He Siyu drove her directly to Taikoo Li. He had already called Assistant Yan in advance, instructing him to retrieve the inkstone the old lady mentioned and deliver it to Taikoo Li.
The storage room was piled with gifts from others—many of which He Siyu had never even glanced at. He didn’t practice calligraphy or related arts, but since the old lady insisted it was there, he figured it must be.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Taikoo Li and parked.
Assistant Yan was already waiting with the gift box in hand.
He Siyu stepped out of the car, and Assistant Yan approached, presenting the box. "President He."
He Siyu opened it and took a look, though he couldn’t discern its quality. He handed it to Sang Ning. "Is this the one?"
Sang Ning examined the inkstone, blinking in surprise at its exquisite craftsmanship. She nodded. "It should be."
With a bright smile, she said, "Thank you."
He Siyu found himself momentarily captivated by the dimples on her cheeks, though his tone remained stiff. "It wasn’t from me. Why thank me?"
Sang Ning thought for a moment. "You’re right. I should thank Grandma He instead. This has nothing to do with you."
His eyebrow twitched. She sure changed her tune fast.
"Then you can go thank her in person next week," he said coolly.
Sang Ning hesitated before replying, "I’m about to start my internship rotation at the company. I’ll have a lot to learn, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle it all at once. I might not have time to visit Grandma He for now."
Starting fresh at the company meant she couldn’t afford to slack off. She had to seize this opportunity—no matter what.
He Siyu frowned. Did that mean she’d disappear into her work again?
When he didn’t respond, Sang Ning assumed he had other matters to attend to. "Is something wrong?"
He pressed his lips together. "Then—"
Before he could finish, his gaze sharpened as he caught a flicker of movement from the car behind them.
"Who’s in that car?" he demanded.
Assistant Yan broke into a cold sweat, forcing an awkward smile but staying silent.
He Siyu’s expression darkened as realization struck. "He Yun’an!"
Sang Ning turned in confusion just as the car door swung open and a child trudged out, head hanging low.
The boy hunched his shoulders, eyeing He Siyu’s stormy expression fearlessly. "Uncle," he mumbled.
Sang Ning froze, recognizing him as the child she’d seen outside Huiyao Tower last month—the rumored illegitimate son of He Siyu.
His current pitiful demeanor was a far cry from the brash arrogance he’d displayed during their first encounter.
But what had he just called him?
He Siyu shot a glare at Assistant Yan.
Assistant Yan hurried to explain, "I ran into the young master when I went back for the inkstone. He insisted on coming along. I couldn’t stop him."
He Yun’an kept his head down, not daring to look up.
He Siyu’s voice was icy. "He Yun’an, have you lost your mind? Who gave you permission to leave the house?"
"I didn’t—"
He weakly protested, sneaking a glance at Sang Ning.
Huh. She looked familiar.
Seeing the child’s pleading eyes, Sang Ning debated whether to intervene. But considering He Siyu’s temper, she worried she might end up in the line of fire.
Besides, the kid probably deserved it.
Opting for self-preservation, she politely said to He Siyu, "Ji Yan is waiting for me. I should get going."
He Siyu swallowed whatever he’d been about to say. "Fine."
With that, Sang Ning turned and walked into Taikoo Li’s pedestrian street.
Ji Yan had been waiting at the café, complaining the moment Sang Ning arrived. "If you’d taken any longer, I’d have drowned in coffee."
"Sorry, I got held up by something unexpected," Sang Ning said, taking a seat.
"What happened?" Ji Yan stirred her third cup of coffee listlessly, her face the picture of exhaustion.
"I ran into that so-called illegitimate son of the He family you mentioned," Sang Ning whispered.
"Wait, what?!" Ji Yan’s lethargy vanished instantly, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of gossip.
Sang Ning frowned. "But I heard him call He Siyu… Uncle?"
Ji Yan’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "WHAT?!"
---
The moment Sang Ning left, He Siyu’s expression turned thunderous.
He fixed He Yun’an with a glare. "You’ve got some nerve. Why did you follow me? Spying on me?"
He Yun’an shook his head frantically. "No, no! I was just bored at home, and when Assistant Yan came back to get something, I thought I’d tag along for a ride!"
He Siyu scoffed. "Bored? If you’re so bored, I’ll ship you off to school!"
He Yun’an ducked his head. "Actually… I’m not that bored."
He Siyu: "…"
"You’re asking for a beating," he said, his patience wearing thin.
He Yun’an’s survival instincts kicked in. Summoning his courage, he blurted out, "That Miss Sang just now—you like her, don’t you?!"
He Siyu’s eyebrow jumped, his expression shifting. "None of your damn business!"
He Yun’an knew he was right!
Assistant Yan had mentioned that his uncle was running an errand for Grandma, delivering a gift to a woman. That was unheard of—He Yun’an couldn’t imagine his uncle ever agreeing to such a thing in a million years.
Combined with his uncle’s odd behavior at home lately, He Yun’an had a strong suspicion this woman was special.
So, risking certain death, he’d sneaked along just to catch a glimpse of the woman who’d thawed his uncle’s frozen heart.
Emboldened, He Yun’an pressed on. "So you two aren’t dating yet?"
He Siyu’s fists clenched. "He Yun’an, do you have a death wish?"
"Uncle, you’ll never get a girlfriend like this. You didn’t even say anything nice to her just now," He Yun’an reasoned matter-of-factly.
He Siyu turned to Assistant Yan. "Book a private jet. Send him back to Australia. Now."
Assistant Yan startled. "Ah—yes, right away."
He Yun’an scrambled. "Wait! I know what kind of guy she likes! I’ve met her before—she even said I was handsome!"
He Siyu narrowed his eyes skeptically. "You’ve met her?"
He Yun’an nodded eagerly, puffing up with pride. "On my first day back, outside Huiyao Tower. She took one look at me and said I wasn’t just handsome—I was on a whole new level of handsome!"
He Siyu’s face remained impassive. Only an idiot would believe that nonsense.
He gestured to Assistant Yan. "Get him out of here."
"Uncle, I’m sorry! I swear I’ll never do it again! But I’m telling the truth—she really liked me at first sight! I know how to charm girls! I can help you!" He Yun’an pleaded desperately.
After a brief pause, He Siyu turned back to him. "She really said that?"
