He Siyu’s brow twitched, and his grip on the knife and fork tightened slightly.
The phrase "showing kindness" had never once appeared in his twenty-eight years of life.
His tone was cold and stiff: "I just didn’t want you to starve to death."
Sang Ning blinked, catching a rare flicker of tension in his usually composed and indifferent eyes.
She curved her lips. "Then, thank you."
He Siyu noticed the deep dimple on her cheek and suddenly realized that she had been smiling more often in front of him lately.
Not the polite, distant kind of smile, but a genuine, bright, and sweet one.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he picked up the knife and fork again to cut into his steak, his tone casual. "Mhm."
After the meal, He Siyu drove Sang Ning home.
As usual, he stopped the car at the intersection near the Sang residence. She stepped out, bid him a courteous goodbye, and turned to leave.
He Siyu stared at the familiar road, recalling the embrace they had shared there that day. His throat tightened.
He wanted to hold her again.
Back home, Sang Ning placed the bouquet of roses on her desk.
After a moment’s thought, she took out her phone.
[What’s the meaning of roses?]
A message suddenly popped up on WeChat.
Ye Qian: [Sang Ning, are you free tomorrow? Let’s meet at the law firm to sign the equity distribution contract.]
Sang Ning had decided to invest in the AI startup project founded by Ye Qian and Zhang Liang. Ye Qian had explained that since Sang Ning was contributing the most capital, she would be the majority shareholder. They needed to formalize the partnership with a contract outlining the equity and profit-sharing ratios.
Sang Ning typed back: [I’m free.]
[Great! Let’s meet at Junping Law Firm tomorrow at 10 a.m.!]
[OKK]
The next morning, Sang Ning first stopped by her company to request a two-hour leave from Team Leader Lin.
Team Leader Lin was in unusually high spirits. "Sure! We were planning to celebrate today anyway—our bid passed the preliminary round yesterday! The whole team’s getting together for dinner tonight to mark the occasion!"
Sang Ning smiled. "Sounds good."
Leaving the office, she hailed a taxi straight to Junping Law Firm. She hadn’t informed Uncle Zhang, nor did she plan to tell her family about this matter.
"Sang Ning!"
As soon as she stepped out of the car, she spotted Zhang Liang and Ye Qian already waiting by the roadside, waving at her.
She walked over. "How long have you two been here?"
"Just arrived. Come on, let’s head up together!" Ye Qian linked arms with her, and the three of them eagerly entered the towering building.
Junping Law Firm occupied the entire seventeenth floor.
After stepping out of the elevator, they approached the reception desk. Ye Qian provided their appointment details, and the receptionist led them to a small conference room.
"Please have a seat. I’ll fetch Attorney Zhao for you shortly."
This was Sang Ning’s first time in a law firm, and she found everything fascinating. The staff were all dressed in sharp suits, moving briskly like true business elites, with stacks of documents piled neatly on the side.
"This firm is top-tier—one of the best in Jing City. Rumor has it that only graduates from the top five universities in the country can even get in here," Ye Qian whispered to Sang Ning.
"Aren’t you one too?"
"Me? No way. I only got into Jing University for grad school. It’s not the same as being an undergrad alum—totally different leagues."
Sang Ning blinked. There was such a distinction?
Then what did that make her, a transfer student who got in through connections?
The glass door swung open, and a woman in a tailored suit walked in, holding a stack of documents in one hand. Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail, and her professional attire gave off an air of sharp efficiency. She looked surprisingly young.
"Hello, I’m Zhao Yunke, the attorney handling your equity and profit-sharing contract," she introduced herself politely.
Ye Qian immediately stood to shake her hand. "Attorney Zhao, wow, I didn’t expect you to be so young! The records say you’re already a senior attorney."
Zhao Yunke smiled. "I’m almost thirty."
"You really don’t look it."
"You flatter me, Ms. Ye."
Zhao Yunke took a seat and distributed three copies of the documents. "This is the drafted equity distribution agreement. Please review it first."
"For this joint venture, Ms. Sang is investing three million, Ms. Ye five hundred thousand, and Mr. Zhang one million. Additionally, Mr. Zhang is contributing technical expertise, so the agreed-upon equity split is fifty-two percent for Ms. Sang, ten percent for Ms. Ye, and thirty-eight percent for Mr. Zhang."
Ye Qian and Zhang Liang nodded, then glanced at Sang Ning. "Since you’re investing the most, we’re making you the majority shareholder."
Sang Ning agreed. "Alright."
"If there are no objections, we can proceed with signing and notarizing the contract."
The three of them signed the documents efficiently, completing the entire process without delay.
An hour later, everything was finalized.
"Thank you, Attorney Zhao," Sang Ning said.
Zhao Yunke smiled. "Just doing my job. Feel free to consult me if you need anything else in the future."
As she spoke, she handed each of them a business card.
Now that they had officially established their company, legal disputes were inevitable down the line.
Sang Ning took the card, scanning the impressive credentials listed on it.
As they exited the building, Ye Qian was practically bouncing with excitement. "Sang Ning, I can’t thank you enough! If it weren’t for your investment, Zhang Liang and I would’ve had to take out loans to fund this!"
Zhang Liang had sold the apartment his family had bought for him to raise the one million, and Ye Qian’s five hundred thousand had drained her parents’ savings.
But even one and a half million wasn’t enough—they needed at least three. Who knew Sang Ning would casually invest three million in one go? Now their funding was more than sufficient!
