Chapter 69

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Ning Jiuwei straddled Su Jinglan, propping herself up on one foot. Su Jinglan’s words landed like a spark in a pan of oil, instantly setting off flames that swept through Ning Jiuwei’s entire body and sent her heart surging with wild emotion.

No one else could make her feel this way—only Su Jinglan, the woman right in front of her. She wanted to pull away, yet she found herself irresistibly drawn in.

“What kind of relationship does President Su want to unlock?” Ning Jiuwei fought to suppress her body’s reactions. Her eyes held no trace of softness or affection as she posed the question like it was just another item on a work agenda. “A nominal one, or something physical?”

Her gaze drifted slowly from Su Jinglan’s brows to her lips, then traced the seductive line of her jaw down to the elegant curve of her chest. Ning Jiuwei’s lips curved in a smile before she lifted her eyes to meet Su Jinglan’s once more.

The ceiling light gleamed in those clear eyes, and in them, Ning Jiuwei saw her own reflection—gentle, intent, utterly focused on her alone.

Su Jinglan looped an arm around her neck. Her fingertips grazed Ning Jiuwei’s lips before lightly teasing the sensitive skin at the back of her neck. Ning Jiuwei lost her composure, her breathing turning ragged.

“Both relationships can be unlocked at once,” Su Jinglan said earnestly, her desire-filled eyes betraying the love swelling in her heart. “Would you like to unlock them, Teacher Ning?”

Su Jinglan was far too skilled at temptation. Ning Jiuwei was struggling to hold her ground.

“How many people have you been with to pick up all these flirting tricks?” The question bubbled up in Ning Jiuwei’s mind, and before she could stop herself, it tumbled out of her mouth.

With Su Jinglan’s family background and status, people must have been lining up to throw themselves at her. She couldn’t have dated just a handful.

Su Jinglan smiled and gave her nape a playful pinch. “Not a single one, up to now.”

Love came naturally. When it came to the person she adored, every tease and seduction flowed effortlessly. She’d been in love with Ning Jiuwei for over a decade—from before they were adults right up to the present. In all those years, no one else had caught her eye. Every flutter of emotion, every spark of desire, had been reserved solely for Ning Jiuwei.

Flirting tricks? They were nothing more than honest reactions from her body and soul.

Ning Jiuwei wasn’t buying it. While she still had a shred of reason left, she pushed herself up from the sofa. Su Jinglan held her fast, though, pulling her right back down the instant she tried to pull away.

In the ensuing tussle, their bodies pressed even closer together.

Her collar shifted in the scuffle, and the pendant tucked inside slipped free. The diamond set into the ring band caught the light and sparkled brilliantly. Su Jinglan let out a surprised chuckle, the sound light and melodic as it pierced straight to Ning Jiuwei’s core and set her blood racing.

Flustered and embarrassed, Ning Jiuwei shoved Su Jinglan’s hand away with force and stuffed the ring back inside her clothes.

She retreated to the bedroom. Su Jinglan sat up languidly, smoothing out her rumpled outfit. The memory of Ning Jiuwei’s reaction brought another smile to her lips.

These clothes were such a nuisance—far harder to deal with than pajamas. If only she’d changed into sleepwear before coming over. Then she could have gotten straight to some real communication with Ning Jiuwei.

Su Jinglan eyed the firmly shut bedroom door, her smile brimming with amusement. How much longer could Ning Jiuwei keep dodging her? Sooner or later, she’d be hers.

That night, a fierce wind whipped up, howling through fresh buds and tender branches. It scattered old leaves to the ground in ones and twos, and then the rain came crashing down in torrents.

The rain’s usual soothing rhythm—hypnotic enough to lull her to sleep—only left Ning Jiuwei restless and wide awake. She flicked on the light and glanced at the empty side of her pillow. Wrapping her robe around herself, she opened the bedroom door.

The living room lights flickered on at her command. The apartment was utterly still, and that warm, smiling face was nowhere to be seen on the sofa. Ning Jiuwei let out a soft sigh and shut the bedroom door again.

Women couldn’t be trusted. Su Jinglan had promised they’d share a bed every night from now on, and here she was, breaking her word already.

