Su Jinglan braced herself against the edge of the desk and the back of the chair, leaning in close to Ning Jiuwei. Strands of her dangling hair slid over her shoulder with a faint rustling sound. She gazed at Ning Jiuwei from mere inches away, her sparkling eyes seeming to pierce right through those brown pupils and into Ning Jiuwei’s heart.
Ning Jiuwei’s emotions were in utter chaos. She parted her lips slightly, her hot breath spilling out and washing over Su Jinglan’s full, red lips—like a rose on the verge of blooming. It left Ning Jiuwei hesitating, words caught in her throat.
Su Jinglan’s lips curved upward in a brilliant smile as she voiced what Ning Jiuwei wanted to say. “Is Designer Ning wondering how I know the name Ah Mu?”
Her words dripped with teasing intent. Ning Jiuwei’s heart skipped a beat, her buried feelings churning into a tangled mess.
The office door was locked, blocking out every prying gaze from outside. With Su Jinglan gripping the chair in a confining stance, Ning Jiuwei had nowhere to escape. She forced herself to keep her unseemly emotions from showing.
“Where did President Su hear it?” Ning Jiuwei asked. “Did Wanyuan tell you?”
Hearing Ning Jiuwei address her so formally with “you,” Su Jinglan felt an inexplicable surge of pleasure. She smiled as her gaze swept over Ning Jiuwei’s swan-like neck—flawless, slender, and pale—lingering on the platinum necklace there. Leisurely, she replied, “Ah Mu is such a lovely nickname. It pairs perfectly with Designer Ning’s name.”
She wasn’t saying where she’d learned it.
Ning Jiuwei turned her head away, but she sensed Su Jinglan’s hand reaching toward her throat. On instinct, her body reacted defensively, grabbing hold of Su Jinglan’s hand.
Her fingers clamped down with enough force to send a sharp sting through Su Jinglan’s skin. Su Jinglan endured the pain without a flinch. Ning Jiuwei eased her grip and asked coldly, “What are you trying to do, President Su?”
Su Jinglan’s fingertips hovered just a few centimeters from Ning Jiuwei’s throat. Her gaze fixed on the platinum necklace as she stated her intent plainly. “I want to see the necklace around Designer Ning’s neck.”
Under the lights, it was glaringly obvious.
Ning Jiuwei released Su Jinglan’s hand and clutched the pendant through her clothes. “I promised Wanyuan I wouldn’t let anyone else see it.”
They’d made promises like that right here in the office? Su Jinglan gripped Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder. “Am I just ‘anyone else’ to you?”
Su Jinglan was only her boss—definitely in the “anyone else” category. Ning Jiuwei had zero survival instincts in the workplace as she replied flatly, “Yes.”
“Designer Ning won’t even let her girlfriend see it?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.” Ning Jiuwei’s fingers tightened on her collar as the words slipped out.
Su Jinglan let out a soft chuckle. “If Designer Ning gets a girlfriend in the future, will you keep wearing the necklace from Miss Wen and make her jealous?”
That was a matter for another time. For now, the girlfriend-less Ning Jiuwei guarded the pendant fiercely, not letting Su Jinglan touch it. “President Su, this is the company. It’s not appropriate to discuss personal matters—or hypotheticals.”
Su Jinglan could tell Ning Jiuwei wouldn’t actually hurt her. The hand on her shoulder twisted deftly, hooking the necklace chain with ease.
Her smooth fingertips grazed Ning Jiuwei’s skin, leaving a tingling itch in their wake. Ning Jiuwei shuddered involuntarily and pinned Su Jinglan’s hand down with a fierce glare. “Don’t touch it.”
That sharp gaze carried a predatory, bloodthirsty edge. Su Jinglan blinked, wondering if she’d imagined it. Ning Jiuwei forcefully removed her hand and issued a cold dismissal. “President Su, you should go.”
The warmth had vanished from Ning Jiuwei’s smile, replaced by something chilling that filled the office with inescapable tension.
Even so, Ning Jiuwei had controlled her strength—she hadn’t hurt Su Jinglan.
Su Jinglan gently rubbed the spot Ning Jiuwei had grabbed. It didn’t really hurt. If anything, it sent a thrilling flutter through her, as if deep down she craved Ning Jiuwei’s forceful side.
