~~~
Ning Jiuwei’s expression remained utterly unchanged, but Assistant Tan’s ears flushed red all the way to the nape of her neck. She didn’t dare respond to the president’s remark and forced a smile at Su Jinglan before hurrying away from the awkward scene.
In the entire Design Division, only President Su showed no fear of Ning Jiuwei. Even the former Design Division President wouldn’t dare act the slightest bit improper in Ning Jiuwei’s presence, let alone tease her. Assistant Tan glanced back furtively, her mind brimming with questions.
Could it be…
Tan Yushu’s face filled with shock. President Su and Designer Ning were dating—that had to be why she could act so boldly!
“Does Assistant Tan care so much about Designer Ning?” Su Jinglan picked up the emerald green glass bottle of domestic old-brand mosquito repellent from the desk. Her eyes curved with a meaningful smile as her gaze drifted between the bottle and the woman seated behind the desk.
As a designer’s assistant, helping to organize client documents and track design progress was part of the job. Paying attention to the designer’s well-being, however, was not—and even if it were, that responsibility didn’t fall to her.
Ning Jiuwei casually picked up a file and flipped it open, ignoring Su Jinglan’s question.
The way she bent over the document reminded Su Jinglan of their first reunion. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if all their recent time together had been nothing more than a pipe dream. But on closer inspection, she saw through the facade: Ning Jiuwei was hiding a smile, her eyes skimming the page without truly reading it.
Su Jinglan leaned forward over the desk and asked deliberately, “Designer Ning, do you really think that red mark on your neck is from a mosquito bite?”
Boundaries were probed one step at a time, and Su Jinglan wanted to test just how far Ning Jiuwei’s indulgence would stretch.
No sooner had the words left her lips than Ning Jiuwei cupped Su Jinglan’s cheeks. Her glance toward the door shifted back to the colleague who was brazenly crossing lines. Meeting her eyes head-on, she murmured in a voice meant only for her ears, “Didn’t President Su say it looks like a hickey? You should know exactly why I have one.”
Su Jinglan tilted her head, her gaze trailing down the jawline to the dark red mark. She pressed a fingertip against Ning Jiuwei’s chest and replied with a smile, “There’s one here, too.”
Su Jinglan knew every inch of skin beneath those clothes intimately—which spots quivered at the lightest touch, which places bloomed with marks under a gentle kiss.
The hickey on her neck had been left in a haze of unrestrained passion. Su Jinglan had wanted to claim every part of Ning Jiuwei, to imprint her scent and possession everywhere.
The office door stood open, but their words remained private. Still, Ning Jiuwei’s pulse quickened at the unfiltered response. Fearing they might give themselves away if they continued, she grabbed the file and gently pushed Su Jinglan back, cutting off the personal banter.
“President Su, I have a client meeting soon. We can chat next time when there’s an opening.”
“Very well, I won’t keep Designer Ning any longer.” Su Jinglan held up the mosquito repellent. “I’m confiscating this.”
Ning Jiuwei had never imagined her first confiscated item would come from her own boss. She couldn’t suppress a laugh.
The smile lingered until her new client arrived. Ning Jiuwei headed to the reception room, where she happily sealed the fresh custom collaboration deal.
On her way back to the office, she encountered Assistant Lin, who clutched the very mosquito repellent that had been taken from her in one hand and a stack of files in the other.
“Assistant Lin, where did you get that mosquito repellent?” Ning Jiuwei asked, though she already knew.
“President Su gave it to me.” Lin Fengmian felt utterly perplexed about why the president had handed her such a thing. Recalling the intimacy between Ning Jiuwei and President Su, she offered it over. “I never use mosquito repellent anyway. Why don’t you have it, Designer Ning?”
Look how sharp I am, she thought, solving this perfectly.
Ning Jiuwei smiled and shook her head. “I’ve got some already. Keep it for yourself, Assistant Lin. Don’t spurn President Su’s kind gesture.”
“…” Assistant Lin hurried to clarify, “I’m just President Su’s assistant. She has no such feelings for me.”
Ning Jiuwei offered a warm smile and continued on her way.
Assistant Lin stared at the bottle in her hand before turning back toward the President’s Office.
“President Su, I should return this mosquito repellent to you.” She glanced toward the Chief Designer’s Office. “Otherwise, it might cause issues between you and Designer Ning.”
Su Jinglan’s eyes turned icy, and she said nothing.
Assistant Lin’s scalp prickled. Trembling slightly, she picked up the bottle. “I’ll head back upstairs now.”
