~~~
The new product launch opened for entry at five o’clock, with the event officially starting at seven. Ning Jiuwei had no intention of being among the first to arrive, so she didn’t leave the company until five and reached the hotel half an hour later.
Twilight was falling, streetlights flickering on one by one. The hotel’s parking spaces were strained due to the press conference, so the organizers had thoughtfully stationed staff at the entrance to help with parking, ensuring invited guests wouldn’t be held up.
Ning Jiuwei stepped out of her car, and a staff member wearing smart recognition glasses hurried over with enthusiasm, introducing himself immediately. “Designer Ning, right? I’m with DM staff. Let me park your car for you.”
Ning Jiuwei glanced at the name tag on his chest and said warmly, “Thank you.”
The hotel lobby was grand and opulent, with a seating area right at the entrance. En route, she’d received a WeChat message from Tan Yushu saying she had already arrived. Ning Jiuwei paused at the entrance, scanning the crowded seating area for her assistant.
“Designer Ning, this way please.” Another staff member eagerly led her along. Both the escalator and the elevator could reach the third floor, but the escalator was a bit farther away, so the staff opted for the elevator that went straight to the third floor.
Assistant Tan, dressed in a light blue backless gown, was delicately eating a small cake with a spoon, taking tiny bites. Faintly catching the words “Designer Ning,” she looked up toward the entrance.
“Designer Ning.” Spotting Ning Jiuwei, she immediately set down her unfinished cake, gathered her skirt hem, and trotted over.
Ning Jiuwei gently reminded her, “No rush—careful you don’t trip.”
“Designer Ning, is this outfit okay?” Reaching her side, Tan Yushu turned bashful. After asking, she didn’t dare meet Ning Jiuwei’s eyes, lowering her gaze anxiously as she awaited the verdict.
Designers had an innate appreciation for beauty, and Ning Jiuwei was generous with praise for a subordinate craving approval. “Assistant Tan, you look lovely tonight. The dress really flatters your skin and figure.”
Tan Yushu hadn’t just changed her dress; Ning Jiuwei spotted every alteration at a glance and pointed them out one by one. “Those earrings are my first design after joining HS. And Assistant Tan, you’ve switched to Red Maple lipstick, haven’t you?”
The two rode the elevator upstairs. The staff escorted them to the elevator area, pressed the floor button, then headed back to the entrance to continue greeting guests.
Assistant Tan nodded delightedly. “Your design sold out the moment it launched. I bought a pair right away, but I was too shy to wear them to the office—afraid my colleagues would get the wrong idea.”
These days, Ning Jiuwei focused mainly on custom orders and rarely designed jewelry for the mass market. Tan Yushu felt a deep pang of regret about that.
The press conference was being held in the Third Floor Pillarless Banquet Hall. A red carpet ran from the elevator area all the way to the entrance, lined on both sides by ushers and staff handling greetings and directions.
“Designer Ning, should I take your arm?” The elevator doors slid open, and Tan Yushu froze at the buzz of the lively crowd.
Ning Jiuwei disliked overly intimate contact with others. “No need,” she said, stepping out first.
The thick, plush red carpet gleamed vividly. In the corner seating area lounged numerous guests who hadn’t yet entered. Sensing Assistant Tan edging closer—her nervous fingers itching to tug at her own hem but not daring to touch—Ning Jiuwei leaned in and whispered, “Relax. Just follow me.”
The red carpet stretched ahead, and Ning Jiuwei strode forward with poise, her measured pace conveying an unshakable sense of security.
A massive exhibition board stood at the banquet hall entrance. Staff held trays laden with signing pens, inviting every guest to leave their signature as a memento.
Ning Jiuwei took a pen, chose a blank spot, signed her name, and passed it to her assistant.
“Can I sign too?” Assistant Tan wondered if her position even qualified her.
Ning Jiuwei smiled faintly and nodded, encouraging her.
Assistant Tan took the pen and signed her name beside Ning Jiuwei’s.
She didn’t dare align it perfectly level, placing it just a touch lower—like their relationship, superior and subordinate.
