Chapter 83

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The enclosed elevator car was empty, its mirror-like walls clearly reflecting her figure. Ning Jiuwei kept her eyes lowered, avoiding her own reflection.

The elevator reached the Sixth Floor, and the doors slid open slowly. Ning Jiuwei let out a quiet breath, lifted her chin, and strode out with confidence.

She hadn’t been able to sketch anything for the past few days, but today, the moment she opened her tablet, a flood of vivid, tantalizing design drawings filled her mind—all perfectly tailored to Shen Lanyan’s demands, the kind that ignited desire at a single glance.

Inspiration surged through her like a geyser, and Ning Jiuwei dove into her sketches with total focus.

Out in the corridor, Su Jinglan peered through the transparent glass walls, her gaze softening into a tender smile as she watched the woman hunched over her desk.

The Design Director, Zhang Xiaoyue, trailed beside her, nerves frayed from the walk over. Ning Jiuwei’s dislike for President Su had been all too obvious, but thankfully, Designer Ning had buried herself in her work the instant she reached the office, smoothing over the fib.

Zhang Xiaoyue exhaled in relief, her taut nerves unwinding. Her smile lost its forced stiffness as she mumbled some work-related excuse and headed back to her Director’s Office.

“President Su.” Assistant Lin had come down from the Top Floor to fetch her, murmuring just loud enough for her ears alone: “The meeting starts in twenty minutes.”

“Got it. You go on ahead.” With twenty minutes to spare, Su Jinglan figured she could steal ten just to watch Ning Jiuwei lost in her work.

Lin Fengmian decided sticking around was smarter, in case the president lost track of time. She stepped back a few paces and pulled out her phone to text Secretary Xie.

Su Jinglan was in high spirits, which meant Assistant Lin got to play third wheel, standing there glowing like a bulb while her boss soaked it all in.

Her hands flew as fast as her thoughts. Ning Jiuwei finished sketching Shen Lanyan’s custom brooch and earrings in one inspired burst. She set down her stylus for a break—and that’s when she spotted Su Jinglan out in the corridor, those deep eyes curved in a gentle smile fixed right on her.

Ning Jiuwei’s breath caught. Memories of that midnight loss of control crashed over her.

The ghost of that deep, lingering kiss sharpened in her senses, a familiar rush of pleasure flooding her mind and seizing her heart. Her body felt like a fragile boat adrift on stormy seas, battered by wind and waves, hurled to dizzying crests. She clamped her thighs together and wrenched her focus back to the design on her screen.

No distractions. Just draw.

But with Su Jinglan watching, true focus was impossible. Ning Jiuwei could only fake it.

The silhouette in the corridor didn’t linger. Catching it from the corner of her eye, Ning Jiuwei glanced up to confirm once it was gone.

Su Jinglan was really leaving.

Off to her other duties, no doubt.

The sketches were done; now she had plenty of time for modeling and rendering. Reviewing her schedule, Ning Jiuwei saw she only had Miss Ye’s custom order left, plus five pieces for the Annual New Products.

Miss Ye’s specs were clear and straightforward—not hard to execute. Ning Jiuwei planned to knock it out while her inspiration held.

She poised her stylus to begin when a knock came from outside.

“Teacher Ning.”

“Come in.” Ning Jiuwei set her stylus aside, leaned back in a lazy sprawl, and addressed Jiang Shiyao. “What brings you here, Designer Jiang?”

Jiang Shiyao clutched a soft leather folder, gold-embossed with the company logo. Ning Jiuwei’s sharp eyes took her in from head to toe.

As she drew closer, an unfamiliar perfume wafted over—sweet and lush, like a bloom luring every bee and butterfly in range. It was a far cry from her usual faint scent, amped up several degrees in sultry maturity.

Her makeup and outfit screamed poised seductress, but her voice was pure Designer Little Jiang.

“Teacher Ning, here’s the speech for the Quarterly New Product Launch. Could you give it a look?” Jiang Shiyao had printed it out, wary of colleagues spotting it if she handed it over raw, so she’d tucked it safely in the folder.

This wasn’t about Annual New Product designs, so Ning Jiuwei was glad to lend a hand. She took the folder and read it right there.

The script droned on about design elements, hidden meanings, gems and metals used—like a bland product manual. Jiang Shiyao didn’t need to take the stage; a robot could recite it with identical results.

“Mind if I mark it up?” Ning Jiuwei grabbed a pen, checking with her first out of courtesy.

“Mark away, Teacher Ning. Whatever works.” Jiang Shiyao lit up like an eager corgi, her bright eyes brimming with hope.

Living up to her title, Ning Jiuwei jotted precise notes alongside each section, nailing the key points.

The neat, pretty handwriting mirrored Ning Jiuwei herself—its sharpness concealed, the fluid strokes exuding a grand, elegant beauty. Jiang Shiyao could sense nothing but that.

It was the first time she’d seen Teacher Ning write so much, and it was all for her. Jiang Shiyao’s heart pounded wildly.

Ning Jiuwei had restructured the paragraphs to fit the content, guiding Jiang Shiyao to think for herself like a patient teacher. She handed the speech draft back. “The notes above are just my personal opinions, for reference only. Designer Little Jiang doesn’t need to change everything exactly as I suggested.”

Jiang Shiyao felt like she’d uncovered a treasure, completely won over by Ning Jiuwei’s razor-sharp logic. The Chief Designer lived up to her title—superior in design skills and eloquence alike, far outshining ordinary designers like them.

