Nan Zhenming glanced at He Siyu, his previously hesitant eyes flickering once more.
With the He Family backing the Nan Family now, things were different!
Chen Zheng couldn’t hold back his fury. "Nan Sangning! Don’t even think about taking advantage of our misfortune!"
Sangning scoffed. "Taking advantage? An acquisition is still better than bankruptcy, isn’t it? Given the Nan Family’s current standing, offering to acquire your company is already doing the Chen Family a favor!"
"You—!"
Sangning then turned to Nan Zhenming. "Dad, the Chen Family has always looked down on us, acting so high and mighty. Now that they’re begging at our doorstep, and considering our families are connected by marriage, how can we just stand by and do nothing?"
Her words carried a deeper meaning, stirring Nan Zhenming’s blood with excitement.
The Chen Family had once trampled over the Nan Family, but now the tables had turned—the Chen Family was on the verge of collapse, while the Nan Family was thriving.
How could they let such a golden opportunity slip away?
They had to acquire Chen Corporation and force the Chen Family to live under the Nan Family’s shadow forever!
After all, even if things went south, they still had the He Family’s support.
"Alright!" Nan Zhenming made up his mind, his ambition burning fiercely.
A faint smirk curled at the corner of Sangning’s lips, her calm eyes concealing a trace of icy mockery.
Just as expected—he’d taken the bait.
As the evening banquet officially began, He Siyu was quickly surrounded by guests. Most attendees at the Nan Family’s event rarely had the chance to meet him, so now that he was present, everyone eagerly crowded around to exchange pleasantries.
Sangning stayed by his side for a while but soon grew tired and wanted to rest. She withdrew her arm from his. "I’m going to the restroom."
He Siyu turned his head, immediately seeing the blatant indifference in her obedient gaze.
His eyes cooled slightly.
Ungrateful little thing. He’d specifically attended this event to back her up, and now she was tossing him aside the moment she no longer needed him.
Glancing at her high heels, he pressed his lips together. "Mm."
Sangning gave a slight nod and walked away.
The crowd closed in around He Siyu again, but his patience was already wearing thin. Still, since this was his first appearance at the Nan Family’s event, he forced himself to endure the small talk for the sake of appearances.
After freshening up in the restroom, Sangning let the cold water run over her palms, soothing her nerves.
She turned off the faucet, dried her hands, and stepped out—only to bump into someone.
Her brow arched slightly. "Miss Chen."
Chen Zhihan could barely maintain her composure, her teeth clenched. "Nan Sangning, you must be feeling so proud of yourself now, huh? Clinging to Young Master He, and now you even dare to boast about acquiring our family’s company!"
Sangning replied indifferently, "So what if I am?"
Chen Zhihan choked on her words, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Did Nan Sangning just say "so what"?
She wasn’t even pretending to be humble anymore!
"Don’t think just because you’ve latched onto Young Master He, you’ve won. A man like him would only see you as a passing fancy—once he’s bored, he’ll dump you!" Chen Zhihan spat through gritted teeth, jealousy burning in her chest.
Sangning sighed softly. "I used to think the same way, but..."
Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she looked at Chen Zhihan. "Thanks to you, the news about us got out. I never dared to make a move myself, afraid he’d trace it back to me. But you did it for me. When he saw how badly I was being criticized online, he felt sorry for me and publicly claimed me as his."
Chen Zhihan’s face paled, her nails digging into her palms as hatred surged through her.
So that was why!
She had unknowingly paved the way for Nan Sangning’s rise!
Sangning smiled brightly. "I really should thank you. Without you, I might never have gotten this recognition. Young Master He even mentioned marriage."
Chen Zhihan trembled with rage, feeling as if she might vomit blood.
With a light lift of her chin, Sangning brushed past her.
Once she disappeared into the bustling crowd, her smile faded, replaced by icy detachment.
The slowest knives cut the deepest.
She’d deal with every last one of them, one by one.
