Chapter 53

Ning Jiuwei shook off Wen Wanyuan’s hand, but Wen Wanyuan immediately linked arms with her again, pressing close without a care for her image in front of everyone. “Are you trying to leave?”

She’d said something about needing to talk to a friend—clearly just an excuse.

Wen Wanyuan had to hold on tight. She couldn’t let Ning Jiuwei slip away.

Ning Jiuwei took a deep breath and spoke to Wen Wanyuan with utmost seriousness. “Wait here for me. I’ll just be right outside until my friend comes up.”

Wen Wanyuan could tell truth from lies. She finally believed that Ning Jiuwei had only pretended to be her fake girlfriend to deal with her parents. The thought of the four parents waiting inside the private room made Wen Wanyuan panic.

“Wanyuan, Jiuwei, why are you two standing out here instead of going in?” As they were about to head out, a kind and gentle voice approached from afar. Wen Wanyuan’s body stiffened, her panicked expression shifting to a sweet smile the moment she turned to face the speaker. “Mom, we were just about to go in. Jiuwei realized she left something in the car and was going down to get it.”

Wen Wanyuan discreetly nudged Ning Jiuwei with the back of her hand. “Right, Jiuwei? What was it you said you left in the car?”

“Auntie,” Ning Jiuwei greeted her calmly, lying without missing a beat. “I left my tablet in the car. I was planning to go grab it.”

“No need if it’s not important,” Mama Wen said with a warm, kindly smile. She gazed at her daughter and Ning Jiuwei as if they were the picture-perfect couple, harmonious and devoted. “Let’s head in first. We’re all waiting for you.”

Ning Jiuwei and Wen Wanyuan exchanged a glance. If Wen Wanyuan hadn’t stopped her, she would already be in the elevator heading downstairs.

Ning Jiuwei smiled composedly. “Alright.”

The private room was serene, their footsteps muffled on the carpet. Ornate ceramic vases lined the walls, filled with trees and water symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Ning Jiuwei slowed her pace, pulled out her phone, and sent a message.

Mama Wen’s attention was fixed on Ning Jiuwei. Noticing her lagging behind, she deliberately paused to wait.

Ning Jiuwei subtly glanced ahead, typing swiftly. She sent the message and pocketed her phone before Su Jinglan could reply.

“Sorry, Auntie, it’s a work thing.”

“We know how busy your jobs are. No need to apologize to me,” Mama Wen said. She squeezed her daughter’s hand and gently patted Ning Jiuwei’s shoulder. “You’re both designers with demanding schedules. As long as you understand and support each other, we’re at ease.”

Something about this felt off to Ning Jiuwei.

The culprit, Wen Wanyuan, avoided eye contact with Ning Jiuwei out of embarrassment. “Mom, enough chit-chat. Let’s go in already.”

“Look at my shy girl,” Mama Wen chuckled happily. She took Ning Jiuwei’s hand and placed her daughter’s in it. Her ring-adorned hand was well-maintained, though age had left its marks—age spots and faint wrinkles. “Jiuwei, Auntie knows about your relationship. Don’t worry—Auntie and Uncle fully support you.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…” So it really was off.

Ning Jiuwei released Wen Wanyuan’s hand and immediately distanced herself. “Auntie, I’m not Wanyuan’s girlfriend.”

“Huh?” Mama Wen blinked in surprise, turning incredulously to her daughter.

Wen Wanyuan flashed a toothy grin, backing her up. “Yeah, it’s not her.”

Mama Wen glanced at Wen Wanyuan’s hand. Her mouth said no, but her body was honest—she was clinging to Ning Jiuwei’s arm with intimate familiarity. Mama Wen got it, her face lighting up with a brilliant smile once more. “You can tell us when your relationship is more stable.”

Relationships could fall apart even at the marriage-talk stage. Only after weathering the initial hurdles and confirming they were lifelong partners was the right time to go public.

Mama Wen rationalized it to herself and pushed open the private room door. “Jiuwei’s here.”

