Chapter 31

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It was still early, and the hotel guests who had checked in were all sleeping late. The corridor fell silent after Su Jinglan’s figure vanished from sight.

Ning Jiuwei’s gaze lingered on the corner, staring at the empty hallway, before she slowly withdrew her eyes and shut the door.

The curtains remained undrawn, and every light in the room blazed brightly. Ning Jiuwei returned to the bed, her unfocused eyes drooping slightly as she leaned dazedly against the headboard.

The bed still held Su Jinglan’s scent—a clear, elegant fragrance laced with the trace of her breath, gradually seeping into Ning Jiuwei’s thoughts.

At exactly eight o’clock, Su Jinglan boarded the business car and departed the hotel, heading to the Hengsu Group Subsidiary.

Ning Jiuwei closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep on the elevated soft pillow.

When she awoke, it was already noon. Assistant Tan had sent her several messages, wanting to knock on the door but hesitant to disturb her.

Ning Jiuwei replied to Assistant Tan, asking her to wait in the hotel lobby. Half an hour later, she appeared right on time before Assistant Tan.

“Designer Ning.” Tan Yushu hadn’t seen Ning Jiuwei all day yesterday and felt less like she was on a business trip and more like she was on vacation. Now, at the sight of Ning Jiuwei, her anxious heart finally settled.

In stark contrast to the assistant’s excitement, Ning Jiuwei remained calm, a familiar gentle smile on her face as she asked Assistant Tan, “Have you made the reservation?”

“I’ve made it. We can go to the museum any time this afternoon.”

Assistant Tan hailed a car, and the two rode to the Wen Hai Museum.

The bright, radiant sunlight gradually dimmed as the day waned and the sun dipped toward the horizon. The museum operated only during daylight hours and closed promptly at five-thirty. Ning Jiuwei spent the entire afternoon inside, stepping out just before the doors shut.

Layers of clouds stretched across the vast sky, mirroring the blood-red glow of the sunset like the fierce flames blazing before a phoenix’s rebirth. Ning Jiuwei paused to gaze into the distance, falling silent before the grand and magnificent spectacle of nature.

Assistant Tan walked beside her, following her line of sight upward, and couldn’t help but sigh. “The sunset is so beautiful, Designer Ning.”

“Yes,” Ning Jiuwei replied softly, watching the glow slowly dissipate until it was swallowed by the night.

The historical artifacts, forged by the passage of ages, sparked inspiration. Ning Jiuwei’s afternoon had been fruitful; she had gained considerable knowledge about jade and porcelain wares.

“Designer Ning, what should we have for dinner tonight?” Wen Hai hugged the coast, and local cuisine centered on seafood. Tan Yushu had scoured restaurant reviews the day before—if Designer Ning was unsure, she could suggest plenty of options.

Ning Jiuwei smiled faintly and turned to Assistant Tan. “Little Tan, is there a restaurant you want to try?”

Tan Yushu lit up with excitement. “Yes!”

She had her eye on several spots. With a full week here, there would be time to sample them one by one. But thinking of the prices, her enthusiasm tempered slightly, and her voice grew quieter. “It’s just a little pricey—beyond the reimbursement limit.”

“No need to go through the company. I’ll treat you.”

Tan Yushu felt a pang of embarrassment. Ning Jiuwei was her superior, who had never raised her voice at her and always guided and accommodated her with patience. Now, to have her boss foot the bill for dinner—she wanted to be Ning Jiuwei’s assistant forever.

“Where’s the address? We’ll cab it over.” Ning Jiuwei was true to her word about treating; there was no hesitation.

“I’ll look it up.” Tan Yushu opened her saved list, found the restaurant, and booked a ride-share car.

The restaurant was some distance from the museum—a forty-minute trip. They arrived just as the dinner rush hit, with all private rooms booked solid and a line forming in the lobby.

