~~~
Wen Wanyuan felt so embarrassed that she wanted to bury herself in Ning Jiuwei’s arms. At the last banquet, she had clearly been introduced as Ning Jiuwei’s colleague—how had she suddenly become the president?
“Hello, President Su.” Wen Wanyuan forced herself onward despite her tingling scalp and extended a polite hand in greeting. “Jiuwei and I are friends, so I didn’t keep any distance from her.”
Su Jinglan had seen everything clearly from outside. Both of Wen Wanyuan’s hands had touched Ning Jiuwei—and that right hand especially often.
Su Jinglan showed no intention of shaking hands. Wen Wanyuan knew her earlier words had carried a hint of sarcasm; she had offended Ning Jiuwei’s boss. She withdrew her hand awkwardly.
“I know the way—no need to see me out.” Wen Wanyuan found a way to save face and turned to Ning Jiuwei. “Jiuwei, let’s chat on WeChat later.”
Wen Wanyuan left, but Su Jinglan’s expression remained stormy. Her scrutinizing gaze probed Ning Jiuwei, waiting for an explanation.
The corridor was no place for a conversation. Su Jinglan shot Ning Jiuwei a “follow me” look and silently entered the President’s Office.
Ning Jiuwei didn’t follow.
Su Jinglan glanced back to find Ning Jiuwei returning to her own office, door closing behind her.
Su Jinglan: “…”
Had Ning Jiuwei failed to read the look?
She dialed the internal line and ordered, “Come here.”
Ning Jiuwei proved more obedient than the night before. She hung up and entered the office.
“President Su.” Ning Jiuwei sat ramrod straight in the chair reserved for conversations across the desk.
Separated by the expansive desk, Su Jinglan lounged in the plush boss chair, leaning back as her fingertips drummed lightly on the armrest. The gentle amusement had vanished from her eyes, replaced by a hawkish sharpness that inspired dread.
“The office is for work, not a venue for flirting with friends.” The mere thought of someone else coquettishly fawning over Ning Jiuwei made Su Jinglan want to lock her away, bind her close, and claim her entirely for herself.
Suppressing the wild surge of possessiveness, Su Jinglan addressed Ning Jiuwei in her capacity as president. “I hope Designer Ning can adopt a proper attitude and keep personal feelings out of work.”
Her words felt overly harsh, so Su Jinglan softened her tone. “Of course, Designer Ning’s friends can be clients—just avoid excessive intimacy when dealing with them.”
Ning Jiuwei offered no defense or explanation, simply absorbing the words. “Understood, President Su. I’ve taken your guidance to heart.”
The fragile progress they’d made now felt distant amid Ning Jiuwei’s compliant demeanor. Su Jinglan sighed inwardly. “I don’t mean to reprimand Designer Ning. I only wanted to remind her to mind her image.”
“Thank you, President Su. I understand.” Ning Jiuwei’s face remained impassive. Beneath the shelter of the desk’s edge, she dug her nails into her palm.
Silence settled over the office. Ning Jiuwei kept her eyes slightly lowered, gaze resting on the stack of documents.
Su Jinglan hadn’t dismissed her, so she remained seated without stirring.
“President Su.” Lin Fengmian’s knock shattered the quiet. Clutching a stack of project documents, she entered at the go-ahead. “These are the newly submitted project plans.”
Lin Fengmian set the documents on the desk without further detail, retreated without a sideways glance, and closed the door behind her.
“My apologies—my tone was too sharp just now.” Su Jinglan had no intention of letting Ning Jiuwei leave. After a moment’s reflection, she offered the apology.
“You’re the president; you needn’t apologize to me.” Ning Jiuwei lifted her eyes, that familiar mild smile returning to her face—as if nothing could ruffle her, as if she never took offense.
No matter what Su Jinglan said now, Ning Jiuwei would likely respond with dutiful compliance. Su Jinglan brought the conversation to a close and sent her back to work.
Watching Ning Jiuwei return to her office, Su Jinglan activated the glass walls’ frosting mode and sighed, rubbing her forehead.
Alone at last, she properly vented her frustrations in the office. Then Su Jinglan deactivated the frosting and directed a frank gaze toward Ning Jiuwei.
In that brief interval, another visitor had appeared in Ning Jiuwei’s office.
Jiang Shiyao arrived with her revised design drawings for consultation. Ning Jiuwei’s praise elicited a grin from her, bright as a shelter puppy freshly adopted.
“Teacher Ning, are you sure no more changes are needed?” Jiang Shiyao sought one final confirmation.
