Chapter 11

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After the elevator stopped, Ning Jiuwei deliberately let Su Jinglan exit first. Their offices were across from each other, so even though they had to take the same path, she insisted on keeping her distance from Su Jinglan.

Su Jinglan waited for her outside the elevator. Her tall, upright figure, poised sideways, stood out quietly and compellingly, impossible to ignore.

Ning Jiuwei kept her composure, stepped out of the elevator, and walked alongside Su Jinglan.

Their side-by-side figures passed the open-plan office, drawing several glances. Ning Jiuwei stared straight ahead without her usual gentle smile, said nothing to the president beside her, and proceeded unhurriedly to her own office.

A crisp cedar white musk scent slowly wafted from her body, subtly laced with an agarwood aroma that hinted at a detached indifference to the mortal world. Ning Jiuwei hadn’t lied—her perfume was woody floral. The initial rose notes had long dissipated into the air, leaving only the enduring, clear, and distinctive woody fragrance.

“Designer Ning, come to my office in an hour and a half,” Su Jinglan said at the door, finally breaking her silence.

The timing was spot-on: an hour and a half. Ning Jiuwei had a mild compulsion about managing time. After Su Jinglan spoke, she glanced at her wristwatch and noted the exact moment. “Alright.”

Her office, tidied daily, was immaculate. Ning Jiuwei walked toward her desk, sensing the gaze boring into her back. Rather than sitting down right away, she stood facing the desk with her back to the door and sent a message to her assistant.

Assistant Tan had wanted to come over earlier but, spotting the president, had stayed hunched at her workstation, observing discreetly without daring to approach.

The burning sensation on her back faded. Ning Jiuwei glanced unobtrusively over her shoulder at the doorway—Su Jinglan was gone.

She had listened for footsteps but heard none departing. She’d gone purely by feel, and feelings could be wrong. When exactly had Su Jinglan left?

The glass walls, unpowered and in privacy mode, blocked the view of the office opposite. Ning Jiuwei pulled her gaze from them and circled behind her desk to sit.

“Designer Ning.” Assistant Tan entered with client documents. Custom design requests had poured in over the past two days, everyone clamoring for Ning Jiuwei’s touch. “These are the ones I sorted this morning.”

“Just set them down.” Ning Jiuwei had summoned her assistant in case Su Jinglan entered, but now that she had left, work could wait.

Tan Yushu placed the documents on the desk, straightened the stack, and stood upright, her face etched with hesitation.

“If you have something to say, just say it,” Ning Jiuwei said, leaning back with a gentle smile.

She hadn’t closed the door on the way in. Assistant Tan glanced back, then lowered her voice. “Designer Ning, did you come to the company with the president?”

The word “with” carried heavy implications. Assistant Tan asking meant she had ideas—or had heard whispers.

Ning Jiuwei’s smile didn’t waver; she was glad to clear things up and avoid misunderstandings. “We ran into each other downstairs and just shared the elevator up.”

“The president walked you to the door, stood there a moment, then left—without going to her own office.” Assistant Tan had seen it all from her spot. Her workstation was in the corner of the open-plan office, closest to Ning Jiuwei’s, with a clear view of the corridor.

The smile vanished from Ning Jiuwei’s face. Beneath the desk’s cover, the hand resting on her knee clenched abruptly.

Her blank expression made the assistant’s heart pound. Assistant Tan pursed her lips, not daring to say more.

“You’re overthinking it.” Ning Jiuwei lifted the corners of her mouth into a gentle smile once more, sat up straight, and placed both hands on the desk. “Do you know where President Su went?”

“Uh, that?” Assistant Tan faltered. She was just the designer’s assistant, not the executive one—how would she know the president’s whereabouts? Still, her boss had asked, so she offered what she could. “Not exactly where, but she headed to the elevators, so definitely another floor.”

An assistant had to keep her eyes and ears everywhere, collecting intel for whenever it might prove useful.

Ning Jiuwei nodded with a smile. “Go back to your work.”

Assistant Tan had arrived curious and left bewildered.

She sat at her workstation, glanced at the designer’s office, propped her chin on her hand, and sank into thought.

Ning Jiuwei disabled privacy mode to confirm with her own eyes that Su Jinglan truly wasn’t in her office.

Even Dayu passing his house three times without entering was baffling enough. If Su Jinglan wasn’t coming to the office, why bother with the trip?

Ning Jiuwei didn’t want to assume it involved her, but Su Jinglan’s behavior forced her to pay attention.

Ning Jiuwei messaged Assistant Tan again, summoning her back.

“Assistant Tan, go to the Administration Department and ask if there are any vacant offices on the 22nd Floor.”

Assistant Tan hadn’t quite grasped the situation yet. Ning Jiuwei’s instruction left her even more baffled. “Designer Ning, do you want to… switch offices?”

As she spoke, she glanced instinctively across the way.

It made sense. Working right opposite the president was incredibly stressful, and Designer Ning preferred a quiet environment. Switching offices was only natural.

“I remember there’s an empty office in the west corner—secluded and peaceful. The only drawback is the afternoon sun.” Assistant Tan knew the floor layout well enough. “I’ll check with Administration to see if any others are available.”