“Designer Ning, maybe we should try somewhere else?” Considering the menu prices, Tan Yushu thought a more affordable spot with shorter waits would suit them better.

“Assistant Tan, no need to pinch pennies for me. Go grab us a good number.” Ning Jiuwei glanced around, intending to wander the nearby shops while they waited.

A new place brimmed with novelty; every sight and sound held the potential to ignite inspiration.

Assistant Tan headed to get their number. The line was long, so she queued up while Ning Jiuwei waited in a quieter spot behind her.

“Designer Ning, got the number.” Assistant Tan turned back with it in hand, but her gaze suddenly froze, shifting past Ning Jiuwei to the figure behind her.

A group of people approached them, and at the center—surrounded like the moon among the stars—was someone Assistant Tan knew well: the new Design Division President, Su Jinglan.

Assistant Tan tilted her chin, nudging Ning Jiuwei to look. “Designer Ning, President Su.”

Ning Jiuwei turned at the words, her gentle smile vanishing in an instant as she regarded Su Jinglan with a blank expression.

Playing the “chance encounter” game again?

Su Jinglan was surprised to spot Ning Jiuwei here. A tender smile warmed her icy eyes, her gaze locking onto Ning Jiuwei as she walked toward her. The voices buzzing in her ears passed like a breeze; she didn’t register a single one.

“President Su.” Seeing more than a dozen people with Su Jinglan, Ning Jiuwei realized she had misunderstood her. As Su Jinglan drew near, she offered a mild greeting.

Su Jinglan turned to those around her. “You all go on ahead inside.”

No one raised any objections or questions. They simply continued walking forward.

How could anyone but the President of the Design Division command such unquestioning obedience?

Ning Jiuwei wondered to herself.

“Designer Ning, you’re eating here too?” Su Jinglan ignored the little assistant at Ning Jiuwei’s side. Her eyes were fixed solely on Ning Jiuwei.

Ning Jiuwei had already prepared her refusal in her mind. “Yeah, I heard the food here’s good, so I came to give it a try.”

Su Jinglan smiled at that. “Want to join us?”

The invitation was phrased as a question, leaving room for refusal. Su Jinglan’s gaze flickered slightly. Without voicing any of her prepared excuses, she simply replied, “No, thanks.”

“Then I’ll head in first, so they don’t have to wait too long.”

Assistant Lin was waiting at the restaurant entrance. Su Jinglan glanced back at the receding figure of Ning Jiuwei, the softness in her eyes fading away. Then she headed off with Assistant Lin to the reserved private room.

The subsidiary’s executives were already seated, having left the seat of honor empty for Su Jinglan.

Accustomed to such scenes, Su Jinglan took her place at the head of the table with perfect composure.

The dishes arrived promptly. Bottles of baijiu were uncorked and set in the center of the round table, while decanted red wine filled a clear glass carafe. The subsidiary head beamed from ear to ear as he personally poured a glass for Su Jinglan.

“President Su, you’ve honored us with your presence to guide our subsidiary’s operations. Allow me to propose the first toast.” He filled her glass to the brim with red wine, then poured one for himself. With a clink of glasses, he tossed it back in one gulp.

Assistant Lin frowned faintly. Starting off with drinks like this—they were clearly trying to get the president drunk.

Her gaze drifted to the opened bottles of baijiu on the table. Once the red wine was gone, those would come next. No wonder they hadn’t invited Designer Ning to join them; otherwise, she would have been dragged into the drinking too.

Su Jinglan let out a light laugh. Her slender, elegant fingers tapped against the stem of her glass. She betrayed no hint of unease in the face of their aggressive overtures. “President Zheng drinks like this—think you’ll make it to tomorrow’s meeting?”

“Everyone knows President Su can hold her liquor. One glass won’t floor you.” President Zheng’s smile was sly and inscrutable, his depths as fathomless as a frozen pond, every bit the wily old fox.

Su Jinglan lifted her glass to her lips. “I hear President Zheng can down three jin of baijiu. I’d love to see a proper demonstration tonight.”

