Chapter 96

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Su Jinglan kept a smile on her face. She didn’t look at Ning Jiuwei, making it seem as though the question she’d just asked was nothing more than a tentative one, free of any other emotions.

Ning Jiuwei knew that wasn’t the case. She applied everything she’d learned to Su Jinglan, analyzing her every gesture, every smile and frown in her mind.

“Why ask that?” Ning Jiuwei turned sideways toward Su Jinglan. The hand she’d had wrapped around her waist slipped onto the sofa with the movement. She glanced at it, but Su Jinglan showed no sign of pulling it back up.

An inexplicable pang tugged at her heart, bringing with it an indescribable sourness.

“I want to hear Teacher Ning’s answer.” Su Jinglan lowered her eyes, her gaze falling to the floor with nowhere to settle, drifting along the glossy tiles.

It was hard to put into words, but this wasn’t the time for coyness. Ning Jiuwei let out a soft hum and answered Su Jinglan without hesitation. “Really.”

Love must not be betrayed or hurt. People had to move forward. Of the past, only the beautiful parts needed to be kept. Those painful, agonizing memories only hindered one’s steps if held onto—they should be discarded when the time came.

Su Jinglan pursed her lips. Her uneasy heart still found no relief.

A hand cupped her face, turning it slowly with gentle force. Su Jinglan lifted her eyes. Ning Jiuwei’s gaze was earnest as she leaned in for a tentative kiss.

Tears welled in Su Jinglan’s eyes as she smiled—a genuine smile that set Ning Jiuwei’s heart itching with desire. A familiar scorching heat bloomed and spread through her, her whole body growing feverish.

“Is it my attitude that makes you unable to believe me?” Before, it had been Ning Jiuwei who didn’t trust Su Jinglan’s feelings. Now their positions had reversed, with Su Jinglan as the one in doubt.

Su Jinglan hesitated for half a second before nodding. She already knew everything about the past, including the true reason Ning Jiuwei had gone to see the psychologist. Since Ning Jiuwei wasn’t saying anything, she could pretend not to know.

Ning Jiuwei mistook her nod for confirmation of her own emotional guardedness and went along with it.

“I’m not good at letting go.” Ning Jiuwei knew her own personality well. She always stayed rational, especially when it came to emotional exchanges. She tried opening her heart to Su Jinglan. “I don’t trust your feelings for me—not just yours, but anyone’s. But you’re the only one I’m willing to accept. You’re the only one who can get this close to me.”

They were just a few inches apart, lips within easy reach. Ning Jiuwei gently caressed her jawline, her burning gaze sending clear signals of longing.

Su Jinglan’s breath caught, nearly suffocating her. Teasingly, she said, “Miss Wen seems able to get this close too.”

“She can’t.” Ning Jiuwei’s breath came in heavy gasps. “Only you, Su Jinglan.”

A fervent kiss sent Su Jinglan tumbling back onto the sofa. Their ten intertwined fingers pressed against the side of her head. Ning Jiuwei’s passion burned like wildfire, boiling her blood. Su Jinglan’s body went limp. She had no defense against Ning Jiuwei’s dominance and plunder, sinking deeply into the scorching tangle.

She wanted to give everything of herself to her.

Her heart thundered like claps of thunder. Ning Jiuwei gripped her hand tighter, kissing her even more deeply. She was a quick study—everything Su Jinglan had done to her, she returned in spades, amplified and refined, drawing Su Jinglan in until she couldn’t stop.

Lost in a haze of desire, Su Jinglan shifted her body, following her inner cravings. Ning Jiuwei was driving her mad; the pent-up emotions needed an outlet. Suddenly, Ning Jiuwei broke the kiss, panting hoarsely. “I have to go to Miss Shen’s place.”

That was just like Ning Jiuwei—able to start and stop at will.

Su Jinglan sighed helplessly, staying sprawled on the sofa. “Fine. I’ll wait for Teacher Ning to come back and lavish me with more love.”

“Does it hurt?” In her excitement, Ning Jiuwei had bitten down several times without realizing. She brushed Su Jinglan’s lips. Smiling, Su Jinglan took her hand and kissed her fingertip. “Just a little. It feels good.”

