"……"
Sometimes she really wanted to poison him into silence!
"Would you stop being so annoying!"
He smirked. "Fine, I’ll drop it."
No need to push her—she’d only get flustered.
After a pause, he added, "But I won’t settle for being at a disadvantage. I want a kiss back."
"……"
She couldn’t take it anymore. "Then what about the times you kissed me before?"
His brow arched. "You’re welcome to kiss me back. It’s not like I’d stop you."
"……"
She took a deep breath. "If you keep talking nonsense, I’m leaving right now."
He nodded. "Then let’s go eat."
She scoffed, refusing to engage. His teasing had jolted her awake, clearing the fog in her tired mind.
With a light grip on the steering wheel, he drove into traffic, his earlier frustration from waiting all night completely gone.
Waiting for her wasn’t so bad—especially since she liked him so much.
He took her to that private kitchen they’d visited before. Sang Ning ate two full bowls of rice.
"Does the Nan family not feed you?" He Siyu asked.
Satisfied, Sang Ning set down her chopsticks and picked up a cup of yogurt, taking a sip. Tart and sweet—just how she liked it.
"My brain works hard, so I get hungry fast," she said before taking another sip.
His brow furrowed. "Your grandfather has you rotating through internships. Just take your time learning. Why rush?"
Seeing her exhausted like this every day pained him.
"I don’t want to drag it out."
She put down the yogurt and met his gaze, her eyes bright despite her fatigue. "Besides, I enjoy it."
His heart skipped a beat. "Enjoy what?"
"Learning new things," she said with a smile.
"……"
He rubbed his nose. "Oh."
---
Sang Ning had an exhausting week, often working until 10 p.m. He Siyu picked her up every night, taking her to dinner before driving her home.
But their time together was limited—she was always too drained by the time she clocked out.
On Saturday, her rare day off, Ji Yan invited her out shopping.
Sang Ning slept in and didn’t leave until nearly noon—a schedule that matched Ji Yan’s, who had been out clubbing until dawn and was only just waking up.
"Here, for you."
Ji Yan handed her a cup of milk tea. "Strawberry boba milk green, your favorite."
Sang Ning happily accepted it, stabbing the straw in and taking a sip. Sweet and delicious.
"How long have you been here?" she asked.
Ji Yan popped a straw into her own cup. "Just got here. Ordered this while waiting for you. You’ve been so busy lately, it’s like you’re the president—completely MIA."
"Work’s been hectic."
"Yeah, yeah. The young miss is fighting for her inheritance," Ji Yan teased. "But since you’ll be my sugar mama someday, I’ll forgive you."
Sang Ning laughed.
But Ji Yan suddenly leaned in, scrutinizing her. "Wait, something’s off about you."
Sang Ning blinked. "Huh?"
"Are you hiding something?" Ji Yan narrowed her eyes.
"Of course not." Sang Ning’s expression was the picture of innocence.
Ji Yan stroked her chin. "I can’t put my finger on it, but you seem… different."
"How?"
"I don’t know. You just look… brighter."
Sang Ning thought for a moment. "Maybe it’s the twelve hours of sleep I got last night."
After a grueling week, the rest did wonders.
Ji Yan nodded. "Makes sense."
"Let’s go shopping then."
"Come on! I’m taking you to this niche boutique—you’ll love it!"
"There’s a store here?" Sang Ning glanced around. The area was quiet, far from the usual shopping districts.
"Of course."
Ji Yan pulled her into a small white building, pushing open the glass door.
Inside, the decor was elegant yet bold, more like a designer’s studio than a typical clothing store.
"Miss Ji," an employee greeted, recognizing Ji Yan immediately.
Without pause, Ji Yan dragged Sang Ning upstairs. "Is Jiani-jie here?"
"She is, but—"
Before the employee could finish, Ji Yan had already charged up to the second floor.