She hadn’t even reached the door when Su Jinglan’s lips curved into a smile. The anxious assistant caught it on the turn and exhaled in relief.
For a second there, she’d thought something was wrong between President Su and Designer Ning.
Through the transparent glass walls, Su Jinglan watched Ning Jiuwei, her heart slowly immersing itself in the depths of that indulgent affection.
She had come to the Design Division for Ning Jiuwei. Now that her goal was achieved, it was time to leave. Even if she ultimately couldn’t catch up to Ning Jiuwei, she couldn’t stay here forever. Her role as President of the Design Division could only be temporary.
Thinking of the parting, Su Jinglan lowered her gaze.
She let out a soft sigh and opened her schedule on the tablet. All the major events were meticulously arranged. As the year-end approached, work piled up with a dizzying array of meetings and banquets. Su Jinglan analyzed it—if she wanted to stay in the division long-term, she needed to hire a deputy to share the workload.
When inspiration struck, sketching designs was quick work. Ning Jiuwei had just drawn two more annual new products, bringing her halfway to completing her quota.
Pulling herself from her work, Ning Jiuwei lifted her gaze to the President’s Office across the way. Glancing over during idle moments had become her new habit. Regardless of whether Su Jinglan was in the office, her gaze was unmasked, landing squarely on the boss chair behind the desk.
“President Su, do you have time to look at my design drawings?” Ning Jiuwei took her newly sketched designs to the President’s Office to find Su Jinglan. “Two annual new products.”
Of course Su Jinglan had time. She took the tablet and examined it carefully. Moments later, without lifting her head, she said to Ning Jiuwei, “The design is excellent, but there’s a small detail here I don’t quite understand. Could Designer Ning explain it to me?”
The tablet lay on the desk, a bit far from Ning Jiuwei standing in front of it. She had no choice but to walk around the desk to Su Jinglan’s side.
“Which detail?” Ning Jiuwei bent down to lean in close.
An arm easily encircled her waist from behind, and Su Jinglan smiled charmingly, her fingertips lightly pinching Ning Jiuwei’s sensitive waist.
Ning Jiuwei’s body trembled. She removed Su Jinglan’s hand and faced her—girlfriend in reality but president in name—with a serious, professional attitude. “What does President Su need me to explain?”
“Here.” Su Jinglan propped her cheek on one hand, leaning sideways against the desk edge. Her slender fingertip tapped lightly on the tablet, zooming in on the design.
Ning Jiuwei drew on her professional expertise, explaining in detail the inspiration’s source and the compositional elements to Su Jinglan.
Her gentle, clear voice stirred the heart. Ning Jiuwei had an enchanting allure that Su Jinglan couldn’t resist, her emotions stirring uncontrollably as a spark ignited in her eyes.
“Ning Jiuwei.” Su Jinglan grasped her hand, her palm hot against Ning Jiuwei’s skin. Her lowered voice was noticeably husky. “Go lock the door.”
What they would do after locking the door went without saying between them.
Ning Jiuwei glanced at the time on the tablet and withdrew her hand. “Has President Su finished looking at the designs? I plan to sketch the next ones at home.”
Her words carried a deeper meaning, which Su Jinglan understood.
Designers could leave the company anytime. Ning Jiuwei meant they should do whatever at home instead.
“In one hour, I have to go to Wen Hai.” Su Jinglan finally told Ning Jiuwei about the business trip. Besides fixed daily tasks, other schedules were uncertain—this trip to Wen Hai was last-minute.
Ning Jiuwei was slightly stunned. Memories flooded her mind: encountering Su Jinglan on the high-speed rail and what followed. The hazy scenes pulled her back to that night when she had a fever and Su Jinglan cared for her.
“I’ll go with you.” This time, Ning Jiuwei followed Su Jinglan’s steps. “I need to go to Canglu Mountain in Wen Hai for some on-site inspiration gathering anyway.”
Su Jinglan’s mood brightened instantly upon hearing this. “Just for inspiration gathering?”
Ning Jiuwei was less than honest. “Yeah.”
“I’ll have Fengmian buy your ticket.” Su Jinglan hooked Ning Jiuwei’s finger, toying with her knuckles and fingertips, speaking in a commanding tone. “Don’t bring Assistant Tan this time. I’ll bring Assistant Lin and Secretary Xie. Secretary Xie will accompany you then.”
Ning Jiuwei smiled and agreed. “Will Assistant Lin book the rooms too?”
“No need to book separately.” Su Jinglan interlaced their fingers. “We’ll openly share a room.”
~~~