Compared to Su Jinglan, Ning Jiuwei wasn’t as open. She couldn’t voice her physical sensations so directly. A tingling itch spread from her fingertip to the softest part of her heart, melting Ning Jiuwei bit by bit. She hated to leave.

Their eyes met, the surging passion drawing Ning Jiuwei down. Su Jinglan’s lips curved up as she slowly closed her eyes.

The expected kiss never came. Instead, Ning Jiuwei hugged her and whispered her name by her ear. “Jinglan, I’ll be back soon.”

Finally, a more intimate form of address. Su Jinglan savored Ning Jiuwei’s slightly hoarse voice as she rolled around on the sofa.

Nearly tumbling off it.

Su Jinglan grabbed a throw pillow to hug in Ning Jiuwei’s place. The TV happened to be playing an intimate scene—from entering the door to embracing on the sofa. With a studious mindset, Su Jinglan picked up the remote and rewound to the door after the scene passed, watching it over and over.

Now that she had someone to practice with, every bit she learned counted.

Ning Jiuwei still hadn’t returned. She’d watched this segment five times already.

The person she missed had just arrived at the doorstep of Shen Lanyan’s home.

After straightening her appearance and composing her expression, Ning Jiuwei pressed the doorbell.

Shen Lanyan’s assistant, Ah Xiao, answered the door with perfectly measured courtesy—neither overly warm nor cold—and led Ning Jiuwei into the living room.

“You’re quite a bit earlier than the time specified in the contract,” Shen Lanyan teased as soon as Ning Jiuwei arrived. Her seductive, alluring eyes fixed intently on her guest. “Is Designer Sister so eager to give me this ring?”

Ah Xiao poured some tea and then discreetly withdrew, leaving Shen Lanyan free to work her charms on the designer.

Maintaining her professional demeanor, Ning Jiuwei politely countered Shen Lanyan’s brazen words. “Miss Shen’s design fee was quite substantial, so our firm prioritized production for you.”

The ring rested inside an opulent velvet jewelry box. Though the ring itself was small, the box was wide enough to span two hands. Ning Jiuwei carefully lifted it from her handbag with both hands and presented it to Shen Lanyan. “If Miss Shen finds everything in order, please sign here to confirm receipt.”

Shen Lanyan’s slender fingers looked strikingly pale and delicate against the dark velvet lining. Were all designers’ hands this beautiful? She recalled the other designers she’d met before—none of them could compare to Ning Jiuwei.

Shen Lanyan didn’t take the box. Instead, she lifted her chin. “Would Designer Sister be so kind as to open it for me?”

Ning Jiuwei had no time for flirtation. She flipped open the jewelry box with brisk efficiency, as if the ring inside were nothing more than a hot potato she was eager to hand off.

The living room was brightly lit. Sunlight refracted off the gemstone, casting sparkles into Shen Lanyan’s eyes. A surge of indescribable affection welled up in her heart.

The finished product in reality surpassed even the design sketches.

Emboldened, Shen Lanyan extended her hand toward Ning Jiuwei. “Sister, help me put it on.”

She’d encountered clients who asked for help with necklaces before, but this was the first time anyone had requested assistance with a ring. Ning Jiuwei glanced back over her shoulder, but Ah Xiao was nowhere in sight. With no way to beg off, she had no choice but to do it herself.

“Please inspect it first, Miss Shen.” The ring’s design wasn’t limited to its surface; there were intricate patterns on the inner band as well. Ning Jiuwei slid the jewelry box closer, making it easy for Shen Lanyan to take it.

Shen Lanyan saw right through the deflection. She arched a brow, her smile brimming with amusement, and remained seated on the sofa without moving.

Ning Jiuwei picked up the ring and casually set the box down on the coffee table. She took Shen Lanyan’s hand and slid the ring onto her finger.

The ring had been sized for the middle finger, though the ring and index fingers were similar enough in circumference that it would fit any of them. As the ring brushed her middle fingertip, Shen Lanyan angled her hand slightly. “Put it on my ring finger instead.”