She concealed her bubbling emotions and silently gathered the drawings from the desk.
Her sleeve rode up with the motion, exposing her wrist. Su Jinglan’s skin was fair and sensitive; Ning Jiuwei’s grip had left several red fingerprints that looked painful.
Ning Jiuwei didn’t notice at first, but when she did, guilt pricked at her heart like a needle. “I’m sorry, President Su.”
Su Jinglan shook her head. She tapped the edges of the drawings against the desk to align them neatly, then slipped them into a soft leather folder and fastened it.
The clasp required a firm press. Su Jinglan tried twice before it clicked open—or so it seemed to Ning Jiuwei, who suddenly worried she’d used too much force and actually injured her.
“I won’t disturb you anymore, Designer Ning.” Su Jinglan’s face was expressionless now as she closed the folder and turned to leave.
The moment she moved, a hand caught her arm—gently, with just the right amount of pressure.
Su Jinglan glanced impassively at her arm, then let her eyes travel up along Ning Jiuwei’s fingers. “Does Designer Ning have more advice for me?”
Her body moved faster than her brain could process. Ning Jiuwei withdrew her hand and replied slowly, “Nothing more.”
Su Jinglan left her office. Ning Jiuwei leaned back in her chair and let out a soft sigh.
She took out the pendant and examined it, then reached behind her neck with practiced ease to unfasten the necklace.
The exquisite craftsmanship had even captured the texture on the fish’s tail. The curve of the fish’s body, the size of the pendant, the angle of the inlay—all had been meticulously refined, lending the necklace as a whole a perfectly captivating allure.
Ning Jiuwei scrutinized the necklace inch by inch, analyzing and dissecting it to infer Wen Wanyuan’s design inspiration and the emotions and ideas it conveyed.
A fish leaping over the dragon gate transforms into a dragon, breaking free from its shackles to claim freedom. She had probably long since pondered the meaning behind Fish Leaping from the Abyss.
Ning Jiuwei couldn’t help but smile. She opened the jewelry box and placed the necklace back inside.
Wearing it around her neck would inevitably expose it. The best place to hide it was the jewelry box, not beneath her clothes. Ning Jiuwei pulled open the drawer and temporarily stowed the necklace there.
After work, she took the necklace home with her.
The walk-in closet featured a dedicated jewelry section, where necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and all manner of accessories were neatly arranged by category. Ning Jiuwei opened the jewelry box, slotted it into the necklace area, and admired the overall display through the glass dust-proof cabinet door.
Her phone rang at just the right moment. She glanced at the caller ID and answered.
“Don’t forget about our meeting tonight at 7:30, sis,” Shen Lanyan said over the line, calling her “sis” without a hint of restraint. “I don’t mind if you show up early.”
Ning Jiuwei replied calmly, “I’m just about to head out. See you at 7:30 sharp.”
The weather was warming up, and the nighttime temperatures were climbing. Ning Jiuwei grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge’s cold compartment, took a few sips, and stepped out the door.
She finally encountered the neighbor she’d never met before tonight. The door across the hall stood wide open, with people constantly streaming in and out, all clad in the eye-catching uniforms of a housekeeping and moving company, the company name emblazoned on their fronts and backs.
Ever perceptive and sensitive, Ning Jiuwei lingered at her own doorstep, watching for a moment.
A tall, slender young woman in business attire emerged from the opposite apartment. She appeared no older than thirty, her long hair dyed a subtle black-blue that Ning Jiuwei only discerned up close.
“Hello,” the young woman said politely, offering Ning Jiuwei a box of Butterfly Pastries from Zhiwei House by way of apology. “I’ll be moving things over the next couple of days, which might crowd the hallway. I hope you’ll forgive the inconvenience.”
“No trouble at all, but I can’t accept this,” Ning Jiuwei declined the gift and headed for the elevator.
The elevator arrived from basement level 1, packed with several boxes stacked high on a cart. Ning Jiuwei stepped aside to let the people and items exit fully before entering herself.
The young woman hadn’t budged from the hallway. Her gaze slipped through the narrowing elevator door gap, a smile playing on her lips as she watched Ning Jiuwei.
“Boss, where do you want these boxes?”