“Dad, Mom, Uncle,” Ning Jiuwei said, taking a seat beside Mama Wen. The round table seated ten, plenty of room for their group of six. Wen Wanyuan had started toward a spot on the other side, but Mama Wen tugged her back. “You young people should sit together.”

The four parents exchanged smiles, raising eyebrows in silent understanding, their grins knowing and conspiratorial.

Under the table, Wen Wanyuan nudged Ning Jiuwei’s leg, her eyes pleading: What do we do?

Ning Jiuwei offered a gentle smile, watching Wen Wanyuan squirm.

She’d sent Su Jinglan a message: Situation changed. You and your friend stay away.

The table buzzed with cheerful conversation. Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, Ning Jiuwei casually checked it.

It wasn’t a reply from Su Jinglan.

Had Su Jinglan not seen it? A bad feeling stirred in Ning Jiuwei’s chest, her heart pounding.

The private room door eased open slowly. Wen Wanyuan’s heart leaped to her throat. It was over—her girlfriend was here.

And she still had no idea who her girlfriend was.

Wen Wanyuan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the suit and vest on the newcomer. It was just a server—she had been scared half to death.

“Pardon the interruption,” the server said politely to the guest who had booked the private room. “Miss Wen, your friends have arrived.”

Wen Wanyuan: “!!!” She nearly had a heart attack from the shock.

The restaurant’s service was impeccable, its staff well-trained. The server stepped into the private room and held the door for the two new arrivals.

Outside the door, Su Jinglan smiled tenderly, her deep and beautiful eyes brimming with affectionate longing as she gazed at Ning Jiuwei. Anyone could tell at a glance what their relationship was.

Standing shoulder to shoulder beside her was Shen Lanyan. Only now did Shen Lanyan realize that Ning Jiuwei was present for tonight’s emotional performance.

What a clever move, killing two birds with one stone, President Su. Shen Lanyan immediately wanted to call it quits.

“Jiuwei.” Su Jinglan’s gaze swept over the people seated at the round table. Meeting the puzzled, inquiring looks from Mama Ning and Papa Ning, she smiled and greeted them. “Uncle, Auntie, hello. Jiuwei didn’t tell me you’d be here too.”

Ning Jiuwei truly hadn’t mentioned it—the situation had been too urgent for details. But what was with Su Jinglan’s tone and attitude? They would get the wrong idea.

She couldn’t just sit there waiting. Ning Jiuwei took the initiative to introduce her. “She’s Wanyuan’s girlfriend…”

Before she could finish, shock rippled through everyone at the table. Wen Wanyuan was especially stunned, frozen in disbelief. Her girlfriend was Su Jinglan? President of the HS Design Division?

“…good friend,” Ning Jiuwei continued. “She’s also my colleague.”

She firmly defined their relationship as just colleagues.

Su Jinglan curved her lips upward, her smile overflowing with deep indulgence. “Yes, I’m Jiuwei’s colleague.”

Wen Wanyuan looked toward the “girlfriend” she was meeting for the first time. The woman wore a mask and glasses that hid her face completely, making her impossible to recognize.

It was only when the girlfriend removed her glasses and mask, smiled, called out to Uncle and Auntie, and sat down intimately beside Wen Wanyuan that recognition dawned.

The rising star actress Shen Lanyan!

Her endorsements were everywhere—on bus stops, subway entrances, and massive screens atop skyscrapers. Her movies and TV dramas were household names. Papa Wen and Mama Wen were utterly shocked, too stunned to speak.

“Little Wanyuan, sorry I’m late.” Though younger than Wen Wanyuan, Shen Lanyan carried herself with far greater maturity. Her exquisite features, enhanced by perfectly applied makeup, made her breathtakingly beautiful, as if she were glowing from within.

Shen Lanyan excelled at every kind of romantic role—older or younger partner, same-sex or opposite. She slipped into character in an instant. With practiced ease, she took Wen Wanyuan’s hand, placed it on her own lap, and said, “Little Wanyuan, introduce me to Uncle and Auntie.”

Overpowered by this younger woman who radiated big-sister energy, Wen Wanyuan’s mind went completely blank. She had encountered plenty of female celebrities before, but this was her first time being in such close contact.

