He Siyu nodded faintly. "Oh."
They must have met before—the two schools had once co-hosted a basketball game.
He Siyu didn’t dwell on it and glanced at Assistant Yan. "Escort Dr. Sheng out."
"Understood."
Assistant Yan acknowledged, then gestured for Sheng Nian to proceed with a polite "After you."
"We’ll take our leave now," Sheng Nian said courteously before departing.
After the Huaji medical team left, Sang Ning also bid farewell to Ye Qian. "I’ve learned enough for today, so I’ll head out first."
Ye Qian nodded. "Alright, let me walk you—"
He Siyu turned to Sang Ning. "I’ll take you."
Ye Qian swallowed the rest of her sentence. "Take care, then."
Sang Ning hesitated for a moment, but He Siyu simply took her hand and led her out.
The others pretended not to notice, but the moment the two were out of sight, the room erupted.
"Holy crap, the group chat is blowing up! They’re saying President He personally escorted his girlfriend here!"
"No wonder President He is so invested in this project—we’re riding on Miss Nan’s coattails."
"Count yourself lucky! We’re practically the boss’s inner circle now!"
He Siyu led Sang Ning straight to the underground garage, got into his car, and drove off.
He glanced at her. "What were you and Ye Qian talking about in the meeting room?"
Sang Ning fastened her seatbelt absentmindedly. "She asked if Dr. Sheng was good-looking."
His gaze cooled slightly, his tone stern. "You had time to focus on trivial things during such an important meeting?"
Sang Ning turned to him. "I said he was average—nowhere near as handsome as you."
His eyes flickered, his brow lifting slightly as he relaxed into his seat, eyes back on the road. "Oh?"
Sang Ning nodded. "Dr. Sheng is too bland. His presence doesn’t hold a candle to yours."
He suppressed a smirk, his voice laced with amusement. "I see."
The car exited the garage, passing by Huiyao’s headquarters.
"Can you not be so conspicuous next time? I don’t even dare come here anymore." Sang Ning had been met with stares the entire way out.
She had only intended to inspect the project discreetly.
He Siyu adjusted the steering wheel casually. "It’s like this the first time. They’ll get used to it. If you act secretive, they’ll only get more curious."
Sang Ning tilted her head slightly. That actually made sense.
But—
She turned to him. "You sound pretty experienced."
"Experienced with what?"
He paused, then suddenly understood, his lips curving into a lazy smirk. "Nan Sang Ning, are you really jealous over baseless rumors?"
Sang Ning: ?
He scoffed lightly. "It’s just human nature. The more you hide something, the more people obsess over it. If you’re open about it, they’ll move on. Weren’t you the one who always said you understood people best? Can’t you see that?"
He shot her a meaningful glance. "Then again, when emotions are involved, logic goes out the window. You must care about me a lot."
Sang Ning: "..."
Seeing the blatant smugness in his eyes, she felt a lump of frustration rise in her throat.
He reached over and took her hand, lips quirking. "I have no experience. Happy now?"
Sang Ning: "..."
No wonder he was so infuriating!
Her phone suddenly rang, and she yanked her hand away to dig through her bag.
He Siyu frowned, shooting her a displeased look.
Sang Ning answered the call. "Yes?"
Xu Yan’s respectful voice came through. "Young Miss Nan, the company has been delaying progress on all major projects recently. The partners are being half-hearted too, and Chairman Nan doesn’t seem inclined to resolve it."
Sang Ning raised a brow. "Oh? He’s suddenly so patient?"
"I heard Chairman Nan is using your relationship with Young Master He as an excuse to brush off the partners..."
Sang Ning smirked coldly. Of course.
"But the partners are only half-convinced. For now, both sides are stalling."
After all, He Siyu had only publicly confirmed they were dating—not engaged. A relationship might mean he’d favor Nan Sang Ning, but it didn’t guarantee he’d extend that to the Nan family.
Unless the He and Nan families truly became in-laws, the Nan family wouldn’t have a solid backer. Only then would partners be willing to sacrifice a project to curry favor.
Xu Yan asked, "Young Miss Nan, should we take action?"
Sang Ning replied calmly, "No. Let him stall."
Her eyes turned frosty. "The longer he drags it out, the bigger the mess he’ll have to clean up."
"Understood."
She hung up.
He Siyu asked, "Everything alright at your company?"
Sang Ning met his gaze, a faint smile on her lips. "More or less. At the latest—next month."
Her patience with the Nan family wouldn’t last beyond that.
—
On Saturday, the old master’s birthday banquet was held in grand fashion at the Nan residence.
It wasn’t even a milestone celebration, yet the scale surpassed even past major birthdays, with nearly every elite the Nan family could reach invited.
Perhaps due to the news of Sang Ning and He Siyu’s relationship, many previously unreachable dignitaries had graciously accepted the invitation.
As the evening began, the banquet hall buzzed with chatter and clinking glasses, accompanied by elegant piano music.
"The old master is truly blessed! I hear your eldest granddaughter is engaged to the He family—is it true?"
The old master beamed. "That’s right. Ah, young people’s affairs—I never interfere. As long as they’re happy."
"How wonderful! We’ll have to rely on the Nan family’s support in the future!"
"You flatter me!"
Nan Zhenming stood nearby, his expression tense as he anxiously watched the entrance, terrified He Siyu wouldn’t show.
This was his last resort—he couldn’t hold out any longer.
Chen Zheng approached with a forced smile, raising his glass. "Grandfather, happy birthday."
The old master gave him a cold glance, not even lifting his own glass.
With the Chen family’s finances in shambles, the old master had no patience for Chen Zheng.
Chen Zheng’s face twisted with humiliation. Since when had he ever been treated like this by the Nan family?
But he had no choice—not only did he need the Nan family’s help to plug the holes in his business, but he was also worried about... the recent scandal.
Just then, a commotion erupted at the entrance.
"Young Master He is here!"
The old master’s eyes lit up as he stood immediately.
Sang Ning walked in arm-in-arm with He Siyu, the crowd parting effortlessly for them.
The old master hurried forward, grinning ear to ear. "Young Master He, what an honor! You should’ve given us notice!"
He Siyu glanced at Sang Ning before replying politely, "You’re Sang Ning’s grandfather. Of course I’d come to celebrate."
The old master nodded eagerly. "How thoughtful of you!"
He Siyu smiled faintly. "It’s Sang Ning who’s filial—she insisted."
"Sang Ning has always been so considerate." The old master’s gaze at her was nothing short of approving.
Among the entire Nan family, Sang Ning was the only one who never gave him any trouble!
With a sweet and obedient tone, Sang Ning said, "It's only natural. Today is Grandpa's grand birthday celebration, and I've prepared a special gift for him."
Her eyes shimmered as she casually glanced at the Nan family members, each wearing different expressions, before curling her lips into a smile. "I hope Grandpa likes it."
