"Oh..." She stiffly lowered her head again to sip the silver ear and lotus seed soup.
He Siyu unfolded the painting, revealing the small crimson seal in the corner, his tone casual.
"The antique appraiser also mentioned that this seal was stamped by the owner of the painting at the time—the youngest granddaughter of the Xie Family during the Zhou Dynasty—out of mischief."
Sang Ning's fingers tightened around the spoon.
He smirked, leaning slightly closer to her. "What a coincidence. The owner of this seal was named Xie Sangning."
Sang Ning looked up, her eyes unusually clear. "Quite the coincidence indeed."
His voice was low and mysterious. "I also heard that Xie Sangning only stamped her seal on things she adored—her favorite books, her favorite paintings, and... the men she fancied."
Sang Ning froze for a moment, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes before confusion took over. "Where did you hear that?"
She had scoured history books but found not a single mention of herself.
What kind of historical records would bother with such trivial details?
He gave her an enigmatic look. "I have my sources."
Her face tense, she scooped another spoonful of the soup into her mouth.
"Xie Sangning," he suddenly called.
She bit down on the spoon, her porcelain-like face stiffening slightly.
He continued leisurely, "I heard she was a talented woman, just like you."
Her expression remained rigid. "Another coincidence."
The corners of his lips curled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Indeed. The world is full of wonders."
She lowered her head again to drink the soup.
He shot her a sidelong glance. Little heartless thing, still daring to lie to him!
But the thought of her secretly stamping that seal over his heart sent an irrepressible surge of joy through him.
Ah well, what did it matter if it was true or not?
What mattered was that she was here, right in front of him, and that she loved him dearly.
With a pleased expression, he rolled up the painting, stood, and walked to the opposite side of the dining table to sit down for his meal.
Sang Ning swallowed the last of her soup and stole a glance at him.
He looked perfectly at ease—even happy?
She frowned inwardly. Ever since he woke up at noon, he’d been acting strangely, as if possessed.
First, he confronted her with the painting, then suddenly dropped the matter altogether.
Her phone buzzed. She picked it up, glanced at the screen, then looked up. "I need to go back to the office this afternoon."
He Siyu frowned. "Didn’t you take the day off?"
"Only half a day. There’s too much work."
The mess left behind by Nan Corporation hadn’t been fully resolved yet, still in the final stages of cleanup. The newly acquired Chen Corporation remained untouched, awaiting restructuring, and now a new project tender was about to begin.
With Nan Corporation’s ship sailing full speed ahead, she couldn’t afford to slack off.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Nan Sangning, today is our first day as newlyweds."
She nodded. "Mm."
Then she set down her chopsticks and stood up.
His face darkened.
But instead of leaving, she circled the table to his side, bent down, and kissed his cheek.
His dark eyes flickered, though his expression remained stern. "Don’t think this little trick will work on me—mmph!"
She cupped his face in her hands and sealed his lips with hers.
She had just finished the sweetened silver ear soup—Nanny Zhang, knowing her preference, had added extra sugar. The syrupy sweetness of her mouth seeped into his, intoxicatingly sweet.
His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her onto his lap and trapping her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely.
By the time he finally pulled back, she was breathless, her face flushed. She pushed against his chest weakly.
He loosened his grip slightly, his dark eyes boring into hers.
Her misty gaze held his, as if trying to peer into his soul. Her fingers clutched the fabric of his loungewear, her breathing uneven. "Take me to the office, okay?"
His throat bobbed, his eyes darkening. "Keep tempting me like this, and I’ll take you straight to bed instead."
Her eyes widened, and she quickly shoved him away, scrambling off his lap. "I’m going to change."
Then she hurried off to the bedroom.
A moment later, the crisp click of the lock echoed through the room.
His eyebrow twitched. That little heartless creature!
An hour later, He Siyu drove her to the company.
On the way, Sang Ning suddenly remembered something and checked her phone for messages.
Ji Yan hadn’t texted her today.
She tilted her head slightly. Normally, Ji Yan bombarded her with dozens of messages daily—celebrity gossip, funny videos, you name it.
Today, it was eerily quiet.
After a moment’s thought, she sent Ji Yan a message: [You drank a lot yesterday. Feeling better today?]
At her wedding yesterday, Ji Yan had gotten carried away with the celebrations.
No immediate reply came.
Meanwhile, He Siyu answered a call. "Big Brother."
"He Yun’an?"
"Alright, got it."
He hung up.
Sang Ning glanced at him. "What’s wrong?"
He Siyu scowled, annoyed. "He Yun’an’s school called for a parent meeting. That brat’s causing trouble again."
He Xingzhou was stationed with the military and couldn’t possibly return for something so trivial, and Grandma He certainly wouldn’t bother with such a nuisance. That left only He Siyu to deal with it.
Sang Ning pressed her lips together. "It might not be his fault. He’s just a bit hot-tempered—not the type to pick fights."
He snorted. "That kid’s just begging for a beating."
Didn’t he know him well enough? Now that the boy was living alone at Wenxi Villa with no one to keep him in check, he was probably running wild.
He Siyu’s expression was icy. "A good thrashing will straighten him out."
Sang Ning: "..."
She frowned. "Is that any way to raise a child?"
"What, should I put him on an altar and worship him?" He scoffed. "Relax, that kid’s thick-skinned. He can take it."
Sang Ning: "..."
Something about this didn’t sit right with her. "When’s the meeting? I’ll go with you."
He Siyu shot her a look. "No time to accompany me, but suddenly free to deal with that little troublemaker?"
"..."
Her brows knitted. Why was he always picking fights with her?
He was even more infuriating than He Yun’an!
She said seriously, "He Yun’an grew up without his parents around. He might seem rough around the edges, but he’s sensitive inside. You can’t just beat sense into him like you."
He Yun’an and He Siyu might share similar temperaments, but they were fundamentally different. He Yun’an lacked security—unlike He Siyu, who had been the pampered youngest son of the He Family since birth, showered with attention.
He Yun’an’s mother was unknown, and his father was rarely around. Of course he’d be more fragile.
He Siyu rubbed his chin. That did make some sense.
But then another thought struck him, and he glared at her. "Wait, are you saying I deserve to be beaten?"
Sang Ning kept a straight face. You tell me.
She changed the subject. "When’s the meeting?"
"Nan Sangning, don’t you dare dodge the question!"
She glanced out the window—they’d arrived at her company.
"I’ll head in first, then." She reached for the door handle, but his hand clamped around her wrist, pulling her back.
He gritted his teeth. "So I do deserve it?"
She’d had enough. Glaring at him, she snapped, "Yes."
