Chapter 18

Ning Jiuwei received a call from the president for the first time in the dead of night. The former president would never bypass the design director to contact her directly. At this hour, work matters would at most come via WeChat, and personal ones were even less likely.

Neither work nor personal matters fell within Ning Jiuwei’s acceptable range.

But it was Su Jinglan on the other end of the line. Ning Jiuwei’s rationality split in two—one half urging her to keep her distance, the other to observe quietly. She adopted a polite but distant tone toward Su Jinglan. “President Su, please go ahead.”

Separated by a vast distance, relying on mere scraps of conversation to guess at the other’s thoughts, Su Jinglan paused for a few seconds before saying, “Regarding tonight’s incident, please don’t take it to heart, Designer Ning. I had no intention of offending you.”

Ning Jiuwei had braced herself for some major revelation, her heart nearly leaping into her throat. After the emotional rollercoaster, her pulse showed no signs of calming—instead, it raced even harder. “President Su hasn’t offended me at all. There’s no need to call specially to tell me that. If there’s nothing else, I’d like to get back to my shower.”

“I’m sorry for disturbing you.” Su Jinglan kept the smile in her voice. “Please, carry on.”

Su Jinglan hung up and let out a soft chuckle. It was utterly unexpected that Ning Jiuwei would answer her call while in the shower.

A wave of delight spread from her heart. Just this tiny bit of indulgence from Ning Jiuwei was enough to set Su Jinglan’s heart blooming with joy.

She could only imagine what it would be like to truly possess Ning Jiuwei one day—to receive all her tenderness and indulgence in full.

