Sang Ning froze for a moment, staring into Ji Yan’s furious eyes, suddenly unable to muster any words to placate her.
"Have you been seeing someone behind my back?!"
Sang Ning swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes."
Ji Yan’s eyes widened. "And you didn’t even tell me?! Nan Sang Ning! Am I not your best friend?"
Sang Ning grabbed her hand. "Xiao Yan, listen to me. I didn’t mean to hide it from you. It’s just that things are still new and uncertain. I wanted to wait until things were more stable before telling anyone."
"But I’m not just anyone! You didn’t tell others, but you didn’t tell me either?!" Ji Yan was livid.
"I was afraid word would get out—"
Ji Yan planted her hands on her hips. "Are you saying I’d go around blabbing about it?!"
Sang Ning looked at her calmly, her gaze silently asking, Wouldn’t you?
Under that stare, Ji Yan suddenly felt a pang of guilt, but she straightened up defensively. "I’m not that much of a gossip!"
Sang Ning squeezed her hand. "Xiao Yan, you know how my family is. None of them are easy to deal with. I can’t afford to make even one misstep, so I have to be extra careful."
Ji Yan’s frown deepened as she recalled the troublemakers in Sang Ning’s family. She really did have it tough.
With a resigned huff, Ji Yan’s anger dissipated. "Fine. So when do I get to meet this boyfriend of yours?"
Sang Ning hesitated.
Ji Yan crossed her arms. "You’ve just come out of the mountains. Men in the city are full of tricks—I don’t want you getting scammed!"
After a pause, Sang Ning shook her head. "He wouldn’t do that."
Ji Yan rolled her eyes. "That’s what every lovesick fool says! You’re hopeless!"
"..."
Suddenly, Ji Yan’s eyes lit up. "Wait—is it Pei Songhan?!"
Sang Ning blinked, then shook her head. "Of course not."
"Fine. I guess I was overthinking it." Ji Yan sounded almost disappointed. "After that hotel incident, Pei Songhan went out of his way to clear your name. I thought there might’ve been something between you two."
Sang Ning shook her head again. "Young Master Pei has always been a decent person. It had nothing to do with me."
Ji Yan stroked her chin thoughtfully. If it wasn’t Pei Songhan, then it must be someone outside their circle—someone she didn’t know.
Otherwise, she couldn’t think of anyone else.
"Fine, keep your secrets. But I’m warning you—don’t fall for a man’s sweet talk! Dating is one thing, but if you get hurt, it won’t be worth it!" Ji Yan lectured.
"Huh?" Sang Ning paused, then nodded. "Got it."
Ji Yan’s brows knitted together, her eyes filled with concern as she cupped Sang Ning’s face. "I’m really worried. You’re so naive—what if some guy takes advantage of you?"
Sang Ning: "..."
Sang Ning said earnestly, "Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen."
"If he ever mistreats you, you have to tell me! I’ll deal with him!" Ji Yan declared fiercely.
Sang Ning smiled, giving Ji Yan’s hand a playful shake. "Xiao Yan, you’re the best."
Ji Yan snorted.
After a moment of contemplation, Sang Ning murmured, "Right now, the most urgent matter is still the Chen family."
Ji Yan immediately latched onto the topic change. "Right, right! Chen Zheng is definitely going to reach out to LunJia Company soon! I’ve already smoothed things over with Manager Wu—there won’t be any slip-ups!"
Sang Ning’s lips curled slightly. "Then I’ll just... wait a little longer."
---
Over the next few days, Sang Ning and Manager Wu met frequently, personally negotiating and finalizing the details of their collaboration.
Three days later, at the Nan family dinner, Sang Ning returned home for the meal. Nan Siya was also present, her demeanor noticeably improved.
"Have things between you and Chen Zheng gotten better these past few days?" Wen Meiling asked warmly.
Nan Siya forced a smile. "Much better."
