Chapter 36

Ning Jiuwei broke free from Su Jinglan’s grasp without a word of explanation, fleeing like she was escaping for her life.

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The room lay at the end of the corridor. Su Jinglan curved her lips upward, her smile deepening as her heart pounded wildly. She savored the sight of Ning Jiuwei’s panicked retreating figure, waves of love surging uncontrollably within her.

It was only after their reunion that Su Jinglan realized she had always been in love with Ning Jiuwei.

Shaped by the passage of time and eroded by memories, the image of her embedded in those long years was an irresistible white moonlight—a burning desire she could no longer suppress, urging her to cross forbidden lines.

Su Jinglan strode forward, her long legs sinking into the plush carpet as she followed the path Ning Jiuwei had taken, heading straight toward her.

In her panic, Ning Jiuwei bolted blindly down the hall. It wasn’t until she neared the end that she remembered she’d given the room card to Shen Lanyan. Her senses, sharpened to their limit, tracked the footsteps echoing behind her. She clenched her fists without thinking, her heart thundering up to her throat.

The room door stood slightly ajar. Without a second thought, Ning Jiuwei shoved it open, slipped inside, and locked it from within.

With the door bolted shut from the inside, not even Su Jinglan’s room card could get it open.

Her heart hammered violently, sending waves of suffocation crashing over her. Ning Jiuwei braced herself against the door, eyes downcast as she gasped for breath, her body trembling beyond her control.

“Designer Ning…” Shen Lanyan approached quietly from behind. She had barely spoken when Ning Jiuwei slammed her against the wall.

Ning Jiuwei’s elbow pressed against Shen Lanyan’s slender neck—it felt so fragile, like it could snap with a single squeeze. Her eyes bored into Shen Lanyan with cold sharpness. Shen Lanyan felt death closing in as she struggled to breathe, clutching at Ning Jiuwei’s arm. “What’s wrong?” she rasped out with effort.

She had performed in countless scenes and witnessed the masterful acting of award-winning stars, but never had she sensed the breath of death as vividly as she did now.

It was killing intent no performance could fake.

Ning Jiuwei lifted her elbow ever so slightly, forcing Shen Lanyan’s head back. The crushing pressure on her throat made her eyes redden, tears spilling from her sockets and trailing down her cheeks.

Unable to speak, Shen Lanyan lost all power to resist in that instant—like a fish on the cutting board, helpless to whatever Ning Jiuwei chose to do.

Knock knock knock. The light rapping filtered through the door. Su Jinglan’s voice came from outside. “Ning Jiuwei.”

The pressure on her throat vanished in a flash. Shen Lanyan slumped against the wall, gulping air as if reborn.

Ning Jiuwei released her hold and reined in her raw emotions. In a gentle tone, she explained to Shen Lanyan, “Sorry, Miss Shen. I was just startled.”

The one who got startled was me.

Shen Lanyan wiped the involuntary tears from her eyes and met Ning Jiuwei’s mild smile. Her mind blanked out for a moment, making it feel as if everything that had just happened was nothing but her imagination—as if it had never been real.

The lingering pain in her throat told her otherwise.

“No problem.” Still catching her breath, Shen Lanyan reflected on her actions. Sneaking up silently and speaking out of nowhere was bound to scare anyone—it wasn’t Ning Jiuwei’s fault.

Su Jinglan held her posture straight and tilted her head slightly, straining to catch any sounds from within.

The hotel’s soundproofing was impeccable. The walls and door used specialized sound-absorbing materials, rendering everything inside inaudible from the hallway.

When no one came to let her in, Su Jinglan pressed the doorbell again.

The two women in the entryway faced each other, the air thick with an unspoken awkwardness. Shen Lanyan glanced at the door and asked Ning Jiuwei, “Aren’t you going to open it?”

Ning Jiuwei nodded. “Mm.” Silently, she set the room’s doorbell to Do Not Disturb.

Su Jinglan watched the small screen shift from “Guest in Room” to “Do Not Disturb,” momentarily stunned.

“Then… can I hang out in your room for a bit, Sister?” Shen Lanyan no longer dared to push her luck.

