Sang Ning froze for a moment.
His father’s car?
The boy, carrying his backpack, stormed through the doors of Huiyao with an air of defiance. Without even stopping at the front desk, he swiped his card and headed straight for the elevator.
Sang Ning walked in two minutes later and approached the reception.
"Is President He available? I’m here to deliver something to him."
She had just sent He Siyu a message, but he hadn’t replied.
"May I ask who you are…?"
Sang Ning: "My name is Nan Sang Ning."
The receptionist quickly nodded. "Oh! Miss Nan, Assistant Yan mentioned you this morning. Right this way—I’ll take you upstairs."
"Thank you."
Sang Ning followed the receptionist into the elevator, where the latter pressed the button for the top floor.
The elevator moved swiftly, as if it were a dedicated express lift, without any stops until it reached the penthouse.
When the doors opened, Assistant Yan was already waiting outside. "Miss Nan."
Sang Ning stepped out and greeted him politely. "Hello, Assistant Yan."
"President He is in a meeting right now. It’ll probably take another half hour to wrap up. Shall I take you to the guest lounge to wait?"
It was an urgent, last-minute meeting—the first product launch had hit a snag.
Sang Ning shook her head. "No need. I’m just here to drop something off. Since President He is busy, I won’t disturb him."
She pulled a wristwatch from her bag and handed it to Assistant Yan.
He took it, hesitating for a moment. Considering the string of unexpected troubles President He had faced today, it was hard to say when he’d be free. So, he didn’t insist on making her stay.
"Then I’ll pass it along for you, Miss Nan."
Sang Ning nodded. "Thank you."
She turned and stepped back into the elevator, pressing the button for the first floor.
Assistant Yan watched as the elevator numbers descended, exhaling deeply before turning to head back to the CEO’s office.
He knocked and pushed the door open. Inside, a disheveled, cocky boy was sprawled on the sofa, playing on his phone.
"Young Master, President He’s meeting will likely take another half hour. Please wait a little longer."
"Mm."
The boy didn’t look up, busy searching on his phone: What does ‘uniquely handsome’ mean?
Baidu’s answer: It means someone whose handsomeness reaches new heights.
The boy’s eyes lit up, and he smirked smugly. So, it was a compliment after all.
Half an hour later, the office door opened again. A tall figure strode in—black dress pants, white shirt.
He pushed the door open with one hand while loosening his tie with the other. The moment his gaze landed on the brat lounging on the sofa, his already foul mood worsened.
"Why are you back?"
The boy immediately put down his phone and sat up slightly straighter, though his tone remained defiant. "School’s on break."
It’s only September. What break? The semester just started. Australia doesn’t even celebrate National Day.
"He Yun’an, I’m giving you one last chance," He Siyu said coldly.
He Yun’an relented a little, though his tone was still sulky. "I don’t want to go to school."
"Then what do you want to do? Be a homeless drifter?"
He Siyu frowned at his disheveled appearance.
"I just got off a fourteen-hour flight and came straight to see you," He Yun’an muttered, his usual bratty tone laced with a hint of grievance.
He Siyu scoffed. "Should I be touched?"
He Yun’an stayed silent.
He Siyu strode closer, his voice impatient. "Pack your things and get your ass back to school. Now."
"I got suspended for fighting," he finally admitted.
He Siyu: "..."
"Then go home!"
"Don’t wanna." He Yun’an turned his head away. "It’s not like anyone wants me there anyway."
---
Sang Ning had just stepped out of Huiyao when her phone buzzed—a message from Ji Yan.
You don’t have class today, right? Let’s hang out.
Sang Ning tapped open the chat and was about to reply when Ji Yan’s call came through.
She answered.
"I can’t wait for your slow typing. Let’s just talk. Come shopping with me—it’s rare for you to have a free day."
Sang Ning nodded. "I’m actually out right now. Want to grab lunch?"
"Where are you?"
"CBD."
"I’ll be there soon!"
Ji Yan booked a restaurant in the mall across the street, an easy walk for Sang Ning.
It was a Western-style bistro with an elegant, upscale ambiance. Instead of a private room, Sang Ning chose a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main dining area.
Back in the Zhou Dynasty, women had to dine in private rooms when they went out—always constrained. Now, she preferred the liveliness of being surrounded by people, openly embracing the little details of everyday life.
After waiting a short while, Ji Yan arrived.
"Miss Nan, you’re finally free! You’ve been busier than a head of state lately. It’s a miracle I managed to snag you today," Ji Yan complained the moment she sat down, not even pausing to take a sip of water.
Sang Ning smiled apologetically. "Sorry, my course load has been intense lately."
She had just started classes and was struggling to keep up, spending her free time catching up with online lectures. On top of that, there was the mess with the Nan family, and He Siyu wasn’t exactly low-maintenance either. Ji Yan had been neglected as a result.
"Don’t look at me like that. I’ll cave."
Sang Ning: ???
Ji Yan couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. "Honestly, you should just play pitiful with your parents. That delicate, fragile look of yours is way more heart-wrenching than your sister’s act."
Sang Ning: "..."
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
"Of course it is!"
Ji Yan was in high spirits. "Oh, by the way, what brought you here?"
"President He left something behind yesterday. I was just returning it."
Sang Ning paused, then tentatively asked, "Does the He family… have a great-grandson?"
Ji Yan’s eyes widened, instantly sparkling with gossipy excitement.
"How did you know?!"
Sang Ning was taken aback. "So it’s true?"
"Outsiders don’t know. Only those in our circles have heard whispers. The kid must be around ten by now."
Sang Ning frowned. "But I heard none of the He brothers are married?"
"Why else would they keep it under wraps?" Ji Yan lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "He’s illegitimate."
Sang Ning’s pupils dilated. "Whose child is it?"
"Obviously He Siyu’s! Who else in the He family would do something like this?"
Truthfully, even within their social circle, people rarely dared to bring up the child—it was the He family’s private affair, and they never publicly acknowledged it. Most details were just speculation.
Everyone vaguely knew the He family had a child, but no one knew who the father or mother was.
Yet, instinctively, those in the know assumed it had to be He Siyu’s.
Ji Yan said matter-of-factly, "The eldest He brother was a model student—disciplined and serious. The second brother is gentle and refined, the most easygoing. Only He Siyu, that unruly troublemaker, has been a little devil since childhood. No one else in the He family would pull such a scandalous stunt."
Sang Ning’s frown deepened. "No wonder…"
The kid has the same damn temper as He Siyu.
But that would mean… He Siyu had an illegitimate child before he even reached adulthood?!