“I’ll handle it myself.” Shen Lanyan smiled graciously and appropriately, then elegantly introduced herself to the parents present. “I’m Shen Lanyan, Little Wanyuan’s girlfriend. I’m an actress, and because of my career, not many people know about our relationship. It’s not convenient to go public right now.”

Papa Wen frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this girlfriend.

“When did Miss Shen start dating our Wanyuan?”

Mama Wen was perceptive. Shen Lanyan’s behavior did make her seem like Wen Wanyuan’s girlfriend, but as a mother, she knew exactly how her daughter acted around someone she liked. From Wen Wanyuan’s reaction, there wasn’t the slightest hint of young lovers’ affection between them.

“One week ago.” Shen Lanyan subtly glanced at Ning Jiuwei, their eyes meeting briefly before drifting apart.

Shen Lanyan’s performance was flawless, but Wen Wanyuan couldn’t keep up at all. Her heart raced uneasily, leaving her feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, thoroughly uncomfortable.

“Now that everyone’s here, I’ll have the server bring the food.” Wen Wanyuan pulled her hand back and pressed the smart service bell on the table.

Su Jinglan sat beside Ning Jiuwei, sipping tea with a delighted smile as she watched the drama unfold. Noticing the gaze upon her face, she slightly subdued her upturned lips.

“Jiuwei, Mom thinks your colleague looks familiar,” Mama Ning said, trying to strike up a conversation with her daughter’s coworker. “Is your colleague a designer too?”

“I’m not a designer. I handle administrative work at the company,” Su Jinglan replied with perfect poise, seizing the opportunity to bond with Mama Ning. “Auntie might think I look familiar because we’ve met before.”

Such a beautiful young woman—where could they have crossed paths? Mama Ning racked her brain, lost in thought.

Papa Ning observed quietly from the side.

With every sentence Su Jinglan uttered, she glanced at Ning Jiuwei, her unmistakable feelings shimmering in her eyes.

Papa Ning spoke up, his deep, steady voice as solid as the man himself. “We don’t even know how to address Jiuwei’s colleague.”

“Just call her Little Su.” Ning Jiuwei’s heart pounded wildly, but she kept a mild smile on her face, pretending they were merely ordinary colleagues who weren’t all that close.

The phone rang. Ning Jiuwei answered it right there in front of everyone. “Mm, okay. I’ll head over now.”

The dishes arrived, but Ning Jiuwei didn’t take a single bite. She stood up to say her goodbyes. “I have work to do and need to leave right away. Let’s all eat together next time.”

She didn’t want to stay here a moment longer, so she’d asked Assistant Tan to call and give her an excuse to escape.

On her way out, she didn’t forget to bring Su Jinglan along. “You come with me too.”

“You can go if you want, but why drag your colleague into it?” Mama Ning had a pretty good idea of what was really going on between them.

“Jiuwei rode here in my car,” Su Jinglan explained as she stood up too. “I was downstairs taking a call, so I came up a little late.” She turned to the older couple. “Uncle, Auntie, next time I get the chance, dinner’s on me.”

Mama Ning knew full well whether Jiuwei even owned a car. She burst out laughing, her expression one of perfect understanding. “Ah, so she came in Little Su’s car. All right, you two go take care of your business. Drive safe.”

Ning Jiuwei and Su Jinglan had barely stepped out the door when Mama Ning’s voice carried from the private room. “Our Jiuwei’s dating her colleague! Did you all notice?”

Papa Ning chimed in. “I’ve seen it from the beginning. Little Su couldn’t take her eyes off our Jiuwei the moment she arrived.”

Ning Jiuwei overheard and whipped around to go back and set things straight, but Su Jinglan slipped an arm around her shoulders and held her in place.

Wen Wanyuan’s voice drifted through the crack in the door at just the right moment. “Ah Mu isn’t dating her colleague. And Shen Lanyan isn’t my girlfriend either. She’s just…”

Wen Wanyuan glanced at Shen Lanyan. “She’s just someone Ah Mu paid to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

Ning Jiuwei: “…”

Su Jinglan chuckled softly into her ear. “Still want to go back in, Ah Mu?”

~~~