Chapter 39

The scalding breath so close pierced her skin and spread through her veins across her entire body. Ning Jiuwei instinctively held her breath, her hand clenching tightly beneath the blanket.

She had no memory at all of what she’d done to Su Jinglan last night. A one-sided account couldn’t be trusted, yet Su Jinglan didn’t seem to be lying.

In her sleep, her body had drawn close to the source of warmth without her control. Ning Jiuwei pinched the flesh of her palm and masked her emotions with a calm tone. “I must have mistaken President Su for a body pillow. Sorry about that.”

Su Jinglan tightened her arms. The pounding of her heart emboldened her as she gently turned Ning Jiuwei’s face toward her own. She gazed deep into those eyes before her attention drifted down to her lips.

No rejection came. Su Jinglan tilted her head slightly, watching as their lips drew slowly nearer.

Heartbeats rose and fell in overlapping rhythm, surging through their veins amid ragged breaths they could barely control. Just as they were about to meet that soft warmth, Ning Jiuwei’s hand shot out from under the blanket and shoved Su Jinglan away.

Su Jinglan fell back onto the bed and turned her head with a smile toward Ning Jiuwei, who had sat up. Ning Jiuwei shot her a glance, straightened the collar of her pajamas, and reminded her, “President Su needs to catch that early high-speed rail.”

A kiss from Su Jinglan would have been disastrous—once it started, there would be no stopping what came next, and their relationship would change forever.

“I don’t want to go.” Su Jinglan propped her hand against her forehead, her lingering gaze unmasked. “What’s on Designer Ning’s schedule today?”

Ning Jiuwei answered with silence. She unlocked her phone to check her messages and reply to the details on the new customization that Shen Lanyan had sent last night.

When words failed, Su Jinglan had other ways to draw her out. She invoked her authority as president and, speaking as Ning Jiuwei’s superior, probed her itinerary and workload. “Designer Ning, I believe the travel reimbursement needs my signature.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

She had almost forgotten that Su Jinglan was now president of the Design Division.

“Heading to the City Center Library to review some documents.” Every library held unique collections, including their own treasured rare editions. Culture wasn’t passed down solely through words but also through the silk scrolls, paper, and bamboo slips that bore them. Ning Jiuwei had planned a visit to the Wen Hai Library even before arriving in Wen Hai.

As expected, Su Jinglan’s interest piqued the moment she answered.

“I haven’t set foot in a library since graduating from university. I’ve got time today—why not check out the Wen Hai Library together, Designer Ning?”

Ning Jiuwei demurred politely. “Doesn’t President Su have an early high-speed rail back?”

“I could always skip it.” Su Jinglan revealed her indolent side. “One day later means one less day of work. Designer Ning wouldn’t go tattling to the boss, would she?”

“I don’t even know the boss.” The Design Division operated independently from the Hengsu Group under headquarters’ oversight. Ning Jiuwei stuck to design work and steered clear of business management.

Only the president of the Business Division could meet the boss face-to-face and report directly. Even the design director never saw him, let alone a mere designer like her.

A chief designer was still just a designer.

Su Jinglan’s smile deepened with hidden meaning, laced with a touch of probing. “The Group’s Artificial Intelligence Department is revamping its strategy right now, hiring talent in related fields left and right. Designer Ning graduated from Jianglin University’s Pattern Recognition and Intelligent Systems program—and that school’s AI major is among the best. With your talents, transferring over would be a breeze.”

Ning Jiuwei drew back the curtains after getting out of bed and glanced over her shoulder at Su Jinglan. “Is President Su suggesting I switch careers?”

“You’d get to meet the boss in the AI Department.” Su Jinglan stepped up beside her. “AI is the big trend for the future. It’d be a shame for someone with your AI background not to jump into research.”

“There’s no shame in it.” Ning Jiuwei peered through the glass at the endless stream of traffic far below, taking in the mundane cityscape. She turned to Su Jinglan. “President Su, see those people on the roads? Everyone’s walking their own path, toward their own destinations, making their own choices.”