Wen Meiling nodded in relief. "Good. What’s done is done. You two need to focus on living well together. Don’t let small disagreements ruin your marriage. You should learn from your sister—be virtuous and dignified. That’s how you’ll earn the Chen family’s respect."
Nan Siya’s grip on her chopsticks tightened as she glanced at Sang Ning.
Grandpa nodded approvingly. "It’s best that this matter is resolved. A fallout with the Chen family wouldn’t be worth it, especially since our collaboration is still ongoing. Sang Ning, everything’s going smoothly with the partnership, right?"
Sang Ning smiled. "Yes, Grandpa. Don’t worry—everything is proceeding as usual."
Her gaze swept past Nan Siya, cool and indifferent.
After dinner, Grandpa pulled Sang Ning aside for a private discussion. By nine o’clock, Sang Ning was ready to leave. She had no intention of staying the night at the Nan residence.
As she stepped out of the mansion and headed toward her car, a voice called out from behind her.
"Nan Sang Ning."
She paused, turning to face Nan Siya. "What is it?"
Nan Siya approached stiffly, fists clenched at her sides.
"Can you really deliver on what you promised me?"
"Of course."
"How can I be sure?"
Sang Ning’s lips curved into a cold smile. "Nan Siya, you don’t have any bargaining power with me right now."
"You—!"
"I’m simply offering you a way out. Whether you take it or not is up to you. If you refuse, that’s fine too."
She paused, her voice soft yet cutting.
"You can always go back to being the pitiful, ‘virtuous and dignified’ Mrs. Chen."
Nan Siya’s face drained of color, her body rigid.
Without another word, Sang Ning turned and got into her car, driving off.
Nan Siya stood frozen in place, pale and shaken.
The chauffeur hesitantly spoke up. "Young Madam, shall we return?"
Nan Siya snapped out of her daze. Yes, she had to go back. If she didn’t return to the Chen Residence as the rightful young madam, where else could she go? Back to the Nan family, where she’d be scorned as the illegitimate daughter?
She yanked the car door open and got in.
Half an hour later, Nan Siya arrived at the Chen Residence.
"You’re back? How did it go?" Chen Zheng, unusually present at home, rushed to greet her the moment she stepped inside.
Nan Siya pulled out her phone and handed it to him. "While Sang Ning and Grandpa were talking in the study, I managed to take pictures of the confidential documents in her bag—the Nan Group’s project proposal and financial reports for LunJia Company. With these, you can easily undercut their pricing and even use their proposal as-is."
Chen Zheng’s eyes gleamed as he scrolled through the photos, excitement surging through him.
This time, he was finally going to secure a deal with guaranteed profits!
---
He Family Old Mansion.
"Third Young Master is back!" a servant announced cheerfully.
He Siyu stepped out of his car and strode inside, the usually quiet mansion buzzing with rare liveliness.
"So you finally remembered you have a home? It’s been ages!" Grandma He chided.
"I’ve been busy with work."
The old lady scoffed. Busy? When Sang Ning used to visit often, he’d been as free as a stray dog.
"Your father and brothers are all back. The New Year’s in two days—can’t you stay home for once?" she nagged.
He Siyu’s voice was lazy. "If I end up pissing Dad off, won’t that ruin the holiday for everyone?"
"You rascal!" Grandma He couldn’t help but scold him.
He Wanjun sat stiffly on the sofa, his expression dark as He Siyu walked in.
"You still remember where home is? I thought you’d forgotten!"
He Siyu smirked. "How could I? I came back just to spend time with you."
He Wanjun was momentarily speechless. This rebellious son of his had suddenly started speaking like a decent human being, and he wasn’t quite used to it.
He Jinxing smiled meaningfully. "It’s the New Year, after all. Even Siyu has grown wiser."
He Siyu shot him a cold glance, too indifferent to bother responding to the underlying mockery in his words.
He Wanjun’s voice deepened as he pressed on, "Your second brother’s marriage is almost settled. Last time, you mentioned getting married next year—well, it’s already the next year. Have you made any progress on that front?"
