Sang Ning paused for a moment, murmuring, "Hmm..."
A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips as he took her hand and led her into the restaurant.
It was a French bistro, and the waiter seated them at a table near the greenhouse garden.
Winter was in full swing, snowflakes drifting outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, while inside, a small greenhouse garden bloomed vibrantly—an exquisite contrast.
Sang Ning couldn’t resist snapping a couple of photos with her phone.
He Siyu settled into his seat, placing a cake box on the table and unwrapping it. "Want some cake first?"
Sang Ning finished taking pictures and glanced down at her phone. "Sure."
She was feeling a little hungry anyway.
In high spirits, He Siyu carefully took out the small cake and handed her a fork. "Go ahead, eat."
Sang Ning gave him a puzzled look. Why was he so insistent about this cake?
"What’s wrong?" he asked.
She took the fork, hesitating. "Nothing."
"Then hurry up and eat."
"..."
His overly attentive manner made her wonder if he’d poisoned it.
He kept watching her. Swallowing nervously, Sang Ning picked up the fork, scooped a small piece, and took a bite.
The smooth cream melted in her mouth, mingling with bits of strawberry—her favorite flavor.
"Good?" he asked.
Sang Ning swallowed the bite and blinked. "It’s alright. Just not sweet enough."
He frowned. Not sweet enough?
He took a bite himself. The cloyingly sweet cream cake was as overpowering as ever.
How was this not sweet?!
"This is plenty sweet," he grumbled. "Eating too much sugar leads to diabetes."
Sang Ning stabbed another piece and ate it. "Oh."
His brow twitched. Was she brushing him off?
Ignoring him, she kept eating the cake.
Then he caught himself—why was he getting worked up over a cake?
She’d said the cake wasn’t sweet enough, not that he wasn’t sweet enough.
With a soft scoff, his expression softened. "Don’t eat too much, or you won’t have room for dinner."
Sang Ning frowned. This guy was being ridiculous—first urging her to eat, now telling her to stop.
She defiantly took another big bite.
Suddenly, He Siyu’s phone rang.
He answered, his expression gradually turning icy.
Sang Ning paused mid-bite.
"Fine, I’ll be there soon," he said before hanging up.
"What happened?" she asked, still holding her fork.
His voice was cold. "We found out. It was Lin Shuyan."
Sang Ning tightened her grip on the fork. She’d suspected as much.
"So what are you going to do?" she asked casually.
If Lin Shuyan was behind it, the target was clearly Sang Ning—she and Pei Songhan had no history of conflict.
A dark fury flickered in He Siyu’s eyes. What was he going to do?
She really had the nerve to mess with him. He’d make sure she regretted it.
Calmly, he said, "I’ll handle it. The Chen family will be dealt with too—might as well clean them up together."
Sang Ning shook her head. "Leave the Chens for now."
"Leave them?"
She smiled. "I still have a use for them."
After dinner, He Siyu dropped Sang Ning off at the Nan residence.
"Your family didn’t give you trouble, did they?" he asked, uneasy even as they reached her doorstep.
"No."
She wasn’t the type to be easily bullied.
His frown deepened. "Really? If anything happened, you’d tell me."
Knowing the Nan family, they wouldn’t let Sang Ning off lightly after the scandal she’d dragged them into.
Sang Ning adjusted her bag, ready to step out of the car. "They’d be thrilled if I married into the Pei family. Why would they be upset?"
His gaze turned dangerously cold.
When she looked up and met his dark, unreadable eyes, a chill ran down her spine.
He smirked. "I almost forgot. This whole mess actually works in your favor, doesn’t it?"
He’d nearly overlooked the fact that the scandal had publicly tied her to Pei Songhan.
Meanwhile, he was still stuck in the shadows.
She stiffened. Why did she have to remind him?
Adjusting his tie, he asked, "Will your family be knocking on the Peis’ door with a marriage proposal soon?"
"Of course not."
"Really?"
She held his gaze firmly. "No one makes decisions for me. I only take what I want."
For a heartbeat, his chest tightened.
She only took what she wanted.
And he was what she wanted.
The way she looked at him now—steady, unwavering—felt like a declaration.
The restless anger in his chest dissolved instantly.
Just then, noise came from the Nan family gates. Worried someone might see them, Sang Ning quickly pushed the car door open. "I’m going in. You should leave."
Then she hurried inside without looking back.
Watching her retreating figure, He Siyu smiled to himself.
Maybe she loved him more than he’d thought.
As the Nan residence gates opened, he drove off.
At the same time, he made a call.
Assistant Yan answered immediately. "Mr. He."
His voice was icy. "Manipulate the stock market—drive the Pei family’s shares even lower. Do it under the Lin family’s name."
Assistant Yan froze, breaking into a cold sweat. The boss was dead set on crushing the Lins. "Understood."
If the Peis realized the Lins were sabotaging them repeatedly, this would escalate far beyond personal grudges.
"Also, have that journalist record a clarification video—make sure he names Lin Shuyan explicitly. Release it tomorrow morning through PR."
"Yes, sir."
He Siyu hung up, his eyes sharp with malice.
Maybe he’d been too lenient these past years, letting people forget who they were dealing with.
---
When Sang Ning returned home, Aunt Chen informed her that the family patriarch was waiting.
She headed straight to the study.
"Sang Ning, you’re back?" The old man’s expression was unreadable—somewhere between concern and satisfaction.
"Grandfather, you’ve seen the news, right? Someone came forward to clear my name. The scandal had nothing to do with me, and our company’s reputation is intact."
He nodded. "That’s for the best. But..." He studied her. "What about you and Young Master Pei...?"
Sang Ning shook her head. "Aside from business collaborations, Pei Songhan and I have never even shared a meal. There’s nothing between us—you know that."
Of course he knew. Uncle Zhang, her driver, was his man. She truly had no private dealings with Pei Songhan.
The old man sighed inwardly. So much for climbing into the Pei family’s good graces.
Still, clearing the company’s name was a relief. "You’ve been wronged," he conceded.
"Not at all. I’ve been too busy with work to dwell on it."
He couldn’t deny her dedication—she’d been working tirelessly for the company.
Seizing the moment, Sang Ning added, "Actually, with work being so demanding, I’d like to move closer to the office. It’d be more convenient, and I still have so much to learn."
Feeling somewhat indebted, the old man agreed without hesitation. "Do as you see fit."
Sang Ning smiled. "Thank you, Grandfather."
She turned and left, pushing open the study door. The smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by indifference.
Early the next morning, she asked Uncle Zhang to contact a moving company to help her relocate. The household staff had already packed her belongings into boxes, making the move straightforward.
Sang Ning walked out of the Nan residence, opened the car door, and got in without looking back.
Her new home was in Palm Bay, a spacious 200-square-meter apartment in the city center. Though not overly large, she was quite satisfied with it.
The Audi drove into the residential complex and stopped at the building entrance. The moving truck followed close behind, and the movers quickly unloaded her luggage.
As Sang Ning stepped out of the car and headed inside to help the workers with the elevator, she suddenly noticed a tall figure standing in the lobby.
She froze. "What are you doing here?"
His voice was calm. "Helping you move."
"How did you get in?"
She remembered this neighborhood had strict security—no outsiders were allowed unless personally approved by a resident. Even food deliveries were handled by the concierge.
He replied casually, "Oh, I bought an apartment here too."