“You two, look this way please.” The photographer stationed by the exhibition board handled the record shots. Once they’d signed, he raised his camera and fired off three quick bursts.
Ning Jiuwei rarely posed for photos, so her pictures invariably showed the same posture and expression. Assistant Tan tentatively lifted her hand, lightly grasping the fabric at Ning Jiuwei’s elbow, and flashed a brilliant smile at the lens.
Ning Jiuwei silently allowed the small gesture. After the photographer snapped another three shots, she said to her assistant, “All right, let’s head in.”
From nearby, a gentle voice tinged with faint amusement called out to Ning Jiuwei as she turned to leave the board. “Designer Ning.”
A chill prickled down Ning Jiuwei’s spine, but she pretended not to hear and kept walking casually.
Assistant Tan at her side halted, glanced back, and tugged her sleeve. “Designer Ning, President Su is calling us from behind.”
The sight of them holding hands looked like an intimate arm-in-arm gesture in Su Jinglan’s eyes. And with Assistant Tan’s outfit and makeup that evening—not a trace of an assistant about her—she might as well have been Ning Jiuwei’s date.
Su Jinglan regretted not arriving with Ning Jiuwei.
A steady stream of guests approached the exhibition board to sign their names and pose for photos. Ning Jiuwei clenched her hand, intending to give Su Jinglan a quick greeting before heading inside and slipping out through the side door.
But when she turned around, she caught sight of Su Jinglan in a breathtaking red evening gown, her makeup flawless. Ning Jiuwei’s breath caught, and she froze in place.
The gown had been tailored to perfection, accentuating every curve of Su Jinglan’s graceful figure. Her slender waist bore not the slightest hint of excess, and though her long legs were concealed beneath the flowing skirt, their elegant length and flawless shape were unmistakable.
The Creator had shown blatant favoritism to some people, blessing her not only with stunning beauty but also with talent beyond anyone’s reach.
Ning Jiuwei couldn’t contain the tidal wave of emotions surging within her. As the woman walked toward her, her heart pounded like a raging flood.
But that thrill was swiftly followed by a stab of heart-wrenching pain. Ning Jiuwei found it hard to breathe, her body plunged into icy river water—chilled to the bone and suffocating.
“President Su.” Ning Jiuwei managed a greeting to the woman before her, forcing down her churning feelings and confining her thoughts to the narrowest corner of her mind.
She forced a smile and nodded, signaling that she would go on ahead.
“Designer Ning, hold on a moment.” Su Jinglan wouldn’t let her escape. Her gaze flicked to the hand Assistant Tan still hadn’t released.
Assistant Tan was quick on the uptake. She let go at once and stepped back.
Assistant Lin handed a signing pen to Su Jinglan’s side. Su Jinglan took it and spoke to Ning Jiuwei in a tone that was gentle yet brooked no argument. “I’ll go in with you.”
She signed countless documents every day, so Su Jinglan’s handwriting flowed effortlessly like running water, bold and dynamic as it marked the exhibition board with powerful strokes.
“Designer Ning, let’s take a photo together.” Su Jinglan took up her position in front of the board and beckoned Ning Jiuwei to her side.
There was something about her—an irresistible quality—that Ning Jiuwei couldn’t bring herself to refuse, not in front of all these people.
Standing side by side with Su Jinglan before the board, the emotions Ning Jiuwei had just suppressed came bubbling back to the surface. She kept a careful distance of two fists between them, holding her usual mild smile as she watched the photographer snapping away nonstop—and the president’s assistant pulling out her phone to take pictures too.
“Designer Ning, would you mind putting your arm around me?” Su Jinglan turned her head to look at Ning Jiuwei, showing not the slightest embarrassment at the request.
Ning Jiuwei thought she’d misheard. “What?”
Su Jinglan’s lips curved upward. She seized Ning Jiuwei’s wrist and guided her hand around her back, placing it on her side waist.
The silk gown was thin and sleek against her skin. Ning Jiuwei went rigid all over, but Su Jinglan tugged her hand forward until her whole palm embraced her waist. “There, just like that.”
