"Boom!" A massive burst of blue fireworks suddenly exploded in the night sky, dyeing the darkness in deep azure flames.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she were lost in the depths of his dark eyes.
"Wow, these fireworks are so beautiful!! Sang Ning, did you see that?!" Ji Yan exclaimed excitedly, rushing over and shaking Sang Ning's hand vigorously.
Sang Ning snapped out of her daze and turned to look at the fireworks in the sky, but the blue burst had already mostly faded, replaced by a rising wave of pink fireworks.
"They're absolutely stunning! I’d heard blue fireworks were gorgeous, but they’re so hard to get. I went through so much trouble to find these—totally worth it, right?!" Ji Yan gushed.
Sang Ning hesitated before nodding. "They are beautiful."
Ji Yan suddenly narrowed her eyes at her. "Are you just humoring me?"
Sang Ning’s gaze flickered, and she widened her eyes. "No, not at all."
"Did you even see them?"
"I did," she insisted earnestly. "I was just… overwhelmed."
Ji Yan perked up again. "Right?! I was blown away too!"
Sang Ning nodded, then glanced to her right, where He Siyu was talking to Meng Lai and the others.
Fireworks rose one after another, bursting into brilliant displays, while the crowd’s cheerful shouts of "Happy New Year!" drowned out those few seconds of distraction.
As the countdown event came to an end, everyone headed home. Ji Yan and Sang Ning shared a car ride down the mountain.
Ji Yan was still buzzing with excitement, flipping through the photos she’d taken that night on her camera.
"This New Year’s party was perfect! And honestly, Gu Xingchen’s photography skills aren’t bad—these shots look professional. I don’t even have enough space for a nine-grid post on my feed!"
Sang Ning leaned in to look. The photos were indeed well-taken: Ji Yan dancing amid the lively party, the two of them clinking glasses, the group lighting fireworks during the countdown, and Ji Yan cheering under the sparkling lights.
Ji Yan scrolled to the next photo—a dazzling firework occupying two-thirds of the frame, with the remaining third capturing the crowd watching below.
"Holy crap, is that you and He Siyu?"
The shot had been taken from behind by Gu Xingchen, unintentionally framing their silhouettes together.
At that moment, He Siyu and Nan Sang Ning had been standing side by side.
He Siyu, tall and imposing in a dark gray coat, exuded an air of quiet elegance. Sang Ning, in a white puffer jacket and red scarf, had her wavy hair cascading down her back, her delicate face slightly tilted upward to watch the fireworks.
Ji Yan suddenly gasped, turning to Sang Ning with a grin. "You know what? You two actually look really good together in this shot. It’s got that K-drama vibe."
Sang Ning’s expression froze. "It’s just Gu Xingchen’s photography skills."
Ji Yan tilted her head. "How’d you end up standing next to him, anyway?"
Sang Ning blinked. "How would I know? There were so many people—I didn’t even notice."
Ji Yan studied Sang Ning’s clear, guileless eyes and nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. It was packed."
Then her eyes lit up again. "Oh, but can you believe He Siyu actually got dumped? If Meng Lai hadn’t slipped up, I would’ve missed the juiciest gossip of the year!"
Sang Ning: "..."
Ji Yan set the camera down, chattering away. "I’m dying to know—what kind of woman could it be? He Siyu kept it under wraps so well, even our circle had no clue. Must’ve been someone outside our social scene?"
Sang Ning swallowed. "Probably."
Ji Yan clicked her tongue. "The He family is super strict. If she wasn’t from a good background, it was never going to work out. Just look at his older brother."
"Oh..."
Ji Yan’s eyes gleamed again. "But I heard he was the one who got dumped! How insane is that? If I ever find out who she is, I’m bowing down to her. I never thought I’d see the day the almighty He Siyu got his heart broken—ahahaha!"
Sang Ning: "..."
After laughing for a while, Ji Yan suddenly frowned at her. "Why aren’t you reacting at all?"
It was no fun talking to herself!
"I’m listening," Sang Ning said.
Ji Yan huffed. "You’re not even a little excited?"
Sang Ning stiffened. "I’ve heard He Siyu has a bad temper. I don’t want to risk making fun of him."
"Ugh, you’re such a scaredy-cat! What’s there to be afraid of? I’ve got your back!" Ji Yan threw an arm around her shoulders. "I’ll protect you!"
Sang Ning nodded. "Mm-hmm."
"But here’s another crazy thing," Ji Yan continued, grinning mischievously. "Did you know Zhan Yijun got engaged the other day?"