Ning Jiuwei drew back the curtains. Through the veil of rain, she gazed at the indistinct cityscape. The streetlights glowed steadily, night after night, offering a profound sense of security as they lit the path home for late-night wanderers.

A sudden knock echoed from the door—two soft raps, polite enough not to startle, yet insistent enough to make their presence known.

Ning Jiuwei had been lost in memories of their deep kiss when the sound jolted her back to reality. Her eyes sharpened as she turned toward the door. Su Jinglan had already left—who could possibly get in?

Only Wen Wanyuan knew the door code. It had to be her, come back for some reason.

“Sorry for showing up so late, Teacher Ning.” Su Jinglan’s voice came from the other side. She let herself in and gently closed the bedroom door behind her. “I had some work that couldn’t wait.”

Ning Jiuwei crossed her arms, adopting a deliberately aloof stance as she fixed a cool gaze on the smiling woman before her. “How did you know my door code, President Su?”

She’d checked the living room earlier and confirmed Su Jinglan wasn’t inside.

“Speaking of door codes, when are you going to give me yours, Designer Ning?” Su Jinglan strode toward the bed with easy familiarity. Her long legs parted casually as she perched on the edge. “I was worried you’d gone to bed early and wouldn’t let me in, so I didn’t lock up when I left.”

“…” Ning Jiuwei stared at her in disbelief, seeking confirmation. “Are you saying that while you were over at your place across the hall, my door was left wide open the whole time?”

“It’s not fully open—just left with a crack.”

“Aren’t you afraid of thieves breaking into my place, President Su?” Though her words expressed concern, her actions crossed every line and even introduced safety risks. Ning Jiuwei felt a powerful urge to throw Su Jinglan right out the door.

Su Jinglan caught Ning Jiuwei’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Relax. There’s a security guard.”

“My residential complex isn’t as upscale as the one you used to live in, President Su. Even with a guard, it can’t guarantee no strangers slip in.” Ning Jiuwei withdrew her hand and walked to the other side of the bed.

Su Jinglan’s gaze followed her every move. Once Ning Jiuwei sat down, Su Jinglan’s long legs lifted gracefully, and she lay back on the bed ahead of her.

She rolled over across the bedsheet to sidle up beside Ning Jiuwei, wrapped her arms around her in a firm embrace, and pressed against the small of her back as she explained, “Assistant Lin’s here. I had her drag over a stool to sit by the door, keeping watch on your room.”

Ning Jiuwei pictured the scene and couldn’t suppress a laugh.

The unexpected smile from the beauty caught Su Jinglan off guard. She sat up and pulled Ning Jiuwei fully into her arms from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder to make her move. “My door code is four eights followed by four sixes. Designer Ning, if you head across the hall to find me, no need to knock—just punch it in and come on inside.”

She got only halfway through before Ning Jiuwei cut her off at exactly the right moment. “President Su, when you come to my place, please knock.”

Ning Jiuwei pried Su Jinglan’s hands away, grabbed the spare blanket from the stool at the foot of the bed, and they settled in with separate covers.

They had finally ended up sharing a bed, only to revert to one blanket apiece.

Su Jinglan tugged at her blanket and scooted closer while adjusting her position. “I’ve given you my door code, Designer Ning. Fair’s fair—you should tell me yours.”

Ning Jiuwei presented her with the back of her head. Out of Su Jinglan’s sight, her lips curved in a hidden smile as she stifled her amusement and refused. “Why don’t you guess, President Su?”

That would ruin any chance of sleep. Su Jinglan pondered for a moment before taking a stab. “Designer Ning’s birthday?”

“President Su, I’m going to bed. Guess away.”

The familiar scent of incense lingered in every breath, soothing her mind to perfect calm. Ning Jiuwei drifted off to sleep in no time.

The steady rhythm of her breathing reached Su Jinglan’s ears. Careful not to make a sound, Su Jinglan slipped out from under her own blanket, lifted the edge of Ning Jiuwei’s, and nestled right up against her side, draping an arm loosely around her.

“Jiuwei.” Su Jinglan murmured against her ear, her voice as soft and yielding as a puff of cotton, designed to ease any lingering defenses. “What’s your door code?”

The gentle tones slipped along her ear canal straight into her brain. Ning Jiuwei’s eyelids fluttered as her dream-muddled awareness stirred faintly.