Su Jinglan caught her drift: the road Ning Jiuwei chose was hers alone. No one else needed to mourn it.

~~~

The Wen Hai Library had both new and old branches. The new one sat in the city center—an expansive structure of over fifty thousand square meters, with one basement level and four stories above ground. It housed three million volumes, from paper books and magazines to newspapers and special collections of bamboo slips, silk scrolls, and ancient tomes.

Those bamboo slips, silk scrolls, and ancient books weren’t available for loan. Readers could only view them on-site behind protective glass cases. That was precisely why Ning Jiuwei was going.

After breakfast in the hotel’s buffet dining room, Assistant Lin drove them to the library.

The library was free and open to the public—no appointments or registration required. Assistant Lin parked in the surface lot out front and accompanied them inside.

It was a workday, yet the library was busier than expected. Ning Jiuwei checked the detailed area map at the floor guide, with Su Jinglan following closely at her side.

Trailing behind them, Assistant Tan and Assistant Lin exchanged a glance and read the same warning in each other’s eyes—don’t go over there.

“Little Tan.” Ning Jiuwei glanced back and called to Assistant Tan. Tan Yushu promptly ignored the warning and hurried forward. Ning Jiuwei had no particular instructions for her and simply granted her freedom to roam. “Go look at whatever books catch your eye. You don’t need to stick with me.”

It had been ages since Tan Yushu had read a book, and she couldn’t think of anything specific on the spot. “I’ll just follow you, Designer Ning.”

Sticking with the boss was always the safe choice.

Su Jinglan frowned faintly, her gaze fixed on Assistant Tan.

The icy glare hit Tan Yushu like a blast of cold wind, sending chills down her spine and raising the hairs on her neck. She quickly backpedaled. “I’ll just wander around for a bit first, then come find you later.”

With Assistant Tan gone, Assistant Lin—ever perceptive—stepped up to report her plans. “President Su, I’ll head to the café over there to handle some work matters. Call me if you need anything.”

The library featured a café rest area for chatting, relaxing, and waiting. Su Jinglan glanced in the direction Assistant Lin indicated. The café had fully transparent glass walls and was decorated in a warm, cozy style, with plenty of patrons inside. She nodded. “Go ahead.”

Ning Jiuwei possessed a photographic memory and an impeccable sense of direction. She had already memorized the library’s entire layout and took the elevator straight up to the fourth floor.

The fourth floor’s design stood in stark contrast to the modern minimalism of the first-floor lobby. Bright light strips bathed the space in golden opulence, blending nobility with a profound scholarly aura. The moment Ning Jiuwei entered the reading area, she was drawn in by the ingenious layout.

The space was masterfully layered for perfect flow, with plush carpet covering the entire floor and extending into the deepest corners, ensuring footsteps made no sound to disturb the readers.

Guided by the mental map in her head, Ning Jiuwei wove through row after row of bookshelves to the innermost Rare Collection Area.

This section housed the most precious ancient texts, which were the least convenient to peruse, so visitors were few and far between.

Ning Jiuwei examined the books; Su Jinglan watched her.

Through the transparent glass case, Ning Jiuwei stood ramrod straight at the display stand, her head bowed as she read each character deliberately.

The texts were all in traditional script and classical Chinese—arduous for most to decipher—yet Ning Jiuwei’s gaze remained utterly steady, as if the ancient prose were no more challenging than modern simplified characters.

She read swiftly, finishing a silk scroll and a bamboo slip before moving along the display to the next stand.

With no one around, Su Jinglan observed proper library decorum. She hooked a finger around Ning Jiuwei’s and whispered softly into her ear.

“Designer Ning, what are you looking for?”

She didn’t release Ning Jiuwei’s finger. The warmth from her fingertip flowed steadily, causing Ning Jiuwei’s heart to clench sharply. Suppressing a shiver, she answered, “Just browsing.”

Fonts and writing styles could spark inspiration too, but Ning Jiuwei offered no further explanation. She reclaimed her hand and stepped back a little, creating some distance from Su Jinglan.

After examining a few ancient volumes, Ning Jiuwei paused and surveyed the room, her eyes sweeping over every treasure preserved within the glass cases.

The rare items differed only in content; otherwise, they were much alike, yielding scant inspiration. Ning Jiuwei lost interest and headed to the general reading area.

