Chapter 89

~~~

Ning Jiuwei prepared to get out and switch to the front seat, but Su Jinglan tugged her back, unwilling to let her go. Still savoring the moment, she leaned in and kissed her lips again.

“I need to drive.” Ning Jiuwei pushed lightly at Su Jinglan’s shoulder after the kiss. One by one, the cars in the parking lot were pulling away. They had been parked there for about half an hour, and her cheeks ached with a sourness.

Su Jinglan squeezed their intertwined fingers, pulled out her phone, and fired off a message to her assistant.

Just two simple words—come over—with no specific location.

She typed it right in front of Ning Jiuwei, who prompted, “Does Assistant Lin know you’re in my car?”

Su Jinglan stifled a laugh. “She knows.”

The words had barely left her mouth when Assistant Lin emerged from the car parked in the adjacent spot. She locked her door with a click and climbed into theirs.

Ning Jiuwei: “……”

The anti-pry tint on the side windows had to be working, right? She and Su Jinglan had spent so long in the back seat—anyone with half a brain would guess what they’d been up to. And as Su Jinglan’s assistant, Assistant Lin could picture the indecent scenes inside all too vividly.

What if she hadn’t just pictured them… but actually seen?

Ning Jiuwei didn’t dare follow that thought.

Assistant Lin fastened her seatbelt with practiced efficiency, her expression showing zero awareness of what the two women had been doing in the car. Staring straight ahead, she asked, “President Su, to your place or Designer Ning’s home?”

Thank goodness she’d addressed Su Jinglan. Right then, Ning Jiuwei had zero desire to speak to Assistant Lin—she felt like one word would give their relationship away.

Su Jinglan recaptured the hand that had slipped free and replied, “Designer Ning’s home.”

Ning Jiuwei squirmed discreetly, but Su Jinglan closed her eyes, tilted her head onto her shoulder, and let her exhaustion show now that she’d relaxed. Treating her like a pillow, she murmured, “Let me rest a bit. I’m wiped out.”

That was going to lead to the wrong idea!

Assistant Lin, hearing this, instinctively flicked her eyes to the rearview mirror—and locked gazes with Ning Jiuwei.

She’d definitely gotten the wrong idea about what they’d done in the car.

Ning Jiuwei cleared her throat and asked Su Jinglan with utmost seriousness, “Busy day at work?”

She tried steering the topic toward business, but Su Jinglan’s response only deepened the misunderstanding. “You’re the one who wore me out.”

Assistant Lin kept the car steady on the road, but her mind raced faster than a high-speed rail, steamy scenes from the car interior flashing by in rapid succession.

Ning Jiuwei opted to zip it and let Su Jinglan rest against her.

The car pulled away from the company. Assistant Lin’s rigid posture eased bit by bit. Ning Jiuwei shifted slightly, slipping her arm around Su Jinglan’s waist from behind in a gentle embrace.

The new position felt perfect. Su Jinglan’s lips curved in a smile as she savored Ning Jiuwei’s tender attentiveness.

Silence filled the car. Ning Jiuwei’s gaze drifted out the window. Once they got home, how could she explain things in a way that Su Jinglan would both believe and be satisfied with?

They held the embrace all the way. When they reached the residential complex, Su Jinglan sat up, her vibrant eyes sparkling with gentle amusement once more.

“Tired?” Su Jinglan had never leaned on someone in a car for that long, and neither had Ning Jiuwei. She shook her head. “Not at all.”

I’m exhausted.

The ever-proper Assistant Lin tacked on silently in her head as she pulled up to Building 6.

Home brought a long-missed sense of comfort. Ning Jiuwei headed to the fridge for water, with Su Jinglan trailing right behind and wrapping her arms around her from the back.

Ning Jiuwei grabbed a bottle, shut the fridge door, twisted off the cap, and asked the woman pressed warm against her back, “Water, President Su?”

Su Jinglan rested her cheek on Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder, her heated gaze fixed on those lips. She’d tasted their softness countless times, each one feeling fresh and addictive, leaving her craving more kisses at every moment. “Teacher Ning, feed me.”

It wasn’t an outrageous request, so Ning Jiuwei didn’t turn it down. She twisted around in Su Jinglan’s arms and held the mineral water to her lips.

