Sang Ning was taken aback, slightly surprised.
She paused for a moment before getting into the car. After all, he had helped her with the incident involving Zhan Yijun last time.
"Mr. He," Sang Ning greeted politely.
He Siyu glanced at her sideways, already tired of hearing her mechanical, rehearsed greetings.
"What are you reading?" He noticed the book in her hand.
"Memorizing vocabulary."
Sang Ning closed the cover and showed it to him: 3000 English Words.
He Siyu: "..."
So she had been missing for the past couple of days just to bury herself in this useless vocabulary book?
"You’re quite diligent," he remarked dryly.
Sang Ning smiled faintly. "Just trying my best."
He Siyu suddenly felt even more irritated.
Sang Ning’s phone rang, and she answered. "Uncle Zhang, I made plans to have dinner with a friend today and forgot to tell you."
"Yes, no need to pick me up. You can head straight home."
He Siyu turned to look at her. Her expression was perfectly calm, effortlessly spinning lies without batting an eye—a skill in its own right.
After hanging up, Sang Ning glanced at He Siyu, but he had already averted his gaze, staring out the left window.
Seeing that he didn’t seem inclined to talk, she didn’t disturb him either and went back to her vocabulary book.
The driver pulled into a courtyard, and He Siyu and Sang Ning stepped out from the back seat.
"Miss Nan is here," a maid greeted warmly. "Old Madam He was just asking when you’d arrive."
Sang Ning smiled sweetly. "Nanny Zhao."
"Please come in, Miss Nan."
As soon as Sang Ning pushed the door open, she heard Old Madam He’s voice. "Has Sang Ning arrived?"
"Grandma He," Sang Ning called out cheerfully.
Old Madam He beamed. "I thought you’d be here by now. Dinner is ready."
They all moved to the dining room, where Sang Ning spotted the clear-broth meatballs she loved already set on the table.
"Thank you for having me, Grandma He. I was just craving your meatball soup," she said with a smile.
"Nanny Zhao’s cooking is excellent. Eat as much as you like."
"Mm!"
He Siyu followed behind, his expression dark. Now she was suddenly talkative, switching moods faster than flipping a page.
Grandma He pulled Sang Ning to sit beside her before noticing He Siyu trailing behind. She frowned. "Why are you sulking like that? We’re about to eat."
He Siyu: "..."
Sang Ning turned to him with a bright smile—this one noticeably more genuine.
His gaze cooled as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
Grandma He served Sang Ning a meatball before asking with concern, "I heard you were nearly hit by a champagne tower at the Zhan family’s banquet. Are you hurt?"
Sang Ning blinked, surprised that Grandma He knew about the incident.
She shook her head. "No, Second Young Master Pei pulled me away in time. I wasn’t hurt, just got some wine spilled on me."
He Siyu stabbed a meatball with his chopsticks and took a bite.
Grandma He’s expression darkened. "That Zhan Yijun is utterly shameless! How could she do something like that? Fooling around is one thing, but treating human life so carelessly—!"
Her voice turned stern. "I’ve already called the Zhan family. They need to discipline their daughter properly. I don’t know how they raised such a reckless child."
Sang Ning glanced at He Siyu before nodding in agreement. "Right."
He Siyu’s eyebrow twitched, his gaze icy as he stared at her.
But Sang Ning didn’t look back, instead speaking considerately to Grandma He. "It’s really nothing serious. I wasn’t hurt, so please don’t worry."
"That’s only because you were lucky Song Han shielded you. Otherwise, with all those glass shards falling, what if your face had been injured?"
Grandma He grew angrier the more she spoke. There was a reason she had never liked Zhan Yijun—her malice ran deep.
Besides, everyone in their circle knew Sang Ning was her honored guest. The Zhan family daring to treat her this way was a direct insult.
She might be old, but she wasn’t dead yet.
"Don’t worry. I’ve already warned the Zhan family. They won’t dare bully you again."
Hearing Grandma He stand up for her like this, Sang Ning felt a faint ache in her chest.
She had never even expected such support from her own Nan family, yet this grandmother with no blood ties treated her so kindly.
Having grown up surrounded by indifference, Sang Ning had learned to keep her guard up. She never placed too much hope in genuine affection, always weighing things carefully.
Receiving sincerity was an unexpected gift.
Her lips curved in gratitude. "Thank you, Grandma He."
"Good child, eat more."
After dinner, Grandma He kept Sang Ning chatting for a long while.
At 8:30, Sang Ning excused herself.
"Let A-Yu take you home. You didn’t drive today," Grandma He suggested.
Sang Ning glanced at He Siyu. His moods were unpredictable—who knew if the young master was in the right frame of mind to give her a ride?
To her surprise, He Siyu was uncharacteristically agreeable. He stood up and walked out without protest. "Let’s go."
Grandma He was also taken aback by his sudden compliance.
Sang Ning bid her farewell. "Grandma He, I’ll be leaving now."
"Go on, be careful on the road."
"Goodbye, Grandma He."
She caught up to He Siyu and saw him take the driver’s seat, so she opened the passenger door.
Grandma He watched from the window as the car drove off, realization dawning belatedly.
He Siyu had been unusually obedient lately.
Coming home frequently was one thing, but he hadn’t complained once about playing chauffeur.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Could it be… he’s taken a liking to Sang Ning?"
---
He Siyu drove out of Wisteria Lane himself.
Sang Ning politely reminded him, "You can drop me off near the Guomao area. I’ll take a taxi back."
He Siyu replied casually, "I’ll take you straight home."
"It wouldn’t be good if my family sees me with you," she said, not wanting unnecessary trouble.
"They won’t recognize this car."
Sang Ning paused, only now noticing he had switched vehicles again. She glanced at the emblem on the steering wheel—a Land Rover.
For him, this was low-key.
Had he changed cars deliberately?
She blinked, turning to study him. His expression remained stormy, as if she owed him money.
Who knew what he was so displeased about?
He Siyu pulled over near the Nan residence.
"We’re here."
Sang Ning hesitated before speaking up. "I heard Zhan Yijun’s hand was injured."
She met his eyes, her tone uncharacteristically earnest. "Thank you for standing up for me."
He Siyu’s voice was lazy. "How do you know it was me?"
Who else would resort to such extreme methods?
Her clear eyes held sincerity. "Only someone as kind-hearted as you would do this, Mr. He."
His brow arched slightly, his expression softening, though his tone remained indifferent. "Hm."
Sang Ning had expected him to say more, but he seemed disinclined to continue. She opened the car door.
"I’ll head off now."
She stepped out, closing the door behind her, and waved at him before turning toward the Nan family home.
He Siyu watched her retreating figure in silence. After two seconds, he suddenly pushed his door open and got out.
"Nan Sangning."
His deep voice sounded behind her. Sang Ning turned to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Does Mr. He still have something to say?"
He took a step closer, stopping right in front of her, his tone cool. "Is a mere 'thank you' all you can offer with a flick of your lips?"
Sang Ning was taken aback—wasn’t he the one who hadn’t spoken earlier?
"Then how should I—"
Before she could finish, he suddenly reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. He bent down, holding her tightly, his chin buried in the crook of her neck.
"A hug is the proper way to express gratitude, Nan Sangning. Don’t you know the rules?"
