Chapter 34

Lin Fengmian waited outside the room door. Last night, she had watched with her own eyes as President Su was carried into the room by Designer Ning, and this morning, President Su had emerged from Designer Ning’s room right on cue.

“President Su, I took the initiative to postpone the meeting.” Only fifteen minutes remained until nine-thirty, and there was no way they could make it to the subsidiary on time. A few minutes earlier, Lin Fengmian had estimated their travel time and called the subsidiary head directly without consulting President Su, pushing the meeting back by an hour.

Su Jinglan nodded expressionlessly. She held a room card in her hand, studying it thoughtfully for a moment before slipping it into the pocket of her suit pants.

The car idled at the hotel’s main entrance. Su Jinglan slid into the back seat and glanced toward the hotel lobby.

The automatic doors slid shut slowly, blocking her view. Su Jinglan closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest. Fatigue laced her once-clear voice as she instructed, “Drive.”

Lin Fengmian had served Su Jinglan for years and knew the president’s moods well. This was the first time she had seen her so drained and listless.

They must have gone at it all night. Even her voice was hoarse now.

“President Su, here’s today’s meeting agenda.” Lin Fengmian pushed aside her concern for the president and handed over the printed schedule.

Su Jinglan took it, her gaze sharpening briefly with focus before drifting off again.

She pulled out her phone and checked it. The message she had sent to Ning Jiuwei still hadn’t received a reply.

After a moment’s hesitation, Su Jinglan sent another: I’m heading to the meeting now.

She stared at the screen, but no typing indicator appeared.

Ning Jiuwei had been sitting in the executive lounge for over two hours when she saw the message and stood up. The Biluochun tea in front of her had cooled and been reheated three pots’ worth.

Su Jinglan was gone. Finally, she could return to her own room.

It wasn’t until she reached the door that Ning Jiuwei remembered leaving her room card in the power slot when she went out—she had forgotten to take it.

She lowered her eyes and knocked tentatively. No one answered; Su Jinglan truly wasn’t inside.

“I left my room card in the room. Could I get a new one?” At the front desk, Ning Jiuwei explained her situation. The attendant confirmed the room details and her identity before issuing a replacement.

“Here’s your new room card,” the front desk attendant said. “Have a pleasant stay.”

Ning Jiuwei paused there, gripping the card. Noticing, the attendant asked warmly, “Miss, is there anything else I can help you with?”

Ning Jiuwei let go of the idea of checking out early and offered a gentle smile. “No, thank you.”

The room’s curtains were drawn wide, sunlight flooding in and brightening every corner. The moment Ning Jiuwei stepped inside, she spotted the empty power slot—the room card was gone.

Su Jinglan must have taken it.

Ning Jiuwei shut the door and slotted in the new card.

The two blankets on the bed lay rumpled and piled together. The image of Su Jinglan naked flashed in her mind, heating Ning Jiuwei’s earlobes. She quickly looked away.

Nothing else in the room had been disturbed. Ning Jiuwei dragged her suitcase from the corner, set it by the bed, and unpacked her clothes and essentials.

She folded everything neatly back inside, tucking her undergarments into a separate pouch. After a final sweep of the room, Ning Jiuwei wheeled the suitcase out.

Its wheels whispered over the plush carpet, leaving faint tracks, until she stopped at another door.

Tan Yushu sat primly at the desk, fully dressed and working away. She had brought her tablet, paired it with a Bluetooth keyboard and stylus, and was as productive as ever in the office.

“Got it. Once Designer Ning returns from her trip, I’ll confirm the appointment time for you.” Tan Yushu ended the call and logged the client’s details in her spreadsheet.

Mid-entry, the doorbell chimed. She glanced at the door, set down her stylus with care, and opened it cautiously.

“Designer Ning!” Her face lit up at the sight of her boss. She swung the door wide. “Is this… are we checking out?”

A suitcase usually meant departure.

Ning Jiuwei smiled softly. “I’m heading to the beach for a while. There are some important things in here I’d like you to hold onto for me.”

So Designer Ning wasn’t taking her along? Assistant Tan pulled the suitcase inside without question. “Rest assured, Designer Ning. I’ll keep it safe.” She patted the handle with a playful grin. “Where it goes, I go.”