There was one other confirmed empty office: the Former Design Division President’s office.

That one was definitely off-limits for Designer Ning.

Tan Yushu made a quick trip to the Administration Department. She got the rundown from the Administration Manager on every vacant private office on the sixth floor. The manager was a sharp operator and made a point of warning Assistant Tan: switching offices wasn’t trivial. With the new president freshly installed, they’d need her approval first.

Back when the former president was in charge, Chief Designer Ning could claim any office she wanted—they’d even clear it out for her on the spot. But this president might not yet appreciate Designer Ning’s talents. A casual switch like this could rub her the wrong way.

Assistant Tan passed along all the caveats, one by one.

Ning Jiuwei twirled the stylus from her tablet between her fingers. She listened with her eyes downcast and replied without looking up. “The West Corner Office will do. I’ll get approval from President Su.”

“Should I move over too?” The independent office in the west corner had a small attached workspace next door, designed specifically for an assistant. A flicker of hope stirred in Tan Yushu’s chest.

Ning Jiuwei lifted her gaze and smiled at her. “Of course you’ll come along, Assistant Tan.”

Excellent. Tan Yushu gave an inward cheer, her face breaking into a grin.

Spotting her excitement, Ning Jiuwei added a caution. “Don’t breathe a word until it’s official.”

Assistant Tan nodded vigorously, etching the instruction into her memory. “Understood.”

Five minutes shy of the one-and-a-half-hour deadline, two figures passed down the corridor outside the office. Ning Jiuwei caught the motion from the corner of her eye and stole a discreet glance. Su Jinglan and her assistant entered the office across the hall, one behind the other.

The assistant showed no sign of leaving, so Ning Jiuwei checked her watch twice before knocking precisely on time.

“Come in.” Seated in the boss chair, Su Jinglan closed the file in her hands. She rose as Ning Jiuwei entered and stepped out from behind the desk. “Have a seat, Designer Ning.”

A brand-new sofa set occupied the center of the office, untouched by anyone so far. Su Jinglan settled gracefully onto it, her smile warm and inviting as she waited for Ning Jiuwei to take the seat opposite.

“This is my assistant, Lin Fengmian,” Su Jinglan said by way of introduction.

Lin Fengmian brewed their tea with practiced ease, poured it out, and placed the purple clay teacups on the latticed tea tray. She then secured the office door and activated Privacy Mode on her way out. The room now existed in a state beyond prying eyes.

Su Jinglan lifted hers, inhaling the rich, sweet aroma before giving it a gentle blow.

The tea was piping hot. Su Jinglan took a delicate sip, in no hurry to speak. Ning Jiuwei’s eyes darted restlessly between her teacup and the pot.

“Designer Ning, do you know why I asked you to my office?”

In that moment, Ning Jiuwei felt the full weight of Su Jinglan’s presidential aura—like a languid lion methodically backing its prey into a corner.

Ning Jiuwei kept her composure. “I missed the meeting yesterday afternoon and the gathering dinner last night.”

“And?” Su Jinglan’s gaze was a deep, icy pool, locking onto Ning Jiuwei’s eyes with unflinching scrutiny.

Ning Jiuwei recognized the tactic: a prompt to spill without being pressed. She steadied herself, refusing to speculate, and smiled with serene warmth. “Please let me know, President Su.”

Su Jinglan let out a soft chuckle. She sipped her now-tempered tea, her eyes drifting from her fingertips across the tea table until they met Ning Jiuwei’s, blending together.

“Designer Ning, do you remember the design drawings I sent you last night?” Su Jinglan watched her reaction with keen interest, letting a trace of delight unfurl. “I’d like your guidance in person.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

She’d summoned her here just to hear praise to her face?

“With my current skills, I can’t offer President Su any guidance,” Ning Jiuwei said plainly.

“No need for modesty, Designer Ning. Forget I’m the president—treat me as an intern designer eager for a senior’s wisdom.” Su Jinglan mentioned Jiang Shiyao matter-of-factly. “Just like the advice Teacher Ning gave on Little Jiang’s drafts.”

“Little Jiang isn’t in the same league as President Su.” Ning Jiuwei’s pulse quickened despite her efforts. She lifted her tea to break eye contact. “President Su, your design drawings are flawless. Nothing needs changing.”

Su Jinglan finished the tea in her cup. She set down the teacup, leaned over to refill her water and brew a fresh cup, gazing up at Ning Jiuwei from below. “Can you read the meaning in the design drawings?”

Design was one way to express deep emotions. The designer poured their heart and soul into the work, hoping the recipient would understand.

Ning Jiuwei had a photographic memory. The design drawings she had deliberately tried to forget now unfolded in her mind once more, uncontrollably assembling the image of the final product.

Intense emotions slammed into the soft core of her heart. That suffocating sensation surged up in an instant, wrapping around her tightly once again and leaving her breathless.

“It’s obsessive passion. The theme for the Quarterly New Products is Azure Flame, and President Su’s design captures the theme’s meaning perfectly.” Ning Jiuwei gripped her teacup tightly, eager to wrap up the conversation and retreat to her office in the Teachers’ Office.

Su Jinglan set down her teacup and stepped over to Ning Jiuwei’s side. “Where do you see the obsessiveness?”

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