"Sang Ning, you're here?" Ji Yan waved at her. "Come play a game with us."
Sang Ning shifted her gaze toward Ji Yan and walked over.
He Siyu watched as she passed by him without so much as a glance, his brow twitching slightly, his expression tightening imperceptibly.
Ji Yan snatched the controller right out of Gu Xingchen’s hands and pulled Sang Ning down to sit beside her. "We'll play together. Gu Xingchen is completely useless."
Gu Xingchen grumbled indignantly, "Ji Yan, what’s your problem? You’re the one who’s slow! And you don’t even know how to cooperate. I told you to chop the ingredients, but you couldn’t even do that properly—plus, you kept blocking my way!"
"Who was the one who couldn’t even cook rice properly and ended up burning the kitchen?!"
"That’s because you blocked me! I couldn’t get past you, so I had to just stand there and watch the kitchen go up in flames!"
"Me blocking you? You were the one in my way!"
Pei Songhan sighed and stepped in to mediate. "Ji Yan, just play with Miss Nan. Gu Xingchen, if you’ve got nothing better to do, go drink with Meng Lai and the others."
Gu Xingchen and Ji Yan glared at each other before turning away in a huff, going their separate ways.
"Never mind him! Let’s just play!" Ji Yan shoved the controller into Sang Ning’s hands.
Sang Ning fiddled with the controller curiously. "But I don’t know how."
"I’ll teach you. It’s easy—even Gu Xingchen managed to learn, and he’s got no brain."
Gu Xingchen whipped his head around. "Ji Yan, are you bad-mouthing me again behind my back?!"
Ji Yan scoffed. "Why would I need to do it behind your back?"
Pei Songhan massaged his temples. "You two, could you at least give me some face?"
The Pei Residence’s banquet tonight was filled with guests—all business partners of the Pei family. If these two kept arguing and ended up causing a scene, it would be a disaster.
The two of them snorted in unison before pointedly ignoring each other.
Ji Yan guided Sang Ning. "See this joystick? Push it up, down, left, or right to move. The one on the left controls the camera angle. Try it out—this game’s simple. I’ll walk you through the first level."
"Okay."
Sang Ning tilted the joystick, and the character on-screen began moving in circles, following her commands precisely. She blinked—this was actually really fun!
"This button picks things up, and this one puts them down. The goal is to cook and serve dishes, but the real challenge is teamwork!"
Ji Yan explained while Sang Ning listened attentively. Within five minutes, they were already starting the first level.
He Siyu sat on the nearby sofa, watching as she focused entirely on that ridiculous game, her eyes glued to the screen without sparing him a single glance.
His expression darkened further.
Gu Xingchen plopped down beside him with a drink. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"
Following He Siyu’s gaze, he noticed it was fixed on Ji Yan and Sang Ning.
Gu Xingchen blinked. "Wait—do you want to play Overcooked too?"
He Siyu: "..."
"Just say so! Songhan’s got another PS5 here. I’ll play with you!" Gu Xingchen offered generously.
He Siyu shot him a frosty look. "I’m not interested."
"Come on, if you weren’t interested, why are you staring? There’s no shame in playing. So what if we’re older? A little childish fun never hurt anyone."
He Siyu’s eye twitched, his tone turning icy. "Get lost."
The door opened again, and a butler stepped in. "Young Master, the banquet is about to begin."
Pei Songhan nodded. "Alright, we’ll head down now."
Tonight’s event wasn’t just a casual gathering among friends—it was a formal business banquet, with all of the Pei family’s partners and long-time associates in attendance.
The group had only come upstairs earlier to relax in Pei Songhan’s room before the main event.
"We did it!" Ji Yan cheered, nudging Sang Ning excitedly. "Sang Ning, you’re a natural! Guess some people’s brains just work better than others."
Gu Xingchen scowled. "Ji Yan, who are you throwing shade at now?!"
Pei Songhan cut in. "Let’s go downstairs first. The banquet’s starting."
Ji Yan smirked triumphantly, setting down the controller and pulling Sang Ning up. "Next time, come to my place, and we’ll keep playing. This game’s so much fun—it’s all about teamwork, and we make a great pair!"
Sang Ning smiled and nodded. "Sure."
"Let’s head down. I’m actually starving."
Ji Yan led the way, Sang Ning following behind. As she passed the sofa, her eyes flickered toward He Siyu—his expression was cold, as if he was in a bad mood?
Pei Songhan patted He Siyu’s shoulder. "Come on, let’s go."
He Siyu glanced one last time at Sang Ning’s retreating figure before exhaling and standing up.
Ji Yan and Sang Ning descended the grand staircase, the two-story hall illuminated brilliantly by crystal chandeliers. Floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the lively crowd of guests mingling below.
Old Master Nan, finally seizing the chance to speak with Chairman Pei, was all smiles as he engaged in conversation.
The rest of the Nan family trailed behind him.
Nan Siya looked up just as the group descended the stairs—every one of them was part of Beijing’s elite upper-class circle.