“Not like that.” Su Jinglan’s eyes trailed slowly over Ning Jiuwei’s mouth, then met her gaze. A knowing smile hid a thrill of anticipation.

Ning Jiuwei got it in a heartbeat. She glanced at the bottle in her hand, her entire body flushing at the implication. She took a sip into her mouth, and Su Jinglan’s throat bobbed, breath held in suspense.

Gulp. Ning Jiuwei swallowed.

She had no experience with this sort of thing and discovered her own thin skin—she was too embarrassed to pass it mouth-to-mouth. “Here, President Su, you take it.” She made a break for it.

Su Jinglan snagged her wrist and reeled her back in, snatching the bottle to take a swig. “This one’s good enough for me.”

The cold water cooled her briefly, but her body heated right back up, burning hotter than before. Ning Jiuwei fetched another bottle, deliberately choosing one chilled against the fridge wall.

“When’s Designer Ning going to explain things to me?” Su Jinglan asked after downing half the bottle, eyeing Ning Jiuwei from her spot on the single-person sofa, putting deliberate distance between them.

The TV was on in the living room, filling the space with background noise to ward off the emptiness. Ning Jiuwei took small sips of water before slowly delivering the speech she’d prepared. “I’m not sure how long we can stay together. I’m afraid that if I tell Mom and Dad now, and then we break up, it’ll just get their hopes up for nothing. It’s better to wait until I find someone I can be with for life before letting them know.”

“You don’t trust me?” Su Jinglan’s heart twisted, an indescribable ache settling in.

Ning Jiuwei nodded.

“I’ve been wary of you from the start,” she said. “I don’t know why you approached me—whether it was a whim, something fun to play with, or if you just thought I was worth conquering.” She took another sip of water and continued slowly, “With your background, it’s impossible that you’ve never had a girlfriend before, even if you won’t admit it. People like you—your affections are always temporary. They never last more than three months before you move on to a new target.”

She likened herself to prey. Though she’d never been in love herself, she’d seen plenty of fleeting relationships—some as short as a single night. “Once they get what they want, the thrill fades.”

“So that’s how you see me.” No wonder she hadn’t wanted to tell her parents. She’d already braced herself for the possibility of parting ways at any moment.

Ning Jiuwei lowered her gaze with a faint smile and twisted the cap back on her bottle. “Actually, things are pretty good like this right now. You can come over to my place whenever you want, and you can invite me to stay over at yours anytime. Then, one day, when you’ve had your fill and want someone new, you won’t even need to break up with me. Just move on.”

Don’t get mad, don’t get mad. Su Jinglan took a deep breath.

“President Su isn’t getting mad, is she?”

Ning Jiuwei’s words stabbed right at her heart.

Su Jinglan exhaled the stifled frustration in her chest. “If I said you were the one toying with emotions, would you get mad?”

“I’m not.” Ning Jiuwei had her logic ready. “I’ve never actively pursued anyone.”

Su Jinglan stepped right up to her, dropping to one knee beside her legs and bracing her hands on the sofa to trap her in her arms. “Ning Jiuwei, even after yesterday, do you still think I’m unserious about relationships? That I’m not worth entrusting your life to?”

“Mm.” Ning Jiuwei met Su Jinglan’s eyes directly.

She was lying again—lying straight to Su Jinglan’s face. Every microexpression was perfectly controlled; even someone as perceptive as Su Jinglan couldn’t tell.

After all their time together, Ning Jiuwei had confirmed that Su Jinglan was worth her devotion. More precisely, she’d known what kind of person Su Jinglan was for over a decade now—resolute, focused, utterly devoted. She gave not even a second’s glance to the hordes of admirers who pursued her, never jumped into relationships lightly, and poured her whole self into her studies.

Someone who loved learning that much would surely pour the same focus into her career after graduation. It was only natural that she’d become president at such a young age.

Su Jinglan wasn’t the type to toy with emotions.

“You still ‘mm’?” Su Jinglan bought the lie. She settled onto Ning Jiuwei’s lap, letting her bear her full weight. “Ning Jiuwei, you have no idea how long I’ve liked you.”

From high school to now—fifteen whole years. Ning Jiuwei had occupied her heart for fifteen years, leaving no room for anyone else.

Only Ning Jiuwei could make her pulse race, could stir an uncontrollable longing that gripped her both physically and emotionally.

