Chapter 12

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Brief interactions weren’t enough to reveal if someone was obsessive, and a work of art certainly couldn’t. Su Jinglan’s heart pounded wildly as her gaze locked onto the exquisite, flawless, and stunningly beautiful face before her, a deep yearning to touch it surging within her.

Ning Jiuwei fell silent, seemingly pondering her response. Su Jinglan leaned in closer, a smile playing on her lips as she called out, “Ning Jiuwei.”

The warm breath brushed against sensitive skin, making Ning Jiuwei’s cheek itch and burn. She felt an irresistible urge to pull away.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Ning Jiuwei stood up from the sofa. But before she could take more than a step, Su Jinglan’s hand pressed down on her shoulder. Those slender fingers were gentle yet firm, effortlessly guiding her right back onto the cushions.

“Teacher Ning, I want to know—how did you spot the obsession?” In that short span, Su Jinglan had cycled through three different ways to address her. She kept her hand on Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder, her scorching palm tracing the contours of Ning Jiuwei’s figure through the fabric of her clothes.

Ning Jiuwei was tall, but her shoulders hidden beneath her clothing were surprisingly delicate. Su Jinglan’s eyes trailed over the pale curve of her neck, where a faint pulse throbbed just beneath the surface, igniting an impulse to lean in and kiss—or even bite.

That gaze burned too fiercely, leaving a trail of intense reactions in its wake. Ning Jiuwei held her breath, secretly digging her nails into her own palm. Then she grasped Su Jinglan’s hand, lifted it away, and rose smoothly to her feet. “President Su, I chose my words poorly. What I meant was a passionate, steadfast, unwavering devotion—not obsession.”

She couldn’t control her body’s reactions; a faint tremor ran through her. Before her emotions could betray her further, Ning Jiuwei took her leave. “President Su, I need to head out to meet a client. We’ll talk next time.”

Ning Jiuwei hurried out of the President’s Office and straight back to the Teachers’ Office, not once glancing over her shoulder.

She locked the door behind her, activated the frosted setting on the glass walls, and drew the blinds. Propping herself against the desk, Ning Jiuwei took deep, steadying breaths.

The warmth lingering on her fingertips refused to fade. No matter how deeply she breathed or how hard she tried to compose herself, she couldn’t shake the memory of seizing Su Jinglan’s hand.

Her eyes fell on the stack of client documents atop the desk. Still panting, she flipped one open and forced her attention onto the lines of text.

Su Jinglan watched Ning Jiuwei’s retreating figure, then settled into the very spot she’d just vacated. She picked up the teacup Ning Jiuwei had held for so long without taking a single sip and drained it with a smile brimming with delight.

As Ning Jiuwei silently scanned the documents, her heartbeat gradually steadied. Reason returned, allowing her to analyze Su Jinglan’s behavior with a clear head.

It had been far too intimate. A coincidence? Or had Su Jinglan done it on purpose?

Ning Jiuwei replayed every moment—Su Jinglan drawing near, her hand pressing down on Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder. Not a single flaw marred the sequence.

She was overthinking it. Just a coincidence.

She glanced at the open client files and selected two prospects from them, determined to pack her schedule solid and avoid another summons to Su Jinglan’s office.

She’d nearly forgotten about switching offices.

Ning Jiuwei approached the tea station and poured herself a cup of water. As she waited for it to cool, she mulled over how best to request the change from Su Jinglan.

A quick check of the Company Collaboration System revealed no option for office transfers—only position changes. Ning Jiuwei carried her cup back to her chair, pulled up a document, and drafted an application report.

It took only a few minutes to finish. She printed it out, stared at the page for several seconds, then signed her name by hand.

“Designer Ning?” Assistant Tan arrived after receiving the message and tried the door handle, only to find it locked.

Ning Jiuwei opened up with the report in hand. She dipped her head slightly and spoke in a hushed tone to Tan Yushu. “Please deliver this report to President Su.”

As Ning Jiuwei’s assistant, Tan Yushu would walk through fire for any task her superior assigned. She nodded briskly. “Right away.”

This marked her first professional interaction with the new president. Tan Yushu pressed herself against the wall for cover, double-checked the report for typos from top to bottom, then lightly rapped on the open door of the President’s Office.

Su Jinglan sat on the sofa, sipping her tea with elegant poise. She glanced toward the doorway at the sound and said coolly, “Come in.”

An overwhelming aura washed over her. Tan Yushu’s heart stuttered, leaving her hesitant to step inside.

“President Su, Designer Ning has an application report that needs your signature.” Tan Yushu extended the document with trembling hands.

Upon hearing it came from Ning Jiuwei, Su Jinglan didn’t direct Assistant Tan to set it on the table. She took it directly.

As she read the contents, ripples stirred in Su Jinglan’s heart. After a brief pause, she looked up at Tan Yushu. “Why does Designer Ning want to change offices?”