Assistant Lin betrayed no surprise at this uncharacteristic behavior from her boss. She kept shooting from every angle, one photo after another.
Assistant Tan watched from the side, utterly dumbfounded and at a complete loss.
Ning Jiuwei pulled her hand back and stepped away. She opened her mouth to speak but had no idea what to say.
“Let’s head inside, Designer Ning.” Su Jinglan’s expression remained perfectly composed, as if the waist-embracing photo had been the most ordinary thing in the world.
“Mm.” Ning Jiuwei didn’t wait for her. She hurried into the banquet hall.
Su Jinglan, bringing up the rear, let out a soft chuckle at the sight of her obviously flustered gait.
“President Su, that’s sixteen photos in total.” Assistant Lin held Su Jinglan’s phone, showing her the results.
Su Jinglan didn’t take it. She glided elegantly toward the banquet hall. “I’ll look at them later.”
In the brief moment she’d taken her eyes off Ning Jiuwei, the designer had vanished. The banquet hall teemed with people. As the venue for the press conference, staff members darted back and forth between the stage and the crowd, creating a dizzying scene. Su Jinglan’s eyesight was exceptional; after scanning the room, she finally spotted her in an unassuming corner.
Su Jinglan threaded her way through the throng toward her. But just as she drew near, someone else reached Ning Jiuwei first.
“Ah Mu, you’re here for the banquet too?” The newcomer was brimming with enthusiasm. She swept Ning Jiuwei into a firm hug and held on tight, refusing to let go.
Ning Jiuwei had only just recovered from her earlier suffocation, and now she felt like she might be strangled. “Designer Wen, could you let me go?” She tried to pry Wen Wanyuan’s arms off but couldn’t budge them.
“It’s been ages. Let me give you a proper hug.” Wen Wanyuan draped herself over Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder, catching up on old times. “How have you been? Why won’t you see me? After all, I’m your…”
A frigid voice rang out behind Wen Wanyuan, laced with bone-chilling cold and a subtle undercurrent of hostility. “Ning Jiuwei.”
Ning Jiuwei spotted Su Jinglan approaching.
Wen Wanyuan finally released her and turned around, meeting a pair of deep, soul-piercing eyes. Puzzled, she asked, “And who might you be?” It was clear the hostility wasn’t directed at Ning Jiuwei—it was aimed squarely at her.
She looked a little familiar.
“I’m Ning Jiuwei’s colleague. We came to the banquet together.” Su Jinglan eyed Wen Wanyuan appraisingly, trying to gauge the nature of her relationship with Ning Jiuwei.
Wen Wanyuan smiled and introduced herself. “I’m Ning Jiuwei’s friend.”
A staff member hurried over to Wen Wanyuan’s side and whispered a few words to her. Wen Wanyuan nodded and replied, “I’ll head over in a bit.” Then she leaned in close to Ning Jiuwei’s ear, shielding her mouth with her hand as she murmured, “Ah Mu, I’ve got something to take care of. Be careful around your colleague—she doesn’t seem like a good person. I’ll come find you later.”
As she watched Wen Wanyuan walk away, Su Jinglan turned to Ning Jiuwei. “Is she your… girlfriend?”
It was a personal question, one Ning Jiuwei didn’t have to answer if she didn’t want to. After a brief hesitation, she denied it. “No.”
Su Jinglan’s expression softened, a faint smile returning to her face. She leaned in close to Ning Jiuwei and whispered, “Then what did she say to Designer Ning?”
Talk about pushing her luck. Ning Jiuwei sidestepped to put some distance between them. “She said you’re very pretty.”
Su Jinglan’s interest piqued at that. “And what about you?”
~~~
T/N:
Ah Mu:
Ah : A standard, cute prefix used for nicknames in Chinese (like adding “-y” or “-ie” in English).
Mu : Night, Dusk
***
(Jiu + Mu):
Reference to one of the most famous romantic poems in Chinese history, The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd by the Song Dynasty poet Qin Guan: “If love between both sides can last for eternity (Jiu), why need they stay together morning and night (Mu)?
