At noon, Sang Ning finally woke up.
Her eyes fluttered open drowsily, taking in the white gauze curtains by the bed, dreamlike and ethereal, bathed in sunlight and swaying gently.
She turned over, still nestled in the soft silk quilt, but He Siyu was no longer in bed. She shook off the remnants of sleep and, despite her sore body, managed to sit up.
Someone had dressed her in a cotton nightgown—soft and comfortable. She shuffled to the door and stepped out, hearing He Siyu’s voice.
"Execute the B version of this proposal. Rongchang will take charge. Submit the budget report to me within three days..."
He sat on the sofa, a laptop on the table in front of him as he attended a video conference.
He seemed to notice her opening the door and glanced back, quickly muting the call.
"Sleep well?"
Sang Ning nodded and sidled around the edge of the room.
He pulled her down beside him, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Camera’s off, and I just muted it."
"Oh." Her voice was still a little hoarse.
He got up to pour her a glass of warm water.
Sang Ning sipped from the cup, watching the people in the conference room on the screen continue their presentation. After finishing, they paused for half a minute before hesitantly asking, "Mr. He?"
He Siyu sat back down and unmuted. "That’s the gist of it. Send the detailed proposal to Assistant Yan for my review. We’ll end here for today."
"Understood, Mr. He."
He closed the laptop without another word.
His arm circled her waist again. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah." Her throat felt less scratchy now. "I should get going."
It was Wednesday, and she had work to attend to.
"Have lunch first. It’s almost ready. I’ll drive you afterward." He pressed a kiss to her cheek.
Sang Ning blinked, then glanced toward the kitchen, where an unfamiliar maid was carrying out dishes. "Sir, lunch is served."
He guided her up. "Let’s eat."
The meal was simple—four dishes and a soup, all her favorites: braised tofu, stir-fried shrimp with vegetables, beef brisket with potatoes, sautéed cabbage, and a light broth with meatballs.
Hungry, Sang Ning speared a meatball with her chopsticks and took a bite.
"How is it?" he asked.
She nodded. "Delicious."
"Nanny Zhao’s are still better. We should visit Grandma when we have time."
Sang Ning paused. Was it her imagination, or did this suddenly feel like… they were living together?
"What’s wrong?" He studied her when she didn’t respond.
She swallowed the meatball and shook her head. "Nothing. I’ll see if I’m free this weekend."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "Mm."
After lunch, Sang Ning took a quick shower and changed into fresh clothes before leaving with He Siyu.
He drove her back to her company.
Casually, he asked, "Coming back tonight?"
Sang Ning was scrolling through a document her assistant had sent. "Not today. Too much work."
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow’s no good either."
The Xinghong parts were due for inspection and handover, and the process was tedious.
His lips thinned. "Fine."
She looked up. "Next week. Once things settle, I’ll talk to Grandpa about moving out."
His eyebrows twitched, and though he tried to suppress it, the corners of his mouth curled slightly. "Okay."
The car stopped near Nan Corporation. Sang Ning hurriedly pushed the door open. "I’ll go ahead then."
He watched her hurried figure disappear into the company building, his lips curling into a pleased smile.
—
By the time Sang Ning arrived at the office, Xu Yan was already waiting for her.
"That batch of components is fully completed, awaiting Young Master Nan’s personal inspection."
Sang Ning nodded. "Let’s take a look first."
She headed straight to the workshop, where the engineers guided her through the inspection. She also randomly sampled a few pieces herself, confirming that everything was flawless.
Only then did she instruct Xu Yan, "Notify Xinghong and ask them to come for the final acceptance."
"Understood."
An hour later, Xinghong’s representatives arrived.
Sang Ning personally went out to greet them.
The final stage of acceptance was, of course, the most critical. This order with Xinghong brought little profit, but for the Nan Group, it was their most prestigious showcase.
It had to be executed flawlessly.
Pei Songhan walked in, surrounded by his team, and smiled. "Young Master Nan."
Sang Ning gave a slight nod. "Young Master Pei, this way, please."
She led him into the workshop, guiding him through the inspection of the components.
Pei Songhan cooperated fully. "No issues here. From the initial design to the final production, Young Master Nan personally confirmed every step with me. You’ve put in great effort."
Sang Ning nodded again. "That’s only natural. After all, this is the Nan Group’s first attempt at this new product line. We were concerned it might not meet expectations."
Pei Songhan looked at her earnestly. "It’s already excellent—better than I anticipated."
Her lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. "Thank you for the praise, Young Master Pei."
For a moment, he seemed dazed, as if momentarily stunned.
Sang Ning casually took the documents handed to her by Xu Yan and passed them to Pei Songhan. "If everything is confirmed satisfactory, Young Master Pei, please sign the acceptance form."
Pei Songhan snapped out of his thoughts, opened the folder, and scanned the cold, formal clauses. His hand holding the pen hesitated slightly.
It dawned on him that once this project concluded today, he would have little reason to interact with her again.
Pressing his lips together, he signed his name on the final page of the acceptance contract.
"Thank you for the opportunity to collaborate, Young Master Pei. It’s been a pleasure working with you," Sang Ning said sincerely.
Pei Songhan forced a smile. "Likewise."
She took the signed contract and politely offered, "Let me walk you out."
"Sure," he agreed.
As they approached the company’s entrance, Pei Songhan suddenly asked, "You’ll attend tomorrow’s celebration banquet, won’t you, Young Master Nan?"
"Of course."
The banquet was the perfect platform for publicity. The Xinghong deal was the Nan Group’s largest project this year—though not profitable, it was crucial for establishing their reputation. Otherwise, the losses would be unbearable.
The Nan Group placed utmost importance on this event, and the entire Nan family would be present.
Pei Songhan smiled. "Good."
They were nearly at the revolving glass doors when he felt an inexplicable sense of finality, as if they were about to part ways for good.
He stopped in his tracks.
Sang Ning paused as well. "Is something wrong?"
Meeting her gaze, he hesitated before speaking. "I’d like to invite you to dinner tonight. Just the two of us."
Sang Ning was taken aback.
He softened his tone, trying to sound casual. "This project demanded a lot from you, Young Master Nan. Without your dedication, it wouldn’t have concluded so perfectly. Consider it a token of my gratitude."
His words were tactful, his reasoning sound.
Sang Ning pursed her lips lightly, paused for a brief moment, then raised her eyes to meet his gaze as she replied politely, "I'm sorry, I already have plans with my boyfriend tonight."