“Go to sleep, Su Jinglan.” Even half-asleep, Ning Jiuwei recognized the voice and spoke her full name, the distance of boss and subordinate vanished. “I’m not telling you.”

With that, she slipped back into slumber.

Su Jinglan, who hadn’t slept until the wee hours, tried every combination she could think of—even her own birthday.

The control panel by the bed could test door codes. Su Jinglan itched to activate the Smart Control System and run through her guesses one after another.

Her eyes, now adjusted to the dark, could make out shapes and shadows. She glanced at the warm, soft form cradled in her arms, tamped down the impulse, and forced herself to sleep with her back pressed to Ning Jiuwei’s.

Waking up in Su Jinglan’s arms had become routine for Ning Jiuwei. But feeling that hand resting directly on her belly, unhindered by fabric, gave her pause. Uncharacteristically discomfited, she lifted it away.

The motion roused Su Jinglan. Still groggy with sleep, she nuzzled the back of Ning Jiuwei’s head, then snaked her arm right back around her. “I’m so tired. I didn’t get to bed until late. Just let me sleep a little longer.”

Fine, sleep—but don’t hold on.

Her pajamas remained neatly in place beneath the covers, and that voice so close by was husky in a way that tugged at her. Ning Jiuwei’s heart skipped, a strange tingle prickling through her.

“President Su, I’m getting up.” They were too close. Ning Jiuwei didn’t dare turn around. Certain images lingered too vividly in her memory, and she half-expected Su Jinglan to tease her if she faced her now.

Especially this bleary-eyed version of Su Jinglan, who might take intimacy a step too far.

“It’s the weekend, Designer Ning. Got plans to head out?” Yesterday it had been Shi Wanxu—who was it today? Su Jinglan snapped awake in an instant. The drowsiness fled her eyes, leaving them sharp and clear as she fixed them on Ning Jiuwei.

Her throat, dry from the night, still carried that morning rasp. To Ning Jiuwei, though, Su Jinglan sounded like she was barely awake.

Ning Jiuwei pressed down on the hand at her waist and lightly gripped the arm, preparing to remove it. “Not going out, but I do need to work on some design drawings.”

Su Jinglan smiled silently, closed her eyes, and pulled the person in her arms even closer. “It’s not like we’re heading out on a date, so let me hold you just a little longer.” Realizing she’d let the truth slip, she nuzzled Ning Jiuwei’s neck, her voice thick with sleep as she corrected herself. “Let me sleep a bit more.”

The phone, which had woken from sleep mode earlier, lit up its screen on the bedside table. In the bedroom, where the curtains were drawn tight, the glow stood out starkly. Ning Jiuwei tilted her head slightly and reached over to grab it.

Doctor Shi was attending a psychology exchange lecture today, so the messenger was most likely her.

Ning Jiuwei’s guess was spot on—it was Shi Wanxu.

With more than half an hour until the lecture began, Shi Wanxu had sent a message to say it would run all day and that Ning Jiuwei could drop in at any time.

She committed the time and location to memory, then replied: Got it. I’ll come by if I have time.

The motion of typing pulled at Su Jinglan, who fluttered her eyes open.

From her angle, all she could see was the phone’s glow, not the screen itself. Su Jinglan frowned faintly, intending to ask about it once Ning Jiuwei finished.

But before Ning Jiuwei could send her message, the phone rang with an incoming call.

Sensing her about to shift away, Su Jinglan tightened her hold, refusing to let go.

“Ah Mu, are you up yet?” In the midst of typing, Ning Jiuwei accidentally tapped accept. The call she’d had no intention of taking right then connected by mistake. The voice carried through the earpiece—clear to Ning Jiuwei, and just as clear to Su Jinglan behind her.

Ning Jiuwei brought the phone to her ear. Before she could get a word in, Wen Wanyuan rushed on. “I thought about it all night last night. You really can’t be with Su Jinglan.”

“Why?” Su Jinglan shot back without a second thought.

Wen Wanyuan on the other end didn’t catch it clearly. The question sounded distant, and it wasn’t Ning Jiuwei’s voice at all. She asked instinctively, “Ah Mu?”

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