Pei Songhan's expression froze for three seconds before he stiffly replied, "Is that so?"
Sang Ning smiled politely. "It's just not convenient to make it public yet. I hope Young Master Pei can keep it confidential for me."
Pei Songhan lowered his gaze, his thin lips pressed tightly together. His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched and unclenched. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Fine."
"Well then, Young Master Pei, take care on your way."
Pei Songhan lifted his eyes to look at her. For the first time, his usually calm and gentle gaze revealed a trace of reluctance.
But the way she looked at him was too transparent—he couldn't detect even a hint of any other emotion.
He didn't ask who that person was. He wasn't stupid; he could guess.
He parted his lips as if to say something more, but it seemed anything he might add would be unnecessary. With a slight nod, he turned and left.
Sang Ning watched as he got into his car and the Rolls-Royce drove away before finally withdrawing her gaze and calmly returning to the company.
She didn’t like dealing with unnecessary trouble—even if that trouble was Pei Songhan.
With the Xinghong project successfully completed, the Nan Group could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The next day, a grand celebration banquet was held by the Nan Family at the Wenze Hotel, a five-star establishment.
Sang Ning left work and accompanied the Nan Family to the event.
The venue was deliberately arranged with media and journalists in attendance, and the guest list was extensive—even more impressive than Nan Siya and Chen Zheng's wedding. After all, the other key figure in this celebration was the Pei Family.
As the head of Xinghong and the future heir of the Pei Family, Pei Songhan attended in person.
Because of this, practically everyone connected to the Nan Family showed up. The Chen Family came, even the Du Family made an appearance, all crowding around Old Master Nan and Pei Songhan to offer congratulations.
"We owe the smooth completion of this collaboration to Young Master Pei," Old Master Nan said, grinning from ear to ear.
It was rare for him to bask in such prestige.
Pei Songhan smiled courteously. "Young Miss Nan oversaw every step personally. It was hard to find any faults."
Old Master Nan nodded repeatedly, still smiling. "Sang Ning is indeed meticulous. That’s why I entrusted such an important responsibility to her."
Sang Ning curved her lips. "It’s all thanks to Grandfather’s guidance."
This pleased the old man even more.
The surrounding crowd immediately followed suit, praising Nan Sang Ning for her competence and ability to shoulder great responsibilities.
Nan Siya stood beside Chen Zheng, watching as Nan Sang Ning basked in the spotlight, her teeth gritted in frustration. Even her own wedding hadn’t been this glorious!
But her attention was soon diverted when Chen Zheng abruptly answered a call and hurried off. Panicked, she chased after him.
Chen Zhihan and Du Yao trailed behind General Manager Du and Mrs. Du. This time, Du Yao was much more subdued—he didn’t even dare lift his head to glance at Nan Sang Ning.
After being beaten into the ICU last time, the Du Family hadn’t dared to make a peep, and he himself hadn’t uttered a word about it. He had only recently been discharged, his face still pale with lingering illness, his entire demeanor timid and shrunken.
Chen Zhihan, however, fixed her gaze on Nan Sang Ning, her eyes brimming with venomous resentment, her nails digging into her palms.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Old Master Nan, Sang Ning tactfully excused herself to rest on a nearby sofa.
Pei Songhan’s eyes followed her retreating figure, a flicker of disappointment passing through them.
"Sir, your drink," a waiter offered, presenting a glass.
Pei Songhan absentmindedly accepted the wine, his gaze downcast.
Sang Ning walked away from the crowd and settled onto a sofa in the lounge area, only to notice two people in the midst of a heated argument nearby.
"Why are you leaving so suddenly?" Nan Siya tugged at Chen Zheng’s sleeve.
"Something urgent came up at the company. I need to go."
Nan Siya gritted her teeth. "It’s Zhan Yijun, isn’t it? She called you, didn’t she?"
Chen Zheng’s expression darkened. "Siya, can you stop being so unreasonable?"
"I heard everything! She’s drunk and wants you to pick her up!"
Chen Zheng’s eyes flickered briefly before he forced patience into his voice. "Yijun has been upset lately. Her family forced her into an engagement with some old man. She’s my friend—I’m just going to check on her and make sure she gets home safely."
Nan Siya trembled with anger. "What does her engagement have to do with you? If she’s your friend, then what am I? Why do you always defend her?"
Chen Zheng’s patience wore thin. "Siya, be sensible. I have a lot on my plate, and your constant nagging is exhausting."
Nan Siya’s lashes fluttered, her eyes instantly reddening. "You think I’m annoying?"
Chen Zheng was about to retort when he suddenly caught sight of Nan Sang Ning. His expression shifted again, irritation deepening as he shook off Nan Siya’s grip. "I’m leaving."
With that, he strode away without another word.
Nan Siya’s eyes burned with unshed tears, her foot stomping in frustration.
She whipped her head around, locking eyes with Nan Sang Ning. "You must be loving this, aren’t you?"
Sang Ning was baffled. These two were always dragging their dramatic love-hate saga in front of her, and now they were blaming her?
