"Nothing much."
She quickly leaned in for a closer look. "You got hit?! By who?"
His tone was casual. "Got a lesson from my dad."
She froze for a moment, staring at the red mark on his face, her brows furrowing. She reached out as if to touch it but hesitated, her fingers curling back.
"How could this happen... Was it because of Du Yao?"
He took her hand. "It’s nothing. The old man had to save face. I’m used to getting hit anyway."
Her frown deepened as she studied his injury. "Did you put any medicine on it?"
"For a small scratch like this? No need."
"That won’t do. Let’s go to the pharmacy!" she said firmly.
Suppressing a slight smile, he turned the steering wheel and merged into traffic. "Alright."
There was a pharmacy nearby. The car pulled over, and Sang Ning hurried out, rushing into the store and returning shortly with a tube of ointment.
He Siyu sat in the car, watching her flustered dash in and out of the pharmacy, the corners of his lips lifting. Suddenly, that slap didn’t feel like a waste.
Sang Ning got back into the car, and he schooled his expression. "Got it?"
"Yeah. The pharmacist said to apply this three times a day. It’ll heal in a day or two."
She opened the box, squeezed a bit of ointment onto her fingertip, then leaned closer to He Siyu’s face.
He sat still, looking down as she carefully dabbed the medicine onto his cheek.
The ointment was cool, but her fingers were warm, gently smoothing it over his skin. Her eyes were fixed on his injury, as if afraid she might hurt him if she wasn’t careful.
But her touch was too light, like a feather brushing against him. When her finger accidentally grazed the corner of his lips, his breath hitched, and he let out a soft hiss.
Her hand paused mid-air. She looked up, concerned. "Did I hurt you?"
His gaze darkened, voice low and rough. "It’s fine."
She lowered her eyes again, squeezed out more ointment, and continued applying it.
"Tell me if it hurts," she murmured.
His throat moved. "It hurts right now."
Sang Ning looked up in confusion. "But I haven’t touched you yet."
He leaned in and kissed her, murmuring against her lips, "A kiss will make it better."
Sang Ning: ?
She wasn’t too fond of this kiss today—the bitter taste of the ointment on his face was unpleasant up close.
But remembering he’d gotten beaten up for standing up for her, guilt tugged at her heart. She decided to be a little nicer to him and didn’t push him away.
Three minutes later, she finally turned her head to break the kiss.
He chased her lips, voice husky. "What’s wrong?"
She wrinkled her nose. "The ointment on your face smells terrible."
He Siyu: "..."
She said earnestly, "You should hurry up and get better."
"..."
The next noon, He Siyu arranged for He Yun'an to be picked up and took him out for lunch.
He Yun'an was excited. "Uncle, are you taking me to meet your girlfriend? Are you two together now? See, my plan worked, didn’t it?"
He Siyu drove, his tone lazy. "Kids shouldn’t meddle in grown-up business."
He Yun'an pouted. "You’re totally in love! You’ve been smiling like an idiot these days!"
He Siyu reached over and pinched his ear. "He Yun'an, do you need a lesson in manners?"
"Ow ow ow! No! I was wrong!"
He Siyu snorted and let go.
The car stopped in front of a restaurant.
"Get out."
He Yun'an happily followed him inside, where a server led them to a private room.
The moment the door opened, He Yun'an’s smile froze.
He Xingzhou was sitting inside.
He Siyu nudged the back of He Yun'an’s head. "Aren’t you going to greet your dad?"
He Yun'an shuffled in, avoiding eye contact, his voice sullen. "Dad."
He Xingzhou was silent for a beat before speaking. "I’ve arranged a school for you. You’ll stay in Jing City from now on."
He Yun'an’s eyes flickered, but he turned away with a pout. "Fine."
He Xingzhou then looked at He Siyu. "I’m leaving today. Take care of Yun'an for me."
"Got it."
Maybe because he was in a good mood lately, He Siyu’s tolerance for the kid had increased slightly.
He Xingzhou wasn’t much of a talker, and silence settled over the room.
The three of them ate quietly. After the meal, He Xingzhou stood to leave.
He reached out stiffly and patted He Yun'an’s head. "Listen to your uncle."
He Yun'an turned away.
He Xingzhou glanced at He Siyu. "I’ll head out first."
He Siyu nodded. "Alright."
He Xingzhou strode out without another word.
He Yun'an stared at his retreating figure, his small face tense.
"Kid, you’re not about to cry, are you?" He Siyu teased.
He Yun'an snapped, "No! Shut up!"
"Sure." He Siyu took a slow sip of water.
He Yun'an, frustrated, blurted out, "Uncle, with a mouth like that, you’ll definitely get dumped!"
He Siyu’s grip on the cup tightened. He turned, his gaze icy. "What did you say?"
He Yun'an instantly sobered up from his anger. "N-nothing!"
He Siyu grabbed his head. "Looks like you really need a lesson!"
"Uncle, I’m sorry!"
After another two weeks of rotation training at Nan Corporation, Sang Ning finally completed her internship. The department heads praised her highly, and even the chairman personally tested her knowledge—she answered flawlessly, earning his approval.
So, the chairman decided she would lead a small team as a manager starting next week.
Thrilled, Sang Ning shared the news with Ji Yan, who immediately demanded a celebratory meal.
Then, a call came in—"Grandma He."
She answered. "Grandma He."
"Sang Ning, have you been busy lately? I haven’t seen you in so long. I heard you started interning at the company—is it exhausting?"
Sang Ning replied honestly, "It was a bit hectic at first. There was so much to learn during the rotation that I didn’t have time to visit. But I just finished this week. How about I come see you tomorrow?"
Grandma He was delighted. "That’s perfect! I’ll have Nanny Zhao make your favorite clear-soup meatballs."
Sang Ning smiled. "Thank you, Grandma He."
On Saturday, Sang Ning dressed simply—a light pink blouse with a white skirt, her hair loose over her shoulders. At ten sharp, she left for Wisteria Lane.
It had been over a month since her last visit, but the narrow alley still felt warm and familiar.
"Miss Nan is here!" Nanny Zhao welcomed her warmly.
Sang Ning greeted politely. "Nanny Zhao."
Inside, she found Grandma He trimming plants on the balcony.
"Grandma He."
Grandma He turned and saw her, greeting cheerfully, "Sang Ning, you're here! Come in and sit."
Sang Ning walked over, bending down to admire Grandma He's flowers. "You really love roses, Grandma."
"Yes," Grandma He replied with a wistful smile. "When my late husband was still around, he would bring me a bouquet of roses every week."
Sang Ning smiled softly. "You and Grandpa He had such a beautiful bond."
Grandma He sighed. "After he passed away three years ago, it took me a long time to recover. If it weren't for all the responsibilities at home, I might have wanted to follow him."
"Grandma He, please don't say that," Sang Ning said gently. "Grandpa He would surely want you to live peacefully, healthily, and to a ripe old age."
Grandma He patted her hand. "When someone's alive, you don't always realize how much they mean to you. It's only after they're gone that the emptiness sets in, and you regret not cherishing them enough."
Sang Ning pressed her lips together, unsure how to comfort her.
"Enough of this talk," Grandma He waved it off, shifting the subject. "I heard you've been busy with work lately. It's good for young people to focus on their careers, but don't let it delay life's important matters. Have you met anyone special recently?"
Sang Ning hesitated for a moment before shaking her head with a light laugh. "No, not really."
