She paused, as if she hadn’t given it much thought before.
She leaned in and kissed his lips. "I like kissing you."
He gripped her chin and pulled her back slightly, staring at her. "Don’t brush me off."
"..."
She frowned. Why was he getting harder to please?
"What do you like?" he asked.
Sang Ning shook her head. "I don’t know either."
His eyebrow twitched. "You don’t know?"
She looked at him seriously. "Why does liking something need a reason? Liking is just liking. Some people like milk tea, others prefer coffee—it’s just personal preference. There doesn’t have to be a deeper reason."
He froze for a moment, caught off guard by her earnest confession, his heartbeat skipping a beat.
Liking something didn’t need a reason.
Just like how she loved strawberry cake.
He suppressed the slight curve of his lips. "Oh."
Seeing the barely concealed delight in his eyes, she finally moved to get up. "I’m going to shower."
But his arm remained locked around her waist, pulling her back. "Aren’t you going to ask me?"
She blinked. "Ask you what?"
He kept staring.
After three seconds, she finally asked offhandedly, "Fine. Do you like me?"
He smirked. "Mhm."
She stood up again. "Then I’m going to shower."
Once more, he yanked her back. She scowled. "What now—mmph!"
His hand cupped her face as he lowered his head, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. His other arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him as he kissed her without restraint.
By the time he finally pulled back slightly, her breath was ragged, her tongue numb. She pushed at his chest, but he only gave her a fraction of space before leaning in again, pressing light, teasing kisses to her swollen lips. His voice was rough. "I like Yangyang too."
Sang Ning grabbed his wandering hand and glared. "Not tonight. I have things to do tomorrow."
Honestly, he was insatiable. If she’d known he’d be like this, she never would’ve agreed to let him move in.
His throat bobbed as he reined himself in, pressing one last kiss to her lips. "Fine."
Finally free, she scrambled off the couch and hurried to the bathroom.
After a moment’s thought, she locked the door behind her.
He Siyu remained on the sofa, taking a moment to steady himself.
His gaze landed on her forgotten phone beside him. He picked it up.
In a good mood, he pulled out his own phone and dialed her number.
Her phone lit up instantly, the screen displaying the incoming call with cheerful animation:
[Three-Sugar Cake]
The smile on his lips faltered. He stared at the screen for three full seconds.
Three sugar?!
Had he been downgraded to three sugar in less than a month?!
Half an hour later, Sang Ning emerged from the shower, dressed in a soft nightgown, her hair pinned up in a clip, revealing the slender curve of her neck. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the steam.
Spotting him still on the couch, she asked casually, "Aren’t you going to shower?"
He Siyu pressed his lips together. "Later."
She took a sip of warm water from her cup. "Is something wrong?"
He opened his mouth, glanced at her phone, then shook his head. "No."
She yawned. "Then I’m going to bed."
With that, she turned and headed to the bedroom.
His eyes darkened as he watched her leave.
After a quick shower, he returned to the bedroom. She was already curled up under the covers, the main light off, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamp.
He slipped under the blankets and pulled her into his arms effortlessly. Like a kitten, she instinctively nuzzled against him, settling into a comfortable position before drifting back to sleep.
The warm, dim light traced the delicate contours of her face, making her look even softer.
An unusual sense of peace settled over him.
Her unconscious reliance on him was all the confirmation he needed—she cared for him.
Her love for him had never changed.
A faint smile touched his lips as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
---
Chen Residence.
Chen Zheng didn’t return until midnight, reeking of alcohol.
Nan Siya confronted him immediately. "Why are you so late?"
He shoved her hand away. "Nan Siya, did you learn nothing from your family? I’ve already swallowed the fact that you’re a fake heiress, and now you think you can control me too?"
Her face paled. She could hardly believe the man who once swore undying love for her could be so cruel.
Her voice trembled. "The Nan Family treats me as their own daughter, and they even gave the Chen Family favorable terms in the partnership—"
"What favorable terms? That measly twenty percent profit?" Chen Zheng sneered.