“Teacher Ning, thank you.” Jiang Shiyao had other ideas brewing. Clutching the folder, she asked, “Will you be at the Quarterly New Product Launch? They’re combining it with the Brand Spokesperson Signing Ceremony this time, followed by a banquet.”

Jiang Shiyao waited nervously for Ning Jiuwei’s reply.

The office grew quietly still. She could hear her own breathing, her heart thumping with anxiety. Everyone knew Teacher Ning hated schmoozing; she only showed up for special reasons.

Ning Jiuwei’s gaze flicked subtly toward the empty President’s Office across the way. As President of the Design Division, Su Jinglan had to attend the launch and give the opening speech. This was her first one leading since joining the Design Department, and sales pressure weighed heavily on her.

The Design Division ran independently, but it still answered to Hengsu Group Headquarters. Poor sales numbers would seal Su Jinglan’s fate.

“I should be there,” Ning Jiuwei said, offering no firm commitment.

Jiang Shiyao’s heart soared. It wasn’t an outright no—meaning Teacher Ning would very likely join the banquet.

Practically a sure thing.

Whether Ning Jiuwei showed up at the Quarterly New Product Launch or not, Jiang Shiyao was ready. Those heartfelt words buried deep in her chest, unspoken in the draft, couldn’t be shared from the stage with Teacher Ning in the audience below—but she’d hear and see them in the video.

Jiang Shiyao left with a spring in her step, heading back to her desk to revise the speech per the annotations.

Ning Jiuwei twirled her stylus, her inspiration for sketching designs gone.

As noon approached, a group filed into the previously empty President’s Office. Su Jinglan glanced toward the Chief Designer’s Office before diving into work discussions with them.

They called it a discussion, but everyone deferred to Su Jinglan. She orchestrated the big picture, set the course, and issued precise, orderly directives.

In mere minutes, she’d delegated all the tasks. The group streamed out, leaving Su Jinglan alone once more.

Lunchtime neared. Su Jinglan checked her watch and headed to find Ning Jiuwei.

The office door stood ajar. Without knocking, Su Jinglan pushed it open and stepped inside.

“Designer Ning, lunch together?” Their deeper, more intimate connection set Su Jinglan’s heart racing like a torrent. She ached nonstop for the memory of Ning Jiuwei’s bare skin against hers, unhindered.

Those few steps ignited flames in her chest, parching her throat and roughening her voice. Su Jinglan held her breath, wrestling down the burning urge.

Ning Jiuwei’s response matched her morning chill—remote and aloof, like someone who’d shared a bed once and then pretended it never happened, erasing their physical bond entirely.

“No, thanks.” No explanation, just blunt refusal.

Su Jinglan approached the desk, her gaze blazing openly across the tabletop. “Does Designer Ning have other plans for lunch?”

Her back was to the door; she didn’t notice the figure hovering just outside.

Zhang Xiaoyue, who’d planned a private chat over lunch with Ning Jiuwei, overheard the President and scrapped the idea instantly. Meals could wait; her job couldn’t.

She turned to slip away, but Ning Jiuwei called out, “Director Zhang.”

Zhang Xiaoyue: “…”

All the times she’d shielded Ning Jiuwei like a prized gem, and now this—Ning Jiuwei spotting her at the worst moment.

Plastering on a bright smile, Zhang Xiaoyue beamed from the doorway. “I’ll swing by this afternoon. You and President Su carry on.” She bolted before Ning Jiuwei could reply, feet barely touching the floor.

Zhang Xiaoyue knew her well: linger too long, and Ning Jiuwei would declare they were lunching together, ditching President Su.

That was precisely Ning Jiuwei’s plan—but Zhang Xiaoyue vanished too fast for a counter.

“Let’s go, Designer Ning.” Su Jinglan turned, her stoic face softening into a tender smile for Ning Jiuwei alone, a different mask for everyone else. “I’ll drive.”

Ning Jiuwei eyed Su Jinglan’s lips, soft and glossed in that alluring red maple shade. The sensations she evoked were utterly unique—searing, indelible, ones Ning Jiuwei had never known before. Just the sight brought it all rushing back.

Without the cover of night and blankets, Ning Jiuwei—who had never dreamed of being loved in such a way—couldn’t bring herself to face Su Jinglan. She lowered her eyes, picked up her tablet and stylus, and used work as her shield. “I’m not hungry, President Su. Go eat with someone else.”

“Does Designer Ning think I can just grab anyone to have lunch with?” Su Jinglan braced both hands on the desk and leaned in close to Ning Jiuwei, her voice dropping to a husky murmur thick with heat. “Jiuwei, are you really not going to take responsibility for me? This time, we were both wide awake. You can’t pretend it never happened.”

As if they’d actually done it at the hotel too—one of them blacked out, the other in denial.

It wasn’t her who ought to be taking responsibility anyway. Ning Jiuwei’s body flushed hot, that familiar weakness spreading from her legs upward. She gripped her stylus tightly, fell silent for a moment, then murmured with her head still bowed, “I want to be alone.”

“Want to come to my office?” Watching Ning Jiuwei’s evasive manner, Su Jinglan curved her lips into a charming smile. “My other office—it’s quiet and secluded, no interruptions, and no one comes near without permission.”

Her words sparked Ning Jiuwei’s curiosity. Ning Jiuwei lifted her gaze, and Su Jinglan’s smile deepened with meaning. “Come on, Designer Ning. Let me show you my other workspace. It’ll make it easier for you to track me down.”

“…No.” Ning Jiuwei sensed the danger, yet her heart fluttered uncontrollably. Su Jinglan cupped her face. “Then I’ll just kiss Designer Ning right here.”

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