As if she had anything to do with their crumbling relationship.
Nan Siya hissed, "Don’t think just because you’ve seen me humiliated that you’ve won. Zheng-ge loves me. He married me—that makes me special!"
Sang Ning arched a brow. "If you’re so special, then why are you making a scene?"
Nan Siya stiffened.
Sang Ning took a step closer, her voice low and cool. "Nan Siya, are you sure you want to cross me right now?"
Nan Siya paled. Life in the Chen Family hadn’t been easy for her. There had always been tension between the Chen and Nan Families, and though they maintained a facade of civility for appearances, Chen Zhihan harbored deep hatred for the Nans and never missed a chance to slight her. Her in-laws treated her with indifference.
And the man she thought would protect her—her beloved Zheng-ge—was now dancing to Zhan Yijun’s tune.
Somehow, she had backed herself into a corner.
But Nan Siya would never show weakness in front of Nan Sang Ning.
She clenched her jaw. "I don’t need your fake sympathy! I’m the rightful Madam Chen!"
Sang Ning smiled faintly. "You’re overthinking it. I’ve never had any intention of being kind to you—not now, not ever."
She had no extra compassion to spare for this sister who had stolen her place.
Unless, of course, there was something in it for her.
Nan Siya fumed. "You—!"
A waiter, startled by the outburst, stumbled and dropped his tray. Two glasses of wine toppled over, splashing onto both women.
"Ah!" Nan Siya shrieked, glaring at the waiter. "What’s wrong with you?"
The waiter hastily apologized. "I’m so sorry! I lost my grip."
Sang Ning glanced down at the stain on her dress, her brow furrowing slightly.
Old Master Nan approached at the commotion, his expression stern. "What happened?"
Sang Ning pressed her lips together. "The waiter accidentally spilled some wine."
"Then go change. Your mother must have brought a spare dress for you. You still have to give a speech later—don’t delay."
He then turned his glare on Nan Siya. "Enough with the shouting. Do you want to embarrass yourself further?"
Nan Siya bit back her retort, seething inwardly. Why was everyone always scolding her these days?
Sang Ning glanced at the waiter still standing there with her head bowed, trembling, but ultimately said nothing more. For some reason, however, an inexplicable unease settled in her heart.
Wen Meiling brought two spare dresses and handed them two room keys.
"You can change on the third floor. The second and third floors of the hotel have been reserved by our family, and most of the guests are already accommodated. There are a few rooms still available."
Sang Ning hesitated for a moment. Nan Siya, fuming, reached for the key on the left, but Sang Ning snatched it first.
Nan Siya glared at her in frustration. "What’s your problem? Do you have to take everything from me?!"
Sang Ning raised an eyebrow. "Yes."
"You—!"
Wen Meiling quickly intervened. "Alright, alright, is this really worth arguing over? Siya, be reasonable."
Nan Siya clenched her teeth in anger. Why did everyone feel entitled to walk all over her now?
Sang Ning had no patience for Nan Siya’s tantrums and headed upstairs with the dress in hand.
Today’s celebration banquet was far too important, and she didn’t want any mishaps to ruin it.
Room 1309. Sang Ning swiped the keycard and stepped inside. The room was clean, tidy, and impeccably maintained. She relaxed slightly—maybe she had been overthinking things?
After all, the second and third floors of the hotel had been reserved by the Nan family, and the booking had been handled personally by her assistant, Xu Yan. There was no way anything could go wrong.
Still, out of caution, she had taken Nan Siya’s room key at the last moment.
Sang Ning pulled the fresh dress from the bag—a black, off-shoulder, knee-length embroidered gown, elegant yet understated, perfect for the occasion.
She laid it out on the bed and meticulously inspected it.
Just then, the sound of the door opening startled her.
She looked up sharply—only to see Pei Songhan stepping inside?!
Pei Songhan staggered slightly as he swiped his keycard and pushed the door open, his head lowered, one hand pressed to his forehead.
"What—what are you doing here?"
At her voice, Pei Songhan lifted his dazed gaze and froze when he saw Sang Ning. "You…"
Sang Ning took in his disoriented state and instantly went cold. Realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. Without another word, she brushed past him and yanked the door open to leave.
But the moment she stepped out, a barrage of camera flashes blinded her.
"So Mr. Pei and Miss Nan are already involved? No wonder the two families are collaborating."
"Are there plans for an engagement, or is this just a casual fling?"
"Why keep such happy news a secret? Is there something scandalous going on?"
Sang Ning’s expression darkened. She had been set up!
Pei Songhan forced himself to sober up and snapped, "No filming! Delete those photos immediately, or I’ll have my lawyers sue every one of you."
The reporters faltered and reluctantly backed off, not daring to press further.
Pei Songhan dug his nails into his palm, then turned to Sang Ning with urgency. "I didn’t know this was your room. I just wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest for a bit. The front desk attendant gave me the key."
Sang Ning had no time to argue. Without another word, she strode out.
