Chapter 25

Looking into Su Jinglan’s gentle, smiling eyes, Ning Jiuwei’s heart pounded wildly, even faster than the train picking up speed.

She had a seat all to herself in business class, while Tan Yushu sat diagonally in front of her. Hearing the exchange, Tan Yushu turned to look back, but Ning Jiuwei offered no reply. As an assistant well-versed in protocol, Tan Yushu opened her mouth to speak up for her—then hesitated and quietly settled back into her seat.

President Su had been addressing Designer Ning, not her, the little assistant. She couldn’t just jump into the conversation.

The door to the business class carriage slid shut as the high-speed train hurtled onward. Su Jinglan smiled and took her seat, pulling out her phone.

The carriage fell silent save for the whoosh of wind against the train. Beyond the pitch-black window, distant pinpricks of light faded quickly as the train plunged into the vast, rolling mountains.

Ning Jiuwei couldn’t compose herself. The glass reflected the interior perfectly, and she watched Su Jinglan in its glow—head bowed, quietly scrolling on her phone. A tangle of emotions wrenched at her heart.

The train attendant wheeled in a cart laden with tea and drinks. Ning Jiuwei accepted a bottle of mineral water, drank half of it, then closed her eyes and leaned back to rest.

Business class offered wake-up reminders, so there was no fear of missing her stop—especially with an assistant along. Ning Jiuwei hoped to sleep straight through to their destination, but even with her eyes shut, her mind buzzed alertly, as if she’d downed a cup of coffee. Not a hint of drowsiness touched her.

Lin Fengmian pulled her laptop from her backpack, reclined her seat, and set the computer on her lap to work. She toiled with such diligence that she resembled some high-level executive who couldn’t afford to slack off and risk delaying the project.

“Mm, go ahead,” Lin Fengmian murmured, lowering her voice as she adjusted her Bluetooth earpiece. “I’m listening.”

Her sudden words shattered the carriage’s quiet. She spoke two sentences into the phone, then fell silent.

Ning Jiuwei heard it all and cracked her eyelids open. Assistant Lin’s seat was directly ahead, the chairs curved in a half-enveloping eggshell shape that hid her from view. All Ning Jiuwei could make out was the rhythmic clacking of keys.

Seizing the moment, Ning Jiuwei glanced sideways. Su Jinglan hadn’t budged; at some point her phone had become a tablet, and now she pored over pages of dense text.

The president and her assistant, both hard at work.

What a coincidence?

The world held no such string of coincidences—only calculated schemes with hidden agendas.

Ning Jiuwei refused to believe they’d simply bumped into each other here. She hadn’t spotted Su Jinglan in the VIP lounge, and Su Jinglan had boarded right on the dot, clearly having timed her arrival for this very train.

Time blurred past in the high-speed rush. As the station approached, Ning Jiuwei stayed put with her eyes closed, slumped in her seat. The attendant entered the business class carriage, leaned down to gently pat her arm, and murmured softly, “Excuse me, ma’am—your stop is coming up. Please gather your carry-ons.”

Smiling, the attendant moved on to remind Tan Yushu before slipping out.

Su Jinglan wasn’t getting off here? Ning Jiuwei glanced her way in confusion, but Su Jinglan stared intently at her digital file, oblivious—or pretending to be—to the look.

The train braked smoothly to a halt at the platform. Ning Jiuwei grabbed her suitcase and finally addressed Su Jinglan as she rose to leave.

“President Su, this is my stop.”

Su Jinglan smiled and locked her tablet screen. “Just a moment, Designer Ning. It’s mine too.”

Assistant Lin, who had been hugging her laptop while working, had already stowed her things. At the president’s words, she swiftly retrieved two black suitcases from the overhead rack and fell in behind them.

Business class let them bypass the throng of passengers. Su Jinglan walked at Ning Jiuwei’s side as they took the elevator down into the underpass, heading for the exit.

“Have you booked a hotel, Designer Ning?” Su Jinglan asked once they’d passed through the turnstile.

The city boasted plenty of five-star options. Ning Jiuwei rattled off one at random. “Yes—Wanjin International Hotel.”

“What a pity, then. We won’t be able to share with you, Designer Ning.” Su Jinglan glanced back at her efficient assistant, who was still navigating the turnstile while towing two suitcases. “My assistant reserved Wan Jun Hotel.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

Assistant Tan, dragging her own suitcase to catch up, overheard the name and chimed in without thinking. “We’re at Wan Jun Hotel too.” She hadn’t caught Ning Jiuwei’s white lie.

“Is that right?” Around company colleagues, Su Jinglan never softened her tone; her words carried the natural authority of a superior. “You’re at Wan Jun?”