The motion brushed innocently against Ning Jiuwei’s palm. Ning Jiuwei’s expression remained perfectly serene, her heart utterly unmoved—like a straight woman with no interest in her own sex. Whichever finger Shen Lanyan specified, that’s where she put it.

She slid the ring smoothly from fingertip to base. “Is Miss Shen satisfied?”

“I like it very much.” Shen Lanyan pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of her newly adorned hand, then posted it to Weibo.

She hadn’t been facing Ning Jiuwei while taking the picture, but the fans scrutinizing the image under a microscope spotted a second figure in the blurry reflection. Within a single minute of posting, the comments had already surpassed ten thousand, and it rocketed straight to the top of the hot searches.

Shen Lanyan: I like it very much.

After posting, Shen Lanyan set her phone aside and examined the ring more closely.

People with exceptional talent always stirred the heart, but a designer like Ning Jiuwei—beautiful and supremely skilled—was even more captivating. Shen Lanyan twisted the ring around her finger and looked up at Ning Jiuwei.

Unlike her earlier playful gaze, this time her eyes held genuine seriousness. Ning Jiuwei ignored it completely. She retrieved the delivery documents from her handbag and offered a pen with its cap already removed, bringing the evening’s meeting to a close. “If there are no issues, Miss Shen, just sign here so I can head back early.”

“It is getting late.” Ning Jiuwei had arrived later than their agreed time, but Shen Lanyan took the documents and pen without any rush to sign her name. “Why not stay here tonight?”

“My girlfriend is waiting for me at home.” Ning Jiuwei smiled faintly. “It wouldn’t be convenient to stay over at Miss Shen’s place.”

Shen Lanyan wondered if she’d misheard. “Girlfriend? Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

If you have a girlfriend now, what about Su Jinglan? Had she grabbed just anyone at random to shake off Su Jinglan?

“My girlfriend lives right upstairs from Miss Shen’s place.” She wouldn’t admit their relationship in front of Su Jinglan herself, but in front of Shen Lanyan, “girlfriend” rolled off her tongue with effortless ease.

Shen Lanyan: “???”

Progress had advanced far faster than anyone could have anticipated. Shen Lanyan was still mentally stuck in the phase where Su Jinglan’s affections went unrequited. In disbelief, she fired off a message to Su Jinglan. When she opened WeChat, her screen was flooded with greetings from colleagues—including one from Sister Ling.

Sister Ling had already steeled herself mentally and prepared a slew of contingency plans for any potential exposure. With sharp instincts, she refrained from calling Shen Lanyan at this delicate moment to avoid disturbing her. Instead, she simply sent a message: “Are you going public with your relationship with Designer Ning?”

Shen Lanyan didn’t reply to a single one of those messages. She let go of any notion of seeking confirmation from Su Jinglan and turned instead to Ning Jiuwei, who was seated right in front of her. “Are you together with President Su?”

Ning Jiuwei smiled but offered no answer. Instead, she gently prompted her: “The delivery documents are prepared in duplicate. After signing, please keep one copy with you, Miss Shen. If any revisions are needed, feel free to reach out to me at any time.”

Still wrapped in incredulity, Shen Lanyan signed her name and handed one copy back to Ning Jiuwei with hesitation.

“Isn’t it President Su?” The floor directly above housed Su Jinglan, though there were other residents even higher up. Ning Jiuwei had only mentioned that her girlfriend lived upstairs—without specifying whether it was the very next floor or one separated by others.

Ning Jiuwei tucked away the documents, shouldered her briefcase, and took her leave from Shen Lanyan. “I’ll send you the finalized design drawings for the necklace and brooch the moment they’re ready. Goodbye, Miss Shen.”

She rode the elevator up to the 22nd Floor. The instant she stepped through the door, she tumbled straight into Su Jinglan’s arms.

“Ning Jiuwei, who is your girlfriend?” Su Jinglan beamed with a wide grin as she pulled Ning Jiuwei closer, her uncontainable delight spilling over.

Evidently, Shen Lanyan had messaged Su Jinglan. Ning Jiuwei’s lips curved into a smile. Without dodging the question, she met Su Jinglan’s gaze head-on and replied, “You, Su Jinglan.”

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