Sang Ning smiled. "It’s not like I’m giving it away for free. I have equity too."
"Right, right! Our majority shareholder!"
In her excitement, Ye Qian’s shoulder bag slipped off, spilling its contents onto the ground. Sang Ning helped pick it up, only to notice a box of chocolates that had fallen out.
"What’s this?"
Ye Qian hesitated. "Oh, just some chocolates."
She opened the box and offered one to Sang Ning. "Here, try it. They’re really good."
Sang Ning had never had chocolate before. She took a piece and savored the sweetness, instantly loving it.
"Where did you buy these?"
"Uh…" Ye Qian shot a panicked glance at Zhang Liang.
Zhang Liang quickly interjected, "I bought them."
"Yeah! I asked him to get them for me!"
Sang Ning nodded. "Then could you buy me a box next time?"
Zhang Liang: "…"
Ye Qian agreed without hesitation. "Sure! I’ll have him get two boxes next time!"
Zhang Liang scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah, no problem."
"I got them from a small shop in Linluo Bay last weekend. Their chocolates are handmade—really delicious," Zhang Liang explained.
Sang Ning blinked, then suddenly turned to Ye Qian. "Wait, were you in Linluo Bay last weekend too?"
"Huh? No."
"The sixth photo in your WeChat Moments from the other day had a Linluo Bay safety sign in the bottom corner."
Ye Qian: "…"
What kind of photographic memory was this?!
Zhang Liang’s face flushed red, and he seemed on the verge of confessing outright.
But Ye Qian couldn’t take it anymore. "Enough! Zhang Liang, we’re breaking up!"
Zhang Liang: "???"
Sang Ning: "???"
Ye Qian grabbed Sang Ning’s hand. "I messed up. I regret ever agreeing to date him. The three of us are starting a business together—I shouldn’t have let our revolutionary friendship turn into something else!"
Sang Ning was stunned for a moment before finally speaking. "So… you and Zhang Liang were dating?"
"I was just acting on impulse at the time!"
Zhang Liang frowned in dissatisfaction.
Sang Ning couldn’t help but laugh. "You two are good together, aren’t you? Why keep it from me?"
"Ah, we’re starting a business together, and relationships are the last thing we should mix in. We’re afraid things might fall apart halfway and affect the company. We’ve only been together for a few days, and I originally planned to wait until we were more stable before making it public."
"But Sang Ning, I promise you—even if Zhang Liang and I break up, we’ll handle it rationally and peacefully. This company means everything to us; it’s our biggest dream in life."
Ye Qian spoke earnestly. "Besides, you’re the majority shareholder. Even if Zhang Liang and I combine our shares, we still don’t hold as much as you. We’d never let your interests suffer."
Sang Ning nodded. "I believe you."
Trust was the foundation of their partnership. She had chosen to work with Ye Qian and Zhang Liang, and she would stand by that trust.
Ye Qian was deeply moved. "Sang Ning, thank you."
Suddenly, Sang Ning asked, "So when are you two getting married?"
Ye Qian froze. "Married? What marriage?"
"You’re together—aren’t you setting a wedding date?"
Ye Qian nearly rolled her eyes. "We’re just ordinary people, not like you high-society types with your engagements. If we ever get married, we might just sign the papers and call it a day."
She waved her hand dismissively. "But that’s way too far off. We’re just dating right now, not thinking about marriage."
Sang Ning looked puzzled. "Dating… but not marrying?"
"Exactly! Our biggest dream hasn’t even taken off yet. Getting married now would just be a distraction."
Ye Qian couldn’t resist teasing her. "Sang Ning, when are you going to modernize that old-fashioned mindset of yours? Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to my grandma."
Sang Ning mused thoughtfully. "If you’re not getting married, then why date at all?"
"Because we like each other, of course!"
Zhang Liang’s dark complexion flushed slightly as he shyly lowered his head.
Sang Ning turned to Ye Qian. "What does ‘liking someone’ even mean?"
"Liking someone means… enjoying the time you spend together, loving to hear them talk, loving to share meals, loving the way they smell."
Ye Qian pinched her cheek playfully. "Sang Ning, you should try dating too! We could balance career and love—wouldn’t that be great?"
Sang Ning blinked, hesitating for a moment.
---
That afternoon, Sang Ning returned to the office and worked with her team to organize materials for the next round of bidding.
After work, Team Leader Lin invited the team out for a hot pot dinner.
The atmosphere was lively, and though the noise would usually bother her, Sang Ning found herself immersed in the energy of it all—it felt vibrant, full of life.
By nine in the evening, the dinner wrapped up.
Sang Ning trailed behind her colleagues as they stepped outside.
Team Leader Lin, his face flushed from drinking, asked, "Xiao Sang, is your place far? Li Cheng didn’t drink—he can drive you home."
Li Cheng immediately nodded. "I’ll take you."
Sang Ning politely declined. "No need, I live nearby. I can get back on my own."
"Then be careful on your way."
"Will do."
The colleagues gradually dispersed in small groups.
Sang Ning was about to hail a cab when she suddenly looked up—and there, parked by the roadside under the streetlights, was a familiar Range Rover.
A tall figure leaned against the car, hands tucked into his suit pants, his expression unreadable.
Sang Ning’s steps faltered.
Unbidden, Ye Qian’s words echoed in her mind.
"Liking someone means… loving the way they smell."
Sang Ning tilted her head slightly, suddenly wondering—what did He Siyu smell like?