---
"You’re actually helping the Nan Family save face?!"
Ji Yan slammed her palm on the table, rattling the coffee cup.
Sangning placated her. "Calm down."
"Calm down? Those bastards are using you as a tool—milking you for all you’re worth while they reap the benefits! How can you just sit there so calmly?!" Ji Yan was practically fuming.
Sangning’s lips curled slightly. "Some blessings are too great for them to handle."
Ji Yan blinked. "What do you mean?"
Sangning took a sip of her milk tea, chewing on the chewy black sugar pearls before answering lazily, "As the Dao De Jing says: 'If Heaven wishes to destroy someone, it first makes them mad with power.'"
Ji Yan scowled. "I don’t get it. Speak plainly."
Sangning smirked. "Don’t you think the Nan Family’s getting a little too arrogant lately?"
Ji Yan’s eyes lit up. "Ohhh!"
Just then, Sangning’s phone rang. She answered immediately.
Xu Yan’s respectful voice came through. "Young Miss Nan, President Nan has already initiated the acquisition process for Chen Corporation."
"How much capital is he using?" Sangning tapped her fingers lightly against the table.
"Ten billion." Xu Yan paused. "That’s nearly all of Nan Corporation’s available liquid assets."
"Such boldness. President Nan’s growing more decisive by the day," Sangning remarked, her lips quirking.
"All of Nan Corporation’s partners are fawning over the family now, even willing to take losses to stay in their good graces. With the He Family’s backing, President Nan has no reason to hold back."
Sangning had expected as much. "Keep a close eye on him."
"Understood."
As soon as she hung up, Ji Yan leaned in eagerly.
"You’ve had this planned all along, haven’t you?"
Sangning arched a brow. "Did you think I’d just be their stepping stone?"
"That’s my girl!" Ji Yan grinned. "Now I can relax. Make sure you ruin those Nan Family scumbags completely!"
Sangning took another sip of her milk tea. "It might take a while."
"Perfect! That gives us plenty of time to have some fun. Let’s go!"
---
Over the next week, Sangning found herself with an abundance of free time. She tagged along with Ji Yan, visiting trendy spots and snapping photos at popular attractions. Even her social media feeds were livelier than ever.
When He Siyu returned home that evening, the house was empty again.
He pulled out his phone and checked her latest post—a habit she’d only recently picked up, now updating daily with nine-grid photo sets, each picture carefully curated.
Today’s update featured a cherry blossom garden. She wore a white dress adorned with tiny floral embroidery, her smile radiant.
He tapped through each photo, then read the caption:
"Yan took me to see the cherry blossoms today! 🌸"
His expression darkened.
An hour later, the front door finally opened.
Sangning walked in, still in that same white dress, a straw hat in hand, her spirits high.
"You’re back?"
He Siyu sat on the couch, shooting her a cool glance. "I’ve been back for a while."
"Oh." Nan Sangning casually dropped her bag and straw hat, slipped into her slippers, and headed straight to the kitchen to grab some ice water from the fridge.
He frowned. "Oh?"
That was all she had to say? Just "oh"?
He stood up and followed her in.
As soon as Nan Sangning closed the fridge, she turned and bumped into a solid chest. She furrowed her brows slightly. "What are you doing?"
His gaze fixed on her face, even brighter than in the photos, and his eyes flickered for a moment before he replied stiffly, "Nan Sangning, are you busier than the president these days? I never see you around anymore."
"Ji Yan and I went out. I haven’t had much to do lately," she said, taking a sip of the ice water, savoring the cool relief.
"And what about me?"
Nan Sangning sounded puzzled. "Don’t you have work?"
"..."
She looked at him earnestly. "If you’re busy, of course I wouldn’t want to bother you. Ji Yan isn’t busy—she’s been especially free lately."
So free she didn’t even want to go home.
He Siyu paused, momentarily at a loss for a rebuttal.
His temple twitched. That useless Gu Xingchen!