"They promised to connect us with the Pei Family, but all we got was some minor subsidiary deal. We didn’t need the Nan Family’s help for that!"
Tears welled in Nan Siya’s eyes, but Chen Zheng only grew more impatient. Zhan Yijun would never be this dramatic.
If he hadn’t married Nan Siya, maybe Zhan Yijun would’ve chosen him by now.
"If you’re going to keep making a scene, we might as well get a divorce," he snapped.
Nan Siya’s pupils constricted. He could say the word so easily?
Her voice rose. "Do you want to divorce me so you can marry Zhan Yijun?"
"Stop being ridiculous!"
Tears spilled over, but seeing his cold expression, she finally steeled herself.
Swallowing her pride, she sniffled. "I was wrong. I won’t question you again. Zheng-ge, please don’t talk about divorce. I’ll help you with whatever you need."
He scoffed. "What can you do? You have no influence in the Nan Family."
The Chen-Nan alliance had barely benefited the Chen Family, while the Nan Family’s fortunes had soared this year, leaving the Chens envious.
Chen Guoan had even berated him multiple times, saying he was too busy fooling around with women to be half as capable as that country bumpkin Nan Sangning.
The thought made Chen Zheng seethe, but he didn’t dare retort.
"Who says I don’t have influence?" Nan Siya said quickly. "After the Lin Family incident, the Pei Family compensated the Nans with a new joint project."
Chen Zheng’s eyes gleamed. "How do you know?"
Since their collaboration, the Pei and Nan Families had grown closer—especially after Nan Sangning got caught up in that hotel scandal. Compensation was only natural.
"Of course I know," Nan Siya lifted her chin. "I overheard Nan Sangning discussing it with Grandfather in his study last time I visited."
"Really?"
Any project introduced by the Pei Family would be a goldmine. The Chen Family had been struggling with losses for years—they desperately needed a profitable venture.
Nan Siya bit her lip. "Zheng-ge… do you still want a divorce?"
Chen Zheng took her hand. "Siya, I was just angry. How could I not understand your situation? Nan Sangning has been bullying you since she returned, and now she controls the Nan Family. If we divorce, where would you go?"
Nan Siya's eyes welled up with tears: "You know I have no way out."
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have said those harsh words. But Siya, I never truly meant to divorce you. We went through so much hardship just to get married—how could I ever let you go? How could I bear to send you back to endure Nan Sangning’s schemes and torment?"
"Brother Zheng."
"Siya!"
They clung tightly to each other.
Leaning against his chest, Nan Siya’s tearful eyes gradually darkened with resentment.
---
At nine in the morning, Sang Ning was woken by her alarm.
It was Sunday, but she had work to attend to, so she still had to get up early and head to the office.
She rolled over in bed, reaching out—only to find the space beside her empty.
Bleary-eyed, she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before pushing the covers aside and getting out of bed.
The house was warm, so she slipped on her slippers and stepped out of the room, hearing faint noises from the kitchen.
"Nanny Zhang?" she called.
Had Nanny Zhang arrived already at this hour?
When she reached the kitchen, she saw a tall figure in light gray loungewear standing by the stove, his usually carefree handsome face now furrowed with concentration.
She paused. "What’s wrong?"
He turned to her, expression relaxed. "Nothing. Nanny Zhang isn’t here yet, so I thought I’d make you breakfast before you leave."
Her gaze dropped to the pot of boiling wontons, and she froze in surprise.
The young master had gotten up early just to cook her wontons?
His sudden attentiveness left her flustered. Had he lost his mind?
"When did you wake up?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Just now. Figured I’d throw something together."
Glancing at her, he tilted his chin toward the hallway. "Go freshen up. It’ll be ready soon."
She nodded dumbly. "Oh…"
As she turned to leave, her eyes caught on the trash bin near the counter—filled to the brim with… discarded wontons?