Ning Jiuwei smiled faintly. “I believe it’s ready, but that doesn’t mean Director Zhang will greenlight your design drawings for sampling and mass production. Find a time to submit them to Director Zhang and let her have the final say.”
“I trust Teacher Ning.” Jiang Shiyao clutched her tablet, her radiant eyes gleaming with shy reluctance, words hovering unspoken on her lips.
She lingered before the desk, reluctant to depart. Ning Jiuwei took the initiative. “Is there something else?”
The excuse of grabbing dinner together had worked last time, but trying it again today probably wouldn’t fly. Jiang Shiyao couldn’t come up with a fresh reason, so she went straight to the point. “Teacher Ning, want to have dinner together tonight?”
“I’m busy this evening,” Ning Jiuwei replied without a second thought, her standard rejection rolling off her tongue crisp and final.
Jiang Shiyao deflated. “Then next time.”
After Wen Wanyuan left, she texted Ning Jiuwei the restaurant details—the spot was already reserved, so she could head straight over after work.
Ning Jiuwei opened WeChat and stared at the unread message in their chat. After a moment’s thought, she fired off a polite refusal.
She locked her phone screen and summoned Assistant Tan to the office, instructing her to book tickets for an impromptu business trip.
Ning Jiuwei enjoyed flexible hours, including the freedom to jet off on trips whenever needed, as long as she had active custom contracts in the works. She could head anywhere.
Her standard excuse for these outings? Field research for design inspiration and reference materials.
Ning Jiuwei preferred to travel solo and rarely brought an assistant along. But this time, she broke from tradition and had Assistant Tan book two tickets.
“I’m coming too?” Assistant Tan blinked in disbelief.
“Mm-hm.” To head off any cost-cutting measures—like skimping on travel expenses for the company—Ning Jiuwei added firmly, “Two separate rooms. I sleep alone.”
Assistant Tan knew better; she’d end up solo in a standard room anyway.
Ever efficient, Assistant Tan secured two high-speed rail tickets for that very evening, along with rooms at their hotel. She then dashed to the Director’s Office to give Director Zhang a heads-up.
“Designer Ning, the train leaves at seven-ten tonight. Hotel’s five-star—Business King Rooms, check-in anytime.” She’d booked herself into a standard king room a few floors lower, with views that didn’t quite match the premium ones.
Ning Jiuwei nodded and dismissed Assistant Tan early to pack.
The trip had come together last-minute, so Ning Jiuwei needed to swing by home for her own things too. No sooner had Assistant Tan left than Ning Jiuwei powered down her computer and headed out.
Su Jinglan, who kept tabs on Ning Jiuwei’s every move, spotted her leaving and clocked out right behind.
“Designer Ning, dinner tonight?” Su Jinglan had her pitch ready. “I’ve got a few things to run by you.”
Ning Jiuwei secured the office door and flashed Su Jinglan a smile. “Business trip tonight—no time for dinner with President Su. We’ll talk when I’m free.”
She didn’t give Su Jinglan a chance to probe further about the destination before striding away.
Tall and long-legged, Ning Jiuwei moved fast. Su Jinglan trailing after her now would look an awful lot like chasing her down.
Su Jinglan watched the figure hurry off, lips curving in amusement. She summoned the Design Director to her office.
Designers didn’t need sign-off from the president for trips like this, but protocol required looping in the Design Director.
Ning Jiuwei headed home to pack a week’s worth of clothes, then cabbed it to the high-speed rail station.
Business class passengers waited in the VIP Lounge. By the time Ning Jiuwei arrived, Assistant Tan was already settled in.
The serene space offered free snacks, full meals, bottomless drinks, and tea. For Assistant Tan, stepping into the VIP Lounge for the first time, everything sparked wide-eyed wonder.
Boarding announcements rang out. VIP guests skipped the lines, breezing through dedicated security to the platform.
The business class carriage stood empty. Once Ning Jiuwei boarded, it held just her and Assistant Tan.
This stop allowed a generous five-minute dwell. Ning Jiuwei reclined her seat, eyes drifting shut against the headrest. The tension she’d carried for so long finally eased with departure imminent.
Moments before the doors sealed shut, the rhythmic whir of two suitcase wheels echoed closer, rolling through the open business class door to halt right beside her.
A familiar perfume wafted faintly through the air, seeping in with her breath and stirring her heart. Ning Jiuwei’s eyes snapped open—to meet a pair of warm, smiling ones.
“What a coincidence, Designer Ning—fancy running into you here.” Assistant Lin stowed the luggage while Su Jinglan lingered at Ning Jiuwei’s side. As the train picked up speed, she asked, “Where’s this business trip taking you, Designer Ning?”
~~~