The stated reason on the report was a matter of work necessity, requesting a transfer to a different office.

It wasn’t Tan Yushu’s first day as an assistant. Before entering, she had anticipated the questions President Su might ask and smoothly delivered the answers she had prepared in her mind. “Designer Ning wants to change her environment to spark her creative inspiration. The West Corner Office has a unique view, and she’d like to work there.”

She had even decided on which specific office. Clearly, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment choice.

“Leave the report here. You can get back to work.”

Su Jinglan kept the application report but neither approved it outright nor specified when she would sign off on it.

Tan Yushu hesitated before leaving. Once outside the office, she glanced back once more, then went to update Ning Jiuwei.

“Got it,” Ning Jiuwei said after taking a sip of water. “I’ll be heading out shortly. If anyone asks for me, just say I’m off to meet a client.”

The client files were kept with Ning Jiuwei, so she could meet whichever one she wanted. Normally, though, she would have Tan Yushu schedule the appointment first.

This time, Ning Jiuwei was going straight to meet a client, which struck Tan Yushu as odd. Then she thought of Miss Shen, and it all made sense—perhaps the client Designer Ning was seeing today was Miss Shen after all.

Tan Yushu left, and Ning Jiuwei shut down her computer, preparing to depart.

But before she could step out of the office, Su Jinglan blocked the doorway, sealing off her exit completely.

“I reviewed the report,” Su Jinglan said, approaching empty-handed. “The sixth floor has no vacant offices at the moment. If you’re set on switching, you’ll have to go to another floor. If that’s what you want, I’ll sign off on it.”

Ning Jiuwei had braced herself for rejection, but instead of a refusal, she got this unexpected opportunity to switch floors.

“Thank you, President Su. Any other floor will do,” Ning Jiuwei replied with a warm, calm smile, carefully masking all her inner turmoil.

Su Jinglan watched the subtle shifts on Ning Jiuwei’s face. “How about the top floor, then? There’s an empty office right across from the Group President’s Office on the top floor.”

“…” Ning Jiuwei got the message—Su Jinglan had never intended to approve her office switch at all. “President Su, I believe there’s an empty office in the West Corner on this floor.”

“You’re mistaken.” Amusement danced in Su Jinglan’s eyes, her upturned lips curving in an alluring arc. “If Designer Ning doesn’t believe me, you can check with the Administration Manager. If there really is a vacant office, Designer Ning can have Administration move your things over directly.”

Ning Jiuwei didn’t buy it. She went to the Administration Department herself to confirm.

Manager Chen was lounging in a chair, idly scrolling on their phone. Spotting Ning Jiuwei, they jumped up to greet her. “Designer Ning, what a rare visitor. Please, have a seat.”

The Chief Designer rarely set foot in other departments, preferring to work in her secluded, quiet office tucked away in its corner.

Ning Jiuwei didn’t sit. She cut straight to the point. “Manager Chen, which offices on this floor are vacant? I’d like to switch.”

Manager Chen grabbed a disposable cup and poured some water. “Little Tan was just here asking about that. There were a few empty ones before, including that quiet, shady spot in the West Corner. But the Design Division just promoted a few senior designers, and those offices have all been assigned to them.”

Ning Jiuwei took the water and set it casually on the desk. “So, no empty offices left on this floor?”

“There’s one more—the Former President’s Office.” Manager Chen smiled apologetically. “It’s empty, but not entirely available. It’s reserved as a backup for the new president.”

No luck switching offices, then.

Ning Jiuwei didn’t return to her own office. After leaving Administration, she took the elevator straight downstairs.

In the Group President’s Office on the top floor on the top floor, the expansive view took in everything below. From the floor-to-ceiling windows, she watched the figure emerge from the office building and head to the parking lot.

“No one knows which client Designer Ning is off to meet,” Lin Fengmian said, handing over her tablet. “These are today’s client documents.”

“Just leave it there.” The black Mercedes-Benz with the standing emblem in the parking spot hadn’t budged, and neither had Su Jinglan’s gaze, not for a single second.

After Ning Jiuwei left her office, Su Jinglan had returned to the top-floor President’s Office and stood by the windows ever since.

Lin Fengmian didn’t put the tablet away. She switched screens to the schedule and held it out beside Su Jinglan. “President Su, there’s a dinner banquet tomorrow night for the New Product Launch. Since you’re now also President of the Design Division, your attendance is required.”

Su Jinglan didn’t turn around. “Send Zhaoyue.”

“Others could stand in for you, yes.” Lin Fengmian delivered the pivot with perfect seriousness. “However, President Su, Designer Ning has also received an invitation to this banquet.”

“She doesn’t like socializing.” Su Jinglan finally pulled her gaze away, turning back with a smile. “But I can require her to attend with me as her president.”

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