This was the Nan family’s first time attending a Pei banquet, and Nan Siya barely recognized anyone here. Yet, Nan Sang Ning had been invited upstairs, effortlessly blending into their exclusive circle!
They were both Nan family daughters, but while Sang Ning clung to Ji Yan to climb the social ladder, Nan Siya was stuck downstairs, trailing behind her parents and grandfather like a useless ornament.
Her nails dug into her palms.
Just then, a voice called out, "Miss Zhu is here!"
The doors opened, and Zhu Jiani stepped inside, dressed in a soft lavender strapless gown, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, exuding elegance.
Someone approached her with a glass. "Jiani, you’re late!"
"My studio kept me longer than expected. Luckily, I didn’t miss the banquet."
"How could you? You’re practically the guest of honor tonight."
Zhu Jiani smiled politely. "You flatter me."
"Ah, Second Young Master Pei is here."
The crowd parted as Pei Songhan made his way over, nodding courteously. "You made it."
Zhu Jiani chuckled. "Late again, I’m afraid."
"No matter. The banquet hasn’t officially started yet."
Just then, a sweet, saccharine voice cut in.
"Big sister, you’re so lucky to be invited upstairs by Second Young Master Pei. This is our family’s first time at a Pei banquet, and you’re the only one who got special treatment."
Sang Ning had just reached Nan Siya’s vicinity when the latter suddenly grabbed her, "concern" dripping from her words.
Nan Siya had sent Zhu Jiani that video, yet somehow, Sang Ning was completely unharmed. She refused to believe Zhu Jiani would just let this slide.
She must be seething inside.
Nan Siya couldn’t stand seeing Sang Ning bask in the spotlight—she wanted Zhu Jiani to snap and publicly humiliate Sang Ning as the homewrecker she was!
Sang Ning paused. Did this idiot not realize that causing a scene here would disgrace the entire Nan family?
Zhu Jiani turned at the sound of the voice, her eyes landing on a familiar face.
So this was Nan Sang Ning?
Pei Songhan’s expression darkened as he shot a cold glance in Nan Siya’s direction.
Zhu Jiani, noticing the sudden shift in his demeanor, hesitated slightly.
Pei Songhan was about to speak when Zhu Jiani pressed his arm and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Miss Nan is also my honored guest."
Her words instantly dispelled the speculative glances lingering in the room.
Nan Siya's face froze in shock—Zhu Jiani was actually defending Sang Ning?!
Ji Yan stormed over, cursing loudly, "Why are some people's mouths so foul? Spouting nonsense all day—did they eat shit or what? Quit pretending to be all innocent while dripping with jealousy just because you weren’t invited."
The room fell into dead silence.
Nan Siya's face turned ashen, then flushed crimson within seconds, as if blood might drip from it. "Y-you... how dare you—"
"What, are you deaf? Need everything repeated twice? Seems like your tongue works just fine, wagging all day like a gossipy old hag."
Sang Ning quickly pulled Ji Yan back, shaking her head slightly. Making a scene here would only embarrass everyone.
Ji Yan scoffed but reluctantly let Nan Siya off the hook.
Tears welled in Nan Siya's eyes—she had never been insulted so viciously, especially not in front of so many people. She wished she could disappear.
Zhu Jiani gestured for a server to escort Nan Siya to a quiet area to compose herself, ensuring the evening wouldn’t be further disrupted.
The brewing storm dissipated as quickly as it had begun, and the hall returned to its previous harmonious atmosphere.
Zhu Jiani chuckled at Ji Yan. "When will you ever temper that fiery temper of yours?"
"Not a chance in hell," Ji Yan retorted, glaring at Nan Siya’s retreating figure before letting out another disdainful snort.
Zhu Jiani then turned to Sang Ning, greeting her politely. "Miss Nan."
Sang Ning nodded slightly. "Miss Zhu."
As the banquet officially began, others soon approached Zhu Jiani and Pei Songhan to toast, so their exchange with Sang Ning remained brief before they moved on.
Wen Meiling hurried over. "Where’s Siya?"
The Nan family had been mingling elsewhere when they realized Nan Siya had vanished. Wen Meiling had come searching.
Sang Ning replied flatly, "Her makeup smudged. She probably went to freshen up."
Wen Meiling frowned. "That girl—how could she wander off like this? This is the Pei Residence. If she accidentally trespasses somewhere, it’ll be a disaster. Go find her quickly."
Sang Ning lifted her gaze, but her eyes traveled past Wen Meiling, locking onto a pair of dark, piercing ones.
Across the crowd, He Siyu stood surrounded by admirers, his gaze drifting up indifferently—just long enough to meet hers.
Then he looked away, nodding at the person speaking to him as if her stare meant nothing.
Sang Ning pressed her lips together and said to Wen Meiling, "I’ll go look for her now."
"Good, hurry," Wen Meiling urged.
As Sang Ning turned to leave, He Siyu glanced up again, watching her retreating figure. His brow furrowed slightly.
"Third Young Master He?"
"I have something to attend to. We’ll talk later." He Siyu set down his wine glass and strode out without another word.