Assistant Tan nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

She had booked it herself—impossible to forget.

Su Jinglan turned to Ning Jiuwei, her smile rich with unspoken meaning.

“President Su, the car’s waiting in the parking lot. I’ll have him bring it around now.” Lin Fengmian hooked the two roller bags together with one hand, freeing the other to dial her phone.

Su Jinglan hummed in acknowledgment and followed the directional signs down the passage. Assistant Lin trailed closely at her side, having already confirmed their pickup spot over the phone.

“Aren’t we… going?” Assistant Tan asked tentatively, eyeing Ning Jiuwei, who remained rooted to the spot.

Aren’t we taking President Su’s car?

Su Jinglan paused after walking a short distance and turned back. “Designer Ning,” she called.

Ning Jiuwei got the message—it was an invitation to follow. Apparently, their string of coincidences was destined to extend to sharing the same hotel. She tamped down the erratic heartbeat that had plagued her all evening and hurried after Su Jinglan.

The seven-seater business van offered ample space for just four passengers. The driver hopped out with practiced efficiency to handle their luggage. Su Jinglan claimed the middle single seat. Ning Jiuwei boarded from the opposite door and settled into the back row, leaving the other middle single seat for Assistant Lin.

Assistant Tan slid in beside her, hands fidgeting anxiously on her knees. In the dim confines of the car, she stole furtive glances at the president.

They reached the entrance of Wan Jun Hotel in silence. The driver unloaded their bags, received clearance to head home, and drove off.

Check-in at the front desk left Ning Jiuwei no choice but to reveal her room number. With tourism in the off-season, vacancies abounded. Once she had her room card in hand, Su Jinglan nodded toward her and asked the clerk, “Is the room next to hers available?”

“The adjacent room is taken,” the clerk confirmed after checking the computer. “But the one directly across is free—a Business King Room, just like hers.”

Those premium suites sat at the corridor’s end, offering serene quietude, broad vistas, and convenience for business travelers.

Ning Jiuwei watched Su Jinglan, clutching her room card tightly.

“I’ll take the one across from her,” Su Jinglan said, booking it on the spot.

The front desk staff moved with brisk efficiency, soon presenting the card with both hands. “Your key card, Room 2202.”

The hotel reservation had prepaid a full week, which couldn’t be altered, though switching rooms was feasible. Ning Jiuwei had no desire to be neighbors across the hall from Su Jinglan. She plotted to return shortly and request a change.

Su Jinglan approached her, key card in hand, and said plainly, “I wanted to stay close to you, Designer Ning.”

The straightforward declaration brooked no refusal; even plotting a secret switch now felt like baseless suspicion of honorable intentions.

Ning Jiuwei could only nod in agreement.

And once she agreed, there was no backing out.

Lin Fengmian had snagged a standard king room on the same floor, close to the president’s. She wheeled her luggage upstairs with them, following right into the president’s suite.

Assistant Lin set the president’s bag neatly against the wall and gave her update. “President Su, the entire itinerary’s been rescheduled. The meeting’s set for the morning after tomorrow, leaving us tomorrow to prep.”

Prep time amounted to a free day.

Su Jinglan crossed to the window for a quick look outside, then turned to Assistant Lin. “Documents sorted?”

“Zhaoyue’s still finalizing them. They’ll hit your inbox before midnight.”

“Good. Head back to your room and rest.” Su Jinglan sank onto the sofa, phone in hand, and tapped open her WeChat chat with Ning Jiuwei.

Ning Jiuwei sprawled on her bed, gaze unfocused on the ceiling.

Su Jinglan eyed the now-familiar profile picture, then closed the app without sending a word.

She rummaged in her suitcase for a bathrobe and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

She still wore the same outfit from crashing at Ning Jiuwei’s the night before. Hot water sluiced away the travel grime and weariness. Su Jinglan emerged, bathrobe clinging damply to her skin.

Half-dried strands of hair stuck to her shoulders, her elegant collarbones teasingly visible through the robe’s loose neckline. She unlocked her phone to scan for missed calls.

Her phone had buzzed midway through the shower; hair still wet, she’d hurried out.

The doorbell chimed.

Assistant Lin was the only one likely to drop by. Su Jinglan tugged her robe closed and opened the door.

“Pre—President Su.” Ning Jiuwei hadn’t expected the shower to be done so soon. The faint post-bath flush on Su Jinglan’s skin stole her breath. She pivoted away. “I’ll… come back later.”

Su Jinglan glanced down at herself, lips curving into a smile, and drew Ning Jiuwei inside.

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