A gruff voice drifted from inside the apartment. The young woman sauntered in with the Butterfly Pastries in hand to direct the movers.
In the descending elevator, Ning Jiuwei reflected on the young woman. The brief exchange revealed little about her, but those boxes made it clear she had just moved in.
Returning once more to the city’s priciest community in the core district, Ning Jiuwei drove with familiarity straight to Building A and parked.
Before stepping out, she sat in the car for a few minutes.
Su Jinglan had already left by quitting time, so she was likely home now. Ning Jiuwei wondered if she’d run into her at Shen Lanyan’s place.
She steadied herself and headed upstairs.
The elevator halted at the 22nd floor. Ning Jiuwei stepped out and made a beeline for the doorbell—but the instant she pressed it, she suddenly recalled that Shen Lanyan lived on the 21st floor.
These were all expansive luxury units; Su Jinglan wouldn’t answer that quickly. Ning Jiuwei turned to leave in haste.
She didn’t reach the elevator before Su Jinglan opened the door.
“Designer Ning?” Su Jinglan instantly recognized the figure lingering by the elevator.
Ning Jiuwei drew a deep, steadying breath and turned with a gentle smile. “Sorry, President Su. I hit the wrong floor.”
The elevator that had descended returned to the 22nd floor and slid open slowly. As Ning Jiuwei moved to enter, Su Jinglan seized her hand and tugged her back, halting her advance.
The doors sealed shut promptly, stranding Ning Jiuwei in the entryway to confront Su Jinglan.
“Designer Ning, off to see Shen Lanyan?” The only client in the building was Shen Lanyan. Ning Jiuwei hummed in affirmation. Su Jinglan drew closer with a smile and murmured, “Did you really hit the wrong floor, or were you thinking of me and wanted to check if I was home?”
“I hit the wrong one,” Ning Jiuwei said. She couldn’t recall how she’d selected the 22nd floor—perhaps she’d truly been musing on Su Jinglan, causing her finger to stray to her floor by mistake.
Su Jinglan tightened her grip on Ning Jiuwei’s hand just a little and pulled her toward the house. “Since you pressed the wrong button, why don’t you come to my place? You’re here tonight to discuss the custom collaboration with Shen Lanyan, right? I’ll have her come over to my house and talk it through with you.”
Shen Lanyan, dressed in a sexy camisole nightgown, picked up her phone. She glanced down at herself and headed to the walk-in closet to change into something suitable for going out.
“No need, President Su.” Once they were inside the door, Ning Jiuwei pulled her hand free and came to a stop. “It would be more appropriate for me to go to Miss Shen’s house.”
Staying at Su Jinglan’s place might mean getting roped into an overnight stay again.
“Designer Ning, Lanyan is my friend—she comes over to my house all the time. There’s nothing inappropriate about the two of you discussing the customization here.” The phone on the coffee table rang out. Su Jinglan glanced back toward the living room and went to answer it.
Shen Lanyan comes to Su Jinglan’s house often? Ning Jiuwei watched Su Jinglan’s retreating back with a complicated expression on her face, momentarily forgetting to leave.
“Alright, thanks for your hard work.” Su Jinglan exchanged a few brief words and was about to hang up. “No need to tidy up tonight—you can handle it tomorrow.”
“President Su, there’s someone here looking for her,” the person on the other end reported without hesitation. “They’re standing at her doorstep right now.”
Su Jinglan instinctively turned to glance at Ning Jiuwei—and right on cue, Ning Jiuwei’s phone began to ring.
True to her word about dropping by that evening, Wen Wanyuan had indeed gone straight to Ning Jiuwei’s home. After ringing the doorbell for what felt like forever with no response, she spoke into the phone. “Ah Mu, I’m at your doorstep right now. Hurry up and let me in!”
Their eyes met across the room, and Ning Jiuwei told Wen Wanyuan, “I’m not home.”
“You’re not home?” Wen Wanyuan wasn’t buying it for a second. “Don’t tell me you went to find Su Jinglan?”
Not a flicker of guilt stirred in Ning Jiuwei’s eyes. She denied it calmly, without so much as a blush or a catch in her breath. “No.”
“President Su,” the voice on the line continued, “that person is asking if Designer Ning came looking for you.”
~~~