Bookshelves and reading seats lined the space in neat rows, with additional seats along the windows on both sides and down the center for convenient perusal.

Prominent category labels hung above the bookshelves. Ning Jiuwei wandered aimlessly, glancing at titles as she went.

She stopped at an unoccupied bookshelf, using its towering height to block Su Jinglan’s line of sight and shake her off for the moment.

The shelf held books on literature, history, and philosophy. Ning Jiuwei pulled one down at random, flipped through a couple of pages, and returned it to its place.

Su Jinglan, having finished replying to a message, looked up and realized Ning Jiuwei had vanished.

Surrounded by endless books, she felt transported back to her campus days. The library wasn’t crowded, so she methodically searched row by row along the shelves. Her heart raced with an inexplicable thrill.

Suddenly catching sight of Ning Jiuwei’s figure, Su Jinglan halted and watched her silently from beside the bookshelf.

Ning Jiuwei cradled a book, absorbed in its pages with intense focus. Her fair skin glowed alluringly under the bright lights.

The last traces of youthful innocence had faded, replaced by an aura of mature elegance. Su Jinglan’s heart pounded fiercely as she felt the love surging unmistakably in her chest.

This affection, buried in her heart for over a decade and forged by the passage of time into something as unbreakable as stone yet supple as silk, lured her closer, step by step.

“Ning Jiuwei.” Su Jinglan called her name tenderly.

Lost in her book, Ning Jiuwei didn’t react until Su Jinglan spoke. Meeting those deep, profound eyes, her heart trembled. She murmured a soft response and looked away.

Time had grown alongside the two of them. Now they were no longer students, free from any restrictions on dating. Su Jinglan drew even closer, smiling as she asked, “What book are you reading?”

“Cognitive Psychology.” Ning Jiuwei had spent some time delving into all sorts of psychology books. The library’s collection was rich and varied, and this was the first time she had come across this one. She found herself absorbed in it.

Su Jinglan’s gaze flicked over the page before settling back on Ning Jiuwei’s face. Her clear jawline was so beautifully defined that anyone would want to trace it with their fingertips. Suppressing the urge to reach out, Su Jinglan kept her gentle smile in place. “There’s something I need to handle at the company. I have to head back right away.”

Her reluctance hung in the air. Ning Jiuwei bid her a calm farewell. “Be careful on the road, President Su.”

“Before I go, there’s one more thing I need to do.”

“What?”

Ning Jiuwei worried that Su Jinglan might change her mind and stay. But Su Jinglan’s lips curved into a brilliant smile. She embraced her gently, as if holding a rare treasure, and rested her chin on her shoulder. “Head back early, Designer Ning.”

Su Jinglan left behind her embrace and her reminder, carrying her reluctance with her as she departed Wen Hai.

Ning Jiuwei lingered in the library until dusk settled in. She returned to the hotel under cover of night.

Before entering her room, she glanced at the door across the hall, half-expecting Su Jinglan to open it at any moment.

But Su Jinglan had indeed gone back.

Over the next few evenings, Ning Jiuwei slept alone. Her rest was shallow and fitful, drifting in and out of sleep. On the final day, she packed her things early and checked out.

After a week on the business trip, she returned to a company that hadn’t changed at all: the same familiar office, the same familiar colleagues, not even a single new face.

“Designer Ning, President Su would like to see you.” Ning Jiuwei had just stepped into her office when Assistant Lin came to invite her to the President’s Office.

The President’s Office across the way stood empty. Assistant Lin gestured for her to go right in. Ning Jiuwei hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”

Assistant Lin opened the tightly shut door to the President’s Office and ushered Ning Jiuwei inside. She brewed two cups of tea, placing one in front of her.

She had just finished when Su Jinglan appeared in the corridor.

After several days apart, Su Jinglan seemed almost unfamiliar. Her cool features held an inscrutable expression as she strolled into the office.

“Designer Ning is finally back.” At the sight of Ning Jiuwei, a smile lit up Su Jinglan’s eyes. She settled onto the sofa opposite and lifted her tea. “Designer Ning, walk me through the details of your business trip. Any noteworthy gains?”

Her words had barely landed when Ning Jiuwei’s phone rang. Su Jinglan smiled considerately. “Go ahead and take the call.”

It was Wen Wanyuan calling—Su Jinglan spotted the caller ID.

Ning Jiuwei turned slightly to answer. She was about to tell Wen Wanyuan that she was busy and to call back later when an excited voice burst from the phone. “Ah Mu, is that Su Jinglan?!”

~~~