Sang Ning looked surprised. "Really?"
"Guess to whom?"
Sang Ning shook her head—she genuinely had no idea. It couldn’t be anyone from Ji Yan’s inner circle, or she would’ve heard already.
"Mr. Qi—the one with the gold mines."
Sang Ning looked blank. "Which one?"
"You know, the old guy with the… interesting face!"
Sang Ning’s eyes widened in realization. "Oh, him!"
Mr. Qi had been the first candidate on Mrs. Ji’s list of potential fiancés for Ji Yan.
Ji Yan smirked, lifting her chin. "Zhan Yijun always acted so high and mighty, but in the end, she’s marrying the guy I rejected."
Sang Ning nodded firmly. "Exactly!"
---
Weekend, boxing gym.
"Ah!" Gu Xingchen yelped as a punch sent him crashing to the mat.
He raised his hands in surrender. "Bro, I’m sorry, okay? Let’s call it a day."
He Siyu unwrapped his boxing gloves and tossed them aside before stepping off the platform.
Gu Xingchen groaned as he pulled himself up, limping over to sit beside He Siyu while rubbing his sore jaw.
"Did you really have to hit me that hard? So what if I let it slip? We’re all friends—it’s not like it’s a big deal."
He Siyu’s grip tightened around his water bottle as he shot him a cold glare. "Do you want another round?"
"No, no! I was joking!" Gu Xingchen forced a laugh.
He Siyu tipped his head back and downed half the bottle.
Ever the glutton for punishment, Gu Xingchen couldn’t resist adding, "But seriously, if you care this much, why not just win her back? Moping around like this isn’t doing you any favors."
He Siyu screwed the cap back on silently, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Gu Xingchen ventured further. "Women are all the same—they respond to softness, not force. If you keep scowling like this, who’s gonna feel sorry for you?"
A frosty glint flashed in He Siyu’s eyes as he recalled Sang Ning once saying Pei Songhan was more approachable than him.
Gu Xingchen pressed on. "If you want to reconcile, you’ve gotta show some vulnerability. Make her feel for you! And second—romance. No woman can resist romance!"
He Siyu scoffed. Was Pei Songhan romantic?
Gu Xingchen barreled ahead. "Take Pei Songhan, for example. He’s always so polite and considerate with women. His company even gave out rabbit lanterns for Mid-Autumn Festival! Now that’s emotional intelligence!"
He Siyu hurled the half-empty water bottle at him. "None of your damn business!"
Then he stood and strode out without another word.
Gu Xingchen shivered as he caught the water bottle, staring blankly at He Siyu, who had suddenly bristled with anger. What was going on?
On Monday, Sang Ning took half a day to visit Huiyao.
After Zhang Liang and his team moved their studio into Huiyao, Sang Ning hadn’t had the chance to check in. Though Ye Qian sent her daily updates on the project’s progress, she could only grasp the general picture without seeing the full details.
“You’re finally here! Our product already has a prototype, and I was just about to show you!” Ye Qian met Sang Ning in the lobby, swiping her employee card to let her in.
Sang Ning smiled apologetically. “Things have been too hectic at home lately.”
“Yeah, yeah, we know how busy the young CEO is,” Ye Qian teased playfully. “Has your company resolved its issues?”
“Mhm, mostly.” Her tone was light.
After Nan Zhenming was sidelined to a subsidiary with a nominal position, Sang Ning’s standing in the Nan Group had solidified. Before, his seniority had constantly pressured her, leaving her hands tied and restricted in many matters.
“Well, you’ll have to visit more often now. Let me tell you, our progress is moving fast—Huiyao’s efficiency is insane. But with the market race heating up, we don’t have a choice.”
Sang Ning nodded. “Got it.”
Huiyao had allocated a dedicated space for their studio. After exchanging brief greetings with the team, Sang Ning followed Ye Qian and Zhang Liang to review the prototype.
Zhang Liang sat at the computer, demonstrating the product while Sang Ning and Ye Qian leaned in behind him to watch.
“So? So? Isn’t it amazing?” Ye Qian couldn’t hide her excitement.
Sang Ning’s eyes stayed fixed on the screen. “Impressive.”
“Huiyao’s been incredibly generous—they’re really throwing money at this. Otherwise, we’d never get such polished results. It’s a dream!”
As they murmured in admiration, the glass door suddenly swung open, footsteps echoing inside.
Sang Ning and Ye Qian looked up to see He Siyu walking in.
