Chapter 10

Ning Jiuwei withdrew the message she had sent and locked her phone, placing it face down on the table.

She couldn’t show the design drawings to Shen Lanyan yet. Only a perfect, satisfactory piece could be presented to the client.

Withdrawing a message triggered a system notification, so Ning Jiuwei mentally prepared herself for Shen Lanyan’s questions. Unexpectedly, just a few seconds later, a reply came from the other side.

Light from the screen leaked through the gap, and Ning Jiuwei hesitated slightly before checking the message.

“Designer Ning, what did you withdraw?” Shen Lanyan’s lips hovered near the bottom microphone, her voice laced with teasing amusement as if she were performing in a play, clearly conveying her emotions. “Were you thinking of coming to see me?”

~~~

As soon as she sent the message, she looked up and met President Su’s dangerous glare.

“What did Ning Jiuwei send you?” Su Jinglan stared at Shen Lanyan with the eyes of someone interrogating a criminal, clearly demanding she hand over the phone.

Shen Lanyan held back her laughter and replied, “She hasn’t replied to me yet.”

Just as she finished speaking, the phone vibrated. Shen Lanyan immediately shifted her gaze to the screen. Ning Jiuwei had replied: Sent to the wrong person, sorry.

“Your precious designer doesn’t want to find me.” Shen Lanyan handed the phone over so Su Jinglan could see for herself, lest she not believe it.

Su Jinglan frowned, snatched Shen Lanyan’s phone, and using her account, typed to Ning Jiuwei: Who were you originally going to send it to?

She sent the message, but Ning Jiuwei didn’t reply.

Shen Lanyan rose from the sofa and stood beside Su Jinglan. Glancing at the message she had sent, she smiled and took back the phone. “President Su, if I were Ning Jiuwei, I wouldn’t tell you who I originally wanted to send it to either.”

Su Jinglan shot her a cold glance. Shen Lanyan slipped on her sunglasses, hiding her eyes. “I have an early flight tomorrow morning around five for a schedule. I need to get to bed early tonight. Good night, President Su.”

“You haven’t finished speaking.” Su Jinglan’s voice was icy.

Shen Lanyan smiled, raised her phone, and gave it a little wave. “President Su, instead of wasting time on me, why not chat with her?”

It was a quick trip from upstairs to downstairs. Shen Lanyan secured the door and paused in the entryway, sending a voice message to Ning Jiuwei. “Designer Ning, you originally wanted to find me, right?”

She phrased it as a question, but her tone left no doubt it was a statement of fact. Ning Jiuwei listened to the voice message, fell silent for a moment, then played it again.

Shen Lanyan glanced back at the tightly shut door and smiled as she headed to her own home.

The dim night offered a strange sense of security while sparking inspiration. Ning Jiuwei stood by the window, staring out with unfocused eyes, gradually transforming the view before her into the designs on her drawings.

An emerald might not suit Shen Lanyan’s age; it would make her look too mature on her hand. Ning Jiuwei gathered her scattered thoughts, and her eyes brightened in an instant.

She returned to her desk, pulled out fresh paper, and replaced the emerald gemstone with a sapphire.

Sapphires weren’t limited to blue; aside from the red ones called rubies, gems in yellow, gray, and other hues were all classified as sapphires. Ning Jiuwei centered the design around a vibrant sky-blue stone, reworking the ring setting and band.

Time slipped away swiftly amid the creative process. After adding the final stroke, Ning Jiuwei examined the completed draft, yet an indescribable dissatisfaction lingered in her heart.

The night grew deeper. Ning Jiuwei checked the time, set aside her work, and headed to take a bath.

She filled the bathtub to the brim and dropped in a bath bomb before stepping into the water and reclining.

It had been ages since her last proper soak. Warm water enveloped her body, gradually easing away the tension. The circulating currents massaged her while soothing her fatigue. Ning Jiuwei let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes toward the warm orange ceiling light.

With her nerves relaxed and defenses lowered, Su Jinglan’s gentle smile suddenly invaded her mind. Ning Jiuwei bolted upright, sending a splash of water flying. Her pounding heart forced her to gasp for air.

Bracing her hands on the tub’s edge, Ning Jiuwei regulated her breathing with deliberate holds to calm herself.

The bathtub’s constant-temperature system kept the water perfectly warm, but Ning Jiuwei felt a chill she couldn’t pinpoint—whether from her skin or deeper within. She climbed out, padded barefoot to the shower, and activated the full shower panel.

Hot water cascaded slowly from the overhead fixture and back wall onto her body. Ning Jiuwei turned to face the wall, switching from gentle mode to rain shower, immersing herself completely in the downpour to sharpen her focus.

Her undivided attention locked onto the newly sketched design draft, with no room left for other people or distractions.

The bath lasted a long time—nearly an hour before she emerged from the bathroom.

Ning Jiuwei slipped into a lightweight, form-fitting cyan silk nightgown and lay flat on the plush king-sized bed.