With that, she drained the full glass of red wine without so much as a change in expression.

Ning Jiuwei wandered slowly, popping into any shop that caught her eye. Assistant Tan trailed diligently at her side, mirroring her every glance.

“Designer Ning, there’s one of our stores over there.” Spotting the eye-catching HS logo, Assistant Tan tugged at Ning Jiuwei’s sleeve and pointed it out.

She clearly wanted to take a look, so Ning Jiuwei indulged her. Her long legs carried her toward the store.

The jewelry shop was brightly lit and impeccably clean. The sales associates greeted every customer with warm enthusiasm, regardless of whether they seemed like buyers.

“Ladies, looking for any particular pieces today?” A roving sales associate welcomed Ning Jiuwei and Tan Yushu with a bright smile. “Rings are this way, necklaces and bracelets over here, earrings and bangles on that side. We also take custom orders.”

Tan Yushu managed Ning Jiuwei’s custom designs and had a passing familiarity with the company’s other works. She paused at one counter, pointing in surprise at a pair of dangling earrings. “These are still for sale?”

“Yes, ma’am. This is a piece by our HS Chief Designer—sells like hotcakes.” The associate behind the counter, dressed in a crisp white shirt and blazer with gloves on, unlocked the case and lifted them out. “Care to try them on, miss?”

“No, thank you—I already have a pair.” Tan Yushu declined politely.

The associate kept her professional smile, carefully replacing the earrings. “Of course. Please feel free to browse the rest.”

A few more customers trickled in from time to time. Not wanting to get in the way of business, Ning Jiuwei and Tan Yushu finished their look around and stepped back out.

They headed back according to their estimated wait time. Just as they neared the restaurant, a message arrived: a table had opened up, and it was their turn.

The lobby was some distance from the private rooms. They could make out the closed doors but nothing of what lay beyond.

Ning Jiuwei subtly took in the restaurant, piecing together the layout from what she could see.

Nothing on the menu came cheap. Assistant Tan didn’t dare order. “Designer Ning, you pick. I’ll just eat.”

Ning Jiuwei chuckled at that, taking the ordering tablet and selecting the restaurant’s signature dishes from the recommendations.

It was indeed expensive, but utterly delicious. Ning Jiuwei didn’t have much of an appetite and ate slowly and gracefully, leaving the rest for Assistant Tan, whose flat stomach had swelled into a little round ball.

After Ning Jiuwei paid the bill, she glanced at Assistant Tan’s belly and decided to sit in her seat a while longer before leaving.

In that moment, she ran into Su Jinglan emerging from the private room.

The group that had entered so neatly and orderly was now stumbling out unsteadily, clearly drunk out of their minds. Only Su Jinglan strode forth tall and proud, without the slightest hint of intoxication.

President Zheng had an arm slung over the Finance Director’s shoulder, slurring drunkenly as he trailed behind Su Jinglan with effusive praise. “Su Su… President Su, you can really hold your liquor…”

Ning Jiuwei watched Su Jinglan, scrutinizing her demeanor and expression. A feeling stirred in her heart: Su Jinglan was drunk, merely holding herself together through sheer force of will.

In the early stages of heavy drinking, a person doesn’t collapse into a stupor right away. The mind remains clear, fully aware of one’s actions and the best course forward. But as the alcohol surges through the veins, the brain slowly relinquishes control over the body—still conscious, yet helplessly watching as the body devolves into a drunken mess, steps faltering and unsteady.

Su Jinglan’s reaction time had clearly slowed. Ning Jiuwei observed her for a moment before Su Jinglan’s gaze finally shifted her way, registering her presence.

She shouldn’t get close to Su Jinglan. Ning Jiuwei turned to leave.

Su Jinglan’s lips curved upward in a brilliant smile as she called out Ning Jiuwei’s name, dropping the surname with intimate familiarity. “Jiuwei.”

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