.jpg]
[Want to come check it out?]
[No need. I’ll be busy for a while.]
Ye Qian replied quickly: [Alright, I’ll send you the project updates. Huiyao assigned some extra hands to help, so we’re making fast progress. Just don’t fall behind later.]
Sang Ning: [Thanks~]
---
Huiyao Headquarters.
Fresh out of a meeting, Fang Han caught up with He Siyu’s brisk stride. “Seriously, why does your face get frostier by the day? The whole office feels like an icebox.”
They had started the company together—partners since college, close enough for Fang Han to complain without hesitation.
He Siyu’s expression remained icy. “If you’re that bored, go dig base stations in South Africa.”
“Come on, be reasonable. Just talking to you gives me chills. I thought you were easing up last week, but now you’re worse than ever.” Fang Han smirked. “What’s got you so worked up? Don’t tell me you got dumped?”
He Siyu’s steps faltered imperceptibly. His face betrayed no emotion, but his gaze turned frigid. “Do you really have nothing better to do?”
Fang Han’s scalp prickled. He forced a laugh. “Nope, swamped actually. Just took on two new projects—barely have time to breathe. Gotta run!”
With that, he bolted.
He Siyu stood still for a moment, reining in the storm brewing in his eyes.
“President He.” Assistant Yan swallowed hard before stepping forward. “The AI medical team sent over their latest progress report on the product framework.”
Normally, this would go to the product manager, but He Siyu had taken a personal interest in the project.
He flipped through the file absently before snapping it shut and striding toward the elevator, pressing the down button. Destination: the 12th floor.
Assistant Yan’s brow twitched at the floor number—Zhang Liang’s team had recently been stationed there.
The elevator dinged open. He Siyu stepped out, pushing through a glass door into the AI medical team’s workspace.
“President He?” Zhang Liang, hunched over his computer, jerked upright at the sight of him.
The rest of the team startled, scrambling to their feet.
He Siyu swept a glance over them. “Carry on.”
They nodded hastily and returned to their seats.
“What brings you here, President He?” Zhang Liang, a textbook engineer, fumbled for words, unused to corporate formalities. But as the team lead, protocol fell to him.
“Project status?” He Siyu asked.
“Oh, the initial framework is nearly complete. We’ll start importing medical data soon, then run tests—”
“Where are the others?”
“Ah, Ye Qian went to Linshan Hospital. Some of the records they sent were incomplete, so she’s consulting specialists to fill gaps. She left half an hour ago.”
He Siyu’s gaze lingered.
Zhang Liang froze, unsure what he’d missed.
Assistant Yan stepped in with a smile. “And Miss Nan?”
“Miss Nan? She hasn’t come. She’s busy with her family’s company and isn’t involved in production. She just has Ye Qian send daily updates to stay informed.”
He Siyu’s eyes flickered before he turned away. “If you need anything, contact Manager Chang.”
“Will do. Thank you, President He!”
He Siyu left without another word.
His phone vibrated. He answered curtly.
Gu Xingchen’s voice blared through the speaker. “Where the hell have you been? Is your company really that demanding?”
“Spit it out.”
“There’s an auction tonight—newly imported overseas collectibles. Rumor has it that painting you wanted might be there. Not sure if it’s genuine, but the provenance seems legit. You should come check it out.”
He Siyu loosened his tie, irritation seeping through. “Fine.”
“Why not bring Nan Sangning along? She’s got an eye for this stuff. Let her verify it for you.”
He Siyu hung up without another word.
Gu Xingchen stared at his phone mid-sentence. “What’s gotten into him lately? So damn temperamental.”
The charity auction banquet was held at an upscale private club.
By the time He Siyu arrived, the event had already begun. Not in the mood for socializing, he headed straight to the exhibition area to view the collection.
This particular painting had been his late grandfather’s most coveted treasure. The old man had always been fond of Zhou Dynasty artifacts, and among them, he held a special admiration for the works of Su Nian. Without a doubt, Su Nian’s magnum opus was the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.
Yet despite years of searching, its whereabouts had remained unknown.
He Siyu’s pursuit of this painting was, in a way, fulfilling his grandfather’s unfulfilled wish.
“Siyu, you made it!” Gu Xingchen approached and playfully punched his shoulder. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
He Siyu replied coolly, “Where’s the painting?”
“Inside. Come on, I’ll take you there.”
Gu Xingchen led the way, guiding him through the bustling exhibition hall into a secluded, smaller gallery at the very back.
A guard stood at the entrance, but upon recognizing He Siyu, he courteously opened the door.
The lighting in the private gallery was slightly dimmer.
At the center stood a long table, upon which lay an exquisitely detailed Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, its colors still vibrant despite the passage of time.
Gu Xingchen couldn’t help but shake his head in admiration. “This really is something. Even after seeing so many forgeries with you, the real thing still takes my breath away.”
A middle-aged man stepped forward politely. “This Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix was recently acquired from an auction in England. It came from the descendants of the Xie family—undoubtedly the genuine article.”
“The Xie family?” Gu Xingchen asked curiously. “Which Xie family?”
The man explained, “The Zhou Dynasty’s Xie family—a noble lineage spanning millennia. Su Nian originally painted this as a birthday tribute for Xie Lin, the family’s patriarch at the time. For centuries, it remained in the hands of Xie’s descendants until one of them took it abroad. It only entered the market last year.”
He Siyu studied the painting with a detached gaze. It was indeed different from the forgeries he had encountered before—the brushstrokes more fluid, yet more intricate.
His eyes trailed downward until they abruptly paused near the inscription in the lower right corner.
Two seals were stamped there.
One belonged to Su Nian.
The other—
He leaned in slightly, narrowing his eyes to make out the three crimson characters: Xie Sangning.
His pupils constricted almost imperceptibly.
Noticing his focus, the man chuckled. “Ah, yes—two seals were pressed onto this painting. One is Su Nian’s own, and the other… well, that’s from a member of the Xie family. Xie Lin’s youngest granddaughter, if I recall correctly. Rumor has it the child was mischievous and secretly stamped her own seal on it. Thankfully, the Xie descendants preserved the artwork meticulously, so no further marks were added.”
The man shook his head with a sigh. “Well, children will be children. When they like something, they want to claim it as their own.”
At those words, He Siyu’s head snapped up.
The man faltered, suddenly nervous. “Did I… say something wrong, Young Master He?”
He Siyu’s hand stiffened slightly before lifting to press against his left chest.
To stamp a seal out of fondness…
To mark it… as if to possess it?