The suitcase wasn’t locked. Assistant Tan sneaked a curious peek before parking it against the wall by the desk and returning to work.

~~~

The sea breeze whipped fiercely, waves crashing with relentless fury across the endless expanse. Sunlight danced on the water in shimmering ripples. On the beach, barefoot crowds laughed and played, some crouching by tide pools to dig for sand and snatch crabs.

Ning Jiuwei leaned against the railing, her gaze lost in the distant sea.

The sun beat down more fiercely, drawing crowds of tourists to the beach. Ning Jiuwei descended the steps toward the sand, one careful step at a time.

Damp, fine grains clung to her feet. The roaring sea wind battered her body, whipping up the loose strands of hair draped over her shoulders. Ning Jiuwei didn’t break stride, pressing steadily toward the shoreline.

The tides surged and receded in perfect rhythm, echoing the rises and falls of life itself. Ning Jiuwei halted and glanced back at the path she’d traced behind her.

Every footprint remained intact.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Ning Jiuwei fished it out for a look, half-expecting a call from Su Jinglan. Instead, it was Shen Lanyan.

Ning Jiuwei answered.

“Designer Ning, it’s been ages. Missed me?” Ning Jiuwei had no idea where the star was calling from, but she was bold enough to toss out such a line without worrying about fans overhearing.

Ning Jiuwei kept her composure, responding to her client with polite professionalism. “Miss Shen, your design drawings are finished.”

Finishing the design drawings was Ning Jiuwei’s way of saying there was no reason to miss her.

Shen Lanyan’s lips curved into a sly smile. Her flame-red lipstick gleamed boldly under the sun. “Designer Ning, I read fortunes. Let me give you one on the house today.”

Ning Jiuwei sidestepped the flirtation. “I don’t put stock in that sort of thing.”

“You will soon enough.” Shen Lanyan slipped off her black sunglasses, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the slender, delicate silhouette ahead. “Designer Ning and I are destined for each other. We’ll cross paths here at the beach today.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

The beach teemed with people everywhere. Ning Jiuwei scanned the area discreetly but spotted no sign of anyone resembling Shen Lanyan.

A superstar like Shen Lanyan showing up here would draw a mob in seconds—it’d be impossible to miss.

Ning Jiuwei followed the shoreline toward a massive reef, then climbed the stone steps back to the road.

She looked up and there she was: a woman in a gradient starry-blue outfit that hugged her voluptuous curves. Big, wavy locks tumbled lazily over her shoulders and back. A black mask and sunglasses concealed her face.

The dark lenses mirrored Ning Jiuwei’s reflection back at her.

Even through the tint, Ning Jiuwei sensed the laughter dancing in the woman’s eyes, directed squarely at her.

“Miss Shen.” Ning Jiuwei recognized her immediately.

Shen Lanyan pulled down her mask and sauntered over, her upturned smile laced with flirtation. “Believe in our fate now, sister?”

“What brings Miss Shen here?” Ning Jiuwei recalled Shen Lanyan mentioning her latest role was in a modern drama—no reason for her to be in Wen Hai.

“I foresaw my destiny lay here, so I came to investigate.”

Ning Jiuwei wasn’t buying it. Her mind lay calm as a stagnant pool. “I won’t keep Miss Shen from chasing her fate.”

She stepped around her.

As they brushed past, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm. Ning Jiuwei glanced down, her eyes betraying no flicker of alarm. “Does Miss Shen need something?”

“Don’t go, Designer Sister. If you leave, so does my fate.” Shen Lanyan threw caution to the wind, getting touchy-feely with Ning Jiuwei right there in public.

A few camera flashes sparked from the distant bushes. Ever attuned to the paparazzi, Shen Lanyan kept her grin in place, hooked her arm through Ning Jiuwei’s, and chatted brightly. “Ever thought about dating a celebrity, Designer Ning?”

“No.” Ning Jiuwei despised unwanted contact. She yanked her arm free and strode ahead, face set in a scowl.

Shen Lanyan laughed and hurried after her, leaning in sideways. “What kind of person catches Designer Sister’s eye? Someone like you—a fellow designer? Or maybe President Su’s type?”

The mention of Su Jinglan made Ning Jiuwei slow her steps. “Miss Shen, rest easy. I have no interest in President Su. You two are heaven-made for each other, the perfect match. I wouldn’t dream of coming between you.”

“Hm?” Shen Lanyan let out a disbelieving chuckle. “President Su and me? No chance. The industry would peg her as my sugar mommy in a heartbeat.”

Ning Jiuwei said nothing.

They walked on a ways before Shen Lanyan’s phone rang. Her agent urged her to check Weibo right away.

“My precious girl, did you rush off to Wen Hai for a beach rendezvous with your lover?” Sister Ling’s head was spinning from the marketing accounts’ spin. “‘Same-sex lover coldly shakes her off—Shen Lanyan breakup suspicions.’ This story they cooked up—is any of it true?”

Shen Lanyan brushed off the umpteenth fabricated scandal. But linking it to Su Jinglan’s favorite designer? That had potential. “All fake. Leave the hot search up for now.”

Her agent kept yammering, but Shen Lanyan cut her off after a couple sentences and hung up.

Ning Jiuwei had pulled ahead, but Shen Lanyan caught up in three quick strides, her smile full of mischief. “Designer Sister, we’ve hit the hot searches.”

Ning Jiuwei pulled up Weibo to check.

“Why not turn fake into real? Play my girlfriend for a stint—help me shake off some fans?”

The photos were crystal clear, though they only captured side profiles and backs. Ning Jiuwei didn’t bother glancing at the comments. She locked her phone screen and slipped it back into her pocket, her expression utterly unconcerned. “I’m not an actress. I can’t put on a performance like that, Miss Shen. You should find someone else.”

Ning Jiuwei headed to the roadside to hail a cab, intent on leaving.

A black nanny car pulled up right in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Ah Xiao’s warm smile. “Designer Ning, please get in.”

Shen Lanyan smiled from behind her. “Where are you headed, Designer Ning? Let me give you a ride.”

Ning Jiuwei shot her a cold sidelong glance before striding toward the taxi idling at the curb. She opened the door and slid inside.

The taxi sped away from the seaside, with the black nanny car trailing at a careful distance—not too close, not too far—right up to Wan Jun Hotel.

The driver’s skills were on full display. He flew along the open stretches of road, shaking off the black nanny car several times in the process. From this, Ning Jiuwei deduced that Shen Lanyan already knew where she lived.

Su Jinglan checked her messages on the drive back to the hotel after her meeting. Still no reply from Ning Jiuwei. She let out a soft sigh, then noticed a trending news alert in her notifications.

Shen Lanyan’s name caught her eye, so she tapped it open.

The images showed Shen Lanyan and Ning Jiuwei on an intimate seaside outing. The storyline was surprisingly elaborate—not just sweet moments of hand-holding, but heated arguments too.

Su Jinglan frowned the entire way. As she arrived at the hotel entrance, she looked up and spotted the pair from the photos.

Ning Jiuwei and Shen Lanyan were walking side by side into the hotel.

~~~