She lived alone and always slept in the center. The bedroom’s bright overhead light dimmed to a soft sleep-aid glow. In the quiet room, her gaze drifted to the ceiling.

Sleep eluded her entirely.

It felt just like being back in the guest room at Su Jinglan’s home, some unnamed emotion tugging at her heart—impossible to escape, yet impossible to surrender to fully.

Ning Jiuwei sat up and leaned against the headboard. Looking at her phone before bed only made it harder to fall asleep. She eyed the device on the bedside table for several seconds before finally picking it up.

Her phone was in sleep mode, so it hadn’t buzzed with notifications. When Ning Jiuwei unlocked the screen, she found several unread messages waiting—one of them from Jiang Shiyao.

Letting Jiang Shiyao have her way inevitably brought Su Jinglan to mind, especially after their shared dinner.

Ning Jiuwei pinched the bridge of her nose, set the phone aside, and forced herself to sleep.

Surrounded by the familiar bed and its comforting scent, Ning Jiuwei finally drifted off.

She woke the next morning with her mind weary from a night of relentless dreams, as if she hadn’t rested at all.

A little after five, Shen Lanyan texted her to say she’d gone out of town. If Ning Jiuwei wanted to meet, she should wait until Shen Lanyan returned in a couple of days.

The detailed itinerary update felt far too personal for dealings with a mere client. Out of politeness, Ning Jiuwei replied with a simple “Okay.”

No sooner had she hit send than Shen Lanyan’s call came through.

Ning Jiuwei answered, and Shen Lanyan’s voice—rich with amusement—greeted her with warm familiarity. “Morning, sister.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

What was with the “sister”?

“Morning, Miss Shen.” Ning Jiuwei walked over to the window to take the call.

“So that’s what sister’s voice sounds like fresh out of bed.” Shen Lanyan had dialed on a whim, never expecting to hear that slightly husky tone unique to early mornings.

“Miss Shen, I’m about to wash up.” Ning Jiuwei’s gaze sharpened, her raspy voice smoothing out after she cleared her throat into its usual clear, icy timbre.

“I’ll listen while sister washes…”

Before Shen Lanyan could finish, Ning Jiuwei ended the call.

Shen Lanyan was riding in the nanny car en route to the photography studio. Her manager sat beside her, while assistant Ah Xiao occupied one of the three seats in the back. Shen Lanyan hadn’t bothered to lower her voice during the call, so both women had overheard every word.

Her manager glanced over curiously. “When did you pick up a sister? Girlfriend?”

Shen Lanyan just smiled and said nothing.

The manager turned to the assistant. “Ah Xiao, you know anything about this?”

Ah Xiao had a pretty good idea who it was, but she shook her head anyway.

Putting on a stern expression, the manager lectured Shen Lanyan. “Better if she’s not your girlfriend. And if she is, keep it from the fans—no one can know you’re dating. Plus, if things end, pay her what you owe. Otherwise, your sister-in-law might hit back with an exposé and torpedo your whole career.”

“Sister Ling, you’re always thinking ten steps ahead—even mapping out my breakup for me.” Shen Lanyan reclined her seat, closed her eyes, and settled back with a grin. “Too early a start this morning. I’ll catch a nap. Wake me when we get there.”

Ning Jiuwei kept a strict schedule. She didn’t need to punch a clock at the office, but her arrival time rarely varied.

She pulled into the usual spot in front of the office building right on schedule. As she unbuckled her seatbelt to step out, her eyes landed on Su Jinglan.

Even in an outfit Ning Jiuwei had never seen before, she recognized the woman from behind without hesitation.

Ning Jiuwei pulled her hand back from the door handle and stayed in the car, watching Su Jinglan enter the office building. She timed it perfectly, waiting until Su Jinglan had reached the elevators before emerging herself.

Su Jinglan—who should have already headed upstairs—stood in front of the elevators instead, facing away with a gentle smile playing on her lips.

The moment Ning Jiuwei set foot in the lobby, their eyes met. An impulse to turn tail and flee surged through her, but Su Jinglan gave her no such opportunity. The amusement in her gaze only deepened.

Ning Jiuwei’s breath caught for a split second. She reined in her churning emotions and walked forward to meet that steady look. “Morning, President Su.”

“Morning, Designer Ning.” Su Jinglan’s smile warmed. “What a happy coincidence, running into you again.”

They stepped into the elevator together. Ning Jiuwei hit the button for the sixth floor and retreated to the farthest corner from Su Jinglan, intending to ride in silence all the way up.

The confined space of the elevator drew their presences inescapably close. Su Jinglan’s eyes settled on Ning Jiuwei, and out of nowhere, she asked, “Has Designer Ning switched perfumes?”

“No.” Ning Jiuwei clenched her fist at her side. Perfumes shifted from top notes to lingering base notes—Su Jinglan had smelled the latter before. And Su Jinglan wore perfume herself; she had to know better.

Su Jinglan took a step closer. She didn’t lean in for a sniff, only smiled softly as she asked, “What perfume does Designer Ning wear?”

Ning Jiuwei, ever vigilant against Su Jinglan closing the distance, replied: “…Path to the Underworld.”

~~~