Lying back down, Su Jinglan couldn’t stop herself from picturing Ning Jiuwei in the shower. The unknown allure hidden beneath her clothes held a fatal attraction, leaving Su Jinglan’s body burning hot as she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

~~~

Ning Jiuwei tossed and turned, sleep eluding her completely.

She switched on the light, wrapped herself in a thick coral fleece robe, and cracked the window open just a sliver. A damp, chilly night breeze rushed into the warm room, lifting the stray hairs on her shoulders and slipping down her collar straight to her heart.

All was silent in the residential complex. Dim yellow streetlights illuminated the patchy paths for late-night wanderers. Ning Jiuwei’s gaze swept from near to far, toward the vast, unfathomable night sky.

She stood by the window for so long that her legs went numb. Finally, she closed the window tight, drew the curtains securely, and returned to bed.

In the dead of night, she always left on the soft bedside lamp. Ning Jiuwei closed her eyes and pondered, drowsiness gradually overtaking her awareness. She drifted off in the orange glow of the warm light, which burned through the night.

With no alarm set on her phone, she woke to find it nearly noon. No one would check when the chief designer arrived at the company. Ning Jiuwei glanced at the time and rose leisurely from her warm covers.

Su Jinglan had spent the entire morning waiting for Ning Jiuwei to appear. The tightly shut office door prevented her from fully immersing herself in work; a two-page document took three reads before she could sign it.

Finally, as the sun passed its zenith and the heat began to fade, Ning Jiuwei showed up at the company.

Today, Ning Jiuwei wore a gray satin blouse, its exquisite cufflinks neatly securing her cuffs, peeking out from her trench coat sleeves when she raised her hand.

Ning Jiuwei propped her chin on one hand as she studied the design drawings. She hadn’t started modeling yet, puzzling over what exactly felt off to her.

Design work drained inspiration, so to maintain a steady output, constant input was essential. Ning Jiuwei closed the interface, opened her browser, and checked recent exhibitions and performances.

There were no standout exhibitions lately—just some obscure theater troupes and music recitals. Ning Jiuwei reopened the design drawings, stared for a few seconds, and suddenly thought of a place that embraced everything: the library.

From her office across the way, Su Jinglan occasionally glanced up at Ning Jiuwei. Once Ning Jiuwei arrived, Su Jinglan’s pace on company affairs slowed even further.

After signing off on all pending approvals, Su Jinglan noticed Ning Jiuwei preparing to leave. She set aside her non-urgent tasks and timed it perfectly to run into Ning Jiuwei in the hallway by the door.

“Heading out early, Designer Ning?”

Su Jinglan’s casual question instantly put Ning Jiuwei on high alert. It was still over an hour until quitting time, so a direct yes was out of the question. Ning Jiuwei used work as her excuse. “I’m going to find some inspiration.”

“Where to, Designer Ning?” Su Jinglan asked with keen interest, falling into step beside her as they left together.

Ning Jiuwei subtly shifted away, putting some distance between them. “Just wandering around. Not sure yet.”

As long as there was no set destination, Su Jinglan had no excuse to tag along.

They rode the elevator in silence to the first floor, where Su Jinglan suddenly grabbed Ning Jiuwei’s wrist without warning.

“Is Designer Ning seeking inspiration for Shen Lanyan’s custom order?”

Ning Jiuwei did have plans to take on other clients’ custom work to fill her schedule, but they were just plans—no contracts signed yet. Her current client was solely Shen Lanyan.

“Yes.” Ning Jiuwei tried to pull her wrist free, and Su Jinglan released her easily.

“Since it’s for Shen Lanyan, there’s a place that’s perfect for Designer Ning.” Su Jinglan extended an irresistible invitation. “Come on, I’ll take Designer Ning there.”

Ning Jiuwei wanted to refuse. “What place?”

“You’ll know when we get there.” Su Jinglan smiled gently at her. “I won’t disappoint Designer Ning.”

From the elevator to the entrance of the Office Building, Ning Jiuwei’s emotions fluctuated wildly. Her gaze fell on Su Jinglan’s profile as she scrutinized her warily.

A high-end Mercedes-Benz business car pulled up in front of the doors. Su Jinglan opened the door for Ning Jiuwei and let her get in first, as if afraid she might bolt.

The car’s sleek, bullet-shaped body felt like a shot straight to her heart. Ning Jiuwei did indeed have second thoughts. She hesitated outside the vehicle, meeting Su Jinglan’s gentle smile—which held no hint of impropriety—before bending down and climbing inside.

The two rear seats were separated by an aisle. After boarding, Ning Jiuwei sat on the far side to make it easier for Su Jinglan to get in.

The partition rose, sealing off the rear compartment from the driver’s cab into two independent spaces. Ning Jiuwei gripped the armrest and slowed her breathing. She drew back the light-blocking curtain on the window and, once they merged onto the main road, scanned the streetscape to guess their destination.

As they drew nearer to Fenglinwu Community—the most expensive one in the city center—Ning Jiuwei’s hand slowly clenched into a fist. The vehicle passed straight through the entrance’s AI recognition system, entering the community and pulling up in front of Building A. Her mild gaze sharpened as she gripped the armrest and stared at the woman beside her.

The woman beside her was looking down, typing out a message, oblivious to her stare.

Ning Jiuwei closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her expression was warm and serene once more. In a clear, measured voice, she asked Su Jinglan, “Is the place President Su is taking me to her own home? Or does President Su intend to take me into Shen Lanyan’s home?”

“It’s not Shen Lanyan’s home.”

Su Jinglan pocketed her phone and stepped out of the car.

Ning Jiuwei remained seated. Su Jinglan smiled, circled around to her side, and opened the door. “Has Designer Ning ever been carried out of a car before?”

“…” Having never been carried by anyone, Ning Jiuwei climbed out on her own.

The elevator shot straight up to the 22nd Floor. Su Jinglan unlocked the door and invited Ning Jiuwei inside.

It wasn’t her first visit, so Ning Jiuwei had a rough sense of the apartment’s layout. She slipped into a pair of slippers, and Su Jinglan led her down the winding corridor to its very end.

“This is the audio-visual room—a private home theater.” Su Jinglan opened the door. “All the equipment inside is top-of-the-line. The viewing experience is indistinguishable from a cinema. Please, come in, Designer Ning.”

The room’s lighting was dim, its decor dominated by cool blue-gray tones that lent it a slightly chilly air. In the center sat a set of plush, comfortable sofas, with neatly arranged pillows propped against the backs—signs that it wasn’t used often.

Ning Jiuwei stepped inside and glanced around. The upper shelf of the storage cabinet held only a handful of movie discs, their titles clearly visible at a single sweep.

Had Su Jinglan brought her home to watch movies for inspiration?

While Ning Jiuwei took stock of the room, Su Jinglan powered up the audiovisual system. “Have a seat wherever you’d like, Designer Ning.”

Ning Jiuwei didn’t dare sit.

Watching a movie in a private theater felt far too intimate.

Su Jinglan glanced back at her, then opened the lower door of the storage cabinet.

The sensual curve of Su Jinglan’s figure as she bent over made Ning Jiuwei avert her eyes. After rummaging for a moment, Su Jinglan pulled out a stack of discs.

“Designer Ning, these are all movies starring Shen Lanyan. She gave them to me, but I haven’t watched any, so I’m not sure which is the best.” Su Jinglan handed them over. “You pick the one we watch first.”

“By the way, her latest starring film isn’t here. If you’d prefer the new one, we can stream it online.” The system was internet-connected, and modern screens made little difference between disc and streaming quality.

Ning Jiuwei examined the unopened discs in her hand, then placed them on the upper shelf. She turned to Su Jinglan. “Let’s stream it.”

“Alright.” Su Jinglan used the remote to navigate to the streaming service, searched by title, and passed the remote to Ning Jiuwei. “Don’t just stand there, Designer Ning. Sit down.”

The idea of the two of them nestled on the soft sofa together made Ning Jiuwei’s heart race. She reminded herself it was just casual movie-watching for inspiration—not some lovers’ rendezvous. Clutching her palms tightly, she finally sank onto the sofa.

“What would Designer Ning like to drink?” Su Jinglan opened the cabinet in the coffee table and retrieved a bottle of wine along with tall stemmed glasses. “We have wine here.”

If the mood kept building like this, ambiguity would sprout even where none existed. Sticking to her healthy habits, Ning Jiuwei replied calmly, “Water for me, thank you.”

Su Jinglan returned with two bottles of mineral water, by which time Ning Jiuwei had already picked out a movie.

“Let’s watch this one,” Ning Jiuwei suggested. She had checked the synopsis and confirmed it wasn’t some overly saccharine romance—perfect for the mood they were in.

“Designer Ning’s choice it is,” Su Jinglan said as she settled down beside her.

Ning Jiuwei could never have anticipated what happened next. The moment the opening sequence began, there was Shen Lanyan, breathing heavily as her forehead pressed against that of another actress—impossible to tell yet if she was the lead or a supporting character. Their disheveled, tangled locks made it obvious they’d just broken off a heated kiss. After a few seconds to catch their breath, they plunged right back into another passionate embrace.

~~~