A suffocating tightness gripped Ning Jiuwei’s heart, dull pain threading through her. Turbulence churned deep inside, but with this outsider before her, she forced her expression to stay calm. Her reply was a single, clipped word again. “Mm.”

Suppressing the tangle of surging emotions, Ning Jiuwei sank onto the sofa. Shen Lanyan recalled the intense look in her eyes from the last time Ning Jiuwei had pinned her down on this very sofa. An inexplicable thrill stirred in her body, and she couldn’t resist turning to look at Ning Jiuwei.

The room’s silence prickled like sitting on pins and needles. Shen Lanyan scrambled for a topic. “Is my ring design finished?”

Bad timing. Ning Jiuwei was still wrestling her emotions under control, and all she offered in response was utter, deathly stillness.

“Designer Ning, are you all right?” Shen Lanyan’s gaze settled on her, scrutinizing every shift in her expression.

Acting classes included imitation studies: to embody a role perfectly, observe real people—their looks, outfits, body language, habits—and fully immerse yourself until actor and character merged as one.

Instinctively, Shen Lanyan dissected Ning Jiuwei’s reactions, imagining herself in her place to probe her inner thoughts.

She came up empty.

The stare fixed on her face was too intense. Ning Jiuwei, ever perceptive, easily read Shen Lanyan’s intentions.

“Miss Shen, where are you staying tonight?” Ning Jiuwei suppressed her emotions and took the initiative to speak to Shen Lanyan. The beautiful eyes curved in a faint smile drew people in without effort.

Shen Lanyan gazed into Ning Jiuwei’s eyes, catching sight of her own reflection in those clear depths. Mustering her courage, she said, “Designer Ning’s room has two sets of bedding. Why don’t I just stay here with you tonight?”

Ning Jiuwei turned her down flat, with no beating around the bush. “I’m not used to sharing a bed with anyone.”

There was no need to explain to Shen Lanyan why there were two sets of bedding on the bed. Whatever conclusions Shen Lanyan drew were her own business.

Shen Lanyan rubbed her neck. “It still hurts a little.”

She watched closely for Ning Jiuwei’s reaction. Ning Jiuwei didn’t shy away from the topic and met her eyes squarely. “Would you like me to take a look, Miss Shen?”

Shen Lanyan hesitated. “……No, that’s all right.”

Tan Yushu wheeled her luggage over to find Ning Jiuwei. From a distance, she spotted someone standing at the room door and recognized President Su. She halted at once and tried to back away quietly.

It was too late. Su Jinglan had seen her.

Overwhelmed by that commanding presence, Tan Yushu’s heart hammered in her chest. She advanced step by step, as if marching to her execution. “Su……”

She barely managed half a syllable before Su Jinglan furrowed her brow slightly and silenced her with a glance.

Tan Yushu realized then that she was cut out for assistant work. A single look from the president, and she fell obediently into line.

Su Jinglan stepped aside, gesturing for Assistant Tan to knock and get on with her duties.

Knock knock knock. Another round of knocks sounded at the door. Shen Lanyan glanced at Ning Jiuwei, but Ning Jiuwei’s expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of rising.

“Designer Ning.” Assistant Tan’s voice came muffled through the door, faint but unmistakable.

Ning Jiuwei drew a quiet breath and stood from the sofa. “Shouldn’t you be on your way, Miss Shen?”

Shen Lanyan checked her watch and rose as well. “Yeah, I suppose so. I hate to leave my Designer Sister, though.”

She was probing Ning Jiuwei with her words, but Ning Jiuwei hadn’t laid a finger on her—just let her flirt and tease as usual.

It must have truly been an accident born of panic.

Ning Jiuwei opened the door, retrieved her luggage, and saw Shen Lanyan out.

With the door swung wide, Su Jinglan stood silently behind Assistant Tan. Those expressive eyes blended tenderness with restrained hurt, like some pitiful soul discarded by her lover after a night together.

An excruciating awkwardness hung in the air. Shen Lanyan and Assistant Tan lingered with equal curiosity, watching the scene unfold, neither making a move to leave.