“How long have you liked me?” Ning Jiuwei’s heart suddenly pounded faster, a rush of suppressed heat flooding her limbs, her mind buzzing.

One answer was on the tip of her tongue.

“Since… high school?”

“Doesn’t Teacher Ning know I was a student at Jiangji No.1 Middle School too?” Su Jinglan pinched her chin, her fingertips caressing the skin in a teasing caress. “Why would you guess I liked you back in high school?”

The intimate, slightly forceful position left Ning Jiuwei’s thoughts in disarray, robbing her of the ability to analyze. She averted her eyes from Su Jinglan’s burning gaze, staring blankly at the TV screen. “Just a wild guess.”

No disguise was flawless; there was always one exception who could pierce right through it. For her, Su Jinglan was that exception.

“Good guess. But no more guessing next time.” Su Jinglan cupped Ning Jiuwei’s face, turning it back toward her own. She gazed into her eyes with a vibrant smile, her reflection growing larger in those pupils.

A scorching kiss claimed her lips, nipping and sucking, steadily eroding Ning Jiuwei’s reason.

Lost in Su Jinglan’s suffocating passion, Ning Jiuwei felt her lift the hem of her shirt but couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She wrapped her arms around Su Jinglan’s neck, letting her draw closer.

“Wait, I haven’t showered yet.” Ning Jiuwei pushed her away from her chest, gasping as she yanked down the shirt and bra that had been pushed up.

Su Jinglan burst out laughing. “Should I burn some incense first, then? And move to the bed?”

Ning Jiuwei was of exactly the same mind, but Su Jinglan draped herself over her shoulder with a laugh, her voice husky and tingling as it brushed against Ning Jiuwei’s ear. “Teacher Ning, we don’t need to take things step by step. When the mood strikes, we should just go for it.” She nipped gently at Ning Jiuwei’s earlobe, her scorching breath hitting the sensitive skin of her inner ear and sending shivers racing through her. “Jiuwei, don’t you want to?”

Ning Jiuwei didn’t want to admit it. “You go shower first. I’ll make dinner.”

“Teacher Ning’s still thinking about dinner?” Su Jinglan doubled down on her seduction. “I want you right now, Teacher Ning.”

Who could resist that? Ning Jiuwei’s heart pounded wildly as she mustered her last shred of resistance. “Shower first.”

What a prime candidate for monastic life—she’d actually turned her down. Su Jinglan released Ning Jiuwei. They had all the time in the world ahead of them; there would be plenty of opportunities to slowly chip away at her resolve. For today, she’d respect Ning Jiuwei’s wishes and let her off the hook.

“I’ll go shower first, then.” Ning Jiuwei had noticed the changes in her own body.

She hurried into the bedroom, leaving Su Jinglan alone on the sofa.

By the time she emerged from the bedroom, freshly showered and changed into comfortable loungewear, there was an extra person on the living room sofa.

Wen Wanyuan glared furiously at Su Jinglan. The moment she spotted Ning Jiuwei, however, her expression flipped to a beaming smile. “Ah Mu, I had too much fruit and brought you a box. Mind if I stick around for dinner?”

“Sure.” Ning Jiuwei caught the look on Su Jinglan’s face before heading into the kitchen to prepare the meal.

The two on the sofa sat in stony silence, ignoring each other. Wen Wanyuan held back as long as she could before finally standing up. “Come with me,” she said to Su Jinglan.

The enclosed balcony had excellent soundproofing—perfect for a private talk. Su Jinglan followed Wen Wanyuan out onto the balcony. Once the door was shut, Wen Wanyuan demanded, “Do you actually like Ning Jiuwei? Or are you just toying with her?”

Night had fallen, casting the balcony in dim shadows. Su Jinglan studied Wen Wanyuan for a moment before delivering a line that set her off. “I’m just toying with her feelings.”

Wen Wanyuan swung her hand to slap Su Jinglan, but Su Jinglan easily blocked the strike. With a smile, she added, “I’m serious about Jiuwei.”

Wen Wanyuan didn’t buy it. Su Jinglan settled onto one of the balcony sofa chairs and asked calmly, “Miss Wen, can you tell me why Jiuwei used to see a psychologist?”

“Because of you!” Wen Wanyuan shot back.

~~~