He turned off his phone with satisfaction, tossing it aside before raising his gaze. His deep, obsidian eyes locked onto her: "Try changing it again without my permission."
Sang Ning: "..."
She no longer had the energy to argue with him. Exhausted, she closed her eyes.
Seeing her obediently nestled in his arms without a word of protest—silently allowing him to alter her contact name—his heart softened completely.
He tightened his arm around her waist, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead before murmuring, "Go to sleep."
---
The next day, when Sang Ning woke up, He Siyu was already gone. The empty room still carried the lingering scent of their intimacy.
She glanced at the time—nearly noon.
Pushing through her soreness, she dragged herself out of bed, yawning as she stepped into the hallway.
"You're awake, Miss?" Nanny Zhang, busy in the kitchen, hurried out at the sound of footsteps.
Sang Ning paused, suddenly remembering that Nanny Zhang came daily at ten to clean and cook.
She hesitated, then offered a flimsy excuse: "Oh, I’ve been off work lately, so I slept in a bit."
Nanny Zhang nodded. "Understood, Miss. I’ve already tidied up the house. The bathroom is ready if you’d like to shower."
Sang Ning: "..."
Her mind flashed back to last night’s reckless moments in that very bathroom, and her cheeks burned crimson. "Right..."
Nanny Zhang then handed her a glass of honey water. "Your voice sounds a little hoarse. Sir specifically asked me to prepare this for you."
"..."
Stiffly, she accepted the glass, avoiding eye contact. "Thank you."
Nanny Zhang chuckled. "Of course. Lunch will be ready soon—you can eat once you’ve freshened up."
With that, she returned to the kitchen.
Sang Ning’s ears burned scarlet. Her fingers turned white around the glass as she mechanically took a sip.
Back in her room, she noticed her phone lighting up.
She unlocked it to see a new message:
Strawberry Cake: Awake yet? Come to Huiyao this afternoon. I’ll pick you up.
Sang Ning’s eyebrow twitched at the contact name. Frowning, she typed back: No need. I’ll go myself later.
She was only visiting to inspect the AI medical project—having the CEO personally escort her was too much attention.
Strawberry Cake: Then I’ll send a driver.
Uncle Zhang can take me.
What time are you coming?
Why was he so insistent?
Sang Ning ignored him, tossing her phone aside to get ready.
After freshening up, Nanny Zhang had lunch prepared. Famished, she ate a full bowl before leaving at two for Huiyao.
Her phone rang again. The caller ID read: Nan Zhenming.
She stared at it for three seconds before answering.
"Dad."
Nan Zhenming’s voice was tense. "Did you add any unofficial clauses to the Hao Yong collaboration? Their people are asking about—"
Sang Ning cut in coolly, "Manager Lin handled that project. Shouldn’t you ask him?"
Nan Zhenming choked back a curse. Lin Yuan? The first thing he’d done upon returning to the company was fire him!
Lin Yuan had been promoted by Sang Ning—even helped her undermine him. Nan Zhenming would never tolerate such a liability.
He’d purged several of Sang Ning’s trusted subordinates, fearing they’d stir trouble.
Yet now, the company was in chaos—nothing like the smooth operation he’d left behind.
Nan Zhenming snapped, "He’s gone! I’m asking you!"
"Then I don’t know."
"You—!"
He forced patience. "What about Xinghong? Did you discuss extending the partnership?"
Grandfather valued Xinghong’s follow-up projects—the last deal had been a loss leader, banking on reputation to recoup later profits.
But Xinghong only trusted Sang Ning’s oversight. With her gone, they doubted Nan Corp’s ability to maintain quality.
Sang Ning’s tone was icy. "I resigned."
Nan Zhenming: "..."
"You’re still a Nan! You can’t just abandon the company!"
Unmoved, she replied, "I’m busy."
"With what?!"
Her lips curled as Huiyao’s building came into view outside the car window. "With dating He Siyu, of course."
"..."
"Don’t forget Grandfather’s orders. My priority now is securing the He family’s favor. If you keep distracting me with trivial company matters, delaying my ‘romance,’ how do you think Grandfather will react?"
"You—!"
She hung up with a cold laugh.
The driver, Uncle Zhang, wiped his brow. "We’ve arrived, Miss."
Sang Ning stepped out without another word.
---
Nan Zhenming stared at his phone, livid.
"That wretched girl! Acting like she holds all the power! How dare she ignore the company’s mess!"
His assistant cautiously interjected, "Sir, the young miss did follow protocol during her resignation. There’s no fault in her handover."
When Sang Ning left, the company had been thriving. But under Nan Zhenming’s leadership, partners like Xinghong balked, and subordinates dragged their feet.
Convinced of sabotage, he’d fired her allies—only for operations to collapse further.
Her key personnel had managed critical projects. Their departure triggered delays, near-shutdowns, and mounting complaints.
In days, Nan Zhenming was drowning.
"She planned this! That scheming—!"
"Sir, the partners’ discontent is temporary. Once the He alliance is public—especially if He Siyu attends the old master’s birthday this Saturday—their doubts will vanish. The issues will resolve themselves!"
Nan Zhenming’s expression darkened. "Then stall those projects. Buy time."
He had no other options.
Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "She may flaunt He Siyu’s backing, but she’s still a Nan. If she can exploit the He name, so can we!"
Sang Ning walked into Huiyao, swiping her employee badge to enter the building and heading straight to the twelfth floor—the workspace of the AI medical project team.
She pushed open the glass door and stepped inside, greeting everyone with a bright smile. "I'm running a bit late tod—"
Before she could finish, she suddenly noticed an eerie silence hanging over the room.
Every team member sat rigidly at their desks. Zhang Liang was diligently demonstrating the software on his computer, while behind him stood a tall, imposing figure in a tailored suit—his expression cold and stern as he scrutinized the second beta version of the product on the screen.
Ye Qian, who had been sitting stiffly nearby, lit up at the sight of Sang Ning. "Sang Ning, you're here!"
He Siyu lifted his gaze, shifting it from the monitor to Sang Ning.
Ye Qian shot a nervous glance at He Siyu before forcing an awkward smile at Sang Ning. "Mr. He happened to drop by today."
Sang Ning frowned slightly and gave a perfunctory nod. "Mr. He, I didn’t realize you were here too."
He Siyu’s lips curved into a faint smile, his tone casual. "Mr. Nan rarely comes to inspect the project in person. Naturally, I had to be here to receive him."
Sang Ning: "..."
The room plunged into dead silence. Zhang Liang, whose emotional intelligence still needed polishing, couldn’t hold back a muffled cough—nearly choking in the process.