But the moment they reached the top, Ji Yan’s cheerful call for "Jiani-jie" died in her throat.
Zhu Jiani sat at her design desk, sketches spread across the surface. A man stood beside her, bending down to kiss her.
And that man was not Pei Songhan.
Ji Yan and Sang Ning froze, completely stunned.
Hearing the disturbance, Zhu Jiani turned. Surprise flickered across her face before she gently pushed the man away, setting down her pencil and rising to greet them.
"What brings you here?"
Ji Yan was still shell-shocked, but Sang Ning managed to compose herself, though her eyes betrayed her unease.
"We were shopping nearby," Sang Ning said.
"Ji Yan must’ve brought you," Zhu Jiani said with a smile, then turned to the man. "Could you get them some water?"
The man nodded. "Of course." Then he headed downstairs.
Ji Yan’s face was rigid with shock. "Jiani-jie, who is he…?"
Zhu Jiani answered casually, "My assistant. And my boyfriend."
Ji Yan and Sang Ning: "……"
"Please keep this quiet," Zhu Jiani said. "The Zhu and Pei families’ wedding is approaching. I’d rather avoid complications."
She referred to it as the families’ wedding—not hers and Pei Songhan’s.
Sang Ning nodded. "Don’t worry, Miss Zhu. We won’t say a word."
Zhu Jiani studied her for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you."
She added, "Since it’s your first visit, Miss Nan, let me design a dress for you."
Sang Ning was taken aback but quickly understood—this was a bribe to ensure her silence.
She accepted gracefully. "Thank you, Miss Zhu."
Zhu Jiani smiled. "My pleasure."
She fetched a measuring tape and personally took Sang Ning’s measurements.
Ji Yan remained dazed, as if still processing the shock.
Half an hour later, Sang Ning and Ji Yan left the studio.
Ji Yan muttered, "I can’t believe Jiani-jie has another boyfriend. I thought she was…"
Head over heels for Pei Songhan.
Sang Ning mused, "Miss Zhu was very calm about it. Her fiancé must know."
Ji Yan looked like her world had shattered.
"This is insane! They’re about to get married!"
Sang Ning pressed her lips together. "Not so strange. It’s an arranged marriage—love was never part of the deal."
After all, couples like Chen Zheng and Nan Siya, who were madly in love, were the exception.
Ji Yan’s expression dimmed. "Right. In the end, even I’ll have to marry for alliances."
Sang Ning fell silent.
She hated the thought of free-spirited Ji Yan trapped in a loveless marriage, but there was nothing she could do.
She couldn’t even fully control her own fate yet.
But Ji Yan was still Ji Yan. After half an hour of gloom, she bounced back, dragging Sang Ning through the mall on a shopping spree that maxed out a credit card.
"If you can't resist, you might as well enjoy it to the fullest!" Ji Yan declared this timeless wisdom.
Sunday.
Sang Ning set out at eleven in the morning, heading to an upscale restaurant in the CBD.
She pushed open the door of the private dining room and found He Siyu already seated inside.
"You’re here so early?" Sang Ning was surprised.
They had agreed to meet at twelve, and she had deliberately arrived half an hour ahead.
He Siyu replied coolly, "I had nothing else to do, so I came first."
Sang Ning blinked. "Oh, same here."
"Really? Seems like you’ve been too busy—your schedule must be packed to the brim," he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
Sang Ning: "..."
She had been swamped all week, and now that it was finally the weekend, she had chosen to accompany Ji Yan shopping first. Of course, he wasn’t happy about it.
"Ji Yan booked me ages ago. We barely get to see each other otherwise."
"You barely see me for more than a few minutes either," he retorted, his expression darkening.
"..."
She deadpanned, "Are you deliberately picking a fight with me?"
"I just don’t want you to work yourself to death."
Then, abruptly, he said, "Why don’t we just get engaged? That way, your family won’t be able to control you anymore."
Sang Ning’s gaze faltered.