Ning Jiuwei took her suitcase and shut the door.

A hand slipped through just before it latched, with no fear of getting caught.

The door eased back before it could touch the arm. Ning Jiuwei looked up through the narrowing gap at Su Jinglan, who said nothing, letting their locked gazes convey her raw longing.

Shen Lanyan and Assistant Tan could barely contain their gossiping impulses; their eyes gleamed.

Ning Jiuwei stepped aside in silence, wordlessly inviting Su Jinglan inside.

Not a single word had passed between Ning Jiuwei and Su Jinglan from start to finish. Shen Lanyan watched in utter confusion, then glanced at Ning Jiuwei’s little assistant nearby. Curving her lips into a captivating smile, she turned her charm on Assistant Tan. “Is there something unspeakable going on between your Designer Ning and President Su?”

“Nothing like that.” It certainly wasn’t anything shameful. Tan Yushu averted her eyes. “Miss Shen, I’m heading back to my room. Goodbye.”

Shen Lanyan’s stunning beauty and beguiling smile failed to make her blush or lose her composure.

Su Jinglan showed no reaction. Ning Jiuwei showed none. Not even the little assistant stirred. Shen Lanyan couldn’t help doubting her own allure.

Did she only shine through the screen, unable to captivate in person?

Ning Jiuwei wheeled her suitcase to the table and unzipped it. She crouched down to sort through the contents, pulling out her tablet and stylus.

“Not leaving?” Every movement Ning Jiuwei made tugged at Su Jinglan’s heart. The affection she had just calmed surged back to life. She drew closer, near enough to touch with the slightest reach.

Just a few centimeters apart, Su Jinglan lifted her hand only to let it fall, her fingertips ghosting over the back of Ning Jiuwei’s hand.

Ning Jiuwei unlocked the tablet with facial recognition and glided the stylus across the screen. “Mm,” she replied to Su Jinglan.

Joy lit Su Jinglan’s features, a smile impossible to hide in her eyes. Emboldened, she pressed further. “Will Teacher Ning take responsibility?”

Silence blanketed the room.

The stylus brushed the Weibo icon by accident, and Ning Jiuwei opened the hot searches. Shen Lanyan’s name had vanished from the list.

Scandalous rumors could be career killers for a rising star—lose control, and you’d forfeit resources and endorsements alike. Ning Jiuwei scanned the list top to bottom before closing the app.

Su Jinglan waited like a patient hunter, watching Ning Jiuwei tend to her tasks without a hint of impatience or demand.

Ning Jiuwei set the stylus aside and extended her hand.

Su Jinglan’s heart leaped. She clasped it tight.

The moment their scorching palms touched, Ning Jiuwei pulled her hand back.

What did this mean? Su Jinglan didn’t understand.

Ning Jiuwei extended her hand again, palm up, her clear voice steady and unhurried as she defended herself. “President Su, I haven’t trimmed my nails. Although I’ve never had a girlfriend, I know a little about that sort of thing. I didn’t do anything like that to you last night.”

Ning Jiuwei’s fingers were fair and slender, their joints clearly defined, and her rounded fingertips bore nails about a centimeter long, protruding slightly above the skin. Su Jinglan cradled Ning Jiuwei’s fingers, gently pinching and inspecting them.

“Teacher Ning really only knows a little about it, after all.” Su Jinglan looked up with a gentle smile, her eyes bright and captivating as stars. “For that sort of thing, you don’t necessarily need to use your fingers, and besides…” She turned her wrist, displaying her own fingers to Ning Jiuwei, her palm pressed against the back of Ning Jiuwei’s hand. “My nails are trimmed very neatly.”

Ning Jiuwei: “???”

“Sorry, Teacher Ning. I was drunk last night and don’t remember what I did to you.” Su Jinglan parted Ning Jiuwei’s fingers and interlaced them with her own.

Ning Jiuwei tried to pull her hand away, but Su Jinglan tightened her grip at just the right moment. “When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t wearing any clothes, and you were gone. Thinking back now, it must have been that I did something excessive to you. Ning Jiuwei, I will take responsibility for you.”

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